A Questionable Lead (Tortura)

[Administrator] A questionable lead, welcome to Chinatown (Southside) (Now)
[Administrator] Nathan Spriggs, welcome to Chinatown (Southside) (Now)
[Administrator] Jonathan Kincade, welcome to Chinatown (Southside) (Now)
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Whenever Jonathan might arrive, the apartment would be in mostly the same conditions as
before. With one exception, there was a cage with what seemed like runes carved out at the bottom on the
kitchen table. Inside it was a sleeping cat, though it seemed to be waking up slowly. Behind it, in a position
where he couldn't be seen from inside the cage, was Nathan.
He'd been waiting since his call to the man a while back, hoping the cat wouldn't wake up. What if the device
in it was made to observe anything it saw through it's eyes? Or something equally horrible. He also needed
Jon to examine it before deciding whether to biopsy the damn thing out or not.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] It didn't take Jonathan long to arrive at the apartment once he had gotten the message.
Leaving Bean and Goopy back at his apartment, he had wanted to talk too Nathan about recent
developments. There had been things found out and he needed a second opinion to clarify his thoughts.
Jonathan headed up the stars and stepped into the apartment, eyeing off the cage "I guess that must be the
cat?" he asks Nathan. As he headed towards it as he begins inspecting the feline.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan gave Jon a smile as he entered the room, taking a look outside to make sure no
one had followed him there. Things planted inside cats made him nervous. "Yep, that's the one. Wouldn't
happen to know the Sphere of Matter, would you?"
[ A questionable lead ] This close, it wasn't a very handsome cat. It was old, from the look of its fur. Well fed,
perhaps, but that didn't come without its price. The creature looked a little bedraggled now that it was laying
there, with nicks and the marks of many a cat fight.
The tip of its tail twitches almost rhythmically. Every so often one of its paws flexes, as if grabbing on to
dream stuff. Its chest rises dramatically with the motion of a sigh.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan hadn't been followed, he had been part of his basic training. His eyes looking
down at the cat , a frown furrowing his forhead "Yeah I do as a matter of fact. Know the basics of every
sphere but Spirit."
As he watches the cat, he sees the paw move and the tail twitch. Perhaps it was readying to wake up.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan nodded at that, a bit impressed at the fact, really. "Check out the Resonance on the
cat, it's the exact same as the one that was on the crown. Then check out what's inside it with Matter, maybe
you'll have better luck figuring it out."
[ Jonathan Kincade ] "Hmm okay , that's interesting. Guess that gives us the link then, Henri Bean was staying
with me last night when I mentioned that Dr Tortura article we found. She behaved like she was re-living a
nightmare, kept rambling on about him and his cats."
"Lets have a look at this thing." and Jon pulls out his PDA device , pointing it's camera towards the cat as he
begins pushing a number of buttons in succession.
[ Resonance/Matter check - What is happening with this cat - Arete 2d4+WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 2, 2 (Success x 1 at target 4) [WP]
1/6
[ A questionable lead ] Here is a cat: Four legs. A tail. A head. Fur. Teeth. Claws. Here is a recipe for a cat: A
gallon of water. A handful of minerals. Carbon. Nitrogen. Oxygen in its lungs. In its blood. Iron. The soft kind
that makes it red and alive and living.
Iron. The hard kind. The kind that mixes with aluminum. With complex carbon and magnesium. Metal. Alloys.
Reinforcements. Copper and gold like axions and synapses. Silicon. Plastic. Glass. Long chain carbons.
Pliable rubber. Here was a recipe for things that did not belong there. Weren't supposed to be there. And
yet...there they were.
In a cat.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan saw what Jonathan did and tilted his head, wondering exactly what it was he was
doing. Though his words on Henri's reaction made it clear he'd found her. "So, see anything? Also, I'm
guessing you know where Henri is now?"
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan nods simply "Yeah elements inside the cat that shouldn't be there. Elements
that would all go to making some sort of device. Metals, Rubber....Silicon and Glass. I don't know what this
guy was doing to these cats.. but it must be experimentation of some kind."
"Last I knew Henri was still in my apartment, not sure if she's still there or not. Guess I will find out when I get
back there."
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Now came the part he really hesitated with, though he nodded as he listed materials.
"Yeah, I saw the same thing. Now comes the rather... disturbing part. We need to see what's in there, for
ourselves. Wouldn't happen to know basic medicine, would you?"
[ A questionable lead ] There's a sudden flicker of ears. A wide yawn. The cat turns over onto its back, only to
meet the side of the cage and roll back.
And that's when its eyes open, unsteadily but gradually widening. Its head bobs as he peers around, and the
pads of its feet struggle to find purchase on the bottom of the cage.
