SLA Industries

True Grot

NOTES: Lifted straight from the pages of 2000AD, god bless it.

 

Blue print News logoSCL
Requirement

color code

Departmental Authorisation
Contact Department of:
Training Package Recomended:

Third eye logo
Station Analysis Consolidated Bonus Scheme per Op.
Third Eye News per squad
We Shall Not be Moved..

Newheart Square can be found in the Wentmore Sector of Downtown. It covers levels 15-16 and so has a fair level of population though practically all are unemployed. It is an area of run down housing blocks and some factory sites. When the players arrive it is shadowy, darkened and the streets have a reasonable covering of pedestrians as well as the occasional bus, truck or cab. Occasionally a tube train emerges from a tunnel to run across an above ground track before disappearing once more. On the overhead roadways, giant transports weave their way between the buildings, their exhaust fumes adding to the ever present fog.

Greeting the players is a small protest being staged by a handful of civilians. It is rare, and dangerous, for the public to feel strongly enough to protest openly about anything which would explain the request for Operatives for such a small gathering. A handful of SHIVERs are trying to talk to the protesters but are being shouted down. The entertainment has drawn a number of spectators who gather on walkways and pavements. STREETWISE players will recognise members of both the “Warlords” and the “Berenyi Buddies” gangs. Those making a roll against SLA INFO or BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION will remember that Berenyi Light Arms took a Lawsuit out against the gang for copyright infringement. The suit was upheld although strangely the gang appears not to have taken any notice. Two camera crews (“The Smiley Station” and “Community Carnage Channel”) are lounging nearby, looking bored. The assembled crowd will become more attentive when the players arrive.

The SHIVERs sergeant (Openheimer) will be only too eager to turn the matter over to the players. The protesters will jeer “Wondered how long it would be before they unleashed the hounds.” and “I suppose you’ve come to shut us up. Well the people will be heard .” There are around twenty protesters, a mixture of male and female humans along with a pair of Wraith Raiders and an Ebon. Their placards make them out to be members of the “Downtown Residents Welfare Action League” and they are protesting for better housing, better services, higher unemployment payments and more jobs. They will berate the players as “Traitors! Abandoning your fellow, um, man. Living in luxury whilst others starve in falling down hovels not fit for rats. You can’t keep it all for yourselves. The people demand change, they demand to be heard.”

The players may attempt DIPLOMACY or COMMUNIQUÉ skills and should be careful of what they say as the press is watching (though not yet filming as talking is pretty boring). The protesters will complain about the poor air quality, the heavy traffic, and the lack of decent food stores since the local SHACK-O-SNACKS TM megamarket was destroyed by Operatives. They will also complain about the pollution from the local factories especially that given out by Gorsky Bio-Products and Metalic Spring Chemicals. If the players check these claims they will discover that the manager of the SHACK-O-SNACKS TM was a Darknight convert selling black market items through the store. The store was damaged during his arrest by the investigating Squad (“Babes with Blades”).

“The people have had enough,” claims the spokesperson Benny Bennett, “don't be surprised if we take action”. If the players ask what sort of action they will be told, “We are a peaceful group but there are those who want more direct action. We know what’s right, we know what’s due to us. If SLA won’t do anything the people will”.

At this point the SHIVERs will be fidgeting with their Pacifier Batons. Being good Operatives the players will no doubt advise the protesters against any vigilante actions or they may question them about these others. Benny Bennet will call out, “You’re too late, something had to be done. The people cannot be kept down”, this exclamation is followed by a great rushing sound.

DETECT rolls will identify the source of the sound and the players will be surprised to see a great trail of smoke given out by some sort of launched rocket speeding it’s way skyward between the buildings. Quick observation will identify the source of the rocket as a pair of men standing together some distance off, one still holds the launcher by his side. A Roll against WEAPONS MAINTENANCE identifies the launcher as a Warcraft “Roadkill” SRR 120 Repeater. A military issue anti-vehicular rocket launcher with a secondary Anti-Aircraft capacity. It has a magazine of four HEAP rockets mounted pepperpot style. Both men are standing staring at the rocket in awe as it flies away and have forgotten to run. Its target would appear to be a huge road transport currently rumbling its’ was across the Hangerford suspended roadway.

