Zilkia Industries ZI-SPD-08 “Sand Spider” Spider Transport:

Zilkia Industries is a comparative new comer with regards to builders of military hardware. The company was founded by a Kittani weapon engineer named Ki-Tarn Zilkia. The company headquarters are in the city of Tolkeen with most its manufacturing facilities in the same city. The first designs manufactured by the company were copies of Kittani designs, mostly weaponry and power armors. Ki-Tarn originally escaped from Atlantis with as many designs as he could manage. As time went on, the company began to both construct its own designs and make close copies of several Triax designs. The company mostly employs humans but there is a solid core of Kittani working in the company including several family members including his wife and several of his children. While they compete in several markets, Kittani Industries also seems to work heavily with another newcomer, Metalworks Industries. Zilkia Industries produces several spider based designs with the first design developed being a modified version of the Spider Defense System. The “Sand Spider” is a transport design which is designed to operate alongside troops or power armors. It is a medium size design, larger than the Spider Defense System but smaller than the Spider Steed design.

The “Sand Spider” is around two meters in length. It has eight legs for extraordinary ability to operate over rough terrain. The legs also make for an incredibly stable platform with the ability to still operate even with several legs damaged or destroyed. Even though the design does use gyros to increase stability, it does not require them like most humanoid designs. The eight legs makes the design much wider than a wheeled or treaded design of similar mass would be. Because it operates with power armors in many cases, the Sand Spider is fairly fast with a top speed of around one hundred and twenty kilometers per hour. Has a small thruster to enable the design to make longer range leaps than would otherwise be possible. This is especially useful when operating with power armors with long range leaping abilities. Some versions are powered by a fusion power pack similar to what is mounted in most power armors. This gives the Sand Spider virtually unlimited range. Other versions use a high capacity battery. While it has a fraction of the endurance of the fusion powered model but it has the advantage of being far cheaper. Range for battery powered model is around 1600 kilometers.

The computer system controlling the Sand Spider is relatively simple and is designed mostly for terrain navigation purposes. It is not designed for any real combat abilities not even close combat. The vehicle has a pair of forward mounted compound sensor eyes. They have night vision and thermograph but otherwise sensor systems are extremely limited. There is no ability to carry a passenger but has a cargo compartment with the ability to carry around two hundred kilograms. It can also tow up to two metric tons of cargo. A winch system is provided for pulling with a capacity up to four metric tons.

No weapons are mounted on the Sand Spider although it is reasonably well armored. Initially weapon systems were not offered and only a few operators jury-rigged weapon systems on the design. Even so, fusion powered models are designs with an outlet for recharging E-Clips carried by the troops supported by the Sand Spider. Eventually though, it was decided to create a number of lightly armed versions for troop support although the vehicle lack sophisticated fire control and instead relies on external targeting information. Two are fitted with missile launchers, one with mini-missiles in a twelve pack launcher and the other with short range missiles in a four cell launcher. The second launcher usually mounted the faster surface to air missiles which trade warhead for faster missiles. The third type mounts a light electromagnetic mortar with an automatic loading system and sixty mortar rounds. While it fire one round at a time, its payload makes it quite effective for troop support in most situations.

Model Type:	ZI-SPD-08	Standard Cargo / Transport Model
	ZI-SPD-08-MM	Mini-Missile Launcher Model
	ZI-SPD-08-SRM	Short Range Missile Launcher Model
	ZI-SPD-08-EMM	Electromagnetic 60 mm Mortar Model

Class: All Terrain Robotic Transport
Crew: None

M.D.C. by Location:

	Compound Type Eyes	20 each
	[1] Spider Legs (8):	40 each
	Cargo Compartment / Bed:	80
	Mini-Missile Launcher (Optional):	50
	Short Range Missile Launcher (Optional):	60
	60 mm Electromagnetic Mortar (Optional):	60
	Under Belly Thruster:	80
	Rear Thrusters (2):	50 each
	[2] Main Body:	200

Notes:
[1] The destruction of a up to two legs on a side will not cause the design to be unbalanced and the Sand Spider will still be able to move. Speed is reduced by 10% per leg destroyed.
[2] Depleting the M.D.C. of the main body will shut the robot down completely, rendering it useless.

