Approved Ranged Weapon GK6 "Daybreak" Holographic Projection Rifle

[Helix]

OUT OF CHARACTER INFORMATION

• Intent: To create a weaponized version of several prior Helix submissions
• Image Source: Link
• Canon Link: N/A
• Permissions: N/A
• Primary Source: N/A

PRODUCTION INFORMATION

• Manufacturer: Helix Privateers
• Affiliation: Helix Privateers
• Market Status: Closed-Market
• Model: GK6 Daybreak
• Modularity: Yes
• Production: Limited
• Material:
  • Receiver/General Construction: Helsteel
  • Stock: Marrow Flower Wood
  • Internal Power Source: Helglass, Otherplasma

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

• Classification: Holographic
• Size: Average
• Weight: Heavy
• Ammunition Type: Solid-State Photonic Bolts
• Ammunition Capacity: Very Large
• Effective Range:
  • Rifle Mode: Average
  • Shotgun Mode: Personal
  • Marksman Mode: Long
  • Flamethrower Mode: Personal
• Rate of Fire:
  • Rifle Mode: Average
  • Shotgun Mode: Low
  • Marksman Mode: Low
  • Flamethrower Mode: Very High
• Damage Output:
  • Rifle Mode: High
  • Shotgun Mode: Very High
  • Marksman Mode: Very High
  • Flamethrower Mode: Average
• Recoil: Low

SPECIAL FEATURES

• Capable of mimicking the qualities of several weapon types.
• Regenerating power capacity
• Integrated Aftershock-Capable Optics
• Serpentine-Compatible

STRENGTHS

• Flexible: The Daybreak can fill most roles commonly filled by specialized small arms. It can excel at point-blank urban warfare as well as serve as an accurate marksman rifle.
• Power Bank: The Daybreak is powered by an attached KRB battery, and seldom needs reloading under most typical battlefield circumstances.
• Infestation: The Daybreak's projectiles burst into clouds of cloying holographic mites upon impact, or in the case of the "flamethrower" setting, simply spray these at the target. These can continue to inflict further harm for a short time even after impact.

WEAKNESSES

• Hard Limit: While projectiles lose kinetic energy over distance, and energy bursts gradually lose integrity, the Daybreak's holo-projectiles cease to exist entirely beyond their programmed range. Anyone standing even a centimeter outside said range will be unharmed.
• Power Leech: The Daybreak's longer-ranged firing or faster-firing modes can inflict significant stress on its power source, and and excessive use of the marksman or flamethrower functions can rapidly drain energy.

DESCRIPTION

The Helix Privateers have long made heavy uses of solid holograms, from the early KLK models to the modern, more advanced ZRB models, and even in the use of energy shielding. In all cases, the ability to create solid shapes and constructs from nothing more than photonic energy has proven absolutely invaluable. While the technology is very much still in the infancy of its full potential, the Daybreak presents the first attempt to weaponize this technology properly.

Helix's holodroids, unlike more traditional holograms, are far from ephemeral, harmless images. They are fully capable of harming or killing interlopers, using their ghostly weaponry to launch small chunks of condensed photons over short distances.

The Daybreak seeks to put that power in the hands of individual soldiers, revolutionizing Helix's small arms design.

A fairly handy, mid-length weapon, the Daybreak is solidly constructed, sporting a Marrow Flower Wood stock attached to a complex assemblage of modified ZRB projectors. Like many Helix weapons, it is blocky and overbuilt, and its user can very gracefully use the stock as a club if need be. Like many newer Helix weapons, the Daybreak features integrated, Aftershock-integrated electronic sights, capable of displaying both the user's firing arc and the enemy's own incoming fire as visible lines though either its own display, or the user's helmet HUD (if any). The entire system is powered by a single KBR Otherplasma cell.

The Daybreak operates much in the same manner as the aforementioned hardlight construct projectors: it creates extremely dense clusters of photons in a series of predetermined shapes. However, the Daybreak skips straight to the point, firing projectiles made of this material instead of creating droids or shapes.

Over short distances, these projectiles can inflict significant ballistic trauma, as they interact with matter similarly to how a "real" physical object would. Of course, the Privateers couldn't stop there.

One of the more interesting aspects of this weapon is its highly flexible nature. Being in essence a holographic projector, the Daybreak can launch a wide variety of projected shapes to the user's preference.

For example, the user could set the weapon to fire a shotgun-like spread of close-range "pellets", a single, long-ranged "marksman" shot for targeting priority foes or light vehicles, a mid-ranged, rifle-like automatic fire mode, or a torrent of "flame" for clearing bunkers or trenches.

This exceptional tactical versatility lends the Daybreak a broadly-effective niche against a large number of possible enemies and situations. While lacking somewhat in the raw, life-scouring power of many other Helix small arms, a soldier armed with a Daybreak may be confident in his ability to tackle almost any scenario imaginable.

Lastly, the Daybreak is typically calibrated to leave a corrosive after-effect on most targets. Disturbingly, on close inspection, it appears that surfaces impacted by this weapon's projectiles are briefly contaminated by tiny holographic mites. These minute projections continue to chew away at armor and flesh alike, at least for the brief time they last. Under most circumstances, this time period is approximately three to five seconds, after which these mites dissipate. During this period, affected areas can be seen via the glowing blue patch that such infestations create.

Despite their short lifespan, these holograms can gradually aid the weapon in wearing down armored opponents, vehicles, or simply particularly-tough creatures through repeated hits. This can be seen most vividly in the weapon's "flamethrower" mode, which sprays a close-range burst of these semi-translucent constructs rather than chemical flame. Nonetheless, it can potentially inflict similarly-gruesome harm: few foes fare well when doused in millions of tiny, angry holograms.

The Daybreak's solid-photon projectiles behave very unusually, experiencing neither the gravity-influenced drop associated with solid projectiles, nor any appreciable loss of power as they travel. A photonic bolt will travel at an exact, flat pattern with near-perfect accuracy, making it popular with some Helix marksmen. Despite this, said projectiles immediately disperse upon reaching a given firing mode's maximum range.

This range can vary based on the exact setting, but in general, the weapon's "marksman" mode draws by far the most power, as it must sustain the projectile over a much longer distance. There is some hope that further refinements may eliminate these weaknesses, but for now the weapon remains somewhat power-inefficient. Users are advised to utilize optional firing modes sparingly. While the attached KBR cell can power the weapon for an extended period of battlefield use, its recharging capabilities can be exceeded with reckless use, leaving the user vulnerable.

Regrettably, and despite its inarguable usefulness, the Daybreak remains relatively rare, and thus relegated to the use of elite units.

 

[Renn Vizsla]

Good evening, I will be the judge reviewing your submission, Helix

I have no problems with this,

Approved