1. Shooting, Beating, Stabbing

[BackworldTraveller]

Angus
Paperwork complete, Angus walks around the class...Yep, one person has soldered the power-supply in backwards and Jason thinks he has finished perfectly and is now distracting Skye by drawing lewd images on his college-issued tablet. She seems to be enjoying the suggestion process, but if she doesn't watch out she's going to fail to finish her assigned task.

So, Jason, we'll test your circuit. Angus stands well back because the poor connection is quite obvious and the resulting flash might be dangerous. Right, turn it on.

After dousing the experiment with the CO2 extinguisher: So you'll be trying that again then? Ah - Skye: No distraction and a competent job. Well done.

[tibbius]

The two big guys usher Louis into a small room - almost the size of a closet - with one chair and a bright light in the ceiling. They shut the door. It is definitely crowded in the room and Louis can smell the two men.

"Sit down," says the taller one with the too-pleasant voice. "Why don't you?" Squinty snubnose places a soft big hand on Louis' shoulder and guides him toward the chair, which is not very far to move.

[tibbius]

Skye smiles politely at Angus but clearly doesn't want to interact with him. She makes sympathetic noises at Jason, who has a very embarrassed expression as he scrapes his chair back from the worktop and goes to the parts drawers.

Shift easily swaps the switch plate. He notices, as he does that, the cord of the toaster is frayed like something has been chewing on it. Daimon, the black cat, hops up on the counter and rubs his head against Shift's working appendage.

Louis is subjected to interrogation. roll

[shaidar]

Shift pets the cat in the manner he has seen on the television.

"Madam, it would seem that your domesticated feline has been chewing on this cord, creating a potential electrical hazard. With your permission I shall attempt to locate a reinforced cord to replace it with."

[Lance]

Clark walks into the cafeteria, strategically choosing his lunch break to coincide with Chesney's. Buying two coffees, he quickly locates the blond tuft of hair jutting out above an alcove. "Alone as usual" he thinks to himself. Chesney, long time no see! Mind if I join you? My lunch buddy ditched me. You know, last minute meeting." Offering the beverage to his colleague, Clark takes a seat opposite him. "I'm sure you've heard how the Interconnected Business-side... the IBCCS project is winding down. I have oodles of free time that they insist in filling with inane meetings. If ONLY there was a project that could take my time up, FORCING me to miss Richard's pointless BS." He makes theatrical gestures at the emphasized words, making his intentions clear. "It's a sideways move, but as they say, that is how the dance goes. What do you say?"

[BackworldTraveller]

Angus
The class period ends...

Well all that stuff goes back in its place.

Before you go - I'd like each of you to design a covert surveillance device using the skills you have learned in this class.

The best design will get one item from the vending machine on level two - paid for by me.
Fortunately you don't have to construct it - but it should be capable of working for 12 hours or more.
It could be anything from a secret attachment for a phone to a cuddly toy.
Use your imagination!

The imaginative will have probably brilliant but short private careers and the rest will spend the remainder of their miserable lives trying and catch them while working drearily for Gov-Corps.

See you tomorrow

And so to head out for Lunch...No need to risk suicide in the canteen. At least most of the staff have now got rid of that nasty bowel-infection!

[shaidar]

Shift becomes concerned that he has received no reply from his associates. Uncomfortable memories of his beating by the gov-corp guards surface unexpectedly in his neural net. He comes to the decision that he must act to help his friend.

Without waiting for a reply from the grey-haired lady he heads towards the door "Excuse me madam, I shall return with your new cord."

Shift heads out of the apartment and across to the door where the corp-goons took Louis. He makes sure there is a big wrench within reach in his tool kit.

He knocks loudly on the door. "Maintenance, I have a repair order"

[tibbius]

Quiet voices. A dramatic groan. Footsteps. The door swings open away from Shift.

A very big man is standing there, bushy-bearded, with his thick eyebrows raised in surprise. "What's the order for?"

[shaidar]

Shift

The robot checks the diagnostics for his reflex enhancements, noting they all show green. He stands poised to push forward and block the doorway if the man tries to shut the door on him.

"Good day sir or madam. There have been reports of damage to electrical cabling from an animal infestation on this floor. I have been assigned a priority safety task to check all apartments on this floor and to make emergency repairs as necessary. I have also been tasked with locating the source of the infestation. This apartment is next on the list. Do you have any animals in your apartment sir or madam? In accordance with the tenancy agreement any such domesticated creatures must be registered, and there are none listed for this domicile"

[tibbius]

The big man widens his eyes and blinks. He has a startled expression. He turns away a little.

