Black Technology World

The world of Full Metal Panic!.

Setting

The series is set in a parallel world, based upon actual world events around the late 20th century to the early 21st century. The story begins in Heisei 10 (1998 AD), where the Cold War has yet to end. China has split into a north and south, with Hong Kong being split much like Berlin. The major differences between real life Earth and the Full Metal Panic! universe are:

• China has split into the People's Liberation Committee (North China) and the Democratic Chinese Alliance (South China) along the Yangtze River. Kowloon is a North Chinese territory, while Hong Kong Island is held by South Chinese forces. Combat in Hong Kong is prohibited by terms of a recent peace treaty.
• A nuclear warhead was used in the 1991 Gulf War. This triggered the Fifth Middle East War.
• Following the beginning of the fifth Middle East war, the Soviet Union successfully reinvaded Afghanistan, which is called Helmajistan in the series.
• Mikhail Gorbachev was assassinated and Perestroika was halted.
• Distinct military technology such as Arm Slaves and Black Technology were developed.

A number of other details differentiates the fictional world. Common changes occur in the Japanese names, as they use homonyms to the names of real life locations. The fictional Jindai (陣代) High School is based on the real life Jindai (神代) High School in Chōfu, Tokyo. The closest station to the real life Jindai High School is the Senkawa station, changed from 仙川 to 泉川. The Japanese calendar of Heisei is altered from 平成 to 平政.

Technology

The level of technology in the Black Technology World is comparable to 21st century Earth.. over all. Many conventional military and technological advances are present the world over, comparable to the world of the person reading this. However, the advent of Black Technology has allowed for more military advances, such as Arm Slaves. Another side effect of Black Technology is that designs in our world judged as impossible have been realized, so many projects were completed instead of abandoned half-way. The level of technology has surpassed our world's, even in more conventional terms, such as high-concept transports and superior submersible technology.

Black Technology

Black Technology is technology that is far more advanced than those of the real world. They are created by a category of humans called the Whispered. With the origins of Black Technology being a tightly kept secret, the general populace is unaware that the Whispered exist, let alone that they are the sole source of Black Technology or that the term "Black Technology" exists and is used to distinguish from conventionally developed technology. Pieces of Black Technology, such as Arm Slaves , have become as normal and common place as the real world's F-22's. So the everyday civilian is unaware of the vast difference in technological advancement.
Examples of Black Technology:

• Artificial Intelligence(A.I.)
• Armored Mobile Master-Slave System (Arm Slave)
• Electronic Conceal System (ECS) or Invisible Cloak
• Fairy's Eye
• Fairy's Feather
• Lambda Driver
• Muscle Exo Package
• Electro Magnetic Fluidics Control
• Palladium Reactor
• Monomolecular Cutters

Most Black Technology seems to deal with Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, and Material Science.

Arm Slaves

Arm Slave are fictional mecha from the light novel, manga, and anime series Full Metal Panic!. These huge and tall robots are used primarily by military forces in the Full Metal Panic! universe, most especially by Mithril and Amalgam.
The term "Arm Slave" is the shortened form of "Armored Mobile Master-Slave System". They are largely humanoid powered suits operating in a semi-Master/Slave system to coordinate with the pilot (Master). The average Arm Slave (or AS for short) is roughly 8–10 meters tall. This places the craft smaller than most mecha in size. The size of the Arm Slave as shown in the anime is roughly 15–18 meters, conflicting with the figures stated in the novel.
It is one of the sum achievements of many different pieces of Black Technology. In a way, it can be said that all black technologies were created in this fictional universe to rationalize the existence of these humanoid combat machines.
They are manufactured and used by many armed forces revolutionizing the meaning of the term "mechanized infantry". Nations confirmed as manufacturing Arm Slaves include the United States, Britain, Germany, the USSR, France, and Japan. The most advanced of these units are used by the unknown terrorist organization, Amalgam, and the elite mercenary counter terrorist organization Mithril.
Arm Slaves occupy a similar cultural position to modern combat jet aircraft. Names and general information are well publicized and are a matter of public record, but detailed specifications and capabilities are kept classified. The Arm Slave has however captured the popular imagination, and even extremely advanced prototype units such as the XM9 (M9) Gernsback have some civilian recognition through the media.

