Hammerverse
Encyclopedia
Hammerverse is a setting for a series of military science fiction
short stories
and novels by author David Drake
.
The series follows the career of a future mercenary
tank
regiment
called Hammer's Slammers, after their leader, Colonel
Alois Hammer.
As with his other work, Drake borrows plots from historical or mythological sources for many of the Hammer's Slammers stories. For example, he retells the story of Jason
and the Argonauts
in The Voyage, and part of the Odyssey
in Cross the Stars. Other stories borrow from pulp era fiction (The Sharp End is based on Dashiell Hammett
's Red Harvest
.)
The Complete Hammer's Slammers (2006): is a three volume set from Night Shade Books
that contains all Hammer's Slammers fiction, including three new stories written for this set. Volume 1 was released in January 2006, and features an introduction by Gene Wolfe
. Volume 2 (introduction by David G Hartwell) was released January 2007, with Volume 3 (introduction by Barry Malzberg) following in November 2007.
A Hammer's Slammers board wargame
was produced under license by Mayfair Games
. Two sets of miniatures rules have been produced by Pireme Publishing
A role playing supplement using the Traveller rules by Mongoose Publishing became available in June 2009.
Models of the vehicles are available from Old Crow and infantry figures from Ground Zero Games.
toward its target. This plasma is created by inducing an electrical field in a precisely aligned group of copper atoms; the atoms' alignment causes a resonance
which greatly amplifies the field energy and ionizes the atoms. The resulting plasma is directed by a firing chamber and barrel made of refractory metal, such as iridium
; the chamber and barrel are cooled between shots by injected gas (typically nitrogen
). The copper atoms are stored as individual charges, with the atoms held in the correct alignment by a plastic matrix which is mostly consumed by the firing. All the parts of a powergun require extremely precise machining and advanced materials, which makes powerguns very expensive; only the most successful mercenary units (or technologically advanced planets) can afford large numbers of powerguns. Powerguns are easily identified by the extremely bright cyan color of their plasma bolts; the electrical field also generates a broadband radio frequency discharge which can be picked up by the appropriate equipment. A powergun's recoil is far lower than a projectile weapon of equivalent size or firepower, as the copper atoms have low rest mass; the primary limit for powergun rate of fire is its ability to dissipate heat. Many smaller rapid fire powerguns use a multibarrel configuration, either a rotary gatling or a multi chamber mitrailleuse
(the latter called a "calliope" in Slammers military slang.)
The operating characteristics and tactical employment of powerguns were chosen by the author, David Drake, to be roughly equivalent to modern chemically driven projectile weapons; specifically, the M-1 Garand rifle, the M1928A4 Thompson submachine gun, the M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol and the Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun. This allowed him to easily translate his experiences in Vietnam to a science fiction context. The specifics of the powergun are inspired by Drake's interest in Fortean
phenomena; the mechanism by which powerguns produce destructive plasma is similar to the working of a Tesla coil
, and the destructive power of copper plasma is said (in the Slammers universe) to have resulted in the deaths of thousands in the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee
. (In reality, this was the result of a pyroclastic surge
.)
of various types in addition to their powerguns. The Regiment also maintains several batteries of self propelled howitzer
s which fire rocket boosted shells
. These include simple high explosive and smokescreen rounds, antipersonnel cluster bomb
shells, sophisticated anti tank munitions with self-forging warheads
similar to the present day CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon ("tank killers"), and tactical nuclear warheads ("red pills"). The Slammers occasionally use poison gas or incendiary weapons as area denial methods.
The Slammers (and similarly advanced units) make extensive use of powerguns for defense against aircraft, incoming artillery shells, and missiles. The powerguns are computer controlled in air defense mode to achieve the needed precision and reaction time. Although Hammer's hovertanks have computers which are capable of individual air defense operation, the usual practice is for the Regiment's Fire Central computer to take control of whatever tribarrels bear on the threat and use them to eliminate it. Some mercenary forces in the Slammers universe are specialized antiaircraft units (e.g., the United Defense Batteries; see Counting the Cost) which provide this service to clients who cannot afford to field the sophisticated technology required.
