The Army of the Inner Circle consists of nano-engineered superbeings that are colloquially known as Angels. Only the Inner Circle knows how to create these beings, but it is suspected that it involves mapping all the soft tissues (including the brain) into a stronger and more reliable substrate. For example, it is known that the braincase of an Angel can withstand a small fission explosion. The body of an angel is human in shape and metallic looking. It is said that their skin feels as hard as metal, and so the mechanism by which their joints work is unknown. Their reflexes are unmatched by anything in nature, and most scientists suspect that a room-temperature superconductor is used to replace all nerves and neurons. The power source of Angels is also unknown, but almost all emit low levels of radiation. They are roughly as large as a tall human but weight about three times more.
Angels can be traced back almost to the origins of the Body. In 2082, the United Nations World Court convicted the entity known as the Body of several Crimes Against Humanity, including the possession of weapons of mass destruction, conspiracy to subvert the UN, and the creation of human genome variants. A full division of UNMF troops was deployed to a small New Zealand town believed to be the main headquarters for the secretive organization. Under the arrest orders, the UNMF was authorized to use all force necessary, including tactical nuclear weapons (as long as they paid for the clean up out of their own funds). Even so, they were unable to come within two miles of their target. As soon as the UNMF forces landed, their landing zone was infiltrated by at least a dozen Angels. Each one entered covertly and headed for a critical element of the force. Some targeted the leadership; others the power generators; while a one or two severed all lines of communication. In each case, the Angels would enter as quietly as possible, but if they were spotted, they killed everyone who saw them. The unfortunates were killed by simple projectile weapons, but the shots were so accurate and fast that only one out of a hundred had a chance to fire back.
By the time the Angels had taken out their targets, the entire base was on alert. But with key personnel killed and communications and power disabled, there was little that the UNMF could do. To get out, the Angels simply walked out the front door. Most shots were ineffective against them, and the Angels destroyed all heavy weapons as quickly as they were activated. In total, over a thousand troops were killed in the attack, including the top hundred ranking officers. A barrage of anti-tank missiles temporarily disabled one Angel, but, before it could be contained, it seemed to repair itself and walked away.
Recent revelations show that the Angels are created by an alien probe, which is located in a deep trench in the Pacific Ocean. The Body didn't create the Angels, but they do use them. The Inner Circle's hand has been forced here by the actions of a rogue member—Katherine Carter.