Private Denon noodle exploration

[Akemi Io]

Communication "verbal" <<technopathy>>

Location: Seven Corners
Objective: Get the lay of the land
Tag: Miranda Io

Loadout:
Loralora interceptor swoop
Gei Borugu Electro Spear
Light Saber (peony colour blade)
Laser Lance
Q7 encrypted data-spike

The noodle bar on Denon was buzzing with activity despite the lock down, even if you couldn't get in and out, people still had to eat, and if anything it was encouraging a collective spirit amongst the organics here. There was a lovely pink glow which was just a fraction of a shade off of Akemi's favourite colour and the music was interesting. Akemi had grown to be fascinated by Denon and its complex data ecosystem, her skin positively tingled with all the different overlapping networks that her mind could surf between.

Akemi had been her for several weeks, arriving just before the terrorist attack and getting caught up on the lock down. She considered the task of just leaving when her planned time arrived, attempting to hack the Corpsec to be added to the bypass list would be fun. But this was a holiday for the little HRD and the lock down had caused a new shift in the infoscape for her to explore. Besides, her Q7 uplink meant she was still in communication with House Io and fully capable of performing her digital security duties while she was here.

She looked over at Miranda Io and smirked as a large Peony coloured butterfly landed on the edge of her noodle bowl, insects invisible to everyone except Akemi and also Miranda if she had allowed Akemi to run her environmental algorithms on her. "My calculations on these noodles is that their proteins have been recycled at least three times" she laughed and watched the oily umami liquid drip back into her bowl. "Peptides are significantly damaged by the process, but they still taste nice." she slurped them into her mouth and giggled as a noodle flicked her nose.

"I have been analysing the datascape and have built up a picture of the set up here. District Seven, or as the locals call it, Seven Corners, has been hit hard by the lockdown and traffic to both welfare and criminal networks has increased. The price of a lot of goods and transport has gone up significantly" she shrugged and ate some more, the Io HRD's had no use for resources that may be impacted by the lockdown but Akemi loved analysing everything it fascinated her.

She thought about the underground movement here, Darkwire, she had not yet made contact with them, they were criminals and Akemi wanted to assess the full picture before she picked a side in the moral argument here. "There are a lot of AI presences here in the network, I have narrowed down some of the apex personalities but have kept my own presence undetected." Akemi placed her fork down and lifted the clear glass of fluid next to her analysing its contents before tasting it with a smile.
​

 

[Miranda Io]

Wearing: Nothing

Armed with: Herself


Objective: Observe the Organic condition, spend time with Akemi Io


Earlier...

Miranda, due to the natural attractiveness of her default guise, turned plenty of heads as she walked the streets of Denon, her outer Nanite sheath morphed to look like she was wearing a revealing dress. Miranda occasionally flashed a smile, wooing passersby at a distance.

She was absolutely fascinated by what she saw. Her experience with others was often limited to House Io's citizens or targets, which, while very insightful, didn't provide a clear enough picture.

Plus, Mother's health and sanity, especially in the wake of the Battalion's disappearance after the destruction of that planet, had worsened. Arianna Belasko was running things behind the scenes, Xiphos confined to very limited duty on the secret orders of her own son, the first Nuetralizer, Hadrian. They had all agreed to it, of course. But Xiphos was limited to short public appearances only.

Miranda knew how bad it was when she walked in one time and saw Mother reciting the lines of a famous play, holding someone's skull, and wearing The Battalion's Catsuit. It had been a very awkward pause between the two when she had realized Miranda had been watching her, slack jawed.

Miranda knew now that unless Xiphos's mental and physical health resolved in some way, House Io would be in an even bigger crisis.

That was part of the reason she had come to Denon to spend time with her younger sister. Miranda tried to get to know everyone in the upper Family ranks (Except for Amy because feth Amy.) and wanted to get to know the head of their computer security, who had designed the brilliant Q-7 Systems. (Xiphos had given Akemi a salvaged Interdictor, for her to mess around with/upgrade as she pleased in gratitude, but also because she wanted to see how resourceful Akemi could be with it. Along with a kiss on the cheek back then.)

Miranda, in fact, was bringing a gift for Akemi from Xiphos. It was a small photo of Xiphos putting Akemi together in a lab, Xiphos in a white lab coat.

In small writing, there was an additional note:

I love you and I am sorry. I know an apology doesn't make up for Tython. I know nothing makes up for Tython.

But I will give you a difficult choice soon, to at least try and partly atone for how you, personally, suffered because of Tython. It's the best I can do.

I never wanted to cause you pain. I never wanted to. I swear it. I love you and I am sorry.

As Miranda walked Denon, her highly advanced sensors detected the sounds of someone crying for help and Miranda went to investigate, finding a gang kicking the hell out of some scavenger in rags. Miranda, not inclined to apathy, immediately went over, smiling sweetly.

"Excuse me?" Miranda called out in a sultry voice.

