Monday, April 28, 2025

Traveller: DA3 "Death Station" Sessions 4-5 (end)

“Death Station” Continues in the York System of Albadawi Sub-Sector 



York has a Routine Installation "C" and a Gas Giant, Clortho-9 [below], which provides most of the fuel and oxygen to the system. For our plot line, York is a suitable substitute for the planet Gladden, Harlequin Sub-Sector, the official location for Death Station: Double Adventure 3. As the Solomanni Rim is a key part of this campaign's plot, I re-located it to Albadawi Sub-sector. This is an easy adventure to put into almost anywhere and link to almost any continuing plot line - highly recommended!


The Planet York  is rated:
"C  8 A 2 4 6 3  F Non-industrial. Owned by Irashdaa. G"
C - Starport = Routine Installation = repair facilities and unrefined fuel available
8 - size = 8,000 miles diameter [earth is 12,800]
A - atmo = "exotic" requires humans to live in bubbles, extract oxygen from local
         sources and supplement with the Gas Giant in the System.
2 - Hydro % = 20% water
4 - Pop = up to 9999 people, actual number is around 5-6,000 [up from '2']
6 - Govt = Captive government, i.e. controlled by Irashdaa.
3 - Law Lvl = Body Pistols, Bombs, Grenades, Poison gas; Portable Energy
         Weapons; Autofire Weapons [exc. SMGs] prohibited.
F - Tech Lvl = 15, maximum Imperial [due to this being a high-tech mining colony].

As I have also been working on learning Space Travel and its related game mechanics, adventuring within a couple of sub-sectors helps reduce down time for the players, who are aging, you know! Altho the core's civilization is more complicated than the Imperial Rim, I have the concepts and plot devices needed to make Bravo Team's adventures sensible and firmly in the T1ed. canon; this was a goal for the group from the beginning. 

And now, enough editorial comment!  Let's return to team Bravo-7, last post they were up to their ears in danger on the lab ship Syncomens, but slowly unraveling the disaster that befell it…


*   *   START SESSION 4 - [DATE?], 2024  *   * 

The Teams then debate the merit of heading on to Q1 [and the auxiliary lab] or doubling-back and entering Q2 which contains the galley, mess, and reception areas, as well as the lift to the pinnace. Final decision is to head to the Auxiliary Lab in Q1, as more of the research may have been conducted there, so it is likely to be a high-threat area. 

The Auxiliary Lab turns out to be wrecked; debris from laboratory equipment, another Ichiban Model/0.5 lab computer, work furniture as well as broken utility pipes and conduits is scattered away from the point where an explosion went off. The floor is buckled, but room pressure seems normal, according to readouts. At the far end near Air Raft #2 access door, there’s a pile of wrecked lab tables, stools, and other items obviously *not* exposed to an explosion. The Team proceeds cautiously. 

Instead of plant boxes, there are various animal cages in the lab, some quite large...  Many are damaged and their occupants lay dead, killed in the explosion. Other cages have their doors wide open with no signs of occupation. As they pass the Ichiban-5, Team Security notes that it is clearly unusable and unlikely to yield much of any use. Maintaining a 360 watch, the group stops in front of the debris pile.

   “Who do you think is in there?” Asks Gabriel.

   “Or what…” says Glitch.

   “And how many,” adds Stinks.

   The Team establishes security then a few start picking at the rubble pile covered by those who aren’t watching their backs. As they remove objects, it’s clear there is a tunnel through it, and it leads – again – to a hole, roughly cut with a blowtorch and padded with clothing and mattress bits. This time, it exudes a stench more animal than human…and distant scrabbling, grunts, and calls.

   “I think we found the laboratory pets,” says Oran. And indeed, in their suit’s light beams, faces start appearing – colorful but not friendly faces:

Mandrill Baboon  Pin on Animals  "Mandril macho", por mcullenphoto. Angry Animals, Zoo Animals, Funny ...

    “Nice monkey, I got a treat for ya,” says Gabriel, flicking off his safety.

A few charge out into the light, and are met with fiery blasts of thunder from the covering Team members. One retires rapidly, shrieking, dragging its leg – or was it an arm?  The others lay still.

