The Big Picture: (Nothing Lasts Forever)

tHE bIG pICTURE – SLA Industries Fanzine – Issue 12 - © 2001 Max Bantleman
admit responsibility for anything bad, dodgy or

misspelled, but we really can't be bothered.
Stuff we like: Background material, BPN's, soft
tHE bIG pICTURE companies, equipment, beasties, scenarios and
campaign ideas.
Stuff we steer clear of: Poetry, fiction, characters,
big gun profiles, law suits.
(nOThInG lAStS foReVEr) Feedback would be greatly received, let us know
what you think of tHE bIG pICTURE, either way,
good or bad.
CONTENTS SLA Industries is looking good for the future and
we hope to be around to see it launched again.
Nightfall lives!
Introduction – Welcome to issue twelve….
The Big Picture is published by:
Serial Killers – A quick look at Mort’s most
Chocolate Frog Enterprises
wanted and psychotic.
7 Jubilee Close
Byfield
Seven – Scenario to target the Op’s in a series
Northants
of bizarre murders.
NN11 6UZ UK.
Street Drugs – Some of the illegal narcotics
Unless specifically credited to an author, all
out there on the streets.
material in The Big Picture is written by Max
Bantleman.
Never Mind The Pig – Carrien Birds and
Trancid, should liven things up a bit.
Back Cover
Equipment – The Hurcules, Squid computer
The World of Progress has grown darker.
and Tek Trex Drednought.
The ‘truth’ is hidden by an ever shrinking
shroud.
Finding A Job – A Cloak offered Grey and a
Scrape away to find the truth.
Ministry of War White.
Dig deep to uncover the lie.
SLA Industries demands unquestioning loyalty.
Soft Companies – Time TV, Shroud and
Mr. Slayer demands unfailing vigilance.
FireFight. Born to succeed.
Survival is no longer enough.
Meet N Greet – WarDog, sole survivor of a
doomed squad. 2001–PDF Conversion
WotC, or the 'Nightfall', either of which could well The twelfth issue of tHE bIG pICTURE
own all copyrights regarding SLA Industries, have featured stolen artwork from the MRB on the
no knowledge of, nor have anything to do with, the cover (again and ongoing). Written
production of tHE bIG pICTURE. contributions came from Mark Whittington
This is a SLA Industries fanzine produced on a non (Whitt) and Chris Cotgrove.
profit making basis by a few dedicated fans, the Issue twelve also carried an advert for the only
cover price pays for copying and materials and other SLA zine I’ve seen, Keith Elcombe’s ‘New
postage. Karma’, which was looking good…. !
tHE bIG pICTURE can be bought direct from us at Nightfall had emerged with Dave, Tim and
the address below, with cheques and PO's (Stirling
Jared at the helm, and things were starting to
only) made payable to M. Bantleman.
We cannot pay for anything we use, all copyrights look cool again for SLA.
remain with respective authors/artists, each of whom There was some mention of ‘the truth’ briefly
does it for love not money (surprised eh? Not you, being released to the SLA-l….
them!).
So, you going to buy it or what. Max Bantleman, 2001.
A disclaimer should be here, saying something like
the opinions expressed are those of the authors and
not the publishers, and that no one is ever going to
sound of white noise We get scant feedback from TBP, and maybe
it's time some of you started writing to us to let
us know how you think we're doing.
Hello there. It's issue 12. Bloody hell.
Some questions raised by the releasing of the
SLA Industries appears to be getting a new
truth include:
lease of life via Dava, Jared and Tim, who
Are games going to focus on 'bigger themes'
seem to be reforming Nightfall.
now? Is this a good thing? Is the minutia of the
As far as anyone can tell, they have got the
WoP going to become unimportant? Will GM's
rights to produce SLA Industries and intend to
seek to introduce the 'big guns' in to their
do so.
games, and is this a good thing? Can the
Excellent.
players ever really interact with the likes of
So far they have hinted at releasing some of the
Slayer, Intruder et al?
already written material that was ready to go
under WotC, as well as some new stuff on the
The piece on serial killers is a good example of
horizon.
the sort of thing that may suffer if 'grand
No time line has been given, though obviously
themes' are to be concentrated on by GM's.
the sooner the better from the players point of
Serial killers are part of the everyday horror of
view, it stands to reason that there may be
the WoP, the fact that they exist in such
certain restraints on producing stuff. Better to
numbers is indicative of the failings of SLA to
'measure twice and cut once', I'm sure they'll
construct a worthwhile society. Will their
get there pretty soon....
importance be diminished by the introduction
of 'bigger' themes? If so, does this trivialise the
Great news then.
heinous act of murder, as serial killers become
And there's more....
a background feature?
SLA is, as we all know, about atmosphere and
The 'truth', that is the 'official' truth behind
background as much as it is about characters.
Nightfall's vision of SLA has been released on
It's about exploring the WoP and the character's
to the SLA-l (Station Analysis), so it's now out
place in it. How do we think this will best be
in the open and up for discussion.
served by the 'truth'? If at all?
We'd like to print it in TBP, but so far the
Nightfall chaps appear to want to keep it
Should the GM every once in a while, throw in
limited to the list, if this changes we'll bang it
games that are just about the day to day, just
in TBP.
about getting on with the business of living in
the WoP? And if so, how should they be
To subscribe to the SLA-l, 'Station Analysis',
focused, what are the important details, the
send an e-mail to; [email protected]
little things, that should be highlighted?
with one line in the body reading; 'subscribe
It's not about 'big guns'. But guns do feature
station-analysis
heavily in the WoP, and citizens know the best
youremailaddress@yourserviceprovider.
way to protect yourself from the 'everyday'
If you have access to e-mail, you really should
threats of the WoP is with a gun. So how do the
subscribe, it's a constant source of news and
Op's react to this? How do they deal with a
resource.
largely armed populace that doesn't really trust
Speaking of SLA resource;
them? How does SLA deal with guns in
Sam Pay's excellent website (The Pythagorean
society?
Lair) can be found at:
(http://www.stsm.demon.co.uk)
Ah, questions, questions.
Isn't that what keeps any game alive, looking
Then there's New Karma, a new SLA 'zine
for answers?
launched by Keith Elcombe, costs only a quid
and is well worth it (see advert in BPN's).
tHE bIG pICTURE can be e-mailed at: (nOThInG lAStS foReVEr)

[email protected]
[email protected]
SERIAL KILLERS Inside A Killer
The image of a squad of Slops stumbling upon

