Architecture and Photography

Sephar flutters to a stop by the door of the hangar and pecks on the doorbell in pigeon form.

Liz is in her hangar, doing a post flight check of Amelia and talking on the phone. The hangar doors are still open for the moment, and she's walking around the plane, checking to make sure nothing's amiss. Being an Ofanite, this isn't taking too long.

Sephar flies into the hangar then, in a flutter of wings...

Liz says, into the phone, "Yes, I'm really sorry to bother you. I know it's late."

<> Liz rolls the d666 and gets 3 3 CHECK: 6.

Liz notices the bird, amazingly.

Sephar lands on the desk/phone holder upper.

Liz blinks. "Ah, one moment."

Liz covers the phone mic.

Liz looks at the bird. "Hitherby?"

Sephar shakes its head... and coos "S-phar."

Liz smiles. "Hi. I'm on the phone, be right off. We've got a lot to talk about."

Sephar bobs it's head.

Liz puts the phone back to her ear.

Liz says "Right, here's what I need. You know that WWII exhibit on spying and spycraft you've got coming up next month?"

Sephar struts about a bit, looking around for a radio or a small speaker. Pigeon vocal chords are a bit limited.

Liz says "Yeah, that one. I think you had a full display model of a British reconnaisance camera, including the mount for a Mosquito."

Liz says "I'd like to borrow the whole thing."

Liz smiles. "Yes, the whole thing. I need to take some pictures in the morning, and I don't want to get too close."

Sephar cocks his head a bit at Liz's words.

Liz says "Yes, I can get film for it, and a fast developer, and if you can get it here by... 9:00 pm I can get it mounted by morning."

Liz checks the plane's belly, drawing a little square in the sheet metal.

Liz says "Great! That's wonderful. Usual rates, sure."

Liz says "Right. Amelia's all restored, so a fly-by and exhibition for Women in Flight next September. Fair enough."

Liz says "Make sure to bring your 'neice'."

Liz says "Okay. Okay. Right. Courier Express shipping can do the truck work. They're peripherally related to the Organization, and they'll give you a good rate."

Liz says "I'll expect it by nine. Thank you, you're a Godsend. Godspeed to you."

Liz sets the phone down.

Sephar cooos and then the phone rings again...

Liz smiles, answers the phone. "Hi."

Sepharphone chuckles, "Hi. This is just easier..."

Liz says "No problem. There's a stereo in the office if that would be easier."

Sepharphone, "Oh. Okay... sure."

Liz walks over, hits the 'close' switch for the big hangar doors, and waits until they're fully closed.

Sephar flutters up a bit with the closing of the doors and then hop-glides to the office.

Liz locks them from the inside with a couple of *big* locks, and walks into the office.

Liz says "Good of you to show up. We need to talk."

Liz says "Things just got complicated."

Sephar bobs its head, as the speakers turn on. "first... something I need to tell you, that Pat told me... and... well..."

Liz says "Go ahead."

Sephar hesitates, "I thought you should have the data to do with as you will... but there is a Triad coming into the area..."

Liz says "Ah."

Liz says "They were here earlier today."

Liz says "They've met Daimon."

Sephar sits back.

Sephar says "Oh."

Sephar says "My."

Liz says "They and Daimon have an agreement: they'll share information, and Daimon will consult before doing anything sufficiently rash like trying to break Kobal out of Asmodeus' prison."

Sephar says "... break Kobal out of prison?"

Liz nods.

Sephar just sits and assimilates for a bit.

Liz says "He's been arrested by the Prince of the Game."

Liz says "I have no idea why. Things are getting out of control, though."

Sephar says "Wow."

Sephar says "That's an understatement. How's Daimon taking all this?"

Liz says "So now I guess we're all trying to figure out if this is a good thing, a bad thing, or a seriously mixed up thing."

Liz says "Daimon is... not well."

Liz says "He had one too many shocks."

Sephar shakes all his feathers.

Sephar says "He's good. I'm glad the Triad saw it, too. yeesh. Plus Dominique..."

Sephar shakes off again.