Forces other than the Slammers also use powerguns, along with a wide range of weapons. Most are similar in type to present day weapons, although they are generally smaller in size and of greater lethality. Newly established colony planets, which devote most of their production to bare survival, might produce low tech improvised firearms; at the other end of the scale, some well established planets can produce weapons such as high powered lasers or electromagnetic railgun
s and Gauss guns
. These advanced weapons can approach powerguns in effectiveness, and even exceed them in some ways (albeit at comparable expense.)
. The tank also is equipped with multiply redundant systems and state of the art artificial intelligence
to assist the crew, particularly the vehicle commander. Slammers tanks carry a continuous strip of directional mines above the skirts, to defend against infantry attacks and man portable antitank missiles ("buzz bombs") launched at point blank range.
The tanks are supported by smaller "combat cars", armored air cushion vehicles that mount three 2 cm tribarrels. Combat cars have a crew of one driver, one vehicle commander who doubles as a gunner, and two wing gunners. The armor, sensors, redundancy, and artificial intelligence of the combat cars are not as extensive as those on the tanks. The combat car was inspired by Drake's recollection of the "ACAV" version of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
. A command version of the standard combat car, essentially a steel box on a combat car chassis, exists. The command car's powerful computer and communications gear is useful for unit commanders, although many commanders choose instead to use a standard combat car.
The Slammers also operate self propelled artillery units and tank recovery vehicles, both of which are only equipped with splinter resistant armor. While these use the same air cushion propulsion system as the fighting vehicles, the sheer weight of these vehicles limits their maneuverability.
The Regiment's infantry uses very small air cushion vehicles to improve their mobility. These are either one man "skimmers" or two man "jeeps"; the latter are equipped with tribarrel powerguns, mortars, or a variety of command and sensor modules.
Many vehicles in the Slammers universe, including all the armored fighting vehicles of Hammer's Regiment, are powered by magnetically contained fusion reactors. These are called "fusion bottles" in the Slammers universe. The high power density
of these reactors allow the Slammers to combine high speed, heavy armor, and heavy weapons in their combat vehicles, albeit at extreme expense. Other vehicles of Hammer's Regiment are powered by high capacity batteries or fuel cells.
Other vehicles in the Slammers universe are not significantly advanced beyond modern vehicles, except in the specifics of materials and computer systems. One notable difference is that "aircars," similar to the Piasecki Airjeep
, are common on many worlds.
The process by which Transit occurs is not explained in Slammers fiction. However, it appears to have some effect on the human brain as those who travel by Transit are disoriented and fatigued by the jump itself, and suffer severe headaches for a short time afterward. In addition, the distance between two points via Transit is not equivalent to the distance in normal space. Two star systems which are relatively close might be many Transit Minutes apart.
There is also a realtime communications system available in the Slammers universe called the Stadtler Communication Device. Its method of operation is unknown, but it is capable of instantaneously communicating to another Stadtler Device at distances up to kiloparsecs away. However, there is one absolute requirement to employ one. "The Stadtler Device could not be used to receive alone. Its principle, whatever it was, required balance: a biological intellect at either node of a communication." (See Crossing the Stars.) The Stadtler Devices are unbelievably expensive and are generally reserved for the use of the governments of the richest worlds in the Slammers universe.
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
short stories
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
and novels by author David Drake
David Drake
David Drake is an American author of science fiction and fantasy literature. A Vietnam War veteran who has worked as a lawyer, he is now one of the premier authors of the military science fiction subgenre.-Biography:...
.
