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Gravity-based Tools
The mechanics of gravity and the principles of controlling it
have been well know since Pattonetti's work in ancient times.
Almost since its inception, gravity control has been used in the
development of a variety of equipment, tools, and weapons. Gravity control, of course, is based off
the generation of a simple, carefully modulated quantum beam which is used to
stimulate the emission of gravites in the Elegant dimension. The
effects of the beam can be further controlled through a more
refined and precisely controlled quantum beam in order to
influence the actual conduction and decay of the gravite in the
Manifold dimension.
Grapro
The basic "Grapro" Gravity Projector has been in use since ancient times. Its
most basic form simply focuses a controlled quantum field into a beam and
projects it at a target. The quantum beam stimulates the Elegant
emission of gravites and induces gravity on any matter it comes
in contact with.
In the early
days of the Grapro, neither the quantum field nor the specific
function of gravity was well understood or well controlled. Large,
crude gravity projectors would create inefficient fields that
could only be used in the clumsiest of applications. As our
understanding of modern physics grew, it became possible to
manipulate quantum fields to not only stimulate crude gravite
emission rates but also to manipulate the behaviour of the
gravites within the Manifold dimensions themselves. Much smaller and
more powerful units became capable of precisely manipulating gravity
from a distance.
Matter
encountered along the length of the beam will see an equal
effect to that at the end of the beam. The acceleration of
air molecules and other stray particles out of the beam create the "crackle"
effect and distinct smell described by those in proximity to the
beams.
The modern
man-portable Grapro is generally a compact, single-beam carbine
powered from a light, high-efficiency backpack power supply.
They are used as essential tools in construction, shipping, and
industry. As heavier weights tend to be harder to control and
drain energy faster (by orders of magnitude), teams of Grapro
operators often work in tandem. As the beam hits its target, it
is actually a relatively small area of the target which receives
the gravitational forces and lifts the rest of the target. Using
multiple projectors or
Grapros with
adjustable-width beams can relieve stresses imposed when an object
is lifted from a single point. Multipoint Grapros are designed
for heavier, specialized applications and use a coordinated set
of beams to engage targets at multiple points of
contact and spread out lift stresses. The only major difference
between handheld, vehicular, and starship
mounted Grapros is that of scale.
Gravite
Cannon
The
Gravite Cannon, often called a G-hammer or Combat Grapro, was originally
devised by Azatlath Advanced Construction and is now a common
concept throughout the civilized galaxy as a tool of both
construction and war. The idea is a simple one, using multiple
parallel beams but allowing individual beams to push, pull, or
rapidly alternate. A variety of crushing or tearing effects can
be achieved for use in mining, industry, or turning people you
don’t like to pulp. Gravite cannons consume exorbitantly more
energy than a standard Grapro and compensate by firing a pulsed,
rather than steady state beam. As such, G-Hammers are used for
pulverizing or shoving rather than steady-state lifting. Gravite
cannons come in a variety of sizes. Man-portable units consist
of an unwieldy multi-barrel rifle run from a heavy,
high-efficiency fuel cell backpack. Many heavy industrial and
military applications integrate the Gravite Cannon into a
powered exoskeleton. Vehicle and starship models are common, as
well.
Ripsaw
Rifle
Ripsaw technology is a relatively new development, essentially a
highly miniaturized Gravite Cannon supplemented by technologies
realized during the development of the string drive.
Refinements in the ability to create and control quantum fields
allowed for parallel quantum beams to be generated and focused
almost on the molecular level. Rather than the pulverizing
action created by the Gravite Cannon, the push-pull action of
the quantum beams produce a tearing action at the near-molecular
level. Due to the miniaturization of beams and components, the
Ripsaw is far less energy-reliant than either
the Gravite Cannon or Grapro, using less energy and exerting
less force but precisely
focusing it on an exceptionally tiny area. Ripsaws do no area damage and make exceptional cutting tools where
accuracy and clean cuts are a priority. As a weapon used against
personnel, the Ripsaw
leaves un-cauterized cuts that bleed and distract both the
target and those who are left to tend them. They cause gradual tears in armour
and must be focused on a single spot until the armour is
breached, or used to physically cut a hole, before they do any interior
damage. The farther the unit is from its target, the more ragged the cut tends to be, since the
beams are parallel and tend to diffuse in the atmosphere over
distance.
