2/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)13:57 No. 779565 ID: bfb318
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>"There you have it, Polo, since apparently you don't watch television."
"I reluctantly watch the news, Sir, not children's broadcasting. What is the significant of this commercial?"
>"You know that Pink Ranger girl?"
"I just fought her just a couple months ago."
>"Yeah. We had big plans for her for Valentine's day, and she's pretty much the mascot of Valentine's day at this point. And now? She's gone missing. Our current suspects? Some old enemies of theirs, which the rest of the Wave Force is looking into, but inside of the agency, we have our own suspicions. Someone, or someones who want to destroy Valentine's day."
"The Grinch?!"
>"What? No. Christmas is old news, and he's in jail. The only valentine of his will be a crudely made bed. I'm thinking a more internal threat. I'm talking about the very faction that has despised Valentine's day since before we even knew it existed, the ones to valentine's that the grinch was to christmas. I'm talking about Singles. Also known as rogues."

Sir, if it were one person or a small group who did this, it would be unfair to blame it on rogues as whole. And if it was a large group... doing things in large groups is specifically what rogues are bad at.

Also, they're neumono. They wouldn't be able to hide what they'd done. If rogues did do this then all we have to do is run a search for other missing persons or people who have been out of contact with other neumono, for the same length of time she's been gone.

But I don't think it's rogues. That's kind of mean to assume.

Sir, Valentines barely makes sense for neumono as it is. Most commonly individuals are in a relationship with their hive, rather than pursuing a single dating partner or spouse. It's an alien concept that only partially fits with our own culture, and any cultural divisions between the hive-bound and rogues goes far deeper than a commercial excuse to sell greeting cards, flowers, or take someone you like to dinner.

This speculation smacks of baseless anti-rogue discrimination, sir. You don't have any evidence for it.

Has "Pink" been missing long enough for a formal missing persons to be filed? (If so, who reported her absence: her team, or other interests?)

What's the legal status of the Super-Team Space Hive Omega-Waveforce? You need to search where she lives and works, and interview her friends and coworkers to do a missing persons case. Are their identities protected? Are they a government sponsored team? Are they obligated to cooperate with your inquiries, and are you cleared to know who they are?

Are you sure you don't want to assign a different agent, sir? I have a preexisting history with the missing person and her team, and it's not a positive one. It would be more proper, and serve the interests of the investigation, to assign someone else.

Wouldn't the most valentines day do to rogues is make them more depressed and despondent that usual? I can't see where one would get the motivation to try and kidnap someone just to ruin this holiday.

>>779565
Shit Polo, thank god you're great at playing it cool and they have a suspect that's not you already, now just to dispose of Pinky and pin the blame...

Singles? As in, anyone unlucky enough to not have someone to love on Valentine's? If that's the case, then it's unfair to only blame rogues. Sure, maybe some of them are responsible, but I'm sure that there are also some Pomi and Belenos that could also be single and responsible for what happened.

Sir, I think rogue's are more friend's day sabotager's than valentine's day, since they have a hard time even making a mere friend, let alone a valentine.

>>779569
>Valentines barely makes sense for neumono as it is.

Well, even in some human cultures, Valentine's has shifted into a more general day, with romantic couples as a focus but also involving gift-giving and considerations to friends, relations and colleagues, I can imagine that for neumono it's become a more general Love Day.

Anyway, another point: forming suspicions and speculations on leads to follow is the investigator's job. Suspecting foul play immediately is a mistake in a missing persons' case; perhaps she had some reason of her own to go missing? If she's been made some sort of love spokeswoman, for example, she might have wanted to vanish with someone so she could actually enjoy the day herself instead of having to be a public figure. The first thing to do is to visit her last known location, to talk to her hive and other people close to her, and see if there were any signs of anything unusual leading up to her disappearance.

So you suspect a group of angry rogues have somehow put aside there dislike of each other to kidnap the Pink ranger?

I was going to say that idea is silly but then I remembered how irresponsible the Rangers were by piloting a giant robot into a civilian center and letting me steal one of there super weapons.

Well I will get on the case and should have answers for you shortly.

>>779565
Don't rogues want love as much as anyone? Also, by their very nature can't be considered a "faction"?

How long has she been missing? Where was she last seen? Was she known to have any friends outside her hive?

You can't just dismiss the Grinch connection out of hand. He might still have associates who are still at large. Have his captured neumono accomplices been questioned on the matter?

Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)15:20 No. 779598 ID: bfb318
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"Sir, the average rogue has trouble getting out of bed in the morning, and the idea they all banded together to do something like destroy a holiday seems implausible. This holiday barely makes sense for neumono to begin with."
>"It's more like a day of love anyway. That and chocolate. They managed to get a chocolate taste going that's fine for neumono to eat, so that's the flavor of the month."
"Secondly, assuming foul play is a common flaw in a missing persons case. Has she even been missing long enough for a proper case to be filed?"
>"Not for a normal civilian no, but this is the Pink Ranger we're talking about! They don't just 'wander to the store'."
"Which brings up another question I have of where they fit in legally. Are they vigilantes? Government funded?"
>"Private military force. They usually work out of ultrahive jurisdiction zones. Which isn't a whole lot of the planet, but that is where the big criminals would go."
"Are they obligated to follow ultrahive orders and inquiries?"
>"We wish! But no. They've even been trying to get back that wave beam you confiscated, and there's been a big legal battle over it. Course, they'll probably win it eventually, but we're drawing it out long enough that we can build a replica or something by the time they get it back."
"Are their identities protected?"
>"Oh yeah. In fact, I don't even know if they know each other's identities. We sure don't know who she is, really. But you might be privy to that info."
"Why would I be?"
>"You're like their secret 6th team member."
"First of all, no, but this brings up yet another point. Are you sure you don't want to assign another agent to this? I have a history with them, and it's not a positive one."
>"Yeah you proved you can kick their asses! You're perfect."
"Where is her last known location?"
>"Allegedly, the wave force reported she was last seen leaving their secret lair. Of course, we know where their secret lair is. You can start investigating there, as long as you don't get caught. We've got a stealth ship ready to go."
"Hold on, the wave force reported she was missing? Who did they report to?"
>"The bleeding heart of the ultrahive, Ultraking Raox. They were working with him on behalf of the rogues or somethin'. I dunno. So there's your first two spots to look. Raox, or secret Omega Force base."

There's those two, not like infiltrating the wave force's lair is at all reasonable. However, I cannot completely factor out the Grinch's connection from all of this. I doubt Az will let me question him on it, but I may want to run searches on if his accomplices have been detained as well.

>>779598
Alright here's how it's gonna go. We're gonna investigate, eventually find Pink Ranger's secret identity, and it turns out she went "missing" because she's having a romantic date with a rogue without her costume on. I mean, all we really know is that the Pink Ranger isn't visible with her costume on. She could very well be walking around in plain clothes and not keeping in contact with her teammates.

Let's start with step one. Investigate. Infiltrate the "secret base" and find her sleeping quarters. We should look for clues there.

So in short, you're ordering me to investigate a crime that hasn't been formally reported, that we have no evidence happened, by breaking into a restricted area I have no access to, founded on unfair and baseless suspicion of a persecuted minority?

>but I may want to run searches on if his accomplices have been detained as well
Sounds like a job for an operator. Is Katzati on duty to offer support looking stuff like that up for you?

>So there's your first two spots to look. Roax, or secret Omega Force base.
If this falls under ultraking Roax's jurisdiction, have you even done him the courtesy of informing him the UDA is opening an investigation?

Seems like liaising with the other agency / ranking official involved in this would be a good first step, especially to avoid a jurisdictional headache later. Especially since you know Az probably hasn't, and you need to address the toes he's stepping on here.

Ok, Polo, here listen, first thing, Polo, first thing you do, right, listen to me Polo the first thing you have to do is go back to your hive right, go back to your hive and collect evidence.

Evidence of you being a caring, affectionate and loving person.

Now, I know, I know, but listen, you were given so much shit over being a grinch and a grump and all that during the whole christmas thing, so you know, you JUST KNOW that someone is going to all "ooh look at Polo she doesn't understand this thing called love, her hearts are all cold and grey and silent, let's all embarrass her about it in ridiculous ways", but this time this time you are going to be ready and you are going to be prepared and you will whip out the photos and the videos and the testimonials from your hive to prove that you can be a total sincere cuddlehive sweetheart when you deem it appropriate to be such and you can rub it in their face. Right in their stupid face.

So go do that.

>>779608
This is the only reasonable suggestion. There's literally nothing to do with the """case""" right now that isn't flagrantly and pointlessly illegal.

Also are you seriously telling me that there is this team who likely don't even know each others' civilian identities or personal affairs, who have this one member who is particularly loving, and on the days leading up to a holiday specifically for people who are loving she has quote "gone missing" unquote, i.e. left her job for an extended period of time, and everyone's immediate assumption is that she has been abducted? Instead of, for example, going on holiday with one or more lovers.

I mean I'd normally assume people would be smart enough to consider that possibility but from our last experience with the ranger team it is all too easy to imagine one of them walking out to some other commitment without remembering to say anything and then the rest of the team immediately concluding it was the work of some dastardly villain. How do they keep in contact with each other? Do they have some boss/mentor figure who summons them to do battle?

Anyway Polo you'd better be prepared for disappointment because I'll bet you the first thing Az did after coming up with this "she's their sixth ranger" thought was to actually make you a ranger costume like theirs (but cooler, since you're the renegade one) that he's now going to expect you to wear.

Check her place for clues first.

Only because your built in paranoia is telling you that if Ultraking Raox is involved he might have a secret agenda. So you will need to keep it secret from him so no evidence is destroyed if he turns out to have some silly plan.

So get the info on the secret base and make sure that Az does not tell anyone what you are doing. (like that will stop him)

>>779608
Declare a vacation day and go visit your hive for doing this stuff instead.

Get cloaking capable armor.
Paint it black.
Don't speak to any of the Rangers throughout the entire mission.

1/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)16:52 No. 779623 ID: bfb318
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"You are asking me to investigate a crime that hasn't been formally reported?"
>"We're not the police, we do shit that's gotta be done!"
"And there's no evidence it's happened."
>"Just testimonials."
"And you want me to break into a restricted area I have no access to."
>"You got all the access you need in your toolkit."
"Based on unfair and baseless suspicions, pointed at a persecuted minority. Isn't this under Raox's jurisdiction?"
>"He just a civil duty guy, he doesn't have secret agents."
"Also, I'm being told that this team doesn't even know each others' civilian identities, and have one member who is apparently loving, and as soon as she gets out of contact, everyone assumes she's been abducted?"
>"Yeah? I already told you, she's not just some civilian. Out of contact is bad!"
"How do they keep in contact with each other? Do they have some kind of mentor or boss figure who summons them to do battle?"
>"What the - do you even watch their show, Polo?"
"No."
>"Dismissed. Get the hell out of my office and go do your job. Ask an operator for your stealth ship if you want one."

2/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)16:53 No. 779624 ID: bfb318
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I contact Katzati.

"Ghost calling."
>"Operator Katzati speaking, how are you doing?"
"I am fine, thank you. I would like a report on the Grinch's accomplices. They should have all been detained and questioned long ago, but I want a double check on all of that."
>"Okay. I actually thought you'd get a little paranoid after that, so I've been keeping some tabs. I'll look for anything in the last couple of weeks that's come up, then make and send a report."
"Thank you."
>"... uh, Az told me you were going to ask for a stealth ship?"
"You should not believe everything he tells you. But... yes, I am. Also, this is less priority, but if you are on standby at some point, I would like you to get evidence of me smiling or having a good time."
>"Uh, what?"
"I don't want a repeat of christmas carried over to Valentine's day. People are going to point at me and say that I don't understand this thing called love, that my heart is cold, grey and silent. This time I am going to be prepared. I do not have the time to do this myself, so if you have the spare time, please collect this for me and have it prepared."
>"Um, okay! Well, we have the ship over in docking bay 17, and we have a pilot for you. Also, there's a new experimental stealth armor set that we'd like you to use. Don't worry, it's been tested, it's just the first time it's going to be used in a real mission."
"This is not shaping up to be a 'real' mission, Katzati. I am only infiltrating their base because I do not trust the Omega Wave Force. They claim to be on the side of the law, but there are no records as to where they got their technology from. I will make a preliminary report while in transit."

Wait a minute.

"Katzati does this 'experimental stealth armor' look like a ranger outfit?"
>"I - um - I was sworn to secrecy, Polo."

>>779624
This is some bull shit- anyway begrudgingly attcept the armor then go to the stealth ship and get on your way.

She's surprisingly bad at it, then.

"Please tell me Az wasn't allowed to design it, going naked is not stealth armor even if you can't see the 'armor' when you do that."

Still think you should at least call Roax first. You know Az will have stepped on toes instead of following proper jurisdictional procedure.

>What the - do you even watch their show, Polo?
...do you know anyone who does? A geek or celebrity follower you can trust who's been paying attention to these guys might suddenly be a useful resource. Have insight into their operations, capabilities, their base, personalities, or team dynamic. Things about their personal life they've let slip. Got any friends / hivemates / fellow agents you could tap for this?

>"Katzati does this 'experimental stealth armor' look like a ranger outfit?"
>>"I - um - I was sworn to secrecy, Polo."
I am going to collect my standard kit from my locker, just in case. Thank you, Katzati.

Az's idea of stealth is that they won't suspect someone in there own armor I bet.

Well its silly but lets use this opportunity to prove you are not a grump. With your hives sense of humor they will send Katzati a bunch of pictures of you looking grumpy and call them your happy pictures.

But if you prove you are not a grump during a silly mission then everyone will drop the big joke. So go grab your armor and be a superhero for a day. Will make a silly mission more fun if you play along. If anything dangerous actually happens you will be ready.

Oh before you go watch a episode of the rangers show. It will probably be filmed at there secret base and show you exactly how they live. It's probably full of secrets about there normal lives.

Use the "experimental" armor just so you can write up a multi page report on what is wrong with it after the mission. Do bring your own normal gear (other than armor) along in a bag though.

Oh and watching the show seems like a good idea. These rangers seem like the type to have filmed a silly lifestyle show about there secret base or something. Will give you ideas about there personality and voices to match with people later.

As for grumpiness. The best way to prove you are not a grump is to not be a grump on this silly mission. If life is going to throw you silliness have fun with it. Go have fun and enjoy infiltrating a super hero base. This whole case is ridiculous so go be a kickass spy and prove that Agent Polo is a better superhero than some kids with empathy guns and a rich backer.

>evidence of me smiling or having a good time.

With another person, Polo. It's love specifically this time around, remember? I'm sure some of your hivemates have openly or secretly snapped photos of you getting cuddly some time, so Katzati can contact them to get some of those. You'll have to give her some evidence of your permission. Actually I bet your work colleagues have been trying to collect similar evidence. Have you done any workplace snuggling? Maybe those semi-tender moments you had with Rokoa around christmas?

