The Charontids (Plasma Rifle)

Charontids are the heavy tactical incarnation of the EI’s personality Aspects for Search and Destroy tasks. Their biosynthetic bodies improve upon the Skiávoros model with heavier armor and all-round resistance to hostile fire. These creatures are the perfect soldiers. They can march for a week without sleep. They can withstand any level of solar radiation and any gravity. They can breathe any atmosphere, untroubled by the stench of an alien planet. They can slumber anywhere, and regain full awareness in an instant. They can feed off any organic matter. They are equipped with the best in Voodoo Technology. Their helmets are fitted with a next-generation wide-angle image intensifier, a multi-directional microphone, a wide-spectrum telemeter and a set of active and passive infrared sensors. Sensory hypersensitivity and radar/sonar systems are spread over a number of armor plates for full awareness of its surroundings. In the field, these operatives receive a constant information feed from the satellite network and geosynchronous EI command centers. All transmissions are redundant, with different sources and encryption methods, to guarantee the integrity of the information and avoid enemy tampering.

The synergy between all these advanced technologies allows Charontids to see everything and process every detail of the battlefield. The consensus amongst opponents of the EI is that you can outrun a Charontid, but you can never hide from it. Their name, from Classical Greek, translates roughly as “those who are like Charon” or “the offspring of Charon”, in reference to the mythological ferryman of souls. This ominous name comes from a message the EI broadcasted through all human military channels in Paradiso as a presentation of its new favorite war toys. A fittingly unsettling display of technological superiority.