Cold Shutdown
Space is huge and cold. It's almost impossible to find a cold object. When we capsuleers 'see' a ship, it's often too far off for the human eye to spot. It's actually the capsule interface feeding us false images based on sensor data.
A capsule pilot can, if they wish, initiate a 'Cold Shutdown.' This reduces their ship systems to minimum so that they are not visible on any scanner or sensor. It also removes the capsuleer's ability to take in any information.
Prior to shut down, many conditions must be met:
- Warp drive cannot be active nor can the ship be in motion.
- The capsuleer cannot be in a 'fleet.' The link between members is something that can be picked up.
- All 'moduales' must be deactivated.
- The ship cannot have recently engaged in aggression. This has something to do with CONCORD specifications for capsuleer ships.
- You cannot be jettisoning or scooping cargo, the same for drones.
- You cannot be decloaking.
- You cannot have a target locked.
- You cannot have a self-destruct timer going.
After you've shut down all these processes. You merely have to issue the command and in about 30 second, you'll enter a cold shutdown.
As part of fleet operations in [retracted], Taishō Revenent ordered us to perform a fleet wide cold shutdown for 20 minutes.
What was it like?
Not bad. As part of my capsuleer training, I was placed in a sensory deprivation tank for longer and longer periods and monitored. That felt remarkably similar but this was like floating blind and deaf in cool water. A sort of numbness crept into my bones and the energy left me, but this wasn't painful or scary. In a way, it was oddly relaxing.
I'm not sure how I knew the 20 minutes was over. I just did. I was immediately restored to normal condition though I have to say there there's a lingering chill out of pod. Like someone left a window open and a cool breeze occasionally slips in.
