Week Eight

Wednesday May 10th/ Thursday May 11th, 2043

BUG and Derek, still in custody and being driven somewhere in the backs of separate NERCC cars, both "fell asleep" (gassed) enroute to their destination. When they awoke, in separate interrogation chambers, they had been stripped, searched, and handcuffed. They were wearing plain gray jumpsuits and all their gear had been confiscated.

The interrogations, though conducted independently, were very similar. They were asked about knowing one another, about who they worked for, about everything they knew about Chad Ferguson, about what they were doing in his apartment on the evening of May 9th, etc. BUG was even shown the video footage NERCC had of her and Derek breaking into Ferguson's apartment.

After the interrogations they were released, read their charges, and fined (BUG 15,000 ny, Derek 20,000). In addition, BUG was informed that she was now on probation and any future crimes would be punished most severely (Derek was not informed of any probation, but assumed he was in the same position).

Meanwhile, Drake, Alex, and Rook, after Derek and BUG were taken into custody, all continued on to the clock tower in Everett. They watched the tower and the connected building for a while; very few people passed by, but those that did all seemed to walk by at a distance. Rook had heard word on the street that the Bloods and the Crips used to meet here as neutral territory, but that they hadn't been seen around for the past few months. None of their graffiti was on any of the nearby walls. The predominant graffiti of the area was the same phrase, repeated over and over - "Blood is power".

After a time, the party saw three gangbangers, first checking out Rook's car, then entering the clock tower's building. They wore sleeveless denim vests and different animal pelts hanging from their belts; the back of the vests identified them as "Voodoo Lords", and bore an image of a net between the words. After observing the building a little longer the party called Griffon, asked him to get plans for the surrounding sewers and the building, then headed back to Seattle district for the night. Alex spent the rest of the night/morning reading over Ferguson's journal of his stay in Brazil (one of the files decrypted by Griffon). Ferguson had requested to be transferred to Brazil- his notes revealed that he had a great interest in the spontaneous transmission of life, the creation of "something from nothing", and he apparently hoped to further his knowledge in Brazil. Rook, after returning the car he "rented", also spent some time reading this file before turning in. (The journal covered a span of ten years; however, only the first year was in english, the rest was written in the strange language of the other, first-decrypted file).

Thursday May 11th, 2043

As of 0800 hours, both Derek and BUG were released from the NERCC Detention center in downtown Seattle. They called Drake and Alex to come pick them up, then the four of them discussed plans for getting to Morgan through the clock tower building. The party eventually decided they needed new equipment, and procured: 5 gasmasks (3 with integrated thermographs), 4 medkits, 2 grapples with winches, and 5 vidcams. (Rook had a busy morning on his own- he rented a new one room apartment, and bought a used motorcycle).

That night, the party returned to Everett and attempted to find Morgan. Rook and Derek, using the new grapples and winches, climbed to the top of the clock tower, then lowered themselves down into the building itself. They encountered no resistance, and opened a door to allow the others in. The five ventured further into the building; it wasn't until entering the third room that they found anyone.

The third room contained three Voodoo Lords, one sitting on the floor, eyes closed and chanting, the other two reclining in chairs. When the party entered, the Lords went for their guns. The two not on the floor were taken down by needlers before they even got their weapons readied, but the third one, still sitting stationary with his eyes closed, somehow survived a 12 needle burst of needler fire. Derek hit him in the throat with his claws, then decapitated him, and finally cut out his eyes.