Professor Wayne King-Meiouf of the University of ProximaRather opportune timing, i was just completing this article on the DDS alerts system when Torus is reported to have raised the alert status to ORANGE, thus confirming a rumour that Firefly is not the only DDS member of staff with the power to do so.
I understand that 5 people have the power (though this includes Windscorpion who is dead, so in reality 4 people, the DDS need to update their policies). Firefly of course, Knobhead, Sea Urchin and Torus are the others. From what i have been told Firefly must confirm the alert status change within 12 hours or it reverts back to what it was before.
The DDS alert status signifies the current astral-political situation the DDS finds itself in. RED is a state of war and then alerts drop down depending on tensions and threat. There is also a PURPLE alert level which i will discuss later.
Currently at time of writing the level is ORANGE, the highest alert state for "peacetime". The different alert statuses each have defined readiness and operational protocols. Under ORANGE all leave is cancelled, personnel must return to their posts, all scheduled maintenance is postponed, ships operate on heightened alert, bases restrict access and so on.
The DDS automatically transmits the current alert level across a number of channels, mostly on data channels in the background, every thirty seconds. There are also a number of human friendly transmission methods, including this website of course!
The DDS revised its alert scheme last year to add PURPLE, a level higher than RED. Much of PURPLE is kept secret but PURPLE would only be raised if the DDS was in serious jeopardy, for example if GHQ was lost. From what i have been told it is hoped that PURPLE will never be raised and unlike the other alert levels once the DDS enters PURPLE then it cannot drop again as we are in a "totally new ball game"*.
Senior DDS personnel across all parts of the DDS (fleet commander, base commander, department head level and above) all hold in their possession a sealed data tablet called the Purple Book. It can only be unlocked by themselves (retina and DNA scan) if a PURPLE alert has been called or the automatic alert transmission cannot be read for an hour. Once the Purple Book is unlocked then it contains operational orders (such as dispersal options for a space flotilla for example) and authorisation for emergency powers. Now these are kept highly classified but it basically means that in a PURPLE alert situation DDS commanders would have the power of life and death over UNP citizens in their area...
* PURPLE alert cannot be reverted as an enemy who possesses GHQ might try and take over the alert system. One note, alert levels must always be written in uppercase.
