New Technology of the UGC.

The UGC has added to it’s inventory several new categories of materials, mechanical and otherwise, to service it’s empire. Gravity/Anti-Gravity Pods (see also Grav Pods Vs. Anti-Gravity Generators) Neocell Hydro-Cell Generator Faster-Than-Light (FTL) Drives Tractor Drives Extended Terrain Navigation and Detection Robot (XTNDR) Pod Bionic/Cybernetic Technology: Standard Infantry Grip Points E-Canisters Barrier Shields and Fields

Gravity/Anti-Gravity Pods: Artificial gravity and anti-gravity pods are old technology to the UGC, but have never been discussed in any real detail. Grav Pods work, in short, by creating an artificial gravity well on one side and null-gravity well on the other. The Grav Pods Common uses: General Characteristics: Ground craft (military and civilian); Spacecraft; Aero-space craft; Cargo Pallets (usually DC powered). Dimensions: About 1.1³ feet per pound of lift. Weight: Ø.2 pounds per pound of lift. Power Systems: AC or DC powered. Cost: About 1.2 credits per pound of lift. Availability: Generally always. devices currently in service, all based on the Tiresian device (artifact 2217348 on REF files when it was recovered in the ruins of Tirol after the Invid onslaught), are generally used to lift heavy objects (from warships to pallets), but can also be used in reverse; Creating artificial gravity in null-gravity environments. Spacecraft commonly use them to mitigate the effects of high-g maneuvers, and are used in space to help pilots stay in their seats. They are also commonly used in the bilges of starships to supply gravity to the crew, increasing their comfort. In fighters and Guardians, they are used as the primary form of lift; Power is simply increased to gain height. The flow of gravity can also be reversed- The same grav pod can used to lift a Guardian Fighter from a planet just hours before can be used to hold that same Guardians to the hull of a warship. They can also be attached to cables and lines of all sorts, allowing them to be used as grapples in space and lifting cables in construction. (In space, however, electro-magnetic grapples are more common and popular.) Note: There is a down-side to grav-pod use; As power is increased to one side, it increases the power to the other as well, making grav-pod occasionally flight uncomfortable, especially with large ships. Power to one side can NOT be increased with out increasing power to the other side simultaneously. Grav Pods vs. Anti-Gravity Pods: Many people confuse the terms grav pods and anti-gravity pods. Anti-gravity WOULD work by variously nullifying gravitational effects, either locally or in a given area; Unfortunately, the UGC’s greatest scientific minds have, to date, not come up with an anti-gravity pod. Grav Pods work by generating their own gravimetric fields; One side is hyper-gravity, the other anti-gravity. The hyper-grav, or positive, side PULLS THINGS IN, while the anti-grav, or negative, side pushes them away. The polarity can, generally, be reversed at will, though some grav-pod equipped objects, such as ships decks, have polarity reverse safety overrides, requiring the user to activate a second control mechanism before the computer will allow the polarity to be reversed. Grav pods suck up a LOT of power because they do two things at once; However, once activated, the machine can lift PHENOMENAL amounts of weight, completely disproportional to the power put in. This was ALMOST the technologies undoing; An early test using a simple 1ØØ lb weight reached orbit in 2 seconds flat. Researchers could not understand how the system lifted so much load without ANY strain. They could, however, figure out how to CONTROL the lift, using an on-board computer to tell the system when to stop lifting/pulling. Rewards and patents still are outstanding for a true, anti- or pro-gravity only generator.

Neocell: Neocell is a clearish, plastic-like material used in space station construction; Made into balloons of the buyer’s choice, a crate, loaded with the balloon and a gas canister (usually inert helium) is released in space on the dark side of a planet or moon; 5 panels are removes, the valve to the gas cell is opened, and the balloon inflates. (Balloons can be made into any shape desired, including cubes, with only a little bit of deformation.) Once inflated, the balloon is then moved into the bright side of the planet or moon, where the local star’s light hardens the material, making a still frame for advanced construction to begin. Once the balloon hardens (“forms”), holes are drilled through the form, then pre-fabricated metal beams are laid over this. The beams then are bolted to the form for temporary support (until they can be permanently welded together). This decreases construction time and money and increases productivity. Neocell was originally developed from dental acrylic for the construction of Neotech Factories, which are usually built in this fashion. NOTE: Neocell has NO MDC; It has about 5Ø SDC per 1Øز feet of surface area. Dimensions: Per buyer’s request. Weight: Ø.ØØ1 pound per square foot surface area. Power Systems: None; N/A. Cost: 1ØØ credits per square foot area. Availability: Generally always.

