A Lust for Lostech

Information for GM:
The Levels

by Stefan Melin-Dempsey and Hilary Ayer

Note: Maps are reproduced as printed in the magazine--not exactly clear. You'll have to do some deducing between room descriptions and map locations.--RSL

Ground Level

Room 1

Contains blocks for 16 Mechs. Served as a ready room for a full company at a time. Doors to the southern corridors on both sides have silent alarms; read descriptions of rooms 11 and 12 below if these doors are opened from either side. Toward the back (south) wall, there is a security robot which has been burned and inactivated. If characters examine this fully and make an INT roll, they will discern that the damage is only about a month old. The archaeological team will tell them this within a day if they are consulted. If asked directly, the archeologists will blink and say, of course, that this is five weeks old, not ancient damage. Unless a twelve is rolled, the damage will be easily recognized as from a blazer.

Behind the false wall are two more of these robots. If the silent alarms are activated by opening the southern corridor doors, the robots will request a password, then attack to subdue.

Rooms 2 & 3

From stains on the floor, etc, characters can infer that up to 64 Mechs once were kept at the ready in each of these rooms. There is an enclosed hydraulic lift in each of these that connects directly to tunnels outside level three, room 2 to the east tunnel and room 3 to the west. The Star League design is so perfectly matched that it requires an int roll to notice the doors to the elevators. The doors have a push button pad inside to enter the tunnels. The buttons are coded to the number 3/11/32, the commander's wife's birthday, i.e., it's hard to exit to the tunnels from these elevators. False walls in the northern end have 'buzz bomb' VTOLs pointing outward to the box canyon. There are 12 VTOLs, little one-tonners which are robot controlled. These doors are computer controlled from 602.

Rooms 4 & 5: are Mech repair bays. The only equipment here is too large to be moved. You could use the jacks, laser torches, etc, but you'd have to use them here.

Rooms 4A & 5A: are storage rooms for space parts. There is an inactivated welding robot in 4A. It was broken, so they left it. A fair salvage value would be Cb 5000.

Room 4B: has a computer which is one of five having access to the R&D lab. It is possible on a roll of 10 or better to find out the following: Security can be reached without the generator being on; it has backup battery power. R&D does not. As a security measure, R&D files cannot be accessed without either a security code which was changed on a weekly basis or a command originating in the main security computer. (GM, this code is the same as screen # 3)

Room 5B: Was a Head Tech's office. Has an interrupt program on the screen. If they try to activate it, Screen #2 is what will easily be found. If characters make a roll for communications, security systems, etc, they can get specs for the Guardian (see page 52), a second roll will yield a vehicle chosen at random from Technical Readout: 2750. That's all they will get without powering up the generator. Rooms 6-17: Each contains 4 bunks, 4 lockers, and a computer terminal with no access to secure material. Items found in some of these rooms will indicate that mechwarriors were bunked here during on-call periods. Have the first person to enter each room make a roll. On a 2or7, some item of clothing will be found (a uniform cap left behind, for example); on a 4, a watch will be found with battery still running; on an 8, a torn piece of a personal letter; on a 10, a broken recorder with somebody's diary on it; on a 12, a personal tool kit. 5,6,9, and 11 signify empty rooms.

Behind the false wall on the far end are two security robots like the inactivated ones found elsewhere, and two Guardian security Mechs. (See page 52). The security robots will activate if doors to the southern end corridors are opened, one for each door. (The other two assigned security robots have already been taken out.)

Level 1

is a duty station level.

Room 101: Briefing Room, Infantry Diagram still on board of evacuation procedure.

