Freelance Traveller

Rescue in Chengdu

by Antonio Guaras

This article originally appeared in Spanish in Vuelo Raso N.8, and this translation appeared in the November/December 2024 issue of Freelance Traveller. Lea este artículo en español.

Editor’s Note: This adventure is written for the 2300AD setting using the Mongoose Traveller rules. It originally appeared in Spanish in Vuelo Raso N.8, and was translated by Google Translate and Jeff Zeitlin

The Plot

Chegdu (page 170 of the 2300AD manual) is a colony in the Manchu Arm where a movement has developed that advocates independence from the government of its parent nation on Earth. The colony is now almost self-sufficient and there are those who believe that the time has come to set out on its own path, after all the work done. On the other hand, the government is not willing to give up all the resources that come to it from the colony, which would not have been able to move forward without the enormous investment made in Manchuria. At the moment, separatist desires have taken the form of demonstrations and citizen initiatives, but there is already an organized group working in the shadows to try to generate the best breeding ground to encourage a unilateral separation. To do this, they are clear that the priority is for the almost self-sufficiency to become full and undeniable. Among the projects underway, the university has launched one aimed at alleviating one of the problems faced by the colony’s population. The followers of the Hard Path mostly use respirators to solve the problems with the local atmosphere, caused among other reasons by the powerful allergens and pollutants that fill the atmosphere in spring and autumn. The obvious solution is the already existing SFA symbionts, but part of the population refuses to use them. Therefore, a pharmacological treatment that would help to be able to spend time outside without any type of respirator would undoubtedly help the colonists perceive Chengdu as a permanent and safe home. For this reason, the university decided to support the research of Dr. Gagnon, a scientist of Canadian descent, a follower of the Soft Path and with no relation to the Manchurian government that would oppose her to the movement. Her studies proposed to search for elements of local biology, capable of neutralizing the effects of seasonal pollutants on the human body, without generating notable secondary effects. To this end, a project was financed on the frozen continent of Ying Jing, south of Shaoguan. It was provided with funds and space in the scientific colony of Port Shansai, but the real objective of the research was hidden and disguised as a simple collection of biological samples from the southern continent, in order to advance the cataloging of the planetary biosphere.

The problem is that the officials who manage Port Shansai have reported the loss of contact with the doctor and her two assistants more than 96 hours ago. That is the time limit for the vehicle’s life support, so from then on the temperatures and the atmosphere can begin to affect the crew. Any attempt to locate the vehicle by the security personnel at the post has failed since they have neither the authorization nor the means to carry out a long-term search. For this reason, and because the university does not want the authorities to stick their noses into the doctor’s possible real discoveries, they have decided to send their own rescue team: the characters. They will urgently travel from Shaoguan with an appropriate vehicle to carry out the rescue.

But is the precursor of the plot the university as a whole or just a group of conspirators with power within it?

That depends on you as a narrator and if you want to include this plot in your campaign. The reality is that both options are viable to develop the adventure.

Part I: Shanhai Port

Shanhai Port is a group of inflatable shelters (page 42 of the 2300 AD manual) where about 40 people, including scientists and maintenance personnel, are grouped together. It also has a central building, where the electric generator, the satellite link, the manufacturers, the warehouse and the infirmary are located. Normally, the different work teams share shelters and the administration of the camp manages the common resources. Supplies are provided by sea transport, despite having a small landing strip. Next to this area is a small repair hangar for vehicles, which are stored under tarps in an adjacent area.

The characters arrive at the site on a charter flight paid for by the university, since the urgency does not allow waiting for the next regular flight. There they will be greeted, wrapped in her cold-weather clothing, by Shuan Mei, their liaison within Shanhai Port. This young bureaucrat accepted her fate to try to make progress in her career, but she has been in the job for almost two years and is quite disenchanted, so she does the bare minimum of effort at her job. She will guide the characters to the main building, and in the dining room she will serve them something to eat. In the meantime, they can settle in a bit after the trip: she will give them the permits to remove the necessary material from the facilities’ storage “if they find it.” This warning is justified, since the university has paid for access to a series of equipment that the characters will need in their search, but that does not mean that there are units available at that moment.

If you ask Shuan Mei about the doctor, she will admit that she barely knows her, since she spends a very significant part of her time outside the facilities. If you insist on asking more questions about her, she will simply shrug her shoulders and say: “She is not a problem, I am happy with that.” The reality is that life is hard and difficult in Port Shanhai and sometimes living together creates friction that they have to deal with, but this has never been the case for the doctor.

