The Truth about

Station 18
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The forerunner of “Dark Flowers”

A Foundation research station deep in the Rimward Reach has fallen silent.

What happened out on the edge of the Darkness between the Stars?
A translation of the 2010 scenario, the darker precursor to “Dark Flowers”.

by Kosta Kostulas, translation by Frank Graeff with kind permission of Fria Ligan AB

Revised and edited version

 The Truth About SS-18

The environmental scanner beeps and displays three green bars: no radiation,
no toxins and no foreign organisms. The air reads as Kua standard. You turn
to your friends and tap a gloved had on the sensor display.
They give the thumbs up. With a brief gesture, the captain gives command to
proceed into the station. You step over the airlock threshold and are met by
darkness, only cut by the finger of brightness from your helmet light.
From exo's fabric pocket you remove a sugar globe and some vacuum-
packed sugar solution. Carefully, you rub the gel over the globe. Slowly it
starts to glow, first with a gentle light then brightening to a strong white. You
turn one last time to the captain, who gives you a nod prompting you to roll
the sugar globe down the yawning black corridor beyond the lock.

And the Messenger spoke:

Go forth and find the seed of the Icons – the Flower of Heaven.
With it you shall bring prosperity to your dying world and
save the people from starvation and poverty.
But beware, good pilgrim, there are specimens that have been tainted by the
Dark between the Stars.
These dark flowers bring not prosperity –
but misery and death.
THE SEED OF THE ICONS – Suleiman the Elder

Original Text: Kosta Kostulas, 2010

Maps and Original Layout: Christian Granath
Illustrations: Christian Granath & Martin Bergström
Coriolis© is a registered trademark of Fria Ligan AB, previously of Järnringen Förlag AB. All characters and
likeness thereof are © Fria Ligan AB. All rights reserved.

Translation provided by Frank Graeff, 2020

With kind permission of Fria Ligan AB

2
 The Truth About SS-18
About this translation
A couple of years ago, I came across Coriolis and it
immediately appealed to me. Having dabbled in
Dangerous Journeys, Traveller and Space Gothic
before, the vibe I was getting from Coriolis was what
I wanted for stories I wanted to tell in the vein of
Firefly, the Expanse and Elite. I liked the extra
dimension the precursor culture offered, and the
cataclysmic changes brought about by the Portal
Wars. I started running the game at our local club.
Soon, my players were looking for new areas to
explore, away from Kua and Coriolis, and my mind
turned to the Rimward Reach.
As appealing as the Core Rulebook makes it sound, I
wanted more detail – maps, story hooks, lore – that
would flesh out the place and give me a smooth start.
In my research, I came across a project by the original
Coriolis creators called “Horisonten’s Ände” –
Horizon’s End. The stated aim of this project was to
provide an intriguing setting and a trilogy of stories
that would flesh it out with plenty of story hooks to
explore. I was intrigued, but quickly found out that
these books had not ever been translated from
Swedish. Well, I took that as a challenge.
Although I do not actually speak Swedish, I knew
enough to get to a workable translation for my group
– and we had a blast! Judging by Free League’s
Forum, Reddit, Discord and Facebook, there is still an
appetite for Sanningen Om SS-18, Iskallt Inferno,
Ljusblommans Mörka Blåd and the article on
Gränsrymden och Djachroum. Other than Iskallt
Inferno, I have draft translations of them all, so – with
Free League’s kind permission – I will be sharing
them to contribute a little to the friendly and
welcoming Coriolis Community.
May the Icons bless your Journeys!
3
Introduction
“The truth about Station 18” is a short scenario which
requires some extra work by the GM to tie it into the
group’s story. There are several possible ways to
introduce the mission (see “Starting points” below).
This write up describes a suggestion for scenes and
places that the Heroes can encounter. Take these as
elements to play with, add a few of your own and
weave it all together into a story that is entertaining
for your players.
The scenario was originally written for the first
version of Coriolis and published in 2010. There has
not been an English translation – until now. When
reading this, you may notice big parallels with “Dark
Flowers” from the Coriolis Quickstart. However, this
version has a different – and darker - underlying
mood. I have stuck closely to the Swedish original
and made an attempt to update the stats to the
current Coriolis version. As ever, feel free to vary
them as you see fit.
Background
When the Foundation built Station 18, or Institute for
Astronic Research Station No 18 (IARS-18) to give it
its full name, it was not built to study the Kandah
cloud. The location is not ideal for observing Kandah
and anything it could contribute to the understanding
of the cloud is already done in other ways. Instead,
the purpose of SS-18 was to develop a technology for
opening new portals, or rather more powerful
graviton projectors that could open the space-time
web, the key to a kind of faster-than-light.
The inspiration for the technology came from the
original portals around Kua and the other stars on the
 The Truth About SS-18
Third Horizon. At the same time, the researchers
wanted to develop sustainable ship environments for
future generational ships that could traverse these
new portals and explore the vast spaces beyond.
The location for SS-18 out in the Rimward Reach was
chosen because it is far from the inner system, but
still in an area where the Legion has a presence.
Access to Maghdan ore for the new and powerful
graviton projectors didn’t hurt either, nor did the
opportunity to study the tarns (small gravitational
anomalies with characteristics of black holes) of the
Reach. The astronomers of the Foundation
suspected that the Founders (see p.296 Core
Rulebook) had created a faster-than-light drive and
that the tarns were the remnants of the Founders’
departure from the Third Horizon.
Foundation Information Blackout
Although officially denying all knowledge, the
Foundation know exactly what happened on SS-18. In
their experiments, the scientists had succeeded in
creating a new kind of unstable portal that
immediately collapsed into artificial tarns. Because
of these experiments, the space around the station is
now filled with them. When information about
sabotage aboard the station reached the
Foundation's Central Committee, they were quick to
contact the Consortium's Special Section, which sent
a Task Force towards The Rimward Reach.
Before it arrived, a distress signal was sent from the
station, describing total power failure and an attack
by “foreign entities” on the station’s crew. The
message did not finish - it was suddenly cut off. A
request for an intervention was sent to Legion base
Thalus and a few days later, the Legion’s Task Force
around the patrol boat Hiram reached the station.
4
Significant gravitational fluctuations were noted
around the base and they chose to send in a shuttle
with soldiers and agents at first. The shuttle never
reached the station. Instead, it was sucked into a tarn
and disappeared. The patrol boat reported the loss to
Thalus and awaited further instructions.
After fierce discussions within the Consortium and
the Foundation, another unsuccessful attempt was
made to reach the base before a different solution
was agreed upon: thermonuclear destruction. A
specially equipped combat wing was sent in but
could not reach their target because of the Tarns. The
Hiram then fired a thermonuclear torpedo, which did
not reach the station either. Four more attempts were
made, with varying approach vectors and detonation
times, however no torpedo came into effective range
of the damaged station.
Finally, attempts to board or destroy the station were
abandoned and the Legion were asked to patrol the
area instead.
Who is Koddaban Wahina?
Kodabban Wahina is something of a legend in the
The Rimward Reach. No one knows for sure where
she came from, if she has swarm blood in her or
where she went after her home in the Ahilar
settlement Dakka 3 was destroyed by Clan Yimon.
Rumours have it that she has been seen in various
places in asteroid clusters of the near Kandah Cloud.
The time of some otherwise credible sightings were
so close to each other that it would have been
impossible to travel between the places where they
occurred. What made Wahina legendary was her
ability to intricately weave the genetic code of all
kinds of organisms, from human bio-sculpts to
energy-extracting vacuum organisms that populate
the famous Khayaala’s Gardens.
 The Truth About SS-18

