NHAC Tool

The **Nanite Housing and Containment** (**NHAC**) **Tool** (previously branded as the **Omni-Tool**) is a revolutionary device created by N-Comms Systems scientist Dr. Faemar Bright-Mind and her team in 2189.

## Development

Dr. Bright-Mind developed the device for N-Comm Systems, a military contractor company that had originally been contracted to develop espionage equipment. Dr. Bright-Mind originally proposed the concept of a nanite manipulation tool for use by medical personnel, allowing for more complex and advanced procedures to take place on the battlefield, lowering the combat mortality rate as more soldiers are being saved as they are not needing to wait to get to a medical facility.

The Galactic Union approved her ‘Omni-Tool project’ codenamed Project: LISTER, named after human physician Joseph Lister. Development began in 2188, mere months after the Second Great War had began. Preliminary tests proved promising, as the nanites worked better than anticipated. Dr. Bright-Mind and her team began field tests in November of that year, which was overseen by members of the Union military. By early 2189, the Omni-Tool prototype would enter limited use for medical personnel. The war however, was not going well for the Union. The Union Senate wished to expand Dr. Bright-Mind’s project, and fund it for offensive applications. Dr. Bright-Mind objected at first, but was left with little choice. Funding was increased and Dr. Bright-Mind’s team got to work. By May of that year, specialised scientists entered the battlefield now equipped with the prototype Omni-Tool, with preprogrammed offensive programs referred to as ‘Powers’. They proved devastating for their Zultan foes, and the Union further funded Project: LISTER for further distribution.

In July of 2189, the Omni-Tool mk. I would enter the field. Although it turned the tide in combat for a time, the Omni-Tool’s glaring flaw would allow the Zultans to once again gain the upper hand. The mk. I Omni-Tool suffered from a fatal and unavoidable flaw, its power usage. Due the complexity of the programs (Powers), the nanites had significant power requirements, and as such, after the use of only one or two complex Powers, the Omni-Tool would require a recharge, leaving its operator vulnerable. This was not something Dr. Bright-Mind was able to immediately solve. She worked on a temporary fix, by releasing several low-power usage Powers referred to as ‘Cantrips’. These programs could be used many times and would drain insignificant amounts of power, although the programs were weak and many considered them mere distractions rather than weapons.

Dr. Bright-Mind released continued software patches and updates to the Omni-Tool throughout the course of the war, although she could not solve the power issue, she did release portable batteries, allowing for quicker recharges in the field, and a separate power supply for Cantrip Powers for use in emergencies. By the end of the war, the Omni-Tool was more common than normal weaponry, with the Zultan side stealing Omni-Tools from fallen Union soldiers and putting them to use.

After the war and the foundation of the Galactic Imperium, N-Comm Systems continued to be funded by the new government to develop the Omni-Tool. However, by 2206, Dr. Bright-Star had made little progress on repairing the glaring issues with the device. Her team continued to monitor and patch the Omni-Tool software against malware and hacking attempts, while Dr. Bright-Mind worked on upgrading the device.

In September of 2206, Dr. Bright-Mind started from scratched and rebuilt the Omni-Tool from the ground up. She officially designated this project the ‘mk. II project’ when building in the software, Dr. Bright-Mind finally developed a fix for the power usage issue. She created a fractal algorithm that would device the power supply into pieces, similar to her fix with Cantrips. She classified Tech-Powers by their overall power usage and divided up the power supply to power different classes of Tech-Power separately. Tech-Powers were now classified in levels, from 1st level powers which had a low power usage, to 9th level powers which had a very high power usage. Each class of power had its own supply of power, which would be used to power the program of that level. Once that supply was used, that level of program would no longer be usable until the device was recharged, even if the device still had power. This meant that, high level powers could be used without draining the entire device, allowing for extended usage before recharge. The fix was meant with almost universal acclaim by N-Comm personnel who tested the prototype.

Dr. Bright-Star streamlined the device and began a rebrand of the Omni-Tool as a whole. The programs utilised by the nanites were no longer referred to as tech-powers, and were now referred to as Engrams (sometimes written as N-Grams). Cantrip Powers were now referred to as Utility Engrams. Lastly, the Omni-Tool name itself was changed, as Dr. Bright-Star felt it was no longer appropriate. The Omni-Tool was now branded by the acronym N.H.A.C (Nanite Housing and Containment) Tool, which was received well by the board of directors of N-Comm Systems.

In late 2206, when the first prototypes of the NHAC Tool Mark II began field testing, the Imperium was dissolved following the attack on Earth during the Precursor crisis. The new Galactic Federation was founded to replace it, and once again N-Comm Systems was brought in as a military contractor, allowing Dr. Bright-Star to release her new NHAC Tool Mark II almost a year later to widespread acclaim. The Galactic Federation allowed the Mark I and II to be released commercially in 2208, provided buyers were equipped with necessary licences and checks. This allowed those who already owned a Mark I to keep their tools without it being considered illegal.

By 2213, support for the original Omni-Tool (now retroactively rebranded as the NHAC Tool Mark I) was discontinued. In order to prevent nefarious forces from hacking into the operating system of the now unsupported Mark I Tool, N-Comm released a software patch that effectively disabled the Mark I’s and destroyed the nanites. This was met with widespread criticism as many depended on their Mark I took and could not afford to purchase the Mark II. A month later, N-Comm released a statement which informed customers that they would be able to exchange their now inoperable Mark I Tools and pay a small fee to gain a Mark II Tool. This was met with widespread acclaim, and N-Comm Systems avoided a disastrous PR meltdown.

In 2223, Dr. Bright-Star released the NHAC Tool Mark III, which did not feature major operational improvements, but did improve the response time and speed of the device. The Mark III was also more notably compact and user friendly. Additionally, the internal components could now be removed and placed into a new N-Comm approved case, allowing the NHAC Tool more customisation. This appeased covert organisations, who had previously complained that the Mark II was too clunky for use in covert operations.

In 2234, Dr. Bright-Star released the NHAC Tool Mark IV, which is the current version available. The Mark IV allowed for further customisation with more new cases available. Additionally, the Utility Engrams power supply inside the Mark IV was overhauled, allowing Utility Engrams to be used without limit, as the power supply would now recharge faster than it would deplete, using a unique background radiation absorber. This new power supply allowed other Engrams of higher levels to be used more efficiently, but were not unlimited like the Utility Engrams were.