Thrice Upon a Time in Mega-City One

Three Adventures for Judge Dredd the Roleplaying Game

By Marcus Rowland
(Published in White Dwarf 92. Translated to electronic format by the Sector 142 Reclamation Society)

The three mini-adventure outlines, I Left My Heart…, The Sound of Music and One of Our Souls is Missing, that
follow are designed for use as independent ‘plug-ins’ for a large adventure or campaign. Each consists of a few
incidents which are easily merged into a Judge’s day. All require some additional work designing perps, NPCs and
locations from the descriptions given.
As an alternative to this approach, a complete adventure can be developed around these three plot themes. For
example, The Graveyard Shift, is an excellent example of several interweaved plots in a single strip. You’ll still need
to do some work, but these adventures could form the skeleton of the plot with additional incidents to flesh them out
into a typical day in the life of a sector. By a series of odd coincidences the team will just happen to be nearby
whenever an important incident occurs.
The timetable may help to develop such an adventure, although the times given on it are only approximate. Feel free
to change anything you don’t like. It’s assumed that the player characters will follow up leads while traveling from
one incident to another, and that other Judges handle some of the less important enquiries.
The incidents on the timetable and the Briefing notes are annotated to show the plot-line they are a part of as
follows: Heart – I Left My Heart…, Music – The Sound of Music; and Soul – One of Our Souls is Missing.

SECTOR HOUSE BRIEFING – 06:00 hours

The exact briefing is largely a matter of how your campaign is progressing, but the Briefing Officer should mention
the following:
If the team haven't already encountered the Sector's bomb disposal team, mention the appointment of a new Bomb
Squad commander following “yesterday's tragic accident”. If possible this should be a Tek-Judge the team has
encountered before. (Heart)
Increased penalties for possession of mind-damaging vid-slugs, magazines, etc. (Soul)
Another stolen bridge. (Unrelated to any of these plot line).
A reminder that the anti-pollution laws include noise and visual pollution, and apply to portable vids and radios with
loudspeakers. (Music)
Cars stolen this shift, weather, and similar miscellaneous facts. (More irrelevant information)
After the briefing the player characters begin a normal patrol, and should deal with one or two simple incidents (a
tapping, etc), and dozens of minor offences that needn't be played out.

THE TIMETABLE
1015 Body found in Crock-Block. Judges must question eldsters, wait for forensic, etc. (Heart)
1045 Judges sent over to nearest Biotron Inc. offices. (Heart)
1100 The PCs are ordered to divert to Glxzuk Embassy. Aliens explain their problem. (Soul)
1145 The PCs are still traveling to Biotron Inc., but are now diverted to Billy Connolly Block. (Music)
1280 Survivors and victims dealt with, the Judges should finally reach Biotron Inc. (Heart)
1300 The Bomb Squad heads for Strangeglove’s apartment. (Heart)
1315 The PCs reach Doris Lessing Block. (Soul)
1330 Plaza shootout. (Soul)
1345 Camera recovered. Forensics, Med and Catch-Wagons summoned (Soul). The PCs are called to nearby
hover-bus stop before they get a chance to pass the camera on to anyone else (Music).
1400 Bomb Squad report to the PCs. (Music)
1415 Bus survivors are questioned, Forensic check out the bus and victims (Music). The PCs start back towards
Glxzuk Embassy (Soul).
1430 Psi-Div report inability to find Strangeglove. (Heart)
1445 Control assigns NPC Judges to guard Biotron Inc. installations. (Music)
1450 MAC reports link between Braithwaite and Fowler. (Music)
1520 The PCs interrogate Professor Storm. (Music)
1540 Storm confesses. An alert for other Society members is broadcast. (Music)
1600 Unrelated incident, e.g. scrawling.
1625 Strangeglove’s car found. (Heart)
1625 First Music Society members arrested. (Music)
1645 Strangeglove’s target identified. (Heart)
1700 The PCs fight Strangeglove. (Heart)
1705 The Bomb Squad arrives. (Heart)
1710 The Judges require medical attention – or Resyk! (Heart)
1740 The PCs are summoned to the zoom terminus. (Music)
1755 Last Music Society members arrested. (Music)
1805 Control reminds the PCs about the holoslug. (Soul)
1830 The PCs are delayed by traffic jams, religious processions, etc. (Soul)
1915 The Judges arrive at the Embassy. (Soul)
1930 Dusk, and at…
1945 The first major crimes of the evening begin.