Once they have eaten, Mei will take them to the security officer Jei, so that they can ask any questions they consider appropriate. He will attend to them in the messy common area of his shelter. He is a simple administrative officer, with some military training. After all, it is not a place where trouble is expected and he is not usually even armed. Like Mei, he is tired of this destination and is eager to return to the colony as soon as possible, but unlike her, his attitude is one of trying to stand out and earn merits in the eyes of his superiors. He can explain to the characters that the doctor and her two assistants had been making frequent trips south for at least three months in search of samples, but they spoke very little about their research with the rest of the inhabitants of the post. He will give them a map of the southern field with notes of the locations where the doctor had previously carried out work, as well as the last known position of the vehicle. He visited the area himself yesterday before giving the warning, but found no sign of the ATV or its crew. He tried to contact them with his handheld transmitter, but was unsuccessful and he had no equipment to prolong the search. He explains to the characters that the entire area is covered in snow and ice, with temperatures below minus twenty and strong winds. The greatest danger is getting lost in a snowstorm, which seems unlikely with the vehicle's modern navigation systems, or having an accident and getting caught in a crevasse. There is no dangerous wildlife in that area.

If they ask about the doctor on a personal level, Jei acknowledges that the group socialized little, so they couldn’t be said to have any friends there, but they also had no friction with anyone or any enemies. They were like the neighbor you say hello to on the porch, but you barely know them. If they ask about their rooms, Jei will be puzzled, since it’s a vehicle lost in the snow and ice, and he doesn’t think there’s any motivation for sabotage or murder. He’ll take them to the shelter they shared with a group of geologists looking for veins to exploit, but they won’t be able to contribute anything either, since they only shared small talk with Gagnon’s team. Rummaging through the doctor’s things will cause Jei to start asking questions about the nature of their rescue mission and could prove a nuisance while the characters are in the facility. At worst, he could even do his own research on the characters and end up locating Zhunyi’s hidden weapons. In any case, a normal investigation roll (8+) allows one to find a secure link telephone. An Electronics - Computers roll (10+) would be necessary to bypass its security and see that the call log has several contacts with a single number without associated contact in the address book. The reality is that there is no way to know the recipient of these calls from Port Shanhai, but with the communications facilities available to anyone, the only explanation for the use of this telephone is that she wanted to have private conversations, out of reach of the government officials who manage the facility. The reality is that the doctor used this terminal to contact her benefactors, reporting the progress of the project while communications through official channels were limited only to the false project that is known to the authorities.

Shuan Mei will also give them the material reserved by the university, at least what is available at the moment, and which includes: a respirator, clothing for cold weather and a backpack, as well as eight tasteless compact rations for each member of the rescue operation. She also provided a set of six flares, binoculars, two handheld transmitters, climbing gear, twenty meters of rope, a water purifier, a first aid kit, and a set of vehicle maintenance tools. Finally, she provided a Nagqu Tanxian Jia vehicle, identical to the one used by the doctor’s team on their travels. This model is a fairly faithful copy of the American Mulecorp Explorer-X, but to cut costs it has short-term (rather than long-term) life support, an improved (rather than increased) control system, and only 20 points of armor at each position. However, there are a number of pieces of equipment that could not be obtained for the members of the expedition, such as the three spare filters for each respirator or the shotgun for team protection. If you ask Shuan Mei, she’ll tell you that the facility is currently out of filters until the next supply arrives, and since the vehicle is pressurized, they’ll only need to use the respirators if they need to go outside. The 12 hours that each respirator has should be enough. As for the gun, she’ll simply explain that Jei didn’t authorize it to be delivered “for a rescue mission, since there’s no dangerous wildlife in the area and it’ll just get you into an accident and someone gets hurt.” However, the party has government authorization to receive and carry it, so it’s possible the characters could use persuasion, subterfuge, or even bureaucracy to convince the reluctant Jei (difficulty is dictated by how good the player’s arguments are). If they hold out, they can get help from the university to pressure Jei into handing over the gun, but this will take a couple of hours. There’s no option for Jei to hand over the extra filters. Before setting out, the characters could try to gather more information about the doctor and her assistants, but the reality is that there is not much to find out since, in order to keep the true nature of their research hidden, they tended to interact little with the rest of the inhabitants of the place. In addition, any such work will increase Jei’s suspicions that there is something hidden that is worth investigating.

