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From:	Gates <Gates@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Tue, 3 Dec 1996 01:59:43 +0000

Message no. 1 *****PRIVATE: Stephanie
>>>>>[Geez girl you do go on, wassamatter bored or summat?

Tempted though I am of accepting your offer that's really something only
DA can do, and he's a bit inconvenienced at the mo. However, the only
things that realy stops me from accepting your heartfelt offer of
assistance, is the fact that a: you state that you will only be
available for a short time.. 'till your maintenance down-time is
finished, I think you said, and b: the fact that Aztlan may not be
impressed with your presence. From information received we will have a
short jaunt into Aztlan, and then we are, I think, due to be travelling
south through Guatamala into Colombia and Brazil. It's distinctly
possible that we're going to be spending some considerable time poking
around in the Amazon. The last thing we can have, is a team member
consuming vital resources, who's likely to bug out at a moments notice
'cos her tank's mobile agin.

Yeah, we could do with some experienced mercs, and a spell chucker would
be a bonus, but you aren't available for long enough, unless...

As far as killing things goes, we would prefer that our presence is kept
as quiet as possible, it's not a good idea to bring the militia down on
our heads every five minutes, just because you don't like someone's
politics. If you can guarantee your presence for a substantial time
period, and also hold onto your I wanna kill somethin' attitude, then I
guess DA'll welcome ya too.

Just one more thing. Don't leave the main force just cos you're bored,
they need you as much as we do, if not more. And also, if you decide to
go walkabout, and rejoin your company, or just go for an afternoons
stroll, tell someone you're leavin', don't just bug out and ditch them,
OK?]<<<<<
-- Gates <01:57:55/12-03-57>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Tue, 3 Dec 1996 23:12:45 +0000

Message no. 2 *****PRIVATE: Gates
>>>>>[Yes I _AM_ bored! I joined up because I wanted something
interesting to happen, not to have a lot of refugees dripping on about
how horrible it is in the Zone and never do anything except sit around
talking all the time. I thought this was going to be _exciting_ and I'd
get to kill some bugs, which is always a really good thing to do because
they're _nasty_ creatures with no redeeming features at all, but in fact
all we're doing is sitting around and talking and doing nothing at all.

I won't have to go back _instantly_. Nobody's indispensible and I'm owed
_months_ of leave and my sergeant can take over and run the platoon for
me if something comes up that needs the heavy tanks, which it isn't
likely to for months anyway because it's monsoon season in Asia (and we
don't do that much tank work there anyway) and Southern Africa's
catching its breath after the Cape Province War and it'll be a while
before any of them will have the money to hire mercs again, except maybe
Witwatersrand but they've got their own forces and hardly ever need
heavy armour.

So I'll have plenty of warning if I have to go away and probably
wouldn't have to go away that fast anyway and Uncle Sasha says I should
broaden my experience, and a mission into deepest Aztlan and Amazonia
and wherever else would really broaden me out because I don't have as
much jungle warfare training as I'd like but I'd like to learn more
because we get so much work, three or four contracts a year, in
Southeast Asia, and I need to know about fighting in jungles so I might
not even have to take it as leave but I could call it a training
secondment.

And I only kill people when I need to thank you very much, otherwise I
would have blown up some of these boring annoying people here in Chicago
who just keep talking and never doing anything. I do know how to do
reconnaisance and patrol work, and the whole point of those is that if
you start shooting you probably have to abort the patrol because the
enemy knows where you are and you aren't strong enough to fight through
everything they'll throw at you and you certainly won't achieve your aim
so you'd better retreat and say "sorry" to your CO for screwing up
because you had to shoot someone. So I kill people quietly sometimes, or
do magic to make them think I'm not there or they didn't see me or I'm
someone else, so I don't have to make lots of noise and get in
trouble.]<<<<<
-- Stephanie <23:12:32/12-03-57>

From:	Avenger <Avenger@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Wed, 4 Dec 1996 02:30:39 +0000

Message no. 3 *****PRIVATE: Stephanie
>>>>>[Your _comments_ were passed on to me by Gates, I think I
understand what he was grinning about now.

