Introduction
The following scenario deals with Retrocausality which is theoretical quantum physics, and can be used as an Outlaw vs. Program scenario. Potential Trigger Warnings: Gore, Self-Harm, Violence.
Background
Early this morning, an officially sanctioned Program black site, which is a subdivision of Fermilab based out of Batavia, IL, has gone dark while the facility is still in operation. Any attempts to contact any of the on site security or staff is unsuccessful. The Program requires the use of a group of agents to investigate, deal with potential hostiles, and secure targets.
Briefing
Agents land at O’hare Airport, where they are escorted to a nearly vacant strip mall in Batavia, IL. A single business suite has been temporarily rented out, the Agents are escorted inside. The smell of mildew fills the air, the carpet covering most of the floor is stained and shows signs of heavy foot traffic. A man with thinning brown hair in a horseshoe balding pattern, and a slight paunch is waiting impatiently.
He introduces himself as Fernson, and lays out that at 0800 a facility containing sensitive Program information could potentially have been compromised. Any attempts to raise security, or staff on site have had zero success. There was a security detail of four soldiers that are active within the Program, and two on site personnel one of which is Dr. Ameline Bourdon. Cameras on site have not recorded anyone entering or leaving the facility, and gate guard personnel have been mandated to stay at their post.
Fernson emphasizes that Dr. Bourdon is mission critical, she is the entire reason that this site is operational, and the secondary mission critical item is the main hard drive for the facility’s server. Fernson provides a blueprint and exterior photograph of the facility (See attachments for blueprint) [SAN Helplessness 0/1] “A vague feeling of deja vu crosses your mind, almost as if you know you have to go to this place.” He explicitly states no weapons are to be discharged in the Kusama room due to extremely sensitive equipment present. If that equipment is damaged, the agent’s department will be billed for the damage with their name attached.
The Facility
Separate from the other buildings, the Facility is noticeable. Standing roughly thirty feet tall, and approximately one hundred feet wide. The facility has a chain security fence with a gate house and key code box beside it. The gate house is vacant, no signs of a struggle can be seen. The code for gate access was attached to the blueprints for the facility. Along the side of the building a personnel door, and a loading dock door are visible. The loading dock door can only be accessed from inside the facility.
Inside the facility a deep thrum of electricity resonates throughout the hall. Slate gray unpolished tile accompany beige walls which show no reflection due to their matte finish. The fluorescent lights hang from fixtures above, casting light to every corner of the hallway. Further down the left path there are three steel gray doors with dull metal plating attached to the bottom along the threshold allowing now light or sound to escape.
Down the right path there are five doors with one of them at the end of the hall matching the description of the doors down the left hall.
Left Hallway
Each of the three doors down the left hallway open into eight by ten foot rooms with a metal table that has a dull luster to it. Two plastic chairs are on opposite sides of the table. The walls are completely bare.
- Alertness 40% or above: There is a faint lingering smell of industrial cleaner in each of the rooms along with dried flecks of blood in a corner of each room.
- Alertness 60% or above: The room is perfectly rectangular with the exception of a flat piece in an upper corner with a hole the size of a pen. Closer inspection reveals a camera lens that has a mesh screen in front of it.
Right Hallway
The first two doors are double wide doors that open into a loading dock. The dock is empty with the exception of equipment for moving large or heavy items (two pallet jacks, one fork lift). The garage doors open to the outside either a chain pulley or a gear drive that is operated through a control panel next to the door. Looking outside there is a box truck that is parked at the entrance to one of the loading bay garage doors. The third door opens into a twelve by twenty foot room. Toward the back of the room there is a black object standing eight feet tall and ten feet long. There is a long trough with rollers leading into a port with a sealed door.
- Alertness 20% or above: A faint smell of ash and char is suffused through the room.
