The Harbinger


Designation: Advanced Support Bomber
Manufacturer: FutureTech
Country of origin: Holland
Manufactured at: Allied Airfield

Key features:

• Twin 120 mm Collider Cannons
• 25 mm Eliminator machine gun (Mini-Gunner)
• On-board Collisionneur fuel tank
• Quadruple reinforced turbofans
• Communications and Radar scan panel



A popular theory about how the Allies won the war says nothing about the Proton Collider, the Chronosphere, or the Allies’ High Technology advantages revealed later in the conflict. No, this theory suggests that the Allies’ intrepid air squadrons were largely responsible. Once they had established decisive control over the airspace, their enemies were divided and the Allies were able to airdrop reinforcements and supplies anywhere. From that point on, victory was merely a matter of time. Furthermore, pilots of the Vindicator-class bombers accounted for the highest proportion of enemy kills of any single division in the Allied forces. Thus, by the end of the war, the quality of the Allies’ air force was beyond dispute. Furthermore, FutureTech Corporation had quietly continued to work on an aircraft design that promised to usher in a new era of air support. This aircraft is, of course, the FTAC-X2, better known as the Harbinger Gunship. Even outperforming the Allies’ Century Bomber, the Harbinger’s Sensor Pods and weapon systems enable it to hold and secure large areas, as well as provide heavy fire support.


By far the largest and most powerful aircraft in the Allied fleet, the Harbinger Gunship packs more power per square metre than any other Allied vehicle.

The Harbinger is a veritable flying fortress and is armed to the teeth thanks to the power of the Allies’ ultimate weapon, the Proton Collider. Although the technology used in the Proton Collider remains a closely guarded secret, key Allied figures (such as the President of the European Union, Rupert Thornley himself) have agreed to reveal this secret to FutureTech in exchange for the services offered and to fulfil the ambitions of the Harbinger’s international design team. Prior to this, the FutureTech team had devised an aeroplane design more massive than any jet aircraft known to date, whose ability to fly whilst pivoting meant it was dependent on an on-board Collider fuel tank – which was ‘small’ enough to fit onto such a gigantic aircraft. It is said that FutureTech had, above all, worked out how the Proton Collider works; the Allies reluctantly agreed to partner with the company to complete a prototype of what would later become the Harbinger. The production model of the Harbinger is equipped not with one, but with two 120 mm Collider Cannons mounted on the starboard side, each packing the explosive punch of a howitzer of the same calibre. Because the fuel tank supplies ammunition to the Collider Cannons and also powers the Harbinger’s four turbofans, the aircraft can take off and remain airborne for days.


See the largest and most powerful Allied aircraft ever built: the Harbinger Gunship.

Unlike other aircraft in the Allied arsenal, the Harbinger Gunship does not use a VTOL (Vertical Take-off and Landing) system and must remain in ‘orbit’ at all times. This, combined with the Harbinger’s imposing size, also means that it is unable to land at a standard Allied Airfield. Fortunately, the Harbinger is equipped with a Futuretech-specific self-diagnostic and self-repair system, which compensates for its inability to land for repairs. Meanwhile, a complex array of sensors and communications equipment enables Harbinger crews to lock onto ground targets whilst in flight. Furthermore, to compensate for the Collider Cannons’ inability to strike a target area with precision, the Harbinger Gunship is equipped with a 25 mm machine gun mounted on the nose of the aircraft, linked to targeting systems that track enemies in real time. These highly accurate weapons can destroy lightly armoured ground threats without causing significant damage to the surrounding area. All of the Harbinger’s weapons are directed towards the ground, however. Squadrons of enemy air-superiority fighters could, of course, give it a run for its money, although the Harbinger’s armour has been designed to withstand missiles from a Soviet MiG.

Harbinger crews are hand-picked by FutureTech from its private flight schools; these men demonstrate a very calm demeanour under enemy fire, and these are the rare personality traits and skills that FutureTech requires of its teams. Initially, Allied officials were publicly offended at the suggestion that their pilots might not be qualified to fly a Harbinger; President Thornley himself, having been swiftly briefed on the matter, relented and conceded this specific condition to FutureTech. The Allies and FutureTech have since denied or dismissed rumours of ongoing tensions between Harbinger Gunship crews and the Allies’ own fighter aircraft crews, although the latter view them as “vultures circling their prey in the skies after catching the scent of its blood”, according to an Allied pilot who wished to remain anonymous. In any case, both sides acknowledge that the Harbinger Gunship cannot operate successfully without an escort of Allied fighter aircraft, and that pilots on both sides must confidently place their lives in each other’s hands for post-war missions.


Reconnaissance on the battlefield has at least revealed the following facts about the Harbingers:

• Collider Cannons– Harnessing the power of the Proton Collider, the Collider Cannon can decimate enemy armoured divisions and equipment. The Collider Cannon’s first shot almost always hits the target, although subsequent salvos tend to veer slightly off course due to overheating and recoil. Furthermore, the ensuing explosion is highly inaccurate (and impossible to control).

-The mounted machine gun- When a Harbinger needs to sweep an area, or is called upon to eliminate high-priority targets, it can switch to the 25 mm Eliminator machine gun to get the job done. Although the Mini-Gunner lacks sheer firepower, this is compensated for by deadly accuracy and an extremely high rate of fire.

-Staying in orbit- A peculiarity of the Harbinger is that it must remain in constant motion, even whilst attacking. And because its Collider Cannons are mounted on the starboard side, it specifically tends to fly clockwise whilst firing. Consequently, the Harbinger may expose itself to considerable anti-aircraft fire when used in an assault.

-Worth its weight in gold - The Harbinger is by far the most expensive item in the Allied arsenal, costing more than even an Aircraft Carrier. Furthermore, this aircraft is available only to battlefield commanders with the highest security clearances, and FutureTech requires performance data to be collected via a Defense Bureau in each deployment sector.