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Trinity Universe: Carbon Shadows


Asbjørn

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As Martelo spoke, Mateo scanned the faces of his new colleagues, noting their reactions. As Martelo began discussing the particulars, Mateo inwardly breathed a sigh of relief; at least they wouldn't be targeting innocents. *Then again, is anyone really innocent?* Mateo shook his head, trying to shake the thought away; he downed the rest of his whickey in an attempt to help it along.

"When she gets the word - tonight or tomorrow - you follow her and intercept the transport whatever way you choose. I've got two maglevs waiting for you up top."

With that, Martelo goes quiet, allowing for more questions.

Mateo places his empty glass on the table and looks up at Martelo, "Ok, couple of questions. One, what is the expected end-state of the 'package'; meaning how healthy does he need to be? Two, what is the expected end-state of Ms. Ferreira? Are you planning on letting us in on who this 'package' is, or is that a secret? Will you be joining us, and if not who's in charge; meaning who gets blamed when this fails? Do we know where the 'package's' transport will be arriving at? Do we know what Ms. Ferreira's preference is for nighttime companions?"

Mateo leaned back into the sofa and waited for Martelo's response, the inklings of a plan starting to form in his mind...

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"No questions at all Hammer, except what do you need us to do now? Just be on call?"

The gunman snorts, a gesture followed by a smile at Jax to assure the wheelman that he's not being laughed at.

As Martelo spoke, Mateo scanned the faces of his new colleagues, noting their reactions.

Romeo is not particularly impassive, nodding in appropriate spots, and smiling when it's at least conceivable that the Hammer is joking. However, he has no real "reaction" to the words.

With that, Martelo goes quiet, allowing for more questions.

The tough TexMexan appears to be choosing his words. But when Mateo speaks, he listens, apparently grateful for someone else to ask the necessary questions. Really more of a chore than anything else, he thinks.

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Mateo places his empty glass on the table and looks up at Martelo, "Ok, couple of questions.  One, what is the expected end-state of the 'package'; meaning how healthy does he need to be?  Two, what is the expected end-state of Ms. Ferreira?  Are you planning on letting us in on who this 'package' is, or is that a secret?  Will you be joining us, and if not who's in charge; meaning who gets blamed when this fails?  Do we know where the 'package's' transport will be arriving at?  Do we know what Ms. Ferreira's preference is for nighttime companions?"

Mateo leaned back into the sofa and waited for Martelo's response, the inklings of a plan starting to form in his mind...

Jax had some questions too;

"Those are all very good questions. Others could be: What resistance do we expect? Can we use sonic weapons for the interception, and if so do you have any handy?"

OOC: From what I know, a maglev is similar to a metro; am I wrong on this? If so, what are they?

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What? You never heard of a maglev car? No wonder, maybe. They didn't last long, but they were all the rage back in those days. Magnetic Levitation. The basic tech was f*cking stone age stuff from the 20th, they used it for trains mostly. But a century and a half later som f*cker got the idea to use that technology in personal transportation. In cities around the world all the streets were laced with magnetic conductors, and there were maglev cabs all over the place. Maglev cars were quieter and cheaper than hovers, and cut city road maintenance and anti-pollution expenses by up to 80%. I bought mine cause of the tax-deduction.

Plus, they were already loaded with magnetically shielded electronics, and thus a piece of cake to mod into the ideal spy vehicle. ::cool

Mateo places his empty glass on the table[...]

As Mateo pulls his hand back a pressure-sensitive field lights up on the empty glass: [ R E F I L L ? ]

,,
[...]and looks up at Martelo, "Ok, couple of questions.  One, what is the expected end-state of the 'package'; meaning how healthy does he need to be?  Two, what is the expected end-state of Ms. Ferreira?  Are you planning on letting us in on who this 'package' is, or is that a secret?  Will you be joining us, and if not who's in charge; meaning who gets blamed when this fails?  Do we know where the 'package's' transport will be arriving at?  Do we know what Ms. Ferreira's preference is for nighttime companions?"

"Well... If we could clonesplice Buck and Romeo here, I think we'd have the perfect match. Not that we have surveillance on her bedroom or anything, but the times she's left here with company it's usually an older version of Romeo physically. Background checks of her partners suggest a familiarity with drugs and a basically non-violent personality."

"Like I mentioned, Miss Ferreira is a potentially valuable asset in the future, so if it's at all possible I want her to survive this. However, that also means that you can't let her ID you. If she does, you bring her along alive if possible and leave her dead if not. Just don't waste her before you've located the package, since she's our only link to where and when it arrives."

Martelo runs a hand over his hair and casts a glance at the screen over his shoulder. Ms Ferreira is currently dancing with a tall, bare-chested man with long black hair, her gloved hands reaching out to touch him now and then. Now and then it seems like hands and arms of other dancers actually pass through him.

Turning back, the Hammer's eyes settle on the plant still on the table, and with an annoyed expression he picks it up and place it on the floor under the table himself.

"That's better. Now, where was I? Right. No, I'm not coming with you. I've got people to meet, and I want this team to function without me babysitting you. I'll blame all of you if this doesn't work, but since you volunteer I'll leave you in charge, Mateo. You've got the most experience in these things, anyway."

"That said, I'm not telling you more about the package mostly cause I don't know much more myself. I don't know his name, when the boss knew him or what his area of expertise was. The only thing I can tell you is that you don't have to worry too much about his condition. He's already dead."

"Those are all very good questions.  Others could be: What resistance do we expect?  Can we use sonic weapons for the interception, and if so do you have any handy?"

Martelo turns his gaze on the kid and replies

"Yeah, I've got some sonics in the cars. And resistance shouldn't be too hard. If she's got too much visible security customs will know something's up. She'll probably have a car or two for transport, and maybe four to six guys with her."

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"That said, I'm not telling you more about the package mostly cause I don't know much more myself. I don't know his name, when the boss knew him or what his area of expertise was. The only thing I can tell you is that you don't have to worry too much about his condition. He's already dead."

Romeo raises an eyebrow.

"Dead? What does Mirage want with a cadaver?"

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As Mateo pulls his hand back a pressure-sensitive field lights up on the empty glass: [  R E F I L L ?  ]
,,

“Refill? Yeah, in fact just bring two…”

"That's better. Now, where was I? Right. No, I'm not coming with you. I've got people to meet, and I want this team to function without me babysitting you. I'll blame all of you if this doesn't work, but since you volunteer I'll leave you in charge, Mateo. You've got the most experience in these things, anyway."

