Perseus Expansion – Episode 4
We left our heroes escaping the Near Dark system in their Combine registered tramp freighter, accelerating out of atmosphere and heading for the one safe jump point. Unbeknownst to them they had a stowaway in the shape of Darius Blaze (Military-Starfarer-Crowded), and a new player for a session or two. Darius was on the opposing heist team and speculatively stowed away to follow the trail of the successful team of PCs.
Dr Krieger investigated the data cube and found out [prompted and asked the Dr to tell us what he found] that the data had all the hallmarks of the ESU’s infamous Delta Directive, and rather than being the antidote to the virus, it was a sophisticated placebo and no more, masking the true structure of time delayed biologicals with a limited lifetime, a containable infection with a shelf life, a dirty weapon. Was Near Dark the victim of a controlled test of this disease? A deep dive into the data structures revealed a digital signature that pointed to the location of a laboratory.
Meanwhile the liner Sumptuous sprays out some small craft that speed out system, alerting a waiting ship to intercept the PC freighter. The Independent bulk freighter Hagan lumbers into scanner range. It is a hired privateer working a faction that want to reclaim the data disk? Or maybe the hyper dense silver globe? Or probably both. The globe resisted all scanning attempts.
As the Hagen sprays out two wings of attached starfighters I limber up ready for a very one sided starship combat battle. As Tyrrell and the interloper Darius square up to each other on the bridge, Dr Krieger storms in and initiates a sudden exit to jumpspace, yep he went straight for the Wild Jump! (7 result). A new uncharted world ! A strange signal in a hard to decipher alien protocol, talking of a gate in power down and not able to support transfers until restored. The signal was traced to a structure an hour away. It was of vast size, and possibly of the same construction of the two known functioning forerunner gates’ If this really is a third gate then it is a momentous discovery.
Speeding in the other direction the characters encounter a planetary system, with an atmospheric make up identical to old earth’s. How strange… Orbiting the planet was a large upstation, which needed to be explored. What they found within the partially powered structure were the remains of Arzurak humanoids and a station that never recovered from a crisis. The multi limbed wyrm like creatures within ensued a quick gun battle, with Darius finishing off one with his dress sword.
Down below, on planet there is suddenly signs of life, just as the orbital station starts to come back online. They are representatives of the peaceful and benevolent Harmonious Futures, whose lead representative, Saran Gumai, invites the PCs down to the surface of Traxic III, to visit their monastery, a prefabricated beauty on the edge of a lake.
Greeted warmly, they enjoy the clean fresh air around them, with just a hint of sweetness. Food and drink is consumed heartily, and the entire western tower is at their disposal. Setting up a watchdog sensor, the characters recline in soft sheets and sleep soundly, waiting for the morning to come. It will won’t it?