Logan Hall, University of Pennsylvania 5:30 PM - Wednesday, July 16th, 1969 Markus Fletcher had just finished his last lecture of the day and was on his way through the lobby of Logan Hall to the bright, hot summer day that was still not quite over. He was walking past a bulletin board, which many pieces of paper were stuck to with thumbtacks. There were various advertisements, flyers announcing special events, requests for rides, and the like. The board was fairly thick with notices, and it was not uncommon for some of them to be posted on top of others. As someone else opened the front door and left the building, a gust of wind blew one of the notes that had only been loosely tacked onto the board away, and it drifted to the floor. It was nothing that interested him - someone was trying to sell an old guitar - but the flyer that had been buried behind it did look to be of interest:
Undergraduate and Graduate Volunteers Needed for Psychology Experiment
Earn $50.00 For Your Participation
We are seeking undergraduate and graduate students for a psychological experiment about sleep and dreams. The study will last three consecutive nights, and volunteers will need to sleep in the lab overnight. Participants will need to arrive at John Morgan Hall, Room 110 at 8:00 PM and will stay until approximately 8 to 10 AM the morning after, depending upon when they awaken. Snacks will be provided in the evenings, and breakfast in the mornings. The study will be conducted twice, from Thursday, July 3 through Sunday, July 6 and from Friday, July 18 through Monday, July 21. To volunteer, please contact Dr. Gregory Anderson, either in person at his office in Room 322 during normal office hours or by telephone at 5-2009.
The phone number must have only had five digits because the first two digits for the University's exchange have been assumed.
Markus paused in his stride and read the note over for a second time to ensure that he knew all the information that the note would yield before considering the experiment. As an anthropology student, much of his subject had strong ties to phsycology and Markus considered how much he could gain from the experiment, as well as the perfectly respectable $50. After some consideration he decided to find out more about the experiment and, if possible, participate in whatever the experiment entailed. He considered whether to call the number provided or if he should ask around first...
OOC,Sorry bout that I wasn't sure if you had something in mind
Markus considered for a moment before deciding that while it would probably be safer asking around, he had not come to America to enjoy the quiet life. Taking a pen and a scrap of paper from one of his pockets he noted down the number, pocketing the scrap and walking off and out of the University, planning to take a cab home before going out for a drink.
Markus Fletcher's Home - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 6:15 PM - Wednesday, July 16th, 1969 Markus arrived back at his home at around 6:15 and went inside. It had been a while since he had eaten lunch, and he was feeling a little peckish. He first went to his phone and called the number he had written down. The phone rang several times, but there was no answer.
OOC,Don't sweat it. I like to have players make decisions about what they're going to do rather than force them down a speciifc path. Some simple actions can be assumed, but when going to new places or doing something that will take a good deal of time, it's best to state your intentions and then let me describe what happens, which is exactly what you've done. I'll then describe the situation and any characters present, and leave it up to you what you want to do next. Don't worry, you'll get the hang of things.
[b]Markus[/b], feel free to describe your own home and your car if you like. Also, roll Idea to try to figure out why nobody is answering the phone.
Markus dropped the phone back into it's cradle, annoyed that he would have to either find the note again or remember who had posted it again if he was unable to make contact by phone after another few tries. He ambled into the kitchen from the lounge, opening the fridge to inspect his meagre supplies. Inside he found half a bottle of milk, dated yesterday, some sausages he had been planning to use for the past week and a small chunk of cheese. However the fridge also contained the object of his search, his last remaining botttle of beer and the paltry remains of last night's spagetti. He opened the beer and tossed the cold spagetti onto the worktop before closing the fridge, proceeding to search a couple of draws for a spoon. He ate the spagetti cold, telling himself that he planned to find something else to eat later but really just being too lazy. once he had finnished his meal and binned the empty bottle he proceeded to pick up his coat, check that his keys and the knuckledusters were still in his pockets before heading out to his car.
