Private Luxury, Lies, and Other Technical Failures

[Ana Rix]

The instant the lights vanished, Ana's instincts shifted from observation to analysis. Around the summit, surprised voices rose in uneven waves as conversations broke apart and chairs scraped against polished floors. She ignored them. Power failures were rarely random at gatherings like this, and the timing was far too convenient.

Her eyes found the glow of Jack's datapad almost immediately. It wasn't bright enough to illuminate the ballroom, only enough to preserve what mattered. The woman. Ana watched as he subtly adjusted his position, keeping the light on her rather than allowing her to disappear into the confusion. The realization drew the faintest smile. It was simple, understated, and exactly the sort of improvisation she'd come to expect from him.

Her own datapad was already awake beneath her fingertips. As emergency systems began coming online, the ballroom's network shifted with them. Backup nodes authenticated. Security systems renegotiated connections. Emergency lighting attempted to establish synchronization. Hidden beneath that predictable flood of activity, she searched for the anomaly. If the blackout had been engineered, someone had almost certainly taken advantage of the transition.

Ana remained where she was, appearing no more concerned than anyone else waiting for the lights to return. Her attention, however, remained split between the telemetry scrolling across her screen and the woman Jack continued to keep in view. If she moved now, it would mean something. If the network spiked, it would mean even more.

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

The woman was moving and Jack was slipping around as the lights were coming back up but she was clearing the room and he didn't make a sound of chase. Motioning for Ana to see him and she was slipping out. Quickly he ran after her and the woman only turned back around as she saw him and started running faster. Ascending several stairs quickly and Jack was taking them two to three at a time. Jack was making the way so that Ana could follow and he adjusted his datapad for a moment when he to to the top of the landing for the moment and then he waas taking off in a burst for a moment until she tried slipping into another staircase and going down towards the ground level.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana reacted the instant Jack motioned. The datapad remained in her left hand as she slipped through the crowd after him, weaving between startled diplomats and security personnel who were only just beginning to understand that something was wrong. The suspect already had a head start, but Jack was closing the distance with surprising speed, taking the stairs two and three at a time while Ana followed as quickly as she could.

She wasn't going to catch either of them in a footrace.

She knew that almost immediately.

Instead of wasting energy trying to match Jack's pace, Ana settled into a sustainable run and lowered her eyes to the datapad for only the briefest moments between landings. The building's wireless infrastructure was dense, with access points on every floor handing devices off seamlessly as people moved throughout the summit. If the woman was carrying the same datapad Ana had been watching all evening, every staircase and corridor increased the chances of another network handshake.

Her thumb moved quickly across the screen before she looked up again, keeping Jack in sight as he disappeared around the next turn. She resisted the temptation to stare at the telemetry for too long. Running down a staircase while reading diagnostics was an excellent way to introduce herself to the floor. The scans could wait fractions of a second; losing visual contact could not.

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

He moved as she rushed towards a doorway and her attention only turned back around to look at him as he caught her eyes and she sneered before she was going into the door and closing it quickly. Jack was moving with it and went around towards the windows as he moved out. Taking a smaller leap towards the ground floor from the second floor window and she impacted as he rolled forward into his shoulder popping back up and running with his hands coming around to direct them. He was getting them out of the way before he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and leaned against a planter when she was coming out and went down the stairs as he held his hands out with a shrug.... THen she was looking to run through the crowd.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana reached the ground floor a heartbeat after Jack disappeared through the window, choosing the considerably less dramatic route of taking the stairs two at a time. By the time she burst through the main doors and into the open air, her lungs were already protesting the sprint, but she forced herself onward, searching the crowd until she caught sight of Jack and, beyond him, the fleeing woman weaving through pedestrians.
She slowed for only the briefest moment. Not to catch her breath. To make sure she had the right target. The woman broke toward another opening in the crowd, attempting to disappear among the evening foot traffic. Ana pointed immediately.
"Stop her!" she called, her voice carrying far louder than she thought herself capable of. "Stop the thief!"
Her outstretched arm never wavered as she tracked the woman's movement through the crowd, making it impossible to mistake who she meant. If nothing else, people would look. And sometimes, a single moment of hesitation was all someone needed to catch up.
Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

