Detective

Smoke. Drink. Monologue.

The Detective is responsible for investigating crimes on the station. While security will hopefully quickly note a rampaging traitor with a bloody c-saber in their hands, stealthy antagonists can easily slip beneath the radar and carry out their tasks without regular officers noticing. The detective is well-equipped for investigation but not for actually going out and arresting people. Detectives should remember that while they are part of security, they are not security officers and lack access to the security equipment lockers.

That said, the detective is encouraged use the security headset to stay in touch with the team. To use it, simply type:

• say :h Just found a husk in disposals, stay alert!

The Office

So cool.

The detective's office, in addition to its sleek noir style, features a few useful items. The security computer (looks like a filing cabinet) is a much easier way to adjust and check security records than the ThinkDOS security computer. The surveillance camera (looks like an old TV) allows you to remotely monitor the station, though without the ease of switching between cameras the AI enjoys. Surveying hot spots can occasionally let the detective spot trouble before it happens, or help him coordinate security efforts from the safety of his office. The closet contains most of your portable equipment as well as spare investigation items.

Equipment

Noteworthy starting equipment includes:

• Optical Thermal Scanner
• .38 Special revolver
• Flash
• Forensic Scanner
  • Scans fingerprints and blood on items, players, doors, machinery, etc. Players who wear gloves do not add complete fingerprints on items, but generally do leave fibers along with an unique ID (see below).
  • Blood analysis gives the DNA of the blood, for which the detective's file cabinet (Search Records) or a regular security terminal can be used to find a match.
  • Ballistic fingerprinting is another of the scanner's applications for weapons which leave physical evidence behind. The scanner will indicate gunshot wounds on a body, and a forensic profile can then be created for bullets dug out of said corpse, or in other words link that revolver you found on a suspect to the murder in question. The forensic signature of kinetic firearms as well as certain energy guns (e.g. lasers and phasers) can also be isolated from bullet holes in the walls of the station.
  • Firing a kinetic firearm leaves detectable residue on the shooter, as well as spent casings (see next paragraph) on the floor. Consider that only a handful of jobs (for instance the HoS, Medical Director and barman) have legitimate access to such weapons.
  • The scanner shows the contraband level of certain items, such as Syndicate gear or guns. Securitrons use the same value for their target algorithm and will usually give chase if the value is 4 or higher and the suspect isn't authorized to carry weapons.
  • The PDA has the same functionality, which one exception. The non-PDA version can be used to look up names, fingerprints and blood DNA on the go.
• Detective's VR Goggles
  • Spawns in your backpack. This particular pair sends you to a private virtual beach fully equipped with a security computer, camera monitor and cigarette machine. When used in conjunction with the forensic scanner, you are provided with the means to remotely manage the security records with surprising efficiency.
• Camera and spare film cartridge
• Tape recorder
  • Will record your voice, and yours only, if you hold it. Will pick up anything said in a room if put down. Can be hidden under a backpack or something to surreptitiously record a conversation.
• Evidence box
• Secure briefcase
  • A good storage place for your gear or any sensitive items you pick up. Can be set to any 5-digit code you like. A locked case can be emagged or hacked open by those in the know.
  • Your office is also has a wall safe that works the same way.

Investigation Tips

A good detective should be familiar with the abilities and gear of the station's varied antagonists as well as the fundamentals of forensic systems. Many interactions with objects, crew members and the station at large are traceable:

Fingerprints

• Picking up and using items
• Operating computers and other machinery
• Bumping into or clicking on doors to open/close them
• Pulling objects or bodies
• Melee attacks (disarm, grab etc)
• Accessing somebody's inventory
• etc.

Blood DNA

• Open wounds
• Attacking somebody with a sufficiently powerful weapon covers both the assailant and victim in blood
• Gibs can contain blood traces
• etc.

Gloves obscure the fingerprints of the wearer, but at least provide you with a couple of clues. Aside from an unique ID, every pair of gloves is made of fibers that can be attributed to a certain material:

Type	Material	Typically worn by
Fingerless gloves	N/A. Doesn't mask prints.
Latex gloves	N/A. Partial prints obscured by junk symbols.	Medical staff
Black gloves	black leather fibers	Detective, botanist, miner, QM
SWAT gloves	high-quality synthetic fibers	Syndicate operatives
Boxing gloves	red leather fibers	Boxer
Insulated gloves	insulative fibers	Heads of staff, engineer, mechanic, QM
Stungloves	[material], electrically charged	Ditto. Also vigilantes.
Power gloves	insulative fibers and nanomachines	Traitor
Concussive gauntlets	industrial-grade mineral fibers	Miner
Cursed white gloves	greasy polymer fibers	Cluwne

There's more to be learnt from spent casings than the forensic signature. Looking at them closely can give you a rough idea of the caliber, type of ammunition and firearm used to commit the crime:

Type	Caliber	Typically fired by
Small handgun	.22	.22 pistol, zip gun
Medium handgun	.38, .357, .41	.38 and .357 revolver, zip gun, derringer (casing looks "fat and stumpy")
Rifle	.308	AK, tranquilizer and hunting rifle
Shotgun blue	12 ga	Shotguns (rubber slugs)
Shotgun orange	12 ga	Shotguns (Frag-12), flare pistol
Shotgun red	12 ga	Shotguns (buckshot)
Grenade	40mm	Grenade launcher

Everyone's prints and DNA strings are already on file in the security database, though these records can be deleted or tampered with and don't include non-NT personnel. While the detective will sometimes be fortunate enough to find a traitor item with a complete set of prints, they often have to work out traitors based on suspicious behavior, tailing people and listening to the communications from the rest of the crew. Occasionally checking in on really sensitive areas such as the armory, AI upload, or mixing lab can avert serious disaster. Checking out waste disposal or garbage chutes can uncover murder victims or hastily stashed gear.

The camera is a great tool if you can catch traitors in the act of doing something suspicious. Some traitors, when aware that the heat is on, may clean and/or ditch their gear, take a shower to wash off forensic evidence and then attempt to bullshit their way out of imprisonment. Solid evidence is much harder to argue against.

If you have enough evidence to support arresting someone who has not committed an overt act of treason, alert security over the secure frequency and set their status to Arrest in the security records. This will have Officer Beepsky and other active securitrons attempt to detain the target. The detective can assist in arrests, but with no armor or taser, should leave the heavy lifting to security officers.

The detective has the option of having their thermals scanned at electronics, giving the crew many more eyes against cloakers.

Crew Objectives

As a loyal crew member, you can sometimes be assigned some strictly optional objectives to keep yourself busy while you wait for something to happen. As a detective, you can expect to see the following:

Ensure that you are still wearing your coat, hat and uniform at the end of the round
Just don't get mugged, which is very unlikely.

Make sure you are smoking at the end of the round
Just make sure you have your smokes and your zippo, and light up when you're in the escape shuttle.

Make sure there is alcohol in your system at the end of the round
Keep your Bo Jack Daniels on you and take a swig on the shuttle. Before or after lighting up.

Syndicate Detective

The Syndicate detective may order custom ammunition for his revolver. Aside from that, he has a lot of other options to work with. Most captains and HoPs won't object to giving you security access, letting you load up on weaponry. The AI can generally be convinced to let you in wherever if you say it needs investigating. The security records can be tampered with to accomplish a variety of tasks, not just sending Officer Beepsky after the captain and deleting your own record, but also altering fingerprints to frame someone else for possession of traitor gear. Cloaking devices are also handy, as you already control one of the two thermals on the station.

Supplementary Video