**Note**- I've been collecting details on how ray guns work in fiction and about their real life counterparts, because I wanted to provide some scientific explanation for how the ray guns in my fanfic work and why. This is just a short interlude to explain them. The HADS is based off the actual Active Denial System, which is used in warfare, mounted on vehicles.

Danger Days
Interlude 1 – Ray Guns

Types of Ray Gun: The most common ray gun used in the Danger Days fanfic is known as the 'standard' model. The standard ray gun mostly resembles a revolver, the specific type depending on the country of origin; a standard ray gun built in America will resemble a Colt Model 1861 Navy or the Manhattan Navy, whereas a ray gun built in England will have a shorter barrel and be similar to an Enfield No. 2. The standard ray gun is held one handed, and is used commonly by Draculoids and Killjoys as a primary weapon, and by Scarecrows and Exterminators as a secondary weapon.
The second type of ray gun, another common type, is the rifle model. These ray guns represent automatic rifles, again depending on the country of origin, though the basic design mostly resembles a LAPA FA-03, made in Brazil. The rifles are issued to Scarecrows, Exterminators and higher members of Better Living Industry, and are held with two hands, resting on the user's shoulder. It is often a primary weapon.
The third and fourth types of ray gun are both restricted to private, BLI use due to their illegal nature. The Handheld Active Denial System (HADS) is issued to Exterminators for use as a torture device (see: use), and is held with both hands. Its design resembles a ray gun of the rifle model, but instead firing a beam of microwaves.
The fourth type of ray is commonly known as a Dazzler, though it has been heavily adapted from its former status; in military history, a dazzler was used to temporarily blind the victim. Better Living Industries had adapted the original dazzler to permanently inhibit the victim, causing a permanent loss of sight. The dazzler, resembling a standard ray gun with a two inch long barrel, is held one handed.

Use: The standard ray gun is a lethal, offensive weapon, which uses a visible light laser to harm the victim. Its intent is to cause injury or death.
The rifle model is also a lethal, offensive weapon, but uses a carbon dioxide laser to fire strong heat rays in the direction of the victim, causing serious injury or death.
The HADS is a non-lethal torture device. It fires a beam of microwaves (at 95 GHz) at a target, heating the water and fat molecules in the skin through dielectric heating. It causes extreme pain, which in initial testing; no person could endure more than five seconds. The temperature of the heat rays is 44°C, and the sensation was reportedly similar to having an incandescent light bulb pressed against the skin.
The dazzler is a non-lethal inhibitor, which uses visible lightto permanently blind the victim. The immediate effects also cause intense pain in and around the eye area.