Written by B. C. Trombley
From Bodyguard of Lies - Issue 1 (Newsletter Edition)
Overview
This short mission takes place in Abbotville, a small rural town (pop. 6500)
more than 100 miles from Kansas City. An Aegis operative passing through
Abbotville was accidently caught up in some odd events. Suspecting Black
Book involvement, he quickly recruited a local Cell to investigate. After a
few weeks, the child Cell discovered a Black Book research and development
center hidden in the local prison. At roughly the same time, the child Cell
was compromised and nearly eliminated. Fearing further investigation, the
Black Book set their evacuation plan into motion. They wrecked a train
nearby, publicized a fake chemical leak and brought in the Army to seal off
the area. With the town evacuated and a military blockade around it, Black
Book operatives posing as a chemical cleanup team is removing their
equipment. The player characters' Cell is ordered to infiltrate the town,
reestablish contact with the lost Cell, and report on the situation.
The Hook
One of the player characters, most likely the leader, receives a phone call
very early Thursday morning. The caller does not identify himself, but the
voice is familiar. "Turn to Headline news now. Will contact with further
instructions."
The caller does not ring again until 10am. In the meantime, the following
will be viewed.
CNN Headline News Broadcast
THURSDAY, MAY 16th 1996 - 3am
Anchor sitting at desk. Train derailment graphic superimposed over shoulder.
"This report just in. There is has been a train derailment outside of
Abbotville, Kansas. Unconfirmed reports indicate that freight train
carrying toxic chemicals left the tracks at full speed. We have no details
on the cause of the derailment, nor do we know if any chemicals have been
spilled. We will keep you apprised as more facts become available."
CNN Headline News Broadcast
THURSDAY, MAY 16th 1996 - 6am
Anchor sitting at desk. Train derailment graphic superimposed over shoulder.
"We have further reports on the Abbotville train wreck. The train cars
carrying the toxic chemicals left the tracks and the containment vessels
have ruptured. The chemicals have spread into the surrounding area, but as
yet the exact nature of the substance is unknown. Unconfirmed reports
indicate that local farm animals have taken ill and died. Local authorities
are instructing local residents to evacuate the area. We now switch to
Jackson Desmond, from local KTV 21, who is covering this story."
The view shifts to an unsteady camera looking over large area from a great
height. Below a long freight train lies on its side. The front end of the
train has dug a deep trench in the ground which diverges sharply from the
track. The back end of the train remains near the tracks. An orangish
cloud billows from several cars in the middle of the wreak. A voice over
begins.
"This is Jackson Desmond, KTV 21 reporter, coming to you from a helicopter
high over the Western Cargo Rails train derailment. As you can see, an
orange and yellow substance is pouring out of the middle railcars and
speading into the atmosphere. We will move in closer for a better look."
At this point, one of the cars covered by the cloud explodes, sending a ball
of flame up into the air. The camera rocks and only sky may be seen for a
few moments. Shortly, the camera rights itself and the train wreck comes
back into focus. The middle cars are ablaze and the cloud of gas is much
larger. The reporter returns. "Are you getting this? . . . Are we
broadcasting? . . . We're live? . . . Okay, I'm on it. This is Jackson
Desmond live above the train wreck outside Abbotville. A train car has just
exploded and fire has engulfed the middle of the train and an huge orange
gas cloud is escaping the ruined car . . . What? . . . Folks, we've just
been contacted and told we have to move away from the explosion. The local
authorities report that the gas is toxic, I repeat, the gas is toxic, and we
will be at danger if we stay."
This series of pictures and reports is replayed over and over for the next
several hours. A variety of commentators are presented, but none add any
significant information.
CNN Headline News Broadcast
THURSDAY, MAY 16th 1996 - 9:30am
A harried reporter stands on a highway overlooking the skyline of a small
town. Helicopters fill the sky and many vehicles may be seen leaving via
the several major roads that lead out of the area. Numerous soldiers and
military vehicles are moving about in the area around the reporter.
