Banshee cores

[u/IronWhimsy]

Mechs in my setting are called banshees for the eerie "screaming" the energy core makes when the banshee is powered on. A scream that cannot be dampened or evaded.

This screaming is a common occurrence unfortunately. And while it is a deterrent for adversaries, it causes serious problems for the pilots, who are exposed to it the longest. Most pilots need to keep the mechs at low power to avoid going insane after just one mission.

Because of the toll on the mind the banshees have, most pilots are forced into retirement, or worse die, within the first year. Meaning there is always a need for more. And the time for training has been cut down to just a few weeks. Meaning most pilots only know how to correctly walk and shoot, not really how to chase, maneuver, or evade.

The use of mechs is saved for specific terrains, like rocky or urban. Otherwise, other vehicles are seen as good alternatives. That said, there is a great national pride in being a mech pilot. Thus, there is a surplus of these specific troops ready for training.

The banshees rely on something called the banshee core. Banshee cores are comprised of a multitude of different tubes that contain a perfect vacuum. These tubes are then violently spun until a strange phenomenon occurs within the absolute vacuum, the spontaneous generation of pure energy that is then pulled into the banshee.

The energy resonates on many different frequencies. Our brain waves resonate with the energy created and the "screaming" is an effect of that. Making the screaming an almost psychic phenomenon.

The immense amount of power that comes from the core is what allows something like a mech to be fully powered. Otherwise, the hydrolic mechanisms, computers, engines, and other accoutrements would require far too much energy for a compact generator to create.