Mini-scenario: The Olympus-Elysium Run

The Olympus to Elysium M5/E90 road link is one of the longest on Mars at 4,500km (approx the distance from London to Caracas), and absolutely the most dangerous thanks to a 1,200km stretch which has been cordoned off and runs straight through the Titan Quarantine Zone. Taking a Rover overland is close enough to a death wish that it’s become absurdly popular among a certain class of wealthy daredevil who’s happy to sign all the waivers and wake up a week later shrugging about the loss of just another morph.

The Run starts from from a formerly grand but now well-declined establishment, Hotel Atlas, on a sweeping scenic route down the vast slopes of Mount Olympus. This is followed by a breakneck tour of the jagged Lycus Sulci, with its dark slopes and wind-etched ridges, bringing you to a short stretch of the remains of the M5 highway. Most jump off road a few dozen klicks from the official barricade and into the interdiction zone via paths where satellite coverage is poor and the Rangers lax. Bribery, smuggler-aided dodging of aerial surveillance, there’s plenty of ways in if you’re prepared to risk it.

Then you’re through, picking your way along the jagged edges of the Gordii Dorsum as you dip to the bottom of what will one day be a world-girding sea. After 100km of nail-biting tension as you scan the skies for a Direct Action-branded missile with your name on it you’ll find yourself in the TQZ proper.

If you make very good time, you may see a pace of 50kph in this initial stage, and before long, if you weren’t before, you’ll be enveloped by a dead-dark Martian night on the plains. Attention is not what you want, so your choice is to try night-vision and keep going in shifts, or stop and pray nothing finds you. Most choose the former, but a night ride means you won’t be seeing the nano-swarm clouds until they’re right. There. Maybe you don’t see them at all, and the next people passing through will see a half-eaten metal meal where you used to be.

1,200km is a long way my adrenaline junky friend, and as dawn hits it turns out most of the Amazonis Planitia is endless, featureless, boring as hell. You’ll find yourself getting drowsy, you’ll lose concentration — then a dust storm will hit you, or headhunters will home in on the plumes you’re leaving in your wake. And if you’re slow on the uptake, you’re dead. Driven into a ravine or leaving your body behind on journey to who knows where. The White Zone probably.

At a speedy 65kph, depending on breaks, you might get through in two or three days, though between backtracking round fissures, picking your way through rough terrain and giving beasties a wide berth it’ll most likely be longer, between three and five. I don’t envy what you’ll see on the way, but the relief when you hit the beautiful water-carved flow rock of the Marte Vallis, and know that you’re about to pass out of the badlands into the tender care of the Portmanteu Rangers, well that’s a billion buck feeling baby.

The rest of the trip is a breeze, just head on past the utterly amazing 380km-long Orcus Patera (actually stop for a beer at the Orcus Porcus Inn at its lip, you won’t be disappointed) and take a leisurely tour until you see the sharp 14km-high peak of Elysium Mons poke over the horizon. The E90 road’s well maintained round here, if it weren’t for the cold you could as well be doing a desert drive on a Californian highway as you cruise through to Elysium City, the new bright lights, and a rapturous reception from those in the know. Congratulations, you’re one of a bare handful to have done The Run and come out clean on the other side.

Unless you didn’t, of course. In which case good luck with the Rangers — they’ll fry your exsurgent ass.

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GM Scenario notes: The Run

The following is designed to be used as an addendum to Red! Red! Red!, but can be reworked as a standalone without too much fuss.

The players get wind of a nanobot infested box of fabricators from the previous mission which has been sent out to Elysium. It’s taking the long way round the TQZ via depots and hasn’t yet been opened  — it contains the fractal punch version which could cause untold damage. Other boxes are being tracked elsewhere, your Router has volunteered for this one as Firewall’s got its hands full with clearing out Ebb 15, and it doesn’t want to tip off the Movement that it’s onto the shipment by putting the team, by now well known to the Devils, in easily-surveilled commercial flyers. The quickest way is thus a straight shot across the TQZ itself, a dangerous move but if nothing’s done there’s every chance a self-replicating flock of fractals could devastate the city and kill millions.

The drive from Olympus Mons to Elysium is around 4,500km, including half a day to the TQZ line, 1,200km through the TQZ badlands themselves, and another to get there in time. The badlands will take between 2-4 days depending on whether they stop for rest. (see description, above)

Roll for possible interventions while driving in the day (use Zonestalkers p7-8) is 1d10 per 100km traveled, then d100 for which encounter it is (so essentially this is two encounter rolls for every three hours on the road). 

Once night falls the players have two options, forge on with a night drive (-20 to normal Perception) and work in shifts, or stop for the night and stay as quiet as possible. In the first instance, encounters operate as normal, except that organics may be asleep and thus not react in time to do any damage, and if an attack does happen waking players may be disoriented/tired. In the second, particularly if the players attempt to hide themselves, take one roll overnight to see if anything spots them, and roll for weather to see if a dust storm rises (which obliterates tracks but also slows the start of the day), 0-20 on a d100.  

Tweak for 80-81 & 99-00: The players see what seems to be some sort of black cloud floating on the road ahead. If they try to drive through it, the swarm covers the vehicle at full strength and begins to eat through the armour. If they try and avoid, roll Pilot skill to see if they make a clean getaway. If not, the Creeper manages a partial swipe of the vehicle as they screech past – roll D100 to see how much of it clings and begins to eat at the armour.

At the other end of the border they’re intercepted by a small crew of Portmanteau Rangers, led by Sergeant Vrieka Hansa. She’s a friend to Firewall (though not a sentinel) and can drop them close to the warehousing complex in Mons Hub, east of Elysium where the box is thought to have been stashed, though she’s busy fighting other fires and can’t bring in additional support without a solid confirmation. This final leg is a good 2,500km, but the Rangers have flying cars of their own and these can hit 220kph. Hitching a ride in a couple of these the players can get to the area in 12 hours or so, otherwise it’ll be at least another two days. 

Once there they’ll have to either talk the dealer down or flame the place — Hansa can call in the Elysium Militia for backup if needed. 

If the nanotech gets out it’ll cause absolute havoc, as the city is huge and EPM tacs are notoriously bad at dealing with anything dangerous. Pursuing players may get trapped in a locked down section of the city as newborn Fractals run riot and need to try and escape/survive before the entire area is vaporised with heavy weaponry. There may be an intervention from Zevi’s AGIs.

If resolved without an outbreak they get solid i-rep plus some time to retrain, heal and explore the city.