Sometimes, ship crews will need to move from one ship to another without the benefit of an orbital station to pass through. More rarely, they may need to transfer small amounts of cargo from ship to ship. While these maneuvers may be accomplished by means of EVA packs or sticks, or rocket "scooters", moving cargo or passengers unskilled in Zero-G by these methods is hazardous, to say the least. There is also a need for such equipment in emergencies, salvage operations, some rescue or "special ops" situations, and at other times where docking with another ship may be impractical, impossible, or simply undesirable. In times like those, the following items may come in handy.
Transfer-Line Cannon: The TLC is a meter-long bazooka-like device with a pistol grip near the center, powered by a Rechargable Compressed Air Cylinder which fires a 500 meter braided Spinner Cable attached to a three-flanged, spring-loaded electromagnetic Grapnel and carabiner. The rear end of this line also has a carabiner on its end (which is usually attached to a Winch on the firing character's ship, prior to aiming the TLC at another vessel). When the TLC is fired, compressed air forces the Grapnel out the front of the cannon (trailing its line), while the gas is vented out the rear, in order to prevent reactive movement in Zero-G.
When the catch on the forward end of the grapnel strikes a metal-hulled ship, the three spring-loaded flanges snap into position, and their electromagnets are powered for 12 hours (or until the grapnel is reset), holding the grapnel to the ship with the force rating of the grapnel used. For ships with other hull types, three inserts of Stik-kit material must be inserted into the flanges, or the carabiner may be attached to a handy protrusion by someone at the other end. The entire 500 meter line may be reeled back in, ready to fire again, in one minute, using a winch. Once a Transfer-Line is rigged from ship to ship, a Crawler may then be used to safely cross the distance, or transfer cargo.
Type: Single-shot 50 mm Grapnel Cannon. Country: Generic. Weight: 2 kg (unloaded). Length: 1 meter (Bulk = 3). Action: Single-shot. Ammunition: 5 cm sping-loaded, three-flanged electromagnetic grapnel. Muzzle Velocity: 500 mps. Air Recharge Bottle: 1 kg (20 shots). ROF: 1. Aimed Fire Range: 1000 meters in space, 100 meters in atmosphere (at 1 G). DP Value: 0.4 (Blunt trauma only). Price: Lv 150.
Rechargable Compressed Air Cylinder: This is the power source for firing grapnels through space, good for 20 shots at a recharge. They are rechargable by any starship, and may hold air, or any other compressed gas. One of these comes with each of the Kits (below), but extras may be purchased, as needed. Weight: 1 kg (filled). Price: Lv 5.
Spinner Cable: Spinner line is taken and braided into a 500 meter long cable (stored within the TLC) that is capable of holding 20 tonnes. While one comes with each Kit, extras can be purchased for use with it, or for other purposes (such as climbing). The ends of Spinner Cables are woven together, leaving a "loop" for the insertion of a Carabiner. Cable can also be purchased in shorter lengths, at the rate of Lv 1/meter. Weight: 10 kg. Price: Lv 500.
Carabiners: These are heavier than the standard carabiners used in climbing, as they, too, are rated at 20 metric tonnes (just like the cables they are attached to). Both standard "C" and "D" carabiners, of either the "locking" or "clip" variety are available. Each of the various Kits (below) is provided with half locking "D" and the other half C-clip carabiners, for your convenience. Weight: 0.25 kg. Price: Lv 10.
Grapnels: There are two different grapnels usable with the TLC. The "regular" one grips with 500 kg force, while the heavier "cargo model" grips with a force requiring 10 tonnes to pry it loose. Both appear similar, although the cargo model is larger and heavier. Each is hexagonal in shape, with spring-loaded flanges on three of the sides. A catch on the forward end releases these flanges when it is struck, causing them to spring out, and turning on the electromagnets in each. The Rear end of the Grapnel has the Spinner Cable attached to its integral ring, allowing it to swivel freely, and be pulled along behind the grapnel. The electromagnetic grapnel is turned off and the catch reset by compressing the catch against the ship's hull while twisting the circular ring-guard on the rear. The rear also contains the rechargable battery pack (packs, in the case of the Cargo Model) which allow 20 hours' worth of holding power. These cells are all the same size as (and interchangable with) those on the Crawler harnesses, below. They can be easily recharged by any starship with an active power plant.
"Regular" Grapnel: This is the one used for basic ship-to-ship transport, as well as with the Crawler Chair. It masses a mere 0.5 kg, but holds with 500 kg gripping force. One is provided with the Basic Kit, below. Weight: 0.5 kg. Price: Lv 10.
"Cargo" Model Grapnel: This is the one used for transfering cargo from ship to ship, where masses of up to ten tonnes may be attempting to pull the grapnel off the ship's hull. It is much heavier than the "Regular" version (weighing 4 kilograms), and requires the Cargo Model Stik-kit for non-metallic hulls. One of this type of grapnel comes with the Cargo Kit, below. Weight: 4 kg. Price: Lv 500.
Stik-kit Packs: For Non-Metallic hulls, the electromagnets of a TLC's Grapnel won't hold it to the ship. In such cases, flange inserts made of Stik-kit material can be used to stick it to the hull (although, frankly, someone on the other end with a Catcher's Mitt, who'll attach the carabiner, is cheaper)!