W r i t t e n B y : M a r k ‘W h i t t’
a serial killer while he's 'working' or even a
W h i t t i n g t o n (t h e f i r s t b i t) killer attacking Op's just doesn't sit right with
a n d M a x (t h e s e c o n d b i t) me. A serial killer will use fear, anonymity and
intelligence rather than fantastic combat skills.
"I stepped away from the corpse looking over A killer's MO will rarely include one on one
my shoulder. It was all on tape, I didn't want to fighting, instead relying on the fragile illusion
see it again just yet. It was fresh. Too fresh. of safety people have when going about their
The shadows around me in the alleyway began daily life.
to take on new forms, the sound of the rain
became whispers in the darkness. The killer Killers are made by the pressures that society
could be anywhere. has put them under that they can't deal with,
I told myself to pull it together, told myself I and their killing is a revenge on those that gave
was trained, told myself I was a reporter, not a them pressure, or a release from the stress.
statistic. In the drowning pour of the rain, my Delusion, sadism, sociopathy are all results of
voice wasn't very loud - like a child's, muttering this pressure, and it will be targeted towards
to itself about a cookie jar. those that caused it, or are defenceless against
I switched the camera to IR, scanned the the killers actions.
alleyway, looking for - well hopefully nothing. Most killers will have a specific group they
The shadows didn't change, only became red.... prey on: Social groups, physical similarities,
Blood red. My stomach decided it was scared visitors to the same location, previous lovers, or
too. I checked the alleyway, backing against the even broad groups like Shivers, Financiers,
wall and slowly pacing sideways to the main Wraith Raiders.
road, and safety.
Five feet to go. I stepped over a sewer outlet. A Killers have a vast amount of emotional
form of blackness slid out between my legs, reasons why they do what they do, a little
grabbed on to my belt and pulled itself up face thought behind their reasoning can make a
to face with me, it moved like slow-pouring oil. killer more realistic.
Blackness, evil, darkness.... Oh, did I mention Some killers may be doing it for the attention
the huge knife? from the authorities, some may be doing it for
It must have taken only a second, but I died a the risk of getting caught, most, I would think,
thousand times looking into that black face. My do it for the pleasure they get from their terrible
veins felt like stone, I couldn't move. acts. I mean when it comes down to it they are
"....not pretty," said a thin, high voice, like a all nutters.
child's - from the folds of the mask.
The oil poured again and I was alone." Practical Killing In The
World Of Progress
Third Eye Operative Jack Door on his
encounter with Serial Killer 'Bad News', Mort A killer preys on the weak and defenceless. No
903 SD. serial killer would survive if they went after
SCL 5A operatives hanging out by Slayers
Serial Killers are an integral part of the World Crib. A killer would watch a victim for some
of Progress, fuelling the fear of the masses and time learning their habits, checking access to
feeding the media machine. Here are some their victim, making sure they would not be
ideas on killers and how they could be disturbed, maybe even stalking their victim for
implemented. days watching them from a distance.
Disclaimer Anonymity is a killers greatest asset. Not
everyone has a cool mask. The guy that always
I am not a psychologist. I have only films, sits at the table in the corner, the girl that sells
books and comics to form the basis for these you your coffee, the man that lives next door.
ideas, so if they do not conform to 'the real Maybe even your best friend. These types
world' then change them.
however don't make good TV, if they are a lot Blessed Children
scarier.
The Blessed Children are a cognate of sorts.
A Serial Killer is dangerous for any operative. They are a group of kids all from the same
If they come after you it will be when you are sector of downtown. They believe (not
at home and defenceless. Any geek can toast a incorrectly I suppose) the adult world is
killer when they are in their Exo with a Blitzer, responsible for all evil and sin and they must
but it's a different story when they have been destroy it little by little to protect themselves. A
stealthing round your apartment for half an lone downtowner would find themselves in an
hour, and paralyse you with fear when they slip alleyway suddenly surrounded by 20-30 kids
down from the ceiling when you are in the bath. baring knives. The children all keep in close
contact with each other and are well practiced
A society where serial killers co-operate in sending Op's on wild goose chases - 'Yes Mr.
together is a scary place indeed. Operative we saw a bad man by the alleyway
A cognate of killers has great potential. down there'.
Diversion, 'divide and conquer', and It should be pointed out that when a member of
outnumbering tactics could be added to the the BC gets to 16 they willingly kill themselves
serial killer repertoire, and even cover for each in a ritual watched by all of the BC.
other when the authorities get involved.
Bad News
'N e w F a c e s'
Bad News is almost unique in the fact that he
Here are some sample serial killers (it?) is a Vevaphon.
Biogenetics rarely have the emotional
The Tin Can Man complexity to be a serial killer (at least in the
proper psychological sense). However, Bad
The 'Tin Can Man' as he has been called, is a News 'fell' for media anchor woman Angela
Killer that targets Operatives that belong to a Stone about a year ago. Her image (artificially
squad. A failed SLA applicant, TTCM has designed to appeal to the populace) stirred
always wanted to be an Operative, and needs to something within Bad News and awoke
'belong'. feelings he wasn't equipped do deal with, i.e. -
His standard MO is to stalk a group of love. After a few months of media popularity
Operatives that are away from crowded streets Angela Stone faded into obscurity and started
(in sewers or in the Cannibal Sectors for freelance reporting again. Bad News is looking
example) he would get a way ahead of them for her, only knowing she is out there
then separate a heavily armoured Op from the somewhere. Any female media's Bad News
rest of the squad. Using trip wires, mud in the stumbles upon, unfortunately, get the ick.
optics and even pit traps he would incapacitate Males just get left alone...
the Op's armour and 'pop the lid'. After slitting
their throat, dragging them out and hiding Dogfood
them, TTCM will enter into the Armour and
continue the mission as if nothing had Dogfood appears to be a small downtown
happened, feigning Com problems and other tramp. A few months ago, he was a figure of
technical difficulties to prevent discovery. As fun in certain streets of upper downtown,
the squad continues, any members that get too begging for food for his (apparently invisible)
suspicious or are close to blowing the gaff will dog, soon everyone was calling him Dogfood.
meet with 'accidents' or just get blown away by After a while Dogfood disappeared. Recently,
'mysterious' gunmen. This will continue until it people have started to vanish,
gets too risky for TTCM , or the operatives and strange little piles of 'dog food' are turning
complete the mission, at which point TTCM up around the places they went missing. The
will just slip away. Shivers are assuming Dogfood has some kind
So far 12 separate squads have lost members, of hideout with a kitchen (or at least a blender),
some not realising until 'Joe' disappeared just but they are most worried about the rat
before a debrief. population that are increasingly wandering the
streets looking for this free food. And getting a abyss of madness since their return from the
taste for it. 'front line'.
Put most serial killers face to face with most
I'm not going to do stats for these guys, but you moderately trained Op's, and they will be mere
can assume Stealth and Hide are going to be cannon fodder.
higher than, well, the Operative's Detect skills With this in mind, it can be seen that most
really. They are not going to have huge armour serial killers have no illusion as to their
or guns, but will often have the terrain on their vulnerability regarding more powerful
side (un-armoured people can fit in remarkably opponents. Rare indeed is the serial killer that
small spaces, and move quite quietly). has a death wish.
Serial killers empower themselves by preying
Don't allow any passive Detect skill use, if fact, on the weak.
you can generate a lot of mood by noting down
all the players Detect rolls and rolling it Most of the time, it is not the killing act itself
yourself behind a screen. Every time you roll that gives the serial killer his pleasure, or sense
the dice, look at them and just carry on with of satisfaction. It is more likely the cat and
your description until they begin to panic. mouse game of 'shall I, shan't I' that produces
the enjoyment.
Serial Killers are about mood. Not just a bunch Some serial killers stalk their victims for many
of targets in masks. days, weeks even, before they act, making sure
they have complete control over their victim
Thanks Whitt. Glad I don't play in your games before they strike.
;)
Of course their are the sadistic killers, for
whom the act itself is the release, but they are
The definition of power in some people's minds very rare and short lived due to the 'addictive'
is control, to truly be able to say you control nature of what they do. They need to seek
something, you must have the ability to destroy bigger and better thrills, perhaps by being ever
it. more viscous, or daring in their location or
Serial killers have been pushed to the point choice of target.
where they begin to regain control of their lives Ultimately, they will betray themselves, taking
through murder. one risk too many.
What pushes a serial killer to the point of
action, rather than elaborate fantasy and The focus for the killer's psychoses will often
delusion, is as individual as what makes people suggest a set of victims. Most of the truly
act for the best instead of the worst. notorious serial killers prey on a very specific
Selfless compassion is the other face of the target group. This is partly what makes them so
serial killer's psychotic coin. scary, their obsession and dedication is beyond
the comprehension of most 'normal' citizens.
Serial killers should be driven by a need,
however deranged and misconceived, to take The mind set of the serial killer should also
control of their own lives. prove the greatest challenge for the pursuing
Now, obviously, there are deep rooted Op's or Shivers. There is a logic to his actions,
psychoses behind most (if not all) serial killer's even if the actions themselves seem like chaotic
actions. madness. Figuring out the logic, getting in to
A good way to start developing a serial killer is the head of the serial killer, is the best way to
to choose a 'base' from which to work in the anticipate his moves, to be where he is going to
form of a psychoses. be, to save the next victim. It also forces those
From the 'template' of a 'normal' citizen of the pursuing the killer to confront aspects of
WoP, we can then start to layer on the madness society and perhaps themselves, that they had
that will drive the serial killer. previously left buried on purpose.
Serial killers are not driven by the need for A serial killer that preys on women may force a
combat and conflict, though some may be begrudging understanding from those who have
combat veterans who have leaped in to the
a hard time dealing with women, in whatever There is no discernible pattern in the victim
form they encounter them. themselves, neither race, hair, eye or skin
A killer of the old, or the sick, can easily be colour or clothing. All victims had varying jobs
seen in the sickly half light of near reason, as and social lives. It is not believed that the
doing society a favour, especially by those of a victims are known to the killer.
'fascist' disposition.
And what if the serial killer turns his attention Ripple : Who And Why
to a minority that are almost universally hated
by the majority of citizens? He would be hard Ripple is John Waters, a nominal SLA
to catch due to the passive acceptance of his employee (SCL 11), who works in the Pit as a
acts by those who may be able to stop him. Bartender. While walking the three blocks from
the Gauss Station to the security of his
So, to construct a serial killer, first take a apartment, John was confronted by Halloween
template of a 'normal' citizen, then choose a set Jack. It was five O'clock exactly on a Friday
of psychoses that push him to the edge of evening.
reality and split his sanity between the waking John's mind froze in fear, then acted in
world and the delusional. outraged indignation. It was five O'clock in the
Easy eh? evening! It was still bloody light! He was
almost at his front door! This just shouldn't be
We have detailed 'Ripple', one of our WoP's up happening!
and coming serial killers. He turned and began to run blindly for his life.
As he did, he crashed in to a hapless citizen
Ripple emerging from the dimly lit interior of a cab.
Without thinking, John grabbed the unfortunate
"We have accredited eleven victims to Ripple, citizen, and catching him off balance, thrust
I'd say that constitutes a 'serial killer', wouldn't him between Jack and himself.
you?"
Halloween Jack took another life.
Sergeant Harry Black, Shiver Serial Tracker, John lived.
Mort 903 SD.
John now believes that Halloween Jack will
Shiver report; classified SCL 6, access come and take his life, unless he kills in his
restricted to active BPN personnel only: stead at the appointed hour.
First Strike: Eleven weeks ago, first victim was Tracking Ripple
found in Men's toilet facilities in Chic Cherry
fashion house. The word 'Ripple' was scrawled John stole the Power Disc from the weapons
in blood on the wall near the victim, the one room at the Pit, the most daring and dangerous
and only time it has appeared at the scene. thing he has ever done in his life. There will be
M.O.: Victims are found with their throat's cut, a report of the disc being stolen.
apparently from behind, dragged in to a cubicle There may be a static site cam recording of
and sat on the lavatory. Victims have been Halloween Jack having his next victim thrown
killed while at 'stalls', and three have been at him by John, maybe shown on TV, triggering
killed while attempting to leave the a response of 'lucky bugger', from one of the
convenience. Op's.
A single cut is delivered, from victim's left to
right, entering and exiting below ear lobe. As John becomes more notorious, larger malls
Suspected Weapon: The Autopsy's of the first may issue warning to avoid the washrooms
three victims showed differing weapons, between 5pm and 6pm. The timing is important
probably all large (but indistinguishable) to John, and if his supply dries up, maybe he
kitchen knives. The last eight victims have all will be forced to act in a less secluded spot.
been killed with a hand held MJL Power Disc. Eventually he may be forced to kill while in the
Emerging Pattern: Each victim has been killed Pit, maybe due to a change in his shift pattern.
between 5pm and 6pm on a Friday, though Ultimately, John may well be cornered by some
some have not been discovered until Saturday. Op's on a routine matter, while 5pm ticks
slowly by. As the serial killer becomes more FW: "Not the first time a Yellow has turned in
and more restless, he will be forced to act, his to a battle with Trinity is it?"
fear of Halloween Jack far exceeding his fear of W: "We will not back away from a fight.
the Op's. Qw'Lkn has taught us well. Eric is driven. I am
committed to mediating, talking, but when that
fails...."
FW: "The blood flows...."
W: "Isn't it the way of the world."
FW: "And now cutting back to the studio where
SEVEN – VII I understand they're ready with the Clam Man /
Ju-Ju footage...."
This scenario is best played out by a squad of
Op's that include at least one Shaktar. If no The Op's may be drawn to the screen by Ward's
Shaktar is present in the squad, you may need appearance or by some detail in the report,
to tinker with it a bit, maybe via one of the Op's maybe the Disciples were a gang known to one
contacts, friends or even Third Eye. As the of the Op's.
story unfolds, the motives behind the serial
killer's actions will best be picked up by a Introduction
Shaktar or someone who is familiar with their
Honour Code. Initial contact with Trinity should be either in
the Pit or some other 'recreational' space,
The scenario is initially played out as 'side line' somewhere where the Op's and Trinity will not
events, stuff that goes on in the background be 'tooled up'.
while the Op's are getting on with their lives.
When the Op's become directly involved is up One of the Op's must be 'lead' in to breaking the
to you, we suggest after scene Three. Seventh element of the Shaktar Honour Code
(Purity), at least so it will be perceived by
The focus for the scenario is a Shaktar called Qw'Lkn. There are a number of ways you can
Qw'Lkn and the three man squad he belongs to, lead one of the Op's to do this, an example is
Trinity. given below;
Trinity consist of: Eric, 313 Stormer, SCL 8.
Qw'Lkn, Shaktar, SCL 8. Ward, Ebon, SCL 9. The Soft Company, Alien Shore (TBP 10) have
modified a Human woman to have the facial
Background features of a Shaktar. The woman is stunningly
well built, having features that would turn the
Trinity have been formed for a little over four head of a gay preacher. She wears clothes to
months now, they have undertaken eight BPN's compliment her figure in the most brazen,
and have a high media profile due to Ward's suggestive way. She is obviously looking for a
massive charisma and the squads predilection companion for the evening.
for confrontational Yellow's and Reds. As she cruises the Pit, or wherever the players
You may want to give the Op's a taster of the are, she will nod knowingly to the most
squad, maybe a thirty second sound bite attractive of the Op's. If they refuse to take the
intrudes on them while they are near a TV. bait by commenting out loud, or making any
suggestive remark, which should of course be
FW: "Frank Weiss for Inter-Com here with encouraged by your description of the woman,
Ward from Trinity. I understand nine members someone standing near the Op the woman signs
of the Disciples are now no longer with us. to will say something like; "lucky bugger,
W: "Is it nine? So many?" you're in there."
FW: "I understand that Eric and Qw'Lkn got in Once the Op has either replied to the bystander
amongst them with blades...." or maybe made some comment, or move
W: "All we wanted was the cache of weapons towards the woman, Qw'Lkn will stand up from
they stole from our fallen comrades. We the table he is at and bear down on the Op's.
reasoned with them, but you can't reason with
closed minds." Qw'Lkn will be very verbal and loud in his
protests, basically pointing out how the
woman's behaviour, and the services of Alien All three squad members took numerous hits
Shore strike at the purity of the Shaktar race. If from Release darts, as well as numerous
the Op's offer any argument at all, Qw'Lkn will wounds from conventional weapons. It was the
launch in to a fist fight. Ward and Eric will rush explosives that got them in the end.
in to break things up, offering apologies for Eric was thrown in to the lower levels beneath
Qw'Lkn. the market, where the Release got to him; he
If the Op's take the fight seriously, or offer committed suicide, though he may well have
offensive remarks to Qw'Lkn, Ward and Eric die from his gunshot wounds eventually.
will join in instead of breaking it up. A full on Qw'Lkn and Ward, shot, cut and bleeding, were
brawl will ensue, which will have to be broken blasted in to the main sewer beneath the
up either by staff from the venue, or maybe a market. There they scrabbled through the filth
squad of higher level Op's who don't want their and darkness trying to escape.
evening interrupted. The Release began to take hold, Ward
succumbed to the madness first, taking off his
The Op's may remember the incident, or they Deathsuit, he begged Qw'Lkn to kill him and
may simply take it as part of the background to return his Deathsuit to Dark Lament. Qw'Lkn
their lives. Either way, they will have been could not kill his friend, he left Ward and took
introduced to Qw'Lkn. the Deathsuit. Ward let himself die from his
wounds.
Five days after the incident, the Op's see Qw'Lkn wandered, his mind lost, through the
another news report that catches their eye; sewers, discarding his gear as he went.
Eventually he came to a massive 'clearing
"And it was on this very spot that Tempest channel', where five main sewers met, here he
brought to an end the careers of one of the most sat in a shattered service alcove and slipped
promising squads to come out of Meny for quietly in to madness.
some time. Trinity were ambushed by an
estimated twenty terrorists, mainly conscripts, Qw'Lkn put on the Deathsuit as best he could,
who seemed to be indiscriminate in their choice ripping it to fit his huge frame. He is gripped by
of target. Eric, the 313 Stormer from the squad, the need to commit suicide, to achieve Release.
bore the brunt of the attack, though both Ward But before he can do this, he must avenge
and Qw'Lkn were slain in the ensuing seven breaks of the Honour Code.
explosion, which as you can see.... has left a The Deathsuit has also been infected with
gaping hole through to the massive storm Release, but is 'leeching' the drug off, drawing
drains, their bodies will be washed down to the it from itself and eventually cleansing itself.
mire of Cannibal Sector 3, that's if they're not The 'survival instinct' of the Deathsuit has
devoured by the dark inhabitants of the sewers kicked in, it is not going to die without a fight.
first. Another victory for Tempest? On the face Qw'Lkn will be used as a 'host' for as long as is
of it, yes." possible, and to this end the Deathsuit will
'protect' it's wearer by retaining it's armour
Tempest Ambush characteristics. it is 'fuelled' by Qw'Lkn's
passive Flux store, and this draining of the
Tempest were gathering for a big operation, the Shaktar's energy will eventually kill him, even
ambush of a squad made up solely of Stormers: if the Release doesn't.
PussyCats.
PussyCats never showed, instead Trinity Scene One - Honour
stumbled in to the Downtown market where the
ambush was to take place, on a routine Yellow. A Shaktar, K'Qn, is found dead in his home in
They uncovered some of the conscripts and Suburbia. The Shaktar, an Operative with a
triggered the ambush, the Tempest leader of the squad called Frost, was strangled while in his
strike force reckoning that their chance of bath. The killing attracts a small amount of
surprise had been blown. The amount of media attention, but may well be more widely
'Release' used in the ambush was the highest in known among the Shaktar community, both for
one strike so far on Mort, bearing in mind the it's unusual nature (strangling) and for the fact
original targets, it would have been needed. that K'Qn was a suspected member of the
Trinity stood their ground and slugged it out. Shaktar 'terrorist' group, Chapter Seven. The
Shivers will carry out their duties with the usual Sh'nt K'strn, SCL 8 Operative with FirstBlood,
thoroughness and enthusiasm, the crime scene killed by clean shot to head.
and all it's clues, will be recorded, filed and Q'wrk K'ntr, SCL 10 Operative with
forgotten. CandyFire, killed by clean shot to head.
Unusually for the murder of an Operative, no
BPN will be issued to investigate. Third Eye Q'wrk K'ntr was the youngest brother of
will give the incident maybe a ten second bite Qw'Nrls K'ntr. Q'wrk was pledged in Blood
on one of their local broadcasts, maybe with an Oath to Qw'Lkn's youngest sister. Had the
open ended tag line to encourage some marriage gone ahead, Qw'Lkn and Q'wrk would
response. have become Blood Family.
Any Shaktar in the Op's may have the murder
reported to them in a conversation with another Scene Three - Friends
Shaktar, something like; "Chapter Seven
members deserve such a dishonourable death." A Shiver is found dead, strangled to death in
his bed in a Suburban Shiver Block. The
The last four targets for K'Qn's terrorist Shiver, Mathew Pursy, worked from the local
activities were; sector house and has had an unremarkable
Klt'n Sst, Shaktar retired Operative, working as career.
adviser to Captain Contract show. Killed at The last assignment Mathew undertook on the
home in fire. streets was a 'sweep and clear' for an illegal
Sl'n Qwrrn, Shaktar Operative with BlindFaith, market set up in a disused car park. During the
the squad was wiped out in Downtown. Sl'n operation, nine civilians were killed and forty
survived and was investigated and cleared by injured.
IA. He was killed while recovering in hospital
from massive internal wounds. Among the dead was Sarah Bliss, a nominal
Qw'Nrls K'ntr, Shaktar Operative crippled in SLA employee (SCL 11) from the Department
War World BPN, disabled, lost both legs and of Psychology.
left arm, worked at Crib as BPN Clerk. Killed During a routine set of Psyche. Evaluations,
when vehicle he was in was run of road. one of the patients went berserk, bringing out a
Ruth Kendall, Human, believed to be a surgeon hidden gun and proceeding to shoot any and all
for Alien Shore, shot in Downtown clinic. that came in their path. One of the madman's
victims was Qw'Lkn, who would have been
Qw'Nrls was from the same Clan (Griedaja / finished off had it not been for the actions of
Fifth Moon / Honour) as Qw'Lkn. Sarah, who took a shot in the leg, distracting
the lunatic long enough for Qw'Lkn to wrestle
Scene Two - Family him to the ground, snapping his neck in the
process.
An unemployed Human citizen, Marcus Qw'Lkn declared Sarah a 'Blood Friend', and
Garvey, has been found dead in his Downtown swore that he would repay the debt.
apartment. Nothing remarkable in that. He was
strangled while he slept, again nothing unusual It is the killing of the Shiver that prompts the
there. In his apartment were hundreds of issuing of a BPN:
leaflets, videos and audio discs from the Black
Order propaganda library, along with a Blitzer SCL: 10
and thirty shells. This is what makes his killing Contact: Shiver HQ in sector. Captain Halek
newsworthy. Rail, SH/388-60023/EX1.
Marcus belonged, as a conscript, to the local Training Package Recc.: I&I, plus any.
Black Order cell. The last two 'hits' that the cell Colour Code: White.
were responsible for took place in the sector, in Summary: Investigate the murder of a Shiver,
two separate shopping malls. bring the killer to justice. One month expiry on
Among the dead were two Shaktars, both BPN.
Operatives, and both 'off duty'. Both felt Coverage: Station Analysis.
compelled to act and were taken out as they Consolidated Bonus Scheme: 500c
tried to confront the terrorists. Payment: Per Op.
SCL Increase: +0.5
Code, give them a break, let them have some

