Turn 2 Design Phase ResultsThe lands we've been thrust upon are dry, cracked, and barren. If this is some sort of alien experiment then there is no doubt that we are the group expected to fail first. Plant life on the surface is sparse, and what little there is is either covered in barbs or some manner of toxic. The wildlife is something else altogether. With little food or water we should have died, and many did. The first few years ravaged our population, and it would have been worse had it not been for a single seemingly abandoned mining facility.
There were stains of blood but no bodies and most of the facility was inoperable, but our people gained three things that day: space with which to expand underground safe from the sun, access to an abandoned mine still rich with ores both familiar and foreign, and the means of creating tools to extract said foreign material. The primary means of mining in the facility seems to have been what we refer to now as the Reverse-Engineered Extraction Equipment.
The R-E3 is a sledgehammer-like tool with an alien device within the head of the hammer that multiplies the power of the hammerblow with little to no impact to the wearer. While the device is mostly contained within the hammerhead, a small protrusion pops out of the top. This little piece allows air to run through it and lets out a low whistle whenever the R-E3 is swung. The vibration caused by the frequency of the whistling in the device triggers a response in the inner mechanisms that turn it into some sort of inertial amplifier and shock absorber.
This sledgehammer led to the rapid expansion of a number of sietches and is one of the leading reasons why our people are as numerous as they are today.
Difficult (3+7)-1 = 9 (Below Average) (Alien Credit used)
A man in a dusty work suit swings his R-E3 swiftly into a rock face. A keening whistle sounds through the air, joining the voices of many other whistles echoing from elsewhere in the dark mine, which is lit by gas lamps. The solid hammer face thumps against the rock, and though great chunks of shale almost as large as the miner break loose and reveal flecks of the purplish alien rock beneath, the thump is not felt through the handle. The miner gives a shout, and a cheer is heard in response;
Sujium, named after the region it had been dug up in first, and a fresh vein. More valuable than copper, iron, or gold, though veins of each had been found in this mine. The strange material would be sorted from the shale it was found in, and though only traces would be gained, it would be enough to create more R-E3s, and to experiment besides.
The R-E3 hits a sweet spot between brute sledge hammer, bringing heavy weight to bear, and alien technology, multiplying the force it is swung at, until it hits something, at which point it nulifies the shock of impact to it's wielder. The secret to it's strength is a device deploying
Sujium, which simply does not work the way thermodynamics says it should. When
Sujium has kinetic force applied to it, instead of having an equal and opposite reaction like it should, it has an equal and equal reaction. More simply put, when it's pushed, it pushes in the same direction. It's difficult to contain as a result, as once it starts going there is little to slow it down. Air friction is actually much more effective on it than on any other material - the air effectively pushes twice as hard on it than other materials, and gravity effectively has much more pull. And yet, this behavior can be suspended, by passing an alien current through it; when activated by the same energy used in the pulse pistol,
Sujium is no more special than purple colored aluminum.
The R-E3 uses this force multiplication to literally multiply force. Two separate
Sujium cores are embedded in the device in it's head; when a specific tone is detected, one is pulsed and the other is not, causing the swing of the hammer to accelerate harder than physically possible if the hammer were steel alone. When the tone ends, the pulse is shut off, with the reactivated core taking advantage of the rebound to nullify the continued force of the first; this doesn't completely absorb all the shock, and many R-E3s have been ripped out of the hands of weaker miners, but it is felt much less than if the shock weren't felt. After the vibrations stop, both pulse energy circuits are re-engaged, nullifying the effects of both
Sujium cores until the tone is detected once more. Each device can be tuned to a slightly different pitch, and the whistle on the hammer tuned to that pitch, but keeping the
Sujium inert when not in use is a big power draw; The pulse pistol energy isn't actually plasma, but a lot of it is transformed into waste heat during operation. Once power runs out, a R-E3 can become a deadly hazard as it's ever increasing momentum makes it bounce haphazardly around. It can be disconnected safely from power once it's strapped firmly into a storage locker, so that it can't be moved, and the power packs fit snuggly into the base of the handle, far away from the dangerous head. This could be weaponized if an R-E3 was let loose in the middle of the enemy's camp, but would be just as likely to injure the person who let it loose than the enemy.
While it can be a hazard in it's own right, it provides 1 Ore and 1 Sujium, while taking 4 Ore and 2 Sujium to produce.
