CHAPTER 10: EUROPA

10.1
INTRODUCTION

Just after the Leonov entered the Jupiter system, the ship's sensors detected strange readings from Europa. Europa is one of Jupi- ter's moons. Table 3 on the inside cover lists Europa's physical data.
   The characters may want to investigate the strange readings. There are two ways they can learn more about Europa: they can launch a remote probe or they can send a manned expedition to Europa. Section 10.2 below explains sending a remote probe, and section 10.3 covers sending a manned expedition.
  Tanya recommends that they launch a remote probe before sending a manned expedition. She doesn't want to endanger any lives if a probe can do the job. How- ever, she will agree to send a manned expe- dition first.
   The characters must be in a ship in the same hex Europa is in (on Map 8) before they can launch a remote probe or send a manned expedition to Europa. Remember that Europa is in orbit around Jupiter. Keep track of where Europa is by moving the planet counter around its orbit on Map 8. Table 4, on the inside cover, lists how fast Europa moves.
   When a remote probe or manned expedi- tion reaches Europa, the characters find something. What they find is determined by what the Leonov first detected on Europa (your result from Table 5 in chapter 1). After using section 10.2 or 10.3, use section 10.5 if a radio signal was detected; use section 10.6 if chlorophyll was detected.
   The strange readings came from a round impact crater, 1 kilometer wide. Most of the crater floor is smooth ice. A 100-meter-wide maze of ice swells, dips, walls, and obstacles fills the center of the crater. Hidden under the center of the maze is an ice cave.
   What the characters find is in the ice cave. The cave was formed by a meteor impact. Several years ago, a red-hot meteor blasted through the ice, causing bubbles of steam to rise up. Water around the bubbles froze almost instantly, forming a series of con-
nected shperical chambers leading down into the ice.

   A concealed opening in the ice maze leads into the first cave chamber. That chamber is the largest, 20 meters wide. A 3-meter-wide hole in the floor leads down to the next chamber, only 15 meters wide. In all, there are four chambers, one on top of another. Each leads down to the next through a circular hole. Each chamber can only be seen from the chambers above and below it because the holes do not line up. The second chamber is quite dim; the lower chambers are pitch black.
   The bottom chamber is the smallest, only 5 meters across. The meteor that formed the cave is under the floor there, forming a mound. Through the ice, the meteor appears as a dark rectangular shape, similar to a monolith.
   Unknown to the characters, the cave is shelter for an unidentifiable primitive life form that resembles a gay-green mass of plants. These creatures usually live beneath the ice. Occasionally, one finds a gap in the ice and moves to the surface. One of these creatures lives in the ice maze around the cave. During the day, it lies on the ice, soak- ing up light. When darkness falls, it seeks out the shelter of the ice cave.

10.2
SENDING A REMOTE PROBE
TO EUROPA

The Leonov carries two remote probes. See p. 22 in the Knight Hawks Campaign Book for information about these probes. The Leonov's probes must be controlled by an operator on the Leonov. Uri Svetlanov is the only crew member trained to operate them. He must use his piloting skill (increase maneuver rating) to accomplish fancy maneuvers. Other pilots can fly the probes, but must make their skill checks with a -20 modifier. The probe controls are in the computer bay.
The Leonov's probes carry special TV cameras that are linked to the Leonov's computers. The computers produce an enhanced image of everything the cameras see on a screen in the computer bay.
A probe requires ½ hour to reach Europa.

Uri can fly it to the crator without difficulty. When the probe reaches the crater, all the Americans and most of the Russians should gather in the computer bay to watch the screen as the probe flies down to the surface. Uri lands the probe slowly, near the center and asks for suggestions as to what to do next.
After 10 minutes of searching, the probe's sensors lock onto strange readings, similar to those the Leonov detected. If the probe searches for the reading's source, it eventu- ally finds the ice cave.
The probe can enter the first chamber, but cannot pass through the hole to the next chamber. Uri can tell this right away. If other characters persuade Uri to try to enter a lower chamber, the attempt damages the probe - its cameras are knocked out of focus and cannot be fixed.

Continue with section 10.4, 10.5, or 10.6

10.3
SENDING A MANNED
EXPEDITION TO EUROPA

GETTING READY

See p. 30 in the Knight Hawks Campaign Book for information about workpods. The Leonov has three workpods that Max and Curnow can modify to fly to Europa, land someone, then return him to the Leonov. Before the characters can use a pod this way, Max and Curnow must spend 2 hours modifying it. There is a two-person workpod on the Discovery that can also be used.