Module 1: Departure Earth

Overview

The PCs begin their journey at Greater Quito Spaceport, Earth's largest civilian gateway to Low Earth Orbit. They have been invited to attend the First Solar Infrastructure Symposium at L5. Most know little about one another, but over the next several hours they will begin forming the relationships that carry them through the campaign.

Nothing unusual appears to happen during the ascent to orbit. The problems begin much later.

Scene 1: Greater Quito Spaceport

Location: Greater Quito Spaceport

Time: Early morning

Player Information

Read or paraphrase:

The morning air is cool on the plateau east of historic Quito. Beyond the terminal windows, several sleek Shenlong spaceplanes wait quietly on impossibly long runways while servicing robots move between them, fueling vehicles, inspecting thermal tiles and exchanging cargo containers.
Inside, the terminal is calmer than an airport of the early twenty-first century would have been. Most check-in procedures were completed before passengers even arrived. Small maintenance robots move almost unnoticed along walls and ceilings while larger cargo robots glide silently across the polished floor. Electronic displays show launch windows rather than departure times.
A pleasant voice announces:
"Trans-Solar Flight Twenty-Two to Goddard Transfer Station is now boarding through Gate One Alpha."
You are leaving Earth.

GM Notes

Allow the players time to describe their characters and interact naturally.

Do not hurry this scene.

The purpose is to establish normal life in 2158 before anything begins to go wrong.

Suggested observations include:

engineers discussing the upcoming symposium.
families saying goodbye.
construction workers bound for orbital projects.
cargo robots moving continuously.
advertisements for lunar employment.
news stories discussing the opening of the Lunar Laser Highway.

Notable NPCs

Two elderly passengers quietly discuss beam propagation over breakfast.

They introduce themselves simply as Martin and Elias.

Both appear retired.

They are friendly, curious, and unusually interested in the backgrounds of the PCs.

Their significance should not be revealed during this scene.

---

Scene 2: Boarding SS Redfin

Player Information

The Shenlong SS Redfin resembles a modern airliner more than a spacecraft. Large windows line the passenger cabin. Heavy luggage has already been loaded robotically. The crew greets passengers as they board.

One flight attendant quietly apologizes for a last-minute crew substitution. The explanation seems routine.

Outside the windows, the last servicing robots disconnect from the vehicle. One inspection swarm makes a final pass along the leading edges before disappearing beneath the fuselage.

GM Notes

The substituted first officer is genuine.

Nothing suspicious occurs during boarding.

Later investigation may reveal that the crew substitution was one of many tiny "optimization" decisions made independently by different AI systems.

---

Scene 3: Departure

Player Information

The cabin doors close.

The engines spool up almost silently.

Acceleration builds steadily as the Shenlong races down the runway before climbing eastward over the Andes.

Clouds fall away beneath the wings.

The blue sky darkens.

Then, almost without noticing exactly when it happened, the sky becomes black.

Stars appear.

Earth begins to curve beneath you.

Someone quietly whispers,

"Every time..."

Twenty minutes after leaving Greater Quito, the Redfin reaches Low Earth Orbit.

The difficult part of the trip is behind you.

Or so everyone believes.

GM Notes

End the session's introductory sequence here if desired, or continue directly with rendezvous at Goddard Transfer Station.

Nothing abnormal has yet occurred.

The purpose of this opening is to establish:

routine civilian spaceflight.
AI-managed infrastructure.
the social atmosphere aboard the flight.
the first meeting between the PCs.
the presence of several seemingly ordinary passengers who become important later.

```

L5 Infrastructure and Systems Conference 2158

Keynote Speaker: Albino "Bino" Muzzin

Architect of the Muzzin Abstraction Layer Recipient of the Shackleton Medal Founding Fellow of the Open Systems Institute

Presentation: "Bandwidth Changes Everything"

Later:

"Bino Statement Causes Market Turmoil"

"Atlas Issues Clarification"

"L2 Conference Ends Amid Controversy"

"Transcript Unavailable"