- Alertness 40% or above: Three gurneys are folded into a vertical standing position in the corner next to a metal trash can with holes in the lid, along with a scoop shovel against the wall behind it. [SAN 0/1 Helplessness] Inside the trash can are warped metallic pieces vaguely in the shape of bone structures, and other internal replacements (i.e. fillings, melted pacemakers, etc.)
Entering through the fourth door the Agents are greeted with the smell of warm plastic, and the hum of running electronics is stronger here. The air is temperature controlled to be cooler, but there is a noticeable mixing of air temperatures present. Several rows of server blades are standing in a fourteen by fourteen foot room. Several cords are running toward a single desktop on a small stand near the front. (If the Agents access the information, read section “Server Terminal”).
- Computer Science 20% or above: Able to extract the hard drive of the terminal without damaging the device or hard drive.
Server Terminal
Within an individual folder labeled OPERATION: MIRROR MIRROR there are several folders listed with different operation names, along with a single readme file that contains the text “Why march into the apocalypse blind when you can get a lifeline at the expense of someone else’s future?” Each folder contains video files of individuals in the rooms down the left hallway from earlier. (If any of the Agents are “Damaged Veterans” have them make a Luck check, Failure: they are present in one of the rooms [SAN 0/1d4 Unnatural]). Each interrogator lists dates and events that have not occurred yet. The individual being interrogated recaps what happened on their operation, and when it is finished the individual is killed. [SAN 0/1 Violence].
An active security feed that is archived is present, perusal of that shows Dr. Bourdon walking down the right hallway and glancing at her watch when she vanishes from the camera feed in between the fourth and fifth door. After a few minutes two security officers enter through the fifth door, but do not come out.
The Fifth Door
There is a twenty foot distance between the fourth and fifth door. Entering into the fifth door the Agents step into a heptagonal room that is dimly lit. The door automatically closes, and lights begin to brighten. On each wall of the room is a mirror of differing quality. Each reflection of the Agents present are warped to look older (each Agent rolls on attached d100 table). [SAN 1/1D8 Unnatural] each Agent gets one reflection, that walks out of the mirror. Each Agent reflection knows this is the focal point for when they are drawn backward in time to, and is determined to stop it by either killing their past selves or convincing their past selves to kill themselves. (The higher the SAN and Bond loss, the more the future Agent pins the blame on the present Agent for “getting involved in the program.”)
Conclusion
Investigating the compound, and reviewing the security footage reveals Dr. Bourdon and other staff are not located on site, and security footage does not show them leaving. Surviving Agents can take the hard drive along with accompanying information back to Fernson. If the Agents decide to destroy the facility and the data, they can potentially be recruited by the Outlaws, but the Program will be actively searching for them. Each Agent is handled by their respective organization until they inadvertently look into a reflective surface one day and disappear.
Stat Blocks and Attachments
d100 table of encounters
| Die roll | How many years in the future the other Agent is pulled back from. | Changes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | One year | 1% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 3 points. |
| 2 | Three years in the future | 1% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 3 points, a bond reduced by 1 |
| 3 | Three years in the future | 1% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 3 points, a bond reduced by 2 |
| 4 | Three years in the future | 1% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 3 points, a bond reduced by 3 |
| 5 | Five years in the future | 3% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 5 points, two bonds reduced by 1 |
| 6 | Five years in the future | 3% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 5 points, two bonds reduced by 2 |
| 7 | Five years in the future | 3% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 5 points, two bonds reduced by 3 |
| 8 | Five years in the future | 3% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 5 points, two bonds reduced by 4 |
| 9 | Five years in the future | 3% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 5 points, two bonds reduced by 5 |
| 10 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 1 |
| 11 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 2 |
| 12 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 3 |
| 13 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 4 |
| 14 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 5 |
| 15 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 5, afflicted by Addiction |
| 16 | Seven years in the future | 5% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 7 points, all bonds reduced by 5, afflicted by Depression |
| 17 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 1 |
| 18 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 2 |
| 19 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 3 |
| 20 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 4 |
| 21 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 5 |
| 22 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 6 |
| 23 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Addiction |
| 24 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Depression |
| 25 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Intermittent Explosive Disorder |
| 26 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Ligyrophobia |
| 27 | Eleven years in the future | 7% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 11 points, all bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Paranoia |
| 28 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, all bonds reduced by 1 |
| 29 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, all bonds reduced by 2 |
| 30 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, all bonds reduced by 3 |
