Salvage

Salvage is one of Cargo's key, but also most dangerous, sources of income. Salvage extracts money from Space Debris and the enigmatic Mining Asteroid.

While the void of space is full of terrors, with proper preparation and coordination any Salvage Team can make a lot of money for Cargo.

Preparations

Before leaving the station, ensure you are prepared with all the required equipment. Otherwise, you will likely die before seeing any profits!

Everything needed before leaving the station is provided inside Salvage's starting room. While Science can research better weapons and equipment, it is best to be equipped with your starting gear rather than nothing.

Stats · 7 row(s)

Blunt armor	10% reduction
Slash armor	10% reduction
Piercing armor	10% reduction
Radiation armor	70% reduction
Caustic armor	20% reduction
walk speed	20% slower (x0.8)
sprint speed	20% slower (x0.8)

Stats · 3 row(s)

food capacity	10u
walk speed	20% slower (x0.8)
sprint speed	20% slower (x0.8)

The most basic equipment you need is the EVA setup.

Spationaut Hardsuit: This keeps you alive in space. Remember to activate the helmet so you can breathe and turn on its built-in flashlight.
Magboots: These provide you with gravity when exploring space debris while also making you slip-proof.
Oxygen/Nitrogen: Depending on your species, you will need Nitrogen (slimes & vox) or Oxygen (every other species). The Gas Tank Dispenser has all the tanks needed, so stock up.

All Salvage Specialists must be armed, in case they need to defend themselves from hostiles.

Proto-Kinetic Accelerator: This gun has infinite ammunition, allowing you to slowly mine and fly through space. Science can print upgrades to make it hit harder, shoot farther, and cycle faster.

Stats · 2 row(s)

storage capacity	40 slot(s)
max item size	Normal

While you can technically mine and gather ore with just a PKA and a Backpack, Salvagers start with more specialized gear for the task.

Pickaxe: This is required for mining at any reasonable speed when wielded. It also works as a handy melee weapon!
Ore Bag: When equipped in your belt slot, this magnetizes nearby ore and automatically picks it up for you.

Stats · 1 row(s)

spray capacity	100u

Although you can acquire more advanced forms of travel, you'll begin with more humble methods.

Fire Extinguisher: The poor man's Jetpack. While in space, you can use a Fire Extinguisher's knockback to propel yourself in the opposite direction. It can be refilled with any liquid.
Grappling Gun: A movement tool with infinite potential. It's fired like any other gun, and can be retracted by reloading. Once you hook onto something, click UseSecondary to reel yourself in.
Salvage PDA: Your PDA spawns with the AstroNav GPS program installed, allowing you to use it as a GPS when held in hand. Be sure to note the station's coordinates before you head out!
Mass Scanner Computer: A computer console which provides a top-down view of the station and nearby entities in space. Use it to double-check the location and direction of debris or asteroids before you travel to them.

Finally, there are also some helpful but not required equipment that is available to Salvage.

Handheld Radio: This lets you communicate with other Salvage Specialists even if regular radio communications are unavailable.
Global Positioning System: A spare GPS system, identical to the one pre-installed in your PDA. Useful as a backup option or as equipment from newly-hired Salvagers.
Utility Belt: This holds all the equipment you will need to loot machines and the like from Salvage Wrecks and the Mining Asteroid. Wear it anytime you aren't planning on mining.

Salvage Magnet Pulls

Once prepared, it is time to go and explore the stars.

The Salvage Magnet is the machine that brings space debris into nearby space.

The Salvage Magnet provides five offers: they will be a random mix of Asteroids, Salvage Wrecks, and Space Debris. After choosing one of the offers, the selected chunk will be pulled in for the next 6 minutes. At the end of this time, any loot remaining on the pulled grid will disappear. If none of the offers look appealing to you, they refresh every 3 minutes if unclaimed.

During the 6 minutes, fly to the pulled grid, extract all profit possible, and then fly back to the station.

### Asteroids

Stats · 2 row(s)

storage capacity	40 slot(s)
max item size	Normal

The Salvage Magnet provides information on the types of resources on an asteroid, which can help you decide which to prioritize based on the current needs of the station. This is a relatively safe option for mining as there are no hostile creatures on asteroids - though there are certainly still threats...

All you need to do is fly around and mine the ore with your Pickaxe and Ore Bag. Once you have collected all the ore, you can refine it into materials through the Ore Processor.

Tread lightly - hidden in seemingly normal rock, chunks of Gibtonite hide, ready to explode at the slightest disturbance.

### Space Debris

Stats · 1 row(s)

spray capacity	100u

Space Debris is a versatile option, providing vital basic materials (such as steel, glass, etc.) in short supply at the start of the shift. Items and scrap are scattered across the debris, and must be collected. Consider dragging along one of the lockers or crates aboard the debris for easier storage.

Debris is sprinkled with numerous threats. Bloodthirsty Space Carp and Sharkminnows infest them, eager to rush any Salvagers that come nearby. Landmines are also rarely found aboard debris, capable of incapacitating the unwary explorer.

