Play@YSDC

Daniel Carter sits in his office on the 14th floor of Ophidian Enterprise's Headquaters in Berlin, staring over old files he's too tired to read. Light slants it sideways through the venetian blinds that cover the large windows behind him, falling like bars of light across the carpet, the desk, the walls and door in front. The computer screen gazes at him with a blank glare. There is something eerily familiar about this.

OOC: Please describe your office. Note, your character can't read anything because this is a dream sequence covering events that occurred in the past few months and people can't literally read in dreams.

[OOC: Really? I'm sure I've read stuff in dreams before, but I'm weird. ]



Daniel Carter has a corner office, with a magnificent view of downtown Berlin out of tall windows on the rear and left walls. The right wall is taken up by bookshelves, containing volumes about accounting and finance, media relations - and some books from his native Ireland. These include Ulysses by James Joyce and a few books of poetry, among others. The desk which he sits behind is clean and orderly, and has all of the usual things one could find on a desk: a calendar, phone, in and out boxes (the former usually empty or nearly so, as he works quickly to clear any backlog before it can build up to unmanageable levels), and of course his computer. Ophdiian had spared no expense on this powerful desktop model that excelled at number-crunching, and the 22 inch widescreen flat panel monitor is sleek and elegant. One of the perks of being partly in charge of the company's finances is that he can afford what he needs. There is almost nothing on the desk that isn't work-related, and he does not have any executive toys that are commonplace in corporate offices. The only thing out of place is a book of matches resting on the corner of the desk, near his right hand.

[OOC: I believe it refers to actually being able to read the lines - the symbols of words. Theoretically, you could gaze at a book and 'read', though maybe you're weird enough to actually put the letters together. Lucid dreamers might be able to do it too.]

There's a faint buzzing on his intercom, as though from the reception room outside of his door, but no one speaks over it. His receptionist has long gone home. It's late but he has to check over the Ixion Construction Company's ... what? Perhaps he's just so tired that he can't remember exactly what it is he should check.

The door between here and the reception room is thick and made of reinforced steel. He had it installed, lying about threats on his life from certain angry parties he had dealt with, when in reality it had been installed because of what he had seen when he had lit that place on fire.

A series of paintings on the wall to his left, that his eyes drift over, seems to capture the essence of that situation. They seem unfamiliar, as though they weren't hung on his wall previously (OOC: They're not there in waking reality) but it hardly catches his eye. Most of those memories are hazy, hidden from recollection.

Daniel pushes the button on his intercom to speak and answers it. "Hello?" he says.

He can hear a few seconds of heavy breathing in response and then the sound of something heavy being sliding over wood and then falling to the carpet.

There is another button under his desk that opens the door between the two rooms.

Something is very wrong, thinks Daniel. There's no way in hell I'm opening the door when I don't know who - or what - is out there. Instead he picks up the phone and calls the extension for security.

"Ophidian security, how may I help you, Mr. Carter?" says a calm woman's voice on the other end of the line.

"Yes, my receptionist has gone home for the day, but there's someone in my outer office," says Daniel. "Whoever it was buzzed my intercom, but when I spoke they didn't say a word. All I heard was heavy breathing and something heavy being slid off of a wooden surface and onto the carpet."

"Very well, I'll come up and take a look," says the woman cheerily. "Don't worry, Mr. Carter, it is probably one of the maids having fallen over. Besides, no one could get through that door without a nuclear missile handy." She hangs up before he can respond.

Unless I were foolish enough to open it, thinks Daniel, hanging up. I'm not worried. I know nobody can get through that door unless I let them in. That's what I had in mind when I had it installed. It would be easier to bust through the wall. He (i) listens carefully to what's going on in the outer room over the intercom.

Unless someone in the other room presses the button, he can't hear anything. There is a window next to the door, covered with a deep red curtain. He could pull it sideways and attempt to peer through the pane of bullet proof glass.

Daniel walks over to the door, parts the curtain slightly, and peers out through the bulletproof window.

The elevator bank can be glimpsed down the corridor directly opposite the window, leading away from the reception room. The reception room itself has a very inviting, modern red-topped desk with a light blue base, that is the very peak or organization: a computer as expensive as Carter's, a printer, a rollodex, a telephone and a small stack of books. The sleak black seat is swiveling slightly as though it had been recently bothered. The row of chairs on the wall facing the desk can just be seen - they are comfortable, deep blue and of ergonomic design. The walls are a light blue. The thick carpet is a blue-and-black diamond pattern.

Daniel can see two stockinged feet in red high heels poking out from behind the reception desk. One things for sure, he hasn't seen no maid wear shoes like that and his personal assistant liked wearing flats for comfort and style. He (i) can't see anything else about the heels or the legs wearing them.

Daniel returns to the phone and calls security back. "I just looked out my office window," he says, "and I saw a woman lying on the floor behind the desk out there with her legs sticking out and red high heels on. I don't know who she is, but she's obviously not the maid, and those aren't my assistant's shoes either."

There is no response to his words though someone - or some machine - answers the phone to let him speak. Perhaps security is already on its way?

Daniel shrugs, hangs up the phone, and returns to the window to watch the outer office. I'd better wait for security to get here, he thinks. Whoever is responsible could still be out there, leaning against the wall just waiting for me to open the door. If she's hurt, they're trained to help her and I'm not, though I don't see any blood. And if she's...already dead, then there's nothing anyone can do for her. All opening the door will get me is either killed or in trouble. In spite of my sterling reputation, someone might think I did it. If that door stays closed until security gets here, though, the security logs will prove it wasn't opened and I was in here the whole time.

Taking up a new position, he (i) can now see her right leg is twitching and a rivulet of blood comes into view. One of her hands reaches out over the other side of the desk. It runs thick with crimson that ebbs from her torn wrists. The hand seems to be clutching a piece of paper.

Daniel races back to the phone and calls security again. "You'd better hurry, that woman is bleeding badly!" he says. "She needs help, but I can't be sure it's safe to open the door and I don't know if there's anything I can do for her. I'm probably closer, but someone from security should be here any second now. Tell me if you want me to go out there and do what I can."

As he finishes speaking, he hears over the crackling intercom, a (i)somewhat familiar voice that he recognises as being a member of the staff: "C-Carter...?" Then silence.

Daniel answers the intercom. "Yes, I'm here!" he says. "Security's on the way and should be here any second. Who did this to you?"

"Y-you ... did."

Thoughts flow, erupt, break, conversations with a girl with big, searching eyes, altercations, her body laying on the floor of the reception room, getting in close, close, close, torn wrists, opened wide, bone visible, blood to the elevators, blood on the button marked 14, camera from above showing visions of her slitting her wrists as she went up in the elevator, leaving the knife, security asking him if he wanted to see the video footage of the elevator, nodding numbly, his fault, his fault, his fault.

Then the images float away and he's back in his room, staring through the little window at the woman who is still laying there, in place.

[OOC: Hah, I knew it!]



"No, I didn't!" says Daniel. Without even thinking about it, he presses the button to open the door and races outside to try to save the woman in the outer office. I'll take my chances, he thinks.

[OOC: Dreams are always a tad predictable.]

The woman lays there and Carter realizes, hazily, that he can't recall her face. His attention is stolen by the note he holds in her hand, already getting bloody around the edges. He can't quite read it but he remembers what it says.

"I won't let you die!" says Daniel, grabbing whatever is close at hand to (i) apply pressure to the wounds and stop the bleeding, (i) doing a thoroughly excellent job. Not this time! he thinks. I did everything I was supposed to do. I called security right away and followed procedure. Why didn't they come in time? How was I to know?

As he attempts to staunch the blood on her wrists, a dread sense of familiarity emanates from her. Her eyelids flutter open and with a moan she sits up, her face a bare inch from his, her eyes glaring out the menace of the abyss.

"I am Angela Schiller, a manager in Public Relations, you remember my cousin who claimed that only by publicizing the Hidden Room would it leave him be? You refused to listen to me. Why did you refuse to listen?" Her teeth are stained with blood. When did she bleed from the mouth? "My cousin was taken away from me by the curse. I started visiting ... you told me it was all just a hallucination. The stress ... you blamed the stress of the new account ... you blamed me!" Her eyes roll upwards into the back of her face until only the whites are going. "You refused to publicize ... you refused ... until I came here ... until I killed myself ... until I brought you the note that told the whole story ... until I ... until you ... until your first visit. Take sick leave, you told me. Take sick leave ... and I did. But on the fourth visit, it was too much, got shorter and shorter my stays there, an hour less everytime. Too scared. Too... I let you know! I let it claim you! And now you take it seriously... Only now... You did this to me!"

He feels her hands on his shoulders. Her features seem to merge, to slide sideways along her face.

"Some people whisper of a Hidden Room, which you are drawn into, if ever you hear the tale of it. Some say the room does this because a little girl used to live there who was left locked in her room, neglected in a pretty little palace, until she died of loneliness, and now she draws those who hear of it to her side, to stay with her forever. Some say that it's a room where a woman killed herself after her lover left her for another woman and in her rage she has determined that everyone should be dragged there to remain alone. Each time you enter for only ten minutes but there is a cycle to your entrances. It always begins 37 hours after you first heard the tale. Then after your first visit, the next one is only 36 hours away. Until you run out of hours to spare."

Her face is entirely featureless now, merely smeared in blood.

"Help me! Help us ... those who should never have heard of it... You can extend your time ... but not by publicizing the room ... but ... something else. The tablets, remember? You worked out it was all to do with Kamchatka... Any who help that expedition occur, are spared their next visit, so long as they help..."

She collapses backwards, rotting before his very eyes.

Carter awakens with a start. The numerals on his alarm clock say: 6:45.

OOC: Describe your room, your morning actions.

[OOC: Ah, Donnie Darko! I love that movie (I just watched it last night) and the song Mad World.]



Angela, thinks Daniel as he groggily wakes up. I'm sorry. I'll do whatever I can to help. He blinks and takes in his room, the master bedroom of his house in a posh Berlin neighborhood, in what had once been the British Sector, that had been built in the postwar construction boom. He untangles himself from the soft satin sheets of his king-sized bed and stands up, rubbing his eyes. Sunlight is just starting to peek through the curtains blocking the French windows leading out to a balcony that overlooks the garden. He picks up the remote control from the nightstand and flicks on the giant flat screen plasma HDTV on the wall across from his bed. It is still tuned to CNBC for 24-hour financial news. The next thing he does is make himself a cup of coffee to soothe his jitters. Once he has some caffeine in him and has collected his wits, he goes into the bathroom, sheds his silk pajamas, and takes a shower. When he finishes, he shaves in front of the bathroom mirror, gets dressed in an elegant blue three-piece suit, and goes to make himself some breakfast.

By this point it is 7:10. Time always moves with preternatural speed before 8:00. What would normally take one minute takes five, what would normally take five minutes takes a half hour. He has an appointment at nine and it would be beneficial to get to work at 8:30 so he can prepare for the interviews, read over the resumes and prepare some questions for the new cameraman. He was trying to set up a deal with the Kamchatka Expedition, that he was arranging funding for, so that "Hidden Places" could go, too. The Expedition Leader, Professor Romaschkova, was being a pain about it as she was trying to steer away from superstitious mumbo jumbo. Still, negotiations were going well and it was important to have a cameraman capable of taking that long hike. The last cameraman had sprained his ankle going down some stairs and was still recovering - he was a rather frail man, anyway.

Daniel finishes his breakfast quickly. Then he puts on his coat, collects his briefcase and laptop computer, and goes to the garage where his black Mercedes is parked. The car has been specially fitted with armor plating and bulletproof, tinted glass. He starts it up and begins the familiar drive to Ophidian's headquarters.

The drive is largely uneventful for the first half hour but becomes more intense as the morning rush to the busy suburb of Mitte begins at 8:00. He reaches the car park building that is on a side street not far from the Ophidian Headquaters at 8:24. He's making good time when he pulls up at his regular spot.

Daniel parks his car, gathers his things, and gets out. After locking it with his remote, he walks briskly to the front door of Ophidian Headquarters.

He crossed the road with ease at the lights and went through the sliding doors. The foyer was brightly lit with large windows and a ceiling two floors high. There are fountains and raised garden beds among the tiled gray floors of the wide open foyer. The light blue desk bearing Ophidian's logo was staffed with two receptionists. An elevator bank stands ready to take him to his floor.

"Guten Morgen," says Daniel, smiling at the receptionists. He proceeds to the elevator bank and presses the call button. When the elevator arrives, he gets in and presses the button for 14.

Two women enter the elevator with him and press the button for the 13th floor (Software Design & Web Media). They chatter about the latest in software design and how the men should really stop being coy and agree that the breasts are too small and the skirt too long on the CG game character they were using in an interactive game that proved the elegance of the game code they were trying to sell.

Daniel stands silently while the elevator rises, listening to the women talk but not interrupting their conversation.

The elevator halts a few more times as people enter and exit. The two women get off on the 13th floor, both surreptitiously giving Carter the once-over as they leave to enter the foyer of their floor. He is alone on the short ride up to the 14th floor. The elevator doors open and he is released to stroll down the short corridor, ignoring the right-hand corridor that heads on off to the read of the main Corporate Powerhouses, and into the reception area.

His personal assistant is normally ready and waiting. She's paid a lot to be dedicated. Yet she isn't here yet. Perhaps she's stuck in traffic.

OOC: How much attention does Carter pay to his staff's private lives? Does he keep it strictly professional so that he can't be troubled by them or does he keep slipping into traditional concerned and compassionate teacher mode in checking up on people and making sure they're okay?

[OOC: He does follow up on his employees and make sure they're all right, especially after Angela! How late is the personal assistant? Is it just a few minutes, or longer than that? If the former, and it sounds like it is, he won't be too concerned - yet.]



Daniel lets himself into his office and begins going over the resumes and backgrounds of his prospective employees, starting with that of the cameraman who is due in at 9:00, planning to check and see if his assistant has arrived yet when she's about ten minutes late.

There are a few cameramen he's going to interview. Six in total. The personal assistant is only a few minutes late but as it starts drawing closer to nine, it seems more startling. Normally she'd call him. Thoughts of her life start flowing through his mind: She has a two-year-old son. Is he sick? Did he get to a bottle of detergent and needs his stomach pumped? The 15-year-old daughter has made a few suicide threats - did she go through with it? Did she make an attempt and survive? What about her husband? No, no, far as he knew, her husband was likely to be fine.

8:34. She's now ten minutes late.

Daniel picks up his phone and calls his assistant's cell phone number.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Carter, I-" Ursula Humboldt sounds stressed, rushed. "I forgot to call. I can't come in today. Something's happened. I..." She pants a little on the phone. She seems to be hurrying somewhere as she speaks.

"That's all right, Ursula," says Daniel, "I'm just glad you're okay. You are okay, aren't you? If you need to take today off, that's fine. You've got some leave accumulated, and I can get a temp for the day. Is anything the matter? Anything I can help you with?"

"I- M-my daughter's gone missing." Ursula Humboldt sounds stressed, rushed. "I'm trying to find out where she ... where she would have gone. I mean... She was ... I didn't think ... Not even the police thought ... I'll get back to you later. I'm sorry. I will need that day off."

"You've got it," says Daniel. "If you need more than one day, just ask. Look, I've got some contacts with the police. I know sometimes they might not take it as seriously as they should when a teenage girl has disappeared and not a lot of time has gone by. Maybe I can pull some strings and get them to start the ball rolling on this if they haven't been helpful enough."

"Yes, thank you, thank you, I ... I've got to go," she says, then hangs up.

In front of him lay the resumes. He'd read them before. There's Charles Hubert up first: Graduated '95. Did some leg work as a cameraman on a local news channel, but was fired because of odd mail and calls the station got about him. Since then, he's done some odd jobs for people; filming birthdays and weddings and such. He probably wouldn't be asking for much of an income. His medical certificate reveals himself in peak condition.

Then there's Carl Noether: a German who had done a lot of work in England on a series of BBC documentaries with a specialty in underwater lighting and camera work. BBC Tomorrow’s World - Series of Underwater Short Programs - Lighting Cameraman. BBC Lake Atitlan Archaeological Expedition - Director of Underwater Photography. Corporacion Raxon Jimmy Johnson Underwater Spot for NFL - Director of Underwater Photography. Fox Sports - Florida Keys Underwater Live Satellite Uplink - Coral Reef Disease - Underwater Lighting Cameraman. The list goes on all the way back to 1985 when he first got work at the tender age of 16. The medical certificate identifies him as not exactly being in peak condition due to age-related instances and the early onset of athritis (he is about 39).

Bernhard Riese: a German who has traveled extensively throughout the world and is keen to recommence traveling once more. Coral Cay Conservation - BBC Tomorrow’s World - U/W Lighting Cameraman. BBC - Belize - Video Fish Book - Video Encyclopedia of Caribbean Fish - with David Attenborough. Vision Earth Society - Cayman Islands. There have been several others around the world that he has worked on since 1993.

Stuart Lees - Cameraman - Director of Photography. Also a BBC Staff trained (BBC Ealing Film Studios) Film Editor and BBC and ITV Staff Programme Director (drama, documentaries, multi camera, live studio, news and outside broadcast), English language commentary. Stuart has unusually broad experience in top quality documentary programme making. He offers these complementary skills and knowledge to enhance his camerawork. Multilingual - English/French/German. Shoot locations within the last year include: Paris, Rome, London, Johannesburg, Monaco, Vicenza, Nice, Durban, Sofia Antpolis, Cape Town, Livingstone (Zambia), Reims, Sancerre, Zug, (Switzerland) Fontainebleau, Barcelona, Dakar, Wimbledon, Mâcon, Alpe d'Huez, Les Gets, Geneva, Toulouse, Nyon - Switzerland etc. The medical certificate identifies him as not exactly being in peak condition due to age-related instances (he is about 52).

Jennifer Rose - Camerawoman - University educated with a PhD of Arts. Has a lot of relevant degrees in various tertiary institutions and a great number of diplomas but has little practical experience. Still, the medical certificate of hers seems quite good.

The last person's resume was quite poorly written and reveals very little.

[OOC: Sorry it took me so long to post here. Too many posts popping up in the other games! Also, no medical records for Bernhard Riese?]



Daniel calls someone he knows in the Berlin police to try to get the investigation into Ursula's daughter's disapperance fast-tracked. With the girl's suicidal tendencies, he knows that time is of the essence.

Carter manages to talk to a few of the higher-ups. He did, after all, aid the police union once upon a time through Ophidian's media resources.

The intercom crackles to life. "Hello, anybody here?" asks an unfamiliar male voice. German accent.

8:34

[OOC: Ack, ninja posting! Just assume the part above where I answered the intercom took place before that, please.]



"Guten Morgen," says Daniel. "I am Daniel Carter, from Ophidian Enterprises. My assistant Ursula Humboldt has a 15 year old daughter who has recently gone missing. I know that whoever is assigned to the case might be inclined to think that the girl has just gone off with friends or is playing hooky or something, but this particular girl has suicidal tendencies and has threatened to take her own life more than once. I feel time is of the essence in order to save the child's life, and you can imagine how distraught her mother is. I'd appreciate it if you could forward this information to the investigator on this case and stress the urgency of the matter." He speaks with all the eloquence he can muster, knowing that the girl's life is at stake.

When the intercom buzzes, Daniel answers in German: "Hello, Daniel Carter speaking. Who is this?"

Carter hears a quick assent on behalf of the police before being distracted by the intercom. After making his reply to the mysterious man, he hears:

"This is Charles Hubert, I'm here for an interview."

8:35.

First appointment isn't until 9:00.

"Thank you," says Daniel to the police. "Please keep me and Frau Homboldt informed on the progress of the investigation. Goodbye." He hangs up the phone and answers the intercom. "Ah, you're early. We might as well get started now, then. I'll buzz you in." He presses the button to open the door.

He puts his camera down and walks in the room, smiling at Mr.Carter.

Daniel Carter has a corner office, with a magnificent view of downtown Berlin out of tall windows on the rear and left walls. The right wall is taken up by bookshelves, containing volumes about accounting and finance, media relations - and some books from his native Ireland. These include Ulysses by James Joyce and a few books of poetry, among others. The desk which he sits behind is clean and orderly, and has all of the usual things one could find on a desk: a calendar, phone, in and out boxes (the former usually empty or nearly so, as he works quickly to clear any backlog before it can build up to unmanageable levels), and of course his computer. Ophdiian had spared no expense on this powerful desktop model that excelled at number-crunching, and the 22 inch widescreen flat panel monitor is sleek and elegant. There is almost nothing on the desk that isn't work-related, and he does not have any executive toys that are commonplace in corporate offices. The only thing out of place is a book of matches resting on the corner of the desk, near his right hand.

