Capsule Trooper

Capsule Trooper
Name	Serial numbers typically follow a letter-number-number-number convention, such as CT-J522, etc.
Series	Capsule Trooper
Height	110 cm
Weight	145 kg (dry weight, no optional equipment)
Energy source	Chaos Drive
Armaments	(CTs used to be equipped with a variety of weapons, but most have lost or worn out their original armaments. Many CTs now go unarmed, or carry only their standard-issue backup CE pistol if they still have it.) Backup CE pistol (connects to circuits in the hand to draw power from the Capsule Trooper's internal Chaos Drive)
Other features / equipment	Intelligent, with seemingly sapient, sentient behavior and thought processes enabled by its advanced Chaos-Drive-based Intellidrive "intelligence core" Broad range of useful skills and basic knowledge, including operation of most vehicles, weapons systems, heavy equipment, etc. Capable of easily learning and adapting as necessary 2 valveless pulsejet engines (One per foot) With booster pack: Additional 2 liquid fuel rocket engines (two on back--fuel tank also stored on back, horizontally above thruster exhaust) Maintenance, cleaning, and basic utility tools Self-inflating flotation ring around waist Units not equipped with the booster pack may be outfitted with large back-mounted ammo/equipment containers Capable of equipping specially-designed weapons on its arm, as well as using most conventional weapons Advanced laser targeting system enables optimal accuracy with virtually any handheld weapon after just a few "sighting" shots
Ability Ratings
Agility	Roughly average footspeed, capable of flat-out running speeds of up to 30MPH. Reasonably high jumper (thanks to its thruster-equipped feet), with some aerial maneuverability and average quickness. Hindered slightly by high weight, however. When equipped with a booster pack, a CT gains flight capabilities (more like high-speed rocket-powered leaping), improved acceleration, and a top speed of 110MPH in a leap, increasing this rating by an additional 4.
Strength	Though its raw lifting strength is only at an average, athletic level, it has a lot of weight to throw around.
Toughness	Extremely resistant to ballistic threats, equipped with easily-replaced bullet-resistant ceramic composite plate armor (though acute weakpoints do exist). Moderately fire and electricity resistant, and good at operating in adverse conditions, including outer space. Durable versus blunt impacts, up to a certain threshold. Basically, the CT can get banged around nearly infinitely with no apparent damage to its well-constructed exterior and innards, but one extremely hard blow that exceeds the exoskeletal armor's tolerance can crush it. Even then, the CT has an extremely durable endoskeleton under its armor, so it's difficult to disable it completely.
Energy	Does not need recharging thanks to its Chaos Drive power supply, and can perform a great deal of self-maintenance. A Capsule Trooper never really gets "tired," although one can overwork its power source and suffer failures if special care is not taken to manage energy resources while operating directed-energy weapons. (Also, the optional booster pack has a low fuel capacity unless a somewhat burdensome auxiliary tank is equipped.)

What is a Capsule Trooper?

Capsule Troopers are, at their simplest, mass-produced robots. However, there's much more to these quirky, soldier-like automations than meets the eye. Sentient, free-willed, and as adaptive and intelligent as any living thing matching those descriptors, Captroops have gradually become normal, healthily-functioning members of society all around the globe since their mysterious and sudden appearance in the past year.

Capsule Troopers in modern society

Being deadly combat robots, Captroops have a difficult image to shake off, mostly owing to Eggman's ongoing efforts to use robots to try to enslave the world. Despite this, they've gradually (if hesitantly) become accepted as "people," for the most part. Many have taken on various occupations, ranging from the obvious (military, law enforcement, firefighting, mining, manufacturing, etc.) to the less expected (food service, retail, business consulting [?], etc.). Similarly, many have tried to downplay their "robot-ness" by disposing of their weapons and combative features and altering their armor to be less combative (there's been at least one instance of a yellow-painted trooper covered in pink psychedelic flowers and peace signs), or even donning normal clothes over their armor in an attempt to blend in with society better. (Aftermarket Capsule Trooper components, including decals, chrome detailing, decorative magnets, and spinning helmets are reported to be a growing, increasingly lucrative market.) Yet others have even gone so far as to invent a more politically correct term—"Capsule People." This hasn't caught on or become popular, however, as, when polled on the matter, most Capsule Troopers concurred that the nomenclature sounded "totally lame."

Origins

Capsule Troopers, when asked, claim to have originated from the "Imperial Xol Army," of which there is no written record anywhere in history. Given the very sudden nature of their arrival into the known world, it's very possible that they're from another dimension entirely. Most CTs are generally confused about the details of how they got here, too, or just refuse to answer questions about their origins altogether.

Unit Details

The primary consideration in the CT designer's mind seemed to be flexibility—not physical flexibility, but functional flexibility. Unlike other, larger war machines, these robots were intended to achieve power in numbers by working in organized squads, capable of going anywhere a normal living combatant can go, and doing anything a normal living combatant can do, including operating vehicles, equipment, and even normal weapons. This broad range of activity requires equally flexible artificial intelligence, however; that's where the "Intellidrive" comes in.

Data collected from in-depth observation and brain activity scans of a real, living, trained soldier was recorded to a Chaos Drive contained in each and every Cap Troop, forming an artificial "consciousness" bordering on true sentience, with realistic learning and decision-making skills, virtually to the point of free will, at the expense of precision (as they think more like real people, and less like computers, thus limiting some quick computational skills). To translate this into the sort of "machine language" needed to operate a robot, a sub-CPU (in this case a far more conventional silicon-based processor) handles and interprets the data from the Chaos Drive, and, to a certain degree, controls it. Hard-coded commands and protocols used to be in place to prevent the Intellidrive from ever making a decision that would go against the Captroop's commander's orders. Most Captroops say they have "General Red," the first Capsule Trooper, to thank for abolishing the feature and leaving them all with free will.

