Star People

Side Story 11

Prototypes Part 3

Sept 14^th, 13 AE…

Polaris City, Battle-Mech Training Facility #6…

James let off a tired sigh as he exited the Battle-Mech simulator. The readout told him he had slammed his mech into some civilian buildings. He had to admit that Battle-Mech training was a lot different than flying a Starfighter. He hadn’t realize until now, just how fine-precision Battle-Mech movements were.  However, with the new Valiant-Type coming close to finishing its test trials, it was almost certain to be approved for mass-production. As a result, it was now mandatory for all Starfighter and Battle-Mech pilots to be cross-trained in the basic operations of both types of combat. Of course, all pilots would remain in their primary modes of operation, but when the need arose, they would be re-assigned to the Valiant-type. Furthermore, a new division of primarily Valiant-type pilots would be set up.

Wittens saw his wife come out of her simulator as she completed the day’s training session. She too had crashed her mech into some buildings. Like the Star Hawk pilots, Byatta pilots were not exempt from the cross-training Battle-Mech mandate. Nor were the pilots of the Star Gladiators, Hunters, Scrappers, Slammers and other Battle-Mechs, exempt from learning Starfighter operations and tactics.

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“Damn it!” Jerry let off snort of annoyance after the simulator told him that he had been shot down. As he exited the simulator, his best friend and subordinate greeted him.

“So how did it go?” Gracs asked.

“The bandit shot me down within 3 seconds after contact. He came in way too fast.”

“Yes, that’s how I ended up.” The Catian admitted. “I hate to admit it, but you have to have faster reflexes and make quick decisions in a Star Hawk or Byatta.”

“Not to mention that your opponent can take you out at longer ranges. We’re so used to fighting at closer distances, that we’d be easy pickings in the skies.”

“Well, look at it this way. We’re still training in a Battle-Mech. It’s just a Battle-Mech that can fly. For Starfighter pilots, they just think of the Valiant as a Starfighter than can transform into a Battle-Mech.”

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December 22^nd, 13 AE…

Kingdom of Merin, Royal Palace…

King Verso Crede was in a jubilant mood as he and several other rulers of the Dwarf Nations had come together in a conference to discuss their new status as a member of the Star Alliance.

“My friends and colleagues, this is a most auspicious occasion!” Verso stated with pride. “Thanks to the efforts and hard work of these two, the Dwarf Nations have been recognized as part of the Star Alliance and close ally of Free Land!” He gestured to Clurke and Vulkar, who were sitting beside him at the conference table.

“Hear, hear!” King Rogan Zaire of Mendoa cheered. His kingdom was west of Merin and specialized in refining alloys. His nation also possessed large deposits of orihalcum. “With Free Land’s assistance and technology, I imagine that our metalworking and crafting economies will grow substantially!”

“Not to mention that our innovation shall also increase with Free Land technology!” Grand Duke Vilans Drex added. “The new Teleportation Portal System has already replaced the old Gate Magic portals. Being able to transports goods and materials over longer distances has already shown great potential!”

“And let us not forget the inventions which improved upon our Gate Magic portals!” King Tobrek Nigat of Xerellon said. “The Neo-Psion Reactor and the new Dwarf Rune Circuits! I imagine that their applications are beyond that of the portal system.”

“Indeed.” Clurke admitted. “Both the reactor and circuits do have other uses besides extending the range of the teleportation portals. However, keep in mind that those inventions were not possible without Free Land technology. I could have never constructed the reactor without needing to use Battle-Mech parts. And without the usage of a nanotech laser, the circuits would have never been realized. So we do owe Free Land and the Star Alliance our gratitude for their part in their creation.”

“Well said, Clurke!” King Verso remarked. “We must also show our gratitude to them for allowing us to become part of the Star Alliance! Since they have agreed to share their technology with us, we must in turn be willing to share our runes and innovations with them. Now, on to another important matter.”

“What matter is that, your Highness?” Vulkar asked.

