<Seargent> "And where might you be going? You know there's enemies on the way. To the range, now. We're testing out long-range snipers, and we figured you're probably our best idea of their viability."
A bit startled at running into his seargent out of nowhere, Andre gives him a greeting and a salute.
"Yes, sir. I'll make my way down now, give me about fifteen minutes."
He makes the two-kilometre walk from the main range just outside the base to the test range up the mountain. Even from a distance, he can tell there's a small crowd forming, mostly of people in uniform, presumably here to test the new weapon or take notes on it.
Walking up to one of the weaponsmiths nearby, assuming she helped design the weapon, or at least knew something about it, Andre cleared his throat.
"G'day, miss. I've been told to meet here for testing of a new long-range accuracy weapon, might you have any information on it?"
<Weaponsmith> "Yeah, of course. It's a heavy sniper weapon designed with high accuracy using a currently unnamed and classified chemical compound as long-flight propellant. It's similar to your current issue weapon, the OPB-18, but with a longer barrel, more powerful launch mechanism, ergonomically designed, and specifically engineered to fire only these new classified high-performance rounds. We haven't yet tested it in a proper scenario, but it has a presumed maximum range of 40+ kilometres. We've got a long-range IR scope fitted on it too, we've been told you're used to using those."
Giving a small nod while taking mental notes, he smiles at the mention of an IR scope. He's got one custom fitted on all of his weapons, and he's notorious for making difficult, low-vision shots with these IR scopes.
"Good to hear it. I look forward to testing out this weapon; am I waiting for it to arrive, or are we just finishing up some checks?"
<Weaponsmith> "The latter. It takes a minute to assemble, as it's quite a complex weapon, but we're just making sure all the equipment is intact, then you're good to go."
She points to a small dirt patch with a mat and a camouflaged sandbag placed on top of it.
"That's the testing spot. There's a fluorescent target somewhere in the rainforest across the valley - about 17 kilometres from here - and we want you to locate it and hit the target. Then, report your accuracy and distance."
Once again nodding, he shakes the woman's hand, and makes his way over to the alcove. The experimental weapon is placed in front of him, and within a few minutes he finds a comfortable position.
He takes aim, searching through the forest. He notices the professional ergonomics and the sleek design, along with the dampened, smooth rotation of the stand. He wonders for a moment, about how expensive this would be - but quickly gets back on track, searching for the bright yellow fluorescent target, somewhere seventeen kilometres away from where he stands.
After about fifteen minutes of swivelling to find the target, he notices it wedge between trees. It's a small target, but it glows brightly, especially under the IR scope. He takes a few seconds to steady his aim, and prepares to take his shot.
He loads the first round, with a satisfying click into the firing chamber. He clicks off the safety, his aim directed at the centre of the target - he ignores the arc, being told about the high velocity this round possesses, along with its strange reaction to physics.
He takes a short breath, steadying his aim, and pulls the trigger. An ear-ringing scraping sound can be heard for less than a second, before everything goes quiet. Still watching through the scope, Andre watches the round as it leaves the barrel. The round flies true, in as straight a line as it would seem physically possible. The round digs straight through the target, dead-centre, leaving an expression of incredulity on Andre's face. He pulls away from the weapon.
"That was incredible. I've never experienced a round with that much accuracy, speed or range. It's definitely a viable weapon, and would be great for long-range defense - but the amount of time it takes to aim it, along with the skill required, I would suggest it be used for offensive purposes, rather. It's definitely an aim, aim, aim a bit more, then fire weapon. I do love it though, it's an incredible weapon. Can I keep it?"
The last sentence was spoken with an obvious air of comedy, and the researchers answered as such.
<Weaponsmith> "Unfortunately not, haha. Thanks for your time and feedback, it's greatly appreciated. We've got some changes planned, so we'll probably get back to you in a week. We're going to do a bit more testing with slightly less skilled snipers."
The researchers meticulously disassemble the weapon, placing it in a high-security case, and then in the back of a truck.
A small grin covers Andre's face, excited about the weapon. He waves a farewell to the researchers as he makes his way back down the trail, to report to his seargent, and then to check the bounty board yet again.
(i like typing, can you tell?)
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