Грань будущего

           ThebasicUDFstrategywastoemployalineofpronearmoredinfantryfiring20mmroundstoslowtheenemyenoughsothatartilleryandtankscouldtakethemout.Inpractice,thesupportnevercamefastorheavyenough.ItfelltoustofinishtheMimicsonourown.

           Theweaponoflastresortfortheold-timers,andoneI’dusedmyself,wasthepiledrivermountedontheleftshoulder.YoucouldpunchopenaholeandspillaMimic’sgutswithoneofthosebabies.Therocketlaunchercouldcomeinhandytoo,butitwashardtoascoreahitwith,andmoreoftenthannotyou’dbeoutofrocketswhenyoureallyneededone.AsIgrewaccustomedtothefighting,Ireliedmoreandmoreonthepowerofthe57mmpiledriver.

           Butthepiledriverhadonemajordrawback:Itsmagazineonlyheldtwentycharges.Unlikeourrifles,youcouldn’tchangemagazines,either.Onceyoufiredthattwentiethround,youwerefinished.Atbest,asoldierwasgoingtopunchtwentyholesinsomething.Oncethepiledriverwasoutofcharges,youcouldn’tevenuseittodriveastakeintotheheartofavampire.Thepeoplewho’ddesignedtheJacketjusthadn’tconsideredthepossibilitythatsomeonewouldsurvivelongenoughinhand-to-handcombatwithaMimictousemorethantwentyrounds.

           Fuckthat.

           Runningoutofchargeshadkilledmeplentyoftimes.Anotherdeadend.Theonlywaytoavoiditwastofindameleeweaponthatdidn’trunoutofammo.I’dseenone,once,inthebattlethathadstartedthiswholeloop.

           Thebattleaxe.