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MotCE - To the Lakes

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    #62
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Mollyb60 wrote: »
    'You are such a sweetheart, I owe you one'


    Heta does some quick research on Fawkes before making her way towards carriage 2.
    The phone indicates that Fawkes is a bit on the arrogant side and has a taste for classy women. As for his past, a noted biochemist famous in academia for some startling observations on virus chemistry he was scooped up by his company before he could publish some big piece of research. It's their propriety knowledge now.

    It also notes his guards are unlikely to be top class, being Clarkson Biotech employees from their security training program. However he might have one contract bodyguard. Though again even this individual is not at the spy level when it comes to martial arts.

    As she heads to his carriage she notices a guard outside. Tall, reasonably well built.

    Nearby is a man casually waiting.
    tritium wrote:
    Alexander quickly does the maths in his head to work out the likely cycle for the guard roster. He commits the two faces to memory. He’ll watch a little longer and then work out a schedule to check how many guards are there and their frequency of change. A quick feigned retch out the window for effect buys him a little longer.
    Just after the train departs he notices an attractive young lady approach from Carriage three as he himself had earlier.


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    #63
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    opentarget wrote: »
    "Of course madam, it would be my pleasure.I wonder are we staying in the same carriage?"
    Eli presents his ticket and shows the lady.

    Eli says "I have been looking forward to this trip for such a long time...is this your first time? perhaps an Aniversary?"
    "Oh we are, Carriage Five, Harold this young man will be with us on the first leg of the journey. Oh dear you know yes it is for our anniversary. Harold always promised me this trip and despite his grumpy exterior..." she bursts out laughing "...he hides the heart of a romantic, so we plan to..."

    This goes on for a while, the next time he glances at the station clock Eli sees there is only ten minutes to go until the train arrives.


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    #64
    Mollyb60
    Registered Users Posts: 6,550 ✭✭✭Mollyb60


    Fourier wrote: »
    The phone indicates that Fawkes is a bit on the arrogant side and has a taste for classy women. As for his past, a noted biochemist famous in academia for some startling observations on virus chemistry he was scooped up by his company before he could publish some big piece of research. It's their propriety knowledge now.

    It also notes his guards are unlikely to be top class, being Clarkson Biotech employees from their security training program. However he might have one contract bodyguard. Though again even this individual is not at the spy level when it comes to martial arts.

    As she heads to his carriage she notices a guard outside. Tall, reasonably well built.

    Nearby is a man casually waiting.


    Just after the train departs he notices an attractive young lady approach from Carriage three as he himself had earlier.


    Heta takes note of the 2 men hanging around outside the cabin and ascertains that they're not together. Heading towards the guard outside the door she makes a point of tripping on the hem of her dress and flys towards him with a squeak. 'Oh!'


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    #65
    Barney92
    Registered Users Posts: 2,906 ✭✭✭Barney92


    sullivlo wrote: »
    Aurora is getting frustrated with the USB. She has seen one similar before - perhaps at a conference - but she can’t place it. Despite her valient efforts, it was not possible for her to un-mangle it, so the potential “thrill of the chase” she had planned on amusing herself with would not come to fruition.

    Defeated, but not deflated, she turned her attention back to the stranger reading in her carriage, and immediately tried to figure him out. What was his story.

    She perused others in the carriage, and regretted not booking first class. She saw a stunning man board the train, however he was further along. She contemplated going for a wander, but decided to engage her carriage mate in conversation first:

    “Business or pleasure? I’m Aurora by the way”

    "Pleasure, I really enjoy a nice train ride where I can delve into a couple of books. What about yourself?", asks Jacques.

    He also notices Christopher boarding the train, and thinks that it might be interesting to get to know him a bit better.


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    #66
    opentarget
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭opentarget


    Fourier wrote: »
    "Oh we are, Carriage Five, Harold this young man will be with us on the first leg of the journey. Oh dear you know yes it is for our anniversary. Harold always promised me this trip and despite his grumpy exterior..." she bursts out laughing "...he hides the heart of a romantic, so we plan to..."

    This goes on for a while, the next time he glances at the station clock Eli sees there is only ten minutes to go until the train arrives.