(Sexy Saxophone music plays OOC)

The gang turned.

"There's really no need to hurt him is there?" Miranda asked.

"Buzz off. This doesn't concern you." one of them growled back.

"What would it take for you to leave him alone?" she wondered. "Money?"

"This goes beyond money. Last warning. Buzz off." the biggest of them warned.

Miranda only smiled and slinked closer.

"Come now, surely there is some way to resolve this peacefully. Can't we all reason something out?"

One of them pulled out a pistol and shot Miranda in the face. Her head snapped to the side as he pulled the trigger, the bolt missing entirely.

They stood back, and Miranda pulled her head back to normal position.

"Your proposal is acceptable." Miranda said politely. (Imagine a giant cockroach: 90 XP)

Miranda was lenient. She killed none of them. She didn't even maim them like a Model 1 might have. Strictly Aikido and minor wrestling. No blows delivered at anything but human strength. But they got smacked around enough to leave heavy welts, Miranda eventually driving them back by basically just slapping the chit out of them.

Miranda turned to the frightened man in rags.

"T-thank you. They would have killed me!" he said, getting up.

"What were they bothering you for?"

"Protection money. Couldn't pay up this month."

"Will they pursue you?" Miranda wondered.

"Oh no. I'm getting the hell outta this sector! You should think about running too! They'll be furious!"

"I can handle them." Miranda assured, reaching into a small handbag and handing him a small handgun and a few gems.

"To give you a head start." she explained.

"I dunno why you're doing this...but I owe you, whoever you are." he said. "If you're ever in District 89, look me up. Names Toni. Toni The Pocket."

"Names Miranda." Miranda said. "I'll be sure to consider it."

Toni nodded, and broke into a run.

Miranda would arrive at the noodle bar a half hour later, though not before she stopped to flirt with an HK-50 serving as bouncer outside a nightclub (Those old school Assassin Droids got alllll her circuits warm.).

Miranda smiled at the imaginary butterfly Akemi conjured.

"It's still comfort food." Miranda said back still smiling. "Too bad I can only eat a small amount."

She gazed around, her Nanites feeling invisible transmission waves.

"The House has been placing contacts here carefully for months. Organic spies mostly. But we've steered clear of Darkwire, for the most part."

Miranda looked at the glittering skyscrapers above them, the below awash with life. With things she didn't really understand.

"What Apex Personalities interest you the most, Akemi?" Miranda asked, sending a return imaginary sparrow to land on her bowl edge.

 

[Akemi Io]

Communication "verbal" <<technopathy>>

Location: Seven Corners
Objective: Get the lay of the land
Tag: Miranda Io

Loadout:
Loralora interceptor swoop
Gei Borugu Electro Spear
Light Saber (peony colour blade)
Laser Lance
Q7 encrypted data-spike

Akemi beamed at the small bird that appeared on her bowl and gently touched its feathers, the simulation being as real as if it was there. She then smiled as her sister spoke and continued to ingest the noodles, the nutritional value was appalling, how could people hope to survive long term on this stuff. "The organic spys have done well, I have contacted a few of them, but I think they might be nearing the limit of their capacity. So, considering that, and the fact that I am bored, I want to try and speak to a Darkwire. I have someone on my mind." a scattering of colours appeared in the air and sat next to them, again invisible to the eyes of everyone except Akemi and Miranda Io . "This woman is known as Das , she is a slicer, or.." she flicked a peanut across the room, shattering the image and allowing it to reform into the shape of Johnny Diamonds "Another slicer, there is little between the two of them, both young and fairly erratic in disposition. I think I can approach them and introduce myself safely."

Akemi was still undecided about the war that Darkwire fought, it seemed to have little purpose other than to cause disruption, but her overly analytical mind might actually be the problem in this situation, face to face conversation would yield better results. "As far as apex AI, other than the myriad of corporate AI here, there is one called Frankie, she makes public statements and is considered an ultra high value target by cybersecurity. Her deployment pattern leads me to believe she inhabits another network which I have not yet been able access." she blushed lightly, admitting to such a hole in her knowledge was unbecoming of her. She changed the subject quickly. "How are the house? Is Alessandra Io ok?" she missed her big sister every time she was out on deployment, even for short times.

As she spoke two droids walked in to the bar behind them and Akemi immediately detected them running droid detection scans. "Friends?" she grinned at Miranda and immediately transferred her own visual field to sister so she could look without having to turn around. "A HK-50 and a damaged IG droid walk into a bat..." she giggled "All we need is a model three and we have a stand up routine going." Neither of the droids were emitting any obvious energy signals to indicate readied weapons or shields, but as a precaution, Akemi began to block the radiation from their droid detector. They might walk over, they might walk past, they didn't seem hostile, and the beautiful nano-machine in front of her might even remember the sleek HK5O from her previous interaction before entering the bar.

"What is your plan"

​