Aliens RPG Colonial Marines

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

WHAT’S THE SITUATION, MU/TH/UR?

As the PCs board the USS Tamb’Itam for their only assume it isn’t the only one they’ve got.

next mission, they are gathered in the hangar R&D wants to know what the fuck they are

bay for a quick pre-cryosleep briefing. Their CO doing and how the fuck it works so we can

begins: counter it. Take prisoners, collect data, secure

the weapon, and lock down the station.

“For the past two months, anyone entering This is a decommissioned Wey-You

this sector of space has had vivid nightmares— installation—so we’ve got the original

ones so bad that they are causing violence. schematics for your perusal. Don’t count on

Scientists on an asteroid in the GL884 system the layout being exactly the same—they’ve

vented their dome and blew themselves into probably changed a few things. We’re giving

space. The crew of the USCSS Dahlia murdered you breaching charges for this one—just in case

each other in horrific ways. This isn’t a case you need to make your own door to get aboard.

of one maniac against the crew—this was the You’ll be driving yourselves in via Service Skiff.

entire crew against each other. 1,300 miners in Don't worry—you’ll be rigged for silent running,

deep sleep arrived at LV-176 dead—each had and the Tamb’Itam will be on station in-system

killed themselves in their cryo chambers while and come to your aid when you’ve got a better

they were supposed to be sleeping. grasp of the situation.

Intel has triangulated a central point to all

the incidents—right where a decommissioned The PCs then enter cryosleep for the trip

W-Y Network station sits. The thing is supposed to Talos station. When they arrive at their

to be off the grid, but it’s active and transmit- destination, they are soaked in sweat.

ting some psycho shit that’s causing colonists They have all had vivid nightmares while in

to go crazy. stasis—read the boxed text below or use it as

You’re going in to retake the station. We inspiration. This will give your players a taste

could just nuke it out of the sky, but we can of what’s to come.

A MOTHER’S LOVE open. Your shirt and shorts are drenched—you
It’s pitch dark. The humidity is palpable, the air are covered in a sparkling sheen of sweat. “It’s
too heavy to breath. You grope in blackness, over,” you hear someone mutter. The words
looking for an exit, but thick fleshy walls impede were your own. They are met with silence. Your
your every movement. These walls pulse and arms are crisscrossed with open wounds. You
exhale. These walls are alive. Your lungs fill with are alone.
viscous liquid, but you're not drowning. You are
warm, safe—back in your mother’s womb. The other stasis pods are closed—your fellow
marines still asleep. Their canopies are filled
A woman stands over you—an ebon figure with a thick velvet fluid which could only be one
against the starless void. thing. The hairs on your neck stand rigid as your
mother embraces you from behind, her rancid
“Love me,” she whispers. Your mother pulls breath hissing in your ear. “Kill for me.”
you close to her bosom. You try to meet her
eyes, but they are empty pools. All you see The other pods cycle open, spilling their life
is her smiling metal mouth. Her sharp breath blood across the deck and washing you away in
startles you awake—it was only a dream. You a torrent of red.
retch bile as your cryopod hums and slides

297

GAME MOTHER SECTION

GEAR UP canister of CN-20 Nerve Agent aboard. The Skiffs
have limited passenger room, so the PCs will have
The PCs have access to their standard gear for this to pilot the small ships themselves. This is a covert
mission, as well as Mk.35 Compression Suits and a mission, so no dropship is allowed.
Lunnar-Welsun Service Skiff—two if there are more
than four PCs. Each Skiff has two Armat Type 4
Breaching Charges, a maintenance jack, and one

W H AT T H E H E L L I S R E A L LY G O I N G O N ?

Talos serves two purposes for the Ministry of unknowingly amplifies these signals and
Space Security (MSS)—electronic surveillance bounces them to their intended destination—in
platform and psychological warfare engine. First, essence exposing every colonist and starfarer
the station spies on the Network for the MSS— within a two-parsec radius to madness. The
scanning and copying sensitive messages from Project’s next phase will be to enhance the
Earth, colonies on the Frontier, and both civilian output to carry through all Network relays
and military starships. without signal decay, affecting anyone within
the 40-parsec wide Network.
Second, Talos is a field test site for Project
Morana—an MSS experiment that collects the But the fanatical group called the Children
maddening dreams of a sleeping Xenomorph of the Two Divines (page 211) has also heard the
Queen. While Morana’s main purpose is to use this Queen’s call, and led by ex-MSS android Mishka,
information to control the Queen—they stumbled they have come to liberate the slumbering
upon an unexpected side effect—exposure to the Queen and take her home with them to breed.
Queen’s subconscious mind drives people mad.
Talos has weaponized this. The PCs can stop the Queen’s Dreams
broadcast by shutting down the transmitters
The station encodes a subliminal track at the Com Relay Operations Hub, by severing
containing the recorded Queen’s dreams into all the station’s Gimbal Arms, or by irreparably
intercepted messages before passing them on. damaging the Com Dishes themselves. Also, of
An active relay that is still part of the Network course, by blowing up the damn station.

METAPUZZLE PIECES Maslov, the Android Dream Technician Sergi,
political prisoner Weber, Mother Mishka, and the
While Frontier War missions can be played in any Talos IV station’s Data Servers. The captive Queen
order, escalating clues called epiphanies occur in and her dream transmissions prove the existence
a predetermined sequence (see the Metapuzzle of Project Morana and the Darkstar Program.
on page 193). Relevant metapuzzle pieces for this
mission can be learned from the defector Chief

298

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

WHERE THE ENEMIES ARE Acosta is in the Data Servers. Chief
Engineer Maslov is passed out somewhere
Talos station is a quiet little nightmare on the station (see the event Defective).
Dr. Savina is in the Doctor’s Office and the
satellite in the middle of nowhere that is final three crew member are located in the
Crew Cabins, and the Dish Gimbal Arms.
about to become an under siege clusterfuck. Maslov wants to defect. While Acosta is
out for himself and Savina is an unwitting
T T The Corvus salvage ship SS Magdalene is servant of the Queen, the rest of the crew
are just here to do their national duty and
inbound to board the station at the Main rotate back to civilian life.
External Airlock. The ship is carrying
Mother Mishka and a dozen fanatics from T T Four David 5 synthetics repurposed as MSS
the Children of the Two Divines. Their holy
mission: free the Queen. Pawn Dream Technician androids are on
duty at the Control Center. Three of them
T T Two UPP Space Operating Force (SOF) are hostile—devoted to Project Morana and
protecting the Queen asset. The one called
Accipiter dropships are patrolling the area Sergei cares more about protecting all
as the PCs approach Talos. Each is crewed humankind, and thus is a potential ally.
by two SOF commandos with Commandant
Võ/Vũ (page 208) amongst them. They are T T Finally, an immature Xenomorph Queen
here to protect Talos and its assets from any
invaders—PC or otherwise. sleeps in the coolant tank that is her
cryosleep chamber. Her goal is to assert
T T There are six SOF commandos spread mental dominance over whomever it takes
to get her off this station and to a colony
throughout the station: one outside the Rec
Room, two in the Com Relay Operations where she can breed.
Hub with a crew member, one unconscious
in the Medlab, and the final two are
extravehicular, patrolling the exterior of
Talos. They, too, are here to protect Talos.

T T Ministry of Space Security (MSS) Controller

INSERTION Should the PCs reactivate their sensors, they
will register the Accipiters racing to intercept a
The Tamb’Itam drops the PCs beyond the small freighter of some kind that has entered the
system’s asteroid belt to avoid detection, system (the PCs won’t know it now, but this is the
immediately runs dark, and launches the team’s Corvus-Class salvage ship, SS Magdalene—a ship
Skiff(s). As the PCs approach the station, two belonging to the Children of the Two Divines. If
UPP Accipiter dropships soar right past the PCs you choose to bring them into play later, see the
at high speed. Event “God Save the Queen” on page 312.

One of them circles back, having detected the The Accipiters are crewed by Commandant Võ/
Skiff’s ping. Ask the PCs if they want to power Vu˜ and her SOF commandos, two crew per ship. If
down their sensors and/or engines to avoid being the PCs decide to follow the UPP dropships, they
target locked. Then roll COMTECH for the Accipiter will likely be discovered. If they are, play this out
pilot (WITS 3, COMTECH 2), modified by the Skiff’s using the space combat rules—initial distance is
Signature (–3) and the table on page 190 in the four zones and initial approach velocity is 1. This
core rulebook. If the roll fails, the Accipiters leave will likely end badly for the PCs, as the Skiffs are
immediately, headed back on their previous course. unarmed. The Accipiter crews will attempt to bring
If the roll succeeds, the Accipiters will circle the PCs back to Talos as prisoners—more test
back around, looking for the PCs, looming closer subjects for the Queen’s Dreams.
and closer (+1 STRESS LEVEL). Before the PCs are
exposed, however, the UPP ships suddenly take off
away from the station.

299

GAME MOTHER SECTION

BOARDING THE STATION

Talos Relay Station was not designed to re-pressurized and the cycle begins again.
withstand any kind of assault. It is an unarmed Enterprising PCs can use this process to
and unarmored Network relay. If Talos Station covertly board the station. A MOBILITY roll
comes under fire, it should be noted that it has is necessary to push forward against the
no FTL drive, no thrusters, Hull 5, and Armor venting radiation. One attempt can be made
Rating 5. Sensor pings will reveal a few different each Turn. Once inside the reactor room, the
ways to gain entry to the station: PCs need only wait for the vents to close
and the room to repressurize.
T The PCs can spacewalk to the station and enter
Defenses are minimal. The six-commando
at either the Main or Auxiliary Airlock. Space Operating Forces contingent onboard is
equipped with CCC5 Compression Suits with
T They can use their breaching charges to blow a AK-104 Suit Guns, but the rest of the crew has
no real weapons. The station’s defenders will
hole in the hull (Armor Rating 5). use the transmitters on Talos to jam all in-system
communications, preventing the PCs from
T Sensors show the station’s reactor is contacting the Tamb’Itam. The jamming can be
shut down at the Com Relay Operations Hub or
vacuum cooled, which means there are bypassed by hacking the junction boxes on the
vents that can be used to board her. Once station’s exterior.
every hour, the Reactor Lock is sealed and
depressurized. Person-sized vents open
that expose the reactor chamber to space,
expelling Medium radiation for a Turn
before they close again (page 110 of the
core rulebook). The reactor lock is then

THE NETWORK sphere around earth is called the Network.
The Weyland-Yutani communications grid While Network signals travel at FTL speeds,
stretches across colonized space using a communications can still be slow, taking days
combination of manned relay stations and or weeks to arrive. Such messages can be very
unmanned signal satellites to route messages expensive and thus are usually also very short.
to their destination. Collectively, this 40-parsec

TA LO S N E T WO R K R E L AY STAT I O N

Weyland-Yutani’s CN class stations like Talos are formed a sloppy partial wipe of its computer core
situated in remote and out-of-the way places, on and just left it there to rot in space. When a UPP
the fringes of inhabited systems or in totally unin- freighter stumbled into it, Ministry of Space Security
habited star systems. Each station is established in technicians were able to use its old access codes
a high, geosynchronous orbit around a stable moon to reestablish an exploitable link to the Network.
or planet. Located deep in the Borderline Region, Talos was used as a simple electronic surveillance
Talos was retired by Weyland-Yutani about a decade platform monitoring the UA Frontier. Nowadays, it is
ago. Unfortunately, the decommission crew per- used for Project Marano’s experiment in terror.

300

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: Talos has no lifeboats of any kind. The MSS

determined that removing a black site station’s EEVs deterred revolts
and escape attempts amongst workers and prisoners. There aren’t even
airlocks where the pods used to be—new bulkheads were built over the
former bays.  ■

SOF COMMANDOS SKILLS: Close Combat 4, Stamina 1,
Mobility 2, Ranged Combat 4, Piloting 3,
Commandant Võ/Vũ commands a skilled Comtech 2, Survival 1
team of Space Operating Forces to protect
Talos Station. TALENT: Zero-G Training

STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 GEAR: CCC5 Compression Suit, AK-104
HEALTH: 5 Suit Gun, QSZ-203 Pistol, flashlight,
combat knife.

THE QUEEN’S DREAMS successful physical attack against the PC
The Queen’s Dreams are the stuff of night- will immediately free them.
mares. Indescribable to humankind, they are
truly alien. DIRECT CONTACT: If the dreams are viewed via
Neuro Visor, things get a little stranger. In
SUBLIMINAL: Talos broadcasts the Queen’s addition to the effects of Remote Viewing,
Dreams Broadcast on frequencies across the viewer must make a Panic Roll when
the region. Any network satellite, ship, accessing the dreams, and again for each
or planetary transmitter/receptor arrays Round of viewing.
monitoring open comm channels within a one
parsec radius of the station will be affected. CRANK UP THE VOLUME: If the signal is
For every Shift a PC is exposed, they gain +1 amped and broadcast at short range (such
STRESS LEVEL. Sleep is impossible, and stress as over the station’s internal comms), the
cannot be relieved. effects are the same as for Direct Contact
(above) instead of Subliminal. See the event
REMOTE VIEWING: Real time images of the “Triggered” for more.
Queen’s Dreams play on all the Holotabs in
the Control Center, appearing as a strange QUEEN’S COMMANDS: Project Morana research
floating psychotic symphony of colors and implies the sleeping Queen can implant
sound. Anyone looking at them must make a posthypnotic suggestion in someone
a successful EMPATHY roll (the attribute only, remote viewing or making director contact
no skill) or be lost in the signal, entranced with her dreams—such as ordering them to
and immobilized. Each Turn, the victim release her, restrain someone, or even kill
can try to look away again. Every Round themselves. This is an issue for the PCs in the
a PC stares at the images, they gain +1 event “Triggered.”
STRESS LEVEL. A slap in the face or other

301

GAME MOTHER SECTION

ACCESS WORKSHOP MEDKIT ELEVATOR
TERMINAL STAIRS
INTERCOM MEDLAB AIRLOCK OBSERVATION
EVA SUIT RADIOACTIVE
MAINFRAME STORAGE AREA

ARMORY

DOCTOR’S COOLAN
OFFICE TANK

MEDLAB REACTOR
LOCK
1X1 METERS DATA
SERVERS COOLAN
TANK
EMERGENCYCENTRALMAIN MAIN
LOCKERSAREA EXTERNAL DOCKING
AIRLOCK UMBILICAL
RESTROOM
CONTROL LIFE
CENTER SUPPORT

MU/TH/UR CARGO
6000 DECK

REC ROOM

WORKSHOP

NETWORK RELAY STATION MANUFACTURER: Weyland-Yutani
NUMBER BUILT: 14
CN CLASS OPERATING PLATFORM
CREW: 12
LENGHT: 74 meters
MASS: 810,000 kg

302

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

COM DISH

CREW CREW DISH GIMBAL ARM
CABIN CABIN

NT CREW
A CABIN

COM RELAY SUIT LOCKER
OPERATIONS AND ARMORY

HUB AUXILIARY
EXTERNAL
POWER MESS AIRLOCK AUXILIARY
CONTROL DOCKING

ROOM UMBILICAL

LOCKER

CREW DISH GIMBAL ARM
CABIN

NT
B

CREW CREW
CABIN CABIN

COM DISH

PLAYER MAP
303

GAME MOTHER SECTION

L O C AT I O N S are four Pawn androids (below) on duty here,
Neuro Visors engaged—they are watching the
C O N T R O L C E N T E R : A large, open opera- dreams and both writing and drawing impres-
tions room, the Control Center is filled with sions based on them). For the effects of the
computer terminals, wall monitors, life support/ visor and holograms, see “The Queens Dreams”
engineering stations and six Holotab viewing on page 301.
tables (page 132 of the core rulebook). A large
picture window gives a view of outer space and Shortly after the PCs enter the center, one
there is access here to MU/TH/UR 6000. of the androids—Sergei—will remove his helmet
and ask if he can help them (see MSS Pawn
Once, this Control Center ran the Network Dream Technicians below). Unlike his fellow
Station. Now, it is devoted to monitoring the Pawns, Sergei doesn’t like the Queen or Project
Queen. Mesmerizing holograms are projected Morana. A glitch in his UPP behavioral matrix
from four of the Holotabs—they are mapping makes him believe he exists to serve “the
the Queen’s mind as she dreams in her Cham- people” in general—he makes no distinction
ber. Each Holotab is equipped with a Neuro between people from the UPP and UA.
Visor (page 134 of the core rulebook) that can
directly access the Queen’s Dreams. There

MSS PAWN DREAM TECHNICIAN ANDROIDS

Space Security Pawn units are modified STRENGTH 7, AGILITY 5, WITS 4, EMPATHY 4
David 5 androids that have been fine-tuned
for cataloging and interpreting the Queen’s HEALTH: 7
Dreams. Named Sergei, Anton, Aleks, and
Mikel, all four Pawns on Talos have red hair SKILLS: Mobility 2, Comtech 5, Observation 3
and green eyes. They are quite polite, but
hard to read. While Sergei finds the Queen TALENT: Watchful
disturbing, Anton, Aleks, and Mikel are quite
enamored with her. Like all UPP androids, the GEAR: P-DAT, Neuro Visor.
Pawns have inferior joints.
SUBSTANDARD COMPONENTS: The UPP uses
lower grade materials, meaning any critical
injury on this model of synthetic always
triggers two rolls on the chart for critical
injuries on synthetics on page 111 of the
ALIEN RPG core rulebook.

