Bolo (tank)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section describes a work or element of fiction in a primarily in-universe style and may need cleanup. Please help rewrite this article according to the guidelines on writing about fiction, or discuss the issue on the talk page. |
Bolo is a fictional type of artificially intelligent super-heavy tank. They were first imagined by Keith Laumer, and have been featured in science fiction novels by him and others.
Contents |
[edit] Description and history
Bolos are a series of super-heavy tanks controlled by self-aware artificial intelligences. They were originally developed in the late 20th/early 21st century by the Bolo Division of General Motors in the United States. As humanity spread beyond Earth, the Bolos followed to protect the Empire, and later the Concordiat. For millennia they provided the bulwark of humanity's defense, participating in numerous wars against various aliens, most notably against the Deng and the Melconians in the 30th century. Bolos are assigned most famously to the Dinochrome Brigade, which traces its lineage back to various units on Earth, though there are also machines attached to Planetary Siege Regiments.
The concept behind the Bolo is that of being "the perfect knight". Bolos are intended to be invincible, but also completely loyal. Their psychotronic brains undergo rigorous testing before being installed in a machine. They are programmed to avoid killing humans unless by explicit order of their human commanders. One of the greatest fears of humans is that a Bolo's programming will become corrupted and will go rogue. Indeed this happened in Rogue Bolo, and Bolos were turned against their human masters in Bolo Rising and Bolo Strike. As Bolo technology has advanced, the machines have become increasingly autonomous. The first Bolo was essentially a very powerful conventional tank equipped with various servos and mechanical devices to assist the crew. Other early Bolos could be put on automated patrol patterns. Starting with the Mark XX, Bolos became capable of fully independent operation (without a human commander), and with the advent of the Mark XXX, true independent, strategic planning was possible.
[edit] Bolo offensive systems
A basic Bolo is roughly the equivalent in firepower to a division of heavy infantry with artillery support. Later Bolo models are classified as Continental Siege Units, and the Mark XXX and above could usually take on an entire planet's defenders by themselves.
The main weapon of early Bolo Marks was either an enhanced tank gun (Early marks featured DSFSLRP, or discarding sabot, fin-stabilized, long-rod penetrator munitions) or a railgun. As Mankind moved off-planet and the Bolo designs became bigger and more powerful; these were replaced by a Laser Cannon for a short period of time, until the Hellbore was developed. The Hellbore is a complex plasma weapon mounted on a turret, akin to other main guns. On some models, there are more than one main guns, and most recent models have smaller "support" Hellbores. Hellbore power output is measured in megatons/second, although the diameter of the tube is also often used as a quantifying measure. Hellbores in the 90cm and larger range can destroy orbiting spaceships from the ground with one shot — indeed, these weapons are also used as main batteries on Concordiat Star Fleet's Battleships.
Hellbore ammunition consists of slivers of highly-pressurized frozen hydrogen which are heated to a plasma state when fired. The resulting bolt is then accelerated magnetically to a considerable fraction of light speed to avoid dispersing before hitting the target. Later Bolo marks are capable of internally manufacturing Hellbore rounds, using water as a raw material, whereby the hydrogen is extracted via electrolysis and cooled cryogenically into splinters of frozen hydrogen. The Mark XXXIV carries a variant of the Hellbore known as the Hellrail, an anti-starship railgun weapon, possessing an output of 90 megatons per shot. Hellrails are designed for planetary defense and cannot normally be depressed to strike ground targets.
Bolos are also equipped with rapid-firing batteries known as infinite repeaters, though the term later came to be used to automatic secondary weapons with anti-armor ability. On early models, these were Gatling guns or small-bore railguns. Later Marks progressed to energy weapons such as lasers and ion-based weapons, and finally to small Hellbores. Depending on the Bolo, additional secondary armaments include rapid-fire mortars, heavy howitzers, surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles, anti-personnel flechette launchers, and other point-defense weapons to intercept incoming threats. Bolos are equipped with both conventional and thermonuclear missiles, though they will use the latter only as a last resort.
Mark XXXIIIs are known to carry Dragon hover-tanks and Wyvern scout flyers in combat in order to scout for, and to supplement the firepower of, the Bolo itself.
