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The GLOWNET has nothing you can smell or taste, just an almost infinite stream of data. The brain of a glowrunner assimilates that vast amount of information and creates the strange environment that can be perceived as the net: a realm of black horizons,  bright sprites and countless programs. It is never the same for two different people but the sites of every building, corporation or factory remain the same. In this alternative universe everything is made of information and information is power, even more than in the real world.

Old stories speak of a previous net, one so huge that covered the whole world where data could flow freely and was available to everyone. They say the GLOWNET is nothing but a shadow of that old net, a leftover from the past made big again by the megacorps. The truth about such rumours  may never be known as Glow City lives the present and looks to the future. The past is nothing but a memory that fades quickly. 

The meeting is in a small room near the GLOWNET site of the Karankaiser Mall. There are many places like this in the net and they look pretty much the same: anonimous and discrete. That's the reason Mr. Headroom chooses them when he calls you all.

His sprite looks spotless as usual: tuxedo, expensive haircut and, today, sunglasses. 

"You are all here for a reason: you have some skills that make you valuable members of K.O. Sight. Some might think you are not the best in your job: it's true and completely on purpose. A low profile is a desirable trait as discretion is an important part of this task."

Nobody knows for sure how the real Headroom looks like (or even if there is a real one at all) . You only have met his GLOWNET personality. For all you know, it could be a woman, a weirdo  or an informatic team with a program. 

The 3D image of a young woman with red hair appears in the middle of the room. She looks classy and posh, the kind of person born with privileges. 

"This is Aimee Wilkinson II, clone-daughter of Barbara, trophy wife of Adam Wilkinson, Subsecretary A-36 of Internal Affairs in the Second Section of I+D of Pineapple Corporation. Honestly, not exactly an impressive position."

Cloning and genetic engineering are common in these days. Many executives order (and pay) tailor made lovers, partners, families or even clones of themselves as life insurance  (as organ donors) or eventual substitutes. These clones have short life span due to their accelerated growing rate which deems necessary substitute their inmature brains for preprogrammed minds whit an appropriate range of skills.

"Not a gifted one. As a clone of a clone, her genetics were not very stable. Despite her hypnotherapy, programmes and education, she has had an easy life and is what we could call a spoiled girl."

Her image is overlapped by several graphics of her performance in studies, working, sports and many others. All of them are quite llow. 

"Aimee dissapeared in a hoover car accident in the bridge over the West River seven weeks ago. Her body was never recovered. It would not be a very regretable loss but her father was emotionally destroyed. After ten days, she was oficially pronounced dead. This story should end in this sad way but this image was taken two days ago in the Neon Quarter:"

"Face Recognition Software indicates a 95.1% of resemblance with Miss Wilkinson given the changes in hair, clothing and skin. There are no records of more clones of Barbara Wilkinson.  The tattoo by the left eye is a gang mark commonly used by the Iron Maidens so it seems that the naughty girl is living the dream of a new life full of excitement. "

A map of the Neon Quarter substitutes the girl. A red dot beats over a cross of streets.

"The photo was taken here, near a pub called The Awesome Sauce. Mr. Wilkinson would love his daughter back, as much as 4.000 bits, a generous wage for what should be a simple recovery mission. Any questions, ladies and gentlemen?"

Great. The brat has gone native among one of the most dangerous gangs in the city. That alone makes it a job that 4000 bits do not fully pay for. But 4000 bits allows one to talk to the big drug dealers once again on equal footing. And stop couch surfing to sleep. So it is something that John needs. Quite a lot. 

#Rainbow Count me in to recover that girl. What was her name again? Any information on the kind of programmes that she has on her artificial mind and their levels? Combat? Social? Drugs? Do we know how she came into contact with a band like the Maidens? And how much will you pay us in advance? The pixel pony turns his digital head slightly to a side.

The pixelated girl blinks. Her black eyes wander from one sprite to another. Here, in the GLOWNET, her mind feels free from the drugs and the combat software but that does not make her accept easily a few strangers.

Drexler feels some affinity for the lost girl, a broken doll wandering in a quest for her freedom. Life as an accountant hasn't got a lot of action but everyone has seen gangs in TV and the GLOWNET. Drexler herself is more experienced about them than many due to the pit fighting: the gangs are a great source of vicious warriors happy to maul anyone for a few bits. They are wild, proud, cunning and dangerous.

"The Awesome Sauce... sounds familiar to me. Maybe they are part of the pit fighting business" Drexler searchs unsuccessfully in her fragmented mind "... I... I don't know"

Jerome's avatar was very serious. He just hoped that this meeting to be helpful, did not want to waste any time and did not know well this Mr. Headroom. Suddenly, his sprite came up and started to talk about a girl, a clone of a clone. Nothing too important until he named Pineapple Corp.  

Pineapple Corporation, just hearing that corp name was enough to Jerome. He was already in, Adam´s position was not to big but it was a start. 

-    Is there any chance to talk to Mr Wilkinson after this mission? You promised I could take this job as a chance to go further with my investigation. I must say any chance to get Pineapple intel is welcome.

Jerome was hoping to get answers related to his main concern before get fully into this job.

Working for Pineapple is not the preference of :D. He knows that the funny cat can be a ruthless motherfucker. But well, business is business. 

Even if :D knows the neon district well, he has always tried to avoid the Maiden's territory. Not because they are tough (something they are), but because it is a really bad hunting ground for business or chicks. They do not appreciate the awesomeness of glam rockers that much. Or rival drug dealers dealing in their turf. 

Is Mr Wilkinson the one puting forward the request for the return of his stray daughter? And is he paying this reward himself or is he being helped by a third party? he could always clone her again, after all. 