The Op's can either be tempted with the BPN, clues and focus them on possible victims, this
which they may well associate with the Shaktar will also get them thinking on their own
Qw'Lkn. Or informed of it's undertaking by possible involvement with Qw'Lkn. Whether
another squad, maybe by their Financier of a you want to give them a chance of catching
contact. Qw'Lkn before scene seven is of course up to
If they do not take the BPN, you can have one you....
of the investigating Op's from the squad that
do, contact them on a tip off that they had some Scene Five - Faith
contact with Qw'Lkn, re; the opening incident.
A whole squad, Shine, are found, one strangled
The connection of the first three murders to the to death, the other two killed in hand to hand
Honour Code should be made at this point, combat.
either through the Op's own tweaked curiosity The bodies were found in one of the squad
and investigation, or through the BPN, maybe members apartments, where they were all
through a Frank Weiss editorial on one of his staying, apparently in preparation to leave on
reports. an off world BPN the next day.
Shine were a newly formed squad, all SCL 10
One way or another, the idea should be planted and all fresh out of Meny. They have only
in the Op's minds that Qw'Lkn is not dead, and completed one BPN, and left another
that he is behind the killings. Some prompt may unfinished.
be offered as to the nature of the initial Shine; Joely Hart, Human (strangled), Mitch
encounter the Op's had with Qw'Lkn, maybe on Lowd, Human, Ch'rewan Hur, Wraith Raider.
how it could be interpreted by Qw'Lkn with a The last BPN that Shine undertook, has been
view to his current activities. registered as 'incomplete', and shows no
resolution before the BPN expired.
Scene Four - Truth
The incomplete BPN:
An Eye-4 Inter-Com reporter is killed,
strangled in her bed. The last interview she SCL: 10
conducted was with Trinity. The interview as to Contact: Shiver HQ in sector 380. Lieutenant
be used as part of a piece on 'unnecessary Commander Joseph Richards; SH/JR-714-
violence' as used by Op's in the completion of 66733/PL.
BPN's. Only forty seconds of the whole Training Package Recc.: I&I, plus any.
interview was actually used, though it was Colour Code: Yellow.
edited to make it look like the squad, and Summary: Retrieve stolen SLA property from
Qw'Lkn in particular, were blood hungry known gang stash location. Expiry of BPN
Operatives who looked for an excuse to use prompts swift action.
violence. Coverage: Third Eye.
Sarah lived in a Suburban housing block Consolidated Bonus Scheme: 250c
containing adequate security and a permanent Payment: Per Op.
Shiver presence. SCL Increase: +0.2
The news station, Eye-4 Inter-Com, will make
a great deal of Sarah's killing, using the 'expose Q'wrk K'ntr, the Operative killed by the Black
caused retribution' angle. They will hint at the Order sniper in scene two, was robbed by the
incompetence of Slops and Shivers and Manic Street Preachers, the local gang of 380.
speculate on the next victim. He was stripped, beaten close to death, then
If the Op's haven't got it yet, they will run a thrown down a storm drain. He took three days
report tying Qw'Lkn to the killing, and maybe to get back to SLA, during which time he was
draw some conclusions about other killings presumed dead and the BPN issued for the
where the victim had been strangled in their recovery of his gear, which was rumoured to be
beds.... for sale.
Q'wrk K'ntr had trained at Meny with Joely
If the Op's are on the case and investigating Hart and they had exchanged vows to help each
Qw'Lkn and possible connections to the honour other in the outside world. Q'wrk K'ntr had
gifted Joely with a Friendship Braid, which Scene Seven - Purity

Joely wore at all times.
The BPN was abandoned by Shine when they Prompted by the encounter with the Op's,
were confronted with sixty gang members at a Qw'Lkn will focus on the player from the initial
Black Market meet where the stolen gear was encounter to exact revenge for the breaking of
to be sold. the seventh code.
There is some Third Eye hidden cam footage How you want the Shaktar to go about his
(shot by Mitch) showing Joely trying to attempt on the Op's life is left for you to decide.
negotiate with the Manic's, and then some Qw'Lkn is on a limited time line, with both the
small arms fire breaking out and Shine Release and the Deathsuit eating away at his
retreating under a hail of hurled missiles and life. we have not specified a time line for the
sparse gun fire. scenes, but would suggest a day for each, two
Shine called for Shiver back up and helped in at most.
the resulting clean up by Dispersal Shivers. The Qw'Lkn now has a Blitzer with five shots left,
Shaktar's gear was not recovered. he will use this as well as his hand to hand
skills.
Scene Six - Loyalty Someone once said you cannot stop someone
who doesn't care about their own life.
The intended victim is to be former Officer in Qw'Lkn is looking for Release, maybe
charge of Qw'Lkn and Trinity while they were unconsciously he will seek his own death in the
on the War World Cross, completing a Green final retribution on the Op's.
BPN for the Ministry of War. The Officer,
Captain Brandon Clift, has been found guilty of One suggested ending is a cat and mouse chase
accepting bribes to allow sons/daughters of through the sewers that Qw'Lkn disappeared in
prominent SLA officials 'light duties' while on originally, with the Shaktar hoping to split the
War World. squad up, allowing him a one on one
The trial and verdict are big news on Mort as confrontation with his target.
the implications are wide within SLA for those
offering the bribes. Obviously, Qw'Lkn will leave a trail that is
The Op's may either find out about the trial easy to follow to the sewers, where his skills
from the news, or may be told by a contact or will make him an elusive target.
friend who knows they are on a 'Shaktar
related' BPN. However they find out, they We have listed the Shaktar Honour Code to
should arrive at the courthouse as the Officer is remind you of how Qw'Lkn is seeing/twisting
being ushered out by two Shivers. things;
Qw'Lkn knows he cannot get the Officer in
hand to hand, and he realises this will be his Shaktar Code Of Honour
only real chance to strike (Tactics). The Shaktar
intends to use a Blitzer stolen from the 1 Honour
apartment he killed Shine in. Qw'Lkn will use Uphold the honour of the Shaktar Race.
surprise, and brute force to take his shot, edging
close through the crowd of reporters, then 2 Family
pushing down an unsuspecting anchor woman Respect your elders. Your parents gave you
to clear his shot. your life. You are prepared to return it at their
demand.
The Op's should arrive as the Blitzer goes off.
As the Officer goes down there will be panic as 3 Friends
the crowd of reporters and bystanders flee for Accept as friends only those to whom you owe
their lives. a debt of honour or place a great trust in.
The Op's may spot Qw'Lkn and may give 4 Truth

