"Well guys, you can haul this up to the shop; I'll go relieve Jack and send him down. Libs and Greg are probably gonna crash so keep it down if you can."
I'll go relieve Jack and send him down.
He meant to say Klein.
..
After the sobering commentary he puts on the man in black.
"Damn, I know this one."
Mike sings along, playing a counter-melody on his guitar.
Patrick finishes putting on a fine edge to his Greatsword. He wipes it down with an oily rag and replaces it in its scabbard on his back. He strips and cleans his new gun too, trying to get the feel of the weapon. He assists the others getting the items from the vehicles and makes sure the van is locked tight. He is mostly silent, thinking deeply.
Hank takes up the mic next with a story of survival.
Mike puts down his guitar and leans back in his chair.
"Ahh, jeez... Hank Jr.'s OK, but his son't better. And plus, I've already sold my soul to a different Hank."
He displays his upper arm, showing one of his many tattoos.
"Huh?" Dave is a little distracted watching Sam jog around the room in her singlet. "Oh, yeah, sure, ok... Listen, I'll go and grab the Camaro first though ok?"
And I'll be examining that.
"Well guys, you can haul this up to the shop; I'll go relieve Klein and send him down. Libs and Greg are probably gonna crash so keep it down if you can."
"No worries mate."
...
"Ahh, jeez... Hank Jr.'s OK, but his son't better. And plus, I've already sold my soul to a different Hank."He displays his upper arm, showing one of his many tattoos.
Patrick looks up at the tattoo.
"Nice one. Got this one with my battle buddies in Hell Paso."
Patrick pulls his pant leg up and reveals a small yellow cartoony creature on his ankle.
...
"Ahh, jeez... Hank Jr.'s OK, but his son't better. And plus, I've already sold my soul to a different Hank."He displays his upper arm, showing one of his many tattoos.
Patrick looks up at the tattoo.
"Nice one. Got this one with my battle buddies in Hell Paso."
Patrick pulls his pant leg up and reveals a small yellow cartoony creature on his ankle.
"Hell Paso?"
Patrick grins
"Sorry ..old habit. El Paso. Spent a good chunk of time there before doing time in Korea and Iraq."
...
"Ahh, jeez... Hank Jr.'s OK, but his son't better. And plus, I've already sold my soul to a different Hank."He displays his upper arm, showing one of his many tattoos.
Patrick looks up at the tattoo.
"Nice one. Got this one with my battle buddies in Hell Paso."
Patrick pulls his pant leg up and reveals a small yellow cartoony creature on his ankle.
"Is it like a Pokemon or something?"
"Is it like a Pokemon or something?"
Patrick snickers
"Nope, not a Pokemon, a Wastem."
Seeing the other's blank stares, he elaborates.
"It's a monster from a game I used to play with my friends. The Wastem was a carnivorous pudding bear that if you saw its tusk it was getting ready to eat you. We figured no one else in the world would ever get that tattoo, and so it was a unique mark of brotherhood."
Looking around at the blank faces Patrick shrugs.
"Yeah us Army folk can sometimes be weird, I admit it."
The Wastem was a carnivorous pudding bear.
Sam looks at Patrick and shakes her head.
"Pudding Bear? I play my PS2 and 3, but even that is too weird for me. Something nice like Tekken or Resident Evil (which actually now that I think of it seems like a good practice run for this). But Pudding Bears." She raises her left eyebrow.Now that we have our stuff, Sam grabs her bag and asks where she can wash up. After her cleanse, she comes back wearing a pair of shorts, her Sandals and a tight T-Shirt with a picture of Jin from Tekken on it. She glances at Patrick and points at her shirt mouthing "real game", before giving him a wink and a smile.
She walks over to Klein and says, so let's go down to the basement then and see what we can see. Later on today we should probably do a supply run, but we can probably discuss that after lunch.
Patrick looks over at Sam's tee and shrugs.
"Well to each their own."
Patrick brings out his RPG shirt and gives Sam a wink.
She walks over to Klein and says, "so let's go down to the basement then and see what we can see. Later on today we should probably do a supply run, but we can probably discuss that after lunch."
Judd just shakes his head … and puts on the t-shirt he’d bought in case he was back in Sydney for World Youth Day.
A tight T-Shirt with a picture of Jin from Tekken on it.
A tight T-Shirt with a picture of Jin from Tekken on it.
When you reach the shop Sarge is still availing himself of the first rate belt grinder by putting a razor sharp edge on his sword and chatting with Libby and Gregor. After introductions Eddie flicks off the stereo and puts a CD in the stereo, Hank the third comes on with his usual tale of dissolution. “Had te dig around fer it,” he drawls. “And by the way, there’s an elevator over in the back corner there.” He gestures at a double wide sliding door you though was a storage room. When the rest of the gear and personal effects are hauled in everyone heads downstairs to the range, where Klein is waiting for you.
