Design: ME-PA-65 something something something SPACEMARINE(Normal) (3+4) = 7: Superior Craftsmanship
Unfortunately Public Affairs has rejected our proposed slogan of "spinal cords? Who needs 'em!". But we'll persevere.
The ME-PA-65, known to
some as "SPACEMARINE", is the next generation of Bear Armor. It uses an improved version of CAT (somewhat inspired by people accidentally switching between infrared/regular views when they think they're moving their tongue) that is less.. crude. Relatively-speaking.
It still requires the "minor" surgical procedure to implement Neurogel jacks in your upper spine and so on. Though we've made these jacks a bit smaller and have managed to refine effective bandwidth, allowing for more precise control of things like individual fingers and more. Certainly not as precise as the real thing, but worth it considering the advantages they offer.
We've also found a way to locate and tap into some neural signals most likely used for functionality or limbs that have since disappeared via evolution. Meaning we can have the CAT user control a number of things that aren't associated to existing limb movements. It takes a while to get used to and is still quite primitive, but the potential is there. For now we're using it for visual feed changing, a few general utility functions, and so on. At this point it's only a few "spaces" to tap into.
Magmagel is used for the suit now, allowing for longer-lasting charge and significantly quicker charging. We've taken the opportunity given by the CAT control to greatly increase suit stability making greater use of already-existing shock dampeners. Weapons can be held practically perfectly still. General unconscious movements and breathing and whatnot will not trigger the suit motors.
On the note of motors, they
are stronger. Anyone in this armor will be able to carry heavier things, run faster, and more. We've found that those wearing this armor can run at a consistent 9 m/s or 20 miles per hour without stopping or tiring.
Armor is significantly greater than before. Ceramic plating covers both sides of COMBAT armor; while idle heat dissipation is decreased, the properties of the ceramic greatly reduce the relative efficacy of heat-based weaponry and prevent COMBAT armor that's been melted through absorbing projectile energy from affecting the human inside. Turns out they aren't huge fans of being trapped inside a suit full of molten metal. The cowards.
In addition to the general improvement of armor, the suit is actually designed around this and the use of powered movement, rather than it being the stapling of extra armor and motors on top of a strange WW1-era full-plating suit. This means much more coverage over previously uncovered areas and, through the use of a few additional materials, it means we can seal the suit against the vacuum of space.
A STABIL-ICE coolant system runs through the armor, keeping the user comfortable and in the case of COMBAT armor failing, pressurized STABIL-ICE fills the affected area to prevent further damage to the armor and user due to heat. In general use, the STABIL-ICE lasts more than long enough for any potential need. However, it's very possible to run out of STABIL-ICE if you're in a hot environment and taking damage.
We asked the DUC for a high-grade filter to install in the armor. They then brought us to their department (which feels a lot bigger than since we last checked) and showed us their best filter. When we mentioned that we wouldn't be able to fit a filter bigger than Grizzly Armor inside our design, they grumbled about us "not having any creativity" and reached into a bin and threw us a "low-grade" filter. We're pretty confident it'll do a good job, considering how DUC chemical accidents are common enough that they don't even bother telling anyone anymore and yet still no casualties.
In an atmosphere, this will allow operation in pretty much any environment and resistance to potential hazardous gases and materials. Without the presence of oxygen, the PA-65 has an internal tank rated for about 20 minutes of use. Dedicated oxygen tanks to be fitted on the back can be provided as needed, though.
The faceplate here is designed to be kept closed. Learning from the Grizzly, we've included effective miniaturized cameras on the sides of the head which have their feed projected onto the inside of the baseplate with accommodations for the extreme proximity to the user's eyes. Cameras can switch to IV, but cannot magnify (currently they give very rough approximate equality with regular sight).
A WALK-TALK is integrated into every suit and is linked to the aforementioned non-limb-based-CAT-control to allow for easy and convenient handsfree use. While implementing this, we saw an opportunity -- if the soldier is close enough to an active Ravenmind, the WALK-TALK will receive data that is then overlaid on top of the visual feed. We can't fit too much data here due to bandwidth and computing limitations on the PA-65's end, but it is capable of highlighting Ravenmind-detected enemy assets and potentially conveying critical ORACLE-A information (which is unlikely, given that ORACLE-A is more of a strategy thing rather than tactics; also we've noticed that apparently the supercomputer is starting to struggle to process the increasing amounts of data it's getting).