"Good morning, Mr. Hubert", says Daniel as he stands up. He walks over and shakes his hand firmly. "Please, have a seat." He indicates a comfortable chair in front of the desk, facing it. He sizes the candidate up, trying to get a read on him.

[OOC: Invisible Castle is down, so I'll roll physical dice: ]

He seems preoccupied about something as he sits down, like this interview had recently became a second priority.

Daniel sits down in his chair behind the desk and faces Charles, steepling his fingers. "I'm Daniel Carter, the Media Development Chief Marketing Officer here at Ophidian Enterprises. Why don't you start by telling me why you want this job, Mr. Hubert?"

"Well, I'd enjoy the travel. And of course I like the entire concept of the show, never have been that superstitious person," He says.

"The kind of traveling we'll be doing isn't the ordinary sort," says Daniel. "There are no luxury hotels or gourmet restaurants where we're going. It's a rough trek into the wilderness, far from civilization, and it's going to be grueling and challenging. Are you up for it? You'll need to be in top physical condition. Do you have any medical problems we should know about?"

"That's fine, I'm not accustomed to a high standard of living. I think I can handle the conditions. I'm in fairly good condition. I don't have any health problems that should be an issue."

"You used to work as a cameraman for a local news affiliate," says Daniel. "What were the circumstances behind your leaving that job?"

Knowing this would come up, he takes a deep breathe. "It was more of a who than a what sir. This girl, I believe her name was Melanie. She sent letters and called in bomb threats all the time, saying that she was doing it because of me. They said it was for 'morality issues', but I know why I was fired. She didn't hesitate to tell me."

"Are the police aware of this?" asks Daniel. "Have they done anything about her?"

"She's either very smart or very lucky, as it can't be proven she's done anything legally wrong. I haven't heard from her since my last move, so I figure she's either lost me, or finally cut herself a little too deep."

"Tell me what experience you've had that you feel makes you suitable for this expedition," says Daniel. "What field work have you done before?"

"I worked twenty hour days for a week during a search for a missing boy, but the majority of that was volunteer. I'd like to think that was a fairly good test of my endurance. I've done storm watches and once covered a hostage stand-off."

Daniel nods. "Have you ever done any camera work in other countries before?" he asks.

"Nothing except some home movies I made in France."

"Do you have a current passport?" asks Daniel. "What other languages besides German do you speak?"

"I believe so. I don't, but I could pick up the basics of whatever language you need."

"Russian is the language that's primarily spoken where we're going," says Daniel. "We've got a tight schedule, so there won't be all that much time to learn a language you have no experience with, but it's not as important that a cameraman know Russian as it would be for other jobs on the expedition. Is there anything else you'd care to add? We have a number of qualified candidates applying for this job. Tell me why we should choose you."

"Qualified," He thinks. He tries to take that blow in stride and says, "I'd just like you to remember that all those guys were in a position similar to mine, and somebody in your position had to take a chance on them."

"I never meant to imply that you weren't qualified," says Daniel. "I simply meant that the other candidates are just as qualified as you are. I'm asking why I should take the chance on you rather than on the others."

"One thing I've learned from my jobs is I'm very adaptable. I can do just about anything mechanically and electronically as far as cameras and audiovisual stuff is concerned. The station wasn't very well funded most of my career there, so we pretty much held onto any equipment we actually owned for dear life. If anything happens to any of the equipment I could probably fix it up if you aren't taking a repairman of some sort."

"We'd be very foolish if we didn't bring along any mechanics," says Daniel, "but it always helps to have an extra one. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?"

"No questions that wouldn't be more appropriate if I am hired."

"All right, then," says Daniel. He stands up, walks around the desk, and extends his hand. "Thank you, Herr Hubert. We'll let you know."

He stands up as he shakes Daniel's hand. "Nice to meet you," He says. With that, he turns around and starts to leave.

"Likewise," says Daniel. After shaking Charles Hubert's hand, he goes back behind his desk and sits down again.

Hubert returns to the reception room and to his own thread.

Once the door is locked again, Daniel gets on the intercom and speaks to personnel. "This is Daniel Carter, Funding Body Advisor and Media Liaison on the 14th floor," he says. "My personal assistant, Ursula Humboldt, had to take some personal leave unexpectedly. Can you please assign a temp to me for at least one day, possibly more?"

"Of course, Mr. Carter, we'll have a temp up there right away. If I remember rightly you enjoyed Ms. Chiang's work? She has a few hours to spare before she's rostered on to work with Mr. Horst and that should give us enough time to sort out a more longer lasting arrangement. Would this work for you?" asked the Staffing Assistant, Ms. Walsh.

"Yes, thank you," says Daniel. "That would work very well."

"Very well, she should be here in around ten minutes," says Ms. Walsh. "Good bye."

"Goodbye," says Daniel. Because Charles Hubert was early for the first interview, he has plenty of time before the next one. He starts out by reviewing the files on the site in Kamchatka that is the expedition's destination, going over its history and the strange phenomena that have been observed there.

A set of information on his laptop identified the various macarbe locations where the Liltian Tablets have each been found, largely by accident. In the top desk drawer, sits a copy of the newly published Translations of the Kamchatka Expedition Diary that Carter has read on several previous occasions. There is also a sheath of papers that give the run-down on the well-known bizarre scientific phenomena in the region.

Irina Chaikovskaya? thinks Daniel as he reads the diary. She's probably related to Natasha Chaikovskaya. I'll have to ask her about it the next time I see her. Next he takes out the notebook he keeps of his experiences in the Room and rereads it. In the unlikely event that anyone else read it, it would merely seem to be a diary of a recurring nightmare, but he knows there is more to it than that.

The first time it was like fainting away, or the world fading away, and he was standing facing a door in a room with pink wall paper. There was a scent to the air - not stale, not like one would assume. It had that smell that rooms often got after being vacuumed with just a hint of perfume in the air. He still hadn't managed to trace exactly what brand of perfume, but it had smelled exotic. Before the moment where he faced the door, he had been making himself a coffee in his home, with the thoughts of that lady's death echoing in his mind but no expectations. Not of this. It felt so real.

OOC: Let's play this out, flashback-style. Give you a chance to experience it.

Is this a dream? thinks Daniel as he looks around the room in wonder. Did I pass out? Must be the power of suggestion that inspired this, what Angela told me before she died. Was it really just a day and a half ago? It feels like so much longer. He starts by examining the door before him, then looks at the wallpaper and checks for any furnishings or other things of interest in the room.

The door doesn't just seem locked. It seems sealed. As though it weren't attached to the door frame, so much as existing as a part of it. The pink wallpaper is merely striped. It looks like the kind of thing you would see in a young girl's bedroom. Turning, he sees the creamy ceiling, the creamy curtains hanging shut in front of what he presumes is a window. There is a four-poster bed, draped in pink-and-cream sashes. The pillows have gold tassels at the corners. The blanket is a bright red, tucked beneath the mattress. There is a ginger tabby kitten sitting curled up in the middle of the pillows.

Opposing the bed is a white desk with a high-backed chair pulled in front of it, and an open coloring book with an image of a tree on one page and a ginger cat with large red eyes on the other. Crayons and pencils sit next to it. The brand names seem to have been scraped off of them. The pencil peelings, and a cigarette butt, sit in an otherwise empty wire wastepaper bin beside the desk. There are no drawers on the desk.

There is a white wardrobe. A white dressing table with only a tube of lipstick and a blush compact sitting before the mirror that reflects the room somewhat blurrily.

The floor is covered in a plush, red carpet.

The overhead light had a gold-edged, creamy-colored shade.

There is a seat beside the bed with a glass of what appears to be water sitting on top of it. There is another cigarette sitting beside this.

There is also a coat rack containing a long, red coat.

And standing before the bed is a tripod, much as one might mount a camera upon, though there is no camera in sight.

This can't be a little girl's room, thinks Daniel, not with the cigarettes. He tries to open the door experimentally, not really expecting to be able to do so. Then he walks over to the window, pulls the curtains open, and looks out.

The door doesn't open. The curtains can't be shifted - they are hard and unyielding - and they seem to be bunched up well enough to block his view when he tries to peer up from underneath. All he can see is the darkness of the window glass and nothing beyond it.

Daniel looks at the cat on the bed next. "What's your name?" he asks, checking to see if there's a name on its collar. "Are you the same kitty in the coloring book?" He looks to see what color the real cat's eyes are and if it resembles the one in the drawing before turning to the wardrobe and trying to open it and look inside.

On closer inspection he sees the kitten is a stuffed animal, albeit one that radiates warmth much as a real kitten might. Its eyes are closed and cannot be opened. The drawings are largely of a mundane nature - mostly wild life and happy families. All are drawn as though with a child's hand.

Daniel tries to open the wardrobe and look inside.

The wardrobe contains two coat hangers, a small pile of cigarette butts in the corner and nothing else.

Shrugging, Daniel turns away from the wardrobe. "Hello?" he calls loudly. "Is anyone here?" He examines the coat next, checking its pockets to see what, if anything, is in them.

There is a piece of red tinsel, a piece of gum in its individual red wrapper and a playing card. An ace of diamonds. It seems to be very small - perhaps belonging to a child of around eight years?

Daniel crouches down and peers under the bed to see if there's anything there.

A scrunched up piece of paper. A pair of wire frame glasses too big for even Carter's head. A red mobile phone.

Daniel reaches under the bed, retrieves tha piece of paper, and opens it up to see what's written on it. Then he takes the mobile phone and flips it open.

The piece of paper is smudged with splatters of water that has long since dried. It has the words: I love you, written on it, along with a lipstick kiss the same color as the piece of lipstick on the dressing table. The mobile phone flips open but there doesn't appear to be any bars -- you must be out of range.

Daniel checks to see if there are any saved messages or other files of interest on the mobile.

There are numerous photographs of about a hundred people, each taken within the room, and with no two photographs of the same person. There were no text messages or audio files registered. The dial tone currently selected was exceedingly feminine and childish.

Daniel uses the mobile to take a photo of himself, then looks through the photos on it for one of Angela.

Its the second most recent photograph. The most recent, other than the one he just took of himself, is that of an unfamiliar man.

Daniel makes a mental note of what the other faces look like. Out of curiosity, he looks at the last few faces, paying special attention to the last one. That must be the first person who was in this room, he thinks. Then he looks through the pages of the coloring book to see what other images are there and if anything is written on them.

The last few faces seem to depict a group of brunettes in their early teens. The very last one is an older man. Few of the faces seem to be regarding the mobile phone and most seem to be in the midst of speaking when their photographs were taken.

The drawings are largely of a mundane nature - mostly wild life and happy families. All are drawn as though with a child's hand. There are no words written on them though there are a few lonely letters placed on random pages.

Daniel walks over to the mirror and peers into it, to see what his own face and the rest of the room look like when reflected in it.

It's like peering into a reflective surface of water. The rest of the room seems to ripple and his own face seems somewhat blurred. From somewhere within the room, music starts, and he had come back to his senses, as though not a second additional had passed, still pouring that coffee.

Daniel sets the coffee down quickly before he spills it. His hands are shaking uncontrollably after his experience. He fumbles in his pocket and pulls out a matchbook, then takes one of the matches and strikes it. It takes a few tries considering how jittery he is, but he finally gets it to light. He focuses his vision on the flame and begins to take deep breaths. Once he calms down sufficiently, he blows out the match and tosses it in the rubbish bin. Then he goes to get a notebook and a pen, so he can write down every detail he remembers.

That was the main sum of it that was written down in his notebook. On different occasions, there were different ... changes. Twice there was an SMS on the phone that seemed to be for him and from someone, but such messages seemed to be near gibberish. On one occasion, the picture book seemed to contain pictures of his childhood hand and the pictures had bizarrely shaped hands much as Carter used to draw back when he was little.

Next, Daniel reviews the background and personnel files of the other members of the expedition.

Carter is interrupted by a buzz on the the intercom. "Hi, I'll be your temp for the next few hours. Seems the first few interviewees are here already. Shall I buzz the first one in?"

"Yes, thank you, Miss Chiang," replies Daniel. "Please do."

As he waits a few moments for the potential cameraman to enter, his gaze brushes over the personnel files for Natasha Chaikovskaya.

A stout fellow with brilliant green eyes enters, teeth flashing white, as he approaches the desk and reaches out to shake Carter's hand. "Carl Noether, your new cameraman."

Daniel Carter rises and shakes Carl Noether's hand. "I'm Daniel Carter, the Media Development Chief Marketing Officer here at Ophidian Enterprises." he says. "I appreciate that you're confident, but it has yet to be decided who our new cameraman - or woman - will be. Please, have a seat." He motions to the chair across from the desk while studying the man, getting a decent read on him.

Carl Noether smoothly picks up the chair, spins it around and sits so that his crotch is facing the back of the chair and his legs jut out from under the arms. He seems to be trying to put his best foot forward ... and his best foot, in his mind, seems to involve his ego first and foremost. "If you hire me, you will most assuredly get the peace of mind you deserve. I am skilled, I have experience, and I am eager to try out this fascinating expedition, Danny, may I call you Danny?"

Well, if this guy's half as good as he thinks he is... thinks Daniel. "I think it would be best to keep things professional for this interview, Mr. Noether," he says. "If you are hired, there will be plenty of opportunities to socailize and things may get less formal. So, what exactly about this expedition fascinates you? Why do you want to join it?"

"The place sounds like a dream, or a nightmare, and I want in on seeing the whole scene unfold, be right there, capturing it and the lovely lady presenter," he says with a smile. He holds his hands up, making a grand gesture. "Milly LeCrique, Science Geek."

"So you're a fan of hers?" says Daniel. "I can't stress enough that this expedition will be physically grueling. There will be a lot of hiking involved, and we'll all need to carry heavy equipment. We need every member to be in top physical condition. Are you in good shape? Do you have any medical problems we should know about?"

Noether gives him a wry look. "Did you want me to flex for you or you okay with just taking my word for it? Because I am at my peak. Absolute peak. Grueling? Schmueling. There ain't nothing I can't handle. I haven't been up a mountain before but I do a daily physical fitness regimen that I'd call grueling."

"That's good," says Daniel, "but you neglected to mention your early onset arthritis. That's a medical problem we ought to know about. How does it affect you?"

"Ah, yeah, that, it's not doing so bad, I try to keep myself limbre, it's really a very ignorable condition," says Noether, scratching the back of his head.

"I hope so," says Daniel. "This expedition will push even people in perfect health to their limits. I see from your resume that you have a lot of experience. What about it do you feel makes you particularly suitable for this expedition?"

"I've been involved in a series of underwater programs. I've been on an archaeological expedition before, not mountaineering, but still. I've been involved in a lot. Like I keep telling you, I'm your man. I'm the one you want to deal with here." Noether gives a shrug.

"I see that you've been on expeditions in other countries before," says Daniel, "so your passport is current, correct? What other languages do you speak, and how fluent are you in them?"

"Ah, only German, English and a bit of French, actually," he says, rubbing the back of his neck as though irritated by a question he can't impressively answer.

"Well, for this particular position it isn't essential that you speak Russian, though it would be a plus," says Daniel. "What other useful skills do you bring to the table? Can you maintain and repair your equipment? Do you have any medical skills, EMT training, or the like?"

"I don't have any maintenance training, no, but that's what mechanics and electricians are for, right?" Noether asks brightly. "I do have an advanced first aid certificate."

"It's always good to have someone who can do double duty and act as backup just in case the person primarily responsible for something is indisposed," says Daniel. "That first aid training could be useful. Is there anything you'd care to add to what you've already said? You're not the only qualified candidate applying for this position. Tell me why we should choose you."

"You should choose me because I'm enthusiastic, intelligent and capable," says Noether. "I have plenty of experience, can help with first aid, and can bring a little sunshine to what will doubtless be a grueling trip."

"Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?" asks Daniel.

"Not really, I did my research on this trip before coming here," Noether says with a languid smile.

"Then we're done here," says Daniel. He stands back up and shakes Noether's hand again. "It was nice to meet you, Herr Noether. Thank you for your interest. We'll let you know."

"Thanks," says Noether, giving him a firm shake. "Look forward to hearing from you." He swaggers to open the door, pausing as he yanks it open. "Oh fuck!" He turns back to Daniel, looking confused.

"Herr Noether, what's wrong?" asks Daniel.

Noether just closes the door. He seems very pale. He slowly turns around, his eyes bulging, and looks like he's going to be sick. He darts to the bin near the desk and vomits up a rainbow into the wire wastepaper basket.

"Are you ill?" asks Daniel. "We have medical people on staff who can help. Would you like me to call them?"

"Call the police," says Noether, then ducks his head again to vomit. He has a harrowed look in his eyes.

Daniel doesn't hesitate. He gets on the intercom and speaks to security. "This is Daniel Carter on 14," he says quickly. "Herr Noether was on his way out following his interview when he saw something in the outer office that sickened him. He didn't say what it was, he just said to call the police." While he awaits a reply from security, he looks back at Noether. "Ophidian Security can get here a lot faster than the police, but they'll call them as well. What happened? What did you see out there?"

"We just got off from your personal assistant," says the security officer. "There's stab victims ... dead ... out in the foyer from your room."

"Mein Gott!" exclaims Daniel, so used to speaking in German that he reacts in that language. "Is Miss Chiang all right? How could this have happened?"

"Thank you," says Daniel. "We'll both wait here until you tell us it's safe." He gets off of the intercom and addresses Carl Noether. "We'll have to remain in this office until either the man is caught or it's confirmed that he's left the building. Don't worry, we'll be safe in here. The door can't be opened from outside except by security, and both it and the glass are bulletproof."

"Oh, oh shit, oh shit, I can't stand the sight of that much blood," says Noether. "What the fuck? I mean, what the fuck? You never said there'd be an attempt on our lives!"

"Please try to stay calm," says Daniel. "I had no idea this was going to happen, and we don't know that this was an attempt on our lives. If it was, it would be foolish to try while we were locked in a secure office. I don't know who did this or why yet. I'm rather high profile, so the possibility of someone trying to do me harm goes with the territory. That's why we've taken these precautions, but we didn't know of any specific threats. I doubt anyone would be targeting you specifically at any rate, Herr Noether, but I did not think you would be one to fear danger. Your previous underwater work and the expedition to Kamchatka are both dangerous, though not in the same way, of course."

"All the other cameramen who were waiting to be interviewed are dead," says Noether, enunciating every word as though he thought Carter were slow. "All of them. I had been talking to them not ten minutes earlier. You think that ain't pretty targeted?" He begins to pace. "If I were still out there..." He runs his hands briskly through his hair. "Oh man! Oh..."

"I didn't know that," says Daniel. "I hadn't looked out there, so I didn't see what you did, and you wouldn't tell me when I asked you. I didn't know the other candidates had all arrived yet, but there's at least one other candidate still alive. I interviewed him earlier, and he left before you arrived. I don't know why anyone would do such a thing. I can't imagine someone wanting the job that badly. Whatever his motives, the security cameras will have picked him up, and security and the police will track him down."

"Hopefully the authorities will catch him," says Daniel. "If he remains at large, Ophidian can provide security if you're hired, and the police can protect you while you're in Berlin. The other candidate for this job that I interviewed isn't even aware of the danger yet." He gets back on the intercom to security. "This is Daniel Carter again. I'm sorry to disturb you, but it's possible that the other man I interviewed this morning, Charles Hubert, is in danger as well. Herr Noether told me that all of the other candidates for the camera operator position who were waiting their turn were killed, so it's possible that the killer could go after either of these two men and they will need protection. I don't know Herr Hubert's current whereabouts, so the police should try to find him."

"Understood," says the security person.

"I-I don't know, I don't know if I can do this, I-I don't know," says Noether.

"Nobody's forcing you to take the job," says Daniel. I don't know if he can do this either, he thinks. "You may of course withdraw your application if you wish. We do still have at least one more applicant for the position. In the meantime, we'll wait here until we get the all clear. The authorities shouldn't take long to catch this man. He carried out this attack in broad daylight, and there not only are witnesses, but the security cameras will have him on tape. If he hasn't already gotten out of the building, they'll get him here. And if he did get out, I doubt he'll get far. If it would make you feel safer, you could always leave Berlin if you want, once the police have taken your statement and given the okay."

"N-no, I want the job, I mean ... I mean," says Noether. He runs his hands through his hair. "Oh shit."

"All right, then, you're still in the running," says Daniel. "Please try to stay callm." He glances over at the matchbook on his desk. "Maybe I should light a scented candle. That always calms me down."

"Yeah, yeah, good idea, I mean, yeah... I mean, oh shit, I mean, oh shit..." Noether begins to pace. "I mean, why the fuck ain't they here all ready?"