different from having children and then dying. She

Khayaala’s Garden
realized that something more radical was needed to
Scattered around on various asteroids where bring her designs to fruition, both new organisms and
Ahilar's swarm used to live there are the famous (if a new way to spread them across the stars.
most often hidden) Khayala gardens. These gardens
act as oases where asteroid hikers and wallahs can Through colleagues at Ahalimm she learned that the
rest and refill their oxygen reserves. Unlike ordinary Foundation was planning to open a new research
oxygen oases, the Khayaala are real gardens and not station to research long-lived biotopes: station SS-18.
just glorified bunkers. Their appearance varies from According to rumours, the station might even
covered tents in rocky crevices to cave gardens. All eventually become a generation ship. Through her
gardens are self-sufficient. In the cave garden on Hajia
contacts and her considerable bionic knowledge, she
there are mosses in green and orange and as each
managed to land a position as doctoral student with
cycle blooms, small butterflies emerge and fill the cave.
the famous bionic engineer Ferida Kaar, who was
When they die, they form new shoots and the
responsible for the operation of the biodome of
cycle recommences. In the bamboo forest on the
SS-18.
Farafra asteroid, bamboo shoots bloom in helix-shaped
leaves in ever different colours that grow towards the
Once on the station, Wahina realized the full potential
ground to form new shoots. Each cycle gives a new
of the station but was at the same time frustrated
an different pattern to the leaves.
that the plans for a generational ship were put on the
back burner. The only thing that stood in the way of
her immortality now were the other crew and
Wahina has always been obsessed with life, its
researchers on the station. In secret, she began to
spread in the universe and the countless forms that
experiment with completely new research in the lab.
it has taken, as well as the myriad of still unseen
She created new sister creatures, at first beautiful
forms it could take. To understand Wahina's goals, it
Najads, with whose help she succeeded to seduce
is important to know her drive, which is her desire for
and convert a couple of reactor technicians and a
immortality. She does not think she has enough time
communication officer. With them under her control,
to achieve everything she wants to. Beneath all this
she was able to stage the sabotage culminating in
lies a fear of death and the unknown. Therefore, she
the reactor failure and total shutdown of the power
decided to clone herself. The “sisterhood of Wahina”
systems in most of the station, except the biodome.
arose. How many they numbered from the beginning
When crew members and researchers sought
is unknown, but the sisters continue their work in
protection in the biodome, they were met by her other
different places. The sisterhood is the reason behind
creations, the faceless Charab and the bloodthirsty
the sightings of Wahina in so many different places
Kobu. No one left the biodome alive, but she
in the Rimward Reach.
incorporated most of the crews’ genetic material in
the creature she herself became or her experiments.
At first, she believed the sisterhood of clones would
suffice, but the original Wahina realized soon that it
By sheer luck and thanks to some quick reactions,
was not enough. To live on as isolated copies that
Wahina managed to escape the Legion's attempts to
slowly diverged from each other was not vastly

5
 The Truth About SS-18
destroy the station. Once the attacks stopped, she
could spend all her time refining her bio-code and her
sister creatures. Slowly but surely, she has used
vacuum organisms to reconfigure the station and
plans to depart the Third Horizon in her own
generation ship thus created.
The only thing that still gnaws at her otherwise
pragmatic mind is that she had to kill the entire crew.
Their genetic code lives on, but she still cannot let go
of the guilt. Hence, she has taken the time to create
what she calls her gift to Reach’s people. Now is the
time for her to leave and bestow her gift.
Starting Points
There are several ways for the Heroes to learn about
the station. They may have heard of the station
before (read the “Djachroum and the Rimward Reach,
Fenix magazine 2/2010), but there are several other
ways to introduce SS-18. Here are some options.
Darim’s expedition
News reports on Djachroum or Coriolis talk about an
expedition that set out to retrieve the remains of
Professor Hulab Darim who is feared lost. The heroes
can be emplyed by relatives of the expedition
members, the shipping company that equipped the
ships or maybe The Foundation, to find out what
happened.
The lost expedition
What happened to Jihan Darim's expedition to SS-
18? With an unusual bout of luck and some
astonishing piloting skills, the free trader Jilanta
managed to get past the tarns. Upon arrival at the
station they found it deserted and damaged. When
no operational air lock could be found, they instead
used their portable lock to cut through the station's
hull. A landing party consisting of Jihan and a
group of trouble-shooters boarded by cutting
6
through to the habitation module. There, they
quickly encountered a group of patrolling Charab
children accompanied by Kobu who killed the entire
group except Jihan.
When the remaining crew on the ship realized what
had happened, it was too late. Vacuum organisms
had already grown over their hull and their
attempted departure led to an explosion which
completely annihilated the ship and damaged the
station. Now, Jihan is left alone on the station,
slowly going crazy. He is hiding in the habitation
module and hopes for rescue in his more lucid
moments.
Wahina's Gift
Wahina's gift consists of several asteroids that she
found in the vicinity of SS-18. She has seeded them
with a new form of vacuum organism that will strike
root when the gift is activated. Parts of the asteroid will
then reshape into mass drives. The asteroids’ interior is
filled with vacuum organisms and vegetation that
produce oxygen and water from the asteroid mass and
also act as a biological habitat.
Each asteroid can thus become a dwelling, where
the Reach’s people can settle, completely free from the
great powers and conflicts that govern established
stations. At least that's Wahina's idea ...
The Foundation
If the Heroes have a background or contacts within
the Foundation or working as a free company, they
can be commissioned to try to recover some form of
data from the station, for example, the emerald disc
from the lab or macro sensor data.
 The Truth About SS-18
Robbers / Archaeologists
Heroes engaged in wreck salvage or applied
Archaeology can certainly get clues that untouched
finds can be discovered at the station.
Exorcism
If the Heroes are nomads or have contacts with them,
they can be asked to help lead an elderly Shirim to SS-
18 to perform an exorcism at the station itself so its
dark influence over the area stops. It can also serve
as a pilgrimage for groups with the pilgrims concept.
Running the Scenario
This scenario is a full-length scenario that requires
some extra work by the game master. What is
described below is a suggestion of scenes and
places that the heroes can experience. Not all places
at the station are described as they are not important
to the mystery itself.
Each scene contains a core clue that leads the
Heroes to the next scene. Discovering these requires
no special skill. They serve to drive the story forward.
The difficulty lies in puzzling out the clues about the
truth behind the events at the station, Wahina and her
plans. There are also several free-form episodes and
events, which the Game Master can throw in when
they fit.
The Mystery
The mystery at the core of the scenario is what
happened at the station. This is partly revealed
through information discovered in the various
scenes, but it is also important that the GM creates
further clues himself for the players. When the
scenario is completed, the Heroes should have
understood the entire background as described
above. Further important insights concern the
7
Foundation's blackout, the Legion's interference,
Wahina's goals and the events at the station.
Factions
If you want to develop the scenario further, it helps to
know the attitude of the various factions towards SS-
18 and the possible ways they might act in the
scenario.
Foundation and Dr Youran
The Foundation has a local office at Djachroum
although their staff there has never directly been
involved with SS-18. When rumours of Darim's
expedition began to circulate, they decided to send a
science attaché to Djachroum, not a very popular
mission for Coriolis-based researchers. Dr. Djali
Youran, who wrote a previous report on SS-18, got
handed the job - something he now bitterly regrets.
Since the expedition disappeared, he has been
hanging around at the Foundation’s Archaeological
Foundation Institute feeling useless and forgotten.
In this scenario he can act as client and he may be
helpful in understanding the vacuum organisms and
the sister creatures, but only in hurried explanations
full of complicated jargon. If the GM desires, Dr.
Youran can act as traitor and spy for Task Force
Massar during the scenario.
The Legion and Task Force Massar
Unlike the Foundation, the Consortium has a plan to
fix SS-18, once and for all. Not long after Jihan's
expedition left, an encrypted order was sent to Legion
base Thalus to board the station and, if possible,
retrieve research data. The mission fell to Task Force
Massar that takes care of the Legion's dirtier
missions in the Reach. The Task Force was issued
with a small battleship and a thermonuclear mine and
sent on its way.
 The Truth About SS-18
Other than this, the Legion does not consider the
station a high priority. The patrols that the Legion
performs in the area have has long been deprioritized
for more important tasks, such as chasing subversive
elements (read: nomads) along the Khea Route,
where some torpedo boats recently disappeared.
Act I
• Scene 1 – Initial research: The heroes have
the opportunity to collect additional
information on SS-18
• Scene 2 - A treasure trove – or not? Sensor
scans of the station when the Heroes arrive
• Scene 3 - Landing at the station and first
impressions on boarding
GM Tip, Scene 1
The most important way to build mystery in
this scene is that the heroes conclude that
someone deleted the emergency message and
get a sense of suspicion about what really
happened. Do they want to dig deeper? Let
them do it.
Scene 1. Initial Research
In this scene, the Heroes have the chance to gather
additional information about SS-18, via the
Foundation Infothek, space port institutions or
contacts with bureaucrats within the Consortium or
the Colonial Agency.
The heroes can find out about Jihan Darim's
expedition, SS-18 exact coordinates, a more detailed
map of the station and realize that the SS-18
emergency message has been deleted from the
space port database. Let the Heroes search for their
own clues and weave them into the scenario if
possible. The scene's core clue is the set of
8
coordinates of SS-18, which the players can get
without any major problem. At Djachroum, there are
only few informants who are regularly updated from
Coriolis. The most accessible is the Bulletin's local
office in Bridge Town. Here you can get help from the
Bulletin local correspondent, Ghira Mouli.
DATABASE SEARCH
SUGGESTED SKILL: DATA DJINN
FAILURE: NO INFORMATION, TRY AGAIN.
LIMITED SUCCESS:
• INFORMATION ABOUT JIHAN'S EXPEDITION
• STATION 18 WAS BUILT ON SITE IN THE NEAR
ASTEROID CLUSTER.
• ROUGH COORDINATES OF STATION 18
• INFOTHEK ENTRY ON THE STATION
SUCCESS:
• EXPEDITION CONSISTED OF THE SMALL FREE TRADER
JILANTA, UNDER CAPTAIN JIORGI DAHMED.
• EXACT COORDINATES OF THE STATION 18.
• A SCHEMATIC OF STATION 18 (HANDOUTS).
• FOUNDATION REPORT (HANDOUT)
The Heroes can also find the map by searching The
Foundation's archive at the Archaeological Institute
in Upper part of Bridge Town (see Scenario: The
Lightflower’s Dark Petals for details). This does not
require any particular skill but just a little chat with the
archivers. The same map can also be purchased for
100 birr via the Consortium consulate.
Finally, contacts in the Space Port can provide details
about Free Trader Jilanta, a real scrap heap that has
seen its best days, but with an unusually fortunate
captain. Captain Jiorgi Dahmed is said to be a
drunken old sour guy, with some unlucky stars. You
can also snatch up rumours of well-armed men
boarding the ship before departure. If the GM wants,
 The Truth About SS-18

