A BREED APART

Transcription

A BREED APART

A BREED APART
A New Race for a New Age.
ABERRANT
SPECIAL DELIVERY
They were all standing on a massive rock the size of a city
bus, which jutted up out of the rapidly moving river beneath
them. A few hundred yards downstream, the roar of the
waterfall could be heard.
Lana Macon smiled serenely out at the rain forest beyond,
and placed a hand on her husband’s bare shoulder. Peter’s dark,
mocha skin felt hot and damp in the jungle air, but it was a
pleasant texture, and she traced a gentle pattern up his humerus.
As her brown fingers traced the intricate feathering of his giant
hawk wing, Peter looked up at her, and the sun seemed to shine
brighter on their little group. Lana heard the hiss of Annie’s
portal closing behind them.
“Look at that, Lana,” Annie said. “Your son just smiled at
me, even though he’s wearing sunglasses! I’ve never seen you
smile with shades on, Nick kiddo, not once since I’ve known
you.”
Annie “Trade Winds” Horne, the legendary
transportation Elite, grinned happily and mussed Nick’s hair.
Nick broke into a wry grin as Lana turned to look, and
awkwardly returned Annie’s hug from his flank. To his mother,
he said, “She’s like a giant, white puppy.”
“Hey!” Annie bopped him gently on the back of the head.
Lana shrugged. “I’m sorry, dear, it’s true. You’re white as
can be.” She sniffled dramatically. “I... didn’t know how to tell
you before.”
Annie laughed. “Hey, in this kind of sun, white is by far the
best color scheme I can think of.”
Lana smiled. For an affluent, 21st century Southern belle,
Annie was remarkably unselfconscious about her race. Possibly
because she had made her fortune on her own as Trade Winds,
inheriting next to nothing from her happy Alabama home.
Meanwhile, Nick had lay face-down on the hot rock, and
started to do one-armed push-ups, smoothly switching at every
peak from one arm to the other. Annie walked over and took a
seat on his back as it rapidly rose and fell. Nick’s pace did not
alter in the slightest; it just rhythmically pumped the lady Elite
up and down like a bourgeois piston.
“Excited for your upcoming eruption, Nick?”
Nick just grinned wider at the rock. “Up, Aunt Annie.”
Annie obligingly hopped to her feet, and Nick swung his
legs up in the air and began a set of one-arm-stand pushups,
switching fluidly from hand to hand like before. “I’m just happy
Mom and Dad are letting me have an ‘eruption’ for the public to
see at all.”
Lana smiled at her son. Peter did not smile, but he stood up
behind her and faced Nick with his arm around Lana, brightly
colored hawk wings folded neatly behind him. He looked proud,
and happy.
“Your father and I have both had our heyday, Nicky; we
don’t mind being ‘retired’ as novas. But your nova powers
already put ours to shame, and you’ve got your whole life in
front of you. We don’t want you to spend it undercover.”
Peter nodded. “Also, there is nothing prohibitively unusual
about a son erupting to known baseline parents, such as your
mother and myself.” He ruffled his wings. “Lana’s identity and
mine are secure.”
Nick wheeled neatly to his feet. He walked over to Peter
and hugged him, who returned the gesture with strong arms that
could bend lead pipe. “Thanks, Dad.”
Annie came up behind Nick and brushed something off his
shoulder. “Now, when you take him to the Facility, be sure you
go to Ann Arbor, not Detroit. I have friends at the one in Ann
Arbor, and... oh, what?” Nick and Lana had exchanged a glance.
“I think we might not be going with the whole Rashoud
Facility route, Annie.”
“Not that we don’t trust the Project, you understand…”
“Oh, stop,” said Annie. “It’s fine! It’s a perfectly
legitimate decision. Christ, I used to work for them; I’m not their
roving sales-nova. Peter, I’m sure you’ll be a fine teacher.”
Lana nodded carefully, and was silent for a moment before
adding, “It’s not about Corbin and Rousseau.”
“It’s okay if it is. I used to be friends with Rousseau.”
Lana nodded again. Peter coughed.
“Look, well, I’d better be going. I’ll be back in half an
hour.” Annie stood on tiptoes to kiss Nick on the forehead.
“You practice your terminal velocity falls now, and enjoy your
picnic.” A jet-black disc opened in the air, and Annie Horne
stepped into it and was gone.
Lana smiled. “See you, Annie.”
Peter wheeled on his son, wings unfolding to their full size.
“Going down the waterfall first was a good idea. Best to get
your head wrapped around the whole ‘falling’ idea first before
you try it on pavement.”
Nick beamed. “I’m ready, Dad.”
Lana sat down on the warm rock and hugged her knees.
“Peter, are you sure this is safe?”
Peter shrugged. Nick exploded.
“Mom! This is how you erupted for real, and you already
said you know I’m stronger! How could it not be safe?”
“Every nova is different! Nicky… I just worry about you.”
“Dad, let’s go.”
Peter nodded. He squeezed his wife’s hand, and Nick
embraced his mother with one arm. Then the hawk-winged
nova’s big hands slipped under his son’s armpits, and powerful
wing beats lifted them up over the water.
Lana looked down at the sun’s reflection glittering across
the face of the river. She looked up just in time to see her
husband’s left wing explode in a flurry of feathers and spattering
blood. Before Lana’s eyes, her husband and son lost their
balance, and plummeted toward the water.
She was flying through the air before Peter’s scream left
his throat. Lana’s slight form slammed into the two most
SPECIAL DELIVERY
1
ABERRANT
important men in her life, driving their fall trajectory off the
edge of the waterfall.
*
*
*
“Mom!”
She regained consciousness, soaking wet and smelling
algae. She picked her head up and looked around, and saw that
the jungle scenery was moving. She was in the bed of a Toyota
pickup truck, which was hurtling down a dirt road, with Nick and
an unconscious, bleeding Peter lying on his stomach, wings
folded awkwardly over him.
“Mom, is Dad going to be okay?”
Lana fell onto her husband and turned him onto his side,
fumbling at his neck. She placed her fingers there for a moment,
then heaved a sigh.
“He’s got a pulse…”
She grabbed onto the forewing and pulled it up to expose
the bullet hole behind the dark feathers.
“I think he’ll live… Sniper’s bullets are high-penetration,
but it just blew through the wing at a single point and didn’t tear
up much of the surrounding tissue.” Lana wiped her eyes, teary
from the wind and stress, and looked up at Nick. “Where did
this truck and driver come from?”
“Oh… Well, I pulled you and Dad out of the lake and carried
you, and once I got us to the dirt road, I waved down the first
car I saw and told him if he didn’t give us a ride, I’d throw his car
2
into the lake, with him in it.” Nick glanced up at the truck’s cab.
“And then I picked up the front of his car to show I meant it… I
hope I didn’t scare him too bad.”
Lana collapsed to the bed of the truck, near exhaustion and
sick with relief over Peter’s fate.
Nick put his arm around her, and rested his head on his
shoulder and closed his eyes. He opened them seconds later to
get a last look at the waterfall, as it dropped out of view, and
sighed his own relief. “I wonder who was back there? Why
would anyone shoot at us, and how did they know where to find
us?”
*
*
*
“Motherhunter,” Annie snarled.
With the Macons gone, the jungle had reverted to its usual
quiet, with a more or less constant fwoosh from the river
punctuated by the cries of territorial birds of paradise. The
sniper, at least, wasn’t saying anything – Annie wasn’t sure if
the massive, spherical “force blob” enveloping him actually
suppressed speech, or if the would-be assassin was just too
terrified to talk. Oh, but he would talk. Annie smiled widely at
the surrounding jungle, then made a gesture, and a bright green
circular gate opened up in the air below them, with only Annie’s
“Trade Winds” powers holding them suspended in the jungle air.
“Let’s go see Mme. Rousseau,” Annie said. The dark man
in her bubble said nothing..
SPECIAL DELIVERY
A B E R R A N T
A BREED APART
Utopian Transcript
[Transcript of recording of Aeon Council meeting, December 17, 2008]
First Voice (French accent): For our next item of business, it appears that we have yet another nova-related problem to
address. The author of the report on this development will now give us a brief overview of the situation. Feel free to ask questions
afterwards.
Second Voice (northeast United States accent): As you all have seen in my report, we have uncovered evidence of a number of
novas living incognito among the general human population. As these hidden novas seem intent on living ordinary lives and depriving
the world at large of the benefits of their nova capabilities, we would already need to uncover them simply due to our increasing need
for nova personnel. Unfortunately, these novas pose a greater threat. Due to the fact that they have never received treatment at a
Rashoud clinic or from a Utopian Intervention Team, these novas are not only fertile but have managed to pair off with each other
and produce nova children.
Third Voice (western United States accent): I agree that we need all the novas we can get our hands on, but are you seriously
suggesting that novas living quietly out in suburbia and having kids are a threat to our plans?
Second Voice: Exactly. If you’ll refer to the Bahrain lab reports, we have strong evidence to suspect that the offspring of
“breeder nova” couples have the potential to outstrip their parents in terms of their quantum capabilities. Our extrapolations predict
that once they mature, these “second generation” novas could easily grow to match the level of power exhibited by Divis Mal. One
Mal is enough of a threat to Aeon’s plans for humanity’s betterment. With fifty to a hundred more novas of his caliber around the
world, we are faced with the potential to derail those plans entirely.
Fourth Voice (faint midwestern United States accent): So you would have our operatives hunt down these families, simply for
their potential to thwart the plans of the Aeon Society? Wouldn’t simply leaving these “breeder novas” and their children alone be
more effective in ameliorating whatever threat they might pose? If we follow the course of action you have proposed, we will be
making both parents and children into enemies of Project Utopia and Aeon.
Fifth Voice (Korean accent): This is clearly a case where the needs of humanity as a whole must take precedence over the
selfish desires of a relatively small number of individuals. We cannot afford not to take this opportunity.
Fourth Voice: Need I remind you that the only reason that Project Utopia has worked well so far is that their novas joined it of
their own free will? What we’re talking about here is a program of mandatory conscription, and it will surely result in increased nova
resentment of Utopia. If we pursue this course of action, it will eventually blow up in our faces, quite possibly in a literal sense.
Sixth Voice (Brazilian accent): Forgive me for interrupting, but I see no reasonable alternatives to the course of action outlined
in this report. If we fail to exploit the powers of these novas for the sake of all humanity, all of our previous efforts are likely to be
wasted. Also, I agree that the education of these “second generation” nova offspring cannot be left to chance. If we can raise them to
be loyal to Aeon, we could gain the upper hand over Mal and his Teragen. If we leave them be, that just leaves them open for
recruitment by unsavory elements like the Teragen, Aberrants or the organized crime families. (Brief pause.) I assume that you have
appropriate recruitment strategies worked out for these child novas?
Second Voice: Yes, if such children do prove to be tractable. I suggest that Project Utopia’s Nova Medicine section be given
initial responsibility for that operation, if it does become viable.
Third Voice: I second that, with the condition that we don’t break up these families except in cases where the parents are
criminals or otherwise threats to their children.
Second Voice: (Brief pause.) I have no objection to that.
First Voice: Very well. As we seem to have no other questions, we shall now take a vote on whether to implement the plan in
question. (Brief pause.) We have ten “yeas”, and two “nays”; the plan is approved. You may begin immediately.
Second Voice: Thank you.
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Utopia Case-file #: T2M-121808-JJL2251
Arena: Global
Author: Justin J. Laragione
Author’s Title: Director, Project Utopia
Subject: “Breeder” novas
Urgency Level: Urgent
Minimum Security Rating: Beta
Overview:
A few months ago, Utopian operatives discovered evidence that certain novas have managed to avoid any and all public
exposure, and are living hidden among the general human population. If this was a more perfect world, we could permit these novas to
pursue their dreams of domestic bliss and quotidian success. Unfortunately, there are five reasons why this cannot be.
x Our need for new nova recruits. As anyone in our Recruiting section could tell you, Utopia quite literally needs all the novas
we can get. Each and every nova has the potential to change the world, and with Utopia’s guidance they can improve it for the
common good. Instead of joining us in our efforts to make a finer world for everyone, these novas have decided to turn their backs
on all the good they could do for their baseline brothers and sisters. Despite whatever mistrust of Utopia that has made them avoid
us, we cannot allow their potential to go to waste in this manner. We must seek these novas out and convince them to use the gifts
they’ve been blessed with to humanity’s benefit.
x These novas hold the key to the mystery of nova sterility. We have hard evidence that some of these novas are not only
fertile, but have also produced healthy nova children. If we can find out how they managed that feat, then perhaps Utopia can make it
possible for them to share that gift with the rest of the nova population as well. There are too many novas who would make wonderful
parents for us not to take this opportunity.
x The children of these novas are born erupted, and have the potential to dwarf their parents in terms of their nova capabilities.
Studies performed by our associates in Triton suggest that not only are these “second generation” nova children a match for any
recently-erupted nova, but upon reaching maturity they will attain levels of power that could easily match those of our own Caestus
Pax. Utopia owes it to humanity to ensure that these children are raised with a sense of ethics and morality strong enough to match
their inborn potential for extreme power.
x If Utopia does not recruit breeder novas and their children, then our enemies surely will. Any nova we fail to recruit for Utopia
becomes ripe pickings for groups like the Teragen or the Aberrants. While this is bad enough in the case of your average newlyerupted nova, the danger posed by breeder novas joining the Teragen is even greater. There is no one more influential on a child than
the people who raise him or her. We cannot afford for any of the second generation nova children to grow up into new members of
the Teragen. The prospect of these children and their parents joining the Aberrants is only slightly less distressing; as is the idea of
recruitment by any of our other rival organizations. If we cannot get these novas to join Utopia, they will almost certainly end up
opposing us.
x The final reason we need to find these people is that as novas living “off the radar”, the likelihood of them having contacts
with others living off the radar is very high. Typically this means criminal contacts, and in the long run, criminal contacts have the
distressing tendency to lead to criminal employment. We really don’t need someone with Pax’s level of power working for an
organized crime group like the Camparelli-Zhukov Megasyndicate or the Nakato Gumi, they are already enough of a problem.
Approach Recommendation:
This office recommends that all reasonable efforts be made to locate and recruit any breeder novas (and their children, if any)
that may be found in our respective arenas. At least one T2M nova with appropriate enhanced social capabilites should be assigned to
a “breeder recruitment team”, and should be considered the team leader unless the breeder novas become violent in their refusal. In
that case, standard sequestering protocols should be followed, but team members must avoid even appearing to threaten the children
at all costs. Criminal or highly-aberrated breeder novas will be dealt with as per standard operating procedures. Any children of such
obviously unfit parents will be remanded to Nova Medicine until appropriate Utopian foster parents can be arranged to adopt them.
Also, these teams should remain on guard for any Terat or Aberrant interference.
4
A B E R R A N T
A BREED APART
Proteus Communiqué
[Begin Proteus Communiqué double-encrypted with Navajo Daedelus 3; dated 12/18/08]
Ozaki,
The meeting went better than I had expected; the proposal was accepted with the only dissent coming from the expected
sources. It is imperative that we place sufficient long-term operatives within Nova Medicine to redirect captured breeder novas and
their “second generation” offspring to our clinics, where they can be dealt with as we have deemed necessary. Extreme visibility
protocols are required for this to work; if any hint of what we’re really doing leaks out to Laragione or (God forfend) Mercer, it could
all come crashing down on our heads. We should also check into the feasibility of replacing Dr. Stadler with someone more tractable
to run Nova Medicine. Stadler’s militaristic managerial style may get results but also makes it all the more difficult for our long-term
agents to operate under his command without burning out from the additional stress.
-Thetis
Utopian Memo
To: All Medical Facilities
From: Internal Affairs, Triton
Date: 5/25/99
Re: Tracking of Controlled Substances
Due to the risk of abuse of these controlled substances and the liabilities thereof, we will be instituting a tracer program in all
adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine distributed by Project Utopia and affiliated clinics. Said tracer will include a microscopic tag with a
unique numbering sequence. These tracers have been issued to all facilities and the identifying sequences logged to those facilities,
and are to be included in all issued doses of these substances as of 6/1/99.
By this method, we will be able to eliminate liability for third-party distribution of these substances, and can track any quality
control issues as they arise.
Private Communiqué
[SECURITY CODE Omicron-Epsilon-859-3]
[DECODING]
Thetis,
The first doses went out last week, as scheduled. Follow-up reports from this week are on-target: Negligible gamete counts,
and new gametes self-eliminated almost immediately.
Congratulations; it appears that we have succeeded. There will be exceptions, of course, but those can be dealt with on a caseby-case basis.
Toiho
[RE-ENCODING]
[SELF-DELETING]
5
A B E R R A N T
A BREED APART
Personal E-mail
02-12-08 14:52:35
To: [email protected]
From: [email protected]
Re: Good News
Greg,
You know how we’ve talked about that “what if”? About what it would be like if we were normal people and could have what
they have?
We can stop talking. We’re going to have a baby. :-)
Come home, hon; we’ve got a lot of planning to do!
Love,
Melissa
From Parenting World Magazine
01/24/11
Family, Revisited:
The Ingersols
●
PW: Correct me if I’m wrong, but do you mean that your
daughter was born with these spots? And does that mean what I
think it means?
●
Gregory: Yes; Meghan was born a nova.
●
PW: Did that come with any complications? And do you
know why she was a…well, I suppose you would call it a pre-natal
eruption?
●
Melissa: Actually, it probably saved her life. I have an rhnegative bloodtype, and Gregory is rh-positive, as is Meghan.
Because my immune system is as strong as it is, the normal prenatal treatment for the mismatch was not very effective; my
antibodies were attacking her blood cells faster than the treatments
could counteract. It was actually touch and go for a while…and
then, her blood count shot well past the norm and up into nova
territory. We think she erupted in an effort to resist my antibodies,
and it certainly worked.
●
PW: That’s amazing. And wonderful, I might add!
●
Gregory: It was a life-saver, literally.
●
PW: So, Meghan is probably the picture of health then, yes?
●
Gregory: She hasn’t been sick a day in her life. And from
what I can tell, she never will be; it looks like the immunity that
both her mother and I have passed along to her in full.
●
PW: No worries about colds and chicken pox then. I’m
sure, though, that Meghan presents different sort of challenges…
●
Melissa: Oh, you can say that again. She goes through food
like any other nova: lots of it, with gusto. There were times where
I honestly wondered if I was going to have to nurse her 24/7 that
first year.
●
PW: Wow! She probably has quite the diaper bill, too.
●
Melissa: Had one, yes. The rate she went through diapers
was unreal, but she’s already moved out of them.
Developmentally, Meghan’s well ahead of the curve. She’s
already reading at a 5th-grade level.
●
PW: At two years old? That’s remarkable!
●
Gregory: Unfortunately, the tantrums are pretty remarkable,
too. She’s still only two emotionally… and a two-year old with a
10-year old’s vocabulary, well, it gets a bit rough.
Mom, Dad and toddler daughter, living in the suburbs of
Denver. Dad works for a local pharmaceutical company, Mom
does free-lance writing from home, and daughter has found her
voice as she has entered the “terrible twos”. Sounds like your
typical American family, right?
Well, the Ingersols couldn’t be less typical if they tried. Dad
is Gregory “Microbe” Ingersol, the man who has created six
different cancer vaccines from scratch in the past six years, and is
the founder of Ingersol Biosolutions. Mom is Melissa “Cheetah”
Hatch-Ingersol, renown wildlife biologist and author of more than
40 books on the big cats of the world. And daughter Meghan is –
at two years of age – not only a latent, but a full-fledged nova.
We are thrilled to be able to interview this remarkable family.
●
PW: Thank you for meeting with us today, Mr. and Mrs.
Ingersol.
●
Gregory Ingersol: Please, call me Gregory.
●
Melissa Hatch-Ingersol: And call me Melissa. It’s no
trouble; we’re happy to be here.
●
PW: Gregory, Melissa, I’m sure that you both are aware of
just how rare your situation is, even 13 years after N-Day. And as
that topic has been discussed extensively in recent years elsewhere,
I’d like skip past it and talk about your family.
●
Gregory: That’s fine.
●
PW: Now, I see that your daughter, Meghan, seems to have
your eyes, Gregory…and if you don’t mind me saying so, your
spots, Melissa. Is this…normal with nova children?
●
Melissa: Well, it’s hard to say what really is and is not
normal when you are talking about second-generation novas.
There’s a vanishingly small sample from which to draw
conclusions. That said, there have been previous examples of
inherited patternings and colorations and such. So it wasn’t a
complete surprise when Meghan showed up with my cheetah spots.
6
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A BREED APART
Proteus Communiqué
[BEGIN PROTEUS COMMUNIQUÉ]
Top Secret
[PROTEUS FILE]
Encryption Code: Jericho-9-15
Date: March 18, 2011
To: R. Murphey, Asst. Proj. Lead, North America
From: G. Reynolds, Team Charlie Lead
Subject: Operation 385-J8
Dir. Murphey,
As per instructions, patterns have been tracked and established for the target (see attachment A).
Given the circumstances and the nature of target capabilities, vehicular intercept is recommended, with
combustion imperative. See attachments B and C for recommended methods and locations.
With your approval, we will conclude the operation.
G. Reynolds
Field Agent
[END COMMUNIQUÉ]
Proteus Communiqué
Top Secret
[DIRECTIVE FILE]
To: G. Reynolds, Team Charlie Lead
From: R. Murphey, Asst. Proj. Lead, North America
Agent Reynolds,
Proposed resolution 3 is approved. Commence conclusion of operation.
R. Murphey
Asst. Director
[END COMMUNIQUÉ]
7
A B E R R A N T
A BREED APART
General News Release
[Excerpt taken from the Denver Post, March 23, 2011]
Celebrated Nova Family Killed in Automobile Accident
Associated Press
DENVER, COLORADO
Local nova celebrities Gregory Ingersol, Melissa Hatch-Ingersol, and their daughter Meghan were killed today on Interstate 70
in a fiery collision with a propane tanker truck.
The accident, which closed the westbound lanes of the I-70 just west of the I-225 interchange for three hours this morning,
occurred at approximately 7:35 am. State police report that a pre-existing oil spill on the highway may have caused the Ingersol’s
Subaru to go into a slide beneath the trailer of the truck. The trailer broke free from the tractor, flipped onto the Subaru and
exploded in a fireball that was seen as far away as Englewood.
The driver of the truck, Mr. Jose Gonzales of Topeka, KS, has not been charged at this time.
The Ingersol’s were well-known within the Denver area, having become celebrities since the news of their nova child two years
ago. Megan was one of the very few second-generation, or “2ndGen”, novas publicly known in the U.S. Mr. Ingersol was the founder
of Ingersol Biosolutions, and Mrs. Hatch-Ingersol the author of an extensive number of books and articles on large hunting cats. They
are survived by….
Proteus Communiqué
Top Secret
[DIRECTIVE FILE]
To: R. Murphey, Asst. Proj. Lead, North America
From: G. Reynolds, Team Charlie Lead
Dir. Murphey,
Operation completed successfully. Awaiting new assignment.
G. Reynolds
Field Agent
[END COMMUNIQUÉ]
8
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Directive File
[Encrypted OpNet Email]
Date: 11/08/2005
Count Orzaiz:
Now that the dust has settled from the recent failure of our first attempt to verify the existence and nature of the “Utopian
sterility agent” which Bounty claims is being used to prevent the One Race from reproducing, I have finished my analysis of the
situation. The results are both disturbing and heartening, as you will see below.
Item #1 - Equipment & Supplies: Despite our best efforts to set up an independent laboratory sufficient for our operational
needs, nearly all of our orders for lab equipment were interfered with in one way or another. Glassware was broken in transit, pieces
of equipment were delayed or lost in shipment, and many of the supplies turned out to be mislabeled. And to top it off, this sort of
thing happened with nearly all of our orders.
Item #2 - Social Difficulties: We Terats being who we are, a certain amount of sniping and interpersonal conflict was to be
expected. At the beginning, all of our researchers understood the importance of our work and did their best to perform their duties in
a professional manner, for the good of the One Race. It didn’t last. The excessive amount of problems with our equipment and
supplies nearly drove our collective stress levels through the roof. Then at least three feuds among our personnel developed; with a
scientific argument, accusation of incompetence and a failed seduction attempt being the causes. Frustrated with our lack of progress
in setting up the lab, two of our senior researchers quit the operation in order to perform some “real work” elsewhere.
Item #3 - Sample Quality Problems: Eventually, we did get the lab set up so that we could begin our real work. To our surprise,
none of the samples of adrenocilin or moxinoquantamine which that freelance thief acquired for us from Triton Pharmaceuticals
showed any traces of the sterility-inducing chemicals we were expecting to find. This lack of success led three more of our personnel
to resign, as they were convinced that we were wasting our time.
Item #4 - Outside Harassment: Our research continued for another week. That’s when Project Utopia’s Technological
Regulation section arrived for a surprise inspection of the lab. Our collective morale sank even lower when they arrested our top
resident pharmaceutical expert on a trumped-up outstanding warrant. Three days later, we received a call from the Mathematician,
who instructed us to leave everything and abandon the lab immediately. We followed his advice without question, and received news
that the lab and everything in it was razed to the ground by a trio of DeVries elites, one of whom was seen toting around a BFG. If any
of us had still been there, we would surely have been killed. Our pair of resident bodyguards are not at their best when fighting
against long-range attacks. If they had been present at the lab when PU’s Tech police showed up, we could’ve found five or six elites
on our doorstep instead of just three.
In Conclusion: Count Orzaiz, this operation was “made” by our foes nearly from the moment we bought the lab building. All of
the items listed above are indicative of a focused and sustained effort to keep us from investigating the Utopian sterility agent by any
means necessary. Even the social conflicts between our personnel can be linked to this; as several of them had casual friends and/or
lovers who have disappeared without a trace after our lab was destroyed. Even the stolen drugs must be held suspect - did that thief
really steal them from a Rashoud clinic, or was he merely given them by Utopian operatives?
Earlier I said that there was something heartening about all this bad news. The silver lining is this: Project Utopia would not have
put this much effort into derailing our operation if there was nothing for it to discover. If someone can find out what they’re so
desperate to hide, the results could be explosive.
9
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Teragen OpNet Transcript
[Excerpt from a private OpNet chat dated 4/23/2006]
Open Secure Channel (Superuser: Synapse)
Login: Orzaiz
Login: Geryon
Geryon: OK, I’m here. What all is this BIG project you’ve got going?
Synapse: We want your children.
Geryon: You want WHAT!?!
Orzaiz: Synapse, please... James, we would like you to donate several samples of your sperm for our project. In fact, we would
like for you to do so on a regular basis.
Geryon: At the risk of repeating myself, you want WHAT!?!
Orzaiz: You are, of course, quite familiar with Utopia’s efforts towards the mass sterilization of novas. However, you should also
know that impaired fertility has long been a concern for baselines as well. Fertility clinics and sperm banks have been helping baseline
couples who would otherwise be barren to bear offspring for over thirty years now. The Casablancas have been working to take
advantage of this ever since we first heard the rumors about nova sterility back in 2003. If the baselines are going to help themselves
to overcome their own fertility problems, all it takes is just a small bit of substitution for their efforts to help us as well.
Geryon: …
Orzaiz: Think of it as poetic justice.
Geryon: What does Mal think of this?
Synapse: Scripture knows. He laughed when I told him about the project and said that we had the blessing of Mal for “our little
endeavor”.
Geryon: He’s really OK with future members of the One Race being raised by baselines?
Synapse: Guess so. Besides, outside of Bounty’s crew, all of us were raised by baselines and we turned out all right.
Orzaiz: The question is not whether the children of the One Race should be raised by baselines or novas. The question is
whether or not bringing more of the One Race into the world is a good thing for us. Considering that Utopia is seeking to prevent that
at all costs, I would think so.
Geryon: …Why me?
Synapse: You can have kids without Bounty’s help, and there aren’t many novas who can do that. We’ve tried putting sperm
samples from Terat guys that she’d just used her power on into cryogenic storage, but it didn’t help any. The effect of Bounty’s
power wears off too quickly, and the samples became useless after just a few days.
Geryon: How about you baldy, are you going to ‘contribute’ to this project of yours too?
Orzaiz: I can’t.
Synapse: What?
Orzaiz: All those nights drinking in public, somewhere down the line they managed to get to me. I’m sterile.
Geryon: Ah, that bites man. I’m sorry.
Synapse: Ditto.
Geryon: But what you’re asking me to do, it’s a big deal. I’d be having kids out there that I’d never see.
Orzaiz: You would have children out there with no obvious link to either you or the Teragen, James. Children that Utopia and the
other enemies of the One Race could never target or hold against you. Children that would, in time, inherit the fruits of our struggle.
Geryon: OK, I’m not saying yes, just yet. How, exactly, would this work?.
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Encrypted OpNet Message
Date: 09/26/2008
Count Orzaiz:
I’m pleased to announce that our group of researchers has achieved our first objective, the isolation and identification of the
Utopian sterility agent. As per our initial hypothesis, the agent is indeed administered through the adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine
produced by Triton Pharmaceuticals. However, our initial speculations were contradicted - dramatically so, in some cases - by the
results of our examination of our samples of said medications. Our specific findings are as follows:
1- The Utopian sterility agent is present in only a small fraction of the adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine produced by Triton.
The agent was only found in three of our samples; two of which were purloined from Utopian Intervention Teams and a third from a
Rashoud clinic. We surmise that these adulterated drugs would have been administered to either newly-erupted novas or to
recalcitrant novas who come into conflict with Utopian agents. Furthermore, the agent is transmitted by the microscopic tags found
within all Triton-produced adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine, allowing the agent to be directed to its intended targets with a high
degree of efficiency.
2- Instead of a simple contraceptive drug, the Utopian sterility agent turned out to be a pair of bioengineered retroviruses that
have slightly different yet complimentary effects. The first retrovirus targets the subject’s existing gametes, while the second
targets gamete-producing structures in the subject’s gonads. In both cases, infection results in the nova’s gametes being genetically
damaged to the point of being precancerous. As a result, the subject’s existing gametes and any that may be produced by the
subject’s gonads in the future are summarily dispatched by the subject’s own immune system.
3- Upon examination of the two Utopian sterility retroviruses, it is our unanimous conclusion that there is no way that Triton
could have created them from scratch, even with the knowledge of Utopia’s pet nova gengineers at their disposal. Instead, we
postulate that the genetic flaws induced by the retroviruses came from a nova whose eruption resulted in genetic damage. If the nova
in question also developed severe levels of taint from his or her eruption, we further speculate that this unfortunate may very well
have been incarcerated in Utopia’s Bahrain Rashoud clinic.
Now that our first objective has been achieved, we now are seeking ways to fulfill our second and third objectives; namely
finding a means to protect fertile novas against the Utopian sterility retroviruses and a way to restore the fertility of those novas
who have already been affected by them. Our initial debates have been contentious, but we should see some progress soon, if all goes
well.
PS: Please pass along our appreciation to Synapse for changing the tone of our false addresses.
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Maer Enclave Personal Log Excerpts
[Excerpted from personal log of Trang “Doctor Anh Sáng Sao” Xuan Tu’]
My fellow scientists are fools, and either unwilling or unable to see that my approach to correcting the nova sterility issue is the
correct one. Genetic engineering will once again triumph in this matter.
*
*
*
[Excerpted from personal log of Francesco “Thermite” Anselmi]
Had another run in with Anh Sáng Sao today, the arrogant ass. After he rubbed my nose in that typo that I made for the third
time (like no one else has spelled “the” as “teh”), I mentally increased the temperature on his experiment by two degrees for two
hours, then I moved it back down. Let’s just see if he’s ‘bright’ enough to figure it out. Now Permafrost is impressive, she’s almost my
mental equal, and the package that mind comes in is even more impressive.
*
*
*
[Excerpted from personal log of Tamara “Permafrost” Kavanne]
Men are fools. The obvious way to approach this problem is to adapt Bounty’s techniques. I think Thermite is trying to steal my
research, he came over to my lab, again, and “made eyes” at me. Like I’m supposed to not know that he prefers men? Worse, he
didn’t correct me when I deliberately made a few errors on some of my blackboard calculations. Either he wasn’t smart enough to
figure it out, or he was too busy reviewing what I was up to.
*
*
*
[Excerpted from personal log of Maurice “Brainstorm” Whitworth]
Well, Platypus and Thermite are still lusting after Permafrost and trying to impress her with their brilliance. I synthesized Anh
Sáng Sao’s scent and put a swab of it in Platypus’ lab. As I predicted, Platypus does have an enhanced sense of smell, so he noticed.
Platypus is paranoid enough to think that Anh Sáng Sao would deliberately sabotage his work, and of course Anh Sáng Sao helped the
issue by saying that he couldn’t be bothered to ever review anything a “lesser mind” such as Platypus could do. I think Platypus spent
two days searching his lab, looking for whatever “gift” Anh Sáng Sao left him. Hopefully this will refocus his mind on his work.
*
*
*
[Excerpted from personal log of Ethan “Platypus” Butler]
Anh Sáng Sao could just make me scream. He tries to hide his technical inferiority by stealing ideas from his betters. I found
evidence that he’d been in my lab, which he denied. Worse, his research used the same stand in variables I did on THREE separate
points. The ass didn’t even bother to change them for the presentation!!! No way does it end here.
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Directive File
[Memorandum]
For Director Harris:
As you suspected, the common wisdom concerning the so-called “breeder” nova phenomenon is incorrect on four important
points. First, the population of fertile novas is much greater than is widely believed. Instead of the handful of breeder nova couples
that have been documented by the media, my research leads me to speculate that at least 100 breeder nova couples are living hidden
and scattered around the First World nations. Second is these novas’ total aversion to public attention. Judging from to the
surveillance I’ve performed on two such couples in the continental U.S., they take extreme pains to pose as uninteresting baseline
couples (including use of the “dormancy” technique) and keep their status as novas secret from the world at large. Third is the fact
that all of the public speculation among paraphysicians on the biological difficulties that fertile novas would presumably face in sexual
reproduction is pure bunk in most cases. From what I’ve been able to determine, most breeder nova couples face little or no
difficulties with getting pregnant and bringing the fetus to term.
So far, none of this appears to be cause for concern. These novas’ intentions appear to be living fairly normal (if quiet) lives,
holding down steady well-paying jobs, paying their taxes and raising their kids as best they can. It’s the next point that worries me.
Fourth is the fact that these growing little families do not take well at all to anyone who attempts to “out” them as novas. In most of
the cases where I suspect this has happened, the couple grabs their kids and valuables, then abandon their established identities and
lives. I know of one case where such an attempted exposure by an overly-pushy baseline Utopian recruiter resulted in the recruiter’s
death just minutes before the family he’d uncovered vanished. The old cliché about nothing being as dangerous as a mother
protecting her children is almost too appropriate here.
Fortunately, the other major factions all seem to be keeping any interest they have in breeder nova couples (and their children)
very low-key, if they have any interest in them at all. Utopia’s certainly been sniffing around for them, but with little apparent
success. The few Utopians who do locate a breeder nova couple tend to return to PU either empty-handed or in an ambulance (or
body bag). I have no concrete evidence of either Aberrants or Terats attempting to recruit these novas yet, but it’s only a matter of
time. One big surprise was confirmed evidence of a breeder nova couple from Saskatchewan, Canada being recruited by DeVries.
They’ve kept this success very quiet, and have already fended off one attempt (by a probable Utopian spy) to uncover the family’s
new location. Most of the minor factions don’t appear to have any serious interest in this situation, with the Church of Michael
Archangel being the lone (and ineffectual) exception. Three Michaelite “monster hunters” have been shot and killed by local police in
Milwaukee, Phoenix and Miami when caught stalking young families they’d mistaken for breeder novas.
Trip.
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Directive OpMail Transcript
[Unsolicited OpMail received by Director Arnold Harris, 06/14/2009]
To: Director Harris [OpMail Address suppressed]
Subject: “Hatcher” Breeder Novas
From: [Name & OpMail Address suppressed]
Director HarrisLet me make a few things absolutely clear beforehand. Yes, I know enough about you to send you this OpMail and ensure that
you receive it. No, I have no interest in any further communication with you or your organization. As for why I have made this brief
contact with you, I’d like to clue you in on a very serious problem that’s been keeping me up nights lately. As you are one of the few
people on the planet who might able to do something about this problem, you and your superiors need to know about this.
You are no doubt aware of the “breeder nova” phenomenon, where a few novas have proven capable of siring or bearing
offspring in the normal human fashion. You also already know that novas’ powers are largely dependent on their subconscious
expectations of what they can do. From there it should be obvious that taint (to use the vulgar term) is a twisted part of their powers
and their expression, and is also dependent on novas’ subconscious expectations. This is also shown by most novas’ aberrations going
away when they “dorm down”. The problem with this is that pretty near every human’s subconscious is wired to think about sex a lot.
In all but a few cases where a nova becomes asexual, this is no different where novas are concerned.
Sexual aberrations do exist. The general public is even aware of some of them - a few novas are known for sleeping around far
more than is considered normal, and then there is Saxon. The problem I wish to call to your attention is that Saxon was not an
extreme example of this. His aberration was a mental disorder; however physical aberrations do not appear to have an upper limit.
Eventually taint can leave a nova literally inhuman, effectively making him or her a member of a unique species in all but the genetic
sense. But not all species follow the basic human method (what biologists call a “k-type strategy”) of sexual reproduction. Other
creatures such as insects and fish follow what is called an “r-type” reproductive strategy, where massive numbers of offspring are
produced with little or no parental investment. This reproductive strategy isn’t unbalancing to the environment because the vast
majority of these offspring don’t survive, but then they also aren’t quantum powered. It is possible - likely inevitable - that
somewhere a highly-tainted breeder nova has developed the reproductive habits of a cockroach or spider wasp, for example. It’s also
possible that the reproductive cycle of such a nova will accelerate to match the cycles of those creatures. Finally, it’s also possible
that any offspring produced by that nova will be just like their tainted parent.
That’s the bad news. The good news is this level of extreme aberration isn’t the sort of thing that just appears full blown in a
tainted nova’s development (except possibly with certain Terats). This sort of breeder nova (which I personally call “Hatchers”)
must be discovered and dealt with before they hit that end stage. Hatcher novas are rare in the extreme, being a tiny minority even
among those breeder novas who develop serious levels of taint. This in no way diminishes the threat they pose, however. If even one
Hatcher nova manages to start the reproductive ball rolling out in the boondocks somewhere... The math behind a Hatcher nova’s
quantum-powered r-type reproductive strategy is simple and brutal, but I’m sure you can do it yourself. I’m also sure I won’t need to
spell out and the implications for you and the world, either.
Good night. Sleep tight.
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Directive Report
AOR: Breeder Novas
DIRECTIVE FILE: AH-91
REL: Cell leaders and analysts.
IPSP: Standard
ENCRYPTION: Beta
Thanks to the media, I’m sure that all of you are familiar with the phenomenon of the so-called “breeder novas”. What you may
not know is that there are more of them out there than the few who’ve been spotlighted by N! and the other media organs. From what
our sources have learned, the vast majority of breeder novas pose only a negligible threat to the member nations of the Directive,
and that’s only if we don’t leave them be. Yes, these novas have gone undercover to establish new lives for themselves as baseline
citizens in much the same manner that sleeper agents establish and maintain their cover identities. Fortunately, their only goal
appears to be leading fairly normal lives little different from those of their baseline neighbors. These novas want to work at their
jobs, pay their taxes, and raise their children as normally as possible. Several of our higher-ups have made recommendations to have
these novas immediately taken into mandatory government service as soon as they are discovered. I cannot emphasize strongly
enough just how counterproductive that approach will be. These novas have been known to vanish at the first sign of their covers
being blown, and have also responded to overly-persistent interference with and/or threats to their families with lethal force. From
the breeder novas’ viewpoint, interference from the Directive in their lives is just as unwelcome as that from Project Utopia or
corporate headhunters. If we leave them alone, they’ll be content to continue living as productive, everyday citizens.
