There is a “universal clock” that is used by (almost) all starships, space stations, and such. This clock is synchronized with the time at the capital city of the CSS on Prime. Considering the trivial nature of moving around a planet – specifically, the ability to grab a shuttle and go literally anywhere in minutes – local time on a planet is largely ignored unless one actually lives on the planet.

To make life easier on our players, this universal clock features a 24 hour day just like real life. In the CSS, this clock cycle has been perfectly calculated and timed such that leap years/leap seconds/etc. are not required.

Aboard most ships, there are three 8 hour shifts. This, too, can vary; not all ships run 24/7, some ships have enough crew to do four shifts instead of three, and so forth. However, on the Legacy Flint-Vasa, we use a three shift system.

For the purposes of keeping to a RL analog, first shift is 8 AM to 4 PM. Second shift is 8 AM to midnight. And Third shift is midnight to 8 AM. “In reality”, the spacers probably use metric time and start the day at 0:00 but for the purpose of simplicity we'll just stick to the time format that we are used to.

RL time and MUCK time are not related! For the most part, we will probably be playing in the evenings RL just because we're all adults who work and have some simblance of a life. The current time is what the group playing agrees it is, if it even matters (it usually doesn't matter).

Each crew member works one shift a day, and has two shifts off. Generally speaking, one shift is “recreation time” and the other is “sleep time”. They can be in any order; for instance, if your character works second shift, they can sleep first shift and play third shift, or sleep third shift and play first shift.

We encourage you to use the shifts as reasons you aren't around. “Sorry I missed that, I had to work third shift that day”. Or if you're around when you're normally not, “I swapped my sleep shift and my rec shift” would be a valid excuse.

We discourage you from using shifts are a reason you CAN'T do something. Sometimes “realism” can get in the way of fun, and we're ultimately here for fun, so make it work. “I swapped shifts for a few days” or “I'm taking some time off” would be reasons you could be around when technically you shouldn't be.

Kitchen Staff (Currently O'Roarke, Tim and Silas) have their own schedules that doesn't align with the shift system. They produce a meal for first shift and second shift, and get a break between the meals. Overall, they work the same 8 hours, just more or less split half in first shift and half in second shift. There is no 'hot meal' option for third shift; it is either Food Processor food or leftovers. However, third shift can choose to split their day such that they get meals during first and/or second shift.

Finally, passengers are expected to be awake during first and second shift, so stewards don't usually work third shift. There would be an “on call” steward who gets woken up for passenger emergencies, but at this point it is unlikely that a steward would be assigned third shift.