Once you return from the Debris, place any scrap you found aboard the debris into your department's Recycler to transform it into useful materials and give it to Cargo to distribute to the station. Should you find valuables aboard the Debris, like Coins, Rings, and Watches, give them to Cargo so they can be sold at the Automated Trade Station for profit.

### Salvage Wrecks

The Salvage Magnet provides information on the size of a Wreck. Salvage Wrecks vary wildly in both threat and value, but they often have more diverse threats than Space Debris. Keep your distance from hostiles and shoot at them with the Proto-Kinetic Accelerator. Look out for valuable loot and machinery, and use your Appraisal Tool to check the value of different things.

Progression & Upgrades

While your starting equipment is all you need to do your job at a basic level, advanced gear makes your work far easier, and gives you the equipment necessary to let you tackle the dreaded Mining Asteroid

### Salvage Job Board

The Salvage Job Board is a computer located in the Salvage Bay. It serves as Salvage's version of the Cargo Bounty Computer, allowing Salvagers to fulfill specific jobs with Salvage-specific materials in order to earn Spesos and unlock Advanced Salvage Gear.

Once you gather the supplies necessary to complete a job, print out a Salvage Job Shipment Label and attach it to the crate or locker containing the goods. You can use your Appraisal Tool to double-check that it's ready for sale. The prepared bounty can then be brought to the Automated Trade Station to earn Cargo Spesos and to unlock new Salvage-specific crates in the Cargo Request Computer.

Completing Salvage Jobs will upgrade your rank and unlock new equipment purchases in the Cargo Request Computer, including:

Fultons: Once a Fulton has been linked to a Fulton Beacon, they can be attached to unanchored structures like crates or machines to teleport them back to the Beacon after a short wait. Exceptionally useful for moving both items and people.
Crusher Weapons: A series of upgraded melee options for Salvagers to purchase. The Crusher Dagger is an upgrade to your Survival knife, swinging automatically and far faster than a regular knife. The Crusher and upgraded Crusher Glaive are gigantic polearms which can fire special projectiles when wielded. These projectiles do no damage on their own, but if a marked enemy is meleed quickly enough, you'll leech some of their life away to heal yourself. All Crusher weaponry comes with a built-in floodlamp.
Seismic Charges: Mining explosives intended to be used to break up asteroids or breach into dangerous wrecks. Remember that you can link them to a remote detonator or set them to start detonating when attached to a wall for safer demolition.

### Working with Science

The Science Department is a crucial partner for Salvage. Science depends on Salvage for both basic materials (steel, plastic, glass) and advanced materials (silver, gold, plasma, and uranium), and Salvage relies on Science for the upgraded equipment that makes their work easier.

Whenever possible, communicate with Science and try to prioritize their requests. While Science will need large quantities of basic materials, they rely entirely on you for their supply of Gold, Silver and Uranium, all of which are required for your advanced gear. If you want Science to help you, you have to help them - and vice versa.

Science is the only source for a variety of extremely useful gear, including:

Mining Gear: Science can provide you with Mining Drills and Mineral Scanners, which make mining faster and easier. They can also build you an Industrial Ore Processor, which processes ore into finished materials at a much better rate.
Handheld Mass Scanner: A pocket-portable Mass Scanner Computer. Though it requires a battery to use, it lets you view your position anywhere in space.
PKA Upgrades: You can upgrade your PKA with up to two unique upgrades from a pool of three: Damage, Fire Rate, and Range.

The Mining Asteroid

Once you feel that you've mastered the Salvage Magnet, the distant Mining Asteroid serves as the next step in a Salvager's journey. Reaching the Mining Asteroid generally requires a shuttle or jetpacks, and it should generally not be explored alone due to the exceptional dangers within.

Stats · 4 row(s)

max health	150
damage container	Biological
walk speed	2 tiles/s
sprint speed	2 tiles/s

Stats · 4 row(s)

max health	75
damage container	Biological
walk speed	3.5 tiles/s
sprint speed	4 tiles/s

Stats · 4 row(s)

max health	45
damage container	Biological
walk speed	2 tiles/s
sprint speed	3 tiles/s

The Mining Asteroid consists of two sections: the Dungeon, a randomly-generated structure filled with enemies and material loot, and the Asteroid, which contains vast deposits of mineral wealth dotted with pockets of loot and monsters.

Beware of the monsters aboard the Mining Asteroid, as they stand head and shoulders above the threats present on Wrecks and Debris.

Goliaths: Titanic beasts which can incapacitate targets with writhing tendrils, leaving them helpless against their massive claws and gnashing teeth. They're a pain to take down, but they can be butchered for valuable Goliath Hide Plating, useful in both completing Salvage Jobs and upgrading your Spationaut Suit.
Hivelords: Fast moving and erratic anomalies. They prefer to keep their distance in combat, spewing out small Hivelord Brood to swarm Salvagers. They're not especially tough, so ambush them quickly before they can summon a horde to drown you in. They can be butchered for the quick-rotting Hivelord Cores, which are used to complete Salvage Jobs and can also be eaten raw for quick healing.
Basilisks: An ice-encrusted terror that lurks in the shadows. Basilisks can fire freezing energy bolts which damage and slow their targets, and will often use them to soften up a target before moving in for the kill. Once defeated, they can be butchered for invaluable Diamond Ore.