Alien, page 27
The Alexiares is now locked in orbit around LV-846 and doesn’t have the fuel to break free. The captain wants the Biodrone threat destroyed before more harm is done. To save the summit, she wants to crash the ship. Depending on their agendas, the PCs will either help her or try to stop this.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
If you’ve read the novel, you know the Alexiares will crash (see Finale here). Some of your PCs may try to cause it while others attempt to prevent it. The PCs aren’t going to survive this mission—success here means interpreting their personal agendas and surviving long enough to accomplish their goals.
TO TAKE OUT THE ALEXIARES
There are a few ways to go about this. Each location below has its own unique set of challenges that must be overcome. None are easy—but that’s why there are options. The PCs can work out how to sabotage the ship using a specific location with a COMTECH roll or an OBSERVATION roll. See the locations themselves for details.
• The Tachyon Shunts (02) can be modified to drive it into the surface.
• The PCs can overload the Power Core (04).
• The Railgun Turrets (11) can be sabotaged to explode or fire on the ship itself, crippling it.
• From the Bridge And Tactical Ops (16), the PCs can crash the ship into the planet, but they’ll have to unlock or destroy MU/TH/UR (18) first.
WHERE THE ALIENS ARE
While there are dozens of Biodrones spread out all over the ship, less than twenty can potentially affect the PCs. Most of these can be avoided. Still, this will be a shit show. Two Biodrones are in the Cooling Tower (03), two in the Duty Room, Brig, and Marine Supply Stores (06), three in the Officers’ Quarters (08), one at the Launch Hanger (09), five in the Garage and Cargo Bay (13), three in the Forward Cryodeck (15), and one in the Bridge and Tactical Ops (16). Finally, a Biodrone stalks the PCs through the ship, waiting for the right moment to strike (see Kicking off the Action here).
PLAYER CHARACTERS
KICKING OFF THE ACTION
With blaring alarms competing with nearby gunfire, the PCs start off in the Hypersleep Pods (05). Having just awoken, they are still in their underwear with no weapons, armor, or even their Signature Items (page 33 of the core rulebook). All those things are waiting for them downstairs in the Lockers and Ready Room (10). The Captain is in the Officers’ Quarters (08) above.
HALLWAY OF HELL
As the PCs step outside of the Hypersleep Pods (05) area, they step right into the shit. Some fifteen unarmed marines were mercilessly gutted here by agitated Biodrones, their remains spread across the corridor. Each PC must make a MOBILITY roll to not trip over someone’s steaming, ropy entrails. The PCs will just catch a glimpse of a barbed black tail disappearing into the air duct above the corridor. STRESS LEVEL +1 to everyone present. While it won’t attack for some time, this PASSIVE Biodrone is now stalking them. Where the PCs go next is up to them.
LOCATIONS
The Alexiares’ upper forward decks were reconfigured to carry a security detail of 2,100 marines to the summit. The ship is on lockdown, blocking off certain sectors from the rest of the ship. The areas that are accessible are listed here.
AIRLOCKS, SPACESUITS, AND EEV BAYS
Escape might seem like a good idea. Unfortunately, Gene already thought of that and took appropriate steps to make things difficult.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
If the PCs go for a spacewalk, they may run into two IRC Mk.35 pressure suit-wearing PASSIVE A.W. Marines (here) on the exterior hull—PFCs Nakha and Tekko. Armed with XM99A phased plasma pulse rifles (page 121 of the core rulebook), they are there to shoot anyone who goes EVAC.
AIRLOCKS: Airlocks are marked on the Alexiares schematic (here). Half of these are damaged and will require a HEAVY MACHINERY roll and one Turn of work to repair.
PRESSURE SUITS: PCs might try to take shortcuts between sections by spacewalking via the ship’s IRC Mk.35 Pressure Suits (page 128 of the core rulebook). However, one out of every three suits has been sabotaged by Gene. An OBSERVATION roll will detect the flaw, but only if a PC states they are looking for one. While their tanks read as full, sabotaged suits have a leak that leaves them starting with an Air Supply of 1.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
Every airlock can act as a decompression chamber. The process takes one Turn. Failure to decompress after using IRC Mk.35 pressure suits will result in crippling pain and bubbles in the blood (Treat as critical injuries #13, #15, and #44 on page 100 of the core rulebook). It will take D6 days in an AutoDoc to recover.
