La educación a distancia en los centros universitarios

The recovery of the Star League memory core earlier in this century opened up doors that had remained closed for centuries. The military industry may have been the first and most prominent recipient of the advances uncovered—and recovered—but it didn’t take long before many of those same technologies found their way into the civil sector, es-pecially as the same companies that produced high-tech weapons for the militaries of the Inner Sphere were also the ones that manufactured tech items for the civilian markets.

Since the dawn of civilization, the extraction of raw materials from first the Earth and then the various celestial bodies man traveled has been among the most dangerous of pursuits. Despite its inherent danger, mining not only was necessary for man’s technological revolutions, it has also long been one of the most lucrative prospects available, one that General Motors has been deeply interested in for centuries. GM’s first lines of mining exoskeletons debuted during the Star League era, but the Succession Wars all but put an end to those pursuits. It wasn’t until the middle of this century that the company’s once-impressive exoskeleton lines opened back up, producing the same quality—and better—industrial units than it had three centuries earlier.

The Tunnel Rat series of exoskeletons was designed specifically for the mining industry, which itself had spawned a long list of specialized equipment and uniquely skilled personnel. Unfortunately, while that equipment was well suited for large-scale operations, such as strip-mining and sinking massive mine shafts, it still required individual miners working with hand-held tools and explosives to economically pursue the smaller veins. That’s where the mining exoskeleton comes into play.

Miners had long possessed hydraulic- and pneumatic-powered equipment, and even some simple exoskeletons powered by large generators and compressors that had to follow them around, but it wasn’t until the modern exo-skeleton came into existence that they finally got the tool they needed. Small enough to fit into a man-sized shaft without the need for extensive support, a man wearing one of these could work longer and dig faster than ever before, and even work alongside several others without fear of compromising a feed line or getting in each others’

way. Moreover, they could have more reliable communi-cations, a rugged life-support system and a modicum of survivability in case of cave-in or accident.

The Mole series debuted in 3052, but it was the Tunnel Rat in 3055 that truly marked the arrival of the dedicated mining exoskeletons. The Tunnel Rat I, massing less than a fifth of a ton, was a revolution. It is pressurized, allow-ing a miner to forego the usual flimsy space suit in hos-tile or low-pressure atmospheres, and at the same time is armored, protecting its wearer far better against cave-ins or equipment mishaps that would otherwise shred a suit and seriously injure a miner. It mounts manipulators on each “hand” that allow wearers to use just about every heavy tool they might need (though fine tasks still require a gloved hand to accomplish), as well as universal adapt-ers so that a drill can be mounted directly to one of the suit’s arms.

The Tunnel Rat II is a relatively minor upgrade, utiliz-ing a more reliable power source and better electronics.

The Tunnel Rat III, however, is a completely reworked de-sign. Heavier, massing just shy of 300 kilos, it is far better armored and has an enhanced life support system—both in response to calls for better survivability in the event of disaster. It also mounts a basic jet system, granting users unheard-of low-g mobility (though in normal gravity, the system is typically disabled to prevent accidents).

All three Tunnel Rats are in wide use throughout the Inner Sphere, primarily in harsh environments and by larg-er corporations. Unfortunately, while it is among the best pieces of equipment available to mining concerns, it is also among the most costly; small operations, and those that make extensive use of slave or prison labor, will likely con-tinue to use what they already have until the prices come down significantly.

Notes: *Armored Gloves configurations may make

Anti-‘Mech and AP attacks. Tunnel Rat I features the following Design Quirk: Poor Sealing.