Hydro-Cell Generators: Hydrocarbon internal combustion engines are very much out of favor; Though nearly every planet that harbors life creates oil, the supply is never the less limited, and pollution concerns has dampened popularity. In i A civilian auto hydrocell generator. A hydrocell turboprop engine (used on most in-atmosphere capable small craft). An average hydrocell jet engine; The difference between a pure jet and Dual-Phase jet is that a Dual-Phase jet has a “shutter” and air-injector system. Hydrocell Rocket, a JJ-421 used in many militry and civilian spacecraft, but not aero-spacecraft (can’t take fresh air in, limiting range). t’s place, Hydro-Cell generators, engines, and etc are used. Simply put, they generate power by “burning” a hydrogen-based fuel, combining with oxygen to create water as a waste. Though they don’t generate AS MUCH thrust in a car-type engine, in jet and rocket-type engines the thrust-to-weight ratio is virtually identical. (In auto engines, the thrust-to-weight ratio is still the same, making it more than sufficient for general use.) NOTE: Hydrocarbon sources CAN be used to generate hydrogen, but this is not the ONLY possible source. One of the more important ones is nuclear power plants; The plant release hydrogen gas in the process of power generation, and this gas, on most planets, must be collected for safety and environmental reasons. Another common source is cracking H2O, which on some worlds is necessary to balance the planet’s water ratio; Low-water worlds often can not survive the excessive release of water (steam is the hydro-cell engine’s main exhaust), and therefore the water vapor in the atmosphere is collected and cracked to produce O2 and Hydrogen. Proper care and caution must be used in the hydro-cell engine, especially the fuel source; “Fuel Cell” engines use purified hydrogen, typically carried in tanks, binds it to oxygen, and release energy which is converted to motion and water. Hydro-cell engines actually BURNS the hydrogen, not simply binds it to oxygen (though it still releases only water in steam form), and therefore must be carried in the fuel lines bound to an inert gas, such as xenon or nitrogen, which has to be split off in the last few seconds; In the event of an accident, the fuel lines are supposed to closes and purge, but if the fuel tank connectors are damaged the hydrogen can be released in an uncontrolled fashion, creating a fireball; A few malcontent factions actually use remotely controlled vehicles, usually aircraft, as bombs. TYPES AND USES: Automobile Engines: Typically used on ground vehicles. Turboprop Engine: Used on most in-atmosphere capable small craft, armored vehicles, and occasionally civilian ground vehicles. Hydrocell Jet/Scramjet Engines: Typically used in aircraft requiring greater thrust and aero-spacecraft. The difference between a pure jet and Dual-Phase jet is that a Dual-Phase jet has a “shutter” and air-injector system; However, dual-phase craft require air tanks to be carried, reducing range. Hydrocell Rockets: Typically used in spacecraft, and on shuttles for take-off (even grav pod equipped shuttles require the additional thrust to get into orbit, unless you want to spend a week getting there). Not typically used in air and aero-spacecraft, since rockets can not take in fresh air (must carry it’s own air all the way), which limits range. Dimensions: Varies by type used; Generally about Ø.Ø15 inch per horsepower. Weight: Varies by type used; Generally about Ø.3 pound per horsepower. Power Systems: Internal; Uses Hydrogell as fuel (sold by millions of companies). Cost: Varies by type used; Generally about 2ØØ credits per horsepower. Availability: Always. Fuel Cost: Varies, from 2.Ø3 credits to 5.Ø9 credits per pound (each pound gives about 5Ø miles of transit). Uses Hydrogell as fuel, which is sold by millions of companies. Fuel Availability: Virtually ALWAYS; For autos, one can rarely go more than 1ØØ miles without reaching a fuel station. Space stations also can fuel ships without any difficulty.

