Sci-Fi Thoughts

I'm sure this comes from too much mecha anime. Often those shows are based on a reasonably normal world to a point. Then they say "oh, here's some alien technology/mystic connection/astounding revelation" that allows humanoid mecha to be practical. In Robotech (and presumably Macross), it's the technology from the SDF-1 that crashes on Earth. In Evangelion, it's the discovery of "Adam."

And so I have this technological concept in my mind and a scene of reminiscence to go with it. I doubt I'll ever spin this into a full story or campaign, but someone has said I should chronicle such bits of inspiration in some fashion, and it's not a bad idea to do so.


"Insertion point coming up in four minutes, Captain."
"It's still beautiful from up here, isn't it?"
"Sir?"
Captain Nicholas Haskins turned from the window to regard the naval pilot now glancing his way. He took a moment to register the rank insignia on the man's flight suit before replying, "Nothing, Lieutenant. Carry on, I'm all set here." His gloved fingers tugged at the fastened safety harness - as much an unnecessary redundancy as that was - to prove his point. The pilot nodded and turned his attention back to the shuttle's instruments, leaving Haskins to his thoughts once more.
The shuttle's pilot probably saw the same view several times a week, he mused, rendering the view of Earth from above the atmosphere routine. To Haskins, however, it still held some novelty. While thoroughly practiced in aerospace combat, most of that experience came from far closer to the surface where one could readily see the scars of the last forty years. War had not been kind to large portions of the globe and the most protected areas had become sprawling megacities. From so far above, it was easy to forget.
"Adjusting Graviton Drive output for descent. All systems nominal," the pilot spoke into his radio link.
Nicholas reached up to tuck a lock of his bangs back under the helmet he wore as he felt the subtle shift in forces around him most people would not even notice. The Helken-Travis Graviton Drive was unquestionably the single most remarkable technological advancement in generations. Though a thousand-pound box wasn't exactly light by common standards, when that box was capable of simultaneously putting out enough power for a modest town and nullifying or reproducing gravity fields it's more than a bargain. After initial skepticism, the prototype was hailed as a miracle of clean energy. Then the company stunned everyone by putting it in a refurbished jet.
Doing double-duty as a propulsion system was astounding enough, but the demonstration blew the minds of aviation experts and physicists alike. The aircraft proved able to provide thrust in any direction with little sign of stress and the pilot reported feeling none of it save a pleasant simulated 1-G toward the bottom of the cockpit the whole time. Aerospace engineers boggled at the possibilities. The United States and Russian space shuttles were rendered fully obsolete. With a single drive, materials could be lifted to orbit and brought back repeatedly with virtually no additional cost. It was like magic.
Of course, there were some difficulties. Manufacture of a H-T Graviton Drive required rare materials and use of zero-gravity techniques. That put initial creation out of reach save for relatively wealthy nations and corporations. Those who did have access soon realized the dangers of disseminating such an advancement. Helken and Travis could never have foreseen all the effects of their invention. While scientists tried to understand the devices, the first purpose-built G-Drive battle craft came online. With such incredible power to spare, railguns and directed-energy weapons became feasible. Coupled with a platform carrying more armor than a main battle tank and able to literally dodge conventional missiles, the GX-101 vaulted warfare to a new level.
And its creators were less than shy about using it to secure their dominance. Years of conflict saw one advancement after another as various fields struggled to make use of the Graviton Drive's capabilities. The end result became clear to those watching when a GX squad disabled a nuclear weapon launched to destroy them before it came anywhere near its target. Low-level guerrilla activity continued for years, but for the most part the Earth emerged from bloody combat as a unified planet.
The cost may have been high, yet the timing could not have been better. Five years after the inception of the United Earth Government, first contact was made with alien life forms. With an apparent flare for the dramatic, they picked one of the largest urban areas in the world and destroyed it utterly. Over 36-million people died in the instant that left Tokyo a crater below sea level. The world reeled, the military scrambled, and a defense was mustered. With hostile, but otherwise unknown, purpose alien craft began incursions into Earth's space more and more often. Skirmishes were fought in and outside the atmosphere, but as defense was prioritized, further "city-busters" were intercepted farther out more often than not. Still, people came together to see safety under the umbrella of protection provided by the UEG Navy and Aerospace Force.
A further seven years of war had seen little new information about the invaders. They were known to be non-human and to possess technology considered moderately superior to Earth's. Perhaps most disturbing was the revelation these aliens used a system almost identical to the Helken-Travis Graviton Drives that made the defense of Earth possible...