Chapter 9 — Spacecraft Operations

9.1 Spacecraft Fundamentals

A spacecraft is any vehicle capable of travelling through space under its own power.

That definition sounds simple because definitions do not have maintenance schedules.

For operational purposes, spacecraft are divided into the following categories.

A displacement ton measures volume, not mass.

One displacement ton represents approximately the volume occupied by one ton of liquid hydrogen, roughly 14 cubic metres.

Do not confuse displacement with weight unless you enjoy explaining expensive mistakes to an engineer.

9.1.1 Spacecraft Characteristics

A spacecraft profile normally records the following characteristics.

The numbers on the ship sheet assume the ship is actually working.

That means:

• functioning systems;
• adequate fuel and power;
• required crew;
• completed maintenance;
• secured cargo;
• ordinary operating conditions.

Damage changes that.

Missed maintenance changes that.

Running short-handed changes that.

Bad fuel changes that.

Loading three extra containers because somebody promised the customer it would fit changes that.

The listed performance is what the ship can do when you have done your job.

Not what the ship owes you.

9.1.2 Hulls, Drives, Power, and Fuel

Four systems determine whether the ship moves and whether anybody aboard survives long enough to complain about it.

Hull

The hull provides:

• structure;
• pressure integrity;
• compartmentation;
• armour mounting;
• protection for internal systems.

The hull is what separates the inside from everything trying to get inside.

Or everything inside from leaving all at once.

Manoeuvre Drive

The manoeuvre drive provides acceleration.

You use it for:

• orbital movement;
• interplanetary travel;
• docking;
• landing;
• atmospheric movement where the hull permits it;
• avoiding things you should have detected earlier.

Jump Drive

The jump drive moves a starship between systems through jumpspace.

When it works, everybody calls interstellar travel routine.

When it does not, everybody suddenly remembers the engineer’s name.

Power Plant

The power plant supplies energy for:

• drives;
• life support;
• sensors;
• computers;
• weapons;
• gravity;
• communications;
• everything else people start missing the moment the lights go out.

Fuel

Fuel is normally used for:

• jump travel;
• power generation;
• manoeuvre operations where the design requires it;
• carried craft;
• emergency reserves.

Having a system installed does not mean you can use it.

You need enough:

• fuel;
• power;
• control capacity;
• functioning support equipment.

A jump drive with no fuel is cargo.

A manoeuvre drive without power is ballast.

A life-support plant without filters is a countdown clock.

9.1.3 Ship Systems

For operations and damage control, treat the vessel as a collection of systems.

Common systems include:

• bridge and flight controls;
• command systems;
• manoeuvre drive;
• jump drive;
• power plant;
• fuel storage;
• fuel purification;
• life support;
• artificial gravity;
• inertial compensation;
• sensors;
• communications;
• computers;
• cargo handling;
• passenger accommodation;
• medical facilities;
• weapons;
• docking systems;
• small-craft bays;
• workshops;
• emergency power;
• fire suppression;
• compartment doors and pressure controls.

For every important system, somebody aboard should know:

• where it is;
• where you control it;
• what powers it;
• how to isolate it;
• what maintenance it needs;
• what to do when it tries to kill you.

Damage does not always make a system simply “working” or “broken.”

Systems fail in interesting ways.

Record exactly what remains available.

“Sensor array damaged” tells me almost nothing.

“Passive sensors operational, active array unavailable, range reduced by half” tells me whether I can still fly the ship.

That matters.

9.1.4 Crew Requirements

A ship profile lists the crew required for ordinary operation.

Typical requirements include:

• captain;
• pilot;
• astrogator;
• engineers;
• sensor operators;
• gunners;
• medic;
• steward;
• cargo personnel;
• security personnel;
• small-craft crews.

That number is not the minimum number of warm bodies required to make the ship move once.

It assumes sustained operations.

It assumes:

• watches;
• maintenance;
• sleep;
• illness;
• leave;
• emergencies;
• people occasionally needing to eat without holding a wrench.

You can operate short-handed.

For a while.

Missing crew create:

• Fatigue;
• delayed maintenance;
• unattended stations;
• reduced emergency response;
• increased task difficulty;
• inability to perform simultaneous operations.

Automation helps.

Automation does not become responsible when the coolant alarm goes off.

Somebody still has to:

• monitor it;
• authorize it;
• inspect it;
• override it;
• clean up after it.

9.1.5 Watch Organization

A watch is a scheduled period when designated personnel are responsible for ship operations.

You establish watches because everybody saying, “I thought you were watching it,” is not an acceptable emergency procedure.

A common arrangement uses three watches.

Larger crews may use four-hour or six-hour watches.

Small crews often stretch them longer.

Then everybody gets tired.

Then somebody misses something.

Then everybody acts surprised.

Sustained operation beyond ordinary sleep cycles causes Fatigue.

At minimum, a ship underway should assign responsibility for:

• flight control;
• engineering;
• sensors and communications;
• command authority;
• emergency response.

During quiet operations, one Traveller may cover several duties.

During:

• atmospheric flight;
• docking;
• jump entry;
• jump exit;
• distress response;
• hostile contact;
• system failure;

crew the required stations unless you physically cannot.

That last part happens more often than anyone admits.

9.1.6 Operating Condition and Readiness

Every ship has an operating condition.

Because “she’s fine” is not a maintenance category.

The condition record should identify:

• current system faults;
• temporary repairs;
• missed maintenance;
• fuel state;
• life-support endurance;
• crew Fatigue;
• medical limitations;
• cargo hazards;
• legal restrictions;
• departure restrictions.

9.2 Crew Roles

Crew roles describe responsibility.

Rank is who gets to order people around.

Responsibility is whose name appears in the report afterward.

One Traveller may hold several roles aboard a small ship.

That works right up until two things go wrong at once.

9.2.1 Captain and Command

The captain has final responsibility for the vessel.

Congratulations.

The captain normally:

• establishes the mission;
• assigns watches;
• approves departure;
• authorizes jump;
• determines emergency priorities;
• communicates with authorities;
• maintains discipline;
• decides whether to accept risk;
• orders evacuation or abandonment;
• records major decisions.

Being captain does not mean operating every system.

It means knowing enough to ask the people operating those systems the right questions.

A captain should know:

• ship readiness;
• current fuel and endurance;
• cargo status;
• passenger status;
• applicable orders;
• legal restrictions;
• available ports;
• known hazards;
• degraded systems.

Leadership, Admin, Advocate, Diplomat, Tactics, Profession, or another appropriate skill may apply to command tasks.

Authority does not create capability.

You can order the engineer to restore power.

The order does not manufacture a control module, repair the bus, or create another twelve hours.

Command is deciding what gets done with what you actually have.

9.2.2 Pilot

The pilot controls movement.

That includes:

• launch;
• atmospheric flight;
• orbital insertion;
• manoeuvre;
• course execution;
• approach;
• docking;
• landing;
• emergency control;
• collision avoidance.

Routine movement under safe conditions requires no check.

If the pilot has to roll every time the ship changes course, something has gone badly wrong with either the ship or the rules.

Make a Pilot check when:

• time is limited;
• traffic is congested;
• controls are damaged;
• visibility is poor;
• the course passes near hazards;
• the ship is unstreamlined in atmosphere;
• docking systems are unreliable;
• the ship is under abnormal acceleration;
• failure would cause damage or delay.

