Battle Suit
A Battle Suit is an armored fighting unit widely used across the Solar System. Developed during the First Solar War, these humanoid combat vehicles are piloted by an individual located in the torso and powered by a Type A Laniakea Reactor. These machines stand 15-22 meters tall and are lauded for their versatility in terrestrial and exoatmospheric environments. Pilots use specially designed weapon systems called macroweapons which vary drastically in design, ranging from rudimentary bolt action rifles to directed energy melee weapons.
While the first Battle Suits were exclusively designed for exoatmospheric combat, a number of models throughout history have been manufactured with the express purpose of ground and atmospheric engagements. Some frames are even capable of operating in both environments, gaining the designation of Diplobius Battle Suits (literally meaning "double life" or "twofold life").
The saturation of Battle Suits in warfare has propelled it to the forefront of public perception as the primary vehicle in which combat is to be conducted. While naval ships transport Battle Suits throughout the Solar System, they have supplanted most land and aircraft. Though some niche fighter designs are still in use as direct-fire support for Battle Suit contingents, it is widely agreed upon that a squadron of five fighter crafts barely stand on equal footing with a single mass-produced Battle Suit, assuming all pilots involved are of equivalent skill.
Laz-Macroweaponry
Particle weapons, or Laz-weapons (LAniakea Zero-point Reaction), are a broad archetype of macroweaponry that excel in exoatmospheric combat. Laz-weapons draw power directly from the Battle Suit's Laniakea Reactor to overcharge Laniakea Particles. These overcharged particles are not only more stable than their standard counterparts, but generate an acute, low-range Laniakea Field that repels similarly charged particles called a Zero-point Field. This field is ideal for manipulating the flow of Zero-point particles, resulting in impressive melee devices that resemble historic weapons such as polearms, axes, and virtually any type of sword. Certain melee macroweapons may also be categorized under the term "Laz-plated," meaning the striking edge/point of the weapon is lined with Zero-point particles. Additionally, ranged Laz-weapons are extremely effective in a vacuum environment as any dissimilar particle medium a Laz-projectile travels through will significantly reduce the range and efficacy upon impact. As such, Laz-macroweapons pervade most naval arsenals while terrestrial and Colony defenses rely on traditional weapon systems like kinetic slugs or rocket-propelled ammunition.Bio-Interface System
Bio-Interface Systems are critical to a Battle Suit's functionality and a pilot's ability to connect and operate it. A number of physical interface schemes have attempted to resolve the indomitable issue of managing an impossibly complex system with a finite amount of control real estate within a cockpit. All of these attempts have failed. The solution to this problem was derived from the Armored Neural Tracer's user interface: a simple neural link, or neural trace, that allows a pilot to nontactilely perform basic motor functions like walking or turning. After hundreds of years of research and innovation, modern Battle Suit interfaces have evolved and improved. With a direct link to the brain, typically achieved through a physical connection to the nervous system, Battle Suit performance valuations have only risen. This novel approach was first attempted in the FEATHER Operating System, the Bio-Interface System of the Feather Frame. The FEATHER system was one of the first Bio-Interface Systems conceived, yet is still considered peerless amongst its modern contemporaries.Datapox
Due to the invasive nature of Bio-Interface Systems, pilots can contract a myriad of mental health conditions after decades inside Battle Suits. While it depends on the individual, all of these ailments fall under the umbrella term of "Datapox" which occurs after the central nervous system is subjected to prolonged exposure of raw data. Generally, these conditions will begin to manifest after twenty to thirty years of regular active combat. There are few preventative measures that can be taken other than retirement or an alternative profession. However, there are usually external factors that prevent pilots from resigning, resulting in a startling number of veterans suffering from Datapox. Datapox includes but is not limited to:- Depression
- Violent mood swings
- Dissociative identities
- Schizophrenia
- Depersonalization/Derealization
- Metempsychosis*
*Metempsychosis is a unique condition found in veteran pilots. Subjects have described an inability to identify as a living human, perceiving their body as a vehicle they must pilot and Battle Suits as their "true" body. This condition has also been called Dehumanization.
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