Play@YSDC

To her left, as she enters, is the museum shop that has a set of items on shelving that seem familiar. A plastic version of a Liltian tablet faces away from her. A tall, colourful hard-copy book with KAMCHATKA written on the back. A much smaller paperback. A series of other odds and ends that may be part of the same set of merchandise.

The Pergammon museum seems particularly busy. She can see the receptionist who sits behind the counter in the middle of the room is virtually swamped with people. Shee also notices a sign erected not far from the reception desk, advertising tour guides and mentioning that the tour will go through the special exhibits. The tour will start in thirty minutes.
A woman stands over at the signpost for the tours, shuffling from foot to foot, and scuffing the marble flooring. She twists the bottom of her shirt this way and that, then rubs at her chin, seeming nervous. Her nose and cheeks are still red, as though she'd been blushing. She's dressed in the Pergammon museum tour guide outfit but she seems really out of place amidst the very outgoing staff that normally populate this area. Her name tag reveals that the woman is no other than Natasha Chaikovskaya.

A man is talking to her.

This blushing guide, Fransesca recognizes from the exhibit´s merchandise and advertisements as the linguist who interpreted the 'text' of the tablets. She walks closer to the two looking eager to listen in on what they are discussing.

Natasha shifts from one foot to the other, looking nervously at the man and then over at the approaching woman.

Timothy walks over to the woman. "Excuse me, are you Miss Chaikovskaya? I'm Timothy Wells, I'm going on the expedition to Kamchatka soon and was wondering if you could give me any extra information on the Tablets?"

He tries to give an easy smile and extends a hand in greeting.

Timothy's phone rings.

Chaikovskaya flinches as he approaches her. "Uh, the guide'll be on soon. I mean, the tour. Hold all questions until the, uh, tour, please," she says, in German with a mild Russian accent.

Losing her patience, Fransesca decides to pass the tour guide and the man talking to her. She declares, "I´ll have a look around myself, thanks! I have a meeting to attend. Just need a quick glance of the exhibit." She takes a look at the pamphlet she got when she entered the reception area. "Are you here for the guided tour too?", she asks the man next to the guide. "Why not join me and we´ll have a look for ourselves? Then we can wait for the tour if we need any clarification?"
Fransesca makes an attempt to get access to the exhibit room of the tablets to see what the fuzz is about.

Chaikovskaya flinches at Francesca's words and ducks her head a little. "Mm ... okay," she says, staring at the floor.

Timothy takes out his mobile phone. "One minute..." But the call ended before he could answer.

"Ah, Kamchakta Tours." Abbo walks over.

"Excuse me," speaking to the tour guide, he also smiles at the couple, "when is the next tour?"

"Ah, only six minutes, th-there's a group actually in the ... over there, uh, the meal part ... um, restaurant," she says, uttering a nervous chuckle. "I'm sorry. I'm really not used to this. I'm not the museum tour guide ... please don't complain ... they'll think the complaints about her ... I'm just a special guest here ... one of the expedition members, do you know? Natasha. They call me Tash."

OOC: Could everyone please describe their PCs?

"Tash, you are one of the expedition members? Let me introduce myself, Abbo Durer," he proffers his handshake, "probably the newest member on the Kamchakta Expedition. I have just been hired as the cameraman for Hidden Places.
"You said, 'A special guest?'"

She looks at his hand, startled, than slowly holds out a tentative hand for him to shake. "I meant, well, that I was talking and that I was here, you know, to show people around? I was hired, part of that media circuit, Carter's doing?"

Abbo looks directly at Natasha, "I can see why Carter hired you," he says sardonically.

"What do you mean?" she asks, genuinely flustered and confused.

Fransesca, putting her sunglasses securely on the top of her head, continues into the exhibit, overhearing the conversation behind. So, they are on the expedotion too... She straightens her long, dark hair and lets herself back to the entrance. "Listen, you two, I overheard you´re on the expedition. The name´s Morletti, I´m flying you to the site. Well, a leg of the way, at least."

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Abbo Durer, a newly appointed member. I'm here at the museum to find out more about Kamchakta. Lets all tour together.
"The flight to the site, is it by helicopter?"

"Tash, are you coming with us?"

"I-I can't, I've got to wait for the rest ... and the tour guide ... I'm a guest tour guide here but I'm being paid so I ... if you waited five minutes we could all go together."

