2300AD

Credits Contents
2300AD Original Writers and Contributors Introduction 2
Marc Miller, Loren Wiseman, Frank Chadwick, Lester Smith, Timothy
Brown, Gary Thomas, Joe Fugate, John Harshman, William H. Keith, Jr. History 3
Deb Zeigler, Bryan Gibson and Steve Venters

Author Geography 5
Wesley Street
Life in the City 13
Editor
Matthew Sprange Politics and Power 38

Line Developer Personalities 55

Colin Dunn
Mud Sticks 59
Layout
Will Chapman

Interior Illustrations
Sandrine Thirache, Patricia Diaconeasa, Amy Perrett

2300AD Libreville © 2014 Mongoose Publishing. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without the written permission of the publisher is ex-
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This game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be reproduced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open
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This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United Kingdom and of the United States. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people
organisations, places or events is purely coincidental.
 INTRODUCTION
Libreville is the heart of Earth’s multi-world civilisation. With
the base of the Beanstalk located inside the mega-city it links
humanity to the far-flung colonies. It is home to largest maritime
port complex on Earth, and air and spaceports dot the nearby
Gabon countryside. It is also a corporate haven as every major
commercial enterprise and foundation on Earth has an office in
Libreville. Residential enclaves for the elite surround a city core
of luxurious excess.
However, Libreville, like all the cities in French Africa, is also
ringed by kilometres of slums. While France is happy to
accommodate the Transnational Corporations that wish to
utilise the Beanstalk, the millions of unemployed and low-skilled
workers have yet to see their conditions improve.
2
Libreville: Corruption in the Core Worlds is a sourcebook and
adventure for 2300AD. It outlines the history and geography of
Gabon and Central Africa along with the culture, fringe societies
and seedy politics of Libreville. The adventure, Mud Sticks, takes
the players through the cosmopolitan downtown into desperate
Mudville as they investigate an outbreak of violence in the slums.
This book also includes sample vehicles, spaceships, robots,
non-players and random encounters relevant to Libreville.
While this book is designed for the 2300AD setting, it is
easily adapted for any Mongoose Traveller game featuring
a futuristic urban setting.
 HISTORY
Africa escaped most of the ravages of the Twilight Era. Petroleum
production facilities were targets but the lack of militarily
strategic sites discouraged large-scale fighting on the continent.
However, as the accustomed medical and material aid from
the First World were cut off, millions of deaths were attributed
to disease. Suffering was exacerbated by rapid environmental
collapse. Famine and desertification were rampant until the mid-
22nd century.
Over the following decades, alliances in Africa dramatically
shifted. Prior to the conclusion of Twilight, Azania jumpstarted
rebuilding under the calm hand of humanitarian and former
Zulu radical Joseph Mbutu. Shared religious and philosophical
principles bonded Saharan Africa into the United Arab Republic.
Mozambique, sitting on Earth’s largest store of tantalum, was
able to leverage major economic power in the new interstellar
space race. Massive public works projects including river dams,
satellite weather control projects and the elimination of tsetse fly
infestations gave all Africans an opportunity for independence
and self-sufficiency, even if only at subsistence level.
After France opened its borders in 2079, it assisted in
rebuilding Africa and the Middle East with its economic and
military resources. Many African nations eventually found
their own way to self-sufficiency, including Nigeria’s push for
economic independence along with a coalition of Ivory Coast
nations. Conversely, life was very poor for former French
colonies in Central Africa where industrialisation refused to
take root. France took advantage of the situation and brought
its former holdings back into the fold. By 2250, France was
the most powerful government active on the continent and
its influence spanned from the Guinea Cost to Djibouti. As of
2300, Central Africa is the most populous voting bloc of the
French Empire.
The area of Libreville was visited by European explorers in
the 15th century. The name Gabon came from the Portuguese
name for cloak, which described the estuary of the Komo River.
Bantu kingdoms controlled the region until French colonists
immigrated to the area in the 19th century, spreading all the
way into the Masuku area. Masuku was re-named Francheville,
then Franceville, in honour of freed former slaves. Gabon
was part of the Afrique Equatorial Francaise federation until
its independence in 1960. Political repression and strikes
plagued the country until the late 20th century as the economy
consolidated around petroleum extraction. The population was
spared major war casualties because Gabon’s oil fields were
3
off-shore. Yet Gabon’s totalitarian regime ruled for decades until
breaking down in the resulting socio-political chaos. By the early
2100s, France established several peace-keeping missions in
the region and assisted the local government in restoring order.
The primarily Spanish-speaking Equatorial Guinea region,
including its recovering petroleum production facilities and the
western Congo region was brought into Gabon’s borders during
this time. External and internal pressures resulted in Gabon’s
application and acceptance into the French coalition in 2149.
In 2300, Gabon operates as a metropolitan department of
France. It is represented in the French Chamber of Deputies
and all citizens are considered French by right and privilege.
The elected governor of Gabon serves as the chief administrator
and executive and Libreville is the official department capital.
The current governor is Sophie Tchioba, a native of Gabon and
educated at the Université Paris Pantheon-Sorbonne. In practice,
Governor Tchiboa’s influence is primarily over the rural areas of
the department. The government of Gabon has limited authority
to set its own tax rates, enforce its own laws and set tariffs so long
as they do not conflict with France’s interests. Gabon has its own
state police agency, Les Gendarmes Gabonais, which enforces
local law, though again, only in rural areas. Governor Tchioba is
not completely powerless against the powerful city governments
– her office maintains the local transportation network, including
the high speed airfilm train line connecting Libreville to Cairo in
the UAR, education system, public health and utilities and the
protected rainforests. For easier management, Gabon is divided
into nine administrative districts with Libreville’s Estuary District
left independent.
Gabon shares the struggles of its Imperial French neighbours,
Cameroon and Zaire, and its economy is thoroughly tied to the
other regional French departments of Biafra, Chad, Kitanga
and Ubangi Shari. The administrations of all of Africa’s French
holdings meet in Libreville every three months to discuss
issues of regional importance and the most efficient method of
implementing directives from the Chamber of Deputies in Paris.
The Imperial French nations maintain a sports rivalry and the
French Africabowl soccer tournaments are second in viewership
only to the Globalbowl. France is Gabon’s primary trade partner
but the nation also has strong trade relationships with the United
States and Japan. Gabon is heavily dependent on imports of
cereal crops and metals from the United States. However the
United States and Japan are both invested in Gabon’s control of
the Beanstalk power grid. As the Beanstalk terminates in Earth’s
Gateway station, international delegations from both the ESA
and Orbital Quarantine Command make regular visits to Gabon.
What became Libreville was originally home to the Mpongwe
clans until France claimed their territory in the mid-19th century.
Libreville, French for Freetown, was founded when the French
navy captured a Brazilian slave ship and freed its captives on
Gabon’s shore in 1848. Corporate exploitation is not a new
concept in Libreville. The city was the site of a deep water port
and rail terminal serving commercial endeavours into the Middle
Congo until Gabon gained independence. After 1960 the city
was the national capital and by the time of the Twilight Era it
housed half of the nation’s population.
A pilot Beanstalk elevator system connecting the French
colony on Beta Canum Venaticorum IV to planetary orbit began
construction in 2272. Progress halted in 2283 when French
military intervention during the Central Asian War diverted
needed resources. After a military junta backed by prominent
transnational corporate interests replaced France’s civilian
leadership, construction began again in 2289. Also at the behest
of TransNats, Earth’s international community urged France to
apply its experience in developing a second Beanstalk project.
Located near the Komo River and situated precisely on Earth’s
equator, the south bank of Gabon Bay was selected as the
construction site. At the time, what is now known as Old Libreville
was home to some 2 million citizens. In 2300, the Libreville
Metropolitan Area sprawls across 15,000 square kilometres,
surrounding Gabon Bay, and is occupied by 22 million residents.
During the early 2290s, millions of immigrant workers from
across Imperial France and Earth flooded the area. Work began
on the ground while construction of Gateway was underway in
orbit. The Beanstalk was not the only source of construction –
every major and minor commercial interest on Earth wanted
immediate access to off-world markets. Land claims and plans
were accepted for commercial office spaces that would grow
alongside the Beanstalk. Those workers who were not assigned
to Beanstalk construction found employment building corporate
complexes, residential homes for TransNat employees and
the transportation and service infrastructure serving them.
The assembly of the new Libreville was the fastest and most
expansive act of urban development in human history.
In 2300, Libreville is controlled by three separate but equally
powerful political blocs. The city government consists of an
4
elected council, an appointed judiciary and an executive office
run from city hall. The city government, under Mayor Lin Natora,
runs the Libreville Metropolitan Police Department, enforces tax
codes and oversees public services and utilities. L’Administration
du Port de Libreville is a separate governing entity that oversees
not only the operation of the Beanstalk and its terminal but all air
and sea traffic in the Libreville area. The port authority director
is appointed by the French Emperor and answers to an advisory
council consisting of representatives from all nations who aided
in the construction of the Beanstalk. The current director, Andrea
Beresford, oversees the various APL departments, including a
team of enforcement agents, coordinates with Orbital Quarantine
Command and heads the security detachment from the Foreign
Legion. The third political bloc is the Libreville Corporate Board
which consists of representatives of every TransNat with a
branch located in Libreville. As corporate enclaves are extra-
governmental entities, the board is the venue by which shared
properties and projects are managed and inter-corporate
grievances are resolved. Board member companies do not
utilise the Libreville Police but their own private security forces.
The current board chair is Elias Mantaka of InterComm, AG.
The rise of the TransNats is tied to Earth’s post-Twilight
construction needs. As World War II gave birth to the modern
multinational business ideal, World War III was the catalyst for a
new economic model that was independent of local or national
laws. Many corporations broke apart during Twilight but their
resources were secured by private entities. Traditionally socialist
France maintained tight controls on its businesses but America,
Asia and the rest of Europe desperately needed the resources,
diversity, flexibility and expertise that free enterprise could
leverage. During the recovery, the public was driven by survival
and rebuilding. Governments cut backroom deals with corporate
leaders to quickly put populations back to work. For those
businesses that met employment and resource benchmarks,
the right of extraterritoriality was granted. TransNat property
was considered a diplomatic mission and corporations were free
to enforce their own laws through their own legal processes.
Human rights and strict pollution controls could not be violated
but TransNats were exempted from the laws of host nations
when operating on corporate-owned property. Emperor Nicolas
Ruffin’s rise to power was partly due to this legal structure –
megacorporate interests wrested control away from the junta
and installed Ruffin as party chairman. The TransNats have
created a patchwork quilt of legal zones across Libreville and
the Corporate Board spends a great deal of resources lobbying
the city council.
 GEOGRAPHY
Gabon is located on the west coast of central Africa and its climate
and geography are due to its placement on Earth’s equator.
Coastal plains interspersed with mangrove swamps border the
Encounters in Gabon
These are typical of the encounters Players may have in Gabon.
Atlantic Ocean. Gabon’s original mangroves were destroyed by
sea level rise. In response, the Gabonese government instituted Seasonal Weather Encounters
a swampland reclamation project. Geoengineering combined
3D December – June (Rainy Season)
with genemodded and accelerated new growth has revitalised
coastal wetlands. The internal landscape consists of hills with 3 Lightning
heavy rainforest growth that breaks into savannah to the east 4–5 Violent Wind
and south. Desertification in the savannah region bordering 6–8 Tropical Storm or Cyclone
Zaire and Cameroon accelerated in the late 20th century 9–12 Light Rain
but aggressive land management including satellite control 13–15 Heavy Rain
measures has reversed the process. 16–17 Flash Flood
18 Excessive Heat
Gabon’s climate is always hot and humid. Gabon is subject to
continuous and heavy rainfall from December until June. Urban Seasonal Weather Encounters
architecture, including water management, and urban culture
3D July – November (Dry Season)
are representative of a region subjected to large amounts of
precipitation. For example, Libreville utilises transparent alumina 3 Violent Wind
domes, souks, shopping arcades and covered walkways to 4–5 Light Rain
keep pedestrians dry and reduce ultraviolet light exposure. This 6–8 Lightning
precipitation also feeds one of Earth’s last remaining natural rain 9–15 Excessive Heat
forest, one that covers over 85% of Gabon’s land area. Eco- 16–17 Tropical Storm or Cyclone
conservation proponents, led by the North American Research 18 Heavy Rain
League and pharmacorp research interests, are adamant about
isolating the region. The governor’s office is forced to balance Land/River Fauna Encounters
the economic benefits that ecotourism brings. Thus tours
3D Result
leave daily from Libreville. As a concession, the governor has
authorised Les Gendarmes Gabonais to use lethal force against 3 African Forest Elephant
any suspect found illegally interacting with rain forest flora and 4–5 Hippopotamus
fauna. Controversy surrounds this policy as in 2299 a Wellon 6–8 African Buffalo
national was shot after feeding a mandrill an ice-cream cone. 9–12 Bongo (Antelope)
While the media condemned this action an excessive use of 13–15 Insect Swarm
force, the action was quietly applauded by NARL extremists. Les 16–17 Leopard
Gendarmes Gabonais recruits heavily from local Baka tribes to 18 Western Gorilla
serve in its forest ranger units.

5
6
Nigerian Industries Jackal Police Motor Unit Monocycle
Even before the state-owned Nigerian Industries diversified into the shipbuilding market, it supplied custom high-end emergency
service vehicles across Africa and southern Europe. The Jackal PMU is an enclosed monocycle, the rider sits inside the wheel, and
the view fore and aft blocked. The monocycle is equipped with sensors and cameras that feed to a holographic HUD or AR view in
the rider’s helmet. With its single wheel the Jackal is capable of running over most low obstacles making it a capable off-road vehicle.

Crew and Cost Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Lv Size
Jackal 12 Drive +2 360 kph 500 km 0 1 0 Yes 1 2 10,500 1.5 tons
PMU (wheeled)

Modifications: Advanced Controls, Communicator (TL 10 with Uplink), Computer/3, Increased Agility, Increased Speed x2, Off-
Road Capability, Open Frame

7
Bridgeport Swift Cutter Pursuit Car
While urban areas are easy to monitor with drones and TrafCon surveillance packages open and rural highways still require routine
police patrols. In order to quickly deploy units or chase fleeing suspects Bridgeport Swift developed the Cutter Pursuit Car for the law
enforcement market. The Cutter is fundamentally a sports car with police modifications. It is engineered to allow the driver to follow
high-speed suspects until slower and more heavily armed units can arrive to assist.

Crew and Cost Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Lv Size
Cutter 12 Drive +3 350 300 km 1 2 0 No 2 2 42,000 1 ton
(wheeled) km/h

Modifications: Autopilot (skill 1), Basic Navigation (+1), Basic Sensors (+0), Communicator (TL 10 with Uplink), Computer/3,
Increased Agility, Increased Speed x2

Gendarmes Gabonais Officer

Officers in the Gabon state police are one part traffic cop and one part paramilitary forest ranger. Officers are well-trained and well-
equipped for search and rescue, fugitive pursuit and conservation enforcement. They have jurisdiction anywhere in Gabon though
they are almost never seen in Libreville. Les Gendarmes Gabonais always operate in units of two and utilise high-speed motorcycles
or automobiles for highway patrols and armoured Bridgeport-Swift Badger Off-Road Cars for rural actions.

Character Career Path STR DEX END INT EDU SOC

State Police Officer Army (Infantry) 2, Agent (Law Enforcement) 2 8 9 7 7 7 7

Skills: Advocate 0, Drive (wheeled) 0, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, Investigate 1, Melee 0, Recon 2, Survival 1
Traits: Acute Senses, Cool Under Fire, Nightvision
Motivations: Clubs 5. Hearts 5. The Gabon state police officer will not hesitate to take a life to protect another life.
DNAMs: None
Equipment: Armoured Jacket, Darlan Fabrique FTE-10, Link Phone, M-59 10mm autopistol, assorted camping gear

8
African Buffalo
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Grazer Herbivore Jungle Walk 18 6 19 1 8 16

Skills: Melee 0, Survival 0

Traits: Tough/1
Attacks: Hooves/Horns (2D) Amour: None Number Encountered: 6D

African Forest Elephant

Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Gatherer, Herbivore Rainforest Walk 33 5 35 1 12 8

Skills: Melee (stomp/trunk) 1, Survival 2

Traits: Hard to Kill/1, Tough/3
Attacks: Stomp/Trunk (4D) Amour: Hide (2) Number Encountered: 2D

Bongo (Antelope)
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Grazer Herbivore Jungle Walk 16 11 24 0 10 15

Skills: Athletics 0, Survival 0

Traits: Coward
Attacks: Hooves/Antlers (2D) Amour: None Number Encountered: 5D

African Manatee
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Intermittent Herbivore Shallow Ocean Swim 20 2 22 0 6 4

Skills: Athletics (swim) 1, Stealth 0, Survival 1

Traits: Heavy/2, Slow/2
Attacks: Teeth (3D) Amour: Hide (1) Number Encountered: 1D

C o mm o n D o l p h i n
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Chaser Carnivore Open Ocean Swim 15 21 17 3 12 6

Skills: Athletics (swim) 1, Melee 0, Recon 1

Traits: Aquatic/3, Echolocation/3
Attacks: Teeth (2D+2) Amour: None Number Encountered: 2D

H a mm e r h e a d S h a r k (S c a l l o p e d )
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Hunter Carnivore Open Ocean Swim 10 17 15 0 7 6

Skills: Melee (teeth) 1, Recon 1, Survival 1

Traits: Acute Sense (smell), Aquatic/3
Attacks: Teeth (2D+3) Amour: None Number Encountered: 2D

9
Hippopotamus
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Grazer Herbivore Riverbank Swim, Walk 30 5 28 2 4 3

Skills: Survival 1, Melee (stomp/teeth) 1

Traits: Amphibious/1, Hard to Kill/1, Tough/2
Attacks: Stomp/Teeth (3D+2) Amour: Hide (1) Number Encountered: 1D

Insect Swarm
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Carrion-Eater Omnivore Any Fly 1 3 1 0 2 15

Skills: Melee 0, Survival 1

Traits: Tiny
Attacks: Disease Amour: None Number Encountered: 5D×3

Leopard
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Chaser Carnivore Jungle Walk 9 18 9 1 2 3

Skills: Athletics (endurance) 1, Melee (claws/teeth) 2, Recon 1, Survival 0

Traits: Acute Sense (smell), Fast/2
Attacks: Claws/Teeth (2D+3) Amour: None Number Encountered: 1D

Neo-Fin (Atlantic Bottlenose Uplift)

See the 2300AD Core Rulebook, page 204.

P y gm y K i l l e r W h a l e
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Hunter Carnivore Open Ocean Swim 14 20 16 2 10 4

Skills: Melee 0, Recon 1, Survival 1

Traits: Aquatic/3, Echolocation/3
Attacks: Teeth (2D+2) Amour: None Number Encountered: 1D

Silky Shark
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Hunter Carnivore Open Ocean Swim 14 16 16 0 8 6

Skills: Melee 0, Recon 1, Survival 1

Traits: Acute Sense (smell), Aquatic/3
Attacks: Teeth (2D+3) Amour: None Number Encountered: 2D

Western Gorilla
Behaviour and Diet Preferred Habitat Movement Mode(s) STR DEX END INT INS PCK
Gatherer Omnivore Rainforest Walk 22 9 23 4 1 2

Skills: Athletics 0, Melee (body slam/teeth) 1, Stealth 1, Survival 0

Traits: Acute Sense (hearing), Hard to Kill/1
Attacks: Body Slam/Teeth (2D) Amour: None Number Encountered: D3

10
Ocean Fauna Encounters
3D Result
3 Neo-fin (Atlantic Bottlenose)
4–5 African Manatee
6–8 Hammerhead Shark (Scalloped)
9–15 Common Dolphin
16–17 Silky Shark
18 Pygmy Killer Whale
Excessive Heat: When temperatures meet 50°C, the risk of
heat-related illness becomes an immediate threat. A character
exposed to these temperatures becomes fatigued even with
access to potable water. Unprotected characters without water
will fall unconscious in 1D hours.
Flash Flood: A build-up of rainwater can result in flash floods in
low-lying areas. Players can avoid being caught by an onrush of
water by making a successful Average (+0) Athletics, Dex check.
If Players are swept away, they can attempt to avoid drowning
and swim to shore with a successful Difficult (-4) Athletics, Str
check.
Heavy Rain: Continuous rainfall exceeding 0.76 cm per hour is
classified as ‘heavy.’ Heavy rain inflicts DM-1 to all skill checks.
Movement on foot is considered half speed due to mud. On a
referee roll of 2D, 10+ results in wheeled or tracked vehicles
becoming trapped in mud. A Difficult (-2) Drive (wheeled), Dex
check is required to free them.
Light Rain: Continuous rainfall exceeding 0.25 cm per hour is
classified as ‘light.’ Movement on foot is considered half speed
due to mud. On a referee roll of 2D, 11+ results in wheeled or
tracked vehicles becoming trapped in mud. An Average (+0)
Drive (wheeled), Dex check is required to free them.
Lightning: Lightning usually accompanies severe
thunderstorms though many storms in the dry season do not
include precipitation. A lightning storm will typically occur with
a 1D × 10 minute warning. On a referee roll of 2D, 12 results
in a lightning strike near the Players. Tracked or wheeled
vehicles are considered grounded and make adequate shelter
but passengers in hover or air vehicles are vulnerable. A struck
vehicle will take 6D damage and all passengers will be subject
to 2D damage from electrical burns.
Tropical Storm or Cyclone: Tropical storms or cyclones occur
with 1D+4 days of warning. Unpredictable wind gusts can
exceed 100 km/h in a tropical storm and 200 km/h in a cyclone.
On a referee roll of 2D, 12 results in a gust. See Violent Wind
below for tropical storm results. In a cyclone, vehicles weighing
less than 4,000 kg will be overturned or severely damaged and
vehicles weighing less than 12,000 kg will be lightly damaged.
Aircraft of any type will crash without a successful Difficult (-4)
Flyer, Dex check.
11
Violent Wind: The characters will have warning when the wind
begins increasing in intensity. Violent wind inflicts DM-2 to all skill
checks. On a referee roll of 2D, 11+ results in gusts exceeding
100 kph. Vehicles weighing less than 2,000 kg are overturned
or damaged. In the dry season, violent winds often lead to light
dust storms consisting of dried grass and soil. The violent wind
will last 2D minutes and then subside.
Robot and drone developers in the Core have found Gabon
a profitable market for artificial wildlife. Nicknamed ‘electric
animals,’ these automatons are physically indistinguishable from
their biological counterparts and were originally developed for the
live action entertainment industry. With the addition of artificial
pheromone and scent glands and a weak AI processor, NARL
zoologists discovered that electric animals could be accepted by
local populations. Electric animals are used to monitor the health
and well-being of their organic charges, this practice helping to
accelerate the repopulation of endangered animals. Formerly
extinct and tube grown species have also been reintroduced into
Gabon’s jungles.
Momotaro Hominid Infiltration/
Security Robot
TL: 12
Frame: Tall Size:4, Slots:18
Unit: Size 1 Head, 2 slots
Strength: 12, Dexterity: 10, Endurance: 14
Hull: 4, Structure: 4
Armour:1
Mass: 478kg
Intelligence: 5, Education: 15
Arms: Size 2
Locomotion: Legs
Brain: Synaptic Computer with 2 Memory Sticks running
Command Algorithm 3, Personality Program 2, Encyclopaedia
5, Antivirus 1, Advanced Reflexes, Psychology 1, Carouse 1,
Melee 1
Equipment: Audio Sensor, Advanced Optics, Bio-cover, Enhanced
Sense, Tactile Sensor, Voder (advanced), Wireless Connection
Weapons: Robot Punch (2D), Electroshock (2D+3)
Price: Lv83,200
The Metropolitan Department of Cameroon is situated on
Gabon’s north border. Cameroon received a large influx of
refugees fleeing a second secessionist war between the Igbo
populace and the Nigerian government during the Twilight Era.
The war spread into Cameroon’s borders but the resource
strapped nation was in the midst of both famine and epidemic.
Southern Nigeria and northwest Cameroon were under the
control of the nation of Biafra when France arrived to stabilise
the region. A constant but quiet strain exists between the two
 The Ivory Coast Union
During the mid-2200s, Nigeria’s then-president-for-life Andreas Muhtma threatened intervention in Biafra in order to return
to the breakaway nation to his people. Muhtma’s advisors convinced the passionate leader to focus on public works projects
rather than military expansion. Muhtma’s successors fixated on strengthening the new Ivory Coast Union through positive
economic activity after a long and violent period of civil unrest. The Nigerian constitution was rewritten to eliminate the need
for a standing military. The Ivory Coast Union of Nigeria is the second most powerful African economy after Azania in 2300.

