TEXT: Through the Veil 
  An Episodic Adventure for Traveller 
   
   
  
  Credits 
   
  Adventure Concept, Ship Design and Other Important Stuff: Dave Chase 
  Most of the Words: Martin J Dougherty 
  Creator of the Outer Veil setting: SPICA Publishing, Omer Golan-Joel and Richard 
  Hazlewood 
  Ship Deckplans: Ian Stead 
  Editing: Colin Dunn 
   
   
  Introduction 
  Through the Veil is an adventure for the Traveller roleplaying game published by Mongoose 
  Publishing. It can be played with a different edition of Traveller or indeed with other SF roleplaying 
  rules, but the conventions used hereafter are drawn from the Traveller RPG so a working knowledge of 
  that game will be highly useful. 
   
  The backdrop for this adventure is the Outer Veil setting from Spica Publishing. The key elements of 
  this setting are: 
   
   
  There is no FTL (Faster-than-light) communication other than sending a starship with a 
  message 
   
  Interstellar travel is somewhat in its infancy. Jump-1 ships with a range of 1 parsec per week 
  have been available for some time, but the Jump-2 engine is a recent invention. 
   
  Although alien ruins have been found, humans are the only sentient species active in this area 
  of space as far as anyone can tell.  
   
  Human expansion out from Terra has been going on for several decades, but the distance from 
  Earth to the Outer Veil and the unknown reaches beyond is relatively short. Nevertheless, this 
  distance does represent several weeks’ transit for most starships. 
   
  Central authority (and law and order) drops off fast away from the core worlds near Terra, 
  making the Outer Veil a hazardous place. 
   
  Not all the exploration and expansion going on is licensed or even known to the authorities. 
  Unregistered and sometimes downright illicit colonies can be found on worlds that officially 
  have not even been surveyed.  
   
  This adventure is suitable for almost any character type, though skills useful aboard a starship would be 
  desirable for most characters. The characters will need a reason to make the journey featured in the 
  adventure, and working aboard the starship is the most logical option. Characters with potentially 
  useful skills or who can pay for passage are also possible, though they will need a plausible reason for 
  the long voyage out beyond the limits of civilization.  
   
  The adventure takes the form of several episodes, most of which take place on a planet along the route. 
  Incidents will occur, some of them beyond the scope of the adventure plot – the characters may get 
  themselves into all kinds of trouble along the way – and there is no set way of solving the problems 
  encountered. Any given course of action will have consequences, and some approaches will work 
  better than others. There is room for fast talking, stealth, violence and all manner of clever stratagems. 
   
  The plot is driven by an NPC who needs to get to his destination and will not be amenable to huge 
  digressions or sudden changes of route. This will serve to get the characters from one interesting locale 
  to another, but they should not be unduly railroaded once they get there. So long as the ship makes its 
  next port of call on time, the owner will be satisfied. Actions that threaten the mission or place the ship 
  and crew at risk are a different matter, however, and a character that persistently endangers everyone 
  else through greed, recklessness or simple stupidity will be left behind if necessary. 
   
  Outline of the Adventure 
  Through the Veil takes the form of ten episodes, each involving some time spent on the ship and some 
  at a planetfall or similar location. Time in Jump can be played out in detail if it seems desirable, such as 
  
  when an incident occurs or to permit character interactions, or can be glossed over to get the characters 
  to their next adventure.  
   
  The following outline also serves as an itinerary for the trip, and can be used as quick reference along 
  the way. 
   
  Prolog:   
  Marcos (Beta Hydri 2221) 
  Episode 1:  
  New Chryse (Beta Hydri 2021) 
  Episode 2:  
  Gamma Pavonis V (Avanim 2020) 
  Episode 3  
  Avanim (Avanim 2018) 
  Episode 4:  
  Epsilon Cygnii (Avanim 2216)  
   
  Episode 5:  
  Gas Giant Refuel at Avanim 2115 
   Rendezvous at Avanim 2314  
  Episode 6:  
  Gas Giant refuel at Avanim 2312 
   
   
  Avanim 2111 
  Episode 7: 
   Tootega (Beta Pavonis 2310)  
  Episode 8:  
  Gas Giant Refuel at NSSC 2510 (Beta Pavonis 2510) 
    
   
  NSSC 2610 
  Episode 9: 
  Naval Base at NSSC 2810 (Beta Pavonis 2810) 
  Episode 10:  
  NSSC 3009 (Beta Pavonis 3009) 
  Epilog:  
  NSSC 3009 (Beta Pavonis 3009) 
   
  
  Recurring Characters 
   
  John Hedley. Hunter/Shipowner 
  John Hedley is 59 years old, and has a solid reputation as a wilderness guide and exploration captain. 
  He typically dresses in a fairly nondescript manner, with tough ‘working’ trousers and shirt in neutral 
  colors, plus boots. In the field he adds a sleeveless jacket with many pockets, a belt full of useful items 
  and a bush hat, turning him into an almost stereotypical frontiersman.  
   
  John is aware that he resembles a cliché, but does not care for the simple reason that his clothing and 
  equipment are efficient and practical. On more formal occasions he can dress well, but he generally 
  prefers to wear working clothes.  
   
  John can be intolerant and is a hard taskmaster, a habit that has kept several expeditions alive in the 
  past. When things are going well he is fair, in that his scathing criticism falls only on those who do not 
  meet his high standards, but there are times when his ire is directed equally at everyone. John is an 
  absolute terror for beginners, i.e. anyone who does not really know what they are doing, as he will rip 
  apart every single mistake. This is due to his upbringing in a harsh colony where young people had to 
  become competent fast or die, and would often take others with them. 
   
  John was born in a remote area on the world of Hamdir, in the Rusalka subsector, an unsupported and 
  unofficial colony that rapidly collapsed soon after being founded. This was in his grandparents’ time, 
  and by John’s early years his people were more or less barbarians, able to use only a small amount of 
  high-tech equipment and tools left over from the original colony mission.  
   
  During his rite of passage, in which he was expected to demonstrate his ability to survive in the 
  wilderness on his own and to contribute to the colony in his chosen capacity as a hunter and scavenger, 
  John encountered a party of offworlders who had no idea what they were doing and were in serious 
  danger. Assisting them seemed like the right thing to do, but for reasons that remain unclear to John it 
  offended his fellow colonists and he was cast out. He led the offworlders to safety in a long trek and 
  went with them when they left his homeworld. He has never been back, and that is becoming a 
  problem. 
   
  John and his fellow colonists were infected with a parasite which, unknown to them, actually helped 
  them survive by assisting in the digestion of local foods. Since he left, John’s parasites have been 
  slowly dying off. They would all be long gone but for John’s occasional exposure to compounds that 
  they need to survive as John ate whatever he could hunt on frontier worlds. Most of the parasites have 
  died off now, but John’s body has come to depend on them. If the last of them die, so will he. He does 
  not know this, however, and has no major symptom, though he is becoming aware that he is ‘not as 
  young as he used to be’ and thinks that this is purely down to age. 
   
  John worked his way up from a barbarian kid to a renowned explorer, and finally ended up with his 
  own ship, purely through being good at what he does. He does not like to explain himself, and expects 
  others to follow his lead with trust, or at least no pointless questions. Socially, especially with people 
  he respects for their abilities, John is easy-going and likable, but it is his decision whether someone is a 
  ‘social’ contact or a ‘business’ one, and that decision can be reversed without notice. 
   
  John has known Carlos Schmidt and has worked with him for many years on an informal basis. It was 
  Schmidt that facilitated John’s acquisition of the ship, and one of the strings attached was a willingness 
  to use it to support Carlos’ endeavors out on the frontier. So long as this is not over-used, John does not 
  really mind. 
   
  John Hedley. Hunter/Shipowner. Age 59. 10 terms 
  STR: 5  
  DEX: 8  
  END: 8  
  INT: 9  
  EDU: 7  
  SOC: 9 
   
  Survival 4 
  Leadership 3 
  Recon 3 
  Survey 3 
  Gun Combat (Slug Rifle) 2 
  Navigation 2 
  Stealth 2 
  Streetwise 2 
  
  Animals (Riding) 1 
  Athletics (Endurance) 1 
  Admin 1 
  Astrogator 1 
  Jack-of-All-Trades 1 
  Medic 1 
  Melee (Blade) 1 
  Persuade 1 
  Pilot 1 
  Social Science (Archaeology) 1 
  Space Science (Xenology) 1 
  Comms 0 
  Carouse 0 
  Computer 0 
  Drive (Wheeled) 0 
  Gambler 0 
  Life Science (Biology) 0 
  Remote Operations 0 
  Seafarer (Sail) 0 
  Sensors 0 
  Vacc Suit 0 
  Zero-g 0 
   
  Weapons and Equipment 
  John prefers to carry a blade to a handgun, at least as a sidearm, since a knife can be used for a great 
  many purposes in the wilds. He is rarely without at least a small knife. In the field, he routinely carries 
  a saw-backed machete (equivalent to a Blade) and will usually have a rifle or shotgun with him. If there 
  is a possible human threat then he will add a semi-automatic pistol to his rig, just in case. He views 
  handguns as useful only against people, whereas a rifle or machete can be used to deal with a wide 
  range of threats. 
   
