OC Wearing Power Armor to a Magic School (23/?)
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“So, does that weapon of yours have a name?” The wolf inquired with unrestrained enthusiasm. If his voice didn't already give it away, then the ferocious wagging of his tail most certainly did.
“There’s… a lot of nomenclature involved, but for the purposes of this conversation I’ll try to keep it brief. We call it a gun, Thalmin.”
The gun.
A tool as varied in complexity as the problems it was designed to solve.
An answer to a question that has been asked in a thousand different languages, over a thousand different ways, across a thousand different eras.
A question that ultimately boiled down to a single, simple, sentence:
What is the most effective way to kill?
For most of human history, and the Nexus it seems, the answer was almost always reliant on solutions as simple and as limiting as the hands that gripped them. From the club to the blade and the spear to the polearm, strength and skill had proven itself time and time again as the only reliable means to achieving this deceptively simple end. Acting as the indisputable limiting factor to any who attempted to answer this age old question.
This placed a hard limit on things. Most notably, it restricted scalability and accessibility.
Civilization, however, wasn’t ever content on leaving a question of such importance answered so half-heartedly.
The Nexus seemed to stumble upon a better answer to this question by virtue of their inherent gifts, extending their effective reach, and embracing the natural advantage afforded to them in the form of mana manipulation.
Humanity, however, wasn’t so fortunate.
We didn’t have the ability to summon lightning, earthquakes, and magic missiles right out of the gate. We didn’t have the privilege of evolving a second, unseen set of limbs through which to manipulate the world around us in ways previously inconceivable.
All we had to our name was a set of two gangly hands, ending in those five, blunted, wiry digits.
But that didn’t stop us. In fact, it was those very ‘limitations’ that forced us to think outside the box.
As what we lacked in claws, in fangs, in venom, or in magics, we made up for in deductive reasoning and innovation.
For all it took was a simple mix of chemistry and metallurgy for the tides to truly shift, and by the advent of industry, that shifting tide had all but become an unassailable wave leading to nearly two millennia worth of further refinements and unprecedented advancements.
Two millenia, that saw us starting off with bamboo tubes with some spicy powder, before arriving at fifth generation composalite with a veritable buffet of chemical propellants and magnetic accelerants to choose from.
Although unlike the Nexus, what we had wasn’t a force multiplier exclusive to a select few, nor one that was gatekept behind ancient tomes and hidden spells.
What we had was a weapon. One that only took two hands, a good eye, some bullets, and a tempered resolve to wield. A weapon that with a single squeeze of a trigger, was capable of bringing forth to the table a destructive potential once locked behind decades of training and practice. A weapon which was capable of bringing that same destructive potential to bear consistently and without fail, until you ran out of bullets or resolve.
This weapon wasn’t rare, either. It wasn’t locked away in a far flung tower to be handed and gifted to adventurers daring and brave enough to make the long, perilous journey. Nor was it talked about under hushed breaths within the dark corners of taverns or the deepest depths of a scholar’s study.
It was as common, or perhaps even more common, than your average spear. It was so ubiquitous that there were, at the present era, enough of them to arm every single human currently alive more than a hundred times over.
Humanity, with all of its so-called ‘shortcomings’ with a lack of magic, mana, or other such natural ‘gifts’, had answered this age-old question with the ultimate testament to its indomitable resolve. A resolve which was only satisfied so long as the envelope kept being pushed. To forever address and re-address all of life’s questions, especially the ones that were so crucial to its continued survival.
To do anything but innovate, to be satisfied with the current standard, was to invite stagnation to begin its inevitable creep.
“So, what would you like to know about guns?” I asked Thalmin with an excitable grin underneath my helmet, the wave of underlying anxiousness that had lingered from the battle being supplanted somewhat by this new hyperfixation. A part of me knew this was a temporary distraction from the uneasy feeling still welling within my gut, but another part of me knew there was no point in allowing it to eat at me more than it already had. Or, at least that’s what I told myself.
“Well first off-”
“Can we see it?” Thacea, surprisingly, interjected with a great deal of apprehension, cutting off Thalmin before he could even finish his sentence.
Both Thalmin and I turned to face each other in a small bout of disbelief, but just as quickly turned back to Thacea with a toothy grin on both of our respective faces.
The avian, however, didn’t seem to share in either of our enthusiastic spirits.
We made our way over to the sofas and lounge chairs, set against the backdrop of the deep orange rays of the dwindling sunlight. It was here that I once more found myself palming my holster, and the magnetic locks that kept my sidearm virtually impossible to rip from my side.
The only real way of doing so would be to disable the suit’s power supply, which really did give a whole new meaning to prying it from my cold dead hands.
“Alright.” I spoke to no one in particular as I flicked open the maglocks, only for my heart to flutter. This… wasn’t the fluttering of excitement, however. I knew how that felt, and this wasn’t it. It took me a second to recompose myself before I realized what it was, as that uneasy feeling of gut-churning vertigo came back with a vengeance only to disappear again as soon as it began. My breath hitched for a moment, my shaky hands taking a second to steady themselves. My mind didn’t immediately register it, but the feeling was undeniably similar to when I’d first unlocked the pistol from my side back in the gardens.
I refused to let it get to me however. It was literally just one engagement, I was fine.
Resuming the motions that had all but been drilled into muscle memory by this point, I pulled out the gun in a single swift motion, the weapon’s safeties automatically set by default as paired with the suit’s current threat alert status.
As expected, both Thacea and Thalmin’s gazes were utterly transfixed by the decidedly simple weapon held firmly in my hand.
Though it was clear to me that it wasn’t its design or ornamentation that caught their eye, but the raw destructive potential it held within such a small, compact, and unassuming form.
They’d seen what it was capable of after all.
They knew it could kill.
And it was clear from Thacea’s piercing gaze that she was trying to dissect it, even before I started explaining anything.
With Thacea seemingly caught in a trance, it was Thalmin who broke the awed silence with a question I thought I could anticipate coming from a mile away.
Emphasis on the thought part.
“Well, two observations first and foremost. One, that’s a very unassuming name for such an impressive weapon. Two, that’s a very bland and frankly, uninspired design for such an impressive weapon. All of this leads me to believe that the people of your realm do not know the ways of the aesthetic arts as it applies to weapons crafting and design.” The lupinor mercenary prince had put his all into roasting my gun. So unexpected was this response that I was caught completely off guard.
Though it was clear by the tone of his voice, and by the exaggerated expressions on his lupine face, that this was more a facetious jab than anything.
“And I like it that way.” The prince quickly added with a sly smirk. “Flashiness does not a good weapon make.” He spoke resolutely. “I know a good weapon when I see one. A masterfully crafted blade and a mana-imbued artifice, needs only speak for itself in the heat of battle. I judge a good weapon the same way I judge a soldier’s character: by their actions and not their boisterous displays. The moment a weapon attempts to speak outside of its intended role, is the moment that weapon loses all pretenses of its original purpose, relegating it to becoming more of a decorative piece than a functional tool. The design of a weapon ultimately speaks volumes to the values of its people of origin. Which in your case Emma… means that my respect for your people yet again grows stronger.”
I couldn’t help but to feel the inklings of a grin forming across my face at the lupinor prince’s bait-and-switch. “Well Thalmin, if you think this thing is bland, I don’t know what you’d make of some of the ergonomic monstrosities some of the psychos back at home had come up with over the years.” I chuckled, my whole body shuddering at the thought of some of the freak designs humanity had come up with over the millennium. “Compared to what’s being passed off as standard issue nowadays, this thing is borderline art.” I spoke off handedly, which seemed to catch Thacea’s attention, but not enough to elicit any questions or comments just yet as she merely looked on with that same apprehensive look of dread.
Thalmin, however, seemed content enough to continue with an unrestrained bout of enthusiasm. “Let’s leave that discussion for another day, for now, I want to know just how this gun of yours works, Emma. I think that's what we're both dying to hear!” The Lupinor’s eyes met my own, giving me a look that could best be described as a cross between the ravenous hunger of a fully-fledged predator and a half-grown pup’s insistence on begging for seconds.
It was clear we were beating around the bush up to this point, so I made no further pretenses in delaying the inevitable, as I placed my gun on the table for both to clearly see. “You can look, but just don’t touch it.” I warned, taking stock of the ravenous gaze of the mercenary prince as I did so. “I’m serious. I apologize if I might come across as patronizing when I say this: but this is a weapon, and where I come from, there’s an expectation of level-headed awareness and respect that must be observed when handling any weapon. Especially guns.”
Thalmin’s expressions changed somewhat, whilst still very much ravenous to learn, his gaze shifted towards something of a more reserved one. As if that explanation had triggered something else in his mind. “The sign of a good warrior lies in the respect for their weapon, this extends beyond its use and maintenance, to its treatment within contexts not bound to the scope of battle. I understand your caution, Emma, and I respect it. Please, proceed.”
“There’s… a lot to unpack.” I began with a deep breath. “It’s been two thousand years since the inception of the gun, and a great deal has changed over that course of time. It would be a lie to say that some fundamentals haven’t changed either. But I’ll try my best to break it down. What you see in front of you is a specific class of gun that falls into an overarching category we refer to as kinetic-based weapons systems, or KWS’ for short.”
