Book 3: Chapter 104: Rifles and Bullies

Book 3: Chapter 104: Rifles and Bullies

USD: 28 Days after arrival at Fort Glisson

Location: Van Biesbroecks star, Meltisar, Fort Glisson, Company S, 1st Cadre

Week four rolled in quicker than Alex had ever expected. There was a trill of anticipation in all the recruits as they thought they knew what was scheduled. They were going to receive their rifles.

When the entire cadre was called to attention after morning PT, it did not surprise her to see racks of weapons set out. Instructor Hills picked one up and held it over his head so everyone could get a good look.

This morning I have the displeasure of seeing that each and every one of you maggots will be getting your dirty hands on something very close to my heart. Thats right. You are going to learn how to care for, carry, and operate one of Meltisars finest weapons: The Meltisar A-1 MK12 auto-pulse rifle.

Lowering the weapon, he began a rapid flurry of modifications of the rifle, the barrel sliding backwards while the bipod and other elements of the weapon shrunk, leaving a regular sized assault rifle slung across his front.

This weapon is the most versatile rifle you will ever touch. It can go from being a semi-automatic marksmen weapon, firing accurately at over 2 kilometers distance. In less than eight seconds, it can become an automatic rifle firing 240 rounds per minute, emptying its full, 60 round magazines in 15 seconds! Or it can compact further into a compact, close quarters SMG form and deliver 720 rounds in less than 5 seconds!

Alex listened carefully as Hills went over the operation of the weapon. She compared it to the Federation MK1-12C which was a full assault rifle that didnt convert but had hundreds more rounds in its magazine.

Both weapons utilized disposable energy cells, but the A-1 MK12s was much bulkier and took up a considerable portion of the weapon. Carrying more than a few on your rigging would be an annoyance.

You will not be graced by the presence of your DIs today. Instead, you will be listening to and obeying the range officers present when you arrive. You will learn how to load, arm, modify, and fire your weapon today. Those who fail qualifications will do it again, and again, and again, until all of you can shoot Expert! Do you understand?

Yes, Drill Sergeant!

The weapons were passed out to every recruit, and they learned how to hold them, how to handle them, and a myriad of orders, from shoulder rest to present arms.

For now, until I say you stop, you will keep your rifle with you at all times. You will sleep with it, you will eat with it, you will shower with it, you will fuck with it! IT DOES NOT LEAVE YOUR SIDE!

Yes, Drill Sergeant!

The shooting range was a completely separate building from the main barracks on the other side of the cadres encampment. Normally it would have taken ten minutes to walk there at most, but it took them all over an hour as their DIs put them through a multitude of close order drills with their new rifles.

As they reached the shooting range, they were brought into the building line by line, with an instructor handing each cadet ear protection. As Alex put the electronic device in her ears, it beeped loudly once, then several more times, until the volume felt normal. Somehow, the active aids allowed hearing voices while suppressing any loud or sudden sounds.

They werent as good as she was used to having in her skinsuit helmet, but she figured they were probably a lot cheaper to hand out to recruits that might break the things.

The range officers were remarkably calm and casual as Alex compared them to the DIs. That sort of made sense, as explained there was a lot of danger on the firing range. Having a nervous recruit accidentally shoot someone would not be ideal.

That said, there were a few mistakes that set the instructors off, and they sent one recruit packing to do remedial training for stupidity before they would be allowed back on the range.Follow current novels on novelb((in).(com)

Alex learned how to adjust the magazines on the weapon, which controlled the fire rate setting, and the different rifle setups controlled the dispersion of rounds and accuracy. All the bullets were energy pulses, so accuracy was nearly perfect, but the power of the rounds degraded with range.

Up close, the SMG setting allowed the rounds to disperse and cause larger areas of damage, but at a distance, these would quickly lose their potency. While the sniper setting focused the energy into a deeply penetrating lance.

The low whine of cracking pulse rounds echoed downrange as recruits got set up for their firing tests.

Alex felt a bit of confusion at the hearing protection. The pulse rifles werent that loud. Even the Federation versions wouldnt deafen anyone, even with the higher energy density of their rounds.

