Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Except from a handbook provided to prospective AC pilots by Sierpenski Flight Academy, 234 UE.
The following entries appear in the glossary:

AC: see ‘Armored core’

ACS: see ‘Attitude Control System’

ACS limit:

1. maximum possible force the ACS can direct along any given linear or rotational vector
2. (colloquial) the threshold for accumulated incoming forces (‘Impact’) at which the ACS must engage pilot override

ACS load:

1. degree to which the ACS system is currently manipulating the unit’s actuators relative to their maximum output (ACS limit)
2. (colloquial) see ACS strain

ACS lock: see ‘ACS override’ definition 1

ACS override:

1. state in which the ACS ignores pilot controls to direct all actuator output to preventing a fall
2. (improper) (nonstandard) (NOT RECOMMENDED) state in which a pilot manually disables the ACS

ACS strain:

the degree to which incoming forces (‘Impact’) approach the threshold for ACS override

Actuators:

collective term for the hydraulic, electromotive, and reaction thrust components responsible for moving an armored core

Aft:

rear facing of a core, analogous to the dorsal vector in a human body

Attitude Control System:

1. hardware/firmware system responsible for providing the ‘balance’ keeping a unit upright
2. influence over a unit’s actuators imposed by such system

Assault thrust:

mode of travel in which all available thruster power is routed through the primary aft thrusters; also called ‘Assault Boost’ or (of the thrusters) ‘Assault configuration’

Ascent:

upward motion sustained by thrust, distinct from Jumping

Armored core:

modular combat vehicle composed of four body-element components, accompanying internals, and up to four attached units

Arms:

paired upper-limb components attached to the core, including the shoulder, upper arm, elbow, lower arm, wrist, and hand

Back:

1. rear surface of the core component
2. (as an adjective) describing units attached to the rear of the core component rather than the arms
3. (colloquial) rear facing of the core (see Aft)

Ballistic

1. (usually of a projectile) unpowered, in free-fall
2. (colloquial) (of a weapon) firing solid physical projectiles, particularly kinetic impactors

Bay:

(nonstandard) receptacle capable of holding an additional hand-held or arm-mounted weapon for mid-mission or even mid-combat weapon changes in place of a back-mounted weapon on the same side

Bazooka:

direct-fire weapon launching unguided self-propelled explosive projectiles; compare ‘Grenade Cannon’, which fires explosives on a ballistic arc

Boost:

1. mode of travel in which leg-mounted thrusters IGE allow more rapid sustained movement than walking or running
2. (colloquial) any unsustained thrust, including evasive and assault thrust

Booster: see ‘Thruster’

Bowler:

(colloquial) (nonstandard) an AC unit using mismatched components on its left and right arms; rarely used due to severe costs to attitude stability and pilot neural-interface comfort

Cannon:

largest category of armored core weapon, typically one mounted on the back or (for physical munitions) with barrel diameter exceeding 35cm

Capsule: see ‘Pilot capsule’

Chaingun: see ‘Gatling gun’

Chest:

front surface of the core component

Circulating Current:

(of a generator) self-sustaining fusion reactor that ‘recirculates’ some of its output to sustain the magnetic bottle

Collar:

(sometimes referred to as the ‘deck’) horizontal, superior-facing surface of the core component, one of the few portions of armor intended for human traversal

COM: see ‘Computer Operator Module’

Component:

any of four interchangeable body elements (head, core, arms, legs) that make up an armored core’s frame.

Computer Operator Module:

collection of expert systems responsible for various support duties in and out of combat, including communications, autopilot, IFF tags, and monitoring of the pilot and AC

Cook-off:

unintended detonation of ammunition or fuel

Cooldown:

delay following the use of a weapon or system before it can be used again

Core:

1. central ‘body’ or ‘torso’ unit to which the other components are attached
2. (colloquial) shorthand for ‘armored core’ (sometimes capitalized to distinguish the term from the core component)

Core expansion:

1. modification to the core and generator assembly offering powerful but limited offensive or defensive effects; often spoken of as a part rather than a modification to other elements
2. (colloquial) use of the modification during a mission

Cruise speed:

maximum sustainable land speed (typically Boost, in its first usage)

CYWAR:

“Cyberwarfare”, any form of warfare in cyberspace, typically launched from and targeting remotely or directly connected computer systems

Deck: see ‘Collar’

DNI:

“Direct Neural Interface”, the control system enabled by augmentation that removes the middleman of the pilot’s limbs

EN:

1. stable energy output of a core generator used to keep attached systems online
2. available reserve energy, used primary for thrusters

Energy Weapon:

weapon designed to deliver energy to a target through means other than a solid projectile; sometimes includes physical projectiles sharing operational principles e.g. plasma warheads on missiles

Evasive thrust:

(also called Quick boost) sudden, unsustainable burst of motion actuated primarily by thrusters in the core and arms

EWAR:

“Electronic warfare”, warfare using electromagnetic signals to interfere with enemy electronics or sensors, as distinct from traditional warfare using EM radiation such as laser weapons

Face:

1. any of the six primary facings of the core (fore, aft, starboard, port, superior, inferior)
2. (colloquial) fore surface of the head
3. (colloquial) the forward-facing portion of the head and core components
4. (colloquial) front facing of the armored core (see Fore)

FCS: See Fire Control System

Fire Control System:

hardware/firmware system responsible for identifying, tracking, and leading targets

Flank:

1. vertical port- and starboard-facing surfaces of the core component
2. see Flank speed

Flank speed:

maximum speed an armored core can maintain for moderate periods, usually through use of Assault thrust

Fore:

front facing of the armored core, analogous to the ventral vector of a human body

Frame:

1. set of four chosen components (head, arms, legs, core) making up an AC’s complete chassis
2. set of matching components designed for use together

