Founder's Day, Security Breach at Egalt Robotics

The player characters (PCs) have been summoned to a high level breach at Egalt Robotics Research Labs in Seawell Valley, Gran Quivera, Prenglar system. They arrive in the early morning hours just two hours after a security robot was destroyed by an intruder and the alarm was raised. The details for the intergration of the PCs into this adventure are upto the referee to craft but suffice it to say they should have authority to investigate. In addition, the security firm has requested outside investigators but are being evasive as to why they insist on this.

The labs are part of a secure industrial park dedicated to high tech research and development. Security at Seawell Valley is handled by a Vrusk Trade House that specializes in security, named RIK (also seen in "Dark Side of the Moon" module, SFAD6). At the time of the PCs arrival there will be 2-6 patrolling security bots in the vicinity as well as 6 vrusk in RIK issued uniform skien suits. There is also a ground car with a laser rifle armed RIK empolyee standing up through its sun roof that is patrolling broadly around the area. [All RIK personel are vrusk and their body language reads very alert and tense].

Many tens of meters away, beyond the compound's fence is a vehicle park with a variety of private ground, hover and air cars and its beginning to fill up with empoyees coming to work. A RIK security squad is very carefully triple checking and scanning everyone before allowing them in. No one is allowed near the site of the breach and though many rubber neck, most go quickly to their individual work sites. As of now there are no news vehicles present but that is likely to change.

Head of security, Rik E'Tic, will greet the PCs, thanking them for coming and brief them on what he knows: "Two hours ago a security robot was destoryed by an intruder. When RIK personel responded they discovered this lab belonging to Egalt Labs was breached. As security personel entered the building an explosion occured deeper in the building so they sent for a demolitions expert and cordoned off the building while initiating a phase one search of the whole park."

At this point the RIK demolitions expert comes out and give the all clear that the building's safe. Rik E'Tic then steps closer to the PCs and says, "That is basically all we know except for one more thing, which is the reason we've called for outside investigators." He extends a hand to a nearby security officer who hands over a plastic specimens bag. Inside the bag is a severed at the knee vrusk leg in a RIK security uniform.

"RIK prides itself on its reputation and it would look bad if we carry on this investigation ourselves when one of our family maybe the culprit. I have accounted for all RIK personel on the sight and none are missing or injured but the law is clear that we cannot investigate while the possibility exists that one of our people is involved."

The show is now the PCs:

The director of the lab is present, Jo Bensen, and she can tell (if asked) whats been taken and disturbed in the labs as well as where the bap bin is suppose to send a transmission. She has no idea why or who would do this other than the PCP module can be used to sabotage any number of computer brains throughout the Frontier. Egalt Robotics is a subsidiary of the mega corp Tachton Instruments which has no declared enemies and was not involved in the recent mega-corp banking scandal.

The Crime: A vrusk theif from the Zenk crime syndicate, named Kz'ick, was hired by FFF agent Don Salizar to steal a Positronic Cerebral Purge Module. Kz'ick use the Zenk crime organization to obtain a forged security badge and a RIK security skein suite. He penetrated the Seawell Park form the employee parking lot via storm drains defeating security locks and detection devices along the way.

Once in the park he defeated the security and locks to Egalt labs then stole the PCP module. He then hacked the passwords protecting the company's bap bin (which is rated for live organizism transmission) and "bapped" the module out of the park. Kz'ick then set a small explosive device with a timer that would go off after he left with the intention of leading security to believe he also bapped out. He could not do this because this bap bin, though normally connected to one in the company's factory outside Port Loren had a spliced shunt in the transmission lines redirecting bapped material to a portable bap reciever (not rated for live organism transmission) set up in a rented apartment next to the Egalt factory where Don Salizar was waiting.


Unfortunately, for Kz'ick, a security bot detected the power surge for the bapping process and began running an investigative program and was waiting for the theif when he emerged from the lab. A short battle ensued at close quarters with the robot grabbing the vrusk's leg and the thief unloading two full clips from autopistols into the bot. The dead robot had a locked grip and half severed the leg. Not willing to suffer the indignity of being caught (due to professional pride) Kz'ick finished severing his leg with a sonic knife and limped away to the unlocked strom drain cover he had come through.

Kz'ick is now in the storm drain waiting for a chance to emerge in the employee parking lot and steal an air car. He's managed to cauterize his amputated leg but is serverely wounded and suffering a penalty from pain to all actions (-10). He will not fight to the death and if he cannot escape he will surrender, rellying on Zenk lawyers to get him off or to simply bide his time for another escape attempt.


Kz'ick: vrusk, RW 50, PS +3, IM +4, RS 40, STA 50 (current 20), Demolitions 40%, Technician(6)  80%, 2 autopistols, sonic knife, skein suit 20pts, 1 radio detonator and transmitter, 30grams of TD-19 explosive (3d10), tech kit, smoke grenade, anti-shock implant.

