Cepheus Deluxe: The Bounty Hunter - Session 8

Introduction

Arman Doyle has been mortally wounded and left for dead in an empty warehouse by his target Cameron Lang and their associate, Claudio Reyes. To play Cepheus Deluxe solo we're using Mythic Game Master Emulator 2nd Edition. For the bounty hunting system we're using Bounty Hunter Handbook.

The Adventure

Scene 10 | Krinnai, Siento 1 | 3023.05.08 | Cr44,558 | Chaos Factor: 8

The chaos factor has risen by 2 due to the extreme situation. We need to find out if the sound of gunfire has drawn the attention of the emergency services. It's the busy industrial district of Krinnai, and since the planet is a police state I'll say it's very likely the police will have been alerted and sent officers to investigate. Still, it could go either way here. The rules say if a mortally wounded character doesn't receive trauma surgery within an hour they die.

Was Arman rescued and given surgery at the nearest hospital? (Very likely)

7: Exceptional yes!

A passing patrol car pulls up outside the warehouse just as Lang and Reyes are jumping over the fence, Reyes with assault rifle in hand. The two cops jump out and point their guns at them. I'm not going to roleplay this whole encounter between a group of NPCs while Arman lies upstairs bleeding to death, so we'll just quickly roll to see if the two criminals are apprehended by the police. An exceptional yes in this case will mean they're killed.

Are Lang and Reyes captured by the police? (50/50)

82: Yes.

Lang is carrying Arman's revolver. When the cops shout "Freeze! Drop the weapons!" Lang places it on the ground. Reyes sees this and follows his friend's lead, letting his Caiman 2070 slip from his grasp as he drops, bleeding, to his knees. A minute later they're in cuffs with the two cops savagely kicking them, when one of the cops realises they should probably check inside to see how Reyes received his wounds (the ones he had before the cops started on him).

Finding Arman unconscious in a pool of blood upstairs, they call for an ambulance over the radio and it arrives a few minutes later, an electric ground vehicle like most of the other transport on Siento 1. They bandage his wounds and do their best to stop him bleeding out, then rush him to the industrial district's hospital.

Since we had an exceptional yes for Arman receiving trauma surgery we'll say that the hospital of this district keeps a very well trained medical staff. Industrial accidents involving machine injuries and chemical spills are frequent here, so there are several surgeons with Medicine-3 skill. We'll roll on the Trauma Surgery table:

9 +3 Medicine = 12

Normal recovery. Arman will regain consciousness in 1D6 hours: 3.

Arman slowly becomes aware of the fact that he did not actually die in that grim warehouse. He can feel horrific pain all through his body, but at least he feels something. He opens his eyes slowly and is dazzled by what to him looks like extremely bright light, but is actually the dimly lit surroundings of a hospital room. It's too much for him. He falls asleep.

Scene 11 | Krinnai, Siento 1 | 3023.05.11 | Cr44,558 | Chaos Factor: 7

The chaos factor has gone down by one as Arman has been rescued. Some time later he is woken up by a thud on his chest. He opens his eyes again, still in pain, and sees a bunch of green grapes lying in front of his eyes square in the middle of his chest. "How you feeling, kid?" The gruff voice is familiar but he can't place it. Then the speaker comes into view, looming in front of him.

It's a tall older man wearing a long brown coat. After a moment a small sign of recognition comes to Arman's face. "Yeah that's right, me again." It's Abe Clarke, the old bounty hunter who introduced him to his new career. "Frank sent me to check in with you. He didn't want to come in person since the cops have been sniffing around his company accounts. They think he's involved in criminal activities... which, to be fair, he is." Arman can't speak yet, only listen.

"I had a word with the doc. It's been three days since your little accident and you're not out of the woods yet. They think it'll be at least another week before you can even think about getting out of here, but you got bigger problems than that anyway."

"...Urgh?" Arman manages a questioning grunt.

"The mark and his pal aren't saying much to the cops but they've got your gun so they know you pumped a couple of bullets into the guy - nice work by the way, you can't win 'em all, as they say." Clarke takes a drag on a vape despite the things being banned in hospitals all over the galaxy, and continues.

"So listen son, Frank wanted me to let you know you're not in trouble or anything, not with us anyway. The network takes care of its own. But you've drawn a bit of heat from the boys in blue here, so he thought it best if we get you offworld asap." Arman's eyebrows raise. "Relax, relax. Once you're patched up enough to travel safe, your private medical company'll send a couple of guys with a cryo tube for you. Except they'll actually be our guys. They turn you into a popsicle and ship you off to some other planet in the subsector, I don't think they've decided which yet. And that's not all. Frank thinks you're a self starter, the entrepreneurial type. His company'll get you set up with your own ship so you can take your career interstellar."

Arman's eyebrows raise even higher. "I know, I know, it's a lot to take in. So sleep on it. But trust me, you do not wanna end up rotting in some Sientan supermax prison. I hear the guards there aren't too fond of offworlders like you. You can get yourself set up on a new world, find yourself a crew and get out there. Among the stars..." He trails off, gazing out of the window at the actual stars.

"Just... one -argh- thing..." Arman manages to rasp. "What the... fuck... are these for?" He nods at the grapes.

"I dunno, I just heard that's what people used to do when someone was laid up back in the olden days. An Old Earth thing. Eat 'em, throw 'em in the trash, whatever." He walks to the door, then turns back on his way out. "Think about what I said, and if the cops show up you better act like a mute." And a moment later he's gone. Arman drifts back off to sleep.

The rules say when someone has a normal recovery from trauma surgery it takes one day per lifeblood point to heal their wounds, and when they reach half their lifeblood they'll recover in one more day as long as they keep receiving treatment. It's been three days so that'll be eight more in total, taking the date to 3023.05.19. Next time we'll play through his escape from the Siento system!