With Desert Star's capital city being nestled between a pair of mountain ranges it was inevitable that citizens would become lost or trapped in the mountains, yet mountain rescue has always been a difficult matter, even before the cataclysm - let alone after. New dangers are presented such as mountains not being fully mapped or the dangers not being 100% known, plus there are alien life forms that now call mountains home, some of which can be very dangerous. This made mountain rescue operations very chancy - nearly impossible with the existing equipment available, especially as mountain rescue may also involve mountainous combat.
The mountains have always been forbidding terrain, even more forbidding when combat was to be involved. Armored vehicles can not, traditionally speaking, provide any assistance in this theatre of combat. Even robot vehicles, the walking tanks of the late 21st century, generally could not operate there. Thus a suit of power armor was the next best thing. The Senate of Desert Star approached S-Mart with these vexing issues, and in response they carefully considered these issues and then set to work on the suit necessary to fill this gap - the result was the Everest.
The Everest began with a C Class layout, a relatively light weight, yet effective and proven basic layout. Furthermore with this layout it could be built to be roughly man size - another important matter when considering having to move through sometimes thin outcroppings of rocks. Since few power armor types could climb high into the mountains, weapons did not have to be the most powerful on Earth. Cannons, rail guns and missiles would NOT be the best choice in the mountains either - as avalanches and rock slides could be the result of any loud reports or explosions. Thus S-Mart chose to mount a pair of PC-1 Plasma Cannons in the arms of the Everest as the primary and only true purposefully placed weaponry. In addition to these weapons the new suit would use a large number of important systems to aid it in mountainous operations. The first Everests became available in mid 115PA, the first going to the N.O.M.A.D. Military.
Appearance wise, the Everest resembles the Triax T-31 Super Trooper in some regards. The helmet is rounded with the filtration system over the mouth, and a huge visor that leads from just above the filtration system to halfway on top of the head to permit a great field of vision. The gauntlets and chest/torso section employs a very streamlined appearance to prevent snagging on rock faces. Plus an assortment of equipment draped over the whole of the body.
The N.O.M.A.D. Military thus far has acquired only 25 of these suits, but is planning to acquire an additional 25 more in 120PA. Various independant Kingdoms all over the west have acquired one or two of these suits for mountain rescue and combat purposes. A few mercenary units have acquired 5-10 of these to protect mercenary units traveling through mountains or for strictly mountainous operations. Wa-Daisho and Kyatashiro both are considering purchasing a handful of these for mountain operations as well. Overall the Everest has proven to be an excellent design and is growing in popularity throughout the west. Meanwhile the CS is only vaguely aware of this suit and it's capabilities but has little interest in the type.
In N.O.M.A.D. service the type often finds itself operating alone or in pairs when in the mountain rescue and mountain recon role, but sometimes supported by high flying aircraft vectoring information into and from the suit when possible. When operating in these same roles at lower altitudes it is likely to be assisted by one or more aerodynes in the task of searching, and then the actual rescue will be conducted by the Everest. When operating as a combat platform the Everest often works with conventional soldiers - often being the first on the scene of combat to distract an enemy so conventional soldiers can climb into position in relative safety.
A brief note concerning flying power armor in the mountains. Few flying power armor types can survive flying among the mountains due to violent turbulance in their vicinity, thermal updrafts, cold air pockets, and similar all making flight extremely erratic and dangerous - especially with the small wing areas that power armor generally possess. As a result even suits like the CS SAMAS must generally land and travel on foot through existing passes through mountains. This limits their combat performance envelope significantly - and makes suits like the Everest extremely important when operating in theatres of operations like the mountains. While described here as a military type, it is first and foremost designed as a rescue platform with the secondary ability of being able to aid in mountainous combat.
Model Type: Everest-A.
Class: Mountain Rescue & Combat Exo-Skeleton.
Crew: 1.
M.D.C. by Location:
*Head - 80.
Arms (2) - 80 each.
Legs (2) - 175 each.
*S-Mart PC-1 Plasma Cannons (2; Forearms) - 45 each.
*Operational Recorder (1; Shoulder) - 20.
*Laser Pointer (1; Left forearm) - 10.
*Laser Pylons (2; Abdomen sides) - 50 each.
*Flare Gun (1; Right forearm) - 10.
*Bolt Gun - 20.
*Sensory Extention (1; head) - 20.
*Mountaineer's Axe - 80.
**Main Body - 250.
* These are small and difficult targets to hit, thus a penalty of -3 to strike will result in any actions taken against the designated areas.
** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body shuts the armor down completely, making it useless.
Performance:
Running Speed: 60 mph maximum. Note that the act of running does tire out it's operator, but at 10% the usual fatigue rate.
Leaping: The powerful robot legs can leap 15' high or across unassisted by the leg thrusters. The leg thrusters provide a leap of 100' high and 175' across.
Flying: Not Possible. Jet Packs cannot even be used due to the back mounted harness. The Everest Suit is typically air lifted to the suspected zone and then deposited via aerodyne, helicopter, osprey, or jet aircraft, using it's leg thrusters to slow it's fall and direct it to a landing zone. This aircraft then serves as a relay station to the rescue crew's headquarters from the Everest's Command Computer.
Climbing: Using just the climbing claws at full tilt, the Everest can climb at 2.3 miles per hour, this is not taking into account time taken to find hand & footholds, proper climbing routes etc.. Doing this allows the Everest to climb most mountains at 5,000' an hour, also remember that large areas can be jumped over and skipped altogether using jet assisted leaps, and the grapnel launcher.
Statistical Data:
Height: 8'.
Length: 5'2".
Width: 4'5".
Weight: 645 Lb. fully loaded, not including the weight of the operator. (Max height for the pilot is 6'4", with an optimal weight of 180 Lb. or less.)
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. of 30.
Cargo: Several cargo spaces are incorporated into the Everest for the carrying of specialized equipment. In the right forearm, a small door can be opened to reveal twenty 12" barbed metal spikes designed for use with the grapnel launcher. In the left arm a similar door opens to reveal ten pulley rigs, two pairs of hand cuffs, and five pairs of cloth gloves. In the right leg a large storage compartment contains fifty 10" spikes designed for use with the bolt gun. In the left leg a similar compartment contains two canteens of water, two days of rations, four battery powered heated blankets, and 100' of lightweight cord. In the front of the torso, in the stomach region, is a cargo area for the Bolt Gun and fifty more 10" spikes, with a first aid kit mounted slightly above. On the exterior of the Everest the following items are carried on pegs, clasps, etc.; 1 oxygen tank and mask under each forearm, (2 hour air supply), on the right leg 1,000' of slender 2,640 Lb. test cable is wound upon a built in pair of pegs, in addition to ten more 10' spikes slid into wire mesh loops. The left leg carries the specialized Mountaineer's Axe, on a retractable fairing. In an emergency the Everest can carry up to 8 more oxygen tanks on it's body or could carry an extra bin similar to the bolt gun's bin, full of supplies.
Power System: Nuclear; Average Energy Life is 5 years.
Market Cost: 1.2 million credits. Typically comes in Rescue Yellow with reflector bands of black and florescent yellow on the biceps and calves of the armor. N.O.M.A.D. examples are often camoflagued.
Weapon Systems
1. S-Mart PC-1A Plasma Cannons (2): The only true weaponry carried by the Everest is the PC-1A Plasma Cannons, mounted in it's forearms. While intended for defensive purposes only, this system has proven to be an excellent mountain combat weapon. It makes relatively little noise and yet inflicts serious damage.
Primary Purpose: Defense.
Secondary Purpose: Assault.
Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 M.D. per blast.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks.
Maximum Effective Range: 2,000'.
Payload: Effectively unlimited; Thanks to the nuclear power supply.
2. Ice Axe: This rugged device is less a weapon than a tool of utility. This weapon includes a hooked pick like adaptor at the back side of the head that bears teeth. The front, bears an adze, a horizontal blade specifically intended to chop steps out of ice. The shaft is slightly curved, with a widened hilt at the very end intended to provide a strong grip. At the bottom of the shaft is a sharp spike useful for bracing oneself and as a balance aid. As for the materials used, the Ice Axe is a heavy duty Mercury Titanium Composite, molded in Wa-Daisho to specific specifications, and sent to S-Mart for completion. It is a heavy item only useful in the hands of a suit of power armor or in the hands of a supernatural creature. As a weapon it is quite deadly as well.
Primary Purpose: Mountain Climbing.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: +2D6 M.D. in addition to punch damage.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks.
Maximum Effective Range: Hand to hand combat.
Payload: N/A.
3. Climbing Claws: These are blades installed in the hands and in the "toe" area of the feet of the power armor, allowing the Everest better climbing abilities. In addition to climbing these tungsten-uranium (Depleted, of course.) alloy blades may be used in mega-damage combat.
Primary Purpose: Mountain Climbing.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: +1D6 M.D. in addition to punch or kick damage.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the pilot's combined hand to hand attacks.
Maximum Effective Range: Hand to hand combat.
Payload: N/A.
