PIT: Yumura Plantation (IC)

[Eeri]

The tiny farm town of Hickory was the closest place to the mysterious plantation known as the Yumura Plantation. With the local legend most decided to let wilderness overtake the 250 acers of plantation that laid up the road. Osoto was the biggest town adjacent to it but Hickory the little unincorporated community was the closest. The locals were friendly enough as this town was often a tourist attraction for Eerians. Now the town was about to be invaded, not by space aliens or ghosts or even a hostile nation, but by a group of Paranormal Investigators. Most were pretty excited to see these folks come, none more so than local author Ramelle Lavander who had done extensive research and of course literally wrote the book on the plantation. He helped submit the case to PIT. His wife and little daughter worked in their garden when he got the call about their arrival in Eeri. He gave them the coordinates to the town and was ready to meet them.

[Londim]

Joshua Roberts arrived in Hickory. He had decided to travel alone and meet the rest of the team at the site. He had a few new recruits coming to join him. It would be a smaller team this time, unlike the one he was a part of during the Creeper's House investigation. Joshua was also hoping that this case would be a lot simpler to tackle and allow him to ease himself back into the job. He looked around the town. It was small and quiet, a real contrast to the city life Joshua was used to. He breathed the air hoping to ingest some of the calm he felt around him. Joshua then looked around again waiting for any sign of a welcoming party or his team members.

"Well Eeri, you're about to play host to the PIT. I hope your ready."

[Malikov]

Heading a long plume of brown dust, was a black Rolls-Royce Ghost, the windows not tinted like black like one would usually see, but perfectly reflective. One way mirrors were installed all around the car, bouncing back images of a highly blurred landscape, thanks to the somewhat illegal speed at which the driver was going. A small town grew in the distance, and the car began to slow, evnetually entering the town limits at a perfectly law-abiding speed. The driver navigated carefully through narrow streets, their car distinctly out of place when compared to the older models around it.

Pulling up to a stop infront of the local library, where a large crowd had happened to gather, the driver stepped from the pristine car, pulling with him a long sword, which he buckled on with a sense of finality. Wavy white hair, peppered with specks of gray, shone in the hot midday sun. The man pulled a pair of worn, black leather gloves off from his hands, tucking them inside a pocket of his equally black (but obviously newer) black suit. From the other side of the car, a man in a dark red uniform stepped, white trim on the cuffs and vest, a small hat perched neatly on the top of his head. A pair of blood-red sunglasses were perched on his nose, tied to gether with contrasting white gloves on his hands.

"Find a spot to park, why don't you Jeeves!"

Euclid tossed the keys of the Ghost accross the car, where they were deftly plucked out of the air by a white gloved hand.

"Alright, sir. Give me a ring if you require your car, sir."

The man walked around behind the car, as Euclid went around the front, walking towards the astonished crowd whispering above him. A closing door, a crunch of gravel, and the out-of-place car disappeared around the corner.

"Well, I'm here to see a Mister... Ramelle Lavander. Does anyone know where Mr.Lavander might be?"

[Eeri]

"Well, I'm here to see a Mister... Ramelle Lavander. Does anyone know where Mr.Lavander might be?"

"I'm Ramelle Lavander." He introduced him self "Are you from PIT?"

[The Fanboyists]

"You do realize that I'm supposed to be smacking you over the head and trucking you back home, right?"

"You're not the one with a gun at your throat, though, now are you?" The young woman (athletic, somewhat shapely, and, like a large portion of Fanboyist people, a brunette) looked down the barrel of the gun, aimed squarely at her, at the somewhat well-built man, who seemed to be either unusually limber for someone his age, or prematurely grey.

The man spoke again. "An assurance that you're not going to do exactly that would do wonders for your prospects of release." He cracked a somewhat amused smile, humor and trace amounts of reproach inflecting it.

"I mean, really, it's not really like I trust people, even lovely young ladies like you, who try to sneak up on me with a nightstick. It's just not really a trust-building thing, in my experience. Unless the Sippies have changed." He snorted as he added the last phrase; the Sippies, or the State Special Police, back home, were highly unlikely to have changed their ways of late. Although, maybe they had. His memory of his police career was somewhat fuzzy.

