Detonator
Seismic Survey Tool Turned Tripmine
The Detonator was a seismic survey tool that deployed laser tripmines onto almost any surface. Built for drilling prospection, it was reworked by survivors of the Necromorph outbreaks into a trap that detonated when its laser beams were broken.
The Detonator was a seismic survey tool deployed by engineers and survivors during the Necromorph outbreaks. It planted laser tripmines that adhered to almost any flat surface, and survivors of the outbreak on the Sprawl and beyond turned it into a defensive trap.
Design and origin#
The Detonator was a seismic survey instrument built for drilling prospection rather than combat. Its purpose was to be planted and to register disturbances, and it could fix itself to almost any type of terrain, including floors, walls and ceilings. Once placed, a Detonator mine projected laser beams across the space in front of it. The beams ran outward indefinitely until something crossed them, at which point the mine detonated.
A mine that had not been triggered could be disarmed and picked back up for reuse elsewhere, which made the tool valuable to anyone trying to conserve supplies during an emergency. The device could also be used in a more direct fashion, firing a canister that burst on impact in the manner of a thrown charge.
Use during the outbreaks#
Survivors of the Necromorph outbreaks adapted the Detonator into a weapon of survival. Its tripmines were well suited to the cramped corridors and chokepoints of stricken ships and stations, where a mine planted across a passage would tear apart creatures that charged into the beams. Because the mines held their position until disturbed, they let a lone survivor cover flanks and approaches while moving or fighting elsewhere.
Detonator mines were found planted in corridors throughout the Sprawl, left behind by survivors who had set traps against the advancing Necromorphs. Many of these abandoned mines could not be disarmed and remained live, forcing later passers-by to destroy them in order to move on.
Sources
- WikiDetonator — Dead Space Wiki entry
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