Zaibtasu: Fall Team

[Faithdreamer]

Prologue: Dug your Own Hole

Beyond the quarantined training area floodlights washed everything in bright light. You would never know where you were, as much as you realized who was beside you. The other trainees were vivid, all wearing clothes like yours. Orange track pants with a single white stripe down the side, yellow track jackets and charcoal coloured T-shirts. Your underwear probably had the same logo everything else did. Yoshiko.

With both letter O’s, and even the dot over the ‘I’ stylized as the kabuki shade of the red rising sun. That was a keen point, a visceral trigger. The trainees opposite the group you were in all raised their shaking hands. Swords, knives, clubs, bats, a rolled up magazine; every trainee roared and waved the weapon they had at you. The megaphone-amplified voice of your trainer was calm, and completely callous:

“All Yoshiko employees will wash their hands when they finish their laundry.”

There was something wrong with him. His voice was like the downpour that slammed into your bodies. Slimy and acidic, irritating your epidermis, making your skin crawl; he and the rain were eerie and painful to be around. His tone changed, now it was singsong like the song just starting on the speakers.

“I wanna be the very best
Like no one ever was
To kill them is my real test
To be good is my cause!

Ichi-ban! ”

Broken glass was everywhere, used condoms, mud and blood, teeth, a bleached-to-white finger bone. This place was a gravel pit people with big guns had cordoned off. Good luck trying to escape. When you looked around, most of the others had glazed eyes, call yourself crazy but it was like freaky movie autohypnosis. Before you knew it they’d all stumbled across the gravel pit looking to hurt you.

Fujiwara Kobori was face-to-face with a big looking man before Fujiwara was suddenly face-to-his-kneecaps. He’d seen the brute’s baseball bat coming. There was an old half-full syringe on the ground next to the brute’s foot, probably with AIDs on it, or something.

Hideki wasn’t so observant when it came to the shiv the girl trying to stick him had carved all by herself. He’d watched her patiently shaping it every night, in the bunkhouse they all slept in, when she thought everyone was sleeping. She smiled and laughed at the deep cut she left above his eyes. She obviously hadn’t noticed the rusty Katana he’d already picked up. It was probably a good idea to show her why it was a bad idea, to go after the man with a longer blade.

Tsuchide Michieru had to dodge twice, once from a man too damn good with his Nunchaku for his own good. The second time was the calculated kick from Jaimura Kondo; Tsuchide’s femur would be broken if he weren’t so lucky. An especially vicious old man saved him from the hit he wouldn’t have been able to escape. Swirling fighting chain Bruce Lee the friggin’ Monkey Ninja kicked a monkey wrench at him; then he paused, like he was waiting for Tsuchide to pick it up.

Jaimura was struggling with the old man, whatever fire the old man had, he was at least as strong as the Assassin. So far Jaimura had managed to weave his away into every place except for the old tiger’s grip.

Everyone still conscious of themselves was at least vaguely aware of the Trainer’s voice above everything. “Let’s see who got through our intensive discussion with a toilet bowl. How many days did it take you to dig this pit here?”Hideki begins the game with 1 Stun. In case you hadn’t realized, your trainer’s song is the Opening of Pokemon

[Voshkod]

Hideki Yamashira

The blood was running down over his left eye, but Hideki's voice remained level. "I spent a lot of money on this face, my dear girl," he said to the woman with the shiv. "Can't have you messing it up anymore." He swung the katana in a vicious sweep at her belly, working for the quick disembowelment.

Whatever the game is today, I will win it, he thought as he pleasantly grinned, as if talking about a ball game at the watercooler.

[BizzaroStormy]

Michieru snagged up the monkey wrench and charged at his opponent, his path slightly off to the right due to the pain in his leg. Once he gets up close, he brings the wrench up into the groin of his target.

[roll0]
[roll1]

((Not sure if I'm rolling correctly.))

[Blockhead]

Dr. Kobori Fujuwara

Not the fighting man at all, the Dr. wondered how he had gotten into this mess. Ah yes, the chance to find some honour is in work, that perhaps his past, mishappenings would wash away, like the rain that patted against his face and onto the broken and jagged ground.

Having no weapons on him and no martial arts training, the Dr. did what he did best. He ducked, grabbed the syringe and plunged it into the man's knee with all his strength, pushing down on the syringe. The Dr. hoped it wasn't a combat drug, or if it was, it had side-effects. Like, fall-over-and-die-right-now kind of side-effects.

EDIT: Do I need to roll? I'm not skilled in any kind of combat...

[drum-n-bass]

Just wanted to let you know that his first name is Kondo and his last name is Jaimura.


Kondo continues to use his assassin skill to take out this old man. He thinks to himself Dang. This old man is tough. I'm more used to gun fighting, not hand to hand fighting. I should probably start studying that.

[Faithdreamer]

Dug your Own HoleDrum’n’bass – Roll your own dice
[roll0]
[roll1]

[roll2] – Fun for a Tigger
[roll3] – Meow, Kitty! Nya!


[roll4] – Brute’s Blow
[roll5] – Fujuwara’s black eye..?

[roll6] – Ninja Nunchaku’s swirling pain
[roll7] – Ninja Nunchaku’s Class 4U (Michieru)

[roll8] – Giggles’ counterattack
[roll9] – Double whammy..?

-Hideki has no dice, because I rolled them.“That’s right losers, this gravel pit is just garbage you dug out from yourselves over half decades. Can’t handle the smell of blood join the fat lazy cows on the hooks.”

A deep screech drowns out the megaphone. It’s not like he was a psych major or anything, Dr. Fujuwara just thought the brute sounded really pissed off now. Limping on one leg, he takes another breaks-his-teeth-on-bullets swing. Again, being a Doctor taught you a lot. It was even easier to read what he was doing now. Fujuwara calmly inched to the side and watched the bat bounce off the ground. It was better than a Muay Thai style knee in the face. He probably couldn’t afford it either, with a big needle in the back of his knee in heaven-knew-how it was just the right impossible spot.

“Crabs are eating my legs apart!” The brute wailed.