Use Pilot with DEX for immediate control.

Use Pilot with INT for:

• anticipation;
• course judgment;
• managing a complex approach.

Anybody can point the ship at something.

A pilot understands what happens next.

9.2.3 Astrogator

The astrogator determines where the ship is and where it needs to go.

Both are useful.

Responsibilities include:

• interplanetary course planning;
• jump plotting;
• navigation-data verification;
• gravity-limit calculations;
• estimated arrival times;
• route-risk evaluation;
• alternate destination planning.

Astrogation depends on accurate:

• sensor data;
• ephemerides;
• stellar charts;
• system maps;
• ship-performance information;
• jump-drive capability.

A perfect calculation using bad information is still wrong.

The universe does not award partial credit for excellent mathematics.

9.2.4 Engineer

Engineers keep everybody else’s plans from becoming memorial services.

Common engineering specialities include:

• manoeuvre drive;
• jump drive;
• power plant;
• life support.

Engineer responsibilities include:

• system monitoring;
• scheduled maintenance;
• fault diagnosis;
• fuel management;
• power distribution;
• emergency isolation;
• repair;
• restart procedures;
• maintenance records.

Engineering checks normally use EDU for established procedure and INT for diagnosis or improvisation.

When something fails, the engineer should report six things:

• what failed;
• why it failed;
• what remains available;
• what is required to restore it;
• how long the work will take;
• what happens if the ship keeps operating.

“Engine’s busted” is not an engineering report.

“Port manoeuvre assembly limited to twenty percent output; thermal bypass may hold for six hours; exceeding that risks total loss” is.

See the difference?

One lets command make a decision.

9.2.5 Sensor Operator

The sensor operator determines what the crew knows.

That is more important than it sounds.

Responsibilities include:

• maintaining sensor watch;
• identifying ships and objects;
• monitoring traffic;
• checking transponders;
• detecting hazards;
• recording emissions;
• locating distress signals;
• updating navigation data;
• preserving sensor records.

Track sensor contacts by quality.

A transponder tells you what somebody claims to be.

It does not make them that thing.

Trust is good.

Correlation is better.

9.2.6 Gunner and Security

Gunners operate shipboard weapons and defensive systems.

Outside combat, that usually means:

• inspecting weapons;
• inventorying ammunition;
• testing fire-control systems;
• securing magazines;
• monitoring restricted zones;
• maintaining point-defence readiness.

Security personnel protect:

• bridge access;
• engineering;
• weapons;
• passengers;
• prisoners;
• restricted cargo;
• medical areas;
• quarantine areas.

Having a gun does not make you the law.

This surprises people.

Use-of-force decisions may create:

• port-law violations;
• insurance claims;
• passenger complaints;
• criminal investigations;
• faction Heat.

The shooting may last six seconds.

The paperwork can follow you for six systems.

9.2.7 Medic

The ship’s medic is responsible for medical readiness.

Duties include:

• medical inventory;
• casualty care;
• health monitoring;
• low-berth supervision;
• quarantine screening;
• contamination response;
• medical records;
• determining fitness for duty.

The medic may recommend removing a crewmember from duty.

The captain still decides assignments.

If the captain ignores medical advice, record it.

If nothing happens, nobody cares.

If something happens later, everybody cares.

That is why you record it.

9.2.8 Steward and Cargo Personnel

The steward manages passenger welfare and habitability.

That includes:

• accommodations;
• meals;
• passenger orientation;
• safety briefings;
• complaint management;
• special-needs support;
• passenger records;
• evacuation preparation.

If you think this job does not matter, try locking twelve frightened passengers in a metal box for a week.

Cargo personnel manage:

• manifests;
• loading;
• unloading;
• mass distribution;
• restraint;
• hazardous-material separation;
• refrigerated cargo;
• security seals;
• chain of custody.

Cargo is supposed to stay where you put it.

During acceleration, landing, impact, or gravity failure, unsecured cargo develops its own opinions.

Do not let it.

9.2.9 Multiple Roles and Skeleton Crews

A Traveller may perform more than one role.

Common combinations include:

• captain and pilot;
• astrogator and sensor operator;
• engineer and mechanic;
• medic and steward;
• gunner and security officer.

This is normal aboard small ships.

It is also why small-ship crews drink.

When one Traveller attempts several meaningful tasks simultaneously, use the multiple-task rules.

A skeleton crew is fewer than the vessel’s normal operating requirement.

For every seriously uncovered function, apply an appropriate consequence:

• DM-1 to a related check;
• longer task time;
• missed watch;
• Bane caused by Fatigue or divided attention;
• inability to respond to another incident;
• deferred maintenance;
• an unattended system.

A skeleton crew can make a short flight.

A skeleton crew can probably make several short flights.

Then the skipped inspections stack up, people stop sleeping properly, and something happens at the same time as something else.

That is where the bill comes due.

9.3 Routine Operations

Routine operations should use procedures instead of constant dice rolls.

Competent crews know how to operate their ships.

Do not roll because somebody touched a control.

Roll when uncertainty and consequence matter.

Most spacecraft disasters begin with something boring.

So pay attention to the boring parts.

9.3.1 Pre-Departure Checks

Before departure:

1. Confirm command authority.
2. Verify destination and route.
3. Review weather, traffic, notices, and system hazards.
4. Verify port clearance.
5. Confirm passenger manifest.
6. Confirm cargo manifest and seals.
7. Confirm hazardous-cargo separation.
8. Verify fuel quantity and grade.
9. Verify life-support endurance.
10. Check maintenance status.
11. Inspect drives and power plant.
12. Inspect flight controls.
13. Test sensors and communications.
14. Confirm transponder operation.
15. Secure cargo, vehicles, and small craft.
16. Account for crew and passengers.
17. Brief emergency responsibilities.
18. Record unresolved faults.
19. Obtain final departure authorization.
20. Captain approves launch.

Do not roll for an ordinary checklist performed by trained crew under safe conditions.

They know how to do their jobs.

A check may be required when:

• departure is rushed;
• records conflict;
• maintenance is incomplete;
• cargo was loaded by an unreliable contractor;
• the ship was recently damaged;
• the port is under emergency conditions.

Success may catch the problem before launch.

Failure means either:

• the fault stays hidden;
• departure gets delayed.

Finding trouble at the dock is annoying.

Finding it three million kilometres later is educational.

9.3.2 Launch and Departure

Launch includes:

• releasing external services;
• closing and sealing hatches;
• confirming atmosphere integrity;
• disengaging docking clamps;
• activating manoeuvre systems;
• following assigned departure control;
• clearing local traffic.

Routine departure requires no Pilot check when:

• the ship is undamaged;
• traffic control is functioning;
• weather is safe;
• the crew has sufficient time.

Make a check for:

• emergency launch;
• obstructed berths;
• damaged docking systems;
• atmospheric storms;
• hostile interference;
• overloaded ships;
• unstreamlined hulls;
• disputed clearance.

Failure should normally mean:

• delay;
• minor damage;
• loss of position;
• traffic-control intervention.

Do not turn every failed launch roll into instant destruction.

Ports already have enough paperwork.

9.3.3 Manoeuvre Operations

A manoeuvre drive provides acceleration equal to its Thrust rating.