It was a flashy new red Jaguar E-Type which he had brought only a month ago, choosing to retain the traditional British right-side driving position and manual gear box. He climbed inside, smiling with satisfaction at the fine enterior of the car and the deep throated roar of the engine starting. He pulled out of his drive and headed back into Philidelphia, planning to park the car at the University where it would probably be safer before walking to one of the nearby bars
OOC,Before we continue, you should roll Idea to see if you can figure out why nobody answered the phone. Use Invisible Castle to roll 1d100. You want to get less than or equal to your Idea score, which is 75. If you succeed, I'll tell you what you realize. If you fail, I won't tell you any more on the subject, though you may be able to figure it out yourself.
Penn Tavern, 33rd and South Streets - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 8:00 PM - Wednesday, July 16th, 1969 Markus drove to the Penn Tavern, a bar located a few blocks south of campus. He had just started on his first drink when a group of five or six jocks staggered in. They looked like they had embarked on a pub crawl and had made significant progress already.
"Hey, guesh what?" slurred one of them. "We were jusht down at Lenny's Bar, and shome professor's kid jusht got arrested! The cops just bursht in and caught him dealing drugs. He fought back, but they got him in cuffs before it got innereshting." He sounded disappointed, but then he brightened. "Oh, and they also shaid he tried to kill shomeone!"
Markus drained his drink as he listened to the story, setting his glass down with a clunk as the jock finished his account. "Well then" he said, walking over and putting an arm around the talker's shoulders "maybe if I buy you blokes a drink or two you'll tell us more, eh?" He motioned to the bartender to pull the group some drinks before motioning for them to sit at the bar "so come on, tell us about this bloke trying to kill someone"
OOC,this'll probably need a roll but should it be persuade or fast talk?
OOC,Normally that would be Fast Talk, but in this case no roll is needed. The young man is eager to tell his story, and buying him and his friends drinks is more than enough to loosen his tongue.
"The kid'sh name wash Brian Andershon," said the atheltic-looking college student. "His pop's shome kind of big shot at Penn. I dunno exactly what happened, but there wash thish old dude who shaid Brian tried to kill him."
"That's right," chimed in one of his buddies, this one a little less inebriated. "He looked real disoriented and didn't recognize his own clothes. He said Brian stole them somehow."
"ha, he was probably one of the kids customers, off his face and looking for revenge about high prices or something" Markus laughed, taking a big swig from his drink while he scoured his brain for information on Brian Anderson. He couldn't remember anything about Brian but the name Anderson was oddly familiar. He wracked his brain for answers. "hey isn't his dad a psycology professor? I heard he was doing some experiments so maybe the kid got the drugs from his dad." Markus said, his spirits rising as he remembered who had posted the note "if it makes you nutty enough that you don't know your own clothes then thats an experiment I want in on!" he joked, laughing loudly while quietly fileing the information away for later, just in case.
OOC,I wasn't sure whether the roll would be idea or knowledge but whichever it is I think I passed. Even if I didn't need to roll I wanted to give Markus a chance to be a bit thick, even if I had made the connection myself
While he had never dabbled in drug dealing, Remy figured it couldn't hurt to hear a little more about this kid. Grabbing his beer he casually slide down the bar closer to the group. Once settled he motioned the bartender for another round and tried to act uninterested.
The bartender distributed drinks to Markus and the young athletes, then got to work on filling Remy's order.
"Tha'sh right!" said the first jock, stifling a hiccup. "He teaches psychology."
"Psychiatry," said the second one.
"Shame thing!"
"He's actually a medical doctor at the School of Medicine, too. Doctor Gregory Anderson, I remember his name now. What's this about an experiment? That sounds familiar."
OOC,That would be an Idea roll, and it would succeed either way. I asked another player who didn't make the connection to roll Idea to come up with it a while back.