"Not many people are carrying that," the young lady, gestured at a leather sheath belted to the man's hip. The orange fluorescent light cast from the street lamps in the town (isolated, this one) illuminated her attire; a well-cared for, fairly new jacket, with a patch indicating membership in the Federal Special Police, in the Special Investigations Division, adorning it.

He pointed to the indicated sheath with his other hand. "This? It's nothing! Just a knife in case I need to cut something..."

The woman, despite her position, laughed. "Oh, you'd better believe that!"

The man kept the grin on his face, although some of the humor in it was now being steadily replaced by focus and frustration.

"Alright, let's make a proper deal of this. Name, rank, and number. Division, please, as well, and why the hell you're tailing me." The disappearance of the smile and a sudden seriousness on the man's face indicated that he was not inclined to waste time.

"Francisca Marcello, Lieutenant, number five-oh-six-nine-five-two-oh-oh-nine-eight-seven. Division of Special Investigations. Orders." She recognized the coat that her assailant (so to speak) was clad in, and recognized it for her part; his was a (slightly older) version of her own uniform. A sergeant's stripes were clearly visible on the left shoulder.

She began reaching down to her hip. "Uh-uh, Miss Marcello. I wouldn't do that."

She looked at him. "I'm dropping it, if you'll let me."

He glared at her. "Slowly, then. And don't think I won't shoot if you go for it proper."

She shook her head. "I'm not stupid."

"That little 'surprise attack' had me fooled." This was almost a snarl.

Francisca dropped her pistol on the ground, carefully.

"Alright, I'm not going to do anything. Now can you please put the gun down?"

The man glared at her more, then slowly stepped back and holstered his gun. A .41 revolver, uncommon outside the Federation, that. She recognized it. Only SSP officers were regularly issued them, outside the military, and this man, from his demeanor, wasn't military.

Francisca reached into her pocket, drawing a quick intake of breath from the man as he gauged the potential threat.

"Relax. It's a note for you. From the higher-ups." She handed it to him, gingerly.

Watching her still, he pulled a knife off of his belt and sliced the envelope open neatly, a small rustle lingering in the night air as he yanked the note out, still watching the young officer.

He began reading aloud, still watching his would-be-assailant.

"To Otto Agathius Zimmermann. Courtesy of Lieutenant Francisca Marcello, from Generalissimo Joseph Grimmeberger." He kept an eye up, then continued. "Your continued activity in the less well-illuminated areas of law enforcement and investigation have caught our attention once more, as has your little foray a few months back. This lieutenant will be taking on a liason role with the PIT, whom we are aware that you are involved with, and will be around to help you, on the condition that when your mission is complete with the PIT, you return to the Federation, briefly, to meet with me. Thank you for your patience. Sincerely, Joe Grimmeberger. Pee-ess: Please don't shoot Lieutenant Marcello, we're rather fond of her."

Otto looked at Francisca. "You're helping me? God help me, if you're idea of helping me is launching a surprise attack..."

She looked at him, raising her eyebrow, snorting. "This letter was written before you pulled that little heist..."

"That was somewhat important. I'll explain that to the General when we get back. Just, for the love of God, don't keep helping me like that."

He looked around. The team leader for this mission was supposed to meet him here, and now, he figured, Francisca. The night was a little on the cool side, if a bit clear. He scanned the surroundings. The 'Eeri' empty streets were a little unnerving, just from the quiet. But his team leader had been quite specific, so he'd damn well stay where he was; it was the rally point, after all.

He looked back at Francisca, who, he was pleased to see, was tense as well. That was good. She'd be useful if she didn't relax in dangerous situations, or even uncomfortable ones.

[The Fanboyists]

Francisca tapped Otto on the shoulder. Almost an hour had passed since their little brush. "What was the name of the town we were supposed to rally in, again?"

"It's this one. Why do you ask?"

"That wasn't the question. What was the name of the town we're supposed to be in?"

