Another Bug Hunt: Fire in the Hole¶

The crew deal with a horrifying creature which erupted from a strangely behaving host body. They find a number of bodies which look starved and scarred with papercuts. Can they survive and figure out what's causing this infection?

Episodes in module: Another Bug Hunt

Episode 1 - 2025-07-16 - Holy Moly!
Episode 2 - 2025-07-28 - Fire in the Hole
Episode 3 - 2025-07-30 - Between a Carc and a Soft Place
Episode 4 - 2025-08-10 - A Tangled Web He Weaves

Escaping the Garage¶

Ink experiences an adrenaline rush when the alien shows up.
Ink tries to open the ATV's passenger door
we see a man in a mechanic's outfit and a tinfoil hat banging on the ATV
- he's holding a frag grenade in one hand and has already pulled the pin

Zeke backs away

Murderbot shoots at the creature
- unloads a whole SMG
- bullets impact on its carapace but don't seem to do much

Dex uncaps one of the fuel barrels, pushes it over and rolls it into the hole
- it hits the opposite side of the hole and lands on the creature
Carnoc grabs the fallen power line, pulls some slack, and tosses it to Murderbot
- Murderbot grabs the line and they both pull
Murderbot: It's illogical for us to think we can kill this creature
- "We must leave this room at once"

Zeke tries to use his SMG but drops it after firing the clip and doesn't go back for it
creature swings one of its claws at Dex - 15 damage
- Dex is winded (disadvantage) until he catches his breath

Ink finds the keys and starts the APC
- the mechanic banging on the side starts to panic
APC specifications
- vacuum-rated
- grenade launcher
- machine gun
- light mortar
- communications console
Murderbot grabs Dex and throws him in the back of the APC
- Dex catches his breath
- Murderbot goes after the machine gun turret
Zeke climbs into the APC
Carnoc climbs into the APC and closes the door
creature makes a dent in the side of the APC

APC smashes out of the Greta Base garage

Ink drives at the door and the APC crashes through

Murderbot doesn't duck in time
- gets sliced by the garage door shards
- white fluid starts shooting out
- Zeke helps Murderbot stitch himself up
Dex aims the mortar at the hole in the garage
- it lands on the opposite side of the garage and destroys another part of the base

Carnoc fires the APC mortar at the creature in the Greta Base garage

Carnoc pushes Dex aside and fires a mortar
- hits the alien
- the grenades from the digger's belt go off
- the foil hat's grenade goes off
- the fuel ignites
- flames everywhere
Dex blew up (5)

Exploring Greta Base¶

Ink drives around the other side of Greta Base
we go in through the airlock
storage lockers have dents and claw marks
- 1 hazard suit
- 2 pulse rifle magazines
- 1 rosary
Zeke, Carnoc, and Murderbot go to (4)
- lots of shelves stocked with food

2nd LT Lange's body in Greta Base Pantry — 2^nd LT Lange's body in Greta Base Pantry

body with cuts all over
- tags say 2^nd LT Lange
- may have died of starvation
next room (5) was probably cold storage
- glass is cracked
- body inside wearing fatigues
  - can't tell if they died from the explosion or other causes
- near the body, there is a metal case
- fire is spreading

Cold Storage - Metal Case¶

Lance Corporal Resnick's body in Greta Base Cold Storage

Carnoc runs into the cold storage room (5)
- grabs dog tags from the body, Lance Corporal Resnick
- grabs metal case
- slips on some liquid
  - acid begins to eat away at Carnoc's armor
Ink and Dex go to (9)
- looks like primary communications station
- marine slumped over controls
- Ink and Dex enter

Communications - Org Chart¶

2nd LT Kaplan's body in Greta Base Communications — 2^nd LT Kaplan's body in Greta Base Communications

inspect the marine's body
- revolver in one hand
- paper cuts on face and hand
- hole in his head from revolver blast
- Ink takes paper from marine's other hand
  - Org Chart shows 23 people
- tags show 2^nd LT Kaplan

Observation Analysis Lab - Logbook¶

Ink and Dex go to (8)
- observation analysis lab
- computer terminals are powered down
- operating area has been destroyed
  - remanants of equipment are smashed and fused together with alien webbing
- Dex looks at log book with notes from Dr. Edem
  - discovery of the crab song (krebsleider)
  - something to do with replication
  - keep it for later
Dex reads logbook
- Dr. Edem grudgingly admits Tintin was reponsible for some discoveries
- of course, only Dr. Edem could produce the overall theory