I don't know where you've been or what you do for a living girl, though
I have a damn good idea. You're bored, tough. It has been my
experience that 90 percent of war is boredom, sitting around waiting for
the right moment to act, sitting around waiting for the orders to come
through, sitting around waiting for the enemy to attack. Always sitting
around, sometimes in a dugout, sometimes in a nice comfortable building,
but mostly in a damp smelly hole in the ground in foul weather.

If you joined IF-1 to get some _excitement_, then you have only yourself
to blame, you knew the mission profile was extraction, extraction is not
an exciting, kill all the bad guys time, it's a desperate race _against_
time. In this case time has run out for some people, too many in fact.
And I'm more than a bit pissed off about it.

So, you're baby sitting some drippy refugees who're whining about life
in the zone. Those drippy refugees, survived for several years, in some
of the worst conditions I can imagine, where no-one is your friend, and
everything bears some sort of threat. They survived it, give them some
credit. So they're talking about it, so what, call it therapy, it's
better than bottling up the horror that must live in the minds of these
people. Don't tell me you never talk about the situations you've been
through, or some of the things you've survived, huh? Cut the poor guys
some slack.

As I understand it, Gates said to you that he'd be more than happy to
have you along. Gates is a poor judge of people, he trusts people until
they've fragged him off, and when they have, I've seen what he can do,
and it ain't pretty.

OK, you want to come and play with the big boys, and get yourself sorted
for jungle warfare. I'll not stop you, we need a good gun, and a spell
chucker is an added bonus. But get this, and listen up real good, girl.
_I_ give the orders, you do what I say, when I say it, or you die. You
pay attention every single second of the day, to your surroundings, to
your immediate stepping area, and to me, or you die. You listen, you
act only when told to act, you do not go walkabout because the moon's
pretty, or you die. I shit you not.

Jungle fighting is not the same as playing around inside several tons of
steel monster, it takes patience, skill, and great respect for the
elements. In the jungle your worst enemy is not the enemy, it's the
elements, jungle rot, altitude sickness, cholera, hepatitis A, B and D,
malaria, yellow fever, dengue fever, Chagas' disease, meningitis,
tetanus and typhoid, trench foot, and any number of other ailments, and
that's before we factor in things like insect and snake bite, predatory
animals, paranaturals, and of course the militia, rebels, drug dealers,
terrorists and the natives. It's not a _fun_ place, have you had you're
shots?

You need to be awake and alert 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, sleep is a
luxury you'll have to do without much of the time, except for snatched
snooze breaks at rest stops. You come with us girl, and the option to
leave is not one that will be available, there is no nice comfortable
med team evac, there is no nice comfortable tank seat to sit on, and no
nice comfortable bivouac. You'll be sleeping on the ground if at all,
if it's safe from the bugs, the little ones that is, in the trees if it
isn't. You'll be hot, very, damp, very, and occassionally freezing
cold. Still sound like a fun place, still sound like you want to come
along, because believe me, it won't be for the ride, you'll be expected
to work as hard as the rest of us, and I will not tolerate _any_
whining.

One other thing, this is no training exersize, we aren't down there to
play at jungle men, we are going to be fighting for our lives, not with
guns and knives, and heroic shit like that, but with our will and
stamina, because if there's one thing the jungle does, it's sap every
ounce of strength and ability you have, and then when it's taken as much
as it can, it throws something real nasty at you.

Still sound like a _fun_ place, still sound like the kind of shit you
want to get involved in?

I don't want to be rude to you, but you have an inexperienced and
somewhat juvenile attitude to some things, or at least that's how you
come over. I don't have the time anymore to play with children, you
come with us, you are an adult, you _are_ responsible for your actions,
and anything you do that jeopardises my people or the mission, will
recieve the worst possible reaction. Neither your daddy, nor your uncle
nor your God are going to be able to come and get you, nor will they be
able to pull your ass out of the fire. You come along, you are in all
the way.

