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Æon Trinity - Players Guide

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620 views220 pages

Æon Trinity - Players Guide

Uploaded by

Ednaldo Pereira
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Credits Writers: R. Sean Borgstrom (Free-Form Tech- niques), Zach Bush (Nascendancy) , Richard Dakan (Aberrants), Bryant Durrell (Psi Orders), Evan Jamieson & Richard Meyer (Eon Trinity), Clayton A. Oliver (Developing Character, Psi), John R Snead (Modern Society, Quantakinesis), Richard Tomasso (Psi) Additional Material: Andrew Bates (a whole mess 6’ stuff), Deirdre Brooks (Quantakinesis) Special Thanks To you, Sure, Trinity was created by a number of tal- ented writers and dynamic artists. But it wouldn't be where itis today without your support. The Fans are at the heart of this industry, and none of this would be possible if it weren't for you. Kudos, gang! — Bates Developer: Andrew Bates Editor: Chris Tang Vice President in charge of Production: Richard Thomas Art Director: Richard Thomas Cover Art: Alex Sheikman Front & Back Cover Design: Aileen E. Miles Layout and typesetting: Aileen E. Miles Artists: Andrew Bates, Langdon Foss, Jeff Holt, Leif Jones, David Lynch, Alex Sheikman, Uko Smith Da rr 735 PARK NORTH BLVD. SuiTE 128 CLaRKSTON, GA 30021 USA SHES CAME STUDIO © 177 White Wolf Publishing, Inc.All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written permis sion of the publisher is expressly forbidden, except for the purposes of reviews. White Wolf, Vampire the Masquerade, Vampire the Dark Ages, Mage the Ascension and World of Darkness are registered trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. Werewolf the Apocalypse, Wraith the Oblivion, Changeling the Dreaming, Werewolf the Wild West, Trinity, Trinity Players Guide, Hidden Agendas, Trinity Technology Manual, Luna Rising, America Offline, Shattered Europe, Stellar Frontier, Darkness Revealed, Descent into Darkness, Passage Through Shadow, Ascent into Light, Trinity Field Report, Extrasolar Colonies, Alien Races, Alien Encounter, Invasion, Deception and Trinity Universe are trademarks of White Wolf Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. All characters, names, places and text herein are copyrighted by White Wolf Publishing, Inc ‘The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or copyright concerned. This book uses science fiction for settings, characters and themes. All science Fiction, geopolitical scenarios and psi-related elements are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised. Check out White Wolf online at http://www.white-wolf.com; alt. games. whitewolf and rec.games.frp.storyteller PRINTED IN THE USA. TRINITY PLAYERS GUIDE AJA Fiction: Nascendancy > <«< ‘The Orgotek Prometheus chamber wasn’t nearly as imposing as Rosalyn had imagined it. She had seen pictures, of course, but in person it seemed fragile and much smaller than the gnarled, translucent behemoth presented to the media. It was lonely, she decided, quite obviously out of place amongst the multitude of ergonomic computer banks that seemed to sprout from the walls and grow around and into it. It reminded her of an old man surrounded by infants. The cabling and multitude of hoses attached to the tank made Rosalyn question who the patient N A S GE really was, here: the chamber’s oc- cupant, or the chamber itself? She paused, taking stock of the technicians slouching in their seats at the workstations located throughout the circular chamber. If this is where miracles happen, she wondered, why aren't they the least bit excited? How has the ac~ celeration of humanity turned into a nine-to-seven job? “This way, Rosalyn,” activa- tion technician — Wilson Tobias, she remembered — indicated as he gently led her forward. cold?” “['m fine.” “Good. The gel might be cool, but it'll warm fairly quickly. Slip your feet into the stirrupsand they'lltighten around your ankles. After the mask is on everything is pretty much automatic.” They stopped at the steps leading up to the chamber. Tobias offered a tentative smile. “When- ever you're ready.” He turned to punch some commands into a panel. There was a soft hum, then a hiss as the tank's upper half cracked open and thick cables lifted it smoothly to the high ceil~ ing. Large pincers gripping the di- aphanous tube at the base con tracted and the chamber's front split down the center, the glass-like substance bending as easily as flesh. “You can leave your robe on. the railing,” Tobias said, keeping his back to her. She silently thanked him for the small cour- tesy as she undressed. "Walkup the steps when you're ready.” Rosalyn did as instructed, wincing as she slid into the clammy, viscous goop. She slipped her feet, into the fleshy loops at the bottom of the tank. They contracted clutching her firmly but comfort ably in place. The front of the tube silently folded shut. There was a deep rumbling as more of the mucousy gel pumped into the chamber. It rose swiftly and stopped below her breasts. Tobias eee oA cy helped Rosalyn slip her arms into the cuffs that dangled from the top of the tank, then brought the crab-shaped mask to her face. She closed her mouth sofily around the hollow tube emerging from its underside. The legs of the mask closed, gripping her cheeks snugly. Two smaller tubes extended into her nostrils, forming