EEVS: While the Alexiares is normally equipped with a dozen Type 337 EEVs (page 173 of the core rulebook), they have all been ejected—their empty bays are indicated on the schematic (here).
CORRIDORS, LADDERS, STAIRS, LIFTS, AND AIR DUCTS CHART
Use this chart as your PCs run through the Alexiares. Feel free to roll or just pick as many encounters as you want during the trek.
D6 DOBSTACLE DEVENT
1 Brutalized Corpses D6 dead marines are here with claw marks slashed across their bodies and headbite holes in their skulls. Half have working M41 Pulse Rifles with one clip of ammo each. STRESS LEVEL +1 to everyone present.
2 Sealed Someone has welded the door here shut. A cutting torch plus two Rounds of work, or one Turn of loud manual labor with tools, can clear the way.
3 Fire in the Walls Fire Intensity 9 (page 108 of the core rulebook). If the PCs can make a HEAVY MACHINERY roll, they can manually activate this area’s fire suppression equipment. If they do, the fire dies down one intensity level per round until it’s safe to continue.
4–5 All Clear It’s quiet, it’s dark, but there’s nothing here.
6 Echo Chamber The sounds of pulse weapons fire, screams, and some kind of screeching echo throughout the area. Whether it’s happening right ahead or in some other area is GM’s discretion. STRESS LEVEL +1 to everyone present.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
Like on the Nostromo, the air ducts are a tight fit—PCs will have to crawl on their knees. Every ship’s compartment has a vent into the ducts—the PCs just need a toolkit or cutting torch to get in. Excessive sound in any of these areas may attract the attention of a nearby PASSIVE Biodrone (GM’s discretion).
DRIVE SECTION
Most of the drive section is a huge thruster array that channels energy from the reactor core into sublight and supra-light speeds. While there is enough power to start the engines, there is no fuel left to activate sublight thrust.
01. WORKSHOP: This technical workshop contains everything needed to maintain, repair, or modify Colonial Marine equipment. If the PCs need to repair something, they should bring it here. The workshop adds a +2 bonus to any HEAVY MACHINERY rolls made on the premises.
02. TACHYON SHUNTS: These FTL engines work directly off the fusion reactor. A formidable (-3) HEAVY MACHINERY roll and an hour’s work, followed by a demanding (-2) COMTECH roll can cause the FTL engines to ignite, instantly hurling the ship at the planet and killing everyone aboard (see Finale here). Failing the COMTECH roll locks the PCs out of the system.
FUSION TORUS
This curved part of the hull houses the ship’s reactor and its subsystems.
03. COOLING TOWER: Heat from the power core is shunted here and dissipated into space. Vents open that expose the reactor chamber to vacuum, expelling Strong Radiation for a Turn before they close again (page 110 of the core rulebook). Two PASSIVE Biodrones are curled up here.
04. POWER CORE: This four-story tall, enormous whirling cylinder is the ship’s lithium-hydride fusion plant. Balconies encircle the rotating reactor core on each level and ladders allow access between them. The walls of these balconies are covered with Xenomorph resin. Seventeen dead and better-off-dead marines have been plastered there, slowly transforming into Ovomorphs (see page 300 of the core rulebook). Anyone thrown over the side and into the spinning core receives a dose of Strong Radiation and suffers 6 points of damage before being thrown free (damage is mitigated by armor and MOBILITY rolls).
The core can be damaged by heavy weapons. A combined detonation of 20 M40 grenades will cause it to overload, but safety systems will attempt to eject it before the ship is destroyed. If it does, the ship is only damaged by the proximity explosion of the core and pushed towards the planet. Only a successful PILOTING roll from the bridge will be able to pull the ship back into orbit. Anyone present when the core is ejected will be exposed to space (see Time to Decompress here). Afterward, emergency power reserves will activate.
A successful COMTECH roll can override the ejection system, causing the explosion to occur internally and splitting the ship in two. The ship will be crippled and begin spiraling into the atmosphere to crash below (see Finale here).
MARINE BARRACK SECTION
This barrack area sits one deck above and off to one side of the Launch Hangar (09).