“Great, wouldn’t have it any other way,” though he thought, *great, what the he** have I gotten myself into?*

Romeo raises an eyebrow.

"Dead? What does Mirage want with a cadaver?"

Mateo rolls his eyes ::rolleyes , “What the kid meant to say was, ‘Dead? That should make things easier. And we couldn’t care less why Mirage would want a cadaver because we’re not being paid to care, and we probably wouldn’t want to know anyway.”

Mateo shoots a chastising glance at Romeo then continues, “Ok, so here’s what I think. Romeo here, such an appropriate name, heads down to woo the good Ms. Ferreira. Your job is to stick on her, literally if necessary, and be around when she receives that phone call. I want her to think you’re just another stupid club boy out for a good time, and not even think twice about talking shop in front of you. With any luck, she’s in the mood for some young flesh. If not, Buck is backup. Once you’re in, you’re in, no breaking cover. (Mateo picks up his minicomp and motions to Martelo) Can these communicate securely with each other? If so, this is your means of contacting us, if not we’ll have to figure something else out. Celeste I want you to follow Romeo, Ms. Ferreira and any entourage she may have. He’s overt surveillance, you’re covert. Se if you can lift any id or credentials from her security detail. It might be handy to know who these guards are, and have their access. Also, you need to be watching Romeo and make sure his cover doesn’t get blown. You two should go now, we don’t want to miss our window of opportunity. Oh, and Romeo, if you accompany Ms. Ferreira to the pickup, don’t be too upset if you get hit by a sonic blast… just be smart enough to fall after the first hit.. wouldn’t want to break your cover. ::wink ”

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Mateo rolls his eyes, "What the kid meant to say was, 'Dead? That should make things easier. And we couldn’t care less why Mirage would want a cadaver because we’re not being paid to care, and we probably wouldn’t want to know anyway."

Romeo shakes his head no.

"No, I guess what I meant to say was, 'What are we supposed to do with the body?' Do we have to get it for Silverstone's exploitation, or can we just let the police take care of it, if they end up getting involved?"

Celeste I want you to follow Romeo, Ms. Ferreira and any entourage she may have. He’s overt surveillance, you’re covert. Se if you can lift any id or credentials from her security detail.

Romeo raises his eyebrows and points to himself, then Celeste, asking by gesture for whom Mateo's order was intended.

OOC: That was hard to describe.. ::wacko

"You two should go now, we don’t want to miss our window of opportunity. Oh, and Romeo, if you accompany Ms. Ferreira to the pickup, don’t be too upset if you get hit by a sonic blast… just be smart enough to fall after the first hit.. wouldn’t want to break your cover."

Romeo nods as if Mateo had just said, "There might be some paperwork involved."

"K. Just remember that if you blow my cover, she has to die. I'll take a screamer shot if it means avoiding that; my doctor says I've got the hearing of a 70-year old man anyway. Just make sure it's on stun, not kill."

The Latino stands up, straightens his jacket, and stretches a shark's grin across his face.

"I'd hate to miss my window of opportunity."

He looks to Martelo for approval before hitting the dance floor..

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Mateo rolls his eyes  ::rolleyes , “What the kid meant to say was, ‘Dead?  That should make things easier.  And we couldn’t care less why Mirage would want a cadaver because we’re not being paid to care, and we probably wouldn’t want to know anyway.”
"No, I guess what I meant to say was, 'What are we supposed to do with the body?' Do we have to get it for Silverstone's exploitation, or can we just let the police take care of it, if they end up getting involved?"

"If the cops get him, he ends up at Mirage and you've failed. You secure that body and bring him to me."

“Ok, so here’s what I think.  Romeo here, such an appropriate name, heads down to woo the good Ms. Ferreira.  Your job is to stick on her, literally if necessary, and be around when she receives that phone call.  I want her to think you’re just another stupid club boy out for a good time, and not even think twice about talking shop in front of you.  With any luck, she’s in the mood for some young flesh.  If not, Buck is backup.  Once you’re in, you’re in, no breaking cover.  (Mateo picks up his minicomp and motions to Martelo) Can these communicate securely with each other?

"That's the idea," Martelo nods.

If so, this is your means of contacting us, if not we’ll have to figure something else out.  Celeste I want you to follow Romeo, Ms. Ferreira and any entourage she may have.  He’s overt surveillance, you’re covert.  Se if you can lift any id or credentials from her security detail.  It might be handy to know who these guards are, and have their access.  Also, you need to be watching Romeo and make sure his cover doesn’t get blown.  You two should go now, we don’t want to miss our window of opportunity.  Oh, and Romeo, if you accompany Ms. Ferreira to the pickup, don’t be too upset if you get hit by a sonic blast… just be smart enough to fall after the first hit.. wouldn’t want to break your cover.  ::wink ”

I don't think he realized it at the time, but Mateo Mendez had a criminal's mind. Why the hell he ever decided to be a cop is beyond me. Just watching him I could see a part of him reaching out, seizing opportunities, enjoying the sheer challenge of the situation. That shadow of himself that I knew he was cursing at night - and when he got too deep in the bottle - was growing, and I was willing to bet a shitload of money this guy was going places if he only let it out. As I heard him lay out the plan I got the feeling he was just starting to find his real self...

If I was right? Do the words 'chronological f*cking order' mean anything to you? I ain't telling you yet.

The Latino stands up, straightens his jacket, and stretches a shark's grin across his face.

"I'd hate to miss my window of opportunity."

He looks to Martelo for approval before hitting the dance floor..

The Hammer's only response is a brief nod sending Romeo on his way, then he looks to Celeste and gives her the same signal.

"You heard the man. Move."

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"You heard the man. Move."

Celeste nods and hops up out of her seat and looking over to the TexMex, "I'll be seeing you, Romeo."

With that, Celeste smoothly walks out of the meeting area and back into the club. Quickly, Celeste's feet take her into the crowd, while she keeps her eyes peeled for the scientist and her entourage.

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The Hammer's only response is a brief nod sending Romeo on his way, then he looks to Celeste and gives her the same signal.

"You heard the man. Move."

Jax couldn't wait to get started. He looked toward Mateo;

"I'll have my minicomp on. Do you need me to just be ready to get everyone out?" He paused for a second and then "I'll go grab one of the maglevs. Who needs screamers?"

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The Hammer's only response is a brief nod sending Romeo on his way.

