Angel 800 motorcycle module

One of Yabusa's earliest projects in their foray into cybernetics was the Angel 800 and its military equivalent, the Seraph 1200. The initial concept looked very much like a large, bulky two-wheeled armored suit, where a wearer could unfurl to and from a motorcycle-like shape. Development began on the premise that being able to wear the components of a vehicle could cut down on issues within a city--a person wearing the Angel module doesn't need to park a vehicle and leave it exposed, there's less chance of theft or vandalism, and it's easy to temporarily go from riding mode to bipedal mode to take shortcuts or avoid hazards. Yabusa engineers envisioned in solo mode, Angel users could make deliveries or just transport themselves without needing to park; in riding mode, an Angel could transport others, either as a ride-hailing service or law enforcement.

Initial challenges in the bulky design exhausted a lot of options for viability, as either too much bulk was present to make the Angel 800 a better option than simply owning a traditional motorcycle, or extensive surgery would be necessary. The surgery was deemed too expensive and dangerous, locking a person into the Angel program permanently, so Yabusa engineers changed tactics. They next tried to make the Angel frames into autonomous units, not requiring a human operator, but shoddy AI results coupled with the fact that androids were just going to take up space in new places throughout the city eventually led to the shelving of the entire project.

The details are fuzzy on the revitalization of the Angel 800 in relation to the Phase Binder, but the first version on showroom floor maintained a sleek mirror-black sportbike aesthetic, where the cowlings of the sportbike were affixed to the back of the Angel user, providing the 'angelic' namesake when the paneling unfurled in walking mode. The Angel 800 user typically wore a matching sleek armored riding suit which had paneling that neatly fit against the external cowlings when in riding mode, which also contained the important features like windscreens or the handlebars which would neatly tuck away along the back in walking mode. Those controls allow another person to ride on top of the Angel and handle steering. Wheels tuck into the cowlings, allowing for a fairly reasonable profile for the user when in bipedal mode. Coupled with a riding suit with headlights on the chestplate and taillights on the backs of the leg, most people who see an Angel on the street in full gear wouldn't even know there was a body in motorcycle mode!

The Angel's organic body externally has metal rings along their arms, legs, and back in addition to pads indicating magnetic coupling points which allows the body to connect to the external cowlings, wheels, handlebars, and electronics, which are enhanced with a riding suit. An Angel's internals are totally out of phase with their external body, and when a seam on an Angel's back is opened up, it reveals a hollow mechanical interface large enough for even a Meteor armored suit to fit. Even though there are multiple internal modules--called 'Endos'--that can be installed in this shell-body platform, an Angel typically uses an Endo that stores a large battery pack and motor, as well as provides suspension and drive to the wheels that dock to ports in the Angel's hands and feet. When off the clock, the Angel can swap out the motorcycle Endo module for other Yabusa modules that allow for normal movement--without an Endo providing a good structure to an Angel, they are extremely weak and may be unable to walk under their own power. Yabusa is exploring new Endo modules to expand an Angel's functionality in the future.

To transform into motorcycle mode, all that the user really needs to do is be a bit flexible. With hands and feet on the wheel axles, the upper body just needs to curl back a bit in a pose similar to the upward-facing dog, which is locked into place by the internal Endo, so the user is quite comfortable when the Endo frame holds that weight. Once the cowling is in place and sealed around the user, the gyroscopically-balanced motorcycle holds itself together. With a good HUD and extensive cameras, the Angel is ready to operate in solo mode for deliveries or riderless travel!

With a rider, the Angel user or the rider could control the throttle and direction, as necessary. Especially in law enforcement use cases, having a rider that can rely on the Angel to drive them while they focus on another task can be critical. Law enforcement units also do have special armored cowlings, so in bipedal mode the Angel user has essentially two bulletproof shields to protect themselves as well as riders or others as needed. Weapons are also easy to tuck inside the cowling, making the Angel a formidable multitool for patrols when things get dangerous.

Throughout Spiral City, a variety of delivery and ride-hailing companies have hired on a few dozen Angel 800 users, men and women both, for their own testing of the viability of the system. The most prominent users of the phasebound units are officers from the Spiral City Police Department. SCPD designated ten pairings, where designations Angel One through Angel Ten are partnered up with Rider One through Rider Ten, who wear complimentary Meteor X power armor, all painted up in the police department's colors. Together, these Angel-Rider pairings quickly became formidable forces for stopping criminal activity in its tracks in some areas of the city. While the pairs are still actively patrolling the streets, they do have some ongoing investigations, including: to find the Yabusa 'booth babes' that had disappeared after a tech convention, one of which had been an Angel 800 herself.

So, who are you? On the SCPD ****, as either an Angel or a Rider? Or, one of the other delivery and transportation companies operating in the city?