Jack was moving when he saw Ana and then she was shouting and it got people to turn and look... and go where she was indicating before Jack was slipping through and around some of them with a hand pointing. He could get a better view though while moving through the crowd after her and there were security coming towards them when he was motioning for the moment. Allowing himself to work on cutting off a part of her escape while the security and others were coming in. Ana was in the others and she was charging towards her adjusting her movement to try and avoid them before Jack was motioning without shouting to reveal Ana.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana saw Jack's signal through the shifting crowd and adjusted without hesitation. He wasn't calling out to her. He didn't need to. The gesture was enough. While he moved to cut off the woman's escape, Ana altered her own course, angling toward the opposite side to narrow the gap between them. She wasn't as fast as either of them, but she didn't have to be. She only had to make the available space smaller.

The crowd worked against everyone. Delegates scattered in confusion while security officers pushed inward from the edges, trying to determine who was chasing whom. Ana threaded through them as best she could, offering quick apologies to those she brushed past, without ever taking her eyes off the fleeing woman. Every time the suspect changed direction, Ana adjusted with her, trying to anticipate where she would go instead of simply following where she had been.

The woman darted toward another opening between clusters of bystanders, but there were fewer of those openings now. Jack had forced her away from one route, security was unknowingly closing another, and Ana found herself drifting into the remaining lane. Her breathing had become noticeably heavier, yet adrenaline kept her moving.

"Don't let her through!" Ana shouted, pointing once more as nearby security converged. She kept running, determined not to lose sight of the woman for even a second. If they could keep the pressure on for just a little longer, the suspect would eventually run out of room before they ran out of people.

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

THe woman was moving and she seemed to be fighting. Maintaining her composure and being worried could be seen as she was trying to be casual but the she was darting her head around to try and see thing. The risk of being caught he was guessing was a big danger... More so he was motioning as he wasn't certain about the datapad she was using. THe guards were there and calling in for more people as they were moving like a glacier and coming in slower and slower but it meant there was little room to go. Effective in a way and it let them watch the crowd for more reactions. He spoke within range of Ana. "Her datapad, whatever is on there."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana's eyes immediately dropped to the woman's hands. Until now she'd been treating the datapad as one clue among many, but Jack was right. Whatever had prompted the chase, whatever had made the woman abandon the summit the moment the lights went out, was almost certainly sitting in that device. If they lost the datapad, they could lose the reason for the pursuit entirely.

She adjusted her course again, this time paying less attention to where the woman was running and more to where she kept her hands. People protected what mattered instinctively. If she shifted the datapad to shield it, tried to conceal it, or looked for an opportunity to discard it, that would tell Ana almost as much as its contents.

"The datapad is the priority," Ana replied between measured breaths. "If she thinks she's about to be caught, she may try to destroy it or hand it off." Her gaze swept across the crowd for anyone paying unusually close attention to the pursuit. "Watch for an accomplice. People carrying stolen information rarely work alone."

The tightening ring of security gave her a small measure of confidence. Every avenue of escape was shrinking, and with it the woman's options. Ana kept moving, never taking her eyes off the suspect's hands. "If she drops it," she said, already angling herself to intercept where she thought it might land, "I'm going for the datapad."

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

Jack gave a nod as the datapad and her hands would be covered so he could focus on the woman as she moved and remained there but she was trying to slip and get around. Panic was dangerous but she wasn't showing that for the moment as she stopped and allowed them to close in before she was tossing the datapaad and several other things up. He motioned before moving after her when she took off again and Jack spoke more as a question. "How detachable are storage on those datapads?" He was wondering as the memory of it could be all that was needed as opposed to the entire thing if they were not looking at it.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana's eyes tracked the datapad as it left the woman's hand, her instincts screaming to follow it while Jack continued after the suspect. She forced herself to split her attention between the tumbling device and the woman disappearing deeper into the crowd. If the datapad survived the fall, it might be worth more than catching its owner.