On the road to Terraforming Base¶

we climb back into the APC
- drive towards the terraforming station

road is a bit washed out from the rain
- road is unpaved and there are some trees down
driving for 20 minutes
we crest a hill and see some red lights in the distance
something slams into the side of the APC

2 Carcs are trying to batter their way in
- they put another dent in the side
Ink speeds up
- puts some distance between us and the Carcs
Carnoc shoots the mortar
- between the rain the slick road, the mortars keep missing the Carcs
- in the light of the blast, we see there's about 10 of them now
- Carnoc: "I'm out, floor it!"
Ink keeps driving
- emerges into a clearing

terraforming station is on a dam
- trail comes up along the side of the river to a door into the base

vehicle door is closed
- human sized door is next to it
- both look more armored than at Greta Base

Murderbot throws a grag grenade out the back of the APC

Murderbot throws a frag grenade just in front of the Carcs
- opens the back door
- drops a grenade out the back
- closes the door
- grenade puts another dent in the APC's armor and damages one of the tires

Arriving at Terraforming Base¶

as we approach, Dex tries to raise the base on comms
- Dex: "Can you open the garage for us"
- base: "Are any of you infected?"
- Dex: "Infected?"
- Zeke: "No!"
- Dex: "No"
- base: "No weapons allowed"
- Dex: "Ok, just close the garage as soon as we're inside"

Marines guard the Terraforming Base vehicle door

Ink pulls up to the door
we pull in and the doors close

marine: "Exit the vehicle. No weapons, or we'll mow you down."
we leave our weapons in the APC and exit

marine: "Doc, check them for infection."
Doc takes a glance at us and says "No signs of infection."
marine: "Get your weapons and gear and come talk to me."

Meeting the Leaders¶

we talk to 3 leaders
- female marine is Sergeant Valdez
  - promoted to commander due to losses
- Doc is Dr. Edem
- Brookman is the platoon medic
  - says we need to get out of here
  - others seem to disagree
9 people total
our dropship can carry 14
Ink asks about Hinton
- Dr. Edem: we don't know what happened to Hinton
- Sergeant Valdez: Hinton and Jenson went to check on the reactor
- if the reactor stops working, the dam will fail and the Carcs will get us
Carnoc asks about how to detect infection
- look for papercuts all over
- after that, body seems to disconnect from the mind
- odd manual labor behaviors such as digging
Zeke asks how the infection happens
- Dr. Edem: From a sound
- Zeke: That's bad
- Dr. Edem: Yes, but I'm working on a cure
Dr. Edem wants us to obtain their notes from the research clean room, one floor down
- Sergeant Valdez declared the area off limits
Carnoc shows Lange's tags to Sergeant Valdez
- Sergeant Valdez: "That was our pilot..."
- Sergeant Valdez: "We're never getting off this rock."
we ask about other vehicles
- there are 3 ATVs, one is broken
- each has a machine gun mount
if we get the communications tower back up, we could fly our drop ship over
- tower is on the opposite side of the dam
- about ¼ mile
- Sergeant Valdez says no one would make it there
- Carcs can swim and we've seen them in the water by the dam
people look tired but hopeful
- sandbags to reinforce walls
- armor stockpiles
Carnoc asks for spare battle dress
- Sergeant Valdez will loan one if we check on Hinton and Jenson
Sergeant Valdez agrees to loan us some military support
- Sergeant Yang is a grizzled veteran
- Corporal Novikov is overly excited after sitting in the base doing nothing

Sergeant Valdez will have engineer Sobol fix up the APC
- was working on the busted ATV, but APC has more capacity
a planetologist Dr. Kawaguchi approaches
- willing to help us recover Dr. Edem's research
we open the metal case from Greta Base
- lets out a small hiss of frosty vapor
- 25 liters of liquid with medical symbols
- chemo-theraputic agents used to treat extreme radiation
- Dr. Edem says this will be helpful for curing the Carc infection
- could also help with radiation from the reactor
  - note: synths also suffer from radiation

What's Next?¶

Go to the reactor to find out what happened to Hinton and Jenson
- if the reactor stops working, the dam will fail and the Carcs will get us
Take Dr. Kawaguchi to identify and recover Dr. Edem's research
- essential to continue work on curing the infection
Restore communications so we can all get out of here
- ¼ mile trip across the dam on 2 ATVs, with Carcs in the water