Chapter 131 – Conflicting Thinking

  “Early experimentation with enchanted weaponry provided mixed results. While we could create very useful and durable weaponry, the cost was astronomical and the projected supply was so incredibly low it wasn’t seen as worthwhile. If I may quote one of our 18 Delta’s when he learned the price of a magically extended barrel life for his 338 machinegun; “Sixty thousand! Man, fuck a barrel, I could burn out fifty of the damn things for that.

  “That has been our finding in this project and sums up the cost benefit analysis. If we ever find a way to reduce the cost, then there may be a future in enchanted weaponry beyond very nice applications.” – Pentagon report on project mongoose (Next generation weapons development)

  Why is it like this? Kurt wondered to himself, frustrated as he tapped away at the program on the range computer. He had found a training range within the Order that was essentially a giant open area with a bullet traps on the far walls allowing for a wide arc of fire. The range was several hundred yards long, Kurt guessed at 500 yards but didn’t really care enough to pull out his range finder. What was frustrating was that the way the Order seemed to be highly advanced, but at the same time, stuck in the past.

  The range he was in was state of the art and large enough to use explosives in, not that he would want to. This range even had a type of mobile target he had only dreamed about. It was essentially a bunch of omnidirectional RC cars that he could run with some pre-existing programs. He could use a side to side, front to back, charging, intermittent exposure and even a “swarm” mode. There were motors in the target base that allowed for the target itself to fall flat and spring up. The bases were a sort of armored box with omnidirectional wheels that had a place to put a target, in this case the classic green “Ivan’s”.

  Kurt was currently messing with the programing so they would randomize hit detection and the stop-fall mechanic to signal they were ‘dead’. He found that there were a few options based on target model. The ‘large-bipedal’ would typically take more rounds than the ‘medium-bipedal’ that the human sized Ivans represented. Also in the storage area were a host of other targets that represented smaller creatures like rodents or giant insects, judging by their size.

  The real frustration for Kurt was that the Order had a facility like the range but was still issuing antiquated equipment like J-frames and load bearing equipment with sewn in pouches that didn’t allow any flexibility. They were teaching tactics that would fit in with the 1980’s FBI and infantry manuals to agents with no regard for how things have changed.

  “Absolutely fucking ridiculous.” He grumbled after finalizing his settings and hitting the button to run the scenario. He watched as the nine targets began to bound forward, the Ivan popping up, moving a few yards then falling back down.

  “What’s ridiculous, sir?” Ra asked from where he had been watching.

  Kurt waved a hand at the range and the squad sized groups of targets bounding toward them. “This. How can the Order make something like this but think that a nearly fifty year old training manual is up to date? Seriously, the first time I got into a bit of trouble with Penny and Val I found out they were issued fucking thirty-eight snub nose revolvers as ‘off duty’ pistols.” He was still miffed about that.

  “If it is any consolation,” Ra began. “Terminus Agency uses base pattern AKM’s without any modifications as its standard rifle for Earth.”

  Slowly turning his head, Kurt looked at the other werewolf in disbelief. “Just a plain rifle, no optics, no lights?”

  “Correct. And the magazines are issued in one of the bulky flap pouches that a belt slides through.” Ra pantomimed a bulky object hanging from his belt.

  Kurt had seen those. It was essentially a bag with a few cloth dividers sewn inside to separate the magazines a little. “What is wrong with these people.” He muttered to himself before pressing the reset button on the computer.

  “Time, mostly. The people in charge remember when pikes and swords were still issued to troops.” Ra answered with a shrug of his shoulders. “That and just not caring enough to research. I didn’t even know people used plastics for holsters or put optics on pistols before meeting you. I actually went on a little training and research binge after signing on with the Order and seeing some of the recordings from your rifts. That’s how I found out about this place and that its rarely used.”

  Wanting to ask why they even built this place if that was the case, Kurt just moved on and made a note in his tablet about getting Jay to reserve the range facility permanently. He had spent the last week, after meeting Odin, on his curriculum for the Order soldiers. He had found through interviewing Jade and some others that most training was at a squad level and the tactics varied based on the leader. There was essentially no set standard for anything beyond equipment, which is why Jay wanted to change it.

