1. If it's published material from the canon, it would probably fall under "canon AU," the way we count multiple versions of malleable protagonists. It would be judged as a canon app. The "AU" bit is just for record-keeping purposes. Without knowing the canon, it's hard to be more precise.

2. Teleporters are the primary method of moving between zones. Characters can also take shuttles from zone to zone, but that requires chits. Going between zones through any of the maintenance connections is generally not possible for characters, would be dangerous to try, and would require a plot request to succeed.