A trailer is uploaded to the official Valve and Zensoft VR CO social media platform. The trailer starts off with a black screen with the following text as a Hans Zimmer-esque electronic score fades in:
"Decades of First Person Shooter history and VR development all come together to form one of the most advance and realistic first person shooter experiences ever. Featuring PvP, solo, and CO-OP multiplayer action with advance friendly and hostile NPC AI."
The screen then fades to a montage of POV first person shooting action with players working together to storm compounds in a modern warfare setting., fighting in open terrain with support vehicles like tanks and APCs, to a Omaha Beach level with the player storming the beaches of Normandy in an authentic WW2 setting.
"Realistic War-Simulation like you never experienced before. Featuring thousands of firearms from all of Firearm History"
There's gameplay footage of a player in a shooting range testing out various firearms from modern assault rifles, historical bolt action rifles, and even an arquebus with a matchlock ignition system.
"Nearly unlimited customization and special events matches"
The trailer presents the hundreds of customization options from both tactical, practical, historical, and even some outrageous costumes clearly meant for humor or fun. The trailer then shows some various game-modes such as capture the flag, conquest, mission assault, wave defense, and various user configured game types like ATV racing, pistols only, and non-combat community activities like the theater mode and social hangout zones such as the gun store, armory, and various outposts.
"Get ready to experience your own: "Mil-Sim Story". Launches in two more weeks on Steam. Compatible with Zensoft Lucid Vision Pro and Basic."
Chiara is busy making space in her dorm room. At about 12' by 19, there's barely enough room for two girls to comfortably play VR games. Chiara's dorm is quite nice compared to what most freshmen have on campus. Despite being a small dorm, she's lucky to have the privacy of her dorm all to herself but bathrooms and showers are a shared commodity in this particular dorm as are laundry services. Everything else from a small fridge, a little desk area with ports to plug in a computer or smart phone with a small bookshelf right above for Chiara to store her textbooks along with a small bit of space for a photo of her family, a single wardrobe with just enough space to hold a few clothes, a dress, and a jacket for the fall and winter season, and a small sink to wash her hands and brush her teeth. Across from all that is a twin sized bed and underneath that bed is a little spot for Chiara to store a few fabric storage cubes for everything else.
She crouches down under her bed and pulls out a headset, shaped like a helmet with a display unit that works similar to goggles that slip over your eyes. They are adjustable for all head and face shapes and can accommodate glasses. Something Chiara will desperately needs as she usually doesn't wear her contacts in her dorm room. Inside the helmet are a pair of magnetic sensors based off earlier neurological technology, used to detect vitals of the user. It's pretty advance for a consumer grade device as it is capable of alerting the user during game play if they should take a break for bathroom, fatigue, or other health abnormalities. There are also sensors within the helmet that trick your mind into thinking you are moving around in the game without the need to move your hands or body in real life. In other words, when you think about manipulating your hand in your mind, that thought will be translated into an input for the game without any sort of lag. In a way, this VR helmet replicates the feeling of Lucid dreaming but is limited by the software or game. There is a internal camera which scans the face of the user, which prevents anonymity for security reasons but is also used to replicate your facial features as an in game avatar. Of course, this is only applicable to games that support this feature. And all of this can be powered using a standard power brick. A laptop can be used as well for more budget minded units but premium models like Chiara's headset have everything built into the headset without compromising on weight or comfort.
Chiara hears a knock across her dorm and readily gets up to answer it. She knows, she'll be in VR with Emi but Chiara still wants to be somewhat presentable to her friend so she combed her hair straight, put on some joggers and a comfortable T-shirt and goes to answer the door.
"Sorry to keep you waiting" Emi remarks as she walks into her dorm. She's has her backpack and a simple carrying case holding her VR headset. She's dressed comfortably in a simple gray tank top and black gym shorts. Emi must have came from her early morning runs. She smiles as Chiara and pats her on the head making her blushed and embarrassed.
"Emi...don't do that! I'm a not a kid you know. We're both the same age."
"I couldn't help myself." Emi chuckles. "You're just so innocent." Anyways, what's this new game you've wanted to try out."
Well for starters, it's not the typical VR game we usually play. I heard about it from a forum online. It's called Mil-Sim Story.
"Ah...so it that some kind of shooter game?"
