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1. GENOCIDE

a STAR FRONTIERS adventure by Layne K. Saltern

THE MAIN PLAYERS

Toxica Vandura -- Human Female

Toxica, the team's leader and starship pilot, is the most persuasive and charismatic of the group. Her main skills are in the areas of technology and computer science, although she has some experience in psychology as well. In combat, she prefers her laser rifle. She can defend herself quite well at close range with her martial arts training. In starship combat, Toxica takes the helm and gives orders to the rest of the crew. She is currently assigned as captain of the CMS Osprey, an assault scout in the Clarion Royal Militia.

Yaundorr Vimey -- Yarzirian Male

Yaundorr fills the role of the team's engineer. As prerequisite to his engineering career, Yaundorr has trained long with technology and robotics. He fights best at close range, with advanced skill in both armed and unarmed hand-to-hand combat. His weapon of choice is a bladed polearm, and he will often use a gyrojet rifle for distant targets. Yaundorr has an aggressive style and loses his temper easily. He becomes all the more dangerous when he enters a Yazirian battle rage in combat. Yaundorr's past survival training has given him a moderate knowledge of environmental science. In starship combat, Yaundorr takes the engineering deck, where he handles power distribution and damage control.

While fighting a deadly Sathar agent, Yaundorr lost the use of his right arm. To thank him for his assistance on the planet Volturnus, the Eorna people--experts in cybernetics--provided Yaundorr with a fully functional robotic replacement entitled E.A.R.L. (Eorna Artificial Robotic Limb). E.A.R.L. possesses strength several times that of a natural limb, and also conceals a few hidden technician's tools.

Kro'khan Zek'et -- Vrusk Male

Kro'khan serves as the team's medic and chief science officer, with advanced training in medicine, psychology and environmental science. In the face of danger, Kro'khan relies on his laser pistol, which he uses with astonishing speed and accuracy. The vrusk tries to keep his distance in a fight, since he has little skill in hand-to-hand combat. Kro'khan comes from a large family of successful businessmen and therefore tends to keep his cool in stressful situations, taking on problems with a logical and pragmatic approach. In starship combat, Kro'khan mans the Osprey's laser battery.

Paaglo -- Dralasite

Paaglo acts as the team's combat expert and tactical officer. He possesses a full range of skills in all forms of combat, as well as demolitions. In emergencies, he can also serve as a backup medic. Paaglo uses a full array of weapons to fit any situation, including machine guns, needlers, lasers, sonic knives, explosives, and an assortment of grenades. For a grizzled military veteran, Paaglo has a surprisingly mild personality--and his dry sense of humor is bemoaned by all who know him. But beneath the soft exterior, Paaglo possesses iron courage and a golden heart. In startship combat, Paaglo takes his station targeting the Osprey's assault rocket launcher. As a Dralasite, Paaglo has the unique ability of being able to ooze into any shape, although the surface of his skin will always stay a bumpy gray.

S.H.E.R.M.A.N. -- Warbot

S.H.E.R.M.A.N. is the result of hybrid Federation and Eorna technology. Federation technology gives him a robust armored structure, with four powerful upper limbs--3 armed with lasers and 1 armed with a sonic stunner. Eorna technology offers S.H.E.R.M.A.N. an advanced artificial intelligence. The warbot moves about on rotating tracks like a tank. His addition to the team has been one of great loyalty and intelligence, in addition to firepower.

MISSION

Received from Clarion Militia Headquarters:

Clarion scientists have detected a faint electromagnetic irregularity coming from an unknown source several light years from the White Light Star System. A team of astonomists has successfully pinpointed the star system from which the signal has originated, but are confused as to its meaning. A computer translator is currently processing the irregularity, searching for any way to translate it, but the progress has been slow and unfruitful. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to take the Osprey through hyperspace to the star system designated by our astronomers. Once there, you are to explore the system and search for any information that may help in determining the cause and meaning of the signal being emitted. Should you find any signs of sentient life, you are to avoid them if at all possible, until further decisions may be made with the information you find.

DO YOU ACCEPT?