chase. The Shaktar's only thought is that of Never lie to anyone worthy of your trust unless
escape, and all his skills will be used in this ordered to by a superior.
direction.
5 Faith Swim 4
Complete any task you undertake. Running 6
Act to the best of your ability. Blade, 1-H 5
Show others you are undertaking a duty by
wearing your ceremonial scarf. If Qw'Lkn gets to play cat and mouse with the
players, he will try for an ambush, with one
6 Loyalty close up shot then a physical assault.
Obey anyone you accept as a superior.
Act as an ambassador of the race at all times. If the Op's are all too powerful, or too heavily
armed for this to have any chance of
7 Purity succeeding, you may want to arm Qw'Lkn with
Uphold the purity of the Shaktar race. something like a Chain Axe.
Qw‘Lkn
Classification Shaktar, Male

Package Kick Murder
Squad Trinity (deceased)
STREET DRUGS
Strength 13
Dexterity 13 Written By : Chris Cotgrove
Diagnose 8
Concentration 8 ALTERED STATES
Charisma 6
Physique 13 The World of Progress can be described at best
Knowledge 6 as bleak, shallow and depressing. The struggle
Cool 12 of day-to-day life proves too much for a lot of
Walk 1 people, who contribute to an ever-increasing
Run 3 suicide statistic.
Sprint (5) 6.8
Movement 53 SLA and many Soft Companies offer ways to
Half Movement 106 escape from an otherwise soul-destroying
No Movement 212 existence, or at least make it a little more
enjoyable....
Qw'Lkn is armed only with a Blitzer and five
rounds. The Deathsuit worn by the Shaktar, The most popular means is the use of narcotics,
retains some of it's armour properties, covering either provided by SLA or by a Soft Company.
torso, upper arms and upper legs; PV 10, ID's:
Torso 40, Arms 30, Legs 35. All drugs not manufactured and distributed by
SLA through the Dept. of Pharmacology or a
Unarmed Combat 6 wholly-owned subsidiary are considered illegal;
Detect 8 Cloak Division is usually called in to shut down
Evaluate Opponent 5 production facilities and terminate personnel, or
Rival Company 4 Operatives will be given an appropriate BPN.
Survival 6
Climb 4 The so-called "designer" drugs are often
Hide 8 dangerous, being rushed onto the street without
Sneak 8 proper testing to accommodate market demand
Martial Arts 11 for a bigger and better rush. They often induce
Acrobatics 5 unforeseen side-effects, or kill their users
Wrestling 5 outright.
Pistol 8
Rifle 6 Designer drugs are often put on to the street by
Tactics 5 back-street chemists operating out of
Throw 6 Downtown, or by Soft Companies attempting
Medical Paramedic 4
to secure a corner of the market by providing of this drug. Frequent users claim to
an "unusual" experience. experience memories that are not their own.
Side-Effects - (at GM's discretion) Can induce
Here are some examples of some 'street drugs, random psychokinesis, precognition, telepathy
produced and supplied by Soft Companies. and pyrokinesis.
Many softies will have only one product, and as Detox - Induces terrifying hallucinations,
such their very existence will depend upon the drawn from the user's subconscious.
popularity of the product; successful product Game Effects: Hallucinations of pleasant
equals longer lived company. nature, unless psychoses or phobia over rank 3,
then nightmares.
SLA is usually slow to pounce on Addiction: -1 PHYS / 5.
pharmaceutical companies for this very reason, Detox Effects: -3 CONC, -3 DIA.
they know that companies who produce such Cost: 100u.
drugs, have by their very nature, a short life- Produced By: DarkLine Drugs. DL drugs have
span. those that do thrive and survive are often stolen some samples of the Dark Lament drug,
the subject of BPN's or 'legitimising' buy outs. and have set about recreating the effects of the
DL original. Unfortunately they have not quite
We have listed some examples of street drugs got it right. The massive Detox effects mean
and the companies behind them. that the drug will probably be withdrawn from
sale on the streets in the near future. There are
Psychodrome two White BPN's outstanding for the shut down
of DarkLine, who, it is believed, may have a
"Leave your fear at home, dose up with contact on the 'inside' of Dark Lament.
Psychodrome."
Judas
Type - Combat.
Description - This drug makes its user less "Tell the truth or take the consequences."
susceptible to fear by dampening the
biochemical fear responses to external stimuli. Type - (dubiously) Medical
Side-Effects - An overdose can have a reverse Description - Officially, this drug does not
effect, heightening fear or inducing phobias. exist. It is commonly used by Cloak Division
Game Effects: +2 to COOL for 2 hours. during "difficult" interrogations, to obtain
Addiction: -1 PHYS per 10. information.
Detox Effects: -2 COOL, -1 DIA. If the biochemical associated with deception
Addiction: 2 per day. are released into the bloodstream of the subject,
Cost: 80u. the drug violently reacts, causing intense pain.
Produced By: PsychoPharm. Small Downtown The greater the lie, the more pain is induced;
company that specialise is taking other eventually, the drug burns out the nervous
'reputable' drugs, and changing their structure system of the subject, or causes a great enough
to allow enhancements/focusing of their affects. level of pain to induce coma or death.
PsychoPharm have stated their intention to Detox - Loss of DEX, PHYS; induces a phobia
specialise in combat drugs and Psychodrome of needles/injections?
looks like being a loss leader to introduce Game Effects: Lying while under the influence
'clients' to their full range. of Judas causes 1 'hit' to Torso and increases
the greater the lie. 1 dose lasts thirty minutes.
Astral Addiction: -1 PHYS per 10 doses.
Detox Effects: -3 COOL.
"Tune in, turn on, drop through to another Cost: 150u.
reality." Produced By: PunchLine Chemical Products
(PCP). PCP copied the formulae for the drug
Type - Recreational. from a stolen Cloak transmission. PCP are
Description - This strange drug, produced in an backed directly by DarkNight. The drug is
experiment by Dark Lament, causes an increase being leaked on to the streets through gangs,
in "psychic sensitivity". Rumours indicate that who buy from a 'central', roaming source.
organic (neural) tissue is used in the production Operatives found in possession of Judas are
liable to an immediate fine and SCL decrease. Detox Effects: -2 CONC, -2 DIA, loss of long
DarkNight are working on refining the drug term memory.
with a view to a mass release in to the water Cost: 200u.
supply of one of the Downtown sectors. Produced By: Pod Pharmaceuticals. Pod
produce a wide range of street drugs, with Total
Morpheus Recall representing their more 'specialist' range.
Pod are trying to move away from the combat
"To sleep perchance to dream? It's guaranteed market, in to the vast soft drug arena. A version
with Morpheus!" of Total Recall, known as 'BlackOut' is being
developed, that will actually intentionally wipe
Type - Medical out the users long term memory, without
Description - A powerful sleep drug, which permanently affecting their CONC or DIA
induces a peaceful, dream-filled sleep, as the abilities.
drug actually stimulates the portions of the
brain that cause dreams. Getting Hold Of Street Drugs
Side-Effects - Overdose leads to horrific
nightmares lasting until the drug is properly Street drugs may be bought from gangs,
cleansed out of the user's system, or induces a pushers or soft company representatives.
catatonic state.
Game Effects: Puts user to sleep, if unwilling, Gangs
PHYS roll at -8 to resist.
Sleep state induces vivid dreams, if unwilling Every gang will supplement it's income by
sleeper or psychotic or phobic, then nightmares. dealing in drugs. They are middle men, having
If nightmares, -2 COOL upon awakening for 12 some stuff to hand, but having to 'order' the
hours. more obscure drugs from the manufacturer,
Addiction: -1 PHYS / 5. often entailing a short wait and hiked prices.
Detox Effects: -2 CONC, -2 DIA, -2 COOL. Some gangs will be associated with one or two
Cost: 60u. soft companies, in whose drugs they may
Produced By: Calmer Pharm. This is Calmer specialise. Dealing with gangs is tricky, if you
Pharm's first product to hit the streets, and they have a good rep with them, they will supply
plan to specialise in 'calming' drugs, relaxants high quality product at a reasonable price. If the
and anti-depressants. Rumours are rife on the gang don't know you or you have a bad rep,
streets about the involvement of Feral Ebons they may simply deny being able to supply
with Calmer, and it is thought that a 'version' of drugs.
drum will be the companies next release.
Pushers
Total Recall
Pushers hang around street corners, markets,
"You can remember it all with Total Recall." malls and schools, hoping to pick up trade from
the curious as well as their regulars. They stick
Type - Medical to their 'turf' and resent anyone else selling to
Description - Allows a user to access their 'clientele'. Pushers often share the same
subconscious memories, to obtain information turf as a gang and sometimes supply the gang
that their conscious mind may have missed in with the harder to get drugs. Pushers have a
observation. small but well supplied set of contacts from
Side-Effects - Overdose leads to the user being whom they get their stuff.
trapped in a world of flashback memories,
becoming more and more unable to interact S o f t C o m p a n y R e p s.
with their surroundings; this is marked by
increasing "blank spells". These enterprising individuals deal only with
Game Effects: Increased memory recall pushers and gang members, supplying in bulk.
capacity, reflected by +2 DIA, +1 CONC for 1 They can be tempted to deal with almost
hour. anyone, as long as the punters background
Addiction: -1 PHYS / 5. checks out and there is enough money
involved. As the rep's have direct ties to soft
companies, they are very careful about who SKILLS RANK