"Yeah but it's a bit more involved than your typical virtual battle royal, arena shooter, or open world sandbox shooter. It's supposedly very realistic and takes full advantage of the VR headset. It's also free to play too so..."
"So it's a bit of a simulation game with shooting elements." Emi smirks. Hm. I never knew you'd be interested in that sort of stuff.
"Well no...but I figured it might be something different from what we usually play. Plus it has regional network play so we might run into some other students in the local servers.
"Oh. I see what you're trying to do. You're using this game to try to find some new friends."
Chiara seems to have her scheme discovered. "Uh....well....I...figured..."
"Hey no worries Chiara. That's honestly not a bad idea at all. I think you and I could use some new friends on campus. It's not like we can watch each other's back 24/7 considering how our class schedule is.
"R...right. That's the plan. I mean...I figured it was worth trying and if it's not what we expected, then there's another games we can play instead.
Chiara scoots over on the floor for Emi to sit right next to her. They both place their headsets over their head. Emi boots up her laptop and launches Steam from her laptop as she connects her headset to it.
"Everything is good to go Chiara. The game should be listed on the start UI right?"
"Exactly. Just look for Mil-Story. You can't miss it." Chiara puts down her visor and leans back on her bed for support as she completely prepares herself to go into the VR world.
The boot up sequence takes about a few seconds to get running up. A logo with the symbol of a brain and computer appears with the text "Welcome to Zensoft Virtual Reality Software." A augmented UI appears before Chiara's eyes listing a bunch of options from games she has previously played like "Zensoft Worlds", "Minecraft VR", "Bachelors and Mansions" (A game she's embarrass to admit having in her Steam library). There's also a Cinema mode where you can watch movies with other people in VR, an interactive web browser launcher, and finally a option of new releases. One of hottest ones mentioned is a game called "War-Sim Story". High intensity, extreme realism, custom servers, events, social opportunities, and detailed customization. Chiara selects this option in her heads up display and after another loading screen later, everything is blank for a moment before her vision forms again.
A FM radio plays a fairly old country song "Let's Ride Into The Sunset Together" by Tony Vice. The area is a bit unexpected as Chiara looks around and sees shelves of ammo boxes with little sticker prices on them. There's shelves with various outdoor wares from hunting gear to old military surplus. Finally, there's a counter with a wall full of guns ranging from shotguns, old military bolt action rifles, modern rifles. The counter has glass shelves underneath displaying pistols and revolvers of various types.
Other than the music playing from the radio, it's fairly quiet. She finally catches a glimpse of a young man, slightly older than Chiara. He has a plaid shirt which is tucked into some brown cargo pants. He has a 1911 series 80 pistol in a shoulder holster. He also has a blonde mullet hairstyle. Something about him is reminiscent of the 1980s. He cleaning the counter before he spots Chiara. He places his rag down and leans over on the counter to greet her from afar.
"Howdy partner! Welcome to the Mil-Sim Outfitters. This is your hub to buy all the firearms and gear you would ever need before heading out into the simulation. I'm your humble and generous gunsmith and shop keeper, Flint."
"Flint?" Chiara responds back to the shop keeper. "You...You run this store?"
"That's right. I've been running this fine store since the launch of Mil-Sim Stories. Which was about a month ago if my memory serves me right."
"So...you're not a human..aren't you?"
"I am what you may refer to as an NPC. However, my AI programming allows me to interact with customers and guest like yourself. So I'm about as human as you want me to be. I see you are from the same college as the other girls here."
"Other girls?" Chiara asks as she finally notice a pair of two other girls at the shop walking into the shop through the front doors of the shop. One of them is a short, blonde hair girl with scruffy looking hair, all kitted up in a woodland camo fatigues and a rather minimalist green chest rig. She has a rather antique looking rifle with a folded bayonet underneath the hand guard shouldered with a green nylon and leather sling. She has a rather bulky looking pistol in a nylon holster that looks more suited to an airsoft gun. She has a drowsy look in her eyes and expression but doesn't seem intimidating compared to most girls she's come across in her life. The other girl may as well be the polar opposite as she has a anxious look on her face, as if she'd rather be somewhere else. She appears to be Japanese and has her hair tied into twin pony tails. She's not decked out as the blonde short girl and seemed to spawned in just as Chiara in very basic fatigues, a reddish long sleeve shirt and a black skirt. The blonde girl is humming the tune that is being played on the radio as she browses through the shelves of ammo boxes. The Japanese girl is standing there, her arms crossed as she taps her foot impatiently.
