[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Hey, missy."

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Hey there partner!! How has your day been?"

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Can't complain. How's yer classes goin?"

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Oh, very well! I had chemistry lab today. I LOVE that class. I am working on a number of projects, and they are all VERY cool.""

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Good. Ya busy right now?"

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Nah, I was just studying, but I was about done anyhow."

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "Ya up fer some more lessons today?"

Kalinka sends you a tightbeam radio transmission: "Sure! I am over in Light Labs, where are you?"

[Radio] You send Kalinka a direct message: "A fast teleport away. Meetcha thare."

You enter the Light Labs - Command.

Light Labs - Command

Monitors and computer consoles line the walls of this cavernous room. In the center of the room is a round computer with holographic display, its lights flashing busily as it processes information about mavericks, and their last known sitings. Computers along the walls are also occupied with an information processing task. Technicians and other Maverick Hunters run about hastily, monitoring the computers, and making sure the information is as accurate as it can be. The whole air of this room exudes purpose and drive, and the hustle and bustle seems neverending. On the south wall are two large bulletproof windows which gives you a view of the rooftop runway and Hangar Area. A large blast door in in the middle of the two windows, giving easy access to the landing strip.

Kalinka [Casual]

East <E> leads to Teleportation Chamber--Light Labs.

Pneumatic Door <GL> leads to Light Labs - Grav Lift.

Blast Doors <South> leads to Light Labs - Rooftop Runway.

Bowie steps out of the teleporters, looking around for his new partner. Tucked under one arm is a small metal box, about the length but not quite the height of a shoebox.

Kalinka is standing in the command center near the teleporter room doors, grinning expectantly, hands clasped behind her back.

Bowie gives Kalinka his usual friendly smile as he approaches. "Howdy." With no further introduction or explanation, he holds the box out to her.

"Hi! Oh, you are wearing the armor today...been busy?" Kalinka says, then raises a brow as Bowie hands her the box. She takes it, looking puzzled. "Oh, what is this?"

"Yer new sidearm," Bowie explains with the same smile.

Kalinka stares in bright blue-eyed amazement. "You are serious??" She looks, stunned, at the box. At first, it looks like she's even forgotten to open her new gift...she just peers at the box, dumbfounded. Then, she carefully opens it up, peeking inside.

Nestled inside the box is a laser pistol, a sleeker, trimmed down version of a police or military issue. The outer casing is black, with a little silver trim around the grip. It shows some signs of use, but still well cared for.

"Can't teach ya how t'shoot if ya don't have a gun, now can Ah?" Bowie points out.

[OOC] Bowie says, "You're old enough to remember laser tag pistols? It's like that, only more snub-nosed."

[OOC] Kalinka noddles. 8)

Kalinka grins, blinking. "Wow...this is...to borrow? Or you are giving this to me?"

Bowie considers. "Well...let's see if it suits ya, first. No sense keepin a gun if ya don't like how it feels."

Kalinka blushes faintly. "Wow, thank you so much," she remarks. "Umm, I will keep it clean, and very ready for shooting practice. Were we going to practice here in the base? Or...in Texas? There are a lot of places we could go out there, I am sure, where we would not bother anyone."

Bowie nods. "That's part a the lesson, learnin how t'keep yer weapon clean. Don't fail yer guns, an thay won't fail you, or so..." A momentary pause. "...so somebody told me once." He sweeps a hand towards the gravlift doors. "The trainin room will do fer now."

Kalinka eagerly heads into the Grav Lift, grinning widely.

(And off we go.)

Light Labs - Training Room

Unlike the rest of Hunter HQ, this room is decidedly more utilitarian than decorative. Heavily reinforced walls and ceiling that are capable of absorbing nearly anything hurled at them block any noise from being transmitted to the rest of the base. There are no windows, just the walls and harsh lighting from receded fixtures along the ceiling. Various equipment for sparring or combat training is stored in cabinets at the far side of the room.