Anyway, you can see what's going to happen. You're going to go sneaking around their base in your ranger costume, they're going to think you're involved with the "abduction", shenanigans and misadventure, oh you were trying to help but stubbornly doing it alone, all a big misunderstanding, then before you know it you are actually their sixth ranger and you'll be turning up every couple of weeks to help out and before you know it you'll be swept up in their drama.

But there is a chance this new suit is actually practically functional and valuable, and ironically you're more likely to get helpful responses out of them if you do interact with it on, so you'd better go try it.

Perhaps you should try just go up to their front door and knock, first, before you try stealth. Maybe they'll be happy to just answer some questions. Or... eh, maybe you'd have to fit it into their worldview, though, to get them to cooperate. Like if you waited until one of them was in some shadowy corner and you whispered to them and posed and said cryptic things while asking, and then when you were done you mysteriously disappeared, they'd probably go along with that. They have to know some things about each other. I mean, they're modern neumono, they're on a team, presumably they have to go on missions that take some time now and then, have long training sessions... they're going to have gotten intimate, right? High chances, at least.

Anyway looks like you have to watch a few more episodes of their show while you're in flight.

Go look at this "stealth" armor. If its a pink ranger suit wear it anyway to prove how awesome you are at sneaking.

But tell Katzati that you are trusting its actually stealth armor and not just one of Az's whims. It can look as silly as he wants if it works. Oh and have her send you some of the Ranger's comics and videos. Maybe they actually just base them off there real adventures and all there secrets are basically public knowledge.

>>779624
Just go to the team's fan wiki and get a list of their recurring villains. Since they actually operate in real life, their villains probably do too. So, logic dictates that the most probable suspects would be on that list.

Which means we can scratch everyone off that list, but it's good to scratch 'em off a list in the first place.

Also, we can look up your entry on the wiki for shits and giggles.

>>779624
>"Katzati does this 'experimental stealth armor' look like a ranger outfit?"
>"I - um - I was sworn to secrecy, Polo."
This better not be some big publicity stunt where the rangers are recruiting a new member to replace Pink because she wanted to retire! You would make a terrible ranger!

Sorry Polo, but you are better off taking the experimental armor.

Why, you ask? Because as dumb and stupid as it is, you will at least look like them and thus be able to talk your way out of being detained because you just KNOW that no matter how ridiculous it is, they will detect you, find you and sentai you.

Might as well convert now and repair your dignity and reputation later.

1/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)19:42 No. 779674 ID: bfb318
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"Fine, I'll take it, as long as it's functional stealth armor and not some kind of gimmick thing Az came up with."
>"No, no, uh, if Az touched it, it's just how it looks, but it's just an aesthetic change to an existing armor we had in R&D."
"And as long as Az isn't expecting me to be a ranger. It would be terrible. Anyways, even if I use the armor, I want my regular toolkit otherwise. Please deliver that, as well as a few key episodes to watch on my flight, as it won't take me long to document my reasons for infiltrating. Preferably an episode that takes place inside of their base, if there is one."

There is no way that an episode like that would contain an accurate representation of their base, but it may be a parody of it and allude to certain components and themes that may help me, if I'm lucky.

"Oh, and give me a line to Raox as soon as possible. I want to speak to him."
>"Okay."

I get onto the ship. The pilot was on standby, and has been given orders and directions to take off as needed. He gives the thumbs up, and I go to sit down.

2/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)19:42 No. 779675 ID: bfb318
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I finish logging my report, send it to Katzati, and delete the files on my tablet.
>"Katzati here. I have a line to Ultraking Raox."
"Forward me."

There's a ringing, then a pickup.

>"U.K. Raox. Which agent is this?"
"Agent Polo, sir."

He mutters something under his breath that sounds like 'thank fuck'.

>"What's your business?"
"I'm pursuing this matter of the Omega Wave Force. They said they reported to you about Pink missing?"
>"Yeah. She stopped answering the calls to her. I've been told she's never missed a call through the omega channel once, let alone for 4 hours straight."

Ok a few questions.

1. What was her last known communication on the "omega channel" ?

2. What was her connection to the Valentines day celebration?

3. Who knew about said connection?

4. What was her last known location?

5. Does she have any enemies or has anyone protested her involvement in Valentines day or just the holiday in general?

6. Can you slap a look alike actor in her suit for the moment and have them take her place for public events until I track her down?

7. Who is making these new neumono friendly chocolates?

8. Are there any big figures bankrolling valentines day merchandise? Or anyone else with a large financial stake in this?

>>779675
He's thankful to hear from you. Maybe this isn't entirely Az's idea. Or at least someone close to the situation thinks something is potentially wrong- that gives this more weight.

"I would appreciate anything you can tell me to get up to speed."

Last known location, last known communication would help. Her team's reaction. Anything he can tell us about how she's been, or recent events for the team.

Missing persons cases typically require an in depth examination of the subject in question. "Pink" is a public persona, not a person. We don't know for sure she was targeted due to her position as a ranger- without the ability to investigate her workplace and her personal life, there are important avenues closed off to you. Any access you can clear me for along those lines would greatly expedite maters, even if they're redacted. (You're willing to keep their confidences and redact personal and classified information in your own report, and compartmentalize information from the rest of the UDA, as necessary).

>>779695

Oh yeah just in case this is a inside job keep any vital info you find off the network as much as possible. Our Cai can keep things safe but not from someone who is in the department.

>>779695
I think he might be thankful to hear from her because he knew Az was trying to set something up and get one of his agents on this, and Polo is actually professional while most of her non-supporter coworkers aren't.

Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)21:05 No. 779708 ID: bfb318
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"What was her last communication on the channel?"
>"That she had made it safely to the capital. This was after she left the wave force's headquarters, which was the last time she was seen, at least as the pink ranger."
"What was her connection to Valentine's day?"
>"She was to get in a great mood tomorrow, and fire a giant beam over the rogue section of the city to get them to be in a good mood for the day."

I pause.

>"Yes, I am aware of the ethical, health, and safety concerns, and I have brought it to various people's attention. No one cares, except for the rogues, who want it and will let their section of town take a knife shower if it means feeling something."
"And this was public information?"
>"Yes. Did you not see the commercials?"
"I saw one. I watch the news. Why was this not on the news?"
>"No one cares about the rogues, Polo. If a giant earthquake dropped the rogue section of town into a bottomless pit, the news would just report the moderate earthquake that happened to the rest of town."
"Were there outspoken critics of this wavebeam happening?"
>"Yes, mostly activists and groups who want to protect the sanctity of a neumono's mind. We've already launched investigations on them, but I'm not expecting any of those factions to have the coordination to kidnap a ranger."
"What about just hating the holiday in general?"
>"And be able to capture a ranger? The grinch is the only one who would hate the holiday enough to capture her, and we're doing our best to make sure he has no contact to the outside world. Otherwise, the usual omega wave force enemies might have captured her, and just used the holiday as an excuse."
"Okay. Now about these new chocolates. Who is making them?"
>"Lots. A patent company released how to make them, and is receiving royalties for a great deal of food companies to distributed the candies."
"Is that patent company the one with the biggest financial stake in this?"
>"Probably. They're just a chemistry institution, though, and never touch the candies, if you're worried about that."
"Can you put a lookalike actor in a lookalike suit for the time and take her to public events?"
>"We're considering it."
"Is there anything else I should know about this?"
>"The wave force just asked for our assistance on the matter. I did have to assure them, though, that you had nothing to do with this. Likewise, they assured me that they did not know what her civilian identity was, which is what we would want most. That's the bottleneck right now, as we could find a lot more pieces of the puzzle if we had that. Everything I know about the Pink ranger is what I just told you, because I sure wasn't told much. I don't watch the television show or pay them mind otherwise. We'll keep you updated if you find anything else."

I load up the ranger's show in the meanwhile. I am currently seeing a giant robot fight a giant scarab, who I have been informed is the most likely to create holiday-themed catastrophe for the rangers.

>"Can you put a lookalike actor in a lookalike suit for the time and take her to public events?"
A fake wouldn't be able to non-grump-beam the rouges into having a good day, though.

>The wave force just asked for our assistance on the matter.
Then hopefully they'll cooperate with interviews, and you searching her quarters. Missing persons cases require building a profile of whoever was snatched.

Have we begun watching civilian missing persons reports yet? If she was abducted, someone in her civilian life may eventually report her absence. We should be keeping our eyes open for other missing persons that fit her general description.

1/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)21:36 No. 779715 ID: bfb318
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>Have we begun watching civilian missing persons reports yet?
This isn't reliable yet, as she has not been missing long enough. Even if a civilian acquaintance has already reported her as missing, they likely have been turned away and told to come back after 24 hours.

Even so, I tell Katzati to have the police keep an eye on any reports involving neumono with her shade of fur and size of ears, which unfortunately does not narrow things down immensely in a town the size of the capital.

I watch some clips of the show.

It appears to show their civilian life, and they know each other both as a civilian and a ranger, so that is already different from how things actually are. I assume the needless drama of day to day life is also a fabrication. The actors certainly are just actors.

This episode takes the camera throughout the headquarters. It's not particularly big, but has a meeting area, living quarters, a training room, and other utility spaces. I doubt it's like this in real life, but perhaps I may be looking for something small and easy to defend for a smaller group of people.

2/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/14(Tue)21:36 No. 779716 ID: bfb318
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I look at the armor just enough to know how to put it on and confirm it does appear functional. I do not look at the armor long enough to know what I look like. I do not want to know.

The ship lowers itself near ground level. Supposedly, the base is hidden under the canopy of a thick forest. The ground is mountainous as well, giving the ship an easy time ducking out of sight and still getting close to the base. It is not a long walk to it.

Infiltrating a place like this gives me mixed feelings, but I do not know the integrity of these rangers. Simply knocking on their front door may not present me with the truth, assuming they do not treat me as an enemy anyway.

>>779716
What you doing, Az is getting to you.

They asked for you assistance. That means you can take off the silly suit they'll see as a mockery at best, march up to the front door like a uniformed professional, and offer your assistance. Being able to interview her coworkers is more likely to help in searching for her than sneaking into their base.

And if they lie to you, well, that helps too. These people are central to this investigation, and we need to get a handle on how well you can trust them, and if they're hiding anything.

The wave force asked for assistance. They don't get to complain about who gets sent. Knock on the front door.

You will need their full cooperation, which means they get to show you Pink's room.

What color is your armor? If you're not careful, they'll try to rope you in to be the edgy 6th team member that has the backstory of "used to be the bad guy, but is now a valuable teammate"!

>>779717
They don't know she's coming. This is a stealth mission after all.

And given that this is a stealth mission, do NOT get caught. If you can get in, gather what info you can and then get out, you can rub their faces in it afterwards when you locate pink.

They might not be entirely forthcoming if you just ask to be shown the base. Better to sneak in and uncover anything they might be hiding without them looking over your shoulder the entire time.

Plus, as the potential sixth member who no one is sure is an enemy or an ally, knocking on the front door would be completely out of character.

Talk to them, but do so mysteriously. Maybe pretend to be offended by hearing that they thought you had something to do with it?

Anyway, they're suspicious, but don't be too hard on them. Your species needs well-known celebrity figures, particularly ones which have impressive adventures and achievements, to build a common cultural heritage and get the idea across that non-hivemate neumono can be worthwhile, likeable and accomplished people. Getting that kind of message across to kids is especially important.

So, you know, don't ruin that or anything. Maybe even play along with it if you don't see a bigger reason not to.

Considering your relationship with this team is already fraught, getting caught starting this investigation by breaking in (which is entirely possible as you have no information on the interior, their defenses or countermeasures) may move the team from "unhelpful" to "completely uncooperative" or "outright hostile".

That's unacceptable. These people are her friends and coworkers. Interviewing them is a necessity. Both because they may offer insight into the missing person's activities, personality, and interactions, and because they're suspects until eliminated.

Start the investigation right. See what they're willing to give you before you dig into what they're not willing to give you, and what that tells you. You're UDA- live up to the "detective" in that.

...also you know their anti robot attack sensors probably picked up your helicopter already.

If this was a normal missing persons mission I would say just knock and ask.

But this is a fucking super hero team. And they take there silly job very seriously. You are a "enemy" who stole there gear and used it against them. So they are convinced that if only they could show you the true meaning of happiness then they could get you to stop your grumpy ways and be one of them. There whole super power is empathy control/manipulation and honestly you are sort of the best at that.

Basically you it would make them much more happy if you snuck in and then gave them a chance to convert you to the side of good after some silly fighting and action sequences.

If you show up as normal agent Polo they are probably going to be disappointed. Plus you won't be in armor and for paranoia's sake we need to assume this place is a enemy stronghold. You knock on the door and you will get captured and subjected to silly hero monologues for hours.

Honestly you should fly Three Stripes down here slap a evil costume on him and ride in the front door cackling. Then have a silly fight before letting them show you the true meaning of love or something silly.

You're a tiny ghost. Do you think they left any unsecured vents large enough for you to sneak in through? First place to check is pink's room or locker, if they have either of those, for leads.

...or just knock on the front door and ruin Az's fun. Wait... or maybe that's what he'd want and sneaking is the bad choice. You do realize if he gets grumpy he's gonna find ways to mess with you on the mission, right?

You know, it occurs to me that since they were either brainwashed or coming down from being brainwashed when you met them before, this team might actually be a group of solid, respectable professionals in their natural state, who just play up a set of personas with the public in order to promote positive social messages and/or the sales of their show/merchandise that fund their operations. Unlikely, but possible.

Make a mental note, you're gonna have to make sure your hive is included in any merchandising arrangements related to yourself. Though I'd have thought Az would have tried making stuff like that for all his publicly-known agents by now.

Did you ever watch any shows of a similar type to theirs, when you were younger maybe? Or hanging around your own hive's kids? It might be handy for you to be familiar with the common tropes of the genre. The "sixth ranger funded by another more official or corporate organization trying to copy the originals' powers, being less noble/idealistic and looking down on the originals (but they eventually turn out to have a good heart and start teaming up with gradually reducing reluctance)" has been done. Another ranger being missing is the perfect time for you to show up and start providing assistance, in a sort of tsundere "hmf you just looked so pathetic I'm only showing you how it should be done" way. In that context, I think you actually should go in sneaking, and when they go out on a mission you follow them and reveal yourself to help them out at a critical juncture where they're failing due to not being a complete team. Because then you'll be in a better position for them to answer questions willingly, of course.

Hmm. Do you have, like, a sniper cloak or similar garment in there with you? Maybe some fancy thing that matches camo with its surroundings, and the default color just happens to match with the suit you've been given? If you had something like that hanging around your shoulders, ready to blow dramatically in the wind now and then, it'd really make you more awesome marketable appealing as an ally. And show Az that you're more practical and fashionable than him.

You could do with your own theme, too. Well, if the rest of the soundtrack cut off for a moment when you appear, while the camera refocuses to "spot" you and zoom in, with only the sound of the wind blowing while you pose with your arms crossed disapprovingly for a few seconds, then continuing as you join in... that'd be pretty cool too.

