Captain

''I don't care what they call me back on the station, I'm not a traitor. I'm a man of principles and standards. And if lives get in the way of those principles, so be it! I'd say I'm the better man here. Once they called me captain. But, once it's all said and done, I'll be a hero.'' You are the Captain, the top of the Chain of Command. It is your duty to ensure the stability and productivity of the station, as well as carrying out orders issued to you by Centcom.

Being a Captain – Basics
The Captain has spacious quarters, complete with arcade machine, ID computer and Communications console, a Jetpack, a hand teleporter, the Nuclear Authentication Disk, a locker with some less stylish armor, a spare jumpsuit, an energy gun, and a pressurized and humidity controlled display case with your pride and joy, an antique laser gun.

At the start of the shift, take your spare ID and nuclear authentication disk and put them in your backpack. If you've done that, you've done half your job already. After this, walk around the station and command people.

Head of Heads
When you’re not fighting Revolutionaries, Traitors, Syndicates and Wizards, you are monitoring the crew. You are on the top of the food chain, and have authority over everyone, except CentCom.

You are the Judge, the final word, the Big Guy. You have the ultimate veto power over all matters and is the only person who can authorize an execution without a trial. There really is no way to tell you exactly how to run things as many people have different leadership styles. However, as Captain, here are some guidelines you should keep in mind:


 * 1) Do not involve yourself when there is somebody else available to do the job. Why have a Head of Security if you're going to involve yourself in every security matter? If there isn't a head for a specific department, promote a new one.
 * 2) Delegate whenever you can. If someone says 'Captain, there's a plasma leak!' then you should order your Chief Engineer to go fix it. Do not attempt to fix it yourself, as you will put yourself unnecessarily at risk.
 * 3) Follow the Chain of Command. You command the Heads. The Heads command their departments. Try not to skip them in the decision making process as they are the ones who should know their own departments best.
 * 4) Stay alert. You have a big target on your back. It is likely you'll be a prime Traitor target just for your all-access ID. With this in mind, you may want to spend a fair bit of time lounging in the security of the Bridge.
 * 5) Keep calm and carry on. As Captain, be prepared to deal with any or all of the following: Incompetent or absent Heads, traitors and angry crew members banging down the bridge door trying to get in, corrupted AI's on a war path and the occasional aftermath of an Armageddon against the station, thanks to a range of the above. And it's your job to manage it all. Good luck.

Refitting the DOORKNOB – Uploading Laws Made Easy
Uploading Laws to the AI isn’t something you should be doing lightly… unless you’re a traitor. Then go crazy.

Do not get angry with the AI if it does not want you uploading a new law, as Nanotrasen has pre-programed them to be sensitive to law changes. And Nanotrasen wouldn't want another SHODAN fiasco happening again.

But remember the Hierarchy. Law 1 overrides Laws 2, 3, 4, etc. A Law 4 telling the AI to kill all Revolutionaries isn’t going to work. A Law 4 classifying Revolutionaries as Nonhuman and that they must be eliminated works much better. Law priority is enforced by the order they are listed. A law is invalid if it causes a conflict with either: Previous laws in the form of conflicting orders, or it challenges the procession of law priority.

Keep in mind that if the AI announces you are in their upload, uploading laws, people will likely form a lynch mob.

If you are a Traitor Captain and upload a OneHuman – tell the AI to act normal. Or people will start to suspect things.

The Syndicate Threat
You are the captain. Your job is to oversee the station. This generally means fighting whatever insipid element that attempts to destabilise your precious order, and generally make you unhappy. They are both numerous, and dangerous.

Syndicate Traitors
Syndicate Traitors can be anyone, even Security personnel. They can be your trusted Head of Personnel, the unholy Chaplain, the silent Mime, or one of the many faceless Assistants.

When it comes to fighting the Traitorous elements of the Crew, you must keep in mind that your ID will make you a prime target, as well as your stuff. Syndicates will seek your gun, or underwear, and they will kill to obtain them.

Try to get traitor crew incinerated rather than eating them for food or spacing them, and keep in mind that a cyborg could be useful, but potentially dangerous. Weigh your options when capturing traitors. A traitor who makes Charles Manson look harmless may be okay to kill, while a sneaky-stealthy traitor should be brought to trial.


