Guide to Away Missions

While certainly not new, expeditions became much more common on the Horizon than on most other corporate installations. Expeditions are missions that are set up and executed during a shift, involving a small crew, and are generally aimed toward exploration, scavenging, or reconnaissance for future, long-term missions such as the colonization of recently discovered worlds. Expeditions can be some of the greatest experiences the more adventurous crewmembers could get, but it could also be a terrible deathtrap, or even simply a massive waste of time and resources... Such a thing depends on how prepared the Expedition crew is, and if they know what they are doing. The goal of this guide is to make sure that the crew knows the basics of expeditions in order to prepare properly for such missions, as well as what to know in the face of the unknown.

Remember that outside of events or other special circumstances, away sites are tentatively canon, while your character may recall going to an away site, you haven't seen the same Solarian military outpost in every sector.

Preparing an Expedition
Preparation is key. Without proper preparation, an expedition can be doomed from the start, thus this part has to be taken very seriously. Along with this guide, using the "Intrepid Check-list" form from any request console on the Horizon will ensure that your expedition is prepared as correctly as possible.

Knowing your mission
First, why are you setting up an expedition? What is it that you're seeking? Missions can be varied, and objectives besides "exploring" or "scavenging" have to be given to the crew. Is it a derelict corporate station that is being investigated? Then perhaps the objective might be to look for materials (Phoron maybe?), investigate the reasons behind its crew leaving it, or perhaps fix and reclaim the place. You can, and should get a preliminary scan from the Horizon's sensors to get a good idea of where to go and what you will throw your expedition into, and thus, choose what the objective will be.

Of course, missions can change, which is why the Horizon should be ready to listen to the reports from the Intrepid and adapt the mission parameters to the finds on the ground. In the absence of the Horizon, or if a command member or another "Expedition Leader" can, the Intrepid and its crew can adapt to the situation by itself, naturally. In any case, having a clear objective for the expedition, and being aware of it, is paramount to properly gearing up for the expedition, as well as working on the field efficiently and safely.

Choosing an adequate crew
It takes a good crew to make make a success out of an expedition. '''There are no hard rules, a two-man crew can do miracles if they are talented and experienced enough, and a ten-man can lead to massive failures. The only requirement is to just have a willing team who can exercise a bit of common sense.''' What matters is what the crew, no matter their numbers, can do. In a perfect world where all crewmembers are willing to go on an expedition, the best crews include: Naturally, one crewmember can have the skills to cover multiple fields.
 * At least one crewmember trained in piloting the Intrepid. Do note that Bridge Crewmen and Scientists have access to the cockpit and can open the expedition shotguns' locker, other crewmembers will need to be let in. This person is also nominally the leader of the expedition, and should have authority granted by Command Staff.
 * At least one crewmember trained in engineering, both in the structural, electrical, and atmospheric domains.
 * At least one crewmember trained in the medical field, something better than first aid if possible.
 * At least one crewmember trained or able to deal with hostility, may it be xenofauna, automated defenses, or other kinds of direct threats.

Of course, some missions might require extra skills. If the goal is to find and recover anomalies, then a Xenoarcheologist or an Anomalist will be required, for instance. Sometimes, the limitations of Horizon's crew itself might limit your options as far as setting up an expedition crew. Sometimes, the best medical services that an expedition might be limited to first aid, for example. This should not stop the expedition from proceeding, but the expedition crew should be aware of any gaps in their crew.

Any expedition presents risks, the real question is how many risks the crew is willing to take, and how prepared it is for them.

The right gear for the right job
While the Intrepid, or even the mining pod comes with some gear that might help, an expedition crew will almost ALWAYS need to bring extra gear. Depending on the site, you might need to adapt as well, however, there are things that you should always bring, no matter where you're headed:
 * A GPS for each member of the expedition, and an extra one to leave on the Intrepid, so that expedition members can find their way back to the shuttle.
 * A stack of steel sheets, and a stack of steel rods at least. Rods are especially important if headed to a site located in space, allowing the crew to build lattice bridges, and reduce the risks of ending up stranded in space.
 * Some form of weaponry. The Intrepid offers some, but if for some reason it is either not enough, or cannot be accessed, then some way for the crew to defend itself against Xenofauna and other threats will be necessary.
 * Spaceworthy suits and a proper, filled air tank to go along. These are always necessary, even on exoplanets (DO NOT ASSUME THAT AN EXOPLANET'S ATMOSPHERE IS BREATHABLE BECAUSE THERE IS LIFE ON IT.)