It wasn’t clear to Hideki whether the girl just beyond his Katana was laughing at Hideki, or laughing at someone else getting hurt. Girls had done both before, right?
She knew enough not to mess with even a rusty sword, and kept her distance, weaving her little shiv in tricky patterns. Really, who the hell did she think he was?
He wasn’t really sure how to use these things, but he’d seen it done a few times. Doing his best imitation, he managed to slice her stomach open, and watched her smelly entrails spill out with a wrinkled nose.

Tsuchide was strong. This Ninja Monkey man was good at showing that wasn’t everything. Box lifers were strong. Before he clubbed Tsuchide in the face with one end of his spinning weapon, he’d demonstrated the first rule. To Dodge, do not let him strike you. He blew air out his nose, Tsuchide realized it was mocking laughter. A hard smack with the side of a monkey wrench wiped the smirk off his face.

Jaimura had never met anyone so old who wrestled so well, maybe it was because he didn’t know how to wrestle. Of all the things he could have done this close, the old man bit his face and tore until blood ran. Of all the things he’d have noticed – this guy didn’t need dentures. “Not tired already, are you?”PCs
Michieru has one Stun
Jaimura has one Stun

NPCs
Nunchaku Ninja has one Stun.
Giggles is Wounded
Brute is… hopped up..?

Note: By and large you’re all unskilled at Melee combat. I decided I’d resolve it like a skill contest, and have the lower results win.The megaphone was louder this time. The Trainer said the last part with a small amount of satisfaction. “Those deadbeats below who can still hear and understand my voice: Drop your weapons or you will be shot.”

[BizzaroStormy]

Michi does exactly as he is told. He lets go of the wrench but brings his elbow up into the jaw of his opponent.

[roll0][roll1]

[drum-n-bass]

"Ah, My F***ing face, You didn't have to bite me!" Since Kondo has no weapons he throws a right hook at the old mans face to get revenge.


[roll0]
[roll1]

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

The Dr. had no weapons to begin with and continued to avoid the brute's baseball bat batterings, trying to put some distance between them, as the needle would only make it painful to walk. Perhaps the brute was stupid enough to be fooled by him. "Hey! What's that!" Shouted the Dr. pointing behind the brute. There was nothing in the immediate area behind him of course, but Dr. Fujuwara would have enough time to run if the brute turned.

((Trying to use my skill Deceive, I take it you're rolling))

[Voshkod]

Hideki Yamashira

"No problem, Magic Voice," Hideki says as he lunges forward and tries to bury his katana in the giggling woman's chest.

[roll0] to hit.
[roll1] for damage.

If he hits, he lets go, leaving the katana dangling there. If he misses, he'll jump back and lower the katana.

[Faithdreamer]

Dug your Own Hole: Plain Snakes Note: All Sharpshooters have used Take Aim.
[roll0] – Sharpshooter Shot
[roll1] – Cauterized… wound.

[roll2] – Sharpshooter Shot
[roll3] – Cauterized… wound.

[roll4] – Sharpshooter Shot
[roll5] – Cauterized… wound.

Since Blockhead didn’t ROLL OWN DICE he may not have a Deceive attempt this time. You meaner, don’t try to make me do everything around here. You’re just lazy, you big Blockhead.

Yamashira’s old katana slipped through her body like… well, call it just swirling a spoon in liquid butter. It was a quicker, cleaner death than she would have had. Hideki still got the feeling the Trainer was looking on in mute displeasure. He was probably getting off on this. A spike of some sensation that made him very worried – that was what killing intent felt like? – It was gone before he knew what he was feeling. Hideki stood alone in a sense, proud, dignified, with his chin held high. He was Japanese dignity in the rain. Unlike so many Samurai, he didn’t seem (at least outwardly) to be looking down on his kill.

He was in stark contrast to the flailing brute Dr. Fujuwara jammed with that syringe needle. The big man stumbled passed, not seeming to see anyone. Jaimura was too committed, he almost sent himself sprawling when he punched at the old man. His stumble saved his life. There was a localized cavity where the Old Man’s vital organs should have been. Empty space…

…he hit that right on the nose, whatever he was trying to hit with his elbow. Michieru thought that was just as well, because it probably wouldn’t have done very much to this man specifically. Nunchaku Ninja was frowning. “Listen, don’t move from here on out. Get down on your knees and raise your hands.” He was the first to follow the advice he gave Michieru.

He’d noticed it, like you either had or were about to see it. Something was hot, there was mist, or steam in the air. It was plain to the naked eye in this bright light. All around you trainees were dying with the same sort of injury. It looked kind of like someone had taken a spoon and just started digging in. Like each person was a bowl of cereal.

“What you’re seeing…” The trainer and his damn megaphone. “Are the results of that interview last evening. Those of you who did not sufficiently resist hypnotic therapy are now dead. This company has no use for salesmen who spoil big surprises before the unveiling day. You’re fired. For those of you with sufficient means to resist and shrug off, well done, because we’re very subtle with our work.”

The Brute’s head just melted, seeing that should have convinced the lot of you to get down and beg. Something hot streaked by Tsuchide, and he got the impression someone decided to miss him at the last second. They were shooting into the gravel pit with some kind of space age mini-lasers.

“Welcome to your graduation day. Please strip the other trainees of their clothing, and bring it back up with you. There you’ll place it in the laundry hampers provided. Go straight to the docks, your ride is waiting for you. Congratulations, ladies and gentlemen. You are the people who are still alive.”During your next post, feel free to imagine and elaborate on what happened, or how you feel about your task for the graduation ceremony. For the sake of everyone’s stomach, we’ll skip to the next scene. With no strange modifications from ye’ of the supernatural because you’ll probably turn it into a bigger nightmare; players are still free to do their thing.Permission to Disembark

Quietly, five of you waited underneath an awning on the beach. The rain was letting up, and you were still going to get a cold. For now, it was finally… just beginning.

