Play@YSDC

John Morgan Hall, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
5:05 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terrance Luis Williams stood across from John Morgan Hall, watching the building. To the untrained eye, he would appear to be just another student on a lazy summer afternoon. Penn's campus wasn't that busy in the summer, but there was still some activity, enough to mask his presence.

His fence and longtime friend, Jim Salavtore, also known as Jimmy the Hand, had turned him onto this job just this morning. A client who wished to remain anonymous (and had paid good money to do so) wanted to obtain a sample of an experimental substance known only as Morpheus. It was worth $500 for Terry if he could get it, far more than he got from the haul of a typical heist. A college campus wouldn't usually have the best security, and people came and went all the time. He knew that this Morpheus, a brown liquid that resembled chocolate milk, had been invented by a professor in the University of Pennsylvania's School of Medicine, one Dr. Gregory Anderson, who worked in John Morgan Hall. So now here he was casing the joint and waiting for the doc to leave. It was still light out, as it was early summer, and it would remain so for a few hours yet.

Finally, Terry's patience was rewarded. A man matching the description he had been given of Dr. Gregory Anderson emerged from the front doors, along with a man in a wheelchair, a pretty female professor, and a male professor in his early forties. They descended the stairs, the man in the wheelchair using a wooden board temporarily laid over them by the woman, and stood talking at the bottom for a minute before they all went their separate ways. The building's front doors would not be locked for nearly another hour.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Listen to see if you can overhear what [b]Dr. Anderson[/b] and the others are discussing. Just roll 1d100 and try to get less than or equal to your Listen skill, which is 75%. Also, give me an Idea roll. Again roll 1d100, this time trying to get less than or equal to your Idea score, which is 70.

Terry listened as best as he could, trying to make some sense of the random voices, his head churning with plenty ideas.

OOC,That's right, you succeeded at both. Your Listen skill also gets checked (I add a [color=red]*[/color] next to it on your character sheet). Eventually you'll get a chance to possibly improve your checked skills - if you live long enough, that is. ;)

Terry's keen hearing plucked their words from the air. The male professor and the man in the wheelchair headed off in separate directions, but the female professor remained with Dr. Anderson for a moment. "I'll join them at Lenny's Bar at 7:50 as well," she said. "I hope we can find your son there."

"Thank you, Nancy," said Dr. Anderson. "You've been a great help. If Brian shows up, give me a call. Otherwise, I'll see you tomorrow morning. Good luck." Then the two of them split up and left.

As Terry watched the building, some thoughts occurred to him. While the front doors would be locked at 6:00 and the lock probably wouldn't pose too much of a challenge, not to mention that there were other ways into the building at night, there was always the risk of someone spotting him as he was doing his business. One possible way around that would be to enter the building while the doors were unlocked and stay inside. Still, someone could easily notice him and remember he was hanging around unless he stayed out of sight. Some people would still be working late and doing research after hours, but not so many in the summer as there might be during the fall or spring semesters. It might pay to wait until it got dark before actually trying to steal a sample of the Morpheus. At this time of year it got dark around 8:30. It also occurred to him that he didn't know where exactly in the building it was kept. There had to be some way he could find out. Then there was also the meeting that his associates were going to have at Lenny's Bar, and the reference to Dr. Anderson's son. That sounded intriguing, but would it help him actually get his hands on some Morpheus?

Whatever he decided to do, the next move was up to him.

Terry, after a brief moment of thought, decided that it might be best to simply wait at home, then head to the bar, getting his information, then heading home again to prepare, the off to the school. Maybe at 9:00, since it seemed like the best way to go about the whole thing.

It didn't seem like a bad idea, after all.

Terry went home to his apartment and ate a humble dinner. A glance through the phone book showed him the address of Lenny's Bar, on South Street not far from Rittenhouse Square, about a mile and a half east of Penn's campus. He wrote in his journal until it was time to leave, then made his way downtown.

Lenny's Bar, South Street - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
7:50 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
When Terry approached Lenny's Bar, he could already see the man in the wheelchair outside, looking in the window. Terry watched carefully from across the street, and a minute later Nancy and the unidentified male professor arrived and joined him.

Deciding that maybe it was best to move in a little closer, as not miss anything that might be vital (such as the location in where he could obtain a sample of Morpheus), Terry, in the most nonchalant manner he could, walked across the street, and entered the bar, and sat nearby. He hoped he could learn something, anything that might be helpful.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b] is moving to the following thread.

All the Young Dudes

Terry's Apartment - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
8:10 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terry returned to his apartment to make his plans. The sky was just starting to get dark when he arrived.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], since the apartment is yours, feel free to describe it if you like.

Sitting down at his desk, Terry wrote an entry in his journal.

"At the bar this evening, I overheard two of the people I was watching at the university earlier today. They seemed to know I was following them, and I didn't feel exactly safe knowing that they might know what I'm up to. If this goes down the way I expect, I might be suspected for sometime. It was sort of small, but I hope I convinced the girl. But I hope this isn't going to be too tough. After all, it looks like chocolate milk, according to Jimmy."

Finishing up, he closed his journal, and opened his fridge, pulling out an apple. Eating it, he prepared his kit, grabbing his lock pick set, a leather mask, and a small cloth bag.

Stepping outside, he locked the door, and bike to the university.

John Morgan Hall, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
8:30 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terry biked back to campus with the tools of his trade, arriving near John Morgan Hall as night was beginning to set in. There were very few people around now on this summer night, which was still fairly warm.

Terry walked by the main entrance, seeing if it was a suitable entrance, and checked around the back as well, not exactly looking at the area, but gazing over it a quick moment before continued back to the front.

Walking across from the entrance, he sat down beside a tree, and thought for a moment.

By doing a circuit around the building, Terry was able to see that there was a back door as well as the main entrance. Either could be used to gain access, but both were sure to be locked at this hour. There was a greater chance of being seen at the main entrance, but if he were seen at the back it would be harder for him to explain his presence.

Deciding that the back was his best bet of entering the place, Terry walked calmly by the back door and examined it thoroughly. Checking it, if he found it to be locked, he would attempt to pick it, hoping to gain entrance.

OOC,I know about Fallout 3, but haven't played or even bought it yet. I have played 1 and 2. From everything I've heard, Fallout 3 isn't true to the legacy of the first two games, but it may be enjoyable. I'm waiting for the price to come down and for a "Game of the Year" edition or something similar to come out that bundles the base game with the expansions. It's still $50, which is a good deal more than I'd like to pay, especially if I had to buy the expansions on top of it. Don't worry about not replying right away. I only expect players to post about two or three times a week, and sometimes that's all I can manage myself. You're in a thread by yourself, so things can proceed mostly at your own pace.

The back of John Morgan Hall was not well-lit and not heavily trafficked, which suited Terry's purposes. He approached the back door, which would lead into the basement level. The double doors in front were at the top of a flight of stairs and gave access to the ground floor. Terry tried the handle, but of course it was locked. This door was probably kept locked during the day too, at least from the outside, but it could probably be opened from the inside freely in case of fire. He got out his tools and set to work.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Locksmith to pick the lock. If you fail, roll Luck. If you fail [i]that[/i] roll too, roll Listen.

Terry crouched down, examining the lock very carefully. Pulling out a small screwdriver from his pocket, along with his other tools, he began work on the lock, unlocking the door a few minutes later.

OOC,That's right, you only would have needed to make the next roll in the series on a failure. Before you ask, you do have a flashlight in with your tools.

The lock proved to be little challenge to someone of Terry's skills, and he had the door open in short order and slipped inside. He was in a basement hallway that stretched on for a short distance and rounded a corner to the left up ahead. There was a door in both the left and right walls, neither of them labeled. The faint moonlight streaming through the open back door enabled him to see somewhat, but the lights were off down here. It would be completely dark around the bend.

Carefully taking out his flashlight, he turned it on for a brief moment, then shut it off again. The best plan of action would be to get access to the main office, find the location of the professor's classroom. Or at least somewhere he could get access to some of his notes.

Walking down the hallway carefully, he felt jittery for a moment, but felt fine after a moment. He should feel safe in the dark, not the other way around. Equiping his flashlight, he ventured down the hallway, ignoring both doors, instead head down the dark hallway. Reaching the corner he turned his light on, but kept it covered by his hand. Slowly, he shone the light down the hallway.

When Terry looked around the corner, he saw more doors lining the corridor on the left and right sides. At the far end of the hall was a staircase leading up to the ground floor. The hall was deserted.

Seiing the stairwell, Terry let loose a sigh of relief. Taking note of all the doors, he shut the light back off again, and walked slowly down the hallway, towards the staircase.

As Terry approached the stairs, he heard a man's voice from somewhere in the distance behind him: "Hello? Is anyone in there?" The hall behind him was empty.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Listen to pinpoint the exact location from which the voice is coming.

Terry crouched down and listened carefully. He wasn't used to having to listen for people, but nevertheless tried his best anyways. Heart pounding, he could feel it in his ears it was beating so fast.

Terry could tell that the voice was coming from around the corner to the right, back where the door through which he had entered was.

OOC,Yes, rolling your skill exactly is a success. Roll Idea to try to figure out how someone could suspect you're in here.

Trying his best to stay calm, he thought as best he could, his mind racing, his breathing almost out of control. How could someone have known?