Markus thought fast, throwing out a haze of lies and half-truths while he considered his plans "There's some rumours around campus of some new superdrug, supposed to give your somethin' ten times better than anything else out there. Some of the people I know are telling me that it's made on-site too. I saw an advert for volunteers for experiments a couple of days ago, and now hearing about Brian's dealing I put two and two together" he said carefully, acting as if this hastily constructed fallicy was a considered conclusion. "I was thinking me and some boys should sign up for some of these experiments, see if we can put a squeeze on the good professor, how does that sound?" he said, leaning in conspiratorially and delivering the line as if he meant it. It helped that he considered the possibility of blackmailing the professor a few seconds ago however his true motivation was aquiring some bodies to back him up if the experiment turned out not to be to his liking and he had trouble trying to pull out...
OOC,yea this all does sound quite manipulative but hey, that's the character
Overhearing the plan, Remy thought to himself that he could probably make a quick buck with this bunch. Deciding now was the time to make his move he leans into the group some and says, "Mais,I donna mean to be rude, but I must say I tink dis fellas plan sounds interesting.", Giving them a minute to let it sink in, he then presses forward, "If you were agreeable to it, I wouldna mind lending you boys a hand." Leaning back in his seat, Remy takes a sip of his beer, and lets them consider his offer.
"There could be shome money in it..." said the drunk jock, thinking - or at least trying to think.
"I dunno," said the more sober-minded one. "We could get in trouble. If the coach found out, he could kick me off the team."
OOC,[b]Markus[/b] and [b]Remy[/b], either or both of you can roll Persuade to try to enlist the jocks. You get a +10 bonus to the roll because they've been drinking heavily and their judgment is impaired. How well you succeed, and whether or not you both do, determines how many of them will go along. You could roll Fast Talk instead, but that may wear off overnight when they have a chance to think about it, so it won't guarantee their continued support.
"See guys, We already have one recruit." Markus said jovially, eyeing up the newcomer with caution. This man was a wild-card, until now unnoticed and therefore unexamined. For all Markus knew he could be a police investigator, or worse a friend of the Professor's. Markus's brain churned, sizing the new character up before deciding that you couldn't win a poker game without taking a gamble. "if my new friend here is willing, surly you brave boys can't be too chicken." he goaded giving the jocks that final push towards a descision...
OOC,Pretty much, though techinically the bonus adds to your effective skill rather than subtracting from the roll - otherwise you'd have a negative number. You got a 6 out of an effective 25, which is a pretty good result. You'll win over the two guys you're speaking to with that one, but the others aren't going to be interested. Roleplay your speech to them, and then I'll post the outcome. [b]Markus[/b] failed his Persuade roll even with the +10 bonus, so he doesn't manage to recruit anyone additional.
OOC,No, in this case you only got to try one roll, and the moment has passed. I'll just wait for Voodoo to post what [b]Remy[/b] says to them before we continue.
OOC,Sorry guys, I thought I posted lastnight but it must have not went through.
Remy looks at the drunk guys and says to them, "Don't you boys worry, Ole' Remy wouldna steer you wrong." Motioning to Markus, He continues, "Just like de fella says, Dare is LOTS of money to be made in dis job." Tapping the side of his nose he says, "Ole' Remy got a nose for dis kinda ting."
"You can count me in," said the first jock, belching. "Come on, Justin, think of the money."
"Well...okay, Eddie," said the second jock. "I'll do it."
"I don't know about this," said a third athlete. "You were right, we could get kicked off the team."
Another of them nodded. "Yeah, I don't want any part of this." He left the bar, followed by the others. Only Eddie and Justin remained with Markus and Remy.