05. HYPERSLEEP PODS: This is where the PCs start out. There are forty-four hyperspace pods in this area. It looks like there was a riot here. Equipment is thrown about, and there are splintering cracks in the transparencies on some of the pods. Then there is the carnage right outside… See Kicking off the Action here for more.
06. DUTY ROOM, BRIG, AND MARINE SUPPLY STORES: This is a reception, brig, and storage area all in one. The duty office is under siege by Biodrones. Out of ammo, three marines—Corporals Hendricks, College, and Hope—have locked themselves in the brig here. A PASSIVE Biodrone is leaning into the bars, attempting to reach through them and snag a marine.
The storeroom here has spare parts, uniforms, C-Rations, or non-combat equipment the PCs might need—along with another PASSIVE Biodrone head-biting an unfortunate marine.
07. MEDBAY: This infirmary is guarded by a Colonial Marine (here) lookout with a smart gun. Inside, all four beds and the AutoDoc are in use, treating the wounded. A total of seven marines are here—all catatonic or near death. A single hospital corpsman—Corporal Anderson—tends to them. There are ten portable medkits and twelve doses each of Hydr8tion, Neversleep, and Naproleve here (pages 136-137 of the core rulebook).
08. OFFICERS QUARTERS: As PCs approach the area, they’ll find dismembered body parts scattered across the corridor—a head here, a limb there—and a trail of blood leading to Captain Forrester. She’s pinned down in her office with three PASSIVE Biodrones busting through her door. She’s badly wounded, but still alive.
RAPID DEPLOYMENT SECTION
All standard operations are launched from this section. It’s seen better days.
09. LAUNCH HANGAR: The sprinkler system is on full blast here. Two flaming dropships are crumpled in the center of the hangar. Despite the activated sprinklers, the ships continue to burn at Intensity 9 (page 108 of the core rulebook). The large airlock set in the hangar floor can be activated from the hangar’s power loaders, dropship, and an adjacent floor control panel. The airlock is filling with water like some dark swimming pool—and there’s a (dead) marine floating face down in it. Any PC or NPC who strays too close to the pool will be ambushed by the PASSIVE Biodrone lurking beneath him.
Four working P-5000 Power Loaders are located here (see page 127 of the core rulebook).
10. LOCKERS AND READY ROOM: The lockers here have everyone’s M3 armor, fatigues, and Signature Items from their bios (here–here). The mission prep area is filled with ammo cabinets, weapon racks, and equipment lockers. There are M41A Pulse Rifles, U1 Grenade Launchers, M4A3 Pistols, M56A2 Smart Guns, and more. Any UA military personal ranged or melee weapon from the core rulebook or Colonial Marines Operations Manual can be found here—including a total of thirty M40 grenades (page 125 of the core rulebook). Let the PCs arm themselves as they see fit (within reason).
CLUSTER ARRAY/FIRE CONTROL
These sections are the eyes, ears, and teeth of the Alexiares. Sadly the ship is now blind and deaf. Will the PCs defang her as well?
11. RAILGUN TURRETS: The loading mechanisms on these weapons can be misaligned and jammed, causing a misfire that will destroy the turret. A HEAVY MACHINERY roll and four Turns of work will do the job. Alternately, a demanding (–2) COMTECH roll can override safety protocols and allow the ship to fire upon itself. Both of these options will cause the Alexiares to careen towards the planet (see Finale here).
12. SENSOR AND COMMS ARRAY: This automated area is ablaze with Intensity 12 fire. The fire suppression system here is inoperative and the array is too damaged to repair outside of drydock.
MAIN CARGO AND FLIGHT DECK
This forward deck is divided into three main sections.
13. GARAGE AND CARGO BAY: This bay has two loading doors on the port and another two on the starboard side of the ship. The “special cargo” was stored here. Now, the containers are open, and the Biodrones are spread all over the ship. The garage currently holds sixteen M577 APCs (page 142 of the core rulebook).
Lieutenant Vandenberg and two dozen marines (here) have taken refuge in three APCs. As the PCs enter the area, five PASSIVE Biodrones are swarming all over Vandenberg’s vehicle, looking for a way in. If the PCs don’t act, one of the other APCs will eventually fire the vehicle’s plasma gun at the Biodrones! The blast will vaporize them, cripple the Lieutenant’s APC, and blow a massive hole in the outer hull (see Time to Decompress here).
