http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...nkArmytext.png
For size, the Resistor is almost exactly the same size as a modern German Leopard 2 MBT.
--- Taken from “A Spacer’s Guide to the Galaxy”, by Rear Admiral William Sandsborough (Ret) ---
The Cybertanks are perhaps the most infamous and ubiquitous of all our enemies among the stars. They are persistent, vicious and utterly committed to the destruction of everyone aside from their own kind. We have been fighting them for almost as long as mankind has been among the stars, and others for still longer.
Yet how much do we really know about our intractable metallic foes? The answer is, surprisingly, very little.
We know their technology and their tactics, certainly. But beyond that, everything is shrouded in mystery. Much of what we think we know is purely speculation or based on misconception.
So, what
do we know?
The Cybertank’s homeworld is Metalyka, in the system of the same name; indeed, to the Cybertanks, they are synonymous. Even here, errors creep in, as the name is often incorrectly spelt ‘Metallica’ of ‘Metallika’ (even in many official documents); though the pronunciation is the same: “Met-AL-EE-Ka.”
The Metalyka system is arguably the most heavily fortified in known space. The entire system consists of a single G-type star, with four planets and two planetoids.
What it is most noted for, however, is that the entire system is protected by a sphere of weapons platforms. These platforms, an average of eighty thousand kilometres apart, form a veritable dispersed Dyson’s sphere around the Metalyka system. This sphere is about 400 000km thick, and extends an astonishing 6 AU from the system’s sun. The weapons platforms are diverse designs. Most are small missile racks or station particle lazer batteries, but larger installations are not uncommon in the vastness. It is estimated that, from the given measurements, that there are roughly fifteen billion of these weapons platforms. A ship, passing the barrier, could be in range of over two thousand of these platforms at once. Indeed, the overall density of the platforms, combined with their own mass-net fields and displacer screens, actually prevents FTL transit through the net, as it registers as a diffuse nebula to sensors.
The sheer magnitude of the defence screen is staggering. To be maintained, it requires a mind-bogglingly large array of maintenance ships, stations and replication and manufacturing facilities. In fact, simply to maintain this screen, well over 99% of the entire Cybertank infrastructure is dedicated to this task. By comparison, even the most massive fleets that attack the outside galaxy are dwarfed in comparison to the amount of firepower within. It is most frightening to realise, that, if they would merely choose to do so, that infrastructure could be re-dedicated to wiping us out; and there is very little we could do to stop it.
The Neu Swabian League made a serious investigation several years ago into actually invading Metalyka and ending this threat once and for all. Their plan was to force a breech in the perimeter at one of the “entrance points” where the field is least dense. Then, they would hold this gap long enough to send a task force in to do the job. However, they quickly came to the conclusion such an attempt would be futile. Studies indicated that the weapons platforms are capable of moving under their own power to cover any breech made. Further, they made the sobering revelation that the Cybertank’s home defence fleet – which spends it’s time patrolling the inside of the sphere – is greater in number than the total number of starships built between the major Earth powers since the construction of military starships began. By several orders of magnitude.
This explains, perhaps in part, why the Cybertanks are so content to send out fleet after fleet and lose them all. In reality, they are losing a negligible portion of the population’s military power.
We cannot fathom how long it took to develop this inordinately large defence system. To date, it has only been breached on seventeen occasions across the entire of our recorded Cybertank history, and all of those strikes were precision attacks directed at something very close to the border. It is sufficiently dangerous not even the Lazerblasters dare cross it lightly.
So, quite literally, the Cybertanks are a major power, the bulk of which is in their own solar system. But they are not totally consigned to their system; a few outlying systems are under Cybertank control, though they fluctuate as the Incursions come and go .
It is theorised that the Metalyka system once had much more than the six planets than it does now, but the others and any asteroid belts it might once have had were cannibalised to start the defence grid. Even so, the Cybertanks must have developed their current energy-to-matter replication long before it was finished.