I LEFT MY HEART…

+++ item +++

All units in vicinity of Dave Cronenberg Crock-Block: murder and mutilation reported in basement garage.
Possible Dark Judge involvement. Investigate and report.

GM’s Information
An oldster has been murdered by Dr. Maurice Strangeglove, a scientist who recently resigned from Biotron Inc.,
manufacturers of cyborg hearts and other components. Dr. Strangeglove has gone futsie and has now stolen enough
hearts, which are nuclear powered, to assemble an atomic bomb and destroy one of Biotron's factories.
The Judges find a crowd of oldsters gathered around the body of Arthur Suggs, a block resident. Blood is splattered
over the nearby walls and pillars, and his heart has been cut out with a las-knife. Oddly, none of his possessions are
missing. The eldsters are panicking, and there are rumours that Judge Death was seen in the basement.
None of the oldsters saw anything. The body had apparently lain undiscovered for two or three hours before it was
found by a mechanic, who was checking the building's air conditioning system. He can’t give the Judges any useful
information.
The player characters should calm the residents, arrest the eldster who started the rumour about Judge Death, and
then radio a report to Control. Suggs' dossier is soon relayed by MAC:

+++DATA ENQUIRY+++
JUSTICE DEPARTMENT CITIZENS FILES

SUGGS, Arthur

 Age: 103
 Gender: Male
 Height: 1.80m, Weight: 97kg
 Description: Grey hair, blue eyes, right-handed
 Distinguishing Features: Mole (left cheek); allergic to plasteen; mechanical heart (Biotron Mk. 4)
 Born: Bing Crosby Block, Sector 101 East, 18/02/2005
 Education: Alf Hitchcock Juve-school, 2088-2100; Tony Perkins Technical College, 2101-2105
 Employment Record: Dribvert scrunger (Retired)
 Residence: Hab 234-32B Dave Cronenberg Block
 Criminal Record: None
 Last Seen: Dave Cronenberg Block Library, 1105hrs

This evidence should suggest some leads:

