Code Black SOP
Hull Seals Code Black SOP, Guidance, and Procedures
Revision 7
What is this Document?
The Code Black SOP is designed for specialized, high risk, long-range rescue missions when the Client is reliant on life support. Code Black responders carry mining lasers as well as the standard Hull Repair Limpets to assist in gathering lifesaving materials to assist a Client in a Code Black situation, often from combat or encounter with Neutron Stars.
What Is a Code Black?
Simply put, a Code Black is a canopy blow-out or other situation where the client is on life support. As a Code Black scenario involves the most complex rescue scenario encountered thus far, there will be special procedures and communication restrictions activated in an effort to save the pilot at risk.
Guidance for Seals
Code Blacks are the premier service of the Hull Seals. As a group, we take pride in our survival rate of Clients who come to us for these services, provided they survive the initial infliction of damage. Code Blacks are the true All Hands On Deck! experience and are the most technically challenging rescues that the Seals offer.
Code Black Equipment
There are several modules that Code Black responders will use that are not standard use onboard many Hull Seal builds. In order to carry out a successful repair, the responder will need the following equipment:
- Limpets (Standard Hull Seal Equipment)
- Repair Limpet Controller (Standard Hull Seal Equipment, Class 5 or Higher)
- Mining Lasers (NONSTANDARD Hull Seal Equipment)
- A-rated Prospector Limpet Controller (At least one Seal must have these)
Code Black Processes
If there is a Code Black called for in any channel, all non-essential radio traffic is to go to silent.
ANY NON-ESSENTIAL COMMUNICATION WILL RISK THE LIFE OF THE CLIENT.
Code Black operations will be on a case-by-case basis to suit the circumstances the client finds themselves in. Dispatchers may request assistance in any open channel for information such as closest station and available assets, however this information should be relayed in a secondary channel, not the Code Black channel.
The opening moments of the Code Black are the most critical to ensure client survival. Immediately have the client LOG OUT TO THE MAIN MENU IMMEDIATELY. Only after this step is done can the operation and procedures be put into place.
Once a call goes out for Code Black, Any and All Available Seals Should Immediately Begin Jumping. Do not wait for Dispatch to assign you - Code Blacks are ALWAYS a Go.
The first phase of the rescue should be dedicated to locating the Client, and collect synthesis materials to stay alive for the immediate future, then stockpiling these materials for the trip to the nearest station, outpost, or another repair facility.
Tools such as the Frontier API (cAPI) or journal readers can be used to determine synthesis material stock, exact location, and O2 quantity remaining. It is important to get an exact location of the Client before logging in. It is also important to locate is the nearest station, outpost, or repair facility. All of this should be documented.
The following items must be known before a rescue can continue:
- Client Location
- Client Synthesis Ability
- Client O2 Status
- Nearest Diversion Station
- Nearest Mineable Ring Candidate
Once the location is known, mechanics should search the current system and local systems for asteroid rings around planets/stars.
The dispatcher will gather the information provided and determine the best local mining area. The client should be reminded not to log in until instructed. It is wholly appropriate, if feasible, to use a Discord server or other VoIP platform to enable instant communication and take away typing delay. Priority should be given to the Client, Dispatchers, or Head Miner On Scene (HMOS) when speaking. If able, anyone who can use Push To Talk (PTT) in the channels should do so.
Dispatch will request jump calls specifically calling for Miners and Mechanics to scouting duties, specifically referencing a Code Black. Hopefully, Miners and Mechanics are already en route.
Available Mechanics with mining lasers should call jumps. Mechanics without mining lasers should not call jumps. After calling jumps, Seals should begin jumping. Do not wait for Dispatch to assign you - By calling jumps for a Code Black you are a GO.
Dispatch will assign up to 10 Seals who have called jumps and have begun heading to the Client's area and inform them of the mining area. Dispatch will also tap a Head Miner On Scene (HMOS) to take control of all mining options. For more information on Mining, please contact the Intergalactic Mining Union (iMU). If there are insufficient Mechanics with mining equipment, a designated CMDR tapped by Dispatch will request aid from the Mining and/or Fuel Rats fleets to top the numbers up.
The HMOS will, if not already located, find an appropriate ring less than 5 jumps away from the Client. This should be the staging point for the 10 Seals chosen earlier.
The HMOS will be responsible for friending all other mechanics en-route and winging/beaconing them into the instance. When each mechanic drops into the instance they will leave the wing to allow the next to be added, this will continue until all mechanics are in one instance. This process is called "Cascade Winging".
To preserve instance integrity it’s advised that 2 wings of 4 players are set up with a final wing of the remaining mechanic and the HMOS.
Whilst mechanics are positioning the Dispatcher will request the client add the HMOS to their friends list using the Main Menu only and not logging in.
When all Seals are in the instance (10 Seals maximum) the Seals will double-check the availability of the synthesis materials and head to a single designated asteroid, as chosen by the HMOS.
Dispatch should check with the Client to ensure familiarity with Wings, Beacons, and Synthesis. Knowing the steps to engage these processes can be the difference between a successful operation and an unsuccessful one.