Privately taking Martelo's brevity as a compliment of the highest order, Romeo turns to the stairs, quickly frisking himself to make sure he isn't making a stupid mistake by forgetting to lose a weapon. Ironically, if I thought I'd be doing something tonight, I'd have packed heat, and regretted it..

"I'll be seeing you, Romeo."

Raising a hand behind him, the TexMexan snaps his fingers and gives a discreet thumbs-up sign in the small of his own back.

Moving onto the dance floor, Romeo quickly finds the rhythm of the pulsating music and proves himself to be quite a good dancer, and quite subtle - those at the table notice that he's steadily making his way for Kaylani, angling to come up behind her partner. As he notices a girl's wandering arm pass through the man without her even noticing, the Latino grins and closes in.

"May I have this dance?"

With that, he steps into the suspected hologram, putting his arms where the hologram's arms are and wearing his most disarming, sensual smile.

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Buck listens to the details unfold - he noticeably perks up when the target's addiction is mentioned ::rolleyes As Mateo describes his plan, the doc grins broadly, nodding in obvious enjoyment; when everything's been laid out, he crisply nods to the ex-cop.

You're the boss, boss. I'll hit the dance floor and keep my eye on the situation; if our boy Romeo strikes out, I'll swoop in for the kill. ::laugh

Buck reaches into his shirt pocket as he stands, and plucks out a small baby-blue inhaler. He takes a short puff and his body goes rigid for a few seconds, and then he stretches his arms out like a lazy cat as his pupils almost disappear.

Ahhh!!! Sweet Jesus, that hits the spot!

He flips the inhaler into the air and nimbly catches it.

This lil' bottle o' blue oughta be catnip to a gal like her... ::wink

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Stepping out of the bubble of serenity surrounding Martelo's 'office' all senses are assaulted at once by a wall of sound. Speech seems impossible, and the wandering lightshows and floating holograms combined with the insane amount of people in the club make it hard to focus on anything more than five meters away.

Over one of the bars a holoprojection of the bartender below is juggling drinks and mixers like there's no tomorrow, and a similar five meters tall image of various dancers in the club is displayed over the holocom floor, the image morphing from one person to another a couple of times a minute.

Romeo

Moving onto the dance floor, Romeo quickly finds the rhythm of the pulsating music and proves himself to be quite a good dancer, and quite subtle - those at the table notice that he's steadily making his way for Kaylani, angling to come up behind her partner.

Looking down as he steps onto the platform, Romeo notices that he's walking on stars. Suns and galaxies extend into the inifinite deep beneath him, and the floor level is defined only by the spots of dirt and spilled drinks, and by the vibrating sense of base and drums coming up his legs. Surrounded on all sides by a mass of people, he nimbly moves through the crowd. The holograms among the dancers are confusing. The projectors are of excellent quality, and in the shifting light and constantly moving surroundings Romeo is only able to distinguish between who's real and who's not by touch - which is half the point.

Virtually all the dancers take every opportunity to touch - or run their hands through - each other. Many of them are dressed in clothes similar to Ms Ferreira's, bodysuits laced with electronics that allow semi-physical interaction with the holograms. On his way towards his mark the young Texmexan has already been groped and touched in passing by several ghostly and real hands.

As he notices a girl's wandering arm pass through the man without her even noticing, the Latino grins and closes in.

"May I have this dance?"

With that, he steps into the suspected hologram, putting his arms where the hologram's arms are and wearing his most disarming, sensual smile.

The man seems not to notice at once, betraying no reaction to Romeo's presence as he keeps dancing. The partly asian woman in front of Romeo does notice, and with a playful smile she glances from Romeo's eyes to the slightly taller hologram's and back. Her moves never change as she too keeps swaying to the music - dancing as much with herself as with the two men - but her hands reach out to touch both Romeo's chest and the hologram's. HoloMan remains oblivious to the latino's presence - and any other hands passing through him - even when the movements of the crowd push the two men apart.

Celeste

Celeste smoothly walks out of the meeting area and back into the club.  Quickly,  Celeste's feet take her into the crowd, while she keeps her eyes peeled for the scientist and her entourage.

A crowded nightclub in take-off mode is a hell of a place to cover. Hundreds of people in constant motion and a deafening sound-level out in the open make it a pickpocket's wet dream, but not exactly an ideal environment for being backup... Celeste realizes pretty soon that there's only two places she can get a line of sight to Romeo and his target; either up close on the dancefloor or somewhere higher like one of the staircases or platforms.

Jax

"I'll have my minicomp on.  Do you need me to just be ready to get everyone out?"  He paused for a second and then "I'll go grab one of the maglevs.  Who needs screamers?"

"There are two pistols and a carbine in each car. You're not going to need them before you ship out, anyway," Martelo replies, "so you might as well just get up there and pick a ride. The keycode is on your comp."

With a nod of his head the Hammer sends Jax on his way, indicating the back stairway leading up to the roof parking area directly from this platform.

Buck & Mateo

Ahhh!!! Sweet Jesus, that hits the spot!

He flips the inhaler into the air and nimbly catches it.

This lil' bottle o' blue oughta be catnip to a gal like her... ::wink

As Buck is about to leave the table, Martelo reaches out an arm to stop him.

"Wait a sec, Buck. You both need to hear this."

He glances over at Mateo to make sure he's got his attention as well, then continues.

"Should the package be damaged, I at least need his skull intact. Worst case scenario, the body gets shot at or is caught in some kind of explosion, or maybe you just don't have the trunk space, I don't f*cking care. Either way, you bring me his head. There's tools in the car. Are we clear? Good. Then go do your job, Buck."

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"There are two pistols and a carbine in each car. You're not going to need them before you ship out, anyway," Martelo replies, "so you might as well just get up there and pick a ride. The keycode is on your comp."

With a nod of his head the Hammer sends Jax on his way, indicating the back stairway leading up to the roof parking area directly from this platform.

Jax nods back and moves quickly up the stairs, doing his best not to attract notice. As he moves, he accesses the minicomp, quickly downloading the codes. He gets to the parking roof and sees two maglevs: he hops into the first one. As he sits in the driver's seat, he notices the three guns on the floor on the back seat. He reaches down and grabs the pistol, being sure to keep it out of sight.

Looking around, he sees that the garage is fairly empty but he still tries to blend in as much as possible. He notifies Martelo that he is in position with a quick flick of his minicomp and then does his best to be patient.

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As Buck is about to leave the table, Martelo reaches out an arm to stop him.

"Wait a sec, Buck. You both need to hear this."

He glances over at Mateo to make sure he's got his attention as well, then continues.

