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Description

ACCESSSING FILE: G-02

Technology File - UNTA-X41 Spectra Artillery

Written by Kiev Yarkov,
UNTD Lab 1 Chief Scientist

Shadow beasts are frightening creatures. Ever since the first major city attack four years ago, we were at the mercy of an extradimensional species immune to all forms of damage. Relying on Black Star to defeat these creatures was our only option, but it was certainly not a long term solution. We needed a weapon to defeat them, and fast. My team at the United Nations Technika Division was spearheading the research. Many ideas were thrown onto the discussion table, but as they were immune to all manner of projectile weaponry, a lot of them were quickly dropped. From my previous experience with these creatures, I discovered that while they were immune to physical damage, they could be still be harmed by indirect energy sources such as fire and electricity. I had thoughts of using fire-based weaponry, but flamethrowers had an inherent lack of range, and napalm was certainly going to cause more problems than solve it.

As I continued to ponder this dilemma, Lab 2’s mascot, a black tabby affectionately named ‘Meatball’, happened to stroll past my desk. I decided to take a break from my conundrum to mess with the feline. Reaching out for one of the laser pointers on my desk, I started to play the ol’ favorite of let-the-cat-chase the-dot. As Meatball started to prance and roll about in attempt to catch the dot, I shone the beam directly on his belly to watch him contort humorously as he always does. That moment, meatball suddenly yelped and darted away much to the confusion of my colleagues. What I didn’t realize was that I had mistakenly took my high-powered laser pointer instead of the traditional ones used in office meetings. As I hastily stashed the laser pointer away, a thought came to my mind. I remembered the old fairy tales I would tell my daughter about magical knights who used the power of the light to vanquish the forces of evil. It was all just a work fiction and fantasy, but it dawned upon me that Shadow beasts are essentially living shadows; masses of darkness given life. If physical weapons had no effect on them, then what about light? Not that shadow beasts were weak to daylight, we had previously encountered them during the day as well. But what if it was light of a different wavelength or spectrum?

We certainly didn’t have a magic to help us, but what we did have was the magic of science. I began working on a concept design and showed the draft to a good friend of mine, Lisa, who deemed the idea viable with a few tweaks. Even though it was just a hypothesis, it was the soundest idea we had in a while, and one we were willing to risk. Over the next few months we put together a weapons system built around the concept of a large portable laser beam emitter. Large scale lasers like these already exist in the mining industry, but with Lisa’s help we were able to upscale its intensity to a level unprecedented by military standards. By the end of the month, we had a prototype unit ready in the form of the UNTC-X40.

On [DATE REDACTED] at 1920 hours, word of a large shadow appearance at [LOCATION REDACTED] reached Headquarters. This was our chance to test the prototype. While the X-40 fared well against conventional targets, it was the effect it had on shadow beasts that was crucial, and we were never going to get another perfect opportunity to do so. The X-40 prototype and a number of personnel were airlifted to the city outskirts where we awaited the shadow beast, code-named Sentinel Oblivion, to make its appearance. At 2015 hours, airborne scouts spotted it slowly making its way towards the city. Once it was within range of the weapon, the order was given and test commenced. When fired, the X-40 laser cannon shot a continuous beam of energy directly at the shadow beast. To say it was an impressive sight was an understatement. The beam illuminated the night sky with a crimson glow, while the force of the emission sent the office-sized shadow beast falling. For the next nine minutes we continued firing at the shadow beast, holding it at bay until Sony arrive to dispatch it once and for all. In our minds, we knew we had a winner. Not only was the city spared but for the first time in a long time, we could finally harm these monsters. With the data from the X-40 recorded we began to work on refining the model further. By the end of the second month, we had a new unit ready to take center stage in our fight against them.

A joint development project between Howard & Char Automotive and the UN Technika research division, the UNTA-X41 Spectra is a self-propelled artillery which utilizes the BIC-PPNB501 Direct Energy Emission Cannon to engage its enemies. This experimental weapon fires a powerful laser beam capable of ‘harming’ shadow beasts. I use harm in loose terms, because while the laser is indeed powerful, it cannot outright kill one. Shadow beasts of varying threat ratings have been known to show different levels of tolerance to the Spectra’s laser cannon. But one thing for certain is they do not like the effect of it. The entire weapon is hauled on a 6x6 chassis which is connected to a 4x4 frontal drive by an articulated joint.

Powered by a miniature fusion reactor, the Spectra’s beam cannon is strong enough to incinerate targets at a distance of up to 4km and beyond. Because of the immense heat generated from such a weapon, a thermal displacement pipe feeds through the length of the barrel, supplying coolant gas from a large tank on the back of the turret. The cannon cannot fire properly if only a small amount of gas is left, and forced firing in such situation will cause a meltdown and destroy the barrel. That being said, a fully supplied Spectra can maintain a sustained fire for up to fifteen minutes before its coolant supply runs out.