French Departments of Biafra and Cameroon. Situated on the
border of Cameroon and Biafra, the port city of Douala is the site
of a great deal of ethnic tension between the Bantu and ethnic
Igbo.
Occupying Gabon’s south and west border is Zaire. The Congo
was subject to some of the heaviest fighting in the region during
the 20th century. Accusations of corruption led to civil war as
rebels attempted to oust the country’s European-backed dictator.
After a constitution and multi-party democratic system were
put into place and peace seemed like a possibility, a civil war
in neighbouring Rwanda spilled into the region. The result was
a series of ethnic massacres. As epidemics swept the region
during the Twilight Era, local tribes retreated to their ancestral
homelands or merged with other tribes in order to survive. When
Zaire joined Imperial France, the natives had adopted a primitive
but successful agrarian culture that kept the population fed.
Rural Zaire in 2300 is peaceful but the cities, particularly the
capital of Kinshasa, are the sites of continuous violent action
between angry and unemployed citizens and the French military.
France’s promise of a new influx of wealth to the metropolitan
department’s coffers, thanks to the Beanstalk and off-world
colonisation, has yet to materialise.
Libreville is located along Gabon’s north-central coastline and is
situated directly on the Atlantic, just south of Corisco Bay. The
Gabon Estuary, which terminates in Gabon Bay, is fed primarily
by the Komo and Mbeï Rivers. These water routes flow across
the country and are used heavily for shipping goods. The bay
area is the highest water-trafficked region on Earth and is heavily
patrolled by L’Administration du Port de Libreville drones, police
hydrofoils and security aircraft. General cargo vessels, tankers
and dry bulk carriers fill their holds with off-world resources and
carry them across the planet. The bay is also home to recreational
maritime vessels including the floating Aqualight Club and its
sister ship, Fantasia, along with various private yachts and
pleasure cruisers. An artificial island sits at the mouth of the bay
and is the location of the Libreville Correctional Facility. As a
security measure, the Libreville corrections department chums
the bay to attract sharks. This has turned shark-spotting and
shark-catch-and-release fishing into common pastimes.
Libreville is classified as a megacity but Gabon is also the
location of other large cities. Brazzaville, located on the Congo
River bordering Zaire, has a population of 2.75 million residents.
Home to several financial institutions, it is also the centre of
Gabon’s mining efforts. Brazzaville supplied many of the rare
earth materials, along with gold and uranium, for the construction
of the Beanstalk. Its location makes it a major distribution hub for
Imperial French Africa.
Pointe-Noir has a permanent population of 1.4 million. Located
on the tip of Gabon’s southern coastal border, the city is motivated
by oil production. Vehicles on Earth primarily utilise electric and
hydrogen fuel cells but petroleum is key in the creation of plastic
and thus drives the manufacturing industry. Gabon is following in
Texas’s footsteps and is engaged in high-tech extraction efforts
in order to tap the planet’s remaining oil resources. Pointe-Noir
is the centre of Gabon’s aquaculture industry with kilometres of
kelp/seaweed farms lining the shores. These efforts are assisted
by a large merman population located in the underwater Dobo
Nouveau district. The district is home to large DNAM North
African Muslim and Spanish-speaking Catholic populations.

12
 LIFE IN THE CITY
French public relations firms describe Libreville as a Xanadu on
the Atlantic. The reality is less utopian. The wealth gap between
the rich and poor is the widest on Earth. There is little in the way
of a middle class in Libreville. Millions reside in slums that border
manicured residential enclaves and a soaring ultramodern
skyline. The city is used by proponents of economic socialism
as a prime example of the failure of the TransNat system and
its responsibility in creating the main split in Core World society.
Anarcho-capitalists view Libreville’s laissez-faire policies as an
important component in spreading wealth across Earth.
Libreville is geographically and socially divided into three
economic zones. The city’s central business district is located on
the mouth of the Komo River and is roughly situated around the
Beanstalk terminal. The district is referred to as ‘downtown’ and
is the epicentre of finance, tourism and commerce in Libreville. It
is also home to its wealthiest citizens.
Each TransNat with an office in Libreville also owns one or
more large tracts of land outside the central business district.
These tracts were developed into private and self-contained
communities in which corporate employees and their families
could live in comfort and security. Designated sovereign
residential exclaves, the lower class and the politically aware
refer to these communities as corp towns.
The destitute of Libreville live in slums collectively known as
Mudville. Residents of Mudville tend to be poor, unemployed
and unskilled. Mudville is also a breeding ground for crime and
its population a recruitment base for terrorists and fringe political
groups. Transhumanist activity is very strong in the slums as
black clinics and outlaw biotechnology are easy to find.
13
Transportation
Libreville is the hub of the African land transportation network
and the global distribution network. The Beanstalk is responsible
for much of France’s economic prosperity. The space elevator
system allows cargo and passengers to cheaply and efficiently
escape Earth’s gravity well. Earthbound passengers are
screened and cleared through Orbital Quarantine Command
at Gateway Station so immigration facilities on the ground are
minimal. The Beanstalk Terminal complex, nicknamed the Root,
serves two functions – as a temporary warehouse for incoming
goods and as the solar power distribution node for Libreville and
the Central Africa region.
The Beanstalk is the primary method in Libreville to reach or
descend from orbit but Gabon features three modern spaceports:
Gabon Interplanetary in the Esprit district, Eurostar Spaceport in
the Nango district and Koulangamé Spaceport located northwest
of the city limits. Eurostar is reserved for the use of the French
government and businesses incorporated in the Empire. The
spaceports are designed to accommodate spaceplanes and
shuttle landings as well as high-energy laser lift rocket launches.
Rockets launched are typically high mass lift profile vehicles, are
automated and are used only for cargo. They are also expensive
to operate but private industry in the Core is in a hurry to beat
the competition and deliver high-tech goods to the colonies.
The expended rocket is dismantled in orbit and returned in drop
capsules or in a Beanstalk shipment. The spaceports service
not only Gateway Station but several geosynchronous Orbital
Transfer Stations. Crew and cargo are transferred from the
stations to outbound orbital taxis.
14
G e n e r a l S e r v i c e T r a n s p o r t ‘M i s t r a l ’ GSTS-881 TAV
Trans-atmospheric vehicles like the Mistral are the work horses of surface-to-orbit passenger services in the Core. The Mistral is
a passenger-only alternative to mixed-use AB.400 spaceplanes. However large fuel and maintenance expenses make the craft
an unnecessary luxury item for colonies. The Mistral carries fewer passengers than the AB.400 but trades cargo capacity for an
aerodynamic frame comparable to a standard aircraft.

Hull Passenger Spaceplane Size (tons) Cost (MLv)

70 ton hull Hull 1 - 0.85
Structure 1 - -
Hull Type Hybrid Lifting Body/STOL 10.7 0.13
Hull Material Composite - 0.23
Hull Armour None - -
STOL/VTOL STOL 1.4 0.085
Take-off Run 400 - 0.7
Landing Run 320
Landing Gear Standard Gear
Heat Shield Yes 0.7
Reaction Drive Air-Breathing Rocket 2G Acceleration 2 2.0
Fuel Hydrogen/Oxygen
Reentry Mode Powered 4.2
Atmospheric Flight Capable Yes 1.5 Flight Time
Cockpit 2 crew 3 0.35
Elctronics/Sensors Basic Nav Array DM-2 1 0.1
Fuel 7 hours 12.6 -
Cargo 0.1 -
Acceleration Couches 70 35 2.76
Fuel Cost Lv6333.6
Maintenance Cost (yearly) - Lv5617.5
Total Tonnage and Cost 70 MLv7.91

15
16
17
B r i t i s h E x o s p a c e ‘D a r t e r ’ T r a n s f e r V e h i c l e
Orbital transfer vehicles like the Darter are a larger medium-range alternative to the standard work pod. Too large for use on a
commercial cargo vessel, they are ideal for moving cargo and passengers between orbits and Lagrange points. Utilising an ovoid
frame reminiscent of a patrol cutter, the Darter is equipped with grappler arms, a boarding tube and a modular hull compartment.
Darters are the preferred vehicles of orbital taxi services and Tinker groups.

Hull Longboat Size (tons) Cost (MLv)

90 ton hull Hull 1 - 1.25
Structure 1 - -
Modular 75% 67.5 0.71
Armour - - -
Radiation Shielding - - 0.9
Reaction Drive Liquid-fuel Rocket B 1.5G Acceleration -0.75 -1
Reaction Drive Fuel 3 hour 1.125 -
Power Plant Fuel Cell A 1.19 5
Radiators N/A 0.12 0.01
Emergency Power Batteries 20 sA cells 0.08 0.04
Cabin 4 Crew 12 0.45
Computer Model/4 Rating 5 - 0.5
Software Manoeuvre/0 - -
Electronics/Sensors Basic Civilian DM-2 1 0.1
Fuel 24 hours 0.016 -
Other Fixtures Grappling Arm × 2 4 0.2
Boarding Tube 3 5
Modular Bay - -
Fuel Cost Lv5190
Maintenance Cost (yearly) - 0.018
Life Support Cost (monthly) - N/A
Total Tonnage and Cost 21.781 MLv13.16

18
19
20
T r a v k i n D y n a m i k T r 324 Q u a s i b a l l i s t i c
The first commercial quasiballistic flights, which applied basic rocketry, were available in in the early 22nd century. Pushing it into a
parabolic curve, scramjet engines consume 90% of the aircraft’s fuel while the planet rotates beneath it. Gravity pulls it back into
the atmosphere and it utilises its remaining fuel for breaking and landing. Quasiballistic flight plans are calculated before take-off
and cannot be changed during operation. The Russian-built Tr324 fleet is heavily utilised by mid-tier TransNat managers who value
cheap, non-stop and high-speed international transportation. Quasiballistic flight routes are limited to the largest urban hubs in the
Core.

Crew and Cost Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure MLv Size
Tr324 10 Flyer +1 40,000 12,500 6 250 8 No 168 170 14.5 77 tons
(wing) km/h km

Modifications: Airlock, Fresher ×2, Very Long Range Advanced Sensors (+2), Communicator (TL 9 with uplink), Long Term Life
Support

21
B r i t i s h L u d l u m ‘T u n d r a ’ A p e x A t m o s p h e r i c S c r a m j e t
Apex atmospheric scramjets offer air travellers the speed of rocket-powered flight with the convenient scheduling and comforts
of a passenger airliner. The Tundra is a built by the British Ludlum aerospace corporation utilising grant funds from the French
government and the DAR (le Développement de l’Avion Rapide) foundation. Commercial scramjet flight typically has a maximum
ceiling of 23 kilometres. This type of travel is the domain of the Core elite. Aircraft interiors are luxurious as an adult.

Crew and Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Cost Lv Size
Tundra 10 Flyer +2 20,250 5,000 km 6 125 1.5 No 113 112 MLv2.9238.5 tons
(wing) km/h

Modifications: Advanced Sensors (+2), Autopilot (flyer/1), Short Term Life Support, Fresher ×4, Communicator (TL 9 with uplink),
Luxury Fittings

22
P a n a v i a S t r a t o l i n e r SST
A supersonic airliner seems slow compared to civil aircraft capable of breaking orbit but a supersonic transport in 2300 is twice the
speed of the average pre-Twilight passenger aircraft. While subsonic commuter lines service destinations all over human space,
supersonic transports are the most common aircraft used in bulk international or long-distance travel in the Core and older colonies.
The Panavia Stratoliner utilises multi-mode engines to maintain fuel efficiency, operating as turbofans during take-off and landing
and as turbojets during cruising speed.

Crew and Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Cost Lv Size
Tundra 8 Flyer +1 1,250 15,000km 2 220 4 No 58 58 MLv1.75 49 tons
(wing) km/h

Modifications: Advanced Sensors (+2), Autopilot (flyer/1), Galley, High Capacity Seating, Short Term Life Support, Fresher ×4,
Communicator (TL 7 with uplink)

23
Libreville is served by three international airports: Mbé, Hortiz and
Old Libreville. All three facilities are equipped to accommodate
passenger and cargo jets, quasiballistic aircraft, scramjets
and conventional supersonic transports. Hortiz International
serves a dual role as a mixed-unit airbase for l’Armée de
l’Air. Pickets coordinate with APL ground control to secure the
airspace around the Beanstalk. Private air travel in and around
Libreville is prolific. Tilt-rotors, aerodynes and gyrocopters are
extremely common and compete for space with various airborne
drones including advertising dirigibles. Air corridors are heavily
monitored by TrafCon systems to ensure safety and compliance.
Airfilm train lines service the entirety of Libreville and link the
city to every other city and town in Gabon. Rapid transit public
airfilm lines run on elevated railways and stations are located in
a central location within each city district. Metro stations typically
reflect the local district architecture – stations in the central busi-
ness district are opulent with polished stone and public art pro-
jects on display. Stations in Mudville are utilitarian and are built
from self-healing concrete and aerogel with minimal furnishings.
Long-distance airfilm trains depart downtown on a regular ba-
sis with the majority of runs destined for Brazzaville and Pointe-
Noir. The most impressive rail system is the UAR Direct line.
The tube maglev train is a joint project between France and the
United Arab Republic and departs every eight hours for Cairo.
Libreville’s road network ranges from modern TrafCon monitored
streets to dusty or muddy ditches that barely qualify as roads.
Routes servicing and surrounding Libreville, Brazzaville and
Pointe-Noire consist of well-maintained hydrogen roads. Rural
routes are of mixed quality. Most are functioning but are of
varying repair with TrafCon signal coverage ranging from spotty
to non-existent. Highways inside Libreville are limited access
and sport transparent canopies that keep the roads dry and
serve as projection surfaces for ads and local news bulletins.
Automated transport systems including slidewalks, autocabs
and group rapid transit vehicles such as drone buses operate
in the central business district. Autobuses drive on pre-set
routes to maximise efficiency but routes can be deviated from
or broken by Link users who submit large on-site bids. Bidding
wars between competing riders are common. Low speed electric
scooters are a popular choice in high-pedestrian areas such as
corporate campuses. The most common vehicles in Mudville are
24
pickup trucks, motorcycles and hovercycles. With the exception
of sanitation trucks, drone vehicles do not service Mudville. Taxi
services are handled either by resourceful local entrepreneurs
or firms that specialise in high-security transportation.
The Port of Gabon is a sophisticated super-harbour and the
largest in human space. The heavily automated complex consists
of computerised floating docks, multi-level container parks,
warehousing and logistics centres. The majority of workers in
the port are robots and drone loaders. Operations are strictly
monitored by APL technicians as global economies are heavily
dependent on the efficient receipt of off-world goods. Human
workers serve in roles of supervisor, safety and security officer,
network administrator or repair specialist. The bay itself sees
little in the way of foreign tourist vessels such as cruise ships
but the TrafCon system and APL agents keep careful watch on
recreational craft and water-borne entertainment venues. Water
taxis remain a popular choice for quickly moving across Libreville.
Surveillance and Automation
Surveillance and tailored advertising is a part of everyday life in
the Core nations, with the exception of nations in philosophical
opposition to or lacking the proper infrastructure. Citizens that
take issue with an absence of privacy leave for a colony world,
coordinate with the like-minded and set up a Haven community
or begrudgingly accept the situation. The most unfortunate Crack
and succumb to stress-related psychosis. However, most Core
citizens have no problem living in a surveillance state and many
embrace the culture of being ‘always on.’ Public lifelogging and
sousveillance, including real-time sharing of places visited,
conversations and favored brands, is a common activity. Popular
entertainers often begin as amateur lifeloggers who garner large
followings.
Libreville is home to the largest dedicated commercial centre in
the Core. The result of this prestige is that the city is the most
highly saturated advertising zone in human space. There are
more RFID readers and biometric-enabled targeted advertising
projectors per square kilometre in Libreville than in all of the
Central Asian Republic. The central business district is a
constant and iridescent landscape of holograms, ad blimps,
epaper handbills, animated flat surfaces and EyeSnag clothing.
Nigerian Industries Afrilider 12 Articulated Transit Autobus
The Afrilider 12 is a common example of a solar powered robotic bus found in any Core World urban centre. Buses like these are
no-frills affairs. They are typically the province of the lower and middle classes who use them for transportation to-and-from their
places of employment. The Afrilider 12 is a solar power model. Theoretically, it can run indefinitely. In practice, cloud cover requires
the average heavy transit bus to recharge on a power grid once a week.

Crew and Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Cost Lv Size
Afrilider 1210 Drive 0 25 km/h 100,00 2 80 0 No 16 17 136,500 15 tons
(wheeled) km

Programs and Skills: Robot Brain: Parallel Computer, 1 Memory Stick running Control Algorithm 2, Personality Program 1, Antivirus
1, Skill Pack (Drive (wheeled)) 1 Int: 3 Edu: 0
Special Features: Robot, Drone Controller, Basic Navigation, High Capacity Seating

25
American Motors Urban Comfort AutoTaxi
The American-built Urban Comfort is the autotaxi model of choice for most ground transport service providers in the Core. The
vehicle seats facing four and its fuel-cell powered drive train and independently articulated wheels allow it to move in any direction
almost instantly. Seats are collapsible to allow for extra passenger baggage. The Urban Comfort also includes an AI ‘driver’ capable
of providing directions, recommending routes and area attractions as well as general conversation.

Crew and Cost Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Lv Size
Urban 11 Drive 0 87 km/h 700 km 3 4 0 No 5 5 36,700 4 tons
Comfort (wheeled)

Programs and Skills: Robot Brain: Parallel Computer with 2 Memory Sticks running Control Algorithm 1, Personality Program 1,
Antivirus 1, Skill Pack (Drive (wheeled), Carouse, Psychology) Int: 3 Edu: 0
Special Features: Robot, Drone Controller, Basic Navigation, Basic Optics, Advanced Vocoder, Basic Holographic Projector,
Wireless Connection

26
N i g e r i a n I n d u s t r i e s G8600 W a s t e C o l l e c t i o n V e h i c l e
The G8600 is equipped with a driver cab but the model is specifically built with a robotic/drone telepresence system and grappling
arms. The vehicle is quite large so an advanced optical suite was included to reduce the possibility of pedestrian injury. In large slum
areas the G8600 is a common sight as waste management is important to preventing disease outbreaks. A lack of human driver
and work crews keeps casualties and hostage taking to a bare minimum but slum residents, recognising their importance, typically
leave the vehicles alone.

Crew and Cost Shipping

Vehicle TL Skill Agility Speed Range Armour Passengers Cargo Open? Hull Structure Lv Size
G8600 11 Drive +1 79 km/h 2,000 3 1 10 No 28 29 82,850 4 tons
(wheeled) km

Programs and Skills: Robot Brain: Parallel Computer with 2 Memory Sticks running Control Algorithm 1, Personality Program 1,
Antivirus 1, Skill Pack (Drive (wheeled)) Int: 3 Edu: 0
Special Features: Robot, Drone Controller, Basic Navigation, Advanced Optics, Retracting Hydraulic Manipulators (Size 5) x2,
Tactile Sensor, Wireless Connection

27

EyeSnag
EyeSnag is a 30-year-old clothing brand developed
by Vannoccio subsidiary, Victoria SpA. EyeSnag
clothes utilise stitched-in glass fibre micro-holographic
projectors that loop animated advertisements across
their surfaces. The wearer is fundamentally a mobile
advertising board and receives regular micro-payments
from subscribed advertising partners. The unemployed
often sport these clothes as a method of receiving
supplemental income, thus explaining their popularity
in Mudville.
Moonvertising
In 2297 Andromedia settled out of court with the Lunar
Authority, the Melbourne Accords Oversight Committee
and several national governments for a record sum.
Promoting a subsidiary’s interactive 3-V program
Hauptmann Helmut, Andromedia utilised a laser
projection system to project 30-minute clips on Luna’s
Earth-facing surface. This dangerous moonvertising
stunt outraged global authorities and Andromedia will
be paying reparations for the next decade. Participation
demographics involving Hauptmann Helmut also broke
records. Andromedia may profit despite the negative
exposure.
Gabon’s constant cloud cover during the rainy season provides
a massive and readily accessible canvas for laser projection
marketing.
Avoiding targeted advertising readers and projectors: Difficult
(-2), Streetwise, Int. A character that fails this check is buffeted
with personalised audio-enhanced holograms. The target suffers
DM-1 to all checks requiring visual or audio senses, as well as
DM-6 to Stealth checks.
The constant barrage of advertisement has resulted in
Augmented Reality becoming an important component in the
Libreville landscape. French law and custom has outlawed
unrequested data from interfering with AR operations. The
28
distracting or disturbing presence of AR spam indicates that
a Personal Area Network is under attack. This is considered
a serious felony committed by the perpetrator. The theme of
Libreville’s official AR overlay changes on a regular basis but a
favourite skin is 19th century French Romantic. Buildings take on
Gothic Revival architecture, dramatic pastoral landscapes wait in
the distance and the ghosts of historical heroes walk the streets.
AR is also used as a tool for social and competitive interaction.
For example, the Essemengane Dome hosts several AR game
competitions which combine athletic prowess, strategy and a
flair for the theatrical. The Second US Civil War is currently en
vogue in gaming circles and Libreville AR recreationists flock to
the Dome to participate in mock three-way battles as thousands
of spectators watch from the terraces.
Advertising equipment is not the only surveillance gear in
use in Libreville. Cameras and sensors are mounted to every
available stationary and mobile surface. Cameras record how
long pedestrians keep their eyes on an advertisement while
sensors measure autonomic reactions. Microdrone swarms note
wildlife activities. Crimes are recorded by criminals and sold on
the black market in the form of first-person VR experiences.
Alibi footage is released by government officials and corporate
executives as part of an ethics investigation. Individuals swallow
imaging dust and release footage of their entrails as a form of
deviant art. Removing RFID tags, sometimes referred to as
‘spimes,’ from implants and not carrying tagged electronics will
hide an individual from readers. Other forms of avoiding visual
surveillance has taken two forms – legal and illegal.
Parties engaged in active surveillance typically dislike being
watched. This motivates sousveillance activists to monitor and
tag active surveillance sites. Sousveillance becomes part of the
public record which shapes the decisions of privacy minded
citizens on where to travel in Libreville. While sensor technology
can easily capture biometric profiles, the majority of outdoor
cameras use centuries-old visual light technology tied into basic
facial recognition software. This has led to the creation of a
masking culture – citizens actively sporting a facial covering.
Overly simple or cheap masks draw the attention of law
enforcement but stylish and fashionable masks are considered
high culture fashion statements. Masks have been a part of
Gabon’s ceremonial culture for centuries and Bakota-influenced
masks are a common sight. Holographic masks which utilise a
ring projector worn like a necklace are an option for the wealthy.
Illegal anti-surveillance runs rampant in Mudville and the slums
are considered Blights. Homemade EM weapons such as High
Energy Radio Frequency guns regularly destroy drones while
targeted advertising venues are actively vandalised.
 eye and are regularly swept for microdrones. The Cantonese
Triads and the Italian Mafia are heavily involved in these
Les Fantômes
An emerging culture in Libreville is that of les fantômes.
operations as they are with most vice dens in the city.