they meet, and will always be accompanied by
either gang members doing a favour or Props. Detect / Track 6
Swim 8
Hide 7
Sneak 7
Unarmed (Claw / Bite) 6
NEVER MIND THE Trancid range in size from 0.5 to 1.5 meters toe
PIG to shoulder. Their length (nose to hind) is 0.75
to 2.5 meters. Trancid have no tails. Their fur is
TRANCID dark brown or black, the skin around their head
and ‘hood’ is usually light brown.
The Trancid is believed to have originated on
Polo, the Wraith Homeworld, where it can be The bite of the Trancid carries a highly
found in the Myran Wastes. contagious disease. On Polo it is known as the
It has adapted and is thriving on Mort, mainly 'growling sickness'. The victim's throat and
in the Cannibal Sectors and in Downtown, glands swell up to enormous size with pustules
though some have been sighted in Suburbia, of infected tissue, gradually closing off their
even Uptown. airway. In an attempt to clear the irritation,
They can survive anywhere there are large victims take to coughing violently in short
bodies of water and vermin for them to prey on. bursts, or 'growling'.
Hungry Trancid will hunt anything, chancing The infection carried by the Trancid is known
prey up to and over their own size if to affect only Humans, Wraith's, Ebons,
particularly hungry. Wasters and Shaktars. Biogenetic creatures
appear to be immune.
The Trancid looks like a large Leopard, with The potency of the infection varies with the
leathery skin covering it's face and neck like a Trancid's breeding cycle, at their height, when
hood. It has no visible ears, these being slits they are on heat (twice a year) the poison is at
just in front of it's gills. it's most venomous.
Once bitten, the victim must make a PHYS roll,
Their back paws have no claws, and have webs using the potency of the poison as a negative
between their toes. Their front paws have razor modifier; the poison ranges from strength 4 -
sharp retractable claws. Trancid teeth grow up 10. If they pass, the venom passes harmlessly
to eight centimeters in length (incisors). through their system. If they fail the poison
Trancid can 'breath' underwater for up to sixty takes hold, and they will be dead in 6 - 12 days.
minutes, then they must breath air for at least At present, the cancerous like disease has no
three minutes. known cure, though Wraith Raiders claim the
poison sacks of the Prarun can 'leech' the
Stats. Min. Max. Norm. disease out of a victim if applied twice a day,
over a period of a week.
STR 8 10 9
DEX 6 10 8 CARRIEN BIRDS
DIA 1 1 1
CONC 0 1 0 Carrien Birds originated in the Cannibal
HITS 15 20 18 Sectors, but can now be found all over Mort,
thriving wherever there is a meal to scrounge.
Walk 1. Run 4. Sprint 6. Swim 3. There are numerous 'scavenging' birds on Mort,
but the Carrien Birds are a race apart, having
Weapons PEN DMG AD evolved in to carnivorous beasts that will eat
anything dead, and will even stoop to preying
Bite 1 2 0 on the sick and injured.
Claws 2 4 1 They hunt in flocks of up to a hundred, and
have been known to drive off feasting Carrien
from a fresh corpse.
Stats. Min. Max. Norm. going to join the huge flock, then they choose a
suitable target and swarm. Usually the targets
STR 1 3 2 are Gauss Trains, Kilcopters, APC's or heavily
DEX 6 10 8 armoured humanoids. The Birds swoop down,
DIA 0 1 0 diving at incredible speed, with the aim of
CONC 0 1 0 folding their wings at the last minute, forming a
HITS 5 10 7 kind of 'spear'. They strike their target head
first, usually dying instantly.
Walk 1. Fly 10. The largest swarm to suicide on Mort was
recorded at over ten thousand Birds, which
Weapons PEN DMG AD 'suicided' on a Gauss Train in Downtown sector
490. The train was nearly derailed as the Birds
Beak 0 1 0 hit it head on and from every conceivable angle
Talons 1 2 0 as it emerged from a tunnel. Some of the
passengers (and the driver) were permanently
affected by the incident. The mess took three
SKILLS RANK days to clean up. The stench stays with the train
to this day.
Detect 10
Unarmed 10
Excellent sight / hearing.
Carrien Birds are without exception totally

black. They have a shiny plumage, with
EQUIPMENT
feathers around their heads and shoulders being
short and fur like. Their beaks, legs and claws, THE HURCULES
are all black. They have black, seemingly
pupil-less eyes. They are completely silent, Defense Systems Inc., the company that have
neither shrieking or calling. brought us the Defense System Shield (TBP 4),
and the GSM 2 Gyro Stabiliser Module (TBP
In appearance, Carrien Birds are similar to very 6), have now launched the Hurcules, a recoil
large Crows, the largest Carrien Bird measuring 'soak' unit that gives the added bonus of
1.5 meters from claw to crown of head, with a increased lifting capacity.
wing span of 2.5 meters.
The Carrien Birds dropping's are foul smelling "And I say I saw the little squirt unload two
and copious, carrying many infectious diseases Blitzers at once, and then she lifted the Pandora
and being slightly acidic when brought in to off her partner like it was a kids toy. Hey, look,
contact with skin. Where a colony of Carrien I don't know how, maybe it was some Ebon
Birds chooses to roost, there is always a lack of shit."
animals below. Even Carrien give Carrien
Birds a wide berth, recognising the evil stench Luke Novak, Unemployed citizen, Mort 903
of their roosts from many kilometers away. SD.
Carrien Birds are scavengers, but hunters also.
They are incredibly agile on the wing and will Each Hurcules system must be fitted to the
take other flying things as a meal if they can. In individual wearer and takes two hours to
the early hours of what would be dusk, they configure, the Hurcules cannot be transferred to
will hunt bats, which they are particularly adept another user without being substantially re-
at catching. configured.
The thing that makes the Carrien Bird stand out Rumours are rife regarding the 'borrowing' of
in the Mort bestiary is there habit of 'suiciding'. technology from Dark Lament by Fen, Defense
When a population grows too large in a given Systems Inc.'s parent company, for the
area, the older birds will be driven by insane production of the Hurcules. The base material
instinct to 'suicide'. They achieve this by for the rig has been patented by DSI and is
gathering in the air, circling until all who are known as 'fibroid', it seems to be as pliable as
leather, yet have the tensile strength of a THE SQUID

ceramic-steel laminate.
The Squid is an advanced computer design, it is
To date, the Hurcules is only available through the first in a new wave of computers from
approved FEN/DSI outlets such as FirePower EyeTex, the newly formed subsidiary of Third
Stores, Trigger Happy and Fast Jacks Gun Eye. EyeTex plan to take the computer
Shacks. technology in to the home entertainment, as
There is no presence on the Black Market due well as the Operative market place.
to the Hurcules' need to be custom fitted to the
wearer and the lack of flexibility in transferring "Easy to use, easily accessible, no maintenance
the unit from one person to another, though and cheap. Isn't that about all you could ask of
units are stolen and stripped down and sold as anything?"
parts.
Orrin Harcourt, SCL 7 Human Op with
Game System Stuff HardLine, Mort 903 SD.
The Hurcules is designed to reduce the recoil The Squid has been launched with much hype
from weapons fire, and to give the user an and advertising; almost everyone who is
increased lifting / carrying capacity. concerned with the use of a computer knows
It can be found among the equipment of almost about the Squid.
every off world or 'exploratory' expedition. They have not really filtered through to the
Black Markets yet, and their reliance on the
The unique 'fibroid' laminate construction Mort Matrix makes them virtually useless to
allows for light weight and maximum non-SLA employees. Some have been seen
durability. The Hurcules has four small motors converted for use solely with data slugs and
which assist in pumping hydraulic fluid around standard up-links.
the rig, as well as taking the initial 'strain' from
heavy lifts. Game System Stuff
The hydraulics of the Hurcules are where the The Squid is worn like a helmet, with a cap
real innovations come in. The fluid is contained fitting over the skull to just above the ears, ear
in 'ribs' that run the length of the unit, hundreds pieces may be worn that cover the ears to
of them on each rig. The hydraulics are provide true stereo sound. The Squid is
designed to be used in conjunction with the specifically designed to be worn with a Headset
bodies natural posture when firing and lifting, Communicator.
counter action with the opposite limb or legs There is no 'screen', the eye piece slides down
adds to the Hurcules power. much like a visor, only it is semitransparent,
allowing vision through it while in use (-1
Hurcules CONC/DIA).
There is no keyboard, once the computer is
Cost Black Market Weight activated, the keyboard is 'projected' to an area
300c 8,000u 7kg defined by the user, being represented by a
linear diagram over laid on the visor display.
Recoil Baffling The user uses the 'keyboard' via gloves that
have sensors in the fingertips. There
Maximum of users PHYS +3 in 'levels' hand/finger actions are translated in to key
strokes. The gloves are connected to the Squid
Lifting Capacity via two cables that run down the back of the
neck and along each arm.
User gets to act at 'Half Movement' with 'No
Movement' carrying capacity. The Squid may be worn under other armour,
though the user will not be able to perform any
The Hurcules may not be worn in conjunction other tasks while using the Squid. If used under
with any Powered Armour except PP644 Body armour, the user incurs a -2 penalty to their
Blocker. computer use skill due to distractions, physical
restrictions and the need to juggle both the The Dreadnought can be purchased from the
suit's and Squid's functions. same sources as the other Tek Trex drones,
though the money goes directly to the Thresher.
The Squid has four slug sockets and four jacks,
each at the base of the skull unit. Game System Stuff
The 'onboard' capacity of the Squid is the same The Drednought G30 Combat
as the Oyster. The real advance is in the hook D r o n e (T H . 0 0 1 0 B D)
up with a 'central' data base via the Headset.
EyeTex have set up parallel lines with the In appearance, the Drednought looks like an
Headset's communications, allowing up-links to over-sized 'Buzzard', standing as it does 2
the Mort Matrix, and access to the most meters tall.
powerful data base in the world of Progress; the The enhanced on board capabilities of the
SLA Industries Central Data Bank. Drednought give it access to a large range of
Squid users have their level of access restricted independent' programs, such as target
by their SCL. acquisition and terrain optimisation, as well as
stealth and submarine modes. The Drednought
The Squid can operate completely submerged and has two
small propellers at the rear which give it
Cost Black Market Weight alarming under water speed.
30c 1,000u 0.3kg
Remote use of the Drednought is via an
The user pays a monthly fee to EyeTex of 5c onboard set of vid units giving 360 degree
for rental of the up-link space, and then the vision. There is an onboard speaker unit,
usage is charged per five minutes (1c). allowing the remote user to feed sounds,
including speech, through the Drednought.
The Mort Matrix (TBP 7) gives the user
unlimited access to the best inter-active 'games' The DN conversion of the weapons system
as well as the option to enter the 'CyNet', for replaced the experimental Tek Trex 12mm
which EyeTex has separate rates. cannon with a 10mm SMG. This coupled with
the two 5mm machine guns and the large
Cloak, IA and some of the larger SLA Chainaxe make the Drednought an efficient
Departments all have 'watchers' in the Matrix, combat drone.
infringements of SCL clearance are acted upon
swiftly and with deadly force. Drednought
TEK–TREX DREDNOUGHT SKILL RANK Walk 1

Pistol 5 Run/Swim 3
The mysterious 'Fritz' was one of a pair of Rifle 8 DEX 6
drones that were never fully released into the Detect 6 STR 6
market place, the other was the Drednought. Tactics 5 Weight 60kg
Chainaxe 5 Cost 150Ku
Recently DarkNight had some major wins on
Cross, and were surprised to uncover an P.V. 8, I.D. 50.
abandoned Tek Trex storage facility. The DN
'tekies' assembled the Drednoughts from plans, The two 5mm machine guns are belt fed, with
adding the change of main armament as their an on board capacity for 300 rounds for each.
contribution to the drones birth. The 10mm SMG feeds from an internal drum,
which holds 200 rounds.
After a Thresher counter offensive, the facility The Drednought has a power supply lasting
was recaptured, and the drones removed, 6000 hours.
shipped to Mort and dispersed on the Black
Market. There are rumoured to be four hundred
Drednoughts on Mort, most in the hands of
either large Soft Companies or powerful street T h e 'B P N'