4. Bolt Gun: This bulky pistol like gun is used to drive 10" spikes into rock for attachment of clips for rope, cable, and even harnesses in an emergency. Although it's pneumatic system is considered powerful by any measure, it is not intended to be used as a weapon. Storage for this piece of equipment is located in the belly compartment. The bolt gun itself weighs 30 Lb. and it carries ten 10" spikes loaded into the gun's hopper at the top of the device.
Primary Purpose: Mountain Climbing.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 1D4 M.D. if used as a weapon.
Rate of Fire: One 10" spike at a time may be fired.
Maximum Effective Range: 50'.
Payload: The device's hopper can accomodate a strip of ten spikes. The suit incorporates a number of storage compartments, however, some of which contain additional strips for the Bolt Gun. All told 120; 10" spikes are carried, including the original ten carried in the Bolt Gun's hopper.
5. Systems of Note: This unit incorporates all the usual environmental features found in power armor including environmental protection, air filtration, an independant air supply, plus heat and radiation shielding. Note however that this suit does NOT incorporate a radar system.
1. H.U.D. Wideband Interface: This system is one of the most common systems used throughout post-cataclysm Earth in power armor. Instead of relying upon human vision it operates using a wide angle lense camera to take in the scene. Built into the helmet it often sits directly in front of the pilot's face, concealed behind a curved LCD screen. With this model a full one hundred and twenty degree field of vision is attained AND it has no ill effects on the power armor operative. This system provides full integration of all systems in a comprehensive H.U.D. (Heads Up Display). Unlike the common systems found elsewhere, this type is joined with a more advanced targeting computer that allows up to two weapons to be trained on a target at once. The audio level in the H.U.D. Wideband Interface is advanced beyond normal human hearing, becoming only slightly less sensitive than the cybernetic "Amplified Hearing".
2. Anti-Dazzle Protection: This is essentially nothing more than a polarized film on the sensors that react to the ambient light. Thus if a bright flash occurs in the face of the Everest, the lense turns nearly black for an instant, and then quickly changes back to normal - protecting the operator from being dazzled. This also prevents the operator of the suit from being dazzled from sunlight reflecting off of ice, or having to look up into bright sunlight.
3. Infrared Optics: This system allows the user to see the heat emanating from an object. It can be set to be white hot or black hot, depending on operating status. If in combat black hot would be best to avoid being blinded by explosions and similar. While in passive mode, outside of combat, white hot would be best, so as things like body heat would better stand out. The range of this system is 2,000'. At night this system is often used in the white hot mode to detect body heat from stranded mountain climbers, travelers, or for catching sight of monsters before they become a threat.
4. Nightvision Optics: This system uses the ambient light from starlight, moonlight and similar to allow a sort of green-tinged vision beyond normal visual ranges for a human. The range of this system is 2,000'.
5. Macrovision Optics: These optics are essentially like a microscope, capable of magnifying objects hundreds of times, from a distance of 6'. This is a useful system for analyzing clues in the field, such as tracks, spent shell casings and similar.
6. Telescopic Optics: These are exactly as they sound, telescopic optics that enhance the image of far away objects. At a range of 6,000' an object appears only 100' away, as an example. The range of this system is 6,000' effectively - but it can enhance the image of objects further away yet still, they just are not quite so well detailed.
7. Thermal Imaging Optics: This is very similar to the Infrared Optics in the sense that it detects heat, but unlike the imprecise nature of the infrared optics, this measures the heat signature precisely displaying them in colorful shades of reds, yellows, greens and blues with various degrees of heat. The thermal imaging optics are also far more sensitive than the infrared optics, actually allowing them to see heat through walls of structures at certain distances. The range of this system is 2,000', but it can only see heat through an obstacle such as a brick wall from 100'. This system is helpful for discovering individuals behind rocky outcroppings or for pointing out the location of live individuals trapped in avalanches.
8. Military Radio: This is the same radio equipment, bolt for bolt, microchip for microchip, as the system found on the USA-G10 Glitterboy. The broadcast range is a modest 50 miles. By resetting the radio transmitter inside the armor to an elevated position, however, the same transmitter can achieve a fairly consistent 500 mile range using atmospheric bounce. Atmospheric anomalys can extend this range still further or can completely disable the radio system within a set radius, it just depends on the circumstances. Note: Mountains often interfere with radio signals, meaning, that the Everest usually uses it's support aircraft as a relay station for communications.
