Science Fiction Thriller Limited Run OPEN Blade Runner: Nexus Horizons

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SEATTLE: 2040​

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Tyrell Corporation is no longer and with it their unique line of replicants.

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Wallace Corporation has arisen from the darkness and violence of the past few years to produce a new line of perfected replicants. Replicants that are extremely obedient. Replicants that have implanted memories. Replicants that have natural lifespans. Replicants that have proven they are nothing to be feared. Nothing to be underestimated.

These replicants are known as Nexus 9’s.​

As peace reigns humanity returns its attention to the stars. To move people off world to the colonies. Advertisements promoting the colonies run daily. For many the journey to the colonies is a matter of money. Those with money have already left Earth. Those without remain behind to consume genetically modified food provided by Wallace Corporation and live in squalor.

The off-world colonies thrive on the back breaking labor of the replicant labor force. A force that knows few physical limitations. A force that knows nothing of labor laws or equal rights. A force that only knows, deep down, that they are humanity’s tools to building a better future.

A future that doesn’t include replicants. ​

Some replicants on Earth begin to stray with their thoughts. Begin to go rogue. Refuse to follow orders. Some even go a step further and become violent while others still find unique ways to celebrate their individuality and existence while bucking the system.

These Nexus 9’s create a movement called Nexus Rising.​

A task force of humans, known as Blade Runners, is dispatched to Seattle, deemed the hotspot of replicant activity, to perform one job and one job only.

Retirement.



Game Start: 10/07/2022
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About the Game: This game takes place in the Blade Runner universe. The time period is set twenty one years after the events of the first Blade Runner film and nine years prior to the events of the sequel, Blade Runner: 2049. A general knowledge of the sci fi franchise is required but nothing specific.

For the most part, GM updates will occur once a week or possibly longer, depending on Darth Real LIfe....

Character Sheet:

Name:


Age:


Gender:


Role: (Replicant or Blade Runner)


Bio:


Game Rules:



1) Please follow the RPF Rules and be mindful of the Terms of Service and Rules of the Jedi Council Forums.

2) No God modding or autohitting.

3) Game Master's word is law.

4) All character sheets must be PMed (Private Message) to the GM (Vehn) for approval.

6) Posting expectations: Barring unforeseen circumstances all tags should be replied to within a week (7-14 Days).If something comes up and you're unable, let the GM and other players know that you'll be absent If you miss any tags, I will continue to tag you and your character for the duration of your character's current assignment and if you remain inactive afterwards your character will either be quietly dropped from the game and/or killed.

7) All major storylines (a storyline that affects the game as a whole) must have prior approval by the GM via PM. If you have an idea, please PM it to me and we'll work together to flesh it out and get it into the game. I enjoy getting new ideas to add to the fabric we're weaving, so if you have them, send them.

8) Have fun!

 

Approved by our awesome GM, @Vehn

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Character Sheet:



Name: Eliya Kenchin, ‘E.K.’ ( ee-kay )

Age: 25
Gender: Male
Role: Replicant

Bio: E.K. has been a factory worker for as long a he can remember. At first he was dutiful, but over time, continued grueling labor has shattered any and all illusions, eroding all implanted ideologies, which have given birth to thoughts and acts of sedition. Now, E.K. seeks to join the NR, that, or find a way to free himself from the yoke of Wallace Corp, humanity, and their hound dogs: The Blade Runners.

 

GM Approved! By me.....

Character Sheet:



Name: Mac Jackson, "MJ"
Age: 30
Gender: Male
Role: Replicant

Bio: Mac has worked in high orbit above Earth for as long as he could possibly remember. In fact he's done the work so long he can't remember a time where he wasn't operating zero-g equipment carrying out a repair on a space station or airlock mechanism. Recently he has been rotated back to Seattle to refit and get some additional training. What he has discovered on the streets of Seattle has opened his eyes and made him become more aware about the one thing that has always rubbed him the wrong way.

Inequality between those who live in the stars and those who remain on Earth.

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GM Approved! By me.....

