Beginning of Week Three

[elementarydeartraveler]

Travelers, as it is much too cold for anyone to think on this Jaunt, I propose a bit of mental exercise to keep ourselves warm.

What does everyone believe our purpose is in this place? What have we learned and where should we go from here?

Who has any information on the cattle theft, and does anyone have any information on the activities of the large company?

I would also especially like to hear from those on both sides of our current time divide.

Comments

[helborn]

I'm with them, it's cold as fuck, and my feathers aren't doing much for me. They're hiding in some caves and they've blocked it up as best as they can, but it's still not great.

[elementarydeartraveler]

So all of the cows are in a cave with their thieves? That sounds difficult at best. Is there any way to create heat or fire?

Also, do the thieves have any plan on what to do with the bovines? Frozen beef, while decent for food preservation, is likely not what they were going for.

[helborn]

They're clumping together and making fires, but they've sealed off the cave so the smoke has nowhere to go. So not as much fire as would be comfortable.

I think they're planning on selling them on individually once they get closer to town? It's not like they've explained things to the goose that's hanging around with them.

[leftbehindagain]

I highly doubt our purpose is to return the cows to Erebus.

[razorblade_empress]

As long as they stay in the caves - apparently they didn't do that last time and tried to drive the cows through the storm, which went about as badly as you'd expect.

[Of course, they also had a completely different Infiltrator leading the group last time...]

[capital_asset]

There is a possibility that Erebus is using its Martian branch as a money-laundering front for its Earth-based branch. I haven't really had the opportunity to go looking for physical proof, though, and I've got my hands full fighting with this storm, so I'm unlikely to have the opportunity this week, either - someone else may need to.

[elementarydeartraveler]

Ah. That sounds quite overwhelming. There should be some sort of vent or chimney for the smoke. Even I know that, and I know little of heating.

One moment. Why would anyone bother explaining things to a goose in the first place?

[elementarydeartraveler]

Oh, certainly not.

They do not seem to truly need the bovines. Also, I believe it is called a 'Robin of the Hood' situation? I believe someone mentioned that once.

[elementarydeartraveler]

Ah. Money laundering is something I have had experience with, however, we would need someone who could infiltrate the bookkeeping part of their enterprise.

Hm. Perhaps I should take up the janitorial arts.

[leftbehindagain]

[...'of the Hood.' Sure.]

That suggests we're here to make sure at least some of these cows get to the towns, then.

[helborn]

Yeah that's why they're not doing too much of that. Only when they have to.

Right uh. I came here with Casper. I'm usually a raven, but apparently ravens aren't on Mars so I'm a goose.

[helborn]

I don't plan on letting them leave if I can help it. There's a few investigators here, I think. Between all of us we can probably advise them to stay put. ... Or they can, because... you know. Bird.

[razorblade_empress]

It... might help that they have a different Infiltrator in charge this time around.

[Which is probably going to result in this Jaunt playing out a little differently regardless of whether the main beats of the thing do.]

But yeah, as long as there are Investigators to convince him... how good is he at listening to other people?

[capital_asset]

...Or at least someone who can get into their computer systems to find any discrepancies, or convince an Infiltrator to do that for them

[helborn]

Right, right, the time travel thing.

Normally? He's usually pretty okay. This guy seems to have an okay head on his shoulders, too.

[razorblade_empress]

Time travel complicates everything.

[Hopefully they can make that work in their favor.]

How are the others there taking it?

[elementarydeartraveler]

Fascinating! I have never spoken to an avian creature before. How is it that you are capable of speech?

[... nice detour, Sherlock.]

[helborn]

They're okay, I think? There's that one guy here who's missing an arm - Taichi? I'm pretty sure he's a guy who's been traveling with us. What's his name again... I can't remember.

Anyway that guy's kind of messed up but I think he's already sick or something. Taking a lot of medicine.

[elementarydeartraveler]

Are there any of us actually with the bovines at the moment? If so, we should prod them into action as soon as this weather has cleared.

[elementarydeartraveler]

Computers. Those are the boxes that look like typewriters, are they not? Can they truly get into the systems from outside of them?

I believe I have seen many people using them, especially two red-haired children who seem to be family of some sort. Are there others?

[tookashirototheknee]

Taichi's my fiance Shiro.

He's not the most physically together usually, but this is... really bad.

And yes, he does have a metal arm usually, but having nothing at all is going to get to him.

[helborn]

River - Casper's overlay - is keeping an eye on him, at least. I think they were friends or something?

[helborn]

I dunno, how is it you can talk? We just can't usually be understood by people, but Casper can understand me. And I think I'm borrowing some of his abilities to get on the network? Someone else would know more than I would.

[leftbehindagain]

Some people, I think, but I'm not one of them.

[capital_asset]

They don't always look that way, but yes.

It would probably be easier if the computers in question were connected by a network, because in theory you could use one computer to gain access to another. I don't know how Erebus's systems are set up, though, and I'm far from an expert in that particular field.

We do have a number of people who are good at that sort of thing though, whether through conventional means or by using skills gotten from a particular Jaunt setting.

[thornsofmalkav]

[She can't believe she's saying this considering what she's doing undercover with Faithbiki, but...]

Nabiki is Infiltrating as a woman named Faith who works for Erebus. One of us from our group could, uh, de-infiltrate her. Which is a thing. Some of you guys should learn it eventually, but it takes a lot of mastery of network bullshit first.

Basically, the her that's sleeping in the back of the real Faith's mind and influencing her subconsciously will wake up and take the, uh, reins and basically half-Infiltrate until the end of the Jaunt. After the Jaunt, Real Faith will remember things that Nabiki-as-Faith did or said out loud, but not anything she said on the Network.

Anyway, we do that, we have an in with Erebus to really fuck their shits up.

[leftbehindagain]

She's the one who gave us jaunt basics in the short Liminal, right? I could de-infiltrate her if no one else does.

[thornsofmalkav]

Could you? It would be difficult for me to right now.

[dino_zarf]

We're cozying up to cows in caves. Which smells about how you'd expect.

Can everyone make sure Rosie stays put? I don't want her coming looking for me while I'm out here.

ANd make sure she wears her coat.

[leftbehindagain]

Sure.

[capital_asset]

That sounds practically ideal for this.

[razorblade_empress]

...He got a way to get more if he needs it?

[There's also the possibility that there's an addiction factoring in somewhere - she'd seen that in action a few times during her delinquent days - and if that's the case, things could get messy. Or messier.]

[thornsofmalkav]

I know, right? And she's definitely sneaky as fuck.

[capital_asset]

Even better.

[helborn]

No idea. I don't know anything about medicine.

[He is a bird.]

[razorblade_empress]

Not my area of expertise, either.

[She fights things and takes nice pictures of them.]