The PA-65 should be a devastating upgrade to our forces, upgrading nearly every aspect of an infantry soldier. It costs 5 Ore, 1 Oil, and 2 Magmatite, making it
Expensive. It will complement existing Bear armor for now.
Transport Capacity: 2/3 (2/2 Oil, 0/0 Ore Imported)
Space Transport Capacity: 1/2 (1/1 Magmatite Imported)
(+1 STC from Aratam's ANGEL Project)Resources: 4 Ore,
3 Oil,
2 MagmatiteMoon Region Rating: 2/2
Moon Resources: 1 Magmatite (Succesfully imported Moon Resources are included in "Resources" as well)Weapons- ME-CLAW-63: A Magmagel-using laser gun. Bit unwieldy for regular soldiers, but easy to carry (and can be duel-wielded) by Bear soldiers. Uses Magmagel canisters inserted into the barrel to fire. Has a beam mode and pulse mode, with the beam capable of cutting unarmored people in half. Can easily melt through current Aratamite infantry armor, though not instantly. Damage is precise; it can do a lot of damage in very small areas -- it's best used against vital organs. Beam mode, when concentrated on the exact same spot of a Tank/heavy armor for a few seconds, can melt through the armor and damage whatever's directly behind it. Has a(n unused) port to pump in/out Magmagel for continuous use. Terrific accuracy at any range, though damage scales with distance (making it Long-ranged). Comes with 3x scope for sniping.
[Cheap] 2 Ore, 1 Oil, 2 Magmatite - ME-GWS-63 'TALON': A variant of the ME-CLAW-63 with expanded Magmagel tanks and capacitor arrays, that works on a controlled overload. Takes 5 seconds to charge a laser pulse which turns everything in its path to plasma, then a large chunk of its target to plasma. Needs a 30 second cooldown period between shots, and has an extensive STABIL-ICE cooling system. If cooling is damaged or overheated otherwise, weapon explodes violently. Can shoot 10 times before recharge (which can be done in-field by external connection or by using its host's power supply) Very heavy, and currently only fit for deployment as the primary weapon of a Grizzly.
[Expensive] 3 Ore, 1 Oil, 4 Magmatite - UF-MRL-40 'SARUKH': The Sarukh is a multiple rocket launcher, which fires rockets one meter long to deliver 6kg warheads at a maximum range of 12000 meters. The rockets have impressive destructive power, compared to shells they do not need thick metal casings, so most of the weight of the rocket is either warhead or propellant. The rockets are launched electrically off of rails, and the rails are in a 4x2 array. The rockets can be fired all at once, but it takes about four minutes to reload the whole launcher, so the sustained rate of fire is not better than regular artillery. However, a rocket array is extremely light compared to a cannon, and can move very quickly, firing all at once and retreating before fire is returned from the enemy. Accuracy is poor compared to shells; to reliably hit a single target with a volley they should be used within 8km. Currently available as a truck trailer.
[Cheap] 1 Ore, 3 Oil
- ICE Rocket: A rocket for the Sarukh equipped with an ICE non-explosive warhead. Instant lethalities within 5m, very high fatalities within 10m, serious injuries (and occasional fatality) along with (usually temporary) vehicle non-operation to 50m. The cold dissipates quickly outdoors.
- ICE Thrower: A 20m-ranged pressurized ICE thrower that can rapidly cool an area in front of the operator to (eventually) lethal levels or outright kill/severely harm those directly hit by ICE. The ICE doesn't naturally react until roughly 10m out from the barrel, though it can hit other things in its way and react with whatever it hits. Prolonged use is discouraged, due to close proximity with ICE and ICE-affected areas being very dangerous even with the extensive insulation operators wear.
[Cheap] 2 Ore, 3 Oil - ME-MO-62 "Nameless Death": A large mortar that uses rocket-propelled ammunition to give it a more than respectable range, with the ability for ICE or HE warheads. Its advantage lies in its versatility and ease-of-use: it can be mounted on Bear Armor's rear mount, deployed on the ground, and an automatic version exists for mounting on the Grizzly. Though the infantry version is somewhat hard to use without Bear Armor. Bear Troopers can fire their rear-mounted mortar at any time, without deployment, using a button on the suit's arm, though they have to aim through their posture, and the mortar has to be manually reloaded by another person. Grizzly mech versions are fired via the CAT interface, but are harder to aim and the CAT interface can't do anything other than "fire".
