Aurora Information Uplink - User contributions [en]

Traitor

2025-03-11T10:15:08Z

Donaldo TH: That would make sense

{{JobPageHeader
|headerbgcolor = black
|headerfontcolor = red
|stafftype = ENEMY
|imagebgcolor = gray
|img_generic = Generic_nukesyndie.png
|img = Generic_nukesyndie.png
|jobtitle = Traitor
|access = Job or hacking dependent
|difficulty = Hard
|superior = Whoever you want
|duties = Help move the plot along. Blackmail, kill, or steal from your coworkers. Be seen holding a "suspicious toolbox" and get arrested twenty minutes into the round.
|guides = This page, [[Uplink]], [[Cryptographic Sequencer]]
}}
{{toc_right}}
Note: Please ensure you've read the [https://aurorastation.org/rules.html server rules] regarding being an antagonist.

Welcome to being the bad guy! As a traitor - and as an antagonist in general - you have the power to make the round interesting for everyone. While the name implies that you are a traitor to the SCC and the SCCV Horizon, this isn't a hard rule; you simply have a lot more freedom in how you can direct the round. Want someone to suffer? Make it your mission to make them squeak. Firmly believe the station is a little too clean and that there should be dirt everywhere? Get some dirt grenades going. Can't think of anything cool to do and accidentally left the traitor preference turned on? Browse through exploitables. How you execute your mission depends on your skill.

==Setup==
You spawn as normal in your department with the addition of a spooky sound effect and bright red text popping up in your chatlog to inform you you're a traitor. The informational text will give you a code, something like "256 Delta", that you can type into the ringtone of your Chat Client on your PDA (be careful not to typo it!). If you forget your code, check the <code>Notes</code> verb in your IC tab.

This code will allow you to access your uplink; a secret database that allows you to access exploitable information on the crew, as well as tools, weapons, and other gadgets you can purchase with telecrystals (TC) or bluecrystals (BC). By looking in your Preferences tab in Character Setup, you can change what kind of uplink you spawn with. A radio uplink requires you to click on your headset and tune your radio to the frequency chosen. By using an uplink implant, you perform a chosen emote (such as <code>*grin</code> or <code>*nod</code>) that opens the uplink screen.

Once you have an idea for your motivation and plans for the round, use the <code>Set Ambition</code> verb in the IC tab and write down your "gimmick". While not required, it shows up at the end of the round and lets everyone know what you were aiming to do. You can even update it as you like, which may be good for keeping track of how you've been executing your plans.

If there are other traitors in the round, or it's a combined gamemode, you can coordinate with other antagonists using <code>AOOC</code>. This will allow you all to brainstorm together, if so desired.

===Gear===
''See also: [[Uplink]]''

As an antagonist, you have access to a wide variety of items that can be used for destructive, stealthy, or even RP-flavorful purposes. If your gimmick, for example, is centred around being an undercover [[Einstein Engines]] agent, you can purchase a Banshee combat suit to better indicate that you're public enemy number one. Uplink items can be purchased with TC (telecrystals) or BC (bluecrystals); there's no real difference to them apart from what you can purchase with them.

Do note that most, if not all, of the items able to be acquired via uplink are contraband under [[Guide to Law|Biesel law]], and even possessing them (if you happen to be unlucky enough to get caught with them) can net you fines or brig time.

==Roleplaying As An Antag==
Playing an antagonist does not waive roleplay. While obviously you are perfectly allowed to injure, kill, and steal from other characters, you are expected to do so in an engaging fashion. Consider; if John McClane had been killed by Hans Gruber and his goons in the first ten minutes of ''Die Hard'', would that be an interesting movie to watch? The same applies to you and your roleplay. When one of your characters spawns as a Traitor, ask yourself some questions:

# '''What is my motive?''' The classic actor question. Why has your character decided to risk life, limb, and their job to go against their corporate masters? Has someone made them an offer they can't refuse? Were they an enemy agent all along? Did one of their coworkers really piss them off? Is it not ''really'' your character, but a clever imposter?
# '''Who do I engage with?''' Your actions threaten the integrity of the ship and its crew, so naturally the [[Security]] department will be given to interact with you in any round. But who else is going to be involved in your gimmick? Does this gimmick hinge on your character's faction, their nation, or who they're friends with? Alternatively, does it hinge on another character's presence?
# '''How will I complete my objective?''' Whether or not you "win" or "lose", your gimmick will change vastly if you change your methods, and even if you change your character's feelings on the matter. Consider the following hypotheticals based on the same basic idea: ''John Sol's exploitables say that he was involved in killing civilians on Mars after Violet Dawn. Urist McStation, a Martian, has rolled Traitor this round, and decides to make his gimmick hunting down and killing John Sol for revenge.''
* '''Scenario one:''' Urist McStation confronts John Sol in the bar with a bullpup rifle, revealing John Sol's crimes to the other patrons and trying to shoot up the bar. He evades security but ultimately chooses to recklessly throw his life away after scoring a few hits on John Sol, satisfied that John Sol has had his reputation tarnished and been made to suffer.
* '''Scenario two:''' Urist McStation hates John Sol for murdering his family during the unrest caused by Violet Dawn, but he likes his cushy SCC job and doesn't want to be marooned or cyborgified. He confronts John Sol in disguise, attempts to kill him, and tries to plant evidence placing the blame on Bill Biesel instead.
While both of these boil down to "kill John Sol", the results vary, especially when one considers how different the round can go based on whether Urist McStation succeeds in killing John Sol or not. Urist McStation's player might even allow himself to be talked down from revenge, deliberately allow John Sol to get away, or end up running afoul of Bill Biesel for attempting to frame him.

It is good to remember when being an antagonist that ''losing is fun''. You are (usually) one person up against a security team that can number up to ten, plus an entire ship of people willing to shout out your location over communications once the jig is up. Dying, being imprisoned, or even being cyborgified can all be part of the fun, so roll with the punches.

