Gaming Outpost Discussions

1. 

   krillis
   Member

   When I catch myself that I got angry, I start to feel bad. This spy stuff wasn't my cup of tea, but that wasn't any reason to lose my cool with her. From here on, I'd stop trying to act like something I wasn't-even in different worlds-I'd succeed in my own way.

   I step toward her and give her a hug. "I'm sorry. Please, I don't want you to get hurt-I'll help you. Zigesfield...he was there to kill you, wasn't he? I have my suspicions about this as well, but we do need solid evidence-I'm willing to pursue it with you."

   Mon Mar 2 2009 12:35 am #
2. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   "If Zigesfeld was after me, he would have gotten me. He was after you. They don't care what I think I know, because they don't know who I am and I'm not connected to anyone or anything. They don't want you to pick up where Blade left off, because if you get to the truth, it will be their downfall."

   --M. J. Young

   Tue Mar 3 2009 1:01 am #
3. 

   krillis
   Member

   "This can work... They don't know who you are, but they might know your face by now. We need to gather evidence against Steranko before anyone will act. I've already addressed the agency about my theories of Steranko being behind this, but they didn't believe me either. Either the agency is deeply infiltrated by someone of Steranko's or they truly believe that he's innocent. Do you know of any meetings that Steranko may have recently? Perhaps we could get information out of his assistant...

   What are your thoughts, Mariska?"

   Tue Mar 3 2009 2:39 pm #
4. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   She relaxes.

   "I think it's good that someone is taking me seriously.

   "I don't think that the EEC staff at the Vienna offices know anything about this; he probably couldn't trust them. It's his personal staff that would be involved, and they are all at the castle. There are three key people who are fairly close to him. That woman with him tonight at the Baccarat table, Areola Canasta, is probably closest to him, but no one knows what she does. His other inside confidant would be Ilsa Grunt, a short ugly woman who gives me the creeps, has some sort of military intelligence background. Zigesfeld works mostly for her; he would be third. Everyone else stays pretty much anonymous, doing their jobs in the safety of that fortress of his. But whatever there is to learn, that's where it will be.

   "Also, he has a party scheduled. Three days from now he has invited all the major leaders of Europe and many of the minor ones to a housewarming at the castle. We will have to know what he is planning by then."

   It occurs to me that I may have forgotten to mention something they would have given you back at the garage. Did I mention the chewing gum? In any event, you have a pack of eight slices, very like Wrigley's in design. If you remove a slice, unwrap it, chew it for a few seconds to soak it in saliva, then press it against the shiny side of the foil wrap, in about five to ten seconds it explodes--a minor explosion but strong enough to kill someone or put a hole in an ordinary wall, probably.

   --M. J. Young

   Tue Mar 3 2009 11:22 pm #
5. 

   krillis
   Member

   Uh...I just found something out real life... I am very good at learning things, even kinetic things-I learned a kata from someone after they showed me how to do it twice. I repeated it easily. I understand if you don't want to give me anything for this, because it's been a while, but I believe I've always had this skill.

   I nod to Miraska. "We'll bust all of this open together. Well, I've got the means to accomplish all of this-what do you say to the two of us travelling to the castle together? Are you sure that you're capable of protecting yourself should we encounter a lot of resistance?"

   Wed Mar 4 2009 1:45 am #
6. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   The ability to learn something is not a skill but a function of the factors that support it--your best relevant attribute in the bias area, your bias, and the quality of the information on which you're basing your learning attempt (example, instruction, teacher). The best relevant attribute can mean you're particularly good in skills in a specific bias area--a person who is very strong, or very agile, or just very determined, will have a better chance of learning body skills. The bias means that you have a better understanding of techniques. Someone who hang glides (bod based flying with a prosthetic) has a better understanding of body balance and form, and so will find learning martial arts easier than someone whose physical background includes nothing more difficult than running and jumping.

   Thus there is nothing really to give you.

   The smile that comes on Mariska's face suggests that this was a foolish question.

   She pulls a nine millimeter pistol from her purse so fast that you barely see it appear.

   "I think I'm good. Did you forget who my father was?"

   --M. J. Young

   Thu Mar 5 2009 7:10 am #
7. 

   krillis
   Member

   Okay, I was just putting it out there for you.

   "How shall we proceed from here, then, Mariska?"

   I'll let her take the lead-she's got way better training in this sort of thing than I ever have had in my lifetime(s).

