Alex beamed as the group faded back into the bunker, everyone's equipment clattering as they loked around, "Welcome back! Want a refresher before we get started?"

Hope giggled as she looked ot the other two, "I'm good to go. You?"

"Hmmm... Maybe some target practice. What are our chances?" Tom grinned as he looked to Alex.

"I can do that. One moment." Alex turned to a nearby wall, thinking for a moment before waving their hand, the wall lifting up to reveal a well-lit, clean shooting gallery, Alex wafting on ahead with a smug grin.

Whistling appreaciatively, Max set his stuff down at one of the booths, glancing down at his rifle, "So... About ammo, and targets?"

"You won't use any of your ammo, and I'll get some targets up and running in a moment. Just let me know when you are all done, okay?" Alex peered at the booths, tweaking them slightly to bring up statistic panels, listing Accuracy, Score, and Shots Fired.

Snickering as she picked a botth next to Max, Hope took aim down the range, "This ought to be interesting... I wonder what our 'targets' are going to be."

Right on cue, Alex matrerialised some smaller mechs in the middle of the shooting gallery, producing a yelp from MAx as he opened fire. Each target rapidly shattered ino small parts, clattering to the floor.

"Deactivated mechs, duh. What else would I use?" Chuckling, Alex spawned in some more, a few of them plodding forwards to the booths slowly, "They can't touch the booths, or fire... And this is all a sim, anyway."

Grumbling as he set back up, Max deliberately ignored Tom's smirk as he went past to his own booth. Taking aim once again, he took a deep breath and got to shooting.

Now and then, Alex woudl deliberately spawn in a mech hiding behind the rubble of one recently defeated, each pile of rubble taking a while to dissolve into nothing to make things interesting. None of these simple mechs made it all the way to the booths, but a few managed to produce some paniced sprays of gunfire erratically over the range.

Soon enough, everyone was satisfied with their 'warm up', and wandered back into the bunker proper, taking their displays with them to compare. "Hey... How come you got a higher score? I swear I was keeping up in takedowns."

Tom laughed as he glanced at Hope's screen, "I noticed it early on... Moving targets gave more points. My accuracy was horrible as a result, though."

"... Wow, it really was. Spray and pray, huh?" Giggling, Hope stretched out, glancing back at the wall closing behind them, "Maybe you should have that as an option elsewhere, maybe different enemy types?"

Alex nodded with a thoughtful hum, "Yeah, that would be pretty simple... I almost have the input recognition simplified enough to work on smaller systems, and a gallery is pretty light compared to the full sim..."

Max and Tom both perked up, "Really?"

Holding up their hands, Alex giggled, "Really. You have to remember, though... I said smaller systems. Not home PCs. A house as high-tech as Greg's could probably handle it... After I finish compiling the mini."

"Hmmm... In that case..." Max grinned cheekily, "My workshop could probably handle it. Sure, I would have to upgarde a little hardware, but I won't exactly complain about that."

Shrugging as they finished resetting the room back to the way it should be, Alex floated up to the ceiling, "I will silll need to work on that more, first. Maybe subtly test it on you guys as we go, see if you notice anything."

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"If I die to input lag... I know where you sleep." Smiling sweetly up at Alex, Hope fluttered her eyelashes endearingly.

Alex snorted, wafting through the ceiling with a wave goodbye, "Such a sweetheart. Anyway, I'll monitor from my usual spot. Leave when you are ready, I have fast-forwarded the time by an in-game day after you first arrived."

Everyone nodded, that seemed reasonable. Running one last check on equipment, the merry little band ventured up the steps... Pondering what might await them outside.

Stopping by the door, Max volunteered to listen for any activity. Pressing his ear to the door, he closed his eyes, and stood completely still for a whole minute, the other two waiting patiently as Max focused.

Peeling himself away from the door, he turned to them with a puzzled frown, "No mechanical noises, no shuffling... No wind, either. And I know these sims have wind." The other two nodded, not surprised since the door was fairly secure. "But... I did hear what may have been a hint of... Swishing?"

"... What?"

Max shook his head, climbing back down the stairs, "I don't know... Maybe I was imagining it. Either way, dibs not opening the door."

"Dangit." Sighing, Hope climbed past to the door, glancing back as the other two retreated all the way to the bottom. "Wusses!" And without further ado, she flipped the security lockdown, and released the door seal.

And was promptly hit by a wall of water. sceaming as she was forcefully sent back down the stairs in the rush of water, Hope grunted as she was snatched behind a table by Tom, giving her half a second's respite before the water cought up, pinning her back down again anyway.

Suddenly finding themselves undwerwater, in murky blackness, and thoroughly winded from the impact of the unexpected flood, the group scrambled through the water for the only exit, half swimming, half crawling up the steps.

Finding that the water did not stop there, Max frantically kept swimming up, gasping as he surface at last, glancing around with an exhausted laugh, "Oh, Alex.... You devious bastard."

The other two surfaced soon after, and they swam their way to the nearest rooftop, which was level with the now flooded streets. Clambering up tiredly, they all cought their breath, gazng out at the transformed street below them.

For a block in each direction, murky water drew level with the rooftops, gently sloshing over the rims as the water swayed back and forth. At the end of each block, the lockdown barricades had been risen, which were apparently water tight, as they had just been shown.

Alex flickered into being in front of them, smiling, "So... How are we all?"

"You're an ass."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Giggling, Hope shook her head, "Definately creative, I'll give you that. Not sure it's allowed in our 'accurate reenacting', though."

Tom paused, "Actually... It might. I swear I have heard a story about thhis before."

"... You're kidding, right?"

"I wish I was. From memory, that story ended very poorly."

Sighing in resignation, Hope stood up, shivering slightly as she rung out what she could from her clothes, without changing. "Guess I can't argue that."

Alex nodded, "Thought it would make things... Interesting. Yu all still want to continue?" Recieving a bunch of surly glares, Alex disappeared with a giggle, leaving the party to start their journy back to base.