POLITICAL PRISONERS others. He is a good source for information
on Darkstar and he is seeking political
The experimental subjects on Talos station asylum in exchange for it.
are former UPP politicians who objected
to the Darkstar Program. Rather than STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4
risk them exposing the project, the MSS HEALTH: 2
sent them here to be subjected to the SKILLS: Command 3, Manipulation 4,
terror inside an alien mind. One of them, Observation 3
Frederick Shal, is dead, and two of them— TALENT: Personal Safety
Zo Tran and Bao Mendoza—are in bad GEAR: Nothing.
shape. The fourth prisoner, Mal Weber,
is frazzled but in better shape than the

304

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

STATION PERSONNEL STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 3
HEALTH: 4
These statistics are shared by Comtech Kiev SKILLS: Heavy Machinery 3, Piloting 1,
in the Crew Cabins, Comtech Leon at the Comtech 2
Com Relay Operations Hub, and Mechanic TALENT: Spaceship Mechanic
First Class Sal, located within Dish Gimbal GEAR: Flashlight, tool kit, hand radio.
Arm A/B.

FAUSTO ACOSTA protect himself by copying Project Marano
records to use as a bargaining chip.
MSS CONTROLLER
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5
Acosta doesn’t know how to do his job very HEALTH: 2
well, but he knows how to assemble a crew SKILLS: Heavy Machinery 1, Comtech 2,
that does—a crew that will make him look Command 3, Manipulation 2
good. He’s been living off the competence TALENT: Take Control
of others for years, and while his Ministry of GEAR: PQSZ-203 Pistol, six G2 Shock
Space Security superiors are aware of it, they Grenades, G2 remote detonator (can
don’t care—all that matters is the job is done. detonate the synced G2’s from LONG
Between the presence of Commandant Võ/ Range), three 120TB Magnetic Tapes
Vũ and Dr. Savina, he feels he will soon be (stolen Project Marano data), hand radio.
deemed redundant, and is taking steps to

OLIEN SAVINA concerned with her research and the Queen’s
safety than she is with her fellow workers,
MSS DOCTOR OF XENO-PSYCHOBIOLOGY and will work with the PCs and/or the Chil-
dren of the Two Divines if it will mean the
While Dr. Savina is a competent physician, Queen’s safety. The Androids report directly
her purpose on Talos is twofold—keep the to Dr. Savina rather than Controller Acosta.
Queen healthy and monitor the effects of
her dreams on others. As the experiment has STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 5
progressed, Savina has noticed the psycho- HEALTH: 2
logical well-being of the entire crew of Talos SKILLS: Close Combat 2, Mobility 2,
Station deteriorating. Suspecting this is a Medicine 3, Manipulation 4
side effect of the Queen’s Dreams, she has TALENT: Field Surgeon
not reported the phenomena to Acosta and GEAR: Surgical kit, medkit, P-DAT,
instead has transmitted her findings directly Bionational TX-9 Chemical and Biological
to the MSS. Savina feels she is immune to the Air Injection Pistol (with six double-
effects. She most certainly is not—in fact she potent Neversleep doses and two doses of
is under the Queen’s thrall and doesn’t know Naproleve).
it (see the event Triggered). She is more

305

GAME MOTHER SECTION

MU/TH/UR 6000: The brain of the station, W O R K S H O P : Being so remote, the station
MU/TH/UR keeps Talos functioning. Station must be able to fabricate a large number of key
Controller Acosta and SOF Commandant Võ/ mechanical and electronic components. There
Vu˜ each have a “Dog Tag” Military ID Key that are several fabrication machines here, along
allows them to enter the station’s Weyland-Yutani with spares, raw materials and tools. Fixing
computer core. Once inside, an authorization something here affords a +3 bonus to HEAVY
code will jettison the Queen’s Chamber coolant MACHINERY rolls.
tank from the station (see the event Do Androids
Dream of Ejected Queens?). L I F E S U P P O R T : Air scrubbers, water purifica-
tion tanks and heating units are located in this bay.
If the PCs don’t have one of the ID keys, If a CN-20 Nerve Agent Canister is dropped into
they can force the door with a successful HEAVY the air scrubbers, it will spread to every compart-
MACHINERY roll and one Turn of work. If they don’t ment of the station over the next Turn.
have the code, a successful COMTECH roll will still
eject the Queen. The Queen can only be jettisoned C A R G O D E C K : This cargo bay is located next
from this location. With access, MU/TH/UR can to the Main External Airlock with a door wide
be persuaded to do things like shut doors, fire enough to accept cargo pallets. This room is used
thrusters, and other non-life-threatening activities. to store crew supplies of food, components and
In addition to the three station personnel above, other items.
the android Pawn Sergei has the code.
A U X I L I A R Y E L E VAT O R : Stairs located in
“ W R E C K E D R O O M ” : Originally an open- the central area are normally used by the crew
plan Rec Room for Weyland-Yutani employees on to move from one deck to another, but for small
extended assignment, this area has been converted cargoes or heavy items, this lift is used.
into a padded and sealed observation area to
examine the concentrated prolonged effects the M A I N E X T E R N A L A I R L O C K : This airlock
transmitted Queen’s Dreams have on test subjects. is for loading and unloading of personnel and
Due to the carnage that happens here, the station’s supplies. The door here is wide and tall enough to
UPP crew refers to this place as the “Wrecked accept cargo pallets and Xenomorph Queens. A
Room.” Transmitters in the room broadcast the successful HEAVY MACHINERY roll will open the door.
Queen’s signal subsonically. This room can be If using a maintenance jack, the PC receives a +2
observed from the Control Center next door BONUS to the roll.
through a shielded one-way viewport.
M A I N D O C K I N G U M B I L I C A L : This zero-G
The Wrecked Room is currently living up to its corridor telescopes out to meet the airlock of
nickname. Furniture inside is smashed, the wall an arriving vessel, allowing personnel and cargo
padding is ripped and hanging like drapes, and to transfer from one to another without using a
there is a pool of dried blood on the floor. There pressure suit.
are four political prisoners huddled here (page
304). A lone SOF Commando (page 301) stands
watch outside the door.

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: Sergei’s glitch has caused him to develop

an emotional bond with Chief Engineer Maslov (page 310). The android
considers Maslov a true friend and wants to help him escape the MSS.
He’s watched Maslov destroy himself with alcohol and has surmised that
getting him away from the station might see an end to this behavior. He
also believes Maslov will be murdered after his usefulness to Project
Morana has ended. He will want the PCs to take Maslov with them.  ■

306

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

E M E R G E N C Y L O C K E R S : These clearly C R E W C A B I N S : These crew cabins are all
labeled lockers contain fire-fighting equipment, double berths—staff are expected to share their
first aid kits, fire axes, and oxygen masks. cramped accommodation. Includes bed, shower
and toilet, desk, closet and entertainment console.
D ATA S E R V E R S : This noisy server room If no alarms have gone off, station Comtech Kiev
controls the vast flow of data coming in from is here, asleep.
the receiving dish and prepares it for dispatch
to the transmitting dish. Buffers and back- COOLANT TANKS/QUEEN’S CHAMBER:
up units contain large amounts of previously Supercooled liquid hydrogen coolant for the
sent encrypted messages. These servers are fusion reactor is normally stored here in these
independent of MU/TH/UR 6000’s mainframe. twin tanks. Only Tank A is used for coolant
now, however—Tank B has been drained, fitted
Controller Acosta (page 305) is here. If the with an access port, and converted into a giant
station is not under attack, he is making personal cryochamber for a captive immature Xenomorph
copies of some of the drives for insurance Queen (page 312 of the core rulebook). Not yet
against Dr. Savina (page 305) replacing him. If full size, she is only four meters. A viewport in
the station is on alert, he will be setting up six the door allows Talos crew to visually monitor the
G2 Electroshock grenades. He will sync them and Queen directly. She has no ovipositor. Unless an
will detonate them via remote. If they go off, the event indicates otherwise, she is curled up here,
servers will suffer severe EMP damage, making hibernating with a crown of electrodes drilled into
most of the data irretrievable. her crested head. One SOF commando stands
guard outside Tank B.
The PCs can take drives from these servers as
evidence (see Metapuzzle Pieces on page 298). Thick cables run from Tank B along the
ceiling. The first two cables lead to the Control
C E N T R A L A R E A : Around ten meters across, Center and the Doctor's Office. Severing them
this space connects the most important areas of will disrupt monitoring of the Queen’s Dreams
A Deck. in the Command Center and the Doctor's
Office. The third is a power cable that runs
M E D L A B : A fully equipped medical bay, with to the Fusion Reactor Lock. Cut the power to
an AutoDoc. There is a bed with a screen for a the Queen’s cryosleep chamber and there are
single patient as well as a cryogenic pod for the severe consequences—the tank can no longer
emergency freezing of injured or dying patients. be jettisoned. Even worse, the Queen wakes
An unconscious SOF commando in the AutoDoc is up. See the event Poking the Bear for that little
the only one here. He was exposed to vacuum due disaster.
to a faulty CCC5 Compression Suit. If there is any
fighting here, he will wake up. P O W E R C O N T R O L R O O M : The fusion
reactor is monitored and maintained from this
D O C T O R ’ S O F F I C E : The station’s doctor has location. The station’s auto-destruct can be
a workstation and computer terminal here, as well activated from here. The procedure is similar to
as an examination table and a medicine locker. the system on a Bison class freighter, except only
In the locker are six portable medkits, a dozen Controller Acosta and Chief Engineer Maslov
prefilled Naproleve syringes, and two dozen doses (page 310) have the memorized codes. If the PCs
of Neversleep. Dr. Savina (page 305) is here, want to hack it, a successful (–2) COMTECH roll
examining the Dream Technicians’ notes and their will do it. Failure will set off the station’s alarms.
drawings of the Queen’s Dreams. If activated, the countdown is ten minutes (two
Turns) until detonation. After five minutes (one
M E S S : This dining area and off-duty lounge has Turn), the process cannot be reversed.
large viewing ports out into space. A small galley
allows for food preparation.

307

GAME MOTHER SECTION

R E A C T O R L O C K : The small, micro-fusion for controlling the FTL transmitter and
reactor here produces power for the entire receiver. Positioning and thruster control
station. Because the second cooling tank is being is also maintained here. Comtech Leon is
used as a cryochamber for the Queen, the reactor on duty, running diagnostic tests. Leon will
has been configured for vacuum cooling. As such, pretend to be a friend to the PCs, but will
it can be used as an emergency way in-and-out of double-cross them as soon as possible to gain
the station (see Boarding the Station on page 300 the favor of the MSS.
for details on how this works).
The Queen’s Dreams broadcast and all com-
If the PCs at any point decide to enter the munications jamming can be shut down from
Reactor Lock and wreck the reactor, it has this area with a successful COMTECH roll. Two
an Armor Rating of 12 against firearms and SOF Commandos (page 301) guard the room.
explosives. If it is successfully damaged, an alarm
klaxon will sound. After a two Round countdown, L O C K E R : This locker contains tools for repair
the external vents will open, the interior doors and maintenance of the hyperwave transmission
will seal, and the chamber will flood with equipment.
Extreme radiation. In three Turns (or whenever
is dramatically appropriate), the reactor will S U I T L O C K E R A N D A R M O R Y : A dozen
explode, vaporizing the station. CCC5 Compression Suits and other equipment
used in space walks are stored here in lockers with
C E N T R A L E L E VAT O R : This elevator takes plexiglass doors. Six of the CCC5s are equipped
staff from B Deck of the Primary Section down with AK-104 Suit Guns.
inside the truss to the Operations Section, where
the signal dishes are located. A U X I L I A R Y E X T E R N A L A I R L O C K : This air-
lock is used by the SOF to board their Accipiters.
C O M R E L AY O P E R AT I O N S H U B : This area Station personnel use it for outside access to the
contains all of the consoles and instruments dishes and stabilizing machinery.

EXTRAVEHICULAR ACTIVITIES Rolls based on the extent of the damage
If the PCs want to call the Tamb’Itam for (Game Mother’s choice), but will only be
assistance while the broadcast is still running temporary.
and choose not to go to the Com Relay
Operations Hub, they can go extravehicular Whatever the reason the PCs may
and hack directly into the station’s external opt to go outside, they face two possible
transmitters. Hacking the transmitters can threats. If the Xenomorph Queen is already
be accomplished from any junction box on extravehicular (see the events Poking the
the station’s exterior. It requires successful Bear, Triggered, and/or Do Androids Dream
COMTECH and HEAVY MACHINERY rolls, plus one of Ejected Queens?) she will ambush the
Turn of uninterrupted work. PCs just as they start their work. Otherwise,
the PCs will be attacked by the two SOF
Alternatively, they may go outside the Commandos in CCC5 Compression Suits with
ship to repair some kind of damage sustained AK-104 Suit Guns that stalk the outside of the
through either sabotage or combat. External station.
repairs will take successful HEAVY MACHINERY

308

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

A U X I L I A R Y D O C K I N G U M B I L I C A L : The transmitting the Queen’s Dreams across the
access tube telescopes out to meet the lock of an sector and are controlled at.The dishes are quite
arriving vessel, allowing personnel to transfer from delicate, (Armor Rating 3) and must be checked
one airlock to another without a pressure suit. often for meteoroid damage by technicians
via spacewalk. Based on older technology, the
D I S H G I M B A L A R M A / B : These pivoting station’s transmitters are capable of relaying
extenders each have an accessway that leads to messages at an FTL speed of 6.
one of the com-dishes and gives access to crucial
operational machinery that steers the dish with Blowing up these dishes will end the Queen’s
micrometer precision. If the PCs want to blow Dreams broadcast, but also cause a hull breach in
up the dishes, inside or outside of these two the corresponding accessway (see page 107 of the
extensions is a good place to do it. Mechanic First core rulebook for explosive decompression and
Class Sal is here in whichever arm the PCs enter vacuum exposure). Failure of the corresponding
first, replacing a loose panel. She doesn’t want STAMINA roll means the character is blown out
any trouble but will defend herself if necessary. into space. Success means they need to get to an
She has a Watatsumi DV-303 Bolt Gun. (automatically closed) airlock. A successful HEAVY
MACHINERY roll will open the lock and get them to
C O M D I S H : These transmitter and receiv- safety.
er dishes are twenty meters in diameter and
controlled by gimballed machinery. They are R E S T R O O M : Toilet facilities for the use of crew
while on duty.

