The Extra-Solar Union of Systems Archive

Well, since the planet is going boom anyway, does it really matter?

Oh, and on that topic: I heartily recommend the book Brimstone, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. Hate to spoil the ending, but microwaves = fun.

Kanuckistan wrote:

Nobuseri wrote:Kamui Bomb

You do realise that, unlike in Batman Begins, this weapon would cause people to explode as the water in their bodies is flash-vapourised?

There's nothing wrong with that. Indeed, Microwave weapons are a staple amongst Facehuggerian Overwatch and Thought Police units.

Central Facehuggeria wrote: There's nothing wrong with that.

Indeed. It just sounded like he was overlooking that particular benifit.

Kanuckistan wrote:

Nobuseri wrote:Kamui Bomb

You do realise that, unlike in Batman Begins, this weapon would cause people to explode as the water in their bodies is flash-vapourised?

Indeed I do

It doesn’t really matter though, as death would be more or less instantaneous within the affected area no matter how one looks at it; either by rapid expansion of bodily fluids, the massive electrical jolt, or the hemisphere wide explosion... not to mention that the natural byproduct of an oxygen-hydrogen reaction (water) would cause significant secondary damage through floods, mudslides, and so on.

The Fist: (Note: this option is not currently available) The ANSS Fist of the Empress is considered the strategic WMD in the Arizona Novanian arsenal. Running the length of the spine, the massive gravity gun of the ship was designed to have enough strength to compress the core of a Sol-sized star, causing the star to collapse inward and initiate a nova. The weapon, especially fully charged, is devastating elsewhere as well, able to implode capital ships and fatally maim coreships with ease. On lower settings, it can be used as a makeshift FTLi or even as a tractor beam device.

Glassing: The conventional means of planetary annihalation, a glassing is a universally accessible strategic option in the Arizona Novanian fleet. All captains are well-versed in its particular procedures, and any capital-scale vessel contains the means to enact the protocol (the limiting factor being time in this case). Low-cost, low-energy, and devastating to the planet in question, a glassing is an unspectacular yet affective means to an end.

Opening the Tomb: The specifics of this procedure are unknown even to the top brass in Admirality, and only to a select few in Black Operations. It is only known as "Opening the Tomb," and it is considered the last strategic resort, with mutally assured destruction guaranteed. (OOC: "Opening the Tomb" refers to the deployment of a shipment of flood infection forms, taken from the ruins of Feazanthia, into a civilian population center. It is considered the absolute last, essentially unthinkable, strategic option. Contingincies which will likely trigger the situation are simply the reduction of civilian population to under one billion, which entails the complete eradication of a number of civilian population centers. Historically, the Tomb has never been opened, except during the Wrath of the Great Carnivore - Operatives admit that it was only "opened a crack," but closed as soon as it was revealed all soldiers under Fate's command were, in fact, mechanical.)

Also note: Any use of temporal WMDs by allied powers is strongly recommended against.

Arizona Nova wrote: Also note: Any use of temporal WMDs by allied powers is strongly recommended against.

I wonder who that was aimed at.....

In seriousness, it is concidered last resort only. We would much rather glass, easier and faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar fewer consequences.

Metallinauts wrote:faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar fewer consequences.

Damn right.

Arizona Nova wrote:and it is considered the last strategic resort, with mutally assured destruction guaranteed.

...Unless the enemy's civil defense forces are on the ball.

Central Facehuggeria wrote:

Arizona Nova wrote:and it is considered the last strategic resort, with mutally assured destruction guaranteed.

...Unless the enemy's civil defense forces are on the ball.

Everyone in your civil defense forces has environmentally sealed power armor? Anything less won't help once the flood reach atmospheric stage... and part of the plan includes an air-burst of that anyway.
Complete safety from the flood would require a civilian population that has no organic components whatsoever (and quite possibly, no organic lifeforms whatsoever), and/or having your entire population armed with military grade weaponry and environmentally-sealed power armor, constantly. Of any nation in the ESUS I would qualify you as most likely to initially resist, if not hold out for years after Tomb's opening... however, your defenses should fall after years of being relentlessly and constantly attacked by the hijacked armadas of your allied and enemy states, now turned into space zombies.

Arizona Nova wrote: Everyone in your civil defense forces has environmentally sealed power armor?

Well, I do, but the average FT schmuck doesn't. However, the average schmuck does tend to have deep underground bunkers to store their people safely in case of carpet nuking. Those would keep out the flood while the military trims its numbers, so to speak.

Edit: Assuming normal Halo flood. Ones that can saturate the air are a whole different kettle of fungal parasites.

Anything less won't help once the flood reach atmospheric stage... and part of the plan includes an air-burst of that anyway.

Hmmph. I always assumed that Spark's quip about the flood modifying the atmosphere was them changing it to be damper and darker, like where Gravemind lives. I never expected them to spit microscopic flood into the air...

...But hey, it's your superweapon. My prior statement was based on assuming we were dealing with Halo canon flood. If you say AZN flood can saturate the air, then they can.

Complete safety from the flood would require a civilian population that has no organic components whatsoever (and quite possibly, no organic lifeforms whatsoever), and/or having your entire population armed with military grade weaponry and environmentally-sealed power armor, constantly. Of any nation in the ESUS I would qualify you as most likely to initially resist, if not hold out for years after Tomb's opening... however, your defenses should fall after years of being relentlessly and constantly attacked by the hijacked armadas of your allied and enemy states, now turned into space zombies.

Yeah, I am kind of assuming that the Flood haven't subverted too many other nations in that statement.

I'm assuming the flood have an atmospheric stage - i.e., GS's comment about the suit serving you well, and the spores floating around at the end of Halo 2 (i.e., the Easter Egg movie after the credits).