OOC,Yes, that's it exactly! I did mention in the description that the first stretch of hall was lit by the moonlight coming through the open door. You didn't close the door, and you used the light to see until you reached the corner.

With a sinking heart, Terry realized that he had left the back door open. It was his bad luck that someone had come by and noticed it. Now what would he do?

Realizing that he would soon be discovered if he didn't hide, it would be best to either go through one of the doors, hoping they were unlocked, or sneak up the stairs, hoping no one was there.

Between both of them, going to the doors was them most risky. If it was locked, there would be no way for him to open it right away, as picking locks took time. Besides, coming back to the stairs to go up them would surely have him seen.

But, no one knew he was there. If he snuck up the stairs, and and no one was there, he was still technically safe.

Both were a 50/50 chance, but the door was a rather risky, not leaving him much room to act. But the staircase would have him seen immediately.

Terry pondered for a moment.

The staircase it was.

Terry began to creep stealthily up the stairs, trying desperately not to make a sound.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Sneak.

As Terry climbed the stairs, he stumbled, making a bit of noise. Unsure if anyone heard him, he stayed still for a moment, hoping this mistake wasn't too grave.

As Terry paused on the stairs, he could hear footsteps moving down the basement hall very quickly. They were already rounding the corner. "Who's in here?!" demanded the man's voice.

Heart and mind racing, Terry bolted up the stairs, hoping that he did trip again. Step after step, he practically run up them, thinking of something to throw his pursuer off his trail. Maybe he could hide somewhere. Or maybe he could yell something, like he was pursuing someone else. Something to confuse the "hunter" so the "prey" could escape.

Terry reached the top of the stairs and emerged through a door into the vast main hall. The front doors were here, both of them closed. Opposite them, stairs led up to the upper floors, and a hallway led back toward classrooms and labs on this floor. A bulletin board was posted on the wall to the right of the doors, with notices and flyers stuck to it with pushpins and thumbtacks. The moonlight coming through the windows was sufficient for him to see.

There was no time to take in the scenery, however. He could hear the running footsteps behind him, and a flashlight beam became visible at the bottom of the stairs, but he still couldn't see the man. "Stop!" commanded his voice from the basement.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Idea.

Terry organized his thoughts as best he could, and began thinking of his plan.

Terry realized that the man who was chasing him was probably a campus security guard, considering that he had a flashlight and was in fact chasing him, whereas a normal person who had been walking through campus at night probably wouldn't. This meant he was likely unarmed, but Terry could be in big trouble if the guard got a good look at him. Even letting the man hear his voice might be risky. Terry realized he could close the door to the stairs behind him easily enough, and that would take a minimum of effort and prevent the guard from seeing him before getting to the top of the stairs. Actually locking the door would be trickier. He could probably do it with his lockpicks, but it would be dangerous to try to do it before the guard reached the door. There was also the possibility that the guard had keys, which would make such an action useless.

The front doors led outside and could be used for a hasty escape. They were locked, but could be opened freely from the inside. Once out on campus, Terry could much more easily lose the guard, but that would mean abandoning this attempt. Getting back inside the building would be much harder with the guard on alert, at least tonight, and who knew what security measures might be taken before he tried again? He could also run down the hall or up the stairs and try to find a hiding place in order to elude the guard, but that carried with it some risk. Not only might he be spotted, but he could also end up trapped inside the building, unable to find a way out before getting caught. He didn't know his way around, but the guard might. There was also the option of waiting in ambush beside the doorway and bopping the guard on the back of the head with his sap when he emerged from the stairs. He'd have the advantage of surprise, but if he failed to knock the guard out, he'd be in the worst trouble of all.

Thinking fast, Terry realised that one of the only way he could get away and get a sample, but he was seriously considering ditching the entire job. He never want to take a request job, but since it was Jimmy who asked, he figured he might as well do it. But he never thought this would happen.

Hiding. Hiding seemed like it would be best. But it was risky. Since he came this far, he might as well at least try.

Making a break for it, he ran for the stairs. Looking an ideal hiding place, he calmed himself as best, preparing to run up them.

Terry raced upstairs to the next floor. As he did, he could hear the guard's footsteps running up the stairs from the basement and the door being flung open. Terry found himself in an upstairs hallway which stretched in both directions. Doors leading to classrooms and offices lined both sides. While the office doors would be locked, the classrooms probably wouldn't be. The stairs also continued upwards. He had a headstart, and the guard still wasn't within sight, but he would catch up if Terry hesitated too long.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Hide if you want to try to find a hiding place in a classroom on this floor.

Terry quickly peeked around to see a place he could use to hide, hoping that luck would be on his side.

He knew that if he hid away from the guard, it wouldn't be long until the authorities arrived, since the guard would naturally report it.

Maybe it was best to abandon the job, after all. Things like this never happened, usually because he never allowed himself to be that careless.

Terry ducked into a classroom and hid underneath the teacher's desk. His breath caught in his throat as he heard the guard's running footsteps coming up the stairs. He could hear the man walking up and down the hall, evidently shining his flashlight into each classroom and looking around. The watchman looked in the room where Terry had hidden too and waved the light around, but he didn't look underneath the desk. Terry finally exhaled when the man left the room and the footsteps began to walk away.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Listen.

Terry tried to listen as best he could, but could hear over the beat of his own heart.

The guard's footsteps faded away and soon could no longer be heard.

Resting his head against the desk, he calmed himself down considerably, and took a moment to breathe, and think.

If the sample wasn't in here, or gave any indication of where it might be, he was going to put the job off, and go speak with Jimmy, and maybe give him a good punch.

Waiting a brief moment, he peeked out from underneath the desk, and slowly crouched out, and stayed crouched.

It would seem best to search the desk first. Hopefully, he'd find something helpful.

The desk drawers only contained regular school supplies: pens, pencils, papers, a stapler, and a copy of Gray's Anatomy. There was writing on some of the papers, but it would be hard to read them in the dark. The moon did shine through the windows, but it might be insufficient for reading.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], if you want to try to read the papers without lighting your flashlight, roll Spot Hidden. If you try and fail, you may still read them by lighting the flashlight.

Terry gazed over the papers, his eyes adjusting to the darkness.

The materials in the papers were above Terry's head, but they appeared to be related to an anatomy class.They consisted of lecture notes and answers to test questions.

Placing the papers back down on the desk, Terry placed everything he touched back in it's place, and left everything as it was.

The only thing he wanted to check was the lab before leaving and denying the job.

As he evaded the guard before, he was really questioning the job. He didn't want to quit, but if the guard saw him, he would be clearly be able to identify him, combined with who saw him earlier. He could go away for a long time if that happened.

Advancing with caution, he approached the door and slowly opened the door.

Terry opened the classroom door and crept out into the hall. As he did, he noticed a light on in one of the offices.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Sneak.

Terry stumbled, almost falling. Knowing he surely alerted the guard again, Terry had his eyes set on the stairs, and was willing to bolt down them in a heartbeat.

"Hey!" came the guard's voice from within the office. Terry sprinted down the stairs, and he could hear the footsteps behind him. He also saw the flashlight beam above him, but so far the light had not fallen on him. As he reached the bottom of stairs, he could see the double doors at the far end of the vast lobby. But then he realized something else. While he could reach the doors ahead of the guard, there was a good chance the guard would get a decent look at him before he got outside if he went that way.

Terry knew that it would be over if he was seen, but perhaps it would be easy to escape them same way he came in. Chances were that the guard was still upstairs looking for him. Maybe the door was still unlocked. Even better if the backdoor was still open.

Terry hurried back down to the basement, the guard's footsteps still pursuing him. He ran around the corner before the guard reached the bottom of the stairs, heading for the back door.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Luck.

Terry prayed, hoping the door wasn't locked.

OOC,Yes, you're playing very well! Don't worry about bad things happening; they usually do. :twisted: You've made a few mistakes, but they're mistakes anyone can make, and it's all part of the fun. Running and hiding is often a good strategy, whether your adversaries are human or otherwise.

Terry saw that the back door was now closed, but he was relieved to find that the guard had not locked it. He threw open the door and burst outside, the guard's footsteps echoing in the hall behind him, but his luck had held out and he did not think he had been seen. His bicycle was exactly where he had left it.

Picking up his bike, he ran with it along the pathway, jumping on it when he was at a good speed. Working his bike like no tomorrow, he pedalled hard, not looking back.

He cursed himself for not being well prepared, and was sure to give Jimmy an earful when he met with him next.

Terry hopped on his bike and pedaled like mad, rounding the corner before the guard could emerge from the back door. "Damn punk kid!" he shouted into the night, but there was no sign of pursuit. Since he was on foot, the bicycle would easily outdistance him, and he was probably out of breath from the chase anyway. Terry managed to get off of campus without incident, but where would he go now?

