Amber Zone: The Ship in the Lake

By: Loren K. Wiseman ()
Adventure Seed

In the course of seeking gainful employment, the players are contacted by a representative of Sternmetal Horizons, LIC.

The initial survey of the planet Cocta found it worthless for any major exploitation and thus the planet has been a backwater for many years. Recently, however, rumors have gotten out that the initial report was forged, and that extensive and valuable mineral deposits lie hidden in the region known as the Take Yabu, a dense jungle area three hundred kilometers north of Atarishii Okayama, the capital/spaceport. Sternmetal sent an undercover survey team into the region several months ago, but the report they were to send back was never recieved. Investigation revealed that the team had apparently completed their survey and was returning to the spaceport by a tourist excursion steamer when the ship was attacked by a band of terrorists.

The wreck of the steamer was never located, and the local government officials are reluctant to speak of it. Apparently, only a cursory investigation was made, as the area was (and still is) infested with guerillas hostile to the local government.

Sternmetal Horizons, LIC, will pay CR 2000000 for the recovey of the lost survey report, or CR 100000 for the location of the wreck of the ship. They provide the following additional information:

The government of Cocta is desperate for tourists (virtually its only means of getting off-planet currency) which has been on the wane since the rebellion in the outback began. They h have, therefore, taken steps to conceal the extent of the rebellion and restricted tourists to the relatively safe areas south of the capital.

Locally available transport includes hovercraft, ATV, air/rafts, and local beasts of burden similar to terran mules, all available at .01% of the book 3 purchase price per week, including guide. (Guides are mandatory. Tourists bring their own transport must hire one guide per vehicle at a cost of CR 100 per day).

Due to the activities of the rebels, import restrictions on weapons are very tight, but Sternmetal has arranged for a quantity of weapons to be smuggled on-planet (one VRF Gauss gun and 2000 rounds for the group as a whole, and one ACR with 300 rounds of ammunition and 10 HE RAM grenades per member of the party.

The party may maintain the weapons after the mission is completed, but are responsible for getting them off-planet.

Standard operating procedures for clandestine operations of this nature permit Sternmetal to describe the probable nature of the container of the report.

Referee's Information:

He referee should prepare a rough map of the terrain around the capital for several hundred kilometers in all directions. The steamer was sunk in about 50 meters of water in a large lake (about 150km by 300km), located about two hundred kilometers north of the city.

For each week spent traveling to or from the lake, or spent in search of the wreck of the ship, roll 2D for 4+ for the party to be attacked by guerillas. if a 10+ is rolled, the party is taken completely by surprise. The referee should adjust the size and armament of the attacking guerillas to the size of the party.

After arrival at the lake, two die rolls should be made to determine if the hulk of the ship can be located, and the report recovered. For location of the wreck - 2D for for 12+, DM +4 if using sonar or metal detection equipment, +5 if diving equipment is used for the search (these rolls are additive). This roll may be made only once per week.

For the recovery of the report -- 2D for 8+, DM of -6 if no diving equipment is used. This roll may only be made once per week, after the wreck has been located.

The referee should determine likelihood of arms or equipment being destroyed by guerilla attacks, and the possibility of ad hoc diving equipment being fabricated on the spot.

Note: the party will have to deal with the guide(s) in some fashion (kill them, bribe them, etc. before venturing north of the city, or the party will be intercepted and arrested by units of the local army. Guides are armed with one automatic pistol each.

If the party returns to Atarishii Okayama with the arms they will be arrested unless they have taken measures to conceal them. Some means of explaining the absence of the guide(s) (if they are killed) will have to be devised before the locals will allow the party to leave Cocta.

The weapons may be sold outside the city for 1D x 10% of their book value. Selling them will take 2D weeks, DM -2 per level of streetwise. Roll 2D for 8+ for the local police to discover the deal and arrest all involved.

Copyright 1979, 1996 Loren K. Wiseman. All rights reserved. Some material on this page is from the Traveller game system and is used with permission. Traveller is a registered trademark of Far Future Enterprises. ®1977-1996 Far Future Enterprises. Portions of this material are Copyright ©1977-1996 Far Future Enterprises.