A suit initially developed to increase the strength and durability of humans without the need for invasive augmentations, the “Megumi” implementation of the Mobility Skin is instead designed to further enhance the abilities of augmented humans. Worn alone or as the core of a power armor system with armor plating, the mobility skin became available to the public YE 46.

“Megumi” Mobility Skin
1)
Year Introduced:	YE 46
Class/Nomenclature:	RHI-G7-1A
Designers:	Advancer Enterprises
Manufacturer:	Ryu Heavy Industries
Fielded By:	Black Crane Securities
DRv3 Tier:	Tier 3 (Unarmored)/Tier 4 (Armored)
Lifespan:	30 years with regular maintenance
Pricing:	15,000 KS
Weight:	100kg

The “Megumi” Mobility Skin grants the user the following benefits and drawbacks:

• When powered by an attached power source, the Mobility Skin multiplies the user's strength by at least 1.5 times. It can go up to 3 times depending on the user's natural/augmented strength levels and experience using using the skin. For every 100kg the user can lift past 50kg, add 0.5 up to 5x (can be exeeded with years of learning to be in sync with the system). ID-SOLs can only max out the system to up to x2.
• The user has increased reflexes due to the system moving before the user’s own limbs move if the user has a direct neural interface and wearing a RHI Type 43 "Megumi" Environmental Skinsuit underneath. It takes much practice and experience to get the reaction speed to be near instant without injury. Great for close combat.
• The user must have augmented strength and a reinforced skeletal system to safely wear a mobility skin. Otherwise the user risks death if the mobility skin is powered due to its explosive reactionary forces. Minkan,Nekovalkyrja, ID-SOL, and those with similar augmentations like the Zhenren Human Upgrade Package qualify.

Spawned from Advancer Enterprises' Mobility Skin Project, the original plan was to create a skintight suit augmented with nanomuscles. In theory, it would allow the user to approach power armor levels of strength as well as provide basic life support functions to the wearer. But when the Ryu Keiretsu acquired Advancer in YE 43, the project took on some additional requirements.

It was decided to build a 2.0 version of Advancer's work, changing up the materials used to create the nanomuscles. Instead of more traditional artificial muscles, nanocomposites developed by Ryu Heavy Industries with peculiar piezoelectricity properties were instead used. The first v2.0 prototypes based on the RHI Type 43 "Megumi" Combat Suit were created late YE 44.

With the new type of nanomuscle, it was quickly discovered that its quick and explosive nature was deadly for normal humans. This was confirmed in a number of testing accidents where a number of volunteer employees who were going the clone method of upgrading to the Zhenren Human Upgrade Package were maimed. When they tried again with their upgraded clones, the reinforced musculoskeletal system was capable of handing the mobility skin with minimal injuries (sprains and fatigue of the ligaments). Proper training and careful practice resolved the training injuries. Version 3.0 prototypes began incorporating a movement coordination computer system to make the mobility skin easier for usage by new wearers.

Nepleslian Research and Manufacturing in early YE 45 asked to become field testers for the Megumi Mobility Skin. Suspecting their true intentions behind the request, Ryu Keiretsu pressured Advancer to grant the request due to the need for more field testing before release to the public.

Form fitting to the user,the often black suit gives the user a very athletic look. Parts of the suit (namely the thighs and chest) are reinforced, adding to the athletic look when not wearing armor that can be bolted to it (via anchoring points). The Mobility Skin comes in various sizes, though most are made custom to the individual for optimized performance.

More of a suit than a frame, the Mobility Skin loosens a bit with a command. The user first slides their legs in. They then pull the skin up to put their arms in and slide their head through the collar. The “Megumi” Mobility Skin then hardens and seals up the neck and lower jaw upon activation.

To take off, the reverse is done.

After use, the Mobility Skin can be hung or activated remotely to be solid like a statue (statue mode). In this mode, the user can designate numerous poses. The user can even attach the helmet and armor. Though they must remove it all to don the skin.

A direct connection to the user's mind needs to be made for the mobility skin to move. If the connection is not in the lower back, in between the shoulder blades, or at the base of the cranium where the skin seals up to; then a helmet is required to be worn to make the connection. Without it, the skin becomes no better than a weighted environmental suit.

Technically an exoskeleton, the Megumi Mobility Skin can serve as a more robust outer shell for the RHI Type 43 "Megumi" Environmental Skinsuit (MES).

