Impact Suits

## Description

Impact suits are full-body protection gear designed to protect its wearer against environmental and man-made hazards.

## Book Reference

### Books

* Hestia 2781
* Array 2781
* Sol 2781
* Earth Girl
* Earth Star
* Earth Flight

## History

Impact suit technology was originally lost during the Earth Data Net crash at the end of the Exodus Century. Earth archaeologists rediscovered the technology while recovering stasis boxes from the ruins of Earth.

Impact suit technology has been improved upon and is a standard part of archaeologist and military work by the 28th century, though there are many other civilian jobs that require the use of them as well.

## Construction

Not a lot of details have been revealed yet. They seem to be made of a thick cloth-like fabric that has embedded micro or nano technology. When the suits are struck, they go rigid to protect the person wearing it. They also have internal communications over a variety of channels and can act as a space suit that contains sufficient air.

The face area is an inflexible see-through mesh that allows the wearer to see out, but prevents other people from seeing in.

Various displays on the suit are used to identify the wearer including name and (for Military) rank.

Civilian archaeologists often spray-paint their personal impact suits different colors to better distinguish their wearers.

The suits can be relaxed with a low power, carefully calibrated magnetic field wand.

Impact suits are notoriously hard for the inexperienced to put on as the material can and will lock up if the wearer moves in the wrong way.

## Types

There are quite a few hazardous jobs on Earth that involve wearing impact suits – things like firefighting, flying aircraft, rescue work, excavating the old cities, and pollution control.

Each service has impact suits of different colors.

CAS's suits are green.

Civilian impact suits are the Military base model. Archaeologists and other high-risk professions use these suits when in dangerous situations. The archaeology domes are equipped with basic black impact suits, but the customizable ones that can be purchased are a metallic silver which can be painted.

The Military have various grades of suits usually in Military blue. Generals wear impact suits with a white top half.

Pilot
The suits Fian, Raven, and Jarra use after the attempts on Fian and Jarra's lives. Jarra's was further modified to monitor her implanted web.
These suits include a higher level of computer technology.
Medical
Standard Military blue with red bands around the sleeves. The material covering the hands are flexible and softer than that of ordinary impact suits.
## Advantages

### Impact Suit Protection

When the impact suit wearer hits or is hit by objects at high speed, the impact suit material triggers and becomes solid from head to toe. This keeps the wearer's body relatively safe in minor emergencies. The suit material also keeps injured areas, such as broken arms, in place. A suit's telemetry will indicate if part or all of the suit is in danger of failing.

### Air Supply

If the suit detects that the surrounding air is unsafe or toxic, it will seal the suit and recycle air. Supplemental air cartridges can be attached to the suit to extend the air capacity.

### Communications

Impact suits come equipped with channels used to communicate with other suit wearers, team members out of earshot, or vast numbers of people.

Civilian archaeologists typically use several channels on a dig site. The broadcast channel is used to send announcements to everyone on the dig site. The emergency channel is used in accidents, evacuations, or other emergencies. Each archaeology team uses a team channel and several other channels if the team splits into groups. Dig Site Command can override channel permissions if necessary.

## Weaknesses

### Impact Suit Blackout

An impact suit can trigger hard and fast enough to cause its user to lose consciousness. The wearer usually wakes up after a few moments disoriented and in shock.

### Sharp Objects

Impact suits are valuable in keeping a person alive under a lot of different scenarios and environments, but are particularly vulnerable to sharp objects such as spikes, knives, or glass shards.

### Magnetic Hazards

A randomly fluctuating, high powered magnetic field will cause the suit to tighten up and crush or cut the person wearing it.

### Time Limit

Impact suits can only maintain their rigidity for so long. If someone wearing one is buried under a landslide and there is a lot of weight pressing on them, then they must be rescued within two hours or the suit will fail and the person will be crushed to death.

Areas of the suit where pressure is being applied will flicker to amber and then to red. Red indicates that the suit is failing in that area.

Wearing an Impact suit is a strain on the body and frequent rest breaks are needed. The maximum time that one should be worn is 12 hours.

It is impossible to eat while wearing a suit even if it is opened up and unsealed. Drinking fluids often is also necessary.

### High Falls

Impact suits will only protect the wearer from low level falls. If an airplane pilot needs to jump from their plane, they must first use their hover vest to get low enough to the ground that the impact suits will be effective.

### Interior Metal Objects

Rigid metal objects, such as necklaces or rings, can cut into the impact suit wearer if the suit triggers. There are rings made of a special material called flowgold that are safe to wear while in impact suits.

## References

1. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Sol 2781 (Drago Tell Dramis Book 4) (p. 325). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.
2. ↑ Author's Q&A
3. ↑ Edwards, Janet. Earth Prime (The Earth Girl Aftermath Stories Book 1) (p. 176). Wallam-Crane Press. Kindle Edition.