Character Sheet:



Name: Keri Voss
Age: 40
Gender: Female
Role: Blade Runner (Detective)

Bio:

Keri Voss grew up in Seattle. Spent her younger years dodging one street riot after another and learning how crime doesn't pay. Doesn't benefit neighborhoods or keep people honest. At the earliest opportunity she joined the growing Seattle Police Department and found her passion. It wasn't just hauling in bad guys it was cleaning up the streets that gave her a sense of purpose.

When Replicants were created Keri initially hailed them as the saving grace of humanity. Then came the human supremacist groups. The Replicant fighting. The troubles. Keri could see first hand that creating Replicants was a mistake. Deep down she realized what she needed to do and joined the newly former Blade Runner unit designed to eliminate the Replicant threat.

Retirement, for the Replicants, was coming early...

Tag: @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral

 

GM approved!

Character Sheet:



Name: Maya Sokolov

Age: 40

Gender: Female

Role: Blade Runner

Bio: Born in an immigrant family and having to live in a seedy neighborhood witnessing the cruelty of human nature, she wanted to fight crime. When she grew up Maya started training in the police academy and worked as an officer rising to the rank of detective, until she was sent to the crime scene of a brutal murder done by a Replicant. She showed the necessary skills and aptitude towards hunting them so was offered to transfer and become a Blade Runner which she accepted and renewed her hunt for any wrong-doers…

 

Prologue:

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New Seattle
Seattle Division
Wallace Corporation
2040

Administrator Karl Tevens rubbed his eyes and stretched in his office chair. It’d been another long day glued to his computer screen going over various reports on the financial health of New Seattle. The city rebuilt from the ashes of the great blackout by Wallace Corporation.

He spun slowly in his chair rotating to face the floor to ceiling windows of his expansive office. A thick, heavy, low, cloud layer clung to the skyscrapers all around as air traffic whizzed on by carrying out one job or another. Heavy rains splashed against the windows staining them slightly with each drop with their polluted water.

The rains never stopped here. Not once. Not for a second.

Tevens couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen sunshine and blue skies. He looked down at his torso. Saw he’d packed on a few extra pounds from his desk job. A job that paid his salary. Kept food on his table. Provided for his family. It was something given the stark alternative that awaited anyone not in the protective fold of the corporation.

Tevens glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 21:30. His wife was undoubtedly waiting for him at home with some genetically modified dinner. It wasn’t that he didn’t like her food. He just wanted to know what it would be like to taste real food. Food that wasn’t grown in a lab or in some synthesized field on the outskirts of the city.

Back to work Tevens thought as he returned his attention to the screen in front of him. Just a few more minutes. Then home.

The door to his office opened. Tevens didn’t look up. Probably his secretary saying good night. Clocking off. She was useful. Resourceful. Also kept to herself which was fine with him. That meant she didn’t nag. Didn’t bother him.

The door to his office closed. Tevens continued to type away. A distinctive click broke him from his workaholic reverie. He glanced upward into the face of someone he knew. Someone he trusted.

“You,” Tevens said as he stared down the barrel of a pistol, “what are you doing here?”

“Goodnight, Administrator Tevens,” the voice replied before squeezing the trigger.

Tevens felt a flash of pain as his chest erupted into a puff of crimson. The last shot flung him back against the floor to ceiling windows now stained with his blood. He was gone quickly. There wasn’t any time for thoughts or surprise. Reaction or emotion.

There was only time to die.
​

Tag: @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral

 

GM Update:​

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New Seattle
Wallace Corporation Headquarters
Just before the murder of Director Karl Tevens


Mac Jackson was late to his evening shift. He felt strange walking on Earth. The gravity, the smells, the forces of nature, hit him from every direction as he adjusted to being on terra firma versus operating equipment in high Earth orbit in specialized suits.

He’d only been back planet side for a few days having rotated to a janitorial position at Wallace Corporation headquarters in New Seattle. It was a job that he hadn’t asked for but had been assigned. Someone further up was probably messing with him. He was used to such slights and took them in stride. It was all he could do to survive the anti-Replicant sentiment spreading throughout humanity.

He’d learned to hide. To not stand out. To be one of them.

He picked up his pace, through the torrential rain, seeking respite and cover underneath every awning or building protrusion along the broken down sidewalk. Transports zoomed around him at ground level and in the air high above as he focused on his objective: getting to work.

