Adam dedicated the next week to the digital hunt. His new studio apartment became a base of operations, though the real work happened externally – bouncing between library terminals and dimly lit internet cafes to maintain anonymity. He unleashed his [Accelerated Calculation] Aspect, diving deep into the vast ocean of publicly available data. News archives, declassified city planning reports, obscure technical forums, financial news feeds, even police blotter summaries – he consumed and processed information at a rate that would have been impossible just weeks before.
The mental strain was significant, especially when actively focusing the Aspect for extended periods, leaving him drained by the end of each day. But the results were undeniable. Patterns emerged from the noise, correlations that seemed insignificant on their own but painted intriguing pictures when combined. He wasn't hacking mainframes – not yet, anyway – but he was becoming adept at finding the ghosts in the machine, the anomalies hidden in plain sight.
He found it in the intersection between scheduled city infrastructure maintenance logs and archived local news reports. Certain planned power outages or communication node shutdowns in specific industrial or dockland areas seemed to consistently, though subtly, correlate with brief spikes in localized crime reports or vague mentions of "unusual activity" in subsequent days. It was thin, circumstantial, but his enhanced pattern recognition flagged it as highly probable: someone was using scheduled infrastructure downtime as cover.
His analysis pinpointed an upcoming event: a four-hour maintenance blackout scheduled for Substation 7 in an industrial district near the Gowanus Canal, set for three nights from now. This was his chance – not to intervene directly, but to observe, gather intelligence, and potentially earn a significant IP reward.
As he formulated a plan – infiltration, observation, exfiltration – the System responded.
[Intel Quest Issued: Power Down Profit]
[Objective: During the scheduled maintenance blackout at Substation 7 (23:00-03:00), infiltrate the perimeter, observe and record any illicit activities using proof-gathering methods (audio/video/photo), and exfiltrate without detection.]
[Reward: 350 IP, 1x C-Rank Lottery Chance, Potential Bonus IP based on quality of intel.] [Failure Penalty: Detection could lead to confrontation with unknown, potentially dangerous operatives.]
The reward was substantial, but the explicit penalty warning underscored the risk. These weren't likely to be simple street thugs if they were coordinating activities around power grid shutdowns.
Preparation was key. Adam used a portion of his funds to acquire better gear: dark, non-reflective clothing, soft-soled shoes, climbing gloves, and most importantly, a decent quality (but still untraceable) burner phone with a surprisingly good low-light camera and audio recording capabilities. He spent hours online, using [Accelerated Calculation] to study publicly available schematics of the substation's layout and surrounding area, planning multiple infiltration and exfiltration routes. The nights leading up to the maintenance window were spent physically scouting the area, using [Urban Phantom Movement] to practice traversing the fences, rooftops, and shadowed pathways under the cloak of darkness, his [Danger Intuition] mapping out the regular security patrol routes.
On the designated night, the air was thick and humid. Adam moved through the darkened streets, a shadow amongst shadows. As the clock ticked past 23:00, the streetlights in the target sector flickered and died, plunging the industrial blocks into near-total darkness, save for the moon and distant city glow. Substation 7, a blocky concrete structure surrounded by high chain-link fences topped with barbed wire, was now only illuminated by sparse emergency lighting.
Adam approached the perimeter. His practice paid off; he found the blind spot in the camera coverage his analysis had predicted. Using his gloves and the enhanced agility from [Urban Phantom Movement], he scaled the fence quickly and silently, dropping into the substation compound without a sound. His [Danger Intuition] pulsed – a low, steady hum indicating the presence of security personnel, but no immediate, focused threat.
He moved swiftly, using the deep shadows cast by transformers and equipment housings, guided by his mental map and the innate spatial awareness granted by his movement Aspect. He found his pre-chosen vantage point: a catwalk overlooking the main loading bay, partially obscured by machinery. He settled in, minimized his presence by leveraging the stealth capabilities inherent in [Urban Phantom Movement], and activated the burner phone's camera, zooming in on the bay doors.
He waited. For nearly an hour, nothing happened beyond the routine sweep of a pair of bored-looking security guards, easily avoided thanks to his Danger Intuition and the near-silent movement his Aspect afforded. Then, headlights cut through the darkness. A large, unmarked panel truck, definitely not belonging to the power company, rolled silently up to the loading bay. Its engine was suspiciously quiet.
Several figures emerged, dressed in dark tactical gear, faces obscured by masks or shadows. They moved with practiced efficiency, opening the bay doors and beginning to unload heavy, unmarked wooden crates from the truck. Adam recorded everything – the figures, the truck (he managed a clear shot of the obscured license plate), the crates, their hushed, professional communication caught faintly by the phone's microphone. His [Accelerated Calculation] worked furiously, analyzing their movements, identifying what looked like a leader coordinating the operation, noting the type of gear they carried. This wasn't a simple smuggling operation; it felt more organized, more professional. HYDRA? A.I.M.? Some other player?
He continued recording for another twenty minutes as they loaded the crates onto dollies and moved them deeper into the substation, presumably towards an access tunnel. He had captured more than enough. Time to leave before the power came back on and security tightened.
Exfiltration required just as much care. He retraced his steps, sticking to the shadows. As he neared the perimeter fence, his Danger Intuition suddenly spiked – sharp, close, moving fast! He reacted instantly, throwing himself sideways behind a large transformer just as a flashlight beam swept across the spot where he'd been. A guard, making an unscheduled round. Adam held his breath, pressing himself flat against the cool metal, relying on the enhanced stealth granted by [Urban Phantom Movement]. The guard paused, listened, then moved on. Adam didn't breathe easily until the footsteps faded completely. He scaled the fence again and melted back into the dark city streets.
Safely back in his studio, heart still pounding, he reviewed the evidence. The footage was clear, the audio surprisingly decent. He had proof of a highly organized, clandestine operation happening under the cover of official maintenance. Using a secure public Wi-Fi hotspot and layers of anonymizing software he'd researched, he uploaded the encrypted files to a dedicated whistle-blower platform used by investigative journalists, attaching a brief, anonymous note detailing the time and location.
Moments later, the System responded.
[Quest Complete: Power Down Profit]
[Intel Quality Assessed: High (Clear video/audio evidence, identification of organized activity). Bonus IP Awarded.]
[Reward: 350 IP + 100 Bonus IP, 1x C-Rank Lottery Chance Awarded.] [Current IP: 595]
Almost 600 IP, and another lottery chance. The risk had paid off handsomely. He felt a surge of satisfaction – he had successfully leveraged his unique skillset for significant gain. But the identity of the operatives at the substation remained a mystery, a potentially dangerous loose end.
He looked at his System interface. Slots were still full (-/3). He now had enough IP (595) to potentially save towards the B+ Fusion ([Danger Intuition] + [Urban Phantom Movement] - though the cost would likely be higher now involving two B-ranks), but he also had a new C-Rank draw available. Decisions, decisions.