Metalyka proper is the third planet in the system, and is approximately one AU from the primary. It is about the same size as a typical M class planet, and has an oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere at approximately 1.05g. All of what we know of it comes from long-range scans. As yet, no-one in recorded history as actually landed on the planet, aside from the Cybertanks themselves. The entire land surface is covered by metal. In places where the Cybertanks have or have had habitation, there are cities of metal, or just a metal-panelled surface. Elsewhere, the surface is just smooth metal of varying sorts. The surface is mostly, but not totally, flat, with the occasional mountains range arising smoothly from the surface. The most common sort is a non-corrosive alloy, rendering the planet a pale matt silver.
In some places, there are what appear to be massive forests of tall poles. What purpose – if any – these serve is a mystery. They may be artificial, they may be some strange form of natural metallic growth or something else entirely.
The seas of Metalyka are not one you would wish to swim in. They consist almost entirely of mercury, tainted by its contaminants a darker grey than the land. There is virtually no water vapour in the atmosphere at all (and little to no cloud), making the surface like a desert.
No-one knows why Metalyka is not untenably hot. It is guessed that perhaps the metal surface reflects away a lot of the heat, but it would be by no means all. Some have suggested that the forests of poles are some sort of heat baffle, perhaps cooled by the strong winds caused by the planet’s relatively rapid rotation. (A day on Metalyka lasts only sixteen hours.)
There is no apparent volcanicity on the planet, nor any evidence of it, though what this means, no-one is sure. It does explain the surface, however, as the land, without plate movement, will steadily be sand-blasted by the winds and metal particles blown within it.
There are six huge cityscapes on the surface, large enough to be seen by the naked eye, and many more smaller ones. The largest, tentatively designated as Gamma Seven by the Neu Swabian League, may be the capital.
Perhaps the most perplexing mystery, however, is that of the Cybertank’s origin. Of this we know nothing. The Cybertanks claim to have evolved naturally on Metalyka into their current state and all records we have managed to procure over the years give no other explanation.
Many detractors of this idea point out the numerous flaws in this belief, however. Many pieces of evidence suggest that the Cybertanks are instead an artificial race, created by some hitherto unknown power. Why would a lifeform evolve into something as recognisable as a grav-tank in the first place? And why would a supposedly alien race use English as it’s language?
This last is a particular mystery. In fact, for years, it was assumed that the Cybertanks were simply using a translator into what they thought was the dominant human language. But it was in the end revealed that the reason the Cybertanks always communicated in English was because they were speaking in English. This discovery was significantly delayed by the fact that Cybertank computer technology is run under a different language altogether. The Cybertanks thus have a ‘digital’ language they use when interfacing with their technology as opposed to communicating amongst themselves.
A great deal of evidence – including the structure and nature of Metalyka itself, apparently devoid of other life, supports the artificial constructs theory.
So it is greatly surprising, then, to find that there is evidence that equally contradicts this. The first and foremost is the massive difference between the technology the Cybertanks use and that in their own bodies. The two are as different as that between the technology of two alien races – or the difference between that of human biology and technology.
While their technology is advanced, it is mainly conventional in structure. Their own racial physiology is vastly different. Inside a Cybertank it a complex network of systems, technological, but as intricate in form and structure as the cellular structure of organics. It appears, internally, to be grown, not built. It is totally divergent with that of known technological races. Indeed, the only race with something even close to this kind of physiology are the naturally occurring metallic and techno-organic creatures found on Kethrain, the homeworld of the Shardan.
This Cybertank internal technology is also dissimilar to any other race’s technology, and lacks the signatures of extinct races, like the Sianetic Harbingers.
So, was the life on the planet truly technological in nature, or were the Cybertanks modified at some point? Perhaps they modified themselves and removed all history of it. Many theories for both sides have been put forward, from the sublime to the ridiculous. From the proponents of the belief they are naturally-developed creatures who simply adopted English as a language (perhaps from early transmissions from Earth) to those that suggest the Cybertanks are in fact humans from the far future, who brought a solar system backwards in time, no-one can make a conclusive argument.
Even time-travel is unlikely to be able to help; the entire Metalyka system seems to be contained in a temporally-resistant field, the nature of which is elusive but that makes time travel extraordinarily dangerous. It may be natural, or created by the Cybertanks themselves – or perhaps their creators. Further, all investigation has shown that the system is time-locked and not in an area of mutable time, so even if one could journey safely into the past, it could be just as dangerous to arrive.
