Track Three: A Whiter Shade of Pale

[Rooter]

Carson shows his ID. "We're here to see the director of the Mariner 5 program or one of its technicians if the director is unavailable."

[jp1885]

"Well, well, well," says one of the gang. "Look at old Mister Fancy Pants I better make sure to stick my little pinkie out while I sip my tea," he continues, guzzling a beer.

Tony's pants are indeed fancy. He heads to the bar, seating himself on a stool as he orders a beer. With great solemnity he extends his little finger as he takes a sip.

"Of course my cousin William has an entirely different definition of 'little pinkie', which is why he was barred from the local pub and is doing six months for gross indecency."

He grins, talking to himself and anyone else who is listening.

"Rather shocking really - a bit like this Embalmer chap. Now I wonder if there's anyone here who is brave enough to help me catch him, hmm? Anyone who's willing to keep their eyes and ears open for me - tell me what gives around the canals and the Pee-Oh-Pee? I'm sure there are plenty of chaps willing to show their, er, chicks, how stone-cold cool they are."

He takes another sip of beer.

"Unless it's true what the Damned Souls are saying and you're all yellow..."

[Starspawn338]

"Unless it's true what the Damned Souls are saying and you're all yellow..."

"Hold on there." Lew says quietly. "We're not looking for trouble, just some help."

Continuing a bit louder, he turns to the bikers. "A friend of ours was one of the women that was attacked by the man they are calling the Embalmer. The police don't seem to want us to do anything about it but I don't trust them to get the job done. Despite our appearance, we are more aligned with you than you may perhaps know. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Lew Collins and I've represented a fair share of club members in the past."

Keeper,I have 11 social contacts that are not identified. How about one is a well known biker that I represented?

[Mr. Handy]

Liz approaches the guard with a smile. She has dressed to impress, wearing a white lab coat over a black miniskirt and pink blouse. "I'm Dr. Liz North, visiting from Cambridge University," she says. "This gentleman and lady are with me."

OOC,Charisma roll (17 + 3[Charming] + ?[Academic Credentials]): [dice]0[/dice] Beautiful may help too, as this is a first impression, if Academic Credentials doesn't make this an automatic success.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

The guard places a call from the telephone in his booth. A few minutes later, a golf cart arrives bearing a man with the standard crew cut, horn-rimmed glasses, white shirt and thin black tie that are virtually a uniform at JPL.

"Howdy," he says. "I'm Tex McCoy. Hop in."

There is barely enough room for all in the golf cart, after the car is secured in the visitor's parking lot. Tex speeds off at an alarming rate, leaving a trail of dust behind as he weaves his way among widely scattered buildings.

"Always proud to show folks around the South Forty," he shouts over the roar of the engine. "What y'all interested in seein'?"

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Spoiler:

The contact with the bikers is fine.

"Yeah, we know this guy," says one of the gang. "Dresses like a square, but he's OK." After considering a moment, he waves over some of the others. "This Embalmer cat is messin' with our territory. Guess we can spare a few soldiers."

"Ratface! Sailor! Turkey! Front and center!"

Ratface proves to be a tall, thin man, amusing himself by tossing a knife into the wall with remarkable accuracy.

Sailor is a big, burly, older man, covered with tattoos of mermaids and hula dancers.

Turkey is the youngest, and resembles an ape in a leather jacket.

"Do like the man says." He turns to the visitors. "Coupla ground rules. The cops show up, we split. The Damned Souls show up, we rumble. Got it?"

[Mr. Handy]

"Howdy, Tex," says Liz as she squeezes into the golf cart. "I'm Dr. Liz North. We're particularly interested in the Mariner 5 programme."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"You got it, Doc." Upon arrival at the proper building, Tex shows the guests the monitoring equipment.

"Launched that little devil back in June," he explains. "Makes her closest approach to Venus just about now. Radio data shows it's hotter than Hades down there, and smoggier than LA."

A technician interrupts the lecture with a report of radio interference.

"Little glitch, folks. Prob'ly some HAM radio operator messin' around. Should be back in business in a little while."

[Rooter]

"Is it possible to pinpoint the source of that interference?" Carson asks. "Somewhere in the Venice region maybe?"

[jp1885]

While Lew's approach is infinitely more sensible, Tony is rather disappointed that he didn't get to spar (mentally, verbally or physically) with the gang. Still, the lawyer got the desired result with ease, so all the better.