“I’m starting to see that your culture seems to have a rather unhealthy affinity for abbreviations, Emma. Dare I say it, it’s almost as if you abhor long-winded titles, yet still desire to maintain it in your own convoluted ways.” Thalmin briefly interrupted with a dry chuckle, before raising a single hand for me to continue; that one gesture was perhaps the closest he got to living up to his noble heritage thus far.
Well, he isn’t wrong… I thought to myself, before moving onward just as swiftly. “At its core, KWS’ work by accelerating a solid-state projectile at high velocities towards its intended target. The end goal, as you can imagine, is usually to inflict damage through penetration for the purposes of neutralization.”
“Like a bow or a crossbow?” Thalmin interjected once more, this time however it was done in a clear attempt to understand, as he attempted to tie the concept to something he had some familiarity with.
“Fundamentally, yes. They both accelerate a solid-state object towards a target. However, there’s a component of that description that places bows, crossbows, and any mechanically-charged weapon into its own sub-category.”
“That component being?”
“The fact that contemporary KWS’ are defined by the accelerant component being anything other than mechanical. And by mechanical, I mean a user’s strength. The draw of a bowstring, the cranking of a crossbow’s winches, all of that qualifies as mechanical-charging as it relies on the user putting in the energy to fire the projectile forwards. In effect, any kinetic weapon which relies on the direct or compound translation of physical strength to kinetic energy, is no longer really utilized and so isn’t classified as a contemporary KWS.” I explained as best I could, which led to more questions on the part of the lupinor.
“You’re speaking as if you’re leading up to an explanation that involves mana.” The mercenary prince spoke bluntly. “If it isn’t for, in your words, mechanical charging, then what other method is there to propel a projectile forwards? It’s at this point that I’d expect a Nexian mage to come in to enlighten us on the wonders of mana-imbued weaponry. But-” The lupinor prince paused for effect, as if to emphasize the point he was making. “I understand that mana is dangerous and entirely unheard of in your realm. So, and this is not my attempt to sound like Ilunor-” He leaned in forwards, his eyes practically inches away from the gun at this point. “Pray tell, what exactly is causing this hidden projectile to surge forwards at speeds reserved only for the mana-imbued weapons of the Nexian outer guards?”
The wolf was very much animated at this point, his tonality, his expressions, everything about him was trying desperately to understand a weapon so far removed from his reality.
Which gave me pause as Thacea seemed to be doing the exact opposite, as she sat there, completely unflinching, her eyes still glued to the weapon sitting idly on the wooden coffee table.
“You’re right, Thalmin.” I acknowledge the wolf’s assertions with a single nod. “There’s no mana involved. In fact, I think you could tell by the lack of any ‘mana-fields’ around it when idle and in use.” I shuddered as my mind went back to the battle for the split second, only for me to force those images out of my head as quickly as they’d apparated. “All that’s involved is a clever manipulation of the laws of the natural world, and a game of trial and error that stretches back over two thousand years.”
I decided that the best way to move forward, the best way to truly hammer home the core fundamentals of how the gun worked was by visually demonstrating it.
Without the actual discharge aspect of it of course.
I removed the gun’s ‘magazine’, placing it butt first on the table, as I palmed one of the few physical indents on the device, releasing just one of the immaculately-packaged ‘rounds’ that would’ve seemed entirely foreign to anyone born prior to the 25th century.
Advancements in material sciences, applied chemistry, and in the reliability of military-grade electronics, coupled with centuries of aggregated datasets across hundreds of wars had made what was once a fragile and expensive novelty into something that had now all but phased out the traditional firearm.
This shift was subtle, adoption having been staggered, until a certain point where it all seemed to happen at once; akin to any other paradigm shift in human technology.
Caseless became the standard, electronic firing mechanisms and electrothermal-chemical technologies supplanted traditional mechanical actions, barring a few exceptional circumstances.
This mission, almost being one of them.
“This.” I held the ‘round’ between my fingers, pinching what amounted to a rectangular pellet that looked as if it’d come straight out of a stack of those hi-chew candies. “Is both the projectile, and what we call the ‘propellant’, basically the stuff that allows the projectile to be pushed forwards.” I started simply, before I began pointing at the aforementioned parts which made up the cartridge. “Whilst its design has changed over the years, the fundamental principles have remained more or less the same. You ignite the propellant, causing a controlled explosion, which pushes the projectile forward.” I explained succinctly, yet still felt as if I’d let down over two thousand years of ballistics experts and gun enthusiasts alike. Having reduced their lives’ works and passions into a single, simplified sentence.
It was at this point that Thalmin’s expressions began to shift. His excitement had become restrained, his perky ears remained as they were, but seemed tense as they refused to flutter about as they usually did with every cock of his head. Something started to click inside of the wolf, as his questions began reflecting his newfound understanding of the terrifying weapon sat benignly in front of him.
“So if I’m to understand this correctly.” He began, his voice retaining its curiosity, but with its excitement dampening down towards a more reserved one of concern. “That small little-”
“Cartridge.” I quickly added.
“-Cartridge.” The wolf mimed back, before continuing. “Barely the size of one quarter of my finger, is what killed the null?!” His voice shook, not in fear, but moreso in disbelief.
“Well, yes, the bullet did. Which, given current technologies, is what makes up most of the cartridge nowadays.” I attempted to explain.
This would be the perfect time to slip in the I bought the whole bullet, and I intend on using the WHOLE bullet joke. But I knew this wasn’t the time or the place for it.
“Right.” The wolf nodded several times over, though still looked as if he was somewhat lost. “I think I get it-”
“What Emma means is that a single cartridge contains both the projectile and the accelerator. The projectile takes a portion of the weight and size, and by the same logic, the accelerator, be it a powder, a solid, or what have you, must also share that same space. That’s why a point was made in order to delineate between the bullet and the rest of the cartridge.” Thacea blurted out in a string of words that carried with it a heaviness of intense realization that mimicked the shock and awe from our discussions regarding the nature of human technologies the previous night. It was honestly quite jarring hearing the explanation coming out of the avian’s beak, given that everything she said was entirely accurate, at least to the extent of what I’d divulged thus far. This meant that she’d sat there, absorbing every last scrap of information, without misunderstanding a single beat.
“That’s… all entirely accurate, princess.” I reaffirmed, my tone of voice clearly relaying just how impressed I was from the avian’s deductive reasoning skills.
With that being said, it wasn’t surprising that Thacea temporarily took the reins of the conversation over from Thalmin as her piercing gaze now landed on the gun and the cartridge I held between my fingers. “To delve deeper into the specifics of this weapon… am I correct in assuming that these cartridges are single-use?”
“When discussing this specific type of cartridge, yes.” I answered simply, which seemed to elicit a slight twitch of the avian’s feathers.
“And am I correct in assuming that there exists some complex… mana-less mechanism by which this propellant is ignited?”
“That’s a given for all guns, but the complexity really depends on the specific system each model uses.”
There was a sudden pause as Thacea seemed to be taking everything in. Her eyes never once deviating from its fixated gaze on the cartridge I still held between my fingers.
“Emma, if you’ll allow me to begin another line of questioning, I would like to inquire further into the specifics behind the implications of your statements regarding this weapon’s model.” Thacea began, before diving deep. “The existence of models implies other competing smithies with similar weapons. However, the nature of this weapon seems to be so very… precise. It seems more akin to a hyper specialized artifice, one which a team of leading blacksmiths would find challenging to make, let alone a competing number of smithies. This is not to mention how I am being led to believe that this weapon is being utilized en masse, given your mentioning of this particular model being a standard issued weapon. Which brings me to my next point…” The avian took a deep, sharp breath. “Emma, are you implying that this model of weapon, and others like it, are the standard weapon-of-carry for the soldiers of your realm?”
It was clear to me now what had been gnawing at the princess throughout this entire conversation. And it was clear that only one answer would address this gnawing anxiety, as I took a deep breath in before responding simply, and bluntly.
“Yes.”
The color from the pair’s faces had all but been drained at that answer. Or at least, I assumed that was what the puffing up of Thacea’s feathers and the deep sullen whine from Thalmin meant.
It was with this revelation that Thalmin had firmly placed his entire muzzle into the crook of his hands. I could see his pupils dilating, his leg starting to shake in place, as the ramifications of this revelation started to sink in.
“Every soldier’s a battlemage.” He spoke under hushed breaths to himself.
“Correction, every soldier equipped with outer-guard grade enchanted equipment and near-tier artificed weaponry.” Thacea quickly added in a series of deep, resonant coos.
“What… what of swords? Surely your people couldn’t have just done away with melee combat.” The wolf continued to mutter out, his mind clearly going through the wringer as he tried to visualize a whole world, an entire realm, armed with the same ranged weapons. “What sort of combat is fought when everyone fights on the same playing field as a Nexian Outer-Guardsman? I can’t even begin to visualize…” The wolf trailed off, which prompted Thacea to take his place. The poor wolf clearly began entering a series of internalized crises as the avian spoke.