The series follows the career of a future mercenary
Mercenary
A mercenary, is a person who takes part in an armed conflict based on the promise of material compensation rather than having a direct interest in, or a legal obligation to, the conflict itself. A non-conscript professional member of a regular army is not considered to be a mercenary although he...
tank
Tank
A tank is a tracked, armoured fighting vehicle designed for front-line combat which combines operational mobility, tactical offensive, and defensive capabilities...
regiment
Regiment
A regiment is a major tactical military unit, composed of variable numbers of batteries, squadrons or battalions, commanded by a colonel or lieutenant colonel...
called Hammer's Slammers, after their leader, Colonel
Colonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
Alois Hammer.
As with his other work, Drake borrows plots from historical or mythological sources for many of the Hammer's Slammers stories. For example, he retells the story of Jason
Jason
Jason was a late ancient Greek mythological hero from the late 10th Century BC, famous as the leader of the Argonauts and their quest for the Golden Fleece. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcus...
and the Argonauts
Argonauts
The Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
in The Voyage, and part of the Odyssey
Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
in Cross the Stars. Other stories borrow from pulp era fiction (The Sharp End is based on Dashiell Hammett
Dashiell Hammett
Samuel Dashiell Hammett was an American author of hard-boiled detective novels and short stories, and political activist. Among the enduring characters he created are Sam Spade , Nick and Nora Charles , and the Continental Op .In addition to the significant influence his novels and stories had on...
's Red Harvest
Red Harvest
Red Harvest is a novel by Dashiell Hammett. The story is narrated by The Continental Op, a frequent character in Hammett's fiction. Hammett based the story on his own experiences in Butte, Montana as an operative of the Continental Detective Agency, San Francisco.Time included Red Harvest in its...
.)
Original novels
- Hammer's SlammersHammer's SlammersHammer's Slammers is a 1979 collection of military science fiction short stories by author David Drake. It follows the career of a future mercenary tank regiment called Hammer's Slammers, after their leader, Colonel Alois Hammer...
(1979): The initial collection of stories. Includes the creation of the Slammers as a mercenary unit, shows several of its campaigns, and the end of its independent existence when Colonel Hammer becomes the ruler of his native world, Friesland. - At Any Price (1985): A study in command and cultural conflict. The Slammers must aid a human community in a fight with aliens who can teleport.
- Counting the Cost (1987): The Slammers become involved in an internal dispute among their employers. Based on the Nika riotsNika riotsThe Nika riots , or Nika revolt, took place over the course of a week in Constantinople in AD 532. It was the most violent riot that Constantinople had ever seen to that point, with nearly half the city being burned or destroyed and tens of thousands of people killed.-Background:The ancient Roman...
, with Slammers Captain Tyl Koopman in the role of BelisariusBelisariusFlavius Belisarius was a general of the Byzantine Empire. He was instrumental to Emperor Justinian's ambitious project of reconquering much of the Mediterranean territory of the former Western Roman Empire, which had been lost less than a century previously....
. - Rolling Hot (1989): A pick up Slammers unit, Task Force Ranson, must make a rapid combat march to relieve the capital city which is under threat. Based loosely on the events of the Tet offensive, according to Drake's comments.
- The Warrior (1991): A rivalry between two of the Slammers, who have very different ideas of what it means to be a warrior. One of them, Slick Des Grieux, is based on the classical character of AchillesAchillesIn Greek mythology, Achilles was a Greek hero of the Trojan War, the central character and the greatest warrior of Homer's Iliad.Plato named Achilles the handsomest of the heroes assembled against Troy....
. - The Sharp End (1993): A survey team from the Slammers is looking for work for the regiment. This book is set after Colonel Hammer has become President Hammer; Hammer's Regiment the 1st Friesian Defense Forces Regiment; and is based on Dashiell Hammett's Red HarvestRed HarvestRed Harvest is a novel by Dashiell Hammett. The story is narrated by The Continental Op, a frequent character in Hammett's fiction. Hammett based the story on his own experiences in Butte, Montana as an operative of the Continental Detective Agency, San Francisco.Time included Red Harvest in its...
