Chain of Command

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This page needs to be updated to reflect the in-game book, "The Chain That Binds".

Introduction

Orders are to flow from on high down through the ranks. An order from a superior must always be obeyed, that their wisdom may be carried out without hesitation.

Orders are to observe the flow and not skip ranks. A superior may only give orders to his direct subordinates, and not to those beneath them. In this way harmony of intent and cohesion of thought is maintained.

Certain circumstances may change this, but under normal procedures, this is how the company is intended to operate.

NanoTrasen

NanoTrasen Systems, or simply NanoTrasen, is the largest manufacturer and employer in known space, though not by much. Their business practices and fabulous wealth have garnered both power and ire from interest groups and other corporations. Their company laws are the standard by benefit of inter-corporate agreements and simple mathematics of weight. In 2541 stocks began to fall and NanoTrasen began to fear their days of dominance were nearing their end. Research teams scrambled while the supercorp invested in their military forces, sending waves of panic through both market and populace. In 2543 a NanoTrasen mining company, Silar Group, made a discovery in a sunless system -- massive gas giants of a strange purple vapor with untold properties. Rapid research revealed it to be a powerful energy source, and NanoTrasen was revitalized through secret projects surrounding the substance. Phoron, or Plasma as it was formerly known due to its ease of gaining incredible heat, was only found in large amounts in this one region of space and around dead, dying, or missing star systems. NanoTrasen became the largest seller and researcher and still holds this position in the current year of 2550 through a system of jealous guarding and corporate espionage of secret.

Like all corporations, NanoTrasen Systems follows its own chain of command, which allows the company to function with near autonomy from its board of directors, who usually serve to steer the company in the direction of prosperity based on calculations and predictions of the current market and political climate. Detailed below are the parts of the chain of command you need to know about.

As a crew member aboard the Virgo Orbital Research Establishment, you usually don't have to worry about this part of the command chain unless someone important is visiting.

Job	Notes
File:Chairman.png Chairman of the Company	The presiding person leading the business and possessing the highest authority in the company is Chairman. The Chairman leads and influences the board of the directors and chief officers to manage the financial, human, technical and environmental working of a corporation. The Chairman is often a semi-retired CEO with many decades of experience working for the company.
File:CEO.png Chief Executive Officer	The CEO is also referred as an executive chairman and takes command in the absence of the Chairman. CEO is the top ranking in the executive officers ranks and is most often the figure seen by major stockholders and the public eye in representation of the company.
File:COO.png Chief Operations Officer	The Chief Operations Officer is normally provided the title President, following CEO rank. A COO can be explained as a director of operations in the corporate sector with a responsibility of handling and managing the daily operations of the organization. The professionals at this level focus on the organizational strategy, objectives and plan of actions to be followed. The day today management of organization is also carried out at this level.
File:COD.png Chief of Defense	The Chief of Defense is the executive officer in charge of Nanotrasen's private military and security forces. They answer directly to the Chief Operations Officer, but this is where the chain of command splits apart. Beneath the Chief of Defense are the military Generals, who each branch off into their own wings of Nanotrasen's forces, including the Interstellar Navy, the Air Forces, Planetary Forces, and Civil Defense Forces (police). The corporate ranks listed below this section do not answer to the Chief of Defense, nor does the Chief of Defense have any command over them except during a crisis. Under normal circumstances, the Chief of Defense only operates within its own chain of command which will not be explained in this guide, as it is irrelevant to civilian operation. All you need to know is it operates very similarly to traditional sovereign militaries.
File:CFO.png Chief Financial Officer	A chief financial officer is a corporate officer designated at a high level in the hierarchy for the purpose of managing finances for the organization. A CFO is directed to report to the CEO. In some organizations the term Treasures is used to define the CFO.

CentCom

Short for "Central Command", this is the administration branch of NanoTrasen which runs your station. They will periodically send messages to the station and will occasionally send representatives on board to observe, inspect, review, or reprimand the staff working there. There are a number of CentComs established throughout the galaxy, each presiding over its own planetary system. Such systems include Sol Central, Tau Ceti, Nyx, Virgo-Prime, Epsilon Eridani (formerly), and numerous others both large and small. As a supercorp, NanoTrasen does more than just mine Phoron, as they are most famously known for. They participate in fields both military and civilian. Some research and develop new products, while others mass-produce existing goods. This production can range from common cold medicine to advanced weapons systems sold to interstellar military forces. The toothpaste in your bathroom can probably trace its origins to a star system administrated by a NanoTrasen CentCom, where all the raw materials needed to make toothpaste happen to be available.

While it is not a common occurrence for CentCom to get directly involved in station affairs, they do override the station's command structure, and can even disregard Corporate Regulations in rare circumstances. They can be sought out for complaints or recommendations in the event of an emergency in which the station's normal command staff is either completely inept or out of commission. They do not like to be bothered, so contact them at your own risk. If you do need to contact them, it's worth knowing which office you are seeking to speak to. The best way to contact CentCom is with a fax machine, but the Captain may contact them using the communications console in the event of a crisis. They also can eavesdrop on radio communications (but this is the least reliable way to speak to CentCom) and they have access to all station cameras.