Construction robots and repair swarms are the second most

Much of the civil infrastructure in Libreville is dependent
common automaton in Libreville after surveillance and delivery
on monitoring the movement RFID tags. For those in the
drones. Libreville is engaged in a constant cycle of construction,
downtown district without an RFID tag, life can become
demolition and expansion. The rapid pace of this development
difficult. Crosswalks on lightly trafficked streets refuse
cycle requires the efficiency and low cost of mechanical
to change, autobuses refuse to stop and doors refuse
labourers.
to open. Les fantômes have become synonymous with
Mudville Freelancers who commute to low-wage jobs
Children of wealthy parents often spend their formative years
in the business district.
in the care of nanny robots. Nanny ‘bots are a variation on the
domestic robot and are specifically designed to appeal to new-
born through toddler-age children. These models are disturbing
Drones and robots are a regular part of Libreville’s landscape to off-worlders and are equipped with exaggerated but calming
beyond remote-piloted vehicles and automated stevedores. facial features, synthetic skin, large paddle-like hands and
Personal instructors are considered a luxury but French law artificial mammary glands capable of dispensing synthetic milk
requires that all citizens be educated. Instructional robots are based on the mother’s own proteins. Nanny ‘bots typically come
the perfect answer for those who prefer live interaction over with physical and software upgrade packages that allow for the
VR study or live in a poor community. Digital teachers utilise care of children all through their formative years.
limited AI technology based on enhanced companion robots
and instruct by means of rote practice. Teacher ‘bots can also
serve as drones which allows Freelance instructors in VR gear
to personally interact with students and engage critical thinking.
Child Development
Sociologists have studied children raised by nanny

B a e M u n R o b o t i c s ‘S o c r a t e s ’ ‘bots for decades. Most are well-adjusted though many

have a predilection toward informatics and robotics.
Some of these children are strongly drawn toward
Instructional Drone
TL: 12
transhumanism as their early memories were shaped
by a limited AI.
Frame: Tall Size: 3, Slots: 10
Unit Size: 1 Head, 2 slots
Strength: 8, Dexterity: 8
Hull 4, Structure 4 The Libreville Metropolitan Police Department established
Armour: 3 kōban-style police boxes across the city. Kōban sub-stations are
Mass: 375kg staffed by robots while the human police and drone operations
Intelligence: 5 Education: 13 are based in various district offices. The morphology of the police
Arms: Size 2 ‘bots are irrelevant to their function but citizens find it easier to
Locomotion: Wheels interact with a cheerful AI in human form. These robots do not
Brain: Synaptic Computer with 3 Memory Sticks, running handle physical law-enforcement responsibilities but are capable
Command Algorithm 2, Personality Program 1, Encyclopaedia of providing directions, recommending accommodations and
Level 4, Language (Korean), Language (choose), Lie Detector, dining options and managing lost-and-found items or children.
Skill Pack 1 (Advocate 1, Diplomacy 1, Leadership 1 (choose
2 Science skills)), VRS Corporate security robots are the less-friendly cousin to the police
‘bot. Face-to-face interactions with corporate security is typically
Equipment: Audio Sensors, Basic Optics, Advanced Vocoder, handled by highly-trained and personable human agents. If
Wireless Connection a citizen is interacting with a robot, the citizen is well inside a
Price: Lv133,800 corporate security cordon. Some TransNat security ‘bots are
equipped with lethal countermeasures which is common in the
Brothels staffed by companion robots range from no-frills affairs case of military contractors. The majority utilise sonic stunners
to ornately themed love hotels loosely modelled after cultural and chemical sedatives to subdue trespassers.
periods or fantasy themes. Bordellos are run outside the public

29
30
Downtown Life
The central business district is the heart of Libreville and
its population is the regional elite. It is the seat of the Gabon
departmental government, the Libreville city government, the
Libreville Corporate Board and the Libreville Port Authority,
which is shared by the French federal government and an
international council. Several French civilian and military
departments, including the Direction Générale de la Sécurité
Extrérieure (DGSE), keep their offices in this district as do all the
transnational corporations and major foundations.
All of Libreville’s tourist and cultural centres are located in the
district including museums, zoos, institutes, worship venues,
theatres and sports stadiums. The district houses the Rawiri
Planetarium, Libreville Metropolitan Opera House, the Lepandou
Aquarium and Oceanographic Research Centre and the
Essemengane Dome, the largest sports and exposition centre in
human space. All of the trendy clubs, restaurants, bars and other
nightlife spots are located downtown. Tourists and corporate
residents visit the safer areas of the Mudville slums to enjoy a
less pre-packaged experience.
The most visible sign of Libreville’s economic power is the
jungle of skyscrapers and luxury high-rise apartment buildings
that line its streets. The sky needle style of architecture, which
reflects the visual motif of the Beanstalk, is the most common.
The Libreville Trilon office is a prime example of this style.
Other transnational corporations honour either their country
of incorporation or their corporate spirit by taking advantage
of high-tech building materials available in 2300. The regional
office of the Mexico-based Petroleos Minatitlan is in the Neo-
Aztec style, utilising a stepped pyramid form that encompasses
52 floors and several landing platforms for tilt-rotor aircraft. The
Sistemas Domesticas office utilises aerogels and liquid granite
to create the impression of a Renaissance Gothic cathedral,
complete with flying buttresses. The Andromedia tower is lined
with sensitiles and kinetic glass that ripples sunlight into various
colours. Even the North American Research League building is a
visual representation of its mission – hemp biocomposite bricks
and bioplastics scrub excess carbon dioxide from the air. These
buildings are not simply monuments to corporate supremacy.
They are a security investment as intruders are limited in how
they can enter or leave vertically stacked floors.
Dedicated residential buildings typically house town homes
for corporate executives who can also afford a home in a
corporate enclave. Many corporate towers have built in
penthouses but other executives often share exclusive
apartment buildings. One of the more popular styles of
mansion is the Neo-Saharan which utilises composite
exteriors of artificial-animal blood mixed in flexible concrete.
Tourists utilise AR guides to navigate the chaotic city streets,
elevated walkways and underground tunnels that connect one
end of the district to the other. TransNats pay high sums for
advertising rights in high-traffic corridors, especially near the
Essemengane Dome, the Beanstalk Terminal and the various
31
public arts venues. Given the intensity of Gabon’s weather,
the majority of downtown’s physical structure is covered and
climate-controlled in some manner. For example, the Libreville
Country Club is the Core’s only totally enclosed 18-hole golf
course and two exclusive gun clubs, La Cible and Le Paradis
des Peaux-Rouge, have built entire indoor hunting ranges which
utilise electric or cheap clone animals.
The majority of pedestrians utilise some form of Augmented
Reality, be it to navigate, teleconference while commuting
or to follow entertainment or sports .For the safety of users,
Libreville’s AR transmission protocols require that the placement
of environmental skins correspond to physical objects. System
glitches and infowar attacks have resulted in users walking into
walls and, at worst, off of roofs. Public service announcements
often advise citizens to ‘check in with reality’ on a regular basis.
Corporate employees commute daily from enclaves into
downtown but dependents and well-to-do Freelancers make
use of the district for its unique mercantile culture. Regular
consumables and common personal and household items are
typically ordered over the Link and delivered by drone. In contrast,
downtown shops specialise in rare, hand crafted and luxury
items. Exclusive boutique and limited franchises are the norm.
Some of these stores cultivate exclusive clienteles consisting
of celebrities, the wealthy and their guests. A frequently used
promotional model is to ‘tag’ a random pedestrian’s RFID signal
and offer him or her short-term access to the store. This practice
encourages temporary pass holders to visit and buy often during
the window of opportunity.
Fashionable DNAM and biomodification clinics provide legal
services including gender reassignment, telomere resets and
designer skins. Popular bioskin fashion trends include subtle
organic or geometric patterning and melanin adjustments. This
has resulted in animal stripe patterning and outrageous skin and
eye colours not found in humanity. Designer cyberware has a
presence but overly visible or cheap implants are considered
gauche. Chic bioware is a bit more ordinary including trendy
‘vampire’ canine teeth. Costume parties among the wealthy
typically involve varying degrees of bioware implantation in
order to achieve the perfect but temporary look.
Dining selections are another draw of downtown. Franchise
restaurants are available for corporate employees who want
to eat outside their office cafeteria. However, downtown is
known for its intense gastrological experiences. Carniculture
cafés, including establishments that specialise in vat-grown
rat meat dishes, are the most popular. Neo-nouvelle cuisine, a
uniquely Libreville taste involving random and tiny carniculture
items combined with spices and garnishes, is a very popular
phenomenon. The peculiar fare has put a local restaurant, La
Grenouille et La Peche, in the public eye.
Nightlife opportunities change weekly as the popularity of clubs
wane with fads and trends. Andromedia owns a slim majority
of clubs in the city and these clubs are normally themed – the
House of Fire uses holographic flames to imitate a dance club
‘underworld’ and the Neon Tetris sports pre-Twilight Era Russian
military memorabilia and other era-appropriate decor. The fickle
tastes of the public may push these gathering spots to disappear
in a year. Two venues that are permanent fixtures of Libreville’s
nightlife scene are the Aqualight Club and Fantasia. Both owned
by the media conglomerate Spindrift, the clubs are double-hulled
ships that sail Gabon Bay nightly. The Aqualight is a tasteful
restaurant, casino and floating garden with music venues.
Fantasia is modelled after a reduced-scale medieval castle and
includes many of the same offerings as the Aqualight Club but
with a 17th century French twist, including formal costume balls.
Downtown Encounters
2D Result
2 Celebrity
3 Government Employees
4 Pickpocket/Street Performer
5 Corporate Police
6 Sports Fans/Clubbers
7 Corporate Employees
8 Tourists/Street Vendor
9 Libreville Metropolitan Police
10 Les Fantômes
11 Corporate Executive
12 Malfunctioning Drone
Celebrity: Downtown Libreville is the lair and playground of
the jet set. Media figures, popular athletes and the wealthy and
eccentric can be found in clubs, restaurants and bars. Celebrities
are usually accompanied by small groups of bodyguards,
assistants, journalists and adoring fans.
Corporate Executive: Executives, who are loathe to live far
from their offices and boardrooms, rarely leave downtown.
The most powerful and influential will build exotic mansions. A
company-owned suite in the main office complex or a luxury
apartment nearby is home for the rest. Executives who venture
out in public for a meeting or to rub elbows with the ‘normals’ are
accompanied by a contingent of bodyguards or security drones
and an executive assistant or two – typically a beautiful young
man or woman.
Corporate Employees: Downtown slidewalks and public transit
networks are crowded with corporate employees during the
day, though this number drops significantly at night when they
return to their homes in a corp town. Corporate employees are
often found running errands for their managers and directors
or hurrying through a lunch at a chain restaurant. Most sport
some sort of AR goggle or interface and seem to be carrying on
three conversations with the air. After dark, many of these same
workers will line up outside exclusive clubs or venues, hoping to
spot a celebrity while paying grossly inflated prices for Auroran
applejack wine.
32
Corporate Police: Downtown is primarily the domain of the
LMPD but strong corporate police presences are found at and
around corporate campuses. Downtown visitors are warned with
clear signage and AR notifications when they are stepping into a
corporate legal jurisdiction.
Government Employees: City hall and the metropolitan
department Gabon’s primary government centre are located in
downtown Libreville. Both employees are typically harried and
receive inadequate compensation. The corruption of city hall
is notorious and city managers are often found cutting private
deals with TransNats or organised crime figures. Metropolitan
departmental employees are more loyal though they are often
tapped by foreign powers to conduct espionage.
Les Fantômes: Les Fantômes are usually clean but atypically
homely for the designer beauty crowd of downtown. These
individuals are Mudville residents employed in the few remaining
manual labour jobs on temporary contract. They often cannot
afford the cost of a daily airfilm pass so they find shelter in out of
the way nooks when not working and return home only to hand
over corporate scrip to their families.
Libreville Metropolitan Police: The LMPD remain the thin
black-and-green line so long as they are not inconvenienced
and bank accounts stay flush. Most officers do a capable job
of keeping the peace but they are also known to exceed their
authority and accusations of abuse and graft are common place.
They also know that stepping too far over the line is bad for
everyone’s business so as long as citizens look like they belong
the LMPD leave them to their business.
Malfunctioning Drones: Even the most high-tech machinery
breaks after extended use and software patches occasionally
cause bugs. Delivery drones have been known to crash into
buildings, autobuses have refused to move, washers have
sprayed pedestrians with cleaning fluid and kōban police ‘bots
have been hacked resulting in a stream of Swahili expletives
blaring from their vocoders.
Pickpocket/Street Performer: The presence of money and
expensive items often brings out the worst that megacities have
to offer. Pickpockets range from traditional purse snatchers
to skilled hackers who spoof RFID signals to steal personal
information. Street performers such as musicians are considered
a nuisance by locals but a novelty to wealthy tourists so city hall
lets them stay with little harassment.
Sports Fans/Clubbers: Downtown is the home of Libreville’s
various sporting events including soccer tournaments, Formula
7 racing, AR war games and mixed-martial arts/kick-boxing
bouts. Every team and every athlete has a fan, many who
insist on showing their loyalty loudly and proudly. As the home
to Libreville’s nightlife, downtown also attracts young corporate
enclave residents who have large bank accounts and little
common sense. Music enthusiasts and professional partiers
clog the streets after sunset, many not returning home until well
after sunrise the following day.
Tourists/Street Vendor: Libreville is the Core’s most
international city and this attracts a great deal of interest from
around Earth, the Core and human space. Tourists are easily
spotted by their rubbernecking and expressions of sheer
amazement or terror. Licensed street vendors are always on
hand to sell official commemorative items such as holocubes of
the Beanstalk.
Corp Town Life
Sovereign residential enclaves are self-contained and developed
to serve as comfortable communities for transnational corporate
employees and their registered spouses and dependents.
Thematic and cultural differences aside, each enclave is a
spacious suburb containing large and roomy houses, schools,
medical facilities, shopping, dining and entertainment spots,
green spaces and airfilm terminals. Enclaves are extremely
secure with on-site corporate police or LMPD units conducting
regular drone, automobile and foot patrols. They also utilise
fences, security barriers, armed guard stations and checkpoints
at all entrances and exits.
Life in Libreville is a battle between the powerful monoculture
of the Core Worlds and a desire to hold on to unique culture
and heritage. Corp towns run by TransNats with no national
ties or that prefer their employees embrace a more ‘inclusive’
perspective, tend to reflect the pragmatic, minimalistic, tasteful
and sanitised design style common in the Core. However, many
corp towns are ethnic and cultural enclaves as well as residential
zones. Homes and public buildings are built in styles common
during the height of influence for the corporation’s parent
nation. Gates are regularly unlocked to cleared guests during
special occasions. For example, the Tungus Robotics enclave,
You’anmen, is built in the Chinese Imperial style and holds
public Spring Festival/Lunar New Year celebrations. Festivals
and holidays are the few instances when corp town residents
mingle with residents of other enclaves.
Basic necessities and manufactured goods are supplied
to enclave residents by the corporate store or an affiliated
subsidiary or contractor. Drone delivery is common but personal
shopping for basic goods is a popular entertainment activity in
a corp town. Physically interacting with a potential purchase is
a strong impulse in an enclave where physical and emotional
stimulation is lacking. Stores are universally chains with direct
links to the parent TransNat. Bars and clubs serve company-
approved beverages and play company-approved music. Some
corp towns with a permissive culture even permit company-
run brothels. Some brothels offer companion robots but many
establishments are staffed by specially trained ‘adult recreation
specialists’ who also serve as company-paid therapists.
33
All residents of corp towns are required to broadcast a personal
RFID at all times and those without an active signal become
suspects to the police. Residents are under surveillance
at all times and some corporations include surveillance
packages inside of homes. Conversation that is disparaging
to the corporation is logged and tagged in security department
databases. TransNats do allow their employees a great deal
of leeway when it comes to criticising superiors. Good-natured
whining and expressions of frustration are encouraged as no
company wants to risk a Cracked employee. A surveillance file
only serves to injure an employee with a lacklustre performance
but blackmail is not unheard of.
AR games are played in corp towns but the flat, uninteresting
landscape does not lend itself to physical or mental challenges.
However, video games and Virtual Reality are extremely
common pastimes, especially for spouses and children. Their
popularity has led to the attitude that colonists attach to the
stereotypical ‘lazy and detached’ Core Worlder. Prevalent video
games in 2300, like their pre-Twilight predecessors, are purely
sight and sound based. Where ExoBox and FunStation-brand
games differ is that environments are 3D, holointeractive and
completely non-linear. Rather than accomplishing simple tasks
or ‘killing’ an opponent, video games allow the player to become
the protagonist and shape the character’s story in any way that’s
interesting to the player, with varying degrees of freedom.
Virtual Reality entertainment involves the design of a highly
detailed digital environment. VR games are very common
and share traits with video games but also include full sense
immersion. Any size world can be processed and players can
use the Link to join a session from anywhere on Earth or in
Near-Earth Orbit. Virtual Reality interaction has unintentionally
led to the proliferation of Link-based extra-marital affairs in corp
towns. It is very common for Freelancer spouses to engage in
emotional and physical intimacy across VR. Reactions to this
practice vary but the popular opinion is that if an individual is
unfulfilled in a physical relationship, virtual companionship is an
acceptable alternative to outright infidelity. Infodyne’s SenseNoir
VR AI companions ‘Adonis’ and ‘Ishtar’ are among the bestselling
programs in corp towns.
Corp Town Encounters
2D Result
2 Cracked
3 Neo-Squirrel Crew
4 Neo-Cat
5 Neo-Dog
6 Teenagers
7 Corporate Family
8 Corporate Employee
9 Corporate Police
10 Children
11 Corp Gang
12 Malfunctioning Drone
Children: The secured perimeter of a corp town provides ample
space for young children to play outside. Groups of 2d6 children
are typically attended by one or two nanny ‘bots.
Corp Gang: While rare, corp towns produce more per capita
illegal thrill seekers than anywhere else in human space. The
majority of these groups commit vandalism or other petty crimes
including hazing activities. Roll 1D. On a 1, the corp gang is
interested in committing physical harm to a random individual.
Corporate Employee: A corporate employee is likely to be
more relaxed in his enclave though the employee is still aware
that behaviour and speech are monitored. Roll 1D. On a 1,
the individual is engaged in some sort of illicit activity when
encountered – for example, an extra-marital relationship,
industrial espionage or possession of contraband substances.
Corporate Family: In order to counter the physical effects of
sedentary entertainment, neighbourhood physical fitness is
a common trend across corp towns. Tai chi, qui gong, yoga,
gymnastics and even military-style physical training regiments
are shared group experiences with the whole family. As a result,
corp town residents tend to have a sporty or gym-sculpted build.
Corporate Police: Corporate police officers are the ultimate
authority in a corp town and are permitted access to any company
owned housing complex at any time. In reality, corporate police
spend the majority of their time on street patrol, manning security
checkpoints and answering domestic disturbance calls.
Cracked: Stress related psychosis manifests itself predominantly
in corp towns. Corporate surveillance, work pressure and a
consumer society are often too much for even the most jaded
middle manager. Roll 1D. On a 1, the individual is a violent case.
Malfunctioning Drone: Drones are a favourite target for
wannabe infowar pranksters or rival TransNat intelligence
operatives. Gardening drones have been known to mow down
flowers, kill prized vegetable gardens or trim hedges into erotic
sculptures.
Neo-Cat: While not as popular with families as neo-dogs,
neo-cats are common in many corp town villas. The imprinting
process creates more loyalty than a baseline cat but they are
still highly independent. Neo-cats have larger vocabularies than
neo-dogs but they do not respond to commands. Neo-cats will
form social groups with other neo-cats, called a glaring. These
groups operate in parallel to human society.
Neo-Dog: Dogs are pre-historical companions and the
enhanced neo-dog is a popular household addition. However,
even enhanced dogs need regular attention from their imprinted
masters. Masters more interested in VR pursuits produce
frustrated neo-dogs. Roll 1D. On a 1, the neo-dog slips through
its imprint and wanders the corp town, seeking a new owner.
34
Neo-Squirrel Crew: A popular alternative to standard janitorial
drones are enhanced rodents, such as xerus inauris novus, a
genemoded neo-squirrel found in Libreville corp towns. They are
incapable of communication but they are perfect for community
pest control and policing litter. They can also be outfitted with
microsensors for espionage purposes.
Teenagers: The concept of adolescence was first recognised
in the mid-20th century and little has changed in 2300 other than
fashion. Teenagers are still obsessed with peer groups, with no
differentiation between physical and Link-based, and pushing
boundaries. Corp towns contain the highest percentage of
traditional adolescents as their Mudville counterparts are forced
into early adulthood.
Independent Enclaves
Libreville’s unique political and international culture has led to the
establishment of a number of non-corporate, quasi-independent
enclaves. The Community of Sentients is a quiet but growing
power in the global religious community. Located just north of
Libreville’s city limits, the village of Akok is the location of their
local retreat and the largest private religious college in the region.
Community doctrine promotes a Quaker-style ‘priesthood of all
believers’ but the college trains hundreds of new leaders and
missionaries every year. The college is also well-known for its
xenolinguistics and xenoanthropology programs which draw
scholars from around the Core. Instructors fluent in Basque and
other isolated languages are always in demand for research
projects.
The most unusual residential enclave in Libreville is located
5 kilometres west of the Libreville shore. Ys is home to
Libreville’s DNAM merman population and consists of a bubble
warren of submerged homes and communal buildings. The
village’s residents are technically Freelancers who practise
a Communist-style of shared resource allocation but their
skills in marine construction, aquaculture and ichthyology are
always in demand. For example, Freelance merman teams,
with accompanying neo-fins, monitor the local shark population.
Several buildings are dry and lightly pressurised with moon pools
allowing baseline humans to interact without need for wetsuits
and breathing apparatuses. Other than accommodating air-
breathing transhumanists and the curious, the merman enclave
receives few visitors. Sheltered Core Worlders find les tritons
uncomfortably alien.
Libreville has one of the larger populations of uplifted dolphins
on Earth. Exact numbers of u-dolphins are difficult to ascertain
as they prefer a life of privacy. Some u-dolphins have integrated
themselves with Libreville’s human society, acting through
human intermediaries to purchase homes and resources. How
they acquired access to financial institutions remains to be
explained. Paranoid reactionaries warn of the dolphin agenda
but the mainstream consider the dolphins cute or an amusing have little legal protection but former corp towns are structurally
oddity at worst. sound and feature French government-backed schools and
basic medical clinics.

Mudville Life
The slums of Libreville are referred to by many names – Rust City,
The Barrens, The Blight and Les Taudis. The most regularly used
term is Mudville, referring to the many parts of the slums that turn into
thick mud during the rainy season. Like in all the slums of Central
Africa, life in Mudville is among the most desperate in human space.
The chaotic Elysium colony on Joi is troubled by the uncertainty of
competing transitional governments and other colonies bristle with
international tensions. On the other hand, off-world colonial culture
is one of frontier survival. Politics and circumstance have confined
Mudville residents in bleak surroundings with little opportunity for
upward mobility. The existence of Mudville is an embarrassment to
France but it is unlikely that further resources will be expended to
address the issue.
The construction of the Beanstalk and the massive expansion
of Libreville required solid and comfortable housing for the
influx of workers involved in the projects. When the Beanstalk
was completed, demand for skilled labourers dropped by 95%.
Those with marketable skills moved on and those without were
left behind. Like former corp towns, former construction worker
housing was sold, stripped and handed over to slum lords. The
buildings consist of three- or four-storey prefab barracks or
dormitory modules. One- or two-room flats provide some privacy
and the first floor usually consists of shared vending machines,
some form of cafeteria and entertainment and laundry facilities.
Occupants of these buildings are resourceful in illegally acquiring
utilities, including water, power and Link.

Mudville is not a homogenous blend of poverty. Districts differ by

architecture, economy and culture. Some districts, like Alamaké,
are proudly working class. Alamaké provides reliable workhands
for the unskilled labour openings in the corp towns and downtown.
Life in the district is centred on Hai Fang’s, a tavern run by a
former Japanese athlete. Some districts, like Nzamaligué, are
urban war zones run and clashed over by ersatz mobs. Life in
these districts is comparable to a feudal system, with residents
paying protection to local warlords in the form of goods and
other services. Other districts have taken the opportunity to
engage in experimental societies. For example, the makeshift
government of the Memingué district is a technocratic demarchy
with leaders selected at random by a Link algorithm. Other groups
have experimented with ad hocracies, tribes, cybersynacies,
manufacturing kibbutzim and sharia-based theocracies. This
willingness to experiment has made Mudville the home of several
transhumanist movements and other fringe beliefs. Unfortunately
the lack of law enforcement also makes Mudville a perfect home
for terror cells and organised crime groups.

Mudville does not have an identifiable architectural style, other

than ‘shoddy.’ Some residents attempt to keep their dwellings
and neighbourhoods tidy but a lack of infrastructure limits what
is possible. Buildings fall into four general categories – former
corporate housing, former construction worker housing, housing
projects and shantytowns.