   “Don’t shoot!  Don’t shoot!” shrieks a voice from the floor, followed by pitiful sobs and moans.

   “C’mon on up then,” says Glitch, “No weapons and you won’t be hurt!”  Two hands appear, palms up, followed by a filthy, unshaven face. The eyes full of fear, panting, much like the mammals already scared off by the guns.

   “Don’t hurt me!  It wasn’t me, I tell you, it was the others…their mad, I tell you, completely MAD – yes! I never thought it was wise, much less scientific… or ethical, yes, or ethical!  The plants, the woods, yes, they are coming COMING to Dunsinane Hills! Hah! *sob* They can’t be stopped!

   I told them they’d lose their licenses – or worse! Then they were angry, they threatened me, yes! A scientist, a DOCTOR - to kill me!  And they’ve killed, yes, killed I tell you - everyone – and the sea split, the ship was hit, and the sands on the shore were shaking… ha!  Yes, yes, SHAKING I say, and they consume, yes, they commit EGREGIOUS acts, *consume* and more, yes, yes more and WORSE.” and the voice trails off into blubbering and tears. The primates scrabble and grunt in the silence after this unexpected speech.

   “C’mon out, it’s OK” says Glitch. “You part of the crew?”  And indeed the first survivor turns out to be none other than one of the scientific leads in the experiment trials, Dr. Raimondo Stands. Completely unmanned, alternating between bouts of sobbing, groveling, and accusations against “them”, it is soon clear that Dr. Stands is not completely connected to his surroundings.

   “Doc, we’re going to need you in the Aux Lab,” states Oran, “sooner the better.”

After his arrival, Wineston, Peck and Zack also catch up. Eventually, Stands is coaxed out from his lair, but is not completely cooperative. Doc consults with Oran who nods, then has the Team hold Stands down while he makes a quick prick in his arm.  Soon, most of the monologue drifts off and Stands is just mumbling and lethargic. He’s taken back to the bridge area by Doc Stinks and Glitch, where one of the staterooms will be the aid station managed by Glitch. Doc and Stinks will return ASAP.  

Team Security takes a breather, then continues pushing forwards into Q1. Air Raft hanger #2 has no air raft – where is it?  Hard Point #2 is an ugly sight. The laser’s gunner is in his chair, but his head appears to have been ripped off and is missing. Two other bodies are present, and appear to have been partially consumed. They take a tactical pause for Doc and Stinks return.

   “Right, let’s move on – stay sharp,” says Oran.

   “I got a bad feeling about this,” says Neo.

They cross back over to Drive Pod #2. It is messy with feces, bits of bone and remains, and a faint scrabbling and grunting can be heard from above – the second level. Oran looks at Neo and Doc, points up to the ladders and hatches to the second level. Neo and Doc nod, go up and test the closed hatches – ‘thumbs-up’ – they are not secured. They look at each other, and Neo gives one, then two, then three fingers…and they simultaneously pop the hatches and poke their heads in, weapons cleared over the lip, ready to use, as the hatches bang into the floor. It’s not a pretty sight.

   A long-faced man, filthy, unshaven, with a tattered lab coat whirls between the two hatches as between two threats; two primates start to grunt, howl and whirl around, undecided which way to go for a moment, being outflanked.

   “Hah!  Qu’est-ce que c’est! Qu'est-ce que c'est!!” screams the man D who then charges at Neo, a feral look in his eye that clearly means no good. The primates dance around, but one then heads towards Doc, a decision clearly made.

   From below, Oran and the team watch as shots ring out. Neo’s lower half seems to leap up into the room, and it is unclear what is happening. Doc’s SMG is heard at the other ladder. 

 Amidst the human shouting, primate howling, and weapons firing, a decision has to be made, so Gabriel and Oran head up the ladders, somewhat awkwardly, holding their weapons ready. Oran peers over the lip of the hatchway, and sees Neo on the far side of the cramped compartment, slumped up-side down against the wall, looking dazed.  A wild-looking man capers and twirls screaming “Qu'est-ce que c'est!” repeatedly. Then heads over to the partially incapacitated Neo.