Considering that the range officers were less hard asses than their assigned DIs, she decided to ask.

You never know what the enemy is going to be carrying, and while losing your hearing can probably be taken care of by the docs, you dont want to be shellshocked and unable to hear anything while in the middle of a fire-fight.

Alex nodded quietly, the memory of being pinned in an elevator coming back to her. She had heard ringing for days after that experience, and she totally agreed that the hearing protection would have been better than not having it.

Rachel went back to her food. Youre probably right.

Alex nodded. She had noticed the tension between the two girls, but she didn't want to jump to conclusions. "Have you talked to her about it?"

Rachel snorted. "No point. Even if she did it, she's not going to admit it. I just have to suck it up and move on."

Alex nodded.

MMMA training was next on their schedule, and this time, all the recruits paid much closer attention to what the instructors showed them. Hills went through the moves of disarming a rifle, close quarters fighting with elbows and knees, and how to perform a stealth takedown from behind.

Alex jumped into the training with an aggressiveness she hadnt realized she had been holding back. They were all outfitted with heavy padding and large gloves, along with large padded shields and other things. One part of the training was putting Red Group members up against multiple recruits from the other squads.

It was to help them acclimate to the possibility that they might face an enhanced enemy in teams. Alex wondered how bad it would have been if they hadnt been S Company recruits and just the regular recruits in the others. Each company was kept in its own separate zone, and they didnt mix, so Alex had never even met one.

While they were in the middle of practice, Hill suddenly raised a megaphone.

COMPANY S! TAKE COVER! YOU HAVE 7 SECONDS!

There was a bit of a shock that cost precious time, but even if they had reacted immediately, the task seemed impossible as recruits suddenly were running and diving in random directions.

This is the most shameful display Ive ever had the displeasure of seeing. Hills let loose as he reformed them into a parade square.

At any moment, you might need to take cover. You need to know where cover is at all times, so when shit hits the fan, you can get to it quickly and efficiently. From now on, I and your DIs will call out Take Cover! at which point you will move to the nearest cover immediately. If you fail to find cover within five seconds, we will give you one hour of latrine cleaning duty.

Alex groaned inwardly, but a few seconds later Hills shouted to take cover without warning. The results werent any more impressive than the first time.

Hills glared at them all. Front leaning rest! Move! NO! DO NOT TAKE OFF THAT GEAR! I DID NOT TELL YOU TO TAKE OFF YOUR GEAR!

He ran them through the paces for an hour before they were allowed to resume training. This time Alex was paired off with Tia, and she wasted no time in laying into the other girls body sized padded shield with everything she had. Tia was the one member of the group that Alex had lost any qualms of holding back anything when she got the chance.

A subliminal anger at how the other girl had been treating Rachel boiled over and after a few moments, even the padded shield disintegrated in an eruption of foamy padded material all over the training field. Before she could continue to go after Tia, Hills called them to a stop.

What the fuck are you doing Myers! the man yelled at yer.

Im demonstrating the aggressiveness you told us to show, Drill Sergeant!

Hills was quiet for a second at the reply. He certainly had told them to do that, but he wasnt impressed.

Smartass today, eh? Well, you are going to do TWO extra hours of latrine cleaning duty tonight, recruit!

Alex bit her lip. Yes, Drill Sergeant!

When training was deemed completed, everyone was aligned into rows. The sun was already setting, and a cool breeze was blowing against their backs, but everyone was mostly used to it by now.

This evening was supposed to be your first Mail Call, recruits. But, since you all needed so much extra instruction today, it will be delayed until tomorrow. If you fail again and take too long, it will be delayed again! And again! You will not get a chance to talk to those outside of basic training until you succeed to my satisfaction! Do you understand?

Yes, Drill Sergeant!

Good! Recruits, fall out!

Alex and the rest marched back to the barracks, but her mind was focused on the hint at Mail Call. There were a lot of things she needed to check, and she made a list of things to contact Thraker and Admiral Darren about. There were also her searches for the NAIs and of course, checking on Elis. She had already prepared the letter requesting a days leave to go visit her.

Mail Call marked the first time shed have a chance of it being accepted, according to the Admiral.