LOCKS

 There are three different types of mass-manufactured locks that are used for all security needs: mechanical locks, card locks, and baton locks. There are also personalized locks that are tailor-made to the customer and extremely expensive. The Security Systems: Open Locks skill is used to try to open any of the first three kinds of locks, but it is modified by the level of the lock. For every level of the lock, there is a -1 Column Shift to the skill check. The personalized locks require a lot more than knowledge of the lock.

 Mechanical Locks: Mechanical locks run the gamut from simple desk drawer locks to bank vaults. Most vehicle ignitions are mechanical locks. The lock levels, for purposes of the SS:OL skill, run from Level 0 to Level 5. Most mechanical locks are jammed or removed easily by weapons fire or explosives.
 Card Locks: Card locks are second-generation locking mechanisms. A card locks is a 15-cm square plaque mounted on a wall or door about 1.5 meters above floor level. The card lock operates by scanning an inserted passcard that contains a tiny electromagnetic ribbon. When a match is confirmed, the lock opens. Card locks are usually used for doors or equipment, like security computers. There are eight levels of card and matching passcards.

 Card Color   Level  Usual Uses                         

    Grey        1    Closets                            



    Blue        2    Living Quarters                    



   Green        3    Offices, File Rooms                



   White        4    Medical or Scientific Facilities   



   Silver       5    Supervisory or Robotic Facilities  



    Red         6    Star Law or Security Facilities    



   Black        7    Governmental or Penal Facilities   



   Gold         8     Extremely expensive, personalized lock

 Baton Locks: Baton locks are third-generation locks but operate similarly to card locks. A baton, 20 cm long with a 2-cm diameter, has an intricate electromagnetic circuit inside. When inserted into the baton lock, a 10-cm-square plague with a shuttered hole in the cetner, that circuit is scanned. If comfirmed as being the proper baton, the lock opens and the baton is ejected. If the scan does not confirm that the baton is the proper one, it is locked into place and an alarm goes off at the local Star Law office, constabulary, or security robot computer.

 The circuitry in a baton is far more complex than the emission bands on a passcard and therefore a more secure locking mechanism. Baton locks are used on super-security projects, higher level robots (for some, in fact, it is the only way to turn them off), and by the very rich. Baton locks are Levels 5 to 10. They are masterpieces of solid-state construction, requiring 200 points of damage before they are destroyed. Even when destroyed they will be jammed closed or off 90% of the time.

 Personalized Locks: For those wealthy individuals or institutions who want the most secure locks possible, there are locks that only recognize personalized codes. The proper lock level is recorded after the title. A character ceenot attempt to use his Security Systems: Open Locks skill without some form of artificial replacement for the needed code. If any exists, it is listed after the type below.

 Voice Recognition: Level 5 or 6. The lock only responds to a charactyer's voice pattern. Replacement: A quality recording of the voice giving the proper code words.

 Hand Prints: Level 6. The lock has a plate that scans the entire hand or manipulative appendage print. Replacement: A synthetic casting of the hand or appendage, or the hand or appendage itself.

 Retina Scan: Level 7 or 8. The lock is equipped with a viewing apparatus that the character must look into before the lock will open. Inside the viewer the retinal pattern of the character's eye is scanned by lasers. Replacement: An intricate and expensive operation whereby a character of the some race has his retinal pattern altered to match the lock owner's pattern. The lock owner's retinal pattern must first be possessed, but there are laser cameras that can photo it quickly.

 Brain Scan: Level 9. The lock is linked to an intricate scanner that scans the character's brain structure and brain waves. This takes a few minutes to confirm and requires a Level 5 Job (Medical) maxiprog attached to at least a Level 5 mainframe computer. Replacement: None known (possibly use of a clone).

 Full Body Scan: Level 10. The lock is linked to a room-sized scanner that must be entered before the door is approached. It scans the entire body and brain, matching metabolic rate, brain waves, physical recognition patterns, etc. This takes at least 10 minutes and requires the scanner to be linked to a Level 6 Job (Medical) maxiprog in a Level 6 mainframe computer. Replacement: None known (possibly the use of a recently created clone).

 Scanners

 Scanners are devices that sweep an area, sensing for something in a particular fashion. They are the security system's main source of information, the robot's eyes and ears, and are used by intelligent bioforms to enhance limited senses.

 Security scanners are usually mounted high on a wall or on a ceiling at strategic scanning sites: above doors, corners, in the center of the room. The arc and pattern of their scanning is left up to the referee (this should be established in advance). Scanners can either be linked to a mainframe computer or monitoring stations for observation. Many are used with different maxiprogs and are tied in to defensive weapon systems mounted for installation security.

 All scanners are limited by the visible horizon. This means that sometimes a small scanner works just as well as a big scanner. The size of the scanner determines the effective range, as shown on the following table.
 
