=/\= Armory, USS Quantum Fury =/\=
All it took to attach the main power cell of the type three phaser rifle. Landon felt the weight of the heavy rifle in his hands. A weapon capable of blasting it's way through more than four feet of tritanium before the charge was even reduced enough to register. It could vaporize more than just a person, and was able to compress it's blast into a hyper-pulse shock chamber and dispel a massive burst of phased energy in a projectile like discharge. The effectiveness of this technique is widely recognized, and has since been the standard in compression phaser technology since the early 70's of the previous century. The fact that Neyes had never learned to master this type of weapon continued to amaze him.
Snap it on.
A quick twist of the hand and the shoulder strap fastener was clipped into position. Landon had been that guy out on the field before. The guy who hadn't quite gotten used to having a weapon like this on his person all the time. Being the man behind the crosshairs, waiting for the target to come into view. It was an unsettling feeling... just waiting. The reality of the situation was much more fluid, though. Rarely did you have the chance to simply wait for someone to walk into your sights. The target, the enemy, whatever that brass upstairs wanted to call it, was just as versatile as you were. They could sneak up around that ridge in the hills and obliterate your atoms into a fiery dust before you could even blink. On the other hand, you had to be ready to pull the trigger if they showed up in the right place at the right time.
Landon's previous host, Taylor, had been stubborn. He'd tried to master the technique of using a rifle, even though his combat ambitions were far more martial than he could ever understand. Being a joined Trill was an indescribable experience. One person suddenly became 11, and all those skills were infused into the talent pool shared though their memories. Using a weapon that none of the previous hosts could become comfortable with was a mistake, and one that had eventually cost the young marine his like. Had he simply gotten used to the idea of being a support unit rather than someone on the front lines, Landon would probably still be on a Starbase ferrying duty in Federation space, and Taylor would be somewhere in the Gamma Quadrant cleaning up after the second Dominion War. It was strange to think that Landon himself was once one of the many combat soldiers also occupying the armory. He was a part of the team, part of the unit. Something about that used to be comforting.
Flip it over.
A quick recheck of the weapon to ensure it was in prime condition and properly assembled was an integral part of a weapon's check. No one wanted to pre-fire a weapon just before combat, only to realize the only thing they'll be able to discharge is their bladder when they come into contact with the enemy.
Check the sight.
Always important to make sure you can see. It's just one of those things...
"Sir?"
Landon didn't respond.
"Excuse me sir." The woman repeated.
His daze lifted, Neyes cleared his throat and smiled. "Huh? Oh yeah. That's how you put together the newer model type 3's. You'll get the hang of it after a while." He held out the rifle with a friendly grin. Offering it over to the security cadet.
"Thank you, sir. I'll keep that in mind." She nodded and went off to the Quartermaster to finish getting ready for the incursion into the Charon.
Neyes closed the clumsy lid of the rifle storage container, sealing it shut. He patted both ends of his custom combat vest and tightened his belt. Both his daggers, with their slick and slight tritanium blades tucked neatly away in the snug gloves at his thighs, just below his hips. He knew better than to use the rifle. It would get him killed. He carried a hand phaser, but it wasn't in his first choice of weapons. The Neyes symbiont was a terrible shot, no exceptions. There hadn't been any hosts with any prior phaser rifle experience, and once they were joined there was no hope for them. Landon stuck to his daggers and martial skills at all costs, and used his engineering expertise to fill in the gaps. Engineering weapons onboard a starship was easier than most people thought. Despite his specialty in warp theory and mechanics, Landon knew his was around the rest of the systems.
He slapped his commbadge into place on his breast and walked out to the airlock deck. It was time to go see his new office.
=/\= END LOG =/\=
Ens Landon Neyes
Chief Engineer
USS CHARON