. - Paying the Piper (2002): Three novellas that follow a Slammers unit commander during a war between rival city states. The political situation is based on the war between Rhodes and Byzantium in the 3rd century BC
- Other short stories: A Death in Peacetime ("Oceans of the Mind", Spring 2005). The Day of Glory ("Elemental, The Tsunami Relief Anthology", Tor Books, 2006). Also in The Complete Hammer's Slammers, volumes 1 and 2 respectively.
Repackaged
The contents of the first five books of the main series were repackaged and republished, with some additional stories. Drake has said that this is his preferred order and edition.- The Tank Lords (1997)
- Caught In The Crossfire (1998)
- The Butcher's Bill (1998)
The Complete Hammer's Slammers (2006): is a three volume set from Night Shade Books
Night Shade Books
Night Shade Books is an independent publishing company based in San Francisco, specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and horror. It was started in 1997 by Jason Williams, with Jeremy Lassen coming on board as a partner shortly after the company's founding...
that contains all Hammer's Slammers fiction, including three new stories written for this set. Volume 1 was released in January 2006, and features an introduction by Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe
Gene Wolfe is an American science fiction and fantasy writer. He is noted for his dense, allusive prose as well as the strong influence of his Catholic faith, to which he converted after marrying into the religion. He is a prolific short story writer and a novelist, and has won many awards in the...
. Volume 2 (introduction by David G Hartwell) was released January 2007, with Volume 3 (introduction by Barry Malzberg) following in November 2007.
- Volume 1 contains: Hammer's Slammers (collection), Code-Name Feirefitz, The Interrogation Team, The Tank Lords, Liberty Port, Night March, The Immovable Object, The Irresistible Force, A Death in Peacetime (all short stories).
- Volume 2 contains: At Any Price, Counting the Cost, Rolling Hot, The Warrior, The Day of Glory (short story).
- Volume 3 contains: The Sharp End, Paying the Piper, The Darkness (short story).
Related works
These are works set in the Slammers universe, and involving members of the Slammers, or former members, but not directly featuring the Slammers as an organization.- Cross the Stars (1984): A retelling of the OdysseyOdysseyThe Odyssey is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is, in part, a sequel to the Iliad, the other work ascribed to Homer. The poem is fundamental to the modern Western canon, and is the second—the Iliad being the first—extant work of Western literature...
, with former Slammers Captain Don "Mad Dog" Slade in the role of Odysseus. - The Voyage (1993): A retelling of the Voyage of the ArgonautsArgonautsThe Argonauts ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology who, in the years before the Trojan War, accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, the Argo, which was named after its builder, Argus. "Argonauts", therefore, literally means...
.
A Hammer's Slammers board wargame
Board wargame
A board wargame is a wargame with a set playing surface or board, as opposed to being played on a computer, or in a more free-form playing area as in miniatures games. The hobby around this type of game got its start in 1954 with the publication of Tactics, and saw its greatest popularity in the...
was produced under license by Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games
Mayfair Games is a publisher of board, card, and roleplaying games. They also license German-style board games and publish them in English throughout the world...
. Two sets of miniatures rules have been produced by Pireme Publishing
- Hammer's Slammers Handbook
- Hammer's Anvils: Handbook 2 The Opponents
A role playing supplement using the Traveller rules by Mongoose Publishing became available in June 2009.
Models of the vehicles are available from Old Crow and infantry figures from Ground Zero Games.
