The Mission Encounter: "Ghost in the Machine" -The Hyper Zelonoid: "Project G-Type"

This Mission Encounter picks up right after The Mutation: The "Vanguard" Strider Encounter

The Encounter: "Ghost in the Machine"

Location: An abandoned research module on a decaying orbital platform.

The Setup: The crew is sent to retrieve a "Biological hard drive." Upon arrival, they find the security teams haven't just been killed; they’ve been dissected. The air is thick with the smell of ozone and wet copper.

The Twist: The Zelonoid isn't just a monster; it's a former crew member. As they fight, the creature’s "Head Beam" might flicker, projecting a distorted holographic distress signal from the human mind still trapped inside the biological shell.

Survival Tactics for Players

To survive this encounter, players should:

Use the Environment: Lure it into a vacuum chamber or use industrial welders (Fire damage) to stop its regeneration.
Keep Distance: Its Pressure Cannon is powerful but slow; its true lethality is at melee range.
Focus Fire: Since it adapts to damage types, the squad should synchronize their fire with different weapon types simultaneously.

In the gritty, industrial sci-fi setting of Hostile or Orbital 2100, a "Hyper Zelonoid" represents a terrifying leap in illegal bio-engineering. Instead of shiny superhero aesthetics, think of this as a "Bio-Weapon of Mass Destruction"—a wetware nightmare designed by a rogue megacorporation to board stations and leave no survivors.

The Hyper Zelonoid: "Project G-Type"

This creature is a 7-foot tall, bio-armored monstrosity. Its skin is a matte-grey, chitinous plating that pulses with heat. It doesn't use tools; it is the tool.

Biological Specs

Bio-Armor: A self-healing organic resin that acts as Combat Armor but cannot be "stripped."
High-Frequency Blades: Retractable bone-spurs on the forearms that vibrate at molecular frequencies, ignoring most physical DR.
Pressure Cannon: A specialized organ in the chest that compresses air into a concussive blast.

RPG Statistics (Hostile/Orbital 2100)

Attribute	Value	Notes
DEX	12 (+2)	Blindingly fast reflexes.
STR	15 (+3)	Can tear through bulkhead doors.
END	14 (+2)	Massive trauma threshold.
Armor	10	Organic Chitin (Treat as Vacc Suit + Flak).
Movement	15m	Can climb walls and ceilings.

Attacks

HF-Blades: 4D6 Damage (AP 4). Critical hits sever limbs.
Pressure Cannon: 3D6 Damage. Target must pass a STR check or be knocked Back 5 meters.
Head Beam: 2D6 Damage. Bio-luminescent laser (short range only).

Special Rules

1. Adaptive Evolution

Every time the Zelonoid takes damage from a specific source (e.g., Lasers, Shotguns), it gains +2 Armor against that specific damage type on its next turn as its cells rapidly mutate to harden.

2. Bio-Regeneration

The creature heals 1D6 damage at the start of every round unless it was hit by fire or acid in the previous round.

GM Note: In the cramped, low-gravity corridors of an Orbital station, the Zelonoid is a predator. Use the environment—have it cut the power and use its thermal vision to hunt the players

In the world of Hostile or Orbital 2100, "looting" a bio-engineered horror is a messy, dangerous, and legally questionable endeavor. The materials harvested are highly unstable and often "alive" in a parasitic sense.

Here are five Bio-Glitch Loot items the players can scavenge from the Hyper Zelonoid’s remains, along with their benefits and risks.

1. Vibratory Bone-Spur (Unrefined HF-Blade)

A jagged, 18-inch shard of calcified carbon-fiber. It still hums with residual kinetic energy.

Utility: Can be used as a makeshift knife. It ignores 4 points of Armor.
The Glitch: The blade is "hungry." Every time it deals damage, the user must make a DEX check. On a failure, the blade’s micro-vibrations travel up the user's arm, dealing 1D6 non-lethal fatigue damage as it numbs the nerves.

2. Adrenal-Saccule (The "Zelonoid Rush")

An organ the size of a grape that periodically pulses with a neon-amber fluid.

Utility: If crushed and inhaled or injected, it grants the user +2 DEX and STR for 1D6 minutes.
The Glitch: After the effect wears off, the user suffers a massive "Bio-Crash." They take a -2 penalty to all checks for 24 hours unless they find a way to flush their system in a Med-Bay.