he can require an Easy roll against Contacts Timeline (based on Foundation Report)
(Underworld) for this information. • CC 35 – Decision taken by the
Foundation and Consortium to build
In the Free League office, the Heroes can obtain all Space Station 18 for exploration
the information about the Jilanta and its current crew
for as little as 100 birr. This reveals that despite its
• CC 37 – Station commissioned under
decrepit appearance, the ship still has relatively new
the leadership of Hulab Darim
reactors and a high-performance manoeuvring gyro.
The coordinates of SS-18 can also be obtained. The
• CC 49 – Emergency Call received,
same information is available from the Information
Reactor failure detected. Rescue
Agency but might require a few hours of queueing.
teams report that the station is an
irradiated wreck.
In the Space Port, players can also get access to all
transmissions that reached the station either via the
Pilots’ Office or the Free League Office. However, it • CC 50 – Legion Patrols instigated to
turns out that the SS-18 emergency message, which enforce protected status and deter
was also sent to Djachroum, is deleted, something salvage
that is forbidden. If the GM desires, the Heroes can
gain access to the database after a little persuasion • CC 60 – Jihan Darim sets up
or bribery and with their computer skills and thus find expedition to determine his father’s
out that the person who deleted the message had (and the station’s) fate.
excellent computer tools. With a Full Success they
can determine that the hack originated from a
Consortium console.

NB: The actual journey to the station is not described

in the scenario and may be improvised by the GM.
You can refer to the Fenix article on the Rimward
Reach and Djachroum or the event table in the
Rulebook.

9
 The Truth About SS-18

Djinn, Science), the important thing is that the core

Scene 2. A treasure trove - or not?
information is revealed to the players.
When the Heroes reach SS-18, they probably will
conduct a sensor scan before they board the station.
The interpretation of the player material is that
Here is a brief description of what information the
ship sensors may yield. The core clue in this scene is initially, the prospecting database reports the station
to be an irradiated wreck, but this does not match
that there are gravitational waves around the station.
first-hand sensor data. The scan shows that SS-18 is
GM Tips, Scene 2 a hollow structure of mostly metal but also many
silica-carbon analogues (a success in Science yields
In this brief scene, it is important to a more detailed description of “vacuum organisms”).
highlight the technical analysis and build up
Radiation is surprisingly low; it seems there is life on
the tension before crossing the Tarns. Make
clear to the Heroes that a lot of things seem the station and there are multiple gravitational
at odds with the official version, and that anomalies. “X9” stands for gravitational waves that
many consider it to be close to suicidal to should not occur in this part of the Reach. The
try to fly so close to tarns. Let them sweat
anomalies also seem to move around the station.
it.
Database Search
A database search in the ship’s Astrodiarium reveals
Visual Sensor survey at a distance
Visual sensor scanning is difficult due to the clouds
the following about the station:
of biomatter, but this can be revealed at a distance.
• The name of the station is Institute for Astronic
Research Station No 18, or IARS-18. • There seems to be no power on the station,
• The station was part of a research program everything visible from the outside is dark.
created by the Foundation. • There are signs of damage, both from asteroids
but also what looks like explosive damage to the
Sensor Sweep back of the station’s top side.
The most obvious approach is for the sensor • The station is rotating around its own axis once
every two minutes.
operator to perform a sensor sweep of the station.
• There are four visible airlocks, two seem to be
This takes just a few minutes and requires a Data
covered by dark biomatter.
Djinn roll. If the roll is unsuccessful, the sensors are
confused by the cloud of biomatter around the
stations and show contradictory data. If successful,
Scene 3. Approaching the station
MAP: SS-18 today
the sweep reveals the following:
Once the Heroes realize that there are a lot of tarns
• The station is largely powered down, but the core
around SS-18, they understand that it is probably
is still working at a low level and there are
pockets of energy use. difficult and dangerous to approach by ship. This
• There are weak signs of life in the biodome. scene describes how to get past the tarns, how the
• There is active gravity in parts of the station. station now looks and the first encounter with
Wahina's creations. The scene is divided into three
During a sensor scan of SS-18 the ship sensors reveal
episodes: the tarns, the wreck of the SS-18 and
the information contained in player handout 2. It is up
boarding. The core clues in this scene are the traces
to the GM what exact skill checks he requires (Data

10
 The Truth About SS-18
left behind by the Jilanta and the portable lock that is
mounted.
GM Tips, Scene 3
It can be important here to modify the
difficulty of moving through the tarns
depending on what the GM is looking for. Do
you want the Heroes to arrive at the station
without their ship, then increase the
difficulty level for larger ships than scooters
and shuttles or decide a maximum class that
can pass through. Traveling through the tarns
with exos on scooters may be quite exciting.
Event: The Gravitation Tarns
In this episode, the Heroes move past the tarns
enclosing SS-18 like a cloud. Previous attempts with
torpedoes and ships have failed, but our Heroes do
not know this. Just because previous pilots did not
manage to fly up to SS-18 does not necessarily mean
that the Heroes will fail - they are the Heroes after all.
Also, the free trader Jilanta was able to get in, with a
turn of luck and sharp skills at the control gyro. In
addition, the tarns have spread out over time and are
now further from the station, so that larger ships can
now come closer.
It is important to highlight the journey through the
tarns in the story. Describe how the Heroes with their
ship, shuttles or scooters fly in between the black
holes which have occasional flashes of energy
rippling around their edges. Let them succeed only
once they have edged into a cloud and provide a
dramatic description of the pull of the tarn and the
energy discharges running over their vessels,
messing with their sensors and fine controls.
11
Gravitational Tarns
The Tarns are gravitonic anomalies that can be
compared to microscopic black holes. To the eye
they look like a puddle of black with occasional
flashes dancing around their edge. The flashes are
caused by atoms that disintegrate before being
pulled into the Tarns.
Getting past the Tarns
Skill: Pilot
Modification: Assist with Data Djinn (Sensor
Operations) and Sciences (Astronics). Assistance by
other pilots is possible.
Ship Class V -3, IV -2, Class III -1, Class II +/-0 (the
bigger, the more difficult, or rule that e.g. anything
bigger than Class III cannot approach)
• Failure: You get well into the cloud before
the ship gets stuck in a tarn field and begins
being sucked in. The ship receives Damage
to a random module. To get out of the tarn
requires an unmodified challenging Pilot
test.
• Limited Success: You get a bit into the cloud
of tarns before reaching a dead end.
Another skill check with the same
modifications must be made to proceed or
the ship has to turn around.
• Success (suggest 2 sucesses): The pilot
manages to navigate through the cloud
without major damage to the ship. A new
test must be made when (if?) leaving SS-18.
• Complete Success: The pilot navigates
competently through the cloud and doesn't
even have to roll again on departure.
When the Heroes have passed the tarns, they are
close enough to inspect SS-18 with their naked eye.
 The Truth About SS-18
Event: Wreckage of SS-18
Once through the tarns and close to the wreckage of
the station, the Heroes can see SS-18 clearly for the
first time. You can now show them the picture from
the Fenix article (front cover) and the current map
(see player material 3) of the obviously damaged
station. They can see that the space dock is gone as
well as large parts of the habitation modules, and that
several areas of the station are covered in a black
growth (vacuum organisms) which in some places
forms cocoon-like bulb (which will later form a sun
sail). Vacuum organisms are also floating around the
station. They are most like black branch networks or
torn apart carpets of moss, lazily drifting in the
vicinity of the darkened hull. The heroes should be
able to see that parts of the branches and mosses
appear to grow out of cracks in the hull of SS-18. If
any Hero has been on Dakka 3, they can see the
similarity to the "lost" vacuum organisms covering
that asteroid.
If the Heroes investigate the wreck more closely, they
can see that there is no clear path in; docks and major
airlocks are torn apart, overgrown or otherwise
destroyed. However, they can easily find the portable
lock that the Jilanta's crew deployed (see next
episode, area G).
The damage that the Heroes see is due to the
vacuum organisms devouring large portions of SS-18
to get resources for Wahina's gift and her escape
plan.
Vacuum Organisms (Dark Flowers)
Use the biomatter outside the station as a tool to
show the players that something is wrong with the
structure. The stuff is everywhere and gets stuck on
the PCs' ship and exo suits, clogging viewports and
faceplates. Also consider hinting at how the
12
organism reacts to light by describing how areas
exposed to Kua’s distant light develop a green or
purple tinge. This is definitely something new for the
PCs and despite the organisms’ simplicity, the
players should get a sense of menace.
Among the debris of vacuum organisms float larger
tree-like shapes. These are another type of organism
created by Wahina, a kind of bionic security guard.
They are completely unintelligent but have a built-in
instinct to fly towards objects which generate heat
(anything powered and larger than an exo), to attach
to them and start breaking them down. They move at
Speed 1 and will damage ships by breaking down
their surface structure.
The actual damage caused to the ship is set by the
GM according to dramatic need. The vacuum flowers
can be used to scare the heroes before boarding SS-
18 or at least instil a sense of foreboding.
Event: Boarding
Of course, there are several ways to board SS-18.
Since the scenario is supposed to be relatively open,
it is for the Heroes to improvise. You can get in
through the hull in several places, such as the
remains of the space dock, the shattered parts of the
habitation module, several different access hatches
and of course it is possible to cut through the hull.
Some parts of the station are still protected by
functioning ED fields, for instance the whole
biodome.
What should attract the Heroes (especially if they are
looking for Darim) is the big tear in the habitation
module. In this area is a portable lock, which is still
intact and operational. The lock has a working light
buoy that emits short flashes of light and is therefore
impossible to miss. The configuration is the same as
 The Truth About SS-18

