Starlight:Big Freeze

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May 20, 2016 – Episode 9: Big Freeze

Game Date

April 30 2315

Game Outline

1. Ask everyone for one thing that happened last game
   1. Start with Mike
      1. You know one thing that happened last game Mike
2. What happens in the 3 months since last game – 5 to 10 xp depending on role play
   1. Missions have included more supply runs.
   2. More training
   3. Kalu Venn tends to disappear for a few weeks at a time.
   4. Arvis Mal remains on the ship during these times. He spends much of his time with members of the heads of departments.
      1. He doesn’t approach the PCs unless they approach him.
   5. What do the PCs do.
   6. Lopez and the Senator
      1. If he goes to a meeting, they are discussing Shakespeare, specifically Hamlet.
         1. The meeting is in an empty classroom of some sort, much smaller than the meeting room the pilots use. The room is packed, however, with the senator sitting in a comfortable looking chair in a corner, he has a tablet in his lap. There are approximately 20 people here, mostly enlisted, from across departments. Meechum greets Lopez at the door, and thanks him for coming out.
      2. After our last meeting, there was a quote I wanted you all to consider: “When sorrow comes they come not single spies But in battalions.” Can someone tell me what that means?... Mr Lopez, as a new guest, would you like to take a guess?
      3. The rest of the meeting is covering act 5 of the play
      4. After the meeting, the Senator will call him over.
         1. Lieutenant, I’m glad you decided to join us. I don’t know how familiar you are with Shakespeare, but if there’s any classical literature from Brazil you’d like to discuss, please let me know and I’m sure we can try to find a copy.
         2. What made you decide to give us a visit?
         3. I hope you enjoyed yourself
      5. We could always use more friends, Mr Lopez.
3. Acquiring Helium-3
   1. Briefing
      1. “Gentlemen, the Professor Sikarna has determined that the ice planet above which we are now orbiting as the most promising source of Helium-3 yet.” The view behind Barnabas shows the planet below, a light green ball of frost. “The planet’ surface is comprised of mostly solid methane, and the atmosphere is mostly methane and nitrogen. Average temperature hovers around minus 195 degrees Celsius, so needless to say, it’s quite chilly down there. This will require the use of Cold Operating Gear for your MS, and I’d advise you take down some environmental gear
      2. As for the mission – We will be loading up into the re-entry bell and descending to the landing spot here (the screen swishes down to a flat plain of ice next to what appears to be a lake of some sort. The professor says that this is a good spot for the survey we’ll be doing
      3. Coming down with us will be a team of three – Professor Sikarna, Senior Chief Zakiri and Machinists Mate Durning. (Lisa) So one of you will have to include a passenger module in your build. Additionally, you’ll be taking down the equipment they need to do the geological survey, so there’s also one cargo module that’ll be taken down as well.
      4. You, of course, will all be expected to aid the survey team. There’s a lot of heavy lifting to be done down there.
      5. Once they have completed the survey, we’ll head back up.
      6. Any questions?
      7. Cold Operating Gear – 2 points
   2. Descent the the planet
      1. PCs pick load-out, leave ship. Load up into the reentry bell. Barnabas is piloting.
      2. Whoever takes the passenger module gets a camera view of whosoever is in the module. They are wearing environmental gear.
      3. Inside the cargo module is
         1. a geological scanner that has to be set up. It is too heavy to pull out by hand, so the cargo module has a hand-crank crane that can extract it
         2. the H3 tank the Professor has been building (with Rolden’s help)
         3. A drill.
      4. Professor Sikarna explains that the first problem will be finding a source of H3 that’s close enough below the surface to access with the drill they’ve brought. He has some other ideas of how to access deeper wells, but that might require some sort of orbital bombardment, or another way to break through the thick methane. The drill they have is good for about 100 yards
      5. Let the PCS think of some way to aid in the deployment.
      6. Once the Survey gear is set up, the professor sets it to go off. He puts an explosive charge in it, and takes cover.
      7. He’s standing next to the survey gear inspecting the readout, when Barnabas calls from over the com
         1. “Gents, keep an eye out. I’m detecting watcher signals.” The ground starts to shake.
   3. Combat with the drill (15xp)
      1. Giant, worm-like mechanical creature, that bursts out of the ice. Some type of cryogenic liquid is spewing from where it’s mouth would be, quickly evaporating and filling the area with a thick fog. It begins opening fire with it’s drill lasers.
      2. The fog causes 2 setback for all ranged attacks and perception.
      3. The ground also becomes difficult terrain.
      4. The combat starts at short range
   4. After the combat
      1. The fog is still present – Professor Sikarna calls out that the liquid is H3.
      2. There’s still plenty of it spewing from the maw of the drill
      3. PC should pick up the storage container and scoop up some.
      4. Maybe some piloting, difficult terrain, so two setback dice
4. The Macedonians
   1. Shortly after the fight – a distress call comes from the Starlight. Several small ship signatures have been detected. MS are called back ASAP.
   2. Some skill check to try to get everything packed up. Piloting checks to not damage stuff. Failures will reduce 1xp per failure (5xp)
   3. The bell takes off and heads into intercept orbit with the ship. As they come into visual range of the Starlight, ask the PCs what they want to do.
   4. Word from the ship is several vessles of unknown origin and design are approaching. The PCs are to intercept and investigate
   5. Macedonian ships are silhouette 1, a sleek delta-winged aircraft with a pair of weapon barrels on top of the wing.
   6. Wait for the PCS to speak up. IF not they don’t get (5xp).
   7. “Greetings, Fellow wanderers” a voice calls out over the com. “We are Macedonians, and we come in peace.”
5. END GAME

Musical Inspiration
Song:	Big Freeze
Artist:	Muse
Album:	The 2nd Law
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