Faster-Than-Light (FTL) Drives: A Shrrrivee Drive core unit. One of these powerful enough to drive a space fighter is GENERALLY the size of a man’s head. There are several different types of FTL Drives; The most common and popular one is the Fehran developed Shrrrivee Drive, which creates a small, controlled wormhole around the vessel; These can be installed in any craft over 2Ø feet in length and 1ز feet in diameter with a reasonable expectation of effective use. Other types also exist, but they are being phased out in favor of the Shrrrivee Drive, making the galaxies on ONE standard. Dimensions: The size of the drive is generally based on the size of the ship; For every 1س feet of ship, you need ABOUT 1³ inch of drive up to 1Øس inches (1,ØØس feet); After that, you will need about 1³ per every 1,ØØس feet of ship until you reach 1Ø,ØØس of drive; Beyond that, you will 1,ØØس feet of drive to every 1³ miles of ship. Nothing larger has ever been tried, but this places the ships in the low-end planet size. Weight: About one ton per every 1Øس feet of drive. Power Systems: AC electrical. Cost: Generally about 1,ØØØ credits per every ton of ship (after installation). Availability: Always.

Tractor Drives: Scientifically speaking, a tractor drive is used to locally bend space-time just a little to “drag” a ships through space. Although salesmen and journalists have called them “a simplified version of the Shrrrivee Drive”, nothing could be further from the truth, and scientists bristle at the idea; It’s more similar to grav-pod technology than it would EVER be to Shrrrivee Drives. These drives are generally referred to as “tractioning drives” in common use; either is correct. This simple, robust system works in any size of craft, and is as commonly used as the main drive of a fighter as it is used as the docking (auxiliary) drive on a capital ship as it is the station keeping drive on a space station. Dimensions: Varies: Space fighters/shuttles it’s generally about 4Ø% of the craft. For small ships, roughly 25% of the ship; Warship, 1Ø%. Space stations use up around 3Ø% of their interior hull area with these drives. Weight: Roughly one metric ton per ever 15س feet of volume. Power Systems: Varies by craft. Can work on AC or DC power. Cost: Varies: Space fighters/shuttles: Generally around 1Ø,ØØØ€ per tons of craft. Small ships: Generally around 5ØØ,ØØØ€ per tons of craft. Warship: Generally around 1Ø,ØØØ,ØØØ€ per tons of craft. Availability: Always. Black Market Cost: Stolen drives fetch around 1Ø% of their legit asking price. Black Market Availability: Always.

Extended Terrain Navigation and Detection Robot (XTNDR) Pod: A typical XTNDR I Pod. Note the anchor/power/transmission cable coming out from the bottom is leaning to the right, passing UNDER the pod; In a few moments, it would spin around as the wind continues to push it. The XTNDR RADAR/Radio Antenna Extender Pod is a modified Robotech Factory Precision Engineering Drone with a balloon 2س feet in diameter is used to loft radio, radar, and other sensors 1,ØØØ feet into the air (Terra norm). Most Destroids are not only equipped with XTNDR jacks, but designed to carry a couple pods of their own; All nominal REF vehicles are designed with XTNDR jacks and anchors, so you can still loft the pod and get the data, even if you have to “borrow” someone else’s pod. Few aircraft, in general, have them. Some personal computers are big and beefy enough to handle them; Portable TV cameras, at least the professional-grade ones (like newscasters use) can use simplified, radio/video transmit/receive-only versions (these are still equipped to receive AND send radio and video transmissions, but that’s it). Note that using this system under heavy foliage will allow the radar, etc to work there, at no penalties, but it will not break the canopy either. To break the canopy, the canopy must be broken (example, shooting down branches, cutting down a tree, etc), then the pod released as normal. Eventually a second-generation XTNDR Pod was developed, and can be found in the Aero-Space Files. Type: Sensory Pod Effect: Extends range of any sensors 1Ø times (or defeats other penalties in a 5 mile area). Crew: N/A Passengers: N/A M.D.C. By Location: Pod Fiber Optic Cable 5Ø 1Ø Balloon 1Ø Speed and Statistical Data: Flying: Free-float only. Range In The Air: 2ØØ hours. Can NOT be refilled while in the air (unless tethered). Service Ceiling: 3Ø,ØØØ feet; Can be stopped at any time by operator, or by getting hung up in trees. Height: 25’ Diameter At Base: 27’ Diameter Around the Balloon: 22’ Weight: 1 ton. Powerplant: None; Draws all power from a ground station. Flight System: Helium balloon. Thrust System: None; Drifts with the wind. Cost and Availability: 25,ØØØ€ each; About a million are produced annually. Black Market Cost and Availability: About 3Ø,ØØØ€ each; Routinely available, but may take “a couple of days.” Sensor Systems: The XTNDR does not have weapons in the traditional sense, though their sensors are used as part of another (parent) unit’s weaps targeting array. The pod is typically tethered to a Mecha or vehicle, though it doesn’t necessarily have to be (+3 to strike, plus unlimited hover time). 