Man and Machine
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Author: Mark T. Geiger
Homepage: http://
System: Traveller RPG
Type: Scenario
Category: Science Fiction
Requirements:

Introduction and Overview:

“Man and Machine” is a complete adventure for the Traveller 4th Edition where the PC’s are hired to search and rescue missing BIA Agents who were on a survey mission on a machine world and are being interrogated for information as they may pose a threat to the newly created Third Imperium and to the Emperor. This adventure is for a party of 4 to 8 characters in order to succeed in the tasks that are ahead.

It is assumed that the Referee has read this adventure thoroughly before administering it to the players as all rules of the game applies. The only materials that are needed for this scenario are the Marc Millers’ Traveller Main Rulebook, T4: Milieu 0 Supplement, and the usual material: paper, pencils, pens, six-sided dice, a notepad, etc.

Standards and Assumptions:

Current Date: 073-0001.

This scenario takes place on the 73rd day of the second year of the Third Imperium, Year 1, where both the Interstellar Confederacy and the Chanestin Kingdom are dwindling but fighting for their survival as well as the Imperium is rapidly expanding into space as the Third Imperium grows at an incredible rate. As the Imperium grows, so does its star fleet. Every world that becomes part of the Third Imperium, is a new resource as well as it inhabitants as they become citizens of this new empire.

Location: Mupisar, Mikee Subsector, Core Sector

This adventure takes place on a machine world Mupisar (Core, 0915-B577000-B Ba 0013 M3 V) in the Mikee Subsector of the Core Sector of space, and it is about 12 parsecs from the capital of the Third Imperium. It is 5400 kilometers in diameter and 70% covered in oceans of water. It has a standard breathable atmosphere for any off-worlders’ who visit this world for business or for recreation. However, since there are a few individuals, this is essentially a mechanized world, where it is controlled by an Artificial Intelligence and the entire population is mechanized.

This world has no allegiance to any territorial government accept its own and therefore no bases are available for any off-worlder to connect them with the Imperium. It does, however have one planetary belt and three gas giants within this system. There are no prohibition laws to prevent any traveler from carrying any weapons and there us no current structured government that would maintain planetary stability among its people, but the computers’ AI do not need any kind of governmental structure for it is the master computer of the planet and system.

Starport: Class B – Good Quality Installation.

It has a Class B starport where it has good quality installation that has refined fuel available, annual maintenance overhaul in also available. Shipyard capability of starship and non-starship construction is present to accommodate the needs of any weary travelers who visit this world. The Technical Level of this system is at an average Imperial technology, which has technology that is accommodating to any traveler and citizen of the Third Imperium, especially gravitic capability, cybernetics, and minimal space travel capability.

Characters and Skill Requirements:

This adventure requires a character band of military (Army and Marine), Scouts, Merchants, and even Functionaries (who interact with governmental officials). These characters can be either originals or part of an ongoing campaign. Pregenerated characters can be provided from other Traveller Supplements, especially from Classic Traveller series, which are compatible to this system.

Ship: The characters ship should be a 100-ton Scout/Courier, a 400-ton Patrol Cruiser, or other small starship that has a strong jump capability. The ship should be fast and armed with weapons so that the PC’s could and would be able to defend them upon any action they encounter. This ship could be owned or leased to the PC’s or if they do not have a ship, then the Imperial Authorities could supply one

Skills: The skills that are required are Exploration, Survival, Administration, Computer, Stealth, First Aid, Robotics, and skills that require the operation of a starship.

Adventure Information and Background:

During the Long Night, centuries after the fall of the Second Imperium, or the Rule of Man in the year –1776, the inhabitants of the world Mupisar, in the Core Sector of space, have been excelling in prosperity and technology. They were at the height in developing jump drive capability as well as building their super-computer in order to oversee the stability of their planet as they find new ways to enhance there standard of living. “Star-Quest” was launched and it accomplished great strides in the planetary security and monitor its populace with efficiency and ease. For generations, this system has been successful in all aspects in planetary functions until the system itself found that it had no use of its populace and slowly began taking over all elements of planetary functions. The planets populace had discovered what “Star-Quest” was doing, but it was too late to reverse its quest for planetary dominance. The only way the populace could attempt to stop “Star-Quest” is to by force, and a war had ensued.