 * Syndicate equipment is very deadly, and usually covert.
 * You have final say on all executions.
 * Traitors may attempt to corrupt the AI.
 * Traitors must have some form of contact with the syndicate to gain their illegal goods, if you find this, you have your man!

Changelings and How to Spot Them
Occasionally, one of the Threats might not even be a human being. A Changeling is an alien creature that feeds on human DNA, and can morph into those that they consume. Changelings, like traitors and malfunctioning AIs, prefer to work on the down-low because, up against a mob, they are no stronger than any other human. Unlike traitors, changelings are MUCH more efficient killers and their targets will rarely be able to scream for help before their genetic data is consumed by the beast. However, this efficiency means they are employed by the Syndicate for much more large-scale and generic killings. And changeling victims can easily be recognized by their drained, husk-like appearance. Not only that, but seeing as they are alien, AI's will have no qualms about you beating their brains in and may even join in the party, along with any cyborgs.

Many changelings are smart and most crews are never aware of them until it is too late. However, some of them might slip and get seen by an AI, or leave a body in a place where it can be easily found. When a changeling is confirmed to be onboard, tighten up immediately and put your Paranoia Cap on, which is conveniently the same hat that you normally wear. After this, it's just another traitor - Trust nobody, suspect everyone.


 * You are safest in large groups, especially with a security cyborg.
 * The only ways to permanently kill a changling is by grinding it into meat, exploding it, throwing it into the singularity, or burning it in the crematorium.
 * Changlings can transform into animals to escape handcuffs, and can even sting you if stunned, or handcuffed.
 * If possible, make sure all spare human bodies not alive are disposed of.

The Ins and Outs of EI NATH
If the Station is being attacked by a Wizard, the first thing may happen is an attempt on your life before you're ready to roll, or a strike against the AI, usually having it end up as a bloody mess (even though it is a machine how does that even fucking work I have no fucking idea what so fucking ever).

Dispense weaponry to the Crew, and authorise production of AntiWizardry elements – deathnettles, stun gloves, the works. Organise a manhunt, and try to keep people calm and capable of shouting the Wizard’s location when he bursts onto the scene.

Remember, without his dress, the Wizard is powerless against your batons.


 * Close range is deadly for most crew members.
 * Use of acid to melt the Wizard's robes is highly effective!
 * The AI may have a hard time pin pointing the wizard.
 * The Chaplain can bless water to prevent "magic" transportation over its boundary.

NuclearDisk.gif Syndicates Attack
A Nuclear Round is when the Captain becomes the most crucial element – as Captain, you are to guard the Nuclear Authentication disk from the bloodthirsty syndicates who seek to destroy the Station with their Thermonuclear device. Put the disk in the HoP's secure suitcase, punch in a gibberish number you won't even remember, and clutch it in a death grip. On second thought, have someone else hang onto it, handcuffed to a chair, wearing a suicide vest, in the kill zone of an L-shaped ambush.

What this basically means is, you surround yourself with Security. Order the Warden and Quartermaster to distribute lethal weapons to the more robust and trigger-happy crewmen. In the crossfires and ambushes that ensue, you should be able to kill at least one actual Syndicate for every three crewmen. With a well-populated station, this math should work out in your favor.

Syndicates will probably set up a power sink, subvert the AI, and attack the telecommunications satellite. Remember – Death before Disk. Guard it with your life… and the lives of everyone else around you first.

And for the love of god, Remember that the disk needs to be delivered to Centcom for the station to win.


 * Keep that disk on you or some one robust enough to defend it.
 * Calling an escape shuttle is highly recommended, but the disk must be on an escape pod, or the escape shuttle.
 * Syndicate agents have superior fire power, but are susceptible to stunning equipment.
 * The agents may be carrying tracking devices similar to the Nanotrasen patent PINPOINTER TM.

Revolution – Why you should have just been a one man crew
When Revolution occurs, you are going to be a target. This will be nothing different to most other days, where someone or something wants to kill you. It’s quite inevitable, really.

This time, the Threat is widespread, and the only people you can trust are Security, and the other Heads. While you may be tempted to do so, fleeing into space to that rumored derelict station is a terrible idea.