[Cheap] 2 Ore - ME-AEM-63 'Shrike': A 100kg missile with a 15kg ICE/HE warhead. Its associated "Birdbrain" computing pod allows for real-time target detection/analyzing, giving pilots a simple holographic reticule overlay in the cockpit and allowing effective tracking of any kind of target. Its warhead can be adjusted in real time by the computer for optimum damage against the selected target (air-bursting, shaped charge, etc.) and it has high-res sensors with a relatively-thin viewing angle to find targets. On-board missile computer is simple and enacts out orders given by Birdbrain pre-launch, but can wirelessly receive new orders/communicate intel. Not specifically long-range.
[Cheap] 2 Ore, 2 Oil - ME-LDT-64 'RAILSTATION': Autonomous WARnet-Ravenmind CLAW turret. Fueled for 12h non-combat, 30min combat. Towed and deployed via WARTHOG (automatic w/ human supervision) or Excavator (manual). STABIL-ICE cooling keeps manageable temps in expectable conditions. If manually calibrated by trained human to a point on our maps, can act as navigational waypoint in its WARnet. Unarmored and fairly large pyramid shape. Sensors convey data across WARnet and allow for independent targeting of hostile ground assets and very rarely ballistic projectiles. 2m tall, 1m diameter, very roughly pyramid shaped.
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 3 Oil, 1 Magmatite
Armor- ME-PA-59 'Bear Armour': Powered infantry armor w/ full body COMBAT plating coverage, albeit with fairly frequent gaps in the joints. Lasts 8 hr, charge monitored by dial in the helmet. Stands ~2m tall, with bulletproof glass visor for limited visibility. Pilots boast slightly increased speed and slightly decreased agility over regular unarmored individuals while in the Armour and hold twice the strength of average soldiers. Contains advanced shock/recoil-dampening capabilities in gauntlets. Fit with Magmagel.
[Cheap] 4 Ore, 2 Oil, 1 Magmatite
- ME-PA-65 SPACEMARINE: Overhauled PA-59; external+internal ceramics protect COMBAT plating from heat and user from melted COMBAT plating. Sealed suit w/ air filter, can last 20m in space without external tanks. Controlled via improved CAT, eliminating small movement of arms due to breathing/etc. and giving more control. As agile as a regular soldier, can run at a consistent 20 MPH / 9 m/s, can carry about 3-4x as much mass. STABIL-ICE cooling keeps user cool in warm temperatures, and floods breached areas to prevent cascading damage from melting COMBAT plating. Coolant can run out with heavy use. User sees via feed from miniaturized cameras on sides of head projected onto internal faceplate with IV capability; internal WALK-TALK allows for handsfree communication and, if near a Ravenmind, highlighting of targets detected by that Ravenmind.
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 1 Oil, 2 Magmatite
- "Drop Bear" Armor: Bear Armor with 2 large fuel tanks attached to back with nozzles placed around the suit. Launches a Bear Trooper high into the air 50 m forward before landing unharmed. Single-use, and prohibits use of heavy weaponry.
[Expensive] 4 Ore, 3+1 Oil, 1 Magmatite
- ME-MAS-62 'Grizzly Armor' v2: ~4m-tall mechanized combat suit, based on Bear Armor. Heavy COMBAT plating covering chest - where the CAT-using pilot is, ooking at a fiberscope connected to the head. Mangalloy plating covers external of COMBAT armor. Can tank huge hits, and is relatively agile for something as dangerous as it is. Can equip any vehicle-suited or heavy weapon held by Mereth, an upscaled Bear Shield, or a 6-rocket Sarukh pod in either(/both) of its two arm modules. Fit with Magmagel, and a charging port that allows charging in five minutes w/ dials in cockpit. "Ursine Vision" system has 4 cameras relayed to the pilot (who can choose to ignore them in favor of the fiberscope) as well as a dedicated Handler at the nearest ORACLE-A node, who points out important things, gives tactical advice, and relays intelligence to ORACLE-A. Cameras are obvious targets and delicate, but not essential to operation.