"They're probably just being careful and systematic," says Daniel, taking a scented candle out of his desk drawer and placing it on his desk. "They know that we're perfectly safe as long as we stay in here, so they can take their time and make sure this creep doesn't slip past them or sneak up behind them. There are also other employees who are not in such a secure location, and they need to be seen to first." He lights a match, cupping it in his hands for a second, and then lights the candle. The fragrance of cinnamon and apples wafts through the office, but more than that it is watching the flame itself that helps him feel more at ease.

"Personally, I think you'll be safer here for now," says Daniel. "Security said to stay off the line so they can notify everyone else to stay in their offices. I can't really make them do anything. They know best how to assure our safety, and I can't tell them how to do their job. As soon as it's safe to leave, they'll let us know. It wouldn't be good to rush them, as that could compromise our safety. If it's necessary, I'm sure the police can provide protection for you once you leave. You are a witness, after all, and they'll certainly want to take your statement."

"Security has already called the police, and they're on their way," says Daniel. "We just have to wait for them to sweep the building and make sure it's safe."

"I can't stay in here, it's making me claustrophobic," says Loether, his pacing increasing. "Please, you gotta let me out. I can't breathe... I can't breathe..." He approaches the window and peers through, the curtain pulled back, then turns away, retching once more.

"I'm sure it won't be that much longer," says Daniel. "However frightened an enclosed space makes you, it's a lot safer in here than it is out there, at least for now. I'll contact security one more time and get an update." He gets on the intercom again. "This is Daniel Carter. I'm sorry to bother you again, but Herr Noether is feeling rather unwell and is anxious to get out of this room as soon as he can. Any word on how long before someone arrives?"

There is no response.

"What the fuck?" asks Noether. "What the fuck is going on? Can they unlock the doors from there? Can whoever it is unlock the doors from down there?"

"The door lock can be opened from Security, yes," says Daniel. "If you think the killer somehow got into Security and overpowered whoever was in there, don't worry. I can override it from here and keep the door locked. I don't know why nobody's answering, but I'll speak to the police directly and let them know." He picks up the phone and calls the police, checking to ensure that the office door remains locked.

Daniel is quickly assured by the police that they are on the way and a patrol car is almost at the site.

"What's taking everybody so long?" demands Noether.

"In a stressful situation such as this, time seems to slow down," says Daniel. "It's probably only been a couple of minutes since this started." He checks his watch. "The police are coming and are almost here, and Berlin rush hour traffic won't slow them down like it would you or I, since they'll be coming in with their lights and sirens."

The intercom buzzes and another security officer starts speaking. "Hello? Mr. Carter? It appears that the murderor has already left the premises. Unfortunately, the police have advised that you find some way of keeping yourself busy for the next few hours as they would prefer the crime scene be uncontaminated. If you do wish to leave the room, they are willing to escort you but prefer that you don't re-enter until they have finished their analysis."

"Thank you," says Daniel into the intercom. "I know that Herr Noether would like to leave as soon as possible. While I do have plenty of work to do, I'd prefer not to be a prisoner in my own office if I don't have to be, so I'll leave when he does. I'll just bring everything I need with me." He turns to Noether, explaining what he has just been told. "Someone will be along to escort us out shortly." He collects his laptop, which has copies of all of the files he may need, as well as a wireless modem that will allow him to remotely connect to Ophidian's network and email. Then he places the paper documents he has been reviewing this morning in his briefcase so he can take them with him.

Within five minutes, he is buzzed by security saying that the police were waiting to escort him out of the office. He is warned to cup his eyes so that he can only see the ground as he walks as the gruesome sight will be more than upsetting.

Daniel blows out the candle, puts it back in the desk drawer, and pockets the matchbook. "Okay, we're leaving now," he replies into the intercom. He gathers his things, then tells Noether what security told him. "The police will escort us out now." He opens the door and follows Noether out of the office, being sure to cup his eyes as he was advised. Finding Angela out there was bad enough, he thinks. I don't need to see any more blood and death in the outer office.

There is a foul scent of feces intermingled in the stink of blood and bile that assails his nostrils as he walks through toward the elevator. He can see splatters of drying blood on the carpet before his feet as he marches silently forward. Noether stays silent as they are taken to the elevator and down to the lobby.

"We'd like to speak to you both in connection with the murders. Would you two mind coming down to the station?" asked the heavy-set Kriminalpolizei (plain-clothes detective) who had come to greet him now that he is out of the elevator.

"Of course I'll come to the station, Detective," says Daniel. "I'll do whatever I can to help, and Ophidian's resources are at your disposal. I'm sure the security video footage will be useful."

The Kriminalpolizei nods. "If you could head directly to my station, it'd be very much appreciated. I'll give you a few minutes to clear your schedule and expect to see you down there shortly. Mr. Loether, if you will..." He gestures toward the front doors.

"I can probably handle that during the ride to the station if I go with you now," says Daniel, taking out his mobile. "The rest of the morning was supposed to be taken up with interviewing those unfortunate people who were in the outer office, so my schedule is already cleared for the next couple of hours. I can call Miss Chiang and let her know, and have her rearrange the rest of my day if you think it will take longer."

"It will probably take the better part of the day," says the Kriminalpolizei. "If you are free to come with us at this very moment, then you're more than welcome to. Otherwise, come as soon as you are able. I'm aware that you are a very busy man."

"Thank you, Detective," says Daniel, "but the most important thing I can be doing today is to help you catch this killer. I'll come with you now." He dials the extension for personnel on his mobile phone. "This is Daniel Carter. I'm going to the police station to assist in the investigation of the murders in my outer office. Please tell Miss Chiang when she is available to clear my schedule for the rest of the day, and to make whatever resources the police require available."

"Very well, sir," says the man working at Personnel.

The Kriminalpolizei leads him outside to where two police cars, lights flashing, flank an unidentified black car - the multiple antennae poking out of the bonnet identifies it as an undercover police car.

"I didn't see anything, though," says Loether, sounding like an upset child.

"This shouldn't take long," said the Kriminalpolizei.

[OOC: I think you mean unmarked car. Generally undercover cars aren't supposed to be identifiable. ]



Daniel follows the plainclothes detective to the car, getting inside when he is told to do so.

Daniel and Loether are instructed to get into the back of the unmarked car and the two Kriminalpolizei get in the front. Another police car arrives and two polizeihauptwachtmeiser get out and approach the Ophidian doors, dressed in their trademark forest-green jacket, brown trousers, yellow shirt and white cap, with a single green star on their shoulder straps that mark them as the lowest rank.

"Sorry, I forgot to give you our names. I am Oberkommissar Ackerman, and both I and the hauptkommissar here, have been assigned to this case," said Ackerman, once they were safely esconsed in the vehicle. He starts driving. "The station isn't far from here though it may take some time to sort this thing out."

"Thank you, Herr Oberkommissar," says Daniel. "Do you have a description of the murderer yet, and has he been identified?"

"We'll talk about this more down at the station," says Oberkommissar Ackerman, his eyes flicking to the rearview mirror.

"All right," says Daniel. He glances out the rear window, unsure if Ackerman looked in the rearview mirror at him or at something in the road behind them. He then looks back at Ackerman, trying to get an impression of him, but he is difficult to read.

The drive to the police station is silent and tense. There's something about the two detectives. Ackerman seems nice enough but his colleague's fingers keep tightening into fists. Daniel can't be sure what's going on between the two men, however. Ackerman drives the car down a small side road and then turns the car around to enter an underground parking lot sitting beneath the building in the police car park. He then gets out of the parked car, with his colleague, and opens the door for Daniel and Loether to get out.

Daniel gets out of the police car and stretches his legs, taking a look at Ackerman's colleague and studying his actions, wondering what's making him so nervous.

They are led into an elevator, up and into the kriminalpolizei floor, where dozens of men and women in suits sit at computers in their cubicles, talking on phones, typing on their keyboards or hovering around the coffee machine. Ackerman pushes aside the slatted rail divider and leads them through the large area and down a corridor where a man behind a counter oversees a wooden bench. Another kriminalpolizei comes hurrying down the corridor after them.

"Ackerman!" the fellow calls out. "I need to quickly chat to you."

"Hauptkommissar Fischer?" Ackerman asks, looking slightly confused. He turns back to Loether and Daniel. "Please, sit a moment. I'll be back." He and his fellow kriminalpolizei march off to speak to Fischer, further inside the corridor, casting furtive glances at the two. Unfortunately, Carter can't hear what they're saying and neither can Loether.

Daniel sits as he is bidden, steepling his fingers and observing the goings-on and the conversation between Fischer and Ackerman. He of course knows who Fischer is, considering his own work with the Berlin police in the past and the man's high rank, and he is quite certain Fischer knows who he is as well. But what does Fischer think of him? Daniel watches him closely in an effort to find out.

The look on Fischer's face is one of concern and slight confusion. Whatever he is talking about, it seems quite important. Hauptkommisar Fischer is a good cop, one of the best, without the slightest taint of scandal or corruption about him. Of course, that meant that Daniel Carter would have no sway over him should he wish to force the cops to ignore him during their investigations, though such tactics hardly seemed necessary at this point. As Daniel muses, he notices Fischer slip Ackerman a photograph and a piece of paper. The photograph seems to be of a man's arm, a close up of the wrist and hand section, and there's something written across it... Carter can't tell what it is from this distance. From the cubicle at the far end of the corridor, sits a dirt-smeared vagabond wearing a hoodie that shrouds his face, who sits and stares at Daniel and no one else.

Daniel looks curiously at the vagabond, meeting his gaze and trying to figure out why this stranger is so interested in him.

The vagabond slowly shakes his head and gives a little shrug. He reaches over to the desk that is currently vacant, picks up a pen and a piece of paper, and writes something down. Having done this, he catches Daniel's eye, crumples up the piece of paper and drops it in the waste paper basket.

Something in the conversation between the three kriminalpolizei makes the unnamed officer snort. A fourth fellow comes into the corridor. "Hauptkommissar Fischer? Danisch wants to see you, sir."

"Very well," says Hauptkommissar Fischer, following him out of the corridor.

The remaining two kriminalpolizei approach the two men on the bench. "Loether? You're up," says the unnamed kriminalpolizei with a scowl in a voice that sounds somewhat a snarl. He gestures to Interrogation Room 3 with his thumb.

[OOC: Did Noether's last name change when I wasn't looking? ]



Daniel waits for Noether to stand and enter the interrogation room. Once he and his escorts have gone, Daniel rises and walks over to the wastebasket, taking a stray piece of lint from his pocket as he does. He leans over the basket and casually puts the lint inside, palming the piece of paper at the same time and slipping it into his pocket on his way back to his seat. After he sits down, he pulls the paper from his pocket as if it had been there the whole time, straightens it out, and reads it.

His lack of history with palming things left him feeling uncertain whether any of the other police noticed his action, but as no one was moving towards him, it seemed safe enough to read it.

The note says:

Daniel puzzles over the words as he folds up the paper and returns it to his pocket. He looks back at the vagabond to see what he does next.

The vagabond simply rises and starts out of the police station without a backward glance.

Daniel takes his mobile phone out of his pocket and discreetly uses it to take a picture of the vagabond, then flips it open and checks his messages, as if that were the reason he had taken it out in the first place.

Time begins to slog passed. The police officer at the nearby desk goes over some paperwork.

"Excuse me, Officer," says Daniel. "Did you notice that the vagabond who had been sitting here waiting just left the station? He wasn't a suspect, was he?"

The officer looks up, eyes narrowed in confusion. "Vagabond?" He looks over in the direction of the police cubicles, peering down the corridor. "Which vagabond?"

"There was a man sitting over there earlier," says Daniel, "but he left." He describes the man he saw. "Maybe you didn't notice him. He was acting a bit strangely. I thought maybe he was waiting here to be interrogated for something."

"Well, if he were waiting for interrogations he'd be sitting here, not at a kriminalpolizei's desk," the man says with a shrug.

"Yeah, that's what struck me as odd, that he was at that desk," says Daniel. He shrugs. "It was probably nothing." He reviews the picture he snapped on his mobile phone to see if the man's image was really recorded there.

The man's image appears on the mobile phone.

"I took a picture of him on my mobile, just in case it was important," adds Daniel.

The man looks somewhat annoyed. "I'm sure he wouldn't have been let passed the uniforms to get all the way up here unless he had proper business and I'm also sure the kriminalpolizei wouldn't let some stranger sit at their desks without good reason. But if it'll help you sit quietly, I'll take a look."

"I'm sure you're right," says Daniel. "I just meant that the picture is here if you want to see it, but you don't have to if you don't want to. I'll sit quietly and wait regardless."

Ten minutes creep slowly by.

While he waits, Daniel uses his mobile to connect to the Internet, sliding out the miniature keyboard. He searches for any information he can find on the "Mother of Awakening" that the vagabond had mentioned in the note. Maybe this guy was just crazy, he thinks, but I've seen enough strange things to know that there could be something behind this.

The Mother of Awakening, when Googled, takes him first to a sponsored site called the Chapel of the Grief-Stricken Mother. This website describes:

Most of us have suffered the loss of a loved one, and as we age, it is likely that all of us will. Relationships are an essential part of what we, as humans, need to survive, and as we go through life, we will develop strong and significant connections with not just people, but also places and possessions we encounter along the way.

Grief is the emotion we feel when an important relationship ends (or is interrupted). Commonly the ending is caused by death, but grief can also be felt when a relationship is lost as a result of divorce, relocation, fire or theft. We don't grieve for all lost relationships; only those that have, for one reason or another, become meaningful to us over time - people we love or admire (family, partners, friends, teachers), and places or things we treasure (a house you grew up in, a photo, a family heirloom). When these people or things are gone, we often feel grief.

It then goes into a description of how spirituality can help, particularly in a support group, and that the Chapel of the Grief-Stricken Mother provides such a support group. The imagery on the web site involves a lot of wilted bouquets and pictures of depressed people. There is a part of the web page that is member's only and requires both user name and password.

There is also a time and day for the services. Wednesday, three hours before dawn, at 32 Gruber Street, Kreuzberg.

Interesting, thinks Daniel, but what does it have to do with "Awakening"? He looks through the site to see if there are any references to it, and then he checks out the other links that came up on his search.

OOC: The links provided here are just for flavor. Yes, they do go to the sites indicated. However, they may not necessarily take Daniel Carter to those sites (some will, as they are red herrings, some may not).

There are no references to any Mother of Awakening in the website but it must have been listed as one of the search terms because it's the first link he finds. There are a number of other web sites he could search through...

Pictures of Mother Nature's Awakening - Nikon D200 Phase One P20 ...
20 Apr 2008 ... While Mother Nature can put on some spectacular shows at sunset, she can equally do the same at sunrise. In this scene the whole valley was ...
http://www.usefilm.com/image/1419474.html - 44k - Cached - Similar pages

Kate Chopin's "The Awakening"
Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, written in 1899, is not technically a short ... Chopin observes that "Mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle. ...
http://www.storybites.com/Chopinawakening2.htm - 9k - Cached - Similar pages

Awakening Your Christ Consciousness — Blogs, Pictures, and more on ...
Tags: Spiritual, embedded knowledge, Native American, Mother Earth, awakening, enlightenment, Inspiration, wisdom of the elders, good advise for trying ...
wordpress.com/tag/awakening-your-christ-consciousness/ - 34k - Cached - Similar pages

Edna Pontellier of The Awakening: A Woman before Her Time Essay by ...
The way the different male characters treat her reminds her that she will never happily fit into the role of a wife and mother, therefore awakening her. ...
http://www.bookrags.com/essay-2004/7/14/203134/854 - 30k - Cached - Similar pages

Abortion Hurts - Silent Rain Drops: Awakening on Mother's Day
I thought about Awakening on Mother’s Day, even in the middle of my own little pity party, which I throw for myself every year at about this time. ...
abortionhurts.blogspot.com/2005/05/awakening-on-mothers-day.html - 28k - Cached - Similar pages

Awakened Woman
The Dark Goddess is not simply a Hindu Goddess but the universal form of the Mother, who is the real ruler of the world. The awakening to the Goddess that ...
http://www.awakenedwoman.com/ - 47k - Cached - Similar pages

Will Iraq's Great Awakening Lead to a Nightmare?
11 Dec 2007 ... US casualties are down in Iraq. But a retired Army Colonel argues that the surge and American payoffs to Sunni tribal leaders may eventually ...
http://www.motherjones.com/commentary/c ... anbar.html - 83k - Cached - Similar pages

As Daniel expected, most of the links have nothing to do with what he's looking for and merely came up because keywords were present on the sites or in the URLs. Yet one of the links looks like exactly the sort of weird and esoteric stuff that the note was talking about. He clicks on the link to Awakened Woman.

Awakened Woman
The Dark Goddess is not simply a Hindu Goddess but the universal form of the Mother, who is the real ruler of the world. The awakening to the Goddess that ...
http://www.awakenedwoman.com/ - 47k - Cached - Similar pages

The website describes a nameless deity who weeps and walks through the Earth, seeking to draw together dead loved ones, so that even in a world with a paradise shattered by the fury of a wrathful male god, the dead could be together. There is a poem, though, that seems to identify this deity with La Larona. The poem describes a woman who had several children. Little innocent children. And because the rich man she loved did not want the children and so spurned her, she killed them. One dark night, when the clouds covered the moon so that she could not be seen, she took them to the river, and perhaps stabbed them first, or perhaps just threw them in, but she drowned them all. Then she returned to the rich man, her white nightgown stained with their blood, and begged him to take her in. But again, he spurned her, for she was poor and wretched. And then she realized what she had done. She ran back to the river, to her children, but they were dead. And then La Llorona threw herself into the water and took her own life.

The poem describes the false story others believe: that God cursed her for murdering innocents. He forced her to walk the world, crying and searching for her children, dragging down others to a watery grave if they crossed her tear stained path. And they say she found a new lover. El Diablo. He gave her his pets, Los Cadejos, as friends to accompany her in her travels.

However, the truth to the story was that La Larona, when she murdered her children, and returned to her husband, was gifted a vision from the Dark Mother. She saw in his eyes that she would never be near her children again. That those who die apart are doomed to wonder, forever alone, forever abandoned. The only way to be near them was to call them near and die, by your own hands, when they are closest. Seeing that she did not deserve her own children, she instead decided to roam the land in spirit form, finding the lost souls of dead mothers who sought their children and bringing them children to call their own - either by locating their own children or bringing them new ones. She weeps for sorrow at those she could not bring together, dead mothers whose children were already dead and lost to them, and for joy at bringing new families to be together.

That's probably what that strange man was on about, thinks Daniel. It's a much better fit than the other sites that came up on that search. He checks his email, and then reviews the personnel files he had brought with him from the office. He starts with any additional material he had on Carl Noether, and then he goes over the files of people who are already part of the expedition.

Carter can hearsome kind of disturbance in one of the interrogation rooms. A loud crack and then a man's scream that is cut off mid-way through. No one else seems to have heard it ... either that, or they're steadfastly ignoring it.

[OOC: Is this the interrogation room that Noether is in, or a different one?]



Daniel leaps to his feet and points at the interrogation room door. "Officer, there's trouble in there!" he says. "I heard a crack that might have been bone breaking and a man's scream suddenly cut off. It sounds like a suspect has gotten violent, and your fellow officers may need backup."

As he speaks, the door to Interrogation Room 3, the one Noether had entered, opens and three men walk out. The first two are the kriminalpolizei who had brought him here. The third man seems unfamiliar - he's tall, chubby, and his skin glistens with sweat. There's something odd about the third man's eyes, though Carter can't tell at this distance what it is.

"What was that noise?" asks Daniel. "What happened to Herr Noether?"

The third man re-enters the interrogation room. The two kriminalpolizei come over to him. "Herr Carter? Come with us, please. We just need to ask you a few questions and then you can be on your way."

"Yes, of course," says Daniel, "but what happened? Is Herr Noether all right? Why hasn't he come out?"

"Herr Noether is just answering a few more questions with a specialist on the case," says Oberkommissar Ackerman with a brief smile.

The other kriminalpolizei simply frowns at Carter as though he didn't so much as have the right to ask.

"Right this way, we'll use Room 2," says Oberkommissar Ackerman.

[You never said whether the sounds came from Room 3 or one of the other rooms.]



"Certainly," says Daniel, following along. He couldn't very well refuse, but he knows something odd is going on. If Noether were still being questioned, Ackerman and the others would have remained in the room. Had he gotten violent and needed to be forcibly restrained? he thinks. It doesn't seem like him, but then again I just met the guy this morning.

The sound seemed to have come from either Interrogation Room 2 or 3, likely 3.

Interrogation Room 2 has pale green walls up to about head-height, above which the walls are white and ceiling are white. The table is heavy, scarred wood. The three heavy chairs are arranged so that there is one chair near the lamp, and two others on the opposing side. The one chair also faces a darkened mirror. The two kriminalpolizei indicates that one seat.

