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

Nicholas de Nicolay Tour

Leaving the Bridge behind and returning to the Common Room you see the ladder and ceiling mounted iris valve.

The iris valve itself is controlled from one of the nearby stateroom door Adeptapanels. As you pass them you admire the comfortable chairs and state of the art smart tables with which the Common Room is provided.

As you near the open ceiling mounted valve you can see the vaccsuit racks and safety equipment on Deck A above.

As the valve closes behind you inspect the ready racks of vaccsuits. The Hatch leads out to the Aft Airlock of the vessel. Unlike the main airlock through which you boarded the vessel this is a manual emergency and maintenance egress.

At the far end of the compartment you see a safety station. Stored there is a First Aid Kit, Rescue Ball and Fire Extinguisher. An Adaptapanel is configured as a com panel.

Turning around to check out the aft end of the compartment you see two sliding doors. Next to one is an Adaptapanel configured for environmental control of the space.

The starboard door leads to a vaccsuit maintenance shop.

The aft door leads to Aft Fire Control. This is a backup control center for the Main Fire Control on Deck C.

Nicholas de Nicolay Tour

Take the lift to Deck B.

At Deck B the lift arrives at the aft end of the Common Room. Across from the lift a Fresher is available for common use. The Forward Common Room is typically used by personnel staying in the surrounding staterooms.

Two-occupant staterooms, typically assigned to scouts filling senior positions aboard ship, surround the Common Room. Two tables with smart surfaces are used for eating and also for entertainment and as computerized work surfaces.

Through the forward iris valve the forward passageway leads to the security office on the starboard side and the Bridge at the far end.

The security office allows the security staff to monitor public areas of the ship. The smart surface counter also allows control of iris valves throughout the vessel, as well as giving information on the emergency systems, such as fire alarms and decompression alarms. There is a First Aid locker behind the security counter.

The security office also contains a weapons rack and armory bench for weapons repair.

At the end of the passageway, on the port side is a Fresher for use by Bridge staff. 

The watch officer command chair sits in the center of the Bridge. In front of the command chair are the helm pilot, astrogator and computer systems operator. To the port side the engineering monitor station is forward. Aft of the engineering station a map table can project both planetary and star astrogation maps.

Aft of the command chair a holographic projector can be used to display planetary globes or tactical displays. On the starboard side of the Bridge the communication console and gunnery console. Though weapons could be fired from this station they are usually controlled from either Main or After Fire Control. This station is usually used by the tactical officer.

Nicolas de Nicolay tour

The stateroom passageway is separated from the aft passageway by an iris valve.

To the left are three 4 person staterooms. To the right is a single 4 person stateroom and a galley.

In the original Leviathan vessels this galley was used to service the four 4 person staterooms on this deck which were used for passengers. The IISS typically use these staterooms for mission specialists. Most of the time they are empty.
Through the Iris valve the passageway made a turn eventually leading to the aft passageway.

To the right an iris valve opens to the Main Life Support Systems equipment room. To the left is a large lift which leads to decks B through G.

The lift shaft, on this level has both a front and rear access hatch. The rear iris hatch gives access to the lift from the mechanical machine shop. The regular access to the machine shop is an iris valve which leads to the Main Jump Drive Room.

Nicolas de Nicolay tour

Through the aft iris valve is a passageway snaking athwardship and then aft on the starboard side.

Starboard of the iris valve is a lift that runs from Deck B through this deck. At the end of the Athwardship passageway on the right is a Fresher. At the end of the passageway is the first of three staterooms.
The Staterooms are four person staterooms. The Adaptapanel uses a handprint scanner to limit access to the stateroom. Locks can be overriden from the security office and will allow senior officers to access all staterooms, with proper authorization.
These staterooms can double as brig space, so unlike other staterooms they have surveillance equipment installed. Only the ship's master and security officer can activate this equipment. 

The stateroom sleeps four. It contains all the amenities of a fresher, including a sink and shower.

Each bunk set includes storage lockers above the top bunk and storage on the inside bunk wall. Each bunk also includes a computer video screen for entertainment and communication.

A computer station next to the stateroom door uses a smart surface for input and a projection screen.

Nicolas de Nicolay tour

The vacc suit ready rack between the airlock iris valve and the module lower deck cargo door holds four Asiranedii Vactech VSD Heavy-Duty Vacc Suits. The GTL12 vacc suits are a one size fits most design which uses mechanical counterpressure extremities with subpressure supported torso construction.

Each vacc suit consists of a one piece suit which is made up of an inner suit which provides counterpressure support and temperature regulation to the user. The outer skin is made of a tough protective fabric which provides radiation protection and abrasion protection. This fabric includes an outer cameo layer which can be used for camouflage, but is most often used to tag individuals for identification by making the suit a unique brightly visible color. The inner and outer suits are laminated together and may be treated as a single unit. It takes about one minute for an experienced spacer to put on a vacc suit.
A waste relief system allows for extended wear. The suit is self sealing against most small punctures. Patches, normally carried in one of the pockets can be used for larger punctures.

The VSD Vacc Suit has been modified to work with the GP Multipurpose Rigid Helmet. The helmet is provided with a heads up display (HUD). A water reservoir holding one quart of liquid and a concentrated food system is included. The helmet contains a 15 minute reserve tank and a rebreather unit, which extends the tank to 150 minutes. A C cell powers the helmet systems when no Life Support Pack (LSP) is being used. The helmet also contains a short range communicator (10 miles) and a computer. A sensor visor with video pickup allows for recording or transmitting. The helmet also contains an integrated multi-spectrum flashlight. The helmet can also be used with a hazardous atmosphere HILO rebreather/filter assembly unit in atmospheres which do not require a pressure suit and with a standard skin suit.

The Life Support Pack provides heat, cooling and energy for long term suit use and extends the vacc suits ability to function in extreme environments. The LSP contains a 10 lbs air tank with a rebreather which extends the useful life to 20 hours. It also contains a reactionless thruster to allow flight, though it is typically used in space. The LSP is powered by a pair of C cells. The LSP harness contains two lifeline hook D-rings.
The suit gloves are counterpressure designs intended to maximize user dexterity. Each boot contains a grav plate to allow the user to walk along the outer hull of a vessel in microgravity. Each plate is powered by an A cell or the LSP if installed. They are not designed to operate in a gravity field.