SoP: Exploration

Standard Operating Procedures
Ship Operations | Chain of Command | Emergency Protocol
General | Command | Security | Engineering | Science | Medical | Supply

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SoP: Exploration

Exploration

• Gateway/Shuttle expeditions are to be organized by the Pathfinder unless CentComm commands otherwise. If two or more Exploration crewmembers wish to embark on an expedition when no Pathfinder is available, they may do so after faxing notice of their intent to Central Command. The Facility Director should not be starting expeditions on their own without orders directly from Central Command.
• Any two Heads of Staff may prevent an expedition from leaving, though only if they have a valid reason for preventing it. Any Heads of Staff that are found to be preventing an organized and equipped expedition from leaving shall be considered as exceeding official authority, provided the minimum requirements for leaving, as listed under the next section, are met.
• Heads of staff should not be participating in gateway missions or expeditions without explicit consent of the Facility Director. Central Command may override this restriction if they deem it necessary.

Initial Away Team

An initial expedition team must consist of the following where reasonably possible. A Pathfinder or equivalent should ideally make requests for staff via the PDA department relay, command channel with the appropriate heads of staff, or station announcements.

• The Pathfinder, acting as the leadership role for the expedition. In instances where the Pathfinder and another Head of Staff are present on an expedition, the Pathfinder retains command of the expedition. If the Pathfinder is incapacitated, any present Head of Staff assumes command.
• All available Exploration crew members. This is their primary mission purpose, after all. They should be armed and armored with whatever equipment Research can provide. Their first goal should be to identify any threats near the landing site or gateway endpoint and ensure the path is clear for other members, before the next stage of the expedition.
• An Engineer may accompany to play the role of sapper, equipped with general purpose tools for hacking, construction, and deconstruction. One goal of the engineer should be to set up a telecommunications relay, if the site is discovered to be habitable and able maintain crew for a large part of the shift.
• A Scientist may accompany the initial expedition, equipped with camera, scientific instruments, and clipboard with pen and papers for taking notes. This can be the Research Director but it is preferred that a normal scientist come along instead. It may be better, however, if the scientist arrives after the site is cleaned and prepared.
• A Medical Doctor, Paramedic, or Search and Rescue crew member to play the role of medic, equipped with one of each type of first aid kit, and at least one cryobag for emergencies.
• If reasonably available, a Security Officer equipped with lethal ranged weapons of choice, or equipment from storage as assigned by the expedition leader. Their goal should be to secure the landing site with the initial team, and prevent any creatures from compromising the gateway or shuttle and making it back to the station.
• A Pilot should accompany any expeditions via shuttle, as their skills can be required to make a hasty departure, or ferry crew members to and from the landing zone to obtain additional supplies or return any casualties.
• Volunteers may enlist to join the initial expedition, if they sign a waiver before departing on the expedition, and have the required skills to fulfill one of the above roles.

If only one crewmember is occupying a department, they may not accept this request without going Off Duty, or receiving the approval of their Department Head. If no Department Head is present, any crewmember or crewmembers abandoning their department to embark on an expedition should be treated as a violation of Policy/Corporate Regulations §222.

Regardless of rank or certification, no crewmember may pilot and maneuver the Expedition shuttle, unless authorized for the purposes of emergency retrieval or reaction during a Code Red situation, without at least one additional passenger capable of piloting the shuttle. Due to retrieval concerns in the event of an unexpected emergency, solo piloting of the shuttle should be treated as a violation of Policy/Corporate Regulations §215, §222, and §402.

Pre-Mission Setup

• All weapon-trained crew may be offered the opportunity to arm themselves from Security supplies or Research products. Crew armed in such a manner shall return the weaponry obtained to the armory for storage after the expedition is over.
• It is heavily recommended that, when possible, energy weaponry should be used. Friendly fire incidents are easier to treat when surgery is not required in the field.
• All participants must bring a shortwave radio. Confirm a shared frequency on all shortwaves before embarking. Setting up a communications relay at the landing zone, while an admirable endeavor, is optional.
• The participants should be in sealed pressure suits unless the destination is already known, and confirmed to have a habitable atmosphere.
• Internals must be turned on prior to crossing the threshold of the gateway, and during all shuttle flights for the initial expedition.
• Magboots are recommended, but not required.
• As each team member's loadout is complete, they should wait outside the gateway or shuttle until the mission begins.