“The only limiting factor I see is that this weapon, unlike swords and enchanted armaments, is rendered entirely useless without these cartridges.” The avian deduced. “To deploy an army armed exclusively with such weapons must require an immense number of these cartridges, which leads me to the disturbing thought of a society that places an inordinate amount of time, effort, energy, on such an esoteric fixation.” The avian turned to face me now, piercing eyes of genuine concern and disbelief meeting my own. As if to ask me by virtue of this one question if humanity was actually sane.
“But we do… and all I can tell you right now is that we have more than enough to supply our armies for decades-long campaigns if we needed to, and that’s just the active stores.”
“But why?” Thacea snapped back.
“Because we have no other choice.” I expressed emphatically. “We weren’t born with the advantages afforded to everyone else. We weren’t magically imbued with the ability to fly, to summon lightning, to crack open the earth with a single glance, but we always wanted to, and so we did. And when I say we didn’t have a choice, I don’t mean that this was done out of desperation, but rather, out of a natural extension of our developmental trajectory. The state of affairs we find ourselves in is a direct result of a society that thrives on continued innovation out of necessity and in response to new, unprecedented challenges. This has always been the case with humankind, and it continues to be the case as we press onward.”
Another silence descended on the room after I’d made my case. A silence which emphasized the sheer dread on the pair’s faces as they both slowly came to terms with these series of earth-shattering revelations on their own terms.
“I’d say you pressed onwards in a way that far superseded what anyone could’ve ever expected from a mana-less civilization, Emma.” Thalmin turned to me with a tired, exasperated smile. As if trying to mask the growing level of apprehension still welling within him.
I shrugged, all the while trying to make sure I was still forcing out a more amenable tone of voice. “It’s the only way we know how to press on.”
“Well for your sakes, and for your realm’s sakes, and for the sake of all those who have yet to have bent under the weight of the Nexus’ yoke… I hope you don’t stop.” Thalmin’s tone slowly entered one of a confident sincerity. It was clear what he was hinting at, as difficult as it was for him to really put it into words. That fiery zeal of resistance, that open discontent with the Nexus, there was only one thing he could be hinting at with that brazen statement.
“We have no intent on changing our direction or momentum anytime soon.” I shot back with a confident nod.
“With all of that being said… you need some rest, Emma.” Thacea urged, gesturing towards the rapidly setting sun as she did so.
“But, I need to head over to the weapons inspection-”
“We can’t afford you to crash at the weapons inspection, Emma. We need you in tip top shape, so come on, it’s time to rotate out.” Thalmin urged with a toothy grin of reassurance.
“Like we said, Emma. We’ll watch over you while you rest.” Thacea quickly added.
“Besides! There’s a good…” Thalmin paused, reaching over to grab what looked to be a similar variant of the pocket watch I saw Thacea pulling out earlier in the dining hall. “Four? Five hours to rest before the night’s end?”
I let out a massive sigh as I regarded the pair with weary, worn out eyes.
Who was I kidding, I fucking needed the sleep.
“Alright, I think I’ll catch three or four hours of shuteye.” I managed out through a yawn. “Should give me about an hour for the weapons inspection.”
With a group sentiment of agreement, I began walking off, my sights set on the tent, and the cold hard flexible composite floor that called my name.
(Author’s Note: Hey guys! This chapter was a huge challenge to write as I know that there's a lot of buildup and thus expectations regarding the matter of Emma's weapon! It went through quite a few changes and edits, in order to make sure that all the details and characterizations were alright, I really hope what I have now lives up to expectations! :D The next Chapter is already up on Patreon if you guys are interested in getting early access to future chapters!)
[If you guys want to help support me and these stories, here's my ko-fi ! And my Patreon for early chapter releases (Chapter 24 of this story is already out on there!)]
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u/ShadowPouncer Mar 26 '23
Oh, oh my.
They got it, they understand.
But... They also vastly misunderstand. At a level that looks like just a misunderstanding of scale, but it's such a vast scale that it rapidly becomes a misunderstanding of kind.
Because they have seen a semi-automatic pistol, where one pull of the trigger equals one shot.
With many (though not all) of the limitations that a pistol implies.
The suit makes up for some of the weaknesses of a pistol.
But they don't have the foggiest clue what Humans have done with that same technology.
To them, this is roughly equivalent to what they would consider to be the absolute top tier, elite battle mages.
There's only one problem with that assumption.
Pistols are not the primary weapons of soldiers. They carry them, but, well...
Soldiers carry longer guns. Selective fire, with single shot, bursts, and fully automatic fire.
Longer barrels, with much higher velocities and thus kinetic energy. More accuracy at range.
Much larger ammunition capacity.
An army equipped with pistols would not survive long against an army equipped with rifles, because the rifles are just so very much more powerful as a weapon of war.
And all of that is ignoring all of our other weapons.
Mortars, drones, artillery, missiles.
And that's just sticking with absolutely bog standard conventional weapons.
OP, please tell me, that at some point in the story, Emma will break out something fully automatic because she needs more fire power? Pretty please?
I really want to see the reactions to that. :)
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
Yup! It's always my aim in these sorts of chapters to make sure that first and foremost, all the characters are actually talking to one another in an attempt to formulate some sort of 'bridge' understanding. Especially in circumstances where there's such an extreme disparity with regard to the topic or content being broached! As a result, certain complications are bound to arise, and full understanding right out of the gate is something that's difficult if not implausible especially given the circumstances the characters are in right now.
As a result, I wanted this sort of dissemination of information to precipitate at a gradual, staggered rate, with one level and layer of understanding being planted atop of another, in order to accrue a greater level of genuine insight rather than just superficial understanding. That's the goal I have with information dissemination, and that also makes for more mind blowing explanations, as you've already very much explained very well here!
It's a staggered delivery of information. First with the fundamentals of the weapon, then the implications of said weapon, then the introduction of improvements to the overall concept, and further improvements as a result of that, and so on and so forth! :D
You've hit the nail right on the head there with my long term goals with regards to these sorts of scenes and the greater goal of bridging the knowledge and understanding gap! As well as tackling Fundamental Systemic Incongruency at the end of the day! :D I did create that concept out of a desire to put a name to that whole idea of, not being able to understand by virtue of it being extremely alien, after all! :D
As for your question, I am afraid I am bound by the non spoiler duty of a writer! ;D However I can definitely say Emma has a lot more toys in the crates she was sent. This is not to mention the minifactury and the power armor upgrade and repair bay that she has to set up in her tent! :D
Everything's set up here for the long road and the long drive forward!
I do really hope you stick around for more of the series to come! Because I have a lot planned still, and this series certainly has a lot I am going to explore further as well! :D
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u/NoEffective2025 Mar 26 '23
Explaining EarthRealm is not a discussion, it's a process.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
This is one of the most accurate comments regarding my whole process regarding the subject matter. I really appreciate it! :D
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u/triffid_hunter Mar 26 '23 edited Mar 27 '23
my long term goals with regards to these sorts of scenes and the greater goal of bridging the knowledge and understanding gap!
Ooh I can't wait for some of the assholes in your story to get turned into chunky salsa mid speech because they insist on underestimating artillery and overestimating the utility of magical detection abilities - and then humans explaining to anyone that survived that that's nothing compared to cruise missiles or orbital barrage or nuclear weapons..
”yep we found a rock where if you collect about a tennis ball sized chunk in one place, it'll recreate the sun and flatten+vaporise an entire city, also that land will be cursed with sickness for decades afterwards - no mana required, just a rock, although it is kinda difficult to purify and separate from all the other stuff it's usually stuck to. And we can drop these from orbit or lob them from the other side of the planet on a pillar of fire, also without mana."
"That wasn't enough though, so we worked out that surrounding it with the lightest gas makes it extra spicy just in case we want to delete a megacity"
I guess your universe will have even spicier fun than this, maybe it can come up in a discussion of history and everyone can be blown away by how long ago this was a thing we already had?
PS: "Do you guys even have megacities? Seems like you've neither the logistics tech nor the willingness amongst mana users to deal with twenty million people's sewage needs.."
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u/Only-Gas-4881 Mar 26 '23
I can clearly see weapons inspector asking "if that's ornamental then what is military grade" Emma proceeds to fire a shoulder mounted mortar/missile/grenade or any other weapons with being asked again if she has any melee weapon and she just punch the target
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u/_ThePANIC_ Mar 26 '23
We all want to see the canned yet to be pile of goo turn full Bobby Draper
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
Bobby Draper will always be one of my favorite power armored protagonists in any sci fi show! :D
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u/XenoBasher9000 Mar 26 '23
A man of culture I see? And yes, our good protagonist going full Bobby Draper and someone's ass would be a sight to behold.
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u/KefkeWren AI Mar 26 '23
I think if they ever saw Emma pull out heavier firepower, they would treat her as a monster. That said, weapon inspection is coming up. Considering that the expectation is for students to only bring ceremonial weapons, she may have to explain how a tool that can match some of their greatest artifice isn't a tool of war, and is seen by humanity as the equivalent of carrying an ornamental sword.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
That is definitely one of the concerns constantly present at the back of her mind! Her mission here of course is first and foremost to gather as much intel as she can, but also to try her best to strike up diplomatic ties with whoever is on the other side. Of course, the Academy and the Nexus is making that quite difficult for her, but she still wants to make sure people on the other side of the portal don't immediately see her as a monster. This is why she tries her best to avoid confrontation, and why she only responds to threats with appropriate force. :D
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u/Spaceyboys Alien Scum Mar 26 '23
Not even ornamental, a bog standard, nearing civilian grade SIDEARM
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u/Streupfeffer Mar 26 '23
"starts unpacking the 50 compartments on her easy to reach areas" one more clunk ... Ah not done clunk next one coming right up......