that of a conventional airlock, two doors with an

intermediate (if small) room. Inside, the lock leads to A. Large Array Macro Sensor – looks largely
the habitation modules, see scene 4. Docking here intact, but partly overgrown with a black
takes a Pilot check. A failure may damage the hull of carpet of the vacuum organism.

the ship (1 damage point).

B. Airlock – Small space dock for shuttles and
exos. Destroyed
It is important to set the mood as soon as the Heroes
come aboard. Let them investigate with C. Biodome – light filters out of the faintly lit
environmental scanners or proximity sensors if they biodome, which is only visible on close
inspection of the area. The whole dome
wish. They will find that there is no harmful level of
seems covered in green-black vegetation. It
radiation and that the air is almost completely clean is impossible to see beyond this covering.
of particles. Read the section on the Station’s
construction in Act 2 for further descriptions.
D. Reactor – Parts of the reactor cowling have
been blasted away.
Station 18 overview,
more detail in the Handouts section E. Point defense system – out of order, but
could be repaired with sufficient time

F. Living Quarters – most of the crew

habitation modules are damaged and you
can glimpse the interior beyond the broken
hull.

G. Crater – in the otherwise intact part of the

crew quarters is a fresh crater. The portable
airlock is installed here, and the blast
damage comes from the explosion of the
Jilanta during its escape attempt. Vacuum
organisms are already growing over the
edges.

H. Laboratory Section

13
 The Truth About SS-18

the vacuum organisms appear to grow out of the

Act 2 interior itself, as if they are drawing nourishment from
The last two acts are set entirely on SS-18. The bulkheads and beams of the station. Vacuum
station is too large to be fully described here, so organisms are black in colour. The only exception to
some guidelines for movement, environment and that colour scheme is in the area in and around the
free events at the station are given instead. biodome, where there are light sources and the
vacuum organisms contain active chlorophyll, adding
These scenes are included in Act 2: a bit of green (leaves) and purple (flowers).
• Scene 4 – The Dead City: The Heroes find
the survivor Jihan in the habitation module The following text can give an impression of the
• Scene 5 – A Green Hell: Arrival at the station’s interior.
biodome with its rare menagerie of plants
and beings. The environment scanner beeps and displays three
green bars: no radiation, no toxins and no foreign
organisms. The air is indicated as Kua standard. You
Station Construction turn to your friends and show the sensor display.
Like most space stations, SS-18 has lots of transport
elevators, ventilation shafts, service tunnels and
They give the thumbs up. With a brief gesture, the
service ports (to access external aggregates and
captain gives command to proceed into the station.
sensors). These connect the parts of the station with
You step over the airlock threshold and are met by
each other. In other words, it is possible to get
utter darkness. The only light is the slim finger of your
through aisles, shafts or elevators between the
helmet light, cutting a narrow path through the inky
various modules at the station. Between the
blackness.
modules, security doors are in place, some locked,
some operational
From exo's fabric pocket you remove a sugar globe
and some vacuum-packed sugar solution. Carefully,
Lighting varies widely from pitch darkness to
you cover the globe with the gel and rub it in. Slowly it
occasional illumination by light strips. Often,
starts to glow, first with a gentle light then brightening
emergency lighting is activated. There is atmosphere
to a strong white. One last time you turn to the captain,
in several spaces, e.g. the habitation module, parts of
who gives you a nod prompting you to roll the sugar
the lab and the biodome. Gravity is also operational
globe down the yawning black corridor beyond the air
in most spaces but missing in the more damaged
lock. It bounces over the dirty floor before it sticks to
areas. Use this to make battles or chases more
something – is that a tree root?
entertaining.

Then you realize that the whole room is covered with

The entire station is overgrown with vacuum
black garlands, roots, branches and foliage.
organisms and thus gives a forest-like impression. In
Everything is matte black and devours the light from
appearance, the growth resembles branches, roots,
the globe. Everything is overgrown with vacuum
and moss-like carpets. In places, leaf-like structures
organisms!
are hanging from walls and ceilings. In other places

14
 The Truth About SS-18

a) Promenade: Walkway between blocks which is five meters wide and covered with root-like vacuum organisms. The
promenade is about 10 meters high, with vaulted ceilings and countless balconies along the walls. They are also
overgrown with clumps of vacuum organisms.
b) Alleys: Walks in between the different blocks, 1.5 meters wide. Provides Cover 2.
c) The Square: A smaller hexagonal square, with a long dead water fountain in the middle.
d) Fountain: The fountain provides Cover 3 (behind) or 1 (inside).
e) Doorways: Doors into the building. Can be open or locked. Provides Cover 2.
f) Kobu: Positions from which Kobu attack. The Kobu that attack from the roof / balconies can add fall damage to their
first attack.

while, static noise ensues before the sequence is

Events on the Station
While traversing the station, the GM can introduce
one or more of these small events to build mood or
increase the tempo.
Event: Terminals
This can be used as a clue that things started in the
biolab.
A lone terminal stands silently against a wall,
flickering. When you arrive at it, you can see it plays a
video sequence from a security camera. In the lower
corner of the video, the time and date displayed are
from just before the communication with the station
was lost. Three people in Foundation uniforms are
frantically fighting some kind of creature outside the
picture. The picture jumps and one of uniformed
people turns around. He screams as he is thrown
straight into the camera, which goes black. After a
repeated.
Event: Strange Vibrations
The heroes arrive at a wide shaft that disrupts their
path. To cross it requires jumping or climbing across.
While crossing the shaft they can suddenly sense
light below / above themselves or feel strange
vibrations as if something big was moving in the
shaft.
Event: Bone Mounds
Suddenly, the ground becomes rough and begins
crackle underfoot. Slowly it dawns on the Heroes that
they are walking on piles of dried bones. When
looking more closely, they see that small skeletons of
children (or Charab if they have seen them already).
The bones increase in quantity until the Heroes arrive

15
 The Truth About SS-18

at a mountain of dried corpses. These are the KOBU

remains of old Charab children, who when they start
dying go to "collection sites" for recycling. If the
Heroes look more closely, they see that several of the
skeletons are half broken up by the mossy vacuum
organism growing on the floor of the tunnel.
Kobu are Wahina's guards at the station and act as
hunters. They were created for the takeover of the
station, but then took on the function to seek out and
deal with other defective beings in her creation.