  His bush rig includes various survival items such as a couple of ration bars, a multitool, water bottle 
  and fire-making equipment, and he rarely goes far without it. In the field he will add a small pack with 
  a range of additional equipment tailored to the environment. John favors multipurpose items that can 
  adequately tackle various circumstances over repacking his kit to include the perfect items for any 
  given situation. 
   
   
  
  Amethyste (Amber) Hedley. Medic/Administrator.  
  ‘Amber’ Hedley is actually called Amethyste, but she does not like the name and typically goes by 
  Amber. She is also not the biological daughter of John Hedley. Both of them know this, but both think 
  the other does not. Amber was presented to John as his daughter by her mother, a woman whose 
  (mutual) hatred of John is a subject best quietly avoided. The baby was registered as born aboard a 
  starship in Jump; Amber has no official homeworld. 
   
  John thinks that Amber believes she really is his daughter, and Amber thinks John does not know she is 
  not. In fact, they do think of one another as father and daughter – John did his best to raise his little girl 
  and is still quite protective of her – although Amber does not like her father much. He was a hard man 
  to be around for a little girl with no aptitude for the things John respects.  
   
  John is quite proud of his daughter, and would admit to a friend that ‘I did my best, and she turned out 
  pretty good despite that.’ He has a very real respect for Amber, not least because she survived a 
  childhood with him around. Amber’s own feelings are more mixed. She has a lot of resentment for her 
  father and the way he acts; some of the things he says and does remind her of bad experiences as a 
  child, and she will sometimes come to the defence of some poor kid who has disappointed John. The 
  resulting rows can be tumultuous. 
   
  Despite her resentment, Amber does realise that her father (she thinks of him that way even though she 
  knows he is not) gave up a lot to raise a child he did not want, and he really did do his ham-fisted best. 
  She recognises that he is still concerned for her and would do anything to protect her… although that, 
  too, is at times infuriating. 
   
  Amber herself is a tall, slim brunette who tends to dress in a sober and professional manner. She does 
  rather like wearing a ball gown to a big function, and considers it both part of her role and also an 
  opportunity to indulge herself. She does not mind wearing coveralls and climbing inside machinery to 
  maintain it if it’s necessary to getting the job done. Indeed, she has a similar attitude to her father in 
  many ways – getting the job done overrides other concerns like comfort, sleep or personal distaste. 
   
  Amber is a qualified doctor, who left the conventional medical service soon after qualifying. Since then 
  she has served as an auxiliary medic to marine forces, worked with humanitarian aid organisations in 
  disaster areas, and served a couple of stints as ship’s doctor aboard liners. Although never married, she 
  has had long-term relationships and has hinted that her return to work with her father was mainly to get 
  away from someone.  
   
  Amethyste (Amber) Hedley. Medic/Administrator Age 32, 3 terms 
  STR:6  
  DEX:8  
  END:5  
  INT:9   
  EDU:9  
  SOC:8 
   
  Admin 2 
  Life Science (Biology) 2 
  Medic 2 
  Persuade 1 
  Advocate 0 
  Carousing 0 
  Computer 0 
  Gun Combat (Slug Rifle) 0 
  Mechanic 0 
  Sensors 0 
  Recon 0 
  Drive (Wheeled) 0
   
  Weapons and Equipment 
  Amber was indoctrinated with her father’s view that ‘nobody goes anywhere without a knife’, and 
  usually carries a small working knife in the field. She is also broadly competent with rifles or shotguns, 
  and will take one if going afield on-planet. Again, this is an old habit. She is also rarely without a small 
  medical bag. 
   
  Amber prefers to wear professional dress and is happier acting as portside liaison for the ship than 
  tramping around the boonies with Dad. She does have a bush rig and can make acid comments about 
  other people’s choice of boots, clothing and accessories, but she is more comfortable in a world of 
  well-lit corridors and computer terminals than swamps and forests.  
   
  
  Geoff McWilliams. Crew Leader  
  Geoff would describe himself as ‘crew leader’ for John’s ship. That sort of translates to ‘first officer’ in 
  many ways, but the relationship is less formal and Geoff is expected to do a lot of ‘crew’ jobs himself. 
  He is not actually in command of the crew in the real sense, but there is an assumption that what he 
  says comes from John so should be obeyed. He also tends to lead by example, and most crewmembers 
  would tend to follow and fit in with what he is doing. 
   
  Geoff’s background is primarily in spacefaring; he worked aboard freelance trade ships for a while 
  before taking a fairly regular berth with the Science Commission where he was, in his own words, ‘a 
  multiskilled nonspecialist dogsbody’ aboard various exploration craft.  
   
  Geoff is a friendly and personable sort of guy, with a wealth of amusing tales of his exploits and 
  misadventures aboard trade and exploration ships. Most concern some kind of disaster or horrible error 
  that led to desperate measures, but of a mild sort. I.e. they are the sort of tales that a highly competent 
  and confident person tells because ‘well, I’m really good at what I do’ gets boring quickly.  
   
  Geoff is keen to tell his tales, and an astute observer might realise that he is a bit too keen. He deflects 
  questions with anecdotes of mild disaster and can be hard to nail down on exactly where he was at any 
  given time in his career. His tales might seem just a little too rehearsed, though that may be because he 
  has told them so many times – or run through them repeatedly to get them right.  
   
  In fact, Geoff really is a highly competent spacer, and at least some of his tales are true. However, he is 
  aboard John’s ship for reasons of his own. He has been working with John for several weeks now, 
  having been recommended by a friend who John trusts. However, Geoff is actually a spy for a modest-
  sized corporation called the SEC Group. SEC stands for ‘Survey, Exploration and Colonisation’ and 
  the SEC Group hopes to expand its interests by getting inside information on new initiatives along the 
  frontier. 
   
  Geoff is not hostile to John nor to what he is doing; he is merely charged with observing the missions 
  he undertakes and reporting back. Since the current mission revolves around facilitation of exploration 
  along the frontier, this is of great interest to SEC and thus to Geoff. He will tend to be vague about his 
  origins and how long he has been working with John. He wants the characters to draw the (incorrect) 
  conclusion that he has been John’s right hand man for a long while. It will probably not occur to John 
  to tell the crew that Geoff has only been known to him for a short time, and it is not obvious from their 
  interactions. 
   
  Geoff is attracted to Amber, but has decided that he will not act upon this in case it sours his relations 
  with John. He may still be distracted by his feelings, especially if another crewmember makes 
  advances, and may go out of his way to derail a developing romance, even at the expense of his 
  mission. 
   
  Geoff’s superiors are interested in the current mission, and suspect that there is more to it than meets 
  the eye. He is therefore expected to snoop around the ship, and may be discovered crawling through 
  ducts or poking around in obscure corners. He can explain this readily enough as a combination of 
  maintenance work and checking up that others are doing their jobs properly, but crewmembers may 
  become suspicious eventually, especially if they find objects mysteriously not where they should be. 
   
  Geoff normally wears nondescript coveralls aboard ship and in the field, though he does have a range 
  of casual-smart clothes for portside visits. Despite his semi-official status as sort-of-executive officer 
  he does not dress like a starship officer, more like one of the crew, and is happier drinking in a portside 
  tavern with ‘his fellow floor-swabbers’ than hob-nobbing with officers and merchant factors.  
   
  
  Geoff McWilliams. Crew Leader Age 35. 4 terms 
  STR: 7  
  DEX: 6  
  END: 12 
  INT: 7  
  EDU: 5  
  SOC: 7 
   
  Mechanic 2 
  Deception 1 
  Computers 1 
  Engineer (Power) 1 
  Gun Combat (Slug Pistol) 1 
  Gunner (Turrets) 1 
  Investigate 1 
  Leadership 1 
  Persuade 1 
  Stealth 1 
  Streetwise 1 
  Vacc Suit 1 
  Zero-g 1 
  Broker 0 
  Carouse 0 
  Drive (Wheeled) 0 
  Recon 0 
  Steward 0 
  Vacc Suit 0 
   
  Weapons and Equipment 
  Geoff has a custom vacc suit which probably cost quite a lot. It has various holders and sockets for 
  tools, and is well adapted for maintenance or repair work outside a vessel in space. Other than this, 
  most of his equipment is startlingly mundane, though he does have an enormous collection of 
  supernatural-detective novels on his reader.  
   
  Although Geoff’s training certificates indicate qualification with handguns, he prefers a small 
  submachinegun for personal defence. His rationale is that any threat close enough to hit can be put 
  down fast with a lot of bullets; if it were far enough away to require precision shooting he’d probably 
  miss, and running or taking cover would be a better option.  
   