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: When it’s appropriate to the plot, have Tran

and Mendoza lose their shit. See the Panic Roll chart on page 105 and
pick an appropriate result for each of them. Of course, the two of them
losing it will increase the PCs’ own STRESS LEVEL.   ■

EVENTS out drunk with two empty bottles of brandy from
the UA. Maslov will be disorientated but will be hap-
Here are some events that you can spring on py to see the PCs. He actually leaked the station's
the players—many of which revolve around her location to the USCMC, and he’s hoping the PCs will
majesty, the Xenomorph Queen. The events don’t help him defect. He can explain anything they need
all need to occur, and they don’t need to occur to know about the experiment and can tell them
in the order listed. Instead, see the events as an about the station personnel. Maslov has memorized
arsenal of drama for you to use as you see fit. the reactor’s self-destruct codes for use in the Pow-
er Control Room. The MSS Pawn android Sergei in
D E F E C T I V E : Wherever the PCs are, they stumble the Control Center is his ally and will also help.
across what looks like a body slumped in a dark cor-
ner. It is Chief Engineer Maslov (next page), passed

309

GAME MOTHER SECTION

MAKSIM MASLOV Because of his personal losses at the hands of
his government, Maslov leaked the station’s
CHIEF ENGINEER coordinates to the USCMC. He wants off Talos
and to go live a decadent life in the United
Maslov is a damn fine engineer—so fine American inner core colonies. Strung out and
he was looking at a prestigious position afraid to close his eyes, he hasn't been to sleep
at Norcomm. Last year, however, Maslov’s in 72 hours—placing him in a weak mental con-
wife attempted to defect to the UA. She dition that would make him ripe for subliminal
was caught and executed—and he was manipulation by the Queen.
punished for her actions. He was banished
to this station and is pretty sure that when STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
its usefulness is up, he will be retired with HEALTH: 5
it. With very little left to lose, Maslov keeps SKILLS: Close Combat 2, Heavy Machinery 3,
her in tiptop shape, and spends all his off Mobility 3
time buried in booze, cards, and cigarettes. TALENT: Spaceship Mechanic
Maslov deals with the recurring nightmares GEAR: Flashlight, tool kit, two bottles of
of his wife’s death by self-medicating with brandy, carton of Balaji cigarettes, deck of
booze. cards, hand radio.

310

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

P O K I N G T H E B E A R : This event happens if Additionally, the Queen will use the heightened
power is cut to the Queen’s Chamber, or if her signal to get in everyone’s head and make them
stasis is interrupted in any way. The immature do her bidding. If the Queen isn’t out of her cham-
Xenomorph Queen will wake up, shake off her ber yet, the message will simply be, “Release me.”
stiffness, and begin pounding on the door to get If she is out already, the message will be “Take me
out. After throwing herself against the door for a to a planet to breed.”
bit, she will stop, examine her surroundings, and
tear her own arm off! (–1 HEALTH for the Queen). Choose one PC to direct the message to. If
Acid will splatter across the room and burn a large their EMPATHY roll fails, this PC believes the Queen
hole through the hull (see rules for acid splash is their loving mother—they want nothing more
on page 298 of the core rulebook). Exposed to than to protect and serve her. The PC must follow
vacuum, the Queen will brace herself as the air the Queen’s command for one Turn, after which
inside quickly vents into space, then disappear another EMPATHY roll can be made. You can handle
out the hole into the void. this via a secret instruction to the player, or by
temporarily taking control of the PC, depending
As she can be heard clattering around on on what works best for your group.
the outer hull, there are other issues—some of
that acid spattered on the door itself and is The Queen will not attack anyone in her thrall.
beginning to eat through it. At the appropriately If someone opens the door for her, the immature
dramatic moment, the acid will sizzle through Queen will squeeze herself through the main
a large chunk of door, exposing the corridor to corridor and make her way to the Main External
vacuum (see the explosive decompression rules Airlock. Despite her smaller stature, the Queen’s
on page 107 of the core rulebook). What the size still puts her at a disadvantage in the main
Queen does outside is covered in the Finale on corridor—She had to crouch to make her way
page 313. through (–3 MOBILITY). She can’t make it into
station areas and doorways that are less than
T R I G G E R E D : The station is in chaos, and Dr. three meters wide. If a ship is at the airlock, she
Savina takes matters into her own hands. At- will board it. If not, she will examine the airlock,
tempting to repel the invaders (PCs and/or the stab at the controls with her fingers, and let herself
Children of the Two Divines), Savina “cranks outside (see the Finale). If the Queen makes it
up the volume” (see page 301) on the Queen’s aboard a ship thanks to someone in her thrall, she
Dreams and broadcasts them over the station’s will allow them to fly her to a colony. There she will
internal speakers. Unless the PCs are wearing make them the first host for her new brood.
their compression suit helmets and think to turn
off their comms, they need to make immediate If a PC breaks free from her control, the
Panic Rolls and then an EMPATHY roll to avoid Queen knows and will make them a target.
being enthralled for a Round. Already under the Queen’s subliminal control
for months now, Dr. Savina will be attempting to
free the Queen and get her to a colony with or
without the PCs’ help.

311

GAME MOTHER SECTION

G O D S AV E T H E Q U E E N : Led by Mother across the hull. See the Finale to the right for
Mishka (page 214), the Children of the Two more on her tactics).
Divines have come to liberate the captive Queen!
Using a Corvus-Class salvage ship called the Of course, the other three Pawn androids
Magdalene, their raiding party of twelve plus will try to protect the Queen. If he can help it,
Mishka will assault the station. They will crush Sergei will sacrifice himself to save a human
the main Umbilical and do a fast and dirty dock life—especially Maslov—even facing a Queen in
flush with the Main External Airlock, making it hand-to-hand combat if necessary.
impossible for the Accipiters to fire on them
without damaging the station. Sergei knows about other things as well. See
Metapuzzle Pieces on page 298 for details.
They have one goal only: Break the Queen out
and let her make her own way to their ship, one W H AT E V E R I T TA K E S : Commandant Võ/
way or another. Once she is aboard, they will take Vu˜ will coordinate her commandos from her
off with her. Of course, the Queen is just as likely Accipiter outside Talos Station until losses make
to kill them as anyone else—though she will leave it necessary for her to lead a boarding party and
two or three of them alive to get her off station combat the Children or the PCs herself.
and to a world where she can breed.
Võ/Vu˜ will not let anyone steal the Queen
Mishka will do everything in her power to slip on her watch. If the event “God Save the
away when things go bad. She will retreat to Queen” has occurred, she will order one of
the Magdalene and escape in its Starcub shuttle the Accipiters to plow into the Magdalene at
(page 183 of the core rulebook). If she is severely a speed and angle that will shear the airlock
wounded, she’ll play dead and likely still escape connection loose—exposing both the station
in the end, because she’s an android. The PCs and the salvage ship to vacuum.
may never even find out how Mishka could have
escaped the station, but she does—unless the If the Children don’t come into play and the
PCs manage to capture her. Then see Metapuzzle PCs secure the station instead, Võ/Vu˜ will still
Pieces on page 193. seek to keep the Queen out of enemy control.
She will directly ram the airlock, with the same
DO ANDROIDS DREAM OF EJECTED effect.
Q U E E N S : The android Pawn called Sergei (see
MSS Pawn Dream Technician Android on page After Talos starts leaking air, station gravity
304) is not too keen on the Queen. If the PCs will fail. The Commandant and her three dropship
make it clear they intend to shut down the station commandos (plus the two on the outer hull if
and stop the broadcasts, Sergei will offer to help they are still alive) will then spacewalk into the
them remove her from the board. If the PCs can station, using their Zero-G training talent to make
get Sergei into MU/TH/UR 6000, he has the their way through Talos and kill all the invaders—
access codes to jettison the Queen’s Chamber. Children and PCs alike.

Jettisoning the chamber will set it adrift, The station’s structural integrity will be
cutting all power and releasing the Queen from severely compromised after this. If the Queen
cryosleep. Pissed off, she will break out of the isn’t already awake and free, she is now. In
tank and launch herself back towards the sta- one Turn, the station’s Operations Section will
tion. Landing hard on the exterior with a thump, collapse in on itself. Two Turns after the crash,
she will then crawl along its surface to make her the Main Airlock Level will crush itself. After
three Turns, the final deck is compromised. The
pressure ignites the reactor, and the station is
no more.

312

OPERATION DREAMCATCHER

FINALE Tamb’Itam are reestablished, Command will order
the PCs to subdue her. The Queen will hunt any
Whether by the hand of the Children of the Two extravehicular PCs on the hull.
Divines, Dr. Savina, or a botched attempt to
jettison her, the Queen is free, awake, and out for If she has no one to control and take her away,
blood. the Queen will lie low until a ship docks. She’ll
scramble on to the ship’s hull, where she will hide
If the Queen has been released inside the main in a surface nook and curl up to wait. She may
corridor of the station, she’s cramped and headed hibernate outside while a ship goes FTL to its
for one place—the Main External Airlock. If she next destination. At the appropriate time, she will
has to, she can open the airlock on her own. If she make her own entrance into the ship as needed,
hasn't already made it outside through an event, even if it costs her another arm (she does, after
she’s going now. all, have four).

Once on the outer hull, the Queen will begin The Queen’s fate is in yours and the PCs’
sabotaging the station from the outside in—rip- hands. The PCs have accomplished their
ping out external power and life support systems objectives if they end the menace of the station
(but not communications, she wants them to call and take away witnesses, prisoners, and/or
for a ship). If the Queen’s Dreams broadcast has evidence—i.e. Sergei, Mishka, Maslov, Weber, or
been amplified, she will act according to the event hard drives from the Data Servers.
Triggered asserting her mental dominance from
outside the station. If communications with the

A LT E R N AT I V E U S ES of the decrypted W-Y data on-board the station.
Who is responsible, though? And which side are
Network Stations like Talos are common on they on?
the Frontier. With a few minor adjustments to
location descriptions, Talos can be adapted to GARRISON GAMMA EXPERIMENTAL
a number of other scenarios. At the end of the L A B S TAT I O N : On a refitted CN type sta-
day, it’s Dealer’s Choice. tion assigned to Project Life Force in Garrison
System Gamma, scientists are playing god. The
ULT IM A 8 WEY LAND-Y UTANI DATA data server room has been converted into a lab
C O L L E C T I O N R E L AY S TAT I O N : Ultima where they are experimenting with the effects of
is one of a dozen-or-so Network relay stations black goo. The medbay is a science lab where live
in the Borderline Region. Sensitive Project Life vivisections are performed on creatures altered
Force data, thoroughly decrypted, has been by the genetic accelerant. Because the com-relay
leaked to unknown agents. Luckily, it was flagged control area is separated from the station’s inhab-
while being relayed through Ultima 8. While ited areas by the length of the truss, it has been
Weyland-Yutani thought the information was repurposed as holding bays and stasis pods for
contained, they now have reason to believe that xenomorphic specimens. What could go wrong?
Ultima 8 was the destination all along, and that Well, everything. When the shit hits the fan, the
a black ops courier intends to retrieve it from Marines are called in as exterminators, although
someone on the station. A Colonial Marine team their briefing will inform them that the station
is dispatched to raid the facility, arrest the crew, Garrison System Gamma’s standard, functioning
and make a thorough search. Sounds easy—how- Network relay station has gone off the grid.
ever the station has already been invaded by an
unidentified commando team intent on seizing all

313

GAME MOTHER SECTION

MISSION 6:

O P E R AT I O N
DEEP SHAFT

SONDERDATCH MINE, THE GRANDHI MOON

A cache of black death has been found buried The PCs must rescue the miners and keep this
at the bottom of an independent mine, and an deadly bioweapon out of the wrong hands.
accident has unleashed it on the workers there.

WHAT’S THE SITUATION, MU/TH/UR?

Both Sections of the Gunfighters Platoon through to a gas pocket and caused some

are on the Tamb’Itam, on route to their next kind of collapse.

assignment in the Borderline Region (the PCs Dozens of miners are unaccounted for and

won’t be going). The Tamb’Itam will already believed to be trapped below. Two Marine

be in an area of space within a few parsecs squads were on site during the incident and

of the GJ1230AB system when an emergency have not been heard from since. There’s a

call comes in, redirecting them to the Grandhi good chance they are trapped as well.

Moon. The PCs will think they are wherever The hospital corps frigate Hela will

you had them going when they went to sleep. rendezvous with us at the site. I’m splitting

As soon as their CO has a chat with MU/TH/ the two sections up—you will join the relief

UR, the PCs are gathered on the hangar deck effort on Grandhi while the Tamb’Itam and

for their briefing: the rest of us continue to the front. You won’t

be on your own, however—for the duration,

“Okay Marines, MU/TH/UR received an Hela will be your home base.

SOS and decided to wake us up early. Wey-You has sent a Rescue Coordinator

Weyland-Yutani leases a sulfate metal on the Hela—a Mr. Ishigara. Work with him

mine called Sonderdatch—it belongs to and his people. Get in there, get everyone

the independent colony of Grandhi Domes out—including our boys and girls. Help them

in the GJ1230AB system. There’s been stabilize the mine. If it’s a gas pocket, seal

an industrial accident there. MU/TH/UR it off. If they need your help reinforcing the

doesn't have all the details, but it looks like structural supports, do it. Save lives and

a work-gang setting a second shaft broke neutralize the threat. Whatever it takes.”

314

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

GEAR UP The PCs can requisition whatever other
equipment they think they may need, but as
The PCs should have access to a map of the mines. quartermaster that’s up to MU/TH/UR 9000
They will be issued Mk.35 Compression Suits and (i.e. you) to decide if it’s warranted or not.
their standard weapons and equipment for the Their dropship—as well as the Tamb’Itam’s
mission, as well as two SpaceSub ASSO-400, Har- other three Cheyennes—will be in the area to
poon Grappling Guns and six medkits. MU/TH/UR assist them, helping to evacuate the miners to
recommends the PCs swap out their Pulse Rifles’ the quarantine hospital ship unless otherwise
U-1 grenade launchers for ID23 Underslung Incin- called upon.
erator Units. They can take their APC (even though
it won’t be able to make it past Sublevel 03 in the
Turns, but they don’t know that).

W H AT T H E H E L L I S R E A L LY G O I N G O N ?