Depending on your mission, or site, then, it is highly advised that you bring these down on the field:
 * Anomaly containers if you seek to bring anomalies back to the Horizon. Anomalies are dangerous, and anything may trigger their effects, from ungloved touch to atmosphere... Thus, it is HIGHLY advised to put these anomalies into containers before actually bringing them to the Intrepid.
 * Extra weaponry if there are signs of a more intense threat. Having a couple of shotguns is certainly enough to deal with a few hostile creatures, but not enough to deal with a whole nest of up to forty carps and sharks. If preliminary scans indicate that hostilities with whatever forces are to be expected, arm up, and preferably get people who can handle these weapons too. Naturally, bring extra medical gear as well if you expect that level hostility.
 * Tether Devices. Located in the Research Director's locker, these can be linked and allow crewmembers holding these devices to see a visual indicator of where and (roughly) of far other devices are. Expedition members should rarely if ever split up without a good reason, but if they do, tether devices might provide a little more safety.
 * Food, drinks, and other types of rations. Hungry and thirsty characters will face quite a few issues, such as their Stamina not regenerating, something that makes the difference between life and death in some situations. If this expedition is to last quite a while, do bring rations, food, and drinks (and make sure that these fit the diet of any non-human crewmember!)

The Intrepid
The Intrepid is a large shuttle meant for exploration and expeditions. Along with the Mining Pod it is one of the two auxiliary crafts of the Horizon. Another use of the Intrepid can be to take crewmembers to various planets and stations, as the Horizon itself is not fit for flight in atmosphere and landings, and is too big to dock with most stations. Most if not all of your expeditions will be done thanks to the Intrepid, as it will be your main means of transport.

Just like with your mission, and gear, knowing your shuttle can make the difference between life and death, between a successful expedition, and a failure. Firstly, the Intrepid comes with its own little departmental areas:
 * The bridge is where the consoles to actually steer the ship are located, featuring a sensors console in the back, then at the front the helm console for actually piloting, and the docking console. Scientists and Bridge Crew can access this section of the Shuttle, other crewmembers might need a guest pass, or to be let in.
 * The medbay provides a proper spot to handle most wounds beyond just applying first aid, or at least, give the expedition crew a chance to maintain gravely wounded colleagues alive until the Intrepid can reach the Horizon. It comes with various types of medicine to tackle various types of issues, although medical experts are invited to bring even more if the expedition is to happen in a particularly dangerous site.
 * The engine room is the equivalent of an engineering bay for the Intrepid. While tools can be found all over the shuttle, the engine room features the engine control console, is where refueling takes place, and even includes a generator that runs on graphite (and several graphite sheets) in case the shuttle runs out of energy.
 * The airlocks, with the one up North being mainly used as a proper way in and out of the shuttle. The Eastern airlock, while it can be used to leave and exit the ship, is primarily a docking port. Unless in a dire situation, it is HIGHLY ADVISED to not force any of the airlocks during the cycling process, as it means running the risk of messing up the cycling mechanism and rendering the airlocks non-operable, not safely at least.
 * The cryobay comes with a cryobed for storage of long-SSD crewmembers, as well as a charging bay for synthetics.