gangs.
The Thresher are also rumoured to have This is classified as a Grey, though in real
converted a few to take a 17mm cannon rather terms there is no BPN, as no record will exist
than the 'standard' on board firepower, though of the Op's activities. The Darkfinders will
non have so far been documented by Op's. make it clear that it is a Grey, and that the Op's
The current softening of views by SLA towards will be responsible for the success of the
Tek Trex may mean that some of these drones mission; failure is not considered an option.
may be found in some of the more forward
looking SLA Dept. storage facilities, though SCL: As per Op's.
their use is officially banned, and any Op found Contact: Two Darkfinders will contact Op's, no
in possession of any Tek Trex product is liable contact with any SLA Dept. should be
to the usual fines and SCL decreases. considered.
Training Package Recc.: As per Op's.
Colour Code: Grey.
Summary: Seek and recover Tempest agent.
Coverage: None.
Consolidated Bonus Scheme: 500c
FINDING A JOB: Payment: Per Op.
BPN’S SCL Increase: +0.8
This issue we have two BPN's designed to One of the Darkfinders will do all the talking,
focus very much on the squad, depending upon while the other sits and silently broods over the
their relationships with the WoP and the Op's. The information given to the Op's is as
characters in it for the driving force of the BPN. follows, most of it will be told to them in quiet
It should give you a chance to get the players unemotional tones, though some of it they will
involved more in the development of the WoP, have to extract by skill use and playing the
allowing them to fill out some of the details. situation. Don't be afraid to only give them part
Both BPN's may require some 'jiggling about' of the story; if they do not 'earn' it, don't let
to fit with your particular group, but we've tried them have it.
to write them with as much room for maneuver
as possible. One of the players contacts / friends / family,
it's up to you to decide who to choose for best
"All we have to do is find him, bring him back effect and most game playability, is in fact a
alive, and not let anybody know what we're Tempest agent.
doing or why we're doing it.... easy." This person has gone underground after a
Cloak operation to shut down the cell they
This 'BPN' will be assigned to the squad on belonged to.
their next visit either to the Crib or their With them they took some information that
Financier. Cloak would like back. The information is
contained on some audio/video equipment
How you get the Darkfinders involved is up to which is described in detail to the players.
you. They can either take over from the clerk at On top of this, the Tempest agent must be
the BPN hall, maybe halfway through an recovered and brought back to Cloak for
explanation about a different BPN, or they can questioning. Cloak need to know exactly who
appear out of the shadows at some meeting has seen/heard the material, and how many (if
place. any) copies have been made.
The Operative's will be held responsible for the
The two Darkfinders show their SCL and death of the agent, no matter how it occurs; if
Department badges before asking the squad to the agent dies the Op's die. It is as simple as
take a seat. that.
It is known that DarkNight are looking for the
Once the they have the squad's full attention, agent as well, and they should be seen as the
they will explain what the squad has to do. main threat on this operation. Tempest are also
seeking their agent, though it is assumed they
cannot find him due to the agent's acute Agent: Tempest Insurgent Agent. You will
paranoia and fear for their life at the moment. need to 'bump' the characteristics of the agent,
A squad of Op's have also been assigned on a and give them the skills listed under Espionage
Platinum from Head Office, and they have been Agent (Karma p138). Kit them out with
issued with a termination warrant for the agent, equipment you think appropriate, using their
as well as seeking to destroy the equipment and 'normal' life cover as a guide.
information. If absolutely necessary, the Op's
are to use deadly force to prevent the other DarkNight: Seek and Destroy unit. This will
squad from achieving their goal, Cloak will consist of one Espionage Agent and three
back the Op's up with termination warrants if 'Props' (Karma 139). They will have access to
the need arises. grenades and some minor explosives, it is
The Op's are also told that they must under no suggested that you arm the espionage agent
circumstances examine the information they are with either a sniper rifle or a powerful assault
recovering. weapon.
If any of the Op's are chipped, they will have
their chip 'disabled' for the duration of the BPN. Tempest: Recovery unit. Due to their
undercover nature, the Tempest unit will not be
What's Really Going On as obviously well equipped as the DN unit. Use
Standard Shiver stats (Karma p134) for their
For a change, there is no hidden agenda. leader, and the DN Civilian Convert stats
Everything is as stated in the above synopsis. (Karma p138) for the unit.
There are of course a hundred things that could
be going on, and the Op's paranoia and Squad of Op's on Platinum: Fear Addiction.
suspicion should be fed by you at every Fear Addiction are a three man squad
opportunity. A few things that may be comprising of;
suggested by events or NPC's are; Julie Saheer, Human I&I (Karma p143).
Xavier Cross, Frother Death Squad (Karma
DarkFinders are in fact from the squad on the p142).
Platinum, using the Op's to lead them to the Cheraw Freaan, Wraith Raider Scouting
agent. (Karma p143).
Agent is working a Platinum, and Tempest and
DN are after them to terminate them and steal The Op's will probably want to do some
the information back for themselves. digging in all areas they have information, and
Agent is already dead, killed by DN, who now we have listed what they may find out broken
have the information. in to three areas; Street, SLA Information,
You get the idea, it should be possible to get Other.
the Op's thinking all sorts of things.... Street represents what they can find out from
using their street contacts, it relies upon gossip,
Running The BPN rumour, reputations and hear say. Most of it is
mingled in with other information, and should
We have outlined the major players in this be sifted using skills.
BPN, along with the encounters they appear in, SLA Information is available through 'official'
it will be up to you to fit them in to locations channels, though there will be differing
the players take you. As they are searching for amounts at varying SCL levels. Some of this
a very close contact they should have some of information will be questionable, either out of
the locations they meet fixed in their minds. date, or just plain inaccurate.
You can guide them to suit your self, but it will Other is the sort of stuff they may come across
probably not be necessary, let them suggest by accident, through ingenious plans or dumb
theories and ideas as to the whereabouts of the luck.
agent, drop the encounters in along the way,
then when you think they are ready, let them Tempest Agent
find the agent in one of the places they
suggested. Street: Not much can be gathered from the
street, no one suspects that the person is a
Tempest agent, if it is openly suggested the
reaction will be one of derisory disbelief.

People will refuse to believe that they could Tempest Unit
have been fooled by the agent. Unless the street
inquiries are very discreet, word will soon Street: No one on the street wants to talk about
spread of the Op's interest, and they will simply Tempest. The general feeling is that Tempest
be greeted by silence. You may want to drop are planning 'something big' and that SLA
whatever rumours you see fit in here, maybe know and anyone caught in the middle will be
hinting that some suspected something 'was up', minced. There has been very little activity on
but that no one could put their finger on it. It the streets recently regarding Tempest, who
would be a good place to reveal the probable have been assumed to be gathering their forces.
whereabouts of the agent, through favourite
haunts, etc. SLA Information: The Tempest unit after the
agent are from another sector. They are
SLA Information: All files are classified SCL suspected to have termination orders for the
4, and attempts to access them will alert agent along with recovery orders for the
Internal Affairs. The agent's 'cover' background information; it would seem that Tempest is not
will be available to Op's in the form of a as united as everyone else thinks. Most
citizens dossier, but it will show nothing of Tempest files are limited to standard SLA Soft
interest, it may even list one of the Op's as a Company Profile, with little that any Op's with
known contact. Rival Company of 3+ would not know....
Other: As the Op's follow up on hunches and Fear Addiction

investigate the movements of the agent, you
should spin out a trail or let the Op's suggest Street: Bad Rep. (4) with local gang Street Pigs,
one through their movements and activities, Bad Rep. (4) with local Monarch Officers,
maybe backing up their ideas by dropping bits Good Rep. (6) Third Eye, Major Enemy (6)
of information and near encounters in as they DN. Fear Addiction are a relatively new squad,
go, keeping the agent just out of reach. who specialise in Whites and Greens, they
know the ways of the streets and are 'lenient'
DarkNight Unit with interpreting the law as far as those who
live on the street goes, they focus on their
Street: It is known that DarkNight have been at BPN's.
war with Tempest in the sector the agent was
from. DarkNight have spread a lot of money SLA Information: Julie Saheer, Human I&I,
around on the street, searching for Tempest SCL 7. Xavier Cross, Frother Death Squad,
agents. It is fairly common knowledge that a SCL 8. Cheraw Freaan, Wraith Raider
DN 'hit squad' is currently at large looking for Scouting, SCL 8. Fear Addiction have
the agent, people seem keen to help them or get completed eighteen BPN's in the past year and
out of their way. have been the subject of an IA inquiry
(information classified SCL 4). They are listed
SLA Information: DN and Tempest have as having worked off world in New Paris twice
recently engaged in a number of attacks on and the Stone Rim Colonies twice.
each other, escalating the previous tolerant They have no Financier, and get all their BPN's
suspicion of each other to full scale conflict. from the Crib in sector.
The DN hit squad currently in sector is known
to have been responsible for the deaths of nine Other: Fear Addiction are known to target
SLA Op's, each through individual ambush. BPN's that force them to overcome their fears
and phobias. To this end, you may want to give
Other: DN are at war with Tempest. They see each of them an additional phobia.
Tempest as 'competition' for anti-SLA They rarely record prisoners from their BPN's
resources via the population. DN also have and terminate with extreme prejudice those that
ongoing biogenetic experiments to emulate they come against.
Stormers, and they do not need Tempest
turning the general populace against the idea of They have been turned down on application for
biogenetic warriors. a Black BPN last month.
for Fear Addiction; they can either be there

The Encounters slightly ahead of the Op's, about to go in as the
squad arrive, or they can wait for the Op's to go
The three main encounters on the BPN should in and get the agent, catching them on the way
be those detailed, though of course there will be out.
many more with groups and individuals If they are already there, they will tell the Op's
suggested by the Op's. The placing of these that they are on a Platinum and that they must
three encounters is left to you, drop them in not be interfered with. After this they will carry
when you think it works best, when the Op's on with their business, believing the Op's will
investigations are flagging, or when they least not try to stop them.
expect it. Don't be afraid to disrupt another If they wait for the Op's to go in, they will wait
encounter with an intrusion from either DN or 'outside', calling for the Op's to send out the
Tempest. agent so they can take him in. If the Op's refuse
Fear Addiction will try to take the agent down
DarkNight as the Op's leave, if they have to they will
target the whole squad. If the Op's outnumber
DN will try to stalk the Op's hoping they will or outgun Fear Addiction enough to worry
lead them to the agent. them, they will call in a SCAF unit for support.
Once they have been spotted, or after Tempest The SCAF unit will respond to the Fear
have struck, they will set an ambush for the Addiction call, via a legitimate BPN call
Op's, aiming to take one of them alive for reference, something the Op's will not have.
questioning. Fear Addiction's tactics are to have Cheraw
The DN squad will realise they are no match Freaan concealed as a sniper, while Xavier and
for the Op's in a stand up firefight, and may Julie talk their way in to close combat/surprise
even try to kidnap one of them after a attack range.
diversion, to achieve their ends.
T h e A g e n t ' s 'I n f o r m a t i o n'
Tempest
The information the agent is trying to protect is
The Tempest leader will approach the Op's, an Integration 20 extract (either part one TBP
after making initial contact via a phone or 10 or part two this issue).
headset. He will want to arrange a meeting one You may want to have the agent being a fanatic
on one to discuss the agent and what he has. or simply a survivor. Either way, they will try
Tempest will try to get the Op's to understand to appeal to the Op's, obviously targeting the
the significance of what's on the recording, and one they are closest to, to either let them go, or
how it can be used to expose the abomination let them stash the information. If a fanatic, the
of Stormer creation. agent will care little for their own life, once
If the Op's do not want to know, Tempest will they realise the Op's are not going to listen to
simply follow them at a distance, avoiding them (they may of course!), they will try to
encounters at all costs, until the Op's lead them destroy the information using their body as
to the agent. They will then use Fear Addiction shield while they do so.
as a diversion, to sneak in and recover the If they are a survivor, they will try to double-
agent. One of the Tempest unit will have a talk their way out by implicating the Op's as
broadcast unit with them, if they cannot get in Tempest sympathisers, so they will be under
and get out with the information, they will suspicion form Cloak, they will try to use any
broadcast it to a waiting 'dump point', then and all blackmail they can to get the Op's to let
destroy the original and fight their way out in a them stash the information. As they get more
suicide attack. desperate, they will offer greater rewards or
nastier reprisals/consequences.
Fear Addiction/
Tempest Agent Consequences
Once you have decided that the Op's have What happens at the culmination of the BPN is
pinpointed the location of the agent, you should up to you.
decide which one of the two options you want
If the Op's get the agent and the information It will be stressed that for the duration of the
back to the two Darkfinders, they will either be BPN the Op's are to observe the strict codes of
terminated due to the Darkfinders suspicion conduct enforced by the Ministry on their
that they viewed the material, or they will be bases.
rewarded and kept on file as potentially loyal In accordance with the Ministry's own
Op's to be used in future Greys. regulations, the BPN has been issued to ensure
The Op's may of course take the information, in an impartial investigation, and the Op's are to
which case they will be in a position to make record diligently anything they uncover during
friends/enemies of both Cloak and Tempest. their investigation, reporting directly to their
Tempest may get in touch to see if the Op's contact; the base Captain John Connor.
know anything about the information, and to The Station Analysis coverage will be 'filtered'
see if they can be won over as sympathisers. through the Ministry and all reports should be
There are too many possible endings for us to filed with them first, it is a condition of the
cover them all, but you should be able to use BPN that everything uncovered during the
the events during the BPN to tailor the investigation remains the property of the
outcome. Ministry. Filming and recording on the base is
prohibited.
"An investigation of this nature calls for tact, Report To Base

