EarthCorps
Weapons:
There are two types of primary weaponry which are used by all EarthCorps military personnel: type one and type two PPDs. PPD stands for Phase Pulse Disruptor. The type one - known informally as a "pulser" - resembles a 9mm handgun, and is capable of firing both bullets and phased energy bolts. Type one disruptors have three settings: level one - light stun; level two - heavy stun (induces unconsciousness); level three - will kill on impact. It also has a separate setting for cutting and slicing through most hard metals and other such materials (walls, bulkheads, etc.).
The type two PPD is a hand held rifle, approximately .75 meter in length. It possesses the same three settings as the type 1 disruptor but is designed for heavy combat situations and has a greater range.
Sensor & Diagnostic Equipment:
The most common type of handheld sensor unit is the M-5 scanner, most often used for tasks such as detecting and analyzing energy signatures, bio-signs, power readings, etc. Before the invention and widespread use of the bio-nets (see below), scanners were used by military personnel on planetary missions to quickly learn the layout - and any potential dangers - of alien environments. Now, the M-5 is only used in cases of emergencies where the bio-nets are not functioning, or by civilian personnel who aren't equipped with bio-nets.
The medical staff, still use an M-3 med-scanner when diagnosing and treating patients. The only difference between this and the M-5 model is that the functions of the med-scanner are strictly medical whereas the M-5 is an all-purpose unit.
Communications:
All military officers on Exxar-One are assigned a commlink. It's a small C-shaped device that clamps on to a person’s wrist via a magnetic transponder injected just beneath the skin. Each transponder is uniquely coded and linked to that person's bio-net. If the commlink is ever removed from the wrist of its owner, it automatically shuts down and will not reactivate until put back on and the link to its assigned bio-net is confirmed. This security measure is designed to prevent unauthorized use and/or tampering.
Transportation:
The Exxar-One crew use the cardon field to transport to and from the station. This device is a transparent energy field that allows a person to move from one place to another - such as from a starship to a planet’s surface - by taking a step through the field. The cardon field is named for Doctor Joseph Cardon, a brilliant physicist and theoretical engineer, who invented the technology with the help of the DrayH’M in 2129.
The Bio-Net:
All EarthCorps military personnel are equipped with a Biological Nano-Network (bio-net). In basic terms, the bio-net is nothing more than a few thousand nanites (microscopic machines) roaming freely in the bloodstream and living tissue of a humanoid host. These nanite clusters are designed to serve as a technological enhancement to a biological host. As with any form of technology in the 27th century, there are many different types of bio-nets on the galactic market – some meant for military applications, others for civilian use.
The military application, for example, gives its host the ability to project a visual display – like a holo-screen – in his/her field of vision. He/she could then reach out and manipulate the readouts with a few swipes of a finger. This optical option could be activated with a simple press on the skin at the right or left temple. The optical screen can only be viewed by the host. If he/she wishes to share the readout with someone else, they can transfer the information to their palm with a simple mental command.
Once transferred to the palm, a holo-display (a.k.a. palmscreen) appears like an imprint on the skin. Data and other readouts can be shown for the host or others to see, and the information can be manipulated just like the optical screens: a few simple swipes or taps of a finger.
For example, let's say Commander Navarr is on patrol on the promenade, and she receives an alert on her bio-net from the security office. (The alert comes through as a slight vibration – or a tingling sensation – in a specific area of the skin, like the palm or wrist.) She activates her optical screen, and a warrant for someone's arrest appears. The perpetrator has just robbed a jewelry shop, and he's fleeing through crowds in her direction. Because all bio-nets are linked wirelessly to the station's network, Navarr has an instant download of the perp's face from the vidcam feeds in the area of the promenade where the crime occurred. She uses her bio-net to scan the faces of everyone around her, and the optical screen eventually zeroes in on a humanoid male shoving his way through a crowd on the second level. Navarr dashes to the nearest lift, descends to the second level, and intercepts the criminal, nailing him with a well-aimed shot from her pulser.
NOTE: The bio-net does not enhance such things as vision, reflexes, and physical stamina. Those are enhanced via the medical science of gene therapy. Most gene therapies are affordable to almost everyone in the Federation, and military officers are given specific gene therapies upon their admission to basic training only if they have not received any such therapies before in their life.
The Hypergate:
The Erayan hypergate functions as an artificially created wormhole, connecting Exxar-One to the Erayan outpost, K'Ssala Ormmai, approximately 212,000 light years away. Much of the gateway's technology is a mystery to the crew of Exxar-One, and while Ilkara has helped them enough to network the gateway to the station's central computer, she has refused to aid them in completely dissecting the hypergate. This is partly because full knowledge of the hypergate's technological makeup and operating system is not known to Ilkara. To protect the alien races who might find their technology, the Erayans created the guardians with only limited knowledge of the gateways, as well as protecting each hypergate's mainframe with a sophisticated security protocol. Because of this, not even Ilkara knows how to network the Exxar-One gateway with the one in that was discovered by the Jha'Drok Imperium over 130 years ago (GSC).
At the height of its power, the Erayan Empire covered thousands of star systems, stretching for millions of light years, thanks to the invention of the hypergate technology. Exactly how that empire fell is still a mystery. Ilkara has not given a clear explanation, saying only that it was due to a combination of corruption within and invasion from without. It's also not clear exactly how many gateways were created, but Ilkara has said there was at least a hundred.