Part II: The Endless White Blanket.

Once the group has the last known position, the necessary equipment and the vehicle, they can begin their search for the doctor. The normal course of action is to head to the last known location of the vehicle. To do so, the group must drive their ATV through an endless white blanket of snow and ice. Orientation will be a routine matter thanks to the vehicle’s advanced navigation system. Still, time is an important variable, so players must decide how fast they will go. The Arctic terrain is dotted with snowy terrain that hides crevasses, broken ice sheets, etc. To reach the destination point, they must cover about 120 km. To do so, the group can choose from different options.

• Travel at Very Slow speed (30 km/h). No test required.
• Travel at Slow speed (60 km/h). Requires a Track Driving test at difficulty 11.
• Travel at Medium speed (120 km/h). Requires a Tracked Driving check at difficulty 14.

The vehicle’s improved control system grants a +1 to the check and the ATV trait a +2, for a total of +3. If the check is failed, the characters will have an accident. The Vehicle Accident table in the Traveler’s Compendium can be used to do this. It is important to know how much time the characters spend on their trip.

Beyond any driving-related problems, the journey is smooth and they will only see the dull white landscape surrounding them in all directions, except to the southwest, where there are some low peaks that are difficult to see with the naked eye. However, the ATV’s systems will quickly locate them. Any frequency scan using an Electronics-Communications check (8+) only allows the characters to locate the emissions from Shanhai Port.

Part III: A Signal in the Storm

Finally, the group will reach the point where the doctor was last located. Nearby, it is possible to find the traces left by Jei yesterday when he went to look for the scientists. Any previous traces have been washed away by the wind and snow. But the characters have the advanced sensor equipment and the advanced satellite communications system of the VTT. This allows them to sweep the area looking for signs of the missing vehicle or any attempt to communicate with the doctor and her team. While they are carrying out this task, a communication will arrive from the port warning that a major storm is forming in the area and that conditions are expected to worsen in the next few hours. These storms are common during these months of the year, but sometimes they become a bit more complicated than expected.

Due to this information, a chain of tasks will be carried out. The first step is performed by the driver, who must make a tracked driving test at a difficult level (10+) due to the terrain (don’t forget to add the +3 for the ATV trait and the advanced control system) to try to cover as much ground as possible following the instructions of his companions. The second step is performed by the communications system operator, with a roll at a difficult difficulty (10+) due to the weather, since the best way to locate the doctor’s vehicle at a long distance is through its radio emissions. A success in this part of the chain allows the detection of a weak SOS signal and locating the emission area helps to reduce the working area of the sensors. This is the third and last step, a sensor electronics check with a roll at a difficult difficulty (10+) due to the difficult location of the target. Remember to add the +2 for the ATV’s advanced sensors and any bonuses or penalties inherited from the task chain. With an easy success, the sensor operator will detect a clear contact in an area about 7 kilometers away. A failure forces a new chain of tasks to be performed, which entails spending an additional hour for each new attempt. A marginal failure results in a diffuse contact that at least gives a direction to continue the search. This would allow a visual search of the area and a successful Reconnaissance check at medium difficulty (8+). If successful, the PCs will have found the doctor’s ATV. If not, they must continue searching for another hour using Reconnaissance at medium difficulty (8+).

One way or another, it is normal that sooner or later they will end up locating the vehicle: it is only a matter of time. But of course, in the meantime the storm is increasing in intensity and that will end up being a problem if the characters do not hurry.

The ice breaks, the crack opens and everything goes to hell

During this whole process, the ATV is moving through a really dangerous area where the ice is not stable and can give way at any moment under the weight of the vehicle. And it is something that is going to happen. No, there is no roll to avoid it. It is a fact, accept it. The fact is that as the storm worsens it becomes more difficult for the driver to navigate, so they will end up entering an area of more brittle ice that ends up giving way under the weight of the ATV. It tilts violently to one side while a very unpleasant metallic sound comes from outside. Anyone who is not secured must make an Athletics - Dexterity test of medium difficulty (8+) or suffer 1d6 damage that ignores armor.

The vehicle has stopped and seems to be immobilized, but a quick damage check will reveal that the chain on the left side has suffered irreparable damage and the vehicle cannot continue moving. Repair is possible, but it would require parts that they do not have. Specifically, parts that could be removed from the twin ATV they are looking for.

Is anyone there?