    Ten minutes...these might be the longest of Eli' life.
    He thinks he hears the honk of a train in the distance, hopefully...he can only tolerate so much of this old lady's life story.

    He hefts the couple's luggage....is this heavier than expected?

    "How long are you travelling for Harold? this weighs a ton....what in here a body!?"


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    #67
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    OOC: Just to say I'm off now


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    #68
    tritium
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭tritium


    Fourier wrote: »
    The phone indicates that Fawkes is a bit on the arrogant side and has a taste for classy women. As for his past, a noted biochemist famous in academia for some startling observations on virus chemistry he was scooped up by his company before he could publish some big piece of research. It's their propriety knowledge now.

    It also notes his guards are unlikely to be top class, being Clarkson Biotech employees from their security training program. However he might have one contract bodyguard. Though again even this individual is not at the spy level when it comes to martial arts.

    As she heads to his carriage she notices a guard outside. Tall, reasonably well built.

    Nearby is a man casually waiting.


    Just after the train departs he notices an attractive young lady approach from Carriage three as he himself had earlier.
    Mollyb60 wrote: »
    Heta takes note of the 2 men hanging around outside the cabin and ascertains that they're not together. Heading towards the guard outside the door she makes a point of tripping on the hem of her dress and flys towards him with a squeak. 'Oh!'


    Alexander spots the attractive young lady making her way up from carriage 3. She carries herself with an assured confidence, dressed as she is in expensive clothing. Strange then to see a lady of such tastes using the cheaper carriage. He’s mulling it over when the young lady loses her footing, tripping on her dress and barreling towards the guard.

    “How fortuitously unfortunate” Alexander murmers to himself with a small smile. Perhaps it might be no harm to get one more gulp of that fresh air to steady himself. He makes a show of loosening his collar to relax himself while continuing to unobtrusively observe


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    #69
    sullivlo
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,994 Mod ✭✭✭✭sullivlo


    Barney92 wrote: »
    "Pleasure, I really enjoy a nice train ride where I can delve into a couple of books. What about yourself?", asks Jacques.

    He also notices Christopher boarding the train, and thinks that it might be interesting to get to know him a bit better.
    “A bit of both really. I am working on a grant proposal so once I have my laptop I can pretty much work anywhere, but I am looking forward to just kicking back and watching the world go by for a while. Some much needed R&R. Very few distractions in the wilderness! Although I might have to borrow a book from you - I get bored easily, and already I tried to salvage a broken USB key as a challenge. I failed. I found it in the toilet, which is odd. Wait. OMG. I can’t believe I just told you that. Dammit Aurora. The first normal person you meet in ages and you tell them you went fishing in a toilet for a USB. Let me try that again! I might have to borrow a book. No reason.”

    Aurora smiles and hopes she hasn’t frightened off her carriage mate. 5 days in the Canadian wilderness would be a long time if she had nobody to talk to.


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    #70
    Barney92
    Registered Users Posts: 2,906 ✭✭✭Barney92


    sullivlo wrote: »
    “A bit of both really. I am working on a grant proposal so once I have my laptop I can pretty much work anywhere, but I am looking forward to just kicking back and watching the world go by for a while. Some much needed R&R. Very few distractions in the wilderness! Although I might have to borrow a book from you - I get bored easily, and already I tried to salvage a broken USB key as a challenge. I failed. I found it in the toilet, which is odd. Wait. OMG. I can’t believe I just told you that. Dammit Aurora. The first normal person you meet in ages and you tell them you went fishing in a toilet for a USB. Let me try that again! I might have to borrow a book. No reason.”

    Aurora smiles and hopes she hasn’t frightened off her carriage mate. 5 days in the Canadian wilderness would be a long time if she had nobody to talk to.

    "I'm not going to lie, fishing in a toilet isn't what quite I was expecting you to say. I'm glad of your honesty though. I'll offer a trade, I'll lend you whichever of the books you want if you let me take a look at this broken USB you've recovered. I like messing around with computers when I'm not reading and I'd be intrigued as to whether I could salvage anything. I'll share any findings with you of course. So I've got the Slaughterhouse Five, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the Northern Lights, or one of my favourites - Bel Canto." Replies Jacques, thinking to himself that the lady is unusually open, something he finds quite refreshing.