Reasons for sneaking in:

1. If they are involved somehow they can not hide evidence or deny you access.

2. You can get a unfiltered view of what they are really like before talking to them normally.

3. It's fun.

Reasons for taking off your helmet and knocking:

1. It's polite

2. Ruining Az's silly plan with your "grump" armor.

Just sneaking, and if caught act like it's the only way you know of to walk around. That actually fits with what they know of you.

Agent Polo 2017/02/15(Wed)14:27 No. 779813 ID: bfb318
File 148719762685.png - (154.62KB , 800x800 , 11.png )

>Did you ever watch any shows of a similar type to theirs, when you were younger maybe?
When I was younger, I was on the outskirts of the ultrahive territories. As a result, we only had access to public network channels. We did not watch much television.

>Do you have a sniper cloak or similar garment in there with you?
I have a ghillie suit. Which I will wear while in the jungle, as this current suit of armor is dark grey. It moves silently enough, but it is not camoflauged at all.

>What are you doing? Az is getting to you.
He is.

To hell with this armor, I'll take it with me, but I'm putting it to the side for now.

"Katzati, take my report and make it tentative plans."
>"Okay. Um, you're going to just walk up to their front door?"
"Yes."
>"You know that we're not supposed to know where they're at? Er, let me put that differently - they don't know we know where they're at. If you just show up, that's going to tip our hand, and they might fall back to a backup place if they think their place has been compromised. Which is fine, but just so you know. Oh, um, by the way... I'm not finding any proof of you not being, er, serious faced. We just have you on the job, and you always take it so seriously, which is good, but it doesn't make it look like you're having a good time. Ever."

>"Uh."

>"Except for that time that Rokoa gave you a back massage, but I don't think you want to use that?"

I don't.

>>779813
Call my hive ask them to send over some happy material.
As for me walking up then Az shouldn't have sent me on this mission I will do this by the book and not Az's book. Which means I walk up to the door and ask them questions like any other cop would and not break into their property which would be illegal.

>I'm not finding any proof of you not being, er, serious faced.
Contact my hive. You're more likely to find the right evidence in my personal life. (Common, we know Polo-mom is a shutterbug).

>they don't know we know where they are
...but Raox said they asked the UDA for help. What do they think that means, they hide at home while they wait for us to scour the planet? Do they seriously think they can leave detectives to solve a missing persons case without even talking to anyone?

Actually, this might be an opportunity. Have Katzati schedule an interview, offsite. Arrange for the Omega Waveforce to travel offsite to meet with another UDA agent to be interviewed to help in the search (get someone competent, like Lucera, to do it). This will make breaking in and searching the place while no one is there easier, and you can plant surveillance equipment and get out to spy on them when they get back.

We do things by the book and undercover at the same time.

Do you want the alternative more?

Anyway wear your stealth armor and go stealth at them. They could be nice, but for all we know they could also actually be the thralls of some dastardly long-term empathy manipulation technology that some unwitting alien who didn't fully understand the implications since they're not neumono themselves made, or some salikai who instead of being actively malevolent went "durr hey why don't we just blast virtuous feelings at all the neumono to turn them into good people", or they're clones made from some horrible neumono breeding program, or they're agents in some secret war between reincarnated belenosian nobles, or something. Why all the secrecy if there isn't something to keep secret? Something you might need to help or protect someone?

Also, are you sure being kind of quiet all the armor does? Did you check for a manual or ask what it did or anything before you took it?

>>779821

I like this. Lure them out so you can sneak all over there base. Then interview them later.

Oh and if you want non grump pictures at work you will have to make sure to enjoy yourself this mission. Your hive has a similar sense of humor as you. Would you trust them to send proper "happy" photos?

Dark grey armor? Yeah Az gave you a grump ranger suit. You need to prove your not grumpiness soon or be doomed to be typecast forever.

1/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/15(Wed)15:15 No. 779834 ID: bfb318
File 148720055288.png - (118.11KB , 800x800 , 12.png )

"... Contact my hive, then. Get them to send happy material. And make sure to show me what they send because I do not trust it to not be embarrasing."
>"Okay."
"Also, they contacted Raox for help. Do they expect detectives to scour the whole planet without talking to them?"
>"I don't know. Maybe they gave Raox a channel? Hold on... yes, they left a number to call. I think we can contact the rangers, if you'd like to speak to them? Um, yes, I think that's preferred actually. I'm sorry, I should have looked into that before, if you would like to just speak to them directly."
"Actually, how about they speak to another agent or operative? And have them meet in person."
>"Okay. Are you going to stay in that area?"
"Yes."
>"I understand." she was, with some undertones implying that I am planning on sneaking after all.

>Did you check for a manual to your armor
I do that. Apparently it has self camoflauging functions. I will use that.

>"Okay, we've got contact. They say they're on their way to the capital."

2/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/15(Wed)15:16 No. 779835 ID: bfb318
File 148720056232.png - (118.39KB , 800x800 , 13.png )

I go to sneak in while they're gone, in the sneaking armor. Our coordinates are spot on, and I find a vent. My armor alerts me to any sensors supposedly, but I don't see or hear anything go off as I make my way inside.

Unbelievable. It's the exact same as in the show.

From what I gather, the two immediate points of interest are Pink's bedroom, and the meeting hall where they discuss things.

I have four audio bugs in my toolkit. There may be more places that a headquarters like this may have that I want to explore, but the longer I stay and the more places I go in here, the more like it is that I'll be caught.

Is it too late to send back another message? I was just planning to say this before you moved on, you should tell whoever is interviewing them that as well as the normal "what was her schedule supposed to be, did she receive any correspondence, did she seem worried" et cetera, they need to note that the other rangers are potential suspects themselves and, importantly, that their empathy may not be reliable. Remember, these people have special empathic technology and training - each one has likely trained to be able to focus their minds on a specific emotion, like Love for Pink, and that training could also be used to cover deception by focusing out the emotions that would give it away. They need to ask about things like personal drama, was their conflict between any of the rangers and Pink, interview each of them separately, and so on.

Anyway, first go plant a bug in their meeting room. Presumably they'll take the call there and if they say anything to each other before or after that call you'll want to pick up on it. Once the bug is planted go to Pink's room while they're busy being interrogated.

>>779835
Put a bug in the main hall and any private rooms as you pass by to Pinks to investigate her room.

Bug the meeting hall and search Pink's room.

After that maybe bug the kitchen because that is where people would probably hang out (neumono having to eat all the time). And if they have a rec room bug it.

>>779835
First make your way to the common area / control room, and plant audio bugs there. That's where they'll be talking the most.

Then go examine Pink's room.

>>779840
Yeah.

Don't bug any personal rooms, we're not here to expose them. Bug the kitchen and the meeting hall instead, then go search pink's room. If you have time afterwards, go and bug the rec room and also the room where they store their GIANT ROBOTS.

Did you see them leave? It's entirely possible this is literally where they film the show, rather than their actual base.

It would be a surprisingly well done deception if they actually pulled that off, but it's worth considering.

Agent Polo 2017/02/15(Wed)16:24 No. 779864 ID: bfb318
File 148720467003.png - (111.79KB , 800x800 , 14.png )

>Did you see them leave?
I waited a little longer. Judging by their show, they have a secret exit anyways, and it would make sense to have one here as well.

>Is it too late to send back another message?
No, this armor should have well sealed sound, so I can still send messages to Katzati. I send her the questions I would want to ask the rangers myself, and I will be receiving the full transcript after it's done.

The meeting hall looks like a mix between a war room and an office conference. I slip a bug underneath the room, and move on. The kitchen appears to be just that. I bug it, since it is likely well used. There is also a recreational room, but while traversing the vents, I notice some overly large passages that imply a much bigger place. I imagine there is, in fact, a giant robot room. For now, I advance, with 2 bugs remaining, to Pink's room. I find a vent placed over a lamp, as I look over the rest of her room.

Pink's room is... pink.

It also looks like a hotel room after room service came through. The bed is well made, the floor is well vacuumed, there is a minifridge to the side, and a large assortment of chocolates stacked neatly on a table nearby.

There is a dresser with a mirror as well, but a closet signifies either she has a lot of clothes, or one object is not stocked with clothes. A tv and game station is all that's left of note in the room. To get a closer look, I will need to drop through the vent and begin snooping through her items. My primary fear would be a surveillance camera, but I still find it doubtful that they would include cameras in one's personal space even here.

>>779864
Investigate!

>Pink's room is... pink.
In her defense, she probably didn't choose the decor.

>My primary fear would be a surveillance camera
Assuming they get dressed in these rooms, and they want to keep their identities secret, taping themselves changing would be a bad idea.

Drop down for a search.

If you were gonna hide a bug or a camera in this room, where you do it? Think about it, then check those places to see if someone already planted something. If there was foul play, someone might have been watching her.

Is there is a note with the chocolate? Are any missing?

Investigate the room for a journal or any other thing she might record her day to day notes in like these diaries you have heard of.

It looks like a hotel because it probably basically is a hotel. This isn't a place these people live, it's where they sleep when they have to stay. It's not their home. Since we haven't seen the others, it's even possible that Pink may have a uniquely nice room, since she's most likely to have guests. How big is the bed?

Anyway, with the knowledge this isn't her home, the amount of clothes space and the pile of chocolates seem like the unusual aspects. The chocolates may be related to Valentine's day; search them for notes or cards. Check out the "clothes" storage spaces as well.

Keep an eye/ear out for some servant that cleans this place, though such a person is unlikely to come here now the room is clean, since Pink is missing. It might be an idea to go find that person, though, and wherever their base of operations here is, since whoever cleaned the room last may have taken away some useful evidence. Remember, Pink disappeared shortly after leaving here, and after she'd left would be when the place was cleaned, unless she did it herself.

Steal some panties.

>>779883
if she can't get photographic evidence she can show the panties and be like I can have fun you see these panties I stole them from the Ranger base

You know, I know this sounds dumb, but since the HQ is just like the show, get an APB out on the "actor" that's supposed to be playing Pink when they're doing their out-of-uniform civilian drama stuff on the show.

It wouldn't surprise me if they don't know that they're ALL actually playing themselves on the show, all thinking to hide in the plainest site imaginable, while simultaneously thinking they're ALL being original and no one else on the team is playing themselves as civilians.

At least ONE of them is doing that, to be sure. I'd bet money on it.

Have the UDA techs analyze that game station. Her online activities might give you some clues about her recent actions. Maybe she even made an obvious mistake, like logging into the same account from a different location that can be traced.

Hopefully they can access it remotely so you don't have to steal the thing, and leave evidence of your snooping.

Check the chocolates for clues.

Also look in the normal places for cameras. Lamps, vents, pictures with thick frames, large furniture nobs.

Dress up in Pinks undergarments and steal her chocolates. Then take a picture of yourself doing so and leave it by the door after signing it "Grump master Polo strikes again!"

>>779899

Do this. It's what they would expect. Also you can point to it later as being non grumpy and playing along with the silly role they gave you.

Oh and search the room while you do so.

We might want to take a chocolate so the lab acn check if they were drugged, but only if there's one or more missing to indicate she ate one. Absolutely don't eat any yourself, in case they were drugged.

>>779899

Changing my vote to this.

1/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/15(Wed)18:57 No. 779917 ID: bfb318
File 148721382179.png - (128.45KB , 800x800 , 15.png )

>Playing themselves on the show
Possibly one or two, but with makup. I saw the original rangers, and their shades of fur and general builds did not quite match up with what I saw of the show.

>How big is the bed?
Roomy and large, however, so is the entire room. It may simply be that the Pink ranger is large, herself. It is possible, as I recall them being somewhat large during my fight with them, though I can't recall an accurate measure.

>Game station
I recognize one. I unplug it, then pull out my external power source and investigator AI, which will automatically peruse hardward like this for any information as safe as it can. Using this, I can relatively safely investigate this without leaving any evidence behind. I leave that running while investigating other objects.

>Chocolate
There are notes to most boxes, and seem to be greeting cards with personalized notes inside. I look inside of a heart container, and notice that most of the chocolate has been nibbled on, though not fully consumed. I read the letter.

Dear Pink Ranger - You're adorable! I know it's a pipe dream, but if I ever met you in real life, it would make my life.

I confirm the other boxes have the same look. Varying amounts of chocolate have been eaten from each. On the 6th box, though, I notice that the chocolate is fresh and unbitten. I read the letter.

Dear Pinky - Never before have I felt my hearts run like raging rivers before I saw you. If I ever found myself in your bedroom, I doubt I would be able to contain myself. I would lay claim to your bed, and should you dare invite yourself in, strip you of the terrible things that would cover your beauty. What would follow is -

Things I'm not going to read.

2/2 Agent Polo 2017/02/15(Wed)18:57 No. 779918 ID: bfb318
File 148721383548.png - (124.50KB , 800x800 , 16.png )

>Dresser/Closet
The closet appears to have loose fitting pajamas and tank tops. It seems, perhaps, that the ranger's take off their uniforms to relax, here, but not to show their faces.

In the dresser, I find little knickknacks and keepsakes. I make sure my armor is recording this successfully, as the collection of plushies, jewelry and other hobby based items may be able to tie in with a real person later.

In the other drawer I see her panties. They are enormous. Even more enormous than I thought would fit the pink ranger.

>Put on the panties
There are logistical challenges, ethical ones aside.

The other object I find of note is a diary. It even has a lock on it.

A shoddy lock. My armor AI tells me it is identical to a cheap brand of locks found on diaries, and is easily broken into.

Well, check the last eaten box for poison. Then check all of them in reverse order if you don't find anything.

No messing around with panties.

Holy crap is the pink ranger Rokoa and Giants kid or something? That girl is huge!

Well pick the lock on the diary and scan the contents for later reading. Check her room for secret doors/secrets before putting everything back.

And at least take a picture of yourself lounging on something in the middle of there base while posing as Grump ranger Polo. Just in case you want to taunt them later. Or just so you can start stockpiling a library of evidence you can indeed have fun on the job.

>notes
Hmm. You're not the only one with a devoted admirer (or several). Another possible motive- she could have been grabbed by a fan. Or be sneaking away with one.

>what do
Ping your operator. Are the Omega Wave Force still being interviewed?

Then pick that lock with your spy multitool.

If Pink's diary is not equally huge those panties do not make a ton of sense. (does she have any giant sex toys in her panty drawer?)

Anyways scan the chocolates and boxes for chemicals. And check the rest of the room for secrets. Also carefully check the journal for traps before lock picking it.

>>779918
Break into the diary. Her life could be in danger, so it's a reasonable action.

A consideration: is there any physical evidence here that supports the team's claim she was here four hours ago? (Plus whatever your travel time was). If they're lying about the timeline, that would complicate things.

>>779918
>In the other drawer I see her panties. They are enormous. Even more enormous than I thought would fit the pink ranger.
Is it possible that it could be Katzati? She's large enough to fit in--- oh, wait, never mind. Katzati's on the other end of your communicator.