Dispatch should also clarify and go over how to do some tasks without a UI, such as scooping, finding materials, navigating by compass, and navigating around stars to avoid the now-invisible exclusion zone.
If the Client has synthesis materials stockpiled, a lot of pressure is removed from the emergency. However, we should treat all cases with a calm urgency. Panic can kill.
Once confirmed that all the pieces are in place, and the HMOS's wing beacon is on, the Dispatcher will explain the plan to the client and confirm they understand. The Client should be advised to approach the mining location at a 90-degree angle to maximize the odds of navlocking successfully.
When ready, Dispatch will instruct the Client to log into the game - before this step, the game mode that will be used in the operation must be confirmed with all participants, either a Private Group or Open. Private Groups are encouraged, but by no means required. As soon as the Client has entered the game, a timer should be started, and cross-checked with the known amount of O2 the Client has in reserve. It is imperative that this timer is monitored. The timer should be used so that the Client begins synthesis NO LATER THAN 30 seconds remaining on the timer, as synthesis takes a few moments to complete, during which a Client can die.
NOTE: The Client will not have their UI. Advise the Client to steer wider than they usually would estimate on stars. Expect the Client to take longer to jump and carry out basic tasks. When it comes to refueling, if feasible, have the Pied Piper Seal lead the client to the star, while providing an estimate of a safe distance to remain.
As soon as the Client arrives on the scene, all miners should begin strip-mining the rock designated immediately if the HMOS has not already given the instruction to begin. The Client will go around, collecting Iron and Nickel and adding anything else that pops up to their ignore list. If the Client has collector limpets, it is a good idea to use them.
When gathering starts the advice will be to use synthesis as soon as possible if on D-rated life support. If at A-rated advice is to use synth when hitting 2 minutes mark. Dispatch should advise based on the O2 left that was reported and the timer they set. This bit is important as clients will be so concerned with scooping they may forget to synthesize.
Once the immediate rush is over and the client is stable scooping mats the next bit is a long haul. Mechanics may be interchanged. Logistics may be called to re-supply limpets, miners may help. When full on synth materials an escort to the nearest station can be discussed on a volunteer basis as distances will be high. Advised 3 Mechanics maximum on an escort, minimum 1.
Even basic D-rated life support has 7.5 minutes oxygen, and with 150 refills that’s 18 hours of flight time. At clients discretion, the escort can be waived.
Guidance for Dispatchers
Although much of the standard process can be found in the content above, there are some notes that make this repair procedure unlike any in the galaxy.
This is the only procedure in which it can be commonly found to have more than one Dispatcher online at a time. The Hull Seals sanction one, two, or three dispatcher systems for this call. We encourage the Two or Three Dispatcher System to be used. The responding dispatchers can choose who takes which role as Dispatchers become available.
| One Dispatcher System | Two Dispatcher System | Three Dispatcher System | |
| Roles | Everything | Client Management, Overall Lead, All Other Duties | Overall Lead, Client Management, |
| Roles | Mining Management, Timekeeper, Route Plotter | Seal Manager, Route Plotter, Timekeeper | |
| Roles | Mining Management, Order Keeper |
Guidance for Seals
It is important that Seals responding to a Code Black have mining lasers onboard. Without these, the Seal will be told to stand down. Limpets are not the most critical repair here - supplies are.
If you are not one of the 10 Seals selected to join the mining wings, you still have an important job to do! You can either remain on station in supercruise, or begin out on the route toward the diversion station taking note of and scouting out dangerous stars, routes, or other risks. These seals should also keep an eye out for uncharted rings or resupply points.
Guidance for HMOS
As the Head Miner, you are granted a lot of latitude as to how to run your part of the repairs. Some common tactics are listed here.
It is all but imperative for yield measures that at least one miner equips a (preferably A-rated) prospector limpet. This has the benefit of increasing the yield of the targeted surface by 3.5x.
Take note, asteroid ratings referencing Low/Medium/High only effects the raw materials collected - not ores, so it is advised you locate metallic rings for the highest Nickle and Iron content.
The Pied Piper
The Pied Piper is a specialized role assignment handed out by the HMOS as needed. The Pied Piper's job can be summed up in two parts.
First, when gathering materials, the Pied Piper role can be designated for a single Seal to hover in front of iron and nickel that has been released to give the Client a visual indication of where the material is, to allow for better targeting and accuracy without relying solely on the compass.
Secondly, when escorting the Client to the diversion station, the role can be used for a single escort to identify approximately how far away from the star the exclusion zone is, and where a safe distance to fuel can be maintained at. For this, the Piper doesn't fuel at full efficiency, but rather takes slower fuel rates for a safer repair.
DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT HAVE THE CLIENT NAVLOCK TO SEAL FOR FINAL APPROACH TO STATION!
This has unforeseen side effects, and is not thoroughly tested. So far any attempt to do so has ended up with the client either dropped inexplicably too far away from the station, or dropped INTO the station proper, and dying on the spot.
DO NOT ATTEMPT until further research has completed.