Marion learns about the tools of the Shepherd's trade and faces a challenge unlike any she has experienced before.

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of this story are the property of the author. No infringement of pre-existing copyright is intended. This story is copyright (c) 2010 Penny Lane. All rights reserved.

When she opened her eyes the light from the window was enough to highlight the relief of the pattern plastered into the ceiling. She had never been in a building with such a decoration before, other than old public ones built before The Uprising. As her eyes wandered over the design there was a movement next to her and a face loomed into view.

"You're awake."

"It would seem so," Marion replied. "Why the big smile?"

"I feel much better this morning than I've been doing the last couple of days," Belle replied. "That residency business really did upset me, I hadn't realised how much." She leaned forward and kissed Marion. "I've finally appreciated just what good friends I have, how much you're all trying to help."

"It's called the sisterhood," said Marion with a straight face. "We do what we can."

"Now that's an interesting statement, coming from you," Belle said with a smile. She leaned forward for a longer kiss. Finally pulling her face away, she frowned and lightly ran a fingertip across Marion's top lip.

"You've got a bit of fuzz coming out," she said. "Did you realise? I thought those laser treatments were supposed to be permanent."

"They are, but Sophia said that a certain proportion of hair roots are dormant at any one time, so a little sprouting is to be expected. I'll have to ask her for another session." Marion ran an exploratory hand over her jawline. "Hmm. Some there too. Don't forget, I still have man juice running through my veins, that may make some difference."

"Well, I don't think anyone will notice at the moment. If it's left too long it might interfere with your make-up, but as you don't wear much to work that's not going to be a problem. Time to get up? You have a big day in front of you. Oh, and we have an invitation to dinner at a State Minister's apartment. Wow!"

Marion groaned as she levered herself up on one elbow.

"Is that going to involve me in an hour of preparation beforehand? And what am I supposed to wear? It's not the kind of function I know anything at all about."

Belle had a gleam in her eye as she smiled back.

"The getting ready part is half the fun. I shouldn't get too anxious, though." She pulled back the quilt and swung her legs to the floor. "This is just a quiet family meal, so it won't be anything complicated or formal."

*****

"Find a table each, please," Parkes said as she let them into the training room.

This morning the room had been locked when they all arrived, and two Site Security Shepherds stood guard outside it. They spread out and found that each table had a number of items clearly laid out on top.

"Today, we're going to look at all the equipment that is available to any of the staff who work within a facility," she explained. "You may be surprised at some of it, and most of you will never see some of it, but there's a reason for this selection.

"If there is ever a serious incident within a facility," she went on, "it may be that your life could depend on your knowing how to use whatever is to hand. There are also certain items which are only for use when emergencies are declared, and you should all be familiar with them."

Most of the items on the table were either of pale grey plastic or anodised light metal, which made the one object which wasn't stand out even more.

"Let's dispose of the odd man out first. The Recoilless Automatic Rifle Mark Seven should be familiar to all of you from your national service days. Anyone have a problem with that?"

Two people put their hands up.

"I trained on a Mark Five," said one. "Six," said the other.

"Very well. The difference between a Mark Five and a Mark Six is the redesign of the faulty return spring. That happened quite a few years ago, you may have read about it. The Mark Seven has a modified feed chute, an improved sight and a reshaped stock. You should have no difficulty in using this model, but I'll discuss the differences over lunch with you if you wish. Now, anyone tell me why we have something like this in here?"

Ten blank looks.

"If you think about it," Parkes continued, "Practically everything associated with a facility runs on electricity of some sort. If we get a power cut, then there's a back-up generator, but that's only going to last for so long, maybe a hour, two hours, long enough to attempt to lock the site down into a safe state but that's all. Rechargeable items will keep working for a while, but eventually they'll fail. So, there are stocks of RAR-7's held in special armoured cabinets in locations outside the facility for occasions where control inside has completely broken down. Mind you, if the situation ever got to that state there would be Enforcers and possibly the Army in the streets as well. It's a very long shot, but one we have to have covered.

"Right. I want you to pick up your RAR's and make sure you all remember which end the rounds go in and come out. All have been checked as safe, so there's no chance of you accidentally firing one."

Marion, like any well-trained firearms user, preferred to believe the evidence of her own eyes over assurances by another. She picked up her black-painted rifle, pulled the magazine and verified that it was empty, thumbed the safety and worked the slide. Since the recoil of the first shot would load the next, the slide was only used to prime the weapon, if something jammed, or if it was necessary to expel a round. She held it up to her shoulder, noting that her right breast interfered with her attempt to line up the sight. It also seemed heavier than she remembered.