Jaimura Kondo was on one end of your line with the Nunchaku Ninja, and Tsuchide Michieru the other. In the middle Dr. Fujuwara stood next to Yamashira Hideki. All of you were watching the same thing. The island was bland looking, it should have been vibrant. You’d just escaped death. There was just something hopeless about this place.
You were uniformly tired. Training was gruelling, if you wanted to remember your torture at all, that was an easy way of saying you were glad it was over. And if you wanted to go back for some ungodly reason; that was what the Snipers were for. No sense wandering around when there was waiting to do.

The sound of the waves crawling ashore was soothing alone. With the steady rhythm of the approaching VTOL aircraft, you almost felt sleepy. They were sort of a cross between a helicopter and a plane, sleek and glossy looking, in their own way resembling birds. There were three of them. Each glided to a smooth stop above the water. It looked like you were going to have to climb aboard after wading through it. Crew members leaned from one door, waiting to receive you.

One of them stood out, if only because he was dressed differently. He wore black, a pair of snazzy designer shades and a tailored suit with tie. It was a company man. The nametag he was wearing said so. Hello, I’m: Swarley.
He waited until you were close to offer his hand, and helped whoever accepted it inside. When the doors were finally closed and sealed, you could hear the music coming out of the speakers in the hold. This was a triumph.
I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS.
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction.
Aperture Science
We do what we must
because we can.
For the good of all of us.
Except the ones who are dead.
But there's no sense crying over every mistake.
You just keep on trying till you run out of cake.
And the Science gets done.
And you make a neat gun.
For the people who are still alive.

Listen to Portal – Still Alive (credits song) Swarley directed you to take a seat on the benches. From here, the VTOL craft ascended, and as the height became grater the ocean seemed to swallow the tiny little island, a small pinprick on a big canvas. The world was much, much bigger than your tiny hellhole. There was so much more to see. Did you prefer the windows, or the industrial interior of the hold?

Now it was just about more waiting. The pilot’s cabin was segregated from the hold, bothering them wouldn’t have been a good idea at any rate. Within a minute or two, Swarley probably had something useful to say. He looked important.

It took an instant to realize what this new feeling was. Warmth. The inside of the aircraft had a higher temperature than the island, probably because you were freezing cold. Then there was that damn music, some kind of perverse techno trance. You’re a real psychopath! Good Job!

Outside the windows you could see the other VTOL fliers were in formation with yours now. You should have expected a mob of Yoshiko employees and well-wishers, support and encouragement, people praising your prospects for promotion and giving you tea and treats. But an escort was as heart-warming as anything else, so they say.

[BizzaroStormy]

Michieru sat on the bench with and long, green, military case open on his lap, fiddling with something inside it. He hated when his weapons stopped working, especially the expensive ones. Without looking up, he asks, So what exactly are we doing...Swarley?

[drum-n-bass]

Kondo relaxes on a bench looking out the window. He doesn't really care what's going on, he's just glad that he is out of that hellhole. About to fall asleep he startles himself back awake. He then chuckles silently to himself about the name Swarley before looking back out the window.

[Kaisshau]

"What you're doing, is resting. You've only got a limited amount of time before we touch ground at our routing facility. There, you'll have one hour, and I mean an hour, not a second more, to be dressed and ready for presentation. You'll be given your first assignment, which I hope to god isn't too difficult after watching you in the pit, as it'll be my ass on the line for you layabouts. I'm your new Team Leader. Swarley, everyone calls me.

Looking down to regard his briefing, then up again, he glared at Michieru.

"Quit fiddling with your toy. If it was really broken, they wouldn't have given it back to you. Now get some sleep, all of you."

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujiwara

The Dr. took Swarley's advise and immediatly got some shut eye. He silently thanked whichever deity had saved him from the brute back on the island and hoped he wouldn't have to face such horrible violence, at least, personally, again.

[Faithdreamer]

Country Living

When you landed it was hard to tell where you were. There weren’t ‘earthen starscapes’ of any kind, you’d expected Tokyo to be full of lights and noise. Beckoning you like a candle of opportunity in the dark. A light to find your way through the agony of impoverished life… Nunchaku Ninja said his first thing:

“Is there a blackout?”

The spotlights on the belly of your aircraft let you see the ground from your window. There was a paved roadway cutting straight through a large field flush with plant growth. You were landing in the middle of a farm, which was itself bisected with a major highway. As would be normal this time of night, there wasn’t a car in sight. You were ushered onto the ground, where you met a series of small cars as they pulled over at random. Under Swarley’s coordination the drivers brought you to a rural house at the top of a large hill. It was ringed in a slightly-taller than normal fence, the driveway barred by an imposing looking gate that said ‘No Tresspassing’ and ‘Drive Slowly’. Tall trees grew from base to summit. Eventually the whole group was assembled in the front yard.

Swarley unlocked the door and allowed you to explore the home. It was a blend of the West and traditional Nihon-koku. There was a well-stocked kitchen that would have made a world class chef at home. A western-style dining room, a Wa****su, even a tea room; the lounge had a breathtaking bar and a huge flat screen television in the wall. Plush couches, hand carved boxes with extra blankets and pillows, need anyone say more?
There was one master suite with an attached office, a luxury tub, walk-in closet and separated western-style bathroom. Swarley took that once for himself – probably a perk of his position. The other bedrooms were each unique in their own way, and all comfortable and welcoming, just not quite as over-the-top as Swarley’s was. There were two separate toilet rooms, and two separate bathing rooms for everyone to use. It was the traditional way to separate the toilet and the bath.
The group office came with instructions about the house, surveillance monitors and security controls, and one of those big screens you used a projector with. Then there was the library and an attached study. Last but not least was the Recreational room, with a pool table, air hockey table, pachinko machine, and exercise equipment. The laundry room… it was an efficient looking place. Washers, dryer, ample shelves and tables, coat hangers and fabric softeners, detergents, irons with ironing boards. There were racks used to hang specialized clothes like Kimono and air bedding out.