Its awake. Its unsteady...but its awake.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan sighs "No I don't unfortunately... so anything I do will probably result in the
death of the cat. I would really like to avoid that if at all possible. But we need to know what's going on
regardless."
His head turning back to the cage as he hears a noise.. "Oh crap it's awake. What are our options now?"
Frowning as he bites his bottom lip.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan didn't speak, he did do a signal to try and tell Jonathan to keep quiet. They couldn't
know if everything it saw and heard was taken back to whoever was behind this. Especially Tortura and his
pet lab. Instead, he drew a small note and a pencil from his coat as silently as possible, wrote something and
passed it to Jon.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Note says:
No sounds. Might be listening. Need to open up the cat...
((Let's keep Dre in suspense. :))
2/6
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan caught the signal and remained silent. And then he had an idea about the cat,
if this thing was indeed tracking them or listening in there would be some sort of electronic signal. He healed
up a hand to pause Nathan
Taking up his PDA as he runs a second scan.
[ Forces - Any signals coming from this cat - Arete 2d4+WP]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 6, 6 (Success x 3 at target 4) [WP]
[ A questionable lead ] The cat's eyes widen. It tries to stand and can't. It tries to step to the side and can't. It
tries to turn and--
MRRROOOOWWW!
The cage jumps. And jumps. And rocks and turns as the cat, for all intents and purposes, loses its shit.
[ A questionable lead ] For a moment there's nothing. Nothing more than the basic living creature gives off.
But, just as he's about to give up, and just as the thing begins to freak out, there's something. Not too low
frequency to be any sort of full on radio or microwave signal. But the low frequencies, those were the tricky
ones. Those were the ones that couldn't quite be relied upon for carrying data, but man could they travel far.
to Jonathan Kincade
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan watched the cat go berserk, retreating out of the kitchen silently with a glance at
Jonathan. He was off in search of some more deliciously laced catfood. Hopefully the implants didn't make it
any smarter or pickier. When he got the bag of it, he come back and drop it into the cage as best as possible
without showing himself to it.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan's eyes go wide "Jesus... fucking H ..Christ..." both at the cat going berserk and
the fact that right at the end he picked up the faintest signal coming from the feline.
He watches as Nathan bolts from the room and soon returns with the cat food. "Nathan I don't think that's
going to do any good. There is a signal coming the cat... it's faint... low frequency.. but that just means it can
travel further."
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan looked at Jon, inquisitively to say the least. "What kind of frequency, no idea? Also,
constant or...? I'll be honest, I have relatively no technological knowledge, just answer me this. Are we being
listened to or not?"
The need to open the damn thing up was increasing by the minute, hopefully the food would double to dull
the pain for it too. He wasn't a total bastard. Supposedly.
[ A questionable lead ] Ivory and yellow cat teeth try and bite at the metal of the cage. Its Futile, but in its fury
and fright it will try anything to escape.
A paw reaches out through the spaces to swipe at Nathan as he approaches.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] [ Int + Tech diff 7 - What is that signal ? ]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 3, 4, 7, 7, 8, 9 (Success x 4 at target 7)
[ A questionable lead ] Too short to transmit anything useful. And while its not constant, it repeated again,
about the time when the cat growls and reaches out for Nathan. Not data. Not a transmission. But perhaps...a
beacon?
to Jonathan Kincade
3/6
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan shakes his head at Nathan "Not constant no.. pulsing... like a beacon. So no
we're not being listened too not strong or consistent enough for that. But someone definitely knows where this
cat is."
[ Nathan Spriggs ] "Shit!" It was a dual response, both worked for Jonathan's comment and for the fact the
little feline bastard had scratched his hand, though he successfully dropped the food in. "So, what now? Open
it up...?"
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan shrugs a little "I guess it's our only option if we want to deal with it. Not a fan of
taking that option but it seems like we'lll have too."
"Unless you can think of some other way to find the exact location of the object and then remove it. Although I
wonder if we let it lose whether it would return to whereever it's sending the signal."
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan shook his head, looking at the cage as though hoping this'd sort itself out. "It came
back here, so probably not."
Now he was about to do something that made him pray PETA wasn't somehow watching. He kicked the
cage, full force. Sent it flying against the wall, confident it was durable enough not to break, though if it did,
the cat would probably be knocked out from that hit. Hopefully.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] [Dex, diff 7 + 1] WP
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 1, 8, 9 (Success x 2 at target 6) [WP]
[ Nathan Spriggs ] [Str + suxx + 1]
Dice Rolled:[ 4 d10 ] 1, 6, 7, 10 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[ A questionable lead ] [Kitty Soak!]
Dice Rolled:[ 3 d10 ] 2, 7, 7 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[ A questionable lead ] Cage soak?