The populace built up an army and was ready for war, as do the planetary system, with its manufactured military from its assembly line. When the global war had started, both sides fought with efficiency and at maximum effectiveness, but the machines outnumbered the populace army by a thousand to one and the populace military sought that they machines had unlimited foot soldiers. As the war had been fought between the armies, the civilian population was able to muster up any or all-workable starships in their storage and began to evacuate the planet to find refuge on a new and uninhabited planet somewhere within the Core Sector. As the ships were escaping from the planet, the planetary defense systems were activated and began attacking the civilian ships. Though a few had been lost, the civilian populace managed to escape their homeworld and to take refuge in space and to search for a new home.

The remaining elements of the populace military either went underground or were captured by the machines to be assimilated into the new world order of Mupisar, conquered by the machines. With the planet devastated by war, the machines build a new society that covered the entire planet as all organic elements were covered in metal and steel. However, this came at a price. The planetary resources were nearly exhausted and the machines needed new resources from off-world. “Star-Quest” organized diplomatic ties with the Imperium to invite merchants and travelers onto their world for trade and commerce. Curious of this, the Imperial Council sent scouts and BIA agents to investigate this world as well as finding out the “mysterious disappearance” of the planets populace. The planets Artificial Intelligence needed to hide the truth to their Imperial Guests, they recorded that the populace died out by an unfortunate infection that affected them genetically and the planetary system could not find way to help them in time to cure them from the virus, but were able to eradicate the infection to make it safe for travelers and merchants as well as other visitors to this world.

The Scouts and BIA Agents came and in time they discovered the truth about the populace and were captured and detained for intense interrogation and other means to hold them prisoner. The Imperial Council needed to find their envoys for a debriefing as well as their safety. They then sent word to find a small group to be hired to find their men and to bring them home.

Players Information:

On Mupisar, a governmental Artificial Intelligence computer has taken control of the planet and have nearly wiped out its’ entire population. The computer, “Star-quest”, took control and has turned the planet into a machine world. Its new populace is entirely mechanical and those who were able to escape managed to find ships and headed for deep space where they are lost forever. The machines now dominate the planet and began making plans to expand to the next world. The Imperial Bureau of Interstellar Affairs (BIA) sent a ship to investigate this rumor, but were never seen again. The Bureau of Interstellar Affairs are looking to hire an independent mercenary group are to go to Mupisar to find and rescue the missing BIA agents, who may be lost and presumed dead. The machines on this world are skeptical of any organics and if they become suspicious, they will react with lethal force.

The group has to find a way to Mupisar by using forged documents and pose as merchants on a trade relations mission in order to search the planet for the missing BIA agents and rescue them. Afterward, the group and the rescued BIA Agents have to escape with their lives by getting to their ship and to get to Imperial Space. Be aware, machine sentries and planetary defenses are on patrol and are armed with energy weapons. They will especially preferred not to interact with any organic beings, humans and aliens alike.

Referees’ Information:

Mupisar is a dank and dark world that’s covered with machine cities and mechanical inhabitants. The entire world is a metallic city over a barren landscape and was created and evolved by a computer AI system that was first developed by the planets first inhabitants. The mercenaries pose as scouts on a survey mission to update their planetary data in the Imperial Files. They will also be merchants to trade goods for raw materials and the PC’s will have to be as inconspicuous as possible, and to be as covertly as best as they could due to the constant surveillance of organics by the machine world. There are several options to find the missing BIA agents.

1. Use the planets’ main computer to your advantage through a system search and disguise it as a planetary survey to hide from the planetary monitoring system of the “Star-Quest” AI.