Capabilities Details

Balanced, with attributes ranging from average to above average, Capsule Troopers are well-rounded combat machines that lack any particular strengths or weaknesses. They can haul reasonably large amounts of equipment and ammunition, and, if equipped with booster packs, can execute alarmingly fast blitzkrieg assaults, covering ground rapidly. With their exceptional flexibility (for robots, anyway), they're capable of performing most any basic activity with roughly the same level of motor skill as a competent organic soldier, be it driving, piloting, operating machinery, or utilizing virtually any kind of conventional weapon. Also, thanks to their advanced ceramic body armor, they're very difficult to damage with those same conventional ranged weapons without accurately striking vital points (eyes, collar area, unarmored extremities), and virtually impervious to lower caliber small arms fire. The design's only major weakness lies in CQB against exceptionally mobile foes. Even then, through use of their short-barreled scatterguns, loaded with a variety of ammunition, ranging from deadly razor-spraying flechette cartridges to flame-belching incendiary "fireball" shells, they've displayed that they can typically deter even the most quick and nimble enemies from ever entering close range.

Miscellanea

Trivia

A Capsule Trooper sporting standard-issue winter gear.

Though Capsule Troopers have unique personalities due to the imperfect Intellidrive copying process and the unique experiences each CT has after activation, there are certain quirks shared by most units.

• Virtually all Capsule Troopers like yo-yos. It is estimated that yo-yo sharing issues are a leading cause of conflict between CTs.
• Most CTs like the color red, but agree that it looks awful on them.
• Many CTs are drawn to food and drink, and find food appetizing. Their inability to consume it is typically frustrating or depressing. Some cope with it by pretending to eat food, or just standing around where other people are eating while holding food or drink.
• CTs benefit from cycling out coolant and lubricant on a very regular basis. Their inclinations to use (and subsequently soil) restrooms for this purpose are often a source of contention with organic cohabitants.
• CT serial numbers consist of a letter and three numbers, which indicate the order in which they were produced. A CT with a lower value (such as A350) will often be more intelligent than a CT with a higher value (such as V350). This is a result of their fast manufacturing process, which at times required Intellidrives to be copied from other Intellidrives, thus in some cases creating copies of copies of copies, with decreasing quality in later production.
  • CTs with lower serial numbers are typically focused, courageous, and personable, though sometimes a bit haughty.
  • CTs with higher numbers are typically less mature, somewhat cowardly, and often childlike, or just plain weird.
  • There are no known CTs with an "X" designation in operation, although records of them are said to exist. It may be an "experimental" designation for prototype Capsule Trooper units that never saw mass production.
• All CTs have male voices and mostly masculine behavior by design. Many find organic females attractive, again much to their own chagrin. A select few CTs have decided to try to "act female." With average CTs, these efforts are usually met first with curiosity, then varying levels of intrigue or repulsion, depending on the individual. Some research-minded CTs are currently investigating the possibility of creating a new Intellidrive model—one that "isn't made from a freakin' dude," to quote CT-L178 "Prof. Treuper", leading authority.
• Many CTs enjoy affixing things to their helmets, such as decals, lights, badges, nametags, and so on.
• CTs are highly valued in dangerous industries, such as chemical processing and mining, due to their hardy natures and lack of need for oxygen.
• Some CTs cope very well with the fact that they're robots. Others are offended if treated differently from their organic contemporaries.
• Many CTs love extreme sports, but very few participate, since they're typically not flexible or lightweight enough. (One North Spring City street luge time trial featuring a Capsule Trooper contestant ended in tragedy.)
• Non-technical CT names -- "Dizzy," "Elegant Joe," etc. -- are generally overseen by senior officer units, and are typically drawn from individual personality traits or unique if not interesting past experiences. In the vast majority of cases, CTs do not like their nicknames, as they are almost always connected to embarrassing blunders or personality habits they don't particularly want made publicly apparent. Despite the free will nature of CTs in modern times, the standard naming conventions still see almost universal use (mainly because none of them can stop making fun of one another's name). Various examples of CT naming conventions include:
  • CT-S269 "Sparky" (wet his finger and stuck it in an electrical outlet for kicks)
  • CT-K484 "Blaze" (joined the Spring City fire department and immediately thereafter accidentally burned down his station)
  • CT-A439 "Slaw" (Shops Like A Woman)
  • CT-M895 "Pogo" (catastrophic accident involving a pogo stick and a ceiling fan)
  • CT-Q837 "Idunno" (was asked by General Green how a certain prisoner of war escaped from the Xol Army's hold; his answer was not a wise one)
  • CT-B021 "Coma" (took a hit to his voice processor in combat--now speaks in a slow, monotone voice; technicians refuse to repair it because they find it too amusing)
  • CT-H619 "Slush" (wanted to be called "Ice")
• Adding to CT frustration over naming conventions is the fact that there are three cardinal rules concerning a unit's nickname, which were ordained by General Green (of course):
  • 1) If you don't already have one, you will be "assigned" one by your "buddies."
  • 2) You probably won't like it.
  • 3) If you complain and moan about it, you'll be given an even worse one.

Beyond the Profile

Credits

Capsule Trooper design, appearance, info, art, and name ©Spindash.net

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