Former corporate housing is considered the best kind available in

Mudville. Economic fluctuations or the peculiarities of TransNat
executives results in residential enclaves being abandoned and
sold to a development company. Recyclers will strip materials
of value and the building shells will be made available for lease
to the public. These buildings are commonly used by Mudville
businesses-owners as stores or offices. Unfortunately, the
development companies that run these properties are typically
fronts for organised crime. Maintenance and utilities are non-
existent, rent increases are arbitrary and local mobsters will lean
on tenants to perform illegal acts to cover their debts. Occupants

35
Public housing projects are the result of philanthropic
organisations pressuring the Libreville government or the
corporate board. The contractor is typically the lowest bidder
and the projects are public relations schemes, Cost overruns
result in the financial sponsor cutting material and labour
quality. The consequence is that public housing projects have
a reputation for being distressingly unsafe. Even the most basic
construction technology in 2300 can resist all but the worst
weather. However, housing projects often have cheap electrical
conduits, which results in fires, bad plumbing and ineffective
safety systems. A typical housing project consists of three to 10
structures surrounding a communal green space and school.
The structures range from 30-70 stories with each floor holding
between 20-25 small, three- to four-room flats. The buildings
are technically rent-controlled and owned by the Libreville
government but access to a unit requires bribery or personal
connections.
Shantytowns are very rudimentary housing, ranging from found/
stolen materials, abandoned vehicles and makeshift bunkers
to baked mud and grass huts that disintegrate in the rain.
Shantytowns are uniformly anocratic with the most cunning or
dangerous individual acting as local leader, assuming there is
one. Shantytowns are inhabited by the lowest of the lowest class
of human society – the homeless, the destitute, the lost, the
desperate, the criminally insane and the cruel. The government,
organised crime groups, the fringe and even terrorists leave
shantytown dwellers to their own devices. The complete lack
of infrastructure and law makes acquiring food and water a
challenge.
The EZ1 Stop franchise is the sole vendor of commercially
manufactured goods in Mudville. The retailer functions like pre-
Twilight fuel and convenience stores. EZ1 Stops also serve as
distribution hubs for government bankrolled and Trilon Industries
processed food and water. Despite the level of graft in the Libreville
government, denying basic nutrition to citizens or illegal residents
is prohibited by French law. Trilon drone truck convoys are
escorted by battle-suited security specialists and Trilon employees
oversee disbursement to residents. Graft pushes some supplies
into the local black markets. EZ1 Stops also provide access to
Food Extruders, cheap electronics, legal narcotics, liquors and
snack foods. Because EZ1 Stops serve an important part of local
Mudville economies and as ambulance pick-up locations, they are
considered neutral grounds between feuding parties.
Retail and dining in Mudville is universally unlicensed, lacking
in safety oversight and requires physical scrip to interact with.
Manufactured goods are either stolen or of inferior make.
Proprietors guard their establishments with lethal force. The
quality of food also varies though Mudville has a burgeoning
urban gardening culture. Converted rooftop spaces, inflatable
greenhouses and community gardens produce small quantities
of vegetables and fruits for trade and sale. Makeshift food stalls
and bars selling home-brewed ales are kept busy during the day
36
with the owners disassembling their stands and carts before
dark. Energy is another heavily traded product. Solar panelling
is a common technology in 2300 but Gabon’s weather make
it impractical for year-round use. Merchants will charge power
cells during the dry season or utilise muscle-powered dynamos
during the rainy season, and sell or trade for access.
The black market is another powerful economic influence in
Mudville. Black marketers range from independent operators
to Mafia-backed distribution networks. The black market in
Libreville covers financial manipulation, ID forging, narcotic
production and distribution, gun running, utility hijacking,
electronics fencing, vehicle thievery, information brokerage,
unlicensed medical practices and ‘fixing’ – linking illegal talent
to specific employers.
Mudville is known for its trade in dirt – both literal and
metaphorical. Local information brokers are always willing to sell
a secret or two, assuming a character has money or an equal
trade and knows who to talk to.
Finding an info broker in Mudville: Difficult (-2), Streetwise, Int,
2 days
The price of information varies depending on how dangerous it
is to know. Prices should vary by +/- 2D x 10% but referees can
use the following base costs.
Type Cost
General information and easily obtainable. Little Lv100
danger to the broker or the purchaser.
Information requiring a specialist to circumvent LV1,000
security to obtain. If knowledge becomes public
it could cause inconvenience to but little damage
to a corporation.
High-level corporate or government intelligence Lv10,000
that is classified, hard to access and dangerous
to possess or know.
Black clinics are scattered through Mudville. These backroom
operating theatres are the province of Provolution terror
cells and offer stolen and/or outlaw cyber- and biotech
body modifications. Black clinics are solicited by criminals
looking for an edge on their competition, terrorists in need of
implanted weaponry ranging from knives to suicide bombs
and Crack suffers who manifest metal or machine fetishes.
The counterpoint to the black clinics are what are known as
grey clinics. Grey clinics are still illegal operations but they
strive to provide benevolent modifications and primarily limit
themselves to bioware, including black market Pentapod
products, and DNAM. Grey clinics are officially condemned
by the Transhuman League but are run by fringe groups with
transhumanist ties. Grey clinics are often targets for attacks by
hate groups such as Humanitis.
Entertainment options tend toward the low-tech or makeshift,
such as a stolen 3-V projecting a pirated soccer game. Assuming
the individuals are known and trusted, Mudville residents are
very sociable compared to downtown and corp town residents.
Some residents desperately horde any and all resources but
others will host elaborate street parties for their housing projects
with food, alcohol and music. Most Core Worlders would find
these parties rough and unrefined but a frontier colonist would
feel right at home.
Official laws and law enforcement do not exist in Mudville. As
a Blight, aerial drones are considered target practice for locals
and the Libreville police is unmotivated to change the situation.
Enforcement of local rules and traditions depends upon who
controls a street, a block or a building. Use of force, typically
deadly, will immediately change the political scene. Enforcement
comes in the form of volunteer militias and sentries or criminal
groups, such as Triad enforcers. Some militias are violent
extremists and little better than the syndicates while others
are well-meaning and view themselves as protectors of the
underclass.
Mudville Encounters
2D Result
2 Terrorist
3 Con Artist
4 Frightened Bystander
5 Militia
6 Mugger
7 Neutral Bystanders
8 Pickpocket
9 Street Party
10 Streetwalker
11 Information Merchant
12 Wanted Criminal
Frightened Bystanders: Life in Mudville is hard and often
traumatising. Some Mudville residents are exposed to constant
violence. As a result, many scream or yell in terror and run if
approached by a stranger.
Con Artist: Also known as grifters, con artists are experts at the
short term hustle. They exploit human vanity, compassion, greed
or naïveté in order to defraud individuals of currency, goods or
information. While they can be a source for information, the cost
is often not worth the information received.
37
Information Merchant: Information merchants try to pass
themselves off as inconspicuous or not worthy of notice but
they keep themselves aware of goings-on in their particular
neighbourhood or area of expertise. None of this information is
free.
Militia: Often compared to pre-Twilight gangs, the militias are
the law in Mudville. Operating in groups of 2D, typically in a truck
or on motorcycles, they are armed with surplus military rifles and
minimal armour. Roll 1D. On a 1, the militia mistakes the players
for a criminal.
Mugger: Muggers are desperate for items of value that they can
sell to purchase contraband items, such as drugs, or that they
can pawn to feed their families. Naturally distrusting of others,
they operate in groups of no larger than 1D.
Neutral Bystanders: The majority of Mudville residents are
trying to get by and mind their own business. If engaged, they
stare and refuse to answer, assist or move.
Pickpocket: Less aggressive than a mugger, pickpockets are
happy to help themselves to unsecured valuables or to hack an
individual’s Personal Area Network. Motivations vary but most
are simply desperate.
Street Party: Those who work hard to survive are those most
likely to celebrate being alive. A group of 6D individuals will often
section off a street or rooftop and hold a party complete with
food and music. These parties are open to everyone so long as
they behave.
Streetwalker: The world’s oldest profession is alive and well
in 2300 though medical technology has reduced the risk of
transmittable diseases. Both men and women, often controlled
and sold through an intermediary of either gender, will offer
services ranging from the mundane to the bizarre and dangerous.
Terrorist: Away from the eyes of the French military and police
forces, terrorists carefully plot their next moves. If a player
seems like someone who would be sympathetic to the cause,
the individual will be approached by an intermediary and an
informal interview will be conducted. If the interviewer likes what
he or she is told, a follow-up meeting with a cell leader will be
arranged.
Wanted Criminal: The lack of law enforcement makes Mudville
the perfect location to avoid attention. When encountered, the
individual is immediately recognisable from wanted notices or
3-V broadcasts.
 POLITICS AND POWER
The city of Libreville is divided into 50 districts, each with an
elected city council member who serves a maximum of three
five-year terms. District elections are staggered so an election
campaign is always running within the city limits. The city council
meets for one nine-month session each year. Council members
are expected to attend every working assembly, be it in person
or via Link, barring medical leave. Council members are granted
partial immunity from prosecution which can only be lifted by
the courts. Declarations of immunity have granted the council a
great deal of leeway in avoiding corruption charges.
The city mayor serves five year terms with no term limit. The
mayor appoints his or her own cabinet without council oversight.
The cabinet consists of the representatives of the major city
services who, with the exception of the chief of police, are all
corporate executives. Each executive represents a company
holding a service contract with Libreville. This practice makes
city hall incorrigible and deceitful. The issuing of permits and
licences is normally an instant and automatic process in the 24th
century. In Libreville, the process is often plagued by delays,
accidental deletions and other obfuscations unless an applicant
has proper connections or paid bribes.
The city fire department is run by AlertOne, a subsidiary of
Baustoffe, GmBH. The contract with AlertOne specifies when
its services may be called upon – specifically any ‘uncontrolled
blaze or man-made hazard which the City Council, Corporate
Board, or Metropolitan Police deem large enough to be a general
public hazard.’ Any other uses of the fire department require a
Lv10,000 fee for every two hours of operation.
The Libreville Energy Office is a political dumping ground, used
by the mayor’s office as ‘repayment’ for favours from corporate
backers. The Libreville Port Authority controls the flow of power
from the Beanstalk which makes the posting a perfunctory one.
The Libreville Health Manager coordinates with the city’s 25
privately contracted ambulance services and the Gabon Health
Department. The office has been unable to secure a contract for
any service to enter Mudville, with the exception of runs to EZ1
Stops.
Water purification and water infrastructure maintenance is
contracted by Eidelweiss Clear Water Corporation, a subsidiary
of AmeriCo. Water theft is a major problem in Mudville as
there are few paying customers in those areas. AmeriCo’s
38
solicitation of the LMPD to address the issue have proven to be
unproductive. The police are not above bribery but they lack the
resources and initiative to investigate.
The sanitation cabinet post is held by rotating representatives
of On-Site Sanitation Services, LLC. The city’s fleet of drone
garbage trucks are a model of efficiency that service all districts,
including Mudville. Undisposed waste can become a health
hazard to bordering corporate residential enclaves so trucks
make regular pickups.
Communication hardware maintenance including 3-V, Link
and other telecommunication broadcast towers, routers and
data pipes is the responsibility of InterComm, AG. This is a
competitive post and new bids come into the mayor’s office
daily. Elias Mantaka of InterComm, the president of the Libreville
Corporate Board, also serves as the Libreville Communication
Services Manager.
Libreville Metropolitan Police Department
(LMPD)
Libreville Police officers range from incompetent and dishonest
to beyond reproach. The shared experience between all officers
of the LMPD is that they are understaffed, under equipped and
under paid with the exception of those stations located in and
subsidised by corp towns. How the city police have avoided
privatisation is the subject of numerous debates but the
result is a department that is totally corrupt, even by Libreville
government standards. LMPD officers rarely leave the downtown
and corporate enclave districts unless pursuing a fugitive. If the
fugitive enters Mudville, officers will only pursue if a tactical
team or drone resource is available. The chief of police and his
subordinate, the warden of the Libreville Correctional Facility,
are often unavailable, citing necessary ‘fact-finding’ missions in
resort communities or aboard interplanetary passenger liners.
Most LMPD officers are native residents of Libreville and many
are from Mudville. Officers suffer conflicted emotions about
arresting suspected criminals from Mudville. However, the
opportunity for a steady, though low, paycheque often overrides
neighbourhood loyalties. Dress ranges from slovenly to military
press but the common duty uniform is some combination
of a black and white boot, trouser and shirt combination that
is highlighted with neon-green piping and a department issue
rain poncho. The position of drone operations administrator is
a highly coveted one as the pay is slightly better, control pods
are located in climate regulated office buildings and the greatest
danger is crashing a flying disk into an ad blimp.
L’ A d m i n i s t r a t i o n d u P o r t de
The LMPD is arranged like a typical city police department
L i b r e v i l l e (APL)
L’Administration du Port de Libreville is an agency of the French
with investigations units, patrol groups and a tactical division.
Imperial government. While not as actively involved in the day-
The LMPD also oversees holding and corrections systems.
to-day management of Libreville as the city government or the
However, the specific duties of each working group in the LMPD
corporate board, the Port Authority wields a great deal of power
is overlapping which confuses outsiders and frustrates officers.
and influence. The APL, colloquially referred to as ‘The Apple,’ is
For example, inside the Air Patrol Division are the surveillance
overseen by an advisory council which sets policy and oversees
drone operators. In most city police forces, if a situation
the port authority’s budget. La Conseil d’Administration du Port
occurred that required an immediate use of force, operators
de Libreville is made up of two representatives of each nation
would have the appropriate authorisation. If not, specialised
that contributed to the construction of the Beanstalk. France
SWAT units would be dispatched. In the LMPD, a special Air
and the Tier 2 and Tier 3 national representatives have the most
Rapid Response Squad that straddles the line between beat
clout but they ignore the Tier 4 voting blocs at their peril. Council
patrolmen, drone pilots and SWAT specialists exists to handle
members are appointed by and serve at the leisure of their
direct drone engagements. As a result, jurisdictional infighting
governments. France and Tier 4 members tend to cycle through
between the three groups is common.
councillors more often that other nations. The council sets the
docking fees, cargo handling fees and all other taxes and tariffs
Accused criminals in Gabon are entitled to legal representation
that are used for Beanstalk operations. The APL budget is
under the French code of justice. However, Libreville’s unique
extremely large but all expenses must be justified to Emperor
and powerful economic status has eroded many basic legal
Nicolas Ruffin. This has resulted in a culture that actively avoids
principles France claims to triumph. The Libreville public
even the perception of corruption.
defender’s office is so understaffed that the majority of those
who cannot afford attorneys go before a city magistrate without
The executive authority of the APL is the Office of the Director. The
representation. Sentencing falls along four alternatives – fines,
position of director is by appointment of the Emperor. The director
forced labour, typically in a waste management capacity; tagged
reports to the Port Authority Council and serves as de facto head
as an exile in the city surveillance system and imprisonment at
of the authority. The director oversees all operations of the APL
the Libreville Corrections Facility, dubbed ‘La Roche.’
including customs enforcement, security, power management
and traffic control. The director delegates responsibilities to
La Roche has no traditional stockades or even guards. Drones
administrative working groups. All members of these groups
deliver water and food rations on a regular schedule. Attempting
are heavily screened and given rigorous competency exams.
to swim from the island through shark infested waters would be
Once accepted, they’re considered employees of the French
enough of a deterrent for most inmates. For those who are not
government. One of these groups, Le Groupe Amenagement,
so easily swayed, the city government has given permission to
works directly with the Libreville Corporate Board to promote
various TransNats to use La Roche as a test ground for non-
economic growth in the city. The director often uses the
lethal biosecurity systems. Several genemodded mango trees
Development Group to push the corporate board into promoting
have been planted on the island to sap the energy of inmates.
policies that favour French interests. As the Beanstalk provides
The fruits are safe for consumption but when mixed with amino
the solar energy for the entire region, the director is not above
acids in the intestines, they release a powerful sedative. The
threatening to shut off the power to TransNats who push against
flowering pollen from the trees has been altered to induce a
government policies. Another group, Le Groupe Isolement, is
neuro-histamine reaction promoting lethargy. The edge of the
a close ally of Orbital Quarantine Command in Gateway. The
island is ringed with typha × provincialis. The cattails have been
group acts as a backstop to OQC’s orbital facilities, ensuring that
tweaked to include urishol pods which, when touched, pop and
off-world import and health regulations are maintained and the
produce severe but non-life threatening chemical burns. Floating
risk of foreign infection is eliminated.
around the island are colonies of altered physalia physalis
and the venom of these neo-man-of-wars prompts immediate
paralysis. Hammerhead sharks patrol the waters and spyhrna APL Agents and the Foreign Legion
couardi neo-supernus breeds have been introduced into the The APL maintains two branches of security enforcement;
local populations. The neo-sharks are twice the size of their non- field agents and a military detachment. APL field agents have
modified cousins and will eat anything warm blooded. Reports of authority over the area of the Beanstalk, the Root, Gabon
escapees are rare but those that do escape are never seen by Bay and Libreville airspace. Agents are divided into branches
law enforcement. that cover various specialties. The largest branch is Customs

39
APL A g e n t
APL Agents are typically charismatic, intelligent and patriotic. They operate inside the bounds of French law and carry full investigative
and arrest powers. Equipment issued depends on which unit the agent has been assigned and the APL utilises uniformed, plain
clothes and undercover agents. The example below is an average plain clothes investigator.

Character Career Path STR DEX END INT EDU SOC

APL Agent Agent (Law Enforcement) 4 8 9 7 7 7 7

Skills: Advocate 1, Diplomacy 1, Gun Combat (energy pistol) 2, Investigate 3, Recon 2, Streetwise 3, Persuade 2
Traits: Acute Senses, Fast
Motivations: Spade 5, Clubs 2. APL agents are capable members of the law-enforcement community and are willing to put
themselves in harm’s way.
DNAMs: None
Equipment: Armoured overcoat, plain clothing, Quinn-Darlan ASW-2 Neural Disruptor

Enforcement and assigned agents behave like any other
customs or contraband control officer in human space. Customs
Enforcement agents coordinate with air and water units when
operating in Libreville and others serve as low-profile security
officers inside the Beanstalk Terminal. APL water units work as
a coast guard, conducting random inspections of cargo vessels
and ensuring that all water vessels comply with maritime
regulations. Air TrafCon systems are also the responsibility of
the APL and agents coordinate with the military airbase at Hortiz
International. The APL maintains a Special Branch Unit, the
existence of which has not been revealed to the public. Special
Branch is responsible for investigating corporate conspiracies
and providing actionable intelligence to the director.
Suspects arrested by APL agents are typically charged with
‘misuse of the Beanstalk.’ This is treated as a terrorism charge and
suspects are tried under French federal law in a federal court. The
accused are detained and tried in facilities in Franceville. They are
provided both medical care, if required, and counsel if requested.
Le Legion Etrangere delivers a security detachment for the use
of the APL. The Foreign Legion is a visual presence at the the
Root. The first and final line of defence against a terrorist attack,
Legionnaires are authorised to shoot any and all individuals
suspected of tampering with the Beanstalk. Legionnaires
utilise light battlesuits, AC-12 hovertank variants and ABR-
76 armoured cars. Responses to violent criminal activities are
lethal but Beanstalk patrons are provided constant AR warnings
concerning proper behaviour in the Terminal.
their service. Each is a salaried executive serving the TransNat
it represents. The board is designed to assure its member
companies complete autonomy in regard to its property and
employees.
As the board consists of nearly 180 members, the organisation
has been structured to resemble the pre-Twilight United Nations.
The board chair is appointed by board member vote. The chair
serves as a secretary general and is the chief administrative
officer and de facto head. The body of the board is made up of
temporary committees that form to address specific needs such
as the coordination of shared medical and recreation facilities,
corporate enclave security arrangements, public utilities and
Libreville city council lobbyists.
The Group of 40 is a permanent committee consisting of the forty
most-profitable TransNats in Libreville. Most-profitable does not
equate to manpower or resources, merely annual earnings as
derived through a complicated accounting formula. The G40
is the only authority by which the extraterritorial TransNats are
bound and all motions must be passed with a 2/3rds majority. In
theory, the G40 is the forum by which all companies bring forth
grievances and resolutions are made. In practice, these same
companies often take matters into their own hands, utilising
hostile takeovers, PR campaigns and industrial sabotage. While
board decisions are meant to apply solely to the Libreville area,
decisions set precedents that are reflected across the Core and
the colonies.

For purposes of time, security and data management, the

Libreville Corporate Board
The Libreville Corporate Board consists of one representative
Libreville Corporate Board is completely virtual. It operates over
Link using VR or holographic presence software.
from each transnational corporation with a physical presence
in Libreville. The board does not compensate its members for In 2300 the Group of 40 members are as follows.

40
Alvarez/Kelly
Headquarters: Kingston, Jamaica, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We are a leading financial services firm
in providing investment banking, securities and investment
management services to growing businesses and governments
in the Core and Colonies.
Languages: English, Spanish
Culture: Risk-embracing
Staff Levels: 80,000
Scope of Operations: Core, Chinese Arm

Alvarez/Kelly is a powerful investment institution that specialises

in banking opportunities in Central and South America and on
Mexican, Texan and Argentinean colony worlds. Other banks
view financial development in Tier 3 colonial powers to be too
risky and unstable for investment. Alvarez/Kelly’s philosophy of
giving newer markets an opportunity to grow has allowed the
small bank to grow to transnational status in under a decade.

Andromedia
Headquarters: Gateway Station, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Andromedia is home to the Core’s
premier entertainment brands that connect with audiences
through compelling content across 3V, Total Immersion, Link,
Augmented and Virtual Reality platforms on Earth and Tirane.
Languages: English
Culture: Creative and intrusive
Staff Levels: 201,000
Scope of Operations: Core

Andromedia is a multimedia marketing and distribution firm

which encompasses every form of digital and some forms of
analogue entertainment. The TransNat owns five publishers,
five holomedia studios, two 3-V distribution networks, four music
labels and 24 game companies. Andromedia also owns the
rights to the annual Andromedia Olympics, the Globalbowl world
soccer championships and several sports arenas.

41
Aquitanie Corporation
Headquarters: Vancouver British Columbia, Canada, Earth,
Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Our mission is to exploit innovation for
the benefit of our company and our customers through next
generation technology.
Languages: English, French
Culture: Dichotomist split between services and technology
divisions
Staff Levels: 240,000
Scope of Operations: Core

Aquitaine Corp is known to the public for its 3V broadcast and

reception units, including signal boosting dishes, along with AR
and VR system manufacturing. The ExoBox video game system
is a top selling product. What the company prefers to keep quiet
is its intelligence gathering services division. Aquitaine develops
sensor drone packages for national militaries. It also runs a for-
profit human and signals intelligence operation for its clients,
similar in operation to RebcoSAR’s security and troubleshooting
services. Governments, including France, and private industry
of all size has utilised Aquitanie’s intelligence service in one form
or another.

Arno
Headquarters: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We are leaders in the development and
research of infantry weapon systems.
Languages: Portuguese
Culture: Closed and secretive
Staff Levels: 2,000
Scope of Operations: Core

As a military contractor, the Arno brand is not widely known

across human space outside of arms enthusiasts. Arno’s best-
known brand is Gonzalves-Brazilia, makers of infantry laser
weapons. Like the AK-47 in the Third World of the 20th century,
the G-B Luce-3 laser rifle is a visual shorthand for the later Rio
Plata Wars and the formation of the Inca Republic. Arno primarily
serves Central and South American clients with a focus on
Brazil but is looking to expand to off-world colonial militias. The
company facilities are reputed to be some of the most secure on
Earth. It has been reported that when trespassers are released
to local law-enforcement, they are in a catatonic or borderline
schizophrenic state.

42
Asterbank
Headquarters: Wilmington Delaware, America, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Asterbank connects its customers to
opportunities, enables businesses to thrive and economies to
prosper.
Languages: English
Culture: Old-fashioned and conservative
Staff Levels: 160,000
Scope of Operations: Core

Asterbank is the oldest and largest post-recovery financial

operation in the United States. The TransNat’s operations are
backed by a solid, secure and fiscally responsible approach to
banking and investing. Asterbank does not promise overnight
success but all investors will see a guaranteed minimum growth
in value. The Asterbank building in Libreville reflects the Post-
Neoclassical style of architecture complete with fluted marble
columns and a pediment featuring statues to the Greek gods
Athena and Prometheus.

Baustoffe
Headquarters: Ruhr Metroplex, Germany, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Baustoffe is a global reference in
construction and services and is dedicated to maximising
profitability for shareholders through strategic mergers and
takeovers.
Languages: German, French, English
Culture: Order and profit are key
Staff Levels: 300,000
Scope of Operations: Core

Baustoffe, GmBH is a massive umbrella company that was

originally formed from smaller materials technologies firms to
manufacture the Beanstalk cable. In 2300, the company owns
over a dozen smaller companies, some of which qualify as
TransNats in their own right, across seven countries. It is one of
the main sources of nanotech construction materials in the Core.
As such it is a major player in Core financial circles. Baustoffe’s
corporate culture is focused on racing and the company sponsors
several teams in the Formula 7 Libreville 500.

43
Bayerische Bioteknik
Headquarters: Berlin, Germany, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Bayerische Bioteknik strives to be the best
in the medical technology business and a challenging place to
work.
Languages: German
Culture: Forward-thinking and academic
Staff Levels: 127,000
Scope of Operations: Human space

Bayerische Bioteknik, AG is the largest manufacturer of

pharmaceuticals in human space. The company has both a
nanotech and a genetic engineering division and manufactures
clone organ growth equipment, universal donor organs, drugs,
autodocs, nanosurgical equipment and other kinds of medical
supplies. Its humanitarian efforts in creating a quick-growth
artificial blood compound won the company the Nobel Prize for
Medicine. Many question the company’s altruism as it profited
heavily from the sales of the compound.

Black Scorpion Co.

Headquarters: Thames/Birmingham Metroplex, Britain, Earth,
Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We provide the services needed to protect
humanity from terrorism and to secure our planets.
Languages: English
Culture: Overbearing and fearless
Staff Levels: 15,800
Scope of Operations: Human space

Black Scorpion Company’s meteoric rise to dominance in the

private military contracting sphere has been the subject of
several media reports and works of fiction. Its founder, Johnny
Burlund, allegedly rose from a metroplex street gang leader to
British Special Air Service officer to creating one of the largest
and most successful mercenary units in history. Many have
questioned the authenticity of the company’s narrative but its
brand – specifically the distinctive leather-jacket-and-military-
surplus uniforms of its employees – is memorable. Mudville
provides a large recruitment pool for Black Scorpion and all new
employees are issued a bioluminescent or animated scorpion
tattoo on their left arms.