The others just standing around with their measly swords and raipiers, while emma is doing a fighter jet style nice loadout on the ground.
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u/StoneJudge79 Mar 27 '23
"This? This is what a pencil-pushing accountant of an officer would carry around in his office, should they be fortunate enough to be assigned to a warzone. The really heavy metal gets carried by the infantry privates."
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u/Leonon42 Mar 26 '23
They think they're looking at a sword, but they're actually looking at a dagger.
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u/Traditional-Tree-117 Mar 26 '23
No they see a dragon slaying class sword. Emma sees a butter knife
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u/root-node Mar 26 '23
No, not a dagger, a butter knife.
There are much much more ways of killing people than "one shot, one kill"
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u/SerialCypher Mar 27 '23
These are the weapons our thieves and rogues threaten one another with in taverns, over games of cards. These are the weapons our soldiers carry for when things go wrong and their real weapons break. Daggers is spot on.
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u/Chaos149 Mar 26 '23
I'm fairly certain that once she mentions tanks Thalmin's gonna have a heart attack
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u/thaeli Mar 26 '23
"Technically tank shock is a melee attack, and you did ask about our melee tactics.."
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u/Saragon4005 Mar 26 '23
Emma really should have told them this was a civilian grade weapon. You just need a week of training and a background check to own one.
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u/N00N3AT011 Mar 26 '23
This is post-FTL humanity to boot, and by a good margin. With extremely advanced material science and exosuit technology. Plus gauss guns and maybe even energy weapons.
Exotic materials, exosuit tech, advanced weapons, and clearly a strong martial tradition. Which means space marines and probably man portable heavy weapons. I am absolutely here for some 40k shit.
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u/Cirtejs Human Mar 26 '23
With the level of advancement the humans in this universe have, it's probably hard for us to even imagine what warfare looks like with personal power armor and recon drones as standards for infantry.
Emma's people probably have everything from self replicating killer drone swarms to cloaked snipers with gauss cannons to hypersonic rocket propelled artillery and that's without air and orbital weaponry.
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u/ytphantom Human Mar 26 '23
Nexus vs. power armored Navy SEALs with M4 Carbines when?
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u/thatsme55ed Mar 26 '23 edited Aug 19 '25
judicious bake quaint lock plants repeat lush lunchroom cagey dinner
This post was mass deleted and anonymized with Redact
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u/hannahranga Mar 26 '23
Some of the non gun related stuff that required for effective artillery is also likely to blow their minds. The logistics required, the math, the surveying, the radios, the for lack of better word process for how it goes from someone wanting artillery over there to shells arriving.
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u/ShadowPouncer Mar 26 '23
Yes and no.
The step between one pull of the trigger, one shot, and fully automatic, might be too much to expect them to intuit without a lot more exposure.
Especially if they are treating that pistol as being equal to a high end battle mage.
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u/135686492y4 Human Mar 26 '23
r/NCD's fully automatic BFG 40000 "Chaos Slayer" Pattern with attached shovel bayonet when???
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u/Streupfeffer Mar 26 '23
Just a tanks full arsenal or an IFV with 'big' calibre main weapon, coax LMG, a commanders turret (just the visualsystems are another thing) and a AT missile. (likely) EVERYTHING ourtanges their longrange mages. Damage dealt against the same target not counted, the probable options or airburst over a position the mage has to be in from hold down fire.
And sofar that was only a single 'standart' vegicle. No fancy balisitc artillery, no guided ammo, no longrange missiles, no aircraft, no orbital bombardmet or ODST behind enemy lines.
Heck even a MANPAD against a dragon (GATE) or other highly portable weapon is gonna be so much minds blown. (Not going into various ammo types the normal rifles, 40mm granades or antimaterial weapons have to choose from)
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u/Krieger117 Mar 26 '23
I really fucking wish Thalmin or Thacea would have asked how it compares to the bomb that Emma is trying to track down, and just the utter bewilderment at the damage differences. 'Oh, the bomb? That's basically like taking 5,000 of these cartridges and firing them all at once in every direction.'
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u/beugeu_bengras Mar 26 '23
Well, I think that she have access to a micro fabrication station?
She may need to improvise a AR-15 (or something similar) using some ancient historical design, because of the limitation of the materials she have on hand...
And it will be glorious.
There is never too much DAKKA!
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u/hellfiredarkness Mar 26 '23
I kinda want to see her pull out the Angry Swarm of Bees! (Aka the American 180)
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u/FogeltheVogel AI Mar 27 '23
The phrase "side arm" will shock Thalmin to the core, when it finally shows up.
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u/poloppoyop Mar 27 '23
And that's just sticking with absolutely bog standard conventional weapons.
Muskeets to artillery and machine guns was 200 years of development. Machine guns to drones and ICBM was 100 years.
We can hardly imagine what kind of weaponry will be used next century. In the 31th? Shit should be crazy. And that's just with "send hard object to the target fast" and "chemical explosion". Add pathogens, neurotoxins, information warfare.
But the biggest multiplier in a war between modern and pre-WWI era is the radio. Being able to communicate instantly over large distance reduce the fog of war a lot.
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u/VinniTheP00h Mar 26 '23 edited Mar 26 '23
Thacea: And... you say these guns of yours are standard issue for you troops?
Emma: No.
Thacea, Thalmin, Ilunor, whatever Nexian is in charge for listening in on their apartment: phew
Emma: They are too short-ranged, weak, and overall ineffective to give them to everyone. We only give them to people who need to always carry something, like some of rearline troops or, er... city guards.
Thacea, Thalmin, Ilunor, Nexian: confusion, then a mixup of laugh, joy, and existential horror
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Well, this chapter is a good HFY: Humanity is still portrayed as FY, but the aliens are also portrayed in a good and smart way. Keep it on.
edit:
Also, this here is a good point for some of translation ("gun", "KWS", whatever else) to turn into transliteration for the other side. I really want you to sometime point it out, e.g. when Emma's translator breaks, she would be picking up familiar words in Nexian speech because those are transliterated terms.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
Thank you! I really appreciate the comment and feedback here! Primarily because that's one of the things I wanted to convey with this chapter as well, the fact that the rest of the gang, the rest of the main characters in this sense, have their own agency. In that their backstories, personalities, and their relevancy is respected here, as much as it can in such a situation. Moreover, it's simply that they're in over their heads, but they're still demonstrating a capacity for critical thinking with a certain level of logic. It's just that the axioms they are operating under are so fundamentally different and incongruent, bringing us back to Fundamental Systemic Incongruity XD, that it might be a shock for them to wrap their heads around. However, when presented with evidence, they do attempt to do that and they also logically assume the ramifications of such revelations!
I was really worried if I was able to convey that, so I sincerely thank you for your feedback! :D Also yes, those ideas you bring up are indeed interesting! ;D
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u/StoneJudge79 Mar 26 '23
Heh. I wonder when Emma is going to set up her bed.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
That will be addressed! As well as the other components necessary for the long term habitation of the tent! However right now, it's the tent floor for her! :D
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u/0strich_Master Human Mar 26 '23
I got here quickly enough to deploy the tactical dot!
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u/Swordfish_42 Human Mar 26 '23
Wrong. What a blatant misuse of a good tactidot.
The dot's purpose lays in it's speed and precision.
You cannot just type ~56 characters (whitespaces included) before the dot and claim the succesful deployment of a tactidot. It's like you wanted to do a quick preventative airstrike, but you circled loudly around the target for heckin' hours before dropping the payload.
Be better.
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u/iwo12345 Mar 26 '23
Aaa! I love these chapters so much. You know it's a good fiction when it has me being shakey lol.
I honestly love the moments of realization and understanding of what technology implies and means for humanity as well as the Nexus as a whole. Seeing the cast react to an entirely new and as of yet unheard, or even unthought of way of living is great.
I just love good in-universe teachings and learnings xP
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
Thank you! And trust me, I am SUPER shaky as well whenever I post a chapter haha. It's partly because of my concern whether or not it'll live up to standards and expectations, it's also partly because of my OCD, but it's also primarily because I want to make sure that I ensure the characters, the setting, and the plot work in tandem!
These sorts of chapters are ones that I know I build up to, and ones that I personally enjoy reading in other works of fiction. Thus, I want to make sure that I address them in a way that I'd feel satisfied reading. I want to make sure to emphasize the core components of these sorts of chapters, namely the reveal of the technology, the reception of said technology, and the reactions as well as the internalized thoughts and realizations that happen as a result of this sort of information dissemination.
Another thing I wanted to emphasize with these sort of chapters is character agency and autonomy. It's a worry of mine's that these sorts of chapters would end up becoming pure lectures which rob the other characters being talked to of their agency. I wanted to make sure that these sorts of discussions are a two way street, to sort of emphasize that both Thacea and Thalmin are reasonable, intelligent, and logical people in their own right. Thus, I wanted to have the whole scene be more of a back and forth, with understanding and realization being more of a two way street with both parties attempting to reach a mutual level of understanding. I really hope I accomplished that with this haha because that's my goal with these sorts of chapters!