"Mai, can we please hurry this up? I gotta get my kit next." The Japanese girl whines as the blonde girl browses through the shelves. Don't you have enough ammo for your crappy old rifle.
"You take that back Hikari! This rifle isn't crappy at all. Okay...maybe it's old but this rifle means a lot to me. My dad had a SKS rifle just like this one. He would let me shoot it when I was growing up. It's authentic to the real thing. The ultimate pepper rifle!"
"Ugh...It's made out of wood Mai!"
"Wood and Steel. Yep...they don't make them like they used to." Mai smirks as she pats her rifle on the shoulder. "Now let me find some 7.62x39mm. I've been saving up some credits to bulk on some ammo before we can start our next match.” Mai waves her had lazily at Hikari. “Stop following me around and go look for some gear." She then notices Chiara from across the store. Her eyes light up with excitement "Well I'll be!...Look! Another girl, Hikari!"
Hikari also glances at Chiara. She's not feeling comfortable being in the spotlight as this is the first time in a long while since she's been noticed by others. "Uh....hello." Chiara says shyly. Mai walks up to Chiara and pats her shoulder very roughly.
"Chiara!, that's a fancy name. Are you rich like my friend here? Aha...never mind...I'm Mai. You're on campus just like us right?"
"Y...yeah. Music is my major."
"Oh. You're one of those...fine arts types huh? Hm...is that something you really need college for?"
"I...I want to teach music someday."
"Heh...I'm just messing with you. I'm sure you'll make a fine music teacher! I'm Mai. A mechanical engineering student! My friend Hikari here is from Japan and she's studying to be a nurse or something like that I dunno...Her family is stupidly rich!"
"You don't have to bring that up with everyone." *Hikari almost wants to face palm in embarrassment of her friend Mai. "It's good to meet you too Chiara. You seem pretty quiet and down to earth. That's a rare trait with most girls I come across unfortunately." Hikari mentions as she glares at Mai with slight disgust.
"Ah...really? Thanks. I appreciate that Hikari."
"You're welcome. You also seem very polite too. I seriously underestimated the fine arts majors. They are nowhere near as insufferable as the engineering students."
"That's rich coming from a nurse in training." Mai says under her breath with a bit of sarcasm. "Can't even do your own homework assignment. How sad."
"Oh shut up you little hick." Hikari snaps back as Chiara chuckles at the back and forth banter these girls are having with each other. "But don't let her hillbilly appearance fool you Hikari. Mai is quite the genius for a peasant."
"Yes I am and don't you forget...wait....wait what did you call me?" Mai scoffs. "Just hurry up and look for your gear already.
"I don't know anything about guns or what any of this stuff is for."
Flint listens in and interjects. "No worries, I would be more than happy to help y'all if you have any questions or perhaps any suggestions you would like to hear."
"I suppose that would be a good start wouldn't it?"
"Yeah...I probably need to pick some gear too...and Emi too when she gets here. She was supposed to..." Emi finally spawns into the gun shop.
"Ah...Chiara. Sorry to keep you waiting. I had some issues with my connection for some reason. Wow...look at this place!"
"Emi! Thank goodness. Hey. These two girls are from our University too."
"I'm Mai."
"Hikari. I'm Hikari."
"Well. So you're making friends already Chiara. That's already a good way to start this huh?" Emi looks at Mai and Hikari and smiles. "I'm Emi. I'm a psychology major. Chiara and I have been best friends since High School. We figured we would check this game out to waste our time for the afternoon and weekend."
"Well you picked right friends." Mai says with a proud expression on her face. "I was kind of hoping Hikari and I would run into some other players from this University. We should totally meet up after a quick round."
"In....in real life?" Chiara asks in a nervous demeanor."
"You betcha. Huh? You think I'm gonna bite you or something?"
Emi looks at Chiara and then to the other girls. Chiara's "avatar" looks pretty much the same as she does in real life and the other girls look rather unassuming too. It's one of those VR games that uses facial recognition.
"So, did you all figure out what your gear yet? Since you three are all new to this game, you're going to start off with a limited budget. You gotta win some matches to get better gear and all that good stuff. Not that I ever felt like doing that myself. Heh." Mai explains as she pets her Type 56 SKS rifle like an evil villain would pet their cat.
"I don't even know a single thing about firearms." remarked Hikari who just seems aloof.