"Uh, I think it was Hickory, or something like that." He wondered why Francisca's eyes were fixed on a point in the distance. Otto's eyesight wasn't what it used to be, and he had been considering glasses, so a young whippersnapper like Francisca couldn't outsee him.

"I think we'd better start walking. Or call a cab."

"Why?"

"This is the town of Chestnut."

Otto sighed. A facepalm ensued. "Do they have to name their towns after nuts? Really? They all blend together when you're trying to remember them."

Francisca pulled out a cellphone, and began dialing the number for a taxi.

Otto sighed. If this was any indication, this would be a long mission.

[Eeri]

Francisca tapped Otto on the shoulder. Almost an hour had passed since their little brush. "What was the name of the town we were supposed to rally in, again?"

"It's this one. Why do you ask?"

"That wasn't the question. What was the name of the town we're supposed to be in?"

"Uh, I think it was Hickory, or something like that." He wondered why Francisca's eyes were fixed on a point in the distance. Otto's eyesight wasn't what it used to be, and he had been considering glasses, so a young whippersnapper like Francisca couldn't outsee him.

"I think we'd better start walking. Or call a cab."

"Why?"

"This is the town of Chestnut."

Otto sighed. A facepalm ensued. "Do they have to name their towns after nuts? Really? They all blend together when you're trying to remember them."

Francisca pulled out a cellphone, and began dialing the number for a taxi.

Otto sighed. If this was any indication, this would be a long mission.

Soon enough a Taxi did arrive to pick them up. "Where to?" The driver asked.

[Wandering Argonians]

Verrick's trip to the remote, and rather quaint, town of Hickory was an uneventful one. Compared to most of his previous assignments, it was a welcome change of pace. The car was a rental, some sort of generic four-door contraption comparable to the Dodge Avengers most government personnel in Argonia drove.

He'd parked the car out front of the local library (Verrick figured there'd only be one in this small settlement) and had remained inside of it for about an hour, before a rather interesting vehicle pulled up along side him in the parking lot. While Verrick wasn't a motor-car expert, it did look expensive. The initial impression was reinforced by the fact that what looked like a man-servant exited the passenger side and assumed control of the vehicle as the driver buckled on a sword and entered the library proper as the man-servant took the car away.

The Argonian had remained seated in his vehicle with a puzzled look on his face, listening intently for the sounds of struggle within, but had heard none. Odd, he thought, that a human would wear a sword in this day and age. Sure, they were effective weapons once, but guns sort of limited their applications. The modified Glock 21SF on his right hip reinforced such thinking, but his trusty knife was still sheathed at the small of his back. Like all marshland-born Argonians, he rarely took the thing off. The pistol was a thing he'd been issued, not that he particularly enjoyed it but it did transfer things in the 'undead' category into just plain 'dead' one with authority. It chambered a half-inch semi-custom load known as the '.50 GI'. Verrick had been told the letters stood for 'Guncrafter Industries', but he felt that 'Grevious Injury' was a better fit. It left pretty big holes, especially with Occult Defense Division-issued Winchester Ranger hollowpoint ammunition.

He'd come dressed to impress on this trip. Black fatigues and boots, both ODD issue matched a heavy jacket he'd left in the passenger seat. Beneath the jacket was a simple black t-shirt with his last name across the right pectoral region. It fit a bit tightly, but then again most shirts he'd been issued did. Verrick was by no means a small individual. His beefy, two-hundred and fifty pound frame was comprised mostly of tattoo'd muscle, both the physique and the decoration fingering him as a tribal before he even opened his mouth. His one source of pride, however, was in his facial tattoo. He'd recieved that for his first confirmed undead kill, which had set him on his current path.

Leaning the driver's seat back a tad bit, Verrick crossed his arms and reclined. It didn't seem like anyone had arrived yet from the PIT team, but he also wasn't aware if there was a dress code or uniform involved either. Perhaps the sword-bearing human from earlier was a member, or maybe he was just an overly-eccentric book collector. Verrick tapped the window controls and cracked the tinted glass just a bit to let some air in.