It is quite possible that the characters will try to contact Port Shanhai to report the accident, but they will find that the strong storm makes communications beyond the storm impossible. However, they will be able to detect a broadcast coming from nearby. It is the doctor using a short-range handheld transmitter. If the characters are not proactive, it is possible that the doctor’s attempts to locate help will end up attracting the characters’ attention.

Engaging in conversation with the doctor will be difficult, but a successful Electronics - Communications roll at medium difficulty (8+) will allow for effective enough communication to be able to find out where she is. She will warn the characters to be careful and inform them of the incident they have suffered. Apparently they had an accident when passing over a pressure ridge during a storm similar to the current one and several systems of the ATV were seriously damaged, including the communications equipment. They have been waiting for help for a few days, but a few hours ago one of their assistants, a PhD student named Yeng, inexplicably lost his mind and became violent, so much so that he seriously injured his second assistant, a young student named Ju. The doctor and Ju managed to escape from the vehicle and need urgent help to survive the cold and their injuries. If they locate the ATV, they must be careful of Yeng.

The reality

Yeng is actually a latent agent of the Children of Gao in Chegdu, and he knows that Dr. Gagnon’s research could help the revolutionaries who want the colony’s independence. The last expedition seems to have obtained the last samples that the doctor needs to advance the research and the accident has presented a great possibility of changing things. During the first hours he decided to wait and remain cautious, but once he thought that the rescue might not arrive in time, he thought that his obligation was to finish off as much information as possible, which included the last samples, but also the doctor. He didn’t count on Ju being so bold as to get in the way. The reality is that Gagnon and Ju have escaped him, but he is sure that they will not survive the storm, so in the meantime he has decided to finish off all the useful material and wait for a rescue in the ATV.

Meanwhile Gagnon and Ju are about 400 meters away, hidden in some crevices that offer some protection from the wind and snow. Gagnon, who is aware of the political importance of his project, believes that Yeng is a spy for the colonial government loyal to Manchuria. He will therefore do everything possible to make the characters believe that he is crazy, dangerous or even a murderer. If he can get them to confront him and arrest him or even kill him, all the better.

Part 4: The Countdown I

Once the characters have located the ATV, they have a number of tasks they can perform. This last part can lead to many scenes: the referee must be clear about the passage of time and the actions that each non-player character could take. Not only because they may have a limitation on the time they can spend outside their vehicle, due to not having filters for their respirators, but also because of the temperatures they will suffer.

The ATV

In the ATV, the characters can locate Yeng, who is waiting for a rescue without knowing that the doctor has been able to contact the characters. For this reason, he will be helpful and grateful. He will explain that the doctor and her companion decided to try to walk back to the coast, despite his attempts to persuade them that it was crazy. He decided to wait for help in the ATV, praying that it would arrive in time. The characters could use skills such as Subterfuge to find out that Yeng is lying. Furthermore, even though he has cleaned up the blood left behind by his attack on the doctor, a medium investigation roll (8+) may allow them to locate some minimal traces of blood that he may have inadvertently left behind. They might be able to get him to confess to having attacked Gagnon (the difficulty of any attempt will probably be 10+), but never to the fact that he belongs to the Sons of Gao. If things get ugly, and he has the opportunity, Yeng will not hesitate to act to safeguard his interests. He is not a fanatic... but he is someone with a goal and a lot of resolve. Gagnon must not end his investigation.

On the other hand, anyone who searches the vicinity of the ATV and passes a Reconnaissance roll (10+) could find the remains of the material and samples destroyed by Yeng. They will not be of any use, but their nature will be obvious.

The vehicle is tilted at a problematic angle, with its communications antenna damaged (it could be repaired with a 10+ Electronics - Communications check using the spares they carry in their own vehicle), but its right track is completely unusable. However, it is possible to salvage parts from the other in order to repair the characters’ own rescue vehicle. The first step will be a Mechanics (8+) check to recover the necessary material, which will take 1D6 hours. The second part is to try to free the characters’ ATV from its ice trap. This requires the use of the heavy winch and finding a suitable place to perform the maneuver, which means a Track Driving (8+) or perhaps a Reconnaissance (10+) check. In both cases the task will take 1d6×10 minutes. Finally, the characters can make a new Mechanics (10+) check to repair their vehicle, which will take 1D6 hours. If any of the rolls are failed, they can be made again as a second attempt provided that the traveler has not obtained an Exceptional Failure (in which case the lost time is doubled), but it will mean the loss of more time.