Developed to provide armored protection, the titanium based Durandium Alloy polymer nanocomposite provides excellant protection against small-armed weapons and melee weapons. A heat resistant graphene-based material is sprayed over the outer layer to allow the skin to ablate energy based weaponry. The layer is also electrically conductive, allowing for nanites sprayed on top of it to function.

The nanomuscle layer of the Mobility Skin comprises of two types of nanocomposites that provide the strength of and structure of the mobility skin. The first is a polymer nanocomposite made of Durandium Alloy and an alloy of titanium with minor piezoelectricity capacity. The main purpose of this nanocomposite is to that provide a load bearing frame for the skin.

The main powerhouse are the capillaries within the first type that are filled with a gold plated piezoelectricity polymer nanocomposite. Together, they boost the reaction time and strength of the wearer. The nanomuscle layer is found between two Kinugoshi-ko sub-layers, helping to isolate it from the outer and pressure layers.

Sandwiched between the inner and nanomuscle layers is a Xirang Gel impregnated with nanites. While principally created as a form of kinetic cushion as the energy would cause it to harden from shear force, it also acts as decent thermal and radiation protection. To apply pressure, the nanites semi-harden parts of the layer and cause it to constrict to the desired part of the body.

For radiation protection, it can block alpha and beta radiation. The effects of gamma and x-ray radiation is reduced, but not blocked. Combined with the outer layers and MES, an individual can be exposed to planetary system levels of exposure for a week before the monitoring of radiation exposure becomes needed.

Below the pressue layer is the inner layer of the mobility skin. Because it sits next to the user, a Dataweave made of Kinugoshi-ko provides basic level of comfort. Though as the MES is expected to be worn underneath, the triangular connection points present to be attached to the environmental skin need to be plugged to ensure comfort.

When actually connected to the skinsuit, these connection points have neuromonitors used to connect the suit's movement coordination system with the user's neural interface and signals from local muscle activity. They also provide connections to various sensors within the suit to allow the user to monitor damage and potential problems with the skin's systems. Without the skinsuit these do not function, making the mobility suit little more than weighted bodysuit.

The Mobility Skin is controlled by various subcomputers located in the hips and shoulders that together are called the “Movement Coordination System” (MCS). Each is specialized to interpret signals coming from the user's neural interface and redundant local monitoring of muscle activity to activate the right area at the right time and with the right intensity. As the systems are often faster than the speed of an individual's nervous system, it does take some time to get used to not fighting the skin.

The benefit of the redundancy is it allows users without a direct neural interface to make use of the mobility skin, though with a reduction in ability. It is currently not compatible with SPINE due to the classified nature of the technology. Compatible systems are the Zhenren I1N Digital Mind augmentation and helmet-installed Superconductive Quantum Interface Device (SQUID).

In an emergency, an AI interfaced with the user (usually a quantum-based AI such as RaiNE OS) can take over the function of the MCS if it is damaged. The AI and the user have to be perfectly in-sync to prevent injury (the Frame Advanced Tactical Electronics Suite is also recommended), otherwise the power of the mobility skin is massively reduced to account for any lag between user and the AI sensing what the user wants.

The mobility skin requires an external source of power connected to a connection point, located between the shoulder blades of the wearer. To make full use of the nanomuscles, a powerful source of power such as a compact fusion reactor is required. These systems typically take the form of a backplate, backpack, or a power system integrated with armor plating.

A small internal battery located in the lower back of the inner layer provides just enough power to enable donning/doffing of the mobility skin. The full weight of the skin is on the wearer due to the nanomuscles not being activated.

Not designed to be worn on its own, the Megumi Mobility Suit requires the use of the brand's sister Environmental Suit for life support systems. Similar alternative suits maybe worn under the Mobility Skin as long as they match the thickness of the Megumi Environmental Suit and have the same connection points installed.

While technically not a power armor, the Mobility Skin does have a number of hardpoints used primarily for the mounting of armor plating. It is possible to make use of the hardpoints for equipment mounted to adapters and even weapons. Though the mobility skin will be massively underprotected in such cases.

• Dorsal/Backplate
• Shoulder (2)
• Chest/Front Plate
• Forearm (2)
• Thighs (2)
• Lower Legs (2)

Demibear created this article on 2022/05/23 07:07.

Approval Thread: https://stararmy.com/roleplay-forum/threads/megumi-mobility-skin.71855/