1. Silvrite Laminar Armor: Halves all laser attacks. Purpose: Defense. Effect: All lasers do ½ damage. Range: Self. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ area; Includes balloon. 2. Radar/Radio Antenna Array: Purpose: Communications. Effect: Maintains full-time laser encrypted comms with a satellite or ship in orbit and/or a ground station via an MRA-6 SatLink. Range: 1ØØ miles fairly nominal; 1,ØØØ miles with SSRA Radio Booster Array (coms standard with each unit, but is not installed at factory). Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ area; Includes balloon. 3. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) Array: Literally strips away the world; Protons inside a nucleus spin on their axes, producing a magnetic field. A focused magnetic field aligns the moment of the nuclei. The nuclei are then made to resonate by focused radio energy (not powerful enough to harm anything, but may be uncomfortable at close range, say less than 1Ø feet unshielded). The resonances are detected by the receiver; This data is sent to a processor which transforms the data into images of the desired area, processing the information and creating an image. An interesting feature of MRI imaging is that flowing things have a distinctive appearance on MRI scans (similar to Doppler ultrasound). Flowing structures cause “flow voids,” which appear as black holes on the scans. These areas are usually short-lived, however, or are easily filled-in by the possessor. Purpose: Sensory. Effect: Strips away all coverage. Range: 2,ØØØ ft. Coverage Characteristics: 1Øز ft coverage area. 4. Hardened Circuits: The electronics on board are unaffected by EMPs or scramblers. Purpose: Defense. Effect: EMPs, even military grade ones, have no effect. Ators are known to have such weapons. Range: On board. Coverage Characteristics: All on-board electronics. 5. Magnetic Shields: A magnetic shield beyond the Full-Force Barrier Field disperses ion and particle beams and befuddles missile electronics. Purpose: Defense. Type: Shield. Effect: All particle beams do ½ damage; Missiles have a 3Ø% chance of being confused and missing; Ion beams are also diminished: Roll normal effect +1Ø%; If restricted, ship is sluggish, not DIS. Range: 35Ø feet beyond the craft. Effective Against: Particle and ion beam and missiles only; Lasers are unaffected, as are other weapons. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ coverage area around the craft. 6. SSRt-256 Infra-Red Detection Systems: The XTNDR Pod has SEVERAL layers of IR sensing, covering all 6 sectors with half-coverage of adjoining sectors. Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: IR. Effect: Detects all IR sources inside the effective coverage area. Range: 1ØØ,ØØس miles. Minimum Target Characteristic: Any IR source, regardless of characteristics. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ coverage. 7. Optic Sensors Systems: The craft is equipped with sensors far greater than normal combat aircraft sensors. NOTE: These sensors on this craft is actually GREATER than those on spycraft. Infrared: Detects objects by their IR reflectiveness. The beam will be visible to anyone with IR sensitive optics. Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: IR. Range: 2Ø miles Magnification: 3Ø× Minimum Target Characteristic: Not applicable. Coverage Characteristics: Full 36غ coverage area, with secondary focusing direct viewing. Ultra Violet: Sees in terms of a second range of light; NOTE: Some animals see in this range as well; Additionally, UV can be felt by Human eyes (damages the nerve endings). Magnification: 25× Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: UV. Range: 22 miles Minimum Target Characteristic: ØØ,ØØØ Coverage Characteristics: Full 36غ coverage area, with general viewing only. Night Vision: A passive light image intensifier that emits no light of its own, but relies on ambient light which is amplified to produce a visible picture. Magnification: 8× Purpose: Nighttime visibility. Sensor Type: IR. Effect: Allows the operator to see as if in daylight, if late in the afternoon; The picture is full natural color. Range: 24 miles Minimum Target Characteristic: ØØ,ØØØ Coverage Characteristics: Direct viewing only. Color Filters: