THE ALPHA UPDAT! ‘PARANOIA S NS including . the Brand New Ji > Emergency’ 4 we SS Services ‘ Manual & ; ~~Ed Stark ‘Mess with their Minds’/Development and Editing Stephen Crane, Cathleen Hunter, John Paul Lona *Lay it Up, Lay it Down"/Graphics Introduction ReBoot Alpha Chapter One Alpha: Old and New Know Thy Enemy: The State of The Computer 14 FreeEnterprise in Alpha Tuning the Tone Chapter Two Troubleshooting Troubleshooters Clones in ReBoot Alpha Security Clearances Revisited The Reason for Treason The Nine-to-Fivecycle Job Chapter Three Secret (and Not-so-Secret) Societies Secret Society Table Chapter Four Research Redesigned R&Devices Places Chapter Five ‘AlphaNet by Ed Bolme per 7 Very Artsy, again”/Cover Illustration Francis Mao “vs About Time ..."/Interior Illustrations ‘TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Chapter Six ‘The Not-so-Great Outdoors 7 Emergency Services Manual 8 Chapter Seven ES of A: An Overview 83 16 Chapter Eight 18 ‘Welcome to INEPT a7 Chapter Nine 2 INEPT Dispatch 90 26 Chapter Ten 31 The MEAT Wagon and Crew 4 34 Chapter Eleven 38 HURT 98 Chapter Twelve 46 HELP. 102 58 Chapter Thirteen Dial 116 105 59 Chapter Fourteen 64 Emer-G-NCY! Emer-G-NCY! 107 Chapter Fifteen ‘The Economics of Alpha Medicine m At Your Service, Citizen... Issue Zero 116 Vitis. RR 3 Box 2345 Honesdale, PA 18431 12022 Public: Daniel Scot Paller» Associate PI ser Rich a Cama ales Manage FlareyBonterre «Sales As Crop Ait: Cathleen Hunter Job rd Hawran» Ein Greg Freie, Bl Sith, El Stark» rt Direc: Sephen Crane ars Kamei Kean » Amina Asian eff Dennis Mpc Pojcs Maat Ron Seiden Warehouse Manager: Ed H+ Treasurer Janet Rico 64. and © 1982 West End Games. ll Rig ReservedTHE PARANOIA SOURCEBOOK, tnoicion Ml Emest-R-NOT-2 strode purposefully down the hallway to Troubleshooter Headquarters. It had been a full two weekcyclessince Vulture strikecrafthad leveled the old HQ, forcing them to operate out of an old Hot Fun storage facility, yet Ernest still hadn't gotten used to the musty smell. He picked his way carefully around the rubble stil littering the corridor, endeavoring to hold his head high at the same time. He tried to hide his trembling hands as he passed the two ‘Orange guards from the Committee of Internal Affairs at the entrance to the Headquarters. Rumor had it that their ClA-issue doberbot could smell sub- versive thoughts at a range of forty meters. He remembered how they grilled Mac-R-THY the other daycycle, badgerbotting him until he stammered and started crying, Suspiciously eyeing him, the CIA guards motioned Ernest through the door. Inside Headquarters he met Mac- R, recently released from CIA Counsel- ling. Mac-R looked pale, and his hai line appeared to have receded an inch fr two. Grim business, that, but with Commies and psychos and the fascist war pigs of The Computer pounding on the gates of Alpha Base, one could never be too sure. He noticed Anne-R-KEY-2 saunter in shortly afterwards, and the two of them exchanged Seal Club solidarity salutes. Mac-R smiled hysterically. Emest's Team was now assembled, given that Barb-R had run outa couple Clones short of a six-pack. They pro- ceeded to the airlock leading to their briefing room in Mission Control Inside the airlock, they all rapidly rolled up their sleeves. Kudit-B-EGO liked for his Teams all to look rough and ready. The inner airlock slid open just as they finished. “Laserslingers reporting as ordered, Introduction: Somewhere in Alpha. sir,” he said, saluting the leather-clad unshaven officer. “Thavea tough assignment for yall,” he drawled. “You'll leave for the Bad- lands by your usual route. Once there, you'll rendezvous with an informer who'll show you how to infiltrate Al- pha Complex. Then ..." ‘The Laserslingers paled as Kudit-B described their assignment, For Mac- R, paling even further was quite an accomplishment. So begins another gibbering adven- ture featuring our intrepid Trouble- shooters. Fearless defenders of free- dom, guardians of the huddled mi lions of Alpha Base from dangers un- ‘counted lying in wait in the Badlands and beyond, warriors against the en- ccroaching death of Computer tyranny, cever-watchful protectors of ruth, secu- rity, and a good time r, pethaps the Troubleshooters are the valiant and vigilant protectors of Friend Computer, the last bastion of civilization against the anarchy of Al- pha Base, the Commies, and the Mu- tant Hordes of the Badlands. ‘Or, maybe, they are products of ab- errant technology and greed — as rep- resented by the fascist Alpha Complex, the exploitive Alpha Base, and the over privileged Alpha City areas — striving tosurvive ina wasted world notoof their ‘own making. Whatever. The Paranoia Sourcebook: The Al- pha Update is a smorgasbord of ideas, facts, and rumors to help you get your campaign (and players) off and run- ning, Included are sections elaborating on the state of Alpha now that The Computer's back; a section on helping. keep the Troubleshooters alive (!) and in a fun, ongoing campaign; and a section on the new “Emergency Ser- Vices” branch of the Troubleshooters! And, as an added bonus, the very first (never before seen in stores) issue of “At Your Service, Citizen ..,"the very Paranoia’d newsletter! ‘You are, of course, required by the Alpha Complex Treason Code section 15724.373/762.3b paragraph 784, to own a copy of Paranoia, Second Edi- tion. Copies of The DOA Sector Trav- elogue and the Crash Course Manual are also recommended for use in an ‘ongoing Paranoia campaign. ee So Why Should I Have a Camp: Most Paranoia aficionados have tra- ditionally played Paranoia as one-shot adventures, using our vaunted Para- noia adventures or quick-death schemes of their own devising. Each adventure was self-contained, and, though characters might last from ad- venture to adventure, there was no other attempt at continuity. Asa result, the Troubleshooters were truly considered expendable, and the players had most of their fun simply blowing each other away at the drop of a hat. This designer once locked the Troubleshooters in a room just to see what would happen. Within minutecycles, four were dead. ‘Campaigns provide two big advan- tages — without stealing from the play- ers’ abilities to coerce (read: shoot) each other. Ambience: Traditionally, Trouble- shooters were shuttled hither and yon to whatever sector suited the joke of the moment. All briefings were differ- ent, all guards were different, and ev- ery moment was faced with the dread of the unknown. Soon, however, most Paranoia players became accustomed to “Paranoia-speak,” and the whole i EET 3