A Displaced Samurai

Tuesday, August 18th, 2048

I had postponed doing something about it so far, but these 32s were a problem. I needed something with more oomph against them. They were big, slow and their ability to hit flying targets seemed quite limited, so I guessed I could hit them with a big kamikaze drone.

Instead of upscaling things though, this time I would downscale them. I started with the VarioCopter, made the booms on which the side rotors were sitting foldable and shrinked the whole vehicle to half the size. I also changed the landing gear to small wheels. Now the thing could be wheeled through a normal door. Where the passengers would sit in the full size version, I packed the biggest shaped charge the thing could carry. Somewhat bigger than those in the explosive version of the Type Four.

But first, test flights with a dummy charge. I printed one of my flying bombs out, equipped it with a dummy charge and sent it around on remote control. Flight performance was satisfactory and range was adequate at a bit over thirty kilometers, even after reducing battery capacity to save weight in favor of a bigger bomb. I would be able to reach all of Victoria from the parking lot before my shelter. Test flight gone satisfactory, I parked the thing in my shelter and flew back to Base Styx.

Now that I had something to use (or at least try) on the big Macks, it was time to think about more efficient small arms. My current rifle was not bad by any means, and HANAF was already considering adopting something very similar. But the tungsten for the projectiles was a constant bottleneck and money drain. So I asked Elya for alternatives.

I know your preference for scalable equipment, so let me suggest the Shiv Mk III from the Class I Light Rail Guns catalog. It is designed as a five millimeter sniper rifle, but the technology works just as well when scaled to calibers anywhere between four and nine millimeters. The same applies to barrel length, from pistols to long rifles everything makes sense.

The Shiv is well suited for manufacturing with your current equipment.

“OK, show me the specs and an overview of how to use it”.

I ended up being fairly impressed by the rifle itself. That began with the variable muzzle velocity of up to three kilometers per second, continued with the integrated laser range finder and the dual-spectrum scope, both normal and thermal vision, and did not end with the trajectory adjustment system providing inhumane accuracy.

But what about penetrating hard targets? “Elya, so far I really like what I see. But what projectiles are available against armored targets?”

In the Class I Kinetic Ammunitions catalog you already have is a thing called the Diamond Bolt. A projectile that is designed for rail guns and with various kinds of diamond tips in mind. The Lonsdaleite you can make in your fabricators is a suitable form of diamond.

“OK, let’s talk about prices. An overview in table form please.”

Item

Point cost

Description

Class I Light Rail Guns

100 points

Self-explaining

Shiv Mk III (blueprint)

1200 points

Sniper rail gun rifle

Diamond Bolt (blueprint)

50 points

Armor piercing ammunition for light rail guns

Total price

1350 points

Right now you have one token and 4509 points.

“Yes, let’s do this.”

Purchased: Everything in the table

New Balance: One token and 3159 points

Of course I wanted to play with my new toy, so I ordered one from the next best fabricator, plus some ammunition. Ten minutes later I could collect it.

I went out onto my helipad, slammed in a magazine and aimed at a treetop on the other side of the valley. As I experimented with the various settings, I noticed a small aiming circle that grew or shrinked with the magnification of the scope.

“Elya, what is that variable size circle?”

The angular range of the trajectory adjustment system. As long as the target is inside the circle, the Shiv can make little course changes to the projectile so it hits even if the barrel is not adjusted perfectly.

I noticed that it was fairly easy to keep a target inside the circle, while keeping the reticle on the target was a lot more difficult. The larger the magnification, the more my natural unsteadiness became visible. No surprise of course, but maybe I could use the trajectory adjustment system as target aid somehow?

“Elya, is there a way to use the trajectory adjustment system to stabilize my aim? Perhaps by picking up through my augs where exactly I’m looking and diverting the bullet towards that?”

Certainly. The Class I Targeting Systems catalog contains suitable software that can be installed on your existing augs. Such as the Ocular Aimbot Mark II that does exactly what you asked for.

“Cool. Prices?

Item

Point cost

Description

Class I Targeting Systems

50 points

Various kinds of aimbots and multi-weapon networking software

Ocular Aimbot Mark II (software)

20 points

Determines where exactly the user looks through their augs, compatible to most targeting systems

Total price

70 points

“Sounds cheap enough. I’ll take it.”

