COBRA (science fiction novels)

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For the series of novels by Joseph R. Rosenberger, see COBRA (action-adventure novels)

COBRA refers to a series of science fiction novels by Timothy Zahn. In these books, a group of soldiers, known as Cobras, are augmented with bionic technology that enables them to carry powerful weapons. At the same time, these enhancements improve their reaction time, and many of their natural abilities (including perception). These modifications to the human body are concealed, and allow the soldiers to appear as ordinary unarmed civilians, when in fact the bionics are actually permanent. This allows Zahn to examine the position these individuals might fill in a society during peace-time. Their weaponry includes small lasers implanted in the little finger of each hand, an antiarmor laser that runs down the calf muscle of one leg and exits through a lens in the heel of their boot, plus an "arcthrower", capable of delivering a high-voltage pulse able to disrupt nearby electronics. In addition they are armed with two different types of sonic weapons- all of their weaponry is controlled by a "nanocomputer" that is implanted inside their skull. This computer also helps run the auditory enhancers, targeting computer, automated reflexes, etc. Each COBRA also has had significant surgical modifications, including ceramic laminae over all of their bones (essentially rendering them unbreakable), as well as servomotors at the major joints which act as strength (and speed) multipliers.