44
Brandt
Headquarters: Rhine Metroplex, France, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: The Brandt mission is to be the leader in all
categories in which it competes.
Languages: French
Culture: Freewheeling and innovative
Staff Levels: 1,200
Scope of Operations: Core, French Arm

The Brandt brand is a frontrunner in the music and entertainment

industry. The company assisted in the development of the
first Total Immersion Theatre system and performance artists
swear by their acoustic equipment and software. Brandt audio
engineers are often consulted in developing digital interactive
pieces including Virtual Reality playback. Brandt’s audio-
sciences expertise has also allowed it to become a leading law-
enforcement contractor. The company’s sonic stun pistol line is
years ahead of its closest competitor.

Bridgeport Swift
Headquarters: Chicago Illinois, America, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Bridgeport Swift wants to move people in
newer and better ways.
Languages: English
Culture: Industrious and results-driven
Staff Levels: 550,000
Scope of Operations: Human space

Bridgeport Swift is the leading ground vehicle design and

manufacturing concern in human space. There is no country or
colony in any Arm where a Bridgeport Swift-built car or truck is
not in use. Every Tier 1 – Tier 3 global power has a company
manufacturing facility in its borders including most colony worlds
older than 50 years. Bridgeport Swift has been attempting to
break into the Hermes market for years but Mulecorp has
monopolised the colonial economy. The company has also
entered the commuter aircraft market with limited success.
Bridgeport Swift operates an assembly plant in Old Libreville
and is a major sponsor of the Libreville 500.

45
Darlan Optophyisque
Headquarters: Paris, France, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We deliver reliable satellite, power and
defence technology for commercial and government clients
across human space.
Languages: French
Culture: Academic but closed
Staff Levels: 115,000
Scope of Operations: Core, French Arm DARL AN OPTOPHYISQUE
When it comes to satellite technology, Darlan Optophysique is
an industry leader. The company came to prominence when it
contracted with the Japanese government for the Green Sahara
weather modification satellite project. The company is also a
military contractor with a specialty in fusion power systems and
its spin-off technology, plasma weaponry. It is a major energy
weapon supplier to the French and American militaries. Darlan
Optophysique is also successful in the gauss weaponry market.

DeLambe Frere
Headquarters: Brussels, Flanders, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: DeLambre Frere serves humanity by
transforming the promise of science and biotechnology with
knowledge from the stars.
Languages: Dutch, French, German
Culture: Secretive and strange
Staff Levels: 55,000
Scope of Operations: Core, French Arm

Like Far Ventures Bio-Tools of Beta Canum, DeLambe Frere,

SA has joined in partnership with several Pentapod sects.
A Flanders-based genetic engineering firm, DeLambe Frere
specialises in food synthesisers, genemodified pharmaceuticals
including vitamin supplements and vat grown organic materials
such as synthetic woods, wools, silks and furs. Pentapod-made
bio-products are subject to OQC seizure and destruction so
DeLambe Frere’s Earth releases are limited to human-designed
goods.

46
DunArmCo
Headquarters: Melbourne, Australia, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: DunArmCo solves complex challenges and
delivers innovative solutions to our help our customers keep
people safe.
Languages: English
Culture: Old-fashioned and conservative
Staff Levels: 350,000
Scope of Operations: Human space
While most military contractors have explored personal energy
weapons with varying degrees of success, DunArmCo has
remained steadfast behind projectile technology, limiting its
energy weapons to space-based particle beam systems. As
the official security consultant behind the Australian-American
Exploration Council (AAEC), all militaries and licensed vessels
operating in the American Arm have at least one DunArmCo
system installed. Many on Earth have accused DunArmCo of
encouraging a conquistador mind set when it comes to stellar
investigation and colonisation. The company is quick to remind
critics that space is dangerous, as the recent alien attack in the
French Arm has shown.
Financia
Headquarters: Ruhr Metroplex, Germany, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We create value for our shareholders,
our clients, our employees and society while promoting a
sustainable and environmentally friendly future.
Languages: German
Culture: Image conscious and greedy
Staff Levels: 180,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Financia, AG is the largest Core World provider of non-
market banking and credit services. It is a major repository of
credit information for subscribing manufacturers, retailers and
wholesalers. Critics have accused Financia of predatory lending
practices with its easy-to-qualify, short term and high interest
loans. Financia responds by pointing to its charitable foundation
and track record of supporting environmental recovery initiatives
in Gabon.
Gattinhos de Seva
Headquarters: Paulo, Paulo, Procyon A, Chinese Arm
Mission Statement: To provide a highly professional and
confidential military advisory service to legitimate governments.
Languages: Portuguese
Culture: Overbearing and fearless
Staff Levels: 7,500
Scope of Operations: Core, Chinese Arm
Gattinhos de Seva has earned a reputation as ‘scruffy’ and
‘merciless’ in the private military contracting community. Formed
from the remains of a militia group on Paulo, the company was
indicted for human rights violations during the Central Asian War
47
but prosecutors in the case failed to land a conviction. Gattinhos
de Seva employees have served in every recent armed conflict
and have expertise in all theatres of operation, including ship-
boarding actions and counterterrorism. The company has a
savvy media strategy and representatives are often guests on
the talk show circuit.
General Service Transport
Headquarters: Nouvelle Paris, Nouvelle Provence, Tirane,
Alpha Centauri, Core
Mission Statement: General Service Transport is committed
to creating positive customer service relationships across the
French Arm.
Languages: French
Culture: Patriotic and conservative
Staff Levels: 590,000
Scope of Operations: Core, French Arm
General Service Transport is Trilon’s primary competition in the
interstellar civilian transport market. GST is the active heart of
the commercial shipbuilding industry on Tirane and is the largest
non-government employer in Nouvelle Provence. The company
also owns and operates the Tall Ships line passenger service
which runs the French Arm. While a TransNat, GST is loyal to
its home nation. GST board members often serve on advisory
committees to the French government and various French
metropolitan departments. The director of the Libreville office
sits on the Libreville development council.
Gorman Systems
Headquarters: Thames/Birmingham Metroplex, Britain, Earth,
Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Gorman Systems
Languages: English
Culture: Obsessed with tradition
Staff Levels: 75,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Gorman Systems, Ltd. is the dominant heavy manufacturing
concern on Earth and one of the largest private employers in
Britain. The company specialises in heavy equipment including
large scale construction, both terrestrial and orbital, and ground
transport. While not as stimulating to the public conscious as
starship manufacturing, Gorman Systems is a strong advocate
for waterborne shipping. The company’s current brand initiative
emphasises Britain’s ocean-going history to promote its ultramax
container vessels and floating city ships.
Hyde Dynamics
Headquarters: Roanoke Virginia, America, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Hyde Dynamics is committed to integrity,
trust and respect in everything we do.
Languages: English
Culture: Hard-nosed and profit driven
Staff Levels: 475,000
Scope of Operations: Core, American Arm
Hyde Dynamics is synonymous with power generation and
aerospace defence technology. The company maintains land
and marine vehicle divisions but their piloted air and space
defence craft are a half-generation ahead of the competition.
Hyde Dynamics is the preferred vendor for the American military
and allied governments. The company has a reputation for
ruthlessness, leveraging hostile takeovers or simply buying out
competitors and contracts. Hyde Dynamics’s internal security
and intelligence services continuously monitor employee
activities. They are also rumoured to be engaged in the
aggressive extraction of competitor assets.
Infodyne
Headquarters: Atlanta Georgia, America, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We deliver unmatched news perspectives
across numerous categories, including policymaking, medicine,
economics, technology, entertainment and more.
Languages: English
Culture: Creative, confrontational and strange
Staff Levels: 25,000
Scope of Operations: Core, American Arm
Infodyne has a profitable SensNoir VR and Total Immersion
Theatre division but the company prides itself as an outlet
for journalism. Infodyne owns the largest market share of
news media outlets in the Core and American Arm, including
the controversial News Network 27. The New York-based
subsidiary is infamous for its non-traditional journalism style
including using animated caricatures for news anchors and non-
objective and brash reporting. Infodyne maintains a decidedly
pro-transhumanist philosophy making it a popular information
source for fringe groups and singularity seekers.
InterComm
Headquarters: Berlin, Germany, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: InterComm’s goal is to be humanity’s
leading producer and provider of entertainment and
information.
Languages: German, English, French
Culture: Hyper competitive and youth obsessed
Staff Levels: 193,000
Scope of Operations: Core
InterComm, AG is Andromedia’s primary competitor and the
leading contributor to the Core World monoculture. Rather than
seeing the company erasing individual nations and beliefs,
it projects itself as uniting all of humanity behind a common
philosophy of inclusiveness. InterComm owns the largest 3V
distribution network along with two music labels, four holomedia
studios, three publishers and the massive InterSpiel digital
gaming service provider. InterComm also invests heavily in
education programs that promote international travel, study and
co-operation.
48
Julian-Tauran Services
Headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: The mission of Julian-Tauran Services is
to conduct high-quality, independent research and practical
recommendations for economic and national security.
Languages: French, German, Italian
Culture: Academic but very secretive
Staff Levels: 1,250
Scope of Operations: Core
Julian-Tauran is an economic and defence policy think-tank
founded by two former members of the French intelligence
services. The company’s briefs are heavily cited during
Chamber of Deputies debates. For example Julian-Tauran
Services provided the initial cost-benefit analysis of the Beta
Canum Beanstalk project. Claiming no national allegiances, the
company supplied analysts to all sides in the War of German
Reunification. Employees are all headhunted from government
intelligence and secret police agencies and the company owns
and operates a large fleet of drones, sea craft and aircraft. Billed
by critics as ‘like RebcoSAR but without the respect for local
law,’ Julian-Tauran Services operators are proficient at never
getting caught.
L’tage
Headquarters: Nice-sur-Tirane, Nouvelle Provence, Tirane,
Alpha Centauri, Core
Mission Statement: L’tage Ltd. understands the importance of
its mission as a defence and transportation industry leader and
the trust that our customers put in our people and our products.
Languages: French
Culture: Cooperative and detail-oriented
Staff Levels: 98,000
Scope of Operations: Core, French Arm
L’tage Ltd. is a holding company for a group of starship, starship
components, arms and armaments manufacturing subsidiaries.
L’tage’s most well-known brand is Guiscard, producers of
missiles, both planetary and stellar, and rifles including the
popular FC-68 sporting rifle and the FAM-90, the standard-issue
French infantry weapon. L’tage’s profitability has been due to
maximising its facilities in the French shipbuilding yards on
Tirane and using a decentralised and flexible decision-making
process in subcontracting various projects. The company
often utilises General Services Transport and other French
shipbuilders in the design and development process before
taking the manufacturing in house.
Merchant’s Bank of Maputo
Headquarters: Maputo, Mozambique, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: MBM is focused on bringing humanity to
the stars and growing its colonies through intelligent financial
action.
Languages: Portuguese, Swahili, French
Culture: Patriotic and somewhat guarded
Staff Levels: 5,000
Scope of Operations: Human space
Mozambique’s tantalum reserves have made the country the
wealthiest of the Tier 4 nations. Despite not being a colonial
power it is among the top 10 most influential nations on Earth.
The Merchant’s Bank of Maputo was established over a century
ago by the government to accommodate the influx of capital
from France and other spacefaring nations. In 2300, 18% of the
company is still owned by Mozambique. MBM has been a major
insurer and underwriter in interstellar shipbuilding and colonial
projects across human space.
Momotaro Technologies
Headquarters: Tokyo Metroplex, Japan, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We are guided by our mission to inspire
and create a new future. Momotaro Technologies is dedicated
to designing new technologies, innovating existing products
and offering creative solutions.
Languages: Japanese
Culture: Security conscious and very guarded
Staff Levels: 87,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Momotaro Technologies is one of the largest specialty
electronics manufacturers in the Core Worlds. The company
is well known and well-regarded for its high quality computers,
entertainment systems, including the FunStation; cybernetic
interfaces; starship sensors and communications equipment. As
a public relations move, the company has established the Horii
Scholarship Program which promises a college education to
qualified Mudville residents. What is not widely known is that MT
requires the scholarship recipient to work for the company when
they graduate. Rumours circulate Libreville of families of Horri
Scholarship recipients being forcibly moved into MT residential
enclaves.
NeuralNet
Headquarters: Montreal Quebec, Canada, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: NeuralNet helps its customers succeed in a
data driven society.
Languages: French, English
Culture: Monolithic and confusing
Staff Levels: 625,000
Scope of Operations: Core
49
NeuralNet was formed from the merger of two predecessor
corporations, Neural Signal Systems and LinkNet North America.
Engineers at a LinkNet subsidiary had been responsible for
writing the transmission protocols for early Link systems and
NSS was already famous for its work in Augmented Reality user
interfaces. After their unification in 2275, NeuralNet became
like many TransNats and switched its mission to owning other
companies. The actual employees of NeuralNet are the senior
executives and their personal staffs. NeuralNet is divided among
six geographical regions in the Core, including Tirane, and each
division is legally its own transnational corporation. While each
division is focused on Link technology, the mission statement is
based on regional needs. NeuralNet’s Libreville office is also the
NeuralNet Pan-Africa regional headquarters.
Niyazawa International Bank
Headquarters: Tokyo Metroplex, Japan, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Integrity leads to prosperity.
Languages: Japanese
Culture: Honour and duty driven, nationalistic
Staff Levels: 319,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Niyazawa International Bank is the world’s oldest family-
owned and controlled TransNat. The Japanese government,
through Niyazawa intermediaries, was responsible for much of
the financial support nations received during post-Twilight Era
reconstruction. The bank has supported colonisation, scientific
and technological achievements including Trilon’s stutterwarp
tug project – in fact several Niyazawa representatives sit on both
the Trilon and the Aberdeen Mineral Extraction Company boards
of directors. Proudly Japanese, Niyazawa employees are known
for their subtlety and effectiveness. Individual Niyazawa clan
members are among the wealthiest individuals in human space.
Pratt-Nagoya-Suharto
Headquarters: New Tokyo, Amaterasu, Tirane, Alpha Centauri,
Core
Mission Statement: Pratt-Nagoya-Suharto is honoured to
reliably serve its clients and as a compass for the future.
Languages: Japan
Culture: Unobtrusive but stern
Staff Levels: 100,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Pratt-Nagoya-Suharto is Japan’s second largest bank. Yukio,
the crown princess of Japan and wife of the heir apparent to the
Chrysanthemum Throne, inherited her position as CEO from
her father Hisashi Suharto. The company primarily handles
transnational corporate accounts, loans and investments but it
also serves as a personal bank for wealthy individuals including
entertainers and business leaders. The company transport shuttles
Yukio from the Libreville office to the company headquarters on
Tirane on a regular basis. It is believed that Pratt-Nagoya-Suharto
agreed to reincorporate at the Amaterasu colony to avoid a nasty
business war with Niyazawa International Bank.
PsiTechCorp
Headquarters: Kiev, Ukraine, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We at PsiTechCorp believe that the future
of humanity lies within. We want to tap that potential.
Languages: Ukrainian, Russian
Culture: Unabashedly transhumanist and academic
Staff Levels: 75,000
Scope of Operations: Core
An Investment 100 megacorporation, PsiTechCorp has
evolved from a biomedical and cybernetics research company
to a financier of smaller and start-up medical companies.
Most PsiTechCorp prosthetics and diagnostic equipment are
manufactured by subsidiaries and under an assortment of
different names. The most successful bio- and cybertech brands
in use by humanity are PsiTechCorp brands. Its gene therapies
are popular in clinical settings but some shelved and stolen
DNAM intellectual properties have made their way into black
clinics.
Quinn Optronics
Headquarters: San Francisco California, America, Earth, Sol,
Core
Mission Statement: At Quinn Optronics we believe humanity is
propelled forward by new ideas, brave investments and bold
thinking. We push industry forward. It’s our drive to deliver.
Languages: English
Culture: Defensive, closed and secretive
Staff Levels: 110,000
Scope of Operations: Core, American Arm
For a TransNat, Quinn Optronics is considered the scrappy
underdog to the Hyde Dynamics juggernaut. Having avoided
several hostile takeovers from its much larger competitor, the
company has secured several lucrative contracts with the
American and Canadian governments. The company’s Allen
subsidiary is a preferred contractor for space laser armaments
and Quinn Optronics has cracked Darlan Optophysique’s
monopoly on man-portable plasma weapons as well as climate
satellites. Quinn is a strong proponent of arcology facilities which
it believes fosters a strong ‘corporate family-focused’ zaibatsu-
style of business.
Ramirez-Abruggo
Headquarters: Rio de Janerio, Brazil, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Driven by our passion and common
purpose, Ramirez-Abruggo brings the best brands to
consumers throughout the Core.
Languages: Portuguese
Culture: Closed and security conscious
Staff Levels: 325,000
Scope of Operations: Core
50
Ramirez-Abruggo is a privately run corporation and its internal
management structure is unknown to the public. What is known is
that the company is the second largest producer of consumable
goods in the Core Worlds behind AmeriCo. Ramirez-Abruggo
subsidiary brand name foods and medicines are found in almost
every home on Earth and Tirane. The EZ1 Stop chain is one
of their subsidiaries and the number one location of AmeriCo’s
Food Extruder brand food synthesiser, which frustrates AmeriCo.
Ramirez-Abruggo has ventured into the armaments business
but the success of the venture remains to be seen.
Rawlings Group
Headquarters: Dallas, Texas, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We are a leading innovator, designer and
manufacturer of firearms, light machinery and related products.
Languages: English
Culture: Old-fashioned and security conscious
Staff Levels: 125,000
Scope of Operations: Human space
The Rawlings Group began as a firearms company but has
expanded into domestic and commercial machinery. In 2299, the
TransNat pushed one of their largest competitor’s, Rexford-Norris,
out of the G40. The Rawlings Group has recently become the
largest provider of private security forces in the Core through the
Yellow Rose Security Services and Mockingbird brands. Yellow
Rose employees are highly trained and professional, typically
serving as private police forces and plain clothes bodyguards for
corporate executives, celebrities and other VIPs. Mockingbird
specialists are uniformed paramilitaries who conduct combat
training courses for mercenaries and government militaries.
Sistemas Domesticas
Headquarters: Barcelona, Catalonia, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Sistemas Domesticas believes that
the importance of a comfortable home is paramount and is
committed to providing its loyal customers with the best in
household digital control systems.
Languages: Spanish
Culture: Somewhat closed and very image conscious
Staff Levels: 28,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Sistemas Domesticas owns some of the most popular domestic
robot brands in the Core. While Pichot Industries ‘Rosie’ brand
android is the most popular general-purpose domestic robot
on the market, Sistemas Domestica’s specialty cleaning and
landscaping drones and robots are top sellers. The company’s
largest market share comes from its household management
AI and control systems. The company has been undergoing
restructuring and a massive PR campaign after it was discovered
that the ‘Giselle’ brand house AI contained an unregistered
biometric data-sifting algorithm. Sistemas Domesticas claims it
was the victim of industrial sabotage.
Sortech Enterprises
Headquarters: Tirania City, Tirania, Tirane, Alpha Centauri,
Core
Mission Statement: Sortech Enterprises provides automatons
that provide its customers with a competitive advantage in
productivity, safety and cost.
Languages: English
Culture: The company is as important as family
Staff Levels: 186,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Sortech Enterprises is the second largest manufacturer of
robotics and drone systems after Tunghus Robotics. The
company’s focus is purely civilian applications including
manufacturing rescue and repair robots and drones for all
environments. Sortech has recently branched into cyber/bio
hybrid drones through this technology is cost-prohibitive for
most industries. The company provides not only housing but
free high-quality health care and education to all employees and
their dependents which creates a loyal workforce. While most
research and fabrication takes place on Earth, the company’s
headquarters is on Tirane due to tax incentives.
Sumatro-Fabrique
Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Sumatro-Fabrique is a leader in design,
development and manufacture of innovative spacecraft
systems. We produce structural components, sensors,
communication and defensive technologies.
Languages: Malay, French
Culture: Protective but independent
Staff Levels: 175,000
Scope of Operations: Core, French Arm
Sumatro-Fabrique is completely focused on spaceship
component manufacturing. Its zero-G bearings, extrusions
and castings are the industry standard. Sumatro-Fabrique also
operates armaments divisions that include energy weapon
development. Its subsidiaries are granted a great deal of
independence but the Libreville office serves as a watchdog
group. If a regional subsidiary or orbital manufacturing plant finds
itself falling behind in productivity, S-F executive troubleshooters
will engage in swift and aggressive restructuring plans.
Tao Biogenics
Headquarters: Shanghai, Canton, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Tao Biogenics delivers sustainable
agriculture products that support farmers throughout human
space.
Languages: Cantonese, Mandarin
Culture: Academic but closed
Staff Levels: 123,000
Scope of Operations: Core, Chinese Arm, French Arm
51
Tao Biogenics is most well-known for the development of
genetically modified seed stock and animal/human cybernetic
interfaces. While modified farm animals for use on colony worlds
are the projects that Tao Biogenics presents to the public,
the company is also heavily involved in the military industrial
complex. Genemodded and cybernetically enhanced security
animals have been profitable ventures for Tao Biogenics.
Tunghus Robotics
Headquarters: Beijing, Manchuria, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: We create the solutions that solve the
problems of all manufacturers and security providers.
Languages: Mandarin, Cantonese
Culture: Open but very security conscious
Staff Levels: 225,000
Scope of Operations: Core, Chinese Arm
Tunghus Robotics is one of the largest manufacturers of robots,
control systems and materials handling systems in human space.
The company is most well-known for the Wu-Beijing product line
of armaments and combat walker systems. The company tries
to off-set its image as a soulless military contractor by donating
massive amounts of money to artistic endowments. Tunghus
Robotics offers a Lv1,000,000 annual prize to the Libreville artist
whose work best reflects the spirit and culture of the megacity.
The winning piece is displayed in the corporate office lobby.
The current display is an animatronic spot welder with a frame
carved from native woods and decorated using traditional Bantu
materials.
Vannoccio
Headquarters: Maranello, Italy, Earth, Sol, Core
Mission Statement: Vannoccio employs the Core’s best
designers to create the Core’s best designs.
Languages: English
Culture: Dress for success and act like a leader
Staff Levels: 130,000
Scope of Operations: Core
Vannoccio SpA provides the ultra-high-end goods that the Core
elite demand. The company’s fashion subsidiaries set design
trends that span decades and its automobile unit provides
vehicles that are the envy of collectors and aficionados. Even
its food and beverage lines are typically priced 30-to-40%
higher to comparable goods. Vannoccio has recently engaged
in a memetic inforwar campaign with its automobile competitor
Tamerlaine. Tamerlaine’s factory-order-only Saphir 5000 was
recently rated best in class over Vannoccio’s 600-SL. While
Vannoccio has engaged in AR and 3-V smear campaigns,
the company has also engaged in rapid restructuring of its
manufacturing wings to accommodate custom vehicle designs.
Corporate Police
Transnational corporate office facilities and residential enclaves
are protected by private security forces with coordination with
the LMPD. Local privacy and property rights do not apply in
TransNat enclaves so corporate police operate with a great deal
of latitude and little government oversight. They are also well
trained, equipped and paid in comparison to their public sector
brethren. This training includes psychology and interpersonal
relations courses. The reputation of the company and employee
morale depend heavily on their security forces behaving in a
thoughtful and professional manner. Shooting a visitor who
blundered into the wrong area of a campus or an intoxicated and
belligerent executive is the last thing a company wants to spin.
Thus corporate police are typically well dressed and behave in a
manner reminiscent of a museum docent.
When dealing with an apprehended suspect, corporate police
will subject the individual to sessions of chemical interrogation
utilising J and other compounds and Cortex-Hacking with
a SQuID. See page 58 of Tools for Frontier Living for more
information on J and page 167 of the 2300AD Core Rulebook
for more information on Cortex-Hacking. So long as no physical
harm or easily noticeable psychological damage occurs as
a result, corporate police can hold a suspect in a corporate
medical facility indefinitely. Once the interrogation is completed
to the company’s satisfaction, a suspect will be turned over to
the LMPD.
TransNat corporate police are either subcontracted to a specialty
firm, such as Yellow Rose, or are staffed by the in-house police
department. Depending on staffing needs, recruits often come
from military backgrounds though head hunters will cherry pick
high-performing officers in public police departments.
Transnational Corporate Executive
TransNat executives are the ruling class of the Core and, to a lesser extent, all of human space.
Character Career Path
Corporate Executive Citizen (Corporate) 6
Skills: Advocate 1, Admin 3, Broker 2, Diplomat 1, Leadership 2
Traits: Common Sense, Famous/2, Sexy
Motivations: Diamond King, Hearts 7. Company profit, personal wealth and keeping the shareholders happy are the three
motivations of a TransNat executive.
DNAMs: None
Equipment: Fashionable clothing, link phone implant, portacomp implant
52
Foundations and N o t -F o r -P r o f i t s
Proximity to the Beanstalk terminal and the wealth of natural
resources in Gabon has attracted a significant number of large,
non-commercial entities. In comparison to the influence of
the Libreville Corporate Board, these groups are insignificant.
However, they are a visual and active presence in the megacity.
The eccentric Academi del Lincei is a major power on the
city Arts Council and is responsible for the Daibei Museum
of Fine Arts and Antiquity. The Lepandou Aquarium and
Oceanographic Research Centre board is run by the Foundation
for Practical Knowledge. The North American Research League
coordinates heavily with the Gabon Metropolitan Department
on environmental impact projects. Other organisations with
offices in Libreville include the Alberta Farmer’s Cooperative,
the Astronomischen Rechen-Institut, L’Institut Des Etudes
Xenologiques, the British Royal Society, Paix Avec les Xenos,
the Transhuman League, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of
Libreville, the Muslim National Conference and the Community
of Sentients (Libreville).
Organised Crime, Terrorists and
Fringe Groups
Like the birth of transnational corporate power, the re-emergence
of resilient international organised crime syndicates was
spurred by the desperation of the Twilight Era. When national
law enforcement and intelligence organisations were crippled,
governments were incapacitated and nations were engaged in
civil wars, the actions of petty crooks and thugs were beyond
the notice of those trained to combat them. In some cases,
STR DEX END INT EDU SOC
7 7 7 9 9 11
strong crime families were the only law until civilisation returned
during reconstruction. Organised crime leaders learned from the
mistakes of the pre-Twilight years and tightened their operations
– only the fanatically loyal would be considered for membership,
civilian casualties were to be avoided at all costs and every
illegal operation would be backstopped by a legal front with an
army of accountants to launder funds. The syndicates of 2300
are the secret TransNats of the Core.
The primary syndicate powers in Libreville are the Italian Mafia
and the Cantonese Triads. The Mafia is a powerful influence in
the AmeriCo directorate and utilises the TransNat’s resources to
manage its smuggling, drug running, protection, loan sharking,
gambling and other criminal pursuits. The Mafia engages in
social engineering schemes to exert influence over other local
corporations and funnels a steady stream of bribes into the
Libreville government. To the Mafia’s frustration it has yet to
infiltrate the APL.
The Triads engage in many of the same criminal pursuits but
their focus is more on high-tech crimes ranging from electronics
and biotech smuggling to currency manipulation in subscription
Link video games. Triad enforcers are known for utilising illegal
cyberware and biotech body mods. As a result the syndicates
have a strong tie to Provolution. Skilled media manipulation has
garnered the Triads an underserved reputation of folk heroes.
Enthusiastic publications follow the exploits of publically known
syndicate members which include fictional and romanticised
fan-written biographies. Triad lifelogs are popular subscription
services, especially the more violent SenseNoir recordings.
Communication crime is as old as the telephone. In 2300 all
syndicates engage in some form of e-crime. With omnipresent
access to the Link, e-crime groups independent of the ethnic
syndicates are commonplace. Some groups act as a support
industry for larger outfits while others are thrill seekers. Unlike
traditional syndicates, Link-based groups are decentralised which
frustrates law enforcement. The sheer amount of personal and
commercial communication traffic in Libreville make the city an
appetising target. The most successful e-crime group operating
in Libreville is Le Nombre (the Many). Le Nombre originated in
2292 as a freelance orbital infowar group tasked with countering
German memetic propaganda. When the war ended, the group
broke its affiliation with the French government and began
dabbling in fraud, identity counterfeiting and data theft. Members
will take on assignments offered by larger syndicates or engage
in e-criminal activities for personal benefit. Typical members are
either disgruntled former military specialists or sociopathic corp
town residents.
The Midnight Cavaliers are a group of AR graffiti artists that also
break into VR simulations, reprogram drones and engage in
other mischievous, illegal and sometimes dangerous Link-based
pursuits. Occasionally the group will reveal conspiracies and
other secrets that work against the public good. However, to the
general public, they are considered irritating anti-authoritarians
at best and criminal miscreants at worst.
53
The Ghost Shadows is one of the most notorious e-criminal
groups operating on the Link. While set up as a Triad society,
the group is multi-ethnic with a floating membership. The
Ghost Shadows develop and maintain darknet Link sites for
terrorists as well as organisations involved in illegal gaming,
malware development and other high-profile criminal activities.
Ghost Shadows assets include indebted assassins and other
operatives who act as the syndicate’s enforcers.
The frustration of Mudville life has allowed the slums to become
petri dishes of terrorist and fanatic recruitment activity. Provolution
cells are funded through their black clinic operations. A variety
of cybernetic monsters and biotech horrors are produced in their
back alley labs and unleashed on the general population. The
Children of Mao are more selective in their targets – specifically the
TransNats and their physical operations in Libreville. They actively
stir up the proletariat working class with flash mob demonstrations
and destroy the machines of the oppressive bourgeoisie with
bombings and assassinations at corporate offices. Earth First
terror activities have been primarily infowar campaigns against
the French government but their members have grown more
aggressive, targeting spaceports for sabotage and hijackings. For
more information on Provolution, the Children of Mao and Earth
First, see page 86 of the 2300AD Core Rulebook.
Fascism is still alive in some parts of the Core. Le Pacte de
Rois is a pro-Imperial terror group dedicated to maintaining
the superiority of French culture in Africa. They are known for
militant rallies where they recognise their devotion to Nicolas
Ruffin and terrify Mudville residents who express contra-
Franco sympathies. They violently clash with the Pan-African
Guardians, a mélange of Central African ethnic nationalists and
their supporters. The Guardians believe the French to be little
better than exploitative conquerors who need to be pushed off
the continent by any means possible.
Traditional racism is passé in 2300 but anti-DNAM xenophobia
is common. Humanitis Ascendo, originally a Provolution splinter
group, is a militant bioconservative organisation that views
genetic enhancement as an affront to the dignity of humanity. In
response they target transhumanists, u-fins and pro-xeno groups
for bombings and assassinations. The Kaefer threat in the French
Arm has provided them more ideological fuel. Less extreme than
Humanitis Ascendo are the Solarians. One part global political
movement and one part animist cult, the group has been linked
to Earth First, a charge it firmly denies. The movement believes
that humanity is not ready to accept responsibility for the
technologies it has unlocked including DNAM and stutterwarp.
The group does favour undersea habitats and in-system colonial
development so long as traditional methods are used, such as
basic sealed habitats. Its political members have made inroads
in Tier 4 governments, including Russia, but actual colonial
powers have little patience for the arch-bioconservatives.
Anti-surveillance/pro-Haven groups believe that the surveillance
state of the Core is anathema to a healthy society. Though
they are regarded as e-criminals by law enforcement, these
groups are strictly not-for-profit and work for what they believe
is the common good. Pro-Haven groups operate under many
different names but they all use similar tactics – they break into
commercial databases to delete personal information or seed
them with false information, push for privacy enhancement and
leak commercial and military secrets.
The Mudville militias are equated to terrorists by the Libreville
government and some news media outlets but the militias are
less politically motivated. Militias are posses that protect their
neighbourhoods and districts from outsiders. Armed with pickup
trucks and surplus military rifles, the militias act as keepers of
the peace though to varying degrees of success. Some militias
are protection rackets while others provide a legitimate service
for their communities. One of the more benevolent militias is a
group known as the Ronin. The Ronin are led by a former Black
Scorpion Co. mercenary and are respected by residents in the
Ngsangnam Wharf area of the Nzong Bour district. They are
also known for their odd quasi-bushido code and obsession with
Muromachi period weaponry.
Groups representing every school of social and political thought
known to man are represented in Libreville. Most are mainstream
and mundane – lobbyists, unions, religious congregations,
political theorists, think-tanks, activists and academics. A
handful are born from the hyper-connected and frenetic pace
of life in 2300. Grouped under the moniker of transhumanists,
these groups seek to push humanity past its planetary and
organic limitations. Some groups, like the Transhuman League,
are benign. They seek lifts on DNAM and body modification
technology bans through education and lobbying efforts. On the
opposite end of the spectrum is Provolution which carries over
54
the viciousness of the Twilight Era. In the middle of the spectrum
are a variety of causes and groups that are apolitical.
The Singularitarian Association believe that the limited artificial
intelligence used in robots and other control systems is only
the first step. They believe that the answer to humanity’s quest
for greatness is a self-replicating seed AI. Unfortunately for the
Singularitarians and despite the power and sophistication of
processing systems in 2300, superintelligence in the form of AI
remains a technological dead-end.
Though regarded as a criminal organisation, the Grafters are
non-violent. They prefer to engage in Link piracy and narcotic
distribution to support its efforts. The Grafters believe that all life is
one and that the human form should reflect this. Suction-cupped
fingers, vestigial wings or cranial horns are impractical biomods
but Grafters find them worth pursuing and contemplating. Some
Grafters have experimented with merman DNAM and physical
surgery to join the legs into a seamless, tapering and finned trunk.
Another outlaw group, the Shaper Art Collective believes in
an aesthetic approach to biomodification rather than practical
enhancement. They look to tweak existing and unlock new DNA
modifications in order to greater understand the natural world
and to comment on it. The results of their experiments are more
subtly disturbing including cartoonish large eyes, muscular
hydrostats for fingers and reversed leg joints.
Posthumanists want to shed their physical forms entirely.
They shun their own flesh, searching for an evolutionary ideal;
something that will transform them into the apex of physicality.
They primarily focus on cybernetic research, including durable
full-body machine replacements. They also research the yet-to-
be-unlocked potential of organic brain-to-solid state conversions.
 PERSONALITIES
Governeur Sophie Tchioba
Tchioba is the senior administrator of the Metropolitan
Department of Gabon and governor of 40 million French citizens.
She assumed the post in 2298 after serving as the mayor of
Brazzaville and before that as a representative in the Chamber
of Deputies in Paris.
Tchiboa is a native of Gabon, the daughter of a civilian supervisor
at the naval port in Pointe-Noir and a hospital administrator.
After studying political theory at Université Omar Bongo she
received a law degree from the Sorbonne where she also met
her husband. Returning to Gabon with her new family, Tchiboa
began her political career as a councillor in Brazzaville.
As governor, Tchioba’s performance has received mixed
reviews. The office suffers from a lack of clout, comparable
to the pre-Twilight state of New York versus New York City.
The governor is a capable administrator but lacks the political
influence to fight corruption in Libreville, let alone institute
changes that would benefit the population as a whole. The
governor has re-focused her energy on the preservation and
redevelopment of Gabon’s natural wildlife and updating rural
infrastructure. The French Ecology Ministry is a strong supporter
of the Tchioba administration’s efforts and has lent expertise and
material. Tchioba’s executive order mandating lethal force in the
protection of the rain forest has received a mixture of praise and
condemnation from the public.
Tchioba is a Green Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Tchioba: Players are unlikely to meet Governor
Tchioba directly and the opinion of the average Gabonese
varies from indifferent to extreme. Players may be approached
by one of Tchioba’s political operatives or a senior officer in the
State Police. Possibilities include investigating the Libreville city
government to expose corrupt practices, coordinating security
arrangements during a gubernatorial visit or handling a lost VIP
rescue deep in the rain forest. Alternatively, the players might
be approached by representatives of the Libreville Corporate
Board with a request to plant evidence of malfeasance or steal
department secrets from the governor’s office. In this case,
Tchioba would be an opponent.
NPC Motivation Results: Club 5: Tchioba is impossible to
bully and is not afraid to utilise the power of her office. Heart 2:
Importance. Tchioba genuinely wishes to help Gabon but is too
wrapped up in the political process to be completely effective.
55
Mayor Lin Natora
Natora is Libreville’s new mayor, replacing outgoing Peter
Sassou. She assumed the post in 2299 after serving two terms
on the city council. Her election campaign ran on the motto
Assister aux étoiles avec Natora (Voyage to the Stars with
Natora), emphasising Libreville’s importance as the caretaker of
mankind’s interstellar ambitions.
An immigrant of mixed French-Japanese heritage, Natora knows
the inner workings of city hall and the Libreville Corporate Board.
Backroom and media rumours circulate that Natora forced the
incumbent Mayor Sassou out of office after Sassou threatened
to divulge the volume of corporate kickbacks the city council
has received. Natora denies the claims and Sassou has quietly
withdrawn from public life.
Natora is young, charismatic and camera-friendly with a very
flashy and hands-on style of leadership. While claiming to be ‘one
of the people,’ there are few fundraising events where Natora is
not in attendance. Her public relations team is a crack group of
spin-doctors from Lure Partners, an Andromedia subsidiary. The
mayor’s office maintains a strong Link presence and a team of
infowarfare specialists utilising AI packages prowls the networks,
countering any media services critical of her performance. The
mayor has been removing the last vestiges of Mayor Sassou’s
influence and negotiating newer, more lucrative, partnerships
with the corporate board.
Natora is an Experienced Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Natora: If the players have gained a professional or
ruthless reputation, Mayor Natora may secretly approach them
to serve as political operatives or a secret dirty tricks squad.
Natora is engaged in a private war with the LMPD chief over
moves to privatise the police force and the quiet power struggle
will require deniable agents. Natora is also in need of spies and
informants who can keep tabs on city council members.
NPC Motivation Results: Minor Joker: Natora is a high-
functioning sociopath and acutely aware of her condition. She
is also a skilled actress and can present herself in any way
needed. Heart 8: Natora is a devious and meticulous planner.
She has long term plans for Libreville including exerting her own
influence over the APL and even Gateway Station.