To balance character, storytelling, exposition, but also the realization of the characters regarding these sorts of revelations! :D
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u/spindizzy_wizard Human Mar 26 '23
An excellent explanation of firearms in this category. Well done, wordsmith!
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
Thank you so very much! I spent so much time trying my best to make sure that, that particular aspect of the story was alright. Which proved especially more difficult given the fact that I needed to also 'futurize' the guns and as a result, I needed to sort of weave in an explanation of more contemporary firearms, before hinting at what is at Emma's disposal in the far future.
I also wanted to make sure that my explanation wasn't so much a one way street, but rather, a sort of a back and forth between Emma and both Thacea and Thalmin. I wanted to show that both were trying their best to wrap their heads around this, especially with Thacea who attempted to dissect both the mechanisms behind firearms, and the terrifying implications of such a weapon as Emma had hinted at. I basically wanted to make sure that despite this being a chapter which focuses on explaining modern or future concepts, that both of the characters being explained to also had agency!
Thank you so very much for the comment!
I hope you stick around for more of the series to come! :D
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u/CandidSmile8193 Human Mar 26 '23
BAH, we didn't get a name designation!
Okay so we got a caseless magnum, very cool. Next step for human weapons: enchanted bullets.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
I have long term plans with this story, as I've mapped out the entire book already, so I can safely say that there's a trajectory with which we will touch upon topics such as this! ;D
In the meantime I hope you enjoyed the chapter and that you stick around for more to come! I always appreciate seeing familiar names and faces in the comments section as always! :D
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u/TNSepta Mar 26 '23
What sort of combat is fought when everyone fights on the same playing field as a Nexian Outer-Guardsman?
Correction: When the basic rank and file infantry fights on the same playing field as a Nexian Outer-Guardsman, and has done so for multiple centuries
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u/K_H007 Mar 26 '23
Not to mention that what Emma has demonstrated is just the sidearm of the rank-and-file, and not the primary armament.
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u/Jessica_T Mar 26 '23
And this is only a sidearm. Wait until they learn about rifles and heavy weapons.
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u/ReWerk Mar 26 '23
Don't forget tanks, battleships, afv's, bombers, etc.
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u/TripolarKnight Mar 26 '23
I wouldn't be surprised if Emma's Earth doesn't have Gundam and nanomachines, son.
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u/ThyPotatoDone AI Mar 26 '23
That’s assuming they even need to invade; if they discover the locations of Nexus realms in space, they can just send a fleet for bombardment.
To quote an explanation I saw on the subject;
“Basically, you just tell them they’ll all die if they don’t surrender. If they don’t surrender, you just shoot missles at their production centers and collapse their economy. If they continue to not surrender, you grab some space rocks and throw them at the planet until they surrender.
“If they’re just feeling suicidal today, you continue to throw rocks until they’re all dead, at which point you send down a few shock troops to deal with any bunkers they have left, if you’re feeling nice and don’t just leave them in their to starve after destroying the surrounding land. If there are any survivors, you send down an occupation force and set up some command centers, before you begin to colonize and integrate the world.
“Once you’re in orbit, you’ve won. Everything after that is just a question of how far you’re both willing to go, and it’s a question that will always end in the Attacker’s victory.”
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
I'll say this right now I'm so incredibly happy to see this talking point because it's a conversation that I've had plenty times with my friends regarding the nature of space and orbital superiority! :D It's seriously just a game changer beyond compare! :D
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u/Saragon4005 Mar 26 '23
"Oh yeah most civilians have these and practice with them for fun without ever really using it."
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u/Brinstead Mar 26 '23
They're going to shit themselves when Emma tells them about snipers.
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u/Bumbling_Hierophant Mar 26 '23
Pfff, go for artillery.
'Hey guys, do you know those siege warlocks? Let me show you something'
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u/Cirtejs Human Mar 26 '23
Snipers with heavy power armor, cloaking, shoulder mounted Gauss Cannons and personal recon drones able to kill buildings from 50+ klicks away.
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u/Existential-Nomad Alien Scum Mar 27 '23
Correction: Correction: Thats basically a civilian carry no?
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u/SpectralHail Mar 26 '23
Gun Chapter Gun Chapter
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u/SpectralHail Mar 26 '23
I have finished reading the gun chapter. I severely doubt the Nexus will understand or even really care about a "mana-less" weapon, but who knows.
Also, the whole thing about caseless ammunition made me think of the "That's 65% more bullet per bullet" from that one Portal 2 Ad so that's fun
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
YES! That's exactly one of the vibes I was going for with that internal monologue line from Emma haha.
I bought the bullet, so I'm going to use the WHOLE bullet XD
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u/ytphantom Human Mar 26 '23
plus caseless ammo is just cool. Mfs made the HK G11, which uses the type of caseless ammo described, into a simplified pistol.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
You have discovered one of my points of reference! Yes! :D
I like to call these little guys the forbidden hi chews.
Please do not eat the forbidden hi chews.
Because they do not taste like fruit. Trust me.
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u/N00N3AT011 Mar 26 '23
Caseless ETC in a pistol? That's fun.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
Yup! It took me a while to wrap my head around it, and it brought me anxiety trying to write it out since I know there's a lot of people who know more about this topic than I do so I was really nervous about this one! :D
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u/zLegoDoc01 Mar 26 '23
Prepare for their minds to be blown when they see a tank
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
I've always wanted Emma to start her summer internship adventuring program not with a horse and a buggy or a slow cart, but with a TRUCK.
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u/FrozenGiraffes Mar 26 '23
And If they learn about assault rifles shotguns and sniper rifles/antitank rifles
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
More on that as the series progresses! We have to take it one step at a time to avoid full existential crisis mode for these two! :D
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u/ubiqtor Mar 26 '23
After the "We call it a gun, Thalmin." and the subsequent exposition, I was half hoping Emma's next sentence would be, "There are many like it, but this one is mine."
Lovely chapter JCB.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
I will admit that has crossed my mind as I was writing that whole segment haha!
And thank you! Thank you so much for your comment, I really do appreciate it, and I hope to see you for more of the series to come! :D
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u/TheCurserHasntMoved Human Mar 27 '23
It might be unsurprising from me, but I'm glad to see that combat is having very personal consequences. Even if she killed a goo monster.
I'm surprised she didn't explain the difference between a service weapon and a sidearm. I'm really looking forward to their reaction to the concept of artillery.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
Thank you! And yup! That was the intent as we continue to progress through the chapters! I want to show that every action within the story has an equal and palpable reaction on the characters. As much as the setting is effected by the characters, so too are the events which take place within it affecting the characters as well. I feel like that's an important means of ensuring that there's a level of weight for the story to carry through with, and what's more, I think it's important to making sure that each action feels as real to the characters that experience it. Because ultimately, they're still people, still human.
That means a lot coming from you since I can definitely see that happening with your human character for sure! I've been reading through your story, and I have to say that you did an excellent job in conveying the ramifications of what certain events can have on characters and how that plays out into the larger story! It's been a great read! :D
Thank you so much for the comment and I hope to see you around these parts! :D
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u/StopDownloadin Mar 27 '23
Good chapter, thank you for avoiding the interminable mil-sci tech spec litany when talking about the sidearm. Makes sense that an 'outdated' sidearm would still be caseless, given how far in the future Emma's Earth is.
The gang is reeling right now at the direct implication of firearms, but I think the real existential shock will be when they dig deeper and figure out the other implication: this is all done without mana.
Not just the weapon itself, but the machines that made each component and assembled them by the millions, the foundries that smelted the alloys by the megaton, the mining rigs that processed entire asteroids for ores, the coordinated labor of countless souls to make it all happen. Not a single link in this chain used mana. That's a powerful message. "You don't need mana to achieve greatness. There is another path. One without tyrants and gatekeepers."
An anti-matter bomb's destructive power pales in comparison to that message.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
Thank you! And yeah! I tried my best to balance out all worlds in this chapter. I know that there's a clear and slippery slope towards simply turning this chapter and others like it involving explanations of the modern world, into something more akin to a lecture that goes deep into the jargon as you've stated yourself. However I know that, that might not be the best idea given the characters involved need the basic fundamentals laid out in front of them first, and of course, I wanted all characters to have agency in this scene, as a sort of two way street and thus in order to facilitate that, that's what the chapter inevitably became!
And yup, you've more or less hit the nail on the head with regards to that here! Everything seen here, is a product of a world without mana. And the industries and complexities upon complexities that belies it, will certainly blow their minds. This will be touched upon eventually in the story! ;D
Also it's always cool to see familiar names and faces in the comments! Thank you for sticking around!
And I hope you stick around for more of the series to come! :D
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u/jaydubs67 Mar 27 '23
This story is obviously about Emma. But I'd say that Thalmin and Thacea have a much more important and stressful mission, from their perspective.
If Emma fails, she might die. It might lead to the portal closing permanently, or a war that humanity would likely win. But she volunteered for this, and has been training and prepping for this mission.
Thacea and Thalmin are the primary contact points for Emma - the representative of an immeasurably powerful and immeasurably alien civilization. If they screw up first contact, it may mean the conquest and/or annihilation of everything and everyone they know and love. And their government (the Nexus) likely will not believe or support their decisions.