One-way window, thinks Daniel as he looks at the mirror. Police interrogation rooms are the same the world over. He sits in the indicated seat and steeples his fingers on the table in front of him. "So, how can I help?" he asks.

"Start from the beginning, what did you see? What did you hear?" asks Ackerman.

"Unfortunately, nothing," says Daniel. "Or perhaps it was fortunate for me that I didn't see the carnage, but it won't help the investigation as much. When I arrived at the office, my reception area was empty. Normally my personal assistant is there when I arrive, but she had to take off from work today to search for her daughter. The girl is missing and potentially suicidal. In fact, I called the police to ask them to help look into it. I had a temp, Miss Chiang, sent to my reception area to fill in for the day, but I never left my office or looked outside between the time I arrived and the time I was escorted out, and the door is soundproof. I had scheduled interviews with candidates this morning for the camera operator job for an expedition that Ophidian Enterprises is organizing. A Herr Charles Hubert was the first candidate I interviewed. He had arrived early, so I buzzed him in and conducted the interview as soon as he arrived. After the interview concluded, he left and I started going over some of the materials relating to the expedition while I waited for the next applicant. That was Herr Carl Noether. I buzzed him in and interviewed him as well, and when we finished and he was on his way out, he opened the door and saw the bodies in the outer office." He gives the police the times of the events as best he can remember them.

"So Herr Carl Noether and Herr Charles Hubert are the only two applicants still alive?" Ackerman says. "Miss Chiang remarked that all the other interviewees were ready and waiting when she left the room. So, has the expedition received any threatening mail? Or have you personally received any threatening phone calls?"

"Yes, the two of them are the only surviving applicants," says Daniel. "Has Herr Hubert been located and placed under protection yet? There haven't been any threats to the expedition in Berlin that I'm aware of, though I have heard there were issues at the University of Moscow. Most of the attention the the expedition has been getting has been centered around the site itself in Kamchatka, which the Russian government has placed off-limits. In fact, it's been off-limits for over 200 years, and has been so continuously throughout all the different regimes during that time. It was difficult getting permission for the dig from the Russian government in the first place."

Ackerman was wearing only a lightweight sports jacket over a shirt open at the throat, no tie, no hat. A mild breeze from the air conditioning ducts overhead riffled his red hair as he takes a seat. He has a gentle face, an easy smile and sparkling gray eyes that seem to be perpetually finding mirth in the world. The nameless kriminalpolizei, on the other hand, was a muscular man who stood a foot taller, and he took off his large grey jacket, folded it neatly and placed it over the back of one chair. He then grasped the chair, turned it around, and pressed his knuckles against the back of the chair, as though to support his weight on them.

They began asking a series of questions, one after another.

"What time did you come into work?"

"Was anyone else working at that time?"

"Where did you park?"

"What time, exactly, did Herr Hubert come in for his interview?"

"When were you expecting him?"

"When did the interview end?"

"How did the interview go exactly? Did he seem happy? Unhappy? Angry? Were you likely to hire him?"

"I parked at a car park in a building down a side street from Ophidian's headquarters," says Daniel. "That was around 8:25. It took a few minutes to walk to work from there. I usually get in at 8:30, and I was on time, maybe a minute or two early. The security log from when I scanned in will give you the exact time if you're interested. I took the elevator up to my office on the 14th floor, which took another minute or so. There were two receptionists at the front desk, and two women who work on the 13th floor rode up with me in the elevator, getting off on their floor. I didn't see anyone on 14 on the way to my office. My personal assistant, Ursula Humboldt, would normally have already been at her desk in the outer office at that time, but she wasn't there. I buzzed myself in and got to work reviewing the applicants' resumes, thinking that she might have been stuck in traffic, but when she still didn't show up I gave her a call to check up on her, and that's when I found out about her missing daughter. I gave her the day off and told her to take as much time as she needs. Then I called one of your colleagues about Frau Humboldt's daughter, to let them know about her suicidal tendencies and that every moment might count. While I was on the phone, Herr Hubert announced himself on the intercom from the outer office. That was at 8:34, but his interview was not scheduled until 9:00. I buzzed him in, and he entered. He was carrying a fancy-looking video camera, I remember. I'm not sure how he was able to afford it, considering the kind of work he typically does. He seemed rather preoccupied, as if there were more important things to him than the job he was applying for.

"There was an incident in which he was dismissed from a previous job at a local news affiliate that I asked him about. He told me there was a girl named Melanie who was sending in letters and bomb threats to the station and saying that she was doing it because of him. They had said they were firing him because of morality reasons, but he knew that she was the reason and said that she had contacted him and told him so. When I asked if anything was done about her or if the police had been notified, he told me that it couldn't be proven that she had committed any crimes, and that she had stopped contacting him after the last time he moved. He figured that she had either lost him or killed herself. His qualifications for the job aren't the best, but he is very talented with mechanical and eletronic audiovisual equipment, and he'd be able to maintain and repair his own equipment. That is a major benefit, as we can only bring so many people along on this expedition, and it helps to have someone with his skill set. He was also in good enough health, which is important for the trek we'll be making, and he'd have been willing to work for less than some of his more established competitors. I didn't like the fact that he seemed to feel as though the job wasn't so important to him, but he was certainly still in consideration. His interview was the first, so I couldn't be certain whether or not we would hire him at the time. I still haven't made any decision on the matter yet. He didn't seem particularly happy or unhappy to me. He seemed more distracted than anything. If you're interested, I have his resume and those of the other candidates for the job, and I also made audio recordings of the interviews so that I could review them later. You're welcome to copies of them." He tells the police what time the interview ended.

"A copy of all of the resumes could be useful," says Ackerman. "Do you know anyone who drives a a black jeep or a van painted with rainbows?"

OOC: Yes, several people own black jeeps - none who seem too extraordinary. No to the van.

"Yes, I know of some people with black jeeps," says Daniel. He rattles off their names. "I don't know anyone with a van painted with rainbows, though. I brought the resumes with me from the office. They're right here in my briefcase, and you can have someone run off copies of them if you like." He takes out the resumes and places them on the table.

"Do you know this man?" asks the nameless kriminalpolizei, roughly tossing down a photograph of a tall, pimpled man in a grey suit and a bowler hat laying on asphalt. The man’s skull has been crushed and marked with dirt reminiscent of wheel marks. The skin on the face is largely intact, a trail of blood trickling from his nose. His right shoulder and clavicle also seems crushed, and Carter can imagine that the bones of the right arm move somewhat loosely if his arm is moved.

[I take it I don't know him, or you would have said so. If for some reason I do, let me know and I'll edit.]



Daniel studies the picture. "No, he doesn't look familiar," he says. "Who is he?"

"Yeah, you don't know him?" asks the kriminalpolizei. "Interesting. He knows you." He flicks down another photograph of the man with his sleeve rolled up - there are faint red tattoos of several names: Daniel Carter, Milly LeCrique, Alexander Lozynsky, Nicolai Lebedev.

The second name is the "Hidden Places" presenter. The last two are scientists already in Berlin, having flown in the night before, to do the media circuit and meet-and-greet the other scientists.

"It looks like someone's obsessed with our expedition," says Daniel. "I know the other three people whose names are on his arm, and they're all part of it. Milly LeCrique is a presenter for 'Hidden Places,' and Lozynsky and Lebedev are two Russian scientists who will be accompanying us. They're already in Berlin to do the media circuit. They just flew in last night."

"This man was run down outside the parking lot near Ophidian Enterprises at the same time as we were taking you to the station. Now why do you think he might be there?" says the nameless kriminalpolizei, sneering.

"Sounds like you've found the murderer," says Daniel. "If the security cameras picked him up at the scene of the crime that would clinch it. That still leaves some questions that I'm sure you've considered, however. Why did he do it? How did he gain entry to the building? Who ran him down in the parking lot, and why?"

"This man was brutally run down on the street and judging by the security cameras, he was moving in the direction of Ophidian. Now why would he be the killer?" asks the unnamed kriminalpolizei snidely.

"I guess that's why you're the detectives and I'm not," says Daniel. "So you think the killer killed him too?" He looks at the unidentified cop curiously and tries to get a read on him, wondering what's with his attitude.

The cop seems the gruff and burly type. He also seems highly suspicious of Daniel Carter and is scrutinising him greatly. Ackerman, on the other hand, seems friendly enough.

The unidentified cop bangs his fist down on the table suddenly. "C'mon, Carter, we know you're withholding something. This isn't your first trip inside a police station now, is it? Or is it smugness rather than familiarity I see?"

"Now, now," says Ackerman. "He isn't a suspect."

The unidentified cop snorts. "Seems real suspicious for someone who isn't a suspect."

"Of course I've been in a police station before," says Daniel. "In fact, I was in this station helping your union negotiate a better contract a while back. I don't know why you're so hostile to me, but I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and presume you're merely hostile in general and don't have anything against me personally. I've cooperated fully with this investigation, and I want this killer caught just as much as you do. I took time out from my own busy schedule to come down here before I was required to do so, and without any preparation or an attorney present. I was in my office the entire time, as I'm sure Herr Noether has attested and Ophidian's security logs and videos will confirm, and I remained there until the police arrived to escort me out. I don't know how you think I could possibly have done anything when I never left his sight, nor is there any possible way I could have run down the man in the parking lot while I was locked inside my office. I may be a busy man, but I can't be in two places at the same time, and if you think I was then perhaps I'm not the only one who needs to brush up on his detective skills. I've answered all of your questions regarding this case so far to the best of my ability, and I'll answer any others you have likewise. I would never intentionally leave any information out. If you feel my answers have been incomplete in any way, please specify what exactly is missing and I'll gladly fill in any gaps I can."

"How about this for a question? Why is that two of your expedition members have so far gone missing from the air port on their way in?" asks the unidentified cop.

OOC: You don't know what he's talking about.

"What?!" says Daniel. "Which members of the expedition have gone missing? If anyone at Ophidian knows about this, they certainly haven't informed me yet. I just checked my phone messages and email when I was waiting out there and there was no mention of this."

"Alexander Lozynsky and Nicolai Lebedev," says the unidentified man, watching carefully.

"Those are the Russian scientists I told you about," says Daniel, "the ones whose names were tattooed on that dead man along with my own and Milly LeCrique's. Has anyone checked up on her to make sure that she's all right? And what do you mean, they went missing? What happened to them?" He pats his briefcase. "I've got their personnel files in here if you need to see them. I brought the files for all the members selected so far for the expedition with me so that I could review them while out of the office. Lebedev is a geneticist, and Lozynsky is a medical doctor and an expert on microorganisms and diseases."

"We have our own men standing beside the Ophidian welcome party for the other expedition members entering Berlin. Milly LeCrique has been contacted... We thought it best not to inform you until we had a chance to speak to you ourselves. Lozynsky disappeared from his hotel earlier this morning. We tried to contact him after being made aware of Lebedev's disappearance by the original greeter who had been inexplicably delayed by about a dozen contrived efforts," says Ackerman with a slight shrug.

"I'm glad you're on top of this," says Daniel. "I'll make sure Ophidian Security knows about this so that nobody who's part of the expedition goes anywhere unescorted. Do you have any leads yet?"

"We can't discuss that at present," says Ackerman. "What do you think?"

"It seems to me that there are several people who have taken an unhealthy interest in our expedition," says Daniel. "Some of them are apparently competing with each other, and the competition is deadly. Given the timing of the attacks at Ophidian this morning, I seriously doubt the two Russian scientists vanished of their own volition. I'm not aware of whether they knew each other before coming to Berlin or not, but I think it's likely that they've both met with foul play from the same source. If you can find one, there's a good chance you'll find the other. If there was any evidence of violence in their disappearances, you haven't told me about it, so I'd guess whoever is responsible was subtle about it and that they were lured into a trap of some sort. Lebedev has a reputation as quite the ladies' man, so perhaps a woman was the bait for him. Your investigation can probably benefit by tracking down those responsible for delaying his greeter. I'd bet someone else took the greeter's place and picked Lebedev up from the airport instead. The CCTV cameras may have recorded the false greeter and the vehicle."

Ackerman smiles at the word 'CCTV camera'. Carter gets the feeling that he may have stumbled across something there. "Perhaps it'd be best if we had a ... police escort who could easily get involved with the other expedition members and keep an eye on thing. Perhaps in the position of your new cameraman..."

"Perhaps," says Daniel. "I'll have to run the idea by the proper people at Ophidian. I take it you want this escort to accompany the expedition into Russia and all the way to the mountain in Kamchatka? We'd have to be sure this does not conflict with our agreement with the Russian government. If we were to keep them in the dark about this and they were to find out somehow, they would likely consider it an act of espionage. The Russian leadership has that mindset anyway, and they're extremely protective of the area where we're going. I think we'd need to inform the Russians of the escort's presence on the expedition and convince them to permit it. Considering the disappearance of two of their scientists, it should be possible to persuade them of the necessity. I'd have to interview your officer just as I would any other candidate, of course. How secret would you want the escort's presence to be? Should other members of the expedition be informed about this or not? Do you suspect any members of the expedition, or anyone at Ophidian Enterprises?"

"This is so far a local matter, we hardly have the jurisdiction to send anyone to Russia," says Ackerman, seeming amused by the suggestion. "And yes, we would like to keep this a complete secret. Since the ... candidate wouldn't be going to Russia with you, there's no need to tell the higher-ups. All you have to do is..." He raises his index and middle finger and waggles them for empasise "...hire the person. You won't even need to pay them. The fact of the matter is, there's now several dead, two missing, from your expedition and few, if any, leads. The only way they could get through so clean is if they knew certain details. Such as when the interviews were being held, who the greeter was, what air ports and what times the planes were coming in. That means they have someone on the inside. They've already left one message, they may want to leave another."

Daniel nods. "I don't think the disappearance of Frau Humboldt's daughter is a coincidence either," he says. "Whoever was behind this attack wanted to get her out of the way, and this was one way to ensure she wouldn't come in to work today without arousing too much suspicion before the fact. Your suggestion does simplify matters, but since we don't know who we can trust at Ophidian, your officer will still have to come in for an interview. If I hire someone out of the blue without going through that formality, it's bound to raise suspicions with whoever these people have on the inside. Your officer would be able to mingle freely with the other members of the expedition during the media circuit and stay close to them. We will need to bring a real cameraman with us when the expedition actually leaves, so at that point the officer will have to bow out and I can bring in Hubert or Noether as a last-minute replacement. I can't hire two people, or again that would raise a red flag. Space on the expedition is at a premium, so anyone at Ophidian would realize that they couldn't both be going to Russia. I'm sure these details can all be worked out, though. Do you already have someone in mind?"

"We do," says Ackerman. "We should set up the interview for later on this afternoon. Perhaps at 4 p.m.? Do you have time then?"

OOC: The next big appointment is with the Russian Government Adviser at 3:30 p.m. There is also supposed to be a meet-and-greet for the expedition members at 6 p.m. today. By the way, today is Friday.

"I have a meeting with Nikita Mikhalkov, the Russian Government Advisor, at 3:30," says Daniel, "and I'm not certain how long it will last. The next event planned after that is a meet and greet for the expedition members at 6:00, and I'd definitely like to get the interview completed before that so your officer can be present. Before I left Ophidian, I asked Personnel to tell Miss Chiang clear my schedule for the day, since I did not know how long I would be here. The interview should only take about half an hour or so, especially since it's just for appearances, but that time can be used for discussion. I suggest either scheduling it for 2:30 or 2:45 so that we can finish it before the meeting, or for around 5:00. The meeting should be over by then, and that will leave enough time before the meet and greet. Having the interview before the meeting would be preferable, but if that's too inconvenient for you we can have it afterwards."

"5:00 will have to do then, it'll take us a little while to finish briefing the individual," says Ackerman, rising and moving to the door.

"Now remember not to tell this to anyone," says the unidentified Kripo. "If you do, well ... it'll look really bad if your actions just happen to aid the kidnappers."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone," says Daniel. He stands and shakes Ackerman's hand before leaving the room. "I'll see your officer at 5:00, then."

Ackerman escorts Daniel out. "There's a taxi area just outside. Do you have everything?"

"Yes, thank you," says Daniel. He carries his briefcase and laptop out with him to the taxi area. "Is there anything else?"

"Not at the moment, no," says Ackerman. "We'll keep in touch."

Carter receives a phone call on his way out to the taxi rank.

"Herr Carter? Francesca Morletti, Nikita Mikhalkov and Aleksandra Romaschkova have landed," says Miss Chiang. "I know your meeting is not for another few hours ... so I'm not quite sure why they're here early."

"Thank you, Miss Chiang," says Daniel. "I don't know why they've arrived early either. If they want to move the meeting up, I'm certainly open to that. I've got another applicant for the camera operator position coming in for an interview at 5:00, but if we move the meeting ahead it's possible to reschedule the interview to 4:00. I'm about to head back to Ophidian now."

"Very good, Herr Carter," says Miss Chiang.

Carter quickly catches a taxi and starts heading towards Ophidian Headquaters (correct me if I'm wrong). Halfway there, he gets another phone call.

"It seems they got the appointment times wrong," says Miss Chiang. "They decided to conduct some other business first before returning at the appropriate time."

"Then the meeting will go forward at 3:30 as planned," replies Daniel. "I wonder why they arrived early? Anyway, I'll be back at Ophidian soon. I'm about halfway there now. Thank you for calling. Is there anything else?"

"I'm sorry, I'm getting another call," she says. "Can I put you on hold?"

"Of course, I'll hold," says Daniel. "You did the right thing by telling her." While he's on hold, he reviews the personnel files further, this time with a new eye. Who among these people might be compromised? Who might be vulnerable to blackmail (the cynic in him says "everyone")? He also pays special attention to the files of Lebedev and Lozynsky, wondering why the kidnappers went after them first and what the two of them might have in common aside from their national origin and interest in the sciences.

The simplest answer was that they were the first two coming in on the flight. The other fact connecting the two are that both are Russians who specialize in an area of biology. They also both have connections with the University of Moscow - though barely so. The personnel files aren't completely comprehensive, however. There may be other links but they aren't connected to official study or other such business. They could be related somehow or could even be friends. There is nothing in the portfolios that give any clues.

The phone rings again. "Arnold Crawford is at the Berlin-Tegel airport," says Miss Chiang. "He says that there are two police officers with the scheduled greeter for today, Herr Kasiliev. I double-checked, it is meant to be Kasiliev this afternoon. Herr von Leiter was the greeter scheduled for last night and this early morning. The late shift, in other words. He doesn't feel safe about going with them. I've told him to get something to eat at the air port and that we'd work something out."

"He's quite right to be wary, considering the events of the day," says Daniel. "They probably are who they say they are, but if he wants to verify it he should get their names and badge numbers, then call police headquarters to confirm them. I just talked to Oberkommissar Ackerman, and I believe he arranged for police protection for new arrivals after Lebedev and Lozynsky went missing. I didn't even know about it until the police asked me about it."

"How very odd," says Miss Chiang. "They kept it from you? I wonder? I'd best call him back and tell him your advice."

The taxi is not far from Ophidian Headquaters now.

"All right, I'll let you go do that, then," says Daniel. "I'll see you back at Ophidian. I'm almost there now. Goodbye." After Miss Chiang says goodbye, he uses his mobile to search the Internet for any pages that mention both Lebedev and Lozynsky to see if there is some connection.

Carter [urlhttp://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/1843819/]finds[/url] on Lozynsky an alumni list from Johns Hopkins University (Ph.D. in Immunology) and some papers on epidemology and patterns in the spreading of infectious diseases. He finds on Lebedev an alumni list from Moscow State University (Phd in Genetic Biology).

Daniel shrugs. That doesn't tell me anything more about possible connections between them, he thinks. He begins to go over the files of the other members of the expedition.

Millicent Claire LeCrique
Born in Toronto in 1978. Her father was a francophone research chemist and her mother an American poet (who had been compared to Sylvia Plath). She entered McGill University at 16 and graduated with a major in Anthropology and a minor in Literature at 19. She spent 2 years at Johns Hopkins University for an MA in Communication. At 22, Milly was selected as a Fulbright Scholar to study at Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge and completed graduate studies in Biology. She is fluent in French and German and conversant in Russian.

Milly's first book, Nerd Girls Rule! was published by Wiley Publishing in 2001. In 2002, she became one of three rotating hosts of "Is That For Real?" on Fox Network in New York City, an afternoon "weird science" program pitched to adolescents. The show was nominated for an Emmy in 2005, the year before it was canceled and Milly’s contract modified for her to perform in specials produced anywhere in the world by Murdoch’s conglomerate. She has appeared as a presenter on “science-related” special programmes for several Murdoch-owned outlets, including STAR TV. Most have been about paranormal or unexplained phenomena.

Milly’s personal life hasn’t gone as well as her professional life. Her mother, Regina Parris, was clinically depressive and frequently non-communicative; she committed suicide soon after Milly went to McGill.