"Hm...I suppose we don't know much either." Emi says as well as she nods to Chiara. I mean...I've played some old school shooter games with my younger brother when we were little but..."
"Then you ladies have nothing to worry about." explained Flint the gun store clerk with a friendly smile. "Well now, I reckon Some of y'all are new ’round here. So perhaps I can give you some suggestions that won't leave you out classed if that's up your alley."
"Mmm. Yeah. Flint's pretty knowledgeable on firearms. He's literally so perfect." Mai says as she places her hand over her own heart.
"Ah shucks....thanks Mai. I appreciate your wonderful compliments." Flint says with a small blush on his face as he chuckles.
"So you don't even talk to real guys huh Mai?" Hikari smirks with a slight chuckle.
"Of course I do. NPCs and real guys. I do talk to them. They are all really cool and some of them are cute. But you wouldn't know that. Maybe if you acted more humble instead of all high and mighty cuz your sooooo upper class than maybe guys would give you a chance."
"Uh huh...whatever you say Mai....let's just get this over with. Emi? Chiara? Do you both want to figure out what you want first?"
Emi looks at a pop-up HUD that only she can see in her vision. It states various stats from ranking (She's currently a recruit just like Hikari and Chiara), and 5000 credits (The in-game currency used to buy weapons and equipment). "Hey Flint, what would you personally recommend to a beginner? What do the new players usually go with for their first firearm?"
"Glad you asked. New and experienced players alike can't go wrong with the AR-15 platform." Flint grabs a couple of black assault rifles from the gun rack behind him. The AR-15 is a fine platform for players of all skill levels with its moderate recoil, decent firepower, good accuracy, and very reliable with a schedule maintenance. Some of the best competitive players swear by it. My cheapest models for beginners are the M4A1 and the M16A4."
Emi looks at both rifles placed on the counter. The M4A1 seems more handy with a shorter barrel length, retractable butt stock, and appears to have a detachable carry handle sight. The M16A4 as a rifle length barrel and a fixed stock. She takes a hold of both of them and gets a feel for them. "I like the shorter one. The M4A1 right?"
"You bet. Just keep in mind, the M4A1 has a carbine gas system. It's going to have slightly more recoil than the M16A4. But generally, the standard gas system tuning will make it reliable with even the cheapest ammo out there. The barrel velocity will also be less than that of the full 20 inch barrel of the M16A4. This M4A1’s a good choice if ya want somethin’ quick and easy to handle. Ain’t as long as the M16, but it’ll still get the job done. Got a deal goin’—starter package. 2500 credits upfront but you will get 4 magazines, 500 rounds of 5.56 M193 Mil-Spec FMJ, and a free surplus chest rig and sling to carry your magazines and rifle." How does that sound partner?. What d’ya say?”
"Sounds good to me. I'll take it." 2500 credits are deducted from Emi's credits. She takes the M4A1 and admires it in her hands. Although this is in VR, she can feel the weight the rifle and she lifts it. She manipulates the safety on the left side, inspects the retractable stock, before slinging the rifle over her shoulder as she picks up the chest rig with the 4 magazines and a box of ammo.
Flint then glances at Chiara. "And what about you? Is the AR-15 platform something you're interested as well?"
Chiara twiddles her fingers. "Um...well, I'm not so sure if I could handle the recoil. Do you have something with less kickback?"
Flint nods understandingly as he seems well in tune with Chiara's physique and her concerns with shooting an intermediate or full size rifle cartridge. He puts away some of the AR rifles away and looks through the next section of the gun rack which are labeled as sub-machine guns. "I think you might be better suited to a sub-machine gun. They use pistol caliber ammunition and have decent stopping power though they aren't as powerful as intermediate rifles like the AR-15. You still have a good rate of fire with some models How about some of these?" He pulls out a couple of sub-machine guns from the rack and places in front of Chiara. There's a Sten MkII, a Mac 10, A PP19 Bizon, and a MP5SD6.
"These are some of the more popular choices of sub-machine guns for beginners. The Sten MkII is one of our cheapest options for SMG players. It's gosh darn simple in construction and fairly controllable. The Mac-10 offers more firepower with the .45 ACP round; A real work horse of a caliber. It is very compact but might be a kind of harsh with recoil and accuracy. If you like to spray and pray like a super soaker party at the trailer park, the PP19 Bizon is a design from Russia that has a high capacity magazine but it's a bit on the heavy side and the reliability of the drum magazine is a bit so-so with most users. Then there is of course, the MP5. This here sub-machine gun is on special right now. The MP5SD6.