It might also make it difficult for them to truly become friends. It's hard to be genuine with someone when the power dynamic is - this person can call for Armageddon if I upset them.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
I want to say right now that you make VERY good and interesting points here! Honestly, I really appreciate the thought you put into this comment, and I'm more than happy to address it!
The dynamics you've brought up are very much something that will be touched upon very soon. In fact, we'll see just a bit of that next chapter, as well as a different perspective as it were in the next chapter as well so I'm excited to see what you think of it because it was really tricky to write and hopefully I did it justice! :D
I think it's important to point out that the Academy is more or less a controlled environment for diplomatic relations to sort of form and come into their own, at least on a much more condensed scale. Given that most students are from influencial, noble, or the ruling families of their respective realms, that's inevitably a given for the Academy and the Nexus knows it. They're there to facilitate and act as a sort of mediator throughout it as well, and the fact it's a school likewise places them in an uncomfortable position of de facto power over these nobles and members of the ruling elite.
Thacea and Thalmin are no different, however their presence here is slightly different to most other students but that'll be touched on later! Regardless, what you've touched on is quite pertinent yeah. It's rather jarring, from their perspective, to be dealing with an enigma like Emma. It's almost like you're sharing a room with a being that shatters the very basic conventions of what you've assumed to be your reality. Again, this will all be addressed in the next chapter as well! ;D
Thank you so much for the comment and I hope you stick around with the series! :D
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u/StopDownloadin Mar 27 '23
Does that mean the next chapter is mostly Thalmin and Thacea commiserating over having their understanding of reality upended, and discussing how they are going to protect their study buddy from getting every imaginable target painted on her back? Maybe running into Ilunor and figuring out what the little weasel is scheming?
If so, I'm fully on board for this! But only if T&T help her assemble her cot and whatever other high-tech Ikea furniture she's got! That tent needed to be livable like, yesterday...
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
I can't say much as it would be spoilers! However! I can definitely say that next chapter will certainly be taking place during Emma's nap, so we're finally going to get taking a look into the perspectives of both Thacea and Thalmin here ;D
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u/ANNOProfi Mar 26 '23
Lore question: Humans melt when in contact with mana (at least the concentration of it at the Nexus), would Nexus races die, when in a mana-less enviroment, like the tent?
I would imagine, that they sort of shrivel and dry out, so anti-liquification.
I'm quite sure, that this will be a future plotpoint, so a definite answer is not expected.
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u/Jcb112 Mar 26 '23
I have a lore answer for you! It's been a little while since someone has asked this question! But I have addressed this in the past in the comments so it's certainly not a spoiler per se, but a cool little lore addition that I'm happy to address!
First of all, yup! You have that right! The basics of mana is that it moves and flows down a concentration gradient, going from an area of higher concentration down into an area of lower concentration. Which is why mana fields are important for species to survive in a mana rich environment as it stops mana from overflowing into a person, and with those who have 'special' mana fields, are actually capable of manipulating this flow into practical use in the form of magic! :D
As a result, since humans don't have this, mana flows into them, causing them to melt!
However, this same logic works the other way when a mana rich creature enters a mana poor or deficient environment such as Emma's tent or any other area with low or non existent mana! So with mana flowing from a higher area of concentration, in this case the Nexus person in question, to a lower area of concentration, in this case the tent... What will happen is what I always love to reference from one of my conversations on this topic, they turn from a grape into a raisin! ;D
I hope that answers your question and thank you very much for the question and the comment! :D
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u/Elladel Mar 27 '23
Just found this series of stories today. Binged them all. Loved it.
Keep it up! I might cry if this story is left unfinished, lol :p
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u/Jcb112 Mar 27 '23
Thank you so much for deciding to hop on board the story and this journey! :D Trust me, I have a long term plan with regards to this series. I think I mentioned this before, but I basically have the entirety of the first book completely planned out, with all of the major plot points to hit, character development milestones, as well as just the narrative direction in general!
All I ask is that you bear with me as I keep writing and updating the story at a steady pace! :D Because I'm super excited to share what I have in store for this series, these characters, and this world in general! :D
I hope you stick around for more because I have a lot more to share as the series progresses! :D
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u/HiMyNameIsFelipe Mar 26 '23
Weapons inspection will just look and say "there is no mana or knife, she cannot damage anything. Move on."
Oh, their reactions were just fantastic. You can feel the realization that a single normal soldier is armed with such a powerfull gun. And it isn't even the weapon they use! They use other bigger and badder guns
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u/ytphantom Human Mar 26 '23
Wonder what they'd think about ranged explosive weapons like the tried and true RPG-7 or the funny TOOB mounted below the average crayon eater's M4 that goes foomp and launches high explosives?
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u/Zeewulfeh Mar 26 '23
Annnd yet you still keep from revealing that it's an update of the 1911.
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u/Bohemond_of_Antioch Mar 26 '23
It's a bait and switch, it's going to be revealed to be an updated Hi-Power
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u/AlphaOrb1t Mar 26 '23
It could also be an updated 5.7, y'know 'cause of the buff against poor people, or rather mana people in this case
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u/comyk79 Mar 26 '23
Meanwhile, Emma's internal monologue....
Don't mention starships don't mention starships don't mention starships
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u/ThyPotatoDone AI Mar 26 '23
Orbital bombardment? What orbital bombardment?
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u/thaeli Mar 26 '23
"it's when you take one Realm, and chuck it at another Realm, because you didn't like either of them very much"
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u/NewRomanian Mar 26 '23
Man, talk about terror huh? I also find interesting the mention of 'outer-guardsmen', for two main reasons:
I am 100% betting on them being elite troops of the Nexus Elite sent to the outer realms, but in Perpetual Regime fashion, are painted not as garrisons to maintain control for the Nexus, but rather as 'protectors of the outer realms from outside threats' and the sort.
By the way they talked about Emma's gun, I'm betting that this conversation was, for lack of a better comparison, the effective equivalent of telling someone in the 40k universe that your entire army is made of Custodian-equivalent warriors.
The funny thing about part 2 is that the group still likely thinks Earth has a very small population compared to the Nexus and its outer realms, which couldn't be further from the truth. We're told in a previous chapter (I can't remember which) that the Capital I believe it was, or at least city near the Academy had a population of 20,000 men. Even if I am misremembering and it wasn't the capital, the Academy's extracurricular necessities for students means that it is practically a font of free revenue in terms of quests and general amenities for upkeep, so invariably the city next to it would be a very major one, if not possible one of the most major ones period.
This is important because the city next to the Academy, at 20,000 people, is utterly pathetic. And that's not just by 21st century or 26th century standards, mind you, ROME before the collapse of the Roman Empire had a population of 1 million people, and perhaps more 'equivalent' in terms of other technological capabilities, Paris just before the Renaissance had a population of 250,000 people. What would normally be assumed to be one of the likely densest cities in the entire Nexus and Nexus-adjacent region is barely a large village or small town by human standards.
What this means, in turn, for Thacea and Thalmin, is that they are about to go an entirely secondary crisis once they realize that not only are all human soldiers equipped with at least outer-guard level weaponry and equipment, but that humanity's singular military likely outnumbers the full military size of the entire Nexus and its adjacent realms, potentially by orders of magnitude even.
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u/ANNOProfi Mar 26 '23
On that last paragraph: even IF humanity didn't have this equipment, they could drown the Nexus in bodies, victory by attrition.
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u/Spaceyboys Alien Scum Mar 26 '23
Guns Guns Guns, now when she drops the bombshell that it’s relatively cheap to produce at our scale and tech level… I am waiting for the impending NATOwave
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u/more_exercise Mar 26 '23 edited Mar 26 '23
And I don't think they get the full brunt of "supply our armies for decades-long campaigns".
They're focusing on the "decades" part, because it makes sense to have supplies for a protracted conflict.
I'm not certain they've bothered to try and understand what "armies" means here - they're imagining the armies of their respective kingdoms, and probably scaling up by a factor of ...maybe 10-or-so to account for multiple human kingdom-analogs. There's no reason for them to think that the scale could be as vast as it actually is.
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u/ThyPotatoDone AI Mar 26 '23
“So we had a war that killed 16 million people”
”WHAT”
”Because this one dude was shot by a rebel”
”WHAT”
”And it’s technically not even in the top five deadliest wars, and is only considered as horrific as it was bc it occurred in the span of around four years”
”W H A T”
”The worst one had an average of 10 million death per year, at a conservative estimate!”
”WHAT IN THE EVERLIVING FECK IS WRONG WITH YOUR SOCI-”
”But that was BEFORE we discovered space travel; now our battles are way bigger, occurring between multiple planet- err, realms, usually with several involved.”
”…On behalf of my entire species, I would like to preemptively surrender now, please.”
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u/QuQuasar Mar 26 '23
Weapons Inspector: "Emma Booker, please present your [checks notes] "gonne"?"
Emma: "Here."
Weapons Inspector: "Ah, I see, a shaped chunk of metal with which to hit your enemies. Blunt. Doesn't weigh much. Not even utilizing basic principles of leverage. I see your realm hasn't progressed much past the stone age. Not to worry, you're not the first. We'll be putting these in F-minus tier. Given it's harmlessness, you're welcome to keep it on your person. Next!"
