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Message no. 1
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Threats
Date: Sat, 3 May 1997 13:06:52 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Ronin
>>>>>[Irish either knows too much, or he is in a position that he is
able to work it out. He has to be silenced, and threats to _him_ might not
be sufficient. Find out if the daughter is vulnerable.]<<<<<
-- RJohnson <19:00:31/05-02-58>
Message no. 2
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 4 May 1997 11:49:42 +1200
*****PRIVATE: RJohnson
>>>>>[The daughter seems at first glance to be vulnerable. I'm checking
other sources, and I've arranged for our astral surveillance specialist to
take a look at her later this week.]<<<<<
-- Ronin <17:46:06/05-03-58>
Message no. 3
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sat, 10 May 1997 12:01:02 +1200
*****PRIVATE: RJohnson
>>>>>[I've finished my preliminary survey of the daughter... I think we
could take her if we had to, making her an effective insurance policy for
Irish's silence. Lorus is now tracking her with one of the
sniper/surveillance drones, as we arranged yesterday.

I'll try and track Irish down by tommorrow or the day after, and we'll
discuss the issue... I'll be back after the weekend.]<<<<<
-- Ronin <17:58:45/05-09-58>
Message no. 4
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Threats
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 12:50:35 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Faerie
>>>>>[That was _sick_! Jesus, I thought I'd seen some things, but, man...
>>>>>fucking and killing the guy... I don't think I can work for you again
>>>>>if it's going to be another one like that.]<<<<<
-- Troglobyte <17:52:44/03-15-59>
Message no. 5
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 11:43:12 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Troglobyte
>>>>>[You watched? Now who's sick, trog?]<<<<<
-- Faerie <16:42:06/03-16-59>

*****PRIVATE: Faerie
>>>>>[Watch your mouth, bitch. I kept the sec-cam footage. Maybe I'll send
it to your friend Ice, see what he thinks of you then. Or maybe I'll just
post it in public, see what the other people round here have to say.]<<<<<
-- Troglobyte <16:43:44/03-16-59>

*****PRIVATE: Troglobyte
>>>>>[You want some of what Parker got, motherfucker? You threaten me
again and I'll come down there and kill your paralysed freak ass.]<<<<<
-- Faerie <16:47:10/03-16-59>
Message no. 6
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 11:56:35 +1200
>>>>>[Some of you might know Faerie... well, here's a side of her I doubt
any of you will have seen...

+++++Begin footage

The footage is from a security camera in the top corner of a small room. It
has the soulessness of a hotel room, no ornaments, no personal touches,
just a double bed, trid unit and Gideon chip-bible. The door opens and two
people enter, a grey-haired humman, and a young elven woman with one arm
around his shoulders. The woman is carries a small shoulder purse, and is
dressed in a short black leather dress, showing a lot of skin, not very
subtle. The man looks like a typical suit, and appears to be a little
drunk.

The two stand just inside the doorway, kissing for a minutes or so, then
she whispers something in his ear, and they start to move towards the bed.
She lets go of him, slips out of the dress, and stands naked before him.
She has the sort of body that usually requires surgery, bulimia, or some
combination of the two. He takes a long look, then steps towards her,
embracing her again. She falls backwards onto the bed, taking him down with
her, laughing... but at him, not with him.

Again she whispers something into his ear, and he gets up off the bed,
bends down, searches through her purse, then pulls out some plastic
restraints.

"These?" he asks.

"Yes," she says, in a bedroom voice that would be ridiculous in any other
setting, but appears to drive the suit wild.

He comes back to the bed, lying beside her and kissing her again, licking
her neck. She writhes against him, then rolls him on his back, pulling his
arms up to the headboard, using the restraints to attach his wrists to the
bedposts.

"Don't hurt me," he says in a hoarse whisper as she sits on his chest, "I
worship you."

She ignores him, thrusting her pelvis into his face. He grunts, then moves
his jaw against her. She arches her back and rides his face, burying her
hands in his hair, looking down into his eyes. After a moment, she screams
in what could be agony or ecstasy, throwing her head back, reaching for the
roof with both hands.

