Girls Frontline: High Throughput

Chapter 1

BANG!

Angel grins as the distinctive ping of a bullet colliding with a metal target reverberates through the indoor range. 

"I got you!" she whoops aloud. 

Taking a quick glance around to make sure there is no one else present with her, Angel flips the fire selector as far back as she can push it. Raising the rifle to her cheek, the woman adjusts the positioning of the weapon until she can see the target on the other end of the red dot before holding down the trigger. 

Brrrrrt!

And then, a few seconds later: Ding ding ding ding DIIIING!

Angel winces slightly as the target swings back and forth wildly until it slides off the stand, hitting the floor with a loud BA-DING that everyone and their mothers within a fifty-mile radius could probably hear. 

"Good one." 

Angel whips her head around at the unexpected voice. 

"Hi, Galil. I didn't see you there." 

The newcomer appears to be a young woman with long brown hair and hazel eyes, but Angel knows better. 

"Good morning, Angel. That would be because I just walked in. However, I could hear you practicing from about three or four hallways down, despite the supposedly soundproof walls." 

"The gunshots?" Angel flips the rifle on safe before ejecting the magazine and setting the rifle down carefully. 

Galil cracks a smile. "That, and then some." 

Angel turns bright red as she realizes that Galil heard her shouting at nobody. Of course Galil heard. She is essentially an android in a human form after all, an android in a body that looks distinguishable from a true human body. 

"I know you came here for something more than watching me fool around." 

Galil motions to the door. 

"You're right. Miss Helian sent me." 

Angel raises an eyebrow at that. 

"Miss Helian? What does she need me for?" 

Galil shrugs. "Hell if I know. She just told me to find you and bring you to her office ASAP." 

Angel's stomach tightens at that. "Am I in trouble?" 

"No, why would you be?" Galil picks up several of Angel's empty magazines. "You've got probably the cleanest record of anyone here on this base, unless you're covertly dealing drugs or something." 

Angel has no idea what to make of all this. 

"Alright. I guess I better go turn this rifle in." 

The armorer, a young man named Gabriel, smiles at Angel as she steps into the armory. 

"Having fun out there?" he asks with a smile as he takes the rifle from Angel. 

Angel's face turns red again. 

"It's okay," Gabriel says with a smile as he pushes several sheets of paper across the desk. "You know the drill. I just need you to write down the time you turned the rifle in, and your signature at the bottom." 

After signing the papers for the armorer, Angel is whisked out of the room by Galil. 

"I'm assuming you know the way to Helian's office?" Galil asks. 

"Yeah. Thanks." 

"Good luck with whatever it is," Galil says before making her way down the hallway.