   
   
  
  Sandra Royceline. Bridge Officer 
  Sandra Royceline is one of the optional characters who present themselves in the hope of gaining a 
  berth aboard John’s ship. They are not essential to the plot but can fill crew gaps or create new 
  opportunities for character interaction. 
   
  Sandra Royceline hails from Makabel in Avanim subsector, a tiny frontier colony where life was fairly 
  hard. For a variety of reasons, not least of which was a desire to have a better life, she took passage on 
  a Science Commission vessel that was short of crew. She expected to be doing support and facilitation 
  work like cleaning instruments and making sandwiches, but the ship’s captain decided to follow regs 
  and run a full set of evaluation simulations. The results showed that Sandra had a strong aptitude for 
  piloting and related bridge tasks, and so she received on-the-job training as a bridge officer rather than 
  general shipboard helper. 
   
  Although her rapid elevation did not sit well with some crewmembers, Sandra became a competent 
  watchstander and pilot, and made herself very useful during the years she spent with the vessel. 
  However, as an ‘expedient recruit’ she was not in line for advancement or even a proper salary from 
  the Science Commission. Her qualifications as pilot, astrogator and watch-standing bridge officer are 
  genuine but are accredited by a couple of starship captains rather than a prestigious board of study.  
   
  Eventually, a new captain came aboard to undertake a different deployment and Sandra was unable to 
  follow her mentor to his new post. This new captain had a ‘proper’ crew lined up, who were on Science 
  Commission payroll and did not need to be paid from the ship’s expedient funds. Sandra was out of a 
  job. 
   
  The only life she really knows is starship bridges, and a tiny cabin on some beat-up free trader or 
  courier would be preferable to going home. After drifting through a couple of jobs she wound up on 
  Marcos, seeking a new berth aboard whatever ship will take her. There is no point in going further 
  towards the core worlds; her qualifications are not good enough for the shipping corporations there. 
  But out here on the frontier, perhaps talent counts for more than book-learning… 
   
  Sandra is not especially talkative, and can seem standoffish. This is mainly because of friction with 
  some members of her old crew. She subconsciously seeks a mentor figure like her old captain, and also 
  goes out of her way to prove her abilities. She is acutely aware of lacking of a formal education and 
  reads widely on a great variety of subjects. As a result she knows little bits about many things, and her 
  Social Science (History) skill actually reflects fragmentary knowledge of a range of related subjects. 
   
  Sandra Royceline. Bridge Officer, Age 27. 2 Terms 
  STR: 6  
  DEX: 8  
  END: 5  
  INT: 8  
  EDU: 6  
  SOC: 7 
   
  Pilot (Spacecraft) 2 
  Comms 1 
  Gun Combat (Shotgun) 1 
  Jack-of-All-Trades 1 
  Sensors 1 
  Vacc Suit 1 
  Computer 0 
  Social Science (History) 0 
  Pilot (Small Craft) 0 
  Recon 0 
  Stealth 0 
  Survival 0
   
  Weapons and Equipment 
  Sandra typically dresses in shipboard fatigues and a ship-jacket; a sleeveless vest used to carry tools 
  and other equipment. In her case it contains little; the pockets are just a place to put her hands. 
  Although utilitarian, this mode of dress is pretty good for where Sandra originally came from, and she 
  has never acquired a desire to own or wear flashy clothes. Her lifestyle is similarly simple to the point 
  of being Spartan, and her quarters contain almost nothing that is not connected with her job. 
   
  On the rare occasions Sandra goes planetside, it is usually in a spaceport. In the field, she might be a 
  liability unless someone told her what equipment to take and what to do. She does, however, know how 
  to handle a shotgun. Her shooting style is a rather fussy ‘must-get-it-exactly-right’ version of the 
  Science Commission Manual of Arms, right down to how she slings the weapon and how many spare 
  rounds are to be carried. She does own a shotgun, a shortened 4-shot pump-action weapon well suited 
  to shipboard defensive use.  
   
  
   
   
  Lucas ‘Beach’ Garrington. Technician/Engineer.  
  Lucas Garrington is one of the optional characters who present themselves in the hope of gaining a 
  berth aboard John’s ship. They are not essential to the plot but can fill crew gaps or create new 
  opportunities for character interaction. 
   
  ‘Beach’ Garrington grew up on Gleipnir in Aningan subsector, in an underground city of concrete and 
  endless corridors. Outside was an airless rockball, and the only green to be seen was in the hydroponic 
  gardens where Lucas Garrington served his apprenticeship. His ambition for many years was ‘to run 
  along an actual beach, with sea and birds and everything. Including air.’  
   
  As soon as he was able, Beach got himself a job aboard a commercial starship, in the technical 
  department. Starting out as an electronics technician he worked his way up to drive hand and then 
  assistant engineer. He is capable of running a small ship’s engines and systems, though he has never 
  actually been in charge of a drive without supervision. 
   
  Beach is anything but an outdoorsman – there was no outdoors where he grew up – and he is actually a 
  bit nervous under an open sky. His first beach encounter was brief and unexpectedly wet, and he hopes 
  to try again without making what he refers to as a ‘noob beach-user error’ this time. He is quite at home 
  aboard starships and the warrens of an artificial-environment colony. 
   
  Beach is quite easy to get along with, and hard to annoy. His humor is a bit geekish for most tastes, but 
  he is unlikely to be much of an irritant. Indeed, he is often not noticed as he works away at some 
  technical task or potters about the ship with a toolkit in one hand and a cup of long-since-cold coffee in 
  the other.  
   
  Lucas ‘Beach’ Garrington. Technician/Engineer. Age 34. 4 Terms 
  STR: 8  
  DEX: 9  
  END: 4  
  INT: 8  
  EDU: 9  
  SOC: 7 
   
  Computer 3 
  Engineer (J-Drive) 2 
  Engineer (M-Drive) 1 
  Diplomat 1 
  Physical Science (Electronics) 1 
  Sensors 0 
  Admin 0 
  Advocate 0 
  Engineer (Electronics) 0 
  Drive (Wheeled) 0 
  Space Science (Robotics) 0 
  Trade (Hydroponics) 0 
  Vacc Suit 0
   
  Weapons and Equipment 
  ‘Beach’ Garrington owns a surf board. He has never used it and has no idea how, but he waxes it from 
  time to time and dreams of the day when he will try his hand. He’s actually hoping he will hate surfing, 
  since that means he hasn’t lost out all these years, but the board is sort of a symbol of his dreams. He is 
  well aware that his near-obsession is contradictory and a bit silly, but to him it is aspiring to surf (and 
  to run on the beach without having to be rescued from the sea by crewmates) that matters, rather than 
  getting to do it. 
   
  Beach has virtually no other outdoor equipment. He wears slippers aboard ship and has never needed 
  footwear more robust than a pair of indoor sports shoes. His clothing is similarly more attuned to 
  crawling under a console in the drive room than mountaineering or hacking his way through a jungle. 
  He owns no weapons and has little idea how to use one.  
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Simone Fowler. Steward/Technician.  
  Simone Fowler is one of the optional characters who present themselves in the hope of gaining a berth 
  aboard John’s ship. They are not essential to the plot but can fill crew gaps or create new opportunities 
  for character interaction. 
   
  Simone Fowler was a lance-corporal in the marines until an injury ended her career. Her usual role was 
  a ship’s troops assignment, acting as part of the crew when not needed for security work and 
  groundside combat. Her specialist areas were gunnery and life support maintenance, but like most such 
  personnel she could also fill in as a sickbay attendant or general crew. She had a particular dislike for 
  the ‘bridge sandwich patrol’, but naturally got assigned to it on a regular basis.  
   
  It was whilst ensuring that the command staff did not starve to death that she encountered Colonel 
  (then Admiral) Carlos Schmidt. After her injury (which resulted from a shipboard accident, and is not a 
  particularly interesting story), the colonel helped her find work in the private sector. He is not 
  particularly interested in Simone as such – indeed, he barely remembered her – but he does feel an 
  obligation to anyone who served under his command and was willing to help. The result was that 
  Simone was able to make a career of sorts as a spacer rather than returning to her homeworld of Alrai 
  in Beta Hydri subsector. 
   
  Simone is clumsy as a result of nerve damage to her arm and hand, and this both upsets and enrages her 
  when she struggles with simple tasks. The result is a tendency to concentrate intensely on what she is 
  doing, sometimes to the exclusion of what is going on around her. 
   
  Simone Fowler is not a hero or a fighting-fool; she was a career marine who was willing to fight if 
  necessary, and is now just trying to make a living. She misses the camaraderie of her shipmates, but is 
  tough enough not to try to bond with every bunch of strangers she meets. If she does come to feel she 
  belongs, her loyalty will be all but absolute, but it must be earned. She is willing to join a new band of 
  blood-siblings, but she is not looking for one.  
   