Holographic Terminal

<Out> leads to Light Labs - Recreation.

Holographic Terminal <HT>

Bowie steps into the training room, immediately heading for the control board. Surely there's something suitable in the database.

Bowie taps a few keys on the terminal and the room flashes and remolds to reflect the changes.

Kalinka strolls inside a short time later, readying the gun. "Let me know what I should do," she says. "Zero, a long time ago, did show me how to fire pistol, but I have not fired this kind."

(Room desc:)

Desert sands as far as the eye can see shimmer into existance as the training program loads. Dunes rise up every so often to create natural-seeming areas for various types of practice. One area contains stationary bulls-eye targets, another section mobile targets that move in any direction, one with deactivated sparring drones, and a final area with a large ring for hand to hand combat with another person.

The air shimmers every-so-often as if the temperature was rising from the sun beating down. But the temperature is remaining constant... isn't it?

---

After a bit of fiddling, Bowie finally finds what he's looking for: your basic test firing range. "It's a simple model, lightweight an easy t'reload. No kickback, not like an old slugthrower." He walks back over to her. "Same basic principles, though. How much did he show ya?"

Kalinka frowns for a moment, looking the pistol over. At first, she looks -completely- lost, but it's soon apparent that this isn't the case...she just had to take a moment to remember how to do it. After a moment, she has the gun loaded and ready for shooting. "Well, pretty much every thing...okay, it is coming back to me now. It has just been some time." She squints into the distance, eyeing the targets. "They look so far away!"

Bowie draws his left pistol from its holster, flicking off the safety as he does so. Whatever makes you think he does this a lot? He watches his student as the memories come back to her and thus prepares the gun for firing. So far, so good. "Ain't too far. But we can move up. Ya don't have t'be a crack shot the first day," he gently teases.

Kalinka looks over at Bowie, and blushes. "I do not think I can hit it from here," she admits. "I can...try, but I am not so sure. It does look quite far!"

Bowie keeps making his friend blush for some reason, though he'd be darned if he knew why. "Miss Kali, this is practice," he says patiently. "Go ahead an give it a shot. If ya miss by too far, we move up."

Kalinka sighs, turning her attention to one of the stationary bulls-eye targets. "Okay...I will try. Now...I want to learn how to do this the right way. How do you stand to hit target? Baseball pitchers do their pitching in certain way. Target shooters have a special way to stand, too. I want to know what it is."

Bowie says "Thare's no perfect way a standin. In a real-world situation, ya won't have the time or ya might be firin an movin together. Instead, ya should find yer natural way a standin. This gun's got no kick t'it, so ya don't have t'worry 'bout it upsettin yer balance."

Kalinka hmms. "That does make sense, okay then." She takes a brief moment to get into a comfortable stance...but she doesn't dwell on it or spend too much time preoccupying herself with it. She then raises the gun, and peers down the barrel, experimentally.

Bowie instructs, "Line up the center a yer target in yer sights. When ya got it pegged, fire."

Kalinka nods, and concentrates on this task. She takes a while to line everything up the first time, before pulling the trigger. <BANG> -- The target quivers a bit, and Kalinka shakes her head, not happy with something, obviously. The shot itself, however, is good -- it's within the first couple of rings.

"Pretty good," is Bowie's appraisal. He casually raises his gun and snaps off a shot of his own at the target to the left of hers. *fhoom* Not a perfect bulls-eye, but a respectable shot within the second inner ring. It's not to show off, merely for him to gage the distance and difficulty. "Not bad at all."

Kalinka shakes her head. "It is okay, but you are right -- the one that counts is the one I can make -- likethis!" With that, she squeezes off a rapid second shot. The target doesn't quiver...looks like it didn't hit. *Sigh* "...See. I mean, what Maverick is going to stand around and wait for someone to aim."