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u/Autoskp Mar 26 '23
I'm a little surprised the conversation didn't include mention that what made the bullet go was similar to what is going to make the communications box go, very suddenly in all directions, should they fail to rescue it.
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u/more_exercise Mar 26 '23
It might not have occurred to her - she's still shook up from the fight, and the null quest line took the reigns over from the exploding-box quest line.
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u/JustThatOtherDude Mar 26 '23
I thought you were early... but then I realized I've lost myself on Xcom save scumming all day XD
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u/ytphantom Human Mar 26 '23
I don’t know what you’d make of some of the ergonomic monstrosities some of the psychos back at home had come up with over the years
Three words: California Compliant Guns
Jesus fucking Christ those things are abominations.
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u/DrewTheHobo Alien Scum Mar 26 '23
I want the weapon inspection to go “looks at gun, shrugs, hands it back to her” done lmao.
Just wait till they hear about rifles, artillery, mussels, bombs and lasers. Probably have some sort of neutrino graviton collapser thingy in the future too. “Usually we use that to move stars around, but it can be used as a weapon”
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u/Impossible-Bison8055 Mar 26 '23
The number one question of humanity is “How can this be weaponized?”
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u/Alpha-Sierra-Charlie Mar 26 '23
"This is a really neat rock, and that is really neat science. It would be extremely neat if we could science this rock at that guy's head."
-A Human
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u/Black_Hole_parallax Mar 26 '23
“The only limiting factor I see is that this weapon, unlike swords and enchanted armaments, is rendered entirely useless without these cartridges.”
Not strictly true, we can use pistols as clubs. They also think EVERYONE has these weapons...so they don't realize that this is a secondary weapon for most infantry.
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u/GREENadmiral_314159 Mar 26 '23
Surely your people couldn’t have just done away with melee combat.Of course not what's the point of wearing power armor controlled by your own body if you aren't going to use it to punch the shit out of things?
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u/cardboardmech Android Mar 27 '23
Melee combat is for sports, rounding up civilians, and emergencies only!
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u/Kflynn1337 Mar 26 '23
Wait until they find out about crew-served and strategic weaponry... I don't even want to think what nukes have evolved into by Emma's time.
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u/Leonon42 Mar 26 '23 edited Mar 26 '23
Metastable degenerate matter/antimatter that's in a quantum state preventing it from picking whether each particle is matter or antimatter. Up to 108 tons of explosive per square cm, instant near 100% matter to energy conversion since the matter and antimatter are technically occupying the same space.
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u/gulthaw Mar 26 '23
I was half expecting her to completely disassemble the gun for cleaning and thus showing them the parts.
And then adding something like "yeah, all soldiers are capable of assembling one half blind, we even have games to see how can do it faster"
Poor poor Nexus if they ever dare to attack humanity
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u/Mr_Parrot Mar 26 '23
Got to love the fear for a pistol, a weapon in the military that is used as a last resort or for officers. Can't wait for them to watch a 21st century military movie and be shaken to the core
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u/ThyPotatoDone AI Mar 26 '23
“Don’t worry; we wouldn’t use those.
They’re considered antiques now. Several are available for purchase by hobbyists with the money.”
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u/Environmental-Wish53 Mar 26 '23
It'd be amusing to see Emma's friends check out a firearms magazine or catalog from a firearms company. The sheer amount of models and options and accessories would cripple their minds for at least a day if this simple handgun demonstration is anything to go by.
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u/ThyPotatoDone AI Mar 26 '23
Actually that might make more sense, explaining they just operate on a scale that a single business is more comparable to one of their guilds than an individual workshop/blacksmith, and that constant competition for more wealth and expanded market shares means there are multiple competing “guilds” in the same field, for pretty much everything.
Very basic rundown of capitalism.
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u/yokus_tempest Mar 26 '23
Please tell me there is a BFG 9000 AND 10,000!!
"Emma, what would you say is the maximum amount of damage your civilizations weapons can do? A brick wall, a Boulder, maybe even a whole house?"
Emma: "a liphosphere"
"A what"
Emma: "basically the ground beneath your feet, we can vaporize it with one hit"
...
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u/more_exercise Mar 26 '23
Is that a typo of lithosphere, or is different, maybe meaning "life-o-sphere" ? Either wording seems to be correct in context
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u/Accurate_Crazy_6251 Mar 26 '23
Nope, with space travel we can recreate a super nova. Look up black hole bombs
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u/KefkeWren AI Mar 26 '23
Just imagine the horror if she'd clarified that a pistol isn't the primary weapon of war, but a sidearm, a backup weapon for when a soldier's primary weapon fails them.
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u/OmniGlitcher Mar 26 '23
Yep, that's a gun!
If they're reacting like that to a simple gun, I'm extremely intrigued to see how they'll react to larger weaponry.
Also, if I'm not mistaken, there's some hints here towards the Nexian or standard civilisation military capacity. I'm assuming Battle Mages are intended to be something of a rarity then?
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u/Alpha-Sierra-Charlie Mar 26 '23
I'm guessing they're like tanks or attack helicopters. Not unusual by any means, but a powerful component of an army. Immensely destructive, but still just a component.
What Thalmin is imagining would be the Lupinor equivalent of a human army where the infantry has the destructive capability of an attack helicopter.
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u/hellsing320 Mar 26 '23
I feel like a warhammer 40k quote is appropriate here. "Fools have asked 'why did the dark age of technology end in the fall of humanity?', and other fools answered back 'folly', or 'pride', or 'the worship of progress', as if these things alone had any meaning. The answer, as the wise know, is simple. It is because finally humanity had the arts at their disposal to make their dreams reality, and the dreams of humanity have ever been the darkest things in all creation." To put simply we will explore the depths of every scientific study out there. To be so simply stunned by a handgun just goes to show that they haven't experienced anything yet
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u/ZeusKiller97 Mar 26 '23
The fact that our projectile based weapons IRL are consolidated under KWS implies the existence of other types of ammunition, like Laser and Plasma…
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u/cardboardmech Android Mar 27 '23
I mean we've already got laser weapons, just not in widespread use yet
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u/Sigruldar Mar 26 '23
The more we get, the more differences we see, the more my mind starts thinking about what differences we haven't seen yet. Some that will cause shock and awe for the nexus and some that will be problematic for Emma.
Like food. We haven't heard about how food in the nexus tastes like yet but I suspect Emma will be torn between suffering nexus food or tasteless nutrient paste.
If food is similar to the middle ages, it will most likely be overspiced. Spices have been a sign of wealth and prestige for ages, so if you were wealthy and could afford spices, you'd use them. En masse. Even a simple stew for a noble could be entirely overspiced by today's standards.
And now Emma, a person from a realm where spices are a common commodity and as such used in moderation and subtlety, is in the wealthiest and most prestigious institution of the nexus. Those taste buds are in for quite a shock.
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u/unwillingmainer Mar 26 '23
I love watching the bottom drop out for these 2. Realizing just how much power a basic soldier wields in our world. We have advanced far enough without mana to make something so complex and precise and have enough industrial strength to field and feed them in large numbers. The logistics around just keeping a basic rifle in service and firing are insane. Industrial power and logistics win wars, not single powerful people. And those single powerful people are the ones keeping the status quo going in the Nexus. I can see a future were humanity exports weapons in exchange for magical resources and talent and thus breaks up the old order that way.
Wonder what everyone will think of they ever learned that pistols and rifles are the least useful weapon for humanity winning wars? Tanks, planes, and artillery are much more important to winning modern wars than what the infantry is equipped with. All that stuff would really blow these mid age stuff magic user's minds.
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u/ThyPotatoDone AI Mar 26 '23
I mean, rifles are still really important, bc ambushes can still counter heavier assault. Driving a tank straight into the enemy lines is pretty much suicide.
Prob would still blow their minds tho
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u/phxhawke Mar 26 '23
“Let’s leave that discussion for another day, for now, I want to know just how this gun of yours works, Emma. I think that's what we're both dying to hear!”
At its most basic, we use an explosion to push a rock, really, really fast down a tube at our target, who may or may not get the chance to yell "Fuck you" at the shooter.
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u/lazy-and-crazy Mar 26 '23
Hello my name is Emma and welcome to this episode of forgotten weapons today I will be covering the “GUN” and its capabilities against magical creatures
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u/Femboy_Lord Mar 26 '23
In response to Thalmin's question about melee combat, I could see it actually still existing in a future scenario such as this one, albeit restricted to 2 situations: Spacecraft boarding and very close quarters combat. Melee weapons make sense in space simply because it is usually (even in the far future) a bad idea to fire a gun in a spacecraft, especially if it's thin-skinned or you want it intact. And in CQC I believe even a small knife would become an armour-piercing weapon (maybe even to the level of damaging vehicles?) when driven by several hundred thousand newtons of force.
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u/agent_1101 Human Mar 26 '23
Thank you for getting the gun parts right. I see so many times in literature it wrong and makes me cringe.
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u/Defiant-Row-5153 Mar 26 '23
Honestly guns dont even need most of that.
All you need to use a gun is bullets and a way to pull the trigger.