Milly is alleged to have experimented with various halucogenics in prep school and has never lost her fascination with them. She tells herself they expand her awareness and open her mind. She isn’t considered 100% reliable in the business. She also dabbled in various “alternative” religions (including Kabbala and Scientology), but has never settled on any belief system. Some of her pecadilloes with men and woman have found their way into the tabloids, but it is unknown whether these articles are true. To keep in shape and help center herself, Milly practices martial arts -- mostly Kendo and Tai Chi Chuan -- and swims.

Valentine Pilman.
Born Valentine Alexander Pilman in 1972 in the Russian province of Nizhny Novgorod. At the age 18 was inducted into the military and an apitude for computers and electronics soon saw him posted as a specialist in the 42nd Missile Division at Nizhniy Nagil. By the age of 25 he was posted to the NIP-6 space tracking station at Elizovo in Kamchatka. By the age of 30 Valentine had left the military and took up permanent residence on the Island of Kamchatka. He has become a very experienced hunter and guide as the Island develops a strong tourist industry around its Majestic geography and wild life. He seems to lead a fairly quiet life, but is well known about town and makes an extra living running a small TV and Electrical repair shop.

Alexander Lozynsky.
Alexander was born in a simple russian family in Saint Petersburg. He grew up in state schools, but as he reached maturity he had a solid education behind him, as he had always gone the extra mile by hitting the books, rather than going out to play with schoolmates. Once graduated, he moved on to med school. He became specialised in Microbiology. Being an exceptional researcher, he was sent to the USA as part of a state funded exchange program with Johns Hopkins and during this time he succeeded in finishing a Ph.D. in Immunology. As soon as he returned, he was offered a research position in Siberia, where he learnt to deal with the cold.

Currently his work varies from research for a group of private firms based outside of Moscow and expeditions throughout Africa (Ebola, Cholera,...) and Asia (Avian flu H5N1, Sars,...). During these expeditions he has garnered a reputation for being quickly on the ground after an outbreak and for thinking outside the box. He also has a skin allergy, while his allergies are not manifested through respiratory problems, sneezing or a running nose, they cause a rather ugly rash on his arms and legs. Other than some itching and being somewhat dry, it does not cause any serious problems. But it's not the most pleasant thing to look at...

Nicolai Lebedev.
Nicolai was born from an important member of the communist party (Josef Lebedev) and a pianist (Irina), with a younger sister (Natascha). His mother, unfortunately, is deceased. He studied Biology, and specialized in genetics; he is fascinated by the process that allows different species to fuse in a new, and he is trying to do the same. Nicolai is always trying to get new projects and funds, so he is always smiling to important people.

Arnold Crawford.
Arnold graduated from Cambridge University to be awarded a junior position at the International Seismological Centre (ISC). He worked there for many years and formed quite a name for himself amongst his peers. During an expedition to the Amazon Basin Arnold was injured during a fire at the base camp which left him in hospital for several months. After numerous skin grafts the whole right side of Arnold face and body was horrible scarred, leaving him disfigured. Arnold then secured a job at the National Autonomous University of Mexico which at the time was poorly funded and not at all demanding or high profile.

Francesca Morletti
ITALIAN heritage. She is a helicopter pilot and mechanic besides also being employed at Breckenridge, terra forming branch. She has previously studied water and air recycling plates and self perserving/sustaining environments. She has ten years experience of cargo flights on Hawaii for Breckenridge Corp. She is able to repair most common malfunctions on either choppers or race cars. She recently did duty at station 10 research facility she feels malplaced... The last paper she was researching is about terra forming and air-recycling especially. She's now playing helicopter escort to the dig leader and Russian government adviser.

Aleksandra Romaschkova
An archaeologist and the dig leader who speaks: Russian, English, Scythian, and Sarmatian. Born in 1952, she went through a number of state schools before making the selection criteria into the University of Moscow. She was alerted to this site on Kamchatka via the Liltian Tablets, one of which she located herself in an excavations at Kamenskoe Gorodishche near Nikopol, a large center of the Bronze Age and Iron Age culture of Scythians, in Russia.

Professor Vladimir Borisovich Loginov
Born in 1970, he later studied for his degree in archaeology in the University of Moscow, and later, a degree in vulcanology. He has gone through a vicious divorce and the loss of custody for his two children Sergei, (now aged 9) and Yegor, (now aged 7). A year ago, he also picked up the retired dog Buddy, a Golden Retriever, from a Search and Rescue squad who worked within the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Glebka Mikhalkova.
Little is known about this Russian government advisor for the expedition though all of the appropriate departments spoken to have given her a lot of credit for her achievements in the promotion of Russian scientific and aggricultural achievements.

Daniel searches online for any possible prior connections between the other expedition members and either Lebedev or Lozynsky.

Most of the connections seem to have come recently since the expedition was announced - meetings, a few interviews, some articles. After all, the only other Russian scientists study in a completely different field - archaeology. Prior to that, their only connections are simply links to the University of Moscow. While searching around on this, he locates nothing of particular significance. The Ophidian building looms large up ahead as the taxi nears the offices.

Daniel logs off of the Internet and puts his mobile away in his pocket. He gathers all of the personnel files he's been reading in the briefcase, and gets it and his laptop ready to carry inside.

The taxi pulls up out the front of the Ophidian building.

Daniel pays the fare and gives the cabdriver a good tip, then gets out of the taxi carrying all his things and heads inside Ophidian's front door.

The ground floor is as busy as always. His office reception area is doubtless cordoned off by the police. He'll need to borrow someone else's office in the interim.

Daniel takes out his mobile and calls Miss Chiang back. "This is Daniel Carter," he says. "I just walked into the building, and I'm in the lobby now. I'm sure the police aren't finished with my office, so I'll need to use another one in the meantime. Can you please arrange it?"

"It's been arranged. Mr. Santini is abroad and his office should meet your needs... He's been informed," says Miss Chiang. "By the way, I thought you might like to know what happened while you were away... While the kriminalpolizei were here, some higher ups arrived and demanded access to the security tapes before the original police could see them. They confiscated those tapes but didn't seem to realize that they were simply digital copies. The kriminalpolizei have apparently been pulled from the case. Another group are working it now ... there were murmurs of terrorism. I obviously haven't gossiped to any of the other staff. I simply listened to a kriminalpolizei's conversations and asked Security personnel a few key questions. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all," says Daniel, heading for the elevator to take it to the floor with his temporary office. "Thank you, and good job. If they're thinking terrorism, it's probably GSG 9 that's taken over the case. That's good; they're the best that Germany's got. I gave the police permission to access the security videos when I was at the station. I'd be interested in viewing the originals."

"That can be arranged. If you head to the main Security office, they'll be sure to help you out," says Miss Chiang.

"Thank you, Miss Chiang," says Daniel. "I'll go to Security first before heading to my temporary office."

He easily finds his way to the Security Office. Two men in uniform sit at a bank of monitors. They startle when he enters, then stand solemnly, moving somewhat out of the way of each of their chairs, as though both simultaneously offering him a seat. They seem pale...

"Are you gentlemen okay?" asks Daniel. "You look a bit pale."

"It's ... graphic, sir," said one of the men. His name tag read Kruger.

"Thank you, Herr Kruger," says Daniel. "Maybe I should just skip the graphic parts, then."

Daniel nods. "All right, I'll watch the whole thing, then," he says. "Thanks for the warning. At least I'll be prepared for it." He sits down and braces himself for the horror he is sure will come.

OOC,Let me know when to roll Sanity. :)

One of the monitors begins showing a scene outside of his office. Several men sit outside his office on the chairs. One man paces, much to the irritation of the others who watch him, scowling. The scene disturbs him, seeing how close they were to death, and he looks away for a few moments, and his thoughts faze out for a moment as he tries to regain his composure.

By the time he looks back, the men are being gutted by someone cloaked in red wearing a scarf that wasn't a scarf but was once part of a human. He sees it and manages to watch without losing himself to it, yet somehow the scene is still emotionally draining, even as his mind manages to steel itself against the torment.

The man who is draped in red, blood running freely, reaches into their chests and pulls free their intestines, groping around inside them, pulling it out in loops that lay in coils upon the floor, blood running freely down his arms, the men twitching as he does it to each one in turn, the others waiting, still, gazing ahead, no one screams, no one even sighs or moves or lifts their heads each sit staring and for a moment are stood upright staring even the gutted ones for a moment are standing and yet he can't see their faces were they turned off did someone turn them off could they be turned off? Why would they sit and take it? How could they stand? It were like their minds had been switched off, like their bodies were being pulled from afar, and then they were all seated, gutted, and the bloodied man falls like the strings that held him up had been cut.

He recognizes the killer.

He was one of the potential cameramen.

One of the monitors begins showing a scene outside of his office. Several men sit outside his office on the chairs. One man paces, much to the irritation of the others who watch him, scowling. The scene disturbs him, seeing how close they were to death, and he looks away for a few moments, and his thoughts faze out for a moment as he tries to regain his composure.

By the time he looks back, the men are being gutted by someone cloaked in red wearing a scarf that wasn't a scarf but was once part of a human. He sees it and manages to watch without losing himself to it, yet somehow the scene is still emotionally draining, even as his mind manages to steel itself against the torment.

The man who is draped in red, blood running freely, reaches into their chests and pulls free their intestines, groping around inside them, pulling it out in loops that lay in coils upon the floor, blood running freely down his arms, the men twitching as he does it to each one in turn, the others waiting, still, gazing ahead, no one screams, no one even sighs or moves or lifts their heads each sit staring and for a moment are stood upright staring even the gutted ones for a moment are standing and yet he can't see their faces were they turned off did someone turn them off could they be turned off? Why would they sit and take it? How could they stand? It were like their minds had been switched off, like their bodies were being pulled from afar, and then they were all seated, gutted, and the bloodied man falls like the strings that held him up had been cut.

He recognizes the killer.

He was one of the potential cameramen.

What he had faced ... before ... the obscene things he barely remembered from the place that burned ... what drew him to the Room again and again ... memetic curses ... obscene things ... they were here ... once more ... meddling in the expedition ... encroaching ... had they found him ... did they know? The thoughts flew unbidden through his mind.

This was not a natural murder.

This was something that did not belong.

As disturbing as the video footage is to Daniel, it does make a certain kind of sense. The fact that the killer was one of the applicants explains how he was able to get into the building - but how did he get out? Did he get out, or had he killed himself? The police had said he was still at large. The puppet-like quality of his movements suggested that he was not in control of himself, like someone else was manipulating him. Is it like that game, Indigo Prophecy? he thinks. Could someone have taken control of his body and used him to kill? "Is that the end, or is there more?" he asks as he thinks back and tries to put a name to the killer's face.

It appears that the two cameramen and one camerawoman had been killed by Bernhard Riese.

"Did the police learn the killer's identity when they saw the footage?" asks Daniel. "I was told he was still at large. Did he get up and leave later?"

"No," said the security man. "All I know is they wanted the tapes. We gave them the digital back-ups. Ophidian standard procedure, yeah? We just happened not mention there was a copy."

"I'm sorry, when you said 'no' did you mean that they did not identify the killer?" asks Daniel. "Or did you mean he didn't get up and leave afterwards?"

"It didn't look like he killed himself," says Daniel. "He simply collapsed. So they just carried him out with the other bodies? I wonder if the medical examiner determined a cause of death yet."

"Okay, danke," says Daniel, standing up. Riese probably had his ID on him, he thinks, and if he didn't they probably identified him anyway, but I'll be sure to let the "new cameraman" know who the guy was and ask him what else he knows. "Those are all the questions I have for now. Guten tag." He shakes the men's hands and leaves for his temporary office.

His temporary office is nowhere near as comfortable for him as his old office, though, he is aware that after the second series of deaths in the waiting room, even his old office may start feeling wrong.

Daniel settles into his new office and looks around. As he does so, he checks for listening devices and hidden cameras. A little paranoia can be a good thing, he thinks, and in this situation it's warranted. If there's someone inside Ophidian who's involved in what's going on, and it looks like there is, I sure don't want anyone overhearing my "interview" with the "camera operator." If they discover there's an undercover cop here, the investigation will be sunk before it even starts.

Daniel's search isn't very productive.

The intercom buzzes. "Sir? A Mr. Abbo Durer is on his way up to see you."

Daniel checks his watch. If he's the "cameraman," he's early for the interview, he thinks. "Thank you, Miss Chiang," he says. "Did he say what his business here is?"

"Yes, he said he was here for the cameraman interview. I sent him up, assuming Miss Chiang would deal with him if it were inappropriate for him to disturb you at this time. I just thought you should know."

OOC: Daniel Carter would realize the voice is not Miss Chiang. Probably the downstairs receptionist. Sorry for not being clearer.

OOC,Thanks. I thought it was her because the text color looked the same.

"Yes, I can see him now," says Daniel. "Thank you again. Goodbye." He hangs up and then takes out a pen and a piece of note paper, and he quickly writes a note: "Herr Durer, do not speak of your special assignment while in this office. I cannot be certain that we are not being monitored, and you must not be compromised. We will speak of those matters afterwards, in another location. In the meantime, just go through the normal interview process with me." Then he folds up the note into a small square and palms it.

Abbo Durer

"Pleased to meet you Daniel Carter." Abbo Durer holds out his hand, "Oh, call me Abbo."

Daniel rises and walks around his desk. "I'm pleased to meet you too, Abbo," he says, shaking hands with him. As he does so, he leaves the tiny, folded square of paper he had palmed in the other man's hand and gives a slight nod. "Please, have a seat, and we can begin the interview." He goes back behind his desk and sits down, steepling his fingers on his desk.

Abbo Durer

"I understand Hidden Places need a camerman, the previous applicants didn't, ah, work out?"

"I suppose you've heard about the terrible murders that happened upstairs this morning," says Daniel. "Not all of the candidates for the position were there at the time. I had previously interviewed two of them, and they are both still alive and in the running for the job last I checked. From the security footage, it appears that one of the applicants, a Herr Bernhard Riese, killed the others and then died, but strangely, he didn't seem to have killed himself. In any event, we're taking security for this expedition very seriously." He glances at Abbo's hand where he deposited the note and continues speaking. "So, why don't you start by telling me why you want this position?"

Abbo Durer

[sub]Abbo looks steadily at Daniel Carter to show him he has understood the security issue.[/sub]

"In a nutshell, I'm interested in archaeology. When I heard of the Liltian Tablets I was fasacinated, similar artifacts spread over the globe is incredible, if true. Later my agent in London told me about Ophidian, Hidden Places and their proposed trip to the Kamchakta Peninsula; I had to become involved. You will find me to be an expert cameraman, often I have worked in extreme circumstances; for example I covered the Bosnian War for Sky News. "

Daniel smiles and nods slightly. "Yes, the Liltian Tablets are fascinating," he says. "I'm glad you mentioned your work in Bosnia. I'd like to know about your camera work in other countries, especially in grueling circumstances. Please, tell me more about your experience."

Abbo Durer

"Well, I was in Srebrenica in 1995, cameraman for the Sky News crew (we were nominated for a Pulitzer Prize); it was bloody there. There was a Moslem village massacred by retreating Serbs, I filmed the little girl called Maja who was the only survivor, her family were all dead. You could say that was grueling."

"Yes, I certainly would," says Daniel. "What other work have you done before in other countries, and what languages do you speak? I take it you have a current passport?"

Abbo Durer

"The UK has been my base for the last 10 years, I've been filming advertisments for television, - the bills must be paid. However I did visit Kabul in 2006, I have a friend who works for Reuters, and they interviewed Hamid Karzai, the Primeminister; I was the cameraman. The Government compounds are safe enough, but you take a huge risk travelling around Afganistan."
"Languages: English, German and a sprinkling of Russian."
"Yes, I have a current passport."

"Excellent," says Daniel. "How good is your physical condition? Do you have any medical problems we should be aware of? Every member of this expedition needs to be in top shape, since we'll be doing a lot of hiking and climbing while carrying heavy equipment."

Abbo Durer

"I look after myself, so my physical condition is good; I would say I'm very fit. I haven't any medical problems and also I enjoy hiking!

"That's great," says Daniel. "What other useful skills do you bring to the table? Can you repair and maintain your own equipment, for instance? Do you have any first aid or EMT training?"

Abbo Durer

"I maintain all of my camera kit and am confident I can fix it or any other photography equipment. I'm sorry to say my First Aid training is basic at best: Recovery Position, tourniquets to prevent blood loss, etc."

"That's all right," says Daniel. "It's not a job requirement by any means, but it's always helpful to have extra skills. There's only a limited number of people we can bring on the expedition, so it helps when people can pull double duty if needed. Is there anything else you'd care to add, and do you have any questions for me?"

Abbo Durer

"Are you a member of the expedition too? Also, how many people are Hidden Places taking to Kamchakta and when does it start?"

OOC,I don't have all the information you're looking for at the moment, so Laraqua will have to fill in the rest of the details.

"Yes, I'll also be going on the expedition," says Daniel. "There are several others going as well. Aleksandra Romaschkova is the expedition leader, from the University of Moscow, and Nikita Mikhalkov is the Russian government's advisor. The Russian epigrapher, Natasha Chaikovskaya, will of course be accompanying us. Milly LeCrique will be one of our presenters, and Timothy Wells is our boom operator. You'd be working closely with him. There's an Italian helicopter pilot coming along, Fransesca Morletti. There are two Russian scientists, Alexander Lozynsky and Nikloai Lebedev, but they've recently gone missing and are believed to have been abducted from the airport when they arrived by someone impersonating their driver from Ophidian. Let's see, we also have Arnold Crawford, a seismologist, and Dr. Magnus Urquhart, a geologist. In Kamchatka we've hired a local guide, Valentine Pilman. This evening there will be a social gathering for members of the expedition and the press, where we can all get to know each other." He tells Abbo when the expedition is slated to start and any other relevant details. "Do you have any other questions?"

Abbo Durer

"No more questions. I'd like to add that the expedition is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and to be a part of it would be terrific! "

"It certainly is," says Daniel. He stands up and walks back to the front of his desk. "I've now interviewed all the remaining candidates for the position, and I'm ready to make my decision now. You're certainly the most qualified, and you've impressed me far more than the others. The job is yours." He shakes hands with Abbo again. "Welcome aboard, Abbo! As I mentioned, there's a social gathering this evening for everyone involved in the expedition. If you don't have any other plans, I'd like for you to attend and meet everyone. Miss Chiang can give you all the details and draw up your paperwork. Let's go see her now."

Abbo Durer

"The social gathering sounds like the perfect way to get aquainted with the expedition team; I'd like to be there."

"Glad to hear it," says Daniel. "Let's go talk to Miss Chiang and make the arrangements, then." He buzzes open the door to his office and then waves for Abbo to follow him outside.

Abbo Durer

A delighted Abbo follows Daniel Carter out of his office to Miss Chiang's desk.

Miss Chiang looks up from her desk. "Yes?"

"I've just hired Abbo Durer as the expedition's new cameraman," says Daniel. "Can you please draw up the paperwork for him? He'll also be attending the party this evening, so he and the other expedition members can get acquainted."

Abbo Durer

"Thank you Miss Chiang."

Miss Chiang smiles pleasantly and hands over several forms. "Paperwork is already drawn up."

Abbo Durer

"And the party to meet with the expedition members, how do I get there?"

"Thank you, Miss Chiang," says Daniel. "Excellent work. Do you have a printout of the directions to the party?"

Again she smiles. "Yes, there was an information pack sent out to all those who will be in attendance. I have a copy." She reaches behind her and retrieves a folder that sits upon the filing cabinet.

"Yes, that will do very nicely," says Daniel. He turns to Abbo. "Why don't you have a seat and fill out the paperwork first? When you're done that, there's still some time before this evening's events. Would you like a tour of Ophidian's facilities here?"

Abbo Durer

"Paperwork, there is always so much of it!" Abbo comments, and then settles down to complete it.

-----------

To Daniel Carter:
"A tour of Ophidian? Yes, I would like that very much."

"Yes, I thought you might," says Daniel with a smile. "Miss Chiang, how is my schedule for the rest of the afternoon? If there's nothing for a while yet, perhaps I can show our new cameraman around personally and bring him up to speed on things as I do."

Abbo Durer

Abbo hands the papers back to Miss Chiang and then stands up, "Okay Daniel, if you're free, I'm ready."

"You have the appointment with the expedition leaders in half an hour," says Miss Chiang, without needing to look over the schedule.

"Good, that gives me a little time to get started showing him around before the meeting," says Daniel. He faces Abbo again. "After about twenty minutes I'll have to head to the meeting, but if we're not done by then I can hand you off to someone else to finish up. Ready to go?"

Abbo Durer

"Yes, all set. Thanks for your attention Miss Chiang."

