Author Topic: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues  (Read 16069 times)

Offline Skyrock

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Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« on: January 16, 2021, 05:40:16 PM »
Today's Screamsheet with the newest news, freshly faxed on thermal dead tree to your Dataterm, and/or purely electronic bits and bytes mailed straight to your Agent! PAGE #03 WILL MAKE YOU GASP!

2045/02/12, 0411AM. The sky above Night City was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

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Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #1 on: January 17, 2021, 01:39:07 PM »
Heh. The old man always knew which buttons to press with Nanashi.

Since there was always the chance the job would start soon after things were discussed, the rockerboy did a quick double-check on his iron (he was a dreadful shot with that thing, but people tend to not believe you can bend them into pretzels from word-of-mouth alone), reminded himself he needed to score more ammunition for it, leaving behind 100 eb at his apartment in his hidey-hole, and took off to the bar.
Kami darou ga akuma darou ga, ore no michi ni tateru mono NASHI!!

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Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #2 on: January 17, 2021, 02:48:05 PM »
Gwydion made his way through the streets of Night City, eyes flat and blank, looking at nothing in particular, merely noting the details of life as he passed it by. He had cleaned his pistol and tested his deck, loading it with his favourite collection of programs. Prepared, he had locked up and left his barren apartment, empty of memories, kitsch, anything that would speak of the person who lived there.

Tonight would be another job. He would take it if it was lucrative, leave it if not. It was either one step towards ruining Merril, Asukaga & Finch, or it was irrelevant.

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2021, 09:01:52 PM »
Technology... technology was amazing. One set of clothing and some cyberware, and that solved all problems about needing a whole wardrobe and dyes just to match colours. Or an unending amount of makeup. As for today's dominant colour... pastel blue. With some yellow. Gun check, sword check, skin actually a skin tone rather than neon pink... that had sent entirely the wrong message. Well, all the witnesses were dead now.

Miyu whistled a jaunty tune as she walked to the bar. When work promised to let you do what you loved, it was hard to remember you should think of the pay.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #4 on: January 18, 2021, 11:40:24 AM »
The doctor adjusted his glasses as he examined the bloke in the mirror. Color-shift jacket, check. Body armor, check. Medical tools, check.
He had somehow been able to get by after his last big job some months ago, but he hadn't had a single client in the last month. Either they were letting the heat die down or they had finally fell off their perch. He would need to get some more exposure, which means Betsy was going to sing like a fat lady in the opera his mum told him about when he was nothing more than a wee ankle biter.

Well, he was broke now so he had no choice but to av a go at it, he thought as he packed things up and left.
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #5 on: January 18, 2021, 12:06:40 PM »
The area of Heywood is largely industrial, or used to be before the time of Red. Now the area is overpacked, with tents, crude shacks made of shipping palettes, soggy cardboard and any other fire hazard that might provide some shelter from the elements littering every available space that doesn't get immediately run over. A ratty sleeping bag with suspicious reddish brown stains and tire marks shows you an example of someone who hasn't chosen so wisely, and yet a haggard Hispanic old man is already in the process of reclaiming this space and putting his foam ground pad over the sleeping bag, using it as extra padding for his sore back.

'El Abrevadero' is located on the corner of a block of industrial park and consists of two housing containers weld together. A rusty water bucket decorated with semi-functional, flickering christmas lights is the only the things that advertises its function.
The 'bar' consists of a long stretch of bullet-proof glass facing the sidewalk, with narrow slits for money and goods and with stools anchored to the concrete in front of it. This early in the evening there is just a small crowd of local youths, spending their cash on smash and cheap booze. A few more sit on the edge of the roof facing the bar, their feet dangling and finding it funny to throw their empty cans and styrofoam cups at passers-by. Looking at your armor, they decide not to include you in this game, although that might change if you give it a couple more hours and higher BAC to loosen their inhibitions.

Occasionally you spot the dyed redhead of Bomba Cereza popping up behind the crowd, laughing awkwardly at her customers' drunken jokes or half-heartedly playing along with their boorish attempts to hit on her. The things you go through for tips...

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Offline Nanshork

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #6 on: January 18, 2021, 12:52:01 PM »
Having left his spare clothes, bedding, and personal grooming supplies back home where they were probably safe, Eric walked up to the bar he belonged here with his shotgun on a sling under his jacket and about as hidden as an exec would be down here.

Mentally checking in with his agent to make sure that he isn't late, he gives Bomba a wave that she might or might not see since she's clearly too busy for a quick hello and heads on inside.

Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #7 on: January 18, 2021, 03:43:07 PM »
Unconcerned about propriety, Gwydion makes a beeline through the crowd to the bartender, staring at them in an uncomfortable manner until they accept the password.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #8 on: January 18, 2021, 04:11:59 PM »
One of the male youths huffs and puffs at Gwydion, in an obvious attempt to impress his input. He repeatedly flicks a balisong knife open, closed and open, staring into Gwydion's eyes.

"Ehh, corpo fucker, I'm drinkin' here! This our space! OURS! Capiche!?"

Bomba Cereza rolls her eyes, nods her head to the left of the building, and mouths something.

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Offline Stratovarius

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #9 on: January 18, 2021, 04:39:30 PM »
With a nod to the bartender, Gwydion heads indoors, ignoring the pestilent youth.

Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #10 on: January 18, 2021, 05:34:11 PM »
For his own part, Nanashi's surprisingly large frame makes its way to Cereza first, offering a brief handshake. She'd know the rockerboy's awkward way of offering what he called 'advance tips' anywhere - by and large, he tended to be generous with them when he could afford it, but he never skipped on those entirely - it paid off to make friends with people working with fixers, especially if things went south. This time, the Man with the Seven Scars tipped her 5eb.

