Predator Eyes Of The Demon 25

But the new generation was constructed according to an entirely different design philosophy. Advances in extra-durable polymers cut the weight down to one hundred pounds, and a whole new generation of nano tech synced to combat AI with learning software allowed the suits to adapt to the individual soldier. It learned from the user during training and adjusted the settings to compensate for different gravities.

The arm cannons were slimmer and sleeker, firing much smaller bullets with explosive cores. There were secondary guns mounted on each shoulder, and these had a 30-degree radius, allowing them to literally protect the wearer's back. With a skilled soldier in the saddle, it was possible to fire all four guns separately and in different directions, aided by human-AI software interfaces filtered through an ultra-sophisticated targeting computer.

The suits were painted a greenish black, with no military insignia or ID numbers. The color earned them the unfortunate nickname of "cockroaches" or just "roaches," and nothing and no one seemed able to shake that name loose. Fix's roach was more comfortable than a recliner, with adaptive gel packs to buffer him even if he took an RPG in the chest.

The weakest spots were the joints and throat, because the need to bend and move quickly meant that the armor could not be at full thickness. Even so, those spots were made of a fiber based on the genetic composition of spider silk and could stop most bullets and blades.-pg.140 chpt.6

The soldiers lined up on the edge of the promontory, half kneeling, half standing, guns pointed down and also around, covering 360 degrees.-pg.146 chpt.6

Fix knelt to one side of the open hatch and pointed all his guns inside.

"Black as the pit in here," he said. "Switching to night-vision."

The new combat suits were fitted with Garibaldi Tru-Color sensors that not only allowed them clear sight but assigned colors to everything so that the interior seemed merely poorly lit. Even with the night-vision software, the ship seemed composed of looming shadows and strange angles. The interior was lit strangely, with indirect lights thatcrossed over into several different spectrums. It hurt Fix's eyes until he adjusted his helmet to filter it out.-pg.153 chpt.6