Gettler’s Guide to being in Charge of the Station

So, you got put in charge of this big ol place in the middle of nowhere didya? Welcome to the Highest rank on station, but before you go off on your first shift as the high and mighty, there are a couple guidelines that you should know about that, while not official, are recommended by me.

So… What do I do?

As a Site Manager, Director, or whatever title you have, your job is… Complicated. You are there to make sure the entire station is running smoothly, and while the exact how varies from person to person, there are a couple rules of thumb to not being hated in the process.

Let people do their jobs

This may sound like a no-brainer, but it's really, REALLY important; Do not interfere with a department that is running smoothly, even if it's not how YOU would run it, and don't run around as a second CE or CMO, or hell, even as an engineer. For most of the shift, you are an assistant with more access who won't be arrested for being somewhere you shouldn't be

Don't get your panties in a twist

As the ‘High Lord’ of the station, you will be the target of harassment, and more than a little bullying, but it's rather important not to overreact, because while you COULD order the HoS to go and arrest that engineer who refuses to do what you say, since it's technically a crime to do so, the reason why you shouldnt is because you are there to mediate disputes, not cause them, so unless they are being really belligerent to the point that actual harm is coming from it (Such as a Scientist getting people hurt or worse because they didn't keep a dangerous anomaly contained despite you telling them not to bring it inside), you should learn to live with it

Make sure you are there when you are needed

Now, before you go and snag that cutie Secretary and disappear to the dorms for the rest of the shift, you should be made aware that should anything come up, and you are physically capable of showing up, you should stop what you are doing and rush to help. Now, while you might be saddened by this, don't fret, because most times you aren't needed, but when you are, it is your duty to be there, else you might lose your shiny gold ID and the privileges that come with it.

Ask first, then barge in

If there is a staffed department, even though you have full access and right to be there, it is common courtesy to ask, or even just to have them do whatever it was you were going to go in for themselves

Now, that last one might have left you wondering, ‘But Gettler, how DO I know when I have to get involved? Is there some cheat-sheet that you have to help me?’, to which I reply, ‘Of course, I even have a segment dedicated to emergencies, and how to deal with them, creatively titled…’

Emergencies, and how to deal with them

You, as a newly minted authority figure, are going to spend most of your time as said authority figure trundling about the station, wondering what you should do. Now, sometimes, something WILL happen, and you WILL need to get involved, and as promised, I have a cheatsheet, and while it won't cover every case, it’s got the ones that;  

Someone was killed! (And not in a kinky way!)

If this happens, that's always cause to at LEAST check in, or tell security to let you know what's going on, because if someone is killed, that could be a harbinger of bad times abound.

The Tesla is Loose/The SM is Delamming!

Get everyone off of the asteroid in both situations, if you have engineers, leave it up to them if you should evac for the Tesla, if not then just evac; and for the Supermatter, it's usually better for everyone involved if you just call evac, since it can and will irradiate every single level on the station once it goes.

Anything Redspace

Get buckled in, and be prepared for anything at all, Redspace is inherently unpredictable, but rest assured, until it's over you are absolutely needed, meaning no time for recreational activities until you are certain it's passed  

We are being boarded!

The piece of advice I'm going to give you for this one is one that I myself have trouble with. You ready? Okay, here goes. KEEP YOURSELF SAFE! You, as the person with the biggest hat, have the greatest capability to unfuck situations, and because of that, you wear the biggest target on your back of literally any of the crew. Make sure you are armed, and make sure you are safe, handle the situation as best you can from the back

Someone released the Holocarp!

Tell engineering to cut power to the holodeck for the REST of the shift, period. To be on the safe side, you should probably weld the doors shut.  

The Most Dangerous Part of the Job

Okay! Now, these are only SOME of the INTERESTING situations that you might be forced to deal with, but they are either common, or noteworthy enough to be mentioned, anything else… Well, if you hear screaming over the radio, you might be needed. Now, let's get onto one where I WON'T just give you a list with explanations under it, where I will be talking about the most dangerous part of your job, and likely the most important.

The Crew and You!

Again, as the biggest hat wearer, you are the one that is in charge, which means that you are the first person the crew will complain to, regardless if there is a more relevant head of staff who can handle it (In which case you send them to that other poor bastard). Usually what they want is pretty simple, but when it gets difficult is when there are two crewmembers who are upset at EACH OTHER, for some reason or another. Sometimes, you will have to deal with it, and if you mishandle it, you can leave with both of them hating you. So what I recommend you do, is pull them into that nice shiny office of yours, and let them each state their case, with no interruptions, and after everything is finally on the floor, make a determination. Don't be afraid to kick one out, and continue without them if they are being problematic to the meeting as a whole, because you are in charge, it's your ballpark when they are in your office. Speeeaking of being in charge, you will have some… Willful, crewmembers, who can and will try to bully you into getting their way, the best way to deal with them is to just ignore them, and go about your day. Especially ignore them if they claim they will lose all respect for you if you do said action, or that because they will call IAA on you, because during the former, they probably didn't respect you in the first place if they felt the need to resort to this statement, and for the latter, so long as you adhering to SoP, the IAA will rule in your favor; generally when people claim they will call IAA on a Site Manager or Overseer, it's just to manipulate you into doing what they want (Or not doing something they don't want). Remember, you are in charge while aboard, not them, your word is law, and while you really shouldn't do it, you can have people brigged if they refuse to follow your orders, which may become necessary, along with a possible demotion, if they are being continually belligerent. Bringing the hammer down on someone is a grave thing, which should be reserved to someone who either really fucked up, or seriously broke regs, NEVER, NEVER EVER EVER, demote someone just because you don't like them, because while you technically can, you will not be in charge of the station for very long if you do.

Fax Machines, Black Magic, or just Paperwork Hell?

As the person in charge, it is your solemn duty to be in charge of the fax machine, and to make sure it is used to fullest capacity. It is also required that you fax for whatever you need done before you go and do it yourself, yes you, the person with eighteen engineering and medical degrees, you are a commander, and part of commanding is knowing that you are there to tell people what to do, not to do it yourself, unless someone is going to die, the station is going to explode, or it is otherwise needed IMMEDIATELY, always fax. The best way to do so is to get a standardised form, many of which exist pre-made, all you need to do is find one, and remember it for your faxes to Centcom when you need engineers, or janitors, or whatever else you might need in your current situation.

Remember, when in doubt, fax!

(Insert witty catchphrase here)

So, you have learned about fax machines, learned about emergencies, and learned about the crew and how they will make your life hell as a job, but there is still one thing you should know about: Weapons. They are something that you are now allowed to take, and are EXPECTED to take, you may choose whichever ones you like so long as they aren't explosive and you only take one lethal weapon, but remember, they are for getting yourself OUT of situations, not running headlong into them.

What you should take away

Being large and in charge is a vital thing, but doing it is not for everyone, if you don't think you can handle it, there is no shame in stepping down, and try to remember, the crew are your friends, not your foes, don't fight with them, work with them to reach a common goal; Getting paid and not dying