Powerguns
In the Hammer universe, a powergun is a weapon which projects high energy copper plasmaPlasma (physics)
In physics and chemistry, plasma is a state of matter similar to gas in which a certain portion of the particles are ionized. Heating a gas may ionize its molecules or atoms , thus turning it into a plasma, which contains charged particles: positive ions and negative electrons or ions...
toward its target. This plasma is created by inducing an electrical field in a precisely aligned group of copper atoms; the atoms' alignment causes a resonance
Resonance
In physics, resonance is the tendency of a system to oscillate at a greater amplitude at some frequencies than at others. These are known as the system's resonant frequencies...
which greatly amplifies the field energy and ionizes the atoms. The resulting plasma is directed by a firing chamber and barrel made of refractory metal, such as iridium
Iridium
Iridium is the chemical element with atomic number 77, and is represented by the symbol Ir. A very hard, brittle, silvery-white transition metal of the platinum family, iridium is the second-densest element and is the most corrosion-resistant metal, even at temperatures as high as 2000 °C...
; the chamber and barrel are cooled between shots by injected gas (typically nitrogen
Nitrogen
Nitrogen is a chemical element that has the symbol N, atomic number of 7 and atomic mass 14.00674 u. Elemental nitrogen is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, and mostly inert diatomic gas at standard conditions, constituting 78.08% by volume of Earth's atmosphere...
). The copper atoms are stored as individual charges, with the atoms held in the correct alignment by a plastic matrix which is mostly consumed by the firing. All the parts of a powergun require extremely precise machining and advanced materials, which makes powerguns very expensive; only the most successful mercenary units (or technologically advanced planets) can afford large numbers of powerguns. Powerguns are easily identified by the extremely bright cyan color of their plasma bolts; the electrical field also generates a broadband radio frequency discharge which can be picked up by the appropriate equipment. A powergun's recoil is far lower than a projectile weapon of equivalent size or firepower, as the copper atoms have low rest mass; the primary limit for powergun rate of fire is its ability to dissipate heat. Many smaller rapid fire powerguns use a multibarrel configuration, either a rotary gatling or a multi chamber mitrailleuse
Mitrailleuse
Mitrailleuse is the French word used to describe all rapid-firing weapons of rifle caliber. Therefore the word mitrailleuse, when used in the French language, applies to all machine guns including modern full automatic weapons. However in the English language the word mitrailleuse applies to...
(the latter called a "calliope" in Slammers military slang.)
The operating characteristics and tactical employment of powerguns were chosen by the author, David Drake, to be roughly equivalent to modern chemically driven projectile weapons; specifically, the M-1 Garand rifle, the M1928A4 Thompson submachine gun, the M1911A1 .45 ACP pistol and the Browning M2 .50 caliber machine gun. This allowed him to easily translate his experiences in Vietnam to a science fiction context. The specifics of the powergun are inspired by Drake's interest in Fortean
Charles Fort
Charles Hoy Fort was an American writer and researcher into anomalous phenomena. Today, the terms Fortean and Forteana are used to characterize various such phenomena. Fort's books sold well and are still in print today.-Biography:Charles Hoy Fort was born in 1874 in Albany, New York, of Dutch...
phenomena; the mechanism by which powerguns produce destructive plasma is similar to the working of a Tesla coil
Tesla coil
A Tesla coil is a type of resonant transformer circuit invented by Nikola Tesla around 1891. It is used to produce high voltage, low current, high frequency alternating current electricity. Tesla coils produce higher current than the other source of high voltage discharges, electrostatic machines...
, and the destructive power of copper plasma is said (in the Slammers universe) to have resulted in the deaths of thousands in the 1902 eruption of Mount Pelee
Mount Pelée
Mount Pelée is an active volcano at the northern end of the island and French overseas department of Martinique in the Lesser Antilles island arc of the Caribbean. Its volcanic cone is composed of layers of volcanic ash and hardened lava....
. (In reality, this was the result of a pyroclastic surge
Pyroclastic surge
A pyroclastic surge is a fluidized mass of turbulent gas and rock fragments which is ejected during some volcanic eruptions. It is similar to a pyroclastic flow but it has a lower density or contains a much higher proportion of gas to rock ratio, which makes it more turbulent and allows it to rise...
.)
