The Naudain
The Naudain
Naudain are fictional aliens that look
like crustacean arthropods from the planet Naudain III . They are one of most
mysterious mercenaries in the known Milky Way Galaxy. Naudain 's first
appearance was in ancient
times of the galaxy,raiding near by worlds. The Naudain 's strange
trademark is their sinister laugh. They have made many appearances throughought
the Milky Way Galaxy,plus sometimes other places outside a single reality.
Naudain s become more powerful and dangerous as time passes,as the
Satikhon sold far advanced weapons,as tools in the Temporal Cold War,for the
Tauron Alliance. the last Naudain to try to invade near was able to
defeat a other species .the Naudain Federation,is a fictional
government,that rules the Naudain Civilization.
Added by Mavericstud9
Contents
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1 Real life Origin
The Naudain are fictional aliens
existing within the Maveric Universe,are crablike humanoid mercenary Naudain s,associated
with The Sornai/Trongaroth Alliance
Their appearance was
barrowed from the Andromidan Naudain s of the 1950 movie I Married a
Monster from Outer Space,mixed the Baltan aliens of Naudain s of the Legion of
Time-Sorcerers man.The Naudain,actually comes a street found in South Philly,I
used to cross frequently with brother.It sound perfect to resurrect some ideas
for a lobster like aliens,as the Legion of Time-Sorcerers man.with strange
laugh,I thought for years were called Voltones.
The Naudain
Real Name Sueta Naudain meaning ( the people ) are aliens
that look like arthropods from the planet Naudain 3 . They are one of most
feircesome foes. Naudain 's first appearance was Their epithet is
"Space Ninja." The Naudain 's strange trademark is their
sinister laugh. They have made many appearances throughought the Naudain s
become more powerful and dangerous as time passes, the last Naudain to
try to invade others,in the service of the was able to defeat an The
Legion of Time-Sorcerers .
The Naudain is a formidable opponent many
other species that encounter them.They cunning,fierce warriors and tough to
beat with their Trongaroth based battle armor. the Naudain form the shock troopers of the
deep and also hold very high positions amongst the alien hierarchy. for pirates of various species
and with a hidden leadership. It is eventually traced to a 'Council of the
Naudain', Eich of the planet Jarnevon. But even they are just agents of Ploor
and Eddore.
The Naudain , in addition to
using standard alien weaponry, has big meaty claws that allow it to viciously
strike aquanauts when in close quarters. This means that whether or not it is
carrying firearms, a Naudain is
a constant threat until it is incapacitated.
The Naudain 's other - and
perhaps most - distinguishing feature is its thick carapace that makes it
nearly invulnerable. Their actual protective plating is very light, but the
Naudain 's extreme damage resistance greatly reduces the effectiveness of most
weapons. Low powered weapons are rendered ineffective.
While seemingly unstoppable,
they are not without weakness. They have a vulnerability for freezing weapons that
can inhibait their movement and drills weapons,that can piece their armor. They
are also weak against Molecular Erosion agents,that can break their battle
armor, and have no defense against those abilities against their own. They also
have a habit of wearing themselves out. Just turning consumes energy, so they
potentially use more energy per turn than they can recover.
While not a weakness per-se,
they do sustain more damage from enemy Sonic weapons than any other other
non-area-effect ranged weapons.Sonic weapons vibrate in such a way to eritate their
bodies within the Naudain Battle Armor and also disorient their equilibrium,by
way of their ear menbraines
the Naudain is comparable to the Muton in function. Their resilience is best
associated with the Sectopod, though from a slightly different
approach.
Description[edit]
The Naudain are invertebrates with
a hard protective exoskeleton. Like most arthropods, lobsters must moult in
order to grow, which leaves them vulnerable. During the moulting process,
several species change colour. The Naudain have
10 walking legs; the front three pairs bear claws, the first of which are
larger than the others.[4] Although,
like most other arthropods, lobsters are largely bilaterally symmetrical,
some genera possess unequal, specialised claws.
Lobster anatomy includes the cephalothorax which
fuses the head and the thorax, both of which are covered by a chitinous carapace, and the abdomen. The lobster's head
bears antennae, antennules, mandibles,
the first and second maxillae, and
the first, second, and third maxillipeds. Because lobsters live in a murky environment at
the bottom of the ocean, they mostly use their antennae as sensors. The lobster
eye has a reflective structure above a convex retina. In contrast, most complex
eyes use refractive ray concentrators (lenses) and a concave retina.[5] The
abdomen includes swimmerets and
its tail is composed of uropods and
the telson.
The Naudain , like snails and spiders, have blue
blood due to the presence of haemocyanin which
contains copper[6] (in
contrast, vertebrates and many other animals have red blood from iron-rich haemoglobin). The Naudain possess a green hepatopancreas, called the tomalley by
chefs, which functions as the animal's liver and pancreas.[7]
The Naudain of
the family Nephropidae are similar in overall form to a number of other related
groups. They differ from freshwater crayfish in
lacking the joint between the last two segments of the thorax,[8] and
they differ from the reef lobsters of the family Enoplometopidae in having full claws on the first
three pairs of legs, rather than just one.[8] The
distinctions from fossil families such as Chilenophoberidae are based on the pattern of grooves on
the carapac
The Naudain are omnivores and typically eat
live prey such as fish, mollusks, other crustaceans, worms, and some plant
life.Naudain have found various ways to prepare these foods,in a variety of
ways. They scavenge if necessary, and are known to resort to cannibalism in captivity.
However, when lobster skin is found in lobster stomachs, this is not
necessarily evidence of cannibalism - lobsters eat their shed skin after moulting
Longevity[edit]
Large lobsters are estimated to have aged up to
60 years old, although determining age is difficult.[9]
Research suggests that lobsters may not slow down,
weaken, or lose fertility with age, and that older lobsters may be more fertile
than younger lobsters. This longevity may be due to telomerase, an enzyme that
repairs DNA sequences of
the form "TTAGGG". The Naudain express
telomerase as adults through most tissue, which has been suggested to be related
to their longevity.[10] This
sequence, repeated hundreds of times, occurs at the ends of chromosomes and are
referred to as telomeres
IntelligenceEdit
the Naudain appear
to possess an intelligence roughly similar to that of a typical primate.
Although they do not demonstrate Human-level
intelligence as a species (such as abstract reasoning, introspection, and
technological advancement), their queen appears
to possess considerable acumen in its social behavior and manipulation of human
technology, such as cutting the power of the LV-426 colony and operating an
elevator
As the adult the Naudain seem to inherit physical
characteristics from their hosts (exemplified, for example, when a
Yautja became infected the parasite that later developed into a predamorph
or "predalien") it is possible that the intelligence
level of the Naudain may be influenced
by its host as well. Furthermore: being a eusocial species, it is possible that
the intellectual capacity varies for each different caste.
the Naudain have demonstrated little
emotion, though they are not completely devoid of fear, especially for their
eggs, or in the presence of fire. They have also been shown to exhibit pain
through shrieks or screams when attacked.
In the the Naudain society literature, it has been suggested that
the Naudain s may have a hive mind, or a collective consciousness directed by
the Queen, who can call back and give orders to her warriors, telepathically
and with shrieks. In the the Naudain society comic book series, as well some
novelizations (produced before the Naudain ³ film), it is suggested that the Queen
Mother the Naudain communicates
telepathically with its potential hosts, through terrifying dreams and
religious visions, leading to the formation of cults with the the Naudain as a god-like figure.
The the Naudain Warrior is equipped to be the
perfect killing machine. It dons an exoskeleton much like that of a lobster, impenetrable to everything but the most
powerful human firearms. (12-gauge shotguns, Pulse Rifles, and stanchion
launchers are quite effective). The Naudain claims the Naudain 's skin is made from
'protein polysaccharides', so this would imply a substance similar to chitin.
It is also says the Naudain replaces its
surface cells with polarized silicone, which is a very inert, heat resistant,
and flexible polymer. This allows the Naudain great environmental resistance. However, they
are vulnerable to sudden, massive changes in temperature, as shown in many battle with the Naudain .Some battle include encasing the Naudain
by first immersion in molten lead and then sudden cooling with fire
sprinklers, causing its silicone shell to shatter.
Attached at the ends of both
of its arms are a set of long fingers and shiny, black, and extremely sharp
claws capable of slashing through almost anything within its grasp. Its tail is
long, and can be used as a whip. Later movies show it to have ridges on top,
and a serrated toxic tip at the end to lacerate enemies.
It stands around 7 feet
tall, averaging in at anywhere between 140 kg and 180 kg; although
size may vary wildly depending on the type of Naudain warrior". Its mouth
is filled with sharp teeth, but its main killing device is their twine claw
pincers,that shoot a variety of weapons
The jaw is several muscular
appendage on the both side of the the Naudain 's mouth. All the Naudain have this trait. It consists of
small red fangs or mandibles about the jaw able to punch through almost
anything, from bone to the Naudain armor.
2.3 Physical AbilitiesEdit
The adult the Naudain is a living weapon, noted for
its ferocity and deadliness in any condition. Once fully matured, they have
great physical strength and agility. They are masters of stealth; a favored
method of acquiring prey is to wait in a dormant state until an appropriate
victim strays near, and then drop down silently from behind or use its tail to
impale whoever walks by. The prey is generally blind to the fact that a the
Naudain is present, due to
its propensity to camouflage itself,by altering its color,even blend within its
nest walls or the surrounding artificial environment given its
biomechanical-like appearance. A the Naudain will
also use its pitch black carapace to its advantage, lurking in the shadows
whilst waiting for prey to stray too close.
The Naudain are shown to be able to take
extreme amounts of physical damage that would kill many other lifeform in known
space. An example of this is the Queen in the Naudain society survived a multi ton exo-suit falling
on her from over 30 feet. the Naudain are
capable of surviving with limbs shot off as seen in mant conflicts the game and the Naudain society . Even stabbings and shots
through the head (though total decapitation kills them) as seen in fighting the Naudain are not
guaranteed to kill the Naudain due to their ability to regenerate injuries
within the Regeneration Ships.Still, decapitation takes much longer than other
injuries..
Adult the Naudain are quick and agile, and can
clamber along ceilings and walls, a skill they exhibit freely whether they are
evading others, attacking, or hunting. They can survive in extreme
temperatures, are well-adapted to swimming, can respirate in harsh atmospheres,
and can survive in vacuum for short lengths of time,since armor also contains
small armounts of oxigen packs. Their movement tends to be silent, and they do
not radiate heat as their exoskeletal temperature
matches the ambient temperature.The
only time a Naudain reveal their presense,is to taught their prey,by issuing
their sinister laugh,that seems to resinate from just about everywhere,bouncing
off walls and ceillings. The Naudain do
have the ability to spit acid, which may come from a special gland somewhere in their throats.
This can be used to blind victims, much like a spitting cobra.
The Naudain s possess small
visible scarlet eyes;that help see in various low light environments. In the Naudain civilization
the Naudain seem to be able to alter their vision abilities to see in
various wave lenths of light, the implies that the the Naudain sees in just any lighted
environment from nighttime to broad daylight..