Additionally, it comes with various bits that expeditions crewmembers should be aware of:
 * 1) The the shuttle's sensor suite are located outside, as they can only work in vacuum of space. The loss of the sensors is a grave issue, as they make you effecively invisible to other crafts' sensors (including the Horizon), but also renders the Intrepid effectively blind, making flight extremely dangerous, and docking quite hard. If the sensors end up sustaining any kind of damage, have trained crew ready to fix them ASAP.
 * 2) While the sensors ensure that your ship is seen, the Transponder ensure that people know who you are. Transponders are basically a ship's ID. Without functioning transponders, other crafts (including the Horizon) will still see the Intrepid's signal, but they will not be able to tell what kind of craft this is, or who they belong to.
 * 3) At the North-West corner of the bridge is located the expedition weaponry locker. This locker can be opened by Bridge Crew and Scientists, and is filled with two laser shotguns. While the two of them can prove to be a bit short on battery in longer expeditions (hence why expeditions crewmembers are encouraged to bring extra firepower in the more dangerous sites), they can be quite the force to be reckoned with in the hands of trained crew.
 * 4) The Engine Control console is where the expedition crew can turn the ship's conventional engines on and off, or choose their power input. REMEMBER: just like with the Horizon, turning off the engines will NOT stop the Intrepid, preventing the craft from burning in any direction, or brake.
 * 5) These canisters store the carbon fuel for the Intrepid's conventional engines. For most trips where the Horizon can't stay close, it's advised to bring an extra carbon canister. If the Intrepid runs out of fuel, the engines will not work, and, just as if they had been turned off, will prevent the craft from burning in any directions, or brake, thus it's advised to check on the fuel levels from time to time during longer trips. Remember, if very low on fuel, it is smarter to stop and wait for help, rather than to try to throw yourself towards your objective, and risk missing and drifting towards possible danger.
 * 6) The ship's energy storage. If somehow lost, all systems in the Intrepid will stop working.
 * 7) In case of energy shortages, this graphite generator can be used to power the ship, at least for a time, using the graphite provided.
 * 8) Each airlock has its own air canister (in white), but this large red one is the air reserve for the rest of the Intrepid. Without it, scrubbers and vent will not work properly, and it is highly advised to put on voidproof suits and turn on internals if it ever ends up being empty, or lost for some reason.
 * 9) The Intrepid uses two types of fuel. Conventional flight uses carbon, as seen previously; however, Bluespace flight uses phoron fuel. This is the phoron fuel storage. While one can try to use conventional flight to cover most of the distance between the Horizon and its objective (and it's advised to do so), docking and landing procedures are still done through Bluespace manoeuvers, turning actions that can last up to hours, into ones that last a few minutes at most. If out of Phoron fuel, the Intrepid CANNOT dock or land anywhere, thus it's advised to keep an eye on the phoron fuel reserves (they can be seen through the docking and landing console).
 * 10) This small section of the Intrepid includes various engineering tools. The crate also comes with the materials to build a radioisotope thermoelectric generator (minus the steel sheets and cable coils, these have to be brought by an engineer.)
 * 11) A suit storage that comes with a standard softsuit. Crewmembers should still come with their own spaceproof suits, as this one is generally reserved for individuals found and/or rescued during the expedition, or if someone loses their suit during the mission. Just below, right next to the floodlight, is the teleportation spot. While not equipped with a teleporter itself, the Intrepid is linked to the Horizon's science department's long range teleporter, meaning that, in case of emergencies, the Horizon can send extra crewmembers, gear, and resources over the teleporter, and it will land at this point.
 * 12) This crate is filled with flares and a handful of station-bounced radios. Most sites in which expeditions will take place will prevent long range communication through standard means, meaning that headsets will not work. An alternative to setting up an entire communication relay, station-bounced radios will still allow a crew to communicate over long distances, especially useful in sites lacking in atmosphere, where communication done through other means than radio is nearly impossible.
 * 13) Finally, the long range holopad can be used to communicate with any craft also built with one. Generally, it will be used to maintain a line of communication with the Horizon. If no one is staying in the Intrepid during the expedition, it's advised that the expedition crew link their PDAs to the holopad to be notified when the holopad registers an incoming call (to do so, take your PDA in your active hand, and click the long range holopad.)

Using the Mining Pod for expeditions
While not forbidden, using the Mining Pod for expeditions is not encouraged. If for some reason, an expedition is to be done with the mining pod, remember that will lack several advantages that the Intrepid has, such as a medbay, weaponry, and overall, space for storage and the crew.

Not only that, but remember that miners are autonomous, and are free to leave with their mining pod and do their work as they wish. While one can ask them for assistance, needing to set up an expedition is not an excuse to prevent miners from doing their work and taking the mining pod from them, this is why the Intrepid is here.

On the field
As stated previously, preparation is key, and can decide the fate of an expedition before it even starts. However, no matter the preparation, if you do not know how to act once on the field, no amount of preparation will save you, naturally. Experience is the best teacher, but this section will give you some basics

Accomplishing the mission
As stated earlier, you need a mission, you cannot roam around a derelict or a whole exoplanet without any goal. Remember your mission, seek what you must first and foremost. As you go, remain open minded however, things can come up, either the Horizon can contact you with updated objectives, or, you yourself might discover something that changes everything, a secret phoron stockpile, strange gear from people that shouldn't have been there, surprisingly high resistance from local fauna or automated defenses, etc.

