Logs for ShadowRN and Associated Mailing Lists

From:	James Mann <cohort@******.CONNECTED.COM>
Subject:	Recovery
Date:	Wed, 26 Jan 1994 03:31:47 -0800

Message no. 1 >>>>>[ Okay, I think I finally recovered enough to run again. Question
posed
to all riggers: What do you feel is the number-1 rigger's song of ALL TIME?
Be sure to tell me the performer's name... My pick is "East Bound and Down"
by Jerry Reed (the theme song from an old flat called "Smokey and the Bandit").
If you've never heard it, I donated a copy to the jukebox at Beth's Cafe.
]<<<<<
-- CoHort <01-26-55/03:43:25>

From:	George Campbell <daishi@*******.EECS.NWU.EDU>
Subject:	Re: Recovery
Date:	Wed, 26 Jan 1994 06:24:28 -0600

Message no. 2 >>>>>[Fav rigger song of all time, eh? Well I'd have ta go with One Vision
by
Queen, from an old flat by the name of Iron Eagle.]<<<<<
-- Drubar Cujasa <06:23:33/1-26-1888>

From:	Dave Gladding <D.T.M.Gladding@*****.AC.UK>
Subject:	Recovery
Date:	Thu, 16 Jan 1997 10:39:29 GMT

Message no. 3 >>>>>[Welll, now that show's all over, do you think it's too much to hope
for a nice quiet few weeks ? <g>]<<<<<
-- JayCee <10:37:16/01-16-58>

*****PRIVATE: Lynch, D'Arkan
>>>>>[Hey, I think I found a horrible violation of UCAS law ... some none
UCAS
citizen in possession of an FBI Raid jacket ? <wink> Anyone know where I can
hand it into ?

See you both at the dinner bash.]<<<<<
-- JayCee <10:39:52/01-16-58>

From:	D'Arkan <D'Arkan@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Recovery
Date:	Thu, 16 Jan 1997 21:09:09 +0000

Message no. 4 *****PRIVATE: JayCee
>>>>>[Provided you don't use iit on unofficial business, you can keep it
as a souvenir. <g>

However, if you wish to return it, you may send it, or bring it to my
offices.

Seattle Field Office:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Room 710
915 Second Avenue
Seattle, Washington 98174-1096
(206) 622-0460

or return it to the Federal Building (c/o SAC C. D'Arkan)

Seattle Headquarters
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Building
Floors 10-30
Seneca Street & First Avenue/Mitchell Sarchet
Seattle Washington 98174-1287
(206) 55-7797

See you later]<<<<<
-- SAC C. D'Arkan <21:08:23/01-16-58>
FBI, Achilles Project
Seattle, UCAS

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Recovery
Date:	Sat, 2 May 1998 00:18:45 +0100

Message no. 5 *****PRIVATE: Farmer
>>>>>[Reaper is doing well. Magical assistance with his injuries, and
he's adapting to the move-by-wire very well. Again, this is filched from
Bethesda.

+++++begin video
A running man, wearing black fatigues and heavy web gear, face and dark-
blonde hair slicked with sweat despite the evening chill. He's running
through Arlington, paralleling the paths, respectfully clear of the
graves but using the grass instead of the path. A camera drone paces him
easily, above and to the side, watching the unnaturally smooth grace of
his movements... until he trips over his own feet and falls, landing
catlike on all fours.

The drone swoops down.

"Are you all right, Commander?" A solicitous male voice.

"I'm fine, Smith. Just thought too hard about where I was stepping."
Mitchell replies, taking a bottle of water from his webbing and
drinking: then emptying the remainder over his head with a gasp of
relief.

"Seven miles so far, and a good time, and only three falls. You've
assimilated the system well, sir. I'd suggest we head back, that'll make
just over your ten."

"Thank you." The runner breaks off from putting the empty bottle back in
its pouch to admire a good-looking woman passing him, running with the
same killing pace and even more of the unearthly grace than he'd shown.
She spares him a glance and a tight smile before she's gone: Mitchell
pauses to watch her for a moment.