If so, describe any preparation or planning you want to do, both prior to and during the journey. (The journey should take 10 days.) You can be as generalized or specific as you want to be. As resources, you have the characters described above, over which you have full control. Prior to leaving, you may confer with a full team of Clarion militia specialists in most fields of expertise. The Osprey has a computer at your disposition, but there are also more powerful computer systems and specialists to which you have access prior to your departure. Also, is there anything special you want to take with you? (It can be assumed that you are already taking the most common things, like weapons, chronocoms, polyvoxes and toolkits.)

"I would like to learn more about the equipment and algorithms you have at your disposal," says the attractive leader. "I like this kind of stuff." Her tone is unassuming and almost naïve, but anyone who knows Toxica knows that her mental prowess is anything but naivete. She is anxious to research the signal, and to properly equip the Osprey with additional sensors and computing that may help with the task at hand.

Kro'khan in the meantime, has taken up a strong interest in the star system identified as the source of the signal. He spends his time before departure gathering environmental and historical data and talking to the astronomers. The time in travel will provide him the chance to learn and compare this system to others, hoping to assess its likelihood of sustaining life, as well as its potential dangers.

Yaundorr is anxious to check all of the Osprey's systems. This is no commuter flight! The days are spent in intense preparation, with only an hour off in the afternoon to spar with Paaglo. For a warbot, S.H.E.R.M.A.N. is not bad at helping with the diagnostics. Those Eorna people have implemented some pretty nice AI.

Paaglo-well you know Paaglo. He appears more relaxed than all, spending an unusually high amount of time playing against some simulated "Karate Champ" opponents, and another guy in gloves named "Pissed-on Hurricane". He perks up when Kro'khan explains the abundance of volatile explosive substances in a certain planet of the distant system.

Special cargo rolled onto the Osprey includes some of Toxica's requested computers and sensors, the usual combat and medical equipment, as well as a variety of accessories to protect life in harsh environments. The group is ready for action again!!!

Toxica perks up. "You found something?"

"I biasssed my resssearch on the idea that there may have been a low frequensssy messsage modulated onto a high power, high frequensssy electromagnetic sssignal. But it looksss like I wazz missstaken to do ssso. Obzzerve."

The Vrusk's star-shaped hands go wild on the touch panel before him. You watch as all of the various computer diagrams mutate and merge into a single orange waveform. The Vrusk scientist chuckles through a throat raspy as sandpaper.

"What is it?" asks the young woman.

"The carrier wave wazz actually the messssage being transssmitted at a heightened frequensssy. Lisssten."

The volume slowly rises, and you can make out a deep toned voice. But the language is unfamiliar.

"Can we translate that?"

* * *

"Hey, S.H.E.R.M.A.N., pass me that quantum depolarizer." Yaundorr's knees are wrapped around an overhead bar as he hangs upside down into a service pit on the Osprey's engineering deck. Millions of circuits and wires surround him. He reaches up with his left hand for the small tool S.H.E.R.M.A.N. offers, while with a miniature power drill in a finger on his cybernetic right arm, he loosens the bolts of a tiny plasteel panel.

"Ya got this thing ready to go?" asks Paaglo, entering the deck after an intense sport session.

KLUNK! CRASH! THUD! "Owww!" grunts the Yazirian, gathering himself together at the bottom of the service pit where he has fallen. "Hey, warn me the next time you sneak in like that!"

Paaglo grimaces. "Uhh. . .I just came to say that all of the Osprey's cargo is loaded. Kro'khan and Toxica are ready on the bridge."

* * *

Kro'khan shows the rest of the group a star chart on one of the Osprey's many computer terminals. "We know from our research that there is a stable yellow star in the system we're about to visit. We can't tell what planets, if any, are in orbit around it without taking the time to send probes, but I guess we'll see first hand pretty soon. Our destination is approximately 212 light years from the White Light system. Midshipman Steele K'arx has already completed the necessary astrogation course for both ways of the voyage, and has downloaded his data into the Osprey's main computer."

"What about that signal?" asks Paaglo.

Toxica gets up and walks to another terminal. "Dr. Klurr'han has provided me with the latest language decryption equipment available, but unfortunately we don't have much to work with. The message in the signal doesn't match any language known in the Federation. We can keep trying to decipher the message during our ten day voyage, but for now this is all we have."

