While walking down a busy street (or being otherwise engaged in somewhat normal activity in crowded conditions, such as at a market), one of the PCs is rudely bumped by a passerby. Use the player character who is most likely to be publicly connected with the resistance or to publicly have pro-resistance sympathies. People do not have to know for sure the character is in the resistance, but traits such as open kindness and generosity mixed with a public lack of Cardassian sympathy might be indicators that the person would be sympathetic to the cause.

Have the player make a Perception roll. Note that more than one PC may roll if several are traveling together when this incident occurs.

Perception 9: They immediately notice the person put something in their pocket (or bag, etc.) – a Cardassian PADD, somewhat worn and dirty.

If the PC scored a Perception 4 or less, they won’t realize that the PADD has been given to them until the person is long gone. If the PC at least scored a Perception 5, they may desire to find and chase after the person – Darara Kan, a 60-year-old man with a face well-worn with time and sorrow. Like most of the crowd, he is dressed in rough, slightly dirty clothes.

If players wish to give chase, Observation is more important than speed here because the crowd inhibits movement. Catching Kan will require the player to be successful at several consecutive Perception rolls. If desired, raise or lower the target number depending on whether you want the players to contact Kan now or later in the adventure:

Perception 9: The PC notices which way the person went. If chased, Kan will run into an alley, then enter a side door

If players attempt to enter the back room, they are confronted by the barkeeper, Sabarr Res, who is a longtime friend of Kan’s. Res doesn’t know what Kan did to get these strangers running after him, but the bar owner is willing to protect his friend to the end.

Players attempting to fight the barkeeper will soon have a mob of people on them, as Res is a friendly and honest guy who is respected by most of his customers.

If a player attempts to run past the barkeeper:

The players can also attempt to convince Res to letting them into the storeroom. Make the players talk it out instead of rolling dice. If they simply explain the facts, let him know they don’t intend to harm his friend or haul him off to jail, Res will eventually let the players into the backroom and call to Kan to come out of hiding.

Darara Kan is well-known to the people at the bar, and they’ll vouch for him as an honest, hardworking fellow. If the players are persistent, they’ll learn that Kan has no love for Cardassians – his daughter was taken away two years ago by a lecherous Gul, and his wife was killed attempted to intervene.

If the players aren’t mean, Kan will reluctantly talk to them:

• If confronted with the PADD, Kan will at first deny ever seeing it before. If the players keep pressing the issue, he’ll eventually admit that he tried to drop it off on one of the players.
• If the PC asks why Kan gave him the PADD, or the PC attempts to discard or return the PADD, Kan will frown and say that after he found the PADD he asked around, "and I heard you were a good, honest person who has no love for the spoonheads and doesn’t seem to be afraid to follow your conscience, so I figured you would would know what to do with the PADD, or would know somebody to pass it on to." After pausing to look the PC in the eye for confirmation, the farmer adds, "I hope I did the right thing." If the PC responds in the affirmative, the farmer mentions that the PC shouldn't be a stranger to this watering hole and invites the PC to stop by again to share a glass of wine together, on him.
• Kan will not yet tell where or how he acquired the PADD, and he honestly doesn’t know what info, if any, the PADD contains. He’s not very technically literate.

If the players attempt to activate the PADD, they’ll find it doesn’t work If the players decide to try and figure out what’s wrong with it:

Getting the new battery or a similar power source could be an adventure in itself. If so, play it by ear, improv the details and allow the players to eventually succeed without too much trouble. The players may have to turn to other resistance cells for help, may attempt to steal a PADD from a Cardassian soldier, or may attempt to get a battery on the black market. Make it fun but not too complex a subplot.

Once power is obtained, players can attempt to access the data:

Intelligence 7: One is a video message, the other is graphical.

Intelligence 8: The files can be accessed and displayed.

Both files are partially corrupted, and there’s nothing the PCs can do about it.

The video message shows a young woman with long, straight black hair tied up in a neat ponytail. Standing in a darkened room, it appears that the woman is surrounded by various types of scientific equipment. Looking around nervously, she begins to speak quickly but quietly, almost in a whisper:

All of the original, uncorrupted message is listed above, but it is recommended that the Narrator replace some of the information in the message with static. Deleting part of the message because of file corruption could have major impacts on the plot. For example, if only static is heard when Blin mentions the Orb, the players may be totally surprised when they eventually find the orb box in the lab. And not knowing the name of the mountain pass will almost certainly require the players to seek out Kan so he can describe exactly how and where he got the PADD.

The second file on the PADD is a folder containing two illustrations that represent Blin’s map of the facility. The maps are incomplete because:

• Blin doesn’t have access to every area, and therefore doesn’t have complete knowledge of the facility or the surrounding grounds.
• Blin was in a hurry, so she couldn’t afford to make the map really pretty or overly detailed, and she couldn’t correct what she considered to be non-critical mistakes. Blin made the map using her laboratory computer console while pretending to input simulation data.
• The files are corrupted. This can be further simulated (if the Narrator desires) by ripping away parts of the map before handing them to the players.