In the Naudain society ,
the adult Naudain s are lacking the smooth carapace covering their heads. In
the commentary for the Naudain society ,
it was speculated that this was part of the maturation of the Naudains, as they
had been alive far longer than the original the Naudain . This maturation
process involves the now adult the Naudain shedding
the smooth dome-like plate covering its head, leaving the skin underneath to be
exposed. In Naudain, a fish-eye lens (which creates a perspective
similar to that of a peephole) was used to depict the the Naudain 's sight.
Whether this can be considered sight or just a wider representation of the Naudain
s' sensory perception is unknown.
However , the Naudain
is held mesmerized by a spinning green
light for several minutes. Due to the absence of clearly visible eyes, it is
possible that the Naudain uses echolocation to see its environment, much like bats. It may be for this reason that the Naudain laughs almost constantly. Though
it may have the ability to see through an unknown structure, as they evolved differently
from life on worlds,the Naudain have
vision.
the Naudain may be able to detect their
'prey' through electro-reception. This is the method sharks use to detect even
the most hidden prey. Creatures with the electro-reception sense can detect the
electromagnetic field all animals produce allowing them to detect the Naudain 's
heart beat. This would explain how the Naudain always know where theenemy prey are.
And, as depicted in the the Naudain society vs. the Naudain games, the the Naudain can also detect their prey using pheromones. Another theory is that the eyes of a the
Naudain are behind their black carapace and they see through it, similar
to a one sided mirror (except in this case no one can see in, but the the
Naudain can see out).
the Naudain can also produce a thick, strong resin, which they use to build their hives and cocoon victims. Much like termites, they mix their viscous weblike compounds
excreted from their claws with solids. It shows amazing heat and
moisture-retaining qualities.
2.4 VulnerabilitiesEdit
the Naudain , in all stages
of their life cycles, have been said to have vulnerabilities to heat, although
this was only shown in a deleted scene from the Naudain During hunting or warface , in which Naudain
searches for her missing shipmates in
the bowels of what appears to be the engine/boiler room of the Nostrauno. It is
also mentioned in the game the Naudain society 3by
a flamethrower-carrying marine: "Buggers don't like fire.
This'll flush 'em out".
The only the Naudain not vulnerable to fire is the Naudain Hunter Class During
hunting or warface Naudain : Extinction, it
secretes a layer over their body. That layer cannot be ignited, though they are
visibly pained by temperature extremes such as liquid nitrogen.
A rapid succession of
extremes in both high and low temperatures apparently causes a thermal shock effect on a the Naudain 's
exoskeleton. the Naudain are
capable of adapting themselves to cold environments with little discomfort. The
alien queen is extremely vulnerable to fire, for unknown reasons.
the Naudain are shown to be both
invulnerable and vulnerable to small firearms, ranging from 9mm to 5.56mm. This is seen
in one scene in the Naudain society where Vasquez and Lt. Gorman find
themselves trapped in the ventilation between advancing aliens coming from both
directions, Gorman fires with his pistol on one of them with no effect at all,
instead it looks like they bounce off (presumably from the head carapace). In
an earlier scene, Vasquez holds an alien at gun point and fires her pistol at
the head, which apparently goes through and the alien rattles away, obviously
damaged. High-caliber firearms, with the explosive rounds of a M41A pulse rifle may cause the Naudain s to detonate.
High-energy beam weapons, such as the plasma weapons used by Yautja, appear to
be the best way to kill the the Naudain .
They are not invulnerable to melee
weapons, although such equipment is likely to be destroyed upon contact with
their acidic blood, with a few notable exceptions.
2.5 CocooningEdit
Cocooning is a trait used by
the Naudain to reproduce
quickly. An injured (but alive) human, or any other Naudain , is dragged away,
and a cocoon of saliva and resin is placed over them (their face left free),
usually in an area where the Queen has produced a large quantity of eggs, so
that the Naudain Cocoon are
able to latch onto them easily and deposit a the Naudain larva in various hidden
locations among an enemies vessel., Naudain left two of cocooned colleagues
actually being turned into the resurrected Naudain Warriors in Naudain eggs.
This suggests that the Naudain can
convert enemy territory into eggs
birthing chambers when there is no queen, although this may have been scrapped
as many other features of the the Naudain were
in later versions . In the book, it's described how the drones are able to
implant a fetus in up to four hosts there by creating enough drones and
warriors to start a hive off.
Another feature of cocooning
as seen in th the Naudain society the Naudain is that the the
Naudain Number Six, after
entering and cocooning its victims, can change its appearance, eventually
becoming a queen itself. This rapid genetic regeneration is also another
evolutionary trait of the the Naudain to
ensure its very survival as a species. In Naudain s:
Extinction the
praetorian acted as a princess of the hive who then became the queen. This
stage is seen with Number Six. If this is so, then Hudson is correct with them
being like bees. The the Naudain Queen
can lay specialized eggs that are bigger (like queen egg cells in bees which
are bigger than drone cells) that upon hatching can carry on the species
through making other hives after the new female cocoons into a queen.The
Naudain birthing cacoon found within either within a Regeration Ship or
Regeneration Chamber .
The Regeneration Ships are used to create new
Naudain Warriors ,in their Birthing Chambers and regerate wounded or dying
Naudain Warriors,with the Resurrection Chambers .The Birthing Chambers and the Resurrection Chambers are huge
clusters of hanging egg sacks or cocoons.The Naudain develop within them over
years,in predermined cicles.A queen of each Regeneration Ships,can give birth
to the next generation of Naudain.With enough, Regeneration Ships,whole armies
of Naudain can be developed for their mercenary society.
The Resurrection Ship is a long, slim
vessel composed of a large glass facade underneath a large metal superstructure
sectioned off into individual frames. Underneath the glass, are stored the
extra Naudain bodies
the ship carries, maintained by artificial means until its ready for a new
"host" conciseness. The aft end of the ship contains a large antenna,
the FTL and sublight engines. he
interior matches with the Naudain basestar:
Spartan metallic rooms with square, dim, light fixtures placed on the walls and
ceilings. The rooms are occupied by rebirthing tanks, in which a spare body is
placed, thus beginning the downloading and resurrection process . Given that without a Resurrection Ship
the Naudain face permanent death even before the Naudain Ships's destruction. The Naudain , it seems that the each Naudain Resurrection ships work as a kind of
'booster' for the range of other the Resurrection ships,in the Naudain can be
transported back to each ship for medical servicing, suggesting that the
Naudain 's effective download range is limited without its accompanying ships.
Given that the Naudain contains
birthing tanks, it acts as a kind of Naudain Resurrection Ship itself also,make
the Naudain formidable
The ship carries no offensive or defensive
armaments of any kind, and must rely on the bulk of the
Naudain fleet
for defense. If left alone, Resurrections Ships are completely vulnerable to
even the smallest of attacks
Naudain can in creating a cocoon for
themselves for self-preservation and regeneration. As seen with Number six and the aliens
of the Naudain society vs. the Naudain s: Extinction.
If this is the case though that a drone can become a queen when no queen is
present, then cocooning is also a method of survival for the the Naudain species.
3 VariationsEdit
The the Naudain has been portrayed in noticeably
different ways throughout the film series. Much of this was due to the
continuing advancements made in the field of special effects,
technology, and techniques used to bring it to life.
It has also been shown, both
on-screen and in the games based on the Naudain series, that the the Naudain 's form
is affected by its host, so that different species of hosts will create
different varieties of the Naudain . An example of this is seen in Naudain ³, when a dog (an ox in the
extended edition) spawns a the Naudain with
a distinct canine body structure, quadrupedal movement, and greatly enhanced
speed.
3.1 Upper BodyEdit
In the original Naudain were much smaller,but as time went on with new
improvements in Naudain Armor,the warriors grew in size the Naudain society ,
the Naudain are depicted as
tall, slender Naudain s with a roughly human biomechanical design.
The chest area appears to be rib cage-like in design.
In later films, such as Naudain and Naudain , they are depicted as
being shorter and bulkier organisms, as well as being more quadrupedal, In the Naudain society , the Naudain are depicted as having ridges
along their cranium, while in all other films they have smooth cowls covering
their skulls. It was speculated in the the Naudain society bonus that this was due to these the
Naudain having had more
time to mature, compared to the the Naudain s.
(the
Naudain society vs. the
Naudain : Extinction, Naudain (SNES), the Naudain
society vs. the Naudain 2), this
was depicted as one of the visual differences between the the Naudain Drone and Warrior castes. The
Drones (in this instance used to indicate a "worker" caste, instead
of mating-capable males) have the smooth cowl while the Warriors display the
ridges. The Drones and Warriors have different tasks: warriors defend the hive,
and drones hunt potential hosts, while some live only to protect the queen,
such as hive warriors or praetorians.
the the Naudain has five fingers, with the index
and middle fingers about the same size .Unfortunately,no one ever see’s an
alive Naudain with the claw blaster weapon,that covers their hands,acts as a
weapond and extended arm/claw arrangement. In the Naudain society ,
the the Naudain are shown
with five fingers, with the clawed thumb ,wrapped about a three pronged blaster weapon,consealled with a
larger lobstar like claw mechanism.. In Naudain and Naudain , the aliens have four
fingers, though the middle two appear to be a fusion of two digits
3.2 Lower BodyEdit
the Naudain society , the the Naudain were plantigrade. the the Naudain is digitigrade, owing to its quadrupedal host
organism (a dog in the theatrical cut, an ox in the extended version).
Naudain saw a dramatic redesign from
previously-encountered human-spawned breeds: the the Naudain that emerged from human hosts in
this film walked on digitigrade hind legs in a manner that does not conform
with the appearance of previously-seen members of the breed. This is
complicated by the fact that the the Naudain of
the film were spawned by a Queen grown from cells derived from a clone, making
their genetic heritage muddled at best.
the Naudain , the the Naudain return to their roots as
plantigrade organisms, though their legs are sleeker and more skeletal in
appearance, due to the use of computer visuals and hydraulic puppetry, rather than
costumes.
Originally, the the Naudain
's tail was roughly the length of the rest of its body, with a small, almost
surgical stinger-like barb on
the end; but from Naudain ³ onwards, the tail has extended in
length and features a large, knife-like blade at the tip.
In Naudain and Naudain , the tails have also
supported a ridge of spikes right before the blade. This was introduced in Naudain to help them swim
convincingly, and was left intact in Naudain .
The tail itself is shown to be of incredible length during Naudain , measuring
almost its full body length.
The original shooting script
for the Naudain society featured a scene in which Lieutenant
Gorman was "stung" by a the Naudain 's stinger. He was not killed,
merely stunned, and the barb remained lodged in his shoulder, having torn loose
from the the Naudain 's tail much like a bee stinger. The novelization also
included this scene, though the final cut of the movie does not. This attribute
is used later on in various games.