3. Chitinous Neural-Plate

A piece of the creature's skull plating infused with bio-circuits. It acts as a bridge between organic brains and machine interfaces.

Utility: When wired into a computer or hacking deck, it grants a +2 bonus to Comms or Computer checks as the organic components "predict" encryption patterns.
The Glitch: The plate is still partially sentient. Occasionally, it will "whisper" into the ship's comms or the hacker’s headset, causing a -1 penalty to EDU-based checks due to psychic interference or disturbing hallucinations.

4. Pressurized Gas-Bladder

The core component of the "Pressure Cannon." It feels like a heavy, leathery balloon filled with liquid nitrogen.

Utility: Can be rigged into a one-time Concussive Grenade. It deals 3D6 damage in a 5-meter radius and knocks all targets prone.
The Glitch: Highly volatile. If the player carrying it takes damage from a fall or a kinetic weapon (bullets/shrapnel), roll a 1D6. On a 1, the bladder ruptures prematurely on their person.

5. Reactive Dermal-Patch (Living Armor)

A palm-sized piece of grey skin that stays warm to the touch.

Utility: Can be "grafted" onto a standard Vacc Suit or Flak Jacket. It provides +2 Armor and grants the "Adaptive Evolution" trait (the armor gains +1 resistance to the last damage type it took).
The Glitch: It requires nutrients. The patch slowly "eats" the suit it’s attached to. Every week, the base armor’s original DR permanently decreases by 1 until the patch is "fed" (submerged in biological waste or chemicals).

Corporate Warning: Carrying these items through a high-sec station scan will trigger "Bio-Hazard" alarms. Megacorps like Weyland-Yutani or Zhi-Mao will pay a high price for these samples—but they might just kill the crew to keep the secret quiet.

Meet "Doctor" Silas Vane, a disgraced ex-xenobiologist who operates out of a converted cargo container in the "Under-Heave" (the lawless lower decks) of a major trade hub.

Vane is the kind of man who wears a pressurized hazmat suit not for his own safety, but because he’s carrying three different illegal viral cultures in his pockets at any given time.

NPC: Silas Vane (The "Wet-Ware" Fence)

"Careful with that blade, son. It's still looking for a heartbeat, and yours is currently the loudest one in the room. Lay it on the scanner... gently."

Personality & Hooks

The Vibe: Nervous, brilliant, and deeply caffeinated. He speaks in rapid-fire bursts and treats biological "glitches" like fine art.
The Motivation: He isn't interested in money as much as data. He wants to reconstruct the "Project G-Type" genome to spite the corporation that fired him.
The Lever: He has access to "Off-Grid Med-Bays." If a player gets infected or mutated by the Zelonoid, Vane is the only one who can treat them without reporting it to the authorities.

Vane’s Exchange Rate

Since credits are easily tracked by corporate auditors, Vane prefers to trade in favors or specialized gear:

Scavenged Item	Vane's Offer	Alternative Payment
Bone-Spur	5,000 Credits	A "Ghost-Link" Hacking Tool (+2 to bypass security).
Adrenal-Saccule	2,000 Credits	A 3-pack of "Stabilizers" (removes Bio-Crash penalties).
Neural-Plate	12,000 Credits	Illegal Cybernetic Upgrade (e.g., Sub-dermal plating).
Gas-Bladder	1,500 Credits	High-grade Industrial Incinerator (deals Fire damage).
Dermal-Patch	8,000 Credits	A "Clean ID" for one crew member to bypass station security.

The Complication: "The Tracking Protein"

Vane informs the crew of a terrifying reality: the Hyper Zelonoid's cells contain a "homing protein." If the players keep the loot on their ship for more than 48 hours, a corporate "Retrieval Team" (think heavily armed mercs or a second, more stable Zelonoid) will triangulate their position. Vane can "scrub" the items for a fee, but it takes time—leaving the players vulnerable while they wait in his lab.

Potential Plot Hooks

The Request: Vane offers to double his price if the players go back to the orbital station and retrieve the "Unit's Control Medallion" (the device that suppressed the human host's mind).
The Betrayal: Vane is actually a sleeper agent for a rival corp. He's buying the parts to build his own version of the creature.
The Emergency: While the players are in Vane’s shop, the Dermal-Patch they brought in starts to "grow" and fuses with Vane’s life-support system. They have to perform "emergency surgery" (DEX or EDU check) to save their contact.