If needed, you can move back to the Horizon swiftly and grab some more gear there only to go back, now fully prepared for this new objective. You can also ask the Horizon to send this gear through the long range Teleporter straight to the Horizon. In any case, never roam a site or a stellar object without a proper idea of what you're doing, and/or where you're going.

Surviving an expedition
Besides accomplishing your mission, your main objective should also be to survive, and bring every member of your expedition back in one piece. These tips may help you avoid incidents and trouble.


 * In a place like a derelict station and the likes, a room with atmosphere is no excuse to turn your internals off. The next room might be vented, someone might open the wrong door or pierce through the wrong wall, and depressurize the room. You want your internals to remain on in case this happens
 * Likewise An exoplanet harboring life, and an atmosphere, is no excuse to turn your internals off. Bring an analyzer, make sure that the gases in the atmosphere are breathable, and in the right composition to make it actually breathable. ONLY once you ensured that the atmosphere is indeed breathable can you consider turning your internals off. Have your local medical specialist on standby when you do too, in case you misjudged the atmosphere and suffer the consequences.
 * Try to NEVER be alone, unless you're staying inside the Intrepid.
 * Do not be silent. Communicate, ensure that your colleagues are still alive and well by asking them over the radio, and answer them when they ask. Silence can mean the worst, and there is nothing more annoying than panicking and organizing a search party for a crewmember who, it turns out, just didn't feel like communicating.
 * Do not overestimate yourself. In the face of odds that are not on your side, avoid confrontation with hostile elements. You are far from the Horizon and its medbay, the wrong kind of wound may be the end of you. Assess your options, your capabilities, and be smart.
 * Link your PDA to the Intrepid's long range holopad, and be ready to answer hails from the Horizon, or any other spacecraft. Do not hesitate to contact the Horizon for help if you need to. Communication is key.

When to return
Eventually, you should consider returning to the Horizon of course, may your mission be a success or a failure. But when to? Generally, it's your role to judge, however, there are situations that call for a quick return home.
 * Mission accomplished. Yes, if you have nothing else to do on the field, then perhaps you should return to the Horizon.
 * Casualties. A dead crewmember? Too many hurt? Or perhaps one is gravely wounded and requires surgery on the Horizon? Then it is probably time to head back to the Horizon and quick!
 * Unplanned situations. Generally in the form of unexpected hostility, with large amounts of hostile Xenofauna, or automated defenses. Then, it's most likely time to come back home, re-assess the situation, and bring extra firepower, and possibly, crewmembers.
 * End of shifts. Yes, you probably don't want to be left in there when the Horizon jumps away. While the game will tell you, however, there's no way in-character, to properly be told. Instead, call back the Expedition under the excuse of "jump schedules" in the like, to remain in roleplay, or call the Horizon (if they haven't already) and ask them about it. The Intrepid does not come with drives as powerful as the Horizon, naturally, if they leave without you, it's going to take a while (and probably some extra-costly work) to bring the Intrepid and its crew back, and the SCC will most likely not enjoy.

Aftermath
Once the Intrepid is back, your job is not over yet. While these are not obligatory, it's highly advised that you do (at least some) of these things, not only for the crew's comfort, but also as proper roleplay moves, if you have time.
 * Tend to the wounded, handle the bodies. Yes, it most likely sounds obvious, but some actually forget about such things. Crew in need of help should be handled first, as soon as you land. During Bluespace transit, or even before with the long-range holopad, warn the Horizon, tell the Medical Department to be on standby. Bodies, if they cannot be resuscitated, should be sent to the Morgue.
 * Bring the loaded gear back to where they were prior to the expedition. Anomaly containers and field generators, unused resources, and the like may be needed later on the Horizon.
 * Write a report. Simply communicating with Command, and the crew, is generally enough. However, if you are interested in doing more, you might do some paperwork! Not only does it look better and can convey more informations, but it's generally a very good way to improve the roleplay.

Remember, experience is the best teacher. Whatever you went through, remember it, and learn from any mistakes you might have made... And most importantly share this knowledge with your fellow crewmembers! The better prepared an entire crew is, the less likely the Horizon's crewmembers to suffer the consequences of a botched expedition in the future.