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| Locations of areas on the space station |
Systems Control Room:
This room is filled with large computer screens, control panels, and a shelf with physical books on manual repair in case of emergency, but many of the shelves appear to have missing books. One third of the room is dedicated to the station's life support system, which blinks an angry red message indicating that there is a system failure requiring emergency energy. Another third of the room has a similar setup for the station's communication system, and it appears to be working close to optimally, although an unidentified error appears in the corner of the screen. The final third of the room has its own screens and control panels to monitor and adjust the station's anti-collision system, which utilizes both movement of the station and low-grade mounted lasers to blast smaller incoming space debris in cases of emergency. The computer readout explains that the movement system is online, but there is an unknown malfunction in the targeting system for the lasers.
8:30-9:00 - The life support system terminal shows an error message stating that without repair, the life support system will experience serious damage. The computer estimates that the station's life support system can remain damaged as it is until 11am before permanent damage prevents the system from being repairable. It also indicates that further damage to the life support system will result in a catastrophic failure of the electrical system onboard the space station, which will send an electromagnetic pulse throughout the station, rendering all electronic systems useless and potentially harming any passengers in the space station. This message remains on the terminal's screen until the problem is resolved.
9:00-9:30 -In the far distance, a large meteor arcs towards the space station. The anti-collision system identifies the meteor as a threat on the screens in the room; calculations cascade down the screens before a message displays that the meteor is too large to be targeted by the defense system, and another message indicates that the offline laser modules cannot assist anyway. The space station, guided by an automated system, slowly moves with the help of thrusters out of the path of the meteor. A screen indicates that the space station is moving parallel of a gravity stream adjacent to the station. The space station stops moving a few minutes later, and just before 9:30am, the meteor races past the station without contact.
9:30-10:00 - The main computer terminal in the communications portion of the room indicates that it has received a garbled message from Earth. The terminal requests that the Communications Officer authorize a decoding command to reconstruct the garbled message. If authorized by a player with a simple command, the computer will begin to decipher the message. This process takes a bit over 20 minutes if attempted. Should the players authorize this procedure, the computer will finally display a message from mission control on Earth that reads, "Mission control to Distant Star--please confirm that the passing meteor has not caused any damage to the station. Repeat, please confirm that station has not sustained any damage from the meteor." The communications terminal then locks, preventing the players from being able to send a return message of any sort. If the message is not deciphered before 10:00, the communications terminal still locks itself, preventing the players from decoding the message.
10:00-10:30 -The communications terminal lights up with a new message which is labeled as from "Chief Officer Wells" and to "Communications Officer Flanaghan." A small note on the message indicates that it is a scheduled message. If the message is opened, it is heavily encrypted. If the communications terminal is used to unencrypt the message, the computer begins deciphering the code. It works steadily until 10:28, at which point the computer displays the decoded message: "Congratulations on one year aboard the Distant Star, Patty! We'd be lost without you. Thanks for all your hard work. Here's to another incredible year. -Jeanne".
10:30-11:00 - Each area of the Systems Control Room's computer terminals' screen flash red with an identical error message: "SYSTEMS CRITICAL. INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL POWER TO SYSTEMS CONTROL TO RESTART. POWERING DOWN." The terminals display this message for ten minutes; at 10:44, a new message takes the old one's place: "SYSTEM FAILURE. EVACUATE STATION." This message is displayed for another ten minutes, and at 10:54, the computer terminals in this room all power down simultaneously. No action can bring them back online, and the Systems Control Room's lights turn off.
Engine Room:
Although the engine room is rather large, it does not look it--the twin engines in the room take up so much of the space that it seems small as a result. The engines, which look roughly like long cylinders covered in blinking lights and air vents, rotate slowly in opposite directions, and a low rumbling sound fills the air. A medium-sized control panel on one wall displays the status of the engines: Engine 1 is reported at 63% efficiency, and Engine 2 registers at 41% efficiency. Above this information is a blinking warning message that both engines should be given attention in order to give the space station a healthier buffer, as any further engine issues could cause further system outages across the station. On either side of the engines, there is enough room to access the engines for repairs, and both engines have small screens and physical keyboards in these spaces so that the engine can be slowed or stopped for repairs.
8:30-9:00 - As the engines continue to rotate, powering the space station, the lights in the engine room with the exception of the lights on the engines themselves go out. The lights on the engines blink off and on in dizzying patterns, and a high screeching sound comes from the powered-down computer terminal. A moment later, the engines slow to a halt, and then a moment after that, they begin to rotate in the opposite directions they just had been moving. The lights in the room come back on, and the computer terminal displays a message: "Engine reversal successful. Temporary boost attained. Boost estimated for 1 hour 8 minutes. Next reversal boost possible in approximately 4 hours." The readout on the engines increases slightly, with Engine 1 at 64% and Engine 2 at 42%.
9:00-9:30 - The engines spin at a regular pace, Engine 2 slightly slower than Engine 1. Engine 1 begins to spin a bit faster, and the space station can be just slightly felt moving. This continues, and Engine 1's readout slowly climbs up to 68% and Engine's rises to 43%. By 9am, the space station's movement stops, and both engines slow down, eventually settling with Engine 1 at 62% and Engine 2 at 40%. The computer terminal next to the engines indicates that the engines have lost a small degree of power with the exertion required to move the space station.
9:30-10:00 - The engine room's computer terminal crashes. The screen goes blank and remains that way for several minutes. When it eventually does turn back on, it displays a prompt that reads, "Engine technician training. Press enter to begin." No keys besides "enter" seem to do anything. If a player does begin the training module, it offers a rudimentary but poorly explained series of statements about how to care for the engines, mostly referring to the engines and their parts by highly technical terms that do not match the equivalent terms for other space vessels. Completing the training takes at least 20 minutes of scanning through pages of dense information, or the player can scroll through all the information without reading it in about 5 minutes. If no one is in the Engine Room during this time period, or if the terminal is simply left alone, it automatically reboots itself at 9:58 and resumes normal function. However the computer terminal resumes normal function, there is no change to the engines themselves or the energy provided to the space station.
