Superluminal

Chapter 1. Among the disenters

Frequently I am asked a similar if not exact series of questions. Who are you, where did you come from, why are you here. Those words or words like them echo through the fog of my memory.

'Ah but for the memories' I tell myself again for the umpteenth time. I remember to double check the protective clips over the opening of each magazine for my rifle in my plate carrier then I check the racks of shotgun shells clamped onto my belt and the single spare magazine for the pistol I carry primarily in the kydex brace on my right hip with the carrier strap around my upper thigh. The similar strap for the oversized collapsible pouch on my left leg empty to prepare for the task for today. My comfortable worn leather boots slip and twist in the slightly over sized rubbery CBRN boots. The chem detect tape on the upper two inches not even slightly helping to stabilize the overboot PPE. The seam in the MOPP suits top and trousers taped from the inside and the outside at the waist and from just the outside over the boots, gloves, and out of sight seams for my protective gas mask.

You'll want to make sure each piece of gear is not only secure but readily accessible because there is a wierd querk to having to constantly ask the person to your left to grab the canteen off your shoulder because that was the quote un quote most secure location for a canteen while you use space on your belt for two different flashlights and a pair of high grade pliars.

I call to the thirty four greenish grey blobs standing before me in the sandy pit that is our improvised training area then pauseing to bite the end of the drinking system hose and take a pull of watered down lukewarm sweet tea.

The 14 men and 17 women milling about in the training vary in many ways but that does not concern me. What bothers me right now is the state of their gear a mix mash of random styles and features normally would not be an issue for a typical day of range activity. But each day in the informal training area attempted to overcome these differences showed the general resistance of the community to adapt to the ideas presented when they permitted me to enter the protected area referred to simply as the community.

My issue isnt solely based on the completely unmanageable preferences in weapons systems from every single build theory behind the popular rifle platforms available presented. Long gone is the ideal of each member of the defending force being assigned a system of weapons that were built and configured to a disiplined specification. Today each person carried one of two far from ideal weapon. A completely personal weapon that relies on specific ammunition and the owners personal touch to be functional or a reclaimed weapon whose function and reliability has yet to be determined, the latter sadly being the more common occurrence.

My attention wavers over each group and individual in turn starting my evaluation of them as I had my own, counting options for carrying munitions and armor then over how the available munitions are organized and what they actually bothered to bring out for the third time in the first fifteen minutes of the day I promised every form of unpleasant training I could congure into my mind. Long runs carrying weight long times of mundane physical training. Followed by technical training to improve our other areas of responsibility as the defense of the area general lack of ammunition has inspired some to under carry ammo others under carry because of lack of knowledge

The general setup of the memebers of the community followed fairly simple groupings based on how you behaved, who you knew, what you can do for the group a large population of farmers and their extended family, the home owners of the gated community circle drive that was abutted to the border of the cluster farms and their friends and familys and the collective of RVs Motorhomes, tow behind campers and converted camping vehicles self appointed as the outlyers.

It's too hot today for this boss man. An ever familiar voice calls from a short distance to my left. Without turning to make the acknolegment that goes unseen beyond the lenses of my protective mask. It's a psychology game at this point dayman we make them uncomfortable at the begining of the training rotations then those that dont have the drive for it will leave on their own.

I never understood the traditional military mentality of training as many as possible for every