LIEUTENANT ALEX VANDENBERG
The Lieutenant has the command codes for MU/TH/UR’s Interface Corridor (17). He is aware of the Captain’s orders and can tell the PCs how To Take Out The Alexiares (here). For his stats, see Colonial Marines here.
14. FLIGHT DECK: This large open area stretches from port to starboard with three launch doors on each side. It used to hold six Cheyenne dropships—until Gene opened the doors and blew them out into space. The doors are still open.
15. FORWARD CRYODECK: Two thousand hypersleep capsules were installed in this modular deck. The area is a blood bath, covered in bodies. Three PASSIVE Biodrones roam the deck. There is only death here.
COMMAND SECTION
Located just behind and above the dorsal rail gun, the two-story Command Section is a wreck. The corridors here are filled with smoke. All OBSERVATION rolls in this section are made with a –1 modifier.
16. BRIDGE AND TACTICAL OPS: While the ship is run by MU/TH/UR 9000, this is the manual control center. The retractable shielding on the large forward viewport is stuck, sliding up and down repeatedly. The weapons, command, piloting, and navigation posts have all been shot up by pulse weapons fire.
A HEAVY MACHINERY roll and a Turn of work are needed to repair the ship’s controls. Of course, it won’t be that easy. If MU/TH/UR is not destroyed or deactivated first, any successful PILOTING rolls will be moot—she will simply take control and attempt to land the ship.
A COMTECH roll from the repaired weapons station can force the ASAT missiles to fire while their silo bay doors are closed. This will cause a massive explosion in the fore of the ship, and send the Alexiares plummeting to the surface (see Finale here).
There are three M4A3 Pistols with six clips of ammunition here. Shortly after the PCs arrive and begin to take action, an ACTIVE Biodrone will unfurl itself from the overhead air duct, quietly lower itself to the floor, and attempt to strike at the nearest PC or NPC.
17. INTERFACE CORRIDOR: The ship’s computer core interface can only be accessed from this internal airlock with a combination of an interface key and command code. There are two keys—one is in Captain Forrester’s pocket and the other is kept in a control box near the entry to MU/TH/UR 9000. Only the Captain, Lieutenant Vandenberg (here), and Gene have the proper codes.
18. MU/TH/UR 9000: Forrester installed an override program in MU/TH/UR that has locked everyone out. Without her codes, a formidable (-3) COMMTECH roll will shut MU/TH/UR down. A string of ten M40 grenades together will destroy the mainframe, and likely open a nice hole on the bridge (see Time to Decompress here).
EVENTS
The following section contains events that you can spring on the players. They don’t all need to occur, and they don’t need to occur in the order listed. Instead, see the events as an arsenal of drama for you to use as you see fit.
FUNNY MEETING YOU HERE: Movement up ahead turns out to be two PASSIVE weary Marines—Privates Eddie Falcata and Nora Patu. Secret Blackguard members just like Tonfa, these two are also aboard to ensure the cargo makes it to the summit. They will want to join the PCs’ mission with the intent of sabotaging it. If asked the proper passphrase, they will respond correctly (here).
NONE SHALL PASS: As the PCs approach this area, the sounds of weapons fire grow louder. A motion-controlled Sentry Gun has been set up as a stopgap to keep Biodrones at bay (see page 124 of the core rulebook). It’s working a bit too well. As the Biodrones fall, their acid blood burns through the flooring. This can trigger the event Time to Decompress.
TIME TO DECOMPRESS: This event can be triggered in any area close to the outer hull. Whether it’s a mortally wounded Biodrone’s bubbling acid blood, a blast from a plasma weapon, or an ejecting power core, this part of the ship is exposed to the vacuum of space! The air in this area will vent out into space in a Turn, and the intense draft will require everyone to make a STAMINA roll to perform any action (the STAMINA roll itself counts as a fast action). The ship will automatically seal off a breached compartment. Once the air is gone, anyone still in the vented compartment will suffer the effects of vacuum (see page 107 of the core rulebook).