Elias Mantaka
Elias Mantaka is the director of InterComm, AG’s Libreville office
and the president of the Libreville Corporate Board. He is the
public face of the transnational corporate community in Libreville.
Mantaka is a second generation InterComm employee. Born
in Berlin in 2255, Mantaka was a stereotypical TransNat Brat –
educated in company-run schools and groomed for a position as
a mid-tier executive. As he rose through the tiers of InterComm’s
hierarchy he discovered he was not the most innovative or
successful business manager when he followed the rules. As
Vice-President of Development for the company’s InterSpiel
subsidiary, he began cutting corners in the software development
cycle. Well-placed bribes to industry journalists kept reports
of bugs out of the public awareness until after the company
posted record profits for the quarter. By the time the story broke,
Mantaka had moved on to InterComm’s headquarters division
and was considered untouchable.
As the Corporate Board president, Mantaka has met his match
interacting with other TransNats and may be in over his head. His
influence has waned to keeping agendas items moving through
committees and scheduling votes. He wears sharp black suits
and is immaculately groomed but stress and age are beginning
to take its toll. He speaks loudly but with little conviction.
Mantaka is an Average Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Mantaka: Mantaka can serve as either a patron or a
target to players who can walk the line between corporate need
and corporate greed. In the cut-throat world of transnational
corporate politics, leaders are never short of enemies and any
company would view him as a target for replacement. Players
could be contracted by Mantaka as personal body guards
or couriers, ferrying secret information by hand to various
InterComm offices around the Core.
NPC Motivation Results: Diamond King: Mantaka is a member
of the corporate aristocracy and demands the very best that life
has to offer, be it French wines or Montana colonial chocolates.
Club 5: Mantaka is prone to banging his fist and acts of physical
anger when he feels he is being ignored or not taken seriously.
Director Andrea Beresford
Andrea Beresford was appointed by Emperor Nicolas Ruffin
to serve as Libreville’s Port Authority director. Born in Nouvelle
Paris on Tirane, she moved to Vieux Paris, Nouvelle Provence
slang for the Paris Metroplex, to work directly for the federal
government.
Unlike most federal administrators who practise law or business
administration, Beresford began her career as an inspector
with the Direction centrale de la sécurité publique (DCSP), the
investigations branch of the French national police. She was
a successful officer with an excellent record and assisted in
prosecuting several violent and dangerous criminals.
56
During a homicide investigation, the evidence against a suspect
that Beresford had acquired was stolen. The suspect in question
was the son of an influential L’Tage Ltd. executive and when the
charges were dismissed the suspect claimed two more victims.
Beresford led the investigation that broke the conspiracy ring but
she still blamed herself for the stolen evidence and resulting loss
of life. Nicolas Ruffin’s office had followed the case and when
the time to appoint a new APL director came, Beresford was the
Emperor’s first choice.
Beresford is an Elite Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Beresford: Being one of the few powerful and honest
leaders in Libreville has made Beresford a target for any number
of special interest groups. Players could be approached by
any number of shadow agencies to run a dirty tricks campaign
against her. As an alternate take, the French government may
be aware of a plot against Beresford and could hire the players
to investigate the conspiracy. Beresford herself could request
that the players run an internal security audit of the APL by
engineering a fake smuggling ring.
NPC Motivation Results: Heart Ace: Beresford is meticulous
and honest which makes her an oddity in Libreville. Protecting
the APL from local and corporate corruption is her primary
goal. Club Queen: Beresford has no regrets in sacrificing her
relationships with her friends and her family in the pursuit of her
career.
Doctor Paul St. Pierre
St. Pierre is the director of the Transhuman League’s Libreville
office. A trained bioengineer, St. Pierre is also a minor celebrity
who hosted the popular Franco-British 3-V program The Friendly
Extropian.
St. Pierre served on the frontlines with the French military during
the Central Asian War. After hostilities ended, he vowed a life
of pacifism. He began his studies at the Karolinska Institutet
in the Scandinavian Union. Focusing his attention on human
modification technologies, he held numerous positions at
institutions across Europe. After publishing a well-received
science column in a French entertainment periodical, he was
approached by an Andromedia production team to bring his
ideas to a larger audience.
St. Pierre has a reputation for enthusiasm and for a hyperactive
mind that is occasionally difficult to understand. Though he
has not undergone any illegal DNAM procedures himself, and
his position as League director prevents him from doing so,
he presents a quirky yet supportive face to the transhumanist
movement. His spiky blond hair, friendly smile and AR glasses
present a caricaturist visage.
St. Pierre is a Green Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting St. Pierre: Players can meet St. Pierre at a public
speaking engagement or at a celebrity event. Characters with
backgrounds in entertainment or journalism or who come
from wealthy families may be solicited by St. Pierre’s office for
attention or funds. St. Pierre may be facing a death threats from
any number of fanatics, including more extremist transhuman
groups, and players could be hired to prevent an assassination
attempt.
NPC Motivation Results: Spade Nine: St. Pierre believes that
all of the humanity’s issues can be solved with the thoughtful
application of biomodification. He does not believe that
technology itself can ever be evil or wrong, only the application
of it. Club Two: The Transhuman League, and, by extension,
St. Pierre are constantly criticised and even threatened by anti-
modification conservatives. St. Pierre laughs off these fears as
products of an unenlightened mind.
Jean-François Assele
Assele is a middle manager in the Trilon corporate office in
Libreville. Born and raised in Mudville, Assele left the slums
through hard work and a great deal of luck. He is the Libreville
office’s Director of External Resources – he hires Freelancers
and contracts with other companies like RebcoSAR for various
services on Trilon’s behalf.
Assele still keeps tabs on his old Mudville neighbourhood but
is also firmly planted in transnational corporate culture. The
recipient of a Trilon-sponsored scholarship, he was able to pull
his parents and siblings out of the slums and relocate them to a
corp town. As a way of ‘paying it forward’ he makes every effort
to headhunt talent that might not otherwise be able to leave
Mudville. He also sits on the Trilon Philanthropy Committee
though he finds the committee entirely too self-serving and
ineffective at addressing the real needs in Libreville.
Assele is of mixed Bantu and French heritage. He is friendly and
candid, two traits that are rare in Libreville’s cutthroat commercial
climate. His personal style is a mixture of flashiness and taste.
He sports a bioluminescent tribal tattoo on his forehead and
cheek and dresses in casual corporate wear.
Assele is an Average Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Assele: Assele is the perfect contact for players
interested in working with Trilon, the largest corporate presence
in human space. Players may be referred to Assele’s office by a
third-party recruiter or contacted by Assele himself if they have
a reputation for fairness and honesty. The Libreville office has
a diverse range of opportunities, from temporary starship crew
work to troubleshooting productivity issues at a fishmeal plant.
57
NPC Motivation Results: Heart King: Assele believes in hard
work and honouring contracts. He has little time for liars or those
who try to cheat their way into success. Heart Four: Assele is
known to be easy-going and friendly though he should not be
mistaken for a pushover.
Angelique Lepandou
Lepandou is a famous performance artist who recently signed
an exclusive contract with Spindrift to perform at their Aqualight
Club. She has a strong following in Libreville’s elite circles as her
music, which draws on images from her childhood, African tribal
art, the recurrent unrest in Mudville and Gothic horror, has struck
a chord with a normally jaded audience.
Lepandou strikes many as a self-absorbed musician but in
reality she maintains several connections to Libreville’s criminal
underworld. Her former relationship to former Mafia hitman and
suspected Provolution assassin Johnny Slide has been well
documented by the gossip blogs. Lepandou claims she has left
that part of her life behind though her current secret beau, Henri
‘The Steel Cowboy’ Morgan, is a retired criminal who made his
fortune laundering mob money through Hong Kong, the Cayman
Islands and Switzerland.
Lepandou loves the spotlight but has been performing for so
long that she has forgotten who she truly is. Her connections
can easily put her in harm’s way should one of her associates
be put in the crosshairs of a mob war. Her look changes with the
season but she typically wears her curly and side-swept blonde
hair long and sports oddly-revealing pantsuits.
Lepandou is a Green Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Lepandou: Players who are active in the Libreville social
scene will have heard of Lepandou and may bump into her at the
Aqualight Club. Lepandou serves as an intermediary between
Libreville’s Mafia presence and high-society or employees who
need to be paid under-the-table. She may serve as the voice
of a criminal employer for the players, carrying instructions and
requests back and forth. She may also hire the players directly,
perhaps to help relocate herself and Henri Morgan to a colony
world beyond the Mafia’s reach.
NPC Motivation Results: Heart Queen: Lepandou is madly in
love with Henri Morgan and will do anything he asks of her, legal
or illegal. Spade 4: Lepandou is not easily intimidated. If she is
threatened she will acquiesce and then look for revenge at a
later date.
Jamal ‘the Shogun’ Kwan
Kwan is the leader of the Ronin, a militia that protects a large
neighbourhood housing project in Nzong Bour district. Kwan is
considered to be among the more benevolent militia leaders and
even rival militia heads begrudgingly respect him.
At age 20, Kwan was an employee of the Black Scorpion Co.
private military outfit. While visiting his Mudville home after a
lengthy combat stint, his neighbourhood was attacked by a rival
militia/terror cell known as the Mort Rouge (Crimson Death). A
homemade pipe bomb took his legs and an arm. According to
popular legend, Kwan dragged himself to an EZ1 Stop through
rain and mud and managed to stay alive for 45 minutes until an
ambulance retrieved him. Kwan then paid the ambulance driver,
an alleged Provolution sympathiser, to take him to a black clinic
where he was outfitted with illegal, military-spec cybernetic limbs.
Kwan then pulled in a group of various gunmen and trained them
into a functioning militia. In 2298, the Ronin killed all surviving
Red Death members in a three-day street battle.
Kwan is of mixed Korean and African descent and is a fan of
Japanese samurai lore. As a result, the Ronin wear tailored
gis and robes over their armoured chest plates and often carry
easily portable martial arts weapons along with their firearms.
Kwan is an Experienced Combatant NPC.
Meeting Kwan: Though somewhat famous, it’s unlikely that
players will run into Kwan through casual encounters, unless
they have reason to be in his district of Mudville. If players
happen to blunder into his territory they may find themselves
brought before him with a forceful request to explain why they
are trespassing. Kwan is a good contact to have if a player
needs to find out information about Mudville and they may be put
into touch with him through a third party. Kwan may request the
players’ assistance with a delicate matter, such as negotiating a
truce with rivals, or even be willing to hire them as mercenaries
to help train his militia.
NPC Motivation Results: Spade Ace: Kwan is a charismatic
natural leader who draws others to him and inspires extreme
loyalty. Heart King: Kwan is honest and honourable, in his own
way. When he gives his word, he will not break it and expects
other to live up to the part of a bargain.
58
T e n -B o n e s
Ten-Bones is a second-generation dolphin Uplift, his parents
being the first neo-fins who were upgraded by the Maritime
Aquatic Engineering Institute. He is an information broker and
financial expert who has accumulated a small fortune.
Living as an Uplifted dolphin in the Core is not easy. DNA
modification has provided these former animals the same
intelligence and desires as humans. However, to many humans,
uplifted dolphins are not equals. In Japan, they are an errant
science experiment that did not provide a return on the investment
and are little more than property. While this is a source of anger
to the u-fins, Ten-Bones is socially aware enough to know that
life for many humans is little better. The lawlessness of the Inca
Republic and the economic abuses of Central Africa are the
equivalent to slavery in his mind. Thus Ten-Bones has been able
to keep a perspective that is new to the young u-fin culture. This
has made him a progressive radical in the u-fin community but
he is steadfast in his beliefs.
Like all u-fins, Ten-Bones is a dolphin with the intelligence of a
human, not a human in a dolphin body, and thus he has been
able to use his natural gifts to his advantage. A dolphin’s cognitive
ability to recognise patterns in and navigate ocean currents has
permitted Ten-Bones to game the market through proxies. Ten-
Bones owns a private home built directly into Gabon Bay and
employs a small staff that act as his eyes and muscle.
Ten-Bones is an Experienced Noncombatant NPC.
Meeting Ten-Bones: Ten-Bones’s presence in Libreville is a
secret and those who are aware of him are a tightly knit group.
Even his neighbours are unaware that the wealthy home owner
with the water-front property is actually a u-fin. Players can
be approached by one of Ten-Bones’ proxies for any sort of
assignment though the job is typically one that the u-fin believes
will improve an individual’s circumstances. He has been quietly
funnelling money into various Mudville charities and players
may be asked to assist in solving a crime or wrongdoing that the
authorities are ignoring. He will only reveal himself to the players
if he finds they are worthy of his trust.
NPC Motivation Results: Diamond Ace: One of the most
generous philanthropists in Libreville is, ironically, not even
human. Ten-Bones believes that if humanity can deal with its
real problems it can then tackle the philosophical ones – like
dolphin equality. Therefore, he does what he can for those
most deserving. Heart Nine: Ten-Bones finds making money
extremely easy and rather than lavishing himself in creature
comforts that he cannot use, he uses it to manipulate the world
around him.
 MUD STICKS
Mud Sticks is a three part adventure set in Libreville on Earth.
Violence in the slums of Mudville is on the rise and an Uplifted
dolphin philanthropist named Ten-Bones wants to stop it before
it gets worse. The players are hired to investigate on Ten-Bones’
behalf. They must examine the crime scene, interrogate crime
and terror figures, follow-up on the kidnapping of the son of a
Transhuman League member and grab suspects in Gabon
Harbour all while pursuing a tenuous corporate conspiracy.
Mud Sticks spans across one year with large gaps of time
between each part. Referees are encouraged to insert other
adventures into these empty periods, then re-introduce the Mud
Sticks plot when the time is right.
A Note About the Weather: Part 1 and Part 3 of Mud Sticks
takes place during Gabon’s rainy season. Skill tests made
outside of downtown have a -1 DM to reflect the persistent
rainfall and heat.
A Note About Investigating: For the ease of referees, Mud
Sticks is written using a linear plot format – one clue leads to
the next as the players chase both red herrings and actual leads
until the end of the adventure. More advanced referees are
welcome to introduce multiple leads through anonymous tips,
research or Allies. If task checks are used they should require
several linked task checks to represent the time and difficulty of
following up with contacts and chasing down leads.
Behind the Scenes
In 2296, Augustin Tshisekedi left the Mort Rouge militia of
Libreville and was accepted by the Black Scorpion mercenaries.
The private military contractor’s history of hiring urban, at-
risk youth and Tshisekedi’s understanding of tactics made
him an ideal employee. However, Tshisekedi was considered
a moderating influence in the Mort Rouge and his absence
allowed more violent elements to assume control. In 2297, the
Mort Rouge claimed the Ngsangnam Warf area of the Nzong
Bour district. When the locals refused to pay for protection the
Mort Rouge began a terror bombing campaign. One of the
bombs maimed Black Scorpion legend and Ngsangnam Warf’s
favourite son, Jamal Kwan.
59
The following year, Kwan resigned from Black Scorpion and
took up arms against Mort Rouge. Kwan’s new militia, the
Ronin, wiped out the entirety of Mort Rouge including Augustin
Tshisekedi’s younger brothers. Tshisekedi returned from a
campaign on Joi just in time to bury his family.
Vowing revenge, Tshisekedi tapped a Black Scorpion slush
fund to hire Narolie Pujol, a sought-after Freelance mercenary.
Together, the two hatched a plot that would not only cause blame
to be shifted to Jamal Kwan’s group but would deliver control
of several Mudville districts to the both of them. Pujol used her
knowledge of the underworld to recruit disaffected members of
Earth First who would serve as her own personal dirty tricks and
murder squad. The Ronin’s imitation samurai style was easy to
emulate and the terror-group-turned-faux-Ronin began attacking
neighbourhoods across Mudville in 2299.
In 2300, Tshisekei and Pujol’s project entered its final phase.
The number and intensity of attacks were increased and
the Libreville government took notice. Tshisekei advised his
superiors in the Black Scorpion Co. that the company should
consider placing a bid with the Libreville government to secure
Mudville. Pujol’s former partner, Chameleon, caught wind of the
plot and threatened to spill it to the authorities. Pujol dispatched
a pair of hitmen to dispose of her.
Part 1: Rain
A Request from a Dolphin
The characters begin the adventure in the month of February
in or near the city of Libreville. 3-V and Link news outlets are
fielding reports about ongoing inter-militia violence in the
typically ignored Mudville districts. This is unusual for a city
focused on entertainment and business stories. Police patrols
have intensified in bordering corporate enclave districts, airfilm
service has been cancelled in some areas and the LMPD chief
is actually in town to advise city hall on next steps.
The characters are contacted by Vikas Kumar, a resource
specialist with Rebco SAR. The company’s new client who
is looking for experienced and professional troubleshooters
with reputations for discretion. An assignment has opened up
which offers an advance of Lv3,000, an additional Lv3,000
upon completion and reimbursement of authorised expenses
(assuming receipts are filed).
When the characters contact Kumar he offers to buy them brunch
at Sabrina’s, an upscale restaurant located off of Morrissey
Drive near Bryant Stadium, the following day. When they accept
and arrive at the appropriate time, they find Kumar sitting at a
table. The restaurant is decorated in earth tones and all of wood
furniture is padded in natural fibres. The tone is that of an art
museum with several authentic Dutch Renaissance paintings
mounted behind glass adorning the walls. The menu prices
are outrageous, Lv95 for a Continental Breakfast, but Kumar is
footing the bill. The Rebco SAR rep is friendly but he wants the
characters to know he is also very serious and expects a level
of professionalism.
Kumar explains that his client has an interest in the well-
being of Mudville residents. The recent epidemic of increased
violence in the slums is concerning him and he wants someone
to investigate the reasons behind it. Kumar is willing to provide
the characters with more details but they would need to sign an
employment contract and non-disclosure agreement, violation
of which would result in a Lv100,000 penalty. If the characters
balk, Kumar will assure them that while the NDA is absolutely
essential to maintain his client’s privacy, it would be difficult for
them to actually break it if they keep what they learn from the
public.
When the characters sign the epaper form Kumar explains that
his client is a local Uplifted dolphin named Ten-Bones. With
the legal personhood of dolphins tied up in Paris courts, Ten-
Bones prefers to operate through intermediaries to avoid issues.
Ten-Bones is an aggressive philanthropist and stopping the
woes of Mudville is his personal project. He uses a network of
informants to monitor the day-to-day life in the slums and uses
that data to determine where best his money would serve. While
it has hit the news outlets only recently, Ten-Bones has been
aware for some time of increased spikes in violence that do not
correspond to regular militia wars or weather-related triggers.
Ten-Bones’ informants in city hall have told him that the LMPD
and the various corporate police units are very worried that the
violence will spill over into the enclaves. City hall is seriously
considering contracting Black Scorpion mercenary units to
restore the peace. He believes the militias will respond to an
‘invasion’ with even more violence and the loss of life would be
immense. Gabon’s governor is against the idea but her voice is
small in Libreville’s political landscape. The silver lining to the
situation is that the mayor wants to see how the year plays out
before making a final decision. Ten-Bones knows that the LMPD
is not up to the task and outside assistance is needed.
The Mudville militia known as the Ronin has been reported
engaging in guerrilla tactics against other groups. However,
the Ronin members spotted are alleged ex-Earth First eco-
terrorists. The Ronin are, by reputation, one of the more altruistic
militias and starting fights are not their modus operandi. Also,
60
Earth First does not let members walk away from the cause.
Ten-Bones believes someone is framing the Ronin. Earth First
is pulling the strings, or someone wants the public to believe
it is Earth First, and the attacks are part of a larger plan. Ten-
Bones wants the characters to produce irrefutable evidence of
a plot that can be presented to city hall, or the media if need be.
He does have some leads that the characters can use to start
their investigation – recent violence has been focused in the
Ngsangnam Warf area of the Nzong Bour district. A pub/power
station frequented by members of the Ronin was the site of a
shootout forty-eight hours previous. Also a vegetable produce
co-op in the area is suspected of being an Earth First front but
Ten-Bones has been unable to locate the cell.
If the characters are new to Libreville and ask why the local
government will not listen to a reasoned argument, Kumar
explains that the local government is a knot of corruption and
corporate kickbacks. Scoring political points and keeping
TransNat constituents happy is more important to local
leadership than actually serving the public good. Without the
burden of undeniable evidence they are not going to change
their approach.
Rebco SAR is willing to pay for reasonable local living expenses
and will provide a 20% discount on equipment purchased
through the company. However, company policy prohibits selling
or reimbursing the costs of firearms in these types of situations,
nor will the company provide for the costs of legal defence if the
characters run afoul of the LMPD. If the characters abuse their
account privileges they will first receive a warning from Human
Resources. Persistent violations will result in a termination of the
contract and fines. Rebco SAR will also need the characters to
file progress reports every 48 hours. Kumar is not in a position
to negotiate the characters’ up-front payment but he has leeway
on the second instalment. The character negotiating should
make a Difficult (-2) Broker, Soc check. A success will add an
Lv800 bonus to final payment with each point of Effect adding
Lv200. When negotiations are concluded Kumar will provide the
characters with Rebco SAR’s secured HR Link address through
which they can submit their receipts. The initial Lv3,000 payment
will be released to the characters’ accounts within the hour.
The Power Station
The Ngsangnam Wharf airfilm station is still operational if
the characters want to use public transportation. Characters
should be nervous about leaving private vehicles unattended
in Mudville, especially if they are not abused pickup trucks or
second-hand motor- or hovercycles. Local thieves will eye them
with a greedy gleam in the eye but leave them alone. Area roads
are paved but are in total disrepair. Hurried or combat-related
driving using ground vehicles will incur DM-1.
Mudville businesses often serve multiple purposes and the
uncreatively named Power Station Pub is no exception. The
single floor building is a second-hand colonial commercial
module that, somehow, made it back to Earth and, somehow,
was dragged to Mudville. A cheap electric sign adorns the door
and an AR tag in French simply reads ‘Drink cheap liquor and
recharge fuel cells here.’
The interior has been mopped but broken furniture is piled in
a corner and bullet holes pock the walls. The violence in the
front room tavern did not reach the pedal powered dynamos
in the back. Other than the bartender, the employees seem to
be staying away until the violence dies down. The bartender
is a wiry Bantu named Phillipe, a Green Combatant NPC. He
appears frazzled and has a Wildcat shotgun (page 112, Tools for
Frontier Living) ready for any new troublemakers. The bar and a
few tables are occupied by die-hard alcoholics. If the characters
stand around and gawk, Phillipe will loudly request they purchase
a drink or get out, punctuating the sentence by ratcheting his
Wildcat. A successful Average (+0) Carouse, Soc check or Lv5+
will calm him enough to talk. A Difficult (-2) Investigate, Int check
will piece together what happened in the abstract but characters
will need to get names and details from Phillipe.
Two nights previous to the characters meeting with Kumar, one
of the Ronin lieutenants, a boy named Léo, held a meeting in the
pub. In attendance were two members of the La Barbera-crime
family, which runs a nearby waterfront brothel, a rather fierce
looking but clean cut Bantu woman and a young European man,
perhaps Spanish or Portuguese, who was not a mobster and
was too stylish for a Mudville resident. The Ronin were looking
to buy black market military spec weapons from the Mafia. The
group sat at the corner table at 19:00 and at 20:30 two Bantu
men entered, carrying submachine guns. Each was carrying a
wakazashi, typical blade adornment for a Ronin, but Phillipe did
not recognise them. The mobsters and Léo got off a couple of
shots and the young Euro leaped out a nearby open window but
the two men gunned the remainder of the table down in a matter
of seconds. They then calmly walked out. None of Phillipe’s
employees or regulars have returned since the incident.
Phillipe, like a lot of Mudville residents, believes in a right to
privacy. He does not allow recording devices in his bar so he
cannot provide anything more than a description of the event.
He will provide directions to the brothel if the players ask for
it. Phillipe is not aware of Earth First or connections to terrorist
cells.
The Ronin
The players may follow up with the leadership of the Ronin.
Jamal ‘The Shogun’ Kwan, current head of the militia, is
completely in the dark as to why Léo, considered the kindest of
the Ronin, was killed. A successful Average (+0) Streetwise, Soc
check will lead the characters to a makeshift Shinto shrine in
Nzong Bour district. District residents are filing in and out, paying
their respects to the fallen Ronin. Kwan is seated before a shrine
which displays a hologram of Léo. Incense smoke fills the space
and a priest is offering prayers to the dead in Japanese. The
61
Shogun himself is engaged in a variation of the kotsuage ritual
– he is spending the next 49 days praying and placing Léo’s
cremated remains into an urn with chopsticks as he mourns. He
has left his lieutenants to run the militia with strict instructions
not to be disturbed. His guards are Average Combatant NPCs,
are armed with SG-77 assault rifles and will block the players
from speaking with him if they approach. They will explain the
situation if asked politely. If asked, they do not know who the
woman attending the meeting was nor the man with her and will
confirm that Léo was purchasing weapons from the Mafia. The
non-Ronin corpses were burned and their ashes were dumped
in the bay. Players can attempt to force their way into Kwan’s
presence but the Ronin will react violently. Assuming they
survive they will be persona non grata in the district.
Meeting the Mob
Characters have a few options for connecting with the La
Barbera family. If they choose to visit the brothel, they find a
clean and minimally decorated facility tucked in an alley between
two warehouses. The brothel offers the services of costumed
companion doll robots combined with basic holography to
provide exotic or fantasy settings. The reception area has a
couch, a manager behind a lightly scratched thermoplastic
window, an electronically locked and reinforced door leading
to the back rooms and a holographic display with RFID reader
where a patron selects the theme of his entertainer and makes
his payment. The manager is in attendance to handle any issues
that may arise, including accepting scrip payments, making
basic repairs or deploying the security gas system as needed.
The manager, an Igbo named Ahmadou, is a ‘civilian’ employee
of Angelo Manzella, the La Barbera representative for the area.
If Ahmadou is asked for his employer’s contact information, he