She holds in that position for a moment, then her eyes glow with a red
flame, and she smashes the heels of her hands into the top of his head.
Fire bursts from her hands as they hit, instantly burning away his hair,
melting through his head. He lets out a muffled shriek, kicks his legs,
then goes limp. Now moving at wired-like speed, she levitates backwards off
the body, dropping to the ground to pick up her purse and dress. The suit's
corpse is still burning, and at another spell, the flames rise to cover the
bed, obscuring the body. The elf woman laughs with apparent delight,
quickly slipping into the dress. Then she lifts off from the ground again,
hovers for a moment, then claps her hands together. Some sort of shockwave
blasts the windows outwards, and the fluorescent light bulb bursts,
plunging the room into darkness.

After a moment, the door bursts open, and an autofire muzzle flash lights
up some of the room, but the woman is gone.

+++++End footage

You like that, bitch? Come on down and play.]<<<<<
-- Troglobyte <16:50:50/03-16-59>
Message no. 7
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 11:59:41 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[Give me the benefit of the doubt.]<<<<<
-- Faerie <16:52:26/03-16-59>
Message no. 8
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 19:56:47 -0500
>>>>>[Looks like someone was a very naughty girl...]<<<<<
-- Trebuchet <17:05:50/03-16-59>

>>>>>[Very naughty. Gives a new definition to unsafe sex, doesn't it? I
just can't believe that suits still fall for that kind of trick (pun
intended).]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <17:11:48/03-16-59>
Message no. 9
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 01:26:35 +0000
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[I admit, I would appreciate an explanation for such unusual
behaviour. A ritual of power? A personal sexual preference?

Great power may be drawn from someone in that way, but it is a path
fraught with danger; safer and almost as effective to earn your power in
battle. Still a time of passion and fury, but you are _following_ the
furies rather than opposing them. I do not seek to condescend, merely to
warn. I have learned this lesson painfully myself.]<<<<<
-- Mr Gone <01:26:54/03-17-59>
Message no. 10
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 01:35:39 +0000
>>>>>[What's the big deal here? So she scored a tonguejob off the mark
before she killed him? So what, we're meant to give a damn about some
philandering corp suit? If I see her and recognise her and she confesses
to me I'll make a citizen's arrest. Until then I got problems of my own.

This Parker guy was careless and now he's dead. BFD. Faerie needs to be
careful for a while in case some gung-ho bountyhunter decides she's a
good mark, and I'm sure the cops on the board will archive the footage
and file it for reference.

Why is any of that meant to be _my_ problem?]<<<<<
-- Easy <01:34:32/03-17-59>
Message no. 11
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:21:31 EST
>>>>>[Okay, at this point I would say "go find a room" to the
both of you.
What Faerie does is what she does Trog. I cannot condemn or condone her of
what she does at all. In many ways, that (being what you showed to us) is
quite tame actually.

I somehow doubt that you, Troglodyte, understand the term 'hunger'.
Apparently, Faerie does. She is not the only one now, nor will she remain
such.

Faerie, to you I say, "you chose unwisely".]<<<<<
-- Old One <20:21:33/03-16-59 PST>
Message no. 12
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 23:33:49 EST
***** PRIVATE : The Dark Stranger
>>>>>[Pardon me for intruding tDS, but do you know on some more -direct-
level
Ms. Faerie?]<<<<<
-- Old One <20:34:28/03-16-59 PST>
Message no. 13
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 1998 21:32:02 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[Which benefit and what doubt, Faerie?

Just what THE FUCK is going on here?

That sure as hell looked like you. And given the footage you had me spec,
I am having a very hard time putting it out of my head. But, I don't have
any gear to prove it, and I am not one to rip the truth out of anybody.

I'm deep in some heavy shit right now...I don't need this.