Map A is Blin’s representation of the facility’s location relative to the Moba fruit farm. The circles represent the orchards. The wavy line represents the river, with the direction of its flow represented by a long arrow alongside it. The short arrow points to the entranceway that can be unlocked by Blin’s PADD.

Map B is Blin’s way of showing the players how to navigate through the confusing halls of the science facility. The writing on the map is Bajoran (easily readable by any Bajoran player) for "My room," "Laboratory" and "Family’s room." Doors to the rooms are marked by dark circles. The Narrator can decide which room is which, but it is recommended that Blin’s room be the one to the right of the entranceway, the laboratory be the one to the left of the entranceway, and her family’s room be the one furthest from the entranceway. Not all of the hallways that are on the map actually go where the map indicates – a significant part of the map is actually based on just good guesses, although it can be assumed that the aspects detailing the routes down the hallways to her room, her family’s room and the laboratory are right on the mark.

The players now have several courses of action:

• Kan never saw or met Blin before he pulled her from the river.
• Checking the community will be difficult because the family wasn’t famous or well known:.

The following information would be known only to Blin, but she could possibly share it with the players at any dramatic or slow point later in the game, such as during deathbed apology if she is shot while escaping, or as an explanation to the players after they get to know her:

"Where did you find the PADD?"

"Stuck to the bottom?"

"Why were you looking at the bottom of your boat?"

"Who told you to check?"

"She fell into the water? On purpose?"

If the players decide to attempt this route, have them make a couple of appropriate rolls to see if they can even figure out where the should be going:

Note that all of this info should be relatively easy to learn, even if the players fail their rolls. The Narrator possibly should just give all of it to the players automatically if they say they try to do any research or start asking people about the Retasha Pass region.

Finding the exact location of the Moba fruit farm without any help from Kan, however, will be a trickier situation, but definitely not impossible.

• Once the players get in the area close to the farm, they shouldn’t have much trouble finding people in the area who have heard of it. The closer they get, the more likely they’ll find someone who knows exactly where it is.
• However, the more inquiries the players make, especially when they get close to the farm, the more likely they are to start arousing suspicion. As narrator, don’t forget that the players will be asking for info about a Cardassian weapons research lab. If the players are foolhardy and indiscreet, let their request for information be overheard by a collaborator or a Cardassian, who detains them for questioning about why they’re in the area and why they’re so curious about the old farm.
• Wise players may want to attempt to get on good terms with farmers or other merchants who live near the facility – who very well might possess valuable info from spending time at the facility selling their wares. As with Kan, the players might also try to convince a local merchant (or several merchants) to take them along during their next trip to the facility, or to let them borrow their boat for the mission. The players will have a pretty hard time convincing these local merchants to go along with the idea, however. And its always possible that unwary players might unwittingly be talking with a collaborator who will quite literally try to sell the players down the river in exchange for a favorable trade (i.e. monopoly) agreement with the Cardassians at the facility …

Eventually, the players have to find out where the Moba fruit farm is and make an attempt at finding a way to physically get there and into the science facility. Ingenious players could likely find a variety of ways to achieve this goal that no Narrator could imagine ahead of time, so encourage creativity and be willing to go along for the ride with whatever your players dish at you!

Whether it’s from talking to Kan or exploring the countryside on their own, the players finally find and reach the outskirts of their destination.

From along the road that travels along the old wooden fence that travels along the borders of the old farm, everything seems pretty normal for the casual passerby. Although they haven’t been tended in ages, the orchards of Moba trees still fill much of the land, providing a good natural barrier around the activities at the facility.

If asked, the Cardassian researchers at the facility would say they don’t really care what passersby think. Anybody getting anywhere close to the building – which from the outside looks like a routine Cardassian bureaucratic outpost – would find that unauthorized entry is barred by a very tall, very high voltage wire fence surrounding the main grounds. Even if the electricity didn’t fry trespassers, monitors and parameter detectors would track their attempts to walk or fly onto the site.

The idea of sneaking in on a merchant’s boat will probably occur to at least one of the players – and it just might be successful, depending on the team’s acting abilities. But there is another route that probably has the greatest likelihood of success – silently traveling under the river’s surface by night.

• Although the fence actually crosses the river at two locations, its electric charge relegates it to staying above the water. More than a decade earlier the Cardassians installed nets and grating under the water’s surface as a security measure, but after repeatedly having to clean out broken wood, dead fish, weeds that caused buildups, overflows and other nuisances again and again, the maintenance crews slowly became a bit careless.
• Difficulty levels for getting through the grates and netting should be set according to the abilities of the players – difficult enough that they need good roles, but low enough that they can get it done with the skills and tools at hand. It may take a bit of work and luck, but players swimming under the fence will be able to find a place or two that could be cut or broken through with enough focused strength.
• Players may realize on their own (or have them roll Intelligence 6 for a hint) that motion detectors don’t work well when aimed at the surface of a moving body of water. Therefore, as long as the players stay close to the surface of the river, they probably won’t be noticed by any electronic equipment.
• Although guards patrol the grounds regularly, the area isn’t flooded by searchlights because the head of the facility is a man of science who likes to keep a low profile in the community.

