Why can I see the ship but not board it?

S.A.S.S. Nova is visible on the map before you have a place aboard; looking at the deck is not the same as being allowed onto it. Asking to board is the whole requirement — the ship issues your place when you request it at the Welcome Center or at the boarding checkpoint.

Do I need a pet, supplies, a sponsor, or a quest?

No. Boarding asks for none of them. Bring whichever pet you like once you are aboard, but nothing has to be prepared, handed over, or completed first.

Does my visitor pass expire?

A sponsored visitor pass stays valid until it is explicitly revoked. It does not time out on its own.

Is boarding the same as being a Nova Reach citizen?

No. Your place aboard is a volunteer berth that lets you into the areas the crew has approved, and nothing more. It is not citizenship and not membership.

Where can I review the story so far?

The Almanac's Story tab keeps your journey: chapters you have lived through with their recaps, anything in progress with its remaining steps, and teasers for what is still ahead.

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S.A.S.S. Nova And Nova Reach

How to board the ship, what a visitor pass is for, and what is waiting aboard once you are on.

Updated October 7, 2026

Asking to board

Nova Reach is Veloris's capital of commerce and technology, and the Welcome Center is its front desk. Marsh works the visitor desk there. A whirlpool anomaly off the islands has Nova Reach opening the Nova Gate, and S.A.S.S. Nova — the Signal Analysis & Survey Ship — holds station above it as a research and response vessel.

You do not need to be from Nova Reach, and there is nothing to prepare. Greet the desk and ask to board; the ship records your place aboard and the hatch opens. Mallow keeps the same checkpoint at the ship itself, so approaching from the landing works too.

Nothing stands between you and the hatch. A boarding request needs a finished account setup and nothing else — no pet, no supplies, no sponsor, and no prerequisite work. The screen says so in as many words.

What boarding gives you, and what it does not

Your place aboard is a volunteer berth. It opens the approved areas of the deck, it is what puts the NVA Badge beside your name on public surfaces, and it is the same fact the ship checks on every visit — so if it is ever revoked, the badge goes with it.

It is not Nova Reach citizenship, it is not organization membership, and it does not grant anything in the city beyond the Welcome Center's public rooms. The crew can explain more once you are aboard.

Visitor sponsorship is a separate thing

The Welcome Center's visitor services board lists Nova Reach citizens who will vouch for a visitor to the city. Choosing one registers a sponsored visitor pass: a limited credential for the city, issued independently of the ship and never required for boarding.

Trust is a floor here, not a climb. A sponsor needs to know you, like you, and have no active reason to doubt you. It does not require earned trust — routine greetings and gifts never grant that by design, and requiring it would make the board's own advice impossible to follow.

Aboard the ship

Commander Rae meets you on your first arrival. Acknowledging his briefing is what opens the deck links, so it is worth doing before you wander:

The Nova Canteen is a counter you buy a plate from rather than a catalog shop, and Mallow keeps the Welcome Aboard desk on the atrium floor. Mallow and Marsh are two androids of the same model and share a face; they are not the same person, and they are not in the same place.

FAQ

Why can I see the ship but not board it?: S.A.S.S. Nova is visible on the map before you have a place aboard; looking at the deck is not the same as being allowed onto it. Asking to board is the whole requirement — the ship issues your place when you request it at the Welcome Center or at the boarding checkpoint.
Do I need a pet, supplies, a sponsor, or a quest?: No. Boarding asks for none of them. Bring whichever pet you like once you are aboard, but nothing has to be prepared, handed over, or completed first.
Does my visitor pass expire?: A sponsored visitor pass stays valid until it is explicitly revoked. It does not time out on its own.
Is boarding the same as being a Nova Reach citizen?: No. Your place aboard is a volunteer berth that lets you into the areas the crew has approved, and nothing more. It is not citizenship and not membership.
Where can I review the story so far?: The Almanac's Story tab keeps your journey: chapters you have lived through with their recaps, anything in progress with its remaining steps, and teasers for what is still ahead.