  Simone Fowler. Steward/Technician. Age 29. 2 Terms 
  STR: 8  
  DEX: 4  
  END: 8  
  INT: 9  
  EDU: 8  
  SOC: 8 
   
  Gun Combat (Slug Rifle) 1 
  Gunnery (Turrets) 1 
  Engineer (Life Support) 1 
  Melee Combat (Unarmed) 1 
  Sensors 1 
  Tactics (Military) 1 
  Zero-g 1 
  Athletics (Endurance) 0 
  Carouse 0 
  Comms 0 
  Computers 0 
  Heavy Weapons (Launchers) 0 
  Medic 0 
  Stealth 0 
  Steward 0 
  Vacc Suit 0
   
   
  Weapons And Equipment 
  Simone owns a standard vacc suit and two bags of clothing and personal effects. Her gear is stowed in 
  an orderly (and recognisably marine-style) fashion, and she hates unsecured objects that can fly about 
  in an emergency maneuver. Most of the time Simone wears tough civilian working clothes; jeans, boots 
  and a heavy shirt are common attire. She does own a dress marine uniform which she is entitled to 
  wear on formal occasions, and a suit for job interviews.  
   
  Simone owns a ‘colonist model’ assault rifle, complete with optical sights and a bayonet which is not 
  normally attached. Such weapons are easy enough to obtain out on the frontier for those with a ‘need to 
  possess’, which is covered by her mercenary license. Although not specifically hired as security, she 
  will revert to her former military role when groundside, protecting any expedition in addition (and 
  possibly in preference) to any assigned task.  
   
   
  
  The Ship 
   
  Nimrod Class Subsidized Safari Ship 
  The Nimrod class is an expensive but flexible design intended primarily as a ‘safari ship’ for rich 
  clients wanting to experience strange new worlds in complete comfort. It has a secondary function as a 
  yacht for rich corporate and governmental figures and can be reconfigured to other roles. The Nimrod 
  class can carry seven passengers in great luxury and might occasionally see use as a top-end liner, 
  though this would be wasteful of its capabilities.  
   
  The Nimrod class makes use of the standard 30-ton module as used in modular cutters and similar craft. 
  It can carry up to four modules without reducing its Jump-2 capability, though fuel requirements 
  necessitate the use of at least one module to carry fuel. This function can be fulfilled by the vessel’s 
  associated ‘safari’ module. 
   
   In its standard configuration the Nimrod class is streamlined and can make a planetary landing on a 
  world with an atmosphere, but it can only do so with one module attached. The others must be 
  detached before entering an atmosphere or undertaking fuel skimming from a gas giant. Landings are 
  possible on worlds with trace or no atmosphere without detaching modules.  
   
  The Nimrod is equipped with one hardpoint, and as standard a popup triple turret is carried. The normal 
  loadout of this turret is mixed: a beam laser, a sandcaster and a missile launcher. Most Nimrods carry 
  probes instead of some of their missiles. 
   
  Modular configuration allows the Nimrod to be tailored to a variety of roles. Most commonly the 
  modules are used to carry extra fuel and mission stores, or specialized systems such as observatory or 
  laboratory modules. It is possible to carry cargo or passenger modules, though the Nimrod makes a 
  very expensive transport or passenger ship.  
   
  Standard equipment includes an enclosed air raft and a 20-ton launch. Options that can be specified 
  when ordering include upgraded hull armor and magazine storage, plus additional hardpoints for an 
  increased weapons fit. 
   
  The vessel carries two ‘capture tanks’, one of which can be configured for an aquatic environment. 
  These are used to contain captured specimens and can be set up to resemble a variety of environments. 
  Similarly, the passenger environment can be tailored to a range of tastes. In addition to four fairly 
  standard ‘crew’ cabins there are six luxury staterooms and a double-sized suite, all of which are 
  luxuriously appointed.  
   
  Passenger cabins all have their own escape pods. Crew emergency facilities are built into their duty 
  stations and include an emergency ‘softsuit’ that can be used for a short time instead of a proper vacc 
  suit. Each crewmember’s acceleration couch serves as an escape pod at need. 
   
  The ship has a large lounge/dining area with a huge observation window, plus a well-equipped if small 
  medical facility and lockers for various equipment necessary for a safari. 
   
  The ‘safari module’ is tailor-made to match the ship. It contains additional fuel tanks and processing 
  equipment, allowing the vessel to skim its own fuel from a gas giant or take it aboard in the form of 
  water from a planet with seas, and process it into refined fuel.  It has some cargo space plus a 
  collapsible fuel bladder that allows fuel to be carried in this space if desired. The bladder can be stowed 
  to allow conventional cargo to be carried instead. 
   
  Three other modules can be carried. These can be standard 30-ton cutter modules, additional safari 
  modules or custom modules carrying whatever systems are needed for the ship’s mission.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
   
   
  
   
  Design Specifications 
  (142MCr) 
  300 ton (400) Subsidized Safari Ship 
  40MCr  
  25 ton 
   Jump Drive D 
   
  Jump 2 
  16MCr  
  7 ton 
  Power Planet D  
  Power 2 
  32MCr  
  13 ton 
  Maneuver Drive D 
  Agility 2 
  2MCr 
   
  20 ton 
  Bridge 
  0.5MCr  
  1 ton 
  Computer 2, Harden; with Model 1 backup Harden/bis 
  1MCr 
   
  2 ton 
  Sensors, Basic Military 
  60 ton 
  Fuel, Jump 
  20 ton 
  Fuel, Power Plant (5 weeks operation) 
  1.7MCr  
  30 ton 
  Module (special module for Safari ship) 
  0.5MCr  
  5 ton 
  Air raft, Enclosed, sealed, extended life support, 6 passenger seats 
  14.2 
   
  21 ton 
  Launch, 6 passenger seats, 10 ton cargo bay 
  0.2MCR  
  20 ton 
  2 10ton Capture tanks, one dry, one wet or dry 
  0.4MCr  
  5 ton 
  Ship Cargo (5 ton cargo) 
  1MCr 
   
  6 ton  
  Lounge (Luxury lounge, bar and eatery, with large open front window) 
  2MCr 
   
  16 ton 
  4 Crew staterooms, standard 
  7.2MCr  
  36 ton 
  7 Staterooms, guests (1 double size), Luxury 
  1.1MCr  
  3 ton 
  Medical station, includes 2 low berths for medical only 
  4.2MCr  
  3ton  
  Hardpoint with popup triple turret, 1ton storage (4 smart missiles, 2 probes, 
  10 sand casters) Beam, sand and missile Launcher 
  0.8MCr  
  4 ton 
  8 survive pods (guest staterooms, 2 in the double suite) 
  1MCr 
   
  3 ton 
  1 ton Hunting Locker, 1 ton Clothing Locker, 1 ton Weapons Locker 
  16.2MCr 
  Streamlined, fuel Scoops, Self-Sealing Hull 
   
  (1.7MCr) 
  30 ton Safari ship module  
  10 ton 
  Fuel 
  0.1MCr  
  2 ton 
  Fuel processor (40ton per day) 
  0.1MCr  
  1 ton 
  High Volume Fuel Transfer pump 
  1.4Cr 
   
  2 ton 
  Extra Life support, Self-Sealing Hull 
  14 ton 
  Cargo 
  0.1MCr  
  1 ton 
  Fuel Bladder storage for the 14 ton cargo space, holds 10 ton fuel 
   
   
  Nimrod Class Safari Ship Naddod 
  Naddod is constructed to the standard configuration for the type, ie no additional hardpoints or armor. 
  She is capable of Jump-2, 2-g acceleration and has an endurance of 5 weeks without taking Jump fuel 
  into consideration. Additional fuel can be carried in bladders or aboard either the safari module or other 
  modules if fitted. 
   
  At present, John Hedley occupies the double-sized luxury stateroom, which he refers to as the owner’s 
  suite. His daughter and crew-leader also use luxury staterooms. This leaves four luxury and four 
  standard cabins for additional crew and passengers.  
   
  Naddod is currently equipped with a safari module, which permits refuelling from gas giants, and two 
  cargo plus one fuel modules. This gives her an additional 60 tons of cargo capacity, though it can be 
  laborious to use when dealing with worlds with an atmosphere. Since Naddod can only land with one 
  module loaded, she must first detach the others, then land to deliver her cargo, or manually transfer 
  cargo to the launch. On worlds with trace or no atmosphere, or where there is a good orbital port, or a 
  modular cutter is available to take the cargo modules planetside, then this is not a problem. 
   
  The fuel module increases fuel capacity to 120 tons, or 130 if the bladders in the safari module are 
  used. The power plant uses 4 tons per week of operation. Jump-1 requires 40 tons of fuel with all 
  modules attached; Jump-2 requires 80. With just one module attached the ship needs 31 tons of fuel for 
  Jump-1 and 62 for Jump-2. 
   
