SCL 7
Contact: Dr Thomset at Department of environmental biology
Blurb: Squad required for retrieval of data from Dahl Base in CS5.
Pay: 1K per squad member.
Coverage: Third eye
Short and sweet eh?
Dahl base is a purpose built environmental research station built into a secondary sinkhole in CS5. For many years now it has been collecting data on the unique fauna that has evolved in the lake, which is effectively upstream of the more famous clear water lake.
Last week the scientists based in the station bugged out after unusually strong earth tremors in the region. Unfortunately the bug out was so quick they left a large amount of the data behind, some of which is rather sensitive and SLA would be happier if it didn’t fall into the wrong hands.
The BPN is the retrieval of this data, plus any useful footage of said Fauna – as the scientists view are a bit well boring and the department has bills to pay so a nice bit of news worthy footage should cover the cost of the BPN at least.
The briefing officer will even give the party a picture of the site and the basic data available to them at their SCL about the structure: (see hand out.)
How the squad gets to the station is up to them. Remember CS5 is one huge sink hole, with deeply eroded terrain channelling the rain into it. Flash floods are common, as are very unstable bits of ground that vanish beneath you and drop you into deep waterfilled caves. All this make taking any ground vehicle into the sector a disaster waiting to happen. If they ask the right people and fill in the right forms then they should be able to get a transport copter assigned to them. If not then it’s a long walk through difficult terrain through a large number of very nasty mutant beasties. And the chances of them even seeing the research station is very remote.
It should become very obvious as the squad approach the crater that something is not quite right.
(see picture below).
There is no power in any of the buildings and should they investigate the coms relay they will discover all the electronics have been totally trashed and shorted out. The need for the relay will become obvious as once they drop into the steep sides of the crater all coms between themselves and Mort city will be cut off. Yeap they are on their own.
The research station is leaning at a 45’ angle, making landing on the helipad impossible. [feel free to let them try but the kopter will slide off and the catch net around it, though designed to stop people won’t hold that sort of weight. – better hope that the pilot is really on the ball or that the squad have taken an emergency escape course or they are going to meet the mud at the bottom all too soon]
The best bet it so put down on the roof of the life boat station., which is about the only wide flat enough area inside the crater. Either that or risk putting down out side the crater, climbing up and then repelling in.
The other big difference is the water. Close inspection will reveal floating on the surface is a thick and tacky red layer, approximately 3 inch’s thick. Beneath is layer is black brackish water that smells on anaerobic decay (that’s a cess pit to you.)
To normal flesh the red liquid feels tacky and glue and stretches into strands between their fingers. It smells slightly metallic and tastes (should any one be so stupid) quite salty. [ok is semi coagulated blood left over from the red rain (see What happened here? later but try not to make it obvious]
Science friction material reacts badly to the liquid and will start to slowly dissolve (d10 ID a minute). The liquid can easily be washed off with water, so unless the ebb-user is being particularly unobservant or stupid it does not pose a major threat. However it should keep them on their toes, and may require a Stress test if they become covered in it. Any sentient death suits will be complaining that’s its nasty stuff..
In fact the enviroscanners are more concerned with the water beneath, which registered as being highly contaminated with carcinogens and mutagens and other really unpleasant stuff. – so that would be ‘bout standard for CS5. 
Contains 2 aquatic life pods, each big enough to contain 6 people (10 if you are willing to get friendly and run out of food, considerably more if hanging on to the hand holds at the side counts.). The pods are self righting and have a basic but serviceable control system and basic emergency supplies of food and water. They are standard issue to SLA boats and are designed to be idiot proof (i.e.very simple to drive and control so no negative for unskilled.). The pods are mounted on rails with a quick release system. Pull the leaver and the pods splash down into the water, completely submerging before bobbing back up to the surface.
Any one clutching to the out side of the pod will be covered in the red goo when it hits the surface. People who had the sense to be inside feel free to laugh.
Also in the boat house is a winch system to pull the pods back up the rails and some basic mechanics equipment, including water pumps, used to maintain and repair the boats. This equipment is likely to be over looked by the PC’s unless they are mechanically inclined, but be sure to mention it because it could prove useful on the station later. Of course there is still no power at the boat house, but there is a small hand generator [phys checks to keep going] which will keep one piece of equipment (e.g. the water pump or a drill) going.
As can be seen from the diagram below the new jaunty angle of the station, coupled with the lack of power, is going to make life interesting;
There is a whole floor/ wall incongruity thing going on, and the easy clean tiling doesn’t provide the best of grips. (climbing, acrobatics, or dex test as appropriate)
There is no lighting, not even that red emergency lighting the films seem to think should be there. So the furthest vision any one has is determined by the length of the torch beam.