"Yes, the first part of the trip will be by heli, the last part is another matter. We´ll deal with that when we get there. There seem to be some weather condition on the exploration site and the mountains." To Natasha, she says relaxingly, "We don´t want you to look bad, so we´ll hang here till the others arrive. So, you´ll report on the expedition, yes? You could get some good pictures from the heli, while getting there. Let me introduce me properly; Fransesca Morletti, Arctic survival guide. I´m sorry I rushed past you just now, it´s part of my bluntness. Let me make it up to you. An espresso while we wait?" She includes Durer and Timothy in the offer by catching their eyes.

"Uh, I-I'm not a reporter," says Natasha, frowning a little in confusion. "I'm the epi-epigrapher. I-I, well, I translated the tablets, figured out the co-ordinates for the last tablet, and for the mountain itself."

Abbo talks quickly and forcefully, "Somethings up and it could be dangerous, no time to explain." Abbo grabs Tash's arm, "C'mon, we'll have that coffee. Francesca, Timothy, lets go!"

Fransesca looks puzzingly at the man and the change of demeanour. Guess the call was urgent... "I saw a place just outside, not far off." She takes lead and leaves the exhibit entrance. "Abbo, talk to me while we get out of here! What´s going on?"

"There's a museum cafe..." says Tash nervously, looking over her shoulder at the milling crowd near the counter. "Here ... and at the other museums on the island."

"What kind of danger?" asks Timothy Wells, confused by the sudden turn in events.

Natasha just put a finger to her lips and starts walking toward the front doors.

"If the location is sufficently away from our friend´s worries, the cafeteria will do fine..." Fransesca whispers to Tash.

Abbo talks as they walk away, "I've just come from the Ophidian office, an interview with Daniel Carter; there have been nasty goings on there, people mysteriously butchered and God knows what else - I'm on edge, I can tell you. My curiosity about the tablets is the only reason I am here! The point of this present mystery: I overheard a threat against the lovely Natasha. I have now realised how vital you are, Tash, the epigrapher who deciphered the tablets."

Natasha just frowns at the ground. No one makes a move to intercept them as they head to the Neue Museum cafe. The sky is clear. The wind is crisp. Many other people stroll around the paths around them.

Fransesca tries to make out anyone taking a special interest in the four people heading for the café. She hurries her steps to cross the plaza as speedily as possible.

She sees nothing out of the ordinary.

Btw,feel free to make your own rolls and embed them. I never ask for rolls as it slows the game down but you can do it yourself should you wish or it occurs to you.

"Has anyone a pair of sunglasses for Tash?

"The expedition is of interest to the worst type of thugs, or someone directing them, they'll stop at nothing. What a way to get to know each other! I was looking forward to the Hidden Places party tonight and meeting you all in a relaxing atmosphere.

"Who gave you the tour guide job, Tash? And you two, Francesca and Timothy, why are you here at the museum?"

"Uh, it's just a media circuit thing, same as the radio talk shows and ... yeah, to increase interest in th tablets and encourage people to watch the expedition," says Natasha.

Fransesca hands Tash a spare pair of pilot sun glasses from her flight suit. "I flew the Russian expedition dig leader, Romaschkova, she hired me. Also, Nikita Mikhalkov came along, she´s working for the Russian government to make sure the expedition meets up to the standards to succeed. All I know is that the weather conditions at Kamchatka are strange and unfriendly to helis and planes. We´ll probably go by foot the last bit. Prior to our coming here, I left the two at the Ophidian HQ for a meeting. I was given some time off to see this exhibit and am due to meet up at the expedition meeting in the Ophidian at 4:30." She checks her chronometer for the time.

"This situation is disturbing, I overheard voices, but am not able to recognise anyone. What shall we do now?"

"What exactly did you overhear?" Fransesca takes a seat by a vacant table.

"This is what was said, Francesca, in German:

"'Without Natasha, they'll never be able to go up the mountain. Now is our opportunity.'
"'Soon, in the exhibit, before the tablet, then.'"

Abbo continues, "I'm curious about the phrase, 'before the tablet,' it could be down to my translation, but it sounds like, in front of, to me?"

"Probably, but I don't understand the significance ... the tablets ... why?" asks Natasha.

The time is 3:47.

"Disguise myself?" asks Tash, touching her hair protectively. "Colouring agent?"

"Disguise myself?" asks Tash, touching her hair protectively. "Colouring agent?"

"yes, then you can exit this place without the people watching us noticing us. If we use a back door to this café we´ll stand a higher chance to get to the Ophidian without being intercepted. Regarding the colour....just got a crazy idea regarding chocolate sauce. Hey, let´s stick to sneaking out of here. Maybe there´s an exit from the restrooms." Fransesca moves to the rear of the café and checks for windows or back doors.

