THE BURNING SANDS--A Mutant Future Scenario Part 5

THE BURNING SANDS
A Mutant Future scenario
(c) Jerry Harris, 2013

Index

THE BUNKER


The Setup

There are only a few Brain Lashers, travelling in a scout ship. They are techo-scavengers looking for the underground reactor, which they detected from a scan of the area. They had no trouble opening the bunker doors and defeating the internal defenses. They were able to open the doors without damaging them. The internal gun turret had to be disabled.

Then the Lashers came upon the vault doors guarding the geo-front, which were buried under tons of debris. Here, their advanced technology would only help so much. They needed some muscle to move the dirt. Hence, the Lashers’ abduction, enslavement, and mutation of the biker gang into Homo Erectus. Once enough debris had been cleared to make a tunnel in it, they brought a beam projector in to bore through the buried doors. An advance party has gone into the tunnel.


School’s Out:

In the middle of the neighborhood, stands a large school. It is largely in a state of near collapse. There are two hanger-like gym structures on the campus. One has caved in, while the other still stands in good repair. Five humanoid figures are scurrying in and out of the intact one with improvised wheelbarrows or large canisters filled with dirt. Large piles of dirt are being built up around the entrance and inside. These are the Lashers’ Homo Erectus slaves, clearly a devolved version of the biker gang. They won’t attack unless disturbed.

The Brain Lasher space ship is still floating about 50’ over the entrance to the gym. Currently it is unmanned. If the player group can reach the ship, they won't have anything that can open it, unless they use the alien beam projector, in which case they’ll blow a hole clean through it. The ship will crash, start to glow, sound warning klaxons, and then explode two rounds later. Inside the bunker is probably the only safe place to be. Upon seeing the space ship, Driver and Bounce take off. They invite the party to join them if they know what’s good for them.


Keep Out!

Inside, the gym is clearly only a shell with a hardened bunker in the center. Only the entry is guarded, as the Lashers are largely unconcerned about being disturbed by any creatures or natives.

The bunker’s security doors are in an airlock style. The doors open about every five rounds. One Mini-Tripod is outside guarding the outer door and opening it. Another is inside the airlock, along with a damaged Robot Turret, opening the inner door. It is possible to sneak past the first one. The two do not work together if they are not within sight of each other. The Homo Erectus do not interfere unless they themselves are attacked. The turret has one barrel working, however with a tech check, the manual override will work and the gun can be manually aimed.

A video message appears on a monitor after defeating the tripods. (There are monitors peppered all the way through the complex.) A Max Headroom-like figure appears. The main computer wants everyone out. It tells them that it’s too late, that the aliens have already found the prize. They may as well leave.


Internals:

Offices: Filled with dirt. Nothing of value inside.

Armory: Broken security doors, with two lockers that have been broken into. The rifle rack is ominously empty. A pistol rack contains two laser pistols (mk2) and two gauss pistols (fully loaded) with 2 power packs each. 2 plastex and 2 plastic armor suits. Box of 4 frag grenades.

Med Center: Filled with dirt. Thoroughly rummaged. One med kit remains containing 2 anti-tox, 2 anti-rad, 4 super-gen, 1 stim A, 1 stim B, 4 med sprays

Barracks: Five sleeping Homo Erectus, who won’t attack unless disturbed.


High Security:

This is a fairly large chamber, but badly damaged and buried by debris. Large security lights brought in by the Brain Lashers illuminate the work area. A small tunnel has been made at ground level. An alien blaster cannon is set up on a tripod nearby pointing into the tunnel. It won’t fit through the tunnel and would require two people to carry. It can fire once per minute and is pretty much useless on moving targets.

More importantly, there are four Brain Lashers (unarmed) around the cannon and six Homo Erectus working on the debris. None of them are watching the door. The Lashers’ attention is absorbed with the tunnel, as an advance group has just gone through. When combat starts, the Lashers will direct the Homo Erectus to attack the party. They all fight to the death. (Depending on how well the party is doing, any Homo Erectus outside will be wandering around confused during this, or alternately 10 more arrive to fight. Five arrive 2 rounds after the fight has started and the other five two rounds later.)

Another video message appears after the group defeats the Brain Lashers. The party is warned not to enter, seal the hole, and seal the bunker back up. They are told that it’s already too late. After the group decides to go in, it comes back on, “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

After the battle, it is night and the party should rest and consider their next move. If the lights turned out, two Morlocks come in and attack. If the lights are still on, Morlocks poke in, but retreat quickly.

The tunnel is two feet high. People will have to crawl through tunnel. A rank, overpowering smell of death comes from the tunnel and gets stronger as it goes along. The air is stale, unpleasant. They can hear the constant whine and roar of air recyclers. A body of a blood-drained Brain Lasher appears halfway through the tunnel. He was trying to get back to the chamber. The tunnel ends with the hole bored by the blaster cannon through very the heavy steel doors guarding the underworld.