OOC,That's one of the stereotypes of CoC, but it's not necessarily true. While death and madness are definite risks, they don't happen as often as people think, and they can be avoided through careful play. In my other game, Zombie Apocalypse, death is fairly common, but it is the end of the world. Still, it is avoidable, and in Chapter 4 only a handful of people died. Further, every PC death and the death of at least one NPC was directly traceable to players making mistakes. There's a lot of insanity in that game too, though nobody has gone permanently insane by dropping to 0 Sanity yet in over three years of play. Of course, that may be because it's hard to survive long enough to go completely mad. One PC did hit 1 Sanity at one point. He's back up to 3 now, and he's somewhere he can avoid nastiness if he chooses, so he won't necessarily hit 0. Prison is also a real danger in CoC, though not one that springs immediately to mind for most people. Breaking and entering is a fairly common investigator activity, and it's very easy to get in trouble with the law. You've also learned one of the key lessons of CoC here: don't just jump in unprepared. It always pays to do some background research before an investigation. Something as simple as knowing your way around the building would have helped greatly. Still, you got away clean this time in spite of some bad rolls, though there may be suspicion and a higher state of alert now.

Terry, quite tired, and a little angry, decided that it was a good idea to go home for a bit. Then it was off to see Jimmy. He wanted some answers, for this, since it was a request. He sure as hell wasn't going to steal some drug for some useless junkie.

Terry's Apartment - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
9:15 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terry pedaled home, arriving at around 9:15 PM. He was still shaken by his brush with disaster. Jimmy lived in an apartment in South Philly, some fifteen minutes away by bicycle.

OOC,Let me know what if anything you want to do while at home, and what time you're leaving to see [b]Jimmy[/b].

Terry sat down at his desk and pulled out his journal. After thinkinh for a moment, he began writing.

"The job did not go as planned. I was spotted by a guard, and was chased into hiding. I was going to check the lab, but I ended up almost being caught by the guard again.

I'm leaving to give Jim a piece of my mind, and get some answers to this whole fiasco."

Placing his tools away, Terry grab another apple from the fridge, and took it with him. Thinking, he also chose to take the flashlight, considering it was dark.

Leaving his home at 9:20 p.m., Terry decided against riding his bike to visit Jimmy, realising that the guard would probably make a report to the police, and him riding his bike around would just mark him a suspect.

Sighing, Terry began the long walk.

Jimmy Salvatore's Apartment Building - South Philadelphia
9:50 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
It took Terry half an hour to walk through the darkened city streets into South Philly. He arrived outside the apartment building where Jimmy lived. The apartment was up on the fourth floor, and a light shone in the window.

Terry entered the building, and began climbing to the fourth floor, wondering how he could explain everything.

Stopping at Jimmy's door, Terry waited a moment, then knocked the way he normally did to let Jimmy know he was there.

Five consecutive knocks, a short pause, then two more knocks.

Jimmy's apartment building looked in better shape than the dump where Terry lived, but that wasn't saying much. Jimmy opened the door and grinned when he saw his friend. "Hey, Terry, come on in!" he said, motioning with his arm at the apartment's interior, where a threadbare couch and a leather armchair sat facing a television set in the living room. "Did you get the stuff?"

Terry grumbled for a moment, then replied to his friend.

"No. No I did not. And I'm sure you want to know why, right?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"Well, take a seat. I'll explain the whole thing to you."

Terry took a spot on the couch, and began speaking before Jimmy had sat down.

"So, I was waiting for that professor today, and I found him. It was right outside the school, and I listened in on a conversation he was having with someone else. I ended up following them to a bar, but I was fairly certain that I was very suspicious."

Terry paused, knowing that it would be rather hard to explain the reason he came back empty handed.

"So, I took off for the school, and I entered from the back. Half way through the whole thing, a guard noticed something strange and came to investigate. I panicked, made a noise, guard chased me, I hid in a classroom, tried sneaking out again, made another noise, guard chased me again, and I ran for the exit."

His eyes wandering, Terry sighed, and finished.

Jimmy closed the door and sat down on the chair. "Geez, I thought this would be a piece of cake, Terry," he said. "Easy money, five hundred bucks. I mean, it's a college campus, not Fort Knox! Normally these security guards are pretty lazy, but I guess you drew one who actually does his job. Bad luck there. Well, the good thing is you got away. You'll have better luck next time, I'm sure. Maybe there's some other way to get your hands on the stuff. You're clever, I'm sure you'll think of something."

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Idea.

Terry scratched the back off his head for a moment, and thought for a brief second.

"Yeah, well...I just don't want any more request jobs, alright? I think it's better that way." he chuckled.

Jimmy laughed too. "Yeah, this is the last time," he said.

As Terry thought about it, he realized that there could be a better way to find and obtain the Morpheus without resorting to traditional methods of burglary, or at least not solely those. He could return to the building during the day on Thursday, posing as a student. That would allow him to get his bearings and maybe find out where it was kept. There was some risk involved, as the people he was following might recognize him if he ran into them again, but it wasn't as dangerous as trying to break in again after his earlier failed attempt. It might also be possible to steal some keys during the day that he could use to access the building whenever he wanted. If he prepared himself better and didn't leave telltale clues such as an open door, he still had a chance to pull this off. It might also pay to do a little background research on the people involved, find out if they had any weaknesses. The conversation he had heard snatches of at the bar provided some clues. Apparently Dr. Anderson had a son named Brian whose whereabouts were unknown. Perhaps he could be of use somehow, if he could be located. Five hundred dollars was a lot of money, and it would be a shame to pass it up.

Terry thought for a moment, then decided to ask Jimmy a few questions.

"Well, I know you probably won't tell, but I'm quite curious about who it is that asked for this thing anyways. But I think I risked quite enough for you to tell me. I could have been caught." he finished.

"And, do you know anything about a guy named Brian Anderson? He's apparently that professor's kid." he asked, not giving Jimmy a chance to respond to his first question.

"I've never heard of Brian Anderson," said Jimmy. "Maybe there's a way you could use him to get at the stuff. As for who hired me, my clients pay a lot of money for me to keep my mouth shut. You're probably better off not knowing anyway."

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], if you want to press the matter, roll Fast Talk.

Terry spoke up, responding to Jimmy.

"Oh, come on. We're friends, aren't we? You know you can trust me. Have I ever betrayed you?" Terry pushed, but had a feeling he wasn't going to convince Jimmy.

"Either way, forget about it. I'm fine with not knowing." Terry scoffed.

"But, besides that, have you heard anything interesting around town? I haven't had a chance to find anything to have you sell, so I'm a little short on cash. But, it is July after all. I'm sure some people must be going on trips somewhere, right?"

"Yeah, lots of people head down to the Jersey Shore while the weather's hot," said Jimmy. "Plenty of empty houses in town on the weekends. Not so many on a Wednesday night, but there's bound to be some."

"Well, I suppose that would work then." Terry commented, after a brief moment of silence. "Well, I suppose I should get going. I just wanted to tell you about what happened. You think anything interesting is going to happen this summer?" Terry said, standing up.

To him, it was about time to leave. It was late anyways, and he didn't want to keep Jimmy awake too long. Holding his hand out to shake Jimmy's, he pondered for a moment.

He could make another attempt at the school again, maybe at about 3 in the morning. But, if he got caught, that was it. If he was going in this time, he was going in prepared. He began making a mental note of things he could take on the job.

"You can be sure of it," said Jimmy. "The moon landing's in a few days for one thing. And next month there's going to be a big concert in upstate New York. They're saying a couple hundred thousand people are going to go there. Well, if there's nothing else, good night. Be careful the next time you try to get the stuff."

"I'll be sure to watch out for myself." Terry spoke, and walked himself out. Time for him to go home and prepare. He was sure that this time, things would be different.

Terry's Apartment - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
10:30 PM - Wednesday, July 16, 1969
Terry began the long walk back. Half an hour later, he was home again without incident.

Terry began to go through, mentally, what things had gone wrong. The guard had heard him. That much he known. So, all he could do is be more careful. Maybe it would be best for him to cover his face too, as he was sure if the guard saw his face this time, he'd be in trouble. As for protection, he didn't really want to hurt anyone. But it would be bad if he was caught. It was time he brought a weapon of some kind.

Taking some fruit from his fridge, he sat down and began thinking about it.

Terry realized that his chief mistakes had been lack of preparation and leaving the back door open. He was sure that the guard had noticed the open door and investigated as a result. Had he closed it, he probably would have had the run of the building. He did have a weapon - his sap. Carrying around a deadlier weapon was possible, but without training it probably wouldn't be all too effective if he had to use it. Still, it could be useful for threatening someone if he got backed into a corner. However, if he did get caught, having a weapon in his possession would land him in even worse trouble, especially if it were a gun. Jimmy probably knew someone who could fix him up with a gun, but he wouldn't be able to afford it. Even a cheap .38 Special would be beyond his means. Either he could steal a gun from somehwere, or he could steal the means to pay for one, but both options were risky. If he wanted a knife, he could easily just take a small one from his kitchen. Wearing a mask was an excellent idea. He could make one rather quickly by taking an old wool cap he had and cutting out holes for his eyes and mouth, then pulling it down over his face.

If he tried again tonight after the excitement died down, he'd at least have a chance. However, campus security was likely to be even more alert after his earlier attempt. Still, that would probably be the case from here on out. With luck they wouldn't know what he was after in John Morgan Hall, and they wouldn't expect him to come back after scaring him off the first time. Waiting until morning and then going inside pretending to be a student so he could learn his way around and find out where the Morpheus was kept was a thought too, but that carried its own risks. If people there remembered him, especially if he started asking questions, they might put two and two together.