9. I.F.F. Transponder System: This system transmits data such as alpha-numeric designation code, course, mission, base of operations, and unit, via radio signal, to other similarly equipped military stations, vehicles, and power armor suits that have been programmed with the correct access codes. This allows a friendly N.O.M.A.D. soldier in an S-Mart Assassin, overflying a pair of Everests in the mountains, to quickly determine who these individuals are. This also allows field commanders to keep far better track of their military assets. A further feature of this system is that it functions well as a distress beacon. A note towards the safety of I.F.F. - is that the codes are very difficult to break. Since the N.O.M.A.D. Military periodically changes their I.F.F. safety codes - attempts to crack the codes that have taken weeks of supercomputer analysis - are for naught. Those Everests that are sold DO include this system but it is programmed as a civilian system, readily read by N.O.M.A.D. Military programmed I.F.F. transponders.
10. Operational Recorder: A silent, unseen partner to the rescue worker inside, to bare unbiased witness to all situations encountered. Up to 96 hours of rescue footage may be filmed.
11. Command Computer: This special system allows the Everest to relay all audio and visual signals via radio waves to the support aircraft, for use in joint operations, and for broadcast to either news/media or to the rescue worker's headquarters.
12. Laser Targeting System: This, in it's typical rescue role, can be used by the suit to point the location of victims unreachable to the suit, but accessible to it's supporting aircraft or fellow Everest Pilot. This is simply done by pointing the laser at the victim, (it is mounted in the outside side of it's left gauntlet), and holding it there until the support craft/fellow rescue unit meets the beam and follows it to the victim. In the military role it may be used to guide laser guided munitions into their target like a painting laser, using the Command Computer. This system is not truly intended to aid the integral weapon systems of the power armor, and cannot function in this role.
13. Laser Detector: This device is used to follow another rescue worker's painting laser to it's ending.
14. Sensory Extension: On the left rear side of the Everest's helmet is a telescoping "periscope" type device that can be used to see around corners and over ridges to find victims, or to spot danger. (Has a 2' reach.)
15. Laser Drill Pylons: Two large cylinders, one on either side of the waist hold a version of the laser drill anti-sway pylons used by the Glitterboy. These three foot long spikes are used on sheer cliff faces to secure the suit to the cliff face freeing up the arms to conduct other tasks.
16. Food Dispenser & Waste Disposal System: This system allows the wearer of the Everest to operate up to two weeks without stopping for food or waste.
17. Grapnel Launcher & Winch (2): This additional system allows the suit to elevate itself via winch and swing from one spot to another with the ease of a swinging monkey. The range of the pneumatic launcher is an amazing 300', and the winch can safely haul one and a quarter tons of weight. Twelve inch barbed spikes can be used instead of the grapnel in the launcher, imbedding spikes into the rock faces for use of pulley rigs, swinging, and so on. The entire system is internally mounted with the exit port being the palms of the power armor suit's hands.
18. Flare Gun: This arm mounted tube is on the outside side of the right arm, and must be loaded with one flare at a time. It typically uses white parachute type flares, 10 extra flares are secured to the right leg.
19. Back Mancarrier Harness: A pair of built in harnesses are built into the back of Everest with heated body sleeves and a "roll cage" around them. The body sleeves are silvery in color on the inside, yellow on the outside, and are rolled up when not in use. In use a would-be passenger simply unrolls the body sleeve, opens it like a sleeping bag, and climbs in. Once in, he straps into the harness and zips up. Then the pilot must simply opt to turn on the blowers and begin heating the body sleeve(s). Breathing inside the sleeve is fascilitated also by the power armor continually pumping additional air into the sleeve. If in an emergency, the passenger simply opens the sleeve and crawls out of the roll cage. The roll cage surrounding these two harnesses are adjustable metal frames designed to protect the passengers on the back in the event that the power armor were to slip or fall over onto it's back. Note that the body sleeves are placed over trauma backboards. If there is need the backboards may simply be slipped into the body sleeve, and the patient may be secured to the backboard and be carried like any other passenger.
20. Improvements Available: The Everest's basic layout is fairly stretched due to it's specialized nature. Remaining system requirement slots are as follows, the first number is internal, second is external. Head 10/20, Left Arm 5/0, Right Arm 0/2.5, Left Leg 12.5/30, Right Leg 12.5/20, and Main Body 20/0.
6. Hand to Hand Combat Abilities: In addition to Power Armor Basic or Elite pilot training, the Everest enjoys the following bonuses;
+2 to strike with ranged weapon systems.
Punch: 1D6 M.D.
Power Punch: 2D6 M.D.
Kick: 1D6 M.D.
Leap Kick: 2D6 M.D.
Body Flip/Throw: 1D6+3 M.D.
Body Block/Tackle: 1D6+3 M.D.