   Oran doesn’t think about it, he quickly pulls himself up and shouts “Hey!” at the wild man, while dropping his shotgun and drawing his trusty boarding cutlass. The feral fellow turns and begins bobbing and weaving towards *him* now, “Qu'est-ce que c'est!! Qu'est-ce que c'est!!” he screams. Oran begins working him over with the flat of the cutlass. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees a primate cut in two from Doc’s SMG, bleeding out.  The other screams and nimbly climbs the drive itself, then leaps off towards Doc and an emerging Gabriel. 

 As Neo shakes it off and begins to rise, Doc and Gabriel cut down the other primate with fire at arm’s length. Oran grapples with the madman who is trying to pick him up – and appears to be able to do so! Gabriel dashes around the drive and slams into the madman, who appears completely unfazed when his head and torso are slammed into the wall. Clearly, this will take more personnel!

   Neo and Doc jump in, and with the four of them they batter the madman, knock his legs from under him and he awkwardly hits the deck, on his back. This would easily knock out any man, but he just stares into Neo’s eyes while Neo rests his body weight on his shoulder and arm. Growling and staring, he begins to pick Neo up off the deck with just the one arm, his eyes bulging!

   “Doc, you gotta put this dog down!” shouts Neo. Doc deftly pulls out an auto-hypo while kneeling on the feral fellow’s other arm, and eases it right into an artery.  It appears to have a mild effect. Doc tosses the empty aside, pulls out another, repeats the process, and slowly Neo begins to rest back on the deck as the bulging arm begins to relax. “Qu'est-ce que c'est?” the madman asks, then his eyes roll back. There are a few moments of collective catching of breath.

   “You OK,” Oran asks Neo.

   “I’m a bit beat up, but I can keep going.” Peck, Zach and Winestin enter the pod, and the madman is lowered onto the Pod’s first level for them to take possession of his drooping form.

   “Will Dr. Spangler recover,” Peck asks Doc.

   “Likely,” answers Doc.

   “How do you know who he is,” asks Oran.

   “His lab coat,” answers Peck pointing. Sure enough, the name can just be seen amidst the tears and filth. “OK, says Oran. “Me and Stinks will do the carry this time, you guys take five.”

   “I’ll help,” says Winestin.
   “Zack will, also,” says Peck. “We must press on soon.” 

 In just a few minutes, the four return, and the search continues. Next to the Drive Pod, the Auxiliary Bridge is well-lit and intact. The terminal to the ship’s main computer is blinking a ‘ready’ state. The following state rooms are in various states, some stripped of furniture and bedding, others intact. One contains a partially-consumed crewman, missing a leg. Searches for other personnel don’t bear fruit, and the team wants to keep moving, assess and eliminate any threats, and insure the ship’s integrity before looking around in detail. They arrive at the bulkhead door to Q2, and take a breather, check weapons.

   “Alright, let’s finish up. Pop that iris valve.” It is done and the hatch swings open, Q2 before them. 

The Team checks all the staterooms. One is a research library, with some materials scattered around the floor – someone was obviously interrupted at their work.

   “We’ll need to look around in here when we’re done,” says Oran.

   The rest of the rooms are in various states: some are in disarray, some not, one has signs of a struggle: blood on the floor; another has a body in a closet, missing an arm; another has a travel trunk with unusual exterior design motifs, unusual symbols in small letters. Something about it is familiar…

   “Doc, c’mere,” says Oran.  “Those symbols look familiar to you?”

   “Yes – ANNIC NOVA writing, I’d say,” They pop it open. Inside, neatly folded, are three space suits, almost identical to those salvaged from that mysterious vessel. Also, a portable flat screen with dials and buttons. Doc pushes a couple of likely ones. A bald, brown, humanoid head without eyebrows appears, and begins speaking. Various images appear – with a button push, the image changes and the talking head speaks again. Doc looks at Oran. “Language tutor – similar to the one on the ‘Nova’s main screen. And these suits – no tanks and no place to attach a tank, like ‘Nova’s.”

