Colossus By Design: The Safety Net

["Global Union of Divisions - Exo-Atmospheric Research & Development"]

[Project Subject 8]: RNG-WRLDS (Reactionary Next Generation Weaponized RE-Pulsar LASER Defense System), Mark VI

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[Specifications]

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[Length]: 20 meters
[Width]: 4.2 meters

[Armament]: Industrial-Grade Mining RE-Pulsar LASER Cannon; emergency remote HALO (High Acceleration Long Ordnance) self-destruct feature

[Appearance]: Classical 21st century satellite design with a central cylindrical body and wing panels; two long prongs outfitted at the end of the cylindrical body that emit the RE-Pulsar LASER cannon; straight hull plating with minimal offshoots of stylistic design; primarily silver grey paint coating with blackish-blue panel wings

[Date of Construction]: July 7, 2147
[Date of Completion]: November 8, 2148
[Location of Completion]: Global Union of Divisions Extra-Solar Observatory Base, Earth's Moon (Luna)

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[History]

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After the conclusion of the second conflict with the P.E.M.F.s, Humanity entered a new space age; the vast number of new possibilities out in the cosmos were free to explore with the war over.

Many of the G.U.D.'s highest profile projects were worked on beyond Earth's atmosphere due to the ease of construction within the low/non-existent gravitational conditions, as well as the high quantity of natural resources that weren't as abundant back on Earth's surface or even deep within the underground recesses of the crust and beyond.

However, mining for such resources proved a very dangerous task, as the inherent unpredictability of space made every single excavation venture a perilous and potentially life threatening one.

Thus, a countermeasure system was set in motion. The mining operations had already found effective usage of the extremely popular RE-Pulsar LASER technology that popped up after the end of Second Wave, so defensive satellites were built around an up-scaled variant of this tool.

In addition to this formidable tool, each unit ended up being given a newly developed A.I. system, one that, whilst not sentient like the Synthetics that live among Humans as both citizens and property, was nonetheless quite sophisticated, able to judge the threat level of any incoming free-floating objects and react accordingly, even being able to adjust the intensity of its RE-Pulsar LASER cannons to suit the situation.

At first, the satellites simply served as deterrents to oncoming asteroids and other free-floating objects, but only a short while after multiple variations had been produced and utilized in all exo-atmospheric excavation operations, the G.U.D. found a new usage for the satellites: a defensive net around the Earth that would serve to protect the planet from potentially apocalyptic-level objects that happened to have Earth in their trajectory.

Several thousand satellite units were commissioned and completed, forming what is now referred to as the Safety Net, a formation of defensive satellites that would constantly scan the nearby space for possible threats. Despite what many believe, the units do not use Earth's gravitational field to maintain their positions.

Or, rather, they do not use it solely. The aforementioned A.I. systems of each satellite is able to judge exactly how it needs to shift position to maintain its usual post around the Earth, and will manually engage thrusters to move the unit into place.

However, as with all pieces of technology in this day and age, there are measures in place should the system fail its duty. If there were ever a sufficiently high quantitative/qualitative threat of free-floating objects coming towards the Earth that the Safety Net couldn't suppress it fully, each unit could be remotely detonated to provide one last line of defense against whatever may come.

Such a protocol is expected to rarely, if ever, be necessary.