Cultural Expert
Cultural Expert
The cultural expert is trained to give advice and training to ships crews in infiltrating pre-warp and ‘younger’ non-member species. They are trained to get in and out of unfamiliar territory and to blend in with the natives.
They are primarily utilized when gathering information on a new species, either in the lead up to a first contact mission or alternatively during the initial discovery and in some cases long term observation of a pre-warp civilization. They can perform anything from short to long term operations depending on the mission’s requirements.
They do not work alone and are normally part of a larger team that work closely together to complete the mission.
The cultural expert would be expected to have a back ground is the social sciences such as Species development, Anthropology and Xenopology. You would expect this person to have extensive experience. It was also worth noting that the cultural expert can fill a training and advisory role or a field role that would take them down to a planet.
The cultural expert reports to the CSO, Chief Science Officer.
Traits: Blending in
Body Language
Cultural Experts are highly trained infiltration specialists, and are able to keep eye contact, even in the face of "unfriendly" company. Lack of eye contact is a basic sign of distrust and apprehension, and is likely to evoke hostility with an unfamiliar species or group.
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Attire
Learning to adapt on low resources is a vital skill; a Cultural Expert is able to minimize his identity by applying simple changes to his/her appearance. The comm-badge is the most conspicuous sign of "otherworldy" involvement and might create tension with a pre-warp civilization. In order to blend in, symbols of office, such as the badge and the cuff-stripes are hidden. If an officer finds any piece of cloth that appears native to a planet, he or she should don this as a throw-over, in an attempt to hide the vibrant hues of their uniform.
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Where possible with more developed pre-warp cultures, local clothing will be replicated in lieu of modifications to standard uniform, however for most cultures in a low level of development (equivalent to pre-Industrial Earth) this will usually suffice as extended cultural knowledge will usually be limited amongst the inhabitants.
Wherever possible, local dress should be replicated to ensure that the risk of being exposed is kept to an absolute minimum.
Speech
Cultural Experts know when to keep their mouths closed. Inconspicuous officers have more chance of avoiding danger and ensnaring doubt among the natives of a planet. An officer that announces his or her presence with audible tones will attract unwanted attention, whereas a reserved, placid officer is less likely to become a target and is able to go about their business undisturbed. Facial expressions are also vital for maintaining a low profile - pronounced features make an officer more recognizable, whereas a furtive, drawn appearance will deter interest immediately.
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