"Great, let's get started," says Daniel. "This is just my temporary office. We can't see my regular one because it's still off-limits. Maybe we should start by showing you the security office. You may have noticed the CCTV cameras we've got all around the building, and there are banks of monitors in security for displaying what's on them. Sounds right up your alley. Besides, that's the place to go to get you issued an official Ophidian ID."

Abbo Durer

"Sounds good."

[sub]Abbo walks with Daniel to the security office.[/sub]

To Daniel Carter when no one is near:
"You're obviously aware of my real status. I have questions, is it safe to ask you them?"

"As I said, there are CCTV cameras positioned throughout the building," says Daniel, pointing one out as they pass it. "We don't have enough security people to monitor every hallway, every minute of every day, but the footage is recorded and archived, so anyone who wishes to review the recordings can do so at a later time. There are some blind spots that aren't covered by the cameras, though." He keeps an eye out for such a spot where they can talk in confidence.

He finds one near the water cooler in one of the larger offices that are filled with cubicles. No one else is present there. Odds are, the water cooler was specifically placed there to take advantage of the blind spot.

"Let's stop over at the water cooler for a drink," says Daniel. He leads Abbo to the blind spot. "Okay, we can speak freely here as long as nobody comes by. I'm not sure how much Ackermann told you when you were briefed, but we can't trust anybody else at Ophidian. It's highly likely that whoever is behind the kidnappings has someone on the inside, so your true identity must remain a secret. I wasn't sure if my temporary office was being monitored, so we couldn't discuss any of these matters there. You said you had questions, so ask away."

Abbo Durer

"Ackermann didn't tell me too much about Ophidian and what my mission here is. He likes to keep his officers on their toes; 'creative policing' is his pet phrase!
"I presume you, Daniel, are to be trusted as well," Abbo grins,"but seriously, who is suspect, and can I meet them at the party this evening?"

"Your primary mission is to protect the members of the expedition," says Daniel. "We've already had two Russian scientists, Nikolai Lebedev and Alexander Lozynsky, kidnapped this morning. They were picked up by the airport by someone impersonating an Ophidian employee. The real Ophidian employee who had been sent to retrieve them from the airport had been diverted by others presumably involved in the kidnapping. That suggests not only a wider conspiracy, but inside involvement as well. Whoever is behind it knew when and where they were due to arrive, as well as enough information to pull off the impersonation and intercept the person sent to pick them up. Lozynsky is a microbiologist and immunologist, and Lebedev is a geneticist. The only connection between them that I've found is through the University of Moscow, and apparently there was some trouble there too. Aleksandra Romaschkova, the expedition leader, is also from the University of Moscow. As for who is a suspect, the short answer is everyone. That's why nobody can know your true identity and purpose here. And yes, you will get to meet everyone involved in the expedition at the party tonight - except the kidnapped Russian scientists, of course. That's why I'm glad you'll be able to attend. It will give you a chance to meet these people, mingle with them, and find out everything you can about them. If you can figure out who at Ophidian is working with the kidnappers, that would go a long way toward finding the scientists. Once the police arrest someone, they can put some pressure on and hopefully flip whoever it is into fingering the mastermind and giving them the location of the kidnap victims."

Abbo Durer

"Thanks for your appraisal, that has covered what I need to know."

"You're welcome," says Daniel. "If you have no further questions at this time, we'll continue to the security office. We provided a digital copy of the video footage of the murders to the police, but we still have the original. That's where I viewed it. I don't know if I can justify showing it to you without risking blowing your cover, but you can always take a look at the copy that the police have if you haven't already. Riese, the applicant who killed the others, did not seem to be in control of himself while he was doing it."

Abbo Durer

"Okay, thanks for the heads up. Lets carry on to the security office."

It's not a far walk to the security office.

Daniel leads the way to the security office, checking his watch to make sure he saves enough time to get to the meeting. "Herr Kruger," he says to the guard he met the last time he was here, "this is Herr Abbo Durer. Ophidian has just hired him as the expedition's new cameraman. Can you please set him up with an ID? He'd also be interested in seeing how the CCTV system works here."

Abbo Durer

"Anything involving cameras, Herr Kruger, fascinates me. Can you show me the CCTV system?"

Kruger looks a little disturbed. "I'm not ... sure if that's the, uh, protocol. I mean, you can see the monitors here, but I really shouldn't be teaching you about it... But yeah, an ID shouldn't be a problem." He picks up the phone.

"Yes, of course," says Daniel. "Thank you, Herr Kruger. He can just look at the monitors, then."

Abbo Durer

"No sweat," says Abbo looking crestfallen.

The bank of monitors looks no more spectacular than any other bank of monitors, though there are an impressive number of screens, so many so, that two security guards were hired to watch them. Ophidian sure liked its security.

Abbo Durer

"There is an awful lot of screens," Abbo surveys them."Where 's the other security guy?"

OOC,I think they're both in the room with us.

"It's a big building," says Daniel. "There's a lot of ground to cover, and we've always taken security very seriously - even before today's events."

Abbo Durer

"Okay."

Abbo's pager beeps.

Abbo Durer

"Excuse me." Abbo takes out the Motorola from his jacket pocket and glances at the screen.

Abbo Durer

"Have you a telephone I can use?"

"Of course," says Daniel, "though you really should have your own mobile. I'll see about getting Ophidian to issue you one. Would you like some privacy for your call?"

Abbo Durer

"Thank you Daniel, but no - my mobile needs charging, careless of me... Privacy for my call? That isn't necessary."

Daniel nods. "All right, you can borrow my Blackberry," he says. He takes it out, flips it open, and turns on the power before handing it to Abbo.

"Yeah, okay I'll ask," Abbo holds the phone to his shoulder and says to Daniel, "A colleague wants Natasha's autograph, is there any chance of getting it?"

"She is rather shy, but I think we might be able to arrange that," says Daniel. "She should be at the party this evening, so we can ask her then when I introduce you."

"Thank you. Oh, we appear to have a mutual friend, Kate, who was on the other end of the phone call, she says "Hi"."

"You're welcome," says Daniel with a smile. "Tell Kate I said hello. Or would she like to talk to me herself?"

"Sorry Daniel, I've said goodbye." Abbo hands back the Blackberry. "I need to do some shopping: walking boots, mountain clothes, etc.; I should be going."

"All right, then," says Daniel, shaking his hand again. "And I have a meeting coming up. You might want to get your photo taken for your ID card as long as you're here. I'll see you again this evening."

"Okay, we can handle that," says Mike, one of the security guards.

"Yes, the ID card, I forgot about that. Mike, lets get it done, please."

Mike smiles and takes him into an adjoining room where a camera is set up in front of a blank wall. "Just stand with your feet on the footprints, sir."

While Abbo is the other room getting his picture taken, Daniel checks his Blackberry to see who he called. Probably Ackermann's number, he thinks.

Daniel doesn't recognize the number.

Daniel uses his Blackberry to access the Internet and brings up a site that serves as a reverse phone directory. Curious about who the number belongs to, he looks it up.

It must be a silent phone number. It isn't listed.

Maybe he has Ackermann's private mobile number or something, thinks Daniel, putting his Blackberry away. I'll have to ask him about "Kate" when we get some privacy.

ID card-

"Cheeeeese."

The photograph is taken with a flash. As Abbo Durer's eyes recoil from the sudden light, and he blinks rapidly, he glimpses something on the wall, in the blur of his own vision, but can't quite make it out before his vision clears.

"Interesting decor, Mike. What is that?" Abbo steps forward to inspect the 'something'.

There's nothing there anymore. He could have sworn there was something behind the photographer, against the wall.

"Huh! Nothing. The camera flash.
Have you worked for Ophidian long, Mike?"

"A few years now, yeah," says Mike.

"All done? I need to get going."

Mike produces a card laminated by the printer. "Yup." He passes it over.

"Thanks."
Abbo exits the room.

Daniel walks with him. "What do you want to see next?" he asks. "I don't have that much more time before my meeting, so I can hand you off to someone else for the rest of the tour soon. We'll have a chance to talk some more at tonight's event."

"If it is all the same with you, Daniel, I'll be off. I want to go shopping for some hiking gear.
"I'm delighted to land the job and also looking forward to tonight."

"Great, I'll see you there," says Daniel. "You might also want to check out the exhibit on the Liltian Tablets at the Pergammon Museum at some point. I'm sure one of these gentlemen can direct you out, and you can call my office if you have any questions. Miss Chiang will be there to answer them if I'm not. Auf wiedersehen." With that, Daniel shakes Abbo's hand, gives him the phone number, and heads off for his meeting.

OOC,Pergammon Museum - is it a 'prop' I can look at?

Daniel Carter enters an elevator that takes him back up to his impromptu office. He can't help but think of the two incidents of death that occurred right outside of his office. It almost made the place feel cursed. He reaches his impromptu office, a nice corner office, though far smaller than what he was used to, and sees Miss Chiang talking to two women in German. She turns to him as he enters.

"Herr Carter? This is Frau Mikhalkhova and Frau Romaschkova."

Carter is aware that Mikhalkhova is the Russian government advisor attached to the expedition in order to ensure that the expedition poses no problems to national interests while Romaschkova is the expedition leader who painstakingly put together the expedition and obtained the necessary clearances. The meeting is a final discussion of expedition needs, media and financial needs, and the Russian government's needs, in order to come to a compromise on a few outstanding issues.

"A pleasure, as always, ladies," says Daniel with a smile. He shakes hands with both women. "I apologize for the change in location, but no doubt you've heard about this morning's tragedy. Please, come into the office and have a seat. Can Miss Chiang get anything for either of you? Tea, coffee?"

"Tea for me, thanks," says Mikhalkhova in a light and charming Russian accent.

"I'm fine," says Romaschkova, her accent the stronger of the two.

They follow him into his office and each take up position in one of the comfortable chairs facing his desk. Through the venetian blinds, he can see rain clouds starting to drift over the city landscape. It looks like there'll be rain today.

"I'll have tea as well," says Daniel. He sits behind his desk and steeples his fingers. "Shall we begin the discussion, ladies? Which issue would you like to address first?"

"Well, first, how about a brief on how you see how this 'Hidden Places' component of the expedition is going to work alongside academic and national interests," says Mikhalkova. "I know you've done it before, but just once more, just to give us a grounding and a starting point to the meeting."

"The publicity generated by 'Hidden Places' will benefit both academic and national interests," says Daniel. "The show gets high ratings, and many people watch it. The attention it will garner will inspire academic interest in a number of fields associated with the unique location: archaeology, biology, geology, vulcanology, and physics, just to name a few. Interested scholars who watch 'Hidden Places' will be inspired to research the phenomena that our expedition will document. Additionally, both scholars and lay people will be encouraged to visit Kamchatka because of this special. It's a very beautiful land, and the camera work will be sure to show that off as much as possible. This means more tourism, and thus more money, for Russia. This can be enhanced further by carefully placed commercials that interested sponsors can pay to have aired during the programme. They already know that viewers are interested in the area, so airline and hotel companies can time their spots to take best advantage of that."

Mikhalkhova smiles. "Okay, I can see why you're Ophidian's liason. All right then, let's go to the schedule." She pulls out a notepad and a pen. "Tonight, we have a meeting of many of the expedition members. There will be the media circuit for two weeks and then we are scheduled to have everyone fly over into Moscow next Friday night where they will stay near the University of Moscow so that the entire expedition can become acclimatised with each other, catch up on each other's research, and get a better understanding of the mountain. Two weeks from then, we go to Petropavlosk-Kamchatskiy, where we ensure everyone has an opportunity for additional training in mountain survival, first aid, endurance training, and other important skills. Finally, we begin the expedition itself."

"That sounds good to me," says Daniel. "My primary concern at the moment is security. Given everything that's happened today, we'll need to take all possible precautions. In addition to Ophidian's own security efforts, the German police are on the case, and I'm sure the Russian government will be taking strong measures as well. How much of the schedule has been publicized? It may be advisable to alter the schedule where it's feasible so that any further attacks on the expedition can be disrupted."

"Each of the expedition members are aware of it," says Romaschkova. "However, outside of Germany, only certain members of the University of Moscow, the Russian government involved, a few key members of the Russian military, and those accommodation and training individuals hired to be involved. But what are you aware of is happening today?"

"There were the murders right outside my regular office this morning for one thing," says Daniel. "One of the job applicants I was due to interview apparently killed the others who were present and then himself. A man was also run down in the Ophidian parking lot. And of course there are the two Russian scientists, Lebedev and Lozynsky, who were abducted from the airport by someone posing as an Ophidian employee. The real employee who was supposed to pick them up was delayed, probably by an accomplice. I'd imagine you already know about that. The police are still trying to locate them. Are there any other incidents that you're aware of? I've heard that threats have been made previously at the University of Moscow regarding the expedition, but as far as I'm aware nothing ever came of it there."

"Yes, there were several threats that we were disturbing something significant, going where no one should go," says Romaschkova.

"The two Russian scientists? No, your government didn't find it fit to tell us about this," says Mikhalkhova, rising. "Excuse me, I've got to make a few phone calls. Unless there's anything else you know?"

"I find it disconcerting that your government was not informed," says Daniel. "Nobody at Ophidian told me either. I only found out when the police mentioned it when they interviewed me after the murders. The only connection between Lebedev and Lozynsky that I'm aware of other than the expedition itself is that both were at the University of Moscow, where those earlier threats were made. I can't help but think that the kidnappings were carried out by the same parties responsible for the threats."

OOC,Do I know anything else? I don't remember, as it was a long time ago.

"They might not be the same," says Romaschkova. "Germany might have their own agitants."

"It's strange. I don't see why our expedition should draw such attention," says Mikhalkova.

"Some people can be quite superstitious," says Romashkova. "Particularly when unexplained phenomena is involved. They simply don't realize that such phenomena can and will only be explained by thorough scientific investigation."

"I'll see what I can find out about the death threats from the government's end," says Mikhalkova, walking to a corner of the room and making a phone call. She starts speaking quickly in Russian, too quickly for Carter to make out.

"All I can tell you is that many of the threats were rather cryptic, people talking about omens and dangers, threats of an apocalypse, the need to let what sleeps sleep. Most of the phone calls that were traced were traced back to the violent psychiatric wards of asylums, prisons, and other such places, though a few others were from more mundane places. Some simply complained of nightmares and a strange compelling need to call a woman they had never before met or heard of, or so they said. Private investigators looked into it but could find no connection between the men and women."

No,there's nothing much more you can add to the discussion. Did we end up giving you any Cthulhu Mythos points due to your prior history?

"Perhaps it's some sort of mass delusion?" suggests Daniel. "All the publicity we've generated has gotten us a lot of attention, and some of it is decidedly negative. Whatever the case, it seems to be bringing the mad out of the woodwork. As for how this delusion might spread, I think the Internet is the most likely culprit. Rumors can spread like wildfire in a very short amount of time, and highly suggestible people might read something online and act on it. That would explain why these disparate people speak of the same things. I'll have to take a look and see what sites are out there that are discussing the expedition, and who's involved with them."

"That's a good idea, actually," says Romaschkova. "But a kidnapping seems a little bit too organized for this... And those murders? Do the police have any leads? Because if not, that sounds decidedly professional."

"While I do have contacts with the Berlin Police," says Daniel, "they are playing their cards close to the vest. This is an active investigation, so that's understandable. I provided them copies of the security footage, and I also viewed the original recordings that Ophidian retained. It certainly looked to me like Bernhard Riese, one of the job applicants, stabbed the others in the waiting room to death before taking his own life, but he didn't really seem himself, though it's true that I've never met the man. His movements seemed erratic, almost like a marionette whose strings are being pulled by someone else. Nothing about the man's background would suggest that he would suddenly go on a killing spree, and his credentials and employment history have no indication of any trouble. The police seem to think that the vehicle used to run down the man in the parking lot was either a black jeep or a van painted with rainbows. They asked me about both kinds of vehicle. The kidnappings, yes, those were very organized and coordinated. I don't know where the police investigation is, but they are apparently considering a possible connection between the kidnappings and the murders, since they asked me about them."

"I would presume the same," says Romaschkova.

Mikhalkhova gets off the telephone. "I have some additional funding to arrange body guards for the duration in Berlin. The Russian Embassy shall also be enquiring as to why we weren't more fully informed."

"Thank you, that's a good idea," says Daniel. "I'm sure your government will also have ample security in place when the expedition arrives in Russia. The police will surely be keeping a close watch in Berlin too, and I'll have to see what additional measures Ophidian Security is taking. I have my own inquiries to make here at Ophidian about why I was kept out of the loop, too."

"This won't be good publicity for the expedition," says Mikhalkova. "I don't suppose there's anything you can do to reduce the exposure of this?"

"Yes, I can manage some spin control here," says Daniel. "We need to call a press conference as soon as possible and get out in front of this. People are going to be hearing all sorts of rumors and forming their opinions quickly, so we need to get our statement out there fast. If we emphasize that we are the victims, but that at the same time we'll be strong and persevere, we can garner sympathy and turn some of that bad publicity around."

"Have you called to warn all of the expedition members?" asked Romaschkova.

"I did bring that up with the police," says Daniel. "They told me they were going to contact other members of the expedition, but apparently they haven't gotten in touch with you yet. I haven't had a chance to warn everyone personally yet, but I will. Anything could happen at any time, so we can't afford to wait for the police. I'll have Miss Chiang notify everyone right away, and I'll speak to the expedition members myself at this evening's gathering."

"You go do that," says Romaschkova. "I should make a call, also, in case any of the expedition members in Russia may be at risk..."

"Good idea," says Daniel. He returns to the outer office. "Miss Chiang, it seems the police have been slow to notify at least some members of the expedition of the potential danger they are in. Please contact all of them by both phone and email and notify them to be aware of the risk of kidnapping and instruct them to verify the identity of anyone claiming to work for Ophidian Enterprises. I'd also like to call a press conference as soon as possible so that I can make a public statement about today's events."

"Will do," says Miss Chiang, and he could hear her hurriedly scribbling down the messages.

"Thank you," says Daniel. "I'll also be speaking personally on the matter of security at tonight's event, so I do still want to encourage everyone to attend. To speed the notifications up, we can divide the list and I can call some of them myself."

"Of course, sir," she says, and lists off a couple names: Francesca Morletti and Abbo Durer.

"I already briefed Abbo Durer on the danger during his interview," says Daniel. "I'll call Francesca Morletti first." He dials her number on his Blackberry.

"You called me, speak," says a woman's voice.

"Fraulein Morletti, this is Daniel Carter," says Daniel. "I don't know if the police have been in touch with you yet, so I'm calling to warn you about the potential danger posed to members of the expedition. Two Russian scientists with the expedition were abducted from the airport when they arrived by a man posing as an Ophidian employee, while one or more accomplices delayed the real employee who had been sent to pick them up. If anyone approaches you claiming to work for Ophidian, you should verify their identity before going anywhere with them."

"OK...Carter, vielen dank!", she continues in English as the accent tells that he´s not German. "I´m already on my way with Natasha Chaikovskaya to HQ.", she adds, "Is the person you say imposing as an Ophidian an Abbo Durer or Timothy Wells? I met them at the exhibit... I decided to move away from them with Tash to get to the HQ. I´ve met Romaschkova and Mikhalkova earlier, are they who they claim they are? They should be at your place right now."

"I can confirm that all of them are Ophidian employees," says Daniel, switching to English. "I just hired Abbo Durer this afternoon as our new cameraman, but I've already vetted him. Timothy Wells is our boom operator. Romaschkova and Mikhalkova are who they say they are, and I just got out of a meeting with them. I'm glad you and Tash are all right and on your way back, and I look forward to seeing both of you. Has something happened to make you suspicious?"

Midway through the phone call, it cuts out. Then the phone rings again. "This is Morletti, the line died... How´s the status of the people I asked for?"

"I can confirm that all of them are Ophidian employees," repeats Daniel in English. "I just hired Abbo Durer this afternoon as our new cameraman, but I've already vetted him. Timothy Wells is our boom operator. Romaschkova and Mikhalkova are who they say they are, and I just got out of a meeting with them. I'm glad you and Tash are all right and on your way back, and I look forward to seeing both of you. Has something happened to make you suspicious?"

"No, nothing but the fact that this Durer, seems quite jumpy. We´re coming up now. Thanks for the heads up, Carter." To Natasha she says, "The guys from the exhibit turned out to be who they said they were. Guess they were spooked by some scientists from the expedition being kidnapped this morning. Have you heard of that? Let´s go up there and see what´s happening."

"You're welcome," replies Daniel. "Abbo is probably jumpy because I told him about what happened when I interviewed him. If you're coming up to see me, I'm not in my usual office. There were multiple stabbing murders right outside my office this morning. Apparently one of the candidates for the cameraman job killed some of the others and then himself. The place is a crime scene now, and I have a temporary office." He tells her what floor it's on and gives her directions. "Not only that, but a man was run over and killed in the parking lot."

