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Stargate: 2078

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"Sou ka..."

There went a chance at some civilized conver-fragging-sation, since she wasn't about to hold her breath on Blue-Man knowing the lingo. Such a pity.

Hitomi gave Sam a tight, inevitably condescending smile, "Ni hengar Sperethiel. I don't speak Elvish." She shrugged, moving on from that awkwardness, "Anyway, either of you have a clue what this is about?"
 
Sam nods in gratitude. Frankly, that was one of the best reactions she'd gotten to that little fact.

"Thanks for the lesson. And..."

She frowns, as she considers what she knows, before speaking. "I'm fairly certain it's not a job on Earth."
 
Miriam sauntered over to the group from the bar, figuring that the woman with the Katana and a couple of mages were likely the other runners.
horngeek said:
Sam nods in gratitude. Frankly, that was one of the best reactions she'd gotten to that little fact.

"Thanks for the lesson. And..."

She frowns, as she considers what she knows, before speaking. "I'm fairly certain it's not a job on Earth."
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"Well, if I'm here it's either a fourth age artifact we're dealing with, or some outside context problem." The silver haired and golden eyed Mage said to the group. "I'm Dr. Miriam Lennox by the way, formerly of ITQ."
 
"That parses." Hitomi inclined her head toward the newcomer. "One of my guys said Ares had been shifting a lot of heavy gear this-away, milspec stuff, some niche space suits. I'd thought...well I'm not sure what to think now. 'Outside context' is probably the best way to describe it."

The ronin's eyes narrowed as she stared in to the distance, racking her brain for half-remembered technical manuals and the barking of instructors. "Weird here especially. Something about the latitude. It's all wrong, inefficient, and if you've got a launch abort you're dropping debris and god knows what across a bunch of righteously pissed off sectors." She shook it off, snapping back to the present and the exotic looking woman. "Sorry, doctor of what...Dr. Lennox?"
 
Mina said:
"Sorry, doctor of what...Dr. Lennox?"
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"Arcano-Anthropology." Miriam replies, "More specifically, terminal fourth world, early fifth world studies. So stuff like Egypt, Sumer and Vedic India."

"To be honest, if they're looking to hire a bunch of mages, it's doubtful we're talking about a conventional launch system." She says as she waves a hand. "I'm betting someone found a Vimana."
 
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"Sorry, what's a Vimana?"

Sam pauses for a moment, considering whether to... No. It seemed like everyone else would learn soon enough anyway.
 
horngeek said:
"Sorry, what's a Vimana?"

Sam pauses for a moment, considering whether to... No. It seemed like everyone else would learn soon enough anyway.
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"It's a type of flying machine from the Vedas." Miriam said. "It's theorized that they might be fourth world magi-tech. It'd be pretty valuable if someone could snag it, even a non-functional one."
 
"And you too, Miss Lawson," says Hamid as others begin to arrive.

Hamid sizes up the new arrivals. Another mage, one of the stronger ones he'd spotted in his fly-over of the city, and...a mundie. A flashily dressed mundie, with some minor augs (Though nothing that showed up to his assenssing) but a mundie. Disposable muscle, probably. Until she demonstrated capabilities worthy of his time, she was basically to be ignored.

He turns to Miriam instead. "Muhammad Khan, pleasure to meet you all," he says, "My own sources say that our employers have been importing an enormous amount of magical talent, largely security and war mages. And Cheyenne mountain is glowing in the astral. Constant magical drain, possibly dragon magic, or at least on that scale. A vimana wouldn't be out of the question."
 
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Hitomi couldn't help but catch the way Khan's gaze seemed to glide right over her. So, going to be one of those jobs.

Whatever. She was already pretty sure the doctor was right and this had all the hallmarks of a mage heavy run with the token big dumb object up in front. If she had any pull left with her ancestors she prayed this was the team in its totality. She'd happily hack, slash, and damage sponge her way through whatever aliens or weird drek Ares and the UCAS were tangling with if the price was right, but it had to be pretty damn right if she was going to deal with freaky human prima donas, academics, and goronagit.

"Fascinating. Well, I believe I'll avail myself of the bar until our hosts are ready. I look forward to working with you all."

She caught the suited man's eye as she strode past him toward the bar to see what they had. Good sake or better taéngelé would go down right just about now.
 