The old weapons have served us well, but none so well as the Kalashnikov. Few other weapons brought over could be so easily manufactured, at least in comparison to some other designs. Its ruggedness and dependability have made it an icon to our soldiers, and a facet of our new national culture. Regardless, times are changing, and Sujia's armies will require a new model. Still, given as nobody living still cares about trademarks and patents, it's not as if the name will matter.
The AK-10 shows different priorities to most in its family. Long range accuracy, larger rounds, smaller magazine size. The key link is right from the start of a weapon -- the manufacture. The AK-10 must be easily manufactured by our frankly underequipped industry, and from there should be able to hold up to the wear of nature.
In terms of technical details, the weapon is 115cm long, made of stamped and milled steel, with boojumwood stock and grips.The cartridge it fires is larger than most, at a flat 8.00mm in diameter. This necessitates a lower capacity magazine, with 20 rounds each. As special features, the barrel of the gun features and integrated suppressor to reduce hearing damage for soldiers, as well as an optical sight. Interestingly, Sujian desert sand makes for very good lenses, which should give our soldiers and edge up in range.
Normal (2+7)+0 = 9 (Below Average)
The alien flora isn't exactly like Earth's... but a cactus-like plant with tiny silica glass needles was found with properties similar to Boojumwood. One has to be careful when making the stock and grips, as a wrong move could slice one's hand open, or let one of the needles get airborn where it could be easily inhaled; breathing masks are provided and the material is treated like fiberglass while working with it, until all the outer skin is removed.
That said, the rifle is as easy to manufacture as claimed. There is a slight problem in that one out of every four barrels is milled slightly off center, or one in five hammers is slightly twisted so it strikes at a slight angle, or how some magazines only fit 19 rounds instead of 20; nothing that can hamper it's assembly, or prevent it from firing, but it gives each and every Jezail off the assembly line it's own quirks. Soldiers have taken a liking to the distinct minor flaws each one has, and giving their own gun it's own name based on how it differs slightly from each other; but all in all, the weapon behaves as advertised.
The AK-10 is robust, with a nearly sniper-like range and accuracy, and durable. It could be dragged twice through the mud and much a Silicalisk pen with live specimens in it, and come out with only the surface marred and the gun still operating. The manufacturing flaws mean that soldiers have to take time to accustom themselves to their weapon before they become accurate, but with training it's accurate at long and medium range, and devastating at close range. As a plus, the built in suppressor also covers the gun flash.
It costs 2 Ore to manufacture.
Transport Capacity: 0 (
1 Oil available)
Resources: 3 Ore,
1 Oil (0/1 imported),
1 SujiumCredits: 1 Research Credit
Weapons- Makeshift Earth Rifle (Cheap): Based on designs from home, cobbled together from native materials with remaining architecture. Mediocre accuracy at Long Range, good Accuracy at Medium. 1 Ore
- AK-10 Jezail (Cheap): Accurate out to Long range, devastating up close. Durable, dependable, although quirky. Lower capacity magazine, but quiet and sighted. 2 Ore[
- Standard Issue Pulse Pistol (Cheap): Moderately understood alien tech in the shape of a pistol. Variable energy controls range from starting small fires to stopping a heart. It's battery powered, but its maximum energy pulses still use a lot of their juice; stun level shots are recommended as the battery life is exceptional. Very accurate up to short range, somewhat accurate at medium range. 2 Ore, 1 Oil
Other- Standard Uniform: A plain uniform with very little decoration or utility. There is a space for rank insignia, and some colored markings but it's rather plain.
- Reverse-Engineered Extraction Equipment (Expensive): A mining hammer, using alien minerals and tech to multiply it's momentum drastically; power hungry to control, but allows for very rapid mining expansion, and once out of power, goes out of control. 4 Ore, 2 Sujium
Creatures- Battle Silicalisk (Cheap): Silicon based animals somewhere in shape between a horse and a mole with rocky hides and sharp claws, bred and trained for the purposes of fighting. Very aggressive and will turn on trainers if not fed rocks and ores. Acidic saliva, ability to spit it removed at young age to control it. 4-1 Ore
- Acid Muzzle: Keeps the mouth clamped shut when acid spit isn't needed. Reduces the cost of Silicalisks by 1 ore, and lets them spit acid.
It is now the second turn Revision phase. The end of the turn will be the end of the year 11AA, and the first wave of lore will be judged.
Author
Topic: Absolutely Absurd Abductee Arms Race: F. Cities of Sujia (Turn 4 Revision Phase) (Read 10200 times)