GD Sales Rep
Posted on Tue Sep 22nd, 2020 @ 10:10am by Rocoa Lotor & Commander Koplo House of Tibok
2,347 words; about a 12 minute read
Mission:
Equivalent Exchange
Location: Command Center
Timeline: MD 10
It had taken a certain amount of study and observation, but Rocoa 'Rocky' Lotor had worked out the ideal time to make his move. Captain Mahone was gone to some sort of training, which meant his XO was in charge and from what he'd read in the background summaries and heard around the colony, the Koplo was the perfect mark ...er, sales prospect. Not that he probably couldn't talk Mahone into a few upgrades, but he was an unappealing target. Doctors didn't tend to be big fans of weapons, and that was where the big contract numbers were. Plus, he'd noticed that Mahone's leggy green Yeoman didn't especially like the Klingon, which meant she not only didn't hover so much around the office door, but took periodic breaks to walk the Captain's mutt.
All he had to do was wait, and preferably avoid notice but that was easy enough to do when you were barely over a meter tall. Rocky hung back near a largish crate, not really hiding behind it, but not standing out from it either. Before long he noticed an excessively tall human heading toward the Command Center and almost on cue the big shaggy dog bounded out ahead of the Yeoman and ran right to the man. Perfect. Walks tended to get extended to coffee breaks when the medic joined them, which meant more time to make his pitch. He waited for them to turn a corner, then counted, one beat, two, three, before retreiving a case from behind the crate and straightening his jacket.
With an air of complete confidence he strode to the Command Center, through the door and straight toward the XO's office. The guard on duty started to open his mouth to challenge, but Rocky flashed a smile, waving grandly. "No worries, I'm expected. Just ask Yeoman Davna." He made a show of looking around. "Where is she?"
"She just stepped out. If you'll have a seat -"
"This will not do," he huffed. "I have an appointment and Commander Koplo's a busy man. As am I. I'm a contractor for Galactic Dynamics. Here's my ID and my badge." He proffered both to the security guard. "I completely understand that you have to check those, and if you want to ask the Commander if he's expecting me, go right ahead. " He smiled enthusiastically, then paused and crinkled his brow, looking at the yeoman's empty duty station. "I do hope I have the right date. I was told he's very eager to see our new weapon systems specs."
The guard had run the identification while racoon-like contractor was talking. It did all check out, and while he didn't see anything in the schedule, GD was well-known as a Starfleet contractor and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was find himself on the wrong side of an angry Commander - especially this Commander - because an expected visitor had been turned away. He tapped the desk comm. "Sir, this is Ensign Fiske, there's a representative from Galactic Dynamics who says he's here to discuss new weapons systems."
The door to the Executive Officer's office slid open just as Koplo's booming voice blasted through the doorway. "Ah hah! I knew Davna going on that little excursion with that fuzzy war-dog would be in my benefit. Ensign, tell everyone else I'm busy the rest of the day." Koplo stomped past the ensign's desk, beaming at the salesman. "I believe this man and I have much to discuss. Representative Lotor, did you not say you had a demonstration for me?"
Rocky's smiled broadened to show all of his small pointy teeth. "Commander Koplo, qaleghneS! [I am honored to meet you]" he said, stepping forward and lifting his case. "I do indeed. I have specs and video for the spacedock defense and larger planetary defenses, but for security forces on the ground," he crated the case open, displaying several carry weapons, including a personal rocket launcher, "I can provide hands-on demonstration, if there's an appropriate target range we an use."
"Sir?" the Ensign managed after swallowing a somewhat strangled noise - on one hand, those weapons looked Awesome. On the other, they absolutely should NOT have been brought into the Command Center. Davna would have his balls for earrings if she knew he'd let that slip through.
"Excellent!" Koplo looked to the young Ensign, beaming. "Don't be so nervous, there's a vacant area just outside of the colony borders we can test the personalized items." There were no restrictions placed upon much of the land outside of Haumea, something that Koplo had verified.
