The S-Mart Nemesis originated as a Northrop-Grumman Robotics design in the late 21st century to assist the US Army F.A.A.C. (Fast Attack Armored Corps) in overland assaults with fast mobile infantry support. While Northrop-Grumman Robotics' design was a sound and promising one, there were flaws with some of it's fundamental operating principles - namely it's synthetic musculature to virtual reality interface interactive functions. As a favor to Northrop-Grumman Robotics the design and schematics were allowed to be run through Project Archive's A.I. super-computer to see what could be done about these flaws. As fate would have it though, shortly after the arrival of these schematics, the Mexican Empire launched their nuclear assault on Salt Lake City. With the supposed destruction of Project Archive it was also believed that the hard work and designs of Northrop-Grumman Robotics was lost forever. No production of this pre-cataclysm gem was ever conducted.
When Ace Ripley uncovered Project Archive one of the first pieces of military technology from the long forgotten Golden Age he viewed was something called the Nemesis project from Northrop-Grumman Robotics. Going over it, and having a keen understanding for technology, as all Operators do, he quickly realized what he had in front of him. Here sat a long forgotten suit of power armor that was unrivaled by any presently produced infantry power armor types. As fast as the Samson, yet tougher than the UAR-1, and more heavily armed than any three PA-06A SAMAS. He didn't yet know then how he would use this forgotten treasure - but use it he eventually would.
After the founding, the Coalition States invasion of Desert Star, and the subsequent liberation that soon followed, Ace built S-Mart from the ground up with his vast personal fortune. While S-Mart would rapidly grow to be one of the largest manufacturers of military hardware, vehicles, and the like in North America - it's true purpose would be to produce cutting edge Golden Age Technology to supply to Desert Star's new protectors; the N.O.M.A.D. Military. It would be in their hands that the Nemesis project, under the name S-Mart Nemesis, would come to be used.
As of February of 118PA the Nemesis is used exclusively by the N.O.M.A.D. Military, and has thus far never appeared even on the Black Market. Only a single suit of Nemesis has ever been stolen, at the hands of a N.O.M.A.D. desserter who had the intention to sell it to Northern Gun or the Coalition States - whoever would pay more. He made it to within eyesight of Silvereno before he and the power armor suit were mysteriously destroyed, according to eyewitnesses, by a single man. Typical of the Desert Star rumor mill, it is rumored that the suit and pilot were destroyed by none other than the enigmatic assassin called Silk.
In operations the Nemesis frequently operates supporting the S-Mart Stonewalls of the N.O.M.A.D. Military, providing fast infantry support wherever possible. They also operate alongside of S-Mart Titans in heavy infantry maneuvers - allowing the Titan to bear the brunt of frontline combat, while conducting screening and flanking maneuvers to weaken an enemy formation.
Model Type: Nemesis-A.
Class: Heavy Armor Support Unit.
Crew: 1.
M.D.C. by Location:
*Sensor Bundle - 130.
Arms (2) - 130 each.
Legs (2) - 260 each.
**HPL-6A (1; Right forearm) - 65.
**RMC-1 (1; Left forearm) - 45.
**Ramjet Ammo Drum (1; Hip Mounted) - 50.
**Shoulder Micro-Rocket Launchers (2) - 80 each.
RFFC-12 (1; Head area mounted) - 60.
**RFFC Ammo Clip - 20.
**BFP-3s & BMP-2s (2 of each, back mounted) - 40 each.
***Main Body - 410.
* Destroying the primary sensor bundle, means that the pilot has to rely upon a series of hidden secondary sensors. These are not as high of resolution as the primary sensor bundle, however, and the pilot will lose the use of all special sensors and communications.
** These designated areas of the armor are small and difficult targets to hit, so therefore may only be
struck with a penalty of -3 to strike.
*** Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the armor down completely, making it useless.
Performance:
Maximum Running Speed: 150 mph. Note that the act of running does NOT tire the operator of the armor, thanks to the fully robotic propulsion system.
Leaping: The powerful robotic legs can allow the power armor unit to leap from a standing position up to 25' high or across.
Maximum Swimming Speed: The Nemesis was not designed with marine operations in mind. The best it can do is move at half it's running speed along the bottom of a body of water.
