Utwig Bomb

The Utwig Bomb (a misnomer, since the Utwig only found, never built such a device) is one of the most fearsome weapons in known space. This device releases a large amount of antimatter upon detonation, on average annihilating all matter within a 500-km radius, creating a powerful explosion whose blast radius extends for several astronomical units. The energy released by the explosion is great enough to completely disperse a small moon into dust or to blast a larger planetary object into chunks; indeed, scientists at the Earth Starbase speculate that the device may have been a Precursor planeteering tool for dispersing unwanted moons.

In physical appearance, the Bomb is a squat black cylinder. On it is written a very recognizable Precursor inscription, repeated over and over all over its surface; though it has not been completely translated, it seems obvious that the message is a warning. Human scientists deem it unsafe to conduct many tests with the device, since the level of radiation output detected near it suggests a powerful, constantly running energy generation system similar in capacity to The Flagship's own engines at full power.

Known Bombs

At least two examples of such weapons have been found. The first known to the Alliance was found by the Shofixti and kept as a secret weapon, an ultimate version of the Glory Device they favored as a final option in combat. When the Shofixti were on the brink of destruction at the hands of the Hierarchy, they lowered the Bomb into the outer layers of their home star and activated it, causing an immense storm of solar flares similar to a minor nova. The flood of radiation destroyed or rendered inoperative all ships occupying the system at the time, killing all life within them as well as burning out all life on the Shofixti homeworld Kyabetsu. The Ur-Quan Kzer-Za fleet was reduced in size about 30 percent from that battle alone, giving them a crucial disadvantage in the coming Doctrinal Conflict.

A second, identical device is discovered by The Captain in his dealings with the Utwig. The Utwig related to him how they had discovered a Bomb device in a damaged protective container in an abandoned Precursor supply depot. Their beliefs about the Ultron led them to think that the sheer destructive power of the Bomb had been granted to them as part of their history-shaping destiny, and when the Druuge came to trade the Ultron for the Bomb they avoided doing so, whether because of a clever ruse or because of the guidance of the Ultron none can say. When the Ultron was lost and the Utwig sank into a deep depression, they reasoned that the purpose of the Bomb may have been to allow them to commit painless suicide in atonement for their act, but then wondered if a greater atonement might not be to live in misery and guilt for their foolish destruction of the Ultron. While weighing this decision, they kept the Bomb in safekeeping on a special world reserved for that purpose, to protect innocent worlds from an accidental detonation.

When The Captain comes to the Utwig, seeking a device powerful enough to destroy the Ur-Quan's Sa-Matra, he has to repair the Ultron for the Utwig before they — according to the desire of the Ultron itself, they claim — let him take the Bomb. Unfortunately the Druuge meanwhile take orbit above the Bomb world, Zeta Hyades VI-B, which had recently been abandoned by the Utwig's Jugger fleet previously stationed there, and begin searching for the device. Since the Utwig had wisely masked its location against the Druuge's scanners, The Captain is able to defeat the Druuge and recover the Bomb before they can find it. However, even the Precursor device in its unmodified state cannot generate an explosion powerful enough to guarantee the irrevocable destruction of the Precursor-engineered Sa-Matra. Luckily, the Bomb's manufacture bears some similarities to certain Chenjesu technology, so that the Chmmr are able to add their own crystal amplification system to the Bomb, also routing a portion of The Flagship's fusion power to the weapon's ignition chamber, greatly augmenting its power. It is the sacrifice of The Flagship, detonating the Bomb while alongside the Sa-Matra, that finally destroys the Ur-Quan's Great Trophy, allowing the Alliance's forces to defeat both their starfleets.

Gameplay notes

Sources of information

The Utwig reveal the existence and the location of the Bomb if asked about the cause of their depression. The Melnorme also reveal the same things in one of their "current events" bits of information.

Acquistion

The Bomb, located on Zeta Hyades VI-B, can be obtained by returning the repaired Ultron to the Utwig and then defeating the five Druuge Maulers attempting to steal the device. Alternatively, after the Utwig have been cleansed by the Kohr-Ah during the Death March, the Bomb can be retrieved.

Uses

If used, it will annihilate The Flagship, thus causing the game to be lost.

Relevance to the plot

After being upgraded by the Chmmr, it can be used to destroy the Sa-Matra, thus winning the game.