10:00-10:30 - A high-pitched sound comes from the base of the engines. It is an irregular sound which does not seem to be entirely mechanical given its variation in tone. If investigated, the players will find an escaped mouse from the research center chirping and hiding underneath Engine 2. The lab mouse will try to avoid being caught and will hide amongst the machinery (safely and without interfering with or damaging the engine) so that it is out of reach. It will only emerge enough to be caught if offered food; if it is offered food, it will willingly come to the players. The mouse cannot be returned to the research center since it is inaccessible, but the mouse will follow the players for the rest of the adventure in hopes of getting more food. [Note: the mouse will not be tempted by the nutrient paste found in several places on the ship, but will come out for the cheese crackers found in Tad Evans' footlocker in the Bunk Room.]
10:30-11:00 - If the players do not reroute the space station into the gravity stream in the previous time slot, nothing of note happens in the engine room during this period. If the players did reroute the space station into the gravity stream from the Navigation Room in the previous time slot, the engines' efficiency level rapidly climbs. By 10:36, Engine 1 is operating at 98% efficiency, and Engine 2 is operating at 93% efficiency. The engine console displays a message: POWER SURPLUS AVAILABLE. BOOST ENERGY TO FAILING SYSTEMS? Y/N. If the players indicate yes, both engines spin at what seems to be double speed, and a pulse of energy radiates throughout the ship. The engine console displays a message: ENERGY BOOST SUCCESSFUL. ALL SYSTEMS ONLINE. The sound of rushing air fills the room as the life support systems resume activity, and the space station is quickly safe to inhabit without outer space gear. The walls of the hallway just outside the engine room separate, revealing panels that hid cryogenic sleep pods with the space station's crew in them. The crew slowly awakens and thanks the players for their work and the gift of safety. The Distant Star Space Station is saved, and the adventure is complete.
Command Center:
This spacious room is quite open; in the center of the room is a holographic display of the star system the space station is currently located in, and a pair of wired gloves rest on a round pedestal next to the display are connected to the metal surface from which the display is projected. Like in the navigation room, these gloves can control the display with actions like zooming in and out, moving the focus of the display, or switching the star system entirely. Several ornate and comfortable chairs surround the display, and the walls are lined with large screens showing a variety of information, mostly communications channels, data logs, and readouts on the status of the space station and nearby planets and satellites. The many screens along the walls show mostly positive news about the space station's current functions, though the engine output is in a warning zone, the debris defense systems are offline, and the life support is critically malfunctioning; a spacesuit with a star insignia over the heart seems to have been released next to the screen warning of the life support malfunction. A curtain on the far end of the room conceals a private bunk for the space station's captain; in this space is a large bed, a broad armchair, and a small personal computer terminal.
8:30-9:00 - A shrill electronic buzz sounds from the private bunk. If investigated, the sound is coming from the small computer terminal next to the bed. The screen reads: DAILY ALARM. GOOD MORNING CAPTAIN. BRIEFING FOR TODAY'S AGENDA - REVIEW RESEARCH DATA WITH RESEARCH TEAM 10:00; WEEKLY CHECK-IN WITH MISSION CONTROL 11:30; ASSESS SATELLITE NETWORK WITH OFFICER HARRISON 13:30; PLOT EXPLORATION JOURNEY WITH CHIEF OFFICER WELLS AND OFFICER WOZNER 14:45; PERSONAL MEDICAL APPOINTMENT WITH DR. CORSER 16:30. The terminal continues to display this message and plays soft electronic jazz music, and a drawer set into the wall pops slightly open to reveal a slightly reflective flight suit with a detailed insignia for the Distant Star Space Station over the heart. A small column by the curtain extends to reveal five metallic tubes, one labelled Hydration and Hygiene Paste, and the other four as Denver Omelet, Hashbrowns, Strawberry Smoothie, and Peanut Butter Banana Toast. The quiet music plays until 9:00 and automatically stops.
9:00-9:30 - The screens on the far wall light up. A message is displayed on the screen, accompanied by a few electronic beeps: INCOMING ASTEROID DETECTED. STATION AUTOMATICALLY DIVERTING PATH. STANDBY. The screen beneath the one displaying this message fills with long strings of technical data which appear to be navigation details describing the procedure and results as normal functions. The players can slightly sense that the station is being propelled through space for a moment, and a couple of minutes later coming to a halt. The message on the screen is replaced: STATION MOVEMENT COMPLETE. ASTEROID FLIGHT PATH AVOIDED. STATION SAFETY SECURED. The message remains in the center of the screen for a few minutes before changing to the most recently displayed note in a column marked "Station Activity Feed." The terminal returns to normal functions.
9:30-10:00 - The holographic display at the center of the room switches from a map of the space station and the surrounding star system to a guide to research data about satellite information, laboratory experiments (about half of which pertains to trials run on the laboratory mice), and medical trials being run on the space station's crew themselves. In brief, these reports indicate that there is a growing gravity stream near the space station and that this gravity stream's strength exceeds what the research team can explain, so Officers Harrison and George request further resources to investigate; the lab experiments are mostly gathering expected data and verifying the validity of control groups, though there is a report that one lab mouse (identified as "subject 119-KL5, aka Glinda") has gone missing; and Dr. Corser's last round of medical exams indicate that extended stays in space seem to match with projected results from previous testing, although Officer Miller appears to be suffering from fatigue which is inconsistent with the normal effects of space on the crew. At 9:50, a message appears which reads: REMINDER - RESEARCH TEAM MEETING AT 10:00.
