Hannibal Bishop: Origins

[Rudo]

[font=Arial Narrow]PLANET HOUSTON, TEXAS SYSTEM.
Labour Colony of Truth or Consequences, (contested)
Year 807

and these Daumann pieces are untraceable. Security locks bypassed so anyone can use them without authorization from LPI Watchtowers. He took the energy weapon back from the last civilian militia commander to handle it after passing it around. He pulled out another gun, a chromed shoulder-mounted needler that drew gasps from the small crowd in this barren room in an underground bunker. Reed smiled inwardly, this sale was his. The Shredders are rated for military-grade armor, steel-jacketed uranium propelled by electromagnetic rails. Nasty, but theyll win your war for a fair price.

One man in a Liberty Marine Corps uniform stripped of all insignia and patched over with the markings of the guerilla movement spoke up after chewing on his mustache. Got anythin made in Liberty, suh?

A patriot, I see. Reed set the Daumann piece back inside its crate. As one crate hissed closed, he scanned himself into the other one and paused for dramatic effect. Theyre last years, but theyre from Detroit. Weve made it a point to modify them for greater range of purpose. He pulled his sample from the case. XP-303 Plasma-Hammer, 05 edition. Eyes grew wide with wonder at the sight of the rifle. The juice, as you all know, can be mounted in magazine cells, or if youre interested in a longer burn, backpack batteries.

After showing everyone that the weapon had neither magazines nor a backpack installed, he pointed the business end at the crowd and continued to talk. Minimum aperture for the rifle is 0.050. This makes the range an effective hundred-fifty metres if you can arc your shot effectively. Good for cutting the tops off towers. Or writing your name on the wall. Chuckles broke out all over the room at that last statement. He dilated the aperture to about an inch. Factory-specified maximum aperture is 1.000. This gives you about forty metres and is a lot harder on your power supply. Good for light recon vehicles, but youre going to need to keep it burning a lot longer to take down a tank with an energy shield. You boys ever come up against those?

Eyes around the room met his. Their expressions said it all. Lost some good men to those, I guess. Now you know why they keep them down. Youll like this next bit.

He dilated the aperture to twice its size, the iris now swallowing nearly the entire barrel. Eyes popped at the sight. Pocket sunshine, gentlemen. Full magazine lasts five seconds with this setting, backpack lasts thirty but shell melt in eight unless you ease the hell off and let er cool down. At this setting shell take a full-shielded tank and leave a glass crater before they know what hit em.

A hand went up. One of the associates of the first man. Approximately in his early thirties, with a close-cropped head of hair. Is that safe, Mr. Reed?

Reed gave him a look like hed asked if Maine were made out of cheese. Youre fighting Liberty tanks, son. Nothin safe about that. This is as safe as it gets, Id say.

The man with the coat stood up, the rest standing with him. Well, Im sold. Well take forty of them modified Plasma guns. If they bring boys home, well talk about buyin more.

Reed smiled. Glad to hear it. Lets talk business.

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