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With the signal waved out, you made your adjustments, and pushed the button for the electric trigger for the recoilless rifle. As before, the shot went out, not so forcefully as one would expect from the caliber but certainly as loud. The shell sailed out, and with a burst of flame and smoke, the turret of the target hulk was knocked away. It was hollow pot metal, of course, but you could still be quite proud of that shot.
“Yeah, eat that. Turret perforation, unseating, potential weapon damage, crew definitely disrupted. What do you think, Zolldom, Suszter? I think we’d have a kill ring for that, off the range.”
“The field doesn’t have girrrrls watching,” Suszter said.
“Lucky shot,” Zolldom, who’d challenged you to make that shot, sighed with resignation.
“Right you are on one count, the other, I’ve learned to appreciate when it’s the case.” Speaking of, you saw Linda jogging up as you poked yourself out of your side of the turret, and you gave her a thumbs up. “How’s that then, Lady in Red? That a performance that’s worthy?”
“Phew,” Linda said, beaming, “I know it’s just a hulk with wheels, but it really looked like you slugged that son of a bitch as hard as you could. What would have happened if it was a real enemy?”
“I’d be real thankful I hit them before they could shoot at me for one,” you had to mention, “But they’d be done for, for sure. That HCAT shell penetrates over ten centimeters of armor with its shaped charge, anything that I know of would be hurting for sure.”
“Victory’s what I’ve come to expect of Reinhold Roth-Vogel,” Linda said approvingly, nodding to herself. “Lucky me that I’m the only one who gets to watch here.”
Praise came to you readily from Linda. She had a fiery passion that was more inclined towards flattering you. For reasons long obvious, though she never seemed to be pretending, either.
“Now let me have another turn!” Linda shouted, “I'm not gonna let anybody outpace me when the machine’s brand new as this one is!
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Into the afternoon, after rigorous testing, the research team had scheduled a shift change to pick you up and accept the notes you made, while also transferring a new crew to do further testing.
“Luftpanzer Mk. III Prototype C test complete. All deployment marks outside of weaponry exemplary,” you went down the checklist to the researcher attending you, “See my notes for the things I knew would be a problem, and turned out to be.”
The researcher at base took your clipboard, and sniffed. “I need not relay the smart-aleck comments.”
“Aw, don’t be touchy,” you said, poking the weedy man in the nose between his spectacles, “Be proud I don’t have so much to complain about.”
“Hmph. Am I dismissed, Roth-Vogel?”
“<span class="mu-i">Lieutenant Colonel</span>, Roth-Vogel,” you corrected, “And yes, you are. Run along.”