Time appears to stand still as the rocket flies towards the unsuspecting transport. The crowd cheers, the SHIVERs swear and the protesters rejoice. The enjoyment factor is short lived however as the rocket crashes into the roadway and explodes. The transport lurches, slues across the road, crashing into a taxi, which is knocked through the roads retaining wall and begins to fall. The transport meanwhile lurches drunkenly through the hole, plunges through some power cables and into the side of a building, the Metallic Spring Chemical Plant. The crowds' cheers turn to screams. As time seems to right itself the two men turn and run, the crowd scatter, the car lands on the rails of a suspended train line running beneath the roadway and the transport explodes. Whatever was in the transport scatters from the vehicle across the sector. The players may take whatever action they wish.

Call for Help
A good start. Control will inform players that two units of Dispersal SHIVERs are being assigned to the situation. They are in bound by FEN 4461 MK VI “Hammer Class” APC and have an estimated arrival time of nine minutes. As per standard operation they will be under their own command and the Operatives have no control over the Dispersal SHIVERs actions. Note that a Red BPN will not be issued as this does not count as a major threat to SLA Industries. Fire SHIVERs will also be sent to aid in the salvaging.
Investigate the Cargo
This turns out to be Grot Pots (“Looks like Sick, Ready in a Tick”, “No Calories for Me Mum, I’ll have a Grot”). These are pot snacks with an attached spoon and a self-heating element activated by removing the lid and depressing a seal in the concave base. They come from the “Flavours of the World” range and include “Polo Potatoes”, “Dante Hot ‘n’ Spicy”, “Artery Anchovy & Ice Cream” and “Static Salami Slammer”. The crowd will soon recognise the cheap, satisfying snack and the word will spread, soon there will be looters galore. Some of the pots will spill open on impact, the contents mingling in the rainwater, and start warming up. The smell will attract more looters as well as all the rats from nearby blocks (and perhaps a Carnivorous Pig, you never know).
Check the Car
Access to the car can be gained by use of CLIMBING skill. It has crashed through the tube train rails and now hangs half out of the base. It holds two passengers as well as the driver (the passengers are SCL 11 factory workers) on their way to work. There is no train currently present but checking with Control will reveal that the players have five minutes to evacuate the car before one arrives. Of course if the players do not head for the car immediately then that five minutes will disappear.
If the train turns up it will crash through the taxi, lurching off the rails as it does so. The players now have to deal with this incident as well, the train was relatively full of passengers as well the Operatives Squad “Jelly Daydream”. The squad is composed of the Operatives “Whisp” (Ebon Scout), “Bubbles” (Ebon Investigation) and “Umbra” (Wraith Raider Scout). As the Operatives help the civilians climb out of the wreckage a pair of civilians takes the opportunity to attack an Operative while they are at a disadvantage. They strike into “Whisp”, pushing her through a broken window. The fall to the road below breaks her neck and her back in three places and she dies instantly. Needless to say Bubbles and Umbra are not happy but the guilty party will probably escapes in the confusion amongst the crowd.
Take Out the Rocket Launcher
This is in the hands of the two members of the Militant arm of the Welfare Committee, Thomas Van der Herken and Silvia Havana. They have one rocket remaining in the launcher as well as CAF SMGs and SLA Blades. Silvia is a Monarch Law Enforcement member and the players may recognise his trousers and boots (designed by GRAFT WORKWEAR TM) as belonging to that organisation. Thomas is just a concerned parent and borderline psychopath. Silvia was in favour of action, and acquired the launcher when it was turned in to his office by an Operative (a SCL 8C Frother named “Sid” who saw no difference between Monarch and SHIVERs). The CAFs were taken from civilians following arrests. He will rapidly change his mind following the appearance of Ops and he will flee onto a passing bus, hoping to lose himself in the crowd. Thomas will highjack a truck and attempt to drive away, however the huge storey high transport does not make for a fast gettaway.
He will not hesitate to use the rocket if he is pursued. The players may give the truck's registration to Control who will feed the information to a SCAF unit.
Check the Transport
The crash has killed the lorries' driver and has damaged tanks within Metallic Spring Chemicals. Heavy grade chemicals are spilling out and safety systems are spraying water to wash them away and into the draining system, which in turn directly enters the sewers. The area is hazardous for anyone without breathing apparatus.
Give Up and Go Home
A bad idea, they will lose SCL and will be fined.
 