"Secret Service. President's detail. Anne Dagostino. Close protection."
the drone comments helpfully.

"Very tasteful."

"Married. Very married."

"Pity." Mitchell rises to his feet in a single, fluid motion.

"And wired up even tighter than you. Stick with Doctor Ross." Smith's
voice sounds amused.

"Am I business or pleasure to her?" Mitchell starts a quick warmup
routine. "Just curious."

"How the hell should I know? She's pronounced you stable, so you're not
her patient. She's the psychologist, she knows how to play headgames,
she won't do anything to cause you long-term harm. I've not known her
get this close to a former patient before, but I'm just your
physiotherapist, sir. Though I hear she's putting you through some
unsanctioned exercises..."

"Is that a problem, Smitty?" Mitchell steps out at a fast march, breaks
to a jog.

"As a fellow sailor. I'd never deny a man that particular routine, sir."

"Good. See you in about fifteen minutes." Mitchell opens his stride into
a full run.
+++++end video

He's in excellent shape. I've already begun the procedures to place him
where we need him.]<<<<<
-- Tractor <00:18:53/05-02-59>

From:	bschlitt@**********.net (Dr. Robert Kyle)
Subject:	Recovery
Date:	Sat, 30 Mar 1996 00:16:21 -0600

Message no. 6 *****PRIVATE: Thelesentia
>>>>>[Hi, Thel. I haven't heard from you nor the people whom were taking
care of you in a long time. I got the sim of the Astral quest, and boy was
it a doozy. Just wanted to see if you were well enough to even respond to
this message. Good Luck]<<<<<
-- Shade <23:31:38 / 3-29-57>

From:	jaimie.nicholson@********.otago.ac.nz (Jaimie Nicholson)
Subject:	Recovery
Date:	Fri, 4 Oct 1996 12:15:01 +1100

Message no. 7 *****PRIVATE: Ronin
>>>>>['Sup, Ronin. Here's the pics on y'r rescue op. Glad t'have ya back.

+++++Begin footage

The screen fades in and seems to juggle up and down as it is moving down a
street late in the evening. Apparently, someone is wearing a helmetcam and
is running somewhere.

A comm_unit-processed voice intones, "Rosha, beginning Ronin-rescue
recording, moving to rendezvous under cover in support function for Evita."

"Contact in 3 .. 2 .. 1 ..."

The scene is of an alley at night. Some feeble light comes from the street,
enough to see three people waiting at the mouth of the alley. Two are tall
and bulky, the third is shorter. One of the taller ones rests an arm on the
shorter.

"Please," says the shorter figure nervously, "DON'T do that!"

"You know you love it, babe," replies the taller, in the voice of a male.

"Give it a rest, Donny," says the second tall person, also male from the
sound of it, "We're on biz."

"Frag you, Picker," replies the first man, Donny, "We aint on biz
yet."

The camera moves closer, right up behind the one with his arm on the woman.
He suddenly gasps.

"That," says Rosha, "would be a blade ready t'reduce y'r already pat'etic
manhood, esse. Don'tcha know m'loco?'"

"Rosha!! What are doing...how did you...why..." Evita tries to ask several
questions at once, none of them quite making it out.

"Not lettin' y'hog glory on this job. Plus, y'need qualified help t'keep
yer arse fr'm fryin on this one."

She casts a dismissive look at the gangers.

"Yeah, but how...nevermind. Oh, they're not that bad." She turns to face
the camera. "And I'm sure he didn't mean any harm, so how about letting him
go?

"Nah. M'n the mood f'r a souvenir," she watches the ganger's eyes bug out,
"psyche. Y'sure y'r off da street, kid?"

Donny relaxes a little as Rosha backs up.

"How the frag did you get so close anyway," he asks, sounding injured.

"Trade secret, buster. An stop askin so many questions. We ARE on the
clock now."

"Okay," says Picker, "Time to move."

The group leaves the alley, crossing the road, and begins to walk up the
street. Rosha looks around.

"Whas the transport, bloodclot?"