subtlety, discretion and an unfailing eye for
attention to detail. What are you lot doing The Ministry base is in Suburbia, sector 300,
here?" close to the massive FEN Plastics industrial
complex, which covers an area of four square
This BPN should be given to the squad if they kilometers. There are no residential units within
are looking to make some serious money, the a thousand yards of the base, which is entirely
'performance' bonus is rumoured to be up to above ground.
1000c per Operative. The base stores, packages and distributes arms
and armour to various Ministry of War unit
SCL: 9 headquarters, and has the most dealings with
Contact: Captain Nero Ulysys, at Deep One; the Mort spaceport, which is six kilometers
via operator 891/455-09379. Ministry of War. away.
Training Package Recc.: I&I, any. There is a 'no go' zone three hundred meters
Colour Code: White. wide around the perimeter of the base, which is
Summary: Discretion, subtlety, tact must be mined and alarmed.
assured. Squad with at least one completed There are three hundred buildings on the base,
White only. Investigate 'shortfall' in arms and ranging in size from six story office blocks to
ammunition inventory at Ministry of War base. massive warehouses. All are guarded and
Coverage: Station Analysis. alarmed, with restricted access. There are
Consolidated Bonus Scheme: 500c. Plus numerous 'static' drone fire points which cover
'performance' bonus for judged discretion. the base, each having both video and
Payment: Per Operative. independent target acquisition.
SCL Increase: 0.8.
The Captain
Getting The BPN
Upon arrival the Op's will be greeted with
The BPN will only be offered to the Op's if strained courtesy, and lead in gruff silence to
they meet the criteria and they look and act like the Captain's office.
a squad who know what they're doing, and are Captain John Connor is an ex-War World
able to guarantee some degree of professional soldier who has completed two full terms on
discretion. It should be made obvious to the Hed. He is a quiet man, given to long periods of
Op's at the BPN interview that the Ministry of deep thought and silence. He always wears his
War are harsh task masters, but if they succeed, custom Crackshot though often without the
the Op's are likely to be very well rewarded and helmet. Use ex-War Criminal stats (Karma
thought of by the Ministry. p133) but drop all skill levels and
psychoses/addictions by three levels.
The Captain will explain to the Op's the nature with a rod of iron, his approach to discipline is
of the BPN, he will treat it like a briefing, extreme, trivial matters tend to get overlooked,
expecting no questions until he has finished. If those worth the Captains attention get the
he is interrupted he will listen patiently then offender executed.
carry on as if the person had not spoken. Captain Connor has left his sanity on Hed.
The Captain's briefing details the problem, and He is behind the thefts, together with the others,
the areas he wishes to come under whom he has listed in an attempt to contain the
investigation. investigation by using people who know what's
really going on.
The Briefing Captain Connor is stockpiling weapons and
munitions in a warehouse at the Mort
Two weeks ago, an internal audit, carried out spaceport. When he has recruited enough loyal
by the Ministry of War, revealed the base to be soldiers, he will lead them back to Hed to set
missing over two million rounds of ammunition up a fighting unit. This unit, code named
and two thousand pieces of 'ordinance'. The IronFist, will take the fight to the enemy using
rounds range from 10mm to 12.7mm, the any means necessary to destroy any that stand
weapons from pistols to assault rifles. As is the in their way.
Ministry's policy, an 'outside' team has been
called in to complete investigations and report Sergeant Michael Young
to the base Captain. The Op's have one week to
complete their BPN. The Sergeant is as mad as the Captain, having
The Captain has compiled a dossier containing served along side him for his last tour of duty
all the relevant information for the Op's, on Hed. The Sergeant believes in the goals of
including those personnel that should be the Captain, and sees them as realistic and
investigated. achievable, knowing as he does the state of
conflict on Hed.
Personnel Michael is in charge of documenting the
inventory that leaves the base, and cataloguing
Captain John Connor any discrepancies. His figures will match those
Sergeant Michael Young of the investigation, showing the shortages as
Corporal Mica Lasson 'damages and defects', which have been listed
Private Jake Saltzer as destroyed under the supervision of the
Private Cheera Graw (Wraith Raider) quartermaster.
The Captain advises the Op's that he will Corporal Mica Lasson
expect daily briefings to be given to him at
18:00 hours. The Op's have security clearance Corporal Mica Lasson is the standing
'Alpha' while on the base, which will last for Quartermaster. She is responsible for the
eight days. This gives them access to all areas upkeep of the base's data base and computer
except for Storage Facility 18, which is strictly network. Mica has friends and contacts in all
out of bounds as it contains SCL 4 clearance departments on the base, and it is she that has
logistics. the most contact with the outside world,
especially the Ministry of War.
The Investigation
Corporal Lasson has never been off world and
We have given brief details of each employee is using the Captain's activities to make some
listed, as well as their involvement with the serious money. She diverts 10% of all stolen
missing inventory. Each will be cold and polite, shipments to her contacts in the Black Market,
making it obvious they are co-operating which extend to the 'fixers' of four street gangs.
because they have been ordered to.
Mica knows how psychotic the Captain is and
Captain John Connor realises that her best chance for safety lies in
keeping on his good side and pretending to go
Captain Connor is the most respected and along with his scheme to return to Hed.
feared man on the base. He rules his troops
Private Jake Saltzer do some thorough investigating to uncover

some of the smaller rackets.
Private Slatzer is a passionate believer in the
Captain's goals and is 'blood brothers' with Ultimately, the Op's may be able to 'pull rank'
Sergeant Young, having served with him for a on some employees, as the Op's BPN is set to
term on Hed. Jake is sure that the list of names take precedence over 'local' rules and
the Captain has, some on Hed, some on Mort, regulations. This is restricted by the Captains
will form an unstoppable company that will instructions to the Op's, which define the limits
drive back the hated enemy on Hed. of their powers.
Private Saltzer is the most unbalanced of the
group, being prone to bouts of deep depression As they go about their business the Op's will be
and uncontrollable bursts of frantic nervous snubbed and shunned, given the run around.
energy, which he usually works off by Any information they gather will either be
performing Gymnastics. mindless trivia, groundless speculation or
outright fantasy.
Private Cheera Graw The Captain's unwillingness to step in to help
(W r a i t h R a i d e r) the Op's is driven by the need for an
'independent' investigation, as the Captain
Cheera is suffering from delusions brought himself must be one of those under suspicion
about by her exposure to some experimental and investigation.
drugs while in training at Meny. Cheera has
maneuvered herself in to the Captain's favour How much the Op's find out is left up to you.
and seeks to get to Hed at all costs. The They will have to be subtle, discreet and skilful
deranged Wraith Raider believes that 'the beast' to find anything out, and it's usefulness to the
lives on Hed, and it is 'the beast' that represents BPN is left to you to decide. Whether you want
the greatest challenge and hunt in the WoP. the Op's to uncover the Captain's insane plan,
Private Graw knows she will need to get to Hed or whether you want the Captain to make a
in the company of some experienced and very break for it the day after the Op's leave the
well equipped companions if she is to stand a base....
chance of hunting 'the beast'.
She will be the most uncooperative of the This BPN has been intentionally written in an
group, telling the Op's nothing, answering in 'open' format to allow you to develop it. this
only a yes or no fashion, and pretending to be will very much depend upon your own views
stupid most of the time. on such things as the Ministry of War, the Op's
powers under a BPN, and the freedom of
Running The BPN investigation they have.
The main protagonists are all world weary Storage Facility 18