Weapons:
There are two types of primary weaponry which are used by all EarthCorps military personnel: type one and type two PPDs. PPD stands for Phase Pulse Disruptor. The type one - known informally as a "pulser" - resembles a 9mm handgun, and is capable of firing both bullets and phased energy bolts. Type one disruptors have three settings: level one - light stun; level two - heavy stun (induces unconsciousness); level three - will kill on impact. It also has a separate setting for cutting and slicing through most hard metals and other such materials (walls, bulkheads, etc.).
The type two PPD is a hand held rifle, approximately .75 meter in length. It possesses the same three settings as the type 1 disruptor but is designed for heavy combat situations and has a greater range.
Sensor & Diagnostic Equipment:
The most common type of handheld sensor unit is the M-5 scanner, most often used for tasks such as detecting and analyzing energy signatures, bio-signs, power readings, etc. Before the invention and widespread use of the bio-nets (see below), scanners were used by military personnel on planetary missions to quickly learn the layout - and any potential dangers - of alien environments. Now, the M-5 is only used in cases of emergencies where the bio-nets are not functioning, or by civilian personnel who aren't equipped with bio-nets.
The medical staff, still use an M-3 med-scanner when diagnosing and treating patients. The only difference between this and the M-5 model is that the functions of the med-scanner are strictly medical whereas the M-5 is an all-purpose unit.
Communications:
All military officers on Exxar-One are assigned a commlink. It's a small C-shaped device that clamps on to a person’s wrist via a magnetic transponder injected just beneath the skin. Each transponder is uniquely coded and linked to that person's bio-net. If the commlink is ever removed from the wrist of its owner, it automatically shuts down and will not reactivate until put back on and the link to its assigned bio-net is confirmed. This security measure is designed to prevent unauthorized use and/or tampering.
Transportation:
The Exxar-One crew use the cardon field to transport to and from the station. This device is a transparent energy field that allows a person to move from one place to another - such as from a starship to a planet’s surface - by taking a step through the field. The cardon field is named for Doctor Joseph Cardon, a brilliant physicist and theoretical engineer, who invented the technology with the help of the DrayH’M in 2129.
The Bio-Net:
All EarthCorps military personnel are equipped with a Biological Nano-Network (bio-net). In basic terms, the bio-net is nothing more than a few thousand nanites (microscopic machines) roaming freely in the bloodstream and living tissue of a humanoid host. These nanite clusters are designed to serve as a technological enhancement to a biological host. As with any form of technology in the 27th century, there are many different types of bio-nets on the galactic market – some meant for military applications, others for civilian use.
The military application, for example, gives its host the ability to project a visual display – like a holo-screen – in his/her field of vision. He/she could then reach out and manipulate the readouts with a few swipes of a finger. This optical option could be activated with a simple press on the skin at the right or left temple. The optical screen can only be viewed by the host. If he/she wishes to share the readout with someone else, they can transfer the information to their palm with a simple mental command.
Once transferred to the palm, a holo-display (a.k.a. palmscreen) appears like an imprint on the skin. Data and other readouts can be shown for the host or others to see, and the information can be manipulated just like the optical screens: a few simple swipes or taps of a finger.
For example, let's say Commander Navarr is on patrol on the promenade, and she receives an alert on her bio-net from the security office. (The alert comes through as a slight vibration – or a tingling sensation – in a specific area of the skin, like the palm or wrist.) She activates her optical screen, and a warrant for someone's arrest appears. The perpetrator has just robbed a jewelry shop, and he's fleeing through crowds in her direction. Because all bio-nets are linked wirelessly to the station's network, Navarr has an instant download of the perp's face from the vidcam feeds in the area of the promenade where the crime occurred. She uses her bio-net to scan the faces of everyone around her, and the optical screen eventually zeroes in on a humanoid male shoving his way through a crowd on the second level. Navarr dashes to the nearest lift, descends to the second level, and intercepts the criminal, nailing him with a well-aimed shot from her pulser.
NOTE: The bio-net does not enhance such things as vision, reflexes, and physical stamina. Those are enhanced via the medical science of gene therapy. Most gene therapies are affordable to almost everyone in the Federation, and military officers are given specific gene therapies upon their admission to basic training only if they have not received any such therapies before in their life.
The Hypergate:
The Erayan hypergate functions as an artificially created wormhole, connecting Exxar-One to the Erayan outpost, K'Ssala Ormmai, approximately 212,000 light years away. Much of the gateway's technology is a mystery to the crew of Exxar-One, and while Ilkara has helped them enough to network the gateway to the station's central computer, she has refused to aid them in completely dissecting the hypergate. This is partly because full knowledge of the hypergate's technological makeup and operating system is not known to Ilkara. To protect the alien races who might find their technology, the Erayans created the guardians with only limited knowledge of the gateways, as well as protecting each hypergate's mainframe with a sophisticated security protocol. Because of this, not even Ilkara knows how to network the Exxar-One gateway with the one in that was discovered by the Jha'Drok Imperium over 130 years ago (GSC).
At the height of its power, the Erayan Empire covered thousands of star systems, stretching for millions of light years, thanks to the invention of the hypergate technology. Exactly how that empire fell is still a mystery. Ilkara has not given a clear explanation, saying only that it was due to a combination of corruption within and invasion from without. It's also not clear exactly how many gateways were created, but Ilkara has said there was at least a hundred.