Extraction

What They Are

Teleportation pads are bidirectional transport platforms located at fabrication depots across the surface. They're how you get down to the surface (spawn) and how you get back up to your vessel (extraction).

Key Characteristics:

• All telepads are at fabrication depots — there are no scattered wilderness extraction-only pads. Every telepad is part of a Corp facility.
• Spawn is "free" (from your perspective) — Selenite Corp subsidizes inbound teleportation as part of their labor infrastructure. They pay to get workers to the surface.
• Extraction costs resources — YOU pay to teleport yourself and your gathered loot back to your vessel. This is how Corp recoups their spawn subsidy and maintains control.
• Maintained by automated systems — most are functional, occasionally serviced by Corp tech teams.
• Vary in capacity — some can handle high traffic, others have limited throughput.
• Organic matter only — teleportation works on people, not vehicles or heavy cargo (see fabrication depot documentation for why).

This infrastructure design reinforces Corp dependency: you must return to a fabrication depot to extract. There's no escaping into the wilderness with a hidden extraction point. Every exit route goes through Selenite infrastructure.

Pad Conditions

Type	Location	Fee Level	Reliability
Premium Pads	Near Selenite facilities	Fair (standard)	Very high — always powered
Standard Pads	Scattered infrastructure	Higher than premium	Functional, occasional issues
Degraded Pads	Abandoned sites	Cheap	Risky — might fail mid-teleport

Using a degraded pad creates a gamble: save on fees, but risk losing everything if the pad malfunctions.

Fee Calculation

The fee is calculated based on:

Mass Being Transported

Gear + gathered resources. More stuff = higher fee.

Distance to Your Vessel

Your vessel's current orbital position affects transport cost.

Network Congestion

How many extractions are happening server-wide. Peak times cost more.

Pad Condition

Damaged pads charge more to compensate for energy loss. Degraded pads charge less but may fail.

Typical Fee Range

The fee is designed to be:

• Mid-tier resources equivalent to 20-30% of a decent haul
• Enough that you need to gather meaningfully before extracting
• Not so much that extraction becomes impossible

This creates the natural loop: gather → afford extraction → decide whether to bank or push for more.

Extraction Pressure Mechanics

To prevent extraction from being trivial, several systems limit when you can use telepads:

1. Resource Requirements

You need sufficient resources to pay the fee. Early in a surface session, you simply don't have enough yet. This creates the natural loop.

2. Tidal Interference

Selenite teleportation technology is disrupted by tidal flux. Pads automatically shut down when:

• A flood is imminent (too much electromagnetic interference)
• Tidal surge is at peak (energy grid can't support teleportation)
• Atmospheric conditions are unstable

Forecast windows show when pads will be operational. You might have to survive 2-3 flood cycles before extraction becomes possible.

3. Pad Condition

Not all pads are equal — premium, standard, and degraded pads offer different tradeoffs between cost and reliability.

4. Carry Capacity

You can only transport what you can carry. This creates decisions:

• Extract now with what you have?
• Drop low-value items to pick up something better?
• Make multiple trips (expensive, time-consuming)?

What Happens

1. Reach a functional teleportation pad
2. Confirm extraction (review fee, verify inventory)
3. Pay the fee (resources deducted)
4. Teleportation sequence (brief, can be interrupted by attack)
5. Arrive in your vessel
6. Progress saved — clone state updated, inventory secured