GURPS Special Forces

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Reference

Meteor Fragments

TLunknown

Current Holder: Voss Dynamics

Origin: The Meteor Event

Summary

Extraterrestrial fragments from the meteors that entered Earth’s atmosphere during The Meteor Event and the Second Meteor Event. The fragments exist in two known states — active and inert — and are the apparent source of every superhuman ability encountered in the campaign to date.

Description

Meteor fragments appear as solid, irregular shards of extraterrestrial material. Active fragments glow visibly. Inert fragments are dull and detectable only by instrument (suit sensors, range ~100 yards, upgraded from 50).

Two states:

  • Active (“juicy”): Glowing. Capable of transferring energy to individuals on direct skin contact. The transfer appears to be one-shot — once the energy is absorbed, the fragment is rendered inert. The effect on the recipient varies: ability grants, mutation, or death have all been observed. Active fragments can also affect wildlife — a fragment landing in Russia mutated a bear into the Fragment Bear.

  • Inert (“dry” / “used”): Depleted of energy. No observable effect on contact. Still detectable by suit sensors. Retain material value as curiosities or trade goods — Ronnie previously sold an inert fragment known as The Potato for $500,000.

The mechanism by which fragments grant abilities, mutate organisms, or produce other effects is completely unknown. Voss Dynamics is believed to be studying recovered fragments but has not disclosed findings to the team.

Fragment Inventory (as of Session 04)

From the Second Meteor Event — estimated 12–15 fragments scattered across the Northern Hemisphere:

Status Count Location / Notes
Recovered — active 2 Turned over to Voss Dynamics
Recovered — inert 3 Turned over to Voss Dynamics
Unrecovered ~3 North Atlantic (submerged or adrift)
Unknown ~4–7 Locations unknown; presumed scattered across Northern Hemisphere

Fragment count and status are approximate — exact figures subject to GM confirmation.

History

The original Meteor Event scattered fragments that granted powers to multiple individuals, including The Dragon, The Exploding Man, Mayhem, and others encountered during the early sessions. These early cases established the pattern: direct skin contact with an active fragment transfers its energy to the person and leaves the fragment inert.

The Second Meteor Event produced a larger debris field with 12–15 estimated fragments. The team was tasked with recovery operations across multiple theatres: Iceland, Greenland, the North Atlantic, and Russia.

In Iceland, Ronnie made bare-handed contact with an active fragment and gained energy-draining abilities. In Greenland, The Dragon caught a fragment and was affected by the energy discharge during the attempt to intercept it. In Russia, a fragment made contact with a bear before the team could secure it, creating the Fragment Bear.

Ronnie had previously sold an inert fragment from the first meteor event — The Potato — for $500,000 prior to the campaign’s current arc.

Relationships

Outgoing:

Incoming:

Appearances

  • [Session 01 - Operation Living Bomb](…/chapters/Chapter 1 - Living Bomb/Sessions/session-01-operation-living-bomb.html) — Fragment-empowered individuals first encountered; fragments referenced as the source of abilities
  • [Session 02 - Terra-ble First Impressions](…/chapters/Chapter 1 - Living Bomb/Sessions/session-02-terra-ble-first-impressions.html) — Referenced in broader campaign context
  • Session 03 — Recovery operations; North Atlantic fragments
  • [Session 04 - Fallen Stars](…/chapters/Chapter 1 - Living Bomb/Sessions/session-04-fallen-stars.html) — Second meteor event recovery; Iceland, Greenland, Russia theatres; Fragment Bear mutation; Ronnie gains ability from fragment contact

Relationships

  • Originated from The Meteor Event — Fragments of the original and second meteors
  • Held by Voss Dynamics — Most recovered fragments turned over to Voss