Звездный десант

           But,ingeneral,poweredarmordoesn’trequirepractice;itsimplydoesitforyou,justthewayyouweredoingit,onlybetter.Allbutonething—youcan’tscratchwhereititches.IfIeverfindasuitthatwillletmescratchbetweenmyshoulderblades,I’llmarryit.

           TherearethreemaintypesofM.I.armor:marauder,command,andscout.Scoutsuitsareveryfastandverylong-range,butlightlyarmed.Commandsuitsareheavyongojuiceandjumpjuice,arefastandcanjumphigh;theyhavethreetimesasmuchcomm&radargearasothersuits,andadead-reckoningtracker,inertial.Maraudersareforthoseguysinrankswiththesleepylook—theexecutioners.

           AsImayhavesaid,Ifellinlovewithpoweredarmor,eventhoughmyfirstcrackatitgavemeastrainedshoulder.Anydaythereafterthatmysectionwasallowedtopracticeinsuitswasabigdayforme.ThedayIgoofedIhadsimulatedsergeant’schevronsasasimulatedsectionleaderandwasarmedwithsimulatedA-bombrocketstouseinsimulateddarknessagainstasimulatedenemy.Thatwasthetroubleeverythingwassimulated—butyouarerequiredtobehaveasifitisallreal.

           Wewereretreating—"advancingtowardtherear,"Imean—andoneoftheinstructorscutthepowerononeofmymenbyradiocontrol,makinghimahelplesscasualty.