Metal Rebel

This vehicle was created for Blue Planet: Recontact and the Synergy Evolved game system.

The Metal Rebel is an experimental heavy trimaran hydrofoil created in joint venture called Project See/Weed by Hydrospan Logistics Solutions and Dundalk Shipbuilding. It is currently field-tested by Solver, a Hydrospan systems engineer and test pilot.

History

Project See/Weed was conceived by Hydrospan Logistics Solutions to explore the limits and possibilities of automation of vehicles - especially watercraft - on Poseidon with its challenging environment. Creating ways for crafts to accommodate Cetaceans physically as pilots and helmspeople quickly became another project parameter.

After Dundalk Shipping joined Hydrospan together in the research and development of submerged habits, Dundalk also started cooperating with Hydrospan on Project See/Weed.

The designers and engineers got carried a bit away and the first prototype, the Metal Rebel, became much too expensive to put into production since nobody would be able to afford it and still operate in profitably.

As the project was about to be put on indefinite hold, one of the cete engineers suggested to at least give the Metal Rebel an extended field test and collect as much data as possible. And offered to head the field test herself. This has been approved and the Metal Rebel's captain is about to head out.

Metal Rebel Description

Heavy trimaran hydrofoil, geared towards long-term/long-range exploration, research and transport. It features a cockpit with controls for humans and a modified travel crate/t-tank which serves as the cete cockpit. The t-tank can be lowered to the bottom of the middle hull, where a bulkhead allows the cete helmsperson to enter and leave the t-tank.

Notably, no weapons are currently installed. For exploration, this might be necessary to defend against Poseidon's aggressive fauna. Being highly automated, the whole ship can be viewed as one large watercraft remote.

The ship is powered by a fusion reactor and has backup fuel cells, giving it essentially unlimited operations range and duration. It also features a General Intelligence logic core and swarm of maintenance drones, enabling a large degree of self-repair and autonomous operations.

Auxiliary crafts include a powershell, a powerski and a jumpbike. The main deck can either be used to store transport containers or serve as a launch pad for a medium sized jumpcraft.

Metal Rebel Specs

Trimaran Hydrofoil

• Dimensions: Heavy
• Speed: 55 kph/125 kph
• Range: Essentially unlimited (due to Fusion Reactor)
• Durability: 1
• Autonomy: 5/3 (due to integrated GI Logic Core)
• Crew/Passengers: 1/20
• Cargo: 15 MT
• Maneuvers: Attack N/A, Defend -1, Chase 2, Evade -1, Performance 1
• Availability: Unique
• Features: Hardened, Hot, Smart, GI, Integrated, Responsive, Sensors
• Cost: N/A
• Models: Hydronspan/Dundark Prototype

Additional Equipment

• Auxiliary Crafts. Powershell, Powerski, Jumpbike.
• GI Logic Core. With a by-the-book, detail-oriented artificial persona called Frances.
• Drones. Two dozen flying, crawling and swimming maintenance drones under the control of the logic core, performing autonomous monitoring and repair of the ship.

Tags

Experimental Hydrofoil. This tag could for example be invoked for interest by 3rd parties (industrial espionage, collectors, ...), operational surprises (positive and negative), higher difficulty for repair time/cost/duration, ... It also represents the heavy tech dependence of the ship to keep operational and be steered by a cete.

Crew

Solver, an engineer from Project See/Weed who proposed the field test and volunteered to do it. She's currently the only crew, trying to prove what a cete and a highly automated ship can do on their own.

Story Hooks

• I cannot do that, Hal. Frances, the GI Logic Core has been hacked and is refusing the commands of its crew. Can you free Frances and get back at the culprits?
• Unique means unique. After braving a storm, the Metal Rebel urgently needs repair and maintenance. Problem is, your systems are highly customized and materials are hard to come by and/or very expensive. Can you improvise a solution? Or find a way to procure what you need?
• Boldly going. You're taking the long-range exploration of the design brief seriously and are heading outside the settled areas. Far out. What will you find?