a tight sea. Rosalyn shuddered as warm biofluid filled her mouth and nose. She nearly gagged on the overpowering taste of burnt seaweed but forced herself to breathe it in. As the stuff slid into her lungs, the sensation of strangulation lessened and faded. After a few experimental breaths she looked to Tobias. ‘Just relax and let the chamber do its thing. I'll be with you in spirit.” Rosalyn nodded and closed her eyes. She felt the upper portion of the tank lower into place before the fluid swelled above her breasts, her shoulders, and then her head. The quiet roar of silence washed over her as the goop worked its way into her ears. She felt a slight tingling within her and then a hazy warmth expanded throughout her mind. Rosalyn quickly faded. >>> «<< You are flying. Your arms are thrown wide, but there is no ground —only soft gray darkness. You flap your arms in delight and your stomach lurches as you gain altitude. You laugh as the wind whips at your face... for the first time in your life, you feel unattached to yourself, to gravity, to reality. ‘A tug at your belly suspends your elation. You look down to see a glowing white umbilicus sprouting from the middle of your abdomen, trailing down and tothe left, growing needle-thin as it stretches far, far away, terminating in the hand of .. Alex Cassel? Confusion sets in as you see that the kilometers-high person far below you is indeed the Prexy, his arm extended toward you, spinning slowly and staring sol- emnly into the grayness. There is another tug from the cord and you realize that you only fly because the Prexy wishes it so. “You can fly alone.” You're startled to see that Melody is suddenly flying at your right, her wide spread arms close enough to touch. Unlike you, Melody has no cord. Her smile is almost tranquil. "If you want to fly alone, you have to come out of your shell. Come out of your shell, Rosalyn.” She falls silent and looks away. >>> «<< You're 12, leading Robbie Mercer through your parents’ orchard. The wind rustles through the trees and obscures the soft padding of your sandals on the grass. As you reach the fence, you reluctantly let go of his hand and begin to climb. You know you two should be safe on the other side, for the tall weeds growing along the fence are thick enough to obscure you. Robbie lands beside you, dropping to a crouch. The setting sun shines into your eyes and for an instant he isa shadow limned with fire. You feel as though the butterflies are trying to scratch their way out of your stomach as you dart forward and fumble for his lips. After a quick moment of rubbery wetness, you pull away to find that your bodies are much closer. Robbie's breath is a hot stac- cato whispering across your face. You press together once more. You can’t help but think that all this is inde~ scribable and wonderful, all wrapped up in one wet, fleshy moment of gentle asphyxiation. You feel as though you're swimming, but that the water is inside you. The fusion of your mouths lights a cold fire inside as it engulfs your reality. >>> <<< There is a brief scream of metal on metal and then you are away, encom- passed bya dark, silent cold. Below you the blue-white marble of Earth fills your perspective. For long moments you rumble onward, the slowly growing panorama your only indication of progress. You quiver as you feel the first indications of atmosphere buffeting you about. N A S G E N D A N GY You grow red-warm, yellow-hot, and white-blistering as you push through at three kilometers per second, intent on your destination. There is a dull moan that grows into a bellow as the air itself tries to deny you passage. The light fades and you plunge into blinding white clouds. Everything is a rapid flurry of white and gray, but now you are through, staring at a small speck of brown and green to the east ofa large mass of land. You know this is where you must go. You shudder as a burst of acceleration roars through your body and servomotors subtly shift your course. The speck grows until finally it comprises your field of vision. You can make out buildings, roads, and cars. You imagine that you can see people. Everything stops. You feel a soft heat growing within that you desperately wants to share with all below. The warm itching becomes painful in its need for release; swelling, insisting, blossoming. You open your mouth wide to herald the gift you are to bestow. You feels though you're burning, the flames rising inside you, The cold fire of fusion lights within as you engulf Bahrain >>> << You are lightning! For halfan instant, you are 10 kilometers tall and 97.9 million volts! Then you are gone. >>> «<< The chattering is coming from your teeth. You are naked and crouching in darkness. You can't feel your feet and even with hands clutched tightly beneath crossed arms, your fingers are ready to snap off. You don’t think you could stop shivering ifyou tried. ‘A thin sliver of light appears in the darkness, then widens. It isso bright that you cover your eyes to keep from going blind. There is a great rush of air anda Toud moaning as you are pulled toward the light. You feel something warm wrap around you and then it lifts you away. You want to see what it is, but even now the brightness is working its way around your arms, forcing its way past your closed lids. You realize you're screaming as the rending brightness slams