Christ, you better have a good explanation for this. Tell me this
Troglobyte character has a mad-on for you, something seriously wrong in
his head, and something seriously powerful in his deck to whip out
something like that. For God's sake tell me that wasn't you and make me
believe it.

I trusted you! Ice may have had a little scum around the edges,
but he always played straight with me. He says you're gonna take his
place, he vouches for you, that's good enough for me. Sure, you
occasionally were a bitch, but I thought that was cool. Damn it, I even
started to like you.

This...this goes way, way fucking past "nothing I'd approve of."

Christ.]<<<<<
-- Michael <20:45:22/03-16-59 PST>


*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[I myself have been forced to do things that I regretted, so I feel
that I have no right to be as adamant as Michael, but I do wish to know if
that footage was true. _If_ so, why?

I will not condone action such as was shown, nor do I believe I have a
place in a group that would.]<<<<<
-- WhiteTyger <21:30:12/03-16-59 PST>
Message no. 14
From: Kristling Ravenwing <kristling@*******.CROSSWINDS.NET>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 01:40:16 -0500
>>>>>[Troglobyte:
BIG FRAGGIN' DEAL!
I've worked with Farie before. This effects the respect I have for her in no
way.
If, after talking talking to her, I found out you got that footage without it
getting sent to you...
Let's just say I have a special spell for people like you]<<<<<
-- Kristling <1:41:32/03-17-59>
Message no. 15
From: Kristling Ravenwing <kristling@*******.CROSSWINDS.NET>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 01:45:44 -0500
***** PRIVATE : Farie
>>>>>[I don't like how that Old One is talking, Farie. You don't hesitate
to
ask friends for help, including me. Yes, you can call me a friend. I'll back
you up because I respect you.]<<<<<
-- Kristling <01:47:28/03-17-59 PST>
Message no. 16
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 12:27:46 -0500
***** PRIVATE : Old One
>>>>>[Not a problem. No, I don't know Faerie, at all. Merely voicing a
minor opinion. How she completes her assignments is her business, not
mine. I just can't believe that suits still fall for that trick.]<<<<<
-- the Dark Stranger <09:34:28/03-17-59>
Message no. 17
From: Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 11:56:21 -0800
>>>>>[So, now we'll all know what Faerie *really* means if she says she
does
"wetwork". <snicker>

We'll also know not to invite her to any parties unless you don't mind the
occasional guest showing up dead afterwards. (It's *such* a pain, even if
they *do* die happy...)

Other than that, Big Fucking Deal. If the stiff wants to complain, let him
do it himself. Oh, I guess he can't, can he, heh heh heh.]<<<<<
-- Sam-I-Am <11:45:18/03-17-59>
Message no. 18
From: Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 12:08:26 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>["Let he among you who is without sin cast the first stone."

Everyone in the shadows has secrets; skeletons in the closet they don't want
anyone else to find, even things they'd kill to keep hidden. Noone is clean
here; if this disturbs you, Michael, I urge you to get out while you still
can, before it is too late.

I have seen enough death to last me several lifetime and have no wish to see,
or contribute to, more. I cannot approve of what Faerie seems to have done,
but I cannot condemm it either; I long ago lost the moral standing to pass
judgement on others.]<<<<<
-- Lorax <11:59:43/03-17-59>
Message no. 19
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 15:48:08 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>["He who is without sin"...that's rich.

He said it because He knew there wasn't one, except Him. Even He knew
that the woman's adultery was wrong, but the crowd was about to kill her
for it, which was even more wrong. He wasn't saying you should blithely
ignore evil because you had made some mistakes yourself. (One of the
greater theological misconceptions many cling to.)

Sure, I'll admit to being a sinner. But I'm not _that_ kind of a sinner.
And the skeletons in my closet are sure as hell something I wouldn't kill
over. Even still--even if Danielle is responsible and did it for her own
enjoyment--it isn't my place to pass sentence on her alone. I guess I can
agree to that.

What I don't understand is this "we can't pass judgment" attitude you guys
are spewing, punishment and disapproval are two _very_ different things.
_If_ she did it, and I am trying to keep my mind open at this point, then
what she did was WRONG. There's not much room for moral ambiguity or
relativism here. And _if_ she did it without good reason, do we really
want her as part of our group?

