Transhuman Space Classic: Under Pressure

163 Pages·2003·10.631 MB·English

by  David Morgan-Mar, Kenneth Peters, Constantine Thomas

UNDER PRESSURETM
Written by David Morgan-Mar, Kenneth Peters, and Constantine Thomas
Cover by Christopher Shy
Illustrated by Mark Cook, Justin De Witt, Matthew Kresge, Matthew Taggart, and Richard Taylor
Additional material by Nelson Cunnington
and Anthony Jackson
Edited by Alain H. Dawson
Cartography by Scott Reeves
GURPS System Design n Steve Jackson
Managing Editor n Andrew Hackard
GURPSLine Editor n Sean Punch
Transhuman Space Line Editor n David Pulver
Production Manager n Monique Chapman
Production Artist n Justin De Witt
Print Buyer n Monica Stephens
GURPSErrata Coordinator n Andy Vetromile
Sales Manager n Ross Jepson
Playtesters:Frederick Brackin, John Buston, Jürgen Hubert, Dr. Ian McDonald, Erik Manders, Phil Masters, Robert O’Connor,
Nana Yaw Ofori, Shawn Penrod, Jeff Raglin, and Bill Seney. Thanks also to all the other participants in the Pyramidplaytest.
Thanks to:Glen Barnett, Martin DeMello, Rose Fox, Gian-Paolo Musumeci, Mandy Oei, Ryland Sanders, Paul Saunders,
and Jon Zeigler for increasing our cross-sectional area for catching inspiration, and Rick Thomson, Ralph Lorenz, and the other planetary
scientists who were kind enough to allow landmarks on Europa to be named after them.
GURPS,Warehouse 23, and the all-seeing pyramid are registered trademarks of Steve Jackson Games Incorporated. Transhuman Space,
Pyramid,Under Pressure,and the names of all products published by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated are registered trademarks or trademarks of
Steve Jackson Games Incorporated, or used under license. Transhuman Space:Under Pressureis copyright ©2003 by Steve Jackson Games Incorporated.
All rights reserved. Some images ©2003 www.clipart.com. Printed in the USA.
The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher is illegal, and punishable by law.
Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do not participate in or encourage the electronic piracy of copyrighted materials.
Your support of the author's rights is appreciated.
ISBN 1-55634-678-6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
STEVE JACKSON GAMES
CONTENTS
CLIMATE ..............................................26 Aquatic Habitats in Space ............45
Introduction ...................4 Hurricanes and Typhoons .............26 Territorial Rights ...........................45
About Transhuman Space .............5
Weather Control ............................26 Mining ...........................................46
About the Authors ...........................5
Other Climatic Oscillations ..........26 Fishing ...........................................46
About GURPS .................................5
El Niño and La Niña .....................27 Salvage and Recovery ...................47
OCEANICRESOURCES ..........................28 Gengineering .................................47
Food ...............................................28 ADVENTURINGUNDERWATER ..............47
1. The Other Frontier .....6
Aquaculture ...................................28 Breathing .......................................48
EARTH’SOCEANS .................................7
Bioresources ..................................29 Calculating Pressure.....................48
Timeline ...........................................8
Minerals .........................................29 Decompression Table ....................49
THEBLUEWORLD ................................9
Energy ............................................30 Pressure ..........................................51
Pacific Ocean ...................................9
Cold and Heat ................................51
Atlantic Ocean ...............................10
Movement ......................................52
Indian Ocean ..................................11
2. Living in Light Attenuation by Water ...........52
Southern Ocean .............................11
Arctic Ocean ..................................12 the Ocean ................31 Senses ............................................52
Antarctic Subglacial Lakes ...........12 ELANDRA .............................................32 Combat ..........................................53
History ...........................................32 The Psychology of Diving .............54
Mediterranean Sea .........................12
Physical Description .....................32
Other Bodies of Water ..................13
Organization ..................................33
THEEnFvIGirHoTnmFOeRntTaHliEstsO .C..E..A..N..S...............................1133 ELANDRA ............................................34 3. Extraterrestrial
Preservationists ..............................14 The Elandran Environment ...........35 Oceans .....................55
Biotech versus Machines ..............14 Activities ........................................36 MARS...................................................56
Elandra’s Population,2100 ..........37 The Borealis Sea ...........................56
Pantropists .....................................14
Conflicts .........................................37 The Marineris Sea .........................56
Transhumanists ..............................15
Eating Under Pressure ..................38 The Hellas Sea ..............................56
Political Idealists ...........................15