Equipment Slots Mass

Chassis: 80 kg

Motive System (Tunnel Rat I/II):

Ground MP: 1 0 kg

Jump MP: 0 0 kg

Motive System (Tunnel Rat III):

Ground MP: 1 0 kg

Jump MP: 1 25 kg

Manipulators:

Right Arm: Modular Manipulator Adaptor Left Arm: Modular Manipulator Adaptor

Armor (Tunnel Rat I/II): Standard 50 kg Armor Value: 1 + 1 (Trooper)

Armor (Tunnel Rat III): Standard 100 kg Armor Value: 2 + 1 (Trooper)

Slots

Weapons & Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass Modular Manipulator Adaptor RA/LA 2/2 20 kg

Armored Gloves —/— — 0 kg

Industrial Drill/Basic —/— — 30 kg Manipulator

Extended Life Support Body 1 25 kg

Searchlight Body 1 5 kg

193

TUNNEL RAT MINING EXOSKELETONS

RESGATE PA(L) / KRISE PA(L)

In the late part of the thirtieth century, the Cloud Cobra enclave on Homer suffered a massive earthquake, plunging over a quarter of the city into chaos and confu-sion. The catastrophe killed over eight hundred labor and merchant caste members. Ill-equipped to handle such a massive disaster, the Warrior Council of the Clan vowed to spend some of their own research and development ef-forts into devising new emergency services tools. Utilizing some castoff battle armor prototypes, the scientist caste was able to build a compact light exoskeleton that could handle most basic types of situations. The suit was fitted with an internal jump pack for increased mobility, an im-proved sensor suite for locating life signs through up to ten meters of dense material, and a compact salvaging system attached to the left arm. Stripped of the more advanced systems needed for battle armor combat, the light exoskel-eton consisted of everything necessary to assist the opera-tor to find and rescue a trapped or injured subject. When Clan Fire Mandrill developed their Salamander battle suits utilizing fire-resistant armor, the Cobras saw the potential in their armor design. In a trial between scientist castemen, Scientist Carl (Baugh) defeated Mandrill Scientist Michael (Behe) in a magnetic belt experiment, winning the Cobras the use of the fire-resistant armor weave for their Resgate exoskeleton. With some reverse engineering, the Cobras developed a fire-resistant armor that could protect the operator from intense heat for a short period of time. Not intended for combat use, the Resgate armor performed superbly in emergency tests. When the Cobra DropShip Dresden crashed on Babylon, members of the Resgate-equipped 849th Fire Response Unit were able to save all but one of the crewmen from the fiery inferno.

In the Inner Sphere, the explosion of battle armor de-signs after the after the Clan Invasion led to breakthroughs in the lighter exoskeleton frames usually used for heavy lifting and stevedore work. By using the rediscovered technical information, Gortex Multi-E—the Federated Suns’ primary manufacturer of emergency services

equipment—designed a light exoskeleton suit they chris-tened the Krise. Simple to use, the Krise contained the tools needed to help in rescuing victims from rubble, cave-ins, and other natural disasters. The suit isn’t fireproof, how-ever, and even brief exposure to concentrated heat can permanently damage internal systems. Nevertheless, the suit had been snapped up by eager emergency response teams across the Suns, with the next three years of produc-tion runs already pre-sold at capacity.

Type: Resgate

Manufacturer: Clan Cloud Cobra, Olivetti Weapons (Clan Jade Falcon)

Primary Factory: Homer, Sudeten (online 3083) Equipment Rating: F/X-X-E

Weapons & Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass

Improved Sensors Body 1 45 kg Notes: Features the following Design Quirk: Easy to Pilot.

Equipment Slots Mass

Weapons & Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass

Cutting Torch RA 1 5 kg

Searchlight LA 1 5 kg

Improved Sensors Body 1 65 kg

Extended Life Support Body 1 25 kg

195

RESGATE PA(L) / KRISE PA(L)

SMOOTHDAVID II PA(L) / SMOOTHGOLIATH II PA(L)

In the early 3050s, jealous police forces everywhere focused on the increasing number of infantry units getting equipped with modern battle armor. Those suits offered the kind of protection and increased strength response teams and riot detachments had always dreamed of. Alas, those metal wonders still stayed far out of reach—too costly, too rare and thus supplied only to the armies of the Successor States. With new models appearing and battle armor seeing more widespread use about a decade later, the availability issue somewhat faded, and several presti-gious security organizations immediately began to evalu-ate possible investments.

