Malicron- Changing the way we think about peace.

[R-90-2]

Just something I whipped up in about an hour or so- the idea that there would be an intermediate step between normal defense contracting and Miho was too good to pass up.

The Malicron corporation (for lack of a better term- some have been considering applying the term Zaibatsu) is one of the premier defense contractors for the Japanese SDF, as well as doing security business on the side for companies with international holdings in Japan. Due to the esteemed place that Malicron has in the Far Eastern economic sphere, especially under the aggressive and (literally?) iron-fisted leadership of their new all-controlling chief director, they have more than enough assets to pour into experimental weapons development, especially in the area of autonomous combat drones and vehicles. While the sale of such weapons tends to be controlled, the corporation itself is not above using them for priority projects that are of importance to the well-being of the company's future.

Because the Malicron name has accumulated a large number of research and industrial concerns under their banner, there is no foreseeable practical limit to the technological pursuits that the company can undertake, which as led to a number of wild rumors, which have been fueled by alleged suspicious activities. However, given the fact that this rampant and inevitably uninformed speculation issues forth from the mouths of numerous known cranks and similar "conspiracy theorists", these can be largely dismissed. While the recent laboratory explosion has provided fuel for all manner of rumors, the explosion was ruled an accident by the police, and the brilliant Dr. Tomori has been appropriately mourned by the scientific community.

Some common Malicron products are as follows.

Wisp-type support drones

The wisp is one of the most distinctive types of drones supplied by Malicron- These hovering, disc-like contraptions fill a number of smaller roles, usually support, and are a bit on the flimsy side. However, no soldier would turn down the firepower or recon capabilities that this little critter can bring to all land theaters of the modern battlefield. The wisp is a modular design that can be equipped with various equipment loadouts depending on function. As such, it is one of the company's most popular products the world over, and is even seeing use in civilian applications.

Wisp-Marksman

Flight +2, Combat Expert +2, Evasive +1, Armored +1, Attack +3 (Battle Rifle [Armor-Piercing, Accurate, Ranged, Activation]). Frail -1, Servitude -3 (Machine), Emotionless -3, vulnerability -3 (Electric)

Wisp-Bomber
Attack changes to (Micromissile pod [Multiple Targets, ranged, Activation])

Wisp-Intel
Replace Attack +3 with Perceptive +3.

Galatea-type combat drone.

While the Wisp class of combat drone is a support unit that is restricted to aiding soldiers in the field, the Galatea type is a somewhat humanoid machine that is built ofr independant duties. However, due to the limited nature of machine intelligence, especially complicated duties are beyond their hardware, and so these machines are generally used for more basic duties, such as basic patrols, security, and occasionally priority target elimination. Rumor has it that Malicron is on creating a humanoid combat model that is capable of high-complexity duties, but such claims can be dismissed, as the creation of high-level independent machine intelligence is regarded by most experts to be a dream limited to the minds of science-fiction authors.

The Galatea comes in two variants- The more common Galatea Gunner and a new version, the Galatea Brawler, the latter of which is a specialist used in high-density urban zones due to its ability to break through interior walls with little difficulty and attack enemies by surprise from within their own hiding places. Due to their limited intelligence, their duties are restricted due to the fact that they often doggedly pursue programmed objectives in spite of changing circumstances that would render the objective impossible to complete. This flaw is expected to be patched out in the next software update package, whose price is yet to be determined.

Galatea-Gunner

Quick +1, Combat Expert +2, Armored +2, Attack +3 (Machine gun [Overwhelming, Ranged, Inaccurate x2]. AT Missile [Armor-Piercing x2, Effective, Ranged, Activation, Ammunition). Vulnerability -3 (Electric), Emotionless -3, Ineptitude (Tactics) -2

Galatea-Brawler
Add Strong +2, Clumsy -2, Tough +1, Change Attack to (Powerfists, [Strike Through, Inaccurate])

Fury-type

The earliest type of combat drones were quite vehicular in nature, and Malicron has not strayed from that tried and tested formula. The idea of a drone combat vehicle is not an especially new one, but the armored Fury-type drone tank is a bit of an oddity. it is rather compact, thanks to the fact that it does not need to provide room for such things as human comforts and the like, but it is also armed with a powerful energy weapon. Some experts believe that this devices is the first step towards creating a more powerful energy weapon, but there would have to be significant advances in materials science in order to enable such a device, so such a weapon appearing in the near future is improbable at best. The Fury is a strong achievement in drone warfare, and will likely remain state of the art in semi-autonomous machine warfare for the next two decades at least.

Fury-type drone tank

Armored +3, Combat Expert +2, Tough +2, Attack +3 (Heavy Laser- [Effective x4, Ranged, Unwieldy x4{Power Drain}]), Clumsy -2, vulnerability -3 (Electricity), Emotionless -3, Awkward size -2.

While Malicron is working on may other projects, the persistent rumors that they have been able to produce a sapient gynoid have hounded the company. While this is completely baseless, these distractions, while vocal, have practically no chance of affecting Malicron's relationship with the public or the rest of the international business community.

[Clay]

It’s always fascinating to see how people expand on the story as presented in the book. The “Galatea” name was also a nice touch.

[R-90-2]

Thanks. This kinda stuff just falls out of me every once and a while, so it's probably going to happen again.

[Rawle Nyanzi]

It’s always fascinating to see how people expand on the story as presented in the book. The “Galatea” name was also a nice touch.

An interesting point, because the OVA story has no anime, manga, or even novel you could go to for "canon" events. The players create their own versions of the story through their play sessions.