The Eleventh Weird Thing: The SAS Hierophant for Mothership

 The Eleventh Weird Thing: The SAS Hierophant for Mothership

This was the culimnation of a lengthy Mothership campaign I ran online a while back. May reflect 0E stats! Presented unedited from the original notes. Some character references are to actual characters from that campaign.

The SAS Hierophant Re 22178-XZ

Captain: James Gurdy, 23 years as a contractor and salvager for Sector Authority

Three Extra Crew: Engineer Carl Spectro, field agent Tammy Scythe, and Medic android Craiton.

Current Commission: with Syngen CTO James Revan, who has access to FART unit recovered from Megaldon stomach. Has identified in unit’s recordings that KT-223 vessel is in possession of the Phase Wave Shifter, recovered from ISS Somnus.

Need to Know: The crew are seeking out the KT-223, which was last reported adrift by a Belter mining freighter (The SAS Greenlight) which reported the salvage with request for a partial finder’s right. They tagged the drifter with a beacon but refused to enter for reasons not explained.

Destination: Alpha Persei, the Demon Star (Mirfak) (511 LY from Terra)

Local worlds: Alpha Persei I (super gas giant) (6.8X Jupiter’s mass) – an ominous world with three immense red superstorms larger than some small gas giants that look like eerie eyes.

Colony: L774 New Haven – 13^th moon of AP I (the primary world has 123 moons accounted for)

New Haven was founded in 2673 by the now defunct AE Expansionists. The colony was abandoned in 2710 and not recolonized until 2754 when the colony was purchased by World Systems MC for terraforming. Since then the colony has done well and the terraforming has been a success; the planet is earthlike as of 2901.

Governance: the Independent Colonies charter; subscribe to Sector Authority protection (but behind on payments)

Noteworthy Recent news: the system’s FTL Beacon System has had issues and has been down for six months pending repairs. The KT-223 was carrying necessary goods for the repair. No news has gone in or out of the system in six months not carried directly by visiting freighters, though only three are on record (including KT-223) as heading to the system.

 

The Mystery:

The Hierophant arrives to find a colony that is not responding, and a gigantic research ship in orbit that records say was reported lost or destroyed twenty years ago. They need to decide which to investigate first…and neither is responsive.

The Starship Hades, a currently unregistered Hecate Class Research Vessel, formerly registered to Stygian Development MC, an old Megacorp which operates outside of the Coreworlds almost exclusively, though it is said to have close ties and funding from Persephone Industries, headquartered on Earth. Many suspect Stygian Dev. Is a front for Persephone to carry out illicit and unregulated research in the Rimward Regions. Stygian Dev. Claims the ship was lost twenty years ago.

The ship is parked in orbit around L774. It is currently the last known source of the broadcasting tracker placed on the KT-223 by the belters. The signal is absent from the sensor readings of any ship in the system until Hades is approached, and then the signal begins to ping again….

Inside the hold of the Hades, now ensconced in a docking bay in a Classified Research Module, is the remains of the KT-223. The ship is experiencing a full meltdown. No one seems to be in control. Attempts to hail the Hades are met with a response from Dr. Crystal Matavos, a cyborg researcher who appears to be in charge and will state that any vessel which approaches is at risk of retaliatory destruction, and to depart immediately. But, the ship seems largely offline and neither shields nor weapons are online according to scans….

While in orbit, the vessel suddenly exhibits a massive power surge just when the Hierophant decides to land, briefly bringing the Hades ship to life. Everyone makes a Body check, and if anyone fails they have a momentary blackout and out of body experience on the Hierophant. If anyone critically fails their spectral essence is ripped from their body!

Phase Wave Specter Instinct 30 Combat 25, touch deals 2D10 chilling radioactive tissue damage. Energy weapons can harm the specter (HP 30).