"Should the package be damaged, I at least need his skull intact. Worst case scenario, the body gets shot at or is caught in some kind of explosion, or maybe you just don't have the trunk space, I don't f*cking care. Either way, you bring me his head. There's tools in the car. Are we clear? Good. Then go do your job, Buck."

The handsome doctor nods and crisply salutes Martelo.

Aye aye, cap'n! ::wink

Buck then slips onto the dance floor, his hips and shoulders quickly finding the rhythm as he brushed every attractive female, real or holographic, on his way towards the mark. The mixture of pot, caffeine, booze and blue hummed in his head, both slowing him down and giving him razor sharp focus swam through the twisting bodies on the way to his prey.

*I'm a great white shark and there's blood in the water - things are lookin' good.*

He gets as close as possible, finds a suitable partner, and keeps one eye on the prize and another on his chosen companion.

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Jax

Jax nods back and moves quickly up the stairs, doing his best not to attract notice.  As he moves, he accesses the minicomp, quickly downloading the codes.  He gets to the parking roof and sees [...]

...a crowd almost as thick as the one downstairs. Surprising as it may be ::tongue , the parking area for the packed nightclub is nowhere near empty. There are no holograms here besides the normal EXIT signs, but the music is the same, and there are waiters working their way thorugh the crowd of people sitting and standing in and around custom rigged hovers and cars all over the place. Jax needs his minicomp's help to even find the two black maglevs parked side by side by one of the exits.

[...]he hops into the first one.  As he sits in the driver's seat, he notices the three guns on the floor on the back seat.  He reaches down and grabs the pistol, being sure to keep it out of sight.

After checking that the gun is fully charged, Jax's attention is drawn to the rear view mirror by a *thump* at the back of the car. In the mirror he spots the eager and excited face of a man - high as a kite - between the legs of a woman lying on the trunk of the car he's picked. A wheeled vehicle would have been rocking by now...

He notifies Martelo that he is in position with a quick flick of his minicomp and then does his best to be patient.

Mateo

Downstairs, Martelo's comp notifies him of Jax's situation - in a seductive feminine voice. The Hammer shakes his head a little, then turns to Mateo and says

"The kid is obviously of the mistaken f*cking impression that I'm running this particular show. Do you want to enlighten him as to the error of his ways, or should I?"

Buck

Buck then slips onto the dance floor, his hips and shoulders quickly finding the rhythm as he brushed every attractive female, real or holographic, on his way towards the mark. The mixture of pot, caffeine, booze and blue hummed in his head, both slowing him down and giving him razor sharp focus swam through the twisting bodies on the way to his prey.

Buck wades through and past actors' hands, models' legs, dancers' butts and a score of other standard catalogue body parts more or less tastefully assembled in variations of this year's 'beach' theme. Tanned, hairless, muscled but lean bodies in various states of undress mix with the bodysuited - but almost as naked - dancers more focused on the holos.

He gets as close as possible, finds a suitable partner, and keeps one eye on the prize and another on his chosen companion.

A tall girl in her early twenties, long legged, curvy and incredibly blonde with shining Cristal blue eyes catches Buck's eye, and seems not to mind him sharing her space...

Romeo

The well-built TexMexan dances with the beautiful scientist as though nobody is watching, as though he is not being well paid to do so, for as long as she allows him to do so. He's in no hurry.

Romeo was in for a ride... You see, the rythm of the edge music back then was hypnotizing - timed to mimic and influence the human heartbeat, the soundscape filled with subsonics and vibrations set to trigger adrenaline and endorphines, to keep you dancing... In the hardcore dance clubs, people literally danced till they dropped.

We didn't use the extreme versions of that kind of music at the Convent, just made sure to push people over the edge, make them lose control, forget their inhibitions. Actually, it was the one part of the club that had to be under human control. On both the dance floors were pro dancers, chosen for their stamina and empathy. They'd mingle with everybody on the floor, suck up the atmosphere and mood, and adjust the subliminal aspect of the music accordingly. It was a dirty job, but somebody had to do it. Or so I was told.

Anyway, they said marathon athletes dropped before some of the hardcore dancers would - even without the drugs - and like I said, Kaylani Ferreira was a regular. Pretty soon the sensors in Romeo's minicomp showed his pulse and body temp rising, and he was sweating like a pig... ::biggrin

As Romeo gets into the pace of the dance, it becomes more and more obvious that HoloMan is off in his own world, and probably doesn't even see the real people around him. Holding his target's attention the young american gets the impression there's a connection building, a shared rythm, evident in the teasing smile she gives him when the first trickling drops of sweat run down his face and the acknowledging glance when he keeps up. She's working herself hard, and it's probably only Romeo's luck and the fact that she's been on the floor for some time allready that makes her leave before the young man is too out of breath. Letting her hand glide over his chest and her eyes meeting his as she passes, she makes her way off the dance floor and heads for the nearest bar.

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Mateo

Downstairs, Martelo's comp notifies him of Jax's situation - in a seductive feminine voice. The Hammer shakes his head a little, then turns to Mateo and says

"The kid is obviously of the mistaken f*cking impression that I'm running this particular show. Do you want to enlighten him as to the error of his ways, or should I?"

Mateo sighed. He hadn't asked for this job, Manuel had 'volunteered' him; and Mateo knew better than to go against Manuel. Then he'd gotten here and been 'roped' into being the leader of these filth, he couldn't have imagined anything worse, except one of the others being in charge...

Mateo picked up his minicomp and spoke into it, his montone voice clearly indicating his annoyance, "Kid, this is Mateo. Look I'm in charge here, not Martelo, he's got better things to do than worrying about what we're doing. And sit tight, we're not gonna be moving until we know where the exchange is taking place, so you might as well try to grab a few winks." Mateo knew that that would be impossible for Jax; the kid was clearly on an adrenaline high stronger that anything that Buck had in his pockets.

Mateo rolled his eyes, grabbed his glass of whiskey, leaned back into the sofa and glanced at the holoscreen, "Well, it looks as if our Romeo may have some useful skills after all..."

Mateo pulled his eyes away and looked back at Martelo, "So, this team you put together, I assume they all went through the same 'screening' process that I did? Anything I should know about them?"

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Letting her hand glide over his chest and her eyes meeting his as she passes, she makes her way off the dance floor and heads for the nearest bar.

The second she turns her back, Romeo heaves a sigh of relief, then quickly moves to follow her to the bar and sits down next to her, bringing out the friendly smile again.

"Hey. Can I buy you a drink?"