The same bass voice booms from the computer terminal's speakers, silencing your group. "Sist Tak biological temmartralla isk intelligence quarla temro world glecca blorma pelzar biological flect toomarri teeka morro assistance fen yumar demma tulka genocide dorlanta quuturmara but beware Yulla justalma gulla tac!"

"Sounds like they need help," notes Paaglo.

Yaundorr agrees. "Then the sooner we leave, the better."

* * *

The ten day voyage is uneventful.

The computer still has difficulty translating the message, but it does manage to pull out the additional words, "enslaved" and "annihilate." Toxica mentions that the computer might be able to finish its job more easily if you could get more language samples for it to analyze.

Upon arrival in the system, Kro'khan suggests that you keep your distance. "We have no idea where any civilizations may be located, if there are any. Remember that part of our orders are to avoid unnecessary contact."

"This is odd," says Toxica. "Are you sure this is where the signal was originating? I'm not picking up anything."

Kro'khan rubs his mandibles. "Remember that the signal we received in the White Light system was traveling through normal space at the speed of light. That would mean that once we got it, it would have been 212 years old."

Paaglo looks astonished. "So whoever was sending the signal would have died a long time ago!"

Yaundorr adds, "Whatever happened, I don't like this place. There's something creepy here."

Kro'khan shows no emotion to Yaundorr's words, but merely consults some computer instruments. "Orbiting the star, there are two inner planets, an asteroid belt, and 11 smaller planets beyond the asteroid field. It appears that only the planet closest to the inner side of the asteroids is capable of sustaining life. I can't tell you more without getting closer, or at least launching a probe. Either one could get us detected."

"There may not be anyone left to detect us," adds Paaglo.

Yaundorr eyes him with fierce seriousness. "I'd be on my guard, just the same."

Kro'khan looks toward their leader. "It's your call, Toxica."

"Any action we take may have serious consequences, but we will need to make some sort of decision soon."

"We'll send a probe," she says calmly, "but as soon as it is launched let's adjust our position and be on guard."

"All hands at the ready," orders Toxica. "We're going to back away and see what happens."

A few hours pass before the probe gets close enough to the system's habitable planet for any useful readings. Despite the anxiousness of Toxica, Yaundorr and Paaglo, the voice of Kro'khan is flat and emotionless as he reads the information.

"The planet is Class-M with a breathable atmosphere. Initial readings show an abundance of plant-life. . .but so far no animal life has been detected. If anyone's living down there, I can't find them." He punches some controls. "But an advanced scan should provide more--"

The vrusk stops short, pauses, and then plays rapidly with the controls at his terminal.

"What is it?" demands Toxica.

Kro'khan looks up. His face, if blank of emotion, shows some hint of astonishment. "I have lost contact with the probe. It may be some sort of malfunction. . ." He tilts his head mechanically. ". . .or it may have been destroyed."

Paaglo makes no attempt to hide his puzzlement. "If there were no life signs, who could have destroyed the probe?"

Yaundorr's tone is not cheerful. "It seems we know even less after sending a probe than we did before."

You don't know which is more powerful. Your sense of danger, or your curiosity to see what's going on near the planet.

Toxica walks over to the team's tactical officer. "Paaglo, I want you to study what we have from the probe's readings. See if there are any large ships or security perimeters near the planet where it disappeared. I want to know why we lost contact."

The dralasite shakes his rubbery head. "No large astral bodies in the planet's proximity--nothing large enough to be what I would consider a ship. No force fields, defense grids or other. . .wait! There is one satellite orbiting the planet. I don't see any electrical or mechanical activity there, but the spectral analysis shows too pure of a metallic composition for the satellite to be natural."

"Perhaps that satellite was the source of the original signal we received in the White Light System," suggests Kro'khan.

"Can you tell what cut off communication with the probe?" asks Toxica.

Paaglo waits before answering. "No. Whatever happened was so sudden that we didn't get any feedback."

Yaundorr looks at the stars beyond the bridge's main viewscreen. "So what do we do now?"

Kro'khan points at the hologram with a black, star-shaped hand. "I agree with you when you say this satellite is artificial, Paaglo. Notice how its motion exactly matches the rotation of the planet, so that the satellite always floats above the same area of the planet's surface. That can only occur when the satellite is placed at an exact altitude determined by the planet's mass, volume and rate of rotation. The odds of a natural satellite randomly entering orbit at that precise position are not even considerable. Someone deliberately placed this."