XENO REBORN: An ACTIVE Biodrone descends from a ceiling vent, looms over a PC, and attacks! During the encounter, it suddenly screeches horribly and collapses to the floor. The Biodrone’s built-in expiration date is up—but instead of dying, it has been reborn! The creature rises again, with its full health restored.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
If you’ve read the novel, you know the Alexiares will crash (see Finale here). Some of your PCs may try to cause it while others attempt to prevent it. The PCs aren’t going to survive this mission—success here means interpreting their personal agendas and surviving long enough to accomplish their goals.
TO TAKE OUT THE ALEXIARES
There are a few ways to go about this. Each location below has its own unique set of challenges that must be overcome. None are easy—but that’s why there are options. The PCs can work out how to sabotage the ship using a specific location with a COMTECH roll or an OBSERVATION roll. See the locations themselves for details.
• The Tachyon Shunts (02) can be modified to drive it into the surface.
• The PCs can overload the Power Core (04).
• The Railgun Turrets (11) can be sabotaged to explode or fire on the ship itself, crippling it.
• From the Bridge And Tactical Ops (16), the PCs can crash the ship into the planet, but they’ll have to unlock or destroy MU/TH/UR (18) first.
WHERE THE ALIENS ARE
While there are dozens of Biodrones spread out all over the ship, less than twenty can potentially affect the PCs. Most of these can be avoided. Still, this will be a shit show. Two Biodrones are in the Cooling Tower (03), two in the Duty Room, Brig, and Marine Supply Stores (06), three in the Officers’ Quarters (08), one at the Launch Hanger (09), five in the Garage and Cargo Bay (13), three in the Forward Cryodeck (15), and one in the Bridge and Tactical Ops (16). Finally, a Biodrone stalks the PCs through the ship, waiting for the right moment to strike (see Kicking off the Action here).
PLAYER CHARACTERS
KICKING OFF THE ACTION
With blaring alarms competing with nearby gunfire, the PCs start off in the Hypersleep Pods (05). Having just awoken, they are still in their underwear with no weapons, armor, or even their Signature Items (page 33 of the core rulebook). All those things are waiting for them downstairs in the Lockers and Ready Room (10). The Captain is in the Officers’ Quarters (08) above.
HALLWAY OF HELL
As the PCs step outside of the Hypersleep Pods (05) area, they step right into the shit. Some fifteen unarmed marines were mercilessly gutted here by agitated Biodrones, their remains spread across the corridor. Each PC must make a MOBILITY roll to not trip over someone’s steaming, ropy entrails. The PCs will just catch a glimpse of a barbed black tail disappearing into the air duct above the corridor. STRESS LEVEL +1 to everyone present. While it won’t attack for some time, this PASSIVE Biodrone is now stalking them. Where the PCs go next is up to them.
LOCATIONS
The Alexiares’ upper forward decks were reconfigured to carry a security detail of 2,100 marines to the summit. The ship is on lockdown, blocking off certain sectors from the rest of the ship. The areas that are accessible are listed here.
AIRLOCKS, SPACESUITS, AND EEV BAYS
Escape might seem like a good idea. Unfortunately, Gene already thought of that and took appropriate steps to make things difficult.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
If the PCs go for a spacewalk, they may run into two IRC Mk.35 pressure suit-wearing PASSIVE A.W. Marines (here) on the exterior hull—PFCs Nakha and Tekko. Armed with XM99A phased plasma pulse rifles (page 121 of the core rulebook), they are there to shoot anyone who goes EVAC.
AIRLOCKS: Airlocks are marked on the Alexiares schematic (here). Half of these are damaged and will require a HEAVY MACHINERY roll and one Turn of work to repair.
PRESSURE SUITS: PCs might try to take shortcuts between sections by spacewalking via the ship’s IRC Mk.35 Pressure Suits (page 128 of the core rulebook). However, one out of every three suits has been sabotaged by Gene. An OBSERVATION roll will detect the flaw, but only if a PC states they are looking for one. While their tanks read as full, sabotaged suits have a leak that leaves them starting with an Air Supply of 1.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
Every airlock can act as a decompression chamber. The process takes one Turn. Failure to decompress after using IRC Mk.35 pressure suits will result in crippling pain and bubbles in the blood (Treat as critical injuries #13, #15, and #44 on page 100 of the core rulebook). It will take D6 days in an AutoDoc to recover.
