Man Of Earth
3
"Which one's this, Professor?" asked Dan Ward, Man of Earth, turning the gun over and over in his hands. There was a soft feeling of certain power simply by the weight of the gun, regardless of what it contained. However, the curves and the lines of the gun fascinated Dan Ward, out here, in a quiet wood glade a short Hopper ride from Sunrise City. In fact, beyond the tips of the trees it was possible to still make out the tall towers and bell towers, in gold and white a little in the distance.Professor Wilson Bronnstromer looked from over his half moon glasses, "DRXEX, or as you prefer, the Shin-kicker."Dan smiled and depressed the trigger. The gun had a recoil that forced Dan to rock on his heels, "Yes! Spectacular! How about the Raygun? Is that one -""Careful! It's a little unstable!" warned the Professor as Dan Ward reached for the thicker looking gun, "Yes, the RGWE is ready, but do be careful, Dan!" insisted the Professor, returning to his inventory. Ambassador Able of New Dawn City was showing Ambassador Low of Verdant City the intricacies of the handgun and its firing options. Ambassador Low took to it with surprising flexibility. Susan was working her way around a long barrelled gun, chopping the targets she fired upon with pinpoint intricacy. A few of the Guards they had brought along with them took a few of the smaller, simpler guns and were firing at temporary targets set up about the clearing, sounding off with a cacophony of whizzes and burrs, zips and thuds. "Seems to be a success, doesn't it, Professor?" commented Dan, taking pot shots at a fallen tree trunk, watching with delight as each impact threw up a cloud of smoke from where it had hit the dead wood."Yes, Dan. It certainly does. Alright everyone!" called out the Professor, "Time we were returning! Please hand in your weapons, if you will!" Dan was first. He gently placed the Raygun on its perch inside the box the Professor stood by. One by one the Guards, and Able with his friend Low, handed over their weapons to the Professor, who inserted each one into its appropriate holding. Susan was last to hand over hers. Quite without warning, one of the Guards on the outer perimeter came running into the group."A Patrol! There's a Sigma Dissonance Patrol, and they're coming this way!"
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### After the shipment had been offloaded from the huge vehicle, Professor Bronnstromer went immediately into his work area and began examining the tech they had managed to loot along with the valuable ammunition and the much desired food. Most of the tech was useless, as it ran off a different power source, which the Professor was yet to replicate, but there was a large cache of guns, of varying size, power and proportion - and also function. He set about them, breaking them apart, reassembling them, improving on them - eventually the Professor understood them. By that point, Dan Ward had come to the Professor, to see how he was feeling and how he was getting on ###
"Ah, the tech! How have you fared with them, Professor? This one looks particularly -""Careful Dan! Your impetuous nature will get you into trouble one of these days! Just - careful, alright? Some of these are still very temperamental!" expressed the Professor, taking the Raygun from Dan's hands."You know, now we have these, perhaps we should test them?" suggested Dan, anxious to investigate the Raygun further."Hmm. I'm not sure." mused the Professor cautiously.Dan smiled broadly and slapped the Professor heartily on the back, "What could possibly go wrong?"
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"Take cover! Keep low and follow! Here!" Dan grabbed the other handle of the weapons crate along with Susan and hauled it along behind the moving Guards. It was too late to sneak out of the clearing, as the Patrol had broken through the trees. Once they had spotted the group, they took up an offensive position and began firing, ”Keep down! Get into cover, all of you! Over there!" Dan led the ragtag band of Guards and others to the cover of a crumbling set of ancient ruins just beyond the clearing. Once there, Dan broke open the crate with the guns inside. He grabbed the nearest Guard, "Distribute these out amongst the rest, there's a fellow!" instructed Dan, as he took for himself the Raygun and handed the long barrelled gun to Susan, "Finally we'll get to test them in a practical arena, eh, Professor?" said Dan a little too enthusiastically."I suppose so." expressed the Professor, a look of concern falling over his face at the wear and tear his little toys were about to go through.The fight was fairly even, each side letting off a shot or two, then the other, reciprocal in attack, until the Patrol turned it up a notch, ”They're firing mortars!" yelled Dan, over the din of the explosive charge going off near them. Here and there along the line broke the ranks, and things were beginning to look a little dicey."Dan! Professor! Over here!" Susan stood by a kind of door embedded in the ruins, gesturing for them to follow her, as she climbed down the steps into the muffled darkness below. There was an almost constant, monotonous boom overhead as the mortars exploded closer and closer. Soon they would hit, and send the world into commotion. While Dan and Susan shared a moment, the Professor had been examining two identical guns, "I think I've got it!" he called out, his words echoing about the small chamber."What's that, Professor?" asked Dan, coming to his side."I've been wondering this for some time, but now I think I know how to work it! Right, see these two guns?" Susan and Dan nodded, "If we stick them together, like this - power them up - we will have five seconds!""For what , Professor?" asked Susan."To throw them, like a grenade, before they burst in your face!" explained the Professor. Dan took the guns from the Professor and began climbing the steps, back outside."Like this - and this - and -" Dan threw the loaded grenade toward the Patrol on the other side of the clearing. Upon impact there was a huge flash and an explosion rang through the copse."Run!" yelled Dan, and the Guards, Ambassadors and the Earthlings plodded forward rapidly, taking advantage of the shock of the bang and flash of light to retreat. But it wasn't enough."Stand and surrender!" came the call from behind them. Those that could retreat continued to do so. Those who could not stood still, arms in the air and backs firmly to the Patrol.Dan began to chuckle once more and dropped his head in mock resignation. Susan looked to him and understood. She reached out in the air for Dan's extended hand and they clasped each other tightly, waiting for the inevitable shot. Which did not come.What did come, however, was the sound of rapid gunfire, and the downthrust engines of a Hopper, clearing the top of the trees. The Patrol had no option but to retreat. A Unit dropped from the Hopper and saw off the last of the Sigma Dissonant Patrol, back into the trees, disappearing into the thick tree-line. Once they had completed their task, the Commander of the Unit walked up to Dan and saluted, "Captain Ward? Headquarters sent us for you!"Dan smiled and returned the salute, "Thank you, Commander! Susan? Professor?" With that, the Earthlings climbed aboard the Hopper, as it lifted into the air, turned and flew back toward the towers of Sunray City.
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