"It depends on the unit," she answered, already angling toward where she expected it to land. "Most modern datapads use internal storage that's soldered directly to the board. You can't remove it without taking the whole thing apart."

She kept moving, never taking her eyes off the falling device.

"Older models are more likely to have removable storage modules," she continued. "If it's one of those, she could have stripped the data long before we started chasing her."

Her pace quickened another step.

"Let's hope she wasn't planning that far ahead."

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

Jack moved and he gave a nod as he was speaking. "Best way to look at it. Assume they know what you know and you can be prepared for what might happen." He didn't say it in a way as if they were smarter you would see it and if they were not well it made it a lot easier. Then you were expecting them for anything that you might do in a similar situation. He slipped to the side and moved not going low but instead using the crowd and the security who were still chasing to cover him when he went towards an alleyway of the street and stood near a planter for a moment. Letting the woman come as she tried to make it to the alleyway and he spoke with his hands up. "I am not here to harm you, just to talk."

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana slowed as she reached the mouth of the alley, keeping enough distance that she wouldn't interfere if the woman decided to bolt again. Her attention never left the suspect, but something immediately felt... wrong.

It wasn't her posture. It wasn't the clothes. It was her face.

Ana blinked once, certain she'd made a mistake during the chase. The woman approaching Jack was dressed exactly the same as the one who had fled the summit, yet the features beneath the dark braids no longer matched the image she'd committed to memory. The shape of the jaw was different. The cheekbones had softened. Even the complexion had shifted. Not an illusion. Not makeup.

Recognition came almost instantly.

"Jack..." she said, keeping her voice calm despite the surprise. "She's a Clawdite."

The realization explained far more than she would have liked. Why the woman had seemed so unconcerned at the summit. Why she had never appeared worried about being identified. Why chasing a face had suddenly become a losing proposition.

Ana's grip tightened slightly around the recovered datapad.

"The clothes are the only thing that haven't changed," she observed quietly, her eyes studying the suspect with renewed caution. "Whatever she looked like at the summit... we should assume it wasn't her real face."

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

Well that just made it more... Fun no interesting really no. He could go with surprises but shapechangers were difficult as he was moving and motioned. "NOted." He said it while he was moving and not looking at the face, he was looking at the clothing for it now before they were going. The security were coming in and she stopped there looking at Jack for a moment before she started to run towards Ana and Jack was going on for a moment. when he didn't reach out before he weaved through the crowd who was there. Beathing in and then outwards for the moment when he was trying to enclose her with Ana there but watched sharply for her clothing.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana saw the woman break toward her and knew immediately what Jack was doing. They weren't chasing anymore. They were closing the exits.

For one fleeting moment, every instinct told her to get out of the way. Instead, she planted her feet.

She wasn't a fighter. She never had been. Her battles were fought behind terminals and across networks, not in crowded streets against fleeing suspects. But if she stepped aside now, the gap would reopen, and everything they'd gained during the pursuit would disappear.

As the woman closed the final few meters, Ana lunged. It wasn't graceful. It wasn't practiced. It was simply an honest attempt to put herself in the way.

Her arms reached for the suspect's torso, but the Clawdite twisted at the last possible instant. Instead of wrapping around the woman herself, Ana's hands caught a fistful of fabric near her shoulder and sleeve. The momentum carried both of them off balance for a split second before the cloth slipped through her grasp.

Ana stumbled, catching herself against the pavement with one hand before looking back up immediately, her eyes searching not for the woman's face, but for the distinctive clothing.

"The clothes!" she shouted, remembering her own realization from moments earlier. "Forget the face!"

Pushing herself back to her feet, she turned to continue the pursuit, determined not to let one missed tackle become the reason the Clawdite escaped.