But what's more, the footage was posted _publicly_. Chrissakes, they are
making jokes about it on Shadowland. Do we really want the Shifters to be
known as being made up of people that would do that sort of thing? Ronin,
(Requiescat in Pace) tried to get me to help him massacre a bunch of
corpers, once. You can see where his bloodthirsty tendencies got him.

Theo, you want me to "get out while [I] still can." And go where? And do
what? So I'm a freak for knowing or even caring about right from wrong.
That may be a problem for some of the people that run the shadows. But, I
was given to believe the Shifters were a bit better than that, which is
why I joined in the first place. If you are honest about not wanting to
contribute to more death, why would you even consider defending something
like that?



In case the rest of you hadn't heard, I zigged when I should have
zagged while questing last night, so I am layed up in the hospital,
at least until tomorrow. If you all want to talk about this, I'll
be at Haven astrally tonight.]<<<<<
-- Michael <15:48:38/03-17-59 PST>
Message no. 20
From: Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 17:46:39 -0800
PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[Michael: once I thought I knew the difference between right and
wrong,
between good and evil, what ends justified what means. To my eternal regret,
I learned otherwise. Now, all I know is survival. I cannot judge Faerie
because I honestly *do not know* if I am any better than her.

Are you a freak for being able to tell right from wrong? No, not at all; an
innocent perhaps. Sometimes I wish I still had that ability. But innocence
does not last long in the shadows. You *cannot* survive here without
compromising your morals: small, seemingly insignificant compromises at first,
but it is a slippery, bottomless, slope.

If you have a SIN and a reasonably clean ID, your magical ability will get you
a fairly well-paying job just about anywhere in the world. Yes, it may be
magical grunt work, uninteresting and dull, yes, you may have to delay your
special project, but ask yourself: how much is it worth to be able to sleep
soundly at night, your dreams free of the ghosts of the dead? How much is it
worth to be able to walk down the street without always looking over your
shoulder? How much is it worth to have your hands clean of blood?

It is far, far, too late for me to return to the light; it is not too late
for you. I urge you to choose wisely.

I will not be attending the party personally; I fear it would be... unwise.
Ariel wishes to go; I may "drop in", as it were, by sharing her
senses.]<<<<<
-- Lorax <17:25:10/03-17-59>
Message no. 21
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Tue, 17 Mar 1998 23:12:20 EST
***** PRIVATE : the Dark Stranger
>>>>>[Agreed, I have noticed the the corporations must not truly -educate-
their field staff to any lengths at all. I knew enough to stay away from
woman of such possible intentions a LONG time ago.

And while I'm thinking of intentions, why is it, whenever I am around you, I
keep getting flashes of 'sheep'?]<<<<<
-- Old One <20:13:31/03-17-59 PST>
Message no. 22
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 18:03:44 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Lorax
>>>>>[Survival is the instinct of the animal. We are human. We are
sentient. We are called to more than just instinct. Refusing the call is
not something that was forced upon you, it was something you chose. Now I
don't know your reasons, nor if you would be willing to share them with
me, but I won't accept that you didn't make that choice. And even if, as
you say it was a matter of survival that you had to break promises to
yourself, then why do you sound so bitter? An animal is never upset about
what it has to do to survive. And therein lies the difference.

Yes, since I came to be with the Shifters, I've come to do things I never
thought I would. Yes, I stole. But I stole from a thief, and was payed
well to do it. And with the money I earned, I could do sufficient good to
more than attone for what little evil comprised the act that it took to
earn it. Yes, the slope exists, but for me it is not a slippery one.
There are clearly things that I will not do.. Murder for money is
certainly one of many of them.

I do sleep soundly at night, and my dreams are free of the ghosts of the
dead. I accept the danger of what I do, and realize that some day, I may
be forced into choosing one life for another. May God have mercy upon me
that day, and I will seek to atone as best I can. But know this: if I
must make that choice then, to the best of my ability, it will be just.