The same cannot be said for those few breeder novas our analysts have come to call “hatchers”. While rare in the extreme,
these breeder novas have become so mutated by taint that they now follow the “r-type” reproductive strategy, where huge numbers
of offspring are produced with little or no parental care. Taint-maddened novas were more than enough of a threat to the Directive
member nations and humanity as a whole without the potential to churn out hundreds - quickly becoming tens of thousands - of
equally mutated and powerful progeny. Ladies and gentlemen, we are looking at the very real possibility of human extinction as a
result of this development. All cells are therefore instructed to maintain a watch for signs of hatcher nova development and/or
activity, which are detailed by our analysts in information packet 39C. Report any and all potential hatcher novas and hatcher nova
activity to your immediate superior ASAP. Covert Ops and/or Blue-and-White Hunter Teams will then be assigned search and
destroy missions to eliminate the confirmed hatcher nova and any offspring it may have produced with extreme prejudice. Even so, if
your cell has a true opportunity to eliminate a confirmed hatcher nova and/or its offspring, take it immediately. The case of the
Glasgow Ladykiller (see Directive File CL-47, included in information packet 39C) has given us concrete proof of just how dire the
threat posed by hatcher novas and their progeny truly is. If that monster and all its unborn progeny hadn’t been killed by one of our
Covert Ops Hunter Teams, the death toll it would have racked up would have been far higher than 12 unlucky baseline women and 2
Directive agents. There is no margin for error here. Even a single hatcher nova has the potential to multiply, overwhelm, and then
wipe out baseline humanity.
-Director Arnold Harris
Proteus Communiqué
[Begin Proteus Communiqué double-encrypted with Navajo Daedelus 3; dated 09/13/09]
Ozaki:
Excellent job on your recent endeavor with Director Harris. With the Directive unknowingly assisting us in our efforts to contain
and eliminate the threat posed by hatcher novas, our agents should have more opportunities to fulfill our other objectives. Your next
job is to get our analysts started on looking for evidence of whatever other breeder novas may be hiding from us, either among the
baseline population or elsewhere. These novas are yet another wildcard in this scenario, and are incompatible with Aeon’s vision of a
better future for humanity. One way or another, they must be dealt with.
Director Thetis
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Encoded OpNet Message
From: Corkscrew
To: Sophia Rousseau
Subject: The Motherhunters
Date: 12/24/2008
Mademoiselle Rousseau,
I wish I could’ve given you better news on this Yuletide morning. When you gave me this assignment, you told me that something
was rotten within Utopia. Judging from the intelligence I’ve gathered, what we didn’t know was just how far the rot has spread
throughout the Project, or how toxic it is. Fortunately, the aid of our new friend has allowed us to find out about it early enough for
preventative measures to be taken.
As you predicted, both Utopia and the secret directorate within have recently begun operations to locate and deal with breeder
novas and their offspring. I’ve labeled these operatives “motherhunters”, after the agents in the “Gil the ARM” stories of the
American science fiction author Larry Niven. If you’ve read those stories, you’ll see that the label is chillingly appropriate. If the Aeon
Society has knowingly given their approval for these operations, I can only think that they’ve damned themselves.
Thanks to our friend, I managed to to learn about some of the novas they have picked for these operations, not all of whom are
official Utopians. The Utopian novas who can be assigned motherhunter duty are too numerous to list, so we didn’t bother with their
Rashoud clinic files. We must simply assume that any Utopian nova field agent could be a motherhunter. They’ve been deceived into
thinking that they are actually doing breeder novas (and their children, if any) a favor by having them shanghaied for Utopia.
Laragione and his masters have already painted breeder novas as selfish and antisocial in their official internal memo, which spoke of
such folderol as “breeder novas denying their baseline brothers and sisters the benefits of their powers”. These operatives have
been directed to try and con any breeder novas they find into letting themselves and their children be taken without a fight. If their
sales pitch fails, they are to act as a modern-day press gang. Both parents and children are then to be placed in the custody of
Utopia’s Nova Medicine section, but I fear that is where they’ll vanish, never to be heard from again.
What really got to me were the non-Utopian novas that’ve been tapped for the “black ops” motherhunter operations, which
made looking over their Rashoud clinic files quite disturbing reading. Unlike the Utopians, these are a collection of zealots, borderline
sociopaths, homicidal maniacs and people who’ll do anything for a fat paycheck. These novas have no direct link to Utopia beyond
their initial treatment and training at the Rashoud clinics, and are listed as having been discharged with no forwarding address.
Nevertheless, our friend is certain that Utopia funds are being covertly funneled through several layers of classified projects to
retain the services of these novas. I suspect (and our friend agrees) that these novas are to be the covert hatchetmen of the secret
directorate, as they’ll have no qualms about murdering innocents or anyone who gets in their way.
I’m sure that you and the others are already planning to thwart these despicable plots, and that the intelligence I’ve relayed to
you will be of great help in your doing so. That said, I’m requesting exfiltration out of both Utopia and the identity you have
established for me ASAP. Playing the role of a baseline Internal Affairs assistant in an organization that sees our kind only as either
threats to be killed or beasts of burden to be disposed of once their usefulness has ended is only getting harder. I hope to have
children one day myself, which makes working for the Project feel like being a Sonderkommando in a Nazi death camp. Pardon the
melodrama, but we all have our limits, and I’ve nearly hit mine.
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Encoded OpNet Message
From: Sophia Rousseau
To: Mesztizo
Subject: Exfiltration & Replacement
Date: 12/24/2008
I hope the holiday season has found you well, as I’ve a favor to ask of you. One of our extreme deep-cover moles (codenamed
“Corkscrew”) in Utopia has requested total exfiltration from his current mission. He is of professional caliber in these matters, and
won’t have left much for you to clean up in the residence and social life of his cover identity. I would like you to take care of this
matter, as Corkscrew has more than earned it. He has not only uncovered vital intelligence on some of Utopia’s nastier plans, but has
also managed to recruit Athena Boyd for the Aberrants. I’ll leave the details up to you, but be sure to perform the exfiltration ASAP.
The stress is finally getting to him, and it won’t be very long before it results in a case of the Thousand-Yard Stare.
On a related note, we will need someone reliable to take over Corkscrew’s position at Utopia as Athena Boyd’s assistant. Ms.
Boyd is a valuable asset, and I don’t want to see her commit suicide by attempting to take on Proteus all by herself.
Aberrant Transcript
[Partial Transcript: Triumvirate Meeting, 12/26/08]
Sophia Rousseau: Season’s greetings to you both, André , Doctor. Thank you for coming here on such short notice. This room is
secure, so speak freely.
André Corbin: Glad to see ye too, Sophia. I’d like to wish ye ‘happy holidays’, but I’ve a hunch that it wouldnae fit the tone of the
news ye’ve got fer us.
Dr. Worm: My sentiments exactly. I take it that Aeon has decided to do something drastic about the breeder novas, then?
Rousseau: Yes. My sources have discovered that both Utopia and Proteus have started setting up operations to abduct breeder
novas and their children. Both directorates have already been selecting agents to serve as “motherhunters”, if you will. Utopia’s
leadership is justifying this as “conscription for the common good”, and officially intends to turn breeder novas into more Utopians.
Unofficially, once the breeder novas have been captured, they and their children will be at Proteus’ not-so-tender mercies. I’ve come
up with a plan to thwart Aeon on this matter, but I’ll need your help as branch leaders to pull it off.
Corbin: Let me guess; yer people will be sniffin’ out the breeder novas and the “motherhunters”, me own lot will be runnin’
interference against those wankers, and the Doc’s friends will be settin’ up the families we’ve rescued in new an’ safer locations?
Rousseau: There will be some overlap given the varying capabilities of our people, but that’s the general idea.
Dr. Worm: Consider myself and my associates in, Sophia. I believe we can handle our end of this new operation without much
trouble. It’s not like the breeder novas we’ll be rescuing and resettling will want to draw any more possibly hostile attention to
themselves. But since we’ve already given a label to our enemies in this matter, what label will we be using for our own operatives?
Corbin: Why nae call ‘em “delivery boys”? That ought to be generic enough to go unnoticed in case anyone outside overhears
something they shouldn’t.
Dr. Worm: Not bad, I don’t have a problem with it. But we will have a bigger problem to deal with here. I can’t see the Teragen
letting Aeon’s motherhunting operations go unopposed. At the very least, Geryon and his Nova Vigilance are certain to get involved
by undertaking delivery boy operations of their own. Is there any news from your sources on that point, Sophia?
Rousseau: None whatsoever, but I agree that it will only be a matter of time. However, I see no reason for us to interfere with
the Teragen’s delivery boy operations if they stay clear of ours. Besides, having the Teragen out there to distract Aeon from us has
helped us before, and it will do so again in our delivery boy operations.
Corbin: It’s settled, then? Right, now let’s see who we’ve got that’s up fer this kind of work...
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Aberrant File
Mission Report
TO: B12
FROM: Renaissance Man
As requested, I’ve analyzed the various intelligence reports you sent to me and have reached a conclusion. Despite Proteus’
public exposure as a result of André Corbin’s trial earlier this year, I am forced to conclude that they have not merely gone to ground,
but have retained the access and support required for them to carry out their intended operations. The following items comprise the
strongest evidence for my conclusion.
Item #1, Mission Reports K8S from Quince & R4V from Antenna: Thanks to Quince’s obtaining the briefing memos for the
Utopian motherhunter teams, it’s clear that Proteus still retains considerable influence within Project Utopia’s hierarchy. The three
breeder nova family groups mentioned in the memos have all been falsely portrayed as violent criminals. Family #1 was painted as a
married couple of former Organizatsiya operatives, now with an infant son. The parents in Family #2 were described as a pair of
“former clandestine elites”. As for the parents of Family #3, they were “under official suspicion” of having ties to the Greenwar
ecoterrorist group. The background work performed by Antenna has confirmed that these accusations were all false; as all the adult
breeder novas listed are non-combatants whose criminal connections, if they existed at all, were grossly exaggerated.
Item #2, Mission Report IC3 from Shunt: Shunt’s accounts of unidentified individuals engaging in certain criminal activities
would ordinarily count for little, except that he’s uncovered a pattern of previous contact by Utopian surveillance in over 80% of the
incidents. Likewise, Shunt has found evidence that the Aeon Society has been funding many small, unremarkable installations
(locations unknown at this time) across much of the planet.
Item #3, Mission Report UC7 from Folsom: Folsom’s report confirmed the capture of Family #1 (from Mission Report K8S) by
Utopian motherhunters, which officially ended with both parents and child being placed in the custody of Utopia’s Nova Medicine
section. Folsom’s report further indicates that there are no further reports of either parents or child within Utopia from that point
onwards, leaving me no choice but to assume that they have either been secretly imprisoned by Proteus (possibly for medical
experimentation as was performed at Bahrain) or have been killed.
Item #4, Mission Report L2B from Buzzcock: Buzzcock has confirmed that Proteus has hired elites to perform motherhunting
work that are essentially wholesale group assassinations. Thankfully, Buzzcock was able to alert one of our operative teams in time to
thwart the mission and capture the elites. Not only did the elites have no knowledge of their contractor’s true nature, they had also
been told that the mother of the breeder nova family they’d been sent to kill had been selling nuclear warheads smuggled from the
former Soviet Union to certain terrorist groups on the black market. Their orders were to make the deaths appear to have been an
accident; failing that the family was to simply have been “vanished”. Our own background check on the breeder nova family in
question has proved these accusations to be false, of course.
Judging from these reports, the threat posed to novas by Proteus has not diminished as a result of their public exposure and
official censure. Our legal maneuverings have only forced Proteus to work more covertly than they have in the past. With the Aeon
Society apparently sheltering these criminals, I have to wonder just what it will require for us to shut down Proteus once and for all.
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DeVries File Letter
November 13, 2013
Ms. Rori McClain,
This letter is to inform you that you have been accepted into our Compensated Dating program. Only one person in the program
matches your rather unique requirements regarding blood chemistry. If you wish to continue in this matter, contact my office and we
will supply you with his file and schedule a meeting. Medically speaking your next window should be around November 29 of this year.
Sincerely,
Doctor Edward Hiltonson
Director of Genetic Studies,
DeVries Medical, Pretoria, South Africa
DeVries File Letter
November 21, 2013
Ms. Rori McClain,
Please find enclosed the personal file of Alex “Battlefield” Jones. This includes his medical file, personality file, and history.
Where this conflicts with his online resume with DVNTS assume this file is accurate. That resume was created by Marketing and I
understand they take some liberties. Also included is contact information. If you wish to continue with this DeVries has a corporate
jet that would fly you down to our Pretoria compound on the 25th.
To confirm our phone conversation on the 19th of this month; given a donor, any donor, whose cells are compatible to your
daughter Toni’s immune system, and we will be happy to perform the entire procedure at no cost to either of you. Further, while the
youngest age at which someone can safely donate cells in such a procedure is indeed two years, a newborn’s placenta can be
harvested to that purpose without a problem. DeVries Medical is one of the best equipped facilities in the world, we could do it.
Sincerely,
Doctor Edward Hiltonson
Director of Genetic Studies,
DeVries Medical, Pretoria, South Africa
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A B E R R A N T
A BREED APART
DeVries Memorandum
[From a DeVries internal memo dated 8/26/09]
From: Anna DeVries
To: Matthew Tsvangirai
Re: Blood Tests
Mr. Tsvangirai,
Recruiting needs more direction. So far they have been assuming that baseline blood relatives of existing novas have the M-R
gene sequence. This is fine as far as it goes, but the results have been much more mixed than I would wish. I want you to put together
a list of people who have the sequence, or at least part of the sequence. Hire a discreet cyberkinetic if you have to, this is important.
DeVries Memorandum
From: CyberRat
To: Matthew Tsvangirai
Re: Blood Tests
Mr. Tsvangirai,
Enclosed are the records you wanted. Use the usual account. Considering this is the sort of thing that requires periodic updates,
keep me in mind for future work.
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A B E R R A N T
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DeVries Memorandum
From: Laurel Devereaux
To: Anna DeVries
Re: Applicant Group Delta Victor 8
Ms. DeVries,
Here are the most promising candidates from our current pool of applicants, with my recommendations as to their suitability. All
of them are attractive and at least somewhat charming. Not all of them would be interested in or are suitable for a compensated date.
Notice the increased percentage of applicants with the M-R gene sequence. I can only take partial credit for that, recruiting is doing
a better job than they were a few years back.
Bonita “Bonny” Gonzales
Age: 27
Marital Status: Married
Occupation: Actress, former fashion model
Ethnicity: Hispanic (mixed)
Nationality: Brazil (Currently living in Bollywood, India)
Remarks: Bonita is no stranger to controversy. She is a highly successful model who, 2 years ago, married a wealthy banker
three times her age. She recently retired from modeling, has taken up acting (with only moderate success so far) and wants a child.
After she learned about our program, the possibility of bearing a nova child was incentive enough for Bonita to apply. Her ailing
husband is apparently unable to perform for her, and is either willing to play along with Bonita’s plan or is unable to prevent it.
Controversy appears to be a lifestyle with Bonita, we strongly suspect that Bonita also intends to use any resulting controversy from
this situation to propel her acting career to her accustomed level of success. Despite all this, her psychological profile indicates that
she would be a good mother.
Recommendation: Bonita’s desire for public attention makes her a security risk, but she is otherwise a good candidate for a
compensated date, preferably with a stud who doesn’t mind paparazzi.
Winiwini “Win” Camisha
Age: 24
Marital Status: Divorced
Occupation: Employee of DeVries Agency (communications technician).
Ethnicity: Nigerois
Nationality: South African (naturalized)
Remarks: Winwini was recruited by one of our talent scouts in Nigeria, where she was languishing in an arranged marriage to a
captain in the Nigerian Army. Her husband was abusive, and beat her for being barren (our medical tests have proved that Win is
fertile - it’s likely her husband was sterile but without tests we’ll never be sure). Even worse, Win’s family was too traditional to allow
her to put the Western-style education they’d given her to good use. After being hospitalized after a particularly brutal beating,
blood tests performed on Win revealed that she does carry the M-R gene sequence, and is far more likely to produce a nova child.
After being exfiltrated from Nigeria by DeVries agents, she disowned her family and divorced her husband in absentia, neither of
which were pleasant events. Win has worked for DeVries for five years now and is very much a fan of both the DeVries Agency and
novas in general. After finding out about our program, she leapt at the chance to bear a nova child.
Recommendation: Good candidate for a compensated date. Win has been receiving psychological counseling and therapy to correct
her emotional damage ever since she joined DeVries. Even so, we should be careful of who we pair her with because of her history of
spousal abuse.
Sarah Goldstein
Age: 25
Marital Status: Widowed
Occupation: Employee of DVNTS medical staff (registered nurse and paramedic).
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A B E R R A N T
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DeVries Memorandum (Continued)
Ethnicity: USA (Jewish)
Nationality: Israeli (currently living in a DeVries living complex in Cairo, Egypt on a work visa)
Remarks: An American Jew, Sarah emigrated to Israel upon marrying her Zionist husband, and became a settler on the West
Bank. Her husband and young daughter were murdered less than 18 months ago in a suicide bombing orchestrated by Hezbollah. Sarah
was then recruited by DeVries and has performed admirably as a nurse in our clinic at the Cairo facility. Our interviewers claim that
Sarah’s eagerness to join our program is due to lingering grief over losing her husband and first child, but she keeps a very close eye
on the West Bank situation, and that worries me a bit. Her tests have shown that she does carry the M-R gene sequence, and is far
more likely to produce a nova child.
Recommendation: Good candidate for a compensated date, but keep a close watch on Ms. Goldstein after the birth if the kid
turns out to be a nova.
Kimiyo “Kim” Obayashi
Age: 28
Marital Status: Single
Occupation: Employee of DeVries Agency (OpNet R&D), former Olympic athlete (track & field).
Ethnicity: Japanese
Nationality: USA (naturalized)
Remarks: The only child of an upper-class Japanese couple, Kimiyo was an overachiever from an early age. Thanks to expensive
tutoring and her inborn personal talents and drive, she gained the equivalent of a Master’s degree in computer engineering at the age
of 13. She was one of the first confirmed novaphiles after the first N-Day in 1998, as she secretly set up and operated one of Japan’s
premier nova websites. Kimiyo’s website was different for its extensive files on possible ways to induce eruption as a nova. She
became seriously involved in athletics as a result, taking up martial arts in an attempt to erupt. Her later involvement in track & field
led to a brief career as an Olympic athlete, where she won a Bronze medal in the 2004 Olympics at the age of 19. After that, Kimiyo’s
parents informed her that it was her duty to become a meek, mild housewife in an arranged marriage to an overweight man she had
never met. She left home the next day, emigrated to the United States and was recruited by DeVries. She currently works as a high
level contract network engineer for DeVries in New York City, and manages a new OpNet site about novas on the side. Her psych
profile posits several reasons for Kimiyo’s eagerness to participate in our program. First, she wants a child in order to further
distance herself from her parents, who she has pre-emptively disowned. Second, she feels that this will be the only way for her to
find a man who will measure up to her standards. Third, she’s novaphilic enough to really like the idea of giving birth to a nova child.
Recommendation: Good candidate for a compensated date, but unless she erupts in response to giving birth to a nova child, her
continued interest in self-induced eruption could lead her into self-destructive acts later on. We need to make arrangements for
Kimiyo’s child to be adopted by a suitable DeVries employee, in case that Kimiyo winds up killing herself in an attempt to erupt.
Rori McClain
Age: 25
Marital Status: Widowed
Occupation: Employee of DeVries Agency (security consultant), former police officer (New York City PD)
Ethnicity: Irish
Nationality: USA (naturalized)
Remarks: Rori immigrated to the United States when she was 18 to marry her first generation Irish-American boyfriend. They
immediately proceeded to be fruitful, and had a daughter named Toni nine months later. Her husband was in the family business,
police work. Three years later he died in a car accident. Since most of her family and friends were cops, joining the police was a
natural option for Rori to support herself and Toni. She went to a police academy, applied to join the NYPD, and succeeded. She
eventually rose to the rank of detective in Homicide. Recently her daughter Toni was diagnosed with one of the rare disorders that
Project Utopia hasn’t gotten around to curing. Toni’s only real chance for survival is a stem cell transplant, but there are no genetic
matches for her on record. If Toni had a full sibling, there would be about a 25% chance of acquiring matching stem cells from the
22
A B E R R A N T
A BREED APART
sibling’s placenta. Rori left the NYPD and joined DeVries as a security consultant after hearing about our program. Because of her
insistence on matching immune system types, only one of the studs in the program matches her requirements, but one should be
enough. Both Rori and Toni carry the M-R gene sequence, which gives us a rare opportunity here. If we play our cards right, we
could get three novas for the price of one.
Recommendation: Excellent candidate for a compensated date, especially if we can save Toni with DeVries’ medical expertise.
Elvira “Elly” Lesnikh
Age: 27
Occupation: Employee of DeVries Agency (certified instructor in mathematics, physics and several languages).
Ethnicity: White Russian
Nationality: South African (naturalized)
Remarks: Originally from Northern Russia, Elly had a good education and had studied very hard in school. She could teach Math
or Physics. She could also speak or teach English, German, Spanish, & French along with her native Russian... and none of that was
doing her any good at all. In Northern Russia there were no jobs, the men were nearly all uneducated alcoholics, it was dark and cold
most of the time, and anyone who could got out. Her way of getting out was to become a mail order bride to a white South African,
but in the middle of the ceremony her would-be husband had a heart attack. While the South African government was considering
deporting her the whole mess ended up on the front page of the local newspapers. That’s when you stepped in as her advocate, and
personally recruited her for DeVries. She’s done an excellent job teaching foreign languages at our Pretoria compound, and has done
quite well subbing for our other classroom instructors when necessary. The fact that Elly also happens to be nearly identical to you in
both appearance and mannerisms has also been remarked upon by her coworkers. Elly’s psych profile indicates that she has a serious
case of “hearing her biological clock ticking”, which has only been exacerbated by the revelation of her younger sister’s infertility.
Recommendation: Good candidate for a compensated date. In terms of ability, attitude and loyalty to DeVries, she’s nearly ideal.
Heather Andrews
Age: 28
Occupation: Lawyer, law firm of Brown & Cohen (New York City)
Nationality: USA
Ethnicity: USA (British ancestry)
Remarks: A heiress of an Old Money family from Boston, Heather left the easy life of a high-class socialite to become a very
successful lawyer for the firm of Brown & Cohen. This move has only increased her already impressive wealth, which she has come
into sole control now that her elders are all either dead or irredeemably senile. As a bisexual with a long-term female lover, Heather
was at risk of being disinherited by her conservative elders. Now that that’s no longer a danger, Heather has brought herself and her
lover out of the closet and is planning to start a family. Naturally, she wants to have the best child she can, and that means joining our
program. Heather claims that she’s prepared to do whatever it takes to bear a nova child, but her strong lesbian preferences may
prove to be a stumbling block.
Recommendation: Good candidate for using our sperm bank. We should also see about recruiting her for DeVries, as she’s almost as
good a lawyer as our own Mr. Wether.
Nitara Chakravarthy
Age: 19
Occupation: Singer / Actress managed by DeVries
Ethnicity: Indian
Nationality: USA
Remarks: The child of Indian immigrants, Nitara only just managed to become a natural-born citizen of the United States by
thirty minutes. With her mother’s death later on, Nitara became a substitute mother for her younger brother and sister. She was
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A B E R R A N T
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“discovered” as a singer at the age of 17, and used her new wealth to help her family. Oddly enough, her status as an extremely
talented baseline singer worked to her advantage in the global media, despite the ongoing popularity of novox. A year later, it all fell
apart. Nitara and her family was involved in a nasty highway accident involving a tractor trailer truck, leaving her father and siblings
dead and herself crippled. While in the hospital Nitara also discovered that her manager father had been using her money to gamble,
and that she had inherited his debts. Fortunately for her, the blood tests performed on her at the hospital also revealed her as a
carrier of the M-R gene sequence. Your stepping in to save Nitara and becoming her artistic patron made for some excellent PR, and
has sparked several office debates about recruiting other baselines with such high levels of talent. Our nova healers repaired her
body, and our lawyers restored most of her wealth in return for a management contract withDeVries. Nitara has been an excellent
moneymaker for DeVries ever since.
Recommendation: Excellent candidate for a compensated date, but I hope that we have someone who can meet her standards
(and yours).
Chou Ling-yu, M.D.
Age: 26
Occupation: Employee of DVNTS Agency (Medical Doctor / Researcher)
Ethnicity: Han Chinese
Nationality: Taiwan
Remarks: One of our best baseline medical researchers, Chou Ling-yu has shown interest in applying for our program from the
beginning, but had always been too busy with one research project or another to take the time off required for the resulting
pregnancy and child care. Well, this time around she’s finally gotten her timing right, and has applied. On the face of it, Ling-yu would
be an excellent choice for a compensated date; she’s beautiful, very friendly with her co-workers, highly loyal to DeVries and would
make a good (if fairly eccentric) mother. Even better is the fact that she’s tested positive for carrying the M-R gene sequence. That
said, her bedside manner (pun intended) could use some work. Ling-yu’s psych profile shows her to have a deep fascination with the
evolutionary potential of novas. Add that to some decidedly kinky tastes, and you can see why one of our stud elites has been known
to break out into an anxious sweat whenever he comes within three meters of Ling-yu. He claims that Ling-yu seemed to view him as
something between a lab rat and boytoy, and that she was just plain creepy when she got aroused.
Recommendation: Excellent candidate for using our sperm bank. Matching her with a stud could be a problem with her in-house
reputation.
Carol Aquash, CPA
Age: 21
Occupation: Employee of DeVries Agency (CPA)
Ethnicity: Native American (Mi’kmaq)
Nationality: Canadian
Remarks: A certified public accountant, Carol Aquash left the Mi’kmaq reservation in hopes of making a better life for herself.
The eruption of her cousin (Jasper “Landmaster” Aquash) was her inspiration, but it also convinced her that she must have the
potential to erupt as well. She has tried dozens of ways to erupt, but her attempts always failed. Her application states that she wants
the money to help enlarge her “nest egg”, and intends to give the baby up for adoption. Her psych profile indicates she wants to have
sex with a nova and have his child in yet another attempt to erupt. If she doesn’t erupt, she will probably keep the child (regardless of
whether it is nova or baseline) and continue working as a CPA with DeVries. Carol has been a loyal DeVries employee for two years
now, and her tests have confirmed that she carries the M-R gene sequence in her DNA.
Recommendation: Good candidate for a compensated date. I’d have rated her as “excellent” if it weren’t for the possibility of
Carol killing herself in an attempt to erupt. I suggest that we have suitable DeVries employees on hand to act as adoptive parents in
case Carol either dies or becomes a threat to her child in her quest to become a nova.
24
ABERRANT
A BREED APART
Perilous Beginnings
According to some thinkers, the reproductive drive
underpins all of human society. From that somewhat reductionist
viewpoint, the myriad aspects of human life – agriculture,
commerce, science, entertainment, et al. – can be boiled down
into ways to either attract potential mates or care for the young.
In a very real sense, a human’s spouse and children are his or her
stake in the gamble of civilization. If a society does well and
advances, a family is more likely to survive and prosper. If a
society fails and regresses, a family is more likely to be
endangered and face difficult circumstances. So what happens
when a human lacks either spouse or children, and appears to
have less of a stake in society? Surprisingly, just having one of
these blessings can often make up for not having the other.
Happy, committed couples that are childless can be found almost
everywhere humans live. Likewise, if some people didn’t find
parenthood deeply fulfilling, there wouldn’t be single and
widowed parents out there raising their children (either their
own or adopted) as best they can. But still, that leaves those
who are either unwilling or unable to both attract a long-term
mate and have children, even through indirect methods such as
adoption. For these people, one of the activities of human life
(such as religion) instead becomes a way to sublimate the
reproductive drive. Sometimes that proves sufficient to fill the
void caused by not having a family of their own, and they can
benefit society (and vice versa). Sometimes it doesn’t, resulting
in a tendency for these people to endanger themselves and
others, if not society as a whole.
In the world of Aberrant, novas would seem to both have
their cake and eat it. They’re often wealthy, glamorous, and are
eagerly sought after by marriage-minded suitors. As celebrities
they’re globally famous, and their scientific achievements
advance baseline society by leaps and bounds. Upon closer
inspection, the perks of being a nova tend to turn out hollow in
the long run. Fame and glamour are fleeting, wealth is too easily
lost, and yesterday’s hot prospect for marriage becomes today’s
has-been. Scientific achievements are relegated to history as
new discoveries come to light, and the human need to tear down
their celebrities makes no exception for novas. That wouldn’t be
so bad if the pressures of nova life and the mystery of nova
sterility didn’t make successful long-term relationships and
parenthood pipe dreams for most novas. Combine the sheer
power of novas with the lack of any real stake in human society,
and the conditions for potential worldwide catastrophe are met.
And yet, despite the odds against them, some novas have
managed to bear and raise children of their own. These new
families face an entirely new level of danger, as the “second
generation” novas have the potential for power that will dwarf
their parents’, which in turn makes them targets for either
exploitation or assassination by the various factions of the Nova
Age. Faced with these threats, will the nova families try to make
peace with a society that too often only seeks to either exploit
or kill them? Will they lash out against baseline humanity in
genocidal warfare? Or will they abandon Earth for new homes
and lives out among the stars, leaving baseline humanity and
Terran “civilization” to their fate?
With all of these questions, only one thing remains certain.
Conflict is at hand.
Lexicon
x Applegate: Slang term for novas who live incognito in Nova
Age society by passing themselves off as baselines, many of which
are also “breeder” novas. This is because many breeder novas
have decided to live undercover and raise families free from the
interference of the various factions, and because many novas who
erupted and immediately went undercover avoided being sterilized
in the first place.
x Breeder: Somewhat derogatory (and occasionally envious)
slang term for both fertile baselines and fertile novas that
developed after the reality of widespread infertility among novas
became public knowledge in the nova community.
x Delivery Boy/Girl: Slang term for operatives who “deliver”
(read: rescue) breeder novas and their offspring from the threats
posed by motherhunters and other hostile parties.
x Harpy: Derogatory slang term for sterile novas of either
gender who have a hatred of breeder novas and their offspring,
which often extends to baseline parents and children as well.
x Jaffa: Self-referential slang term used by sterile novas of
both genders. Originally British slang for infertile men, derived
from the “Jaffa” variety of seedless orange.
x Mare: Short for “brood mare”; derogatory slang term for a
fertile female nova.
x Motherhunter: Derogatory slang term for operatives who
track down breeder novas and their offspring (if any), typically
with sinister intent.
x 2ndGen: Slang term for the second generation novas, the
offspring of two nova parents. These novas are divided into three
separate clades (Trues, Terats and Trogs), depending on how their
parents dealt with Taint.
x Stud: Somewhat derogatory, occasionally complimentary
slang term for a fertile male nova.
x Terat (second definition): Slang term for second generation
novas born to the Teragen.
x Trog: Slang term for second generation novas born to
highly-Tainted nova parents.
x True: Slang term for second generation novas born to nova
parents with little or no Taint.
ABERRANT: A BREED APART
25
ABERRANT
Disclaimer
Much of the material presented in this sourcebook deals with
mature issues, and may not be suitable for some Aberrant players.
As such, this material is entirely optional. Storytellers are
encouraged to discuss the subjects covered in this sourcebook
with their players before introducing them into their Aberrant
chronicles. If a player has personal issues with these matters, then
show that player some respect and don’t press his or her buttons
through his or her character. Aberrant is a game, and games are
meant to be fun.
Nova Reproduction
While a great many novas do suffer from a currently
inexplicable form of sterility in 2015, that isn’t true for all novas.
And like other humans, these fertile novas will eventually turn
their thoughts toward settling down and starting families. For
those Aberrant chronicles where these matters will be explored,
we’ve provided new rules to cover this essentially human
phenomenon.
Nova Fertility
Provided that a nova isn’t sterile due to either the Utopian
sterility cocktail or Taint, he or she will possess enhanced
fertility. As human fertility is an extraordinarily complex matter,
characters in an Aberrant chronicle are assigned a “fertility
rating”, which is a simple percentage chance roughly equal to a
character’s base Stamina rating. (Mega-Stamina isn’t counted,
as it figures into the fertility rating in a different way.) The
percentage chances of both partners in a sexually-active
relationship are added together, and a roll is made against the
combined percentage rating to see if conception occurs. In the
case of nova couples where both partners have superhuman
fertility ratings, the maximum possible combined fertility rating
is 100%. The conception roll is always made by the Storyteller in
secret, with the results revealed to the players only when
appropriate (Storyteller’s discretion). The Storyteller is always
within her rights to fake the roll when a given result would either
help or hinder the plot. Variable factors such as drug use,
mundane fertility treatments, advanced age, a character’s level
of sexual education and level of physical activity (among many
others) can also alter a character’s fertility rating in any way the
Storyteller sees fit. Mundane fertility treatments cannot
increase a character’s fertility rating above 10%, however.
Assuming that a couple has sexual encounters on a regular
basis, the percentage roll should be made once per month of
game-time, barring unusual circumstances. If either or both
members of a couple are experiencing high levels of stress
and/or physical hardship, the percentage roll might be made only
once every three months or even waived completely. Characters
that are sterile are typically considered to have a fertility rating
of zero and cannot conceive in ordinary circumstances, although
the Storyteller might assign a fertility rating of 1 or 2% in certain
marginal cases at her discretion. Of course, homosexual couples
26
will not be able to reproduce at all without the aid of either
specialized medical assistance (and a surrogate mother, in some
cases) or certain quantum abilities.
With just the normal nova metabolism, a nova’s fertility
rating is 5% greater than that of a healthy baseline human with
the same base Stamina rating. Possessing Mega-Stamina will
increase a nova’s fertility rating by an additional 5% per dot;
with a nova’s base fertility rating being increased by 10% at
Mega-Stamina 1, 15% at Mega-Stamina 2, and so on. Also, fertile
novas have a certain advantage where their gametes are
concerned. The sperm of fertile nova men can survive for up to
seven days, and fertile nova women can produce several new
ova on a monthly basis. This enhanced fertility is an optional
part of the basic package of being a nova, and has no cost (in
either freebie or nova points) for two reasons. First off, any
novas who are dosed with adrenocilin or moxinoquantamine at a
Rashoud clinic or by a Utopian Intervention Team are also
exposed to the Utopian sterility cocktail. This makes it easy to
sterilize novas who either seek training at a Rashoud clinic or
have only just erupted and aren’t in a position to defend
themselves, assuming that said novas lack certain Mega-Stamina
enhancements. Second, fertile novas who are publicly known to
have either become pregnant or caused a pregnancy may
become targets for assassination or kidnapping by Utopia,
Proteus and many other groups.
Contraception
Given how widespread the Utopian-induced sterility is
among the nova population, it’s ironic that most fertile novas
tend to have difficulties with keeping their fertility in check.
With how easily novas can shrug off the effects of drugs tailored
to the baseline metabolism, it’s only to be expected that many
contraceptives are ineffective for fertile novas. Hormone-based
contraceptives (such as birth control pills and hormone-infused
implants) are completely useless, as a nova’s body will process
the hormones too quickly for them to have any effect.
Contraceptive drugs must be cut so that they are just as pure as
other drugs intended for nova use for them to be effective. This
will make nova contraceptive drugs toxic to baselines, which in
turn can make using a nova-strength spermicidal agent with a
baseline sexual partner potentially fatal for the baseline. This
leaves physical contraceptive devices as the only option for
most fertile novas, provided they lack any aberrations that
cause damage to matter. If either partner has Mega-Strength,
physical contraceptive devices can easily be damaged to the
point of uselessness.
RULES
Paternity
In the case of nova women who become pregnant after
encounters with multiple male partners, the Storyteller will either
assign percentage chances to the males in question in order to
determine paternity with a dice roll, or she may simply choose one
of them. In either case the choice is made in secret, and the result
will be kept from the players until it could be plausibly discovered
in the events of the story.
ABERRANT
Nova Pregnancy
In most cases, the pregnancy of a fertile female nova is
much the same as those of fertile baseline women, except that
her optimized body will lessen the strain that the developing
fetus will place on her system.
First Trimester: The nova mother-to-be will become
hypersensitive to smell and taste, receiving -1 to her difficulties
on Perception rolls involving smell or taste. This is a mixed
blessing, as she will also suffer a penalty of +1 on Stamina rolls to
avoid becoming severely nauseous when exposed to strong
unpleasant smells and/or tastes. Fortunately, most nova women
are better able to stave off the resulting morning sickness than
baseline women. She will also experience sudden cravings and/or
aversions to certain food items. Aversions will lead her to reject
a given type of food item, even if it was previously one of her
favorites. Cravings can be for just about any food item, ranging
from the stereotypical (pickles and ice cream) to the exotic
(such as dirt).
Second Trimester: The nova mother will begin to gain
weight in order to better support her pregnancy. Her body will
become increasingly awkward, which in game terms translates
into a -1 die penalty on Dexterity rolls for moving around. She
will also develop the famous “motherly glow” as hormonal
changes make her skin become rosy and her hair thickens and
becomes lustrous. In game terms, she receives -1 to her
difficulties on Appearance rolls involving being physically
attractive.
Third Trimester: A nova mother’s augmented metabolism
makes her better able to withstand the general aches and pains
experienced in the third trimester, but it’s (usually) not enough
to let her just shug them off. In game terms, she will suffer a
penalty of +1 on all of her Stamina rolls due to general lethargy
and exhaustion. Fortunately, a nova mother won’t suffer from
insomnia as a result of that. Also, the nova mother will also
exude an “aura of neediness” at this stage of her pregnancy, for
lack of a better term. This gives her -1 to her difficulties on
Charisma rolls that involve getting other people to help her. In
the last few weeks before delivery, the mother’s nesting instinct
will take hold. She will suddenly become both quite energetic and
nearly obsessed with getting things ready for her baby’s arrival.
Postpartum (birth to approx. 6 months afterwards): After
the birth, the nova mother will begin to lose the excess weight
gained during her pregnancy. This will happen faster than it does
with baseline mothers, but it’s still a fairly slow process which
breastfeeding the infant will accelerate. Speaking of which,
lactation in nova mothers is almost as uncomfortable as it is for
baseline mothers, as even the nova metabolism won’t do much to
impede the natural function of the mammary glands. Fortunately,
it does make the period of her hormonal flux drastically shorter,
allowing the nova mother to escape the resulting altered
psychological states (severe depression, anxiety, loss of selfesteem, intense worrying about the infant, and the rare
psychotic break) experienced by baseline mothers.
Pregnancy Complications
Nova women also face the risk of complications during
pregnancy, although their chances for such are much lower (1%
at most) than those of baseline women thanks to their optimized
metabolisms. This changes if a nova mother and/or her partner
(usually a male nova) has a permanent Taint rating of 6 or
higher. If one of the parents has a Taint rating of 6-7, the base
chance for complications is 10%. If both parents have a Taint
rating of 6-7, this chance rises to 20%. If one of the parents has
a Taint rating of 8-10, the base chance for complications is
40%. If both parents have a Taint rating of 8-10, the chance
rises to 80%. The Fertility enhancement can reduce the chance
for complications, although nova mothers will gain the most
benefit from it. A nova’s Chrysalis rating will have no effect on
his or her chances for pregnancy complications.
The kinds of complications that a nova mother can face in
her pregnancy not only include the mundane varieties known to
baseline obstetrics, but also many bizarre conditions caused by
either parent’s Taint. Mundane complications that can occur
include (but are not limited to) birth defects of all kinds, a
diminished Attribute on part of the infant, rhesus factor
mismatches between mother and child, stillbirths, footling
position, miscarriages, natural abortion, terminally ill infants,
tubal pregnancies, false pregnancies, and premature deliveries.
Complications arising from parental Taint can be literally
anything that the Storyteller’s twisted imagination can conjure
up, although the Storyteller is advised to determine remedies for
such beforehand in the case of the pregnancy of a player
character or an important Storyteller character.
One unique variety of pregnancy complication that merits
special attention is prenatal eruption and power usage on the
part of a nova fetus. While this is most often seen in second
generation nova fetuses, it is possible for unborn nova offspring
of baseline parents as well. In either case, this phenomenon
typically occurs in response to a threat (real or perceived) to
the survival of the mother and/or fetus. Unlike other pregnancy
complications, the chance of prenatal eruption and power use
are not affected by the Fertility enhancement. Maternal stress
will also increase the chances for this to happen (the details are
left to the Storyteller’s discretion), especially if the mother is
threatened with physical and/or emotional harm on a regular
basis. The Storyteller is always free to fake the roll and apply
whatever result she deems best, however. In game terms, a nova
fetus and its mother are automatically considered to be attuned
to each other, as per the Attunement background. Pre-natal
power use is treated as though the mother had the
“Uncontrollable Power” quantum aberration (Aberrant Players
Guide, p. 95), with the Storyteller having complete control over
the quantum power and other nova traits manifested by the nova
fetus. This allows the Storyteller to employ pre-natal power use
as a convenient deus ex machina to help the storyline of the
chronicle along in whatever way she sees fit. While this usually
means protecting the mother and/or her unborn child from
actual threats, it can also cause complications if the fetus lashes
out at someone its mother perceives (mistakenly or not) as a
threat to her or her child.