Liz ticks off the shocks, "The Triad came by, then we had lunch with Marc, who gave Daimon a relic, then we found the Tether of Comedy had been bombed and some of Daimon's fellow Comedians were put into Trauma, the Game apparently has Comedy's Heart Room and is arresting everyone as they come in, and Daimon met Eduardo the Malakite, and then some Habbalite.

Liz says "So he sort of lost it."

Sephar says "Marc and a bomb... too."

Sephar says "Man, and Eduardo."

Liz nods.

Liz says "He's at Pat's right now, with Pat and Sarah."

Liz says "If anyone can straighten him out, those two can."

Sephar sighs, "Good. Yes."

Liz looks worried. "I hope."

Sephar says "I'm glad. Pat's solid."

Liz says "Daimon is... fragile right now."

Sephar says "I can't even begin to imagine."

Liz says "He was screaming at the sky earlier, that it was 'War'. I don't think he was screaming at Heaven so much as the Game, but... I don't want him broken. I don't want him dead."

Liz says "I would *like* him Redeemed, and in the service of my Lord, but at the least I want him as is. I don't want that potential lost."

Liz says "I don't want -him- lost."

Sephar nods.

Sephar says "Neither do I."

Liz looks worried for another three seconds, pacing back and forth.

Sephar says "Anything I can do to help?"

Liz smiles. "Well, now that you mention it..."

Liz spreads some files out. "These are originals. Pat has copies at his house."

Liz points Sephar at the Bellmans files.

Liz says "These came out of the Game data you got from that Vaputech computer."

Sephar listens, head cocked, and then flies down to step over and through and among the files, reading...

Pat . o O ( Cue Psykosonik. )

Sephar nods. "Yes. They're familiar. Some of Lust's detailed workings."

Sephar says "Boss said that they were part of the data."

Liz says "I did a fly by earlier. Had a courier run them right from the runway to the photo shop."

Sephar says "You want mundane data on them as well?"

Liz says "The pictures should be ready in a little while."

Liz says "Well, that's part of the mundane data."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "The recon camera is another part of it. I want exact layouts of the place."

Sephar says "Building records, perhaps?"

Liz says "And blueprints, if we can get them, but it's a movie stage. They probably move things around."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "Building records would be good."

Sephar says "Though most major structural changes would be in records."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "Also, if you can correlate the mob records from the data with any local known mafia, that would be good. They might have used mafia hitmen to go after the tether."

Liz says "Ditto any Yakuza."

Liz shrugs.

Sephar mutters softly, "Hitmen."

Liz says "I don't quite know what else to do. The Seneschal of the tether got away, wounded. We should try to find him, find out what plans, if any, Kobal had."

Liz says "Mostly we need to know what Asmodeus' plans are. Why did he go after Kobal?"

Liz says "And what's the 'evidence'."

Sephar nods, "Underground traces and possible transactions that hve todo with a hit on the comedy area?"

Sephar nods.

Liz thinks. Quickly.

Sephar says "Eduardo's access to the police records would make things a lot easier to correlate..."

Liz says "The movie studio's part of it. It's probably a Lust site, yeah, and there's some link there..."

Liz says "If you can find him, that would work well."

Sephar nods.

Liz plucks Eduardo's card from a folder, hands it to Sephar.

Liz says "Feel free to use the computer, too."

Sephar peers at it and the phone line goes live to Eduardo's office (likely gets voice mail? And asks Eduardo to call Sephar's number...)

Liz sighs. "Do you think that... I don't know. Either Media or Factions or Lust could be helping the Game come up with 'evidence' against the Comedians?"

Sephar says "Why?"

Sephar contemplates.

Liz says "Why not? The Comedians have lots of enemies, according to Daimon."

Sephar says "Media and Lust might be moving in on the area? Factions because of what they are?"

Sephar says "Possibly to see where and how they're moving."

Sephar says "if it's just a straight wiping out, then the best thing is to protect the ones we can and they'll come for us."

Sephar says "If they just want to scatter them, then we'll have to go to them."

Liz says "I don't know if Media's involved or not. Daimon's... agent," she says, dubiously, "is, of all things, a Balseraph of the Media. Supposedly he's going to show up later tonight."

Sephar says "Cool."

Liz says "'Cool'?"

Liz just sort of stares at Sephar for a moment.

Sephar says "I always wanted to know why they show the drek they do..."