That's all I got to say. You still want in?]<<<<<
-- Dark Avenger <02:12:16/12-04-57>

From:	Gates <Gates@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Wed, 4 Dec 1996 04:14:34 +0000

Message no. 4 *****PRIVATE: Stephanie
>>>>>[We all get bored sometimes girl, it comes with the territory I'm
afraid. Don't make a big thing out of to DA though, he'll only chew you
out about it. I know how you feel, I've been plenty bored myself
sometimes, sittin' around waitin' fer somethin' to happen, and it never
does. When I think of the hours and days I've spent on my butt waitin',
shit it don't bear thinkin' about.

Aztlan's insitence on the Yucutan is not about niceness it's about
territory, and some pretty fraggin important places. Having said that,
I do agree with you. Aztlan has bitten off more than they can chew,
with over 7 million Mayan natives in the Yucatan area, who don't want to
be anything else, they've got themselves a losin' war. That's the main
reason we've never been involved with 'em afore. And when has history
ever been a reference for anythin'? I mean lookit Steph, two world
wars, the Euro Wars, the conflicts in Asia, China, Middle East, Africa,
they all are trying to do the same thing, it don't matter that history
says it cain't be done, each individual believes they can change
history, hell Khan did it once, maybe one day some overblown psycho like
him'll come along and do it again.

If you have so much time off - how's about the rest of your life? Then I
figure DA'll probably welcome ya. Don't be too upset by him, he can be
kinda harsh sometimes, and he growls a lot, but he's just a big old
cuddly bear really. Hey, don't you tell him I said that, he'd scalp me.

DA's specialty is recon, he's not too hot on stand up fights he doesn't
like the losses that produces, and this last series of events is playin'
_real_ heavy on his mind. He's always been a bit of a solo when it comes
to killin'. If'n you can keep your trap shut, and act like a pro, he'll
make you welcome, but I tell you now, he's _real_ hard on anyone that
fucks up his people, for whatever reason. You're welcome in my book,
but I don't make the decisions here, I'm just one o' the grunts.

Anyway's I passed your message over to DA, and he'll answer you somewhen
soon, he's supposed to be takin' it easy at the moment, but he's like a
bronco with a burr up his ass, he's not adjusting to a hospital bed real
well. He's also not supposed to go jaunting in the matrix, but I figure
he'll do it anyway just to cut the tedium a tad.

You keep your eyes pealed meantime kiddo, things is real quiet right
now, and that's not good. I'll talk to you later, I got me an errand to
run.]<<<<<
-- Gates <04:11:32/12-04-57>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Wed, 4 Dec 1996 03:44:17 +0000

Message no. 5 *****PRIVATE: Dark Avenger
>>>>>[Mr Dark Avenger, I'm sorry if I seemed to be annoyed and I know I
get jumpy and sort of hyper when I'm bored. But I'm _used_ to sitting
around waiting for orders. Not to sitting around doing nothing when
there's nobody to give orders, when we could be getting away from the
bad guys and sorting out the trouble they're in (whatever it was, nobody
was very clear about it)

If it was a race-against-time extraction I guess it must have been run
already because they weren't racing anywhere and they didn't seem to
need me at all and we weren't extracting to or from anywhere.

I joined IF-1 to get some _experience_. I hoped it would be exciting as
a bonus. But it hasn't been experience and it hasn't been exciting, it's
been sitting around reading and watching trideo for _weeks_. I could
have done better just taking some training courses and got more benefit
out of it, because I only had so much time and they've wasted most of
it.

So I tried to salvage something and negotiated a chance to join your
unit and more time away from my unit because you might need the help and
I need the experience of jungle warfare. I'm very very sorry if that
annoys you. I'm still a fairly inexperienced soldier but I'm trying to
change that.

As for the other stuff... well, Mr Dark Avenger, if you think I'm going
into hostile jungle right out of reach of any backup to get myself - or
even worse, you and your people - killed you have another very long and
hard think coming. I've been there before, just not much and not often.
I've heard one or two shots fired in anger. I can and do follow orders,
or I'd have been kicked out years ago. I have a fair idea of what I'm
getting myself into, I've been there before, and I survived that pretty
well.

