Originally posted by The Shaman:
Care to offer us a quick'n'dirty summary?
Sure.
Some of the info is scattered throughout the book, but the highlights are:
First off, you've got locks. Electronic locks. Magnetic locks. Voice readers. Fingerprint readers. Retinal scanners. Active metabolic scanners. Passive metabolic scanners. Each with their own description.
With the computer: The main computer links to the Aux. Computer links and terminal filters, and from the terminal filters right into the terminal traffic monitor. Although the local security CPU also links directly with the main computer system, bypassing the filters. A typical security computer consists of the local computer cpu, the terminal traffic monitor, the alarm panel, and the strategically placed security sensors.
Beginning at TL 13, starships begin to incorporate synaptics into their CPUs. As a result, the starship computer begins to seem more like one of the crew (HAL) than just a machine. This means, on TL 13+ vessels, crew members are voice coded and recognized by the main computer. A captain merely needs to speak, and the ship's computer will do his bidding, Star Trek style.
"Close airlock 3 and internal hatches 7 and 14, then decompress the corridor between them."
Simple as that.
Passive metabolic scanners employed on most starships do more than just spot imposters. They provide detailed information on a subject's possessions and emotional state.
"Crewman Annabell Jones just left her cabin and is headed aft toward the main entrance to the jump drive. She has her mechanical tool kit secured to her belt, a snub pistol loaded with high explosive ammunition in her right hand, and is wearing a ship's jumper. She appears to be very nervous and quite angry. Do you wish mor specific details."
I have found this to be a great way for the GM to interact with the PCs, btw.
At TL 15, high tech recognition sensors appear. The optical sensors are virtually non-detecible without a scanner to search for them and are capable of recognizing individuals simply on sight.
At lower tech levels (TL 9-11), starship crewers use personal ID chips.
Basically, on TL 13+ vessels, each crew member can be coded in the security computer and "cleared" for certain parts of the ship. Maybe only the ship's captain, exec officer, chief engineer, and engineering personel are allowed access to engineering. The doors simply won't open for anyone else--including other ship's crew--unless special clearance is obtained (either from the bridge or from the captain speaking into the mic pickups).
Anti-hijacking measures typically include warping the effects of grav plates and/or intertial compensators to disable the hijacker (if the hijacker can even get through the simple things like sealed doors/hatches/bulkheads as described above). Some ships are equipped with Traq gas that can be pumped into a ship's compartment (but the less expensive route of just decompressing the said compartment works well too). No light. No air. No temperature control. No gravity works wonders for disabling would-be hijackers.
Many times, after a hijacker is spotted, a crewmember can just adjust the atmo mixture to disable a hijacker. Very simple.
Or, a close airlock can be opened (both doors), blowing the hijacker out into space.
Since sensors are placed throughout the ship (as mentioned above), it's typically very, very easy to spot a hijacker.
Typically, on small merchant-type vessels, the ship's steward serves as security officer as well.
The "old timer" commentator in the SOM has this to say about the anti-hijack program:
"One other thing that the computer does for you is run the anti-hijack program--programs, really, since they run in concert throughout all systems. It's no fun losing your ship, even if you aren't sold into slavery.
"Crew members are all recognizable to the computer, just like you or me. The bridge door, for example, just won't open unless it detects an authorized person outside it. Even if some passenger came to the door, he couldn't get the door to open unless the computer recognizes him.
"Which isn't to say that I never allow vistors on my bridge. I won't let folks on during operations, but once we're in jump there isn't a lot for a bridge crew to do, and some passengers really enjoy taking a tour.
"If someone did gain control of my bridge, they'd have to keep some of the crew with 'em, because I use random verification sequences on all my boards. At any time, the computer might insist that the operator of the station press his palm to a sensor that reads it. If he's not authorized to run that board, the computer shuts him down right there and then.
"The sensor does good, too, because it makes sure that whoever owns the hand is still kicking. I've heard of hijackrs cutting off people's arms to trick older systems, but it wouldn't work on my setup.
"Incidentally, the computer security system works both ways. If the computer catches someone tinkering where he oughtn't, the whole crew knows it. No klaxon sounds, so the hijackers don't realize they've been detected, but the crew knows. And, I've taught 'em what to do. We've had four attempts, and never lost a ship, a passenger, or a stick of cargo. There were a few hijackers, though, who left jumpspace before the week was up."
There's more stuff about ship security spread out in the SOM, but you get the idea. There's some game rules, too, for using Antihijace Tranq Gas in a game. Rules for portals and airlocks...things like that.
No, I won't sell mine for less than that, well ok, maybe 0.9 bazillion cash, small bills
