Overlay Machine

R E S T R I C T E D
The Overlay Machine, which was originally developed for the Imperial Interstellar Survey Covert Survey Branch, is actually a combination of devices, drugs and techniques that allow an artificial personality to be overlayed over a subject's real personality. The device uses a combination of drugs and hypnosis to suppress the subject's real personality and memories with one created by the programmer.

The receptive sleep state is artificially induced using drugs and a special machine. The process consists of 12 hours of processing followed by 12 hours of induced sleep. Typically upon awakening the subject believes themselves to be the new personality. A delayed post-hypnotic suggestion can be established which will trigger the transformation to the new personality up to 72 hours after awakening.

The fewer personality traits or memories which must be altered the easier the overlay and the harder it will be for even a psion to penetrate. So it is much easier for a veteran of the Imperial military to be overlayed with the memories of a veteran of the Consulate military than for an academic with no military experience to receive the same overlay.
It is also possible to program suggested activities for the personality. These activities cannot overcome normal deep seated personality boundaries. So for example a pacifist can not be made to assassinate someone using this technique. However a military sniper who would have no problem assassinating an enemy commander could be made to carry out such an assassination against a target they would not normally act against, provided the induced memories are sufficiently supportive of the act.
Some of the drugs used can induce an allergic reaction. All members of the NdN's crew likely to have this technique used on them have been tested for this.
Removal of the overlayed personality is triggered by a code-word or situation. This can include seeing a particular design, picture, person or place.  If the code-word is not used the overlay is persistent, even when the treated individual is confronted with contravening facts.
It is possible to overlay personalities over existing overlays.
The Covert Branch has provided a specialist on the Overlay Machine to act as the NdN's surgeon. Only she, the ship's command and his executive officer have access to the Overlay Machine space.
The typical process is for one of them to escort the subject to the room. The subject is then briefed in the process (memories of this briefing are removed as part of the process, so that afterward the subject is unaware that they have been processed.) The process is then completed.
Typically the subject will be sent on a recce using the Shebzhinij-class Launch. The personality will be triggered to activate once clear of the NdN. False memories will be induced to provide a cover story and activities conducive to completing the present mission will be invoked. During the course of the mission the only information a psionic telepath will be able to detect will be consistent with the cover story. Once the mission is completed the subject will feel a compulsion to return to their ship. When the NdN is spotted the false personality will remove itself, while allowing the subject to remember the relevant mission details for debrief. After debrief the subject is sent off "to rest" which will trigger a final post mission suggestion causing any mission details incident to the use of the overlay machine to be suppressed. The general mission time will be remembered, so as not to cause psychological trauma which is likely to be the result of incidents of induced memory lapses.
R E S T R I C T E D

Nicholas de Nicolay Tour

Back in the Deck B Common Room presenting your hand to the Adaptapanel releases the lift and causes the lift controls to appear.

Calling the lift car you select Deck C.

This lift connects this Deck (B) down to all the decks to Deck E.

The lift arrives at the smaller Common Room on Deck E. Looking aft a number of two person staterooms surround the Common Room. At the aft end is an iris valve which leads to the Upper Main Drive Room.

Halfway down that aft passageway is a door with a Restricted Area sign. You pass by on the way to the open aft iris valve.

Next to the door a Machinery store space holds plug and play replacements for many ship "hotel" systems. Hotel systems are systems which make the ship habitable, such as potable water, sewage, lighting and gravity, as opposed to systems which propel the ship, or give access to jump space or weapons systems.

Through the open iris valve you step out on to a small balcony ringed with a transparent crystal barrier topped with a handrail. The mezzanine deck has a single engineering control station next to a hatch leading up to Deck B. Over the handrail you see a fusion generator below in the Main Drive Room.

You return back through the Common Room. Beyond is the what on a military vessel, or one of the civilian Leviathans would be the Master's Passageway. Several senior officer's staterooms and the Master's Stateroom have doors off this passageway.

The NdN Master's Stateroom is a large cabin. As you look in you can see that it is at least twice the size of any other stateroom.

A comfortable bed with lots of storage space make up the sleeping cabin.

Beyond the sleeping area a fold away couch, fresher and entertainment projector allow for down time or a small conference area. Next to the door a computer closet contains a station which allows rudimentary monitoring of ships's systems or routine work to be done.

Past the Master's Stateroom a ladder leads up to Deck B. An iris valve allows access to the forward passageway.

In the forward passageway, on the starboard side an Emergency Aid Station, for use during Alert Stations, is located. Past it an Electronics shop contains parts and repair facilities for electronics repairs.

Beyond the Forward Passageway, the Morgue stores four suits of Scout Expeditionary Dress, for use by the vessel's Security Service. The four 700 mm launchers can be used to perform an orbital insertion or ship-to-ship assault