There's nothing of interest in Suggs' apartment or at the library.
The mechanical heart may look significant. Fitted instead of a plasteen model because of Suggs' allergy, it is a
ceramic and metal pump, powered by an isotope power cell.
A trail of blood droplets leads to a nearby parking bay. Forensic can identify the last vehicle in the bay as a General
Mechanics Siesta, 2106 model, a fairly common vehicle. Infra-red traces show that it left the bay at about the time of
the murder.
MAC reports eleven similar murders over the last few days. Seven victims had Biotron hearts, although the others
didn't. Cross-checks show that the other victims were connected to Biotron patients. One, for example, was a
patient's twin brother, one a Biotron patient’s next door neighbour, and two lived in apartments formerly occupied by
Biotron patients. These deaths confused the issue, and stopped MAC noticing the link earlier.
If the player characters don't immediately head for Biotron Inc, Control will send them there. The directors are
anxious to cooperate, but don't really know anything. A list of several hundred personnel can be cross-referenced to
MAC's vehicle records, to reveal that six staff members (and four former employees), own Siestas.
Dr Strangeglove stands out on the list. He had access to patient records, and a grievance against the company: a
subordinate was promoted over his head. He then resigned after a bitter argument with a director. As a (now-ex)
Biotron design engineer, Strangeglove knows every detail of the heart's construction. He lives in Eddie Teller Bock,
Apartment 467-63 - near the centre of the area in which the murders have occurred.
Strangeglove has no criminal record. His credit account shows several odd purchases over the last few days. These
include vid set spares, a computer, vehicle parts, and various household chemicals. Anyone making a TS roll will
realise that the chemicals can be mixed to make explosives. Control sends the nearest Bomb Squad unit to
investigate.
When the Judges check by radio or reach Strangeglove's apartment they'll learn what the Bomb Squad have found.
In the apartment are some crude bomb-making equipment, a pile of dismantled Biotron hearts, and plenty of
radioactive debris - so much of the latter that the Bomb Squad won't let the PCs into the apartment without rad-suits.
Plans pinned to a wall show the design of the bomb. It's crude, equivalent to three or four hundred tons of
conventional explosive, but it could release far more fallout than this would suggest, owing to its construction. The
Tek-Judge in charge adds “The creep has to be a futsie~ there's no way he built it without taking a lethal rad-dose.
I'd give him five or six hours. But you should find him easily enough - by now he must be glowing in the dark!”
He'll also warn the team not to attempt to defuse the bomb, “It's too unstable for you to handle with anything you
carry on your bikes. Call us in, and fast. And for Grud's sake, don't let him drop it!”
The only other clue is a note scrawled on a scrap of synthi-paper. It reads 'N 1240, E 140, N 600, W 250, N 1500'
The Judges will probably arrange for the area to be swept with rad-detectors, order an alert for Strangeglove's car,
and so on. MAC can attempt to identify the number or give them a meaning. Apart from the obvious conclusion that
they are directions and distances, nothing can be learned. There is no apparent link between these numbers and
Strangeglove or Biotron Inc. Psi-Div can be celled into locate Strangeglove. All they get Is a vague impression of a
big building filled with machinery, but no firm details. They can confirm, however, that Strangeglove is a futsie, and
that he is dying.
This clue may lead the PCs to suspect that a Biotron installation is the target. This is all very well, but Biotron is a
big company. There are ten Biotron factories and five office blocks in this sector alone, and many more in other
parts of Mega-City One. Control can assign NPC Judges to guard these installations including monitoring them with
red-detectors. This is hardly satisfactory however, as several Biotron products incorporate nuclear power cells and
there are a series of false alarms.
An hour or so after the Bomb Squad report, Traffic Division find Strangeglove's car. It has been abandoned near a
city-bottom alley. Fortunately the Judges are only a few minutes sway. A trail of radiation contamination leads from