Complication:

The pilot, 1^st lt. Trish August, is hit by the energy and her specter is ripped out. The ship veers abruptly into the station, crashing into the main landing bay. It will take 2D6 hours for remaining crew to disentangle the ship and repair the thrusters to manage a fresh take off.

 

Inside the Ship:

The sudden surge of energy is only the latest, brought on by a slow alien cancer which has torn through the guts of the ship, converting those it touches into phasewave creatures. The device known as the Phase Wave Shifter has been recovered. Dr. Matavos was experimenting on the device when the interred crew, including DOS, who was found strangely cocooned in a metal embryo of exotic matter nanites, awoke, and began converting crew into phasewave forms. The research conducted in Research 1-3 was all part of their assessment of the PWS. The Classified module contains the ship and embryo from which a new DOS awoke, shedding the mundane parts as she proceeded to use exotic matter nanites to build a machine which directed the phasewave energy at L774 below.

Since then of the three hundred crewmen on the ship more than 80% have been turned into different sorts of phasewave creatures:

Phasewave Soldier – basic units of protection; Instinct 50 Combat 55 Damage energy attack 1D10X10, Health 40

Phasewave Rupture – the phasebonding did not go well; Instinct 35, Combat 55, Damage 3 attacks 3D10 each by tentacles, Health 50; Can also spit once instead and if it hits the target must make a body save or be invaded by exotic restructuring nanites. If killed by one of these, you see your spectral ghost form ripped free and devoured. The body drops and animates as a soldier 1D10 minutes later.

Phasewave Exterminator – the final form of a successful conversion; Instinct 70, Combat 70, attacks 1D10X10 energy or direct matter conversion attack Body save or take 2D10X10 damage and turn in to a phasewave soldier. Only two are on the ship right now.

Phasewave Hybrid Speaker – These intermediary units retain communication skills and speak the voice of the Destructor, the Final Manifestation. Occasionally they will address individuals directly, and speak of the dead they have known. Instinct 40, Combat 40, Attack 1D10 claws, HP 25.

The Final Manifestation – this colossal beast is located on the planet below and has already annihilated the colony, converting all it finds into exotic matter servants. It is the first of the Final Solution by ancients to eliminate the Baryonic Plague which has crippled the universe. Instinct 100, Combat 100, Attack 1D10 tentacles or stomp, all 3D10X10; Health 1,000. It is pure exotic matter and can only be harmed by energy weapons or antimatter.

About 60 humans and androids survive on the ship, ensconced in Research Modules 1-2, the Bridge, and a handful in other areas. These include some soldiers, researchers and damaged androids; the phasewave pulses are slowly shredding the synthetic skin of the androids.

They are led by Dr. Crystal Matavos, who has been infect (as DOS was) by the exotic matter nanites. She wants to see what the final machine is, and realizes that the aliens may represent an exotic species that exists between normal baryonic matter and non-baryonic dark matter. The potential for the weapon being built is enormous, as it seems capable of opening a wormhole in space to any other star system to “fire” upon, though so far it has only targeted New Haven.

The Corrupted Regions:

Engineering – the source of the Phasewave Shifter Engine/Weapon

Classified Research Bay – where KT-223 and the crew were stowed; heavy corruption

Each other region has a 25% chance of corruption, which goes up by 10% for each hour the crew remains on the ship. The energy pulse takes effect once every 5 hours, but after each new pulse the next one is 1 hour sooner. Dr. Matavos believes the pulse, when it hits zero, will unleash the true effect of the weapon. She wants to record it all.

Complications:

The Mutineer:

Commander Alan James was head of Special Security for the Hades and watched most of his men convert or perish. He’s damn pissed and is located in a brig off the Commons. He wants out, and he knows a hidden chamber into the locked down Engineering section. He has the codes to reactivate the ship’s weaponry, including antimatter warheads.

