COLD-FIRE WEAPONS
Cold-fire weapons harness bionetic energy (an experimental technology that holds great promise for the future).
Cold-Fire Weapons
Cold-fire weapons harness bionetic energy (an experimental technology that holds great promise for the future). These weapons cause extreme amounts of damage, disintegrating their targets on contact. Cold-fire weapons are used almost exclusively by the Volge, a war-like species feared by everyone. But in recent years they've turned up in the hands of frontiersmen and soldiers who have adapted the technology for their own use.
PO-TECH
Po-tech is slang for "poor tech" — old Earth technology that's been cobbled together or jerry-rigged.
Po-tech
Po-tech is slang for "poor tech" — old Earth technology that's been cobbled together or jerry-rigged. This includes everything from pistols and machine guns to shotguns and rocket launchers. Military-grade ammunition isn't hard to come by, as large stockpiles were left behind after the Pale Wars. And more is being manufactured all the time. Companies like Von Bach Industries have even applied alien technologies to some old Earth standbys, modifying them to use new power sources that can produce toxic, incendiary, and even electrical damage.
CHARGE BLADES
Charge blades consist of a grip and metal hilt that produces a blade of hard light.
Charge Blades
A charge blade consists of a grip and a metal hilt that produces a blade of hard light. When activated, a monofilament in the shape of a blade extends from the hilt, forming an energy field. The technology was developed by the Indogenes for use as a surgical tool (since nothing's as sterile as a laser), but it was quickly adopted by the Castithans, who appreciate the elegance and panache of a blade. Dead bodies left in the street with their throats slit are a calling card of the Castithan Mafia — a clear warning to anyone foolish enough to cross them.
STASIS NETS
Stasis nets are massive force fields that can surround an entire settlement.
Stasis Nets
Stasis nets are massive force fields that can surround an entire settlement. They require an extraordinary amount of power, which is why most towns (like Defiance) opt to build a single barricade to block a primary choke point into their territory. Stasis nets can be recognized by the audible hum they produce and the hexagonal pattern that is present in most Indogene technology.
TERRASPHERES
Terraspheres are powerful warheads containing alien DNA that's unleashed upon impact.
Terraspheres
When the Votans (the collective term for seven different alien species) set out for Earth, they sought a planet they could remake into the image of their own home worlds. Terraforming (the word is borrowed from English) is the process of converting a section of a planet for Votan habitation. This includes everything from reshaping the landscape to introducing entirely new species of alien plant and animal life. Terraspheres are the "warheads" of terra-spire missiles — powerful balls of energy containing alien DNA that's unleashed upon impact. However, when the Votans realized Earth was inhabited, they put their plans on hold. When the Arks mysteriously exploded, the terraforming equipment ran rampant, creating an unplanned hybrid landscape that is neither human nor alien.
ARK-BRAINS
A highly advanced artificial intelligence that governed the Arks' navigation and life support and the eventual terraforming of the destination planet.
Ark-Brains
Once aboard the Arks (the ships that brought the aliens to Earth), Indogene scientists rotated maintenance shifts, periodically waking from hypersleep to check on the critical systems aboard each Ark. But even in limited shifts, a person would have aged hundreds of years over the 5,000-year journey. Hence, the ark-brain was developed — a highly advanced artificial intelligence that governed all facets of navigation, life support, and the eventual terraforming of the destination planet. The ark-brain's primary goal was to protect Votan life at all costs. Most ark-brains were destroyed in the Arkfall event of 2030.
HAILERS
A hailer is a short-range two-way communicator that's sort of a cross between a cell phone and a walkie-talkie.
Hailers
A hailer is a short-range two-way communicator, sort of a cross between a cell phone and a walkie-talkie. They can be tuned to specific frequencies, allowing for private chats, but they can also be tuned to public bands that allow hailers to operate as receivers for radio stations such as the one that broadcasts out of the observation deck of the St. Louis Gateway Arch. Some models go even further, acting as digital recording devices and even low-end scanners. Hailers were initially developed as field radios for the Earth Military Coalition. Their durability has made them indispensable in the new frontier.