Freelance Traveller

by Michael Hughes

The party's ship is chartered to transport a large and ancient tree to a colony world. It will take up most of the cargo space, and require special life-support adjustments to the cargo bay. A team of specialist arborists will be passengers. The party has been given dispensation to pick it up at the site instead of transporting the tree to the port first.

Possible directions to take this seed:

1. All is as it seems. The tree makes the journey unscathed and is replanted with great fanfare, the party invited to the celebration. There is dancing around the tree, and face painting for the kids.
2. A break away cult who reveres the tree is incensed at its 'theft'. They attack the loading, armed with druidic implements and shouting anti meat messages
3. The tree mutuates in jump space, causing it to swell in size and animate, and suck up all the water. Great branches burst through doors and swing from side to side as it seeks fresh water to drain to feed its never ending thirst. It is a 'drainer', able to 'suck' water from lifeforms. Naturally the Arborists are first...
4. The tree is pre-sentient, with exposure to jump space pushing it over the line. It has a limited telepathy and begs any psi sensitive PCs to return it to its home. The arborists naturally disagree.
5. The tree releases a psychoactive chemical which normally has a minimal effect. However when reacting with chemicals in the air re-cycle systems it causes the crew/passengers to go homicidally nuts.
6. The tree starts to bud in jump space, which is a rare and celebrated event. The Arborists are giddy with excitement. The problem is that the tree cannot be replanted while in that state and the ship must be rechartered for the duration of the budding - possibly a couple of months. The PCs may have to go to court to evict the tree, or risk dumping it and causing much wailing and gnashing of teeth.