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., "Master One")
- Transition contact names as information becomes available
- Visually identify contacts on tactical displays, such as the nav-orb
Naming Protocol
- Unidentified contacts are initially assigned the designation Master [number] (e.g., Master One, Master Two).
- As a contact is identified (e.g., as a torpedo, missile, or specific ship), its designation is changed to a role-based name:
- Torpedoes: Tiger-One, Tiger-Two
- Missiles: Cross-One, Cross-Two
- Fighters: Fang-One, Fang-Two
- Ships: Maintain Master designation until fully identified
- Surface launches (from a planet): Sierra-One, Sierra-Two (if used)
- Once positively identified via STC signature or other means, a contact may be referred to by class and name (e.g., Komodo-class cruiser Shuurga), and may be color-coded on displays.
Visual Display Conventions
Contacts are represented in the nav-orb using shape and fill conventions:
Visual Display Conventions
Contacts are represented in the nav-orb using shape and fill conventions:
| Contact Type | Shape | Fill | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friendly ship | Circle | Outline | Always blue or blue-adjacent |
| Enemy ship | Circle | Solid | Always red or red-adjacent |
| Friendly fighter | Triangle | Outline | |
| Enemy fighter | Triangle | Solid | |
| Friendly missile | Cross | Outline | |
| Enemy missile | Cross | Solid | |
| Friendly torpedo | Diamond | Outline | |
| Enemy torpedo | Diamond | Solid | |
| Unknown/Unconfirmed | Varies (often fuzzy circle) | Blinking or fuzzy | Indicates possible STC interference |
Transition Examples
- A new blip appears in the nav-orb: it's assigned Master One.
- Once confirmed as a torpedo, the name changes to Tiger-One.
- Once trajectory, engine profile, or signal signature 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.