Outside you found a pool house with a hot-tub, naturally there was a pool and associated equipment. There was a serene strolling garden and elsewhere a garage worthy of a mechanic able to fit at least three cars. Inside you found a blue Sedan, a Toyota MPV and a Sports Car. Such was the might of a Zaibatsu.Feel free to describe what you wear now that you have changes of clothes. The things you investigate, the things you’re interested in, how your own rooms look. You know what I mean. Sugar and Spice to give yourselves a little life… When it came time for the briefing, it was the boss who was late by an hour. He came rudely calling, rang the front door, and even forgot to take his shoes off in the foyer.
Wearing a bright green suit with a yellow dress shirt and a red tie, he had one of those thick golden chains hung with a big dollar sign. His hair was shaved in cornrows, and he brought a case of expensive sake with a bottle of plum whine. The first thing he did was ask where he could find a sake set. Then he wondered idly if everyone got their welcoming gift basket, and said something about a choice between that and a designer handbag.

All he said was that Swarley could take it from here, and drank his sake (which he poured himself). He didn’t offer anyone else any sake, and added that you could call him Asayuki-sama.

[BizzaroStormy]

The first thing Michieru does upon being let loose in the massive house...is head to the toilet. He knew he should have gone before but his only option would have been to hang off the side of the VTOL. Such an act would have probably been frowned upon if he managed to not fall. A quick bath and a look through his available wardrobe now had his with his hair slicked back, wearing a yellow leather biker's jacket with a black stripe across the chest and down the sleeves. A pair of matching pants weren't too hard to find and neither were the very nice sunglasses he wore...as well as the 2 or 3 extra pairs in the pockets of his jacket.

With the ordeal he head been through there was only one thing he wanted as he looked through the kitchen. Sake, rum, wine, hell he'd even settle for prison toilet wine at this point; anything with alcohol in it.


Michi enters the meeting room with half a bottle of booze sticking out of his pocket and a slight smell of alcohol on his breath. His shades are pulled down as he spins his gun around a finger, those around him hoping the safety is on. Alright...Asayuki-sama...What exactly do you want us to do? He sits down in a chair waiting for a response when he notices the ninja sitting next to him. Yo, hows the face?

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

The Dr. also goes to the toilet and takes a quick bath. Upon washing up, he claims a bedroom.

The bedroom itself is rather plain and is designed around ancient Japanese culture. The walls are made from sliding paper and the bed is raised from the ground on a wooden board. There is a small water feature inside.

The Dr. then went about putting on some cleaner clothes, it was important to make a good first impression. Taking off his dirty, messy clothes and putting them in the laundry basket, he donned a long white coat, with a blue-shirt and red tie. He wore a nice pair of black trousers and polished brown shoes. Giving his glasses a wipe, he strolled into the lounge and awaited the meeting.

The Dr. kept quiet during the meeting with Asayuki-sama.

[Voshkod]

Hideki Yamashira

Hideki was quiet during the flight, spending his time watching and reading his new boss and co-workers. Upon landing, he claimed a room with a nice western exposure, to catch the sunset. His culture had spawned many nice things, but the feeling of false austerity was not one of them. His room was in a western style, a king-sized bed with silk sheets, soft carpeting, a small fireplace. He flipped on the widescreen in time to catch the closing innings of the game. The Yomiuri Giants were trouncing the Saitama Seibu Lions. As the baseball game played, he took a long shower. He combed his hair back and put on a nicely-cut slate gray suit with a dark blue tie. He brewed a quick cup of espresso (tea was for calming, espresso for ramping up), and went out to the meeting.

He bowed slightly to Asayuki-sama. As he sat down, he unfolded a pair of mirrorshades and covered his eyes.

[drum-n-bass]

Kondo goes inside for a nice warm shower. After his shower he dresses in his normal attire of fauxhawk, black suit with skinny tie, and black sunglasses. Then he gets some food to eat and sits down for the briefing.

[Kaisshau]

"Please, ignore Mr. Asayuki-sama. He's feeling a bit, let's say, under the weather. If you'll all bring your attention to the front, I'd like to show you something." Tugging on a pull-cord, Swarley pulled a projector screen from the ceiling. Grabbing a remote, he pressed the power button, and the screen lit up.

"Now, please, look at this." Swarley presses a button on the remote, and the screen is filled with the image of a naked woman.

"That's Mr. Asayuki-sama's wife. Isn't she lovely?" Winking at the passed out man, he clicks to the next slide.

"Since I have your attention now, I feel I should let you in on a little secret. Here's what you're here for."

On the screen, the following information is displayed.

Mission Briefing

Yoshiko is involved in several food chains and has its own ways of preparing food to keep its customers coming back for more. There are certain unscrupulous groups operating all over Nihon (Japan) that tend to abuse their power by adding certain harmful, addictive substances to their food. You might think of it like cigarettes and alcohol, enough to be a health risk over time alone, laced with certain ingredients problematic immediately.
The team’s mission will be to involve themselves with a nearby farm Yoshiko has found mass producing ingredients for drugs like these. The farm is known to be very large, and pays decent wages to keep the mouths of its blue collar workers shut. Naturally they aren’t allowed into the more sensitive areas of the compound. Any intelligence the team can gather about what happens in the buildings located at the center of the site would be helpful.

Pulling out a pointer stick, Swarley points at several places on the screen as he speaks. "The important points from this slide are that you work for Yoshiko, they make harmful, addictive drugs on this farm, and you're trying to get some place that they don't want you to go."

"Now, on this next slide, you'll see your objectives."

1. Obtain samples of the raw ingredients involved in the drug hidden among the mundane crop
2. Obtain samples of the refining process
3. Obtain samples of the finished product
4. Infiltrate the central buildings of the site and see what’s happening there
5. Discover who controls the operation and anything else relevant to that information
6. Destroy the entire facility when you’re finished by whatever means are necessary

"This farm is believed to be controlled by a company called Oshima. They wish to use the drugs harvested here to make their own drinks more addictive, and that would be bad for business. Your utmost job, therefore, is to make absolutely sure that everyone ties anything that is discovered there, or that goes wrong, to Oshima."

Clicking another button, the screen goes blank.

