While she slept, she began to dream.
Her dream was strange.
It was a kind of distorted reality.
In a way that place seemed to have more than 3 dimensions.
At that moment she heard a voice.
"Surprised?" said a familiar voice.
She then saw that Alberto was working at a table in the center of that room.
"What are you doing?" she asked.
"I am assembling this AKM" said Alberto.
"Is this where you find your answers?" she said.
"No, this is a limbo where I go while I am daydreaming, my real dreams are while I sleep, this is a kind of work zone" said Alberto.
"So, are you done already?" asked Emilia.
"Yes, I'm just assembling the weapon" said Alberto.
"That was very fast" said Emilia.
"Actually I have been working on this project for almost 1 year" answered Alberto "But I got it, the pieces can be made of milled steel, and many are recycled, because it uses the 7 x 43 mm Mexican cartridge, the barrels are Mauser and Mondragon barrels trimmed, likewise the cartridge uses the same bullet as the 7 x 57 mm mauser, so they only use different casings "
"You thought of everything, didn't you?" asked Emilia.
"That's right, the new weapon could be vital in trying to win this war. It is cheaper than the Mondragon m1908, and although the mp 18 is cheaper, the AK is more effective."
"And have you decided what to call it?"
"There was a Mexican weapon in your reality, I'll call it FX m1918, Xiuhcoatl Model 1918 Rifle" said Alberto.
"Is that all you wanted to show me?" asked Emilia.
"Not exactly" Alberto said, she remained silent and said to Emilia "I want to show you what you do"
Emilia gulped.
Alberto then moved his hands and a kind of crack opened up in reality
"Before you say anything, this is a dream world, I have no powers in real life" she said.
"Got damn"
Alberto continued, then an image was seen.
A trans girl was crying in her room
"Why? Why? Why do I have to be different from the other girls? Emilia is right, I'm not even a girl. Why can't I be normal?" she said while she cried "I will never be a girl ... Why did I have to be born in this disgusting body?"
She kept crying: "I can't help crying over trifles, I look ridiculous, I'll never be a mother"
"Emilia is right, I'm just a man, but, I don't want to be a man, I hate this life!"
Every time she got sadder.
Finally she ran out of the room with a rather sad look.
"I think you know what happened next" said Alberto "It was not the first time she cried to that point, all the times you harassed her, she hated herself. She did not love herself, she hated being her, but you made her to believe that she was just a pervert and that she was not really a woman "
"I'm sorry! I, I was a fool, I ... I deserved this" she said.
Alberto looked at her and said:
"I don't know what life has planned for you" she said "But for me as long as you learn your lesson your body should give you back"
"It would not be fair, people like her or you have been waiting for that all your life, why should I stop suffering like that? It would not be fair to anyone" said Emilia.
"It is not that it is fair, if it happens we will be lucky, and if it does not happen ..."
"I'll just live the life that you all live" said Emilia.
"I don't wish this life on my worst enemy," Alberto said.
"Don't even tell me, it's horrible"
"Emilia, we're going to have to win this war, you're not going to leave me alone, are you?" Alberto asked.
"Of course not Albert, I will be willing to end this war" said Emilia.
"Great, tomorrow we are going to test some weapons from both General Mondragon and Engineer Obregon" said Alberto.
"I know General Mondragon, but who is Engineer Obregon?" asked Emilia.
"He is the developer of this handgun" she said showing the pistol that she showed him in the square.
"Wow"
"Yes, in addition to that if you want we can go see our new air force, as well as the tank division"
"I would love to see those tanks perform" said Emilia.
"Without a doubt, just one thing, we're going to have to pretend to be men" she said.
"Seriously?" asked Emilia.
Alberto looked at her and said:
"Emilia, it's still 1918, they won't approve of our transsexuality, I just hope you get out of this" Alberto said with a few tears on his face.
Emilia felt bad for her.
A part of her didn't want to leave her.
She deserved to be happier than her.
She did not know how she felt with Alberto, a strange feeling sometimes came to her when listening to her.
Her appearance did not attract any attention to her, she looked like a man.
But inside her she seemed to be the kindest woman she had ever known.
Was she in love with her?
No, she could only like girls.
To the world they were both still men, she needed to accept that.
She did not like men.
It was a new day, Emilia woke up around 8 am that day.
"Good morning sleepyhead" said Alberto.
She looked at her, she was wearing a costume similar to that of the gangsters of the 20s.
"What are you doing dressed like this?"
