Act 2: Outbreaks

The incubation period for Ebola [BT113] Psiaire averages 11.5d (3d+1). So things will be quiet for a few days following the mass murder. Move the PCs through this time quickly, jumping ahead to when the next infected person is encountered, until 1.5h before the end of session when the communication black-out is triggered and the Harvest begins. Assume about 30m for each encounter; try to have the excitment escalate, e.g. pis evidence, bloody encounter, zombie encounter.

The people infected during Dr. Debrah Wagners attack will initially show flu-like symptoms with a head ache, then paranoia, then hemophilia & homicidal mania. If they survive the hemophilia, their psionic ability will manifest, but unconsciousness and death/zombification may quickly follow. Expect that family members (HT-7), lovers (HT-8), and those in violent contact (HT-9) may also be infected. Psionic ability will be emotionally triggered and uncontrolled–the infected won't know what's going on.

If they die after the psi-manifestation stage, then upon death they will resurrect as a reeking zombie. Greys will try to abduct psionic individuals before they become zomblies.

Grey-Engineered Ebola Psire Retrovirus (TL10) [B113]
Blood agent
HT-5 contagion
3d+1 (11.5) hour delay
HT-5 to throw off
1d6 point of toxic damage
12 hour cycles
7 cycles
≤ full HP: head ache, fever, moderate pain [B428]
≤2/3 HP: severe pain [B428] and paranoid [B148]
≤1/2 HP: terrible pain [B428] and Hemophilia [B128] and homicidal
≤1/3 HP: terrible pain [B428] and psionic power and homicidal
≤0 HP: Unconscious [B423]
≤-1 HP: Death check–death comes with convulsions, which can splatter blood around…
HT-5 to resist contagion
death upon getting a psionic power results in a reeking zombie

Scene 1: Noticing an Infected

Setting: Out and about Morenci.

Activities:

Observation, or Body Language or Per
crit – false positive.
-5 – The person rubs their head a lot.
0 – The person is furtive or is bleeding.
+5 – They see the weapon the paranoid person has on them.
crit – They recall or notice something that helps them understand Ebola Psiaire.
Diagnosis, IQ-6, Physician-4, Veterinary-5
-10 – The are sick with fever.
-5 – They notice specific Ebola Psiaire symptoms.
0 – They know how far along the disease has progressed.
+5 – They recognize the illness as Ebola.
crit – They recognize it as a previously unknown strain.

Success: You are free of the virus.

Failure: They have contaminated a culture.

Scene 2: Encountering the Infected

Setting: Out and about Morenci; each encounter will depend on how the infected react to the PCs and what their Psi Power is.

Activities:

If they're paranoid use Influence!
-1 – They flee.
0 – Each success gains a piece of information; until failure, when they flee.
crit – You actually manage to establish meaningful communication with them.
If they're homocidal use Influence!
-1 – They attack.
0 – Each success gains a piece of information; until failure, when they attack.
crit – You actually manage to establish meaningful communication with them.
If they're psionic use Influence!
-1 – They use their psionic ability to attack.
0 – Each success gains a piece of information; until failure, when they use their psi to attack.
crit – You actually manage to establish meaningful communication with them.
Combat!
Hemophiliacs will bleed out (by max wound every minute) after being injured.
After they die, they emit a reeking fart (+5 Smell), then animate as a zombie
HT-5 (basic contagion) [B443]
-1 – you have been infect, but won't know it until the onset of symptoms in a few days (or you get tested at Hila Health Resources).
0 – you have resisted the Ebola Psiaire retrovirus; you are very lucky.

Success: You have learned valuable information from your encounter.

Failure: You are more confused than you were before the encounter.

Copper Canyon Cafe

Setting: Raymond, the town know-it-all, is often here to provide the PCs with any info the GM wishes, through his veil of a conspiracy theory of course.

Activities:a

Social!
fail: Everybody is planning on giving blood. It's the right thing to do.
pass: 1d4 to pick up some intel from Raymond from stuff that went on yesterday.
Location
1 – Gila Health Resources
2 – Francis Waldorf Stadium (baseball)
3 – Morenci Mine (copper strip mine)
4 – town outskirts

Success: The PCs pick up some useful information from Raymond.

Failure: The PCs are in the dark, which may be more merciful.

Gila Health Resources

Setting: The very pleasant Mercedese Cantu is receptionist during the day shift. All employees are wearing a mask and gloves.

Any ill that arrive are directed to the Francis Waldorf Stadium (baseball).

The healthy are taken to a single open room (not curtained off or anything) set up with multiple tables where they can give blood or take an ELISA/PCR tests. There is a WHO MIB monitoring everything from behind a one-way mirror from which he can see everybody in the room; he is scanning everyone for psi ability. He is in contact with a Grey and another MIB who are in their black van in the parking lot.