"This is Julia Person on the outskirts of Abbotville. Citing the danger
posed by the toxic chemical spill from the train wreck 3 miles north of
town, the local authorities have advised all residents to evacuate to at
least 50 miles away. The Govenor of Kansas has called in the U.S. Army from
a nearby Army base to stabilize the situation and assist in the evacuation.
Check points and patrols have been set up in a 50- mile perimeter to keep
anyone from entering the area. The Air Force has established a no-fly zone
for 50 miles around Abbotville. All flights into and out of Duckton airport
have been cancelled. While the evacuation has so far been orderly, we have
reports that five people have died in the confusion and many are missing. It
will no doubt be many hours, and perhaps days, before everyone is accounted
for. Several evacuees report skin blisters and violent nausea. Prison
authorities at Glenpond State Correctional Facility report that three
inmates have escaped, but otherwise evacuation of that facility is
proceeding on schedule. We are sad to report that a prison guard, Richard
Jackson, was killed during the prison break."
Getting Started
At 10am, the lead player character receives another phone call from their
Aegis contact. The gravely voice advises him or her to prepare the Cell to
be inserted into Abbotville to investigate the situation. All information is
on a need to know basis. Further briefing will follow. The phone then goes
dead.
Don't tell the players how much time they have. No more than 2 hours are
suggested. Treat it as "what are you doing for the next 1/2 hour?" Make
some rolls (whether they are needed or not) or roleplay out the desired
actions. Then, ask again, and so on.
After some time, the contact calls back and tells them to be at the local
airport in 1 hour. The characters are ushered aboard a small propeller
plane. The crew knows nothing except a series of descriptions of the
characters and a destination. The players land in a small, rough airstrip
behind a farm several miles outside the no-fly zone. A large sign on the
farm advertises crop dusting. Once inside the farm house, they are escorted
to a large concrete basement filled with hastily erected communications
equipment.
The Briefing
Inside the basement, the party meets a grey-haired man in a suit with dark
sunglasses. He introduces himself as Rainmaker, and shows them his HERMES
link to establish his credentials. He will answer no personal questions, and
begins the briefing immediately.
"Seven months ago, an Aegis operative passed through Abbotville on his way to
another assignment. After checking in at a cheap motel, he stopped in a
place called Ralph's Bar and Grill for a nightcap. The mood at the bar was
cordial at first. Then, seemingly from one moment to the next, it got ugly.
A vicious bar fight broke out. The agent escaped with minor injuries. When
the local cops arrived, tempers were cool and no one could remember why the
fight started. The agent decided to remain in town for a while to
investigate.
"After a couple of weeks, the agent found nothing. Other matters were
pressing, so he recruited a replacement and left the investigation in his
hands. The replacement is William Green, an Abbotville police sergeant.
Green in turn recruited Fredrick Anderson, a childhood friend who had just
finished two terms as a military police officer in the U.S. Army. Green and
Anderson then approached Samantha Henly, a psychiatrist who was studying
aberrent behavior among inmates at the Glenpont State Correctional Facility
just outside Abbotville. Henly brought in Richard Jackson, a prison guard at
Glenpont.
"By this time, six months had passed and the Cell was barely established.
Other than the odd barfight at Ralph's and periodic prisoner seizures at
Glenpont, nothing unusual was reported. Then, the Cell started uncovering
undocumented experiments conducted at Glenpont. They began to try to tie
these experiments to the rise in violent prison outbreaks in the last
several years. The Cell was to submit a complete report in three days. We
have lost all contact with Cell.
"We believe that a hostile entity, most likely the Black Book, is active in
Abbotville. We believe that our Cell broke their cover and compromised
their operation. In response, the Book eliminated the Cell and has staged
this derailment "disaster" to cover their tracks. The news has reported the
death of Richard Jackson in the prison break. A body found near the train
accident sight has been indentified as William Green. Reports are that he
died from exposure to the toxic gas. Although possible, we consider these
explanations not probable. We are unaware of the location of the remaining
two agents. We believe that the "toxic" chemical spill is fabricated and no
danger exists.