And one is not likely to be forthcoming. As the Cybertanks themselves believe utterly in their own natural origin, the only possible answers may lie buried beneath the unreachable metal surface of Metalyka – if they exist at all.
* * * * * *
Cybertank Technology is advanced, but generally conventional. They utilise hyperdrive, engine, standard sensor, communication and shielding technology, albeit slightly improved over the standard. They do have energy-to-matter replication, though not to the point they can afford to utterly ignore local resources.
They have significantly better structural technology, as evidenced by the use of some of the manufacturing facilities, and the widely-feared ten-mile long
Effluvium class supercruiser.
Weapons technology is primarily based on Particle Lasers, which fire blasts of photonic energy (typically orange) with dense micro-particles suspended within. The effect is somewhere between that of an energy lazer and a particle accelerator weapon. This weaponry is also found in the Cybertanks themselves, and it would appear that the ship-borne weaponry was developed from their internal weapons and not the other way around.
In addition to conventional Particle Laser weapon arrays, at starship level, the Cybertanks can fire highly coherent and mobile beam version, capable of slicing ships apart.
The Cybertanks also make heavy use of Matter-flux Torpedoes, which upon impact, set up a resonating field that puts the electron bonds of matter into a state of flux, with highly destructive results.
They use more conventional anti-matter weapons in their advanced missile technology; though occasionally, matter-flux warheads have been used by missiles in the past.
The Cybertanks have also developed cloaking and footprint magnification to a high level and this has lead to one of their defining technologies, the Displacer Screen. This literally takes all the emissions and readings from the vessel and shunts it to a different spot, usually no more than one or two ship lengths or widths away. The location on the image relative to the ship is constantly in motion, further confused by the ship’s manoeuvring. Because this is a comparatively minor shift, it is just enough to blur sensor technology, making it somewhat harder to hit. Much further distance than that used, and the system would break down.
This results in the strange sight at visual ranges, where a shot will pass right through an apparent ship, or when a shot does land, the blast will strike and stop in empty space and the resultant explosion will happen hundreds of meters away.
Fortunately, the Displacer’s power requirements are sufficiently high that smaller vessel simply cannot power them, though they are surprisingly compact.
Cybertank starship technology is all completely modular. Indeed, the familiar delta-cruisers used by so many races come from the
Assimilator class Cybertank cruiser that was adapted by the Herosine Empire (and by several other races independently). This means a Cybertank fleet can, if close to a repair and supply ship like a
Colloidal, completely repair and change it’s entire weapon output in a short period of time. Most starships have a base design, which requires more extensive modifications to alter and a weapons load. The weapons load is not solely weapons, but often cloaks, additional armour or shielding or sensors.
Cybertank ships are typically specialised for one job, and poor at others. Most notably, most Cybertank ships have poor point-defence and rely on anti-fighter variants to provide them with protection.
* * * * * *
Common Cybertank Configurations
Spoiler
Show
Resistor I Grav Tank
The most common Cybertank configuration encountered, the Resistor I configuration is the archetypal Cybertank. Like all Cybertanks, it is not a vehicle per se, but rather a grav-tank-shaped technological sentient creature. Albeit one that is evil and without any redeeming traits. The Cybertanks do not seek conquest, but the simple extermination of all life that is not themselves; be they organic, technolgical or otherwise. (Or even Undead...) It is possible to reason with a Cybertank, as they are intelligent , for a given value of "reason". The Cybertanks have occasionally allied with other evil forces, but these alliances break down before long, as the Cybertanks simply revert to their natural state, which is to "ELIMINATE ALL ORGANIC LIFEFORMS!" (Sic).
The Cybertanks are, in theory, quite intelligent, and have a certain cunning. They certainly possess entirely understandable emotions, being far from emotionless machines. While they have a certain preference for logic, even that is only a tendancy. What they do seem to lack is any form of empathy or compassion of any kind. They hate though, and hate well, though the second most common emotion seem in them from outsiders is their noted tendancy to panic if things go wrong, and shout a lot.
