“Give me that!” The Armorer yelled just as Marcus left the course. He looked over just as The armorer reached over the counter and yanked a pistol off from a player’s hand. “You're better off throwing rocks at targets than shooting at it at this point. Get back on the line. Next!”

A look of surprise plastered along the newbies face as the armorer turned away “Wha? What did I do?” He asked the armorer who ignored him, then looked over to the man next in line, who only shrugged. Seeing no help coming, he went back to the end of the queue to the snickers of the others standing in line.

“Hey kid, Come here.” The armorer called. The call attracted the attention of not only him but all other people in the armory. 'Fuck.' Marcus thought, feeling the gazes of everyone on him.

“I’ll be at the end of the line,” Marcus answered meekly, moving to the back of the line only to be interrupted by another call.

“Fuck that. Just come here.” He waved over then looked to the man at the head of the line. “If you don't mind, we got a priority customer here. You're not, so you gotta wait.” He said to the man at the head of the line with false sincerity. The man looked at Marcus with annoyance, only to back off from the line.

“Sorry about that,” Marcus muttered to the man as he took his spot. “So what you call me for? You do know that I ran the risk of pissing everyone in the line just for what you did.”

“Don't mind them." He said, then louder, "They can go elsewhere if they want. If they ever think to touch you, then they can find themselves some other place to find their guns and ammo, maybe dig them out of the ground or out of their own heads.” The Armorer grinned. “I saw what you did. And I’m going as far as to say that I’m impressed. Name's Stoner. I already know who you are and as promised, here.” He said, reaching under his counter and pulling out a pair of assault rifles, “Pick the one you like. And Keep the pistol. I got too many of these taking store space anyway. These fucks who can't even hit the broad side of a ship think that it's too basic for their own tastes. But looking at you, I’m sure you’ll find the proper use for it.”

“Yeah, In the trash.” A voice answered from the back of the line.

Stoner looked over the head of the ones in line and zeroed in on the one who spoke up. “Oh, look at that. There seemed to have been a mistake. Your gun seems to have more problems than you let on, so it had been moved at the back of the queue. You can get your shit tomorrow.”

“Ah, damn!” the same voice answered, followed by him leaving the line and out towards the door.

“You shouldn't have said that.” Someone else said to the man leaving.

Marcus turned back to Stoner. “Take your time.” He said. On the counter laid an M16, the A2 version judging by the handguard, and an AKM.

“Can I check?” Marcus asked gesturing to the pair, feeling the gazes of the ones in line behind him on the back of his head.

“Go ahead. Fondle and fiddle with them as much as you like, but you can only take one.” Stoner said with a smug grin.

Marcus nodded. He picked up the pair of guns and carried them off to the side. He laid them on the benches lining the wall,s and as per habit, he made sure that both rifles were clear.

Attention!

AKM

A select-fire, gas piston system operated rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. Developed after the second world war in an effort of the Soviet Union’s effort to equip its massive army with medium-ranged combat rifles. An estimated two hundred million were built since including other variants of the same base rifle. The AK had been present in virtually every conflict and is considered to be the Soviet Union’s greatest export during its height and its fall.

Caliber: 7.62x39mm

Mods: None

Familiarity: 0

Requirement: Strength 4

He popped the top cover off the AK, followed by the recoil spring then the bolt carrier group. The parts look clean and well maintained and he looked at the barrel to see the rifling in pristine condition. He put the parts back and racked the action multiple times, smooth.

Attention!

Familiarity increased to 20

Attention!

AR-15 (M16A2)

A select-fire, gas impingement system operating system chambered in 5,56x45mm. Adopted into the military service and given the designation M16 by the United States Military. It had been made the Military’s standard rifle since and had undergone numerous iterations and configurations due to the modularity built into its design. Hundreds of millions were built and in circulation, most of it in civilian hands.

Caliber: 5.56x45mm

Mods: None

Familiarity: 0

Requirement: Strength 4

Marcus field stripped the AR just like in the AK. He pressed the takedown pins, letting the upper swing forward, and looked down at the trigger group. He then pulled at the charging handle, taking out the Bolt carrier group, and let it stand on the bench by the bolt face. Pressing down on the bolt carrier group, the bolt face cammed into position and Marcus could only chuckle at the amount of detail. Looking down the barrel, it was also in pristine condition.

Putting the rifle back together, Marcus sighed. In front of him was the topic of debate among enthusiasts for decades. AR or AK.

Attention!

Familiarity increased to 20

Marcus was more partial to the AR, but the long 18-inch barrel and fixed stock made it cumbersome within buildings and rooms. More importantly, he couldn't see himself taking shots past the intermediate range. The maximum distance he could expect around the city was around 300 meters, which is well within the capabilities of the AKM.

The second issue is the ammo. Considering that the game models real life as much as it could, the damage is done by the energy imparted into the target. The light grainage of the 5.56 bullets caused it to rely entirely on its speed for its stopping power. The flat trajectory was an added bonus.