He sizes up the three recruits before nodding his satisfaction.

"Keep a look out for this Embalmer freak: he's a tall thin dude - strong as an ox and screams like the devil. He might be limping, as we got a shot off last time we rumbled. He swims in the canal with all this scuba gear and we think he also hangs around the Pee-Oh-Pee."

"Speaking of which, there are some commie pinko cats cramping the scene over in the old Westinghouse Enchanted Forest. There's some extra bucks in this for you if you can keep tabs on them too."

He turns to Lew.

"That concludes our business here I think. What say you and I take a stroll to a certain outlet pipe? Maybe one of our new friends could tag along"

[Starspawn338]

"Sound like a plan." Lew says and then turns to the volunteers. "Thank you for your assistance. The police are often most unhelpful in keeping things orderly in many parts of the city and I'm glad I can count on some real help with this Embalmer dude. He offers his card to the leader. "You can contact me here if necessary.

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

At JPL, Tex says "Lemme give it the old college try." He fiddles with electronic equipment for a while. The lab is even outfitted with a computer, which takes up most of the room.

Spoiler:

INT = 9 + 3 for electronics expert = 12[dice]0[/dice]

"Sorry, folks. Looks like some lowdown sidewinder is blocking me from pinpointing the location."

A loud buzz fills the room, coming from one of the monitors.

"Sorry, chief," one of the technicians says. "We've lost contact with Mariner."

"Well, hellfire. There goes the taxpayer's money."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Back in Venice, the investigators and the bikers make their way to where the canals discharge into the ocean. Nothing is immediately remarkable about the place. A group of suntanned, athletic men and women are playing beach volleyball on the sand. A shot goes wild, sending the ball towards the adventurers. A woman with waist-length black hair, dressed in a yellow bikini, approaches.

"May we have our ball, please?"

Ratface grins at her. "Only for a big wet kiss, sweetheart."

The woman shrieks "EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"

[Mr. Handy]

"Perhaps I can be of assistance," says Liz. "It's a simple matter of direction finding and triangulation. They did this all the time in the war. We can detect the direction of the interfering signal from this location, and then we draw a line on a map in that direction. Next we move to another location - that cart will be useful for that - and take another reading, drawing a second line on the map. The point where the two lines intersect is precisely where the interfering signal originates." However, it does not prove quite as easy as she thinks. "Zara, you're an artist. Perhaps you should draw the lines. That way we can get a better fix on the position."

OOC,Intelligence roll (14 + 1[Scientific Knowledge] = 15) to track the radio interference: [dice]0[/dice]

[SunlessNick]

Zara takes the pencil and draws the lines where Liz directs. She seems a bit more clear-headed than usual - perhaps the hair-raising ride in the gold-cart cleared some of the cotton wool out of her brain. "I think that's as good as I can get."

OOC,Intelligence 10, Artistry doesn't seem to fit. Rolled 1D20: 9.

[jp1885]

Tony rolls his eyes at Ratface.

"A little more decorum while you're in our employ please Ratface."

He retrieves the ball and hands it back to the girl, bowing slightly.

"Apologies for my fiend's behaviour, Miss-?"

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

Tex examines the drawing.

"Fine piece of artwork, little lady. Might I could figure out where the interference is comin' from."

Consulting some detailed road maps of Southern California, he comes to a conclusion.

"Must be somewheres about the Aragon Ballroom, where Lawrence Welk used to play. Always cared more for Hank Williams myself.

"I better run y'all back to the parking lot and get back to work, see if I can get this cantankerous Venus probe workin' again."

[VictoriaSilverwolf]

"I'm Bunny," the young woman replies. "Thanks, Mister. You're a nice man, unlike some people I could name." She sticks her tongue out at Ratface, who just laughs. "You remind me of my father."

She runs off to join the others.

"Enough foolin' around," Sailor says. "What do you want us to do, chief?"

"I wanna help. Can I help? Let me help," Turkey says.

Ratface sidles up to the adventurers.

"Turkey's a good soldier, ut-bay ot-nay oo-tay ight-bray, if ya know what I mean," he explains.

[Mr. Handy]

"Thank you," says Liz. "We'll head to the Aragon Ballroom and see if we can track down the source of the interference."

[SunlessNick]

"That was pretty tuff," Zara says of the golf cart ride. "So where's this Aragon place?"