10:00-10:30 - The holographic display freezes and shows a message: RESEARCH TEAM MEETING IN RESEARCH CENTER NOW. This message is accompanied by three sharp and quick beeps. It remains on the display until 10:05, at which point the holographic display reverts to the map of the space station and the surrounding star system. At 10:15, another message appears: WARNING. LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM HAS BEEN MALFUNCTIONING FOR 48 HOURS. CRYOGENIC PROTOCOL IN EFFECT. PLEASE RESTORE POWER TO LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. ESTIMATED SAFE TIME FOR CRYOGENIC PROTOTAL GIVEN CURRENT POWER LEVELS: 37 HOURS, 21 MINUTES. WARNING. PLEASE RESTORE POWER TO LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM. This message remains overlaid on the holographic display until 10:30, at which point the message minimizes to a smaller notification at the far edge of the display, which reverts to the map of the space station and star system once again.
10:30-11:00 - At 10:40, the holographic terminal displays a new message: PRIVATE ENCRYPTED MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM SECOND MOON SPACE STATION IN SECTOR KHZD-11. ENTER COMMAND CODE TO DECRYPT PRIVATE MESSAGE. The terminal then requests a ten-digit code. Entering three incorrect codes locks the terminal for 12 hours. The correct code is JTAW121TN2--this code can be found written in chicken-scratch handwriting on a small scrap of paper hidden under the mattress of the private bunk. [Note: the difficulty of finding this code and the high likelihood of being locked out is meant to dissuade players from trying to access the message--it is not relevant to the time loop puzzle.] If access, the computer decrypts the message until 10:55, at which point it displays very detailed information about the Second Moon Space Station's mission status, most of which is so specific to space station command jargon that it is unintelligible. However, the overall message seems to indicate a message that all operations are normal and requests a similar update from the Distant Star Space Station.
Navigation Room and Research Center:
The most noticeable thing about this room is the massive window looking out into space. Through the reinforced glass, it's possible to see distant star systems, asteroid belts, nebulae, and parts of the nearest solar system. The window is designed to curve with the outer wall of the space station so that one is able to see even more than a flat panel of glass would allow for. A few mobile chairs set into tracks along the floor sit before this huge window. Behind all of this is a series of computer screens and a 3D holographic projection of outer space outside the station; like the command center's console, this projection is connected to a pair of wired gloves which can control the projection with functions such as moving around, zooming in and out, and switching between sectors of space. The computer screens in the navigation room show readouts on the station's position in space, the position of nearby objects in space, engine capacity (reading as functional but suboptimal), and many other details relevant to the movement of the space station. In the far corner of the room is a separate terminal with a series of complicated controls which can navigate the space station, and these are locked with a special 6-digit code. Opposite this is a small room with locked glass doors; beyond the doors are some scientific tools and equipment as well as a few glass habitats for several lab mice. The keypad to enter the code to open these doors is hanging from damaged wires and does not allow input, nor do the doors seem to give way regardless of amount and direction of applied force. The doors are made of strengthened glass and cannot be broken. [Note: the research center is meant to be inaccessible--please divert your players from entering it. (This is because the actual research being performed here is not really relevant to the puzzle of the time loop, and accessing the lab would involve lots of variables which would all just be red herrings.) The first event in this room effectively locks the players out of the laboratory for this reason.]
8:30-9:00 - At the research lab portion of the room, the keypad dangling from split wires emits a long, low beep. The wires begin to spark slightly, and after a few seconds, louder and more intense sparks leap from the wires. The keypad breaks off of the wires and falls to the ground. Past the glass doors, a simple computer terminal inside the research lab displays a message that can just barely be read from outside the lab. It reads: SECURITY SYSTEM COMPROMISED. LABORATORY DOORS INACCESSIBLE. PLEASE CONTACT REPAIR CENTER TO REACTIVATE SECURITY SYSTEM. IF PERSONNEL LOCKED INSIDE LABORATORY, FOLLOW SAFETY PROTOCOL 77V818. Inside the lab, the overhead lights dim, and metal doors slide from the outer edges of the glass doors inward, blocking the lab from view. The metal doors close in front of the keypad, preventing it from being repairable by the players.
9:00-9:30 - At the navigation terminal, a blinking message appears: ANTI-COLLISION SYSTEM HAS DETECTED INCOMING ASTEROID. STATION MOVING TO AVOID IMPACT. NEW COORDINATES: AHDB-89, 017.0881, -341.9630, 996.2745. STATUS: ENERGY CONSUMPTION REQUIRED TO AVOID IMPACT IS MILD. AUTOMATED SYSTEMS AVOIDING NEARBY GRAVITY STREAM. NAVIGATION LOCKED UNTIL ASTEROID HAS PASSED SAFELY. RETURN TO PREVIOUS POSITION AFTER ASTEROID HAS PASSED? Y/N. If the players try to indicate either yes or no to this message, the terminal will prompt them for the lead navigator's security code, a 6-digit number (this number, 899712, is part of the time loop's solution and can be found in Lead Navigator Arri Chandel's footlocker in the Bunk Room, but returning the station to its previous position will not help to solve the puzzle). If the players know and use the code to return the station to its previous position, the station safely moves back into place without further issue or consequence. Either way, the station will remain adjacent to the gravity stream.