However, field tests quickly uncovered major problems that rendered battle armor nearly useless in everyday po-lice duties. Basically, they were too heavy and ungainly, and often overarmed. Police officers found themselves trapped in stairways, stuck in doorframes and generally complained about hindered fields of vision. Hand-to-hand combat usu-ally ended with a suspect pulped instead of knocked out or, on rare occasions, the armored officer lying on his back, playing turtle. The mounted standard weapons proved too powerful as well, while using conventional handguns some-what missed the point—especially on those suits without precise hand-actuators. In short, besides prestige, there was no apparent reason for police forces to use battle armor.

Only Lohengrin filed a rather large letter of demand for

“anti-terrorist crowd control” purposes. It was promptly and unanimously rejected by the Estates General on the grounds of Lohengrin’s controversial past in exactly such activities.

Relief arrived in autumn of 3064 in the form of TharHes Industries, which finally heeded the call and bridged the gap between robotic industrial exoskeletons and their flexible battlefield brethren. Drawing heavily from prototype techniques field-tested on Solaris VII, the Smoothdavid proved to be an instant success—despite a designation that hopefully cost the responsible PR office their jobs.

What made the Smoothdavid such a hit with gov-ernmental customers was its open construction. A light-weight frame comes with so-called “Snap-On” hardpoints on all the right spots. Additional gear and gadgets like armor vests, manipulator gloves or filtering breathers are thus easily attachable in the nick of time. (TharHes initially delivered a fully equipped version called the Smoothgoliath, as well). And the thing looks good too, making it a favorite in junior high schoolyards and re-cruitment holovids.

Now that the ice was broken—technologically—sev-eral other suppliers started to show up over the follow-ing years with similar products. Some were cheap copies, but some rivaled the original in quality and performance.

TharHes itself landed a product-placement deal par excel-lence when they were allowed to outfit the 3067 Whitting Conference guards with Smoothdavids. Doing a splendid job of keeping the assembly of Lords and Ladies safe from protesters and assassins, they still ultimately failed as the unimaginable happened. A few kilos of armor simply do not protect from orbital strikes.

Type: Smoothdavid II / Smoothgoliath II Manufacturer: TharHes Industries

Armor (Smoothdavid II): Standard 50 kg Armor Value: 1 + 1 (Trooper)

Armor (Smoothgoliath II): Standard 100 kg Armor Value: 2 + 1 (Trooper)

Slots

Weapons and Equipment Location (Capacity) Mass Smoothdavid II

Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount RA 1 5 kg Anti-Personnel Weapon Mount LA 1 5 kg

Searchlight Body 1 5 kg

197

SMOOTHDAVID II PA(L) / SMOOTHGOLIATH II PA(L)

INDUSTRIALMECHS

The arrival of the Clans and their superior weapons heralded a subtle shift in the BattleMech market as the Inner Sphere experienced an increased demand for heavier (and better armored) ’Mechs. Although these big ticket items have always been the source of our highest profit margins, the change in the market has also resulted in underutilization of our light ’Mech production lines. The resulting reduction in turn-over has hit our gross profits and we need to look closely at ways to realize our investment in upgrading those production lines. We could convert them to produce heavier BattleMech designs, but my colleagues have voiced concerns that such a move could create a glut in the market. It is far better that we keep supply far beneath demand.

Instead, I suggest we investigate the possibility of increasing our presence in the IndustrialMech market. Our least profitable production lines could be converted to produce civilian ’Mech designs relatively easily. I have included an extract from a recent article from ’Mech Monthly that summarizes the current market conditions.

