Almost two decades ago, Archangel Heavy Industries (AHI) created a second sub-division of its company. The first was Genevec Enterprises, which produces personal weapons and equipment. The new sub-division was dubbed the Nano-technic Research and Application Division (or NRAD). NRAD was created to explore the extensive possibilities presented by the evolving field of nano-technology. They were given a large budget, some of AHI's most talented scientists, and most of all, time.

So far, the scientists have learned a great deal about nano-technology. They have been able to virtually re-create a more efficient IRMSS. They have also applied the same techniques that are used so effectively to "repair" living creatures, to repair inanimate objects such as vehicles.

However, one of their most innovative, and potentially deadly, breakthroughs was the idea of not repairing things, but of undoing or destroying things. The research team has been able to build nano-tech machines that literally tear something apart atom by atom.

By Chris Curtis (curtis@thepentagon.com).