The Rift

The characters can try to locate Gagnon and Ju. If they have managed to contact them, it will not be a problem since they will guide them if they can turn on a light that indicates their position. Otherwise, locating them may be difficult in the middle of the storm and a recognition test (12+) would be necessary to do so. The state they are in will depend on the time it took the characters to locate them (see the Tic Tock section).

Gagnon will try to convince the Characters that Yeng is a danger, but he will only talk about the true purpose of his mission and his suspicions about Yeng, if he sees his life in serious danger and believes that confessing can save her. If he can, he will try to save Ju, but if he has to choose, he will not take the risk. His priority is to return to Shaoguan.

Ju is injured and unconscious. A Medicine roll (8+) can stabilise her for a few hours, but she has lost a lot of blood and the wound inflicted by Yeng could lead to death if surgery is not performed within the next 24 hours.

Part 5: The Countdown II

There are a number of factors that will work against the characters in the final part of the adventure:

• The characters’ respirators only have 8 hours of clean air outside the vehicle to carry out all the tasks that are necessary.
• Once the storm begins in Part 3, characters with warm clothing will suffer 1d6 damage every two hours exposed to the elements. If they do not have clothing for cold climates, they must make a Formidable (14+) resistance test every 2 minutes to avoid losing a point of Resistance. If the resistance reaches zero, the rolls will lead to the loss of 1d3 points of strength or dexterity due to hypothermia.
• Ju is seriously injured and requires an operation to get out of danger. To do this, the characters must take her back to Port Shanhai. See Tic Tock, to find out how much time they have before a fatal outcome. This information can be obtained by examining the young woman with a Medicine test of 6+. Remember that Part 2 addresses the difficulty of navigating the terrain and calculating the return time.

Tick Tock.

The chances of rescuing the survivors depend largely on how fast the PCs are. When the party reaches the ATV, the GM should calculate the mission time spent on variable events and consult the table. From there, the countdown begins, which should make repairing the ATV vital to saving Ju’s life.

• If they pressure the university to obtain the respirator filters and the weapon, add two hours to the mission time.
• If the characters spent time looking for information about the doctor in her chambers or asking about her, add one hour to the mission time. Unless they perform these tasks while waiting for the university to get them the material that Jei has not given them (see above).
• Add the hours spent traveling during the trip in Part 2 to the mission time.
• Add one hour to the mission time for each failed attempt to locate the doctor’s ATV in Part 3
• Subtract one hour if the characters scored a critical in Part 3.

Check the following table for the status of the survivors when:

1 to 4 hours	Gagnon is fine, Ju has 14 hours to undergo surgery.
5 to 6 hours	Gagnon is fine, Ju has 12 hours to undergo surgery.
7 to 9 hours	Gagnon has suffered hypothermia and is semi-conscious. She may lose consciousness while making a last-ditch effort to communicate with the characters. She will need an 8+ Medicine check to regain consciousness or rest for 1d3 hours in a warm place. Ju has 10 hours to undergo surgery.
More than 10 hours	Gagnon has suffered hypothermia and is unconscious. She may have lost consciousness while making a last-ditch effort to communicate with the characters. A 10+ Medicine check is required to regain consciousness, or 1d6 hours of rest in a warm place. Ju has 10 hours to undergo surgery.

Agendas

The following agendas can be given to one or more characters in the group. They have a great capacity to affect the story and change the adventure from being a mere rescue mission to include a great importance of the political positions of several people involved. Including them can give much more depth to the game, but there is also the risk that some characters may find themselves with conflicting objectives. That is why they work much better in a one-shot with pre-generated characters. In our case, we are going to assign them to some of the pre-generated characters that we included in the adventure.

