Fire and Ice: Chapter 2: The Voyage

From SSDC, Inc.

ENCOUNTER 5: THE VOYAGE

After briefing and requisition, the team should return to the port. There, they will board the BSC Courier Deshard again. The trip to Talberma will take 22 hours at Step 7, so the team has time to catch up on sleep, review the briefing disk, and little else. The Deshard is fast but Spartan, and lacks the amenities of larger, slower ships (think of it as a commuter flight).

On arrival at Talberma, the team will find reservations await them aboard the Victoria-class liner Queen Elizabeth, the fastest class of civilian liner in service (not to mention one of the largest). These ships are used to transport executives quickly across vast distances (think of it as a space faring Concorde with the size and accommodations of the Titanic, and you won't go far wrong). It is exquisitely appointed, catering to the whims of corporate bigwigs. It does not dock or land at star ports. Passengers embark and disembark via shuttles or their own personal transicruisers, several of which can be stored in the vessel's cavernous docking bay.

BM's NOTE: This ship is a Rebel liner, owned by Miami Spacelines (see SILENT WARS). A Rebel spy in Balshrom arranged for the team's passage on this ship - he doesn't know what their mission is, but if they 're hiring "deniable assets" and shipping them across the sector with such speed, it must be important. The characters will be under Rebel surveillance throughout their journey. Their cabins will be bugged with hard-wired mini-cameras and microphones (which will not show up on a Bug Finder). Suspicious characters that search their cabins will find the devices if they succeed at a Level 10 Detect Security or Detect Concealment check.

All of the team's weapons and armor (with the exception of Eridani ceremonial weapons and armor) must be turned over upon boarding. These items will be kept in the Ship's Locker, to be returned when the passengers disembark. Of course, the Rebel will keep their weapons...

The characters' accommodations are on the lower decks. They will find that their rooms are not as posh as those of the more wealthy passengers. Executive assistants, bodyguards and other staff usually occupy these rooms. However, even these rooms are treated as Bourgeoisie-class accommodations, and are easily the equal of any three-star hotel! The characters will be given access to ship's facilities such as pools, exercise equipment, dining rooms, etc. corresponding to their level of accommodations. Each room is catered to the particular environmental needs of its occupant(s) as far as temperature, humidity, atmosphere, and radiation level.

The journey to Xensera will take 21 days at Step 6,so the team will have plenty of opportunities to explore the ship. If you feel that this is too long, the Queen Elizabeth can make it in 8 days at step 7. They may dine in restaurants, dance in clubs, shop in boutiques, be pampered in salons, work out in the gym, or study in the library. Balshrom has covered the cost of passage, which includes accommodations, entertainment and meals in the appropriate facilities. It's a 3-week "Jack Tar" vacation, and Balshrom's picking up the tab! Of course, any purchases of goods or services come out of the character's own funds.

If the BM deems it possible, characters can improve appropriate skills, taking into account the ship's facilities (for instance, Hand-to-hand or body Points could be improved in the ship's Gym). This is a good opportunity to use accumulated proficiency slots. "Working passage" might allow the character to improve a skill used by a crew member, if they can persuade the individual to teach them in return for assistance. In any case, only those skills that may be learned within the length of the voyage (either one or three weeks) may be improved, and no skill may be improved by more than one level. No character may improve more than five skills in this way (as each skill requires four hours a day of training). Any monetary costs for training should be considered bribes or retainer fees (for instance, hiring a personal trainer, or signing up for a class offered on board).

BM's NOTE: This is a way to reward the team for all the jask they've had to put up with so far, but it should also impress upon them the severity of the upcoming mission. No corp would spend so much to transport a team across an entire sector, in the lap of luxury, and so quickly unless the mission was VERY IMPORTANT indeed!