Unknown to most, Sonderdatch is much more than than half of them were killed by a “Freak”
a mining operation. Using archaeological reports Anathema, the survivors scattered throughout
and deep seismic scans, Weyland-Yutani employees the mine, waiting for reinforcements to arrive
working for Deep Void located what appears to be before completing their objectives—obtaining
the remnants of an Engineer steatite ampule cache one or more intact steatite ampules, securing the
of Agent A0-3959X.91-15 below the surface. Deep premises, and covering up the incident.
Void didn’t want the Grandhi board or Weyland-
Yutani to become aware of their prize, so they Deep Void has been attempting to manipulate
worked patiently to reach to this treasure trove. the situation—the Rescue Coordinator sent by the
Breaking through to the black goo was an accident company—Mr. Ishigara—has been instructed to be on
waiting to happen. the lookout for “metal urns” while saving lives, and
General Manager Mistry has made her way into the
A small team of miners in the “Basement”—min- mines to secure a steatite ampule on her own.
ers’ slang for Sonderdatch’s deepest level—were
using a diamond-tipped core drill to take samples On top of all that, the Children of the Two Di-
from deep within the rock. When the diamond bit vines are involved. Believing the mine to be a sacred
broke, they decided to blast their way into the cav- Engineer burial ground, several of their initiates
ern below—a pressure pocket filled with black death. have joined the workforce at Sonderdatch, search-
ing for evidence that their dark gods once utilized
The black goo exploded into the mine. The the site. Some of these “Newborn” followers have
pressure release caused the ore body to shift, already gathered at the site of the breakthrough to
destabilizing all of Sonderdatch. Now, the bub- be baptized in the black goo—and more Children
bling goo is welling up into the Basement, slowly are on their way from the nearby Grandhi Domes.
flooding the area.
The general SOS MU/TH/UR picked up was broad-
More than a dozen workers have been infected cast by the mine for any ships in the vicinity, but Deep
to varying degrees, and at least three of those have Void did not expect any USCMC units other than the
become monsters who now roam the mine with mur- Blackguard to be close enough to respond. The PCs’
derous intent. There are currently 37 MIA workers involvement could ruin Deep Void’s plans.
below—24 of which are still alive and infection free.
Unfortunately, it appears the Border Bombers
USCMC members of Deep Void had an eight- have also intercepted the SOS transmission—they
commando Blackguard team at Sonderdatch are inbound to the system to ensure no one gets an
when the breakthrough happened. After more intact sample.

315

GAME MOTHER SECTION

METAPUZZLE PIECES this mission can be learned from Kirke Tanner of
the Children of the Two Divines, Captain Karam-
While Frontier War missions can be played in any bit and his Blackguard Commandos, the steatite
order, escalating clues called Epiphanies occur in ampules, and any xenobiological samples.
a predetermined sequence (see the Metapuzzle
on page 193). Relevant metapuzzle pieces for

WHERE THE ENEMIES ARE T T A mob of six disgruntled miners and

Spread throughout the mines, their presence their union boss Sokolov wander the
tunnels, ready to take on any soldiers in
keyed to specific events, it is unlikely that all the event Union Dispute.

these adversaries will confront the PCs. With the T T Six Stage I “Afflicted” Anathemas—

right charm, some can even become steadfast carriers of the infection—are secreted
throughout Sonderdatch. Two are at the
allies, while others just want to be left alone. Assembly Point, with four more on the
Roadway waiting to be evacuated.
T T Four of the Newborn Children of the Two
T T Two Stage II "Febrile" Anathemas are
Divines (page 326) are in the Basement
level of the mine. Another ten Children present, a miner named Hill in the Dor-
are on their way to join them in the event mitories and General Manager Mistry in
Becoming Angels. The only Firstborn of the event Opportunist.
the Children on site is Kirke Tanner (page
327). They are here to baptize themselves T T Three rabid Stage III “Freak” Anathemas
in the black pool in the Basement.
lurk in the mines. One Freak rages in
T T Blackguard Captain Karambit (page 329) the event Dismembers Only. Another—a
former Newborn—lurks in the black pool in
is in the Trojan Medtech event, and the the Basement, and a final Freak wanders
two commandos with him are in the event the mines in the event Caveman.
Union Dispute. The final four commandos
will enter the mine to back him up in the T T There are three Stage IV “Terminal”
event No Witnesses. Their goal—secure
steatite ampule and the cache of black Anathemas about to go critical. One is in
goo inside, and eliminate all witnesses. the Access Tunnels, and two in the Turns.

316

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

AIRLESS, LOW-G MOON have some trouble moving around and receive
Sonderdatch Mine is located on the airless, a –2 modifier to all AGILITY and CLOSE COMBAT
low-gravity moon of Grandhi (page 154). rolls. Any character with the Zero-G Training
While inside the mines it is –10°C, surface talent can ignore these modifiers. Jumping
temperatures here can drop to –120°C. distance is doubled and falling damage on the
Canyons and craters cover the surrounding moon is halved.
landscape. Grandhi Domes Freeport—where
the ore is routinely transported to—is some AIR: The surface installations and lower levels
35 kilometers away on stable bedrock. of the mine are equipped with an artificial
atmosphere. Anyone in an area without an
GRAVITY: Inside Sonderdatch’s cozy surface artificially generated atmosphere will begin
complex, standard gravity is achieved through to suffocate (page 110 of the core rulebook).
gravity plates laid out under the floors. Outside
on the surface and within the mine itself, gravi-
ty is significantly lower. Characters will initially

INSERTION from broken bones to crushed limbs to multiple
lacerations. There are 37 miners and eight
With their section’s second dropship coming in Marines trapped inside. If the PCs are friendly
on their heels, the PCs can see that the civilian to him, Ishigara will reveal some info about his
Conestoga Class UAS Hela is in orbit. Two red and orders.
white medical UD-4B Cheyenne rescue dropships
are touching down near the mine. If the PCs want to enter the mine immediately,
Ishigara has a MX11A1 Hovertread at his disposal.
The PCs’ dropship puts down next to them and He will offer the PCs use of it to descend into the
they are immediately stampeded by 20 miners in mine. Its weapon systems are still intact, but it has
Mk.50 Compression Suits, wanting to escape on no ammo or power packs for them.
the PCs’ dropship. If the PCs are going to get off
before the miners push their way on, some order If they want it armed, the PCs will have to
is going to have to be established. A successful improvise—the turret takes standard Smartgun
COMMAND or MANIPULATION roll can quiet things ammo and three powerpacks for the energy
down—as can some weapons fire aimed over the weapons can be installed with a successful HEAVY
heads of the crowd. MACHINERY roll. The correct power packs are stored
at the Machine Bay but a pack can be removed
O N S I T E R E P O R T : As the dropships begin from any vehicle (Power Supply 7) and jury-rigged
loading the wounded, Rescue Coordinator for the Hovertread with a second successful HEAVY
Ishigara (page 318) greets the PCs. He tells them MACHINERY roll.
they have 62 wounded topside. Wounds range

317

GAME MOTHER SECTION

KEN ISHIGARA and his group of medtechs will save thirteen
miners without the PCs’ help.
RESCUE COORDINATOR
STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 3
A former Colonial Coast Guardsman, Ken HEALTH: 4
is a Weyland-Yutani rescue specialist who SKILLS: Heavy Machinery 2, Stamina 2,
is here to save lives. He will admit to the Piloting 2, Observation 3, Medical Aid 3
PCs that his bosses told him to bring back TALENTS: The Long Haul, Zero-G Training
any metal urns found on site—almost like GEAR: MX11A1 Hovertread vehicle,
these objects were more important to them SpaceSub ASSO-400 Harpoon Grappling
than human lives. He is so disgusted with Gun, Mk.35 Compression Suit, flashlight,
Weyland-Yutani’s behavior of late that he medkit, M314 Motion Tracker, climbing
intends to resign after this mission. Ishigara rope.

GOING BELOW and blowing holes in the floor (and risking the
aforementioned cave-in). Tremors occur periodi-
Sonderdatch Mine poses some unique problems cally and can trigger a tunnel collapse that seals
for PCs attempting to gain access to its lower off the route the PCs took into the mine. If so,
levels. Motion trackers will not detect signals they will need to find an alternate route out.
through hard rock. Grenades and other explosives
run the danger of triggering a roof collapse. Mr. Ishigara leads a group of six medtechs
into the mine with the PCs, but he will immedi-
Treat the walls and ceilings as having an Armor ately split up and take a different route in order
Rating of 4 against explosions. If an explosion to maximize search efforts. As they prepare
penetrates the walls, it may trigger the event to go underground, the Tamb’Itam signals it is
Dead Zone Cave-In. leaving the system.

There are limited routes in and out of the mine.
Standard entry routes into the mine include the
Descending Roadway and the Main Shaft. More
creative alternatives include the Ventilation Shaft

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: While the PCs don’t have the Tamb’Itam to

fall back to, they do have two dropships nearby, the Hospital ship, and
Ishigara’s rescue team for support. They have backup—they are not alone.
If they need help, they should feel free to call for it.   ■

318

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

MINERS SKILLS: Close Combat 2, Heavy
Machinery 4, Piloting 3, Observation 1
These are the everyday roughnecks that work
at Sonderdatch. Use these statistics whenever TALENT: Starship Mechanic
the PCs encounter a typical mine worker.
GEAR: Mk.50 Compression Suit, flashlight,
STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 3, WITS 2, EMPATHY 3 tool kit, cutting torch, six doses of Never-
HEALTH: 5 sleep, pack of Balaji Imperials.

SONDERDATCH MINE The Main Shaft runs two steel cables side-by-
side, but separated by an iron safety grille. One
Known in the industry as a hard-rock mine, this cable hauls miners and their equipment up and
installation extracts zinc and lead from beneath down in what they call “the Cage,” the other hauls
the moon’s surface. Other mines of this type might a heavy steel skip bin which brings ore up from the
extract gold, silver, tin, nickel, copper or even dia- Ore Bin (at the base of the shaft) to be refined. The
monds. The ancient sulfide deposits on this planet descending roadway is used to drive cutting ma-
are mined and refined, and the finished zinc and lead chines and loaders in and out of the mine as well
pellets are then shipped back from the Domes to as transport heavy equipment, such as generators,
hungry factories in the Crestus and Micor Sectors. pumps, hydraulic props, metal sheeting and other
items that are too big to fit inside the cage.
Some 250 men and women work at Sonder-
datch, mostly roughnecks, but some technicians, A R T I F I C I A L AT M O S P H E R E : Sublevels 05
service crews and managers too. Many miners live and 06 are cold (–10 degrees Celsius), but they
on site. The precious ore sits in a column and was do have an artificial atmosphere with breathable
initially mined using open cast methods. Today, (though stale) air. A combination of Air Scrubbers,
the lower reaches are mined from a 600 meter Ventilation Blowers, plastic strip curtains and
shaft dug next to the ore body. Underground forced air returns at entrances to Sublevels 05
roadways, or sublevels, stretch out along one side and 06 keeps most of the air from leaking out to
of the ore mass, and from these access tunnels the surface. These curtains can be pushed through
have been dug to meet the ore face. easily by vehicles and personnel alike, preventing
lengthy wait times between shipments in and out.
While Sublevels 01 to 04 are already tapped While loss of atmosphere is a concern, this meth-
out—Sublevels 05 and 06 are producing well. od is cheaper than an airlock system.
There, miners and cutting machines excavate
a vast artificial cave into the ore, using bucket The air down here is fully breathable. While
loaders to dump ore onto conveyor belts. all miners wear Mk.50 Compression Suits, they
The caves—called stopes in mining lingo—are often forgo helmets when working. The air
backfilled to prevent collapse, and that level is begins to thin on Sublevel 04 (an additional –2
then abandoned. The tunnels are busy places, full to all STAMINA rolls) and is unbreathable above
of noise and dangerous machinery in cramped that (page 110 of the core rulebook).
spaces—there are immense cutters, powerful
bucket loaders and conveyor belts feeding ore
along the sublevels and into the ore chute.

319

GAME MOTHER SECTION

THE AFFLICTED the black goo at a rate of half a meter per
The lower levels are a mess, and they are get- Turn. Anyone coming in direct contact with
ting messier. There were hundreds of steatite the black goo without protective gear like
ampules containing Agent A0-3959X.91-15 a Compression or HAZMAT Suit must make
stored in the pocket cavern, and many of a Sickness roll against Virulence 10. Failure
them were damaged when the drilling crew means they become an Anathema (page 179).
broke through. The mine is steadily filling with

L O C AT I O N S is currently missing below (see the Opportunist
event). Gibson will inform the PCs that he was
T H E P I T : This large open cast mine is ringed instructed by the manager to tell them that “the
with a series of descending roadways. It was Colonial Marines will not be needed and their
originally used by the company to extract the very presence is unwelcome here.” Then he will pause
top of the ore body. As this became impractical, and say, “Now that that’s out of the way, how can
it was abandoned, and the currently used mining I be of service?” Gibson is willing to go with the
shaft was sunk. The Pit has no dome. PCs as needed.

O L D S T O R E H O U S E : This was the operations Gibson will show the PCs the lower-level
block for the open cast mining operation. It still surveillance camera feeds. Each section looks
stands, but is in some disrepair. Part of it has been hastily abandoned with rubble and equipment
used to store obsolete equipment and unwanted scattered about. The crashed vehicles on the
spares and materials. Turns can be seen on one feed. In one of the
Access Tunnels, a helmeted miner can be seen
M I N E C O N T R O L : A set of offices, a meeting pacing back and forth with an axe in hand.
room, an operations planning room, and a comm Feeds for Sublevels 05 and 06 are dead. Gibson
station used to contact the outside world. The believes there are several miners trapped in the
android Gibson (below) can be found here, Basement—where the accident occurred. Feel free
coordinating rescue efforts. General Manager to add whatever you wish to any other location.
Mistry (page 327) is supposed to be here, but she

ANDROID MINE CONTROLLER GIBSON

A Hyperdyne Systems 340G model, Gibson STRENGTH 7, AGILITY 4, WITS 7, EMPATHY 3
works for Grandhi Domes, not Weyland-Yutani.
He has been programmed to care about his HEALTH: 7
people—although his ethical subroutine will SKILLS: Heavy Machinery 1, Stamina 4,
allow him to make the choice to sacrifice Comtech 4, Observation 3
the few to save the many. While he has a TALENT: Analysis
suspicious demeanor, he will aid the PCs and GEAR: System Diagnostic Device,
sacrifice himself to help others. hand radio.