  Although the fuel is listed separately for Jump and powerplant in the design specs, fuel is fuel. At need, 
  Naddod could operate for a long time on her fuel reserves or could Jump then jettison the fuel modules 
  and Jump again with a reduced mass and fuel requirement.  
  
   
  Naddod is carrying 40 tons of cargo bound for her final destination. This is loaded into the safari 
  module and one of the cargo modules, leaving the other 30-ton cargo module available for freighting or 
  speculative cargoes. The ship also has 5 tons of ‘ship cargo’ which is mainly used up by mission stores, 
  food and spares for the vessel. The launch’s cargo bay could be used to carry an additional 10 tons of 
  cargo, as might the capture tanks. The latter is doable but would be quite a problem, as the tanks are not 
  really designed for rapid loading and unloading of cargo crates.  
   
  The ship’s turret contains a beam laser, a sandcaster and a missile launcher that can also launch probes. 
  There are 10 canisters for the sandcaster and a magazine for six missiles. Four are carried, along with 
  two probes capable of undertaking a detailed planetary survey. 
   
  The ship has three lockers, dedicated respectively to clothing, weapons and hunting. The clothing 
  locker contains outdoor gear ranging from boots and bush hats to cold-weather clothing and underwater 
  breathing gear. The hunting locker is more specialized, and contains equipment tailored to stalking and 
  either photographing, shooting or capturing various creatures. This does not include weapons; the 
  hunting locker is dedicated to equipment for building blinds, analyzing spoor, and items such as nets 
  and tranquiliser compounds.  
   
  The weapons locker has plenty of space for additional weapons, and John will insist that personal 
  weapons bigger than sidearms be put in here. It contains the following weaponry: 
   
  12 large survival knives 
  4 hatchets 
  4 large machetes 
  4 tranquiliser dart rifles 
  4 spearguns for underwater use 
  4 ‘shock poles’ which are basically hand stunners on a long shaft 
  4 bolt-action hunting rifles  
  2 heavy-caliber ‘elephant gun’ type double-barrelled rifles 
  4 pump-action shotguns 
  4 large-caliber hunting revolvers 
   
  Crew Requiements 
  Starship manuals are very precise in exactly what crew numbers are required by a given ship, but for a 
  smaller vessel operating on the frontier the reality is a little more variable.  
   
  Naddod can be operated in an emergency by a minimal crew, but for extended operations a larger 
  number of personnel are needed. These are ideally multiskilled people who can assist in other areas 
  when not fully occupied within their own specialisms. 
   
  Naddod needs two personnel with ‘drive-room’ qualifications (Engineer skill in the Power, M-drive or 
  J-drive specialisms), at least one pilot and one astrogator, and some additional support personnel to 
  assist. However, it is unwise to only have one pilot aboard a starship and additional crew are useful to 
  help with large or complex tasks or to handle mundane jobs like producing meals.  
   
  The following positions must be filled: 
   
  Astrogator (can be doubled up with a pilot position) 
  Chief Pilot 
  Shuttle Pilot/Backup Pilot 
  Chief Engineer 
  Assistant Engineer  
   
  Plus at least some of the following: 
  Medic 
  Gunner 
  Steward(s) 
  Bridge Watchstander (sensors, pilot or astrogator skill needed) 
  Technicians (electronic or mechanical skills required) 
  
   
  These are not full-time jobs. There is no reason why a steward cannot man the guns when needed and 
  stand a bridge watch at another time if he/she has the right skills. Exactly what mix of skills is available 
  depends upon who presents themselves for employment. Even someone with no relevant skills can run 
  errands and carry out routine tasks, freeing up more skilled personnel for their necessary roles.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  Referee’s Data 
   
  Beta Hydri Subsector 
  Beta Hydri subsector borders Sol subsector and is relatively well developed compared to the regions 
  beyond. However, some parts of the subsector lie in what is known as the Outer Veil and are less well 
  travelled. In time, these systems will be developed and become core worlds, but for now this is the 
  fringe of civilization.  
   
  Naval patrols are reasonably common, and space travel is safe in all but the fringe systems. Even there, 
  attacks and mysterious disappearances are rare, and a starship crew in distress can be reasonably 
  confident of rescue sooner or later. Those heading to Coreward or Trailing know that they are leaving 
  the relative safety of proximity to Terra, and that out in the Veil and beyond there are no guarantees of 
  anything. 
   
  Ships serving the outer colonies tend to conduct their business at the outermost of the more civilized 
  worlds, then turn around and head back out. Those coming out from the core tend to do the same in the 
  opposite direction. It is rare for a ‘frontier’ ship to head into the core worlds and rarer for ‘core’ ships 
  to make the long and hazardous trip all the way to their destination. Those that do are mainly military, 
  government or corporate vessels with a specific mission.  
   
  Thus the fringe systems of Beta Hydri subsector are an interface between core-dwellers and 
  frontiersmen, and there are those who make a good living from facilitating dealings between the two. 
  Others simply fleece anyone they can and move on, and it is not always possible to spot the con-artists. 
  Many a grand scheme has foundered at the frontier/core interface, and it is wise to deal carefully. A 
  solid reputation is worth a fortune to those who know how to make good use of it, but reputations can 
  be ruined by single bad deal or unexpected setback. 
   
  Marcos (Beta Hydri 2221) C310322-9 
  Marcos is a rockball world with the merest trace of atmospheric gas. This, and its moderate 
  temperature range, make it the most habitable world in an otherwise fairly-unpromising system. 
  Astrography is the only asset Marcos really has; it is a link on the Jump-2 communications link to 
  Coreward-Trailing, and thus was a logical place to build a Science Commission base. 
   
  The base is the only major settlement on Marcos, and is home to about eighty percent of the world’s six 
  thousand people. The remainder dwell in small outposts, many of which undertake tasks that support 
  the base. These include research stations, observatories and specialist installations such as water-
  prospecting rigs. Marcos is thought to have a modest amount of water locked under its crust, and 
  several ‘wildcat’ wells have been drilled to investigate promising sites.  
   
  Only small amounts of water have thus far been extracted, but even this minor success goes a long way 
  to making the base self-sufficient. The techniques for locating and extracting water may one day 
  become part of standard terraforming practice. 
   
  The station itself has a small spaceport capable of handing several ships at once, but tends only to have 
  a couple on the ground at any one time. These include Science Commission couriers, research ships, 
  supply vessels and naval patrol craft, as well as traders bound for the Outer Veil.  
   
  Marcos does have a decent market, with goods from the core systems available at typically-inflated 
  prices. It is one of several places along the fringe of civilized space where personnel can be hired for 
  expeditions into the Outer Veil, and attracts small numbers of capable individuals seeking work or 
  companions for a venture. It is also a good place to get fleeced by people pretending to be that sort of 
  individual or a merchant with contacts in the core systems. 
   
  New Chryse (Beta Hydri 2021) C521411-9 
  New Chryse is described by many spacers as a ‘largish rockball’, which is a reasonable description. Its 
  atmosphere, composed mainly of nitrogen with some carbon dioxide, is just thick enough that someone 
  wearing breathing gear rather than a vacc suit would be able to work outside, though in considerable 
  
  discomfort. Protection from the cold is also necessary, so most external working parties use pressure 
  suits or standard vacc suits. 
   
  New Chryse has just a little water, most of which is buried in the crust or in sheltered valleys or caves. 
  This is enough for life to exist, but what there is tends to be very primitive. Lichens and moss-like 
  growths can be found in areas with water or which receive some moisture occasionally, but there is 
  nothing more complex. 
   
  Despite this unappealing nature, New Chryse was a better prospect for colonisation than many 
  rockballs. Even its very thin atmosphere provides some protection from meteorites and solar radiation, 
  and somewhat mitigates extremes of temperature. Water and useful gases can also be obtained locally, 
  rather than having to be shipped in.  
   
  New Chryse is home to about nine thousand people, most of whom live in the world’s one city. This is 
  co-located with the starport, and takes the form of an underground settlement using several linked 
  artificial caverns. The city is simply known as New Chryse, and the planet and city are synonymous to 
  most people. There are only three settlements with a population greater than three hundred people 
  anywhere else on the planet, plus numerous small outposts. 
   
  New Chryse is a charter colony owned and governed by the Martian Mechanics megacorporation, or 
  MM, which took over the world in a buyout just after initial colonization. MM turns a modest profit 
  from mining and from the starport, which supports shipping headed back to the Core. Much of this 
  traffic is military, headed for Avanim, or operated by private firms on government contracts. MM has 
  preferential arrangements with many of these firms, and ensures that stopovers are enjoyable and 
  support is efficient. 
   
  Private ships benefit from the facilities paid for by the relatively high volume of traffic, though they do 
  have to pay an inflated berthing fee and some of the recreation facilities are expensive. All the same, 
  New Chryse the city is a welcoming place, unlike the world of the same name.  
   