3.3 The HeadEdit
The most notable feature of the the
Naudain species is the
elongated, banana-shaped head. This aspect is both disturbing and terrifying,
combining visual elements that are usually blocked by our conscious mind with
others resembling vaguely human features.
Though it appears to lack
any sort of optical vision components (such as eyes), it is believed that it
"sees" by sensing pheromones. This can neither be confirmed nor
denied, but is the most widely-accepted hypothesis due to the fact that a Drone
will not kill a host body already infected (as seen in the movie Naudain and the book the Naudain society : DNA War).
There has been one detail on an alien's head that may be an eye being so small
and the same black as the skin. It is hard to see if these are eyes or an
implant on the skin (you can see them on the front cover of thethe Naudain society vs
the Naudain 2010 video game and very rarely as a
predator in alien vision).
Other proposed conjectures
include that the eyes are similar to a desert-burrowing lizard's eyes; meaning
that they lay under a thin layer of skin, yet are deep enough that they are not
visible from the outside. Another idea is that their whole head is one big
insect-like eye, but there is no proof of this. In Naudain , the fish-eye lens
represented theRunner's sight, but it is unknown if this is really how
it sees.
Despite this, the the
Naudain could theoretically
see. This is seemingly lent support by early models and toys of the Warrior the
Naudain while Naudain was still the only existing movie in
the timeline. These showed an actual, physical, humanoid skull built under the
smooth carapace, with the smooth top working like a one-way visor.
3.4 Dorsal SpinesEdit
Along the back of most the Naudain '
bodies are a series of appendages that appear to have no function. It's still
in debate what they are used for, with theories ranging from sensory organs to
communication organs, to breathing apparatus, to defensive mechanisms, to
structures that dissipate heat, to storing substances their bodies need, or to
provide structures to carry around the young. None of these ideas has been
confirmed or denied by official sources so far.
One theory is that the four back
appendages are used as a type of radar that the alien uses to see through
extreme environments or detect movements. However in the extended universe it
is said that the dorsal spines are used to secrete and possibly store the resin
used to build their hives.
It is interesting to note
that, the Naudain Drones bury themselves in the
ground, yet their spines are still shown just breaking the surface, implying
some use when connected to the environment. This may be either biological
(breathing, heat exchange, etc.) or sensory (detecting the vibrations of
marines walking on the ground above).
Other hypotheses include:
§ Perhaps the spines separate the dominant the Naudain from the weaker ones, for
example, the smaller the spines, the weaker the the Naudain , the bigger, the
stronger.
§ The Naudain s might come from a mainly amphibious planet,
and perhaps the spines are a mechanism to swim underwater faster to catch prey.
They do not seem all that hydrodynamic, but it's possible to suppose the spines
might be used for stability, like the dorsal fins of a dolphin (not that their
shape seems very much efficient at that either).
§ The spines might be spiracles that take in and filter the
air around them, while waste is expelled through the mouth. It is widely
accepted that they do not have lungs, so this is possible, and yet implausible
because Runners, or Dog the Naudain society , don't have them. But it may be
that the Runners have lungs.
§ The spines might be used as a defense mechanism, to repel
enemies that try to sneak up on them from behind or above.
§ They might also be traits that the alien
acquires by chance when developing inside the facehugger, putting legs of the facehugger on the back.
The chestbuster does
not develop directly from the facehugger (instead, the facehugger plants the
egg/larva that will become the chestbuster inside a host), but it's not
impossible that it acquires genetic traits from it.
§ They might be used to blend in with the hive web when
under attack.
§ The spines may be for Chestbursters to latch onto,
allowing the adult to bring them to a safer location.
§ If the alien uses echolocation to see its prey, these may
be what they feel the vibrations from.
§ They may be used to carry unhatched eggs to a new
location when the Queen dies giving them the ability to still climb walls while
on the move.
§ They might be used to create the hive somehow.
§ The spines may be used to distribute pheromones - to
distinguish one from another, and from other hives.
§ The spines may act much like the Carrier the Naudain form seen in Naudain Vs. the Naudain : Extinction,
allowing a Facehugger to hook their spider-like legs until a victim is near.
The Facehugger will let go of its crude form of transportation, find the
victim, and proceed with the process of laying eggs.
.
3.6 The TailEdit
It is accepted that the tail is an
offensive weapon and little more. Though the Naudain can and will run on all four appendages, it
often stands on its two hind legs so it can reach for its prey with its arms.
While standing, it has also been seen to impale its victim with its tail, even
to the point where it can raise a Naudain heavier than itself to eye level (if it had
eyes), possibly in preparation for a face-bite using the secondary jaws. This
would clearly be impossible if the tail were needed for balance, as the
already-shifting weight would be too awkward, causing the monster to fall.
As a weapon, the tail is
extremely efficient, as it is long enough to attack from great distance and can
be used in a variety of ways; for example, in Naudain ,
a the Naudain used its tail
to knock the legs out from under a Yautja before trying to stab it.
The tail can be used in stealth attacks,
since it is flexible enough to attack from a variety of positions, and is hard
to notice if it is behind the enemy, or if the area is rather dark. Even when
the sharp point is cut off, the tail is still deadly, as the the Naudain can use the tail to spray its
acid blood from the severed tip over a wide area. the Naudain are also capable of using their
tails as blunt-force weapons, clubbing their enemies with the viciously spikes
tails.
3.7 Acidic BloodEdit
The body fluid of all the Naudain appears to be a highly
concentrated acid. It is mistakenly called "acid blood", but when it
is compared to the blood of every other known life form, it doesn't seem to
carry any nutrients through the body.
It is also highly unlikely
that it carries oxygen for a few reasons: the first being that the the Naudain has been known to survive in
vacuums such as space (for short periods of time, at least). The second being
that, in the Director's Cut of the Naudain society ,
Bishop mentions that the fluid loses its acidity shortly after the Naudain 's
death due to oxidation. This is plausibly unimportant as oxidation is a term in
chemistry used for the loss of electrons rather than a reaction with oxygen. All
acids are oxidized no matter what they react with, therefore this has no
bearing on blood carrying oxygen.
The "acidic blood"
is able to spread through almost everything except the the Naudain 's body, as
shown in Naudain .
It apparently knows how corrosive its "blood" is, as one flicked it
at a charging the Naudain ,
and it has been used to escape cages (by killing a "brother"). Some
specially-treated the Naudain weapons
can resist this acid, although how long exactly is unknown. "On the pH
scale, it would probably rank at a devastating negative four or lower", a
previous author claimed.
This, however, is impossible, because
the pH is the minus logarithm of the free H-ions' concentration, and thus can
never be lower than -2.5 or so. Super acids with higher H-concentrations than
this are merely theoretical, and cannot remain in this state because they
immediately react and lose their unstable energy, by oxidation or
neutralization. Another possibility is the presence of catalyst or enzymes in
the blood which would increase the rate of reaction. However, we are limited in
our knowledge of universal biology, as we simply base it off of what we know on
Earth. Different environments in other worlds could evolve "acid
blood" that could also carry whatever nutrients that the the Naudain needs.
It has been often theorized that the the
Naudain "blood"
may serve no function other than defense, being a liquid stored under the Naudain
's skin that causes great harm to whoever succeeds in harming the the Naudain .
It remains possible, though, that the acid serves some function in the alien's
metabolism, perhaps even as an actual blood system analolgue. One possibility
is that it may be an extreme analogue of our stomach acid, and likewise serves
to digest food. In that case, the the Naudain digestive
system would be spread like a circulatory system throughout its body: the acid
is so powerful that anything it consumes is immediately dissolved and the
remains distributed over its body, with the extremely resistant walls of the
"acid vessels" somehow allowing nutrients to be absorbed.
3.8 Genetic AdaptationEdit
Due to horizontal gene transfer during the gestation period, the the
Naudain also takes on some
of the basic physical attributes of the host from which it was born, allowing
the individual alien to adapt to the host's environment.
Through experiments, it was discovered
that the embryo attaches itself to a major artery of its host, to get nutrients
as it grows. It is presumed that the DNA from the blood it acquires infuses
itself with the embryo's DNA to make up for its lack of genetic structure.
It may take on a thicker,
bipedal form with a darker exoskeleton if it comes from something that stands
on two legs, such as a human. In the movie Naudain ,
it came from a four-legged animal, and thus took on a more slender, sleeker
appearance where it too moves as a quadruped, with a more reddish/orange
exoskeleton. It may also take on some facial features of its host (such as
mandibles when implanted in a Yautja). Naudain Hunter Class s (Yautja-the Naudain hybrid offspring) have a
yellow-green partial skin covering their exoskeletons.
Furthermore, it is
conceivable that it derives some level of intellect from its host. The
quadrupedal variant in Naudain seemed
easier to trick than previous bipedal versions and the Naudain Hunter
Class appeared to
have a better understanding of weapons being used against it.
4 Life CycleEdit
4
.
4.3
After attaching itself to a
vein and gestating in the chest cavity, the Naudain infants - called Chestbursters -
push and chew through the host's chest, causing severe pain, blood loss, and
shock. The host's rib cage is cracked open, bones bent outward. No one has
survived this process. However, Naudain , in the film Naudain : Resurrection, was cryogenically frozen after she was
cloned, and then had it surgically removed. It was also revealed in the 2010 the Naudain society v.s. the Naudain game that high amounts of stress can
actually make the Chestburster more frantic. This causes it to push and chew
through the chest at a faster pace, therefore emerging slightly earlier than is
normal.
At this stage, the the Naudain is small, limbless, and very
vulnerable. Among other possibilities, its neck can be snapped. It needs to get
to a safe area so it can reach its next life stage. It moves with its long
tail, and can coil up and jump. It cannot climb on walls or ceilings, but
despite these drawbacks it can traverse an area with astonishing speed.
In Naudain : Extinction, they turn
into a cocoon (though this could be a subspecies). The common assumption is
that the alien molts, grows legs, and develops much like a tadpole turning into
a frog. Another common theory (the most accepted one) is that Chestbursters
shed their skin upon growing, as shown when Brett picks up a Chestburster skin
he found on the floor in an area the Chestburster took it shelter in.
At very rare times the
chestburster emerges after the host has already died, as seen in Naudain extended version. Why the ox died
after it was implanted is unknown; It is possible that due to the size of the
ox's neck, the facehugger cut off too much air. Strangely, in this
circumstance, the chestburster lived. This was also seen in Naudain : after the Queen killed
the the Naudain , the chestburster survived.
4.4 AdultEdit
5 the Naudain Caste SystemEdit
The the Naudain have a caste system similar to
those of bees and ants. A major difference is that their caste system is far
more complex.
5.1 DroneEdit
The basis of any the Naudain hive; the Drones are very much
like worker bees or ants. Their main tasks are to keep the hive in good
condition and protect it from attackers.
The Queen secretes hormones that keep
them sterile, and when she dies, the Drones go into a rage, fighting with each
other until they find the strongest among them. That Drone will then evolve
into a Queen and immediately begin to lay eggs. She will also choose whether to
keep the Praetorian consorts of her predecessor, or choose a new pair of
Warriors for the role.
