//------------------------------// // \\C:\whitelist\update.dat // Story: Grey Hat // by Journeyman //------------------------------// Shadowlands Lounge, Magnasanti Hub, The Matrix Personas Present: ~Bone Collector ~Captain Chaos ~MrOrion ~Synergy ~ZomZom Synergy: Okay, it’s days like this I feel like saying everything can just fuck off. Captain Chaos: Here we go... MrOrion: What’s up, Sin? Captain Chaos: Syn’s getting emo again. Synergy: Can’t be pissed off in peace, Cap? Captain Chaos: Go right ahead, but this is the third time this month. The Shadowlands isn’t your own personal blog. Once and a while is okay, but we’re not your therapist. Synergy: I’ll behave. Synergy: I almost got my arse kicked, Orion. CSS’s been hiring loads of new blood to work security, especially after them ponies started moving into our settlements. Nearly got arrested for loooking at a guard funny. Captain Chaos: I've looked into them. They've recently gone on a recruiting frenzy. ZomZom: I hate those guys. Uptight jerkwads, the lot of them. MrOrion: At least the benefits are good. Free medical after 10 years and everything. Bone Collector: I’m afraid I must agree with Zom. They’ve seriously stepped up their anal retentiveness, and for them, that’s saying something.. ZomZom: Don’t agree with me. It makes me nervous. --Adam has joined the chat-- --Eve has joined the chat-- Adam: Wow. What did I walk into? Eve: Flame war! Captain Chaos: Not quite. ZomZom: Who let in the newbies? Captain Chaos: This is my Haven. I changed the settings to let in some new blood. I’ll know if there’s anyone in here who’s not supposed to be. Adam: I’m a mechanic, ZomZom. Automotives, cybertech, engineering, blueprints. I do it all. Eve: I help. MrOrion: Zombie doesn’t like new faces. He’s like our cranky, racist grandpa. ZomZom: You’re older than me. Bone Collector: We still love you. > Bone Collector Transmitting to ZomZom: June 12, 3043 Posting includes 19 kb of attached files ZomZom: That better not be porn. MrOrion: Tee hee. ZomZom: Damn it. You’re gonna pay for this. Captain Chaos: What are you, Bones? Twelve? Bone Collector: Hahahahahahaha! MrOrion: How much have you looked into CSS? I haven’t bothered with the latest on them for a while. Captain Chaos: Enough to know why they are getting cranky. Like most of the problems of today, it’s the ponies. Bone Collector: I remember way back when where my biggest problem was getting backhacked by Essex-Imago-Inata. Ah, good times. Adam: The times, they are a changin’. Captain Chaos: Some ponies can use magic. That makes some corps nervous, and therefore makes them hire more security, something the armed security contractors like the Commercial Security and Safety specializes in. Eve: I saw that on the news. The joint corporate assault? ZomZom: See? This is why I don’t like kids and new faces; we never get anyone who knows their stuff.  That was the Factory and E.I.I., not CSS. Trigger-happy retards CSS may be, they had nothing to do with that. I had a lot of friends and contacts there. Wiped out in a second. Synergy’s pissed, but she’s got nothing on me right about now. Captain Chaos: Calm down; Kludge did what he could to warn them ahead of time. Even Jack stepped in to help. MrOrion: After crawling out of whatever hole we thought he died in. Adam: I liked the NOMAD colony guys. I got a few calls from them every once in a while when they needed me to look over their specs.   ZomZom: Sure you did. Eve: Really! The guys and gals we talked to specialized in cybertech research. While not our forte, we’ve got good minds for engineering and cybertech R&D. Adam: We work primarily in engines and automotives, but I like to dabble. MrOrion: Didn’t Valentine say Jack and NOMAD weren’t on good terms? ZomZom: And she’s right; Jack doesn’t talk to them that much anymore. Adam: I’ve heard whispers one of them did something to offend him. ZomZom: Whatever happened, I’m sure Jack started it. Captain Chaos: DaemonJack’s not the most reliable netrunner, but he doesn’t start fights when he doesn’t have to. MrOrion: Dude’s paranoid, I swear. Just wondering why he would step in all of a sudden after being gone for so long. Synergy: Speaking of paranoid, who’s