Outpost Command
“We are the keepers of the balance.”
You are Command. Unlike the rest of Thermopylae, who still retain some kind of civilian identity, you are all firmly in the military hierarchy. You do not answer to the Citizen’s Council but to Haven Command, the discreet group of leaders that are responsible for the security of Haven and its outposts. Some of you will return to civilian duty once your rotation is up, but for many, serving in Command at an Outpost means that you’ll be seen as firmly entrenched in the Military’s own chain of command even after your posting.
It is your job to ensure that Thermopylae runs smoothly, without inner turmoil and without disruptions. It is also your job to make sure that people don’t see Thermopylae as one massive military installation but as an extension of humanity’s efforts, an outpost that works for everyone back in Haven. Your absolute priority, overriding all other concerns - even the lives of personnel in the Outpost - is the safety of Haven. Keep that in mind.
The Structure of Command
The hierarchy goes as follows: The Outpost Commander is the supreme commander of the outpost and has full authority over everything that concerns it, with the exception of the Intelligence branch, who answer to Intelligence in Haven. The same goes for the Executive Officers if the O-Com is not present. Below them, the O-Com usually divides their team according to preference and expertise. In the current situation at Thermopylae, the division of the Command structure is the work of the first O-Com who was chosen to remain even after her 6-month rotation was over, in order to ensure a solid handover for the next rotation.
Unlike normal military structures, most people don’t have a specific rank within Command. You’re either one of the top positions, or you’re Command staff. Command staff has authority over things at the Outpost because of the fact that they’re the extended will of the O-Com and the XOs. What they say is perhaps not law but at least something to take seriously. There are no complicated protocols or endless lists of rules here. However, if someone has a serious problem with Command, then they can bring it up with the Citizen’s Council in Haven who might take up the case, if it is serious enough. Intelligence is another option - they do not work under the O-Com but under Haven Intelligence, and might intervene if things go awry in the military ranks. Their exact authority is somewhat unclear, even to themselves, but so far the two branches have worked well together in Thermopylae. Any conflict of authority would have to be settled through Haven Command and the Citizen’s Council.
Contact with Haven
Command are the most privileged when it comes to contact with Haven. They can not only always requisition the video booths, but they also have their own terminals that are in direct cable connection with Haven’s Command as well as other branches there. With a few keystrokes, they can be in touch with anyone important on duty back in the Colony.
They often stay in touch to deliberate, share information or just keep each other updated on the situation at hand. The O-Com or the XOs can access Haven Command’s senior staff, including the General’s Council - there is no Supreme Commander there, but rather three generals and three XOs that are in charge of all operations. Some say it is a concession to the Citizen’s Council to ensure no one can have all the power in their own hands, others say it is inspired by the Triumvirate of Rome or other divisions by three in ancient times.
The hub of everything
As Command, you will naturally become the hub of everything. People will come to you for answers or for decisions on what they can and can’t do. They will ask you all kinds of questions, questions you may not even have the answer to offgame. Don’t panic. Remember to delegate, trust your Heads and Shift leaders to sort things out if you just give them the chance. Tell them roughly what you need done, and they can sort out the details.
If you should ever feel overwhelmed or not sure what kind of agency you have or what you can and can’t do within the framework of the game, you can always contact the gamemasters. You can either do so by chatting with the user Operator on the internal chat system (Operator is a hotline to the organizers), or you can use the telephone system and ask to be connected to Operator.
Electricity
The power usage of Thermopylae has to be monitored. It is using too much power, and Command is no exception. Sometimes, particularly when Science are running some of their heavy experiments or MisCon are very active, Command will be forced to either shut down some machines, screens and lights, or to re-prioritize the other areas of the Outpost. This will be communicated through a terminal and be monitored by Life Support, who are in control of the reactor. Life Support are the only people who truly knows how the system works, what is feasible and what is risky. You can voice priorities, but in the end they’re the ones at the controls and if they tell you that something won’t work, you are unlikely to call them on it. We are unable to actually control the lights and electricity remotely or via the computers, so you’ll have the responsibility for that aspect of the game being dealth with manually.
Rules
Thermopylae Command have instated a set of rules and security protocols
- Obey your superiors.
- Work during your shifts.
- If you cannot work during a shift, you will have to register the lost time with your shift leader and make up for it at a later date.
- Do not waste resources.
- Keep the Outpost orderly and tidy
- Follow all security protocols
- Do not go up to the surface or attempt to without supervision and control.
- If you have been subjected to the outside, make sure to get scrubbed
- Be on the lookout for traces of Enemy activity
- Do not try to investigate or meddle in the activities of other branches
- Follow the alert states
- Report any diseases or sicknesses to medical
Typical daily tasks for Command
- Holding briefings with shift leads or other leaders within the Outpost
- Formulating and delegating surface mission parameters to MISCON
- Sitting in meetings with Command
- Preparing briefings or reports
- Delegating tasks that needs to be done to the various Outpost branches
- Sitting in meetings with Haven Command or other branches in Haven
- Inspecting parts of the Outpost
- Monitoring active missions
- Dealing with escalated conflicts or protests
- Receiving memos from Intelligence and briefing them on how to proceed
- Archiving information into the databases
