Guide to security

Head of Security Taigo Johnson says: "About time you showed up. The ship's due to depart in a few minutes. If you haven't worked security on a spaceship, catch up here. If you have, read it anyways. There's quite a few new toys Central Command lets us use aboard these vessels and I don't want to see my officers die because you can't reload a taser. Before we head out, here's an instructional video, if nothing else watch it and you'll get an idea of what we're dealing with."

Who Orders Who

• Security Officers and the Detective all share the same rank. The Warden is second in command to the HoS. The Head of Security is on the top of the security hierarchy. All security members take orders from him, and he takes his orders from the Captain.

• Department guards report directly to the Head of Security, but may be dismissed from their post by the department head.

• The Executive officer is not part of the security hierarchy and will usually not heavily involve himself in security affairs. The XO still is, however, higher on the totem pole than the HOS as the Captain's right hand and may order security around if need be, but be wary if they begin to take guns from the armory without permission from the HoS.

Security Equipment

Being well geared up can easily make the difference between the outcome of a tight situation. The next steps will show you one way to equip yourself, you can however wear your gear as you like.

The main thing behind this is that you want to be as ready as possible for even the most uncertain of events.

1. In case you've just joined the security force, you need to get your security jumpsuit, helmet, armor, jackboots, gloves and a security bowman headset (which provide flashbang protection) on.
2. Go to the Security Office and open a security locker.
3. Get HUDglasses and put them on.
4. Get Security gas mask from your internals box and put it on.
5. Take your Emergency Oxygen Tank (set to 16 kPa output) and put it in your pocket. ALTERNATIVELY Take a Flashbang and put it in your pocket.
6. Take your ID Card and put it inside your PDA, then put your PDA into the ID-slot.
7. Get your Security Belt and put it on. Your Security Belt comes preequipped with a BillyClub, Flash, Flashbang, Pepperspray and Handcuffs.
8. Get an extra pair of handcuffs from the SecTech vending machine and put it in your box in your backpack.
9. Get your Taser, get the Seclite from your belt or a locker and attach it to the Taser and put it back in your bag or exosuit-slot.
10. Get your Secglock, ensure that it's loaded, and place it in your exosuit-slot or bag.
11. Read your Edged weapons manual

And all you need to do now is keep your Security Belt open so you'll have quick access to the items in case of an emergency and be prepared for most things the station's going to throw at you!

Also make sure you understand what the icons on your Security HUD mean. For further info about security equipment, refer to the List of Security Items.

Don't run around with your Taser, Secglock, or Billyclub out! You will get disarmed and your weapons will be stolen. Not only will the rest of the security team laugh at you, you've also potentially armed some very dangerous people, putting the safety of the entire station in jeopardy. Keep your weapons secured until you need them!

Security Robots

• Officer Beepsky is often all but forgotten until you hear his cold, cruel voice shout out to you. Securitron models have been documented to capture even the most hardened criminals where security fails. If you're in a tight spot, you can call Beepsky to you by using your PDA.

• While Beepsky's rudimentary orders can be accessed from security computers, silicons are not within the normal chain of command. They are subject the AI and follow the same laws.

• Don't kill silicons for trying to stop you from executing someone. It's required of them by their laws. Do note there is a difference between a silicon stopping you from executing someone, and a silicon bolting down all of security because of one officer. They'll be treated differently.

Ju-Jitsu and You

Taking down a perpetrator quickly and effectively in the key moments when you are able to catch up to them in a chase is crucial. To ensure that you are able to do so, all officers and the Head of Security are provided with a book titled "Surviving Edged Weapons". Reading your manual will take you several seconds and use up the book upon completion. It is safe to dispose of the book down disposals once finished as the book will be unreadable to anyone else after its initial use. Upon using them a Jitsu tab will be added where you can refresh yourself on the combos and their usage, but here is a more in-depth look. ALL MARTIAL ARTS MOVES MUST BE DONE BAREHANDED.

Jitsu Takedown Jitsu Takedown is the easiest of the two Jitsu combos and will instantly pin a target, stunning them for an exceptionally long time and grabbing them. However, this move only works on targets who have been slowed via stamina damage or are severely wounded.