"True," Bowie agrees. "But ya got t'start somewhare, Miss Kali. The point a shootin at targets like this is fer ya t'get a feel fer yer gun. T'know whut ya can and can't ask it t'do. T'learn t'trust yer sights an yer aim."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Enemy of my enemy, zen."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Dynamo has outlived his usefulness to me."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Kalinka transmits, "What has he done, Daddy?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "I haff a moral obligation to protect zee verld from zee UN, my angel. Alpha is vun of zee most innocent of zeir victims."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Now whut?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "He vill not stop huntink her. So I must stop him."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Hrm... Dynamo is a bounty hunter, from what I read... stop the bounty and he'll stop his hunt."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "And if the UN is putting out the bounty, that means inconveniencing them at the same time... two for the price of one is excellent efficiency, Doctor."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "I am open to suggestions."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "Has anyone tried talking to someone in the UN about this situation?"

Kalinka sends a radio transmission to Dr. Pavel Cossack.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "*soft humming* Well... looking at it from my point of view, the best option I could aid with would be to simply get someone to write up a hunter-killer program that eliminates all information on Alpha, and then I sneak it in... Deniable, and it'll probably ake out peripheral information at the same time."

Kalinka receives a radio transmission.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "...so you want us to hack into the UN? And push our luck even more at this point?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Zhat vould not eliminate the standink contract, though."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "That don't werk on human memory. Might wipe the files, but people will still know her."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Zero transmits, "And it'll piss the people that do know of her, and of it off."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Zero transmits, "Not to mention they probably have off-server backups."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Yeah, this is true. I'm just thinking of ways to try and get them to cancel the contract."

Kalinka pauses for a moment to send off a radio, then turns back toward the target with renewed determination. She fires off two shots in succession...and one appears to hit the target. Then, she fires off five more shots, evenly spaced out...which results in a few more hits. "Oh! I think I see what you mean, now."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Zeez people haff no shame, Stealth. Zeez people are zee same vuns who built Gate to try to `cure' zee Maverick Virus by testink it on innocents."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Zey are zee lowest form of life."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "Again, I'd suggest that we try to contact someone on the inside - if we have someone trying to work to eliminate the problem there, cutting off the support for whatever project Alpha was in, then likely they will have to cancel the contract. No money to reward Dynamo with."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Hmm... Sounds like a plan. Maybe talk with someone in Repliforce? We have fairly good ties with them these days... better than the UN, as near as I can tell."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack grunts.

Bowie nods. "Remember, Ah been doin this fer eleven years an some. Ah might a been programmed fer this, but Ah still had a lot a learnin t'do. First, ya got t'make the gun an extention a yerself. When it becomes part a ya, then ya can move on t'the more difficult thangs." A pause. "Twenty shots t'the clip," he helpfully supplies, since he'd forgotten to mention it earlier.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Zeir is no difference between zeir standink army and zem."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha Has been rather silent during this...but eventually she says, "...Dr. Cossack...I don't want to cause the Hunters problems."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "And as much as you may dislike Gate, Doctor Cossack, perhaps he might be willing to help? He certainly did not strike me as being all that unreasonable."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Yer family, Miss Alpha."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack speaks more softly, trying to work some of the harshness out of his voice. "You arr no burden, Alpha. You arr zee people vee are sworn to protect. Zee innocent."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Policy-wise, no. But personnel-wise... The UN is made up of bureaucrats and fops who claim to be scientists, Doctor. The Repliforce is made up of people who have worked with us, fought with us, DIED with us... that might just get them to chance going agaiinst the 'official party line' for someone... especially someone of their own kind."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, " What Bowie said, Alpha. You are family. We protect our own."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "we're all family"

Chill Snowcat arrives from the Light Labs - Recreation.

Chill Snowcat has arrived.

