Guide to Hacking

Hacking can be a powerful and sometimes vital tool. Engineers benefit the most from knowing this skill as it allows them to repair broken machines, fix angry vendors, and get to work locations that would normally be locked off. It is also a tool for those with other intentions. Regardless of who, or what is hacking, the following information will help in whatever situation is at hand.

What You'll Need

• Insulated gloves - Necessary to not get shocked while hacking. Make sure they are not the budget kinds!
• Screwdriver - For opening up panels and the like. A necessary tool.
• Wirecutters - For cutting and mending wires. Also a necessary tool.
• Multitool - For pulsing wires; not necessary for most hacking, but makes life a lot easier.
• Crowbar - For prying open a door after its power has been hacked. Not a necessary tool, but useful to get access to places you shouldn’t be.

The Basics

Hacking any piece of machinery listed below follows the same guidelines. There is a selection of coloured wires which are linked to a function of that device. When a device is opened using a screwdriver or impact wrench, the wires are exposed allowing you to hack it with wirecutters and a multitool. A menu will open showing each wire, its associated light, and the options for cutting/mending, pulsing, or attaching a signaler. An example of this menu is listed below under the airlocks section.

The wirecutter is the basis for all hacking. They are used to cut and mend wires which will either permanently change an aspect of the device, or return that function. They are necessary for hacking anything.

The multitool is an electrical device which, in the context of hacking, can “pulse” a wire. This will usually get a specific response from the device in question. Sometimes the response is triggering a normal function in the device, or it is temporary causing a state otherwise made permanent by wirecutters. It is not a necessary device, but is very useful to get specific responses or to hack a device without leaving a trail.

The crowbar is used for a very specific purpose. Its purpose relative to hacking is almost exclusively for the purpose of prying open an airlock after its power has been removed. While it has a very narrow purpose, it is quite useful to make a way into or through an area without removing ID restrictions.

Airlocks

Typical airlock hacking UI.

Both internal and external access airlocks are hackable, though hazard doors are not hackable. Wires are randomized at the start of each round, but are standardized throughout the vessel (e.g., every orange wire might toggle the bolts). The Chief Engineer’s blueprints have the wire colors for each airlock function. However, high security airlocks are always randomized, have extra decoy wires to make hacking harder, and are not covered by the CE’s blueprints.

The hacking menu shows the current status of the airlock and you can tell much about it from there. It is probably where you'll be doing the most of your hacking. Remember, cutting power to the door will stop everything else from working.

Wire Functions

• IDscan wire: Pulsing will flash the 'access denied' red light; cutting will allow anyone regardless of ID to open the airlock.
• AI control wire (AI control allowed): Unlike most other wires, this one has more than just two states. Pulsing will toggle the 'AI control light' between 'Orange' (limited AI control - they are not allowed to bolt/unbolt the airlock) and 'Green' (they have full control). Cutting shows the control as 'Red' and will prevent the AI from accessing the door unless they hack the power wires (which takes considerable time).
• Main power wires (2) (test light wires): Pulsing will turn off the 'test light' and kill the power for a short time; cutting will kill the power for a time before backup power kicks in. There are two of these, and both are needed for the main power to work. Cutting will cause sparks.
• Backup power wire (2): Pulsing will turn off the 'test light' and kill the power for a short time if the main power is out, otherwise, nothing. Cutting will obviously disable the backup power. There are two of these, and both are needed for backup power to work. Cutting will cause sparks.
• Bolt control wire: Pulsing will toggle the door bolts. Cutting will drop the bolts and they will remain dropped even when mended.
• Bolt wire (door bolt indicator): Pulsing will toggle whether the bolt/access lights turn on / flash. Cutting will turn the lights off until mended. Even when the lights are off the UI will tell you that you can see the bolts are up/down.
• Door control wire: If the door is ID restricted, this is pretty much useless. If not, Pulsing will open/close the door and cutting will keep it that way, sort of like bolting.
• Electrifying wire: Pulsing will electrify the door for 30 seconds; cutting will permanently electrify it until mended. You can find the wire easily because the door shoots sparks when pulsed or cut. Obviously useless if there is no power to the door.
• Door safeties wire: Pulsing will cause the 'check wiring' light to toggle. Cutting will permanently turn off the safeties until mended. This will cause the door to not check if someone or some animal is in the door before closing, crushing them.
• Door timing wire: Pulsing will toggle the door's timer, and the 'check timing' light. If the light is on, the door will try to close as soon as it opens. Cutting it will turn off the timer until mended.