If this sounds like it’s all too easy for the players to sneak inside – well, it’s not.

• The water is bitterly cold and the river is very deep.
• Getting to a good site upstream of the facility under cover of darkness has its share of hazards.
• And once the team makes it to the bank of the shore closest to the facility, they still have to make it across the yard to the front door, then figure out what it takes to open the lock. It’s actually quite simple – all it takes to get inside the building is a swipe of Blin’s PADD in front of a small black scanner box along the side of the door – but that may not occur to a group of nervous people shivering in the cold, and in the darkness even such an otherwise easy task could take some doing to get it right.
• A good, prepared team should be able to get inside without getting caught, but it shouldn’t be a cakewalk by any means.

As the players enter the facility, now comes a critical time where the Narrator must lead them to an inevitable conclusion – their doom. It is critically important that two things happen while the players are still inside the facility:

As with most Cardiassian government buildings, the research facility is dreadfully dull inside, with hall after hall consisting of bleary light gray walls alongside unmarked dark doors. The Cardassian design theory appears to be that if you don’t know where you’re going, then you shouldn’t be going there. Near every door handle is a small black scanner box used to verify permission for entry.

If the players attempt to enter the facility by day, they’ll find scientists, assistants and occasional guards walking casually down the moderately-lit halls.

By night, however, it’s a different story. Although those who wish to stay close to their work are offered lodging in modest apartments in the building, most of the personnel live offsite. After normal hours the few people remaining at the facility consist mainly of dedicated researchers trying to complete a project, scattered guards making their rounds, and occasional late visitors.

Most personnel at the facility carry PADDs wherever they go, which are not only used to store personal data, but also serve as both identification badges and keycards used to unlock doors to areas connected with their work. As players probably found out at the facility’s outside door, a quick swipe of the PADD near a door’s scanner box is all that’s needed to open it – that is, if access has been allowed for that PADD’s user.

Usually, an unauthorized attempt to open a door will only cause a blue light to blink on the scanner. Repeated swipes with a PADD that is not authorized for entry will probably eventually alert security. Some doors, particularly in especially secure areas, will raise an alert if even one unauthorized attempt is made – as players will likely find out when they attempt to free Blin’s family.

Because she is a Bajoran, Blin is not privy to extensive details about the research that other scientists are doing, but she does have some facts. If asked about the facility, she can give the players the following info:

• The facility is not primarily dedicated to weapons research. Instead, it is used for a variety of scientific projects, such as:
• Studying area soil samples to determine whether the land would be suitable for growing Cardassian foodstuffs, or how much Bajoran food can be grown for slave populations as cheaply as possible
• Analyzing the area’s geology to see where and when strip-mining operations are worth the effort.
• Determining the reaction of Bajoran flora and fauna to chemical agents. The "medical research" is performed on local pets and wildlife by merciless biologists, often involving caustic chemicals and surgery performed without anesthetic – in many ways similar to the way Terran medical researchers performed their trade during that planet’s 20^th century.
• Almost across the board, the work focuses on activities and research regarding specific aspects of Bajor’s natural features, and therefore is best suited to be done in lab facilities on the planet’s surface.
• Blin’s research, which involves studying the energy produced by one of the Sacred Orbs of the Prophets, is a special case, and the specifics of her work are not openly discussed because of their somewhat controversial nature.

Blin can also provide the players with further information regarding her research and the situation at the facility. Her views on such subjects are quite tainted by her own opinions, guesses and assumptions, but she is pretty much on the mark about the following info:

