| From: | jaimie.nicholson@********.otago.ac.nz (Jaimie Nicholson) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Renraku's bad luck continues |
| Date: | Fri, 28 Jun 1996 17:18:34 +1200 (NZST) |
>>>>>[ Commander, there has been a disaster. It would appear that the
>>>>>Otaku, Peter, has escaped from the computer lab with the aid of an
>>>>>unidentified pair of criminals. This occured at approximately 0:05
>>>>>last night.
In what was probably an attempt to cover his tracks, Peter invaded our
computer controlled security systems this morning, at approximately 3:30.
The attempt was partially successful, but the following security camera
footage was moved to an isolated system before it could be destroyed.
+++++Begin footage_1.ftg
At the top left of the scene is a time stamp, reading 00:05:46 as the
footage starts.
The scene is a corridor, with gray walls, and no particularly memorable
features. A door opens, and a single man comes through it, wearing tight
fitting dark clothing, including mask, and a black jacket, obviously
armoured. He carries a peculiar plastic assault rifle and he advances up
the corridor, checks the lock on a door, then opens it with a maglock
passkey. He dissappears inside as a woman in a baggy yellow T-shirt
shimmers into view.
The man in black re-enters the hallway, accompanied by a young man wearing
baggy ripped jeans, a "Neil the Ork barbarian" T-shirt, and fuzzy pink
bunny slippers.
"No one in the area," the woman says.
"Let's go then," replies the man in black.
The group sets off, and leaves the field of this camera.
+++++End footage_1.ftg
Voice analysis software gives a 73.4% probability that the man in the team
was Matthew Van Holde, the operative who was taken from this facility when
it was under the control of my predecessor.
The next piece of footage is from one the garage cameras.
+++++Begin footage_2.ftg
There is a single vehicle, a Chysler-Nissan Patrol, in the centre of the
cavernous room. The group from before enter through the door that leads to
the interior of the building, and get into the vehicle. After a few seconds
the motor starts up, and the armoured vehicle begins to pull out of the
carpark.
As the vehicle is almost out, there is a yell, and several security guards
enter the carpark, by the same route as the runners did earlier. They open
fire with SMG's, and the Patrol abruptly accelarates, speeding out of the
door as it begins to close.
+++++End footage_2.ftg
The following is the broadcast footage from the camera in one of our
security helicopters, that attempted to pursue and halt the APC.
+++++Begin footage_3.ftg
The view is down into a downtown street. A CN Patrol, presumably the one
from earlier, is seen in the middle of the road, moving as quickly as
possible in the comparatively light night-time traffic. The helicopter
carrying the camera moves closer, and a blinding flash of light is seen as
the HMG on the chopper opens up. A warning shot, the slugs chew into the
road a little ahead and to the left of the vehicle. The Patrol swerves, and
turns down a service road to the left. Sickeningly, the ground drops away
from the camera as the chopper pulls up and to the left, folowing the
Patrol and firing some more after a brief interval. The service road is too
narrow for the chopper to fly in, and the height of the buildings, combined
with the darkness in the narrow alley, prevents any effective fire. The end
of the service road is in sight though, and the chopper stops firing,
apparently content to wait for a better opportunity.
At the end of the road, the Patrol charges straight into the traffic,
sliding around a five-door vehicle and narrowly avoiding a motorcycle. The
chopper dives, letting off another burst of HMG rounds, but the swerving of
the Patrol makes it a difficult target, and the bullets all miss. A stray
round takes out a street light, and it explodes in a shower of sparks,
lighting up the scene for an instant before shadows descend again. The
chopper ceases firing, and the Patrol turns again, into another service
road. This time, the chopper comes in with it, braving the narrow
conditions, and the gamble pays off. The Patrol has no where to swerve to,
and the chopper's first long burst rips into the back of the ground
vehicle. As the chopper roars past, the patrol side-swipes the wall and
comes to a halt after crashing into a dumpster. The wind-shield shatters,
and a body-shaped object flies through it in a cloud of glass fragments.
Instead of crashing to the earth though, it soars into the air as the
chopper's flight takes it out of the camera's view.
The chopper comes around to finish the survivors, but swerves off for no
apparent reason. After a brief moment, the HMG opens up again, firing at
what can now be seen as a flying woman, who throws up a magic barrier. A
few of the slugs penetrate, but they have lost a lot of velocity passing
through the magic wall, and the enhanced speed and looping flight of the
mage are sufficient to avoid them. As the HMG stops, the barrier is
dropped, and a bolt of fire erupts from the mage's hand. The chopper drops
to the left in an attempt to avoid it, but a strange splash of flame over
the camera indicates that it has not succeeded. The view turns to static as
the chopper plummets to the ground.
+++++End footage_3.ftg
The wreckage of the helicopter was taken away by the AAA salvage company,
and they are holding it pending police investigations into the cause of the
crash. LoneStar do not currently have a copy of this footage. The pilot is
in the ICU of the DocWagon Downtown Clinic, under LoneStar guard. He is
expected to survive, though we are not being allowed to see him.
As you can see, the attack was carried out by professionals of reasonable
calibre, mages of this ability are not as common as they sometimes seem. We
await your instructions as to the handling of this event.]<<<<<
-- Carmen Virotti <08:45:18/06:27:57>
Captain, Downtown Laboratory Security
Renraku
*****Internal: Renraku internal e-mail, to Captain Carmen Virotti
>>>>>[ This is the second loss of assets from your facility this quarter.
>>>>>Such performance is intolerable. You're presence is requested for a
>>>>>disciplinary hearing at 12:00 tomorrow, conference room D, floor 23 of
>>>>>the Arcology. Do _not_ be late.]<<<<<
-- James Tetsori <09:23:51/06:27:57>
Commander, Internal Security
Renraku