OOC,sorry about the long post gap guys, I'm currently on work experience and I'm being run ragged so I have barely touched my laptop in days. I'll get better as Work Exp draws to a close though
Markus beamed at the two remaining jocks, silently cursing himself for not being able to persuade more of them to join his cause. There is always saftey in numbers he thought surveying his three co-conspirators. "We need to have enough information to put the squeeze on the old man, enough to make him produce the drugs for us to sell, not for stupid experiments." He grinned evilly at them, leaning closer in to the group and speaking in low tones "I think we need two or three of us on the inside while anyone left digs around the professor and his work for extra leverage. You know, family, close friends, past crimes, anything we can get to make him work for us." he wispered hoarsly "We'll meet here tomorrow night to sort out who is doing what jobs. In the mean time, try and see if you can aquire some more people to help us on this. Subtly of course and try not to let them know just how much money is involved, that way we can all have a bigger percentage of the profits" he said, adding in his own head "Exactly the same as I'm doing to you poor suckers". He lent back, cooly sipping his drink and looking as if nothing had passed between the four men but a friendly chat. "now we should all go our seperate ways, dont want the cops picking us up before we've even started." he said draining the last of his drink and turning to ask the barman for another.
"Dat sounds like de best option." Remy says before draining the last of his beer. Pushing himself away from the bar he turns and says, "Any of you boys know of a good motel, I'm new in town and don't know de area very well yet."
The bartender refilled Markus's drink after he paid for it.
"Sounds good to me," said Justin. He and Eddie finished up their drinks. He nodded to Markus. "There are some good hotels downtown, on the other side of Broad Street, if you've got the money to spend. Not too much near campus. If you're looking for a motel, there isn't too much around here that's cheap. There's the George Washington Motel, but that's way up in the northeast. Sorry, I don't use motels in town. I live in the dorms. We stay in hotels when we have away games in other cities, but there'd be no need here. Maybe the barkeep knows a place."
"Maybe one of you two guys should find out about the prof," said Eddie. "Me and Jushtin ain't sho good with books and shtuff."
"Thats fine guys, I can do all the hard work, you can just sit back and watch the professor in the experiment" he grinned, taking a large slug of his beer to stop himself from laughing, not only where these two gullible, they were also as thick as two short planks, why get into danger himself when there were two perfectly good bodies here that wouldn't be any loss to him bif they were injured by the drugs. The french guy he was wary of however, being an unplanned addition to his little group and possibly even an agent of the police or the professor. He turned to Remy "You can stay at my place while this goes down, its not like it'll take us long and when we're finnished you will be able to afford any hotel you like mr...?" he said holding out his hand and looking at the man expectantly, all the while thinking, yea back at my place and not where you could go off and talk to any friends with badges or guns you might have.
OOC,Are you two going to do anything? Feel free to keep talking to each other if you like. If you say anything to [b]Justin[/b] and [b]Eddie[/b], I'll have them answer, but so far you haven't.
"Maybe we should take a trip out to dis professors house while des fellas go and get some shut eye." Standing up and grabbing his jacket Remy continues, "I got my truck parked outside if anyone knows where de professor lives I could drive."
Remy realized that he could easily look up Dr. Gregory Anderson's home phone number and address in a phone book, unless he had an unlisted number. In fact, there was a payphone in the back, near the restrooms, and a phone book was stored on a shelf underneath it, attached by a chain.
Remy heads over to the payphone he remembers seeing in the back of the bar. Once there he searches through the pages hoping to find the professors address.
Remy found the listings for Anderson near the front of the book, since the listings were alphabetical. It listed an address on Pine Road, barely within the city limits in the far northeast, as well as a phone number.
Ripping the page with the address out of the book Remy heads back to Markus waving it, "Care for a drive, My truck is outside, Lets go check dis fella out."
"Sure," said Markus. "I suppose you can tell by my accent that I'm not from around here, but I know my way around town well enough. Let's go." He followed Remy outside to his truck.
"Not to fear since you not be de only one with an obvious accent in dis truck." Remy gives Markus a big smile as he hands him the paper and says, "Now which way to dis fellas house?" After handing Markus the paper he starts the truck and then merges with the daily traffic.
