Transmat World: Chapter 18, Episode 1
Kleopatra Mining Complex armory, Thursday, November 18, 2145 A.D.
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Floor to ceiling glass cases lined white porcelain walls of the armory annex of the Kleopatra Mining Complex. Behind the glass resided one of the more extensive collections of modern weaponry in the Solar System.
Vince and Maria sipped French Roast provided by mining personnel and waited for the rest of the group to arrive. Ookie and Ferdinand roamed and gawked at the collection. Rousseau glided through the bank-vault entry and announced Enrique’s arrival. Professor Ernesto Barrera and Julie Newman with her hedbot, Furboten, ambled in soon after.
“Ladies and gentlemen, look around, make notes, and we will pick a few things to try out,” said Vince. “After that we will discuss personal defense systems and what to take on this mission.”
“Expecting trouble?” asked Rousseau.
“Do you know the Boy Scout motto?” Vince queried back.
“‘Punishment Follows Close on Guilt,’” replied Rousseau with confidence.
Vince stared only two seconds before replying. “No, it’s ‘Be Prepared.’”
“Close,” said Rousseau.
“Not even. How could it be?” said Enrique.
“Because it’s saying, basically, to … uh … be prepared to be punished if you’re guilty,” said Rousseau.
“If there’s an outside chance of trouble, why not be ready for it.” said Vince.
At the push of a button, items inside the cases rotated up and down for hand-held weapons and sideways for bulkier, vehicle-mounted systems and personal armor. A head-up display on the case held technical specs for each weapon as it reached optimal viewing position. Smart paper pads for jotting down notes hung on the walls between cases.
After an hour of milling about and comparing notes, Vince punched in a code on a free standing touch screen, and all the cases unlatched. Several hand-held weapons and an Exoguard personal armor unit came with them to the S5.0 Class 1 Transmat that transported them to a spot right outside the Cave. The company owned 3000 acres around it, including the gun range they were now using. Sage, prickly pear, and the occasional mesquite dotted rolling hills.
“Okay, we now get personally familiar with the weapons we’ve been ogling,” said Vince. They set the assorted mechanisms of mayhem and destruction on the benches provided. The Exoguard armor stood near the Transmat on its motorized hand truck.
Enrique picked up the Atchisson Assault Shotgun AA-12 Super to examine it. The gun was three feet long. The magazine was modified to include a Transmat reloader. There were five buttons — “slug”, “buck”, “explode”, “armor-piercing” and “non-lethal” — gracing the side of the dedicated Transmat magazine.
Vince handed out earplugs and turned to Enrique, “Try it out.”
Enrique touched the “slug” button and pointed it down range, pulled the trigger, and watched a melon explode.
“There’s no recoil,” was Enrique’s delighted response.
“Now put it on full auto,” said Vince.
“You’re kidding. This is a fully automatic, recoilless shotgun?” asked Enrique.
“Some version of it’s been around for a hundred and fifty years. Try it,” said Vince.
Enrique found the full auto switch. He pulled back on the trigger and the gun poured slugs into targets, making fruit salad at the rate of 350 rounds per minute.
“I love this gun,” said Enrique.
“That’s good because if you shoot it, you clean it,” said Julie.
“Oh no, that will take a long — “
“She’s kidding. It’s ‘recommended’ you clean this gun after 10,000 rounds,” said Vince.
“I love this gun,” said Enrique.
The others were standing back watching, but Maria now approached the bench of weapons and picked up a small pistol with an electronic scope. It was reminiscent of something one might see in an alien first person shooter. Vince had sneaked it onto the weapons cart before they left the armory, saying nothing.
“We have a special target for that, and here’s something else you guys need to put on,” said Vince, pointing to a curtain on the side of the hill behind the other targets. The curtain dropped to reveal a plyfiber cutout of a green, bullet-headed alien with yellow slit eyes and dinosaur teeth in a sinister grin. Vince’s other hand held out dark glasses for everybody.
“Your hedset visors may be sufficient; a body armor visor is certainly up to the task, but we’ll just play it safe with these,” continued Vince, explaining the need for glasses, “and, before anyone gets upset, no alien was harmed or killed while making this target.”
“I didn’t mean to be so much trouble,” said Maria as she took a pair of glasses and slid them on.
“Not a problem. If no one had chosen that particular weapon to fire, I would have,” said Vince, “and let me know when you pull the trigger. Just say ‘now.’”
Maria lined up crosshairs on the garish target’s midsection, squeezed and yelled, “Now!”
Vince pushed the button on a remote in his pocket, and the alien took off straight up. An activated Transmat propulsion unit strapped to the back of the cutout provided thrust.
“What are you doing?” said Maria. “I can’t hit the broad side of a barn if it’s moving around like that, especially after I’ve already fired.”
A tiny missile had barely left the barrel, trailing a theatrical little spiral of smoke added just for the demo when it begans curving up to follow the climbing target. The makeshift drone rose several hundred feet and was angling away from the group when the missile found its target with a giant arc weld flash and a thunderclap boom. The menacing scrap of pressed bamboo fiber, its Transmat motor, and the missile vaporized. A round of slack jawed “What thuh’s…” and a few seconds of silence followed.
“That is impressive. How do you pack so much destruction in such a tiny missile, and where is the debris?” asked Ernesto, racking his brain for an explosive with that much punch.
“Antimatter,” said Vince.
Enrique scowled and waved his hands palms up at Vince. “Are you nuts!? We could have all been killed. We can’t wag antimatter across the galaxy. It’s too dangerous. It — ”
“Wasn’t there until the missile reached its target,” says Vince.
“Huh? Ooh, a little bitty Transmat,” said Enrique.
“Yes. Two Transmats, one for propulsion and the other activated by combining several methods of positive target identification, verification, and a proximity fuse. When it gets close to the target, a few picograms of antimatter transmit into it and voila.”
“With a Transmat for propulsion, it won’t stop until it finds its target,” said Maria.
“That is correct,” Vince affirmed.
“Intense,” said Enrique.
“What about ionizing radiation?” asked Julie.
“Some,” said Vince. “Neutralized by air after a few yards. A few neutrinos passed through us, but heck, I barely felt ’em. Just as a side note, this is the only weapon on the bench against which our personal armor is ineffective. If we end up taking it, use it in emergencies only and be careful. And if you have to use it, don’t worry that the ammo runs a million new-dollars per shot.”
“You’re taking that ‘outside chance of trouble’ pretty serious,” said Ernesto.
“If we find what we think we’ll find, we’ll be glad I took it so seriously,” said Vince. “Also, all Transmat jumps from See Lurchin’ will go through a special verification relay before arriving at Kleopatra. If the contents of that Transmat jump aren’t up to snuff, it is shunted to a more secure destination in the Solar System, not so close to Earth. Nothing alien can go to the Earth, Moon, or Mars from the See Lurchin’.”
They plinked around with the remaining weapons, the best in the world, all enhanced by Transmat technology. They had never-ending clips and choices of ammo at the push of a button.
The only thing left to do was demonstrate the personal armor.
“Julie, the suit fits you,” said Vince. “Go try it on,”
“Good Lord, and do what? Get shot at? Beat you guys up?”
