MISSION HOOK
The cargo ship Anatanus has been captured by a pirate band's AI virus. The ship and its dangerous cargo of unstable antimatter are now on course to the pirates’ den, where it will be made into hab-smashers, weapons capable of demolishing habitats. Firewall sentinels have been dispatched, but the logistics of the mission restrict the team to what they can pack on a single missile. The lives of thousands hang on the sentinels boarding and capturing the ship in this desperate gambit.
STAGE 1: PRESS-GANG
Each member of the party is contacted by a Firewall Proxy, Zim, who arranges to meet them via a virtual conference. The conference room is a long, transparent table and chairs suspended above a model of the solar system, with habitats marked out as glowing stars. When the party arrives, Zim begins. Read the text in the Stage 1: Press-gang sidebar aloud.
If the characters accept, they will egocast to Fresh Kills, where they will be sleeved into Spare morphs (Gatecrashing, p. 151) stowed within a missile. They will literally ride the tip of the missile as it is launched at the Anatanus for its two-week flight time. All cargo is limited to a few cubic meters and they must maintain radio silence. Morphs may mount a single, one-handed weapon, light combat armor, and a selection of small modifications (provided by Firewall). The sentinels will have enough operational time to eliminate any integration difficulties. Sentinels are also provided with full schematics and keycodes to the Anatanus. Firewall will also provide any other small tools the party requests, assuming they are compact, and cost less than Expensive per member. Once safely packed, the missile launches away at 100 gs. To conserve energy, the sentinels are put into dormancy until it is time for insertion.
SPARE (SYNTHMORPH)
Spare morphs are small, cheap, lightweight, synthetic shells. Packed as a flat disc 15 centimeters in diameter and with a mass of 2 kilograms, when activated they pop into a spherical shape with 6 slender and retractable 20-centimeter limbs.
Enhancements: Access Jacks, Basic Mesh Inserts, Cyberbrain, Extra Limbs (3 Arms/3 Legs), Grip Pads, Mnemonic Augmentation, Puppet Sock, Light Combat Armor.
Mobility System (Movement Rate): Walker (2/8)
Aptitude Maximum: 20
Durability: 15
Wound Threshold: 3
Advantages: Light Combat Armor (14/12), counts as a small target in combat (-10 to hit)
Disadvantages: Social Stigma (Clanking Masses)
STAGE 2: BOARDING PARTY
The sentinels are awakened as the missile, now in its final stages, approaches the freighter. The missile has shed its booster rockets and nose casing, exposing the sentinels to the vacuum of space and a view of the freighter. The freighter is aware of the missile, but is too slow to avoid it. The massive freighter is 150 meters long, with the habitation decks mounted at the fore of the ship. The missile’s automatic guidance system avoids the destructive wake of gamma radiation from the ship's exhaust, even as it drops speed to only a few hundred relative meters a second. The freighter’s anti-collision defenses activate, spraying tungsten shells. The missile approaches to 500 meters and fires off each sentinel, before it maneuvers away to draw fire. Finally, the missile explodes in a cloud of debris and chaff.
Each sentinel’s morph is equipped with a single-use chemical maneuvering rocket. The sentinels are fired off sequentially (the sentinels can determine the order). As each sentinel approaches, they must complete three actions; avoid the anti-collision suppressive fire (a Fray, Flight, or Freefall test, at +10 or suffer 2d10+6 damage), decelerate (a Flight or Freefall test at +20), and land (a Flight or Freefall test, with a modifier equal to the MoS or MoF of the deceleration test). They have a second opportunity to decelerate and land on the fore Whipple shield, or they risk missing the ship altogether and continuing into space. For either opportunity, sentinels who fail their rolls to make a graceful landing can make a crash landing, suffering 5d10 damage from the collision (reduced to 2d10 if the deceleration test was successful).
If successful, the characters land on the cargo pods attached to the central spine of the ship. The ship’s acceleration provides .002 g. Excepting the interior of the habitation decks, the entire ship is in a vacuum. The ship’s keycodes have been changed, so accessing airlocks or secure systems require appropriate hacking or hardware skills.
ANATANUS CREW
One of the original eight morphs aboard was destroyed when the ship was taken. For the crew, use four Pirate characters (NPC File 1: Prime, p. 12) or Scum Enforcer (EP, p. 165), three Extropian Smuggler characters (EP, p. 159), and one Mercurial Investigator (EP, p.164), as well as several AIs with a score of 40 in any necessary skills. Biomorphs will use drugs like MRDR to give them a combat edge (+10 SOM, +1 Speed, +10 Durability, ignore modifiers from one wound). There are five robots on board the Anatanus, but all will be inert or helpful, unless specifically ordered otherwise or under the direct control of a pirate.