   “We have to come back for this. Let’s stow it.” They push it into a closet and conceal it with a few articles of clothing and some small boxes.

   The Reception Area has a plaque with the ship’s build history and specs, with the owner as “Scientific Charters”. Below, a small letterboard says “Welcome aboard, Lysani Lab Personnel!”  At the far side, is the lift shaft to the pinnace docking ring. They decide to keep clearing Q2.

   Farther along, they encounter the cook’s stateroom, a staff meeting room with various types of filing and data systems conveniently located, and a private dining room. The Galley follows, with smashed lighting fixtures and some disarray but no large piles of objects. A visual scan of the area reveals nothing extraordinary to a galley. The Team advances into the darkness and checks the larger storage doors.

   “Guys, I found the rest of the crew…I think,” says Gabriel in a strange voice.  The rest of the Team moves closer – Gabriel has opened a large insulated door for what is obviously fresh food cold storage. There, hanging from various meat hooks, are at least a dozen of the crew – completely frozen, obviously dead, some missing limbs and parts. Oran switches to the group Push and informs Eclipse and the other Teams. Peck, Zack and Winestin join them.

   “Doesn’t look good,” says Winestin. Zack looks somewhat green. Peck says nothing, but looks at Oran and the rest of the Team. His face gives nothing away.

   “By the information given, we still have four unaccounted for,” transmits Simpson from Eclipse.

   “Not much left – the pinnace and…the maintenance tunnel,” says Oran.

   “Hopefully, the pinnace,” says Stinks dryly.

   “Let’s shake it,” says Oran, “we’re on air time.” The Team closes the fresh food storage door again, and backtracks to the lift shaft.

   Popping the door, the lift appears ready for use. Another door is in the side, marked “ladder access point” in yellow stencil. “What do you think?” asks Oran.

   “I like the ladder better – we’ll be able to see up the shaft instead of a surprise at the top,” says Gabriel. Oran nods, enters the elevator and stops, poised, at the door. They cover him. He yanks it open, stepping back with his trusty cutlass at the ready. Two of the primates lay on the floor, bullet-ridden and obviously dead. Oran prods them with the cutlass anyway. They are stiff.

   “OK, Stinks, Neo, Gabriel, Winestin, me then the Krono-kops,” says Oran. As the team heads up the shaft ladder, Oran and Zack step out onto the lift roof to cover the hatch at the top. Stinks tests it, nods to Oran, who hand-signs him to storm up. He throws the hatch open, looks around then shakes his head. He and Neo enter a tight landing, and Neo peeks in the small window to the pinnace airlock and quickly draws back. “We have one sleeping sentry in the airlock; looks like a crewman.”

   “Well, it’s time for him to get up, clearly,” says Oran. 

 Neo pounds on the door. The sleeping sentinel starts and awakens. “Rescue!” he shouts, Trader Eclipse, CPT Simpson.”  The crewman is clearly delirious with joy. He shouts something out the open interior airlock door and then begins to open the door. A sharp word from inside is heard – another crewman, obviously in charge, enters and walks to the window. She looks disheveled and tired, but is composed. She looks closely at Neo, then Gabriel, who both try to look as benevolent as possible. She completes the opening of the airlock, and regards them.

   “Diane Batter, pilot,” she says. “This is Lou Tilly, engineer. C’mon in – how many are you?”

   “We’ve a robust crew at the moment, with some additions. The shaft is a bit tight, so we’ll sort that real quick.” Oran leaves Peck and Zack to guard the exit. They all file up into the pinnace.

 There, they are introduced to two other survivors. Hanna Putz, medic and steward, and another disheveled fellow in a dirty lab coat, Dr. Pedro Finkman. Hanna hugs Gabriel, who looks awkward, Lou is alternating between laughing and crying, and Dr. Finkman is cloyingly appreciative.

   “It’s been quite an ordeal, we’re so grateful, Spangler and Stands are missing, presumed dead, but they became quite mad. One of them blew up the auxiliary lab, let the animals loose… If not for the efforts of the fearless crew, we would all have been lost… would all have been lost,” he repeats, shaking his head.