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 7, 7 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[ Jonathan Kincade ] [ Per + Ale diff 8 ]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 4, 5, 5, 10 (Failure at target 8)
[ Nathan Spriggs ] [Perc + Alert, diff 8] WP
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 2, 3, 3, 6, 9 (Success x 2 at target 8) [WP]
[ A questionable lead ] The cage tumbles to the ground off the table, and all the while the cat is yowling,
reaching out, swiping through the bars at Nathan as it slides off the table and down onto the floor with a
clatter.
Luckily the Cage is unharmed. Unfortunately, so was the cat.
It hunkered down, now on the side of the cage, curled into itself, glaring at Nathan and Jonathan. Growling.
[ A questionable lead ] Meanwhile...there's something at the door.
to Nathan Spriggs
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan threw a glance at Jon, a gesture with his head followed. He gestured towards the
door, why exactly he did say, though he made another signal for silence. Quietly drawing the Glock from his
pocket and pressing himself against a wall where he could peek out to the door. Once he was in position, he
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whispered something to Jon.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan frowns as he listens to Nathan and nods a few times
[ A questionable lead ] The cat continues growling, though slightly lower now that they've moved away. And
now that its quieted down slightly they can hear...something at the door. Something that sounded
like...chewing.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan quietly nodded, then he moved again, this time to the wall next to the door. Silently
he bent down and looked under the crack of the door, then he leaned against the hole he'd left where the lock
was. Trying to see if whatever might be outside was human or at least big enough to be at that height.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] [Wits + Alert]
Dice Rolled:[ 6 d10 ] 4, 5, 7, 9, 9, 10 (Success x 4 at target 7)
[ A questionable lead ] Nathan sees but a shadow under the door. Something dark looming in the hallway
light. When he peeks at the hole in the door, however, he catches a sight of that something dark, and his
instincts tell him immediately to move away.
Like a flash a black cat's paw reaches in, claws unsheathed and batting at his quickly retreating head.
Unsatisfied it pulls back again. The grinding, chewing sound outside continues.
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jon is oblivious to what is happening at the door. At the moment he is concentrating on
the cat, staring at it intently as if he is trying to put parts of a puzzle together. Then it fucking dawns on him...
puzzle pieces. Pulling up his PDA once more.
[ Corr 2 + Matter 1 - Just what do those elements - Arete 2 diff 4 + WP ]
Dice Rolled:[ 2 d10 ] 1, 4 (Success x 1 at target 4) [WP]
[ Jonathan Kincade ] (( Just what do these elements make - that should be ))
[ A questionable lead ] Iron. Complex Carbon. Magnesium. Metal. Alloys. It ran up the the legs. It bundled at
the paws. Copper and gold netting its way across its head, criss-crossing the pate of...what one would have
to guess would be its brain. Silicon dotting the places there. Dotting the joints of the paws. Dotting the
bending elbows, or knees, whatever cats had. Plastic at its throat. At its face. Rubber surrounding the plastic.
Here was a cat. Here were things that did not belong in a cat. Here were things that made up the cat
nonetheless.
to Jonathan Kincade
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan left the door behind, leaving the fighting cat to it, it was time to check up on their
captive again. He didn't let the gun go, or stop paying attention to the sounds from the door though. It was too
risky not to keep an eye out.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Addendum: He also put some obstacles to block the door from being opened easily
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan swears and swears loudly "Nathan, we need to get out of here and out of here
now. These things aren't cats. They are something else.. it's not a device inside the cat... the cat is the
device!"
[ Nathan Spriggs ] Nathan looked at Jon and nodded. But first, he wasn't about to lose their captive. He
gestured to the fire escape, that way they could avoid the other murder-machine. "I'll take our little captive,
see if we can't get it in a place that blocks signals." With that, he headed for the cage and took it by the
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handle, swearing as the cat would probably try swiping at him.
He'd wait for Jon to respond and go first before he followed downstairs.
[ A questionable lead ] [Meow?]
Dice Rolled:[ 7 d10 ] 3, 5, 5, 5, 6, 8, 8 (Success x 3 at target 6)
[ Nathan Spriggs ] [Perc + Alert]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 1, 3, 5, 8, 10 (Success x 1 at target 6)
[ Jonathan Kincade ] [ Per + Ale - 5d6]
Dice Rolled:[ 5 d10 ] 4, 5, 5, 6, 6 (Success x 2 at target 6)
[ Jonathan Kincade ] Jonathan nods "Sounds like a plan. " as he follows Nathan to the fire escape "You take
the captive and get him somewhere safe. I'll collect Henri and then we can get started on our plan. Maybe
she'll be able to find some weaknesses in the cat's technology and we can go from there."
Stepping out into the fire escape as he starts making his way down.
[ Nathan Spriggs ] "This is like some horribly bad Z-class scifi movie. I'll call you when I've secured the... cat
thing." With that, they'd split up and go their separate ways.
6/6