OOC,All of this was given to you because of your excellent success on that earlier Idea roll, so you didn't need to make another one this time.

Terry pondered on the thoughts for a time, taking into consideration the chances of failure versus the chances of success. It was probably best to go with a mask this time around, and maybe bring a weapon. But he had strict rules for himself when it came to heists. He would never take a human life, unless his own life was in serious danger. Even then, the guilt would eat away at him. This time, things would be a little different. And hopefully, he would steal that blasted drug.

Terry prepared, making a mask to conceal himself, but thought of other things he could bring along. Maybe it would be a good idea to take a nap though, as he had no other means of occupying himself until 3:00.

Taking a nap seemed like an excellent idea to Terry. He could use a little rest before trying again, and this would allow him to get about four hours of sleep. Being tired when going on a job would hurt his chances.

OOC,Let me know if there's anything else you want to do before you're ready to leave.

Before taking his nap, Terry wrote in his journal.

"Just got back from visiting Jimmy. It didn't work out too well. Maybe I'll have a more sucessful chance later. I'm going to take a nap before I head out."

Closing the book, Terry didn't bother undressing before climbing into his bed. Terry always had the habit of setting his alarm so he woke up on time everyday.

Terry slept undisturbed for half the night - until the alarm clock began ringing at the time he had set it for, awakening him suddenly.

OOC,I gave you a bunch of hints above. What you do next is entirely up to you. If you want to obtain more information first, you'll have to roleplay it, but there's a limit to what you'll be able to find out in the middle of the night. Did you want to wake up at 3:00, or wake up early enough that you could get back to John Morgan Hall at 3:00?

Terry wanted to keep sleeping, but sat up and glanced at the clock. The time was 3:00, and Terry had considered setting it a little earlier, but figured this would be good enough. Standing, Terry took his mask, along with his tools. Getting a quick glass of water, he drank quickly, and set out for the school by foot.

John Morgan Hall, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania
3:30 AM - Thursday, July 17, 1969
It took Terry a while to walk back to campus. Without his bicycle, it would be harder to make a getaway if he were spotted again, but it also removed the danger of the security guard recgonizing and confiscating it if he was still around. There were only a few hours of darkness left before morning, but he didn't expect things to take that long. One way or another, it would probably be over before sunrise.

Soon he got within sight of John Morgan Hall. The building was darkened, and there was no sign of activity anywhere nearby. The same options of how to get inside were before him as he had encountered last time. The big front doors stood closed at the top of the stairs, and there was also the smaller door at the rear of the building.

Slipping his mask on, Terry remembered how well his last entry went, through the back. Security would probably be tighter, so the front door would be his best bet, although it was more than a little brazen. If things went bad though, he'd probably bolt just like last time.

There was nobody around at the front of the building at this hour, but even so, Terry crept stealthily through the shadows to the front door. Trying the handle, he saw without any surprise that it was locked.

OOC,Roll Locksmith to try to pick the lock.

Terry tried to pick the lock, but was unable to open the lock. If he had pushed any harder, he would probably break his picks.

Terry let out a soft sigh. He decided to sneak in that way for a reason, that being that the backdoor would be extremely risky. But he didn't come all this way for nothing, so Terry snuck to the backdoor, and decided to try his luck there.

"Should have waited until morning came." Terry thought.

Terry nearly had the front door's lock open, but he couldn't quite get it. He crept around the side of the building to the rear, which was just as deserted. The back door stood closed, and when he tried it, he discovered without much surprise that it had been locked again. It occurred to Terry that in a few hours it would be morning, but that should be plenty of time provided nothing went wrong.

OOC,Make another Locksmith roll to try to pick the lock on the back door.

Terry tried as hard as he could, but he couldn't pick the lock in the back either, sighing softly as he concluded his defeat.

"I REALLY should have waited until morning came."

Maybe 3:00 A.M was a mistake, but at least he hadn't been caught by the guard again, which meant he was relatively safe for the moment, but that didn't mean he should go sneaking around again.

Terry couldn't be sure if it the back door was more secure, or if it was just his imagination and it was his frustration and exhaustion that was making it harder. Either way, the door wasn't opening.

OOC,If you want, you can try to force the door open. That will require a roll against STR x 5 on 1d100. It would be obvious that you broke it open if people see the door later, but they may chalk it up to your first attempt to break in. Roll Idea if you want to try to think of something else.

Terry tried to think of an idea, but he couldn't. Maybe it was best just to head home, and try this whole thing in morning. Terry sighed, and look around some more.

Terry did recall seeing some trees out in front of the building, right beneath a couple of the windows. They were actually on the first floor, the same level as the lobby, but they were elevated about ten feet above ground level.

OOC,If you have 00 in a skill, you [i]cannot[/i] succeed, so there is no roll. The only skill where this is possible is Cthulhu Mythos, as all other skills have a base level of at least 01%. A roll of 00 is actually a 100, which is the worst critical failure you can roll. The best roll you can get is 01, a critical success. If you think of something on your own, you are of course free to try it. Yes, you can try to climb a tree to a window (there are even a couple visible in the picture right beneath windows). Go ahead and make a Climb roll. If you fail, you won't be injured unless you get a critical failure (96 or higher).

Terry neared a tree and studied it for a moment, then jumped and grabbed onto it, edging himself up. Climbing up to one of the lower branches, he grabbed it, and steadied himself on it. He could probably get a better view from here, but maybe it would be best if he thought about it some more. Peering around, he looked carefully at the building.

Other than the doors, the windows appeared to be the only way in. Terry could see into the lobby through the window beside the tree in which he was perched. The lobby looked just as it had the last time he had been inside, and it was deserted. The window itself was within easy reach, though it was locked too. There was a latch on the inside just above the lower pane that kept it from being raised, but he could probably try to slip in one of his metal picks and trip the latch. If he could manage that, he could easily open the window and slip inside. Getting out would be easy enough. He recalled that the front doors were the type that would open just fine from the inside without a key.

OOC,If you want to try to open the latch on the window, roll Locksmith.

Terry inched himself out over on the branch, and began picking the lock. Each blow of the wind was putting him on edge, but he didn't fall off, and eventually picked the lock. Slipping inside, he carefully slipped inside, trying his best to land softly.

The window latch gave Terry no problem, and he slipped into the huge lobby. The front doors were still closed. Opposite them, stairs led up to the upper floors, and a hallway led back toward classrooms and labs on this floor. A bulletin board was posted on the wall to the left of the doors, with notices and flyers stuck to it with pushpins and thumbtacks. The moonlight coming through the windows was sufficient for him to see, and in a couple of hours the pre-dawn light would make things even brighter. That might not be for the best, though - the darkness was his friend.

Terry waited for a moment before moving, first taking in his surroundings. The place seemed rather cold, but that was probably because it was dark. Terry moved over to the bulletin board, hoping to maybe find a map or something of the place. He wasn't going to turn on his light to read the notes, oh no. That was a little risky. However, he would probably take the notes off the board, and take them over to the moonlight to read them.

Terry began looking through the notices on the bulletin board. There were a lot of them, and some of them were covering up those beneath.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Spot Hidden.

Terry look at the board, intently, seeing if anything strange would turn out. Maybe he could find a map of the place to find that drug, and finally get out.

Terry couldn't find a map on the board, but one flyer in particular did jump out at him:

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.

Terry recognized Dr. Anderson's name instantly. Room 110 would be on this floor of the building. The only exit from the lobby other than the stairs and the front doors was the hall leading further inside. Room 322, Dr. Anderson's office, would be up two flights of stairs.

Perhaps it would be best to check the first floor, since he didn't exactly feel he could climb the stairs with confidence.

Terry snuck his way down to the door, and tried it, hoping to god that it wasn't locked.

Terry made his way quietly down the hall, looking at the numbers on the doors as he passed them. When he got to 110, his heart sank. The door was indeed locked, and unlike the others, it was locked with a deadbolt that looked new and shiny, even in the darkened hallway.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Locksmith if you want to try to pick the lock.

Terry tried his best to pick the lock, but he couldn't get passed the fact that there was a deadbolt there. He very much wanted to enter the room, but figured that it was best to see if there was another way to get into the room. But for now, he'd probably try his luck and sneak up stairs to the professor's room.

Waiting at the stairs, he slowly started creeping up them, hoping he wouldn't make his presence known.

The second and third floors were as devoid of people as the first. Terry made his way to Room 322, which he could tell was an office like many of the others he passed by looking through the glass pane in the upper half of the door. He tried it and found that it was locked.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Locksmith if you want to try to pick this lock.

Terry tried his best to pick the lock, and it felt like such a long time had past since he was in here the last time.

OOC,No need to wait for Invisible Castle, which is down. If that ever happens, you can use whatever dice rolling method you prefer - including actual dice.

Terry managed to open the lock on Room 322, which was a lot easier than the deadbolt on Room 110, and opened the door. Inside was a typical office. Moonlight streaming in through the window at the rear helped him to see. There was a desk in the center of the room with a leather chair behind it. On top of the desk were a blotter, a typewriter, a telephone, a lamp (currently turned off), and baskets marked "IN" and "OUT." The baskets had various papers in them, as well as a large manila envelope on top of the stack in the "IN" basket. The desk also had drawers, which were closed. A short filing cabinet stood at the back of the office, underneath the window, and bookshelves filled with books lined the side walls of the office.

