Thomas Shaw Plantation House
Saint Kitts
Late Evening November 12, 2025
“Let me paraphrase all this. You are an alien intelligence that the dumbass over there stole from an ancient Iraqi temple. And you grew dumbass number 2 a new lower leg that you need me to surgically attach before you inject him with an ancient alien virus that will turn him in to an immortal superman?” Rossi said holding a bottle of beer that she hadn’t taken two sips of all evening.
“Functionally you are correct IF some liberties are taken. I don’t need you to perform the surgery. Mac wants you to perform the surgery. He also wants your opinion; it seems He and Tom are a little hesitant about the genome therapy.” Heine clarifies.
With amazing synchronization for two drunk Jarheads, Tom, and Mac both look at Dr. Rossi and intone “Cluck Cluck!”
This draws a giggle from the stone sober Doctor.
“Speaking as a medical researcher of the highest level. Even if I say so myself. What you say does seem theoretically possible, though I lack any ability to verify it. Of course, if you allow me to take a sample to my lab…”
“No!” Mac says harsher then intended. “Tom’s puppy dog ass may let you do so because your Geeee-Naaa his long-lost love, but I know Captain Rossi, and she would spill the beans. If you want to help, I’d appreciate it, but the only way your touching the genome jars is if your one of us!”
“And how do I become one of us?” She asks a little angrily.
“You could marry the dumbass.” Mac says
“Or you could resign your commission move here and receive one of the inoculations” Heine interjects
“Can I vote?” slurs Tom
“Let me sleep on it.” Says Gina, much to everyone’s surprise. “No Tom you can’t vote, and I wasn’t talking about option one!” she finishes as she leaves the group and heads to her guest room.
“Heine,” Mac says, “that really isn’t your call. She is going to be an Admiral one day.”
“No, Mac, her record says she should be an Admiral one day, but she won’t be on the list, she’s tarred with the same brush you were painted with.” The Keg says
“Tom and his damn book.” Mac says sadly.
“The book was the log that broke the camel’s back” Heineken said
“The expression is straw that broke the back.” Mac replies
“You read the book; it was not a straw.”
“Touché’ Kegger.”
The next morning Tom briefed the pair on the R&D projects Heine and he were working on. Based on the not to be forgotten attack on his loft, Tom predictably was focused on weapons research.
“While Heineken refuses to discuss nanite super goo, I won’t say he is useless when it comes to tech.” Branch joked.
“Tom get to the point.” Gena orders.
“Right. Okay, so, traditional weapons are limited by ammo, approximately 2/3 of the ammunition is dedicated to propelling the bullet out of the barrel. A soldier is limited by what he can carry, so any reduction of that increases sustainability of operations.”
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“Yeah Yeah. Soldier’s Load, Colonel Marshall, 1950. We all read it; it was on the Commandants reading list.” Mac grumbled.
“Anyhoo, the Navy, of all branches, figured it out. Rail guns are all projectile. The propellant is in the gun itself.” Tom said amicably
“The Navy still hasn’t got rail guns to work efficiently.” Interjected Gena.
“Dr. Rossi, the Navy doesn’t allow beer kegs on ship either…” Tom winked, Gina ignored it.
“Heine’s tech solves the major problems, power generation, bore erosion, and that pesky third law of Newton’s. Now, I sent you two a highly technical report detailing exactly how we built the tech but assuming you can read, I’ll save time and have the Keg go over the tech specs.” Tom said motioning toward Heine.
“As I am constantly reminding Branch, what he calls Sumerian Technology could solve the problems he mentioned. Unfortunately, I am still building the tools to allow it to be utilized. I can’t get him to grasp the fact that it is like him going back in time to pre-industrial Earth knowing how to build a silicon computer chip. While he would know how to create the internet, he would not be able to. With that in mind, it is more accurate to say I have some temporary solutions. The solutions are temporary in both design and longevity. It would be better to look at the gauss guns as disposable weapons.” Heine briefed.
“Before you interrupt,” He continued, aware of Mac’s question, “The rifles will work for around 5,000 rounds before barrel erosion causes problems. The power supply could allow for another 800 rounds, but accuracy would suffer greatly. Your tech does not allow for inertial control, so you have felt recoil. Expressed in foot pounds the main rifle recoils at 31.1 ft⋅lb per round. For comparison a 45.70 government round recoils at 30.8 ft⋅lb. This is manageable firing single shots but would be problematic for un-enhanced humans firing in an automatic mode.”
The Keg continued, “The current main round is a .24 caliber iron pellet incased in chromium steel case creating a .25 caliber ball round. A magazine contains 200 rounds using a hop up system refined from airsoft weaponry.”
“I thought of that” Branch replied while beaming at Gena, her reply was sign coupled with rolling of her eyes.
“Current main round?” Mac asked
“Yes, the weapon is a two-barrel system, similar in concept to the M4/M203 or more closely the defunct XM29 OICW. The main weapon is a select fire .25 caliber gauss rifle, while the bottom barrel fires a 25-millimeter smart grenade. I said current because when current technical limitations are resolved, incapacitating and delayed plasma rounds will be added.”
“I’m interested in the Plasma rounds but let’s stick with what you currently have. Tell me about the smart grenades.” Mac ordered
“The smart grenades are also propelled via a gauss system. It uses the same power supply but a separate rail. Like the main gun, the rail’s current longevity is approximately 5000 rounds, but it shares the same battery so your limited to 5800 shots total. The grenades are what you would call HE-DP. The casing is drawn iron wrapped in scored chromium steel wire to create a anti-personnel casualty radius of 15 meters while the 40x25 mm case contains high explosive with a programmable detonation allowing for airburst or detonation after penetration. The removable magazine hold 10 grenades. Since both projectiles are caseless, the total loaded weight is only 17 pounds. Unloaded the weapon is 11 pounds, which is heavier than a M4, but is similar to the weight of an M-1 Garand.”
“Tell him about the armor.” Branch interjects.
“Armor?” Mac asks
“Personal survivability is a consideration, as you are aware, current personnel is limited.” Heine says unironically
“Obviously” Mac states seriously, while motioning at the two other humans in the room.
“Current material science technology hampers my abilities, so I am not able to modify materials at the subatomic level yet, but Branch shared some of the super soldier armor he worked on at DARPA. His input was surprisingly useful.” Heine disclosed.
“Did he now?” Captain Rossi asked in her command voice.
“Captain,” Mac said, understanding Gena’s reverted back to the Field Grade Officer role, “I am sure Tom didn’t disclose anything Heineken would not have discovered on his own, just as I am sure, his lapse in judgement concerning non-operational historical data is less a breech than a serving officer failing to immediately disclose operational details concerning first contact with an alien intelligence.”
Gena turned stiffly and looked Major MacDonald in the eye. Her withering command gaze would have taken the starch out of a lesser man, but Mac held it without moving.
After a very long 15 second span of time she relented.
“Damn you two… You three.” She said resignedly, “Once I sew your leg on, I’m leaving.”
“You don’t have to go!” Branch said, “I really didn’t give Heine any details he couldn’t have gotten in any of a hundred science fiction stories, I didn’t NEED to! Honestly, he’s an alien genius!”
“Shut up dummy.” Gena spat, then calming her tone she added, “Its going to take me some time to deal with my retirement and close up my apartment. I never could stop you from doing what you were wanting to do, but that isn’t to say you couldn’t use some adult supervision.”