• Scientific study of Orbs is largely frowned upon by the Cardassian scientific community because of a general incredulity that the Bajoran holy relics and the attached system of beliefs could actually have any basis in reality.
• To acknowledge that the stories surrounding the power of the Orbs have any truth is to acknowledge that the Bajoran faith in the Prophets might have some merit – which few Cardassians, much less any members of the Cardassian scientific community, would even consider for a moment as even remotely possible. As a result, most Cardassian scientists would prefer that all the Orbs were rounded up as "superstitious garbage" and cast onto a junk pile.
• There are a few "open-minded" individuals who are not willing to overlook any possible way of exploiting the Bajoran culture to find sources of military and personal power. One such individual is Tabrin Macek, a Cardassian physicist who serves as the overseer of the work performed at the research facility.
• Despite years of fruitless efforts by other Cardassian scientists to gain anything from probing and prying at the Orbs from highly respected Cardassian scientific outposts and stations, Tabrin believes that locked inside the Orbs is a form of energy that, if harnessed, could ensure the Empire’s superiority over the Federation, the Klingons and the rest of the Alpha quadrant.
• Tabrin believes that the power of the Orbs is somehow linked directly to Bajor. Therefore, any attempt to scientifically study the Orbs would be pointless unless performed on or near the planet.
• Tabrin is considered a misguided fool by his superiors.
• With most of the Orbs collecting dust in various Cardassian scientific warehouses, it wasn’t too difficult for Tabrin to receive permission for one to be sent to his facility for study. However, it was to Tabrin’s annoyance he was told that access to the Orb would have to be shared. That annoyance turned to outrage when he learned the time was being shared not with another Cardassian scientist, but with a member of the Bajoran religious community – Vedek Gant Seeto. Although Tabrin is allowed to do whatever he wants with the Orb most of the time, Vedek Gant is allowed to "borrow" the Orb twice a week for religious rituals.
• The Gul overseeing the region didn’t have charity on her mind when she decided to grant Vedek Gant this unusual privilege. By "returning" an Orb to the Bajoran people, Gul Jardin calculated it would make the gullible natives believe that Cardassia was finally beginning to respect their beliefs by giving into the demands of their religious leaders.

By following Blin’s map and carefully counting the intersections, the players should have no problem finding the entranceways to the three indicated rooms:

• Blin’s sleeping quarters. Although Blin is allowed to see her family during the day, she sleeps in her own small apartment. Although seemingly simple, it is actually quite luxurious compared to typical Bajoran standards during the Occupation. The bed is small but nice, the tables and dressers are carved with skill, a replicator is programmed to provide a wide variety of Bajoran foods and drinks, and she has her own thermostat to keep the room temperature comfortably cooler than Cardassian preferences.
• If the players come during the day, Blin will be in the lab, and the room will be empty.
• If the players come at night, Blin will be asleep when they enter her room. She will awake with a start when they get close to her bed, but she will remain quiet and keep her wits about her.
• She will be ecstatic at seeing the players but also noticeably nervous because she wasn’t really sure if anything would come of her plan, and the realization that her actions may endanger her life and the lives of her family is finally hitting her.
• Nonetheless, she is very committed to the escape attempt, and she will help the players in any way possible. She will even put her own life at risk in order to free her family.
• Before leaving the room, Blin frantically looks for a PADD she’s been using, then suddenly remembers where it is and retrieves it from under her bed.
• She tells the players it contains a computer virus that MUST be downloaded into her laboratory console. Once downloaded, it will erase all her work and all resources connected with her research.
• She hasn’t used it before now for fear of retribution against her family, but now that she’s leaving she feels very strongly that it needs to be implanted.
• If the players suggest that she install the virus immediately, she refuses on the grounds that saving her family is top priority, and she insists that the players head for her family’s quarters.
• If a player grabs the PADD and goes off to the lab on their own while the other players attempt to rescue the family, play things by ear. It could be the perfect way to get a player or two in the lab near the Orb while everybody else gets killed.
• Blin’s laboratory. The lab is relatively small, with most of the space taken up by numerous high-tech testing devices surrounding a table in the center of the room. In the middle of the table, obviously the focus of the room’s work, is an Orb box, which is instantly recognized by every Bajoran present. A computer console rests on a table along one wall.
• If players come by day, Blin will be working in the lab with a Cardassian assistant. The Cardassian is very cowardly and will practically faint at the sight of the players, but he has no useful knowledge (at least, nothing that Blin can’t provide). If threatened, he will blubber and whine a lot in a very annoying fashion, but he will NOT betray his co-workers or other Cardassians. If given the chance, he will run off screaming for guards.
• If players come by night, the lab is empty.
• If asked about her research, Blin will explain that she is being forced to study every aspect of the energy produced and surrounding the Orb.
• Blin says she has been stalling as much as possible and submitting as much erroneous information as possible into her records, but Tabrin routinely inspects her work and often asks her to duplicate her results in front of him so he can check her progress.
• Blin tells the players that Tabrin is obviously extremely interested in her work. Although she doesn’t know exactly how he plans to use the Orb, she has repeatedly heard Tabrin tell dignitaries and high-ranking visitors that the results of the research could provide Cardassian with a weapon that will put the Federation, the Klingons and the Romulans on their knees.
• A couple of times, she noticed Tabrin viewing records of a Federation weapon created almost a century ago, but he closed the file when he noticed she was watching, and she wasn’t able to see very much. She thinks he plans to combine her research with the power of that weapon, but that’s only a guess.
• Several times, Tabrin has asked Blin about the Bajoran people’s beliefs regarding the specific nature of the Orb. During one of his brief encounters with Vedek Gant, Tabrin was overheard also asking him about the religious beliefs surrounding this Orb’s power.
• Blin does not know which of the Orbs it is. A player who sees the Orb and makes a successful religious knowledge role (Theology/Bajoran 8) realizes that the one in the laboratory is known as the Orb of Time.
• If specifically asked about tachyons, Blin will tell the players that small amounts of tachyon particles are indeed emitted by the Orb on a regular basis. If a player asks her if she’s ever noticed any unusually temporal effects, Blin says that sometimes she totally loses track of time, and a day’s work seems to be over in minutes, and vice-versa. But she has brushed the feeling off as a reaction to overwork and poor sleep.
• (Narrator’s note: Blin can talk all day about her research, and the above is some of the info that could be of interest to her rescuers. However, don’t let players forget that every second counts on this mission, and if they get too chatty with Blin, possibly start randomly rolling dice, interspersed with an occasional, "Oh, my!" followed by a grim look and an evil smile…)
• Blin’s family’s quarters (a.k.a. cushioned prison cell). The windowless room is almost exactly like Blin’s apartment. The difference in quality comes from the fact that having four occupants – Blin’s father, mother and two younger brothers – makes it a bit cramped for space.
• If the players attempt to open the door by using Blin’s PADD, they will trigger a trap set by Tabrin to test loyalty of the Bajoran scientist. The sensor lock will flash yellow, alarms will begin blaring throughout the facility, lights will shine illuminating the hallways, and bolts will lock the exits shut. This is very bad for the players. Very, very bad.
• If the alarm is triggered this way, Blin will look confused and stammer incoherently for a few moments. She will then explain to the players that she stole the code from another PADD. She’ll quickly explain that, after once seeing Gant walking the halls, Blin’s father practically begged his daughter to see if there was any way Tabrin would allow the vedek to visit the family for a blessing and prayer. Tabrin seemed very reluctant at first, but he surprised Blin a few weeks later by agreeing to her request, and he arranged for Vedek Gant to spend time with her and her family the following day. As Blin accompanied Gant to her family’s quarters, she noticed that he pulled out a PADD of his own, which he used to open the room’s door. Gant casually explained that the Cardassian government allowed him to visit the facility occasionally to view or borrow the Orb, and because his Orb privileges could be taken away for any infraction, they apparently didn’t feel it was much of a security risk to give him access to the room housing Blin’s family. After the visit, Blin noticed that Gant had left his PADD behind, and she took the opportunity to download the room’s access codes onto her own PADD. She doesn’t believe the vedek is at fault, and she feels she was incredibly stupid to not think of the possibility that Tabrin would change the codes after Gant’s visit.
• If the players burst through the door, Blin’s family will still be groggy from the unexpected awakening. Although initially frightened at the sight of the resistance fighters and shocked at the unexpected news that they’re being rescued, they enthusiastically go along with anything that Blin or the players ask them to do. Breaking through the door will set off the alarm just as effectively as attempting to use the faulty passcode.