Taking a quick peek over at the "IN" basket, and his curiosity had gotten the best of him. He decided to look through the large manila envelope. Taking it out of the basket, he moved over to the moonlight, and opened the folder.

Terry opened the envelope, which was not sealed, and looked inside. He found a sheet of paper and a pair of keys within. The paper was typewritten and looked like a work order. It was dated July 16, and it seemed to be about the installation of a deadbolt lock. At the bottom, a block of text read: "Enclosed you will find three keys for yourself and your colleagues." Apparently Dr. Anderson had already taken his own key.

Terry considered taking a key for a moment, and decided that it was best if he were to take a key. Placing it in his pocket, he placed the manila envelope back into the "IN" folder. Maybe it was best to look around a little more, and Terry found himself taking a look through the desk drawers, and the filing cabinets, trying his best to find some information about Morpheus.

Terry slipped a key into his pocket and began looking through the desk drawers. They mostly contained coursework that was above his head and memos regarding the minutiae of academia that bored him silly. In the file cabinet, however, he struck gold. There were various folders with labeled tabs in the cabinet's drawers, and one of them said "Morpheus." He picked it out and saw that it was fat with papers containing various research notes and experimental notations. There were graphs of brain wave activity, notes, reports, formulas, and what looked like written accounts of the dreams of test subjects. It would take him a while to read through this stuff, and most of it was probably beyond his understanding.

OOC,It's fine to go ahead and make a roll on your own when you think it's called for, and I would have asked for a Spot Hidden roll anyway in this case, so this saves some time. If you want to spend some time skimming the papers, roll Medicine to see what you can gleam from the research data. Even if you fail that roll, you'll still be able to understand some things. If you were to give these papers some serious study, it would take hours and the sun would be up before you finished.

Terry briefly considered taking the entire stack of papers, skipping going down stairs, and just heading home. He figured he could probably read some of the notes when he got some more rest.
But it was possible that if the experiment was taking place, there might be a sample (albeit, probably a small one, but he didn't really care. A sample is a sample).

Terry decided to take the brain wave activity sheets, some of the notes, some of the reports, and all of the written accounts of the dreams for test subjects.

After pocketing the papers, he carefully placed everything back, closely in the order he found things, making it seem like no one had been in the office at all. He wasn't exactly too keen on making a mess, anyways.

Terry snuck over to the door, and pressed his ear to it, hoping he could hear anything outside, if anything was outside.

The dream accounts were lengthy and very descriptive, and there were too many papers for Terry to fit in his pockets, so he placed them in his bag instead. They were pretty much the only thing he could understand, and they seemed to be the focus of the experiments. It seemed that this Morpheus was intended to allow those who ingested it to control their dreams in some way. The accounts were varied, but there were some common elements: exploring Philadelphia at night, going to Moscow and attempting to inflitrate the Kremlin, and walking on the moon. He would need to devote hours to reading these accounts if he wanted to know more, but right now he didn't have hours. The clock on the wall of the office said it was already 4:15 AM, and the sun would not wait for him. After he put everything back exactly how he found it, apart from the things he had taken from the office, he listened at the door. The hallway beyond was as silent as the grave.

Terry opened the door, and began to head out, sneaking his way down the stairs, and to the deadbolt locked door. He paused for a moment, before opening the door with the key.

Terry crept back downstairs to Room 110 and tried the key in the deadbolt lock. It fit perfectly, and the door opened. The windowless area beyond the door looked like a standard science lab, with various lab tables and cabinets, but it also had a Westinghouse refrigerator that was locked with a padlock, several cots in the back, and a television set. Terry remembered seeing from his brief look through the notes that Morpheus needed to be kept cold.

Terry was in a bit of a fix. If needed to go into the back of the room, he wouldn't have very much light to deal with if he had to open the fridge. Terry quickly checked to see if he had his flashlight with him. He assumed that it would be with his tools, so he would have to use it while inside of the room. If he did have it, he would quickly sneak in, and close the door, and sneak to open the lock. If he didn't have it, he would close the door, and lock it, taking the key with him, and leaving the campus, heading home. For all he knew, the sample was in that fridge, and he'd have to go in there to take it.

Terry did have his flashlight, and once he was within the lab with the door closed there was no danger that anyone outside would see the light. A quick look around the lab showed that it was deserted. He crept over to the fridge and inspected the padlock. It too looked new.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Locksmith if you want to try to pick the lock.

Terry quickly picked the lock, sweating as he opened the fridge. He was, perhaps, a little eager for a sample, but this had caused him a lot of trouble.

The padlock was difficult to pick, but after some fiddling around Terry managed to open it. He opened the door of the fridge and looked inside. On the top shelf were nine stoppered flasks, each one containing about eight ounces of a brown liquid. On the lower shelves, he saw chocolate milk, juice, soft drinks, and breakfast and snack foods. There were also two bins at the bottom for fruits and vegetables.

Terry had a small predicament on his hands. He knew the drug looked like chocolate milk, but for some reason, he didn't think it was a good idea to have a flask missing.

Terry quickly closed the fridge, and looked around the room for more flasks and some stoppers.

He would take one flask, and empty it's contents with the chocolate milk. Then, he would fill another flask with the same chocolate milk. Putting stoppers in them both, he'd leave everything almost the exact way he left it. If he could, he'd probably take two different flasks, to tell the difference between the between the substances.

Terry thought about it some more, thinking deeply about his plans.

Terry remembered that Morpheus needed to be kept cold. Once he removed it from the fridge, it would eventually reach room temperature, which might make the sample useless. Fortunately, while looking through the cabinets he did find some thermoses in one of them, which would keep it cold. Each one would hold one flask full of Morpheus, but he couldn't be sure that a missing thermos or two wouldn't be noticed. Other cabinets contained extra flasks. While they came in three different sizes, all of them were the same brand and looked identical. There were also plenty of stoppers in a drawer, along with other typical lab equipment such as thin glass pipes, graduated cylinders, and Bunsen burners.

While a missing thermos would be suspicious, a missing sample would be worse. Thankfully, Morpheus and Chocolate milk looked more or less the same. If he were to fill one flask from the fridge with Morpheus, he could try and book it home quickly, hoping the sample wouldn't ruin. But a thermos would be perfect for carrying the drug. He could fill all of the thermoses, and take all of them, which might be highly suspicious, but someone could simply have "misplaced" them.

Terry decided it was best to take two thermoses, both filled with Morpheus, and leave the flasks he emptied filled with chocolate milk. Going through with his plan, he took two flasks from the fridge, enticingly cold, and filled the thermoses with them, careful not to spill any. Tightening the lids on, he placed them in his back, and took the same flasks, and filled them with the chocolate milk from the fridge. Placing the flasks how he found them in the fridge, along with the chocolate milk, he began to experience a moment of relief.

But, he wasn't out of the woods yet. For all he knew, a guard could be around. Securing his bag, mask on, he crept to the door, and slowly opened it. He'd end up locking the door as soon as he got out. Perhaps, if he had time, he could place the key back in the envelope he found it in. No one would really be the wiser. But, the sun would be up soon. He might not be able to risk it.

After locking the fridge back up with the padlock and making sure the lab appeared to be in exactly the same state in which he had found it, Terry checked the hall outside the lab and saw that it was clear. As he stepped out, a last glance back into the lab showed him that the clock read 4:45 AM. The sky wouldn't begin to lighten for a little while yet, so he still had time to revisit the office on the third floor. He locked the lab door again with the key, satisfied that there was no visible sign he had ever been there.

Terry snuck his way upstairs, and slowly crept into the office. Using the moonlight to define the envelope with the keys in it, he slipped the key back inside, and left the envelope as it was. Creeping to the door, he opened it slowly, locked it, and closed it. Now, the only way for anyone to even remotely guess that someone had been inside again would be the window, but even that was a slim chance, if anything.

Terry started to sneak downstairs, and he planned on heading right home, and sleeping for a little bit, at least.

OCC,IC is down,but I rolled a 60 on my calculator. And I finally figured out how to use the spoiler button! =D

Terry's foot caught the door just before he was about to let it close and lock. Did he forget about something? He went over mental notes he made in his head, thinking for a second.

Terry realized that there was one other way someone might realize he had been here - the notes he had stolen from the filing cabinet. Dr. Anderson was still carrying out the experiments, and it was quite probable that he would review the notes he had already made. If he did that, he would be certain to realize that some were missing. Replacing them would be easy, though he couldn't be sure he would put them back in the proper order. However, the notes could be important, and it might be beneficial to keep them. But what if there was a way he could both keep the notes and put them back? This building housed a major department of a prestigious university. There had to be something around here that was capable of making copies.

Terry had a feeling that it was a bad idea to let anyone even know he was there, but he was already running fairly late as it was. If he needed to find a copy machine, it would be a while to find something like that, and he wasn't entirely sure if it was a good idea to take just the notes on the experiment.

He wasn't sure if someone would notice if the notes were missing, but decided that it might be best just to take them anyway. Leaving them was something he didn't want to do, after he had come all this way. Besides, perhaps he could offer the notes along with the samples as an added bonus. He knew he wanted it after all of the trouble he went through for it.