Allows the operator to see only one color or select only one color to see in; Typically only used at night to counteract the effects of red lights used onboard. Magnification: 2ØØ× Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: Color filtration. Effect: Filters out selected colors; only the primary colors red, blue, and yellow can be filtered, and purple, green, and orange will see be seen as more of the viewable color. Range: N/A. Minimum Target Characteristic: Based on color only. Coverage Characteristics: Toggles to the optic systems. Thermal Imager: A passive optical heat sensor that detects infrared radiation projected by warm objects and converts that data into a visible image. The system enables the pilot to see in the dark, in shadows, and through smoke, and also adds a +1Ø% bonus to pilots using a tracking skill. NOTE: UGC standard defensive smoke has chemicals in it that will defeat this sensor, and the XTNDR Pod is equipped with such smoke emitters. Magnification: 4Ø× Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: Thermal. Range: 5Ø miles Minimum Target Characteristic: Can see from -4Øغ (essentially “Absolute Zero”) to 5Ø,ØØغ (outer stellar range) Fahrenheit. Coverage Characteristics: Full 36غ coverage area, with secondary focusing direct viewing. 8. Westinghouse RT/SKI-17 Multi-Phase S-Band Phased Array Doppler Surveillance Radar: An advanced multi-phase S-band phased array Doppler-effect based radar array; The system has the capability of scanning in both elevation as well as azimuth and thus can revisit targets; It can simultaneously operate in both low-PRF pulsed modes to enable the detection long-range targets beyond the horizon and high-PRF modes to detect all-altitude targets out to the radar line of sight. However, this is the general viewing/wide angle radar; Not very sensitive, it can still cover large areas for follow-up by the SR/AR-225. Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: Radar. Effect: Sees all radar-reflective objects within it’s coverage sphere. Range: 1Ø,ØØØ miles; However, in space, even this kind of range allows a LOT of area to watch. Minimum Target Characteristic: Anything with a radar-active base; This includes aircraft, ground vehicles, comets, asteroids, and etc. Coverage Characteristics: A sphere of 1Ø,ØØس miles. 9. Westinghouse SR/AR-225: An electronically-scanned conformal antenna in what was a spot weld overview camera eye. The system views a specific area of about 1ز miles at it’s maximum range of 1Ø,ØØØ miles much more intensely than the RT/SKI-17, giving it a focused but intense picture of the targeted object. The system can be togged to the RT/SKI-17 for tracking purposes by the operator, preventing an object from moving out of the viewed area. Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: Radar Effect: Sees all radar-reflective objects within it’s observed area; NOTE: This system can be pinpointed to a given desired area. Range: 1Ø,ØØØ miles. Minimum Target Characteristic: Anything with a radar-active base; This includes aircraft, ground vehicles, comets, asteroids, and etc. Coverage Characteristics: 1Ø,ØØØ miles; NOTE: This system is unidirectional, not omni-directional, and due to the mounting can only view UNDERNEATH the pod. 1Ø. Radar Detection/Warning Receiver: Providing all aspect broadband protection from RF guided missiles. Purpose: Detection, Identification, and Tracking. Sensor Type: Radar detector. Effect: Detects all radar signals contacting the craft, even if the signal is too weak to successfully return to point of origin. Range: Surface of craft. Minimum Target Characteristic: Any radar signal. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ area. 11. STT-K Video Radio Communications Array: Long range, directional communications system with satellite relay capabilities. Purpose: Communications System Type: Radio Effect: Carries video signals. Range: 6ØØ miles, or can be boosted indefinitely via satellite relay. Minimum Target Characteristic: Not Applicable. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ area. 12. Thomson DCS-2,5ØØ Multi-Band Digital Camera System: For medium range traversable UV, infra-red imaging and optical band detection and tracking. The presence of this system has led to EC-33’s being used as air and space born telescopes in cooperation with universities and other institution (makes for a good training mission). Purpose: Observation and recording. Sensor Type: Visual. Range: 2,ØØØ miles. Minimum Target Characteristic: UV, IR, and color-band wavelength objects. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ viewing area; Magnification is up to 2Ø,ØØØ×. 