Under ordinary conditions, the pilot selects acceleration and the computer helps execute the course.

Manoeuvre operations include:

• orbital changes;
• station keeping;
• rendezvous;
• transfer orbits;
• interception;
• landing;
• towing;
• avoiding debris.

Before strong manoeuvres:

• secure passengers;
• lock cargo restraints;
• close pressure doors where required;
• secure maintenance work;
• recall personnel from exposed areas;
• confirm carried craft are locked.

High acceleration becomes a very different experience when artificial gravity or compensation stops working.

A toolbox at three gravities is not a toolbox anymore.

9.3.4 Watchstanding

At the start of each watch:

• receive a status brief;
• review course and traffic;
• review active faults;
• confirm fuel and power;
• verify sensor contacts;
• inspect alarms;
• confirm personnel on duty;
• record unusual conditions.

At the end:

• transfer control formally;
• report changes;
• identify unresolved warnings;
• update logs;
• record maintenance actions;
• note crew condition.

A poor watch handover may create a Bane on the first check involving an unreported condition.

Never assume the next person knows.

Tell them.

Preferably before going to sleep.

9.3.5 Communications and Transponders

A ship’s transponder normally broadcasts:

• vessel identity;
• registry;
• heading;
• velocity;
• declared status;
• emergency condition where applicable.

Disabling or falsifying a transponder may require Electronics.

It may also violate local or Imperial law.

Sometimes both.

Communications are limited by distance and the speed of light.

Messages may be:

• delayed;
• incomplete;
• blocked;
• encrypted;
• spoofed;
• relayed;
• recorded.

Important orders and clearances should be logged with:

• sender;
• receiver;
• timestamp;
• authentication;
• full message;
• acknowledgement.

If someone later says, “That is not what we told you,” it helps to have the message.

Trust me.

9.3.6 Approach and Docking

Approach procedure:

1. Establish contact with traffic control.
2. Transmit identity and status.
3. Receive approach instructions.
4. Confirm berth or landing area.
5. Match required vector.
6. Reduce relative velocity.
7. Extend docking systems.
8. Confirm seals or landing stability.
9. Transfer control to berth systems where required.
10. Record docking time.

Routine docking requires no check.

Use Pilot when:

• the berth is damaged;
• traffic control is unavailable;
• the vessel is under thrust restriction;
• relative motion is unstable;
• the docking port is incompatible;
• the approach is rushed;
• external conditions are dangerous.

Engineering or Mechanic may assist with:

• damaged clamps;
• seals;
• umbilicals.

Docking is just two large objects agreeing not to hit each other.

Do not complicate the agreement.

9.3.7 Shutdown and Securing the Vessel

After docking or landing:

• secure manoeuvre controls;
• transfer to shore power if appropriate;
• isolate jump systems;
• establish fire watch where required;
• inspect hull and landing systems;
• open external access only after atmosphere confirmation;
• connect fuel and service lines;
• secure weapons;
• establish access control;
• log crew departures;
• preserve required sensor and flight records.

An unattended ship should be secured.

That normally means:

• bridge locked;
• engineering access controlled;
• drives disabled;
• weapons locked;
• cargo sealed;
• alarms active;
• transponder or berth beacon functioning;
• emergency contact designated.

If you leave the ship unlocked because “we’re only gone ten minutes,” then what happens next is your fault.

9.4 Interplanetary Travel

Interplanetary travel uses the manoeuvre drive.

A normal trip accelerates for roughly half the distance, turns over, and decelerates for the rest.

Simple.

Provided nothing moves.

Unfortunately, everything moves.

9.4.1 Travel Time and Acceleration

Travel time depends on:

• distance;
• available Thrust;
• departure vector;
• arrival vector;
• gravity wells;
• traffic restrictions;
• whether the ship accelerates continuously.

For practical play, use published Traveller travel-time tables or the standard constant-acceleration formula where those legacy procedures remain in use.

The Referee may use approximate distances when exact orbital positions do not matter.

Orbital positions change.

A run that took two days last month may take considerably longer this month.

Space is inconvenient that way.

9.4.2 Course Planning

Course planning normally uses Astrogation or Pilot.

A proper course identifies:

• departure point;
• destination;
• current positions;
• acceleration profile;
• turnover point;
• arrival velocity;
• known traffic;
• gravity hazards;
• fuel reserve;
• alternate destination.

Routine planning under ordinary conditions requires no check.

Make one when:

• charts are outdated;
• the destination is moving unpredictably;
• the vessel is damaged;
• fuel is insufficient for an ordinary course;
• the route crosses a hazard;
• the crew wants to reduce travel time;
• detection must be avoided.

Effect may alter:

• travel time;
• fuel efficiency;
• arrival position;
• sensor exposure;
• reserve margin.

Getting there faster usually means spending something.

Fuel.

Margin.

Privacy.

Luck.

Pick one.

9.4.3 Fuel Use

Traveller manoeuvre drives and power plants normally consume fuel according to the vessel’s design.

Do not track every small thrust change unless it matters.

Track fuel closely when:

• fuel is critically low;
• the ship is beyond ordinary endurance;
• a leak exists;
• the drive is damaged;
• rescue depends on remaining endurance;
• pursuit depends on remaining endurance.

Record separately:

• jump fuel;
• power-plant fuel;
• small-craft fuel;
• emergency reserve;
• contaminated or inaccessible fuel.

Fuel aboard the ship is not necessarily fuel you can use.

It may be unavailable because:

• a line is damaged;
• a tank is isolated;
• pumps have failed;
• contamination is detected;
• command has reserved it.

The gauge saying “twenty tons” is comforting until engineering tells you twelve tons are on the other side of a closed valve.

9.4.4 Sensor Watches

During normal-space travel, sensor watch monitors:

• known traffic;
• unregistered contacts;
• debris;
• navigational hazards;
• distress signals;
• drive emissions;
• changes at the destination;
• conditions behind the ship.

During long trips, conduct at least one meaningful sensor review per watch.

Do not roll to confirm empty space is still empty.

Roll when:

• somebody is hiding;
• interference exists;
• sensors are damaged;
• a weak signal may matter;
• a hazard must be detected before interception.

You are not rolling to see whether the operator remembered how sensors work.

You are rolling because something difficult is happening.

9.4.5 Encounters in Normal Space

Possible encounters include:

• commercial traffic;
• patrol ships;
• customs craft;
• rescue beacons;
• debris fields;
• derelicts;
• tankers;
• damaged small craft;
• unregistered vessels;
• survey probes;
• automated warnings;
• quarantine exclusion zones.

Before resolving an encounter, establish:

• relative position;
• vectors;
• sensor quality;
• communication delay;
• declared identities;
• fuel and readiness;
• legal authority;
• whether either vessel can safely alter course.

Space encounters usually start long before anybody shakes hands.

Sometimes hours before.

Sometimes days.

Remember that when somebody says, “They suddenly appeared.”

No.

You suddenly noticed them.

9.4.6 Arrival Procedures

Before arrival:

1. Update destination data.
2. Confirm local traffic rules.
3. Establish communications.
4. Verify transponder.
5. Review quarantine notices.
6. Confirm berth or orbit.
7. Secure passengers and cargo.
8. Staff flight, engineering, and sensor stations.
9. Conduct deceleration.
10. Enter assigned approach corridor.