==Contracts and Exploitable Information==
[https://byond.aurorastation.org/syndie/contracts Contracts] are player-submitted antagonist prompts from unscrupulous sorts that involve theft, murder, vandalism, and other such crimes. If you are particularly in a bind for ideas, you can use these as a jumping-off point for your gimmick.

Exploitable information is player-written dirty little secrets about crew characters that can be looked up using your uplink. It isn't a hard and fast rule that all of the information is canonical; merely that the information about a character is plausible enough to give you, the antagonist, something to act on.

Keep in mind that this information doesn't always need to be something painting a target on said character's back; you can do a lot with the mere fact that a character can be bribed. Also note that if your plan is to kill a character for their compromising information, ''make sure to roleplay with them first''.

==Tips and Tricks==
* If you get bwoinked/receive a message from staff, it's not necessarily an indicator of poor performance. Sometimes the funny combat logs show up and an admin wants to know what's going on. If you're in the middle of a sticky situation, politely inform the admin that you need a moment to finish up the scene, and they'll be happy to let you.
* A few of the things that may get you sternly spoken to, warned, or banned include: flooding the hallways with phoron or another toxic gas, decapitating someone before the 01:00 mark, using bugs or exploits to gain an edge in combat (like autoclickers), involving overly suggestive content in your antag roleplay, wordlessly shooting someone with no prior interaction, and, depending on how you slice it, playing an [[Human Wildlands|SRF]] apologist.
* On the flip side of staff talks, if you think your gimmick could be improved by a smidgen of adminbus, feel free to send an admin help and ask for something to be spawned. Whether or not it's allowed is up to the discretion of the admin in question, so don't lean on it too heavily.
* Mind you, just because you're an antagonist doesn't mean you get to be the ship's punching bag. If a [[Security Officer]] is very intensely questioning why your toolbox is "suspicious", or the entire team shows up behind you after you've just quietly hacked into the bridge, '''send staff a message about it'''. It's simply polite for crewmembers to give you leeway so your gimmick isn't cut short half an hour in.
* Low-hanging fruit is just that; low-hanging fruit. Demanding to see someone alone in their office and jumping them once the windows are tinted is expected by just about every [[Psychologist]], and is not particularly fun or original (unless you think you can make it so?).
* The simplest way to sabotage power is to cut a single wire in the area. Make sure to wear insulated gloves.
* The simplest way to sabotage a console is to remove its tesla link.
* Nobody ever looks in trash piles or lockers during a chase (except when they read this page, and do).

{{Antagonists}}
{{Guides}}

Guides

2024-08-14T16:24:40Z

Donaldo TH: Since a page on emag was surprisingly accepted, I think it belongs here

==Getting Started==
*If you're unsure of something, read the [https://aurorastation.org/rules.html Server Rules]
*If you plan to edit the wiki, please see this guide: [[Guide_to_Editing|Guide to Editing]]
*Remember the golden rule; when you're not sure if something is against the rules or not, Ahelp!

== Quick Start ==
New to Aurora? Here's what you do!

* Read our [https://aurorastation.org/rules.html rules] to avoid unnecessary banning from the server.
* Browse our [[Background_summary| Lore]]. Aurora has it's own expanded lore maintained by a group of developers
* Figure out how to make a [[Guides/Character Creation|character]] taking advantage of said lore
* When you try out a new job, always look over the wiki page for that job. These are concentrated tips and how-to guides to get you started.

If you're still confused, feel free to ask in-game over the OOC channel, an adminhelp (F1), or by creating a thread on [https://forums.aurorastation.org/ our forums], or joining the [https://discord.gg/3wgjgRN/ discord server] for Aurora, while faster, you may receive more in depth and helpful answers on the forums.

== Game Mechanics ==
*[[File:Paper.png|link=Getting Started]] [[Getting Started|Getting Started]]
*[[File:Headset.png|link=Guide to Communication Devices]] [[Guide to Communication Devices]]
*[[File:Suit_cycler.png|link=Guide to EVA]] [[Guide to EVA]]
*[[File:Paper.png|link=Guide to Paperwork]] [[Guide to Paperwork]]
*[[File:Paper.png|link=Guide to Character Records]] [[Guide to Character Records]]
*[[File:SpaceLaw.png|link=Guide to Standard Procedure]][[Guide to Standard Procedure]]
*[[File:SpaceLaw.png|link=Guide to Law]][[Guide to Law]]
*[[File:SpaceLaw.png|link=Guide to Command]][[Guide to Command]]
*[[File:Harm.png|link=Combat]] [[Guide to Combat]]
*[[File:Golddone.png|link=Guide to Wages and Pay]] [[Guide to Wages and Pay]]

== Professions ==
For a more detailed explanation of all of the jobs available, see the [[Job Guides|job guides page]].

=== Ships and the Overmap ===
*[[File:Shuttle.gif|link=Guide_to_Piloting]] [[Guide to Piloting]]
*[[File:Shuttle.gif|link=Guide_to_Gunnery]] [[Guide to Gunnery]]

=== Civilian ===
*[[File:Vegepizza.png|32px|link=Guide to Food]] [[Guide to Food]]
*[[File:olympusmons.gif|link=Guide to Drinks]] [[Guide to Drinks]]
*[[File:Carrot.png|link=Guide to Hydroponics]] [[Guide to Hydroponics]]
*[[File:OreSatchel.png|link=Guide to Mining]] [[Guide to Mining]]
*[[File:Clowncard.png|link=Guide_to_Battlemonsters|26px]] [[Guide_to_Battlemonsters|..Guide to Battlemonsters]]