Corporate Interests ........................15 OTHERAQUATICHABITATS..................38 EUROPA................................................57
Wilhelmsburg ................................38 The Surface of Europa ..................57
Criminals .......................................16
Sea-floor Habitats .........................40 Tides and Surface Travel ..............57
Memes ...........................................16
Floating Habitats ..........................40 Under the Ice –
Citizenship Havens ........................17
Faridganj ........................................40 The Oceanus Noctis .................58
Fringe Memes ................................18
Ondala ............................................41 Ocean Circulation .........................59
THEPHYSICALOCEAN.........................19
Gilled Humans? ............................42 Europan Oceanography ................60
Marine Geology ............................19
Unusual Ocean Environments ......20 NEWLANDS.........................................42 The War Under the Ice ..................60
Coastal Reclamation .....................42 Communications and
Oceanography ................................21
Neutrino Telescopes ......................43 Operations on Europa ..............62
Sea Breezes ....................................22
New Islands ...................................44 Sonar on Europa ...........................62
The Beaufort Wind Scale ..............23
Atoll Towers ..................................44 Life on Europa ..............................63
Submarine Acoustics .....................24
Gas Hydrates .................................25 MARITIMELAW ...................................45 EUROPA ...............................................64
Locations .......................................64
Distances on Europa .....................65
The Echo ........................................67
Europan Parahumans
and Bioroids .............................68
Surface Outposts ...........................69
GANYMEDE ..........................................70
Other Worlds,Other Oceans ........70
TITAN...................................................70
Living on the Moons .....................72
4. Organizations ...........73
GENTECHPACIFICAPTY. LTD. .............74
Organization ..................................74
2
C
ONTENTS
Activities ........................................74 Breathing Equipment ..................116 Concrete Hulls .............................136
GenTech Pacifica’s Associations ...75 Environmental Wear ....................116 Subassembly ................................137
SAKOLPOKCO. LTD. ............................76 Lift Bags ......................................117 Rotation Space ............................137
Organization ..................................76 Personal Transport .......................117 Periscope/Sensor Mast ................137
Activities ........................................76 Cetacean Equipment ...................118 STEP4: ARMOR .................................138
Sakolpok’s Associations ................77 Whale Biocomputers ...................118 STEP5: POWERTRAIN.........................138
BLUESHADOW ....................................77 DRUGS, BIOMODS, AND Aquatic Propulsion ......................138
Organization ..................................77 MEDICALGEAR........................118 Rockets ........................................139
Pan-Sentient Rights .......................78 Nanodrugs ....................................119 Active Flotation ...........................139
Activities ........................................78 Nanosymbionts ............................119 Power and Fuel ...........................139
Blue Shadow’s Associations .........79 COMMUNICATIONS, SENSORS, FUELTABLE......................................140
MILITARYFORCES................................80 ANDSURVEILLANCE .................119 Storage Tanks ..............................141
Major Navies .................................80 Sonar and Aquatic Life ...............120 Ballast Tanks ...............................141
Marine Units ..................................81 WEAPONRY ........................................121 Air-Breathing Engine Options ....141
Operational Environments ............81 Supercavitating Bullets ...............121 STEP6: VEHICLECOMPONENT
Nonacoustic Submarine Minitorps .....................................121 MODULES.................................142
Detection ...................................82 Smart Warheads ..........................121 Crew and Passengers ..................142
OTHERORGANIZATIONS.......................83 WEAPONSTABLE..............................122 Electronics ...................................143
Corporations ..................................83 MICROBOTSWARMS ..........................122 Sensors .........................................144
International Nongovernmental Sample Cyberswarms..................122 Navigation ...................................145
Organizations ............................84 LIVINGCREATURES............................122 Countermeasures .........................145
Marine Archaeology ......................85 Diving Squid ...............................123 Manipulators ................................146
Criminal and Terrorist Groups ......86 Grappler .......................................123 Miscellaneous Equipment ...........146