the car to a loose drain cover (or alternatively an SS roll can be used to spot the cover). If the numbers the Bomb
Squad found are compared with the drainage system in this area, MAC will tell the PCs that the numbers are
distances in metres, and are the directions to a manhole cover in the grounds of one of Biotron's factories.
If the Judges follow Strangeglove through the sewers, run a few encounters with rats and giant alligators. The trail of
radiation is easy to follow with a pollution meter. Strangeglove used the route before the Judges arrived, and is
already inside the Biotron factory.
The drain cover in the factory is open, and the radiation trail leads to an air-conditioning plant (sea the diagram) near
the main building. If the bomb is detonated in this building, it will demolish the factory and most of the offices,
killing many of the staff, and spread rad-dust over the surrounding area. The buildings can be evacuated in a few
minutes if the Judges sound the alarm.

STRANGEGLOVE, Dr. Maurice (Futsie)

S I CS DS TS SS MS PS
2 25 20 10 75 12 77 000

Surrender Modifier: -30%

Phases: 3 6 9
Aimed: 25% Wild: 2% HTH Dmg: -1
Stump Gun - Rng: 40m, Dmg: 0
Abilities: Analyse Chemical, Fit Component, Use Data, Administer, Treatment, Bionics-2
Bionics is a specialised MS ability. Each level gives a 10% bonus on attempts to fit cyborg components.
Armour: Anti-mugging suit (maximum of 2 actions/round)
Strangeglove has concealed the bomb in a ventilation duct below the catwalk (X marks the spot), and is hiding
behind the catwalk railing, ready to shoot anyone who comes near him or the bomb. If captured he won't talk, but
spends the remaining hours of his life singing (out of tune) 'I left my heart in Sector Forty'. The bomb can be found
by following Strangeglove's radiation trail, or Psis can locate it once the building has been identified.
When the bomb is found, it's obviously unstable. It's glowing slightly, and the case is warm. Detectors show
dangerously high levels of radiation.
There is no obvious way to get at the mechanism, and if the Judges try to move or defuse the bomb it explodes and
kills them. They don't have the right tools, probably have no experience of nuclear weapon disposal, and won't get
lucky. Attempts to jam it with the Jinx Mechanism Psi ability will appear to work until someone tries to move the
bomb, then it will explode.
The bomb disposal team arrive approximately three minutes after the Judges, led by the Tek-Judge who searched
Strangeglove's apartment. He takes one look, then orders the Judges to leave the area. As they ride out, they'll hear
his voice over their helmet radios, explaining what he's doing as part of the normal bomb disposal routine. As they
pass the factory gates he says '... There's a group of three screws at one end, seem to hold part of the casing. I'm
going to turn the upper screw anticlockwise.' A moment later there's a deafening burst of static, followed by the
blast of a relatively small nuclear explosion.
All the player characters take 1D3 hits (no modifiers), and will need anti-rad treatment. All members of the Bomb
Squad are killed, several citizens in the surrounding area are hit by flying debris, and the Biotron factory is badly
damaged. However, the PC’s actions should have saved the factory workers and given the emergency services time
to reach the area and keep the rad-cloud under control. If the Judges foul up badly, wasting hours and accomplishing
nothing, the factory will be destroyed without warning, and dozens of citizens will be killed or badly injured.
Judges don't always win total victories, and this adventure should remind the player characters that anyone can make
a fatal mistake.
This outline contains only the bare bones of en adventure. For best results build up gradually, by mentioning the
earlier murders in morning briefings over two or three days, and mix the events with other incidents. There's a lot of
scope for misleading the Judges. The rumour of Dark Judge involvement could be given more weight, someone
might suggest that ancient Mayan religious rituals have been revived, organ-leggers might be blamed, or an old print
of the film 'Q - The Winged Serpent' could start some really silly rumours. There's also scope for copy-cat killings
and hoaxes as the news gets out. If the Bomb Squad Tek-Judge has appeared in previous adventures, and is a friend
of one of the team, his death should have added impact.

