431 431 Can't Trade That Either
“What else did you develop? It can’t be all weapons, right?” Max asked.
“Of course not. We didn’t start with the very coolest thing since you wanted to see the armor first.
Meet the holowatch version one. It does all of the things you would expect of a standard smartwatch, with a holographic projector for video communication and data gathering. Plus, we have managed to adapt a very basic version of the flat space technology into the device. It has a one cubic meter storage space for rations, spare energy cells, and explosives.” Nico introduced Max to the least assuming-looking device set out on the tables.
Max picked it up with the surprisingly agile fingers of the suit’s gloves, which felt like he was using his own fingers, though a bit desensitized, and strapped the oversized device to his wrist over the armor.
The device linked to his helmet controls, so he could control it by voice if he didn’t want to or couldn’t touch the screen. That was much more convenient while inside an armor suit, and Max wondered how to interact with the Flat Space Technology that the Hunters had introduced them to.
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The command opened a shimmering space over his arm, which Max found he could reach into, though there was nothing in it at the moment.
“Here, we designed the entire Infantry Pack to fit in the space’s dimensions.” A technician informed him, throwing Max a rack with various drawers and pieces of equipment slotted onto it.
It wasn’t a bag. They were all accessible from the outside so that he could grab anything out of the flat space in an instant. Max put the crate away and then grabbed a pair of Ion Pistols out of the space before ordering it to close.
“At the moment, only the one wearing it can open and close it, but anyone can grab the items in it if it is open. We haven’t managed to replicate that security feature yet, so there are some drawbacks to the first edition, but I think it will be more than sufficient to impress our soldiers.” The Technician informed Max with a sigh.
“I can’t see why anyone would be depressed about this. The device is an incredible improvement. I can see that there is at least a week’s worth of rations and what appears to be a water dispenser, as well as all the usual kit.” Max replied.
“It holds ten liters, but it has a dehumidifier function, so you can pull fresh water from atmospheric humidity on extended missions if the device is left deployed. It removes from the crate with a press of two buttons.” The technician agreed.
That wasn’t a bad start, and it weighed nothing at all. The perfect accessory for daily wear.
“Is there a version for casual use?” Max asked since this one was oversized for use over the armor.
“Of course. We made five versions, including that one. There are two utilitarian versions for daily use, and two fashionable versions for formal occasions. The cost might be a bit prohibitive at the moment on the general market, given the materials needed, but we can equip the entire Regiment with them if you want.”
“I also made a modified version for Technicians. It is a full forearm plate with nine storage spaces included to store all your spare materials for repairs and resupply.” Nico informed the group, who all looked ecstatic at the news.
The device was huge and bulky, but it could be worn with the Tech Adept Harness to give them a supply of repair materials at all times. They could even carry reconnaissance drones and other small luxuries with them.
“The total volume won’t change, but the shape of the space can be altered, so it is possible to keep your rucksack and hoverboard in the storage space of your casual device.” Nico pointed out, showing the versatility of the technology for civilian use.
“This technology might be a bit much to be sent out right away. But based on materials and energy requirements to produce it, what sort of market price are we looking at to sell them when the time comes?” Max asked.
“For the casual ones, without all the secure military communications features, and with only the basic holographic projection? Roughly fifty thousand credits.” Nico shrugged.
That was expensive, but not prohibitively so. It could very well be mass marketed as a luxury necessity for the wealthy.
“Do we have a scanner that can detect what is hidden in the space? These could be a serious security risk.” Max realized.
“Not yet. We can detect the presence of the space but not the contents at the moment. The Hunters didn’t give us any clues on how to detect the space, so we have had to muddle through that on our own. Even now, if it is a foreign design, like theirs, our scanners won’t find it at all. Only the rudimentary version that we have made is flawed enough to be detected with the sensors we have.” The technician team explained.
“Well, we can work on that later. Is there anything else in this pile that is going to shock me into speechlessness, or just the watches?”
The technicians chuckled at the thought that they might have come up with even more than just a new armor suit and the watches in the few weeks that they had been working. It was nearly a miracle that they had even managed to get a beta version of the watches ready under an hour ago for him to inspect. They had only made the breakthrough that allowed them to stabilize the space last night.
“No, Commander. I think that will be enough for one day. We did consider swapping the Pilot Suits for the new armor since it can increase mobility and dexterity. It would make even our D Rank Line Mecha Pilots perform more like elites. That was the project’s original purpose before we realized that it could be weaponized to let monsters like yourself take out light Mecha in hand-to-hand combat.” The lead Technician explained, embarrassment clear on his weathered face.