A long-range duel, in real time, 300 m to a mile apart. Spot the other shooter, range them with the laser, read the wind off the flags, dial, send it — before they send theirs. Five rounds, a bolt you work by hand; a hit ends it and pays the bounty for the round it took ($10,000 on the first, $1,000 on the second, $100 on the third…). Both magazines empty, closest round wins. READY UP against ANOTHER HUMAN (you wait in the room until someone readies up) or against PAM VECTOR LOGIC AI — ORTHROS, PAM's own model, reading the same flags — which starts at once. The TRAINING RANGE is painted steel gongs, no clock, no opponent: learn the rifle there.
PURSE — every bounty you collect goes into your purse, kept under your call sign from visit to visit.
SPOT — glass for the scope glint. They are in cover, off to one side. When their glass or laser settles on you, one small red flash shows where they lie — if you are looking there. The tape under the dials is your compass heading.
CONTROLS — PAM pops up with the right key the moment you need it. The full set, for every device:
RANGE — hold the laser (
LEFT CLICK or
T): the laser's own reticle at 8×. On them it reads their distance in red; on the ground it reads the ground. Let go and the number stays at the top and becomes your range estimate.
SCOPE —
RIGHT CLICK: tap to stay on the glass, or hold it and let go to come off. First-focal-plane: the reticle's mils are true at every power; the
WHEEL zooms a variable scope.
GLINT — the sun off their lens. You only see it when they are glassing you (or close) with the sun at your back. Pick the
DIOPTER (iron sights) and you never glint and never lase - but no laser for you either: the front post is 2.5 mil wide, so it just covers a prone shooter at 220 m.
ADJUST — the turrets:
W/S elevation,
A/D windage (a tap is one 0.1-mil click, hold to wind). Each click moves the crosshair by the angle you dial. With the PAM BALLISTIC SOLUTION on, hold
TAB to open PAM's watch (W/S pick wind speed, wind direction or range; A/D or the wheel set it), then
F solves and
F again dials it. The mouse looks; the arrow keys look too.
SHOOT —
SHIFT steadies,
SPACE takes the shot (on purpose not a click: a click is the laser),
R cycles the bolt for the next one.
WIND — the flags (wind socks on the training range) stream downwind: the longer they stand out sideways, the more crosswind. A sock is straight out at about 15 mph.
TRAINING RANGE — painted steel, no clock, no opponent.
N hangs a new gong. Sound takes time: the ring reaches you about 3 s after a hit at 1000 m.
MENU —
ESC (START on a pad, MENU on touch) opens it: resume, or quit to the menu. A duel does not pause, and quitting one forfeits it.
H hides the key hints in any mode.
♪ on this page turns the music on or off.
THE GROUND
VALLEYAlpine, steppe or rocky desert hills. Where it starts.
ARCTIC−20°F. Dense air drops the round more. A moose walks through the fresh snow; reindeer drift past them.
URBANA rooftop across from a glass tower. One floor holds the sniper; decoys sit in the others. The shot is uphill.
THE FANTAILAn aircraft carrier against a windswept shore. A gale that blasts, then drops. Watch the gull: it lands when the wind stops.
COMING SOON
JUNGLETriple canopy, rain that kills the wind read.
BROKEN GROUNDA shelled village. Every shot is through a keyhole.
DUST BOWLSavage mirage, dust devils for wind gates, a goat herd in the lane.
DESSERTYou are ant-sized in a magnificent kitchen. The cake is a hill.
HIGH PASSThin air, long reach, a wind funnel between peaks.
NIGHTThe rooftop after dark: thermal and night vision.
STORM AT SEAThe fantail in a gale, eight degrees of roll.
RAIL YARDTrains cross the lane on a timetable.
SALT FLATA mile of nothing. Mirage, a horizon, and the other guy.