When Genetics Goes Boink
Despite their powers, the breeding (and interbreeding) of
Homo sapiens novus is still a natural process for the most part.
As such, Nature (or the Storyteller) can throw a monkey wrench
into the reproductive processes of novas on occasion, leading to
anomalous births. While this generally means having a child that
27
ABERRANT
isn’t “a chip off one of the old blocks” for baseline couples, it
can become much more dire in the case of nova offspring.
Fortunately this tends to be rare, with it having roughly the same
chance of occurring as complications in nova pregnancies. (The
effects of the Fertility enhancement and high levels of Taint will
affect the chance for anomalous births normally.) Of course, the
Storyteller is always within her rights to fake the roll and choose
a result she feels would add some needed drama to the chronicle.
That said, the Storyteller is strongly encouraged to discuss this
topic with the players before introducing it into the chronicle.
Also, it’s a good idea to limit these events to Storyteller
character couples, although nothing is wrong with players
wanting to explore these circumstances through roleplaying.
Examples of anomalous nova births for nova couples include
birthing the “wrong” type of 2ndGen nova infant (low-Taint
novas birthing a Trog 2ndGen nova or high-Taint novas birthing a
True 2ndGen nova), or having a “normal” (a latent, HighQuantum baseline, or an actual baseline) child. In the case of
nova interbreeding, the standard guidelines for determining the
chance of conceiving offspring (and the status of said offspring)
are tossed out the window in favor of random chance and/or the
Storyteller’s whim.
New Parent Syndrome
Just like expectant and new baseline parents, expectant and
new nova parents are often nearly incapable of either thinking or
talking about anything other than their new child and parenthood.
While this is only somewhat annoying in baseline parents, this
behavior can become extremely dangerous for nova parents.
Without the aid of psychic or hypnotic blocks to suppress this
tendency (or living in seclusion), nova parents who indulge
themselves in this behavior are effectively making excellent
targets of themselves and their child for the motherhunters of the
major factions.
Tainted Heritages
As we have shown, taint can throw quite a few monkey
wrenches into the otherwise optimized reproductive processes
of a nova couple. So it should come as no surprise that taint can
also affect the 2ndGen offspring of such couples on some very
basic levels. While this is most obvious when highly-tainted
novas give birth to Trog 2ndGen novas, the children of nova
couples with intermediate levels of taint can also be affected.
Things become even more confusing when the parents of a
2ndGen child have differing (sometimes to a radical degree)
levels of taint. Fortunately, we’ve taken the time to hammer out
some guidelines for these situations.
Barring anomalous births, all offspring of a first-generation
nova couple will be 2ndGen novas. Nova parents who both have
little or no permanent Taint (5 dots or less) will bear True
2ndGen children, while nova parents who both have high
permanent Taint (8 dots or more) will give birth to Trog 2ndGen
progeny. The question of what any possible children will be like
becomes a little dicey in the case of nova parents that both have
intermediate permanent Taint (6 or 7 dots), as they will usually
produce True 2ndGen offspring, but have a chance to produce
Trog 2ndGen infants as well. This matter becomes even more a
matter of chance when a pair of nova parents have differing
28
taint levels, as a multitude of factors can act and counteract with
each other to influence the developing child. One such influence
that deserves special mention is the Fertility enhancement,
which can shift the percentage chances in the following
guidelines in the favor of the parent with that enhancement. In
game terms, the chance of having the “wrong” type of 2ndGen
child is just another type of pregnancy complication as far as the
effects of Fertility are concerned. For low- and intermediatetaint novas, Fertility reduces the chance of having a Trog 2ndGen
child. For high-taint novas, Fertility reduces the chance of
having a True 2ndGen child.
Astute readers may have noticed that the Terat 2ndGens
have been ignored in the following guidelines. This is a
deliberate omission, since due to certain established facts in the
Aberrant setting, Terat 2ndGens cannot just crop up out of the
woodwork the way that True and Trog 2ndGens can. Unlike their
True and Trog peers, Terat 2ndGens derive more of their
distinctiveness from the novacentric (and isolated) upbringing
and education provided by the Teragen than they do from the
effects of the Chrysalis on their Terat parents. Like other human
infants, the Terat 2ndGens are extremely impressionable in their
early years of life. This is why Bounty and Scripture have taken
such extreme pains to sequester them in their formative years;
as instilling the philosophy of Teras to the point where it
becomes natural (as it has become for the Terat 2ndGens)
requires serious indoctrination from a very early age. Unless
both parents in a breeding nova couple are Terats with a
Chrysalis rating and give away their child to Bounty for her to
rear, the status of any offspring should be determined
regardless of a parent’s Chrysalis rating.
x Low-Taint Nova father & Low-Taint Nova mother:
100% chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring, barring
any anomalous births.
x Intermediate-Taint Nova father & Intermediate-Taint
Nova mother: 80% chance of producing True 2ndGen nova
offspring and a 20% chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova
offspring.
x High-Taint Nova father & High-Taint Nova mother:
100% chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring, barring
any anomalous births.
x Low-Taint Nova father & Intermediate-Taint Nova
mother: 90% chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring
and a 10% chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring.
x Low-Taint Nova father & High-Taint Nova mother: 65%
chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring and a 35%
chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring.
x Low-Taint Nova mother & Intermediate-Taint Nova
father: 95% chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring
and a 5% chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring.
x Low-Taint Nova mother & High-Taint Nova father: 55%
chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring and a 45%
chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring.
x Intermediate-Taint Nova father & High-Taint Nova
mother: 95% chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring
and a 5% chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring.
x Intermediate-Taint Nova mother & High-Taint Nova
father: 90% chance of producing Trog 2ndGen nova offspring
and a 10% chance of producing True 2ndGen nova offspring.
RULES
ABERRANT
Dormancy
While most breeder novas most commonly use this ability to
pose as baselines and stay under the radar of the motherhunters, it
does provide an unexpected benefit for those with moderate to
high levels of permanent Taint. Female breeder novas are
perfectly capable of conceiving and bearing children - including
2ndGen nova children - while dormant. Pregnant breeder novas
that remain dormant for the full duration of their gestational
period (conception, pregnancy and labor) use the basic mechanics
for nova pregnancy, despite their inability to actively channel
quantum in that state. The benefit gained from following that
course of action is that the breeder nova’s permanent Taint is
considered to be 1 dot lower than normal per dot of the nova’s
Dormancy rating for all reproductive purposes, including
determining the clade of any 2ndGen nova offspring. In this way
breeder nova mothers with Dormancy ratings sufficient to counter
most or all of their own Taint can avoid the risks of pregnancy
complications and birthing Trog 2ndGen novas. Breeder nova
fathers with moderate to high levels of Taint should also be
dormant at the time of the encounter in question, as they can also
receive lowered permanent Taint ratings for all reproductive
purposes. Depending on the circumstances of the chronicle (and
the Storyteller’s discretion), breeder nova fathers with serious
Taint may also find it necessary to remain dormant during their
partner’s full gestational period while within her immediate
vicinity, due to the potential risk of paternal Taint contamination
affecting the unborn child.
Inhuman Upbringings
Despite the proclamations of the Teragen, most novas still
have more than a little in common with their baseline forebears,
including their reproductive strategy. Baseline humans and most
novas are considered “k-type breeders”, in that on the average
a breeding couple will produce only a few offspring and are
willing to invest much time and resources in their children. In
times of stress and danger where the family bonds cannot be
relied on, humans can temporarily adopt a limited “r-type
breeder” strategy, where producing as many offspring as
possible while investing few resources (at least on the father’s
part) is favored. When peaceful times return and general wealth
rises again, humans will return to following the k-type strategy.
This is not the case for certain breeder novas, as they have
adopted varying levels of r-type breeding strategies for fulltime use. The first category of r-type breeder novas – the
“Casanovas” – is comprised of lecherous and ethicallychallenged heterosexual nova men. Just like certain of their
baseline counterparts, these nova men prefer to follow the
limited r-type strategy which most humans reserve for
emergency situations at all times, regardless of the
circumstances and consequences. These conscienceless jerks
see nothing wrong with “loving and leaving” whatever women
that they can become physically intimate with. In the case of
certain male breeder novas among elites and Teragen, this
course of action can seem quite reasonable, especially if they
have no other way to sire children without endangering said
childrens’ lives. The classic example of this situation is a MegaSocial male breeder nova who seduces any fertile women he
desires, only to abandon his newly-impregnated conquests in his
search for even more women to sire offspring on. Male breeder
novas with the Copycat enhancement or the Shapeshift power
could easily impersonate a woman’s husband or boyfriend in
order to seduce and impregnate her. While the Casanovas are
the more common of the r-type breeder novas, they’re also the
ones whose offspring have the best chance of evading the notice
of the motherhunters. In many cases, the offspring of a
Casanova will be baselines, and even those who are latent firstgeneration novas will attract little or no attention to themselves
prior to their eruptions.
The second – and far more dangerous – category of the rtype breeders are the “Hatchers”, which is comprised of highlytainted breeder novas. While most of these monsters still follow
the “k-type & situational limited r-type” strategy preferred by
baselines, a few have adopted an extreme r-type strategy little
different from that of insects and fish. Thanks to their taintderived mental disorders and problems with social interaction,
establishing the family bonds required for the k-type strategy
can be extremely difficult, if not outright impossible for these
novas. Highly-tainted breeder novas following an extreme rtype strategy will seek to produce as many offspring as they
can, and will invest little or no resources or time in said
offspring. Depending on the details of a highly-tainted breeder
nova’s powers and aberrations, the specific method of
reproduction and treatment of resulting offspring will vary
wildly. A telepathic high-taint breeder nova might use the
“changeling” method and use her mental powers to brainwash a
baseline couple into thinking that one of her many offspring is
actually their child, after which she abandons the child for good.
A female high-taint breeder nova with the Parasitic Gestation
body modification might use a method like that used by the
spider wasp, which involves paralyzing a well-fleshed baseline,
implanting him with one or more of her parasitic fetuses, and
leaving him in a convenient attic for her offspring to feed off of
him. Others might abandon their many offspring after birth to
live or die on their own, in the hopes that at least few will
survive to reach maturity. In these cases, the offspring will
always be born with whatever Mega-Attributes, enhancements
and powers that will let them survive on their own. It should also
be noted that the surviving children may have at least some
psychological problems of their own due to their abandonment
even without taking the influence of parental Taint into account.
Despite the rarity of extreme r-type breeder novas, Project
Proteus and the other motherhunters spend a disproportionate
amount of time and resources hunting them because the math
behind a quantum powered extreme r-type strategy is
terrifying. According to one of Proteus’ worst case scenarios, a
heavily tainted breeder nova could reproduce asexually by
generating exact copies of itself, and create 10 such “offspring”
a month, each of whom could possibly reach maturity in as little
as 6 months. Assuming a 50% survival rate among the offspring,
there would be roughly 600 such novas “born” after a year, and
45,000 in two years. If this theory of Proteus’ researchers ever
became reality, baseline humanity could be facing extinction.
29
ABERRANT
Interbreeding
Throughout human mythology, gods and goddesses have
often dallied with mortals. This state of affairs (pun intended) is
little different in the Nova Age circa 2015, as few novas – aside
from the Teragen and those novas who are highly Tainted –
have shied away from enjoying intimate relationships with
baselines. Widespread sterility among novas has ensured that
the consequences of most of these encounters are limited to the
emotional and social varieties, but what happens if the nova is
fertile? For that matter, how often can the potential to erupt as
a nova crop up in a family of (ostensibly) normal baselines?
What if a fertile nova’s sexual partner happens to be something
more than a baseline? What will the resulting children from such
unions be like? Here are a few guidelines for when this situation
comes up in an Aberrant chronicles.
In most cases, first generation novas are the ones who will
be interbreeding with baseline humans and members of the other
Inspired human subspecies. As former baselines, most of these
novas remain close to their baseline roots (unless they start
racking up permanent Taint), and are much less likely to shun
baseline suitors. The following entries on possible matches with
novas have been written with the first generation in mind. As far
as second generation novas are concerned, things are not nearly
as clear-cut. Some arguments have been made that 2ndGen novas
– especially the Taint-altered Terat and Trog clades – have
diverged far enough genetically that they could be considered
new species of humanity, and therefore are incapable of
interbreeding at all. Others reject this, saying that one
generation of breeding isn’t nearly enough to cause the
necessary genetic alterations, even where novas are concerned.
From that viewpoint, 2ndGen novas are just as capable of
interbreeding as their parents. For this reason, the question of
whether or not 2ndGen novas can interbreed at all with either
baseline humans or the non-eximorph varieties of Inspired
humans has been left to the Storyteller’s discretion.
x Nova father & Baseline mother: 25% chance (at best) of
having a first-generation nova child. 50% chance that baseline
offspring will carry the M-R sequence as latents or HighQuantum baselines. Small chance (5-10%) of pregnancy
complications if the father has moderate Taint, guaranteed
pregnancy complications if the father is heavily Tainted.
x Nova father & High-Quantum Baseline mother: 50%
chance of having a second-generation nova child. 100% chance
that baseline offspring will carry the M-R sequence as either
latents or High-Quantum baselines. 20% chance of pregnancy
complications if the father is heavily Tainted.
x Nova mother & Baseline father: 50% chance of having a
first-generation nova child, unless the mother has 2 levels of the
Fertility enhancement, in which case there is a 100% chance that
the child will be a second-generation nova. 100% chance that
baseline offspring will carry the M-R sequence as either latents
or High-Quantum baselines. Small chance (5-10%) of pregnancy
complications if the mother has moderate Taint, guaranteed
pregnancy complications if the mother is heavily Tainted.
x Nova mother & High-Quantum Baseline father: 80%
chance of having a second-generation nova child, unless the
mother has 2 levels of the Fertility enhancement, in which case
30
there is a 100% chance that the child will be a 2ndGen nova.
100% chance that baseline offspring will carry the M-R
sequence as either latents or High-Quantum baselines. 20%
chance of pregnancy complications if the mother is heavily
Tainted.
x Baseline mother & Baseline father: 1% chance of having a
first-generation nova child. 5% chance that baseline offspring
will carry the M-R sequence as either latents or High-Quantum
baselines.
x Baseline mother & High-Quantum Baseline father: 5%
chance of having a first-generation nova child. Baseline
offspring will have a 50% chance of carrying the M-R sequence
as either latents or High-Quantum baselines.
x Baseline father & High-Quantum Baseline mother: 5%
chance of having a first-generation nova child. Baseline
offspring will have a 50% chance of carrying the M-R sequence
as either latents or High-Quantum baselines.
x High-Quantum Baseline mother & High-Quantum
Baseline father: 10% chance of having a first-generation nova
child, 1% chance of having a second-generation nova child. 50%
chance that baseline offspring will carry the M-R sequence as
either latents or High-Quantum baselines.
x Nova father & Psiad mother: 0% chance of viable
offspring; any pregnancies will result in stillbirths or
miscarriages. This assumes that the parents are active novas and
psiads, as latent novas and psiads can interbreed as normal
humans.
x Nova mother & Psiad father: 1% chance of viable
offspring, in which case the child will be a sterile baseline human;
otherwise any pregnancies will result in stillbirths or
miscarriages. This assumes that the parents are active novas and
psiads, as latent novas and psiads can interbreed as normal
humans.
A Daredevil By Any Other Name...
In this sourcebook, we’ve gone along with Bruce Baugh’s
ideas on the nature of daredevils. According to him daredevils are
paramorphs, capable of subconsciously manipulating perpendicular
time (also known as probability) to perform extraordinary feats.
Max Mercer happens to be a highly advanced example of the
breed, as shown by his ability to consciously control linear time. As
such, we have posited daredevils as the third known Inspired
subspecies of humanity, occupying a middle branch between
eximorphs and psychomorphs on the evolutionary tree of Homo
sapiens. For those Aberrant Storytellers and players who prefer
Andrew Bates’ ideas on daredevils (daredevils are just exceptional
baselines, and Max Mercer is the only known paramorph), we
encourage you to change these rules to suit your own Aberrant
chronicles. It’s your game, after all.
x Nova father & Daredevil mother: 50% chance of having
a second-generation nova child. 100% chance that other (nonsecond generation nova) offspring will carry the M-R sequence
as either latents or first-generation novas. 5% chance of
pregnancy complications if the father is heavily Tainted.
x Nova mother & Daredevil father: 80% chance of having
a second-generation nova child, unless the mother has 2 levels
of the Fertility enhancement, in which case there is a 100%
chance that the child will be a 2ndGen nova. 100% chance that
RULES
ABERRANT
other (non-second generation nova) offspring will carry the MR sequence as either latents or first-generation novas. 5%
chance of pregnancy complications if the mother is heavily
Tainted.
High-Quantum Baselines
It’s technically possible for an otherwise-normal baseline
character to have a Quantum rating of 1 by spending 7 bonus
points for it at the time of character creation. About 1 in
500,000 baseline humans is a High-Quantum baseline. Such a
baseline cannot actively use his single dot of Quantum but will
enjoy certain small benefits derived from having it, such as a
slightly-increased resistance to certain quantum powers. That
said, a High-Quantum baseline is not a latent nova and won’t
ever erupt as one, barring the use of quantum powers such as
the Quantum Transformation technique of Quantum Supremacy.
High-Quantum baselines do have an increased chance of
producing nova offspring, especially if the other parent is a
nova.
Latents
Latents are baselines who are born carrying the M-R gene
sequence but lack any predisposition to eruption as a nova. Such
baselines could become novas, psiads or paramorphs depending
on what sort of telluric energies they are exposed to later in life.
Surrogate Mothers
It is possible for baseline surrogate mothers to carry a nova
fetus to term safely, so that both the surrogate mother and the
infant nova survive childbirth. This requires that (1) the surrogate
mother receives quality medical OB-GYN supervision & assistance
during the pregnancy, and (2) the unborn nova isn’t the offspring
of a moderately or heavily Tainted nova father. If either condition
cannot be met, complications with the pregnancy can occur.
Wicked Aunts
and Uncles
The process of choosing a spouse, starting a family and
raising children has always been a timeless cycle in the course of
human life. Likewise, there have always been social deviants who
seek to harm or exploit families and children, and people with
sufficient courage and moral fiber to stand up against these
predators. Even in the Nova Age, this conflict hasn’t changed
very much. When fertile novas manage to pair off and start
families, there are many people out there who will gladly use,
abuse or kill them and/or their children. Fortunately, there are
novas who seek to protect (some of) these new families, and
ensure the future of novakind. The future of baseline humanity is
another matter entirely...
The first factor that has altered this conflict where novas are
concerned is the potential for unimaginable power which is the
birthright of the “second generation” novas. There are those
among the factions of the world of Aberrant who either suspect
or have hard evidence of just how powerful these “2ndGen”
novas will be when they mature. This has made 2ndGen novas –
and their parents – targets for either exploitation (if deemed
useful) or assassination (if deemed a threat) in the view of many
of these well-informed and influential people. Other such
“power players” may seek to protect 2ndGen novas and their
parents, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how successful their
efforts will be. The second factor that has altered this conflict is
the excessive levels of Taint which are slowly becoming more
common among the first generation novas. Along with the
“normal” nova couples that manage to somehow settle down and
have kids, there are also Taint-ridden novas whose offspring
will redefine baseline humanity’s concept of “monstrosity” for
centuries to come. These mockeries of nova families pose a
threat to humanity and the entire world unlike any seen before.
Between the potential power of the 2ndGen novas and the
growing influence of Taint among the first generation, the
stakes can only go higher.
Project Utopia’s Sterility
Cocktail
We’ve taken the time to come up with what we feel is the
most plausible explanation of what the Utopian sterility cocktail
actually is, how it works and why it hasn’t been cured by some
medically-inclined nova hypergenius prior to 2015. Of course, all
this can easily be changed by the Storyteller to suit the
individual needs of his or her own Aberrant chronicle.
x What is the Utopian sterility cocktail, and how does it
work?
The Utopian sterility cocktail is actually a pair of
bioengineered retroviruses that were developed in secret by
Proteus agents in Project Utopia’s Nova Medicine section.
Acting under the command of Director Thetis, those Proteus
agents had their Triton researchers genetically engineer
components of the retroviruses’ genomes, which were then
assembled into the two finished retroviruses by Proteus
scientists for later mass production. The retroviruses were
designed so that they would specifically target and infect all the
cells of a nova’s gonads within thirty minutes after exposure.
Once there, the retroviruses attack two different targets in the
nova’s DNA, both of which are involved in the genetic basis for
nova capabilities. The first retrovirus directly attacks any and all
existing gametes, altering the targeted DNA so that they carry
what amounts to an encrypted genetic sequence. The second
retrovirus alters the cells that produce gametes, ensuring that
any gametes produced in the future will also carry the encrypted
genetic sequence. Their dirty work accomplished, the viruses
are then quickly eliminated from the nova’s system. The altered
gametes are now genetically dissimilar to the rest of the nova’s
body (with the potential to eventually become cancerous), and
for this reason are quickly destroyed by the nova’s own
leukocytes. As of 2015, there is no known cure for the effects of
this retrovirus. Director Thetis’ interest lies in controlling the
nova population by preventing their reproduction, so creating a
31
ABERRANT
cure (a key to the genetic encryption) was deemed both
unnecessary and counterproductive. Proteus began the nova
sterilization program on June 1st, 2000, and it has been
successful for the most part.
x Why were two retroviruses necessary?
Proteus has hard evidence that the basic nova metabolism
grants fertile novas two advantages unavailable to baseline men
and women. The sperm of fertile nova men can live for up to
seven days, where that of baseline men only lives for 72 hours at
most. Likewise, fertile nova women can produce several new
ova on a monthly basis, which baseline women cannot do at all
according to current gynecology. So any effective nova
sterilization agent would have to ensure that both any existing
gametes in a nova’s body and any gametes a nova’s body
produced in the future would be destroyed. Director Thetis is
nothing if not thorough.
x If Utopia’s retroviruses are the true cause of nova
sterility, what about the claims of Jennifer “Slider” Landers and
Director Iktome that there are sterility-inducing chemicals in
the Utopian nova drugs?
Slider and Iktome were confusing the cause of the sterility
with it’s method of transmission. Proteus long ago buried the
secret of the source of nova sterility, but it still has to actively
put the sterility retroviruses into batches of adrenocilin and
moxinoquantuamine on occasion. That’s what Slider and Iktome
found.
x Are the two sterility retroviruses triggered by
channeling quantum energy?
No. That tidbit is another piece of disinformation created
by Proteus. The retroviruses will do their dirty work regardless
of whether or not a nova is channeling quantum energy at the
time of exposure.
x Are the sterility retroviruses present in all of the Utopian
nova drugs?
They aren’t, for two reasons. First off, the sterility
retroviruses were deliberately made too weak to survive for
very long outside of a specialized laboratory environment – in
game terms, they both have a Virulence Rating of 2 when used
on a nova. This allows the retroviruses to be used safely – in
most cases – on novas without the risk of mutation and
subsequent transmission to the baseline population. This
changes if the retroviruses are used on a heavily-Tainted nova
(8-10 dots of permanent Taint), as the nova’s Taint can easily
cause severe mutations in the retroviruses. This unforeseen
circumstance will prove to be the source of some of the
infamous “Taint diseases” that will ravage the baseline populace
both during the upcoming Aberrant War and in the Trinity Era.
Second, both adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine are readily
available to novas (with a prescription), making it all too easy
for them to end up being examined in some nova mastermind’s
biology lab. For this reason, the only Utopians that are regularly
issued doses of adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine that have
been laced with the sterility retroviruses are Project Utopia’s
Intervention Teams and the doctors at the Rashoud clinics. The
only exception to this is when Utopian novas are tasked with
subduing what Aeon terms “rogue novas” (read: dissidents,
suspected Aberrants or Terats, and novas too paranoid or cagey
to go anywhere near a Rashoud clinic). In that case, Proteus will
32
covertly provide Utopian novas with several doses of
moxinoquantamine that have been laced with the sterility
retroviruses. As a rule, Utopian novas won’t hesitate to use mox
on their foes, and so end up doing Proteus’ work for them. On
the other hand, Proteus agents are routinely issued sterility
retrovirus-laced doses of adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine (or
the “sterility retrovirus mickey”, in the case of Proteus
bartenders) as Director Thetis deems necessary, usually to
sterilize novas in other organizations that Proteus has infiltrated.
Note again that most Proteus agents don’t know what the
sterility retrovirus-laced drugs or mickeys that they are dosing
novas with really are. As far as they know, they are either using
standard adrenocilin and/or mox, or as bartenders are covertly
testing experimental medicines intended to retard Taint
accumulation in novas on Director Thetis’ orders. No matter how
they are used, sterility retrovirus-laced doses of adrenocilin and
moxinoquantamine or the sterility retrovirus mickey are only
used once or twice on any given nova. Since the sterility
retroviruses typically need only one chance to do their dirty
work, one or two doses are all that’s required. Batches of
adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine that are distributed through
other channels will lack the sterility retroviruses, and the
sterility retrovirus mickey is only distributed by Proteus.
x If the sterility retroviruses are so weak in terms of their
Virulence Ratings, why don’t novas resist them?
Most exposure to the sterility retroviruses occurs when
novas either take adrenocilin or moxinoquantamine for the pain
of eruption or training in the use of their quantum powers,
respectively. Proteus agents working as bartenders also use a
“sterility retrovirus mickey”, which they slip into hyperintoxicating drinks such as Amp Wells. In both cases, a nova
would not even think of attempting to resist the drugs or the
drinks, especially since relatively few novas will have any clue
that they’ve just been infected by the sterility retroviruses. The
exception to this are novas with the Body Awareness
enhancement (from Aberrant: Brainwaves), who will instantly
notice the sterility retroviruses entering their systems. They can
then make a Resistance roll to purge the sterility retroviruses
from their bodies. Alternatively, the Mind Over Matter
enhancement (also from Aberrant: Brainwaves) can be used to
retard the onset of the sterility retroviruses, and the Healing
quantum power can aid in the Resistance roll to purge the
sterility retroviruses. Use of the Suspension enhancement (from
Aberrant: The New Flesh) can also halt the onset of the
retroviruses, as can the Stop Time technique of Temporal
Manipulation.
x How else can novas resist the effects of the Utopian
sterility retroviruses?
Having the Health enhancement is the most obvious
defense novas can have against the Utopian sterility
retroviruses, although having dots of Invulnerability: Disease
works just as well. The only problem with these defenses is that
a nova must gain them upon eruption for them to be effective. If
they are developed after a nova erupts and is sterilized by the
Utopian retroviruses, they cannot restore the nova’s fertility.
What’s worse is that those defenses can also prevent any future
attempts to use retroviruses to cure the nova’s sterility. The
Fertility enhancement (found later on in this sourcebook) is also
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a viable defense, and is more useful as developing it after a
nova’s eruption will actually allow a sterilized nova to regain his
or her fertility.
x Why haven’t any medically-inclined nova masterminds
discovered this before 2015? And why haven’t any of those
masterminds come up with a cure for it?
Certain Mega-Intelligent novas have known about the
Utopian sterilization program for quite some time, with Antaeus
being the most notable of them. Knowing that a problem exists
and doing something constructive about it are two different
things, however. Provided that a mastermind can see through
the disinformation put out by Proteus (several Proteus agents
churn out fanciful and lurid stories for the tabloid industry, for
example), she will then have to investigate other possible ways
to induce sterility in novas. If the mastermind suspects a genetic
cause of nova sterility, she will then be faced with strong
evidence that it is apparently linked to the genes that allow for
nova capabilities to develop in the first place. If said mastermind
thinks to compare the DNA from a sterilized nova’s gonads to
that from the rest of his body, she can verify that nova sterility
is not a natural part of the nova genome, leading her to suspect
that retroviruses have been at work. That leaves her with the
task of locating the genetic alteration caused by the retroviruses
within the nova genome, and the task of “decrypting” the
genetic alteration once it’s been found. That’s when attempting
to reverse nova sterility becomes a truly Herculean labor. First
off, Proteus’ genetic encryption has no “key”, making it a oneway process, as Director Thetis never intended nova sterility to
be reversible. Second, since a gamete has only half of a human’s
genetic code and the individual chromosomes of that code are
randomly selected, the encrypted message is non-determinate.
This leaves developing another retrovirus to correct the genetic
alteration made by the Utopian sterility retroviruses as the only
conventional way to cure nova sterility. Once you add in the
difficulties of evading Utopia’s Technological Regulation agents,
Proteus saboteurs and industrial espionage in the course of
developing said retrovirus, it becomes all too easy to see why
even nova masterminds have made little progress in the matter
of curing nova sterility through conventional means.
x Are there any unconventional ways to cure the effects of
the Utopian sterility retroviruses?
Yes, but they’re not widely available to novas in 2015.
Developing the Fertility enhancement will allow a nova to
correct the Utopian-induced sterility without any medical
assistance. Healing simply will not work, as it doesn’t affect a
subject’s DNA. Biomanipulation can allow normally-sterile novas
to produce offspring by means of the Body Manipulation
technique (to induce brief hyperfertility). This technique is what
has allowed the Teragen to secretly produce a small brood of
nova children. The catch to this method of sidestepping nova
sterility is that this technique doesn’t alter the parents’ DNA, so
that the offspring will inherit their parents’ induced sterility.
Powers that directly control the DNA of other novas (such as
possessed by the Terat Altaz “The Apothecary” Zia) are
capable of correcting the effects of the retroviruses in a single
nova. The Mutation technique of the Ecological Supremacy
power is capable of restoring the fertility of the entire nova
population with a single use, but the only novas known in canon
to eventually develop that power are Antaeus, Regina Mundi and
Belladonna. It is speculated that one of these novas not only
restored the fertility of the nova population in the 2030s, but
granted all novas the equivalent of one level of the Health
enhancement as well.
x How did Proteus manage to sterilize nearly so many
of the known novas prior to the Slider scandal in 2008?
Soon after their recreation in January of 1999, the first
real project of the Aberrant-era incarnation of Proteus was the
creation of the sterility retroviruses. By late May in 2000,
Proteus began mass-producing the sterility retroviruses, and
quickly built up respectable supplies of sterility retrovirus-laced
adrenocilin and moxinoquantamine. Before Jennifer “Slider”
Landers was murdered, relatively few novas had any reason at
all to be distrustful of Project Utopia. Many novas, often still in
pain from their eruptions, either sought help at Utopia’s
Rashoud clinics or gladly welcomed the aid offered by Project
Utopia’s Intervention Teams. Those few that weren’t eager to
accept this Utopian aid were deemed “rogue novas”, and were
typically dosed with sterility retrovirus-laced mox at least once.
Proteus agents infiltrated many other organizations that counted
novas among their ranks, often under the cover of working as
either paraphysicians or more frequently as pharmacists. Some
even operated as “street paraphysicians”, offering their
discreet medical services to criminal novas. Other Proteus
agents found employment as bartenders at various nightclubs
frequented by novas, where they would occasionally add a
sterility retrovirus mickey to the hyper-intoxicating drinks
formulated for nova consumption, such as the Amp Wells of the
Amp Room.
x How did Proteus manage to create the sterility
retroviruses so quickly?
They actually got lucky, believe it or not. One of the first
novas recruited by Proteus had become naturally sterile as a
side-effect of her eruption. Thanks to her superhuman
awareness of her own body (the Body Awareness enhancement
from Aberrant: Brainwaves), she realized that her own immune
system had not only wiped out her existing supply of ova, but
was also systematically killing the new ones that her ovaries
were somehow generating as soon as they were released into
her Fallopian tubes. Distraught, she went to a Rashoud clinic
seeking medical assistance, where she was examined by Proteus
doctors. Intensive medical investigation revealed that the
eruption trauma had created two separate genetic defects in the
nova’s DNA, which combined to make both her original ova and
any newly-generated ova into precancerous cells. Director
Thetis realized this for the golden opportunity it was, as
attempting to deliberately engineer those genetic defects from
scratch in the lab would have easily taken decades of hard,
expensive work. Duplicating them, however, only cost Proteus
scientists a few days’ effort. Proteus had the weapon they
wanted, so all they needed was a delivery system. Proteus then
arranged for separate parts of the sterility retrovirus
development project to be farmed out to many extremely
talented researchers at Triton Pharmaceuticals, who worked
either as individuals or in tiny groups. The Proteus agents at
Triton (some of whom were in management positions)
deliberately misled the researchers as to what the actual use of
33
ABERRANT
their products would be. With the resources of Triton at their
disposal (which included unethical medical experimentation
performed on Proteus novas), completing these “mini-projects”
only required a few months. Formulating adrenocilin and
moxinoquantamine didn’t even take that long, since they’re
basically baseline drugs cut so that they’re strong enough to
affect novas. Once the “parts” were all completed, all Proteus
had to do was have their own scientists assemble them
correctly, check that the finished sterility retroviruses
performed as intended, and ensure that they could make more
of the sterility retroviruses as needed. The unwitting Triton
researchers got a nice fat bonus on their paychecks, and started
work on their next projects in blissful ignorance.
x Was Max Mercer behind the Utopian sterility
retroviruses?
Certainly not. As written, Max Mercer is not someone who
would countenance the mass sterilization of an entire group of
humans, even one as powerful as the novas. Aeon was left to its
own devices after Mercer vanished in the mid-1950s. Others in
Aeon attempted to carry on what they thought was his dream,
but they wound up shifting focus to their own personal agendas.
Said personal agendas have diverged greatly from Mercer’s
original vision of what Aeon’s ideals, goals and methods should
be. When Mercer returned to Aeon in the mid-1990s, he did not
like what found. To Mercer, the lengths to which Aeon projects
like Utopia and Proteus have gone indicates that he screwed up
royally somewhere. Mercer retains much control over Aeon, but
he’s got a lot of work to do before Aeon can really be
considered “his group” once again. So while Mercer would not
have aided in the development and use of the Utopian sterility
retroviruses, he was also far too busy regaining control over
Aeon to rein in Thetis’ premier atrocity.
x That explanation is all very nice, but it doesn’t suit my
Aberrant chronicle. Are there any alternatives?
Of course! At the Storyteller’s discretion, the Utopian
sterility cocktail may truly be an assortment of sterility-inducing
drugs tailored to affect novas instead of a pair of engineered
retroviruses. Alternatively, the sterility-inducing drugs could be
too expensive and/or too difficult to produce for it to used
widely, leading it to be used in only the adrenocilin and
moxinoquantamine issued to Project Utopia’s Intervention
Teams and the doctors at the Rashoud clinics. Also, the Utopian
sterility retroviruses or drugs can also have a more exotic
source than we have indicated, again at the Storyteller’s
discretion. It’s not impossible for a mad scientist from the
Adventure! Era to have developed either engineered viruses or
special drugs with the Super-Science rules.
Seeds of Divinity
For most baselines in these early decades of the Nova Age,
erupting as a nova is seen as something of a Holy Grail of worldly
success. Unfortunately, most of them also know that the
capacity to erupt is an extremely rare genetic mutation. (Those
who don’t accept the latter fact fill the ranks of baselines who
end up either crippling or killing themselves in misguided
attempts to induce their own eruptions.) With no known reliable
means of gaining novahood for themselves, wealthy baselines
34
have instead sought to attain it for their children. And despite
the best efforts of Project Utopia, Project Proteus and the
Directive, certain organized crime syndicates have stepped in to
claim a share of that highly lucrative market. Caveat emptor
applies especially to such proscribed services and shady
providers, however. Both the DeVries Agency and the Teragen
also have implemented their own plans to covertly increase the
nova population, the ramifications of which will not become
apparent to the world at large until 2025. The seeds have been
sown, and all that remains is to see what will grow from them.
More Precious Than Gold
When the genetic basis for becoming a nova was revealed
to the scientific community in late 1998, savvy individuals
quickly realized the extreme value that would eventually be
placed on viable homo sapiens novus sperm. Unfortunately, the
majority of novas at that time were either still trying to adjust
to their new powers or had yet to erupt, so chances to acquire
samples of said tissue were nearly impossible to come by. As the
phenomenon of novas as celebrities began to develop during
1999, there was a brief window of opportunity for covert
sampling as certain male novas indulged in debaucheries that had
previously been restricted to rock stars and their like. When the
mysterious problem of nova sterility became widespread in late
2000, the whole matter became moot as far as the most of the
world at large was concerned. One of the first people to realize
the potential of this new commodity was one Doctor Takeshi
Maeda, a skilled medical doctor and cutting-edge geneticist who
also happened to be born to a yakuza family and loyal to the
Nakato Gumi. He then drew up plans to use a few suitable male
novas to supply a nova sperm bank, the services of which the
Nakato Gumi could then reap extreme profits from. Having
alerted his superiors in the Nakato Gumi to this opportunity in
December of 1998, Maeda’s proposal was deemed both feasible
and profitable, yet was shelved as a low-priority project during
the Nakato Gumi’s rise to ascendancy over the Japanese
underworld. By 2010, however, Maeda’s project finally got
approval from the oyabun and was implemented. Five years
later, Maeda’s project has paid for itself scores of times over,
and has given the Nakato Gumi a near-monopoly on one of the
most precious commodities of the Nova Age.
Dr. Maeda’s operation currently uses three Japanese “stud
novas” as unknowing sperm donors for the Nakato Gumi sperm
bank. The stud novas came to the attention of the Nakato Gumi
by means of their contacts in the Japanese medical system, and
have been tricked into their current predicament though use of
unspecified family obligations. One of the stud novas’ own
inclinations helped to lure him in – he is a confirmed lecher
whose interest in sex borders on satyriasis. The powers of these
novas are quite low-key – in game terms they are all “stealth
novas” (Aberrant core book, p. 155) with many MegaAttributes at low ratings. They have also become very attractive
to women in some way or another. Having been relatively normal
young Japanese guys (very late teens to early 20s in age) before
their eruption, the stud novas decided (with parental urging) to
hide their novahood and attempt to lead reasonably normal lives.
The Nakato Gumi has secretly helped them with the prior, but
made the latter impossible. All three of these novas have been
unknowingly set up in living situations that had previously only
RULES
ABERRANT
been seen in Japan’s various “harem” anime and manga series.
As far as the stud novas know, they have somehow found stable
jobs as building managers of one sort or another – one runs a
boarding house, another oversees a small apartment complex,
and a third somehow wound up managing a small girls’ dormitory.
All three establishments are owned by the Nakato Gumi through
several shell companies. Leaving little to chance, Dr. Maeda had
the three establishments filled with a pre-screened selection of
young female tenants. Aside from being very attractive and
generally pleasant – if somewhat eccentric – in personality, the
young women chosen by Dr. Maeda were all fleeing unpleasant
family situations and were romantically unattached. Tenants still
attending high school have mysteriously inherited sizeable
savings accounts (actually provided by the Nakato Gumi), while
the older tenants have luckily found jobs at local businesses that
the Nakato Gumi has full or partial ownership of. After settling
into their new lives, the managers and the tenants got
acquainted with each other, and Nature eventually took its
course. Being lonely young women faced with a superhumanly
attractive guy on a 24/7 basis, it wasn’t too long before the
tenants actually fell in love with their respective manager (and
vice versa). All of the tenants have lost any qualms they might
have had about seducing their particular “Mr. Right” (or being
seduced by their tenants, in the case of the stud novas)
whenever possible. The free medical care the residents are all
provided with by the Nakato Gumi – which includes the services
of skilled gynecologists who handle the sperm harvesting from
the female tenants – allows the managers and their tenants to
carry on in their accustomed lifestyle without any inconvenient
fears of pregnancy. It is important to note that neither these
young men nor the young women they live with have any clue
that their surreal lifestyle is all a setup for them to be exploited
by the Nakato Gumi. If the truth were revealed to them, their
reactions would be nearly impossible to predict. Dr. Maeda also
keeps a close watch over the tenants’ medical reports – he has
theorized that regular intimate contact with a nova might be
sufficient to trigger eruption as a nova, and is eager to gather
any evidence that would confirm his theory.
