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.

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:

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	Blinking or fuzzy	Outline or solid	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.

See Also

• PUV James Keeling
• Navigation Orb (nav-orb)
• Planetary Union Fleet
• STC (Space-Time Curvature)