Bio-armor
Bio-armor is a bio-technological set of personal armor, roughly equivalent to un-powered combat armor.
Some civilizations solve their technological problems biologically. They genetically engineer as easily as others construct with plastic and steel. They grow and do not manufacture. Their products are all of organic origin and frequently alive. They use the same technological level to determine what is available to their sciences. They obtain products that solve the same problems in a different way.
Armor and protective systems are an excellent example of how this same but different approach works. The armor is usually custom grown to fit an individual's requirements, and identical 'off the rack' suits are rare. The client selects from a menu of options and a suit colony is assembled and fitted to the customer. The armor is symbiotic and becomes attuned to its individual master. Frequently the armor will not respond to another wearer making theft impractical.
The more complex armors equivalent to combat armor, battle dress and combat environmental suits are usually more unique. There is usually a small delay for final fitting and adjustments as the armor adapts to its new master. The living suits are available in a very wide variety of versions with many strange options not available in manufactured suits. Biotech, Bio-weapons, and Bio-armor skills maybe necessary to design, build, maintain, and properly utilize this equipment.
Model 1 Combat environment suit
| Model 1 Combat Environment Bio-armor | |
|---|---|
| Type | Protective gear |
| Tech Level | TL–10 |
| Cost | Cr10,000 |
| Size | 3l |
| Weight | 10kg |
- Vol.: 3L
- Mass: 10 kg
- Encumbrance: 2kg (Nerve and Exo-muscular compensation)
- Price: Cr 10,000 Duration: indefinite with sun, food and water. Heterotrophic by preference will go autotrophic (chemosynthetic or photosynthetic) if conditions warrant. Optimized to live off user's wastes-heat, motion (mechanical energy), sweat, liquid and solid metabolic wastes (can last 30 days without food, 10 days w/o water on its own)
- Operating Noise: Silent
A pliable armored full body suit. This typically black polycarbon ooze masses 10kg and is alive. It is a complex organic soup of carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, and lipids, and it is green when absorbing solar energy. It will operate in temperatures from -150° to 500° C and up to 100 atmospheres pressure. If exposed to more than 5 minutes of hard vacuum the suit and probably its occupant will expire.
It is typically stored in a long narrow cylinder in a nutrient medium in a state of hibernation. These organism can move and flow. They are not typically put on as much as they climb on for themselves. They can be bred to respond to a variety of somatic, verbal, mental or chemical signals and commands. The suit can function and adapt to great environmental extremes and protect its user from the same.
It aids in survival in desert, arctic, aquatic environments and exotic climates. The suit conforms to an environmentally secure head-to-toe bodysuit of an extremely flexible but resilient armored hide. Any portion of the body can be covered or not at will. The user can still use the suit's senses (human equivalent unless augmented) if the "hood is up."
The suit can soak up and store up to 10kg in additional food and/or water for the user in whatever desired combination. It can provide nutrients and water recycled and purified from wastes. It recovers water like a filtration/distillation unit. Offers complete protection against most NBC agents when completely sealed up. Self seals ruptures. Thermal insulation and absorption eliminates signature. Psi shield, Color and thermal Chameleon option at TL–12. The mutability of the suit allows it to be trained with a memory form.
The ooze can harden part of the covering into a specified form. Any bio-weapon/bio-armor skill allows alterations of the programmed form. Any melee weapons that the user is skilled in or wants can be extruded from any desired surface of the suit. These shapes are still part of the suit and cannot be permanently removed from the suit w/o damaging it.
Use of a NAC, an optional extra, can be used to further enhance the user's abilities
Model 2 combat armor
| Model 2 combat bio-armor | |
|---|---|
| Type | Protective gear |
| Tech Level | TL–12 |
| Cost | Cr120,000 |
| Size | 6l |
| Weight | 20kg |
- Vol.: 6L
- Mass: 20 kg
- Encumbrance: 2kg (Nerve and Exo-muscular compensation)
- Price: Cr 120,000
- Duration: indefinite with sun, food and water. Heterotrophic by preference will go autotrophic (chemosynthetic of photosynthetic) if conditions warrant. Optimized to live off user's wastes-heat, motion mechanical energy), sweat, liquid and solid metabolic wastes (can last 30 days without food, 10 days w/o water on its own)
- Operating Noise: Silent
The armor is an isotropic polycarbon fiber matrix bonded with organic iron polymers and cemented with calcium carbonate ceramics which are in turn held chemically inert by coatings of regenerative (i.e. molting) chitinous longchain polysaccharides. To accomplish the levels of user protection and augmentation this organism is capable of, an invasive neuromuscular interface is needed. This suit is not a free ooze. The suit assembles itself and actively assists the user in donning it. The interfaces mate and the symbiote is ready for action in 30 seconds.