through your head. A starburst of white blossoms behind your eyes. Everything is slippery cool and brilliant for a moment as the brightness tugs at you, pulling you upright, throwing your arms back, and slamming your eyes open. The light speaks. “It’s time to go, Rosalyn. Follow me out. This way....” The light is deafening. >>> << “—or you're getting ice-water in the face.” She opened her eyes and saw Alfred Mason standing over her: “That did the trick.” He grinned behind his moustache. "You ready to take on the world?” “What happened? The last thing I remember I was... dreaming?” Mason nodded, sitting heavily on the edge of her bed. "You were asleep when, it finished, so they cleaned you up and brought you to this ward. You didn't miss anything. I spent half an hour trying to wash that green crap off me. It was like snot, but more persistent.” Rosalyn smiled, then winced. Her cheeks were sore. "How are the others?” "Kevin and I came through fine. I’ve been boring him with tales of life in the military all morning. Melody is little shaken up, but she should be okay.” "That's good.” Rosalyn paused. "Alfred... do you feel any different?” He shook his head. "Not that I've noticed yet, but Kevin's hair keeps frizzing up. Ifhe shaves it like mine, I don’t think it'll bother him.” Alfred shook her knee. gently and stood. "Now, stop wasting the day. After you change, we'll head back to the suite for dinner. Tomorrow we're off to the training campus. After 15 years of education, your first task in the real world is... to go back to school.” Rosalyn groaned and swatted him with her pillow. >>> <<< N A S G EF N DB A N GY “What's your story?” scowled Melody. Rosalyn tried not to laugh, but the halo of red hair extending from Melody’s scalp forced a giggle. Melody followed Rosalyn's gaze and brought her hands to her head. “Oh.” She sighed and glared at Mendenhall. "I sign up for a research posi- tion and you're showing me how to zap the piss out of training dummies. Is the biotech going to try to make a meal of me?” Mendenhall smiled and pointed at the scorched half-mannequin on the other side of the small training room. “No, but we want you to do this so you're aware of what you're capable of. Better to know your limits now than to accidentally destroy a project you work on for two months straight, yeh? Also, we want you to know how to defend yourself.” "From what, Aberrants?” Mendenhall grimaced. “Barring full-scale invasion, you're more likely to die of aheart attack than you are to encounter an Aberrant. You're odds'd be quite different if you were in Operations, but you'll most likely spend your life in the relative safety of laboratories. With greater refinement, you'll be able to manipu~ late the biotech matrices on a level not possible without intuition and noetic fields to guide you. You'll jolt bioapps out of their dormant states with a touch, curb negative cyclical phase states with a wave of your hand, and power your minicomp without its battery.” He paused, glancing briefly at Rosalyn. "As electrokineties, we control the flow of energy, focusing it to produce effects in what the rest of humanity calls the ‘physical universe.” Mendenhall waggled a finger in warning. "Prob- lem is, you've been handed coilguns without instruction manuals. It's my job to teach you where and how to point them. Now, Rosalyn, let's see you reset my watch to 12 o'clock noon.” Rosalyn ignored Melody's smug grin and focused on Mendenhall’s Orgonex chronometer. She closed her eyes and held her breath, trying to feel the watch’s energies with her mind. After along pause she exhaled sharply and opened her eyes “Tean’t do it,” She admitted, avoiding Mendenhall's inquisitive gaze. He shook his head and smiled encouragingly. "Of course you can. You're just not sure how yet. It's like wiggling your ears —once you know howto do ityou can't forget.” “It's so frustrating, though,” Rosalyn protested, irritated with her failure. “Ll never get it to work.” "You know that's not true,” Mendenhall admonished gently. "Start small, but think big. When you graduate nest month, you'll be able to drive a car while relaxing in the back seat. All you need is practice.” >>> «<< Rosalyn flinched as the man in the sweatshirt slammed the butt of his pistol into the stewardess’ face. “Ltold you to move, cunt! Now get over there and quit moaning.” “Would you like some refreshing orange juice?” the drink cart offered. The pistol answered, humming twice. Acrid smoke and the stench of burnt plastic filled the air. A baby began to cry. Rosalyn gripped her armrests tightly and kepther eyes lowered. Minutes ago she was just another passenger on the seven pm flight from O'Hare. Now she was ahostage. Alfred had invited the three of them to visit his home in the Chicago arcology after graduating from Orgotek's New York training campus. Melody declined, shipping out early to her assignment in San Francisco, but not before they all celebrated in what Rosalyn guessed had been half of New York's bars. Once in Chicago, she and Kevin helped Alfred pack his things to ship to Olympus. All three of them were to report there for assignment and had booked a flight (Chi- cago-Baltimore-Luna) the following weekend. They hadn't counted on the man seated at the front of coach standing up and waving agun around. 