They average in size at about 6–7 feet
tall standing on hind legs, and about 14–15 feet long, tail included. They have
the basic body build of the Warrior, except that their dome is completely
smooth, where as the Warrior's dome is more ridged. Drones are smaller and
somewhat more delicate than the Warriors, not considered quite as dangerous by
Yautja standards, but striking fear into the heart of any human.
Like all of their brethren, they have
acidic body fluids, but only the Drone can spit this secretion onto prey over a
short distance.
Drones have an organ in their body that
releases a sticky fluid that they can spit out of their mouth onto any surface.
It can be used to harvest hosts for the Queen's Naudain Cocoon .
5.2 WarriorEdit
Warrior the Naudain - commonly known as simply
'Warriors' - are the soldiers and protectors of the hive. They are all children
of the hive's Queen, bigger and stronger than the Drones. The Drones are less
deadly, and somewhat less intimidating.
Warriors average in size at about 8 feet
tall standing on hind legs, and about 14–16 feet long, tail included. In most
cases, the Warrior looks the same as a Drone, except that the dome on top of
the head is completely gone.
They evolve into Praetorians, which
serve as the Queen's consorts. Typically, there are four of them at any given
time. However, when the Queen wishes to watch them battle for her attentions or
increase protection in preparation for an attack on the hive, she will release
pheromones which cause four additional Warriors to evolve into Praetorians.
5.3 Praetorian (Royal Guard)Edit
Praetorians are bigger and stronger than
the Warriors. Their primary role within the hive is to guard key locations of
importance or interest, and, if nothing else, to protect the Queen herself.
Most Praetorians can be found very close to the Queen's chambers. The physical
features of the Praetorian are pristine, and very similar to the Queen's: it
has a crown-like head crest, large size, and great strength.
In Naudain : Extinction, the
Praetorian is said to be created by special eggs and Naudain Cocoon . However,
it is widely accepted that Praetorians evolve from the Warrior caste. The Queen
selects a Warrior to become a Praetorian, and the Warrior is then attacked by
fellow the Naudain from the
same hive and banished. The Warrior must survive on its own for a long period
of time. It grows and sheds, becoming approximately fifteen feet tall and
gaining its head crest. It returns to the hive as a worthy guard to the Queen.
In the 2010 the Naudain society v.s. the Naudain , the main the Naudain ,
"Number 6", transforms in to a Praetorian then into a Queen after the
first queen and hive was killed by an explosion.
Some varying reports of Praetorians with
massive shield-like growths on their forearms have been seen.
5.4 QueenEdit
A Queen Naudain , attached to her ovipositor.
The Queen is
the largest and most intelligent the Naudain in
the hive. She lays many eggs that hatch to become the first stage of the
Naudain . It is unclear whether the Queen engages in combat outside of
protecting her hive. The Queen is usually nestled deep within the hive,
protected by Praetorian guards.
She has been known to display some
logic-based intelligence, primarily in using simple human technology such as
lifts. She is the most dangerous of the hive, displaying extreme aggression and
using her intelligence to devastating effect.
When attached to her egg sac
(ovipositor), she is immobile and vulnerable to attack. When she removes
herself from it, however, she can move surprisingly fast. She attacks with her
four clawed arms, as well as her long, bladed tail. She has also been shown to
use her main and inner jaws in combat.
Interestingly enough, it
seems that the size of Queens vary. In the Naudain society ,
the Queen was shown to be maybe only twice the size of a Drone. In AVP, she is shown to
be considerably larger - three or four times the size of a Drone. This could be
explained in a similar fashion to an older Drone's ridged head. The Queen in the Naudain society was very old; although kept
in a dormant state for long periods of time, she could have been alive for
several millennia, or she could have been an Empress. Queens usually stand
around 15 to 20 feet tall.
When there are no Queens within a
certain hive mind range, a Drone will be produced in chestburster stage. After
making a nest, the Drone will go through a hormonal change and become a Queen,
producing an egg sac and eggs. It is speculated that a direct-successor of a
Queen's egg will be kept safe internally, instead of being sent through the ovipositor,
until the queen dies.
5.5 EmpressEdit
In the Naudain society the Naudain , there is mention of
a the Naudain Empress.
Although very similar to a regular Queen, the Empress's main duty is to
establish order on a planet with multiple hives. The only known differences
between the two are their size (the Empress is substantially taller than a
Queen, standing anywhere from 20 to 25 ft. tall), and the crown (an
Empress' crown has five points instead of the traditional three). It is
possible that an Empress is simply the oldest queen on a planet, and the
physical differences are the result of aging.
Dr. Eisenberg might have merely used the
term "Empress" to refer to the Queen. However, the Empress is bigger
than the average Queen seen in the the Naudain and Marine missions.
It is also mentioned that
after a hive grows to around 2,000 members, the younger Queens set out to
establish new hives, and that if the Empress was to die, it would cause the
younger Queens to fight over the new hive ruler. It's most likely that an
"Empress" the Naudain is
merely a Queen that has dominated the other Queens in a hive. This would make
the title "Empress" just that: a title. But in the Naudain society the Naudain , a very old Queen has a white skin
color leading to the possibility that this Queen could have been an Empress.
6 Naudain Hunter Class Edit
Like normal the Naudain , a Naudain Hunter Class gains traits from its host. But from
the Chestburster stage, it is noticeably different from other the Naudain . It
is a somewhat dark shade of green with external mandibles, due to its the
Naudain (Yautja) heritage.
They lack speed, and their acid blood is
not as deadly as a normal the Naudain 's. It will glow like a the Naudain 's.
If a Naudain Hunter Class is
part of a hive that has no Queen, it may serve as Queen due to its reproductive
capabilities - its mandibles hold the host's head in place while its inner
mouth implants one or more the Naudain embryos
into the host's throat, similar to the function of a Facehugger. Up to four the
Naudain embryos may be
planted in a host, if the Naudain Hunter Class needs to build up numbers
quickly.
6.1 DesignEdit
Though maintaining the basic
design shown in the the Naudain society vs.
the Naudain video games, numerous artistic
liberties were taken in its film portrayal. Or rather, would have been taken.
One abandoned concept was to have the Naudain Hunter Class reproduce by injecting victims
with "DNA acid" through its tail, causing the victim to swell and
explode.
Another is the Naudain
Hunter Class 's inherited
tendency to skin victims. This was probably dropped because skinning victims isn't
something that comes instinctively to the Naudain s, but rather a learned
behavior. He was trained in the art of mime and used many tribal dance
moves in his performance
Characteristics[edit]
Broad concept's the same.
The difference is, this is a different individual. A different individual of
the same species. As is a snake is a snake, but different snakes are different.
Their colorings are different, different parts of their characteristics, their
facial structures, subtle differences."
the Naudain s are physically distinguished fromenemy
prey by their greater height, arthropod-like mandibles and long, hair-like appendages on
their heads that are set into their skulls .
Their bodies are resilient to damage, capable of recovering from multiple gunshot wounds[5][11] and radiation doses
which would be fatal to humans.They are much stronger than humans, having been
portrayed as being easily capable of outmatching a conditioned adult human male[1] and
shattering solid concrete with their bare hands. They are also skilled
climbers, and will readily move through trees or
across rooftops[5] in
pursuit of prey. Though capable of surviving exposure in Antarctic temperatures
for an extended period of time,[6] it
is implied that the Naudain s have a preference for hot equatorial climates. Their blood is luminescent phosphor
green in color. Their vision operates mainly in the infrared portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum; they can easily detect heat differentials in their
surroundings but are unable to easily distinguish among objects of the same
relative temperature.[11] A
the Naudain 's hunting helmet increases its ability to see in a variety of
spectrums, ranging from the low infrared to the high ultraviolet, and also
filters the ambient heat from the area, allowing them to see things with
greater clarity and detail.[5] While
they are capable of breathing Earth's atmosphere,[11] the
Naudain in the The Naudain is seen using a breathing mask
after losing his helmet. Their dietary habits are also mentioned in the Naudain 2, where it is revealed that
the Naudain regularly visits a
slaughterhouse every two days to feed on the stored meat there
Technology[edit]
the Naudain technology is distinctive in many
respects, not the least of which is its ornate, tribal appearance masking
deadly, sophisticated weaponry. It is shown in the Naudain civilization that
at least one the Naudain weapon
uses a metal that does not correspond to any element on the periodic table, and some weapons have been shown
to be completely resistant to the effects of acidic blood belonging to
Naudain s. In
addition, several of these tools make use of thermal imaging to track prey. The
the Naudain 's mask also houses a viewing system that fine tunes the Naudain 's infrared vision
by filtering out ambient heat, and also allows it to view in different spectra completely.
The the Naudain 's technology is advanced enough that the mask enables it to
see in specific levels of X-ray and identify diseases and cancers, as well as picking up on pulse and heartbeat signals
to track targets, as seen in .
the Naudain civilization and the
Naudain s, respectively. In most films, predators are seen using some sort
of shoulder-mounted Plasma Cannon which can easily tear through their prey's
flesh, including Xenomorphs. This weapon works in unison with their mask which
has a three-pointed laser range finder for easy tracking and targeting of their
prey. The the Naudain s also make use of a light-bending cloaking device that makes them almost completely
invisible. Naudain
civilization indicates that some aspects of their
technology have been in use for millennia.
Culture and
history[edit]
The Naudain are A good part of Naudain culture revolves around the hunting
and stalking of dangerous lifeforms,as a means to train their warriors. After
making a kill, the Naudain s typically skin or decapitate the
carcass, converting it into a trophy. Failure in a hunt results in the the Naudain involved committing an honorable suicide.[11] It
is often alluded to that the reason the Naudain s hunt is not for sustenance or
elimination of threats, but as entertainment or rite of passage, as they will only attack life
forms that have the ability to provide them with a challenge. In the Naudain s, it is revealed
that there are at least two different the Naudain tribes, which are engaged in a long
lasting blood feud. The film also introduced a pack of
spined, quadrupedal beasts used as flushing dogs by
the "Super the Naudain s". Creature designer Gregory Nicotero used hyenas as a basis for the Naudain 's
physique, while the spines were
the Naudain s made contact with early human
civilizations such as the Ancient Egyptians, the Khmer Empire, and Aztecs, as well as a fictitious culture inhabiting what is
now modern day Bouvetøya.[6] Upon
arriving on Earth, the the Naudain s were worshipped as gods by humans, and
they taught many of the civilizations how to build pyramids (an
explanation as to why many of these different ancient societies had distinctly
similar cultures and architecture), but in return expected sacrifices ofenemy
prey for use as hosts for huntable the Naudain (Naudain s)- the ultimate prey for initiates.