[edit] Bolo defensive systems
The complex armor of a Bolo Unit of the Line can withstand direct hits from all weapons systems up to (and in later models, including) nuclear weapons. Hulls are built of either durachrome, or the stronger endurachrome, with a drivetrain made out of flintsteel. Later Marks were also protected by energized battlescreens, both external and internal. These battlescreens could convert much of the damage done by enemy weapons fire into energy that would be redirected into the Bolo's own weapons.
Each unit is also equipped with an impressive array of sensing equipment for all light conditions, IR, magnetic spectrum, and FTL comm. Units also came equipped with stealthy flying drones and other remote sensing capabilities, with later models having the capabilities to orbit their own MILSAT spy satellites. Bolos also contain their own maintenance robots to repair battle damage.
All power for weapons, battlescreens, and mobility is provided by one or more fusion reactors. As a last resort, Bolos may detonate their reactors to destroy an enemy, or at the very least, thwart capture.
[edit] Artificial intelligence
Each Bolo contains several computer "cores" with different functions, each of which contains multiple fully functional duplicates in case of failure. If a Bolo's logic becomes dysfunctional enough, it regresses to the original Resartus protocol, which was embedded in all following models just for such a case.
Many Bolo stories are told from the point of the view of the Bolo itself, with its internal thoughts printed in italics throughout the text.
[edit] Bolo personality
One of the defining characteristic that resounds in all the works is the Knight in Shining Armour. In many stories, Humanity is redeemed via the Bolo service and self-sacrifice and reminds Humanity what honour is.
[edit] Bolo marks, years of introduction, & notable Bolos
- For more details on this topic, see Bolo Marks technical data.
| Number | Official Name | Year of Introduction | Notable Bolos |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mark I | N/A | 2000 | None known |
| Mark II | N/A | 2015 | "Lesser Troll" |
| Mark III | N/A | 2018 | "Greater Troll", Combat Unit #27A22245 "Markee" |
| Mark IV | N/A | 2116 | None Known |
| Mark V | N/A | 2160 | None Known |
| Mark VI | N/A | 2162 | None Known |
| Mark VII | N/A | 2265 | None Known |
| Mark VIII | N/A | 2209 | None Known |
| Mark IX | N/A | 2209 | None Known |
| Mark X | N/A | 2235 | None Known |
| Mark XI | N/A | 2235 | None Known |
| Mark XII | N/A | 2240 | None Known |
| Mark XIII | N/A | 2247 | None Known |
| Mark XIV | N/A | 2307 | None Known |
| Mark XV/B-M | Resartus | 2396 | "Resartus" |
| Mark XV/R-Q | Horrendous | 2626 | "Horrendous", JNA "Jonah/Johnny" |
| Mark XVI | Retarius | 2605 | "Retarius", DAK "Das Afrika Korps", "US Seventh Corps", "Indefatigable", "Zhukov" |
| Mark XVII | Implacable | 2650 | None Known |
| Mark XVIII | Gladius | 2672 | None Known |
| Mark XIX | Intransigent | 2790 | None Known |
| Mark XX | Tremendous | 2796 | CSR "Caesar", DNE "Denny", "Moseby", DGR "Digger", GWN "Gawain/Gonner", "Jason", LON/SOL "Lonesome Son"/"Sonny" |
| Mark XXI | Terrible | 2869 | MLS "Miles/Resartus", LRH-1313 "Light Reconnaissance Headquarters/Little Red Hen" |
| Mark XXII | Thunderous | 2890 | DNR "Danar" |
| Mark XXIII | Invincibilis | 2912 | B-0075-NKE "Nike" |
| Mark XXIV | Cognitus | 2961 | 721 KNE "Kenny", 96875-FRD "Ferdy", 96876-FRD "Freddy", HNK "Hank" |
| Mark XXV | Stupendous | 3001 | 954-BBY "Bobby", D-0098-ART "Arthur", D-1162-HNR "Honour", Combat Unit D-0982-JSN "Jason", D-0103-LNC "Lance" |
| Mark XXVI | Monstrous | 3113 | None Known |
| Mark XXVII | Invictus | 3185 | None Known |
| Mark XXVIII | Triumphant | 3186 | LNE "Lenny", TTN "Titan", RPT "Rampart", MLN "Merlin", DGN "Dragon", BWK "Bulwark", DJN "Donjon", CHT "Chateau", HWK "Hawk", PGY "Peggy", 28/G-862-BNJ "Benjy", 28/G-179-LAZ "Lazarus" |
| Mark XXIX | Victorious | 3190 | LRS 1-8-12 "Laura Secord", "Victorious" |
| Mark XXX | Magnificent | 3231 | "Maldon", KCC-549 "Casey", LIS-668 "Luis", JNC-147 "Janice", DBC "Death by Chains" DBQ "Death by Quarter" |