Room 102: Dining Hall & Kitchen for Infantry Personnel Room

103: Medical Center, Infantry Personnel

Rooms 104A-F: Sleeping rooms, each holding an infantry unit of 30

Room 105: Armory, hand weapons (Empty cases only)

Room 106: Briefing Room, Mechwarriors

Room 107: Dojo (practice pad left behind, a few pictures)

Room 108: Gymnasium (full equipment, nothing portable)

Room 109: Mechwarrior dining room, kitchen, rec room

Room 110 A-H & R-W: Unused ready rooms, 4 bunks in each

Room 110 I-J: Seem locked. (If investigated, the locks have been welded shut. Breaking down the door reveals a wall six inches inside the door. This is actually the shaft to 8B)

Room 110 X: Commandant's day room (Large Closet takes up North wall in the back of the closet there is a concealed door with an unobtrusive card slot. (security systems at 7 or better to open without card) It leads to the room which is actually 110J, the Crisis Command Center. The computer here has the capability of accessing security computers. Shows signs of having been abandoned hastily; computer screen is still on. See handout letter A. There is also a small door on the east wall with a card slot. This is the door to the hidden elevator. (security systems at 9 or better to open without card).

Room 110Y: Commandant's sleeping room (Large Closet takes up South Wall. This is just a closet.)

Room 110 Z: Head MedTech's ready room.

Levels 2 & 3

Are duplicates of Level 1: Level 2. All rooms have furniture, but nothing more. Only the rooms used by the XO, and the Senior Watch Officer (210 Z) seem to have been in use. All of the other rooms were stripped. Rooms 210 I-J and X-Z duplicate the Commandant's quarters for the Executive Officer. The card slot is inoperable. Make it clear to the players that the XO left here some time before the end.

Level 3 was never in use.

Level 4

Room 401: Monitor station for fusion generator.

Room 402: Classroom

Room 403: 'Arsenal' on door. This was an arsenal for the security troops. Empty boxes are all that's left.

Room 404: Gymnasium/Dojo for security troops.

Room 405: Briefing room for security troops.

Room 406: Security Commander's office.

    Screen # 1 found here.

Room 407: Waiting room

Room 408: Supply Officer's office

Room 409: Morale Officer's office

Room 410: Detention Block Room

411: Laundry/kitchen for detention block.

Room 412 A-P Officers' Ready Quarters, 2 beds per room. Small personal items remain.

Room 413: 28 beds, 28 foot lockers. Notices on the bulletin board indicate that 28 elite scouts slept here.

Room 414: Head Tech's Quarters. Seems to have been a bachelor and actually lived here.

    Screen # 2 may also be found here.

Room 415: Science Chief's Quarters (also has apartment in Level 5)

Rooms 416 A-D: Astech's Quarters (also have apartments in Level 5)

Rooms 417 A-B: Science personnel I (also have apartments in Level 5)

Room 418: Communications Room

Level 5

This level has an enormous "apartment house" complex. These are not mere barracks; they are quarters in which families and couples expected to live lifelong. Star League military forces saw no need to enforce austerity on long-term personnel. The lower two floors are studios and smaller apartments. The highest floor has senior officers' apartments, meant for entertaining and two huge function rooms. There is an immense laundry and several rec room, craft rooms, etc in the "basement .

Your players can take as long as they want; they will not find anything Of value here, except historically. Maybe allow them the war diary of someone once moderately famous - but a volume from years before which does not deal with the Castle Brian in any way. The senior officers in the chain of command did not live here, but were quartered in levels 1-4.

To the north, in location 5*, the Rom agent has set up his camp. Here he is amusing himself by building a Mech from spare parts. Schedule and stats for this Mech (The Monster) are given separately.

On the outskirts of the level are several 20 x 20 meter shafts. One per side contains an elevator. The others have no opening on this floor. 8B's shaft has a visible card slot, but door is camouflaged. This is the commandant's personal elevator described on level 8.

Level 5A

The four tunnels which lead out of this level are kilometers long. They are square corridors 40m high and 80m wide. The east corridor is the shortest, at five kilometers. ComStar troops will enter along this corridor. If it is somehow blocked, they will try the northern corridor, the entrance of which is sixteen kilometers away. They have not found the outside entrances to the western corridor (fifteen kilometers distant), nor to the southern corridor, which travels for nine kilometers before ending in an artificially constructed cave.

