Depressurizing various sections of the ship.

[RKFM]

I'm working on a piece of interactive fiction that takes place aboard a Type J Seeker. One of the puzzle devices involves depressurizing various sections of the ship.

Now I know that it is common to depressurize the ship before combat, and I'm sure you can depressurize various parts of the ship from the bridge. But what about being able to depressurize the section locally, i.e. some environmental control panel in each section? Obviously, you wouldn't want this to be accessible to just anyone. How would you implement this, key, code, hidden access panel?

Of course, I could just decide whatever would work for purposes of puzzle or drama. But I would like to have some satisfaction from the cannon inquisitors.

Any thoughts about this subject?

 

[far-trader]

(grumble mumble... )

Don't mind me, I just think the whole cannon statement about the common practice of depressurizing the entire ship before combat is Silly(tm).

As to the question at hand. Depends. The above silliness and the damage effect of a hull hit suggest you have only two states in any CT ship. Entirely pressurized or not.

The hull table in Book 2 however suggests compartmentalization by Drives section and Main (everything else) section. Also a bit silly.

One would presume at the minimum to include airlocks by their very definition as bulkhead secure areas capable of separate pressurization.

One would also expect the same for turrets, cargo holds, vehicle and small craft hangers, and probably the bridge.

My total breakdown of bulkhead breaks that may be individually pressurized is:

Engineering (typically in two parts, the drives themselves and the workstation/parts locker/airlock - large ships may have multiple sections)

Bridge/s (including computer/s)

Airlock/s (personnel)

Weapon/s (turrets, barbettes, bays, and spinals)

Quarters (staterooms, lowberths, and all common spaces)

> Exception: Where a medical bay is taken from the above common spaces I usually isolate it and if large enough include a small airlock as well

Cargo Hold/s (with reasonable breaks based on deckplans and cargo airlock/s)

Carried Vehicle, Craft and Ship Hangers (individually for small numbers, or in groups with dedicated airlock/s for larger numbers)
​

Control of the pressure and hatches is handled in multiple ways (in order of authority):

Workstations (bridge, computer, engineering, weapons)

Handcomps or Voice

Locally (both sides of bulkhead near hatch)
​

All require some kind of key (code, scan, physical) but are subject to overriding (hacking, forcing, emergency manual operation) though that will require time and effort.

 

[aramis]

I'd require key to open the panel, code to approve the pressure control activation, and have it overrideable from the bridge.

 

[Mithras]

I'd require key to open the panel, code to approve the pressure control activation, and have it overrideable from the bridge.

I like that, a crew-card key, swipe lock and then the command. I mean, in an emergency, a steward or deck hand could save the ship that way (if there was a heinous fire or maybe a large reticulan parasite chomping off his leg )

 

[Otto Harkaman]

just watching "Mission Mars" makes me realize the limitation of voice recognition in depressurization. I think any retina or hand scan could have the same problems in a catastrophic situation.

 

[far-trader]

just watching "Mission Mars" makes me realize the limitation of voice recognition in depressurization. I think any retina or hand scan could have the same problems in a catastrophic situation.

Presumably a number of factors will all but eliminate the problems given a higher TL ...

Throat mikes (even subvocalize commands) and the computer advancements such that panic or whatever won't throw off the voice recognition. And of course if a serious level of threat you've put on your helmet so no worry about lack of O2 if that was one possible issue.

Retina would be easily doable inside the faceplate of the vacc-suit. Ditto hand or finger print inside the gloves. Though I don't see either being in use after other biometric scanners come in.

Depending on the TL your ship could easily identify not only who but where and what situation they are in anywhere on the ship via remote inputs with no connection to the subjects.

...but yeah, you always want a manual option for those cases where all the fancy tech fails.

 

[Otto Harkaman]

I suppose a mirco-needle could enter your hand or thumb to take a DNA sample for ID.

 

[Dragoner]

I suppose a mirco-needle could enter your hand or thumb to take a DNA sample for ID.

You can get DNA from mouth swabs of saliva.

 

[aramis]

You can get DNA from mouth swabs of saliva.

Not when the person is buttoned up for vacuum.

It's much easier & safer to have a self-sealing membrane somewhere else, and draw a bit via needle.

 

[Khan Trav]

Biometric Identification, I know we are getting off topic but at my agency we are using fingerprints and have been for approximately one hundred years now. Additionally (though not for a hundred years) we are using iris scan. This compares the iris which is the colored portion in the front of the eye as opposed to the retinae which is in the back of the eye. We have had good results with it.

 

[BytePro]

Decompression - as opposed to simply venting atmo - would probably require electromotive power (or a unique vacuum system). So, presuming at least an independent battery source...

Biometric (heck, one can sign on many laptops using facial recognition) and other security measures aside, such a system would probably be equipped to recognize when only one person is in the compartment and whether they are suited (or the like) for emergencies.

Thus providing a way to circumvent normal security if one can cut off bridge connections - say to intentionally depressurize an area... just throwing that out there for the OP.