320

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

D O R M I T O R I E S : These are cramped, cage- people at a time down the Main Shaft into the mine,
style dormitory accommodations for the miners stopping at Sublevels 01, 04, 05, and finally 06,
and technicians. There are shower blocks, a dining where it opens at the Assembly Point. Next to the
room, lounge, kitchen and games room. The place cage in the Main Shaft is the ore skip, a vertical rail
appears to be deserted. Any jerk going through the car which lifts ore from below and dumps it onto a
personal effects left behind can find D6x100 W-Y conveyor belt headed through the service building
dollars, D6 doses of X-stims, and D6 magazines for and out to the refinery.
every Turn spent searching. Jerk.
S E R V I C E B U I L D I N G : This contains the
While the area is generally empty, a single generator and electrical switching systems for the
terrified miner named Hill is hiding in one of the entire mine, as well as offices and a workshop. Ore
showers. Hill’s eyes are bloodshot and her skin passes through the generator hall on a suspended
is white and clammy. She is a Stage II "Febrile" conveyor belt on its way from the top of the shaft
Anathema. She will use her Enthralling Gaze ability to the refinery.
to beguile a PC.
R A I S E D C O N V E YO R : This conveyor belt fer-
M A C H I N E B AY : A garage and repair workshop ries ore brought up the Main Shaft to the refinery.
for all of the mining equipment, pumps, jacks, Vehicles and personnel can pass beneath it.
generators, trains, wagons and power loaders that
get used in the mine. Any repair work done here R E F I N E R Y : A semi-autonomous ore refinery,
gives a +3 bonus to HEAVY MACHINERY rolls. There passing ore from one processing hall to the next,
are extra vehicle power packs (Power Supply 8) crushing, grinding, floating, distilling and drying the
and emergency generators stored here. If these ore and disposing of the rock waste (the “tailings”).
are used, consult the Power Supply chart as need- Trucks normally ferry the refined ore away (via the
ed (page 35 of the core rulebook). roadway) to the distant landing field for collection.
Currently, however, the refinery is still.
T U N N E L E N T R A N C E : The open tunnel
entrance that allows vehicles into the mine via the If the event Dismembers Only is either in prog-
“descent." ress or over with, four terrified survivors of the
massacre are huddled here. They describe one of
A I R S C R U B B E R P U M P H O U S E : This building their friends, Scott, becoming a monster and killing
pumps and circulates recycled air to Sublevels 05 everyone at Mori Mori. If the event hasn’t happened
and 06, replacing the atmosphere that leaks out and yet, the Refinery is instead eerily quiet.
dissipates on Sublevel 04. The Scrubber includes an
automated backup generator with a Power Supply M O R I M O R I : A restaurant and bar for union
of 12. This area allows access to an air shaft that members only, the Mori Mori is the place miners,
leads to all levels below—but the Ventilation Blower supervisors and managers who pay their union
fan must be turned off first. dues come to relax when off-shift. Bad behavior
is not tolerated—the bartender Yansick has a stun
M I N E H E A D : The wheelhouse that operates the baton under the bar, ready to be used on anyone
twin cables that reach down the Main Shaft is located who causes trouble. There are dozens of people
here. Communications between the operators and here, drinking. If anyone is asked about what
the miners below are constant. The cable machinery happened down below, many a miner just downs
is installed above the wheelhouse. The surface Mine- their drink in one long chug and orders another.
head includes a medbay, an office and a locker room, Union worker Phelps however, will tell the PCs that
where miners suit up for their work below ground. he thinks there was a collapse in the basement and
everyone just overreacted.
M A I N S H A F T, C A G E , A N D S K I P : The Main
Shaft is under the Minehead. The Cage can take ten Things here will play out differently during the
event Dismembers Only.

321

GAME MOTHER SECTION
ELEVATION VIEW

MINEHEAD

REFINERY

ABANDONED VENTILATION SHAFT DESCENDING
OPEN CAST MINE ROADWAY

WORKINGS SHAFT
(TOTAL DEPTH
MINED-OUT SUBLEVEL 800 METERS)

ORE BODY

MINED-OUT SUBLEVEL
MINED-OUT SUBLEVEL

MINED-OUT SUBLEVEL

SUBLEVEL 5

SUBLEVEL 6

ORE BODY ORE
PASS

SECONDARY
SHAFT

ORE SUMP & WATER
BIN PUMP

EXPLORATION SUBLEVEL

SURFACE INSTALLATION

MINE DORMITORIES TUNNEL
CONTROL ENTRANCE
OLD
STOREHOUSE

MACHINE BAY

ROADWAY

AIR SCRUBBER SERVICE
PUMPHOUSE BUILDING

RAISED CONVEYOR

MINEHEAD
(MAIN SHAFT,

CAGE, AND SKIP)

THE PIT MORI LANDING REFINERY
MORI PAD
20×20 METERS
GARAGE AND
EQUIPMENT SHED

322

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

SUBLEVEL 5 DESCENDING ROAD

TURNS

FIRE STATION VENTILATION
BLOWER AND SHAFT

ACCESS TUNNEL ASSEMBLY
ACCESS TUNNEL POINT

ACCESS TUNNEL ORE
PASS

SUBLEVEL 6 FIRE STATION VENTILATION
BLOWER AND SHAFT
TURNSACCESS TUNNEL
RECESSES ASSEMBLY
SECONDARY POINT
SHAFT ACCESS TUNNEL
ACCESS TUNNEL ORE
RECESSES PASS

THE BASEMENT SUMP

SSV ORE
BIN
GLORY OF THE
P R O L E T A R I A T“THE BASEMENT”

M E D I C A L F R I G AT E

MAP LEGEND INTERCOM MEDKIT CAGE ELEVATOR
FIRE STATION SHAFT
10X10 METERS ZONE BORDER
SKIP

PLAYER MAPS

323

GAME MOTHER SECTION

L A N D I N G PA D : This irregular shaped pad was Two of them will quickly mutate to Stage IV
built to accommodate shuttles and cargo sleds “Terminal” and disintegrate in their suits. Another
that carry refined ore to orbiting freighters. will transform into a violent Stage III "Freak"
Equipment stored here offers a +3 modifier to Anathema. The Freak will attack everyone,
HEAVY MACHINERY rolls when repairing dropships attempting to smash their helmets open. The
and G Class or smaller starships. The pad is fourth—Supervisor Mädsen—is somehow not
empty. infected. Further down the Turns at Sublevel
03, there is a cave-in that drops to Sublevel
G A R A G E A N D E Q U I P M E N T S H E D : Eight 06—no vehicle other than Ishigara’s Hovertread
Daihotai tractors are stored here along with the can make it past this point. Of course, if the PCs
general equipment the mine complex needs to come up with an ingenious way to build a bridge,
function. If the PCs attempt to start the engines let them do it.
of any of these tractors, they will discover that the
starters have been ripped out of each one (this F I R E S TAT I O N : Fire is always a hazard, so
was done by Captain Karambit and his Blackguard these recesses contain extinguishers, fire suits,
before they descended into the mine to prevent hydraulic rams, fire axes, and medkits. There is
anyone contaminated from leaving via any means also an intercom to the Minehead.
other than the hospital ship. There are also six
functioning P-5000 Power Loaders in the shed A C C E S S T U N N E L S : These tunnels allow miners
(page 128 of the core rulebook). and their cutting machines to extract the ore directly,
leaving behind open caverns the miners call stopes.
R O A D WAY : The road terminates just beyond The slumped form of a mutating male miner sits in
the map, but points directly towards the Grandhi one of the tunnels. His corpse is bleeding at the neck,
Domes settlement. Nearly 200 miners are assem- his head lolled back at a disturbing angle. He com-
bled here in Mk.50 Compression Suits, waiting for mitted suicide by attempting to sever his own head
their turn to be taken away via rescue dropship. with a nearby power saw. His dead eyes are clouded
over. Despite being dead, black spidery veins are
T U R N S : The roadway tunnel loops around and spreading across his face. If the PCs don’t torch it, the
spirals deeper into the mine to allow vehicle access body will mutate into a Stage IV “Terminal” Anathe-
to the lower levels. ma and disintegrate when dramatically appropriate.

Two Daihotai tractors are mashed together in VENTILATION BLOWER AND SHAFT:
a tangled wreck here at Sublevel 01, both on fire. This industrial turbine blower forces air down a
The PCs can clear the road using heavy weapons, ventilation shaft from the surface Air Scrubbers.
breaching charges, power loaders, or other Rungs on the interior of the vent allow for
means—but there are four workers miners trapped emergency evacuation should the descending
within the wreckage. roadway be blocked. Any miner below will know
this information. It is extremely loud and windy in
The PCs can get them out using a cutting torch here while the blower is running. The main fan must
and a Turn of work, or in a single Round with a be shut down for the PCs to exit the blower and
power loader. If asked, the workers will say there enter the Air Scrubbers on the surface.
are P-5000s in the Garage and Equipment Shed
and stored in the Recesses below. O R E PA S S : The ore pass is a shaft connecting
each sublevel. Ore is deposited here by a conveyor
When the PCs free them, none of the miners belt and moved to the Ore Bin. Access to the
feels very well. They all wear sealed Mk.50 Com- Ore Pass is strictly forbidden while the mine is in
pression Suits. Led by a supervisor called Mädsen, operation, but when it is shut down a MOBILITY roll
these miners were originally in the lower levels with would still be needed to make the climb.
their helmets off during the accident. Three are
infected Anathemas and will start convulsing at a
dramatically appropriate time.

324

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

A S S E M B LY P O I N T S ( S U B L E V E L 0 5 A N D broke through the rock. At the end of the tunnel
S U B L E V E L 0 6 ) : Each assembly point is a large is a growing pool of black sludge, bubbling
area by the Main Shaft where roughnecks and ma- out of a crack in the floor. The area closest to
chinery can be loaded onto or unloaded off the cage. the Secondary Shaft is dry, but the floor of the
There are identical Assembly Points on Sublevel 05 Basement slopes downward. The tar pool begins
and 06—each with an intercom and three medkits. about 20 meters from the shaft and gradually
drops away to a depth of three meters.
On Sublevel 05, the Assembly Point is clear.
Sublevel 06 is another story. Eight workers led by Several surviving steatite ampules can be
a woman named Thompson are huddled on 06, found amongst the rubble and broken urns,
trapped and waiting desperately for the cage. scattered across the bottom of the sludge pool.
They say someone lost his shit and is murdering The ragged edges of one or two shattered
people on this level. Thompson got a look at his ampules jut out of the tar near the shallow edge
eyes—she says they were black and soulless, like of the pool. As soon as the PCs arrive here, the tar
a shark’s eyes. They are armed with Rexim mining level will begin to rise at a rate of one meter per
lasers (treat as Rexim EVA Pistols with no Bonus) Turn. Soon the black goo will fill the Basement
and have managed to elude the maniac thus far and will be bubbling up into Sublevel 06.
(this could be a lead-in to the event Caveman).
Two “Newborn” members of Children of the Two
R E C E S S E S : These cutouts allow roughnecks to Divines (next page) stand quietly near the shallow
step out of the access tunnel to avoid oncoming edge of the tar pool. A third member—the group’s
bucket loaders or other machinery, or for the stor- “Queen”—is standing waist deep in the sludge. She
age of batteries, generators, drills or hydraulic props wears a Mk.50 Compression Suit with no helmet
when not in use. PCs searching these recesses will (and thus is not affected by Agent A0-3959X.91-15
find a total of two P-5000 Powered Work Loaders, unless it hits her face). The Queen is conducting a
four vehicle power packs, two cutting torches and ceremony to baptize the Children, one-by-one. A
three Watatsumi DV-303 Bolt Guns (page 119 of the fourth member of the Children is mostly submerged
core rulebook), and three blasting charges (treat as in the tar-like pool. As the PCs enter, the Queen
Armat Type 4 Assault Breaching Charges). proclaims, “You will become a Destroying Angel!” as
she plunges him under the black goo.
S E C O N D A R Y S H A F T : This 20-meter-deep
secondary shaft has been sunk recently and is If any threats are made to the Children, the
ready for when work begins on the Basement two Newborn will shield their Queen with their
below. It is fitted with a small winch and cradle to bodies. At a dramatically appropriate time, bubbles
lower crews down, as well as their drills. An alu- will appear in the goo pool. The fourth Newborn
minum ladder is also fitted to the side of the shaft will erupt from the Stygian depths, in mid-
as a backup. Muffled voices echo from below. It transformation into a Stage III “Freak” Anathema. In
almost sounds like chanting. At the bottom of agony, he won’t be able to attack for two Rounds.
the shaft in the Basement is a pile of three Mk.50
Compression Suits piled in the corner. O R E B I N : This large rock-cut chamber holds
zinc ore ready for transport to the surface. It
“ T H E B A S E M E N T ” : This is where the accident is fed continually by the Ore Pass above. An
occurred. Technically called the Exploration Sub- automated dispenser fills a vertical railcar called
level, this short tunnel was used to probe the rock the skip, which hauls the ore up the Main Shaft.
and mark the location of the ore body. Workers Access to the Ore Bin and dispenser is possible
blasted through the floor, inadvertently releasing from the skip. A head belonging to the miner’s
Agent A0-3959X.91-15 into the mine. body floating in the Sump lies on the floor here.
The first PC to enter the room will trip over the
The walls here are coated with a dried layer head (+1 STRESS LEVEL when they realize what they
of goo left behind by the blasting charge that stumbled over).

325

GAME MOTHER SECTION

S U M P : Water (often mixed with mud and oil) flowing into the main shaft. A headless human
leaking down through the sublevels and the body—formerly a miner named Ward—floats in
main shaft, is collected in a large sump. A short the dirty water.
tunnel from the main shaft on this “Basement”
level, allows technicians to service a water pump DESCENDING ROAD: This low tunnel was cut in
that automatically sends the contents of the order to get wheeled vehicles and cargo into the
sump up a pipe to the surface. The pump has mine. It connects to the Turns and can be used to
stopped working, and the sump is slowly over- evacuate miners on foot.

THE “NEWBORN” CHILDREN STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 2, EMPATHY 2

Ordinary people who have given themselves HEALTH: 2
over to the Children of the Two Divines, SKILLS: Close Combat 1, Ranged Combat 1,
each Newborn is hopped up on X-Stims and Observation 2, Manipulation 2
adrenaline. They are completely on edge TALENT: Hothead
(see the Panic rules in the core rulebook for GEAR: Mk.50 Compression Suit, Rexim
examples if you want to push them over the EVA Pistol, combat knife, Armat Type 4
top). Their goal is to drink the black goo and Breaching Charge, four grenades.
be reborn as “angels,” which turns them into
Anathemas.

EVENTS this event more than once—it is an unstable mine,
after all.
Here are some events that you can spring on
the players. The events don’t all need to occur, The route the PCs took to get here could be
and they don’t need to occur in the order listed. completely cut off behind them, or the floor could
Instead, see the events as an arsenal of drama for collapse as well—creating a deep chasm filled
you to use as you see fit. with rubble. If that happens, another MOBILITY roll
is required to work around the crumbling edge
D E A D Z O N E C AV E - I N : After a severe tremor, safely, with failure resulting in a fall of 10 meters.
the artificial environment leaks out of this unsta- The lower gravity reduces falling damage to half
ble area. The ceiling in this section will collapse of normal, and is further mitigated by armor and a
and add +1 STRESS LEVEL to anyone present. A MOBILITY roll (page 108 of the core rulebook).
MOBILITY roll is required to avoid being hit with
the debris. Failure results in an attack rolled with Should you want, this collapse can provide
ten Base Dice, base Damage 1. After the dust a way to reach the levels below, but too much
settles, there are two possible results of this activity here will cause a second cave in that seals
cave-in (Dealer’s Choice). This allows you to use the chasm.

326

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

D I S M E M B E R S O N LY : Both Ishigara and the continue to gnaw on a bone until they make the
PCs will all get an alert signal on their comms— first move.
there is trouble at the Mori Mori bar. A Stage
III “Freak” Anathema (page 180) is tearing T H E O P P O R T U N I S T : General Manager Mistry
eight miners to shreds, and a dozen others are (below) has turned thief and is trying to get
attempting to flee. out with a big package—a steatite ampule. She
doesn't know what it is, nor does she know she
If the PCs go there, the walls and equip- is already a Stage II “Febrile” Anathema. All she
ment are slick with blood, with dismembered knows is that there is big money and a promotion
body parts strewn across the floor and tables. involved if she gets it to the surface. If Mistry runs
Scott—the now PASSIVE Stage III “Freak” Anathe- into the Blackguard, they will kill her and take
ma responsible for the carnage—sits on the bar, the urn—if she doesn’t transform into a Stage III
intent on picking the bones of a roughneck clean. "Freak" Anathema first.
If he notices the PCs, he will stare at them and

GENERAL MANAGER CASSANDRA MISTRY

FEBRILE ANATHEMA one of the urns and get out of the mine. She
did as she was told—she just got herself
Mistry is tired of the Frontier. She took a infected in the process (see the event The
prestigious general manager job thinking she Opportunist).
was going to live a life of luxury—instead,
she ended up stuck in the same shithole as STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 2, WITS 4, EMPATHY 5
the other miners. Sure, she has to do less HEALTH: 3
physically demanding work and gets paid SKILLS: Ranged Combat 1, Comtech 4,
more, but that just isn’t enough. Mistry Command 3, Manipulation 4
received orders from someone placed high TALENT: Personal Safety
in the Weyland-Yutani Office of Biological GEAR: Mk.50 Compression Suit, P-DAT,
Development, instructing her to acquire E-Series Wristwatch.