=== Engineering ===
*[[File:Modular Computer.gif|link=Guide_to_Construction]] [[Guide to Construction]]
*[[File:Meteor.gif|link=Guide to Shields]] [[Guide to Shields]]
*[[File:Oxygen_canister.png|link=Guide to Atmospherics]] [[Guide to Atmospherics]]
*[[File:Supermatter.png|link=Supermatter Engine]] [[Supermatter Engine|Guide to the Supermatter]]
*[[File:CableCoils.png|link=Solars]] [[Solars|Guide to Solars]]
*[[File:Fusion core.gif|link=Guide to the INDRA]] [[Guide to the INDRA]]
*[[File:Shuttle.gif|link=Guide_to_Thrusters]] [[Guide to Thrusters]]
*[[File:Intercom.gif|link=Telecommunications]] [[Telecommunications|Guide to Telecommunications]]
*[[File:Multitool.gif|link=Guide_to_Hacking]] [[Guide_to_Hacking|Guide to Hacking]]

=== Science ===
*[[File:Disk.gif|link=Guide to Research and Development]] [[Guide to Research and Development]]
*[[File:MetroidBaby.gif|link=Guide to Xenobiology]] [[Guide to Xenobiology]] / [[Guide to Xenobotany]]
*[[File:Generic borg.png|32px|link=Guide to Robotics]] [[Guide to Robotics]]
*[[File:MiningPick.gif|32px|link=Guide to Xenoarchaeology]] [[Guide to Xenoarchaeology]]
*[[File:Laptop2.png|link=Guide_to_NTSL2]] [[Guide_to_NTSL2|Guide to NTSL2+]]
*[[File:Laptop2.png|link=Guide_to_NTSL2++]] [[Guide_to_NTSL2++|Guide to NTSL2++]]
*[[File:Shuttle.gif|link=Guide_to_Away_Missions]] [[Guide_to_Away_Missions|Guide to Away Missions]]

=== Medical ===
*[[File:Healthanalyzer.gif|link=Guide to Medicine]] [[Guide to Medicine]]
*[[File:Scalpel.png|link=Surgery]] [[Surgery|Guide to Surgery]]
*[[File:Beaker.png|link=Guide to Chemistry]] [[Guide to Chemistry]]

=== Security ===
*[[File:SpaceLaw.png|link=Corporate Regulations]] [[Corporate Regulations]]
*[[File:Mag glass.gif|link=Guide to Forensics]] [[Guide to Forensics]]
*[[File:Autopsy scanner.gif]] [[Guide to Cadavers]]
*[[File:SpaceLaw.png|link=Guide to Contraband]] [[Guide to Contraband]]

== Antagonist Guides ==
*[[File:PDA_uplink.png|link=Uplink|32px]] [[Uplink|A Pocket-sized Black Market]]
*[[File:Emag.png|link=Cryptographic Sequencer|32px]] [[Cryptographic Sequencer|Universal lockpick]]
*[[File:Generic_nukesyndie.png|32px|link=Traitor]] [[Traitor|How to be Evil For Dummies]]
*[[File:SpaceNinja.png|32px|link=Ninja]] [[Ninja|Being a Ninja]]
*[[File:Generic_nukesyndie.png|32px|link=Mercenary]] [[Mercenary|Life as a Hired Gun]]
*[[File:HeistRaider.png|32px|link=Raider]] [[Raider|One More Job]]
*[[File:ChangelingLarge2.gif|32px|link=Revolutionary]][[Revolutionary|Someone Tired of the Establishment]]
*[[File:ChangelingLarge2.gif|32px|link=Vampire]][[Vampire|A Cunning Bloodsucker]]
*[[File:ChangelingLarge2.gif|32px|link=Changeling]][[Changeling|A Genetic Abomination]]
*[[File:Generic_cultist.gif|32px|link=Cult]][[Cult|Other Dimensional Beings and How to Summon Them]]
*[[File:Revenant96x.png|32px|link=Revenant]][[Revenant|Being an Other Dimensional Being]]
*[[File:Borer.png|link=Borer]][[Borer|Neurology for Slugs]]

[[Category:Guides]]

{{Guides}}
[[Category:Pages]]

Cryptographic Sequencer

2024-08-12T22:56:36Z

Donaldo TH: I was kind of bored, so I wrote this page. The uplink page metioned that a page about emag is needed. If you want to say anything to me(maybe insult for doing this unprompted), here's my discord: bydlo9216

{{toc_right}}

= Interactable objects =

Cryptographic sequencer(emag) can be used to hack literally any equipment onboard the Horizon. However, it is finite and you should be strategic about when to use it. You won't get very far if you'll just use it as a door opener, so be smart about it. The following objects can be hacked with emag:

== [[File:Airlock.gif]] Airlock ==

The door will open, its electronics will be fryed. Engineers can repair the airlock, but until then, you can pass through it freely.

== [[File:Modular Computer.gif]] Computer ==

Camera decryption tool will be available for download. You can use this program to look through security cameras

== [[File:Tape Recorder.png]] Tape Recorder ==

The tape recorder will screech upon interacting with it and will self-destruct after playing back the tape

== Orion Trail Arcade ==

The game will be switched to "Realism edition". The player will be added as a crew member upon starting new game, in-game events will affect the player in the real world. Losing the game would gib the player. Winning the game awards a spaceship toy that explodes a few seconds after being activated.

== Fighting Arcade ==

When emagged, the boss will be swithced to Cuban Pete. He has unique attacks, losing the game would gib the player. Winning awards a bomb and a Cuban Pete collectible hat.

== [[File:Generic borg.png|40px]] Cyborgs ==

In order to emag a cyborg, you must first use an emag or an ID to unlock its cover. Then open its maintenance panel with a crowbar and emag it again. The cyborg would receive new set of laws that will force it to obey you. Cyborg would also get additional modules to use.

== [[File:Biogenerator.gif]] Biogenerator ==

New items will be available for printing. These include: Advanced Trauma Kit, Human Hide, Red Soap, Buckler, hostile Tree.