will not take the request seriously without a successful Routine
(+2) Persuade, Soc check or a bribe of Lv50+. If successful,
Ahmadou will ask for the characters’ contact information and will
promise to pass them along to his employer. Angelo Manzella’s
office will contact the characters 2D hours later.
Alternatively, the characters can ask around Ngsangnam Wharf.
An Average (+0) Streetwise, Soc check, 1D hours will reveal the
connection between the brothel and Angelo Manzella.
Angelo Manzella is a captain in the La Barbera family and
handles the group’s real estate and development deals. He has
an office at La Barbera Holdings in the Congo Tower located
downtown. Manzella only sees clients by appointment but the
office’s robot receptionist is willing to pass along a message.
If, in the referee’s opinion, the players are able to provide a
sufficiently appealing and diplomatic reason, Manzella will get in
touch. The players can also make an Average (+0) Diplomacy,
Soc check. With a success, Manzella will send a message to the
characters suggesting they meet for a drink at the Neon Tetris
the following evening.
The Neon Tetris is a dance club located off of Doubet Highway.
The theme is the Cold War Soviet Union. The music is Russian
folk remixed into dance beats, footage of May Day military
parades plays in a loop on wall screens, holographic recreations
of Communist party chairs from Elena Stasova to Mikhail
Gorbachev give speeches, the alcohol is Slavic and various
uniforms, weapons and other military artefacts sit in display
cases.
Manzella is seated in a dimly lit corner booth near the bar. He
is unarmed but his two lieutenants, an Irish named O’Brien
and a Spaniard named Romero – the La Barberas only accept
Europeans as associates – are both packing C4 ‘Wallet Guns.’
The lieutenants are Average Combatants and Manzella is an
Experienced Non-Combatant.
Manzella will not rush into a conversation with any of the players.
He chats about any topic of interest other than what the players
want to talk about. He will order rounds of drinks and even cigars.
Manzella will insist they try the vodka. He has a filter bioware
implant that prevents him from becoming intoxicated. After two
rounds of drinks, the players will need to make an Average
(+0) Endurance check to avoid intoxication. Drunk characters
will suffer DM-1 on checks for 2 hours. Manzella notes which
characters refuse to drink and will refuse to speak with them.
If the characters go along with Manzella, he will be more open
to them and the referee can add an appropriate positive DM
modifier to checks if needed.
Manzella knows little about the current situation in Mudville other
than a pair of militiamen killed two of his associates during a meet
with the Ronin. He assumes the associates and whoever else
was killed was either cremated by someone in Mudville or ended
up as parts in a Provolution lab. He does not know the Bantu
woman’s actual name, only that she goes by the codename
‘Chameleon.’ He shares that she is a third-party black market
troubleshooter – a fixer – that the mob uses to solve the various
issues that arise in illegal commerce and that they contacted
her through an anonymous Link channel. He has heard some
of the Ronin are associated with Earth First and O’Brien wants
to hit both Earth First and the Ronin. Romero wants to see how
the government handles the situation and wants to hang back.
Manzella has not made up his mind yet but the La Barbera front
boss, Carmelo La Barbera, is quietly pressuring Manzella for
results. He knows that Earth First has a cell operating out of a
farm near the village of Atanga, just north of the city limits near
Mondah Bay.
The Farm
The players will need to have a personal vehicle or borrow a
transport to reach the Earth First farm. The farm is 20 hectares
and roughly circular, with the main house situated atop a small
hill in the centre of the dial. Water canals run at 45° angles
outward from the centre and terminate in ponds. Each ‘slice’
grows a different crop – cassava root, plantains, peanuts, yams,
sweet potatoes and maize.
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At the centre are the main house, vehicle/robot garage and
pump house. The main house, built into the side of the hill, is the
area hub for Earth First’s operations. It is three stories and built
with cantilevered balconies and terraces in a style reminiscent of
the American Prairie School with African flourishes.
Massey Multibots and Crop Spiders take care of the farm’s
physical labour and maintain the illusion that the site is not
harbouring a terror cell. There are typically no more than
a dozen cell members at the farm at any time. Six terrorists,
sporting coveralls, patrol the grounds in two groups of three in
two Bridgeport Swift Songbirds. Another terrorist works in the
garage maintaining the drones. Six more terrorists are in the
main house, with three patrolling the balconies and terraces and
three more meeting inside. All of the terrorists are near or are
carrying some combination of MP-67K submachine guns and
MX-99 gauss pistols. Three terrorists are considered Average
Combatant NPCs and the remaining are Green Combatant
NPCs.
If the players approach from the main service road via vehicle,
one of the Songbirds will intercept it. They will be told in a gruff
manner that they are trespassing on private property and if they
do not leave the gendermerie will be contacted.
The rainy weather will contribute to covering the players’
approach, adding DM+1 to their Stealth, Dex check if they
approach on foot. If the players use the irrigation ditches, they
can add an additional DM+2. If spotted, one of the Songbirds
will be in firing range in 1D rounds with the second joining it in
another 1D rounds.
The two ground floor doors and three second-floor terrace doors
are secured with electronic locks, requiring an electronic security
kit and a Difficult (-2) Engineer (electronics), Int check to bypass.
The terrorists all have RFID keys implanted in their forearms.
Windows are made with tempered glass, are rigged to trigger a
klaxon if broken and are sealed shut.
The third floor study has been converted into a small command
room. Inside the room is a large, static Rating 2 computer station
that feeds data to and from various Earth First operatives in
Libreville. The walls have been covered with spray-on monitors
receiving visual information from drones and cybernetic implants.
There is also a holographic display tank in the centre of the room
with satellite images of Libreville in it.
The computer station contains limited records of Earth First’s
operations in the area. Successfully decrypting the data will
require a Very Difficult (-4) Computers, Int check and 8 hours
work as the data has a Security/2 program attached. A Simple
(+6) Engineer (electronics) check will remove the relevant data
wafers without triggering a HERF failsafe wipe which will not
only fry the wafers but any electronics on the person touching
the machine. If the player succeeds in decrypting the information
they discover the data contains a kill list – names and images
of over two dozen Mudville residents ranging in age between 20
and 40 years old. The file is tagged with a note that simply says,
‘Known traitors that have joined the Ronin militia. All believers
are to terminate these individuals when found.’
Success with Effect (see table below) pulls down various files
that could be provided to the listed interested parties. Rewards
are also included. Information can be sold to the black market
for double the reward price, assuming the players can find an
info broker.
Effect Result
1 Blackmail material on 14k Triad. Lv1,000 from
Angelo Manzella.
2 Libreville City Hall services contract bids. Lv2,500
from Gabon gubernatorial office or any TransNat.
3 A Momotaro Technologies next-gen cybernetics
R&D report. Lv7,000 from any TransNat.
4 Known spaceport guidance system software
exploits. Lv15,000 from French government.
The players should be able to deduce that these accused Ronin,
if they ever had ties to Earth First, are the terrorist cell’s enemies
now.
Interlude
If the players have pursued every lead available to them and
shared their findings with Rebco SAR, they have successfully
completed the first part of the adventure. However they have not
fulfilled their part of the contract. If the players grow frustrated,
Vikas Kumar will offer to cover the cost of the players’ lodgings
while they are in Libreville. Kumar explains he will activate other
options and when the players are needed he will contact them.
At this point, referees are encouraged to begin a new adventure
during this ‘down’ period of Mud Sticks or accelerate the timeline
by four months.
P a r t 2: D r y
The Dolphin Speaks
The adventure resumes in mid-June, the height of the dry season
in Gabon. Normally the local media would ignore the seasonal
weather-related increase in violence in Mudville but the level of
chaos is unprecedented. The Headhunter and Celestial Dragon
militias have been engaged in a month of full-on warfare.
Sixty lives have been claimed an entire public housing project
destroyed.
Vikas Kumar contacts the players. Ten-Bones wants a face-
to-face meeting. If the dolphin is willing to break his normally
stringent security protocols regarding human contact, it is very
important. Kumar offers to send a car to pick up the players the
following morning.
At the appointed time, the players find a stretched Bridgeport
Swift Raven waiting for them outside their lodgings. The luxury
car is driverless and uses the Libreville TrafCon system to
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navigate through the city. The limousine whisks the players to
a bay-side corp town development in the Nango district. The
corp town is owned by the Canadian TransNat, NeuralNet. Ten-
Bones’s home is a well-appointed one floor glass and wood
build jutting directly into Gabon Bay.
Kumar greets the players at the door and they are led into the
main room. The bay-facing wall is smart glass, providing an
unobstructed view of the water, and is minimalist with stylish
though not particularly comfortable furniture – more like an office
or formal reception hall. The effect is enhanced with the market
and news media displayed on the glass and projected into the
air. The room’s largest feature is the moon pool which occupies
over half the floor space.
The Uplifted dolphin, Ten-Bones, is eagerly waiting. His sleek
head swivels about. Rather than accommodating a clunky
vocoder implant, the dolphin has equipped the room with
audio sensors and speakers that translate his nasal trilling into
human speech. His dolphin psychology causes him to vocalise
everything he is thinking. He will stop in mid-sentence to discuss
the fish he had for breakfast, his desire to procreate or how the
fish he had for breakfast is causing intestinal distress, then carry
on with original his thought. Ten-Bones’s conversation style
resembles that of a hyperactive child with a fondness for ocean
metaphors.
The dolphin thanks the players for coming and acknowledges
that they hit a dead end in their investigation. However the data
they pulled from the Earth First cell has proven useful. Ten-
Bones has shared the information with a contact in the mayor’s
office who has, in turn, leaked police intelligence to him.
Ten-Bones pulls up a video clip of an anti-transhumanist rally
outside the Transhuman League office, time-stamped one week
ago. As protestors walk past the camera, angrily pumping fists,
waving placards and shouting, the faces of two women and a
man are highlighted. Ten-Bones has been scrubbing his media
feeds with a simple facial recognition algorithm, using the data
from the terror cell. Of the three highlighted individuals the two
women have been identified as Ronin. These two women are
actually former Earth First terrorists but this should be kept
secret by the referee. Ten-Bones then pulls up a missing person
police report. The highlighted male is Emilio Simango, the son
of Clementino Simango, the Director of Communications for the
Transhuman League. It may be simple coincidence, Emilio may
be rebelling against his father or there could be something else
going on but Emilio could be a solid lead on the Ronin connection.
The Transhuman League is outspoken about corruption in the
Libreville Metropolitan Police Department and thus, little-to-no
progress has been made since Clementino filed the report three
months ago.
Clementino Simango
The Transhuman League offices are located downtown on the
fifteenth floor of the translucent concrete faced Merchant’s Bank
of Maputo Tower. Assuming the players arrive during business
hours and announce their honest intentions to the robot
receptionist, they will be guided to Clementino Simango’s place
of work.
Simango is a Portuguese expat but the only way the players can
tell would be through checking the etymology of his last name, a
successful Simple (+6) Investigate, Edu check, or identifying his
accent with a Routine (+2) Social Sciences, Edu check. He has
undergone heavy DNA modification. His skin is red as Martian
regolith and he has genderless, neotenic features – a small,
child-like form that he believes is less demanding of natural
resources.
If properly questioned, Simango will share his story. Twenty
years ago, he was a young geneticist studying alternative habitat
models for deep space living. Driven by his passion more than
his intellect, he believed that humanity’s hope for longevity of
the species lay not in colonising other worlds but by creating
self-sufficient next-generation space habitats and by modifying
the human genome to be less of a burden on their systems.
Recognising that children required half the caloric intake of full
grown humans, he worked with the Life Foundation to develop
a DNAM sequence he called the Chibi. He used himself as a
test subject. Though the DNAM worked, the human genemod
bans of the late 2280s made the work irrelevant. The form also
horrified his wife who filed for divorce. In a bitter court room
battle, Simango won custody of their son. Simango later moved
to Libreville to work with the Transhuman League.
Emilio Simango grew up begrudging his father for splitting apart
their family, keeping him from his mother and for adopting a
freakish and (in his eyes) inhuman form. As a teenager, Emilio
spent his time in questionable company and would make frequent
excursions to Mudville. After graduating from high school four
months ago, he disappeared. Clementino has had no success in
tracking him down and the police are uninterested in the matter.
If the players seem as if they genuinely wish to help, Simango
will clear them to access his condominium which is located up
the street at the Quay Metro towers.
Searching for Emilio
The Quay Metro towers are a pair of reflective cylinders located
on Bay Front Drive. Situated on the banks of the Komo, they
have a spectacular view of the Trovaali Bridge spanning the river.
If the players have Clementino’s permission, he has authorised
the domestic robot to let them in. The furniture and decorations
are a hodgepodge of clashing European and African styles, most
of it child-sized. Family holos, along with a series documenting
Clementino’s month-long transformation from human male to
transhuman androgyne, are mounted to walls.
Emilio’s bedroom is located in the back. It appears untouched.
Animated licensed images of popular athletes dash across the
room’s smart walls, model spaceships made from gekkocott
are hung with twine from the ceiling and soccer trophies sit on
shelves. There is a bed, a study desk and a walk-in closet with
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a reflective tour decal from Austrian musician Trude Rom affixed
to the door. The walk-in connects to a bathroom. A successful
Routine (+2) Investigate, 2 D minutes, Int check will reveal a
synthetic diamond coaster etched with ‘King Solomon’s Loyal
Customer – Best Wishes from Jungle Joe’s.’ A simple reference
check on the Link reveals that Jungle Joe’s is a blue-collar pub
located across the river, near the Beanstalk Terminal, in the
Mora District. An Effect of 1 on the check will reveal one of the
trophies is actually a synth-ivory sculpture of a Zulu marathon
runner mounted on a plastic base. Scratched into the underside
of the base is the following in French; ‘Keep moving, kid. Kisses
from Marjani.’
Jungle Joe’s, like many service industries, caters to the 24/7
worker traffic around the Beanstalk. The patrons are primarily
lift riggers and terminal employees. Thus the chatter is primarily
focused on the comings and goings of famous people through
the terminal and incoming and outgoing cargo. The owner
is fascinated with early American and European cinema,
specifically with representations of Africa of the time period. The
décor consists of replica movie posters and preserved black-
and-white framed paper glossies of safaris.
The patrons are what would be considered by pre-Twilight Era
culture to be lower middle class. They work hard and have little
patience for snoops or wannabe authority figures. Each player
will need to make a successful Average (+0) Carouse, Soc
check in order to fit in. Failure means the patrons ignore the
player or tell him to quit being a pest. A failure Effect of -5 or less
triggers a fist fight as a frustrated rigger who has put in too many
hours and had too much to drink decides to vent his anger on the
players. Use the Spaceport Worker NPC from the 2300AD Core
Rulebook, page 278, removing the DNAM and adding Melee 0.
Almost everyone in Jungle Joe’s knew Emilio, but four patrons
knew him best – Luc BeDell and Giselle Orr who are stevedores,
and Isaak Neiten and Yamila Patiño who are terminal clerks.
Emilio came into the bar over a year ago, looking to see if he
could pay someone to sneak him up the Beanstalk. Everyone
laughed at the high school kid’s offer but they liked his spirit so
they invited him to hang out when they were off work. Yamila
is the most social of the four but liked Emilio the least. Any
opportunity she has to redirect the conversation to herself she
will take and will always be the first to offer answers to questions
so she can twist the conversation – ‘Emilio was kind of a loser
and ran off with criminal scum. What do you expect from
someone with father issues? So what do you think of Cameron
Whitehall’s Formula 7 entry into the Libreville 500?’
Isaak works with Yamila and has learned that the key to peace
is letting her have her way. He is also extremely perceptive.
He knows that about six months ago he met a woman named
Marjani. Yamila annoyed Marjani so she whenever Emilio
brought her to Jungle Joe’s, she did not stay long. When the
other members of his party are not listening, he will quietly tell
the players he has heard rumours that Marjani was involved in
‘shady activities with the Italian mob.’
Luc is a smooth flirt and knew Emilio the best of the four. Luc
noticed how infatuated Emilio was with Marijani but, at first,
refuses to discuss the matter further. He grew up in Mudville
and understands the desire for discretion and privacy. A Lv100
bribe or a successful Difficult (-4) Diplomat, Soc check with an
assurance of discretion will loosen his tongue. His experience in
the slums has led him to believe Marjani and Emilio got mixed
up in some sort of bad deal. If Emilio is not dead, then he is most
likely laying low. He knows Marjani by reputation – she is a fixer
who used her contracts to connect criminals to other like-minded
criminals. It is very likely one of the deals she was brokering
went bad.
Giselle is a plain woman with a shy personality. She tries
to divert attention to Yamila who loves it. If pressured, she
will reveal that she overheard Marjani talking to Emilio about
problems with business. From what she understood a new
armed group claiming to be a militia was setting up in Mudville.
Their weapons and equipment were a bit more advanced than
your average armed gang or terror cell. Giselle also overheard
Marjani tell contacts to meet with her at a place called Hai Fang’s
in Alamaké district.
Hai Fang’s
Hai Fang’s is not listed on the Link but a successful Simple
(+6) Streetwise, Edu check will reveal the location. Hai Fang’s
is another watering hole, this one located in one of the more
working class Mudville areas. The residents seem to take pride in
the neighbourhood surrounding the tavern’s two-story structure.
While the architecture is bland and functional, the exterior walls
are a kaleidoscope of murals in bright primary colours. The
locals are trying to beat the oppressive heat by sitting in the
shade and drinking bottles of water or beer.
Unknown to the players, they picked up a tail after leaving the
Simango house. A faux-Ronin hit team had kept the residence
under surveillance with microdrones and the arrival of the players
piqued their interest. They sent up a camera platform drone and
followed the players across Libreville in a Rangestar truck (page
139, Tools for Frontier Living). When the players arrive at Hai
Fang’s, each should make a Difficult (-2) Recon, Int check. On
a success, the character notices the drone (page 123, Tools
for Frontier Living). With an Effect of 1+, the character notices
the Rangestar parked on a nearby curb and its four occupants
staring at them. If the players notice the vehicle, the faux-Ronin
immediately move to eliminate the players. If the players do not
notice the faux-Ronin, they wait until after contact with Emilio is
made before storming the building. Use the Terrorists NPC from
the 2300AD Core Rulebook and equip two with shiny new MP-
67 PDWs and the other two with P11 pistols.
Hai Fang’s is run by a former Japanese sumo wrestler named
Fang. Fang is the unelected ‘mayor’ of Alamaké, known both for
his patience and his ability to crack skulls. Marjani rented a room
over the tavern and used the tavern itself for her office when
65
conducting business with clients. Emilio is the current occupant
of Marjani’s room. Fang is not going to volunteer to strangers
that Emilio is currently a resident or that he and Marjani lived
upstairs together. However, he is sympathetic to family ties and
if the players mention Emilio’s father is looking for him he will
acquiesce.
When the players arrive they will most likely ask for information
about Marjani. If they got the cold shoulder at Jungle Joe’s, Hai
Fang’s is practically hostile by comparison. Each player will
need to succeed on a Difficult (-2) Diplomat, Soc check to get
the bar’s patrons to speak with them.
Seated at one of the tables is a local hustler named MeBrit Tyler.
He is willing to talk but it’s going to require the characters play
a couple of pai gow with a buy-in of Lv150. The game requires
seven players and if there are not enough players to fill all the
chairs, bar patrons will join in. To defeat the other players at the
table the players will need to succeed on a Difficult (-2) Gambler,
Int check. If more than one player succeeds on a check, each
player will need to succeed on an Opposed Gambler check to
determine the winner. If the player lose both games, MeBrit will
offer to buy them a drink at the bar. If the players are gracious
winners or losers he will tell them that Emilio is upstairs.
Emilio will be reluctant to let the players into his room but will
recognise that he has little choice if they are persistent. Emilio is
bitterly resentful of his father and refuses to return home. He is
also a legal adult so there is nothing his father can do. He began
sneaking out of the house when he was 16. He desperately
wanted out of Libreville and even off the planet. At 17, he met
the then-22-year-old Marjani at a club. He was immediately
infatuated with the older woman and Marjani saw something
tender in the young man. At first, Marjani hid her illegal business
from him but eventually trusted him enough to reveal her secret.
She ran the streets as a fixer and was known only by her cover
alias Chameleon. Emilio was blinded by love and did not care.
Marjani promised when she had enough money in the bank she
would take him with her to Nouvelle Provence on Tirane. After
graduating from high school in December, he moved in with her
at Hai Fang’s.
Right after he moved in, Marjani became nervous and they
spent all of January in their apartment. He was not sure what the
reason was but he was too infatuated to care. By February, she
told him she had hit a big score. The La Barberas had acquired
a crate of laser rifles that had ‘fallen off the back of the truck’ and
were looking for local buyers. She arranged a meeting with one
of the Ronin lieutenants. If the deal went through, her cut would
have been enough to buy both her and Emilio passage off-world.
Emilio tagged along as a second set of eyes. The meeting itself
was actually fairly dull and he zoned out of the conversation.
Emilio tears up as a he tells the players that the two gunmen
were at the table before he could warn anyone. Thanks to his
years as a high school athlete he was quick and strong enough
to dive out a nearby window but it was several blocks before
he realised that Marjani was not behind him. After her death he
became extremely angry again and began attending any anti-
transhuman rallies he could find.
Depending on how the players question Emilio he will reveal
some or all of the information above. He will also reveal the
following.
• Marjani had a TransNat contact who often used her as an
intermediary. Emilio does not have a name and only knows
the contact is a man. She did not mention him again after
Emilio moved in.
• Marjani occasionally worked with a partner named Pujol. He
met Pujol, who is a woman, a few times and even visited her
house ‘a long time ago.’ Marjani told him that Pujol handled
se curity for some of her meetings. Pujol’s house is located
in the Pichot Industries-owned enclave in Mfoua District.
Pujol’s House
The Pichot Industries enclave Rainbow Serpent Ridge is a 5
square kilometre walled community with a population of 4,000,
3,000 of whom are Pichot employees, dependents and resident
contractors. Every road leading in has a manned security
checkpoint (1d6 guards on duty) and the walls themselves are
lined with beam sensors. Only residents or invited guests are
allowed in so the players will need to bluff, bribe or sneak their
way past security. Rebco SAR is squeamish about breaking
government laws but considers TransNat territory fair game.
Use the Guard NPC from the 2300AD Core Rulebook.
Pujol’s address matches to a large, two story home tucked into
a copse of trees away from the main neighbourhoods. The
faux-Ronin have also been using it as their primary safe house.
There are typically 3D members (maximum 10) in the house at
any given time. A successful Average (+0) Recon, Int check will
reveal that 1D members arrive or depart from the house every
six hours, typically in vans or trucks. The vehicles are typically
covered in dry soil, as if they have been spending a great deal
of time on dirt streets. They are seen loading arms and other
equipment into the vehicles and an occasional returning member
will appear wounded.
In order to approach the house unnoticed, the players will need
to win on an Opposed Stealth, Dex skill check versus a faux-
Ronin’s Recon, Int check.
The faux-Ronin’s security procedures are lax as they take the
corporate enclave’s protected status for granted. The garage,
front and rear porch doors are secured with Rating 1 electronic
locks. The house’s security system is disabled due to the amount
of traffic moving in and out at all hours. But the windows are
polarised to prevent visual snooping and have simple vibrating
white noise generators that foil laser and shotgun microphones.
Two sets of bunks have been set up in each of the house’s
four bedrooms and the small basement is a makeshift armoury
66
consisting of 12 MP-67 personal defence weapons, four M5A1
assault rifles, assorted pistols, crates of fragmentation and
smoke grenades, a Type-81 Storm Gun and even a LAW-66
disposable rocket. The faux-Ronin are loaded up for a small
war and the weapons are so new that some of them even have
packing lubricant still on the barrels. The faux-Ronin drop their
weapons off in the armoury after returning to the house so if
the players catch them unaware, it will take 2 rounds for 1D
members to appear armed.
The house’s privacy features are a blessing in that if a fire fight
breaks out, the neighbours are unlikely to hear it unless the
battle spills outside. In that event, a corporate security team will
arrive in 2D minutes.
The players may want to quietly capture one of the faux-Ronin or
interrogate any survivors after an assault. The former Earth First
members are good at murder and general mayhem but they
are not particularly bright. Struggling in an anti-colonial crusade
has been a losing battle and living comfortably is better than
ideology. If there is at least one survivor, or if the players capture
a random terrorist, that individual will be named Tomasi Kilman,
the leader of the faux-Ronin. Though he is technically in charge,
he does not come off as being particularly intelligent. He is more
of a hired thug who is just charismatic enough to convince others
to follow so a successful Easy (+2) Persuade, Str skill test will
get him talking.
Eighteen months ago, Kilman was approached by a woman
named Pujol. She wore a carved Bakota mask but Kilman recalls
that she looked like she could handle herself. He believes she
has black clinic cyber- and/or bioware upgrades, judging by her
quick movements. Pujol’s plan was to knock out as many militias
as possible in Mudville – either by direct attack or by framing
one as an attack on another. Kilman’s team would then sweep
in and take over, kicking back any profits from running Mudville
to Pujol and her employer. He does not know who Pujol’s
employer is. Pujol supplied the team with her house as a base
of operations and set them up with weapons and equipment.
The pay was good and the gear was top notch so he did not ask
questions. Pujol instructed him to send two members of his team
to a meet in Mudville in February – her old partner, a woman
named Chameleon, had gotten wind of the plan and needed to
be silenced. They killed their primary target, along with the Mafia
thugs and Ronin militia in attendance, ‘just to churn things up,’
but a teenager at the table escaped.
Interlude
The players have confirmed Ten-Bones’s theory – a larger
conspiracy is at play. Assuming the players recorded it, the
statement of a terrorist, while an excellent break, is not the
conclusive evidence that is needed. Who Pujol is working for
is the final piece of the puzzle. Ten-Bones informs the players
that he will apply the new information to his growing surveillance
network. When a hit on Pujol is registered, the players will be
contacted immediately.

