Unsolved Identities – 4

Back in Unsolved Identities – 3 we experienced Nicole’s story, as she was working in the Intelligence Headquarters of Warsaw, how she was suddenly ordered for capture. It was Agent Gonzalez who seemed to be off-records infiltrating the Headquarters, exactly to pull her off. The agent had come all the way from Spain, to extract her, successfully. Now they will go to Prague, to meet with Agent Matthew Robins, and figure things out.

Communications being scrambled, and intelligence departments worldwide being hacked, a state of invisible alarm has been set, and difficulties being improvised, president to president, to what seems to be, an unprecedented worldwide terrorism attack. The question is… whether there are sides, or if there’s just chaos?

The crew of agents from Spain, Switzerland and Poland, meet in a hotel, after arranged through peer-to-peer encoded messaging, a place to discuss the next steps. Let us see how it goes.

Scene 7: Troubling Arrangements

Matthew was coming out from the shower, when Nicole and agent Dami Gonzalez started knocking on the door.

[Random Scene → King of Spades, advances Main Plot → Six of Spades, brawny challenge]

_ “Matt, open the door! It’s me, Nicole”
_ “Coming… hang on…”, the door locks start to click

The moment Matt opens the door, and sees not only Nicole, but also Dami Gonzalez, who approaches a few instants later by the corner around the door, Matt would throw a deadly right-handed cross punch across his face.

[Forceful opposed. Matt (1), Gonzalez (2). Success with a major cost]
Matt gets ‘Hurting Knuckles’ as a minor consequence

It would cost Matt’s knuckles sanity, but the punch would land on an unaware Gonzalez, although he would manage to minimize the impact by moving away just at the moment.

_ “What the f* is that, Matt? Stop!” Shouted Nicole
_ “What are you doing with this idiot?” Said an angry Matthew
_ “You touch me again, and you’re a dead man” Responded Gonzalez
_ “Really? Like Sara is dead because of you?”
_ “f* you! Sara is dead because we were following god-damned orders”
_ “STOP! This is not the place nor the time” – ordered Nicole, pushing them both inside the room and closing the door. “Can you please calm down? We’ve got a situation going on here.

Matthew proceeded to walk towards the window, making sure the curtains are closed, he pours himself a glass of whiskey. Thinks for a moment, and offers it to Gonzalez, as a sign of peace. Gonzalez looks at him in the eyes, and accepts it. A fight of egos.

>> Nicole_ “You two are done? Because I also need a glass of Whiskey”, complained Nicole
>> Matt_ “Did you manage to reach out to the CIA? Germany’s BND?“
>> Nicole_ “No. They’re all offline“
>> Matt_ “Any friends on alternative channels?”

If any of them, Gonzalez would be the one strongest with networks
[Clever (3) → Use stunt ‘Friends in high places’. Success (4)]
[Name → Jeffrey. Subject of Interest → Animal/Pet (Drones). Answer → Transformation]

>> Dami_ “I know only one guy who could perhaps know something. Jeffrey Denis. He is chief engineer at NASA. Might have some links with the CIA over there too. Got his private contact”
>> Nicole_ “Before we call him. Can we review what we’ve got? Matt?”
>> Matt_ “Got this briefcase. It is an electronic Motherboard, a computer. Must be the prototype 2 of the Frequencer we were looking for”
>> Nicole_ “I was thinking I could crack its storage to identify its last records”
>> Matt_ “Could you do that?”
>> Nicole_ “It is risky, if it all fails, I may still be able to retrieve the last frequency used, by interpolating its actual power setup. The problem is the encryption”

Would Nicole be able to crack it right away, from the hotel? (Very unlikely) → No, And…
[The answer involves → Bugs] (Alright, needs a specific computer of sorts…)
[Where? Voyage Landmarks → High Rocky Outcrop. Subject of Interest → Weather/Climate]

>> Nicole_ “Thing is… for the encryption, I need a specific computer to read this, and in a way be able to access the lower interface. As a prototype, we can rely on its current bugs”
>> Dami_ “Where? What kind of Computer?”
>> Nicole_ “Our best bett is a satellite connected ones… hm, a Weather Satellite Operations Control Center. Your friend might know one, Dami.”
>> Dami_ “Alright, so we have to go there, so you can crack it?”
>> Nicole_ “Any better ideas?”

All three stop for a moment, to think.

>> Matt_ “Assuming we get out of Prague alive, what do we do once we crack the prototype?”
>> Nicole_ “If it works, we may be able to decipher how the real one being used is mapped, and somehow counter-act it. This is why this prototype is so important. They must be trying to prevent anyone from learning that. And this prototype got loose from the labs!”
>> Matt_ “We still have a death sentence in our heads, as things are.”
>> Dami_ “No I don’t…” stops Dami, “Alright I am kidding, you can count on me”
>> Matt_ “If we figure this thing out, at least we will be able to prove that we didn’t do it. But we still have to reach out to our intelligence headquarters to buy us time”
>> Nicole_ “We can figure that out later, let’s focus here. Dami. Can you check out where can we find a Satellite Control Center around here?”

Gonzalez had already succeeded the network’s check.

From Chief Engineer Jeffrey, at NASA, the crew will learn of a Satellite Control Center to the South of Frankfurt. Optionally, some radar towers in Brno (Czech Republic) may also have certain satellite accessible functions. Although closer, they are likely occupied.

At NASA, they are concentrated on recovering the control of hundreds of satellites orbiting earth, most of them without success. The US seems to be discussing the matter locally, but international transmissions are currently scrambled. There are reports of several dead ambassadors worldwide, agents of intelligence from different countries. The UN will be holding an emergency assembly in the next few days.

To be continued

JeansenVaars