Also, especially in the lowest flooded layers, some of the "interesting wildlife" the team were studying has taken refuse inside the station from the red rain. They have been trapped inside for a few days now and are running out of food – The remains of the scientist having long since been dragged down into the water by these animals. So the squad are doing a good impersonation of a much needed dial-out.
As already noted it is impossible to land a kopter on the remains of the helipad. However if the squad decided to winch down the hatch down can be opened with either a bit of brute force and ignorance, or a mechanic repair role. It used to lead to a set of steep stairs down to the upper accommodation floor. Now it makes for a bumpy vertical drop.
The access port which used to be a water level is now some 40ft up from the water level. Most of which is covered with dried and flaking remains of the red liquid.
[Interesting that because if any one is actually thinking about it they will realises this means that the red rain happened before the research station shifted to this new location. But its probably not really important.]
Any one with climbing and a grapple will be able to get up to the access port. Any one with out climbing gear is at a –2 due to the flaking surface. Any one checking will discover a grapple system in each of the life pods. They are designed to allow the pods to be pulled a shore, or to be shot at survivors to pull them out of the water or something.
All the doors are going to need forcing open usually against gravity, requiring a mech repair or strength check at regular intervals to make any progress. Of course if you want to have a door fallen open to allow the later gribblies to get to interesting places on the station go right a head…
The lifts – obviously – are not working, however the gauss coils of the lift shafts are conveniently spaced to provide ladder like hand holds so getting between the levels is relatively easy. The lifts themselves are floating at the water line, held buoyant by the air trapped inside. With a bit of ingenuity, a water pump (similar to that back on the boat house, or available down at the moon pool level) and a mechanics repair, jury rigging or industrial knowledge and time you could use these lifts as a make-shift air locks.
The water inside the structure is devoid of the red liquid layer, so the flux users will be happier. However any level that has been breached will light up any enviro-scanner like a Christmas tree as the nasty chemicals in the water have had time to evaporate and concentrate in the confined spaces.
Once the PC’s get to levels 9 – 12 at least some of the rooms are submerged. Beneath level 13, where the submarine docks it, almost every thing is flooded. Movement though these submerged locations will be tricky, requiring swimming. Also the water is not exactly clean and visibility is drastically reduced (-3). And then there are the locals to meet (see the beasties lower down). Also the station its self has taken something of a beating. The support structures are weakening and the whole place creaks ominously. It is more than possible that bits of the station could give way at awkward moments.
On the plus side the computer core is still dry, as the doors surrounding it sealed before the water reached this level so the computers and their data are ‘safe’. However there is no air lock, so in order to get to the data without destroying it with the corrosive water the PC’s are going to have to be inventive.
The submarine dock on level 13 has an advanced airlock system which could pump all the water out of the station. – However is has no power and the power systems are completely flooded and are going to take 24hrs to get back on line. The hand generator is no where near powerful enough to power this system. They could rig up power packs from armour and equipment, but this would probably drain all the power from them – making the armour uselessly heavy. They could power it using a ebb power, but it will cost a lot of flux. Reward ingenuity here.
The data on the creatures in the lake are readably available through out the station on lap tops - All they need to do is add power to them.
Fundamentally they are looking at a standard fresh water ecosystem as found in any British back garden pond. Only MUCH MUCH LARGER. Now I could go into a great long description of this by dragging up my project from my A’ level biology, but you and your players would probably rather sleep so I’ll summarise:
Ambush hunter:
Evolved from the water spider. The creature will lie in wait in the shadows and jump out. It then injects the prey with a venom and pulls back and waits for the victim to stop moving. Once it is safe it will take the food back to its bubble of air to eat in peace. This creature will be found in the upper flooded reaches of the structure as it need to regularly renew its oxygen supply, which is a silvery bubble in a trapped beneath a fine web [this might be a nice thing to use if the PC’s run out of oxygen – however the remains of previous meals will still be there: Stress tests for desiccated human remains is more than applicable – also this is proof that the scientists did not leave the station as claimed in the brief.].
- Armour is as blocker.
- Injection mandibles are PEN 10 AD 1 Dam 4
- Venom: stuns for 1 round then 2HP per round until the agent is neutralised or the victim is dead. Use of Kickstart and ebb healing will repair the HP BUT will not stop the venom so the treatment will have to be repeated. The lap tops do contain data on this venom and the relevant antiserum is in the medical bay.
- The animal is intelligent and will not take on groups of prey. It will also leg it in the face of overwhelming opposition. It is as effective out of water as it is in it, but will only ‘eat’ in its bubble. Fundamentally this is one of those "grab the back marker in the squad and drag them away moments".