Sephar says "... such a waste of bandwidth."

Liz says "Ah."

Liz thinks about that.

Liz says "Do you -really- want to listen to a Balseraph?"

Sephar shrugs a bit back, "Or at least see what they come up with for an answer."

Sephar says "Uhm... sure. How they answer is as indicative of what they are as what they answer with."

Liz looks dubious again. "I think I'd rather trade him to Fire for a lava concession from the volcano."

Sephar says "But there's no data flow, then, is there?"

Liz says "No, but there are Updrafts, and those are nice too."

Sephar chuckles.

Liz shakes her head. "Anyways."

Liz says "Terry... that's the Bal, Terry will be calling my Cellphone. Daimon currently has the cell, but if you can listen in for Terry calling, that'd be good."

Sephar says "Sure."

Liz says "Just watch out. Apparently their resonance works over Cellphones."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "I wonder if we'd be safer 'talking' with him via video with the sound on Mute..."

Sephar says "If he doesn't know I'm there, he probably can't resonate me."

Liz says "Good point."

Sephar hrms just a bit and the pigeon flutters to a window...

Liz says "Oh, one more thing."

Sepharspeaker says, "Yes?"

Liz says "The main threat to the Game is the people that got the data."

Liz says "That's you, me, and Daimon."

Liz says "So if they go after anyone in the next few days..."

Sephar gets a bird that goes to look at another and so on...

Sephar says "... it'll be us."

Sephar says "Yeah."

Liz says "So we can run, or we can go after them."

Liz says "I talked to Eduardo. Guess which he'd rather do."

Sephar says "Boss said that it's a near certainty I'll be in a fight in the next three days."

Liz says "And Daimon... well Daimon is loyal."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "And I won't leave Daimon while there's a hope of Redeeming him."

Sephar says "But about as combat effective as I am?"

Sephar says "Good."

Sephar says "I won't, either..."

Liz says "I don't know if an Elohite would agree with you about it being good, but I'm not an Elohite."

Liz says "I've been too... methodical these last few years."

Sephar . o O ( is trying to get a bit of him to Daimon/Pat's as quickly as possible. )

Liz says "I bet if I went celestial, I'd be spinning backwards."

Liz says "So..."

Sephar chuckles softly, "Anything that is an extention of Faith and Grace and Hope, I'd hope and Elohite would agree with."

Liz picks up a wrench, tosses it into the air, the metal spinning in the light.

She catches it behind her back.

Sephar peers at the catch.

Liz says "Besides, this is an unequaled opportunity to get information about the politics and power structure down there. Information is the lifeblood of Trade."

<> Demiurge notes that Sephar can send the bird over, and I'll have it arrive sometime appropriate when that lot are on.

<> Sephar says "Keen."

Liz says "One other thing."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "I don't know how long we can wait for the Bellmans thing."

Sephar nods and hop-flies to the computer and it comes to life...

Liz says "So I was thinking. If we have enough people and enough information, we send in a Dawn recon group."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "If not, I'll do another pass over the place after there's enough light, and we'll go in later in the day."

Sephar says "Don't know how much use I'll be for physical recon, but this..."

Sepharscreen flickers to life and the modem starts up.

Liz smiles. "Oh, yes."

Sephar says "... I can do."

Liz says "Don't worry, I think I know who might be interested in a physical recon."

Liz says "Last thing, and then we can go."

Liz says "I want to find that Lilim."

Sephar chuckles, "Me, too. I think she has a hook in me... unless it was Daimon... but that didn't make sense..."

Liz says "Um. It might have been Daimon."

Sephar says "Oh?"

Liz says "He has a hook in me, right now."

Sephar says "Ah."

Liz says "I think he might have put in a few, back before the Game was the Enemy."

Sephar thinks a bit, "But it wasn't there after he saved my butt in the computer room..."

Sephar says "... and I don't think he did anything for me after that."

Liz says "Oh."

Liz hmms.

Sephar says "It is interesting, though, to know that he has done that."

Liz says "Well, it was supposed to be an excuse. You know, 'I'm out getting useful hooks in angels'."

Sephar says "Ah."

Liz says "He promised to remove it as soon as I did him some sort of favor. I had planned to fly him up to New York tonight, but..."