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

+++ item +++

All units in vicinity of Billy Connolly Block: subway operator robot reports deaths on north-bound train. Train
ETA Billy Connolly Block station in thirty seconds.

GM’s Information

Ludwig Fowler is President of the Sector Classical Music Society. He's a sensitive music lover who hates anything
written after the twentieth century. Sadly, Ludwig was arrested for driving slowly and his license revoked. For the
last four years he's been forced to put up with the crowded subways and interblock zooms. No problem, apparently,
except for the fact that he's also had to put up with the ever-present noise of hundreds of personal Walk-Slug sets,
playing the inane melodies loved by most citizens. His resentment has reached breaking point, and he has recruited
several Society members into a deadly conspiracy, aimed at ridding the MegaCity of Walk-Slugs forever.
Another member of the Music Society is Professor Brian Storm, a talented electronic engineer. Ludwig has
persuaded him to design a powerful and deadly device: a transmitter which locks in on the tiny signals used by
Walk-Slug earphones and boosts them up to hundreds of times their normal intensity. A dozen prototypes of this
machine have been built and handed over to Ludwig and his accomplices...
Storm agreed to work with Ludwig at first, but later realised that he had agreed to take part in a murder conspiracy.
He dislikes Walk-Slugs as well, but, as he doesn't particularly want to be arrested, he has added a little refinement of
his own to the design. The transmitter electrocutes the user when the activation button is pressed, then destroys
itself. Its self-destruct mechanism also triggers if the case is opened.
All the Society members who are involved have agreed to use the transmitters at 1800 hours, the height of the early
evening commuter rush. Storm, of course, has no intention of taking part, and has destroyed his own transmitter, its
plans, and other evidence. The other conspirators fully intend to carry out the plan. However, two members are
impatient, and won't wait until the agreed time.
Eric Braithwaite was the first to crack as his hatred of Walk-slugs took over completely. A few minutes ago he
boarded the North-bound train, and activated his briefcase transmitter as it left the last station. Dozens of Walk-Slug
wearers were subjected to an intense shrieking noise which deafened them at the least. Many have suffered brain
damage and death. Eric jerked and fried as 5,000 volts passed through his body, and the transmitter was destroyed
by a thermite charge.
When the PCs reach the station, the train will just be arriving. They'll be the only Judges on the scene, and all the
train doors will open simultaneously. Hundreds of panic-stricken passengers will stream out, and the Judges will
have a riot on their hands if they don't do something to stop it.
About half Eric's victims are wearing Walk-Slug players. The rest of the Walk-slugs have fallen to the floor, or have
been stolen by other passengers (along with wallets and other personal possessions).
If the Judges react to this incident in approved Justice Department style - by makings full crime blitz search of all
the survivors and victims -they'll find that several of the survivors are carrying shopping bags loaded with wallets,
Walk-Slug players, and other valuables. The perps will admit to having looted the bodies. Most of the Walk-Slug
players are faulty and if Tek-Div are asked to check, they'll find melted wires in the headphones.
Half of the Walk-slug victims are dead, the rest are unconscious. When they recover they won't be able to describe
what happened to them, and all are completely deaf. Questioning (via sign language?) should establish that they
were all wearing Walk-slug players, if the Judges think to check this out.
Eric's body bears obvious traces of electrocution, and his briefcase is misshapen and hot. Tek-Div should be able to
learn that it contained some form of transmitter, but won't learn anything more.
A full dossier on Eric should mention membership of several societies, including art and theatre clubs, the Sector
Classical Music Society and the like. He was unemployed, and had no apparent reason to be on this train. Try to give
the Judges two or three misleading clues in his dossier. For example, Eric spent a year as a JOP (Juve Opportunity
Program) trainee with Wony, the main manufacturers of Walk-Slug players, but couldn't land a permanent job. The
PCs might think that this was an attempt to get revenge on Wony.
Meanwhile, Ludwig is about to board an airbus. Already he can hear the intolerable twangs of “Spugging The
Drokking Night Away”. His hand keeps straying towards the switch on his transmitter...
This outline should begin with the call to Billy Connolly Block station, and the examination of the bodies. An hour
or two later Ludwig will make the second attack. The only link between Ludwig and Eric - the Classical Music
Society - should focus attention on its members. However, all of the other conspirators will already be on their way
to strategic points, such as main skyzoom terminals and stations. Professor Storm knows who has the transmitters
and is at his home. If the Judges can crack his pretence of innocence, he'll give them the names of the other perps. If
the PCs act quickly, and get other Judges to help, they'll stop most of the conspirators before 1800 hours.
The final stage of The Sound of Music should be a tense hunt for the last perp in a really crowded area, such as Wall
Street skyzoom terminal. Involve the player characters in the hunt, and encourage them to think of ways of stopping
the perp without the transmitter being used. If they wound the perp without making a clean kill, he'll press the button
and kill a few hundred more commuters. If they can make him realise that the transmitter is lethal, he should
surrender.
ONE OF OUR SOULS IS MISSING