| Mark XXXI | N/A | 3303 | None Known |
| Mark XXXII | N/A | 3356 | DLS "Dallas" |
| Mark XXXIII | N/A | Unknown | SHM "Sherman", D-1005-JNE "Jenny", D-1097-SHV "Shiva", "Victor", HCT "Hector" |
| Mark XXXIV | N/A | 3311-3408 | "Cephalus", R-0012 ZGY "Ziggy", TKR "Turkey" |
| Mark XXXIV | Resurgent | Unknown | 34/A-001 SBR "Sabre" |
| Mark XLIV | N/A | Unknown | LKT "Leuctra/Lucy" |
| Mark LX | N/A | Unknown | None Known |
[edit] Books
Bolos appear in these books by Keith Laumer and others:
- Laumer, Keith [July 1976]. Bolo: Annals of the Dinochrome Brigade, cover by Powers (in English), Berkley Books. ISBN 042503450X.
- Laumer, Keith [May 1990]. The Compleat Bolo, cover by Stephen Hickman (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671698796.
- Laumer, Keith [January 1989]. Rogue Bolo, cover by Vincent di Fate (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671655450.
- Laumer, Keith [January 1990]. The Stars Must Wait, cover by Laurence Schwinger (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671698591.
- Stirling, S. M.; S.N. Lewitt, J. Andrew Keith, Todd Johnson, Mike Resnick, Barry N. Malzberg, Christopher Stasheff, Mercedes Lackey, Larry Dixon, David Drake [August 1993]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolos Book I: Honor of the Regiment, cover by Paul Alexander (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671721844. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Stasheff, Christopher; S. M. Stirling, S. N. Lewitt, Shirley Meier, Karen Wehrstein, Todd Johnson, William R. Forstchen [October 1994]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolos Book II: The Unconquerable, cover by Paul Alexander (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671876295.
- Evans, Linda; Robert R. Hollingsworth, David Weber. in Bill Fawcett: Bolos Book III: The Triumphant, cover by Paul Alexander (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 067187683X. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Weber, David M.; S. M. Stirling, John Mina, William R. Forstchen, Robert Greenberger, William H. Keith, Jr., Todd Johnson, Steve Perry, John DeCamp, Mark Thies, Linda Evans [February 1997]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolos Book IV: Last Stand, cover by Paul Alexander (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671877607.
- Keith, William H.; Mark Thies, John Mina, J. Steven York, Dean Wesley Smith [January 2001]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolos Book V: Old Guard, cover by Dru Blair (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671319574. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Smith, Dean Wesley; J. Steven York, Linda Evans [July 2002]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolos Book VI: Cold Steel, cover by David Mattingly (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0743435494. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Keith, William H. [April 1997]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolo Brigade, cover by C. W. Kelly (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 067187781X.
- Keith, William H. [November 1998]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolo Rising, cover by Charles Keegan (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671577794. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Keith, William H. [September 2001]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolo Strike, cover by Dru Blair (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0671318357.
- Weber, David M. [January 2005]. in Bill Fawcett: Bolo!, cover by Carol Russo Design, illustration by David Mattingly (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0743498720. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Ringo, John; Linda Evans [March 2004]. The Road to Damascus, cover by David Mattingly (in English), Baen Books. ISBN 0743471873. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
- Weber, David M. [September 2005]. Old Soldiers, cover by David Mattingly (in English). ISBN 1416508988. Retrieved on December 24, 2006.