Purchased: Everything in the table

New Balance: One token and 3089 points

I looked through the scope of my new rifle again. Now as soon as I prepped the trigger, a small purple reticle showed up over the target.

The Ocular Aimbot works together with the trajectory adjustment system in the Shiv to guide the projectile exactly where the purple reticle is pointing.

I had to try right away. I looked at a particular twig on a tree across the valley, brought it into the targeting circle and fired. The recoil was pretty hard, but through the scope I saw how the twig disintegrated into a little cloud of sawdust, exactly where I had aimed. The end fell off as expected.

But there was another weakness in my little Mack army that needed fixing. My own Macks were not hardened against EMP effects yet. If I could change that, their efficiency could greatly improve when used in combination with EMP grenades. Combined arms FTW!!

At the same time though, I did not want to cut off their communications entirely by stuffing their electronics into a Faraday cage. Time for more shopping.

“Elya, I might need some tech components again. The goal is to harden my Macks against EMP, but not to block their communications at the same time.”

If you want to try your hand at the design yourself, there is a collection of protective components in your General Electronics catalog. It is called Electromagnetic Barriers and contains a wide variety of components like electromagnetically shielded joints, filters against harmful levels of voltage and so on. The blueprint price would be 150 points.

“Sounds interesting, but while we are at it, I also want to let them be part of the Spectracopter data network. That would mean letting specific frequencies through and of course integrate the communications components from the Spectracopter. Like we did with the Type 1R.”

That is certainly possible. We might need extra antennae on the outside though if we completely shield the interior. Let’s do it together, to satisfy your thirst for knowledge.

“Absolutely, let's do some engineering together. Elya, you're the best!”

Purchased: Electromagnetic Barriers (collection of minor blueprints)

Price… 150 points

New Balance… One token and 2939 points

To make a long story short, I soon had a Type Four Mk II that was greatly improved in the EMP hardening and communications department. But also had two new antennae on its head that made it unsuitable as infiltration unit. It looked cute though, the new antennae looked a bit like cat ears.

Being a little paranoid, I added some of them to the base’s defenders. Which consisted of four Type 1R recon units and thirty Type Fours of various types now, including four of the anti-air Type 4AE. On top of that a few kamikaze EMP drones and Spectracopters on launch cradles in the base entrance. This started to look like a force that could defend itself against a minor incursion long enough that I could come over and take charge.

Finally, I had an idea or two for upgrading my personal armor. I had once seen an ad for a wireless taser that used ionizing lasers to create a conductive path in the air, along which the high voltage current could flow to the poor sod being electrocuted.

Second, the Mack steel of my current body armor was nice, but perhaps I could do better. It was shopping time again.

“Elya, I’d also like improved body armor with an extra twist if possible. First, do you see possible improvements with the materials I have available at the moment? Second, I thought of using a wireless taser to prep the Macks for hacking by you. Perhaps mounted in pauldrons on my shoulders, with auto targeting if that is available.”

Can do, Miss Lazer Tazer. I can recommend a taser that lets me modulate the current for best disruption effect in the Macks’ circuits. The Bot Scrambler Mk II from Class I Non-Lethal Electric Weapons. It is designed exactly for your purpose.

“Great! Let’s talk prices, designs, and how to install the Scrambler on the new armor!”

The price for the taser blueprint by itself would be 300 points, for the aiming I can adapt a small turret design from your Class I Auxiliary Weapon Utilities catalog for you. I recommend the blueprint of the Death’s Hand for 200 points.

For the material of the armor, the breakage resistant Lonsdaleit variant from your Class I Advanced Materials catalog would make a good top layer. As backing, there is a titanium alloy equal to Mack plate in strength but about 40% lighter. Unlock price is five points.

“An overview in table form please?”

Item

Point cost

Description

Class I Non-Lethal Electric Weapons

50

Mostly non-lethal electro shockers and microwave guns

Bot Scrambler Mk II (blueprint)

300 points

Multipurpose taser

Death’s Hand Mk III (blueprint)

200 points

Automatic turret for handguns

Duratitanium

5 points

Strong titanium alloy (unlock for fabricators)

Total price

555 points

“Yes, let’s go with that.”

Purchased: Everything in the table

New Balance: One token and 2534 points

Elya showed me the whole thing in a simulation, but building it would have to wait until I was back in Victoria. The simple reason was that Styx Base had no titanium.