The Research Base Incident

Credits

Special thanks go to Göran Damberg, who's website has been a source of inspiration. The material used in this adventure-campaign is fictional. Anyway, I have taken some ideas out of GDW books, like "The Hard Times". As this adventure takes place after the fall of the third imperium, it makes excessive use of the Megatraveller Ruleworks, once owned by GDW, which followed the fate of the third imperium ;-)

I. Pree

Referee and Players

This is the year 1125. We are facing happenings on a small but not unimportant Planet in the Antares Sector, called Pree. The Rebellion is in full action an the frontier zone borders are coming closer and closer to the heart of the sector - Antares itself. (p: Poutside)

Pree is not what one would consider a nice and beautiful place to be, but it's one of the few places left in the whole known universe, where one could find work, without mangling with war. It's basicly a vast ball of mostly frozen ammoniumhydroxid. Only one Continent and one Island prevent it from being covered totally in that stuff. Those few parts consost mainly of dusty, sandy deserts and regions of mountains and sharp, deadly cliffs. A pure disappointment for anyone looking for minerals or other objects of any worth.

In the times before the Imperium fell, this place has been an important centerpoint of Trade. It had a Starport of quality A, which has lost a lot in the past ten years and has now quality B. Only the presence of the old Navy- and Scout-Station has prevented further decay. Antares, which is allied with the remains of the Imperium has made a contract with Lucan, which allows him to maintain military sectors in the area in return for securing the tradelines. This is, why Pree is serving as an imperial outpost and provides supply for the imperial fleet.

In fact, Pree is ruled by a company, called Sylon INC., that is said to belong to the Imperum. Rumours say, that it is the remains of the former imperial "Convert Survey Buro" (CSB), which has been a branch of the imperial secret intelligence, doing the "dirty work". Now Sylon acts as a "Company for Trade and Research", but no one knows exactly, what they are up to. The few inhabitants of Pree refer to it mainly as "The Company", and, as nearly all of them are employed by Sylon, noone really cares.

However, as told before, Pree is a good place to get work and avoid the war, and it has though become a hidaway for many persons. Thus, law is nearly non-existant and everybody who lives here does good, if he knows, how to defend himself. But there is at least ONE rule, everybody has to obey:
"Do nothing, that harms the Company, or you're done!"

The Company has kind of a "tradition", in what they do to their enemies. They imprison them some time, and then (if they don't use them for research) they let them escape, to follow them on the surface and hunt them to death. The managers of Sylon find it a quite nice diversion to the usually quite boring life on Pree.

Pree:  0710 B53840 A Fl Ni A904 Im
Antares Sector, Subsector G
Starport:       B
Size:           5 (medium, ca. 8000km diameter)
Atmosphere:     3 (very thin, nearly vacuum, 0,2 atmospheres, requires Vaccsuit)
Hydrosphere:    8 (wet world, 82% fluid)
Population:     4 (moderate, 81548 people)
Government:     1 (Company/Corporation = Sylon INC.)
Lawcode:        0 (no law = no prohibitions)
Trade:          Fl, Ni (Fluid, Non Industrial)
Travelzone:     Amber
Population Multiplyer = 9
Planetoid Belts = 0
Gas Giants = 4
Allegiance = Imperial

A day on Pree last 8 hours, dividing into 6 hours daylight and two hours night. Temperature at night sinks very, very low, so there is no surviving unless you have a heated shelter or a very good vaccsuit or battlesuit. Besides the human and human-like Inhabitants, there are also living three species of animals on Pree.

First, there is the Sunnata-species. It's usually a Herbivore, but as it lives as a Filter animal, dug in the sand, similar to the terran ant-trap, it eats, whatever comes to its mouth-tentacles, no matter if it's able to digest ist or not. So its behaves sometimes more like an omnivore.

Second, there are the Cassant. They are flat, fish-like creatures, swimming through the sand. They feed on micro-biological beings, fot that's why they are Herbivore- Grazers. Their flesh is told to be very tasty.

The Thuliat is the third species. They are Flyers of the type Omnivore-Hunter. They move through the very thin air, using a natural jet system. First they inhale sand into a pocket, then they exhale it explosively.

Referee

Animal Encounter Table:

        Ocurrance (roll 1D):
        1       Filter (Sunnata)
        2-4     Grazer (Cassant)
        5       Hunter (Thuliat)
        6       none

        Modifiers for World-Type: Type-DM=+3, Weight-DM=-3

        Quantity
        Filter (Sunnata) = 1
        Grazer (Cassant) = 2D
        Hunter (Thuliat) = 1D

        Animal Weight Effects
        Filter (Sunnata): Wt=25, Hits=1D, Wound=3, WoundMod= --
        Grazer (Cassant): Wt=6, Hits=1D, Wound=1, WoundMod=-1
        Hunter (Thuliat): Wt=200, Hits=2D, Wound=1D+1, WoundMod=+1

        Animal Weaponry
        Filter (Sunnata): Horn (on the end of the tentacle), Hits=2
                                (Filters inflict automatically 1D Damage/150kg)
        Grazer (Cassant): Horn (on top of the head), Hits=2
        Hunter (Thuliat): Claws+1, Hits=2
        A horn has a pen 5, block 1, damage 2.
        Claws have pen 3, block 0, damage 2.