| 31 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, all bonds reduced by 4 |
| 32 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, all bonds reduced by 5 |
| 33 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, all bonds reduced by 6 |
| 34 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Addiction |
| 35 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Depression |
| 36 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Intermittent Explosive Disorder |
| 37 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Ligyrophobia |
| 38 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Paranoia |
| 39 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by PTSD |
| 40 | Thirteen years in the future | 11% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 13 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Sleep Disorder |
| 41 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, all bonds reduced by 1 |
| 42 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, all bonds reduced by 2 |
| 43 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, all bonds reduced by 3 |
| 44 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, all bonds reduced by 4 |
| 45 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, all bonds reduced by 5 |
| 46 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, all bonds reduced by 6 |
| 47 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Addiction |
| 48 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Depression |
| 49 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Intermittent Explosive Disorder |
| 50 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Ligyrophobia |
| 51 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Paranoia |
| 52 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by PTSD |
| 53 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Sleep Disorder |
| 54 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Totemic Compulsion |
| 55 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Violence |
| 56 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Helplessness |
| 57 | Seventeen years in the future | 13% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 17 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Violence and Helplessness |
| 58 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, all bonds reduced by 1 |
| 59 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, all bonds reduced by 2 |
| 60 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, all bonds reduced by 3 |
| 61 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, all bonds reduced by 4 |
| 62 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, all bonds reduced by 5 |
| 63 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, all bonds reduced by 6 |
| 64 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Addiction |
| 65 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Anxiety Disorder |
| 66 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Conversion Disorder |
| 67 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Dissociative Identity Disorder |
| 68 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Depression |
| 69 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Agoraphobia |
| 70 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Claustrophobia |
| 71 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Obsession |
| 72 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder |
| 73 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Violence |
| 74 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Helplessness |
| 75 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Violence and Helplessness |
| 76 | Nineteen years in the future | 17% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 19 points, two bonds reduced to 0, one bond reduced by 6 |
| 77 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced by 1 |
| 78 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced by 2 |
| 79 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced by 3 |
| 80 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced by 4 |
| 81 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced by 5 |
| 82 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced by 6 |
| 83 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Amnesia |
| 84 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Depersonalization Disorder |
| 85 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Depression |
| 86 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Dissociative Identity Disorder |
| 87 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Fugues |
| 88 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Megalomania |
| 89 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Paranoia |
| 90 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by Sleep Disorder |
| 91 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Violence |
| 92 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Helplessness |
| 93 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, one bond reduced to 0, two bonds reduced by 6, Adapted to Violence and Helplessness |
| 94 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, two bonds reduced to 0, remaining bonds reduced by 6 |
| 95 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, two bonds reduced to 0, remaining bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by two of the Disorders from Violence |
| 96 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, two bonds reduced to 0, remaining bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by two of the Disorders from Helplessness |
| 97 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, two bonds reduced to 0, remaining bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by two of the Disorder from the Unnatural |
| 98 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, two bonds reduced to 0, remaining bonds reduced by 6, afflicted by one Disorder from Violence, Helpless, and Unnatural |
| 99 | Twenty three years in the future | 19% increase in Combat Skills, SAN reduced by 23 points, all bonds reduced to 0, Adapted to Violence and Helplessness |
| 100 | The Agent does not come back (SAN 1/1D6 Helplessness) |
Blueprint of the Facility
Credits
Mirror Mirror was written by SeniorDanish for the 2021 shotgun scenario contest.
Source: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SkDHEHODtsKa5D5MwRwqIDnjkV-LraqUUPitK-yw0uk/edit