The Solar Rescue Corps - Organization

I've decided to leapfrog the articles as I bring them up, so this is one that is currently one my own website. Next I'll put another EXO article up.

The Solar Rescue Corps

• Key Members: Johan Prudhomme, Nesta Opice, Paul DeVries, SRC Rescue Technicians
  
• Base of Operation: Pyrea Station, Earth-orbit
  
• Main Sphere of Activity: Solar System-wide
  
• Antagonists: Pirates, terrorists, opportunists
  

Overview

For centuries, many governments and organizations have maintained volunteer search and rescue teams, trained to respond within a variety of environments. As mankind spread into space the logistics of search and rescue operations changed drastically, along with every other aspect of daily living. The distances were greater, the hazards more deadly and the costs higher. True space search and rescue operations quickly became the province of government agencies, primarily the military, as they were the only organizations with the manpower, training and budget to perform them. Still, there existed various mostly volunteer organizations, operating at the fringes of populated space. Shoestring budgets, trial and error success or failure and scrounged equipment often made the rescue operations themselves mishaps - but many times they were the only hope that a misforunate spacer had.

In 2185 various smaller volunteer search and rescue organizations that were operating with explicit USN funding, along with a few others that were notable, were consolidated into the Solar Rescue Corps. Funding was approved to standardize and improve training, procure state of the art equipment, and recrut specialists from every Soalr nation. After almost 25 years, the SRC is now recognized as the premier nonprofit emergency response organization in the Solar System. Highly respected by their peers and operating under the aegis of USN neutrality, the SRC draws a multinational membership made up of volunteers from military and private backgrounds, placing their citizenship and military obligations temporarily aside. In many instances they act as liaisons when handling rescue or emergency operations with citizens of their home government. Military or government personnel are often given leaves of absence to tour with the SRC, where they will pick up valuable experience and skills.

While the CEGA, JAF and several other governments have their own military and civilian emergency response units, the SRC has a number of specialized ships and personnel spread throughout the Solar System ready to respond to any emergency regardless of nation, allegiance or situation. They are virtually permanently attached to the Solar Cross, whose ships serve as permanent bases of operations for SRC activities.

Organization

The Director of the SRC answers directly to the USN Assembly. The SRC's charter enables it to operate freely in international space, and it is very seldom that a USN member state will deny SRC vessels and personnel passage to conduct or assist in rescue operations. Response to a distress signal from within a non-USN member's territory forces the SRC to wait for explicit permission from the respective government.

As with many USN agencies, funding is often a problem, but the SRC has a relatively low operating budget and obtains some of its funding from private sources. While the SRC makes extensive use of Solar Cross ships and facilities, it also has a small fleet of refitted quickships and other small vessels which it keeps on station near various outposts throughout the Solar System. Along with various smaller craft, there are also three modified Scouts that are used to conduct larger-scale rescue operations. The loss of the fourth, the USNS Savior, while searching for the IGS Beagle II near Neptune has a had a significant impact on the SRC's large-scale response capability and it is likely that a replacement will be sought. Currently the USNS Saving Grace is in Jovian Confederation space, the USNS Redeemer is near Mars and USNS Champion is in Earth space. The various smaller ships are dispersed throughout the Solar System.

All SRC ships are outfitted with good quality communications and sensor gear. An SRC vessel may have some of the following facilities or equipment: a well equipped medical bay, passenger space for rescued survivors, cryogenic storage for recovered fatalities or those too injured to be treated in the field, a refitted exo-armor (for defense, scouting, and muscle for rescues), exo-suits for operations inside vessels, a VTOL shuttle for surface rescue, several M-Pods and a variety of M-bots and SRU M-bots. Smaller vessels will carry only the bare minimum required to perform rescue operations. The Scouts ships, meant to serve as platforms for extended search operations in case passengers or crew from a disaster are adrift without escape pods, or to locate the vessel that lifeboats originated from so that all crew and passengers can be accounted for, are outfitted with everything above. The most common exo-suit is the Tenchi, although a very few Deckers are in use as well. At this time only a half-dozen exo-armors are in SRC; four surplus Explorers and two Defenders. Two of the Explorers and one of the Defenders are deployed with the Scout ships; the other three exo-armors are each assigned to one of the smaller vessels.

SRC teams, including crew members for a vessel, all receive a minimal amount of emergency rescue training that includes First Aid (Medicine 2/2 and lower in SilCore), Zero-Gee, and Space Survival. Most SRC team members perform double duty as either vessel crewmembers or specialists, with additional skills or training in Exo or Shuttle Piloting, field Medicine (Medicine 2/3 or higher) or Demolitions. A typical team will have at least two qualified pilots, a medical technician (with Medicine 2/3 or higher skill) and a rescue technician (with increased Survival training). A SolaPol analyst may be present who assists initial investigations into the cause of a mishap. There may also be engineering and computer specialists if the personnel are available (being a volunteer organization, this is not always a given). The SRC offers only moderate pay and benefits, but the prospect of having an SRC service record and training is attracting individuals who join without any military experience or private education. A growing corps of permanent SRC employees are developing, most of them professional Rescue Technicians.