Other Weapons
The Slammers have few standard issue weapons other than powerguns. Slammers infantry troops use grenadesHand grenade
A hand grenade is any small bomb that can be thrown by hand. Hand grenades are classified into three categories, explosive grenades, chemical and gas grenades. Explosive grenades are the most commonly used in modern warfare, and are designed to detonate after impact or after a set amount of time...
of various types in addition to their powerguns. The Regiment also maintains several batteries of self propelled howitzer
Howitzer
A howitzer is a type of artillery piece characterized by a relatively short barrel and the use of comparatively small propellant charges to propel projectiles at relatively high trajectories, with a steep angle of descent...
s which fire rocket boosted shells
Shell (projectile)
A shell is a payload-carrying projectile, which, as opposed to shot, contains an explosive or other filling, though modern usage sometimes includes large solid projectiles properly termed shot . Solid shot may contain a pyrotechnic compound if a tracer or spotting charge is used...
. These include simple high explosive and smokescreen rounds, antipersonnel cluster bomb
Cluster bomb
A cluster munition is a form of air-dropped or ground-launched explosive weapon that releases or ejects smaller sub-munitions. Commonly, this is a cluster bomb that ejects explosive bomblets that are designed to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles...
shells, sophisticated anti tank munitions with self-forging warheads
Explosively Formed Penetrator
An explosively formed penetrator , also known as an explosively formed projectile, a self-forging warhead, or a self-forging fragment, is a special type of shaped charge designed to penetrate armour effectively at standoff distances...
similar to the present day CBU-97 Sensor Fuzed Weapon ("tank killers"), and tactical nuclear warheads ("red pills"). The Slammers occasionally use poison gas or incendiary weapons as area denial methods.
The Slammers (and similarly advanced units) make extensive use of powerguns for defense against aircraft, incoming artillery shells, and missiles. The powerguns are computer controlled in air defense mode to achieve the needed precision and reaction time. Although Hammer's hovertanks have computers which are capable of individual air defense operation, the usual practice is for the Regiment's Fire Central computer to take control of whatever tribarrels bear on the threat and use them to eliminate it. Some mercenary forces in the Slammers universe are specialized antiaircraft units (e.g., the United Defense Batteries; see Counting the Cost) which provide this service to clients who cannot afford to field the sophisticated technology required.
Forces other than the Slammers also use powerguns, along with a wide range of weapons. Most are similar in type to present day weapons, although they are generally smaller in size and of greater lethality. Newly established colony planets, which devote most of their production to bare survival, might produce low tech improvised firearms; at the other end of the scale, some well established planets can produce weapons such as high powered lasers or electromagnetic railgun
Railgun
A railgun is an entirely electrical gun that accelerates a conductive projectile along a pair of metal rails using the same principles as the homopolar motor. Railguns use two sliding or rolling contacts that permit a large electric current to pass through the projectile. This current interacts...
s and Gauss guns
Coilgun
A coilgun is a type of projectile accelerator that consists of one or more coils used as electromagnets in the configuration of a synchronous linear motor which accelerate a magnetic projectile to high velocity...
. These advanced weapons can approach powerguns in effectiveness, and even exceed them in some ways (albeit at comparable expense.)
Vehicles of Hammer's Regiment
Hammer's Regiment uses air-cushion and ducted-fan motive systems for its vehicles. The primary fighting unit is an air cushion tank weighing 150 to 170 tonnes, armed with a 20 cm single barrel powergun as the main armament in the rotating turret and a 2 cm tribarrel powergun in a cupola. Standard battle tanks are crewed by one driver and one sergeant commander who doubles as the gunner. A command tank version exists, which adds stations in the turret for an officer and his communications technician along with the communications equipment necessary to command a tank company. Hammer's tanks have extremely heavy armor, with the main hull and turret made of iridium and heavy steel skirts surrounding the plenum chamberPlenum chamber
A plenum chamber is a pressurised housing containing a gas or fluid at positive pressure . One function of the plenum can be to equalise pressure for more even distribution, because of irregular supply or demand...