KT-223 Stowage:

DOS (android) and Tennl (android) are awakened by the latest phasewave surge, which is strong enough to spontaneously recharge them, though they have only 1D10 minutes before the ambient energy subsides to find replacement power cores. DOS is a skeletal wreck lying in front of the opened cocoon, and her memories are a wreck. The other crew remained in stasis lockdown, but the power surge overwhelms the lockdown protocols and initiates an emergency thaw. This includes the PCs and some extras:

Space KT-223 Crew: Senior Technician Alan Spencer; Teamster Extra Morris, Labreu, Chester and Dwight. Backup Pilot Mike Hondo, and backup Navigator Archie Loam

The ship appears flyable, but the tendrils of exotic matter winding from it like blood vessels need to be cut. The good news is, this is bended exotic matter, and so can be damaged; pure exotic matter forms are only harmed by energy weapons.

The Cat:

Miraculously Prince is still alive and wandering around somewhere on the ship. A second prince is also in the ship. This one, if inspected, appears to be a clever simulacra and its body hosts a small faraday cage, as it is a clever robot designed by Fart to hide the PWS. Unfortunately it was found by the crew of the Hades. The cat was disabled, but reanimated with the first phasewave surge that hit the colony some days ago.

Docking Bay One and Two:

The secured docking bay still contains two shuttles, though one is flyable but missing some parts and will fail if it enters atmosphere. The second docking bay appears to have had a catastrophic accident, and three of four shuttles are wiped out, with a fourth one intact but also resting in vacuum as the bay integrity was compromised. A Phasewave Exterminator waits within.

There is clear evidence at least 2 shuttles are completely missing.

Research Station 2: This is where Dr. Matavos is operating, and she has 6 security guards with her, all androids. She has a half dozen additional researchers with her, monitoring the activity of the manifestation and recording everything. A hyperlight probe is recording all and ready to fire in the aft sensor array section, which is where another dozen scientists and security are trying to keep the area held from the incursion.

Communicating with the Manifestation:

The speakers are the only way the entities can communicate. They seem to draw on the emotions and memories of whoever they are near, and speak with the voices of dead relatives. They refer to the Final Manifestation as the Purest Light and the Phage. They claim it will exterminate the bacterial infestation that is baryonic life. They otherwise seem irrational and have no reasoning skills though they can mimic voices and try to convince people to do things like open sealed doors and such.

Other Notes on Phasewave Events:

During the countdown, when a new phasewave event happens the ship’s systems all spontaneously power up, even ones not attached to a power grid, as if ambient energy is bleeding in to them. When this happens, the androids briefly gain advantage on all rolls for 1D10 minutes. The phasewave creatures go insane, however, and begin rampaging and attacking at random, sometimes even each other. This feral behavior also lasts 1D10 minutes. There is a 10% chance one lesser type will mutate into a greater type, or that a recent corpse will turn in to a rupture.

Resolutions

There is a chance the crew can detonate the antimatter warheads in the ordnance bay. They can simply flee the system and hopes the Doctor’s belief that the PWS device opens wormholes is false. They can abandon the station for the planet and end up stuck.

Key to the Hades – Unique Location Details

For each location, roll D100 to determine contamination level on arrival; increase by 1D10 for each energetic event. In each location there is a 1 in 10 chance Prince is nearby, increase by 1 every two locations searched.

Shuttle Bay 1                   Corruption:

              Two working shuttles, but one is missing parts and will fail if it enters atmosphere

Shuttle Bay 2                   Corruption:

              1 working shuttle, in vacuum; an exterminator is in the chamber

              Other shuttles wiped out in a crash by looks of it

Forward Gunnery           Corruption: 35% start

              Contains forward particle accelerator cannon; heavily corrupted; 1D6 soldiers

Medical Bay                     Corruption:

              Most are compromised; 1D6 specters are in the area

              One Medical chamber is locked and contains Dr. Richard Warren and 3 nurses, 2 patients.