== Jukebox ==

Instead of playing something, jukebox would instead produce a loud horn that stuns everyone around it and then explode.

== [[File:Exofab.png]] Robotic fabricator ==

The fabricator would break.

== [[File:Turretcover.png]] Turret ==

After a graze period of 6 seconds, the turret would start attacking everyone who's near. The turret will also shoot much faster.

== [[File:Suit cycler.png]] Suit cycler ==

An option to microwave the cycler's contents with radiation would appear

== Vending machine ==

The vending machine would ignore all access requirements

== Robotics control console ==

Automatic security measures would block the console from being accessed

== [[File:Evasuit.png]] Hardsuits ==

Access restrictions will be gone

== [[File:Defibunit.png]] Deffibrillator (auto-resuscitator) ==

Deffibrillator's paddles can be used as weapons on harm intent

== Nralakk Federation loyalty ear-tag ==

Allows you to remover the ear-tag

== Light replacer ==

All lights replaced with it will explode when they are turned on. Explosion deals medium damage and usually cannot insta-kill people. Emagged light replacer will be highly noticeable so it is advised to hide it.

== Megaphone ==

When someone would attempt to talk through it, it would spit out insults instead.

== Hailer ==

Same as megaphone

Interstellar Travel

2024-08-09T20:20:15Z

Donaldo TH: EERV -> EEV

{{Template:Navbox Lore}}
{{toc_right}}
Interstellar travel is prolific across the Orion Spur. Long trips across the stars are relatively affordable between highly developed systems, but costs increase in less developed systems. There are two known methods of interstellar travel within the Spur; using the system of warp gates established across inhabited systems by the powers that be, or using an expensive ship-bound interstellar drive, which allows vessels to travel across the stars under their own power. Between the two, traveling via the gate system is far more common, as the majority of ships do not head into uncharted space, wish to spend the money on a drive, or do not want the risks associated with using any form of drive within a system’s gravity well.

These divisions are split further by how faster-than-light travel is achieved, either using bluespace, or warp. Since 2462, and the beginning of the phoron scarcity, traveling via bluespace has become more expensive, and prices will continue to rise if the new phoron deposits of Orchard Moon cannot satisfy the market.

=Bluespace Travel=

Bluespace travel describes a process that uses phoron-powered engines to bore tunnels into the “bluespace dimension” so named for its characteristic blue hue. The vessel then uses onboard propulsion to enter the tunnel and begin travel. It was first discovered in 2341 by '''Luo Qiqiang''', a physicist employed with Einstein Engines. Qiqiang theorised that bluespace would revolutionise FTL travel, though he could not grasp its full implications, thinking it was just a more efficient version of the warp, rather than the separate dimension it is known to be today.

It was not until NanoTrasen’s discovery of phoron, and the further work of '''Samantha Tigard''', that bluespace was able to be better researched, understood, and applied. The high energy capacity of phoron allowed bluespace gates and drives to be easily used. As early methods of propulsion were being developed, bluespace drives saw quick adoption, and plans were put in place to partially replace the prior generation of warp gates, with some scientists confidently declaring warp travel obsolete. However, even before the scarcity, maintaining bluespace drives and gates was an expensive endeavor, one which never saw a significant price drop; causing plans to phase out the warp gates in favor of bluespace ones to be canceled, and revised into the more modern system we know today.

In the 2460s, circumstances have changed. The phoron scarcity brings doubt as to whether bluespace travel will remain a viable option in the future, and NanoTrasen and the Stellar Corporate Conglomerate have put great effort into alleviating the scarcity. After the SCCV Horizon discovered the “Orchard Moon” asteroid in the galactic region of Valley Hale, some of the drain on resources has been lessened, but only time will tell if bluespace travel is passing into the annals of history.

== Phoron ==
Discovered within the Romanovich Cloud in 2417 by the [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NanoTrasen]] Science Vessel Yosemite, Phoron irrevocably changed the history of the Orion Spur - while initially for the better, in recent times nothing could be further from the truth. Purple and opaque in appearance, the mineral was discovered to be incredibly useful for energy production, alongside uses as a catalyst for creating advanced medications that transformed the field of medicine into what it is known as today.

It is extremely toxic and caustic in all its forms, however, most notably dangerous when in gaseous form, capable of significantly harming those that breathe it in as well as being capable of causing significant damage to anything engulfed within should it be set alight. Sirens blaring due to the caustic gas escaping containment is oftentimes the last sound that many employees will hear before succumbing to its severe toxicity. Phoron is used mostly in energy production, predominately within fusion generators that sustain both Bluespace Drives and Gates due to the excessive amount of power required to commence travel within the anomalous dimensional pocket.

Currently, the only deposits of the mineral have been located within the [[Republic of Biesel]] and the [[Republic of Elyra|Serene Republic of Elyra]] - with reports from Vaurcae that [[Sedantis]], their homeworld, also had deposits of the mineral. Due to the exhaustive extraction and refining operations that have been conducted since its discovery, there now exists a scarcity that deeply impacts the entirety of the Orion Spur, and continues to worsen as the limited supplies of phoron are used to keep the status quo. The [[Stellar Corporate Conglomerate]], predominately NanoTrasen, continues to search for additional deposits with the [[SCCV Horizon]], with limited success, such as the previously mentioned "Orchard Moon".

== Bluespace Drives ==
Bluespace drives are generally reserved for military vessels or those that have the luxury of affording a bluespace drive, such as high-end corporate and commercial vessels. Limited by the size of any given vessel, bluespace drives vary in their abilities depending on their design. The most modern and powerful drives are reserved for flagships of the respective nations within the Orion Spur. They utilize a combination of compacted preprogrammed databanks referred to as “bluespace crystal matrices” that empower a drive to ‘breach’ the anomalous dimension, and require quantities of energy currently only capable of acquiring by using phoron.