   “There’s going to be a lot to talk about later, but what’s this ship’s status?” asks Batter, “we’ve been cornered up here for days.” The other survivors go inside to gather a few things from the pinnace.

   “It’s mostly secured – at least, a visual check for crew and essential systems, hull’s intact,” says Oran. “We’ve got the bridge, and an aid station there. Only loose end is the maintenance tunnels –there’s primates in there, uncertain who or what else.” He briefs her on additional relief, survivors, etc. “The other doctors are under sedation – they’re not coherent at this point,” he finishes. Batter nods, clearly full of suspicions.    “The whole *event* was very odd…” she begins in hushed tones.

   But Dr. Finkman returns. “I’m ready to head to your vessel, if you feel it’s we can depart safely,” he says. “Of course, it might be wise to secure some of the research data, as that will bring purpose to the deaths that have been incurred on this path of scientific discovery. I’d think the families would be please to know they did not die in vain, nor that the precious knowledge…” he stops speaking, his voice trailing off as his mouth gapes open and his eyes bulge at something behind Oran.

   Oran whirls around, cutlass ready to fend off an attack, but it is only Sub-Assistant Kronographer Peck…who is locking eyes with Dr. Finkman. Oran whirls back to face Finkman, only to see him fall in a dead faint. Batter just stands, unmoving, as he hits the deck [literally]. Oran looks back to Peck, who takes his eyes from the prostrate doctor. “Zack is checking the lift controls – we moved the primate carcasses out of the shaft, and he should be up shortly,” he says blandly to Oran. Oran gives him a long, hard look. “OK. Looks like we’ll need it for the Good Doctor, anyway.”

    Doc returns, and takes charge of the survivors who are to head to the makeshift aid station near the bridge, both for safety and to get better checked out. Oran leads the rest back down the shaft, noting the lift rising to take the survivors out of the pinnace. When they make it down the ladder, the lift is still loading, far above. Oran gives it one more suspicious look before heading back through the galley of horror towards the bulkhead door to Q1 and the bridge. 

 

*   *   END SESSION 4 – [DATE?], 2024  *   *

 

* * BEGIN SESSION 5 - JAN 18, 2025 * * 

The Team makes their way to the Bridge. Oran makes sure Bravo Team brings up the rear. Doc and the survivors in the center, Zak and Peck lead the way. As they pass the pile of furniture and lab equipment in the Auxiliary Lab, Winestin drops back – Oran looks at him, then nods at Stinks to hang back as well. Once most of the group has left Q2, Oran stops, looks back and sees Winestin catching up, holding a charred lab computer in his hands.

   “I thought I saw it in the rubble earlier, but the primates distracted me. We gotta take this along and see what we can get out of it.” They formed back up for a safe trip back to the bridge. When they got there, they found Doc and Glitch keeping an eye on two of the Drs - the psychotic Spangler and the sniveling Stands. The oily Dr. Finkman, along with the other surviving crew members, is in one of the other staterooms with Peck; Zack is leaning outside the door, bored.

   Winestin and Oran consult in low voices, but can’t come up with a reason why the survivors *can’t* talk to the Sub-Assistant Kronographer, without appearing to be more than a fearless crew working the spaceways. Ultimately, Wineston values their cover, which can still be useful.

   While Peck is busy, Bravo Team takes the opportunity to organize all the data they found. This is relatively easy since Jerek already copied the data from the main computer.

   “By the way,” says Jerek, “One thing I found is that along with the daily encrypt of research results and other activities to Lysani Labs, which the computer can read, an additional transmission has been made during the night cycle, often from one of the lab computers. That code is also encrypted, but the mainframe computer *can’t* read it – at all. Or else it is in a language it doesn’t understand.”

   “We can decipher them later,” says Winestin. “The important thing is to find out where they are going – we need another lead.”

   “Should be doable, I’ll get back to that – I was checking out some of the other systems.”

   The charred Ichiban/0.5 Winestin wanted to take with him, but secretly. They decided to hide it in the hard box containing the three suits. This reminds Oran of something else – Doc is summoned and checks out the contents of the box.