—Nathaniel Rivarez, Division Head, Irian BattleMechs, Unlimited

Although crude by today’s standards, the myomer bundles and actuators developed in 2350 paved the way for the creation of the IndustrialMech (or WorkMech, as it was often called in the twenty-fourth century). A key technology in the transformation of colony worlds critically short of skilled labor, the IndustrialMech served as an invaluable “force multiplier.” As the technology was refined, it was inevitable that the military would also show an interest. IndustrialMechs had served the Hegemony Armed Forces in a rear-area support role almost since their inception, but in 2439 Hegemony scientists finally perfected the first true BattleMech (though primitive by the standards of the modern ’Mechs that began appearing by 2470)—the Mackie. For the next three hundred years the BattleMech overshadowed its civilian brother but, in truth, records indicate that IndustrialMechs outnumbered their martial brethren by at least twenty to one.

As bad as the technological and industrial losses of the Succession Wars were for BattleMechs, they proved even more devastating for IndustrialMechs. The unceasing demand for spare parts forced the Successor States to divert their dwindling manufacturing capacity to support their armies. When even this proved insufficient, the Inner Sphere began to strip IndustrialMechs for parts. Some desperate attempts were made to press IndustrialMechs into service on the battlefield, but these were invariably unmitigated disasters. By the end of the Third Succession War, the IndustrialMech had become almost as rare as the BattleMech.

The technological renaissance that followed the recovery of an intact Star League memory core was initially focused on updating military equipment. Following the Truce of Tukayyid, some of the recovered technology began to filter down to the civilian sector. While many of the established BattleMech producers were slow to act, a host of smaller firms have stepped in to fill demand in this growing market. What fol-lows is just a cross-section of the bewildering array of IndustrialMech designs currently in production across the Inner Sphere and beyond.

—’Mech Monthly, December 3068 Issue, Galatea Press

[The end of the Jihad and the current reconstruction are heralding a golden age for IndustrialMechs, which are needed in all sectors of commercial infrastructure. Programs by The Republic aimed at reducing military output in favor of civilian products are already taking effect, with the flagship Military Materiel Redemption Program (MMRP) already shaping up to be a great success.

Brigadier’s compliance in refitting its Oliver lines, picking up production of the destroyed Achernar facilities, has played an important role in this and illustrates the Republic’s ability at central economic regulation. With centuries of experience of building quad ‘Mechs, Brigadier soon turned out Heavy Lifters, while also kick-starting production of the original Dig King. Achernar itself shifted Dig Lord construction to Cahokia and in an at-tempt to recoup losses also licensed it to Bristol SalvageWorks—another Jihad survivor—which put it into production next to the Vampyr.

The processes set in motion to counterbalance production losses are similarly happening in many other interstellar corporations, such as GM transferring Pompier production to its Talcott and El Dorado facilities, with the direly needed -HT model far outstripping the others. Unlike vehicles, the comparatively small quantity of IndustrialMech manufacturing sites even after such expansion makes central production and JumpShip distribu-tion viable.

Bluth Corp is one of The Republic’s greatest assets. As one of the few unscathed survivors of Operation SCOUR, the IndustrialMechs they produce—the Buster, Carbine, and Crosscut—are critical to the infrastructure of the Republic. The additional control over Sitwell’s Powerman results in a near-stranglehold on HaulerMech production across the Inner Sphere, and is a powerful bargaining chip and cash cow to help fund rebuilding costs.

Kong’s Harvester Ant factory at Ranelagh on Connaught survived occupation intact, unlike the BattleMech plant at Skellig, and so did CMW’s Copper and N&D’s Uni lines. Production was interrupted, though, allowing un-touched Rastaban to capitalize on the misfortune of its competitors by producing military versions of the Lumberjack and CattleMaster. At conflict’s end these efforts were discontinued beyond PoliceMechs. Wesley Industries is manufacturing the ED-X3 ForestryMech derivative of the Crosscut alongside the WI-DM DemolitionMech, strengthened by the recently discontinued Firebee RetroTech program and cross-licenses with Earthwerks.

When relaying the Irian documents, our contact appended detailed information on Wakazashi’s Chaffee, the herald of what will hopefully be a new era of peace in the Inner Sphere. I am including it here as a eulogy to its visionary creator.—JR]