CAMPAIGNSANDADVENTURES............87 Leviathan Filterer ........................123 Vehicle Storage Areas .................147
Living Undersea ............................87 Smartshark ...................................124 Solid Ballast ................................147
Taking a Stand ...............................87 Plants and Small Animals ...........124 Standard Containers ...................148
Corporate Projects .........................87 Starfish Technology .....................124 Cargo and Storage .......................148
In the Navy ....................................88 Vehicle Key ..................................126 STEP7: WEAPONRY ...........................148
Europa in Turmoil .........................88 VEHICLES...........................................126 Concealed Weapons ....................148
Verodyne Sea King Bubble Generators ......................149
Hydrofoil Yacht ......................126 STEP8: SURFACEFEATURES ..............149
5. Characters ...............89 Verodyne Sunrunner STEP9: GENERALSTATISTICS ............150
Character Types .............................90 Sport Biphib ...........................127 Volume .........................................150
NONHUMANCHARACTERS ...................94 Supercavitation ............................127 Weight ..........................................150
Parahuman and Hicks Mk 90 Supercavitating Cost ..............................................150
Bioroid Templates ....................94 Torpedo ...................................128 Maintenance Interval ..................150
Cybershells and Bioshells .............95 KPR Design Bureau Rubidon Structural Strength (HT) .............150
Animal Templates .........................99 Multi-Role Missile .................128 Endurance ....................................150
Dolphin Sapience Chernyshev Kasatka Acoustic Signatures ....................151
and Psychology.......................100 Patrol Submarine ....................129 STEP10: PERFORMANCE....................151
Cetacean Uplift ...........................100 Tangaroa Military Division Water Performance ......................151
Uplift ............................................101 RazorbackSubfighter .............130 Extra Detail:SWATH..................151
Cephalapod Psychology .............102 Short Vehicle Descriptions .........130 Extra Detail:Hydrofoil
ADVANTAGES, DISADVANTAGES, Maneuverability ......................152
ANDSKILLS ..............................102 Underwater Performance ............152
Advantages ..................................103 Appendix: Aquatic Offworld Aquatic Performance ...153
Disadvantages ..............................105 Vehicle Modular Supercavitation Performance ......153
Enhancements and Limitations ..105 Diving and Ascending .................154
Skills ............................................105 Design System ......132 NAVALACTION ..................................155
New Skills ...................................106 Starting Out .................................132 Movement ....................................155
PEOPLE ..............................................107 STEP1: CONCEPT...............................132 Crushing Pressure .......................156
Surface Craft ...............................132
Attacking Vehicles ......................156
Submersibles ...............................132
Flooding .......................................156
6. Aquatic Technology 111 Area Requirements ......................132
HABITATS ...........................................112 STEP2: HULLDESIGN .......................133
Construction Material .................112 Flotation Rating ..........................133
Glossary .....................157
Prefabricated Habitats .................112 Flotation Hulls ............................133
Seacrete and Aquacrete...............112 HULLTABLE.....................................134
Power Generation ........................113 Hull Options ................................134 Bibliography ..............158
PERSONALANDEXPEDITIONGEAR ....114 Submarine Hulls ..........................136
Basic Gear ...................................114 Compartmentalization .................136
Consumer Items...........................115 STEP3: SUBASSEMBLIES ....................136 Index .........................159
3
INTRODUCTION
Space may be a frontier, but it’s not the As humanity spreads to the planets, more liquid envi-
only one. There is an environment just as hos- ronments are found – or created. The technologies
tile, just as dangerous, just as unknown – and spawned on Earth also find applications in the seas of
all it takes to get there is a trip to the beach. Mars, the high-pressure ocean of Europa, and the hydro-
The oceans of Earth represent a bonanza of carbon lakes of Titan.
living space and resources, waiting to be Transhuman Space: Under Pressure examines the
claimed by whomever can overcome its unique oceanic environments of 2100, from the teeming seas of
difficulties. The transhuman synthesis of mechanical and Earth that millions of transhumans call home, to the exot-
biological technology allows people to live, work, and ic oceans of liquid ethane and other chemicals on moons
come into conflict in this shadowy world beneath the of the Deep Beyond.
waves. Space is the easy frontier. Now try the hard one.
