Part of The Hunger Campaign Setting
So what are they ask? I’m not any kind of xenobiologist or even a biologist. In fact apart from section 6.2 of our science books in our first year at high school my entire biology experience comes down to cutting up bulls eyes in that same year to learn about lenses. I’ll tell you what I know about them though.
The number one thing you need to remember about them is the human you see running, crawling and screaming at you or in extreme circumstances eating you is not a human any more. It’s dead to you even if it doesn’t know it yet. During one of the many exhibitions into uncharted space a ship never returned. They were on a five year mission was to go where no man had gone before and chart the galaxy for future colonisation. Obviously they were on the look out for new lifeforms as well as despite searching for all these years we’ve still never found anything more intelligent than an insect. Anyway after their five years were up all the other ships came back with the exception of this one. Over the years the lost ship passed into legend until a salvage ship came across it deep in space floating apparently without power. The crew were only looking for a new power core but thanks to their unfortunate find they escaped from their frozen tomb. I keep calling them ‘they’ and there is a reason for that. No one knows what to call them. In fact no one really knows what ‘they’ are.
Over the years attacks on ships on the outer reaches of our systems gradually picked up until one day we lost contact with one of the frontier worlds. They had upped their game and what was an unexplained minor annoyance for the salvager’s became a deadly threat for every citizen of the federation. The various worlds fleets have fought running battles with their new foe and still have no idea what is really going on. Some times an abandoned mining ship will float into a planets orbit and when boarded nothing will make it out. Troops will disappear and go MIA if they board the ship and if they are left to themselves the ship will find some way of attacking the planets defences or the planet itself with the ship or it’s armament.
After many battles with the enemy we soon started to identify various differences in the warriors our soldiers were coming across and eventually we managed to take a few of the enemy alive for inspection. Now I have my sources but believe me that what I say should be taken with a pinch of salt. I’ve seen no evidence of any of this and some of my sources I wouldn’t trust as far as I could throw them but if you ever come across a ship full of these guys you’ll see that it sort of fits. There are huge beasts that can tear you apart with their bare hands and there are tiny sneaky little buggers that will wait until your back is turned and be on you in a flash. It’s as if they have thought of every niche and filled it with something that will eat you. That’s not to say every huge guy is identical and every sneaky wee bugger looks like a zombie ninja, it isn’t a video game after all. That would just be silly. What you have to remember is that every one of these beasts used to be a human being and as with humans everyone is different. They do seem to fall in specific groups though as if their body shape and size determines how their beast mind will function. It’s almost as if they are separate species. Like begets like as they say. I’m sure the scientists have their theories anyway
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Part of The Hunger Campaign Setting
“Confirmed soft seal on the airlock. The door mechanics look fine but the electronics looked fried. Have we had any luck with the internal scans yet?”
“Negative Captain. All we can pick up is that there is power but beyond that we’re stumped.”
“So nothing on Life Support or any life signs at all?”
“Again that’s a negative. All we have on that is that the airlock is sealed on the other side. If you blow the door we won’t be risking decompression of our ship.”
“That’s what I like to hear. Kyle get me a cutting torch and lets get into this thing.”
“Captain, I’ve got a bad feeling about this one.”
“Look Kyle, once we’re in we get what we need and get out. We aren’t on a salvage mission here. We head for the engine room and get us a fresh core and on the way back stop off at the galley and see if there’s anything that will stop Chef feeding us that bio-sludge he keeps forcing on us. If you come across any cargo that looks tasty then you find the manifest. We’re only going back in for seconds if it’s worth the risk.”
“I know, it’s just that no-one leaves a ship that’s in as good a shape as this out here in the middle of nowhere for no good reason. It just strikes me as a really bad horror film waiting to happen.”
“Teeb that’s the locks cut so we’re about to head in. Keep your eye on the screens and tell us if anything looks dodgy. Keep comms to a minimum but keep in touch. I think Kyle will be glad to know your still there.”
“OK, entering the airlock now. Internal power seems to be running and the controls are lit up. OK lets do this thing.”
“Kyle was that supposed to make me think you weren’t scared any more?”
“And we’re in.”
“Are you getting this back in the ship? I’m getting a warning light showing up in my helmets HUD.”
“Your vid feeds coming through OK Captain. A little jumpy at times but good none the less.”
“Here, no wonder we didn’t pick anything up on the scans. This place is dead. My suits sensors say the air is stale but breathable and apart from the doors everything seems to be turned off. No CO scrubbers up and running and the computer terminals are dead.”
“Captain, now that the doors off we’re getting some telemetry coming through but bulk of the ship is still killing us.”
“Thanks Teeb. If you see anything be sure and let us know. We know how you get distracted by shiny things.”
…
“Just two minutes ’til I can get this core out Captain. This place is creeping me out. It’s too damn quiet.”
“Relax Kyle. I’ve got you and the Captain on the scanners and that’s it. It feels empty because that’s what it is.”
“Right kids. I see between you you’ve got the core secure and our backs covered. I caught sight of interesting boxes on the way in so I’ll leave Kyle to it and try and find that manifest I was talking about. I want the wreck cleared in five minutes and on our way in ten OK?”
“Sure thing, boss.”
…
“Right Kyle let’s get out of here. There’s nothing worth selling so let’s go.”
“Kyle?”
“Teeb, I can’t raise Kyle can you get through?”
“Kyle this is Teeb. Can you here me?”
“It must be the core Captain. I’ve been barely able to pick up your chatter while you’ve been in there since he opened up shielding”
“He must be having problems getting it to the exit. I’ll head back in and give him a hand. Get those engines warmed up. I don’t want to get caught out here with our pants down with those navy ships kicking about.”
…
“Come on Kyle I thought you said you’d only be two minu…”
“What the fuck?”
“TEEB!”
“I THOUGHT YOU SAID WE WERE ALONE?”
“SHIT, TEEB I’M OUT OF AMMO. GET OUT OF HERE.”
“Captain what’s going on?”
“IT’S EATING HIM! OH MY GOD!”
“JUST GET OUT OF HERE. GO!”
“OH GOD IT’S COMING FOR ME. TEEB DON’T COME BA…”
I started writing this campaign setting during Nanowrimo 2009. Obviously I never completed it but it’s about time I posted up what I did manage to write which should hopefully give me the kick I need to finish it off. I don’t know why but I always start my settings off with a few lines of fiction. No one but myself ever gets to read them however as my players never get to see my campaign notes usually. So count yourselves lucky or if the writing is as bad as it usually is I’ll get my apologies in early.
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