As powerful as this weapon is however, it is not without its weaknesses. Due to the nature of laser weaponry, the intensity of the beam generated directly correlates with the distance fired; with longer ranges drastically affecting its destructive power. Weather condition such as humidity and fog can also affect its performance. Another notable issue is that unlike conventional artillery platforms, the Spectra’s weapon requires a direct line of sight with its target. As a result, it is often times at a disadvantage when fighting over uneven geography. Despite that, the sheer stopping power of its gun is unquestionable. One which lead to the development of its successors: the G-13 Direct Energy and Emission Rifle, and the massive OM-42 platform which is solely utilized by the Godwin-class battlecruisers.

Manned by a driver and a gunner, Spectras are often deployed in fire squads of three with two groups working in tandem during an operation. Standard procedure during a large shadow beast incursion will be for the primary attack group to draw the attention of the target away from populated civilian sectors while the secondary team positions themselves some distance away from the first. Once the target gets close enough to the first group, the second one takes over; drawing it attention away from the first group who will then pack up, and quickly re-position themselves in a different location before repeating the process over. In this manner the Spectra fire squads can effectively ‘juggle’ a shadow beast by baiting and switching its attention between each other. As this is going on, our ground forces will have sufficient time to evacuate any civilians in the region. Aside from that, the Spectra can also be used singularly for dealing with other extradimensional beings that prove too tough to handle.

To this day, the Spectra continues to serves its role as the go-to anti-shadow beast weapon. Numerous upgrades over the years have continued to improve its performance and survivability with the latest A2 model boasting an overall increase in its armor rating, along with smoke grenade launchers, and an advanced targeting and navigation computer. It is without a doubt that the Spectra is an invaluable asset to UNITE’s arsenal, and a key player in our war against the shadow beasts.

(Pictured above: an isometric view of the Spectra, and a side view with its support struts deployed, against an average sized adult male and Magilily Neu.)

- End of Report -

RETURN TO DATA HUB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

My goodness, I love how this vehicle turned out. For those who find the name familiar, it’s the same unit mentioned in entry 003A . Not much to say other than that, but feel free to comment if you have any question regarding it!

The main inspiration for this vehicle is the Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery from Star Wars, and the Maser Cannon from the Godzilla frachise, more specifically, the Type-66 version. In fact you can get an idea of how it fires from this clip .

Next up, a special entry that has been long overdue...

Magilily Neu, In the Neu House (c) BRSstarJV

Lynn loud Sr, The Loud House (c) Nickelodeon

Description

ACCESSSING FILE: G-02

Technology File - UNTA-X41 Spectra Artillery

Written by Kiev Yarkov,
UNTD Lab 1 Chief Scientist

Shadow beasts are frightening creatures. Ever since the first major city attack four years ago, we were at the mercy of an extradimensional species immune to all forms of damage. Relying on Black Star to defeat these creatures was our only option, but it was certainly not a long term solution. We needed a weapon to defeat them, and fast. My team at the United Nations Technika Division was spearheading the research. Many ideas were thrown onto the discussion table, but as they were immune to all manner of projectile weaponry, a lot of them were quickly dropped. From my previous experience with these creatures, I discovered that while they were immune to physical damage, they could be still be harmed by indirect energy sources such as fire and electricity. I had thoughts of using fire-based weaponry, but flamethrowers had an inherent lack of range, and napalm was certainly going to cause more problems than solve it.

As I continued to ponder this dilemma, Lab 2’s mascot, a black tabby affectionately named ‘Meatball’, happened to stroll past my desk. I decided to take a break from my conundrum to mess with the feline. Reaching out for one of the laser pointers on my desk, I started to play the ol’ favorite of let-the-cat-chase the-dot. As Meatball started to prance and roll about in attempt to catch the dot, I shone the beam directly on his belly to watch him contort humorously as he always does. That moment, meatball suddenly yelped and darted away much to the confusion of my colleagues. What I didn’t realize was that I had mistakenly took my high-powered laser pointer instead of the traditional ones used in office meetings. As I hastily stashed the laser pointer away, a thought came to my mind. I remembered the old fairy tales I would tell my daughter about magical knights who used the power of the light to vanquish the forces of evil. It was all just a work fiction and fantasy, but it dawned upon me that Shadow beasts are essentially living shadows; masses of darkness given life. If physical weapons had no effect on them, then what about light? Not that shadow beasts were weak to daylight, we had previously encountered them during the day as well. But what if it was light of a different wavelength or spectrum?

We certainly didn’t have a magic to help us, but what we did have was the magic of science. I began working on a concept design and showed the draft to a good friend of mine, Lisa, who deemed the idea viable with a few tweaks. Even though it was just a hypothesis, it was the soundest idea we had in a while, and one we were willing to risk. Over the next few months we put together a weapons system built around the concept of a large portable laser beam emitter. Large scale lasers like these already exist in the mining industry, but with Lisa’s help we were able to upscale its intensity to a level unprecedented by military standards. By the end of the month, we had a prototype unit ready in the form of the UNTC-X40.

