The player’s basic mission is to proceed to Beta Arianus IV. Once there, they are to survey the planet to uncover evidence of colonists and any scientific data that is recoverable. This assumes the colonists did not survive. If they did, basic diplomatic contact is to be attempted. Of course, when the players start to sift through the colony they will bump into Krenshaw or some of his security officers. A Spacemaster scenario by Mark Schibeci.
Overview
The Beta Arianus system was initially surveyed over six centuries ago, by the then powerful Terran democracy survey fleet. The system was found to be rich in minerals and even possessed a life bearing world, occupying the fourth orbital path around the planet’s sun. Beta Arianus IV was a very hot, humid planet, rich in exotic life making it suitable for biochemical research. The planet was colonised by a small group of a few hundred scientists willing to put up with the heat in order to take advantage of the potential medical and scientific benefits that could arise from the study pf the planet’s flora and fauna. It was during a survey for this group that several geologists uncovered a crashed vessel of unknown design. Later analysis revealed it to match previously encountered designs belonging to the enigmatic Shai-en-rin. Astounded, the scientists quickly took it apart for study, only to release a dormant genetic virus which transformed all 438 of the scientists into the now teeming Spiderwolf population of the planet.
A few years before the collapse of the Imperial Empire, the planet was rediscovered by a Kashmerian survey team who were similarly impressed by the richness of life on the planet’s surface. Further, it also provided colonisation potential for the hardier eugenically altered people of Kashmere. Soon, 10,000 scientists were transported to the surface to pave the way for complete colonisation. Ten years later, colonisation was forgotten as Kashmere joined with Devon to engage in an assault on Colosian and Imperial territory and outside was minimised until a Sianetic Harbinger virus swept through the Kashmere and Devon worlds leaving Beta Arianus IV intact. Due to the clever blackout on transmissions and so forth of the colony’s governor, these facts were never discovered by the colonists, allowing to be blissfully unaware of the chaos around them. Thus for fifteen years, the colony’s governor deluded all the colony scientists to the situation around them.
The Governor found the remains of the Terran Democracy’s lost colony and regularly had it visited for supplies, thus keeping up the illusion of regular visits from the outside world. Any visitors to the world are captured, brainwashed and disposed of to keep a tight grip of the ’sanctity’ of the colony. Scientists are even killed just to make it look people come and go. No-one has question the situation because all the scientists are used to extended survey trips, and the Governor makes their stay very comfortable. If they are not happy . . .
The discovery of the Shai-en-rin artefacts by the Governor and his troops fills him with greed and he is madly intent on keeping them for his own purposes. The fate of the previous colony remains a mystery.
NPCs
Governor Andris Krenshaw
As a result of the loneliness of his position and his failure to be promoted to a staff officer in the Kashmere Survey Fleet, Krenshaw has become obsessed with cultivating power. He is a dangerously calm and intelligent opponent, used to psychologically manipulating the colonists through propaganda and falsifying information. In the last few years he has sunk deeper into madness and is now desperate to claim the power he believes the Shai-en-rin artefacts offer him. Several people have dies on long expeditions on his orders, to follow leads he has uncovered in the colony data files. Some of the more senior science and military personal have begun to notice Krenshaw may be unbalanced and are becoming concerned for the safety of all the colonists.
Captain Hera Laquille
Laquille has faithfully served Krenshaw and the colony for its entire operational lifespan as head of security and defence. She is a very dedicated soldier who is sympathetic to Krenshaw’s problems. She has assisted him with the masquerade but is unaware of the atrocities that he is responsible for, believing the missing people to be the result of frequent Spiderwolf attacks. If she meets the players, she will deal with them in a very efficient, no nonsense manner.
Professor Gherad Almin
All the scientific projects are coordinated and supervised by this very experienced man. Almin is dedicated to science and constantly annoyed by attempts to influence the work of the colonists by both Laquille and Krenshaw. He has very little patience for the military but grudgingly respects the roles they have played in defending the colonists from Spiderwolf attacks. Almin’s dedication to his work has left him little time to notice Krenshaw’s condition. Recent order for apparently useless survey work and the loss of several coworkers has made the Professor suspicious of the Governor’s motives.
Spider Wolves
The descendants of the mutated colonists now roam the planet’s surface as aggressive predators that have developed a keen preference for human flesh. Spider wolves resemble large grass covered shells with five radial legs, each ending in a claw. Their mouths are located on their underside and they are excellent climbers. They sense their prey by vibrations and communicate by ultrasonics in order to hunt cooperatively.
The Settings
Beta Arianus IV
The planet is very close to its sun and has a very dense nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere suitable for most humanoid life forms. As a result, it is very hot and humid, temperatures averaging over 35 degrees in summer and rain occurring daily all year round. The vegetation is very luxurious and thick, resembling the Terran tropical rain forests. Travel is impossible with vehicles due to the vegetative density.
The Terran Democracy Colony
Once an establishment of 10, 000 people, all that remains are its looted ruins. It is located several kilometres south of the planet’s major mountain range next to a river valley. This was once one of the few sufficiently large enough areas for colonisation. It will appear to the characters as a large clearing, bursting from the thick surrounding vegetation. Lots of evidence exists of recent human interference including power packs, foot prints and recently smashed buildings and equipment. The players will be able to power up some of the equipment that is scattered throughout the thousand or so buildings, which are very crude and old. Thus technical rolls to fix things will be very difficult.
