• Manufacturer: NovaCorp
• Price: 780 KS

Vial is the newest form of melee weapon to come out of Ephesus’ mind. It takes the form of a hilt, when not activated, a rather nice looking hilt, that can be decorated in all manner of styles, from leather wrappings to metal studs or the plain rubber grip. However inside this hilt is a hollow cavity filled with nano-bots which when the hilt is activated flow out into a variety of forms. This can be a great variety of things, from a sword (many possible variations), axe, dagger, a knuckle duster (flows around the hand), or even more exotic weapons programmed into the device. It only takes a moment for the nano-bots to flow out and solidify into the needed weapon.

The Vial comes with a certain number of weapon forms intact, and more can be loaded in by a computer (NovaCorp will design any weapon setting you desire for 10ks), and these different forms can be activated in several ways. The simplest is through pressing the pommel, which will first activate the weapon, and then work through a preset series of weapons with each press, although this is only really useful if you only want to use the first setting, which is easily programable, as is the entire list. Other ways include a audio acceptance mode, where you name the weapon form, and the hilt will pick it up and act upon it, or in extreme cases, the simple, quick and painless implanting of a chip into the brain, which allows you to control the setting with only your thoughts. Other possible settings include a small shield.

This weapon has several advantages over other melee weapons, one of which is that, although it is not really stronger than a normal weapon, it can (if blocked) flow around and entangle other weapons, allowing for great disarms or to effectively flow around the blocking weapon to strike the target. The flow-through setting is activated through increasing pressure where the little finger would be, (although working out whether it is intentional or not fall to the same micro computer that holds the systematic, based on a series or parameters), or through a certain verbal command (a certain not of whistle for example). The nano-bots can also make the blade (if it is a blade) nearly mono-molecular, far sharper than a normal weapon, meaning that it can easily cut through, or even more easily pierce, material that a normal blade could not. The whip setting usually serves to entangle the target, but can then use the nano-bots to flow, pierce armour and skin, and deal hideous damage to the target. A strike from the weapon in blade form has a similar effect, the nano-bots flowing into the target. This, along with the damage dealt to the nano-bots through impact, does mean that it occasionally needs to be restocked, but this is supplied by a reservoir of goo-bots that create more out of surrounding matter. If the blade is broken bringing the shards together will fix the blade.

The hilt is largely made of Carbon-ring, and the nano-bots are powered by a battery built into the hilt, which can last 24 hours without recharging (which requires 3 hours to recharge completely), or replacing. However the weapon can remain in a weapon state (other than whip), without power, just as a normal sharp blade, but it has a higher tendency to break. The nano-bots don’t actually need power to keep bonded. The battery is the end of the hilt, which also includes the pommel/button, and a new one (it simply needs for the button to be pressed down and twisted to come out), costs 50 ks. The hilt has a layer of lead underneath the carbon-ring exterior, and as such (and a little cap that can be fitted over the top), is rendered immune to EMP, however the blade, if extended, is not. It does however protect the pre-programmed instructions, and allows the goo (which remains in the hilt at all times) to replenish the nano-bots. The blade is designed to be considerably resistant to lesser EM attacks. The hilt is 40 cm long, rather long given the normal length of the blade, however with some training, combined with the relative lightness of the ‘empty’ hilt, it does not act as an encumbrance. In general appearance the hilt can look like pretty much anything, but traditionally is that of the ‘cross’ hilt, with a pommel at one end and a cross bar at the other. Whether the handle has a rubber hand grip, leather or whether it has metal studs is completely up to the purchaser, since such aesthetic details can actually be added quite easily at the shop.

Some training is required to use a Vial correctly, due to the weight being lighter than that of a normal weapon, and to take into account its special features in combat. Luckily NovaCorp supplies a manual on a data-pad, including a sub-sentient interactive program.

This article was created by Zakalwe. It was approved by Wes on February 5, 2007: Approval Thread