The mechanism was simple enough. To most, it'd be spectacularly safe unless seriously mishandled--no wonder everyone was allowed to have one. Good thing he knew his way around a gun. (Part of him wondered, for just a moment, if someday they should go back to the cave when they have enough people, supplies, and skills. See what sort of damage they can do. But only for a moment.)

When one beast caught her unawares, he only moved to cover his work before glancing at her, seeing if she was all right. She wasn't, but so long as she should still shoot, they'd be fine. For a few more moments. One of those moments, his eye failed him again, one of them blurred and unfocused, like trying to magnify the minute details of his work and instead being disorienting. This was not a good time for whatever the hell this was. Keep working. He could work with one eye if he had to.

The device began to make a humming noise that began steadily increasing in pitch. Difficult to estimate exactly how long they'd have, but his educated guess was 'not long'. Malcolm tossed the gun into the fray, into what seemed to be the densest population of the creatures, though they were everywhere, and grabbed the woman's arm to pull her in the opposite direction.

"Get down!" As much for her as for everyone in the general area. Mere moments before the makeshift grenade exploded.