    He begins to think of what might be on that USB stick and who might have wanted to destroy it. He also wonders whether the person who tried to destroy it is particularly accomplished as they left some evidence on the train itself.


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    #71
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    quickbeam wrote: »
    Otto is pleased to learn that his snooze wasn't so long as to disturb his chance of sleeping that night.

    On the other hand, if he runs in to the lady with the missing gloves, maybe he won't be getting much sleep at all.
    A man in a red jacket walks past Otto's seat and leaves a note on the table, before passing on. He doesn't even glance in Otto's direction.


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    #72
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    Mollyb60 wrote: »
    Heta takes note of the 2 men hanging around outside the cabin and ascertains that they're not together. Heading towards the guard outside the door she makes a point of tripping on the hem of her dress and flys towards him with a squeak. 'Oh!'
    The guard catches her.

    "Miss, you should be careful, lucky I was here to catch you"

    The door to Fawkes's booth has a small window in it. Inside she can see him having a teleconference with an elderly Chinese woman.


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    #73
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    opentarget wrote: »
    Ten minutes...these might be the longest of Eli' life.
    He thinks he hears the honk of a train in the distance, hopefully...he can only tolerate so much of this old lady's life story.

    He hefts the couple's luggage....is this heavier than expected?

    "How long are you travelling for Harold? this weighs a ton....what in here a body!?"
    "Well no boy not exactly you see I'm a yacht salesman. Well I want to be, you see boat sales is a complex business...."

    The next few minutes take an eternity before the train pulls up and Eli can get on.


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    #74
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    All passengers feel the train come to a brief stop.


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    #75
    quickbeam
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    Fourier wrote: »
    A man in a red jacket walks past Otto's seat and leaves a note on the table, before passing on. He doesn't even glance in Otto's direction.

    Little surprises Otto. Years of instinct have ensured that he expects the unexpected. Or at least, even when the unexpected happens, to not show that it was a surprise. He leaves the note lying on the table and returns to his newspaper. He has also learned the value of waiting for the perfect timing. Ten, fifteen, twenty-five minutes pass, and he finishes his paper, folds it, and puts it down on top of the note. Endlessly patient, he gets up, takes the newspaper and note together, pockets them both and heads to the bar.


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    #76
    opentarget
    Registered Users Posts: 148 ✭✭opentarget


    Fourier wrote: »
    opentarget wrote: »
    Ten minutes...these might be the longest of Eli' life.
    He thinks he hears the honk of a train in the distance, hopefully...he can only tolerate so much of this old lady's life story.

    He hefts the couple's luggage....is this heavier than expected?

    "How long are you travelling for Harold? this weighs a ton....what in here a body!?"
    "Well no boy not exactly you see I'm a yacht salesman. Well I want to be, you see boat sales is a complex business...."

    The next few minutes take an eternity before the train pulls up and Eli can get on.

    A traveling yacht salesman, if that's not a thinly veiled cover story I don't know what is...Eli takes note to keep an eye on this unassuming old couple.

    Stepping on to the train Eli squeezes down the carage all the while being directed by the older lady on how to lift with the legs and not his back...
    Setting the bag down at their door he then takes his ticket out and checks to see where he's staying.
    He wonders what kind of accommodation he has been set up in.
    He scans the carage, is be being watched? An uneasy feeling passes over him. Perhaps he's just tired.


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    #77
    tritium
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭tritium


    Alexander slips back to his cabin and mulls over events so far, gently patting his mouth with a handkerchief to keep effects up. The guards seem relatively mediocre, trained but unexceptional. However the idea of violence on such a confined environment is somewhat undesirable and there’s an uncertainty as to how many friends they may have. It would also make the second part of the mission more challenging if there was too much of a ruckus. No, that wouldn’t do at all. On the other hand the pretty young lady also appears to have an interest in Fawkes cabin. Perhaps it would be worth getting to know her a little better..


