Codex Transportica

In times of great conflict, it is not just superiority of numbers, or firepower, that can tip the balance. Morale (or lack thereof) can be a vital deciding factor. This is a fact well known to the great military minds, but none more so that the Vjegoslavian High Command who were notorious for their commission of massive, brutal military machines in order to terrorise the enemy populace.

So the Vespid Injector Marksman Gun came into being. Designed by the master armaments engineer Nikolai Pjearsenssen, and named for its resemblance to a wasp’s stinger or a hypodermic needle, the gun was an ideal tool for the propagandists, exemplifying the attitude of mental as well as physical assault on the enemy.

The key to the VI gun’s success was twofold: its composite approach to payload deployment, and its almost supernatural accuracy.

Firstly, the firing mechanism was a hybrid never before envisioned. U235 rods at the rear of the gun powered the nuclear reactor used for initial compression and, of course, the linear accelerator built into the muzzle. A small explosive charge in the base of the shell provides an initial velocity of 2,750 feet per second. But this is then quadrupled by a combination of decreasing muzzle size (utilising the Venturi effect) and a strongly focused magnetic field, accelerating the shell to over 11,000 feet per second at exit. At this velocity, a range of 400 miles (640 km) can be achieved for a 440lb (220 kg) shell. Note the extended tethering required to help compensate for the recoil generated.

Secondly, the “Marksman” auto-targeting system heralded a new “point-and-click” level of accuracy to the weapon. Eye in the sky ‘tele-copters’ (see reference at end) were used to pinpoint potential targets and relay their co-ordinates back to the VI’s controller. Early demonstrations of the system were so accurate that many people suspected that they were staged. In one starring moment, the designer of the gun itself put all rumours to rest when, in front of the world’s press, Nikolai deliberately had his hat shot off his head from 50 miles distance. Tragically, a second demonstration in which Mr. Pjearsenssen attempted to have a monocle shot away from his face resulted in the man permanently losing his eyebrows as the projectile skimmed past – removing monocle, hair follicle and flesh together.

Now, a new type of assassination was born: targets were simply no longer able to hide. Anywhere. Armour-piercing shells in a depleted uranium sabot proved capable of penetrating through 30 feet of steel or 90 feet of concrete before exploding. Worse still, the Vjegoslavian doctrine of “weltschmerz” (literally: world suffering) dictated that targets would no longer be chosen merely from military personnel, but for maximum deleterious effect on public morale. Movie stars, public figures, doctors… none were safe.

In fact, in a final sick twist, a new lottery was born. Targets were selected at random, and notified in advance of their demise. With nowhere to hide, and no-one who would stay near, many of the victims committed suicide before the VI Gun was even aimed in their direction.

Related posts:
Tele-copter – Eye of Providence