Dr. Gregory Anderson's Home - Pine Road, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 9:00 PM - Wednesday, July 16th, 1969
Following directions from Markus, Remy made his way onto I-95 and drove into Northeast Philadelphia. There wasn't too much traffic at this late hour, and it didn't take too long to get there. The house was a big two-story one on Pine Road, made out of dark red brick. A light was on in one of the downstairs windows, and a driveway led up to the garage, which was closed. A cement walkway branched off from the driveway and went up a few stairs to the front porch, where the front door stood closed.
Remy pulls over to the side of the road and shuts the truck off. Remy looks over to Markus and says, "We should sleep in shifts while de udder one watches de house. Any little ting could be helpful when it comes to blackmail."
Markus nodded and leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes, while Remy took the first shift. Time began to pass, and so far nothing had happened. Remy learned something that those on the other side of the law knew all too well: stakeouts were boring.
OOC,Something will happen, but I need to wait for another thread to catch up to yours in the timeline first. In the meantime, you may talk to [b]Markus[/b] (he's not asleep just yet).
"I'm from Oxford, in England," said Markus, his accent apparent in his speech. "I come from old money, and my family is very rich, but there's one thing someone with money always lacks, and that's more money. I'm currently attending graduate school at the University of Pennsylvania. And yourself?"
"I'm from Lafayette down in Louisiana. Money was a luxury we didna have when I was growin up." Remy leans back and stairs at the ceiling as if thinking about some memory or another, "Dad was a hard luck Cajun with a mind for da petty crimes. Mom worked da streets at night to support us."
"That is a harsh life," said Markus. "I can see why you could use some money. This professor chap has a nice place. I'm sure he'll be able to spare a nice amount. That's what's good about blackmail: it's the gift that keeps on giving. Once we get him on the hook, he'll be a steady source of income. If he'll pay out once, he'll pay again."
Remy sat watching the professors house for any signs of life. As the time ticked by it seemed as if even the heater in the truck couldn't keep the late night chill at bay. Remy was about to call it a night, As he was about to wake Markus something caught his attention.
Remy caught a glimpse of two cars coming up Pine Road from behind him in the side mirror. They were still a couple of blocks back, but they were heading closer. He couldn't make out much detail, as the glare of the lead car's headlights reflected off of the mirror into his eyes. The first car was a dark Chevy sedan from the early 1960s, probably 1962, and the second was a red 1967 Ford Mustang. He couldn't see the occupants yet. There hadn't been any traffic for a while, and this was the first time he had seen two cars at once since they had parked the car.
Remy shakes Markus shoulder and says, "Hey Markus, You might wanna wake up. We got some cars coming done de street." All the while Remy keeps watching the approaching cars in his mirror.
Markus's eyes snapped open, but he still couldn't see the vehicles. As they got closer, Remy could make out a third vehicle, a small van, following the other two. They were getting closer and definitely coming this way, having just passed the last intersection before Dr. Anderson's house.
"Should we duck down so they don't spot us?" asked Markus.
OOC,[b]Remy[/b], if you want to duck out of sight, roll Hide.
Remy couldn't see the parked vehicles from the driver's seat easily. He was parked on the left side of the road, and the other vehicles had parked on the right. If he were to peek out, he would risk being seen. The rear view and side mirrors also wasn't angled correctly for him to see anything while ducking down.
OOC,[b]Remy[/b], roll Spot Hidden if you want to try to get a glimpse of the people that just arrived.
Remy realized that they were never going to find anything out hiding as they were. Deciding to take a chance, he leaned forward just enough to get a clear view of what was going on.
Footsteps approached the vehicle, and Remy peeked out and was able to see two men approaching the car. The man in front was tall and in his mid-forties, with dark hair that was just starting to recede. He wore a suit, tie, and brown jacket, and he held a flashlight in his hand. The man following him was older, around sixty years old, but his looks had not yet begun to fade. He wore a tweed jacket with leather patches on the elbows. Hanging further back, Remy could see a man in a wheelchair who looked to be about thirty years old, an attractive woman of about the same age, and a man in his early forties. The three vehicles that had just arrived were parked on the opposite side of the street, the side with Dr. Anderson's house.