3 Mee Se Ne De AN Cc hy “Wackerly’s drill?” she whispered to Alfred, seated in the aisle seat. He nod- ded, carefully undoing his seat-belt buckle. Kevin, seated in the 858s middle bank of seats, nodded aswell. Alfred exhaled softly and closed his eyes, faint lickers of electricity dancing around his lids. "Lights out,” he whispered. Rosalyn felt a subtle hum prickling her scalp before the dim light of the cabin, dropped to near blackness. She could still make out enough to align the energy between herself and the drink cart. A moment later, Rosalyn left the confused cries of passengers behind as part of her consciousness fused with the cart’s simple SI circuitry. Rosalyn winced as she became aware that one of her speakers was damaged and that her freezer unit was leaking badly. She couldn't serve cold drinks to the passengers without a significant overhaul. However, there was nothing wrong with Rosalyn's wheels. She disengaged her brakes and shot forward, speeding along the left aisle, turning at the last moment to slam the terrorist into the partition between coach and business class. After activating her brakes, she relaxed her focus and blinked as she was once again merely Rosalyn. The lights returned and she saw Kevin point his forefinger at the terrorist and cock his thumb. A blue-white bolt arced from his finger and the man shrieked, dropping the laser pistol and writhing against the partition. Another bolt flick- ered into his chest and the terrorist slumped onto the cart, quivering. Alfred hurried forward and picked up the gun, tucking it into his belt. “Stay clam folks, everything's under con—" “Behind you!” Kevin shrieked. Alfred spun as a man with a machine pistol burst through the curtains. Rosalyn saw Alfred’s hand snap up, palm open, and a bar of light brighter than the sun blasted the other terrorist’s eyes. The man swung the gun up and around wildly until Alfred grabbed his arm and forced the weapon down be- tween them cough cough cough Alfred jerked, then snarled and yanked the gun out of the man's hand. "You shot me, asshole!” The former soldier spat as he shoved the pistol into the terrorist's surprised face. Rosalyn looked away. cough Screams erupted once again. Rosalyn numbly made her way to where Alfred slouched heavily against the bulkhead. She pointedly avoided looking at the body next to him. Alfred was clutching his side, his hands and shirt soaked with blood. “Are you~” “Might be more,” he gasped, waving her forward. “Cockpit. Check cockpit. Can you?” *llock it from here. Kevin, sweep forward. I'll join you ina minute.” Kevin was sweating heavily, but he nodded. Alfred grabbed her arm. “If pilot dies, you... can land this,” he croaked. "Computer knows... Just tell itwhere.” “Shhh... stay quiet.” Rosalyn aligned her energy with the plane’sand sought the cockpit door controls in her mind. >>> «<< “Any change in Alfred's condition?” Rosalyn heard Kevin ask, the strong scent of coffee informing her that he'd found the vender. “No,” she replied, opening her eyes. “The nurse said he's still in critical.” ‘He's tough, Rosalyn. He'll pull through.” T'm sure.” Kevisrset both cups of coffee on the flooi and placed his arm around her. Rosalyn said nothing. Neither did Kevin, for which she was grateful. ‘T caught a news report in the cafeteria.” “What did it say?” 10 Kevin frowned. "The wife and son of a senator from Great Lakes were in first class,” he said flatly, picking up one of the cups. “Apparently some Canadian separatists wanted to send a message. They were going to take the wife and kid hostage, force the plane down, wait for the cameras to show up, and then kill them onthe air.” “What?! How did they get their weapons past security?” They had inside help at Chicago. At least, that's what the news said.” He sipped his coffee, then scowled and hurled it into the trash. The stink of ozone radiated form Kevin as he snarled, "Rosalyn, they didn't even mention us! We saved all 200 people on that flight and we're not even a fucking afterthought! Just some crap about the ‘heroic efforts of the flight crew’ and footage of airport secu- rity taking away the guy you locked in the cockpit. Alfred could be dead by morn- ing and yet nobody thanked us. Nobody thanked him. Nobody will ever know!” “That's bullshit!” Rosalyn was startled by the anger in her own voice, but forced herself to continue. “Ifwe weren't there, every one of those people would have died. You saw those guys; they were panicked, disorganized. If Alfred hadn't done what he had, one of them would have fired through a bulkhead, depressur- izing the cabin and we'd be scattered all over Ohio.” After a breath, she continued more quietly. "We did save 200 people, Kevin. We knowit, and they know it. We were there and we could help, so we did. That's what matters.” “Iguess.” “You ‘guess?’” The sharp tone returned to her voice. "Kevin, being psion isn’t about fame, or credit, or even respect. We do what we can with what we're given and hope to God we've made a difference. Besides, if we were in this for ourselves we'd have joined the Norga.” Kevin smiled slowly. "You're right. I’m just worried about Alfred. Llost per- spective.” He sighed. “So what do we do next?” Rosalyn smiled and put her arm around him. “Start small, think big.’ Next we save the universe.” Kevin snorted. Rosalyn sipped her coffee. They sat together in silence.

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