"This is going to be the standard-issue weapon, recruits," John announced, turning the freshly manufactured BR85N battle rifle in his gauntleted hands.
He stood at the front of the classroom of fifty recruits. Recruit Forti, the first he'd selected to become a Lieutenant in training, stood at stiff attention to his left near the closed double doors, partially facing him and somewhat facing the rest of the class. Her jaw was set, and her eyes narrowed in thoughtful interest, and John caught her pupils quickly travelling back and forward between surveying the class and keening on his every syllable.
She had been the correct choice for the higher-ranked position, and with the other nine, had stepped up in the extra early drill and briefing sessions to be more able to train the other recruits.
The recruits in the classroom were seated at ten-seater desks five rows deep. A camera mounted in the ceiling captured John's motions and voice and amplified them onto the wall behind him, and further into the other ten classrooms so that the other four hundred and fifty recruits could receive the same lesson.
There were no murmurs to his declaration, but all eyes sharpened in interest, and several faces turned marginally left and right to give their comrades a look of anticipation.
"This is the BR85N battle rifle," He continued, holding the stock with his right hand and the barrel with his left, and lifting it slightly higher so that the camera got a clear view of its side profile. His left hand left the barrel and moved along its cowling, stopping at several points along the weapon's body.
"The muzzle flash suppressor, cowling latch, top rail, ejection port, trigger," He stated at each paused point and looked over the enraptured faces. The screen behind him morphed, as designed, and instead of showing what the camera was capturing, it showed an enlarged view of the weapon that he and Miranda had prepared the night before.
Each point that he had indicated flashed with an arrow. Then John rotated the rifle, and indicated several more points, the screen behind him following suit thanks to the intelligent VI in the system tracking him.
"Firing mode; safety, semi and full automatic firing modes," He halted on that point, clenching his brow together to give the recruits a pointed look about that part. Seeing no sense of dissent he continued, "HUD and reticule modes," He pointed at next, "If you are wearing an uplinked helmet, the HUD mode will work. Next; magazine release."
He thumbed the small release button, and the magazine dropped from the stock into his waiting hand. He lifted the rifle to show the empty slot and then slapped the magazine back in, "Charging handle," John continued, pulling the handle on the top of the rifle above the grip.
It clicked metallically, a sound that John couldn't help but find reassuring, and then the ammo counter flashed a disappointing red.
He spun the weapon so that the camera could see the display, and the smart VI translated his motions into the display graphic of the gun to show the other classes.
"Ammo counter and internal compass system, the magazine holds thirty-six nine-point-five millimetre high-powered semi-armour-piercing rounds, these dish out more stopping power than what you'll have used before, recruits."
He looked across the room again, surveying his army in training, and his eyes softened in a level of pride. John imagined that Mendez must have felt something akin to this when he had first held the absolute attention of his class.
"Lieutenant Forti!" He barked suddenly.
If the small Asari could stiffen anymore, she certainly tried. Her shoulders drew back and squared further, her chin elevated, and her face hardened, "Sir!"