MINE HAND KIRKE TANNER STRENGTH 5, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2

A dedicated miner, Kirke is also secretly a HEALTH: 5
Firstborn—one of the elite of the Children of
the Two Divines. Like so many other Children SKILLS: Close Combat 3, Heavy Machinery 5,
who took jobs at the mine, she has been Stamina 1, Mobility 3
digging here for over a year in hopes of finding
the bounty of the dark gods. As a Firstborn, TALENT: Watchful
Kirke is privy to information on Deep Void and
its motives. She is a fanatic who will sacrifice GEAR: Mk.50 Compression Suit, flashlight,
her life for the Children, knowing she will tool kit, two Armat Type 4 Assault
ascend to be one with the destroying angels. Breaching Charges, razor blade, P-DAT
with digital copy of Space Beast.

327

GAME MOTHER SECTION

TA G A L O N G : As the PCs descend into the mine, the miners who accidentally released the black
they meet a miner named Kirke Tanner (previous goo. The Freak is carrying the thigh bone of
page). Secretly a Firstborn of the Children of the another miner, and will use it as a club (STRESS
Two Divines, Tanner seems dazed and confused. LEVEL +1). If it sees the PCs, it will shriek and rush
She will tell the PCs she needs to get to the lower towards them. If the PCs are losing, it will begin to
levels to help a friend, and asks them to escort her scream and disintegrate (see Stage IV Anathemas
there. If they decline, Tanner will simply follow the on page 181), filling the tunnels with black death.
PCs from a distance and, at some point, run into
them again. She will maintain her charade of tag U N I O N D I S P U T E : An angry mob of six miners
along unless the PCs forcibly attempt to get her armed with mining lasers attacks the marines, call-
out of the mine. She is carrying a razor that she ing them “Wey-You” goons (treat the mining lasers
will put to a Marine’s neck to get what she wants— as Rexim EVA pistols with no bonus). They are led
to make it to the Basement and be transformed by their union boss, Sokolov (right). Apparently, two
into an “angel.” soldiers wearing black—members of the Black-
guard—already came through here and killed several
S U R V I V O R S : Miners Gregor and Tai are miners, so the workers think the PCs are with them.
relieved to see the PCs. They have been trapped The PCs can try to talk them down if they’d like. If
in the mine for hours. Both are extremely pale, the PCs can convince Sokolov they are here to help,
covered in a sheen of sweat, and stumbling he will tell his people to stand down. If the PCs
around. They are low on oxygen. continue in the direction the miners came from,
in the next section of the mine they will find the
If asked, Tai is adamant that he was not pulse round-riddled corpses of seven dead miners
exposed to anything. Gregor will be reluctant sprawled across the floor. Two advance scout
to answer (he was exposed to black tar bub- Blackguard commandos are responsible. They can
bling out of the crack in the Basement). Gregor be encountered anywhere up ahead.
is a Stage I “Afflicted” Anathema, but he won’t
progress to Stage II for several hours. B E C O M I N G A N G E L S : A WY-37B Cargo Lifter
Transport Sled (page 146 of the core rulebook)
Tai is not infected, but will show signs of from the Grandhi Domes descends upon the
claustrophobia, complaining that everything is site, landing right inside the Open Cast Mine.
pressing in on him. Tai will panic at a dramatically The lifter carries ten “Newborn” (page 326)
appropriate time and attempt to take his helmet Children of the Two Divines. Wearing Mk.50
off, even if in a place with no atmosphere. Compression Suits, they are ready to storm their
way to Sublevel 05.
T H E T R O J A N M E D T E C H : Two miners trapped
under a piece of wreckage are crying out in pain. A Using explosives to enter any sealed off or
medtech from Ishigara’s rescue team slips past the collapsed section in their path, the Children make
situation, ignoring them. This “rescuer” is actually their way to the black goo pool located in the
Captain Karambit (right), one of the survivors Basement. Once they make it past Sublevel 04,
of the Blackguard commandos who entered the they will begin frantically searching for the black
mine and were ripped apart by a Freak before goo. When they find it, they will strip their clothes
the PCs arrived. There are two other surviving off and wade into the black pool. If the PCs
commandos elsewhere in the mine (see the event, haven’t been to the black pool in the Basement
Union Dispute for their disposition). In Karambit’s yet, see the description there for a Children
“medical bag” is an NSG23 Assault Rifle with the ceremony already in progress.
stock removed. If cornered, he will fire.
If the Ceremony has already been disrupted,
C AV E M A N : A PASSIVE Stage III “Freak” the “Newborn” will simply throw themselves into
Anathema roams the corridors, looking for the pool, suffering horrible effects and becoming
victims. It was once a man named Giler—one of Anathemas.

328

OPERATION DEEP SHAFT

UNION BOSS STEFAN SOKOLOV STRENGTH 4, AGILITY 4, WITS 2, EMPATHY 4

Originally from the UPP, Sokolov tried to HEALTH: 4
defect to the UA—settling on Grandhi only SKILLS: Close Combat 2, Heavy Machinery 3,
after the Americans rejected his application Stamina 4, Mobility 3
for asylum. He is wary of Americans but wants TALENT: Resilient
nothing to do with the Children of the Two GEAR: Watatsumi DV-303 Bolt Gun, Mk.50
Divines. Compression Suit, flashlight, tool kit, can
of Aspen beer in his worn utility belt.

THE BLACKGUARD: KARAMBIT’S COMMANDOS

These AW Soldiers are ruthless killers. SKILLS: Close Combat 4, Ranged Combat 5,
They are loyal to Karambit and will kill Mobility 3
civilians on his order without hesitation.
For more on AW Soldiers, see page 164. TALENT: Menacing

STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2 GEAR: Black Mk.35 Compression Suit, NGS23
HEALTH: 6 Assault Rifle with I23 Flame Unit, combat
knife, Armat Type 4 Assault Breaching
Charge, flashlight, aerosol spray of
Absolute Zero with four doses.

BLACKGUARD CAPTAIN GABRIEL A.W. KARAMBIT

One of General Vaughn’s top soldiers, STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
Captain Karambit is respected by his fel-
low commandos. He believes you should HEALTH: 6
never order someone to do something you
wouldn’t do yourself. As such, he disguised SKILLS: Close Combat 5, Mobility 3,
himself as a medtech in order to infiltrate the Ranged Combat 4, Command 2
mine ahead of his unit and secure a steatite
ampule for Deep Void. If questioned, Karam- TALENTS: Field Commander, Menacing
bit and/or his commandos will say they were
ordered by the UAAC to bring back the urns. GEAR: Mk.50 Compression Suit, NGS23
Assault Rifle with I23 Flame Unit, six
combat knives, four grenades, four Armat
Type 4 Assault Breaching Charges, aerosol
spray of Absolute Zero with two doses.

ABSOLUTE ZERO AEROSOL applied directly to the affected area within
This freezing sterilization aerosol spray one round of exposure. While effective, the
developed by Dr. Babak is experimental. The aerosol causes extreme frostbite and black-
spray negates immediate exposure to the ening of the sprayed area. The recipient
Anathema infection—but only if the infection suffers one point of damage and gains STRESS
is the result of a bite wound or tactile con- LEVEL +1—but they have successfully avoided
tact. If the pathogen is inhaled or imbibed, infection without need for a sickness roll.
the spray is useless. Absolute Zero must be

329

GAME MOTHER SECTION

R E I N F O R C E M E N T S : If the PCs aren’t on These are the Blackguard commando reinforce-
the surface when this event plays out, they’ll ments that Captain Karambit called for—here to
hear about it on their comm channels and both recover any on site artifacts and eliminate all
encounter the Blackguard in the mines below. witnesses. The four Blackguard commandos will
An unregistered Cheyenne medical dropship make their way to the Basement to secure intact
arrives—allegedly part of the relief effort. As the steatite ampules. Their captain and any remnants
ship approaches, a successful OBSERVATION roll of his first team are already in the mines (see the
reveals it to be a black UD-4C Gunship. Medtech event). So long as their suits remain in-
tact, the team will attempt to dive into the sludge
The PCs have a few Rounds to act in what- and recover any unbroken urns they can find.
ever way they see fit before it arrives. The
gunship briefly hovers over the mine before a Once they get their prize, the Blackguard will
four-man team wearing black Mk.35 Pressure begin placing Armat 4 Breaching Charges on
Suits descends to the Tunnel Entrance or the load bearing supports with the intent of sealing
Minehead. off the Basement.

FINALE is now nothing but scorched and crumbling ruins.
the hospital ship is gone, and the Grandhi Domes
Sonderdatch is collapsing! The tunnels shake have been destroyed—cracked open and quickly
as the Minehead explodes, exposing the Main filling with a black haze. Anyone left alive inside
Shaft to vacuum (see the effects of vacuum and those domes is mutating into Stage III “Freaks.”
explosive decompression on page 107 of the The colony is a total loss. The hospital ship and ev-
core rulebook). Before everything is blown out eryone aboard it will be officially listed as missing
onto the surface, however, another explosion in action. The only survivors will be the PCs and
collapses the upper levels of the mine, sealing it those they manage to get out of the mine.
and trapping everyone within.
Eventually, the Tamb’Itam returns to
Possible escape routes include climbing the the system to retrieve the PCs. Analysis of
Ore Pass to the Roadway on Sublevel 01, sneak- the carnage will determine the colony was
ing out the Ventilation Blower or blasting a path destroyed by “forces unknown.” Upon returning
through the collapsed rubble. Along the way, to the ship, their CO gives the order to nuke the
the PCs will encounter isolated survivors who mine and the former colony. If they made it to
will want to come with them. the surface and have rescued at least six miners,
they will be recognized as heroes by Secretary
Unless the PCs are in communication with of Defense De La Cruz and the rest of UAAC.
the surface, they will be unaware of the cause The PCs will each be awarded the Bronze Star
of this disaster. The Border Bombers (page 216) for their efforts. If they managed to snag an
have struck, firing explosive energy bursts at the ampule—broken or intact— they also have the
mine to collapse it and seal its secrets within. attention of Deep Void.

AFTERMATH: Getting to the surface, the PCs will
notice all is quiet—the Sonderdatch surface facility

330

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

A LT E R N AT I V E U S ES be an ancient Engineer hangar full of Juggernauts
located there. See page 143 for more on Arcturus.
This mine can be used outside of the Frontier
War campaign. With a few minor adjustments W H AT WA S L E F T B E H I N D : On some other
to location descriptions, it can be adapted to a world, a similar mine has been abandoned for
number of other scenarios on other worlds. several years. When a corporate evaluation team
goes back in to assess the possibility of reopening
A R C T U R I A N W I N T E R : Weyland-Yutani has the facility, they report some kind of creature—
quietly established deep iron mines on Arcturus’ and then fail to respond to communications. Has
northern hemisphere—which is currently in a sev- some local underground predator like the Har-
eral years long winter. It’s an illegal strip-mining vesters (page 318 of the core rulebook) infested
operation, of course—one that both the UA and the mines during the hiatus? Can the Marines clear
Arcturians themselves are unaware of. It remains the bugs out?
to be seen what kind of ecological impact the
mines will have on the planet, and there just may

MISSION 7:

O P E R AT I O N
OCTOPUS GARDEN

DEEP VOID SAFEHOUSE AND BIOWEAPON
R E S E A R C H FAC I L I T Y, DA R W I N I S L A N D, PA N D O R A

Thanks to the PCs, General Vaughn’s treason scourge and bring Vaughn to justice. But the
has been exposed. In response, the General has story of the Border Bombers isn’t quite finished,
gone into hiding. The PCs must invade Deep and the Children of the Two Divines have one
Void’s safehouse, wipe out the Xenomorph last card to play.

GEAR UP As quartermaster, MU/TH/UR 9000 (i.e. you)
should let the PCs take other equipment they
The PCs have access to UDEP Ponchos, think they may need on this one—as long as they
Rebreathers, M11 Platypus Fins, ASSO-400 can carry it. They also get whatever vehicular
Harpoon Grappling Guns (page 120 of the method of insertion they request.
core rulebook), a folding winch and polymer
rope, and their standard gear for this mission.

331

GAME MOTHER SECTION

WHAT’S THE SITUATION, MU/TH/UR?

As the Tamb’Itam decelerates from FTL, the Sound familiar? Darwin Island is about 120

PCs are thawed and called to duty once more. klicks from of Adaiga Island and Anesidora

Feel free to modify this text to fit the par- Colony. We were right in her goddamn

ticulars of your campaign’s results. Their CO backyard.

begins right away: System sensor net showed the Black-

guard’s Tungu Allang transport and Vaughn’s

“Thanks to you, the Secretary of Defense Black Bart ship entered the Pandora system

is alive and well. The intel you’ve gathered about a week ago. As of this morning, drop-

during this war has exposed the Deep Void ships have been making repeated cargo runs

organization within our ranks. Several high- from the island to the Allang in orbit. She’s

ranking officers are under arrest and pending down there, Marines, I can feel it.

court martial. You personally have cut out The Tamb’Itam is carrying a company of

the cancer within the USCMC. The Secretary Marines. It will engage the Tungu Allang and

has authorized me to give you all field make a frontal assault on the island. I need an

promotions effective immediately [all PCs infiltration team to slip past their defenses,

advance one rank]. secure all Project Life Force, Berserker Pro-

Congratulations. But we do have one small gram, and Deep Void data for evidence. Take

problem marines—the big fish have slipped Vaughn and any other high ranking Deep Void

the net. General Vaughn and her Deep Void leaders alive—we’ve got to know how deep

yes-men have gone rogue—they must be their bullshit goes and they’ve got to face

brought to justice. I know the General treated trial. So get them, get the data, and get out

the Gunfighters with open arms after Fort so we can nuke the damn site from orbit.

Nebraska, but make no mistake—Vaughn is a Here’s what satellite recon has put to-

traitor to the United Americas. gether for us (show the PCs the map of the

MU/TH/UR’s deep analysis of the data island). MU/TH/UR has examined several op-

obtained during Operation Go Fish has tions for getting in, and I’ve boiled it down to

pinpointed a Deep Void facility on that three. Your asses are on the line, so I’ll leave

hothouse shitstorm planet called Pandora. the final decision to you. Good luck, Marines.”

AREN'T YOU DEAD? If these characters survived your cam-
By the time Operation Octopus Garden paign, it can offer players a sense of closure
occurs, the fate of several key NPCs may to face them one final time in the campaign
have already been decided. Either both the finale. Provisions have been made through-
androids Mishka and Maitland are alive and out the text to include them, but the mission
free, one is alive and the other dead, or both is designed to work with or without them.
are dead. One or the other or even both may
be captured and in Vaughn's custody. The presence of Mishka and Maitland will
be felt even if they have been deactivated, as
Similar variables apply to Dr. Babak, Dr. the Firstborn carry on their legacy (see the
Ahluwalia, Mr. Ganon, and the Black Guard’s event That Which Survives).
Captain Karambit or Sargeants Seax and
Lance.

332

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

W H AT T H E H E L L I S R E A L LY G O I N G O N ?