9:30-10:00 - The holographic projection at the center of the room blinks a message: SUPERNOVA IN ADJACENT STAR SYSTEM OCCURRING IMMINENTLY. FOCUS OBSERVATION ON SUPERNOVA? Y/N. If the players press N on the terminal, the message disappears, and 7 minutes later, one star at the edge of the holographic display expands and then suddenly is replaced by a smaller, dimmer sphere. If the players press Y on the terminal, the message disappears, and the following things happen simultaneously: the space station slowly rotates so that the observation window faces a different direction, and in the distance, a bright star can be seen; the holographic display zooms in on the shape of the bright white star in the projection; and the lights in the Navigation Room dim. 4 minutes after the message appeared, the bright star in the distance grows larger and brighter still for several dazzling minutes before erupting into violent, massive light. Once the light collapses, a faintly glowing red star only a fraction of its former size remains. The observation window hovers over the new red dwarf for a few minutes, and the station slowly rotates back to its original orientation; meanwhile, the lights in the room brighten, and the holographic display zooms back out to show the larger corner of the galaxy it had displayed previously.
10:00-10:30 - The navigation terminal lights up with a new message: VENT SYSTEM ENERGY COLLECTED. ENGINELESS THRUST AVAILABLE. ACTIVATE? Y/N. If the players choose to activate this option, the computer terminal requests the Lead Navigator's security clearance code. If the players have found the code (899712) in Lead Navigator Arri Chandel's footlocker, they can choose to move the station. If the players select Y and enter the code, the computer terminal will offer six options with directions given relative the perspective of the Navigation Room: AWAY FROM EARTH SYSTEM (UP); TOWARD EARTH SYSTEM (DOWN); TOWARD SECTOR GPTU (FORWARD); TOWARD SECTOR CRWI (BACKWARD); AWAY FROM GRAVITY STREAM (LEFT); INTO GRAVITY STREAM (RIGHT). Any option except for into the gravity stream results in a brief movement in that direction followed by this message: VENT THRUST EXPENDED. STATION POSITION MOVED. If the players move the station into the gravity stream, two things happen at once: the station shifts to the right relative the navigation room and into the gravity stream, which also shifts it slightly backwards relative the players' perspective, and the computer terminal displays the following message: GRAVITY STREAM ENTERED. SWITCHED TO ENERGY ABSORPTION MODE. The terminal then shows that the engines' energy levels slowly and steadily climb.
10:30-11:00 - The secondary panel in the navigation center lights up with a message. The terminal reads: ENCRYPTED SCHEDULED MESSAGE RECEIVED. DECRYPT MESSAGE? Y/N. If the players use Navigator Linny Wozner's security code (which can be found in the personnel file in the Repair Center computer terminal--it is 4483) to initiate decryption, the computer begins the process and starts work on the message. At 10:51, the computer reports that the message has been decrypted. It displays the following message from Research Officer Patrick George: "Dear Linny, my brightest star. My life before Distant Star was dedicated to gathering knowledge and understanding it. I delighted in discovering all I could about star systems, nebulae, and exotic planets. I believed I needed nothing more than to bring the facts about these impossible worlds home to our simple, beautiful planet. But then I met you. You guide us through the reaches of outer space, but you also have guided my heart to realizing that there is more to life than facts and figures about star temperatures and gas giants' atmospheres. You made me see that my heart and yours cause a more incredible and intense reaction than the fusion within our own sun. Talking to you is more thrilling than living here in space ever could be, and I am so grateful that you share your amazing light with me. Will you make me the happiest man in the universe and let me call your heart home? Love, Pat." At 10:56, the message disappears from the screen and re-encrypts itself.
Bunk Room:
This relatively small and simple room is lined by basic beds set against the walls. There are a total of one dozen beds, six on either side of the long, rectangular room. At the end of each bed is a simple footlocker with a keypad--to open the footlockers, a 4-digit code must be correctly entered. Over each bunk is a small metal plate with the name and designation of each bunk's owner. Along the left wall are, from nearest the door to the end of the room: Patricia Flanaghan, Communications Officer; Robert Portsmouth, Lead Engineer; Nex Miller, Engineer; Arri Chandel, Lead Navigator; Linny Wozner, Navigator; Tad Evans, Systems Analyst. Along the right wall are, from nearest the door to the end of the room: Pam Harrison, Lead Researcher; Patrick George, Researcher; Paul Corser, Medical Officer; Andi Chesterton, Station Pilot; Ed Mann, Repair Technician; Jeanne Wells, Chief Officer. In the center of the room between the bunks is a long table with short stools surrounding it, and playing cards are strewn across the table. At the end of the room are two smaller rooms which appear to be bathrooms; they have metallic toilets and sinks with small mirrors. Several portholes line the left side of the room with views of a ringed planet and a distant star system beyond it. Without codes, the footlockers are too durable to be broken into, but four footlockers can be opened if the players find the personnel file in the Satellite Control and Repair Center:
- Inside Patrick's footlocker (code 1998) are several weathered reference books on outer space and a few dozen even more weathered sci-fi novels.
- Inside Tad's footlocker (code 2639) is a homemade custom computer which appears to fit over the forearm as well as a collection of candies and snacks, mostly a generic brand of cheese crackers.
- Inside Linny's footlocker (code 4483) are several journals with flowing, ornate handwriting; one seems to be a book of original poetry, another looks to be a personal diary, a third has various detailed sketches of scenes both inside and outside of the space station, and three more contain scientific observations about travel in space, particular from the perspective of practical navigation issues and how travel in space differs from movement on Earth.
- Inside Arri's footlocker (code 5075) are several books of land and star maps, about two dozen photographs of her with her wife and two young daughters, and a diary; the diary is a mostly detached account of each day's events during her time on the station, and the last page has the number 899712 written neatly in small script in the top margin of the page (this code unlocks the navigation controls in the Navigation Room and Research Center).