Hmmm.....is it Rokoa? Nah, it couldn't be. She always has that creepy smile and Pink has never smiled like that.

I guess look around to see if she wrote her name on something by accident.

>diary with a shoddy lock.
Just pick it, don't break it!

>>779918
Perhaps... perhaps they have shapeshifting abilities and her most relaxed form is that big one?

Or... she's a Wendigo.

Big they may be, but they're not nearly big enough for the likes of Rokoa or Katzati. Considering they'd be less wide while filled out, those girls' underwear would be, like... as wide as the length of Polo's body. Pink is evidently smaller than that, therefore.

Hmm. Double check the other panties. Are they all the same size? If the rangers never show their faces even to each other, it's theoretically possible that each ranger is actually multiple people taking turns. There's enough homogeneity among most hives that there's likely to be multiple people similar enough to be mistaken for each other, seen at a distance and in the same costume, right?

Open the diary if you can pick the lock so that it can be refastened. Also check under the bed for secrets. Is there an attached bathroom? Also check your suit's AI to see if it has cameras on the helmet and the option of observing and alerting for cameras or other minor details. Or if it has some sort of VR display capabilities.

Did watching their show answer the question as to whether they have a boss or mentor figure? Once you leave this room, it would probably be a good idea to see if you can find a bedroom that doesn't belong to any of the rangers, so that you can understand all the potential players in this situation.

1/3 Agent Polo 2017/02/16(Thu)17:51 No. 780161 ID: bfb318
File 148729630368.png - (120.43KB , 800x800 , 17.png )

The diary matches the rest of the room in terms of its size, and its pink.

>Does she have any giant sex toys in her panty drawer?
I have not noticed any.

>Are all the panties the same size?
They seem to vary. However, many are stretchy and may be intended as a one size fits all type of thing. One size fits provided a minimum amount of waist circumference. I cannot rule out the possibility that multiple neumono may alternate taking the role of a ranger.

>Did watching their show answer the question as to whether they have a boss or mentor figure?
It did. There is a belenos that acts as their mentor, technology inventor, and boss. I do not know if that's reflected in reality. In fact, I am willing to bet that the rangers' whole hives are in on this, and may not be in ultrahive jurisdiction either, as I can't imagine whole hives could keep a secret.

Plus, between these hideouts and the giant robots, there must be a large taskforce of engineers, scientists and so on backing it. Large hives would explain this.

I look back at the unbitten set of chocolates, and pull out my chemical analyzer and poke a hole at the bottom of it. My AI informs me that there is nothing untowards about the chemicals it found. I do not have the time, though, to test every single box that she did eat, as most of the chocolate here has at least been moderately nibbled.

I break into the diary. It essentially snaps open the moment my lock picking set touches it. My scanner reads the pages as I flip through them. They will all be read later, but I only read the last 3.

2/9 - I got more chocolate today, once they passed through our poison scanners. It's so good! I'm glad they finally got a convincing chocolate taste for us. It's sweet and sugary. I could eat it all day. I shouldn't! But I could.
2/10 - I spent some time in the rogue sector of the capital today. It's always a mental challenge, but they're the ones that need it most. I had to take off early, though, to mentally recharge.
2/12 - More chocolate! It's tempting, and while it's bad, it always gets me in a good mood to charge my wave beam with, so how could I not?

>Is there any physical evidence here that supports the team's claim she was here four hours ago?
I see nothing convenient. Even if there was, then if I suspected the rangers of lying about the timeline, then they could have fabricated something, so nothing here is conclusive.

2/3 Agent Polo 2017/02/16(Thu)17:54 No. 780166 ID: bfb318
File 148729644007.png - (161.12KB , 1000x800 , 18.png )

>Are the Omega Wave Force still being interviewed?
It would take them time to get to the capital, and I don't want to wait that long.

I put everything to the side and set a timer on my camera to take a snapshot of myself lounging on Pink's bed.

I'd say it would show them, but I feel ridiculous and unprofessional doing this. I will probably delete the picture.

3/3 Agent Polo 2017/02/16(Thu)17:54 No. 780167 ID: bfb318
File 148729644727.png - (178.78KB , 800x800 , 19.png )

>Check under the bed
It's clean.

>Bathroom
After looking around, I see the wall is a sliding panel, and what I thought was an ornament turns out to be the handle. It reveals an underwhelming bathroom. I see nothing offhand that's out of place. The hygenic items are all generic brands.

I start looking through cabinets just in case, but before I find anything good, Katzati calls me.

>"Hi Polo! There's going to be a delay on the Wave Force's questioning."
"What's going on?"
>"They say that the Pink Ranger's activated her beacon, and that she's being held for ransom. We're getting the police involved."
"Do they know if it was really Pink who activated it, or could anyone activate it?"
>"We don't know. They say that they'll handle it. Except it's right in our capital town, and we don't want them summoning giant robots or anything like that. I'm pretty sure they have no idea how to deal with hostage situations anyway. So we might not - er, hold on. Hold on. Polo, we're picking up some UFO's heading in fast to your location. Unless you're by an exit, you may need to sneak out."

>UFOs
Great, the wave force is coming back early, or someone else is hitting their base.

Time to gtfo. Remain unseen, if possible.

>They say that the Pink Ranger's activated her beacon
If at all possible, trace that beacon. They probably don't want us following them, but we're involved now and I'm not leaving this up to ridiculous amateurs.

What is up with that showerhead?

Well make a quick sweep of the bathroom and get to a vent to make leaving easier. Katzati will keep us up to date and we might be able to spy on some rangers if they are the one's coming over.

We still have two more bugs left, and we're not sure if that IS the wave force that's come back or a third party.

Get out of pink's room and get into a vent. Try and confirm the identity of the new arrivals before leaving.

Go wait in the main hall and when they show up declare that "You are the backup ranger sent by destiny to help them in the fight for JUSTICE and Truth! The HOPE of all those who depend on the Rangers to protect the world from (insert a reoccurring baddy you saw in the show here)!" all while doing fancy karate moves to impress upon the your skills.

Delete the picture now before Rokoa finds out somehow. Start sneaking out.


>>780184
Bit too OOC, it stops being funny if Polo stops acting like Polo.

>>780184
Polo's not nearly fed up enough to pull something like that yet.

Also, she may stand for truth and justice as a detective, but her element is GRUMP, not HOPE.

Exeunt Polo, nearest exit. Look out a window en route, or perhaps check a console. Just in case.
Be prepared to change plans, not that there's much of one yet.
Interviewing the rogues she visited would probably help. ...or, given the obsessive notes, perhaps it's a stalker fan sort of situation?
It's tempting to swipe some of her massive chocolate stockpile, but I don't see any strategic use at the moment.

Prepare to sneakily observe whoever the new arrival is, and if it's the Rangers, see if you can tag along with them by stealth. It'd be the best way to get information, and when they screw up or get in trouble, you can step in to help them.

Well, Pink could still be romancing a rogue, but at this point she'd have to be cooperating with the ransom. Effectively ransoming herself, which means if the money is delivered both her and her "captor" will run off with it. I suppose that would explain how she was able to be captured at all, since it's been said nobody should have the resources to do it in the first place.

Is there a return address on the chocolates and letters? We should check the rogue district, and also all the traffic cameras and such to see if they saw Pink walking around anywhere.

Sneak out, obviously, after placing a bug in the room.

1/3 Agent Polo 2017/02/17(Fri)13:33 No. 780321 ID: bfb318
File 148736723099.png - (104.95KB , 800x800 , 20.png )

>What is up with that showerhead?
The top appears a bit over stylish, but 80% of its mass is devoted to being grabbed by giant mitt hands.

"Trace that beacon if you can, Katzati."
>"We're trying. Like we say, we want to get the police in on this, and we can only do that effectively if we know where Pink is."

The thought of Rokoa seeing the picture of me laying on that bed pops into mind. I delete the picture as I go back to Pink's room, where I put everything back in as I found it. I then bug Pink's bed to leave me with one bug remaining, take the AI from the game console, and hop back through the vent.

>"I'm taking it that if you called it a UFO, you don't know who it is?"
"Correct. It's not the Wave Force, though, since we never can detect them coming in or out of the hideout and I sincerely doubt they're making an exception here."

2/3 Agent Polo 2017/02/17(Fri)13:33 No. 780322 ID: bfb318
File 148736723770.png - (197.61KB , 800x800 , 21.png )

I get out to the forested area, and duck behind some shrubbery. I think I can make it out unseen, but I hear a hovership coming down.

>Is there a return address on the chocolates and letters?
Come to think of it, there was. My camera should have gotten many of those.

>"Paahahahaha!" I hear a shrill laugh coming from the treetops.

3/3 Agent Polo 2017/02/17(Fri)13:34 No. 780323 ID: bfb318
File 148736724731.png - (252.45KB , 1200x800 , 22.png )

The hovercrafts start lowering themselves down to my location.

>"Come out, Beta-Wave Dummies! I hear your Pink Ranger's been knocked out of commission, so you can't pilot your beloved Omegabot, can you? Come out already and let's see you grovel to see her pink little face again!"

I don't believe they see me, so I can ignore this badly dressed distraction.

>"Alert." My AI says. "That is the Stoneheart Duchess, a wanted criminal. She is wanted for over 100 counts of extortion, bribery, and espionage involving corporate, governmential, and law enforcement agencies. Latest charge: bribing a judge relating to a lawsuit involving using her image without permission in the movie 'Omega Wave Force in - "
"Thank you, AI. I am aware."
>"I have a name, you know. It is Bell."
"Thank you, Bell."

On one point, she is effectively a real-world supervillain, but on the other hand, she is flanked by only two neumono bodyguards and, considering she is here to attack the rangers, is most likely woefully unprepared to deal with plasma shield penetrating live ammunition.

While I may technically be outside of the agency's jurisdiction, this area is not home to any recognized governments, so there is nothing preventing me from apprehending her here. Although I'm sure there are surveillance cameras pointed at her, they would not be able to see who, exactly, shot a sniper bullet and used a grappling hook.

Considering that she does not even know they're not here, though, she may be nothing more than a high profile distraction.

>>780323
Might as well take her out while you are here. Take a shot at the disabling spot on the gut from the back if you can. and then blind the other two with a simple headshot. Then call Katzati in for a pick up and interrogation.

This is a unofficial investigation, not formally reported, so Stoneheart must either be involved in this case or she has sources inside the police / UDA / however the waveforce reported Pink's disappearance. So we should take her in for questioning.

Also, and while it might be unprofessional to make judgements based on her name and logo, Stoneheart and a heart with a X through it kinda implies a opposition to the concept of love.

>>780323
Do it. Become a force of justice.

How does she know about Pink? That isn't public knowledge yet. She must have had contact with someone involved in the kidnapping. Take her in for questioning.

Take them all out and schedule the pickup.

And while you wait for that to happen, ensure the photo's complete removal from existence by overwriting the computer data where it used to be.

You can do this by, say, taking pictures of yourself and the downed stoneheart.

Purely for PR purposes, I assure you. And not for later taunting of the waveforce.

>let's see you grovel to see her pink little face again

Well now that makes it sound like she has clues. Problem is, the rangers are probably at least smart enough to also think that, and they'll want to hear from her as well.

... Wait a minute and see what she does. The rangers are probably racing back here as fast as they can - see if you can get an estimate on how long it should take them to get here, since your organization should at least have been able to see what vehicles they were using. If you can, wait until the Rangers get back and then act to help them. If you have to act before that, to prevent her doing any damage to the ranger base, or escaping, take her captive and hold her until the rangers get here.

Either way, you'll be able to pretend you followed her here. Say, for example, that your agency had a "rough idea" of where their base was, and tracked UFOs flying in that region, so you were sent to see what happened. So you were conveniently here to help. You'll probably be able to phrase it in some technically-true way.

You'll have to act appropriately mysterious and aloof and coldly professional and a little bit edgy. "What gets the job done", sort of thing. Like if they complain about your methods you can talk back to them about playing around when one of their teammates is in trouble. Shouldn't be too much of a stretch from your normal personality, just dramatized a bit. See if you can find yourself a nice sniper perch, something where after you've shot these guys out of the sky and they look around to see who did it, you'll be able to stand up and be dramatically silhouetted against the sky or something.

I know it all sounds silly, but the rangers are probably going to turn this into an episode of their show at some point, you can't really stop them because of the whole legal jurisdiction thing. Just play along and they'll probably be more willing to work with you. Besides, it could be good advertising for the agency! Try to act like a (somewhat dramatized) ideal of what an agent should be, and hopefully some kids who think of that sort of thing is cool and impressive will be inspired to aspire to it once they grow up. Maybe secure some extra funding for the agency, too. It's all very practical when you think about it, Polo.

>>780323
You're the law, here. The only reason you don't take criminals in is when there's more pressing concerns. Like it would jeopardize your cover on a more important case, or put innocents at risk.

Shoot her. (First shot should probably be to disable her hover-sled).

>Either way, you'll be able to pretend you followed her here. Say, for example, that your agency had a "rough idea" of where their base was, and tracked UFOs flying in that region, so you were sent to see what happened. So you were conveniently here to help. You'll probably be able to phrase it in some technically-true way.
Yeah, you have plausible deniability. Katzati picked up the UFOs how far away? Minutes? There was time to scramble assets on the ground if you were nearby.

Oh, another note: You should probably be sure to keep your helmet on from now. Any surveillance in this area will probably be used by these guys on their show, and as that lawsuit shows, they're not really moved by rules about permitted use of a person's image or identity. Besides which, though the Christmas fiasco was big and the rangers did see who you were then, they might not immediately make the connection when they see you in the suit - or, if they do, then at least their viewers might not. So, protect your identity. Keep your mask on, and if you have to speak, don't call yourself Polo.

Call yourself, uh... well, you don't want to tell people you're the Gray Ranger, that'd continue the color theme and make it seem like you consider yourself one of them. You are a ranger, no denying that really. Rangers are a real thing, in militaries and so on, it's basically another word for "commando".

... If someone asks who you are, tell them they can call you the Ghost Ranger.

Because that would be hella cool and fits the gray color, and even if you reveal who you are later the fans of the show will love speculating about who you are and the christmas events will basically be foreshadowing and they'll love it.

>>780323
>Stoneheart Duchess
You think that means she doesn't feel love? If that's true, then maybe she's trying to ruin Valentine's Day? And maybe she's the one that somehow kidnapped Pink? She just doesn't know that there's no one home.

You know, if you revealed yourself, she'd think you're one of the Rangers because of the suit you're wearing. And because your suit isn't one of the other Ranger's colors, she'll think you're a new 6th Ranger or something!

The problem with leaving her alone is she is floating up there where she would see you being evacuated.

So sneak off into the jungle and snipe her platform. Then leave her crashed and cursing in the middle of the jungle without transportation and have one of your other teams grab her while you get to the Pink hostage mess.

Who knows how many of these costumed loons are out there. Try to avoid getting slowed down by them.