"So, if you ever have occasion to use one of those," Parkes said as everyone returned their weapon to the table, "the situation will be desperate. That's why we insist that everyone, even Medical Orderlies and Counsellors, is familiar with them. Clear?"

There was a chorus of assents from the group.

"Now, all the other items on your table have been specifically tailored for use in a facility. Normally, these should remain inside the building, in fact most of them will be useless outside. Some of them are rechargeable, and with the exception of the Stun Rifles, are charged by placing them in the sockets provided inside your lockers.

"So, let's deal with the Stun Rifle next. Now, this is usually issued only to Site Security staff who are overseeing the exercise yards, but the same rider applies as before. All of you need to know when and how to use them. Furthermore, each of you will be checked yearly to ensure you are still familiar with them. Counsellor, I'm not sure if that will include you."

Marion was taken off guard by the comment. If the situation got bad enough that she had to use a weapon like that, would she? Or would she try and use her skills? Would the use of such a weapon alter the relationship between herself and the detainees?

"Instructor," she said after consideration, "I would hope that use of such weapons was never necessary, but I think that it would be better to know and not have to use them, than to find it necessary to use them and not to know how. Does that make sense?"

Parkes nodded. "A good analysis, Counsellor. I'll make sure your name is added to the schedules. Now, the facility doesn't have it's own training range for either of the rifles, so arrangements will be made for all of you to visit the closest site to fit in with your own work schedules. I imagine the two Site Security Shepherds will be sent first, and the rest of you fitted in when possible."

Parkes went through the use of the weapon, and then moved on to other items. The special communicator and datapad, which could only connect to the facility's systems. The emergency fob, which could be hidden in any of a number of concealed pockets in every uniform, and what would happen if it were pressed. Then she moved on to the cuffs.

"Each of you will be issued with a minimum of two sets of cuffs. The principle is that no detainee may move outside of her Deck unless cuffed. No trusty may be permitted beyond the fence unless cuffed. For those in solitary, a detainee may not move outside of her room unless cuffed. Unlike Enforcer practice outside, within a facility a detainee's hands should be cuffed in front. There may be rare cases when a particularly violent detainee must be cuffed behind, but in practice that only happens in the male facilities and you will need permission to do it here. The reason is to reinforce the psychological position that a Shepherd is in charge and a detainee must do as she's bidden."

"The cuffs can only be released by a special key," Parkes held up a key on it's lanyard, "and the metal part of the cuff must be touched at the same time by someone wearing a staff disc. The same key fits all cuffs in the building." She demonstrated how to fix the lanyard to a loop on the trouser waistband so that it couldn't easily be removed. "Now, I wonder, perhaps. Counsellor, I'm being a bit sneaky here, but I wonder if you would join me out front for a demonstration? I know that you are the only person here who has had, um, experience with these cuffs. You might be able to advise everyone else on their technique."

Marion sighed inwardly. She thought she'd seen the last of the things when she'd been released, but it was plain that the group would have to practise on one another to get the technique right. She walked down to the front and stood by the Instructor.

"After a short while in here most detainees will get the picture, and you should have no difficulty in cuffing them," Parkes said. Then her voice changed slightly, and she said, "Hands in front, citizen!"

A shocked Marion found that she had automatically placed her hands in the correct position as Parkes whipped a pair of cuffs from a rear pocket and clipped them on her wrists. Parkes did a double-take at the look on Marion's face.

"I'm so sorry!" she said. "I didn't realise..."

"That's all right, Instructor," Marion managed. "After all, I spent a fair while in here, it's no wonder the reflex has become automatic." She looked at her shackled wrists. Parkes released her and turned to the group.

"As you can see with Marion, because she's spent some time in here, she's picked up a habit. Most will be like that. A few will need convincing. For those few, you'll usually have help. Now, did you watch how I managed to get the cuffs out as I spoke? That takes practice, and we'll spend a few minutes in pairs now to practice cuffing and releasing each other. Since Marion doesn't have the required pockets in her uniform, I'll do her partner and she can watch each pair and offer advice."

The next ten minutes or so were a pantomime of people barking orders and clipping cuffs on and off. Marion managed to correct the tone of some of the commands and had to intervene when the Chef managed to get her key stuck in the cuffs she'd placed on her partner. Eventually they were all considered good enough and retired to their tables, some rubbing wrists from over-enthusiastic tightening.