Letting the door close slowly behind him, he started to sneak downstairs, notes and samples in his bag, content with the fact that he had not alerted anyone. In fact, it was rather strange that he didn't run into anyone at all. It had been creepy, but he continued on anyways.

Terry locked up the office and crept downstairs without incident. The building was still deserted, but it probably wouldn't stay that way for long. By the time he got back down to the lobby it was close to 5:00 AM. The moonlight streaming through the front windows was now accompanied by a faint pre-dawn glow from the east.

Terry continued to sneak, opening the front door, and making sure it was locked before leaving the campus behind him. He was almost positive he could rest easy now that he had a sample with him. Heading home, he took off his mask, and headed into back alleys and avoided being on the main street. He did not want to be seen at all, and with his bag, he looked like someone just getting off night shift.

Terry's Apartment - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
5:30 AM - Thursday, July 17, 1969
Terry made his way home and arrived without incident. The sun hadn't risen yet and the moon was still visible, but the sky was starting to lighten a little. It would be dawn before long.

Terry locked his door, placing his bag on his desk. He took out the two thermoses, and placed them both in his fridge. Making sure everything was safe and sound, he pulled out the notes, and began to read them, looking into them for a little more detail. He skimmed the notes, looking for the interesting accounts of the test subjects. He remembered there was one about walking on the moon, and one about infiltrating the Kremlin, as well as one about walking around Philadelphia at night. Looking for these parts, he intended to read them and learn more about the experiences, for it seemed like this kind of thing was the stuff of science fiction.

From reading the accounts, Terry came to realize that Morpheus was intended to enable someone to take control of their dreams to some extent. Not only that, it seemed that the intention was to use it to visit locations in the real world while dreaming, and to observe without being observed. The test subjects are never referred to by name, but rather by a number from 1 to 6. The first round of experiments had lasted 3 nights, over the July 4th weekend. The first night, the subjects were instructed to dream about exploring Philadelphia, apparently to get them acclimated to the process and start off simple. The second night, the students were told to dream about being in Moscow and to attempt to infiltrate the Kremlin. They were told to look for any documents and photographs they could find about a certain phrase in Russian and remember what they could, but Terry didn't know the language and was unlikely to be able to translate the Cyrillic letters by himself. On the third and final night, they were told to dream about being on the moon.

Subjects 2, 3, and 5 had various random and unrelated dreams - when they could remember them at all. It seemed likely that they were the control group. Subjects 1, 4, and 6 were able to follow their instructions. On the first night they did dream about walking around Philadelphia. Subject 4 went off by himself (at least, the student is presumably male from the context, but with the sexual revolution one can never be sure) and spent hours watching women undress and bathe in bathrooms while they were completely unaware of him. Subjects 1 and 6, oddly enough, were together in their dreams, and both of them recalled the same experiences. They spent their time visiting various tourist attractions: the Liberty Bell, the house where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and Betsy Ross's house were the ones they remembered.

On the second night, all three subjects split up in Moscow and were able to just walk past the Kremlin guards without being detected. Subject 6 was the only one who found papers with the specified Russian phrase, in a highly secure room underneath the Kremlin, but did not know the language and was unable to translate them. There were, however, a few accompanying photos of Russians sitting cross-legged in what looked like a trance state. Subject 1 did know Russian, but was unable to find any relevant documents.

On the third night, the three subjects successfully dreamed about being on the moon and again split up. Subjects 1 and 4 just walked through a barren wasteland without incident, but subject 6 encountered a flying monster that was described as "like a dragon, with scaly skin and huge wings." The monster saw the student and swooped down to attack, and that's when she awakened.

By time Terry finished going over the accounts in detail, it was close to 9:30 AM. He was feeling peckish - and more than a little disturbed by what he had read.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Sanity. Sanity loss is 0/1, so you lose no Sanity if you succeed and only 1 point if you fail. You may also roll Other Language: Russian if you wish to attempt to translate the phrase, but the base skill is only 1%.

OCC,Sorry. I wasn't able to login for some reason. 1d100 → [71] = (71) Sanity roll. So I suppose I'm a little disturbed by the readings! And I failed the Translate Russian. =P 1d100 → [45] = (45)

Terry couldn't believe what he was reading. Perhaps it wasn't...expected. Could something like this even exist?

OOC,Don't worry about it. You're way ahead of the other characters in the timeline anyway. They're all still on Wednesday night.

Terry had never seen or heard of anything like this before. Shared dreams? Visiting places in the real world within a dream without being seen? Was that what happened, or did they just dream it? Just what did he have in his refrigerator?

Terry opened his fridge, and pulled out one of the Thermos out. He opened it up, and sniffed the contents, then closing the lid, and staring intently at the Thermos.

"What the hell is this about?" Terry spoke to himself.

Terry briefly considered drinking some of the stuff, tempted by the idea of controlling his own dreams.

Terry realized that he could drink one of the doses, as it would still leave him with one. However, he was likely to get paid more for turning in two doses, and he did not fully know what the drug would do to him if he consumed it or what the long-term effects might be. Ultimately, the choice was his.

After being tempted for a moment, and mulling over his decicions, he placed the thermos back in the fridge, and closed it. Making sure his door was locked, he set his bed, and decided to sleep until about 3:00, setting his alarm to go off at the exact time. Placing the notes in his journal, he laid down in bed, and slept.

Terry soon drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the night's excitement.

When he awakened, it was not to the sound of the alarm - he had woken up on his own. Instead of in his familiar, humble apartment, he found himself in a luxurious bedroom. He was in a king-sized four-poster bed with silk sheets, and he was wearing white silk pajamas. The nightstand was made of mahogany, as was the door leading out. A smaller, white door was on one of the side walls. There were also an ornate dresser and a large television set. Sunlight was streaming in through the drawn curtains covering bay windows in the wall behind him. A gold chandelier hung over the center of the room.

Terry closed his eyes for a second, then opened them, stunned at his surroundings. The feel of the silk against his skin was surely something he had not felt very often. Standing up, he examined everything in close detail, but it seemed to be all too much.

"This can't be real, can it? Or am I still sleeping?" he thought to himself. Reaching over to feel the bed, he found himself somewhat compelled to go back to sleep.

But then his eyes spied the mahogany dresser, and any compelling reason was gone, replaced with a sense of adventure, and exploration. He walked calmly over to the dresser, and opened it carefully, unsure of what he would find inside.

Terry found that the top drawer of the dresser contained several ties as well as elegant underwear and socks, all neatly folded. There were also a few pairs of gold cufflinks and belts with golden buckles. The other drawers contained various other articles of clothing, primarily shirts and pants. All of the clothing was stylish, clean, expensive, and put away neatly.

Terry, not one to miss an opportunity for anything decides to take the cufflinks and explore some more, heading to the large mahogany door and opening it very slowly.

Terry palmed the cufflinks and then opened the mahogany door. Outside the room was a balcony stretching to the left and right, overlooking a grand foyer. More doors could be seen in the same wall that had this door, on both sides, and the hall extended into the distance in both directions. Two lavishly carpeted staircases descended to ground level, one on either side; they turned a corner and joined at a landing just below the balcony about halfway between the ground floor and the upper floor on which he found himself. A huge chandelier hung over the middle of the great hall, and the floor below was made of white marble. The front doors were visible from here directly across from the balcony, and they were also made of mahogany. Both of them were very intricately carved. An elderly, bald man in an elegant black suit stood near the front doors, and he turned when Terry opened the door.

"Ah, Master Williams," he said with an English accent. "You're awake at last, sir."

Surprised at the voice of the man, Terry considered shutting the door and running back into the room, and part of his body was already in position to do so. But he stopped, remembering the words of the old man.

"Sir, I've had a small bump on my head after getting out of bed. Could you come up here, and tell me some things? I'm afraid I might have forgotten you. If you would...please?" Terry asked, keeping his eyes on the man.

"Of course, sir," said the man, slowly walking up the grand staircase. "I'm Jenkins, sir. Your butler? A 'bump on your head,' you say? Had a bit too much at last night's party, did we? No wonder you decided to sleep in today." He reached the top of the stairs and stood in front of Terry. "Will sir require his clothes laid out?"

Still becoming quite accustom to the whole situation, he could only imagine that this was all just a dream. A strange dream, yes, but the thought was swept away from him quicker than he could ponder more on it.

"Uh...I...Yes. Yes please, Mr. Jenkins. And..." Terry trailed, thinking of the right words to describe what he wanted to say.

"I know this might be a strange request, but could you imagine that I was a total stranger? And, I came up and asked you about myself? Not me, as a stranger, but me as myself, Terrance. Could you tell me about myself like that, A stranger asking your about me?" Terry chuckled, nervously, but he still found some humor in the words he picked.

Jenkins chuckled too. "I never tire of telling this tale, sir," he said, "but of course you have never heard it yourself, and I can see why you might want to hear it. Very well. Terrance Luis Williams is a true rags to riches story. He started off as a poor kid born on the wrong side of the tracks, but he built his fortune. After coming into a large sum of money, he invested it wisely and greatly enlarged his wealth. I asked him once what he invested in, and he said just one word: 'plastics.' I never knew if he was serious, or if he was merely making a humorous reference to 'The Graduate.' He bought this mansion here on the New Jersey shore with its own private beach. He decided that he wanted an authentic English butler heading up his staff, so took a trip to England, where he found and hired me."