13. Thomson SRT-3Ø5/4ØØ Multi-Frequency Laser Ranger And Designator: This relatively antiquated system is kept as a back-up option as a laser target designator; It’s abilities include laser range finding. Purpose: Target Designation And Range Finding. Sensor Type: Laser. Effect: Can identify the range and page a target up to maximum range of 2,ØØØ miles. Range: 2,ØØØ miles. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ area. 14. Tourette’s TS-42/19 Forward And Side Looking Infra-Red (FLIR/SLIR): Full time forward and side looking infra red system. Mostly used on Search And Rescue missions. Purpose: Infra-red detection. Sensor Type: FLIR/SLIR. Range: 5ØØ miles active, unlimited passive. Minimum Target Characteristic: Any infra-red. Coverage Characteristics: A cone of 36غ around the craft, and from ØØغ aft to 135º. 15. Grumman QCR-842 Infra-Red Jammer: An active infra-red jamming system that “floods” the surrounding area with false IR image; Appears on IR sensors as a big, semi-fluid glob. Purpose: IR jamming. System Type: Defensive. Effect: Creates semi-fluid glob of approximately 1Øس miles. Range: Approximately 1Øس miles. Coverage Characteristics: A full 36غ area. 16. Griger-2ØØRT Active Missile Jamming System: Creates several different fields of false active and misleading signals that missiles then fall into; Enemy missiles may prematurely detonate, or become confused and think they’re off-target, when in fact they aren’t. Purpose: Anti-Missile Defense. System Type: Active. Effect: Ø1-5Ø: The missile thinks it’s off-course, and will attempt to correct; Re-roll strike at-1Ø. 51-ØØ: The missile thinks it’s reached the target and detonates; If it is sufficiently close enough for blast area effect, re-roll as below: Ø1-45: Missile does no damage. 46-9Ø: Missile does ¼ damage. 91-ØØ: Missile does ½ damage. Range: Begins effective coverage at 1ØØ miles. Minimum Target Characteristic: Missiles. Coverage Characteristics: A full 35غ area. 17. Video Recorder: Records all sensory reading during any given mission in case the pod is somehow lost. 5 hours of recording available. 18. Type-11 wide band radios: Effective 1Ø mile range, auto encrypt/decrypt. Works on standard radio band wavelengths, so it can still be jammed (if the enemy knows the frequencies). 19. GPS: Standard tracking device. Features: NONE. All features are listed above. Combat Profile for XTNDR Pod: 2 actions per melee. +1Ø Initiative +2 Dodge +4 Roll

Bionic/Cybernetic Technology: Bionic and Cybernetic technology is still HIGHLY limited in the UGC; Generally, about all that can be done is to replace lost and damaged limbs, eyes, etc. Though slightly “off” looking- For example, a cybernetic eye, An average, early-years Cyborg. Newer designs are much more life-like, and simple reconstruction has become much more common (at a glance, you may not even notice with some). while overall real looking, will seem to have metal lace iris, even if it’s the owners own, true colors; That’s because it IS a metal lace iris- They are FULLY functional. A hand (with a slightly off-color skin tone) will have FULL sense of touch. Limited changes CAN be made; For example, a cybernetic eye can change colors, or have alternate fields of vision (thermal, IR, etc). However, UGC Law prevents the use of cybernetics for the enhancement of the body, with one exception; The so called Cyber Knights, an ancient order of “Knight Errants” who, for quasi-religions reasons, use cybernetic armor and small optical enhancements. One of the lead mover and shakers in the advancement of cybernetic and bionics is, oddly, the least likely group to use them- The Invid. The Invid had learned from various subjects states about cybernetics, and experimented EXTENSIVELY with cybernetics on their own in the era BEFORE the Final Reconciliation, and therefore know more than everyone else combined. (This information is shared with non-Invid doctors under the terms of the Invid/IPA treaty.) This historical event, the inhuman medical experimentation upon subjects, hs shaped Invid attitudes towards cybernetics and medicine in general; They know what they know, but will not engage in further research, even to save their own kind. The Invidia, on the other hand, have no such compunctions; They are more than willing to experiment, even on live, unanesthetized (and often uncleansed) subject, such as prisoners. Therefore, while the Invid supply the information to the UGC, it is on the atrocities of the Invidia, and the Invid would rather not have anything to do with it. GM’s- Just about any Cybernetic in any book IS available, however, the PHYSICAL limits are the PC’s original abilities, with the exception of cybernetic armor. There is also a variety of cybernetic armor that looks and feels COMPLETELY real, and allows full touch sense.