"Needless to say, since you wouldn't have your staff disc or your key outside the facility, the cuffs would be useless, so leave them in the building." Parkes said. "Cuffs used outside have a different specification." She smiled. "Before we leave this topic, if you want to have a bit of dangerous fun, walk into a bar, say 'Hands in front, citizen!' and see how many of the customers twitch. Mind you, if you try that trick, you'd better have back-up."

There were chuckles from the group.

"We have two items left, and they will both require use of the gym," she continued. "This afternoon we will go over the use and effects of Stun Wands, but before lunch there's time to demonstrate the Pacifier Spray. That's the small cylinder. If you'd care to bring that, being careful not to trigger it, and follow me."

Parkes led the way out of the training room and across the corridor into the gym.

"We don't need you to change, you'll be all right dressed as you are. We're using this room because of the mats, it'll be softer for you to fall on. Come and stand round me."

At that moment the door opened and the new doctor joined the group, bag in hand.

"Ah, Doctor, right on time. You haven't missed anything, I've just started."

Karen de Jong inclined her head in acknowledgement.

"Right," Parkes resumed. "The Pacifier Spray is an instant stopper if you can get close enough to use it. Rotate the lid like this until it clicks. Hold it in your palm with the nozzle on the side of the lid against your fingers like so. Press down on the lid with your thumb, it's as simple as that. You have to be within about thirty centimetres of your target's face. Once they breathe the spray in, within a very short time all their voluntary muscles will relax and they'll become limp. This will last for between one and two minutes, which should give you enough time to secure them or do whatever is necessary. Note that they won't be unconscious, just unable to move a muscle. They will be able to hear everything, and see whatever's in their line of vision. Touch, taste and smell are not affected. Needless to say, don't get too close and breathe in the spray yourself, or you'll fall over as well."

"Instructor? You're going to demonstrate that on us?"

"Yes, it's perfectly safe, and it's essential that you understand what the effects are. Now, who's going to be first? And I want one person either side to catch them, please."

"Ah, Instructor, if the spray is 'perfectly safe', why do we have a doctor on hand?"

Parkes explained, "There's a very tiny proportion of the population for whom such a spray is dangerous. The citizens concerned have a medical defect which means they can stop breathing if the spray is used on them. That's why the doctor is here. Unfortunately, if this happens to you, it means you can't be employed within a facility in any position where you would come into contact with detainees. That's why we insist on this test. We put you in possible danger now so that you're not in mortal danger later on. Who's first?"

Marion thought about detainees who would stop breathing when sprayed, since they could not be tested, and because in the circumstances when a spray might be used one would not check first to see if they were vulnerable. She shrugged. It was part of the price of ending up in a facility in the first place.

She was fourth in the queue, and although she had seen what would happen, she still had butterflies when she stepped forward. Parkes raised her hand quickly, there was a slight hiss and a flower-like smell, and then she was falling, gently lowered to the floor by the two helpers. It was very strange, with only a view of the ceiling in front of her. It seemed there was nothing wrong with her, but she couldn't move a muscle, not even to blink. Faces came into her vision, but she couldn't even focus, so they were just blurs.

"She's okay," someone said. "Good strong chest rhythm, no problem there."

Eventually there were some minor pins and needles, and then her body control returned just as though she'd woken from a deep sleep. She groaned and tried to raise herself.

"Easy, Counsellor. A minute or so and you'll be back to normal."

After they had all been through the process they sat on the floor around the edge of the room and talked in low voices, trying to come to terms with what had just happened to them.

"I've never been so helpless before in all my life," one said. "It was a bit frightening."

"I imagine there are people it could drive crazy," another answered. "To be so utterly vulnerable like that, gives me the creeps."

"Actually," the Instructor said, "you might not believe this, but there are people who get addicted to this stuff. I'm sure I have no idea what they get out of it, but you may have to be careful on the Decks. Certain of them will try and engineer situations where you have to use the spray on them. Of course, we get wise after so many attempts and use the wands on them instead."

"It's not just detainees," added Wanda, the Medical Orderly. "We had the spray available when I was on peacekeeping duties, and some of the troops got off on it as well. Caused a bit of trouble in barracks, the sprays kept getting stolen."