On [DATE REDACTED] at 1920 hours, word of a large shadow appearance at [LOCATION REDACTED] reached Headquarters. This was our chance to test the prototype. While the X-40 fared well against conventional targets, it was the effect it had on shadow beasts that was crucial, and we were never going to get another perfect opportunity to do so. The X-40 prototype and a number of personnel were airlifted to the city outskirts where we awaited the shadow beast, code-named Sentinel Oblivion, to make its appearance. At 2015 hours, airborne scouts spotted it slowly making its way towards the city. Once it was within range of the weapon, the order was given and test commenced. When fired, the X-40 laser cannon shot a continuous beam of energy directly at the shadow beast. To say it was an impressive sight was an understatement. The beam illuminated the night sky with a crimson glow, while the force of the emission sent the office-sized shadow beast falling. For the next nine minutes we continued firing at the shadow beast, holding it at bay until Sony arrive to dispatch it once and for all. In our minds, we knew we had a winner. Not only was the city spared but for the first time in a long time, we could finally harm these monsters. With the data from the X-40 recorded we began to work on refining the model further. By the end of the second month, we had a new unit ready to take center stage in our fight against them.

A joint development project between Howard & Char Automotive and the UN Technika research division, the UNTA-X41 Spectra is a self-propelled artillery which utilizes the BIC-PPNB501 Direct Energy Emission Cannon to engage its enemies. This experimental weapon fires a powerful laser beam capable of ‘harming’ shadow beasts. I use harm in loose terms, because while the laser is indeed powerful, it cannot outright kill one. Shadow beasts of varying threat ratings have been known to show different levels of tolerance to the Spectra’s laser cannon. But one thing for certain is they do not like the effect of it. The entire weapon is hauled on a 6x6 chassis which is connected to a 4x4 frontal drive by an articulated joint.

Powered by a miniature fusion reactor, the Spectra’s beam cannon is strong enough to incinerate targets at a distance of up to 4km and beyond. Because of the immense heat generated from such a weapon, a thermal displacement pipe feeds through the length of the barrel, supplying coolant gas from a large tank on the back of the turret. The cannon cannot fire properly if only a small amount of gas is left, and forced firing in such situation will cause a meltdown and destroy the barrel. That being said, a fully supplied Spectra can maintain a sustained fire for up to fifteen minutes before its coolant supply runs out.

As powerful as this weapon is however, it is not without its weaknesses. Due to the nature of laser weaponry, the intensity of the beam generated directly correlates with the distance fired; with longer ranges drastically affecting its destructive power. Weather condition such as humidity and fog can also affect its performance. Another notable issue is that unlike conventional artillery platforms, the Spectra’s weapon requires a direct line of sight with its target. As a result, it is often times at a disadvantage when fighting over uneven geography. Despite that, the sheer stopping power of its gun is unquestionable. One which lead to the development of its successors: the G-13 Direct Energy and Emission Rifle, and the massive OM-42 platform which is solely utilized by the Godwin-class battlecruisers.

Manned by a driver and a gunner, Spectras are often deployed in fire squads of three with two groups working in tandem during an operation. Standard procedure during a large shadow beast incursion will be for the primary attack group to draw the attention of the target away from populated civilian sectors while the secondary team positions themselves some distance away from the first. Once the target gets close enough to the first group, the second one takes over; drawing it attention away from the first group who will then pack up, and quickly re-position themselves in a different location before repeating the process over. In this manner the Spectra fire squads can effectively ‘juggle’ a shadow beast by baiting and switching its attention between each other. As this is going on, our ground forces will have sufficient time to evacuate any civilians in the region. Aside from that, the Spectra can also be used singularly for dealing with other extradimensional beings that prove too tough to handle.

To this day, the Spectra continues to serves its role as the go-to anti-shadow beast weapon. Numerous upgrades over the years have continued to improve its performance and survivability with the latest A2 model boasting an overall increase in its armor rating, along with smoke grenade launchers, and an advanced targeting and navigation computer. It is without a doubt that the Spectra is an invaluable asset to UNITE’s arsenal, and a key player in our war against the shadow beasts.

(Pictured above: an isometric view of the Spectra, and a side view with its support struts deployed, against an average sized adult male and Magilily Neu.)

- End of Report -

RETURN TO DATA HUB

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------

My goodness, I love how this vehicle turned out. For those who find the name familiar, it’s the same unit mentioned in entry 003A . Not much to say other than that, but feel free to comment if you have any question regarding it!

The main inspiration for this vehicle is the Self-Propelled Heavy Artillery from Star Wars, and the Maser Cannon from the Godzilla frachise, more specifically, the Type-66 version. In fact you can get an idea of how it fires from this clip .

Next up, a special entry that has been long overdue...

Magilily Neu, In the Neu House (c) BRSstarJV

Lynn loud Sr, The Loud House (c) Nickelodeon