Grabber Trucks

Developed from a combination of heavy-duty mining equipment and battleoid components, grabber trucks were a versatile piece of earth-moving equipment.  Based on the body of a large dumptruck, grabber-trucks were capable of relatively independent operation, as the grabber arm could load large objects into the hopper, even in the absence of other earth-moving equipment.  Grabber trucks were used extensively in mining, construction, and terraforming operations.

After the crash

"A few days after the crash, I was out in the desert, looking for other survivors. Food was scarce, and things were looking bad, when I crossed a ridge, and there, dead ahead was the best thing that I have ever seen.  One of the large cargo pods, mostly intact had popped open when it had crashed into the valley.  Inside was an Ares Systems series 80,000 grabber truck.  The AI assistant had already used the arm to set the truck upright, and was apparently just waiting for signs of life to come along.  As I came down the ridge, it flashed its lights at me and lowered the access ladder to the cab.  The best part was that the crew cabin was fully stocked and ready.  I had food and water, a place to sleep, and, of course, a big grabber truck that could do a lot of big jobs.  The cargo pod mostly held surveying equipment, so I took a couple survey drones, and loaded them into the auxiliary equipment bay opposite the arm (it was a one-armed model).  These were perfect lookouts to scout the way ahead.  After I had settled into the crew cabin and tested out the truck, I sent up one of the drones, and it spotted a bunch of wreckage not far down the valley.  Time to get to work."  --

From the vlog of Dennis Glich, survivor of Garcia's Hope

The John-Henry industrial battleoid

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Specs

Height: 10 meters(32'9")

Width at shoulders: 4 meters(13'1")

Length (cockpit):  3 meters(9'10")

Operating mass: 60 metric tons (66 tons)

Maximum walking speed: 40kph (25mph)

Power system:  Two hot-swappable graphene-glucose hypercapacitors (mounted on either side of the cockpit)

Power system output: 10000kw

History

The ironically named John-Henry (named after the folk hero ) was built and sold by Ares Systems during Era-1, primarily as a piece of heavy construction equipment.  The relatively simple, modular design led to a host of modified versions for specific tasks.  The John Henry was a top-seller, and Ares Systems reliably redesigned it with new features and improvements about once a decade throughout its manufacturing lifespan.

The popular shipyard variant was outfitted with maneuvering jets, a fully environmentally-sealed cockpit (with storage for enough consumables to supply one pilot for 24 hours), and two heavy-duty electromagnets in the soles of the feet.

The versatility of its design, and heavy-duty construction also made the John-Henry a useful (if slow-moving) improvised defensive unit in combat situations.  Many of the small states that sprung up around the fringes of the Planetary League included John-Henries in their armed forces.  John-Henries were also a common armament for various the pockets of resistance and rebellion that opposed the Holy Empire of Man during Era-2.

Battleoids

Description

Battleoids are large (between 5 and 20 meters in height), piloted walking vehicles.  In contrast, suits of powered armor  are worn like clothing, and are typically less than 5 Meters tall.  Their larger cousins, the Titans, are usually over 25 meters tall, and are always piloted by a crew as opposed to the single pilot of a battleoid. 

Battleoids are commonly used in warfare where they combine the flexibility of infantry with the firepower and durability of an armored vehicle, as well as a big advantage in size.  Battleoids also have peaceful uses, primarily in heavy construction and civil engineering functions.  Battleoids typically have fully sealed life-support systems, and find use in a variety of hostile environments from underwater to deep space.

There are two main types of control systems for a battleoid.  The first is used in most mass-produced models, and has a traditional cockpit with control panels, heads-up displays, and a pilot's seat.  This control scheme relies on artificial intelligence algorithms for most of the coordination and agility needed to perform its tasks.  The other control scheme interfaces directly with the pilot's nervous system, and is often found in high-end or custom-built battleoids.  These units are typically tailored to their pilots, and give much more precise control than the standard interface.  The trade-off of better control is the risk of feedback to the pilot if the battleoid's systems are damaged.  Also, there is further risk of damage to the pilot in the event that he or she needs to eject out of the cockpit while still engaged with the neural link.  Elite warriors often die with their machines, rather than ejecting in cases of catastrophic damage.

History

The first battleoids were developed for entertainment.  They crushed cars, breathed fire, and fought each other in packed arenas for the amusement of an audience.  Later, the design was adapted to use in construction and earth-moving, before making its way into the military.

Types of Battleoid

The Empire of 1,000,000 Suns uses civil-defense battleoids to protect cities.

The Convergence Scout Walker is a fearsome terror-weapon.

The John-Henry is a heavy-duty battleoid designed for construction applications.

The Holy Empire of Man used the Retribution-class battleoid extensively in military operations.

The Strider was made by Danforth Galactic and widely used across the galaxy as a mobile watchtower.

Famous Battleoids

Shinigami is a legendary battleoid that was built in the E1MS, used by pirates during Era-1, and rebels during Era-2.