Terry nodded along with his story, following along carefully.

"Can I ask you what year it is?" he asked, cautiously, as if he didn't really want to know.

"Sir did indluge a bit too much last night, I see," said Jenkins. "Perhaps you did hit your head as well. If this happens again, sir, you should spare yourself the embarassment and simply ask for today's newspaper. We have the Philadelphia Inquirer, the New York Times, and the Wall Street Journal downstairs, delivered daily as always, sir, and the date is conveniently printed across the top, including the year. But in answer to your question, the year is 1976. Today is July 2, to be precise."

Terry nodded, and started to walk towards the stairs, but paused.

"Jenkins, could you run down and get all three of them? I think I'd just like to stay in bed and perhaps chat with you some more. Is that alright?" he asked.

"Of course, sir," said Jenkins with a bow. "I'll fetch them right away." He paused on the grand staircase. "Would sir like brunch brought to him in bed as usual? I can tell Cook to prepare it."

"Uh...Brunch...I think I'll just have eggs. Over easy, with toast. Brown, buttered." Terry asked, before retreating to his room and laying down in bed. The one word what he couldn't believe, or understand, was plastics. Plastics? He couldn't understand it.

"Very well, sir," said Jenkins, heading downstairs. He returned a minute or two later with three folded newspapers under his arm, which he brought over to the bed and handed to Terry. "Your brunch will be here in a few minutes, Master Williams."

All three papers indeed said that the date was July 2, 1976. Terry began to glance over the newspapers. The front page headlines all told about a hostage crisis that was continuing at an airport in Uganda. The hijackers of an airplane had landed it there, and while their deadline had originally been July 1 for their demands to be met, they had extended their deadline until the 4th. Other articles had to do with the upcoming bicentennial celebration that would be on July 4th, marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The Philadelphia Inquirer had more details about it than the other two papers, as Philly was where it had originally been signed and where the biggest events would be held. There were also some articles about politics, as 1976 was a presidential election year. The incumbent president was a Republican named Gerald Ford, whose name Terry did not recognize. He was facing a tight primary challenge from Ronald Reagan, of whom Terry had heard. Reagan was a movie star who had become governor of California. That race was too close to call, but a man named Jimmy Carter, the governor of Georgia, had already gotten enough delegates to secure the Democratic primary. Terry hadn't heard of Carter.

Terry did not understand a lot of what was going on, especially in the news, so after going over the papers, he did what he could to remember from the reading. Patiently, he waited for Jenkins to return.

It did not take long for Jenkins to return, carrying a silver tray on a small stand, upon which rested the toast and eggs Terry had requested.

"Your brunch, sir," said Jenkins, entering the room. He placed the stand and the tray gently on the bed, so that it was positioned over Terry's legs. "Bon appetit, as the French say."

"Jenkins, have something to eat with me. I was wondering if we could talk some more." Terry spoke, impatiently, as he broke open the egg and let the yoke spill out, mopping it and the egg up with a bit of toast. "What do you think of this Jimmy Carter guy?" he asked, speaking after he swallowed.

"Of course, sir," said Jenkins. "I'll call Cook and have her bring my meal up here." He takes a small silver bell out of his pocket and rings it, producing a delightful tinkling sound. Then he returns the bell to his pocket and sits down on the edge of the bed. "I don't know all that much about American politics, but I do follow the news. Funny thing about Jimmy Carter is that almost nobody knew who he was until recently. His heart seems to be in the right place, but I don't know about his head. Of course, you could say the same about President Ford, I suppose."

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll History to see if you recall anything about Gerald Ford.

Terry thought for a moment, and then sharply remembered something and pondered on it before speaking.

Terry suddenly realized that he had heard of Gerald Ford, the man who was now President, before. He had only been a teenager when President Kennedy had been assassinated on November 22, 1963, but he remembered it vividly, as everyone did who had lived through it. The Warren Commission had been formed by Kennedy's successor, President Lyndon Johnson, to investigate the assassination, and it had concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone, a conclusion that many people disagreed with strongly. The commission had been named for Chief Justice Earl Warren, who headed it up, but Terry remembered that one of its members had been a congressman named Gerald Ford.

"Right...Ford was apart of the investigation team for Kennedy's assassination." he spoke aloud, eating his eggs up. The bell was quite the curious thing, and he wondered if the cook could hear from so far away.

"That's an interesting bell, Jenkins." he complimented, pointing his fork over to it, casually.

"It's yours, sir," said Jenkins. "You got it for me to use." A plump, pleasant-looking woman with short black hair in her forties arrived at the door. "Ah, there you are, Cook."

"You rang, Mr. Jenkins?" she said. "How can I be of service?" She spoke politely, but her accent was clearly American. She had the look of somone who enjoyed her own cooking a bit too much. And it did taste good, Terry had to admit. Even eggs and toast created a party in his mouth. But how had she heard the bell and arrived so quickly? Had she been nearby?

"Tea and scones for me, please. You know how I like it."

"Right away, sir." With that, the cook left.

OOC,[b]Terry[/b], roll Idea.

Terry started to think for a moment, but was lost in the moment. But, perhaps the whole situation was a dream. Anything could happen in your dreams, right?

Terry couldn't tell whether he was dreaming or not. Everything certainly seemed real to him. He could smell and taste the food just as if it were real. The sights and sounds were pretty convincing too, but what got him most were all of the little details, like in the newspaper articles he had glanced through. Some of the things in there seemed unknown to him, but he had been able to recall a couple of those names, so he guessed it was possible that his subconscious had pulled them from the recesses of his subconscious and used them to build a dream. Or he could really be seven years in the future, with no memory of the intervening time. He had no way to know for certain.

"Jenkins, did I ever talk about a time before right now? If I did, what did I talk about?" Terry asked Jenkins, trying to understand what exactly happened to him.

"A time before right now?" said Jenkins scratching his head. "You mean, back when you were poor and barely able to make ends meet? You did talk about it, but not much. Like I said, you came into a sudden windfall. If I recall, it happened about seven years ago. You never told me the details, though."

"Well, if I didn't tell you anything from a time before, I suppose one day I'll tell you. Don't be afraid to pester me about it. In fact, I want you to ask me. Sometime in the near future, about the time before I met you. Can you do that?" Terry asked, looking Jenkins squarely in the eyes.

Terry could not for the life of him remember those funny-looking Russian letters. If he saw them written down somewhere, maybe he'd recognize them.

"Of course, sir," said Jenkins, though he wore a confused expression.

The cook returned to the bedroom, carrying a tray with a silver pot of steaming tea, a china teacup on a matching saucer, a small bowl containing lumps of sugar, and a plate of buttered scones. "Here you go, Mr. Jenkins." She set the tray down on the bed. The tea smelled nice and invigorating, and Terry felt slightly more awake just from the odor tickling his nostrils.

"Thank you, Cook." Jenkins poured himself a cup of tea, then took two lumps of sugar and dropped them in. He picked up a silver spoon from the tray and began to stir.

"Could I have some of that Tea as well?" Terry asked, wondering exactly what the tea could have been. "Is it Earl Grey? Or something else?"

"Oh, but of course, sir," said Jenkins. "It is Earl Grey, as it happens." He poured another cup for Terry, then reached for the sugar bowl. "One lump or two, sir?"

"I'll have one, thank you." said Terry, reaching for the cup as Jenkins let the sugar fall in. Taking it, he attempted a sip, but spilled it as his lips touched the outer rim of the cup.

The tea sloshed out of the cup, spilling on Terry's silk pajamas and his bedsheets. The liquid was hot, and he could feel it burning through his clothes, but it wasn't enough to actually scald him.

"Oh, dear!" said Jenkins, placing his own cup carefully down on the tray before rising. "If sir will allow me, I'll clean you off, pick out some clothes for you, and have your pajamas and sheets taken to the laundry room."

"No, No. It's not that big of a deal." Terry breathed easily, setting his cup down after picking it up. "I'll do it later. Pour me another, and sit back down." Terry asked, though it started to sound a little bit like a command.

"Jenkins, do you know what I do each day? I mean, do I have a routine or anything?" Terry asked curiously.

"Do your own laundry, sir?" said Jenkins, raising an eyebrow. He sat down and poured Terry another cup of tea. "Nonsense! That's why you have servants. As for your routine, you often sleep late as you've done today. When you awaken, you take breakfast - or brunch, read the paper, then get dressed and do whatever takes your fancy. You have enough money that you don't need to work, though you do like to keep an eye on your investments. Sometimes you watch TV, play golf, or go into Philadelphia. I believe you have plans to attend the bicentennial celebration there this weekend. It's the 200th anniversary of your country's independence from mine on Sunday. Sometimes you host parties in your home in the evenings, like last night."

"Right...Well...Perhaps it might be best for me to take a trip into Philadelphia. But, are you going to surprise me by saying I have a driver too? I really wouldn't be surprised, it's come to be quite a morning. I think I'd like to check my investments. Is there a bank I usually go to, or something of that nature?" Terry asked, sipping on his new cup of tea.

The tea tasted good and helped to wake Terry up further, and he now felt ready to face the day in whatever strange place he found himself.

