TASP: The Development and First Use of a New Weapon

The story of a young mechanic who finds himself at the center of the biggest advance in arms since the invention of gun powder.

At an Army base where they develop the next generation of weapons, no one understands what is really going on.

There is a development project for a weapon called the SFT. It is an impressive weapon that goes 'Boom!' But it's heavy, clumsy, and has a number of other problems. First Sargent Maya Moore who has authority over all the development projects does her best to hide all of the weapon's flaws while trying to bring in a civilian corporate partner.

The TASP is being developed by another project team at the base. This team includes the better-than-he-knows mechanic Private Mike Melville. The TASP was not the weapon they originally intended to design. It is a surprisingly powerful and subtle weapon. So much so that Private Melville has doubts about how it might be used. And especially how he might use it.

Tremor, an arms dealer and self acknowledged bad guy, decides to steal the SFT. Based on information provided by his spies, he mistakenly thinks it is the most valuable weapons system at the base. He assembles squads of men to attack the fort and take the SFT. He wins the cooperation of his minions with a variety of lies. All of them are committed to their causes without knowing that none of them have the same cause.

Mike Melville and Maya Moore develop a romantic relationship between weapons tests. Recurring rounds of being lucky and unlucky guide their courtship.

These four plot lines collide when Tremor executes his plan to steel the SFT. He mostly succeeds. Melville and Moore give chase. It ends in a showdown between Tremor, armed with the SFT, and Mike Melville / Maya Moore armed with the TASP. Do the good guys win?