4
I
NTRODUCTION
A T S
BOUT RANSHUMAN PACE
The Transhuman Space series presents a unique A GURPS
BOUT
hard-science and high-biotech universe for roleplaying.
Set in the Solar System in the year 2100, it is a setting Steve Jackson Games is committed to full support
rich in adventure, mystery, and ideological conflict. The of the GURPSsystem. Our address is SJ Games, Box
core book is Transhuman Space, which presents an 18957, Austin, TX 78760. Please include a self-
overview of the setting. Other books available include addressed, stamped envelope (SASE) any time you
Fifth Wave(focusing on Earth), In the Well(Mars and write us! Resources include:
the inner system), and Deep Beyond(the outer system). Pyramid (www.sjgames.com/pyramid/). Our
online magazine includes new GURPSrules and arti-
ABOUT THE cles. It also covers Dungeons and Dragons, Trav-
eller,World of Darkness,Call of Cthulhu,and many
A
UTHORS more top games – and other Steve Jackson Games
releases like In Nomine,Illuminati,Car Wars,Toon,
David Morgan-Mar lives
Ogre Miniatures, and more. Pyramid subscribers
in Sydney, Australia. While
also have access to playtest files online!
studying for his doctorate in
New supplements and adventures. GURPScon-
astrophysics, he goofed off cre-
tinues to grow, and we’ll be happy to let you know
ating web pages, watching
what’s new. For a current catalog, send us a legal-
cricket, and playing games. sized or 9”· 12” SASE – please use two stamps! – or
Since graduating, his jobs have
just visit www.warehouse23.com.
been creating web pages,
Errata. Everyone makes mistakes, including us
reporting on cricket matches,
– but we do our best to fix our errors. Up-to-date erra-
and writing gaming material.
ta sheets for all GURPSreleases, including this book,
He has contributed to several
are available on our website – see below.
GURPSbooks, including Mon-
Gamer input.We value your comments, for new
sters and Steam-Tech. Now he
products as well as updated printings of existing
grows bonsai, plays with Lego
titles!
toys, and wonders when those
Internet. Visit us on the World Wide Web at
pursuits will start to pay off.
www.sjgames.com for errata, updates, Q&A, and
Kenneth Peters lives in
much more. GURPShas its own Usenet group, too:
Post Falls, Idaho. He is an
rec.games.frp.gurps.
anthropology major and ser-
GURPSnet. This e-mail list hosts much of the
geant in the USMCR. He
online discussion of GURPS.To join, point your web
spends his free time playing
browser to www.sjgames.com/mailman/listinfo/
with GURPS Vehicles, Second
gurpsnet-l/.
Editionand learning 3D anima-
The Transhuman Space: Under Pressure web
tion software. He wrote Space-
page can be found at www.sjgames.com/transhu-
craft of the Solar System and
man/underpressure/.
sections of several Shadowrun
books, but still wonders when Page References
he will be issued a posse of fan-
Rules and statistics in this book are specifically
boys and a Ferrari.
for the GURPS Basic Set, Third Edition.Any page
Constantine Thomas is a
reference that begins with a B refers to the GURPS
Brit, living on Vancouver
Basic Set– e.g., p. B102 means p. 102 of the GURPS
Island, British Columbia. He
Basic Set,Third Edition. Page references that begin
works at the Institute of Ocean
with CI indicate GURPS Compendium I.Other ref-
Sciences, advancing the new
erences are DB to Deep Beyond, FW to Fifth Wave,
field of planetary oceanography. He has been a GURPS
ITW to In the Well, SSS to Spacecraft of the Solar
fan for 15 years and has contributed to Transhuman
System, and TS to Transhuman Space. The abbrevia-
Space since it was announced. He collects CDs and
tion for thisbook is UP. For a full list of abbreviations,
roleplaying games, hopes to visit a hydrothermal vent
see p. CI181 or the updated web list at
some day (since it’s unlikely he’ll walk on another
www.sjgames.com/gurps/abbrevs.html.
world), and wonders when he will be able to convert
this book into a research paper.
5
THE OTHER
1
FRONTIER
Typhoon winds lashed the deck of the Palayancillo but the distant peak of Mount Bataan on the peninsula
arcology as it rode in the heavy swell of the South China spoiled the illusion.