"Your assignment is to reestablish contact with the remaining members of the
Abbotville Cell, to investigate Black Book activity in the town, and to
report your findings. The Army troops blockading the town are considered
under Black Book command and dangerous. However, the troops are unaware of
the nature of their master, and should be avoided, not eliminated. I repeat,
the soldiers are dangerous but innocent. Do not harm them except in
self-defense or to prevent Aegis' discovery. However, any troops found in
town are to be considered enemies and dangerous. Deal with them as the
situation requires.
"The Abbotville Cell's HQ is located in Samantha Henly's basement at 25
Hickerson Street. You are roughly 127 miles from Abbotville at present. We
have some equipment here that will be placed at your disposal. The Black
Book cannot hope to keep this large scale an operation secure for any length
of time. This means they will sanitize the sight in at most a couple days.
You are therefore on a very tight time schedule. Remember don't endanger
Aegis security. Like all of us, you are expendable!"
The Real Story
The Black Book is developing a broadcasting device capable of altering the
mood of a crowd of nearby people. Their base of operations is the Glenpond
prision. The Black Book has been testing the device in the prison, at a
local bar, and in the square in the middle of downtown. The device calms,
aggravates, or causes pleasure in a number of people depending on the size
of the power source and transmission beacon.
Richard Jackson uncovered the Black Book testing in the prison. He personally
viewed a test during which a riot was incited, and then immediately calmed.
No official report of these events was produced or filed. Jackson also
discovered the room where the device was kept.
The Black Book soon noticed Jackson's investigations about the device and
tests and decided to recruit or eliminate this curious guard. Jackson proved
easy to recruit. Jackson planned to learn as much as he could and report it
to Aegis. The Black Book, however, was not so easily duped. Being as
paranoid as Aegis, the Black Book had Richard watched and quickly discovered
that he was making contact with someone outside the prision on a regular
basis. Suspecting Aegis involvement, a team of Black Book agents followed
Richard and saw him meeting with his other Cell members. The Black Book team
struck and Jackson was killed in the firefight. Anderson and Henly escaped
and holed up in a safehouse set up for just such an emergency.
Unfortunately, Anderson's HERMES link was destroyed in the firefight, and
Henly lost hers. They are desperate to contact Aegis and Henly suspects she
dropped her HERMES link near her house, the Cell's HQ. In their first sorte
to the house, Anderson and Henly could not find the link, but they did
manage to booby trap the place. William Green, who hadn't attended the
disrupted meeting, was killed when he went to investigate the train wreck.
The Black Book injected him with a toxin and then claimed he died from
exposure to the 'toxic gas'.
Samantha's House
Depending on when the players reach Henly's house, it will either be
destroyed or booby-trapped. Canisters of gasoline have been located
strategically throughout the house. The front door, back door, basement
door and lower level windows have all been trapped with grenades. The second
story windows above the porch are unlocked and safe. Henly's HERMES link is
in the garden under some lettuce leaves. It remains in working order, but
will not respond to anyone but Henly (see The HERMES System, Chapter 7:
Extraterrestrials, Conspiracy X). If the players get there before Anderson
and Henly return, they can find some extra equipment.
Prison
If the players approach the prison, they should see a few military trucks,
several vans and a lot of people going in and out. The Black Book has about
50 people (30 soldier and 20 technicians) working on the removal of the
equipment and repairing the prison so it looks as if they were never there.
These personnel are spread out in groups of 10 or so in a number of
locations around the prison. All are members of the Black Book. If the
party is violent or military-based, the GM can add some Men in Black to the
Black Book team for strength. One Man in Black is posted in the prison at
all times, a second is looking for the missing Aegis agents, and the third
travels with the technicians to the bar, and then to the town square.
Ralph's Bar and Grill
This is the local bar where the Black Book's smallest experiment is being
conducted. The equipment is hidden under the bar behind the kegs. It sends
signals into the crowd and causes mood changes. The unit here is small
because the experiment is only intended to effect the inside area of the bar
and none of the nearby areas. When the Black Book moves to retrieve their
equipment, they send two military trucks and about 8 people (6 soldiers and
2 technicians).
