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On the last day of the crowdfunding campaign for their latest game ISS Vanguard, Awaken Realms announced a promo crew card (portraying Elon Musk) to be added to all pledges, as a token of gratitude for their supporters. As the first snowflakes started to fall (accompanied by cancel-threats and social media bullying), AR got cold feet and withdrew the card for all backers. 

I like people that show ownership of their decisions and actions. AR didn't justify their choice but as much as I don't like their actions, they have the right to do as they want. On the other hand, I cannot justify those who took their own views as facts and managed to impose these on everybody else. 

This is how the Dirty Dozen was created! Here is the concept: As the first ISS5 expedition was about to launch, it became immediately evident that the success of the mission only depended on the ship's elite crew members and their scientific potential. On the other hand, the mission presented incredible personal risks. This is how the idea came to light: a very selected group of twelve man and women would board the ISS5 as the Dirty Dozen, exclusively recruited from the Penal Freezers that a 120 years before had been built in orbit around Earth. Their job would be to go where the shallowly designed crew members would not dare to. No risk would be too high, as their life has no value for the ISS5's board members and for the public opinion. Only the toughest, the most skilled and the most courageous convicts would be defrost and offered to volunteer, irrespective of their moral status or crimes. The mission is simply too important to fail. 

So here it is: the cannon fodder of every space mission, the superstars of the lower decks, the ISS5 Dirty Dozen (DD)!

Adding the DD to your campaign requires very minor modifications: in essence, all negative effects that the death of a crew member would bring you, can be completely and safely ignored for the DD. Whenever new crew members are recruited, you can freely choose to hire a DD member instead. However, the number of DD members alive on your active crew should somehow bring some instability. So, unlike with the other precious, self-righteous and boring nerds, when a DD member survives, the section leaders will welcome them back on board with contempt. "Still breathing, you scum! Now get out of my sight!". They will not mind, heading straight for the canteen.

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