Maximum Safe Diving Depth: The unit is safe from the water tight seal being ruptured up to 900' in depth.
Statistical Data:
Height: 10'.
Length: 5'6".
Width: 6'.
Weight: 1,512 Lb. fully loaded, not including the weight of the operator.
Physical Strength: Equal to a P.S. of 45.
Cargo: Enough space in the pilot's compartment allows for a small survival kit, a sidearm, a few clips of ammo, and a handful of personal items. In addition to this space the legs each have two built in storage compartments for box clips of rapid fire field cannon ammunition. One or more of these may be emptied and kept clear for other hidden cargo.
Power System: Nuclear; Average energy life of 5 years.
Market Cost: Each unit costs the N.O.M.A.D. Military 2 million credits. If by chance one would ever find it's way onto the black market it would cost upwards and around of 4.5 to 6.5 million credits. The Coalition States and Northern Gun would LOVE to get their hands on one of these suits, and have paid top dollar to operatives trying to steal one in the past. None so far have succeeded.
Weapon Systems:
1. S-Mart HPL-6A Heavy Pulse Laser: The primary weapon of the Nemesis is a heavy, variable frequency pulse laser, designed to defeat laser refractive armor and conduct overall assault missions. Mounted in the right forearm, it is a highly efficient weapon not hindered by ammunition.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Armor.
Mega-Damage: 4D6+3 M.D. for a single laser pulse, or 2D4x10 M.D. for a triple laser pulse.
Rate of Fire: Standard; Aimed, Burst, or Wild.
Maximum Effective Range: 3,000'.
Payload: Unlimited, thanks to the nuclear power supply.
2. S-Mart RFFC-12 20 mm Rapid Fire Field Cannon: This heavy weapon is mounted on the very top of the power armor - where the head of the suit should be. Like all rapid fire field cannons this weapon fires a pair of shells, one a nanosecond after the first, using conventional propellants and then accellerating them as they pass through the cannon using electromagnetic coil banks. Although intended primarily as an anti-armor weapon the RFFC-12 does a reasonable job of dealing with infantry. The RFFC-12 is a very primitive and early rapid fire field cannon, and as a result this is reflected in it's poor overall performance compared to contemporary types. Still it makes a decent enough show as a secondary primary weapon.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Armor.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel.
Mega-Damage: 1D6x10 M.D. per rapid fire dual shell burst.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the users combined hand to hand attacks.
Maximum Effective Range: 1,650'.
Payload: 20 shells are provided in each clip. The suit comes standard with one in the weapon, and two stowed away in internal storage compartments in each of the upper legs of the power armor, for a total of five clips. Swapping out the clip takes two attacks.
3. S-Mart BFP-3 Backfire Flechette Pack (2; Back mounted): These flechette firing packs are designed to operate like a man carried claymore explosive - only they do not have to be set up in a remote location before detonation. They function by firing a spread of 25 mm flechette rounds in a 120° cone, blanketing the area out to 60' away from the power armor in a deadly hail of flechettes. It is primarily employed as a defensive weapon, against attackers or pursuers, but it can also be used in ambushes of moderately armored infantry.
Primary Purpose: Defense.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Personnel.
Mega-Damage: 1D4x10 M.D. per detonation of six flechette shells.
Rate of Fire: Equal to the users combined hand to hand attacks.
Maximum Effective Range: 60'.
Payload: 30 25 mm flechette shells are carried, granting each pack a useful life of 5 uses. Afterwards the pack must be discarded and a new pack purchased and attached to the mounting bracket.
4. S-Mart BMP-2 Backfire Minilet Packs (2; Back mounted): These backfire packs are essentially instant minefields capable of being dropped just about anywhere by the Nemesis. It functions by firing from one to fifty pressure sensitive half dollar sized transparent disks from each pack, filled with a high explosive gel that will explode with contact with the air, over a set spread area. The pilot can determine not only how many he wishes to deploy, from 1-50 per pack, but also what amount of area to cover. After setting the details the suit will deploy them as necessary through a pneumatic mechanism. Unlike S-Mart's BMP-1, the BMP-2 always deploys the minilets to where they are at the maximum 5' away from one another - allowing for chain reaction explosions among the minilets. In addition to these differences, one of the conventional disks in each launcher is replaced by a single timed or radio activated explosive charge that may be launched with them. The accessory explosive charge looks like a small saucer of the same shape and size as the minilets, but OD green in color. This allows the disks to be detonated at a certain time, or at the command of the power armor pilot - perfect for ambushes and terrorizing an enemy. In the alternative all of the disks may be deployed into a very small area allowing for a collective large explosion that is capable of destroying even robot vehicles.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Psychological Warfare.