“Since the Dwarf Nations will be more involved in matters concerning the Star Alliance, Free Land has requested that we elect a representative to send to Free Land, in order to speak on our behalf and take part in all matters concerning the Star Alliance. I believe they refer to this representative as a Prime Director.”

“So, we are to select someone who will rule over all of us?” Rogan asked.

“Actually, no.” Vulkar corrected. “According to what we learned in Free Land, a Prime Director is an elected official who will represent each member race and works for the good of the Star Alliance as a whole.”

“Really? So they have no supreme ruler?” Tobrek asked.

“That’s right. There is no monarchy among the Star Alliance. They are referred to as a republic. It’s a state in which supreme power is held by the people and their elected representatives, and which has an elected or nominated leader rather than a monarch.” Clurke explained. “The Star Alliance originally was made up of 5 races; the Terrans (humans), the Velor (dragonkin), the Catians (cat folk), the Kyteeri (blue elves) and the Nemonians (fairy folk). Now we can include the Dwarves as the 6^th member race of the Star Alliance.”

“Each Director represents his or her people and has a vote when it comes to making policy-changes, creation and amendments of laws, and to make decisions that will either protect or benefit the people of Free Land. Now, the Dwarf Nations are included as part of Free Land, so therefore our Prime Director will have a vote on the Council. All Prime Directors must vote unanimously, or at least have a majority. To be honest, the Council was about to vote on declining our petition for membership. We were just lucky enough to give the Star Alliance a reason to reconsider.”

“The Magic Gate portals?” Verso surmised.

“Indeed.” Clurke confirmed. “They were not interested in my Neo-Psion reactor by itself, but coupling that invention, with the DRCs that I later came up with, along with the Gate Magic portal, plus the advanced Free Land technology, gave us something that the Star Alliance was interested in; long-range, practical teleportation! And here we are.”

“So now that we are part of the Star Alliance, whom should we have to take up the position of Dwarf Prime Director?”

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Jan 14^th, 14 AE…

Zedan Prime…

“So these are the new transistor radios eh?” Prime Chancellor Himro remarked as he was shown the prototype communication devices that the research and development teams had developed. Unlike the bulky, brick-shaped, handheld transceivers, these were lighter, slimmer and took up less space. They were arranged on a large table.

“Yes, Prime Chancellor.” A scientist named Zerk Pychon replied as he picked up one of the new communicators. “This particular model has greater range than the previous versions and consumes less power. It also generates less heat.” He then handed the device to Himro.

The former general looked over the device with interest. It certainly was lighter than the older model and was more comfortable in his hands. The operation was also simple. Press and hold the side button to talk, and release to listen. He held up the device to his ear and pressed the talk button.

“Can you hear me?”

He then released the button as Zerk spoke into the other device. “Yes, I can hear you clearly!”

“How far is the range for these communication devices?” Himro asked as he set down the device.

“The personal models have a range of more than 6 miles!” Zerk stated proudly as he opened the panel to his device and showed him its insides. “See? Instead of bulky vacuum tubes, we are able to use the new transistors and reduce the size of the apparatus itself!” He then gestured to a larger, boxlike radio. “And this set is capable of over 30 miles without the use of radio towers!”

“Impressive. Though, I must ask… how did you come up with this transistor technology?”

Although Himro had a feeling he already knew the answer.

“Ah… well…”

“You got it from the late Emperor Zendara when you exhumed his body from the wreckage of the bunker, didn’t you?”

Seeing that he couldn’t lie to the Prime Chancellor, Zerk could only meekly nod. “The… pulse monitor he had on his wrist was mostly intact… so we… examined it and determined… the basic structure of the transistor.”

Himro let off a long, tired sigh. “I thought as much. Well, I suppose this is one part of Zendara’s legacy that benefited the Zedan people.”

“Indeed! Communications technology has taken a huge step forward! And I’m certain we can put this transistor technology to other uses as well!” The scientist admitted, but then took on a slightly subdued tone. “Although I have to admit, that our latest prototypes are still considered as extremely primitive in comparison to Free Land technology. I’ve seen their soldiers and officers use advanced communication devices no bigger than a paperclip and with far greater range.”

