Cargo Hold ("Deck G")

This is where all of the shiny toys in military storage are stored, with teams of OrdnanceBots organizing them and delivering them to the ASRS to be lifted to Deck E when required.

This is where the ASRS sits when not called up to Deck E, allowing OrdnanceBots to load it. By preference, OrdnanceBots will load the ASRS whenever it is available and has space.

This is where the special military shuttles that deliver weapons and supplies ordered by the Requisitions Officer go to dock. On arrival, they will trigger all idle OrdnanceBots to activate and carry out their programming (usually to unload the shuttle, then load crates - the military budget is not credited for crates until the military shuttle leaves, and is not credited for returns or for any hardware still aboard the shuttle when it departs. Typically shuttles are programmed to stay a minimum of five minutes and then depart when no full crates and no OrdnanceBots are aboard, but accidents do happen, particularly if the OrdnanceBots are cutting it close today.

The Shuttle Bay has a camera for AI surveillance, as well as a heavily reinforced shutter system to keep out troublemakers.

This is the room where more OrdnanceBots get made, up to a limit of ten at a time. OrdnanceBots are considered independent critters that have preprogrammed tasks:

• 1. If holding an OrdnanceBot, deliver it to the Drone Builder for repairs or recharge if possible.
• 2. If holding a piece of char, put it into the Furnace if possible.
• 3. If carrying a Cargo Crate, put the crate on the ASRS if available.
• 4. If carrying an empty crate, put it on the military shuttle if possible.
• 5. If a military shuttle with loaded cargo is in the Shuttle Bay, go pick up a cargo crate if possible.
• 6. If empty crates are in the Cargo Hold and a military shuttle is available, go pick up an Empty Crate if possible.
• 7. If carrying a crate, put it in the Cargo Hold if possible.
• 8. If the ASRS is lowered, go pick up a Cargo Crate if possible.
• 9. If battery power is under 50%, head to Drone Builder for repairs or recharge if possible.
• 10. If another OrdnanceBot's power is under 10%, go pick up the OrdnanceBot if possible.
• 11. If a piece of char is available, pick up a piece of char if possible.
• 12. Idle.

Idle OrdnanceBots are triggered when the ASRS descends or a Military Shuttle arrives, restarting their programming.

They do not generally deviate from this protocol series; if they do or behave in unintended ways, the AI has the power to manually disable or reset their programming, or take direct control of them if necessary. Their programming ensures that they will occasionally fuel the Furnace, keeping the Drone Builder busy and powered in the eventuality that the substation fails to provide power.

This tunnel allows maintenance or engineering to come down and repair damage, clean up messes, or otherwise manage the hold, given the express consent of the Executive Officer or Captain. OrdnanceBots do not store crates in this area or consider it a passable area. Note that Deck G does not have atmosphere under normal circumstances, although a simple toggle of the Air Alarm can correct this.

Hidden in the depths of the Maintenance Tunnels, this decently sized room has three racks with supplies, including:

• One light replacer, which replaces light bulbs.
• One box of garbage bags, for waste disposal needs.
• One biosuit, for cleaning dangerous spills.
• One box of purple nitrile gloves for cleaning up messy spills
• One pair of leather work gloves for replacing hot lightbulbs
• Two mops
• One spare bucket
• A tank filled with water for refilling buckets
• A tank filled with space cleaner for refilling spray bottles
• Two boxes of replacement lights (more can be printed)
• A box of mousetraps, for small pest problems
• One bear trap, for large pest problems
• Two cleaner grenades (spread foam that will clean and make everyone slip in a wide radius; sought after by lazy janitors and practical jokers)

The Thermoelectric Generator on this deck is located in Deck G Maintenance, with its furnace in a bot-accessible nook in the Cargo Hold proper. The TEG gets its power from the thermal difference of the two pipes going through it. The right side is the cold side, and the left side is the hot side. On this deck, the cold pipe is filled with CO2 cooled through heat exchangers set up in space, while the hot pipe is super hot CO2 warmed up through the furnace two tiles adjacent. There are valves to which canisters can be attached to add or remove gases from the loops, and boxes of char ore to fuel the furnace. The local OrdnanceBots are programmed to add char ore to the furnace, but do not wander through Maintenance proper.

There is only one SMES set up near this TEG due to the normally low power draw requirements of the deck, and it is usually set to 60000W input, 30000W output to maintain the deck's power needs. The furnace usually burns at consistent temperatures, with the type of fuel and amount dictating how long the furnace will burn.

The hot loop of this engine runs through the furnace, while the cold loop runs through a series of coolant pipes in space. If either of these pipe networks are disrupted, the TEG will generate less and less power. The hot loop may stop working due to breaks in the piping (unlikely) or more likely due to overpressurizing the loop (too much pressure and the loop clogs up and won't linger in the TEG long enough to exchange heat); the cold loop usually only stops working when something has hit the exterior heat exchangers that cool the loop using the frigid temperatures of space. The Deck G TEG uses a simple furnace to provide heat for visiting lifeforms and to provide power to the OrdnanceBots that require recharging. Rumors that OrdnanceBots make excellent fuel are no doubt rumors created by the inventors of the Guardbuddy system of drones; there are several crates of char ore down here to refuel when needed, and the substation draws power from the other decks to maintain power when the engine is off.

Deck G has minimal power demands aside from the Drone Builder, usually; its power needs, as well as the need for power for atmospherics, is generally met by the Thermoelectric Engine on this deck. The Deck G substation generally charges from this source and from other substations so that it has power to spare should there be a service interruption at an awkward moment.