Operating Condition

Like any other Starfleet ship, the Heisenberg operates on a tiered system of conditions.

Condition Green

Also called Cruise Mode, this refers to the normal operating condition of the spacecraft. During Condition Green, ship's primary operational personnel are organized into three distinct working shifts, generally called alpha, beta and gamma shift. Each shift is assigned to duty status during one of three eight-hour work periods. Primary operations are defined as those functions that must be performed or enabled at all times. These are generally to ensure the spaceworthiness of the vehicle, environmental support, propulsion systems operations, and the ability to perform primary missions. Other support functions, including secondary mission operations, are not necessarily required to be maintained on a twenty-four-hour-a-day basis. Many departments will confine themselves to one or two operational shifts to increase the interactivity among working personnel. Cruise mode lighting conditions generally cycle on a twenty-four-hour basis, creating bright 'days' between 0901 and 2100 shiptime, and dimly-lit 'nights' between 2101 and 0900. Exceptions include the bridge, which is always brightly lit to increase crew awareness, and Engineering, which is always dimly lit to increase focus on tasks. Status indicator lights on wall panels remain dim, while floor accent lighting is white or green in this mode.

Cruise Mode operational rules include:

• Level 4 automated diagnostic series are run on all ship's primary and tactical systems at the beginning of each shift. (Key systems may require-more frequent diagnostics per specific operational and safety rules.)
• At least two major power systems to remain at operational status at all times. At least one additional power system to be maintained at standby. (For example, if Warp Core 0 is currently providing propulsion and power, Cruise Mode operating rules require that either Warp Core 1, the main impulse engines or an auxiliary fusion generator to be at standby. Typically, aboard the Heisenberg, both Warp Cores are kept operating.)
• Long-range navigational sensors to be active if the ship is traveling at warp speed. Lateral and forward sensor arrays to be maintained at ready status, although these instruments can be made available for secondary mission use at the discretion of Ops.
• Navigational Deflectors to be active as needed for protection of the spacecraft from unanticipated debris or drag from the interstellar medium.
• At least 40% of phaser bank elements and one photon torpedo launcher to be maintained at cold standby status, available for activation at two minutes' notice.
• One launch bay is maintained at launch readiness with at least one shuttle vehicle maintained at launch minus five minutes status.

Yellow Alert

This designates a shipwide state of increased preparedness for possible crisis situations. During Yellow Alert, all onduty crew and attached personnel are informed of the potential crisis via panel display and are directed to prepare for possible emergency action. Beta shift crew personnel are also alerted and those in key operational positions are directed to prepare for possible duty on five minutes' notice. Cross-trained beta shift personnel are directed to prepare for possible duty in their secondary assignments. Yellow Alert lighting conditions are similar to Condition Green lighting. Status indicator lights on wall panels and floor accent lighting glow pale yellow, and a single audible alarm tone sounds.

Specific systems preparations include:

• Level 4 automated diagnostic series run on all ship's primary and tactical systems to determine ship's current readiness status.
• If presently off-line, warp power cores brought to full operating condition and maintained at 40% power output. Level 4 diagnostics provide a status report on warp capability including maximum available engine output.
• Main impulse propulsion system brought to full operating condition. At least one backup reactor element is brought to hot standby.
• All tactical and long-range sensor arrays are brought to full operational status. Secondary mission use of any sensor elements can be overridden if required by bridge.
• Any currently-external EVA teams are recalled, and the launch bay containing workbees is deactivated and sealed.
• Defensive Shielding systems brought to full standby. Secondary deflector generators brought to partial standby. All operational backup generators are energized to partial readiness.
• Phaser banks are energized to partial standby. Power conduits are enabled, and targeting scanners are activated. Level 4 automated diagnostics verify operational status.
• Torpedo launchers are brought to partial standby. One photon torpedo device is energized to partial launch readiness and primed with a standard charge, unless specifically overridden by Ops or Tactical. One quantum torpedo device is brought from the magazine to its loading tube and its computer systems are booted. Level 4 automated diagnostics confirm operational status.
• Two of the three launch bays are brought to launch readiness. The number of shuttlecraft at launch readiness is maintained at one.
• Onboard sensors record the location of all personnel and alert Security of any anomalous activity. Location and activity information is recorded for postmission analysis.
• Level 5 automated diagnostics are performed to verify readiness of autonomous survival and recovery vehicle systems (lifeboats).

Yellow Alert can be invoked by the Commanding Officer, Operations Manager, Chief Engineer, Tactical Officer, or by the supervisor of any current primary mission operation. Additionally, the main computer can automatically invoke Yellow Alert status in some cases upon detection of certain types of unknown spacecraft, as well as upon detection of certain types of malfunctions or system failures.

Red Alert

This condition is invoked during actual states of emergency in which the vehicle or crew are endangered, immediately impending emergencies, or combat situations. During Red Alert situations, crew and attached personnel from all three duty shifts are informed via alarm klaxons and annunciator lights. Key beta shift personnel are ordered to report immediately to their primary duty stations, while other beta shift personnel report to their secondary duty stations. Key gamma shift personnel (who are presumably on their sleep cycle) are ordered to report to their secondary duty or special assignment stations in fifteen minutes. During Red Alert, shipwide lighting is dimmed slightly to increase focus on tasks. Status indicator lights on wall panels glow brightly red, as does all floor accent lighting. A continuous alarm tone is played over shipboard announcement audio systems.

