Outbreak at Virutech Labs

Recommended levels 5-6

While many corporate microbiology labs find the development of biological weapons extremely lucrative, Virutech labs has carved out a niche developing beneficial viral strains. The founders of Virutech, Dr. Maristone and Dr. Luzion, started the company to create viral technology that targeted previously incurable diseases. Recently they have expanded into the field of viral augmentations, developing strains that not only heal, but enhance the physical form.

Virutech's most recent innovation is called the Muto-Virus. Originally developed to protect workers in hostile environments, the Muto-Virus transforms when exposed to cold, heat and electricity. This phase change confers energy resistance to both the virus and the host, allowing those infected to work safely in otherwise dangerous places.

The Muto-Virus was an instant success and the two doctors struggled to fill orders. In an attempt to increase production, Dr. Maristone introduced a growth gene into the Muto-Virus vats. This had an unintended effect on the virus, not only did the population in the vats increase, but several individual viruses grew to enormous sizes. The doctors are trapped in the Virutech break room, and its up to the adventurers to save them. This adventure can take place in any high tech settlement or space station. The party can become involved as they pass by the lab and hear a commotion or answer a distress call on the local infosphere.

Virutech Labs is situated in a clean white cube shaped building. The only decoration is a gently shifting holo display of the company's logo: Virutech spelled out in silvery hexagonal letters. Translucent white plastic doors lead to the interior. Though the exterior of the building appears calm. crashing and yelling can be heard inside.

1- Lobby

The lobby of Virutech labs is still intact, though a commotion can be heard coming from the doors leading east and west into the hallway. The plastic doors appear to have been battered from the opposite side. A long white plastic counter runs across the back wall with displays of Virutech's various products. The most notable is the Muto-Virus display, which has a holo-screen that rotates through the virus information contained in the adventure introduction. A Muto-Virus sample dispenser sits on the counter in front of the display. If a PC inserts their hand into the glowing slot on the front of the dispenser they become inoculated with a short acting version of the virus. The dispenser has 4 doses, the amount of doses are displayed on the device after using it.

Muto-Virus Sample

Duration- 5 minutes

Effect- A PC infected with this virus gains an adaptive energy resistance. Upon taking Cold, Fire or Electricity damage, the target gains immunity to that type of energy. This does not prevent the initial energy damage if the target isn't immune already. If hit with a different type of energy damage listed, the PC then switches energy immunity. This changes the PC's skin tone to match the energy resistance, blue for cold, red for fire, yellow for electricity.

2- Hallway

This central hallway was once lined with pristine white plastic, now covered in cracks and smeared with clear mucus. Doors in the hallway lead to each interior room in the lab, but not to the outside. The doors are unlocked except for the door to the Multi-Vat room. Roaming the halls on the eastern side of the building are three enlarged Muto-Viruses. These pale grey viruses are man sized, they crawl across the ceiling and walls on spidery legs connected to a spiral stalk topped with a gem shaped head. They attack the party as soon as they are within sight.

The viruses are in a neutral state and haven't gained any energy resistance yet. Enlarged Muto-Viruses have a genetic flaw that causes them to overload when they are in the presence of other viruses in the same elemental phase. If three or more giant Muto-Viruses enter the same phase near each other, they overload with elemental energy and explode.

Enlarged Muto-Virus CR 3 XP 800 CN Medium aberration Init +1, Senses: blindsense 60 ft.; Perception +8

Defense HP 40 EAC 14 KAC 16 Fort +7 Ref +7 Will +2

Mindless

Offensive Speed 30 ft. Climb 30' Melee Needle Drill +12 (1d6+7 P)

If the virus is phased to an element, needle drill deals 5 cold, fire or electric damage in addition to its regular damage.

Statistics Str +4 Dex +1 Con +2 Int +0 Wis +0 Cha +0 Stealth +13

Abilities

Adaptive Resistance- Upon taking Cold, Fire or Electricity damage, the virus gains immunity to that type of energy. This does not prevent the initial energy damage if the virus isn't immune already. If hit with a different type of energy damage listed, the virus then switches energy immunity. This changes the virus' color to match the energy resistance; blue for cold, red for fire, yellow for electricity.

Overload- When three or more viruses are within 60' of each other and in the same elemental phase, the viruses explode dealing 3d6 cold, fire or electric damage

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3- Break room

Dr. Marison and Dr. Luizo have barricaded themselves inside the lab's break room. After the PCs defeat the giant viruses in the hallway, they unblock the door and frantically gesture the party in. Dr. Maristone is an outgoing dwarven man, Dr. Luzion is a nervous male elf. Both men wear mustaches and tattered lab coats. They bear superficial injuries but don't require immediate medical assistance.

The doctors are relieved to see the adventurers, they implore them to help defeat the remaining enlarged viruses in the Lab's Multi-Vat room. They inform the PCs that they need two key cards to open the Multi-Vat door. The doctors can answer any questions that the party has about the viruses and the accident, as well as inform them about the giant virus' overload weakness. Dr. Luzion also produces a pulse caster pistol if the party lacks any weapons that deal fire, cold or electric damage.

The break room also contains a set of table and chairs, a microwave, a refrigerator and a star-shaped wall clock that runs off a high capacity battery. Any PC can attempt a DC 20 engineering check to use the microwave, refrigerator or clock battery to deal 1d4 fire, cold or electric damage to a PC.

Optionally, if the party is struggling with the damage from incubator and cold storage, the doctors can suggest the party use the muto-virus samples and/or the break room items to gain temporary immunity to fire and cold.

4- Office

The lab's office door is open, the interior of the room is torn apart. A modern looking chair and desk are smashed against the far wall, the computer console set into the top of the desk is cracked and non-functional. Inside one of the broken desk's drawers is a needler pistol and a credstick with 1000 credits.

5- Incubator Room

This incubation chamber once contained racks of tubes gently rotating under a warm red light. While the temperature is usually set to emulate various humanoid body temperatures, the Muto-Virus rampage has destroyed the thermostat. Now the incubator room is incredibly hot, the virus solution has boiled and the glass tubes have shattered. Dr. Maristone's key card lies at the far end of the room, 20' from the door. PCs take 6d12 fire damage for each round spent in this room.

6- Cold Storage

This room contains shelves of frozen virus samples awaiting shipment. The thermostat has been damaged and the freezer has reached dangerously low temperatures. Each turn spent in the freezer deals 6d6 cold damage to PCs. Dr. Luzion's key card was kicked under a shelf requiring a DC 20 perception check to notice.

7- Multi-vat Room

The Multi-Vat room houses the huge vats where Muto-Virus is grown. Each vat contains a red blue and yellow crystal charged with elemental fire (red), cold(blue) or electricity(yellow). The door to this room is locked and requires both Dr. Maristone and Dr. Luzion's key cards to enter.

Inside the room are six rampaging giant viruses. Three are in a neutral state, one is red/fire phased, one yellow/electric phased, and one blue/cold phased. They attack the party as soon as they enter the room and fight to the death. This fight will be challenging unless the PCs take advantage of the virus' overload ability. The elemental crystals in the vats can be thrown at the giant viruses, dealing no damage but changing their phase to that of the crystal's elemental energy.

After the Multi-Vat room is cleared, the doctors emerge from the barricaded break room. Dr. Luzion begins assessing the damage while Dr. Maristone congratulates and thanks the party. He asks that the adventurers keep the incident quiet and offers them each a Muto-Virus Sample vial and 5000 credits in exchange for their silence.