  There is a busy shopping area around the starport, with good restaurants and sports facilities. An 
  excellent range of goods is available in the stores, though at inflated prices compared to worlds closer 
  to the core. There is also an impressive bazaar, with shop fronts and temporary trading stalls opening 
  and closing all the time. The bazaar is known as a place where almost anything can be traded, but it is 
  easy to get cheated. It is, however, policed and regulated by MM, so people expecting a den of sin and 
  iniquity are sometimes disappointed to find that it is a well-regulated and properly-licensed den of sin 
  and iniquity. 
   
  The best facilities are reserved for those with very fat wallets. These include the social and managerial 
  elite, many of whom are shareholders in MM who have moved into palatial accommodation on the 
  world that they part-own. Membership at the most exclusive clubs is also obtainable for a large amount 
  of money or by those with power and prestige; naval and military officers, officers of large trading 
  ships and merchant factors are often simply offered membership for free.  
   
  It is possible to get into the elite clubs and parties by buying a temporary membership, coming as a 
  guest of someone who has a full membership, or occasionally by being young, attractive and nearby. 
  Those with memberships can usually pick up a companion or two in one of the bars near the elite 
  sector. 
   
  It is in these clubs that most of the real business on New Chryse is done. MM negotiates long-term 
  supply and maintenance contracts, security arrangements, and most of its other external dealings, over 
  dinner and drinks in its exclusive clubs. Negotiations between outsiders are also often conducted there. 
  Those wanting lucrative deals must play the game, blowing large sums on gambling and expensive 
  wine all the way from Terra if they want to impress their hosts or clients. The proceeds, of course, go 
  into the pockets of the club owners, most of whom are Martian Mechanics shareholders.  
   
   
  
  Through the Veil 
   
  Prolog: Marcos 
   
  There are times when it is possible to step off one ship at Marcos and board another without entering 
  the starport buildings. There are also times when you can get stuck for weeks or even months, looking 
  for a suitable berth or just a ship headed in the right direction. Those times are equally boring and 
  stressful, as the money starts to run low and you can’t afford what little entertainment the port has to 
  offer. 
   
  Marcos is a Science Commission base, with its limited recreation facilities available at an inflated price 
  to outsiders, and not much else to do. Most of the employment available at the port is either bar and 
  shop work or maintenance – which more often than not means cleaning rather than fixing. The 
  Commission does hire temporary research assistants, but most of the jobs going are for data-monkeys 
  or rock-sorters supporting the various installations studying what is to all appearances a typical dreary 
  rockball world. 
   
  There is proper research going on at Marcos, mainly into finding water in the planetary crust, and there 
  are portside jobs that pay a decent wage. But you need to have worked with the Science Commission 
  before to get those, or to know someone who has. There are a few people in the port who claim that 
  they can get you work like that but all of them want money up front, and that’s a red flag. 
   
  So here you are. Waiting around a backwater port on a rockball world in the Outer Veil in the hope that 
  a proper job comes along, or a ship going where you need to be, or… whatever. Like everyone else in 
  your position, it’s not how you got here that matters, it’s what you’re going to do next. That depends 
  very much on the opportunities available and those are...  
   
  Limited. 
   
  A Ship Out of Marcos 
  John Hedley is the owner of a ship that just put into Marcos, and he’s hiring. The buzz travels fast 
  among the couple of dozen hopefuls hanging around the port, though most of them lose interest when 
  he posts the details of the job. 
   
  John has a reputation for being a hard taskmaster but a good man to have on your team. He knows his 
  way around the frontier and has served as a guide for several planetside exploration missions as well as 
  captaining the transport ship. Details of the job are sketchy, but it’s posted as a long-duration cruise out 
  to Coreward, across Avanim and into Beta Pavonis subsectors. That’s a long way even aboard a Jump-
  2 ship. On the other hand, it’s a job for the whole of that time… 
   
  The cruise should take five to six months to reach its destination, and Hedley is hiring a mix of 
  personnel. Ship crew, groundsiders, scientists and maybe a guard or two. He’s not giving any details 
  away in the ad, but at least he’s offering to host prospective candidates aboard his ship. A free meal to 
  listen to a job offer? That’s the best deal going right now. 
   
  John’s Pitch 
  Prospective candidates (and passengers) are invited to dine aboard John’s ship and listen to his pitch. 
  His representative will meet anyone interested for drinks in the Nearest Bar, a popular establishment 
  that got its quirky name from the fact that it is right next to the main arrivals area. After a couple of 
  drinks (you have to buy your own!), the group will be escorted aboard the vessel and dinner will be 
  served. 
   
  The representative turns out to be a tall woman in her thirties, with longish dark brown hair braided to 
  keep it out of the way. She wears a not-quite-formal trouser suit with a pin in the lapel that looks like it 
  might be connected with a professional association or perhaps a university. She introduces herself as 
  Amanda Hedley, suggesting that she is a relative or perhaps partner of the ship’s owner. 
   
  
  Prospective passengers and crew share a drink around a table in the Nearest Bar, giving them a chance 
  to introduce themselves and to meet any other characters who show up. After a short time, Amanda 
  leads the way to the main docking area and down a connecting tube to the main airlock of John’s ship 
  Naddod. 
   
  The ship is named, Amanda says, for a Norseman named Naddod who was one of the early settlers in 
  the Faroe Islands. He was blown far off course during a voyage and ended up discovering Iceland. The 
  ship’s owner, she adds, is her father. She warns about his anecdotes that tend to end with the phrase 
  ‘and we ended up discovering Iceland’, a phrase that he finds inordinately amusing for reasons of his 
  own. 
   
  The ship is clearly new but has already seen some hard service. However, it has been properly 
  maintained. There are signs of repairs, but – encouraging to an experienced spacefarer – there are no 
  indications that these have been either concealed or left half-finished. When work has been necessary, 
  the ship has received it. 
   
  Amanda conveys the characters to the ship’s small eating area, where two men await them. The older, 
  at about 60 or so, introduces himself as John Hedley. He wears the same sort of semi-formal attire as 
  his daughter; a tunic and trousers that are not quite smart enough for a dinner party but too good for a 
  casual outing. 
   
  The other person is a man in his mid-thirties, wearing slacks and a blue shirt. He bustles about, serving 
  food and opening wine, and takes the role of host when John is too busy talking. He introduces himself 
  in an offhand sort of way as Geoff McWilliams, but tends to be too busy to talk much. That’s not a 
  problem, because John has plenty to say. 
   
  The meal is a competent affair, apparently prepared by a portside caterer and brought aboard to be 
  served. Over dinner, John outlines his plans, promising a tour of the ship later. He says that he needs 
  some people for a long cruise – the characters already know that – and that ideally they will be multi-
  skilled. There are shipboard tasks to be undertaken as well as planetside jobs. There’s no room for dead 
  weight, he says, though if someone wants to make their contribution to the trip in hard cash then he’s 
  fine with that. 
   
  Everyone else will be expected to take a share of shipboard jobs, including cleaning and other menial 
  tasks, and the agreement is that he’s in charge and his orders are to be obeyed. If you have weapons, he 
  adds, then he’s okay with sidearms in cabins but larger weapons will be locked away when in transit. 
  This is not negotiable; there was an incident once and he’s not keen on guns lying around where they 
  can be tripped over or accidentally shoot important parts of the ship. He does not expand on this 
  statement. 
   
  The voyage will be quite long, and not without hazards. Mostly those are of the mundane sort, such as 
  trying not to get ripped off for fuel in a frontier spaceport, but bad things do happen in the Outer Veil 
  and again, he expects his crew to obey his orders and not to be stupid. He’s quite willing to leave 
  behind anyone who becomes a liability. 
   
  Along the way, there will be opportunities to defray the cost of the trip with speculative trade and some 
  freighting if there are cargoes to be had. Anyone with negotiating or cargo handling experience will be 
  useful and may be eligible for a bonus if the trip makes a profit. There is also the possibility of 
  undertaking survey work, either from the ship or on the ground. Again, those that perform well are 
  eligible for a bonus although, as John puts it, more often than not survey trips end up discovering 
  Iceland. 
   
  If the characters are still interested, John will give them a tour of the vessel. It is quite well-equipped 
  and seems to be in good order, though some of its equipment has clearly been replaced despite not 
  being very old. During the tour John mentions that he does have a final destination in mind, and it’s not 
  Iceland. He has been contracted to deliver several containers of supplies and equipment to an old 
  colleague he worked with in the past.  
   
  The contract more or less covers the cost of the trip in terms of fuel, supplies and so forth, so salaries 
  are guaranteed and the ship isn’t going to go bust in the wilds of nowhereville. However, the profit 
  
  margin is pretty small, so John wants to take whatever opportunities present themselves to force costs 
  down and to generate income along the way. 
   