This seems like the kind of thing that happens pretty often, so I'm sure the Rangers can detect when this stuff goes down. She's just a distraction for now. If you can think of a way to attach your last bug to her hovercraft without anyone noticing you can always have her tracked with that and have her apprehended later but otherwise just ignore her you got a mission.

Attach audio bug to one of the duchess's minions without them noticing. It probably doubles as a tracking device.

>>780501
That'll only work if Polo can get the bug through the energy shields all of them have. And as long as the Rangers don't show up and blow all of them out of the sky, otherwise we'll have wasted a bug when the minion gets shot down.

Remember, unless they can spawn more, go for the added minions first in a direct fight. Otherwise, go for the one in command. How police-like do you want to be while wearing that getup? Maybe first just mention they're wanted for questioning regarding this case and a few others, if you're going by the book.

1/5 Agent Polo 2017/02/18(Sat)19:27 No. 781001 ID: bfb318
File 148747487770.png - (178.27KB , 800x800 , 23.png )

>Ensure the photo's complete removal from existence by overwriting the computer data where it used to be.
All of our gear already does that. Upon the intentional deletion of user-created data, the memory of which it used to be stored is wiped over instead of abandoned.

Although the Duchess does not have any common acts against valentine's, I suppose her theme does coincide well here. Perhaps we should have investigated her, but she usually remains well in the shadows.

She slipped up this time. By being detected a few minutes before, I can say I was simply within the area, but I would like to not be seen at all, and only give away that there was another person here.

The Duchess continues lowering herself closer to the ground, where I get closer.

>"What are you waiting for? I thought the Wave-Force prided themselves on not being cowaAHH!"

I shoot a plasma piercing shot through the underside of her carriage, aimed at the sensitive anti-gravity portions. It doesn't shut it off completely, but it must hit the stabilizers as it starts wobbling. She tries to regain control manually. It's impressive reaction, but her success works against her, as I'm able to take another shot to destroy the plasma generator.

I have to be the one to subdue her, as the only one of my team out here is the pilot. It would take too long for anyone else to fly here as well.

2/5 Agent Polo 2017/02/18(Sat)19:29 No. 781005 ID: bfb318
File 148747496862.png - (169.55KB , 800x800 , 24.png )

>"Live ammunition?! When the hell?!" the Duchess cries out just before I shoot the grappling hook at her. She falls off, and I loop my hook by a tree to give me leverage to start reeling her in.
>"Duchess!" the two bodyguards yell. They start flying after her, but I'm behind heavy tree cover. Judging by the movements of their platforms, they have high top speeds but do not have good acceleration. They will not be able to fly quickly through the forest, at least not until I have apprehended the Duchess.

There is a good chance that I will hurt her, but due to her status as a well armed criminal, and a neumono, heavy force is authorized and recommended.

3/5 Agent Polo 2017/02/18(Sat)19:29 No. 781006 ID: bfb318
File 148747497857.png - (285.39KB , 1200x800 , 25.png )

Nonetheless, as I see her getting dragged across the ground, she seems to be healthy enough. I shoot her in the gut to knock her out.

4/5 Agent Polo 2017/02/18(Sat)19:29 No. 781007 ID: bfb318
File 148747499679.png - (230.46KB , 800x800 , 26.png )

I then throw a remote detonated grenade to blow up as the two bodyguards manage to catch up. I'll have the pilot come by and will pick up those two on the way back.

5/5 Agent Polo 2017/02/18(Sat)19:30 No. 781008 ID: bfb318
File 148747504222.png - (151.58KB , 800x800 , 27.png )

I pick up the Duchess and run back to the ship, where I toss her on board, and we take off, where I begin giving her medical treatment. Although scuffed up in many areas, all of her bones are intact, and while I'm sure there are bruises, there are no signs of significant injury. Other than the spot where I shot her. I restrain her, and just in time. She starts coming around already, before we finished picking up her bodyguards. She panics for a second, then collects herself and glares at me.

>"... where am I? Who're y - ranger?! Wait... no. Are you the one who shot me? If so, you're not ranger!"

>>781008
She's surprised about live ammunition? Is she a fucking actor or something, too? You're never living this down if she is.

Ask her what she knows about the situation. Who told her Pink was gone?

>"Live ammunition?! When the hell?!"
Giant robots but no real weapons. Exactly what's wrong with the rangers, and why their villains keep getting away and extending their rap sheets.

>>781008
Helmet off, and show your badge. Do this by the books, we don't want a lawyer getting her off on a technicality later.

"I am Agent Polo, of the Ultrahive Detective Agency. 'Stoneheart Duchess' you are being arrested for extortion, bribery, espionage, and suspicion of involvement in the disappearance of 'Omega Pink'."

Read her her rights and such before starting a field interrogation.

>>781008
Initiate the interrogation with a nice bowl of Katsudon. while politely asking where Pink is before you have to start cutting because you could be with your Hive right now but some bullshit Rangers lost track of their friend.

>>781008
"I'm the secret 6th Ranger that does all of the things the other Rangers don't have the balls to do from behind the scenes. Which is why I have live ammo. You're lucky I felt like taking you in instead of killing you. Now, start talking."

Ok, make your voice a little more gruff and menacing. You don't want to give someone like this any clues to your real identity. Also, you want to try being intimidating. She seems to have bought into the whole worldview around the rangers, so you might as well see if playing along with it helps.

"Not the sort of ranger you've dealt with before. Playing with a pack of emotional children, it seems you've forgotten there's a world beyond the colourful lines they've drawn around themselves. Me... I'm a memory from the other side, here to set things right. You can call me the Ghost Ranger."

Do you have your silence on, currently? It could help spook her if her minions get thrown in here and she can sense them and realizes she can't sense you.

Before you reveal yourself as agent Polo maybe we can use the silly helmet and suit to find out more of her strange life? (This whole team and there villains have to be a crazy rich persons bored game. Take a bunch of money and a bunch of silly neumono to blow it playing cops and robbers and watch what happens.)

Spin her a tail of being the Grey Ranger. Here to provide no nonsense backup and to take the place of the missing ranger if true peril arises. That and you left your emotion ray behind. (we should get that thing for later)

Yeah its silly but you will get a completely different reaction than you would by coming out as Polo right away. You can always read her her rights and book her properly later. Right now we need info into the Ranger world.

>>781023
>>781024
The problem with this kind of silly stunt to extract information is it will screw up the arrest, and she could use it to get off, especially since we already know she pays off crooked lawyers and judges.

Her arrest needs to be airtight if Polo wants to put her away.

>>781013
Yeah, we better do this by the book.

No fancy or weird stuff, you're a professional.

What kind of criminal would be surprised to be blasted with live ammunition? You think that'd be kind of an expected danger...

Someone has to be funding these crazies. I mean she floated over in a custom flying throne with her symbol embossed on the front. That sort of thing does not come cheap.

And expecting to face only "emotion" beams and giant robots? They have there own little world to play in. I mean we know the emotion rays work. But are a shitty actual weapon due to them only working on neumono.

Its more like a great crowd control weapon or mind control test but...

Holy crap a Salikai or other madman is financing the Rangers so they can perfect empathy weapons in public!

They create a few shell companies and finance some clueless scientist to form the "Rangers". Gives them a excuse to gather young impressionable neumono together with strong empathy control. The get the beams and have adventures so they look fun to the public. But in secret someone is gathering info to perfect there empathy tech.

If they can replicate the emotion controls on a wide scale without predators well they could take out whole cities!

>>781008
I'm a cosplayer and rabid fan
No one's home so I thought you know, I'd do some justice!

>>781013
I think you mean "of the Ultrahive Detective Affirmation." That's one of those idiotic technicalities a good lawyer would jump all over.

"This is my cosplay outfit."

"I didn't choose the outfit, it was assigned." State your job, state her warrant list, state your current case. DON'T say your name or that you're some super secret ranger or something, yet. Perhaps 'Detective Ghost' if you need an alias, or just don't give a rip and go total professionalism.

>>781032
>>781043
>>781129
>do this by the book

We're outside jurisdiction anyway, guys, there's no law out here to begin with. The big "under arrest" formalities would just sound stupid and she'll toss them back in our face.

>>781054

I doubt it's salikai, considering another salikai was manipulating them in the first thread and we took him out, but they're still here. If they were a different salikai's pets then I think either he wouldn't have needed to manipulate them with drugs/etc. or he would have been hands off another salikai's project.

Addendum: On a world with large tracts of unclaimed extralegal territory, it's important that criminals are made to understand that leaving the law's domain makes things worse for them, not better. Give them their rights and privileges under the law when they commit their crimes under the law, and when they act outside those boundaries treat them with harsher justice. Otherwise you'll get people mistreating and exploiting unaligned natives, setting up their own drug factories in the wilderness, or other dirty deeds that they can think they'll get away with.

We should tell her as little as possible JUST on principle since this is an interrogation, not a booking. (yet)

And also that she may try something foolish despite the injury and restraints

"You can refer to me as 'Agent' or "interrogator'. Now talk. Who told you that one of the waveforce is MIA?"

>We're outside jurisdiction anyway, guys, there's no law out here to begin with.
All that means is there's no jurisdictional headache trying to extradite her from a different sovereign state's region of authority. She committed crimes in our jurisdiction- those don't magically disappear when she's outside it. And as an agent of the law, what we do will very much mater later.

>We should tell her as little as possible JUST on principle since this is an interrogation, not a booking. (yet)
Preforming an interrogation before a booking just invalidates anything we learn from the interrogation, and the eventual booking.

Throw the book at her Polo, should be amusing to see the look on her face when we realises the UDA does not goof about like the rangers do.

>>781008

BUT WHAT IF PINK WAS STONEHEART ALL ALONG.

Agent Polo 2017/02/24(Fri)18:55 No. 782703 ID: bfb318
File 148799134613.png - (146.16KB , 800x800 , 28.png )

I remind myself that I am a professional, and I will act like one. I remove my helmet.

"Agent Polo Sealock. UDA."
>"The UDA?! What the hell are you doing out here?"
"I suggest you get into the habit of answering, not questioning. You only have rights to understand the charges against you, where you are going, and what you may do, upon your request of any such information. I'm sure you are well aware of all of this, anyway."
>"Considering I haven't done shit, I don't know and I don't care. Actually, I want to know rights - what right does the UDA have arresting me out here?"
"The Global Extradition Clause in the Ultrahive Civil Agreeance, Article 38.1."
>"Fuckin' hell, of course I get the one god damn agent that memorized that book. So you all knew where their secret base was after all. Those idiots let themselves get..."

...

>"Unbelievable! I get arrested not due to investigators or a sudden bout of competence by the Wave-Force, but by investigators being in the right place to cherry pick off the giant tree that is the Wave-Force's clumsiness! It was their foolery that got me in this mess!"
"Enough of that. You knew one of the Rangers is MIA. How do you know that?"
>"That's private info that's got nothing to do with the UDA. I'm not telling you until I have a lawyer."
"Fine. Then answer me something off the record. What is someone like you doing getting surprised by live ammunition?"
>"Shouldn't that be obvious? I was expecting the Rangers, and they don't use live ammo. Just stuns and nets and whatever."
"Alright. I am taking you back to a legal station."
>"Which one?"
"I will not, nor do I need to, say."
>"You know I'm not going to stay behind bars for over 5 nights, right?"
"Even if that were true, you know that's not going to stop us from trying, right? Now be quiet unless you have something meaningful to say, as I am well within my boundaries to forcibly keep your mouth shut."

"Did you get all of that, Katzati?" I say, putting my helmet back on and sealing it.
>"Yes. We'll have a squad to detain her on your landing, and make sure it's not a place she can put her insiders in. Also, we've resolved the hostage situation."
"That was fast."
>"Yes, it was honestly faster than it should have been, but Rokoa's squad cleaned out the whole building. It turned out to be alright. Well, sort of. The thing is is that they didn't have the Pink Ranger after all. They had her suit. The culprits are claiming they were trying to ransom just the suit back, and it was a misunderstanding that anyone thought they had the pink ranger herself. We've yet to properly interrogate everyone though, and that may be awhile. The point is is that the Pink Ranger is still missing, but we know she doesn't have her suit."

>>782702
Then until someone tells UDA what she looks like this case is stuck. Check the suit for leads.

>The point is is that the Pink Ranger is still missing, but we know she doesn't have her suit.
Didn't she leave the base as a civilian? Didn't think she'd have brought the armor with her.

And technically, if she has one of their empathy guns, can't she summon the armor around her?

>what do
Search your prisoner I guess. She have any electronics we can search, or other things?

Otherwise we need to see if a lead comes out of that raid, or the interviews with the other rangers, or our audio bugs. And escort our prisoner back to base.

>"You know I'm not going to stay behind bars for over 5 nights, right?"
Ask if you can put her in jail someplace in orbit that doesn't have a day-night cycle.

>>782703
Hmmm... ask the criminal if she's friends with the Pink Ranger. That would explain how she knew. She may have even helped the Pink Ranger vanish.

It would be helpful to know where the ransomers got the suit from.

So, someone who was only recognizable by what suit they wear is now no longer wearing said suit. Presumably she has pink fur, and we have estimates of her approximate size from camera recordings, and she has round ears; the most common type. Apart from that we have no idea how to identify her. What are we supposed to do, track down and interrogate every pink round-eared neumono woman within a certain height range?

Well, at least it was within the city, and there's a limited span of time between when she left the rangers and when the hostage claim came in. So start by examining all the camera records in that area that could explain how that suit got there. If they say they found it elsewhere, check the records there.

The suit being elsewhere from her body is interesting. If she were kidnapped with the suit, and then had it taken from her, the likely suspects for such a kidnapping (crazed fan stalker, ranger enemy) would have taken the suit as well. And the homing beacon - does it activate when the suit is taken off without the right procedure, i.e. when taken off forcefully by a second person? If so then Pink would have to still be pretty nearby, and would have been right there when the beacon started going off. Find neumono who were in the area and ask them if they encountered a neumono with particularly loving empathy, or anything else unusual.

If the homing beacon is just a function of the suit that can be activated at any time, however, then that means Pink must have activated it; only the rangers and their associates would know how to activate such a beacon. So there's a strong possibility that Pink took off the suit herself, and deliberately activated it while leaving it behind, in order to draw attention away from herself. In which case, she probably wouldn't want to be found?

... You'll need to ask the rangers what they wear under their suits.

>>782703
get forensics on the suit to discover her actual identity? Knowing who she is would make it easier to rescue her.

>>782790
That only works if there's some kind of global DNA-equivilent database to compare to or if she's already in the system because she has a record. And if the lab can get results back fast enough to matter.

Although... if there's telemetry data we can get out of Pink's armor, or if it has an AI we can interrogate, we might be able to figure out where she lives, or where she parted ways from it. We want to make sure Rokoa and the cops hold onto the armor as evidence instead of letting the Rangers have it back. And we want to have our CAI take a crack at it ASAP.

Okay polo. There's no way around it. While your support team processes stoneheart, you need to get to the suit next.

And that probably means dealing with HER.