8:30-9:00 - At one end of the table, the floor opens up, and a small steel cabinet rises from the space in the floor. The cabinet's glass front panel slides open, and inside it are a collection of metallic tubes with different labels. There are 48 tubes in the cabinet, which bears a small label at its top which reads "Automatic Meal and Nutrient Delivery Assistant"--in broad, comic-like lettering, the name "Amanda" has been written beneath the label in permanent marker, and big cartoon eyes with exaggerated eyelashes drawn by the same marker adorn the cabinet's top. The tubes are arranged into twelve columns of four rows. Each column, which is marked by the names of the crew members, contains the same four identical tubes: Denver Omelet, Hashbrowns, Strawberry Smoothie, and Peanut Butter Banana Toast. Simultaneously, a similar mechanism engages just outside the bathrooms, offering twelve identical tubes labeled Hydration and Hygiene Paste. These cabinets remain in place until 9:00, at which point they retract.
9:00-9:30 - A panel in the ceiling slides away, and from the open space, a curved circular screen lowers into the room over the card table. The screen projects the following message in sections around this circular screen: AUTOMATED STATION MOVEMENT IMMINENT. BRACE FOR MOVEMENT. As this message is displayed on the screen, safety belt emerge from the walls over the beds, and ends for the belts' buckles to click into slide out of slots on the sides of the bunks. Through the portholes on the left side of the room, an asteroid can be seen passing by relatively near the space station. A moment later, the space station moves steadily and gently, then stops. The screen then changes to the message: STATION MOVEMENT COMPLETE. STATION SAFETY MAINTAINED. RESUME NORMAL OPERATIONS. A beep sound fills the room. The screen reads: REMOVE SAFETY BELTS AND RETURN TO STORAGE. A red button extends from the wall next to each of the safety belts--if pressed, the belts retract into the wall, and the buttons recede with them.
9:30-10:00 - The bunk room is quiet and calm. At 9:36, a curved circular screen lowers into the room over the card table. The screen projects the following message in sections around this circular screen: COMPUTER DATABASES ON BOARD THE STATION DETECT DIGITAL STORAGE OF PROPRIETARY PASSCODES. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT ALL CREW MEMBERS DELETE DIGITAL STORAGE OF PASSCODES AND EITHER COMMIT PASSCODES TO MEMORY OR STORE THEM IN A SECURE LOCATION THAT CANNOT BE ACCESSED BY COMPUTER TERMINAL. STATION SECURITY MAY BE COMPROMISED. ALL PASSCODES MUST BE MANUALLY CHANGED WITHIN 24 HOURS OR WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY RESET. REPEAT: CHANGE ALL PASSCODES WITHIN 24 HOURS, OR YOUR PASSCODES WILL BE AUTOMATICALLY RESET. This message stays on the screen until 9:56, at which point the screen goes blank and recedes into the ceiling.
10:00-10:30 - The dim light from outside the station through the portholes grows steadily brighter. If the players look through the portholes, they can see that the ringed planet outside the station has a growing orb of light in its lower section, and it is glowing brighter and brighter. By 10:18, the light is bright enough to make it difficult to see beyond the ringed planet. At 10:24, a small glowing orb of brilliant light separates from the ringed planet. It wobbles and emits a blinding light for an instant; then the light completely goes out, and a strangely-shaped rock resembling a meteor in composition and bearing the shape of an irregular icosahedron remains in its place. The space object rotates slowly around the ringed planet for a few minutes, and at 10:28, it is reabsorbed by the ringed planet and disappears entirely.
10:30-11:00 - The wall over the bunk labeled as belonging to Dr. Paul Corser silently opens slightly--just enough to place one's fingers into the open space. If a player tries to pry open the panel, a small rudimentary computer terminal is hidden in the panel in the wall. The computer terminal displays the following message: EARTH COMMUNICATION RECEIVED. DISPLAY FULL MESSAGE? Y/N. If the player selects Y, the terminal displays the following message: UGA VS. ALA GAME COMPLETE. UGA 52, ALA 38. UGA UPDATED RECORD FOR SEASON 11-0, ALA 9-2. NEXT UGA GAME VS. GT. UF RECORD 10-1. PROJECTED WINNER: UGA, 23-13. PLACE REGULAR BET ON UGA FOR UPCOMING GAME? Y/N. Regardless of what the players choose, the computer terminal affirms their selection and goes blank before receding into the wall, and the panel slides closed flush over the terminal.
Storage Room:
This medium-sized room is cramped--it is absolutely filled with crates, cases, and containers of all shapes and sizes. Most are closed but unsealed, and none are locked. The supplies kept here go to various parts of the space station; there are backup engine fuses, replacement circuitry, basic medical supplies, boxes of tubes of nutrient meals, a wide variety of tools (simple and advanced alike), and many other vital elements for keeping the space station functional. An empty discarded box is labeled "Life Support Replacement Parts," and a quick search reveals that there are no other boxes with the same label on them. In the rear of the room, under a heap of other crates of supplies, is a box labeled "Basic Training Manual." Inside the box is only one copy of a thick book which has obviously been heavily used. There is a page which is dog-eared, and on that page is a detailed explanation for jumpstarting broken systems on the space station: in order to send emergency energy to a system, introducing significantly greater gravitational force to the station will accelerate the engines, and excess energy will automatically jumpstart the failing systems, which can be performed from the engine room directly. [Note: If the players visit the Storage Room after 9:00, the necessary information will have been destroyed by Glinda the escaped lab mouse, so the players must visit the Storage Room for this information in the first time slot to learn this.]