It should, of course, be noted in passing with their computer minds, energy weapons and advanced targeting systems, the accuracy of the Cybertanks is legendary, in that no other race can miss so badly or so often. It is perhaps unfortunate that the larger targetting computers of their starships actually manage to migitate their own utter incompetance. But on the ground, it is often said - only half in jest - that the safest place to be when a Cybertank is shooting is the spot they are aiming at.
If it were not that their home system is easily the most heavily defended in the known galaxy, they would have been wiped out long ago by the collected efforts of everyone in the galaxy. As it is, given it is estimated that within that veritable Dyson's Sphere of defences, there are more Cybertank ships than have ever been built by all the human powers combined since the invention of space travel, even attempting such and endeavour would be literal suicide. Those maruading fleets that form the Cybertank Incursions are literally nothing more than a drop in the ocean, excess waste. (It has even been suggested that the Incursion are just excess population, embarking on lemming-like attacks on the rest of the galaxy.) Fortunately, the Cybertank's natural paranoia keeps them from exploiting this fact and wiping us all out. As has been said so many times before, they are "tactically clever, strategically dumb." A fact for which we should all be profoundly grateful.
Resistor II Grav Tank
The Resistor II is almost as common a configuration of the Cybertanks as the Resistor I, and both are the iconic configurations whose image is conjured up when the Cybertanks are referred to. Resistor IIs have a smaller particle laser than the Is, but this is supplemented by a mass driver gating. The pyramidal structure at the top emits a smaller particle laser, serving both missile defence and anti-infantry. Two turret smoke dischargers are mounted on the turret, one either side.
Like all Cybertanks, the Resistors share their omnicidal nature and staggering racial arrogance; and mercifully for the rest of us, their utter inability to hit anything, despite their advanced targeting systems and use of energy weapons. Because of their abundance, we know more about the Resistors than any other configuration. Internally, their technological phyisology is as different from that found in their starships and buildings (i.e their constructed technolgy) as ours is from our own, and is highly complex, and seems more "grown" than "built". And the re are further mysteries. For example, the Cybertank's particle laser technology found on board their starships seems derived from their own bodily weapons, but are subtly different in a way that a conventional tank and shipboard weapon are not; i.e. they are not quite simply different sized versions of each other.
This all lends credence to the Cybertank's claim they evolved into these vehicular forms naturally. Despite the extreme improbability of these claims, no-one has yet found any evidence to prove otherwise. The truth - if it still exists - lies buried under the surface of the Cybertank's homeworld of Metalyka, where none but Cybertanks have ever stood.
Capacitor Missile Tank
The Capacitor provides the cybertanks with missile support. They are generally regarded as the most dangerous in their weight class. Armed with a turreted rapid-fire matter-flux rocket launcher, backed with quad heavy missile launcher with eight reloads, the Capacitor can fight both in the front line or from safety, using Dispersions or Eradicators as target designators. They have their own sensors too, allowing A platoon mates to concentrate a deadly salvo of fire. A Point-Defence particle laser array rounds out their weapons.
Unlike many such simiLAr vehicles in the armies of other races, Capacitors are not lightly armoured, but have nearly the same shielding and armour as a Resistor, only being slightly lighter in the side and rear arcs. Despite the limited number of matter-flux missiles, Capacitors replenish their matter-flux rockets at an astonishing rate, meaning it is almost impossible for them to run out.
Cohesion Suppression Tank
The Cohesion configuration is designated as a "Suppression" tank. For the Cybertanks, this qualifies as a dedicated anti-infantry vehicle. As the Cybertanks are simply too big to fit inside buildings (and rarely feel the need to try and capture anything anyway), the Cybertanks solution to the problem of infantry is the most basic - obliterate the place the infantry are standing in.
The Cohesion's primary weapon is a cannon that fires a minaturised matterflux shell. This is capable of inflicting vast amounts of damage to structures, plant-life and any vehicle unfortunate enough to be hit by it.
Interestingly, dead Cohesions have revealed that the design of these shells indicates they have been replicated from the starship technology principles, as opposed to the Cybertank's natural technology. Indeed, old records from early encounters indicate that the shells were a high-explosive weapon, whose design was entirely consist with the internal workings of the Cybertanks.
