The fast kill is a contact. The slow kill is forgetting how many E-cells your torch has left, three sweeps into a derelict, with the hatch you came through now welded shut behind you. Survival covers the ledger that runs underneath every other rule; air, power, fatigue, food, water.
Certain equipment consumes resources while active. These are tracked per Sweep:
- Air in Vac Suits
- E-Cells in Torches and personal Shields
- Exhaustion from readied weapons; the GM may call for Exhaustion checks based on weapon size: Small weapons are exempt, Medium weapons after extended carry (6+ Sweeps), Large weapons after short carry (3+ Sweeps)
- HITS in hostile environments without appropriate protection
The GM should note ER consumption when the squad enters a hazardous area and tick it forward each Sweep.
- Travel; Sweeps drive the ER ticker
- Hazards; environmental damage hits faster when you're already short on air/power
- Recovery Cycles; Lockdown clears 1 Exhaustion automatically; +1 more with a Medic