For now, he'd watch and wait. The Director had given him full operation leway on this assignment, and while Verrick had never had such freedom on a mission before, he was beginning to enjoy it...

[The Fanboyists]

The night air was cool, and it reminded Francisca of home, in Northwatch. Sure, it got a little frosty there, but she had always liked the cold somewhat. The gentle breeze made the wait for the cab bareable. At the same time, she was alert, always listening and watching. Northwatch could be a rough place, and simple vigilance was second-nature.

She glanced over at her partner for the mission. Otto was, as she watched, fishing in his pocket, giving her a quick, suspicious glance, then continued fishing. After a moment of wrangling, he pulled a small cardboard sleeve out.

"Gum?"

"No thank you."

"Ya sure? It's strawberry-flavored."

"Positive." Her tone was icy, far more so than the night air. For all the good it did; Otto was as thick-skinned as they came, and coldness from a person couldn't calm his exuberance (that unnatural exuberance) or diminish that (also unnatural) optimism that had come to characterize him of late.

"Fair enough." He said simply, popping a piece into his mouth, chewing contentedly. He too was being watchful, but his was far less relaxed. Though he would be damned if he could remember it, he had a feeling that there were always things in the night, things that humans couldn't, and probably shouldn't, try to comprehend.

When the taxi pulled up, he couldn't help but give a small sigh of relief.

"We need to get to Hickory. We're with the Paranormal Investigation Team, Pee-Eye-Tee for short." Francisca said levelly, if pleasantly, when the cabbie inquired as to the destination they needed to reach.

[Eeri]

The night air was cool, and it reminded Francisca of home, in Northwatch. Sure, it got a little frosty there, but she had always liked the cold somewhat. The gentle breeze made the wait for the cab bareable. At the same time, she was alert, always listening and watching. Northwatch could be a rough place, and simple vigilance was second-nature.

She glanced over at her partner for the mission. Otto was, as she watched, fishing in his pocket, giving her a quick, suspicious glance, then continued fishing. After a moment of wrangling, he pulled a small cardboard sleeve out.

"Gum?"

"No thank you."

"Ya sure? It's strawberry-flavored."

"Positive." Her tone was icy, far more so than the night air. For all the good it did; Otto was as thick-skinned as they came, and coldness from a person couldn't calm his exuberance (that unnatural exuberance) or diminish that (also unnatural) optimism that had come to characterize him of late.

"Fair enough." He said simply, popping a piece into his mouth, chewing contentedly. He too was being watchful, but his was far less relaxed. Though he would be damned if he could remember it, he had a feeling that there were always things in the night, things that humans couldn't, and probably shouldn't, try to comprehend.

When the taxi pulled up, he couldn't help but give a small sigh of relief.

"We need to get to Hickory. We're with the Paranormal Investigation Team, Pee-Eye-Tee for short." Francisca said levelly, if pleasantly, when the cabbie inquired as to the destination they needed to reach.

"Ah yeah i read about that. Well Hickory it is, you aren't far off, you are just over the county line to the east." He made way to the town

[Malikov]

"I'm Ramelle Lavander. Are you from PIT?"

Sun pounded down on Euclid, and a thin sheen of sweat broke over his brow. If this was the morning sun, he feared he midday.

"Nice to meet you Mr.Lavander. You assume correctly, I am from PIT. Sir Euclid Fellikane. May I inquire as to the where abouts of any other PIT members? I don't see anyone else here that fits their discriptions in the case file..." Euclid extended a sea-beaten hand, and shook firmly with Mr.Lavander. "Shall we enter the library? It's a tad hot out here."

Without a reply evident on Ramelle lips, Euclid cut a path through the crowd, though it was hardly difficult. They citizens of Hickoery melted away from him, as though he was a dangerous animal.Probably the sword... he thought ruefully to himself. The library had to large woooden doors, which swung back on well oiled hinges. A blast of cold air hit Euclid the moment he entered, and he savoured the chilling breeze. Rows upon rows of books extended far back, and a second level held even more volumes.

"Quite a library for such as small town. How did you come across so many books?"