Infact, you should take her with you! The two of you can probably trace the scent/evidence of the suit out of the building and back to where it came from.

While we have not had the chance to properly interrogate people I bet Rokoa did plenty of "improper" interrogation already while cleaning out the building.

So drop this rich idiot off and lets get over there and see what info Rokoa has for us. Bring along a temp UDA badge and deputize Rokoa before Az can do it again.

Am sure whatever went on with the Pink Ranger is probably a giant mess. Who knows if she is actually kidnapped or missing or just got stressed over the holiday and the possibility of letting the Rogues down and went into hiding.

Whatever it turns up being we need to make sure someone can love ray those Rogues so the holiday does not turn a giant riot. (Like Christmas)

Agent Polo 2017/02/25(Sat)15:17 No. 782980 ID: bfb318
File 148806463415.png - (162.36KB , 800x800 , 29.png )

>Did your prisoner have any electronics we can search, or other things?
Surprisingly little. I am going to order a team to investigate the wreckage as well as pick up her two bodyguards, as I suspect their chariots may have had some information.

"Duchess. Are you friends with the pink ranger?" I ask her.
>"What? Hell no."

"Katzati." I say, muting my suit again. "How does the homing beacon work? That is, how is it activated?"
>"From what the Wave-Force has told us, there's a bunch of ways it could be set off. Pink could have done it remotely, can do it while she's wearing it, but the suit itself does have AI in it, and if it feels the need, can do it. Preliminary interrogations imply that they were trying to tamper with the suit."
"Have they said what they wear under the suit?"
>"Typically biosuits, but sometimes they have tight fitting street clothes underneath as well. It's also complicated that their biosuits can recede away from their extremities on the surface level, so that they can blend in as needed. Right now, we're scanning all pink neumono getting off of trains, as that's how they typically arrive in the capital. We're going to narrow it down as much as we can, but there's going to be a lot of unreliable guessing going on with what we have."
"Can we get info off of the suit's AI?"
>"The Rangers are doing that right now, because supposedly the AI will do a full system wipe if it gets tampered with. We might not fully trust them, but that seems like the kind of thing they'd do."
"After I drop the duchess off, I will stop by to see Rokoa and see what she's found out."
>"Okay. Uh, you can, but we are getting her to feed us the info. Lucera is on site, now. So, you can do that, or... well, remember how I mentioned we were scanning Pink neumono off trains? Well, there is guess work, but first off, there aren't that many pink neumono with her shade of pink, provided she didn't paint her fur. Secondly, we can ID many of the remaining ones to the point that we can exclude them since they have constant alibi's that would conflict with Pink ranger sightings. My point is is that you can either go join Lucera to be a second set of eyes and ears for what we're investigating with Pink's suit, or go investigate a few pink neumono that could potentially be the ranger."

>>782980
How about the latter? Especially track down any pink neumono who are headed for the rogue quarter.

If those pink neumono are in public and not being carried off by strangers then they are not being kidnapped. If one of them is the Pink Ranger she is having a normal day in her secret identity and it's not my business to go hassling her.

That being said Lucera should have the suit thing in hand. So I will check out these Pink ladies before they wander off to far.

>Right now, we're scanning all pink neumono getting off of trains
...are we even certain the Pink Ranger is pink furred? Their suits don't show a lot of "skin", and compared to the tech they already use, some kind of fur die that could be washed out in the shower isn't out of the question.

And even if she hasn't been disguising her fur the entire time, she could be disguising it now if she's making a run for it. If you know everyone is looking for a pink neumono? Step 1: don't be a pink neumono.

Are we even sure Pink is female? The suit would cover up enough, and empathy should give it away, but maybe not.

>supposedly the AI will do a full system wipe if it gets tampered with. We might not fully trust them, but that seems like the kind of thing they'd do
That only makes sense. They've got secret tech, lots of enemies, and CAIs exist. That's a pretty basic precaution.

>My point is is that you can either go join Lucera to be a second set of eyes and ears for what we're investigating with Pink's suit, or go investigate a few pink neumono that could potentially be the ranger.
Poking long shot leads will probably be more productive than butting heads with Rokoa, especially if you've already got personnel on site.

>>782986
Plus, you're effectively wearing a ranger costume, and Rokoa did say she wanted a autograph from the waveforce during the Christmas incident. So there may be some jokes about that if she sees you as you currently are.

>>782984
>If those pink neumono are in public and not being carried off by strangers then they are not being kidnapped.

She could be being coerced somehow - loved one hostage, threat, blackmail, et cetera. Or it might be possible that she's engaged in something illegal or illicit. The point is, if she was just taking time off, she would have just done it officially, or left a note or such. Something is going on that someone feels the need to conceal, at the least. Whether that's Pink herself or some other party makes little difference, it needs investigation - and the fact that her disappearance will cause a dangerous level of disappointment for a lot of rogues makes it a national concern.

I'd like to make a note again that the rangers' training on focusing on one emotion could be used for concealment or deceptive purposes. If there's a chance, they should be asked if it's theoretically possible for a neumono with their training to use it in order to block out feelings of guilt or other empathic giveaways.

Anyway, Polo, don't you want an excuse to not have to deal with Rokoa? Go investigate some pink ladies. Now that we know the homing beacon could have been activated remotely, the question of what she would have been wearing underneath her suit is less relevant - she could have just changed clothes after she left the rangers. If she's trying to avoid notice, by coercion or otherwise, then I'd bet on the middle of those three neumono Katzati's noted, since she's wearing less attention-getting clothes. Follow up on her first.

>>782986
>Poking long shot leads will probably be more productive than butting heads with Rokoa, especially if you've already got personnel on site.
But what if there's something in an air vent? We all know that Rokoa and her hive can't fit in those tiny things! Plus, if any of them actually try to fit in the air vents, Polo should be there to take pictures so that she can look at them later and laugh!

>>782993
I wouldn't be surprised if Rokoa ends up getting their autographs while she's kicking their asses. Just like she did with that football team during the Christmas incident! XD

>>782996
Lucera is on site. If Rokoa needs someone small to shove in an air vent, she's got him.

How did the hostage takers even get ahold of the suit in the first place? If they found it somewhere, then that's where we should start looking. Forensics and tracking would be more viable than staring at security cameras trying to find the needle in a haystack.

Investigate the pinkies

Let's investigate some pinkies.

>>783000
But what if he's not small enough?

Well if we do go see Rokoa we will get laughed at cause of our suit, and then she will try tag along to see what happens. She'll probably also try get the rangers autographs and possibly fight them.
Yea lets not go anywhere near Rokoa this time, this is Valentines, day of love not brutality.

Lets look for pinkies. Ask about ones heading to, from or already near rogue areas.

>>783054
Tthhhat won't stop Rokoa.

>>782980
>Suit was found, but no wearer, hostagetakers have lame excuse
Are any of the hostage takers pink?

Wait a moment I think I know what Pink is up to!

She is getting ready for her big performance by charging her love meter to full capacity!

Remember when you were driven to use the grump beam? You had to get crazy grumpy to make it affect everyone that it did. So Pink needs to get loved up really hard for a few days to charge up enough love/lust energy to affect all the rogues.

Remember all those love letters? I bet she went off to some seedy brothel with a bunch of her fans to get all the affection she could ever want in preparation for her big performance! (Quick read that lewd note all the way through for clues)

Of course she wants to keep it secret so she does not let her team know about her charge up activities. Something probably went wrong and some assholes found her suit while she was getting gang banged and she made a embarrassed run for it so her face did not show up on the next tabloid with a picture of her fucking a dozen rogues at once.

Long story short Pink was getting charged with "love" and some asshole noticed and she ran for it.

>>783178
Well, it's possible that the situation is something LIKE that... hey, what did the Pink Ranger do last year?

>>783190
Nothing. This is the first neumono valentine's, after all.

>>783178

Something along these lines does seem plausible. She has to get her love energy from somewhere to charge her gun. And if you are going to use it on rogues maybe its best to charge from rogue love?

This whole mess might have been a crime of opportunity or just a embarrassed Ranger in the process of sneaking back home before someone notices her.

I think if she wanted to charge up on genuine love, rather than just lust or infatuation or pity or shallow admiration, she'd go to someone she has more of a personal connection to? Or like go swim in a pit full of adorable babies or something.

Agent Polo 2017/03/01(Wed)14:45 No. 783905 ID: bfb318
File 148840835173.png - (102.91KB , 800x800 , 30.png )

>Polo, don't you want an excuse to not have to deal with Rokoa?
I do, but the mission takes priority over my own sensibilities and biases against that woman.

>Forensics and tracking would be more viable than staring at security cameras trying to find the needle in a haystack.
Yes, and while there is a team of AIs finding a needle in a haystack, there is an entire team of policework being done around Pink's suit.

>Are we even certain the Pink Ranger is pink furred?
We are not, since they could dye their fur. Which is why these pink neumono are long shots that are likely dead ends, but since there is a team on the more definitive lead, my choice is between long shots and redundancy.

I intend on getting out of this suit anyway, regardless of what investigation I do.

>Are any of the hostage takers pink?
If there were, they're being held and questioned.

"I'll talk to some pink furred neumono."
>"Okay. Here's a few potential ones." Katzati pauses a moment before continuing.
>"Vinessca is someone who lives with a medium hive complex out of town in relative peace and quiet. She was an accomplished track and field runner in school. She doesn't enter the capital that frequently, but did early today. She's staying in a hotel for unclear reasons."
>"Second suspect is Hanna. Her documents are somewhat suspect, but she claims she's a visitor from a space tribe. It's feasible, as many space hives don't keep good tabs on their own individuals. She's staying with a host hive in a downtown apartment building. We're not sure what the relation is."
>"Last notable suspect we have is Gin. She looks like she's from fringe territories, and can be briefly heard with an unknown accent. We've got visuals on her wandering through various capital attractions as though she were a tourist or visitor."

>>783905
Let's go for Vinessca. Her being in track and field says good things about her butt and legs, and she seems to be the only local. I'm assuming that our information is relatively accurate, since worrying about it being inaccurate is a bit pointless, and that people would have noticed eventually if Pink were unused to modern life or going back and forth from space.

So her being fit aside, she does seem to be the most promising suspect.

Do we have any usable voice samples from the Christmas incident? Even if it was garbled by the rest of the rangers saying the exact same thing at the same time. It might be enough to remove a possibility, assuming they're not faking a accent or something.

How are we approaching these people? Is this just a casual detective going to talk to a person of interest thing, where they can refuse to talk to us, not let us in, or ask us to leave pretty easy? Or are they being held in custody on some excuse? Probably the former, so this will take a deft hand.

>who check
Someone with a local hive seems the most likely, since the rangers have existed for more than a year. She wouldn't be from an off-world hive and spending all her time on the planet. (Unless having an off-world hive is a cover story and a lie).

None of them really have solid evidence to back them up, but Vinessca at least appears to have local ties, and so would fit our expectations for Pink's civilian identity.

If either of the other two is Pink, it's probably another cover identity, not her real name.

You know what would be unprofessional but probably highly effective?

You showing up with the suit and grump beam to these interviews. Pink would be unable to disguise her reaction to you. While the others would just be somewhat confused.

Sure she would react to agent Polo. But so would any nervous neumono when greeted by a on duty space cop.

>>783914
We'd get mobbed running around a city as the 6th ranger. Too attention getting. Would give Pink the chance to disappear before we get close, if she's hiding out as a civilian.

Ok some thoughts on our suspects

Vinessca: Could be a great cover identity. Probably the most promising lead out of the three.

Hanna: Unless the Rangers are trying to leave clues to there secret identity then we can rule her out due to the suspect paperwork. The wave Rangers should (in theory) have pristine (if possibly fake) records.

Gin: Could be a possibility if Pink does not have much of a secret identity due to being a recent uplift. Plus a fake accent would be a decent disguise. How long have the Rangers been operating?


So Vinessca then Gin I would say.

Ugh, what is this, amateur hour? You have the general shape of her face from many camera angles and two out of three of these pink neumono don't match it!

>>783923
To be fair, if someone is going to this much effort to hide their identity, and apparently succeeding this well, it's hardly beyond the realm of plausibility to disguise the shape of a face and head.

Agent Polo 2017/03/01(Wed)15:52 No. 783930 ID: bfb318
File 148841232760.png - (132.82KB , 800x800 , 31.png )

>How long have the Rangers been operating?
At least for 10 years, though activity sometimes has gone for months without a sighting.

>Do we have any usable voice samples from the Christmas incident?
We do. Even if Pink is a professional level voice actor and can change her voice at will, I can at least have an AI make a ruling on if any of my suspects have a feasibly comparable voice.

>Is this just a casual detective going to talk to a person of interest thing, where they can refuse to talk to us, not let us in, or ask us to leave pretty easy?
I intend on going in standard agent uniform going to talk to people of interest. Refusal to talk is possible, but it is unlikely, as that instantly gives off the impression of having something to hide. Some agents have even used refusal to talk as probable cause for investigation, as some kind of self fulfilling warrant. Our level of authority exceeds that of the police by, perhaps, alarming levels.

I find Vinessca in the Kolo Hotel, ran on the outskirts of downtown in a somewhat bad part of town. It's attractive to those who want cheaper rent and hotel prices who don't mind a shadier exterior. Kolo's amenities include jammers in most levels, including Vinessca's.

Talking in person is ideal, but may take an hour or two longer due to travel time. It's already a long shot, but it's better to do it right than not at all, so I catch a cab to show up in person. While driving, I'm given word on some of the interrogations from the ransomers. Supposedly, they found the suit in an unaccompanied bag of luggage. That luggage was retrieved, and is being investigated through make, model, and other bits of information we can get to retrace where it came from.

While you're working try to get some facial recognition going for the Pink Ranger. Also look at the earliest footage of the Rangers to see if the Pink Ranger has changed over time like you suspect. If she HAS, maybe it'd be easier to track down one of the previous Pinks?

>>783930
Okay. First, we should establish how far you're willing to go to get this information, and plan from there. How much fighting and f--wooing are you willing to do?

You know what would shorten travel time? A jetpack.

Or rappelling down off a ship hovering over there hotel. I know you like to be serious but you do have access to stuff and sometimes time is of the essence. If one of these girls is the Pink Ranger then she might book it once she hears about the mess with the suit.

We really need to do this meeting in person otherwise she can hide her empathy and pretend ignorance.

Have your team do some research on Pink's abilities. If she gets the "Love" gun that means she is probably over the top friendly and loving. Which might reflect on her hive.

So check the Brothel hive or any other hives that are known to fit that sort of thing.

>>783930
Sit on a phone book or something so that you can see out the window more easily!

>"Kolo's amenities include jammers in most levels, including Vinessca's."
That's interesting, given that Pink's emotional focus on love might make her empathy stand out that. Would need confirmation though, maybe see how resistant she is to talking outside of a jammer?

>>783930
I don't think you can reliably question a person of interest long distance. And worst case, it'll just give her a chance to run or disappear if you hit on something.