Wahina has incorporated some of her own bio-code

Event: Kobu Attack into them, which makes them more intelligent than
When the pace drops in the scenario, this episode can ordinary animals. The name she chose refers to a
introduced. The encounter map is based on it carnivorous demon from Kua.
happening somewhere in the habitat ring, but it can
ATTRIBUTES
just as easily happen in the biodome or in any of the
STRENGTH 3, AGILITY 4, WITS 3, EMPATHY 2
corridors between them.
HIT POINTS: 6
MIND POINTS: 4
If the Heroes behaved menacingly or hurt the Charab
REPUTATION: -
child in the scene 4, they feel pursued and glimpse
SKILLS: Infiltration 3, Dexterity 3, Stealth 3, Melee
shadows behind them (Observation).
3, Movement 10
TALENTS: AGILITY: The nimble kobu can jump far and high,
Kobu always attacks in pincer movement. In the as well as squeeze into very tight spaces such as ventilation
neighbourhood, the attack by three Kobu will take shafts or pipes.

place along the promenade, one attacking from each GEAR: Claws (Damage 1, Crit 3)
direction and one from the top of one of the upstairs MANNER: silent until they attack with screaming
human-like voices
buildings.
APPEARANCE: a hybrid between baboon, tiger and
iguana, but with nasty human eyes.
Event: Did you hear that?
At some point during the journey through SS-18, the
Heroes may note Task Force Massar's progress.
They can hear a firefight in the distance or maybe feel
pursued by echoing footsteps and voices down a
darkened corridor. The important thing is that they
understand that someone else has come to the
station after them. If Dr. Youran is with them, maybe
he begins to suspect something.

16
 The Truth About SS-18

Scene 4. The Dead City GM Tips, Scene 4

In the remains of the old habitation modules, the
Heroes can find Jihan Darim, the only survivor from
his expedition. He has been hiding in a ventilation
shaft and survived on emergency rations but is now
almost driven crazy. In the scene, the Heroes will
encounter the first of Wahina's creations, Charab, a
kind of living sensors. The scene can be divided in
three shorter episodes: The Dead Child, Hiding and
Charab. The core clue in the scene is Jihan's story of
how one of the others in the expedition was taken off
to an elevator shaft.
The place where the portable lock is located faces
the habitation block and has atmosphere. If the
Heroes chose to board the station from another
point, then it is up to the GM to decide if atmosphere
exists or not.
The habitat is built like a miniature of the Promenade
on Coriolis, i.e. a circular promenade with housing
units around two to three floors. There are alleys at
regular intervals between the units that are the
The remains of the expedition probably
are somewhere in vicinity. If you want, let
the Heroes discover them. They have
probably been partially absorbed by the
Kobu and are overgrown with some of
the vacuum organisms. Maybe some
equipment remains, for example
weapons and a med kit. If the heroes have
no sense of urgency, Jihan can prompt
them to try and save his vanished
comrade, whose body they cannot find.
glimpse the green light that seeps in. Intermittently
along the walk, there are small squares, all with a
fountain in the middle, which has long since stopped
spraying water. The habitation is partly illuminated by
light strips in the promenade roof. What the block
looks like in detail is up to the individual game
manager. Generally, surfaces are cracked and
covered by different types of vacuum organisms that
are similar to moss, roots, clumps or corals.
Event: The Dead Child
When the Heroes marvelled for a while over the dark

spokes of a wheel. In the hub of the wheel there are abandoned corridors, they come to one of the

lifts that lead up to the lab and down to service and housing modules’ small square on the promenade.

load modules. There they discover something macabre. Half buried

beneath the overgrown fountain lies what looks like a

The elevators are partially blocked off by Wahina but child - dead and half dried. As the Heroes look closer,

one of the shafts is open and if you look up, you can they can see that part of the child (lying on its

Jihan Darim, Astronic researcher

"Do not leave me, please do not leave me!"
Jihan is a shooting star among astronomers and was one of the youngest to ever get into
the ancient Fermal-Garoud's Mathematical Institute in Daddah at Dabaran. Unfortunately, his
studies suffered when his father disappeared on SS-18. He dropped out of the Institute and
supported himself as a technician and navigator on ships, until he collected enough birr to
arrange an expedition to SS-18.
Attributes: STR 3 AGI 3 WIT 5 EMP 4,
Skills: Survival 1, Science 5, Technology 3. HP 6, MP 2/9 (once rescued by the Heroes)

17
 The Truth About SS-18
stomach) is half melted in the ground, which is
covered here by a moss-like black carpet. Trying to
raise the child, it is stuck with its face in the ground
and loosens with a jerk and a dry crack. What was the
face now remains attached to the ground.
At the same time, the Heroes can note (Observation)
that they are observed and the one who succeeds
Kheiran
As Jihan mutters “Kheiran, kheiran”, he clutches a
talisman that depicts a small, winged human or djinn.
It was originally gold coloured but now the colour is
almost completely rubbed off. Kheiran is a name for an
aspect of the Lady of Tears in certain cultures, referring
to her role as the guide of dead souls. The Talisman
gives the wearer its benefit for one year, then it must
be passed on to a stranger, otherwise the bearer
suffers from bad luck. Jihan held on Kheiran for too
long and interprets his current situation as the curse.
In game terms, the talisman gives the bearer two
"free" prayers to the icons (not generating darkness
points) per scenario for one year and strengthens the
effect of preparatory prayers by a further +1 bonus.
18
best with his Observation Check, sees a black
shadow slipping past a doorway at the square.
Event: Hiding
Somewhere along the walk, the Heroes can discover
the opening to Jihan's hide-out. An opened valve grill
shows Jihan cruises. How the Heroes detect it can
vary, maybe they are just observant, or they can
distance hearing one of Jihan's crying attacks. If they
call out to him, he will be completely silent. From the
valve grill leads a twenty meters long horizontal
ventilation shaft into a junction (2x2 meters) where
Jihan sits and cries, surrounded by rubbish and
opened emergency rations.
The walls of the room are filled with scribbled
protection signs towards the dark and the air
constantly vibrates from the big fan covering one
side of the shaft.
When the Heroes find Jihan, he will just cry and
mumble "kheiran, kheiran" (see side bar). As he
regains his senses, he will of course thank them. He
alternately goes crazy or close to catatonia. He
cannot provide any coherent information on what has
happened at the station or with his expedition. He just
hands over an old tag he wears around his neck. The
tag contains parts of a log and a holo-sequence. After
a while, he pulls himself together and tells them that
he and one comrade got separated from the others
when they examined the habitation block. Then they
were suddenly surrounded by small naked children
who did not have faces. Jihan successfully escaped,
but not his comrade. The last thing he saw of him was
how the children overpowered him and carried him
away into one of the alleys leading to a destroyed
elevator shaft.
 The Truth About SS-18
The log and the holo-sequence
The log found by the Heroes contains a short diary by
communications officer Durha Fernim. Only parts of
the recording remain, where he describes meeting his
mistress, who is not mentioned by name. The text
shows how he is also surprised by the love she (one
of the "station's greats") suddenly shows towards
him. The text also contains a link to a holo-sequence
that can be played and appears to show some
inauguration ceremony of the station.
soundtrack is missing but by the picture zooming in
on different people lined up on a stage, one can
deduce that different persons are introduced. The
clip is not quite complete but four people, one man
and three women are "zoomed" in on.
Recognising the Researchers on the Holo
• Skill: Sciences, Foundation (Faction
Standing)
• Assistance of other Heroes is possible.
• Failure: The hero does not recognize any of
the four.
• Limited success: The hero recognizes the
different people as three researchers and a
bureaucrat.
• Good Success: Hero recognizes Professor
Darim, station manager Hariklia Memon and
the famous bionic Ferida Kaar and probably
one of her doctoral students what one can
understand by the holo sequence
Slideshow.
• Critical Success: The hero spots
nameplate on the doctoral student, where it
says Chayma Marrab, an unknown person.
It is not necessary for the Heroes to succeed in
recognising the people in the sequence. Jihan can of
course say that it is his father and three bureaucrats
in the sequence. He has kept the tag as it is the only
sign he found of his father at the station.
Chayma Marrab was Wahina's alias when she arrived
at the station with her new mentor, the biosculptor
and code weaver Ferida Kaar. The name is taken
from her youngest daughter and the Marrab cluster
that was her home before the Clan attacked Dakka 3.
It is up to the GM if he wants the players to
The understand the name’s origin or not.
Connecting to the station’s network
Ambitious Heroes can conceivably try to connect to
the station network. There are small information
terminals along the promenade or in some of the
buildings. They will not be able to get any detailed
access but see that the network seems to be partially
active. If the GM wants, they can access the log or
holo sequence this way.
Event: Charab
The heroes again feel followed and can then see
several small children in one of the alleys joining the
promenade who seem to watch them. In the
shadows, they are hard to make out as anything more
than little black shapes. It is only when you get closer
that you can see that they are completely missing
their faces. Of course, Jihan is utterly frightened by
them and starts screaming.
The children are Charab, a kind of living sensor, who
a wander around the station and are Wahina's eyes.
Their function is to observe the growth of the vacuum
organisms, but they also work as a kind live alarm.
When they discover the Heroes, they first stay at a
distance, emit buzzing sounds and squat down,
putting their hands on the floor, again and again. A
moment later, they step forward and try to touch the
Heroes to get more sensor data. Their discovery will
19
 The Truth About SS-18