• Black Technology & Arm Slaves

Whispered

Whispered are those who are capable of creating Black Technology, devices that are far more advanced than those of present time. They exist because of an accident in a Soviet experiment using an Omni-Sphere on December 24, 1981. All Whispered were born in December 24, 1981 at 11:50.
All Whispered have an incredibly advanced intuitive knowledge of all fields of math, science, technology, engineering, and each Whispered possesses specialized knowledge in a single area of Black Technology. Because of this, they are able to create high-tech devices that are far more advanced than those of the present time. These are called Black Technology. In order to verify if a person is a Whispered, Organizations like Amalgam abduct Whispered to test their scientific prowess.
Not only do they possess such advanced knowledge, Whispered can also "Resonate", or talk to each other in their minds. This can be done over great distances and even in a short period after death. However, if two or more Whispered connect too long or too deeply, their personalities will become inseparable.

Factions

Mithril

Mithril is a worldwide military (non-governmental) anti-terrorist organization possessing advanced technologies and weapon systems superior to that of any national armed forces. It was founded around 1992-1993, following the detonation of a nuclear warhead in northern Iraq in the then waning Gulf War. It is named after the fictional metal, Mithril, from "The Lord of the Rings" written by J. R. R. Tolkien. The organization's purpose to halt regional conflicts, in addition to securing the Whispered without taking any sides. As such, it is one of the few organizations aware of the Whispered and Black Technology.
Mithril remains an extremely secretive organization, its existence unknown to all but the most senior of military and political personnel. Its motives, funding, structure, and personnel are all kept secret. Its secrecy is vital for its continued existence, as Mithril is a specialist organization dependent on fast surgical strikes with small numbers. It does not possess the numbers or capacity to withstand a conventional war of numbers.

Captain Teletha Testarossa	Commander Richard Mardukas	Lt. Commander Andrei Kailinin	Intel Agent Gavin Hunter	Intel Agent Wraith

1st Lieutenant Gail McAllen Deceased.	1st Lieutenant Belfangan Clouseau	2nd Lieutenant Melissa Mao	Sergeant Kurz Weber	Sergeant Sousuke Sagara

Mithril SRT Pilot	Mithril SRT Pilot	Mithril SRT Pilot	Mithril SRT Pilot	TDD-1 Chief Mechanic

Amalgam

Amalgam is the primary organization that opposes Mithril. Amalgam in many ways is the exact ideological opposite of Mithril, as it supports terrorism, proliferates drugs and causes general chaos, such an example is Amalgam supplying the Terrorist group A21 with the Plan-1051 Behemoth. It employs mercenaries, criminals and various people of dubious nature. Besides Mithril, Amalgam is the only organization in the whole series to operate third generation Arm Slaves, which comprises the majority of its forces. As well as having access to highly advanced Black Technologies and possesing Whispered in their ranks, by the novel "Continuing on my Own" Amalgam's AS technology surpasses Mithril's.
According to Gauron , Amalgam's primary objective is Research & Development of the latest weaponry and its practical trials. It is for this reason they engage in terrorism and stir up regional disputes.
Amalgam's highest ranking officers adopt code names from the Periodic Table of the Elements such as Ag/Silver, Au/Gold and K/Potassium. Leonard Testarossa , for example, is known as Mr. Silver within the organization.

Mister Silver Leonard Testarossa	Mister Iron Gauron Deceased	Mister Kallium Gates	Xia Yu Lan	Xia Yu Fan

Kurama	Dao	Wilhelm Casper	Lee Fowler	Sabina Rechino

Alastor Unit