  To this end, he is not offering standard ship-crew salaries. Instead, everyone aboard the vessel will get 
  a hiring bonus of Cr2000 at the end of the ship’s first Jump and  Cr2000 per month of the voyage, with 
  a Cr10,000 payoff at the far end. Anyone who distinguishes himself will be eligible for a bonus as well. 
  He is, he says, not paying people to be engineers and pilots and stewards but to be part of the mission 
  and to do what they can do well for the benefit of everyone else. The guy who brings the pilot his lunch 
  makes it possible for the pilot to be at the controls instead of fixing a sandwich or making mistakes 
  because he’s hungry. That’s John’s Rule: Everyone Contributes, Everyone Gets Paid.  
   
  Preparations 
  Assuming the characters decide to take the job, they have a couple of days to do whatever they need to. 
  John is willing to advance Cr500 against pay for those who need to settle debts, but will be visibly 
  unimpressed with anyone who asks for an advance and then blows it. Outfitting is sensible; frivolous 
  shopping is less acceptable.  
   
  During this time, the characters will encounter John’s friend and patron. He is a grey-haired gentleman 
  with a military haircut and rather abrupt manner, who arrives aboard a merchant ship the day after John 
  recruits his crew. He introduces himself as Carlos Schmidt, though John always calls him ‘the 
  Colonel’. 
   
  Some of the characters might know or know of Carlos Schmidt. Admiral Carlos Schmidt, Retired. 
  Carlos was a senior Marine commander with an impressive record, and now seems to go by the 
  courtesy rank of Colonel. Much of his career was spent dealing with incidents out on the frontiers, 
  which is where he ran into John.  
   
  Carlos has worked with John a few times, though they have not seen one another since Carlos left the 
  Marines and took a distinctly mundane job in colonial administration. John’s knowledge of frontier 
  worlds was useful to the Marines on various occasions, and there were times when he could go where 
  the Marines could not; at least not without causing an official incident. 
   
  Carlos is now involved in a project to develop parts of the distant frontier. That means supporting the 
  creation of infrastructure which will eventually lead to deeper exploration by private concerns using the 
  new Jump-2 craft that are becoming more widely available. He personally believes – and is quite 
  willing to go on about it at some length – that exploration should be handled in an organised fashion by 
  government assets, but the present model is to keep costs down by basically laying a trail of 
  breadcrumbs to the border and hoping that enough missions are launched to make some good 
  discoveries. It’s cheap, but it’s not efficient.  
   
  If asked about the contents of the containers he is trans-shipping from the craft he arrived on, the 
  colonel asks if the characters want the full list or just the index. Or maybe the index of the index. Every 
  single thing that is needed for frontier exploration has to be shipped from the factory to the prospective 
  exploration hubs. Spare spanners, bootlaces, cup holders and laser collimating tubes… it all has to be 
  shipped out there just so that some freelancer can be sure of replacing his favourite hat if it blows off 
  on a survey mission.  
   
  Carlos will expound on this topic at some length if he has an audience; he is adamant that it will be 
  actually more expensive to build facilities to support private exploration than it would be to just outfit a 
  few ships with what they need for a survey mission and send them out. But he doesn’t make policy, he 
  just makes it work… 
   
  The First Jump 
  The first Jump will be from Marcos to New Chryse, at the Coreward end of Beta Hydri subsector. 
  Along with the Colonel’s containers there is a cargo to be delivered; a straightforward freighting job. 
  John intends to pay the characters their hiring bonus upon arrival, to give him time to see if they are 
  worth keeping on. Those that seem to be more trouble than they are worth will get a month’s salary and 
  be dismissed from the ship’s company at New Chryse. Those that shape up will be considered hired for 
  the duration of the mission.  
   
  
  Loading and preparing the ship to Jump to New Chryse is not a difficult business, though there are 
  always a few foibles to be learned with a new ship. The Referee should play out this first Jump in more 
  details than others, as the characters are getting to know one another and may find out some useful 
  facts about their employer, colleagues or the vessel. 
   
  There is plenty to do aboard a starship in Jump. Much of the routine maintenance that the ship requires 
  is carried out during this time, though there are some tasks that cannot be performed and some that 
  would require a desperate situation. Anything that interferes with the power flow to the Jump drive is 
  extremely risky, and a task that requires going outside the ship is almost unthinkable. It is possible to 
  survive outside in a spacesuit, though the space around a ship is very small and touching the 
  ‘Jumpspace interface’ will cause the loss of any body part that does so. There is also the non-trivial 
  problem that looking at Jumpspace will cause insanity in most people. 
   
  That said, there are plenty of tasks that need doing on a routine voyage: software and system 
  diagnostics, maintenance of electrical systems, checking coolant and water pipes for cracks, crawling 
  into tight spaces between the decks to check for damage, lost tools or just possibly local wildlife that 
  has managed to get in. Floors need cleaning, washbasins scrubbing, dinner must be made and stuck 
  doors lubricated.  
   
  On top of all that, though, there are non-routine tasks to be undertaken whenever a new crew comes 
  together. Items that have not been properly stowed have to be found a place, procedures established 
  and drills prepared. Everyone needs to know their way around the ship. The crew will be very busy in 
  this first Jump, and of course will also have to get to know one another.  
   
  John is a particularly harsh taskmaster during this period. He believes that establishing solid procedures 
  right from the start makes for a successful expedition or crew in the long term, and actually saves 
  everyone work later – and it may also save their lives. He thus drives everyone hard, though he does 
  lead by example and assists with even quite menial tasks. 
   
  Arrival at New Chryse is something of a relief for everyone. The crew will have a ‘last dinner’ the 
  night before emergence is expected, which will be one of the rare occasions where everyone (or almost 
  everyone) can get together and relax. Afterward, everyone not on night watch turns in, knowing that 
  sometime tomorrow they will be at New Chryse… unless something has gone horribly wrong. 
   
  
  Episode 1: New Chryse 
   
  Within moments of arriving in the New Chryse system, the ship is contacted by traffic control and 
  given an approach vector for the starport. There are a few defense satellites in orbit, and patrols of 
  fighters occasionally eyeball visiting ships. This is a fairly solid level of defense for a small colony, and 
  may be backed up by a naval ship in port or acting as Guardship in the system. 
   
  The port itself is a typical rockball port; an area of bedrock flattened out with fusion torches and shaped 
  into several landing pads. There are more than a typical backwater class C port would normally have, 
  and some are quite large… but then New Chryse does handle quite large freighters headed out to 
  Coreward. 
   
  It is likely that there will be 2-4 ships on the pads, plus perhaps some small craft. These would include 
  small naval ships, merchants acting as naval auxiliaries, and a range of traders and couriers. At any 
  given time there is a roughly one in six chance that a larger commercial starship – typically a freighter 
  in the 1000-2000 ton range – in port.  
   
  Traffic control is efficient, as are the portside crews who attach power and waste hoses. Manifest 
  inspection is cursory and polite, and within a few minutes the crew are able to disembark into the main 
  starport concourse of New Chryse. Although the official law level of the world is 1, the port and its 
  associated city have a ‘defensive weapons only’ rule, which translates to handguns and similar 
  weapons (such as very small submachineguns) being acceptable for open carry. Larger weapons must 
  be checked at the entry point or left aboard ship.  
   
  As the characters will soon note, few people carry weapons of any kind and crime is very low. 
  Weapons are not permitted in most bars and shops. The security force is armed and has a formidable 
  arsenal available to back up its sidearm-carrying patrol officers, but normally serves as a deterrent to 
  prospective criminals and a source of directions for lost spacefarers.  
   
  After a week aboard a starship, the amount of open space even in an underground starport concourse 
  seems vast, and there are many attractions for the eye. Shops, restaurants, bars, sports clubs and people 
  you have not spent the past week with! John tells the characters that they have 36 hours of liberty to do 
  as they please, and to go enjoy it.  
   
  The crew are indeed free to do as they please for the next day and a half, at the end of which they have 
  a choice. Those that report back will get their hiring bonus and be considered to have signed on for the 
  duration of the mission. Anyone who does not want to can simply not show up. They will receive an 
  electronic transfer of their salary to date and are freed from any further obligations. The meet is set for 
  a bar that John points out from the main concourse. This done, it is time for the crew to stretch their 
  legs and have some fun. 
   
  In Port at New Chryse 
  The characters should realize that as their mission takes them further and further from civilization they 
  will have few opportunities to buy things they want or gave a good time in relatively civilized 
  surroundings. New Chryse is no pulsating metropolis but it is safe, civilized and has plenty to offer.   
   
  The Referee should let the characters interact with one another and their surroundings as they please. If 
  they manage to get into trouble then they will have to deal with it, though in most cases of trivial 
  offences the security force will do no more than detain the offender for a few hours and impose a 
  standard fine. This practice has been described as a ‘rowdy tax’, and it does generate a lot of revenue. 
  More serious offences will result in imprisonment until a trial can be arranged. 
   