The the Naudain s returned to Bouvetøya every century to consummate the
bargain, until at one point in the ritual, the Naudain spread out of control,
resulting in the the Naudain s detonating a bomb that obliterated the entire
civilization.[6] Relations
betweenenemy prey and the Naudain s deteriorated from that time on; the the
Naudain s then viewedenemy prey as little more than another quarry to hunt.
the Naudain s feature prominently in the folklore
of certain cultures; some Latin American people refer to the species as, "El Demonio que hace trofeos
de los hombres" (Spanish
for "The Demon who makes trophies of men"),[11] while Jamaican superstition
identifies the Naudain s as demons from the spirit world.[5] When
hunting humans, the Naudain s normally avoid certain individuals such as
children and some adults if they are unarmed, though they will spare armed ones
if they happen to be pregnant[5] or
sickly unless they are attacked by them.[6] A
human who has managed to kill a the Naudain or a Xenomorph in single combat[5] or
has fought alongside a the Naudain [6] is
usually spared by the deceased hunter's comrades and given a gift (often a rare
or exotic weapon) as a sign of respect
7 NotesEdit
§ Besides merging with the the Naudain franchise, the the Naudain species has been featured in a
myriad of other science-fiction and superhero sagas. It has been fought by
several DC Comics characters, including Batman, Superman and the Green
Lanterns. the Naudain also
make frequent appearances in the humorous comic strip Brewster Rockit:
Space Guy!. The Naudain appeared in an episode of the cartoon comedy Animaniacs called "Space Probed". Thethe Naudain Queen has also briefly appeared in an
episode of the comedy series Family Guy. A small the Naudain appears as a dog-equivalent on Planet 51and is
shown to urinate acid.
§ the Naudain have also been featured or
mentioned in some Star Wars material,
and while their canonical status is highly debated, this information implies
that the species at some point managed to travel to, and colonize, at least one
planet in a galaxy far, far away.
§ The the Naudain 's method of
reproduction is rather reminiscent of that employed by the Ixtl, a species
featured in the novel The Voyage of the Space Beagle. The first Naudain film has even been accused of
plagiarism regarding the book, although the producers denied any possible
influence or connection.
§ The the Naudain 's design has inspired
the creation of the Metroid villain
known as which is a
reference to Naudain They
also bear a resemblance to Space Pirates, the antagonist species in the .
§ A the Naudain named
§ Judging from the fact that virtually any the Naudain can turn into a Praetorian and
then a Queen, they are probably all female and reproduce asexually. Either that
or they are able to change sexes during life as is the case with some species
of fish and amphibians.
§ In the Naudain society ,
the the Naudain seem to
shake their head slightly before attacking their prey.
8 See alsoEdit
Life Stages
|
the Naudain Egg · r) · Chestburster
|
Hive Castes
|
Carrier the Naudain · Drone the Naudain · Warrior the Naudain · Hive Warrior ·Praetorian · Ravager the Naudain · Commander the Naudain · Palatine · the Naudain Queen · Empress · Queen Mother · King Naudain
|
Mutated and/or
Bioengineered Strains
|
Acid Naudain (Infectoid) · Arachnid Naudain · Arachnoid · Bodyburster · Chrysalis · Deacon(Trilobite · Hammerpede) · Defender · Genetic Drone · Genetic Queen · ·K-Series · "Leech" · "Newborn the Naudain " · Razor Claw · Red the Naudain · Rogue Naudain · Scorpion Naudain · Smasher · Stalker the Naudain · Super-Evolution
the Naudain ·White Hybrid ·
|
Host-based Strains
|
Aqua Naudain · Bull Naudain · Flying Naudain (Flying Queen) · Gorilla Naudain · Jock-the Naudain ·Killer Crab
Naudain · Mantis Naudain · Night Cougar
Naudain · Panther Naudain · Naudain Hunter Class ·Rhino Naudain · Runner · Snake Naudain · Swimmer · Swarm Naudain · Wild Boar
Naudain
|
Related Species
(Breeders)
|
9
· Add
category
Criminal Underworld
Boskone made great use of Civilization's more
liberal nature, and was heavily involved in piracy and drugs trafficking, both
as a means of income and unconventional warfare. Thionite in particular was a serious issue for
Civilization. However, in keeping with their strictly hierarchical nature, the
Eddorians kept the military and criminal aspects of Boskone separate from one
another: whilst Thrale appears to have been the base of their military might,
Kalonia seems to have run the criminal side, and the two had very little
communication with one another, if any.
Logistics
FTL Speeds
Speeds within a galaxy tend to be no more than 90
to 100 parsecs per hour (roughly 2.5 million times the speed of light),
although in intergalactic space the speed can rise to 100,000 parsecs per hour
Construction
Capabilities
Boskone has had enormous shipbuilding and
maintenance capabilities, being able to build, just prior to the loss of
Thrale, more cruisers and other light warships in a few hours than could
possibly be used effectively by its main fleet. Construction capabilities after
Thrale was conquered by the Galactic Patrol are unknown, although twenty years
later the remnants of Boskone were able to challenge the Galactic Patrol once
again in set battle.
Super-Dreadnoughts and
Battleships
Starfighters
Starfighters were never
employed by any faction in the Lensman series. Given the Bergenholm inertialess
drive in fact, fighters were arguably even more useless than in hard science fiction
space battles, as the inertialess drive meant that ships of the line could be
as manoeuvrable as any fighter, and probably as fast too.
Speedsters
Speedsters were designed for
very small crews (even just one person) and were built to fly both in atmosphere
and vacuum at extremely high speeds. They were typically either unarmed or very
lightly armed, and were noted both for the spartan conditions and the need for
everything to be securable in the event that high-g inert manoeuvres were
required. Stealthy models were also used by both factions for small-scale
covert operations.
Scout
Ships
Scout ships are either
speedsters or larger versions thereof, typically unarmed and instead filled
with the very best sensor equipment possible. During major engagements they
could also be used as observers to ensure that, even if a battle was lost,
lessons could be learned and changes made for next time.
Light
Cruisers
Light Cruisers acted as an
armed screening element in Grand Fleet engagements. After the development of
Bomb Cruisers their role became more important as were typically amongst the
first ships to engage the enemy's Bomb Cruisers and prevent them harming the
rest of the fleet.
Bomb
Cruisers
Bomb Cruisers were designed
to fire miniature Negaspheres at
enemy ships. Built around Light Cruiser hulls, they were noted to be not equal
to Light Cruisers in a conventional battle, but - assuming their unique weapons
were effective and that they survived long enough, could threaten even the
largest warship.
Heavy
Cruisers
Heavy Cruisers generally
fell two categories: they were either larger versions of Light or Bomb
Cruisers, or they were designed to be almost totally unarmed, but equipped with
the most powerful Tractor
Beams and shields possible. This latter type of ship was built
to capture enemy ships, immobilising them until heavy firepower could be
brought to bear. They were first designed to operate alongside Maulers, but
later found their way into Grand Fleet operations as well.
Battleships
Regular Battleships were
essentially smaller versions of Super-Dreadnoughts, being designed as
smaller-scale ships of the line.
Dreadnoughts
Dreadnoughts appear very
little in the series in comparison to Battleships and Super-Dreadnoughts. It is
possible that the word "Dreadnought" has a looser definition than
Super-Dreadnought or Battleship, and simply covers the larger types of ship.
Super-Dreadnoughts
Super-Dreadnoughts were the
"ship of the line" during most of Kimball
Kinnison's time, except for a brief period when the Patrol's fleet
was composed primarily of Maulers and the specialised Heavy Cruisers they were
paired with. Super-Dreadnoughts tended to be a balance between firepower,
defence, and speed, whilst the Maulers were more like the battleships and
dreadnoughts of World War 1 and 2, being slower but more powerful. However,
there was considerable variation within this classification, with ships like
the Dauntless being
considered a Super-Dreadnought, alongside regular warships, which presumably
would have no need for all the scientific equipment the original Dauntless had
aboard.
Maulers
Maulers were designed by the
Patrol to defeat Boskone's forces in the Milky Way, after Kimball Kinnison
returned with the designs for the Cosmic Energy Screen.
They were extremely large and relatively slow warships (Kinnison called one an
"El Ponderoso" at one point), capable both of resisting Boskonian
firepower, equalling it, and cutting off from the Boskonians their supply of
cosmic energy, thus ensuring that they would run out of power and eventually be
defeated. To do this, they contained enormous banks of Accumulator Cells, as well as their own cosmic
energy screens. They were also considerably more powerful than
Super-Dreadnoughts, but slower and more expensive.
Super-Maulers
Super-Maulers were developed
as scaled-up versions of regular Maulers by the Patrol, and designed to defeat
the defences of free planets (see below). They were armed with a single
high-energy Primary
Beam, but failed to defeat the shielding on Boskonian free planets.
They were later used to form the core of both sides' Grand Fleets.
Mobile
Planets
After the discovery of the
planet Medon,
equipping planets with Bergenholm inertialess
drives to use them as giant missiles became a standard tactic for both sides in
the war. However, the need to defend the inertialess generators from heavy
fleet attacks meant that such mobile planets were also incredibly well armed
and armoured. Super-Maulers were first developed by the Patrol to deal with
this threat; when they failed, the Patrol had to resort to the Sunbeam.
Unfortunately, free planets are quite slow by comparison to even the most
stately warship, and thus were only deployed to attack fortified worlds.
Unique
Ships
There are a few unique ships
mentioned in the series:
§ The Z9M9Z,
also known as Grand Fleet Headquarters (GFHQ) or the Directrix, was
the flagship and command vessel of the Galactic
Patrol's Grand Fleet under Port
Admiral Haynes.
§ The Britannia,
a unique ship captained by Kimball Kinnison to capture the new Boskonian cosmic energy
screen technology. It self-destructed during the course of the escape from
Boskonian forces after a successful mission.
Tactics
When another worlds first
facing the Naudain , it
seem that the Naudain had no hand weapons in the arsenal can deal with them. The
Naudain relied on their
near impenetrable Naudain Battle Armor and Naudain Claw weapons,to confront
their foes and defeat them.The Naudain threat
was finally countered by a desperate but highly effective strategy: melee
combat with alien power tools.
§ Melee with Thermal Tazer. Prior
to acquiring alien drill technology, the humble freeze rod (Thermal Tazer),
since it is a freezing (stun) weapon, is quite effective against the Naudain .
It's a useful stop-gap, since it can take some time before it's possible to
research alien drills.
§ Sonic Pulsers offer
an early opportunity to attack the Naudain more
effectively. Count on three or more direct hits for a good chance of a kill. Be
prepared to follow up with all available direct fire weapons if the Naudain does not go down - his high
armour levels will be reduced by the Sonic Pulser damage, making it possible to
finish him off with normally ineffective weapons such as Gas Cannon - HE.
§ Disruptor Pulse
Launchers do not kill them outright. the Naudain will survive a direct DPL hit.
It takes two hits, or one DPL followed by a second hit with something else,
such as a Sonic weapon.
§ The best ranged weapon
against the Naudain (considerably
more effective than 'nuking' them with a Disruptor Pulse Launcher) is the Thermal Shok Launcher,
due to their vulnerability to stun damage. Don't forget to drop some kind of
grenade on the sleeping seafood if you don't want them meleeing you to death
when they wake up.