Regular Stik-kit Packs: These inserts fit the Regular Grapnel, and require 500 kg. of force (or an electrical charge) to be freed. Weight: 0.25 kg. Price: Lv 500.
Cargo Model Stik-kit Packs: These expensive inserts fill the Cargo Grapnel, and will hold up to 10 tonnes of cargo fast to the hull of a non-metallic ship. Weight: 0.25 kg. Price: Lv 1280.
Winch: Provided in all Kits Scout Enterprises sells, the winch serves only one purpose: to reel the Spinner Cable back in, once you're done with it. Winches also provide a convenient attachment point for the rear Carabiner. The Winch reels cable in at the rate of 500 meters/minute, assuming no mass on the line (although it is capable of pulling up to 200 kg. more slowly). Since winches are generally attached to the rear wall of an airlock or cargo bay, we sell extras, so you can equip all the exits with one. Weight: 2 kg. Price: Lv 100.
Crawlers: These are the real heart of any Ship-to-ship Transfer Unit, the single piece of equipment that makes movement eaiser, safer, and more managable, especially for those unskilled Zero-G and Vacc Suit!
The "Crawler" (or "Spider"), itself, is a cylindrical, rod-shaped device with motorized, soft rollers inside it. Hinged along one side, it can be opened, and clamped over the line. When the Crawler is activated, the rollers will move a mass (up to the rated weight of the unit) along the cable at a speed also dependent upon the unit. Various models are listed, below:
"Regular" Crawler: The "regular" Crawler, itself, is a small cylinder easily held in one hand. It is attached to a belt-harness which contains the rechargable powerpacks required to run it. The on/off switch is in the harness buckle. The rollers move a mass of up to 200 kg or less along at a comfortable rate of 40 meters/minute (walking speed). While both right- and left-handed models are available, by reversing the belt-harness, a spider may be used on either side (although, in one case, the control will be in back). Please specify "RH" or "LH" model, when ordering. This model may also be built into a suit so that it is always available, if desired. Weight: 1 kg. Price: Lv 50.
Cargo Crawler: The Cargo Crawler (used to help transfer cargo from one ship to another) is a large net (1 x 3 meters) made of braided spinner line with a larger crawler at each end. It can move up to 10 metric tonnes at 100 meters/minute, and is remotely operated at up to 1 km range. Due to the fact that the "Regular" Grapnel can only hold 500 kg, both ends of the Spinner Cable must either be secured by Carabiners, or the stronger "Cargo" Model Grapnel must be used, instead. Since the Spinner Cable can support up to 20 tonnes, it is not unusual for two Cargo Crawlers to be run along one cable at the same time, if carabiners are used. A Remote Control Unit is also included. Weight: 10 kg. Price: Lv 1000.
Crawler Chair: A third type of crawler is the "Crawler Chair" or "Spider's Nest", which is used to ferry injured or unskilled persons between ships in Zero-G. It consists of a chair and buckle-up harness, with a crawler built into the top of the seat. It, too, is remotely controlled, and moves at 100 meters/minute. A Remote Control Unit is also included. Weight: 2 kg. Price: Lv 100.
Runner: The "Runner" is a crawler which has a maximum speed of 500 meters/minute, maximum, and a dial on the buckle which allows it to be set to any speed from 1 to 500 meters/minute, as well as controlling the on/off function. Like the Regular Crawler, above, this unit is often built into Vacc Suits. Note: Since crashing into a ship's hull at 500 meters/minute is hazardous to your health, a Liability Disclaimer stating that you are Zero-G proficient and agree to hold Scout Enterprises blameless must be signed prior to purchase. Weight: 1 kg. Price: Lv 100.
Remote Control Unit: A small, handheld, wristmountable unit that allows a Cargo Crawler or Crawler Chair to be operated from up to 1 km away. Range: 1 km. Signature: +0. Weight: 0.1 kg. Price: Lv 25.
Basic Kit: The Basic Kit includes one TLC with Rechargable Compressed Air Cylinder and Winch, one Regular Grapnel with a Regular Stik-kit Pack, 500 meters of Spinner Cable, two Carabiners, four Crawlers, and instructions. All items except the winch come packed into an easy-to-store, fitted plastic case, designed to fit in a ship's equipment locker, or on an airlock's ceiling. Weight: 21 kg. Price: Lv 1400.
Cargo Kit: The Cargo Kit includes almost the same equipment as the Basic Kit, except that the Regular Grapnel is replaced by the Cargo Model, the four Regular Crawlers are replaced by one Cargo Crawler with a Remote Control Unit, and the Regular Stik-kit Pack is replaced by the Cargo Stik-kit Pack. Weight: 31 kg. Price: Lv 4900.
Emergency Kit: Great for rescue and emergency response teams, this set include everything from the Basic Kit, except that the Crawlers have been replaced with Runners. Also, four Runner-equipped Crawler Chairs, an RCU, a Cargo Model Grapnel, three extra Spinner Cables with two Carabiners each, and a Cargo Model Stik-kit Pack have been added. Weight: 65 kg. Price: Lv 5200.