PACYOA:TE Lore - General Mechanics and Functions of Power Armor

The lore behind the mechanics of the power armor. **THIS LORE IS SPECIFIC TO PACYOA:TE AND IS NON-AFFILIATED WITH PACYOA:AD.**

## *General Mechanics and Functions of Power Armor*

Power Armor, known colloquially as
"suits", are mechanized exoskeleton extensions of a user's body and
mind. Suits were created from technologically given to humanity by the Vannai,
an alien race requiring a new world to settle on. The suits are created as an
extension and manifestation of the user's will and mind, and as such the suit
adopts traits, weapons, and abilities based on the many minor and subconscious
thoughts that populate the suit user's mind. Due to the mechanics of the suit,
it can be adjusted via mechanical methods, but goes through major changes as a
readjustment of the mindset of the user. This process, in which a suit adapts
and adjusts itself to the new construction and formulation that the user wants,
can take anywhere from 4 to 8 days. The user must be present inside their suit
during this process, and will slip into a coma-like state while the suit
changes itself.

Suits do not require their users to be
in them to function, nor do the users require their suits to function normally.
Suits, being an extension of the user's will, remain as they are when the user
exits it, and can be placed in storage or can be manually and mechanically
adjusted during this time. A suit cannot change itself without a user present
and a specific change in mindset (see above), but mechanical and electrical
tools and equipment do somewhat work on the suits. Weapons and equipment can be
adjusted or moved using non-automatic processes, but due to suit construction
these changes take some time and effort to perform. This can be helpful,
however, if users intend to simply swap out weapons or perform basic
maintenance. This can cut what might take at least 4 days in a comatose state
to 3 hours while fully conscious and functional.

Suits themselves are created out of a
working relationship between two major components, which are found in the two
major components of the power armor, that being the user and the armor itself.
Within the armor, the suit is formulated and almost entirely developed around a
substance called Sludge. This inky black substance, very rare to find in pure
form, is a highly adaptive, energy-rich substance that was developed by the
Vannai. Sludge has a higher energy density than anything found on Earth, and
even Tumblr Engineers are baffled at understanding exactly what Sludge is or
how it is created. In pure form, this substance is highly toxic and
radiologically unstable, and is extremely deadly to human beings. The Sludge however,
can only work towards developing and creating a suit by operating with the user
themselves. Nanites, injected into every AC, Moqaddas, Hanse, and GI suit (as
well as all TA and Reddit suits) assist the Sludge in forming a certain way and
performing certain actions at the will of the user. These nanites sometimes
give alternate benefits, but overall serve as a catalyst and amplify the
thoughts of the user. With the reveal of the Tumblr Engineers, however, it has
been suggested that Sludge simply requires willpower through the extension of a
suit to function, instead of specifically needing nanites. Nanites, just like
Sludge, have the appearance of a shiny black liquid.

The nanites, designated separately,
are in groups according to the effects on the human body and mind. Based from
Vannai lifeblood, the substance which replaces the need for energy through
consumption, there are three main divisions of nanites. The first - counting
backwards as AO-9/8/7/6 are all injected in the humanity-aligned suits (excluding
Tumblr Engineers). These nanites are designed to elicit feelings of valor,
heroism, and glory within the user. These nanites were originally used to give
the "protagonist" suits a feeling of glory in battle, so as to
expedite the war among humanity and kill off humanity faster. This has since
backfired, however, as the humans are now in a feeling of glory against the
Vannai themselves. The second division - counting backwards as AO-5/4/3/2 are
all injected into TA and some Reddit suits. These nanites prevent and block
feelings of empathy or sympathy, and cause extreme emotional discharge among
those it is given to, prompting unwarranted feelings of extreme aggression and
reckless abandon. The fearless and hivemind-like qualities of the TA are assumed
to be somewhat connected to the Vannai themselves, not so much the people under
AO-5 control. Finally, the third division - simply AO-1, is a special variant
of the nanite formula. Turning humans into "elves", this substance
blends what appears to be Vannai genetics with human genetics, forming a
hybrid. Elves are functionally superior to humans, but are ostracized and
commonly are forced to hide signs of "elven" qualities due to their
extremely close connection to the Vannai.