Sea. Renan Lumahan took a last look at home before The terranos could never understand. What it meant
winching himself aboard the evacuation sub. It was just a to live on the open sea,free of the sordid history of land,
precaution,he told himself. The tether cables that groaned free of the politics,the treachery,the greed that went with
against the currents and the storm waves could hold the limited space and limited resources. Out here there was all
city safely in winds twice this speed. Or so the engineers the space you could ask for,and a few hundred feet down
said. were riches beyond counting.
Renan wasn’t looking forward to spending the next It wasn’t easy living in the best place on Earth. Last
few days in Manila. He could feel the dirt beneath his year’s storm season had been bad, but this one was pre-
feet there,even through his shoes. Solid ground. Its sta- dicted to be worse. But then nothing worth doing was easy.
bility unsettled him. Last time he visited, he’d booked a Renan inhaled the foam-whipped air, and then shut the
room in the Ayala Hotel overlooking Manila Bay. hatch behind him. He knew he’d return as soon as this
From there he could see the sunset over the water, storm blew over.
6
T O F
HE THER RONTIER
In 2100 the oceans are the newest frontier on natural species, strip-mining the sea floor, uplifting
Earth. Regions formerly beyond the control of any sea creatures to sapience and enslaving them, or pro-
nation are being exploited for the mineral and biological ducing parahumans and bioroids adapted for living
wealth they possess. With formal treaties rare, territorial underwater. Such companies and the nations that
claims must be defended with might. Nations cobble sponsor them must defend themselves.
together aquatic colonies as rapidly as they can in order But the oceans are immense and no power can
to legitimize “ownership” of the oceans, while corpora- patrol everywhere. Filling the gaps are free settle-
tions simply construct new land in convenient and gov- ments and homesteads, inhabited by people seeking
ernment-free locations. respite from the politics of the modern world. Never
High-tech surface and submarine navies patrol the before has it been so easy to renounce all national ties and
waters, frequently clashing with commercial fishing or live free of government. And never before has it been so
mining ventures that operate outside a protective jurisdic- easy to set up criminal operations far away from the
tion. The forces of terrorism are also well-equipped, with scrutiny of the law.
the ability to take out unprotected ships or commercial Humanity had mapped the moon and Mars by the
operations platforms. Activist groups target the many late 20th century. At the dawn of the 22nd century, the
companies engaged in modifying (or defiling) the ocean oceans of Earth still hold secrets and present a troubled
environment – creating genemod species that outcompete frontier for transhuman society.
7
T O F
HE THER RONTIER
T
IMELINE
2009: Deadline for the lodgement of national claims to 2074:An unknown group of Preservationist activists forms
sea-floor territory beyond 200 nautical miles from land under the terrorist group Blue Shadow.
article 76 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the 2075:GenTech Pacifica’s Aquamorph parahuman design
Sea; several nations make a flurry of last-minute claims. becomes generally available.
2011:Atlantic bluefin tuna stocks collapse under pressure 2077: Bhuiyan Genetics begins producing Aquamorph
of overfishing and taking of juveniles – the species all but van- parahumans and variants using pirated designs, for Bangladeshi
ishes from the Atlantic Ocean. government initiative to settle Bay of Bengal.
2013:First International Conference on Fish Stocks meets 2079: Avatar Klusterkorp arrives on Europa and begins
in Trieste, but fails to resolve anything after much heated debate. building Genesis Station.
2018: Pacific bluefin tuna stocks collapse. Single tuna 2080:GenTech Pacifica begins commercial production of
prices at Tokyo’s Tsukiji fish market surpass $1 million. Sea Shepherd bioroids.
2021:Armenian forces strike Azerbaijani oil wells, caus- 2081:Green Duncanites sponsored by Avatar Klusterkorp
ing catastrophic oil spill in the Caspian Sea. begin secretly seeding Europa’s ocean with altered life forms.
2022:Turkish millionaire Melik Evrim buys an aging Iraqi 2083:Incidents occur between TSAsubmarines and Chi-
oil tanker and secretly converts it into a genetic engineering lab- nese arsenal ships.
oratory. Operating offshore to avoid regulation, this successful 2084:The Pacific War begins. TSAforces fire cruise mis-
endeavor becomes the transnational Biotech Euphrates. siles at Chinese ports and naval vessels.