   Thu Mar 5 2009 6:41 pm #
8. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   "You're the professional. I'm just the daughter out for vengeance. I was hoping I could get Steranko alone and kill him, but that Canasta woman has been clinging to him like chewing gum in hair. I figured if he were killed and it was not immediately apparent that I had done it, the investigation into his death would uncover his secrets, and the search for his killer would fade in the investigation of his plot. Probably the coalition of secret service agencies would secretly take credit for having stopped him and let me slip away.

   "Now, though, he's returned to his castle, where he'll have Canasta, Grunt, Ziggy, and his entire security force to protect him. Whatever he has planned in three days, we might have to let him do it, and wait for him to lower his guard again so we can get to him.

   "I don't see us taking the castle by force--but perhaps you have another way to reach him?"

   --M. J. Young

   Thu Mar 5 2009 8:12 pm #
9. 

   krillis
   Member

   "I honestly have no idea how we could get into the castle, but it probably be best to do it before what he's planning. Did your father have any information on the castle when he investigated it?"

   Mon Mar 9 2009 2:24 am #
10. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    "He had a floorplan, and a map of the grounds, but I only saw it once. It's a big place, and there's a chain link fence with barbed wire surrounding the grounds. It's in the mountains, though, so there are ways to approach it that are less visible. The main road comes around the mountain and up from below, and if you leave it early enough you can probably find cover on the grounds around the castle from which to observe."

    --M. J. Young

    Thu Mar 12 2009 10:37 pm #
11. 

    krillis
    Member

    "What do you say to this? You've seen the floorplans at least, which is better than I can say. The agency that I'm working with seems convinced beyond a doubt that Steranko is innocent and in danger. I'm going to infiltrate as a security agent for him at this party, to see if I can dig anything up. You can go in more covert and look for your own information. If things get hairy, then I can always just cause a distraction, and don't worry about me-I'm bulletproof."

    Wed Apr 1 2009 9:19 pm #
12. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    "So we want to be there in three days. We have maybe an eight hour drive to get there; that gives us some time to plan details. On the other hand, I think they know you're in this hotel, and I doubt they have dropped their plans to kill you. So unless you have something you need to do while you are here, we should probably pick some other place to spend the next couple days."

    She checks the peep hole on the door.

    --M. J. Young

    Thu Apr 2 2009 1:42 am #
13. 

    krillis
    Member

    "Sure, I'll drive."

    At that, I'll head downstairs with her (if no obstacles are presented along the way) and I'll wait for the valet service to get my car to me.

    Before getting in, I do a quick sweep (just walking around it and looking underneath) for anything that isn't supposed to be there (like a nifty black beeping box attached under the car).

    Thu Apr 2 2009 3:32 pm #
14. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    You were last wearing the tux; I don't remember you getting changed out of it. Are you departing still in it, or if not when/where are you changing?

    Mariska has a suitcase she has to retrieve from her room. When she gets to the car, she pops it open and removes a nine millimeter pistol and several clips from it, rather expertly handling them to make sure she is fully loaded and ready.

    You find a little box stickied to the rear bumper, a small extended antenna drawn out from it. It removes easily.

    As you start the car, the computer alerts you: "A tracking device was detected on the rear bumper since last operation. It has been removed." It tells you where the device is now, unless you have destroyed it, in which case it tells you where it was when it ceased functioning.

    Mariska asks, "Can we stop at my apartment? It's in western Austria, not far out of the way, and I want to get a few more supplies and get rid of this evening gown."

    --M. J. Young

    Thu Apr 2 2009 9:56 pm #
15. 

    krillis
    Member

    I am still in the tux...I don't remember saying that I'd change clothes.

    I non chalantly give the box to the valet, and drive off to the destination, wherever Mariska tells me to go.

    "I don't see why we can't stop by for some more appropriate attire."

    Before we arrive, I move the shotgun that I got from Zig's car into my back seat, and I change my clothes back and put my pistol on my person, just in case.

    Thu Apr 2 2009 11:33 pm #
16. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    Before you leave the room, Mariska comments on the Tux.

    "Is that the standard issue tux with the BO blasters? Be careful with that."

    It will be late in the day by the time you reach Mariska's apartment.

    --M. J. Young

    Fri Apr 3 2009 11:22 pm #
17. 

    krillis
    Member

    I remember the BO blasters. It's just that I'm not as comfortable in formal attire, and I enjoy my other clothing more-easier to move in and such.