:D looks at the other avatars. A tough looking guy and a female avatar that goes by the name of 2blads. Sound like beaters to him, but he cannot be sure. The Glownet is muisterious here. he has found avatars that tell a lot about a person and avatars that point your in completely wrong directions. 

Mr Headroom sprite moves his head before answering the questions. Before doing it, a glowing smiley appears by him to provide information.

What was her name again?

"Aimee Wilkinson II"

Any information on the kind of programmes that she has on her artificial mind and their levels? Combat? Social? Drugs?

 "Cosmetic enhancements mostly: hair growth and customizable color (up to 300 different shades), multi-coloured iris in both eyes and breast implants. She has a memory upgrade with a database with standard education programs of level III: etiquette, business, general culture, style and the like. Standard procedure with clones." 

Do we know how she came into contact with a band like the Maidens? And how much will you pay us in advance?

"No available data. I have already taken my part from the payment. You are on your own now"

GM: #:D, you can roll Mind to convince Mr Headroom to give you some change for the bus. If you succeed, you get 1d6x100 bits for the group.

Is Mr Wilkinson the one puting forward the request for the return of his stray daughter? And is he paying this reward himself or is he being helped by a third party? he could always clone her again, after all. 

"I am afraid I only get the tasks, I am not told where our payment comes from. As far as we know, Mr Wilkinson loves his daughter and wants her back. Possibly it has something to do with fatherhood: you get attached to your children, you know, even with the cloned ones."

The Awesome Sauce... sounds familiar to me. Maybe they are part of the pit fighting business" Drexler searchs unsuccessfully in her fragmented mind "... I... I don't know" 

"The Awesome Sauce is quite a standard club. There was a gunfight there the same night the photo was taken and a group of Iron Maidens was somewhat involved."

-    Is there any chance to talk to Mr Wilkinson after this mission? You promised I could take this job as a chance to go further with my investigation. I must say any chance to get Pineapple intel is welcome. 

"It depends on your success. I find likely Mr. Wilkinson will be pleased enough to speak with you if he has her daughter back... wich reminds me there will be a 25% reduction in your wage if she is wounded or has visible marks when returned and a further 50% reduction if you retrieve a corpse. You are in a mission in the name of love, guys. Be gentle with that girl"

:D grates the floor with a front hoof. It seems irritated.

Some advance payment would have helped us achieve the end result, but as usual you intermediaries are stingy with resources eh?

Not the most polite of answers for sure, but then, gangers tend to be less than courteous quite often. 

Blink.

The pixelated girl thinks. Her pretty face goes red to the point some smoke comes out of her head.

"Can we go through the GLOWNET? I mean, to the Awesome Sauce. Maybe somebody in the net knows something "

Blink.

She looks around to the other sprites. There are a few gathered here. 

"Who are them, Headroom? You did not mention their names. How are we supposed to meet in the real world?"

Janus inspected the chat room quietly, long before typing something. Then he noticed he wasn't alone, so he decided to start typing.

> Hello Mr Headroom. Janus is here, as you wish. At your service.

> ... Janus is typing.

> What do you want from Janus? Who are the others?

but as usual you intermediaries are stingy with resources eh?

"They want results first" Headroom said. "It is really annoying when an Action Group scapes with the money without achieving its goal, isn't it?"

"Can we go through the GLOWNET? I mean, to the Awesome Sauce. Maybe somebody in the net knows something "

All places with computers (shops, airports, clubs, corporations, police stations, even some private residences...) have their own reflection in the GLOWNET and can, theoretically, be visited through it (obviously, if they are not public, you need to hack into them). These places (called sites, rooms, dungeons and many other names) contain everything that you can find in a computer (which means almost everything nowadays).

Answering your question, yes, you can visit The Awesome Sauce in a non physical way. A GLOWNET club has its public: people can't drink there but they can buy other stuff (programs, customized sprites, information) and it is possible to chat with them in the same way as in real world. And there are always nerds that look drunk in these places just for fun.

Who are the others?

 "Please, excuse me for not introducing each other before: you are part of an Action Group, K.O. Sight. 

• #:D: intelligence and organization.
• #2Blads: tech support and assault.
• #JayT: firepower and law enforcement.
• #Janus: hacking expertise and numbers.
• #Slinky: stealth and deception.
• (...)

The spring didn't moved or said anything during the meeting, just bounce a little as part of it static animation. There is no Slinky face to express anything.

- So, no up-front cash- says, with robotic voice.- And no further intel, that's a though call for so low-payed job- comments.

-It is an Action Group, so we have to split the bits in 5 pieces?

This business was turning less and less interesting at every second.

Jay looked at the rest of the group, he didn´t know if someone else had contacts with local gangs, but he was an ex-cop and they´ll probably try to shoot him out at the right moment they meet him.

> ... Janus is typing.

> Still interested. Need the money, anyway. You can count on Janus.

> ... Janus is typing.

> Hello everybody. Here is Janus. Nice to meet you all.

> ... Janus is typing.

> :-)

Janus wonders if he has ever been in "The Awesome Sauce".

Jay knew the names of the gangs. But he had not had friendly treatment with any member of them. In his time as a police officer, he had arrested a couple of criminals belonging to these gangs, so if he met a familiar face, this would not be friendly.

He tried to remember something about the Iron Maidens, but he was pretty sure he had never crossed paths with them.

:D Thinks. Nope, he has never been there. Not at all. 

> ... Janus is typing.

> Janus got a way to contact a member of The Distillers. They are a minor gang of The Hive.

> ... Janus is typing.

> ... Janus is typing.

> Janus also knows a guy who hang around "The Awesome Sauce".

It seems that Janus is well connected... despite of being a geek with social issues.