2024: Northern right whales become extinct; the last 2085:The Pacific War ends in a European-negotiated truce.
known individual is killed by a ship strike. Thai ocean-tech company Sakolpok relocates to Indonesia.
2027:U.S. company Blake Energy begins first large scale 2086:Ondala floating settlement off Panama granted free
sea-floor mining operation on Blake Ridge between Florida and city status by Caribbean Union.
Bermuda, causing international outcry. 2088:U.S. Coast Guard destroys “Sovereign State of Zee-
2030: Argentine oil drilling near Antarctica sparks new ham,” a small drift community, after finding evidence of bioroid
conflict with United Kingdom. smuggling activity in U.S. waters.
2031:Agroup of Australian gengineers and marine biolo- 2089:Elandra gains seat in Australian Federal Parliament.
gists form GenTech Pacifica, a company dedicated to improving 2090:United States demonstrates first successful use of a
fish and mollusk yields in aquaculture farms. Canadian navy laser weather satellite to deflect a hurricane from the South Car-
fires on Spanish and Portuguese fishing vessels in Grand Banks olina coast.
area. 2091: China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)
2033: Antarctic War breaks out when Argentina begins and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) stealth
drilling for oil on the Antarctic Peninsula, in violation of the submarines accidentally collide over the Japan Trench, forcing
Antarctic Treaty. Venice temporarily evacuated because of ris- the deepest rescue mission ever attempted.
ing sea levels. 2092: Blue Shadow attacks Elandra’s aquaculture facili-
2034:Environmentalists uncover evidence that Indonesian ties, prompting a concerted campaign for independence of the
company Nusantara Biotek has been releasing genemod fish settlement. Residents preferred GenTech Pacifica’s protection to
into the wild. that of the Australian government. Aseparate raid on the U.S.
2035:Antarctic War ends with signing of Revised Antarc- Navy’s Pearl Harbor research base releases two E-model War-
tic Treaty, prohibiting national claims to the continent. Dops. CRABE expands with the building of Chyba Station on
2045: International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea dis- the Europan sea floor.
bands, leaving jurisdiction of international disagreements over 2093:Chinese weathersat heats large regions of the East
oceanic territory to the World Court. Pacific Ocean in an effort to trigger an El Niño event; an El Niño
2049:Amultinational science mission lands on Europa. occurs, but experts argue over any causal link.
Ice-penetrating cryobots explore the Oceanus Noctis and dis- 2094:Under pressure of memetics campaign by GenTech
cover life. Pacifica, Australian government grants Elandra free city status.
2052:Northern right whales are cloned from tissue sam- China and Korea engage in military standoff over economic
ples, using southern right whales as surrogate mothers, and the zone of new Chinese arcology in Yellow Sea.
subspecies is reintroduced into the Northern Pacific Ocean. 2095:Failed U.S. attempt at controlling Hurricane Ophe-
2057: Centre de Recherche AstroBiologique d’Europa lia results in massive damage to Nassau.
(CRABE) base established in Pwyll impact crater on Europa. 2096: Caribbean Union initiates action in World Court
2058:Aquacrete developed and first used to build under- against U.S. weather control program. Biotech Euphrates labo-
water structures. ratory ship Gregor Mendel is destroyed in the Mediterranean,
2061: Manannán Station built by CRABE personnel on the first action of terrorist group Irukandji. CRABE scientists
Europa. discover pantropic life forms, exposing the Europa Project’s
2064:United States builds a major power generation sys- existence.
tem with turbines in the Gulf Stream off the Florida coast. 2098:Europa Defense Force (EDF) arrives on Europa and
2066:Valles Marineris on Mars is flooded. launches attacks on Avatar Klusterkorp operations, beginning
2067:Iceland joins European Union after protracted dis- the War Under the Ice.
agreements about its fishing rights are resolved. 2099: Infomorphs at Vostok Station in Antarctica report
2072:GenTech Pacifica begins construction of Elandra (p. their humans are showing signs of nanovirus infection, then go
TS33). CRABE abandons Manannán Station due to budget cuts. offline. Journalist Copernicus Jones escapes EDF captivity and
Humans arrive at Huygens Station, establishing permanent set- reports on the War Under the Ice.
tlement on Titan.
8