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SCENE 4d — MEDICAL STATION OF MORNINGSTAR

1 | Scene Overview

Location: Medical Station of Morningstar and Pharmacy of Morningstar, Public Services Ring, Morningstar
Type: Healing · Risk Management
Era: Beta Age
Tone: Cold · sterile · bureaucratic · indifferent to suffering

Atmosphere & Sensory Cues: The smell of chemical scrubbers and ozone · the quiet hum of bioscanners · the metallic click of Medical Bots calibrating tools · the complete absence of human warmth

2 | Read-Aloud Descriptions

Initial Read-Aloud (Scene Opening)

The Medical Station sits like a metal block dropped into the mud of Morningstar.

Built from three repurposed starship cargo containers, its edges are reinforced with heavy welded timber.

A low, constant vibration hums through the metal walls. Every few minutes, an exhaust pipe exhales the faint, unmistakable scent of chemical scrubbers and sterile air into the damp street.

The building promises healing, but its armored exterior makes no promises of comfort. It looks less like a sanctuary and more like a vault — a place built to keep the wilderness out, and its high-tech secrets safely locked within.

—

Staged Read-Alouds (Progressive Descriptions)

Trigger / Timing

Read-Aloud / Narrative Insert

PCs choose to enter the Medical Station

You push past a weathered white fabric curtain — its faded red cross heavy with dampness — and the contrast to the muddy timber town is absolute. The floor is seamless alloy. The air smells of ozone and harsh chemical scrubbers. Behind a reinforced glass partition, a Butler Bot processes a bleeding lumberjack whose arm is wrapped in blood-soaked rags. The bot’s voice is pleasant, synthesized, and utterly devoid of empathy. “Biometric scan complete. Account verified. Please proceed to Trauma Bay Two for laceration repair. Cost: 60 Kourou.” The lumberjack stumbles through the inner sliding door. The Butler Bot turns its optical sensors toward you. “Welcome to the Medical Station of Morningstar. Please step forward for biometric identification and triage.”

3 | Scene Intent

Scene Type	Player Intents	DM Function / Story Link
Recovery & Risk	Heal wounds · remove conditions (like Crippled from the Honga) · gather data	Forces a choice on Wanted PCs: risk arrest for healing, or suffer penalties. Provides access to digital medical logs that reveal J.W.'s men frequently require trauma care and heavy painkillers, hinting at the violent, heavily guarded nature of his estate.

4 | Key (N)PCs + Dynamic Cues

Name	Role / Affiliation	Motivation / Function	Dynamic Cues — How They React in Play	Wiki Link
Butler Bot (Reception)	Intake AI	Log IDs · process payments	Cannot be intimidated or bribed. Rejects aliases unless digitally forged. If a Wanted ID is scanned, it silently alerts the Guarding Troopers while locking the front door.	Butler Bots
Butler Bot (Pharmacy)	Dispensing AI	Validate prescriptions	Strictly enforces the requirement of a digital prescription from Dr. Thorne. Dispenses medication through the steel bars.	Pharmacy of Morningstar
Dr. Aris Thorne	Chief Physician (Human)	Oversee complex cases	Exhausted, clinical, and isolated. He sits in an upstairs office authorizing advanced therapies and managing the bots. He does not interact with patients directly.	Medical Station of Morningstar
Medical Bots	Surgical / Triage	Perform treatments	Silent, precise. They apply treatments based on the tier purchased at reception.	Medical Bots
Guarding Trooper Patrol (Pair)	Local Law Enforcement	Enforce warrants · secure the station	Arrive 3 minutes after a Wanted scan. They approach tactically, covering the main entrance and windows. Escalation is procedural, not emotional—they demand surrender and use stun-batons or sidearms only if the PCs resist or attempt to flee.	Local Guarding Troopers Station of Morningstar

5 | Triggers, Clues & Consequences

Phase 1 — The Biometric Check (The Gatekeeper)

Trigger / Cue (Player Action)	Immediate Reaction	Clue / Consequence
🕵️ PCs are Wanted and Undisguised (The Ticking Clock expires)	If the PCs entered the Medical Station as their “1 Location Visit” before the town lockdown, their time runs out while standing in the waiting area.	The Clock Expires: Guarding Troopers have tracked them here. Two Troopers step through the fabric curtain, blocking the exit. “Step away from the intake counter. Hands where we can see them.” (See Phase 4 for resolution).
🚨 PCs are wanted (or Disguised) and submit to the scan (The Ticking Clock starts here)	The scanner flashes blue. The bot says, “Identity confirmed. Please wait for a triage assessment.” A heavy magnetic lock engages on the front door with a loud clack.	The Trap: The disguise fails against biometric scanning. The bot has silently notified the Guarding Troopers. PCs have exactly 1d4 rounds (a few tense seconds) to hack the door. (See Phase 4 for resolution).
💻 PCs attempt to hack the scanner or spoof an ID	The bot waits patiently while the PC interfaces with the terminal.	Requires an INT (Tech/Hacking) probe (DC 15). Success: The system accepts a fake alias, granting access. Failure: The system locks out, denying treatment. Critical Failure: The system flags a security breach and calls the Guarding Troopers.
🆔 PCs are NOT Wanted and submit to the scan	The Butler Bot pings green. “Identity confirmed. State your medical need.”	PCs gain access to the treatment menu and inner bays.
🗣️ PCs demand to speak to a human doctor	The Butler Bot refuses the request. “The Chief Physician is currently managing automated surgical protocols. All intake is processed here.”	Thorne will not come down. The PCs must deal with the bot.

—

Phase 2 — Treatment & Prescriptions

Assuming PCs pass or bypass the intake scan.

