Enhanced Soldier Systems
Enhanced Soldier Systems
Back in the days of the Terran Republic and Early Imperium plenty of people with “pure” Terran ancestry had deep-seated fears of genetic enhancement. Confronted by the obvious physical superiority of some Anthorph breeds, they were psychologically impelled to take compensatory risks.
Military designers worked on artificial methods of producing a super-soldier. In addition to the wide variety of drugs and powered-armor systems that appeared and quickly failed, the Enhanced Soldier Systems briefly held some sway.
An ESS embeds electronic nodes within the neural pathways of the subject. This can be done with several purposes in mind. Pre-eminently, the reflexes and dexterity of the subject are superficially increased. Secondarily, ports can also be installed to link the subject with Powered Armor, or a jury-rigged Raptor Combat Suit. Although “cybermadness” was a popular storyline in the period, it was not so much the problem as neurological degeneration.
An ESS also requires relatively frequent maintenance surgeries to maintain its healthy operation. Since many veterans began to resent them, the ESS gained a poor political reputation. They have maintained a presence in the underworld and among various sundry groups, including a few “Pure Terran” Mercenery groups.
ESS’s enjoyed a brief return to the limelight for the Zenbrudi War, but have generally fallen out of use among reputable military and combat services.