Inside the lab the only rooms that are disturbed are the locked vault that held the PCP module (expertly cracked) and the bap bin contoll booth. A small ammount of TD-19 was used to blow the bap bin control panel and its impossible to be used nor can the pattern buffer be accessed to see what was transported. Despite Kz'icks ruse to fool security by blowing the controls it is not likely that he could have operated the controls and bapped out. A demolitions expert will almost certainly be able to tell that the TD-19 charge was small (20-30grams) and will spot variable timer (commonly available) fragments in the blast debris. Also the thief managed to defeat 3 level 3 mechanical locks, 2 motion sensors, 1 hand print scanning lock as well as the vault. Nothing else was taken.

Outside, an ichor trail (vrusk blood) could be tracked with environmental skill (-20% due to difficulty) or with a medical scanner sweeping for "blood/ichor" samples that match those in the severed leg.

The storm drain cover also has a vrusk hand print in ichor which could be noticed (INT +15%) to characters within 4 meters of it. This is the only storm drain cover in the park that makes a noise when ground cars travel over it as it is not securely locked like the others (INT check on all PCs if they haven't begun tracking the wounded vursk. Attached to the underside of the drain cover (and viewable through the drain) is 30 grams (3d10) of TD-19 with a radio detonator. If a player critically fails an attempt to disarm the explosive and it goes off Kz'ick will scramble out of a storm drain in the parking lot and begin picking an air car lock and hot wiring it under cover of the explosion's distraction.

Inside the storm drain there is a sound of a dull roar in the direction of the ocean (deeper into the park) travel in this direction will lead to an open grate and stowed scuba gear (for a vrusk). travel toward the parking lot will lead toward Kz'ick.

Kz'ick will make an effort to evade and escape so as to not lose face in the vrusk mafia but he was only a hired thief and will not fight to the death though he will fight if there is a chance of getting away. He'll seek medical aid form a "basement" doctor known to him through the Zenk's network then rent another slum hotel room to rest up in (at this point he may be untracable).

If captured he knows that a human who said his name was Frank (Don Salizar) hired him to steal the PCP module and that Frank was waiting at the portable bapping recieving pad at the other end of the shunt. He suspects "Frank" is FFF and can tell the PCs where the drop point is for communicating with "Frank." He has a tellol neutralizing implant keyed to memory engrams about the Zenk (developed by the Zenk) that will allow him to resist questions about the Zenk in particular but at the cost of 5 STA. Once 3 questions are asked the tellol wears off and he does not fall unconscious.

Other lines of investigation:
The Egalt Robotics factory- nothing to find here other then the bap transmission line shunt. The shunt can be tracked back to the anonomously rented apartment with the portable bap recieving pad. There is nothing to discover here but that someone ate algae pizza on a stick.

They can investigate the positronic style robotic brains that could be purged by the PCP module there are 12 scattered about Gran Quivera but 5 in Port Loren. One of those five is managing the Star Law headquarters and unless the PCs are in Star Law they will get nowhere inquiring about it. One manages the enviro-system and security at the Council of Worlds building. Another is at PGC headquarters and manages that building. Another is at the city grid for Port Loren managing the electric grid, the monorails, traffic flow, and the robotic taxis. The last is at the Egalt Robotics factory managing its operation.


Founders Day, On the Trail of "Frank" aka Don Salizar

There are all sorts of ways the Player Characters could have learned about Don Salizar. They may have captured the vrusk thief at Seawall Research Park and used tellol on him (he cant be forced to answer questions about the Zenk but he can give details about how he communicates with "Frank." They could discover the rented room with the portable recieving pad for bapping and thought to check for security camera footage (traffic camera) showing who enters and leaves that building. They may equally have come up with a creative solution to this problem. What is important is that discovering that Don Salizar aka "Frank" is the next link in the chain should not be impossible.

Don Salizar is a fairly accomplished agent with a fine "danger sense" and will likely spot the PCs if they are not trying to be natural. He will be suspicious of any communication asking to meet with him as he has already wired the thief's account the final payment. He will likely only visit the message drop site if he sees the vrusk theif leave a message in the pre-arranged drop location (PCs will need a holo screen programmed to look like the vrusk theif to do this). Other wise he will fade away in the crowd - allow for observent characters to spot him being a little suspicious.

Use the Port Loren map. The pre-arranged message drop is a small hole in the trunk of a tree in the central hub of the Port Loren map. Don Salizar will seek to leave the area and board a mono rail. The PC's will need to chase and stop him even if they have to have a shoot out on the train.

Don "Frank" Salizar: human, RW 50, PS +3, IM +4, RS 40, STA 50, Enviromental(3), Technician(2), laser pistol, sonic knife, civilian skein suit 50pts, 2 tangler grenades, anti-shock implant, 2 spare 20 SEU clips.

