"Indeed."

"Very well, then."

"I am not familar with pre-warp Earth armed forces, or combat. Can you describe your combat experience?"

Hmm, where should he start. He's spoken to gentlemen and ladies who know nothing of combat before, so perhaps there.

"Naval battles often begin with broadsides from cannon fire-- turning the ship to maneuver and send out cannon balls. But they often end with close combat with sword and pistol. I myself have faced battle on a number of occasions," he is aware that this is uncomfortably close to boasting, but comforts himself that the man did ask, "and am accounted a fighting-captain. The largest action I have participated in was the Battle of the Nile in 1798, in which I captained the Reliant." He remembers that Tuvok may not know these names. "It was fought for over three hours, with boarding parties and broadsides alike," he adds.

"An impressive record."

"Very well then. I propose that you undergo a holodeck combat simulation. Your enemies will not be real people, and you yourself will not come to harm. However, it will in all other respects appear to be real combat. Is this acceptable to you?"

It's a bit troubling that he can't tell if Tuvok really thinks his record is impressive or not. He's not sure which would make him more uncomfortable. They're both pretty bad.

Laurence is trepidated by the notion of returning to the holodeck, but not by combat. "Yes, sir, that would be acceptable."

"Very well."

Tuvok leads them to the holodeck.

"Would you prefer to warm up with a scenario from your native time, or start directly with a modern scenario?"

"Modern scenario." He doesn't particularly want to engage in more realistic combat than necessary.

"Very well."

"Computer, load program Tuvok Gamma 3."

A table with a phaser on it shimmers into existence.

Tuvok gestures to the phaser.

"This is a simulated phaser. Phasers are the primary weapon used by Starfleet personnel. This is the pistol variant, but there are also rifles and larger variants used for ship to ship combat."

"The power level of a phaser can be adjusted. At the lowest setting, which is the most commonly used, phasers knock most humanoids unconscious. At intermediate settings, phasers kill most lifeforms. At the highest setting, a handheld phaser will vaporise most lifeforms. More usefully, it will also cut though most but not all metals."

"A phaser dies not need to be reloaded, although it must be recharged after heavy use at high power levels. It can fire in short bursts or in a continuous beam."

"Any questions?"

That ... doesn't look like a pistol...

"It fires at range? How far?"

And: "How do you fire it?"

"The effective range varies by atmosphere and setting, but 1km is a reasonable rule of thumb."

He picks up the phaser and, after showing his hand positioning to Laurence, fires a glowing orange beam across the room. It vanishes just before hitting the wall.

"Amazing. But... Do your enemies have such weapons as well?"

"Indeed. The specifics vary, but a post-warp civilization is extremely likely to have invented handheld energy weapons. Since we do not interfere with pre-warp civilizations, one could not be our enemy."

Oh. That makes this... a lot less good.

"I see."

A silence of a couple seconds.

"Would you like time to practice with the phaser before moving on to a more combat-oriented scenario?"

"Yes, please."

Lieutenant Tuvok is odd and he can't put his finger on why. But Laurence appreciates the straightforwardness of his approach.

"Very well."
"Computer, create targets."

Dozens of spheres appear throughout the holodeck. Some are stationary, some move quickly and erratically. Some are large and some are small.

He glances at Laurence's chest.

"Unfortunate. It appears you have not been given a com badge. Very well. When you are done, ask the computer to notify me. You may take as long as you wish. If you require rest, tell the computer to end program, and when you return, tell the computer to resume program Tuvok Gamma 3."

"Any questions?"

Tuvok is planning to leave him alone in this barren room to shoot at spooky floating spheres until he is done.

Okay.

Laurence asks Tuvok to walk him through changing the settings on the phaser, and show him how to fire it one more time, slowly, and show him the proper hand positioning and grip for firing at a few different angles and while moving quickly, and demonstrate how to charge it.

He also asks: "Is there a way to make it impossible to fire?"