The two men walked up to the passenger side window, at which point the younger of them lit the flashlight and shined it inside, illuminating the interior of the pickup's cab. Markus blinked, but Remy's eyes adjusted quickly to the sudden light.
"And what are you two gentlemen doing out here at this time of night?" asked the man with the flashlight.
"Oh my Bon ami had a liddle to much to drink. I was tryin to get him home when he started gettin car sick. I figured I'd just pull over for a bit till he get his wind back and can give me directions. I ain't used to de big city and got lost." Remytries to muster every ounce of training he has and hopes he can talk his way through this. He also silently says a prayer that Markus is good enough to play along.
"What's this bullshit?" muttered the old man. "You want to get 'em out and shake them down?"
Markus blinked blearily into the flashlight beam.
"You've got a good nose," said the man with the flashlight to the older man with a smile. "I smelled it a mile away, and boy does it stink! Right." He took out a police badge and pressed it against the glass. "Philly PD. Both of you out of the vehicle." He focused on Remy, his gaze seeming to look right through him. Normally Remy's silver tongue worked wonders, but he had met someone who appeared to be immune - and a lawman to boot. Just what kind of trouble had he landed himself in? "And you, bring your license and registration. And I want the truth about what you're doing here this time."
Remy decided that it was best to continue with the lie rather then come clean at this point. His out of state license and the smell of booze on Markus should hopefully sway them enough to believe him eventually. So waiting until the officer was paying less attention Remy leaned over and quickly grabbed his registration from the glove box. Sliding out of the truck Remy gives the group his best smile and says, "Sorry officers but it be de truth. I'm new in town and met dis fella at a bar. He heard I was looking for work and offered to ask around for me. I figured since he was so drunk I would give him a lift home and dat way it wouldn't slip his mind that he was gonna help me out."
Police Headquarters, Franklin Square - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 11:15 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
The elevator arrived, and the cop took Markus and Remy inside and pressed the button for the basement. The doors closed and the elevator descended. Soon it stopped and the doors slid open again. The officer ushered his prisoners out of the elevator and down a long, narrow hall to the detention unit. There was a large metal door with a barred window at the end. In front of this door sat another sergeant at a desk. "I need to book these two, Sarge," said the officer.
The sergeant nodded and pressed a switch that caused the metal door at the end of the hall to slide open with a rumbling sound. Beyond it was a guard room. Two uniformed policemen stood guard there, one a young black man about six feet tall, the other one pasty-faced, chubby, and a head shorter. The hallway continued beyond the guard room into a cell block. Several wooden doors lined the sides of the guard room, and a payphone was in one corner. Remy was no stranger to this process, but Markus had never been arrested before. The police fingerprinted and photographed the two of them, then gave them prison uniforms to change into and put their personal effects into envelopes. When the prisoners had finished changing, they escorted the two men into the cell block and locked them in an empty cell before walking back to the guard room. It was a plain, small room with a bunk bed, a toilet, and a sink. The door was composed of sturdy metal bars. Through them, in the cell on the opposite side of the hall, they could see a tall, blond young man of about twenty years sitting on his bunk with his head buried in his hands.
"Just a friend, we may be able to do some business when we all get out of here. How are they holding you when this shit is new? It can't be illegal yet, a good lawyer should have you out of here in a heartbeat.
"No need to be cagy mate. They can't hold you for this" Marcus says quickly "They haven´t made this stuff illegal yet have they? It will be like acid before '66. We have a window to make a lot of money here. I don't know about you but I like money."
Brian sat up straight, his eyes wide. "Really?" he said. "Man, I wish I'd run into you before I got busted. The cops took my sample, and one of them accidentally drank it! I don't know how I'll get my hands on another one. Dad will never let me near the stuff again once he finds out what I did. I knew it would be worth a fortune! My name's Brian Anderson. They can't hold me for the Morpheus, but the other drugs I had on me are another matter. And then there's that crazy old cop who said I tried to kill him. I never saw him before in my life, but he's got something against me! Can you help me get out of this mess?"
