Archangel Heavy Industries (AHI) had its beginnings in the old American Empire state of Pennsylvania. AHI was originally a joint research/education project between HALO Aerospace LTD and the Engineering and Technology University of Pennsylvania (ETUP) which were both located about 60 miles north of Pittsburgh. HALO was a relatively small cutting-edge research and construction company which specialized in VTOL aircraft, particularly the military applications. The project allowed the students and instructors to work in the HALO research plant, gaining practical knowledge and valuable work experience. The project was a great success, both for the university and for HALO, and other joint centers were planned.

Due to the tense political and military situation around the globe, the military was expanding for the first time in decades. The American Military Command chose to place a scheduled Army/Air Force base nearby: Ft. Gabriel. Fort Gabriel was to be used both as a depot for the Army and Air Force and as a new technology proving ground. This allowed the researchers to work in relative security and provided them with a trained force with which to field test their prototypes faster than previously possible.

Then came the Rifts. After some semblance of order was restored, it was found that the facility and base came away almost half intact.

During the Dark Ages that followed, the remnants of Ft. Gabriel, ETUP, and the HALO facility formed a small community around the facility, base, and campus. They repaired and then started expanding as they grew ever so slowly. The survivors realized that knowledge was power in the new world, and thus they guarded their knowledge and passed it on to their children. The military units that had been stationed at Ft. Gabriel were able to defend the community with the help of new technologies being turned out from the rebuilt research center.

When the community was finally settled down, they realized there was a way that they could help themselves and other settlements relatively nearby. Rudimentary production lines were set up and immediately began producing personal arms. The community could exchange these with the other settlements for food or other necessities. Eventually the village changed into a town, and they expanded the production lines and the diversity of their products. Aware that they had a good thing going, they christened their company Archangel Industries. They started widespread selling of their products and gained a reputation for their quality products.

Relatively recently, Archangel Industries finished the final designs for a military VTOL transport, the C-57 Monitor, which drew heavily from research done prior to the Rifts. Shortly after that, they introduced the MH-42 Comanche, AH-42 Comanchero, and other craft. The company changed their name to Archangel Heavy Industries to reflect the new additions to their product line. They also organized the personal arms and equipment production into a subsidiary company known as Genevec Enterprises.

By Chris Curtis (curtis@thepentagon.com) and Brian Melcher (melcher@iname.com).

Copyright © 1997 Chris Curtis. All Rights Reserved.