[Eeri]

"I'm Ramelle Lavander. Are you from PIT?"

Sun pounded down on Euclid, and a thin sheen of sweat broke over his brow. If this was the morning sun, he feared he midday.

"Nice to meet you Mr.Lavander. You assume correctly, I am from PIT. Sir Euclid Fellikane. May I inquire as to the where abouts of any other PIT members? I don't see anyone else here that fits their discriptions in the case file..." Euclid extended a sea-beaten hand, and shook firmly with Mr.Lavander. "Shall we enter the library? It's a tad hot out here."

Without a reply evident on Ramelle lips, Euclid cut a path through the crowd, though it was hardly difficult. They citizens of Hickoery melted away from him, as though he was a dangerous animal.Probably the sword... he thought ruefully to himself. The library had to large woooden doors, which swung back on well oiled hinges. A blast of cold air hit Euclid the moment he entered, and he savoured the chilling breeze. Rows upon rows of books extended far back, and a second level held even more volumes.

"Quite a library for such as small town. How did you come across so many books?"

"Well the others have not arrived yet, but we are a very small town in the deep country of Eeri so I suspect there could be some who are lost. But yeah lets head inside it is warm out today." It was also quite humid but the interior of the library was nice and cool. "Yes we do have a real good collection. Well it tripled in size after ETU came and studied the ranch. I my self was apart of that team but I settled her after the project dried up. But I was able to get the University to help expand the local library here."

[The Fanboyists]

It was at that point that Francisca and Otto entered the library. Well, entered is one way of putting it.

Really, Otto simply shoved the door open, and Francisca bolted through. She hadn't handled the heat of the morning well, and was desperate to be out of it.

Freakin' northerner, Otto thought, amused. While it wasn't comfortable for him, Otto didn't despise the heat quite as much as his partner. He was more used to it, for starters. He took a quick look around.

It was, he thought, rather impressive. There were far more books there than there had ever been in his small hometown's local library. Certainly not on such a wide array of subjects.

That was when he spied Euclid. Well, to be specific, he spotted some wierdo carrying a sword around (ironically, given that he was carrying along an equally dangerous-looking cutting implement) and figured anyone that strange was probably from PIT, which certainly seemed to attract the crazies.

He strolled up to Euclid easily, Francisca a little more hestitantly in tow. He called out, probably violating a 'silence is golden' rule.

"'Ey! Ya from the PIT?" He stuck out his hand, intending to shake. The contrast was a little startling; the snazzily-dressed, dignified Euclid, versus the borderline-scruffy Otto, with a somewhat bewildered, rather tired police officer in tow.

[Londim]

Joshua was wary of the crowd that had gathered. He didn't like the big crowds, though he wasn't too clear on the details why. Not seeing a back entrance to the library, Joshua reluctantly made his way through the crowd and entered the library. He closed the door behind him, cutting off the noise from the crowd. They did not need this. Such attention would cause problems and he wished the PIT's arrival hadn't been announced to the public.

"Good evening. I am PIT Team Leader Joshua Roberts and I assume you're the team who I am taking on." said Joshua. He took a seat.

"I feel introductions are in order."

[The Fanboyists]

Otto was the first to respond to Josh.

He extended a semi-gnarled hand, eyes bright. "Otto Zimmermann. Former PIT member, but I've been reinstated, so...I'm here with your team, now."

He gave a look to Francisca, who seemed somewhat uncomfortable, and gave her a nudge. She looked at Josh, gave a half-hearted smile, and said: "Francisca Marcello. PIT-FSP liason officer, and officially watching this twit here until I can get him back home." The smile became much more genuine as she reached the last part.

Otto looked out the window. The crowd hadn't really bothered him much, but he knew it probably wouldn't do them any favors.

"We'll need to do something about that," he half-muttered, pointing to the door.

[OoC Heads Up: I won't be able to post for roughly the next two and a half days or so; expect me to be able to post late Monday, at the latest.]