  “Are you going to make a standard list of equipment or is it all going to be a varied as your team?” Ra asked.

  “Oh, we are going to standardize but its going to be on decent gear and based around squad roles.” Kurt replied. “Every team will have a belt fed and they will have the proper attachments to be useful in night fighting. I want these teams to be very lethal from 0 to 500 yards.”

  Not long after the targets had reset, a familiar group entered the range, stopping in the staging area and taking in the sight. Kurt and Ra climbed down the stairs of the range control tower and went to greet the first of their guests that day.

  “Jade.” Kurt called as he got within range to be heard by speaking a little loudly. He waved his hand at her like he was trying to get her attention while in a crowd.

  “Sire.” Jade bowed and her pack followed suit, going so far as to kneel behind their squad leader.

  The whole ‘Sire’ thing made Kurt very uncomfortable, but it was likely as good as he was going to get from the overly reverent woman. It had been part of their earlier bargaining when she had tried to abase herself by kneeling and putting her head on the floor when addressing him after the whole Odin incident. Her demeanor had rapidly shifted since he first met her on the coven raid, rapidly becoming something beyond the whole boss-employee paradigm.

  He had noticed, ever since she moved into the farm house next door, that she seemed to have a different aura around her. He also picked up on the fact that she seemed to have a two-way connection with him. Rather than his normal pull of faith and divine energy, she seemed to mix it somehow and… Kurt wasn’t exactly sure what she did. All he knew was that it didn’t seem to have any ill effects.

  “Ah, umm, please rise.” Kurt fumbled for what to say but was thankful that the small pack quickly picked themselves up. He was distracted by the way his aura was moving when she was around. It seemed to reach out to her while that of her pack flickered out to her then him in a strange loop.

  While fumbling for how to proceed, Kurt was saved by the next arrival. The rest of his team and every other team came strolling through the doors and made their way over after seeing the werewolf congregation.

  Penny walked right over, hot on the heels of Val and Kristi. “Kurt, I would like to introduce you to our newest team.” She waved her hand and gestured to a trio of people standing apart from the others. She then led him and his group over to make introductions.

  “Kurt this is the Arizona team.” Penny began. “Their handler is Landa.” She gestured to a tall, heavily muscled woman with a skin tone halfway between grey and brown. Her hair was a mess of gentle black curls that she had bundled back into a ponytail. She waved a hand before reaching it out to shake his.

  “Good to meet you.” Said the dark elf - goliath while grabbing his hand with her own, slapping a meaty palm into his. “It’s great to finally be onboard after sitting on the side lines for so long.”

  Grunting a little as her handshake rattled his whole body, Kurt smiled. “Welcome. Are they your agents?”

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Landa turned, waving her arm wide in a sweeping gesture, causing one of her agents to step back to avoid getting smacked. “Yup! This here is my team. Slim-Jim here is Taylor.” She pointed to a short, thin man who looked like an elf but only about five foot tall. He had classic elven features, pointed ears, traditional good looks and lustrous blond hair that sat in tight curls on his head. But his size was making him stand out. Kurt would liken him to some of the depictions of Santas’ elves.

  “Don’t call me that!” Taylor shot back. “Fucking cunt.” He murmured before turning to Kurt. “Hey, Taylor. Elf dad, halfling mom.” He said in a clipped voice as he reached out and gave the least friendly handshake possible.

  “Dude is a prickly as a cactus.” Val said over the implant.

  Seemingly oblivious, or perhaps just ignoring the agent, Landa gestured to the next person. “And then this breezy beauty is Shanna.”

  The woman who stepped up to shake hands was very pale, almost painfully so, with long brown hair that had little twirls of green and orange. “Shanna, half dryad and sylph.” Kurt had never met a sylph before but given how the woman was so wispy, he had a feeling who’s heritage she got more of.

  “Well, first things first.” Kurt said and handed out three identify rings, his traditional gift that he had made more of recently. Landa looked skeptically at it but before Kurt could assure her he wasn’t proposing, she spoke up.

  “I don’t think this will fit.” She was holding the band between her large thumb and fore finger and completely going a different direction from most people he gave rings to.