Remy raised an eyebrow, but he let Markus do the talking for now. The man's got true talent, he thought. It was obvious that Brian was eating out of his hand now. They had found the perfect mark in him.
"How much were you carrying?" asks Marcus. "If it was just a bit of personal you should be OK. "Accidentally drank it you say? Sounds like tampering wth evidence to me not to mention a drug-using copper makes an unreliable witness. A decent lawyer should have you walking out of here in five minutes flat."
"It was more than just for perosnal use," said Brian, "and the cops busted me while I was selling it to a guy. The cop who drank the Morpheus must have mistaken it for chocolate milk, since that's what it looks like. In fact, my dad uses chocolate milk for the control group in his experiments. I've got a lawyer, some dude named Alan Gains. He couldn't get me out tonight, but my arraignment is tomorrow morning. I hope he can get me out on bail."
"It looks like you have two options then. You can jump bail and get out of state or you can do your time. Doing your time could work out even more profitable. The stuff passes for chocolate milk and makes you go to sleep and have interesting dreams. There has to be a big market for that in jail. With you being to only link to the source it will keep you safe in there too. What do you think?"
"Yeah, that sounds good," said Brian. "Maybe I can survive prison that way, but how are we going to get our hands on it? Dad doesn't make all that much of it, and he's the only one who knows how it's made. If we could get another sample somehow, could you find someone who can figure out how to make more of it?"
"I know a few promising chemistry students who could use some extra cash. It would be better if we could get hold of your father's research notes than trying to concoct the stuff from a sample. Maybe we could use the sample to keep him quiet while we find and copy his formula." suggests Marcus
"Yeah, his notes!" said Brian. "It should be easier to get our hands on those than on more Morpheus. Even if we could get another dose, I'm not sure how we could use it to keep him quiet. He's too smart to actually drink it. He probably keeps his notes in his office back at Penn. The best time to get them would be during the experiment. We know he'll be busy in the lab then. It starts Friday night."
"Perfect" says Marcus "Do you know where his office is in the building and does he keep it locked when he isn't in it? It shouldn't be a problem if he does but it is best to know in advance what to expect."
"His office is in room 322," said Brian, "on the third floor. I guess he keeps it locked. His lab is in room 110, on the ground floor. That's probably locked too when he isn't in it."
"Do you know anything about the night security at his building? If it is anything like my building it should just be one ancient porter half asleep in his office. I have student ID so it shouldn't be a problem getting through if it is. Me and Remy should check it out first anyway. Don't need any nasty surprises on Friday."
"Campus security is a joke," said Brian. "There isn't even a guard stationed in the building normally, though they do patrol around outside at night. I was able to swipe a dose of Morpheus with no problem. By now Dad probably knows what I did, so he may have stepped up security since then. If you need to get into the lab, you'll have to do it during the day, unless you go tomorrow night - or if you can get enrolled in the experiment. The experiment runs all night there over the following three nights, and there will always be at least one of the scientists awake to monitor stuff. But during the experiment is the perfect time to get into the office, since you know he won't be there."
"Seems like we have a plan." says Markus "We should try to get some sleep and me and Remy can check it out in the morning ready to move tomorrow night."
Remy and Markus climbed into their respective bunks. Remy was asleep almost instantly. He had been in jail before and felt, if not comfortable, at least in a familiar setting. Markus was still not used to it, so it took a little longer before sleep took him.
"Rise and shine!" came a man's voice all too soon. Markus blinked himself awake, the vague memory of his dream already fading into gossamer strands of nothing. Two correctional officers stood in the corridor outside the cell. "Fletcher, Leblanc, you're scheduled for your arraignment this morning at City Hall," said one of them. He turned around and looked behind him, where Brian was still lying in his bunk with his eyes closed. "You too, Anderson."
The other guard unlocked Markus's cell and slid the door open. "Okay, let's go, you two."