And what of the corporate world? One of the skeletons in my closet was
that my rebeliousness, rash disregard, and thaumaturgical pursuits got me
thrown out of school. I did attempt to seek gainful employment, but the
specter of what I had done followed me. Many didn't wish to employ me for
that reason, the rest seemed to disapprove of my unflinching convictions,
and more than a few had some difficulty accepting my tradition. God, they
believed, had little place in Corporate circles. Also, I had conscerns
about my spirit companions, that they would be treated with the care and
respect that I show them. I received word from a few that while they
could not offer an "official" position, they would like to retain my
services unofficially. Which meant, to me, that I would become a shadow
asset, to be used when the job needed to be deniable and messy. In other
words, tasks that were even less acceptible to me than the ones I would
have been performing had I actually been part of their corporation.

And so I sought out a group of ecclectic, but open-minded individuals and
found my place among the Shifters. When I joined, at least, they seemed
to have a moral stance that meshed well enough with my own. Perhaps that
has changed as the months have passed, and maybe there is no place for me
among the Shifters. But I would hope not. Yes Kirk has from time to time
requested that we "earn our keep" in return for providing our meeting
place. But I would hope that the rest of the Shifters would share my
conviction that if she were to ask us to perform a task that went against
our moral grain, that we would sacrifice comfort first.

Finally, I must sincerely disagree with your belief that it is too late
for you to "return to the light." That you feel it is, is surely a sign
that you would be willing to seek it, if you felt it was open to you. If
by that, you mean to seek redemption for what you have done, then I must
tell you with all the assurance that I am capable of that is it _never_
too late to seek to atone for one's sins. Rather than give up, why not
have the courage to change your life, and work towards something better?

I'll be at the warehouse tonight. If I'm in the middle of something,
don't interfere. Otherwise, I'd welcome the chance to talk.]<<<<<
-- Michael <17:58:24/03-18-59 PST>
Message no. 23
From: "Michael R. Goldberg" <mrgoldbe@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 20:34:30 -0600
>>>>>[ Who died and made you God, Kristling? You can take that special
spell of yours and shove it up your ass. Most of the people that
frequent this node work in the acquiring and dispensing information
trade. Why not threaten them as well?

If Troglobyte wanted to air Faerie's dirty lingerie, so what?
If Troglobyte has problems with what she did, so what?
If Faerie's got a problem with what Troglogbyte did, then she will deal
with it as she sees fit. I think Troglobyte's post proves that more
than anything else. But, to repeat myself, so what?

I just honestly don't understand something about this node. You all
shout loudly that you are a prime example of what life in the shadows
is like, and yet when someone actually lives up to what the media says
life in the shadows is like, you all scream bloody murder. What the
frag is up with that? The media isn't _THAT_ far off from what I've
seen, and I've been around the blocks a couple of times. ]<<<<<
-- Ratspeak <02:30:06/03-19-59>

***** Private: Cat-o-nine
>>>>>[ Job is done. I took extra care to prevent setting off of any
red flags.

Here's a report of the job:
+++++ include: Ratspeak_mission_log

I trust everything that I have done on your behalf was to your
satisfaction. I'll look for the payment as detailed in the contract.
Have a good night. ]<<<<<
-- Ratspeak <02:35:39/03-19-59>
Message no. 24
From: Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Wed, 18 Mar 1998 19:20:47 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>[I told myself justifications similar to yours, once upon a time. You
of all people should know about the road paved with good intentions. My
path led to blood and fire and death--but that is the past; let it die with
me. May you fare better than I.

I am afraid I cannot believe in atonement or redemption. "Out, out damned
spot!"--but the stain will not wash off in this life. Still I have one
hope, but it is of a different nature...

