Welcome to "The Diary of a Miner"; a blog detailing the adventures and mysteries that I, Syeonyx, embark upon in my quest to further my mining and survival skills! It'll be tough, there will be good times and bad times, but I'll always be alive to post my adventures... probably...

Day 156: Mass arms production

     We managed to shape and set up the wooden stocks where the springs were held for the three rifles that we were going to end up with, giving us a total of four rifles, if you counted the prototype. As to whether we would be using four still remained to be seen, but because we had started each of the actual rifles individually rather than one at a time, it allowed us to split up and work on them separately. After we woke up, me and Amie went straight to the lab, only to find OROTHO busy at work once again. He had made some good progress on one of the rifles that we had started yesterday, and was using the main body of the prototype to guide him. For once he was so engrossed in his work that he actually jumped when he turned around and saw us! Usually he had this odd sixth sense about who was in the lab and where, but he he must really be getting into the rifle build...

"How far have you got with that one OROTHO? Another one close to completion?"

"It'll be some time yet... I've still got the shaping of the main body, the safety latch, the cocking mechanism, the barrel and the top rail for the sights. Then we've got the entire optical scope to remake..."

"Tell you what: we'll work on the main rifles themselves, giving you the chance to work on the scopes. I know you enjoyed making that one."

OROTHO didn't say anything for a moment or two; looking back at the completed prototype - presumably at the optical sight - nodding to himself.

"Fair enough. I'll need a few more diamonds but I think I've got some more in my room. I won't be long."

OROTHO left the lab, leaving me and Amie to pick up from where we had left off yesterday. I took the stock that OROTHO had been working on and brought it over to where the other components were, and began to work on the slide mechanism. There was something oddly therapeutic about constructing the firing mechanism for a rifle. Especially when you considered the true purpose of the completed thing which we would be putting to effective use in a day or two. Well, it would probably be longer than that; we were still waiting for SERVERE to come back from "keeping up appearances" at the HQ, but we were hoping he'd come back with some additional information that might prove useful to us.

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     After a few hours of working on one of the rifles, I managed to complete it, barring the optical scope that would be attached to the top. Testing the firing mechanism with no magazine, I cocked the mechanism, brought it up to my shoulder, aimed at the far side of the room and squeezed the trigger. There was a slight scraping noise as the spring catch was released, and the kick-back dug into my shoulder slightly. I tested it a few times, making sure that it was working perfectly, and not just every now and then, before resting it on its side to get at the spring mechanism through the stock-lid. Taking the currently installed spring out, I placed another one in, before closing the lid and testing it a few more times. The spring worked perfectly, as well as the repair section of the stock to put in new springs. Provided the rest of the rifle remained clean and dry, there was very little need to replace any of the other pieces.

"I wasn't aware you were running a secret gun running operation whilst I was away..."

Turning around to the entrance of the lab, I smiled at SERVERE's joke as he and COLUS walked towards me. Handing the rifle I was still carrying to him, I went through the working of it, and the likelihood that we were going to need to use them.

"OROTHO, Amie and Syeonyx have been very busy the last few days building these. We're hoping to put them to good use against any of the guards we come across at the HQ."

"How effective is it? I can only assume if it's OROTHO's design it will work perfectly first time..."

OROTHO turned around and smiled, acknowledging the compliment. Walking over to SERVERE, OROTHO held the newly completed optical sight in his hand, which he slide onto the top of the main body, clipping it into place.

"It's effectiveness has just increased ten fold... Maybe more. Try it out."

SERVERE slid the cocking mechanism back, before taking a magazine from the table beside him, and slotting it into place, with a little help from COLUS. Putting it up to his shoulder, he removed the safety, looked through the sight and squeezed the trigger. The dart went shooting across to the other side of the room, plinking off the glass at the far side. Putting it down to his side again, he nodded with a satisfied look on his face, seemingly impressed.

"That's pretty good, especially with limited resources. Although with it being OROTHO's idea, I was half expecting some form of explosive or gas powered system."

"If he had had the opportunity to do that, he would have done. But we need something as quick and quiet as possible. The spring powered version will do us fine, and we've still yet to test the range and accuracy of them over longer distances."

"Well I'll leave you to test them then. I've got some more information for COLUS that might prove useful. It concerns the layout of the main building."

COLUS and SERVERE left the lab, leaving me with OROTHO and Amie. Picking up the rifle that SERVERE had put down, I sighted down the scope at OROTHO, who was now looking at me too.

"I think we should test these now... Any ideas where would be the best place to go?"

"The tunnel? It's definitely long enough, and as long as we have some wooden board to aim at, we can determine the range and accuracy!"

"Brilliant! Just make a few marks on that board over there to help us gauge a good place to aim for."

Amie began to mark a large sheet of wood nearby, whilst I went with OROTHO into the tunnel taking the first completed rifle and the prototype with us. The next hour or so was going to be lots of fun. The best thing about using the tunnel as well was that we could use the doors as a further gauge of how accurate and powerful they were. I was also slightly intrigued to know what SERVERE had to tell COLUS, but once SERVER had gone again I knew we would all find out. I was still trying to determine if it was good news or not though.

Syeonyx signing off

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