Kuro-Tek’s covert research into nova genetics has also
resulted in a technique that allows the M-R gene sequence to be
genetically engineered into a human blastula either before
conception or during the first month of pregnancy. This project
has only been somewhat successful as far as Professor Sayo
Ikeda, Kuro-Tek’s premier hyperintelligent nova gengineer is
concerned – the genetic implant is completely safe and stable,
but very few of the resulting children seem likely to ever erupt
as novas later on in life. Professor Ikeda also seems to be the
only gengineer – nova or otherwise – on the planet capable of
performing the required genetic manipulations reliably and
without any errors. In game terms, the M-R gene sequence
implantation technique is essentially a gadget useable only by
novas (Aberrant Players Guide, pp. 143-148), which also
requires extensive training in human genetics and genetic
engineering to use. Despite all this, the implantation procedure is
considered preferable to using the Nakato Gumi nova sperm
bank by those upper-class couples who deem matters of good
breeding and legitimate birth to be vitally important. While using
a sample from the nova sperm bank drastically increases the
resulting child’s chances of eruption as a nova, it also means
bearing a provable bastard who could disgrace their family and
reveal the ostensible father as a cuckold. The considereably
greater production costs involved make the M-R gene sequence
implantation not quite as profitable for the Nakato Gumi as their
nova sperm bank operation, but it still rakes in plenty of money
for their bank accounts. It can safely be assumed that Professor
Ikeda will be performing this procedure for the Nakato Gumi’s
paying clients for decades to come.
Purchasing the services of the Nakato Gumi’s nova sperm
bank requires a minimum of Resources yyyy and Contacts
yyy, with the latter representing a major contact in both the
Nakato Gumi and the Japanese government. Those who wish to
have the M-R gene sequence gengineered into their unborn
offspring instead need Resources yyyyyy and Contacts yyy.
Clients from Japan’s upper social strata (generally powerful
politicians, successful business families and Japan’s “blue
blooded” gentry and nobility) may substitute dots of Influence
(based in Japan) to lower the actual price to Resources yy and
yyy, respectively. For purposes of determining the status of
any offspring of the Nakato Gumi nova sperm bank, the stud
novas are all first generation novas with no permanent Taint.
Most of the children that have been gengineered with the M-R
gene sequence won’t erupt as novas – in game terms, they are
considered to be High-Quantum baselines. Only about 10 to 3%
(Storyteller’s discretion as to the exact percentage) of such
children are born as latent novas. If the mother of such a
gengineered child happens to be a High-Quantum baseline
herself, there’s a chance that the child will be born as a 2ndGen
nova, as per the “Nova father & High-Quantum Baseline
mother” listing in the Interbreeding tables.
Fools’ Gold
The demand for viable nova sperm hasn’t gone unnoticed
by the rest of the underworld. The Camparelli-Zhukov
Megasyndicate also discreetly offers the services of their own
nova sperm bank to certain customers. These are generally
marks who are rich enough to be worthwhile targets, foolish
enough to be conned and not powerful enough to mount serious
reprisals against the Megasyndicate. The main difference
between the Megasyndicate’s operation and that of the Nakato
Gumi is that most of the Megasyndicate’s “product” is actually
taken from baseline sperm donors. When the children resulting
from the couterfeit nova sperm fail to erupt, the Megasyndicate
plans to place the blame for that on the mothers’ baseline
genetics. It’s possible to buy the real thing from the
Megasyndicate – for a much steeper price, naturally – but that
option has its own problems. The few fertile male novas in the
service of the Megasyndicate all have medium to high levels of
permanent Taint (five dots or higher), which can lead to all sorts
of pregnancy complications for the unfortunate mothers who
purchase the Megasyndicate’s “premium” sperm bank services.
Purchasing the basic services (and counterfeit nova sperm) of
the Megasyndicate’s nova sperm bank requires a minimum of
Resources yyy and Contacts y, with the latter representing one
or more minor contacts within the C-Z Megasyndicate.
Purchasing the premium services requires Resources yyyyy
and Contacts yyy, with the latter representing two major
contacts within the C-Z Megasyndicate.
35
ABERRANT
Anna’s Stud Service
Ever since DeVries Agency President Anna DeVries
decided to find a way for her to become pregnant, medical
researchers within the amoral elite agency have taken a keen
interest in matters of nova sexuality and fertility. It soon became
apparent that while fertile male novas were more commonly
found among the ranks of elites than in the general nova
population, their often extremely hazardous lifestyles also made
it highly unlikely that they would survive to sire any offspring.
When combined with the hedonistic attitudes that many elites
develop – “eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow we die” –
most people would see it as proof positive of the essential
emptiness of the elite lifestyle and its vaunted glory. Anna
DeVries never was “most people”, and quickly spotted the
highly profitable business opportunity that the situation offered.
Instead of suggesting to the fertile male heterosexual novas
among her elites that she wanted them to moonlight as gigolos,
she has set up a very discreet “compensated dating”
arrangement for them. Anna takes applications for
“compensated dates” from interested women, many of whom
are DeVries employees – fertile female novas employed by
DeVries receive a special discount. The chosen elites then get to
pick and choose which women they will “entertain” from their
pool of applicants. The ladies receive several nights of passion,
the elites receive some sexual relief and the lion’s share of the
money (minus a matchmaker’s fee for DeVries), and the
transaction is finished as far as the world at large is concerned.
As could only be expected, Anna’s ambitions go far beyond
arranging hot dates for some of her elites. What everyone not
involved in the transaction doesn’t know is that the women the
DeVries elites are being paid to entertain in compensated dates
aren’t just after some romance and sexual satisfaction – they
are also attempting to become pregnant. The elites who work
for Anna’s compensated dating service have not only been
informed of their state of reproductive health, but are
unanimously willing to sire children in this manner. These men
have long realized their own mortality, and yet cannot abandon
the life of the combat elite. They see Anna’s compensated
dating operation as a way to leave behind some sort of legacy
after their deaths other than battlefield tales, empty mansions
and fat Swiss bank accounts. The parental rights of the DeVries
stud novas aren’t usually an issue, as the elites will only rarely
enforce them. On the other hand, most of the elites also take a
very dim view of “their” children being manhandled, regardless
of whether or not they have been involved in the child’s
parenting. In the case of women from outside the DeVries
Agency who apply for her compensated dating service, Anna is
generally content to charge a very stiff fee for the services of
her elites. She does make regular exception for women Anna
deems “people of interest”; who tend to be blood relatives of
novas, women that are otherwise highly likely to bear nova
children, friends of either Anna herself or the DeVries family,
female novas who have been proven fertile by DeVries’ resident
paraphysicians, and women to whom Anna feels indebted in
some way. Anna charges these ladies a much smaller fee, and
may even waive the fee entirely in certain cases. (In this
situation, the elite’s fee comes from the general company
payroll.) Female DeVries employees who apply for a
36
compensated date are also charged a much smaller fee, and
those in sufficiently good standing with the DeVries Agency may
also have their fees waived entirely. If Rachel Alinsky ever hears
her biological clock ticking and decides to apply for a
compensated date, not only would Anna eagerly grant her as
many compensated dates as she wanted, none of the stud novas
would even dream of refusing Rachel’s application. Anna has
also set up a discreet nova sperm bank, for those women who
either feel uncomfortable with applying for a compensated date
or have had their applications rejected by one or more of the
stud novas. This isn’t generosity on Anna’s part, but is a vital
part of her long-term schemes. Like the Teragen with whom she
sympathizes, Anna DeVries wishes to increase the population of
novas, but she also wants to take advantage of the new novas
that her scheming produces. Anna has used her influence over
DeVries’ recruiters to ensure that attractive, healthy young
women who want to bear nova children are more common
among the employees than they would be if standard hiring
practices were followed. If a female DeVries employee becomes
pregnant as a result of a compensated date, she is encouraged in
person by none other than Anna DeVries herself to relocate to
the DeVries Compound at Pretoria, South Africa. To date, none
of the employees have refused Anna’s offer. Once they have
transferred to the DeVries Compound, the new mothers willingly
sign up any resulting children into a special child care and
educational program sponsored by DeVries at no charge. By
indoctrinating the children to see DeVries as their trusted friend
from an early age, Anna hopes to ensure that a healthy portion
of the next generation of novas will be loyal DeVries employees.
Assuming that a woman meets with the approval of the
elite she has applied for, purchasing a compensated date for
three days with a DeVries stud nova requires both Resources
yyyyy and Contacts yy, with the latter representing a major
contact within the DeVries Agency. Purchasing a compensated
date for seven days requires Resources yyyyyy. If the woman
in question is either a “person of interest” or a DeVries
employee, purchasing a compensated date only requires
Resources yyy (three days) or yyyy (seven days) and either
Contacts yy (DeVries) or Backing yy (DeVries). Female novas
that are fertile only need Resources yy (three days) or yyy
(seven days) and Contacts yy (DeVries) or Backing yy
(DeVries) to purchase a compensated date. Applicants with
Backing yyy (DeVries) or higher or a good Reputation with
DeVries may have their fees waived entirely at the Storyteller’s
discretion. Acquiring a sample of viable nova sperm from the
DeVries nova sperm bank requires Resources yyy and either
Contacts yy (DeVries) or Backing yy (DeVries), with the cost
lowered to Resources yy for fertile female novas. The only
catch to using the DeVries sperm bank is that fertilization is
always performed in the main medical clinic in the DeVries
Compound at Pretoria, South Africa – they never ship their
samples. Any resulting children from a DeVries employee’s
compensated date or use of the DeVries nova sperm bank are
then typically signed up by their mothers for Anna DeVries’ free
child care program, which later on includes education and
indoctrination. For purposes of determining the status of the
children resulting from a compensated date or use of the
RULES
ABERRANT
DeVries nova sperm bank, DeVries’ stud novas are all novas
with little or no permanent Taint (zero to four dots).
The Hagar Procedure
Like most novas, Anna DeVries was unknowingly dosed
with the Utopian sterility cocktail and rendered unable to
conceive. Unlike most other novas, Anna DeVries also had the
resources to do something about this problem. Anna started
DeVries’ research program on the nova infertility problem
immediately after finding out she was sterile. The researchers’
first big break was the discovery of the small handful of fertile
novas among DeVries’ nova employees. While this quickly
resulted in the establishment of a profitable side venture for
DeVries (see Anna’s Stud Service, above); finding a way to use
fertile novas to solve Anna’s problem took several more years of
research, many millions of dollars and a breakthrough on the
part of one nova gengineer by the name of Harold Manders,
M.D. With Dr. Manders’ skills at their disposal, DeVries now has
a procedure to sidestep nova infertility that works fairly well –
sometimes. The procedure begins with an egg cell donated by
one of DeVries’ few fertile female novas, from which all of the
nuclear genetic material has been removed. Several stem cells
are then taken from the sterile female nova who is attempting to
conceive. The 23 chromosomes that would ordinarily be split off
into an egg cell are taken from the stem cells, with the
chromosome carrying the maternal M-R gene sequence singled
out for special attention. The mother’s M-R gene sequence is
removed from that chromosome, and replaced with the M-R
gene sequence from the donor’s egg. The maternal
chromosomes are then transplanted into the donor’s egg, which
is then fertilized by donated sperm in a standard in vitro
procedure. Special medical nanotechnology developed by Rachel
Alinsky is then implanted along with the fertilized egg into the
mother’s womb. If all goes well, the medical nanites will prevent
the fertilized egg from being rejected by the mother’s immune
system.
Unfortunately, there are several drawbacks to the Hagar
Procedure. First off, Rachel Alinsky’s special medical
nanotechnology is in game terms a gadget useable only by novas
with medical expertise. Second is the fact that the genetic
manipulations and nanotech operations involved in the Hagar
Procedure are both unwieldy enough that the nova gengineer
must have Luck yyyyy and Attunement yyyyy, in order to
literally shift the odds for successful conception and pregnancy
in the favor of the would-be mother. Third is the failure rate of
80%; for every successful pregnancy resulting from the Hagar
Procedure, there are four cases of stillbirth or natural abortion.
Fourth, Anna DeVries has kept a very tight rein over who gets
to use her new medical miracle. Using the Hagar Procedure
requires Backing yyyyy with DeVries. There is no Resource
rating required, as Anna expects the resulting children to
literally be raised as part of the DeVries “corporate
community”. Finally, it can’t do a thing to help infertile male
novas father their own children. As of 2015, eight ostensibly
sterile nova women have managed to conceive and successfully
bear children by means of the Hagar Procedure, including Anna
DeVries herself. The status of children created with the Hagar
Procedure depends on the status of the biological father; who
will usually be a baseline, High-Quantum baseline or a fertile
male nova. Refer to the appropriate listings in the Interbreeding
tables for details.
The Cuckoo Gambit
With their plans for eventual nova domination of baseline
civilization, it was only a matter of time before the Teragen
hatched their own plots dealing with reproductive technologies.
Certain medically knowledgeable Terats within the Casablanca
faction have been gathering viable sperm samples from the few
fertile male novas scattered throughout the ranks of the
Teragen since 2003. These Terats have also infiltrated many
normal sperm banks in the First World nations and secretly
replaced selected baseline sperm samples with those from the
Terat stud novas. The only criteria that has to be met is a rough
match between the racial characteristics of the original donor
and his nova replacement. As far as the Teragen is concerned,
the ranks of novas must be replenished by any means necessary.
If doing so means causing potential emotional harm to the
couples they deceive, then so be it. The natural process of
evolution is cruel, so why should they be any different? It is also
important to note that Divis Mal and Jeremiah Scripture not only
have full knowledge of this scheme, but have given the
Casablancas the blessing of Mal for this project. The Terat
donor novas can have any level of permanent Taint desired by
the Storyteller, with the effects on the resulting pregnancies and
offspring being as stated in the Interbreeding tables.
Exposure
As of 2015, only the C-Z Megasyndicate has been unlucky
enough to attract any official attention to their sperm bank
scam. As far as Utopia, Proteus and the Directive knows, all that
the Megasyndicate has done is fraudulently sell viable baseline
sperm as that of nova donors, which is fairly trivial when
compared to their other crimes. This state of blissful ignorance
cannot last. Revelation of the operations of the Nakato Gumi, CZ Megasyndicate, DeVries Agency and Teragen involving
reproductive technologies would immediately draw intense
hostile interest from many factions. Utopia and Proteus would
take a dim view of any operations intended to increase the nova
population, and would seek to shut them down with extreme
prejudice. The Directive would seek to immediately shut down
the operations of the C-Z Megasyndicate and the Teragen, but
would assuredly leave the Nakato Gumi and DeVries to their own
devices. The Teragen would seek to subvert the operations of
the Nakato Gumi and C-Z Megasyndicate (along with any stud
novas involved) for their own purposes. The Aberrants would
want to rescue unwilling stud novas in the Nakato Gumi’s
operation, and prevent the C-Z Megasyndicate stud novas from
being used as such due to their (and presumably their offspring)
being highly prone to taint. Interference with the DeVries or
Teragen operations is unlikely, though possible victimization of
the resulting offspring would be an issue for the Aberrants. Most
elite agencies would be ambivalent or disgusted by the
operations, but would refrain from interfering with them unless
hired to do so. As far as the baseline factions are concerned,
their reactions would range from alarm and concern (at best) to
subversion attempts or witch-hunts (at worst). Many national
governments and corporations would leap at the chance to
breed and raise their own force of novas, while the Church of
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ABERRANT
Michael Archangel would see the donors, parents and children
involved in these operations as yet more targets to eliminate.
The Motherhunters
Utopia, Proteus, and other groups have agents that track
down any proven “breeder” novas that those organizations
uncover or otherwise become aware of. Utopians might seek to
take their quarry and their offspring into custody (where
Proteus can execute and/or experiment on them with impunity),
while Proteus agents may likely kill them as soon as is feasible.
Agents of other groups may or may not have other plans for
“breeder” novas and their children, depending on the goals of
their organization. Who are these people, and how do they
operate? And how can a budding nova family avoid their notice,
or failing that, avoid being captured and/or killed?
Sinister Actions
The experiences of taking a spouse and having children are
arguably two of the major cornerstones of human society, and
are assumed to be common goals for most people. So what could
make a nova capable of doing harm to a couple or family of
breeder novas? Sadly, there are many things that can cause a
nova to become one of the true “motherhunters”, with
sociopathy and sadism being only two of the more obvious
reasons. Simple greed can also be enough, as most organizations
that sponsor motherhunters can afford to pay them very
handsomely for performing this particular brand of dirty work. A
desire for revenge on a particular nova can all too easily expand
in focus to cover novas in general. Misguided religious zeal has
led devout baselines to commit atrocities for centuries, and
devout novas are no less vulnerable to it. It’s not unheard of for
some sterile novas to become so envious of their fertile
brethren that they can’t bear the thought of breeder novas
having children and starting families. Even simple mistaken
beliefs about the nature of novas and/or their 2ndGen offspring
can be enough, given sufficiently unpleasant prior experience
with a nova. The one thing that motherhunters all have in
common is a willingness to dehumanize their prey, to see them
as objects to either be used or disposed of instead of thinking,
feeling humans. Of course, dehumanizing other novas is much
easier when the novas in question are either heavily tainted or
prove themselves monstrous by their deeds. In these latter
situations, an erstwhile motherhunter will have more in common
with the monster hunters of past centuries, and is more liable to
come away from such hunts with a clean conscience.
Opposite Reactions
Just as the motherhunters seek to harm or exploit breeder
novas and their families, there are those nova operatives who
also track those novas down in order to aid and protect them.
The motives of these “delivery boys and girls” are almost as
varied as those of the motherhunters. Moral integrity and
idealism have often inspired ordinary people to stand against
wrongdoing, as have religious conviction, ideology and
possession of a strong sense of justice. A need for vengeance
against motherhunters – or the organizations that employ them
– can easily lead a nova into this kind of protection work.
Revulsion and outrage over the despicable goals and tactics of
38
the motherhunters is another good way to enter into conflict
with them. Enlightened self-interest is not unlikely, as any
breeder nova who becomes known as such will be targeted by
the motherhunters sooner or later, so why not take the fight to
them beforehand? Recruiting freshly-rescued breeder novas to
join the operatives’ faction has been known to happen, as timing
can be everything in a sales pitch. And as money can buy nearly
anything in 2015, greed can pull an operative into the thick of
this conflict, provided that the client he’s working for can afford
his services. The common thread here is that the delivery boys
and girls agree that breeder novas and their offspring are worth
protecting. This can lead to problems when said breeder novas
are either tainted monstrosities or remorseless criminals. If
delivery boys and girls aren’t careful in choosing which novas to
protect, they could wind up bearing partial responsibility for any
unwarranted deaths and destruction their erstwhile charges may
cause in the future.
x Utopia: Motherhunters. At the
very least, Utopians will seek to
establish & maintain surveillance of
suspected breeder novas. If direct
action is deemed necessary by their
superiors, Utopians will typically seek
to take their quarry and their
offspring into custody (where Proteus
can execute and/or experiment on
them with impunity, if Thetis so
desires). This isn’t the case where
highly-tainted breeder novas are
concerned, as Utopians will use deadly
force against obvious threats.
x Proteus: Motherhunters. Proteus agents’ aims will vary
with their mission parameters. They
will depend on Utopian surveillance for
the most part, with Proteus’ spies
performing surveillance in those areas
beyond Utopia’s reach. When actively
motherhunting, Proteus agents will
typically attempt to capture their
quarry for live experimentation. If any
discovered offspring are young
enough, Thetis might have them sent
to Dr. Toiho at the Bahrain clinic for
comparison to his artificially-produced
nova children. Otherwise, they will kill
breeder novas and their offspring as
soon as is feasible.
x Teragen: Delivery Boys. By their way of thinking, every
nova they rescue from baseline oppression is a
future Terat – the only variable is how long it
will take said nova to see the light (read:
accept the Terat viewpoint as the truth). Only
those breeder novas known to have harmed
other novas will be denied Terat aid. Of
course, the price of Terat aid is often to
become Terats themselves (or at least allies of
the Teragen).
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ABERRANT
x The Directive: Motherhunters. The only thing preventing
these operatives from being as
vicious as Proteus agents is their
tendency to obey civil laws, even if
only in the breach. In the eyes of
too many Directive agents, novas
are
threats
to
baseline
governments and society just by
virtue of their existence, and are
therefore just as guilty as any
international criminal or petty Third World dictator. They won’t
seek to kill breeder novas and their offspring if unprovoked, but
a lifetime of imprisonment and interrogation isn’t that much
better than death.
x Aberrants: Delivery Boys. Aberrant operatives will seek
to protect breeder novas who aren’t
obvious threats to humanity, who
will either have high levels of taint
or are harmful criminals. Recruitment of breeder novas rescued by
Aberrant operatives isn’t unknown
– the Aberrants tend to be fugitives
as well, so it isn’t that much of a
lifestyle change for a breeder nova.
x DeVries: Variable. Anna DeVries has instituted a quiet
program of offering sanctuary to “employable” breeder novas
and their offspring in return for hiring on as DeVries employees.
DeVries elites have been known to accept offers to hunt down
breeder novas who are obvious
threats, but Anna has also directed
them to discreetly capture their
offspring. These children are then
adopted by loyal DeVries employees, in hopes that they will become
DeVries employees themselves
when they grow up.
x Other Elite agencies: Variable. Agencies such as Argus,
Peacekeepers and NovaCom will likely seek to protect breeder
novas that aren’t violent criminals or tainted monstrosities. The
Janissaries and other agencies who focus more on combat for
profit without regard to morality will tend to act as
motherhunters more often than not.
x National governments: Variable. Depending on the
attitudes towards novas held by a given regime, breeder novas
could find themselves deported, marked for execution, or
recruited for (often lucrative) government service. National
nova groups such as Nordlysene, Nippontai or Australis will act
as directed by their government superiors. Any motherhunter or
delivery boy operatives lacking an organized nova group will
come from the security agencies of the given country.
x Other groups: Variable. Groups that specialize in a
certain activity, such as the Gestalt does in the use of psychic
abilities or Greenwar in ecoterrorism, won’t have much to do
with either motherhunters or delivery boys. Isolationist groups
such as the Protectors could offer sanctuary to “suitable”
breeder novas and their offspring. The Queer Nova Alliance
would be most likely to act as delivery boys where matters of
conflicting loyalties don’t apply, although their lax security
makes their effectiveness questionable. And of course, the
Church of Michael Archangel will be fanatic (if mostly
ineffective) motherhunters.
One such group that deserves special attention where this
conflict is concerned is the Daedelus League. Most of the other
factions believe that this loose association of nova space travel
enthusiasts is of little importance and even less relevance to the
conflict between motherhunters
and delivery boys. They couldn’t be
more mistaken. The Daedelus
League’s sympathies makes them
delivery boys in most cases, much
like the Aberrants, although their
facilities for relocating breeder
novas aren’t for everyone. As all
they currently have are a few
covert asteroid bases, the Daedelus
League lacks any offworld refuges for novas who cannot handle
life in a space habitat and don’t have Adaptability. (The
hyperactive metabolism of novas fortunately makes them
immune to low-gravity aggravated osteoporosis, so artificial
gravity isn’t a necessity for the residents of the League’s
asteroid bases.) This will change in upcoming years, however.
After his talks with Thomas Sering and the Protectors on
establishing an offworld colony (Aberrant Players Guide, p.
178), Cyrus Katrak has slowly become convinced of three things.
First is the fact that those novas who wish to lead a relatively
normal life – a surprisingly large minority – instead of becoming
celebrities and commodities have almost no chance of doing so
on Earth, thanks to the influence of the various factions of the
Nova Age. Second is the growing certainty that the existing
social order between novas and baselines as of 2015 cannot be
sustained over the long term without risking catastrophic
damage to either Terran civilization (at best) or Earth’s
biosphere (at worst). Third is the knowledge that advances in
Terran space exploration will certainly lead to most of the Solar
System being claimed by various Earth governments, making
asteroid and interplanetary colonies stopgap measures at best
for novas wishing to live free of their entanglements.
For these reasons, Katrak and certain other Daedelus
League members have started a long-term covert operation of
space exploration beyond the Solar System, with the goal of
finding new worlds for humans – both nova and baseline – to
inhabit. Although the Daedelus League has always paid lip
service to the idea of eventually finding extrasolar planets
capable of supporting human life, Katrak’s recent conclusions
have given them motivations for that search beyond scientific
curiosity and the urge to explore. They have also managed to
keep this operation a secret (so far) from the scientific
community and the various other factions of the Nova Age.
After fending off repeated recruiting attempts from Project
Utopia, Katrak has no intention of allowing the Daedelus League
to be subverted by any of the other factions, especially since
that would put the survival of both the known human subspecies
at risk. Currently, the Daedelus League has drawn up plans for
expeditions to certain star systems and has quietly recruited
warper novas capable of reaching those star systems as quickly
as possible. Their hope is that they will find at least one
39
ABERRANT
habitable planet before the situation on Earth between novas
and baselines degenerates and breaks out into global warfare.
Once one or more such planets are found, they can then be
colonized by those novas and baselines who wish to live together
in peace, far away from the madness and devastation that
threatens Earth and all who live there. That way, something
worthwhile of humanity and its civilization will survive, even
should the Earth itself be reduced to a radioactive cinder in the
upcoming conflict.
Dangerous Prey
Finally, we come to the focus of the conflict between the
motherhunters and delivery boys, the breeder novas and their
children. Forswearing the easy fame and glamor that most of
their kind are accustomed to, these novas instead do their best
to live free from the interference of a world that sees them as
commodities, media icons and political pawns instead of the
people that they really are. Ironically, their disengagement from
the typical nova lifestyle has made these recluses even more
important to the world than their more public brethren. Thanks
to their shunning of the media’s limelight, these hidden novas
have managed to avoid Utopia’s nova sterilization program.
Against all odds, the majority of these isolated novas have
managed to pair off into breeding couples and have had children.
The nascent power of these “second generation” novas is what
has made them and their parents into some of the most highly
sought-after novas on the planet. With so many of the factions
of the Nova Age bent on either exploiting or killing them, how
have the breeder novas and their offspring managed to remain
hidden and survive on their own for as long as they have? And
for how much longer can they expect to keep their hard-won
freedom?
The Applegates
For breeder novas attempting to live their lives and raise
their children free from unwanted interference, there are four
main options. The first option is what some have referred to as
“the Applegate route”. An Applegate nova is one who has
abandoned all ties to her pre-eruption life, gone underground
and is currently living under an assumed identity as a baseline.
The main benefit of this approach is the (usually) convenient
access to the goods and services offered by baseline society.
Provided that an Applegate family remains as anonymous as
possible, they can enjoy the comforts that too many baselines in
the First World take for granted. The main problem with
adopting this lifestyle is the constant secrecy that an Applegate
family must maintain at all times in order to keep from blowing
their cover. Applegate novas must have some way to pass for
baseline, possibly for long periods of time. Fortunately, the
Dormancy background is tailor-made for this situation. Provided
that the nova using it hasn’t accumulated too much taint,
“dorming down” will allow a breeder nova to effectively revert
to his or her previous baseline self for as long as necessary and
with little risk of detection. The only problem with this tactic is
that second generation novas cannot use Dormancy at all –
since they were essentially born erupted, the 2ndGen novas
literally have no baseline selves to revert to. If the 2ndGen nova
child in question isn’t a “stealth nova”, temporary solutions such
40
as the Copycat or Mr. Nobody Mega-Appearance enhancements
are the best disguises available to them. The only alternative for
an Applegate nova who cannot pass for baseline is the
unenviable life of a shut-in. Living undercover is hard enough for
adults, but it’s even harder for young children. Once the
expected difficulties of raising one or more nova children while
remaining undercover become apparent, most Applegate
families tend to become fairly transient in order to minimize the
risks of exposure. Jobs where an employee’s family must move
on a regular basis are coveted by Applegate novas, as the
constant relocation provides a ready explanation for their
reluctance to form social bonds with their current neighbors.
Jobs where the employee can work from home using the OpNet
are also valued, as it allows an Applegate nova parent to keep an
eye on his or her kids during work hours. Due to their largely
unofficial nature, employment in many of the criminal
occupations also works well in the Applegate lifestyle. While
Applegate novas and their kids prefer not to make casual friends
and acquaintances for security reasons, they do sometimes
manage to make real friends on rare occasion. Applegate nova
children tend to be fairly isolated from the communities they live
in, with much of their education either given them by their
parents through home schooling or acquired online through
OpNet-based educational institutions. Provided that an
Applegate nova couple has enough discipline to only use their
nova capabilities when necessary, and that they can teach their
children to do the same, they can go on for several years
without being discovered by their enemies... if they’re lucky.
Country Cousins
The second option available to breeder novas is to establish
some sort of homestead in a region on Earth that is at least
somewhat removed from baseline civilization. Breeder novas
taking this “backwoods” route tend to be either those who
cannot pose as baselines in civilized society due to personal
circumstances or those who just don’t want to do so for some
reason. The main benefit of this route is that they won’t have to
keep as quite a low profile as the Applegate breeder novas.
They still have to be wary of remote surveillance and the like,
but both the breeder novas and their 2ndGen children can use
their powers somewhat more openly and put in more of their
spare time into practicing their use. They might have to pose as
baselines when visitors come calling or when they go to town,
but they can be themselves at other times. The drawback to all
this is the physical and social isolation that’s required. Novas
attempting to live apart from baseline civilization are put in
much the same position as the American pioneers of the 19th
Century, as they will typically be living with little or no readily
available support from society. Basic competence in a wide
array of skills such as construction, medicine, cooking and
agriculture – just to name a few examples – will be required for
a backwoods nova family to survive. Fortunately, a nova can
literally have several lifetimes’ worth of skills, making this way
of life much more feasible for a backwoods nova family. If all or
even just a few members of a backwoods nova family has
superhuman survival advantages such as the Adaptability
enhancement, the cards used in the game of survival are stacked
even more in their favor. Unfortunately, the members of a
backwoods nova family will need all of those advantages sooner
RULES
ABERRANT
or later. Unlike the Applegate breeder novas, backwoods
breeder novas have no one but themselves to rely on in an
emergency. They may live at a distance from the towns and
cities, but can visit them when necessary to obtain needed
goods, services and social contact. The basic tenets of civilized
life are respected – sometimes – and occasionally with more
sincerity than is normally found in mainstream baseline society.
Personal honor and integrity (or the appearance of such) are
also valued, as they are marks of someone who can be relied
upon in a pinch and will reciprocate aid given to him. Education
for the children in such families tends to be of the homeschooling variety, but a wealth of practical knowledge and skills
are also part of the curriculum. Backwoods breeder novas
following this lifestyle tend to have little or no Taint, as they rely
on being able to cooperate with each other and interact
successfully with their family members (and with their
neighbors, on occasion) in order to survive. Backwoods breeder
novas who refrain from drawing attention to themselves can
expect to live unmolested for years before eventually being
discovered.
Settlers of the Solar System
The third option is to become a space colonist. Only two of
the factions of the Nova Age have managed to establish
operational offworld colonies by 2015, although they are not
currently open to habitation by baselines. The Daedelus League
has established secret habitats hollowed out from the cores of a
few of the larger stony asteroids (the smallest is 12 km in
diameter) found within the main Asteroid Belt. The habitats
were designed by the League’s resident Mega-Intelligent nova
space scientists, and are surprisingly livable for a microgravity
environment. The Protectors have established a subsurface
Mars colony with the aid of the Daedelus League, which is buried
somewhere beneath the bottom of Hellas Planitia. While only a
few Protector novas are living there in 2015, the Protectors
eventually plan to relocate their entire organization en masse to
their Mars colony, abandoning both their Antarctic base and
Earth by 2020. The only thing holding them back is their current
lack of a reliable artificial gravity system. With such a system in
place, the Protectors’ baseline members will be able to live and
work right alongside their nova brethren, just as Thomas Sering
had always intended. Three of the Protectors’ best
hyperintelligent nova scientists have been working on
developing such a system for several months, and a
breakthrough is expected soon. The other space colonies tend to
be the residences of either powerful individual novas or small
nova groups. The Teragen have made tentative plans to
establish a new enclave somewhere on Luna (see Aberrant
Worldwide: Phase I, p. 84), but with events such as the “Night
of Long Knives” in their immediate future, it remains to be seen
whether those plans will ever make it off the drawing board.
Aside from their extreme isolation, the main benefit of this
lifestyle is becoming part of a tightly-knit small community
where the colonists don’t have to hide their nova powers and
can engage in honest social relationships with other colonists
than their immediate family group. Despite minor differences
such as location and exterior environment, all space colonies
present similar challenges for the colonists who live there. The
basic situation is even more difficult than that of historical
pioneers, as the surrounding environment is far more hostile
than the American Old West ever was, making the colony
extremely dependent on highly complex technology for their
survival. If the colonists fail to get along and work well together,
the social environment of a space colony will resemble a
potential forest fire, as even the smallest faux pas or
indiscretion can threaten the survival of the colony as a whole.
Without ready access to Earth’s markets, all food, medicines and
other consumer goods must be either produced at the colony,
imported in large quantities or simply done without. Even simple
luxuries such as chocolate or coffee are few and far between.
The maintenance of a colony’s technological devices will be of
prime importance, as a breakdown in either of the life support
systems or the power plant, for example, is the stuff of
nightmares for space colonists. Living inside a sealed habitat can
also lead to outbreaks of cabin fever, which may or may not be
alleviated by going outside the colony in a spacesuit or small
spacecraft. Nova space colonists are extremely likely to either
have or develop Adaptability, as the ability go simply go outside
the colony without risking immediate death makes for a welcome
psychological release valve. Education for the children of a
Daedelus League or Protectors space colony is excellent, as both
groups have members who are well capable of and willing to
provide quality instruction up to the university level. In other
space colonies education will be of the home-schooling variety,
although instruction related to techonology and living in space it
will likely be of high quality thanks to their extreme importance
to space colonists. Breeder novas living in a space colony will
always have little or no Taint, as the survival of everyone in
their community often depends on their being able to cooperate
and get along with each other, even in the most difficult of
circumstances. If they don’t draw attention to themselves, space
colonists can expect to go for decades without fear of attack.
The New Barbarians
The fourth option is a reversion to a savage lifestyle, which
is all too often the only feasible choice for breeder novas that
have developed excessive amounts of taint, with all the insanity
and social difficulties that entails. Savage breeder novas tend to
rely on their Mega-Attributes and quantum powers for their
survival, although only some of them have completely abandoned
the use of technology. Provided that the members of a savage
tribe all have the Adaptability enhancement, just about any
isolated and rarely-visited locale on Earth (and many places
offplanet) can make suitable refuges for these monsters. Denied
the benefits of being part of a civilized, humane society, these
breeder novas have adopted a degraded tribal sort of existence
that many 21st Century baseline tribal cultures would find
apalling. In this way of life might literally does make right,
outsiders are either allies of convenience or victims to be
exploited, and baselines are seen as ready-made peons to
dominate however one wishes. Social norms can vary wildly
from those of modern baseline society, and transgressions
against said norms may either be punished severely or merely
winked at and ignored. In this social environment, it can only be
expected for dysfunctional personalities and relationships to
become the rule instead of the exception. Cruelty and a basic
lack of empathy for others – including their fellow tribe
members – are all but universal in savage breeder novas, as
41
ABERRANT
these qualities allow them to take advantage of whatever
opportunities fall their way without wasting time on debates
over morality. Education for the children in a savage tribe is
widely varied at best, and often tends to be short on cultural and
technological knowledge. Backwoods breeder novas who take up
this lifestyle are always those who have accumulated large
amounts of taint, as their various mental disorders and
difficulties in social interactions with baselines can make it nearimpossible to operate in civilized society. With their mental and
social problems derived from their taint and a casual contempt
for outsiders, a tribe of savage breeder novas is fortunate if
they have the sense to avoid drawing hostile attention to
themselves. If so, they can probably manage to engage in their
brutal activities for years. If not, they can expect to be attacked
in short order.
Exposure
No matter which lifestyle they adopt, all breeder novas and
their offspring must make plans for when they will eventually
come under attack from the motherhunters. Unless breeder
novas have access to telepathic means of altering the memories
of inconvenient people, their reactions can be boiled down to a
simple choice: fight or flight. Applegate breeder novas will seek
to flee at the first sign that they have been compromised,
although they will fight in the defense of themselves and their
children. If the threat posed by the motherhunters is dire
enough, Applegates will have no compunctions about using lethal
force against their antagonists if they can do so discreetly or in
a manner that can’t be connected to them. After escaping from a
motherhunter attack, Applegate novas will abandon their
current identities and lives and establish new ones elsewhere.
For this reason, it’s common for Applegates to keep most of
their wealth and personal records in forms that are either easily
transported or disposed of, as the situation warrants. They also
try to limit the amount of possessions they have, for much the
same reason. Aid from delivery boys will be
gladly accepted, provided that they have won
the trust of the Applegate family in question.
Backwoods breeder novas will flee from a
mother-hunter attack only if they have no other
choice – their roots often go a good bit deeper
than those of Applegate novas, making
relocation much more difficult for them. With
their isolation from baseline society, backwoods
novas have a much better chance of fighting
back against motherhunters without blowing
their cover. Lethal force is also more likely to be
used against motherhunters, especially if it can
be made to look like the fault of someone or
something other than themselves. If their cover
has been irreparably blown, backwoods novas
will seek to relocate to some region where they
are less likely to face further motherhunter
attacks. If necessary, they will shed their
current identities and assume new ones,
although they typically won’t be as proficient at
deception as Applegates. Also like Applegates,
aid from delivery boys will be welcome,
provided that the backwoods novas consider
them trustworthy. Space colonist breeder novas
will always fight against motherhunters –
42
relocating a space colony is a massive undertaking, and will only
be considered in the most dire circumstances. Lethal force will
almost always be used against motherhunters, as a motherhunter
attack against a space colony requires serious material and
financial support. Aside from their own nova powers, space
colonists will not hesitate to use any technological weapons that
could feasibly kill the attackers. Depending on the level of
resources and scientific expertise among their members, space
colonists could plausibly deploy large-scale monofilament
weapons, kinetic railguns, DeVries Nanokill (see Aberrant:
Brainwaves), nuclear warheads and bomb-pumped x-ray or
gamma lasers. If the space colonists are fortunate, the fate of
any motherhunters they kill will become just another unsolved
mystery of the Nova Age. As most space colonies will have been
established under the provenance of benevolent factions such as
the Daedelus League and the Protectors, the aid of delivery boys
from the colony’s parent organization or their allies will always
be welcomed by space colonists. Savage breeder novas will most
often fight any motherhunters who attack them, although some
of them will certainly have enough sense to flee in the face of
overwhelming opposition. Lethal force will be used on any and
all motherhunters, unless a savage nova thinks that one of the
attackers might be more desirable as a captive instead of a
corpse. In this case, a captive might prefer death to becoming a
slave, torture subject or concubine. Discretion in their fighting
usually won’t be a concern for savage novas, as almost all of
them really like the idea of being feared by outsider novas and
baselines. Relocation is a haphazard affair at best for tribes of
savage novas, as they will end up losing their accumulated wealth
just as often as they manage to save it. Assuming new identities
is rarely done, as most savage novas are either too twisted by
Taint for that to be feasible or too egotistical to even consider
it. Likewise, any delivery boys who offer aid to a tribe of savage
novas are walking a fine line – the savages might accept the
offer, or they might consider it an insult to be repaid in blood.
RULES
ABERRANT
“And Baby Makes
Three…”
For quite a few breeder nova couples attempting to
become parents, bearing a healthy nova infant is often
considered the ultimate prize. Considering all the hurdles placed
in their path by Project Proteus and other factions, it’s not
surprising that breeder novas often romanticize their goal of
becoming parents, as the fantasy of achieving domestic familial
bliss can sustain them in difficult situations. Unfortunately, that’s
still just a fantasy, and one that’s only loosely connected to
reality at best. Lots of new parents can easily be that naïve, and
new nova parents are no exception. Getting pregnant and giving
birth is only the beginning. For new baseline parents, the
experience of having a child will either make or break their
relationship as a couple and a family. The basic situation isn’t
that much different for new nova parents, as 2ndGen nova
children are usually just as troublesome as their baseline
counterparts – it’s just that the problems (if not the joys) of
raising a 2ndGen nova child can be and often are very different.
Nova Parenting 101
With the birth of their first child, a breeder nova couple
will experience a permanent lifestyle change of a truly radical
degree. The responsibilities of caring for a completely
dependent child will almost entirely divorce the new parents
from the hedonistic and often irresponsible lifestyles practiced
by the majority of other novas in the early Nova Age. Combine
that with either having to go underground or leaving Earth to
evade the motherhunters, and you have an adjustment which can
be truly hard for even novas to make. The pleasures most novas
take for granted will become things of the past for nova parents,
especially if indulging in them would risk exposing their family to
the motherhunters. Socializing with casual friends and
acquaintances will become a danger to be avoided instead of a
way to relieve pyschological stress. The idea of freedom can
also become an near-alien concept for nova parents, as living
undercover or in the wilderness precludes hiring a babysitter or
going to child-friendly restaurants on a regular basis. Nova
parents in the space colonies have it only slightly easier in terms
of their social lives, as the isolation and pressures of living in an
asteroid colony or interplanetary base will make up for the
increased opportunities for safe social contact. Even engaging in
combat is seen from a different perspective, as the risks of
fighting deadly foes are thrown into sharp relief when one has a
spouse and children depending on them.