1. Disarm
2. Disarm

Judo Throw Judo Throw takes longer than the takedown to perform, but can be done regardless of the target has any stamina or physical damage done to them. It will throw the target behind you and subsequently pin them to the floor, stunning them for even longer than the takedown.

1. Disarm
2. Harm
3. Harm
4. Grab

Tip: To effectively pull off these combos, try using hotkey mode's keys for the various intents. 1 for help, 2 for disarm, 3 for grab, 4 for harm.

Ranged options

Unlike on a space station, Disablers are not roundstart equipment nor can they be obtained through normal means. In their stead, you have two ranged options at your disposal: The SecGlock and your trusty X24 Taser.

The SECglock is a standard-issue 9mm pistol that comes loaded roundstart with non-lethal rubber rounds. Each shot slows down your target before eventually dealing critical stamina damage. A spare clip can be found in your backpack and additional ammo can be found in boxes in SEC lockers. If lethal ammo is needed, it can only be printed at the Cargo autolathe. Seek the permission of your HoS before doing so.

The X24 Taser can be used for an instant takedown at the cost of a significant penalty for missing and the potential for deadly side effects. Upon firing, the Taser will shoot a beam two tiles infront of you, disabling anyone caught in the beam. To reload, click on the Taser with your other hand to take the cartridge out, click on the cartridge storage rack to release a 3mm Electro-shock round, place the shock round in the cartridge, place the cartridge back in the gun, and finally click on the taser again to drop the bolt and finish loading. Be wary of using the Taser too much, as ammo is expensive and there is a small risk of inflicting cardiac arrest on the perpetrator. Not particularly unfortunate on an armed and deadly Traitor, but on a less threatening individual, there may be consequences for causing an unnecessary death.

Taking aim

You will notice when using any form of ranged weaponary on NSV13 that a red crosshair button will appear in the top left of your screen titled "manually aim". Pressing this allows you to lock onto a target with your current weapon and opens a radial menu of commands you can give, followed by a fire buttion that will keep track of an enemy even while moving. After pressing the fire button the radial menu will automatically close, making it ineffective for repeated shots but exceptionally useful for getting a good slowing shot from your Secglock on a quickly moving target or ensuring accuracy with the Taser. When pointed at, the perpetrator will have a radial menu appear for them which will permit them to surrender and lie on the ground for an easy arrest. To make the use of the aim feature easier, you can hover your mouse over a target and press SHIFT+Middle mouse button to immediately take aim at your target.

SEC hailer

Unique to NSV13 is the SEC hailer functionality of your Security gas mask. While equipped, a button will appear in the top left of your screen allowing you to use the signal dispatch radial menu. Select an option corresponding to your current situation to send a security radio message to all available officers indicating the situation AND your location faster than you would be able to using the regular radio system.

The available codes represent their meaning via their icon, but in the case they are not clear enough, here is each code's meaning:

401 - Murder

101 - Resisting arrest

210 - Breaking and entering

206 - Riot in progress

302 - Assault on an officer

Law

Space Law is a summary of most crimes with some suggested sentence times. You are generally recommended to not follow Space Law for minor and medium crimes. Avoid stacking (in particular) minor/medium crimes when deciding on brig times, unless the criminal has really bad behaviour, instead prefer shorter sentences such as a couple of minute in the brig. Sometimes the Captain determines what is lawful and what isn't (within reason), but don't obey the Captain if you're told to "purge all non-humans" or similar.

Standard Operating Procedures

• You have stun weapons, USE THEM. Don't kill if you're not in serious danger. See the Rules for more details.

• You are an enforcer of Space Law, you're not The Law.

• Be wary of people with harmful intentions. You should use minimal force, but not at the risk of your own life.

• Communicate with your team, ask the HoS/Warden for orders and respond to calls for help (you can highlight the word help in chat").

• If you're going somewhere you know will be very dangerous, bring a buddy with you.

• More information about the Standard Operating Procedure during different code levels.