Fransesca talks into the phone: "Be right up, then." Then she seems to be speaking away from the phone: "I´ve got my bird up on the roof. We´ll just have to check with a Daniel Carter how things are supposed to turn out in the near future. There seems to be some recruiting problems. After you."

"Okay, I'll see you upstairs," says Daniel. "Goodbye." He disconnects. "Fransesca Morletti and Natasha are both on their way in right now, Miss Chiang. Who's next on the list?"

"Sure," says Daniel. He dials Milly's number.

Milly answers the phone as the door opens.

Milly, Tash and Francesca are standing in the doorway.

"Tash and Francesca, you arrived safely?"

"Well," says Milly, flipping her phone shut, " Where's dinner?"

Daniel closes his phone too. "I'm glad you've all made it here safely," he says. "The dinner is this evening, but in the meantime we have tea here, or coffee if you prefer. Please, come in, everyone."

Fransesca closes the door after Milly and Natasha and takes a chair and puts it in one corner, turns it so the back faces the room, hangs her leather jacket over the back and straddles the chair. Sitting nonchalantly she waits for Carter to brief them on what has been happening to the other expedition members. "I´ll pass on the java, thanks. What about our missing persons?"

"Their names are Nikolai Lebedev and Alexander Lozynsky," says Daniel. "Both of them are members of the expedition, and they were both snatched shortly after they arrived at the airport. They're still missing, and I have no new information. The police are investigating thoroughly, but they're keeping the details to themselves."

Abbo greets Daniel, "Coffee please."

"Francesca: expedition personnel missing? Our team faces mishap before we get to Kamchakta!"

"We had some fun at the museum today, apparently Natasha is more important to us than she looks." says Abbo condescendingly.

Milly bristles at the slight to Natasha.

"Perhaps the same is true of you. Who are you anyway?"

Abbo checks out Milly, up and down, "Apologies, my name is Abbo Durer, Cameraman, newest member of team 'mishap'!"

"I just hired Abbo this afternoon," says Daniel. "Please excuse his manner. I'm sure he's simply under a lot of stress due to the circumstances. Natasha, I'm relieved that you're safe. You are of vital importance to this expedition. You are, after all, the only one who can translate the Liltian Tablets."

"Thank you," she murmurs under her breath, lowering her head.

"You're welcome, Natasha," says Daniel. "So, what happened at the museum, everyone?"

And what's this about a threat to... Natasha?" Milly almost blushes as she says the name, "And missing expedition members?"

Abbo outlines the events at the museum to everyone: an overheard threat to Natasha, exit to the cafe and return to Ophidian.

"Milly, I know nothing about the missing, sorry; but neither does anyone else!"

"What to do now, Daniel?"

Milly turns to Daniel Carter.

"Daniel, you must know something about the missing team members? Who were -- are they? Where were they from? When were they supposed to arrive? And where? You are supposed to be in charge, right? What do the police say?"

<ooc to Abbo - I don't know anything about what happened in the museum -- wasn't my thread.>

"Nikolai Lebedev is a geneticist," says Daniel, "and Alexander Lozynsky is a biologist who specializes in microbiology and epidemiology. Both of them are from the University of Moscow. There were threats against the expedition at that university, but I don't know for certain if there is a connection. Both men were picked up at the airport by a limo this morning just after they arrived, though I believe they were taken separately. The man who picked them up claimed to be an employee of Ophidian. The real employees who had been sent to pick them up at the airport were delayed, probably by the kidnapper's accomplices, and by the time they arrived it was too late." He tells those assembled what else he knows about this and the other awful events that have happened today. "The police didn't say much. They asked a lot of questions, but I was able to learn some of what I told you by the questions they asked. Our best bet right now is to stick together from now until tonight's event. Now that you're all here we can arrange for round-the-clock security for all of us. I'm not the one in charge of the expedition. That would be Frau Romaschkova. I'm in charge of public relations."

Walking over to Milly, Abbo says what he overheard at the museum:
"German voices coming from a small crowd who were milling around the reception desk. I couldn't figure out who was speaking, but he said, 'Without Natasha, they'll never be able to go up the mountain. Now is our opportunity.' Then another voice, 'Soon, in the exhibit, before the tablet, then.' Myself, Tim, Francesca and Natasha, left immediately for the museum cafe and then here. Confusing and kinda frightening?"

Abbo says, "Daniel advises we stick together, I agree."

"You did the right thing getting Natasha and everyone else out of there," says Daniel. "She's going to need protection most of all, since they're so interested in her. It sounds like they think we'll need to be able to read the tablets in order to ascend the mountain. It's possible we'll find one or more additional tablets there. I've always thought we might, since all of the tablets point to the mountain."

"Well, without the scientists is there any point to going to the mountain? I can do interviews with Natasha here in studio with some stand-ups at the museum. I don't know if that's a viable product, though.

"In any case, shouldn't we hire some serious security for all of the project members? Or are we all going to camp out here for the next several days?

"Who else is unaccounted for at this point?"

"Yes, there's still a point to going to the mountain," says Daniel. "I still have hope the two missing scientists can be recovered, but they are not the only ones accompanying us on this expedition. There's a Scottish geologist named Dr. Magnus Urquhart who specializes in seismology; I'm not sure where he is at the moment. There's another seismologist, Dr. Arnold Crawford, from London, and a Dutch physicist and radiologist, Professor Stefan Broche, also still unaccounted for. Miss Chiang, is there anyone else on the list we have yet to contact?

"There is also plenty of interest in the mountain beyond the bizarre scientific phenomena. There's no substitute for being there, and we can't let these criminals dissuade us from going. I do want to arrange for protection for every member of the expedition. Ophidian has its own security personnel, but to be blunt they could have done a better job. I'll see about supplementing them with outside security. The police are also watching, even if we don't see them."

"Magnus Urquhart? I met him last night," says Milly, casually. "I'm afraid you may be short a geologist, too, Daniel. The last I saw him he had a steak knife jutting from his clavicle and seemed keen on avoiding the police. If he's not in hospital, you might try the gaols."

"A steak knife?!" says Daniel. "How did that happen? Miss Chiang, have you tried to call him yet? Maybe he'll answer his mobile. If not, we'll have to call the police and hospitals to see if anyone knows where he is."

"Your Dr. Urquhart got picked up by an old... acquaintance of mine. When they got back to her place an intruder burst out of her flatmate's bedroom. In the scuffle, the doctor got stabbed. The flatmate was dead in her bed. Could I have a mineral water, please?"

Milly takes a long swallow, her hand shaking slightly.

"Gemma -- my friend -- called me to help her. When I got there, I tangled with the intruder in the lobby, but fended him off. Before the police got there Gemma disappeared and a few moments later the doctor staggered out, against my advice. The emergency personnel didn't see him as they came through the lobby. But my waiting taxi was gone, so I presume he went to the nearest hospital."

"I wish I'd known about that before," says Daniel. "What's the address of the flat? We can call the nearby hospitals and see if he's turned up. A man of Magnus's stature is not likely to be missed."

Milly provides the address.

"It's possible the police have found him. They wanted to interview him about what happened in the flat."

"Thanks," says Daniel. "Miss Chiang and I can start calling around the hospitals once we've finished notifying all of the expedition members. Given everything else that's happened, I can't help thinking that this incident might be connected. What did this intruder look like?"

"He was quite unpleasant in appearance, actually," Milly closes her eyes and thinks for a moment, then continues, eyes still closed, "He had dreads to his shoulders and full lips and seemed to be always muttering to himself. He was wearing a long leather coat, but was naked under it with a hard-on. His body was covered with scars and sweat. And he had a scalpel in his hand."

She breathes out a long, shuddering sigh. When her eyes open they glitter with tears. Her hands are shaking.

"Could I get a drop of something a little stronger than coffee, Daniel?"

"Yes, of course," says Daniel. He takes out a flask of whiskey and offers it to Milly. "You can Irish up your coffee with that, or just drink it straight from the flask. I'm just relieved you weren't hurt. I hope the police find this creep fast. I'll have to ask how their investigation is going, and maybe they did find Magnus."

From her seat in the corner, Fransesca gets an image of another unpleasant memory, "Speaking of Aleksandra Romaschkova
, she had me take a detour on the way here, earlier today, to visit a professor, Herr Schneider. He had specimens from the mountain. I´m no scientist but they all sounded excited about the insects, well they turned out to be something other than insects. At least one species of them wasn't. It was fungal imitating insect life - a completely different phylum, or something." She continues, "I got bored of the display and headed up for a cat nap in the heli. I had a quick glance through a couple of books at the professor´s library and zoned out for a bit. Then I headed up to the chopper. I must have fallen fast asleep and had a dream of odd proportions:
I´m in a city of blackened, broken glass windows and tortured steel beneath a darkened sky, within which is cradled a black sun. Several twisted towers shoot up from the skyline, taller than the skyscrapers of alien architecture that jut out all around. Through a crater that looks like a sewer drain my mind swims and I taste the filth as she goes down ever further to a place where broken glass lines a desert and as she treads across it, it laughs as I cut my feet, the glass suckling upon the blood. In this dream, though, I feel no pain. Wisps of fire blow in the dry, hot air, and dark shapes swirl in the gray sky as if in search of me.
Beyond this is violence and upheaval. Artillery fires over an area filled with trenches and barbed wire. Strange, deformed gas-canisters that seem organic shriek down from the sky and down the uniformed cadavers in mucus. Automatic guns take out all those who stand taller than the trenches. Barbed wire cuts those who attempt to wriggle on their bellies."

She looks up, "It might be a sign that we´re in danger and that we should make a move and not stay here. Get to the mountain and see what is causing the anomaly. Engines fail to function close to the top, so we´ll have to travel the last bit by foot. And if we´re lacking a scientist, maybe Herr Scneider can be persuaded to accompany us? He´s been there before and he has knowledge of the fauna there. Odd with fungi transforming to resemble insects..."

"Daniel, was you aware of this meeting with Schneider?"

OOC,Am I aware of it?

"We don't need a dream to tell us we're in danger," says Daniel. "The expedition will proceed. You're right; the sooner we get on with it, the sooner we'll be out of danger. I don't think we can move up when it starts, though. The timetable has already been worked out with the Russian government, and they need to take extra security precautions for our arrival too. That's going to take time to do it right. I do remember something about Aleksandra Romaschkova having another meeting before this one, but I'm a little hazy on the details. Miss Chiang?" He steeples his fingers for a moment as he thinks. "Fungi with the capability to mimic insects, now that is interesting. They're not just a different phylum, they're a different kingdom. Insects are part of the animal kingdom, but fungi are not. I'm curious myself about how they do it."

"Romaschkova didn't inform me with whom she was having her metting," said Chiang. "Should I call her and inquire as to his full name and details?"

"Yes, that sounds like a good idea," says Daniel. "I don't know who she met with either. Right now she'll probably be talking to her people in Russia, given what's happened today."

Miss Chiang leaves to complete the phone call. The room seems stuffy, almost humid, in her absence. The ventilation mustn't be working as good as it should be. Through the windows, rain can be seen to slant down heavily upon the streets below.

OOC: I'll give you all a day or two to complete any left over threads of conversation, then have her return.

Miss Chiang returns. "She is just about to enter a committee meeting with a number of German archaeologists to talk about her findings. She has suggested calling in some favors to have a small contingent of bodyguards accompany all expedition members until the situation improves. I have Herr Josef Schneider's phone number and email address if you would like to contact him."

"Thank you, I'd like that," says Daniel. "I agree with hiring bodyguards. We need to do that right away. Some of my police contacts will likely know of a reliable agency that can provide them on short notice."

Hearing the situation about a real threat, Fransesca leaves the security of her corner and opens the door to the temprary office and peers out.

The corridor outside contains only a single man filling a cup at the water cooler.

She gets back into the office and reports, "It´s clear out there. What now? Are we meeting with the group leaders any time soon?"

"Well, the dinner for all of the expedition members is this evening," says Daniel. "I'm sure the leaders will be there. We should all stick together until we can bring in those bodyguards."

"Should I make arrangements with a local protection service?" asked Miss Chiang. She stood by the door, one foot in front of the other, the very essence of calm sophistication, as though all this talk of murder and mayhem were simply a chat about the stock market. The only possible sign of nervousness is how she keeps smoothing down her pencil skirt even though there isn't a single crease on it.

Natasha, on the other hand, hasn't stopped trembling and chewing on her nails. It wasn't obvious before, when they were deep in conversation, but now that the conversation has petered out, the little bit of blood on her ruined fingernails becomes more obvious.

"Yes, please do," says Daniel. "Make sure they're the best, and spare no expense. We can't afford to take chances." He turns to Natasha. "Are you all right, Natasha? Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Of course," said Miss Chiang, as she turned to leave.

"I-I don't think so," said Natasha. "I- Well, I have... There's these radio stations... Maybe I just shouldn't do it." She stares at her hands, which are tucked into her lap.

"You don't think you should do what?" asks Daniel. "What radio stations do you mean?"

"I have these interviews-things but I could just, well, y-you know, not go." She leans forward in her chair, eager to hear his response.

"No, I think you should go ahead and do them," says Daniel. "You won't be in any more danger at a radio station than you would be anywhere else, and we'll have top-notch bodyguards protecting you round the clock. The publicity from the interviews will be a good thing for the expedition."

"Oh," she says, leaning back in her chair and staring at her fingers again. "I-I suppose. Yes."

Miss Chiang walks back into the room. "I've made the arrangements. They should be here in thirty minutes. I have arranged for a bodyguard per individual, with two spare for high-risk targets. Who should have those spare two?"

"Thank you," says Daniel. "Natasha should definitely get two bodyguards, considering her unique talents. I think Aleksandra Romaschkova should get two as well. As the leader of the expedition, she's also at high risk."

"Of course, sir," says Miss Chiang.

Natasha just blushes. Milly LeCrique looks impatient.

"Yes, there is," says Daniel. "I recommend the lasagna." He licks his lips. "It's absolutely delicious. Of course, we don't want to fill up too much before tonight's dinner. Let's all go to the cafeteria. It's best that we stick together until our new bodyguards arrive. Miss Chiang, would you please direct them there when they show up before we return?"

"Of course," says Miss Chiang.

"Oh, and by the way, Daniel, and the rest of you. I feel pretty vulnerable as it is. I do have some gear for emergency situations up in my heli, on the helipad. Would it be too much trouble to get some kind of protection? Or can you provide something from your cabinets, Carter? I guess we all came here quite unequipped. I was just heading for a quick look at the exhibit." Fransesca pockets her sunglasses as she stands up, ready to leave.

"I do have some protection on me, but the rest of you probably don't," says Daniel. "The gear in your helicopter could be useful, but maybe we should send someone else to pick it up rather than split the group before the bodyguards get here."

"I can have an assistant go to collect it so long as I'm given the keys and a list of what you require," says Miss Chiang.

"Do you have a carry license for those firearms?" asks Miss Chiang.

Laraqua:
"I have my mission brief from my company´s lawyers regarding safety on my arctic tours. Will that suffice?"

"This isn't the arctic circle, ma'am. You'd need a German firearms license."

OOC: Unfortunately, no. You were only supposed to be here two weeks. Trying to get through all that kind of paperwork would be an absolute nightmare. Getting a gun permit in Russia would also be difficult but more worthwhile - though since they'll have a military presence there at the time they'll resist letting you have a gun there, either. We'll say that you're still working on your Russian firearms license, but don't have one for Germany. At least not a carry permit for one.

"I'm hardly Rambo," says Daniel, "but we do have Ophidian's security while we're here. I'm sorry, but it would take too long to get you a firearms license, even with my connections. By the time you got it, if you got it, we'd already be in Russia. I'm ready to go."

They head out in a group toward the elevator and wait for the lift to come up. The only sound they can hear is the low murmur of people talking in some nearby cubicles and the thrum of a vacuum cleaner. Natasha hangs back, staring at her shoes, and wrings the sleeve of her shirt with her other hand. Milly strides forward with easy confidance.

The lift doors open and the group crowd inside. The elevator says it can carry sixteen people but it feels crowded with just the six of them. The elevator reaches the third floor and opens. Carter leads them all to the canteen, where tables and cozy bar stools sit in the middle, and sofas and black coffee tables sit around the edges. There's a single woman working the canteen at this late hour.

"Hello," says Daniel to the woman with a smile. "I'd like the lasagna, please." He looks back at the others. "What is everyone else having?"

The woman nods with a smile and gestures to the various salads and deserts (muffins, a few cake slices) in the cooling glass cabinet in front of her and then waves at the boards behind her that have things like schnitzels, lasagne, and other such things listed. "What would you like?"

"I was looking for some Franks and mash, but a salmon pie would do." Fransesca orders over Carter´s shoulder.

"I'd l-like some quiche, thank you," said Tash, hugging herself tightly.

"Quiche sounds good," said Milly.

The group go over to a booth in the corner that lacked a window. Instead, a giant motivational poster covered the space where the window would be. The black, faux-marble-top table sits comfortably, however, between the two faux leather couches that are equally comfortable to sit on. It doesn't take long for the food to be served.

Daniel eagerly begins tucking into his lasagna. "So, is there anything anyone wants to discuss?" he asks between bites. "I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any,"

Natasha takes a seat and blinks up at the large motivational poster. She winces a little at the implication that she should come up with a subject and turns to her meal.

A half hour later, the security guards arrive. The lead man steps forward, a clean shaven, buzz cut fellow with shoulders as wide as Carter is tall ... or so it seems. "Sorry, sir. We were held up in traffic." He hands over his I.D. Ronald Sinclair.

Daniel stands and shakes hands with Ronald Sinclair as he inspects the ID. "Hello, I'm Daniel Carter," he says, showing his own ID from Ophidian. "I'm glad you're here. Thank you for coming on such short notice. We'll all be attending a social event together this evening, but after that we will be going our separate ways." He introduces each of the other expedition members with him. "Natasha Chaikovskaya and Alexandra Romashkova, the expedition leader, who is not here right now, will each require two members of your team assigned to guard them, and each of the rest of us will need one."

"Very well, sir," said the man, a trace of an Oxford accent hidden beneath his German.

Francesca gives a little smile and a wave before turning back to her food.

"Have you been fully briefed on the unfortunate events that have happened today to members of the expedition?" asks Daniel. "If you have any questions you need answered to do your job and deal with the threats we face, feel free to ask. I don't have all the answers, but I'll do my best. The police know more than I do, but they're playing some of their cards close to the vest."

Ronald Sinclair gave a curt nod and looked around the cafeteria with a look of dismay. "We are aware of your predicament. However, this location does not seem particularly secure for such a discussion. Is there a more secure location in the building where we can debrief?"

"There is my temporary office," suggests Daniel. "Might want to sweep it for listening devices first. Only Ophidian personnel would have access to it, but I can't rule out some inside involvement in some of our problems."

"Perhaps we should visit my office. It is quite secure. Do you have a trustworthy chauffeur or would you be willing to ride with us?" asks Sinclair.

"If we're going anywhere with a helipad, I'd like to bring my chopper," said Francesca. She looked from one man to the other and shrugged. "What? Last thing we need is that being sabotaged."

"That is a good thought," says Daniel to Francesca. "We wouldn't have to worry about traffic, either. Can we take the chopper, Mr. Sinclair?"

Sinclair pauses and places a finger to his ear piece for a moment and then nods. "That is acceptable. There is a helipad at the location. It would be best if we got out of Mitte (this suburb) soon. Perhaps you could finish lunch in the Kreig Building, at 28 Karl-Marx-Allee, in Friedrichshain? It's not far."

"Sounds good to me," says Daniel, collecting what's left of his lasagna in a doggie bag.

Francesca and Natasha do the same. Natasha keeps taking little sidelong glances at Sinclair, but she looks away, blushing, whenever he looks over at her. He's quite the handsome man, though. Perhaps that's why she's behaving so strangely.

Daniel knows all about Natasha's extreme shyness. She had reacted that way to his own good looks when they had first met, though by now she had gotten used to him. "If everyone's ready, we should go quickly," he says.

Sinclair nods and the bodyguards step out of the way to allow the diners to rise. They fall in behind the trio as everyone heads to the main elevator bank. Their bodyguard's eyes roam everywhere. One even has his hand inside his coat, likely on a gun holster. These are certainly top-of-the-range bodyguards.

OOC: Roll Spot Hidden.

Even though the bodyguards are watching out for him, Daniel doesn't let his guard down for a second and has his eyes wide open.

Mr Handy:

Daniel walks alongside Sinclair and whispers to him: "There's a woman at the water cooler with an ID that doesn't belong to her. Face doesn't match. The jacket's too big too, and she could be armed."