Kalinka looks over. "How many hours a day did you have to practice, in order to get really good?" she asks curiously.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack, knowing Iris can probably hear, speaks anyway. "All Repliforcers should be considered compromized by zee UN, Stealth. Zey can be disappeared like any person -- no, more easily, since Reploids haff no families to miss zem. Do not t'ink zee UN cannot make anyvun who does not haff zee means to defend zemselves an un-person. Only zee most visible haff any sort of protection, and even zhat is fleetink. Vee see how quickly zey turn on zeir own. I haff not forgotten zee first battle of zee Island. No moral beink can."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Zero transmits, "Now remember kids. This is not the offical faction stance, just Cossack's."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "And I would consider it even less likely for the Repliforce to go against the UN - it would be like any of us going Maverick. They can't really push against the UN, because that is whom they serve above all others. ...our own independence spoils us somewhat in that regard."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "...Flash Rabbit... Family helps Family...Right? To keep the family working. So ..."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Zero transmits, "But he does make good points. And they wouldn't bite the hand that feeds them. They're the UN's left and right arms."

Bowie says "Quite a bit, three, meybe four hours a day, at first." He shrugs, looking a mite sheepish. "Don't really remember how long it took fer me t'get good."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "You vould be a fool not to belieff it, Zero. Had zey haff zee chance, zey vould rob Thomas blind and take his intellectual property wiffout compensation to bolster zeir militarism."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "I didn't say 'push against'. I said help... Doesn't have to be overt, what we need is to find out who we're dealing with and where we can get ahold of them. As long as we keep it low-key it shouldn't cause any problems, right?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat growls, "No one would steal from Dr. Light if I was there...."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Stealth Nekojin transmits, "Once we get the where and who, we can deal with the matter personally... and if the UN 'owns' a Hunter, I'll eat my shirt."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "...I will talk to Gate."

Kalinka rolls her eyes at the radio conversation. "Oh man, Daddy will go on about this all night long now," she laments. "Anyhow...I cannot practice that much, but I can try for an hour block, every day. At least, if I do that, it will be -some- progress."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack grunts.

Chill Snowcat bounds into the room, bolting as fast as he can to the four corners before attempting to stop in the middle and sliding into the wall.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "Yeah you tell em Dad!"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Chill Snowcat transmits, "**THUD!**"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Kalinka transmits, "Chill, a wall is effective for braking, but you should first try your feet."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "We trust Blizzard and Blaze, don't we? I don't see how we can, without trusting their creator to a degree."

Bowie nods in both understanding and acceptance. "An hour a day will still do ya good...." He turns then, as his attention is diverted by Chill's sudden appearance and just as sudden stop. "Ya all right?"

Chill Snowcat blinks a few times, "Uhhh yeah.....I just....stopped."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "...I'm not sure if I do, but even if Gate doesn't listen and turns me into the UN, that is preferable to my family getting in trouble. ... Flash Rabbit."

Huh? (Type "help" for help.)

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dr. Pavel Cossack transmits, "Vee are zee Hunters. Vee are trouble."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Now listen here, Miss Alpha. If ya bring trouble, we'll deal with it. Jus like we deal with errythang else the world throws at us."

Bowie sighs and shakes his head at the radio chatter, holstering his pistol again.

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "...Okay. What shall I do then?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Talkin t'Gate's the best suggestion Ah herd so far."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Arafina transmits, "What's the problem?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "I think you have a good idea, Alpha - but nothing says that you need to expose yourself to danger while talking to Gate, either."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "...Okay. ... How?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Dragonlady Sonata transmits, "Perhaps not telling him who he is meeting... or have Zero or Rock go with you?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Arafina transmits, "Arafina to folks. What's the discussion an' can I help?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "...Okay, I'll be right back. *pause* Hi Fina."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Bowie transmits, "Dynamo's tryin t'collect on a contract out on Miss Alpha."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Arafina transmits, "Screw that. Are we allowed to shoot Dynamo for that?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "I believe we already have."

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Arafina transmits, "Again?"

[Radio: (B) H-Chat] Alpha transmits, "I don't know."