EEVS: While the Alexiares is normally equipped with a dozen Type 337 EEVs (page 173 of the core rulebook), they have all been ejected—their empty bays are indicated on the schematic (here).
CORRIDORS, LADDERS, STAIRS, LIFTS, AND AIR DUCTS CHART
Use this chart as your PCs run through the Alexiares. Feel free to roll or just pick as many encounters as you want during the trek.
D6 DOBSTACLE DEVENT
1 Brutalized Corpses D6 dead marines are here with claw marks slashed across their bodies and headbite holes in their skulls. Half have working M41 Pulse Rifles with one clip of ammo each. STRESS LEVEL +1 to everyone present.
2 Sealed Someone has welded the door here shut. A cutting torch plus two Rounds of work, or one Turn of loud manual labor with tools, can clear the way.
3 Fire in the Walls Fire Intensity 9 (page 108 of the core rulebook). If the PCs can make a HEAVY MACHINERY roll, they can manually activate this area’s fire suppression equipment. If they do, the fire dies down one intensity level per round until it’s safe to continue.
4–5 All Clear It’s quiet, it’s dark, but there’s nothing here.
6 Echo Chamber The sounds of pulse weapons fire, screams, and some kind of screeching echo throughout the area. Whether it’s happening right ahead or in some other area is GM’s discretion. STRESS LEVEL +1 to everyone present.
A NOTE FROM MU/TH/UR:
Like on the Nostromo, the air ducts are a tight fit—PCs will have to crawl on their knees. Every ship’s compartment has a vent into the ducts—the PCs just need a toolkit or cutting torch to get in. Excessive sound in any of these areas may attract the attention of a nearby PASSIVE Biodrone (GM’s discretion).
DRIVE SECTION
Most of the drive section is a huge thruster array that channels energy from the reactor core into sublight and supra-light speeds. While there is enough power to start the engines, there is no fuel left to activate sublight thrust.
01. WORKSHOP: This technical workshop contains everything needed to maintain, repair, or modify Colonial Marine equipment. If the PCs need to repair something, they should bring it here. The workshop adds a +2 bonus to any HEAVY MACHINERY rolls made on the premises.
02. TACHYON SHUNTS: These FTL engines work directly off the fusion reactor. A formidable (-3) HEAVY MACHINERY roll and an hour’s work, followed by a demanding (-2) COMTECH roll can cause the FTL engines to ignite, instantly hurling the ship at the planet and killing everyone aboard (see Finale here). Failing the COMTECH roll locks the PCs out of the system.
FUSION TORUS
This curved part of the hull houses the ship’s reactor and its subsystems.
03. COOLING TOWER: Heat from the power core is shunted here and dissipated into space. Vents open that expose the reactor chamber to vacuum, expelling Strong Radiation for a Turn before they close again (page 110 of the core rulebook). Two PASSIVE Biodrones are curled up here.
04. POWER CORE: This four-story tall, enormous whirling cylinder is the ship’s lithium-hydride fusion plant. Balconies encircle the rotating reactor core on each level and ladders allow access between them. The walls of these balconies are covered with Xenomorph resin. Seventeen dead and better-off-dead marines have been plastered there, slowly transforming into Ovomorphs (see page 300 of the core rulebook). Anyone thrown over the side and into the spinning core receives a dose of Strong Radiation and suffers 6 points of damage before being thrown free (damage is mitigated by armor and MOBILITY rolls).
The core can be damaged by heavy weapons. A combined detonation of 20 M40 grenades will cause it to overload, but safety systems will attempt to eject it before the ship is destroyed. If it does, the ship is only damaged by the proximity explosion of the core and pushed towards the planet. Only a successful PILOTING roll from the bridge will be able to pull the ship back into orbit. Anyone present when the core is ejected will be exposed to space (see Time to Decompress here). Afterward, emergency power reserves will activate.
A successful COMTECH roll can override the ejection system, causing the explosion to occur internally and splitting the ship in two. The ship will be crippled and begin spiraling into the atmosphere to crash below (see Finale here).
MARINE BARRACK SECTION
This barrack area sits one deck above and off to one side of the Launch Hangar (09).
05. HYPERSLEEP PODS: This is where the PCs start out. There are forty-four hyperspace pods in this area. It looks like there was a riot here. Equipment is thrown about, and there are splintering cracks in the transparencies on some of the pods. Then there is the carnage right outside… See Kicking off the Action here for more.