[Expensive] 6 Ore, 3 Oil, 1 Magmatite - ME-AGV-64 WARTHOG: 6m-long angular autonomous ground vehicle powered by a Ravenmind. A squadron communicates in very short range "WARnet" to/from a Commander designated WARTHOG receiving general orders from the nearest Node (destruction of Commander leads to 1-3min of interrupted general commands while network rearranges itself). Covered in infantry-grade COMBAT plating, with AWD heavy duty wheels placed relatively far up into chassis for protection. GOFAST engine gives Fast speed, and a WARTHOG has a Very Long (entire theatre) range w/o weapon firing and Short range if deployed for combat. Twin-CLAW turret controlled by Ravenmind is placed on top. Can't track absolute location and must follow a human(-operated vehicle) or stay close to calibrated RAILSTATIONs for general travel. A squadron can coordinate to a limited degree, focusing fire on specific enemies and spots and the like though proper in-squad tactics aren't used. Basic STABIL-ICE cooling allows for continued operation while firing turret. Has foot/hand holds for 4 Bear troopers on outside.
[Expensive] 3 Ore, 4 Oil, 2 Magmatite
- WARTHOG-H: Variant with heavier cooling systems, external Magmagel+STABIL-ICE tanks, and less armor to mount a TALON turret instead. Does not sacrifice speed.
[Expensive] 3 Ore, 4 Oil, 3 Magmatite
Spacecraft- ME-STS-64 'Starknight': A larger completely unarmored variant of the Skyranger designed for space and lunar travel. A Turbopumped-GOFAST rocket combustion engine powers multiple thruster nozzles all over the craft, all with good vectoring, allows for very good maneuverability, speed, and fuel efficiency. It can land and take off form/into space just using landing gear on its bottom and can hover, though that's not recommended due to fuel usage concerns. ICE-cooling and ablative plating allows for relatively-low-maintenance atmospheric re-entry. Power provided by engines during burns and auxiliary GOFAST generators in other times. Panoramic electric display screen replaces window in cockpit, showing large amounts of data derived by the Birdbrain-based "Swallow" guidance system. A cramped pressurized crew compartment allows for a maximum crew of 6 for up to 2 weeks on its life support, with integrated CAT stations leading into a central Datalink conduit for every crewmember. Much larger unpressurized cargo hold has 2 HAUNTERs and 4 SERFs, and 2 GOFAST generators (used to power the craft or anything else). Has covered ports on outside of hull and on inside of cargo bay to connect Datalink conduits to, for uploading/downloading information and flight plans with ORACLE-A and letting the crew control any plugged-in remote controlled robot using the craft's integrated CAT stations. Rest of cargo hold has enough space for about half a dissembled Excavator. Requires a comprehensive flight plan from ORACLE-A via Datalink wires for orbital navigation. Equipped with radio.
+1 STU, +1 Moon Region Rating
[Very Expensive 5 Ore, 5 Oil - ME-ORMA-64 'Firestorm': Based on the Blizzard, extremely sleek obsidian black & bronze chassis with damascus steel-like details. Blizzard-style wings are placed further to the back, but are much stubbier and feel like an extension of the chassis. Covered in COMBAT plating, with the cockpit canopy having a COMBAT plating shutter. Powered by the "Ravenmind" Combat Assistive Computer which can give likely enemy flight patterns, analyze and target all enemies, assist in flight and maneuvers, communicate with other Ravenminds and ORACLE-A over radio, and give every possible piece of pertinent information to the pilot via the 4-color canopy HUD (where most information is conveyed rather than through physical instruments). Ravenmind controls CLAWs by default, and can control TALON and/or flight systems if allowed. Combat is still very possible when shutters are closed thanks to Ravenmind-provided data. A slightly downscaled nose TALON with minor gimballing can fire to a small cone of fire at the front (air-cooled for poor rate of fire, ICE-cooled for better RoF at cost of re-entry/Mach 3 speed capability before refueling), and two CLAW "bubbles" on the sides with interior mirror gimballing can fire practically anywhere short of 90 degrees in any direction. 4 hours of oxygen and 8 MREs are provided, allowing for extra-atmosphere operations. Full docking with crew, fuel, power, Datalink, and life support 2-way transfer can be made by docking the top of the craft with other spacecraft. Transports like the Starknight can refuel the Firestorm in orbit and transport it to places like the moon, allowing for full orbital fighter operations. Powered by a single multimodal GOFAST-M rocket engine with a primary thruster and powerful RCS thrusters all along the craft. STABIL-ICE cooling and ablative plating for re-entry and Mach 3 speeds, though a max of 5 minutes at Mach 3 is allowed before maintenance will be required to do it again. Mach 2 cruising speeds, Medium range.