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Making a decision to stay closer to her team mate, Celeste moves in with the crowd and dances for a little bit while keeping an eye out for any signs of the scientist's security. Keeping the pace as best she can with the holograms and real dancers, Celeste carefully maneuvers to be closer to her targets.

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Mateo

Mateo picked up his minicomp and spoke into it, his montone voice clearly indicating his annoyance, "Kid, this is Mateo.  Look I'm in charge here, not Martelo, he's got better things to do than worrying about what we're doing.  And sit tight, we're not gonna be moving until we know where the exchange is taking place, so you might as well try to grab a few winks."  Mateo knew that that would be impossible for Jax; the kid was clearly on an adrenaline high stronger that anything that Buck had in his pockets.

Jax got the message loud and clear. He had been so used to dealing w/ Martelo that he just instinctively checked in with him. He immediatly buzzed Mateo back

"No problem boss. Just page me when you need me"

Jax knew he might have to wait a while, but when he had to move. He got out to take a closer look at the area immediatly around the maglev, particularly exits.

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Buck continues to dance with Crystal Blue Barbie, gently guiding her closer to the bar so he can keep his eyes on Romeo and the mark.

Hell of party, ain't it, Sunshine? Good thing you showed up, or else I'd have died of loneliness fer sure! ::wink

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Jax

Ignoring the sex going on behind and on top of the maglev, Jax steps out of the vehicle and takes a look around. The nearest exit is directly opposite from the two cars, and if it hadn't been for all the people about, it would take Jax approximately 2.3 seconds to start the engine and cover the 15 meter stretch to the exit. There is no better spot to wait.

As he heads back to his chosen vehicle from his short round, a blue-haired girl - possibly younger than Jax - dressed in a short skirt and revealing top of some sort of crystalline, semi-transparent material and obviously high on pearl suddenly throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and covering his neck and mouth with hungry kisses.

Mateo

Mateo rolled his eyes, grabbed his glass of whiskey, leaned back into the sofa and glanced at the holoscreen, "Well, it looks as if our Romeo may have some useful skills after all..."

Shifting to portuguese now only the two natives are at the table, the Hammer checks the screen and replies

"Could be... Or it could just be luck. We'll see."

Mateo pulled his eyes away and looked back at Martelo, "So, this team you put together, I assume they all went through the same 'screening' process that I did?  Anything I should know about them?"

"Isn't there always?" Martelo shrugs.

He starts mentally going through the list, counting relevant points off his fingers as he gets to them.

"Let's see... Both our two foreigners - Buck and Romeo - are runaways. No reason to worry about their past catching up, though. I'm on top of that. Celeste and Jax are both streetkids to some degree, grown up in town and know their way around. They've both got a lot riding on this, and are eager to please..."

"As you've already noticed, Buck's got a habit. Or several f*cking habits. He's a smart guy, though, and actually knows what he's doing. How useful he is in any given situation depends to some degree on how much time he's had to prepare. I wouldn't have him operate on anyone in this f*cking condition, but give him 24 hours, and there's no problem. And yes, he can do surgery as well as field medicine."

"Just as bleeding f*cking obvious is Jax being an adrenaline junkie. If you ever decide to use him as backup or anything like that, put someone with him until you've made up your own mind about how to handle him. He hates waiting. Passionately. But he's good. He's run errands for me for a few years, and he's a talented driver and good at improvising."

Martelo turns his scarred face to the holoscreen again studying Romeo approaching the mark, and brings up a column of text, codes and numbers that mean nothing to Mateo to scroll over the right side of the screen. Turning back, he jerks his head towards the screen and says

"She comes here partly to field test Mirage encryption and security programs. Nothing we have here at the club gets into her system, but on transmissions and code there's an ongoing war between her equipment and the Abbot."

"Anyway. Celeste. She's the only one without any weapons training. Our testing confirms that she's fairly accurate with a firearm, but she's never really practiced. In her line of work so far pulling a gun means you've already lost..."

"And then there's Romeo. Small time TexMexan muscle and gun man, no secrets or dangerous habits. Unless he tries to pick up the wrong girl..."

The holoscreen zooms in on Romeo and Ms Ferreira at the bar. The transmitted voices sound like they come from just a few feet away, only slightly disrupted by background noises.

Romeo

The second she turns her back, Romeo heaves a sigh of relief, then quickly moves to follow her to the bar and sits down next to her, bringing out the friendly smile again.

"Hey. Can I buy you a drink?"

Leaning against the bar, the rather unlikely scientist looks Romeo over and smiles. HUD lights flicker along the edges of her glasses as she studies him, more visible here in the slightly less overwhelming lighting.

"Depends what you expect in return... " ::wink

Her accent has a hint of british education to it, and she definitely sounds more like a scientist than a clubber, until...

"I'd like a Sex on the Moon, please."

For a second as Romeo turns to get her the drink he notices her briefly glance in the upper left corner of her glasses, probably checking the time or something. When she returns her attention to the texmexan all thoughts of business seem washed away, though. She flashes him a smile as she pulls off her gloves, folds them up and puts them in her belt. By way of explanation she says

"Outside of the holocom area these are just gloves. They don't really hamper sensation, but I always prefer to experience whatever world I'm in as directly as possible. And you seem like a single reality kind of guy... I'm Kayla, by the way."

"First time on the floor?"

Celeste

Making a decision to stay closer to her team mate, Celeste moves in with the crowd and dances for a little bit while keeping an eye out for any signs of the scientist's security.  Keeping the pace as best she can with the holograms and real dancers, Celeste carefully maneuvers to be closer to her targets.

Never really losing herself in the music, Celeste keeps scanning the crowd both on and off the dancefloor but sees no sign of any security that aren't club employees. Moving closer to the couple at the bar she can easily overhear their conversation once she gets inside the soundscreen.

On the other side of the mark - out of earshot, but definitely watching Ms Ferreira - is a man in his late twenties, casually dressed but wearing his imitation leather jacket even in the warm club. Unlike almost everybody else in here he's not dressed to be seen, which to Celeste makes him stand out like a sore thumb. He runs a hand over his bald head now and then, nursing a drink while keeping an eye both on the crowd and Ms Ferreira.

Buck

Buck continues to dance with Crystal Blue Barbie, gently guiding her closer to the bar so he can keep his eyes on Romeo and the mark.

Hell of party, ain't it, Sunshine? Good thing you showed up, or else I'd have died of loneliness fer sure! ::wink

"Oh my god!" ::wow

The blonde is clearly impressed as she leans closer to Buck to be heard over the pulsating music.