Town Square
In the past year, the town square was renovated and a pool with statues,
sprinklers and lights was installed. The pool covers the Black Book's
largest prototype crowd control device. When fully operational, the device
should affect the entire commercial district surrounding the town square.
The equipment will take the Black Book about 7 hours to remove and will
require 20 technicians and heavy equipment. If pressed for time, the Black
Book can do it in 4 hours, but they will destroy the pool and leave evidence
of their actions.
AEGIS Time Line
Tuesday, May 14th
The Abbotville Cell meets to hear Jackson's report and is attacked by the
Black Book. Jackson is killed. Anderson and Henly escape.
Wednesday, May 15th
Anderson and Henly hole up in safehouse.
Thursday, May 16th
Green is killed and planted by the train wreck.
Anderson and Henly make quick run to Henly's house in the afternoon to search
for HERMES link and set booby traps.
Friday, May 17th
Anderson and Henly return to the Henly's house in morning and find the HERMES
unit. They contact Aegis and are informed of the party's presence. They are
told to contact them and a meeting is arranged.
The Black Book Time Line
Tuesday, May 14th
The Black Book discovers the local Aegis Cell and kills Jackson.
Wednesday, May 15th
The Black Book plans the train wreck.
Thursday, May 16th
The Black Book wrecks the train and plants Jackson's body at the prison and
Green's body at the train wreck.
A Black Book agent in the Governor's office suggests a military blockade of
the town. The Governor approves.
The evacuation is begun and the town is sealed off by U.S. Army.
Friday, May 17th
The Black Book team arrives to remove the equipment at the prison and
eliminate any trace of operation there.
Saturday, May 18th
The Black Book finishes sanitizing the prison, the equipment is loaded
on two Army trucks.
Sunday, May 19th
The Black Book spends the morning removing the equipment from Ralph's
Bar and Grill. One Army truck leaves town.
In the afternoon, they start removing the equipment from the town square.
Monday, May 20th
In late afternoon, The Black Book loads up remaining personnel and equipment
into a few military cargo helicopters and abandons the town.
Tuesday, May 21st
The Black Book "cleanup" team starts to remove the gas from the cargotrain.
They remove all evidence and clean the town.
Wednesday, May 22nd
The town is opened to the public. The military forces moves out.
Equipment available at Henly house:
3 pistols & ammo
2 Flak jackets
Surveillance gear
Photos of town square where everyone visible is arguing
Article about increasing number of fights at Ralph's Bar and Grill
Equipment available at farm house:
Crop-dusting plane (two-seater propeller plane)
Humvee
Environmental gear
Partial map of the town
Personal communicators
Extra ammo
Aegis Agents
(* stuff that AEGIS knows)
William Green - Deceased
*Police Officer
Richard Jackson - Deceased
*Prison Guard
Pyschic Void
created child cell with Samantha's help
Samantha Henly
*45 years old *Married
*Retired FBI-Psychiatrist
Str 3 Size 3
Agl 3 Ref 3
Int 4 Will 3
Per 3 Luck 2/12
Influence 2
*Skills
Brawling 1 Computer Use 1
Research 2 Medical 2
Science: Psychology 3
First Aid 3 Drive 2
Small Arms: Pistol 1
*Traits
Swimming Running
Cautious
Strong ESP: Hunch
Fredrick Anderson
*Honorably Discharged
*Military Police
Str 3 Size 3
Agl 3 Ref 3
Int 3 Will 3
Per 3 Luck 2/11
Influence 1
*Skills
Drive 3 Autofire 2
Small Arms: Pistol 3
Small Arms: Rifle 3
Brawling (Military Training) 3
*Traits
Swimming
Combat Experience
Distinguishing Mark (Facial Scar)
Creature of Habit: Smokes
*Training
Communication
Agents know precise location of device in prison.
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