星际战士连长能够在不到一纳秒的时间内完成整个思考过程以及冗长的分析。他先是考虑了自己的站位，再考虑自己要开几枪，以及自己把枪举起来开火所需的时间，自己与目标的距离以及随之而来的命中率。他先考虑了理论上如何，又考虑了实际上如何，等这一套过程下来之后，他才做出了决定，这个流程都没用到一纳秒。
原文：The Word Bearer is almostunrecognisable. For a nanosecond, the figure registers to Luciel as an unknown,a threat.
Transhuman responses are already there, unbidden. Adrenalinespikes to heighten an already formidable reaction time. Muscle remembers.Luciel wears his boltgun, an oiled black pit bull of a weapon, in his thighholster. He can draw, aim and fire in less than a second. The range is sixmetres, the target unobstructed. There is no chance of missing. Maximus plate,frontally augmented, might stop a mass-reactive shell, so Luciel will fire twoand aim for the visor slits. The airgate skin-sleeve is self-repairing, andwill survive las-fire damage, but a bolter shot will shred it open, so Lucielalso braces for the explosive decompression of a ricochet or a miss-hit. At asimple, subconscious neural urge, boot-sole electromagnets charge to clamp ontothe deck plates.
Luciel thinks theoretical, but of course there is notheoretical. There is no tactical precedent for a Space Marine to fight a SpaceMarine. The idea is nonsense. He thinks practical, and that directs him to thevisor slits. He can make a clean kill headshot in less than a second and ahalf, two rounds for kill insurance, and probably protect the atmosphericintegrity of the airgate.
All this, all this decided, unbidden, instinctive, in lessthan a nanosecond.
- Know no Fear