[Very Expensive] 6 Ore, 4 Oil, 4 Magmatite
Air Vehicles- ME-LRMA-60 "Blizzard": A two-engine jet "Long-Range Multi-Role-Aircraft" based off of the Lightning Streak that uses a 4 "X"-shaped wing configuration via the "Tereshkova Effect" for slightly increased aerodynamics, improved redundancy, and greatly improved coolness. Its two aT-J60gi ICE "freezing stovepipe" ramjet engines allows it to be a fair bit faster than the Lightning Streak. Has one large GOFAST tank and a small STABIL-ICE tank allowing for Long range. Equipped with a single 15° rudimentary CLAW turret integrated with Birdbrain (and a small amount of Magmagel "ammo"), and 8 Shrike missiles.
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 4 Oil, 1 Magmatite - ME-EAP-63 "Skyranger": A two-multimodal-propulsion-unit suborbital transport craft. With four wings. It can propel itself out of the atmosphere and "fall" towards its destination at extremely fast speeds, making it a practical fireball (the heat of which is mostly countered through ICE circulation cooling). It can hold a full Bear squad or the equivalent weight in cargo/personnel, and using its suborbital travel method it can arrive anywhere on the continent in ~30 minutes. Its landing is extremely obvious and it requires heavy maintenance, and unless handling very light loads it has to take the long way back home, not using suborbital travel. Uses Magmagel-powered fans mostly in the atmosphere, and Magmatite-GOFAST Rockets/Ramjets at higher speeds and to get sufficient suborbital velocity. Has a CLAW hardpoint that cannot be used if suborbital travel is expected.
[Very Expensive] 6 Ore, 2 Oil, 3 Magmatite
Navy- UFN-CA-41 Catraphract: The Cataphract is a cruiser built to rival Cannala's ships. It is armed with 3x3 150mm gun turrets, each using a fully electrified loading system. Each gun can fire 8 times a minute. It has an armored citadel with 300mm of nickel-steel armor (Heavy), and a torpedo belt. The deck is heavily armored, at 120mm (Light) to defend against plunging fire, plus an extra splinter deck. The turrets are similarly armored. Additionally there are three turrets with two bumblebees on each side of the ship, capable of firing on aircraft or ships. It is powered by oil-burning steam turbines yielding a moderate speed.
[Expensive] 5 Ore, 4 Oil
- ME-MV-61 "Makeshift": A modification of the Cataphract with shooty-bits and unnecessary "crew livability" components removed.
Provides 2 TC
- ME-DDG-61 "Chillwind": A Guided Missile Destroyer equipped with a 2x-Bumblebee turret, eight Velociraptors divided amongst both sides of the hulls, all slaved to a 150km aircraft/30km ships radar system. Uses a Mostly Vertical Launch system to house 40 Penguin missile launch tubes - 20 each side - angled 30 degrees down vertically. Crew and equipment requirements mean that only four missiles can be launched and guided at a time. Has a very thin metal hull covered by Pykrete and crisscrossing pipes of STABIL-ICE to keep the Pykrete layer cool and supposedly repair any damage, though it proves ineffective at damage repair and the STABIL-ICE often runs out quickly enough such that a Chillwind's first engagement is usually without any Pykrete armor still intact.
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 3 Oil
Underground Vehicles- UT-60 Excavator: A tracked medium-sized tunnel boring machine using GOFAST. Can go down to Moderate and Shallow depths, moves at Very Slow speeds while underground and at Moderate speeds aboveground. Possesses limited (but notable) agility underground. Contains space for 6 soldiers and small amounts of equipment of the equivalent amount of cargo in the back, in addition to the 2 crew in its cockpit. Light armor. Equipped with Earth Ear for basic subterranean navigation.
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 3 Oil; Provides 1 Ore.
- ME-CM-56 'Instant Roads': A fast-acting sprayable concrete mixture very useful for reinforcing tunnels when sprayed by trailers hooked to a Burrower. Allows use of Burrower tunnels for logistics.
