Engineer

The Engineer is the bread and butter of the Engineering department, and the primary force keeping the Torch operating smoothly. They run the innards of the ship, and when there's a problem, they're usually the ones called to fix it. They maintain power, breathable air, and even the lightbulbs. Whenever something malfunctions or goes wrong, it's ultimately up to the Engineers to locate, diagnose, and resolve the problem.

Engineers answer to the Chief Engineer first and the Senior Engineer second. While the Senior Engineer is often more directly involved with the work required to keep the ship from falling apart, the Chief Engineer ultimately leads the department, and the Senior Engineer's main task is making sure that the Chief's directives are carried out.

Starting out
While the full abilities of any individual engineer are vast, each person will typically have their own preferences or specialties, often indicated by their chosen alternate title. Nobody is expected to perfectly know the ins and outs of everything related to keeping the ship running, and typically, a working knowledge in their specialization is plenty. Nonetheless, every engineer should be prepared to perform a number of basic tasks required to fill the basic needs of the Torch.

The main responsibility of every engineer is to configure, start, and maintain the Supermatter Engine, which the ship needs to produce power. While the Chief Engineer might have a specific setup in mind, your first priority at the start of a shift should be getting the engine running and stable as soon as possible. The R-UST produces enough power to run the Torch, but it both needs oversight and eats through limited fuel, and while the Solars are self-sufficient, they might provide insufficient power to run the entire ship, resulting in rolling brownouts and blackouts. If the Torch goes without power, something has gone very wrong, and it's your job to fix it!

Post-startup
After the engine is set up, different minor systems around the ship can be configured. You might be asked to change the coils on the SMES, start up the Substations, configure and turn on the Solars, prepare the shield generators, or twist some valves in Atmospherics in some way or another. While these minor steps aren't required to run the ship, they often make preventing (and repairing!) problems much, much easier.

Once the ship is healthy and happy, it is mostly autonomous. While the engine will require more energy periodically, the Torch's systems do a good job of regulating themselves in normal conditions. Once setup is done, an engineer has no immediate responsibilities unless given some by Command or the Chief Engineer. You might choose to create your own work, like adding new light fixtures or renovating old rooms, but otherwise, you're effectively on break until something goes wrong. When it does, it's up to you to pull your gloves back on and fix whatever it is - whether it be a meteor impact, an electric overload, or even an explosion on board the ship.

Stocking Up
Engineering, more than any other department, has a wide variety of tools and supplies that serve as its lifeblood. Any engineer worth their salt will often be carrying around a veritable warehouse full of supplies on them - both in case of emergency, and to be able to do different tasks!

Essential gear
The most important pieces of equipment that any engineer can carry, and which most should have with them at all times, include:
 * A fully stocked tool belt or toolbox, featuring a wrench, crowbar, screwdriver, welding torch, wirecutters, and multitool.
 * At least one cable coil, for laying wire or repairing electrical damage.
 * Eye protection, like a welding helmet, welding goggles, or the glare dampeners augment.
 * Insulated gloves, to protect from shocks.
 * Optical meson scanners, which protect your eyes from the supermatter and let you see basic room layout through walls, darkness, and other obstructions.

Other tools that are very nice to have include:
 * A strong light source.
 * A Geiger counter, which can alert you to hazardous radiation levels, even from your backpack.
 * Optical material scanners, which function similar to mesons, but show machines and structures instead of walls and decks.
 * Inflatable walls and doors, for sealing off hazardous areas.
 * A T-ray scanner, for viewing pipes and cables through the floor.
 * Light replacers fit in your backpack and can quickly repair broken lights. They can also be refilled with glass sheets.
 * Paint sprayers prevent repairs from looking ugly, and let you create decals on the floor like hazard lines.
 * Duct tape can repair punctured voidsuits, patch damage to a gas canister or inflatable wall, and more!
 * Shortwave radios can keep the crew informed during a crisis if Telecomms goes out.

Some of these tools are found in limited quantities, so don't hoard all the supplies when your team could use them!

Engineering 102
Your tools have applications in everything from construction to machinery repair, and the advantages of not going blind while welding or shocking yourself on an exposed wire are obvious. Multitools are useful for hacking airlocks when required, checking power flow through specific cables, and a variety of other, more niche uses. A T-ray scanner allows for checking on the status of wiring and piping without yanking up the floor panels. Mesons protect an engineer's vision while also allowing them to see through walls and other obstructions to better survey any damage. Inflatable walls and doors allow for safe entry into depressurized or hazardous areas of the ship, thus minimizing the problem while still letting you freely move in and out of a work site.

If you're expecting to do any construction work at all - whether it be damage repair, renovations, or anything else - you should also carry at least a modest supply of steel and glass. Plenty can be found in the Engineering Bay, and a reserve can be found in the maintenance tunnels just above it, near Expedition Storage. Every engineer's locker features spare bags, and many handypersons like to carry a bag full of materials, circuit boards, replacement lights, and more.

A Shocking Betrayal
A creative and intelligent Traitor engineer can be fearsome aboard the ship, with the power to help themselves to restricted areas, sabotage monitors and cameras, and, if things come to a head, force the engine into delamination. You have an incredible variety of toys at your disposal, and not only are you allowed to use all of them, but it's your whole job to do so!
 * Duct tape is great for any kind of engineering work, but you can also use it to tie up anyone you're grabbing aggressively, or to put tape onto their eyes or mouth. They're easier to break free from, but they're functionally infinite, and nobody will bat an eye at you lugging around duct tape.
 * Weapons can be hard to find, but their abundance of materials means that Engineers have a large variety of improvised weapons at their disposal. Experiment!
 * You have insulated gloves, a welding mask, a full set of tools, and access to a hardsuit. With enough creativity and the proper kit, you can let yourself into nearly anywhere on the ship.
 * The ship's power grid isn't designed to handle huge loads. Hotwiring the engine to the network will result in lights overloading and make electrocutions much, much worse.
 * Certain programs on the terminals inside the Engineering Bay can be used to remotely monitor and adjust air alarms, power levels, and more - all without leaving any evidence.
 * A cut cable in the right place can sever power to entire sections of the ship.
 * For the sneakier antagonist, your skills allow an incredible degree of flexibility with the ship's machinery. Who needs an emag when you have a tool belt and a degree in electrical engineering?
 * Should you really have it out for the ship, the ability to force the supermatter into delamination is available to you. Touching the engine is a sensitive topic as an antagonist, though - don't just blow up the core to cause wanton destruction!