Unexpected arrival conditions may include:

• port closure;
• quarantine;
• military traffic;
• debris;
• changed orbit;
• failed beacon;
• denied clearance;
• distress conditions.

Arrival is not complete because you entered the system.

You are there when somebody lets you stop moving.

9.5 Jump Travel

Jump travel lets a starship cross interstellar distances.

It is powerful.

It is routine.

It is unforgiving.

Those three statements are not contradictory.

People do dangerous things routinely all the time.

9.5.1 Jump Preparation

Before jump, confirm:

• legal departure authority;
• destination;
• jump-drive rating;
• required fuel;
• fuel quality;
• 100-diameter clearance;
• astrogation solution;
• power availability;
• jump-drive maintenance;
• secured cargo;
• crew and passenger accountability;
• closed external hatches;
• small craft secured;
• emergency systems ready;
• current ship condition.

If the captain knowingly jumps with unresolved faults, record:

• the fault;
• the decision;
• the reason.

You are allowed to take risks.

You are not allowed to pretend afterward that nobody knew.

9.5.2 Astrogation

A jump must be plotted.

Use:

Apply DM equal to the negative jump distance:

• Jump-1: DM-1;
• Jump-2: DM-2;
• Jump-3: DM-3;
• and so on.

The astrogation check may be completed while the ship travels toward the jump limit.

On failure, the solution is unsafe and must be recalculated.

Effect from the Astrogation check becomes part of the task chain for jump activation.

Verify:

• destination coordinates;
• current position;
• gravity limits;
• jump distance;
• fuel;
• drive capability;
• chart date;
• mass configuration.

Cargo, docked craft, or major modifications affecting displacement should be included where applicable.

If the ship changed, the solution changes.

The universe does not care that the old calculation was convenient.

9.5.3 Jump Entry

Activating the jump drive requires:

Apply the Astrogation task-chain modifier and:

The drive cannot activate without sufficient power.

On success, the ship enters jumpspace.

On failure, the ship misjumps.

That is why engineers get annoyed when captains call maintenance “optional.”

9.5.4 Life Aboard Ship During Jump

A ship remains in jumpspace for approximately:

Roughly one week.

Jump distance does not change that duration.

During jump:

• the vessel cannot communicate with normal space;
• external sensors cannot observe normal space;
• the manoeuvre drive cannot exit the jump bubble by ordinary means;
• the crew depends entirely on onboard resources;
• outside rescue is impossible until jump exit.

Normal activity may include:

• maintenance;
• training;
• medical care;
• cargo inspection;
• passenger service;
• administrative work;
• sleep;
• equipment preparation.

Maintain watches.

At least one qualified person should be ready to respond to:

• power failure;
• life-support fault;
• fire;
• medical emergency;
• computer failure;
• passenger disturbance;
• jump-drive alarm.

People call jump “downtime.”

That is because their ship is working.

Jump aboard a vessel with three deferred faults and a failing scrubber.

You will find plenty to do.

9.5.5 Misjumps and Anomalies

A misjump occurs when the jump-entry Engineer check fails.

Results may include:

• late arrival;
• early arrival;
• incorrect location;
• incorrect system;
• drive damage;
• fuel loss;
• unusual jump duration;
• catastrophic loss.

A minor failure may place the ship in the intended system several days late.

More serious failures may send it elsewhere or cause severe damage.

Use the governing Traveller misjump table where that legacy procedure remains applicable.

Modal Distance consequences may include:

• missed rescue window;
• patient death;
• depleted life support;
• overdue mortgage or contract;
• official missing-ship status;
• competing faction arriving first;
• quarantine uncertainty;
• outdated arrival information.

A misjump should change something.

Otherwise it is just a strange way to move a map token.

If the crew disappears for eleven days and comes out six parsecs from where everybody expected them, somebody has already made decisions based on their absence.

That matters.

9.5.6 Jump Exit

Jump exit is not perfectly predictable.

Before the expected exit window:

• staff the bridge;
• staff engineering;
• activate sensors;
• secure personnel;
• prepare communications;
• review destination data;
• identify alternate arrival responses.

On exit:

1. Establish ship integrity.
2. Confirm position.
3. Identify local gravity sources.
4. Confirm system identity.
5. Activate transponder.
6. Begin sensor sweep.
7. Establish communications.
8. Calculate course to destination.
9. Check jump drive and power plant.
10. Report discrepancies.

A successful jump normally places the ship near the destination world’s jump limit.

An inaccurate jump may leave the vessel elsewhere in-system.

Then you get to spend several more days travelling normally while everybody asks whether you are there yet.

9.5.7 Post-Jump Checks

After every jump:

• verify destination;
• inspect jump drive;
• inspect power plant;
• inspect fuel systems;
• review jump logs;
• check structural sensors;
• confirm computer integrity;
• verify clocks;
• account for crew and passengers;
• check medical status;
• confirm remaining fuel;
• update estimated arrival.

Record abnormal readings before the next jump.

Do not say, “We’ll look at it later.”

Later becomes jump entry surprisingly fast.

9.6 Fuel and Endurance

Fuel controls movement.

Life support controls how long you can sit still regretting your fuel decisions.

9.6.1 Fuel Types

Spacecraft commonly use hydrogen fuel.

Fuel may be:

Refined fuel is normally available at developed starports.

Unrefined fuel may come from:

• gas giants;
• oceans;
• ice;
• wilderness depots;
• damaged storage facilities.

Hydrogen is hydrogen until something else is mixed with it.

Then engineering gets involved.

9.6.2 Refuelling

Refuelling procedure:

1. Confirm required quantity.
2. Verify supplier.
3. Verify fuel grade.
4. Inspect connection.
5. Ground or isolate systems as required.
6. Establish fire and spill precautions.
7. Begin transfer.
8. Monitor pressure and contamination.
9. Record quantity loaded.
10. Seal and inspect tanks.
11. Obtain documentation.
12. Disconnect safely.

Make a check when:

• the connection is improvised;
• the source is hazardous;
• the ship is moving;
• the system is damaged;
• the fuel is contaminated;
• transfer must be rushed.

Failure may cause:

• spill;
• fire;
• contamination;
• equipment damage;
• incorrect quantity;
• legal dispute;
• falsified records.

Buying cheap fuel is not always cheaper.

9.6.3 Fuel Purification

A ship with fuel processors may refine unrefined fuel.

Time depends on:

• processor capacity;
• fuel quantity.

Routine purification requires no check when:

• the system functions;
• fuel is within specification;
• adequate time is available.

Make an Engineer or Mechanic check when:

• filters are damaged;
• contaminants are unknown;
• the process is rushed;
• the processor is overloaded;
• maintenance is overdue.

Failure may:

• leave fuel unrefined;
• consume filters;
• create false confidence.

The last one is my favorite.

Nothing improves a situation like bad fuel and a display insisting the fuel is fine.

9.6.4 Unrefined Fuel Risks

Unrefined fuel imposes:

It may also increase:

• maintenance requirements;
• filter use;
• injector wear;
• contamination risk;
• sensor anomalies;
• power-plant instability.

A ship can use unrefined fuel successfully.

Usually.

“Usually” is a word people use immediately before telling you why they need a tow.

9.6.5 Life-Support Endurance

Life-support endurance depends on:

• number of people aboard;
• installed capacity;
• atmosphere reserves;
• filter condition;
• water;
• food;
• power;
• temperature control;
• waste processing;
• medical demand.

