//File 0.1 - Clint//

Siouxie was friendly, and as equally glad as Clint to have someone from a similar background to talk with. Clint found out she was also offered the same deal. It seemed that HTB Corp was sparing no expense in this new venture of theirs to ensure that they hired authentic representatives. It did cross his mind as to the whole excessiveness of it all, since runners weren't really actors. Unlike Sakita, who was a legitimate trideo star in her own right. As it turned out, she wasn't as annoying as Clint had first thought, merely very bubbly and transparent.
The complete opposite of the Baron, the houngan that Clint finally got round speaking to.

"You don't have to be so obvious you know," observed Baron. " You're practically falling over trying to figure everyone out on this plane." He remained in his seat, with his ninth whisky in hand.

Clint pours himself some whisky and sits down, "I'll admit I am, but I suppose it's a habit. You never know who you're working with, like you, I don't know why, but you make me uneasy. Something about the way you seemed to be speaking for yourself. Normally I would keep this for myself but we're stuck in this piece of flying metal and there's not much else to do. So... what where you doing ? Speaking to yerself or something else?

"Talking to the loa in my head. This helps me hear them better." Baron raised his glass to Clint and took a swig. The loa were spirits, which meant that Baron, like his appearance suggested, was a vodou shaman. "They want to come out and see what the fuss is all about, but I convinced them to stay put for now. Like you, they can tell someone here is not who he seems to be." Baron looked unperturbed by what he just revealed. "Not much we can do about it for now, unless you want to bring the whole plane down."

"Well, don't know why, but something like that may still happen. I swear I saw some weapons and aircraft schematics on his datapad... and it feels kind of out of place here...

"The Singaporean dataslave? Let's see if he rigs the plane. If not, then it's better to deal with him when we land. Give the elf a heads up too, so that she can be ready when things happen."

Clint changes places to get near Siouxie again, "Just a heads up, Lim seems to have an unusual quantity of weapons and planes schematics on his datapad, and it gives me an itch I can't scratch... Baron over there also knows and the loa in his head are restless also. Be prepared for anything...

"Funny you should mention trouble. I feel it too. I'm now more convinced that some of the cargo that was loaded weren't simply studio equipment. I arrived earliest, and saw at least three steel containers wheeled into the rear hold. Unusual for a private jet." All three runners, Clint, Baron and Siouxie, had separately sensed and weighed their suspicions at one point or other in their journey.

Clint looks a second time at all the personnal aboard, this time looking for signs of nervousness or signs of overalertness...

Clint noted all the details on the plane, where the emergency equipment and exits were, whether people stay put where they were, or moved around. He even watched the flight attendant's behaviour. The only persons he did not yet manage to meet or greet were the pilots in their cockpit.

There was nothing eventful for the most part of the flight after that. The other passengers continued to be engrosssed with whatever it was that they were doing. It was not till much later, when the flight display on the wall panel showed that they were less than an hour away from neo-Tokyo, that one of the attendants came out of the cockpit and headed towards the studio chief's assistant, and spoke with him in a low voice. Clint could read an expression of concern on her face, as if there was trouble afoot.

Not concerned with ettiquette at the moment, Clint signals Siouxie and Baron to stay alert then goes directly to the studio chief's assistant, "There seems to be a problem, anything I can help with ?

The assistant, Shin Negumi, an efficient-looking corp exec, looked up, surprised at Clint's sudden appearance. He barely had a chance to convey whatever news he had just received to his own boss. "Nothing we cannot handle Mr Jericho, thank you for your concern. Please, take your seat, we will make sure that you will arrive safely." His tone betrayed his assuring words. After all, Clint hadn't said anything about flight trouble or flight safety. Negumi got up, and started to follow the attendant back to the cockpit.

Speaking before Mr. Negumi gets to the cockpit,"I already know something's wrong, it would be in our common interest if you would tell me about it. You happen to have a few people on board that have skills most people don't, and it happens they all want to stay alive also. As partners, I ask you to be honest with us... You have nothing to hide do you ?...

Negumi looked at Clint. The fact that there was indeed some trouble was written plainly across his face. In fact, Clint's words riveted everyone's else attention in the passenger section. Interestingly, the person who replied wasn't Negumi, but Thomas Ozaka, the studio executive, still seated in his armchair at the back. "Very perceptive Mr Jericho. And also our other guests Mr Baron and Ms Maryland. Tell me, do you have enemies Mr Jericho? People who wish you ill? The very fact that I represent Hisato-Turner means the other corps are immediately and always our competition in the most cutthroat of ways.

Someone is attempting to reroute our plane. We have precautions and measures to deal with this. Unless you have some proficiency in rigging we are unware of, the best you can do right now is the remain calm. Stay vigilant, if you must." He waved Negumi to proceed into the cockpit to handle matters.

Clint gets closer to Mr. Osaka and whispers so no one else can hear, "As you have guessed, I have no proficiency in rigging,but...", Clints eyes flicker to the data slave for less than a second, "...if the problem comes from within the plane, theres more than enough I can do..."

Negumi stepped back out of the cockpit. "The signal is coming from within the plane. That's what allowing whomever it is to try and control the plane." The assistant spoke quietly to Ozaka, in Clint's presence. The rest of the passengers were now well aware of the hushed exchanges. Takeshi and Lim had paused whatever it was that they were doing. Baron and Maryland were on alert. Even Sakita was serious, all traces of her happy-go-lucky attitude had evaporated.

"We will be landing at Narita, rather than Kansai Airport as planned." The pilot announced. It seemed whomever was rerouting the plane simply wanted the plane to use the main neo-Tokyo airport, rather than the private airstrip originally intended. Narita International Airport was one of the largest airports in the world, with a huge turnover due to its suborbital flights, and high security. It seemed strange to want to redirect a plane there.

"Siouxie, Baron, if any one of you can read auras, now is the time... For the rest of you it seems someone from inside is trying to modify our course, anyone wants to come clean before we find him or her ?"
Clint stays really attentive to everybody's reactions...

Clint, who had spent much of the entire journey watching the others, was certain that his intuitive assessment of the rest of the passengers was spot on. He felt he could trust Siouxie the most, and that Takeshi and Sakita, who he met a day ago, was as genuine as their first conversation regarding the the casting offer. Negumi and boss Ozaka seemed to be more than mere corp execs, but Clint hadn't quite figured out what or who they were. However, they were the ones most concerned, and most vested in ensuring the safety of the plane.

That left two people, one was the Baron, who was very hard to read and judge. Perhaps he was simply a very warded mage who never let his guard down. Being a fellow runner made Clint want to trust his intentions though. The other was Lim, who was suspicious to Clint from the start. While he looked as anxious as the rest on the announcement of the plane's remote hijack, he didn't seem as if he was helpless in this entire situation.

Siouxie had occupied herself with her own magic, but slumped backwards suddenly after what seemed like a spell she was attempting to cast. "The mana is thin at high altitudes. But I have detected a device in the cargo hold that does not belong. It is likely the source of what is allowing the plane to be controlled."

"Must be an uplink re-broadcaster," Negumi filled in, and immediately headed to the rear of the plane to get to the access door into the hold. "Allows control at close range without noise, otherwise surface to air or wireless rigging would not be possible at great distances."

At Clint's warning, Baron had summoned a spirit of air next to him. "Take precautions you say? Someone here is an enemy?" This immediately riveted everyone's attention, and Negumi came back to stand by Ozaka's side.

The plane began its landing descent, it would be no more than ten minutes to touchdown.

Siouxie could you come with me to find this uplink ? If we find it, we coulddestroy it and continue on our original route. Baron, can you make sure everyone stays calm and seated ?