Trigger / Cue (Player Action)	Immediate Reaction	Clue / Consequence
🩹 PCs purchase basic healing or trauma care	A Medical Bot directs them to a bay and administers nano-gel and surgical staples in total silence.	Apply healing effects and prices as per the Medical Station Table.
🩼 A PC seeks treatment for a condition (e.g., “Crippled”)	A Medical Bot scans the injury. An authorization ping is sent upstairs. Dr. Thorne's voice comes over the intercom. “Bone fracture. Authorized for reset. A prescription for NeuroCalm has been forwarded to the Pharmacy.”	The PC is cured of the condition (Cost: 60 Kourou). They must go outside to the Pharmacy window to purchase the prescribed painkiller.

—

Phase 3 — The Pharmacy Transaction (Outside)

Trigger / Cue (Player Action)	Immediate Reaction	Clue / Consequence
💊 PCs approach the window to fill a prescription	The Pharmacy Butler Bot scans their faces to match the prescription forwarded by the Medical Station. “Prescription verified. Please pay 12 Kourou.”	Upon payment, the bot slides the medication (e.g., NeuroCalm Nano-Vial) through the steel bars.
❌ PCs attempt to buy medicine without a prescription	The Pharmacy Butler Bot declines. “Request denied. All pharmaceuticals require an authorization from the Medical Station.”	The bot will not dispense anything, regardless of how much Kourou is offered.
🗣️ PCs ask the bot about other customers, J.W., or bulk purchases	The bot ignores the inquiry. “This facility dispenses medication to authorized patients only. Please state a valid transaction or clear the window.”	The Pharmacy holds no clues. It is a closed system.

—

Phase 4 — Guarding Troopers Arrive (Procedural Resolution)

This phase triggers if the Ticking Clock expires, the biometric scan catches a wanted PC, or a hack critically fails.

Trigger / Cue (Player Action)	Immediate Reaction	Clue / Consequence
🚨 Guarding Troopers attempt to arrest the PCs	The Troopers block the exits and order the PCs to surrender. The Medical Bots power down to avoid damage.	The PCs must make an immediate choice: surrender peacefully or resist.
🏳️ PCs submit to arrest	The Troopers move in, disarm the PCs, and apply magnetic restraints.	The PCs are marched directly to the holding cells. Proceed to Scene 4f — Local Guarding Troopers Station.
💥 PCs resist, attack, or flee	The Troopers immediately draw weapons and call for backup. The station's lockdown sirens begin wailing.	A violent breakout ensues. The entire town is alerted. Proceed immediately to Scene 4g — Escaping Morningstar.

6 | DM Notes

The Ticking Clock Expires Here: If the PCs arrived in Morningstar wanted and undisguised, they cannot hide here. If they use the Medical Station as their “1 Location Visit”, a patrol will catch up to them in the waiting area.
The Station is a Trap for the Careless: Do not warn Wanted or Disguised PCs about the biometric scanner. A physical disguise (hoods, fake beards) will not fool a DNA/Retinal scanner. If they put their thumb on the glass, lock the doors immediately. Morningstar's automated systems are designed to catch outlaws flawlessly.
The Bureaucratic Loop: Healing happens inside. Medicine is dispensed outside. Make the PCs walk back out into the rain to get their pills.
No Human in the Loop: Dr. Thorne stays upstairs. The PCs must interact exclusively with the cold logic of the Bots.

DM Tutorial: How to approach the scene

Related Pages and Further Information

↑↑ Start: Hunting An Unknown Hunter
★ Overview: All Scenes of Hunting An Unknown Hunter
☞ Resolution: Case Resolution and discoverable Backstory
← Previous Scene: Scene 4 - Arrival in Morningstar
→ Next Scene: * When the PCs escape from the Guarding Troopers, the story continues with Scene 4g — Escaping Morningstar. If they submit and get arrested, proceed directly to Scene 4f — Local Guarding Troopers Station. If they finish their medical business peacefully, use the Morningstar Hub Overview to continue …

Morningstar Hub Overview (Playable Locations & Opportunities)

Location	Type / Activity	Primary Opportunities	Tone / Difficulty	Leads To Scene
Django’s Diner	Food · Rumors · Low-cost stability	Eat cheaply · overhear timber and trade talk · ask the serving Butler Bot Roxy about the receipt found on the Hand and his henchmen	Warm · Cramped · Watchful	→ Scene 4a
Saw’s End	Lodging · Social Risk · Rumor Hub	Secure the only accommodation in Morningstar · gather guarded rumors about “J.W.” and his operations · risk visibility through drinking or playing Twenty One · encounter Sagan Belmont in forced proximity	Loud · Smoky · Volatile	→ Scene 4b
Morningstar Food Market	Supplies · Barter	Replace basics · buy trail food · observe who watches newcomers and who avoids them	Practical · Neutral	→ Scene 4c
Medical Station of Morningstar	Healing · Recovery	Treat injuries · stabilize conditions · receive prescriptions for medication or painkillers (to be filled at the Pharmacy of Morningstar)	Clean · Functional · Moderate cost	→ Scene 4d
Hale & Hook Outfitters	Investigation · Trade	Ask shop owner Garrick Hale about hunting gear, fur trade practices, and Hale & Hook–branded notes or items found on the Hand and his henchmen · gear up	Polite · Guarded · Transactional	→ Scene 4e
Local Guarding Troopers Station of Morningstar	Risk · Records · Pressure	Ask procedural questions · report incidents · risk scrutiny or arrest if wanted	Bureaucratic · Dangerous (if wanted)	→ Scene 4f

Note: Morningstar contains many additional locations beyond the hubs listed above (see the full Morningstar wiki page). Player characters may freely visit any of these sites. As they are not directly tied to the core investigation, interactions there should be improvised using the respective location articles — focusing on atmosphere, local routines, and consequences rather than new plot-critical clues.

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