Standard Infantry Grip Points: First suggested by Lt (jg) Ron CALIBURN (REF Spacy), these are used for hands-free adhering to the outside of the tank’s hull. Generally, there are about 1Ø grip points per tank, even though only a five-man teem is assigned to a tank. The individual soldier simply clamps on the hull of the tank, using the grav-pod in their chest harness (usually about 4½” across), then stands on a steel pipe support on the bottom of the tank (which can be retracted- Stick out about 6 inches). As the tank enters into combat, they infantry can quick-release from the tank, and deploy as normal. This technological advent forced a PHENOMENAL re-thinking of infantry/armor cooperation, and as a result most “infantry” units are now mostly AIFV or APC’s, while “armored” units are mostly MBT’S (other types of combat vehicles are pretty evenly distributed from there). One of the strange ironies of this process is it’s genesis- Mr CALIBURN was in no way detailed to an armor development program, but observed a Police Destroid during the field development stage. Seeing the REF Marines running alongside trying to keep up, he suggested a police SWAT-vehicle style ride rail be attached to the legs of the Destroid. The first test with this concept proved a dismal failure, as the Marines were shook loose, all but one (of ten altogether), at the first step (even though the OTHER foot hadn’t been raised up). The Marines then added the idea of the grav pods, and this slight tweaking of Mr CALIBURN’S idea worked. With that success, Mr CALIBURN causally commented, “Too bad tanks can’t do the same thing, I suppose.” Within 12 hours, the first testbed, a Grant MBT, was rigged up to try the idea. Under simulated combat conditions (using paintballs and laser targeters); The tanks entered “Portown” (a simulated village used for urban combat testing on Garuda) and was ambushed from both sides of the street; Of the 1Ø Marines, three were “wounded” and only one “died:” in the ambush, the rest were able to escape, evade, and return fire within thirty seconds. An ambush that traditionally had favored the defenders (even when the aggressors won, it was at as much as 5Ø-75% permanent routine casualty rate, with 5Ø% defender escape ratio), this time went FULLY to the aggressors, at 1Ø% permanent routine casualty, 25% wounded, and the tank barely scratched- And a ØØ% defender survival rate. It is important to note that these grips are not the same as outriders; The two complement each other nicely, but one can work without the other. Dimensions: About 4½” across for the grav pod (on the soldier) and about 4-6” on the tank. Essentially nil. Weight: Negligible; A full rigging, with ALL the equipment necessary to hang 15 soldiers on a single tank (well over twice the norm), weighs only about 25 lbs. Power Systems: Portable batteries are more than sufficient to operate the grav pods. Cost: About 2,ØØØ € per full 15-man squad. Availability: A full battalion can be fully rebuilt with this equipment in 4 days with locally available supplies. Black Market Cost and Availability: Not applicable; Open technology. To date, only the T’sentrædi have shown any interest.