+++ item +++

Any unit vicinity of Glxzuk Embassy: Theft and attempted murder reported.

GM’s Information
The Glxzuk are aliens from an industrialised world which has good trading relationship with Mega-City One. They
resemble six-armed octopuses, but are warm-blooded and live on land. Followers of one of the major Glxzuk
religions believe that any form of image (e.g. a painting, a photograph or a hologram) steals the soul of the subject.
Normally they take great care to avoid worlds where their souls are likely to be 'stolen' in this way.
However, thanks to an administrative error, Vksvos, a diplomat and adherent of this faith, was assigned to Earth. As
Vksvos left the spaceport a juve snapped his picture from a passing car, which drove away before he could stop it.
Somehow he found his way to the Embassy, and told the Consul what had happened.
Vksvos will die by nightfall (in about five hours) if his 'soul' isn't returned. He has already started chanting a ritual
death song, and has lost most of his will to live.
Meanwhile Damien Omentoo, the boy who took the picture, has gone out to finish off the slug. He's destined to have
an eventful afternoon...
When the player characters arrive, they're met by Fwiss, the Trade Consul for the Embassy. Fwiss uses an electronic
translator to explain the situation, but even with the translator his accent and grammar are extremely odd. He usually
begins each sentence with the phrase 'To be telling you that...'. He mixes up singulars and plurals, and avoids using
the word 'I'.
Despite the linguistic barrier, Fwiss makes it clear that members of the religion always die unless their image is
recovered. On Glxzuk the case would be treated as murder if the 'victim’ actually died. He also mentions, almost in
passing, that exports from Earth to Glxzuk earn forty million Interstellar Groats a year for Mega-City One. A death
in these circumstances might just possibly be bad publicity for Terran products... He cautions the team to avoid
using anything that might look like a camera near Vksvos and then takes them to meet the dying diplomat.
Vksvos isn't trained to use the translator, so Fwiss interprets for him. Vksvos can't describe the juve in any detail,
and isn't even sure of age or gender (all humans look alike to him), but he does remember that the juve had “upper
fur like rotij lichen” (curly black hair). He remembers that the car was bright green. He also mentions that he saw a
Judge riding past just after the picture was taken. At that time he didn't know what the uniform of a Judge
represented. He'll refuse to look at comp-ident holographs and other pictures of humans, since they are 'stolen souls'.
Fwiss can provide any additional details the PCs might need: the time that Vksvos arrived at the spaceport, which
terminal he used, exit gate, etc.
If the PCs check with Control, they'll be told to follow up on the case and get the holoslug back. There isn't a law
against taking pictures of aliens, but the photographer should be checked for criminal activities. The possibility that
this was a deliberate murder attempt by someone who knew of Vksvos’ religious peculiarity must also be
investigated.
The PCs can easily make contact with the Judge that Vksvos saw. It was Judge Hershey, on routine patrol of the
port. She remembers noticing the alien outside the terminal, but didn't see any unusual cars. If the PCs haven't
already thought of it, she'll remind the team that Kennedy has tight security. The incident was probably recorded by
terminal security cameras. Fwiss will not mention this possibility to Vksvos.
Kennedy security does have a record of the car. It's a green Leymak Analgesic saloon, license 5879-SOKL-
38532690. The car is registered to Gladys Omentoo of nearby Doris Leasing block. Gladys is a widow, as her
husband was killed in the Apocalypse War. Her son Damien, aged nine, is her only child.
Gladys is at home when the Judges visit the apartment. All the rooms are clean and tidy, and one room is prepared
for a birthday party with a munce cake, synthi-jellies, balloons, and streamers. If the PCs blitz the apartment they'll
eventually find an antique Bills & Moon romance novel hidden behind the vid (possession of material likely to be
damaging to mental health; six months imprisonment), but will miss the incident described below.
Gladys freely admits that she and Damien visited Kennedy Spaceport this morning: Today is his birthday, and he
wanted to look at the ships and try out his new camera. He's gone down to the block plaza to finish off the slug.
Later some of his school friends will be coming to his birthday party.
Meanwhile Zeke and Frodo Zubloni, a pair of punks recently released from the cubes, have been attempting to rob
the Doris Leasing block jewellery store. Zeke has spotted Damien taking pictures of the raid, and is leveling his spit
carbine to deal with this unexpected nuisance. If the Judges don't waste time on a crime blitz they'll arrive on the
scene as this is happening. The brothers will decide to take Damien and the shop staff as hostages. They will then try
to force the Judges into letting them escape with their loot. If the PCs don't arrive promptly, the per p swill shoot
Damien (luckily only wounding him), grab the camera, and head for the basement car park.
At the same time as all that lot is occurring, the Doris Leasing Citi-Def contingent will notice that outsiders have
invaded their territory. They will prepare to exact their own brand of 'justice' as soon as their heavy weapons team
arrive.
If the Judges are prompt, the three sides (Judges, Citi-Def and perps) will converge in the crowded block plaza. If
not, they'll meet somewhere on the ramps down to the basement garage. In the confusion of battle the camera could
and will probably change hands several times. The Judges might see one of the perps hurl it at Citi-Def trooper, only
to have someone else catch it and run off with their unexpected 'present'.
Whatever the outcome the battle, the PCs must recover the camera and its slug, then take it to the Glxzuk embassy.
Vksvos will only believe that his soul is safe if he sees the pictures projected to confirm that it is the correct slug,
then sees the slug destroyed.
This isn't a complicated adventure, though an unkind referee could make it extremely lethal. Zeke and Frodo should
be ordinary street punks, and the Citi-Def unit shouldn't be particularly powerful. If a longer hunt is required just
add more incidents. The camera could be stolen from Damien by a juve gang, who in turn run into the Zubloni
brothers, who then lose it during their getaway. Better still, use it as an additional plot thread in another campaign or
adventure. It is possible, for example, to change the location and perps to merge it with the Spungg Ones (White
Dwarf 78).
If the Judges are successful, try to delay their return to the Embassy, so that the adventure ends with a mercy dash
past the hazards of Mega-City traffic.
There is an optional tailpiece to the adventure. When Vksvos is feeling better he'll need to be escorted to Kennedy
Spaceport. The Embassy might request the PC’s help in keeping photographers at bay. A whole new range of
complications is possible, from inquisitive reporters - why are the Judges escorting a closed van to an alien space
liner? - to hijacking and alien treachery.

Marcus Rowland