And finally don’t forget the two gangs who might see an opportunity to flatline a solo Op if the team separate.

CAST

Gang Member [the “Warlords” and the “Berenyi Buddies”]
STR 5 DEX 5 DIA 4 CONC 4 PHYS 5 KNOW 4 COOL 4 CHA 4 FLUX 0
Damage Bonus +1 Total Hits 10 Phases 2, 4 movement Walk 1 Run 2 Sprint 4.2
Equipment SLA Blade (DMG 1 / PEN 0 / AD 0) Club (PEN -1 / DMG 2 / AD 0) CAF S-D (STD / Clip 8 (1) / PEN 2 / DMG 2 / AD 1) or GUNZ-R-US “Bad Dog” 10mm (as above) or CZAR Inc. “Cossack” 10mm (as above)
Skills Hide 5 Sneaking 6 Detect 3 Streetwise 7 Blade 1H 4 Unarmed 3 Pistol 2 Running 4
Hits Head 4 Torso 10 Arms 5 Legs 5
armourStriker Leather Jacket PV 1 ID/Head 0 ID/Torso 5 ID/Arms 5 ID/Legs 0
Civilians [Looters, Downtown Residents Welfare Action League]
STR 4 DEX 4 DIA 3 CONC 4 PHYS 4 KNOW 4 COOL 3 CHA 3 FLUX 0
Damage Bonus +1 Total Hits 8 Phases 2, 4 Movement Walk 1 Run 2 Sprint 3
Skills Streetwise 5 Club, 2H 1 Unarmed Combat 2 Detect 2 Pistol 1
Equipment Plackard (PEN -1 / DMG 2 / AD 0)
Thomas Van der Herken and Eliah Havana - DRWAL Militant Front
STR 6 DEX 5 DIA 4 CONC 4 PHYS 5 KNOW 4 COOL 4 CHA 4 FLUX 0
Damage Bonus +2 Total Hits 10 Phases 2, 4 Movement Walk 1 Run 2 Sprint 4.2
Skills Streetwise 4 Blade 1H 2 Sneaking 2 Hide 2 Unarmed 2 Pistol 3 Running 4 Detect 3
Equipment Warcraft “Roadkill” SRR 120 (HEAP / Clip 3 (1) / PEN 25 / DMG 50 / AD 10) Plus a Blast rating of 20, PEN 10 CAF Cold Shadow SMG (STD / Clip 30 (3) / PEN 2 / DMG 2 / AD 1) SLA Blade (DMG 1 / PEN 0 / AD 0)
Hits Head 4 Torso 10 Arms 5 Legs 5
armour Padquill Flak Jacket PV 3 ID/Torso 8
Carnivourous Pig
STR 10 DEX 4 DIA 1 CONC 1 PHYS 7 KNOW 1 COOL 14 CHA 0 FLUX 0
Damage Bonus +3 Total Hit Points 17 Phases 2, 4 Movement Walk 2 Run 4 Sprint 7.5
Skills Detect 4 Climb 1 Running 5 Unarmed Combat 6 Tracking 5 Swim 3
Armour Natural PV 1 (Old scared leather)
Hit Points Head 6 Torso 17 Legs (4) 9
Teeth (PEN 1 / DMG 3 / AD 1) Claws (PEN 1 / DMG 1 / AD 0)

Comments / questions to Martin Wheeler

More of Martin's BPN's

Back to Pandora