"Now, I've been briefed on you all, but I believe some of the pictures may have been switched, so you'll all have to forgive me. My name's Swarley, in case anyone forgot. I need whomever's the best hacker, and anyone who thinks they would be the best scout. Oh, and on last thing."

Clicking the remote again, the same naked woman is shown, this time in a different pose. "Isn't she just adorable? I mean, really. She's really, really adorable."

Turning off the projector, and rolling up the screen, Swarley starts to poke Asayuki-sama with his pointer. Asayuki-sama grunts, and turns away from Swarley. He then prods him in the back with his pointer. "Wake up, old man. It's your turn."

[Faithdreamer]

Asayuki-sama

The (‘old man?’) peels himself off the couch – peels himself away from the creased hardcore pornography magazine featuring the girl on the slide as the centerfold. He takes a moment to straighten himself out and another swig of his alcohol.

“That is not my wife, that woman is my child. So listen to him.” Asayuki-sama glances at the slides, less to refresh his memory and more to scrutinize them. “You’ll realize the house has almost whatever you need. Our company isn’t authorizing purchases for this job. You’ll have to wait on your allowance. Make due, that’s economy for you. We’ve got satellite uplinks on our computers, luxury television, three cars, phones, Cyberspace links and a colour lit floor in the pool.”

Asayuki-sama pours himself a shot glass filled with wine and gulps it.

“Anything you manage to ‘acquire’ before the mission is over,” He doesn’t pause when he says acquire, confident you know what he means. “Should be left somewhere in the vicinity of where you found it. If not turn it in to Swarley so he can give it to me. Believe me when I tell you, safety comes first, and I can dispose of it. It’ll be your neck if you don’t.”

He takes the pointer Swarley offers, sets it back down in the front, and retrieves a small pile of booklets. He tosses one booklet at each man in the room while he elaborates on their contents. Meanwhile, Swarley tosses disposable cameras at you.

“These are guidebooks concerning this area. They’ll have any information you might need to act like a tourist and/or an airhead. Take them with you.”

Asayuki-sama flips over a bulletin board filled with sticky notes and photographs. On it there is a roadmap with the location of the Farm circled in dark purple marker. “This place was a heritage site for the brutal murder of several families who held a party there. I’ll be available through Swarley’s speed dial, if not that, then by Cyberspace. As of right now consider yourselves secret agents, upon your successful return these--

He takes a set of small, flashy looking corporate account cards from his pocket, and fans them out in one hand. They all have a space for a mug shot, and on the back a blank signature block.

—will be waiting for you. With them comes a first class train seat to Tokyo, employee benefits, healthcare, insurance, retirement pension, tax exemptions, a savings fund, and a gift basket with promotions. If you outperform the competitor team, there’s a week’s long vacation waiting for you. One that won’t take up your sick days; Swarley, I’ll leave a briefcase in your bedroom for you before I leave.” I suggest you use this time to come up with plans that involve how you’re going to infiltrate the farm. Coordinate amongst yourselves to the best effect, and ask me any questions about what’s available to you. When you post, list your intentions, after a short flavour post for example like ‘Hideki ransacks the garage for tools and body paint’:

-Searching for anything I can use to alter the appearance of the cars

You might want to buy work clothes from a hardware store, snoop on workers at their hangout when they leave the farm, go to a public library to look something up. Whatever you can think of that might help you, like learning more about the layout of the place by searching a historical archive for blueprints or pawning off a car to hire a shady Private Investigator… Hire a prostitute and ‘get caught’…

You’ll think of something. Go wild. You may ask yourself:

What does the farm look like?
How do I get to be innocuous?
What are they looking for in a spy?
How do I get in?
How do I get out?
What’s the best time to sneak around?
What do they have that I can use?
How can I make the Police work for me?
Where are people allowed to go?
Where aren’t they allowed to go?

I’m willing to accommodate whatever approach you want to take.

First you'll need to check the farm out for yourselves.

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

The Dr. takes all this in and thinks for a moment. "I don't know about you, but I have some pretty handy people skills. I used to be a doctor and I've got some drugs on me, perhaps I could pose as one of the 'scientists' there. I'll need a fake ID of course and a uniform. I could also call up the local news crews about the sabotage and pretend that it was an 'accident', getting them to come down and embarrass Oshima for their carelessness." Said the Dr.

[drum-n-bass]

Kondo thinks to himself on what he can do
-Kill people
-Kill people, silently
-Take the life out of people
-Shoot at peoples heads
-Aim at peoples heads
-Shoot
Hmm.. none of those really work that great for me on this mission. Well except for requiring info on where I will be shooting peoples heads from and where I will be doing it.

I think we should see if they hold tours. If they do, then we will be in luck because we could go on a tour and try and find the room with the drugs. And if we get caught, say we were looking for the bathroom or something like that. But first, I'll be heading to the library if anyone wants to come with me.
Kondo finishes a drink of whiskey and heads off to the library to find anything on the building layout or any recent info on the business.

-Going to the library to find anything on the company.

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

Before Kondo leaves, he calls out to him. "See if you can find their employee policy or any employee information, I may still try and fake my way in as a 'scientist'."

[BizzaroStormy]

Michieru Tsuchide

...a library? Michieru says to himself as he exits the room a little while after Kondo. After getting a bite to eat from the kitchen, he turns to the ultimate source of classified information...the internet, to find out what he needs to know about the building.

Do I need to make some kind of check to resist getting sidetracked by porn?

[Faithdreamer]

Does your psyche predispose you toward having difficulty with that sort of thing? Is your character a Paedophile or otherwise 'sexually different' from your averae wierdo?

Otherwise, I hope not. If you want to hack into some kind of Oshima database you'll need to do it as per the rules. With Icebreakers and everything, or using the alternative skill rule for that.

You can find the gist of it in section 4, in the very last paragraph.

So you'll need:

-Cyberspace Skill
-ICE Breaker program
-Cyberspace Connectivity (you have that)
-A Computer (you have this too)

Do you have the above two?

You only succeed on a roll of 3 or lower because it would be a High Security network... and you get a limited number of tries based on your ICE Breaker program.