<Laid out out the bench table in front of the range are some revolvers, some automatics, 2 sniper rifles, 4 submachine guns, and 2 shotguns. Ever the gun salesman, Klein leaves out no details.>
“Please get yourselves some headgear. Right over there.”
“This morning I'm going to teach you as much as I can about these fine weapons as I can. Listen up, it might save your lives. First, the guns.”
“The Korth Combat, a German .357 Magnum/9mm Double-Action Revolver, The Combat is a service revolver from Korth, a German producer of high-quality handguns. The frame and barrel are cold forged from steel. The wooden grips are ergonomically contoured.”
“Aside from its obvious quality, the design and appearance of the Combat is entirely conventional and is modeled on the S&W pattern. The Korth revolver has an unusual trigger mechanism that uses a small wheel in place of the more conventional trigger cam. By adjusting this wheel, the trigger’s release point can be adjusted to suit the shooter’s preference. Trigger pressure can be similarly modified using an adjustment screw. This is an excellent quick draw weapon.”
“The Combat is sold with two interchangeable cylinders. The shooter can rapidly switch between them, allowing either .357 Magnum or 9mm Parabellum ammunition to be used, as desired.”
Damage: 2d6 Magazine: 6 cyl
Critical: 20 Size: Small
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 2 lb.
Range Increment: 30 ft.
Rate of Fire: S
“Korth Pistol, a 9mm Double-Action Autoloader Pistol. The Pistol is a semiautomatic design featuring an innovative locking system that uses a barrel block located near the muzzle. This dampens recoil considerably, making the Korth surprisingly smooth and pleasant to shoot. The action cycles cleanly and precisely due to the careful precision of its manufacture.”
“The entire weapon is precision hand-machined by expert craftsmen from high-quality steel. The grips are made from ornately polished wood. The finish is exacting, displaying the finest quality and careful attention to every detail. Guys, we carry these Korths for rich collectors. It’s one of the best guns made in the world today, but few people can afford them. Today they’re on sale. Free.”
Due to its high quality of manufacture, this weapon is always considered a mastercraft weapon. As such, it grants a +1 bonus on attack rolls.
Damage: 2d6 Magazine: 10 box
Critical: 20 Size: Small
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 3 lb.
Range Increment: 40 ft.
Rate of Fire: S
“The Heckler and Koch G3-SG1, a 7.62mm Semiautomatic Sniper Rifle. This weapon is little more than a G3 rifle modified for the sniping role. It’s outfitted with a bipod, a stock with a cheekpiece, and a target trigger. A standard scope is fitted as well. This is the standard sniper rifle of the German Army.”
Damage: 2d10 Magazine: 20 box
Critical: 20 Size: Large
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 13 lb.
Range Increment: 100 ft.
Rate of Fire: S, A
“The L96A, a British 7.62mm Bolt-Action Sniper Rifle. This excellent rifle serves as the standard-issue sniping weapon in more than twenty different countries, including Great Britain. The design is quite innovative. The 96’s action and barrel are attached to an internal metal frame rather than to the composite stock. This arrangement simplifies maintenance and ensures that damage to the stock does not affect the weapon’s accuracy. This is good rifle for fast moving snipers.”
Damage: 2d10 Magazine: 10 box
Critical: 20 Size: Large
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 15 lb.
Range Increment: 100 ft.
Rate of Fire: Single
“For the Vancouver PD’s hostage rescue team we carry the Heckler and Koch MP5, arguably the most successful submachine gun ever made. It is built around a relatively simple concept, combining the standard H&K roller-locked action used in the G3 series of assault rifles with the 9mm Parabellum cartridge to produce a compact submachine gun. The result is a weapon of exceptional accuracy and reliability.”
“In keeping with the assault-rifle origins of its action, the MP5 fires from a closed bolt. This means that when the first shot is fired, the only part of the action that moves is the firing pin. On most other submachine guns, the entire bolt snaps closed when the trigger is pressed; this causes a noticeable shift in the weapon’s center of gravity, which can pull the muzzle off target. The MP5, on the other hand, is very stable and accurate, especially when fired in semiautomatic mode.”
“Construction of the MP5 is solid, using metal stampings and high impact composite furniture. Its carefully engineered shape, designed with ergonomic concerns in mind, gives it a sturdy, no-nonsense look that has added to its success. The short, exposed muzzle features a mounting point for a clip-on suppressor or muzzle brake.”
“H&K has recently developed this modified MP5 with the Knights Armaments Company Rail Interface System, allowing rapid and versatile accessory mounting. The MP5 RIS features accessory rails around the forward grip and on the top of the receiver. It is compatible with a variety of different devices, including aiming lights, laser pointers, reflex or optical sights, and specialized grips. These are fitted with scopes, so if you want a laser, just let me know.”