Mid-Mission Operations

• If separated from the group, or in an airless environment, establish communication immediately with other members of the group. If you are unable to re-establish communications, wait where you are for rescue. If you are in danger of running out of oxygen or supplies, move back towards the start of the mission, following any marker beacons that were laid down.
• Once present with the whole group, and no longer in an airless environment, all members but the assigned team leader should turn off their long range communications until separated again.
• If the group is scattered due to an imprecise gateway destination target, and the location of the return gateway is unknown, first objective is to locate and calibrate the return gateway. Return gateway can be calibrated using a multitool on the control panel in the center of the gate.
• Any artifacts or strange life forms should be documented as soon as it is safe to do so. If possible, they should be brought back. Having an artifact handling container may help with this.
• If an expedition participant is injured and needs surgery, they should be evacuated to the station immediately. The expedition should not proceed unless their role is satisfied by someone else, or they return to continue. (That said, you're allowed to use your better judgment. You're not going to get banned because someone died and you decided to keep going. That risk is kind of part of the whole point of things.)

Post-Mission Debriefing

• The returning crew are not to leave the gateway room or shuttle hangar until allowed to do so by the Head of Security, or if the HoS is absent, by the Pathfinder, or next in command. During this time, participants should be screened for contraband, health, and mental well-being before returning to the rest of the station.
• If any staff are at risk of health complications such as parasitic life forms, viral infections, insanity, etc, they are to be immediately evacuated to the Medical Department for treatment.
• Excluding items that the Research Department wants to study, Security is to confiscate any contraband discovered during the mission.
• All weapons and armor taken for the trip should be returned to the armory, even if it was originally brought to the station through cargo. The exception is the exploration equipment produced by Research, which can be stored securely in Research while the explorers are off duty.
• Other excess supplies are to be returned to their rightful departments.
• A post-mission report should be faxed to Central Command detailing any discoveries located, and if any artifacts are recovered, if they will be returned to Central Command at the end of the shift or if they will be stored in Research to be collected after the shift ends.
• At this point, if the destination is habitable to normal crew without preparation, or if engineers wish to make it so, they may embark on follow-up expeditions to occupy and utilize the area for their purposes. This can only be done if the destination is safe for crew habitation, and a Pilot is available in the case of shuttle destinations, or the gateway prep area being cleaned of dangerous items for gateway destinations.

Exploration Weapon Permits

It has been ruled that all relevant employees be issued weapon permits to allow for personal protection in the course of carrying out the duties assigned to NanoTrasen’s specialized departments. As such, weaponry and permits have been distributed to those departments affected by this provision. The ownership of an Exploration weapon permit represents the employee’s entitlement to carry any weapon conducive to maintaining a safe environment when engaged in off-station activities, or during transit to engage in such activities. The Exploration weapon permit does not grant its bearer the right to bear or display arms inside a NanoTrasen facility, unless for the purposes of transportation to or from the Research or Security departments. Secure lockers have been provided for the express storage of these weapons. The on-station carrying of assigned melee weaponry, including but not limited to survival knives and machetes, outside of the Exploration department is equally unlawful. Failure to properly secure all weaponry within the relevant department may result in penalties, up to and including the revocation of this Departmental weapon permit or the revocation of Departmental certification for an unstated period of time. Under specific circumstances, namely the announcement of Codes: Red or Delta, the restrictions barring the carry or usage of assigned or recovered weaponry may be waived by an acting member of the on-site Command Staff. In the event that no Security crewmembers are available – either by incapacitation or other condition – these restrictions may also be lifted on Code: Yellow.

Crew Restrictions: Special Concerns

• Due to concerns regarding the physical demands expected of [Exploration], including but not limited to resilience and physical strength, Central Command has determined that any NanoTrasen employee under [2'6"/76.2cm] may not be employed on any NanoTrasen facility [Exploration] team. Transfer to the [Exploration] department after the assignment of another Departmental role is equally unlawful. However, employees matching [disqualifying criteria (2'6"/76.2cm)] may volunteer for, and be selected to go on, scientific expeditions as auxiliaries. This ruling may be appealed in the future.
  • This policy has the following exceptions: NanoTrasen employees may be employed by the [Exploration] department if fulfilling the role of [Pilot/Aviator]. All other provisions apply.
• To address justified and self-evident concerns regarding the mental stability and evolutionary impulses of certain species employed by NanoTrasen, Central Command has issued updated policy restricting certain species from applying for, or attaining employment in, departments deemed sensitive or hazardous.
  • Pursuant to the above policy, the [Exploration] department may not employ any of the following species - regardless of personal assignation or self-identification:
    • Xenochimera
    • Adherent