“I take it they didn’t let you examine one of those devices?”

“They wouldn’t let me or any of my colleagues come within 10 feet of any of their equipment. They told me, you already have the transistor, so figure it out yourself.”

“I suppose it wouldn’t do to let a former enemy to have access to their technology.”

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Mar 19^th, 14 AE…

Polaris City, USN Test Track #4…

“So how’s the prototype doing?” Engineer Chester Martox asked as he approached his colleague near a holo-viewer and console.

Engineer Wendy Faluks nodded as she pointed down towards the obstacle course from the observation booth. “It’s doing great! Ever since the test trials for the Valiant prototype ended, we’ve been applying the new Battle-Mech Transformation System or BTS into smaller vehicular forms. Right now, I’m tracking the Excalibur prototype at about 210 km/hr.”

The object in question was an ultra-modified hover-bike that used G-Force nullifiers and a miniaturized ion engine to streak across the terrain at high-speeds. Their main usage was for scouting and forward observation. The general configuration resembled that of a high-speed motorcycle, but without wheels. It had two nacelles mounted on both sides, near the rear section and its front was pointed like a wedge. Riding on the hover-bike was its test pilot, wearing the standard infantry Nova-Spartan armored suit. Not only did the suit protect the pilot from outside forces, but its sensor and navigation systems were tied in with the Excalibur’s.

Both engineers nodded as the Excalibur easily slid around obstacles in its way. Then Wendy decided to up the ante and pressed a control switch.

Ahead of the test pilot, panels in the ground opened up, revealing gun turrets. They began firing at the Excalibur with live but reduced-power rounds.

Seeing that he was exposed in his present configuration, the pilot pressed a small button on his console. Almost immediately, the twin pods opened up and began to shift. Sections of the hover-bike moved and rotated around the pilot, attaching themselves to his armor. The entire frame molded itself around him, forming additional armor and weaponry. When the transformation completed itself, the hover-bike had turned the test pilot into a human-sized version of a Scrapper Mech.

The pilot held out his arms and fired the particle blasters now mounted on his forearms. He also engaged the backpack guns which fired off mini-kinetic shells. When he got close to one turret, he engaged the vibro-blade cutters on the sides, slicing through the metal like butter.

In the observation booth, Chester couldn’t help but be impressed. He turned to his colleague and asked, “So where did you get the idea to turn a hover-bike into wearable Battle-Mech armor?”

“I was inspired after seeing an old vid called MegaZone 23.”

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May 7^th, 14 AE…

Kingdom of Merin…

Clurke smiled as he sat in the Gigaran’s remodeled cockpit. It had been quite some time since he had a chance to work on the machine that he and his son had created. With the admission of the Dwarf Nations as Star Alliance members, he and Vulkar had been able to acquire high-quality and fine-precision components to improve and upgrade their dwarven Mech-Frame. Under the Star Alliance, the Gigaran was now categorized as a Type-C, Construction and General Usage Mech-Frame with limited combat capacity.

Of course, the Gigaran was still driven by a Neo-Psion reactor, but it now made use of advanced hydraulics, new impact-gel cushions, thrusters, and most importantly, a computerized control interface. The control panel now had DRC relays and reacted with near-perfect timing. The cockpit was reinforced with new synthetic materials and reinforced alloys.

However, both Clurke and Vulkar had not forgotten their blacksmithing roots and many of the fittings and control levers had been hand-forged or self-made. They still wanted the dwarf touch on their creation. Despite learning new construction methods and scientific principles, both still knew how to swing a hammer and work the forge. The desire to create was in the blood of all dwarves.

Clurke then decided to take the Gigaran out for a spin. He reached forward and pressed the activation switch. Highly concentrated Neo-Fuel was pumped out of the tank and into the reactor as the DRCs glowed. Magical energy flowed through the nano-fiber cables as the entire Mech-Frame powered up. At that moment, Vulkar entered the workshop hanger and cried out as he ran toward the Mech-Frame.

