Dec 20 11:47:07 107 PA - Tech Talk Trading
From Chronicles
Dec 20 11:47:07 107 PA.
FIRING RANGE
It's not exactly what most people would consider a nice day. The mercury is easily beneath freezing, no matter which scale you prefer to read. Noon on a Wednesday must not be the most popular time for a person to be outside shooting at various types of target. If there's anything nice to say about it, the Sun does happen to be shining. Not that Mother Nature seems to care otherwise. Gabriel is dressed as he always is - light outer jacket, very mobile pseudo-combat pants, boots. But nothing new really to protect himself from the cold, save for a pair of thin, dull-black leather gloves. At the moment, he's lined up along one of the long-distance shooting ranges, sighting along the barrel of a modified L-20.
Galvin is protected from the weather in his environmental body armor. He is wearing gladiator style armor, but with the helmet removed. He is carrying along with him a pistol along with a few tools and a small black box. He spots Gabriel as he takes position at a stall. He gives Gabriel a quick nod in greeting while he takes out the black box and places it on the counter before him.
Gabriel's right eyebrow quirks upward at Galvin's approach. His eyes scan the other man's body, and he asks in a thick Noon drawl, "Body armor? You know something I don't?"
Galvin looks confused for a moment. "Yah it is cold. That is why I wear heated armor." He says in a puzzled tone as he takes out a short eclip and attaches it to a few wires leading out of the black box.
"That's a good reason. You having a good day? Got a lotta people hiding indoors this time of year. Shame, really, it's a great time. Hell, it's nearly Christmas." Gabriel smiles at the man. "How ya doin' Galvin? Tinkering with large amounts of energy again?"
"I guess so. I don't mind the cold too much. I have my ATV and my amor, so I get by ok." Galvin says with a shrug as he finishes attaching the wires to the eclip. He takes a step back and suddenly the box emits the high pitched whine as a particle beam is emitted from the box and strikes the target before it. "My day is going ok I guess. Just trying to pass the time like everyone else." He says as he studies the target for a moment. "Just a little design. How about yourself? How are you Gabriel?"
There's a small shrug. "Living a life, doing my best to do what I can," Gabriel says rather off-offhandedly. "You know how it is. Always people who need helping. Unfortunately, it's not cheap, and you can't exactly ask for payment. Besides, that wouldn't make you any better than a fucking mercenary." He glances down as part of his weapon clicks. "Not much in the way of construction jobs in the winter, so it's a little quiet. But since you're here, mind if I pick that brain of yours for some technical information?"
"Nothing wrong with being a mercenary. People have to make a living." Galvin says with another shrug of his shoulders. He busies himself with unhooking the eclip from the box and then takes out a small screwdriver. "Sure what are you wanting to know?" He says as he removes the top from the black box.
Gabriel holds up his L-20 and points out what are undoubtedly obvious to the other fellow. "Well, I've been doing tinkering myself. Remembering some things I learned in the Raiders about maintaining weapons in the field, improvising, that kind of thing. Spent a few bucks and managed to attach and line up these things -" his fingers touch upon a shiny new laser scope and a magnification scope "- which is great and all," he says, then rests its butt in the snow next to his foot. "But I need some information. Lasers are new to me, but they're close enough to bullets, in a very broad sense, that I understand how they kill things, and a very small sense of how it's used to aim." He taps the laser scope once more. "But we didn't have these nifty little 'thermal imagers' in '59. Active infrared was brand-new. So, two questions." He falls silent in a way as something tickles his throat and he coughs a few times into a closed fist.
Galvin takes a couple steps closer to Gabriel as he holds out his rifle. Once within five feet Gabriel closes his eyes briefly before opening them again. "Seems like a good working weapon. It is a common model that I have seen before. It is good you know how to modify it and maintain it. A good working weapon is very important." He asks as he takes a soda from a thermally insulated pocket on his leg. He opens it up and takes a sip from it. "Thermal imaging is very useful against those magic types that turn themselves invisible. Same with radar."
"Um. Huh." What? Maybe Gabriel doesn't know himself even what it is that struck him as odd. In any case, he moves on, without any hesitation. "So I've been told. But, like I said when you showed up, I'm a little short on cash. They want twelve-grand for a rifle scope, and I just can't spin that right now. But I found a guy who was willing to sell me a purely optical scope for only two-thousand. My question -" the older man says, pointing an important finger at Galvin "- can I take this cheap version of a thermal imager and have someone such as yourself integrate it into my armor? I believe it's the kind you call 'Crusader.' Or at least it was originally." He finishes with a silly grin.
Galvin adjusts his glasses with a finger as he thinks. He takes a quick sip of his soda before he nods his head. "Sure shouldn't be a problem I would have to have the armor and the imager for a little while, but shouldn't be a big deal. The Crusader armor is nice but low on the optics. Being able to spot the invisible is damn useful, or at least so I have heard."
