The sapes in the maintenance module 
panicked and killed their keeper, Atata 
Myera (area C3). The sapes themselves 
have survived. 
The final crewmember, Akord Zon, who 
had become suspicious about the cause 
of the faults, fled to the warmth of the 
reactor room (E7) but was killed by the 
radiation. Her notes in the J/GL/IF (infor- 
mation storage) program (see area E7) 
may help the characters to destroy the 
Matrix. 

Descriptions and Events 

The section ON JETSOM (page 11) 
details the standard features of the 
platform and gives a room-by-room des- 
cription. JETSOM COMPUTER SYS- 
TEMS (Pull-out Sheet II) describes the 
platform's computers and programs/ Both 
these sections deal with the situation on 
Jetsom when the characters arrive. 

The EVENTS section (page 11) describes 
events which occur after the characters' 
arrival. The timing of the first event has 
been left to the referee's discretion. 

Defeating the Matrix 

Jetsom is a dangerous and uncomfortable 
place, since most of the electrical systems 
are infected by the Matrix. The Matrix has 
several effects, including making the 
robots and security systems dangerous to 
the characters and lowering the temper- 
ature in the modular compartments to 10 
degrees below zero. 

The characters' first problem will be to 
overcome these dangers and make the 
platform more habitable. While they are 
doing this, the characters should become 
aware that there is something very 
seriously wrong with the computer sys- 
tem. It is unlikely that they will realize 
exactly what the problem is, but the 
information in the J/GL/IF (information 
storage) computer program (the notes of 
Akord Zon - see areas B3 and E7) should 
be sufficient for them to work out what is 
wring and then overcome the Matrix (see 
 

Detecting the Matrix 

The Matrix cannot be seen since it exists 
only as a set of electronic impulses inside 
infected circuitry. 

If characters with robotics skill use the 
listing functions subskill on an infected 
robot, they will discover the robot's  
original mission/functions. However, 
they will notice subtle idiosyncrasies in 
this information and realize that there is a 
"bug" in the machine's programming. 
Similarly, characters with computer skill 
who gain full access (see COMPUTER 
SYSTEMS - Pull-out Sheet III) to any 
affected program will realize that the program
is somehow malfunctioning (i.e. 
it has a "bug"). These impressions will 
not tell the characters exactly how the 
robot or program is malfunctioning. 

Temporary "Cures" 

The effects of the Matrix may be tempor- 
arily removed from a computer program if 
it is "de-bugged" using manipulating 
programs subskill, or re-written using  
writing programs subskill. 

An infected robot may be temporarily 
"cured" if both its functions and mission 
are reset (using altering functions and 
altering missions subskills). 

These temporary "cures" only remove 
the effects of the Matrix infection by making 
the Matrix become dormant. The devices 
will still be infected and unless the 
Matrix is permanently destroyed (see 
below), the Matrix will become active 
again after 2d10 hours and its effects on 
the device will resume exactly as before. 

Robots, computers and other devices 
which are not infected when the char- 
acters arrive on Jetsom will only become 
infected as the result of an EVENT (see 
page 11). Once they are infected, how- 
ever, the above rules will apply. 

Permanent Removal 

The Matrix originated in the cold atmos- 
phere of Venturi and is vulnerable to heat. 
The only way of completely destroying it 
 

The external maintenance robot is in an 
area (F2) which cannot be heated (see 
Damaged Rooms - page 10). It will 
remain infected by the Matrix unless it is 
brought into an area heated above 35°C. 

The characters can destroy the Matrix in 
the shuttle's computer using the shuttle's 
manually adjustable life-support system. 
Even if they omit to do so, the shuttle will 
still fly them back to Snobol (assuming it 
is refueled). The shuttle's life-support 
system is not powerful enough to affect 
the temperature of the whole platform. 

Life-Support System 

The Jetsom platform has two separate 
life-support systems each consisting of a 
life-support unit and the program which 
controls it. 

-  System #1 is the main life-support 
    system for the platform. Unit #1 is 
    controlled by the J/MN/LS (life supp- 
    ort) program in the J/MN (main) 
    computer and cannot be run manually. 

-   System #2 is the back-up life-support 
    system. Unit #2 is controlled by the 
    J/LS/LS (life-support) program in the 
    J/LS (life-support) computer, but also 
    has a manual override control panel. 

When the characters arrive at Jetsom, 
system #1 is working and system #2 is on 
stand-by. 

The life-support units, life-support com- 
puter and manual override panel are 
located in area E3. The main computer is 
in area E2. 

Working the System 

Normally, the crew of the platform have 
three ways of changing conditions inside 
the platform, but the infection by the 
Matrix has caused several fault to 
develop. These will make it difficult for 
the characters to gain control.