Sludge is an extremely energy-rich
substance. This substance, used to power the suits, has developed in many
unique ways, mostly thanks to humanity themselves. Sludge, in the most
straightforward definition possible, is a mimic substance. Sludge adopts the
qualities and material properties of other substances and materials through
processes that appear scientifically impossible from a modern understanding of
chemistry and physics. Regardless, this substance develops and mimics itself,
and becomes almost identical (at a molecular level) to the substance it is
imitating. This has fallen under debate, however, as the substance, when in an
alternate form, requires contact with pure Sludge to revert to its prior form
and reconstruct itself. The substance does not perfectly imitate the chosen
substances, however, as non-Sludge substances cannot revert into Sludge when
put in contact with the pure form. In short, if a piece of iron and Sludge that
is imitating a piece of iron are placed side by side, they are practically
identical, so far as being identical at a molecular level. However, when
exposed to pure Sludge, only the imitation of iron becomes Sludge. The science
behind this is hard to nail down, even after weeks of study.

Sludge powers power armor, which
allows for large suits with superweapons and massive amounts of required energy
to function with otherwise miniscule energy packs in relation to the amount of
power required. Sludge acts as this energizing substance, and performs every
function the suit requires, from self-maintenance, to locomotion, to weaponry,
to electronics and digital display. Energy weapons feed directly from the power
source, as do thrusters, electronics, and internal mechanics. In the case of
ballistic weapons and rocketry, the sludge develops the bullets within the
weapon itself, which depletes Sludge and therefore energy, but allows the user
to fire bullets and missiles without needing to reload, as the ammunition
creates itself within the weapon.

## *Sludge As A Pure Substance (And Other Notes)*

Pure Sludge can usually only be found
in the energy packs of suits, and even then retrieving such a liquid is
extremely risky, as the substance is unstable to a point where attempting to
retrieve it without a suit there to stabilize it internally would provide an
extreme risk of detonation, destroying the Sludge and potentially injuring the
retriever in the process. Because of this, Tumblr Engineers have given very
specific warnings about handling and dealing with the inner mechanics and
extremities of suits, including and especially Sludge. TE has secured Pure
Sludge and keeps amounts of it handy for testing and general energy usage, but
is very strict about refusing access to giving information about the storage
facility of these secured samples. As demonstrated early on in Vancouver,
though, even a non-suited person can potentially get their hands on Sludge.

Pure Sludge cannot affect the body due
to the construction of the suit. In all cases, the suits have a special
construction to ensure that Sludge does not come in contact with the human body
and is kept stabilized by multiple components of the suit itself. Pure Sludge
should almost never be used as a weapon due to the extreme energy potentially
contained within the substance. Referring again to early missions, the disaster
and damage in Vancouver was caused from a relatively small container of Sludge.
The substance should not be handled by anyone outside of Tumblr Engineer
technicians and the functions of the suit itself.

Human physiology cannot sustain itself
if it comes in contact with Sludge. Provided the substance does not immediately
detonate, Pure Sludge would cause immediate sickness in the body, resulting in
common symptoms of acute radiological disorder. Touch contact can potentially
warrant death within 36 hours. Contact with the Pure Sludge at a distance can
be survived, but causes symptoms ranging from nausea and vomiting to seizures,
ataxia, and complete organ failure. Needless to say, Tumblr Engineers will
commonly give instructions on procedures in the event of potential contact. The
long term effects of Sludge and the human body are not known due to lack of
time studied.

