Electromagnetic Plasma Accelerator

The Electromagnetic Plasma Accelerator, otherwise known as the EPA, is the main and sophisticated weapon designed to stun enemies.

Background
The Plasma Accelerator was conceived by E. R. Athor after learning of the Protagonist's return with the goal of creating a self-defense weapon for use against the Time Agents. The weapon functions as a stun gun, firing ionized gas, ionized within a 40-watt range.

Versions
The weapons base model can be enhanced with many new components:

Chips
Control the behavior of your gun. If it shoots single bursts, is automatic or discharges all caps at once.

Capacitors
Hold the charge for your plasma bolts, the working voltage can be increased however low power caps might fry due to high voltage counts. Higher voltage increases the power of the shot/ more damage.

Barrels
Allow you to modify the bolt itself. A blunderbuss for instance splits one shot into many smaller ones whilst a plasma phaser accelerates a bolt to high speeds via a high-power laser.

Gas Types
Different noble gasses will have different qualities when shot in air. By default the epa pulls surrounding air into the chamber and creates an electric arc from it. However, this approach will have varied effects on different planets whilst on the Moon you will get no plasma bolt at all, while if you're on Mars, the shot is weakened from the thinner atmosphere.

Minigun Variant
Rapid Fire Rate cannot be modified, can be acquired in Area 1.

The old EPA Mark 2 and 3 are now deprecated and have been replaced with unlockable enhancments

How it works
The accelerator first propels the gas agent into the "ignition rail" part, upon entry into this section the gas gets ionized via a high voltage electric current. After the ionized gas leaves the rail, it gets shaped into the form of a toroid-vortex. This toroid then gets propelled along the electromagnetic accelerator shaft, building up a stable and strong magnetic field, which will be able contain the plasma in a stable state. A long pipe which makes use of linear conduction coils to speed up the ionized gas to a high velocity.

Behind the scenes
Athor's description that the Accelerator fires bursts of gas within a 40 watt range may be a reference to a conversation in the 1984 film The Terminator, in which a T-800 Terminator visits a gun shop, asking the owner for a "Phased plasma rifle in the 40-watt range."