Markesha has no patience for anything but answers, and Audrey’s willing to give what she can.

Working on Orson’s team means you have to be willing to come to the table and take orders, no questions asked…until you’ve proven yourself reliable. Orson doesn’t mind a simple question here or there, but what he does mind is timing. New recruits rarely get anything out of Orson, but those that stick around longer and prove themselves are given small tidbits of information. The problem is the answers they’re given can vary wildly. In this game the only person with all the answers is Orson, and he wants it to stay that way.

Markesha wants answers and she’s determined to get them from Audrey, but first Link needs to stop talking.

Radio etiquette isn’t exactly a required skill for being a Spyder. In the early days of the team, Audrey and Orson had to deal with Link’s lack of comm-line manners. There were times during missions that Link would hum, make popping noises with his mouth, or eat without putting his mic on mute. The straw that broke the camel’s back happened when Link was listening to music during a mission and started giving the current recruit tone-deaf “theme music.” Orson snapped, and Link sulked for a week, but then his old habits came back. It’s taken a while to impress upon Link that his radio chatter isn’t needed or wanted, but potentially dangerous for recruits in the field. Curbing Link’s chatterbox nature is a work in constant progress.

Markesha’s run out of pavement to pound. Audrey realizes just how much she’s messed up their coworkers first day.

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Markesha’s recruitment has been a unique process for Orson’s team. The usual route for hiring a new recruit is through the Razors. Orson favored using Razor’s as they came with training, were moderately fit, and above all else knew how to take orders. The worst first day any recruit had before this was when their new asset casually let slip a few details about his new job to a friend. Audrey and Link immediately scrambled into hiding. Orson had to keep his profile low, while continuing his contributions to the Razors. The whole team was separated for nearly a month. Some time during this hiatus the loose lipped recruit mysteriously disappeared.

As Link and Audrey discuss their options Markesha’s getting away. Or is she?

Technology is the name of the game for the Pierce House sponsored gang known as the DireDogs. Commonly referred to as “the Dogs” (much to the annoyance of certain members) the gang is made up of two factions: one part mercenary spyders, and one part street muscle. With a flair for theatrics, every member is provided a lighted uniform and unsettling mask. These masks are worn for all DireDog business, providing wearers with instant communication, keener perception, voice changing capabilities and a semblance of anonymity. This sense of anonymity gives gang members a bolder attitude toward the outside world. The Dogs have been expanding into the Razors territory at every opportunity. So, Toro assigned “fixing the mutt problem,” to Carmen. These tech hounds have been a constant thorn to the Lieutenant Commander, and Carmen’s all too eager to be rid of them.

Miscommunications run rampant when Markesha’s comm-unit glitches out. She can hear them, but they can’t hear her!

The best way to collect fresh water in Outer Trinity is by rain barrel. When a large storm system comes through, rain barrels are shoved under every possible spout, awning, overhang, and roof line. Though water isn’t scarce in Trinity by any means thanks to the Trinity river that flows east of the city, rain water is cleaner by a a large margin. River water must be filtered multiple times using expensive filtration units – which means truly clean water is only available to those who can afford it. But the script flips when storm clouds stack up! Even the elite within Inner Trinity who can afford the best of filtration systems, use rain barrels when storms roll through.

Markesha’s beginning to get the hang of the Pack. Sort of.

Part of the fun of training a new recruit is getting them acclimated to using the Anti-Gravity Pack. Once simple actions, such as walking, become so exaggerated at zero-G that Orson’s agents effectively must learn to move in a totally different way. In Link’s opinion this makes for a pretty entertaining show. Jackal’s first experience was in a more controlled environment than Markesha, and he still made an idiot of himself. Further, approximately 57% of past recruits had violent gastrointestinal reactions to their body fluctuating between normal gravity and zero-G. As such Orson’s ensured the team has a small trash bin nearby during the first tests on new recruits.

Markesha’s out of radio range, Audrey and Link are out of options. Time for Hail Mary #2.

Turf wars between gangs in Outer Trinity have a long and sordid history. Gangs have been around so long in Trinity that their actions have affected even the very founding of the city. As the Withering spread across the landscape, local gangs pulled together serving as ad-hoc police forces, guarding resources, and protecting Trinity’s early settlers. But history is never clean and peaceful forever. The very first power grab by gangs created a civil war that nearly wiped the city off the map, until Inner City leaders stepped in with financial sponsorship to keep them from infighting. As the years marched on many things have changed, but the fear of getting caught in a turf battle between two rival gangs is ever present.