By Paul Romine, with additional input by Ian Birchenough

Introduction:

At 12 noon, Friday October 16th, the security team is briefed on their upcoming mission. The Client is Record Producer Christopher Pratt, and his sons, Aaron (the youngest) and Alex. The job is a "simple" escort, starting in Tulsa and ending in Memphis, along an established route through the heart of Arkansas (Bio-Plague territory). The client absolutely refuses to fly, so travel by ground is the only option. The Team will have about 2 hours to gather their things, the trip will take two days, covering 850 miles, and over 18 hours of driving time. The roads throughout Arkansas are in serious disrepair, with interstate 40 being almost impassable.

The Clients Luggage takes up 1/2 of the trunk space, leaving just 1/2 the trunk for the team and SMALL carry on items in the passenger area of the limousine (Mr. Pratt doesn't like to be cramped while traveling, the limousine seats 10 comfortably).

The Trip:
The group leaves Tulsa around 3:00 and although the road trip through Fort Smith, Arkansasis an uneventful one, the weather is inclement with heavy drizzle falling about, and a temperature of 50 degrees. About 1/2 hour after leaving Fort Smith, the radiator hose erupts and hot antifreeze is spewed all over the engine compartment. One of the people on board will remember that they passed a service station about 1/2 mile back. If there is a techie on board, they will be able to repair the hose enough to get it to the station, but no further, otherwise they will have to walk to the station to receive aid. (Note: Cell Phone service in this area is sketchy at best, and only gets worse as the team moves deeper into the Bio-Plague region.)

Once at the station they will be told that it will take about 2 hour to get the job done at a cost of 50eb (Walter is already working on another person's car, first come first serve). The waiting room of the repair shop has an old television playing fuzzy re-runs of the Andy Griffith Show, in one dark corner is an old soda machine and the chairs lined up against the walls are all but falling apart. After Walter completes the repairs on the limousine (about 6:00), Mr. Pratt is anxious to get on the road again, this time through the rain and dark (Note: if anyone observes the mechanic, he seems curious about the vehicle, but does nothing but the prescribed work).

The Group finds themselves traveling through the winding roads of the Ozark Mountains for about one hour, the heavy mist has turned into a cold rain, and the temperature has dropped to about 45 degrees. A sign barely visible in the rain reads "Bridge Out - Detour". After about 1 mile into the detour, the limousine lunges as the front tire blows out on the rough road, the vehicle goes into a skid and the back tire blows next, being ripped apart by the broken asphalt. The driver of the limousine will have to make a control roll (at Diff 25). If it is not made the vehicle will end up in a ditch on the side of the road, otherwise it will roll to a stop after a few feet. While the team is checking out the vehicle trying to discern the situation, some will notice the headlights of a vehicle approaching, it never makes it to the stalled vehicle. however, instead it seems to turn and then move away from the main road to the south. The Group can only watch as the taillights disappear into the forest. (Note: Cell Phone Service in this area is non-existent, all that will be picked up is dead air or static.)

It is assumed that as the night gets colder, the complete lack of any other traffic on the road, and with Mr. Pratt's complaining getting louder the party will attempt to find another source of shelter. (Mr. Pratt may attempt to find out where the vehicle went on his own if no action is taken) If they do try and follow the lights, they will find a small town 1/2 of a mile off the main road.

One of the first buildings they will run across will be The Rose Inn. The Rose Inn is a quaint bed and breakfast with a veranda stretched out around the second and third floors. There is a ‘vacancy’ sign hanging off the sign for the Inn, and a (kerosene) light inside in the main lobby.

Once the door to the inn is opened a bell attached to the door frame rings. A woman in her fifties groggily walks into the room a few minutes later and asks if she could help the soaked and stranded group. She has 5 rooms available. The rooms are all on the second floor and have access to the veranda.

Sometime during the night, Aaron Pratt ends up missing, seemingly the only thing he was wearing was his underwear. Once morning rolls around the team will become aware of the situation, Mr. Pratt wants answers and he wants them now! There is no sign of struggle, or of breaking and entry. Nobody hears anything during the night.

(Note: From here the scenario can take any kind of turn, the best guess is the team will look around town trying to piece together what happened.)

Once the team makes their way into town they will notice is that the town has a quiet “antique mall” atmosphere with streets paved in bricks. All vehicles on the road are of pre-2000 model (Mostly pick-up trucks). There is one long main street with a church sitting prominently at the end. Behind the strips of shops they will find the residential areas (both to the east and west). There are no visible wires, so a good assumption is that they don't have telephone service or electrical power.

Even if the team didn't inform anyone about the broken down vehicle, the limousine will be towed into Fred’s Gas & Repair Shop by 9:00am. Since the vehicle uses a special type of tire they are told it will take a couple of days to get the new tires in (they have to pick them up in Ft. Smith.)

