Echo Effect

by Robert D. Armstrong

  “Not having popcorn during all that was pretty stressful,” Lucas replied.

  “Ha! I have to give ol’ Garza credit though,” Keith said.

  “That’s an understatement. I wouldn’t think twice about sending her through SEAL training. I’m not saying she would make it, but I’ve worked with a lot of military personnel and she’s elite, no doubt.”

  “You did notice Saven wasn’t shooting back at her, right?” Keith said.

  “Yeah, what’s that about, anyway?”

  “Well, we’re talking about it so you’d imagine the Marines are too,” Keith said.

  “Psychological tactics again,” Lucas said, rolling his eyes. “He could have ended it much faster if he would have shot at her.”

  “Right now, I bet Belmont is wondering how he’s being steamrolled by a prototype that doesn’t even need his own weapon,” Keith said.

  “I doubt that. He’s probably wondering what he’s going to break next.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  After tossing the chair, Belmont buried his face in his hands. He knew he had to do something drastic.

  He was alone with only a handful of inexperienced Marines. All of them were technical support and probably hadn’t fired their weapons in weeks. He was in uncharted territory. Not a single experimental drone had progressed into phase two in nineteen years of the Crucible.

  Not only that, but he’d lost his best leader and probably best shooter in the entire unit, Staff Sergeant Garza.

  There was only silence in the Marine control room as the young corporals looked toward Belmont for leadership. After a couple minutes, he pulled his face out of his hands. He stood up and met all their eyes with a vacant, yet intense face.

  “Stay put until I get back,” Belmont said in a low voice, walking out of the room. He marched down the hall toward Keith’s control room. He could hear himself breathing heavily as he passed Keith’s window. Keith was inside, laughing with Lucas. This angered Belmont, but he kept his cool.

  It appeared that Lucas had seen enough for the day and was leaving. Lucas shut the door, telling Keith goodbye. Lucas stood there for a moment, as if he could feel Belmont beside him, staring.

  “Captain?” Lucas said. He seemed surprised to see Belmont on that side of the hall. It wasn’t common for Marines to leave their own during the Crucible.

  “Lucas. Just heading over to discuss a few technical hiccups I’m having with Keith. Wondering if he’s experiencing the same,” Belmont said, changing his appearance to a more professional manner.

  “The drill is still live, isn’t it?” Lucas asked.

  “Yeah. It’ll just take a second though.”

  “Oh okay. You mean the camera feed hiccups?” Lucas smiled.

  “Um, yeah, yeah. You guys too, huh?” Belmont crossed his arms.

  “Saven’s camera has been quirky the whole drill,” Lucas noted. “I’ll let you guys work it out. I’ve got some things to handle on my end.”

  “See ya tomorrow then,” Belmont said. He knew that his visit had nothing to do with technical hiccups, but he played right into it.

  Keith noticed Belmont just outside the door, talking to Lucas. They made eye contact through the glass. Keith stood up, confused by Belmont’s decision to come over.

  “Keith,” Belmont greeted him, turning his back and closing the door behind him. He paused awkwardly for a moment.

  “Well, Captain, didn’t expect to see you here. What’s going on? The drill is still live, you know?” Keith said.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. My Marines’ camera feeds have been quirky. Have you remedied your issues?” Belmont asked in a low voice. He looked out in the hall to see if Lucas had rounded the corner back to his quarters.

  “Um, yeah, for the most part,” Keith said, shutting down his monitors. Belmont looked up to the corner wall. There was an old security camera positioned above Keith, the same camera Agent Casser used to monitor the rooms.

  “Maybe you could give me some pointers,” Belmont said.

  “Hmmm, well, yeah, but why are you coming over now?” Keith questioned suspiciously, raising his eyebrows.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, all of your tactical Marines with camera feeds are in the penalty box. You only have drone operators remaining,” Keith said, raising an eyebrow and staring at Belmont.

  Belmont slowly inched toward Keith. He dropped his posed face, revealing one of desperation and anger. Keith’s eyes widened as he took a step back.

