KA-BOOM!
The Sinthian’s skill on his glide board was such that instead of being knocked off the device by the shotgun’s recoil, he spun violently around and around like a top … though, if asked, those in the near vicinity might have preferred the former option. Anyone who had not recent occasion to refer to or recall Newton’s third law of physics was now graphically reminded that, indeed, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction! Educated or not, good marksmen or not, there was nothing wrong with the Legionnaires’ sense of survival, and in a twinkling everyone present was either crouched behind cover or flat on the ground, including the observers in the bleachers.
Fortunately Spartacus was only firing single loads while testing the shotgun, so the mayhem was more comical than anything. Had he been utilizing the belt-feed auto-loader option, the results might not have been so humorous.
“Seems to me,” Chief Goetz drawled, raising his head to look at Phule, “the kick on that weapon’s a tad strong for that fellah-at least while he’s standing on that board, anyway. “
“The same thing just occurred to me,” the commander said, peering over the bleacher seat he was flattened behind. “It’s a problem, though. The Sinthians’ eyestalks keep them from using a weapon with enough accuracy to be effective. That’s why we were trying them on shotguns. I’d say to hell with it and issue them fully automatic weapons, but I’m afraid that would only compound the recoil problem.”
“What you need is something that doesn’t have much of a kick.” Goetz frowned. “Have you thought of trying them on splat guns?”