Fleet Contact Management System (CMS)
Fleet Contact Management System (CMS) is the contact tracking and designation protocol used by the Planetary Union Fleet in The Crypt series. It is a comprehensive naming and visualization system used to monitor ships, torpedoes, missiles, fighters, and unknowns within a combat environment, especially within the navigation orb (nav-orb) of the PUV James Keeling.
Contents
Overview
The CMS allows Fleet personnel to:
- Track unknown or hostile contacts in real-time
- Assign unique designators to new contacts (e.g., Locus One)
- Transition contact names as information becomes available
- Visually identify contacts on tactical displays, such as the nav-orb
Naming Protocol
The CMS assigns alphanumeric codenames to detected contacts based on object type and origin (friendly or hostile). Initial unknowns are designated as Locus One, Locus Two, etc. Once classified, these designations are replaced with type-based codenames. Friendly units use class identifiers; hostile contacts receive distinct, non-overlapping labels.
Locus Designation Rules
- All new contacts are assigned a sequential Locus identifier (e.g., Locus One, Locus Two).
- Once a contact's type is known (e.g., torpedo, ship, fighter), its name transitions to the appropriate codename (e.g., Tiger-One).
- If the type of ship is identified but not the individual vessel, it becomes [Ship Type] + Locus number (e.g., Destroyer Locus Five).
- If the individual ship is identified via grav-sig, its codename is replaced with the ship’s name (e.g., ISS Renegade).
CMS Naming Conventions
Hostile Contacts
| Contact Type | Designation Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown Contacts | Locus One, Locus Two, etc. | Temporary designators until confirmed |
| Enemy Ships | Aardvark, Viper, etc. | Assigned persistent codenames once confirmed |
| Enemy Torpedoes | Tiger-One, Tiger-Two, etc. | Numbered in order of detection, not by launch ship |
| Enemy Missiles | Mallet-One, Mallet-Two, etc. | Short-range void-to-void missiles |
| Enemy Ship-Killer Missiles | Vampire-One, Vampire-Two, etc. | Long-range capital-killers. High priority |
| Enemy Fighters | Fang-One, Fang-Two, etc. | Single-pilot voidcraft |
| Enemy APCs | Tusk-One, Tusk-Two, etc. | Assault boarding transports |
Friendly Contacts
A metal arrow at the center of a nav-orb represents the ship the nav-orb is in. The icons below appear in relation to the ship's orientation. The arrow is fixed, always pointing toward the prow. When the ship maneuvers, the icons below move in relation to their orientation to the ship.
| Contact Type | Designation Format | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Friendly Ships | Keeling, Union-class identifiers | Known vessels shown by name or class |
| Friendly Torpedoes | Keeling Mark14-One, Mark15-One, Mark16-One | Display codename: Tadpole. Track by type and launch order |
| Friendly Missiles | Union Mallet-One, etc. | Used by other Fleet ships only |
| Friendly Ship-Killer Missiles | Union Vampire-One, etc. | Long-range Fleet anti-capital munitions |
| Friendly Fighters | Salamander Echo-Five, etc. | Designated by callsign or tail number |
| Friendly APCs | Ochthera Bravo-One, etc. | Denoted by craft and unit name |
A metal arrow at the center of a nav-orb represents the ship the nav-orb is in. The icons below appear in relation to the ship's orientation. The arrow is fixed, always pointing toward the prow. When the ship maneuvers, the icons below move in relation to their orientation to the ship.
The nav-orb displays contacts using standardized shapes and colors for quick visual parsing under combat conditions. This table summarizes the conventions used aboard Planetary Union vessels, including the PUV James Keeling.
| Contact Type | Icon | Color | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic Ship | Circle (dashed outline) | Purple | Keeling in Keeling station displays |
| Friendly Ship | Circle (outline) | Blue | |
| Enemy Ship | Dot (solid) | Red | |
| Organic Fighter | Triangle (dashed outline) | Purple | |
| Friendly Fighter | Triangle (outline) | Blue | |
| Enemy Fighter | Triangle (solid) | Red | |
| Organic APC | Square (dashed outline) | Purple | |
| Friendly APC | Square (outline) | Blue | |
| Enemy APC | Square (solid) | Red | |
| Organic Torpedo | Chevron | Purple | |
| Friendly Torpedo | Chevron (outline) | Blue | |
| Enemy Torpedo | Chevron (solid) | Red | |
| Organic Missile | Diamond (dashed outline) | Purple | |
| Friendly Missile | Diamond (outline) | Blue | |
| Enemy Missile | Diamond (solid ) | Red | |
| Organic Artillery | Cross (dashed outline) | Purple | |
| Friendly Artillery | Cross (outline) | Blue | |
| Enemy Artillery | Cross (solid ) | Red | |
| Unknown Contact | Solid Hexagon | White | Labeled Locus One, Locus Two, etc. |
| Unidentified Contact | Hexagon (outline) | Yellow | Labeled Locus One, Locus Two, etc. |
| Under STC Distortion | Any shape (fuzzy) | Gray static overlay | Tracking unreliable |
Transition Examples
- A new blip appears in the nav-orb: it's assigned Locus One.
- Once confirmed as a torpedo, the name changes to Tiger-One.
- If grav-sig confirms it as a Mark16 torpedo, it is renamed Tiger-One (Fleet Mark16).
- If it is intercepted or destroyed, its designation is removed.
Use in STC Environments
Because of STC distortion, contacts often appear distorted, "fuzzy," or incomplete. CMS operators must use experience and limited signal data to update contact designations. Visual aids and callouts help the Conn and Weapons stations react under combat stress.