"Hey Jimmy. There's a droid here about an animal problem with wires or something. Are the stacks ok?" Glancing back at Shift, he adds, "Come on in."

[shaidar]

Shift steps into the apartment.

"Thank you sir or madam. Your cooperation is appreciated and has been noted. The building management apologies for the inconvenience, but tenant safety is of the upmost importance. Unfortunately, I am required to check all rooms in the apartment."

[tibbius]

There are two door ways and a hallway leading away from this front room of the apartment. One of the doorways has a closed door, like a closet. The other appears to lead into a kitchen area. The hallway probably leads to some bed rooms.

Much of the main room contains computer work spaces, tables with laptops on them and a wall of networking equipment that exceeds what Shift is familiar with from droid spaces. There are three big human males seated at the tables, one of whom is looking at Shift with a quizzical expression. The man who let Shift in is settling back into a roller chair at a fourth table, returning his attention to a pair of open laptops.

"What kind of animals?" the curious man asks Shift.

[shaidar]

Shift considers the situation and concludes that the fact he heard a groan at the doorway coupled with the quickness with which the door was opened would indicate that the source of the groan is unlikely to be at the far end of the apartment.

"The parameters I have been provided with would indicate the most likely cause of the damage is a rodent of limited proportions. May I start my examination in the kitchen?"

[tibbius]

The curious man has very short-cut red hair with a highly receded hairline. He rolls his neck as he briefly considers Shift's request. "Sure, little buddy," he says. "Just be careful when you move the fridge. The wheels stick." He squints in thought, as if he's about to say something more, then he shrugs and looks down at the screen of his laptop and starts typing rapidly.

As Shift turns toward the kitchen he hears a faint noise from the closet. Even with his amped microphone, he's not sure what it is.

Louis, in the small room with the two big men, blinks tears from his eyes and wonders whether his cheekbone is broken. The squinty man with the snub nose has no expression as he rubs his hands together slowly. "Who lives across the hall?" asks the man with the pleasant voice.

[tibbius]

Three of the four big guys are focused on their laptops. The curious one glances up as Shift pauses indecisively. "Kitchen's that way," he says.

[shaidar]

Shift starts to move towards the kitchen

"Thank you. Are you sure you don't have any pets sir? My audio systems picked up some kind of unidentified noise in the vicinity. Perhaps the rodents have nested in your wall space. I have noted this on the system for later investigation."

[thenewflesh]

"I am a marketer for AFCOM," Louis goes, and starts talking slowly and carefully, buying time, carefully not looking at the android.

Improvise, 1d6, rolled a 3.

[tibbius]

"I am a marketer for AFCOM," Louis goes, and starts talking slowly and carefully, buying time, carefully not looking at the android.
Improvise, 1d6, rolled a 3.

Louis is closed up in a room with two big men. He can't see - or hear - Shift.

"That's very interesting," says the pleasant man, "but who lives across the hall?"

[tibbius]

Shift enters the kitchen. There's a toaster on the counter, a fridge, a microwave, a cooktop. No apparent oven. There are open cabinets under the counter with various cooking implements including a Dutch oven, a soup pot, a fry pan, a hand-blender, etc. The floor is faded linoleum with grease spots near the cooktop. The sink is dirty and has dirty coffee mugs in it. There's a large coffeemaker with a large carafe that has not been washed since ever. About half an inch of ominous-looking coffee fills the bottom of the carafe.

A mouse stares warily at Shift from the corner of the counter by the fridge.

[tibbius]

Angus
The class period ends...

Well all that stuff goes back in its place.

Before you go - I'd like each of you to design a covert surveillance device using the skills you have learned in this class.

The best design will get one item from the vending machine on level two - paid for by me.
Fortunately you don't have to construct it - but it should be capable of working for 12 hours or more.
It could be anything from a secret attachment for a phone to a cuddly toy.
Use your imagination!

The imaginative will have probably brilliant but short private careers and the rest will spend the remainder of their miserable lives trying and catch them while working drearily for Gov-Corps.

See you tomorrow

And so to head out for Lunch...No need to risk suicide in the canteen. At least most of the staff have now got rid of that nasty bowel-infection!

Where does Angus go for lunch?