"Hm? What's with that long barrel thing?" Chiara asks as she looks at the MP5.
"Ah, that's the suppressor. The MP5SD6 is a special variant of the MP5 that comes with an integrated suppressor, which is what makes that is. The suppressor reduces the noise of the gunshot and also helps with recoil. It makes the MP5SD6 a lot quieter compared to standard models. Plus, the suppressor helps with accuracy by reducing the recoil and improving follow-up shots. It also has a telescopic stock to keep it compact. It'll feed standard FMJ and sub-sonic ammunition if you want to have a quieter sub-machinegun."
"And the recoil is pretty manageable right?"
"You betcha! The recoil on the MP5SD6 is quite manageable, especially with the suppressor. It’s designed to be easy to handle. It's designed by HK making it one of the more premium options for a beginner at 4000 credits...however, I do have a limited special offer on this particular model. With the MP5SD6 special offer, you'll get the sub-machine gun itself, a starter pack of ammo, and a couple of magazines. Plus, you’ll receive a simple chest rig to carry everything. On top of that, you also get a bonus pistol. The Taurus TX22 Compact, which comes with its own suppressor and some .22LR ammo. This offer is of course, only available to new players while supplies last."
"A free pistol?! Hikari blinks as her face lights up. You...you aren't kidding right?
"He ain't kidding." Mai interjects. "I got my Type 56 with a free Hi Point C9. If I were you, I'd take the deal. HK guns are really solid."
"Hi Point?" Hikari scoffs as she looks at Mai's side arm. Is that what they call that ugly poverty brick you're carrying?"
Mai rolls her eyes and smirks. "It's a 9mm that shoots like any other 9mm. It was free and works just fine. I just wish I didn't break my grips panels." Mai sighs as she feels the duct tape wrapped around the grip of her Hi Point C9. "A Taurus TX22 Compact is in 22lr which is honestly kind of anemic for a handgun but it's gonna make a pretty nice suppressor host. It's going to be your back up anyways so it's not bad for a freebie."
"Um...okay, I'll take it." Chiara loses 4000 credits and receives the MP5SD6 with a chest rig, 4 mags of 30 round MP5 mags, a box of 9mm FMJ, and the bonus Taurus TX22 Compact kit from Flint. "Thank you. I think I made a good choice. Right Emi?" Emi nods at Chiara and smiles.
"Alright Hikari. What's the rich girl gonna pick...wait what are you doing?" Mai freaks out as she notices Hikari going to the gun store ATM to buy in-game credits with her debit card.
"I'm not settling for low-tier gear as a beginner. Besides, I can afford to dump a few credits for a little game.
"Hikari. Don't be a whale. This game isn't pay to win. You're making a terrible mistake."
Hikari shrugs as she finishes her transaction. "Oh Mai. Sometimes you need a little extra to get ahead." She returns to the counter where Flint awaits. "Alright Mr gun store guy. Give me your rarest and most expensive firearms I can buy.
"Uh....well I'll be...you're asking for the special snowflake kind of firearms aren't you?" Asked Flint. "I..I reckon I’ve got just the thing, but let me tell ya, more bells and whistles don’t always make a better shot. But if you’re dead set on burnin’ a hole in your pocket, we can sure do some business."
"I’ll take whatever it costs. Just make sure it'll put all of these girls' pick to shame."
"Alright, alright. Let’s see what we’ve got here. Now, this beauty right here, the AN-94, is a top-tier piece. It was designed in the 90s by the Russians but was never really adopted except for a few special forces units. It’s the eastern equivalent to what the Germans did with their G11 prototype. It’s got that fancy two-round burst feature, quick as a hiccup, and it’ll keep your aim steady, even when the lead’s flyin’. Costs a pretty penny, though and I don't recommend it for beginners. It’s not a common rifle seen in Mil-Sim Story or in battlefields across the world."
"Sounds fancy to me. How much?"
"8000 credits. Just for the rifle. It's chambered in 5.45x39mm. One of the more gentle intermediate rifle rounds.
"Deal. I'll get the ammo later. What about a sidearm?"
Mai makes an audible facepalm.