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Theresa holds back as her new coworkers introduce themselves. She's nervous, but ironically calmed by the two barely-leashed spirits hosted in her body and silver pen. However, when Dr. Miriam Lennox starts to speak, she can't help but budge in. "It's nice to meet a colleague. Doctor Theresa Ashcroft, it's a pleasure to meet you". She shakes hands with Miriam enthusiastically, then introduces herself to the others with more reluctance.

"I've never had the pleasure of doing proper archeology myself. But if I may? A magical flying machine would not be hard to build. Just a sustained levitation effect, either by quickening it or making it a large sustaining focus. But, well - you know there's always speculation why ancient magical artifacts seem so much more complicated than necessary? Well, I think I found some answers in my studies. Because it wasn't just magical artifacts like we know them now, it was true magic-powered technology. Something that could be used by everyone. I'd like to share some of my work with you later, if you're interested? I could even manage a decent demonstration if we find a proper laboratory".

She doesn't mention that her security-experience is mostly focused around IT-design, and frying intruders that are dumb enough to touch experimental arcanotech despite clear labeling. Not that she ever had the best poker face, Theresa just hopes her enthusiasm about shop talk will cover for her.
 
Hitomi's ears pricked up when Theresa gushed to Miriam and the elf thanked whoever was watching over her for being the most massive asshole in the world. She steepled her fingers on the bar top, sucking in a breath.

"Let's see...is that a bottle of MacCumhhaill Black Label? Yeah, let's get that down and have a double. Muddle some mint in there sweetheart, mama needs to get through this nice and on the level."
 
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Hamid looked over the newcomer, registering her as another mage, and then registered exactly what she and Miriam had said.

"Apologies if I'm being forward," he says, "But, ah, who here is actually a Runner?"
 
"Beautiful, 'who's actually a runner' he asks, positively beautiful," murmured Hitomi in lilting Elvish as she threw back a glass of booze that in all likelihood cost more than her last six months of rent. The sweet burn of honey, anise and actual leafy mint raced down her throat while she spun her finger at the bartender.

"Let's do that again."
 
Of course they'd ask that Theresa sighs to herself. "I can't say I've had the pleasure of...such particular acquaintances. But I've worked with Ares Firewatch teams before, if your question was about my competence."
 
Obviously getting a message via AR, the man at the door nods and walks over to you, his stride confidant. Somehow, you don't think he's really a waiter. His suit looks more like something a Shadowrunner might wear than what someone in his position should be wearing.

"Excuse me, but a mister Hadrian has requested that you join him in his private rooftop booth." He says, calmly, his voice smooth like honey.

When you ascended to the top level, you see a man sitting inside a genuine Japanese garden, under a lavishly decorated enclosed structure. A woman in military uniform sits next to him. He waves you over, smiling. The door to the enclosed space opens with a hiss.
 
Feeling much more in her element, Theresa walks over to her new employer with confidence. "Mister Hadrian, it is a pleasure to meet you. Doctor Theresa Ashcroft, arcane researcher. Doctor O'Brien took the liberty to tell me a little bit about you, and I must say I do look forward to working with you."
 
Hitomi sniffed the air, smiling a little at familiar, comforting smells and sights she hadn't enjoyed in years. It was even better than the booze. The samurai followed Ashcroft in, wincing internally at the woman's openness. She'd bet good money that was her real name and the candor gave her all the more reason to burn Suzy the second she got out of here.

"Mr. Hadrian, colonel," she bowed before sitting, pulling her katana and sheath out in a fluid motion that ended with the weapon placed on the floor by her right hand. Debating for a moment she opted to leave her jacket on, the compact pistol crossbow resting alongside her right breast could sit tight for now.

"I have to say, this is the most production value I've ever seen put in to a meet. My compliments sir."
 
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Miriam enters and glances about, quietly assessing the decor and the situation. She's mildly impressed (it is just a bit overdone,) and it's certainly better off than the dives she used to meet Johnsons in, or Hill's Team Barbecues.

"Colonel, Mister Hadrian," Miriam says, glancing at each one in turn.

And then she continues afterward, attempting a bit of humor. "So I take it you two really like the food here?"

OOC: Sorry I missed out on so much, I wasn't seeing updates for the thread for some reason.
 
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Sam smiled, looking around at the garden briefly before focusing on the pair they were here to meet. "Mr Hadrian, it's a pleasure. And it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Colonel."