The suit comes with a NAC as standard equipment, and can be enhanced further as an option.
When hibernating the suit looks like a 10cm tall squat cylindrical bundle with a silver hemispherical disc on top (the prime neural interface and NAC).
The suit's energy storage potential is high enough to power weapons and an arsenal is usually selected at the time of purchase. Changes are possible, if expensive and time consuming.
Neurological Activity Controller
The Neurological Activity Controller (NAC) is an RNA enhanced memory cell bundle implanted or interfaced with the users central nervous system. These options can influence the users perceptions, thoughts, knowledge, emotions, and/or body movement. The memories and information stored in these nodes allow the user to perform as though he has mastered skills and capabilities which he has not.
NAC nodes can vary in capacity and can be grown for a fixed task or be re-trainable with the corresponding costs. .01kg mass.
For tasks the user may not add a stored skill to a naturally learned skill, it is one or the other but not both at the same time. Remote Sensory data transmission and brainwave transmission options are possible. Real-time transmission of all sensory input to another node. Nodes may be designated transmitters, transceivers, or receivers. The full brainwave option transmits all neural activity: sensory impressions, thoughts, and emotions.
Sense enhancements
- Visual/Sight
- Image enhancement, Thermal, Passive IR, LI, Micro, Macro, EM Spectral Range, Antiglare, Targeting=telescopic, electronic battlefield scope equivalent.
- Auditory/Hearing
- Directional, Amplified, Sound-Edit-Out, Hi/Lo Sonic Range.
- Gustatory/Taste
- Enhanced sensor processor for detection and identification of substances by taste.
- Olfactory/Smell
- Tracking, reduced or enhanced sensitivity to volatile airborne; chemical substances. "Sniffer" bio-scanner, life detector. Processor/analyzer: sniff bombs, drugs, mines, people etc.
- Tactile/Touch
- Heightened or decreased sensitivity. Thermal/Temperature Precise temperature judgment or discomfort edit out.
Addition enhancements
- Special
- Bio-sonar, Bio-radar, Vocal range modulator, emulator, amplifier,
- Pain-blockers
- A specialized synaptic inhibitor device which obstructs the flow of pain signals to the brain. Gravity adjust rig, Balance rig (dex bonuses)
- New glands and organs
- These monitor and/or dispense some specific drug or hormone or other bioactive chemical into the body. Nerve booster, adrenal booster. Grafted strength enhancements. Blood loss healer, ingested chemical bypass, arterial chemical by-pass toxin binders, gametic filtering, filtered compressed oxygen extractor, gills
- Tools and weapons
- Any implanted, grafted tool or bladed weapon equivalent. Mega knuckles, razor nails, wrist razors, detachable symbiotic slave beasts used as scouts or weapons stored in body; mouth, chest, hands etc. pouch, homing instinct, photosynthesis coating-food, current, energy storage, light generator cold luminol or flash bulb, organic laser, fangs, claws, horns, hooves, stinger, thrasher, taser electro shocker, organic battery, poisons/toxins, adhesives, silk, cables, climbing, digging/burrowing, tail, hydraulic, pneumatic projectiles, extra limbs, wings, fins, entangler/net, webbing, spines, spikes, secretions-hormones, viral agents, acids, gas projector tear, tranq/knock-out.
Additional enhancements
- EVA Thruster pack
- A water and/or compressed gas resisto-jets for zero-G maneuvering. Full vacuum options with rigid suit only. Full climate control, Full waste reclamation, Any grafted weapon Grafts and biological enhancements:
| This article has metadata. |
- Contributor: Lord (Marquis), Captain, and Lead Naval Architect Ronald B. Kline, Jr. of the Imperial Navy