    Alexander opens the seal on the bottle of wine he purchased from the bar and pours himself a glass. “Path” he spits the first sip out- corked, badly, even a Russian could tell. He picks up the bottle and moves towards the bar to exchange the drink


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    #78
    Baggly
    Registered Users Posts: 35,024 ✭✭✭✭Baggly


    Christopher begins to sleep in his chair. But, you know, sexily.


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    #79
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    quickbeam wrote: »
    Little surprises Otto. Years of instinct have ensured that he expects the unexpected. Or at least, even when the unexpected happens, to not show that it was a surprise. He leaves the note lying on the table and returns to his newspaper. He has also learned the value of waiting for the perfect timing. Ten, fifteen, twenty-five minutes pass, and he finishes his paper, folds it, and puts it down on top of the note. Endlessly patient, he gets up, takes the newspaper and note together, pockets them both and heads to the bar.
    The bar is currently pretty empty save for the odd couple sharing a wine.

    "Just here for a drink to take back to your seat or do you want to have a seat here Sir?" on of the bar staff asks.


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    #80
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    tritium wrote: »
    Alexander opens the seal on the bottle of wine he purchased from the bar and pours himself a glass. “Path” he spits the first sip out- corked, badly, even a Russian could tell. He picks up the bottle and moves towards the bar to exchange the drink
    He enters the bar, just some couples having a slow drink and a tough looking older man drinking by himself.


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    #81
    Fourier
    Registered Users Posts: 10,558 ✭✭✭✭Fourier


    OOC: Off now


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    #82
    tritium
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭tritium


    Alexander considers the tough looking older man drinking by himself. He remembers noticing him in the queue at the station, a man with a clearly martial background. Could this be bloodroot perhaps? Possible but there’s only one bloodroot and a train full of people.

    Service at the bar is slow. The waiter is busy now, fussing on another couple, and Alexander figures he may have a short wait till his wine issue is resolved. A chance then to size up the older man and engage him in some conversation perhaps:

    “Good evening, I hope they haven’t left you to die of thirst here too!”

    He smiles, a gentle one, pointing to the opened bottle he’s left on the bar: “wine is stale as old bread”


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    #83
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Fourier wrote: »
    All passengers feel the train come to a brief stop.

    Meryl wakes with a start. That wasn’t a dream she just had, it was a memory.

    She needs a real drink so heads to the bar. “Bourbon, please”. She finds a table in the cornerand sits down in the seat facing the bar so she can see all who come and go. She takes a large gulp of her drink and wonders what sort of life she’s involved in.


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    #84
    quickbeam
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    tritium wrote: »
    Alexander considers the tough looking older man drinking by himself. He remembers noticing him in the queue at the station, a man with a clearly martial background. Could this be bloodroot perhaps? Possible but there’s only one bloodroot and a train full of people.

    Service at the bar is slow. The waiter is busy now, fussing on another couple, and Alexander figures he may have a short wait till his wine issue is resolved. A chance then to size up the older man and engage him in some conversation perhaps:

    “Good evening, I hope they haven’t left you to die of thirst here too!”

    He smiles, a gentle one, pointing to the opened bottle he’s left on the bar: “wine is stale as old bread”

    Otto nods to the gentleman at the bar and ponders how the lady that had just approached got served while he and the gentleman were still waiting for theirs.

    “Otto” he said extending his hand to the gentleman. “By your accent I am zinking you are Russian, no?”


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    #85
    Mollyb60
    Registered Users Posts: 6,550 ✭✭✭Mollyb60


    Fourier wrote: »
    The guard catches her.

    "Miss, you should be careful, lucky I was here to catch you"

    The door to Fawkes's booth has a small window in it. Inside she can see him having a teleconference with an elderly Chinese woman.


    'Oh my I am such a klutz!! Thank you so much for catching me. You're a regular night in shining armour. I think I owe you a drink for that. Care to join me in the bar for a tipple Mr..........? She smiles coyly at the guard.


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    #86
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    quickbeam wrote: »
    Otto nods to the gentleman at the bar and ponders how the lady that had just approached got served while he and the gentleman were still waiting for theirs.

    “Otto” he said extending his hand to the gentleman. “By your accent I am zinking you are Russian, no?”

    OOT :D


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    #87
    quickbeam
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 16,287 Mod ✭✭✭✭quickbeam


    Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »
    OOT :D

    ?


