Cloud of Zeron

From SSDC, Inc.

The Cloud of Zeron is roughly 3 parsecs in diameter. It is located (wherever the BM needs it as a plot device or adventure hook) and has remained there completely motionless ever since its detection alsmost 10 years ago.

The cloud consists of what could be called "a field of energy drain": It is totally unvisible and undetectable, safe for the wrecks of ships that mark the borders of the cloud. If a ship enters the cloud the sensors detect magnetic and gravitational fluctuations at first, followed shortly by a complete energy drain to even the most protected energy systems - even including the power reserves of matrix controllers.

Shortly thereafter, even "movement energy" is sucked away (or a force opposing the direction of the ship delivered, if you like), slowing the ship to the point where it stops. No reports as to the fate of the crew onboard the ships have been retrieved, since communication through the cloud is impossible. However, it is a rather safe guess that everyone aboard the space wrecks captured by the Cloud of Zeron is quite dead.

Nowadays, floating beams warn ships away from the cloud, marking the size and form of this energy void. Recently, some beams have ceased broadcasting their signal, indicating that either small amounts of energy are sucked up from the surroundings of the cloud, eventually draining the beam's batteries, or that the cloud is expanding or slowly changing position. Therefore, the Alliance has declared a 2 parsec quarantine surrounding the cloud.

Plot Hooks

1. One of the ships lost inside the Cloud of Zeron has a very precious cargo (not to mention the worth of the undamaged "stranded" ship itself). And the owner/pirates/ARM/sponsor of the PCs want it. Bad. The PCs are sent to reclaim the wreck of the "Orion Princess", a large pleasure cruiser about 300m long. They are being supported by an Energy Controller who "thinks he can hold off the energy drain long enough to tow the ship out of the cloud". As it turns out, the matrix user is not powerful enough to pull off that stunt. But. He can gennerate a limited shield around him were movement is possible. The PCs are to escort him on board and to rescue out of the ship whatever is possible. As the module progresses, the main task of the PCs is to guard the life of the matrix user, as his death would leave them stranded and forever frozen inside the ship for all eternity.