Just what you think. Darwin Island is Deep But Vaughn isn’t the only one who’s been
Void’s home for Project Life Force. It’s here busy. With the Blackguard preoccupied, six
that they developed the Biodrone. It’s here they Firstborn Children of the Two Divines have quietly
cultivated the healthiest of Xenomorph hives. infiltrated the island. There are three couples—
It’s here that General Vaughn had all of Life each a man and a woman who have cut and dyed
Force’s specialists and assets consolidated so their hair to match that of their spiritual leaders—
that she could clean house in one fell swoop. Grandmother Mishka and Grandfather Maitland.
Now, she has come home to pack her stuff, kill If either or both of the androids are alive and
anyone she considers a liability, and bug out. free, they are here with these Firstborn. If either
or both of the androids have been captured by
Currently, the Blackguard are executing all Vaughn, the Firstborn are here to rescue them.
Project Life Force scientists. With the Corps
gunning for her, Vaughn will use every dirty trick Finally, even if both androids are dead, the
she can think of—sacrificing her forces, releasing Firstborn are here to carry out their leaders’
her Xenomorphs to roam the grounds, activating mission—get Deep Void’s Engineer musical com-
Berserkers, infecting an exec with a Goreburster— positions and artifacts, use them to complete the
anything to stall the PCs until she can get her starmap the androids started, forge a path into
artifacts loaded and ship out before the Tamb’Itam the unknown depths of deep space and create a
nukes the site from orbit. new world of their own.

WHERE THE ENEMIES ARE in the Morgue, and Major Kiliij in the
Tactical Center, but they need not all be
Vaughn has set her Xenos loose to cause adversaries.

problems for any would-be invaders—and TT One Berserker is stationed at a Beachhead

they have inadvertently slaughtered most of Bunker of your choice.

her Blackguard. T T General Vaughn is mobile in the event

T T A Xenomorph Scout searches for dozens Dead or Alive.

of Ovomorphs spread across the island in TT Essentially noncombatants, there are
the event Scouting Party.
thirty Deep Void Technicians breaking the
T T A total of five Xenomorph Soldiers are left facility down—16 dismantling displays in
Artifact Hall, two at the Ground Station,
on the island—two guard the Xenomorph four on monitor duty in the Tactical
Hive and three are in stasis—one at the Center, two loading Vaughn’s ship in the
Rig Mag Rail Station, and two more in the Hangar Grotto, four flying AS-19D Bearcat
Hangar Grotto. Strikeships in patrols around the island,
and two more maintaining the M201
T T Two Gorebursters are in the colonial rig— Mobile Rocket System on the Western
Slopes.
one in the Showers and the other in the
Experimental Lab. T T Six Firstborn Children of the Two Divines

TT A monstrous Praetorian stalks the island have infiltrated the island in the event
That Which Survives.
with murderous intent in the event Royal
Blood. T T Finally, there are many Hungry Tendrils in

T T Thirteen Blackguard Commandos are the Shallows just offshore.

spread across the island—one in each
of the six bunkers, one patrolling the
beach in an XT-37 Stinger, two hiding
in the commons, one in the Suites. Two

333

GAME MOTHER SECTION

METAPUZZLE PIECES steal Vaughn’s black goo and Engineer musical
compositions, complete the starmap, set off into
In order to reach this mission, all six epiphanies deep space, and create a new world. If one or
must have already occurred (see the Metapuz- both of the androids still function, they will do just
zle on page 193). There is still a final epiphany that. If both of them have been deactivated, their
to learn here, however. The Children of the Two followers—the Firstborn—will follow through with
Divines were controlled by Mishka, not Jannes. their plans instead.
Mishka and Maitland found a partial starmap in
the Engineer’s musical notes. They intended to

ENTERING ORBIT This initial combat can be described to the PCs or
be played out as per the starship combat rules in
Once they enter orbit, the USS Tamb’Itam is the core rulebook. The Tamb’Itam must maneu-
assaulted by the Blackguard’s Bougainville-Class ver to a position where she can launch the PCs
Attack Transport—the USS Tunku Allang. Just as and pull out of orbit before she is destroyed by
the PCs prepare to deploy, two Blackguard frig- surface railgun fire. Once the PCs launch, the fate
ates—the Adowa and Vidar—enter orbit. As they of the Tamb’Itam’ is left for you to decide (see the
outflank the Tamb’Itam, the Tunku Allang drops Death of the Tamb’Itam event).
back—drawing the PCs’ ship in range of the is-
land’s rail gun defenses. The Tamb’Itam has a fight
ahead of her.

334

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

INSERTION as it descends through the atmosphere, upon
reaching the ocean’s surface it can be used
The PCs are welcome to utilize any insertion as a submarine. The Skiff can take the PCs
method they’ve employed in past missions. There past Darwin Island’s shoreline detection grid,
are other ways the PCs can elect to get to Darwin but they will have to leave her anchored in a
Island—each with its own risks. shallow trench about a kilometer out. They’ll
have to use rebreather masks (Air Supply 2)
T DROPSHIP DEPLOYMENT: Due to the island’s air and platypus fins to make it the rest of the way.

defenses, MU/TH/ER says a dropship insertion T DEAD DROP DEPLOYMENT: The PCs may want
has only a 37% probability of success. If the
PCs try for it, their dropship gets hit hard to chance using the individual DDR-E3
and crashes in the shallows just offshore on a Dead Drop Re-Entry Insertion Vehicles
sandbar of Hungry Tendrils (see The Beach on from Operation Quiet Catch. Reacquaint
page 336). The dropship is wrecked, and each yourself with the DDR-E3 and its deployment
PC suffers two points of damage, mitigated procedure on page 100—then see Quiet
by MOBILITY rolls as for falling damage. The Catch’s Insertion heading on page 266 for
PCs will then have to storm the beach against how to play it out. Any marine whose pod is
heavy fire from the beachhead bunker guns— hit by railgun fire, however, will land offshore
not to mention Berserkers. The dropship’s and need to swim to land (see The Ocean,
weapon systems are still online, however, and Shallows, and Beach on the next page). The
it can deploy its upper missile racks to combat thermals here will catch the other parafoils
any bunkers and berserkers. and force them down on the Caldera or in the
Hot Springs Lagoon—Dealers Choice.
T DEEPSEA DEPLOYMENT: The PCs can launch

from the Tamb’Itam in a Service Skiff instead.
While the craft will be extremely vulnerable

335

GAME MOTHER SECTION

DARWIN ISLAND with a possible cover for entry to the Darwin
facility.
Less than a kilometer wide, Darwin Island is
actually an atoll formed by a mostly submerged T H E S H A L L O W S : The submerged sandbars
volcanic caldera. As such, it is all beachfront and just offshore are infested with Hungry Tendrils
volcanic rock with scraggly undergrowth and a (below). At low tide they curl up and bury them-
smattering of tropical trees. A small waterway selves in the sand. At high tide they attach to
passes through the Killbox Canal to Hot Springs anything that moves in the water.
Lagoon at its center. The Darwin Facility is a
colonial rig that is suspended within the caldera T H E B E A C H : As indicated on the map, there
itself, just over the lagoon—in theory allowing are Beachhead Bunkers spread out across the
the bioweapons developed in the base to stay shoreline. The stretches of beach between
relatively divorced from the environment. That’s bunkers are either mined with Armat M111 Anti-
the theory, at least. Vehicle Mines or patrolled by a Blackguard XT-37
Stringer Fast Attack Vehicle (Dealer’s Choice).
The seaward approach to the island is not a
simple one, as dangers both natural and techno- An OBSERVATION roll is required to notice a
logical work to keep Darwin isolated. buried M111 Mine, even when actively looking. If a
PC enters the mine’s proximity (ENGAGED range),
T H E O C E A N : The ocean currents are strong on it will detonate (Blast Power 12). Each PC must
Pandora and can force the PCs past Darwin Island make it past one mine to leave the minefield.
into deeper waters. Each PC needs to make a
STAMINA roll to get back on course. Failure means If the PCs encounter the XT-37 Stinger
STRESS LEVEL +1. One attempt can be made each vehicle, it breaks through the tree line and onto
Turn. the beach, headed in the direction of one of the
bunkers. If the PCs do nothing, it will slow—then
Should the PCs choose to approach via the its Blackguard Commando driver will turn her
sea, they may encounter a “D” model Bearcat around and take another look at the beach.
VTOL Strikeship patrolling the island. The Deep
Void Technician pilot heads directly towards the
PCs’ location. She will stop to check the waters
for infiltrators, inadvertently providing the PCs

HUNGRY TENDRIL
SPEED: 1
HEALTH: 1
SKILLS: Mobility 1
ARMOR RATING: 1
ATTACK: Step too close to a Hungry Tendril and it makes a grapple attack with six Base Dice.
The attack does no damage but grabs the victim if it hits. The victim must make an opposed
CLOSE COMBAT roll vs. the Tendril’s six Dice to break free. Victims will be snagged and dragged
underwater to drown (page 111 of the core rulebook).

336

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

DARWIN ISLAND

HANGAR
GROTTO

BEACHHEAD METERS
BUNKER

THSELOWPEESSTERN DEPOSITORY 0 50 100

CALDERA MAG BEACHHEAD
RAIL STATION BUNKER

WESTERN BEACHHEAD
LAVA TUBE BUNKER

BEACHHEAD COLONIAL HOT SPRINGS BOXTHCEANKAILLL
BUNKER RIG PYLON LAGOON

CALDERA THE RIG COLONIAL
RIG PYLON
POWER
SHUNT EASTERN
LAVA TUBE

COLONIAL
RIG PYLON

BEACHHEAD GROUND
BUNKER STATION

GAME MOTHER MAP

THE RIG with a mag rail system, providing transport
between various caverns and the rig itself.
The colonial rig that is the Darwin Facility is a
standard W-Y modular construction processing The top platform of the rig—designated
facility used on various worlds—typically as Surface Level 00—is flush with the edge of
a farm, factory, or for general administrative the caldera rim, while the bottom of the rig is
functions and housing. On Darwin Island, the a good eighteen meters above the lagoon. Its
facility is being used specifically to experiment interior is broken down into six sublevels of
on and store Xenomorph XX121 and other varying heights with machinery and thick acid
biological weapons. resistant armor between them.

The rig is a roughly 80-meter cube Normally, the rig accommodates 300–500
suspended over the lagoon in the center of personnel. Much of the rig has been abandoned
the caldera. Made of fiber enhanced hybrid already, but members of General Vaughn’s
materials, the rig sways enough to survive gale cleaning crew are packing artifacts, deleting
force winds. Three pylon struts anchored into computer files, and slaughtering scientists to
the Caldera walls keep the rig suspended over clean up any loose ends. At this point, there are
the Hot Springs Lagoon. The undercarriages of only about 50 people left alive on the island.
the west and east facing struts are equipped

337

GAME MOTHER SECTION

ISLAND LOCATIONS deactivated Berserker unit kneels waist-deep
in the water, leaning against her spiky corpse.
BEACHHEAD BUNKERS AND BERSERKER The Berserker’s canopy has been ripped open
C AG E S : There are six bunkers spread out around and its dead pilot is missing half his face. If a PC
the island, each defending a particular beachhead. wants to remove the body, they can take control
Each reinforced bunker has Armor Rating 6 and of the damaged exosuit, but with the expected
holds a Blackguard Commando armed with a consequences (page 168).
Smartgun. An MX11A1 Hovertread vehicle is kept
in a small ditch bay by each bunker, allowing the C A L D E R A : The Caldera is made of coarse lava
guard to retreat if necessary. rock that will cut and scrape anyone who falls on
it. Its inner walls are a sheer 100 meters high with
One of the bunkers (Dealer’s Choice) can the colonial rig sitting within it and the lagoon
activate a subterranean cage hangar that resting at its bottom. Set back from the edge,
will rise from the ground. Inside is a single several UA 571-C Sentry Guns (page 125 of the
Berserker unit. A second command activates the core rulebook) are spread out evenly across the
Berserker. See The Beach on page 326 for other rim of the caldera—spaced so that any two have
potential obstacles here. an overlapping field of fire for any given position.
The guns activate if anyone without a Deep Void
H O T S P R I N G S L A G O O N : The water here is transponder signal reaches the rim. If the PCs hug
vibrant blue and a steamy 43 degrees Celsius, the caldera wall and avoid the rim top, the guns
heated by the magma chamber below. At its can’t reach them.
center is the deepest point—about ten meters.
The dismembered remains of 13 Blackguard GROUND STATION: Two Deep Void Technicians
Commandos float in the water. The twisted metal man this Ground Station Bunker. A cable car
scrap of an ejection pod is wrecked on the rocks here will take the PCs up to the rig’s Cable Car
of the lagoon shore. If the PCs look up at the rig, Platform on Sublevel 03. The car is currently
they can see the empty Queen’s Chamber cavity locked down and will require a COMTECH roll to
where the pod used to be attached. activate. An XT-37 Stinger Fast Attack Vehicle is
also parked here.
Something big, dark, and serpentine lies
beneath the water here—a majestic head crest
jutting out of the water like some sadistic
shark fin. It’s a dead Xenomorph Queen. A

BLACKGUARD COMMANDOS such as Tekko, Katar, or Emeici. For more on
AW Soldiers, see page 164.
These Blackguard commandos are having
second thoughts. As AW Soldiers, they have STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
been unswervingly loyal to Vaughn. She HEALTH: 6
stood up for their rights and gave them the SKILLS: Close Combat 4, Ranged Combat 5,
respect that the rest of the Corps hadn't. Mobility 3
Now, though, they are beginning to see TALENT: Overkill
that Vaughn has betrayed the flag and the GEAR: Black M3 Armor with Deep Void IFF
country they have pledged their lives to. Transponder, Dog Tag ID Keys, M41AE2
They also aren't too happy about being used Pulse Rifle, two combat knives, six
as hosts for alien parasites. Each Blackguard grenades.
Commando is named after a melee weapon

338

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR: If they survived the operations they were

involved in, Captain Gabriel A.W. Karambit, Sergeant Armitage A.W. Seax,
and Sergeant Jeremy A.W. Lance can lead any Blackguard group encountered
in Operation Octopus Garden.

The PCs have a good chance of turning each Blackguard Commando they
meet over to their side if they stop to reason with them. If the PCs
convince any group leader to stand down, their squad will fall in line
as well. If this happens, the PCs may soon have their own AWS platoon to
command for the mission’s duration.  ■

RIG LEVEL 00 to each strut on the caldera is a BD-33 Celestial
Artillery Railgun. Purchased by Deep Void on
R O O F T O P H A N G A R D E C K : There is a the black market, these automated rail cannons
hydraulic pad here to lift a VTOL craft from the will constantly fire at the Tamb’Itam as long as it
garage below. There are currently two Black- remains in orbit.
guard Cheyennes on standby here—a UD-4C
Gunship and a UD-4L Dropship. Their pilots are A well-placed breaching charge (HEAVY
MIA. Four Deep Void Technician piloted Black- MACHINERY roll to find the right spot) will severely
guard AS-19 D Bearcat VTOL Strikeships come damage one of these guns, weakening the rig
and go from this platform, patrolling the shore- support strut nearest it. See the event No Tip for
line of the island and ferrying Blackguard squad what happens next.
commanders to and from the bunkers.
CENTRAL CARGO LIFT AND LADDERS:
COLONIAL RIG PYLONS AND RAILGUN This large 6x12-meter cargo lift runs up a shaft
E M P L A C E M E N T S : These three support struts in the center of the rig, along with three ladder
keep the rig from falling into the atoll’s Hot Spring tubes.
Lagoon. The island’s mag rail travels along the
underside of the east and west pylons. Anchored

RIG SUBLEVEL 01 R I G M A G R A I L S TAT I O N : A derailed mag
rail train lays on its side, driven up on the platform
Mostly devoid of life thanks to the evacuation, and against the door. It’s flipped flatbed car
Sublevel 01 functions as a barracks and quarters has scattered a dozen prone stasis tubes across
for the Blackguard Commandos and the Deep the track and platform. Eleven are empty, their
Void Technicians. The vaulted ceilings on most of transparent shields clawed and smashed from the
this sublevel are ten meters high. inside out. There are signs of a firefight, but no
blood. Hibernating within the one intact fluid-
S U B H A N G A R : The UD-4L Cheyenne Dropship filled container is a PASSIVE Xenomorph Soldier.
here has the equivalent of a dead battery. A HEAVY The overhead mag rails lead to the Eastern and
MACHINERY roll and one Turn hooked up to the Western Lava Tubes. Two walkways cross under
hangar’s charging station will get the dropship in the mag rail to connect the north and south sides
the air. The equipment and tools in this subhangar of the sublevel.
add a +3 modifier to any vehicle related HEAVY
MACHINERY rolls. One door here leads to the Com-
mons and another to the Rig Mag Rail Station.