If Silas Vane is right about the "tracking protein," the players aren't just carrying loot—they’re carrying a homing beacon. The corporation responsible for the Zelonoid (let's call them Acheron Bio-Tech) doesn't file insurance claims; they send "The Cleaners."

This Retrieval Team is designed to be a high-pressure encounter. They don't want a fair fight; they want their property back and all witnesses silenced.

Corporate Retrieval Team: "The Scavenger Hounds"

This is a four-man fireteam. They wear matte-black, pressurized tactical suits with no markings or serial numbers. Their helmets feature insectoid multi-lens optics.

Team Leader: "Handler" Vross

Vross is a cold professional. He doesn't use a radio; he uses a direct neural link to coordinate his team with eerie, silent efficiency.

DEX 10 (+1), STR 10 (+1), END 12 (+2)
Armor: 8 (Reflec/Composite Tactical Suit)
Weapon: Flechette Carbine (3D6 Damage, AP 2). On a hit, the target must pass a DEX check or suffer -1 to their next action from painful shrapnel.
Special: Bio-Scanner. Vross knows exactly which player is carrying the Zelonoid parts. He will ignore cover to suppress that specific player.

The Breachers (x2)

The muscle of the team. They move in tandem, using interlocking shields.

DEX 9 (+1), STR 11 (+1), END 11 (+1)
Armor: 10 (Frontal Ballistic Shield + Tactical Suit)
Weapon: Automatic Shotgun (4D6 Close Range / 2D6 Long Range).
Tactics: One Breacher uses "Suppressive Fire" while the other advances to melee range to use a Stun Baton (2D6 non-lethal, target is paralyzed for 1 round on a failed END check).

The "Nu-Zelonoid" Prototype (The Asset)

To catch a Zelonoid, they brought a smaller, more "stable" version. It looks like a grey, hairless wolf-creature with the same chitinous plating as the Hyper Zelonoid but none of the intelligence.

DEX 13 (+2), STR 12 (+2), END 10 (+1)
Armor: 6 (Natural Chitin)
Attack: Monofilament Claws (3D6 Damage, Ignores all non-powered armor).
Special: Pounce. If the creature moves at least 5m before attacking, it can attempt to pin a target (STR vs STR check).

Combat Tactics: The "Containment" Protocol

The Scavenger Hounds don't just kick in the door. They use a specific "Hostile Environment" sequence:

Kill the Lights: They toss EMPs or cut the local power grid. They have Superior Darkvision (+2 to hit in total darkness); the players likely don't.
Flash-Bang Entry: They use high-intensity flash charges. Players must pass an END check or be blinded/deafened for 1D3 rounds.
The Ultimatum: Vross will speak over a loud-hailer: "Place the biological assets in the containment bin and lie face down. Compliance is the only path to survival." (He is lying; he has orders to execute everyone).

Escape & Survival

If the players are pinned down in Silas Vane's lab, they have a few "Plan B" options:

Vane’s "Cocktail": Silas tosses a flask of unstable acid at the Nu-Zelonoid, melting its armor but filling the room with toxic fumes (1D6 damage per turn without a respirator).
The Pressure Vent: The lab is in the "Under-Heave." A well-placed shot to an overhead pipe can fill the corridor with scalding steam, creating a smokescreen for the players to slip away.

GM Tip: If the players manage to kill the team, they can scavenge Corporate Enigma-Keys from Vross. These keys grant access to restricted Acheron Bio-Tech facilities—setting up the next leg of your campaign.

To take the fight to the source, the players must infiltrate The Hive-9 Research Station. This isn't a gleaming skyscraper; it is a "Dark Lab" hidden inside a hollowed-out asteroid in a cluttered debris belt, making it invisible to long-range sensors.

Location: Acheron Bio-Tech "Hive-9"

The station is a modular, high-pressure environment where gravity is kept at 0.8g to facilitate the growth of organic tissues. The walls aren't just steel; they are lined with "nutrient plumbing" that hums like a heartbeat.

Security Level: Extreme

Bio-Metric Locks: Doors require a DNA scan or one of the Enigma-Keys taken from Vross.
Atmospheric Scrubbers: The station can vent oxygen or flood sectors with sedative gas at the push of a button.

The Map: Key Sectors

Sector	Description	Objective/Opportunity
The Decon-Lock	The only way in/out. Heavily guarded by two auto-turrets.	Hack the turrets to fire on the incoming guards.
Incubation Vats	Dozens of glass cylinders holding "Zelonoid Embryos."	Plant explosives here to cripple Acheron's long-term plans.
The Black Box Server	A cold, refrigerated room containing the project data.	Download the "Origin Files" to clear the crew's names (or sell for millions).
Primary Bio-Forge	The heart of the station where the "Queen" unit resides.	The final boss arena.