GAS:

“Gravity Assisted Stupidity” or, when fatal, “Gravity Assisted Suicide”; see ‘ACS override’ definition 2

Gatling gun:

rotary weapon utilizing multiple barrels to distribute heat stress caused by extreme rates of fire

Generator:

primary power generation and storage system of an armored core

Grenade Cannon:

direct-fire weapon launching ballistic explosive projectiles; compare ‘Bazooka’, which fires self-propelled munitions

Gut:

1. inferior-facing surface of the core component, including the connection point to the legs
2. (colloquial) (often plural) internal modular and non-modular systems

Handgun: see ‘pistol’

Hatch:

outermost mobile bulkhead providing access to the pilot capsule

Head:

component attached above the core containing the primary sensor systems

IGE:

‘In Ground Effect’: a mode of thruster operation in which the presence of a nearby surface increases the effective reaction force

Impact:

degree to which a weapon applies ACS strain to a target in addition to physical damage

Inferior:

bottom (footward) facing of an armored core, usually used as an adjective (‘inferior face’)

Internal combustion generator:

internal combustion engine utilizing chemical energy to run a turbine for power

Internals:

modular elements mounted partially or completely within the core component; the generator, FCS, and primary thrusters (may or may not include a core expansion, if installed)

Jump:

upward motion caused by the non-thruster leg actuators; compare ‘ascent’

Kick:

(nonstandard) a melee attack with the leg component of the core, usually from Assault thrust

Kinetic Kill Weapon:

weapon or launched projectile designed to destroy targets with kinetic energy, chiefly one using a single large impactor; when speaking specifically of the projectile, the term “Kinetic Kill Vehicle” or “KKV” may be used instead

KKW: see ‘Kinetic Kill Weapon’

Legs:

component attached below the core responsible for mobility and load-bearing, which may use two, three, or four legs; wheels or tracks; or hovercraft thrust systems (the latter are still considered ‘legs’)

Linear Rifle:

small or medium-caliber railgun with the physical dimensions of a rifle

Lock-on:

1. state in which the FCS has acquired a target for muzzle aiming or munition guidance, or the act of entering such a state
2. state in which a guided munition is prepared to track or is actively tracking a target, or the act of entering such a state

Machine gun:

hand-held weapon focusing on high rate-of-fire, typically of a size between pistols and rifles

Missile:

self-propelled, typically guided explosive projectile

Mission kill:

system or structural damage preventing a vehicle from continuing to engage in combat operations with or without a complete cessation of function; contrast ‘pilot kill’

MT:

muscle tracer, especially the mass-produced single-pilot combat vehicle version of the technology

Over-the-Horizon Artillery:

(often abbreviated ‘OTH artillery’ or ‘OTHA’) term used to distinguish very-long-range weapons whose projectiles maintain muzzle energy throughout their whole flight (i.e. hypervelocity munitions) from artillery whose projectiles follow a highly parabolic arc

Part:

super-category for all modular armored core equipment, including components, units, and internals

Pattern:

suffix appended to names to emphasize the design or model of the component, e.g. Basho-pattern core; rarely used for weapons or internals

Pilot:

person operating an AC or MT, air vehicle helm, or (less commonly) a single-crew ground vehicle such as an ULFV

Pilot capsule:

sealed pressure vessel found on both ACs and MTs protecting the pilot, their control interface, life support, and often some or all of the electronic systems (FCS, ACS, COM, etc)

Pilot kill:

damage that fatally injures a pilot without disabling the vehicle; contrast ‘mission kill’

Pinch:

event in which human material discovers its presence may impede, but cannot PREVENT, the movement of an AC’s actuators

Pistol:

smallest category of hand-held MT or AC weapon, typically with barrel length under 2.5m

Pop:

(colloquial) to use, activate, or deploy a system or feature

Port:

left facing of an armor core’s body; terminology inherited from ships

Pylon:

telescoping armature used to elevate back units above larger shoulders of some arm components

Quick boost: see ‘Evasive thrust’

Quick turn: see ‘Snap turn’

Railgun:

kinetic weapon firing slugs of ferrous material using a linear motor; see ‘Linear rifle’, a subtype

Rifle:

hand-held semi-automatic or medium rate-of-fire weapon with a barrel length larger than a pistol but a caliber smaller than a cannon

Round:

1. unit of ammunition, typically a cartridge or shell
2. any unguided projectile (typically one in flight)

Shotgun:

weapon releasing unguided projectiles in a spread pattern

Slot:

1. space in the core component reserved for a modular internal element, e.g. generator slot
2. (colloquial) (generalization of above) any place where a corresponding AC part is an optional or necessary element of the assembly, e.g. head slot, right-hand-weapon slot

Snap turn:

(nonstandard) rapid thruster-assisted turn of 90 degrees or more

Starboard:

right facing of an armored core’s body; terminology inherited from ships

Sub-munition:

projectile launched from another projectile, e.g. a bomblet released from a cluster missile

Superior:

upward (headward) facing of an armored core, usually used as an adjective (‘superior face’)

Throat:

(colloquial) the gap between the outer hatch of the core component and inner hatch of the pilot capsule

Thruster:

propulsion system, including internal reaction chambers and exterior nozzles, responsible for turning generator power into thrust

Unit:

1. independent (non-remote controlled) combatant; an infantryman, MT, AC, tank, or VTOL
2. collection of the above functioning as a single element in tactical or strategic maneuvers
3. (of an AC) weapon, either held in the hand, mounted on the arm, or attached to a back pylon of an armored core; or support modules mounted in place of such a weapon

VTOL:

1. Vertical Take-Off and Landing; the capacity for an aircraft to hover and directly ascend/descend from a landing pad
2. aircraft capable of the above, especially those lacking non-hover launch or flight capability e.g. helicopters