Some Narrators may feel awkward about wantonly killing off almost every one of the characters during this scene, but remember that the only way things can go wrong is if you don’t make sure that the last surviving character makes it to the lab.

One way or another, the alarm has been raised with the players caught in the middle of the facility. Chances are Blin and her family are still trapped or the virus has not yet been implanted in the laboratory computer.

A good way to develop the incredibly depressing mood of this section is to have Blin’s father holding on to her mother, helping her to start moving down the hall – then roll some dice behind a screen, drop your jaw in surprise and look sadly at the players – then announce that the sound of a phaser blast fills the air as the horrified players see the two elder Bajorans suddenly brighten and disappear, vaporized by a direct hit. Or you could have one of the players be vaporized by the hit instead. Either way, everybody will suddenly know things have take a serious downturn for the worse, and things can move on from there. (And if you don’t want to decide ahead of time how a role will turn out, you can instead tell the players that they hear a click, and before they can react the area if filled with a half-dozen phaser blasts. Surely, at least one of them will hit one of the players, Blin or her family).

Again, it cannot be stressed enough that the players must not realize that they are destined to die. Let them kill some Cardassians by firing back. Let them finally break free and run down the hall toward the exit. Let valiant players volunteer to keep the Cardassians pinned by phaser fire while the other players escape. Let the characters make perception rolls to determine where the Cardassians are coming from – the first set of Cardassians soldiers will fire from behind the players, and the second set will come from outside through the door in front of the players, probably just about the time the players are thinking they might just escape from this mess.

Don’t make this part fly by too quickly. Run it like a typical shootout. Make the players believe it’s the conclusion of the game, and that there’s a chance they’ll survive.

Always keep clear the way leading to the lab. Keep Blin alive for awhile so she can direct players to the lab if they run out of ideas. One idea is to have Blin hit by a phaser and, as she lies dying, she begs one of the players to take her PADD to the lab to infect her computer with the virus. As the team (and possibly the remaining family members) head down the hallway toward the lab, feel free to pick some of them off.