8:30-9:00 - If the players search the Storage Room, they may find any of the items listed above, including the Basic Training Manual. Reading the manual will reveal the fact that a gravity stream can accelerate the engines, allowing for a jumpstart of systems, including the life support system. The manual indicates that this process consists of only two basic steps: entering the gravity stream and manually routing the additional engine power to the failed system. This page has a smudge of something that smells like food in the middle of it, but the page's text is still readable. The manual can also be used to provide general information about the space station, including details pertinent to other rooms on the station. Use your best judgment as the GM to determine whether a detail about the station should be disclosed in the manual or directly discovered by investigating the room in person; I recommend erring on the side of making the players visit the rooms directly if you want a harder puzzle.]
9:00-9:30 - A high-pitched squeaking sound comes from somewhere in the Storage Room. If the players search for the source of the sound or try to find the Basic Training Manual, they will discover an escaped lab mouse eating a piece of a page in the manual. [Note: this page is the specific part of the manual that describes how to jumpstart the failed life support system, and as a result, the information will not be accessible in this or later time slots.] Once the mouse is discovered, it shrieks in panic and disappears amongst the boxes and crates in the Storage Room before escaping the room entirely. [Note: the mouse cannot be caught regardless of strategy from the players, as it needs to appear in the Engine Room in a later time slot.] Once the mouse disappears, the players can notice that one of the nutrient paste tubes has been chewed open by the mouse, which has left the nutrient paste uneaten. Shortly afterward, the station can be felt moving, but no indication of why is evident in the Storage Room.
9:30-10:00 - At 9:41, the control panel by the door to the Storage Room beeps three times and displays a message: ANDI, I KNOW YOU COME IN HERE AND MIX UP ALL THE ENGINE PARTS AS A PRANK EVERY DAY, SO HERE'S A PRANK FOR YOU. I'VE TAKEN ALL YOUR BELOVED NATURE DOCUMENTARIES OFF THE STATION'S DATABASE AND LOADED THEM ONTO A FLASHDRIVE. I'VE HIDDEN THAT FLASHDRIVE SOMEWHERE IN THIS ROOM. YOUR ONLY HINT IS THAT THE FLASHDRIVE IS IN THE LAST PLACE YOU'D EXPECT IT TO BE. GOOD LUCK. LOVE, NEX. If the players choose to search for the flashdrive, they can find it by going through the medical supplies crate and opening a container of denatured alcohol. Inside the container is a small plastic bag, inside of which is the flashdrive. If the flashdrive is inserted into any computer terminal on the station, it holds 54 different nature documentaries and a text file that simply reads: GOOD WORK, ANDI! NOW PLEASE STOP MESSING WITH MY ENGINE PARTS. LOVE, NEX. If the message is not read by 9:56, it disappears from the console.
10:00-10:30 - A faint beeping sound comes from somewhere in the room. If the players search, they can find the source of the beeping: a small mobile computer terminal which was at the bottom of a crate of tools. The terminal displays a message: BATTERY LOW. PLEASE CONNECT TO POWER SOURCE. NORMAL FUNCTIONS AVAILABLE WITH ADDITIONAL POWER. The players may connect the terminal to the room's control panel via a cord attached to the mobile terminal. By 10:22, the terminal has enough charge to function again and displays the following message: BATTERY DAMAGE DETECTED. CHARGING CONNECTION REQUIRED FOR NORMAL FUNCTIONS. DO NOT DISCONNECT. The terminal will allow three functions: the players can use it to view a map of the station, view entertainment files from the station's database including a collection of classic films and television as well as a wide variety of documentaries (excluding nature documentaries due to the prank described in the previous time slot for the Storage Room), and access personal messages (all communications available are addressed to Ed, the Repair Technician, and consist of very businesslike and brief messages concerning station repairs, particularly of satellites). No genuinely helpful information can be gleaned from the mobile terminal.
10:30-11:00 - At 10:33, the lights in the Storage Room begin to turn on and off every five seconds. A control panel on the wall by the door lights up, and a small screen on the panel reads: ELECTRICAL MALFUNCTION. REPLACE CONTROL PANEL CIRCUITRY. The control panel then lifts to reveal a fried circuit board behind it. If the players search the room, they can find a box marked "Replacement Circuitry." Inside the box are several types of circuit boards, all but one of which are too large for the console in the Storage Room. Replacing the exposed fried circuit board does not take electrical expertise, as it simply clicks out of and into place. Once the circuit board is replaced, the lights turn on and remain on (making the Storage Room the only lit location on the station).
Docking and Medical Bay:
This double-function room is split into two uneven halves: on the left is a huge space with an electric barrier between the docking bay and outer space beyond, and on the right is a moderate space resembling an average doctor's office with cabinets stocked with medical supplies and an examination table. The docking bay is mostly an open and flat space for vehicles to be harbored; a few small craft which are no more than simple thrusters with handles meant to move around the space station and perform basic repairs can be found here, but no vessels large or powerful enough to actually leave the ship and go somewhere beyond are present. Near the electric barrier and at the opposite end of the docking bay are matching computer terminals which control the barrier and other functions in the bay, but they seem to have lost power and have no readouts. In the medical bay, an array of simple medical supplies including gauze, bandages, syringes, and ointments are scattered almost everywhere; the mess suggests that something dramatic happened and that the medical officer was unable or unwilling to clean up the supplies. A scalpel is stuck into the padding on the examination table, and close inspection of the scalpel if removed from the table indicates that a small amount of blood has dried onto the tip of the blade.
8:30-9:00 - Inside the Medical Bay, the computer terminal blinks with a message: ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY FAILURE DETECTED. SUPPLY CABINET LATCH FAILURE. GRAVITY REGENERATED SAFELY. PLEASE CHECK SUPPLIES AND CONTACT STATION REPAIR TECHNICIAN TO REPAIR CABINET LATCHES. PROCEED WITH CAUTION. PERFORMING DIAGNOSTIC. The message is displayed until 8:46, at which point the message is minimized to a corner of the screen. At 8:51, the computer terminal presents another message: DIAGNOSTIC SCAN SUCCESSFUL. FAILED GRAVITY GENERATION DUE TO OUTAGE OF POWER TO LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEM AT 01:09. EMERGENCY PERSONNEL PROTOCOL ENACTED AT 01:11. FOLLOW SAFETY PROCEDURES UNTIL FURTHER DIRECTIONS FROM MISSION CONTROL. This message is displayed until 8:56, at which point it is also minimized.