Mega-Damage: 4D6 M.D. per minilet.
Blast Radius: 2.5' blast radius - but the 5' pressure wave radius will detonate any other minilets in that area.
Rate of Fire: Anywhere from 1 minilet to all 50 at once.
Maximum Effective Range: The pack can expel theses explosive disks without threat of detonation using pneumatic (air pressure) dispersal up to 150' in a sixty degree cone.
Payload: 50 minilets per pack, of which one is the radio/timed explosive charge - for a total of 100 minilets, and two radio/timed explosive charges.
5. S-Mart RMC-1 12.7 mm Ramjet Machine Cannon: This left forearm mounted weapon is intended to defend the unit against lightly armored infantry, missiles, and to provide suppression fire. Against heavily armored opponents however, this weapon does come in handy to strike at vulnerable points such as sensor systems, weapon systems, and similar.
Primary Purpose: Anti-Personnel.
Secondary Purpose: Defense.
Mega-Damage: 4D6 M.D. per burst of ten rounds. 1D4 M.D. per single round.
Rate of Fire: Standard; Aimed, Burst, Wild.
Maximum Effective Range: 1,200'.
Payload: A 600 round back mounted drum provides the RMC-1 with 60 bursts.
6. S-Mart MRL-1 Micro-Rocket Launchers (2; Shoulder mounted): A pair of shoulder mounted missile launchers provide the Nemesis with it's most dreaded assault feature - the capacity to unleash a hail of micro-rockets on an enemy target even while the Nemesis bears down on it at high speed, pummelling it with RFFC and pulse laser fire. In combat against enemy infantry, the use of this feature causes a great deal of shell shock for the enemy, often resulting in a panicked retreat. Against armor the micro-rockets are not as effective, but can still inflict a great deal of damage when used to it's full volley capacity.
Primary Purpose: Assault.
Secondary Purpose: Anti-Armor.
Mega-Damage: 4D6 M.D. to a 3' radius, +1.5' per rocket in the volley.
Rate of Fire: The micro-rocket launchers are designed for volleying 2, 4, 12, or 20 missiles at a time each thanks to the high speed internal loading mechanism. With the VR Interface system, both launchers can be fired simultaniously!
Maximum Effective Range: 1,500'
Payload: Each launcher contains 20 micro-rockets, for a total of 40 micro-rockets.
7. Systems of Note: This unit incorporates all the usual environmental features found in power armor including environmental protection, environmental control, air filtration, an independant 6 hour supply of air, heat and radiation shielding. In addition to these the Nemesis is equipped with the following systems;
1. Virtual Reality Interface & High Boost Control Systems: The top of the line in power armor reality interfaces, as produced in Desert Star, is the Virtual Reality Interface. This system is far above those used elsewhere in North America, perhaps in the world. A series of high resolution digital cameras installed interpret the surrounding terrain into graphics at real-time speed without any form of lag. The curved LCD screen of the typical H.U.D. system used in most power armor now is a half sphere screen giving the operator a full 180 degrees of vision, and the suit's computer will actually talk to the operator giving audio warnings of impending attack, calculated dangers and so on. Some Nemesis pilots say that the Nemesis almost seems like an A.I.! The targeting computer is advanced over and above that of other systems as well, allowing the simultanious training of four weapon systems on a single target. External audio is excellent, and will allow the operator to hear sounds as quiet as a mouse's squeek at 100 yards. Thankfully sound filtration prevents the operator from being deafened by loud explosions and similarly loud sounds. An unintentional feature of this system is that those attempting to use mind control spells or psionics, cannot phase those inside of the Nemesis - thanks to the use of the heavily computerized system. The actual controls of the Nemesis are of the high boost variety that monitors the neural impulses that actually control muscle actions - thereby allowing the power armor to actually react slightly before the body of the pilot actually would! To the uninitiated the use of this system is unnerving because it feels like the suit is moving in anticipation of the operators intentions!
