Simulator
Contents
Purpose
The role of the simulator is to ensure the realism of the simulation. They are the only members of Spacesim who may break The Golden Rule. They are given this priveledge to help everyone else with suspension of belief. The Simulator Hierarchy consists only of the rank of Simulator Commander. This is a Mission-Specific rank, and the holder of the rank is ideally kept secret along with the identities of all the other simulators. This helps to keep Mission Integrity, because in the Beta reality Simulators do not exist.
The Average Simulator Day
From a basic standpoint, the simulators are responsible for ensuring that the environmental conditions of space are experienced by the astronauts. Perhaps the most impressive unteraking of the Simulators' is the Planetary Surface, which must reflect the conditions of the mission destination. For example, if the planet, moon or asteroid was researched to be windy, then the simulators will ensure wind is experienced. If the planet is unstable, then earthquakes will be experienced. The actual activities of the simulator group vary from year to year, depending on the conditions of the destination.
Emergencies
In addition to simulating day-to-day life in Space, Simulators are responsible for creating emergencies. These are usually designed to be puzzles or situations that the Astronauts must work with Mission Control to resolve. Common issues are Ion Storms (which would knock out electronics or cause radio silence) and Meteor Strikes (which may cause damage or hull breaches to the Habitat). More complicated issues have included volcano eruptions, water floods of the surface and habitat, earthquakes, reactor coolant leaks, and out-right equipment breakdown requiring repair. During one mission, the The Hawking crash-landed beside The New Habitat.
One of the earliest recorded incidents involving simulators is known as the Pink Water Incident. The astronaut drinking water supply became contaminated (and appeared pink). The astronauts were required to perform tests upon the water to determine if it was still safe.
More recently, the simualtors have resorted to less scientific situations, such as terrorist attacks (in Mission Control)and other such disasters to break up the monotomy of a Mission. Some of the more creative simulator stunts have involved aliens. In the past, such situations were reserved for Mission Alpha.
Methods
The methods used by simulators is classified to them and them alone. If you wish to learn how past simulators operated, seek them out and ask them directly, though you are unlikly to get any information out of them.
Secrecy
Historically, the Simulator task force was a secret one. Known only to the Mission Control Mission Commander, they would often occupy Mission Control positions, possibly causing sabotage right under everyone's noses. It was also helpful for the simulators to have 'planted' Mission Control staff during a planned emergency, as that way if the regular staff couldn't come up with a solution, the planted staff could simply appear more creative.
Simulators have been known to infiltrate as high as copilot.
In the past few years, the members of the simulator group were well known to most spacesim members. Lately, there has been a move to return to keeping the members of this group secret from the rest of Space Sim. Hopefuly this will lead to possible infiltration of the 2 other groups of spacesim and consequently, more interesting scenarios.
Hab Gnomes
Recently, simulators haven been reffered to during the mission as "Hab Gnomes" by the astronauts. Although this designation is incorrect, astronauts persist in using "hab gnome" to discribe any simulator that they have caught "in the act".