Final Boss: The "Acheron-Alpha" (Zelonoid Commander)

If the Hyper Zelonoid was a soldier, the Alpha is the General. It is larger, gold-hued, and possesses a terrifying Neural Scream.

Stats

STR 18, DEX 11, END 16
Armor 12 (Heavy Chitinous Plating)
Neural Scream: Once every 3 rounds, it emits a subsonic pulse. Everyone within 10m must pass an END check or suffer a -3 penalty to all actions for 1 round due to agonizing migraines.
Mega-Blades: 5D6 Damage (AP 6). These blades can slice through starship-grade bulkheads.

Environmental Hazard: The "Self-Evolve" Trigger

In a desperate move, the station AI (named MOTHER) may trigger the Self-Evolve Protocol.

Effect: The station begins to grow organic "polyps" over the walls. These pods burst, releasing Zelonoid Larvae (small, fast, 1D6 damage swarms). The players have 10 minutes (Real Time or 20 Rounds) to reach the extraction ship before the station becomes a giant, living organism that seals all exits permanently.

Rewards for Success

If the players survive and destroy Hive-9, they gain:

The Origin Files: Evidence of illegal human experimentation. Can be used to blackmail Acheron for a permanent "pension" or leaked to the press for a massive reputation boost.
Prototype Bio-Rig: A high-tech suit of armor that provides Armor 12 but requires the user to consume double the normal amount of food to "power" the suit's biological functions.
A Clean Slate: Silas Vane can use the station's tech to permanently scrub the "Tracking Protein" from the crew’s bodies.
This briefing is designed to be printed or handed out to your players. It uses the "low-tech, high-tension" aesthetic of Hostile and Orbital 2100.
MISSION BRIEFING: OPERATION "WET-WORKS"
STATUS: TOP SECRET / EYES ONLY CLIENT: [REDACTED] via Silas Vane LOCATION: Asteroid Belt Sector 7-G (Hive-9 Facility)
1. MISSION OVERVIEW
You are tasked with a surgical strike against the Acheron Bio-Tech "Hive-9" research platform. Our intelligence, recovered from the "Scavenger Hounds" retrieval team, confirms this facility is the primary production hub for the "G-Type" bio-weapons.
Primary Objective: Infiltrate Hive-9 and upload the "Contagion" Virus (provided by Silas Vane) into the central mainframe to purge all research data. Secondary Objective: Locate and destroy the Bio-Forge Core to prevent further production of Zelonoid units. Tertiary Objective: Extraction of any "Stable" prototype hardware for liquidation.
2. THE TARGET: HIVE-9
The facility is a "Dark Site" embedded within a nickel-iron asteroid. Expect tight corridors, low-gravity pockets, and biological contamination.
- Security: Automated CIWS turrets protect the main hangar. Use the Enigma-Keys for a silent approach.
- Atmospheric Note: Internal sensors show high levels of airborne proteins. Respirators or Vacc Suits are mandatory. Do not break your seal.
3. KNOWN THREATS: THE "G-TYPE" DEFENDERS
Be advised, Hive-9 is not just a lab; it is a kennel.
- Standard Zelonoids: Expect 2–4 active units patrolling the perimeter.
- The Alpha: Recon suggests a "Command Unit" is stationed in the Bio-Forge. Do not engage in melee. If you hear a high-pitched ringing in your ears, fall back immediately.
4. LOGISTICS & SUPPORT
- Extraction: Your ship must remain in "Cold Run" mode (engines off) 5km from the asteroid to avoid detection. Once the virus is uploaded, you will have a 10-minute window before the station's internal security systems trigger a total lockdown.
- Medical: Silas Vane has provided two "Blue-Jacks." These are experimental injectors that will temporarily stall Zelonoid infection or mutation for 60 minutes. Use them wisely.
5. THE STAKES
Acheron Bio-Tech considers you "expendable assets." If you are captured, there will be no negotiation. You will either be processed as raw biomass for the Bio-Forge or used as the next generation of hosts.
"Leave nothing but ashes. Bring back nothing but the truth." — Silas Vane
[ACCEPT MISSION / ABORT]

Saturday, January 3, 2026