She nods at 'Suzy' (she doubted that was the real name, but still). "I have to agree with my colleague- this is quite nicely done as far as meets go, and I have to say I appreciate it."
 
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Hamid floated in at the back of the group. He'd dropped the masking on his focus, and it hung from one of his lower wrists, attached by a string bracelet, looking outwardly like a devotional item.

"Assalamu Alaikum," he says in remarkably natural sounding Arabic, "A pleasure to meet you in person, Mr. Hadrian, Colonel." He gives the garden an appreciative glance, and sits down, bottom hands crossed on his lap, upper behind his back. "Like my colleagues, I'm both intrigued and very impressed by what I've seen so far."
 
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"It's a pleasure to meet you all, please have a seat and order something - Ares will be picking up the tab, and my expense account is more than generous enough." Hadrian said, gesturing towards the expertly everly so slightly pulled out chairs around the table; in a recessed area under the covering. Rain patters down slightly onto the roof, and you notice the colonel sitting next to Hadrian give him something of a look. "Ah yes, Colonel Lin is quite correct - before we proceed any further, I will lay out the basic premise of what we want you to do, and then ask you to sign a confidentiality agreement before we proceed any further. I'm sure that you understand the seriousness of such an agreement - though, of course, you will not be forced to take on the job if you sign it. Simply to keep it to yourselves." Hadrian said, and continued after everyone had taken their seats.

"In essence, we wish to hire you five to perform certain missions in differing locations on an as-needed basis. We of course have our own in-house solutions to most manpower needs, but all of you posses certain skills and abilities that are invaluable to us and rare enough that we can't simply pull them from other projects. We will be offering a monthly retainer fee of around ten thousand nuyen, and estimate one to two missions a month; with an average payout of thirty thousand nuyen a mission." Hadrian gestures to Lin to continue.

"You will mostly be working on your own, but with the support of Ares Firewatch teams and UCAS special forces. We may on occasion ask you to act in concert with said elements, but the missions we have in mind for your team will generally be unsuited towards their particular talents. You will also be required to learn a new language for the area you will be operating in. I can't tell you anymore before you sign the agreement, however." Lin said, her voice quiet but strong. She was an Elf, and spoke with a slight accent. The agreement they wanted you to sign appears on your comlinks.
 
Hamid ordered a fish dish and water. He eats slowly and politely, paying close attention to everything that Hadrian and Lin said. Ten thou a month guaranteed, likely average of seventy thou a month. They'd be babysitting the Ares kid and possibly the other professor until they figured out running, but if they were brought on for a job like this they were probably worth the trouble. The job then....

Highly dangerous, he'd guess 'bastardy' on top of that, especially with the language req, but this group didn't seem the type. Which meant it was a spectacularly dangerous standard job, as described, or they were doing something worth doing and it was nigh suicidal for four Prime Runners and a high-end Corpmage.

Hamid grins a little, and signs the contract.
 
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Ordering a seafood dish, Sam looked over the contract that flicked up on her sunglasses and whistled quietly. That was... a lot. The language requirement was interesting- and gave some interesting ideas about what the jobs would entail.

The agreement didn't seem to have any nasty surprises- and she did trust Ares, as much as any Corp could be trusted.

Sam signed, then looked up. "All right."
 
Hitomi read the agreement over while she waited for her apps, her sake, her spicy tuna roll, her sashimi, and an order of yakitori she tossed in for good measure. Standard stuff for the NDA, better money on the table than the drek she'd been pulling the last few months and she had no doubt there was some growth built in to the good Hadrian's budget to bump that quote up a few tens. Skimming the last few paragraphs the samurai eyed the suit and the colonel, trying to work out their dynamic. Ares was obviously the cash here, UCAS backing up their Firewatch with muscle and that little extra dash of national paranoia. Her eyes lingered a moment longer on Lin. It certainly didn't hurt working under another elf.

She signed and dismissed the document when her food arrived. They'd have to see what the contract proper looked like, that language clause sounded strange as hell. Hearts and minds or going in deep and needing locals...of wherever. Couldn't forget the space suits.

Hitomi nibbled, savoring for the moment and letting the wine lubricate the old social cogs on top of the taengele's almost effervescent effects. "You run a tight ship Colonel. I have to say, it's a breath of fresh air," she trilled in cultured Elven, far cry from her clipped Japan-flavored English.
 
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