willing to gamble Twilight Sparkle’s not under surveillance? Bone Collector: Less than zero people. Captain Chaos: I’ve confirmed two separate security probes from the Espa Robo recon teams. It’s anybody’s guess as to how many private security personal have been bribed or watch from a distance, let alone the military. ZomZom: I’ve verified an additional two by naval special forces. Eve: How much do you see, Captain? MrOrion: Chaos sees all, knows all. Captain Chaos: That is right. ZomZom: Right now the most talked about thing in the universe is magical talking ponies. The stupidity makes me want to swallow a Glock. Synergy: Now that you put it that way, it does seem kinda retarded. Adam: I get why she’s under watch, but what do they think they would gain? Magic? Dratali bodies have been recovered countless times, and they can use magic but you don’t see us all farting rainbows. How the hell are ponies going to be any better? Eve: Everything’s better with ponies. ZomZom: Eve, I will come over there and I won’t treat you nice. MrOrion: It’s to cover their bases and asses. ZomZom: Ask her new boyfriend and you’ll find out why. I was chatting with some of my old navy buddies and found out the truth. Major Curt Dupree, trained sniper, decorated officer, current partner of a talking horse, and–most importantly–is a dirty magic user. Synergy: Magic? Us? Bloody hell... Captain Chaos: I’ve heard something similar from DaemonJack. I haven't been able to confirm anything, however, and how he got his information is up for grabs. I’m getting the impression that it’s not under wraps, but no one’s talking. Bone Collector: That begs the question: how did he find out before us? Especially ZomZom and you, Captain? Eve: Was he just digging for info? Was that why he was gone so long? I don’t know much about Jack, but I know he disappeared for a while. ZomZom: No idea. He talks to Kludge more than any of us. As for why the major has magic, I haven’t been able to dig up much about that. All I know is that Sparklebutt has something to do with it. Every lead I’ve followed points back to her. I just don’t know why. Adam: Huh. So that explains it. MrOrion: Oh? Fresh blood has a secret worth sharing? ZomZom: Spill it. Eve: Adam... Adam: Eve’s right. Can’t share that at the moment. Would like to, but I’d like to get to know you all better before I start spilling my guts. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but... I don’t trust you. Captain Chaos: Fair enough, but know this: I don’t take too kindly to mining for intel here. Give and take rules apply, and you need to know when to pull your weight. Eve: Gotcha. Adam: Loud and clear. --King Kludge has joined the chat-- Synergy: Hail to the King! King Kludge: Hello everyone. Can’t stay for long, but I figured I’d stop in to say hi. * King Kludge -help info ######################## -op Captain Chaos King Kludge ZomZom -state open Shadowlands Lounge, Magnasanti Hub, The Matrix Personas Present: ~Adam ~Bone Collector ~Captain Chaos ~Eve ~King Kludge ~MrOrion ~Synergy ~ZomZom King Kludge: Got some new faces, I see. Slow night otherwise? ZomZom: Negative. Most of the regulars have been in off and on all day and night. Just not too many in ATM. Synergy: I’m just killing some time. Going out for some nosh in a bit. Bone Collector: Where’ve you been all this time? Gone for so long and then *boom* you’re here with Jack on your heels. King Kludge: I’ve been playin this 1 a little close to the chest. I should be able to tell you what’s up in a week or two. MrOrion: Secrets aplenty. No one trusts each other anymore ;_; King Kludge: We’ve all got our secrets, Orion. That’s just the way we are. I’ve got to keep a little bit of myself just for me. Bone Collector: How long do you have? King Kludge: I should be gone already, in truth. Just stopping by to say I’m not dead. ZomZom: Before you go, thanks for helping out my friends. King Kludge: Not a problem brotha. A lot of good people were there. A king has to look out for his peasants. Synergy: And cue the ego wanking. King Kludge: Don’t hate me because I’m awesome. And Zom, you’d better prepare for a little blast from the past. ZomZom: My Lord? What hath thou wrought upon my meager existence? King Kludge: Don’t want to spoil the surprise. Believe me, you’ll know it when you see it. --King Kludge has disconnected-- Synergy: Drama queen. Why doesn’t he just say “Whisper my name three times upon the eastern winds and I shall be there.”