 

 Size      Scanner      Scanner    

 Type         Size          Range

     A       10-cm cube     1-10 meters    

     B       20-cm cube    10-50 meters    

     C       40-cm cube    51-150 meters   

     D        1-m cube    151-400 meters   

     E        2-m cube    401-1000 meters  

     F        4-m cube        1-5 km       

     G        8-m cube         5+ km

 Beam: This scans for microwaves (like masers) and bolt weapon beams. This type of scanner is commonly used for missile guidance systems or warbots to homme in on these weapon types being used.

 Electromagnetic: This type of scanner detects electromagnetic waves produced by force fields.

 Infrared: Commonly called heat seeking, this type of scanner detects strong heat sources, suchas missiles, vehicles, generators, etc. A high-resolution version is often used by night-prowling robots or characters to track warm-blooded creatures. This scannertype always indicates the greaters heat source and is not very effective on hot planets or during the day on any planet when the sun is in the sky.

 Intense Light: This type of scanner detects concentrated light beams, such as lasers. It is effective both day and night, but susceptible to damage from high-intensity flares of light, such as flash grenade explosions.

 Motion: This type of scanner identifies any movement within its range. The problem is that it does not identify the moving object, only that "something moved over there."

 Odor: This scanner can detect molecular traces in an atmosphere or a liquid for a short time after a bioform has passed by. Every type ofcreature has a unique odor that this scanner can be programmed for. This type if scanner is usually used by campers as aperimeter defensive security system.

 Parabolic: This scanner does for sound what omnoculars do for light. It amplifies the sound so that soft or far-away noises can be picked up. The parabolic scanner must be aimed at the source of the sound and at a specific distance to work. Loud noises, like a boomer grenade explosion, can damage or destroy a parabolic scanner.

 Radar: This scanner uses radio waves and can detect solid objects that are at least as denses as bone, or detect other characters or mechanisms that are using radar.

 Radioactivity: This type of scanner can detect strong fluxes of radiation. This includes nuclear generators, power plants, weapons, and radiated areas. It can also determine the level of radiation.

 Seismic: Not to be confused with a motion scanner, the seismic scanner can pick up strong vibrations through the ground, such as heavy equipment moving or a large group of animals. It is also used for locating mining and energy source uses, such as coal and oil deposits.

 Shape: This type of scanner needs to be connected to a mainframe computer of at least Level 3. It can be programmed to recognize or ignore certain shapes: characters, vehicles, animals, geography, etc. There is a tiny scanner that is used for missiles that also recognizes shapes, although only a few types.

 Sonar: This type of scanner only works in very dense atmospheres or underwater. Sound waves are used to find solid objects at least as dense as bone.

 Ultraviolet: This scanner detects ultraviolet rays, LSSs, and UV dyes.

 Visual: This type of scanner is still the most common type used on the Frontier. It optically scans an area and the observer watching must interpret what he sees. There are two main optional attachments that are usually found on scanners, though a creative referee can introduce more.

 One type of attachment is a light source. This is especially necessary for visual scanners, external scanners, or scanners that exist to pinpoint intruders for security guards or robots. A mounted powerlight, or an infralight will do the trick nicely.

 The other attachment is a directional microphone. This is commonly used for internal security so minitoring stations can record conversations for later use in criminal convitions or data gathering. Other additions to visual scanners include zoom lenses, omnocular lenses, and starlight optics.

 MISCELLANEOUS SCANNER EQUIPMENT

 Spy Eye: This is a small sphere (15 or 25 cm in diameter) that has a built-in scanner and moves by silent hoverjet. It is usually used for spying but is sometimes good as a randomly directed guard. The information gathered is either stored within the spy eye for later perusal, or broadcast back to the receiving station.

 A spy eye can move up to 40 meters per turn in any direction and has a maximum attainable height of 120 meters above a horizontal surface. Spy eyes have 25 structural points, move quickly and are small, and can be armed with up to two rafflur M-1s or minigrenade launchers.

 Mounted Security and Defensive Weapons: The following guidelines should be used for mounted security and defensive weapons. These do not include simple mounted weapons that are directly manned by character, but rather weapons directed by computers (also see the Mainframe Computer section).

• Any weapons but bolt weapons may be mounted.
• The level of proficiency for these defenses is normally level +1 plus a +1 Column Shift for each level of the mainframe computer's Security (Defense) maxiprog. The Initiative Modifier is the program level plus three.
• If the weapon can handle it, parabatteries usually power it and belts of ammo (if needed) are fitted to it.
• Intelligent defense designers do not mount weapons that will harm the installation itself. Pistols or weak rifles are used for inside defense, along with electrified grids, gas, and so forth (or else the room or corridor is armored, insulated, or otehrwise protected from the defense's form of attack). More powerful beam, projectile, or gyrojet weapons, missiles, grenades, and mines are used for external security.

While most mounted energy, projectile, or gyrojet weapons resemble their handheld counterparts, they are built for mounted use and can only be scavenged for parts, not take off and used as handhled weapons once they are captured. With the proper skills, however, they may be remounted on the robots, vehilces, or structures of the characters who captured them.