1. Gagnon must die. Someone may have let the cat out of the bag, the colonial government may be monitoring the group of independentists, or perhaps the Children of Gao have received information about the doctor’s work. Whatever the group, they have decided that the investigation must end now. Obviously discretion is desirable and it is preferable not to draw attention to what happens in the rescue mission, but civilian casualties and collateral damage are acceptable as long as attention can be diverted from whoever gave the order. In the case of pre-generated characters, Liu Zhunyi is the right candidate. If you choose the Children of Gao, he will surely know about Yeng’s militancy and will use him to achieve his goals, but his safety is not a priority.
2. The university wants to recover the research. Someone within the research wants to recover as much data as possible about Dr. Gagnon’s research since it is possible that she has become a compromised asset. In fact, the best thing would be to steal the research from the doctor in order to continue it secretly from another research team. Among the pre-generated characters, Xu Shen could be in charge of continuing the doctor’s research and thus relaunch her career. Yan Jiabao can be part of the agenda thanks to her contact at the university.
3. Please bring her back! A relative of Ju’s has connections in the colony’s government and has learned that the colony is in danger. He has therefore contacted a character to promise him a large sum of money or a favour in exchange for bringing her back. If drastic measures are necessary to bring her back, Ju’s relative could help him to ensure that the resulting investigation turns out favourable to him within reasonable limits. Among the pre-generated characters, Victor Yakubu would be a good choice due to his prison history. Perhaps his parole officer will propose the job on behalf of someone important.

Non-Player Characters

All of the NPCs in this section have Cold Weather gear and a Respirator in addition to any equipment listed.

Shuan Mei 677886 Age 28

Born in Chegdu, follows the Hard Path.

Administration 1, Liaison 1, Legal 0, Drive (Tracked) 0, Persuade 1, Electronics (Computers) 1.

Security Officer Jei 789667 Age 34

Born in Chegdu, follows the Hard Path.

Athletics (Dexterity) 1, Firearms (Projectile) 1, Streetwise 0, Drive (Tracked) 1, Investigate 0, Legal 0, Leadership 1, Orienteering 1, Reconnaissance 1, Stealth 1, Deception 0.

Dr. Gagnon 566AB8 Age 39

Born in Chegdu, follows the Soft Path.

Science (Biology) 3, Science (Genetics) 2, Medicine 1, Diplomacy 0, Deception 1, Carouse 1.

Aide Ju 66679A Age 24

Born in Chegdu, follows the Hard Path. (because of her injuries, UPP is 61079A when the characters find her)

Science (Biology) 1, Carouse 1, Persuade 1, Electronics (Computers) 1.

Aide Yeng 868796 Age 26

Born in Chegdu, follows the Hard Path.

Drive (Tracked) 1, Orientation 0, Electronics (Communications) 1, Firearms 0, Close Combat (Brawling) 0, Mechanics 0, Deception 1, Science (Biology) 1.

Equipment: Concealed Revolver (TL 9, Range 30, Damage 3d6, Magazine 6)

Pregenerated Characters

All of the characters in this section have Cold Weather gear and a Respirator in addition to any equipment listed, except Victor Yakubu, who has an Atmospheric Filter Symbiote instead of a Respirator.

Xu Shen 5C5BE8 Age 34

Born in Cold Mountain. University and Scholar (doctor).

Administration 0, Firearms 0, Science (Biology) 1, Science (Cybernetics) 1, Science (Genetics) 1, Science (Planetology) 1, Driving 0, Diplomacy 0, Electronics (Communications) 1, Engineering (Life Support) 2, Research 1, Medicine 2, Stealth 1, Survival 0.

Equipment: Compuport, Scientific Equipment, Medikit, 43200 Cr.

Enemy: Chimezie Agu, a Nigerian-born activist who actively seeks to influence the students and youth of Shaoguan City in favor of the colony’s independence from the Manchu government on Earth.

Enemy: Yang Haiyan, a former friend and college classmate who has risen to prominence among the Shaoguan City government officials, was an anti-separatist activist like you in her youth, and when you tell her about the project you’re working on during Part 3, she urges you to give it up. When you tell her you can’t, she feels betrayed and becomes your enemy.

Rival: Sophie Buchanan is a Canadian scientist with whom you’ve confronted many of your studies on the Soft Path over the past few years. You both try to discredit each other’s publications.

History

Term 1 (University): Despite coming from Cold Mountain, she gets a scholarship to university in Chengdu, where she studies genetics and life support engineering, with the dream of finding a way to reconcile the Hard and Soft Paths somehow. She also joins a political movement against the colony’s independence, defending its belonging to Manchuria. Ultimately, the scholarship that allowed her to leave her homeworld comes from the Manchu government itself. However, her opposition to separatism earns her a bitter enemy, Chimezie Agu.

Term 2 (Medical): She begins her work in a corporation, and despite making numerous attempts to advance the integration of MADN and Cybernetic Enhancements, her research ends in a dead end and she is relocated within the company.

Term 3: (Medical): You are chosen for a project to develop symbionts that will allow Chegdu to abandon the hard path and move to the soft path, but you are aware that this project has much more to do with politics than with science.