Demotions

Insubordination and dereliction of duty are crimes under Space Law, so occasionally a Head of Staff might request your assistance in demoting one of their subordinates. In such cases, you are to accompany them as they confront the subordinate, or are asked to arrest someone who has abandoned their workplace and fled. In either case, ensure that you secure their ID and all items related to the job (i.e. tools and gloves from engineers) and return them to the head at your earliest convenience. The head can then remove the departmental access from the ID and return it to the demoted person.

The Brig / Punishments

The Brig

Instructions on how to correctly brig a prisoner can be found here.

Punishments should fit the crime. Use your best judgement and try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Consider the following examples:

Robert Marshal, an assistant, is arrested for running into Medbay and taking a stethoscope. They've been very cooperative with security personnel.

DO

• Confiscate the stethoscope and return it to Medbay when possible
• Remove any items that could be used to break out and place them in the cell locker
• Set a fair timer on the brig cell, one to two minutes (or don't give them a timed sentence at all!)
• Uncuff the prisoner, leaving them bucklecuffed is considered poor form

DON'T

• Confiscate items that were unrelated to the crime (tools, gloves)
• Beat the prisoner unless they are actively resisting arrest
• Give a ten minute sentence

The shaft miner, Tyler Stevens, broke into engineering from space and immediately began attacking a station engineer.

DO

• Remove their EVA suit, any mining tools or other items. Have the detective work his magic on the weapons to confirm what happened.
• Set a reasonable timer on the cell.
• Interview witnesses, the victim and the assailant. Ascertain what happened. There's almost always something else going on.
• Inform the Warden or Head of Security and ask them to take over if they say the prisoner is to be permabrigged.

DON'T

• Beat the prisoner to the point where they're critically injured or worse.
• Strip their items in the rapidly depressurizing engineering room.
• Let a lynch mob harm your prisoner.
• Refuse their request to speak with legal counsel.

An energy sword is found in maintenance. The detective scans it and finds one set of fingerprints and several sets of blood. The prints belong to Jane Conway, the curator. She is subsequently arrested and hauled into the brig.

DO

• Strip all of their posessions and put them in an orange prisoner jumpsuit. Confiscate any contraband and turn it into the Warden.
• Inform the Head of Security.
• Interrogate the prisoner. Perhaps they have more contraband hidden elsewhere, or they're working with another enemy of the corporation.
• Allow them to speak to a lawyer. If they wish to be put on trial, attempt to facilitate that.

DONT

• Beat them to death on the spot.
• Talk about executing them or otherwise harming them. Your silicon friends won't take kindly to that.
• Refuse to negotiate. There are an infinte number of options besides tossing someone in perma or executing them.

To sum up, acting in good faith and treating prisoners fairly ultimately leads to more trust between security and the rest of the crew. Every incident is different and will have its own unique set of factors that ultimately determine the outcome. Security should be busting heads infrequently.

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Permabrigging / Forced Cyborgization

Captain, Acting Captain or Head of Security (or, in their absence, Warden) permission is required to permanently lock someone up or turn them into a Cyborg. You do not NEED the Captain if the HoS is available.

Punishment via throwing them into permabrig should fit the crime. Did whatever they did to deserve such a sentence affect anyone? Were they being harmful? Are they the kind of person who just comes back for more and more constantly? Permabrigging someone for stealing something and running away through secure areas vs permabrigging someone who's shot and killed people. One is a much less severe crime.

Lethal Force / Executions

The Prison Wing

• If something poses a constant threat, you are free to use lethal force. This includes dangerous nonhuman creatures, changelings, nuclear operatives, cultists, and wizards.

• If hulks are smashing shit, you are free to use lethal force on them until they pass out and lose hulk after too much damage, at which point you can either take them to get healed or heal them yourself, and then brig/permabrig them. If someone's using their stun immunity to go around smashing stuff for no reason you are allowed to kill them - "no reason" being the key words. Don't kill hulks that are breaking stuff for good reasons (like when the rogue as shit AI is flooding plasma)

• If someone is shooting at you with lethal weaponry you are free to respond in kind.