Activities

Current tensions are putting a strain on the multinational crews, especially military members serving the SRC, and several smaller ships have had to remain docked because the crew could not get along well enough to operate them (fortunately none of the larger Scouts have had this problem). The multinational nature has also compromised the SRC’s neutrality, as accusations of nationalistic favoritism during rescue operations have flown. These problems are not unique to the SRC; other organizations such as the Solar Cross and the IGS have reported similar problems.

Director Johan Prudhomme has been forced to issue a memorandum reminding all SRC volunteers that they are serving to help the victims of any space accident, not just those of their own nationality, and has suggested that those who cannot maintain a professional and neutral attitude should resign to their previous careers. A few ejections from SRC vessels have occurred by captains that won't tolerate zealots or crewmembers playing favorites. So far the ripples in the USN Assembly from this activity have been minor - in the event of full out warfare between Solar Nations, the very existence of the SRC is likely to be jeopardized. Prior to all out warfate it is highly unlikely the SRC would be disbanded, but if the political climate continues its activities could be seriously impacted, rendering the agency all but defunct. Prudhomme does not want this, believing firmly in the SRC's charter and their Solar System-wide moniker of "Angels", but what lengths he will go to secure the SRC’s freedom of operation are not yet known.

Key Members

Johan Prudhomme, Director

Johan’s political streak was passed on from his father, who lobbied for many improvements in western Europe after the CEGA was established. After graduating college (one which his father petitioned to be built) he went to work for the United Solar Nations after serving with several smaller humanitarian agencies on Earth. Recognizing his potential and his commitment to helping those in need, he was offered the position as Directorof the SRC three years ago. Since then he has done his best to keep the SRC’s head above the political waters, bu since the Odyssey the struggle has become more difficult. Although he believes in the tenets of the USN, there are rumors that he and his assistants may make the SRC a private operation if tensions cause the USN to suspend its activities or shut it down.

Johan is of mixed Asian and Norwegian descent with a short, stocky frame (turning soft around the middle now that he’s in his 40s), wide set blue eyes, button nose and an unruly, receding shock of black hair. His appearance is offset by his sparkling personality and force of will to press his concerns.

Highlights: Humorous, charming, direct
Archetype: The Official
Attributes: CRE +1, INF +2, KNO +1, PER +1, WIL +1
Skills: Etiquette (Bureaucracy) 3/1, Business 2/2, Notice 2/1, Social Sciences (Law) 2/2, Leadership 3/2, Language (Merchant’s
Tongue & Spacer’s Runic) 1/1.

Nesta Opice, Captain USNS Saving Grace

Hailing from Mercury, Nesta made her start slowly worked her way up to second mate in a small Merchant Guild freighter. Getting bored with life in the Merchant Guild and trying to bide time until she could at least get a command of her own, she volunteered for Solar Rescue Corps duty after witnessing them in action responding to an accident in lunar orbit and. After just a year, Nesta decided that she had found her calling and pursued a permanent position. Her Dedication to the SRC and leadership skills landed her command of one of the SRC's best ships, the refitted Scout USNS Saving Grace and so far she has not been one to disappoint the crew or Director Prudhomme. Based out of Joshua's Station in the Jovian Confederation, Nesta's ship has had its share of friction between crew members. Having had to physically intervene in a few cases, and actually have a crewmember physically ejected from the ship once, are situations that a Mercurian like Nesta are not well prepared for. So far she's made excellent decisions and has been able to keep her ship operating as it should.

Nesta is a small, lightly built woman, just over 30 years old, with short cropped brown hair and blue eyes. Sharp featured (some may say shrewish), she appears cautious and even detached to those who don’t know her. She is a shrewd captain, capable of sizing up the risks of any situation and decisively act.

Highlights: Cautious, precise, authoritarian
Archetype: Shipmate
Attributes: CRE +1, INF +1, KNO +1,PSY +1, STA 25, AD 3, UD 3
Skills: Athletics 2/1, Combat Sense 1/1, Technical Sciences (Communications) 1/1, Medicine 1/1, Leadership 2/2, Technical Sciences (Mechanics) 2/1, Navigation (Space) 1/1, Natural Sciences (Physical Science) 1/1, Pilot (Space Pilot) 3/2, Survival (Space) 2/2, Teaching 1/1, Tinker 2/1, Zero-G 2/0

Paul DeVries , S&R Technician

Paul DeVries is a man driven by the realization that as an emergency responder he could take advantage of and profit from others’ misfortune. To that end he has set up a small crime syndicate within the Solar Rescue Corps, dealing in everything from simple theft to insurance fraud. He has ties to Joshua's Station and much larger crime syndicates as well. Hailing from New Berlin, Earth, little is known about his childhood or early adulthood, and his acceptance into the Solar Rescue Corps hinged on his competency and his psychological battery scores, allowing him to enter the service without the SRC administration having his complete criminal record.

Highlights: Youthful, persuasive, devious
Archetype: The Technician
Attributes: AGI +1, BLD -2, CRE +1, INF +1, KNO +1, PER +1, STR -1, STA 15, UD 1, AD 3
Skills: Business 2/1, Combat Sense 1/1, Technical Sciences (Computer) 2/2, Technical Sciences (Communications) 2/2, Defense 1/1, Pilot(Space) 1/1, Medicine 2/1, Forgery (Official Documents) 2/2, Notice (2/2), Language (German) 2/2, Small Arms 1/1, Streetwise 2/1, Survival (Space) 2/1, Zero-Gee 2/1