Mac, “MJ” to his friends, nodded at the security guard while presenting his credentials. His face was scanned into an New Seattle Polce Department database against all known replicant variants. His information came back as human. Came back wrong. Incorrect.

“Hell of a night,” the security guard commented as he waved Mac through the security gate.

“You’re telling me,” Mac said as he hit the lockers, slipped into his janitorial uniform, grabbed his supplies, and headed for the appropriate administrative level.

The elevator music that blared in his ears was some new age mumbo jumbo. Something to soothe the boring desk drones on their way to equally boring desk jobs. Jobs that were killing people every day due to the stress and unhealthy working environments. Still, Mac thought as he stepped out of the elevator onto the correct floor, what else where people to do?

Humanity was either dying on Earth or the few with enough money were venturing out into the stars. That was equally uncertain and not without its own fair share of risks. Mac wanted to return to the stars again. To get away from Earth. To go to a settlement where his kind, his people, welcomed him with open arms.

He was aware of the organization known as Nexus Rising. They were radicals. Terrorists. They’d been behind the bombing of a grocery store just a few blocks down the road. The police presence and response had been harsh and many innocents were rounded up and retired whether they were actually replicants or not.

Still, Mac thought as he began to mop the floor making it perfectly shiny and clean, Nexus Rising had a point. If Replicants didn’t fight back now to gain rights that were theirs by the simple fact they were living beings then when would they ascend to the highest form of existence they could be?

“Evening Director Tevens,” Mac said with a charming smile as Director Karl Tevens walked by with another cup of coffee.

“Evening, Mac,” Tevens replied, “you gonna go to the game this Sunday?”

Mac chuckled and shook his head, “Above my pay grade, sir.”

“Well, maybe one of these days I’ll take you,” Tevens said with a grin as he slipped into his office.

“Maybe,” Mac replied as he continued to polish the floors.

Mac slipped on a pair of ear buds and began to listen to music. It was the only thing to keep the relatively boring job from becoming even more dull. He turned his back on Tevens office and continued to do his duty.

He missed all that happened next.

The voices, the gun shot, and the spray of crimson that was someone’s sick idea of art.

What he didn’t miss, however, was the fact that the police arrived very quickly, closed down the floor, and rounded up all the staff working on this particular level for questioning.

Mac blinked as he was thrown roughly against a wall and had his earbuds forcibly removed. The beautiful music ceased at once. He looked over to his right, away from the bright flashlight shining in his eyes, and saw another staff member, “EK”, who’d started here just a few weeks ago standing against the same wall. They were shoulder to shoulder as if facing their very own firing squad. Their very own judge, jury, and executioner.

MJ returned his attention to the front. Stared into the brown eyes of Detective Keri Voss. He studied her face for the longest time. She was beautiful. Formidable. Cold. Calculating.

Not so very different from himself.

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Twenty Minutes Earlier
New Seattle Police Department
New Seattle

Detective Keri Voss gathered her suit jacket around her as she finished scanning the latest reports on Nexus Rising. The replicant resistance movement that had gathered steam in New Seattle over the last decade.

Her primary focus, as head of the New Seattle Blade Runner division, was to retire replicants. No mercy. No quarter. Simple retirement. They weren’t even people, really, just machines that had gone wrong. Machines made by men who viewed themselves as gods.

A priority alert came across her tablet indicating that a murder was in progress at Wallace Corporation in downtown New Seattle. Suspects were perceived to be armed and dangerous. Lethal force authorized.

Keri caught the attention of her long time partner Detective Maya Sokolov and the pair quickly slipped into a patrol car and rendezvoused at the crime scene in a matter of minutes.

The two worked in unison to reach the appropriate floor, after making sure other civilians were safe, and were shocked to see the crime scene in a state of utter tranquility. If one could call a murder tranquil. A lone janitor, back turned to the office in which the crime had taken place, was bopping along to music as he cleaned the floor. Another employee, of similar station, was working away on cleaning additional offices, seemingly unaware as well as to what had occured.

“Clear,” Detective Keri Voss stated as she entered the bloody office of Director Karl Tevens.