Liz says "I guess we're not going to make that trip."

Liz sighs.

Liz says "Pity, I wanted to go shopping at Barneys."

Sephar chuckles quietly at that...

Sephar says "He'll be okay, Liz."

Liz says "I guess helping him scout the Game qualifies."

Sephar says "It might take a while, but... yeah, that qualifies."

Liz sighs. "If he gets enough time, he'll be all right. If we can show him that his fears aren't true, that he won't be turned into a thing, or be punshed for his past deeds, or lose his self, or any number of other horrible things that they say we do, he'll be okay."

Liz says "If he gets enough attention, so he doesn't get a chance to think, he'll be okay."

Sephar says "We can show him. He's the one that's going to have to choose what to believe..."

Liz says "If he doesn't get squashed by the Game, or Bind to his Prince, or any number of other things, he'll be okay."

Liz nods.

Sephar bobs gently. "Not too much time to think."

<> Liz says "Daimon, alone, thinking, is about the worst thing he can do to himself."

<> Liz firmly believes this.

<> Daimon laughs

<> Daimon thinks this is probably true.

<> Daimon thinks a high intelligence is both a blessing and a curse.

Sephar's machine, in the meantime, contacts the local department of Buildings and Urban Development and tracks through public records, the plot number and site and then starts to ruffle through all the records for anything connected to the site.

<> Pat says "This is why he's catatonic in my bedroom."

Liz says "Oh, you should probably know something about the Triad."

Sephar hms absentmindedly?

Liz says "They're... well, remarkably friendly, considering."

Liz says "They treated Daimon very well, considering he's as yet unRedeemed. Especially after I shot their Elohite."

Sephar blinks and jumps a bit at that.

Liz looks sheepish.

Sephar says "Shot... wow..."

Liz says "Uh, yeah. I thought they might be a Game Triad faking it..."

Liz says "So I got aggressive."

Sephar says "You mean they didn't ID themselves to you before they did anything?"

Liz says "And the Elohite tried a song rather than identifying himself, so..."

Sephar says "Wow."

Liz looks embarassed.

Sephar says "That's smart."

Sephar says "I mean, if that had been a Habbie..."

Sephar says "... or something."

Liz says "Yeah, but I did it wrong."

Sephar says "You did?"

Liz says "I wasn't, sure, so I shot the Elohite in the arm."

Sephar says "Ah."

Liz says "If it'd been a Habbie, I'd have been dead. I should have tried to put a bullet through his eye."

Sephar says "Yeah."

Liz says "It worked out okay, but.."

Sephar nods.

Sephar says "Makes you think."

Liz says "At least I got the drop on the Cherub when she charged."

Sephar says "THAT is why I like riding in your pocket."

Liz says "Marc said I should stop trying to act like a refugee from a second-rate cop show. I think I'm beginning to see what he means."

Sephar grins.

Liz says "I should either do it -right-, or not at all."

Liz makes up her mind to act like a refugee from a first rate cop show, instead.

Sephar bobs another nod. "Makes sense."

<> Sephar has just *no* idea what he just got Liz to decide.

<> Pat says "Liz is gonna become a crunchwalker."

<> Liz says "'Crunchwalker'?"

<> Pat says "Asskicker."

Liz does another orbit around the office, plucking some birdseed from her 'pantry' (another file cabinet), and spreading some out on the table. "Here. I bought this for Hitherby, along with some honey, but it'll do for you, too."

Liz says "I have some cheese for your mouse, too."

Sephar hops down and pecks at the seed happily.

Liz says "I told you about the weird Habby at the tether, right?"

Sepharspeaker says, "Uhm... not really."

Liz says "Oh."

Liz says "Um, she said..."

Liz says "She said that some other parts of Hell didn't approve of what was happening."

Liz says "I don't know who she is, or who she represented, but Eduardo did *not* chop her down in the alley when we were out of sight of the crowd, so..."

Sepharspeaker murmurs, "And there are Wars in Hell..."

You say "Sephar, the studio was erected in 1937, during the rush of independent filmmaking, and has expanded since. The records show a basic u-shaped building, with the bottom bar being a high office-type area, and the two long arms being mainly large rooms used as indoor sets. There is a certain amount of free ground around the area, encircled by walls or electric fences, which is used for outdoor filming and sets. There is some minor cellar space beneath the building, which is listed as being used for storage."

