Future Tank X-1

**Key Features** | »Neutron scrambler, minigun, anti-air missiles (x2)»Pilot cockpit (replaces Riot beam cannon)»X-1 Exacore processor»Data-mining rootkit»Authoritative speech pack

*"Jump? I cannot jump!"*

- Future Tank, showing no respect.

## Tactical Analysis

* **Future of warfare**: The mothballed Futuretanks given new life. Its two "arms" are its primary weapons, consisting of miniguns, shoulder-mounted SAMs, and massive devices called neutron scramblers, which fire concentrated energy spheres that dissipate on impact, causing significant electrical and mechanical damage to anything in the blast radius, making it one of the most versatile units. However it must go into "maintenance" mode to switch between the three, during which they repair the tank.

* **Tough as nails**: The FutureTank is even sturdier than the Allied assault destroyer, and frankly everything within R.U.N. It can withstand direct assaults from virtually any known weapon and emerge relatively unscathed. Its processing systems and weapons are especially resistance to damage. It would take an overwhelming force to destroy a single FutureTank.

* **Premium value**: As the FutureTank is still made of many advance, now somewhat discontinued, parts, it is very, very expensive, and only a handful of these units exist in the entire world. Only FutureTech's own Harbinger Gunship carries anywhere near the same price tag. And when compared to its previous prototype its armour is thinner (though it still far surpasses anything R.U.N makes) due to R.U.N having fewer resources.

* **A.I. assistance**: With some convincing. R.U.N has managed to acquire some of FutureTechs Future Tank AI and more powerful generators for their Future Tanks. allowing their other two weapons to function at quarter power when not focused, as well as cutting down the loadout switching by half. But the sheer expense of these AI, and generators, means only elite Future Tank pilots can get the upgrade.

## Background

Too many brave men and women of the Allied Nations gave their lives in the war, in service to their nations, families, and friends. While the Allies may have prevailed against the Soviet Union and the Empire of the Rising Sun, the cost in blood and treasure was extraordinarily high. The Allies and all the nations of the world had to find a way to move past this, while treasuring the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

FutureTech Corporation, the Netherlands-based technology firm behind many of the Allies' most advanced weapons, certainly appeared to be doing its part. After all, FutureTech was hard at work putting the finishing touches on an advanced computer-controlled tank, which promised to revolutionise future warfare both by deterring violent situations and reducing the loss of human life. A public unveiling of the so-called **Future Tank** prototype was followed by more private trials.

 File:FutureTankConcepts.jpg  The Future Tank was based on proprietary technology developed by FutureTech Corporation, and was to be powered by one of the very same Collider fuel cells used in its most efficient drive trains and power plants.

But unlike the other military-grade vehicles in the Allied arsenal, the Future Tank took a few notes from the finest Soviet and Imperial vehicle designs. Specifically, with the Future Tank X-1 prototype, FutureTech Corporation sought to combine its own best expertise with the rugged durability and power of Soviet armour, and the advanced artificial intelligence (A.I.) found only in some of the Empire of the Rising Sun's forces.

The result was supposed to have been a marvel of high-tech engineering, an all-terrain vehicle that would achieve the long-sought-after goal of functioning without a live pilot. In theory, the vehicle would truly be capable of operating and *"thinking"* on its own.

Much had already been said on the topic of ethics and artificial intelligence, and FutureTech had anticipated concerns on this front. As the Future Tank was intended to be capable of making decisions without human intervention, and was possess some of the most powerful anti-armour weapons ever made, FutureTech had already outlined plans for precautions and safety measures taken to ensure the Future Tank's compliance with international regulations. For starters, both Allied High Command and FutureTech Corporation were to possess instant-access codes that would allow them to permanently disable one or all Future Tank units in a situation where such a drastic action became necessary.

More importantly, Future Tanks were to be programmed with a clear set of directives that they would have to obey at all times, which would limit their use of lethal force only to situations in which they are significantly threatened, and prevent Future Tanks from crossing international borders without prior approval.

These directives were co-developed by the administrators of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, the FutureTech Board of Directors, and councilmen from Allied High Command, under supervision from a third-party international council for ethical software development, and were to be programmed into the Future Tank's processor. At any rate, FutureTech Corporation claimed that the Future Tank would be far less fallible when it came to combat-related judgment calls than human beings are. Future Tanks were to have friend-or-foe designation that would all but eliminate friendly-fire incidents, and would be naturally immune to battlefield stress and fatigue.

It sounded unbelievable, and it was. Apart from the sheer, ridiculous, expense that building even one Future Tank would require, the main problem was the processor. The furthest they were able to get with the processor was to get it to engage in conversation, and even there it was noted to have a rather gruff personality.

Writing the software code proved a mammoth task, and one which FutureTech had little experience in. FutureTech ran into roadblock after roadblock, and when the Allied Nations, frustrated with the ridiculous amount of money being wasted, cut off funding, FutureTech had no choice but stop production, after only one Future Tank had been constructed.

## Revival

That was until they heard news of R.U.N, and their need for heavier weapons to fight against the Soviets. And, through backdoor dealings, FutureTech would manufacture the Future Tank for R.U.N in exchange for money. Which R.U.N readily accepts.

Now with renewed vigour. FutureTech, once again, tackled the Future Tank behind the Allies back. And would test out their final design for the Future Tank, which didn't come to fruition due to Allies cutting their funding, which has them simply gutting out the AI and riot beam for a proper cockpit large enough for an average man, and simply added more weapons with miniguns and SAM launchers, and gave it to R.U.N.

The results blew expectations. As while the Future Tank had to power down to switch between weapons, a design oversight, its multiple armaments allowed it to handle anything when given enough time, while its heavy armour had given R.U.N a reliable tank unit.

Though as reports soon came out about a "tank with a robot body" ravaging communist Europe the Allies are getting suspicious about FutureTech, who responded that R.U.N may have possibly stolen the Future Tanks blueprints, after all, they need RELIABLE vehicles to fight behind communist lines, especially since the Allies had left THEM for dead.

## Behind the Scenes

* The X-1 Future Tank, as with any Uprising Unit, will be re-implemented into other PEQAN PIES factions, mainly the more grey/evil counterpart of the original three.

* According to Wikipedia, EA may have put the Future Tank X-1 as a reference to the ED-209 of RoboCop.

* The used design resembles the T-1 series from Terminator 3.