The Safe Harbor protocols

Access denied - We Broke Into Heaven

Nothing Gold Can Stay: "This one is particularly unique. It has the same effect, regardless of what's triggered by it. It erases the protocols from the memory of the triggered technology, and only the protocols themselves. My guess is it's meant to be a fail-safe, in case other species had a means of learning the protocol. It also must be spoken in full. It's one of the few protocols that won't allow for drift."

— Caydie Kines

We are not the sharpest tools in the shed. We have a few advantages over other species, but these technologies help preserve what we have, as opposed to helping us prosper. A topic of heavy study for humanity is the very thing that gave our planet its name: The safe harbor protocols.
We know next to nothing about them. The original intent behind their creation, as well as how many distinct triggers and phrases exist, all lie just beyond our grasp. Only one thing really matters: What are the safe harbor protocols? What is it that allows them to be? What is their nature?
We've scoured old computers abandoned in derelicts. We've found no coding, no digital blueprint that would explain how the cipher works. The lack of microphones on the technology makes the mystery even harder to unravel. It would be a simple thing to study the programming, but it doesn't seem to be a program at all. It is a process that seems hidden. The interaction is secluded somewhere between what we can see and measure. It lies in the interaction of software and hardware.

Old age should burn: "This one has been a pain to experiment with. This leads to complete destruction of any earth made device that hears it. Data drives will erase themselves, vessels will self-destruct. This is what you used to cover your tracks. It's odd that the protocols differentiate this phrase with 'Nothing gold can stay.' If the device is destroyed, won't the protocols be destroyed as well?
Addendum: After experiments with a group of old earth locks, I can verify that even if the entire system of the device is destroyed, several protocols still have an effect if used around the device. The lock clicks as I recite the phrase again."

— Caydie Kines

What are the safe harbor protocols?

In a general sense, The Protocols act as a secret language, a cipher usable only by humans. It involves a particular series of words, strung together in a particular order. Due to natural drift, they are often vague phrases or statements. Feel free to give it a shot the next time you find some earth tech. You never know what will happen.
A prime example of this cipher in use would be the term "Safe Harbor." Before we made a home on this strange world, humanity was scattered. Some earthborn humans knew of the protocol and used it as often as possible. We're slowly unlocking its mysteries, discovering new phrases routinely as we focus our study, and it all began with this one phrase.
All earth vessels were given a command upon hearing the term Safe Harbor, but only when spoken by a human in a human language. Refugees would be gathered on earth ships. Their rescuer would say, "I'll meet you when you reach safe harbor." From that moment on, the ship's coordinates would be locked in. Naturally, Safeharbor became the name of the very planet we arrived at. It does have a poetic beauty to it, no?

Hope Is The Thing With Feathers: "Primarily works on drones Manufactured on earth. The drone will activate and defend the speaker. What's bizarre is how the drone will activate any system it can, regardless of programming, damage sustained, or power limitations. The drones will activate and fight until there is simply no way for it to continue. I have no idea why someone would need this. Wouldn't the drones do this anyway?"

— Caydie Kines

Using the cipher

There are few limitations on how the cipher can be used. Simply speak it in whatever capacity you can, and if a reaction can occur, it will. If close enough, it can be muttered under your breath. It works best when spoken clearly, however, or even when typed out on a console.
The only true limitation is it must be a human speaking a human language. This helps maintain secrecy, though we have no idea how the technology can tell the difference. No one managed to find Safeharbor for decades, despite the fact that humans everywhere were flocking to the planet en masse.
The further away you are, the louder you need to be, and this is especially true when handling technology that is particularly worn out. Ships left to the elements on distant worlds tend to be hit or miss when using the protocols, their vital systems failing the test of time. Of course, this also means we are constantly in short supply of the technology, unable to reproduce or repair it without an understanding of its deeper functions.

Safe Harbor: "Activates navigational technology. It will plot routes, autopilot ships, fill in star charts, and even send notifications to nearby earth vessels that are crewed by humans of a single planet's location. "

— Caydie Kines

Study

First, we discovered a strange link between our history, and the protocol. Famous lines or titles from works deemed culturally significant were used when creating the cipher. My personal favorite comes from a poem of old earth: Hope Is The Thing With Feathers. When spoken around old earth drones, they will activate, and defend you until they are rendered completely destroyed. This brings me to my next point: the context is just as important as the phrase. Different effects occur around different pieces of technology. "Safe harbor" locks in coordinates when used on a vessel, but brings up star charts revealing those coordinates if spoken to a computer. On occasion, it won't do anything at all.
Figuring out the right phrase and what reaction you get with different pieces of technology is the reason we struggle to truly understand the cipher. Before she perished in The Battle of The Pillars , Caydie Meredith Kines would stay up all night reading poetry and classical literature to stacks of earth artifacts. She did so till her voice gave out. She was the foremost expert on the subject. We learned so much from her.

On the Shoulders of Giants

New ships and technology created on Safeharbor have similar features that mimic The Safe Harbor Protocols. A fine example is the phrase: "Oh captain! My captain!" When spoken, the ship's systems will transfer the title of Captain, as well as the powers of the title, to an individual of the captain's choosing.
This command mimics the protocol using the same phrase to accomplish the same goal, though records indicate it was far more ceremonial in nature and a matter of tradition. Regardless, it was, and still is, an important act for every captain. Doing so almost ensures a peaceful change of power, ensuring the loyalty of the crew.
There are many occasions where a captain is unable to use this command, and as such, the selection of a new captain becomes a tedious, or sometimes violent affair. To combat this, many captains record their relinquishing of command prior to their death, having already selected their successor.

We broke into heaven: "I've been working on the protocols for the sole reason of figuring out what this means. Every earthborn I've ever met has said this. When spoken around earth tech, the technology reacts. We can hear the clicks, beeps, and whirs, but there is nothing we can detect that changes from when it's dormant to when it's triggered. taking the equipment apart reveals nothing. I've asked, and asked. I've bribed. I've begged, and I've threatened. No one will tell me what this means, and I know they know..."

— Caydie Kines