Provides 1 TC.
- UT-60-L Excavator-L: Variant of Excavator with 8-hour life support and a 2-person crew cabin designed to remain pressurized outside of Earth's atmosphere. Airtight door can be docked with a temporary inflatable connector.
Other- GATE/HAUNTER: A large ring-shaped device with surrounding outer transparent chamber of Magmagel that, with assistance of N-Sensitive Volunteer, can create a tear in the fabric of reality (induces insanity if looked at) leading to the "N-Dimension". It must spend time "Locking" coordinates, where Volunteer forces section of the N-Dimension to be stable and known enough to lock it to a position in our dimension where we can enter it. Emerging point in N-Dimension can be up to a mile away from GATE, with instant travel time. Complete ORACLE-A coverage of or very recent Volunteer visit to target area required. 15 minutes required for a lock to an adjacent position, 2 hours for a mile away. SERF-based Datalink-controlled drone equipped with a sword and thrusters piloted by the Volunteer, the "HAUNTER", travels into the N-Dimension where Aratamite astral activity can be located and potentially an attempt can be made to stop or disrupt them. Tear remains open for 15m-1hr depending on how good Volunteer is at keeping the local landscape of the N-Dimension stable, though Volunteer can break the lock prematurely if needed. GATEs have to be constructed on site with premade parts shipped to site beforehand allowing construction in two days. HAUNTERs can not be recovered after deployment, making the design Complex.
[Very Expensive] 3 Ore, 2 Oil, 4 Magmatite, [Complex] - GOFAST-Fuel: A special type of more energy-dense and stable fuel. Greatly increases fuel efficiency of anything it's in, doesn't require an oxidizer, and can rarely leak out of compromised containers.
Adds 1 Oil to cost. - WALK-TALK: The Wireless Audio Local Kommunicator-Transistor Assistance Lowers Kost Radio. A small hand-held two-way transistor radio..
[Cheap] 1 Ore - Electrogel: A very thick blue gel that creates and transmits electrical current corresponding to the amount of pressure applied to it. Comes with the "Electrogel Motor" - a very small motor with embedded Electrogel that works with power corresponding to Electrogel pressure. A patch of Electrogel can last roughly 8 hours when powering its corresponding motor nonstop at max power.
- Rechargeable Electrogel: A variant of Electrogel that can be charged with very precise pressure applied. As a general rule, the time needed to charge is 3x of how long it was used at max power usage.
- Magmagel: Electrogel enhanced with specially-ground Magmatite that allows very-fast charging.
- UF-SM-57 'Earth Ear' Mk. IV: A set of small attachments to be put on all available sides of a subterranean vehicle. The use of precise vibrations sent through the earth and analyzed by an onboard computer allow for identifying of earth and entities in a 20km area. A basic Cube-contained 3D-projected interface in red and blue shows the layout of the land and distinguishes between earth, buildings, vehicles, and infantry (all allied and enemy). Magnetic disks store gathered data to also be fed back to the ORACLE.
- GASOLINE: The Great Acoustic/Seismic Oil Location Initiative and Extraction device, which fits onto an Earth Ear systems allowing for relative easy surveying of underground oil deposits. Merethan regulation forbids surveying underneath Mereth for alleged safety reasons, meaning oil found as a result of GASOLINE has to be imported using our transport capacity.
Provides 1 Oil (Import)
- ICE: A chemical that very quickly reacts with the air to massively reduce heat in the surrounding area, often to the point where nearby things are frozen (ones in the epicenter frozen brittle), vehicles disabled or destroyed, and people killed.
- STABIL-ICE: A variant of ICE that relies on an added catalyst to only react when it's above a target temperature, specified during synthesization of the STABIL-ICE. Useful for ice cream and also maybe cooling of machinery and the like. Slowly decays over time in storage, making it unsuitable for anything not expecting routine maintenance.
- C.O.M.B.A.T. Plating: Composite armor plating using a thin manganese layer and a ceramic layer sandwiching a Tungsten-Bronze/Molybdenum-Bronze layer arranged to, in layman's terms, convert kinetic and electric energy into heat. The outer layers easily melt when tanking particularly impactful hits such as coilgun shots and Lvl3 Tesla blasts, but prevent death or (usually) injury in the process.