"That shouldn't happen here," said Parkes firmly. "All uses of weapons, including spray, have to be accounted for and justified. Just don't get conned into using yours when you don't have to. Remember, it's the voice and attitude we're supposed to be using, all the weapons are merely backups. Now, everybody recovered? Good. When you are ready, I suggest you go and get lunch. Come back here to the gym this afternoon, and we won't need you to change clothing after lunch either."

*****

When Marion returned to the gym after lunch, she saw that a table had been placed by one wall of the gym. On it were three plastic bowls, a datapad, and a Stun Wand.

"This is the main deterrent weapon we use in the facility," Parkes began. "It fires a very short, phased pulse of radio energy which is designed to resonate with the human nervous system. It's basically a hand-held, fixed-power version of the Pulse Rifle. It will be extremely painful to the target, as all synapses fire at once.

"It can be used for breaking up fights and such without getting too close to the participants. The ideal distance for use is about three metres, although you'll get effects out to ten metres or more. Obviously, the further away, the weaker the beam. If you get much closer, the effects of the beam can become more dangerous. At a metre, you'll knock someone out cold and they would almost certainly go to Sick Bay. In that case, unless the situation was desperate, you'll probably be suspended as well.

"You can use the wand as a baton if there is close fighting, but it's made of fairly light materials and probably won't stand too much abuse. You'd certainly damage the focus coils and render it's prime function useless, so try to avoid that if possible. By far the most use you'll have of your wand is just to get it out and use it to threaten. That should be enough to reinforce your instructions.

"Now, today's demonstration is to show you first-hand what the effects of a wand are like. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, so that you understand what you are doing to someone when you press the button. That should deter all but the most psychotic from wanting to use the weapon except when really necessary. Secondly, for you to understand that there may be circumstances when it will be necessary for another Shepherd to use the weapon on you."

There was a buzz of surprise and shock from the group when this last statement was made.

"It's simple," explained Parkes. "There may be occasions when the situation gets out of control and when, for example, you have been grabbed by some detainees and used as a hostage or a human shield. You need to understand that that would not prevent others from using their wands on the group. You must recognise that this is one of the normal hazards of an occupation like ours."

There were some distinctly pale faces amongst the group now.

"Okay. To up the stakes a little bit, each of you will be firing the wand I have here at another of the group. This will show us that you are prepared to fire upon colleagues when required."

There were protests at this, but Parkes held up her hands. "It's a requirement of the course that you do both. If you decline, then you fail. Counsellor, I'll give you the option if you wish, as your presence on this course is voluntary."

"Thank you for your offer, Instructor," Marion said immediately. "But I'm one of the group, and we'll all go through the test together. I'll be walking the Decks, I need to understand everything that might happen." And I'm not going to chicken out when nine other people have to go through it.

"Very well," Parkes said, and she nodded with approval at Marion. She then picked up two of the bowls and gave them to de Jong. "Doctor, if you wouldn't mind?" She picked up the datapad.

In one of the bowls was a number of small, numbered balls. As the doctor walked around the group, each took out a ball, read out the number and dropped it into the other bowl. As the numbers were read out Parkes entered their names against a list on her datapad. Marion picked out number six.

"Okay. I'm doing it this way to try and make it fair," Parkes went on when they had finished. "Two of these bowls have numbers in. I'll pick a number out of the first bowl, and that will be the shooter. The number out of the second bowl will be the target. If I pull the same number from both bowls the second number goes back and I draw again. The two numbers drawn get put into the third bowl so they don't get called again. That way we can ensure that everyone experiences being both shooter and target, and the draw is completely random.

"The target goes and stands by the window there. That way, when we fire, we'll be shooting out over the exercise yard and because we're up a storey there's no chance of hitting anyone outside. Unfortunately, because of the spread of the weapon, we can't have anyone standing by to catch you as you fall, but you should be okay on the mats. Any questions?"

"Yes, Instructor. You said the beam goes out through the wall. Will it go through anything?"

"It gets considerably reduced in power when it goes through anything that solid, but if you're being held in front of a rioter, it'll get her with about the same power it gets you. A properly used Stun Rifle can flatten anyone inside a house from outside, but obviously with an apartment there's a possibility of collateral damage, so wands would be used because they are of lower power. Any other questions?"

"Yes," said Marion. "I notice the presence of the doctor again. Are there risks?"

De Jong spoke. "Yes. If your target is too close, it's possible to stop someone's heart if there's a pre-existing problem. A small number of cases have also been reported of people having fits, again due to underlying health issues."

"If anything like that affects any one of you," added Parkes, "I'm afraid you'll be failed the course. It's for your own safety. Now, are we ready to draw?"