• Once you have someone stunned and cuffed, there is usually no excuse to not take them to the brig/permabrig if they aren't one of the above listed threats. Beating a common criminal, who is already down and unable to fight back, to death is shit. Some circumstances may change this. Don't let your guard down.

• Executions are to be authorized by the Captain or acting Captain, if available. If neither are available, it is up to the HoS or acting HoS. If security are in agreement that the Captain is unfit for command, they may defer to the HoS. Whoever authorizes an execution will ultimately be held responsible by admins.

• When considering whether or not to execute someone, consider their crimes; did they murder people with an ebow, or did they just emag 1-2 doors? It's perfectly reasonable to execute someone for the former. Yes, you could execute someone for emagging as well, but consider sticking them with a lethal chemical implant or even sending them to be borged. Neutralizing a threat posed by an antagonist is reasonable, but removing that player from the round is dishonorable.

• In instances where nonlethal force is not an option or not a good idea, e.g. someone in space breaking into the Armory, firing lasers at them through the windows isn't going to get you in trouble.

• Revolution is a special case for execution authorization, considering everyone is swarming you at once, so use your best judgement. Don't forget your Mindshield Implants!

• See the Rules section for more details.

Dealing With Threats, Minimal Force

As a Security Officer you are expected to fight any and every hostile force assaulting the station, from traitorous crew members to powerful reality defying Wizards to teams of "crack" syndicate assault forces. You must know how to counter any and all threats that are thrown at you, preferably with minimal force needed on your part. Remember, however, that not only is the station's peace at risk, but your very life is on the line; fail and you will die! Here is NT's staple guide on suggested courses of action against expected threats.

Shitlers/Greytiders

Single shitlers can be punished with a timed brig sentence like any other criminal. If they come back looking for trouble again and again, start asking about a perma sentence. A "three-strikes" rule is a generally accepted standard.

Criminals screaming that security is rogue or murderous (when they're actually not) should be threatened with a stint in perma.

In cases of a full-on invasion by Assistants (a greytide), lethal force (within reason) is justified. Don't be afraid to crack a few skulls if it means keeping the Armory secure.

A persistent greytider should be adminhelped once all possible IC solutions have been evaluated. If the same person is behaving horribly as non-antag across multiple rounds it may be bannable.

Traitors

Traitors range in hostility and thus are a mixed bag to tackle, standard ranged stunning is recommended in dealing with confirmed traitors. If someone is suspected of being a Traitor, get several Officers to search the person in question and possibly search their department for hidden items. Interviews with witnesses and victims can help in proving the guilt of a possible Traitor. You should generally offer the chance for a perp to surrender before engaging, unless they are actively hostile. In the case of overt traitors however you will need to respond with a proportionate level of force.

• Improvised Weapons: Order the AI to lock down the area, assess if civilians are at risk and use ranged stun weapons to subdue the perp. They are a low risk threat to you unless they are somehow able to stun you.

• Stolen Station Weapons: Assume they are carrying at minimum a ranged firearm capable of stunning. Ask the AI to locate and lock down the area. Multiple Officers should attempt to simultaneously attack the perp. Use of Flashbangs will prove effective if the perp is well entrenched.

• Syndicate Weapons: Suspect should be presumed to be armed and dangerous, AI should report and track perp's location. Do not approach without backup. Consider asking the Warden/Head of Security to issue Riot Shields and Energy Guns. If suspect is wielding Dual Energy Swords, ranged energy weapons will prove ineffective. Flashbangs, Billyclubs, shotguns or the Detective's revolver will be suitable (just be sure the detective doesn't kill the suspect).

• Spray Bottle: A unique "device". Small amounts of water can slip people for long periods of time, making you drop your weapon. If the suspect is reported to possess a Spray Bottle or Fire Extinguisher, do not approach without walking. If the suspect is using ranged weapons in a conjunction, be wary and avoid getting into a bad situation. Consider getting Cargo to order Galoshes or ambush the traitor.