It’s okay if several members of the team survive to get inside the lab because none of them will make it out alive. Players may have truly clever ideas about using Blin’s science instruments as weapons – but although she has a laser, it is not powerful enough to do any serious damage. Players may notice the air vents, but after climbing on the table to reach the ceiling, they’ll realize they’re too small for anybody to crawl through. The players will probably get really frustrated (maybe even angry) as they run out of ideas while Cardassians pummel the thick metal door over and over.

Possibly a player will decide on their own to open the Orb box and pray for help from the Prophets.

• Opening the box will reveal a sparkling, beautifully bright hourglass-shaped crystalline object that instantly calms the player’s mind while feeling her with a sense of peace amidst the turbulent surroundings.
• Don’t let their prayers be answered too quickly. Let them sit in silent meditation for a few minutes while the other players (if they’re still alive) get nervous about what to do. Then, while the player is still praying, without warning the air is shattered by an explosion as the door blasts inward. This by itself could kill the other players. If the praying player is caught in the blast, let her feel her life ebb away – just as she suddenly feels her spirit drawn toward the Prophets. Otherwise, let her begin to commune with the Prophets just as she hears the sounds of Cardassian soldiers filling the room.

Otherwise, have the explosion occur as above, but it causes the Orb to be blown off the table and land beside a player – preferably one who is mortally wounded who is close to death. The force of the blast causes the box to open, and when the player looks inside at the dazzling brightness, they will find themselves drawn in by the sacred Keepers of the Light.

A slight amount of live-action role-playing is required to achieve the maximum psychological effect for the following scene. With any luck, you’ll create a gaming experience that will stick in the minds of your players for a long time.

Plenty of copies of the script should be photocopied ahead of time, enough for every player who might possibly be a part of the game. Using a highlighter pen, mark the lines on each script that you want its reader to recite. You may want to wait to mark the scripts until you know for sure how many players you will have. Don’t forget to mark as many scripts as there are players – that way, there will be one for you to read, and one for each of the "deceased" players. Make sure your copy has the first line marked, because you’ll be going first to set an example for the other players.

After the previous scene in the laboratory draws to a tragic close:

• Instruct the player who accessed the Orb (a.k.a. "Survivor") to stand up and close her eyes.
• Physically lead Survivor, eyes still shut, to an open area of the gaming room.
• While Survivor’s eyes are closed, have the other players stand around her in a circle as they silently view their own copy of the following script:

• You are corporeal.
• You were not invited.
• Why are you here?
• You are like the two others who have sought access.
• You are unlike one but like the other.
• You are limited.
• Your existence has an end.
• Your existence outside of here has ended.
• How is that possible?
• You should be returned.
• If you are returned, you will arrive at a time when you have ceased to exist.
• You must return to a point in which your being exists.
• You will go now.

After the "deceased" players have surrounded Survivor and they’ve had time to look over their scripts and read the instructions:

• Have Survivor open her eyes. Tell her that she sees her fallen friends around her, and that she sees Blin when she looks at you.
• Read the first line aloud to Survivor in a dead-pan, emotionless tone. Give her a minute to answer however she wants. Whatever Survivor says, do not directly respond.
• Have one of the players read the next line also in an emotionless tone, then allow Survivor to answer. Again, no direct response to whatever she may say or ask.
• Repeat this with each line up to the end of the script.
• After the last line is recited, tell Survivor to close her eyes again, and lead her back to the table.
• Tell her to open her eyes again, and describe to her the opening of the next scene (back in the lab).

Tell Survivor that she is suddenly standing in the laboratory again, but now she is fully healed and facing the room’s main computer console. Immediately in front of her, blissfully unaware of her existence, is the room’s only other occupant – an older Cardassian male intensely studying a video file playing on the computer monitor.