[Wandering Argonians]

Verrick had started making his way inside once he'd seen a trio of offical-looking individuals make their way into the library. Well, one of them looked a bit odd but the other two carried themselves like officers of the law, and were packing heat to match their swagger.

It was nothing short of balls-hot outside, and the jacket wouldn't have done him much good, so he simply left it where he'd thrown it. The crowd wasn't an issue, at least for six feet of tattoo'd scaly muscle equipped with a large knife and a large, black handgun. People tended to move when faced with such an obstacle moving in their direction. Verrick doubted they'd ever seen an Argonian outside of global history books or the occasional news cast.

Still, those weren't tribal-born Argonians in most cases, and generally looked a lot more friendly than the scarred former guerilla leader wading through their midst towards the library doors. Within, Verrick moved towards the gathered group with purpose befitting of his station and assigment. Patiently, he awaited the end of the introductions...

"And I'm Agent Verrick Kreets, Argonian Occult Defense Divison. I'll be your point of contact for that organization for the duration of this assignment..."

There was a hand extended, a common human greeting that had become rather popular in his homeland as well...

"As for the crowd, I think I may be rather helpful in that area..."

[Malikov]

Euclid turned around, noticing for the first time the small group assembeld behind him. There was a man sitting down, looking quite dishevelled, blue jeans and T-shirt were all that he wore. There was another man, older then the first, looking more un-tidy then dishevelled. The faint outlines of scars traced his arms, face, and most worrying, a large one across his throat.I must ask him how he got that later... Euclid mused to himself. Beside him was a young woman, apparently impatient to be standing around so much. And then, behind both of them, was a larg,e scaled, humanioid creature. Wandering Argonian, Euclid's mind immediatly provided him with the answer to his un-asked question. While studying ship design you noted the relative lack of modern vessel's in Argonia, but based several speed boat design on the stream-lined design of their traditional boats.

"Hello all, my name is Euclid Fellikane." He turned his friendly gaze towards Joshua, "And I suppose that you're our Team Leader, Joshua Roberts, then? Well, shall we get cracking on the case then, assuming all are assembeld?"

[Londim]

Joshua nodded to each member as they introduced themselves. He turned to one of the recruits...Euclid, who asked if they should get on with the case.

"Hello Euclid. Well we can get on with this case just as soon as our hosts give us access to all the old files and evidence regarding the situation. Reading the case notes seems to suggest that there are all kinds of crazy things going on at the Yumura Plantation. UFO sightings, ghosts, links to the Occult. I've seen a lot of things in my time but that amount of activity in one location strikes me as incredibly odd."

[The Fanboyists]

"That's got to be some sort of joke," Otto stated. "There's no way there can be that much activity of that many different varieties in one place without some pranking or contrivance going on. That, or there's something special about the plantation site itself."

Francisca, on the other hand, very much asked the policeman's question.

"There's existing evidence, then? Do you know what sort it is, or about how extensive it is?"

Otto then tried to clarify something:

"'Links to the Occult', you said? You wouldn't happen to know what sort of 'Occult', by any chance, would you?"

He was also wondering whether or not this was their entire team. Smaller, he decided, might not be better in a case like this, with so many disparate elements. This almost screamed for a larger team than they had. When the PIT could send dozens of agents for things like the "Creeper House" case, it didn't make much sense that they'd be shortstaffed on this sort of case.

[Wandering Argonians]

Verrick crossed his powerful arms across his thick chest, leaning casually against a book-case as the team discussed a few options between themselves. He especially liked the idea of collecting information before diving head-long into this mess...

"I'd agree with the lady officer here. It's hard to come to any sort of conclusion without the proper evidence to draw it from..."

A quick glance around the room...

"You wouldn't happen to have any case files, media reports, photographs, or blueprints on hand would you?"

[Londim]

Joshua got up out of his chair and went to his briefcase. He picked out a few folders and handed them to the members who were present.

"Now, we were given very little by the group who submitted the case and so we're going to have to do a lot of footwork ourselves. If you look at the file I presented to you, that is all we have."