Track endurance when:

• the ship is overcrowded;
• life support is damaged;
• survivors come aboard;
• quarantine prevents normal circulation;
• power is limited;
• resupply is delayed.

Additional passengers reduce endurance proportionally unless spare capacity exists.

A person in a low berth normally uses fewer daily life-support resources but still requires powered medical support.

Rescuing twenty people when your ship supports twelve is heroic.

It is also arithmetic.

Do the arithmetic.

9.6.6 Power Reserves

Emergency power supports selected systems after main power loss.

Possible emergency loads include:

• emergency lighting;
• communications;
• life support;
• medical equipment;
• pressure doors;
• fire suppression;
• bridge controls;
• distress beacon.

Emergency power normally cannot support everything.

So prioritize.

Mission requirements may change the order.

A refrigerated medical cargo may matter more than artificial gravity.

There is no universal priority list.

There is only the thing you cannot afford to lose next.

9.6.7 Modal Distance Fuel and Oxygen Pressure

Track fuel and oxygen visibly when shortages affect decisions.

Use one of three methods.

Exact Tracking

Record:

• exact fuel tons;
• person-hours of atmosphere;
• filters;
• food;
• water.

Operational Units

Divide supplies into mission-use units.

Pressure State

State who controls resupply.

Fuel pressure should answer:

• Can the ship leave?
• Can it answer another distress call?
• Can it reach a safe port?
• Can it jump after the rescue?
• Who gets abandoned if it cannot?

That last question is why fuel belongs in the game.

Not because counting tanks is interesting.

Because eventually a number becomes a decision.

9.7 Shipboard Systems

Ships are machines made out of other machines.

Most of them work.

Most of the time.

That is not the same as saying you can ignore them.

9.7.1 Power Plant

The power plant supplies ship systems.

Engineers monitor:

• output;
• fuel flow;
• temperature;
• containment;
• radiation;
• load;
• distribution;
• reserve capacity.

Power-plant faults may cause:

• reduced available power;
• unstable output;
• fire;
• radiation;
• total shutdown;
• damage to connected systems.

Restoring power normally follows:

1. Diagnose.
2. Isolate.
3. Repair or bypass.
4. Restart.
5. Test.
6. Reconnect loads gradually.

Do not fix one problem by reconnecting every damaged system at once.

Unless your goal is to find out which breaker fails first.

9.7.2 Manoeuvre Drive

The manoeuvre drive provides thrust.

A degraded drive may:

• provide reduced Thrust;
• operate intermittently;
• overheat;
• produce unstable control;
• require manual balancing;
• fail above a specified output.

Record the maximum safe Thrust.

A ship with asymmetric or damaged drive output may require Pilot checks during major manoeuvres.

The drive still producing thrust does not mean the drive is fine.

Your leg still working does not mean you should run on the fracture.

Same principle.

More expensive leg.

9.7.3 Jump Drive

The jump drive requires:

• maintenance;
• fuel;
• sufficient power;
• astrogation solution;
• safe activation distance;
• functioning controls.

Isolate the jump drive after abnormal operation.

A jump-drive fault may not be obvious from the bridge.

Inspection may require:

• Engineer;
• internal sensors;
• physical access;
• diagnostic software;
• comparison with previous logs.

The bridge tells you what the sensors think happened.

Engineering tells you what actually happened.

Sometimes.

9.7.4 Life Support

Life support manages:

• oxygen;
• carbon dioxide;
• pressure;
• temperature;
• humidity;
• air filtration;
• water recycling;
• waste;
• contamination control.

Life-support failures may develop gradually.

Warning signs include:

• condensation;
• headache;
• unusual smell;
• temperature drift;
• filter alarms;
• sensor disagreement;
• increased fan noise;
• water restrictions.

Treat life support by compartment when isolation matters.

Not every emergency starts with screaming alarms.

Sometimes everyone just develops a headache.

Pay attention.

9.7.5 Sensors

Sensors detect:

• objects;
• emissions;
• motion;
• heat;
• radiation;
• mass;
• atmosphere;
• transponders;
• communication signals.

Sensor quality depends on:

• distance;
• target emissions;
• interference;
• software;
• calibration;
• operator skill;
• system condition.

Separate observation from interpretation.

“We detected a thermal source” is observation.

“It’s definitely pirates” is interpretation.

Try not to shoot the first one because of the second one.

9.7.6 Communications

Communications systems include:

• internal comms;
• radio;
• laser communication;
• emergency channels;
• transponder links;
• encrypted channels;
• data transfer;
• distress beacons.

A communication failure may mean:

• no transmission;
• no reception;
• delayed reception;
• corrupted message;
• lost encryption;
• unintended broadcast;
• false acknowledgement.

“Comms failure” is not specific enough.

Ask what kind.

Whether they cannot hear you and whether everybody can hear you are very different problems.

9.7.7 Computers

Ship computers manage:

• flight;
• jump;
• sensors;
• communications;
• weapons;
• cargo;
• life support;
• access control;
• records.

A computer failure may affect several systems at once.

Determine whether the problem is:

• hardware failure;
• software error;
• malicious intrusion;
• corrupted data;
• unauthorized access;
• incorrect instruction.

Restoring operation does not automatically restore trusted records.

A computer can work perfectly while lying to you.

That is worth remembering.

9.7.8 Artificial Gravity

Artificial gravity provides ordinary orientation and may support acceleration compensation.

Gravity failure causes:

• unsecured cargo movement;
• falls when gravity returns;
• fluid-management problems;
• medical complications;
• passenger panic;
• difficulty using ordinary equipment.

A gravity fluctuation can be worse than stable zero gravity.

At least in zero gravity everybody knows where the problem is.

9.7.9 Cargo and Small-Craft Systems

Cargo systems include:

• doors;
• lifts;
• cranes;
• restraints;
• refrigeration;
• atmosphere control;
• security seals;
• hazardous-material monitoring.

Small-craft systems include:

• docking clamps;
• bay doors;
• launch rails;
• fuel;
• power;
• maintenance connections;
• recovery guidance.

A bay door opening is a pressure-boundary event.

Treat it like one.

Space is on the other side.

Space does not need an invitation.

9.8 Maintenance and Repair

Maintenance prevents faults from becoming emergencies.

Everybody understands this.

Not everybody believes it applies this week.

9.8.1 Routine Maintenance

Routine maintenance includes:

• inspections;
• lubrication;
• calibration;
• filter replacement;
• cleaning;
• software checks;
• seal inspection;
• fluid checks;
• log review.

Ordinary maintenance is assumed during normal operations if:

• qualified crew are aboard;
• parts are available;
• time is available;
• the ship is not being pushed continuously.

If any of those stop being true, write it down.

Maintenance does not disappear because everybody is busy.

It waits.

9.8.2 Preventive Maintenance

Preventive maintenance happens before failure.

That is the entire point.

Perform it:

• after jump;
• after atmospheric operations;
• after combat;
• after overthrust;
• after unrefined-fuel use;
• after contamination;
• after emergency repairs;
• before a long unsupported mission.

Preventive maintenance may identify:

• wear;
• leaks;
• overheating;
• misalignment;
• data corruption;
• failing seals;
• contaminated filters.