ENCOUNTERS ABOARD SHIP

The characters will come into contact with many different types of people on their voyage, some of which they may meet later. For details on these individuals, see the NPC section. The Rebel spy team, known as "Bytch Squad", will try to discern the team's mission. They will go so far as to attempt to initiate romantic liaisons, if necessary. The team will also meet the Eridi-Corp operatives, who tend to stick together (unlike the Bytch Squad, who are never seen together). Characters may approach them, and they will behave according to REACTIONS (pg. 227 of the main rules). If the reaction is favorable, the Eridani will invite the characters to dine (or perhaps even spar) with them. If they agree, the characters will learn the following things:

1) The group is bound for Xensera as well.
2) They are reporting for employment as security guards for a manufacturing firm (which makes farm equipment) in the city of Enkidu.

Any Eridani who makes a Terrestrial Knowledge roll can discern that the swords these Eridani are carrying are Kajot, awarded only to those who show uncommon valor.

At no point will any of the Cuontol mention Eridi-Corp or their actual mission. The names they use are cover identities. Should the characters suspect that there is more to these men and women than meets the eye, they would be wise not to broach the subject. In any case, the Eridani would deny all ties to Eridi-Corp and dismiss the existence of the Cuontol as rumors spread by the Kwashime Alliance to discredit Eridine. They would then politely excuse themselves, and remain characteristically aloof for the remainder of the journey. Otherwise, the characters will have gained pleasant (if inscrutable) travel companions.

If the team chooses to "spy on" the Eridani, they will discover nothing out of the ordinary. Most of their waking hours will be spent in meditation or working out in the gym. This is not to imply that the Eridani do not notice that they are being watched. They simply will not let on to it. One way or another, they will carefully try to discern the party's true motivations (even if it is necessary to apologize for previous discourteous behavior). These women and men are expert spies, and gathering intelligence comes naturally to them. It is best if the characters speak little of their mission, even among themselves. the very walls have ears, and you never can tell who is listening to or watching you...

Should the Cuontol discover the Balshrom team's true mission, they will take no overt action against the characters. They will simply consider the appearance of the opposition as another obstacle to overcome. They are not overconfident, however, and will not make the foolish mistake of underestimating the team.

ENCOUNTER 6: ARRIVAL AT XENSERA

The team boards a shuttle when the Queen Elizabeth reaches Xensera. They are flown to Xensera Highport, where they pass through Customs. Characters should remember to stick to their cover identities. This is a Xensera Area Map: [1]

Any character attempting to smuggle something through Customs is a fool! Anything that Balshrom would have allowed you to bring on this mission would have been smuggled for you! Characters caught smuggling illegal technology onto Xensera will find the items confiscated. The character (and his or her entire team) will be detained for 2-8 hours while Customs runs a background and identity check. Let the players sweat, fearing their cover will be blown. Ultimately, their cover identities will hold, and they will be released. Fines are equal to the base cost to smuggle the weapon or item. Jokers who screw up this badly can kiss their mission bonus goodbye, and will earn 3 Black Marks. Their companions will each earn one Black Mark, but are still eligible to receive their mission bonus. If the character cannot afford the fines, Lazarus Shipping will reluctantly cover the cost (but don't tell the team that!).

Once cleared, the team may proceed to catch the shuttle to the Enginalo Downport. The port at Enginalo is a bustle of activity, with members of every race going about their business. Have the team encounter your standard airport activity, with a 23rd Century twist. A Zen Rigeln in orange robes tries to sell you a flower. A Pascian is happily robbing a Ram Python at a game of "three-card Monty". "Peaceful" members of Black Monday are distributing pamphlets (they will get irate and verbally abusive if there are any methane breathers in the party). A Moig Dua minstrel is playing a Souc Harp for a group of entranced Chatilians, and a Cyball star punches some pushy reporters (who love it because it makes such a great story!). Street smart characters can try to score some drugs, guns, sex, or what-have-you. Handle any such attempts as normal. Characters who are not so savvy can purchase watered -down drinks at the lounge while a Human lounge singer torments them with bad renditions of 20th Century TV themes; get bad coffee and worse food at the snack bar; or buy kitschy souvenir junk at the gift shop. You get the picture.

From there, the team can catch a taxi or Alien Transport Vehicle to Lazarus Shipping, which is nearby (but not near enough to walk!). The fare is 5 cr. per size class transported.

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Fire and Ice: Chapter 3: Lazarus Shipping and the Safehouse

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Fire and Ice: Chapter 1: Player's Intro

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