339

GAME MOTHER SECTION

SUBHANGAR STAGING
AREA
COLONIAL
RIG PYLONS EXPRESS
LIFT
COLONIAL
RIG PYLONS CENTRAL
CENTRAL CARGO
CARGO LIFT
LIFT
RIG MAG
ROOFTOP HANGAR DECK RAIL STATION

COLONIAL CAGE BARRACKS AND COMMONS
RIG PYLONS

MAG RAIL LEVEL 00 MAG RAIL CLEAN ROOM STORAGE
WAREHOUSE
RY OF THE SUBLEVEL 01
L E TA R I AT SUBLEVEL 02 RESEARCH CENTER
SUBLEVEL 03 UNIT 01-06
C A L F R I G AT E SUBLEVEL 04 CENTRAL
SUBLEVEL 05 CARGO
SUBLEVEL 06 LIFT

OPEN BRIEFING
THEATER

INTERCOM MEDKIT LIFT
ARMORY OBSERVATION
LADDER MEDLAB ZONE BORDER
ACCESS

MAINFRAME

340

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

10X10 METERS

COMMAND HYPERDYNE
SUITE SUITES

MACHINE DECK

TACTICAL APOLLO
CENTER MAINFRAME

CENTRAL CENTRAL
CARGO CARGO
LIFT LIFT

WEYLAND- GEHOLGOD
YUTANI SUITE SUITE

MACHINE DECK

RECEPTION HALL OBSERVATION CABLE CAR
BALCONY PLATFORM

WEAPONS STORAGE

WEAPONS WEAPONS FREEZER PROCESSING EXPRESS FREEZER
DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT LIFT
CENTRAL
CARGO CENTRAL
LIFT CARGO
LIFT

WEAPONS WEAPONS
DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT

THE VAULT

PLAYER MAP
341

GAME MOTHER SECTION

C A G E B A R R A C K S A N D C O M M O N S : The the creature and answer any questions the PCs
entry here from the Subhangar is barricaded from have.
the inside. If the PCs manage to get in (requires
a HEAVY MACHINERY roll), these sections are littered STAGING AREA, QUARTERMASTER,
with over three dozen exploded bodies, victims of AND UNISEX COMMUNAL SHOWERS:
a loose Xenomorph Goreburster (page 177) Pink The PCs can find any reasonable clothing, personal
slime trails curl across the floors, under the tables gear, and Deep Void IFF Transponders in the
in the commons, and over the bars of the cage Quartermasters. A weapons locker in the staging
barracks. area holds a dozen M41 Pulse Rifles and ammo.

The Goreburster is now hiding in the The many rows of communal showers are all
Showers. Two PASSIVE Blackguard Commandos running. The room is steamed and there is an inch
are hiding in the cage barracks, terrified of the of water on the floors—diluted blood has backed
creature. If the PCs do not attack them, the up the drains. A PASSIVE Goreburster is curled up in
commandos will ask for help in hunting down the drainage pipe here and will strike like a cobra.

342

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

RIG SUBLEVEL 02 doesn't know it, but Vaughn had him infected
with a Xenomorph Goreburster that will pop
The vaulted ceilings on this opulent level are whenever you’re ready.
some ten meters high. External floor to ceiling
transparent walls wrap around the entire sublevel T GEHOLGOD SUITE: This group of ransacked
here They are polarized and composed of
starship-grade viewport materials. rooms housed the top specialists involved in
the project—most of which are dead. Vaughn
E X E C U T I V E S U I T E S A N D O F F I C E S : There ordered one of her men to search the rooms
are four luxurious 600 square meter suites of for any secrets the scientists might have
personal rooms here. Each suite's interiors contain hidden from her. The Blackguard Commando
a foyer, personal office, bath, sleeping quarters for stuck with the job has found a case of glass
up to three, and a wraparound lounge with a bar, vials containing a dozen doses of Rhodes
library, and viewscreen. Due to the evacuation, no Vaccine (page 204).
doors here are locked.
Dr. Babak had his quarters and a small med-
T COMMAND SUITE: A personal suite that Vaughn ical office here. They are now wrecked, but his
personal Pauling MedPod (page 136 of the core
only shares when the facility has high ranking rulebook) still works.
visitors, these quarters look barely touched—
like a clean hotel room that is awaiting new R E C E P T I O N H A L L : There is a lot of activity
guests. Vaughn’s room has a bug-out duffle here as sixteen techs and their overseer(s) pack
bag resting on her perfectly-made bed. Inside up billions of dollars worth of artifacts. This hall
the duffle bag is a steatite ampule, scores is full of large crates that have been vacuum
of magnetic tapes full of Engineer musical wrapped and sealed. Six Deep Void Technicians
compositions, civilian clothing, and several here are using P-5000 Power Loaders to bring
vials of biochemicals (see Vaughn’s bio on the crates to the Central Lift. The center of the
page 200). If you choose, the ampule may be hall is dominated by an awesome sight—four
intact and carrying Agent A0-3959X.91 – 15. If more Deep Void Technicians are dismantling
the PCs leave the room and re-enter it, the bag Deep Void’s reconstruction of an Engineer’s
will be gone. Orrery platform (page 289 of the core
rulebook).
T WEYLAND-YUTANI SUITE: Mr. Ganon, Ms. DeRosa,
Still exposed in the hall are several Engineer
and Ms. Eckford shared this suite. Eckford’s stone tablets and biosuits, delicately being
room is emptied and cleared out following removed by six more Deep Void Technicians
her death in Destroyer of Worlds. The other under the watchful eyes of W-Y appraiser Ms.
two rooms look to be half-packed. $20,000 in DeRosa and xenoarcheologist Dr. Ahluwalia from
W-Y dollars and a VP-70 pistol are hidden in Operation Arcturian Apocalypse.
Ganon’s pillow.
If Ahluwalia did not survive her mission with
T HYPERDYNE SUITES: As the PCs enter this suite, the PCs, it will just be DeRosa. Ahluwalia will
recognize the PCs and act friendly. DeRosa
they will smell smoke. Lyndon is in the suite’s will not, opting to draw her ES4 Pistol and use
lounge burning all his discs and papers in the closest person as a shield (Ahluwalia if
a small trash bin. If the PCs enter the other applicable). At gunpoint, she’ll order her shield
rooms here, they will find two dead Hyperdyne to pick up her nearby briefcase and pass it to
execs, both shot in the head by Lyndon. her. DeRosa will attempt to make her way to the
Central Lift and then the roof, to rendezvous
Lyndon will immediately surrender to the with a dropship.
PCs, and attempt to make a deal, offering to
testify against Deep Void to save his own hide.
If the PCs ask, he says Vaughn took the Eastern
Lava Tube to the Hangar Grotto to prep her
ship, but she said she’s coming back. He

343

GAME MOTHER SECTION

SPENCER LYNDON however—and had the exec infected with a
Goreburster (page 177).
HYPERDYNE CORPORATE EXEC
A bloated, mousy little man, Lyndon is STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 4
also a coward. He will offer to immediately HEALTH: 2
go colony’s evidence against Vaughn and SKILLS: Observation 3, Command 3,
Deep Void—all to protect himself and Manipulation 6
Hyperdyne’s involvement in the Berserker TALENTS: Cunning, Personal Safety
program, of course. The General already GEAR: ES-4 Pistol, wrist worn Deep Void
suspected Lyndon would betray her, IFF Transponder, X-Stims, briefcase with
$20,000,000 cash.
PETRA DEROSA
planning on getting off Pandora with a few
WEYLAND-YUTANI ARTIFACT APPRAISER of the more valuable ones herself.
Ms. DeRosa was brought into Deep Void for
her knowledge of antiques. Fifteen years STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 2
ago, several artifacts from the Arcturian HEALTH: 2
Conflicts surfaced on the black market. A SKILLS: Observation 4, Command 2,
young appraiser then, Ms. DeRosa identi- Manipulation 4
fied fourteen forgeries and three authentic TALENT: Personal Safety
pieces that were misidentified as fakes. She GEAR: ES4 Pistol, wrist worn Deep Void IFF
has inventoried and reviewed every one Transponder, Engineer jade crystal artifact
of Vaughn’s Engineer artifacts—and she’s (appraised at $50,000,000) in her briefcase.

DEEP VOID TECHNICIANS STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 3, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2

These cross-trained technicians are rank HEALTH: 3
and file noncombatants—most of them SKILLS: Heavy Machinery 3, Piloting 2,
believe that this project is USCMC run and Ranged Combat 2, Comtech 3
that the PCs are mercenaries or traitors, TALENT: Spaceship Mechanic
but they aren't willing to risk their lives to GEAR: Cutting torch, tool kits, wrist-worn
stop them. Deep Void IFF Transponder, Dog Tag ID
Keys, pack of Koorlanders.

344

OPERATION OCTOPUS GARDEN

RIG SUBLEVEL 03 control the entire Blackguard from this command
post. Four Deep Void Technicians are running this
MACHINE DECK (BIODRONE NEST): room under the direct command of Major Kiliij.
This entire level is automated life support, reactor
batteries, and ammo storage. The rig draws power A P O L L O M A I N F R A M E : This computer
from the Power Shunt in the subterranean magma governing system is already wiped clean when the
pocket that collects power and stores it here. It is a PCs arrive. All it does is write “HELLO” over and
maze of crawlways, repair ports, and service ducts over again on all screens.
that have been turned into a hidden Biodrone nest,
guarded by two now dead Biodrones. There are six CABLE CAR PLATFORM: A cable car runs from
cocooned Blackguard Commandos here, half alive here to the Ground Station, allowing officers to
and slowly turning into Ovomorphs. reach their ground transport quickly.

TA C T I C A L C E N T E R : General Vaughn and her
on-site Blackguard commander, Major Kiliij can

BLACKGUARD MAJOR ARNOLD A.W. KILIIJ

Kiliij is torn—he is a well-disciplined his own involvement. Kiliij loves the corps.
soldier who follows the orders of his supe- Period.
riors, but he recognizes that Vaughn has
betrayed the principles the USCMC stands STRENGTH 6, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
for—as well as used his AW brothers and HEALTH: 6
sisters as cannon-fodder. He is a patriot SKILLS: Close Combat 4, Ranged Combat 5,
who will offer a truce with the PCs and Command 3
help them grab Vaughn. He wants nothing TALENT: Pull Rank
in exchange, he will testify in court as to GEAR: Armat M41AE2 Heavy Pulse Rifle,
Black M3 Armor with Deep Void IFF
Transponder, Dog Tag ID Keys.

RIG SUBLEVEL 04 Blackguard. Dropship fuel has been dumped all
over the bodies.
O P E N B R I E F I N G T H E AT E R : Six Pauling
MedPods run down the center of this hexagonal If Dr. Babak survived Operation Quiet Catch,
chamber, flanked on each side by medical monitor- he is one of the scientists here—shot twice but
ing stations. The MedPods here are programmed not dead. Babak is broken but can be revived
to administer antidotes to 26 Draconis, surgically if he receives MEDICAL AID (page 98 of the core
remove Chestbursters, and inject 26 Draconis into rulebook). Betrayed by Vaughn, he will help the
anyone infected with Neomorphic Motes (each PCs if they promise to get him out alive. He’s got
action takes one Turn and requires a MEDICAL AID roll Project Life Force data files on him.
for the MedPod (page 136 of the core rulebook).

There are 13 dead scientists piled in the center
of this room, all gunned down by Vaughn’s

345

GAME MOTHER SECTION

O B S E R VAT I O N B A L C O N Y : This upper T UNIT 05 holds a curious anomaly—a plump
audience level is part of the Open Surgical
Theater but only accessible through Sublevel 03. Xenomorph Goreburster. The cell is covered
It is protected from the surgical theater below by in pink slime that oozes out of the creature.
acid proof glass and equipped with a wide array It will quietly watch the PCs from behind the
of monitoring equipment. High ranking Deep glass, gorging on the exploded remains of the
Void members can observe medical experiments corpse in its cell. When the PCs are occupied
from here. with something else, the Goreburster will begin
screeching and hurling itself against the glass
R E S E A R C H C E N T E R : This hall has six (+1 STRESS LEVEL). At a dramatically appropriate
isolation units with transparent doors. There time, it will batter the door until it buckles
are rows and rows of glass vials along the wall enough for it to spill out and slither away as
containing exo-biological toxins, pathogens, and fast as possible. The Goreburster will then
vaccines. A greatest hits list includes 26 Draconis, follow the PCs wherever they go, attacking
Rhodes Vaccine (page 204), Neomorphic Motes when their guard is down.
(page 294 of the core rulebook), Goreburster
slime (page 177), Arcturian Kleharge (page 172), T UNIT 06 is warped, forced open from the inside.
and even the New Earth Plague (page 172). It
would behoove the PCs to tread lightly in this A residue of pink dried powder leads from the
lab—a firefight or protracted melee could lead to cell to the door the PCs came through, but dis-
an accidental toxin or pathogen spill. sipates halfway across the room. This cell used
to contain the Gorebuster that is terrorizing
T UNIT 01: A strangely calm scrawny kid with Sublevel 02.

dozens of needle marks up his arms huddles CLEAN ROOM STORAGE WAREHOUSE:
here in his underwear. His chart says his name This icy room is full of a hundred hanging body
is Private Gilmore and he was assigned to Fort bags filled with bloody corpses—all victims of
Nebraska. More importantly, it suggests he’s xenobiological pathogens stored for study. Any
immune to the accelerant. If so, he could be surgical tool or anesthetic the PCs might want can
the key to a cure. Life Force scientists infected be found here.
Gilmore with everything and anything, from
XTB to P. praepotens to 26 Draconis. He has Two PASSIVE Blackguard Commandos are here,
survived it all—but he has been permanently fiddling with a stubborn pre-ignition line on an
chemically lobotomized in the process. Gilm- incinerator unit that won’t start. Vaughn ordered
ore doesn't know anything or anyone anymore, them to execute the scientists in the Surgical
all he knows is people call him Gil. Theater, then incinerate them and the entire
Experimental Lab. Utterly loyal, they will attempt
T UNITS 02–04 are empty. to complete their orders even if confronted by
the PCs.

RIG SUBLEVEL 05 this steamy sublevel is a sculpted, living, alien hive.
While there are many more in here, the PCs will
WEAPONS STORAGE AND DEVELOPMENT: encounter no more than two Xenomorph Soldiers—
This level has double reinforced steel walls made but they don’t need to know that. The Xenos are
of the same acid resistant materials used to store PASSIVE and spread thinly throughout the hive.
toxic waste—not that it matters, someone left the
airlock to the Central Lift here open. The interior of

346