A rigger’s got to eat, right? One way to have food where you need it is to make it look like you’re there to serve food while you’re actually spying on local corpo- rate traffic. This mobile food-service truck, usually re- ferred to as a food truck or, much less politely, a roach coach, provides facilities for a variety of food-related activities. Trucks come in three varieties: prepared food, unprepared food, and frozen treats. Prepared food trucks offer things like ice cream, chips, sodas, and prepackaged sandwiches. Inside they’re set up with a large storage unit that can be specialized as a freezer and/or refrigerator, along with some heating el- ement for food served warm. Unprepared food trucks offer a limited menu of items usually centered around a certain theme. Inside they have a slightly smaller cold storage area and heating element, along with a sink, sanitation facility, and prep area. Frozen treats trucks serve the standard frozen pops of every kind, with spe-
cialized ones offering scooped ice cream. The back is nothing but freezer space.
The Ares Chuck Wagon is the premier roach coach because it has windows on both sides to increase ser- vice speed. Since seating isn’t a high priority, the front area includes the driver’s seat and one fold-down jump seat. The Chuck Wagon is not a race truck by any means, but at least the ride is smooth and the food is plentiful. If you stock it, of course.
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My favorite surveillance vehicle. Inconspicuous, people to talk to, and plenty of food.>
2XLCHUCK WAGON (GROUNDCRAFT)
HANDL SPEED ACCEL BODY ARM PILOT SENS SEATS AVAIL COST
2/2 3 1 16 5 2 2 2 — 40,000¥ Standard Equipment —
HAULERS
AIRSTREAM TRAVELER
LINE MOTORHOMES
(CHINOOK, PRESERVE, OUTBACK)
Airstream is a legendary name in the world of travel trailers and RVs. That legendary brand name is now wholly owned by NeoNET. While not well known for their vehicle production, they invested heavily in Air- stream over the last decade in order to solidify their American connection. The primary production facility is located in Reading, Massachusetts, just outside the Boston quarantine zone, and it’s been operating with limited staff since the lockdown. All of that has nothing to do with why riggers love the Traveler line, but every- thing to do with why runners may love Airstream in the future. NeoNET has been paying very little attention to the subsidiary since their troubles and Airstream execs are looking for a way to get back in business.
As for the Traveler line itself, the value comes in vari- ability. Airstream produces three primary models for the Traveler line: the Chinook, the Preserve, and the Out- back. While built off the same cabin frame, the accesso- ries and amenities make all the difference to set up each model for a different market climate (literally).
The Chinook is a cold excursion model with addi- tional insulation, heat-absorbing paint with internal heat storage technology, a quick-change propulsion system involving a tracked drive and ski system, a radar system for determining ice-thickness, and a satellite communi- cation system.
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Chinooks are most abundant in the AMC and northern Asia. Several run with Karavan, and quite a few of the Yakut tribes have these around.The Preserve is the most common model with the fewest extraordinary features. It runs on a six-wheel bus chassis and is designed for the roads and trails of the modern world. This is truly the successor of the iconic silver bullet that roamed the highways of America. In- tended for use in those corners of the world where civi- lization is never far, the Preserve is simply a home away from home.
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The Preserve is mundane enough to be modified by coyotes. The storage and sleeping areas are set up to tightly pack in those who need discreet transport. It isn’t comfortable, but it also isn’t intended for long distance transport, just over borders.>
SounderThe Outback is the Chinook’s hot-weather cousin. Heat storage systems are optional for areas with highly variable day and night temperatures. The Outback runs on a six-wheel system similar to the Preserve but built on a larger and more rugged suspension and wheels. Most of the time. For some of the truly treacherous places the Outback can go (not that many people take it to those places), the Outback has an eight-legged drive system capable of scaling surfaces to the point of complete inversion. A satellite uplink is standard to help overcome the connectivity issues present in the middle of nowhere, where the Outback is most often found. Air- stream has a proprietary system on the latest Outback models that gathers and stores water directly from the moisture in the air—even from the arid air of the desert.
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The Outback is rarely found in cities, but it’s not unheard of. Among those standard features that Wilma didn’t mention are the airlift hooks designed right into the frame. The Outback can be dropped or picked up using just those. The Chinook offers it as an added feature, but it rarely got picked up. The oversized tires are sometimes switched out for urban areas as well, but they don’t need to be.>
Turbo BunnyCHINOOK (GROUNDCRAFT)
HANDL SPEED ACCEL BODY ARM PILOT SENS SEATS AVAIL COST
3/2 4/3 1 14 12 2 2 10 - 145,000¥
Standard
Equipment Amenities (squatter), extreme environment modification (cold), satellite uplink, suncell
PRESERVE (GROUNDCRAFT)
HANDL SPEED ACCEL BODY ARM PILOT SENS SEATS AVAIL COST
3/3 4/4 1 16 12 2 3 10 - 134,000¥
Standard
Equipment Amenities (squatter), gridlink, satellite uplink, suncell
OUTBACK (GROUNDCRAFT)
HANDL SPEED ACCEL BODY ARM PILOT SENS SEATS AVAIL COST
3/4 3/4 1 14 12 2 4 8 - 158,000¥
Standard
Equipment Amenities (squatter), Extreme environment mod (hot), off-road suspension, satellite uplink, suncell
MACK HELLHOUND
Transporting goods across long overland routes can be dangerous, so Mack developed the Hellhound. I was go- ing to say something about it being like a real hellhound only without flaming breath, but one of the most common close-defense systems installed on the Hellhound is flame- throwers. This road warrior would make a great post-apoc- alyptic war rig like the ones in Mad Max: Furios Child if it weren’t so damn pretty. Though it’s meant to deter go- gangs and road-jackers, Mack certainly didn’t intend to do that with looks. The Hellhound looks like it’s asking you to pet it—so that it can joyfully burn your face off.
