Patron: Businessman/Investor
Required skills: any, technical skills helpful
Required equipment: none

The situation:
The patron has recently acquired at auction the ownership of the land & property of a failed colony on an in-system moon, planetoid or planet. Whatever the location, the atmospheric conditions required a sealed habitat. The characters are among a group that the patron has hired to travel to the habitat and conduct an initial assessment. They will be transported to the location by shuttle or the PCs own craft; their goals are to assess damage, get the life support and other machinery working again, and begin cleanup in advance of a more dedicated construction team. The habitat was sold at government auction, and is certified to have failed for political/economic reasons rather than disease or disaster. Payment will depend upon the skills a character brings to the expedition, technical skills will be most valued. The total size of the group is equal to 2D+2, but there should be at least two NPCs making the trip. The patron will not be there in person, but can be contacted by radio from the shuttle. The patron has agreed to grant salvage rights to the characters for any personal (i.e. non-structural) items left behind.

Referee’s Information:
The referee will create plans for the habitat. It can be above ground or underground, but must be sealed. The habitat was large enough for maybe 200 persons at the most. Include a landing area with airlocks and some adjoining storehouses. It should be sufficiently remote that help is a while in coming, and trips back to the main planet are impractical.

Complications:
1. No unusual problems – it will take several days to repair, refuel and restart all the machinery; referee can determine difficulty of repair tasks. Any characters searching the habitat may find a few 100 Credits worth of salvageable goods.

2. As number 1, but the habitat made use of numerous robots controlled by the central computer, which were left ‘on’ and ran out of power. When power is restored, the robots will reactivate, causing problems for the characters until switched off or given new commands.* Also, salvageable goods worth several 1000s of credits can be found

3. As number 1, but while searching for salvage, evidence of a murder is discovered in the form of a dead body full of bullet holes. The habitat will be declared a crime scene and sealed off. The characters may be hired as detectives to track down the former inhabitants. Also, salvageable goods worth tens of thousands of credits can be found. PCs or NPCs may have trouble getting things out past the police, who would consider it potential evidence.

4. A legitimate shipping company has been using the habitat as a storage facility, under abandoned property laws. The storehouses are full of their stuff, clearly marked and bearing appropriate shipping documents. No agent of the company is present when the characters arrive, but if they enter the storehouse, a transponder will notify the company and they will assume the group are bandits when they arrive.

5. There is evidence of seismic activity, and portions of the habitat may be structurally unsound. Additional tremors may cause collapses, sinkholes or breach of seals. Salvageable goods are as in number 2 or number 3.

6. A gang of pirates has been using the habitat as a base. The storehouses are full of their stolen goods. The pirates, equal in number to the whole group, are there at the base, and will fight to keep their stuff and contain knowledge of their presence.

In all cases, the referee must determine the flow of subsequent events.

* There is an amusing chapter in H. Beam Pipers The Cosmic Computer where this happens to the main characters. Adjust the level of danger to suit your game.