But it was then that Koplo decided to take a peek into the crate that the salesman brought with him. His eyes lit up like a giant kid in a candystore, and he grinned at Lotor. "Tell me, Representative, if I provided this range now, could we test these items out first? Videos and specifications, I will most certainly want a more experienced engineer around for. Which will, of course, take time. And I do much better with a visual ... demonstration."
Hook. Line. And Sinker. Rocky's ears perked and his smile somehow grew wider. "Wonderful. If we have a nice big vacant area, I have some higher powered models locked away in hopes of just such an opportunity for effective demonstration." He resealed his case with a sly grin. "In fact, if a good range here could be made available for proof-testing of new prototypes, we might be able to work out a discount, or a first purchase option as those are approved for release."
"Done!" Koplo shouted, before a protest from the Ensign had him rolling his eyes. "... Once... I inform the Captain that it is occurring." A pause, and another protest. "... Or obtain his permission, whichever comes first. But please, let us not spare another moment. I want to see these in action."
"Of course. Galactic Dynamics is only interested in enhancing our relationship with Starfleet in the most cooperative way possible," Rocky replied smoothly. "But we can discuss those details after the demonstration." Where, he thought, there would be no interference from by-the-book Ensigns.
A short time later, Rocky stood beside Koplo on a ridge overlooking a valley and a rocky wall rising on the other side. The perfect target. Laid out along a pop-up table were the smaller weapons from Rocky's case: improved hand phasers, rifles, and a grenade launcher; and from his storage locker, heavy automatic plasma rifles, shoulder-mounted rocket launchers, and a portable surface to air mini-torpedo cannon.
"Which would you like to try first?" Rocky asked, gesturing to the array of weaponry.
Koplo looked through the items, assessing their options in combat. He could see multiple uses for each and every one of them, even for the Captain, who he assumed would have been overrun by a class of childlings on their first simulated battle lesson. "... Hm..." He pointed toward the heavy-duty looking plasma rifle. Starfleet had options, but this was more Koplo's speed. "This firearm. It looks durable. Does it's fire compensate for such durability?"
"Absolutely," Rocky assured him. "GD's mission for weapons design is durability seamlessly coupled with high lethality and effectiveness. And may I say you have excellent taste in weapons." The diminutive Procyor, lifted the rifle - which was nearly as long as he was - with an expression of real admiration. "The Hellbolt 3000 fires laser excited, magnetically accelerated phased conversion thermal bolts that can penetrate 10.5cm of case hardened duranium up to an effective range of 2000 meters through destructive tunneling. She can be fired in single shot, 3 round bursts or or full automatic fire of 180 rounds per minute. In addition, if there's negative penetration against a superior surface, or due to missed target contact - not that you would ever miss," he added hastily, "but there do seem to be some less experienced personnel here - the bolt will destabilize into high speed thermal tributary fragments with a one meter lethal splash radius."
Rocky looked at the target rocky cliff. "Even better: bolt impact with material having trapped water or water vapor inside, like concrete or porous rock, can result in lethal spall out to almost 2 meters from the point of explosive decoupling of the material's cohesive structure." He lifted the weapon to Koplo and smiled. "Want to give it a try?"
Rocky spoke a big game, and one that had Koplo excited... to a point. There were plenty of words to back up this 'Hellbolt 3000,' a firearm that was likely one the 'less experienced personnel' would have a hard time lifting. No, this would be for the seasoned veterans. He already saw use for this against their multiple enemies, whichever form these enemies so chose.
That was, of course, if the weapon performed as advertised. While Koplo may have been excited to get his hands on such technology, the Klingon knew better than to simply trust a fast-talking salesmen. They were no better than the silver-tongued cowards who would rather talk their way out of situations than fight on the battlefield with honor.
"Why yes, of course!" he bellowed, taking the offered weapon before aiming it right at the side of one of the nearby cliffs. If the Procyor's words rang true, this display would be quite impressive.