Unlike their gate counterparts, drives are considered unreliable or even dangerous to use within a system’s gravity well, due to the displacement of mass caused by entering and exiting bluespace, a danger that increases with the size and distance a ship jumps. However, this is only a problem for large vessels as the risks of using bluespace drives within gravity wells steeply decreases with the size of the vessel, and the very few shuttles which possess bluespace drives can reliably jump within a gravity well. Still, large ships using their bluespace drives for anything but the shortest of jumps while inside a systems gravity well may suffer any number of damages, or at worst, cause their drive to critically malfunction, potentially destroying the ship; a crew would need to be bordering on suicidal for a drive to get to this point. Instead, large ships using drives will plot travel to the edge of a system, and make their way to their destination under the power of sublight thrusters, or through a series of short jumps, though even this brings risk, as it is possible to collide with unseen objects upon exiting bluespace. Therefore, every system will have many points of ingress or egress that are marked on stellar charts. Those who either independently charter or are contracted to charter new ingress/egress points are often paid incredibly well due to the hazardous nature of their work.

Bluespace drives project a field around a certain distance around the ship itself, enveloping it into the anomalous dimension, and then proceeds to ‘jump' it to the plotted destination. Typical means of moving do not work within bluespace, and a drive is required to do so. Drives can be used to jump to any location within range, so long as enough power is provided to them. High-quality drives are more efficient in plotting exit coordinates, and some are even rumored to be able to give an accurate picture of their egress point before exiting bluespace, but these drives are incredibly expensive and used almost exclusively by the militaries of the major factions.

*'''Low-end bluespace drives found in shuttles and corvettes tend to reach velocities of .10 lightyears a day, with the highest end reaching .25LYD.'''

*'''Mid-range, expensive bluespace drives found in frigates and destroyers tend to reach velocities of .30 lightyears a day, with the highest end reaching .50LYD.'''

*'''Heavy-duty, powerful bluespace drives found in cruisers tend to reach velocities of .60 lightyears a day, with the highest end reaching .75LYD.'''

*'''Capital bluespace drives found in battleships and larger tend to reach velocities of .85 lightyears a day, with the highest end reaching 1 LYD.'''

=== Bluespace Interdiction Nets ===
Bluespace interdiction nets are designed to overload bluespace drives, essentially forcing vessels in bluespace to violently breach, oftentimes straining opposing drives causing a multitude of issues that not only requires a full reset but maintenance as well if not outright rendering them inoperable. Interdiction nets are popular with pirates who use them near a system's ingress/egress points, pillaging those they capture in their snare. Interdiction nets are easy to jury-rig and can be produced with inexpensive, modified warpdrives, resulting in their widespread use by rather infamous groups - however, an advanced understanding of engineering and the internal complexities of warpdrives is needed to do so.

[[File:BSgates2024.png|thumb|300px|Blue means a solid connection, red means one that has been deconstructed on one or both ends, and yellow means "temporarily" shut down.]]

== Bluespace Gates ==
The first bluespace gates began construction in 2420, and became operational by 2425.

Bluespace gates are particularly useful for being a highway of interstellar travel for ships that are not outfitted with any kind of drive, or even those that are, due to the cost of fuel. They are massive constructions, taking up a square kilometre, shaped like giant rings which ships pass through to be warped. They are outfitted with phoron-powered projectors facing inwards, and as with nearly all gates, are overseen by an integrated artificial intelligence which permits access based on ship credentials and performs the highly-complex calculations required to transport a vessel thousands of kilometers through a different dimension. To use a bluespace gate, a transmission consisting of several details is required, which are usually checked against existing records and with the local authority of the entity that the bluespace gate resides within.

A key detail to the use of bluespace gates are the bluespace lanes. These “lanes” are pre-established and documented trajectories between separate gates, which allow for instantaneous travel between them. It is expensive, time-consuming, and extraordinarily complex to create new bluespace lanes between gates, which is why they are limited in number.
Originally bluespace gates were expected to be a total replacement to warp gates; this idea was quickly discarded after it became clear how expensive these new gates were. Instead, they were built in only the most traffic-heavy systems of the spur. Still, the construction of the modern bluespace gates, even after the scale of their deployment was toned down significantly, is to this day considered the most ambitious, far-reaching, and expensive construction project in the Orion Spur. The Solarian Alliance shouldered most of the costs, with a majority of the gates being in their territory at the time of their construction. Diplomatic agreements with the Nralakk Federation, Coalition of Colonies, and Serene Republic of Elyra also saw the Alliance allow new lanes to be created between gates constructed within the capital of each respective nation. No new gates have been constructed since 2425. In the modern day, the only systems to possess bluespace gates are Sol, Qerrbalak, Tau Ceti, Konyang, Xanu Prime, and Persepolis.
Of note is the bluespace lane between Tau Ceti and Xanu; in 2462, which is said to have “collapsed” due to reasons unknown. It is unclear what exactly happened, and if the lane will re-open, as both governments and the corporations they contract keep their investigations highly classified.

Unlike drives, bluespace gates are not affected by being within a gravity well, and therefore are normally placed in orbit over the primary planet in a system; as an example, Sol’s bluespace gate is in orbit of Earth.