“This is the weapon of choice for hostage rescue teams around the world, folks, and there is probably nothing better for moving fast and accurately snuffing cannibals.”
MP5 RIS (9mm submachine gun)
Damage: 2d6 Magazine: 30 box
Critical: 20 Size: Large
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 7 lb
Range Increment: 50 ft.
Rate of Fire: S, A.
“This one we supply to the Vancouver police, it’s usually carried by their point men. The Benelli M3 Series, an Italian 12-Gauge Dual-Action Shotgun. The Benelli M1 was a hugely popular design with police, who valued its dependability and extremely fast action. Its recoil-driven firing mechanism, however, was designed only with full-power shotgun loads in mind. When used with low-power specialty shells, such as riot shells, the weaker recoil force proved too weak to cycle the action, and the weapon would jam.”
“To address this problem, Benelli developed a dual-action derivative that combined both pump and recoil actions into a single weapon. The M3, as the new design came to be known, normally operates as a semiautomatic shotgun using the M1’s recoil-driven action. When low-powered rounds are needed, the shooter simply twists a selector knob at the end of the forward grip to lock the recoil mechanism and convert the weapon to pump-action mode.”
M3 Super 90 (12-Gauge Shotgun)
Damage: 2d8 Magazine: 7 int
Critical: 20 Size: Large
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 8 lb.
Range Increment: 40 ft.
Rate of Fire: Single or S
“Cool.” Says Dave after Klein had finished introducing the guns. He’s put on his head gear and is admiring the L96A. “I can see me using that…”
"It's used by the Canadian Armed Forces, Airborne, and Hostage Rescue Teams across Canada, but in the last year we've sold most of ours to the oil companies. Their inspectors have been having trouble with hungry polar bears on the pipelines."
"Go ahead and shoot it. You'll have to load it yourself."
<He passes out protective eyewear and waves his hand at the ammo cabinet behind him. The range is only 75 feet.>
Before last night Judd had never loaded or fired a sniper rifle before, but he’s used hunting rifles in the past, and the principles are not too different. He spends a few moments getting a feel for the weight and balance of the gun, seeing how to load the ammo, then lining up on the target, before firing a few practice shots.
"As for the pistols, you can keep the sidearms you have or take one of these cadillacs, it's up to you."
<To Patrick.>
"That sword is wicked deadly, but you might want to carry one or two of these handguns as well."
... deadly, but you might want to carry one or two of these handguns as well."
Patrick looks at the colonel
"Oh no worries. I am a firm believer in dropping zombies at a decent range. I just want something in case I miss."
Patrick begins to peruse the gun choices.
"You can probably guess why I like German weapons sergeant. It's just one of my prejudices. We don’t sell American firearms as a rule, but I do grab a few when I can. Have you ever seen the Alexander Arms Beowulf?"
<He pulls a case out from under the bench and opens it.>
"Here's an American .50 Caliber Assault Rifle. The Beowulf is one of the more remarkable AR-15 variants. It is rechambered to fire a highly modified custom cartridge. This is a straight-sided, unnecked .50 caliber round. Though the bore size is more than doubled, the total length of the cartridge remains the same. This allows it to feed into the AR-15 action with the bare minimum of modification. Indeed, the case rim remains the smaller .223 diameter so that it can interact with the standard AR-15 bolt, giving the cartridge a distinctly unusual appearance. Ordinary AR-15 magazines can still be used, though magazine capacity is cut in half, since the bigger .50 caliber Beowulf rounds must be fed in single-stacked. Though this weapon is an interesting development, and it certainly throws a large and heavy bullet, the relatively small size of the cartridge case relative to the projectile makes it somewhat underpowered. It is best suited for close-range use.
Critical: 20 Size: Large
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 9 lb.
Range Increment: 60 ft.
Rate of Fire: S
"We also keep a big boy handgun around."
<Rifles through some cases under the bench.>
"Here we go. The Colt Anaconda, an American .44 Magnum Double-Action Revolver. Colt was a relative latecomer to the field of .44 Magnum revolvers. It wasn't until 1990, long after S&W and Ruger had popularized the caliber, that Colt introduced its own design. This - the Anaconda, which was essentially a scaled-up Python - named for the world’s largest snake, it is a truly massive weapon, with a beefed-up frame to withstand the firing pressures of the powerful round. It features the same careful hand finishing and attention to detail found on the Python. Its full-length ejector shroud gives it a slightly nose-heavy balance to counteract muzzle climb. As with the 1980s-era King Cobra, it uses wraparound rubber grips instead of wood. I’ve only got the longer 8-inch barrel. This improves performance, though it makes for an exceptionally large and heavy weapon. But it is manageable - far more so than a Desert Eagle, if you ask me.”