06. DUTY ROOM, BRIG, AND MARINE SUPPLY STORES: This is a reception, brig, and storage area all in one. The duty office is under siege by Biodrones. Out of ammo, three marines—Corporals Hendricks, College, and Hope—have locked themselves in the brig here. A PASSIVE Biodrone is leaning into the bars, attempting to reach through them and snag a marine.
The storeroom here has spare parts, uniforms, C-Rations, or non-combat equipment the PCs might need—along with another PASSIVE Biodrone head-biting an unfortunate marine.
07. MEDBAY: This infirmary is guarded by a Colonial Marine (here) lookout with a smart gun. Inside, all four beds and the AutoDoc are in use, treating the wounded. A total of seven marines are here—all catatonic or near death. A single hospital corpsman—Corporal Anderson—tends to them. There are ten portable medkits and twelve doses each of Hydr8tion, Neversleep, and Naproleve here (pages 136-137 of the core rulebook).
08. OFFICERS QUARTERS: As PCs approach the area, they’ll find dismembered body parts scattered across the corridor—a head here, a limb there—and a trail of blood leading to Captain Forrester. She’s pinned down in her office with three PASSIVE Biodrones busting through her door. She’s badly wounded, but still alive.
RAPID DEPLOYMENT SECTION
All standard operations are launched from this section. It’s seen better days.
09. LAUNCH HANGAR: The sprinkler system is on full blast here. Two flaming dropships are crumpled in the center of the hangar. Despite the activated sprinklers, the ships continue to burn at Intensity 9 (page 108 of the core rulebook). The large airlock set in the hangar floor can be activated from the hangar’s power loaders, dropship, and an adjacent floor control panel. The airlock is filling with water like some dark swimming pool—and there’s a (dead) marine floating face down in it. Any PC or NPC who strays too close to the pool will be ambushed by the PASSIVE Biodrone lurking beneath him.
Four working P-5000 Power Loaders are located here (see page 127 of the core rulebook).
10. LOCKERS AND READY ROOM: The lockers here have everyone’s M3 armor, fatigues, and Signature Items from their bios (here–here). The mission prep area is filled with ammo cabinets, weapon racks, and equipment lockers. There are M41A Pulse Rifles, U1 Grenade Launchers, M4A3 Pistols, M56A2 Smart Guns, and more. Any UA military personal ranged or melee weapon from the core rulebook or Colonial Marines Operations Manual can be found here—including a total of thirty M40 grenades (page 125 of the core rulebook). Let the PCs arm themselves as they see fit (within reason).
CLUSTER ARRAY/FIRE CONTROL
These sections are the eyes, ears, and teeth of the Alexiares. Sadly the ship is now blind and deaf. Will the PCs defang her as well?
11. RAILGUN TURRETS: The loading mechanisms on these weapons can be misaligned and jammed, causing a misfire that will destroy the turret. A HEAVY MACHINERY roll and four Turns of work will do the job. Alternately, a demanding (–2) COMTECH roll can override safety protocols and allow the ship to fire upon itself. Both of these options will cause the Alexiares to careen towards the planet (see Finale here).
12. SENSOR AND COMMS ARRAY: This automated area is ablaze with Intensity 12 fire. The fire suppression system here is inoperative and the array is too damaged to repair outside of drydock.
MAIN CARGO AND FLIGHT DECK
This forward deck is divided into three main sections.
13. GARAGE AND CARGO BAY: This bay has two loading doors on the port and another two on the starboard side of the ship. The “special cargo” was stored here. Now, the containers are open, and the Biodrones are spread all over the ship. The garage currently holds sixteen M577 APCs (page 142 of the core rulebook).
Lieutenant Vandenberg and two dozen marines (here) have taken refuge in three APCs. As the PCs enter the area, five PASSIVE Biodrones are swarming all over Vandenberg’s vehicle, looking for a way in. If the PCs don’t act, one of the other APCs will eventually fire the vehicle’s plasma gun at the Biodrones! The blast will vaporize them, cripple the Lieutenant’s APC, and blow a massive hole in the outer hull (see Time to Decompress here).
