Trieste: In Search of Lorin Highwater

[Pulpatoon]

As Vinnie scans for cameras, September scoots ahead to check out the path to the elevators trying to walk quickly before whoever is behind the glass can rouse themselves to action.

[Keehnelf]

September gets into the hallway and sees a bank of four elevators to either side, for a total of eight. The two furthest on the left hand side are marked with hand-written signs indicating that they are out of order, and a heavyset man in fading work clothes with a bag slung over one shoulder waits impatiently among them for an arriving car. He sighs as he sees September. "Things have been on the fritz since I left this morning, takes forever to get a lift."

[Nuke66]

Samantha follows along, careful not to touch anything. "If this doen't pan out, perhaps we should track down Miriam."

[Pulpatoon]

September gives the situation an appraising eye, just in case there is any reason to believe the lifts are not really in order:
[2d6] = 9 (+1 for electronics?)

September asks the man, "Do you know if there's stairs?"

[Keehnelf]

He takes a quick look at the panels and watches the response and the like.

It is clear to him that someone has sabotaged the majority of the elevators and the two marked out-of-order are, in fact, operating just fine.

[atpollard]

Vinnie will follow September's lead, joining them in the elevator lobby and just watching.

Frankly, I am happy to let someone else take the lead ... Vinnie can lend Computer skill if becomes relevant at some point.

[Keehnelf]

There is a fire door leading on to a set of stairs as well.

[Pulpatoon]

Wat is the man doing? Waiting around? Paying attention to us? Does he respond to September's question? That is, does he seem like a bystander, or like he's here to make sure no one tries the elevators?

[Keehnelf]

Yeah, he appears to be waiting for an elevator. He sighs and says, "Yeah there's stairs--wish I were lucky enough to love near the base. No way I'm climbing forty flights." He sighs again. He's probably been waiting a while.

[Pulpatoon]

September summons one of the "out of order" elevators.

[Keehnelf]

The man makes as if to dissuade September from even trying, then blows out his lips in exasperation. "Maybe a miracle will--wha?!?" The man fumes as the elevator door pops open and the trio enters. What floor do you select?

[Nuke66]

"Maybe we should go to the top, then we can walk down" Samantha suggests.

[Pulpatoon]

September: "Okey-doke. We don't have an apartment number or anything? Maybe we should ask the front desk... except for the fact that somebodies clearly hiding something, what with the fake out-of-order signs."

September examines the control panel, in case there are any clues to the elevator's recent use. Failing that, he'll push the button for the highest floor available.

[atpollard]

September: "Okey-doke. We don't have an apartment number or anything? Maybe we should ask the front desk... except for the fact that somebodies clearly hiding something, what with the fake out-of-order signs."

Vinnie suggests We were given the address of 51462 South Palisade Complex, Dome 64 ... So let's try the 51st floor, room 462.

Vinnie offers to the man standing in the lobby So are you going to get on and what floor are you heading to?

[If he gets on, Vinnie will ask a question So how long have you lived here? and if the opportunity presents itself As a local, perhaps you can help me with something that is confusing to me as an outsider. The Kamoor Temple people seem like a bunch of generally ok guys, but everyone who talks about that damn Denner seems to eventually point to the Kamoor community and the temple. So are they part of the problem or part of the solution ... The whole thing just seems so confusing to an old man like me.]

[Keehnelf]

The man shrugs and eyes the elevator suspiciously, before mumbling under his breath. "Well, falling to my death would be better than waiting in this stinking hallway."

The doors close and he pushes the button for 23.

"Eh? Oh, I've lived here since I came in with a mining crew about six years ago. Been a hole the entire time, but I've managed to save up a bit. Few more years, might even have enough in the bank to justify getting off this rock and heading back home."

He laughs when Vinnie mentions the Temple. "Worst kept secret on the planet, that one. The Temple hierarchs have outlawed dealings with anything as shady as denner, but with communication and travel being what they are, and with the high priest being as old as he was, things went a different way. It's hard to manage humanitarian efforts on half a dozen worlds with nothing but Republic 'fair-use' commission rates on all your natural resources to keep you afloat. So the local priests contract with the smugglers, take a big cut of the profits, keep their faithful well clear of the business, and basically everybody profits while we all pretend we don't know what's going on. I'm not a big fan of hypocrites like that--but I'm in a small minority around here. Still, as I say, the money is what it is."

The man gets out of the elevator on 23. "Be sure to press your floor before this sits too long--you never know what kind of malfunction it's got going!"He waves as he disappears down the dimly-lit hall.

[atpollard]

Vinnie presses number 53.
(We'll start high and walk down two flights ... it will give us a chance to figure out where the apartment should be.)

[Nuke66]

"Glad you remembered the number Vinnie." Samantha compliments.

[Keehnelf]

The elevator rises quickly and smoothly, under the circumstances, to the 53rd floor, opening on to a dimly-lit hallway filled with identical doors with their postal numbers in large block letters on each, along with small spyholes probably fitted with primitive photo-transmission video feeds.

A quick survey of the area shows that they are on the proper wing, and the domicile they're looking for is two floors down right near a set of stairs. The group moves cautiously out into the stairwell, and discovers halfway down the first flight that they are not alone. A lone figure in a long, black coat has been perched near the entrance to the level 51 fire door on the stairs, gun leveled at it. When he notices the presence of the group, the man turns, his pistol leveled at them. "Back up the stairs, and forget you saw me."he purrs. He's not young, but he's well in his prime, maybe early 30s, with a clean-shaven face and short clean-cut hairstyle that screams military to Vinnie and Samantha.

[atpollard]

"Back up the stairs, and forget you saw me."he purrs. He's not young, but he's well in his prime, maybe early 30s, with a clean-shaven face and short clean-cut hairstyle that screams military to Vinnie and Samantha.

Vinnie: "Sorry about that."

Vinnie motions for the others to head back up to the 53rd floor.
"I think that we can use a stronger bargaining position. Clearly this is not just a group of people keeping an eye on the apartment."

Let's see what happens if we take control of the elevators.
It seems like a good place to start.

On the 53rd floor, Vinnie will attempt to use his handcomp to reprogram all of the elevators to emergency mode and proceed to the 53rd floor.
It is similar to the override that they use in a fire alarm to make all elevators proceed directly to the ground floor ... I am just selecting a different default location.

Bribery/Computer: [2d6+3] = 9+3 = 12

Something weird happened with the die roller and it rolled a whole bunch of times with one click of the button.
I used the first roll.
Here are all of the rolls in order in case you wanted them for something:

roll 45514 Bribery/Computer: [2d6+3] = 9+3 = 12
roll 45515 Bribery/Computer: [2d6+3] = 3+3 = 6
roll 45516 Bribery/Computer: [2d6+3] = 6+3 = 9
roll 45517 Bribery/Computer: [2d6+3] = 6+3 = 9

To his companions: "I suggest that I stand in front of the elevators and attempt to talk with anyone who get's off, while you remain discreetly out of view to the side of the elevators to stun anyone who exits the elevator with a weapon or military stance. In an ideal world, the elevators will be empty, but it pays to plan for the worst."

[Nuke66]

Samantha replies. "That's a lan, so okay, since I have none to offer." She moves to the side and fingers her taser discreetly.