  Kurt pointed at his. “It’s enchanted to adjust, just slide it on.”

  “And what does it do?” Taylor asked.

  Kurt held out his hand to the new agent once again and they shook. Taylor’s eyes went wide for a moment before he let go and Kurt shook hands with the other two.

  “This is a lovely… um…” Shanna fumbled at the words she wanted to use, likely not wanting to be indebted to him.

  “Gift is fine.” Kurt said as he strode over to the front of the group. On his way he shared a friendly wave with Rupert and Tig before Sif stepped in front of him as he made it to a line of tables set up in a long row near the benches.

  “What have you been doing lately? I know we have been busting out asses with rifts but haven’t heard much about you.” Said the half harpy. Her face was set in a decidedly annoyed expression that went perfectly with the accusing tone she used.

  Stopping, Kurt bristled at the implication. “Working.” Was his short answer. He barely noticed Sam looking like she was going to strangle Sif while Piper held her back. He did, however, clearly notice Jade and Ra moving their people to form a circle around them, hemming in the other team.

  “Working on what?” Sif tried to look down her nose at him but lost the effect since she was half a head shorter and standing way to close. “We are here to close rifts and take down targets of opportunity like cults and monsters. From what I hear, you haven’t been doing much of either.”

  Kurt thought of how to respond, mostly debating on using snide comments or sudden and uncalled-for violence, but decided to pay another card that he knew the Tacoma team was susceptible to. FOMO.

  “Oh, hey Sam. I didn’t see you back there.” Kurt suddenly said, ignoring the harpy as her hair feathers stood on end. “I got something for you. Oh, good, Piper is with you. I have things for her too.” He summoned a couple boxes from his ring.

  Sam was first to approach, sliding around Sif as she silently fumed. “What is this?” She asked while looking at the first box.

  “New armor.” Kurt said with a smile, opening the lid to show what looked like standard issue Order armor. “I have been enchanting a lot over the past few weeks…”

  “For like eight hours a day, every day for two and a half weeks.” Val said, none to quietly. She clearly wanted Sif to know there wasn’t any slacking going on.

  Kurt just ignored her and continued, opening the second box. “This armor will be more flexible and more protective than anything you have used before. We tested it and it will catch some very high-power rounds from very close. Then you have a couple uniforms, both Multi-cam and the Order-Green. They are enchanted to be stab proof, water repellent, thermal regulating and self-cleaning.”

  “Kurt this is… just, wow.” Sam said, running her fingers over the metallic thread in the collar of the uniform top. “Wait, three sets of each?”

  “Yup and these too.” He placed a glasses case on the boxes along with a smaller jewelry box. “New glasses that have better resolution for thermal and night vision.”

  “Oh, sorry I forgot.” He opened the smaller box. “Piper has your teams storage ring, right? Well, this one is your personal ring and Piper is getting an upgrade to hers.” He handed her one of the titanium bands, just like his.

  Sam squealed like a schoolgirl at a Taylor Swift concert. She nimbly hopped around the side of the table and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek. “OH, Thank you!”

  After prying the changeling off himself, Kurt walked along the row of tables, placing down two boxes for each agent and manager. As he went, Val took the box of rings and glasses, passing them out to everyone else that didn’t have one already, including the werewolves. These were a slightly modified design, not having the same limitations as the first generation with regards to aperture size.

  Once he had laid out the boxes, with the names clearly stenciled on them, he made his way back to his starting point. He stopped and stared at a gob smacked Sif. “But maybe I haven’t been working hard enough? Oh, that’s right. I also did this.” He waved to the range that he had set up and the firing line full of weapons before holding up a thumb drive. “It’s not much, just made a complete curriculum for new field agents and the support squads. It’s only a perfectly outlined pathway to onboard and train everyone up to MY operational standard. The trainers I contacted have also signed contracts and will be brough on to teach, full time. Just spent a couple hours a day on that too.”

  “At least four hours a day, every day, for two and a half weeks.” Val muttered again, once more just loud enough for everyone to hear. “Barely any time to spend with us.” She said the last part to Kristi who nodded sagely, her expression a mask of silent resolve.