Dispersion Ultra Light Grav Tank
The Dispersion configuration typically operates in the scouting role, often supplemented by Radicals. The Dispersion configuration is slower and much more durable then the latter. The Dispersions have better sensors, but are lighter armed. They carry only a single light particle laser turret, whcih serves double duty and anti-armour and anti-infantry/anti-aircraft. Their offensive punch comes mainly from the four fixed missile tubes on its flanks. Missile warheads and loads vary, but when the Dispersion is carrying a typical load of missiles, it carries about four reloads for each tube. Like all Cybertanks, the Dispersion does not "reload" a magazine, but literally grows new missiles to replace expended ones as part of it's physiology; again time varies, but can be as little as a few hours.
The four emitters found at the corner of each hull, are like all Cybertanks, proximity-range tractor beam emitters, allowing the Cybertanks to manipulate objects. Their fine control is merely passable (it might be better were it not compounded by Cybertank ineptitude), and their strength, while considerable by human standards, is not in the superhuman range. They might be able to lift a weight such as a typical car, but not throw one. Still, they are capable of tossing around lighter objects (such as squishy hominoids) if they get too close (though their proficiency depends on the individual Cybertank.)
Eradicator Heavy Tank
The Eradictor Heavy Grav Tank is often seen as the command unit for large number of Cybertank ground units. It is far more rarely operating as a unit. Eradicators are cunning and canny leaders, though, like most Cybertanks, they are not averse to casualties if required. This is another point often raised that size correllates to age and experience. This is by no means certain, as others have pointed - the larger size may come from the function, and not the other way around.
Regardless, Eradicators are extremely dangerous on the battle field. With very heavy shields, considerable armour and a powerful sensor array, they are both hard to surprise, let alone destroy. They are armed with a massive double-barreled particle laser cannon turret, supplemented by two matterflux missile launchers (typically carrying 48 missiles in total). These weapons can fire up to six missiles each at once, but then require a brief break with they are reloaded. The Eradicator's weapons are further rounded out by four magnetic linear accelerator gatlings covering each direction and four heavy point-defence particle laser arrays. Combined with the Eradicator's excellent ECM system, these last render it virtually impregable to individual missiles; a large or sustained salvo is required to even have a chance
Radical Recon Tank
The smallest and lightest of the Cybertank configurations ever seen, the Radical performs function as a scout. A Radical has the highest speed of all gravitic Cybertanks. They are lightly armed and shielded, but their primary particle laser turret is extremely powerful, matching that of some lighter main battle tanks. It also has a considerable arc of fire, allowing the Radical to perform in anti-infantry, anti-drone and anti-aircraft roles, supplement by the small particle laser emitter on the top of the turret.
Radicals have a noted tendancy for over-confidence and rashness, and are prone to making poor descisions and displaying an arrogance which is high even by Cybertank standards. Some attribute this to their particular speciality, i.e. not disimilar to a "fighter jockey" effect. Others suggest that this lends credance to the theory that Cybertanks "evolve" into larger forms as they age and this attitude is the folly of youth. As always with the Cybertanks, the truth is a mystery.
Vaporiser Light Tank
The unusual Vaporiser is less a tank and more a mobile pill box. With a fixed manetic linear accelerator gatling, and very heavy front armour (approaching that of the Eradicator), it is often seen functioning as a latter-day inpromptu fixed-line machine gun. It’s main weapon, however, is the omnidirectional partical laser beam array mounted on the back, often confused for a sensor array. This has considerable range and is equally capable at anti-air or anti-armour roles. Their side armour is considerably less, and their shields are not stronger than the Radical’s.
However, these are not the reasons the Vaporisers are most notorious. They six double-sized sized tractor emitters, four at the front and two at the rear, provided them with enormous strength and manipulative ability. They can lift about 80 tons, and can throw around eight - more than enough to uproot and hurl a tree. There are few vehicles that can traverse woods or other difficult terrain so easily – the Vaporisers simply shove the trees out of their path like a man would brush aside undergrowth. They are sufficiently skilled at this, they can do at nearly full speed. The resulting clear trail allows the following Cybertanks to launch an expected strike from an unexpected direction.