Yes, we should talk. I'll leave for the warehouse now.]<<<<<
-- Lorax <19:06:19/03-18-59>
Message no. 25
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 15:41:54 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Faerie
>>>>>[Well, that "paralysed freak" dig pissed me off bigtime, but
now I've
had time to calm down, so how about a deal? I'll tell the world the footage
was fake, you refrain from geeking me messily. Okay?]<<<<<
-- Troglobyte <20:33:27/03-18-59>
Message no. 26
From: Kristling Ravenwing <kristling@*******.CROSSWINDS.NET>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 15:40:13 -0500
>>>>>[Appologies. I meant to say that Faire still has my respect, and I'd
back her up if she asked me.

My previous post was written while under much emotional stress, I appologise,
for offence was unintended. If it had been, I wouldn't be sending this
mail.]<<<<<
-- Kristling <15:41:03/03-19-59>
Message no. 27
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Thu, 19 Mar 1998 17:49:20 +0000
>>>>>[Careful, Ratspeak, that's an awfully wide brush you're tarring
with. I don't recall screaming about Faerie's taste in sex and death,
and a lot of others kept quiet.]<<<<<
-- Easy <17:49:32/03-19-59>
Message no. 28
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 13:35:44 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Ice
>>>>>[+++++Activate pager

Call off your doppelganger, damn it, I went and pissed her off, and now
she's coming to kill me. Danielle Thomas had a flight booked to LA, so I
decked it out, but she bought a cash ticket, got to LA, and now she's
talking to customs about the possession of BTL's conviction I slipped into
her record. It won't hold up to hard inspection, she'll be out soon, so
call her off, damn it. Send a watcher, whatever. She's fraggin' coming for
me, and you still owe me. I don't know if you can dissuade her, but you
gotta try.]<<<<<
-- Troglobyte <18:10:27/03-19-59>

*****PRIVATE: Faerie
>>>>>[+++++Activate pager

I've just had Troglobyte contact me by two of the three methods he could
have used, no doubt the message will get through the third soon... he says
you're coming for him, and wants me to stop you from killing him. Don't
kill him. I won't appeal to your better side, I know as well as any that
you don't have one, but two reasons, both based on self interest. One, I
pay you quite a lot, and two, his people will hunt you down if you kill
him. You think you'll make it out of SanFran with them after you? They have
powerful friends.]<<<<<
-- Ice <13:17:51/20-MAR-59 NZT>
Message no. 29
From: "Michael R. Goldberg" <mrgoldbe@**.NETCOM.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Fri, 20 Mar 1998 00:42:04 -0600
>>>>>[ Uhh. Miss Easy? Are you sure Ratspeak wasn't talking more
generally than just the Faerie incident in that last bit of the post.
Now I don't claim to know the rodent (and I'll count my blessings for
that), but it seems to me that you could apply its last statements to
the general trend that has been happening here for over the past
several months.

Then again, I could be wrong. I normally leave analyzing trends in
social movements to the experts. ]<<<<<
-- Keys <06:40:53/03-20-59>
Message no. 30
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 10:00:35 +1100
*****PRIVATE: Old One
>>>>>[Hunger? Chose unwisely? I have no idea what you're talking about. At
least, if I do, then I think about what happened in a different way. As far
as I can tell, I was chosen, not the other way around. But that will only
make sense if we're talking about the same thing.]<<<<<
-- Faerie <16:45:18/03-21-59>

*****PRIVATE: Ice
>>>>>[Fuck you! Do you know what he did? Do you even begin to know what
that's done to me, and, not that I give a damn anymore, to your fucked up
paranoid scheme? I quit. Go to hell. You'll be meeting the fucking trog
there, I geeked him last night. And "his people" can fuck off too. They
want to mess with me, and they'll get what he got.

BTW, what the fuck do you know about my better side, or lack thereof? The
goddess calls, I fucking _have_ to obey. You knew that when you hired me.
Or did you dismiss it as the ranting of a delusional killer?]<<<<<
-- Faerie <14:47:38/03-21-59>

*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[It had to be done, Parker had to die. Kyle, you know what it's like
to dance to someone else's tune. Maybe the rest of you have had to kill
too, I don't know. I won't bore you with reasons, and I doubt you'd believe
them in any case, but _it_had_to_be_done_.