"We walk," says Picker, "Didn't Evita tell you anything?"

"OH! We can roll f'ya want!" Rosha replies, spitting disgustedly, "Whodafuq
are these two, Ev? Dios!" she turns half away, but keeps an eye out.

"Okay," replies Picker, "The nest is in an apartment in a building up there
a ways. We go in and bash the hell out of any bugs we see, and burn out the
nest."

"Then we're in," says Rosha.

The group continues to walk, at a fairly relaxed pace. It is late, and
though several cars pass, no-one is out on foot. Donny and Picker glance
nervously about every minute or so, watching for whatever their paranoid
brains fear. Eventually Donny stops at a builing, and steps up to the door.

"This is it," Picker says as Donny slides a magkey card into the reader.

The door clicks, and Donny shoves it open, moving inside followed by the
others. Rosha takes the lead.

"Takin' lead cover," she snaps, "Stay sharp - 'L'be in touch. Where we
lookin?"

"The spir..." starts Evita, "well, the third floor, apartments D, F, and H.
I guess they've been joined together by the bugs taking out some walls."

"Rendezvous third fl'r stairwell. Don't be late, son."

The group enters the stairwell, and climbs to the third floor. Rosha leaves
the rest there, and wanders down the corridor. The building is less than
sumptuous, the floor is covered in stained carpet, torn up in places. The
doors are those of residets who fear their neighbours, heavy and covered in
warning signs. The corridor ends in a window, looking down to the street.
Rosha looks out it, seeing the fire-escape that leads down to yet another
alley. She returns to the stairs, noting the fact that the ten doors each
hold a letter, A, C, E, G, I on the left when looking towards the stairs,
B, D, F, H, J on the right.

"Clear run s'far. S'keep movin."

"We've got a key for the door to D," says Picker, "but we thought that me
and Evita would kick down F while Donny tried to surprise them through D."

"M'down wit' Donny." says Rpsha, then, to Donny, "'You down wit OPP?"

She laughs at his confused look, then backs off a little when the gangers
pull their weapons, a Colt Manhunter heavy pistol for Donny, a Remington
Roomsweeper for Picker. They grin, but at each other, not at her expense.

"Let's rock," mutters Picker.

"Now you're talkin'," answers Donny.

Picker and Evita move down to the door to F, and Donny and Rosha get ready
at D. Facing the doors, the stairs are to the left, D closer to them than F
is.

"We should do this all at the same time, right?" Evita looks at the others
for approval, realizes they're waiting for her, and states "On three, then.
1, 2, 3."

Picker waits as Evita counts, then drives his heel into the door at the
lock. It shakes, and he kicks it again, breaking it open this time. Donny
slides a key into the door of D as Evita rolls through her door, Rosha
waiting in the hallway. Picker is next through. Donny slips inside his door
followed by Rosha who takes a last look at the hallway before entering. It
is empty, no-one has been disturbed yet.

In the front room of D, Donny is advancing in a crouch, holding his
Manhunter out ahead of him.

"No sign," he says, "Are they astral, or whatever you call it?"

"No can do, buckaroo. Stay sharp, though, they'll be on us quick."

Donny safes his weapon, and looks through a door.

"The connection to F is through here," he says, "Can't see the
others."

As if his comment were a prophecy, there is a yell from F. Donny hurries
through the door he was looking into, and Rosha plunges after him. They
turn right after entering F, and see Picker straight away. He is firing
into the body of a woman lying on the floor. Donny puts his hand on
Picker's shoulder, pulling him away from the woman on the floor. Picker
stops firing, out of rounds.

"Calm down, drekhead," Donny yells.

"You didn't see it's fragging face!" shouts Picker, "Look at it!"

Donny kicks the body over, and stares into the face of the woman. It is
twisted and inhuman, the mouth filled with weird scrapers and mandibles,
the eyes compound and huge.

"Basic roach," says Rosha, "Flesh form, 'think."

"Yeah," says Donny, "Whatever the hell that means. Let's burn the place and
go."

"The cops might be on their way," begins Picker, reloading his shotgun,
"Let's..."

