Navigating and journeying through space, sending distress calls

Choose starting and destination coordinates, default options are Earth and the Pollux Scouting Confederation’s Lost Traveler retrieval node. Navigational safety conventions require each ship to have one quantum-linked-automated-hyper-buoy (Nicknamed the Qualabee). If you require retrieval simply program it with your location, vector heading and rate of travel and you will be put into the ASR (automatic ship retrieval) queue, and upon your turn arriving a gateship will be dispatched to your location. Retrieval cost is 1kCr per light year for non-members and 500Cr for members in good standing (remember, 4 free retrievals per year and 750Cr for each subsequent retrieval up to 8 at which point you will be charged the full rate).

Sending a distress call

The format for sending distress calls has not changed since the early days of maritime exploration, but every Scout and any Pilot who is not a scout should be aware of the standard format. Distress calls should be used where retrieval is not wanted or needed. Illegitimate distress calls will register an auto-termination contract with CC Central command; Pirates beware! There are three formats, one for life-threatening emergencies, one for less critical situations and one for hostile alerts. The history of mayday and pan-pan can be found by searching pre-spaceflight Galnet archives. All numbers should be pronounced using the standard Human Phonetic code (Three=Tree, Four=Fower, Five=Fife and Nine=Niner, with all the rest normal).

• Activate the emergency hyperwave broadcast transponder.
• Transmit “Mayday, Mayday, Mayday.”
• Transmit your vessel name and registration number 3 times.
• Transmit your galactic xyz coordinates and current travel vector (if mobile).
• Describe the nature of the distress (Reactor leak, containment failure, imminent collision etc.).
• Describe the type of help required (Specify if ASC NT/CH presence is required).
• Provide the number of individuals and species types of all onboard along with any other critical information (Hazardous cargo or lifeforms) and any injuries they have sustained.
• Provide a description of your vessel type and its current flight capability and if you are planning on ditching on a nearby planet(oid) or moon give details and location of the object.
• Automatic monitoring of the Hyperwave will notify you when your signal has been received, the nature of the receiving party and its location and distance, and if able to assist a channel will open automatically.

Non-critical distress calls follow similar procedures with slight differences as listed below.

• Activate the emergency hyperwave broadcast transponder.
• Transmit “Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan.”
• Transmit your vessel name and registration number 3 times.
• Transmit your galactic xyz coordinates and current travel vector (if mobile).
• Describe the nature of your urgent situation (out of fuel, require replacement hull plating or component, require repairs beyond the capabilities of your ships crew to complete, onboard Xeno species suffering unknown illness etc.).
• Describe the type of help required (Specify if ASC NT/CH presence is required).
• Provide the number of individuals and species types of all onboard.
• Provide a description of your vessel type and its current flight capability and if you are planning on ditching on a nearby planet(oid) or moon give details and location of the object.
• Automatic monitoring of the Hyperwave will notify you when your signal has been received, the nature of the receiving party and its location and distance, and if able to assist a channel will open automatically.

The last type of distress call is routed through the IN’s TRN (Threat Response Network) and can be manually triggered, however all legitimate ships (this usually but not always excludes pirates and smugglers) comply with the HAL (Hostile Aggressive Lifeform) protocol and passively monitor all scanning data collected by the ship and will report any Host, Syntrexian, Corrupted and Shattered presences. Upon this occurrence most vessels have enabled their EWO timer for automatic activation following a 10 second countdown, multifrequency-alarms, and flashing broad-spectrum lights. If the threat is none of the above, follow the below procedures.

• Activate the emergency hyperwave broadcast transponder.
• Transmit “Hostile , Hostile, Hostile.”
• Transmit your vessel name and registration number 3 times.
• Transmit your galactic xyz coordinates.
• Describe the nature of the threat (Pirate/other attack, suspected deconstructor outbreak, impending nova, rogue sentient superweapon etc.).
• If in combat or about to engage in combat broadcast “Combat, combat, combat” and fight or flee as desired, providing further information if the situation allows.
• Provide the number of individuals and species types of all onboard along with any other critical information (the presence of a diplomatic envoy could greatly hasten aid response times).
• Provide a description of your vessel type and your estimated combat survival chance and battle duration.
• Incoming aid and arrival times will be sent to you from any available vessels in the following format: “Message received, vessel Alpha Beta Gamma-xxxxxxxxxxx en-route ETA (hours-minutes-seconds, e.g. Zero-dash-Tree-dash-Niner for 0h-3m-9s).

If you survive the encounter and your ship is damaged submit a Mayday or Pan-Pan distress call.