  Note that while New Chryse has a low law level, it does impose fairly heavy penalties for those 
  offences that merit it. In cases where little harm has been done, the offender is often just fined and 
  deported, assuming a ship to somewhere is available. The cost of passage is an unofficial part of the 
  punishment. Serious offences are normally dealt with by a period of incarceration in a penal mining 
  camp, working in harsh but not especially hazardous conditions. Often it is possible to bargain with the 
  authorities, who will use the threat of penal servitude to compel a settlement. 
  
   
  Unless the offender has done something extremely serious, such as causing very grave harm to 
  someone or committing an offence that will have long-lasting consequences, the authorities will 
  normally use the threat of incarceration to compel the offender to make a settlement with the victim. 
  This is usually a large cash payment (which is taxed by the MM) by way of compensation. The 
  offender will then be detained at the starport security centre until they can be put on a ship out of the 
  system. They may or may not be banished for a fixed or unlimited time. A banished offender will not 
  be permitted to return to New Chryse. 
   
  The characters should be encouraged to go where they please and to split up and get back together, 
  sometimes losing track of their shipmates for a short while. While they are doing this, John, Amanda 
  and Geoff will be busy with ‘ship business’, which means arranging refuelling and a cargo for the next 
  leg of the trip. They will have time for some recreation but they will also be quite busy and may not be 
  available to accompany the characters. 
   
  Portside Problems 
  About six hours before the meet-up is scheduled, one or more of the characters gets an urgent comm 
  call from Geoff McWilliams. He has a problem, he says, and needs some help. He asks the characters 
  not to get John involved but to meet him at a location near the starport loading area. 
   
  Arriving at the location, the characters find Geoff flanked by two large men in dock worker’s clothes. 
  One of them is holding Geoff’s arm in a way that looks quite casual but to an experienced eye suggests 
  that he is being covertly detained. Astute characters may realise that there are other ‘workers’ around 
  who are watching the group whilst pretending to go about their tasks.  
   
  Geoff explains that he has run into a… problem. The short version is that he tried to work out a deal 
  with the port workers to get the ship loaded on the cheap, basically bribing them to do the job off the 
  clock, and someone snitched on him. Turns out the dockers have a pretty strong union, and a couple of 
  the foremen have taken exception to his actions. They have made it clear that until the matter is 
  resolved, the ship is not going to get loaded with anything. 
   
  Geoff explains that John does not know what he was trying to do, and Geoff does not want John to find 
  out. He wants to resolve the matter quietly, but cannot do it himself as the dockers are insisting on 
  holding him until a resolution is made.  
   
  The dockers are demanding a somewhat outrageous Cr25,000 as a resolution, and they want the funds 
  in cash that can be distributed on the quiet. Geoff does not have that kind of money available, and 
  cannot go to get it anyway, so he is asking the characters to help him out. They have a few hours to 
  come up with the cash or find an alternative solution. Geoff won’t be fired if he misses the meet-up, but 
  he will have to explain why and he does not want John to find out about this little disaster. He does 
  promise to make up any financial losses the characters suffer with his own funds later in the voyage, or 
  to help them out if they need it. 
   
  The straightforward solution – immediate violence – is not going to work here. The characters are 
  surrounded by an unknown number of dockers, and starting a fight will probably bring the cops down 
  on them. Even if they got Geoff away from his captors, that would not get the ship loaded and they 
  would just have a bigger mess to deal with. 
   
  The characters have several options, ranging from negotiating with the dockers to just getting the cash 
  from somewhere. John could just get it out of the ship’s safe, and Amanda probably has access too (she 
  does), but that means telling one or both of them what has happened. Drawing on their own funds 
  would also work, but there are limits on how much cash can be advanced in a given period, and 
  Cr25,000 is too much to just pull out of a dispenser somewhere; the average monthly wage is about 
  Cr1,500. 
   
  That much money is available at short notice in any of the exclusive clubs of New Chryse. None of 
  these is close to the docks, and there is the problem of getting access. If the characters can manage to 
  get access, they will be able to obtain bags of cash easily enough, though there will be a fee of 10-20% 
  for a large sum like that unless the characters can convince the club owner that the money is to be used 
  for gambling in the club or something similar. They will then have to smuggle it out, of course… 
  
   
  Just to complicate matters further, the characters might encounter law enforcement patrols as they try 
  to sort out their problem. A bunch of starship crewmembers walking along with a bag will not attract 
  much attention, unless the characters are acting suspiciously. What they are doing is not illegal as such 
  – petty corruption and bribery of this sort is beneath the cops’ radar unless someone gets hurt – but the 
  cops will ask awkward questions.  
   
  If a character thinks to admit that the money is a bribe for some dockers, to settle a screwed-up deal, 
  then the cops will actually accept this and let them go. Unofficial dealings of this sort are not 
  uncommon and so long as they do not cause escalating problems then they are routinely ignored. In 
  fact, the authorities prefer matters that sort themselves out under the radar to situations that escalate 
  into violence or long-running disputes.  
   
  The characters might also be able to negotiate with the dockers for a reduction in their demands. 
  Threats of (or actual) violence  could be used to back up this argument, so long as it is done carefully 
  and does not escalate. Such an approach might work if the characters go somewhere to negotiate 
  privately and then use force; bashing the foreman in the middle of the loading docks will bring about 
  God’s own Donnybrook and all kinds of bad consequences.  
   
  Note that the dockers have plenty of improvised weapons like wrenches and pieces of pipe, but no guns 
  handy. However, there are security offices where weapons are stored, and armed police patrols in the 
  area. If shots are fired by anyone, the matter will get a whole lot worse. The locals will not bring guns 
  to a fistfight however, other perhaps than as a threat in the hope of breaking the brawl up. It is up to the 
  characters whether or not they escalate. 
   
  Solutions 
  There are plenty of ways the situation can be resolved. Some will end more beneficially than others. 
  Options include: 
   
   
  Walk away and leave Geoff to it 
   
  Find a way to come up with the cash without informing John 
   
  Make a deal with the dockers to solve the problem more cheaply 
   
  Tell John and let him sort it out 
   
  Tell Amanda and hope she has an answer 
   
  Go to the authorities 
   
  Going to the authorities is a waste of time. As noted above a bit of corruption is below the radar, and 
  people who are too incompetent to even bribe someone effectively can take their chances. The 
  authorities offer a business mediation service which might be able to broker a deal, but it will still cost 
  over Cr20,000 to resolve the problem. 
   
  Amanda will be inclined to go to her father as soon as she is told about the problem, but could be 
  persuaded to keep quiet and help, or keep quiet despite refusing to help. She can get money from the 
  ship’s funds, but sooner or later it will be noted as missing.  
   
  Leaving Geoff to it and telling John amount to the same thing. With no alternative, Geoff will have to 
  call John who will pay the demanded sum and be angry with both Geoff for causing the problem and 
  the characters for not fixing it. He will be very difficult to live with for a while afterward. 
   
  If the characters manage to sort out the mess and make the meet, then John need be none the wiser. Of 
  course, they could tell him anyway. If they fail, or if they miss the meet and still want the job, then the 
  situation will have to be explained. The ideal solution is for the characters to resolve the problem, make 
  the meet, and sort out with Geoff later how he’s going to repay them. He will repay his debt, one way 
  or another; he does not need resentful shipmates annoyed at him for freeloading. 
   
  If the matter can be resolved in a manner that does not result in a long period of penal servitude, the 
  characters can meet John and Amanda for dinner, where they will receive their hiring bonus and a 
  contract for the trip. John then informs his crew that the ship will be loading up with a cargo he has 
  sourced and will be ready for space in about 24 hours or so. However, he intends to spend another two 
  days in port, letting everyone rest up and blow off steam before they begin their long journey.  
  
   
  In short, the characters have another 48 hours in port, after which they are expected back aboard and 
  ready to go.  
   
  It’s time to begin the mission. 
   
  
  Opposition 
   
  Docker Foreman 
  Str 7 
  Dex 7 
  End 7 
  Int 8 
  Edu 7 
  Soc 7 
  Skills: Persuade 1, Melee Combat (unarmed) 1, gun Combat (shotgun or slug pistol) 1 
  Weapons: Usually none. Possibly shotgun (4d6 damage) or autopistol (3d6-3) 
   
  Typical Dock Worker 
  Str 9 
  Dex 7 
  End 8 
  Int 8 
  Edu 7 
  Soc 5 
  Skills: Melee Combat (unarmed or bludgeon) 1,  
  Weapons: Usually none. Possibly improvised club (2d6 damage) 
   
  Security or Police Officer 
  Str 8 
  Dex 8 
  End 7 
  Int 7 
  Edu 7 
  Soc 7 
  Skills: Recon 1, Melee( bludgeon) 1, Slug Pistol 2 
  Weapons: Baton (2d6 damage), autopistol (3d6-3 damage) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Traveller/08 - Mongoose Traveller/Third Party Materials/Campaigns & Settings/Settings - Other/Mongoose Traveller - Outer Veil - Through the Veil - Episode 1 - New Chryse.pdf