Ke-M12-M3300 Grip Adapter

Built by Chusa Kage Yaichiro and Project THOUGHT in YE 33; the Ke-M12-M3300 Grip Adapter is designed to attach to the handheld weapons like those of the Ke-M2 "Mindy" Series of Power Armor and Daisy M6 Infantry Power Armor, and permit their use by the Keiko Thought Armor and the Kirie Thought Armor by attaching a larger grip and trigger. It also integrates the Ke-M12-E3301 Weapon Subcomputer into the grip and adds a security function to the weapon by preventing removal and use without a Kirie or Keiko compatible with the Weapon Subcomputer being present. In this way, it is hoped to achieve a higher compatibility with the Mindy and Daisy series of weaponry, and ease adoption of the new machines.

Grip Adapter, installed on Ke-M4-W2901 Light Armor Service Rifle

Designer: Chusa Kage Yaichiro Manufacturer: Star Army of Yamatai, Ketsurui Fleet Yards, and Project THOUGHT Name: Ke-M12-M3300 (PT-M2-M3300) Grip Adapter Type: Grip Adapter for Power Armor Handheld Weaponry, for Kirie/Keiko use

When Project THOUGHT’s production armors were designed, they were built to be LAMIA-sized, with to-scale hands. This presented a problem. While the Mindy and Daisy were intended to be surpassed by the new models in various ways, the Power Armors' weapons were still diverse and sufficient for many needs. In most cases, redesigning them for Kirie and Keiko use and having multiple lines of weaponry would have been far less cost effective than re-using the original weapons.

In light of this; an easy to use and cheap adapter was proposed to attach to as many of these handheld weapons as possible, integrate basic security functionality to prevent enemies from utilizing the weapons, and achieve a conservative target compatibility percentage with Mindy armaments in the mid to high eighties. This would minimize costs and ease integration of the new armors, while allowing ships and bases to quickly arm new units with existing armory stock.

The grip adapter looks relatively simple on the outside. It has a trigger relay which is connected to the grip and trigger of the weapon to be utilized; a main body which is clamped somewhere onto the weapon and a secondary clamp which can further secure to the weapon or hold a spare cartridge or energy battery.

The whole thing is of Durandium construction, and is typically gray and Star Army Blue. If used by a Keiko, is may be white-gray and Elf Mindy Blue instead. Custom colors for custom colored machines may also be encountered.

The Trigger Relay is a small box which secures around the trigger and grip of the firearm being connected to the Grip Adapter. It is affixed with Molecure Solution, and cannot be removed or accessed without being physically destroyed or by using the Ke-M12-E3301 Weapon Subcomputer to gain access. The Trigger Relay connects via a shielded cable which runs down into the grip of the Grip Adapter, and this is usually not easily accessible when the Grip Adapter is fully installed onto a weapon.

The grip of the weapon is possibly the most complex component, housing the Ke-M12-E3301 Weapon Subcomputer, the Randomizing Potentiometer, and the Pressure Sensor. Individually cheap parts, they combine to add a fair degree of functionality to the system. Not only do these parts govern if and how the weapon fires, but also if the Grip Adapter can be removed from it.

The Ke-M12-E3301 Weapon Subcomputer manages the connection between the Grip Adapter and the Compact Integrated Electronics System (CIES). It can also interface with an Escort Integrated Electronics System (EIES) if installed. The Weapons Subcomputer is responsible for identifying the unit which is manipulating the weapon, and manages both the trigger system and the Molecure Solution release charge throughout the entire Grip Adapter. It also manages the state of the Randomizing Potentiometer, deactivating it if the user is to be granted access and wishes to detach the Grip Adapter from a weapon. Because of this; the Grip Adapter can only be fired or detached from the weapon by a Kirie or Keiko Thought Armor or an Integrated Electronics System of sufficient permissions which is not logged as missing or having fallen into enemy hands.