And yes, thank you, my immunisations are current.]<<<<<
-- Stephanie <03:45:32/12-04-57>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Wed, 4 Dec 1996 17:19:31 +0000

Message no. 6 *****PRIVATE: Dark Avenger
>>>>>[Well, Mr Dark Avenger, I'm used to being bored waiting for
something to happen in three-day ambushes and other operations. I've got
_some_ experience, in fact more than many corporate or government
soldiers, just not enough.

I joined IF-1 to get _experience_, and I hoped it would be interesting.
So far it hasn't been useful and it's been really boring. And excuse me
very much, if this was meant to be a desperate race against time then I
think we might have lost it because these people haven't done anything
except sit around talking so maybe the extraction I was meant to be
helping with already happened and nobody bothered to tell me?

And I don't mind them talking all about the Zone all the time at all
except that I wish they'd do something _as well_ as talking or _instead_
of talking.

And all the things you said about warfare are all right and I do
understand all that. I'll be nice and not get angry or say you're being
a patronising bastard to someone who's been a soldier since she was
fourteen and has led men in combat for years and does know how to take
orders, because if I wasn't that sort of person I'd really need to hear
all the fire-and-brimstone do-what-I-say-when-I-say stuff that I have to
give all my FNGs and our new Company commander gave us subbies when he
took over, and when you've got a good speech there's no point changing
it (yours is almost word-for-word like Taff's except some bits are in a
different order and he swears a lot more, you don't know a Richard
Tafczyski do you?)

I... sort of don't need any immunisations. I'm a shapeshifter. I don't
tell many people so I hope you realise I'm trusting you here. My blood
sort of eats infections and parasites. I'll have to talk to any
paramedics because I heal differently to ordinary people. And a lot of
shapeshifters, actually, I seem to be a different sort. It's in my blood
instead of being magic, except it sort of is magic too, but it's
complicated and I don't understand it all, I just do it.

And I have got a little bit of jungle time, mostly Thailand area, so I
do have some idea what I'm getting into. And this sounds like something
useful and important if it'll hurt the bugs, which is the real reason to
do it (even I'm not silly enough to just go into Amazonia for fun, Mr
Dark Avenger, but I do enjoy my work) and it'll be really useful for my
men if I can learn some useful jungle warfare skills because we're
negotiating some contracts in Indo-China and anything I can learn with
you will help me keep my people alive later. Which I think is as
important as you seem to think it is.

One question I thought I should ask, Mr Dark Avenger, if we're going to
be out there a long time, what's ammo resupply going to be like? I
usually use my cupola gun George, but MAG-5s do tend to eat lots and
lots of ammunition in a firefight and it would be really embarrasing and
very dangerous and bad for you all as well as me to have to wander
around in hostile jungle with just a pistol and a club. I thought, if I
had to leave George at home because of ammo problems, a combat shotgun
would be a good option instead, but since you're in command I'd like
your advice and suggestions so I fit properly into the team. I don't
like submachineguns much but I can use most other weapons well and can
get hold of pretty much anything fairly quickly.

And yes, I still want to come and help you, because I really really hate
the bugs. There aren't many things I really really hate but the bugs are
one of them, and that's the real reason I want to come.

Plus it's got to be better than watching trideo in sleazy motels.]<<<<<
-- Stephanie <17:20:32/12-04-57>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Wed, 4 Dec 1996 19:18:11 +0000

Message no. 7 *****PRIVATE: Gates
>>>>>[Well Mr Gates, I'm sorry but I think I just blew my chances of
joining your group into little tiny pieces. Mr Dark Avenger got up on
his high horse about how horrible Federal agents were and I got a tiny
little bit angry because he said all this really stupid wrong stuff that
isn't true and in the same post told _me_ to get my head out of _my_
ass. So I sort of gave him a piece of my mind back and now he probably
won't want to work with me any more.

