We’ve introduced you recently to Pioneer station, a remote outpost in the Gliese-876 system. We also met some of the inhabitants, both station crew and research personnel. The human workforce are supplemented by a mechanical labour force, ranging from clanking dumb robots to more sophisticated android models. Collectively, they are know colloquially as the Autocrew. These include cargo lifters, armed security drones, medical droids and the ubiquitous Janebots. Let’s be honest – sometimes the droids are better at a job that humans, sometimes they’re just so much cheaper…
Some of the Gliese system planets run long, eccentric orbits, meaning that they can spend significant periods much further away from their parent star. During these phases the surface temperature and light levels drop considerably, making exploration tricky. The human crew tend to retire to their HiberPods™ for the duration, and leave the Autocrew to run the station while the life-support systems can be run down to minimal levels. While the crew enter one of these periods, let’s meet a few of the artificial guardians.
Helen Shackleton programmes a Clippy lifter droid in the maion stores.
The CL-1PE Cargo Lifter droid, known as ‘Clippy’, is a simple programmable unit that can shift heavy equipment and stores with ease. They have control stations built into their chassis by which they can be programmed to autonomously perform repetitive tasks such as moving a stack or boxes from one position to another. They possess enough intelligence to be able to handle variable boxes sizes and can efficiently load a container or shelves without further intervention. Their massive battery powerpack means that they can go long periods between recharge and multiple sensors around their central torso give them good spatial awareness. Pioneer station has several Clippy droids which can also be programmed for engineering tasks.
A Sawfly security drone accompanies Anna on a trek into the lower reaches of Pioneer station
ARC-12 Sawfly drones are the only armed droids onboard the Pioneer. They supplement the station’s meagre human security detachment with some significant firepower – their twin railguns would make a mess of most interlopers. They are also used to escort research personnel on planetside trips, although it’s not clear what they’re protecting the scientists from as both of the rocky planets don’t seem to have any life beyond lichens and mosses growing inside caves. It can only be supposed that it makes them feel a little more secure on the surface of an alien planet.
Dr Whitman discusses a medical case with the duty VCS-060.
The tall, imposing figure of the VCS-060 Medical Android is a common sight in the Medical Centre. Unlike the simpler droids on the Pioneer which are controlled by conventional hardware computer systems, the VCS-060 has a ‘wetbrain’ – a partially organic central processor which has a much higher degree of artificial intelligence. Wetbrain droids are capable of learning and develop their own personality quirks. The Pioneer always has one active VCS droid, plus several kept powered down in storage as replacements in case of accident or medical emergencies. For some reason the duty droid is always referred to by the crew as Nurse Ratched.
Madiwa supervises a TLY droid loading shelving.
TLY-483 Heavy Duty droids are used by the crew for just about any job that requires some hefty manual labour. Their arms can be fitted with a variety of tools and appendages although their main purpose is simply to move anything heavy. Unlike the Clippy droids, which have to be programmed via their integral control panels, 483s can understand simple voice commands so they are often preferred by the stores crew because they’re easier to direct, not to mention better at handling smaller items.
Besides these figures, we have also acquired a few copies of the new Stargrave supplement, Death Vector. We’re selling these at a reduced price, and in addition we’ll be donating £5 per copy sold to the Macmillan Cancer Support charity as part of our Surgeon General program.
SGV-DV – Stargrave:Death Vector – £16.00
SF28-211 – VCS-060 Medical Android – £4.00
SF28-213 – CL-1PE Cargo Lifter – £8.00
SF28-214 – ARC-12 Sawfly Security Drone – £4.00
SF28-216 – TLY-483 Heavy Duty Droid – £5.00
Models designed by David Sheff, produced under licence. Background image by Handiwork Games.
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