The open endosteel doors which open off each corridor may be closed by a coded keypad on the inside of each door, or from the security computer. Once closed, they can be opened only by an override sequence no longer in existence, or from the security computer. Only a roll of natural 12 will allow a chance. In 2d6 x 10 hours, character will be able to open one door. Each door is different Three failures make it impossible to open that door again. 2 kilometers along each tunnel, a tunnel joins from the floor below, curving in from the left side. These r tunnels are 30 by 30 meters.

Level 6

This is the Security / R &D level, which is only reached by elevators 813 and SE.

Room 601: Security Control Room

Room 602: Security Computer, Main Security

Room 603: Chemistry Lab

Room 604-606: Experimental Hydroponics Labs (eventually it was projected that the Castle Brian could be fed entirely by hydroponic farming; hence the space given to this science) Room 607: Electronics Lab Room 608: Monitor Station for Labs (cameras and waldos for long- distance handling)

Room 609: Dining Room/Rec room for security troops

Room 610:

Room 611: Storage Room for Electonics Lab

Room 612: Main Computer

Room 612 A-D: Series of small rooms with airtight doors, gas grills in ceiling. Entrance to main computer. Security forces could close off these little rooms and introduce a number of gases through the ceiling; different gases in each room, if wished. This setup is intact, and can be accessed through security computer.

The notation V on this floor stands for a security door with a card slot. 'o' stands for an airtight door. 'SS' doors show screen # 3, and have a key entry pad next to the screen. GM NOTE: This "code" is based on the Solaris scores shown on the security chief's screen * If the player characters fill in the blanks with the numbers from the scores, the door will open; screen will request if reprogramming is desired. If player characters wish to reprogram the security computer, they may (Skills needed: Computers or Security Systems, roll of 4 or over. Tech Skills, on a roll of 8 or over) Once inside, computer is not hard to master. Concealed security cameras on all levels may be accessed from here; any remaining security robots or Guardian Mechs may be controlled from here, as may the defensive mini-VTOLs (buzz bombs).

The same code will allow entry to the Main computer. Its memory core contains, essentially, the information in Technical Readout 2750. It will take somebody with Computer or Security Systems 2 x 2 d6 hours to ascertain this, on a roll of 6 or better. Let the character reroll, as long as no excitement is going on, like a ComStar invasion.

Level 7 (no map shown)

This is a garage level, now empty except for three Pack Rats and pieces of an unidentifiable hovercraft, all stripped down for repairs. This is clearly where scouts. Picture a vast empty hangar, stretching 3 x4 kilometers. Player characters can see quickly that it is totally deserted. At the center of each outer wall, tunnels slope up to the main exit tunnels.

Level 8

This is a classroom & laboratory level.

Room 801: Holographic Combat Arena. Controls allow any Mech or Lance of Mechs known to the Star League to be simulated. Damage will be simulated on a visual level only on any Mech or warrior who enters the room. Currently on, running a program where an Atlas is wrecking a Battlemaster.

Room 801 A: Holographic Control Room:

Room 801 B: Holographic Viewing Room:

Room 802: Lecture Room

Rooms 803-804: Regular Hydroponics rooms

Rooms 803A-804 A: Hydroponics Labs

Room 805: Electronics Shop

Room 805 A: Electronics Lab Rooms

807-808: Classrooms Rooms

807-808 A: small workrooms. 8B is the commandant's personal Mech, the Brian, at the bottom of a hydraulic elevator shaft which can raise it to any level he chooses. There is a smaller platform elevator (picture a mini freight elevator) which folds out of the way when the Mech elevator is activated. That smaller elevator is accessed from the commandant's ready quarters, and locations on every floor.

A Lust for Lostech A Scenario for MechWarrior

Part II

A Lust for Lostech A Scenario for MechWarrior

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