All of that would be difficult enough if the offspring of a
nova couple was a powerless and easily-handled infant.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on one’s point of
view), most breeder nova couples will bear 2ndGen nova
offspring, who are literally born with their quantum powers.
Nova parents will have to provide all of the expected necessities
(food, clothing, shelter, medical care, etc.), which can be quite a
hassle even with the aid of quantum powers. Nova infants
typically share the enormous appetite of adult novas, even if it’s
scaled down a bit. This makes feeding an infant nova a Herculean
task, not to mention dealing with huge amount of dirty diapers
that will be produced. Clothing for a 2ndGen nova baby had best
be inexpensive and bought in bulk, as only Mega-Intelligent
infants with the Precocity enhancement will have the mental
acuity to attune a eufiber colony to themselves. Having a
paraphysician with training in pediatrics as a loyal ally is the best
possible situation as far as the infant’s medical care is
concerned, especially as modern medical ethics frowns upon a
medical doctor treating her own relatives. Education is also a
concern, especially in the case of Mega-Intelligent 2ndGen
children – if the parents aren’t careful, a 2ndGen child prodigy
could wind up learning things unsuited for young and overly
impressionable minds. As if that wasn’t enough, the various
powers and Mega-Attributes a 2ndGen infant can manifest will
add new and wicked little wrinkles to this situation. The playpen
of a 2ndGen baby with any form of flight will have to come with a
lockable lid. Keeping clothes on a toddler can be hard enough
without the toddler being able to use Bodymorph or Shapeshift
to escape from them. 2ndGen kids with destructive powers such
as Immolate can also go through a lot of outfits in short order. A
telekinetic 2ndGen child can always reach the cookie jar. Pity the
parents of a 2ndGen nova infant that develops the Adaptability
enhancement, for while the kid possibly won’t have to consume
as much food as other infant novas must, she could possibly also
remain awake and crying for attention 24 hours a day. If a
2ndGen child manifests a dangerous power at too early an age (or
one that would draw attention from motherhunters, in the case
of families living on Earth), his or her parents will have to create
a complex inhibiting use of that power in the child’s psyche,
much as is done in the course of toilet training. The complex will
usually be removed by the parents once the child is old enough
to use the power responsibly, even though this tactic tends to
result in overcompensation when the complex is undone. (The
age-based cap on a True 2ndGen child’s Mega-Attribute and
quantum power ratings is a welcome blessing in this situation.)
When a 2ndGen child is older, her parents must also train her in
such things as self-discipline, combat and the use of her nova
capabilities. Depending on where a breeder nova couple decides
to settle down, they will also have to train the child in either
maintaining secrecy or living in a space habitat. Neither situation
is free of problems for a 2ndGen child’s development; growing up
undercover can result in social inexperience, while growing up in
space limits the child’s social exposure to their own tiny
community.
Fortunately, the rewards of parenthood and family usually
balance out the problems and restrictions, even for novas. When
compared to the hollow pleasures of most novas, the sense of
fulfillment that comes from having a family of one’s own stacks
up surprisingly well. The enduring love of spouse and children
will always beat out transitory fame and the fickle adulation of
the global media. When the 2ndGen novas come into their own in
upcoming decades, one can be sure that some of them will have
parents filled with pride over their exploits and achievements.
Closer allies than one’s own spouse and children cannot be asked
for. As adults, a nova couple’s grown-up children can typically
be relied on for both the little things (helping their parents move
into a new home) and the great (taking care of their elderly
43
ABERRANT
parents). The True 2ndGens’ high resistance to Taint will also
prove a comfort to their parents, who will have seen far too
many former friends and colleagues become irreparably twisted
by the taint. Finally, breeder novas with children have a moreor-less concrete legacy that will remain in the world when they
pass away, and they will (hopefully) be remembered by their
descendants with love and respect. This is especially ironic,
considering that knowledge of so many of the heroic novas and
their good deeds has either been forgotten or deliberately
suppressed by Aeon by the Trinity era.
Scions of Teras and Taint
Much of what has been said on the parenting of nova
children has been mainly applicable to the True 2ndGen novas
and their parents. But what of the progeny of the Teragen, or
the spawn of the highly-tainted breeder novas? As could only be
expected for novas who have either rejected their baseline
human heritage or lost it to taint, their “family” situations are
quite different. For the Terat 2ndGens, the main differences
from their True counterparts is an increased vulnerability to
Taint and having no limits on their Mega-Attribute and quantum
power ratings, both of which makes raising Terat 2ndGens...
difficult, at best. There also hasn’t been much in the way of
family bonding for Terat 2ndGens, as the only parents they have
ever known are Bounty, Jeremiah Scripture and Divis Mal. (Plans
have been made to have the 2ndGens adopted by Terat foster
parents at Badanah in coming years, but it remains to be seen if
anything will come of that after the Night of Long Knives.) Given
up to Bounty’s care by their biological parents, these nova
children have literally been raised in the ways of Teras and the
Chrysalis by Scripture, thanks to his powers over
communication. Having been raised free from baseline
expectations and connections, the Teragen’s stated intention is
for these children to become living exemplars of Teras, for
other novas to rally around when the conflict between novas and
baseline humanity breaks out into open warfare. The reality of
the situation is that too many Terats have little if any parental
bonds with their 2ndGen progeny, and see them only as useful
pawns in the continuing conflicts both with baseline humanity
and between the Terats themselves. Aside from Bounty, the
Terat 2ndGens have few if any defenders within the Teragen,
and their survival is by no means assured, especially as they will
likely turn out just as egomaniacal as their elders. For the Trog
2ndGens, their family situations tend to range from “bad” to
“worse” to “abysmal”. These nova offspring are not only born
mentally warped by taint, but also by the experience of being
raised by insane, dysfunctional and quite possibly abusive
parents. Highly-tainted breeder novas also tend to either lead
dangerous lives or tend not to be strong believers in permanent
mating relationships, which results in a higher than average rate
of single mothers among these novas, with all the additional
problems that implies. Add in the fact that these little monsters
don’t have any limits on their base Attribute, Mega-Attribute
and quantum power ratings, and you have the makings of a truly
hellish family life. As most Trog 2ndGens will only receive
cursory care from their parents at best, they quickly learn that
caring for other beings who cannot immediately benefit them in
44
some way is a waste of time and effort. It’s not a question of
Trog 2ndGens being either born as or made into monsters, as
both nature and nurture conspire to make them into
abominations.
L’Enfants Terrible
On rare occasion, a couple comprised of latent novas
and/or High-Quantum baselines will manage to give birth to a
2ndGen nova infant. Even if the baby is a True 2ndGen, the
hapless parents are going to be in for a very difficult time. (Trog
2ndGens will either be abandoned or possibly killed at birth by
their parents, if they can manage it.) Lacking any way to defend
themselves against the infant’s nova capabilities, the baseline
parents of a 2ndGen nova child at best will be living under the
constant threat of injury, mental domination or death due to
inadvertent or deliberate power use. At worst, the parents can
easily find themselves trapped in a nightmarish existence
straight out of a horror movie. In these situations, most such
baseline couples will gladly give up their nova offspring to be
adopted and raised by other novas.
Playing 2ndGen Novas
Despite the best efforts of Director Thetis and Project
Proteus, the second generation novas have been born and are
now available as player characters (at your Storyteller’s
discretion). The progeny of two fertile novas, these children can
attain levels of power that few outside of the Teragen have any
inkling of in 2015. However, the 2ndGens’ potential for extreme
power is counterbalanced by their immaturity and inexperience.
Barring the odd 2ndGen nova with an accelerated growth cycle,
in 2015 even the oldest known 2ndGen novas will only be in their
mid-teens, with the vast majority of 2ndGens being either preadolescent or still in diapers. Not only will the 2ndGens face the
difficulties of nova life, they also get to deal with all the “joys”
of being kids. Add in a whole grocers’ list of people who want to
either recruit, exploit or kill these child-gods, and you have what
could only be called an “interesting” (as in the Chinese curse)
childhood and a certifiable roleplaying challenge. If that sounds
appealing to you, read on...
The Basic Template
2ndGen novas are created much like other Aberrant
characters, except for having several additional benefits and
limitations that are unique to these “natural born novas”.
x 2ndGen novas do not erupt, but are born with their
quantum powers and will grow into them naturally.
x 2ndGen novas start with +20 nova points in addition to
the level of nova points used in the chronicle (Aberrant Players
Guide, pp. 66-68). As the other characters in an Aberrant
chronicle usually won’t be the parents of a 2ndGen character, this
shouldn’t be taken a reliable indicator of the power levels of a
2ndGen character’s parents.
x 2ndGen novas cannot gain Taint from having a high rating
of the Node Background. The individual farahcyte cells that
would form the M-R node in a first generation nova’s brain are
instead evenly distributed throughout the grey matter of a
2ndGen nova’s brain, so there is no possibility of brain damage.
RULES
ABERRANT
x 2ndGen novas have their life expectancy increased by
+50% longer than that of first generation novas, even before
any dots of Mega-Stamina are factored in.
x 2ndGen novas cannot buy Tainted Quantum, MegaAttributes, enhancements or quantum powers with either nova
points or experience points.
x 2ndGen novas cannot take the Dormancy Background, as
they literally have no “baseline selves”.
x 2ndGen novas cannot have an active Quantum rating
higher than 5 until they undergo Apotheosis and come into their
full power. However, a 2ndGen nova character can purchase
more than 5 dots of Quantum, with the additional dots
representing “untapped potential” that the character cannot use
until Apotheosis takes place.
x 2ndGen novas must take one of the Clade packages (True,
Terat or Trog).
x Unless your Aberrant chronicle takes place after 2015,
all 2ndGen novas must take some level of the Adolescent/Child
Flaw. 2ndGen characters who have already reached maturity via
the Accelerated Maturation enhancement might also be allowed,
but only at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Apotheosis
Despite having been born with the ability to manipulate
quantum, 2ndGen nova children won’t start to develop their true
potential until sometime during puberty. At that point, 2ndGen
children will undergo a process called Apotheosis that’s similar to
the eruptions of their parents, if far less traumatic. While there is
no physical trauma associated with Apotheosis, a 2ndGen nova
must still adjust to her greatly expanded powers and capabilities.
The exact details of the effects of undergoing Apotheosis have
been left to the Storyteller’s discretion, but they all involve a
dramatic increase in a 2ndGen nova’s power. The exact time at
which Apotheosis will occur will vary (and will also be at the
Storyteller’s discretion), as some precocious 2ndGen might
undergo it as soon as they hit puberty, while late bloomers could
undergo it during their mid- to late-teen years. Many other
factors can also influence the timing of a 2ndGen’s Apotheosis,
similar to the factors that can trigger eruption in first generation
novas.
Fast-Track Development
There are three ways to depict in game terms the rapid
increase in power that 2ndGen novas will exhibit as they grow
into their full power. The first method hews closely to the
speculations of Dr. Toiho (see Aberrant: Project Utopia pp. 138139), as 2ndGen characters will use the standard experience
point costs, but will also be granted a windfall of anywhere
between 50 to 100 additional nova points (Storyteller’s
discretion) when they undergo Apotheosis. The second method
is to grant a 2ndGen character a variable amount of nova points
instead of experience points at the end of every story until that
character undergoes Apotheosis. Over the duration of a 2ndGen
nova’s pre-Apotheosis “adventuring” life (which can be
anywhere from four to ten years of game time), the Storyteller
should expect to to grant that character the allotment of 50 to
100 additional nova points. After a 2ndGen nova undergoes
Apotheosis, the Storyteller can then switch to awarding that
character experience points just like any other Aberrant
character. The third method is to award experience points to
2ndGen nova characters normally, but let them use the following
chart for purchasing quantum-related items with experience
points after they undergo Apotheosis. Storytellers who want to
really emphasize the extreme potential of the 2ndGen novas may
also use the first or second methods along with the third, at their
discretion.
Trait Increase
Mega-Attribute
Quantum Power (Level 1)
Quantum
Quantum Pool
New Trait
Background
Enhancement
Mega-Attribute
Cost
CR x3*
current rating x 2*
current rating x 3*
current rating x 5*
current rating x 7*
current rating x 9*
current rating x 12*
current rating x 6*
2 per dot
Cost
1**
3*
3*
2*
3*
5*
7*
9*
12*
* Cannot be purchased Tainted.
**(This reduced cost applies only to available quantumrelated backgrounds such as Attunement and Node.)
Extras for an existing quantum power are bought at 50%
(round up) of the difference between total normal cost with &
without the Extra (Aberrant core book, p. 230).
clade [kleyd] - noun, Biology
A taxonomic group of organisms classified together on the
basis of homologous features traced to a common ancestor.
The Clades
The tendency to see all individuals belonging to a given
category as a unified group – especially if the category in
question is seen as dangerous and/or just very different – is a
common human failing. Even in the Nova Age, things are no
different, especially when it comes to such a small and
mysterious category as the 2ndGen novas. Despite their potential
power being more theorized about than documented, the 2ndGen
novas are commonly considered by those few who know of them
to be monolithic in what they have to offer humanity, either in
aid or harm. As always, the situation is more complex than most
people realize. 2ndGen novas are not one homogenous group, and
never were. Most of them aren’t even organized into formal
groups at all, which is understandable given how many of them
are still under the age of 10 by 2015. Instead, they are split into
45
ABERRANT
three separate populations, with
their membership in a population
being largely determined by how
their parents dealt (or failed to
deal) with their own Taint. Each
clade has their own special
assortment of perks and problems,
with the only common factor being
that these children of the Nova Age
will all eventually be hunted for the
sake of their potential power. To
those who seek to either establish
or maintain their rule over the
Earth, the 2ndGen novas appear to
be the ultimate commodities... or
threats. Conflict is assured.
Trues
The children of two nova
parents with little or no permanent
Taint. These are the 2ndGens that
one of the Aberrant writers hinted
at in the “Very Low Taint” rules on
p. 68 of the Aberrant Players
Guide. They are sometimes known
to inherit parental aberrations by manifesting them as false
aberrations (a.k.a. taking aberrations as Flaws), but are
otherwise highly Taint-resistant. (It’s the player’s choice as to
whether or not this happens, as is which aberrations the 2ndGen
character will manifest.)
Benefit:
x Increased Taint Resistance: Trues cannot gain Taint
from purchasing high Quantum, and automatically have the Taint
Resistance Merit (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 76). Trues use the
“Very Low Taint” rules on p. 68 of the Aberrant Players Guide,
as they can gain temporary Taint from Power Strain & Rapid
Recovery, but only in the most extreme cases (such as Power
Strain caused by maxing a Level 4 power several times in the
space of an hour).
Problems:
x The main problem faced by True 2ndGens is the intense
interest that certain factions of both nova and baseline society
will have in using them, once they become aware of their
existence. The combination of a potential for extreme power
and a lack of Taint will make these kids either extremely
valuable or dangerous in the eyes of the various factions. Some
of the factions won’t hesitate to recruit, indoctrinate & exploit
these young novas by any means necessary; and they simply
won’t care to hear any objections from their parents. Other
factions will see a True as posing just as much of a potential
threat as the Terat and Trog 2ndGens, and may decide to strike
at a True while he or she is still relatively weak. For this reason,
the Storyteller will assign True 2ndGens a variable number of
dots in the “Skeleton in the Closet” or “Wanted” Adversarial
Backgrounds as appropriate. The True will receive no
compensatory points for this burden. These dots cannot be
bought off, as the factions’ interest in either exploiting or
eliminating a known True 2ndGen will only increase in the years
leading up to the Aberrant War.
46
x Just from being born as novas (and never having been
baseline humans), Trues can seem very strange to baseline
humans at first, and they can also sometimes lack insight into
and/or sympathy for the problems that baseline humanity has to
deal with. In game terms, Trues have a +2 difficulty penalty on
their initial social interactions with baseline humans. In both
cases, sustained positive social interaction (which includes such
things as empathy, respect, compassion and good manners) can
overcome this difficulty after the initial meeting. Keep in mind
that this penalty will always be applied to a True’s initial social
interactions with baseline humans, however. Trues will find
xenophilic and/or “marginal” baselines (eccentrics, minorities
and other “fellow outsiders”) the easiest to get along with.
Baselines who are xenophobic can’t overcome their aversion to
a True without appropriate psychotherapy, while
prejudiced/bigoted baselines will refuse to do so without the
psychological impact of a “life-changing event” or something
similarly dramatic.
x Ironically, Trues also have problems when socially
interacting with both heavily Tainted novas and Terat novas.
Sensing the increased power of a True without the
accompanying Taint that they’re accustomed to can put heavily
Tainted novas and Terat novas on edge, as something about the
True just seems off-kilter, impossible or just flat-out wrong. In
game terms, Trues suffer a difficulty penalty of +2 on rolls for
social interactions with heavily Tainted novas and Terat novas.
x Trues can take false aberrations as Flaws to reduce their
Adversarial Background ratings, with each point from a false
aberration Flaw replacing 1 dot of an Adversarial Background.
These false aberrations can be either inherited from a parent or
be original to the True. In the latter case, the false aberrations
can be reflective of a parent’s quantum powers if desired. In any
case, a True cannot develop mental aberrations in this manner.
Physical aberrations which aren’t repulsive to baselines are
RULES
ABERRANT
allowed, as are quantum aberrations which are not harmful to
the True or those around him or her. Trues will be most likely to
have “special effect” aberrations, although aberrations which
can make a True’s life interesting (in a non-threatening,
comedic sense) are also possible.
x As an adaptation to aid their survival to adulthood, preApotheosis Trues have an age-based maximum limit on the dot
ratings of their quantum powers and Mega-Attributes. This
makes them somewhat less of a hazard to their parents’ health,
wealth and peace of mind; and also forces them to develop a
wider base for their future quantum power development. PreApotheosis Trues of 13 to 16 years of age are limited to 3 dots,
those from 7 to 12 years of age are limited to 2 dots, and those
who are 6 years and younger are limited to 1 dot. Also, PreApotheosis Trues in these age ranges are unable to develop the
Mastery Extra. The silver lining to this cloud is that these Trues
are better able to manipulate their quantum energies at this
reduced power level, and can ignore botches on their power
rolls, treating them as simple failures instead. This mixed
blessing/curse is lost when the True undergoes Apotheosis & his
or her full power kicks in. At that time, the Storyteller may make
up for that loss by assigning the True additional dots of the
“Skeleton in the Closet” or “Wanted” Adversarial Backgrounds,
to reflect an increased interest the factions will have in a True
once his or her full power becomes evident. Mega-Intelligent
pre-Apotheosis Trues with the Precocity enhancement still
qualify for this limitation, despite their accelerated intellects.
Terats
These are the offspring of two 1stGen Terat novas that
have gone through the Chrysalis. The Teragen always intended
for their offspring to grow up free from baseline influences and
expectations, and they have succeeded for the most part.
Benefit:
x Born to Teras: Due to the influence of the Chrysalis on
their parents, Terat 2ndGens do not have the same resistance to
Taint that the Trues do. Terats do not gain permanent Taint
from having too much Quantum or Node; and cannot buy Tainted
Quantum, Mega-Attributes, enhancements or quantum powers.
Terats can (and will) gain permanent Taint from accumulating
excessive temporary Taint. Terats can gain temporary Taint
through Power Strain, Rapid Recovery and Mental Disorders.
Also, they cannot have the have Taint Resistance Merit. This
vulnerability to Taint is necessary for Terat 2ndGens to engage
in the Chrysalis. Since they have been schooled in Teras almost
from birth, Terat 2ndGens automatically have both an archetype
and 1 dot of Chrysalis. This is what allows them to accumulate
Chrysalis as 1stGen Terats do when performing actions that are
in line with their archetype, although Terat 2ndGens only pay 5
quantum points to turn a point of temporary Taint into
temporary Chrysalis. They also do not use the Chrysalis
experience point chart on p. 125 of Aberrant: Teragen, as they
instead use the experience point chart from “Fast-Track
Development” for all purchases of quantum traits. They do find
entering a Chrysalis somewhat easier, as they roll against their
Chrysalis without the normal +2 difficulty penalty and only have
to pay 8 quantum points. The amount of time that a Terat
2ndGen will spend in a Chrysalis is also drastically shortened, as
the duration of the Chrysalis will only be 1 day per experience
point spent while in Chrysalis.
Problems:
x The main problem of being a child of the Teragen is that
it’s somewhat like being born into the European aristocracy
during the Renaissance. Despite having the potential for great
power, Terat 2ndGens are often viewed as pawns by their elders;
to be cultivated, manipulated, and when necessary (or desired)
sacrificed for personal gain. Aside from Bounty (and perhaps
Divis Mal and Scripture), few of the 1stGen Terats feel any
parental bonds with their 2ndGen offspring. This makes for a
dangerous situation for Terat 2ndGens to live in, especially as
Bounty has few true allies amongst her fellow Terats. Many
Flaws and Adversarial Backgrounds can be used to reflect the
perils that Terat 2ndGens will encounter from within the
Teragen.
x From birth, Terat 2ndGens have been taught to reject
their baseline heritage and to view baselines as lesser beings.
Combined with the fact they they have never been baseline
humans, this makes for a marked lack of sympathy, compassion
and respect for baselines among many Terat 2ndGens. Even
those who aren’t openly contemptuous and/or dismissive of
baseline humanity will still tend to treat baselines with an air of
superiority and noblesse oblige, and will see baselines as
animalistic creatures who shouldn’t be expected to know any
better and are perhaps to be pitied. Even the most tolerant
baselines will take offense at this, resulting in Terat 2ndGens
suffering an additional +2 difficulties on their rolls for social
interactions with baselines. And since a belief in nova superiority
(if not outright supremacy) is a cornerstone of Teras, Terat
2ndGens will almost never seek to remedy this fault in their
education.
x As children of the Teragen, Terat 2ndGens are essentially
born with bull’s-eyes on them. From the viewpoint of Aeon and
the rest of the baseline world, Terat 2ndGens are a deadly threat
to be “nipped in the bud” whenever possible. For this reason,
the Storyteller will assign Terat 2ndGens a variable number of
dots in the “Skeleton in the Closet” or “Wanted” Adversarial
Backgrounds as appropriate. The Terat 2ndGen will receive no
compensatory points for this burden. These dots cannot be
bought off, as the collective reputation of the Teragen will only
grow worse in the years leading up to the Aberrant War.
x Terat 2ndGens can also inherit actual aberrations from
their parents to reduce their Adversarial Background ratings.
Inherited aberrations will be priced as Flaws (for this purpose
only), with every 2 points from inherited aberrations replacing 1
dot of the “Skeleton in the Closet” or “Wanted” Adversarial
Backgrounds. These aberrations can be of any kind, but must be
ones derived from a parent’s Chrysalis. Ironically, this will
increase the chance that the parent an aberration is inherited
from may actually take an interest in his or her offspring’s wellbeing, and perhaps might act as a Mentor to the child. That the
child would also inherit the emnity of the parent’s Terat rivals is
only to be expected. In game terms, the Terat 2ndGen with a
parental Mentor rating gained in this way must also have an
equal rating of the “Rival” Adversarial Background.
x As their conception is a direct result of Bounty’s fertility
powers, nearly all Terat 2ndGens have inherited the genetic
47
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alteration that Utopia inflicted on their parents. Save for those
few whose parents have either never been exposed to the
Utopian sterility cocktail or erupted with the Health
enhancement, Terat 2ndGens are naturally sterile from birth.
x Terat 2ndGens also tend to be more than a little selfabsorbed, which isn’t surprising given how egomania runs
unchecked among their elders. Terat 2ndGens must make a
Willpower roll (without penalties) in order to put aside their
self-interest for the sake of anyone who isn’t a Terat or could
become one in the future.
Trogs
These are the offspring of two heavily-Tainted novas, and
conform closely to the true “aberrants” seen in Trinity. Trogs
are generally considered to be Taint-ridden abominations by
baselines and other novas. Even the Teragen (save for the
Harvesters) look down on them for their inability to deal with
their Taint. These “Funky Taint Babies” practically reek of
Taint, and baselines are far more likely to refer to a Trog as “it”
rather than “him” or “her”. Unless a group of Aberrant gamers
(and their Storyteller) really want to play in an angst-fest
chronicle, these 2ndGens are best left as Storyteller characters.
Benefit:
x Born Aberrant: Unlike other novas, Trogs are not taken
out of play when they finally accumulate 10 dots of permanent
Taint. Instead, they face the unenviable prospect of becoming
even more Tainted. A side-effect of this allows Trogs to
sidestep the normal limits on physical Attribute ratings imposed
by the Adolescent/Child Flaw. Thanks to the Taint, Trogs aren’t
exactly children and don’t share all of their limits.
For each dot of permanent Taint gained after the tenth, a
Trog will:
x suffer an additional +1 difficulty penalty on social
rolls with baseline humans (and most other sapients).
x develop two high-level aberrations, or the
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equivalent in lesser aberrations. In this case, one high-level
aberration is equal to two medium-level aberrations or four lowlevel aberrations. The Storyteller is free to “mix and match”
aberrations of differing levels to inflict on the Trog as she
pleases.
x suffer from an increased vulnerability to noetic
energies beyond that of other Trogs. In game terms, Trogs with
permanent Taint ratings of 11+ are twice as likely to be detected
through psionic Attunement, and their vulnerability to psionic
attack becomes even greater.
Problems:
x Unlike other 2ndGen novas, Trogs are not highly resistant
to Taint – in fact, they’re even more vulnerable to it than their
parents! Trog 2ndGens can gain temporary Taint through Power
Strain, Rapid Recovery, and mental disorders just like 1stGen
novas, and can gain permanent Taint by accumulating temporary
Taint. Trogs also use the “High Taint” rules on p. 68 of the
Aberrant Players Guide (they automatically receive 1 dot of
permanent Taint per dot of Quantum possessed), but cannot
gain Taint from the Node background. Trogs cannot have the
“Taint Resistant” Merit.
x Trogs don’t inherit Taint as such from their parents, but
they will be born with a number of aberrations (and the
accompanying social penalties) equal to the combined total of
their parents’ aberrations in addition to those derived from their
own Taint. These inherited aberrations will usually match those
of the parents, although the Storyteller is within her rights to
prohibit incompatible combinations of aberrations. Trogs will
also start out with at least one mental aberration chosen for
them by the Storyteller (with the player’s input, in the case of a
PC Trog). The Storyteller is within her rights to forbid a Trog
from taking the “Mega-Attractive” form of the MegaAppearance attribute. Similarly, the Storyteller may make Trogs
incapable of using Mega-Charisma in a positive manner with
baselines who are not insane.
x Like the Terat 2ndGens, Trogs
are also considered threats to be
disposed of ASAP by Aeon & the rest
of baseline humanity. For this reason,
the Storyteller will assign Trogs a
variable number of dots in the
“Skeleton in the Closet” or “Wanted”
Adversarial
Backgrounds
as
appropriate. The Trog will receive no
compensatory points for this burden.
These dots cannot be bought off, as
the collective reputation of Trogs and
other Taint-ridden novas will only
grow worse in the years leading up to
the Aberrant War.
x Highly Tainted novas can
theoretically make halfway-decent
parents for a Trog, but that is rare in
the extreme. A Trog could (and likely
will) have all sorts of personal
problems (Flaws, mostly) stemming
from parental abuse and/or neglect.
Even without those problems, Trogs
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ABERRANT
are deeply dysfunctional people (to use the term very loosely).
Codependencies, perverted affection and twisted love-hate
relationships are what Trogs have in place of the healthy social
relationships enjoyed by most baselines. In general, Trogs are
incapable of functioning in any reliable or healthy way. Add in
the expected difficulties of growing up as a Trog, and it’s easy
to see why so many Trogs wind up becoming monsters by deed
as well as birth.
x Last but hardly least, Trogs are surprisingly sensitive to
noetic energies. Not only can they (and any use of their powers)
be detected with psionic Attunement and the Cognitive Modes
(Telepathy & Clairsentience), but Trogs will also be quite
vulnerable to psionic attacks. Attempts to detect a Trog by
psionic Attunement will receive a difficulty modifier, with
penalties to detect the weaker Trogs and bonuses to detect
strong Trogs (Storyteller’s discretion as to which Trogs qualify
as “weak” or “strong”). Psions will receive an automatic success
to detect a Trog powerful enough to be rated as a “Prime
Threat” in Trinity terms. The details of a Trog’s vulnerability to
psionic attack have been left to the Storyteller’s discretion; her
options include reducing a Trog’s soak rating, adding dice to
psionic attacks made against the Trog, and treating the damage
a Trog takes from psionic attacks as lethal if bashing and
aggravated if lethal.
Aberrations,
Enhancements &
Powers
Existing Aberrations &
Enhancements
Very few aberrations, Mega-Attribute enhancements,
quantum powers or body modifications factor into either the
reproductive or maturation processes of novas directly.
Common sense is your best guide in deciding whether a given
aberration will interfere with a nova’s attempts to reproduce,
although the Storyteller still has the final say in this matter. A
nova whose body has been permanently transformed into some
living inorganic substance will certainly be sterile, as will a nova
that continually emits dangerous levels of radiation or other
energies. Novas with the Sexless aberration (Aberrant Players
Guide, p.93) are completely incapable of reproduction. As for
the existing enhancements, only two are known to have much
effect on a nova’s fertility. Health (Aberrant Players Guide,
p.103) not only allows a nova to better resist the sterility
cocktails of Project Utopia, it also adds +5% to his or her
fertility rating. None of the existing body modifications have any
direct effect on a nova’s fertility. Likewise, none of the existing
aberrations, enhancements or body modifications have any
direct effect on the maturation of a nova child.
New Enhancements
Accelerated Gestation (MegaStamina)
Prerequisite: One level of the Fertility enhancement.
With all the dangers posed to nova parents and their
offspring in the Nova Age, taking a full nine months to conceive
a child and carry it safely to term can be just too much of a risk.
In response to this evolutionary pressure, certain MegaVigorous novas have developed an appropriate countermeasure.
System: This enhancement allows a female nova (or a nova
with either the Yin-Yang enhancement or the Hermaphrodite
aberration) to safely carry a fetus to term in a dramatically
shorter period of time than a baseline woman can. Fertile male
novas with the three nova point version of the Parasitic
Gestation body modification can also take this enhancement, in
which case it affects the prenatal development rate of any
children they manage to sire. Up to four levels of this
enhancement can be taken, with each level reducing the time
period used to measure the duration of a female nova’s
pregnancy by one category. So where a typical baseline woman’s
pregnancy (from conception to delivery) would last for nine
months, the pregnancy of a nova with one level of Accelerated
Gestation would last for only nine weeks. This becomes nine
days with two levels of this enhancement, nine hours with three
levels, and nine minutes with four levels. Not only does this make
pregnancy more convenient for a nova mother, it also allows
fertile novas to reproduce at considerably faster rates than
baseline humans. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a pregnant nova
with this enhancement may have to consume huge quantities of
food (equivalent to the amount consumed by novas with the
Ravenous aberration) for the duration of her pregnancy in order
to ensure the normal development of her fetus. This
enhancement has no quantum point cost, and lasts for the
duration of the pregnancy.
Accelerated Maturation (MegaStamina)
For the second generation novas (the offspring of two nova
parents), the times of childhood and adolescence are when they
are the most vulnerable. Given the wide assortment of dangers
that they will face in the Nova Age, having to spend almost
eighteen years in states of immaturity and adolescence before
becoming a capable adult can be more than some of these novas
can really afford. Certain Mega-Vigorous novas of the second
generation have found a radical solution to this problem.
System: This enhancement grants a second-generation
child nova a dramatically shortened period of immaturity. Up to
four levels of Accelerated Maturation can be taken, with each
level shortening the duration of the nova’s childhood and
adolescence in a not-quite-smooth curve of progression. For
purposes of this enhancement, “maturity” is defined as the
equivalent of seventeen years of age. With one level of
Accelerated Maturation, the nova would reach maturity at only
five years of age. This is reduced to one year with two levels,
three months with three levels, and a mere twenty days with
four levels. The nova’s development in all areas will be
49
ABERRANT
extremely rapid, and he will be able to learn things with speeds
normally seen only in Mega-Intelligent novas. (The Storyteller is
encouraged to waive the matter of training times completely in
this situation.) Depending on how the nova’s player and/or the
Storyteller decide this enhancement should function, the nova
may either simply develop quickly or he may go through one or
more periods of metamorphosis. In the latter case, the nova will
pupate at certain stages of his development, forming a cocoon
very similar to that developed by novas undergoing the
Teragen’s Chrysalis. The nova will only remain in the cocoon for
a short period of time (determined by the Storyteller), from
which he will emerge noticeably older. When the age of maturity
is reached, the nova’s aging rate will slow down to the normal
rate for a nova with his Mega-Stamina rating, or even slower if
he has either of the Adaptability or Unaging enhancements. The
nova will lose all levels of this enhancement when he reaches
maturity, which will be replaced with different Mega-Stamina
enhancements of the Storyteller’s choosing. At the Storyteller’s
discretion, the nova may have to consume huge quantities of
food (equivalent to the amounts consumed by novas with the
Ravenous aberration) for the duration of his period of
accelerated growth in order to ensure normal development. This
enhancement has no quantum point cost, and lasts for the
duration of the nova’s period of immaturity.
Fertility (Mega-Stamina)
The bodies of novas with Mega-Stamina are optimized to
function marvelously well, resulting in a degree of physical
health that baselines and novas lacking Mega-Stamina simply
cannot achieve. There is a glaring exception to this, though:
many novas are sterile for some reason. Despite this, some
independent paraphysicians theorize that certain novas could
possess or develop superhuman reproductive capacity, although
these claims are inevitably ridiculed and dismissed by Utopiabacked paraphysicians and researchers into nova biology. If a
nova did have such an ability, he or she would do well to keep it a
secret for as long as possible, or risk being hunted down and
murdered by Utopian (and Proteus) deathsquads...
System: The basic form (one level) of this enhancement
provides several advantages. First off, it subtracts the nova’s
Mega-Stamina from the Virulence Rating of any contraceptive
or sterility-causing chemical, disease or effect; including those
caused by quantum powers. This is wholly cumulative with the
effects of the Adaptability and Health enhancements. Second, it
makes the nova more likely to either become pregnant (if
female) or cause a pregnancy (if male) after a single
unprotected sexual encounter, as the nova’s fertility rating is
increased by 20%. If two levels of this enhancement are taken,
the nova’s fertility rating is increased by 40% instead. Third,
the nova’s reproductive span is increased, allowing the nova to
sire or bear children without difficulty until he or she has lived
through 90% of his or her total lifespan. (This limitation can be
sidestepped if the nova is restored to physical youth with the
Age Alteration technique of Temporal Manipulation.)
Fortunately, the fourth benefit gained by the nova is complete
control over his or her own fertility rating, as he or she can
switch between being sterile (fertility rating of 0%) or being
fertile (normal fertility rating) as an automatic action. This
benefit functions regardless of any other fertility-inducing
50
effects – including this enhancement, if the nova’s partner
happens to have it as well! Female novas with one level of
Fertility will also have their chances for pregnancy complications
either reduced by half in the case of moderate to heavy parental
Taint, or negated completely if the chance was only 1%. Finally,
novas of both genders that have been sterilized (by the Utopian
sterility cocktail or by other means) can permanently overcome
the induced sterility by purchasing one level of this enhancement
with experience points.
If a female nova buys two levels of this enhancement, she
gains the following benefits:
x The nova no longer has to menstruate, nor does she
suffer from PMS or the later problems of menopause.
x After conception, the nova does not have to endure
many of the problems of both pregnancy and delivery. She
doesn’t suffer from morning sickness at all. Her nervous system
automatically adjusts for the changes in her center of balance
and her musculoskeletal system, making her much less awkward
than a pregnant baseline woman. The nova’s metabolism kicks
into high gear, allowing her to remain physically active during
pregnancy when other mothers-to-be would find themselves
exhausted. The nova’s pelvis becomes inhumanly flexible and
certain arrays of pain receptors are temporarily shut down
during labor, allowing for deliveries that are nearly painless
when compared to those of baseline mothers.
x The nova may use her quantum powers to the fullest
while pregnant without the slightest risk of harming the unborn
child – a definite plus when defending oneself against Utopian
motherhunters. Even the use of powers such as Shapeshift,
Sizemorph, Bodymorph, or Matter Chameleon will not harm the
child. If the mother accumulates temporary or permanent Taint,
her child will remain unaffected.
x The nova’s chances for pregnancy complications are
either reduced to 25% of the normal value (rounded up) in the
case of moderate to heavy parental Taint, or negated
completely if the chance was only 10%.
x All of the nova’s offspring will be second-generation
novas, regardless of the father’s specific classification
(assumuing that there is a father).
x If desired, the nova can spend a quantum point to release
2 or 3 eggs prior to conception, resulting in the birth of healthy
fraternal twins or triplets, respectively.
x If the nova still wants to become a mother but cannot
find a suitable nova male to father her child, she can spend 2
quantum points and roll Stamina. Even 1 success on the roll
means that the nova becomes pregnant through
parthenogenesis. The pregnancy will be normal (for a nova
pregnancy, anyway), but the resulting healthy female infant will
effectively be a genetic clone of her mother. If the nova mother
also has the Yin-Yang Mega-Appearance enhancement, she can
spend an extra quantum point (for a total of 3 q.p.) to conceive
and bear a cross-gender clone of herself. The resulting healthy
male infant will be a genetic clone of his mother except for
having a “Y” chromosome instead of a second “X” chromosome.
This form of reproduction does have its advantages, but can
seriously deplete a population’s genetic diversity over the long
term, making this an emergency measure at best.
RULES
ABERRANT
If a male nova buys two levels of this enhancement, he
gains the following benefits:
x By selecting which gametes to release, the nova can
choose the gender of any children he sires.
x The chances for complications in any pregnancy the nova
causes are either reduced by half in the case of moderate to
heavy parental Taint, or negated completely if the chance was
only 1%.
x If he wants to, the nova can spend 2 quantum points and
roll Stamina when causing a pregnancy. Even 1 success on the
roll means that the nova’s partner will give birth to healthy
identical twins – 4 or more successes indicates healthy identical
triplets! For best results, the nova’s partner should be a nova
herself with two levels of the Fertility enhancement. The nova
should also tell his partner about this beforehand – otherwise,
he risks being skinned alive, horsewhipped, or strangled by his
justifiably irate sweetheart!
Note: Depending on how your Storyteller decides this
enhancement should function, female novas with both Fertility
and the Adaptability enhancement may need to resume a regular
diet of healthy food and drink for the duration of the pregnancy.
The details of a “healthy diet” may vary for nova mothers-to-be
with the True Omnivore enhancement or the Altered Diet body
modification. Just imagine the weird food cravings they could
get! To heck with pickles and ice cream – what if such a
pregnant nova started craving uranium?
This enhancement is permanent, and ordinarily has no
quantum point cost. The exceptions to this have already been
noted above.
Mental Prodigy: Survival
(Mega-Intelligence)
No matter where on Earth a Survival Prodigy finds himself
(or elsewhere, in some cases), he will be able to survive with the
ease of an experienced outdoorsman. A nova with this
enhancement has a natural genius for living without the comforts
of civilization, as he can provide for himself – and for others, if
need be – using the natural resources around him. If he actually
has formal survival training (the Survival Ability), he can thrive
in the harshest of wildernesses and other inhospitable
surroundings.
System: Whenever the character is involved with situations
or problems concerning survival in wilderness or hostile
environments (a highly-tainted nova forced to live like an animal
would consider a baseline human community a hostile
environment), the player may make an Intelligence roll. For each
success achieved, he may roll an additional die when making
Survival rolls and any other rolls related to surviving in
uncivilized circumstances. (The Storyteller has full discretion as
to what qualifies as a “related” roll.) Activating this
enhancement requires spending 1 quantum point, with the
effects and bonuses lasting an hour or longer at the Storyteller’s
discretion.