"How did you know my name is Sunshine?!? That's awesome!"

Dancing closer now, she lets Buck guide her as he wishes as long as he doesn't actually leave the floor. After a moment of thought she puts her arms around him, presses her own considerable chest into his and says in his ear

"You're not one of them telepaths, are you? I've always wondered what that's like..."

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Buck

"Oh my god!" ::wow

The blonde is clearly impressed as she leans closer to Buck to be heard over the pulsating music.

"How did you know my name is Sunshine?!? That's awesome!"

Buck raises one eyebrow just a smidgen.

*Dear Lord in heaven - 'Houston, we have bimbo.'*

Dancing closer now, she lets Buck guide her as he wishes as long as he doesn't actually leave the floor. After a moment of thought she puts her arms around him, presses her own considerable chest into his and says in his ear

"You're not one of them telepaths, are you? I've always wondered what that's like..."

A mile-wide grin splits Buck's face, but then he hastily looks over both shoulders and leans in close to the airhead, a finger pressed urgently to his lips.

Shhh! You can't tell anyone, not a soul! Do you know what they would do if they found me? My brain is worth two thousand yuan on the black market!

He shakes his head sadly as he leans down to kiss her left breast.

This power...

And then the right.

It's a gift...

And then her neck.

And a curse.

Buck runs his hand through her hair and breathes in her ear.

To know how to please every woman ah see; to know....their darkest secrets...every wicked fantasy...

The Southerner lock eyes with her.

My God! Your mind is so open to me, so receptive!

Inside his head, Buck chastises himself.

*Whoa, easy now, boy! Let's not lose sight of the prize.* ::rolleyes

With considerable effort, Buck returns his focus to the scientist they're here for, and moves Sunshine as close to her as possible.

My precious child - ah would like to show you…the power...of psionic love. Just stand right where you are, and open your mind to me - close your eyes, and let our passions...become as one.

He pulls her in close, swaying a bit from side to side, peering at Romeo and the mark through her hair.

*Oh, I am so getting laid tonight.* ::cool

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"Isn't there always?" Martelo shrugs.

He starts mentally going through the list, counting relevant points off his fingers as he gets to them.

<snip>

Mateo nods his head as Martelo speaks, making mental notes of the various 'quirk's' of his new team, "well, pretty much as I expected, no real surprises... yet."

Mateo again glances at the holoscreen, watching Romeo's progress, when a look of extreme consternation crosses his face. How could he have missed something so obvious; it was a rookie mistake. He must have been out of the game so long that he was getting rusty. He motioned his head towards the holoscreen, "Looks like you've got this whole place wired for video; what about the parking garage? Maybe we can scan through the recordings and see how the good doctor got here, what type of vehicle, and who she came with."

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Mateo

The Hammer doesn't actually say 'what took you so long?', but the half-concealed grin on his face is a clear indication that he was waiting for that question. ::cool

"Abbot. Arrival and parking footage on Ferreira, Kaylani and company. And show us the surveillance grid while you're at it."

The disembodied voice of the club's agent replies as the holographic projection appears - full size - next to the table.

"Yes, sir."

The robed monk waves his left hand in the air next to him, and a small group of holograms appear. One shows Ms Ferreira's Shendai sports model maglev, complete with technical data, and the others show footage of her arriving and entering the club accompanied by a bald man in his late twenties.

On the table a projection of the entire club appears, bright points marking camera and sensor spots. Ms Ferreira's movements since her arrival are mapped out in the hologram. Apart from a trip to the bathroom, she's spent her time at the bar or the dancefloor.

Buck

Shhh! You can't tell anyone, not a soul! Do you know what they would do if they found me? My brain is worth two thousand yuan on the black market!

::ohmy

"Oh dear... Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. I won't even ask your name."

He shakes his head sadly as he leans down to kiss her left breast.

This power...

A small gasp escapes Sunshine's lips.

And then the right.

It's a gift...

She closes her eyes briefly.

And then her neck.

And a curse.

The blonde bombshell's hands are on Buck's back, holding him close.

Buck runs his hand through her hair and breathes in her ear.

To know how to please every woman ah see; to know....their darkest secrets...every wicked fantasy...

The enticing perfume she's using makes Buck's head spin a second. A trace of conscious and rational thought crosses his mind, but is quickly forgotten. Pheromones...

The Southerner lock eyes with her.

My God! Your mind is so open to me, so receptive!

Sunshine's bright blue eyes gaze deep into Buck's, excited and nervous.

"Do you... er... do you see everything?" ::unsure ::blush

Inside his head, Buck chastises himself.

*Whoa, easy now, boy! Let's not lose sight of the prize.* ::rolleyes

With considerable effort, Buck returns his focus to the scientist they're here for, and moves Sunshine as close to her as possible.

My precious child - ah would like to show you…the power...of psionic love. Just stand right where you are, and open your mind to me - close your eyes, and let our passions...become as one.

"Oh, yes!"

Her eyes close, her hands stroke his back and lower, her breathing quicker now.

"I can feel you.... I... I can feel your mind!! This is so cool...."

A wicked smile crosses her lips as her hands go around to the front and starts unbuckling Buck's belt...

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The robed monk waves his left hand in the air next to him, and a small group of holograms appear. One shows Ms Ferreira's Shendai sports model maglev, complete with technical data, and the others show footage of her arriving and entering the club accompanied by a bald man in his late twenties.

On the table a projection of the entire club appears, bright points marking camera and sensor spots. Ms Ferreira's movements since her arrival are mapped out in the hologram. Apart from a trip to the bathroom, she's spent her time at the bar or the dancefloor.

Mateo ignored Martelo's mocking smile, he had already chastised himself enough, and watched the footage. "Ok, Abbot, I want you to transmit a still of the vehicle to Jax and Celeste, and a picture of that bald man to Celeste."

Mateo then pulls out his minicomp, "Kid, just sent you an image of a vehicle and it's parking spot, I want you to find it, make sure you know exactly where it is. Celeste, just transmitted an image of one of the good doctors associates, see if you can locate him. By the way Celeste, can you drive?"

Mateo glances back at Martelo then points at the bald man's image, "Do we know this guy? Know anything about him? Any weaknesses we could exploit?"

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Mateo ignored Martelo's mocking smile, he had already chastised himself enough, and watched the footage.  "Ok, Abbot, I want you to transmit a still of the vehicle to Jax and Celeste, and a picture of that bald man to Celeste."