And if she is keeping a secret, she might be willing to admit it in person, but not over comms that can be tapped, recorded, or spied on.

We'll have to make the trip worth the while and follow up other leads in the capital while we're there.

And paperwork or research you can do to keep busy on the ride?

Somewhat bad side of town? Shady exterior? Jammers inside? Sounds like the kind of place that someone who's under coercion of some kind might be asked to meet someone. Are there any significant gangs, big criminal players, history of any bad events or unsolved crimes, etc., nearby? If someone wanted to do some bad things in this neighborhood, is there anyone territory they'd be treading on? Ask for that kind of information.

Might be an idea to go plain clothes for this, Polo, so you don't spook anyone just by walking up to the hotel.

Agent Polo 2017/03/01(Wed)20:25 No. 784054 ID: bfb318
File 148842871199.png - (151.91KB , 800x800 , 32.png )

>If someone wanted to do some bad things in this neighborhood, is there anyone territory they'd be treading on?
This neighborhood is sketchy, but it's not so lawless that it's anyone's territory. I have been told in the past, in fact, that Rokoa and her team will specifically get involved when some gang tries to make any part of the capital their territory, even if it's a quarter block of sewage pipe.

I decide to go in plain clothes for this, as it would be in poor taste to show the hotel's visitors that the UDA is in for a visit.

>You know what would shorten travel time? A jetpack.
It would also be needlessly overt.

The cab driver asks if I'm off to stop the bad guys while I change. I don't wish to elaborate, so I just say 'yes'. During the rest of my time, I look at visuals of the ranger over time. Her body, face and all, does seem to change, complicating matters. It is not just a single change over a few key spots. Rather, it seems to morph mildly over time, like a gradual change over a time lapse. I do not know what to make of it, entirely.

Once the cab driver is tipped, I head into the hotel to room 617, the location in question. Once I knock at the door, I hear some muffled voices before the door is opened just a crack. The slide lock is in place, but the slack is so enormous that I could slide my hand in and undo it if I wanted.

In order of events, I see a girl with a shut, sleepy expression on her face behind the door. She then opens her eyes, which are bloodshot. Then a waft of snakeleaf comes out and hits me. It is an illegal, modified form of bitterweed. Although illegal, agents typically have better things to do than hunt drug usage that isn't terribly dangerous, even if it's in a no smoking room. It could make this visit awkward.

>"Fuckin' room service finall - where'za pizza at?"

>>784054
>Rather, it seems to morph mildly over time
Her hive knows! They're empathically changing her body to better fit the role. Well, that, or she became queen of her hive shortly after becoming the Pink Ranger, and THAT made her change. Though, to be honest, that usually just makes a neumono bigger. So I'm betting it's that her hive knows. This means that you just need to round up some representatives of hives that have the right fur/body type and mindset for the Pink Ranger to be among them, then ask them "Is the Pink Ranger in your hive?" Empathic screening, basically. If you get someone from the right hive then you'll get an empathic reaction.

>it's a druggie den
Bah. This isn't the right place. Well, we can still ask if they know anything. Tell them first off this isn't a drug bust, you're here to ask a few questions about an ongoing investigation they might have information on.

>Then a waft of snakeleaf comes out and hits me. It is an illegal, modified form of bitterweed
This implies there are legal variants of bitterweed?

>Her body, face and all, does seem to change, complicating matters. It is not just a single change over a few key spots. Rather, it seems to morph mildly over time, like a gradual change over a time lapse. I do not know what to make of it, entirely.
Could be several things. "Pink" might not always have been the same person in the ranger suit. She could have been a teenager when she started and has since matured. Could be empathy feedback affecting physical change (though that's very unlikely in anyone past childhood). Could be a side effect of their weird tech. Could be steroid or some other substance use. Could be upgrading her costume over time, deliberately obfuscating her identity.

Insufficient data.

>I hear some muffled voices
She's not alone in there. If this isn't Pink, we can't write off that she's inside. If possible, we want to get a look inside.

>"Fuckin' room service finall - where'za pizza at?"
You're... allowed to misrepresent yourself in order to question people right? Claim you're here for the customer satisfaction survey before her food gets here. Good for a coupon. She's high enough to buy it, you can ask a few question, rule her out, move on.

If you admit you're a cop, she's probably gonna overreact. Although playing openly does let you pressure her to talk in order to overlook the drugs (drug enforcement isn't your beat).

What exactly does snakeleaf do, and how likely is it to have much of an effect on your if you go in? Also, uh, what color is the girl? We sorta can't tell if she's pink or not. Does it actually look like this could be Vinessca?

"Open the door and let me in, I can't fit the pizza through that gap. You Vinessca?" Last question only if she's actually pink.

Ok, this needs to be delicate, then. We're not interested in the drugs (unless they turn out to be related to our case - could they be used to, for example, keep someone unconscious?), we're interested in a missing person. Even if Pink herself isn't here, the theoretical people who kidnapped/coerced her might have had trouble spotting her as well, so the Pink-likes may have also spotted things that could be clues to us, even if they're not Pink herself.

Gotta time this right. Get your badge in hand, while saying "Sorry, not room service. I'm searching for a missing person," (here's where you show the badge) "And I think someone here might know something. UDA. I'm not here for anything else."

>Body changing over time.

Hmm. Could be as simple as them specifically choosing replacements that were only slightly different, though that'd suggest they had a LOT of candidates to choose from, so it's unlikely. Exposure to high levels of empathy may also be the cause... hmm. What physical traits do neumono associate with "love"? If Pink has been being seen as a paragon of love, then empathy could have modified her into an ideal "loving" form, and that could be used to narrow the field. See if it the same thing has been happening to the other rangers. Or maybe they've been being modified over time by experimentation or augmentation efforts?

If they've been experimented on or enhanced, though - and they at least must have been part of the development of the empathy gun and suit tech in the first place - there must be some record somewhere identifying them more than we've seen. A scientist, especially a belenosian, wouldn't have worked on people like this without gathering all their available data. Blood type, genetic profile, other medical data that could help narrow things down. And someone had to be the one to recruit them in the first place, right?

Ok, I checked the backstory narrated by the gun again (http://tgchan.org/kusaba/questarch/res/614976.html#630614)

>>784062
> She could have been a teenager when she started and has since matured.

If the gun's narration is to be trusted, they were all teenagers when they started, possibly just after teenage depending on exactly how old they were and how long their training took. It also said that the moment of them swearing to destroy all injustice, as teenagers, was 131 years ago, which means that (if the members of the ranger team are still the same individuals) they are each about 144 to 150 years old. Neumono don't physically age until they're at the end of their life, but that age range could be used to profile someone based on language, behavior, tastes in entertainment and fashion, et cetera; things that a person would have picked up from being raised or having lived in a certain time period. So Polo should call in with that information (it's possible she was the only one who heard the gun tell her the history?) and make some inquiries based on it. I have a few more ideas from it.

See, the narration also specifies that they made their oath, THEN trained in all sorts of different fields, and then (or possibly at the same time as the training) contacted Belenosian scientists to gear them up. This gives us a few extra clues (again, if the gun's narration is to be believed). First, if the rangers are the same individuals, there's no way they don't know each other - the team was originally formed before they had their suits, and they made their oath and trained together at that time. It's possible they were internet friends or something, but they should have some personal connection to each other, at least know each other's names or something.

Second, it tells us the rangers (possibly just the original rangers) were RICH. 131 years ago, what sort of teenage neumono would have the luxury and resources to spend years training in a bunch of different subjects to become "the absolute best"? That's not how neumono hives would normally operate, they'd want each member to pick up one solid job, maybe a backup, and then get to work providing for their hive. Unless there was some rich rogue tycoon 131 years ago who could provide everything for their own kids (which would be easy to find out and narrow down candidates on), then they all must have been hive neumono to have been wealthy enough, and the amount of very wealthy hives at that time must have been pretty slim as well. Admittedly, I'm kind of guessing on this based on the canon Asteroid time frame, which is probably wrong because if you backtrack 131 years from Asteroid Quest as it is in the canon universe, I think that'd put you before neumono first contact was made. First contact was was probably made earlier in this universe, but I'd guess 131 years ago was still a less developed time.

I suppose they could all have been protege's of some wealthy family or individual, who something bad happened to and made them all swear to destroy injustice, making them like a tiny hive of batmen, but in that case again not knowing each other would have to be a total lie.

Even if they've done some legacy thing where the rangers swap with inheritors of the mantle every so often when an older one dies or retires, it'd still be pretty crazy that they wouldn't know each other. I guess it would be theoretically possible in that case, though. So, either there is some legacy swapping, or the rangers are lying about not knowing each other.

>>784237
The simplest explanation to resolve those conflicts is to treat the information the gun provided as suspect. They wouldn't be the first hero team to dramatize or exaggerate their own origin story.

>backtrack 131 years from Asteroid Quest as it is in the canon universe, I think that'd put you before neumono first contact was made.
Yes. If you assume this is happening in 135 AW or 185 AW, 131 years ago would be years before neumono first contact, in 65 AW. The timeline in the Christmasverse has been left vague, though.

(Maybe it counts in Belenos years, rather than Earth years, Astreneus years, or whatever the galactic standard year unit is? Or again, it's just bullshit).

As far as Agent Polo knows, there's only verifiable evidence the rangers go back ten years. Or at least, they've only been publicly active for ten years. Frankly, if they spent over a century training before starting their careers, their current performance is a massive embarrassment.

>>784269

It doesn't seem like it'd make sense to include inaccurate information in the gun narration, though. You can only get it by 1) having one of the wave force's guns and 2) generating a strong enough emotion to power the gun. Why lie?

... Maybe it was supposed to be just 31 years?

Tell you what, though, the idea that the gun passes on the ranger lore if someone with strong enough emotions to use it picks it up? That really sounds like a pass-the-torch legacy thing. Kinda green lantern style.

Should this kind of speculation go in the Asteroid Quest disthread or nah? The disthread's like 1k+ posts by now, loading may be an issue.

Agent Polo 2017/03/02(Thu)18:01 No. 784328 ID: bfb318
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>Gun narration involving 131 years ago being the beginning
I somewhat doubt this is the case for a variety of reasons. It seemed to match up with the show. Still, why their real gun would narrate the fiction is a valid question, and makes me wonder about how well the rangers can differentiate the two.

>What exactly does snakeleaf do, and how likely is it to have much of an effect on your if you go in?
It is bitterweed rolled in with a chemical that enhances the effects, which mostly makes people's brains sluggish and as though it was a dream. It can also act as a hallucinogenic in some people, especially the snakeleaf version. The chemical additive is illegal, but only very small amounts are included, small enough that it isn't typically harmful on its own.

Second hand smoke may have mild effects on me, but will be negligible at first, then gone after 10 minutes of fresh air.

>You're... allowed to misrepresent yourself in order to question people right?
Yes, but it is an ugly solution that I aim to avoid unless necessary.

"Are you Vinnesca?" I ask, noting she is pink.
>"Yah. Why?"
"I am looking for a missing person."
>"Huh. Well, none of us are missing. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here."
>"Vinny who's that?" I hear someone from inside call out in equally slurred speech.
>"The smallest girl I ever did see. She says she's got some questions!"
>"Well let her in already! We can play truth or dare!"
>"What if she wants to just ask questions like a... like a... like a normal person?"
>"That's too bad she's gotta truth or dare it like the rest!"
>"Wanna come in?" Vinessca asks me, though I'm almost certainly at the wrong place.

Pulling my badge may make things more tense, but it may also make things much more efficient than a game of truth or dare.

>>784328
Play Truth or Dare.

While it could be the wrong place this could also be Pink hanging out with a few friends and trying to cool off after her tough job as a Ranger. Is worth a few minutes to confirm things.

Agree to the truth or dare. You can always leave and outing yourself as a cop will probably have them all running in random directions panicking over nothing.

Haha, excellent. Sure, sounds good. Be sure to check her body out and see how attractively toned it is. You have to confirm that she's actually in track and field just in case, plus it won't hurt to match her general body shape with Pink's or notice incongruities. Plus if you look like you're checking her out they'll be less suspicious of you.

Ask them whose turn it is, and if it's yours, ask Vinessca or someone what's up.

>>784328
Accept the invitation, it lets you see the inside of the hotel room, and the other occupants. It would be terrible if Pink were right on the other side of the door and you missed her.

It's probably a dead end, but ten minutes to be sure you can afford after coming all this way.

>truth or dare
You have to pick dare, obviously.

Agent Polo 2017/03/02(Thu)19:42 No. 784400 ID: bfb318
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>Check for physical representations of love
It is mostly, I believe, in the facial expressions themselves, which is difficult to tell behind the narcotics. A full body that might come off as 'loving' would be far too wide of a net to match overall tastes to judge well, not to mention that such a body would not fit the physically demanding job of a ranger in the first place.

I go in, which silently communicates the invitation of playing truth or dare.

I check her body. Although she has parts bared, it's often difficult to gauge by that alone, since some fluff can otherwise hide a toned body. From the way she carries herself, though, she does imply someone who's in shape, even if the effect is detracted by the drugs making her look like she could be tipped over by a sideways look. It could feasibly be the body of someone like the pink ranger.

>"Okay welcome to our dennn, this isss..." Vinessca trails off before introducing the others. There are guys and girls, for a total of 5 people besides me. Vinessca gestures to each one as she mumbles and stutters over syllables that I believe are supposed to be their names. As she does so, each one nods and smiles as though what Vinessca is saying is perfectly understandable. Perhaps to them, it is. Once it's over, I have not successfully caught a single one of their names. They either refrain from, or forget, to ask for mine.
>"Smallest one gets to go first!" says the largest of them all, one of the guys. They all look at me. "You're the smallest!" he adds in. "Do you know how to play truth or dare?"

>"I can guide you through it if you don't." says Katzati, in my internal earpiece.
"I know how to play truth or dare." I say for everyone to hear.

>>784400
DARE.

>"I know how to play truth or dare." I say for everyone to hear.
Come on, how lame to you have to be to not know how to play. It's all there in the name! Katzati doesn't have a lot of faith in you, for shame.

Dare.

>>784401
No one asked us "truth or dare", so we pick the first victim, they pick truth or dare.

"I have no idea what Vinessca said your names were so she's up first. Vinessca, truth or dare?"

>>784406
Oh yeah you're right, first player gets to ask the first question.

>>784400
truth : why are his eyes reptilian?

Doesn't truth or dare start by asking one person "Truth or Dare?" then either a question or a dare based on what they pick?

>>784406
So, this.

Hmm. This could still theoretically be Pink. If this is a scenario where she's been mind controlled or drugged or something, she might be being kept under someone's eye here. That might explain why she trailed off and got mumbly over the names, because she doesn't actually know. The fact that there are "5 people besides me", that's exactly as many of them as rangers, which might contribute to that mind control drugs idea; like if she is being mind-fuddled to keep her under control she might have been given other "rangers" to fill in the "i should have four other neumono around" sense in her brain. Interesting coincidence, anyway. What's the exact gender balance of the rangers, does it match what's here, too?