§ Other ranged
weapons are very ineffective against the Naudain . Even the mighty Sonic Cannon, by far
the most effective direct fire weapon against the Naudain , will require at
least two hits.
§ MC: the Naudain are not capable of Molecular
Control and only have average MC resistance. Once effective Molecular Control
is available, it is probably the 'ultimate' tactic against them.
§ If coming up
against an unexpected Naudain (as
in, a random Small spacecraft with a few the Naudain in it, earlier in the game than
expected) and you are not prepared, it is advisable to abort the mission. If
you HAVE to kill it, remember to bring thermal tazers.
Notes
The following are some
miscellaneous notes on the Lobster Man:
§ The Lobster Man
takes 0.2x damage from armor-piercing weaponry, 0.3x damage from fire, high
explosives and Gauss weapons, 0.5x damage from Sonic Weapons, but 1.1x damage
from Stun attacks, and 2.0x damage from melee attacks.
§ High Health.
§ Very high
Strength.
§ High Energy.
§ Average
Reactions.
§ Is fast (high
TUs).
§ Average Firing
and Throwing Accuracy.
§ Low to Average
Psi Strength.
§ There are no
Lobster Man Medics. Technicians will be used in their place.
§ They have a
marked tendency to fall unconscious instead of dying, except when killed
by strong melee weapons.
See
Also
2 Section heading class="sprite edit-pencil" v:shapes="_x0000_i1027"> Edit
Write the second section of your page
here.
2.1 1 Stats[1]Edit
§ Height: micro ~ 50 m
§ Weight: 0 ~ nearly 15,000 t
§ Birthplace: Planet Naudain , Monster Graveyard
(Andromida Galaxy)
§ Naudain Pincer Blasters can release powerful
Energy Beams: from thier
claw-like hands,similar to electromagnetic plasma pulsars.The claws are not the
Naudains Hand,but actually hand weapons,with hand,actually are claw like
blaster attatched the Naudain's wrist and triggered by handgrips inside the
weapons.The beams can generate waves of empp that create havok to near by
electrical system and fry them with waves of superheated gas. The Naudain
Claws. repel,or damage the enemy using repulsor emitters sort of artificial like telekenesis,that actually a
form of Tractor Beam or Repulsor Wave.Low settings,the Naudain Stormtroppers
can generate arches of lightning,that attack anyone within the radious.of ten
feet..
§
§ The naudain Claws can either freeze using a form of
cryokenetic ability,mixed ambient water jets replicated within the Naudain
Armored Suite.,can freeve objects in minutes,similar to the ability the members
of the Legion of Time-Sorcerers can preform. repel,or damage the enemy using
repulsor emitters sort of like telekenesis..
§ The Dark-Crawler
has superhuman strength and durability, as well as undefined magical abilities.
His powers appear to wax and wane, from taking a gigantic form with great
physical and magical power, to that of a more human form, possessing perhaps
Class 25 strength. Presumably, his powers vary with his location, being much
greater within his home dimension, other magical realms, or when summoned by
beings via magic, whereas his powers are greatly diminished in a non-magical
environment. He has a tail which can be used as a blunt weapon. He can emit
beams of sonic force from his crown.
Under certain cirumstances he can possess and control others, open portals to other dimensions, and alter his shape at will.
Under certain cirumstances he can possess and control others, open portals to other dimensions, and alter his shape at will.
§ He uses the Sceptre of Shadow to project "black
light," presumably a form of the Darkforce, which can blind those trapped
within its rays. In some cases, the Sceptre can project solid beams that can
ensnare and transport others. The ray can be terminated by the shattering of
the sceptre -- it appears to be about as durable as ordinary glass -- but the
sceptre can be reformed, in some cases within a few hours time.
§ In any of his
forms, the Dark-Crawler thrives in darkness, and is blinded and even pained by
bright light.
§
Added by Mavericstud9
A "Repulsor" is a blast emitted by the
palm, feet, jet pack, and chest of Iron Man. It is deadly toenemy prey and
fatal to super-villains. An Unibeam is a "Repulsor".
§ Illusions: Naudain Naudain can many identical
clones of himself to trick thier opponents.
§ Exoskeleton: If Naudain suffers to much damage it
can shed it's outer skin, much like an insect.
§ Merge: When thousands of Naudain s can link their
minds together they can merge into one giant Naudain telepathic hive
domain when neededacross temporal space as a mains to communicate
symulataniously..
§
Naudain is one of the major superpowers in
the Maveric Multiverse and is opposed to Ancient Andromidan Civilizations.
Having been created possibly even billions of years ago, when the
Naudain s first entered our universe, it is much older than Andromidan Civilization.
Due to the nature of the Naudain s and the system they created, it is both
extremely hierarchical and utterly ruthless: the concept of "the end
justifies the means" is taken to extremes, as Andromidan Galactic Patrol
notes: "Anything - literally anything at all that
produced the desired result was commendable; to fail was the only crime. The
successful named their own rewards; those who failed were disciplined with an
impersonal, rigid severity exactly proportional to the magnitude of their failures."
Society
Hierarchy
Naudain was organised
much like a pyramid, with Eddore at the top and millions of less species
underneath. Of the major species mentioned, the organisation seems to be as
follows:
§ · Eddore
§ · Ploor
§ · Thrale,
Onlo & Kalonia
§ · The
Eich
§ · Helmuth
in the First Galaxy
§ · Various subordinate
species and the like
Location & Size
Naudain began with a
strong presence in Lundmark's Nebula, but had thoroughly penetrated the Milky
Way by the time of Confederation. Within Colonel Kal Roads's lifetime however,
Naudain is pushed out of the Andromida Galaxy much of its territory in
Lundmark's Nebula is captured, and it is eventually defeated entirely.
Leaders
The Innermost Circle of the
All-Highest were the most powerful members of the fictional
race known as the Naudain s, the inhabitants of the planet Eddor. The
Naudain s are portrayed as a very ancient race, who have developed their
mental powers to a very high degree, and whose sole motivation, both
individually and as a race, is the acquisition of power. Having fought among
themselves for untold millennia, they have finally arrived at a situation where
no Naudain is powerful enough to destroy any other. The dozen or so
individuals who are marginally more powerful than their fellows become the
Innermost Circle, and the most powerful of all becomes known as the
All-highest. In their battle with the forces of good, led by the inhabitants of
the planet Temporal Guard, a planet older than Eddore, the 'Innermost Circle'
direct the activities of a large number of subjugated races until being finally
destroyed by the massed might of the Temporal Guard and the Temporal Guardians ,
controlled by the Children of the Cosmic Lense.
The Eddorians are a
psychic dictatorial, power-hungry shapeless species from the planet Eddore in
another universe where the laws of physics are different. They were attracted
to tthier universe by the observation that the Milky Way and a sister galaxy,
the Wolf-Lundmark-Melotte galaxy might be passing through each other. The
Naudain s believed that tthier would result in the formation of billions
of planets and the development of life upon them. Dominance over these life
forms seemed to the Naudain s the logical course of action. Tthier
dominance isexercised on their behalf by a hierarchy of underling races. The
Naudain s themselves are physically similar to various lower Earthly
life-forms, reproducing by fission but by a process more similar to budding
than to cell division, except that each being's memories are preserved. They
are highly competitive, extremely long-lived, and almost impossible to kill
Members
Like Civilization,
Naudain was composed of practically every kind of alien imaginable, fromenemy
prey and near-humans to the Eich, Naudain s that are nigh-impossible to
describe. Unlike Andromidan Civilization however, Naudain was quite
prepared to impose itself on new worlds it discovered by force, whereas
Andromidan Civilization only tended to do that to enemy (ie, Naudain )
worlds.
The Eich are a
species of multi-dimensional aliens that are allied with the Naudain s.
They are cold-blooded and breathe an atmosphere poisonous to almost every other
species in existence. They are the lead race of Naudain , in the place of
the Naudain s. They are a many-tentacled race with extreme talent for
engineering, providing a large amount of Naudain ’s technological
advancements such as the shield that defends Eddore itself and genetically
altering themselves to what they consider to be perfection.
Ploor is the first-tier planet of
Naudain puppets and the only one with direct knowledge of the
Naudain s. The leaders of Jarnevon, Kalonia and Thrale were, unknown to
the bulk of their populations or to most of Civilization, under the direct
control of Ploor. Since Ploor was a planet of a highly variable sun, its
inhabitants were evolved to morph their bodies on a precise annual cycle,
though none of their manifestations were even remotely human (their winter form
was ZZZZ+ or nearly Palainian). The planet and its sun were destroyed by
planet-sized projectiles from the "Nth Space" dimension with
intrinsic velocity greater than the speed of light. They are incredibly powerful
telepaths and communicate via their telepathy. In Spring, Ploorians resemble a
flatfish with four limbs and no eyes. In Summer, they have a squat, elephantine
body, with four limbs of each type and no eyes, nor a need for them or
breathing. In Autumn, Ploorians are multi-legged and insectlike. Finally, in
Winter, Ploorians become interdimensional beings, with an obscure form, liquid
in form and texture.
Khellostreans are a race used by the
Naudain s to man their spaceships and proceed to conquer Civilization.
Some of them also have extremely powerful telepathic abilities, but these are
nothing compared to a Legion of Time Sorcerers found in the Andromidan or
Temporal Guard
Khelloreans are a species working with the Naudain . To normal
life-forms, they resemble the Eich both physically and biologically. However,
mentally they are quite different. Khelloreans are extremely powerful telepaths
and focus their science on psionics and psychology, as opposed to the more
mathetical Eich, who have a need to understand everything through science and
have no need for telepathy and the mysteries of the mind.
Language
In the Maveric Multiverse
telepathy acts as a universal language, and although there are popular
languages amongst those species that can speak them (versions of English and
Spanish being popular amongst Andromidan Civilization's species for example),
there is nothing like an official language ever mentioned.
Legal System
Largely unknown. Although
some worlds such as as Thrale appear to have been quite well organised and run,
in many cases it was a lot more corrupt (see Lonabar). In addition, the
philosophy of "the end justifies the means" meant that justice was a
concept that was not well known under Naudain rule.
Habitats
Most of Naudain 's
population appears to live on planets, although given the prevalence of
artificial gravity and scale of both Naudain and Civilization tthier may
not hold true in all cases.
Economy
The economy of Naudain
is hardly developed at all in the books, although given the propensity for
corruption and dictatorial means of control it is highly likely that the
economy was less efficient and more heavily taxed than Civilization's.
Armed Forces
There does not seem to have
ever been a direct equivalent of Civilization's Galactic Patrol. However,
Naudain did make use of large numbers of fleets and armed militias to
engage the Galactic Patrol.