If it isn't freely available (like google satellite images) you're probably going to have difficulty. I'll think of some good reward for your effort.

Either way, you get a map for your trouble. Now for everyone else, whatever they're up to.

[BizzaroStormy]

Nope, nothing THAT bad. But I wasn't talking about hacking. All ya gotta do is do some searching on the internet.

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

The Dr. walked up to Swarley and asked: "Is there a chemical lab in this rather lavish accomodation? I may need to create various types of drugs in the near future and I'll need a specialist area for that and materials." He stresses the word materials. "Don't worry, it's not for any habit of mine, more like the habit of others wanting to pay big for their fix. Or even medicinal drugs, should the need arise." He said.

[Voshkod]

Hideki Yamashira

Hideki steepled his fingers and smiled. "Gentlemen. Before we all start off down our own roads, perhaps we should be introduced, and discuss our unique abilities. Obviously the company has taken in interest in us, which should mean we have something to offer. If we are to be a team in the project before us, we need to know each other."

He took off his glasses. "To that end, I am Hideki Yamashira. I was raised in the corporation, I know the corporate way, and I know people. I can read them, and I can make them like me. Very simple, really. Now, in a fight, I may not be of much use, but I like to think I can keep a fight from happening."

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

"I am Doctor Kobori Fujuwara. I used to be a medical researcher working for the Government. I know my way around chemicals, biology and medicine. After the... accident... I left the Government life behind and began working for whatever company or Yakuza would hire me. Turns out there's a big demand for people like me in the streets and I've met a lot of people and found out a lot of interesting things that way. That said I've also learned how to trick people, believing something that is wrong and also how to persuade people to my way of thinking. I can't fight at all, so I'm usually saved by a quick lie or persuasion and I'm outta there." Replied the Dr.

[drum-n-bass]

Before exiting the room into the garage, Kondo manages to hear the last few words out of the other mans mouth.
I'm Kondo. I'm an assassin. I kill people. The only way I kill people is quickly and quietly. It's the only thing I've ever known to survive. he manages to say before continuing out the door.

[Kaisshau]

"I'm Swarley, as I'm sure all of you already know. I'm your team leader, and I'm good at making people think I'm someone else, and making them do what I want. I'm also decent in a firefight, a toll of the trade."

[Faithdreamer]

Kondo

Something a few men would use. Something a rich boy would use. And then there was a Sedan. Kondo didn’t take long to examine the three cars in the garage. He thought it was better he didn’t show off, and took the keys for the Sedan. Once he found the library, it was a while before he found anything even remotely useful. He most preferred a sort of point-and-click approach. Clients usually delivered a Dossier, why the hell was he suddenly finding things on his own..?

Unsurprisingly, someone already cleaned out most useful information. He found several books on local history; almost all of them mentioned the farm somewhere. He noticed the usual crops throughout the farm’s history were genetically modified. Whatever they grew now, it probably wasn’t organic. That might raise suspicion. Most of the books were concerned with the ‘brutal murder’ Asayuki-sama mentioned. He hadn’t exactly been exaggerating. The uncensored pictures of the crime scene were hard to look at.

Anything he got out of the library was probably going to be someone’s guesswork. Old guesswork, out-of-date theories. Kondo ended up settling on a few movies. With no card, he had to be creative with how he stole them. He’d give them back. Synopsis:The Library isn’t very useful overall, now you have a few movies though. Watch them with the team, hand them out as bribes, sell them, or return them. You get to pick which movies you stole. At least two of them deal with the kind of information you’d expect the blue collar workers to know on the Oshima-owned farm. You thought the information might be helpful with blending in.
Standing outside, you wondered if any of the staff were on an Oshima payroll, helping them hide information or letting them know if someone was looking for them. Was it a good idea to chat up the receptionists, or the shelf stockers, or the janitor..?

Public library, Community Center, Convenience store, Hardware store… he might find something useful. There was probably a local hangout where the workers went after hours. Kondo would need to wait a little while, and in the meantime he needed something to do. He spent the majority of the day sightseeing, asking subtle questions, finding information.

When the workers from the farm started coming to town, he tailed them, and parked his Sedan across the street. He’d stolen a small amount of yen from a machine earlier, he used it to pay for a meal and listened in on the conversations (for all the good that would do). Even after they got drunk, they might be tight-lipped.

Fujuwara

As soon as Kondo left the house, Kobori realized he’d have better luck looking for employee information in Cyberspace. Or at a local recruitment office, if they had one – and he guessed they probably didn’t. It was a farm, and as the owner of a farm, Kobori suspected he’d only hire on workers personally. If he wanted information on Oshima recruitment and employee practices… it might be better to get it at the source – from an Oshima employee or an Oshima-run facility.

The Doctor checked the house for a dedicated lab space, and found nothing. He’d probably just have to refurbish an out-of-the-way room if he needed to make home cocktails so badly. He used some of his time for that, gathering the necessary materials but not scratching the lab together. If police officers came knocking, it would be very bad when they found a working drug ‘factory’.

Tuschide Michieru

You settle down in the office for the long haul, computer grinding, it would have been a lot more fun if you had the latest MMORPG. In any case, you managed to find a series of satellite maps and glance over a few company websites to try and get an impression of what made a good impression. Dr. Fujuwara got a few printouts out of your effort, which you reminded him to shred and burn when he was finished. You cobbled together a map using a publically accessible satellite service. The magnification and detail wouldn’t be what you needed – it beat not having a map at all.

You uploaded it into a disk, and printed several copies of the various maps you made. Then you got several folder booklets and inserted all anything useful you found into them. You’d hand these out to the team later.

Swarley

Retiring to your suite, you locked the door behind you, searched the room carefully, and followed the instructions to open the briefcase Asayuki-sama left for you. Inside was a very nosey (and highly illegal) series of file folders about your team members. There was a review of your mission, and an ambiguously labelled CD, something you’d buy to burn the movie you just rented.