The Randomizing Potentiometer is a protective system which alters the resistance of the electrical system which the Molecure Solution obtains its release charge by. It changes this resistance rapidly, faster than the ability of the Molecure Solution to react to the correct voltage should the enemy stumble across it. Due to this, it is difficult to defeat in the field. The intent of this system is to prevent an enemy from using an external power source to disable the Molecure Solution, effectively acting as a “lock” that randomly alters the voltage accessible to the Molecure Solution when an electrical voltage is applied. This prevents an enemy from easily getting the proper voltage to disable its adhesive properties. This is only turned off by the Weapon Subcomputer when a Thought Armor wishes to do so.

The grip has a small chip inside which detects the pressure exerted on the Trigger of the Grip Adapter, and converts it in real time to a Mindy-proportional pressure on the weapon’s trigger via the Trigger Relay. Because of this, the Grip Adapter can be used even on weapons that have pressure-sensitive triggers for alternate modes of fire.

The trigger is a high quality pressure-sensitive trigger which is designed to last through many uses. It emulates the feel of a typical Mindy weapon’s trigger mechanism even considering the scale increase, to allow those who have experience using the older Power Armor and its weapons to feel more comfortable with the system.

The Main Clamp is the gray or white-gray clamp above the grip and trigger, which is lined with Molecure Solution. A weapon is connected to the Grip Adapter through this clamp, which is rated for keeping the weapon secure well beyond the estimated requirements for recoil and acceleration. Often this is placed over the existing grip and trigger of the weapon, as well as the Trigger Relay, but this is not a requirement. If not placing it in a normal position though, proper recoil management and weight balance is not guaranteed.

The Secondary Clamp can be used to attach to the weapon at a second point for added stability, though it is not often necessary. It can retract and adjust so that it has a significant amount of play on where it can be attached, and is also lined with Molecure Solution. Often it is kept retracted close to the front of the Grip Adapter and is instead used to carry a second magazine or energy battery for the weapon. The Secondary Clamp can be manipulated separately from the Main Clamp and the Trigger Relay.

Installation and removal are fairly simple. The Thought Armor communicates with the Grip Adapter's Ke-M12-E3301 Weapon Subcomputer via thought to energize the Molecure Solution and deactivate its adhesive properties. Then the pilot attaches the Trigger Relay to the trigger and stock of the weapon. When it is snapped back together, the adhesive properties of that part can be reactivated with a thought.

Any excess cable to the Trigger Relay is threaded into the grip as the weapon is lowered into the Grip Adapter’s Main Clamp. When the weapon is where the pilot wishes it, a thought command reactivates the adhesive properties. The Secondary Clamp is then placed if desired onto the weapon’s frame in another spot or on a spare magazine or battery and reactivated the same way.

Removal is simply sending thoughts to remove the adhesive properties of the Molecure Solution and removing the Secondary Clamp, Main Clamp, and Trigger Relay. Attachment and removal can be done quickly, sometimes in as little as five seconds when a pilot is sufficiently practiced.

Once attached to the Grip Adapter, the weapon is used much like it is normally in practice, though it will only fire for friendlies who are permitted to utilize it. The other advanced management properties of the Weapon Subcomputer are not available. It should be noted that some pilots can configure the weapon to fire by thought alone instead of pulling the Grip Adapter’s trigger, but this isn’t advised and doesn’t greatly improve response time since there is still a mechanical trigger in the system.

The vast majority of handheld firearms utilized by the Mindy and Daisy are compatible with the Grip Adapter, though a few may not be depending on shape and type. Having a closed grip around the trigger does not exclude compatibility. The Ke-M2-W2901 Aether Beam Saber-Rifle is not considered compatible due to its shape – the Aether Saber would slice the Grip Adapter in most stable places where it could normally be attached, and any other locations are suboptimal for using the weapon as a blade. Fortunately, the Kirie and Keiko have a upgraded equivalent model of this particular weapon.