Precocity (Mega-Intelligence)
Certain Mega-Intelligent second generation nova children
have a hyper-accelerated rate of intellectual development,
allowing them to achieve mental maturity long before their peers
will. Sadly, those novas are still every bit as emotionally
immature as their peers, and they will not have the wisdom that
only experience can grant. Even so, this can be a vital edge in
the conflicts that all second generation novas will face long
before they reach adulthood, especially if they can keep their
adult antagonists ignorant of the true state of their intellects.
Being underestimated has its benefits...
System: Unlike other second generation nova children,
those with this enhancement aren’t restricted to a maximum
rating in their Intelligence-based Abilities, allowing them to
function at an adult intellectual level. This enhancement is lost
for good when the character reaches maturity (about 17 years of
age), when it will be replaced with another Mega-Intelligence
enhancement of the Storyteller’s choosing. This enhancement is
permanent, and has no quantum point cost.
New Body Modifications
x Augmented Fecundity (one nova point/ three experience
points)
This body modification allows a female breeder nova to
consistently bear four offspring (on the average) per pregnancy.
Unlike female breeder novas who induce multiple births with two
levels of the Fertility enhancement, a nova with Augmented
Fecundity does not have to make a Stamina roll or spend
quantum points to produce these multiple offspring. This body
modification may be taken multiple times by female breeder
novas whose bodies and/or methods of reproduction differ
greatly from baseline human women.
x Enhanced Vomeronasal Organ (two nova points / four
experience points)
The nova has an augmented vomeronasal organ (also
known as the Jacobson’s organ), which grants him an increased
ability to detect pheromones by their scent. Not only can the
nova consciously detect and interpret the unconscious
pheromonal signals of other humans, but he can “listen in” on
the interspecies pheromonal communications of the rest of
Earth’s animal and plant populations. In game terms, the nova
can detect pheromones and decipher the pheromonal
communications of humans and all other Terran organisms (and
certain alien ones, at the Storyteller’s discretion) with an
Awareness roll. These communications will be extremely basic,
with most of them indicating the organism’s physical (and in the
case of the higher animals, emotional) state. The range of these
pheromonal communications tends to be very short; in the
nova’s case he will be able to detect pheromones within a
number of meters equal to the nova’s (Perception) + (MegaPerception x 2). Finally, with this increased ability to notice
pheromones comes a better chance to resist their effects, as the
nova will automatically notice any pheromone-based effects that
others may try to use on him.
As this body modification allows the nova to detect and
interpret the natural pheromone signals given off by other
humans, it’s very useful for evaluating both potential mates and
potential sexual rivals. The nova can detect both the status and
fitness (in terms of reproduction) of humans of both genders. A
subject’s reproductive status will include facts such as actual
gender, sexual maturity, and current fertility. If the subject is
female, the nova can also detect whether she’s pregnant or
51
ABERRANT
lactating. Reproductive fitness will include the presence (or lack
of same) of problems such as genetic damage, disease, drug
abuse and chemical contamination. It’s also possible for the nova
to detect when his or her partner is most fertile with an
Awareness roll; with every 2 successes scored allowing an
additional conception roll to be made per month. This will
require the nova to stay close to his or her partner on a 24 hour,
7-days-a week basis until the partner reaches a point of peak
fertility. Couples attempting to conceive at that time will receive
a +5% bonus to their combined fertility rating. Alternatively, the
nova can attempt to detect times of peak fertility in any
potential mate he or she meets and gain the same bonus,
although whether or not that tactic is successful is up to random
chance (and the Storyteller’s whim). At the Storyteller’s
discretion, the nova may also determine the general nature of a
problem that makes a subject reproductively unfit (disease, drug
abuse, a serious genetic defect, etc.) with an Awareness roll.
Storyteller Note: Novas with the Fertility enhancement
who are currently sterile by choice will be detected as such by a
nova with this body modification, and cannot be differentiated
from other sterile novas.
x Genetic Sampler (two nova points/ four experience
points)
A nova with this body modification is capable of acquiring a
sample of another human’s DNA through simple physical contact
with the target. All that’s required is for an area of the nova’s
bare skin equal to one fingertip to touch the bare skin or the
blood of the target for one turn. Even mundane clothing can
prevent a target’s DNA from being sampled via the skin,
although such coverings offer no protection if they’re soaked
with the target’s blood. Novas who either cannot be touched or
who don’t have DNA (due to using Matter Chameleon or
Bodymorph) cannot be sampled. While the genetic samples
gained can easily be used in conventional forensics or genetic
testing (there’s no possibility of sample contamination), most
novas with this body modification are female breeder novas who
can use genetic samples from other humans (of either gender) to
fertilize themselves without engaging in coitus. If the target
human is a male, the female breeder nova can choose the gender
of any children she conceives in this manner with a simple
Perception roll. If the target is a woman, any children “sired” by
the target in this manner will also be female. The nova is capable
of storing up to (Stamina) genetic samples acquired with this
body modification for a duration of (Stamina + Mega-Stamina)
days, after which the samples will irreversibly degrade and
become useless. Only one level of this body modification can be
taken.
x Gestation Pouch (one nova point/ three experience
points)
This body modification is basically a large pouch that’s
specifically designed for only one purpose: to carry a human
fetus safely to term. Much like the Pouch body modification, this
extra physical structure is typically located on the abdomen at
stomach level, although female novas will have it sited on the
upper back instead. The pouch will function just as well as (if not
better than) an actual uterus, although the fetus will have to be
transplanted into the pouch from the mother’s uterus, either by
means of the Parasitic Gestation body modification or through
52
surgical procedures. Fortunately, the birth of the transplanted
infant will be unbelievably easy, as the nova’s pouch will simply
(and painlessly) open up on its own at the correct moment.
Despite certain cultural preconceptions, novas of either gender
can have this body modification. Male novas with this body
modification that are hosting a fetus will be slightly more
awkward than a female nova would, as the male body isn’t really
designed for carrying an unborn infant around as internallystored cargo. In game terms this translates into a penalty of -2
dice on Dexterity rolls for moving around, beginning at the start
of the second trimester. Male novas in this situation will also be
certain to draw a good number of stares, especially in the
second and third trimesters. At the Storyteller’s discretion, one
or more additional levels of this body modification can be taken,
although a male nova whose body is both normal-sized and
passably human will likely be limited to two levels. Female novas
cannot take additional levels of this body modification if their
bodies are both normal-sized and passably human.
x Parasitic Gestation (one nova point / three experience
points, or three nova points / six experience points)
The one nova point version of this body modification allows a
pregnant female nova (or novas with either the Yin-Yang
enhancement or the Hermaphrodite aberration that are in the
same situation) to implant a fetus that she has conceived within
the first 14 days of the first trimester of her pregnancy into a
female nova or baseline human, who will then carry the fetus to
term as a host mother in the normal human manner. (Novas of
either gender that have the Gestation Pouch body modification
can also serve as “host mothers”.) If for whatever reasons the
nova isn’t carrying a fetus, then this body modification will not
function. If the nova retains her fetus past the 14 day limit, it will
become too large for her to transfer safely, and she will have to
carry it to term herself. The nova uses a short, retractable
sharp-tipped ovipositor to implant the fetus, which will cause no
physical damage to the host mother but can be a traumatic
experience if she is both unwilling and conscious during the
implantation.
The three nova point version of this body modification is
available to both fertile male novas and pregnant female novas.
A pregnant female nova will be able to use the aforementioned
ovipositor to implant her fetus into the abdominal cavity of any
adult male baseline human she can either convince, trick or force
into submitting to her designs. It should be noted that the
ovipositor cannot normally be used to implant male novas, as all
novas possess some level of lethal soak. The exceptions are
when the implanting nova has some means of breaching her
victim’s defenses (such as using the Claws quantum power) or
can take advantage of an open wound that has already breached
the victim’s abdominal cavity. Fertile male novas will only need
to engage in coitus with a fertile female human in order to use
this body modification. Neither method of implantation will
directly cause physical damage to the host by itself, but the
fetus will have a mutated placenta that will literally feed off the
host’s body in a parasitic manner. In game terms, carrying a
fetus in this manner will cause the host 2 levels of unsoakable
Stun damage per day, with the damage inflicted one level at a
time over the course of the day to allow the host to heal the
damage normally. In addition, hosts will also experience near-
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constant fatigue from the stress of supporting the parasitic
fetus, resulting in a +2 difficulty penalty on all Stamina rolls. The
host will also find his or her body becoming awkward as this
parasitic pregnancy progresses – male hosts get a -2 dice
penalty on Dexterity rolls for moving around starting at the
second trimester, while female hosts will suffer the normal
difficulties of pregnancy. At the time of birth, the fetus’ mutated
placenta will literally rip open both itself and the host’s
abdominal cavity from the inside, inflicting three levels of
unsoakable lethal damage in the process. Most hosts subjected
to this sort of treatment will not survive the birthing process
without immediate medical aid. For this reason, novas with this
form of Parasitic Gestation will sometimes keep their host(s)
imprisoned and reasonably well cared for until the birth.
Removing the parasitic fetus prior to birth requires a fullystocked surgical bay, along with the services of a doctor with
the Medicine Ability at 3+ dots and the Surgery specialty. If the
fetus is to survive, it must be developed enough for the surgeon
to perform a modified Caesarian section on the host. Please note
that at this level, this body modification can also be combined
with the Accelerated Gestation enhancement. In this case, it will
reflect the extraordinary speed at which the parasitic fetus will
develop. This will put an incredible strain on the host, as he or
she will suffer 2 levels of unsoakable bashing damage per day
with one level of Accelerated Gestation. The damage will still be
inflicted one level at a time over the course of the day, so the
host will still be able to survive and heal the damage normally. If
the nova has two or more levels of Accelerated Gestation the
parasitic pregnancy will pose a far greater risk to the host’s life;
as the damage inflicted will be counted as one level of
unsoakable lethal damage. The damage will occur on an daily
basis with 2 levels, every hour with three levels, and every
minute with four levels. At the Storyteller’s discretion, a
baseline host’s appetite will grow to nova proportions and a
nova host’s appetite will match that of novas with the Ravenous
aberration for the duration of the pregnancy, as their
metabolisms go into overdrive in an attempt to meet the nutrient
demands placed on them by the parasitic fetus.
New Quantum Powers
Quantum Conception
Level: 3
Quantum Minimum: 5
Dice Pool: Stamina + Quantum Conception
Range: (Quantum) meters
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: Character can impregnate a woman without
requiring physical contact.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: This power allows the nova to impregnate a
woman of childbearing age without physical contact. Effectively,
the nova creates an undamaged partial copy of his or her own
DNA – just as when happens when gametes are formed – which
is then implanted into an ovum inside the target’s uterus. In this
way novas who have been affected by Project Utopia’s sterility
cocktail can “sire” offspring without using their damaged
gametes. Female novas using this power to reproduce will only
be able to “sire” female offspring, however. If the nova also has
the Genetic Sampler body modification, he can use any samples
he’s collected with that body modification to impregnate women
with this power, instead of just being limited to using his own
DNA. What really makes this power so insidious is its subtlety. If
the target has no way of detecting the use of this power or the
state of her own reproductive system (such as Body Awareness
or active use of Quantum Awareness), she will have no clue that
she has been impregnated until she either has her next medical
examination or first episode of morning sickness.
Using this power on a willing target just requires a straight
power roll. Only one success is needed for the nova to
successfully impregnate a willing target, with each additional
success on the power roll reducing the target’s chances for
pregnancy complications and anomalous births by 5%. Using this
power on an unknowing or unwilling target requires a resisted
roll, pitting the target’s Stamina + Resistance against the nova’s
Stamina + Quantum Conception dice pool. The nova can add a
number of successes equal to his Quantum rating to the power
roll, and need only achieve one net successes against the
target’s Resistance roll in order to impregnate the target. In
either case, since the nova is effectively creating something
permanent (the 23 “paternal” chromosomes) from nearby
inorganic matter, using this power requires spending a
permanent Willpower point along with the normal quantum cost.
It should also be noted that if the target is already pregnant, is
not of childbearing age or is biologically male, uses of this power
will automatically fail – don’t even bother rolling. Nova targets
with the Fertility enhancement are also immune to this power,
unless the target wants to become pregnant in this manner. If
the target has the Mind Over Matter enhancement (from
Aberrant: Brainwaves), she can spend 1 quantum point and make
a Wits roll to self-induce a natural abortion and rid herself of the
unwanted fetus. Unwilling nova targets who are aware of the
attacking nova’s impregnation attempt may make a Willpower
roll to actively resist this power’s effect, with each success
adding another die to the Resistance dice pool. The nova can
even impregnate a normally sterile non-nova woman of
childbearing age by paying double the normal quantum point cost
(6 quantum points). If successful, the target can conceive and
carry the resulting healthy child to term just as if she were
fertile. Unfortunately, sterile nova women cannot be
impregnated in this manner.
Extras: Affects Sterile Novas (requires Quantum 6) – The
nova can impregnate a nova woman that has been dosed with the
Utopian sterility cocktail, at the cost of spending 12 quantum
points and a permanent Willpower point. Nova women whose
sterility is not the result of the sterility cocktail (such as those
with the Sterility aberration/Flaw) cannot be impregnated unless
the aberration or Flaw is corrected.
53
ABERRANT
Sterilize
Level: 2
Quantum Minimum: 4
Dice Pool: Stamina + Sterilize
Range: Touch
Area: N/A
Duration: Instant
Effect: Character’s touch can induce sterility in another
person or lifeform.
Multiple Actions: Yes
Description: This power allows the nova to render another
being sterile with a touch. When used on novas, this power
functions in much the same manner as Project Utopia’s sterility
cocktail. Unlike the Utopian sterility cocktail, this power will also
work on baselines, animals, plants and fungi. When used on small
lifeforms such as insects, small plants or fungi, it’s reasonable
for the nova to be capable of sterilizing an entire field’s worth of
such targets rather than a single small lifeform. (In that
circumstance, treat this power as having the Area Extra.) Even
worse is the extreme subtlety of this power. If the target has no
way of detecting either the use of this power or the state of his
own fertility (such as Body Awareness or active use of Quantum
Awareness), he will have no clue that he’s just been sterilized
until his next medical examination.
Using this power requires a resisted roll, pitting the
target’s Stamina + Resistance against the nova’s Stamina +
Sterilize dice pool. The nova can add a number of successes
equal to her Quantum rating to the power roll, and must achieve
two net successes against the target’s Resistance roll in order to
sterilize the target. Nova targets with either of the Health or
Fertility enhancements will automatically subtract (the target’s
Mega-Stamina) successes from the nova’s power roll. Likewise,
each dot of Invulnerability: Disease possessed by the target will
grant six successes to the target nova’s Willpower roll and make
the roll automatic (see below). The Adaptability enhancement is
of no use against this power. Targets who are aware of the
attacking nova’s sterilization attempt may make a Willpower roll
to actively resist this power’s effect, with each success adding
another die to the Resistance dice pool. Successes from a
Healing roll can also be added to the target’s Resistance dice,
provided the target and/or the nova with Healing is aware of the
attacking nova’s sterilization attempt. Healing cannot be applied
retroactively and cannot be used to correct this power’s effect.
The sterility induced by this power is permanent, unless the
target is a nova who either has or develops the Health or
Fertility enhancements, in which case the condition will heal
normally. For this purpose, induced sterility is counted as 2
levels of bashing damage. Female targets who are sterilized
while pregnant will have a miscarriage within 24 hours.
Extras: None.
54
New Flaws and
Aberrations
Adolescent/Child
[1, 4 or 6 point Flaw]
A character with this Flaw is younger than 17 years of age.
As such, the character will have certain social and physical
limitations which are described below. In addition, the character
is limited to a maximum rating (which varies with age) in her
Intelligence-based Abilities. The Storyteller is also within her
rights to forbid nova characters with this Flaw from taking
either of the Seductive Looks and Seductive enhancements,
along with any other enhancements that depend on sexual
attraction. At the Storyteller’s discretion, characters with this
Flaw may have fewer dots of Abilities than adult characters,
although Mega-Intelligent characters are exempt from that
limitation. Immature novas with the Adaptability enhancement
may require regular periods of sleep and a diet of healthy food
and drink in order to grow normally. This Flaw will decrease in
value naturally as the character gets older, and cannot be bought
off with experience points. Second-generation nova children
with the Accelerated Maturation enhancement will still suffer
the effects of this Flaw, but do not receive any freebie points
from it due to their drastically-shortened period of immaturity.
At the 1-point level, the character is an adolescent (13 to 16
years of age). The character will not have any limits on her base
Attribute ratings, but is limited to a maximum rating of 3 dots in
her Intelligence-based Abilities. She will have obvious social
limitations; which include various legal difficulties, curfews, a
lack of intellectual respect from adults, and not being able to
legally engage in certain adult activities.
At the 4-point level, the character is a pre-adolescent
child (7 to 12 years of age). The social limitations the character
will face will become even more onerous, as children are even
more restricted in their activities than teenagers are. The
character’s base Strength rating can’t be any higher than 3, and
her base Stamina score can’t be any higher than 4. She is also
limited to a maximum rating of 2 dots in her Intelligence-based
Abilities. Finally, the character will have the Short Flaw
(Aberrant Players Guide, p.70), the cost of which has already
been factored into this Flaw.
At the 6-point level, the character is a very young child (6
years and younger). The character can walk, talk and has hair on
his head, but none of that matters very much as she will only be
about a meter tall at best. The social restrictions faced by the
character will become extreme, which is only to be expected.
The character’s base Strength and Stamina both can’t be any
higher than 1 dot each, and her Dexterity can’t go above 2 dots.
She is also limited to a maximum rating of 1 dot in her
Intelligence-based Abilities. The character is also small enough
to suffer the equivalent of an extreme version of the Short Flaw,
as her running speed will be reduced to 25% of normal and she
will encounter severe difficulties in using equipment designed
for people with average builds, the cost of which has already
been factored into this Flaw.
RULES
ABERRANT
Altered Gestation [physical
aberration]
Manifested only by fertile female novas, this aberration
gradually mutates the nova’s reproductive system as she
accumulates permanent Taint, forcing her to give birth in some
other manner than the typical human fashion. At low levels of
Taint, the system used is no more burdensome than mammalianstyle live birth. One example is becoming a marsupial, and giving
birth to a small fetus which is placed in an exterior pouch in
which it will develop for the rest of the “pregnancy”. In this case
the nova has an actual marsupial pouch on her belly, which
normally remains taut & unusable except when she’s carrying an
infant inside it. For this pouch to be useful for anything other
than carrying her infant, the nova must purchase the “large
pouch” version of the Pouch body modification. Another
example is becoming oviparous (an egg-layer), with the egg
being carried internally for 9 months before being laid, after
which it will hatch within 24 hours. With medium Taint, the
system used is noticeably more burdensome. An example of this
is being oviparous and laying one or more eggs shortly after
conception, which will then require constant care (such as being
placed within an incubating machine) in order to hatch. Other
examples include having to remain within a specific environment
or being dependent on a chosen substance (or being) in order to
carry a fetus safely to term. With high Taint, the system used is
far more burdensome. This would cover being oviparous and
laying one or more eggs shortly after conception, which will then
require constant physical contact & care from the nova in order
to hatch. Another possibility is for the nova’s offspring to be
born in a larval form for the duration of its infancy, which must
eat voraciously before pupation & metamorphosis into juvenile
human form. Alternatively, the nova’s egg or larvae may require
some substance that’s hazardous or offensive to human
sensibilities in order to develop properly. Finally, the nova’s
body may simply create offspring through budding, which will
look quite grotesque to human eyes.
Estrus [physical aberration]
The sexual responses of a nova with this aberration are
dependent on a specific trigger chosen by the Storyteller, and is
unresponsive sexually without it. At low levels of Taint (4-5
dots), this aberration can make the nova go into estrus during a
specific large time period per Terran year (such as a season) or
when the nova experiences a specific emotion or sensation. At
medium Taint (6-7 dots), the trigger can be a short time period
per Terran year (like a month), a highly unpleasant emotion or
sensation, or an actual physical substance. With high Taint (8-10
dots), the trigger can be a very brief time period per Terran
year (anywhere from four to seven days), or an extremely
intense and highly unpleasant emotion or sensation. If the trigger
is a physical substance, it’s either very hard to acquire,
hazardous or offensive to human sensibilities. Aside from the
problems (social and otherwise) caused by this aberration, both
hormonal states experienced by the nova will be more extreme
than the human norm. While in estrus, the nova will be noticeably
more eager to engage in sexual activity than is typical for
baseline humans. At low levels of Taint this is equivalent to the
Lusty Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 72). At medium Taint,
this state is indistinguishable from the “Hormonal Imbalance –
Lust” aberration (Aberrant core book, p. 152) during estrus. At
high Taint the nova will also suffer from a 2-point version of the
Dependence Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p. 70), as not
engaging in sexual activity while in estrus will cause actual
physical damage. When the nova isn’t in estrus, his total lack of
sexual interest makes him unable to enjoy sexual relations and
makes him immune to seduction attempts.
Storyteller Note: While most of the material in this
sourcebook is considered “sensitive topics”, that goes double
for this aberration. Be very sure to discuss it with your players
before using it in a chronicle.
Regressive Node [4 point Flaw]
Unlike most other 2ndGen novas, a character with this Flaw
was not born with his farahcytes evenly distributed throughout
his brain’s grey matter. Instead, he was born with an M-R node
comparable to those of the first generation novas. The
character will be subject to all the drawbacks of having a high
rating of the Node Background, including the possibility of brain
damage caused by M-R node growth and the resulting mental
Taint and aberrations. This Flaw is most often found among
2ndGen novas who were born through genetic engineering or
whose births were anomalous.
This Flaw is only available to 2ndGen nova characters.
Retarded Aging [2, 5 or 7 point
Flaw, or physical aberration]
Found exclusively in novas who are born erupted, erupt
prior to adulthood or that have been physically regressed in age,
this condition leaves the nova’s body stuck in an immature state.
What’s worse is that the nova’s aging process comes to a
standstill for all practical concerns. As a Flaw this condition can
reflect any one of an assortment of problems; including such
things as a growth hormone deficiency, arrested aging or an
extremely slow rate of aging that would be logical for a being
with a lifespan of several centuries or more. Inspired medical
treatments and/or the use of the Age Alteration technique of
Temporal Manipulation can correct this condition, provided that
the nova also buys off this Flaw with experience points. As an
aberration, this most often develops from Tainted MegaStamina or Temporal Manipulation. Nothing the nova tries in the
way of medical treatments – Inspired or otherwise – will make
him or her grow any older at all. Age Alteration is also
ineffective in correcting this aberration. In any case, the nova
will eventually have a mature mind trapped inside the body of a
teenager or child, which can make for social problems and much
frustration on the nova’s part. Also, people who don’t know any
better will treat the nova as the teenager, child or infant that he
appears to be.
As a 2-point Flaw or a low-level aberration, this condition
leaves the nova as an adolescent (13 to 16 years of age). The
nova will not have any limits on his base Attribute ratings, but
will have obvious social limitations. These will include various
legal difficulties, curfews, ignorant adults refusing to take the
nova seriously, and not being able to legally engage in certain
adult activities.
As a 5-point Flaw or a medium-level aberration, the nova
has the body of a pre-adolescent child (7 to 12 years of age).
55
ABERRANT
The social limitations the nova will face will become even more
onerous, as children are even more restricted in their activities
than teenagers are. The nova’s base Strength rating can’t be any
higher than 3, and his base Stamina score can’t be any higher
than 4. If the nova’s prior Strength and/or Stamina ratings were
above these limits, then the nova will gain 1 experience point per
dot lost upon developing this condition. The nova will also have
the Short Flaw (Aberrant Players Guide, p.70), the cost of which
has already been factored into this Flaw.
As a 7-point Flaw or a high-level aberration, the nova has the
body of an very young child (6 years and younger). The nova
can walk, talk and has hair on his head, but none of that matters
very much as he will only be about a meter tall at best. The social
restrictions faced by the nova will become extreme, which is
understandable since baseline society isn’t really set up to
handle the possibility of small chidren with adult minds. The
nova’s base Strength and Stamina are both lowered to 1 dot
each, and his Dexterity can’t go above 2 dots. If the nova’s prior
ratings are above these limits, then the nova will gain 1
experience point per dot lost upon developing this condition.
The nova is also small enough to qualify for the equivalent of an
extreme version of the Short Flaw, as his running speed will be
reduced to 25% of normal and he will encounter severe
difficulties in using equipment designed for people with average
builds.
Sterility [1 point Flaw, or lowlevel physical aberration]
A nova with this aberration is still capable of normal sexual
function, but cannot conceive children in the typical human
manner. This aberration most often results from having dots of
Tainted Mega-Stamina. Even Inspired fertility treatments
cannot help a nova with this aberration conceive, as only the use
of quantum powers that directly affect a nova’s Taint and/or
aberrations will be effective.
The Family
Scrapbook
Now that you’ve finally got the inside information on the
breeder novas, their friends and their foes; it’s time to put that
information to use in your Aberrant chronicle. In Storytelling,
we’ll touch on some basic themes, moods and conflicts for
scenarios using breeder novas, and provide some plot hooks that
can be used in your Aberrant chronicle with a minimum of effort.
The clandestine efforts intended to aid breeder novas against
their many enemies are detailed in The Sixth Column, along with
guidelines for Aberrant Storytellers (and players) to create their
own such operations. Finally, we’ll round things off with a small
rogues’ gallery of Family, Friends and Fiends.
56
Storytelling
When running a breeder nova scenario, it always helps to
keep several core concepts of their situation in mind. No matter
whether your players take the parts of valiant delivery boys,
grim motherhunters or the besieged breeder novas themselves,
all of these concepts will be important factors in your series.
Themes
Just about any theme has some potential for use in a
breeder nova scenario, and examples of such can be found in any
family drama or comedy on the bookshelves or in the video
store. That said, here are the four themes that are most
appropriate for a series using breeder novas.
Parenthood
For most baseline humans, becoming a parent is one of the
events that science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein termed a
“cusp”, a decision point at which one’s life can (and usually
does) change drastically according to what choices are made.
For some breeder novas who manage to become parents, the
only real difference in their situation is that just about
everything baseline parents have to deal with – the joys and
difficulties of raising a child, the various threats posed to the
family, the importance of one’s offspring – is magnified many
times over. Fortunately, the various quantum abilities that
breeder novas possess will give them a good shot at overcoming
what would be insurmountable obstacles for baseline parents, if
they have a conscience and sufficient discipline. Instead of
indulging their desires and seeking thrills, conscientious nova
parents will accept responsibility for their newborn children and
modify their lives accordingly. In return, they will hopefully reap
the rewards of successful parenthood; which include loving
parent-child relationships and personal fulfillment. Other nova
parents will neglect their children to varying degrees, with
consequences ranging anywhere from soured parent-child
relationships to the premature death of the child. What throws
all this into sharp relief is the potential for extreme power that’s
the birthright of the 2ndGen novas. Like it or not, the parents of
a 2ndGen nova child are in an unparalleled position to influence
the development of that infant god. If they do well by their
offspring (or are far luckier than they deserve to be), they will
leave behind a legacy – either for good or ill – that will prove
more lasting than the fame of any Team Tomorrow member or
novox star. If not, the child’s much-vaunted potential could
easily go unrealized, leaving the parents as just another minor
footnote in the history of the Nova Age.
Childhood
Just what is it like to grow up as a 2ndGen nova child? Not
only do these wunderkinder have to face the usual hurdles of
growing up, but they must do so while both learning to master
their inborn quantum abilities and surviving in a social climate
that is certain to grow ever more hostile to novas in the coming
decades. True 2ndGen kids will also have to deal with varying
levels of isolation from either baseline society or their 2ndGen
peers, depending on what approach their parents took in living
undercover. Terat 2ndGens have no real refuge from danger, for
RULES
ABERRANT
not only are they faced with a hostile world, they must also learn
to live and somehow thrive in the treacherous garden that is the
Teragen. With Bounty as their only confirmed Terat protector,
it remains to be seen if any of these children will escape the
egomania-driven plots of their elders in the Pantheon. Trog
2ndGens progeny must survive in the harshest social climate of
all; as nearly all of baseline humanity and many novas will oppose
them, and the support of their insane parents cannot be relied
upon. These little monsters may have the cards stacked against
them now, but the survivors will be sure to repay baseline
humanity’s hostility with interest. And all of that still does not
take into account the pressures and influences that being the
child of nova parents will bring into their lives. It’s not like these
kids’ parents couldn’t have very colorful histories, after all...
Discernment
When running an Aberrant chronicle dealing with breeder
novas and their children, the theme of discernment should
always be present. Comprised of both sound judgment and keen
insight, this quality is of extreme importance to breeder novas
wishing to live and raise their children free from the
interference of outside interests. It is also useful for novas in
service to certain of the factions, who otherwise might not
question the commands of their superiors until it was far too
late. Discernment is what allows a human to realize what things
are truly important, and discard what is merely trivial. In the
case of a nova, it lets him see the ultimately empty nature of the
perks of celebrity offered to them by baseline society, and
spurn them for the less glamorous yet far more lasting rewards
of having a family. Discernment is what allows a nova to
recognize her own worth, and refrain from signing away her
self-determination (and possibly her soul) to a faceless
organization. Without discernment, a nova cannot judge whether
or not baseline humanity and its world truly merits any or all of
the sacrifices that novas are urged to make in their name by
Aeon and others. And without discernment, a nova cannot
accurately determine the value of humanity, both in terms of an
inherent quality within herself or in terms of the entire
population of homo sapiens. Finally, novas lacking in discernment
are more likely to develop excessive levels of Taint thanks to
mistakes resulting from their poor judgment, which can have
horrifying effects on their offspring...
Freedom
At the core of the breeder novas’ effort to live undercover
is the desire for freedom. It’s important to note that most
breeder novas don’t equate freedom with “running roughshod
over the baselines” in the manner of the Teragen. Instead, they
choose to avoid being detected as novas in the first place, either
through posing as baselines or living in remote areas. This way,
breeder novas can divorce themselves and their children from
the expectations placed on novas by society at large without all
the furor aroused by the Teragen’s open rebellion. This in turn
makes it easier for them to reject the often-inaccurate beliefs
and opinions of baselines (and the more ideological novas) as to
what novas are and what they should be. By maintaining their
cover, breeder novas can remain free from media exposure and
the consequent manipulation and exploitation by outside
interests. Of course, the price for all this freedom is either
constant vigilance or isolation, as any lapse in maintaining them
can place the breeder novas at serious risk of capture and/or
death. The savage breeder novas are the exception to all this, as
could only be expected. These 21st Century barbarians take the
idea of freedom much too far to suit the majority of baselines
and other novas. The only thing keeping these novas from total
anarchy is a primitive tribal structure most often seen in baboon
troops. The only law is the whim of the troop leader, which will
often be inconsistent at best. In the end, savage breeder novas
are truly free – free to abuse others and be abused, to harm
others and be harmed, to kill and be killed – and all without any
possibility of real justice for these crimes.
Moods
The emotional tone of a breeder nova scenario can and will
vary just as much as the themes. Nevertheless, these four moods
are highly appropriate and should crop up on a regular basis.
Danger
Thanks to a world that simply refuses to leave them be,
breeder novas of all stripes will always be faced with the threat
of danger and violence with little or no warning. Much like the
players in a Teragen series, players in a breeder nova series
should be kept on their toes at all times. Even breeder novas
living in the space colonies are not exempt from this, as their
extreme isolation from Terran society only means that when an
attack comes, it will be all the more shocking. On the other side
of the coin, consider that there are few beings as dangerous as a
parent fighting to defend spouse and offspring. Those who
attack breeder novas can expect no mercy.
Trust and Distrust
Those breeder novas who manage to survive and remain
free quickly learn that there are few if any people who they can
trust. Any seemingly friendly nova could be a motherhunter just
waiting for the right moment to strike. That nice middle-aged
neighbor couple two doors down the street could be spies
working for the Directive or another baseline intelligence
agency. A breeder nova’s own baseline relative could be a closet
member of the Church of Michael Archangel. Worse, even if
these people are what they appear to be they still probably can’t
be trusted. Relatives can be watched. Everyone wants their 15
minutes of fame. Nice people can talk to other nice people and
start rumors. And any mistakes made or rumors started will end
up in the ears of the motherhunters. Faced with such a wide
array of potential threats, it’s no surprise that most breeder
novas reserve most of their trust for their spouses and children.
This in turn makes family bonds especially strong in breeder
nova families, sometimes comparable to that displayed by the
Norse clans in the Nibelungenlied and Volsungsaga. Again,
savage breeder novas are the exception, as they all too often
have little or no trust in each other. In more than a few cases,
the only thing keeping a savage breeder nova tribe together is
their total distrust of outsiders.
Hope
While this is the major theme of Adventure!, this emotion
takes a different tone in a breeder nova scenario. Instead of a
pulp-era sense that anything is possible, the efforts of breeder
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novas exemplify a hope that with sufficient effort and good
acumen, worthwhile rewards can be attained regardless of what
other people think they should be allowed. For many baselines,
the event of settling down and starting a family is considered a
good example of hope in the course of human life. For the
majority of breeder novas this event is possibly the premier
example, considering the numerous obstacles arrayed against
their achieving some form of domestic bliss. Between the
recruiters, the motherhunters and even the media, breeder nova
families are plagued with legions of corrupt jerks who are willing
to harm them in order to turn a profit or follow their beliefs. Yet
despite such dire circumstances, many breeder novas have not
only managed to start families, but they have a good shot at
seeing their children grow up and start families of their own. In
contrast, the motherhunters (and to a lesser degree the
“celebrity” novas) exemplify a loss of hope. Whether it is
manifested as personal cynicism, a conviction that all novas are
inherently doomed to become taint-ridden monsters or a belief
that nothing they do matters; they are denying the hope that
novas can have a fairly bright future ahead of them both as a
people and as individuals, if they so choose. This is one of the
reasons why motherhunters are willing to kill innocent nova men,
women and children. This is why so many nova celebrities while
away the years in hedonism and debauchery to fill the emptiness
in their personal lives. It should also be noted that where highlytainted breeder novas and their Trog 2ndGen offspring are
concerned, the tones are reversed. The growing numbers of
Trog 2ndGens in the world is an excellent damper for feelings of
hope in general, as they really do pose a huge threat to humanity
as a whole. Likewise, the motherhunters tasked with stopping
those monsters are excellent reasons for hope as far as baseline
humanity is concerned.
Love
Despite over five decades’ worth of saccharine-sweet
greeting cards and sappy songs, the idea of love cannot be
discounted in a breeder nova scenario. The need for love is one
of the basic motivations for humans to take spouses and raise
children, and breeder novas (in most cases) are no exception.
What else could make all the toil of raising a nova child
worthwhile? Why else would breeder novas endure the stresses
and dangers of living underground in order to raise their
children without interference? What other reason would
breeder novas have for being willing to abandon baseline
“civilization” – and possibly Earth itself – in order for their
children to have a brighter future? This becomes even more
obvious when the fickle affections of one’s fans and/or
worshippers are measured against the honest love of one’s
spouse and children – there simply is no comparison. The lack of
love in a nova’s life is also important, as the resulting emotional
anguish can easily drive a nova into mental illness and a
consequent increase in taint. The most telling example of this is
found in the savage breeder novas, among whom love is rarely
found and is never healthy – such states include obsessive love,
codependencies and delusions of being loved. To compensate
for their relative lack of love these monsters tend to develop
narcissistic disorders, taking self-love and egomania to new
extremes, with horrific results.
58
Conflicts
As the driving engine of every story, the importance of
conflict cannot be downplayed. The following are the basic
conflicts which are most suited to an Aberrant series using
breeder novas.
x Motherhunters vs. Breeder Novas and/or Delivery Boys:
Many people consider the family unit to be the basis for human
society. So what happens when powerful elements within human
society seem hellbent on either killing or enslaving families
whose only crime (in most cases) is to possess godlike power?
By having remained fertile and produced children, breeder
novas are in a position to draw much hostile attention from
those powerful groups and individuals who see them as a threat
to their designs. Even with the aid of delivery boy allies, there is
never any guarantee that a family of breeder novas will go
unnoticed by the motherhunters, much less escape them.
x Novas vs. Baseline Humanity: While this conflict is
present to a degree in all Aberrant stories, it takes on special
significance where breeder novas are concerned. In the opinion
of too many baselines, novas are little more than servants whose
only purpose is to entertain, fight for and clean up after the
common run of humanity. Those novas who refuse to serve as
collective caretakers of baseline humanity – such as breeder
novas – are considered selfish and evil. Other baselines take
note of the power and potential of novas, and see them as the
possible evolutionary successors to homo sapiens sapiens. The
incredible potential of the 2ndGen novas only serves to heighten
the threat these baselines see novas posing to unerupted
humanity, leading them to consider breeder novas a direct cause
of a possible baseline extinction. Baselines who reject those two
viewpoints and all their preconceptions, leaving them free to see
breeder novas as the people they are instead of commodities or
threats to humanity’s survival, tend to be on the scarce side.
What will it take for the rest of baseline humanity to learn the
errors in their ideas about novakind? Are they even willing to
learn, or will they just cling to their mistaken beliefs all the more
tightly?
x Generational Conflict: The event of parents being
eclipsed by their grown children is a common thread throughout
the human condition. As the parents grow old and their
importance wanes over the passing years, their children take
advantage of new things and opportunities their forbears never
had. Worse, the children will have new experiences and do new
things that were either unknown or merely dreamt of during
their parents’ glory days. While some parents learn to take pride
in their grown childrens’ accomplishments, others become bitter
and jealous of the new generation. This situation becomes
especially problematic where novas are concerned. With
considerable numbers of the first generation novas being both
sterile and given to severe egotism, they’ve grown very
comfortable in their place as (some of) the most important
people of the Nova Age. Now toss the breeder novas into the
mix, whose lifestyle choices not only invalidate the worth of the
egotists’ privileged lives, but have given rise to the 2ndGen
novas. When the first generation egotists realize that the 2ndGen
novas will make most of their predecessors look like second-
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stringers (at best) when they come of age, their reactions will
not be pretty.
x Personal Needs vs. Selfless Altruism: While altruism is a
virtue, it can easily be taken too far, and that’s just what too
many baselines are demanding from novas. Almost from their
eruptions, most novas are constantly bombarded with the notion
that their powers are meant to serve humanity, regardless of the
personal sacrifices novas must make to perform that service.
This is no small matter, as this requires giving up all semblance
of a normal life and its associated benefits. In return for that,
novas receive the transitory and hollow rewards of nova life,
which do little or nothing to assuage their personal needs and
increases their risks of developing Taint. Making the situation
even worse is that giving in to the baselines’ demands only
results in them making more and greater demands of novas. By
living undercover, breeder novas have a much better shot at
meeting their personal needs, but at what cost to the world? Can
a balance be struck between novas’ personal needs and their
altruism, or will the increasing demands of the baselines only
serve to further alienate novas from them?
Story Seeds
x An Offer You Can’t Refuse: If any of the player
characters are fertile, this becomes known to someone or some
group that is not only willing to attempt blackmail, but is
powerful enough to have a shot at getting away with it. The
threat this poses to fertile player characters is exposure –
either to the global media at large or one of the factions – as
breeder novas, which can have serious, possibly lethal
consequences. Exactly what the blackmailer wants is up to the
Storyteller, as some will just want to coerce “favors” or large
amounts of money from the fertile player characters. Other
blackmailers will have more unconventional goals. The C-Z
Megasyndicate might want to recruit fertile male player
characters as donors for their sperm bank operation. A
scientific research firm could want the player characters to
serve as lab subjects in their quest to solve the puzzle of nova
infertility. The blackmailers could even be other fertile novas
that are sufficiently obsessed with having children to see the
fertile player characters as convenient breeding partners whose
compliance must be obtained by any means necessary. In any
case, the player characters must find a way to deal with their
would-be blackmailers without risking exposure as breeder
novas.
x Unscheduled Delivery: In the course of their other
activities, the player characters run across a family of breeder
novas who ask for their help in escaping from a group of
motherhunters. (Devious Storytellers may arrange matters so
that the player characters are directly responsible for blowing
the family’s cover, adding in an element of guilt to the story.)