== Mysteries ==
=== Slimes ===
Slimes are gelatinous, jelly-like creatures known to appear in areas with Phoron deposits or odd Bluespace activity. They were first discovered by the Skrell in the aftermath of the [[Skrell History|Tri-Qyu Incident]] after an enormous explosion of energies that included Bluespace ones. The Skrell continue to maintain tight control on them in the [[Nralakk Federation]], but slimes have appeared in areas such as Biesel and the Republic of Elyra near their Phoron deposits. These creatures pose a significant threat to anyone unprepared to deal with them. Scientists and Xenobiologists study slimes for their many anomalous properties and the unusual effects their cores can have. They have been seen living symbiotically with golems, who can also be created or summoned through the usage of a specific slime core. Slimes are presently incredibly difficult to work with and dangerous when they manage to escape. But researchers still believe there is some value that could be gained from them, especially if a method of reliably farming slimes was found. Due to slimes' relationship with Tri-Qyu, the [[Nralakk Federation]] is known to keep an eye on slime research facilities within the Spur, legally or otherwise.
[[File:Mayfly.png|thumb|300px|The [[Scarabs| Scarab]] vessel ''Riphean Voyager'' exiting bluespace at high velocity, its hull shimmering as it enters real space.]]
=== Golems ===
Referred to as Golems, these humanoid beings are believed to be creatures that inhabit Bluespace - with theories regarding them existing in a different form to what is displayed outside of the anomalous dimension, their corporeal forms oftentimes exhibiting characteristics of natural resources such as wood, uranium or even gold. It is unknown why, but Golems have been observed to only materialize outside of Bluespace for approximately twenty-four hours after appearing, with attempts to track them not successful despite advances in the understanding of the dimension. They have also been discovered in close proximity to naturally occurring colonies of Slimes, for reasons unknown, but with a proposed theory of the irregular characteristics of the slimes creating pockets of “bluespace-like” areas which Golems can appear from.

=== Artifacts ===
Considered the most bizarre of Bluespace anomalies "artifacts" is a broad term used to refer to any anomalous items found in areas that have or have had ongoing Bluespace activity. These were first reported in the Romanovich Cloud a few years after the discovery of Phoron when the mining team of the [[Nanotrasen Corporation|NanoTrasen]] Mining Vessel Yangtze discovered a 5000-year-old pillar in an asteroid. When they brought it back with them the pillar reacted to the oxygen entering the airlock and immediately began to violently expel flames. The more of these items found the more questions they raise. Some were linked back to the known species of the spur despite being far from their homeworlds and predating their first space flights. The vast majority are of unknown origin. The field of Xenoarcheology exists to work with these artifacts and figure out what they are, what they can do, and how to harness them.

=Warp Travel=

Nearly 300 years of history have solidified warp as the mainstay for galactic travel, especially for poorer areas of the spur. While at first, the invention of the bluespace drive and gate were expected to make warp obsolete, it quickly became clear that while bluespace was much faster, the expenses associated with the construction of the bluespace gates made it clear that a vast majority of interstellar travel would always remain warp-based. Even though nearly every new drive produced used bluespace, the warp gates which existed in almost every inhabited system remained active, and are still constantly used to travel across the stars.

Warp works by warping the space around a ship or multiple ships, by exploiting the fundamental laws of physics, folding the universe in on itself and creating a “warp bubble” around a vessel. Similarly to bluespace, there is danger present attempting to use a warp drive within a gravity well, one that increases as the size of a ship increases. However, warp drives are considered to have a significantly higher level of risk, unless they are following a charted warp lane. When a ship enters warp, to the outside world, they are seen speeding up very, very quickly, before stopping abruptly and blasting off into the void.

Unlike bluespace, which tunnels through another dimension, warp travel is far more restrictive in terms of movement, being heavily dependent on the “warp lanes”. Warp lanes are mapped safe routes for vessels to travel along, and form the lifeline of the Spur; they are what keeps all but those systems with bluespace gates connected. Warp lanes were first charted in the early periods of Skrell expansion, and then again following humanity’s expansion into the void. They are still charted to this day as explorers continue to map the frontier of space. In order to chart a warp lane in the modern age, a vessel needs a highly sophisticated and immensely powerful artificial intelligence called a Cartographer-class AI, which can analyze trillions of points of data and not only store, but account for itss analysis to keep a vessel safe as it hurtles towards its destination; this is because warp lanes are not mapped ahead of a jump, but during. As one can imagine, to make a living as a stellar cartographer is to live life on the edge, constantly one wrong calculation by an artificial intelligence away from death. Despite the danger, this is a marked improvement compared to cartography before this level of AI was developed by Skrell and humanity; back when the warp was just being discovered, it was almost a certainty that cartographers would eventually be killed while attempting to chart new lanes.

For ship captains and crew with the nerve to chart lanes, the rewards are lucrative. Once a warp lane is charted, it can be used with zero risk to other vessels, whether they are propelled along by drive or gate. This is because when a Cartographer-class AI stores its analysis of data gathered during jumps, it runs special processes on navigational data, simplifying it enough to where it can then be transferred and used safely by far less powerful intelligences either within a warp gate, or within a ship’s drive. However, these intelligences can only follow an established warp lane, not chart their own. Without a Cartographer-class AI making the calculations during a jump, any ship which strays outside of a lane plays an extremely high risk game, as at best they may find themselves having warped lightyears away from their intended target, or at worst, into a stellar body. A vessel may not even be able to head towards its destination immediately, instead having to first get to a system with a warp lane to it, or lead to another that does, causing an already slower form of travel compared to bluespace to become exponentially slower.

Due to their unique, and foundational contribution to the modern Spur, stellar cartographers are often given the greatest amount of respect by others, even nation-states, which includes a monument on Unity Station; a black obelisk with a shining golden pinnacle, inscribed with all the names of cartographers who perished charting new lanes, regardless of their species, religion, nationality, or any other considerations. Without their work and sacrifice, the modern Spur would be a collection of isolated systems, alone in the dark.

Starting a warp engine requires no phoron, but it is power-hungry all the same. They require no direct fuel source beyond energy from a ship’s own reactor to provide movement. This fuel is most commonly Helium-3.

'''Low-end warp drives are roughly a quarter of the highest possible bluespace speeds for their respective weight classes, while the highest end can reach up to half. Higher speeds are possible to obtain but generally avoided due to safety concerns and lack of necessary power in even the most efficient or over-tuned vessels.'''

