The Voidstdier Saga is a sweeping epic ranging from Earth and the Moon to Mars, the Asteroid Belt, the moons of Saturn and beyond.

A variety of offensive and defensive weapons are employed by the people of the Voidstrider universe. Most are based on real-world concepts and actual weapons. Below is a brief summary of some of the more prevalent.

ADS (Active Denial System) – the ADS is a non-lethal directed energy weapon based on a real-world concept. Informally called a heater, the ADS works by firing a high-powered beam of high-frequency microwaves at a target. The ADS works on a similar principle as a microwave oven, exciting the water and fat molecules in the skin, and instantly heating them via dielectric heating. The ADS’s repel effect in humans occurs at slightly higher than 44 °C, though first-degree burns occur at about 51 °C, and second-degree burns occur at about 58 °C.

Electrolaser – informally called a zapper, zap-gun, stunner, or stungun, and sometimes shortened to e-laser, the electrolaser is a directed energy electroshock weapon used primarily to incapacitate or render a target unconscious. It uses a laser beam to form an electrically conductive laser-induced plasma channel. A fraction of a second later, a powerful electric current is sent down this plasma channel and delivered to the target. Because a laser-induced plasma channel relies on ionization, gas must be present and the electrolaser cannot be used in a vacuum. The electrolaser’s effects on humans are similar to a Taser. It can be fatal. It can also be used to severely damage electronic equipment. If thunderstorms are present, the laser-induced plasma channel created by an electrolaser can cause serious accidents.

Flechette gun – needlegun, needler, razorgun; the flechette gun delivers extremely low recoil and extremely high muzzle velocity and rate-of-fire. It fires hardened carbon flechettes approximately one millimeter in length. Military-issue razorguns can fire about 600 of these tiny “needles” per second. Commercially available models have a drastically lower rate of fire and magazine capacity, and the weapon is extremely rare among civilians.

Pulse Plasma Cannon – the “pulser” is a heavy military weapon that fires toroidal “pulses” of superheated plasma. It works similarly to a modern-day plasma torch, but is able to project the plasma pulses at a target. Due to its unwieldy size and weight, the pulser is generally only deployed on combat drones and military vessels – very few unaugmented humans can handle the weapon.

Whiprazor – the whiprazor is a short baton – about the length of your hand – containing a coiled length of wire-thin silicon monofilament. The monofilament can be extended to a user-defined length between 2 centimeters and 2 meters. In its unpowered state, the filament is pliable and the weapon can be used like a whip – one capable of cutting through any organic material and even most metal alloys. When powered, a piezoelectric charge stiffens the filament to an inflexible, wire-thin blade. In this powered “sword mode,” the whiprazor is capable of cutting even the hardest materials, including hyperdiamond.

 

The Voidstdier Saga is a sweeping epic ranging from Earth and the Moon to Mars, the Asteroid Belt, the moons of Saturn and beyond.

Billions of humans live and work on these scattered worlds and stations. They speak a variety of languages.

These are the key, primary tongues of The Voidstrider Saga.

Anglic – derived from American English, common on Earth and parts of the Belt. Would be largely recognizable by an American English speaker of the 21st century, although some words would be unfamiliar and pronunciations will have changed somewhat.

Lingwa – derived from Spanish and Portuguese with Chinese, Arabic, English, and German influence; the common tongue on Mars. A slight majority of the original Martian settlers came from South America, and brought their native dialects with them.

Guanhwa – sometimes called “high Martian,” the official Martian language; of government. Rarely actually spoken, though many Martians love using its profanity. Descended primarily from modern Chinese dialects, with a number of loaner words from the other languages of the Martian settlers. I have some further thoughts on Guanhwa here.

Interslavic  (Меджусловјански) – common in the Belt and parts of Earth, Interslavic is descended from a modern tongue of the same name.

Unish – a supposedly universal constructed language, Unish is most common in the outer Belt stations such as Pallas, Hermione, and Hygiea. It was designed for simplicity and short words. Its grammar is also simple. Unish is the language spoken by Nadezhda Khatami in Revolt on Vesta.  “Wat de want wid mi?” translates as “What do you want with me.” Slightly less obvious is “Was de nas-il wid dats,” which translates as “What are you going to do with those?”