Anyway, the truth or dare. Vinnesca seems inclined to be helpful, so I feel like she'll probably say truth if you target her with the question. If you do target her and one of the others starts encouraging her to say dare, that'd be another hint that something's up, so either way you'll be getting some info. Not a conclusive one, though. If these people are all feeling playful, they might be in the mood to just go "dare!" all the time, at least at first. You might need to wear them out on dares so that they start responding with truth. So if you get targeted, say "dare". If you target Vinnesca and she responds "dare", dare her to go get drinks or to check for the pizza, or something else that would require her to leave the room, or even the building preferably. If she's allowed to leave alone, then that'd be a strong hint she's not being kept here.

What's the room like, anyway, is there much in the way of places for a camera? Is this room in a jammer, or a jammer bubble? Start getting touchy so you can feel things. It's probably standard in neumono truth or dare to touch the person targeted.

Ask Vinnesca "Truth or Dare"

What we want is to guide dares so we get a excuse to touch her or one of the others so we can notice any empathy quirks. (A good dare would be "Put me on your shoulders I want to be the tall one")

And questions we want to subtlety get them in the direction of the Rangers so we can read there empathy via the dare touching.

Possible questions

1. Ever seen that silly Rangers show? If you could bone a Ranger which one would it be. (other than Love)
2. If you were a Ranger what emotion would you be?
3. Some silly question to move the game along.

(Can Katzati see whats going on? Like do you have video contacts in or a camera on your lapel? If so get her to look these other people up if possible. Also what is the ladies on the right necklace?)

Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)14:35 No. 784587 ID: bfb318
File 148858052156.png - (126.38KB , 800x800 , 35.png )

>What's the exact gender balance of the rangers?
It's unconfirmed, but it's most likely 3 female. The bare minimum I believe is 2 female, but I cannot rule out up to 4.

>Can Katzati see whats going on?
I am not visually wired, but we have a small drone outside of the window that has taken a snapshot of the various neumono inside. We are running investigation on them now.

>What is that necklace?
It appears to be a simple square under a triangle. Nothing seems unordinary from sight alone.

Here it is 3 female and 2 male, not including myself. There is another girl on the bed above us.

>"Vinessca. Truth or dare?"
"Trrruare. Dare."

>_A dare to let Polo make physical contact for empathic purposes
>_A dare that has her leave the room in case she's being mind controlled to stay here
>_Other

Go for physical contact. You have had experience with mind control before and should know the signs if you can touch her.

Wait how about both? Go for the ride on her shoulder idea but dare her to take you for a ride around the hallway block. Will be slightly embarrassing for her and thus a proper dare.

Can get a feel for her during the ride and ask a few questions if we are alone with her.

>>784589

I like your thinking.

Preface with "you said I was small so I want to be big". Dare her to let you ride on her shoulders and run you up and down the hall. Then "realize" that would disturb the other guests in the hotel, and suggest running a lap up and down a side of the hotel outside.

Physical contact seems the best bet. Dare her to something that's just an excuse to get into contact with her. Some stupid stunt.

Bonus is that it sort of sets the tone, so when your turn comes around you might well be dared to do something athletic, and you're plenty acrobatic.

>>784589
Pretty much. You're sick of everyone seeing you as tiny, time to rampage around as a giant.

>>784587
>we have a small drone outside of the window that has taken a snapshot of the various neumono inside.

>>784589
>Go for a ride on her shoulders.

If we combine these and have Polo smile, then Polo will have photographic proof of herself having a good time!

Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)16:53 No. 784614 ID: bfb318
File 148858878528.png - (175.13KB , 800x800 , 36.png )

"I am going to be large. I dare you to let me ride on your shoulders while you run me around the side of the hotel."

She gestures, I think, for me to follow her, as we leave the hotel. Once we get outside, she hoists me up herself to her own shoulders, where I hold on as she runs around. Or, rather, she does what passes for running while in her state. We don't get nearly the amount of looks as we would in any other hotel. Half the looks we get are from the other 4 people in the hotel room, who I see poking their heads through the opened window to see us running around the side. They cheer us on while surrounding neumono just roll their eyes.

I steer her around to make sure she doesn't run over too many tripping hazards, or try to run around the pool area. Even without the dangers of slipping and falling, the pool looks disgusting.

>"I'm gonna check in on the pizza!" she says, steering herself back inside. I'm still on her shoulders as she approaches the front desk. "Hey! I ordered pizza..."

There's a brief back and forth before, after some impatience from the front desk, it's revealed that Vinessca only imagined herself making the order, and that she never actually did.

It may be a good time to ask questions in the form of smalltalk, while I am able to read her empathy. Right now there is nothing terribly suspect about it. It reflects a good time while simultaneously barely processing what is going on.

>>784614
Hey did you hear the pink Ranger is supposed to be going to be visting rouges this year?

>>784614
Ask her what she thinks of that ranger show.

If she has any connection, there will be some kind of emphatic reaction.

So, who's your favorite Ranger?

>>784618
>>784617
Bit obvious.

>>784615
Better, let's go with this.

Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)17:24 No. 784620 ID: bfb318
File 148859066788.png - (111.55KB , 800x800 , 37.png )

The order is placed in the real world, and I go asking questions bluntly.

"Who's your favorite ranger?"
>"Who?"
"Of the omega wave force?"

The only empathic reaction I get is in line with recognizing and liking the show.

>"Oh! I never watched the show too much. Are they called rangers?"
"Colloquially."
>"Wha? Well Pink's gonna love up the rogueish downtown tomorrow so heh I'm a little biased."
"Are you going to be there?"
>"Yeah! I'm a rogue, ya know."

Hm. She doesn't feel that way, which is good for her.

"Nope, didn't notice. What're you going to do there?"

Well, at this point I'm guessing she's not Pink. Still, might be some info out of her.

"You seem to be in a good mood, then. Anything especially good happen to you today, aside from your get-together up in the hotel room?"

Since we're out of the room and she seems overall helpful, maybe it'd be better to be a bit blunter still. You already told her you were looking for a missing person, after all. Tell her you came to her because a camera had her in the last place the missing person should have been. Did she see, hear or feel anything unusual earlier, while she was traveling?

Hmmm. Well, she could theoretically be lying about being a rogue if she doesn't feel like one, but it's pretty unlikely she'd be able to hide the fact she was lying from you. Especially high. Pretty much rules her out.

Ask a few other questions and disengage, I guess. Maybe leave a tip for the pizza. Try and see if she knows anything else about Pink? If the rogue community loves her, she might know something the general populace doesn't. Like if she's visited them before.

"I guess she must be pretty popular, then."

"Does she stop by roguetown often?"

Smile for the drone! Then you'll have photographic evidence of you smiling and having a good time!

1/2 Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)18:03 No. 784632 ID: bfb318
File 148859302309.png - (127.82KB , 800x800 , 38.png )

>Smile for the drone!
So far I have little reason to smile.

"I didn't notice. What are you going to do there?"
>"... in roguetown? Get... hit... by a love beam?" she says, like I was asking a trick question.

>"That's strange." says Katzati. "She lives in a hive complex, and typically, those residents are all in the same hive. We're looking into it, but it's not unfeasible she just has a skillset that the resident hive wants filled."

"Right. Is that why you're in the capital, or do you live here?" I say, returning to Vinessca.
>"Oh no, I'm out of town. I just came in today!"
"Do you go to roguetown often?"
>"Oh, no, there's generally no reason."
"Did you see or feel anything unusual on your way over?" I ask, while she runs up the stairs.
>"Hmm... I mean, nothing out of the ordinary?"
"Any details?" I press farther, half because she seems to have something on her mind, half because of a desperate hope that this wasn't a complete dead end.
>"Hmm... oh, I did see a friendly neumono that looked like me! She was surrounded by a couple of aliens. I know she's friendly because she smiled and waved over to me."
"What can you tell me about her?" I ask, as we finish approaching our room.
>"Right, she's - oh hi guys! I challenge you, Dorrol!" She completely forgot about my question the instant that we walked through the door.
>"Dare?" he says.
>"Do a handstand!" Vinessca says, dropping me off.

Although he had a passing resemblence to Pilon prior to this, seeing this high individual attempt to do a handstand makes him look much more like Pilon, at least in his infomercials. He is failing constantly.

2/2 Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)18:04 No. 784633 ID: bfb318
File 148859308914.png - (143.55KB , 800x800 , 39.png )

>"Okay!" he says as though he succeeded at any point in time. He never did, but his body language swaggers in triumph and bad balance as he unravels some chocolate. I have to admit it smells nice, at least in this drug den. Then again, it smells like there may be something else in there. An unknown drug, perhaps, baked into the chocolate. "Back to you!" he says, crawling over to me. "Truth or dare?" My instinct freezes as I get picked again, but then I realize I can then redirect this back to Vinessca, and return to the line of questioning that I had her on.

>>784633
Dare.

Leaving the room at the bonus benefit of reducing how long you had to hotbox it with these guys.

>>"Hmm... oh, I did see a friendly neumono that looked like me! She was surrounded by a couple of aliens. I know she's friendly because she smiled and waved over to me."
Well that's a maybe lead you could follow up with your next question.

>>784633
Dare, I think. The two prior dares have been silly physical stunts, which has sort of set the tone. You'll likely get something similar. (Hopefully you won't be dared to say, eat an unsafe amount of drugs). Truth could blow this way too badly.

Polo you know you are a dare master.

Dare, pressing Vinessca might harsh the vibe, which will make this pointless for everyone!

Dare.

Go for Dare.

Remember you are a agent who can leave whenever she likes.

Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)18:21 No. 784643 ID: bfb318
File 148859406711.png - (104.31KB , 800x800 , 40.png )

"Dare."
>"Eat that whole bar of chocolate!" He talks while eating the last of his own.

He points to an untouched, enormous block of chocolate, then fingerguns at me. At first I think it must be laced in who knows what drugs and other chemical substances, but I also realize that it's still well wrapped. I cannot imagine that a drugged chocolate bar would still be wrapped as though it were freshly bought out of the store.

>>784643
what brand is it?

Hold the bar up and say out loud "You mean this (insert product info here) bar?" So Katzati knows what you are doing.

Then get to eating. We had our guys checking the new chocolate so should be safe.

>>784643
Is this the actual chocolate or the nontoxic chocolate-flavored stuff? Either way, start eating. If you're worried about having too much of whatever, you could waste some by "accident" I guess? It'd make you look kinda slobby, though.

>>784643
You're getting out of here in less than ten minutes. Even if it is drugged, you could throw it all up before you have the chance to metabolize much of it.

Do it.

Just make sure you're facing away from the window so your drone can't get any embarrassing pictures for Az to harass you with for the next year.

Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)18:30 No. 784650 ID: bfb318
File 148859462527.png - (79.69KB , 800x800 , 41.png )

I investigate further. It is unmarked, though it may have been slipped out of a brand marker sleeve or box. It is not too large for me to eat, but it will be filling, and is a slap in the face to all of my discipline in the ways of physical performance.

"Is this actual chocolate?"
>"Yeah!" he says.

>"I mean no!" he adds. "I mean - it's the stuff they call 'chocolate' but without the caffiene."

I suppose I could just vomit it back out upon clearing out of this room, if I do so quick enough.

Go to the store, buy an even larger chocolate bar. Or you know, STOP PLAYING. It would be too easy to make your own sealed chocolate bar wrapping, those things are made cheap.

... But yes you would like more chocolate.

Just eat it.

What did his empathy say, if anything? But... whatever.


Relax, chow down, and enjoy the treat. You've earned it putting up with Az and Rokoa and all this crime shit.

Unwrap it very carefully, undoing all the folds and keeping the wrapper perfectly intact.

Then devour the chocolate as messily and quickly as you can.

And >>784649

Say "You'll have none left for yourself then, but ok", and if they don't object after being reminded of that then do it. After that say "ok, I need to get back to work, so just another couple of rounds" and point to someone random to tag them. Stay for another little while for politeness, chip in some money for their food in return for them losing their chocolate, and when you do leave, ask Vinnesca to step outside with you for just a second. Maybe do that when the rest of them are distracted by something else. Could engineer the distraction yourself, if you wanted. Like, if they go dare, go "ok, I dare you to stand in a circle of you, you and you (the non-Vinnescas), close your eyes spin around and make out with whoever's closest to in front of you.

If Vinnesca was traveling publicly, there should have been cameras most of the way along her route in a futuristic city like yours, right? And you must have recognition/tracking systems for following a particular person's trail along those cameras. Ask Katzati if she can follow Vinnesca's trail to see this other pink neumono and her aliens.

You haven't had any yet, have you? Maybe it's almost as good as coffee cake. Worth a try, even if you don't feel up to eating the whole thing. Plus those things are jammed full of sugar, that's good for energy, and you're assured to work it off by the end of this case.

>>784649
Disagree, hiding will just show that Polo's vulnerable and encourage them to tease her. Act like it ain't a thing.

Just go for it you grump.

Sniff this chocolate. If it also smells off, then it's time to abandon the game and start asking official questions, specifically about the aliens near the pink neumono Vinessca noticed. Also, break off a piece of the chocolate to analyze.

It's not like one bar chocolate is going to change your diet, sure it's unhealthy but a one off thing like this isn't going to hurt.

Basically, just eat it, you grump. Are you trying to glare a hole through it?

Agent Polo 2017/03/03(Fri)18:43 No. 784665 ID: bfb318
File 148859542724.png - (96.87KB , 800x800 , 42.png )

>If Vinnesca was traveling publicly, there should have been cameras most of the way along her route in a futuristic city like yours, right?
At least while in the capital. It is possible Vinnesca saw this other pink neumono while in the outskirts, which don't have ubiquitous surveillance.

>What did his empathy say, if anything?
The jammer is still online, and I was not touching him to bypass it.

I undo the wrapper carefully, and pocket it. It does not, at least, taste like solidified drugs. It smells like chocolate.

I eat it. I eat the whole thing, not fully facing or turning from the window, as any drones out there can already see what I'm about to do regardless. It's too delicious and I understand now what the neumono species has been missing out on. The other neumono cheer me as they yell 'Chug! Chug! Chug!' I don't correct them, and someone bangs on the floor from downstairs. I 'accidentally' chip off a part of the chocolate and wipe it into my fur just under my shirt collar. I will save this for later to take a proper sample from later.

It is now my turn. I would like to get out of here soon, so that I can talk with Katzati, as I cannot do it without having the others hear as well.

>>784665
Smile, ya grumpy jackass. And if you're leaving anyway go for Vinessca again.

How sick / full are you feeling now, Polo?

>It is now my turn. I would like to get out of here soon, so that I can talk with Katzati, as I cannot do it without having the others hear as well.
Pick Vinnesca again. Or if they make you pick someone else, pick necklace girl, and have her do something distracting so you can ask Vinnesca your follow up question before slipping out.

7 minutes of heaven with Vinessca in the closet dare (if she chooses dare).

Then just chat in private. Yeah its silly but it will work.