“Hey, let me join you, Pops!”

The elder dwarf nodded as he gestured toward the seat behind him. His son wasted no time climbing up the frame and jumping into the back seat.  As the gauges on the control panel indicated that the machine was ready to move out, Clurke grabbed hold of the main control levers and pushed them forward. The whole machine stepped forward with ease as actuators and cams worked flawlessly. It started out slow and easy as it headed out the hanger and into the wilderness behind their house. It began to pick up speed as Clurke pressed down on the foot-control pedals. Soon, it was running at a steady pace of 55 km/hr.

As he and his son enjoyed the ride, Clurke began to think about the future. The Gigaran was certified as a fully-functional Mech-Frame and there were plans to mass-produce it. Many dwarf forges and mines had already pre-ordered them and there was a considerable waiting list. On their own, the dwarves would not be able to mass-produce the Gigaran in enough numbers to meet demand. Therefore, it was decided to learn Free Land methods of mass-production and use imported technology. The newly-elected Dwarf Prime Director, Sierg Mortiz, believed it was possible to negotiate for the mass-production techniques and equipment. Since the Alder continent had a huge supply of mana stones and magical ores, the dwarves were willing to show Free Land how to refine and utilize those resources. Given that the Teleportation Portal System was a success, it seemed that the Star Alliance had renewed its interest in magic and combining it with their technology.

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June 10^th, 14 AE…

The Kingdom of Atlans…

“Three… two… one… ignition!”

The newly-created prototype jet engine fired up as the air was sucked into the front of the intake. As it was compressed and fed into the turbine, along with the fuel, the heat began to rise. However, the blades withstood the temperatures and did not lose their shape. As the mixture hit the combustion chamber, it was ignited. The pressure caused it to be expelled out the nozzle at tremendous speeds. The resulting thrust strained at the engine’s mountings but the engine remained on the testing stage.

Nearby, standing behind a protective wall, both Lenns and Akar watched with satisfaction. It had taken them several months, but they had finally duplicated F-86 Sabre’s original powerplant, the General Electric J47 turbojet engine. In other facilities, the airframe, cockpit, pressure suit and other components were also in their final stages of testing. It would only be a matter of time before they would all be merged to form Altans’ first operational jet fighter.

In another research and development facility, one that belonged to the Atlans Space Research Association or ASRA, another project was nearing completion. It was a spherical metal ball that was about the size of a basketball and had four, flexible antennae extending from it. The electronics within the sphere were simple and crude. The only function was to send out an intermittent radio signal on a recurring loop. However, this experiment was important for another reason. It would be the Kingdom of Atlans’ first attempt at launching an object into near-planetary orbit. In other words, their first artificial satellite.

The inspiration and design of the satellite came from Free Land, when they gave Atlans the blueprints to an obsolete device called Sputnik.

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July 9^th, 14 AE…

“I have had enough!” Emperor VIgar raged as his Prime Minister read the latest reports. Again exports of Naran products to other nations were down. Furthermore, countries that had been under Naran’s influence were now starting to drift toward Free Land and the Dwarf Nations. Many of them expressed their desire to break ties with Naran and petition for Star Alliance membership. As a result, they had begun experimenting with their own resources to come up with something that Free Land might be interested in.

This would never do. Should the Kingdom of Naran completely lose its prestige as the top-ranking nation of the world, then it would suffer a decline in which it would never recover from. Something needed to be done.

Free Land had once accused Naran of sinking to Euracon’s level when Naran accused the Star Alliance and the Dwarf Nations of stealing the Divine Gate’s technology. Now it seemed that using the tactics of the former Underhanded Nation may be the only way Naran could regain its former glory.

To be continued…

Author’s Notes.

And that’s part 3 of Prototypes. I’ll be getting back to the main story in a couple of weeks or so.