The effects of Sludge in imitated
forms over time show interesting developments in the molecular composition of
the material. If in an imitated form, Sludge imitations will eventually
stabilize into the material itself. In this instance, if a suit fires a bullet
that has been developed via Sludge imitation, the bullet will remain in
whatever form it imitates when it hits the intended target or alternatively
misses and hits the ground. Seeing as bullets and shrapnel are rarely cleaned
and retrieved, Tumblr Engineers have found that Sludge imitations, over time,
will stabilize to become the substance they are imitating. Therefore, if the
imitation of a material for a bullet remains in the ground for an extended
period of time, eventually the imitation will fully stabilize and simply become
the metal itself. Early signs of stabilization show that this is the case but
there has been no documented case of a fully stabilized imitation.

Sludge cannot be formulated into
edible, injectable, or otherwise consumable products. Sludge can imitate
consumable substances, but they are toxic by nature and may warrant minor
radiological poisoning. Therefore, bring your own beverage from the base
instead of having your suit make you one the fly. Suits of all sizes do not
detonate in the manner that Pure Sludge might when destroyed, even by explosive
force, as the suit stabilizes the compound pre-detonation. Tumblr Engineers
have not found a way to turn off this failsafe, and don't want to. Pure Sludge,
in containment, should be kept stable through numerous components such as but
not limited to pressurization, temperature control, and special sealing.

## *Power Armor Weaponry in Relation to Sludge*

Sludge, acting as a mimic substance,
has been found to have an interesting effect with weaponry. Suit pilots never
reload their weapons, despite many of those weapons being based on conventional
firearms - weapons which, by nature, have detachable ammunition supplies. It
has been found that the weapons themselves, already products of Sludge acting
within the confines of suit construction, produce all the internal components
to weaponry as well. In this case, Sludge not only is the substance of which
forms the weapon, but is also the substance that powers the weapon and forms
the ammunition. In the case of ballistic and explosive weaponry, the Sludge
uses its mimic-type properties to replicate the weapon's most ideal round and
fires it after creation. Weapons do not need to reload and do not have
detachable ammunition in this instance because the rounds being fired are
created in the action of firing itself. Energy weaponry, as well as weaponry
under special properties, use the energy output of the Sludge itself in a more
stabilized form, yet still much less stable than something such as armor
plating or digital systems. This partially-stabilized form of Sludge allows the
energy within the weapon to adopt special properties, causing an effect similar
to the "lasers" and "black holes" which the weapons fire.

In the case of ballistic and explosive
weaponry, as well as weapons that leave lasting effects or residual energy, the
Sludge abides by the same rules of stabilization stated above. A bullet that is
fired and remains away from the central suit will eventually stabilize into the
material or element that it is replicating. This applies with shrapnel,
residual weapon effects, and weapon parts, as well as pieces of the suit which
may fall of in direct combat. Sludge used as a direct weapon in pure form has
not been tested enough to understand the principles behind its effects, outside
of T. Engineer testing and the disaster at Vancouver.

Weapons, despite not needing to reload,
still must function as according to energy available. Due to the unknown
properties of Sludge, it cannot be confirmed yet seems highly likely that
Sludge cannot reform or draw a certain level of energy/substance within a
certain timeframe. Weapons of which fire larger rounds, produce higher energy
discharge, or otherwise have elements which stand above conventional weaponry
may require a "cooldown" period in which weapons cannot or do not
fire, despite user input. Ammo Generation appears to be higher with weapons
that have conventional methods of fire, shoot simpler rounds that are being
fired, require less energy to function, and can recycle or use surrounding
environmental factors to assist the firing process.