Provided that the player characters aren’t completely callous,
they can be drafted into service as impromptu delivery boys for
the duration. In the midst of their possibly quite lethal conflict
with the motherhunters, the player characters must find answers
to a whole host of questions. Are the parents of the family the
innocent victims faced with unjust persecution that they claim to
be, or are they hiding a history of criminal activity? If their
parents are remorseless criminals, does that also make the
children criminals as well? What faction are the motherhunters
working for, and why are they after the family of breeder
novas? Do they intend to capture the family for interrogation or
lab research, or summarily execute them? And if the player
characters do manage to rescue the family, what will they do
then? Will they part ways from necessity, or can the player
characters set the family up in a new life to replace the one they
lost?
x Hatcher Hunt: The player characters are approached by
a group of motherhunters from one of the more public factions
(Project Utopia, the Directive or a national government) for
their aid in hunting down a highly-tainted Hatcher nova. The
player characters have been identified as the only novas having
the right mix of quantum abilities to track down and deal with
the Hatcher nova before it has a chance to produce offspring.
The motherhunters can provide a limited amount of equipment
and plenty of good information on the target, but ultimately
they’ll be working as the player characters’ backup. And the
catch to all this is that this is a covert operation, where they
must do their job without attracting the notice of the media. If
the player characters prevail, they will have averted a deadly
threat to all human life and will be richly rewarded, assuming
that they survive the mission. If they fail, humankind is looking at
their own possible extinction as the Hatcher nova’s offspring
begin reproducing as well. If they fail to be discreet in either
case, the resulting public relations disaster could wreck
baseline-nova relations for decades to come.
x A Woman Wronged?: A female baseline relative of one
of the player characters has an encounter with a Casanova, and
winds up pregnant by him. What’s more, she says that it
happened against her will. Claiming to have no other recourse,
the woman turns to the nova in her family for help in resolving
this matter. How are the player characters going to handle this?
Did the Casanova actively choose to seduce and impregnate the
woman in question, or was she attempting to induce her own
eruption by having unprotected sex with a nova? If the Casanova
has Mega-Social Attributes, did he use them to impair the
woman’s judgment and make it appear as if she was willingly
seduced by him? Was the encounter the result of an unplanned
social meeting, or was it planned as part of a medical experiment
for which the woman was paid to participate in? If the woman’s
claims are valid and the Casanova is indeed guilty of what
amounts to date rape, what will the player characters do in
order to seek justice on her behalf? Will bringing the Casanova
to trial result in his receiving a well-deserved prison term, or
will he just receive a slap on the wrist and walk away a free
man? Seeking vigilante justice might bring more decisive results
albeit at greater risk, especially if the Casanova is a combathardened elite with a few colleagues on call.
x Outlaw’s Brood: The player characters are elites hired by
a law enforcement agency to track down a criminal nova living in
hiding, who also happens to be the head of a family of breeder
novas. Things start getting complicated when the player
characters realize that they may have been tricked into working
as motherhunters, and it doesn’t get any better from then on.
After watching the family for a while, it soon becomes obvious
that the family head has apparently reformed and forsaken his
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or her criminal past. Has the family head really gone straight, or
is he or she just lying low until the heat dies down? If the family
head’s reformation is authentic, does he or she deserve to be
arrested and sent before a jury? What about the rest of the
family? Are they also criminals who deserve to be hunted down
and arrested, or are they innocent victims in this affair? Who’s
footing the bill for hiring the player characters? Do the player
characters’ clients honestly want to see the criminal nova
brought to justice, or do they have other motives for having this
family captured?
x The DeVries Dynasty: Ever since DeVries diversified
from its beginnings as a purely mercenary company, a power
struggle has been brewing between Anna DeVries and Frank
Carrington. (See Aberrant: Elites pp. 21-24 for details.) Anna’s
giving birth to their child (a male True 2ndGen nova named
Peter) in 2012 only served to intensify the potential for conflict;
as Frank plans to steal away enough DeVries employees to start
his own mercenary company and take sole custody of their son.
Anna’s response to this premeditated personal and professional
betrayal will not be restrained, to say the least. And caught up in
the middle of this mess is young Peter, the other DeVries nova
children and their parents. The player characters are all DeVries
employees – possibly with spouses and children of their own –
that find themselves front and center when this situation breaks
out into open conflict. Not only will the player characters have
to deal with the expected boardroom maneuverings, but they
also risk being caught up in actual combat as the resident elites
choose a side and matters escalate. Will loyalty to their
employers cause them to take part in the conflict, or will the
player characters seek to protect Peter and the other innocents
from this madness? And what will the consequences of their
choices be, both for themselves and for DeVries?
The Sixth Column
At its most basic level, the setting of Aberrant is a world of
mystery & conspiracy; where very little is as it appears and
threats to all but the most powerful novas lurk behind
benevolent façades. This is especially true for the breeder novas
and their 2ndGen children, as many powerful people - even
certain directors of the Aeon Society itself - seem hellbent on
doing away with them. Even so, the breeder novas do have a few
conspiracies that seek to aid them in whatever ways necessary
for their survival. With the stakes piled so high against them,
few breeder novas would balk at accepting this aid, even if it
might come from questionable sources. We have detailed two of
the more notable of these “helpful conspiracies” for ready use in
an Aberrant chronicle, and have provided guidelines for
Storytellers (and ambitious players) who wish to create their
own helpful conspiracies.
Sophia’s Scheme
By all reasonable estimations, the number of breeder novas
who manage to form marital bonds and produce 2ndGen nova
offspring should be miniscule to the point of nonexistence.
Novas are hardly commonplace in 2015 to begin with, and the
fertile ones are even less so. Then there’s the fact that almost all
60
of the potential mates that a breeder nova will encounter will be
baseline humans or sterile novas instead of other breeder novas.
Add in all the obstacles that have been placed in their way
(knowingly or not) by Project Proteus and other groups, and it
becomes apparent that the number of breeder nova families in
2015 should be somewhere in the very low end of the doubledigit range. That’s the conventional wisdom among most who are
both “in the know” about breeder novas and in a position to do
something about the situation. It’s a comforting opinion, as it
greatly reduces the apparent threat posed to the baseline
Establishment by breeder novas and their 2ndGen children.
Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on one’s viewpoint),
this is yet another instance where the conventional wisdom is
gravely mistaken. Against all odds, a sizeable number of breeder
novas actually have managed to form marital bonds and produce
2ndGen offspring. What’s even more astounding is that the
majority of these families have also managed to conceal their
existence from those who would seek to harm or exploit them.
What’s going on here?
There’s a saying among the military and intelligence
communities: Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three
times is enemy action. And in this case, the “enemy” is none
other than Sophia Rousseau. As the “power behind the throne”
of the Aberrants, Mme. Rousseau has been aware of the various
threats posed to breeder novas for quite some time now, and
has been working in two ways to derail said threats. The first
way is instigating the “delivery boy” activities of the Aberrants,
which has been detailed earlier in this book. The other ways all
involve her unmatched command over the forces of entropy,
chaos and probability. Employing a form of probability alteration
of which only the truly powerful novas are capable, Rousseau
has effectively rewritten the “destinies” of breeder novas on a
grand scale. There is no game mechanic for this effect, but
Storytellers who use this subplot in their Aberrant chronicles
should feel free to not only have breeder novas (especially
fertile player characters) “coincidentally” encounter other
breeder novas on a regular basis, but for them to eventually find
their “dream mates” in this manner. (This applies to homosexual
breeder novas as well, the only difference being that producing
offspring will be a bit more difficult for a same-sex breeder
nova couple.) Those breeder novas who do find mates will show
a strong tendency to adopt a low profile, becoming highly
reclusive if not going underground. As Rousseau can sense
breeder novas as a result of her tampering with their destinies,
she will use her powers to “cloak” families she approves of from
hostile attention (typically by decreasing the odds of accidental
exposure to near-zero) and redirect hostile attention to those
she doesn’t. Generally, breeder nova families that Rousseau
doesn’t approve of are those in which the parents are malignant
in some way; such as being highly-tainted, vicious criminals or
simply very poor parenting material. She will attempt to save the
progeny of such unfit parents if she deems such children
salvageable, but will otherwise write them off along with their
parents. Rousseau also keeps a close watch over those families
she’s “cloaked”, and will dispatch Aberrant delivery boys to aid
them as needed.
It is important to note that Mme. Rousseau’s quantumpowered “mass matchmaking” effort has had mixed
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consequences. On the positive side, Rousseau has given novas a
much better chance of long-term survival as a people and as a
human subspecies. The problem with this is that her “destiny
rewrite” didn’t affect only those breeder novas who weren’t
what she considers malignant- it affected all of the breeder
novas. Making breeder novas much more likely to encounter
each other sounds fine at first, as it greatly increases their
chances for finding a suitable mate. Unfortunately, there’s no
guarantee that a breeder nova won’t be one of the malignant
ones, in which case cool aloofness is the best that can be hoped
for. Along with ensuring the survival of non-malignant breeder
nova families, Rousseau has also made it possible for families of
malignant breeder novas to take root and pose a serious threat
to humanity in general. Rousseau has attempted to mollify this
by redirecting the attention of the motherhunters to those
nascent broods of monsters, which has resulted in yet another
batch of mixed consequences. On one hand, no matter who
prevails in the deadly conflict between motherhunters and
malignant breeder novas, a threat to the survival of the nonmalignant breeder novas will have been eliminated. On the other,
this understandable bit of misdirection can easily cause baseline
“experts” on novas (and the powerful people they advise) to
develop the mistaken notion that all novas are doomed to
become taint-ridden monstrosities and/or extremely dangerous
psychotics. Without knowledge of the non-malignant breeder
novas to act as a counterweight, the majority of baseline humans
are all the more likely to consider all novas to be incipient
monsters.
Using “Sophia’s Scheme” in
your chronicle
Inserting this subplot into an Aberrant chronicle isn’t
difficult, as there are only one question that must be answered:
Are some or all of the player characters fertile? If any of the
player characters are breeder novas, Rousseau’s predestination
can affect their lives in radical ways. What happens when a
novox star meets her “perfect significant other”, and vanishes
from public life in order to settle down and start a family in
secret? Not only will the motherhunters be after the former
novox star and her loved ones, but her fans and agent are
definitely going to be on the lookout for her as well. What if it’s
a highly-placed agent of Utopia (or Proteus) that gets bitten by
Rousseau’s love bug? Can he defect and escape from his former
allies without getting himself or his loved ones killed in the
process? What happens if a player character encounters a
malignant breeder nova who is under the delusion that the player
character is his “intended”? How far will the malignant breeder
nova be willing to go in order to claim the player character for
himself? What happens if the player character is a
motherhunter, and finds himself lovestruck for the breeder nova
that he’s been ordered to either capture or kill? In all of these
cases, the question can be boiled down to this: What is the
player character willing to sacrifice in hopes of gaining a loving
spouse and children? If the player characters are not fertile,
Rousseau’s predestination can only affect them indirectly.
Typically, the player characters will be given the choice of
either aiding or hindering the survival of breeder novas. As
usual, context is everything: aiding non-malignant breeder novas
is generally heroic, while doing the same for malignant breeder
novas threatens humanity as a whole. The only real question in
these cases is what sacrifices the player characters are willing to
make on the behalf of other peoples’ survival.
The Maer Enclave
After Bounty’s accusations about Project Utopia being
responsible for nova sterility became common knowledge in
Terat circles, various Terats put together a think tank to look at
the issue, and this first effort failed dramatically. The nova drugs
they found weren’t laced with the sterility cocktail, and other
problems came up which caused the group to be disbanded.
However, various Terat masterminds kept looking into the
subject and corresponding via OpMail. Eventually the
Apothecary and Count Orzaiz realized that the original think
tank had been manipulated by outside interests. Some talks with
the Mathematician convinced them that any research into this
matter would be a magnet for saboteurs and Project Utopia’s
tech police. The trio soon decided to fund the effort properly
and isolate the group. If Utopia was putting this much effort into
disrupting an investigation, then maybe there was something to
be found.
The Maer Enclave is located on one of the minor
undeveloped islands of Indonesia. Thanks to Orzaiz’s secret
negotiations with Prime Minister Sutowow in 2008, the
Casablancas now effectively own the island, where they’ve
created an underground (both literally and figuratively)
scientific research facility. Certain unusual mineral formations
help shield the Maer Enclave from detection via both
technological (spyplanes, surveillance satellites) and paranormal
(nova powers) methods. According to the Indonesian
government, the island is a nature preserve where unapproved
(by Jakarta, anyway) human visitation, habitation and land
development are all highly illegal. This ban has been strictly
enforced, typically using Indonesian military forces whose
standard operating procedure is “shoot first & don’t ask
questions”.
The newly-established Maer Enclave was created with
three long-term goals in mind. First, the resident scientists were
to determine the exact mechanism of the Utopian nova
sterilization agent. This hurdle has been breached, despite
having been an exceedingly tough nut to crack as far as
scientific puzzles go, as the researchers have been atypically
(especially for Terat scientists) objective about their research
and cooperative with each other. There was no disagreement at
all between the researchers on this matter; they are all
convinced that countering Utopia’s “pogrom in a pill” is vitally
important to the survival of the One Race. The second goal was
to find ways for fertile novas to defend themselves against the
Utopian nova sterilization agent. This is where the
disagreements have blossomed. Some want to create a
preventative vaccine, others want to concoct a counteractive
drug, and still others have proposed more radical methods to
shield novas against the Utopian nova sterilization agent. Finally,
the third goal was to find a way to fully restore the fertility of
novas who have already been sterilized. The debates over this
goal haven’t been quite as contentious as those focused on their
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second goal, but the various methods proposed to accomplish
the third goal are somewhat more radical, not to mention
ethically dubious (especially from the viewpoint of baseline
medical ethics). Currently, both the second and third goals are
still in the theoretical stages, with intense conflicts brewing
among the resident scientists over how to accomplish them.
Security at the Maer Enclave is extremely tight. As a
“deep-cover” operation, even the existence - much less the
location and purpose - of the Maer enclave is unknown to the
nearly all other Terats, including Pantheon members such as
Bounty and Scripture and even Mal himself. Other than Count
Orzaiz and the Mathematician; the only Terats who know what is
going on at the Maer Enclave and where it is are actually at the
site. Even Synapse only knows that the island is of some interest
to Orzaiz for unknown reasons, and while the Apothecary knows
of the project he agreed at the beginning that he wouldn’t be
informed of its location. Every computer used at the Maer
Enclave is physically separated from the OpNet so it’s
impossible for them to be hacked externally. All of the Terats
involved in the project were selected not only for their
superhuman intelligence (or other abilities), but also for having
mental shields against telepathy. Terats without mind shields are
simply not allowed anywhere near the Maer Enclave no matter
what their other abilities. The Mathematician was key in
recruiting the Maer Enclave’s personnel. If a prospective recruit
was going to refuse to join the project or refuse the required
isolation, he or she was simply not asked.
The resident scientists of the Maer Enclave are as follows:
x Trang “Doctor Anh Sáng Sao” Xuan Tu’, a Vietnamese
former employee of CORE International before his eruption and
subsequent recruitment by the Mathematician for the
Casablancas. “Dr. Starlight” is better known among Terats for
his glowing blue skin, superhuman visual capabilities, powers
over light and a complete lack of a sense of humor rather than
his nova-caliber skills as a genetic engineer. Anh Sáng Sao sees
himself as the obvious leader of the Maer Enclave, but is
constantly distressed by his fellow scientists’ stubborn rejection
of his “natural authority” - especially in the case of Permafrost,
whose respect (and love) he foolishly hopes to win, somehow.
x Francesco “Thermite” Anselmi, a Utopian paraphysician
from Italy prior to discovering that Utopia had sterilized him. He
then joined the Primacy, where he researched the mysteries of
nova biology in hopes of finding new advantages on the
battlefield for the One Race. Thermite has become obsessed
with the goal of fathering his own nova children, but has avoided
seeking out Bounty’s aid due to wanting to raise his children in
the traditional Italian manner. Thermite’s powers over chemical
reactions and heat serve him equally well both in the lab and in
combat, not to mention checking out attractive nova women like Permafrost - with infrared vision.
x Tamara “Permafrost” Kavanne, a Finnish gynecologist
who erupted after being locked inside a walk-in medical freezer
by the wife of one of the male doctors that she’d been having
affairs with. After taking revenge with her newly-acquired
cryokinetic powers, she was rescued from the local police by
one of Orzaiz’ operatives. As the Casablancas’ premier
gynecologist and expert on human fertility, Permafrost is
determined to replicate Bounty’s superhuman fertility both in
62
herself and in the One Race as a whole. As the Maer Enclave’s
resident Mega-Attractive sex kitten, Permafrost has found that
the male attention she previously reveled in has instead become
a highly-aggravating nuisance.
x Maurice “Brainstorm” Whitworth, a Canadian
pharmaceutical researcher who erupted after accidentally
overdosing on one of his own concoctions. Quickly recruited by
Narcosis, Brainstorm happily invented several highly profitable
designer drugs for the Pandaimonion while becoming a regular
on the Pandaimonion party circuit. When approached to join the
Maer Enclave, Brainstorm couldn’t resist the challenge that the
mystery of nova sterility posed to his intellect. Despite the
revelation that the Utopian sterility agent wasn’t a drug at all,
Brainstorm is confident that he can concoct a wonder drug that
will cure nova sterility - and (hopefully) let him score big with
Permafrost.
x Ethan “Platypus” Butler, a Harvester biologist from New
Zealand and an understudy of the Apothecary. While the
Platypus does greatly resemble his namesake due to his powers
and aberrations (down to having venomous spurs on his wrists
and ankles) his superhuman physical prowess ensures that he’s
nowhere near as ungainly as his deceptively comical appearance
suggests. The Platypus is quite firmly convinced that the
Chrysalis holds the key to overcoming the Utopian nova sterility
agent. Unfortunately, the Platypus is also developing platypus
instincts - such as increased aggressiveness toward his rivals for
Permafrost’s favors - which further clouds his judgment.
Aside from the scientists, also present at the Maer Enclave
are three other Terats: one overworked administrator, one
warper and one fairly dimwitted nova who has the Clone power
and does maintenance work. These last three also double as
security personnel for the Maer Enclave. There is also an AI
which is tied into the monitoring systems and oversees the Maer
Enclave’s isolated mini-OpNet. The warper handles the delivery
of supplies and communications with the outside world, the
cloner deals with ensuring that all the facilities function as they
should, and the administrator vainly tries to keep his much
smarter charges in line. That wasn’t much of a problem at first,
when everything went pretty smoothly and significant progress
was made. However shortly after this initial burst of
productivity, the resident masterminds got caught up in their
own egotism and infighting. All five of the masterminds are
roughly equal in their mental wattage, as well as their
egocentrism and strong wills. Most of them suffer from mental
disorders and all five are very close to embodying the mad
scientist stereotype. The Maer Enclave would likely have been
better off with fewer novas of such brilliance and more novas of
less brilliance (i.e. more followers and fewer leaders), however
this flaw wasn’t foreseen by the Mathematician because of his
heavy involvement in setting up the project.
Using “The Maer Enclave” in
your chronicle
Due the slightly more limited nature of this subplot, it’s best
used in Aberrant chronicles where the player characters are
either Terats themselves or are foes of the Teragen. The most
likely way for Terat player characters to become involved with
the Maer Enclave is to be assigned to aid them in some manner.
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The resident scientists could easily need some lab assistants, or
perhaps the player characters have powers or capabilities that
could aid them in their researches. If the facility is under threat
of attack by hostile novas of military forces, combat-hardened
Nova Vigilance and/or Primacy members could take over
security operations for the Maer Enclave. Of course, that “aid”
could also take the form of Count Orzaiz ordering an
investigation into the scientists’ sudden lack of progress
towards achieving the projects’ second and third goals, with the
player characters as the investigators. In any case, the player
characters will have to deal with the powderkeg of professional
rivalry, laboratory intrigue and sexual tension that the erstwhile
think tank has become. None of the five scientists are willing to
concede that their pet theory holds anything less than the cure
for nova sterility, making the situation potentially explosive. The
sparks that threaten to set off that explosion are provided by
the sexual rivalry of the quartet of male scientists over their
female colleague, who has no romantic interest in any of the
other current Maer Enclave residents whatsoever. As
Permafrost’s normal romantic habits have been frustrated ever
since she joined the Maer Enclave, the chance that she might
fancy one of the male player characters is significant, and her
male colleagues won’t like that one bit. The actions of the player
characters could either bring success to the Maer Enclave and
the promise of restored fertility to the One Race... or cause this
grandoise project to fail utterly. Non-Terat player characters
involved with this subplot will most likely be either mercenary
elites, law enforcement agents or operatives of Project Utopia
(or Project Proteus). Elite investigators could be hired to look
into the apparent disappearance of one or more of the five
“missing” Terat scientists, while espionage-oriented elites could
be hired to investigate the weird satellite imagery from a certain
supposedly uninhabited Indonesian island. One or more of the
resident scientists’ research efforts could easily take an
unethical direction, with experiments involving kidnapped
baselines or novas being only the most obvious way to bring
player character investigators to the Maer Enclave’s door. If
Director Thetis ever gets any hint as to the Maer Enclave’s
existence and location, she will send Proteus nova operatives
there on orders to find out what’s been going on at first
opportunity. If she ever learns the purpose of the Maer Enclave,
Thetis is sure to order it destroyed with extreme prejudice,
while keeping copies of the research data for Proteus’ archives.
Finally, the most radical option for using this subplot with nonTerat player characters is where the Teragen either goes public
with the results of the Maer Enclave’s research - creating
another huge public relation disaster for both Project Utopia and
Aeon - or attempts to use that evidence to blackmail Utopia and
Aeon for some reason. Either way, both Utopian and Proteus
player characters will have their hands full in trying to
ameliorate the resulting damage to Utopia, or in their attempts
to bury the evidence before the Teragen can use it against them.
Alternate Sixth Columns
As you may have noticed, both “Sophia’s Scheme” and
“The Maer Enclave” are listed as completely optional additions
for your Aberrant chronicle. The reasons for this are twofold.
First, not all Aberrant Storytellers keep the storylines of their
games in strict conformity with game canon, nor should they.
There’s no guarantee that Sophia Rousseau will appear as one of
the “good guys” in any given Aberrant chronicle - or that Mme.
Rousseau will even exist, for that matter. Some Aberrant
Storytellers and players will always prefer to use their own
“homebrew” subplots instead of those provided for them.
Second is that fact that even without Director Thetis and
Project Proteus to act as their main collective nemeses, breeder
novas and their 2ndGen nova children in any alternate version of
the Nova Age will eventually find themselves targeted by
motherhunters of some sort. The faces may change, but the
basic situation remains the same: the breeder novas must hide
from (and fight off, when discovered) a planetful of powerful
organizations and individuals who seek to exploit and/or harm
them. These quantum powered families are just that important;
as few governments, multinational corporations or powerful
people in any world would hesitate to either take whatever
advantage of them they could - or attempt to dispose of them, if
they appear to pose a threat. And that’s why we’ve provided
some handy guidelines for interested Storytellers who want to
design their own helpful conspiracies, in response to whatever
motherhunters are present. There are two main types of
subplots that can be inserted into a breeder nova chronicle,
which are described below.
Acts of God
This subplot is centered around the actions of a very
powerful nova who has decided to use his or her powers to aid
breeder novas and their children, either in an overt or covert
manner. In game terms, this means that the culprit must be a
nova with a Quantum rating of 6+ and at least a few dots of a
Level 4+ quantum power that could plausibly be useful in this
situation. As a result, this subplot will typically be used by the
Storyteller, unless the players are using 100+ nova point
characters in the chronicle. “Sophia’s Scheme” is a good
example of this type of subplot; as is the theorized mass
restoration of nova fertility in the 2030s by means of the
Ecological Supremacy power on the part of either Antaeus,
Belladonna or Regina Mundi.
Old-Fashioned Skullduggery
The other subplot involves the actions of novas who lack
the godlike capabilities of Divis Mal and Sophia Rousseau, but
make up for that lack by acting as a coordinated group. Instead
of making sweeping changes with an überpower, these nova
groups must form functional conspiracies in order to aid the
breeder novas. Not only is this subplot more readily available to
players in an Aberrant chronicle, but indulging in this sort of
intrigue can also be more fun for them as well. Changing the
world with an überpower can be fun for the nova who has it, but
good conspiracies are collective efforts, where the fun can be
spread around. “The Maer Enclave” provides a good look at
such a conspiracy, as do the covert space colonization efforts of
the Daedelus League.
In either case, there are several questions about the culprit
and the deed that must be answered for these subplots to work
well.
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x Who is the culprit?
Of the known canon novas in the “Quantum 6+ club” circa
2015, only Caestus Pax, Divis Mal, Antaeus and Sophia Rousseau
are known to still be alive. (Gabriel Melchior died in December of
2009, and there’s little evidence to show that Bounty is
powerful enough to be counted among them.) Going by their
canon roles and personalities, Mme. Rousseau is the one of this
quartet most likely to attempt to aid the breeder novas. Mal and
Antaeus are also possible benefactors for the breeder novas,
despite their being somewhat detached from the experience of
starting families. Finally, Pax is guaranteed to not even consider
helping the breeder novas. Unless his personality diverges
greatly from canon, Pax will certainly be on the side of Proteus
and the other motherhunters. Ironically, Storytellers whose
chronicles diverge from the canon setting and metaplot enjoy a
much greater degree of freedom in their choice of culprit, at the
cost of having to create said nova from the ground up. Choosing
a canon group to be the culprit is only somewhat less daunting.
Unless the players have started their own faction (which isn’t
unheard of), only those canon groups which have been known to
engage in “delivery boy” operations will be likely to form
conspiracies to aid the breeder novas. Non-canon groups have
no such official history constraining them, of course.
x What is the culprit’s motivation?
For all but the most powerful novas, thwarting the efforts
of the motherhunters and their powerful patrons is no small
thing. Depending on the nature of his or her nova capabilities,
the culprit’s attempt to aid the breeder novas may very well
amount to putting his or her neck on the proverbial chopping
block. So what is it that has driven the culprit to take such a
risk? Does the culprit feel an idealistic need to protect “his own
kind” against baseline aggression? Does the culprit have a
grudge against the motherhunters and/or their patrons, and
consider aiding the breeder novas to be her most effective
means of taking revenge? Has the culprit soured on all of
baseline humanity, and seek to ensure the survival and
prosperity of novakind as the only real alternative culture for
her to belong to? Does the culprit see himself as a destined
leader of novakind, and regard his effort to aid breeder novas as
a way to garner support for him to become an authority figure to
them in the future? If the culprit is a breeder nova himself, does
he aspire to starting a family of his own, and see aiding the
breeder novas as a way to help himself and his hypothetical
spouse and offspring? These questions are only a little different
for the members of a culprit group, which must have a broad
goal that all of its members support. If anything, their collective
motivation will have to be more powerful than that of a powerful
lone culprit, especially since they’re a good deal more vulnerable
to reprisals from the motherhunters. Individual members of the
group will also have their own motives for joining the
conspiracy, which will keep things interesting.
x How does the culprit plan to aid the breeder novas?
This is the real “nuts and bolts” question for a powerful
nova: what does the culprit’s quantum powers allow her to do
that could help the breeder novas? In “Sophia’s Scheme”, Mme.
Rousseau uses her powers over entropy and probability to not
only dramatically increase the chances for breeder novas to
encounter each other and form viable marital bonds, but also
64
makes it far less likely that those breeder novas she approves of
will be noticed by the motherhunters. If they are ever so
inclined, Mal’s command over quantum signatures of other novas
and Antaeus’ power to control ecological and biological
processes on a grand scale can also allow them to “stack the
deck” in the breeder novas’ favor in their own ways with a little
forethought. As for Pax, his control over kinetic energy makes
him unsuited to aid breeder novas in both personality and power.
Non-canon culprits have other options available to them; as an
über-telepath could use Consciousness Supremacy to inspire
cautious behavior and a tendency to conceal their identities in
newly-erupted breeder novas. A precognitive nova of this
caliber could predict the eruptions of breeder novas, and make
arrangements to have pre-emptive measures in place to ensure
that they don’t get noticed (much less caught) by the
motherhunters. If the motherhunters are employing sterility
retroviruses as part of their arsenal, a nova with Disease
Authority to destroy or even subvert those bioweapons. Culprit
groups will lack the extreme power of the lone culprits, but can
draw on the wider range of capabilities possessed by their
members instead. Combined with an appropriate strategy,
culprit groups can be startlingly effective. Groups can provide
breeder novas with new identities and livelihoods, relocate them
to any refuge that can be found on Earth (and a few that are off
of it), work to find ways to restore the fertility of sterile novas
and/or immunize breeder novas against the Utopian sterility
retroviruses, and generally hinder the motherhunters’ efforts at
every turn.
x Is the culprit’s effort to aid the breeder novas overt or
covert?
Depending on the circumstances, the culprit may either
conceal or reveal (even if only to the breeder novas he’s
attempting to help) his effort to aid the breeder novas. Overt
efforts have the advantage of letting the affected breeder novas
know how and why they’ve been helped by the culprit, as well as
letting the culprit take the credit for his deed. The downside to
being overt is that some breeder novas may resent the culprit’s
help (rightfully or not), and they will know exatly who to blame
for the “unwanted interference”. Also, overt attempts are
easier for other novas - like the motherhunters - to thwart.
Covert attempts are harder for the motherhunters and other
enemies to interfere with, as even those breeder novas aided by
the culprit’s deed probably know about it. The problem with this
is that it creates a mystery in the lives of those breeder novas
affected by it, and some of them are certainly perceptive and/or
intuitive enough to notice it. If an attempt to investigate a
culprit’s covert deed isn’t quickly derailed, it can easily expose
both the culprit and the breeder novas he helped to the
motherhunters. Culprit groups will typically have no choice but
to keep their actions covert, as secrecy is absolutely vital to the
proper functioning of any conspiracy. Unlike the powerful
novas, a culprit group will not be able to afford being overt and
daring the motherhunters to interfere with them.
x What are the consequences - both good and bad - of the
culprit’s deed?
In all but a few cases, the culprit’s deed will have both good
and bad consequences. Case in point: In “Sophia’s Scheme”,
Mme. Rousseau’s “mass matchmaking” effort affected all of the
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breeder novas, including those who would spawn Trog 2ndGens
and future criminals. Likewise, her “cloaking” of breeder novas
of whom she approves from the motherhunters and baseline
authorities does much to ensure their safety, at the cost of
creating a misperception among baselines that all breeder novas
can only give birth to the monstrous Trog 2ndGen novas. That
mistaken belief will make it very easy for baselines to condemn
all novas as monsters; regardless of their deeds or actual status.
For the mixed consequences of a culprit group’s actions, the
Daedelus League’s relocation of suitable breeder novas to their
asteroid colonies is a good example. On the positive side, the
Daedelus League has provided what are clearly some of the
safest refuges from the motherhunters that exist in 2015. These
asteroid colonies are also an important first step for the
eventual colonization of suitable extrasolar planets by the
Daedelus League, Protectors and whatever other groups of sane
novas that may arise in the decades leading to the Aberrant War
and the Exodus. In short, these novas have a potential for power
and growth of all kinds that is astronomical (pun intended). On
the negative side, the Daedelus League and their fellow space
colonists have for the most part negated themselves as factors
in the ongoing power struggle between the various factions of
the Nova Age. Also, there is an element of rejection in the
Daedelus League’s plans to abandon Earth. In addition to the
desires to lead more satisfying lives and raise their families
without undue interference, they have effectively decided that
Terran civilization and baseline humanity are not worth
protecting. Why should they risk their lives and those of their
children in an effort to defend a society that - for the most part
- only wants to use them as disposable beasts of burden? The
Daedelus League and their fellow future space colonists have a
very bright future ahead of them and their children, but it will
come at the cost of some very dark times on Earth.
Family, Friends
and Fiends
As could only be expected, breeder novas have proven to
be an extremely diverse lot. Aside from their ability to channel
quantum energies, the only thing that binds them together is
their capability to sire or bear the extremely powerful 2ndGen
nova children. Those novas who either seek to aid or harm
breeder novas and their children likewise have little in common.
The following trios of breeder novas, delivery boys and
motherhunters have been designed to show the different paths
that novas can follow in this conflict, and are ready to use as
Storyteller (and possibly player) characters. As always,
Storytellers and players should feel free to alter these
characters to better suit their Aberrant chronicles and/or
personal tastes if desired, but they can also provide story hooks
that are ready-made to be inserted into a breeder nova
chronicle.
Family
Susan Bellson
Background: Up until Susan was well into her fifth year of
childhood, things were fairly happy for the little girl and her
parents in their isolated town in the Colorado Rocky Mountains.
That all changed when Susan’s mother died of pancreatic
cancer, and her father became an alcoholic in a misguided effort
to cope with his wife’s death. While the man was never outright
abusive to his daughter, this did make Susan’s life very unstable
while she was growing up. When Susan was 17, her father was
driving her home - while drunk - along a winding mountain road
at night in a sudden windstorm. As stress built, the two of them
started an argument about his drinking and their rotten lives in
general. The distraction was enough for their car to go over a
cliff. While her father died in the crash, Susan erupted, and was
found by a search party a few days later wandering around the
countryside in shock. She told the authorities about her father’s
drinking, their argument and the storm. Everyone assumed that
Susan had been thrown clear of the car just before it had been
blown off the road. That was seven years ago. The money from
her father’s life insurance policy, along with some modest
financial support from her mother’s family proved sufficient for
Susan to put herself through college. It took Susan a few months
after the accident to realize she’d erupted as a nova, whereupon
she was appalled and quickly decided to walk away from her
powers. It wasn’t a hard choice. When Susan began to
experiment with her powers, she found herself transformed into
a living incarnation of the windstorm, an uncontrollably
destructive force of nature prone to fits of rage and tormented
by memories she didn’t want to deal with ever again. It was
obvious to Susan that she’d eventually wind up leveling buildings
and killing people if she tried to live as a nova 24/7. Fortunately,
she also knew how to shut down her nova powers and revert
back to a near-baseline state. After she learned to control her
powers somewhat, Susan dormed down one day and has
remained dormant ever since then. Susan considers giving up
her powers a fair trade. When dormant, she could live and enjoy
life like any other normal person. Maybe she got some small,
useful things out of eruption like not getting sick, but the bulk of
it was better left alone. Susan doesn’t even consider herself a
nova anymore. Not only has she never told anyone her secret,
it’s been more than 6 years since she has activated her M-R
node, and she’s tried very hard not to think about it. Now Susan
is happily married to an insurance agent, runs her own bridal
shop, and is four months pregnant with her first child.
Description: When she’s channeling quantum, Susan is a
white ghostly figure made up of, and surrounded by, icy winds.
Similarly, her personality is also wild and volatile in this form.
When dormant, Susan is a very attractive Caucasian blue eyed
blonde. Eruption made her healthier and bleached out her hair
from her prior dull brown shade, but she had bleached her hair
even before so her appearance didn’t change much.
Roleplaying Hints: Novas? You can honestly say that as far
as you know there aren’t any around here. Most of the novas
who erupt in places like your neck of the woods either head out
to New York or the West Coast if they don’t leave the country
entirely, and good for them. You have a good, stable life, and
65
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that’s the important thing. Your husband makes a good living
selling insurance, business at your bridal shop has been brisk and
the two of you love each other. Other people can have their
interesting lives, you are long past the pain of growing up and
have no interest in revisiting it. If you’re “about” anything, you
are about the joys of stability. You like your life, and beyond
accommodating the needs of your upcoming child you see no
reason to change.
Nature: Caregiver
Allegiance: Independent
Attributes: Strength 3, Dexterity 4, Stamina 5, Perception 3,
Intelligence 5, Wits 5, Appearance 4, Manipulation 3, Charisma
4
Abilities: Academics 1, Arts 4 (wedding design), Athletics 2,
Awareness 2, Biz 3, Bureaucracy 1, Diplomacy 2, Drive 1,
Endurance 3, Etiquette 2, Firearms 2, Navigation 1, Rapport 4,
Resistance 3, Ride 1, Science 1, Stealth 2, Style 4, Subterfuge 1,
Survival 1.
Backgrounds: Attunement 3, Dormancy 5, Node 4, Resources 3
Merits & Flaws: Common Sense (1 point Merit), Secret (dormant
highly tainted nova, 3 point Flaw).
Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 7, Taint 8 (Albinism,
Chilling [The ambient air temperature in Susan’s vicinity is
lowered by 8 degrees Celsius], Energy Emission [cold wind],
Hormonal Imbalance [Rage], Permanent Power: Bodymorph)
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength yy (Irresistible Force), MegaStamina yy (Adaptability, Regeneration), Mega-Intelligence yy
(Eidetic Memory)
Quantum Powers: Bodymorph: Air yyyy (one dot each of
Density Decrease, Flight, Force Field and Immolate [cold wind,
inflicts bashing damage]), Elemental Anima: Air yyyy
(Enhance/Diminish, Lethal Blast, Sphere, Storm).
Methods and tactics: “How about this dress?” As befits
someone who doesn’t think of herself as a nova, Susan’s
methods are fairly baseline and would revolve around common
sense. If something unpleasant happens she will flee, call the
police, an auto mechanic, her husband, or whoever else is
appropriate. It is extremely unlikely in the normal course of
things that she’d ever “let her genie out of its bottle”, especially
with Susan currently being pregnant. If Susan ever did transform
into her nova self, she would be extremely destructive to any
buildings and any baseline humans nearby, and her secret would
be out. On the other hand, although the lethal force of her other
self isn’t going to be the first club out of the bag, it is there.
Transformed, Susan could attune small objects (a small child
perhaps) and flee, flying through any walls or other barriers. She
could reduce the amount of air around large areas to nearvacuum and induce suffocation. She could employ the storm
technique to bring down buildings and/or hamper people.
Although Susan’s nova self is violent and (by baseline standards)
crazy, she isn’t actually a different person and her motivations
would be the same. It is unlikely anyone could convince Susan to
transform into her nova self without physically threatening her
family, but if they did, they’d find themselves as the targets for
Susan’s rage and deadly force.
Note: Unknown to Susan, her husband David is also a closet
breeder nova. For his part, David strongly suspects that Susan
has erupted, but has decided to avoid that topic until Susan feels
66
comfortable enough with it to “come out” to him. Also, Susan’s
unborn child will be born as a True 2ndGen nova, provided that
she remains dormant for the remainder of her pregnancy. If she
does not, she risks pregnancy complications and having her child
become a Trog 2ndGen nova.
Andy “Loverboy” Smith
(formerly Mitch Falwell)
Background: Mitch was the illegitimate son of an unwed
teen mother, and the other residents of the small Kansas town
he grew up in never let him forget it. Mitch was always getting
into unearned trouble as a result of his neighbors’ prejudices, so
early on he decided he might as well become a troublemaker in
truth and have as much fun as possible. While in high school,
Mitch was being busted for underage drinking when he erupted.
His new powers let him pass the blood test, and the charges
were dropped. It wasn’t long before Mitch figured out that he
could also beat up jocks and score with their babes. He could
even become someone else to pull off some awesome practical
jokes… like knocking up the daughters of both the local head of
the Church of Michael Archangel and the local sheriff. Mitch was
never implicated in the following investigations, but he still
decided that his hometown was in danger of becoming too hot
for his liking. Mitch was on a Greyhound bus headed for New
York City a few days later, with his few belongings and a healthy
amount of stolen cash. Immediately dismissing Project Utopia as
unsuited to his tastes, Mitch instead applied at DeVries’ New
York office. Mitch was signing a contract with some very nice
benefits right after the interview. After helping Mitch reinvent
himself as “Andy Smith”, DeVries set him up as a paid escort for
baseline ladies around the party circuit. Andy has also been
acting as a stud nova in DeVries’ “compensated dating” program
since its’ inception. A year’s worth of working for DeVries
hasn’t stopped Andy from indulging in his favored pastime of
hell-raising, he’s only become much more discreet about it.
Whether or not Andy will eventually grow up is an open
question. When Andy gives thought to the ethics of what he
does (which is rare), he thinks that novas like him are
responsible for creating the next generation of novas, especially
since most other elites are so busy killing off so much of the old
one… or something like that. He didn’t really follow all the logic
of the “queen bee” theory one of the scientists at DeVries went
into when Andy joined DeVries’ “compensated dating” program.
But Andy knows that it’s his duty to get as many women
pregnant as possible.
Description: In his “default” form Andy is a drop-dead
gorgeous Caucasian male, noticeably taller than average with
sandy-blond hair and hazel eyes. He typically appears to be in
his early twenties thanks to his near-constant use of
Appearance Alteration, but is actually only 16 years old.
Roleplaying Hints: The world is yours now, but the one
thing you learned from eruption was that getting caught sucks,
so no bragging about it. Subtlety rules. Continue to research
your project(s) and be sure to take lots of time off for “breaks”.