Liz says "I don't know. What kind of Habby is honorable enough to survive close inspection by a Malakite?"

Sephar says "So she fits his honor?"

Liz says "Evidently. And she can't be overly cruel, either."

Sephar says "One that follows her own rules, perhaps?"

Sephar nods.

Liz says "Hmm. One that isn't weak, I guess. And I doubt Eduardo looks weak to her."

Sephar says "Fire's Servitors rarely let that get by."

Liz says "God knows what she thought of Daimon, who was in hysterics at that point."

Liz thinks.

Sepharcomputer goes, "Ah. Here... this is what I can get of the layout, Liz."

Liz says "Not the Game..."

Liz says "Not Factions, certainly not the Media."

Liz says "Not Lust."

Liz says "Probably not Gluttony."

Sephar says "Was she lean?"

Liz says "Very."

Sephar nods.

Liz says "And a posture like an upright sword... ah."

Liz says "War."

Liz says "She has to be of War."

Sepharcomputer shows Liz what can be found of the building's layout and the changes recorded.

Liz looks over the layout, absorbing it.

Sephar bobs over the birdseed, pecking thoughtfully...

Liz murmurs, "So an Emissary of War is out to warn the various Seneschals of Comedy."

Liz says "The others are going to need to know this."

Liz picks out the private offices.

Liz says "Okay..."

Sepharcomputer printer starts to rattle...

Liz picks the really choice once, with good views, and the ones that look fairly secure, with no easy entrances.

Liz gets the printout, marks interesting places.

Liz says "Pat needs to see this. And the Triad."

Sephar says "Could she have been of the other Fire?"

Liz says "No, not possible."

Liz says "Eduardo would have cut her down in an instant."

Sephar says "Ah."

Sephar says "Yes, that makes sense."

Liz says "I suppose she could have been from Nightmares, but she didn't seem the type."

Sephar says "I could email the floor plans to him..."

Sephar says "Pat should be able to get it to the Triad, somehow."

Liz says "That would be good."

Liz says "We need to get it to the others, too."

Sephar sends it off, then, encrypted binary format to Pat's key.

Liz says "And I'd like to talk to Shannen. The Triad said they'd contact her."

Pat . o O ( I'll disseminate it through elohim.net )

Sephar says "Which others?"

Liz ticks off, "Eduardo, Hubert, Shannen, Hitherby, Sarah, Daimon. Sarah and Daimon are with Pat.

Liz says "I've no idea where Hubert is."

Sephar says "I'll have to hand deliver to Hitherby... but the rest should be doable."

Liz says "Okay."

Liz laughs. "Yes, I suppose Hitherby does not have e-mail."

Liz says "Bee-mail, maybe."

Sephar says "I keep telling her about the capabilities... but..."

Sephar says "Yeah."

Sephar says "I keep trying."

Pat . o O ( Frame transit over avian carriers? )

<> Sephar says "Frame Transit by Pigeon..."

Liz says "We should set up some sort of daily check-in routine."

Liz says "Probably via Pat."

Sephar says "He's central, it's true."

Liz types up a little note, adds it into Sephar's email packet.

Sephar balls up a data packet for Eduardo as well...

Liz is probably the most organized Ofanite you're ever likely to meet. Two hundred years of work for Marc will do this to you.

Sephar doesn't know Shannen's address, so makes up two paper packets, one for Hitherby and one for Shannen.

Sephar contemplates both packets and its pigeon self...

The doorbell rings. Ding dong.

Liz offers to run one packet by Shannen's coffee shop.

Liz says "Oop. One min."

Liz zips out to the door.

Sephar flies after her...

Liz checks her gun, but makes sure it's out of sight under her jacket, and then checks the door.

Liz looks out through the peephole.

Sephar settles to the floor a bit out of line of sight of the door opening.

Outside stands a messenger with a photo-sized packet under one arm, his motorbike idling.

Liz offers up a quick prayer to Marc, and vows to get a bulletproof door when she gets ten minutes free.

Liz says "I think it's the courier. Hang on."

Liz opens the door.

Liz says "Yes, may I help you?"