== Warp Gates ==
Where bluespace gates form the highways of travel in the spur, warp gates are considered local roads. They are reliably found in every known inhabited system, and in conjunction with warp lanes, form a spider web of connection across the known galaxy. Significantly smaller and cheaper to run than bluespace gates, they’re seen as the mainstay of interstellar travel, even during the dominance of bluespace. A drive is not required to use a warp gate, and they are significantly shorter range than bluespace ones. However, a specific security key for their destination is needed for a vessel to travel between warp gates. These security keys are long strings of barely decipherable code, which “unlock” use of a gate on a ship by ship basis. Each warp-gate will house a AI who, in addition to processing the simplified navigational data on a warp route to ensure a zero-risk jump, has all the codes for other gates within range on hand, and will transmit them on a ship-to-ship basis, ensuring the right ship receives the right code. These AI, or some form of them, are used even by those in the spur who reject artificial intelligence. However, compared to the fully sentient, aware, and exponentially more powerful AI installed in bluespace gates; warp gate AI can be incredibly simple, allowing nations such as the Empire of Dominia to still utilize their warp gates with non-sentient AI. Nearly all organics cannot hope to achieve the raw computing power necessary to process even the simplified navigational data needed to ensure safe warping, however, there is a notable exception in the Nralakk Federation, who have created an organic alternative to use on warp gates, which can be read about [[Nralakk_Federation#Computing | here.]]

Similarly to bluespace gates, warp gates are unaffected by the gravity well of a system, and are therefore normally placed in orbit of specific planets; such as the famous network above the port planet of Callisto.

==Sublight Interstellar Propulsion==
The standards for interstellar propulsion involving sublight speeds are only addressed nowadays by racers and atmospheric-capable spacecraft. Moving in the literal sense without utilizing bluespace or warp pushes vessels of any kind to their extremes. Even the most powerful gravity generators and dampeners can not ease all inertia for a ship’s crew, making sublight travel slow and meticulous.

=Ships and Stations=
Spaceships in the 25th century are a common sight. Different star nations and alien powers use different models, designations, and hull types that makes specifics impossible. There are giant barges, small freighters, huge carriers and battleships, heavily armored cruisers, and more. The primary distinction between all ships is whether or not they are equipped with Bluespace Drives that allow them to use FTL outside the network of Bluespace Gates. Military, research, and scouting vessels typically have bluespace drives while the majority of commuter or civilian traffic must use bluespace gates to go between star systems. Warp drives are also relatively common, being a cheaper, albeit slower, solution to non-gate travel.

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed">
'''IFF Tags''' 
Ships, much like stations, hold a three or four-letter prefix in their name that designates the ownership, type, and classification of the ship. Below is a list of common prefixes in use across the spur.
<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
*'''Coalition'''
**'''AKPV''' - Air Konyang Passenger Vessel 
**'''AXSV''' - All-Xanu Spacefleet Vessel 
**'''CCV''' - Coalition Civilian Vessel 
**'''FPBS''' - Frontier Protection Bureau Ship 
**'''GNV''' - Gadpathurian Navy Vessel 
**'''KASFV''' - Konyang Aerospace Forces Vessel 
**'''PCV''' - PACHROM Cargo Vessel 
**'''SFV''' - Scarab Fleet Vessel 
*'''Adhomai'''
**'''ACV''' - Adhomian Civilian Vessel 
**'''DPRAMV''' - Democratic People's Republic of Adhomai Vessel 
**'''NKAMV''' - New Kingdom of Adhomai Vessel 
**'''PRAMV''' - People's Republic of Adhomai Vessel 
*'''Corporations'''
**'''EEV''' - Einstein Engines Vessel 
**'''EERV''' - Einstain Engines Research Vessel 
**'''EMV''' - Eridani Military Vessel 
**'''HCV''' - Hephaestus Civilian Vessel 
**'''HCS''' - Hephaestus Civilian Shuttle 
**'''IIV''' - Idris Incorporated Vessel 
**'''NTV''' - Nanotrasen Vessel 
**'''OEV''' - Orion Express Vessel 
**'''PMV''' - Private Military Vessel. 
**'''SCCV''' - Stellar Corporate Conglomerate Vessel 
*'''Izweski Hegemony'''
**'''HMV''' - Hegemony Military Vessel 
**'''IHGV''' - Izweski Hegemony Guild Vessel 
**'''IHKV''' - Izweski Hegemony Kataphract Vessel 
*'''Diona'''
**'''RCS''' - Rokz Clan Ship 
**'''SCS''' - Serz Clan Ship 
*'''Sol'''
**'''FSFV''' - Free Solarian Fleet Vessel 
**'''SAMV''' - Sol Alliance Military Vessel 
**'''SFAV''' - Southern Fleet Administration Vessel 
*'''Other'''
**'''BLV''' - Biesel Military Vessel 
**'''ENV''' - Elyran Navy Vessel 
**'''GDMV''' - Golden Deep Mercantile Vessel 
**'''HIMS''' - His Imperial Majesty's Ship 
**'''IAV''' - Interstellar Aid Vessel 
**'''ICV''' - Independent Civilian Vessel 
**'''IFR''' - Independent Freighter 
**'''IPV''' - Independent Passenger Vessel 
**'''NFV''' - Nralakk Federal Vessel 
</div></div>

