an increase. Not excellent, but better
and I did feel more solid, which makes me feel more confident. But if it’s time
to start shooting I’m going to find something to hide behind and be very, very
quiet. But my firing was more controlled; this time the weapon didn’t jump
like it did before. Ricky gives me a thumbs up. I smile at him then look at
the shotgun. Who’s the bitch now?
Then Twelia steps to the line. I do not want to be on the
same boarder repel team with her. Three of twelve? Ugh!
Aria calls, “Cease fire on the line, firers lock and clear
all weapons. Today’s exercise is complete. All of you, these are your
weapons. Take them to your cabins. Clean and store them. In your spare time
practice your dry fire drills. If it is available, you may use this room for
practice. You can access the scheduling database through any holoCom on the
ship. The armorer will give you cleaning kits as you leave. The TMs are all
in the ship library and I urge you to study them. Pay particular attention to
the immediate action drills. When you hear the alert—and you will know it when
you do—don your APE suit, grab your weapon and head to your alert station. We
will do this again in twenty-two hours. Dismissed.” The only thing Twelia
looks at as she leaves is the deck plating.
I accept my cleaning kit from the armorer and hurry to catch
her out in the corridor. “Twelia, wait up for a second.” She stops and turns;
she looks like she’s on the verge of tears. I don’t want to embarrass her any
more so I lower my voice. “I saw you fumbling with the rapid reload. An old
boyfriend of mine used to practice changing magazines with the lights out or
blindfolded. He said your eyes will trick you. You have to trust your
fingers. Your eyes will mislead you but your hands know where they need to go.
Practice it a bit. I’m sure you’ll get it.” I give her my best “you got this”
smile.
She looks at me like she doesn’t believe I’m sincere. “I’ll
try it. Thanks.” She turns away then turns back. “Wait, it’s Sonia, right?
You look like the girls I knew back in the day, but you aren’t like them, are
you? I wasn’t the pretty or the popular girl. I was the one that girls like
you, I mean girls that looked like you, picked on, but you really want to help
me don’t you?”
“Yes, Twelia, I do. And no, I’m not like them. To be
honest, once upon a time I was one of those girls, and when my mom found out
she whacked me a good one. But since then I’ve spent too much time getting my
hands dirty to get wrapped up in drama like that anymore. We’re shipmates.
You’ve got my back and I’ve got yours. It’s the only plan that works every
time.” I smile; she smiles. She holds her fist up. A fist bump isn’t a
handshake, but it’s a first step. We go our separate ways.
I take my shotgun to my room, wipe it down and lock it up.
I remember what Mack said about having it handy, but I’m not proficient yet, so
I’d be a bigger danger to the crew than I would a help. Once everything is
back where it belongs and I’ve stowed my cleaning kit, I return to
Engineering. Mack is making his rounds. “How’d it go?” he asks.
“Not horrible. I only got captured, raped, mutilated and/or
murdered seven out of twenty one times. A shotgun though? Pray tell why?”
I don’t know Gorb is behind me until I hear his gasp.
“Shownya! You got hurt?”
Mack snickers but then realizes how upset he is. “No Gorb,
she had Small Arms training this morning. Don’t worry, Sonia. You’ll get it
down. A shotgun is the best shipboard weapon. If anyone is wearing armor, you
can forget a pistol. And the self-propelled ammo of a poorly aimed assault
rifle will do more damage to the ship than the boarders. That SP-10 can be
loaded with seven different rounds. Some will defeat armor, some won’t. But
all will deliver a hefty ballistic
and I did feel more solid, which makes me feel more confident. But if it’s time
to start shooting I’m going to find something to hide behind and be very, very
quiet. But my firing was more controlled; this time the weapon didn’t jump
like it did before. Ricky gives me a thumbs up. I smile at him then look at
the shotgun. Who’s the bitch now?
Then Twelia steps to the line. I do not want to be on the
same boarder repel team with her. Three of twelve? Ugh!
Aria calls, “Cease fire on the line, firers lock and clear
all weapons. Today’s exercise is complete. All of you, these are your
weapons. Take them to your cabins. Clean and store them. In your spare time
practice your dry fire drills. If it is available, you may use this room for
practice. You can access the scheduling database through any holoCom on the
ship. The armorer will give you cleaning kits as you leave. The TMs are all
in the ship library and I urge you to study them. Pay particular attention to
the immediate action drills. When you hear the alert—and you will know it when
you do—don your APE suit, grab your weapon and head to your alert station. We
will do this again in twenty-two hours. Dismissed.” The only thing Twelia
looks at as she leaves is the deck plating.
I accept my cleaning kit from the armorer and hurry to catch
her out in the corridor. “Twelia, wait up for a second.” She stops and turns;
she looks like she’s on the verge of tears. I don’t want to embarrass her any
more so I lower my voice. “I saw you fumbling with the rapid reload. An old
boyfriend of mine used to practice changing magazines with the lights out or
blindfolded. He said your eyes will trick you. You have to trust your
fingers. Your eyes will mislead you but your hands know where they need to go.
Practice it a bit. I’m sure you’ll get it.” I give her my best “you got this”
smile.
She looks at me like she doesn’t believe I’m sincere. “I’ll
try it. Thanks.” She turns away then turns back. “Wait, it’s Sonia, right?
You look like the girls I knew back in the day, but you aren’t like them, are
you? I wasn’t the pretty or the popular girl. I was the one that girls like
you, I mean girls that looked like you, picked on, but you really want to help
me don’t you?”
“Yes, Twelia, I do. And no, I’m not like them. To be
honest, once upon a time I was one of those girls, and when my mom found out
she whacked me a good one. But since then I’ve spent too much time getting my
hands dirty to get wrapped up in drama like that anymore. We’re shipmates.
You’ve got my back and I’ve got yours. It’s the only plan that works every
time.” I smile; she smiles. She holds her fist up. A fist bump isn’t a
handshake, but it’s a first step. We go our separate ways.
I take my shotgun to my room, wipe it down and lock it up.
I remember what Mack said about having it handy, but I’m not proficient yet, so
I’d be a bigger danger to the crew than I would a help. Once everything is
back where it belongs and I’ve stowed my cleaning kit, I return to
Engineering. Mack is making his rounds. “How’d it go?” he asks.
“Not horrible. I only got captured, raped, mutilated and/or
murdered seven out of twenty one times. A shotgun though? Pray tell why?”
I don’t know Gorb is behind me until I hear his gasp.
“Shownya! You got hurt?”
Mack snickers but then realizes how upset he is. “No Gorb,
she had Small Arms training this morning. Don’t worry, Sonia. You’ll get it
down. A shotgun is the best shipboard weapon. If anyone is wearing armor, you
can forget a pistol. And the self-propelled ammo of a poorly aimed assault
rifle will do more damage to the ship than the boarders. That SP-10 can be
loaded with seven different rounds. Some will defeat armor, some won’t. But
all will deliver a hefty ballistic
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