P a r t 3: M o r e R a i n
The Aqualight Club
The rainy season rolls in again as the year enters September.
The players receive a high priority call from Kumar. He notifies
the players that one of Ten-Bones’s informants has positively
identified Pujol. Her full name is Narolie Pujol, formerly of
Mudville, now employed as a Freelance security consultant –
primarily a bodyguard – to Andromedia’s local director, Roger
Brown. In fact, Pujol has been provided a living suite in the
Andromedia tower. The level of security in the fortress-like
tower makes successfully breaching the facility and extracting
Pujol nearly impossible. However, in just over 48 hours, Brown
is scheduled to be at the Aqualight Club for a release party
celebrating musician Bradley Torgan’s comeback album. And if
Brown is at the club, Pujol will be in his attending staff.
The Aqualight Club is owned by Spindrift, a registered TransNat.
The club is extraterritorial and this works in the players’ favour.
Any actions are subject to the company’s legal code, not the
local government. Kumar wants the players to board the floating
club, safely extract Pujol and take her to one of Rebco’s off-site
facilities for interrogation. Kumar recognises that transporting
Pujol across the city is technically illegal, even in the eyes of
the Libreville city government. To protect the players, Rebco is
willing to flex the muscles of its in-house legal team and claim
in flagrante delicto – that Pujol is, in the eyes of French law,
engaged in criminal actions and subject to a citizen’s arrest. He
also tells them that time is of the essence and that being delayed
by the LMPD could cost the investigation.
Character Career Path
Spindrift Security Army (infantry) 3
Skills: Athletics (co-ordination) 1, Gun Combat (shotgun) 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 1, Melee (unarmed) 1
Traits: Cool Under Fire, Fast/1 or Powerful/1
Equipment: Muscle Implants/1 or Neural Sheathing, implanted hand razors, full body tailored armour (business suit), Traylor
Model 57 or DunArmCo Close Assault Gun
Character Career Path
Narolie Pujol Army (infantry) 5
Skills: Athletics (endurance) 1, Athletics (co-ordination) 1, Gun Combat (shotgun) 1, Gun Combat (slug pistol) 2, Melee (unarmed)
2
Traits: Cool Under Fire, Fast/1
Equipment: Neural Sheathing, wrist blade, full body tailored armour (business suit), cybernetic arm w/Rawlings Redbird 11.2mm
installed (page 110, Tools for Frontier Living)
67
The players’ first task will be getting into the club with their gear.
Each successful Average (+0) Streetwise, Int check will reveal
one of the following pieces of information.
• The Aqualight Club is docked near the Spindrift offices
downtown between 07:00 – 17:00 for daily maintenance
and cleaning.
• There are typically 12 Spindrift security guards aboard the
club at any given time, two on the door, five walking the
floors and the remainder on standby in the security centre.
• Club security guards can have some sort of artificial physi-
cal enhancement, sport body armour tailored to resemble
business dress and carry either handguns or shotguns.
• The club’s main entrance is equipped with a SCEMRS and
x-ray/magnetometer sensor suite that can pick up weapons,
cybernetic enhancements and other electronics.
• The club itself is two floors and beneath it is the bottom
hull, which lies under the water line. The bottom hull is con-
nected to the main level through reinforced pylons/struts.
The hull contains the bridge, food and supply storage, engi-
neering, water systems, and HVAC systems. This check will
also provide a basic layout of the club levels.
• Most club patrons leave between 02:00 – 04:00. The num-
ber of water taxis surrounding the Aqualight Club is highest
at this time.
The club’s itinerary is public knowledge. Boarding begins at
17:10 hours at the downtown public docks. The club then
proceeds to seven other stops, docking at special piers at each
– Nango (18:50), Mavoul (20:50), Pointe Pongara (22:20), Old
Libreville (23:20), Mbolen-Nzork (00:50), Kongo (02:50) and
STR DEX END INT EDU SOC
9 8 7 7 6 5
STR DEX END INT EDU SOC
7 7 10 9 9 7
68
back to downtown (06:50). The club does not travel at a constant
speed – the captain has leave to wander Gabon Bay to take
advantage of the wind and weather conditions. The captain
closely coordinates with APL TrafCon and anyone wishing to
board when the club is not at a dock must make use of a water
taxi. The cover charge is Lv75.
Club security is coordinated in the security centre on the main
level. Camera feeds, communications and emergency door
overrides are networked through here as are vaults for guest
item storage. Any guest with detectable cybernetic implants who
is permitted entry will have a security guard watching him at all
times. If the players are not dressed for the club or are moving
through off-limits areas, they will need to succeed on a Difficult
(-2) Stealth, Dex check to avoid garnering attention from security.
Andromedia has rented the Aqualight Club’s top level and is
invitation-only. Two guards are situated at the foot of the floating
stairs on the main level, politely checking IDs. The primary stage
on the main level is occupied by the club’s regular performer,
Angelique Lepandou. Bradley Torgan and his back-up musicians
are on the upper level all evening performing for Andromedia
staff and hangers-on. Roger Brown is using the largest forward
private room as a reception area and spends the evening chatting
with guests. Pujol and two Andromedia plain clothes bodyguards
carrying puke sticks, page 120 of Tools for Frontier Living and
the sample Guard NPC from the 2300AD Core Rulebook, are
positioned within eyesight at all times.
If the players move on Pujol when she is near Brown, she and
the other guards will react as if a move is being made on the
Andromedia executive. Pujol will take one twenty minute break
at 01:30 where she will use the toilet facilities and visit the food
trays. The other guards will also take one twenty minute break at
some point during the night.
If a disturbance occurs and the players escape with Pujol,
Aqualight Club security will contact the LMPD. The LMPD
response will depend on the players’ method of transportation.
If by water, the LMPD will send a Waverider Runabout modified
with police lights and a mounted DunArmCo Mini-12, and if by
air, a TriCom Aviation Gx-88 Gyro-copter, page 142 of Tools
for Frontier Living, also with a mounted Mini-12. The police will
order the players to land/prepare to be boarded. Players can
comply but Pujol will escape and flee. If they run, the players will
need to lose the police in Gabon Bay’s busy air/sea traffic lanes.
The Rebco SAR interrogation facility is a rental storage unit near
the Bridgeport Swift assembly plant in Old Libreville. Kumar
and three medical technicians have brought in Cortescan 3000.
After sedating Pujol, they will begin the cortex hacking process.
If any of the players a capable of running the procedure, they
are welcome to take the lead during scanning or interrogation.
After it is completed, the players will have identified Augustin
Tshisekedi as Pujol’s employer and understand Tshisekedi’s
plan (see Behind the Scenes). Scan complete, the Rebco SAR
team will turn Pujol over to the police.
69
Maison de Jules Verne
Kumar calls Ten-Bones and shares the information. Ten-Bones
has found Tshisekedi’s residence, a downtown condominium,
and he needs to be taken alive immediately. The Maison de
Jules Verne, Tshisekedi’s home, is a curving, three-armed, 70
floor high-rise in the centre of the downtown district. Tshisekedi’s
unit takes up the 61st floor of the northeast wing.
When the players arrive they will find two Black Scorpion Co.
mercenaries and a neo-dog guarding Tshisekedi’s unit. Use the
sample Mercenary NPC from 2300AD but replace the helmet/
armour with an armoured long coat and replace the rifle with
a Traylor Model 10 Riot Gun loaded with flechette rounds.
When players are spotted, Tshisekedi will be notified by the
mercenaries or the building security system. He will leap into
a private elevator with two additional mercenaries in tow and
signal for an emergency pick-up on the roof.
The rain slick rooftop has landing pads for VTOL aircraft on
each of the building’s arms. Each landing point is equipped with
an observation dome built into the rooftop for flight operations.
This is also the only cover. Tshisekedi and one mercenary are
standing on the northeast heliport. The second mercenary is
squatted next to the observation dome watching the roof access.
The mercenary opens fire as soon as the players approach the
landing pad.
Midway through the fight, a Black Scorpion Co. Bridgeport Swift
Sparrow Air Car (page 142 of Tools for Frontier Living) swings
in over the rooftop. The pilot of the escape vehicle has been
ordered to pick up Tshisekedi but has no desire to get shot.
During the firefight, the Air Car will hover at a safe distance. If
the characters manage to kill or subdue Tshisekedi, the vehicle
will break off and disappear behind a cluster of skyscrapers.
Conclusion
If the players manage to take Tshisekedi alive, Rebco SAR will
hand him over to the police along with the cortex scan interview
record. Tshisekedi will be charged with conspiracy, murder and
a several other violations of corporate sovereignty laws. Black
Scorpion lawyers use every legal trick in the book to free their
client. When it appears the prosecution has an air-tight case,
the TransNat terminates its relationship with him and goes into
spin control. Tshisekedi is sentenced to life imprisonment in the
Libreville Correctional Facility.
Pujol’s lawyers successfully argue that Rebco SAR’s cortex
hacking was a gross violation of her civil rights and she is
released.
When the story is released to the local news by Rebco’s media
relations department, the fighting in Mudville subsides to its
normal levels within two months.
The players receive their agreed-upon compensation along with
the thanks of Kumar on behalf of RebcoSAR and Ten-Bones.