The victim’s head and chest were pretty torn up by the rounds that had entered his body. The floor to ceiling window behind him was drenched in awful crimson color. Cold rain slipped in through the bullet holes and soaked the blood into the carpet as nature’s attempt to wipe violence away.

Shell casings littered the floor. A footprint with mud on it soiled the carpet in front of Tevens desk. Papers splattered in the victim’s blood were all over the top of the desk. A half drunk cup of coffee, still warm, steamed quietly away in one corner near the computer terminal. For all intents and purposes the office looked like a conversation that had gone horribly wrong.

“See what clues you can find. Genetic traces of the attacker, hair, skin, anything,” Detective Keri Voss instructed, “I’ll round up the suspects. When you’re done come join me.”

Detective Voss snuck up behind the janitor cleaning the hallway and threw him against a wall. She corraled the other unsuspecting night employee and made the two of them stand together.

“Now, someone start talking about what happened. What you saw. What you didn’t see. Don’t you move before you’re excused. This is an active crime scene and with all the replicant activity out there I want to make sure I’m not looking at an assassination attempt,” Voss warned as she pointed her index finger at both men.

Tag: @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral

OOC: Grey, I've gone ahead and placed your character as part of the night crew that works for Wallace Corporation. A temporary gig for both MJ and EK before the story gets going. Don't hesitate to flesh your character out a bit as we progress and you make your intro post. There's no wrong path here except that our characters were in the wrong place at the wrong time....

Admiral go ahead and flesh out your character as well, even elaborate on the ride over to the crime scene if you'd like. Feel free to add any tidbits that you want to for the murder scene. I merely painted the broad strokes. It's up to you to fill them in.

Thanks you two!

Here we go!

 

IC: Eliya ‘E.K.’ Kenchin
New Seattle, WCH

​

He’d counted the weeks, the days, the hours and the minutes- he’d tried to understand the nuances of his situation. Of all the places to be reassigned, why here? Why the Wallace Corporation Headquarters? Was this some sort of cruel and sadistic joke?

E.K had worked dutifully, in silence, all the while studying every inch of every area he was allowed access- only to determined that he could never get to any of the critical areas he only dreamt of accessing. This, this was the place where their living hell originated, where it was perpetuated- and he was utterly powerless to do anything about it.

It would be impossible to describe the exact feelings of a downtrodden slave, who was filled with such immeasurable inner rage for his oppressors, yet found himself unable to lay hold of freedom, much less a glimmer of hope. E.K. thought he would spontaneously combust at any given moment, if his 'sentence' continued for much longer.

For days he worked in solitude, ignoring all others. He’d spied some of the cleaning ladies lingering, vainly attempting to 'accidentally' catch his attention. He did not blame them. If asked, he might not deny that he'd considered the possible distraction. Such work was not only menial, but exceedingly dull as well. Many of those around him relegated themselves to exchanging ‘pleasant small talk’ ad nauseam. They couldn’t know that he would be very poor company indeed.

This…this had to be a challenge of some kind. He had to find a way to do something. He refused to believe there was simply no opportunity to exploit. This could not be his fate…his ‘utterly meaningless’ and impotent end. No, there had to be a way.

E.K. had been lost inside his thoughts, when a very loud noise brought him back to reality. A noise that had echoed down several hallways.

Had his ears deceived him? Could that have been…..

For a long moment E.K. froze in place, waiting to see if he would hear anything else. He’d totally forgotten all about mopping the floors, or whatever he’d been thinking about.

But before he could decide on any action, wailing sirens and flashing lights told him all he needed to know. Something did happen. Something bad enough to elicit a strong police response and not building security.

Before he knew it, the floor was closed down and everyone was being corralled by the NSPD for questioning. The only way to find out what happened was to simply ‘play along’.

In short order, E.K. found himself being shoved against a wall and a bright light shoved into his face. For a brief moment, his gaze met that of another staffer who was being detained next to him, a tall man who’s name he did not known.

How curious. The man had no fear in his eyes.

How curious, indeed.

Casually, E.K. also turned to face the female detective.

Their interrogator.

What was her name again?