        Animal Armor:
        Filter (Sunnata): jack=(1) but is difficult to hit, because in sand!
        Grazer (Cassant): jack=(1) moves quickly (MoveDM+3)
        Hunter (Thuliat): none

        Animal Behavior:
        Filter (Sunnata): F8, Ap, S1
        Grazer (Cassant): F1, A8 (if forced), S3
        Hunter (Thuliat): F1, A6, S1

2. Fannach

The Campaign sits in Toynies' in Fannach. This Pub is the biggest and most visited in town. Toynie is the third in line of his family, who owns this pub. His grandfather once killed the original holder of the pub. Toynie still tells the story of the heroic fight, but some of the visitors tell another story. Toynies grandfather is said to have backstabbed the poor man, which has considered him a friend (at liest until this bloody deed). But beware Travellers! Never tell Toynie the story! He'll become fucking angry 'bout it.

As they are enjoying the pleasures of Fannach, which is the only major town on Pree, the Campain learn to know each other and tell stories 'bout their past. A person siting at the bar nearby seems to be quite interesting, and listens a while before he comes over ...

Referee only

This person is Sir James Forlon UPP:87889B

GunCombat-5,Computer-1,Wheeled-Vehicle-0,JetPropelled-Vehicle-0,Communications- 0,Liaison-2,Brawling-1,Medical-0
Psi-10:Telekinesis,Teleempathy,Teleportation,Clairvoiance

Age:55, apparent:25

He comes from a noble family. As he was naturally talented in PSI, he soon started a carrer as a Spy in the Convert-Survey Buro, where he had to undergo some genetical manipulations to increase his PSI-abilities. He was used as a PSI-Terrorist to perform assaults at unbeloved Persons, and now works as a spy for "The Company", sometimes recruting persons for dangerous missions.

On Pree, his name is John Glomm, and this is the name, he tells the Players.

Referee and Player

He wants them to go north, to find out, what to one of the Research-Bases happened. Sylon has lost contact, one month ago. The last thing they heard, was a scientist asking, who sent an imperial patrol.

Mr. Glomm asks you, if you want to take on a mission, he has for you. He sais it's likely, that the Base has been attacked by somebody. He wants you to find out, who it was and save everything, that's left from the research and bring it back to Fannach. There they should hand the material over to him.

In the base are 3 sciencists and 6 guards employed.

To make their journey possible, Sylon INC will make an ATV available at no charge. On fulfilling the assignment, everyone of the Campaign shall get 50.000 cr. After discussing very view details (Mr. Glomm certainly don't want to give too much away), he gives them his COM-number and heads off.

3. The trip (I)

The ATV is an antigraph vehicle. It has room for up to eight persons.

As the campaign goes to the shuttlestation of Pree, they will be led to the ATV by a foreman.

1D: 1-3 he tells the campaign wild stories, about how "The Company" did hunt people with the ATV. He's a braggart and plots, that he has killed some people himself.

4-6 he doesn't like people from "The Company" and is quite unfriendly.

There is a mission map in the computer (could also be handed ofer by J. Glomm). The researchbase in question is RB2, lying north-northwest of Fannach in direct distance of about 500km. As there is a Mountain range in the way, the party has to go north-northeast first, to come to a passway. The length of this trip is about 200 km. Reaching the other side of the mountain chain, they will have to head west for about 500 km.

Possible encounters while in the desert are mainly animalencounters (see Animal Encounter Table).

Referee

*) In the desert, roll 1D on Ocurrance, every 100km HEX

*) In the mountains, the parts has to face a big rockslip, which covers the passway, making it unmanagable for the ATV.

*) In the mountains, the party will meet Phil Glennson and his wife. He escaped a few years ago from a execution, which has been ordered by Sylon. As he mistakes them as bounty-hunters (because of the ATV), he fires with a 4cm RAM GL8 grenade-launcher, and HE-granades.

Rds=3, Pen=24, Dmg=8, MaxRange=VLong, DangerSpace=15, Sig=Med, Recoil=Med, Diff=Indirect

Possible Solutions:

1. The party is able to get contact to Phil, by using the Radio. They try to negotiate.
2. The Party kills the Forward-Observer (his wife) with the installed Pulselaser. And then heads for Phil himself. As Phil has only three shots, his wife (doing FwdOps) tries to cause a rockslip, using explosives.

*) In the desert, roll 1D on Ocurrance, every 100km HEX

Referee and Players

The party reaches the base from the east.

The picture that reveals in front of them, shows definately all signs of fight. The lab-building of the research-base has a big hole in the eastern wall. A big pile of conainers, south of the lab, builds a huge labyrinth. Traces of footsteps lead to the eastern entrance. The Containers carry signs of laser-fire.