==Ships and Sizes==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4" style="font-weight: bold;" | Military Vessels
|-
| '''Class'''
| '''Average Length'''
| '''Average Crew Complement'''
| '''Notes'''
|-
| Corvette
| 25-100m
| 16-50 up to 80
| These ships are the mainstay of many fleets and serve many purposes. Scouts, patrol ships, search and rescue, and more, the majority are able to conduct atmospheric operations and smaller examples are capable of landing on carriers. '''These can cost about as much as a house.'''
|-
| Frigate
| 100-300m
| 100-150
| Larger and more armored than corvettes, these tend to be the largest ships in the small Frontier navies. They pack more armor and guns. Some frigates are of atmospheric operations, for example the Sol Alliance Navy, Valkyrie Class frigate. '''These can cost somewhere around twice as much to four times as much as an equivalent Corvette.'''
|-
| Destroyer
| 250-450m
| 100-500
| Heavily armed and equipped with advanced electronic warfare and countermeasures that can wreck havoc on enemy fleet's computer systems and defend against the same. Only a very select handful are capable of entering the atmosphere because of the general size and weight. Destroyers and above are usually capable of long-term, independent operations. They are primarily used to help allied corvettes that bit off more than they could chew. '''These, and ships of larger classes, are prohibitively expensive for anyone but specialist groups, or people such as rich pirate lords with a group to back up the price.'''
|-
| Cruiser
| 400-800m
| 400-1000
| It is extremely rare for frontier nations to possess even a single heavy cruiser. Cruisers are used as the gunboats of the galaxy, with the Sol Alliance sending cruisers on patrols in frontier systems to project their power. Many Frontier nations are incapable of even hoping to scratch an Alliance cruiser, so they usually operate in small star nation's space with impunity.
|-
| Battleship
| 750-1200m
| up to 2000
| Bristling with weapons and armor, the battleship is the bread and butter of space navies. A battleship always serves as the flagship of any star nation that can get their hands on one.
|-
| Carrier
| 500-2000m
| 750-5000 Crew
500-9000 Air Crew
| Vary massively in size and crew build up due to differing roles and craft carried. Drone and Scout Carriers are built to be smaller, faster and more agile, like the Icarus that defends the NSS Aurora
|-
| Super-Dreadnaught
| 1000-2000m
| 2000 - 5000 Crew
| With immense firepower and incredibly thick armor, Super-Dreadnaughts follow the philosophy that "more is better". They are an unusual evolution from previous classes of warships. Only the [[Unathi|Izweski Hegemony]] currently possess ships of this class, with each one serving as the flagship for a fleet. Despite being huge vessels they are still built for ramming actions.
|}

=== General Purpose Ships ===

A '''Shuttle''' is the smallest of all spacefaring vessels. Shuttles are very common and inexpensive. Many larger ships and carriers often have two or more shuttles for atmospheric operations. These cost just a bit more than a hovercar.

===Space Stations===

There are all kinds of space stations in orbit of planets or out in deep space. They vary from spaceports where ships dock and crew mingle, sprawling habitats where entire generations live and work, deep space pirate bases, bristling cannons in orbit of planets, giant refineries or factories, and more. Any sort of industry or infrastructure that would make sense to put out into space (and somewhere it doesn't seem to make any sense) is out there somewhere. Many of these stations are worked in by the [[Offworlder Humans|Spacers]].

== Civilian/Commercial Vessels ==

=====Freighters=====
The mainstay sight of commercial spacefaring is the freighter vessel, used for the transport of supplies, raw materials, and other goods from pretty much every destination in the known universe. There are further subclasses of Bulk Freighters, Tankers, Barges, etc. These are relatively inexpensive, a small step up from a shuttle, costing around the same as a high-end car, not including secondary expenses. It is not unknown for certain owners to stick with a freighter, simply upgrading them as much as the power source and hull allows.

=====Ferries/Liners=====
Used for the transportation of passengers and light goods, as well as vehicles between planets and systems. Ferries are smaller craft but are larger than shuttles. Luxurious ferries are called Star Yachts. Asides from Star Yachts, their price driven up solely due to their target audience, ferries are around the same cost as Freighters, if not slightly cheaper.

=====Residence Vessels=====
Residence vessels are a catch-all term for various ships that have been retrofitted or modified for usage as a residential space. Often these are cheaper and older models of ferries and shuttles bought from scrapping zones, retrofitting current models being more expensive. When purchased, these vessels are normally heavily modified to suit the needs of the residents: Bedrooms, botanical gardens, even workshops and pools have been found on residence vessels. They normally have rudimentary and basic ship systems on board, if any at all. While ships maintain a costly investment, to those willing to pay the price, they remain a perfect investment. A small private place to call your own alone is tempting, but the promise of eventually fixing the vessel, updating it, and using it for contracts is a dream many ship buyers hope to fulfill. Megacorporations are always happy to expand their roster of freighters and transports. For the daring, the path to more illegal but lucrative jobs is always open. Stations with permanent residences, such Unity Station and the Odin itself have hangars full of people living communally within residence vessels. They are also popular within newly settled or poorer colonies across space or to form off the grid towns on developed worlds. These generally cost around the same as an equivalent motorhome.

== Price ==
While spacefaring vessels can be quite expensive for the layman, there are several factors that can make the bill less painful. The primary factor is what drive you have, bluespace drives being almost a lifetime investment for anything larger than a frigate, the average price for a functional drive for sub-Destroyer vessels being double the ship’s price, not to mention fuel costs. Warp drives are much cheaper, the best drives costing a quarter of the cost, compounded with not requiring phoron fuel, though buyers will have to keep in mind the additional need for cryogenic storages or good entertainment to combat the very long travel times. Capability of the ship to enter atmosphere or not can adjust the price, often larger starships themselves cannot enter a planet’s atmosphere to reduce cost, relying on secondary landing craft. Another factor that can severely reduce cost is having a crew, many hands making light work. Depending on what jobs the crew carries out, legal or otherwise, it is not unheard of for a crew to own even a Frigate. Any larger ships such as a Destroyer are typically staffed by specialist groups, military, corporate, pirate or otherwise. Only rich independent groups own a Destroyer, only the very rich or militaries/corporations own Cruisers. Other miscellaneous factors can be age of the vessel, group of manufacture, power source, source of parts (and their quality/amount, such as weapons, armament, energy shielding, sensors, etc), and how qualified the crew is to repair it themselves. Naturally, choosing to live aboard ones' vessel rather than owning a second home can help.