    I'm fine with arriving at Mariska's place at that time during the day. Off and away!

    Sat Apr 4 2009 3:44 am #
18. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    Mariska takes her suitcase when you open the trunk, and she leads the way into a somewhat artsy small apartment.

    She opens an armoir, from which she withdraws a duffelbag. This apparently contains another 9mm pistol. Opening the drawers, she adds several clips plus several boxes of bullets to it.

    She grabs jeans and a T-shirt from a closet, then vanishes into the bathroom. You hear the shower for about a minute, and in five she is out, brushing her shoulder-length dirty-blonde hair into its curls.

    She tosses a denim jacket on top of the duffel, clearly intending to take it along.

    "So, if the next step has you at that party in three days, what do we do between now and then?"

    Her apartment has what appears to be a fold-out sofa bed, full sized when open, but the pillow and blanket suggest that she tends to sleep on it as is; a stuffed chair; a small kitchenette table with three metal and padding chairs, the armoir, and a table between the sofa and the chair. There is a small walk-in kitchen suitably appointed for a single woman to do her own cooking, and a bathroom with shower stall. Three closets appear to be the clothes closet here, the linen closet in the bathroom, and the broom and pantry closet in the kitchen.

    There is a picture of a man in his mid to late forties on the table.

    --M. J. Young

    Mon Apr 6 2009 2:07 am #
19. 

    krillis
    Member

    I tell Mariska that I'm going to get on talking to the organization about my presence at Steranko's party.

    When I get to my car phone, I pick up and ask to speak to my handlers from the intelligence, like before. I'll tell them that I've gathered intel that Steranko could possibly be attacked at his party, and that I will attend it to further investigate the situation. Do they give me any orders on the issue?

    I ask them to please wire me blueprints of the establishment and possible ways that people could sneak into the complex, so that I might cut any assassins off.

    Once that's over, whether or not I got what I wanted from the agency, I return to Mariska's place, pick up the picture of the man on the table, and look at it, talking while I do. "Is this your father, Blade? Have you ever thought that just maybe he might still be alive, Mariska?"

    Mon Apr 6 2009 9:23 pm #
20. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    You are patched through to Richardson, the man who picked you up at the airport and equipped and briefed you.

    "So, you don't think Steranko is behind it now? Do you have any leads concerning who is?"

    "Very good. We'll alert his security people to expect you."

    "Steranko's people have made quite a few changes. We're uploading to your onboard computer the floorplans of the castle from before he purchased it, but nothing is certain about it. We do know that he has enclosed the entire facility with barbed wire topped chain link, along with cameras and motion centers in some points. More security has been installed inside, and judging from the smoke that comes from the place they're still doing some major renovations inside. Sneaking in is unlikely; the main gate is the best entrance. Oh--he has added a heliport on the roof."

    The castle is huge; you can barely take in the major points.

    The main entrance opens into a very large foyer, large enough to contain a two-story middle-class house, with a balcony accessed by ramp near the door that runs around the outside.

    There is a separate major entrance into what is indicated as an old lodge room, a huge hall in which meetings could be held; this is around to the right side as you face the front door from outside, fairly far from the entrance but with a driveway that leads to it from the main gate.

    There is a large parking area around to the left, where the map shows servant quarters and storage areas.

    The upper floor is indicated as living quarters, but include a small kitchen and dining room.

    There is a small dungeon area below, half a dozen individual cells in a circle around a guard area.

    Do you have any other questions?

    --M. J. Young

    Tue Apr 7 2009 1:40 am #
21. 

    Brock
    Member

    hey....I was enjoying this story....where is Kurt?

    Wed Jun 17 2009 8:43 am #
22. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    Wish I knew.

    --M. J. Young

    Thu Jun 18 2009 3:56 am #
23. 

    krillis
    Member

    Apologies for not being on in the last six months. I'll make sure the story is more entertaining for you, Brock, considering you've had to wait.

    "To be absolutely honest, Richardson, I do have information regarding his possible assassins. It seems that Steranko has been amassing gold coins and re-minting them to fit with his own national currency, whenever he decides to start a nation. These assassins believe that he's been planning this for some time and is responsible for the deaths of the other finance ministers and want to stop him. I need to investigate this story more to get closer to the assassins. Can you get me invitations to the party he's hosting in three days? If not, I need a list of guests along with pictures and locations. I'll have to improvise for my attendance."

    Tue Dec 22 2009 6:27 pm #
24. 