"Done," the agent bows slightly.

Mateo glances back at Martelo then points at the bald man's image, "Do we know this guy?  Know anything about him?  Any weaknesses we could exploit?"

At a nod from Martelo, the Abbot gestures with his right hand, conjuring a hologram of the subject by his side. Up close the image reveals traces of radiation scarring in an erratic line from his right temple to his neck. His eyes are dark brown, and he's definitely of southern European origin.

"Paolo Bonasera. Former career soldier and fugitive from Italy over matters of belief and conviction. The Italian system believes in fairness, mercy and brotherly love. Bonasera does not. He escaped charges of armed robbery, assault, rape and manslaughter and came to work for Chimera's security branch 3 years ago."

"He's got no advanced military training that we're aware of, but is skilled in combat, tactical driving, demolitions and security tech and procedures, among other things. He and Ms Ferreira have been lovers, and he's a bit overzealous when it comes to keeping her unwanted company away."

"At the moment he's seated 4 meters behind Romeo, watching their conversation."

The Abbot replaces the surveillance grid with a 3D image of the bar, showing both Romeo and his target, her bodyguard behind him, and Celeste on the other side of the couple.

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Celeste, just transmitted an image of one of the good doctors associates, see if you can locate him. By the way Celeste, can you drive?"

Celeste's eyes glance briefly across the floor then back towards the bald man. Her long slender legs move to take her closer to her mark. Moving with the rhythm of the music, Celeste takes a glance at the picture that was sent and grins before clearing it away.

Her voice just barely loud enough to be heard, "I'm sure I could if I were pressed, but I'm afraid that I've not really needed to learn that skill. But as for the other thing, I've already got it. I'm just moving to get a more upclose view. No offense but I'll chat with you later."

Celeste after having maneuvered around the man in the crowd, slowly slides up towards him and trying to decide what sort of diversion she would need.

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"Oh, yes!"

Her eyes close, her hands stroke his back and lower, her breathing quicker now.

"I can feel you.... I... I can feel your mind!! This is so cool...."

A wicked smile crosses her lips as her hands go around to the front and starts unbuckling Buck's belt...

Buck's eyes go wide with shock. ::ohmy

*Holy crap, is this girl for real?! And why didn't I think of this years ago?*

He firmly grabs both her arms by the wrists and brings them up where he can see them, all the while trying to maintain an air of mystical dignity.

My child, sometimes we must resist the siren call of the flesh! Did not the Dali Lama say, 'There is a time and place for everything'?

Buck quickly fixes his belt as he continues his psuedo-spiritual riff.

Oh, ah can see the fire of passion in you - it's like...a blindin' white cloud of light! And passion!

After quickly shooting glances over his shoulder, he kisses her hand.

Ah call thee 'Sister Sunshine', and bid thee depart; go unto Room 618 at the Real Palacio, and wait for me hence! At the appointed hour ah shall join you, and we shall make a joyful noise unto the Cosmos!

He gives her a little push.

Now go, my child! May the, uh, music of the spheres guide thee! G'wan, git! ::unsure

(OOC: If he succeeds in shooing her off, he returns to watching Romeo at work.)

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"Depends what you expect in return... "

"What do I want?", the dark-haired man replies quietly, almost as though speaking to himself. "Almost everything - but it can wait."

He looks up at the girl, amusement filling his dark eyes as she orders.

"For now, though, I'll have a coffee."

OOC: This last is, of course, directed at the bartender, not her.

"Outside of the holocom area..."

Romeo's gaze happens to stray back to the dancefloor, where it picks up a familiar-looking Southerner making a spectacle of himself. He gapes for a moment, then remembers himself when Buck looks up at him. The Latino snaps his attention back to the mark just in time to avoid being caught..

"..I'm Kayla, by the way."

Romeo smiles.

"Kayla. Hi. I'm Romeo."

"First time on the floor?"

The Texmexan winces slightly at the question, then smiles self-deprecatingly.

"Yeah, pretty much. That's quite a buzz, huh?"

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As he heads back to his chosen vehicle from his short round, a blue-haired girl - possibly younger than Jax - dressed in a short skirt and revealing top of some sort of crystalline, semi-transparent material and obviously high on pearl suddenly throws herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and covering his neck and mouth with hungry kisses.

Jax couldn't believe his luck - both good and bad. The chick was definitly hot. He was having real problems concentrating on the task at hand. He knew the team was counting on him though.

He tried to push her away and get back into the car. She was draped all over him, and he was having problems disengaging.

After several failed attempts, he began to justify in his head that this girl would provide the perfect cover for him. It might look a little weird for him to be sitting in a car on his own, so he moved her to the passenger side and helped her into the car.

Just as he sat down, he got a message on his mini-comp

Mateo then pulls out his minicomp, "Kid, just sent you an image of a vehicle and it's parking spot, I want you to find it, make sure you know exactly where it is.  Celeste, just transmitted an image of one of the good doctors associates, see if you can locate him.  By the way Celeste, can you drive?"

Damnit! he thought to himself. I better get to work. He nudged her out of the car, pushed her up against the side door, and then with a kiss on her lips told her "Stay right there and I'll be right back."

He then locked the maglev and set off looking for the vehicle. He then sends back "OK, I'll find them and follow up with you"

Sometimes it sucks to be reliable, he thought to himself.

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  • 1 month later...

Romeo

"For now, though, I'll have a coffee."

Momentarily confused by Romeo's uncommonly mundane order, the bartender none the less conjures up a mug of steaming black coffee for the young man.

Kayla raises an inquisitive eyebrow as he turns back towards her, but does not offer any further comment. Instead she studies the younger man with a curious look, seemingly wondering about something.

Romeo smiles.

"Kayla. Hi. I'm Romeo."

"Really? Is that your given name, or just an ideal you aspire to?"

"First time on the floor?"
The Texmexan winces slightly at the question, then smiles self-deprecatingly.

"Yeah, pretty much. That's quite a buzz, huh?"

"You don't know the half of it..." ::wink

Her voice trails off and mixes with the music as she sips her drink, before returning her attention to Romeo.

"If you were wired for it, it would increase the experience tenfold. You'd feel the beat in your blood, music flowing like heatwaves over your skin, a dancer's touch like pure lightning, turning any part of your body into an erogenous zone. You haven't really lived if you haven't tried it..."

She looks over Romeo's shoulder towards the dancefloor and the towering hologram above the dancers.

"Tell me, Romeo... Who in that crowd is the most real in your opinion?"