9:00-9:30 - A loudspeaker in the Docking Bay crackles, and a computerized voice says, "Station automated movement activated. Secure materials and remain safe." A moment later, the station can be felt moving. Outside of the electric barrier, a small piece of space debris floats in the vacuum of space. The station's movement brings the debris into contact with the electric barrier. The debris is singed by the electrical energy slightly, and the debris is propelled gently away from the station. The computer terminal near the barrier lights up, and on its screen the following message is displayed: FOREIGN OBJECT IN CONTACT WITH EXTERNAL BARRIER. BARRIER INTACT. FOREIGN OBJECT REPELLED. INSPECT BARRIER TO ENSURE STATION SAFETY. IS DOCKING BAY SECURE? Y/N. If the players select Y, the displayed message disappears; if they select N, the terminal message is replaced with: EVACUATE DOCKING BAY AND CONTACT STATION CAPTAIN AND REPAIR TECHNICIAN. These messages disappear at 9:27.
9:30-10:00 - At 9:32, the loudspeakers in the docking bay crackle for a moment. Then, a computerized voice says, "Good morning, Andi. Today is Tuesday, April 16th, 2084. Your agenda today is 1 - assess fleet of vehicles; 2 - submit appropriate repair tickets; 3 - meet with Chief Officer Wells for weekly check-in at 16:00; 4 - be super chill and awesome as usual. Beginning "Start the Day" playlist." Over the speaker, lo-fi hip-hop beats begin to play. The music continues until 9:57, then stops as the last song fades out. The computerized voice returns: "Great work, Andi. You got this. Just remember to be super chill. And don't forget to check the Storage Room for inventory control." The computerized voice says the phrase "inventory control" in a slightly higher, slower voice. (This is a reference to Andi's continual pranking of Engineer Nex by scrambling the engine parts as referenced in the Storage Room event during the 9:30-10:00 time slot.)
10:00-10:30 - At 10:08, a small spacecraft appears outside the electric barrier. It bears the insignia of Earth Mission Control and does not have space for a human pilot. The computer terminal by the electric barrier lets out a loud alarm and displays the following message: AUTOMATED SPACECRAFT DETECTED AT DOCKING BAY. STATION SUPPORT SYSTEMS INADEQUATE FOR ADMITTING SPACECRAFT, ERROR CODE 19RM-5D: POWER FAILURE IMMINENT IF DOCKING ALLOWED. SENDING AUTOMATED REJECTION MESSAGE TO SPACECRAFT. RUN SPACECRAFT IDENTIFICATION PROCEDURE? Y/N. If the players choose Y, the terminal processes for a moment and then displays a new message: SPACECRAFT IDENTIFIED AS MISSION CONTROL ORIGIN, RESUPPLY SHIPMENT AS REGULARLY SCHEDULED. DIRECTING CRAFT TO LATCH ONTO STATION OUTER DOCK UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. The spacecraft then latches onto a structure just outside the electric barrier. If the players choose N, the terminal displays the following message: SPACECRAFT DENIED DOCKING. SENDING REJECTED SPACECRAFT AUTOMATED RETURN DIRECTIVE. The spacecraft then floats outside the barrier for a moment, then propels itself away from the barrier and out of sight.
10:30-11:00 - The Medical Bay computer terminal lights up and plays a short musical alert tone. On the screen, the following message is displayed: UPCOMING PERSONAL CHECK-UPS: OFFICER HARRISON AT 15:00, NOTES - VACCINATIONS DUE, DENTAL INSPECTION, DISINFECT AND RE-BANDAGE WOUND ON LEFT PALM, DO NOT ASK ABOUT CURRENT RESEARCH PROJECT, SHE LIKES TO BE REFERRED TO AS DR. HARRISON, NOT OFFICER HARRISON. CAPTAIN AT 16:30, NOTES - DENTAL INSPECTION, RUN BLOOD TESTS, ASK ABOUT PAIN IN RIGHT KNEE AND SUGGEST PAINKILLERS AGAIN, ASK ABOUT STORIES FROM MILITARY DAYS, REMEMBER TO REFER TO COMPUTER TERMINAL EVEN IF UNNECESSARY BECAUSE IT GIVES CAPTAIN PEACE OF MIND. ADDITIONAL TASKS: REORGANIZE SUPPLY CABINETS, RESTOCK FIRST AID KITS, CATCH UP ON DOCUMENTATION. GO BULLDOGS. This message is displayed either until the players minimize it or indefinitely.
Satellite Control and Repair Center:
This relatively small room has several wide screens displaying readouts of information on the space station itself as well as dozens of satellites in the vicinity. Markers on the screen indicate that about one third of the satellites in orbit were launched from the space station; the other two thirds are labelled with the origin of the satellite, including many from other space programs on Earth and several which are labelled simply with coordinates like X-51b and ZR-99. These screens also include control panels for the space station's satellites, allowing them to use thrusters to move in different directions. The repair center part of the room has a few small satellites and other mechanical devices related to the space station in various states of disrepair--mechanical tools ranging from simple hammers and screwdrivers to more complex welding machines and electronic panels cover the surfaces around the room and hang from the walls around them. A small computer terminal in the corner shows three files on its display: Repair Log, Satellite Movement Log, and Personnel Log. The information in the repair and satellite movement logs show thousands of dense data points with no real indication of how to decipher them. The Personnel Log has simple 4-digit numbers next to a few names: Patrick - 1998; Tad - 2639; Linny - 4483; Arri - 5075. (These are the footlocker passcodes for these members of the crew as well as Linny's passcode for her navigation terminal; Arri's passcode is a crucial part of resolving the time loop puzzle.)