2. Go on a field search through the city and through all sectors of the planet. This is slow and timely, but it shows the PC’s activities in a planetary survey while searching for the missing BIA agents.

3. Interact with the mechanical and organic inhabitants as the “survey” progresses and may be able to find aid with those who would help the PC’s. They may be accommodating and even helpful to aid the PC’s with their quest.

4. A combination of all, a few could access the main computer interface, a few could interact with the inhabitants and visitors, and the rest could conduct a field search for the missing BIA agents.

With due diligence and perseverance, the PC’s have found the BIA agents in the underground and dirty section of the city and inside a secure chamber under surveillance and interrogation about the Sylean Federation and the Third Imperium. The hostages are several levels below the PC’s and each level is more hazardous than the other, and is more difficult task to pass through each level. Each level could only be accessed through a long coil of stairs that separates each floor, 10 meters between each floor.

Floor Level One: This floor is lit with artificial lighting from the upper level and is patrolled by 1D-2 Floating Sentries that are armed with laser pistols on their arms and equipped with night vision and UV sensors. This floor is long and treacherous as well as being rooms and workstations for mechanical robots working to maintain their global system. When alerted, they will notify the Sentries to seek and destroy the intruders with extreme prejudice.

Floor Level Two: This floor is barely lit by artificial light and is patrolled by 1D Floating Sentries with laser pistol arms and 1D-2 mechanical Foot Soldiers with heavy laser pistols. This floor is like a maze where the PC’s could be surprised by any mechanicals without warning and attack the PC’s in order to capture for interrogation.

Floor Level Three: This floor cold only be lit by a lighting system that is in need of repair and is patrolled by 1D roving Mechanical Foot Soldiers equipped with laser rifles and will attack any or all organics who are on this level. This level is also a maze of with small maintenance drones and monitoring systems to control the progress of the each unit on that level. This shall be a difficult task to complete before going to the next level.

Floor Level Four: This floor is actively patrolled with 1D+2 Heavily Armed Mechanical Foot Soldiers who are constantly searching and capturing any organics who hide from their artificial persecutors and to attempt to escape death. This level is also lit by a lighting system and is a maze with a wide corridor down the center. There are digital sensors the contain UV and Night Vision that can and are equipped with lasers to attack all intruders that are detected. This shall be a formidable task to complete before going to the next level.

Floor Level Five: This floor is dankly lit where there are 1D+3 Sentries and 1D+4 Foot Soldiers that are on guard at the prison holding cells with the BIA Agents who are their hostages. This floor is nearly dark so visuals are next to impossible, but the PC’s opponents are equipped with UV and Night Vision Sensors as an advantage. The task in rescuing them is also formidable with some options in accomplishing this mission task.

1. Decoy the Sentries away from the door by a noise or by someone throwing their voice;

2. Lure the Sentries away by one of the PC’s by using a false emergency;

3. Sending a false radio call to the Sentries so that they will be sent to a false situation or assignment;

4. The PC’s would come up with an original idea in getting the Sentries away from the door.

The door is a complex electronic lock that is difficult to crack and to open. With a Locksmith Skill of at least a 3rd level in order to break and interface with it would be beneficial. When the lock is opened, they will find 1D-2 BIA agents who are in poor health and in need of medical attention. A PC with a Level 2 Medical skill could apply first aid will enhance the BIA agents’ health by 1D on each of there Primary Characteristics. They will have a difficult task of escaping the detention level before the Sentries return, and if they fail; the Sentries will automatically attack the PC’s and alert Planetary Security.

The PC’s would have to pass through a gauntlet of Gravitic Armed Sentries and Foot Soldiers (2D per floor level) who are on alert and will attack the PC’s and BIA Agents in order to capture or kill them as well as keeping their prisoners. If they manage to survive and escape the gauntlet, they will reach the planets surface where they will find every organic and off-worlder will be collected and detained. This will be a formidable task for the PC’s to pass though the city and get to the Starport Hanger and to get to their ship.