   “Same suits all right.” He says, then pulls out a box with screen and dials. After some fiddling, it turns out to be a language tutor with a talking humanoid head, no eyebrows – also like the one on Annic Nova. “We need to figure out who’s stateroom that was.” Oran nods. 

   “Time is passing – let’s try the direct method. Can you get Dr. Spangler to answer questions?”

   “Probably,” says Doc slowly. “Only wild card is, I’ll have to use some Medical Slow and whatever else is in him is making him react unusually.”

   “Worth a shot – he’s made his bunk, and he’ll have to lay in it.” Doc and Glitch prepare the cocktail, and Oran watches the door. Doc skillfully brings Spangler to a point where he’s murmuring and a little restless. They question him, successfully, ascertaining that he’s been sending regular duplicates of all lab results to Butler Chemical, Terra/Sol, via his contact on York, that he only knows as “CZ”. ButlerChem instructed him thru CZ to delay the experiment, so Spangler set off the bomb, little knowing the effects it would have on the crew and experimental primates!

   Around the same time, Jerek summons Winestin. Turns out the ship’s mail program is very dutiful about tracking mail, lest any research be lost. The address on York is

   << CZcalcia:York:Lysani:17729>>. Oran and Winestin compare notes.

   “CZ… that’s our lead or I’m a Kronographer” says Winestin.

   Simpson informs them from Eclipse that additional ships are just a few hours away. In the meantime, discussion among the team revolves mainly on securing Syncomens better. A slow, controlled venting the ship into space should kill anything on board, bacterial to mammal, but may also destroy valuable evidence and experiments. Also, Winestin would have to assert his Ministerial jurisdiction. The decision remains staying incognito and acting out their roles.

   Finally, they are relieved by additional vessels from York. Bravo Team make their exit from Syncomens with many unanswered questions and uninvestigated suspicions. They return to York, without Peck and Zack on board. Upon landing, they debate their next course of action.

   “We gotta figure out that address, who or what it is, and chase it down,” says Winestin. After some back’n forth, they decide to check the mailroom of Lysani Labs. Glitch comes up with some likely excuses about a lost package, then departs, Stink trailing him. “No one should go anywhere here without another one of us keeping an eye on him,” says Oran, “who knows how deep this goes, and what the Time Police are up to.”

   Glitch enters the mail room, and a cheerful, young woman with a name plate that reads, “Iva Shandor” waits on him. He explains that a personally important package somehow got mislabeled, and was sent to the “CZ” address. She gives him a form to fill out, and says he can return tomorrow and they should have it. Thinking quickly, Glitch explains that some of the items in the package are perishable, and, using all his 11/Knight social graces, requests a quick check.

   Utterly charmed, Iva checks the mail box, and reports that there’s a hold on the mail, which usually means that the recipient is off-planet. After some more conversation, Glitch ends up with an explanation of the address and a “is there *anything* else you want…*anything*?” accompanied by some grey-eyed glances. Glitch considers how long the ship has been Travelling, and…does the obvious – secures a drink after she gets off work!  The address is simple:

Cedric Zimmerman:Office_of_Community_Interaction:Box9.

But who is Cedric Zimmerman? He’s a PR executive that handles relations with one of the nearby sub-sectors, Ranulf. The hold on his mail is for another 10 days. Glitch thanks her and has a cheerful departure.

   Back on the ship, Winestin, Doc, Oran, and Glitch talk it out, consulting with Simpson about the astrogation. They don’t think they can catch Zimmerman before he’s in route back to York. They also need to touch base with BWI and the Bureau of Health on Irashdaa, where they may also be able to develop some more leads. No clear choice is at hand, so they consider splitting up the Team to do both courses of action: wait for Zimmerman on York, and head to Irashdaa. Glitch looks at his watch.

   “While you make important decisions, I’m going to be sure not to disappoint a mail clerk. And I may come back with some more information about Cedric Zimmerman, as well!” He says over his shoulder as he strides out the bulkhead door. 

* * END SESSION 5 - JAN 18, 2025 * *