The best emergency is the one you find while holding a flashlight at the dock.

9.8.3 Fault Detection

A useful fault description includes:

• symptom;
• cause;
• immediate effect;
• secondary risk;
• repair requirement;
• failure trigger.

Diagnosis normally uses Engineer, Mechanic, or Electronics.

Success identifies the real problem.

Failure may:

• identify only the symptom;
• cost time;
• cause replacement of the wrong component.

Machines are very good at lying indirectly.

The alarm tells you what noticed the problem.

Not necessarily what caused it.

9.8.4 Field Repairs

A field repair restores limited function outside a proper yard.

It normally:

• restores one capability;
• imposes DM-1 on use;
• requires monitoring;
• cannot survive another major shock;
• must later be replaced by permanent repair.

Use the Chapter 7 repair-difficulty framework.

Spacecraft-scale repairs normally require:

• ship tools;
• spare parts;
• access;
• power isolation;
• several hours or more.

A field repair gets you home.

If you start calling it a permanent repair, eventually it gets you killed.

9.8.5 Spare Parts

Spare parts may be:

• generic;
• system-specific;
• manufacturer-specific;
• TL-specific;
• salvaged;
• improvised.

A ship should track:

• generic Spares;
• critical named components;
• filters;
• seals;
• control modules;
• coolant;
• repair material;
• cable;
• atmosphere patches.

Cannibalizing another system may restore one capability by sacrificing another.

Sometimes the repair decision is not “Can we fix it?”

Sometimes it is “Which system do we want working more?”

9.8.6 Yard Periods

A shipyard period is required for:

• major structural work;
• drive replacement;
• armour repair;
• pressure-hull reconstruction;
• major computer replacement;
• permanent repair after severe damage;
• certification after specified incidents.

A yard period may create:

• berth fees;
• parts delay;
• inspection;
• debt;
• discovery of illegal modifications;
• contract penalties;
• loss of income.

The repair cost is only one part of getting repaired.

The ship also stops earning money while people take it apart.

Owners tend to remember that part.

9.8.7 Deferred Maintenance Consequences

For each maintenance period missed, record one deferred-maintenance mark.

Deferred maintenance may impose:

• DM-1 on affected reliability checks;
• increased operating cost;
• longer repair time;
• hidden faults;
• reduced readiness;
• invalid insurance;
• failed port inspection.

The legacy Traveller jump procedure imposes DM-1 per missed maintenance period on jump activation.

Deferred maintenance should accumulate quietly before it fails loudly.

That is how maintenance works.

Nothing happens.

Nothing happens.

Nothing happens.

Then something expensive happens all at once.

9.9 Shipboard Emergencies

A shipboard emergency begins when waiting makes the situation worse.

Use the encounter and countdown procedures from Chapter 6.

The first job is not fixing everything.

The first job is stopping the ship from becoming more broken while you figure out what broke.

9.9.1 Hull Breach

Hull-breach response:

1. Sound alarm.
2. Secure personnel.
3. Isolate the compartment.
4. Stop atmosphere loss.
5. Account for casualties.
6. Establish pressure boundary.
7. Inspect structure.
8. Repressurize if safe.
9. Record lost atmosphere.
10. Conduct permanent repair later.

Closing a compartment may trap personnel.

State who remains inside before isolation.

You may still close it.

But know whose door you are closing.

9.9.2 Fire

Fire response:

1. Detect and locate.
2. Sound alarm.
3. Isolate power or fuel.
4. Close ventilation.
5. Evacuate or isolate compartment.
6. Apply correct suppressant.
7. Cool adjacent structure.
8. Inspect for hidden heat.
9. Restore atmosphere carefully.
10. Investigate cause.

Visible flame going out does not mean the fire is finished.

Things keep burning where you cannot see them.

Ships are good at that.

9.9.3 Life-Support Failure

Life-support response:

1. Identify affected compartments.
2. Verify sensor readings.
3. Distribute breathing equipment.
4. Reduce occupancy.
5. Isolate contamination.
6. Restore atmosphere processing.
7. Ration filters, water, or power.
8. Establish evacuation threshold.

Track an Atmosphere Clock when time is critical.

If you wait until everyone has trouble breathing to declare a life-support emergency, you have misunderstood the purpose of sensors.

9.9.4 Power Loss

Power-loss response:

1. Establish command.
2. Activate emergency power.
3. Identify affected systems.
4. Secure drives.
5. Preserve life support.
6. Isolate damaged circuits.
7. Restore generation.
8. Reconnect loads by priority.
9. Inspect for fire or overload.

Do not reconnect everything at once unless the system was designed for it.

It probably was not.

9.9.5 Drive Failure

A manoeuvre-drive failure may leave the ship:

• unable to change vector;
• unable to decelerate;
• in a decaying orbit;
• unable to dock;
• unable to avoid a hazard.

A jump-drive failure may leave the ship stranded in-system.

Response:

1. Determine current vector.
2. Identify time before collision, escape, or missed arrival.
3. Diagnose.
4. Isolate.
5. Repair or bypass.
6. Request assistance.
7. Prepare evacuation if necessary.

When the drive fails, the ship does not stop.

That is the first thing everybody needs to understand.

9.9.6 Sensor and Communications Loss

Loss of sensors creates uncertainty.

Loss of communications creates isolation.

Possible responses include:

• optical observation;
• passive backup sensors;
• external drones;
• emergency antennas;
• relay through another vessel;
• prearranged procedures;
• reduced speed;
• distress beacon.

A ship without sensors should not continue ordinary high-speed operations through traffic or debris.

I should not have to explain that.

Apparently I do.

9.9.7 Reactor Incident

A severe power-plant incident may involve:

• radiation;
• containment failure;
• coolant loss;
• fire;
• power surge;
• shutdown;
• fuel release.

Use a task chain:

1. Diagnose.
2. Stabilize.
3. Isolate.
4. Protect crew.
5. Repair or shut down.
6. Monitor.
7. Decontaminate.
8. Inspect before restart.

If someone suggests skipping step eight because “we need power now,” make sure their name goes in the log.

9.9.8 Evacuation and Abandon Ship

The captain or lawful acting commander normally orders abandonment.

An abandon-ship order should identify:

• evacuation routes;
• assigned craft;
• passenger priorities;
• medical priorities;
• required records;
• distress-beacon activation;
• scuttling or security requirements;
• rendezvous point.

Priority normally goes to:

1. Persons in immediate danger.
2. Persons requiring medical support.
3. Passengers and nonessential crew.
4. Essential operators.
5. Command personnel.

The captain is not required to die with the ship.

The captain is required to account for the decision.

Dying does not improve the paperwork.

9.10 Damage Control

Damage control preserves:

• life;
• pressure;
• power;
• essential function.

That order matters.

A mission is no good if everyone dies completing it.

9.10.1 Emergency Organization

Assign:

• command;
• engineering control;
• damage-control teams;
• medical response;
• fire teams;
• security;
• communications;
• casualty collection point.

A small crew may have one damage-control team.

Then the captain decides which emergency gets the team.

That is damage control.

Not fixing everything.

Choosing what you cannot afford to lose first.

9.10.2 Isolating Compartments

Compartment isolation may stop:

• decompression;
• fire;
• smoke;
• contamination;
• flooding;
• hostile movement.