"How ‘bout this here SIG P320-Spectre Comp? It’s a sleek shooter, with a compensator to keep the muzzle down and custom slide cuts to give it a bit of flair. Runs ya another 2500 credits." Flint places the SIG P320 on the counter as Hikari analyzes it. The slide is sleek and racks effortless, even for a high class girl who never shot anything before. It looks like something out of a John Wick Film.
"Looks good. I'll take that too.
"Hikari! Are you nuts? You're blowing a fortune on a game you're not even interested in."
"I wasn’t, but seeing how you all are so into it, I figured why not? Sometimes you need a bit of an edge to really get into something. You should learn to make some investments once in a while Little Mai."
"I'd be bankrupt if I ever took financial advice from you."
"But aren't you almost there already?" Hikari says with a slight chuckle.
Mai glares at Hikari, then sighs dramatically. "Whatever...just buy your stupid Gucci gear."
Hikari smiles as she make her purchase. She also gets a few boxes of ammo for her AN-94 and SIG P320 with what little money she had left. "Should be good enough for now. So...where can we try these weapons out?"
Flint, who’s been quietly observing the back-and-forth, finally chimes in. "Well now, y’all are all set up with some fine pieces. As for where to try ‘em out, you can head over to the range just down the hall. It’s got a variety of targets and terrain setups. Should be perfect for seein’ how your new gear performs. It won't waste any of the ammo you bought as all training ammo is free to use."
"Sounds good. Thanks Flint." Emi gives her gratitude. "You've played this more than any of us Mai. Could you show us the ropes at the range?"
Mai, who was still fuming slightly over Hikari’s splurge, nods begrudgingly. "Sure thing. I guess it’s only fair I give y’all a hand, especially with all the new gear you're packing." She pauses, glancing at Hikari. "But just remember, this is a simulation game so you have to put some effort into your shooting. Everything works exactly as it does in reality. Ready?"
Mai heads towards the range, with Emi, Chiara, and Hikari following closely behind. The excitement and nerves mix as they enter the range area, as they'll be testing their new gear for the first time. They walk past the first door which isolates noise from the range. There is a sign that mentions to practice safe firearm practice and to always wear hearing and eye protection before entering. The girls put on some ear muffs which isolate high volume of noise but allow each other to communicate easily over a built in mic. Once they enter the range, they can hear gunshots from other players testing out their firearms. There's a skinny guy with a ponytail and a blue polo shirt shooting what appears to be a Chautchat from the First World War, his stance perfectly stable as he deals with the weapon’s jumpy recoil. There's also a girl shooting a suppressed PPK dressed in fancy business dress with one hand. The shooting gallery is long and spacious and the girls eventually find enough stalls to shoot side by side.
Chiara gets a stall between Emi and Hikari. She places her weapon the stall as she sees a tool tip appear in her HUD. "Welcome to the shooting range. This is an area where you and other players can interact and test out your weapons." Another tool tip appears afterwards. "You are currently equipped with the MP5SD6 sub-machine gun and Taurus TX22 Compact. Each weapon has a unique manual of arms. It is critical that you are familiar with your weapon system as well as the various accessories equipped on your firearm. Let's start with the TX22 Compact."
A graphical representation appears in Chiara's HUD showing how to load a magazine, load a round in the chamber, fire, reload, and safety check. She goes through each step in order. Once she had filled her magazine with ammunition, she racks the slide on the TX22 Compact which turns out to be easier than expected. She takes a moment to relax, not sure if she's brave enough to fire for the first time in her life. This is a simulation and there's no consequences to messing up in theory but it still kind of frightens her with how realistic this all is. Chiara takes a deep breath, feeling the weight of the TX22 Compact in her hands. The polymer frame is smooth and comfortable, and the slide moves effortlessly as she racks it, preparing to fire.. She glances at Emi and Hikari, both focused on their own weapons, then back at the target downrange. The sound of distant gunfire echoes through the range, but it feels distant when she's at her stall.
She raises the TX22, the gun feeling almost weightless in her grip. The sights align easily with the target, and the HUD gives her a reassuring nudge to proceed. Her finger rests on the trigger, heart beating fast as she hesitates. The thought of firing—hearing the sound, feeling the recoil—feels surreal, even in a simulation. She closes her eyes for a brief moment, takes a steadying breath, and then, with determination, opens them. Her finger squeezes the trigger slowly.