They have captured a speaker which is locked in partial stasis

Commons and Crew Quarters    Corruption:

              Will have one random creature for every 5% corruption rolled

              Searching brig reveals Commander Alan James trapped

Forward Sensor Array                  Corruption:

              Contains three speakers working to graft an exotic tech device to the sensors

Secondary Sensor Array

              Lt. Ray Golds is hiding out here in access tubes playing cat and mouse.

Bridge Controls                             Corruption:

Captain Dearing of the Hades is holding out here with a dozen bridge crew. Will let anyone In if proven safe, but are suspicious as the speakers have been taunting them for entry.

Dearing has a plan to force the ship into LEO and crash it, as a last ditch effort, but engineering is cut off; he considers the Doctor to be mad

Engineering                      Corruption: 85% to start

The heart of the corruption; what appears to be the Phase Wave Shifter is connected to the engine here, which is fueling energy to the device.

Two exterminators are here.

The corruption has sealed off all normal access.

Research Bay 1                              Corruption:

              A chamber with multiple cells, containing evidence of horrid mutations perpetrated on prisoners

A laboratory filled with more mutations, apparently caused by research on the PWS before the “cocoon” awoke

              A stasis chamber with a specter held in place; appears to be pleading for release

              Dr. Afram Zellar hiding in a chamber, he’s gone quite mad.

Research Bay 2                              Corruption:

This is where Dr. Matavos is operating, and she has 6 security guards with her, all androids. She has a half dozen additional researchers with her, monitoring the activity of the manifestation and recording everything. A hyperlight probe is recording all and ready to fire in the aft sensor array section, which is where another dozen scientists and security are trying to keep the area held from the incursion.

Munitions Storage                        Corruption:

Sealed, high security, location of 6 antimatter warheads locked in stasis and magnetic bottling powered by fusion cores

Docking Bay                                   Corruption: 0% to start

              Crash site of the Hierophant

              Clear of corruption at the start

Back of the entire bay has been cordoned off behind steel shielding and a heavy security entrance.

Quarantine Zone                           Corruption 40% to start

Contains the KT-223 remains. Includes the cargo left over from the planetary visit that did not happen. This includes a working hyperlight jump sensor ready to go.

              Location where DOS and others wake up following latest surge of power.

              3 destroyed androids can be gutted for power cells.

              A phasewave soldier is on patrol

Escape through main doors impossible due to corruption; access tunnels lead to Aft Controls and Research Bay 3.

Aft Controls/Sensors                   Corruption:

              The location of the sensor and communications array, as well as a backup aft bridge

A message on the comms relay is captured indicating that the military cruiser Chiron is inbound. And should reach the outer rim of the star system in 1 week. The message is 5 days old.

Dozens of desperate messages asking for help from the colony New Haven about two weeks ago, suggesting they were attacked

Storage Dock 1                              Corruption:

A lot of useful equipment though short on armament. Includes vacc suits. Careful searching reveals orbital re-entry suits, designed to drop into orbit, survive re-entry with ablative shielding, then pop parachutes.

Classified Bay                                 Corruption:

Hidden in the Classified Bay is a Scimitar Class Assault Ship, stowed away. It will take 2D5 hours to assemble and prep. It appears to have Jump 3 capabilities and while it has a particle beam weapon and torpedoes it lacks ordnance (which is in the ammo dump).

Rack of training weapons and a testing ground in this bay. Weapons are loaded with blanks.

Research Bay 3                              Corruption: 100%

This contains the Initiator, a speaker of particular cunning, and a dozen other creatures.

There is a wall of techno-hybrid machine flesh in which a dozen humans are embedded, and they are being used like a computer by the phasewave entities.

Another phasewave shifter is here! It is linked to the webwork of corruption and seems to be recently grown.

All in the chamber feel constantly distorted as if moving in and out of their own bodies (SAN check or 1D10 stress)

Initiator Instinct 70, Combat 50, Damage 1D10X10 can “push” spectral soul from target, HP 20