Activities:

Vision
-6: CDC on lots of vehicles and open boxes
-4: WHO on door of the observation room just beyond the large blood donation room
-2: FEMA on a few vehicles and unopened boxes
0 inside: If a PC passes the door of the observation room just beyond the large blood donation room, they may see a WHO MIB in the room standing in front of a one-way mirror.
0 outside: There is a black van, new, but no make/model identifiers parked illegally right up against the building. If approached, it will drive away. If the PCs won't let them flee, then see Combat! below.
+crit: As the PC passes by the door of the observation room just beyond the large blood donation room, they may see a WHO MIB in the room standing in front of a one-way mirror talking to someone via his wireless in-ear communicator. A Hearing roll will reveal him requesting a blood sample be taken of a specific Morenci citizen.
Social!
Any Psi is asked to give blood. (The WHO MIB, upon noticing the psi ability, will make the request.)
Contest of skills vs WHO MIB to notice he's hiding something
Everybody else is on the up-and-up and believes they are preparing for a potential outbreak.
Combat!
This MIB does not have easy access to a black van, it's by the stadium
Lots of TL 9 surveillance tech is inside

Success: The PCs know the powers that be mean business.

Failure: The PCs can figure this all out tomorrow.

Francis Waldorf Baseball Stadium

Setting: FEMA will quarantine the ill inside the stadium. A single WHO MIB will be here to monitor every single individual that is admitted. He'll have ample time to do this as their blood is drawn.

Activities:

Vision
-8: Equipped with cots.
-6: FEMA
-4: The FEMA staff are in NBC gear.
-2: They've added more flood lights.
0: Equipped with razor wire.
+3: Equipped with security cameras.
+5: There is a black van–an older looking model, but brand new–no make/model identifiers. No one is in it right now. (The Greys and two MIBs are at the Morenci Mine; there is an MIB monitoring Gila and the stadium.)
+crit: The PC notice the WHO MIB standing in the admitting/blood-taking area is talking to someone via his wireless in-ear communicator. A Hearing roll will reveal him reporting the identity of a Morenci psi.
Social!
A blood sample is taken from everyone.
fail: Nobody is at liberty to say anything. Extremely busy. Please move on…
0: Everybody is acting professional; the stadium is a quarantine zone.
+5: Everybody is worried. CDC and WHO workers are now included in the quarrantine.
+crit: Some WHO MIB was monkeying around with the stadium lights yesterday. He was creepy.

Success: The PCs know the WHO MIBs are involved in some suspicious way.

Failure: The PCs may end up quarantined in here. They can play it out, escape, or start a new PC.

Morenci Mine

Setting: On outskirts of town, it appears vacated on first glance. Access roads to the mine will be blocked by the Nation Guard. Two Grey's and two MIBs in two black vans will be setting the offices up to use as their headquarters: installing security/surveillance equipment, prepping lab equipment, etc.

Activities:

Vision
-5: At night, there are some lights on in the mine office building.
0: At night, there is some activity in the mine office building: two smaller shadows (doctors) and three larger shaddows .
+5: Overcome darkness penalties to notice a one of two black vans parked near the office building, nobody is in it.
+crit: Overcome darkness penalties to notice a one of two black vans with no lights in the area. A lone MIB is driving around setting up security/surveillance equipment.
Combat!
To protect their secret base, and since they're away from prying eyes, they will use maximum force to deal with interlopers.
Electrolaser x2 and Stun Gun x2

Success: The PCs know strange things are a-foot at the Morenci Mine.

Failure: The PCs don't know the Grey's lab of horrors is here.

Town Outskirts

Setting: All roads–191 on either end of town, Copper Verde Ln, SE of town, and multiple roads to the copper mine are now blocked by the National Guard. They are wearing masks. They will not shoot anyone directly, but will do what it takes to disable any vehicle without credentials from crossing a road block.

There are also 13 silenced black helicopters patrolling the perimeter of town.

Activities:

Vision
On 191: several armored personnel carriers and 6 national guardsmen
On back road: one off-road personnel carrier and 2 national guardsmen
On foot: one silenced black helicopter
Social!
fail: Nobody is at liberty to say anything. Please return to town.
0: Everybody seems on the up-and-up.
+5: Morenci is under quarantine–know one goes in or out; they're authorized to use necessary force.
crit: The WHO has set up a command post in the Morenci Mine office building.
Combat!
Stealth/Camouflage vs Per (with night vision, etc.): to avoid being seen by black helicopters
Teargas will be used to turn back or corral/apprehend anyone attempting to flee Morenci.
Off-road National Guard will be called in for assistance if necessary.

Success: The PCs know they're trapped and may know the WHO is in the Morenci Mine offices.

Failure: The PCs don't realize they're trapped in Morenci.