Speed:
Running: 74.6 mph (120 kph) maximum.
Leaping: Powerful legs allow robot to leap without using thrusters 20 feet (6.1 m) up and 30 feet (9.1) across from a standing position, 25 feet (7.6 m) up and 50 feet (15.4 m) across with a short running start. Using thrusters, the Sand Spider can greatly extend leaping distance to 60 feet (18.3 m) up and 90 feet (27.4 m) across from a standing position, 75 feet (22.9 m) up and 150 feet (45.7 m) across with a short running start.
Flying: Not possible! The rear thruster and under belly thruster are provided to add stability, balance, and minimal thrust in space or underwater.
Underwater: It can walk along the bottom of the sea floor at 25% of maximum speed. With thrusters, can travel at speeds up to 34.5 mph (30 knots / 55.6 kph) underwater. Has a maximum ocean depth of 2 miles (3.2 km).
Range: Fusion Powered Versions: Effectively Unlimited. Battery Powered Versions: 994.2 miles (1,600 km) before needing to recharge.

Statistical Data:
Height: 2.8 feet (0.85 meters)
Width: 2.8 feet (0.85 meters) for main body with legs extending out for 6.1 feet (1.86 meters) on either side
Length: 6.2 feet (1.90 meters)
Weight: 771.6 lbs (350 kilograms) unloaded
Physical Strength: P.S. 30
Cargo: Small cargo area in rear which allows up to 440.9 lbs (200 kg) to be carried. Also can tow up to 2.2 tons (2 metric tons).
Power System: Fusion Powered Versions: Nuclear; average life is 5 years. Battery Powered Versions: Electrical, has a small high capacity battery
Black Market Cost: Fusion Powered Versions: 2.25 million credits for a new, undamaged basic unit (unarmed.) Battery Powered Versions: 500,000 credits for a new, undamaged basic unit (unarmed.)
Mini-Missile Launcher: 200,000 credits. Short Range Missile Launcher: 250,000 credits. 60 mm Electromagnetic Mortar: 75,000 credits.

Weapon Systems:
None standard although specially modified versions are available with weapon systems. Only a single weapon system can be mounted.

Mini-Missile Launchers (Optional): The missile launcher system is mounted in the cargo compartment. Missile launcher lacks any form of fire control systems and vehicle uses the fire control systems to target missile systems. A total of twelve mini-missiles are carried in the mini-missile launcher.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with mini missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Mega-Damage: Varies with mini missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2), four (4), or six (6) missiles. Can be fired equal to the gunner's combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6).
Payload: 12 Mini-Missiles.
Short Range Missile Launchers (Optional): Optionally mounted in the cargo compartment is a short range missile launcher. A total of four short range missiles are mounted with most common missile carries are special surface to air missiles. Because vehicle lacks a fire control system, targeting data must come from another source including troops, other vehicles, or power armors.
Maximum Effective Range: Varies with short range missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details - SAM Missiles most common.)
Mega-Damage: Varies with short range missile types (See revised bomb and missile tables for details - SAM Missiles most common.)
Rate of Fire: Can fire missiles one at a time or in volleys of two (2) or four (4) missiles. Can be fired equal to the gunner's combined hand to hand (usually 5 or 6).
Payload: 4 Short Range Missiles.
MI-EMM-60 60 mm Electromagnetic Mortar (Optional): Like missile launchers, the vehicle does not perform its own fire control but requires outside targeting. Unlike conventional mortars, the weapon uses a special system where the range is programmed in instead of propelling charging being used. While the weapon is far more expensive than a conventional mortar, it has an increased range over conventional models. An obvious advantage is that the individual projectiles are lighter but the weapon also is lighter. It is unmanned and automatic loading. Guided rounds and standard rounds can be used. Power is pulled directly from the reactor on fusion powered models and a high efficiency capacitor is used for non-fusion powered models. See Battlefield Mortars for Rifts for more details.
Maximum Effective Range: 14,000 feet (4,267.2 meters) [Minimum range of 250 feet (76.2 meters)]
Mega Damage: 1D4x10 for Fragmentation with a blast area of 20 feet (6.1 meters), 1D4x10 for High Explosive with a blast area of 5 feet (1.5 meters), 1D6x10 for Armor Piercing with a blast area of 3 feet (0.9 meters), and 2D4x10 for plasma rounds with a blast area of 15 feet (4.6 meters). The launcher can also fire smoke, illumination, and chemical rounds.
Rate of Fire: Equal to combined hand to hand attacks of gunner
Payload: 60 rounds. Fusion powered models do not need a capacitor to power weapon system but the non fusion powered model has a capacitor with enough charges for 100 firings.

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Original company idea by Ki-Tarn Zilkia (Kitarn@netscape.net)

Writeup by Kitsune (E-Mail Kitsune).

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