Because of the
small size and relatively modest power consumption of the units,
external
backpack or beltpack power supplies are generally not mandatory
but are available on many models. The technologies that ushered in
the first Ripsaw Rifle saw a variety of other applications
spin-off within years of its appearance.
The Ripsaw
Rifle, often referred to as a “Ripper”, proves itself most effective in rifle sized and
larger units. Pistol-sized designs, while available, are too
small to house the necessary equipment to generate and focus the
quantum beams over a long distance. Pistolized models are limited
to extremely close range and do little more than distraction
damage and bleeding. The Ripsaw pistol
fills essentially the same role as the Ripsaw lancet, without
its advantages, making the lancet a more popular choice in close
applications.
Ripsaw Lancet
Ripsaw Lancets are hand-held, limited-range
cutters based on Ripsaw Rifle technology. While Ripsaw Rifles
use closely placed parallel beams with an effective focal length
of infinity, the Ripsaw lancet has a fixed focal length,
typically from a foot to several feet. The beams converge at the
focus, creating a precision, low energy cutter. The beam itself appears to be
“thick air”, slightly wavy around the edges and causing odd
bends and diffractions of light. The overall effect is somewhere
between that of a prism and a desert mirage. The lancet beams have a bright, crackling high-energy discharge
where they converge.
The beam
doesn’t cut clear through like a solid blade; instead, the parallel
gravity beams tear at the surface first and cut deeper if the
position is maintained. If the point of beam convergence is used
as the cutting point, the high-energy discharge makes a faster, slightly
more ragged cut and causes some extra heat damage. Close to the
hilt, the beams are slightly wider and more separated, causing a
larger tear. Exceptionally proficient users, professionals in
art and industry, are able to cut with the very tip and match
cutting speed to material to prevent beam convergence and minimize the extra heat and tearing
damage.
Volto-Avaiga originally
manufactured the "Quantum Saw" as a cutter for breach
operations. Current models by Volto-Avaiga include the modern
Ripsaw Quantum, a weaker six-inch cutting tool designed for
Security force breach operations and capable of continuous
cutting for several minutes. The Volto-Avaiga Turquoise is a
larger model designed to function both as a breach cutter and as
a short-range, close-quarters melee weapon. The power unit for the
Turquoise mounts to the user’s forearm and physically interfaces
with the hilt of the weapon when it is held in the appropriate
hand. The rechargeable fuel cell supply can maintain a steady
beam for hours. Models are also available to integrate with
vehicles, starships, and precision machining equipment.
The
term lancet is generally applied to ripsaw cutting tools. Models
designed primarily as weapons are often referred to by the term
"Ripslash". Weapons-grade Ripsaw lancets are sometimes referred
to as "Starswords" due to the flamboyant energy
discharge at the tip of larger models.
GlimmerStorm
A starship weapon based on the Pattonetti Emitter, the GlimmerStorm projects
a highly unstable quantum field similar to that used in the
generation of artificial gravity.
Unstable and purposely modulated to increase its instability,
the GlimmerStorm stimulates random and uncontrolled gravite
emissions within the quantum field it projects. Targeted starships are
subject to the disruption of their internal systems,
particularly the artificial generation of gravity. Unpredictable
power surges can occur, overloading capacitors and isolators and causing power
generators to act unpredictably. Gravity-based shields within
the area of effect will be weakened or fail. Scanners can
generate noise and random readings and sensors can misfire and
damage themselves. Steadily sweeping an area with a gravite
field can instigate tell-tale sensor fires from
undetected stealth vessels. As a further distraction and threat to
morale, the Gravite field causes random molecular reactions in
the ship, generating sparks from metal surfaces, creating random pinging
and popping noises, and causing visual and audible feedback in
the user interface. The Glimmerstorm can also be used to collapse the
quantum field of a starship and pull it out of skip warp.
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