What Don can tell them:
He gave the PCP module to a female yazirian named Zamira who is a Silver Death Cult cell leader. Don meets with her at her street cart location where she vends algae pizza on a stick outside the zoo in Port Loren. Zamira is suppose to take down the robotic brain that manages the Port Loren city grid (electricity, taxis, the mono rails, and traffic flow) in two days but its a diversion for the true FFF operation but he does not know what the details of the that operation is.

He can also tell who his manager is, FFF operator, Gof Ink and how to find him.

Referee Notes:
Don't forget to dot the map with a handful of civilian/innocent bystanders.

Founders Day, Zamira's Algae Pizza on a Stick

Once Don Salizar is captured he will have to be "forced" to tell the PCs anything as he's too professional of an operator (tellol is the likely method).  He coordinates with Zamira by buying algae pizza at her vender's cart.

Zamira does not have the PCP module at the cart or her rented room (its in the hands of her second in command in the SDC cell). In fact this close to the planned day she's abandoned her cart and has been lying low at the appartment of a city system's tech named Bob Frett (human) who she has groomed as a "boyfriend." She's played on Bob's fettish for interracial sex and strung him along hinting at a big reward on Founder's Day but she really intends to kill him not sleep with him. Bob Frett is just a patsy being used for access to the city grid computer brain.

The PC's will be able to enquire about Zamira's missing cart which will lead back to the vending company. From the vending company they will be able to eventually track down her appartment. At her appartment, after a search, they'll find plans for the city's sub-systems (service and access tunnels) as well as blue prints for the city grid facility where the robotic brain is located. If they dig enough (attempt to get her chronocom records) they may discover numerous calls between her and Bob Frett which will lead to him.

If they track him down, he's dead and his ID and chronocom are missing. In fact he may be freshly dead and Zamira is literally flying the coop from an open window. If the players are hot on the trail of the SDC plot the timing of it can be moved up by the SDC themselves. The FFF wont be happy about the distraction for their plan being early but the SDC wont care. The PCs will have to take down the SDC cell at the city grid facility.

Zamira: yazirian, Melee 65, RW 75, PS +3, IM +5, RS 50, STA 50, Robotics(4)  80%, Battle Rage 40; Equipment: 4 zamra (yazirian honor weapons), 1 gyrojet pistol, 1 sonic sword, skein suit 50pts, albedo screen, power belt, robcom kit, 2 smoke grenades, anti-shock implant. Zamira is goes by the name for the yazirian honor weapon and is a dead on shot with it as well as the gyro weapons.

The Zamra (From Ares #17): Cost 12cr, Wt. -, Damage: 1d10 (1d6 non lethal variety), Rate: 1, Defense: inertia, Range: 5/10/20/30/40.

8 SDC Mooks: RW 50, PS +3, IM +4, RS 40, STA 50, auto pistol or laser pistol, vibro knife, skein suit 50pts, extra ammo, 2 frag grenades.


Founders Day, Goff Ink the Missing Link

Goff Ink looks like a typical dralasite but his sense of humor is even more on the corny side then normal for his race. He's been a very successful agent for the FFF as he almost never mixes humor and terrorism. In reality he is a reporter for an electronic newpaper, the Port Loren Ledger. In this capacity the PCs may already have been questioned by him. His position as a reporter also means that he'll be able to guess if the operation is in jepordy because of the PCs actions. He'll report his fears to Dak Dollo and the order to step up the operation will come back down the chain from the top.

His part in this plot is to manage the two sides of the operation's "distraction." Reporting to Goff is Don Salizar who runs the SDC side and a yazirian named Shin Sting who runs the FFF side.

Its imperitive that Dak Dollo's identity be protected so that when the order to step up and/or impliment the operation comes the Zenk assassin will have orders to "clean up" Goff. If the PCs have gotten information out of Don Salizar about Goff allow the PCs to corner him in a public place but as they are arresting him a sniper bullet with a poison payload will strike him directly between the eye spots, killing him.

His elimination prevents him from revealing Dak Dollo's part, especially since he meets with him face to face. His link to Shin Sting is by chronocom so that link in the web or octopus is vulnerable to the PCs discovery. However, since Goff is a reporter his com records will take time to work through to see who he's been contacting, besides Don Salizar. There will be several hundreds of names in the records.

To locate Shin Sting they will want to focus on Goff's com communications for the past month. Don Salizar's name turns up several times. They can try to filter his com records a number of ways:
1. By focusing on all non-newspaper staff; reduces the contacts by half to 200.
2. By focusing on people he went to college with, reduces the list to a dozen
3. By focusing on people with criminal records, reduces the list to about 20
4. By focusing on people that are on Star Law watch lists, reduces the list to about 20.
5. By focusing on people were contacted at close to the same time as Don Salizar, reduces the list to 1, Shin Sting.
6. By looking for any name that turns up on all of the above list, reveals Shin Sting's name as well.

