Rifts Up Close: NG-E4 Northern Gun Plasma Ejector

By Tim Willard

First debuting in -20 PA, the NG-E Plasma Ejector was sold all around the scattered settlements. From the fledgling Chi-Town to the shores of the Dinosaur Swamp, this weapon was peddled everywhere a Northern Gun trading caravan went.

The initial plasma weapon sold was a bare bones systems, heavily unbalanced and quickly draining an energy clip of power. The frame was made of first generation hyper-alloys, with the only plastic part being the pistol grip and trigger guard. The frame was built for punishment, able to handle the rigors of supernatural and enhanced combat without being damaged in the fray.

The NG-E series functions by ionizing the air within the chamber, and then magnetically compressing the ionized gas (ie: plasma) until compression massively heats up the ionized gas, usually to temperatures in excess of 4000 degrees Farenhiet. Once the gas is ionized, heated, and compressed, electrons are added to the gas, positively charging the atoms, which are already in a state of flux, and making the plasma more effectively affected by magnetic fluxes. Once that occurs, the weapon uses a shortened set of rail gun rails as a linear accelerator to fire the ball of semi-solid gas at the target. Once the ball of superheated ionized charged matter (commonly referred to as plasma) strikes an object, the massive transfer of heat and electrons results in most solid matter turning to liquid, liquids vaporizing, and gas being torn into its component atoms.

The original NG-E did not contain a scope, nor a forward heat shroud, and the weapon featured a 14" stock to help with recoil when the linear accelerator "fired" the plasma. The weapon was known to have heat issues, and an internal clip kept the firing rate down to one plasma round every 3 seconds to avoid overheating. However, a few moments with the case open an a micro-pick to adjust the dip-switches, and the weapon had an unlimited firing mode. Still, the weapon easily overheated, and if the audible alarm was ignored, there was a chance the weapon would explode in the user's hands.

22 PA saw the emergence of the NG-E1, which featured better thermal systems, allowing the weapon to be fired up to once per second without overheating problems. It also replaced the stock with the shortened version seen in the illustration. However, there were problems with the linear accelerator that often caused the plasma round to be affected by gravity and crash into the ground as little as 100m from the firer. A set of new rails could be purchased and installed (200 Cr for the rails, 500 Cr for the installation, 1000 Cr for both) that would fix the problem.

In 54 PA the NG-E2 was released, which had removed the magazine well and offered only power conduit feed. This version is popular with borgs and power armor troops, and is still offered today, despite its lack of a scope or forward heat shroud.

In 83 PA the NG-E3 was released, which was essentially the same weapon as the NG-E1, but the linear accelerator problem had been beaten, and a forward heat shroud was added and upgraded in order to allow the weapon to cool faster. Complaints of the weapon actually melting polyceramic armor and then getting stuck when the armor cooled around the barrel had finally been addressed after nearly a century.

In 102 PA the NG-E4 was released, which added a standard optical scope to the weapon. However, the scope features no additional features besides 2X magnification, and is often replaced by more high-tech scopes by mercenaries and security agents.

Weight: 20 lbs
Length: 25"
Caliber: 18mm
Minimum Safe Distance: 10m
Maximum Range: 700m (2100 ft)
Maximum Effective Range: 600m (1800 ft)
Typical Combat Range: 200m (600 ft)
Magazine Capacity: 10 shots from a standard energy clip, 20 shots from an extended clip.
Manufacturer's Cost: 4,500 Cr
Wholesale Cost: 16,000 Cr
Manufacturer's Recommended Price: 30,000 Cr
Black Market Price: 35,000+ Cr
Wilderness Price: 8,000 Cr