"PLAP" The TX22 Compact fires with a soft blast. There’s barely any recoil—just a light, quick gentle pulse in her hands. The sound is mild, more like a sharp snap, and the bullet hits the paper target with a precise, tiny hole nearly close to where she was aiming. Chiara blinks in surprise, a small, triumphant smile appearing on her lips. Feeling a surge of confidence, she reaches for the suppressor she had previously set aside and carefully attaches it to her pistol just as the graphical tool tip had instructed her. The process is easy, almost instinctual, as she twists it into place.
Chiara takes a moment to admire the sleek look of her TX22 Compact, the suppressor adding a touch of sophistication that almost makes her feel like she's a secret agent, just like the woman with the PPK. With a deep breath, she raises the gun again, ready to test how the suppressor affects her shots. She lines up her next shot and pulls the trigger again. She can't even hear the "Plap" this time but instead hears the sound of the slide racking back and chambering the next round. To Chiara's surprise and wonder, it's whisper quiet now. She starts taking more shots, now hitting the center of the paper target with virtually no recoil, muzzle blast, and hardly any noise. If it weren't for the fact that she's shooting a 22 rimfire cartridge, she feels unstoppable. A little smile forms on her lips as she fires the last round of her magazine. A little achievement pops up titled "Achievement Unlocked: Lost Virginity" which gives Chiara a bit of a chuckle. She finishes the last steps of the tutorial which gives her the go ahead to move onto the MP5SD6. Compared to the TX22 Compact, the MP5SD is significantly heavier, especially with the suppressor but is otherwise pretty handy and forgiving.
The HUD displays a quick tutorial, guiding her through the basics: inserting the magazine, charging the bolt, and ensuring the weapon is set to semi-auto mode. Chiara follows each step carefully, her initial hesitation giving way to growing confidence. To chamber a round from the magazine, she smacks the charging handle on the side. "Achievement Unlocked: Do the HK Slap". Chiara almost feels like a pro-gamer with all of the achievements she's unlocking from the start. She aims the MP5SD at a new paper target, she checks to see if the fire selector is on semi-auto, and she gently pulls the trigger.
The recoil is a bit more significant but the weight the sub-machinegun helps quite a bit. It doesn't feel so bad for Chiara as she takes a couple of more shorts on target, aiming with her iron sights. There is no flash thanks to the suppressor but it's nowhere near as quiet as the TX22 Compact. She then moves onto the next firing mode which is the three-round burst. The MP5SD’s burst fire delivers a rapid sequence of shots, each one feeling firm and precise. The increased rate of fire results in a satisfying, rhythmic burst, and Chiara watches as the rounds hit the target in quick succession, forming a tight grouping. She has some rounds left over to try out the final mode of fire. Full Auto.
She switches the fire selector, takes aim and dumps rounds accurately and gracefully into the paper target. Although not as controllable as the three round burst, Chiara finds it very controllable to place rounds on target where she wants them to. She's impressed. "Tutorial complete! Well done! Feel free to keep using the range anytime you like. Try challenging yourself to longer distance shooting or if you feel like you're ready to move onto your first match, consult the contract board in the gun shop to start your first match." Chiara figures she has the hang of her equipment. She places her sub-machine gun to go check on Emi and the others to see how they are doing.
Emi stands at her stall, her tall build making the M4A1 look almost effortless in her hands. Like she's holding a tool without any effort. Emi demonstrates smooth, controlled shots in semi-auto, making sure her shots are hitting where she's aiming with her iron sights of her carry handle. She doesn't like the rear charging handle method but makes due with it. She adjusts her grip, and with a quick magazine swap, she continues taking shots on target. She stops and looks and Chiara, smiling as she gives her a nod of approval as she feels like she's comfortable enough with her M4A1. At the moment, Emi only has her M4A1 and no side arm. They both move on to see how Hikari is doing with her AN-94 Assault Rifle.
Hikari stands at her stall, grappling with the weight of the AN-94. The rifle’s weight and complex mechanics contrast with her upper class aura. She takes careful aim, and as she pulls the trigger, the rifle's two round hyper burst is so fast, it almost feels like she's shooting in semi-auto. The recoil is not felt until the second round has left the chamber and even that is mild to Hikari. The barrel seems to move back along with the recoil which is extremely unusual for an assault rifle. Hikari can put rounds down range with extreme accuracy as she burst fire rounds into the target. Each group is tight as two rounds make their hits almost instantly as the same time. Hikari is laughing as she fires it. When she moves onto her SIG P320-Spectre Comp, in contrast, feels like an extension of her hand, thanks to its sleek modifications. She fires it with ease, each shot crisp and smooth. Hikari glances over at Chiara, her enthusiasm clearly visible unlike a while ago when she seemed so uninterested.
