Range time
Posted on Wed Mar 27th, 2019 @ 2:31pm by Lieutenant Commander Larim Myles & Major Cornelius Tremble
Edited on on Wed Mar 27th, 2019 @ 8:30pm
966 words; about a 5 minute read
Mission:
Episode 6 - Old Habits Die Hard
Location: Marine Dedicated Range
Timeline: MD002 1800 HRS
Neil studied the command console with a practiced eye, made some adjustments and set the range to run through a test pattern. Half way through, he froze it and had the computer compare it to the last 100 patterns it had run. When the computer signaled that this pattern was different, he reset it and set it on hold.
He then turned his attention to tightening and checking his body armor and weapon’s harness straps. Neil caught motion out of the corner of his eye and grinned as he caught site of Larim turning the corner.
“Lieutenant Commander,” he said by way of greeting. “Come to show the marines how it’s done?” He asked, nodding toward the entry to the range.
Larim just grinned. "Maybe, Lieutenant." he laughed. "Who knows, maybe you'll teach me something." he said, checking his own rifle.
Neil turned his cover backwards and pulled a set of goggles over his eyes, tossing a set to the Pioneer's Security Chief. "I hate these things, but they do help keep the flash down."
He led the way into the range and to the center of the room. "You were curious to the Marine course, so here it is what we affectionately call Grinder 2. Normal eight inch target orbs will pop at what appear to be ranges between 15 and 100 meters. They'll pulse for between 3 to 5 seconds before disappearing and you will be presented with multiple targets."
Neil gestured around, "Since this is a semi-combat course, we'll be back to back to keep out of each other's way and the targets will appear in a general 200 degree arc. Now, to keep it interesting," he continued, grinning to Liam, "My orbs will be green and yours will be blue. Some orbs will be blushing red. Those indicate a greater threat and are worth more, but they are six inch orbs and only last up to 2 seconds. They're teamed with amber orbs of the same size and duration which are 'innocents'. Shooting them mean that you just burned down a civilian. Finally, at our overlaps, yellow orbs will appear and either of us can shoot those for score. That keeps it a bit more competitive."
The ranges lights came up and lighted boxes appeared in the floor, blue and green, approximately 2 meters long and half a meter wide. "There are our zones. It's more or less similar to the Federation advanced course, I think but it's been awhile since I reviewed it." Neil hooked his carbine to the patrol straps, tested the range of moment band let it drop. "Any questions, sir?"
"Not from me." Larim smiled
Neil grinned and turned to his lane. "Aye aye, commander." Hefting his carbine to his shoulder and getting his feet set, he called out Computer, run range program, Tremble, Grinder 1, Tiny Bubbles."
He heard Liam snicker and then multi colored bubbles began filling the air at various ranges, with a few dropping from the ceiling or floating in from the sides or even the back, moving toward the two men. Leveling his carbine, he assessed and then began feathering the firing stud as he indexed and fired, trying to get his brain and the weapon to function as one.
That worked until he tried to get cute and shot an amber and heard a bleat from the speakers, announcing the death of an innocent. Neil tried to shake that off as he continued to fire but it was easy to get thrown off.
Larim leveled his rifle and started plugging away. Hitting a blue target almost immediately. He started to feel good. So good that he suffered too from what he called "Ensign disease" and clipped an amber target himself. "Dang it!" he called out. "Well call that one a traitor. Deal?"
Neil fired. Fired again. Then feathered the trigger as he completed a sweep and called out, "Aye aye, Commander. They can be sneaky." He lost clipped an amber, getting a lucky miss. Then his carbine beeped and warbled sadly.
Power pack malfunction. He did a combat reload, ejecting the power pack and slipping another from his belt into the power chamber and reinitializing the weapon with deft touches. He brought it up again and touched the firing stud.
Nothing.
Muttering in Klingon, he dropped the carbine to dangle from it's sling and drew his hand phaser. He had some catching up to do now. "Carbine power malfunction. You haven't been adding extra gremlins to my program, have you sir?" Neil called out, though his tone was joking.
Larim chuckled."I wouldn't do that." He said, sounding as sweet as possible. He dumped his own rifle, opting for hand phaser. "Although I am better with these."
Neil lost himself in the next thirty seconds and then the lights bubbles blinked out and the chamber lit up. Projectors lit up with their individual stats.
Grinning, he holstered his phaser and turned to Myles. "Nice shooting, Commander." The score had been close, but the Pioneer's Security Chief was the clear winner.
"You too, Lieutenant." Larim said. "Maybe I got lucky though" he blushed
Neil snorted at that. "Right, Commander. I had a vulcan one time explain to me, in detail. With charts. And a handout. How luck is an improbable force, and not logical to put ones trust into."
Moving his carbine to sling across his back, he finished. "That was the longest shuttle ride I've ever taken."
"Sounds like my investigation instructor at the academy. That guy made watching paint dry look fun"
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Commander Larim Myles
Chief Security/Tactical Officer, USS Pioneer
Second Lieutenant Cornelius Tremble
Marine Commanding Officer, USS Pioneer
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