"Good to see you again." He said, casting a brief glance towards the local drunken rabble. "I might chat later; 'El Viejo' doesn't like to be kept waiting, you know how it is."

Saying that, he strode towards the left side of the bar.
« Last Edit: January 18, 2021, 05:38:08 PM by Kuroimaken »
Kami darou ga akuma darou ga, ore no michi ni tateru mono NASHI!!

Give me internets. Now.

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #11 on: January 18, 2021, 05:48:22 PM »
The doctor shows up, quickly surveys the scene and finds a bartender.

"G'day, mate! I was hoping to ask for directions. Y'see..." he says, then lowers his voice. "Ken sent me."
Hmm.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #12 on: January 18, 2021, 06:02:29 PM »
The male youth stretches his biceps as if he had shown The Man, much to the fawning of his impressable underage input.

Nantsu's 5eb vanish faster than a Catholic priest being caught in the closet with an altar boy as Bomba returns a broad and warm smile as she nods her head to the building's left.

She mouths to Doctor Stirwin the same things as previously to the netrunner, being purposefully slow. Now that none of the unwelcome observe her, she is even more pronounced: "One - nine - one - nine."

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #13 on: January 18, 2021, 09:06:33 PM »
Being shorter than average, and not wanting to push through a crowd just to say hi before doing a job and getting the pay for a drink, Miyu heads straight round the left.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #14 on: January 19, 2021, 12:17:23 PM »
The inside of 'El Abrevadero' is dimly lit and divided into booths with shower curtains.
One is inhabited by two men screaming 'cheap huscles' - their water cups are untouched, the bulges under their ligt armor jackets are blatant, and they stare way to hard at those of you not personally known to the fixer and his staff.

It takes a couple of minutes until a middle-aged Hispanic man with long gray Fu Manchu mustache, Hawai'ian shirt and chewing on a cold corn cob pipe stumbles, grumbling as he fixes a boot on his right foot while walking - El Viejo didn't seem to expect you on time.
The fixer takes place at the booth opposite the huscles and invites you to sit down, while a young waitress runs over to be at your ready.

"Ah, you've made it already. Bueno, bueno.

Got a good choomba, who has been sent to boot hill recently. Poor John O'Toole, he may have been a copper with the Hard Corps lot, but he was the good kind of cop, the kind who knows when to look the other way and when to send a heads-up to civvies needing to be in the know, for a very reasonable price.
He bought it in Lazarus territory, and they don't seem eager to look too deeply into the death of a competitor's employee.

Now what I need is some people to put their nose to the ground, sniff out who killed poor Johnny, and then deliver some street justice to them. I've already got the Lazarus incident report on Johnny's death to get you started.
I'll offer each of you 100 eddies a day, first day in advance, maximum of ten days. If you track down the perp earlier, I'll double the remaining amount.
For wasting the perp, I'll offer 1,000eb for each of you. It's probably just some random street punk, shouldn't be too tough for you."

Offline Kuroimaken

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #15 on: January 19, 2021, 03:38:54 PM »
This was actually the kind of job Nanashi could get behind.

Straight-up revenge was simple enough to understand. Pay was actually looking pretty interesting - hinted at an interest in not wasting time, too.

"You really believe that though? If it was just about tracking down some random punk you wouldn't need a whole team." He commented off-handedly.

"Weird that he was out of his regular turf on his own like that. Anyone else flatlined 'sides him?"

Nanashi decided to have a look at the incident report for starters.
Kami darou ga akuma darou ga, ore no michi ni tateru mono NASHI!!

Give me internets. Now.

Offline Skyrock

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #16 on: January 19, 2021, 04:33:50 PM »
"I'd be damned if I knew what else was going on there. I'm paying you to find out stuff for me, not the other way around."

With that, he slides a cheap thermo paper print-out across the table.

Police Incident
Incident Number: 2045-0000003217
Date: 2045/02/10 06:11:37
Reporting Officer: Lt. Dutch Montgomery, NCPD ID-508475311, NCPD Precinct #2, Lazarus Security Services, Homicide Bureau
Prepared by: Lt. Dutch Montgomery, ID-508475311, NCPD Precinct #2, Lazarus Security Services, Homicide Bureau

Report of Incident:
Dead body found, corner B2/36F, Heywood Industrial Zone

Action Taken:
Body identified as Sgt. John O'Toole, Hard Corps Security Services, General Patrol Services, NCPD ID-515389124

Summary:
C22X43. Negative.


"At least Lazarus seem to think it was just random gonks, else they wouldn't have put so little effort into the investigation."

Offline Nanshork

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #17 on: January 19, 2021, 05:20:50 PM »
Eric rests his cybernetic right arm on the table and makes a noncommittal gesture with his left hand.  He's wearing a fingerless glove on his left hand but there is no corresponding glove on its metallic counterpart.

"Must have been a very good choomba to pay for all of us to look into his death by 'probably some random street punk'."

He pauses and runs his fingers through his short hair.

"When Bomba asks me to do a job for you then I'll do the job for you, and I can always use the eb.  It's not my normal kind of job, no tech, but I'll shoot boosters if nothing else."

Offline Raineh Daze

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #18 on: January 20, 2021, 12:47:48 PM »
"So... how did he die?"

Offline skydragonknight

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Re: Chapter 1: Heywood City Blues
« Reply #19 on: January 20, 2021, 01:11:50 PM »
Doctor Stirwin examines the document. "Hmm."
Hmm.