Specific systems preparations include:

• Level 4 automatic diagnostic series run on all ship's primary and tactical systems at five-minute intervals. Bridge given immediate notification of any significant change in ship's readiness status.
• If presently off-line, warp power cores to be brought to full operating condition and maintained at 75% power output. Level 3 diagnostics conducted on warp propulsion systems at initiation of Red Alert status, Level 4 series repeated at five-minute intervals.
• Main impulse propulsion system is brought to full operating condition. All operational backup reactor units are brought to hot standby.
• All tactical and long-range sensor arrays are brought to full operational status. Secondary mission use of sensor elements is discontinued, except with approval of Ops.
• Any currently-external EVA teams are recalled, and the launch bay containing workbees is deactivated and sealed.
• Defensive Shielding systems are automatically brought to tactical configuration unless specifically overridden by the Tactical Officer. All available secondary and backup shield generators are brought to hot standby.
• Phaser banks are energized to full standby. Power conduits are enabled, targeting scanners are activated. Level 3 diagnostics are performed to confirm operational status.
• Photon torpedo launchers are brought to full standby. One torpedo device in each launcher is energized to full launch readiness and primed with a standard antimatter charge of 1.5 kg.
• Both primary launch bays are brought to launch readiness. Two shuttlecraft are brought to launch minus thirty seconds' readiness. The USS Allegheny is brought to one minute's launch readiness.
• Onboard sensors record the location of all personnel and alert Security of any anomalous activity. Location and activity information is recorded for postmission analysis.
• Level 4 automated diagnostics are performed to verify readiness of autonomous survival and recovery vehicle systems (lifeboats). Readiness of ejection initiator servos is verified through a partial Level 3 semiautomated check. Security officers are assigned to insure that all passageways to lifeboat accesses are clear.
• Isolation doors and forcefields are automatically closed between sections to contain the effects of possible emergencies, including fire and decompression of habitable volume.

Red Alert situations, by their very nature, frequently involve unforeseeable variables and unpredictable circumstances. For this reason, Red Alert (even more than other operating states) requires the Commanding Officer and all personnel to remain flexible. All Red Alert operating rules, therefore, are subject to adaptation based on specific situations. Red Alert can be invoked by the Commanding Officer, Operations Manager, Chief Engineer, or the Tactical Officer. Additionally, the main computer can automatically invoke Red Alert status in some cases upon detection of certain types of unknown spacecraft, as well as upon detection of certain types of critical malfunctions or system failures. In such cases, the automatic declaration of Red Alert status is subject to review by the Commanding Officer.

Blue Alert

Blue Alert, also called Condition Blue, is invoked either in case of an environmental hazard to the crew, or when a ship-specific special operation is initiated. Blue Alert lighting conditions follow Condition Green as standard. Exceptions include the bridge and Engineering, which are dimly lit to increase focus on tasks. Status indicator lights on wall panels and floor accent lighting glow blue in this mode. A constant audio alert tone is played over the shipboard audio systems.

Circumstances for engaging Condition Blue include:

• Environmental systems failure. For example, all primary and secondary environment systems are disabled in a corridor and it has begun to freeze. That corridor would be placed under Blue Alert.
  • Environment-sustaining force fields are erected around the damaged corridor sections until life-support can be re-established.
  • A Level 4 diagnostic is performed on the affected area and all adjacent systems.

• Landing. The USS Heisenberg has the capacity to land on a planet's surface, and support itself with antigravity fields as well as physical landing gear. When stationed on or about to land on a planet, the Heisenberg is at Blue Alert.
  • Before landing, all shield generators and landing gear are subject to a Level 4 diagnostic.
  • All outward-facing windows aboard ship are 'closed' outside the transparent aluminum with duranium or tritanium alloy reinforcements.

• Engaging the cloak. If a cloak is replicated and installed, whenever it is engaged the Heisenberg is at Blue Alert.
  • All non-cloak shielding operations are disengaged.
  • Weapons power is supplied by Warp Core 0, while the cloak is powered by Warp Core 1.

• Activating the MERGE drive. When the Heisenberg is about to engage its metastable Einstein-Rosen bridge generator engine, a Blue Alert is instated.
  • Warp Core 1 is dedicated to MERGE drive operations.
  • All weapons systems are deactivated.
  • Defensive Shielding systems are brought to tactical configuration. All secondary and backup shield generators are brought to hot standby.
  • All primary and secondary sensor systems begin recording all available data for postmission analysis.

Blue Alert can be invoked by the Commanding Officer, Operations Manager, Chief Engineer, Tactical Officer, Flight Controller, or by the supervisor of any current primary mission operation. Additionally, the main computer can automatically invoke Blue Alert status in case of the detection of certain types of environmental hazard, malfunction, or system failure.