I'm really sorry, I did want to help, but Mr Dark Avenger kept on being
really rude and really patronising and if that's his idea of being
professional then it might not be very safe to work with him.]<<<<<
-- Stephanie <19:15:43/12-04-57>

From:	Avenger <Avenger@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Thu, 5 Dec 1996 05:13:18 +0000

Message no. 8 *****PRIVATE: Stephanie
>>>>>[OK. You can think for yourself and you have loyalty. Both are
important. I apologise for the way I came across, but understand this,
you had to be tested, and I don't know any better test than what you
just went through. I don't have the time to fuck about judging people I
don't know, so I provoke a situation guaranteed to produce the kind of
reaction I require. For what it's worth, you passed.

If you still want in on this, meet Pharoah at >>location, time<<. As
for weaponry, arrangements will be made. We pick up all equipment
across the border, nothing goes with us, not even side arms. Aztlan are
too hot on their border right now, especially with the troubles they're
having with the CAS. We don't have a war zone down there, but it's
building to it. So, I repeat, no weapons at all. Give your list of
requirements to Pharoah, and he'll make the arrangements. We'll be
moving in one week, as soon as I've finished making the arrangements.

If you want an MMG you can have it, just so long as you realise that
short controlled bursts are the norm, ammo _is_ at a premium, though we
should be able to resupply from rebel groups and other ... contacts. If
you insist on a Mag5, fine, but I would recommend one of the newer Colt
M56 smarts. Uses less ammo, and is a damn site more accurate than a Mag,
I assume you are smartlinked?

One other thing, don't lecture me on the infallible morals of people,
that's bullshit, when you've lived in this business as long as I have,
and dealt with the kinds of people I have, then you come back and tell
me I'm wrong, until then, you hold onto your ideas. I've been in this
business more years than you've been alive, don't have utter faith in
the honesty of people, it'll get you killed.

Yes, your description fits most of the mercs I've ever dealt with. They
don't fight for moral reasons, they fight because the pay's good, the
looting is good, and they like it, and some of 'em because they don't
_know_ any other way of life. Many of them are the most amoral
sonsabitches I've ever met. You don't have the experience to be making
your judgements, girl.

Now, I don't know your family and no remarks were aimed at them
directly, and I don't recall ever saying _I_ was the nice guy in this.
As for whole agencies being clean of corruption, you have a _nice_
outlook on life don't you? Wake up and smell the beans girl. If that
was the case then there would be no need for Internal Investigation
units, there would be no need for courts of law, because the _clean_
agencies could deal with all the corruption in the world from their damn
clouds, where they're all polishing their damn halo's. There would be
no need for people to investigate and deal with these damn companies.
_Every_, and I mean _Every_ organisation suffers from corruption and
dishonesty, that's mankind for you. People have a price, and once
you've found that price, they're bought. Now you have a high opinion of
your daddy, I don't know him, but tell me this, if something _bad_ was
to happen to you, what do you think he'd do about it, huh? _YOU_ are
his price girl, _you_ are his corruption. Someone threatens you, he's
gonna be _real_ interested in putting some serious hurt on them, but
he'll be bound by his own morals to obey, until he sees a way out.

Now that's an extreme example, and I know all about that kind of thing.
But in general you'll find, as you get older and more sour, that the
world doesn't hold many surprises any more, and very few of those
surprises have anything even closely resembling a silk lining. And most
of it stinks of someone's profiteering.

However, if you want to make a big thing out of it, sure I'll meet you,
and beat some sense into you. You think that most of the people in
Intelligence and FedAgs are OK guys, you go talk to your daddy, and ask
him, maybe you'll learn something.

Anyway. Enough of this. As I said earlier, you want in, you meet
Pharoah, he's waiting for a couple of people to come on in here at St.L,
so you go ahead and make your way down here. You're more than welcome,
and I promise not to get all sourpuss on you again.

