Freelance Traveller

by Joel Callahan

The PCs (who own a ship) are approached by a man claiming to represent the "Rainmaker 1200" - more of a bunch of components and a laborious process by which his team will 'convert' your cargo bay (probably the largest 'living' space on your ship) into a Weather Room.

"Imagine," he says, "being 3 weeks into a continuous Jump routine, and being able to soak your toes in a lake, overlooking a setting sun..." You can almost hear the crew shipping in money just to pay for the thing.

What It Is

The process requires a few weeks to complete, and they have to move your ship to their location ("All of the equipment is there" - a fair enough statement). Once there, the make your cargo bay water "proof" - i.e. any fittings that poke out can now retract into the wall and be flush. The surfaces are coated in a water-proofing polymer and there is a catchment system at the bottom of the cargo bay.

The ideal scenario is all crew and passengers, and no cargo in the main cargo bay. The engineering crew make a few adjustments, and sand and water start filling portions of the cargo bay.

The sand forms sand bar islands - perfect for a quiet get-away for a special couple...

A special light/globe is installed in the ceiling, and it can actually track 'east to west'. If people stay in there long enough, they will see it move slowly. Suntans are a possibility!

To top it off: the sounds from several different water worlds have been captured and are playing in the background in *true* 3D stereo. Bird calls, waterfalls trickling behind you, bubbling fish... it's all there.

And the occassional, random, Pacific Island rain storm! Out of seemingly no where, the birds get excited, then very quiet. The waves get stronger and stronger in the lagoon. Finally, overhead shower heads open up and lightly at first, and then a downpour of pure rain! Magic in the midst of Jump Space...

Possible Directions

1. It's all as it seems. The system needs a fair bit of maintenance, and carrying cargo means the Weather Room is closed...
2. as per 1, only a passenger goes in the Weather Room alone...and gets injured! She almost drowned in a rain storm. Your Ship's Doctor manages to save her, but she's considering a law suit...
3. as per 2, only the passenger is killed. What do you do with the body? If you blame the makers of the Weather Room, they will say you didn't follow the outlined cleaning procedure.
4. In the middle of a Jump (2 days into it, 5-ish to go), the entire ship loses power - except for the Weather Room. It *must* be an electrical fault tied to the weather room, but if you want power, lights, FRESH AIR, everyone must go to the Weather Room
5. as per 4, but the weather keeps getting rougher and rougher. . Uh oh... It seems there's a squall coming ashore...
6. The Weather Room leaks, and begins flooding the rest of the ship...