be conveyed to Wahina, who will in turn send a Najad

(see scene 5) to meet them.
If they hurt the Charab or are threatening towards
them, e.g. push them away roughly as they try to
touch them, the Heroes will be seen as a threat and
signals are sent to the nearest Kobu to deal with them
(see Event: Kobu attacks).
Scene 5. A Green hell
Coming from the Dead City, the ways of reaching the
biodome are either climbing through a lift shaft
(Dexterity challenge) or activating any of the lifts
(Technology repair job). Either can be spiced up with
some of Wahina’s creatures. The Biodome is the next
place where the Heroes can get clues as to what
happened at the station. The route from the
habitation block leads through said elevator shaft
and overgrown corridors. Unlike the rest of the
station, the biodome is entirely filled with greenery,
often hybrids between common plants and vacuum
organisms. It is like stepping into a humid hot jungle.
Chittering animals, screaming birds and rustling in
the undergrowth set the scene. The Heroes
encounter Wahina's many creations and may get
some understanding of what she's done and why.
The scene contains one specific episode: the fake
Wahina.

The core clue in this scene is the diary that the heroes
find or get from the fake Wahina to understand her
life's work and ambition.

CHARAB Before the Heroes encounter Wahina, they get to hike

Charab live for a short time before starving to death.
They are basically harmless and only attack if
threatened and if they have clear numerical
superiority. With their bionic sensors, they can "see"
most things and communicate with Wahina via the
network of vacuum organisms surrounding the
station.
ATTRIBUTES
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 2, WITS 1, EMPATHY 2
HIT POINTS: 4
MIND POINTS: 3
REPUTATION: -
SKILLS: Observation 3, Melee 1
around the biodome a bit. They will find trails that
start and end without clear reason, find strange plant
hybrids and above all get to see Wahina’s different
experimental creatures that can combine plant and
animal features. These include bird creatures that
look like they are two big arms joined at the shoulder
with tense skin between long fingers. When the
creature lands, you see that it has human skin and
that the “wing tips” are human elongated fingers with
long nails and skin webbing. There are also hands
scuttling around in the undergrowth like spiders, and
long skin-coloured snakes with a nematode-like

TALENTS: mouths. Occasionally, the Heroes glimpse Kobu with

Charab moving in small groups through forest
GEAR: Claws (Damage 1, Crit 3)

20
 The Truth About SS-18

glades. They stop and watch the Heroes but make no
effort to attack.
The vegetation is typical for a rainforest or jungle, but
sometimes turns into more organized structures like
those found in Khayaala gardens. Buried in the
The fake Wahina
"I dream of a universe teeming with life!"
In her Najad shape, Wahina is a stunningly
beautiful woman surrounded by the scents of flowers
and vegetation. Her hair is as velvety as her voice.
When she speaks, she is very convincing. Play on her
beauty if necessary.
ATTRIBUTES
STRENGTH 2, AGILITY 3, WITS 5, EMPATHY 5
HIT POINTS: 5
vegetation, they can find the remains of the buildings
of the original biodome, mostly different service
buildings, fountains and the like. The terrain in the
biodome varies from smooth ground to hillier terrain.
There is a water course that flows across the
biodome with small streams and ponds that form
waterfalls in two places.
Event: The fake Wahina
When the Heroes have wandered about for a while
and have marvelled at or been disgusted by the
biodome menagerie of creatures, they encounter a
Najad, a kind of sister clone, who pretends to be
Wahina. How this happens is up to the GM though
one suggestion is that the Heroes are separated in
some way, perhaps when they are crossing a river or
waterfall in the biodome, or slide down some slope
and disappear under some vegetation.

MIND POINTS: 10
The Najad that appears to the freshly isolated Hero
REPUTATION: -
will begin talk to him about his purpose for coming to
SKILLS: Manipulate 5, Observation 3, Science
(Bio-Science) 5 the station. The purpose of the conversation is for
TALENTS: Wahina to understand the attitude and objectives of
GEAR: the group and if they really are a threat. Initially, the
Najad will not give its name, but the Hero can
recognize her as a young and more beautiful variant
of the woman (Chayma Marrab) from the holo-
sequence. Before disappearing in the forest, the
Najad will give the Hero a tag with built-in readers
showing a diary. It describes what Wahina's goal is, if
not the path she has taken to achieve it.

Diary
The diary consists of a number of (not quite
chronological) texts about Wahina's life goals. The
GM can freely describe it or create player material
based on the lyrics about Wahina featured at the
beginning of the scenario (the “inside cover”).

21
 The Truth About SS-18

What should be stated is that she believes in the right

of life to find new forms and to expand, that this ark
of life is one of her contributions. What should not be
stated is that she murdered the entire population of
the station. Neither should it be clear that she cloned
herself. If the Heroes are happy with the contents of
the diary and are not are very threatening towards her,
the Najad will reveal further parts of the truth, which
cannot be interpreted in any other way than that
Wahina's murdered everyone on the station, but that
she feels an unbearable remorse for this (which is
partly true and partly a way to influence the Heroes).

Smart Heroes have the chance to see through her act,

that is: understand that she is not telling the whole
truth, maybe with a Hard skill test in Manipulation.
She might also mention Wahina's Gift that is to be
given to the Rimward Reach but will not speak of the
departure of the “ark”, i.e. Wahina’s plan to leave.

Depending on how it all turns out, the Heroes might

be satisfied and brought to the true Wahina, they
might distrust Wahina and become aggressive
towards her or they themselves may trick Wahina into
believing that they believe her story. If the Heroes
seem threatening during or after the conversation,
she will instead lead them to a small glade where a
group of Kobu attacks.

GM Tips, Scene 5
Play the fake Wahina as smart and
intelligent but highlight hints of
megalomania with her. If the heroes kill
the fake Wahina, they can they still find
the central organism (the real Wahina)
and the GM can foreshadow meeting her
by making clear that something still
controls the Kobu or Charab shadowing
them despite Wahina’s apparent death.

22
 The Truth About SS-18
Act 3
The following scenes make up Act 3:
• Scene 6 - Wahina’s Countenance:
the heroes meet Wahina, as she is now, and
decide on her future.
• Scene 7 - To Forgive or Forsake:
The heroes try to get away before the
station explodes or prevent it from
happening.
Scene 6. Wahina’s Countenance
In the penultimate scene, the Heroes see that Wahina
has become a giant hybrid of human genes mixed
with vacuum organisms and other life forms.
Wahina will explain that another group arrived after
the Heroes and are now in the process of installing a
thermonuclear bomb in the recreation facility within
the biodome. The heroes must decide whether they
should help her stave off destruction and let her live
on or let her and the ark of life perish and lose her gift
to the Reach.
GM Tips, Scene 6
It is important to build up the two
choices, both tragic. They can:
• Punish Wahina for her crime or
condemn every one of her
creations and the ark to death
• Or let her atone and get away the
mass murder of SS-18's crew but
preserve the gift to the Reach.
Are the Heroes in need of more weapons
before a final battle? Wahina can give
them codes to a weapons stockpile on the
way to the Zero-G Gym.
23
They could also try to kill her in cold blood. The most
likely way to succeed with this is to blast her with
some sort of firebomb or a more powerful weapon
(heavy or massive). Some such weapon might be in
the armoury but should not be too easy to get. There
are no precise stats provided for Wahina in her
“gigaorganism” shape – make it a narrative fight. If
she is attacked with suitably heavy weapons, let her
be defeated and paint the scene “green”. If our
Heroes attempt to tackle her with small arms,
describe how their attacks achieve little, how bullet
holes close up, how tentacles shoot out, grab hold of
and try to strangle or crush the attackers. In short,
this is not meant to be a “battlemap” fight.
The core clue in this scene is Wahina's cry for help
against the Task Force group intent on destroying the
station and her life’s work.
Wahina is located in one of the service units that lie
beneath the biodome, in what was previously a water
treatment plant – a nice, drippy, gloomy backdrop for
encountering Wahina herself and a good moment to
build up the atmosphere. Wahina now looks like a
gigantic skin-coloured tissue mass filling almost the
entire hall and having grown around some of the
pipes and pumps in the room. The creature is vaguely
conically shaped and in its middle is a deformed,
stretched face that can yet be recognized as
Wahina’s. Along the walls in the room, three Kobu
patrol.
Wahina will be completely honest with the Heroes
and tell them about herself but withhold information
about her other clones. She urges the Heroes to hurry
as time is short and her own attempts to neutralize
the Task Force Massar have failed.
 The Truth About SS-18