Oh, yeah, one final thing, drop the Mr. it makes me uncomfortable. Just
call me Avenger.]<<<<<
-- Dark Avenger <05:11:42/12-05-57>

From:	"Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Thu, 5 Dec 1996 21:31:12 +0000

Message no. 9 *****PRIVATE: Dark Avenger
>>>>>[That's all right Mr D^H^H^H^H Avenger. If I were hiring a complete
stranger I'd want to find out a little about them too and pushing them a
bit is a good way to do it. So I'm not angry about it because you had a
good reason.

You probably know it stopped being boring and we had our ten seconds of
terror instead. The refugees got out all right except one who was really
a bug in disguise. All the mercenaries with us died, though. Which
really sucked because they were very professional and very skilful and
to be honest if they hadn't covered us going out we'd have lost a lot of
people instead of getting out with just a few of us wounded apart from
the one who was a bug, Stands-With-A-Fist, who was apparently a Mantis
spirit which is sort of good because they eat bugs too but sort of bad
because they think humans and tigers are just furniture that sometimes
is useful and sometimes is in the way and should be broken into bits.

If those soldiers were up to the standard you want, I can meet it but it
won't be easy. They were very good and I sang death songs for them
because they were warriors.

I should just about be able to make the meet with Pharoah, but can you
tell him to wait a little if I'm not there or give me a contact number
or something? We're moving overland and there isn't much slack if we get
held up and I don't want to miss out or look like I slept through the
meet or anything else just because it took longer to finesse our way
through a checkpoint. I'll send him the list of gear though. And I won't
take any firearms into Aztlan, if your contact is good, which going by
your mercenaries he or she or it ought to be.

I think we'll have to agree to differ on some of the things you're
saying, Avenger, until you meet the people involved and decide for
yourself. Until then please don't make such sweeping generalisations
because those will get you mangled just as badly as a naive faith in the
goodness of man will. I never said _most_ of the people in our fifteen
official and nineteen (that I know of) unofficial agencies are OK guys.
Most of the official ones are bearable and sort of behave themselves
because they're visible. Most of the unofficial ones are as nasty as
you'll ever get because nobody's officially allowed to watch them doing
what they do so they start off doing good stuff but really quickly just
want to get rich and powerful and do whatever they want. I just got
angry because there are some good ones out there. And believe it or not
they tend to congregate together. Probably just for protection because
it's dangerous being honest. But they _are_ out there. It's not my fault
if you haven't met them yet.

And Mr Dark Avenger, if we meet and fight because I called you out for
insulting my family, it would be with knives and it would be until one
of us was dead and I'm not sure which one of us it would be but I don't
die very easily and I'd have to fight you even if I knew I was going to
lose but I have traditions to live up to.

But if we can agree to differ it won't come to that and I can talk to
Pharaoh and meet you in St. Louis and we can go and really screw up the
bugs.]<<<<<
-- Stephanie <21:25:42/12-05-57>

From:	Avenger <Avenger@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject:	Re: Thor: Stephanie
Date:	Fri, 6 Dec 1996 00:24:48 +0000

Message no. 10 *****PRIVATE: Stephanie
>>>>>[OK, we agree to differ then. One day maybe you'll understand my
way of thinking, until then...

I have only just found out about the situation that has occured, and I
am more than a little disappointed, and more than lot angry. If the
silly sods had moved earlier, while my people were dying protecting
them, maybe this could have been avoided, however, what's done is done,
and I'll extract my price from the cause, not the effect.

I regret the loss of yet more friends, but it seems this is a price that
will never stop increasing it's charges. I will however, take back each
and every life these _creatures_ have stolen from me.

I will instruct Pharoah accordingly, but in case you still miss him, you
can reach us on >>frequency<< or via the Matrix if you don't mind the
inherent risks. I look forward to meeting you Stephanie, you have, to
say the least, piqued my curiosity. I have had Gates do a little
research for me, as a result of some _comments_ that have been passed in
my direction after I attempted something that obviously failed. The
_thing_ in question has a catch phrase that's actually not all bad, and
I use it now, in humour as well as seriousness... Let's get dangerous.
]<<<<<
-- Dark Avenger <00:19:10/12-06-57>

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