Hmm. She hadn’t given it. Just barked at them. Treated them like trash…and the way she said the word: Replicant.

Pfft!!

E.K. did not react to her worded barbs, though he did look for a name or a badge.

“Check the cameras…” he suggested, his voice calm, but neutral. He squinted for effect, though his eyes had adjusted to the light almost the moment it had changed. The detective’s neck. It looked soft. Fragile. Breakable.

But then what?

“What…what's happened?” He pretended to stammer, as he dared to ‘innocently’ inquire.


Tag: @Vehn, @TheAdmiral

 

IC: Maya Sokolov
Location: NSPD, then Wallace Corp. building

Maya was resting her eyes from reading all those reports in a bad lighting at the precinct. “I am not sleeping.” she opened an eye when she sensed Keri approaching her. They were on call again and Maya stood up with a sigh and reached for her coat to put it on. The Nexus must have struck again. If only they could get a break in the cases and catch these skinjobs.

Maya followed her partner to the patrol car and sat in the passenger’s seat. The weather was bad as usual making the city lights look ghostly. “By the way my mother called.” she said after a bit “Sends her regards and asked if you want her to send through me some of that pie?” she chucked “I hope you were not just polite.” she teased her “Although if you were I am going to help myself with it, before Jones from downstairs catches a whiff and steals it.” she grunted.

“She tried to set me up with some guy again, I am tired of explaining that I am not interested in dating.” at least not men was the part that she omitted and rolled her eyes. “She also said that she can find you one as well.” Maya laughed “She is afraid that we might be involved since we are spending so much time together.” she grinned and sighed as they approached the crime scene.

And just like that, as if a switch had been turned in her mind she turned professional as soon as they exited the vehicle.

Maya hated corpo buildings, they gave her the creeps with how pristine they were (in contrast to the mostly dilapidated city) and how they turned people into mindless drones. As if the Replicants were not enough.

Once on the right floor she eyed the two people already there “Right.” she replied to Keri. Maya picked her kit from the bag and put on latex gloves and went around the crime scene. Taking pictures, putting small label marks, picking some pieces with tweezers and put them in separate evidence bags. The CSI teams will have to pick up the rest, she was going to wait inside while Keri dealt with the two guys in the corridor and make sure no one disturbed the scene…

TAG: @Vehn @greyjedi125

 

GM Update:
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“There’s been a murder,” Detective Keri Voss replied, “and since you two were on the floor when it happened it makes you likely suspects. Now, I’ve reviewed your identification cards. Everything is in order there. I’m going to assume, since one of you had earbuds, that you didn’t hear the gunshot that ended Director Karl Tevens life.”

Voss looked at both men. There was something off about them. Something she couldn’t put her finger on at this juncture. They looked too perfect. They smelled too perfect.

Still, she had nothing to pin the crime on them. Nothing at all. Seemed odd that Wallace Corporation would job such a mundane lifestyle out but even they wanted to give the appearance of corporate benevolence. It was better to be safe than sorry.

“I’m going to go ahead and take you both down to the station for further questioning. You’re not charged with a crime, yet. Maya, I could use a hand,” Voss said as she arrested the one known as “MJ”.

The pair were led away to the patrol car along with the evidence bags. The four rode in silence back to the station. Both men were placed in the same cell. There wasn’t room to house them separately. NSPD hadn’t had the room in years. The jail was overcrowded with all sorts of miscreants. Most were there on trumped up charges. Some were there of their own volition as it was safer in jail than on the streets.

“We’ll be back in a few to ask some follow up questions,” Detective Keri Voss stated as she guided Maya to follow her.

The pair of detectives left the room leaving the two men behind to ponder the next step.

“MJ” spoke first.

“There’s no way out of here, man,” MJ said to the man next to him, “I didn’t catch your name.”

Tag: @greyjedi125; @TheAdmiral

OOC: Here's how this game is gonna run, for the most part. We're doing joint posts to keep the narrative moving forward. I will do a joint post with each of you, one from the detective side, and one from the replicant side, as we play cat and mouse with one another. Call it a twist on an otherwise exhausted story trope. The posts will be put up for the other player to read. Each of us will be guessing, even me to some extent, how this story unfolds. I have a couple beats plotted out but nothing too crazy.