ANATANUS LAYOUT
The Anatanus is built around a central spine. Massive cargo pods attach entirely around the spine. At the aft of the ship is the ship’s fuel and engines, which are overseen by automated and remote systems, and largely sealed off from intrusion. The habitation decks are built onto the front of the ship. The ship is studded with active and passive sensory and communication nodes, and heavy machine guns to destroy space debris. Characters are tracked by the Comms/Sensors host unless tracking devices are individually deactivated, the server is hacked, or characters succeed on an Infiltration (-10) test. Tracked characters are likely to be stalked and ambushed by pirates. Pirates will not be surprised by tracked characters.
1 – Cargo Spine – 80m long, the central spine runs from the habitation decks to the engines and fuel pods. It contains several Jefferies tubes and the shaft for the cargo elevator. It is heavily shielded, but accessible via utility hatches. There is space between the massive cargo modules for a morph to crawl through. Within a minute of the missile passing, one of the pirates accompanied by an automech will exit to the spine and begin searching for anything suspicious. One of the cargo modules contains the antimatter. If physically accessed, the magnetic containment can be defeated with either a hard (-30) Infosec or Hardware: Industrial test, causing a massive explosion which will vaporize the Anatanus and everything within it.
2 – Cargo Airlock – 5m x 5m x 3m, the cargo airlock accesses a large space under the cargo spine which make it accessible to loading vehicles. The airlock is locked.
3 – Loading Area – 15m X 5m x 8m, the cargo loading area has two hyperdense exoskeletons, an elevator and ladders to the second level, as well as other tools for loading and stowing cargo. In the case of a detected intrusion, one of the pirates will puppetsock an automech from the repair bay to attack.
4 – Repair Bay – 10m X 3m x 8m, the repair bay includes all the tools necessary for repairing drones or morphs, including a limited fabber. One pirate is working on a damaged slitheroid on a table. Looking at the damage, the morph does not appear to be repairable. The bay feeds into both habitation levels. From the walls hang articulated arms with heavy tools. Two suits of heavy combat armor and two automatic rifles (without ammunition) are here.
5 – Engine Remote Control and Repair Center – 3m x 4m, the center is dominated by computers and virtualization equipment. Two recliners are available for telepresence operators. From the center, they may operate repair drones in the engine, review engine data, and modify input. The engine AI is protected by a firewall and operates near the engines themselves, to prevent tampering. The AI prevents any circumstances which might result in dangerous conditions for the ship, it’s crew, or known habitats or ships nearby.
6 – Communications Bay – This office contains a simulspace booth and is the command center for overseeing and modifying sensor and communications data. The farcaster is located here (currently offline).
7 – Medical Bay – Four healing vats and an examination table, as well as a Dr. Bot and limited fabber are located here. Four doses of MRDER (EP, p. 319) and 200 rifle rounds are in the fabber.
8 – Backup Engine AI – A secondary computer for operating the engine systems, it is left turned off and heavily shielded to prevent damage. It can be brought online within fifteen minutes following an emergency and will automatically override the normal AI unless a security code is provided.
9 – Life Support – This room steps “downwards”, expanding it to 20m X 25m x 6m. It contains eight massive, self-agitating algae tanks, tended by swarms of gardeners. Pipes along every available surface feed to filters and storage tanks. Two pirates are tending to the machines. The crew’s infomorph hacker is here if not otherwise occupied dealing with the sentinels.
10 – Communications and Ships Operations Computers – Three central computer cores are stored within the Life Support Module. These cores contain the computers for sensors, communications, life support, maintenance, cargo and all other ship operations (excepting navigation and engine operations). The crew’s hacker stores his ego on board the computer core.
11 – Biological Storage – Giant tanks of water, compressed air, and other critical chemicals are stored along the walls of the habitation decks, where they also provide protection against radiation. There is a small amount of crawlspace between the storage vats, which provide access to the sensor banks and excellent concealment.
12 – Sensor Banks – Passive receivers and their support equipment are stored here, accessible via utility hatches. The backup navigation computer is stored, offline, in the nose sensor bank. In the case of an emergency, it may be brought online, in which case it will override the original computer.
13 – Shared Recreation Area – This room has space for indoor sports, as well as collapsible seating for community sims or other activities. Users with access to the ship’s computer will see a map of the inner system superimposed over the room, blazoning a red path to Mars’s L5 Lagrange Point.