And he wasted very little time firing blindly into it, watching as the single shot whistled through the air, landing neatly into the cliff side. Koplo had just enough time to lean forward and squint, before the resulting explosion rumbled through the area. Rocks and dirt flew into the air, but when it all settled and fell, the pair could see the hole that the firearm had produced, still smoking from the burst.
"MOST EXCELLENT!" Koplo shouted, with a matching smile that would rival most Denobulans, "Absolutely fantastic. I cannot see any terrorists or potential enemies surviving that, unless they're sly shape-changers or the Borg." There had not been sight of either in the past many years, not in this sector of space. "Perhaps we could utilize this to help minor terraforming efforts as well. Starfleet has too much paperwork to move a pile of rocks!"
Rocky's eyes practically glowed with delight - he loved the weapons side of the business, and not just for the profit margins! "On full automatic I assure you the H-3500 would cut through a whole cohort of Borg. However, for greater flexibility in targeting and control of radius of lethal effects, you might prefer this." He picked up a weapon with a medium long thick stock and three stacked barrels with increasing bores, shoulder brace and heavy duty grip. "The Ionstorm X25 has a sniper accuracy phaser, plasma round capability and an underslung grenade launcher. Now, admittedly, the XGL90 grenades are more 'grenade-bullets' but enhanced with infernite and clancium kellide, from a range of 100 meters they can effectively clear everything within a 5 meter radius of impact point."
And Koplo was quick to snatch the next weapon and aim it at around the same point. It only took a few moments before he had it all figured out, and a grenade was launched toward that giant hole in the cliffside. As he watched it soar through the air, there was a nagging thought at the back of his head, in the form of Captain Mahone's voice asking him why exactly Koplo decided to take up landscapiing.
But in the next instant, and another explosion at the base of the cliff, Koplo's thoughts on the matter were dashed, replaced with a gigantic smile. "I can certainly see use in this weapon as well! With Haumea being on the edge of this system, we will need all the firepower we can muster!"
There was an excited light in Rocky's eyes and he drummed his fingertips, calculating how far he was about to exceed his sales quota. He was going to treat himself to an entire bucket of rock candy after this... But first things first. Time to seal the deal. "Well, for real firepower, try this," he picked put a wide bore tube fitted with a brace and targeting scope. "The MTL9000, affectionately known to ground troops as the DragonLance, launches small diameter, high yield photon charged torpedoes, each equipped with an imaging infrared seeker. It can be shoulder mounted or used with a tripod base that easily reconfigured from the mount. In direct attack mode this baby can take out a whole Jem'Hadar troop drop ship, either on the ground or 300 meters above it." He grinned broadly. "Try it."
Koplo's eyes lit up like a young Klingon at their first smithing of their first bat'leth. The DragonLance had a much more impressive name. "A weapon that requires little aiming prowess and with such firepower!" He took the heavy-duty weapon, visually inspecting it before heaving it upon his shoulder. With a quick flip of the switch, he peered through the small targeting sight, not that he would need it with the aforementioned seeker. It was a momentary pause that he took before releasing the torpedo, stumbling backwards at the force of the release.
The torpedo sailed through the air, smashing into the side of what remained of the cliff. And, as the third explosion rumbled throughout the valley, Koplo stood in admiration of their handiwork. "I have to say that you have thoroughly exceeded my expectations with this demonstration, Representative Lotor. I'll make sure to report these successful findings before we seal our transaction. Not that I expect we'll have much trouble..."
"Thank you, Commander," Rocky said, ears perked brightly and oriented toward the Klingon. "And my I say what a pleasure it is to demonstrate our products to someone who can truly appreciate them. Now, perhaps we should go back to the office and look over the specs for the larger defense platforms." His sharp little teeth showed in a smile, tail lifting despite his attempt to suppress his glee. "And maybe fill out some requisition orders..."
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