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

There was the look as he saw Ana lunge for the woman and she almost had her when he took off and was looking at the clothing. The security working to close it in and on her as he only stopped to crouch and help Ana up while he was looking at her. "Close, you ready to run after her." He said it and waited for a moment before he was rising up and started moving through the crowd for the moment. He was watching and keeping track of the clothing as Ana suggested and what they would be able to do. His breathing focused on finding her and it was less and less about the goal and more a point of pride and curiosity now. He wanted to know what was so important.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana accepted Jack's hand without hesitation, using the momentum to pull herself back to her feet. She brushed an errant strand of hair away from her face and quickly dusted off the knees of her trousers with an exasperated sigh. "I'm going to feel that tomorrow," she muttered, more to herself than to him, before looking back toward the fleeing figure. The distinctive clothing stood out just enough amidst the crowd to give them something to follow.

"I'm fine," she answered with a determined nod. "Let's go."

The pair broke into another run, threading through the narrowing gaps as security converged from every direction. This time the suspect had far less room to maneuver. She cut sharply to avoid one officer, only to find another stepping into her path. The Clawdite tried to pivot away, but momentum betrayed her. One of the security officers lunged first, wrapping both arms around her and driving her off balance just long enough for two more to pile on and pin her to the pavement.

Ana slowed to a stop several steps away, breathing hard as the last of the adrenaline began to ebb. She rested her hands on her knees for a moment before straightening, taking another steadying breath as the officers secured the suspect. A small smile of relief crossed her face as she glanced toward Jack.

"Remind me," she said between breaths, "that the next investigation involves stolen accounting records and not sprinting through diplomatic summits."

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix

Jack moved up with it as he held a hand to his stomach for a moment and he could feel it in his side but he wasn't going to make a scene of it for the moment. Best to not put out that he was getting old and out of shape. He had a reputation he knew he needed to keep if only for a little while. "Next time we'll make t something nice and easy." He said it while looking at the security who were on the clawdite for a moment and he spoke. "YOu really could have made this easy now I got to say it." He looked at the one officer and gave a nod of his head while he offered a hand to Ana. "Book her Danno." He waited to pull out some of the solarshields and slid them on his face with a nod.

 

[Ana Rix]

Ana accepted his hand with a grateful smile, letting him help her the last little bit before she finally stood upright. She took a slow breath, one hand briefly resting against her side as she caught it, and looked over toward the cluster of security officers securing the Clawdite. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off now, leaving behind little reminders of the sprint, the tackle, and her less-than-graceful introduction to the pavement.

"Nice and easy sounds wonderful," she said, dusting off her sleeves one last time. "Maybe something involving a desk, a climate-controlled office, and absolutely no cardio." She glanced sideways at him, noticing the subtle way he held his side. He was trying to hide it, but after the chase they had both just endured, she suspected they were equally guilty of pretending they weren't winded.

Jack's comment to the officers earned a soft laugh from her, followed by an amused shake of her head as he slipped on the sunglasses. "You know," she said with mock seriousness, "I have absolutely no idea what that means..." A beat passed before the corner of her mouth curved into a grin. "...but somehow it feels like exactly the sort of thing you were waiting all evening to say."

Her attention shifted back to the Clawdite as the officers finished restraining her. The datapad was safe, the suspect was in custody, and for the first time since the lights had gone out, Ana allowed herself to believe the chase was actually over. "Now," she said, lifting the recovered datapad slightly, "let's find out why she was willing to run."

Jack Sheltrak

 

[Jack Sheltrak]

Ana Rix


He looked at her and shrugged. "I mean yes, something that has to be said." It was essential. Jack was listening to her plans and what she wanted next time as he gave a nod. "I do prefer my office." There was a look though while the clawdite was being taken and he was all for seeing what she had been trying to get away with. "I agree though it seems like not seeing what she was willing to run and make a scene for would be in itself almost a crime." He was moving though but found a place where he would be able to go. "Though maybe over there where we have seats and don't have to run a lot. We are able to just relax for a moment."