As to problems with the method, damn it, if I could have thought of an
easier way, I would have used it. Taking him to the hotel was the only way
to get him away from his bodyguard, and when I was in there I spotted a
secmage and his elementals hanging about on the astral. I had to wait until
they moved on, and that meant fucking Parker. ASAP, because up until then
I'd been all "I can't wait for it", to deny him time to think. If I could
have drawn it out and stayed believable, I would have. Now let it go, I
don't even want to think about it anymore, it makes me feel sick.]<<<<<
-- Faerie <14:52:44/03-21-59>
Message no. 31
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 10:15:09 +1100
*****PRIVATE: Freedom!
>>>>>[As former 2IC-decking, you must be in charge now. Well, here's a
message for your council. Let it pass. What happened between me and
Troglobyte was personal, you and yours don't have to get involved. Things
got out of hand with me and the 'byte, it degenerated to threats, and then
it got too late to turn back. Let's not make the same mistakes this
time.]<<<<<
-- Fay@*****.com <15:03:00/03-21-59>
Message no. 32
From: Ereskanti <Ereskanti@***.COM>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 00:19:12 EST
***** PRIVATE : Faerie
>>>>>[You are correct, I am not altogether certain of you actual
background.
The "Hunger" that I speak of is something known only to those who are more in
touch with their, shall we call them 'Animal Instincts?' Vampyr variations
have that side explode now and again within their borrowed blood. Shapers, as
in shapeshifters, not mundanes with shapechange magic, also feel the Hunger,
but it is more driven by needs trackable by any but understood by so few.

But I digress, you are correct, we may not have a good common point of
reference. I apologize for taking up your time.]<<<<<
-- Old One <21:20:17/03-21-59 PST>
Message no. 33
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998 21:31:41 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[That it makes you sick, is the first and best sign that I may have
been wrong about you. And if so, I appologize.

However, I wish that you had allowed me to discuss my past with the
Shifters at a time of my own choosing. But I suppose now is as good a
time as any. As you say, I once "danced" to the tune of another. A
ruthless man who sought to forge my tallent into a weapon for his own
pursuits. But, it seems he was betrayed by his own people and his death
triggered a series of events that I truly regret. My predecessors were
given instructions to carry out retribution against any and all that he
suspected of being capable of killing him. I happened to head the list.
They were both raised, trained, and ultimately brainwashed by him. They
viewed him as something even more than a father. I attempted to reason
with them and dissuade them from their vengance, as Ice could attest,
were he here. They would hear none of it, and were ready with their dying
breath to see me dead, and so, when they came for me, I defended myself.

One of them, whose face will stay with me the rest of my days stared at me
with defiant eyes even as her life ebbed. I was moved to pity, and wished
to see her live, but she was sworn to destroy me, and the lives of many
others, and my act of kindness would been worth nothing. And so, I ended
her life as swiftly and painlessly as I could. Since then, I have
attempted to pacify my soul and redeem myself. It is a difficult path.

Before my "master's" death, I could tell none of my fellow Shifters that I
was controled by another, and did not risk seaking their help for fear
that it would destroy them. But you, Faerie, admit to killing Parker for
reasons and reasons that are not necessarily your own. I have told you
mine, what are yours? Whose tune do you dance to? And if I may be so
presumptuous, is there a way that we can help you so that you need not do
the things that sicken you any more? That is after all, the meaning of
brotherhood.]<<<<<
-- WhiteTyger <20:31:40/03-21-59 PST>
Message no. 34
From: Kristling Ravenwing <kristling@*******.CROSSWINDS.NET>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 01:00:20 -0500
Private: WhiteTyger
>>>>>[I don't know any of you Shifter well, so for give me if I impose:
But I need someone to talk to about something that I think you in paticular
can appreciate. So, any bar you favour? Preferably one you can get a private
booth?]<<<<<
--Kristling (the Weird) Ravenwing <01:02:23/03-22-59>
Message no. 35
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 12:56:27 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Kristling
>>>>>[It is not really an imposition. Although, we have had some group
difficulties lately. I take it you were specifically asking me to meet
you or were you wanting to talk with the group? Unfortunately English is
rather poor when it comes to second person pronouns.