He is interputed by a scream of rage from the direction of H. The group
spin around, Evita raising her monosword, and Rosha pulling out a monowhip,
the two gangers raising their weapons.

"Oh, no! Ronin, that's Ronin! Let's get in there!" screams Evita.

"Who?" asks Picker, then follows anyway as Evita and Rosha charge through a
door and into a short dark corridor. Donny brings up the rear.

The corridor ends in a hole in the wall, leading next-door, to H. Evita
dives through it, and the others follow. As Evita rolls to her feet, Rosha
climbs through, panning her camera around the room. It is occupied by a
number of comatose people, all coccooned up in web-like excretions. Another
shout comes from beyond a pile of coccoons, and Evita moves around it,
followed by the others. Visible on the other side, to Evita's shocked gasp,
is a huge cockroach thing. It and a human male are struggling, the human
trying to keep on it's back, the roach trying to throw him off or roll and
crush him.

"Ronin!" shouts Evita, and the human looks at her.

The distraction is enough to prevent him from maintaining his grip when the
roach bucks, and he is sent flying off it. He lands with a thud, then rolls
to his feet and leaps towards the roach, one foot out in a flying kick.
Evita moves forward too, but she is blocked by another, smaller but still
giant, roach that appears out of thin air. She stabs at it with her sword,
but the weapon passes straight through the bug. A scream comes from behind
Rosha, and she spins to see Donny being attacked by a huge roach that has
appeared on top of him. Picker fires twice, blasting huge chunks of chitin
off the beast, but then he too is attacked, by a fourth roach. Rosha moves
forward, slicing Donny's assailant in half with her monowhip. It
disappears, but it has already ripped out Donny's guts, and he stays down.
Picker screams at Rosha to help him, and she turns towards him. The roach
has pushed him up against a wall, and is holding him there. He has thrown
away his shotgun, and is stabbing frantically at the insect's back with a
switchblade. He screams again as Rosha runs towards him, and blood starts
to drip down from one corner of his mouth. The roach surges, pushing
harder, and the drip becomes a torrent as Rosha arrives to attack the roach
from behind. The roach spins as she slices off three or four of its legs,
and drops Picker. The ganger slides down the wall, his entrails mostly
missing, as the roach leaps at the camera. Rosha ducks and the roach lands
behind her, and she spins around, using the momentum to send the monowhip
straight through the centre of the spirit. Like the first one, it
disappears. Rosha turns, looking for Evita, and sees her backing away from
the larger roach. Ronin is nowhere to be seen.

"'I came to bring the pain,'" Evita shouts, "'Hardcore from the brain, come
inside my astral plane.' Hey! Where'd Ronin duck to? Ev?"

"He ran out that door!"

Evita continues to back away, and the roach does as well, snarling at her.
As Rosha advances, the roach disappears, making the shift to astral space.

"He grabbed a stone crab-looking thing," says Evita hurriedly, "He went
that way, but she's after him!"

"Time t'recoup the man's body then," replies Rosha.

She turns, running past the dismembered bodies of Picker and Donny, and
stops, hearing a retching from behind her. She turns, seeing Evita looking
at the corpses.

"Help Ronin," Evita gasps, "I'll be alright, they didn't deserve
this."

Rosha turns again, and sprints out the door, heading for the fire escape at
the end of the corridor. A number of people stick their heads out the door,
but they cower back inside when the monowhip wielding maniac charges past.
When Rosha arrives, she sees that the window is broken, and she can hear
someone on the fire escape. Evita joins and overtakes her as they go out
the window and down the ladder.

At the bottom, Evita runs off into the darkness. Rosha follows, slower than
the other woman.

"Hold up, kid!" she yells, "Can't cover ya f'ya don't wait f'r me!"

"He's this way, I just know!"

She stops, looking around a corner, and after a moment Rosha catches up to her.