LIEUTENANT ALEX VANDENBERG
The Lieutenant has the command codes for MU/TH/UR’s Interface Corridor (17). He is aware of the Captain’s orders and can tell the PCs how To Take Out The Alexiares (here). For his stats, see Colonial Marines here.
14. FLIGHT DECK: This large open area stretches from port to starboard with three launch doors on each side. It used to hold six Cheyenne dropships—until Gene opened the doors and blew them out into space. The doors are still open.
15. FORWARD CRYODECK: Two thousand hypersleep capsules were installed in this modular deck. The area is a blood bath, covered in bodies. Three PASSIVE Biodrones roam the deck. There is only death here.
COMMAND SECTION
Located just behind and above the dorsal rail gun, the two-story Command Section is a wreck. The corridors here are filled with smoke. All OBSERVATION rolls in this section are made with a –1 modifier.
16. BRIDGE AND TACTICAL OPS: While the ship is run by MU/TH/UR 9000, this is the manual control center. The retractable shielding on the large forward viewport is stuck, sliding up and down repeatedly. The weapons, command, piloting, and navigation posts have all been shot up by pulse weapons fire.
A HEAVY MACHINERY roll and a Turn of work are needed to repair the ship’s controls. Of course, it won’t be that easy. If MU/TH/UR is not destroyed or deactivated first, any successful PILOTING rolls will be moot—she will simply take control and attempt to land the ship.
A COMTECH roll from the repaired weapons station can force the ASAT missiles to fire while their silo bay doors are closed. This will cause a massive explosion in the fore of the ship, and send the Alexiares plummeting to the surface (see Finale here).
There are three M4A3 Pistols with six clips of ammunition here. Shortly after the PCs arrive and begin to take action, an ACTIVE Biodrone will unfurl itself from the overhead air duct, quietly lower itself to the floor, and attempt to strike at the nearest PC or NPC.
17. INTERFACE CORRIDOR: The ship’s computer core interface can only be accessed from this internal airlock with a combination of an interface key and command code. There are two keys—one is in Captain Forrester’s pocket and the other is kept in a control box near the entry to MU/TH/UR 9000. Only the Captain, Lieutenant Vandenberg (here), and Gene have the proper codes.
18. MU/TH/UR 9000: Forrester installed an override program in MU/TH/UR that has locked everyone out. Without her codes, a formidable (-3) COMMTECH roll will shut MU/TH/UR down. A string of ten M40 grenades together will destroy the mainframe, and likely open a nice hole on the bridge (see Time to Decompress here).
EVENTS
The following section contains events that you can spring on the players. They don’t all need to occur, and they don’t need to occur in the order listed. Instead, see the events as an arsenal of drama for you to use as you see fit.
FUNNY MEETING YOU HERE: Movement up ahead turns out to be two PASSIVE weary Marines—Privates Eddie Falcata and Nora Patu. Secret Blackguard members just like Tonfa, these two are also aboard to ensure the cargo makes it to the summit. They will want to join the PCs’ mission with the intent of sabotaging it. If asked the proper passphrase, they will respond correctly (here).
NONE SHALL PASS: As the PCs approach this area, the sounds of weapons fire grow louder. A motion-controlled Sentry Gun has been set up as a stopgap to keep Biodrones at bay (see page 124 of the core rulebook). It’s working a bit too well. As the Biodrones fall, their acid blood burns through the flooring. This can trigger the event Time to Decompress.
TIME TO DECOMPRESS: This event can be triggered in any area close to the outer hull. Whether it’s a mortally wounded Biodrone’s bubbling acid blood, a blast from a plasma weapon, or an ejecting power core, this part of the ship is exposed to the vacuum of space! The air in this area will vent out into space in a Turn, and the intense draft will require everyone to make a STAMINA roll to perform any action (the STAMINA roll itself counts as a fast action). The ship will automatically seal off a breached compartment. Once the air is gone, anyone still in the vented compartment will suffer the effects of vacuum (see page 107 of the core rulebook).
XENO REBORN: An ACTIVE Biodrone descends from a ceiling vent, looms over a PC, and attacks! During the encounter, it suddenly screeches horribly and collapses to the floor. The Biodrone’s built-in expiration date is up—but instead of dying, it has been reborn! The creature rises again, with its full health restored.
