Appointed only by the ships Captain, this character has the responsibility of assisting the captain and at times commanding the entire ship. All other characters are under his/her command, with the exception of the CO.  The character for positon should have a professioanl personality, garner respect, and communicate with all characters. He/she should be able to work with the crew to accomplish dangerous or complicated missions.

In addition, the person who writes for and plays the XO is responsible for selecting new missions for the SIM, guiding the story line, overseeing and resolving player conflicts, recruiting new members, and maintaining the list server and website for the Ship, in the absense of the CO. 

This character usually plays on the Command Center, but can be moved all over the facility and on some selected away missions. This person is one of the main characters in the SIM and is always heavily featured in all missions.