E-Canisters, E-Cables, and E-Dots: E-Canisters are used extensively throughout the UGC by militry, police, and security forces for extended capacity. They hold at least ten TIMES the standard capacity for the weapon in question, though they c An average e-canister. an interfere with some weapons; For example, the L-18 can not use an L-21 because it interferes with the trigger mechanism. It also causes a -1 to strike overall. E-Canisters can only be used on longarms; Small arms (pistols) suffer a -5 to strike. Dimensions and Weight: Varies by the individual weapon, but generally about 2”×4”×3” over all and 1Ø lbs. Cost and Availability: Also varies by the individual weapon, but generally about 2ØØ€; Openly available; NO restrictions under UGC Law. Local restrictions may apply for condition of carry, though (such as not inserted into the weap itself). E-Cables, and the even newer technology of E-Dots, supply the weap with a continuous supply of power. E-Cables were first created during the deceptive clam on Terra when the UES MACROSS was underway, transiting from Pluto orbit back to earth, by disconnecting an RDF Heavy Energy rifle’s power pack from the rifle itself, then connecting it to a Light Laser Rifle’s E-Clip. This technology would serve the RDF, REF, and UGC for the last 45ر years, until more recently when the cable was moved to the palm of the hand for Cyclones and other Power Armors, leading into a disk, which links to a substantially identical disk on the grip of the weapon; This provides the same degree of power transfer, without the clumsy cable flopping around. It also allows the dots to be calibrated only to one another (or an identically calibrated disk, such as a rifle team might have), preventing a taken weap from be turned on it’s owner or his team. Effect: Either type supplies an effective unlimited capacity to energy-based weaps (works for pistol and rifle). Penalties: E-Cables also has a -1 strike; E-Dots have no penalties, and E-Dot equipped weaps can not be used in the same fashion by unauthorized users; If equipped with E-Clip ports, then the weap can be used in that fashion.

Barrier Shields and Fields: It is critical to understand the difference between a “field” and a “shield”; A shield in any panel of a defensive shield, while a field is a shield or collection of shields (typically the latter) that fully encompass a protected object. Because ground facilities are protected in their bottom areas by the very ground they sit on, only a partial field is needed to completely protect the building, and is still therefore not ‘partial’ but full. “Barrier Shields” are essentially electrical ‘walls’ erected by free-electrons, held in place by an electro-magnetic field. The electrons approach, curve around, and repels each other, like a massive square-dance, in which each time the “dancers” change their partners they change for good. The shield works by causing and incoming energy source, lasers, to dissipate from a focused photon core to an unfocused photon collection, essentially a high-powered spotlight (keep in mind that a laser is really nothing more than a supra-focus light, just as the one over your head now). Many of these photons will then convert to other energies, primary heat. Dissipated over an extended area (many hundreds of square macrometers), the shield either absorbs it, or more often it passes through harmlessly depleted, such at if one were to melt a snowball in the air as it flies through the air towards a hapless target- Provided your mom doesn’t yell at you for getting your sister/brother’s hair wet. In the case of solids, most of the material (mainly metals) are instantaneously vaporized (broken down so completely, they convert literally to gasses, significantly helium and xenon, though the latter is a consistent curiosity). What survives though this area is twisted shards, typically unable even to do much more than mare the surface of the target (like throwing a mudball at a Destroid). In general, the shields are able to regenerate themselves instantly and endlessly; The tiny amount of damage that is inflicted the barrier field generators simply can not overcome the generators design. The danger arrives when greater amounts of focused degrees of attack are generated; Any ONE laser attack, regardless how powerful, should, at least in theory, be unable to penetrate a barrier shield. However, a sufficiently powerful laser could destabilize the electrons, causing the shield to collapse instantly. More so, a large number of such attacks, either energy or physical, disrupts the barrier to the point where it begins to “back feed” itself, much like sending water the wrong way down a pipe; Eventually, something gives. In the case of a barrier generator, the generator itself overloads, usually explosively. In the bad old days of early defensive barriers, this explosion hit hard and fast, such as the disastrous attack by KHYRON near Toronto. Today, the backfeed is grounded out to something else, typically the hull, preventing the cataclysmic explosions of old. Though this does cause damage to the hull or exterior of the protected target, this damage is more cosmetic that actual, and therefore irrelevant. More importantly, most starships are arrayed with several redundant generators, so that if one generator is destroyed another comes on-line before the field collapses completely.