  “Captain, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  Belmont lunged at Keith, outside the view of protection the camera provided. He grabbed Keith around the throat, picking him up off the floor with ease and holding him at eye level.

  It appeared that Keith tried to move into view of the camera, but Belmont’s arm reach and power were too great. He outweighed Keith by over 100lbs.

  “You little shit,” Belmont said furiously. He kept his voice just low enough to not be overheard.

  “W-What?”

  Belmont got in Keith’s face. “That’s no fucking drone...is it?”

  “I-I-I can’t breathe...” Keith pleaded. He struggled, attempting to pull down on Belmont’s hands, but they didn’t move.

  “Answer the question! That’s no drone, is it?” Belmont demanded. “You wanna fuck with my career? Huh? Embarrass the Marines?” He tightened his grip.

  Keith’s face started to turn purple, but surprisingly, he smiled. Initially, Belmont thought he was crazy, Keith seemed to invite pain or perhaps death upon himself, but this began to enraged Belmont. He took the smile as a taunting gesture.

  “Oh, you don’t think I will? You think—” Suddenly, the door exploded open, breaking off the top hinge. Saven rocketed into the room like a missile, smashing Belmont with his metallic forearm right in the chest. The impact was tremendous. It knocked Belmont into the air halfway across the room. He landed on top of a desk then rolled off, face down in front of Agent Casser’s view.

  “Aaaaaaaarggghhhhh!” Belmont groaned.

  Keith’s leg buckled as he gasped for air. The 300 pound Belmont was hurled off him like a small child.

  “Whoa. Whoa. We’ve got something here on camera six!” Casser said as his agents huddled around him.

  Saven rolled Belmont over onto his back with his foot as the captain moaned in pain. The impact had knocked the breath out of him. Saven extended his rifle, pointing it at Belmont’s head.

  Belmont started to lean up, but when he did, Saven shot him in the face with a stun round without hesitation.

  After a few moments, Belmont awakened groaning from the pain. Saven’s green eyes gazed down on him in defeat. Keith had pressed his back against the wall, his hands out beside his hips, bracing himself as far away from the action as the wall would allow.

  “Oh my god!” Keith yelled, holding his throat and coughing. Saven tossed his rifle at Keith, nodding slowly. Keith awkwardly caught the rifle, trying to catch his breath.

  Casser’s voice came over the loudspeaker within a few seconds. “AHEM. Gentlemen, we have a winner…”

  Belmont forced himself to move around, holding his head as he regained consciousness. He looked over at Saven first, shaking his head in confusion. Agent Casser and company strolled into the room.

  Belmont stood up, and everyone was staring at him. Lucas even had time to hurry down for a peek through the glass in the hall. Belmont looked right at Saven for a split second before turning toward Casser.

  “Ughhh.” Belmont sighed.

  “We were in the control room. I was out of bounds… The drill isn’t over,” Belmont said under his breath.

  “Hmmm, well, where exactly is out of bounds for choking a man?” Casser posed.

  “He’s cheating. That prototype isn’t artificial intelligence. That’s why I came down here to straighten this out,” Belmont said, raising his voice slightly.

  “Instead of coming to me and my staff, you decided you could choke out Kei
th? Well, what did your investigation yield, exactly? If Saven isn’t artificial intelligence, then what is he?” Casser demanded.

  “I think it’s being controlled remotely by a human operator off station,” Belmont said, unsure of himself. He looked toward the ground.

  “And what evidence do you have?” Casser questioned.

  “I’d need some time to prove—” Belmont said under his breath.

  “Captain Belmont, there are no signals to or from this installation. My crew has the most advanced sensors in place to ensure this. I can assure you that suspicion is incorrect.”

  “You’re making a huge mistake, Casser,” Belmont said, sternly looking at him.

  “Am I? You just attacked a military contracted civilian during a war game, Captain Belmont. All I have to do is press a button and your superiors will get video footage.” Casser pointed at him. “If you threaten me again, you’re done.”