• The Cardassian is so focused on the video that he doesn’t notice the player is in the room – which is locked, so he has every reason to think he’s alone.
• The Cardassian neither has quick reflexes nor strength, so he is not much of a challenge if the player attempts to attack, subdue or kill him.
• If the player watches the video (which will continue to play after the Cardassian is attacked unless the player smashes the screen), describe to them what they see:
• It appears to be an old Federation file describing what appears to be classified technology.
• As a blonde, pale-skinned Terran woman talks, schematics of a torpedo-like device appears on the screen.
• The video then shows the torpedo flying through space and hitting a barren planet, causing shockwaves of energy to flow dramatically and colorfully along the surface.
• The video ends with the planetoid not destroyed, but apparently somehow turned into an M-class world. You hear the woman repeatedly using one word to describe the torpedo-like device – Jeen-A-Seez.
• The Cardassian scientist’s personal PADD lies within easy reach on a table nearby. If accessed, it identifies him as Tabrin Macek. If that name doesn’t ring a bell for the player, don’t offer them any clues.
• Tabrin’s PADD will allow free access to any room in the facility, although the player shouldn’t be told this – if they use it to open any of the building’s locked doors, however, let them know that it works like a charm.
• All of the other files on Tabrin’s PADD are encrypted. If the players ever manage to somehow decrypt them, it may contain important info that could serve as the basis for another adventure (at the Narrator’s discretion). But whatever is on the PADD, if the players want to attempt to decrypt the contents, they’ll will need time or tools that are beyond the scope of this adventure.
• If Survivor (or another player) attempts to access any files on the computer, they’ll find the files are locked and a spoken password is required. The password is not on the PADD, and the players will not have anyway to obtain it unless they force it from Tabrin. If that occurs, the contents of the computer are, like the contents of the PADD, left up to the Narrator’s imagination.
• Any of the players would have no problem uploading the virus into the computer if they happen to have Blin’s PADD with them – the currently existing PADD, that is. If Survivor was holding Blin’s PADD when she was sent back in time, she’ll find that somewhere during the journey its contents were wiped clean, and it no longer contains the virus file.
• Tabrin will be very resistant at telling the player anything about his plans, even if threatened. He had hoped to somehow combine the idea of the Genesis device and the time-warping power of the Orb into a weapon that would not only wipe out everything on a target planet, but do so retroactively into the past. He believes he was very close at reaching his goal.
• Narrator’s note: If Tabrin is allowed to continue his research, any of numerous outcomes could ensue – depending on the imagination of the Narrator or future actions of the players. One possibility is that Tabrin eventually creates a device that will be tested in the Cardassian-controlled Selvar system on a planetoid populated by a small colony of several hundred Bajoran slaves. The resulting explosive reaction will destroy half of the planet, eradicating all life while leaving a radioactive hulk in its place. The shockwave will ripple through the system, destroying the space station where Tabrin and his team of scientists were observing the test and causing catastrophic environmental reactions on the planetoid’s closest neighbor – an M-class planet known as Selvar III . )
• Consulting a chronometer on the computer or the PADD will confirm to Survivor that she was sent back in time – and she’ll realize that she’s at the moment where the rest of the team (including a duplicate version of herself!) are just now trying to enter through the facility’s front door.

Once Survivor realizes what happened and how far back she was sent in time, have the other players take up their character sheets and start replaying their attempts to open the door. Have the duplicate survivor do as much of the same behavior as she did when the group first attempted to enter the building – don’t forget to consult your notes if necessary!

Chances are, Survivor will be waiting for them as soon as they open the door – but it’s wise not to assume too much, and as Narrator you should be open to any unusual courses of action she might take. Being faced with the idea of meeting yourself, not to mention having to try to convince your partners that you’re actually from the future, could make anybody behave a bit left of center.

Assuming the two Survivors get together, the duplicate will be very suspicious and will start asking some pretty personal questions. It could be rather interesting to bounce some oddball queries unexpectedly off Survivor (What’s your favorite dessert? Who was the first person you kissed romantically? How did you join the resistance?) and hear her impromptu responses.

If needed, encourage the other players to be suspicious, too, because it’s not every day that somebody claims to do what she’s done.

Once everybody gets going again on the rescue attempt, gaining access to Blin’s room will be just as easy as the first time. And just like the first time, the alarms will go off and everybody will probably die if they attempt to use Blin’s PADD to open the door to her family’s room.

• If the team uses Tabrin’s PADD, unlocking the door will be easy and silent, and the players will have no problem getting Blin’s family out of the building and on the way home safely.
• If for some incredibly unlikely reason the team does set off the alarms again – for example, by choosing to blow the door off it’s hinges instead of using Tabrin’s access codes – let things go badly, but at least a little better than the first time. For example, have Survivor remember that Cardassians are about to come around the corner of the hallway in front of them, so let everybody set up an ambush. Then, realizing only doom lies behind them, Survivor can encourage everybody to run forward toward what might be a side exit.
• Either way, Blin will plead with a couple of players to head with her to the lab so she can implant the virus.
• If nobody quickly volunteers, the alternative Survivor will grab the PADD from Blin and demand to be allowed to go alone. With a glance in the other Survivor’s direction, she’ll smile and say that Bajor’s not big enough for two of her, then she’ll head off in a run toward the lab.
• If somebody else beats her to the punch, she’ll accompany them to the lab, whether they want her to or not.
• It’s perfectly fine if other members of the group (or even the other Survivor) join her, but they shouldn’t be allowed to stop her from meeting her destiny.
• Whether or not the alarms have been raised, the alternative Survivor (and any other players with her) make it to the lab with the PADD and begin to upload the virus. The process takes 12 minutes minus a skill roll using Computer Use or 15 minutes minus a roll using just Intelligence. Every minute it takes, roll two die – a snake eyes means a low-level alarm has been raised, centering on Blin’s lab. If the alarm goes off, it will attract three Cardassian guards toward the lab. A firefight in the lab could be pretty intense (or tragic) for any players who are with the alternative Survivor, but it could be just the distraction the rest of the team needs to get Blin and her family safely away from the facility.
• The alternative Survivor will stick with the job of downloading the virus, no matter what happens. And, thanks to her commitment, the virus will successfully infect the system and wipe out all of Blin’s research, effectively dismantling the project.
• Possibly the virus will be calmly uploaded without a hitch. Possibly a swarm of Cardassians will be alerted to what’s happening and fill the lab with phaser fire, giving the alternate Survivor a mortal wound. Either way, after the virus has done its job she will start to stand up, then pause with a distant look in her eyes before slowly turning toward the Orb. "It’s beautiful. So beautiful … don’t you hear it, too?" she’ll tell the other players. Walking to the front of the Orb box, she will gently reach for it while saying quietly, almost in a whisper, "I understand now. It’s the way it has to be." As she opens the front of the Orb box the room will be filled with light, and when the other players can see again, the alternate Survivor will have vanished.
• If there is a firefight going on in the lab and you want a way for the other players in the lab to make it out alive, you can tell them that as their eyes readjust to the room’s natural brightness, they notice that everything’s quiet – the fighting has stopped. When they look around they’ll see that all the Cardassian soldiers are frozen – time has apparently stopped. Don’t make it last too long – if the players stick around, they’ll notice the soldiers are slowly starting to move again – but they’ll have enough time to make their way out of the building without any problem.