Adds +0 Ore to cost. (+1 cost nullified by ME-RID-61 'SERF") - Cerebral Action Translator A system wherein a series of jacks are implanted into the upper spine and lower brain -- roughly the neck and lower half of the back head, from the outside -- to allow for communication between computers/machinery and the human brain. Use of Electrogel as very-primitive "neurons" allows a bridge between the Electrogel and actual neuron growths, providing a channel to receive input from the neural system and a channel to send information to the neural system. It has low bandwidth, meaning it can't do a huge number of things at once, but what it does do, it does nearly seamlessly.
- ME-RID-61 'SERF': An unmanned thinner suit derived from Bear Armor, with near-human dexterity and a camera-like head. Remote controlled via cable connection to a pilot elsewhere hooked up via CAT, seeing via a television monitor and hearing via speakers. The SERF-2 version makes it much more skeletal, cheaper, and allows it to compact itself into a small cube-ish square in about 30 minutes and uncompact in about 3 minutes; all autonomously.
Reduces the cost of COMBAT plating from 1 Ore to 0.
Operation Plans- MARIA: Set up a mining outpost with Starknight landing pads surrounding an unpressurized warehouse with space for ores, oxygen, and fuel that has underground docks for lunar Excavators. Resupplies Excavators and facilities transport of humans into Excavators for piloting. Two humans per Excavator accompanied by a SERF mine in underground tunnels and bring the ore back to the warehouse for transport to Earth.
Potentially Provides 1 Ore OR [/color=darkred]1 Magmatite[/color]
Lunar Operation, No cost, Unique, Takes up 1 Region
Infrastructure- Division of Unusual Chemistry: A fully funded department & lab under the Design Division specializing in more unusual chemistry.
- M.A.G.M.A.: A giant very deep borehole used for industry, mining, and housing.
Provides +1 Ore - ORACLE-A: A microprocessor-based STABIL-ICE-cooled supercomputer charged with processing gathered relevant intelligence & data to create very accurate predictions of enemy strategy, and more. Duties have increased over time; use of large ORACLE-A "Nodes" across the territory help coordinate logistics, serve as forward bases, and increase the computer's capabilities. Input via keyboard, output via vector screen graphics and audio.
- H.O.P.E.: A laundry list of things very useful for doing things in orbit, the moon, and potentially beyond.
- Solaris System: Magmatite-enhanced solar panels with attached good energy storage and 20% solar cell efficiency.
Costs 1 Magmatite to add to a design. - Nanoseal Concrete: Variant of Instant Roads; material once applied slowly moves to create airproof seals. Requires multiple applications between waiting for it to clump together into sealed bits. Repairs nano breaches (micrometeroids or smaller), but bigger breaches require re-application. Must be sprayed on a medium/framework, e.g. bricks made from regolith. May cause cancer.
- B.R.E.A.T.H. Module that regulates atmosphere in a closed environment, ensuring optimum oxygen/nitrogen mix. Recycles CO2 to good but not perfect efficiency, and can electrolyze water for more oxygen. Recycle of waste to recover most (not all) water and nutrients useful for plants.
- F.I.G. Simple hydroponics system module growing plants with nutrients from BREATH and water, in addition to long-lasting rations from Earth. Hydroponics currently is not recommended to sustain humans independently, but to supplement rations.
- Zephyr Modular airlock with own atmosphere tanks, solar panels, electronics, and sensors. Can be shipped in parts or as a whole (fits nicely as main cargo of a Starknight). Contains two lockers for Polaris suits.
- A.L.W.V. Ambiguous Lunar Wheeled Vehicle, a smallish flat bed battery-powered vehicle with good suspension and 8 wheels. Can fit an inflatable pressurized "cabin" to fit driver and 6 passengers, a cargo hold, a towing system, storage+laying for cables and conduits of all types, tanks for liquid/gaseous substances, etc..
[Cheap] 3 Ore, 1 Magmatite
Provides +1 Region Rating
- Embassy "Vast Underground Forenian Embassy": An extensive and mildly luxurious underground Forenian embassy dug underneath around the center of Mereth using improvements in excavation technology designed 100% solely for civilian use and definitely nothing else.
You have a new Lunar Region to deploy an Operation on if you wish.
Author
Topic: Mad Arms Race - Mereth Design Division (Fall 1965 - Final Design Phase) (Read 83378 times)