The Kashmere Survey Colony
The colony consists of fifty transportable buildings and a dozen larger, more permanent settlements for laboratory facilities and to house a security force of fifty. The area is surrounded by a powerful laser field fence, to prevent Spiderwolf attacks, which is further surrounded by a five kilometre radius of cleared ground.
Shai-en-rin Star Ship
This fantastic find is located three kilometres above the Terran Democracies colony. It is very inaccessible and players will require at least two days of successful climbing rolls to reach it, assuming they know where it is. Within is a vast array of valuable and exotic technical gear that is detailed in the rewards section.
The Task
The player’s basic mission is to proceed to Beta Arianus IV. Once there, they are to survey the planet to uncover evidence of colonists and any scientific data that is recoverable. This assumes the colonists did not survive. If they did, basic diplomatic contact is to be attempted. Of course, when the players start to sift through the colony they will bump into Krenshaw or some of his security officers (see encounters below).
Starting the Players and Rewards
The players will be contacted by their regular employer Doctor Andrew Janns, who will inform them of success in recovering data from old pre Imperial data tapes. Some of the recovered information includes the location of several survey missions, which the institute want followed up. This is to determine the suitability of sites for colonisation as well as to recover any scientific data accumulated by the colonists. The players will receive a computer program package and two crates of survival gear recently obtained from a smash and grab mission if they accept. On return, the will be offered 5000 el. each and a reduction of 50, 000 el. on the debit owing on the ship. The players will be encourage to accept.
Aids
Other than the equipment offered, little in the way of information can be offered. It is well known that many of these survey missions failed for a variety of reasons and so the players are warned no to expect anyone. Further, there is usually a reason why the mission failed – avoid it !
Encounters
Initially the players will enter orbit around the planet and scan its surface for signs of the lost colony. However, without a knowledge of what materials to scan for (Metallurgy or a Mechanical skill) this will be difficult. The heavy ionising effect due to the sun’s proximity make all sensor use one level harder. The players will find that due to that the safest landing spot is over ten kilometres away unless they want to land on the mountainside ! Thus further scanner tolls may be required to pinpoint the base. Thus the players will require a day of travel to get there, giving the Games Master an opportunity to spring any necessary wilderness surprises such as Spiderwolf packs. They will also have to deal with oppressive heat and humidity as well as heavy deluges of rain.
Eventually, they will walk over a small rise in the land to be greeted by the site of the colony nested in the valley, and may proceed to explore it. The buildings are in a state of gross disrepair, which provides a physical danger and most of the equipment lying around is archaic and ruined. Getting the equipment up and running will require several difficult technical rolls as well as some interpretive manoeuvres in order to translate the archaic Anglic used to record details. Perceptive characters will notice fresh boot prints, modern technical devices and discarded foodstuffs lying around amongst the dust covered ruins. Within three days they will be discovered by Captain Laquille and four to eight security officers, on a routine patrol to collect more data tapes for Governor Krenshaw. They will immediately attempt to stun and capture the players, retreating to call backup if required.
Chances are the players will be captured and taken to the Imperial Survey Colony. They will be presented to Governor Krenshaw, who will interview them and hold them in custody while deciding what to do with them. The players will notice that the Governor has taken a very keen interest in any data tapes the players have and what information they have discovered regarding the surveys from the lost colony. During this discourse, they will be interrupted by a recently returned group of scientists who report finding ’nothing except bush’ in a very terse tone and complain of Spiderwolf attacks.
During their stay in custody they will be further interviewed by an interested Professor Gherad Almin, who will be very surprised by any talk on the player’s behalf about the collapsed Imperium. Any talk to this effect will incite his curiosity and begin to spread waves of dissension in the camp. In any case, the players will have to devise a plan to escape. The players must return to the colony to complete their mission, however, the colony security guards will be in hot pursuit using small gravskimmers to chase the players and set up an ambush.
While dealing with uncovering the data tapes and the security offices, a number of strange events occur. The players begin to notice that wounded and captured security officers being to transform into Spiderwolves for no explainable reason. The resultant meddling in the lost colony has re-released the dormant virus, which will consume the populance unless an antidote can be found. The scientists at this point will try to enlist the players to examine the situation, as the Governor has disappeared, in order to formulate clues. This will require the players to reactivate the log entries of the lost colony and discover the location of the Shai-en-rin ship.
In order to reach the Shai-en-rin vessel, the players will have to climb three kilometres up the mountainside next to the lost colony. This will be a dangerous and treacherous journey requiring several climbing rolls and avoidance of avalanches. If successful, the players will be greeted by the Shai-en-rin vessel, covered with thick vines and split apart by centuries of neglect. The players will then have to activate and analyse the stores of the ship will contending with the truly insane Governor.
Assuming all ends successfully, the players should remove the threat of the genetic virus and have discovered a site of incredible value. Further, they will have the thanks of the colonists who elected to stay until a colony ship can return them to Kashmere. The players will be able to complete their mission will little trouble and will have the added assistance of the colonists, as well as the secret records of the Governor. The players will then be able to return to their home planet in order to collect their reward.
Scénario de Mark Schibeci © 1997 – 2000, en provenance du site The Wanderer’s Rest, avec l’aimable autorisation de l’auteur.