All in all, it’s best to not let the players rescue the Orb, if only because history notes that the Orb of Time wasn’t returned to the Bajoran people (at least, not permanently) until several years after the end of the Occupation. If the players want to try to take the Orb, they’ll find it won’t be easy:

• The orb box is really heavy. Note to the players as they struggle to lift it that it might really slow them down – especially if they’re trying to swim up the river to freedom. But you never know – that may not be an overwhelming problem for some characters, such as a Klingon with excellent swimming skills.
• To make matters worse, the Orb box has a tracker firmly attached to its bottom, which will cause the alarms to go off if it’s taken out of the room. It would also allow Cardassian soldiers to pinpoint their location very quickly.
• The players could simply try to discard the Orb box and take the Orb on its own. Carrying the bright object into the night, however, would wonderfully highlight their location quickly to any Cardassian soldiers on their tail.
• Determined players could try placing the Orb in a dark sack and carrying it that way. Or they could probably come up with a host of other methods to get it home with them. Good roleplayers who have Bajoran characters, particularly those with strong faith and spirituality, may decide that rescuing the Orb is the most important part of their mission. To them, this goal might be well worth any risk it takes, even if it means giving their life. If so, then go ahead and let them have a decent chance at succeeding – if they want it that much, then the victory for them at the end will be that much more sweet. Just make sure that they have a few opportunities to lose it – such as while they are trying to get through the grating in the river under the fence – before they get to safety.

Assuming that at least some of the players were able to successfully leave the facility with Blin and her family, getting away is basically a reverse of getting in – however that was accomplished!

If they try to escape under cover of darkness using the river route:

• First, everybody has to silently scurry from the front door into the river.
• Then they have to swim as noiselessly as possible to one of the two fences that cross the river.
• Then the team has to either get through the grating hole they previously made, or else find a way to make another.
• Then everybody has to sneak through the Bajoran countryside – in dripping wet clothes – to the nearby road, then make to a safe stopping point, possibly as far away as the provincial capitol city.
• And all that while constantly looking over their shoulder to see if they’re being pursued by the facility’s guards.

But once all those obstacles are overcome, everybody can rest easy knowing that the mission was a success.

A nice epilogue to the adventure might be:

• The player who originally received Blin’s PADD (from the farmer in the marketplace) returns home a few days after the adventure is over, and there on his doorstep is a small, unmarked package.
• The player may think it’s a bomb or something equally dangerous, but if he opens it, he’ll find inside a bottle marked "Darara farm’s finest Spring Wine." Attached to the note is an invitation for the player and his friends to come to the pub that evening.
• If they accept the invitation, Kan will be there waiting for them with a smile on his face and an offer to buy them all a round of drinks. If they agree, Kan will wink at the barkeeper, who will usher them into a back private area where the group can talk openly.
• As they make themselves comfortable, Kan will laugh and say, "I don’t know what you did, but you raised a kevet’s nest around that spoonhead building out there, I’ll say! When I went by yesterday with a load of goods, I was searched up and down and every which way you could imagine before I was finally allowed bring out my boxes, then searched just as much before leaving again. Security at that place has gone as high as the Celestial Temple itself, I tell you. And you know, I really should be a little mad at you because my best customer, that guy who runs the place, was nowhere to be seen." Then his mock frown turns to a smile and a wink before he continues. "But there was a new spoonhead, some young scrawny guy, there taking his place, and I get the feeling he’ll be an even bigger spender than the other one!"