Referee

As the party carries on, use the maps ...

4. The Lab

The Researchbase has been attacked by a renegade batallion of Droynes, which have landed near the base with a fighter. they have been about 50, 10 of them having been killed in a fierce fight in the container-labyrinth. The five guards, defending the base there have been killed, too.

The sixth has been killed inside the Lab.

The reason for the attack was, that Sylon has found an ancient site, older and better conserved than others, which contained a lot of useful information and technology. The scientists have found plans for human DNA-reconstruction, which looked promising to lead mankind into a a new evolutional era. They have already started with experimentation. Nothing is known of the results, because as the Droyne came to know about these things (however), a part of the warrior-caste split of and (as they still feel as the successors of the ancients) tried to prevent humans to come into knowledge of these things. They tried to lay hold of that knowledge themselves.

The labyrinth has nevertheless been equipped with some defense mechanisms, before the guards have been defeated.

There are boobie-traps inside the labyrinth.

HE, Pen=15, Dmg=8, DangerSpace=3m, Activation=2m, Sig=Gren.

Can be scanned by EMS-Scanner, but only within Dangerspace. Activates on movement within Activation range.

There are automatic PulseLasers placed in the labyrinth.

PulseLaser-13: Rds=2D*10, Pen/Atten=20/2, Dmg=3, MaxRng=Distant, Sig=Low, Diff=Simple, Armor=8, Hits=5, Aims at Movement.

As there has been a fight, not long ago, the Ammo of the Laser (max=200) has decreased to an Amount of 2D*10. But the party will never know.

On the dead body of one Guard, one of the players could find an EM-Emitter, which looks like a bangle with a red-colored button on it. The EM-range is fix. EM- radiation will be emitted if one presses a button.Later (maybe even by accident), they will find out, that it is an electronic Door opener. It can be used to open the secret door in the center of the labyrinth, which leads down to the ancient tunnels. It can also be used to open doors inside the tunnels. There, it will open any secret or concealed door within a range of approximatly 5 meters.

The size of the Lab is about 30 m. The main terminal, containing all the information has been destroyed completely and there is a big hole in the wall, where it has been before (Aha!! That's why!!). The few remains of a dead guard cover the wall and the floor.

The other terminal is dead. A probe-container, placed in the center of the room, looking like a plexiglass-cylinder, is empty. Its door is open. In it, are organic traces, but the DNA cannot be analyzed. On one side is an airlock, which leads into a small room. This room has breathable atmosphere, smelling a little bit stale. In the floor is a big hole (seems more like a crack). In fact THIS was the reason, why Sylon started the research out here. The hole leads down (90) about 50m into the ancient site. This is no appropriate way of entering the site.

The ancient site has its entrance in the midst of the labyrinth. There is a secret door, which can be opened by the bangle of the leader guard (his dead body lies somewhere at the eastern entrance of the labyrinth). But the droyne have managed to access it through the crack inside the lab, using antigrav-belts.

Inside the secret entrance there is only place for one at a time. There is a combined elevator/airlock system, building up a breathable atmosphere inside the cabin, while it moves down ('bout 50 m). The air smells stale.

The lift takes them into a small room. On the norhteast of the room is a door, leading into a gangway to a bigger room.

There they find the three scientists, - well - nearly completely three of them. Two are dead, and parts of their bodies are missing. They have been killed and eaten by the third one, who has gone completely insane over the last month of imprisonment. There is still a very small amount of water in a conservation-bottle in one edge of the room.

The mad scientists name is Negg. They can't bring out much of him. He screams and shouts most of the time, and most of the things they can't understand. But it seems, that the long time of imprisonment and the food-problem is not the only thing, that have maid him mentally deranged. He shouts one senance again and again:

"It's free! It's free! It'll kill us all!! The last days of mankind have come ..." Trying to find out more needs telepathic skill. But using it is hazardous on this task. A mishap will follow psychological damage for the telepath. For the "read thoughts" - task see Players Manual S.98.

Anyway, there is another secret(!!) door, leading into another gangway. This one is heading north and south into quite similar looking rooms in the shape of a dome (p:ancdome) (see map). The south dome has a gap in the roof, leading up into the lab. The other rooms are quite uninteresting. Everywere they can see, that the original ancient equipment has been either removed or destroyed. The room in the south-east of the site has two black-shiny poles, made out of an unknown material. No scan can reach into it, but the em-scanner can read gravity- distortions, which let the party know, that this poles must have quite a mass and density to work as gravity-sources. A panel, which was installed in this room before, is destroyed.

Other room contain things, that could have been weapens or scanners, but are destroyed.

There are no data. The droyne have taken all evidence of research with em. The party has to take the scientist with them, if not for humanitarian reasons, so at least as he is the only evidence, that they have been here, trying to accomplish their mission.

5. The trip (II)

The way back is the same as the way, they came. Roll for all occurrances, except the Phil Glennson incident and the bolder dash.

6. At Fannach again