Colt Anaconda 8-inch (.44 Revolver)
Damage: 2d8 Magazine: 6 cyl
Critical: 20 Size: Medium
Damage Type: Ballistic Weight: 4 lb.
Range Increment: 50 ft.
Rate of Fire: S
Patrick looks at the Ananconda
"OOOOOhhh shiny..."
Sam looks over the weapons laid out before her, obviously straying back a couple of times to the 2 H&K's. She picks up both the G3-SG1 and the MP5, testing their heft and test aiming them.
"I'll stick with the SIG, but I'm liking these two H&K's. Do you happen to have some kind of gun belt that I can use to holster the Sig but also accomodate my tonfa? They are a bit smaller than normal Police Issue as they're for use in Competitions."
When Klein pulls out the Beowulf Sam's eyes light up. She lets out a long whistle and comes over for a closer look. "Oh wow, now that is a gun! Don't 'spose you've got another one of those spare lying around?" She cracks a big grin.
"I'll stick with the Sig, but I'm liking these 2 H&K's. Do you happen to have some kind of gun belt that I can use to holster the Sig but also accomodate my tonfa? They are a bit smaller than normal Police Issue as they're for use in Competitions."
"Libby runs an internet shop that sells army surplus gear. We have a couple of boxes of black SAS BDUs, smock and pants. They're durable, waterproof, non flammable and breathable. Better than any raincoat as far as keeping monkeypox out would be my guess, and ripstop. You can grab an ammo harness, too and I'm sure you'll be able to rig the tonfa onto it. We've got lots of leg holsters for the Sig."
"Oh wow, now that is a gun! Don't 'spose you've got another one of those spare lying around?"
"Only one of these around here. They're pretty pricey. Well, they were pretty pricey."
"Libby runs an internet shop that sells army surplus gear. We have a couple of boxes of black SAS BDUs, smock and pants. They're durable, waterproof, non flammable and breathable. Better than any raincoat as far as keeping monkeypox out would be my guess, and ripstop. You can grab an ammo harness, too and I'm sure you'll be able to rig the tonfa onto it. We've got lots of leg holsters for the Sig."
"Thanks I'll go and have a talk to her about it."
"Only one of these around here. They're pretty pricey. Well, they were pretty pricey."
"No problem, I'll trade you a nice Black Camaro for it." She winks at Dave with a smile.
"No problem, I'll trade you a nice Black Camaro for it." She winks at Dave with a smile.
"I think I'm going to go pick up an Enzo when we finish arming the anti-cannibal militia. There's a Ferrari dealership about 10 blocks west."
Patrick looks at the colonel.
"Any Hummer dealerships around? I'd get a Ferrari but don't those usually have ragtops?"
Patrick shudders
"Maybe a Mountie compound or a Canadian military base for an armored vehicle. "
Patrick looks over at Sam's tee and shrugs.
"Well to each their own."
Patrick brings out his RPG shirt and gives Sam a wink.
Mike looks at them both, bemusedly.
"Well, for what it's worth, you both scare the hell outta me."
A tight T-Shirt with a picture of Jin from Tekken on it.
Patrick looks at the Ananconda
"OOOOOhhh shiny..."
"Easy there, Hellboy."
...
Mike looks at them both, bemusedly.
"Well, for what it's worth, you both scare the hell outta me."
Patrick snorts
"Says the man with the Black Flag tattoo."
...
Mike looks at them both, bemusedly.
"Well, for what it's worth, you both scare the hell outta me."
Patrick snorts
"Says the man with the Black Flag tattoo."
"Yeah, what's scarier, Black Flag, or that little yellow... thing on your leg?"
Patrick smiles slyly as he peruses the guns.
"My little Wastem is a good luck piece. Most people think it's a Pokemon, and who could mistrust a Pokemon?"
Patrick grins wider
"And all God-fearing folks know Henry Rollins is the debbil."
Patrick looks at Mike.
"Just kidding bro, I actually saw them at my college back in '84."
Dave has been practising quickly changing the magazine on the sniper rifle. Now he’s back over, comparing the pistols on the table with the Glock that Klein gave him earlier.
“Whaddaya reckon Colonel?” he asks. “If we end up out in the bush or otherwise on our own with no fix-it shop nearby, is the revolver more reliable than a semi-auto?” he hefts the Korth Combat.
"The bottom line? Revolvers are more reliable. Added to this is the fact that the Korth Combat is made to last, to survive extreme conditions, and to resist wear. If you happen to be the last man on Earth, Judd, you'd still be carrying this gun."
If you happen to be the last man on Earth, Judd, you'd still be carrying this gun."
Judd looks solemn for a moment, then suddenly grins. “Well, as long as there were still some chicks around…”
Patrick hefts the Anaconda
"I like this guy. That Beowulf is pretty nice as well."