    Brock
    Member

    Yay! I wanted to see more of Why Spy!

    Tue Dec 22 2009 10:36 pm #
25. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    We've got a discrepancy. Within this conversation you've already arranged with Richardson to be added to the security detail for the party, to protect Steranko against unknown potential assassins; you're now asking for an invitation to the party to investigate the claims that Steranko is a target because the assassins believe he is establishing his own empire. The latter can be arranged, if you prefer. Up to you on this. We can do either, but it would be difficult to do both.

    I'm not certain whether this detail has been mentioned, but it is known: as finance minister of the EEC, Steranko recently directed that all member nations deliver their gold reserves to his stronghold for safekeeping. Some of the finance ministers objected to this, but as they have since become victims of the unknown assassin their objections had little effect.

    --M. J. Young

    Thu Dec 24 2009 1:46 am #
26. 

    krillis
    Member

    My bad, I had overlooked that upon my return.

    Instead, take this as my response instead of my previous post:

    "I have a few different leads right now, but everything points to that party. There are assassins that seem to believe that Steranko is up to no good. The party is the place where their intentions will be revealed. I'll find everything out. I'll get back to you after the party."

    When I end the transmission, I head back inside to see Mariska. If I make it inside without incident, then I pick up the picture that I took note of earlier of a man, and ask her, "So, is this your father?"

    Thu Dec 24 2009 2:44 am #
27. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    She acknowledges it. "He tried to be as good a father as he could; he sent me that imprinted coin a month before he died, and said that he knew Steranko was behind it but he would need better proof before he could make that kind of accusation. He must have gotten it, because he never contacted me again, and the intelligence agencies decided to ask the United States to send you. They think they have a leak, and that you'll be able to do this because no one knows you; but they have undoubtedly told Steranko that you are coming, and if he is not behind this, someone in his organization undoubtedly is."

    Your computer spits out credentials for you to report to the Austrian castle as special security.

    --M. J. Young

    Sun Dec 27 2009 2:28 am #
28. 

    krillis
    Member

    "Well, we're going to find everything out soon, I promise. We'll finish what your father couldn't and bring whoever is behind everything to justice. Now, if you're ready to go, gather your things. We'll take my car and stop somewhere closer to our destination. I'll explain more of my plan in the car."

    If she comes with me to the car without incident...

    I show her the plans for the building. "We could assume that the main event will take place in his main hall, but we can't be absolutely sure until we arrive on-scene. I've managed to get a position as a special security provision, but you'll have to find another way in. These plans should help someone of your calibur get in undetected. When inside, find a server, discover the location of the main events, and help me if things go south, which they probably will. I'll need your help."

    I'll use the computer in the car to find a location on the way where we can shack up for the night.

    Sun Dec 27 2009 3:02 am #
29. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    Hmmm..."shack up" may have had a different definition in my generation than it does in yours. I'll assume that you're looking for a hotel near the castle.

    The computer finds five hotels, three hostels, and four bed-and-breakfasts within ten miles of the castle, but nothing within four. The nearest is a hostel, which Mariska says would not do for you because there's no privacy--it's all one room and lots of bunk beds, and people carrying guns would certainly raise suspicion. The best of the hotels is also the most distant, but ten miles is not so bad even in the Alps when you have a decent car. There is a reasonably good hotel six miles out, and one a mile closer that is not so good. The bed-and-breakfasts tend to be in isolated corners on side roads, undoubtedly having great views of the mountains and good for the illusion of being tourists, but considerably farther from the castle in terms of road distance than the ten mile radius would suggest.

    It can make a reservation for you at any of the hotels. The bed-and-breakfasts will require that you make a phone call to check for openings, and the hostels provide space to whoever arrives until the space is filled.

    --M. J. Young

    Sun Dec 27 2009 10:37 pm #
30. 

    krillis
    Member

    I think it holds the same definition; however, I didn't mean it like that when I made the post. I was just talking about a place to stay.

    I'll book the best hotel with the computer, and head there. On the way in the car, I ask Mariska if she knows how to use the BO blasters on the tuxedo, and I ask her to explain it to me.

    Upon arrival to the hotel, I look to see how heavy security is on first glance and see if I'd probably manage to sneak a gun in with me, or if that would be difficult. I also wear my x-ray vision glasses inside with me.

    Mon Dec 28 2009 5:26 pm #

RSS feed for this topic

Reply »

You must log in to post.