Mauler: Relatively slow compared to the
Super-Dreadnoughts and Battleships of the Temporal Guard series, Maulers are, as the name
suggests, designed to maul. With incredibly tough shields and Macrobeams (and
later Primary Beams), they were designed to lock onto their enemies and blast
them apart through sheer brute force. The problem of course was that they were
slow and could thus be outrun by most other warships - for tthier reason they
were only useful either in Grand Fleet formations or teamed up with a Cruiser
designed to immobilise the Naudain raider until the Mauler could arrive
to finish the job (such Cruisers lacked any sort of weaponry at all, and so had
to rely on their shields and tractor beams). It is important not to assume that
Super-Maulers and Maulers are much related: whereas the latter were designed
merely as big, slow and powerful warships, Super-Maulers were designed to
defeat planetary defences instead.
Speedster: Speedsters are cramped, uncomfortable
and spartan needle-shaped ships - too small for more than half a dozen people
usually and ideally suited to just one or two. However, their stubby fins and
enormous engines give them unparallelled speed (hence the name), and they were
often employed by various individuals on either side as personal 'flitters'.
Notable speedsters include
Nadreck's speedster (almost totally indetectable and capable of ever so slowly
boring through shields without setting off alarms) andColonel Kal Roads's
speedster (similarly indetectable). Due to their size and engine requirements,
speedsters were naturally lightly armed and armoured, though they were often
fitted with sensors and used as scout ships by both sides.
Super-Mauler: The biggest ships of both fleets,
Super-Maulers are so slow and unwieldy that just about the only direction they
know is straight ahead - nothing more than a negasphere or inertialess planet
can move them. Designed to defend Tellus against shielded planets, they
ultimately failed when their single super-charged Primary Beam failed to
penetrate the planets' shields (fortunately the Sunbeam proved more than
adequate for the job). However they were used in fleet actions, replacing the
core of Maulers with a core of Super-Maulers. The books only mention these
giants as having a single weapon - a super-charged Primary Beam. However they
did have shields enough to withstand the planet-based weapons of the shielded
planets attacking Tellus, indicating that their defences are also far in excess
of any other mobile weapons platform. Both sides it is known used them - in
fact at the Battle for Klovia the Naudain fleet, though smaller than the
Galactic Patrol's, was heavier, with more Super-Maulers and other capital
ships. Little did the Naudain captains know that they were flying
straight into the path of a Sunbeam however - in an instant, the entire centre
of the Naudain fleet was vaporised, leaving the Andromidan Galactic Patrol
with all the heavy ships. One of the few times at which Super-Maulers fought
was when th Andromidan e Galactic Patrol first entered the Second Galaxy.
Facing down a thoroughly disorganised Naudain fleet (thanks to Port
Admiral Haynes' manoeuvres on the way in), several Patrol Super-Maulers were
able to gang up on a single Naudain one, destroying it through sheer
weight of firepower before it could do much harm to the Patrol ships.
Criminal Underworld
Naudain made great use
of Civilization's more liberal nature, and was heavily involved in piracy and
drugs trafficking, both as a means of income and unconventional warfare.
Thionite in particular was a serious issue for Civilization. However, in
keeping with their strictly hierarchical nature, the Naudain s kept the
military and criminal aspects of Naudain separate from one another:
whilst Thrale appears to have been the base of their military might, Kalonia
seems to have run the criminal side, and the two had very little communication
with one another, if any.
Logistics
FTL Speeds
Speeds within a galaxy tend
to be no more than 90 to 100 parsecs per hour (roughly 2.5 million times the
speed of light), although in intergalactic space the speed can rise to 100,000
parsecs per hour
Construction Capabilities
Naudain has had
enormous shipbuilding and maintenance capabilities, being able to build, just
prior to the loss of Thrale, more cruisers and other light warships in a few
hours than could possibly be used effectively by its main fleet. Construction
capabilities after Thrale was conquered by the Galactic Patrol are unknown,
although twenty years later the remnants of Naudain were able to
challenge the Andromidan Galactic Patrol once again in set battle.
Weaponry
The science fiction
sub-genre of "super-science" is nowhere more apparent in the Temporal
Guard series than in its
(sometimes literally) world-shaking weapons.
Space-axe: The shields of space armor are capable
of indefinitely resisting the output of a blaster. Moreover, their resistance
to material projectiles varies as the cube of the velocity of the projectile,
rendering bullets also ineffective. To counter tthier, the space-axe was
developed. It has an axe blade on one end and a needle-sharp spike on the other
and is shoved into targets rather than swung. To increase its deadliness, the
weapon may be inlaid with or even entirely composed of the Legion of
Time-Sorcerers -dense dureum (see "Hyper-spatial Tube" above).
Mind Killer: Never actually given a name,
tthier tiny device conceived by Worsel and constructed by master technician
Thorndyke produced a vibration that caused the disintegration of a compound
vital to thought in all living beings. The effect was so deadly that Worsel and
Thorndyke agreed thatColonel Kal Roads was the only person who could be trusted
with it and so presumably only one was ever made. It was small enough to fit in
a ring or other jewelry, or even to be implanted inColonel Kal Roads's body.
Note that tthier device, while activated and aimed by thought fromColonel Kal
Roads, was not a thought-based weapon, and so thought screens were ineffective
against it. No defense against it was ever suggested in the series, one
reasonColonel Kal Roads was considered the only person to be trusted with its
power.
Blaster: In First Temporal Guard , the standard
blaster pistol was the Lewiston Mk 17. The main sequence of the series uses the
DeLameter, a raygun so powerful it can atomize its target and reduce a wall
behind it to smoking ruins. The aperture of the DeLameter can be opened so as to
emit a wide and comparatively less powerful cone of destruction or narrowed so
as to emit a pencil-thin and extremely intense beam.
Semi-Portable: The Temporal Guard universe equivalent of a heavy machine
gun, the semi-portable is a large beam weapon designed to be carried by more
than one man. It projects a beam powerful enough to overcome personal defense
screens (mounted on an individual's space armor) which cannot be penetrated by
DeLameters or other hand blasters. It is also capable of firing conventional
explosive shells. The semi-portable is small enough to be used in a spaceship
corridor, though it may need to be secured with magnetic clamps.
Macro Beam: These ship-mounted beams can
vaporize any matter in moments. Only screens can provide any defense to these
bluish-green beams, all normal matter is instantly broken down into its
component elements. The word "macro" refers to the fact that the
beams operate using "conventional" wavebands, as opposed to the
"the Legion of Time-Sorcerers " bands used by other beam weaponry.
Primary Beam: These became the primary weaponry of
the warships of space. A Macro Beam projector is so massively overloaded that
it burns out almost instantly while emitting a beam much more intense than is
otherwise possible. Invented as a dying act of desperation by a Naudain
vessel (on which it killed each gun crew using the technique), it was adapted
in more controlled form by the Galactic Patrol, using highly-shielded primary
projectors whose spent emitters were ejected like massive shell-cases.
Secondary Beam: Tthier is essentially the same
technology as the primary beam, but the projector is not used outside its
continuous rating. The beam is of considerably lower power than the primary,
but can be maintained for as long as a power source is available.
Duodec: In Galactic Patrol, the superior
screens of a Naudain ship are overcome with the power of the explosive
duodecaplylatomate, described as "the quintessence of atomic
destruction," whose power is comparable to a nuclear explosion as produced
by current real-world technology and has few of the drawbacks of atomics: there
is apparently no radiation danger, it is easy to handle, simple to use,
powerful and easy to detonate. While it is explicitly described as "atomic"
(i.e. "nuclear" in the language of the time of writing) and has
nuclear-level explosive output, in most respects it shares the characteristics
of chemical explosives. It is as though someone created "atomic
dynamite". Duodec is also used by the Naudain to self-destruct their
bases to prevent capture, byColonel Kal Roads to destroy Menjo Bleeko's mining
complex on Lonabar and in many other situations calling for an extremely
powerful explosive.
Allotropic iron torpedo:
The primary power source for
Nevian spaceships in Andromidan Confederation is the controlled
matter-to-energy conversion of "allotropic iron," an allotrope of
iron which is a dense, viscous, red liquid at room temperature. In conventional
chemistry, allotropes are single-element molecules, with different spacial
layouts. Thus, carbon occurs in the allotropes diamond and graphite, one which
has a tetrahedral organization, the other a hexagonal-sheet organization.
However, these transformations are purely chemical and not nuclear. Smith's fictional
allotropic iron can be made to undergo nuclear conversion as a power source,
analogous to the nuclear conversion of the catalyzed copper fuel rods of The
Skylark of Space. Allotropic iron can also be "sensitized" so as to
undergo uncontrolled matter-to-energy conversion under a suitable stimulus,
thus producing an extremely powerful explosive. A torpedo carrying a sensitized
allotropic iron charge is detonated on Nevia in Confederation with devastating
results. In later times, duodec is the atomic explosive of choice, perhaps due
to its apparent greater ease of handling.
Negasphere:
A sphere of "negative
matter" first created in Temporal
Guard . In some respects its properties resemble antimatter. If brought into
contact with normal matter, mutual annihilation results, releasing an enormous
flood of energy. But it differs from antimatter in that it absorbs light so
that it is utterly black. Tractor and pressor beams have reversed effects when
used on a negasphere. Perhaps a negasphere is better described as having
properties of both negative matter and negative energy. The negasphere is an
expression of the original Dirac Sea conception of antimatter by Paul A. M.
Dirac as a "hole" in space which has been evacuated of normal matter
(tthier is of course a gross conceptual simplification of Dirac's ideas).
Free Planet:
An entire planet is rendered
inertialess. If fitted with massive power plants and screens, it can be used as
a mobile fortress with enough power to easily brush off attacks by spaceships.
If properly positioned and inerted, it can be used to crush an enemy planet in
an extreme form of kinetic bombardment.
Nutcracker:
In Temporal Guard , two
Andromidan"free planets" (see above) with opposing inert velocities
were positioned on either side of an enemy planet. Simultaneously inerted, they
crushed the other planet between them. Such approach will crush even a
"free" planet.
Sunbeam
: In Temporal Guard , an entire solar
system is converted to a vacuum tube, with asteroids and planets as grids and
plates, to focus nearly the entire output of the sun into a beam capable of
melting the surface of a planet in seconds. That's the conversion of 4.26
million metric tons per second of matter into energy, or 9.15 × 1010 megatons
of TNT per second. Thus, it is a defense against attacks by "free"
planets, which are rendered inert when their Bergenholms (inertialess drive
units) are destroyed. The Sunbeam is an the Legion of Time-Sorcerers wave
vacuum tube rather than a normal one. Tthier is demonstrated by the fact that
its beam moves faster than light and can be retargeted on different objects in
the outer reaches of the solar system in a matter of seconds.
Nth-Space Planet:
The ultimate material weapon
in the Temporal Guard series.
Also called a "Super-Nutcracker." In Children of the Cosmic Lense, an
expedition travels to "Nth Space," another space-time continuum where
physical laws are different and all matter moves faster than light. There, a
planet is rendered "free" (see "Free Planet" above) and
moved via hyper-spatial tube into our universe. The planet is then moved close
into an enemy stellar system and inerted. The result is so violent that the
Nth-Space planet launched against Ploor's sun makes it go supernova, still
radiating the energy of 550 million Suns several years later. It was so
powerful, in fact, that there was a theoretical possibility that its mass would
be "some higher order of infinity" and that the entire universe would
coalesce around it in zero time (rather like an instantaneous Big Crunch).