CASE FILE YUMURA PLANTATION

Name: Yumura Plantation

Location: South-West Eeri 250 miles south of the town of Osoto

Nature of Activity: Poltergeist activity, UFO encounters, ghostly apparitions, cattle mutilation

Brief History of Location: The Yumura Plantation was set up by Koh Yumura as a major cotton industry in 1900 it employed 45 a year and grew to 100 by 1912. But deaths of the plantation workers have been attributed to it as the strange nature of the Yumura family which to some legend may have been deep in occult.

In 1917 a major tornado tore the Plantation apart killing half of the workers as well as the employees and the entire Yumura family. The houses were rebuilt the the storm left it bankrupt and the plantation shut down in 1919.

In 2000 a family moved in with the hope of farming the land as well as cattle ranching but the unusual activity drove them out within a year. From 2003-2006 the plantation was under the ownership of Eeri Technical University's Department of Paranormal Studies but the department ran out of funding and left with inconclusive reports. Now PIT has been contacted to further the investigation.

Evidence (if any): Testimonial from eye witnesses, reports for ETU, photos and insurance records for mutilated cattle, damaged good

Joshua gave the members some time read the file before continuing.

"Now, the most obvious thing to do is to visit the Eeri Technical University's Department of Paranormal Studies and talk to members of the initial investigation, as well as collect the evidence they claim to have collected. Once we have this information we should try to contact the family that occupied the land in 2000 and ask them of their experiences. As you can see from the report, we have not been given any clues into what kind of occult activity this family may have been involved in, and for now that part of the investigation is not the priority. Our priority is the previous evidence collected and examining that.I want this team to know as much as possible about the Yumura Plantation before visiting it in person."

[Wandering Argonians]

Verrick nodded, closing the folder and handing it back to the man who'd identified himself as the team leader...

"Fair enough. Are we splitting into smaller teams to handle this? Seems like it's quite a drive back to the University from here. No sense in all of us going on a collection run..."

It really wasn't his call, but he figured he'd throw it out there at least...

[The Fanboyists]

Otto sighed. He had hoped it wouldn't come to this...

"While, sir, it's your call as the team leader, I'm afraid I'll have to second Verrick's suggestion. We just can't cover the sufficient ground as one group. On the other hand, I'd hate to separate an already-small group. We don't have a number of people to work with to start with. I feel like we're a little under-staffed for this case."

Francisca shook her head violently. "That's not a good idea. While the University is a ways away, it would be hugely risky to send only a few team members to the estate to investigate alone. We have no indication of how dangerous, if at all, whatever's happening there is. Better to have one larger, less vulnerable, if less-efficient group, than two far mroe vulnerable, but more efficient ones. Else we risk having only one smaller, less efficient one, and then none at all, as we succumb to any unforseen dangers. No offense to anyone's percieved martial or combat prowess, but whatever we're dealing with isn't exactly of this Earth."

[Malikov]

Euclid thought for a moment, hand smoothing over his neatly groomed goatee. Eye's lost in thought, focusing on some point in the roof that wasn't there.

"Well, I'm sure we could contact this insurance agency. I could pull a few strings and have them release the photos and insurance records, from when he owners made their claims. While status does have it's drawback's calling in favors is something I've found to be extremely useful. While I call them we can go over to the University, and after a visit there, out to the plantation. I'm sure we have enough vehicles between the five of us to avoid cabs. Mr.Roberts, I dont want to step on any toes, and this is your case. Thoughts?"

[Wandering Argonians]

Verrick chuckled slightly, easily pushing himself away from the bookcase he'd been leaning against...

"Option B is that you have them sent down here. Grad school flunkies are usually pretty keen on getting the extra credit such a run would probably be worth to some professor or some such. I wasn't suggesting a full-on split-up either, just send one guy to grab the files..."

Then it dawned on him...

"Euclid, was it? Any chance you'd send your man-servant to collect our intel for us? It'd leave us at full strength out here, and fufil that secondary objective pretty handily..."

If his choice of words was any indication, Verrick's background had some sort of military service somewhere in it. He wasn't sure how well the others had read the provided dossier, if they'd been provided with one at all. He certainly hadn't been...