Buck

Now go, my child! May the, uh, music of the spheres guide thee! G'wan, git! ::unsure

Giving Dalai Buck a short - but passionate - kiss goodbye, Sister Sunshine walks away, hips swaying. She turns to look at the mysterious 'psion' a few times before she's gone in the crowd...

Turning his attention back to the task at hand the not-so-good doctor sees Romeo engaged in conversation with Ms Ferreira. There's no way he can hear their words from his position, but they seem to be getting along well enough.

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"Really? Is that your given name, or just an ideal you aspire to?"

Romeo catches himself an instant before saying, Someone named Ferreira is making fun of someone named Romeo? and forces a smile instead.

She looks over Romeo's shoulder towards the dancefloor and the towering hologram above the dancers.

"Tell me, Romeo... Who in that crowd is the most real in your opinion?"

Romeo turns to survey the crowd, looking for a suitable answer.

"Counting us?"

As he asks the question, the Latino's eyebrows turn up slightly, above the bridge of his nose. How is it that someone so large can all of a sudden look so pensive and catlike?

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"Counting us?"

As he asks the question, the Latino's eyebrows turn up slightly, above the bridge of his nose. How is it that someone so large can all of a sudden look so pensive and catlike?

"Counting me, in that case. I think I'd question your sanity if you didn't rate yourself as the most real..." ::wink

She silently regards Romeo for a moment before she continues, her surprisingly green eyes wandering over his face and body.

"I'm serious, Romeo... Think about it for a second. If reality is what we can see and feel - and what else could it be? - who among all the dancers on that floor are the most real? And why? Have you ever thought about that?"

It's hard to tell if the woman is high on something, or if she's just truly fascinated with the whole idea of different realities mixing. She leans closer to Romeo as she talks, her hand touching his as she goes on.

"Sitting right here you can see me. You can hear me. You can feel me, and maybe even smell me. Is that what makes me real to you? Does it make me real? Am I? Are you...?" ::wink

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"I'm serious, Romeo... Think about it for a second. If reality is what we can see and feel - and what else could it be? - who among all the dancers on that floor are the most real? And why? Have you ever thought about that?"

Romeo tries to make his eyes sparkle intriguingly as he pretends to think about it. Does she actually want a real answer here, or should I sort of segway this into the seduction part of the evening?

As the big man weighs his options, he feels a warm hand press against his on the bar. He grins inwardly. Bingo.

"Sitting right here you can see me. You can hear me. You can feel me, and maybe even smell me. Is that what makes me real to you? Does it make me real? Am I? Are you...?"

He turns a deliberately weary, slightly sad smile on his prey. His musical voice takes on an ever-so-subtle trace of huskiness as he answers,

"I don't know about the rest of the crowd. But from what I can tell, you're surely real enough for me."

The smile intensifies slightly - if this next line falls through he'll need to be able to pretend it was a joke.

"And if you like, you're free to perform any experiments you see fit to make sure I'm the real McCoy as well."

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Jax

After several failed attempts, he began to justify in his head that this girl would provide the perfect cover for him.  It might look a little weird for him to be sitting in a car on his own, so he moved her to the passenger side and helped her into the car.

The second she's inside she's peeling her dress off, tattooed breasts filling Jax' field of vision as she embraces him again...

Just as he sat down, he got a message on his mini-comp

Damnit! he thought to himself.  I better get to work.  He nudged her out of the car, pushed her up against the side door, and then with a kiss on her lips told her "Stay right there and I'll be right back."

Protesting all the way, the blue-haired girl still lets herself be dragged outside and passionately responds to Jax' kiss. At his parting words she responds "In your dreams..." ::angry and turns her attention towards the back of the car...

He then locked the maglev and set off looking for the vehicle.  He then sends back "OK, I'll find them and follow up with you"

After a few minutes of scanning the parking garage he finds the red Shendai convertible parked some way from the exit. There's not much partying going on here, and even if there had been people around the blinking security system indicator on the car's steering wheel would have kept the curious at bay.

Romeo

"And if you like, you're free to perform any experiments you see fit to make sure I'm the real McCoy as well."

Giving Romeo a sly smile [Damn, I want that smiley back!!], the sexy scientist inches a bit closer to him, sitting on the edge of her stool, her hand on his biceps.

"Oh, I know you're real... A handsome face, rugged but smooth skin, strong and agile..."

Her hand glides up his arm, fingers brushing over his neck and jaw before they glide down and come to rest on his chest.

"And something not really quantifiable about you that puts you so solidly grounded in yourself..."

She gets up from her seat, her high heels making her mouth almost level with Romeo's ear as she whispers

"Too bad you don't have the brains to match."::dry

With those words she glides past him and disappears down the length of the bar.

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Mateo leans back into the sofa, whiskey in hand, and watches Romeo and his mark. At first he seems pleased with Romeo's progress, though a bit surprised that he thinks the way to woo a girl is to order coffee. Then the scientist leans in and whispers something inaudible into his ear, and walks away, apparently not waiting for Romeo to follow. "Dammit!" He leans forward and loudly places his glass on the table. "Where the hell did you get this guy?" He shakes his head and grabs his minicomp. "Buck, it looks like our Romeo has failed. Your up. And try to be charming..."

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"Too bad you don't have the brains to match."dry.gif

With those words she glides past him and disappears down the length of the bar.

Romeo snorts into his drink as she walks away, refusing to show the surprise that he feels. He doesn't really mind - Kayla is proving to be quite the pill, especially while intoxicated - but he had thought he was in.

"Bitch", he mutters. For appearances.

With a surreptitious nod to both Buck and Celeste, he withdraws, vanishing into the crowd.

A moment later, he appears in person at the table occupied by Mateo and Martelo. He shrugs dejectedly.

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"Dammit!"  He leans forward and loudly places his glass on the table.  "Where the hell did you get this guy?"

"Hey! Did you hear me introduce him as f*cking Don Juan? I don't f*cking think so..."

Martelo shrugs his broad shoulders and spreads his arms in a 'what-can-I-do' gesture.

He shakes his head and grabs his minicomp. "Buck, it looks like our Romeo has failed.  Your up.  And try to be charming..."

The Hammer leans back in his seat and returns his attention to the holograms on and around the table, showing Ms Ferreira heading past her bodyguard and to a seat further down the bar. The bald man watches Romeo leave until he's gone in the crowd, then shifts in his seat to keep an eye on the woman again.

As Romeo joins the other men, his new employer makes no comment.

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