Their ship is heavily guarded by (2D+4) Mechanical Foot Soldiers who are armed with laser rifles and getting pass them undetected will be a difficult task. A firefight is one option but another is luring away. If there is a firefight, then the battle will be long unless the PC’s could find a way to incapacitate them so that they could get to their ship. If a PC’s opted to lure the Foot Soldiers away, they could create a diversion and try (Difficult Task) to rush to their ship, as the Foot Soldiers will investigate the disturbance. If they fail, they will be attacked by the Foot Soldiers and there will be a firefight in the Starport Hanger.

Before the PC’s lift off, armed Foot Soldiers approach the ship and attack. If the PC’s ship has shields, then there will be an Average Task in raising them in time before the ship would be damaged from the attack. The PC’s make an expedient lift off to escape Musipar and destroying the Sentries in the process. Upon escape, 2D Anti-ship Ballistic Missiles (ASBM), each having a High Explosive Warhead that could penetrate the ships hull, if the ship is not shielded, is chasing their ship. If will take an average task with a ship piloting skill to out maneuver the ASBM’s, otherwise, an average task of a ships gunnery skill will allow the destroy the missiles before they are able to make the jump into Imperial Space and into safety.

Epilogue:

The players arrived at Marsus (0714-B6A7999-B) where there is an Imperial Hospital and Military Outpost to treat the BIA Agents for their wounds and malnutrition. The PC’s receive a monetary reward and recognition by the Emperor, where they can be called upon again in the future.

Referees’ Resources and Materials:

To create the full scope of this adventure, the Referee has to create a few playing aids for the players’ and their own reference:

1. There should be a map of the world and the continent in which this adventure would take place. The core of this scenario is on a peninsula of the main continent. The ideal example for a planet that is covered with artificial structures is the world Coruscant in the Star Wars Universe.

2. The multiple levels of the floors that the players have to go through in order to rescue the prisoners within the planetary system. These floors would be a gauntlet for the players to face, each more difficult than as well as more dangerous than the other as the planetary security attempts to prevent them from accomplishing their rescue mission.

3. The complete stats on the Mechanical or Droid populace, including foot soldier and security system in which are programmed to prevent the players from their mission as well as deceive them while on planet. There are two rules that can be applied in order to generate a Mechanical inhabitant: Best of the Journal for the Travellers Aide Society for Classic Traveller or Central Supply Catalog for Marc Millers’ Traveller. Some ideas for the mechanical populace is the Service Droid, Security Droid, Foot Soldier Droid, Heavy Weapons Droid, and the Sentry Droid. The following characterizations are derived from the BJTAS Vol. One:

a.	Security Droid: Human Configuration, 75kgs
i.	Type II Chassis
ii.	Type B Reactor-based Power Plant (Output: 40Eus): 15kgs
iii.	Locomotion: Legs: 23kgs; equal to organic legs.
iv.	Appendages: 2 Arms: 5kgs
v.	Head and Brain: TL14, 6kgs, Programming Capacity – 3
vi.	Sensors:
1.	Basic Sensor Package: 2kgs
2.	Enhanced Night Vision: 1kg
vii.	Communications:
1.	Remote Slave Unit: 2kgs
2.	Voder/Vocorder: 3kgs
3.	Multi-channel FM Radio: 1kg
4.	Tele-visual Camera: 3kgs
viii.	Coverings: 7kgs
ix.	Weapon Carried: Laser Carbine w/ cable attached to the Power Plant
x.	Programming (skills):
1.	Medium Security – 2  
2.	General Vehicle – 1 
3.	General Weapons Handling – 2 
b.	Sentry Droid: Cylinder Configuration, 50kgs.
i.	Type I Chassis – 5kgs
ii.	Type A Reactor-based Power Plant (Output: 20Eus): 10kgs
iii.	Locomotion – Anti-Gravitic Generators: 6kgs; Maximum Speed – 200kmph 
iv.	Appendages: 2 Arms: 5kgs
v.	Brain: TL14, 4kgs, Programming Capacity – 5
vi.	Mounted Weapons: Enhanced SMG: 5kgs 
vii.	Coverings: 5kgs
viii.	Sensors:
1.	Basic Sensor Unit: 2kgs
2.	Passive IR: 1kg
3.	Passive UV: 1kg
4.	Enhanced Night Vision: 1kg
5.	Tele-Visual Camera: 2kgs
ix.	Communications:
1.	Remote Slave Unit: 2kgs
2.	Standard FM Radio: 1kg
x.	Programming (skills):
1.	Maximum Security – 3 
2.	General Weapons Handling – 1 
3.	Reconnaissance – 2 
c.	Foot Soldier Droid: Human Configuration, 100kgs. 
i.	Type II Classis
ii.	Type C Reactor-based Power Plant (Output: 80Eus) 
iii.	Locomotion – One Pair of Legs.
iv.	Appendages – 2 Arms 
v.	Head & Brain – TL 15, Programming Capacity – 5
vi.	Coverings
vii.	Sensors: 
1.	Basic Sensors
2.	Enhanced Night Vision
3.	Telescopic Vision
4.	Active Infrared Vision
5.	Active Ultra Violet Vision
viii.	Communications:
1.	Multi-channel FM Radio
2.	Voder/Vocorder
3.	Remote Slave Unit
ix.	Programming (skills):
1.	General Vehicle – 2 
2.	Weapons Handling – 2 
3.	Ground Combat – Infantry – 2  
x.	Weapons Carried: Laser Rifle w/ power cable attached to the Power Plant.
d.	Multi-Purpose Service Droid: Human Configuration, 75kgs.
i.	Type II Chassis – Weight: 7kgs
ii.	Type C Reactor-based Power Plant (Output: 80Eus): 25kgs
iii.	Locomotion – Anti-Gravitic Unit: 10kgs
iv.	Appendages – 4 Arms: 10kgs
v.	Head and Brain – TL15: Programming Capacity – 5 
vi.	Sensors:
1.	Basic Sensor Package: 2kgs
2.	Low level Audio: 1kg
vii.	Communications:
1.	Standard FM Radio: 1kg
2.	Tele-visual Camera: 3kgs
3.	Voder/Vocorder: 1kg
4.	Remote Slave Unit: 2kgs
viii.	Coverings: 7kgs
ix.	Equipment Compartment: 3kgs of and assortment of tools.
x.	Programming (skills):
1.	Mechanical – 2 
2.	Electrical – 2 
3.	Engineering – 2 
4.	Cargo Handling – 1 
e.	Heavy Weapons Droid: Human Configuration, 200kgs.
i.	Type IV Chassis – Weight: 20kgs
ii.	Type D reactor-based Power Plant (Output: 120Eus): 35kgs
iii.	Locomotion – Legs: 60kgs
iv.	Appendages – 2 Arms: 20kgs
v.	Coverings: 20kgs
vi.	Head and Brain – TL 15: 4kgs, Programming Capacity – 5.
vii.	Sensors:
1.	Basic Sensor Package: 2kgs
2.	Enhanced Night Vision: 1kg
3.	Active Ultra Violet Vision: 2kgs
4.	Active Infrared Vision: 2kgs
5.	Telescopic Visual: 2kgs
viii.	Communications:
1.	Multi-channel FM radio: 1kg
2.	Remote Slave Unit: 2kgs
3.	Voder/Vocorder: 1kg
4.	Counter ECM Package: 2kgs
ix.	Weapons mounted:
1.	Two Light Assault Guns: 8kgs w/ 2kgs of 20mm rounds of ammunition.
2.	One Auto Grenade Launcher: 7kgs w/ 1kg of 40mm grenade rounds of ammunition.
3.	One Laser Carbine w/ power cable attached to the Power Plant.
x.	Programming (skills):