? Eve: I like him. Adam: Odd guy. Seems ok Captain Chaos: He is indeed a little odd. Adam: Is he always like that? Captain Chaos: Usually, yes. Adam: Is he... MrOrion: He’s just weird. ZomZom: I suppose I better find my gear and gun. They’re around here somewhere. Bone Collector: Buried under all the crap? --DaemonJack has joined the chat-- MrOrion: We were wondering when you’d show up. DaemonJack: Sorry; I’ve taken a pretty big job. My new client’s contract requires a lot of my time. Synergy: Let’s go for the hat trick. Let me guess, you can’t talk about it either? DaemonJack: Nope. Synergy: Called it. * DaemonJack -help info ######################## -op Captain Chaos ZomZom -state open Shadowlands Lounge, Magnasanti Hub, The Matrix Personas Present: ~Adam ~Bone Collector ~Captain Chaos ~DaemonJack ~Eve ~MrOrion ~Synergy ~ZomZom DaemonJack: Fresh blood! Adam and Eve. Husband and wife, brother and sister, father and daughter. I could never figure out the story between those two. Adam: We just picked the first thing that sprung to mind. DaemonJack: I’ve heard worse. Now has anyone seen Kludge? Bone Collector: You missed him by about ten seconds. DaemonJack: Frag it, I’ve been trying to get a hold of him for weeks. Slippery little weasel. What’s the current topic? Captain Chaos: Ponies and Twilight Sparkle. DaemonJack: Out of all things Cap, you pick her? Captain Chaos: It’s been quite a varied and informative topic so far. MrOrion: Care to throw in a bone? DaemonJack: Sure. She’s getting married to that human sniper Curtis Dupree. ZomZom: The major? Are you serious? Synergy: You’ve got to be shittin me. It’s true? Bonking a pony? Adam: Hahahahaha! Oh, she’s gonna love this! Eve: That’s fucked up. Can they even have kids? Ew. Bone Collector: Cross-species boning... I’ve got nothing worth saying. MrOrion: I can’t get that image out of my head. Seriously, the major is a horse fucker? ZomZom: Strange enough, I knew this. I didn’t take it seriously because I have an IQ over 100, but apparently some Alliance shit-for-brains doesn’t. Bone Collector: It’s a heartwarming story of love and affection! *hurk retch* Captain Chaos: Hybrids do exist after all. ZomZom: Yeah, but it’s been just barely two years since she left Avol. We’ve known our other dumbass alien friends for generations. In less than two years our dear friend Dupree overcame thousands of years of bestiality stigmatism. What, he couldn’t keep it in his pants? Bestiality is not a laughing matter, unless you’re fucking a hyena. DaemonJack: Heh, even I got a chuckle from that one, Zom. MrOrion: I need to ponder this. I don’t have an opinion right now. Synergy: Same.... ugh. Captain Chaos: So who do you have tailing her? DaemonJack: Just a little birdie. I’ll share any other useful nuggets when I get them. Bone Collector: Are you lying to us again? DaemonJack: I have audio. > DaemonJack Transmitting to #CHAT: June 12, 3043 Posting includes 15 MB of attached files Adam: Hey, just popped up. Let’s have a listen. ZomZom: I hate her voice already. MrOrion: Zombie hates something. That’s new. Captain Chaos: The audio is clipped. DaemonJack: I figured you didn’t want to listen to all the boring garbage, so I only gave you the good bits. Bone Collector: Who talks like this? MrOrion: It’s called “people”, you scavenging freak. Go outside or look out a window. You’ll see them walking on something called concrete. DaemonJack: Like them or hate them, yes, ponies are a part of our life now. Yes, one of them is getting married to a human. MrOrion: Tell me something I don’t know. DaemonJack: I’m currently not wearing pants. MrOrion: ... Captain Chaos: Wow... Synergy: ... DaemonJack: I think better when I’m hanging free. --MrOrion has disconnected-- Captain Chaos: I have no words. DaemonJack: Hey, any of you fraggers know what hode means? For chapter commentary and my ramblings, visit my page HERE Chapter Commentary: LINK Edited by: TheSynn, Midnight Spark