Scene 7. To Forgive or Forsake

map: Zero-G gym in the handouts section
GM Tips, Scene 7
In this scene it is important to think through
and customize the soldiers’ strength and
weapons, so they do not become over-
powering.
The description of the Task Force Massar in
the handouts section is a suggestion for a
well-armed group of Heroes. Possibly, the
Heroes can also get help from Kobu if they
disarm the Dayal Turret.
The soldiers have now placed the bomb, but not
managed to leave the recreation facility yet. They
plan to make an explosive exit through the floor,
using a breach charge to open an escape route
towards the area below the recreation area and then
onwards towards their ship.
Deactivating the thermonuclear mine will require a
test of Data Djinn or Technology. Difficulty set freely
by the GM. (This lends itself to an “extended trouble
approach as in Tales from the Loop). The important
thing is that it gets sweaty for the Heroes.

Let the fight develop. It could be a straight fight or the

The Heroes must rescue themselves (and probably
Task Force may choose to retreat, trusting that the
Wahina and SS-18) from imminent doom. There is no
Heroes will not be able to disarm the bomb in time.
way they would survive if the Task Force accomplish
their objective. After going down to the recreation
The map for this encounter is included in the
facility, they must neutralize the soldiers and disarm
handouts section “Zero-G Gym”. Here is a cutting
the bomb. The route to the facility is open. The only
from the Core Rule book with the stats for
challenge is that it they must get there swiftly.
convenience.

The core clue in the scene is information about the

Task Force Massar. This information does not just
matter for the scene itself, although that is important
information for Wahina and for the Heroes. There is
certainly an opportunity to introduce a new long-term
enemy or even nemesis to haunt the Heroes for many
scenarios to come.

The Task Force's blasting technicians have decided

to place the thermonuclear mine in the whirlpool
alcoge. The squad has come here in much the same
way as the Heroes and were also discovered by
Charab (fighting them off, which the Heroes may Init 2, Damage 3, Crit 2, Short, Automatic Fire
have heard in the distance). Wahina has sent several
Kobu to overwhelm them, but before they could reach
the intruders, a defensive perimeter had been
established with a Dayal Gun turret and some mines.

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 The Truth About SS-18
After the fight
Assuming that the Heroes survive and succeed, they
might have a chance to salvage some kit (see
Rewards), but the Task Force’s ship is still out there
and will most likely still have some crew on it. They
may choose to attack the Heroes’ ship or withdraw.
How pressured you make the end of the story is up to
you – it could finish with a bit of space combat in an
area full of navigation hazards? Once things calm
down, it’s time for the Epilogue.
Epilogue:Wahina’s Departure
As you prepare your ship for departure, proximity
sensors begin to beep. From the bridge's window you
can see how station 18 is starting to break up. The
upper parts of the biodome detach from the station's
heavy bulk and - in a majestic dance movement –spins
itself around.
The next moment, the countless cocoons adorning the
hull like little beads, crack open. Spindle-thin strands
unfold, twist open up to golden-black leaves, unfurling
into fragile sun sails.
Slowly, ever so slowly, the station begins to slide
towards the labyrinth of gravitation tarns. It seems
impossible that it would pass through them without
faltering. Just then your ship is shaken by a fierce
gravitational wave and a bright flash of light. The
protective systems in the bridge window occlude the
view for an instance and as it clears again, you see
how a path has opened between the tarns as if they
had been pushed out of the way. At the same time, a
giant seed pod detaches from the station. Wahina’s
new ship – or is it her body? It accelerates away with
amazing speed and disappears towards the galactic
north.
25
Using her vacuum organisms and creatures as
engineering tools, Wahina has broken up the station
into several segments. One of these has been shaped
into her new ship. She created sun sails that will carry
her out of the Rimward Reach towards an unknown
destination. With a last pulse from the seed pod, she
zooms away along a path between the tarns.
Wahina’s Gift
When the Heroes finally clear the cloud of tarns, they
can see how a number of nearby asteroids begin to
shimmer and close sensor scans show that a number
of mass drives have energised within them. All of
them seem to set a course out of the asteroid cluster
towards the other regions of the Rimward Reach and
maybe beyond.
A few days later, they will intercept a radio broadcast
of a woman’s voice saying that the asteroids are a
gift to the Free People of the Rimward Reach: new
dwellings and islands of life among the stars.
Over a period of weeks, news spreads that these
asteroids are indeed habitable. There are first signs
that the swarms and clans are clamouring to take
possession of them. How the different factions of the
Reach react to this is up to the GM.
The Legion
It is possible that the Legion will send scout ships to
the area and maybe to hunt down the Heroes.
Out for Revenge
A surviving Jina Aud Massar or any soldier of her
squad will surely seek revenge after failing her
mission, possibly as a personal mission rather than
on official Legion business..
 The Truth About SS-18

locks have built-in cutting or thermal burners to open

Rewards
the hull. The lock is attached with magnetic gripping
Here are some suggestions on how the Heroes can
be rewarded in the scenario, in addition to what they shoes.
Cost: 10,000 birr.
should now get from their clients.

Technology Dayal Gun

The heroes are likely to be able to carry some salvage
The Dayal Gun is an automated weapon system
with them from the station, as well as some
named after the Legion legend Durma Dayal. It is
technology, such as the broken auto cannons, the
based on a regular Vulcan Gun connected to a sensor
Dayal Gun, etc. Possibly Wahina can also reward
package and a data server. This is Faction
them with samples that are valuable to bionics and
technology for the Consortium and the Legion and
could be sold at Ahalimm for birr.
has a built-in self-destruct mechanism.

Granting a bio-sculpt that slowly grows in a Hero

through Wahina's expertise is also possible. It can
work like any bionic advantage any time but also be a
secret GM tool when the hero notices strange black
silicone growths emanating from the sculpt or it
might develop a will of its own.

Traits etc.
The Heroes can get and switch to traits such as
Wanted, Haunted, Dark Secret, Marked by the Legion
and possibly a new nemesis in the form of Jina Aud
Massar.

Equipment
This describes the new equipment that is present in
the scenario. The portable lock is considered
ordinary technology, while the Dayal Gun is counted
as faction technology. It cannot be bought on the
market.

Portable air lock

A portable lock is used to get through the hull with
atmosphere in, where locks are damaged or not
working. Of course, this unit is well used by corsairs
and various free companies. The lock looks like a
sawed cone with an outer iris lock that also acts as a
dock, and an inner lock door. The space in between is
so large that two men can work there. Many portable

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 The Truth About SS-18

Handouts:
The Horizon is full of riddles and inexplicable phenomena – lost shops, forgotten systems beyond
derelict portals and the legends of the portal builders stir the imagination. Most of these stories
can dismissed as nothing more than fairy tales. Yet, the unfortunate fate that befell
Foundation's Station 18 is very much a historical fact. Even so, we still do not know why that
whole station and its crew were lost. Here is an excerpt from the official report that was archived
in the Foundation's Infothek CC 60.

Foundation Report on SS-18 – Djali Youran,

Report 1 367-A.
In connection with cataloguing of the Kua system (CC 35), Foundation Station 18 was built with
the aim of mapping and analysing the Kandah Cloud’s distribution and composition.

History
During Coriolis Cycle 31, a long-range exploration probe was sent to the area known today as the
Rimward Reach. Although the Consortium determined that the area had no strategic value, it
was decided that the Institute's scientific presence in the region justified the creation of a
research station. When SS-18 was completed in CC 37, a scientific crew was sent, led by
astronomer Hulab Darim.