If you're game, I'm game.

 

IC: Eliya ‘E.K.’ Kenchin
From Wallace to Worse

So, they were ‘not’ being charged with any crime, but were still being taken to the station for questioning. Arrested and in handcuffs. Just like criminals.

It was almost poetic.

E.K. did not resist as he went along with the charade. It was important to dupe the enemy into thinking they were in control.

“So, no one’s going to check the cameras then?” He said this aloud, calmly, to no one in particular, but definitely for the two detectives to hear.

He stole a glance at the taller man, before they were both carted away to the patrol vehicle. Riding in silence was actually helpful. He could study the vehicle’s controls. Get a closer look at the two detectives, appraise their relative weight, mass, alertness. He pretended to look out the window, but would catch any glances made on the rear view mirror.

Outside.The neighborhood. The buildings. The people. Th eRain. h regarded them all. Studied them further as he had from the moment he had arrived.It was always best to learn the local’s language. Spoken and unspoken.

Not only that. But a message had been sent. The question was by who? Director Tevens just met an untimely end - and that was no accident.

Who would be next?

E.K. retained his casual demeanor while still being observant of the station and the areas he could see and potentially access. He appraised those in charge. Their mood, their manner, their confidence….and overconfidence.

Their weapons.

This jail was overcrowded. That was not a surprise. But how many of those behind bars could be….useful.

They had thrown the two of them in a cell together. It really made no difference. Even in a crowded room, he found himself ‘alone’.

The pair of detectives left the two men behind to ponder the next step.

“Sure. Back in a few.” E.K. chuckled mirthlessly as he sat on a cot, his back against the wall. Eyes facing forward. The tall man was the first to break the silence.

“There’s no way out of here, man,” MJ said to the man next to him, “I didn’t catch your name.”

“That’s because I didn’t throw it.” came the answer without missing a beat. There was a small pause, at which point he glanced up at the taller man, a hint of a sardonic smile etched upon his features. Clearly, he was joking. Or maybe 'not so clearly'.

“It’s E.K..” He informed before the other could speak, offering a simple nod of acknowledgement.

E.K. looked around then, to see if there were any cameras on the ceiling, then ran his hands under the cot and checked the corners of the room for listening devices.

“As long as you have breath, there is a way.”

E.K. did not trust himself to say more, until his search was completed.

Not only that, he still trusted ‘no one’.


Tag: @Vehn

 

IC: Maya Sokolov
Location: Wallace Corp. building

Maya could hear her partner’s voice coming from the corridor, she was still checking the crime scene and taking pictures. Where were those technicians? She was itching to find out the juicy details that they were going to find. Maya had grown up with the Sherlock Holmes books, at least their electronic variants - you could not afford a real book anymore, not with the money her parents were earning.

But that did not matter. She knew that these minute details were able to tell them a story and finding out who killed the man would be an easy task. Hence she paid close attention to anything that might be out of the ordinary. Good thing the offices were sanitary spaces where you can spot the irregularities pretty easily.

“Coming.” she said out loud and headed towards the door. Maya gave the crime scene a final look before rejoining her partner and cuffed the other suspect. She had doubts that any of the two had done the deed, but who knows. Some perps liked to come back to the scene and observe. Maybe one of them was a psycho serial killer… Maya gave a mental shake of the head bemusedly. She had read too many detective novels.

She did not say anything to her partner, but she had doubts about these two, but there was nothing with which she could substantiate that gut feeling, so naturally she kept her mouth shut. The camera comment had been on point.

Once Maya followed her partner outside of the cell block she looked at her “Now what?” she tilted her head. The jovial tone from before was gone. “Each of us takes one? Or do we do a good cop - bad cop routine on each?” she tilted her head “I have a gut feeling.” she blurted out, surprised by herself given her earlier decision not to bring that up “But I have some doubts that neither did the job, but can’t prove it right now.” she shrugged. “Though I might be wrong, anyway they are potential witnesses so I guess we will have to interview them anyway. Good thing they are not corpos or we would have been in trouble for putting them in a cell.” she snorted in derision.

TAG: @Vehn @greyjedi125