CHAPTER 1 – The Invisible Weapon
The project that the army of the Republic of Taren on the planet Arven had been conducting in secrecy for years had finally been completed. The new aircraft developed at the Koral Military Research Center was unlike any of the unmanned vehicles the Taren army had produced to date.
The vehicle, called a drone, had an advanced invisibility system that prevented it from being seen from the outside during a mission. When the system was activated, the vehicle’s location could only be tracked from the control center at Koral. Someone looking from the outside could not see the drone even if it was a few hundred meters away.
The first flight tests were conducted in the restricted airspace around Koral Base.
After the drone took off from the runway, the order was given from the control center to activate the invisibility system. Within a few seconds, the vehicle disappeared from the view of the soldiers in the observation area.
On the screens in the control center, however, everything was normal. The drone’s altitude, speed, direction and energy levels continued to be monitored.
The vehicle first flew around Koral Base. It then headed toward the test area where the predetermined targets were located.
One of the important components of the drone’s military equipment was its advanced target recognition system. The vehicle could distinguish between people, vehicles and structures on the ground, and could compare the target information given to it with data received from its own detection systems.
The weapon system on board was also connected to the same targeting system.
Instead of a weapon using conventional ammunition, the Taren army had developed a directed energy system. When the drone identified its target, it could use a high-intensity laser. This meant that on long-duration missions it did not need to return to base to replenish ammunition.
This feature had been designed in conjunction with the vehicle’s energy system.
The drone’s main energy source was thorium-based. Developed to allow it to operate for a very long time, the system powered the vehicle’s basic equipment and laser weapon. The solar energy collection system on the outer surface supported the operation of auxiliary equipment and the energy storage system.
The engineers at Koral had thus eliminated one of the vehicle’s biggest problems.
The drone did not need regular refueling.When sent to the mission area, it could remain airborne for a very long time, move unseen and continue the mission assigned to it.
During months of testing, the invisibility system was tested at different altitudes. The drone was kept airborne for long periods. The target recognition system was tested again and again. The laser system was directed only at designated targets and all weapon use was carried out with authorization given from the control center.After the final test, the command at Koral declared the project a success.
The Republic of Taren now possessed a weapon that no other country had.This weapon was invisible.It could remain airborne for a long time.It did not have to carry ammunition. It could recognize its targets. When necessary, it could fire with a single command. The Taren army had finally completed the aircraft it had been trying to develop for years.