  “What footage? There’s no evidence I did anything,” Belmont said. He knew he was careful not to assault Keith within the camera’s limited perspective.

  Casser stepped in close to Belmont. “You forgot about a camera,” Casser said, smiling. He pointed toward Saven’s chest to a circular object. “We’ve got all we need right here.”

  Belmont rolled his eyes, looking at the ceiling and cursing under his breath. He shook his head in submission. “DAMNIT!”

  “Keith Sanders, I want to congratulate you and your team. This is quite the accomplishment. Washington will be pleased to hear about your success.” Agent Casser smiled with his hands crossed low in front of him.

  “Understand that I will prove my theory is correct. There’s no way a drone came in and did this to all my men,” Belmont argued.

  “Seems to me, no matter what it is, it shouldn’t be able to pick apart the most skilled operators the US military has to offer. It was twenty-two Marines and various drones against a single prototype,” Casser pointed out. “You can’t even give it credit for that?”

  “You said it yourself, Belmont. You were upset we only had one drone to test this year,” Keith said.

  Belmont cut his eyes up at him.

  “Dr. Sanders, do you require any medical attention? I apologize for not asking that first, Keith,” Casser questioned.

  “No. I’m good, thank you,” Keith said.

  “Ah, very well. Gentlemen, the days of sending human Special Forces troops into dangerous territory could be one step closer to being over. This could save many American lives, gentlemen,” Casser continued. “Captain Belmont...we’ll be in touch with your superiors soon. I’m sure they’ll want to debrief on this evolution in its entirety. We appreciate you and your men’s participation,” Casser explained.

  “I’ve got nothing else to say to any of you,” Belmont said, getting to his feet. “Out of my way.” Storming out of the room, he brushed up against Niven’s shoulder as he exited. Casser’s men followed the brutish Marine with their eyes.

  Lucas threw both hands around Keith’s shoulders. “I know you told him you’re ok, but—”

  “No, I’m good.” Keith said. Lucas peered over at Saven in the corner of the room. He was moving around erratically, with short, jerky movements.

  “Hey, why’s he moving like that?” Lucas asked.

  “That’s excitement but...”

  “He looks like he wants, something.” Lucas observed. Saven moved closer to Keith, smacking his hand against the wall violently several times. Brick began chipping away from the surface, flinging chucks across the room and filling the air with smoke and debris.

  “What the hell! Keith?! What’s he want? Do something!” Lucas demanded, backing away. Suddenly, Saven collapsed to the floor, his metallic exoskeleton crumbled awkwardly. Keith held up his thumb sized remote shutdown. “He just got a little too excited,” Keith said casually. He stared out into the distance a million miles away.

  “A little too excited? Does he not like white colored bricks? Did you promise him something if we won? What?” Lucas asked, pulling his hair back. They had no idea what Amery had done.

  “What? No. He has no ambition other than to complete orders.”

  “That scared the shit outta me. Look at that wall, he took half of it down!” Lucas said.

  “I don’t think he meant anything by it, he could have killed us if he wanted.”

  “Well, a heart attack can be fatal, Keith.” Lucas said holding his chest.

  “It’s fine. I’ll get some people up here for transport. He won’t remember any of this.” Keith said.

  “You might not either. You’re in shock.” Lucas observed.

  “I need to rest.”

  “All right come here, gimme your arm. I’ll get you to your quarters.”

  The drill was over. For the first time, the U.S. Marines were defeated at their own game. After successfully winning the Crucible, Saven would now be in active combat status. He was now capable of being deployed in place of Special Forces teams. The government contract negotiations could start.

  Ten hours later, Agent Casser and his men were the first to leave. Keith and Lucas ordered their men to prepare their equipment to head back to the mainland, as did Belmont. The bright morning sun shined in on the concrete surface, blinding to all those around. However, in the distance, heavy snow threatened.

  “I still can’t believe it,” Lucas said, shaking his head as he watched the Marines load their equipment.

  “Honestly, I’m surprised it took so long. I felt like Saven was holding back,” Keith replied, smiling.