At first, the station worked perfectly normally and sent large volumes of scientific data to
Coriolis. When conflicts erupted between prospector clans from the inner systems and the
Reach’s nomads, an increasing number of incidents and a growing aggressiveness were
reported.

In CC 49 an emergency call was received stating that the station had been hit by a series of
explosions of unknown cause. Soon after, an uncontrolled and catastrophic shutdown of the
reactors ensued. Along with major structural damage this caused life support systems to fail.
When rescue teams arrived at SS-18 they could only ascertain that most of the crew perished
immediately and that no one could possibly have survived in the irradiated wreck longer than a
couple of hours. All hopes of recovering crew, equipment or data from the station were
abandoned.

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 The Truth About SS-18

Current Situation

Since CC 50, the SS-18 has been classified as a wreck and designated as a protected object to
deter salvage. Legion patrol ships keep unauthorized ships at a distance. Although sightings of
lights in the station's biodome are reported, this can be dismissed with certainty as the
environmental conditions permit no life on the station.

Taking into account the fast and dramatic course of events and the damage to the hull that has
been observed, it is our conclusion that SS-18 in all probability was lost to an unprovoked attack
by nomadic tribal battleships. The motive is unknown but the location of the station in proximity
to the nomadic sacred song lines may certainly constitute a contributing factor.

It has come to our attention that the researcher Jihan Darim, son of the late Professor Darim,
has arranged another expedition to SS-18, its stated purpose being to recover the father’s
remains for burial and at the same time to bring clarity to the causes of the fall of the station.

We intend to clarify that this is not an officially sanctioned expedition.

Foundation representative, Djali Youran

Timeline
CC 35 – Decision taken by the Foundation and Consortium to build Space Station 18 for
exploration
CC 37 – Station commissioned under the leadership of Hulab Darim
CC 49 – Emergency Call received, Reactor failure detected. Rescue teams report that the station
is an irradiated wreck.
CC 50 – Legion Patrols instigated to enforce protected status and deter salvage

CC 60 – Jihan Darim sets up expedition to determine his father’s (and the station’s) fate.

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 The Truth About SS-18

STATION RECORD

This originally appeared in Fenix 3/10 (a Swedish RPG magazine)

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 The Truth About SS-18

Foundation Infothek

A. Macro Sensor Array used for gravitonic and E. Point Defence System: Linked auto guns
spectrometric measurements of the Kandah and anti-missile launchers
cloud. Externally located due the strong
radiation emitted during operation.

B. External docking station including hangar F. Quarters: Crew modules and guest
that can handle chassis-III hull. quarters. Built as a small town with individual
neighbourhoods in a ring structure like
Coriolis.

C. Biodome: The station's life-sustaining G. Recreation: Adjacent to the biodome there

system. Also part of the recreational is a small recreation unit with bathhouse and
environment at the station. zero-G gym.

D. Reactor: Powerful reactor unit specially H. Laboratories: A comprehensive laboratory

built by Exeter. Contains ten separate reactor section for analysis of sensor data with
units. several dedicated semi-intelligences.
Separate department for analysis of physical
samples.

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 The Truth About SS-18

Sensor Sweep on arrival

Sensor Sweep
Spectro-sensor reading sector theta 21.7.1:
Spectro-sensor: Asteroid, % unknown.
Cross-reference with prospector database Djachroum v 7.1.

Warning! Banned sector designator SS-18

WARNING!
RADIATION SECTOR: 3 MD, sectors epsilon 1.1.1 to iota 33.9.9

FULL SENSOR INCREASE DESIGNATOR SS-18

Mass sensor: cavities in object
Tarn sensor: multiple type 1 gravitational anomalies (X9), unstable orbits
Spectro-sensor solids: metal rich, 80%. Silicon carbon analogues 10%.
Biosensor: multiple contacts
Radiation sensor: level -1 (low)

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 The Truth About SS-18

Zero-G
Gym

The gym is only lit by flashing emergency lighting (-1 to D.Zero-G Area
ranged attacks or adding a range distance band). Gravity is The whole area is filled with floating debris. Movement
intact except in area D, where it is almost zero. here requires Dex checks.

A. Corridor: E. Breach/ collapsed wall.

The corridor is filled with Kobu corpses. At the end of the
corridor you can see the angular shape of a gun turret. PCs
in short range get attacked, the only warning being the
sound of the turret spinning up.
B. Barricade: A small cover opportunity built from
some old gym equipment. 2 people can seek cover here
(level 3)
C. Pool: An empty pool, its bottom covered with debris. A
small bridge leads across. Cowering in the pool offers 2
levels of cover.
The blasting technician is setting up the breach charge
here to open an escape route.
F. Solarium:
Sector outside the main gym. Sunloungers and debris fill
the room.
G. Whirlpool:
Built into an alcove. The thermonuclear mine has been
placed here. One or two soldiers are working on it.
Hunkering down here provides 4 cover.

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 The Truth About SS-18

Task Force Massar

Number of opponents = number of Heroes -1
Task Force Massar is one of the Legion's action groups in the Rimward Reach. They are led
by Jina Aud Massar, a disciplined and quick-thinking officer. The soldiers have secured
information from what is left of the computer system on tags and are preparing for
departure, when they can't get out of the zero-G gym. They fight effectively, but if escape
becomes impossible, they have their grenades as the last bloody resort. Jina will then
attempt to detonate the bomb manually.

Character: Tactical and quick thinking

Name Bonus Init Damage Crit Range Spec
Scorpion -1 +1 2 2 Short Auto
Carbine +1 0 3 2 Short Auto
Frag 0 0 Blast 6, Dmg 1 1 Range:Short
Grenade Radius: Close
Legionnaire +1 0 3 2 Long Grenade launcher,
Carbine Auto, High Cap
Dayal 3

EQUIPMENT: Three magazines with ordinary ammunition and two magazines with homing
ammunition (+2 on attack), Vulcan carbines, 3 frag grenades, 2 shock grenades, personal
communicator, Traumakit with 15 trauma doses (one soldier only), multi-compass (Jina), a
medium breach charge (only one soldier), data tag with vital information (Jina).
Soldiers
STR 3 (Jina 4) AGI 4 WIT 2 (Jina 4) EMP 3 HP 7 (Jina 8) MP 5 (Jina 8)
Obs 2, Jina 3 Jina – Jina – Med 2 Jina - Manip 1 all Melee 3 all Ranged 3
Command 2

Jina Soldier 1 Soldier 2 Soldier 3 Soldier 4

AC 3 AC 3 AC 3 AC 3 AC 3
Dayal 3 Carbine Carbine Scorpion Scorpion
Grenade Grenade
HP 8 7 7 7 7
MP 8 5 5 5 5

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 The Truth About SS-18

And the Messenger spoke:

Go forth and find the seed of the Icons –
the Flower of Heaven.
With it, you shall bring prosperity to your dying world and
save the people from starvation and poverty.
But beware, good pilgrim, there are those that have been tainted by the
Dark between the Stars.
These Dark flowers bring not prosperity –
but misery and death.
THE SEED OF THE ICONS – Suleiman the Elder

Chayma Marrab – log entry

Almost there – This station has what I need. The Biodome is perfect and finally
the lab equipment arrived. It is frustrating that the old coot Prof Darim does
not see the potential of code weaving here – he treats it more like a hobby and
all the focus is on astro-physics. Why think about how to get elsewhere when
we can make here a better place, a paradise!

Oh well, I am starting to make inroads and as long as I can get on with my own
research, it’ll only be question of time before I get through to them. Imagine –
Khayaala’s Gardens re-created, the beauty of life spread throughout the Reach
... Soon!

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 The Truth About SS-18

Database Entry: Khayaala’s Gardens

Scattered around on various asteroids where Ahilar's tribe used to live,
there are the famous and often secret gardens of Khayaala. The gardens
act as oases where asteroid hikers and wallahs can rest and fill up their
oxygen reserves. Unlike ordinary oxygen oases, the Khayaala gardens are
beautiful and not just glorified storage bunkers and fuel dumps. Their
appearance varies from covered tents in rocky crevices to glittering cave
gardens full of life. All gardens are self-sufficient.

In the cave garden on Hajia, there are mosses in green and orange. When
they bloom during each cycle, small butterflies emerge and flutter through
the cave, the likes of which have never been seen elsewhere in the Horizon.
When they die and fall onto the moss, they form new shoots and the cycle
recommences.

Just as wondrous is the bamboo forest on the Farafra asteroid, where the
bamboo shoots bloom in helix-shaped leaves, always in different colours,
slowly growing towards the ground, intertwining with other leaves, to form
new shoots as they reach the fertile ground. Each cycle gives a new pattern
to the leaves.

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