Changelings

Changelings are alien entities that have infiltrated the station. They can easily change their appearance in a moments notice. If there are confirmed sightings of Changelings, be wary. Sometimes you will encounter one with bio-organic armor, a shield that stops ranged tasers in their tracks, and an incredibly deadly arm blade. Don't underestimate them under any circumstances! Due to their abilities, it is possible for a Changeling to kill a fellow Sec Officer and impersonate him. However, you should note that they will lack a Mindshield Implant unless they had themselves implanted. Be wary of Sec Officers without Implants and unless they can confirm they were killed and cloned, they should be arrested or kept under close watch. While you are free to terminate a confirmed Changeling, you must be 100% certain that the suspect is a Changeling before executing. If you cannot prove they are a Changeling, ask the Warden/HoS to give them a Chem/Tracking implant to watch their future activities. So if Joe Innocent walks out of the brig with a Chem Implant displaying a red or blue dot above their head on the secHUD, and later on you see Alex Antag with the same dot, you will know that they are probably Changeling.

The same standard tactics in subduing a Traitor apply to subduing a Changeling, however do be wary that some Changelings can get up instantly after being stunned and sometimes melt their handcuffs. If they do, you may need to switch to lethals.

Nuclear Operatives

A five-man team of operatives that are tasked with assaulting your station, stealing the Nuclear Authentication Disk, and destroying the station via a thermonuclear device. You must make every effort to stop them. During a nuclear threat, you are recommended to ignore most other crimes on the station. You need the crew to fight alongside you.

The Nuke Ops are equipped with a deadly array of weapons and devices that are better than yours in every regard. Guns that can knock you down and kill you with a few rounds. Assault mechs and cyborgs that can tear a hole into wherever they goddamn please. Hardsuits that offer protections from the hazards of space and energy weapons. This is a team of five (or maybe more!) hardass sons of bitches who won't go down without a fight, and they'll probably explode if you manage to take em down. Proceed with caution.

Upon the confirmation of Nuclear Operatives, get the Warden/HoS to open the armory and distribute weapons. At the same time, confirm the location of the nuke disk, which should hopefully be on the Captain, and ensure that it stays as far away from the ops as possible. From this point you should prioritize protecting the disk at all costs. Consider asking for a bulletproof vest and helmet, since nuke ops often use bullets, and bulletproof vests block 80% of bullet damage to the chest and head, which can be very helpful. If the AI is still alive at this point, make sure it calls the shuttle.

When fighting nuke ops, use numbers and cover to your advantage. Avoid exposing yourself and concentrate on one Operative at a time. If you can attack an isolated operative, go for it. If you down an op, attempt to strip as much of its gear as you can before the op triggers their explosive implant. Remember that as long as the disk is with you, you only need to defend, so don't give up that advantage until you have to.

If you encounter a Mech, fall back and regroup. The only way to take down a mech is with concentrated firepower or an ion weapon (like the rifle in the armory or HoS personal laser.

The Syndicate Cyborg, like regular cyborgs, is immune to stun weaponry. Your best bet for countering one of these is to flash it with your flash or a flashbang and then go to town on it with your Billyclub or another melee weapon.

Securing the Disk is your number-one priority. Keep the disk bearer alive at all costs and protect it. If you have a choice between killing an operative and saving the disk, save the disk! If you lose the disk, quickly secure EVA gear and scour the exterior of the station to find the Ops. If you are lucky you can catch them trying to arm the nuke. A pinpointer helps greatly in this situation.

Revolutionaries

Sometimes, a few crew members will have enough and rebel against the command staff and the security force. Your job is to stop them at all costs and protect the command staff. Revolutionaries are as deadly as a traitor with improvised weapons, however, their greatest strength are their numbers. Tasers, energy guns and Billyclubss are useless against a swarm of 10 to 20 people clambering over the stunned and twitching bodies of fellow revs to get at your throat.

When you subdue a Revolutionary, you should take them to the brig and arrange them to be mindshield-implanted. This will remove their Rev-status and guarantee their allegiance to security and the command staff and prevent them from being converted again. If you cannot get access to a mindshield implant, simply smashing their face in with your Billyclub on harm-intent will eventually deconvert them, though they will still be vulnerable to re-conversion.

Work with security to protect the command staff and suppress the revolution. Cargo will be a vital battleground fought over, as it acts both as a source of mindshield implants for security and a source of weapons for the Revolutionaries.

