In the vast, unpredictable expanse of the Sol System, when disaster strikes, there’s one group you can count on: ORS, Orbital Rescue Services.
Whether it’s a stranded freighter on the edge of Pluto, a runaway mining rig about to crash into a colony, or a spaceport fire tearing through a dome, ORS crews are the ones racing to the scene. They’re the brave few who run toward danger when everyone else is running away.
🌌 What is ORS?
Think of ORS as the space-age equivalent of Earth’s old first responders — firefighters, paramedics, rescue crews — but trained for every possible catastrophe you can imagine in space. And a few you can’t.
Each colony or spaceport maintains its own ORS station. Some, like the twin colony of Orcus and Vanth, share a crew. The Outer Sol colonies rely heavily on ORS teams, since the risks out there multiply the farther you are from help.
The ORS structure is familiar but specialized:
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Chief
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Captain
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Lieutenant
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Rescue Crew
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Cadets (in training)
Above them, the ORS Academy and District Chiefs oversee operations across multiple colonies, all answering to the system’s governing body, CHOPs — Council of Human Occupied Planets  — headquartered on Ganymede.
🔥 What It Takes to Become ORS
No one joins ORS on a whim. Every responder undergoes three years of intense, unforgiving training on Io, one of Jupiter’s most hazardous moons. The volcanic surface, erratic geysers, and toxic atmosphere provide the perfect environment to test future rescuers’ endurance, skill, and teamwork.
Cadets learn everything from zero-gravity rescue techniques to advanced shipboard firefighting, emergency medical response, hazardous cargo containment, and disaster management in low-oxygen or no-atmosphere conditions. Only the toughest graduate and earn their place on an ORS team.
🚒 Squad 51 — Disaster’s Favorite First Responders
One ORS team stands out in the Outer Sol: Squad 51.
Led by Nikili Echols and Lucy Ashida, Squad 51 has built a reputation for handling the kinds of disasters nobody else wants. Pirates, rogue AIs, ecological nightmares, space junk collisions, mysterious space weeds — you name it, they’ve cleaned it up (and somehow made it worse before saving the day).
When you’re floating on the edge of nowhere and everything’s falling apart, you hope Squad 51 is the team coming to get you.
🌠 What’s Next?
As I get closer to launch time, I’ll be sharing all the details about the Squad 51 Kickstarter and the special editions I’ve got planned.
Stay tuned! Disaster is just around the corner.
