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124 Apex 599

... or 24 August 12606 AD; or 8 April 2012 AD (back in the Contemporary Juncture). It's the evening, and the Terrans are having a fine meal in a restaurant high atop a skyscraper in the City of Heaven. O'Reilly, Burns, McClellan and Black just got back a couple of hours ago from the Sukhu Rokikrad, where they discovered a possible Portal to the Darkness Pagoda; and Macdougall has spent an interesting 36 hours investigating the murder of a narwhal-stable boy.

They decide to let their recon midges gather some information for a week or so. Black and Macdougall will remain in the City of Heaven, watching for bad guys; the other three will go obtain some more needed equipment in London and New York City. They fly over to the Shaolin Temple for a brief visit with the Ice Queen, to confer about plans.

McClellan, O'Reilly and Burns thus take the daily commercial flight from the City of Heaven to New York City, where they spend a day buying equipment. This includes climbing and spelunking gear (total 10 Σ per person), more midges (each 5 Σ), a midge "nest" (cost 100 Σ), and some Anvil missiles to replace those used at Mount Sinai (Index 3 high-speed anti-sled rounds cost 10 Σ each).

Meanwhile in the City of Heaven, Black is setting up a surveillance system (including purchasing time on a private surveillance/comm relay satellite), and Macdougall opens an office ...

125 Apex 599

O'Reilly thinks that investigating Paris is a good idea, so the three Terrans fly from New York City to London. O'Reilly pays a ravilar to let him "read over his shoulder" (it's apparently a pretty common arrangement) at the archives. He has various ideas about how to get the attention of the city of Paris, but realizes that most of his ideas have been tried by other persons. The Terrans decide not to provide the data on construction of a Gate Ripper to Paris. They spend several days in London, and then fly back (on commercial transport again) to the City of Heaven.

128 Apex 599

Back together! Black shows the team the images and data collected by the midges (a couple of visits by Darkness Queen minions) at the Portal along the Lena river. The team flies up to the river again, plant the new midge nest, and spend another few hours climbing pillars.

129 Apex 599

In the City of Heaven, Black is monitoring midges, and watching for Darkness Queen minions. Burns is "monitoring high society"; MacClellan is mingling with and making contacts among the merchants and market-stall vendors; and O'Reilly is ... keeping busy with the local girls.

133 Apex 599

Someone takes a shot at Burns! Two Darkness Queen minions use a laser from several hundred meters away, and leave a bomb at their sniping position. The bomb doesn't get the Terrans, but the Terrans don't catch the minions either.

134 Apex 599

The midge nest sends back images showing the Darkness Queen and a few minions emerging from the Portal and boarding a grav sled. This prompts the Terrans to plan a visit. They trade their rather militaristic utility sled for something a bit faster and less recognizable, and organize a set of disguises.

135 Apex 599

Leaving behind Burns (to monitor the midges and activity in the City of Heaven) and Macdougall (to monitor the criminal element), the other three Terrans (odd choice of words on this planet) fly in their "new" grav sled to the Lena Pillars. They play the part of tourist-y spelunkers, complete with disguises. Finding a cave (the karst terrain behind the pillars is riddled with caves) they set up camp in it. Their camp is about 3 kilometers from the Portal.

136 Apex 599

During the night, a surveillance midge visits the cave.

137 Apex 599

Three "wolf hunters" pay a call on the cave during the day; only O'Reilly is present. They ask a few innocuous questions and proceed on. The Terrans have explored caves which might lead about one-third of the way to the area of the Portal.

onward to Journal entry 22