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    #88
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Oh OOC? Laughing cos I got served think it’s the boobage


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    #89
    sullivlo
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 9,994 Mod ✭✭✭✭sullivlo


    Barney92 wrote: »
    "I'm not going to lie, fishing in a toilet isn't what quite I was expecting you to say. I'm glad of your honesty though. I'll offer a trade, I'll lend you whichever of the books you want if you let me take a look at this broken USB you've recovered. I like messing around with computers when I'm not reading and I'd be intrigued as to whether I could salvage anything. I'll share any findings with you of course. So I've got the Slaughterhouse Five, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, the Northern Lights, or one of my favourites - Bel Canto." Replies Jacques, thinking to himself that the lady is unusually open, something he finds quite refreshing.

    He begins to think of what might be on that USB stick and who might have wanted to destroy it. He also wonders whether the person who tried to destroy it is particularly accomplished as they left some evidence on the train itself.

    “Bel Canto sounds intriguing. Maybe I’ll give it a go. I’m quite ‘techie’ and couldn’t make sense of the usb, but be my guest. I might wander up to get... wait, what was that jolt. Have we stopped? Are we at a station already?”

    Aurora presses her face up against the window, but can’t really see anything. She is happy to see that her new friend wasn’t put off by her revelations of fishing in the toilet, but she was curious as to why he was so interested in the usb. She reckoned that they’re going to be seeing a lot of each other over the coming days, so keep him sweet and lord knows what might happen. She was certainly impressed by his collection of books, and as she leafed thru the copy of Bel Canto she saw a message:
    “Dear Jacques, we’ll always have Helsinki. Love, C”

    Aurora was happy to learn her new friends name. He had been evasive about it. But she decided not to mention it and let him tell her his name himself. Maybe to make sure he gave the real one? There was something not quite right about Jacques. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She decided she would try steer the conversation towards her native Sweden, to see if she could learn more about the mystery C.


  • Options
    #90
    tritium
    Registered Users Posts: 7,418 ✭✭✭tritium


    quickbeam wrote: »
    Otto nods to the gentleman at the bar and ponders how the lady that had just approached got served while he and the gentleman were still waiting for theirs.

    “Otto” he said extending his hand to the gentleman. “By your accent I am zinking you are Russian, no?”

    Alexander grasps the extended hand in a solid handshake “yes” he laughs, “is it so obvious? Pleased to meet you, I’m Alexander. And you’re...German i’d say..Munich maybe?....”

    He laughed at himself “I’m sorry, I’m probably horribly wrong. I enjoy trying to guess accents when I meet people for the first time. First time in Canada?”


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    #91
    Barney92
    Registered Users Posts: 2,906 ✭✭✭Barney92


    sullivlo wrote: »
    “Bel Canto sounds intriguing. Maybe I’ll give it a go. I’m quite ‘techie’ and couldn’t make sense of the usb, but be my guest. I might wander up to get... wait, what was that jolt. Have we stopped? Are we at a station already?”

    Aurora presses her face up against the window, but can’t really see anything. She is happy to see that her new friend wasn’t put off by her revelations of fishing in the toilet, but she was curious as to why he was so interested in the usb. She reckoned that they’re going to be seeing a lot of each other over the coming days, so keep him sweet and lord knows what might happen. She was certainly impressed by his collection of books, and as she leafed thru the copy of Bel Canto she saw a message:
    “Dear Jacques, we’ll always have Helsinki. Love, C”

    Aurora was happy to learn her new friends name. He had been evasive about it. But she decided not to mention it and let him tell her his name himself. Maybe to make sure he gave the real one? There was something not quite right about Jacques. She couldn’t quite put her finger on it. She decided she would try steer the conversation towards her native Sweden, to see if she could learn more about the mystery C.

    "A fine choice", replied Jacques. He set about working on the USB in the hopes of being able look at some of the files on his laptop.

    Bel Canto was one of his favourite books, not just because of the story but also because of the time in his life when he read it first. Ah, his first love. Sadly it wasn't to be for the two of them. He returned home to North America, as she returned to her native France and they decided to part.


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