APCs

Used to control power to a certain room. All APC breakers can be accessed via Power Monitoring Computers regardless of the lock status, and can be remotely controlled from there.

• Power wires (2): Pulse will short out the APC. You must cut and mend the wire to restore power. Not repairing the short will render the main breaker moot, even if accessed remotely. Cutting will disable the power to both the APC and the room.
• AI control wire: Like the airlock, pulsing will flash the light off and on quickly; cutting will disable AI control
• APC lock wire: Pulse will unlock the APCs controls.

Atmospheric Alarms

Used to monitor environmental factors in a room, such as temperature, pressure, toxins, etc.

• Id Scan: Pulsing will toggle the lock for the alarm. Cutting will not allow people to access the alarm even if they have the correct ID. Mending will allow normal operation.
• Alarm: Cutting will cause an atmos alert in the area. Pulsing will reset the alarm status. Mending allows the alarm to work again.
• Panic Syphon: Cutting or Pulsing this wire will activate the panic syphon. Mending does nothing, and it must be turned off from the actual alarm.
• AI Control: Cutting this wire will prevent the AI from using the alarm. Pulsing it disables AI access for 10 seconds. Mending allows AI control.
• Power: Cutting this wire will deactivate the alarm. Pulsing turns it off for a period of time. Mending restores power.

Autolathes

Used to create tools and items out of raw material. It is often used in Operations, Science, and Engineering to get tools, non-lethal ammunition, and so on. It can be quite powerful when hacked, however, as normal restrictions are removed allowing the creation of lethal ammunition and otherwise illegal/dangerous items.

• Power: Cutting will turn off the lathe. Mending will turn the lathe back on, and a whirring noise will return. Pulse temporarily disables the lathe.
• Electrifying Wire: Cutting will shock anyone not wearing insulated gloves, and mending fixes this. Pulse temporarily electrifies the lathe.
• Hacking Wire: Cutting allows contraband items and lethals items to be made, such as tactical knives, lethal ammunition, etc. Mending resets the item restrictions. Pulse temporarily hacks the lathe.

Cameras

Used to view rooms from, they also have upgrades which allow them to see through walls, be invincible against EMPs and have a motion detection system.

• Power Wire - Cutting it will disable the camera, fixing it will enable the camera. Pulsing will kick-off anyone who is viewing the camera.
• Alarm Wire - Cutting will trigger an alarm which can be fixed by mending the wire. Pulsing causes the camera to beep.
• Light Wire - Cutting this will stop the AI from using the camera's light, fixing it will allow the AI to use the camera light. Pulsing toggles it.
• Focus Wire - Cutting this will shorten the vision range to a default set of 2 tiles, fixing it will return it back to a normal 7 vision range. Pulsing it will toggle between the short and normal vision range.
• Two Nothing Wires - They do nothing, still required to deconstruct the camera.

You can find a guide to deconstruct cameras here.

Mercenary Nuclear Bomb

A bomb! By now you’re probably already having a bad day, this will only make it worse. The nuclear bomb has 7 wires, only 3 of which are useful. Better have steady hands!

1. Check the description of the bomb to see if you have enough time left to even attempt a defusal. Use your best judgement for how much time you will need.
2. If the timer is very long you might want to ask toxins for a bomb suit in case you fail, you'll still be killed, but at least you'll leave a corpse
3. Screwdriver in hand, click on the bomb to open the panel and expose the wiring
4. With a multitool, wirecutters, or an empty hand, click on the bomb to access the wiring.
5. CAREFULLY fiddle with the wires by pulsing to test each one and cutting what you need to.
   • Safety wire: Pulsing will turn on and off the bomb safety for 10 seconds. If the safety is on, the bomb will be quiet. If the safety is off, a whirring noise can be heard. Cutting this wire will detonate the bomb if the countdown is active.
   • Timing wire: Pulsing will detonate the bomb if the countdown is active, cutting will secure the bomb making it safe. Good job!
   • Light wire: Pulsing makes the bomb appear on or off. Cutting causes the bomb to appear off until mended.