Swarm hunter:
Based on shrimp or water flea. Although small (size of a football) these creatures effectively hunt in packs. Swarming round the victim, they attach them selves to the victim using their numerous legs and push the feeding channel directly against the surface. The attack then progresses via a death of a thousand cuts as the multiple small ‘teeth’ slowly but surely erode away the armour to reach the ‘food’ beneath.
Each individual creature does 2AD, (negligible pen and 2 Dam once they reach flesh) every phase once attached. However they are small enough that 12 (2 on each location) could get onto any human (more around the bigger races) so they will quickly work there way through the armour and breach it, which the obvious consequences if the ‘victim’ is still in water.
Effective Dex free in the water is 15, and have PV 12, ID 50, Hits 6 and thanks to the multiple legs require a Strength test to pull off.
They became immobile out of water and lie pathetically on the floor dripping sadly.
These are a nice beast to use if the squad are sticking together. Have a swarm of them come out of the darkness and surround them, More that the squad can swot off. As soon as they detach one another should attach. Trying to fight them one on one is doomed. The way to deal with the swarm is an area effect – possibly a grenade (but don’t forget the over pressure effect in water) or Ebb power or electrification of the water. The other option is to get out of the water and away from the swarm and pull of those still attached.
Top predator:
Evolved from ephemeropterans (that’s Mayflys) to quote Encyclopedia Britannica "In the aquatic nymphal stage, ephemeropterans have six legs, each of which ends in a claw. The body is divided into 10 segments, some of which have gills. The body terminates in two or three thin tails. Adaptation in nymphs has produced species with jaws and appendages especially suited for burrowing and species with flattened bodies for mobility through narrow spaces have legs adapted for movement over river bottoms and other surface features and for adhering to aquatic vegetation. " Baring in mind the real world version of beauties will take on small fish and win, operatives are now problem The biggest ones in the lake are 30ft long with mandibles more than capable of surrounding a human head.
- They have armour. [PV & ID as HARD]
- They have large mandibles designed to cut through such armour. [PEN AD Dam as 2 mutilators – one on each mandible - ]
- They are used to hunting in an aquatic environment so in the water they are very fast and very stealthy. [effective dex 14- moves all 5 phases] however out of water they are much less effective, [effective dex 7 – moves phases 1,3&5] In both environments its modified legs have hooks that allow it to ‘run’ over any surface, and way up.
- They work on programmed instinct and so are very predictable – they will grapple to target and, if possible, attack the neck to remove the head. If the PC’s get those lap tops working this will be obvious form the data and nice video images of the beasties hunting.
- However the downside of this programmed behaviour means that these things are very single minded. Scaring them off is pointless and even when the beast is obviously dying it will keep tightening its grip {think about the way Praying Mantis male keep going even with out a head.} If the beastie gets a grip on the PC they are going to have to destroy the mandibles to get away – simply killing the beast wont stop it.
These are just 3 suggestions – feel free to add in others if you can think of anything I’ve obviously missed. Because they are not likely to be a threat to the PC’s I’ve not included any ‘herbivores’ However some large water beetle thing might give them a scare.
When describing the creatures don’t say "It’s a beetle".
Describe the chitinous shell, the large dark hooked mandibles. The long jointed legs ending in sharp spikes or hooks. Large faceted eye structures. Also remember that in the water is thick and swirling; so any view of the creature will be partial and fleeting.
The operatives are out of their environment and firmly in that of the creatures. Make sure they appreciate that.
Something nasty - Obviously this should be adjusted to fit with your world. It could be something to do with the creatures in the lake, or a totally unrelated problem with (one of the) crew of the research station. May be one of those curious scientists, intrigued as to the source of such a complex ecosystem on a ‘dead’ plant, went digging too far. May be the tremors reported to have evacuated the research station were genuine. Frankly the ‘why’ is unimportant.
As part of the clean up a Union of Necanthrops were sent in to saturate the area with red rain to insure nothing living in the area survived. For the most part this has been successful and other than the creatures in the research station the lake is now dead.
Attempts to find out more should result in Bad Info disadvantage and require breaking high level D notices. – Even ‘guessing’ the blood residue is red rain could be worth 1pt of Bad info as it implies the Necanthrop society involvement in the situation. Pushing too far could result in the same fate befalling the squad.
Once the Data is retrieved the squad may be treated to the view of an aerial bombardment of the location which will finally crack the unstable bed rock and the crater will drain into the caverns under CS5. – You could chance this up with a red response to a carrien out brake as the flash flood forces them to the surface if your squad would appreciate some cathartic blowing things away.