Marion was drawn as second target. She went uneasily and stood near the glass-brick windows, far enough away that she wouldn't strike them if she fell that way. She licked her lips and looked at Ruth holding the wand in her hand like it was a twig. She nodded to indicate that she was ready, and Ruth aimed and fired.

Marlon had been told, in the factory where he had worked, a story about an unfortunate individual who, many years before, had fallen off a catwalk at the plant into a crucible of molten steel. He had occasionally wondered just how much agony the man had experienced in the few brief instants before his life had ended. Now Marion thought she knew. Her whole body experienced fire, inside and out. Every muscle spontaneously contracted. The pain was beyond belief. The pulse had been mercifully brief, microseconds only, but Marion's body was still reacting to the shock as she thumped down onto the mat.

De Jong and Wanda rushed over to her, helped her to a sitting position and dragged her back to lean against the wall.

"Surviving?" the doctor asked.

Marion's jaw unlocked itself and she croaked out, "I think so."

Parkes came over. "You had a slightly stronger jolt than usual, Counsellor. I'm afraid Ruth was a little in front of the mark, and of course her arms are longer. I hope it wasn't too bad?"

Marion got her breath and then shook her head to clear it.

"Bad enough. That's the sort of thing you only want to experience once."

"That's the general idea," confirmed the Instructor. "We don't want people who think they can just zap detainees at any time if it takes their fancy."

After a few minutes Marion found she could stand and walked unsteadily to the water dispenser at the other end of the gym to moisten her mouth before returning to watch the others take their turn. Every time someone stiffened and then fell to the mat she remembered what had happened to her and her nerves twitched in sympathy. She was therefore surprised when her number was drawn as a shooter and she was handed the wand.

She was the last shooter, and the last target, one of the Site Shepherds, walked over to the window and stood waiting. Marion suddenly understood the whole point of the exercise. How could any sane being possibly do this to someone else when they knew exactly what the result would be? Yet they had to learn to do it, in order to protect themselves and everyone else in the building. They would have to force themselves, knowing what the consequences would be to the colleague who was their target. With her own nervous system still ringing from her own ordeal, and with tears running down her cheeks, she raised the wand and pressed the button.

While some ran to help the last target, others recognised that Marion's distress was like their own and five of them went into a mutual hug with her. Even though they were still sensitive from their own experiences, they still wanted to have some friendly female contact and reassurance. Finally Parkes came and spoke to them, and they separated.

"Citizens, I understand what you've all been through. Everyone who works in a facility has to do what you did this afternoon, and I'm proud of you all. No one has failed today. We shan't be doing anything else this afternoon because the physical and emotional stress you've just experienced would make it pointless. So, we have the use of the gym, just walk about and let your bodies and your minds recover, talk amongst yourselves, have a drink, and you can leave when you feel ready. I'll stay here if you want to ask me anything about what happened to you today."

Everyone in the room went over to the water dispenser and got themselves a drink. They remained in twos or threes around the room talking in low voices about what they had done and what had happened to them. It was obvious that this afternoon's events had affected them all in ways they had not anticipated. Eventually some began to trickle out of the room to get changed, and when about half had gone the rest decided to go together.

Outside in the corridor Wanda and the doctor peeled off from the group to find another lift, and Marion hurried to catch up to them.

"Are you going back to Sick Bay? Can I join you? I have a pile of work to look at before I leave tonight."

De Jong replied, "Of course, Counsellor. Your office is in Sick Bay, isn't it? I think I might have the one next to yours."

"Thank you, Doctor. It's possible, I don't know. I don't actually know my way completely round Sick Bay, I've been too busy to explore."

"Call me Karen, please do. We're colleagues, after all. So, how do you feel now?"

"My insides are still ringing, like a bell after it's been struck. I don't think it's enough to stop me functioning, though. Bad enough at the time."

"Nope, never get used to it," remarked Wanda as they entered a lift. "But you force yourself to do it, because you know you've survived it before."

"You've done it before?" said Marion in surprise, and then figured it out. "Oh, yes, you've been on peacekeeping duties, haven't you. Do they do that test there, then?"

Wanda nodded. "Anyone who is ever going to be issued a Stun Wand or Stun Rifle has to pass the test. To tell you the truth, I'd forgotten that I would have to do it again when I came here. I let fly a few choice words when I found out. Still, I appreciate the reasoning."

"So do I, now," Marion said as they walked out onto D Deck. "So do I."