## *Nanites In Connection To Human Physiology*

The nanite formulas AO-9/-/2 have had
strange effects on the human body, and have warranted other potential effects
on the human body. The nanite formula appears to intermix within the human
bloodstream, and changes the human body in minor ways to adjust to the nanite
substance. The current information known of nanites and the effects on the
human body begin with the knowledge that nanites self-stabilize and the
specialized nanite formulas stabilize the body when they make adjustments. In
this instance, those with the Hydra nanite specialization have gained bodies
that self-repair at rapid rates thanks to nanite infusion at a cellular level
acting as a catalyst, which is transferred through skin oils and secretions in
the skin in the instance of Hydra II. Those with the Mycelium nanite
specialization have nanites that automate the energy processes from their suits
(not as Sludge, but rather the byproduct of Sludge) into rejuvenating and
supplying energy to the body. Mycelium II suggests that the nanites use
sunlight as solar energy to carry out the same technical process.

Nanites and how they connect to the
Vannai is unknown, even to Tumblr Engineers. The Vannai somehow gain thoughts
and processes via nanites, rather than the suits themselves. This could be a
suit/nanite conjunction process, but there is no evidence to back this theory
up.

Those with the AO-1 formula of nanites
have been genetically readjusted with Vannai lifeblood, or a certain type of
lifeblood that does not warrant the effects found with direct lifeblood
contact. Instead, this reproductive agent mixed with human physiological
qualities produces a hybrid, known as an "elf" (this jargon was
adopted due to the signature long ears that are gained from this process).
Elves have certain qualities, such as an extended lifespan and increased
physical and mental abilities in contrast of basic human physiology. This is
apparently due to "elven" physiology being made up of a different
formulation of cells, resulting in different skin, muscle, nerve, and organ
tissues, which appear to possess increased adaptive potential from their human
counterparts.

## *Spatial Logistics of Power Armor*

One of the functional aspects of Power
Armor is the **Collapsible** ability, in
which a suit of power armor can be collapsed and worn in contrast to being
placed in storage or simply hung up (in the case of a mesh). This technology is
thanks to the Sludge and Vannai technological qualities, which can redirect the suit's mass and size into a spatial anomaly, that being something akin to a "pocket dimension", which stores the excess Sludge lost in collapsing elsewhere from the user. When the suit is "unpacked", it rebuilds itself to the state it was when it was placed in its collapsed state. Collapsed suits cannot make major changes (see *General Mechanics and Functions of Power Armor*, paragraph 1).

However, due to spatial limitations with the suit as a function of mass to size, there are multiple tiers of while suits can fall into based on the size of the worn/held object which the suit compresses into and the size and mass of the suit itself. With regards to the spatial anomaly handling a large amount of the gruntwork, collapsed objects can be small (a ring, dog tags, a knife, etc.), medium (a backpack, a lower/upper body cover, etc.), or large (a hatchback sedan, a survival pod, etc.). Suit size and object size work together in tiers, based on the amount of mass that must be retrieved from the anomaly itself. Putting together suit and object size will determine the amount of time required for a full "unpack". Collapsible objects are not intrinsically programmed to determine whether or not it is safe for a suit to reconstruct itself in relation to the surrounding environment, but can be easily programmed to do so.

Mesh suits have an unpacking factor of 0. Light suits have an unpacking factor of 1. Medium suits have an unpacking factor of 2. Heavy suits have an unpacking factor of 3. Fortresses, being the size of small buildings in some cases, have an unpacking factor of 5. Small objects detract 0 from the unpacking factor. Medium objects detract 2. Large objects detract 4. Unpacking factor 0 would allow a suit to reconstruct in a matter of seconds, 1 would allow a suit to reconstruct in about 30 seconds, 2 would allow a suit to reconstruct in about 2 minutes, 3 would allow a suit to reconstruct in about 5 minutes, 4 would allow a suit to reconstruct in 15 minutes, and 5 would allow a suit to reconstruct in 45 minutes. Negative unpacking factors act at the same speed as 0. Meshes and light suits cannot collapse into a large object.

## *TL;DRs*

Sludge: It's a really dark, black liquid that makes the suits do things.

Nanites: They look like a dark, black liquid that makes your body do things with the suit.

Power Armor: Powered mecha suits. You don't need to be told this.