Keep in mind that randomly pulsing a live bomb carries a chance of pulsing the wrong wire and detonating the bomb prematurely. Cutting carries the same risk. With a bit of luck and skill, you can find the right wire and save the day.

Hardsuits

These hightech hardsuits are hard to come by, but can be hacked to be bent to your will.

1. Swipe your ID on the Hardsuit to unlock the panel, then use a to open it. (An emag might come in handy.)
2. Equip a multitool and wirecutters.
   • Security Wire: Can be cut to disable Security Checks on the suit. The suit will twitch when this wire is pulsed.
   • AI Override: Can be pulsed to toggle whether the AI can control the suit. A red light will flicker when this wire is pulsed.
   • System Control: Can be pulsed or cut to toggle some malfunctions. Pulsing this wire will also cause it to shock the user!
   • Interface Lock: Can be pulsed to toggle whether the interface can be accessed. The suit will click audibly when this wire is pulsed.
   • Interface Shock: Can be pulsed to toggle whether the suit shocks the user or not.
3. Close the panel.

Robots

Robots, specifically ship-bound borgs, exist to serve a variety of functions and to generally assist the crew and AI. However, like most other pieces of machinery, robots can be hacked to restore function, disable function, or cause general chaos.

• Lawsync Wire: Cutting will stop the robot from getting law updates from the AI. Mending will restore this function. Pulsing does nothing.
• AI Link Wire: Cutting will remove the robot from an AI's control and otherwise prevent AI control. Mending restores this. Pulsing resets the robot's AI selection, allowing them to select a new one.
• Camera Wire: Cutting prevents anyone from watching the robot's camera, and kicks anyone currently watching off of it. Mending fixes this. Pulsing kicks off anyone watching and loudly refocuses the camera.
• Lockdown Wire: Cutting locks down the robot until it is mended. Pulsing toggles the lockdown.

Vending Machines

Used for vending items, obviously. Occasionally, a software malfunction will infect the various vending machines across the vessel. In these situations, the firing wire needs to be reset.

• Firing wire when cut causes the machine to fire stuff at people. When pulsed it will turn on or off the firing function. Controlled by the blinking light.
• Contraband wire does nothing when cut, when pulsed unlocks illegal or rare goods. Wire is unknown.
• Access wire when cut it turns the purple light to a yellow light, allowing for ID restricted machines(med machines, sec machines, possibly botany machines) to be used by anyone.
• Shock wire when cut electrifies the machine causing it to shock anyone who touches it without insulated gloves. When pulsed, it electrifies the machine for 30 seconds. The orange light indicates whether it is electrified or not.

Minor Hackables

I haven't a clue why you'd ever want to hack any of these things, but you can!

Fire Alarms

Fire alarms on getting pulsed will not detect or activate the fire doors in the case of a fire or a breach. If it is cut, the wires are removed and the alarm is turned off completely.

Station-Bounced Radios & Signalers

Station-Bounced Radios are used primarily for times where the headset radio does not work, such as when you are off the vessel where Telecomms cannot reach your headset or if Telecomms is not active. Signalers are used to send out a signal, or pulse in the case of hackable devices. Signalers, Station-Bounced Radios, Tracking Beacons, and Intercoms all follow the following wire scheme. Please note that one of three wires is missing as it is practically useless.

• Output wire will disengage the speakers (or signal-receiving on a signaler)
• Input wire will permanently disengage the microphone (or signal-sending on a signaler)

Secure Briefcases

1. Screwdriver in hand, click on the (briefcase/safe) to open the panel and expose the wiring
2. Multi-tool-spam the (briefcase/safe) until you get a confirmation that the memory is reset.
3. The memory is now reset. Punch in your favorite code and hit E to set it.
4. Screwdriver the panel shut.

Engineering Department
Head of Department	Chief Engineer
Personnel	Engineer - Atmospheric Technician
Useful Guides	Guide to Atmospherics - Supermatter Engine - Guide to the INDRA - Guide to Thrusters - Telecommunications - Integrated Electronics