The Sheriff and his nephew seem quite friendly but incompetent as they try and answer any of the team’s questions as well as offering to help them find their answers.

In any of the shops around town, the owners/clerks will be friendly and helpful. The majority of merchandise that is for sale or trade appears to be hand crafted or used.

The church is a large country styled church, white with a white picket fence around it. Inside, the sanctuary is large enough to accommodate over 500 people. The Preacher Abraham Roe is also the town physician and referred to by all in the town as the town's leader. He will try to answer all the questions the players may have.

In the Cemetery off to the east of the church is a freshly dug plot, if questioned about it they are told that it's for a woman that died a couple of days ago, her name was Thelma, she was 45 and she died of cancer. (It's actually for Aaron)

(Note: While down by the church/cemetery one may notice Geoff’s barn setting off to the east.)

The one thing that will become quite obvious to the team is that nobody in this town knows anything about the situation, either that or they are hiding something. You constantly hear things like “we don’t get many strangers around here” or "nope, we haven't seen anything out of the ordinary". The next thing they will notice is that even though the team doesn’t “fit it” with the towns makeup nobody stares or makes any kind of comment about them, no matter how weird they may look.

The town of Reinville is a settlement consisting of "Followers of Spiritual Purity", (Grimm's Cybertales). This particular cult is an offshoot branch, which believes that not all technology is evil (as witnessed by the automobiles on the streets). The group looks for "converts" traveling through the area. They use a special razor edged trip wire to destroy the vehicle's tires, causing them to stop (by all accounts it looks as though the rough road was the cause of the blowouts), then one by one they pick off their victims removing any cyberware that they may have present. (They remove cyberware whether they convert or not).

Unfortunately, Aaron’s cyberware consisted of a cyber eye, a cyber leg and a Pacesetter 2000 heart. His body will be found in Geoff’s barn (until Saturday Evening, after that he will be buried in the cemetery in the open plot) tied down to a wooded table inside one of the horse stalls. (The only building in town with a lock & chain)

The team’s first priority is to remove Mr. Pratt from harms way, which coincidentally will remove the team from harms way as well. The team should realize that they would be outgunned if they try and “take on” the town, there are just too many and they are all in on the conspiracy. It doesn’t matter what or how the team tries to escape, they are being watched at all times and will be “hunted down” (this isn’t to say that they wont escape, but they will be shot at before they do).

If they decide to hotwire a car, the required rolls will include electronics (to determine which wires to cut) lock picking (To unlock the steering column "quietly") and basic tech to actually start the vehicle.

Once on the road the driver will have to make a control roll per turn if going over the posted speed limit (Diff 15, - 2 for every 5 mph over the limit, -5 if at night). Once on the open road they will notice two pair of lights appear behind them (if at night otherwise they will notice 4 motorcycles). The chase ensues until the team is recaptured or most of the motorcyclists are taken out. The riders are equipped with bike mounted rifles (-4 to hit, 6d6+2 damage range 300 m.), and are wearing medium armor jackets (SP 8) and armored helmets (SP 12, visor SP 5)

Riders relevant statistics:

REF: 8 / INT: 6 / BODY: 8 / BTM: -3

Awareness Notice: 3

Motorcycle: 6

Rifle: 6

Because of the bikes, roll location of hits as normal, but rolls of 2,3,4,7,9 hit the armored cowling of the bike (SP 20)

"How did you (the town) survive the Bio-Plague?" - It never made it into the area

"How long has this town been here?" - 30 years

"Why was this town established?" - to get away from the evils of the world

"What do you do for fun around here?" - we have get-togethers every Friday night

"Do you have telephones/electricity?" - no, our faith does not permit their use

"What denomination is the church?" - non denominational

"How does the town make money?" - the town relies mostly on the barter system

Just remember these people are out in the middle of nowhere & the closest city of ANY importance is Fort Smith. Members of the community will go into the "big city" on occasion to gather supplies. (Trading in the goods they make as payment.)

Reinville Personalities:
Joshua Clemens - Sheriff
Timmy Clemens - Deputy, Sheriff's Nephew
Rev/Dr. Abraham Roe - Town Doctor, Church Minister & Town "Leader"
Jack Miller - Owner of Miller's Hardware & Deacon at the church
Floyd Miller - Owner of Floyd's Barber Shop, brother of Jack
Gertrude Brown - Waitress at Denny's Diner, sister of Adam & Samuel
Denny Bartly - Owner of Denny's Diner
Fred Jackson - Owner/Mechanic at Fred's gas and repair
Dorothy ‘Rose’ Bartly - Owner of Rose’s Bed and Breakfast (Sister of Denny)
Hank Cox - Owner of Hardware store
Geoff Roe - Farmer, Brother of Abraham & Deacon at the church
Adam Brown - Owner of Adam's Leatherworks
Samuel Brown - Owner of Reinville Slaughterhouse
Bart Miller - Blacksmith & Veterinarian, brother of Jack & Floyd