Job	Notes
File:CAO.png Chief Administration Officer	As the designation implies, a Chief Administrative Officer is responsible for handling and organizing administrative management of the corporation. CAO rank is considered one of the highest level ranks in the corporate rank hierarchy. This is the man in charge of your Central Command. Each planetary system where Nanotrasen has established operations has its own CAO managing it. Each of the ranks below are also present in every CentCom base established throughout the galaxy. This is likely as far as you will ever reach up the chain of command to settle a complaint or request. Beyond here, unless you're very important, you will likely go unheard. Only contact the CAO after exhausting all other possible avenues of the command chain. His word is final for any issues in your sector.
File:CIO.png Chief Information Officer	A CIO is a senior level in the corporate rank hierarchy responsible for the maintenance and establishment of the organization’s strategy and information ardently to ensure that the company’s information and data assets are protected adequately. In layman's terms, they're in charge of the IT department at Central Command. The CIO should be contacted on matters such as telecommunications logs, employee records, or vulnerabilities in the station's data network. They should also be contacted upon discovery of any major archaeological finds.
File:CTO.png Chief Technology Officer	The CTO is sometimes also referred to as CentCom's Research Director. They are among the high level ranks in hierarchy mainly responsible for managing company’s technology department along with research and development progress. The CTO should be contacted in the event of any major research breakthroughs, such as new applications for Phoron, or Redspace, or the discovery of previously unknown technologies.
File:CMA.png Chief of Marketing and Advertising	CMA is a title designated to a professional whose responsibility is to manage different marketing activities in and around the local star system. Although this is a mid-level rank in the hierarchy, the CMA reports directly to a chief executive officer (CEO), bypassing the usual chain of command. There's no good reason to contact them ever.
File:CSS.png Chief of Social Services	Formerly known as the Chief of Human Affairs, the CSS is a mid-level rank in the hierarchy taking care of the employee's resources department for the corporation. The CSS reports to the chief administrative officer only. The Chief of Social Services is the manager of the Social Services (formerly Human Affairs) department, and should be the last person you ever have to speak to in order to deal with complaints or requests relating to the company without a lawyer or a union by your side. The Social Services department can be contacted for matters regarding crew conduct, violations of standard operating procedure, promotions, demotions, retirement planning, and job transfers. Ensure that if you choose to contact them with a complaint, you've already attempted (and failed) to resolve the issue with the station's on-board command staff.
File:COS.png Chief of Security	This is essentially Central Command's version of the Head of Security. This is the lowest rank in the corporate hierarchy where ignoring corporate regulations in favor of circumstances is still permissible without a crisis in progress. The Chief of Security answers directly to the Chief Administrative Officer and can seek pardon on behalf of criminals from the CAO under certain circumstances. The COS also works in coordination with planetary or colony Civil Defense Forces and occasionally with elements of the military (usually the NanoTrasen Defense Force).
File:COSE.png Chief of Safety and Engineering	This is essentially Central Command's version of the Chief Engineer. They are responsible for all matters pertaining to station infrastructure, and restoring the station to its default configuration after the end of the shift. The COSE should be contacted in regards to any construction projects the station's Chief Engineer or Captain wishes to make permanent.
Emergency Response Team	The ERT is a highly trained jack-of-all-trades force that is summoned during emergencies. The ERT is liable to be the part of Central Command you directly interact with most often, and hopefully not at all. They should be contacted in the event of a station disaster that cannot be handled effectively by the station's own crew. The ERT, while technically bound by corporate regulations, is usually only called during emergencies which disregard corporate regulations. Interfering with their mission is a seriously punishable criminal offense. All members of ERT override all station crew, and the ERT members answer to a team leader. The ERT's team leader answers directly to the Chief of Security
File:CentComObserver.png CentCom Observer	The CentCom Observer is a representative of CentCom whose duty is that of an unbiased observer of the station who takes notes of the crew's affairs, in order to help CentCom Chief Officers understand how the station is performing. They follow a strict non-interference policy and are the only CentCom rank that may not order any of the station crew. Likewise, however, the station crew cannot order around these observers, although the observers are advised to heed any head of staff requests. If they are available on-station, they should be contacted for any matters you would normally send directly to a CentCom Chief Officer.

Heads of Staff

Also known as Command Staff, these are the men and women charged with the administration of the station. Each of them have access to the Bridge, the command radio channel (accessed with :c), and may call/recall the Escape Shuttle using a communications console. They are also prime targets for Syndicate operatives or rebel forces. They are the most important people aboard the station and should be well respected and protected.