  “You cocky son of a bitch.” Lucas laughed. “I’m guessing Amery will want me to stay onboard as a partner? For a little while, anyway.”

  “I’d think so. Yeah,” Keith said.

  Lucas dropped his head, raising his eyebrows.

  “What?” Keith said.

  “I have to be honest with you about something, and I know I can trust you not to say anything,” Lucas said, biting his lip.

  “Absolutely. Go ahead. Shoot.”

  “Me being here... Well, it has nothing to do with our partnership. I mean, I wouldn’t mind keeping it for certain reasons, but not for income,” Lucas said.

  “Well, then why are you here?” Keith asked, furrowing his eyebrows downward curiously.

  “I’ve heard, for a long while, you are the best at what you do. It’s evident after what I’ve seen here. The way you poured yourself into this project is unbelievable, frankly. You stuck with this program for years, even while you were losing.”

  “Thanks, but I’m not following.”

  “I came here to offer you a job. I came to see in person if you were the right man for the job.”

  “What? You’re trying to hire me out from underneath your business partner? Ha! I knew you were a SEAL, but damn, that’s cutthroat.” Keith laughed, folding some cables up into a metal suitcase.

  “Business is business, but this goes beyond all the trivial stuff, Keith. I can’t really get into specifics here, but you’ll have the chance to work for a company trying to make a positive difference,” Lucas said with a serious face.

  Keith laughed. “Positive?”

  “I know you’ve been knee deep in the ECHO project, but have you really thought about what Saven is designed for? I mean, think about the level of unaccountability that thing offers with its capabilities. He can get in and out behind enemy lines without anyone seeing anything,” Lucas posed.

  “North Korea is still a threat,” Keith replied. “How is defending our nation not positive?”

  “I get that. There’s no doubt, now that Saven has plowed through the Crucible, he will probably get the opportunity to defend his country, again. That’s admirable.”

  “Then how admirable must we be, Lucas? Apparently, that isn’t enough.”

  “Stop. I’m not judging you. I’m not. I want you on my side. I just… Well, I just see you as part of a team that’s looking to advance mankind, not continue the same vicious cycle.”

  “Are y
ou going to stop talking in circles and give it to me straight?” Keith asked.

  “Not now. I just ask that you think deeply about my character and Amery’s. That’s really what it comes down to. I want you to think hard about the ECHO project, think about what SolarSystems was willing to sacrifice to gain an edge here with this program,” Lucas explained.

  Keith looked away. He understood the moral implications of the ECHO unit, but he wasn’t in his right mind when Amery dumped the project on him.

  “But listen, when I see you, I see someone who stands out from all that. You don’t fit in with those guys. I see a man that understands dedication and has tremendous skill. I see an honest man. I see a man that I want on my side. I can’t make it any simpler than that,” Lucas said.

  Those words seemed more genuine to Keith than anything he could remember hearing in recent events.

  Keith looked down at the ground then back up at Lucas. “I appreciate that, I do. I’m not able to make a decision now, but—”

  “That’s all I’m asking. Just consider my offer,” Lucas said, smiling and patting Keith on the back.

  Keith shook his head in agreement, but in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn’t leave Saven.

  Suddenly, Belmont interrupted them. “We’re outta here.” He extended his hand toward Lucas.

  “Lucas.” Belmont made eye contact, but only briefly before looking away.

  Lucas stared through Belmont. His eyes were vacant, no emotion, refusing to shake his hand while looking up at the towering Marine. Lucas appeared completely confident, not intimidated in the slightest.

  Belmont scoffed at Lucas, turning around quickly and shaking his head. “Every Marine on the bird now or your ass gets left here!” Belmont ordered. He looked back at Lucas briefly then over at Keith. He held his stare for a few seconds, squinting his eyes slightly before turning around.

  “Move it! Assholes and elbows, people!” He pointed at the jet before boarding.

  “He seems rather positive, considering,” Keith said, tucking his weapon away. “I’m crushed I didn’t get a handshake though. Hurts my feelings, really.” Keith stuck out his bottom lip before smiling.