"Money well spent am I right?" Hikari says and she places the pistol and rifle down. "They almost feel like a Swiss clock. Such premium firearms."
"No kidding. That AN-94 is unreal." Emi remarks being just as impressed with Hikari's rifle of choice. "Let's go see how Mai is doing. She's been playing longer than any of us here."
Emi, Chiara, and Hikari walk over to Mai’s stall, where she’s been methodically working through her drills with her Type 56 Carbine SKS and her Hi Point C9. Mai is a natural with her tools of war, firing her SKS like a natural. It's no secret considering she's been playing for months since she started playing in June, and she has real life experience with her father's real Type 56 SKS. When she empties her magazine, Mai quickly grabs a 10 round stripper clip from her Chi-com chest rig and feeds it into the internal magazine as she has done dozens of times, taking ten more shots at the target before emptying her magazine. She quickly draws her Hi Point C9 in all of it's poverty glory with it's chunky pot metal slide and duck tape grips and she takes shots with decent accuracy on paper. She finishes her drill and reupholsters her Hi Point C9 back into her Nylon holster. She turns around and notices the three other girls watcher her. "What? I told you I know what I am doing? So are all comfortable with our equipment now?"
The girls are now back at the gun store lobby, looking over their paper targets and admiring their first time shooting. Chiara shows off her groups on paper with her TX22 Compact and MP5SD. "Not bad Chiara." Mai explains to her. "Those are better groupings than what I was getting when I first started shooting my SKS. Granted I have a bit more recoil with my rifle compared to your 9MM sub-machinegun."
"Thanks Mai. You're pretty amazing with that rifle of yours. It's an SKS right?
"Yep. Just like the one my Dad has. It feels just like the real deal, except you can't smell the gunpowder or the cosmoline. Very sad. We don't have that technology yet."
May then looks at Emi's groupings. "Very nice. You got the hang of it. Nothing you couldn't handle right?"
"It was just like Flint said. The recoil is a little sharp but otherwise it was easy to handle. Not a fan of that charging handle." Emi remarks.
"No worries Emi. You have one of the more customization rifles out there. When you start winning matches and earning some credits, you can buy some upgrades and accessories for your M4A1. It may be mil-spec for now but it'll shoot like a dream within time.
Mai then looks at Hikari's grouping. She is still agitated over Hikari's attitude and comments from last time. She gives a bit of a "Hmph" as she speaks with her arms crossed while looking away. "I suppose it's alright." Mai murmurs like she's ashamed to admit Hikari's choice of weapons are effective. "You and your damn Gucci firearms" she adds under her breath. Hikari smirks and almost gives a subtle chuckle with a "Told you so." look on her face.
"Well...anyways, I think we're ready to start our first match...well your first match that is." Mai switches topics focusing on their next step from here. "The message board over there has listings for upcoming matches and events. I suppose we're all going to be applying as a squad right? (as much as some of us would like to shoot each other in deathmatch) which she murmurs under her breath. "I recommend doing something quick and simple like "Bomb Defusal". It's a team based 4 on 4 game mode. There should be some matches we can join."
"Sounds good to me." Emi replies. "So...how is this going to work out? I mean...we are all in a squad, so who would be team leader? I take it you would since you've played longer than any of us Mai."
"Hmm...well that's certainly true. I guess I take that role for now. There's really no class system in this game mode so we're all going to use the equipment we have and nothing else. Our object is going to be simple. We are either going to stop the other team from arming the bomb or wiping us out or we are doing that ourselves. Whoever detonates the bomb or wipes out the other team wins the match. I recommend one particular map as a start." May points to the message board which has an old school red LCD display listing a plethora of matches. Mai filters out the other game modes for "Bomb Defusal" and finds an open match for a match featuring one of her favorite maps for this game mode.
"Any of you girls played one of those old school online shooters before?" Hikari and Chiara shake there heads.
"Um...I sort of did with my little brother." Emi adds.
"Great! Because you're about to feel a little bit of Deja Vu."