On the other hand, the 7.62 relies on its heavier bullet for its lethality in exchange for a slower projectile and more pronounced bullet arc but has the capacity of barrier destruction.

Marcus sighed. He really liked the AR but not the particular setup. He could try pulling the barrel and replacing it with a shorter one for his tastes but doing that would cost him money. Still, it made choosing easier. Picking both rifles up, he walked over to the counter and laid the M16 on the counter. “I’ll take the AKM,”

“If that's what you want,” Stoner grunted, taking the rifle and putting it out of sight. He then laid a couple of bakelite magazines and half a can of ammo, all still wrapped in brown paper and held together by a length of a tied string. “Heres some spare magazines and some ammo.”

“You're a lifesaver. I do suppose that you have some side rails and optics on stock, do you?” Marcus asked. Getting a red dot on the gun would make using it a lot easier.

“Actually, I do.” He said, reaching under the counter and laying a pair of optics. Both resembled popular brands Marcus was familiar with. “For you, I’ll sell them as a set, for about 2 thousand Credits.”

Attention!

Siderail Mount

Allows the mounting of optics using the soviet style side mounts. Holds zero.

Attention!

Holographic Sight

Lightweight, robust sight. 1x magnification, Circle-Dot Reticle. Crystal clear glass allows minimal light reduction. Features include NVG and daylight mode.

“Ooof," Marcus muttered. The optics and mounting would cost him a fifth of all his in-game money. Still, it was not that bad. The sight will allow him faster target acquisition. In gunfights, the quickest on the target usually wins. With the item description this sparse, Marcus wondered whether the flavor text would change and the effects more pronounced if he changes his combat style into what he considered to be the game's 'baby mode'. "I don't know. I don't think I’m at a level to uh, afford it but I have to ask, can you do credit?" Marcus said, taking the ammo and magazines.

“I’m not a bank. I don't do credit.”

“Fuck it. Alright.” Marcus replied, pulling out his credit chit and laying it on the counter.

"Congratulations you're a while I was thinking you're only here for freebies," Stoner replied, taking the chit and sliding it on the till. "Here's your tool, you can zero your rifle on the range." He said, giving the chit back along with the allen key. “and if you have some ammo to burn, feel free to take a slot on the rifle course, I could do with something worthwhile to watch.” He said. “Also, stick around for a bit. Someone is coming here to meet you.”

Marcus’ ears perked up at that. He looked up at Stoner, who looked back at him with a knowing look and nodded.

“Alright, I'll be back after I confirm zero,” Marcus replied. He picked up the side-rail, holographic sight, and the hex key, pocketing all of them, then finally made his way to the Range.

The Range was just as loud as when he left it. Going in with his rifle, he passed through the stalls and recognized some people during the first time he went in. They sent him a careful glance but went back on their business as they saw the rifle in his hands.

Finding an empty booth, Marcus placed the AK on the bench and loaded rounds into the magazine. Thankfully the targets in the distance had their corresponding ranges labeled into them. He wanted to get his rifle zeroed to have the least holdovers possible. So Marcus settled to set his battle sights zeroed on hitting point of aim at 35 and 186 yards using irons for the unlikely chance of his optics failing.

Flicking the selector into semi-auto, Marcus laid the rifle on the bench rest and lined up a shot. He tucked the rifle tight against his shoulder pocket and pressed his cheek tight on the buttstock. Focusing on the front post, he pulled the trigger, reset, and went for a five-round group.

By watching through the cameras, Marcus saw that he was hitting too high on the target. Marcus corrected the zero by screwing the front post a revolution upward, which would lower his point of impact by about 8 inches. Finished, he shot another five-round group and hitting perfectly where it should.

Content on the iron sight's zero, Marcus assembled the side rail and mounted the holographic sights on the rifle. After locking it in, he repeated the same steps. With three-inch groups on a hundred yards, the rifle was fine, well within what was colloquially known as a minute of bad guy.

Attention!

AKM

A select-fire, gas piston system operated rifle chambered in 7.62x39mm. Developed after the second world war in an effort of the Soviet Union’s effort to equip its massive army with medium-ranged combat rifles. An estimated two hundred million were built since including other variants of the same base rifle. The AK had been present in virtually every conflict and is considered to be the Soviet Union’s greatest export during its height and its fall.

Caliber: 7.62x39mm

Mods: Holographic Sight (Siderail Mount)

Familiarity: 50

Requirement: Strength 4

Unloading his magazine and racking the bolt multiple times, Marcus noticed someone standing behind him. He glanced back to find the guy who blocked him the first time came to the range. "Can I help you?" He asked.

"No." He simply replied and walked away. Marcus wondered what he was about for a second before dismissing the thought and going back to the armory.

It was empty. The customers long serviced, Stoner was back to his usual position of leaning over the counter. Stoner jerked his head over to the armored door to the side of him, wordlessly inviting him inside.

Marcus nodded back and was buzzed in. Entering the storage area and breathing in the scent of carbon, rust, and gun oil.