Sinclair looks thoughtful and nods to the unspeaking man to the right of the foursome. The unnamed man keeps an eye on in her as Sinclair approaches the elevator and thumbs the button. The woman looks up and down the corridor in Daniel's direction. The unnamed bodyguard lets out his breath in a sigh at the same time. Everyone's vision blurs as though their eyes stop registering anything down that corridor. You can see the plain grey walls and navy blue carpet surrounding the gap. It's just the passageway itself that blanks out. When the vision hole fades, bringing the corridor back into view, the woman is looking impatiently at her watch and then back at her papers.

"I think it might be a good idea to detain and question her," whispers Daniel to Sinclair.

Sinclair gives a slight shake of the head. The elevator doors open and he gestures for the trio to enter before him. Natasha trembles and stumbles inside to lean up against the corner of the elevator. She's gone incredibly pale.

Daniel enters the elevator, reasoning that the security professionals must know what they're doing if they think it's better to let the woman continue doing whatever it is she's doing here.

Once everyone is inside, Sinclair presses the R1 button at the top of the columns. A young man rushes up to the elevator to step inside before it shuts, carrying a briefcase: "Hold the elevator!" Sinclair frowns at him and the unnamed bodyguard steps forward and gives the man a little shove to keep him from entering the elevator before the doors shut. The elevator then climbs steadily to the roof.

"We will let the police and the building's own security deal with that woman," said Sinclair. "There is the possibility that these fanatics may use extreme measures if they see a chance to strike you. An attempt has already been made on the Russian embassy and the Russian dig leader today in order to disrupt international relations. We believe their sole intention is to disrupt this expedition."

Abbo Durer-

ooc,Where is he?

"Yes, I'm certain you're right," says Daniel. "That appears to be their motive, all right."

OOC,Have I heard before about these attacks on the Russian embassy and dig leader? I can't remember.

Abbo Durer & Timothy
Daniel Carter

OOC,No wonder I couldn't remember. :lol:

"I was not aware of these attacks on the Russians," says Daniel. "What can you tell us about them, and where did you hear it?" As he waits for a response, he recalls something.

"The attack on Mrs. Romashkova was averted. Two men, posing as police, attempted to force their way into the mansion where they were dining at the time. The security team on location dealt with them. The embassy attack was a rather poorly made explosive device in a suitcase that was found and deactivated before it could cause any trouble." Sinclair's lips pull taut in what could conceivably be called a smile. "I work for the government. My cover as your bodyguard is vital to this operation's success."

"Ah, thank you," says Daniel. "That explains a lot. I'm glad Mrs. Romashkova is all right."

Mr. Handy

Abbo Durer-

Timothy is ejected from the elevator.
Abbo says: "Ha! it looks as if we are not invited to the party. We'll wait for the elevator to come back down."

"That man who tried to get on the elevator is the boom operator for the expedition," says Daniel. "He could use protection too. He'll probably take the next elevator, so we may want to give him a chance to catch up."

Milly LeCrique blinks rapidly. "Timothy? I didn't even notice!"

Francesca looks at her incredulously. "He's your boom operator... I didn't notice because I was looking up at the time."

Sinclair scowls. "I haven't been given Timothy Wells' picture. Well, nothing for it now. We'll take you up to the helicopter and then I'll send..."

The elevator halts and opens to let a few other people on. Sinclair nods and gestures downward to the unnamed bodyguard shoves his way through, pushing the crowd back as Sinclair hits the Door-Close button.

Sinclair puts a finger to his ear. "Go down and collect them. Bring them to the helicopter if possible."

"Don't feel bad," Daniel says to Milly. "I only barely remembered myself, and by the time I did it was too late to let him on."

Carter

The elevator ascends upwards. The gentle Muzack fills the four walls with a soothing tune that is barely noticeable.

"I should probably be paying more attention, though, if things are really getting as bad as they appear," says Milly.

"You can apologise by buying him a drink," says Francesca. "I think we'll all need one by the time this is over."

Abbo Durer

"What the fuck was that for?" demands Timothy, rubbing his chest irritatedly. "I know they don't respect the camera crew, ever, but that's a little low..."

A woman in an ill-fitting suit (the jacket is far too large) turns in their direction. She arches an eyebrow and comes walking over to them, carrying a clipboard. There seems to be something off about her.

Roll Spot Hidden.

"Yeah," says Daniel, "and we all should pay closer attention to our surroundings."

Abbo Durer-

[ooc: Spot Hidden (1d100=93)]

"Don't sweat it, Timothy. These TV presenters and their bosses think they are a cut above the rest of us 'normal' people. They need you, and me!"

A woman in an ill-fitting suit-

"Something wrong?"

Daniel Carter

The elevator doors open with a 'ding' onto Ophidian's roof. There's a square of concrete, covered in white lines, and with the odd set of lights for the helipad. Around that are the numerous eruptions of ducts, air conditioners, vents, and electrical boxes. A heavy rain batters down onto the roof, the rain drops lit up by curves of colour from the lights arranged around the helipad. The cloud are so thick that it seems almost like night and it's only the mid-afternoon. Flying in heavy rain is no picnic but it's probably quite painful down there, too.

"It's raining again," says Natasha quietly.

"It hasn't stopped," says Milly with a sigh.

"Ahh, here we are," says Francesca, damn near breaking into a jog to get to her baby.

Abbo Durer

The woman smiles at you both, adjusting her overly large jacket: "I'm Jennifer Powell. I work admin here. You look like you need some help. Come with me."

Timothy's gaze flicks down to her name tag and then up to her face. He smiles at her and throws a punch that misses.

"Might as well wait in the chopper," says Daniel, following her. "No sense in staying out here and getting wet. You'll need time to do your pre-flight checks anyway - and to make sure your bird hasn't been sabotaged already."

Abbo Durer-

He notices Timothy's glance at the woman's name badge and then is surprised by the punch. Something is wrong!

Laraqua,Is Abbo carrying a weapon? because, if so, he'll draw the weapon. And, his "undercover" police status - do I keep that hidden from other players?

Mr. Handy

"Sabotage," said Milly. "That's a ... comforting image."

"I'll look her over," promises Francesca, letting the others into the helicopter.

"I'll stand by the elevator," said Sinclair with a brief smile. "I don't mind getting wet."

The interior of the helicopter is cold but dry. It's a relatively large model with enough seating for 8 people - though the seats are rather cramped and anyone moderately overweight would have a hell of a time getting comfortable. Through the windows, you can see the rain slanting down. The roof is practically awash with it.

Abbo Durer

Daniel straps himself into his seat. "Everyone okay?" he asks.

Abbo Durer-

[ooc: Spot Hidden (1d100=8)]

The woman's bulky jacket sits over an equally bulky shirt. It looks like there's something hard, with flat, segmented units, strapped to her chest beneath the shirt. There is also a glint of a knife inside of her jacket. On the plus side, the elevator light is on a floor directly above this one. Hopefully the doors will open behind Abbo soon. It's Abbo's action.

Abbo Durer-

Abbo shouts, "This man is drunk!" grabbing Timothy's arms. "Please, Madam, excuse the violence: he doesn't know what he is doing." Abbo squeezes Timothy with his hand in an irregular pattern, trying to convey that Abbo is "on" to the woman as well.
Abbo asks the woman, "The elevator: You wish to go up?"

The woman flinches in confusion as Abbo's words throw her off. "Yes, of course. I'm going up as well."

Timothy starts lolling about in a most unconvincing manner. "Sowwy mees, but I taught you were mah ex."

The elevator doors open. A single man in a poorly fitting suit stands in the rear of the elevator, looking bored. Abbo recognizes him from the group that had just entered the elevator.

The strange woman enters the elevator. "You coming?"

Abbo Durer-

"One moment, please." He shakes Timothy and whispers, "Don't over do it, man." As he is doing all this he looks for the fire escape stairs.
[Abbo intends to race up them to the roof.]

The man in the ill-fitting suit stabs her with a needle directly into the back of her neck with a quick and ruthless grace. She sways on her feet for a moment and then turns to look back at him, clutching her neck, before collapsing in a heap at the bottom of the elevator. The man flashes a bodyguard's license at them and beckons them into the elevator. Tim looks to Abbo for guidance.

Abbo Durer-

"Neat work! That injection: is it lethal?" Abbo steps into the elevator and begins to search the woman's body.

The bodyguard just smirks and presses the rooftop button. The elevator starts going up. The woman lays there limp as Abbo goes over her clothes. It appears that she has some sort of explosive device strapped to her chest with the trigger in her jacket pocket. She also has a wallet with a diamond money clip over a few dozen notes, a driver's license identifying her as Joanna Kriegg, and a stilleto knife in her other pocket. A scrap of paper folded inside the wallet looks like it comes from a flyer for some sort of grief support workshop called the Weeping Mother Support Group. Its address appears to be in 48 Kreudorf, Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf.

Abbo pockets the items, taking care with the bomb trigger. Placing his fingers upon the woman's neck he checks for a pulse whilst looking up to the bodyguard.
"Thanks again. What is your name?"

His fingers keep trembling and slipping around the area. Abbo has seen people take a pulse in the movies but he's never had to do it much himself and it always takes him a lot of time. He thinks he might be able to feel her pulse ... but it might be his own.

The bodyguard sighs and says in heavily accented German: "Klaus Schmidtt." The accent isn't German. It quite clearly appears to be Russian - sounds like your Russian tutor, Oleg, who had lived in Kiev before coming to Germany. A middle class, urban accent, in other words.

Unsure what to do with the human bomb, Abbo decides to leave her, but he removes the bomb as well, intending to dump the bomb in the trash.

"How do you do, Klaus," he says. Standing up. "I'm Abbo Durer. The others, Daniel, Milly and the rest, have they left in the helicopter?"

"Ah, I wouldn't touch that," said Timothy as Abbo starts rolling her over to look for clasps. "It might have some kind of wire hooking it to her clothing. We should leave that for the police."

Abbo freezes.
"I think you could be right, Timothy."

The elevator finally reaches the roof top and, with a sharp bing, the elevator doors open to reveal a world of roiling clouds, driving rain, and thick puddles between the ventilation shafts and cooling towers that dot the rooftop around the square of asphalt, lines, and lights that is the helipad. A large helicopter crouches on the helipad, its side door having been slid open, and Daniel Carter, Natasha Chaikovskaya, and Milly LeCrique can be glimpsed inside the well-lit compartment. An unknown woman sits in the cockpit gazing out at those coming out of the elevator.

A second unknown figure. A rather handsome man in a cheap suit steps out in front of the elevator with a gun in his hand. His gaze flicks down to the unconscious woman and then up to the occupants. He gestures with his hand toward the elevator. "Can you take care of this woman?" he asks Klaus.

Klaus nods.

"That's Abbo Durer, our cameraman, with the boom operator," says Daniel to Sinclair. He waves at the men who just got off of the elevator and motions for them to come to the helicopter.

Wrapping his jacket around himself to ward off the elements Abbo sprints for the helicopter.

Timothy follows at a rapid clip, casting a backward glance at Klaus who crouches down over the woman's body and pulls out a mobile phone. The elevator doors start to close and Klaus taps the sensor strip along the inside to keep them open.

"That should be everyone," says Sinclair in both English and German for the benefit of those getting aboard. "Take her up."

Francesca fiddles with the controls and the engines start up with a whine - the rotors swinging around in slow circles.

Sinclair assists Timothy and Abbo into a pair of seats and then pulls the door shut just as the rotor blades have picked up enough speed to begin their ascent. Then he buckles himself into a seat and speaks to Francesca in English. "Don't worry. You'll have clearance to land at that address."

"Figures," said Francesca in English.

"Is it safe to fly in this storm?" asked Milly, also in English.

"This isn't a storm," said Francesca. "This is just a little rain. Wind is holding steady and no sign of lightning. I've flown in more ferocious weather."

"Right," said Milly.

"Where are we going?" Timothy asked Carter. "And who were those two men?"

"These gentlemen are our new bodyguards," explains Daniel. "I've just hired them. Mr. Sinclair here is their leader. I believe he's one of your countrymen, Timothy. From Oxford if I'm not mistaken, or at least educated there. We're on our way to his offices where we'll be able to speak freely."

Abbo Durer-

"Mr Sinclair is doing a good job. His man, Klaus, disabled a woman in the elevator; she was a suicide bomber attempting to get to the helicopter. Someone wants to stop the TV crew very badly, but why?
"The bomber's Driver License is for a Joanna Kriegg, and I found an address at the Weeping Women Support Group."

Milly LeCrique arches an eyebrow. "Suicide bombers go to support groups now?"

Mr. Sinclair just looks thoughtful as he buckles himself in to one of the seats.

"Good job," says Daniel, breathing a sigh of relief. "That could have ended a whole lot worse. Did you mean the Weeping Mother? They contacted me earlier today, and I looked up some information on them." He shows Sinclair everything he has on them and tells him what happened at the police station.

Abbo-

He checks a scrap of paper.
"Yes, you're right, Daniel. The flyer says 'Weeping Mother'. We should go and check out the Mothers."

"We shouldn't go to that address personally," says Daniel. "That would be a tremendous risk. But yes, the authorities need to look into them."

"Yes, I don't believe it would be wise for any of your to risk yourselves," said Sinclair. "I think that once we have you all in a secure location, you should probably stay there for the interim."

"But what about the media circuit?" asked Milly LeCrique. "It'll give them the wrong impression if all we do is hide."

"Yes, we can't cancel tonight's event," says Daniel. "We do need to be there to ensure that we have support for the expedition. The people trying to kill us seem to want to thwart the expedition, and that would help them do it. I have confidence in you and your team, Mr. Sinclair, and I'm sure you can keep us safe. You can control the venue and carefully screen who is allowed inside."

"As you wish, sir," said Sinclair. "Though I would prefer to keep you in a more easily controlled location. Right. Do you have the address on you so that we can make all of the appropriate security precautions?"

"Why do they want this expedition over so badly?" complained Timothy, crossing his arms over his chest. He looks a little sickly as he peers out the rain-streaked window.

Daniel gives Sinclair the address. "I'm not sure why they want to stop us so desperately," says Daniel. "Maybe the same unknown reason the Russian government declared the area off limits for over two hundred years, whether ruled by the czars or the Soviets. We're just lucky they're allowing the expedition in now. This group's motives for coming after us should definitely be looked into."

"Of course," said Sinclair. "My team are not private investigators but we'll see what we can do."

"Thank you," says Daniel . "It may help to coordinate with the police with some aspects of the investigation. They've hopefully already done some of the legwork."

"We're nearly there," says Francesca Morletti from the cockpit.

Its hard to see much through the driving rain and dark clouds that blot out the sun. The ground below is a patch work of green, amber, red, and yellow lights splashing across the water and weaving between the tall, hulking buildings. She starts guiding the helicopter downwards toward one particular building.

"Perhaps the police will gain some information from the attempted suicide bomber," said Sinclair. He looks over at Abbo and Timothy. "I'm not sure what either of you said to her to delay her attack long enough for my good fellow to assist you, but whatever it was, it must have been convincing."

Abbo Durer-

"We shouldn't go to that address personally," says Daniel. "That would be a tremendous risk. But yes, the authorities need to look into them."

"Okay."

"I'm not sure what either of you said to her to delay her attack long enough for my good fellow to assist you, but whatever it was, it must have been convincing."

"Ha! It was luck; don't give us too much credit. Although, Timothy spotted there was something wrong about her."

Timothy just shrugs at that and holds himself tighter.

Milly LeCrique looks at him questioningly.

"I hate flying," he mumbles. "Especially in storms."

"It's not storming," says Milly. "It's just rain."

"Pretty thick rain."

"I spotted that there was something wrong with her too," says Daniel. "I also noticed that you two were trying to get on the elevator, but the doors had already closed and it was too late. That's why Sinclair sent Klaus back down. I'm just glad everything turned out the way I did. We really do need to pay careful attention to our surroundings at all times, especially in public like tonight. It could make the difference between life and death."

The helicopter lowers to a rooftop landing pad. The rain continues to drum against all of the windows. For a moment, there is silence as everyone considers Daniel's words. Then the helicopter touches down and there's a dull whine as the rotors begin to slow. Francesca Morletti starts going through the shutting down procedures on the helicopter.

Abbo Durer-

"Again: Three cheers for Klaus!"

"Where has the helicopter landed?"

"Yes, thank you, Klaus," says Daniel. "Well done. Abbo, this building is where Mr. SInclair has his office. It's a suitably secure location where we can discuss whatever we need."

"All's secure at my end," says Francesca, opening up her door and stepping out onto the rain-slick rooftop.

"We're good at our jobs," says Mr. Sinclair as he cracks a smile. He slides open the door and hops down into a puddle that splashes up around his leather boots. He turns to assist Natasha and Milly get down from the helicopter. He'll also offer assistance to any man who appears to need it, such as Timothy, who seems a little queasy. Then he leads them over to the elevator where two men currently stand in the rain.

"We held the elevator for you, sir," says the man on the left.

Mr. Sinclair nods and leads them into the elevator.

Daniel climbs out of the helicopter on his own and hurries through the rain to reach the shelter of the elevator.

Abbo Durer-

He follows Sinclair to the elevator.

Even that short walk across the rooftop leaves them dripping with rain. It runs through their hair and down the backs of their necks and through their clothing, chilling them instantly. Herr Sinclair leads them all inside and then presses the button for the 15th floor. The elevator doors close with a ping and slowly descend. Soft Muzack plays from the discrete speaker in the top left corner of the room. Finally, the elevator doors open, again with a ping, and Sinclair leads them down a corridor carpeted in grey, past a receptionist with her hair up in a tight bun, and down another passage way to a door with black stenciling over the glass that says: Meyer. Sinclair knocks briskly against the glass.

"Come in," calls a male voice from inside.

Sinclair opens the door and beckons them to enter. The office is rather plain with bureacratic gray carpet and creamy walls. The man behind the desk has grey streaks of hair across his temples and is currently typing away at his computer. The office itself is ringed in filing cabinet and shelves that bow under the weight of many folders. There are three seats across from Meyer - certainly not enough for the seven people who have just entered.

Fransesca remains standing in the door way, adjusting her leather jacket to let some rain trickle down her back. Makes you feel alive... she ponders as she waits for Meyer, Klaus and Carter to get the negotiation of terms for the expedition and the security issue solved.

Daniel enters the office but remains standing so that others can have the seats. "Guten Tag, Herr Mayer," he says, speaking in German. "I'm Daniel Carter of Ophidian Enterprises."

"And I'm Abbo Durer--the cameraman."

Sinclair raises a hand to half cover his smirk at the standing group of Kamchatka expedition members. Even Tash seems to be standing. Finally, Timothy shrugs and takes one of the seats.

"Herr Mayer, this is Natasha Chaikovskaya, Timothy Wells, and Milly LeCrique," says Sinclair. "Perhaps we could all go into the meeting room?"

"One moment," says Mayer, tapping away at the computer. Finally, after a full two minutes, he rises. "Right. This way." He leads them out into the corridor, down two doors, and then into a large meeting room containing an oval table and a dozen leather-backed chairs. "Take a seat. Right now, let me introduce us. We are your new security team but we aren't a part of any company you'll find listed on the books. We work for the German government. What department needn't concern you. I tell you this so that you know that you are not our employers and that you are expected to obey any directions we give you as a matter of national security. We will not tolerate any successes by this terrorist cell. Now that revelation is out of the way, brief me on your experiences to date."

Natasha's eyes go wide at the revelation and she grips the chair arms tightly enough that her knuckles turn white. Timothy just starts fiddling with a pencil. Milly LeCrique's mouth makes a little 'o' and she raises one delicate hand to shield it.

"Well, I only joined the team today, but already I have had some excitement. (This was before the suicide bomber!) Earlier today, a few of us went to the Berlin museum where I overheard a death threat against Natasha. After some chasing around the museum Natasha caught the helicopter back to Ophidian and Timothy and I returned to Ophidian by taxi."

ooc,That was totally from my memory of 18 months ago. Do I get a prize?

Daniel sits down at the table. "Thank you," he says. "I'm glad you're on top of things, and I can certainly understand why the German government has a vested interest in stopping these terrorists." For one thing, they don't want an international incident on their hands if anything happens to the Russians while they're in Germany, he thinks. Daniel proceeds to explain what he has observed and learned today, from the massacre of the candidates for the cameraman position to his experience at the police station and finally the latest incident at Ophidian with the would-be suicide bomber.

OOC: Tabs, you were right but for the helicopter part.

Hey Mr. Handy, if your character is going to do a big run-down on the whole event, we'll probably need it in more detail than that for the benefit of the players who haven't read what happened yet. The other characters might have a few questions depending on what you say. As it's quite a bit of background history to go over, I'm happy to do it for you if you'd like. UP to you.