"Why yes, you do have a chauffeur," said Jenkins. "You usually go to your broker in Philadelphia, a Mr. Rosen. He handles all of your accounts. I'll have Griffith get your car ready while you get dressed. Is there anything else you need before I go, sir?"

"Do I take anything with me when I go? Wallet, something like that? By the by, do I still have my old bicycle?" he asked, curious indeed. Sitting up, he forced the sheets off of him.

"And if I can get a fresh pair of clothes?" he asked kindly.

"I shall get them immediately, sir," said Jenkins. He went over to the dresser and picked out a stylish, lightweight gray suit, folding the pants carefully over his arm. "I will gather your wallet, keys, and other personal possessions that you normally carry with you. As for your bicycle, yes, you did keep it. For sentimental reasons, you said. You mentioned not wanting to be like Citizen Kane, I believe. You keep it down in the garage." The butler laid out the clothes and undergarments for Terry. "Would you like some privacy, sir?"

"Yes, please. Thank you, Jenkins." Terry spoke before taking the clothes and examining them. As soon as Jenkins left, Terry stripped and began dressing. After he was done, he waited patiently for Jenkins to return with his personal possessions.

"You're welcome, sir," said Jenkins, leaving the room and closing the door behind him.

Terry noticed that the clothes were of a slightly different cut than he was familiar with. The bottoms of the pants legs were slightly flared outward, for one thing. While Jenkins was out of the room, he got dressed. A couple of minutes later, there was a knock on the door.

"Are you decent, sir?" came the butler's voice from the other side.

"More than I was the day I was born." Terry replied, as he hooked his hands into the pockets of his legs. "What do you call these things, Jenkins? They feel strange, you know?"

Jenkins entered carrying a silver tray much like the one on which brunch had been served. This one held an elegant black leather wallet, a ring of keys, a pair of stylish sunglasses, a gold-plated cigarette lighter, and a small humidor that might fit in the pocket of his suit's jacket. "Here you are, sir," he said, setting the tray down on the bed. "Ah, your trousers. Yes, I believe they're called 'bell bottoms.' They're all the rage these days, but I don't know what people see in them. It looks like something a sailor would wear."

Terry nodded, and took everything from the tray. He tucked the sunglasses into the pocket of his jacket, along with the humidor. The side pocket held his lighter and his wallet. The keys occupied the opposite pocket.

"No kidding. Well, I think I'm ready now. Lead the way, Jenkins."

"Follow me, sir," said Jenkins. He led Terry out the door and down the grand staircase, then across the foyer to the front doors, which he opened. Outside, it was a hot and sunny day. A semicircular driveway was at the foot of a short set of steps leading down from a marble porch. Parked on the driveway right next to them was a Rolls Royce with a tall black man in the driver's seat. He was dressed like a typical chauffeur, with one of those flat hats on his head, and he turned to greet the two men with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Master Williams," he said, "Mr. Jenkins."

"Good afternoon, Griffith," said Jenkins. He went down the stairs first and opened the back door of the Rolls for Terry, standing to one side to allow him to get in.

"Good to see you...Griffith." Terry spoke, and offered his hand. "I think I'd like to go to the bank today, and maybe some other places too. How are you doing? Feeling up to it?"

"Always, sir," said Griffith, returning his handshake with a solid grip. "Hop in. I'll have you in Philly within the hour." He opened up the glove compartment and pulled out an 8-track cartridge, placing it the Rolls Royce's player. David Bowie began to sing, but it was a song Terry had never heard before:

Didn't know what time it was, the lights were low
I leaned back on my radio
Some cat was layin' down some rock'n'roll lotta soul, he said

"Ah...I like David Bowie a lot. Thanks for that, Griffith. Have we ever had man-to-man talks, or has it just been employer-employee? You'll have to forgive me. I can't remember speaking to you in...a while. I think I might have had too many drinks last night." Terry explained, adding a bit of forced laughter at the end.

"I like David Bowie just as much as you do, sir," said Griffith as Terry got in the back seat and Jenkins shut the door. "You're quite welcome. Yeah, we often chat during these drives. What's on your mind, sir?"

The music continued to play while they talked and Griffith started driving down the driveway:

Then the loud sound did seem to fade
Came back like a slow voice on a wave of phase
That weren't no D.J. that was hazy cosmic jive

"As strange as this is going to sound...I don't remember being this rich. I remember everything from the early morning of Thursday. I think it was a Thursday, and it was July. The year was 1969. I don't remember anything up until this point in my life. But, what do we usually talk about, Griffith?"

"You must have partied harder than normal, sir," said Griffith, driving through an open wrought-iron pair of gates in the wall surrounding the estate. He turned onto a road. "We usually talk about the regular guy things: sports, music, girls."

The music played from the speakers, its quality higher than anything Terry had ever heard coming from a car stereo:

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He'd like to come and meet us
But he thinks he'd blow our minds

"Sports, huh? Right...Right...I could understand music, sure. Girls? I don't happen to have anyone I'm seeing, am I? I suppose that would be hard to explain right now on why I don't remember her!" Terry joked. "When did I employ your services, Griffith? Is there an interesting story about how we met? Jenkins told me I traveled a great distance to recruit him. All the way from England."

"You're with a different girl every night, sir," said Griffith. "Honestly, I don't know how you do it. It's not just the money that draws them. Anyway the story about how you hired me isn't anywhere near as interesting."

Bowie continued to sing on the radio:

There's a starman waiting in the sky
He told us not to blow it
'Cause he knows it's all worthwhile

"I've only been working for you for a couple of years, since your last driver retired. I'm from Philly, and that's where you found me. Used to work for a limo service."

"I see." Terry spoke, and asked no more questions, opting to listen to the music instead.

Griffith drove onwards, and the 8-track continued to play more David Bowie music. A few of the songs were familiar to Terry, such as Space Oddity, which had just been released days before he had stolen the Morpheus. Others were completely new to him, but he recognized Bowie's voice and that they shared the same style. The Rolls eventually reached the New Jersey Turnpike, which took it to the Ben Franklin Bridge. It rolled across the Delaware River and into downtown Philadelphia, taking the crosstown expressway to the Ben Franklin Parkway. From there, Griffith navigated through the streets to Market Street and found a parking spot near a large bank. "Here we are, sir," said Griffith. "Chase Manhattan Bank."

"Thank you. Please wait here." Terry asked, and stepped out of the car. He walked up to the bank and opened the door. He checked his wallet to see what it contained.

Terry first noticed that his wallet contained a wad of cash. It consisted of mostly $100 bills, though there were also some smaller denominations. He also had a New Jersey driver's license (with an expiration date in 1978), Social Security card, voter registration card, and an American Express platinum credit card. He entered the bank, which was doing brisk business. It was Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend, so there were a lot of people inside wanting to get their banking done, as they wouldn't have another chance until Tuesday.

"Ah, Mr. Williams," said a bank employee, a tall, bald man in an impeccable suit and a solid maroon tie, walking across the lobby. "Are you here to see Mr. Rosen?"

"I believe so. Just a few minor things, you see. I don't need an appointment, do I?" Terry asked, closing his wallet and placing it back in his pocket.

"Of course not, sir," said the man. "Mr. Rosen is always happy to see you. This way, please." He led Terry to the back of the bank where an office door bore a nameplate reading "Mr. Abraham Rosen." The bank employee knocked on the door. "Mr. Rosen, it's Mr. Williams to see you."

"Send him in, please," replied the crackly voice of an older man.

The man nodded and opened the door, allowing Terry to enter. The office was small but luxurious. There were two leather chairs in front of a hardwood desk that was kept neat and tidy. Behind it, a bald, wrinkly man in his sixties was slowly rising with the aid of a gold-topped ebony walking stick. He smiled when he saw Terry and extended his hand. "Ah, Mr. Williams," he said. "Good afternoon."

"How do you do, Abraham?" Terry said in return, offering his own hand, giving a firm shake. After Terry withdrew his hand, he waited a moment before taking a seat.

"Abraham, I've come to discuss my...finances. Are you free to do so, or should I come back sometime later?" Terry asked.

Been gone a bit. Sorry about that,but I'm sure everyone is busy.

OOC,Welcome back!

Abraham smiled. "It's always a good time for you, Mr. Williams," he said, sitting behind his desk. "What in particular would you like to know?"

Terry quickly takes a seat, wondering what he should speak about.

"Am I in the black or red?" he asked, giving a laugh to the question. "I mean, could you give me a very basic run down from when I first started banking here to now?" he asked, unsure if it was possible to get that kind of information.

"Only if it's not a bother. It is a bit important to me, though." Terry added with some finality.

"It's never a bother, Mr. Williams," said Abraham, "and you are most definitely in the black. It's always a pleasure to speak to you about finances. Your foresight and cleverness have proven good advice time and time again. Why, I've acted upon it myself and never regretted it. When you first started banking with us in 1970, you only had a few thousand dollars or so, but you soon parlayed that into a small fortune - and then a large fortune. You've always seemed to know exactly when to get into something - and when to get out. It's almost as though you can see the future. Your investments in the oil industry starting before the 1973 embargo paid off very handsomely indeed, for instance. Favoring commodities has served you well in recent years. Your positions in gold and silver are doing well too. They haven't quite skyrocketed yet, but I'm sure that's coming."