There are no bars I favor. I tend not to drink much alcohol. On the
other hand, there is a small restaurant called "The Golden Dragon"
>>Chinese Characters<<. The food is quite good and traditionally prepared,
but the decor is unpretentious. One can make reservations for the private
family room in the back. Generally, I have found important matters are
better discussed over a meal than intoxicating beverages.

Let me know when you would wish to meet.]<<<<<
-- WhiteTyger <12:53:19/03-22-59 PST>
Message no. 36
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 10:46:56 +1200
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[There's nothing anyone can do. It'll happen again. Everything is
spinning out of control, I don't know what to do. Help me.]<<<<<
-- Faerie <15:37:38/03-22-59>
Message no. 37
From: "Paul J. Adam" <shadowtk@********.DEMON.CO.UK>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 00:05:41 +0000
*****PRIVATE: Faerie
>>>>>[You will have what aid I can give. What may I do to aid
you?]<<<<<
-- Mr Gone <00:05:48/03-23-59>
Message no. 38
From: Jeffrey Mach <mach@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 19:04:01 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[Danielle--

Where are you?

I will help if I can, but if you are in danger, we can't help you if we
don't know where you are.]<<<<<
-- WhiteTyger <16:26:29/03-22-59 PST>


*****PRIVATE: Kristling
>>>>>[Something has come up, and I may have to postpone our meeting
indefinitely. I will let you know as I learn more.]<<<<<
-- WhiteTyger <16:32:52/03-22-59 PST>


*****PRIVATE: Shifters
*****NOT TO: Faerie
>>>>>[Jesus Christ. I was out on the town all day with Seraphina, and now
when I check in, it looks like everything's gone to hell. Do any of you
have any idea of what's going on here?

She's spinning out of control, where does that leave us?

If we don't hear from her soon, I'm starting a Tracking ritual. Theo, I
could use your help. I was hoping to introduce you all to Seraphina under
more cordial circumstances, and well, I am still a little nervous about
having Ariel and Sera meet, but if Danielle needs our help, she'll have
it.]<<<<<
-- Michael <17:01:23/03-22-59 PST>
Message no. 39
From: Justin Fang <justinf@****.CALTECH.EDU>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Sun, 22 Mar 1998 19:26:10 -0800
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[Faerie, it will be hard for us to help you if we do not know where
you
are, what the problem is, and what kind of help you need.]<<<<<
-- Lorax <19:22:25/03-22-59>

*****PRIVATE: Michael
>>>>>["The best laid plans of mice and men gang aft agley." I
will be at the
warehouse shortly.]<<<<<
-- Lorax <19:25:51/03-22-59>
Message no. 40
From: Jaimie Nicholson <jaimie.nicholson@********.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 16:04:33 +1300
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
>>>>>[I didn't mean physical help. I meant rescue me from... myself, I
guess. Tell me what to do next. I don't know. I can't trust myself. I'll be
at the warehouse soon.]<<<<<
-- Faerie <20:36:07/03-22-59>
Message no. 41
From: "Kristling the Weird (aka Daniel Sauve"
Subject: Re: Threats
Date: Mon, 23 Mar 1998 00:11:36 -0500
*****PRIVATE: Shifters
*****NOT TO: Faerie
>>>>>[Is Faerie in trouble, or is she just ignoring me because I mis spell
her name? If she's in trouble, I'd like to help.]<<<<<
-- Kristling <20:09:29/03-22-59 PST>

*****PRIVATE: WhiteTyger
>>>>[If it's due to the recent problems with Faerie, I totally understand.
You need to help a chummer.]<<<<<
-- Kristling <20:13:10/03-22-59>

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Threats, you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

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Thwap!