It may also cut:

• escape routes;
• power;
• atmosphere;
• medical access;
• communications.

Record:

• isolated compartment;
• personnel inside;
• atmosphere state;
• access routes;
• reason for isolation;
• authority ordering it.

Closing a pressure door is easy.

Opening it later is where the consequences live.

9.10.3 Restoring Power and Atmosphere

Restore atmosphere only after:

• breach is sealed;
• structure is stable;
• contamination is assessed;
• fire is extinguished;
• personnel are protected.

Restore power in stages.

A temporary restoration may return one system while overloading another.

Make sure everybody understands the word temporary.

It is not decorative.

9.10.4 Fire Suppression

A fire has:

• location;
• intensity;
• fuel source;
• atmosphere supply;
• spread route;
• suppressant requirement.

Use a 4-, 6-, or 8-segment Fire Clock.

Mark segments for:

• failed suppression;
• delayed response;
• open ventilation;
• fuel involvement;
• spread to another compartment.

Fire gets worse when you ignore it.

One of nature’s more reliable systems.

9.10.5 Casualty Movement

Casualty movement requires:

• triage;
• stabilization;
• route;
• litter or support;
• environmental protection;
• destination capacity;
• handoff.

Do not move casualties through a dirty route into a clean treatment area without containment.

Saving one patient by contaminating the infirmary is poor arithmetic.

9.10.6 Repair Priorities

Default priority order:

1. Immediate threat to life.
2. Uncontrolled fire or atmosphere loss.
3. Power for life support and medical care.
4. Ship control.
5. Communications and distress signal.
6. Propulsion.
7. Sensors.
8. Mission systems.
9. Cargo.
10. Comfort systems.

Mission circumstances may change the order.

If the cargo is six hundred people in cryogenic storage, cargo just became life support.

Think before following the list.

9.10.7 Damage-Control Clocks

9.11 Docking and Port Operations

A port is not just somewhere you park.

It is an authority system with fuel lines.

Remember that before insulting the harbourmaster.

9.11.1 Clearance and Approach Control

Before approach, the ship may have to transmit:

• identity;
• registry;
• origin;
• destination;
• cargo;
• passengers;
• weapons;
• medical status;
• quarantine status;
• requested services.

Failure or refusal may result in:

• holding orbit;
• escort;
• inspection;
• denied docking;
• weapons lock;
• quarantine;
• arrest.

You can argue with traffic control.

You will still be in orbit when the argument ends.

9.11.2 Berthing and Docking

A berth may provide:

• atmosphere;
• shore power;
• communications;
• fuel;
• water;
• waste removal;
• cargo access;
• security;
• passenger access.

Confirm what the berth actually provides before shutting down ship systems.

“Full service berth” is a sales term.

Ask questions.

9.11.3 Customs and Inspection

Customs may inspect:

• manifests;
• passengers;
• cargo;
• weapons;
• licences;
• medical records;
• quarantine logs;
• transponder history;
• maintenance certification;
• ship modifications.

Inspection is not automatically hostile.

Inspection is also not automatically honest.

Both facts can be true.

9.11.4 Cargo Transfer

Before cargo transfer:

• verify container identity;
• verify manifest;
• inspect seals;
• confirm handling requirements;
• establish chain of custody;
• record condition;
• assign handling equipment;
• secure destination space.

Cargo is not delivered until custody is accepted.

Leaving the crate on the dock does not count.

I have had this argument.

9.11.5 Passenger Handling

Passenger handling includes:

• identity verification;
• ticket status;
• baggage;
• medical disclosure;
• safety briefing;
• accommodation;
• restricted-area rules;
• emergency assignment.

Passengers may be refused boarding for:

• undisclosed contamination;
• unlawful weapons;
• false identity;
• insufficient documentation;
• medical needs beyond ship capacity.

The ticket does not require you to kill the rest of the passengers.

9.11.6 Refuelling and Resupply

Port resupply may include:

• refined fuel;
• unrefined fuel;
• food;
• water;
• atmosphere;
• filters;
• medical supplies;
• ammunition;
• spare parts;
• repair material.

Record:

• supplier;
• quantity;
• price;
• lot identity;

when consequences may matter.

If six ships get contaminated fuel next month, you will want to know whose tank it came from.

9.11.7 Port Fees and Delays

Possible charges include:

• docking;
• berth;
• landing;
• customs;
• fuel handling;
• waste disposal;
• inspection;
• security;
• quarantine;
• cargo storage;
• repair access.

Delay may cost more than the fee through:

• missed passengers;
• contract penalties;
• crew wages;
• mortgage deadlines;
• lost market;
• deteriorating cargo;
• expiring medical supplies.

Time is money.

Ports know this.

That is why they charge for both.

9.12 Cargo and Passenger Operations

Cargo pays bills.

Passengers complain while paying bills.

Both require paperwork.

9.12.1 Cargo Manifests

A cargo manifest should list:

• ship;
• container;
• cargo description;
• mass;
• volume;
• origin;
• destination;
• owner;
• shipper;
• recipient;
• hazard class;
• seal number;
• temperature requirement;
• legal status;
• chain-of-custody entries.

Investigate discrepancies before departure when practical.

“Close enough” is not a recognized cargo category.

9.12.2 Hazardous Cargo

Hazardous cargo requires:

• approved containment;
• compatible storage;
• separation;
• monitoring;
• labels;
• documentation;
• emergency procedure;
• trained handling.

Possible hazards include:

• explosive;
• flammable;
• corrosive;
• toxic;
• radioactive;
• biological;
• cryogenic;
• pressurized;
• reactive.

If the cargo can kill the crew without opening the container, I recommend knowing exactly where you put it.

9.12.3 Medical and Refrigerated Cargo

Medical cargo may require:

• continuous power;
• temperature monitoring;
• sterile seal;
• restricted access;
• batch records;
• medical authority;
• quarantine controls.

Log every interruption.

Once cargo exceeds safe limits, treat it as compromised until inspected.

Do not turn the refrigeration back on and pretend the missing six hours did not happen.

Physics keeps records even when you do not.

9.12.4 Passenger Classes

Passenger classes normally reflect accommodation and service.

Common classes include:

• high passage;
• middle passage;
• basic or working passage;
• low passage;
• chartered or mission passage;
• medical evacuation.

Provide the service promised by the ticket or contract.

If you sold somebody a cabin, giving them a blanket in cargo does not count.

Usually.

9.12.5 Low Berths

A low berth places a passenger into suspended animation.

Low-berth operation requires:

• functioning equipment;
• power;
• medical oversight;
• correct preparation;
• records;
• monitoring;
• controlled revival.

A low passenger is not cargo.

Revival uses the governing Traveller Medic procedure where that legacy rule remains applicable.

Track:

• identity;
• medical condition;
• entry time;
• berth number;
• alarm history;
• revival authority.

If the berth starts alarming, do not solve the problem by muting the alarm.

I am putting that sentence here because somebody needed it.

9.12.6 Stowaways and Undeclared Cargo

Signs include:

• mass discrepancy;
• unexplained life-support use;
• broken seal;
• access alarm;
• food loss;
• heat signature;
• altered manifest;
• irregular waste output.

Determine:

• immediate danger;
• legal status;
• medical status;
• intent;
• custody;
• whether authorities must be notified.

Do not start with “shoot it.”

That is not an investigation.