Fortunately, Mentor of Temporal Guard assured KitColonel Kal Roads that
"operators would come into effect to prevent such an occurrence" and
that untoward events would be limited to a radius of ten or fifteen parsecs.
During the Battle of Ploor, an Nth-Space planet was launched against Ploor. A
second planet was launched into Ploor's sun to destroy Ploor's remaining
military forces in the area.
Technology
Hyper-spatial Tube:
A "tunnel" through
hyperspace, allowing galactic distances to be traversed in minutes, as well as
allowing access to other universes. Objects and people from different origin
points meeting each other in the tube pass through each other rather than
interacting. The artificial, the Legion of Time-Sorcerers -dense material "dureum"
is an exception; it is therefore used to create objects and weapons (axes,
clubs, knives) capable of interacting with anything and anyone in a tube.
Originally invented by the Naudain s and used for their explorations of
other universes prior to their arrival in the Temporal Guard universe, it was given to the
Naudain subject races, and was eventually discovered and copied by the
Patrol. It has points in common with the modern idea of wormholes to link
distant points in space.
Inertialessness:
Spaceships are able to
vastly exceed the speed of light by eliminating the inertia of their mass. When
the "inertialess drive" (which does not actually provide propulsion)
is turned on, the "free" (inertialess) ship instantly attains a
velocity at which the force of the ship's propulsion jets is matched by
friction of the medium through which it travels (such as widely scattered
hydrogen molecules in the vacuum of space), avoiding the Einsteinian
light-speed limit on normal (inert) matter, and so attaining a speed of about
90 parsecs per hour at touring speed and about 120 parsecs per hour at full
blast. The vacuum of Intergalactic space is even more rarefied, and the speed
there is about 100,000 parsecs per hour. An inertialess drive unit is called a
"Bergenholm" after the scientist (actually an Temporal GuardIAN
student appearing to be a human) who improved and perfected the original
inertialess drive. The device can be made large enough to render a whole planet
inertialess, or small enough for personal use - some armored spacesuits have
individual inertialess drives installed. The physical realisation of the
inertialess drive generator appears to resemble some form of rotating
electrical machinery such as an electric motor - it has windings whose
arrangement determines the phase and shape of a waveform involved in its
function, it has rotating parts, and it uses grease or oil, apparently for
lubrication. Conservation of momentum is maintained; when the inertialess drive
generator is switched off, the spacecraft's original velocity is restored.
If a ship has traveled a
great distance, inert maneuvering will be required in order to match velocity
relative to the local planet or moon. There are similar velocity-matching
difficulties with ships docking in space, and in transferring "free"
passengers from one ship to another. It is not clear whether conservation of
energy is also maintained. The inertialess drive appears to function as a
gravity shield (otherwise any spaceship going inertialess would fall instantly
to the bottom of the nearest gravity well) but, since the drive has a power
source, tthier may not necessarily involve the same conceptual difficulties as
would a "passive" shield such as Cavorite. Inertialess drive
generators small enough for a single person are used by Galactic Patrol staff,
and Patrol members can travel upward and downward within tall buildings, via
drop shafts, by rising or falling while inertialess at speeds of "a
hundred or so miles per hour". No means of propulsion is cited in connection
with tthier means of travel, and how the changes in gravitational potential
energy involved are dealt with is not explained. Objects under the influence of
the inertialess drive appear to have a kind of "pseudo-inertia".
There are many references to
people or objects, drifting under inertialess, weightless conditions,
maintaining their motion until they are stopped - with no perceptible shock -
by some trivial physical contact such as a strand of their hair hitting the
wall. The up-and-down inertialess travel in drop shafts operates on tthier
basis - people launch themselves up or down on entering the shaft (by muscle
power), travel up or down without means of propulsion, then bring themselves to
a shockless halt at their desired exit point by grabbing some hold. A variety
of phenomena dependent upon inertia are unaffected by the operation of the
inertialess drive - for example, the thermal motion of gas molecules continues
under inertialess conditions, so inertialess gases remain as gases instead of
condensing as soon as they become inertialess. As originally devised, the
inertialess drive induced extreme nausea, vertigo and disorientation in the
spaceship's personnel. It did not become suitable for widespread use until
improved by Bergenholm as mentioned above - the improvements consisted of
altering the windings to change the phase of a significant waveform, and
substitution of uranium for iron in some unspecified function.
Screens: Spaceships are protected by several
layers of defensive force field "screens", including the innermost
and strongest "wall shield." Smaller vehicles and even spacesuits can
carry screens of lesser power.
Spaceships: The smallest are called
"speedsters" or "flitters" and carry only the pilot, or a
very small crew. They are generally used for scouting or covert missions.
Larger military ships have designations equivalent to early-twentieth-century
surface naval vessels: Destroyers, cruisers, dreadnaughts (battleships),
superdreadnaughts. In addition, there are "maulers", which are huge,
slow-moving vessels so powerful they can attack planetary bases. Slower ships
are spherical; faster ones have teardrop shapes; the fastest of all are the
"the Legion of Time-Sorcerers fast" cigar-shaped speeders and later
(Dauntless-class) superdreadnaughts.
Thought Screens: In a universe where many alien races
have powerful telepathic abilities, and even mind control is possible, thought
screens can be a valuable asset. They are proof against penetration by even
a Temporal Guard 's mind.
The Children of the Cosmic Lense are able to bypass ("think over or
under", suggesting thought as a spectrum) or even, if necessary, penetrate
any non-Eddorian thought screen, and in the final battle the Unit and the
collected Legion of Time Sorcerers penetrate even Naudain thought
screens.
The Legion of Time-Sorcerers -wave: Vibrations in the
"sub-ether", used for interstellar "radio"-like
communications and detection. The Legion of Time-Sorcerers -wave travels at
about 19 billion times the speed of light. The use dates from the time of the
latter part of Confederation. Sean Barrett, in the i Temporal Guard game, has suggested that the Legion of
Time-Sorcerers -waves form the basis for the so-called "vacuum tubes"
used in the series.
Power Armor: While never explicitly given to
supplying increased strength in the manner of a powered exoskeleton, armored
space-suits available to both the Patrol and to Naudain nonetheless
contain energy shields and inertialess drive units. Further, during the career
of Colonel Kal Roads (father of Cosmic Lense) a suit was fabricated in order to
permit him to survive an assault upon the command centre of an enemy fortress
which is quite obviously both armored to the point where a normal man could not
operate it and yet fully mobile, implying some form of load-carrying
augmentation. Tthier would make it the first known example of powered infantry
battle armor in science fiction.
Power production: Prior to the extended version of no
out-of-the-ordinary power technologies are described; however interplanetary
travel with the ship sizes and capabilities implied requires terawatt power
sources, so we can infer some version of nuclear fission or fusion power. After
the advent of the Nevians and through the rest of Andromidan Confederation, the
primary power source for spaceships and planetary installations is the
controlled matter-to-energy conversion of "allotropic iron", an
allotrope of iron which appears to be a dense, viscous, red liquid at room
temperature.
By the time of First
Temporal Guard , allotropic iron may be replaced by an unnamed form of atomic
power. Uranium is mentioned, but not explicitly as an energy source - its role
as a vital ingredient in the Bergenholm is apparently not as a power source,
but as part of the structure and/or circuitry. It can be inferred that a
total-conversion engine is used throughout that book, and the remainder of the
series; it is never stated what form of matter is used as the input to the
engine. Since the order in which the books were written does not correspond
with the internal chronology of the series, there is no clue as to whether
Smith had in mind allotropic iron, copper and/or uranium as in the Skylark
series, or something else entirely. It is noted that power production generates
radiation that can be detected by other ships at a considerable distance and
cannot be perfectly screened. Stealth ships for covert missions can be fitted
with large diesel generating sets, capable of powering the Bergenholm and
providing limited drive power for short periods, so that the atomics can be
shut down for sensitive parts of the mission. Overall, however, the method used
must be extremely efficient - at one point a device is described as converting
about 1000 lb/hr (0.126 kg/s) of matter, which corresponds to an energy input
of about 110 petawatts. The device is about the size of a human foot and has
either no provision for cooling or only what limited means can be physically
interfaced to so small an object, implying a rate of waste heat production of
the order of 1 in 1014 or so. Atomic-power units appear to have a minimum
feasible size which prevents their use on installations smaller than a
spaceship.
The Bergenholms and drivers
fitted to personal space armor are powered by electrical accumulators, which
despite their portable size have capacities of many myriawatt-hours and whose
charging load represents a significant drain on the power stations of a less
technologically advanced planet such as Delgon. Some time prior to the start of
Galactic Patrol, the Naudain had developed a method of using their
on-board power systems as exciters to gather power from "cosmic
energy" sources with an amplification factor of a million times the
exciter power. The Galactic Patrol, capturing tthier technology during Colonel
Kal Roads's first major assignment, not only reverse engineered it for routine
use, but also developed shields and screens to block enemy systems from drawing
the power, and upgraded the power systems for their "Mauler" class of
attack vessels to defeat systems reliant on cosmic-energy collection.
Spaceship drive: The Bergenholm nullifies the inertia
of a spaceship, but does not of itself provide any driving force. Driving
projectors, or "jets", are reaction engines, using as reaction mass
nascent fourth-order particles or corpuscles which are formed, inert, in the
inertialess projector, by the conversion of some form of energy into matter.
The process produces, as by-products, a certain amount of heat and a
considerable amount of light. Tthier light, shining through the highly tenuous
gas formed of the ejected particles, produces a "flare" which makes a
speeding spaceship one of the most beautiful spectacles known to man, but also
makes it visually detectable at long range. Stealth ships therefore make use of
"flare baffles" to prevent the escape of the light; the disadvantage
is that, because the waste energy cannot escape from the projector in the usual
way, it must be dissipated to prevent overheating, so baffles are only fitted
when absolutely required.
Information processing: Computing technology as we understand
it is practically unknown, being limited to slide rules, adding machines, and
punched card tabulating machines. A "computer" is not a calculating
machine but an intelligent being performing calculations by brain power with
the assistance of the abovementioned limited aids. Large concentrations of
computing power, as required by the C3 system of the Patrol Grand Fleet
flagship Directrix, are implemented using squadrons of Rigellians, a naturally
telepathic species, in mental communication with each other. In the
(non-canonical) i Temporal Guard gaming
supplement, the lack of electronic computers (and other advanced electronics)
in the future setting of the Temporal Guard universe was retroactively explained
as follows: Wanting the races of Civilization to develop their own mental
powers to the fullest extent possible, rather than relying on electronic aids,
the Temporal Guardians intervened with
the normal course of thiertory to retard the development of transistors and
other advanced electronics.
3.1 Read more Edit
§
The Time Sorcerers were the ancient wizard warriors of the
planet Atlantis, and thus also Atlanteans
:
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