Founders Day, The Sting

Shin Sting has already given Maximus Payne (a pseudonym) his orders but when the PCs track him down he will be meeting with Anna Che to make sure her side of the operation will go off without a hitch.

Anna Che is a member of the Alliance for the Rights of the People (ARP) and a student activist. He will be running a student ARP meeting on the 23rd floor of the Student Union Building when the PCs arrive. There are about 20 student leaders in attendance and this is their final planning session before hitting the Founder's Day festivities with placards and shouting. They are, very typically anrgy over Star Law and other police activities and will shout and yell at the PCs while Anna rants on about ARP dogma. Neither Anna nor any of the students have done anything illegal or planned to do anything illegal but they will throng and hinder the movement of the PCs from arresting Shin Sting.

Shin Sting, yazirian, melee 75, RW 50, PS +4, IM +5, RS 50, STA 50, Martial arts (5), civilian skien suite (50), anti-shock implant.

Average Student, Melee 35, PS +3, IM +3, RS 30, STA 35.

The PCs can bring in Anna Che for questioning or arrest her for aiding and abbetting a criminal. Ultimately, she is ignorant of the overall plot and has done nothing wrong and will get off in the end. The PCs can certainly hold her till after Founder's Day and the ARP demonstration will probably be half the size it would have been.

Interrogating Shin Sting:
He will do his best to misconstrue any questions while under tellol. So unless the players are carefull with how they phrase questions while using tellol, they may find their 3 questions used up and Shin Sting knocked out from the drug's side effect.

Shin Meets with "Maximus Payne" directly at a dirty flat in Rook Hill and can give that address. He also knows that his mission is to set up a diversion for tomarrow when the real operation goes down.

Founders Day, Maximum Effect

If the players discover information leading them to the bomber they will not actually find him. He's busy planting the bombs. They are being place around the Council of Worlds complex but at targets with low security priorities (meaning that it was easy to get to these targets but that blowing them up will not actually come close to harming anyone at the Council of Worlds. They are timed to trigger a security reaction that will wisk the CoW delegates to waiting vehicles to wisk them away.

This wisking of the politicians away is what the assassin is waiting for and he'll take his shot as his target is getting into an air car. No one else knows this but the Zenk assassin.

The PCs may discover the bomb locations in an encrypted file on the personal computer terminal at the bomber's apartment (presuming they gain that address from Shin Sting). The personal computer is a level one computer with the following level 1 programs: computer security, information storage and entertainment. They encrypted file is in his photo album under the folder: Vacation Photos. Characters with computer skill that are looking for something may discover this with a LOG check to notice that the file takes up an inordinate ammount of memory. Each picture is an innoccent looking picture of the outside of a location to be bombed. A defeat security roll must be made to decrypt each photograph (3 in all) to see the encrypted files hidden within or "behind" the photos. The encrypted files show floor plans and where to hide the bombs.

Founders Day, The Inevitable

Should the PCs manage to intercept all three bombs and/or catch the bomber in the act, Founder's Day will still go forward as planned by its organizers and the Investors Master Mind. The Zenk assassin is very patient and will wait with his bead on the targets air limo and still attempt to kill him.

This is where each referee has a choice; they can modify the adventure to allow the PCs to catch everyone involved or allow the plot to succeed in killing the politician and Dak Dollo being appointed to the Finance Commitee. The Investor's master mind will go on to more plots and could become a long running shadowy foil in the background of the campaign.

The events of Founder's Day; bomb plots, sabotage plots, and riots will likely cause the Council of Worlds to adjourn the session without a final vote on the bill. Even if the assassination does not go forward another plot to kill the chief politician could during the recess. Dak Dollo will almost certainly be put on the Finance Committee if a vacancy on it opens up suddenly. During the new session he'll be able to tie up the bill or pull its teeth.

Consequences for the Conspirators
The Zenk participants will either get off through the activities of highly paid lawyers or through escaping and disappearing.
The FFF and SDC members who are captured will likely end up in jail for their activities. Some of them may harbor bitterness against the PCs and will likely make cryptic threats.
The ARP members will, at most, get a slap on the wrist for interfering with an arrest but despite any other charges they will get off. Anna Che will go on to denounce the organization the PCs work for in the strongest terms even suggesting that the events of Founder's Day were a government plot.
The Investor is pretty much teflon; nothing should end up sticking to him.
Dak Dollo stands to lose everything if he's caught. In the aftermath, evidence that fingers him as the master mind will be found on his computer and it will be very convincing. He'll go on about a shadowy figure and wild stories but no one will buy them. In the end he'll commit suicide in prison. That is if he's caught.