"We need to wear formal clothes, and that way I feel good," Alberto said.
"With those clothes you look like a member of La cosa nostra"
"That's the idea" she said, at that moment she took out the FX 18, she was carrying a 75-round drum magazine.
Then she said: "I had a dream, in the United States they are working on the Tommy Gun, the Chicago typewriter. It will be ready by 1919" said Alberto "But we have the advantage, with this thing, our tactics are almost advanced. 45 years old "she said.
Emilia looked at the gun.
She had never seen an Ak so clean, almost all the photos of an Ak were of insurgents or criminals, so they were always dirty.
"Well, get dressed" Alberto said passing her a similar outfit.
She hurried into her suit.
When she finished changing her clothes, they both left in the direction of the train station, both of them were going on a trip from Tula to Buena Vista in Mexico City.
The train left the station.
"Are you comfortable?" Alberto asked.
Emilia looked at her and said: "Albert, I had never traveled on a train, and less on a steam train"
"You will get used to it, they are not a big deal" said Alberto.
Emilia dedicated herself to appreciating the landscape.
Large hills appeared on the road.
Many times they passed through tunnels of several hundred meters.
There were trees and nopales.
It was a beautiful landscape.
Almost reaching Mexico City, cultivated fields began to appear.
"I think we are reaching our destination" said Emilia.
After about 5 minutes they reached Buena Vista.
They both got off the train and Emilia finally saw the station.
"This place is much bigger than the Tula Station" said Emilia.
"Right, it is probably the largest train station in Mexico"
Both went to the Facilities of the Heroic Military College, since there the Federal Army arms convention would take place.
"These trams are very vintage!" Emilia said.
"This is the standard design of trams at this time" said Alberto.
"Certain"
Finally they both arrived in Chapultepec, the town where the Military College was located.
Some cadets were guarding the entrance.
"Please identify yourself" said one of the cadets.
"Lieutenant Alberto Montero Quiroz of the 2nd infantry battalion of the State of Hidalgo" said Alberto.
"Come in," said the cadet.
Both entered the facilities of the military college.
Finally Emilia saw a man with a funny mustache.
She realized that Alberto greeted that man, so she did the same.
At that moment Alberto spoke: "My General, I have finally finished my project"
General Mondragón seemed intrigued by what Alberto would show him: "Show me"
At that moment Alberto took the FX 18 out of his case.
"This is the Xiuhcoatl Model 1918 Rifle, in Mexican caliber 7 x 43 mm" said Alberto.
General Mondragon seemed to have more questions than answers.
"What strategy do you have when using that weapon?" Mondragon said.
"The 7 x 43 mm cartridge is an intermediate cartridge, it is an intermediate between the pistol round and the long rifle round, it combines the lightness of a submachine gun with the power of a rifle, but it only works at short distances" said Alberto.
Mondragon did not seem entirely convinced.
"Why would we use something that has less firing range than our enemy's weapon?" he asked.
"Because it is the most optimal, most of the clashes in Matamoros occurred in the same street, less than 100 meters, besides that it is very difficult to aim with iron sights at more than 300 meters" said Alberto "However, I do not ask that be the weapon of the entire army, let's combine the FX with the Mondragons, what the FX can't do, the Mondragones will do "said Alberto.
Then she said, "I heard you made a new rifle."
Mondragon made a happy face.
"Indeed, the new Mondragon Model 1918 Rifle is ready" he said.
The three of them left in the direction of the shooting range.
Upon arrival General Mondragon showed them a new weapon: "This is the New Rifle, unlike the previous one, it uses the opposite method in its bolt, instead of having an insert in the bolt, the lever has an incision, in addition to that doesn't use stripper clips "he said.
"No?" asked Emilia.
"Use this" General Mondragon said.
It was a kind of metal block filled with cartridges.
General Mondragon unbolted the weapon, inserted the ammunition block, and the bolt went straight forward.
"It's already loaded" said the General "Lieutenant, do you want to try it?"
"It will be an honor my General" said Alberto.
Alberto took the gun, fired a rapid succession of shots, but when he reached the ninth shot, Mr. Mondragon asked him to stop.
"Shoot, but pay attention to the sound" he said.
At that moment he fired the last round.
"Ping!" the rifle let out a ping, the metal with cartridges (now empty) shot out of the top of the rifle.
Alberto laughed.
"That sound is addictive" she said.
Finally they all burst out laughing.
That day would define what would happen to Alberto's weapon.
But in the meantime, meeting General Mondragon was a good experience.