Caution is advised, so you should probably travel with at least one other trusted person, preferably one armed with a weapon. If you feel it necessary, upload a law classifying Revolutionaries as nonhuman and that they must be beaten in the head until they are either dead or no longer revolutionaries. You can tell when they cease to be a revolutionary when a message appears telling you so where all of the useless chatter is put on your GUI HUD interface thingamajig. If they don't cease to be a revolutionary, you should probably dispose of them like a traitor, although turning them into cyborgs has less merit because Revolutionaries are more competent than Traitors, probably because Nanotrasen crew is more competent than the Syndicate.

However, there is merit by solving your revolution problem by means of a "final solution" - however, this may cause you to be put up against the wall, Comrade, by those who you trust the most (and the meddlesome Time Squad oh shit they're her


 * Loyalty implants can and will deprogram converted crew without harm, and prevent any attempt at reprogramming them. Head revolutionaries will resist being reprogrammed, they are too far gone and must be executed.
 * Security and Head Staff cannot be converted, and it will be quick of you to ensure each head has a security detail.
 * Cargo plays a crucial role during a revolution, as they can provide you with extra loyalty implants
 * If you run out of loyalty implants, a good whack on the head should break the brainwashing of any converts (but not head revolutionaries).

Electrify! – When AIs Attack
If the AI is rogue, first thing you have to do is grab some insulated gloves. Then a toolbox, preferably electrical. Proceed to disable all cameras, and cut all AI Control wires.

A Reset Module will not work on Traitor AIs or Malfunctioning AIs. In case of Traitor AI, grab an Intellicard, and breach their core. Download them, and then kill them.

In case of Rogue Cyborgs, hope to god the Roboticists built a Control (or the RD's CPU is still intact) and hope they're detonating them. You have access to the Complete Destruction option, so only use that in case of malfunction or Traitor AI. If it’s just a law uploaded by some traitor/dick then do not destruct the Cyborgs.


 * Once the AI has tipped their hand, you must head to the AI core to shut it down (in the case of a malfunction) or reset it (in case of law corruption).
 * Cyborgs are not your friends when the AI is corrupted in some way.
 * The robotics control can lock down cybernetic units until after an AI is reset, or decommissioned. Nanotrasen reminds you to save material costs whenever possible.
 * If you built a secondary AI, you may be able to remotely shut down the Malfunctioning AI (but this is a difficult task).
 * Find insulated gloves.

War on Religion
Or, secular power over the occult. This is a major and growing issue that Nanotrasen has been attempting to stomp out more than flaming c-4! The issue being, the Cult of Nar-sie. The religion is worship of a malevolent and deadly being from another dimension, and each of the worshipers can evoke power from the alien being though what appears to be magic (apparently no connection to the Space Wizards' Federation). Marking of strange runes (only distinguishable to human sight due to a budget cut in optical recognition technology for silicon based crew), "super natural events", and the crew spontaneously joining this false religion will ensue, when planted religious fanatics are on station. The only ways to defeat this cult is by brute force, or use of the Chaplain's  knowledge of the supernatural to convert the crew back to the Nanotrasen sanctioned religion of the station.


 * Loyalty implants can be used to prevent brainwashing, but cannot deprogram already converted cultists. It would be wise to implant your Heads of Staff to protect them.
 * You, Security and the Chaplain are usual sacrificial targets for the cultists.
 * The AI and Cyborgs cannot tell the difference between a blood rune, and a blood stain (due to previously mentioned budget cuts in optical recognition hardware), but can help though use of janitorial units.
 * The cultists can perform numerous "supernatural" feats, so be careful, and never stand too close to a rune.

I Am the State
Traitor Captain is less about completing your objectives and more about turning the entire station into your own private playroom. With your access and authority you can pretty much take anything you want, and dispatching a lowly subordinate shouldn't take much effort at all. Chances are you won't even need to open your syndicate uplink.

You have more freedom than any traitor could dream of. Liberally hand out execution orders, release and pardon criminals, give the clown all-access, release the singularity, reprogram the AI to fuel your ego, or just generally act like a comdom and demote anyone who gets in your way. Just make sure that you're at least trying to be subtle.

Conclusion
The only person with more potential to fuck things up than you is the AI, and they’re probably not going to do that. So watch your step, your back and your crew, or you may just end up floating through space wondering why your Oxygen tank is filled with plasma.

As a special note, the gods tend to notice the actions of the captain quite a bit more often than they do anyone else.