8:30-9:00 - A simple sheet of paper is taped into position over a modified Bunsen burner next to one of the larger repair tables; on the paper, it says, "To Do List: Use Updated Satellite Maps to Chart Sector BTTW-32; Survey Satellite Systems in Orbit of Station; Repair Automated Repair Drone (Oh the Irony); Attempt Code-Cracking for Wells; Reinstall Flight Simulator on Station Mainframe; Write and Encrypt Message to Sector VKOC-59." At 8:45, the Bunsen burner automatically turns on, and the paper and tape are quickly incinerated. A moment later, an automated vacuum tube extends from the side of the repair table and sucks up the ashes, leaving no trace of the paper or its message behind. The computer terminal in the room is powered down and will not turn on regardless of player input.
9:00-9:30 - The loudspeaker overhead crackles with a computerized voice that says, "Automated station movement; brace materials." The space station begins to move slightly. Once it finishes moving, the powered-down computer terminal in the room turns on. The data files--the Repair Log, the Satellite Movement Log, and the Personnel Log are available. The players must access the Personnel Log, which is actually Repair Technician Ed Mann's file on the security codes he has stolen from other space station crew members, in order to solve the puzzle of the time loop. At 9:27, the computer terminal displays the message "POWER SURGE DETECTED AT 9:04--RESETTING SYSTEM" and resets and requires a passcode of 25 characters to access the files again. The passcode is UW0NTGU3S51NAB1LLI0NY34RS. [Note: this passcode is meant to be functionally impossible to crack, as part of the puzzle is in having the players determine that they must access the files specifically during this time slot. If you wish to make the puzzles difficulty easier for your players, skip the part where the computer resets and requires the passcode to access the files.]
9:30-10:00 - A roughly humanoid-shaped droid made from what appears to be surplus satellite parts emerges from a supply closet and walks into the center of the room. If no one is present in the room, it walks a circuit around the room and then returns to the closet, closing the door behind itself. If the players are present, the droid will attempt to speak to them. The droid is very rudimentary in programming and can only make basic conversation in the form of small talk; in a tinny computerized voice, it asks questions such as "How's your day, Ed?", "What's new, friend?", and "What a week, am I right?". It is, however, incapable of asking follow-up questions or answering any questions itself. If spoken to beyond answers to its questions, the droid simply tilts its head (which seems to be a modified solar panel) to the side and waits for a moment before asking another question. It asks variations of these simple questions until 9:55 and then returns to the closet before closing itself in.
10:00-10:30 - The loudspeaker in the room crackles briefly before a computerized voice says, "Satellite issue detected. Satellite DS-18A240, special designation Copernicus' Telescope, has sustained contact from a solar flare. Satellite requires replacement fuselage and hard reset of computer systems. Communications with satellite are down, meaning sector ZLOW-96 is dark. Repeat: sector ZLOW-96 has gone dark. Repair is a priority." A moment after the loudspeaker stops, a small speakerbox connected to a simple microphone on one of the repair tables crackles and speaks in its own computerized voice, which is more robotic and unnatural-sounding than the loudspeaker's voice: "DS-18A240 dark. Rerouting DS-18A240 to Docking Bay. ETA: 4 hours. Preparing appropriate tools." Meanwhile, the droid in the closet (described in previous time slot) emerges from the closet and begins gathering tools and supplies from shelves around the room and placing them on the center-most repair table--a set of wrenches, a soldering iron, a few pieces of sheet metal, a tray filled with hardware, and a circuit board. Once the tools are collected, the droid returns to the closet and closes itself in.
10:30-11:00 - At 10:35, the loudspeaker crackles and says in its robotic voice, "It's time for a little treat, Ed. You deserve it." The droid in the closet (described in the two previous time slots) emerges and slides a control panel on the wall to the side; behind the panel is a small door. The droid opens the door to reveal two compartments. From the top, it pulls a frosty glass mug; from the bottom, it withdraws a silver can of Diet Coke. The droid pops the can open and pours it perfectly into the mug, then places the mug down on a vacant space on a repair table. It says in its tinny, stilted voice, "Here's a cold one on me." If the players do not interact with the mug of Diet Coke, the droid takes the mug back into the closet with it at 10:50. If the players drink the Diet Coke, the droid will take the empty mug away when they are done. If the players interact with the mug in another way, such as breaking the mug or putting something else into the mug, the droid freezes and says, "Malfunction" before returning to the closet.
There you have it: an environmental storytelling version of my time loop adventure games. I had a lot of fun with the challenge of creating characterizing events without the direct interactions of NPCs, and I think I learned a lot in terms of how to use setting and details to create an atmosphere with only a place and automated or scheduled events. For GMs who have a hard time improvising NPCs, this adventure provides the ability to run a time loop adventure with fewer variables to worry about. I would tell GMs who want to learn more about environmental storytelling to challenge themselves the way I did with this time loop adventure--the best way to learn (as always with tabletop games) is to give it a try and see what feels like it works and what doesn't. I'll disclose here that I had to do a lot more editing on this time loop adventures than on the previous two; getting the environmental events' orders to work well together required more trial and error than I am used to.
That's all for now. Coming soon: a guide to romantic and sexual relationships in my homebrew setting, a profile on gender identity and roles in my homebrew setting, and a guide to clans amongst the Daltoners. Until next time, happy gaming!
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