In fact, shutting down everything might be viable. We have a large ship and a fairly small crew, we should be able to survive without lifesupport (for some time).
Paranoia: The bomb won't be alone. Their might be others. Also since this is a disabling bomb, not a destruction bomb, we can expect being boarded shortly after it explodes. So prepare for that too.
Yep with the large space inside the Firestar and the small crew you have several hours where you can have everything off.
Intial checks for other such devices find nothing.
Shutdown all nonelectronical systems. That should offer them some protection.
>Me: RObert: Go and investigate. Attempt to disarm allowing for reusal of the bomb.
You shutdown everything (but again the engine of the Firestar has no obvious method to shut it off and you're forced to leave it idling)
The EMP device has a secure comunication tunnel to a remote activator, which seems to be...the Firestar's main computer?
Which now happens to be off as crew members grab small arms set up barricades and ready themselves for a possible boarding action.
A quick hack of the devices onboard computer gives you control but it does not reveal who put it there, why or if there are more.
Alright well the offensive turrets are concentrated on the port side. We can armour that side later.
Which ship is this EMP on?
Quickly hand weapons to all crew. Turn off all systems possible. Have the mechanics check for motion sensors, if none are found toss the damn thing out an airlock. If not god help us and try and disarm it. Alternatively if we have an emp box somewhere toss it over the damn crate?
Do we have enough EVA suits for the crew? Its the future I figure their common. If so vent atmosphere in the outermost compartments.
Security teams, 1 to the bridge, another to the hanger/hold.
Have all non-essential crew positon defensively around the ship corridors.
Have several pilots climb in their fighters. If anything happens we want them out and ready to go when things come back online.
I must be honest though, these are space ships, so should they not be shielded from such things due to space already having stray electromagnetic waves all over the place? I just always thought EMPs in space were not very realistic. I'm not really complaining though, just felt I'd mention it.
It's on the Firestar and you have EVA suits for twenty.
Indeed they are but the shielding doesn't need to be that good and the EMPs of the future are very powerful to the point where being anywhere near one when it goes off will likely kill you due to the shear amount of energy unleashed.
Few ships have the shielding to withstand such a powerful EM burst at close range.
(EMPs are one shot weapons because when they're fired they melt themselves down by doing so)