A yellow dotted line, designating the probe's trajectory, advances toward the planet. As soon as the yellow line reaches a proximity of about a fourth of the planet's diameter, it comes to an abrupt stop.

"Computer, freeze simulation." Paaglo walks full circle about the hologram. "Formulate a line connecting the satellite to the probe's last known position."

A red line is drawn from the satellite to the tip of the dotted yellow line. A good portion of the red line slices right through the planet.

"At this point the probe and satellite were out of visual contact," observes the dralasite.

Yaundorr steps forward. "That doesn't mean the satellite couldn't have destroyed the probe. Any energy weapon would probably be useless from that position, but a projectile with more mass--if aimed correctly--could be pulled into a curve by the planet's gravity well, and could have hit and destroyed our probe."

"Your point is well taken," admits the dralasite, "but I would have expected to see some sort of activity on the satellite if it were capable of aiming and firing a powerful weapon. As far as I can tell from these readings, the satellite is abandoned and not in operation."

"Could a weapon have been fired from the planet?" asks Toxica.

"I think that is a more likely possibility. Unfortunately our data on the planet is not complete enough to take that theory any further."

Yaundorr is not so sure. "Kro'khan already said that there were no detectable life forms on the planet."

"That scan wasn't complete," says Kro'khan. "All I can say right now is that if there are any life forms on the planet, there aren't enough to be picked up by a basic sensor sweep."

Toxica notices a stiff frown on Paaglo's face. "What is it?"

"Just a thought. If whatever is on or near that planet has the ability to destroy a probe at long range, what's to say they don't have the possibility to trace a probe's trajectory to its origin."

"You're right. We'd better back out of this area even further."

Toxica returns hastily to her position at the helm. No sooner does she set her hands on the navigation controls than a red light begins to flash to her left. Her voice is laced with dread. "We've got something on the long-range sensors."

The bridge's panoramic viewscreen lights up with a hazy picture of four bullet-nosed objects heading straight for you. You've got a welcoming committee.

Toxica grits her teeth. "They've already accelerated to 1.2 million kilometers per hour. There's no way we can outrun them at that speed."

Yaundorr studies the approaching objects for a moment, "Try to contact them, Toxica. They're ships!"

"They sure are funny shaped," comments Paaglo. "And too small. They're less than half the size of the smallest Federation one-man fighter."

The four vessels have fanned out in different directions and are converging on your ship. Much more of their detail is now visible on your long-range scanners. Each has a rounded black cap, and blue and yellow sides tapering toward the bottom.

"The section behind the nose cone looks like it could be the drive housing," notes Yaundorr.

Toxica considers that. "That wouldn't leave much space for any life support systems."

Paaglo suggests, half-jokingly, "Maybe the pilots are really tiny."

"Paaglo has a point," says Kro'khan. "We were quick to assume the inhabitants of that planet would be pretty much our size. But no one that size could fit in ships like those."

Abruptly, the smooth, shiny nose cones of the ships part into four sections. They open like the petals of enormous black flowers. The centers contain clusters of what appear to be sensors and cameras.

Toxica keeps her eyes to the viewscreen. "There goes the passenger theory."

Two huge portals dialate on each side of the ships, and metallic waldoes with wicked-looking metal claws extend into space. Just below the sensor clusters, underbelly panels slide back to reveal what appear to be the glistening casings of assault rockets. The black-tipped warheads reflect the starlight ominously.

"The ships aren't acknowledging our signals," says Toxica, frowning.

"Could they be drone ships?" asks Kro'khan.

"It would take enormously sophistocated equipment to control ships like that from the ground."

"They are not ships." This is the first time S.H.E.R.M.A.N. has spoken since the objects showed up. "They are robots. They are ordering us to go to the planet and land on its surface."

"What? Why do they want us to land?"

"Toxica, they are not replying to any of our questions. They merely repeat their instructions. If we do not obey quickly, they will destroy us!"

Paaglo mans a nearby computer terminal as he scans the surrounding robots. He abandons his comic smile for a dead serious tone. "Class 5 hulls, assault rockets, high maneuverability. . ." He looks up. "They could probably do it."