Smile mysteriously, give a wink and a nod, and let people see
what they want to see in you. Make small talk and make sure
their glass is half full. Other novas, especially elites are better
left “prankless” and avoided, not so much because you’re afraid
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of them… okay, maybe exactly because you are afraid of them,
but also because some of them are better at the social thing than
you are and some of them are able to effortlessly see through
your attempts to disguise.
Nature: Somewhere between Hedonist and Jester
Allegiance: DeVries
5
Abilities: Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Carousing 3, Disguise 1, Drive
1, Endurance 3, Investigation 5, Legerdemain 1, Linguistics 1
(English native, French), Martial Arts 1, Perform 1, Resistance 3,
Seduction 5, Stealth 1, Style 2, Subterfuge 3.
Backgrounds: Backing (DeVries) 1, Cipher 3, Eufiber 2,
Resources 3
Merits & Flaws: Speedy (7 point Merit, +7 to Initiative), Lusty (1
point Flaw), Secret (teenage serial deadbeat dad and former
thief, 3 point Flaw).
Quantum 1, Quantum Pool 22, Willpower 6, Taint 0
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength y (Quantum Leap), MegaStamina yy (Health), Mega-Perception y (Bloodhound), MegaAppearance y (Appearance Alteration, Copycat, Seductive
Looks), Mega-Charisma y (Seductive)
Quantum Powers: Body Modification: Enhanced Vomeronasal
Organ, Intuition y.
Methods and tactics: Andy is always careful to not wear his
own face when pulling off his “pranks”, especially those that
involve seducing women. Combined with his Cipher rating and
investigative skills, this makes fingering Andy as the culprit
close to impossible. If Andy is caught while pulling a prank and it
looks like it’s getting violent, he’ll use Quantum Leap and a quick
use of Copycat to escape. With the exception of his
“compensated dates”, Andy is also careful to never get any of
the women he “escorts” pregnant, as that would bring the
DeVries gravy train to a halt, but other than that the sky is the
limit. One of Andy’s favorite tricks is to “date” women who are
currently fertile. He especially delights in knocking up the
daughters and/or wives of the more straight-laced and
moralistic members of society, as Andy considers “loosening up
their world” to be great fun. The irony of such “upstanding
pillars of the community” becoming implicated in the resulting
scandals is just desserts as far as Andy’s concerned. Fortunately
for Andy, his definition of “straight-laced” does not include
elites or other novas, and he takes considerable pains to avoid
targeting them and their relatives with his pranks. Andy’s
methodology is very flexible and he tends to make it up as he
goes along. Common techniques he uses are:
y First scoping out the babes, picking one, figuring out
what she wants, then leaving. A little later he’ll come back
wearing a different face, clothes, and mannerisms and make his
move. This can range from looking like someone he wants to
blame to being a generic ‘other person’ and leaving no trace, or
even looking like someone’s significant other to put the moves
on them. If possible he’ll wait to make his move until the two of
them are alone or alone in a crowd.
y Andy’s powers prevent him from getting drunk or
drugged. Thus he can engage in drinking contests or just wait
for the party to supply alcohol. He can and will use his social
skills to encourage drinking, typically more on the part of
obstacles to his schemes than on his “dates” (if his social skills
can’t get someone to say yes then it must be a seriously messed
up situation).
y As a matter of habit Andy doesn’t tend to leave
fingerprints whenever he can avoid doing so.
y If a woman says no and means it, Andy will assume she’s
an elite and walk away (this was beaten into him one night).
y Andy tends to function at one of two levels, either
determined or opportunistic. If all he’s looking to do is score
with a hot babe then opportunity rules and there are lots of fish
in the ocean… well, make that singles bars and college campuses.
But a well-crafted prank can take weeks or even months of
determined research and preparation before it can be pulled off.
Jean “Insecta” Whittaker
Background: A year ago, Jean Whittaker was an
unattractive young spinster who worked as a registered nurse at
Rush-Presbyterian-St Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. During
a home invasion of her three-room apartment, Jean was raped
by the robber and became pregnant. After enduring the
unwanted fetus inside of her for nine months, Jean erupted while
she was recovering from her labor. At first eruption was
wonderful for Jean, as not only was she no longer fat or ugly, she
was now superhumanly attractive and charismatic. She could fly,
and command insects with her mind. She also gained a bizarre
power to make men pregnant with her children, which she
regarded as an embarrassing secret. Flush with a newfound selfconfidence from her eruption, Jean found the strength of will to
give her child up for adoption. After mastering her nova
capabilities, Jean then tracked down her rapist via her
superhuman senses and insect servants, and proceeded to beat
him to death with her bare hands. Jean was never even
suspected of the murder. Maybe it was residual anger she had
from being raped, maybe it was the guilt from killing her rapist
and getting away with it, maybe it was the guilt from giving her
child up for adoption (on some level this felt like abandoning
him), but since her eruption Jean has become absolutely riddled
with taint. (In game terms she has been buying things tainted,
most recently her fifth dot of quantum). Now she is a very
twisted reflection of all of her guilts and wishes. As Insecta she
seduces (rapes?) men, leaving them pregnant with her fetus
inside of them and then once again she just walks away from her
offspring. She’s also rebuilt her psyche into that of a sociopath
so that this inhuman behavior feels natural to her now. Having
quit her nursing job, Insecta supports herself as a transient by
preying (mostly) on Chicago’s criminal population. This is more a
matter of convenience to her mind than justice or compassion killing and robbing criminals instead of “solid citizens” attracts
less attention from the police. Usually.
Description: Before her eruption, Jean Whittaker was a
short, unhandsome Caucasian female in her mid-thirties with
frizzy brown hair and watery blue eyes, and had become
noticeably obese as a result of her pregnancy. Just after her
eruption, Jean was an absolutely stunning beauty of supermodel
caliber, being slightly taller than average with satiny black hair
and sapphire blue eyes. As Insecta, she’s gone from “model” thin
to “starving model on crack” thin and she now smells pleasantly
of fresh honey. She dresses surprisingly well when on the hunt
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for either mates or funds.
Roleplaying Hints: People? There are no people, just
objects. Those things walking around on two legs are either
potential mates or (more often) threats to your survival. Try not
to talk with them any more than is necessary, insects make more
sense.
Nature: Survivor
Allegiance: Independent
5
Abilities: Animal Training 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 5, Disguise 1,
Endurance 3, Intrusion 4, Investigation 3, Martial Arts 2,
Medicine 2, Navigation 2, Perform 1, Resistance 3, Seduction 5,
Stealth 3, Style 4, Streetwise 2, Subterfuge 1, Survival 2.
Backgrounds: Attunement 2, Cipher 5, Node 2, Resources 2
Merits & Flaws: None.
Quantum 5, Quantum Pool 28, Willpower 7, Taint 8 (Altered
Gestation [Insecta must implant her fetus into a large, healthy
young man in order for it to develop properly, & cannot bear it
to term herself], Estrus [Insecta is driven to mate once a month,
with healthy men only], Painfully Thin, Sociopathic, Strange
Scent [smells like honey])
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength yy (Precision), MegaDexterity y (Catfooted), Mega-Stamina yyy (Accelerated
Gestation x2, Fertility, Health, Regeneration), Mega-Perception
yyy (Bloodhound, Ultraperipheral Perception), Mega-Wits y
(Mind Over Matter), Mega-Appearance yy (Seductive Looks),
Mega-Charisma yy (Seductive)
Quantum Powers: Animal Mastery yy (Weakness: Insects only),
Bioluminescence y, Body Modification: Enhanced Vomeronasal
Organ, Body Modification: Parasitic Gestation (3 nova point
level), Claws yyy, Flight yy, Immobilize (webbing) yyy, Poison
yy (Extra Duration x2: effect lasts for days, Weakness: Only
produces a single poison type, reduces victim’s Strength dice
pool), Psychic Shield yy.
Methods and tactics: Once a month Insecta’s instincts drive
her to try and reproduce. So far she has made five attempts,
with four of the men dying before her offspring could come to
term and the fifth being recovered by the police (he was sterile).
Insecta’s fifth victim is still paralyzed and is currently
hospitalized. Insecta has figured out that leaving men in hot
attics results in their death after a couple of days, so she won’t
be doing that anymore. She’s also figured out that her “partner”
needs to be extremely fit and big (in game terms, have the Huge
Size Merit) to survive long enough to bring her offspring to
term. Now she will look for young, large men (the bigger the
better) to serve as her mates. When stalking humans for their
cash, Insecta typically disguises her attack as a seduction
attempt. Once she’s gotten her victim alone, she quickly kills him
and helps herself to his cash. If forced into combat, she almost
always strikes from ambush to minimize any risks to herself.
While Insecta can talk normally she doesn’t bother to do so
beyond the minimum necessary to make purchases or seduce
men, as she now finds communication with humans fairly
pointless and confusing. If Insecta senses another nova, or even
the police, she will flee. Insecta only goes out at night and is
always on the lookout for empty homes that she can squat in and
68
use as “love nests” for her mates. If she can’t find an empty
home then she will find an abandoned car or building or
somewhere else to lair. For money she sometimes raids criminals
after asking her insects to look for drugs, other times she pulls
money from the wallets of her victims or money stashed in
houses where she lairs. She used to visit soup kitchens but the
social interaction was too much for her. When the urge to mate
is on her she will fly around and look for suitable mates. Insecta
prefers to seduce a chosen mate so that he’ll accompany her to
her lair under his own power. If her seduction attempt fails (or if
she’s feeling too desperate to bother with seduction), she will
simply grab the first suitable mate she finds, poison him so that
he can’t struggle, and fly off with him. Then she will carry him
off to her current lair, mate with him, web him up, and leave to
find herself a new lair. As bad as the threat posed by Insecta is
now, potentially it could be much worse. At the moment it’s
unclear whether or not her “children” would inherit her powers,
but if she picks up a second level of Fertility her offspring would
most likely be Trog 2ndGen novas. If Insecta develops the
Adaptability enhancement, she could become almost impossible
for a group of novas to deal with. Finally, if Insecta gains further
dots of permanent taint, she could become driven to mate on a
daily basis, possibly reproducing asexually and making clones of
herself.
Friends
David Bellson
Background: David came from a typical boring Colorado upper
middle class family composed of a mother, father, three children
and a dog. Dad was a high-level manager for a local mining
company, while Mom stayed home and raised the kids. As the
middle child of a family made up of stable, well-off people his
family life was fairly idyllic, even if it was like having Ward &
June Cleaver for parents at times. Everyone got along and was
reasonably comfortable and happy. David never managed to pin
down the exact time of his eruption, as he’d never had anything
more than minor headaches. It’s possible that it took years, since
far back as he can remember he’d always considered himself
lucky. At some point in high school David blossomed in several
ways, which included becoming both a talented athlete and a
knack for dealing with people really well socially. With his father
being a noted former jock and varsity baseball team captain
during his own high school days, he wrote off his talent for
sports as “inherited good genetics” at the time. During his
senior year of high school, David’s life began to take a turn for
the bizarre that he couldn’t explain away. The young man started
to have dreams that told him things about the world that he
couldn’t possibly have learned through normal means, although
telling the prophetic dreams from his normal ones took him a
while. It was at this time that he dreamed about a female
classmate of his getting hit by a car, only to transform into an air
elemental and start killing people afterwards. David intervened
and prevented the accident from taking place, after which he
began observing the young woman in question. Soon enough
observation became outright attraction, and they started dating.
A few years later, David and Susan got married while attending
college. By his sophomore year in college the dreams had turned
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into full-blown visions that came to him even during his waking
hours, and after a while David figured it out. Somehow, he had
erupted as a nova and had gained the ability to see visions of
both the past and possible future events. Although he briefly
considered telling people about his eruption, it seemed best to
keep his “ace” hidden until he figured out what he could and
would do. After a while David decided that he’d just stay hidden,
as he noticed that all sorts of unpleasant people took notice of
novas and made preparations to deal with them. Considering
that those “preparations” ranged from social pressure and
blackmail to bringing in other novas and cold-blooded murder,
David felt that living openly as a nova wasn’t for him. He also
realized that his power of pretercognition fell into the category
of “way too useful for his own good”. It didn’t take precognition
to see that certain people with secrets to hide could assume that
he knew too much and would try to do something permanent
about the threat he posed to them. Only slightly less distasteful
was the prospect of finding himself conscripted by some covert
government agency, where he’d likely end up living in a gilded
cage while using his visions “for the good of national security”.
David decided to keep his nova status secret, and he has never
seen a reason to alter this choice. After college David used his
powers to become a very well-paid insurance salesman, and
nowadays he owns his own insurance company. His
pretercognition has allowed him to avoid otherwise-profitable
contracts for people and properties that are highly likely to be
seriously injured, killed or damaged in the future, as he’ll see the
trouble coming and not take up the contract in the first place.
David found that the ability to check the future and make the
right choices in a business environment is extremely profitable.
His company has been extremely profitable and tends to avoid
serious losses in the wake of major traffic accidents and natural
disasters, including collateral damage from other novas’ quantum
battles. Luckily for David, as a private company he doesn’t need
to post his profits and as a small company it’s easy to avoid
publicity. To date David has never told anyone he is a nova, not
even his wife Susan. Since he doesn’t really look the part and
doesn’t have any flashy powers, it’s been fairly easy to stay in
the closet so far.
Despite the success of his insurance company and his
happy marriage to Susan, there are still several things that
continue to worry him. After preventing the traffic accident
where he’d first seen Susan in his dreams, David thought he’d
prevented her from erupting into the enraged elemental
creature he’d seen in his vision. His later visions of Susan in her
elemental form quickly threw that conclusion into dispute. David
now suspects that Susan must have erupted at some point in the
past, but he isn’t totally sure whether or not she’s aware of it.
When he looks at those futures where he brings up that subject
in private conversation, Susan gets very upset. David’s decided
that when Susan is ready she will come to him, as it seems like
this is a sore subject that he shouldn’t touch. A few years ago he
noticed something else very disturbing in his visions. In every
future where he and Susan go public as novas, they end up losing
their unborn child to a miscarriage and become unable to have
any more children. In every future where they go public as
fertile “breeder novas”, an accident of some sort occurs and
they (and their child) end up dead. The conclusion that the more
vile rumors about some conspiracy being behind novas’ fertility
problems were true was fairly obvious to David… so without
telling his wife he made plans for them. Plans to flee. Plans to
hide. Plans to establish secret caches of money and supplies.
Then David figured out that they weren’t the only closet
breeder novas facing this problem.
Description: David appears to be a fit and moderately
handsome Caucasian man, perhaps in his early thirties. He has
brown eyes which are beginning to develop crow’s feet, and
wavy black hair that has noticeably thinned. He typically dresses
in whatever business or casual attire is appropriate for the
occasion, and wears wire-framed eyeglasses (which he doesn’t
actually need).
Roleplaying Hints: The reason why people say “don’t shoot
the messenger” is because the messenger is usually shot.
Similarly, telling people you made ten times what they did last
year is unlikely to convince them to buy insurance policies from
you. You get more money by being humble than by being selfimportant; so never brag, or talk about money, or mention what
the future will bring. Be sure to gamble for small stakes and lose
on purpose (this can be hard, but do it anyway). Go hunting with
the guys and let the other guy get the first shot… but be good
enough that they respect you. Giving money opens doors, this
specifically includes political ones. Be active in church, and be
sure to meet lots of people. When making big decisions examine
the issue from several viewpoints, specifically Susan’s and the
future.
Nature: Architect
Allegiance: Aberrants
4
Abilities: Animal Training 1, Athletics 2, Awareness 5*, Biz 5*,
Bureaucracy 2, Drive 2, Endurance 3, Firearms 2, Gambling 1,
Interrogation 1, Investigation 5*, Martial Arts 1, Might 1,
Navigation 2, Perform 2, Rapport 3, Resistance 3, Ride 1,
Stealth 1, Style 2, Subterfuge 5, Survival 2, Tradecraft 3*.
Abilities marked with * are heavily dependent on David’s
precognitive powers, and if he loses them through being moxed
or dorming then he functions at three dots less.
Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Susan Bellson, Sophia Rousseau), Cipher
2, Contacts 3 (various business contacts), Dormancy 2,
Followers 3 (his office staff), Influence 2, Node 1, Resources 5
Merits & Flaws: Common Sense (1 point Merit).
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Perception yyy (That Creepy Feeling),
Mega-Intelligence y (Mental Prodigy: Strategic), MegaManipulation y (Persuader), Mega-Charisma y (Perfect Guest).
Quantum Powers: Intuition yy, Luck yyyyy, Premonition
(Others) yy, Pretercognition yy, Psychic Shield yy**.
**Attempts to read David’s mind tend to result in the
gathering of a great deal of mind-numbingly boring accounting
information.
Methods and tactics: If David senses he’s going to run
across a nova he makes sure that he doesn’t. This limits some of
his activities, but the price of exposure as a nova is just too high
for him to accept. For example, David could run for public office,
but sooner or later this course of action would require him to
69
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meet other novas publicly, which in turn would result in his being
“outed” as a nova. When dealing with baselines David makes
sure to be a good businessman and only sell people what they
need. As a soft target with no combat abilities, in theory David
should be an ineffectual player in the grand game of power in
the Nova Age. In practice David has proven to be a force
multiplier in the factional struggles. David’s visions led him to
contact the head of the Aberrants, Sophia Rousseau. Now he
acts as a private oracle for Mme. Rousseau, and gives her his
precognitive “advice” via a mind link. It’s been a profitable
relationship for the both of them; as David gets to aid the
Aberrants (and receive the same from them, if needed) while
staying firmly in the closet. In return, Sophia gets timely
forecasts from David on a variety of concerns, letting her see
what’s coming and make appropriate plans.
Sally “Rebel Yell” Seashore
Background: Sally Seashore was born in the spring of 1994
to a neo-hippie couple in San Francisco, California, but early on
in her life they “found Jesus” and made a radical lifestyle
change. Moving out of their apartment in the Haight-Ashbury
district, they reinvented themselves as social reactionaries and
Christian fundamentalists, and resettled in a small house in the
outskirts of Daly City. They didn’t change their family name
however, which pretty much ensured that Sally would regularly
be picked on at school by her peers. This unearned mistreatment
caused Sally to develop a rebellious streak at an early age, much
to her parents’ consternation. That consternation became
outright dismay as Sally also developed other “undesirable”
traits such as disrespect for authority, rejection of traditional
values, and a total unwillingness to accept her divinely ordained
role of “meek, obedient housewife”. Things only became more
strained when Sally hit 14 and became a devoted fan of novas
(and a would-be nova groupie). Their tolerance for Sally’s
freethinking ways reached the breaking point in Sally’s 16th
year, when they discovered that she was three months pregnant.
Aghast that their willful daughter had been having sex without
their knowledge or permission and had shamed them in front of
their congregation, Sally’s parents promptly disowned her and
kicked her out of the house. It wasn’t but 24 hours later that
Sally erupted just a few blocks away from Golden Gate Park in
respose to a mugging attempt. After beating the hell out of her
assailant with her newfound superhuman speed and mastery of
the martial arts, the would-be mugger was arrested by a nearby
police officer and sent to a hospital for his injuries. In the throes
of a typically horrible eruption headache, Sally allowed herself to
be whisked away to the San Francisco Rashoud clinic for medical
assistance. The whole experience of registration and testing
somehow felt a bit off to Sally, but having nowhere else to go,
she ignored her uneasiness. Even though Utopia’s smile-faced
authoritarianism quickly began to grate on Sally’s nerves, her
determination to master her nova capabilities allowed her to
hold back her natural recalcitrance while they trained her. It
wasn’t until Sally suddenly had a miscarriage and found herself
sterile that her constant unease blossomed into the certainty
that Project Utopia had deliberately killed her unborn child. Sally
then left Utopia without a word, and disappeared into the
streets of San Francisco. It wasn’t soon afterwards that Sally
found herself recruited by the Aberrants, and things finally
70
started going right for her. Now she works for the Aberrants as
a delivery girl, operating mostly in the western regions of North
America. As far as Sally is concerned, every breeder nova and
nova child she saves from the motherhunters is another dollop of
revenge against Utopia and Aeon. It remains to be seen when
Sally will consider herself and her unborn child to have been
avenged.
Description: Sally is a fashion model-caliber caucasian
woman with straight black hair and cherrywood-brown eyes. As
she’s a bit shorter than average and looks younger than she
really is, she can easily pass herself off as still being in her late
teens instead of her true age of 21.
Roleplaying Hints: Stay calm. Stay cool. Smile. And be the
first one to act, there’s no point to having all this speed if you let
the other guys go first. You are not “over” what those jerks at
Utopia did to you and your unborn child, but you have come to
terms with it. You even know that most people aren’t ready to
accept the truth about Utopia so mostly you don’t talk about it.
What you do now days is stop others from making your
mistakes… even if that does sound too much like your damn
parents for your comfort. Just be sure to take advantage of your
infrequent downtime to go clubbing and pick up a boyfriend now
and then.
Nature: Rebel
Allegiance: Aberrants
4
Abilities: Athletics 5, Awareness 3, Brawl 2, Command 1,
Disguise 2, Drive 1, Endurance 3, Firearms 1, Intrusion 2,
Linguistics 2 (English native, French, Spanish), Martial Arts 5
(specialty), Medicine 1, Navigation 2, Rapport 2, Resistance 3,
Stealth 2, Streetwise 2, Style 1, Survival 2, Tradecraft 1.
Backgrounds: Allies 2 (Aberrants), Attunement 5, Backing 2
(Aberrants), Cipher 2, Eufiber 3, Node 2, Resources 2.
Merits & Flaws: Speedy (7 point Merit, +7 to Initiative),
Intolerance (of Utopian/Aeon agents & employees, 1 point
Flaw).
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength y (Quantum Leap), MegaDexterity yyy (Rapid Strike), Mega-Stamina y (Durability,
Regeneration), Mega-Wits yy (Quickness x3), Mega-Charisma
yy (Seductive).
Quantum Powers: Armor yy, Strobe yy (Sensory Deprivation
Wave), Hypermovement (Running) yyy, Intuition yy, Psychic
Shield yy.
Methods and tactics: Sally generally gets two types of
missions. In a “grab the goods and run” mission, somehow the
Aberrants have discovered that some breeder nova couple
who’ve been living in the closet has had (or maybe that’s ‘will
have’) their cover blown. Typically Sally is told to get to a
breeder nova couple and to get them (and their kids, if any) out
of whatever danger they’re facing before the shit even has time
to hit the fan. Sally isn’t sure how the Aberrants are getting such
timely information, but someone must really on the ball as she’s
usually the first person on the scene. She will then make first
contact with the breeder nova couple and explain to them that
the motherhunters and/or Utopians and/or other unsavory types
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are only a step behind her. Hopefully Sally can convince them to
flee, allowing her to just pick her charges up and rocket off at
superspeed, leaving an empty house with the lights on. Sally is
extremely convincing and she will use that to her advantage. She
can attune one or more people (depending on their weight) so
they will gain immunity to side effects of her speed, and anyone
over that weight limit can be carried. Sally will then take her
charges to a safehouse where other Aberrants will take over and
see to relocating the breeder novas somewhere safer. Sally’s
other type of mission can be called “covert social calls”, and
involve her making contact with breeder novas or Aberrant
sympathizers whose covers have NOT been blown. The
objectives for this type of mission vary; Sally’s tasks have
included talking Aberrant sympathizers into setting up a
safehouse and warning breeder nova couples against “coming
out of the closet”. On these missions Sally often chooses to
make contact gradually. Sally still looks young enough to pass as
an older teenager, and she takes pains to reinforce that image
by doing her hair up in a ponytail and keeping up to date with the
latest teen fashions and fads. This form of social camouflage
allows Sally to walk up to someone quite openly in a large variety
of public settings without attracting undue attention. If other
(usually hostile) novas show up during a mission, given the
choice Sally will simply zoom off and let them eat her dust. If she
must engage in combat, Sally prefers to take full advantage of
her speed to attack and then move out of range of any
counterattacks. Sally also has the ability to give a nerveshattering “rebel yell” (thus her name) which overloads her
opponents’ nervous systems for a few moments. If she thinks
she’s dealing with other novas sometimes she will open with her
“rebel yell” as a prelude towards running away.
Bene “Bounty” Manata
Background: Bene Manata was married when she was 14.
She then proceeded to have miscarriage after miscarriage until
her husband divorced her when she was 18. Alone and lacking
any direction in her life, Bene’s curiosity led her to the Ethiopian
outback, where Project Utopia’s Operation Eden was underway.
Once there, Bene got caught up in a Utopian terraforming
accident that triggered her eruption. She was ‘rescued’ by
nearby Utopian novas, who convinced her to sign on with the
Project. With her power over plants Bene was assigned to work
closely with Antaeus in his efforts to further Operation Eden.
However, shortly after starting work with Antaeus, Bene was
exposed to the Utopian sterility cocktail and she recognized it
for what it was. After very quietly informing Antaeus about the
Utopian sterility cocktail, Bene fled from Project Utopia. She
then approached Count Orzaiz for advice on joining the Teragen
and was promptly recruited by him. From that point on, Bounty
became the Teragen’s de facto fertility goddess and has been
accepted (albeit a bit grudgingly) as a member of the Pantheon.
Bounty’s claims to membership in the Pantheon are that she has
gone through a Chrysalis and she cares for, and has helped
conceive, the Teragens’ children. One effect of Bounty’s
evolution through Chrysalis has been a tendency to care so
deeply for ‘her’ children that she can’t let go of them. It is for
this reason Bounty insists all Terat novas who make use of her
services must leave the resulting children in her care.
Description: Bounty is a striking woman with African
features, with dark eyes and green leaves instead of hair. Her
skin has a delicate covering of leafy vines and moss growing
from it, which also gives off the pleasant scent of fresh-cut
grass. As this vegetation provides her with what she considers
adequate coverage (and she rarely associates with baselines),
Bounty typically goes without clothing of any sort.
Roleplaying Hints: You don’t have much interaction with
the ‘outside’ world because the children come first. Your time is
mostly spent entertaining and educating them. They are the
reason you exist and your life’s calling. The only reason you
don’t have more is to concentrate on the ones you already have.
When you do interact with the outside world you advocate
peace among your fellow Terats. Peace would allow the children
to grow up and mature and eventually take their place among the
most evolved. While your calling has been your source of
strength and direction, it has also blinded you to some of the
maneuverings of your more ruthless fellow Pantheon members.
Nature: Caregiver
Allegiance: Teragen
Archetype: Portent
Stage: Second
4
Abilities: Academics 1, Animal Training 1, Arts 1, Athletics 1,
Awareness 1, Command 1, Diplomacy 1, Endurance 3, Etiquette
1, Interrogation 1, Instruction 3 (Children), Linguistics 4
(Orominga native, Amharic, English, Arabic, French), Medicine
2, Rapport 5, Resistance 3, Ride 1, Stealth 2, Style 1, Survival 1,
Seduction 1
Backgrounds: Attunement 1, Backing 3 (Teragen), Contacts 3
(Teragen), Influence 2 (Teragen), Node 3, Resources 3
Quantum 4, Quantum Pool 30, Willpower 7, Taint 3, Chrysalis 2
(Fur/Feathers [skin covered with a thin layer of leafy vines &
moss], Obsession [rearing/protecting ‘her’ children], Psychic
Feedback*, Strange Scent [smells like freshly-cut grass])
*Bounty is so “in tune” with living creatures that she
experiences their pain as her own. In game terms, treat this as
the 4 point “Passive” flaw combined with a pathological
aversion to consuming animal-derived foods (requires
Willpower roll to overcome). Psychic Feedback is a mediumlevel mental aberration.
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina yyy (Adaptability, Fertility
x2, Health), Mega-Perception yy (Body Awareness,
Bloodhound), Mega-Intelligence y (Mental Prodigy: Medical),
Mega-Charisma y (Seductive)
Organ, Fertility yyyy*, Animal/Plant Mastery yy (Nature
Mastery), Growth yyy**
*Fertility is a Level 2 quantum power derived from the
Body Manipulation technique of Biomanipulation, and is limited
to briefly increasing a subject’s fertility.
**Growth is a Level 2 quantum power identical to the
Biomanipulation technique of the same name.
Methods and tactics: With her powers Bounty could easily
feed an army, a pity she doesn’t have one. On occasion she has
been assigned bodyguards from the various Terat factions or
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from her charges’ parents, but she has found that having more
than one promotes conflict and causes her to spend too much
time mediating disputes. She allows one, and only one, nova
guard at her Nursery. Typically this is a parent of one of the
children. Other than that she uses her powers to turn nature
against the few baselines who wander too close to the Nursery
until they leave.
Fiends
Alice “Anguish” Nyce
Background: On the madness of the first anniversary of NDay, a nova who was ‘celebrating’ his eruption raped Alice. She
found out she was pregnant shortly thereafter. This put her
under enormous emotional stress, as she both wanted the baby
badly and didn’t want it at all. Deeply religious, abortion was
something she wanted and needed badly, and she was absolutely
opposed to the idea with every fiber of her being. After a few
weeks of the anguish of this mental deadlock, Alice erupted.
This solved one set of problems, but at a cost. Alice became
sterile, had a miscarriage, and gained powers that revolved
around sterility. Distraught, she went to Utopia and came to the
attention of Director Thetis, who turned Alice’s physical and
mental issues into assets for Proteus. With some psychological
counseling, Alice came to the conclusions that her barrenness
was God’s will, and that her nova powers were tools with which
to perform the service God had commanded from her. Alice now
considers her job of covertly sterilizing other novas to be her
calling, and sees the phenomenon of nova sterility as God’s
divine judgment on novas as a whole. After meeting Mary
Armstrong (see below), Alice has found further justification for
her beliefs.
Description: Alice appears to be an unremarkable woman in
her mid-30s. Her race is unclear, and most people will describe
her as being the same race as they are.
Roleplaying Hints: Remain silent, be humble, let people
think you a servant or just no one. Few could understand, fewer
still could believe. Your cross is your own to bear, it is your
calling, your punishment, and your destiny.
Nature: Martyr
Allegiance: Project Proteus
Intelligence 3, Wits 4, Appearance 5 (Face in the crowd),
Manipulation 4, Charisma 4
Abilities: Academics 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 3, Bureaucracy 1,
Disguise 3, Drive 1, Endurance 3, Etiquette 2, Firearms 1,
Intrusion 1, Martial Arts 1, Medicine 1, Meditation 3, Might 1,
Perform 1, Resistance 3, Stealth 1, Streetwise 2, Style 1,
Subterfuge 2, Survival 1, Tactics 1
Backgrounds: Attunement 1, Backing 5 (Proteus), Cipher 5,
Influence 2, Node 2, Resources 3
Merits & Flaws: Sterility (1 point Flaw).
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength y (Quantum Leap), MegaStamina yyyy (Regeneration), Mega-Perception yyy (Body
Awareness, Bloodhound), Mega-Appearance yy (Ms. Nobody).
Organ, Intuition yy, Poison (Projectile) yyy, Psychic Shield
72
yy, Sterilize (Range) yyy.
Methods and tactics: Alice normally uses tactics akin to
“shooting fish in a barrel”. Most of her targets are in jail, under
medical restraints in a clinic, or otherwise physically unable to
do anything even if they figure out what’s happened. She uses a
combination of Ms. Nobody and her connections to see people
under conditions where they have no effective choice but to
take her attack, if they even notice it and if they understand
what it means, both of which are extremely rare in any event.
For example, a target in the XWF that was identified would
receive a visit after the match while they are still unconscious,
and if the ‘wrong’ guy wins, then at least she got to see a fight.
Alice has no way to undo the effect of her power, even on
herself. Project Proteus is extremely careful about exposing her,
and will hire bodyguards and/or transport appropriate for the
mission (normally a nova with Attunement 5 and some kind of
transport power).
Adam Smith
Background: Once upon a time, Adam’s life was perfect. He
was a police officer in Tampa, and his deeply loved wife Sandra
was a secretary at City Hall. On June 6th, 2007, they had just
found out that Sandra was pregnant. Two days later, Geryon
walked through her office en route to killing the Mayor, and he
pushed her through a wall for not getting out of his way fast
enough. The Terat killed her like a man would step on a bug.
Over the next two years Adam became obsessed with novas,
became an alcoholic, got kicked off the police force, joined the
Church of Michael Archangel, had a mental breakdown (not
necessarily in that order), and finally erupted. Ideally he’d have
erupted with enough power to kill Geryon, but that didn’t
happen. Someone who slugs it out with Lotus Infinite and Core
on a regular basis would make short work of Adam Smith. But
with his enhanced intelligence came the realization that killing
Geryon would have been putting an end to the Terat’s pain,
instead of the beginning of his torment. What Adam really
wanted to do was to hurt Geryon, as Geryon had hurt him.
Studying the reports of Geryon’s public appearances brought
the realization that Geryon had an alternative identity. Perhaps a
“normal”, civilian identity as a baseline… with a family. Adam
now spends his time hunting down closet novas, Teragen
members, and their families. Once he’s found them out, Adam
delights in dropping dimes on the unfortunates. Turnabout is fair
play, after all.
Description: Adam appears to be a fairly typical white man
in his late 30s with brown hair and eyes.
Roleplaying Hints: Follow the money, and when you find
someone, one properly placed Op-mail, letter, or more rarely,
phone call through your double blinds and history will repeat
itself with the correct ending. It’s a pity you can’t be there to
watch, but vengeance is a dish best served cold.
Nature: Fanatic
3
Abilities: Academics 1, Athletics 1, Awareness 5, Biz 5, Brawl 2,
Bureaucracy 1, Computer 1, Drive 2, Endurance 3, Firearms 2,
Interrogation 1, Intimidation 1, Intrusion 1, Investigation 5,
RULES
ABERRANT
Linguistics 1 (Spanish), Medicine 1, Melee 2 (nightstick), Might 1,
Resistance 3, Stealth 1, Streetwise 1, Subterfuge 5, Survival 1,
Tactics 1
Backgrounds: Backing 2 (Proteus), Cipher 5, Contacts 3 (Church
of Michael Archangel, The Directive), Resources 2
Merits & Flaws: Vengeful (2 point Flaw)
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Stamina y (Adaptability), MegaIntelligence yyy (Eidetic Memory, Mental Prodigy:
Investigative), Mega-Perception yyy (Electromagnetic Vision,
That Creepy Feeling)
Quantum Powers: Luck yyyyy, Pretercognition yy
Methods and tactics: Mostly Adam just follows the money.
For days on end he will sit at a computer, run multiple
information sifting programs and connect the dots. It’s really
scary how easily things tend to just fall into place for him, and
with his flashes of ‘insight’ even a perfectly hidden trail can
grow hot.
Mary “Kinslayer” Armstrong
Background: It has been said by some that children are little
monsters. Mary has lived through the reality of that saying. Her
son Joshua erupted when he was only 18 months old. He acquired
superhuman intelligence without any of the ethics that an adult
develops later, superhuman charisma and manipulation without
the empathy that an adult has, and the ability to force his desires
on others through some fairly scary mental powers. Many young
children accidentally(?) hurt their pets, so maybe Joshua was a
normal child who ignored the consequences of misusing his
abilities, or maybe he was always destined to be a monster. In
any case, for the next two years Joshua’s small world was his
playground. It was also a living hell for his parents, as Joshua
discovered that he enjoyed the pain of others. Josh had
monstrous mental powers of telekinesis and he could also
control others and even animals. Worse, he had the social
abilities to make others enjoy their torment. Eventually Mary’s
husband Robert killed himself to escape Joshua’s torments, and
Mary erupted and killed her son. The one idea that this
experience really ground into Mary’s psyche was this: nova
children aren’t human, and they should all be killed ASAP. Mary
considers this revelation of hers to be sad and perhaps
counterintuitive, but in her mind it is nothing less than the
undeniable truth. She also understands the fact that most people
will never agree with this idea, but she is utterly convinced that
only novas who have developed stable personalities prior to
their eruptions can avoid becoming monsters.
Description: Mary is an attractive woman of mixed race in
her late twenties or early thirties.
Roleplaying Hints: Don’t bother trying to explain things,
unless they’d been through what you had, people just can’t
understand. The reality is that under the cute façade, child
novas are little monsters. If you have to talk keep it small, the
weather, sports, whatever. Scout things out for a while from a
long distance using animals, wait until people are asleep, then
sneak in. It’s really for their parents’ benefit, you’re sparing
them and the world the hell that the small ones would bring.
Nature: Visionary
3
Abilities: Animal Training 3, Athletics 2, Awareness 4, Drive 1,
Endurance 3, Firearms 2, Instruction 1, Intrusion 5, Martial Arts
5, Melee 2, Resistance 3, Ride 2, Subterfuge 3, Stealth 5,
Streetwise 1, Style 1
Backgrounds: Attunement 4, Backing 4 (Proteus), Cipher
5,Followers 1 (random animal that she’s psychically linked to),
Node 2, Resources 4
Mega-Attributes: Mega-Strength y (Crush, Irresistible Force),
Mega-Dexterity yyy (Catfooted, Enhanced Movement), MegaStamina y (Hardbody, Regeneration), Mega-Perception yyy
(Quantum Awareness, That Creepy Feeling)
Quantum Powers: Animal Mastery y, Armor yy, Disintegration
yy, Invisibility yy, Invulnerability: Willpower resisted effects
yy (Broad Category), Psychic Link yy.
Methods and tactics: Formerly a dog trainer, now Mary is
an ambush assassin. Normally she will watch and/or scout out a
location with a local animal, a bird or rat or something. Then she
uses her powers to sneak in, scan the target with Quantum
Awareness to make sure they don’t have a defense, and then
uses the ambush combat maneuver in combination with
Disintegration. If possible she will then sneak out, if not possible
she will use her Enhanced Movement to run away.
73
ABERRANT
CREDITS
Authors: Shawn “Sprocket” Henley
Additional Contributors: Daniel “Alex Green” Buss, Fred “Ayre el KaBeer” Salem, Michael “Bahamut810”
Whitaker, Jamais “Finbar” Jochim, Jack “Gideon” Summanen , Richard “Glitch” Drysdale, Jessica
“JessiLaurn” Orsini, Reg “Knave” Stuart, Michael “Nullifier” Milberg, Ben “phoenix” Quigley, Dion
“Reighnhell” Woods, Jacob "t-dev" Donahue
Storyteller Game System Designed By: Mark ReinxHagen
Aberrant Developed By: Kraig Blackwelder
Developers: Shawn “Sprocket” Henley, Jack “Gideon” Summanen
Editors: Shawn “Sprocket” Henley
Interior Artwork: Rodney Gott (p. 42), Cottus Centimane (pp. 46 & 48)
Layout and Typesetting: Jessica “JessiLaurn” Orsini
Special Thanks to: “Alchemist” and the other fine folks at N!Prime (www.nprime.net) who assisted with this
project, as well as all of the folks at the eononline.net forums
http://eononline.net
Legal Notice
Various terms used throughout this book are copyright White Wolf Publishing Inc. This publication is purely fan
fiction, it is in no way associated with or recognised by White Wolf Publishing Inc. In short, this book is completely
unofficial, please take it as that.
In order to use the contents of this book you will need to have purchased several of the official books available from
White Wolf Publishing at http://www.white-wolf.com or in electronic format from DriveThruRPG.com at
http://www.drivethrurpg.com Support Aberrant and the Trinity Universe by either visiting White Wolf’s website,
DriveThruPRG.com’s website, or your local gaming store to purchase the official books.
This book in its entirety has been developed to be freely available to fans of White Wolf’s Trinity Universe – the
most recent copy of this book can be downloaded for free from EON at http://eononline.net
The mention of or reference to any company or product in these pages is not a challenge to the trademark or
copyright concerned. This book uses science fiction for settings, characters and themes. All science fiction and geopolitical
scenarios are fiction and intended for entertainment purposes only. Reader discretion is advised.
74
CREDITS
A BREED APART
A NEW RACE…
When novas came on the public scene in 1998, they were nothing short
of amazing. Even so, they were but a taste of things to come. Despite
the best efforts of Project Proteus – and with secretive help by the
Teragen – the new marvels would bring forth a second
generation…and those children would prove to be a purer breed.
…FOR A NEW AGE
Aberrant: A Breed Apart explores the future of novakind, a future that
is nearer than some may think. The ever-thorny issue of mixed
heritage is addressed. The sterilization “mickey” is examined, as are
ways in which it may be bypassed. Groups and individuals that are
driven to find – and either aid or stop – nova parents are detailed.
And new rules are presented for the so-called “2ndGen” novas – who
can follow very different paths, depending upon how their parents
addressed the matter of Taint.

A BREED APART

Transcription

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