//File 2.1.1 - More Crossed Paths

Hotaru and Clint

Hotaru found he didn't know quite enough about the ways and workings of the inscrutable Japanese. He knew the obvious, that many of the biggest megacorporations, or megas, in the world were Japanese, or part Japanese. Renraku, Mitsuhama, Fuchi, were all AAA-rated organisations, meaning that they controlled all the wealth and the daily lives of regular chummers and wageslaves. The items one owned, the transport one took, the food one eat, everything was a product of these companies. Even security and the police were corporatised. The only personage higher than these megas was the emperor himself. Japan was still a monarchy, and while the emperor himself did not hold power, the favour of the imperial court indicated who was allowed to dominate society and receive privileges others did not.

The megas extended their influence into the shadows, but typically did not maintain their overt presence for one obvious reason: the Japanese underworld was entirely run by the yakuza, or Yaks, clans and families with histories that go back hundreds of years. Other criminal organisations have tried to penetrate the Japanese underworld, but without much success. Rival clans, or gumi, claimed territory, physical territory, the astral, even the Matrix. Hotaru knew Mr Johnson represented one of the clans, from what he had heard of Clint's conversation with her, it was the Wanabuchi-gumi. But that was all he had picked up.As Clint was the one who had logged the loss of the crates when they fell out of the plane he was in, the data was available to him, and confirmed by Mr Johnson's assistant. According to the plane's flight and their GPS tracking, the containers should've hit the ground in the Saitama prefecture, in the environs of greater-Tokyo. That was about thirty kilometers from where they were. Finding the crates themselves could present some difficulty, it would be impossible to tell the exact spot they landed.

Eunbyeol and Jack

"I see some others." Miyashi traisped downstairs a couple of minutes after Jack had gone back down to the main bar. "Does a man in some Western garb, you know, like a wild wild west trideo, ring any bells? And a man who controls machines? I have the sense you'll be crossing paths, something about your needing them or they you." Jack had never known the shaman to be wrong with his visions.

Hey Eunbyeol, looks like we are going to have to find that Clint Eastwood looking guy. Miyashi says he can help us, or we need to help him...or both.

Jack looks at Joe.

Do you know the old west dressing dude. I would say probably muscle for hire.

Hotaru let the car drive itself to the address given to him.

He spends the time silently browsing the Matrix for information. First a general knowledge search about the Wanabuchi-gumi then another one about the Saitama prefecture. Lastly, he'll make a search for weird comments or report online that would coincide with the time of the falling crate.

Once on site, Hotaru will control his two flying drone to explore the area and find recent signs of falling debris from the sky.

Hotaru and Clint

General information about the yakuza was readily available: organised crime families, related either by blood or by loyalty, with traditions that go back hundreds of years, and a strict hierarchical structure, consisting of the oyabun, or foster parent, as the head of the clan, and a brotherhood held together by a code of duty, justice and honour. Of course, this was all possibly a romanticised version of what was essentially large crime syndicates with tendrils in robbery, extortion, laundering, drug and BTL trade, prostitution, and assassination. What wasn't easily available, of course, were specific details on the clans, where they were based in, what their mode of operations were. Hotaru had no problem finding out that the Wanabuchi-gumi was one of the oldest, more respected clans, but they did not currently have the emperor's favour.

The Saitama prefecture was largely a post-modern agricultural combine. Formerly fields of rice and wheat, with fertile hills and basins, it was now layers and layers of fully automated terraced farms, crops hydroponically grown, genetically modified, and enhanced with the latest bio-technology, producing high-yield super-crops. If there was news about strange falling crates from the sky, Hotaru could not find any.Eunbyeol and Jack"Cowboy street sam?" Joe chortled. "Never heard of such a thing in my life. No wait," Joe flicked the remote on the trideo display over at the far wall, to the grumblings of the two patrons who were absorbed watching the Fighting Fantasy Football league match between the Toyama Trappers and the Yokai Yen. "Here's one of their favourites here, Gaijin Gunslinger." On screen was a trailer for its titular star, a wild west cowboy who finds himself in Japan, crossing paths with cyber-ninjas and learning the way of bushido. It was a huge hit as a Better-Than-Life simsense experience, where viewers could put themselves in the shoes of the Gunslinger himself as part of their virtual reality entertainment. The feature character looked very much like who Jack saw at the pachinko parlour earlier.

Hotaru and Clint largely ignored the sights and sounds of the Saitama zone when they arrived at the prefecture. There were modern buildings juxtaposed with older architecture, and a couple of ancient temples still standing, ravaged by time. Hotaru drove them straight out to the Warubi district: the GPS coordinates Clint had provided narrowed the possible crash site to a likely 10-20 hectare radius; there was no way to narrow it further than that. The centre of that radius took them to an agri-tech facility, an ultra-modern farming estate. Cutting edge agriculture in the Sixth World were often terraced biospheres: layers and layers of crops planted one above another, suspended in frames, automated with water and fertiliser distribution systems.

Hotaru pulled up his Skyline outside the main gates of the Kensai-Warubi farming complex. It was past midnight, so there was little activity to be seen through the high fences that ringed the entire complex. Behind the fence were various bio domes, from above, Hotaru's drone camera feed showed six of these domes, and various small buildings dotting the complex. The domes and buildings were interconnected via pathways, rails and bridges. The main building in the centre of the complex was presumably the office. For all intents and purposes, the crates had landed somewhere inside the complex.

Hotaru first scan the place for signs of damage from falling object. He obviously keeps an eyes for security measure and obvious clue while doing so.

Edit 3 questions :
What should I be on the lookout for here?
What is my enemy(crates)’s true position?
What is my best access route?

Clint looks for any accessible high ground he can reach to overlook the area...

With the combined efforts of Hotaru's drones and Clint's surveying, they jointly gathered the following information: The high fences were standard, but there were security camera posts at regular intervals behind the fences. The bio-domes themselves were essentially like massive greenhouses, made of clear, technologically advanced glass alloy, weaving glass with a metal latticework frame. They each had an entrance and an exit. As it was late night, there was no one around on security patrol, but there was at least one security drone patrolling each of the bio-domes on the outside. One of the buildings nearer the front gate still showed signs of activity, it was likely that that was the security station for the entire complex. There were no signs of a residential area in the agri-tech complex.

Next to one of the domes though, were what looked like a large construction drone and its control console, and various building materials: glass panes, and metal girders were neatly stacked to one side of the dome building, evidence of recent repair. In the darkness through it was hard to see which part of the dome surface had been damaged, if it indeed had been damaged and fixed.

Without a mage deceiving the cameras, or a hacker hacking into them, any attempt at entry was bound to occur within the view of at least one security camera. However, with no patrols nor human activity, it did not seem that their breaking and entering would attract much notice.

Anything you can do about those cameras ? Can you cover them with some clothing with your drones ?

@Clint "Let me check if I can confirm the crate presence first. Disabling the camera is bound to attract attention."

Hotaru will use the small hornet to check around the security office for traces of those crates.