  Sif looked down at the table. It seemed like she was embarrassed but it was hard to tell based on her lack of blush and now drooping plumage. “I’m sorry.”

  “Apology accepted.” Kurt said. He set down two more boxes and a ring in front of the sulking agent and walked away.

  “Not from me.” Kristi growled. Kurt shot a look her way and she huffed. “Fine, but this is her last pass.”

  Anna came walking over and began pulling out her own contribution. On top of each set of boxes went one of her enchanted knives. “Enchanted knives. They turn into a sword and some sort of pole arm.” She announced to the room at large.

  “Knives and swords?” Shanna asked as she approached the table with Taylor and Landa. “Why would we need these when we have guns?”

  “Fits the whole ancient order motif.” Taylor said in a judgy tone.

  “We had an experience in a rift that showed they still have a use.” Kristi informed him.

  Taylor still had a skeptical look on his face. “What could you possibly need a spear for that a gun wasn’t just as good?”

  “These are magic.” Kristi said. “It acts a sort of focus. Mine amplified my force magic, Val’s was coated in shadow which did strange things to the body and that’s just in one test. I am sure there are other things but that was all we noticed right away.”

  “What about his?” Shanna wafted a hand toward Kurt.

  Kristi frowned. She wasn’t sure how to answer that question. It wasn’t for lack of trying either, they had tested his war hammer and sword extensively but it didn’t have a definite ability. Val’s also had a little flexibility in how it acted but not to the same level as Kurt. “His is… strange. We haven’t been able to narrow down what his does.”

  She wasn’t technically lying, they in fact didn’t know how Kurt’s blade acted. Jay had said it was a projection of his divinity, a ‘holy’ energy that carried his will. That was the strange part, his will influenced energy and changed the effect based on his subconscious need. All Kurt really knew at the moment was ‘glowing sword’ was good.

  “We are still testing it out. It’s weird because it changes based on my needs.” Kurt butted into the conversation, startling Taylor as he had approached from behind. “But that’s a conversation for another time. Right now, I need to get some baseline testing done for all of you.”

  “What kind of testing?”

  Kurt gestured at the range setup where target stands were placed at intervals. “We are going to be doing a little shooting. It’s going to be a series of drills that are meant to capture baseline proficiency. We are only focusing on pistol and rifle since that’s all that really matters and everything else is specialty.”

  Landa clapped Taylor on the shoulder with one of her large hands. “Well, hope you have fun with that.”

  “OH, I am sure your will enjoy it Landa.” Jay suddenly appeared from behind her, causing the newest handler to flinch and spin around. “All the handlers will be completing this testing too. Honestly the only person that is exempt from it is Kurt and he is still going to be doing it since he insists on demonstrating the drills.”

  “Ahh, right. Of course.” Landa ducked her head, eyes locked on the demons’ shoes. “I look forward to the opportunity!”

  Jay snorted and shared a smirk with Kurt. “You should. Our division’s handlers have gotten into a few scrapes and have been active in operations alongside their agents. That alone is reason enough to want you to be combat proficient.”

  “Are there more reasons?” Shanna asked, completely ignoring the tense atmosphere that was created by Jays arrival.

  “Naturally. Why settle for mediocre when we can all be better than our peers with only a little extra work.” Jay replied. That got all agents and managers to nod in agreement… or at least stop grumbling.

  Kurt got everyone moving toward the firing line he had set up before turning to Jay. “Any trouble with funding?” He had been privy to some of the contracts that went out to the trainers he had recruited. The amount of money that Jay was offering was staggering for the work required.

  “No. We are pretty self contained as far as funding is concerned. The cores from the rifts are actually what has been keeping us afloat.” Jay answered.

  “How are cores funding this?” Kurt asked him.

  Jay smirked. “I will explain later but I think your ‘students’ are getting restless. Go administer the tests and send them on their way.” A moment later, the demon disappeared in a portal, headed for only he knew where.

  Kurt just sighed heavily before turning and walking back to the group. “Alright first things first. Pistols. Twenty-five-yard slow fire. This is a baseline for fundamentals…” He began to explain the purpose of the drill as he assigned every person a firing point and a target. He was going to have a long day ahead of him if he was to run them through everything before he handed them over to the specialized trainers.