9.12.7 Chain of Custody

Chain of custody records:

• who received the item;
• when;
• from whom;
• condition;
• seal status;
• storage;
• access;
• transfer;
• final disposition.

A broken chain does not prove the item is false.

It makes the item easier to challenge.

That distinction matters whenever lawyers become involved.

Lawyers enjoy distinctions.

9.13 Small-Craft Operations

Small craft are ships designed to remind you how much you appreciate the larger ship.

They also save your life regularly.

Treat them accordingly.

9.13.1 Launch and Recovery

Before launch:

• inspect craft;
• confirm crew;
• verify fuel and power;
• secure passengers and cargo;
• open bay or release clamps;
• establish communication;
• clear launch route.

Before recovery:

• identify craft;
• match velocity;
• establish guidance;
• clear bay;
• secure atmosphere boundary;
• engage clamps;
• close bay;
• inspect craft.

Do not skip identification because you are “expecting them.”

People have regretted that.

9.13.2 Boat Crews

A boat crew may include:

• pilot;
• engineer;
• sensor operator;
• crew chief;
• medic;
• security;
• mission specialist.

Small craft frequently combine roles.

Because there is not enough room for everybody you would prefer to have.

9.13.3 Shuttle and Cutter Missions

Common missions include:

• passenger transfer;
• cargo transfer;
• landing;
• orbital support;
• evacuation;
• survey;
• rescue;
• boarding;
• medical transport.

Carry supplies appropriate to the possibility that the craft cannot immediately return.

If the mission plan says, “We’ll only be gone twenty minutes,” pack for longer.

The universe has heard that sentence before.

9.13.4 Boarding Operations

Boarding operations require:

• legal authority or accepted risk;
• matched velocity;
• compatible docking or breaching method;
• pressure protection;
• communications;
• security;
• medical support;
• extraction plan.

The full combat procedure appears in Chapter 10.

Getting onto the other ship is only half the problem.

Have a plan for getting back.

9.13.5 Rescue Craft

A rescue craft should support:

• detection;
• approach;
• pressure access;
• casualty stabilization;
• extraction;
• transport;
• contamination control.

State rescue capacity in:

• seated passengers;
• litter patients;
• low berths;
• oxygen duration;
• medical capability.

“We can fit them” and “we can keep them alive” are different measurements.

9.13.6 Hangar and Bay Procedures

A hangar or bay should control:

• atmosphere;
• traffic;
• fuel;
• ignition sources;
• maintenance;
• weapons;
• cargo;
• access.

Opening a bay under pressure requires compartment control.

Fuel transfer inside a hangar requires fire watch.

A hangar is a room where you store fuel, machinery, pressure boundaries, and people who are usually in a hurry.

Respect that combination.

9.14 Ownership and Finance

Ships are expensive enough to shape campaigns.

This is not background bookkeeping.

The ship needs money.

The crew needs money.

The port wants money.

The lender wants money.

The repair yard definitely wants money.

The universe is very organized about this.

Under the legacy Traveller mortgage model, the ship’s purchase price is divided by 240 to determine the payment due every four-week maintenance period over a 40-year term.

9.14.1 Mortgages and Payments

Record:

• original price;
• down payment;
• ship shares;
• financed amount;
• payment;
• lender;
• due date;
• remaining term;
• missed payments.

A mortgage may grant the lender rights to:

• inspect;
• require insurance;
• restrict modifications;
• place a lien;
• seize the vessel after default.

You may call her your ship.

The lender may have documentation suggesting otherwise.

9.14.2 Operating Costs

Operating costs include:

• fuel;
• maintenance;
• crew pay;
• food;
• life support;
• port fees;
• insurance;
• repairs;
• loan payments;
• licences;
• cargo handling;
• passenger service;
• ammunition;
• medical supplies.

Compare income against total cost.

Not just fuel.

A run that earns fifty thousand credits and costs sixty thousand credits is not profitable because the tanks were cheap.

9.14.3 Crew Salaries

Crew may be:

• owners;
• salaried employees;
• contract personnel;
• profit-share crew;
• government personnel;
• mission detailees.

Record:

• salary;
• payment period;
• hazard pay;
• shares;
• medical coverage;
• leave;
• owed back pay.

Unpaid crew create operational and legal pressure.

They also stop being cheerful.

Sometimes they stop being crew.

9.14.4 Maintenance Reserves

A responsible owner maintains reserves for:

• annual maintenance;
• emergency repair;
• drive replacement;
• yard fees;
• lost operating time.

Spending the reserve may solve today’s problem.

It also means tomorrow’s problem no longer has a reserve.

Money moves pressure around.

It rarely removes it.

9.14.5 Insurance

Insurance may cover:

• hull damage;
• cargo;
• passengers;
• third-party liability;
• crew injury;
• salvage;
• piracy;
• war risk;
• quarantine.

Coverage may be denied for:

• missed maintenance;
• illegal cargo;
• unlicensed crew;
• undisclosed modification;
• reckless operation;
• falsified records;
• excluded hazard zones.

Insurance companies do not sell insurance because they enjoy giving people money.

Read the policy.

9.14.6 Debt and Repossession

After a missed payment, a lender may:

1. Issue notice.
2. Charge penalties.
3. Restrict credit.
4. Notify ports.
5. Place a lien.
6. Seek impoundment.
7. Send repossession agents.
8. Sell the debt.

Repossession is usually administrative before it becomes violent.

A port may simply refuse departure.

Turns out nobody needs a gun when they control the docking clamps.

9.14.7 Charter and Contract Operations

A charter should define:

• vessel;
• route;
• cargo or passengers;
• schedule;
• payment;
• fuel responsibility;
• port fees;
• liability;
• legal authority;
• cancellation;
• quarantine;
• emergency deviation;
• salvage rights.

A contract does not eliminate command responsibility.

The captain still decides whether the vessel can operate safely.

If the customer insists otherwise, invite the customer to buy their own ship.

Chapter Summary

A spacecraft operates because people do the work.

Not because the ship loves you.

The captain establishes priorities.

The pilot controls movement.

The astrogator determines where you are going and whether the numbers agree.

Engineers keep the drives, power, and life support operating.

Sensor operators tell you what is actually out there.

Medics keep people alive.

Stewards keep passengers manageable.

Cargo personnel keep several hundred tons of somebody else’s property from becoming a projectile.

Security keeps certain problems outside certain doors.

Small-craft crews go places the ship cannot.

Routine procedures do not require repeated rolls.

Competent people doing ordinary work under ordinary conditions usually succeed.

Make checks when:

• pressure matters;
• danger matters;
• damage matters;
• opposition matters;
• time matters;
• failure would change something.

Jump travel requires:

• fuel;
• a valid astrogation solution;
• sufficient power;
• a functioning jump drive.

A normal jump lasts approximately one week.

For that week, the ship is alone.

Whatever you forgot to bring stays forgotten.

Whatever you failed to repair stays broken.

Whatever medical problem you have is your problem.

Whatever is burning belongs to you.

Fuel, oxygen, maintenance, crew endurance, records, and money are operational limits.

They are not bookkeeping decorations.

They tell you what the crew can still do.

A successful arrival does not erase what the trip consumed.

The fuel is still gone.

The filters are still used.

The engineer is still tired.

The payment is still due.

And whatever you broke getting there is still broken.