The Trilisk Ruins Read Online Free PDF

a
reference when evaluating artifacts. Although her link might be
usable for that, the handheld device contained more memory and
computational power. Telisa decided to keep her stunner in the
primary pack. Having it around helped to dispel her
nervousness.
    Magnus carried a stunner as well,
strapped to his belt, but it was hardly his only weapon. Telisa
considered it reasonable since security was his job, but she still
found his everyday gear slightly barbaric. The man lived in his
Veer Industries military skinsuit; Telisa read about them and
learned that they were light and flexible but capable of absorbing
a great deal of kinetic and electromagnetic damage. He had some
kind of a sleek black slugthrower strapped to his back, also of the
notorious Veer Industries. Telisa thought it looked large enough
for two-handed operation, but she imagined that the mercenary could
probably wield it with one. There was also a long knife at his
belt. She wondered how he managed to get such items near the
spaceport. It might be that they stayed on the ship at all times,
but she wasn’t sure; after all he was a smuggler.
    With Magnus in the group she did not
feel a great deal of fear about who or what they might encounter in
their travels, although she had not grown to feel trust for Magnus
himself. He seemed somewhat distant and she didn’t think they had
become friends yet, although he was always polite.
    The second day of the trip, after
Telisa had adapted to the feel of the ship, she met Jack in the
galley.
    “ How are you getting along?
Everything okay?”
    “ Yes, it’s about what I
expected,” she said.
    “ I have something that may
help with the tedium of the trip. Each of us has a secondary skill
set that we use to back each other up on missions,” Jack explained.
“I’m the backup pilot, and Thomas has medical skills that may be
useful in certain situations. Do you currently have any unusual
skills that we should know about?”
    “ Not that would help on a
mission; not that I can think of, anyway,” Telisa said
guardedly.
    “ We’re covered pretty well
in most areas already; the only one of us I can think of that
doesn’t have a secondary is Magnus. He’s currently the only one
with significant combat skills. Perhaps we should check your
aptitudes in that area?”
    Telisa looked at Jack for a moment. Did
he expect her to balk? She nodded serenely. “Very well, I assume
that Magnus will be assigned to this?”
    “ Of course. He can take you
as an apprentice of sorts. How about you get together with him
tomorrow, and he can go over some basics. We’ll see how it works
out.”
    Telisa reported to Magnus the next day
in a cargo bay which had been turned into a small gym. Magnus was
wearing his usual skinsuit, and Telisa had donned a tight-fitting
exercise suit in anticipation of her training.
    “ You have strong legs,” he
observed. Telisa thought he sounded like he was getting ready to
sell her as a slave.
    “ I guess it’s from the slide
dancing,” she said. “I was a slide dance champion at my high
school.”
    “ Excellent. That may help
you out with your agility and balance, which are important for many
types of combat.”
    He doesn’t mean to be so
brusque, she thought. He’s just being businesslike.
    “ The training takes place as
pure sim, pseudo sim, and actual practice. The idea is that you
learn concepts and strategy from the VR sims. Sometimes it’s
necessary to hardwire certain physical responses into you, and
that’s where the pseudo sim comes in. In the pseudo you wear a
helmet but you use your body for real, with the computer providing
your sensory feedback. That way the actions you perform result in
real coordination skills. Then there’s also a certain amount of the
real thing. In hand-to-hand combat especially, the pseudo sim can’t
simulate the forces that occur.”
    “ You mean I need to practice
getting hit?”
    “ Yes, but more than that.
With the VR helmet on, you can shoot and