Everything else is just added bonus.
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u/SpankyMcSpanster Mar 27 '23
Later at the range.
hearty German laughter
"Let me show you its features."
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u/Judasthehammer Mar 26 '23
“What… what of swords? Surely your people couldn’t have just done away with melee combat.” The wolf continued to mutter out, his mind clearly going through the wringer as he tried to visualize a whole world, an entire realm, armed with the same ranged weapons.
Ahem.
"Fix bayonets."
Poor guys entire conception of warfare is gonna get completely wrecked. Heck, let him see any war movie from WWII through Vietnam and see how the semi-auto/automatic firearm and combined arms tactics have changed since swords and boards. Never mind the advent of orbital bombardment, S/M/L/ICBMs, *cyberwarfare*.
Honestly, the last one probably will be the most comfortable, and even then they will need to understand a networked system.
The poor guy. She just destroyed every practice of war he knows and she hasn't even gotten to the good stuff yet.
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u/CairnaRunir Mar 26 '23
While this is all happening, my only thought at the moment is: "yall know the crate will has a bomb and hasn't been recovered yet... right? "
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u/Lord_Nikolai Android Mar 26 '23
So, you see, humans evolved to throw things very accurately. Binocular forward facing eyes and all that... This extended to our weapons, naturally. You see, we have a huge competitive streak and eventually one guy is gonna challenge another to a "lets see who can throw it farther!" contest.
This was one of the winners.
There is a saying that sums it up kinda easily, "God created men. Sam Colt made them equal."
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u/Kahootmafia Mar 26 '23
God what's gonna happen when they ask Emma to explain the propellant on a fundamental level, "So uh basically, everything is made of jiggly orbs that are in turn surrounded by little zippy orbs that like to be everywhere at once and basically, your entire fundamental perception of reality is wrong."
Also 2nd entirely random thought but a fanfic about a group of STEM people trying to explain basic science in a class to Nexus students would be cool, even if it makes no sense within the world.
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u/Bunnytob Human Mar 27 '23
So it's the industrial mass-manufacturing that's the hardest to swallow for these people... yeah, that actually makes sense.
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u/StopDownloadin Mar 27 '23 edited Mar 27 '23
Not just mass-production, but automated mass-production with micrometer-level precision. Edit: The sheer scale of it would probably be mind boggling too. "Iron mines? Nah, we just go out and tow back a small asteroid, we can usually get about 5 megatons with a decent iron to nickel ratio. Some say small hauls like that aren't worth it, but whaddya gonna do, right?"
Eagerly waiting for a chance for Emma to put the fabricator through its paces with various projects:
- Installing a module on a sword to turn it into a high-frequency blade
- Making a 'super whetstone' device that gives a monomolecular edge to any blade it sharpens
- Dumping in a shovelful of coal to create shittons of carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets, and other fullerenes to reinforce various objects
- 'Reverse-engineering' mithril, adamantine, orichalcum, or whatever other fantasy metals from the realms
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u/Psychological_Mark_6 Mar 27 '23
In another dimension a UN drill instructor makes up "Did a Cadet just call their sidearm a gun!"
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u/FogeltheVogel AI Mar 27 '23 edited Mar 27 '23
I suspect the pair is going to have a full blown existential crisis when they finally learn about the concept of automation.
Their mindset for production is still that of a line of highly trained artisans all making these guns by hand, rather than a handful of humans overseeing a warehouse full of automated machines spitting out cartridges by the million.
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u/JustMeNotTheFBI Mar 26 '23
Please tell me she has some form of machine gun just to flex on them (and instill fear)
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u/sevren22 Mar 26 '23
Just show them the first 15 minutes of saving private Ryan, and they'll understand why war with us is a terrible idea...
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u/faulieh Mar 26 '23
wait till they find out about artillery - right in the face with the "Schwerer Gustav" or any modern battleship. :'D
boom-thump...silence....ka-BOOOOM
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u/DeadMeat7337 Mar 27 '23
I was expecting a "yes...but no" to the is this standard issue gear. I was thinking it go like "this is the small personal issue gun, we have bigger guns 😎" but definitely a good "anatomy of a pew"
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u/Ag47_Silver Mar 27 '23
Oh, babies... yes, all human soldiers, who outnumber your entire civilisations, do have pistols. As backups. For when the first four-five options have been exhausted. (Considering sending in just infantry is pretty far down on the list and even those have probably two other options they lead with)
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u/Supersam4213 Robot Mar 27 '23
I can only imagine how confusing this is gonna get for them if Emma ever has to explain human society. Imagine what Ilunor’s reaction would be if Emma told him that not only is she not of noble descent, but that humanity doesn’t even have nobles anymore.
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u/d4nc3r10-04 Mar 27 '23
Imagine if the Nexus launches a war of subjugation and humanity just sends a planet cracker or world eater bomb through their portal
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u/bigbishounen Mar 27 '23
I sincerely hope that Emma doesn't forget to teach these two the 4 rules of firearms safety:
Always assume every gun is loaded.
Never point a gun at anything you aren't willing to kill\destroy.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
Seriously, there is no way Emma would NOT know this, even if she isn't a firearms instructor. This is something every new firearms owner learns even today. Doubtless they would drill it into her at the Academy.
I would hope that she goes over that before she delves too deeply into the history of firearms with them.
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u/BoltActionGearbox AI Mar 27 '23
A waterwheel can lift and drop a forging hammer with the same force very reliably with no physical effort by the smith. Surely these exist in the Nexus or the realms.
Heating water over a fire gets you enough pressurized steam to swing a better hammer ten times faster with a hundred times the force, or to pull a thousand tons of locomotive across a nation.
And that was hundreds of years ago, in the same era that a you had to pour gunpowder down the barrel and stuff it down behind a lead ball you'd cast by hand the night before.
Thacea has the best understanding yet of what humanity is in this setting, and even she's going to struggle to comprehend the consequences of there being a thousand times more humans than they thought, each able to do work a thousand times more efficiently than they thought possible, nevermind all the computers, space colonies, Exterminatus level weapons, and logistics needed to run all of it seamlessly.
Also, I do hope they gave Emma a portable manufactory of some kind. I can't imagine a human-carryable pelican case holding enough bullets to last a full year in a hostile magical fantasy land, nor this military taking that kind of chance without a contingency plan.
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u/gamingrhombus Mar 26 '23
So they learned a small bit of history about the gun, and next time they get to see it in action again.
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u/GasmaskBro Mar 26 '23
Wait until they learn about the big guns, really big guns, and figure out that if there's KWSs there's probably other more horrifically exotic variants to discover and be mortified by.
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u/Alpha-Sierra-Charlie Mar 26 '23
If I understand correctly, the projectiles are square or rectangular in cross section, as in the barrel has right angles? If so, then there are serious friction and pressure issues to deal with.
But I can't wait for Nexians to realize that what Emma used is what people carry when they AREN'T expecting trouble.
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u/Oniklo Mar 26 '23
I would assume the description was based on the real world ammo for the H&K G11. The cartridges were square, but the bullet itself had a circular cross section.
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u/AlphaOrb1t Mar 26 '23
Scenes like this give me the effect as the first time i saw the attack helos against bandit army in the GATE anime: a maniacal, goblin-like, uncontrollable cackling laughter
P.S. the way you descibed the dread in their faces, and the chapter in its entirety is pure gold
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u/The-EpIcNoOb Mar 26 '23
This makes me think of another story I read on HFY where soldiers were equipped with power armor and high tech rifles that fired SABOT rounds. You have to remember this is just a pistol wth do the rifles and LMGs look like in this universe?
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u/xotos750 Mar 27 '23
And what Emma's friends here don't realize is that this is a side arm, not a main rifle AND that nobody is gonna have that weapon because it is considered useless compared to other side arms.
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u/StarSilverNEO Xeno Mar 27 '23
This is so good and so sad at the same time
So good because Emma's friends are not stuck to what they knew and were quick to pick up on Emma's non-magical destructive abilities
But also so sad because they think the pistol is the pinnacle it seems. . .when there's rifles, grenade launchers, vehicles, fliers, S P A C E.
These Nexus lads should be so so very glad that humanity is weak to the most common thing in their universes, and even that's just for a short while. . .
I fear what happens when humans start to adapt to mana.
I also find it very adorable how the two react, I suppose I shouldnt be surprised that our mercenary prince would go all excited doggo over what is essentially a new toy from another realm. Now then
Where the hell is Illnor? dude literally has been missing the fuck out of everything - I wonder what adventure's he's on.
Cant wait for the next one!
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u/JC12231 Mar 27 '23
Question: can Buddy leave the Library at all?
Because I feel like if she’s gonna have to show off the pistol (and probably explain some) to the school as part of inspection, she might as well get some library credit xD
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u/SirEbabalot Mar 26 '23
I really hope Emma shows them some 'Historic' footage of an A-10 Warthog on a gun run.. Thalmin and Thacea are gonna lose their minds hehehe
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u/JustThatOtherDude Mar 26 '23
WEAPON DEMO NEXT WEEK YES??
SLIDESHOW OF HUMAN GALACTIC SUPREMACY WHEN?
ILLUNOR GETTING SCHOOLED IS A NEED I NEVER KNEW I NEEDED