Around the corner, Ronin is visible, fighting with the roach mother again.
As the two women arrive, Ronin rolls back a couple of metres and throws his
arms out, sending a wave of flame at the roach. It screams in rage, but
seems almost uninjured, the flames apparently held off by some sort of
invisible shield. Rosha advances, then stops, seeing a rough stone idol
carved into the shape of a paddle crab lying on the ground. It is
approximately ten centimetres across. Rosha scoops it up and tosses it to
Evita, who is moving towards the fight, a look of fear on her face mixed
with determination.

"This's the ticket f'r the spirit, right?"

"Yes, that's it alright," Evita replies.

"Game, set, match. Train's leavin the station, kid."

"No, I can't leave Ronin like this!"

"The best way y'll help'm is by getting that free spirit out'f his head!"

"I'm not going anywhere, now get out of my way!"

Evita passes Rosha, heading for the fight, but Rosha attacks her from
behind, throwing her ams around the taller woman's legs and bringing her
down. Evita yells in protest, and rolls over, getting to her feet and
striking out at Rosha with a right hook. Rosha ducks under it, catches
Evita's wrist in her right hand, and spins left, dragging Evita close and
winding her with an elbow to the solar plexus. As Evita doubles up, Rosha
spins back out and throws the other woman to the ground by applying force
to the elbow while keeping her grip on Evita's right wrist. Rosha maintains
the hold as Evita recovers her breath, then starts yelling into her face.

"M'not letting y'cash y'r chips against that Roach. We're out. Now. This
thing is the key t'freein Ronin ... once an f'r all. We stay. We lose the
idol. We lose Ronin. F'r good. Y'see how he's kickin the tar outta the
Roach mom?" she pauses for a moment, allowing Evita to get her head up and
take a look, "Yeah, thought you'd see it m'way. Now let's go. F'he turns on
us, we're toast. Comprende?"

The two get up, and start to run from the area, Rosha glancing back once to
see Ronin drive a blindingly fast roundhouse, his booted foot trailing
magical fire, into the roach mother's head, sending a spray of chitin and
ichor into the air. The insect spirit shrieks, and starts to back off.
Rosha shudders, then turns away again, and keeps running after Evita.

+++++End footage

Seems like "you" got the best of the big roach. Hey, y'ever think about
doin commercials for that extermination service? Anyway, m'glad y'r back
n'yr bod safe and sound. Let's all go out and grab a beer s'mtime--you, Ev,
me, and her roomie Cass. Sounds cool t'you? {r}]<<<<
-- Elgin Baylor <17:09:19/10-03-57>
Managing Partner
Seattle Supersonics

From:	jaimie.nicholson@********.otago.ac.nz (Jaimie Nicholson)
Subject:	Re: Recovery
Date:	Sat, 5 Oct 1996 14:43:49 +1200 (NZST)

Message no. 8 *****PRIVATE: {r}, Evita
>>>>>[I'm a bit confused about the sequence of events while I was running
about on the astral. As far as I can tell it went like this:

My body came to Seattle, contacted Evita, then went on a run to grab some
ashes, followed by a second to get hold of an antique clock, then sent
Evita and two gangers to raid a bug-house. While they were there, Rosha
joined up, helping them for a while. My body also turned up, grabbing a
stone idol of a paddle crab, then dropped it while fighting a roach spirit.
Rosha grabbed the idol and persuaded Evita to leave my body behind so the
two of you could use the idol for a bit of extortion. Since the spirit
wanted the idol so bad, it gave me my body back under close supervision
(Who were all those people, anyway?).

Is that pretty much what happened?

And about the drink, how about tomorrow? Around 1900, >>bar
name<<.]<<<<<
-- Ronin <19:36:15/10-04-57>

From:	Nightblade <wgreason@*****.ocis.temple.edu>
Subject:	Re: Recovery
Date:	Fri, 4 Oct 1996 22:52:35 -0400 (EDT)

Message no. 9 *****PRIVATE: Ronin
>>>>>[Drink sounds good. The order o'events seems steady fr'm m'end.
And ya can call me b'name now. Splain that'n later. :) An' don worry
'bout payback ... y'dve done t'same f'r me, right?]<<<<<
-- Rosha <22:54:23/10-04-57>

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