Job	Notes
File:Captain.png Captain	Authority over entire station. Can overrule any decision made by any head. Is not above the law, however, and can still be arrested if found committing a crime. Can fire and assign at will, and is the only person who can assign death warrants or authorize executions.
Head of Personnel	Equal with all other non-captain Heads of Staff. The HoP automatically becomes acting Captain if the original Captain is absent or dead. This is the only non-captain job who can alter jobs and ID access. If a Security member tries to "demote" the HoP, they are doing so illegally and can be charged with sedition (or mutiny if they are forceful). The HoP can fire and reassign people with other head's consent, can assign people freely, and can substitute the role of another head of staff in their absence, excluding Head of Security. Holds direct authority over the Janitor, Chaplain, Chef, Botanist, Barman, Assistants, Quartermaster, Shaft Miners, and Cargo Technicians.
Head of Security	Equal with all other non-captain Heads of Staff. The HoS becomes acting Captain only during a crisis when the Captain and Head of Personnel are both dead or absent. The HoS may be denied access to the domains of other Heads. Below the Captain in command authority involving security matters. Expected to arrest anyone who is doing illegal things, even other Heads of Staff, or the Captain. Commands Security Officers, the Warden & Detective.
Chief Engineer	Equal with all other non-captain Heads of Staff. Must be informed of any major construction projects to the station. Authority over Station Engineers and Atmospheric Technicians.
Research Director	Equal with all other non-captain Heads of Staff. The RD may authorize or lead expeditions into the Bluespace Gateway. Authority over Scientists and Roboticists. Joint authority with CMO over Geneticists and Chemists.
Chief Medical Officer	Equal with all other non-captain Heads of Staff. If a Head of Staff is acting medically unstable, it is the job of the CMO to disable and treat them till they are once again fit for duty. Authority over Virologists, Psychiatrists, and Medical Doctors. Joint authority with RD over Geneticists and Chemists.

Other Management Roles

While the following jobs have management roles, they are not Heads of Staff and get none of the perks associated with being a Head of Staff. They are not usually a suitable substitution for their superiors in the event that their superiors are missing (for example, a Warden does not become acting HoS in the absence of the HoS).

Job	Notes
Quartermaster	Subordinate to the Head of Personnel. Authority over the supply sector, including Cargo Technicians and Shaft Miners.
Warden	Subordinate to the Head of Security. Authority over the distribution and inventory of weapons to security. Responsible for the well-being of any prisoners, which means authority over Security Officers working within the brig or anywhere prisoners are held.

Chain of Succession

If the Captain is absent, authority falls to the next in the Chain of Succession, usually the Head of Personnel.

If the Captain and the Head of Personnel are both missing during a crisis, authority usually falls to the Head of Security. If the situation stabilizes itself, a new Captain and a new HoP must be assigned ASAP, and the HoS is no longer acting Captain. It is suggested that the HoS remains in their Security position to prevent wasting their training and so the crew doesn't get ideas. (To spell it out, the crew isn't going to like a military putsch for whatever reason.)

If the Captain, HoP, and HoS are all missing, then you're pretty screwed, and anarchy rules the station until a vote between the CE, RD and CMO deals with it, either by assigning a new Captain by one of them assuming the role, or calling an evacuation as things may be getting pretty bad by then.

If any head of staff is missing, the Head of Personnel may temporarily fill in for them--excluding the Head of Security--until a new head of staff is chosen by the HoP or the Captain.

So when things are going normal, but a few positions haven't been filled:

Captain -> Head of Personnel -> HoS/CE/RD/CMO (Voting is usually done at this stage).

And in the case of an emergency:

Captain -> Head of Personnel -> Head of Security -> CE/RD/CMO (Voting is usually done at this stage).

Promoting a Head of Staff

In the absence of a Captain or acting Captain (ie: HoP), all heads of staff present aboard the station must conduct a Tribunal to vote for one ASAP. The vote must be unanimous. At least two heads of staff must cast their vote. As with all tribunals, the AI may fill in for one head's vote if there are not enough heads present to make the vote. A captain voted into the position is not an acting Captain unless stated otherwise, but indeed a full Captain with all the duty and authority that comes with it.

If a resolution cannot be made, either due to indecision by the heads of staff, or there are not enough heads active to make the vote, Central Command can be contacted to choose a Captain. The crew can also contact Central Command if there are no heads of staff at all.

Demoting a Head of Staff

Any head of staff, in fact, any crew member, can be promoted or demoted by the captain at any time for any reason, up to and including a replacement Captain. If you suspect the reasons to be motivated by nepotism or discrimination, contact Central Command.

If there is no captain, or you wish to demote the captain himself, an unanimous vote of all other non-SSD heads of staff is necessary. If there are two or less heads of staff, there is no official procedure for demoting either of them, so contact Central Command.

Heads of Staff and Criminal Offence

A Head of Staff proven to have committed a crime can be arrested, but not demoted without going through Demoting a Head of Staff. Arresting the captain based on suspicions is not legal, solid evidence is required. A head of staff cannot be arrested just because your character does not agree with their actions or orders.

Summary

NanoTrasen has absolute authority. CentCom has higher authority than anyone on the station. The Captain has higher authority than everyone else on the station. No other non-captain Head of Staff can overrule the other, except in extreme cases (e.g. criminal activity, mental instability). In the event of missing ranks, authority follows the chain of command, and the chain of succession; the Chain that Binds.