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 Nemesis, the lense turns nearly black for an instant, and then quickly changes back to normal - protecting the operator from being dazzled.
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'.
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'.
8. Ultraviolet Optics: This system allows the power armor operator to see into the ultraviolet spectrum of light. This versatile optics system allows a variety of uses. Certain colors are far more vivid when viewed under ultraviolet light - especially light colors. This is useful in searching the drab surroundings of a countryside, for anything unnatural or man made. It is also useful for detecting the corona around an energy weapon that is discharging, such as around a rail gun, ion blaster, plasma ejector, and similar. This system is useful for spotting the corona 'arc' of faulty electronics and other structures for flaws or weaknesses. It is also handy in the chemical sector as some chemicals fluoresce to varying degrees under ambient ultraviolet light, but are only revealed through the ability to see into the ultraviolet spectrum of light. Range of this system is 2,000'.
9. Military Radar: The radar system of the Nemesis covers a one hundred and twenty degree arc in front of the suit to detect distant objects. Unlike the more primitive types used elsewhere as well as the civilian radar type also offered by S-Mart, S-Mart's military radar system is more sensitive to changes in environment. Thus if deployed to a city scape, and a man in body armor steps out from behind a wall for a moment before ducking back, and the pilot does not notice it the radar will momentarily send out a tone and the targeting computer will indicate the spot where it was seen. The range of this model is a respectable 25 miles.
10. Military Radio & Scrambler: 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. The scrambler system allows the radio signals to be scrambled to all those not equipped with the correct scrambling codes.
11. 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 squad of Nemesis, 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.
12. Climbing Claws: These claws are typically meant to assist a suit of power armor with the task of climbing. The function of these claws on the Nemesis are much different, however, they are meant to give the Nemesis a firm footing in loose soil when running - much like running cleats. Still, when deployed, these claws can make for extremely viscious kick attacks, adding 1D6 M.D. to all kicks.
13. Laser Targeting Computer: This is an advanced laser targeting system and range finder that provides a true point of impact for a weapon's aim, by shining a laser on the target. This provides a +1 to strike when targets are within 6,000'.
14. E.M.P. Capacitator: This uncommon system was designed to absorb the electromagnetic pulse charge, that accompanies nuclear detonations without damaging sensitive electronics within the power armor. Few other suits of power armor are so well protected.
15. Food Dispenser & Waste Disposal System: This is a system that provides a pressurized cannister of water, a cannister of nutrient paste, and a waste disposal system that allows the pilot to remain in the power armor unit for up to two weeks, similarly to the Glitterboy's own systems. Pilots of the Nemesis are subject to the same limitations and penalties suffered by Glitterboy pilots who use this system.
16. Improvements Available: The Nemesis's basic layout is far from overextended, and allows for a great deal of improvement in terms of the number of systems that can be carried. Remaining system requirement slots are as follows, the first number is internal, second is external. Head 10/15, Left Arm 25/35, Right Arm 5/35, Left Leg 30/45, Right Leg 30/45, and Main Body 7.5/25.
8. Hand to Hand Combat Abilities: In addition to Power Armor Basic or Elite pilot training, the Nemesis enjoys the following bonuses;
+3 to Initiative
+2 to Strike
+4 to Strike with ranged weapon systems.
+2 to Parry
+2 to Dodge
Punch: 2D4 M.D.
Kick: 2D4 M.D.
Leap Kick: 4D4 M.D.
Power Punch: 4D4 M.D.
Body Flip/Throw: 3D4 M.D.
Body Block/Tackle: 3D4 M.D.
The picture used above is available courtesy of R. Talsorian's "Cyberpunk 2020®" as seen in the source book Maximum Metal. In the source book it is seen as the Mexican Metals Nemesis. This is by no means an attempt to steal the hard working efforts of R. Talsorian Inc's authors or artists, but merely used here as a means of utilizing interesting designs from their source materials, inside of Palladium Books' RIFTS.