veterans, or slightly deranged individuals. The
Op's should feel out of their depth with these Known on the base as 'Hanger 18', this building
people, as the Captain and Sergeant in has maximum security and can only be entered
particular could probably take on the squad with a SLA Database Smartcard.
single handed.
All the employees on the base have a 'military' The facility contains heavy armour suits and a
status, and as such will feel nothing but cache of arms and armour recovered from both
disinterest or contempt towards the Op's and Hed and Dante, which is being repaired and
their investigation. None of the base's personnel upgraded for re-use by SLA personnel.
will speak unless spoken to and conversation The Captain has had the technicians repair five
will stop whenever the Op's approach a group suits of MAL Shock Armour, fitting it to the
of them. build of the five conspirators.
The base is run along strict military guidelines,
confining those involved to strict routines and Hanger 18 represents an 'Aladdin's cave',
protocols. All rules and regulations will be containing weapons and armour the Op's can
followed to the letter, and the Op's will have to only dream about affording.
One possible end to the scenario is having the Time offer very cheap TV's, often brand new or
Captain lead his small company from out of barely second hand. In a world where TV is
Hanger 18, making a dash for the Mort essential, Time have tapped in to a powerful
spaceport to get to Hed before any 'serious' market. Time buy TV's from anywhere, their
threat is mustered by SLA. most prolific source of supply being stolen
warehouse stock, raided by gangs by the truck
A twist could be tying the Captain directly to load. Time will never buy back a TV they have
the Thresher, making him an insurgent agent already sold on, and they mark all of their TV's
recruiting for a mission on Mort, using the arms with the 'Time' logo (smiling clock).
and armour from Hanger 18 to strike at the
heart of the SLA empire. All of Time TV's a have an extra chip fitted,
this is embedded in the circuitry and is
extremely hard to find, and cannot be removed
without destroying the receiving ability of the
TV (Elec. Repair 6).
The chip allows the TV to access Channel
SOFT COMPANIES Resistance without interference, and is 'keyed'
to the current version of the Vent virus being
TIME TV used by DN. Time TV's are 'pre-tuned' to
receive transmissions from roving pirate
Company Slogan: "Time TV, time for TV to broadcast stations, overriding any SLA signal
give you what you want." that may be in transit.
Second hand TV shops that offer repair As a result of the chip, the TV can receive
services are rife in both Downtown and almost any broadcast over the frequency range
Suburbia. Time TV started out as a small chain with amazing clarity, allowing local 'access'
of shops set up in sector 56. Their cheap and stations to reach a much wider audience,
cheerful approach to TV supply and repair, broadcasting completely 'unofficial' material.
earned them a reputation in Downtown as a no The chip also allows the decoding of vid slugs
nonsense company that were not above and audio discs, anything the Vent virus is used
'bending' the law to get you what you wanted at to conceal may be decoded and viewed/heard.
a price you could afford.
As a mark of 'trust' in their customers, Time TV
Soon Time TV was the second largest supplier also fit 'off' switches to TV's, allowing them to
of used and reconditioned TV's in the sector. be set to show blank screens or soothing
Their repair vans and bikes could be seen all pictures from a pre-set menu.
over sector 56, their engineers went in to most
places without fear, knowing their service was Time work from mobile workshops and
what kept a lot of Downtown citizens alive. vehicles. They are known to have nine Props in
their service as well as six street gangs.
Recently Time TV have begun offering new DarkNight want Time to survive and they are
services and products, and for this they have prepared to sink a lot of resource in to it.
had to go underground, to become a 'soft
company'. SHROUD
Game System Stuff Company adage: "Don't hide from the future,
lift the Shroud."
The legitimate company that was Time TV is
no more, bought out by DarkNight. The Shroud hit the streets over four months ago,
original founders and staff have been 'replaced', and their innovative clothing designs have been
though not all killed, to be replaced with enthusiastically greeted on Mort. Their product
converts and three insurgent agents. can be found in many Op's wardrobe as well as
the fashion conscious gang members and Props.
Time now has a total of one hundred and A lot of Third Eye street crews wear Shroud
seventy employees. clothing.
The company can be found in almost any as well as creating new themes for existing
Downtown street market, selling from a large companies.
case or the back of a van. In Suburbia, they
trade from shops and stalls in transition from SureFit garments cost between 40u and 400u,
one owner to another, or from discrete vans depending upon size and style.
parked near the entrances to Malls. Currently, the only colour available is black,
though this will change in the near future with
Word on the street is that Shroud are cool. the perfection of the replication of the original
They're clothing is stylish, affordable and very, formula for SureFit.
very durable. Shivers and Op's mostly turn a
blind eye to the trading activities of Shroud, the A very small number of people have shown
'official' SLA line is a policy of 'wait and see'. allergic reactions to SureFit, coming out in
yellow rashes that are irresistibly itchy,
Game System Stuff scratching breaks the weakened skin and leaves
the person scarred for life.
Shroud were formed by four ex-SLA
employees from the Dept. of Sanitation, in FIREFIGHT
partnership with two designers from the now
defunct NeatStreet SLA subsidiary. Street talk: "Get in or get out, but don't get in
the way of a FireFight."
The four employees came from a processing
and incineration plant, where they hi-jacked a "They just turned up, threw open the van,
shipment from an experimental Karma lab. The started taking bets on this tough looking dude
material was due for destruction, but nothing beating up some poor ganger that happened
appeared to be wrong with it. Altogether they along. yeah, I won a bundle, ganger turned out
managed to way lay eighteen loads of raw to be some muscle from the Street Hawks."
material before their source dried up.
They all left the Dept. Sanitation; Processing, Jezz Moor, unemployed citizen, Downtown,
to move to Street Cleaning, where they 'went Mort 902 SD.
missing' near one of the larger Storm Drains in
sector 56. They are listed as missing, presumed FireFight organise and set up street fights
dead on SLA files. between gangers, Props, citizens and
When NeatStreet went in to liquidation, they sometimes Serial Killers. They take bets on the
contacted the two designers and set up Shroud. fights, clear away the bodies and administer
They operate from deep in Downtown, where any final killing blows that may be needed.
they have a small storage and manufacturing There is only ever one winner in a FireFight.
unit. They are currently working on replicating
the production of the material originally stolen Street word is that FireFight are a lunatic, cool
from Karma, they have a contract with Pod company, offering a breath of fresh air in the
Pharmaceuticals who are doing the research stagnant world of Mort entertainment.
and supplying the technicians.
Game System Stuff
The material is known as SureFit. It is one of
the components of the original Solutionwear FireFight are an 'independent' soft company,
material. being the brain child of two gang chiefs, who
SureFit looks and feels like very supple leather. have gone out on their own with the backing of
It is incredibly hard to crease and almost some of their old contacts. They employ thirty
completely dirt resistant, it's surface being ex-gang members as well as the two Props;
smooth as a ceramic. SureFit is heat and cold RedNeck and Cat.
resistant, being almost freeze and fireproof.
SureFit also interacts with Human sweat, They operate from a van or large 'battle taxi',
producing a faint lemon scent. usually stolen the same day as the fight. They
Shroud feature original designs as well as have three of their own vehicles, which they
bootlegged artwork and slogans. They spoof use when they can once the re-spray's are
well known advertising and company slogans, completed after each job.
The secret to their success is their huge network material licensed to Inter-Com © 903 SD. Eye
of street contacts and the desire for violence on 4 Inter-Com, under license from Third Eye.
the streets of Mort.
FireFight will often set up matches between old FW: "WarDog.... WarDog? Hey buddy, you in
gang or Prop rivals, arranging a time and a there...."
place, and then leafleting the area hours before WD: "Wha.... hey, get that thing outa my
the fight. They make their money from the face...."
gambling and associated products such as drugs FW: "Frank Weiss from Inter-Com, you're
and drink that can be sold at such an event, the going out live to a cut in slot in Small
fights are often recorded and the vid slugs sold World...."
immediately after the event. WD: "What the fu...."
Recently they have begun organising 'all- FW: "Hey! Keep it civil, we're talking prime
comers' fights, where they choose a time and a time...."
place and people turn up to fight one of their WD: "What happened?"
chosen Props. All fights are to the death, there FW: "Well I was going to ask you that."
is a 'purse' of 20Ku as well as the usual WD: "Look, just fuck off OK?"
gambling. So far FireFight have only lost one FW: "Have you called for Shiver clean up?"
Prop, and that was to a ganger who turned out WD: "What? Yeah, oh yeah. Sure. Shiver clean
to be a martial artist. up."
All street fights are hands or blades, though FW: "You realise the body count hit thirty five,
FireFight are thinking of branching out in to including four from your squad?"
full scale gun battles, if the market wants it, WD: "Yeah sure. They're all dead. Shit."
which at the moment it doesn't. FW: "Did you get the bad guys? The Black
FireFight have initiated what they call 'Random Order Sniper? You get him?"
Violence', where they pull up, discharge a WD: "Yeah, sure. Got the fucker."
fighter who fights anyone nominated by the FW: "The body?"
local crowd, whether they want to or not. These WD: "Up there.... third floor balcony, scattered
fights are anything goes, though the FireFight over a fairly large fuckin' area though...."
rep will use only hands and blades. Two FW: "Assault rifle?"
fighters have been lost this way, both to WD: (laughs) "Yeah, sure. Assault rifle. Got
concealed CAF or DN weapons. one in the apartment store too, MAC knife in
There is no shortage of people wanting to be the throat, boom!"
FireFight rep's, mainly from gangs, though FW: "How'd you get dragged in to this?"
some Props have shown an interest, especially WD: "Just shit lucky I guess."
if the purse is high. FW: "you want a minute to get yourself
RedNeck and Cat will not hesitate to engage together....?"
anyone trying to stop the fights. Shivers steer WD: "Yeah sure, I guess...."
clear, and the fights are usually not advertised FW: "This is Frank Weiss at the Kennedy
well enough in advance to give Op's a chance Market, we've just seen some serious carnage
to break them up. SLA want FireFight shut with a Black Order strike taking out three cabs
down as they may start to give GoreZone a run and a bus, a squad of Operatives responding to
for their money. the call was drawn in to the ambush, four of
them being killed by two terrorists with what
looked like sniper rifles. I'm here talking to the
only survivor from the squad, and the man
responsible for finishing off two of the Black
Order terrorists. Can you give us a clearer
MEET N GREET picture of what happened?"
WD: "Sure. I think so....
Frank Weiss was on the scene as the Black FW: "In your own time....
Order strike on the Kennedy Market went WD: "Yeah, well, you know, we got a call over
down. He caught the only interview with the head set, Shiver patrol requesting
WarDog, the sole survivor from DeathDance, assistance, possible terrorist sniper nest
the squad wiped out by the terrorists. All found...."
FW: "But the call was a fake?"
WD: "Well yeah, I'd say so, wouldn't you?

Anyway, we gets here and boom! Two cabs are Upon arrival of the Shivers, WarDog seems to
hit, smoke and shit everywhere, then the bus have snapped out of it, acting with authority in
pulls over and the people start running the direction of the clean up. A full, and
screaming, I just knew it was gonna get real concise report was filed with both Station
messy." Analysis and the local Shiver house. All
FW: "The terrorists shot the passengers?" relevant paperwork was later found to be in
WD: "Yeah, got five or six of 'em before we order.
were deployed. Then the fuckers start with the Frank Weiss tried to pursue WarDog for a
damn grenades!" follow up interview, but found him to be
FW: "And the booby traps." 'unavailable'.
WD: "Yeah, and them. Boots, our Stormer,
went left, R'Qkn goes right, Murray and Spider SKILLS RANK
went straight in. I took up a good fire position Literacy 3
and scoped the sniper. I dunno what happened, Detect 8
it all went too quick. I think there was four of SLA Information 3
'em not three, maybe five, we thought three. I Rival Company 4
need to see the surveillance footage...." Streetwise 6
FW: "Here come the Shivers now. Thanks for Unarmed Combat 8
your time, I know it's been hard. Drive, Civilian 4
WD: "Yeah sure. Hard." Drive, Military 4
Pistol 6
WarDog Rifle 8
Paramedic 4
Classification Human, Male Blade, 1-H 5
Package Strike Squad Climb 4
Squad DeathDance Sneak 5
Strength 8 Hide 5
Dexterity 10 Auto Support 8
Diagnose 7 Haggle 4
Concentration 8 Persuade 4
Charisma 8
Physique 9 The SLA Operatives Register currently lists
Knowledge 8 WarDog as undergoing a Psyche. Evaluation.
Cool 10
Walk 1 A statement from the local Shiver house details
Run 2 the action at Kennedy Market, but lists the
Sprint 3 surveillance camera footage as unavailable, due
Movement 31 to; "an internal investigation forming part of an
Half Movement 62 active BPN."
No Movement 93
WarDog's actual performance was outstanding
WarDog wears PP644 Blocker Powered for an Op on their first 'call out'. The interview
Armour. He is armed with a FEN 603, a FEN conducted by Frank Weiss, a veteran of the
AR and a MAC Knife. All ammo carried is streets of Mort, shows some respect for the
HEAP. fledgling Operative.
It is rumoured that the squad Pendulum are
Other than this, WarDog carries standard inquiring as to WarDog's availability, and the
starting Op's equipment, as well as some Financier / Agent Kirsty Young has also shown
personal gear such as IR/UV goggles, motion an interest in representing WarDog, whose Rep.
scanner, nav map slugs, Oyster and climbing in the sector has been established as 'lucky', if
gear. nothing else.
DeathDance were fresh out of Meny, this was Issue 11 was fairly up-beat, I was fairly
their first 'live' response, they had undertaken positive that SLA would get back on track with
no BPN's. Nightfall getting together.
The highlight of the issue had to be play testing

the White Ministry of War BON, where I made
Sam laugh so much he nearly choked, I don’t
know why, but some people find star-jumps
funny !
I was happy for TBP to continue in the format it
hit on 10, and continued with 11. There were
running adverts for Valkyrie on the inside front
covers, with the inside back covers being given
over to lyrics from favourite bands, mainly
Anthrax, who produced some truly excellent
music in Sound of White Noise, Stomp 442 and
The Threat Is Real…. where are they now?
Max Bantleman, 2001.

The Big Picture: (Nothing Lasts Forever)

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tHE bIG pICTURE – SLA Industries Fanzine – Issue 12 - © 2001 Max Bantleman

admit responsibility for anything bad, dodgy or

tHE bIG pICTURE can be e-mailed at: (nOThInG lAStS foReVEr)

SERIAL KILLERS Inside A Killer

The image of a squad of Slops stumbling upon

Code, give them a break, let them have some

gifted Joely with a Friendship Braid, which Scene Seven - Purity

The Op's may spot Qw'Lkn and may give 4 Truth

Classification Shaktar, Male

companies, they are very careful about who SKILLS RANK

Carrien Birds are without exception totally

leather, yet have the tensile strength of a THE SQUID

TEK–TREX DREDNOUGHT SKILL RANK Walk 1

either large Soft Companies or powerful street T h e 'B P N'

reaction will be one of derisory disbelief.

Other: As the Op's follow up on hunches and Fear Addiction

for Fear Addiction; they can either be there

"An investigation of this nature calls for tact, Report To Base

Private Jake Saltzer do some thorough investigating to uncover

The main protagonists are all world weary Storage Facility 18

WD: "Well yeah, I'd say so, wouldn't you?

The highlight of the issue had to be play testing

Max Bantleman, 2001.

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