On it was a personal mission. The girl you showed everyone downstairs had a big price tag on her head now. Ayasuki-sama left a note telling you she was a freelance scientist working at the mission site. There were details about her recent history, her education, even her medical records (however Asayuki got those). Your new job was to kidnap her, hold her for three days…

…and make a home video when you beheaded her in the living room, taking credit on behalf of the Sons of Oedo terrorist group. Naturally, Asayuki-sama wanted her head preserved and displayed nicely when you brought it to Tokyo for him.You’re also able to find the conspicuous notes on the back of the briefcase, inside. There is a small note about another Yoshiko team staying at an inn nearby. Your instructions are to call 555-BOSS when you need an immediate favour.

Farm LayoutThe ‘Farm’ is actually a series of four lots closely grouped together. There was originally just a small farm there where the murder happened. Since then, Oshima expanded it to cover what it called the Four Quadrants of Mokata Facility. Each quadrant is segregated by the road. As far as you can tell, the lab complexes are probably at the lower-right corner of Quadrant 01.

Q1RRQ2
RRRRRRR
Q3RRQ4

Note: More information will follow, including pictures using photobucket. Don't feel pressure to post now, I have more to add, and we'll probably be 'back' on Monday.

[Faithdreamer]

Calling all PlayersIs everyone still with us..?

[BizzaroStormy]

Hai! PirateJesus is still alive.

[drum-n-bass]

Yes
I am......
Why wouldn't I?

[Kaisshau]

Yes

Swarley look over the folders and CD, smoked a cigar, then went hunting. He needed to find a pair of binoculars, and the doctor. He needed a tranquilizer, powerful enough that a small dosage would take out a fully grown human. He was sure the doctor could do it, if he had the right materials.

[Blockhead]

Still here

Dr. Fujuwara

The Dr. began searching the house for an appropriate drug lab and settled on an unused bathroom with bathtub in it. He dragged a small table inside and made a mental note to fully configure the lab later.

Logging onto the computer/laptop in the study, the Dr. attempted to find any public information about Oshima or recruitment for the farm in question. He tried to limit his search to legally accessable information. 'If you can't beat 'em, join 'em, then beat 'em." He thought to himself.

Going to try and get myself hired as an Oshima employee. Once hired I can sabotage the facility, somehow, and the blame will be pinned on me, the new Oshima employee and I can shread my contact with them and return back to this company.

[Faithdreamer]

Kondo

After a long time waiting, two things happened at once. You were pulled in two different directions, succinctly speaking. You could follow the man stumbling from the hangout who looked like he was having a rough time of it. He was still wearing his Oshima uniform. Then there was the girl two drunken men were escorting outside – ostensibly because it was dark in the evening and young girls needed kind men to keep them safe…

Dr. FujuwaraMake a 2d6 roll for Bio-research, and another for Technology. You were busy mixing it up in the bathroom, humming an embarrassing tune, when Swarley found you. It was a good thing you were doing something related to exactly what he was looking for, because that song would probably otherwise earn you a demotion. Afterwards, you busied yourself snooping through Cyberspace trying to decide how you wanted to make the drug Swarley wanted.

There were softer, more ethical means, and then the other methods you told yourself it was better not to stoop to. But you weren’t really a Doctor anymore..?

Tsuchide Michieru

Awful. Awful. mobs of high level feral fish –

A black window with a chat box popped up over your video game. The game automatically minimized. Oh, and your character was automatically friggin’ dead. Again, for like, the sixteenth time in a row on that same red and blue pixel fish. The text in the new window read:

SexyMealHardcoreT: Is this Kimaira?

Swarley

This is DJ Fujuwara, I’m a sexy smut, you can’t – Drink. This!
I like, big butts, they cannot lie, red-hot smooth and moist round level
TEAR! – ME! – UP!
Slick insertion, rigid key
TURN – ME – ON!
VROW!

…some people were happier not knowing. Walking in on Dr. Fujuwara gave you a kind of situational clarity. Just for a little while, you were on the same wavelength. You were about to make a psyche note in Fujuwara’s profile about him being unfit for continued duty. The little quadruped robot balancing on your desk paused – it was hard at work snooping through the briefcase and downloading anything electronic it could wire into – to blink at you innocently with its cool glowing blue aperture.

Heh, sorry it looks like I’ve mistakenly walked into a house that isn’t mine.

Yeah. Right.

The little robot bent down and leapt straight at your face. The attached tazer was making a mean Buzzing sound. Like an electric shaver on steroids about to give you some severe cardiac arrest. There was enough juice in that thing for a heart attack, somehow you just knew that's what it was for.

[drum-n-bass]

Kondo

After a long time waiting, two things happened at once. You were pulled in two different directions, succinctly speaking. You could follow the man stumbling from the hangout who looked like he was having a rough time of it. He was still wearing his Oshima uniform. Then there was the girl two drunken men were escorting outside – ostensibly because it was dark in the evening and young girls needed kind men to keep them safe…


Damn.....I want to do both, but.....ah...such a hard choice. Ah well I can get a girl anytime. Kondo goes after the stumbling man.

[BizzaroStormy]

SexyMealHardcoreT: Is this Kimaira?

FoxMan20: ...No

[Faithdreamer]

Kondo

You’re pretty slick about making it to the toilet before anyone else. You knew they’d be watching you. Only regulars came here. Even so, not a second after you and the guy were in the bathroom together, alone, another man walks through the door. He thought he was playing it cool peeing and washing up. He even checked his face out in the mirror and took a spiffy folding comb out of his pocket. Now it was time to make himself look pretty.

No, I think you both knew why he was here. “Oi, Myouji!” The man with the comb said. He was a tough looking man, and he was always two arms-lengths away from you. “Just a little longer and I’m sure the boss will be tired soon. Tough it out!”

Did that mean the guy who was really out of it was named Myouji?

More importantly, did you want to punch this other man in the face?

Tsuchide Michieru

SexyMealHardcoreT: Do you want to Cyber, baby? Honk me, honk mi, I’m hardwired for you. I do webcam!

Another window blocks out the chat window, it’s your antivirus program.An external user needs permission to establish a network.