Toxica's mind races like a computer, weighing all of her options, while Yaundorr, Paaglo and Kro'khan anxiously await her command decision.

STATISTICS

The four robot vessels are currently 500,000 km away, traveling at 1,200,000 km/hr. The Osprey is stationary.

	Osprey (Assault Scout)

		Hull Points:            15
		Acceleration Factor:    5
			(i.e. accelerate/decelerate 300,000 km/h in ten minutes)
		Maneuverability:        4
			(i.e. turn a maximum of 240 degress over ten minutes of flight)
		Weapons:
			4 Assault Rockets
				fire one at a time
				once per turn (10 min.)
				forward aiming only
				capable of 2d10+4 damage
				range:  40,000 km
			1 Laser Battery
				fires twice per turn
				aiming in any direction
				capable of 1d10 damage
				range:  90,000 km
				beam diffuses as distance increases
		Defenses:
			Reflective Hull
				resists laser fire


	Four Robot Vessels

		Hull Points:            5
		Acceleration Factor:    5
		Maneuverability:        5
		Weapons:
			6 Assault Rockets each
		Defenses:
			None

S.H.E.R.M.A.N. seems to freeze with silence as he continues his research of the robots via a tight beam link to the ship's computer.

After an uneventful flight to the planet, you finally see it. You stare in awe at the delicate jade-green sphere with swirls of white and brown hanging against the black backdrop of space.

Toxica's hands move from one control panel to another. "They wanted us to land, so let's land."

A thick jungle spreads across the planet below, but there are two cleared spaces. One is a vast landing field toward which you are headed, a grayish concrete area with a strip of what appear to be maintenance facilities along one edge.

Farther east is another cleared space in the green carpet of jungle. It is filled with many buildings, none more than three or four stories high. The entire city, as far as you can see, is laid out in a rigid, square design.

The escorting robot ships set down at precisely the same time you do, except one. This one takes a position directly above you, apparently to prevent any last minute escape.

As you land on the planet's surface, your ship's instruments immediately begin to collect data from the planet.

Kro'khan scans the computer's analysis. "Still detecting no animal life. If someone's here, they're very well hidden. Like the probe said, the atmosphere is breathable. It's a touch high in nitrogen, but nothing to worry about. Pollen count is fifteen point one percent above Clarion normal. Gravity 1.3 gees."

"Oh great!" complains Yaundorr.

Paaglo joins in. "I can feel it already."

"You'll get used to it," says Toxica. "S.H.E.R.M.A.N., anything?"

"They are requesting that we unfold our ship. I have told them that our ship is not like theirs. May I say, however, they do not have much in the way of manners. I do not believe they mean to be rude, but their requests come across as orders.

"The robots are communicating through tight link transmissions similar to mine. They are all using the same binary language. This language appears to have been adapted from the verbal equivalent contained in the message that brought us here. Using samples from both of these languages, I have successfully programmed the Osprey computer and our polyvoxes with the necessary algorithms for translation."

"Does that mean we can get a full translation of the distress signal?" asks Yaundorr.

"Yes. And you are correct, Yaundorr. It is a distress signal."

The warbot sets the message in motion: "To all sentient biological beings! Machine intelligence has enslaved Ourworld and seeks to annihilate all biological life forms. Ourworld desperately needs assistance to combat the threat of total genocide. Come at once, but beware the Unimind!"

"What does that mean?" Paaglo demands.

"I don't know," admits Toxica. "Right now we have other things to worry about. Like what we're going to do once we've left the ship, and whether we should arm ourselves."

"You're not considering going out there unarmed!" protests Yaundorr.

"We don't know how these robots will react to the sight of weapons. Remember that if this boils down to a firefight, they've got us well overmatched."

"At the same time," interjects Kro'khan, "we don't know if these beings will recognize our Federation weapons."

Toxica frowns. "It's a pretty big risk if they do."

S.H.E.R.M.A.N. cuts the conversation short. "The robots are growing impatient. I would not recommend delaying our exit any longer."

Toxica nods. "S.H.E.R.M.A.N., keep scanning our metallic friends out there. Find out whatever you can that could be used to our advantage."

"What are we going to do?" asks Yaundorr.

Toxica considers.