Term 4 (Medical): During these last years you have tried to get out of the spotlight and have dedicated yourself to trying to publish articles on your own, although you have come up against a tough rival. It seems like your career has stagnated and has remained a thing of the past, but never was, due more to politics than anything else.

Yan Jiabao 99B754 Age 30

Born in Chengdu. Drifter

Firearms 1, Athletics 0, Streetwise 1, Hand-to-hand combat 0, Drive (Tracked) 1, Mechanics 1, Medicine 1, Recon 0, Stealth 0, Survival 2.

Equipment: 8000 Cr.

Enemy: Jiang Ke, agent of Manchurian government.

Contact: Liang Haofeng, member of a revolutionary group seeking the colony’s independence. Works at the University and has a respectable facade as a scientist.

History

Term 1 (Drifter): Works here and there in the Anyou colony where he has a run-in with a government official (makes an enemy).

Term 2 (Drifter): Hard work that helps him become a tougher man and allows him to steal some equipment in the maintenance of mining operations.

Term 3 (Drifter): He does a lot of work in the remote and lonely mining camps, doing small jobs on his own, some illegal or who knows if illegal. This leads to his confrontation with the officer JIANG KE getting tougher, so much so that he ends up detaining him for interrogation for a few days. The after-effects of the interrogations are permanent (-1 STR).

Victor Yakubu 99A977 Age 34

Born in Chengdu, follows the Soft Path. Army and ex-convict.

Gambling 1, Firearms (projectile) 1, Heavy Weapons 1, Athletics 0, Streetwise 1, Driving 0, Melee (Unarmed) 1, Melee (Blade) 1, Mechanics 0, Navigation 0, Persuade 1, Reconnaissance 1, Stealth 1, Carouse 0, Deception 0.

Equipment: Knife, 1000 Cr.

Enemy: The Gang of Sevens become your enemies in prison.

History

Term 1 (Army): After joining the army, you are assigned to a special force destined to act against the small groups that cause disturbances demanding the independence of the colony. This forces you to carry out endless surveillance and undercover surveillance.

Term 2 (Army): After another term in the army, you are sentenced as a scapegoat for an attack carried out by your unit. The warning that was supposed to scare the protesters got out of hand and there were injuries. Your platoon was only following orders from above, but they put the blame on you.

Term 3 (Army): Imprisoned, you must learn to survive in prison, but you get involved in a fight with an officer who prevents you from getting parole.

Term 4 (Army): You have made a name for yourself in prison, which attracts the attention of a gang. Since you cannot get along with them, they end up making your life impossible.

Liu Zhunyi 7C8B59 Age 40

Space Traveler, follows the Soft Path. Agent and Rogue.

Firearms (Projectile) 2, Firearms (Energy) 1, Athletics (Dexterity) 1, Streetwise 1, Drive 0, Melee (Blade) 1, Electronics 0, Investigate 1, Persuade 2, Recon 1, Stealth 1, Carouse 1, Deception 0, Suits 0, Fly 0, Navigation 0,

Equipment: Augmented Reality Implants, MADN 0G, Neural Port, Augmented Vision with Anti-Glare, Compuport, Knife, Armored Jacket (Protection 6), Rockwell 12-39 Magnum concealed in your duffel bag (TL10, Range 80, Damage 4d6, Magazine 6), Two Extra Magazines, 122,674 Cr.

Ally: You begin a relationship with a Mid-level official. Belongs to the faction loyal to the Manchurian government, she can pull some strings in Chengdu.

History

Term 1 (Agent): During your training you showed tremendous physical prowess, but on one of your first missions you suffered a serious injury that affected your back (-4 to Dex).

Term 2 (Rogue): After being fired, you end up using your skills for a criminal organization, where you learn to be unscrupulous, even beating the person who introduced you to the organization to take his place and rise.

Term 3 (Rogue): You get involved in a confrontation with a rival gang, but you come out victorious and take a good loot.

Term 4 (Rogue): You spend several months deeply involved in the criminal underworld of Chengdu thanks to your new contact in the colony.

Term 5 (Rogue): Once again, your lack of scruples allows you to take a step forward by betraying a companion. Your new level makes you someone important, and your ally begins to introduce you to relevant people within the pro-core movement. Your economic benefits have managed to partially recover your physique thanks to cutting-edge therapies (+2 Dex).

 

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