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No joke. Mack started with the guts of their top-of- the-line Boxer and then built a combat Mastiff on top. While protecting the haul was the goal, they wanted a pretty hauler. With doors closed and drones tucked, the Hellhound looks like a show-truck cruising the streets.>
Turbo BunnyThe Hellhound offers a lot of options for its defensive systems with the use of Ares’ track-mounted Sentinel drone series. The Sentinel system rings the top of the rig, and the drones tuck back behind the sleeper cabin when not in use. The rig can mount up to three Sentinel drones in this spot, with three sidetrack rails that are also used by the drones to move around one another or to duck back on for cover. The top ring has two forward facing rails that lead to a ring of rails around the front of the Hellhound. These rings have two Sentinel drones with protective cas- ings that only open up when there’s trouble.
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And guess what, they’re wired! They have a port on the inside of the rig to plug the RCC into directly, though many riggers either run wireless or leave the system under the command of the pilot program.>
Sounder>
Wow! Old school. I’ve been waiting for a rehash of the Sentinel system. I was surprised it hadn’t become more popular when wireless hacking could be done from a MetaLink, but now that wireless access is back under the thumb of the megacorps, I guess they need to protect themselves from each other.>
Slamm-0!The Sentinel system is also used on an optional (though everyone gets it unless their trailer doesn’t fit) rail kit that fits around any standard trailer. The rail kit is an like an ex-
ternal cage that folds up over the trailer box. It runs the top rim, bottom rim, and side edges, has four ribs that go all the way around the trailer, including across the belly, and two more rib rails that ring it long ways. The basic system has a power supply for up to four drones, but optional packages include eight, sixteen, and even twenty-four drone battery packs. The added weight of the batteries and drones pulls the range down, but SolarCell systems are available to sup- plement and recharge the system.
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The 24-drone model is a gunship. Karavan recently got their hands on one of these and they use it for central defense of their governmental rigs. Basically it’s just a way for those in charge of Karavan to stay in charge, but the thing is a sight to behold.>
Red Anya>
I’ve actually seen a Hellhound chilling out at the center of a four-pack of quad Bergens. That’s four Bergen mega haulers, each with four trailers. The Hellhound had nothing on the capacity of the Bergens, but its drone loadout was guaranteeing the big boys were getting where they were headed. If they got into a tussle I’m not sure anyone would be able to use the road afterwards, as the majority of thedrones were packing something that made a big boom.
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Turbo BunnyBack to the main rig. The back of the rig not only has space for the Sentinels but also has a pair of pneumatic launchers. The launch tubes usually contain a pair of Ro- to-Drones but can be loaded with fifty-gallon drums filled with whatever. That latter option is usually seen in poorer places that have somehow gotten their hands on one of these but can’t afford to replace the Roto-Drones that they had to shoot down getting the Hellhound in the first place. The passenger side of the Hellhound is what really tells you this is a rigger’s ride. The section where another person might normally sit is replaced with a rack for Microskim- mer drones. When the door is closed, it just looks like that side has a big door with no windows. Once opened, it reveals what look like garbage-can lids stacked sideways. This section launches the eight drones like skeet and is ca- pable of launching two at a time. Because of the minimum time needed for the Microskimmers to fire up and fly, the launcher had to be higher, and this left space below for a wheeled drone that can burst from its berth even when the Hellhound is at full speed. Riggers usually launch the drone at the first sign of trouble and then tuck it under the belly of the trailer to come out as needed.
Inside the regular cab is a manual drive system set low, with a rigger cocoon set behind it where the seat can slide back into the cocoon or the rigger can climb straight in. The sleeper area is good sized and allows every standard metatype smaller than a troll to lie out comfortably, and even trolls find it roomier than most troll-sized coffin motels. A secondary rigger cocoon is part of the sleeper area, as this thing usually requires more than one rigger to handle all the drones. It’s got a full Matrix hookup and wall screen run through a high- end commterminal with a road warrior theme.
Being assigned to work in this truck is the dream job of wageslave riggers around the world.
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It only seems like a dream job. Because when something happens that you get to play with all these toys, your life is at risk. Honestly, I think Mack made this rig just so they could sell them to Ares Media division for cool trid shows.>
SticksHELLHOUND (GROUNDCRAFT)
HANDL SPEED ACCEL BODY ARM PILOT SENS SEATS AVAIL COST
3/2 4/3 1 20 15 3 3 2 16R 150,000¥
Standard Equipment
Amenities (low), landing drone rack (medium), landing drone rack (micro), landing drone rack (medium), landing drone rack (small), 2 x rigger cocoon, rigger modification, special equipment (drone rail), standard drone rack (small)