"Yes, I agree with you, Francesca, lets return to Ophidian. The chocolate sauce idea sounds disgusting to me! Would it work? And anyway Tash seems overly concerned about her appearence - she'd never allow it.
"So you flew here in a helicopter - cool."

Speaking to Natasha, "Maybe there is some kind of ritual significance with the tablet, sacrifice and all that;" Abbo grins, "sorry, it was wild speculation, I don't believe in that bunkum for a moment."

"Overly concerned?" asks Tash, looking mournful. "Uh, well, the tablet translations don't suggest anything to do with ritual sacrifice but I ... anyone could make ... their own interpretation, I guess."

"Wait, how do we know this isn't a set up by you to get to Tash," says Tim as he types out a text message.

"Well, there will be clarity whrn we get to the Ophidian." Fransesca says as she comes back after the recon.

There are a lot of windows - none openable - and a back door.

"No, what I mean is, how do we know he's not the bad guy, I mean, I don't recognize your name from the expedition lists," says Timothy. His phone beeps and he checks the text message. "I mean, you tell us we should be paranoid in a public place, but you don't figure we should be paranoid about going with you to god knows where?"

"Nice one, Tim, but don't think too hard, you may have a useful idea. We four are together, and I'm going with you, to Ophidian HQ."

Fransesca watched the two men, whom she knew neither of. "If me and Tash go out the back door, Tim and Abbo exit through the front. We meet up at the HQ!" She starts to head towards the rear door and ushers Tash with her.

Tash just follows Franscesca along nervously.

"Wait a tic, show me your ID, prove that you're Morletti, than fine," says Tim.

She reaches for her pilot´s photo credentials and flashes it for Timothy. Then goes and tries the back door and exits. She holds the door up for Tash.

Timothy takes it from her for a moment and examines it for a moment, then gives a nod and a shrug. "I remember you from the letter we were sent. Not a problem."

Natasha follows Francesca as she starts for the rear door.

Wait,for Abbo to act before determining what happens.

Abbo to Timothy, "Huh! Now the girls want to split up from us. Well, I've done my bit for Natasha, and Francesca seems capable; I'm returning to Ophidian - by taxi, you gonna join me? Sure wanted a jolly in the chopper though."

"I don't think she brought the chopper here, did she?" Tim says with a shrug. "And yeah, sure, okay, probably best if we were split up anyway ... in case they wanted all of us." He starts heading for the front door, writing up a text message.

Francesca,return to your own thread.

Abbo follows Timothy, he shoots a backward glance towards the rear of the cafe.

"What is it with you and texting?"

"I like people to know where I am and who I'm with," says Timothy. "Now should we go out the front way to divert attention from the girls?"

"Yes, we'll exit through the front. No-one should recognise me, however, I only joined the team a few hours ago."

"That's a good point," says Timothy, leading him out and towards the ferry off the island. "So what did you hear anyway? And why are you so paranoid really?"

"I heard exactly as I said, it was a curious threat against Natasha. Add the murders at Ophidian, and I'm wondering what I have let myself in for, this quest to Kamchakta - you should be paranoid too!"

"I'm getting that way," says Timothy, slouching down in his seat. His mobile beeps and he checks the text message.

"We are safe here. Today has been a bit hectic," says Abbo ironically. "Hi, I'm Abbo Durer, pleased to meet you, Timothy."

"Yeah, pleased to meet you, too," says Timothy. "So what'd you say your role was on the expedition again?'

"I will be the cameraman. I heard somewhere that you are the boom operator. We shall be working closely together. Look, I apologise if I have been abrupt, today has been stressful."

"That's okay, it seems like a bad day for everyone," says Timothy. He leans forward in his chair. "Hey, that's the Ophidian building right there..."

"Once we get there lets contact Daniel Carter, he is definitely up to scratch and will know what we should do next. Besides, he is the only person I know at Ophidian."

The taxi cab pulls out in front of the Ophidian building.

Abbo heads to reception, "Daniel Carter, please."

"Of course," said the receptionist. "He's on the fifth floor, third door on the right."

"This'll be fun," said Timothy under his breath. "I don't know how Carter'll take this new news."

"Once together we can decide what to do next. Do you know when we are scheduled to depart for Kamchakta?"
To himself, "And I never did buy hiking boots."

"Next Friday," Tim said, leading him over to the elevator.

"Can we avoid danger until then, I wonder?"

They hit the button and the elevator slid closed. A few seconds of silence passed before the elevator doors opened. They can see the two women, plus another, standing in the doorway that matched the receptionist's directions. They are facing into the room.

OOC: Enter Carter's thread.