Cultists

Similar to Revolutionaries in few respects, their goal is to sacrifice a specific crewmember and then summon Nar'Sie.

Fighting Cultists requires all hands on deck. You must be vigilant in fighting Cultists. Anyone outside of security and the Captain can be a Cultist. Work together to lock down the station, declare martial law (red alert), perform random searches for cult items and crack down on departments. Use force as necessary if people try to swarm you or follow you around.

When you capture a Cultist, your options are limited. Unlike Revs, mindshield implants do not revert their Cult-status, and only forces the cult to sacrifice non-cultists and turn them into constructs instead of converting them. As such, you have few options.

• Deconversion: You should be aiming to deconvert all captured cultists, however at times this may not be viable (Usually during a shortage of Holy Water). See How to Deconvert a Cultist with Holy Water. A cultist can't be summoned by other cultists if cuffed and either grabbed or buckled.

• Permabrigging: Don't bother. Cultists can create a new ritual dagger from nothing, and can just teleport out. can be used as a temporary solution while preparing to deconvert them, secure the cultist with a straightjacket.

• Forced Borging: Borgs can both be stunned and converted into constructs by cultists, so this isn't really worth the effort.

• Execution: A controversial approach both ingame and outgame. This removes the Cultist permanently and removes the threat. It is quick and easy without any unneeded effort on your part. However if the AI and borgs witness or find evidence of this, the AI can be obligated shut you down to prevent further human harm. You are free to kill confirmed cultists, especially when pentagram halos have appeared over their heads. But deconversion is the preferred solution.

Security Controlled Locations

The Security Office

The Brig: The Warden runs this. If you're in here, the Armory or any other part of the security sector he has authority over you. The Brig itself has cells and cell timers.

Prison Wing: The prison wing is used to indefinitely hold criminals charged with major crimes. Like the Brig, the Warden has authority over this area. However, transferring a prisoner in and out should not be done without authorization from the Warden or someone superior.

Security Office: The Security Office is attached to the Brig. It contains the Head of Security's Office, a SecTech vending machine, security computers, and a couple of equipment lockers.

Security Posts: Small Security Posts are in each of the station's four major departments: Cargo, Medbay, Research and Engineering. These offices each have a security records computer.

Armory: The Armory contains additional weapons and armor which the Head of Security and Warden have access to. They should hand out these weapons in case of increased danger, such as a revolution or syndicate invasion.

Do not secure the Armory without a justifiable reason. "I expect people to try to break in" is not acceptable, that's called metagaming.

If someone is actually TRYING to break in? By all means, move the weapons. Don't move them at roundstart without any real reason other than to dick over antags who go through the trouble of getting all the way in undetected.

Arrival Checkpoint: This checkpoint is near the Arrival Shuttle. It has an ID computer that the HoP can man as well as other security computers. There is also a locker with security gear. If you're a late-joining Security Officer, it might be a good idea to take the equipment from here, assuming it hasn't already been ransacked.

Evacuation

So the escape shuttle has been called! Your job will be to ensure that everyone proceeds on the shuttle in an orderly fashion.

Prisoners in the Brig should only be released at the Warden's discretion. Prisoners from the Prison Wing should be moved to the Security Escape Pod or to the Escape Shuttle's brig where they will be held until the shuttle docks at CentCom.

Key Points

• Ask first, stun second.
• Space Law is a suggestion, and is never a substitute for thought, intent, and context. Being unnecessarily harsh is generally frowned upon, even if it's in Space Law.
• It is highly encouraged to only arrest Heads of Staff with approval from HoS or Captain (unless they are clearly dangerous).
• Only the Captain, HoS or Warden can authorize a permanent sentence or forced cyborgization.
• Your job isn't to be a tyrant or your suspects will be praying to the Gods (read: Admins) for ultimate justice. Make sure you follow standard protocol so that the Gods smile down upon you.
• If an Admin contacts you, please explain to them what happened. Just because you're a Security Officer doesn't mean you're wrong by default. Don't throw a tantrum, you'll only make things worse.
• Try not to take this job too seriously and have fun.