. The tank also is equipped with multiply redundant systems and state of the art artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
to assist the crew, particularly the vehicle commander. Slammers tanks carry a continuous strip of directional mines above the skirts, to defend against infantry attacks and man portable antitank missiles ("buzz bombs") launched at point blank range.
The tanks are supported by smaller "combat cars", armored air cushion vehicles that mount three 2 cm tribarrels. Combat cars have a crew of one driver, one vehicle commander who doubles as a gunner, and two wing gunners. The armor, sensors, redundancy, and artificial intelligence of the combat cars are not as extensive as those on the tanks. The combat car was inspired by Drake's recollection of the "ACAV" version of the M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
M113 Armored Personnel Carrier
The M113 is a fully tracked armored personnel carrier that has formed the backbone of the United States Army's mechanized infantry units from the time of its first fielding in Vietnam in April 1962. The M113 was the most widely used armored vehicle of the U.S...
. A command version of the standard combat car, essentially a steel box on a combat car chassis, exists. The command car's powerful computer and communications gear is useful for unit commanders, although many commanders choose instead to use a standard combat car.
The Slammers also operate self propelled artillery units and tank recovery vehicles, both of which are only equipped with splinter resistant armor. While these use the same air cushion propulsion system as the fighting vehicles, the sheer weight of these vehicles limits their maneuverability.
The Regiment's infantry uses very small air cushion vehicles to improve their mobility. These are either one man "skimmers" or two man "jeeps"; the latter are equipped with tribarrel powerguns, mortars, or a variety of command and sensor modules.
Many vehicles in the Slammers universe, including all the armored fighting vehicles of Hammer's Regiment, are powered by magnetically contained fusion reactors. These are called "fusion bottles" in the Slammers universe. The high power density
Power density
Power density is the amount of power per unit volume....
of these reactors allow the Slammers to combine high speed, heavy armor, and heavy weapons in their combat vehicles, albeit at extreme expense. Other vehicles of Hammer's Regiment are powered by high capacity batteries or fuel cells.
Other vehicles in the Slammers universe are not significantly advanced beyond modern vehicles, except in the specifics of materials and computer systems. One notable difference is that "aircars," similar to the Piasecki Airjeep
VZ-8 Airgeep
-References:NotesBibliography*Harding, Stephen. "Flying Jeeps: The US Army's Search for the Ultimate 'Vehicle'". Air Enthusiast, No. 73, January/February 1998. Stamford, Lincs, UK:Key Publishing. ISSN 0143 5450. pp.10-12.-External links:*...
, are common on many worlds.
FTL
Starships in the Slammers universe use FTL drives to travel between star systems, or to travel short distances within a system. In the Slammers universe, the FTL drive is called "Transit drive." Distances between planets and star systems are measured in Transit Minutes, referring to the overall time spent in Transit "jumps". Travel by Transit usually involves a series of instantaneous short distance jumps followed by a period of recalculation; the calculations involved in Transit navigation take anywhere from ten to a hundred times as long as the actual Transit process. Distances of seventy Transit Minutes are considered extremely long, for instance.The process by which Transit occurs is not explained in Slammers fiction. However, it appears to have some effect on the human brain as those who travel by Transit are disoriented and fatigued by the jump itself, and suffer severe headaches for a short time afterward. In addition, the distance between two points via Transit is not equivalent to the distance in normal space. Two star systems which are relatively close might be many Transit Minutes apart.
There is also a realtime communications system available in the Slammers universe called the Stadtler Communication Device. Its method of operation is unknown, but it is capable of instantaneously communicating to another Stadtler Device at distances up to kiloparsecs away. However, there is one absolute requirement to employ one. "The Stadtler Device could not be used to receive alone. Its principle, whatever it was, required balance: a biological intellect at either node of a communication." (See Crossing the Stars.) The Stadtler Devices are unbelievably expensive and are generally reserved for the use of the governments of the richest worlds in the Slammers universe.