1) Always grant permission to this user
2) Allow this instance only
3) Deny access


If you had trouble deciding, there was always the button in the corner that closed the window. By default that one denied access. At least that’s what it usually did. There was no telling with these hacker types. Shouldn’t you be turning the machine off and reporting this to Swarley, right about now?

[BizzaroStormy]

...I hate these things.

Michieru reaches behind the CPU and unplugs the ethernet cable, then returns to his game.

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

HAHA! Alright, I'll roll with that... fo-shizzle, or something like that....

"Oh, hi Swarley. I was just thinking about making that tranquilizer you wanted, gotta get the lab set up first though." He chuckled, slightly embarrassed. Once he had finished setting up the basics of the lab, the Dr. tried to decide the best method of creating such a drug for Swarley. It was sometimes hard to persuade himself to do these kinds of things, but he knew in his heart that he wasn't personally killing anyone himself and although that was an ignorant view on the situation, the Dr. accepted it.

Biotech - [roll0] Technology - [roll1]

[Kaisshau]

Swearing to himself, Swarley dodged left, drew his autopistol, and fired. This little bastard of a robot had to die, but hopefully, he didn't as well. Even if he didn't hit it, the gunshot would draw the others' attention, he hoped. He just might need the doctor around after all.


Dodge: [roll0]

Firing his autopistol: [roll1]

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

Whilst sitting in the study, quietly researching an effective tranquiliser and information about Oshima employees and policies, he heard a racket and gun shots. Intrigued at what this could be, the Dr. left the laptop and located the source of the racket, Swarley's office. The Dr. tried the door. It was locked. "Erm... Swarley? You alright in there?" Shouted the Dr. over the racket and knocking on the door.

[Faithdreamer]

I’d use the agility skill for that one. I don’t think it’s a class skill for him… You also don’t have Iaijutsu. This is a bad situation for you, isn’t it?

Robot Maneuver – [roll0]
If this little robot hits, you must roll a strength check to stop yourself from being stunned. NOTE: Since the robot struck successfully, you aren't able to draw your gun this round, unless you succeed on a Strength check. For you that means getting five or lower because Strength isn't a skill for you. Swarley

The agile little bot latches onto your face and jams the stun baton into your sternum with what feels like enough force to crack it. Hopefully, that was an exaggeration, because it feels like it’s tearing your skin off with its spindly little limbs. Really could your mug work with a few scratches? Would it make you look cooler?

Frakkin’ hopping death spirit, there’s a runt of a mechanical spider trying to rip my face apart! BAD ROTTEN GAIJIN ALIENS MOVIES!

Most of your attention right now should be occupied with getting this thing the hell of your face… or so the casual observer might think. What were you thinking..?

Dr. Fujuwara

You hear what sounds like a pair of crappy electric hair shears, or maybe an electric razor with an industrial power source, through the door. It sounds like someone’s really moving around in there!

[Kaisshau]

"Stupid piece of mechanical waste! You overgrown shaver, you mark up my face and I will kill you!"

Struggling to free himself from the robot, Swarley manages to knock over the briefcase, a lamp, and a picture frame.


Strength check: [roll0]

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

The Dr. cringed at the sound of falling glass and angry shouting. "Just be careful and shave slowly! Make sure to use broad strokes and don't press too hard! I remember the first time I shaved. It was with my dad when I was 17. He said to me: 'Son, you're a man now and you've got to learn to shave like one.' So he handed me an electric shaver and plugged it in. He showed me how and where to apply the cream and then showed me how to shave. I'll admit my first time made quite mess of my face and the aftershave burnt like hell. But a few splashes of water and some tissues later my chin looked fantastic. Do you want me to give you a hand?" He shouted over the noise, leaning against the wall next to the door; totally oblivious to what was going on in the room.

[Faithdreamer]

SwarleyShort by one, so your luck alone isn’t quite enough. Unfortunate, you may be able to count on your Doctor to come and save you. The robot strikes you for:

[roll0] Stuns

By the rules as they're written in the Zaibatsu files, you can't draw your gun and shoot in the same round. Since you were struck in melee by the robot, you can't even draw your gun. It's either that or the gun goes flying out of your hand -- in this situation it made more sense to say you couldn't draw your gun. Do you agree? The electric cattle prod of a heart attack stun stick is more than just a shock. It’s more like the monkeys on fire melting all the skin off your face and grinding your exposed nerves and muscles on a gravel road scattered with broken beer bottles. And then they pour lemon juice and eat what’s left of you alive.

The little robot bounds off your face and back on the desk. Shaken, stumbling, grinding your teeth through the pain – you don’t even think you can shoot straight let alone draw your autopistol with an ache like this; at least not all at once. The robot’s flashlight head blinks at you, and its whole body seems to tilt. Is everything all right?

Arse of a robot. The smarter thing to do would probably be the door. But that big, heavy lampshade looked just right for smashing things over the head.

Dr. Fujuwara
You have a sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Like an ‘Uh-oh’, something is really wrong. You probably shouldn’t ignore it.

[Blockhead]

Dr. Fujuwara

"Listen Swarley, I need to take a dump. I'll be back in a minute if you still need a hand." Shouted the Dr.

After relieving himself in a vacant lavatory, the Dr. returned to the locked door of Swarley's office. He knocked once again and shouted: "I'm back! Are you sure you don't need a hand in there? Sounds like you're having quite a bit of trouble...."

This whole scene is funny as hell, especially if the Dr. has to bust into the office, as he's not very strong he'd probably injure himself. If the door is not unlocked by next turn or there's no response I'll attempt to bust in.

[Faithdreamer]

Right now, it's Swarley's turn. Should I consider you to have forfeited it?

[Kaisshau]

Sorry. I didn't catch the update in my inbox, or I did and forgot to post, or something.
"Stupid flying monkeys!"
Grabbing the lamp, Swarley swings for the little 'bot, going for the home run.
"I'll get you, and your little dog too!"


For a power strike: Since you can't edit rolls into posts, and my roll screwed up, I posted one in the OOC.