#project locust

[leastinsanesscpilot]

OOC: things are happening...........

[kryptonitetidalwave]

LOCUST can launch swarming UAVs to autonomously overwhelm an adversary. The deployment of UAV swarms will provide Sailors and Marines a decisive tactical advantage.

The breakthrough technology then utilizes information-sharing between the UAVs, enabling autonomous collaborative behavior in either defensive or offensive missions.

[fourhundredthousandwords]

Day Sixty-Four

The glass behind Doctor Bautista has lost its opacity. Behind it lies a simple room, devoid of decoration. Its sole feature is a large medical table, tilted upright. Strapped to the table is a man – the young military officer from before. His eyes are heavily lidded, his body slack. The camera lingers for a moment before focusing again on the Doctor.

  “I have spent a significant portion of my research career working with individuals who, in one way or another, pursued a life of violence. Despite what you may believe, the ability to harm another human being – to end his or her life – is an aberration. Most humans, when pressed, would rather avoid a conflict than cause it to escalate. Being able to cause violence on a traumatic scale requires than an individual either overcome significant behavioral and evolutionary programming, or that the programming is in some way rendered ineffective by means of physiological, hormonal or behavioral modification.”

  He walks a fine line between the truth and lies. The behavior of the solider behind him is no more aberrant than that of any other human in faced with a traumatic situation, save the fact that he entered into that situation voluntarily.

  “The process by which men like the young man behind me are conditioned to overcome their natural tendencies to preserve human life has always been of significant interest to me. In a time of peace, I truly believe that behavioral methods could be adapted to help such men transition into a less hostile frame of mind. In today’s climate, however, it is that very killer instinct that I wish to preserve.”

  Learning how to break a man’s psyche and build him again has always been a part of the indoctrination process of any organization that requires absolute obedience authority to function. Codifying those breaking processes – and the brain’s reaction to those processes – has been Bautista’s life’s ambition. The ability to study the brains of countless soldiers has taught him a great deal about how a man might be reshaped, if only the right tools were available. The window goes blank once more.

  Behind Dr. Bautista plays a short video clip. A typical human brain is shown, modeled to show the centers of the brain that control behavior in great detail. After a few moments, a horde of silvery fragments descend upon that brain, clustering in specific sections clearly marked to indicate traits like “aggression”, “survival” and “obedience”.

  “Project: Locust’s main aim is to quickly indoctrinate an enemy combatant and to re-direct his killer instinct towards a hostile target. Through the use of carefully programmed nanites, the individual’s own will can be subsumed by a program of our choosing. The physical modifications made to the brain are accompanied by the rapid delivery of a specially designed behavior program – one that drives the subject not only into a frenzied state, but that directs him or her towards an objective of our choosing.”

  The window once again loses its opacity. The soldier’s bonds have been released. His eyes, now open, are blank. Doctor Bautista holds up a small tablet computer, revealing a rather simple user interface to the camera.

  “Activating these agents is no more difficult than choosing a target and pressing a button. Imagine that – an entire warzone, instantly modified by a general thousands of miles away. So long as a connection is established, we can program enemy combatants to accomplish any goal – without endangering the life of a single one of our soldiers.”

  Bautista slides a finger over the tablet, and the solider comes to life. A feral look flashes in his eyes, before he throws himself against the mirror. The impact is loud enough to be caught on the camera, even through the thick plate. The solider bounces back, bloodied but otherwise unphased. When Bautista presses another button, he resumes his docile state. As the soldier sways slightly, a slight bit of silvery movement blurs across his wound, sealing it in an instant.

  “Of course, the Locust delivery system works to do far more than indoctrinate enemy combatants. As the nano-machines gain access to new material – dead cells and the like – they can easily rebuild the structures of a soldiers’ body. Not only can our indoctrinated combatants recover from significant bodily damage in only a few moments, but that same technology can be used to more quickly rehabilitate our men in the field. No longer will battlefield casualties claim lives that could otherwise be saved – provided that the right elements are present, a soldier equipped with Locust nanites can survive anything short of aerial bombardment.”

  The soldier behind Bautista sits on the floor. He’s not visibly breathing – in fact, little suggests that the man is alive. Bautista sets his tablet down on the table, taking his seat.

  “The final stage of Project: Locust involves what we’ve termed the ‘Sleeper’ process. As the nanites multiply in the body, they can be directed to fulfill major bodily functions. One of our combatants can be placed in a state of stasis almost indefinitely, allowing them to be recalled to action on a moment’s notice. Thus our well-motivated, nearly invincible combatants can be placed at the ready without stretching out supply lines or consuming valuable resources. Indeed, they are an army at the ready, with only the push of the button necessary for deployment.”

  Bautista takes off his glasses, carefully pinching the bridge of his nose and muttering to himself before looking at the camera again.

  “Before you is nothing less than the final evolution of human warfare. Biologically programmed machines, willing and eager to put themselves in danger to combat the enemies of freedom. These soldiers do not need to eat, do not need to sleep, and do not need to be motivated. They exist only to serve, and indeed, only to eliminate threats to our nation. Project Locust is the future of warfare, and the key to supremacy on this planet.”

  Bautista removes his lab coat, folding it neatly and placing it on the chair. He smiles faintly at the camera before reaching behind himself, pulling a small pistol from his waistband. The cameraman begins to speak before a shot is heard and the footage ends.