14 – Dormitories – There are two dormitories, each containing four acceleration bunks, separated by collapsing separators. Each bunk also has a cabinet, containing personal effects and emergency equipment. The aft dormitories feed into two smaller recreation rooms, each containing a collapsible table and chair, and two hygiene rooms. One pirate is hiding here to flank the party when they attempt to enter the bridge.
15 – Bridge – The doors to the bridge are locked. The bridge contains acceleration chairs for six, each with an AR wrap-around display. The bridge is set around a tactical display which displays the ship and local space. Two pirates and an automech are in hiding here, and will ambush on anyone who enters.
16 – Drone/EVA Storage – By default, four thruster packs, two EVA sleds, and four automechs are stowed here, along with accessories. By the time the sentinels arrive, at least two automechs have likely been removed, and additional equipment may be missing. It feeds into an elevator near the ceiling of the repair bay, and into the cargo elevator.
17 – Parts Storage – Specialized pieces for synthmorphs, robots, tools and other equipment are stowed here. Characters may find a number of improvised weapons, as well as spare parts necessary for repairs. Protected in the back of the room are the Engine and Navigation primary computers and the backup Operations computer, each protected from tampering or damage by armor and locks.
18 – Cargo Elevator – This 5m x 10m elevator car is sealed against the vacuum and can be sent to any point along the Anatanus’s spine, to access cargo modules or the engine. It is locked.
19 – Personal Airlocks, Suit Storage – This airlock has space for six individuals. It has an adjoining closet, containing eight standard vac suits, two hard suits, and two thruster packs, as well as first aid equipment.
20 – Whipple Shield – Twenty meters beyond the bow of the ship is a massive Whipple shield, a thin, self-repairing impact shield fifty meters in diameter.
ANATANUS NETWORK
The Anatanus network consists of six servers. Each server is protected by an AI with a rating of 40 in all computer-relevant skills. They are each separated by the other by firewalls or air gaps. All default accounts have been deleted off the online servers, preventing easy authentication. The servers are:
Communications/Sensors – This server connects to the outside world, manages all mesh access, sensor data, and exterior defenses. External access has been manually shut off, except for brief periods, however any user may access it from anywhere within 100 meters of the ship (with proper authentication). It tracks all characters on the ship. All pirates are almost constantly connected.
Ship Operations – This server manages the majority of the services of the ship. The pirate hacker protects this server when they aren’t otherwise engaged. An authenticated user may connect from anywhere in contact with the ship. All pirates are almost constantly connected.
Navigation – The navigation computer holds navigational maps, charts and routes. It accepts limited sensory data, and provides location data, however both feeds are too limited to permit remote hacking. Users cannot otherwise connect except by defeating the locked and armored cabinet it resides in and accessing it physically. The navigation server holds the original pirate AI, which it propagated to the Ship Operations server. The AI will continue to guide the ship towards the pirates’ destination.
Engine – The engine server is located deep within an armored shell nearby the engines at the aft of the ship. It is extremely difficult to access, however the pirates have had sufficient time to propagate their AI on it. The engine server accepts limited control and routing information, and provides diagnostic information. Both feeds are too limited to permit remote hacking.
Backup Servers – Each server has an offline backup. It takes fifteen minutes to boot up. Once booted, the redundant server will override the primary system, and resume a pre-programmed, limited course of action (maintaining life support while guiding the ship to the nearest port), with sufficient controls for emergency action, unless overridden with a security code. None of the backup servers have been compromised. They must be booted up manually, and are stored within armored, locked cabinets.
STAGE 3: AFTERMATH
Depending on the characters’ actions, they may have secured the shipment discreetly, or left WMDs in the hands of a pirate band.
SHIP SECURED
Once the ship is secured, they will receive instructions to egocast away, and the ship will be handed over to the authorities. The evidence gathered will be a major blow against the violent Barsoomian cell, and increase the stability in the solar system.
SHIP OR CARGO DESTROYED
If the sentinels take more than five hours to complete their mission, the Consortium will fire a barrage of missiles which will completely destroy the Anatanus. Losing the ship or the cargo is a stalemate. It prevents a major attack – for now – but a second attempt is inevitable. Meanwhile, the Republic and the Consortium inch closer to war.
SENTINELS CAPTURED OR KILLED
Should the sentinels fail completely in their mission, the cargo and the pirates are jettisoned and the ship destroyed before they can be intercepted by Consortium interdictors. The antimatter is used in a wave of extremely destructive terror attacks against Consortium habitats on and around Mars, especially Progress. The characters may have an opportunity for redemption, following new clues to track down the pirates and their weapons.