With a good Kentucky shrug, Gabriel says, "Well, I came across my armor. In a way." Hanging pause. "So I didn't get to choose. Besides, even right now, with my vast accrued fortune, I'm fairly certain that I couldn't buy any other EBA suits - that's what you call 'em, right - especially not anything better than what I have." He leans to the side and raises a questioning hand. "Well, that's not one-hundred percent true. I had a chance to run off with some pretty advanced Coalition armor, but I didn't want to be running around and being mistaken for the bad guys by those who don't what to line up and give Prosek a hand-job. Didn't take the chance of dragging it off to sell and being caught with it, either." Something really must have gotten in there, because Gabriel clears his throat again. "'scuse me. Just how long would you need to keep it?"
"Well if they are EBA then that is what I call them. There is armor out there that isn't environmental but I would think that would be sweaty." Galvin says with a shrug of his shoulders. "Coalition armor is pretty common among a lot of people. You can repaint it and do some design cosmetic work on it pretty easily if you come across some. I mean they produce more armor then anyone else." At the question he taps his lips with a finger. "Shouldn't be more then a week."
The older man seems somewhat downtrodden at the quote of one-week. "Hmm. Wow. Hoped it would be faster. Little bit of business coming up and all. I'm already in the dark, and not happy about it." Gabriel shakes his head. "Not happy about that at all. I have the feeling that the young women in charge are looking too brightly at the possibility of only flowers and unicorns falling from the sky." But with a sigh, he continues, "But if that's it, that's it. Incidentally, how much might that run me?" Changing subjects slightly, "This was quality armor. Commando stuff. The kind you really don't want to be carrying when someone comes looking for it." He leans in slightly with, "I did score two CP-50s though. Unfortunately, they're pretty much just mantle-pieces. I can't find anyone willing to take a chance on getting caught with one of those high-quality Black Market items, either. Shame, really."
"For you shouldn't cost much. Have to see how parts are running. The market is always a bit up in the air, but shouldn't run you much at all." Galvin says with a shrug. "I'll get it done as soon as I can. Really it is waiting on parts that takes up most of the time. Should be pretty easy to do. That commando armor is pretty nice. I could change it up enough for you if you wanted. The CP-50's are also high quality weapons. I would think they would be common enough you know with ten of thousands of men armed with them dying, but I'm not an expert I guess." He says with a laugh.
The laugh is apparently contagious, because Gabriel chuckles a few times himself. "There's definitely logic there. Maybe it's just the thought that I have which makes me do nothing more than shop them around quietly and keep them under wraps. Goes back to Raider behind-the-lines small-unit tactics. If you're dressing up as farmers and merchants, but waging covert war against an invading or occupying army, it's a lot easier to pass off as a poor bastard out hunting duck to feed himself using a common civilian weapon than it is to be questioned by that same occupying army when the catch you with a high-tech sniper rifle." He winks toward the other man. "I'm really beginning to think that I should just dump them onto some random bastard behind a bar somewhere and walk away with some Andrew Jacksons."
"Well if you want. I can take them apart and get rid of any serial numbers. At least that way they won't be traceable. Shouldn't take any time at all." Galvin says with a chuckle. "I for one ain't going to say anything that would do the skullheads a bit of harm even if it is this minor." He sips on his soda before giving Gabriel a quick grin.
Gabriel waves his free hand in the air. "Ahhh," is a rather odd grunt. "I appreciate that, Galvin, but I don't want anyone to go to the trouble. The fact is that I'm just not going to keep more than one, and if I keep one, only as a trophy. Not something to take into battle, unfortunately." The older man waggles a finger in the air. "Truth be told, I did have one of them with me when we were ambushed by some kind of green, half-bionic creature up north. Damn rifle didn't have any more punch than this trusty beast," tap tap along the L-20, "and it ran through a magazine like shit through a goose! No, I'll take efficiency and reliability. If I need to put a grenade on someone, well -" he shrugs "- I'll buy a dedicated launcher, or just practice my pitching arm."
Galvin shrugs his shoulders. "Alright fair enough. But if you change your mind just give me a ring." He moves back to his little black box and screws the lid back on it. "Sounds like a nasty creature. Glad you came up on top. Bionics can be damn useful." He mentions as he puts the black box in a suitcase he has.
"Says you!" The older Kentuckian states with a laugh. "I can't imagine having metal in my body any further than a silver filling or a plate holding a badly-fractured bone together. Just doesn't seem natural to me. No offense intended, just saying I don't see myself doing it." Gabriel gives a shrug and hefts the L-20, looking up at the sky as more snow begins to move in. "Well, I can see that you're packing up, and I guess I should as well. See if someone hasn't decided that digging's necessary somewhere. Thanks for listening, Galvin. I'll catch you later." With that, he begins to turn to leave.
Galvin raises his hand to give Gabriel a quick wave goodbye. "I'll see you around. Keep me in mind for any jobs." He says as he finishes packing up and heads out.
