Captains Log Incidental Stardate 2042.3
UCP 1-36 Beagle Crashed Landed, Planet Sorrel in Betelgeuse System
Dispatched to investigate a temporal anomaly in the Betelgeuse system The Beagle suffered catastrophic damage from a serpent like plume of tachyon radiation emitting from the anomaly and was forced to crash land onto the surface of the major planet in the system, Sorrel. Sorrel had been settled by the Wizmak Corporation, an organisation involved in  advanced neurological research, of a sort banned on many planets. Sorrel is a type ‘M’ planet with a breathable atmosphere, standard gravity and trace elements similar to Terra. The Beagle crashed among a primary jungle and the ship broke up on impact. Many of the crew are scattered among the inhospitable terrain having taken to life preservation pods at the last opportunity. Searching for the ships company is hampered by patches of dangerous flora, but a greater risk is the attention of what appears to be intelligent apes. Apes are not an indigenous species to Sorrel. According to Confederation records the only Apes on planet were the licensed research subjects of the Wizmak Corporation.

The crash of The Beagle has drawn many Ape soldiers, mounted on horseback to investigate.

The Ape’s on horseback are conversions using Oathmark Human Cavalry plus Ape Heads from the Ape Conversion pack from Sally 4th’s Kickstarter that contains 23 unique ape heads (with and without helmets).

Click here to take a look at Ape World Kickstarter: Live until Friday 20th September 2024

Due to close nature of the jungle, the Apes visibility is restricted to 6″. If a character is within 6″ an Ape will move towards them. The Ape counts as a 3″ diameter perilous area, forcing health checks to be taken if perils are failed. If there is not a character within 6″ the Ape moves in a random direction D8″.

The orange suited casualty figures represent potential search areas. If a character takes an action to resolve a challenge within 3″ of a search marker they get to draw from the scenario deck. The cards in the scenario deck trigger events such as a crewmate (plot point) being found and deployed on the table, additional Ape Patrols arriving or the character becoming lost and moved in a random direction.

Cdr Hodick, the Var-Nia First Engineer and Cdr Raiston the Marine Contingent leader made ground fall at opposite ends of the crash site and commenced there search for survivors.
(at the start of the scenario, only leaders are deployed within 6″ of a table edge to start searching for there team. As colleagues are recovered they can join in with the search).

Cdr Hodick’s initial search was sucessful, and after some false leads he manages to revive The Beagles Science Advisor, T’russis.

Many of the search locations were in perilous areas within patches of carniverous plants or among the wreckage.

As the day progressed the number of Ape patrols gradualy increased.

Cdr Hodick climbs up into the ruined bridge section to search for survivors. After risking many dangers it transpires that the survivors have moved from this location.

As the two team leaders continue there searches, the search locations move further and further into the inhospitable jungle terrain.

This is the Confederations first encounter with sentinent apes, although now does not seem to be the time for making formal introductions as the apes are initially extremely hostile.

…. and what has become of the original settlers from Wizmak Corporation?

As night approaches Cdr Hodick has managed to find three of his crew members, the others unfortunately being caught in nets and dragged away by the Ape soldiers.

Closing Credits:
This episode has been brought to you using Pulp Alley. The script was based on the ‘Enemy Patrol’ scenario which appear in the Pulp Alley Scenario Book, a special set of Escape from Ormuz scenario cards are also available.
Cdr Hodick and his crew appear courtesy of Landing Party Sci-Fi Range. The Marine contingent appear courtesy of Mantic Games.
The scenario was played co-operatively. It was a lot of fun and a very close-run affair, right to the closing credits. On this occasion, fortune favoured the Fleet Landing Party who secured 4 Victory Points for the Major Plot Point and 1 Minor Plot Point, while Prime Team Beta secured 3 Minor Plot Points for 3 Victory Points. The characters were defined using the Pulp Alley Sci-Fi genre rules which gave characters a one dice boost to a combat and non-combat skill plus ‘X’ points to spend on gear at the start of a scenario. We used the ‘Gear & Gadgets Deck’. Fleet had one point which we had used on a Utility Belt that had allowed Lt Kitil to automatically pass one peril and the Marines had purchased Body Armor for their Grenadier.
Look out for the next episode, which is a re-shoot using 7TV rules.