He says, "Miss Bradley? Registered delivery, photographs for you." He offers the packet, a clipboard with form to sign, and a pen.

Liz signs 'Elizabeth Bradley', tips the courier. "Thanks."

Sephar dances a bit, but since Liz offered to drop it by Shannen's, doesn't *really* need to interrupt the courier's day.

He grins, takes the tip, slides the clipboard away, and leaves.

Liz shuts the door, locks it.

Liz says "Okay, good. Let's see what we have here."

Liz says "Pictures I took from the plane. Nothing as good as what I'll be able to do tomorrow, but..."

Sepharpigeon flutters to land on Liz's shoulder...

Liz opens the package, starts looking at pictures.

Sepharspeaker says softly, "Could you please drop my pigeon off at Shannen's as well? With Hitherby's packet? It's close in. I think Hitherby'll likely check in with Pat sometime... so she'll get it one way or another."

The main office-building segment looks much like an office-building. There are satellite dishes at various points. It's too far off to see through the windows.

Liz points at the dishes. "Think you could figure out what these uplink to?"

The two long, lower buildings are straight and plain, with different styles of window as one goes along them. One might guess that it's to allow different sets inside.

Liz says "I wouldn't want you to get trapped again, but it'd be nice to have a better idea of what their networks are like."

The outside areas are roughly landscaped, with areas of "desert", "forest", and so on. There's one nice shot of some filming going on, with a Barbarian Hero and Bikinied Heroine and Furry Thing.

Sephar peers at the dishes, "if I get ahold of the hardware they're linked to, sure... But from the angle they're facing? I could get some idea of a wide range of satellites... maybe."

You say "Liz, Sephar, both make an Int roll?"

<> Sephar rolls the d666 and gets 5 5 CHECK: 2.

<> Liz rolls the d666 and gets 1 5 CHECK: 4.

Demiurge hms. "Liz, your native intelligence and your engineering training make you frown a bit. The layout of the outdoors sets vaguely suggests some sort of pattern to you.

Liz blinks.

Liz says "Hmm."

Demiurge says "Not a mystical pattern."

Demiurge says "More, hm, as if it's laid out in some regular geometric way. You just can't quite make sense of it."

Demiurge says "Oh, and you can both see the _high_ electrified fence and walls round the whole thing."

Liz says "This looks... odd. Wrong."

Liz zips into the office, sits at the desk, and gets out a sheet of paper.

Sephar peers more closely.

Liz spreads out the shots from various angles, and starts tracing things on the paper. She ignores the detail, and just traces lines that catch her eyes.

You say "You end up with a vaguely set-of-boxes design, Liz. Very vague."

Liz shakes her head.

Liz says "That's all I can see."

Liz says "Pat should look at this, and Daimon."

Liz says "And maybe that Balseraph Terry, for all I know."

Liz makes copies, adds them to the packets.

Liz looks at her watch. "I have to be back by 9:00 pm, to get delivery of the recon gear, but I'll deliver my packet."

Liz says "Do you need to be dropped off anywhere?"

Sephar says "Sure... at Shannen's with the packet..."

Liz says "Okay."

Sephar says "At the cafe, it'll be easier to pick someone up to find a Hitherby."

Liz says "I need to talk to Shannen too, and then I'll drop the rest by Pat's on the way back, and check on Daimon."

Liz says "Do you want to leave a pigeon here? I'd appreciate it if you would, so I don't miss the delivery van."

Sephar says "Sure."

Sephar says "Uhm... do you have mice?"

Liz laughs. "I've no idea."

Liz says "Check about?"

Sephar says "Sure!"

Sephar hop-flies about a bit... and probably manages a mouse, maybe out in the flying field, rather than in the hangar.

Liz leaves keys with the Pigeon, tacks a note on the door for the delivery people just in case, and then hops in the car with the Mouse, and drives off on errands.

Sepharmouse scrambles into Liz's pocket...

Sepharpigeon stays in the hanger. "Do you want to be paged when it comes?"

Liz says "Or called."

Sephar says "Sure."

Liz takes her second cellphone with.

Liz rubs Sepharmouseears while she tools off to Shannen's.

Sephar settles happily in the pocket.

---

Fiat Justitia