At first, no apparent effects are noticeable, except that Juic
ers will feel somewhat more relaxed, less tense and "burned
out." This effect is particularly apparent among Juicers on their
"Last Call"; many of the side effects and warning signs that their
"time is up" disappear in a matter of days. Additionally, any
chronic side effects the Juicer may have been suffering also dis
appear. This is the result of the nano-enslavers seizing control of
the brain and nervous system. As the nano-enslavers take greater
control, the memories of the living person, especially long-term
memories, start to fade away. These Juicers start forgetting past
experiences, acquaintances and other remembrances. After two
months, this deterioration affects short-term memories, produc
ing symptoms somewhat similar to Alzheimer' s Disease. The
character may forget (temporarily or permanently) a friend, or
not remember what he was doing a few days (or even hours)
ago, etc. However, the basic intelligence and reasoning power of
the victim can be kept functioning as long as desired by the Val
lax . Of course, it' s only a matter of time before the Juicer real
izes that something is terribly wrong with him. At any moment
from that point forward, the Vallax can cue their nano-machines
to take over completely; killing the human spirit and seizing
complete control of the body. In this way, the Vallax can create
an inexpensive army of "Techno-Zombies" from the very popu
lation they intend to conquer. A creation that is utterly obedient,
with no other purpose in life than to serve its creators.
The description above is the slow, sure way of gaining com
plete and absolute control over one ' s victim (99.6% success ra
tio). The Juicer Uprising has forced the Vallax to initiate a
quick, "jump-start" of the process which only has a 72% success
ratio - the Phoenix process is incomplete in the remaining
28%, which means the brain and personality of the victim are
NOT under the complete control of the nano-enslavers or their
alien masters. That ' s what the "kill signal" really did. When the
General activated it, the nano-machines went into overdrive, lit
erally shutting the bodies down and making them appear dead
wjile they engage in massive reconstruction (a 72 hour process).
Now that things are completely out of hand, the Vallax are
using their Techno-Zombies to capture more Juicers to subject
them to the Phoenix Chip conversion in order to build an army
that might have a prayer of defending them. They can communi
cate with the nano-machines that now comprise the zombies '
brains via ultrasound transmissions (the Vallax also speak using
ultrasonic frequencies that ordinary humans cannot hear without
special mechanical augmentation or equipment, like 'Borgs fit
ted with the ultra ear). The siege and taking of Newtown by the
Juicers and the Coalition' s defensive line along the borders of
their territory has effectively trapped the Vallax in Newtown
with no means of escape. They realize it' s only a matter of time
before they are discovered and destroyed.
VallaxlUTI Secret Complex
UTI built a network of catacombs underneath Newtown with
out the knowledge of the human inhabitants. These tunnels are
filled with hot and steamy air because the Vallax come from a
world with a higher average temperature than Earth's. The lights
are very bright, almost painfully so, another modification for the
148
benefit of the Vallax. There are a number of secret passages in
several houses and UTI factories which open up to this tunnel
system. Stumbling across one of them is highly unlikely, but
characters with electrical engineer, locksmith or similar skills
can, on a successful skill roll at -30%, find such a doorway if
they are looking for it. Opening it will require a roll at -40%, or
the use of psychic or magical abilities, or explosives. Making an
opening will take a while; the doors and walls of the under
ground complex are made of very strong alloys with 500 M.D.C.
per four foot ( 1 .2 m section).
Characters who make it into the tunnels risk running into
groups of I D4 Vallax researchers and/or I D6 newcomer security
guards/androids ( 1 -20% chance; roll every five to ten minutes).
If they are stealthy and do not get discovered, the characters will
see huge armories stocked with Vallax Force Rifles, grenades,
rocket launchers and heavy weapons - enough to supply a large
army. Attempts to use the weapons will fail (see the
Vallax sec
tion
for more information). They will also find a chamber full of
transparent "coffins." Several hundred of these coffins are filled
with the bodies of Juicers ( l D4x l OO) undergoing the "quick"
conversion process;2D4x l O Techno-Zombies will become acti
vated every 24 hours. The Vallax and their newcomer servants
have been kidnapping Juicers in small numbers for days now.
Adventure/Scenario Ideas:
At this point, the discovery of
the real truth behind Operation Phoenix Rising is about to be
made. The player characters should have a good chance of mak
ing this discovery. The plot can be discovered in a number of
ways. Each of them would be an adventure/scenario in itself.
Described below are some possibilities; G.M.s can come up with
alternatives that better suit their gaming group or style.
Outlined below are some possibilities:
Bug
&
Android Hunt: The player characters come across two
Vallax invaders and four Newcomers, who are looking for an es
caped renegade Techno-Zombie. The aliens will attack without
warning; the Newcomers fight to the death, but if one of the Val
lax is destroyed, the other will try to flee or, failing that, surren
der. The alien will, if interrogated forcefully, reveal the secret of
Newtown. Bringing the alien back will convince the Juicers (and
eventually, the Coalition States) of what has really been going
on.
Investigating UTI: There ' s just something not right about
these so-called "newcomers." Our heroes can't quite put their
finger on it but these guys just seem suspicious. Other Juicers
and Dog Boys feel it too. If a player character(s) was witness to
the destruction of a newcomer during the Devon Incident, or
heard about it, they may have additional reason (but no evi
dence) to suspect things are not right with these "squishies."
Not so Friendly Fire: The player characters are on patrol or
adventuring on their own (in or out of the city), when they are
approached by a small group of Juicers (half as many as the
player group). Other than a few looking a little spaced-out,
there ' s nothing out of the ordinary about them - until they at
tack without provocation! The attackers seem to move a "bit"
slower than Juicers and don't talk much. If the player group is
captured they 'll learn
The Hidden Truth
(G.M.s, make sure
they have a fair chance of escape later, to save the day). Or they
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