Epilogue To Premature Cremation
Clandestine meeting between
the Orvatech Corp. and the Celestial Military Command
Date: 04.24.2258
General Avar, the High General: The third trial test run has been successfully
concluded. What are the recommendations, gentlemen.
Dr. Quintas, the lead scientist: The fifth generation cybersolderies are ninety
percent combat ready. There is a ten percent error quotient. Some command
codes are compromised by latent moral rejection. The problem can be solved
within a Zekarian solar cycle.
General Ta'lith: Will the soldiers obey their platoon leader's orders in termination excursions? The alien enemy will use human hostage shields to obstruct the killing parameters.
Dr. Quintas: My empirical data suggests that kill orders will be adhered to if
platoon leaders command all unit soldiers to disengage their moral inhibitors.
Mutiny will not occur due to morality uncertainty, but more likely to low
survival probability index projection.
General Avar: Was that the case with RCN #024785?
Dr. Parnon, top cybernetic systems engineer: We believe he suffered irrevocable damage to his installed positronic brain during combat. Thus,
resulting in an automatic upload of his human core memories. He killed his
platoon leader as a result of his prior aberrant criminal behavior.
General Seyath: I never did trust using those convict bastards for specialized
deep cover military operations.
General Avar: Well, the damage was minimal. Most of the unit was not
contaminated by the rogue cybersoldier. Although he survived the battle of
Oronmo, he suffered extensive injuries, am I correct doctor Quintas.
Dr. Quintas: Yes, general, you are correct. He suffered extensive memory loss
of his human core brain function, and was paralyzed from the neck down. The
good news is that our secret experiments have not been exposed to subspace
communications piracy.
General Ta'lith: Are you sure, doctor. He did commandeer the satellite array at
his unit's command post.
Dr. Quintas: Quite certain, general. The downloaded data from his positronic
brain indicate that there was no breach. He only tried to send a standard SOS
to the nearest commercial planetary ports. This will not draw any unwanted
attention.
General Avar: And was the defective cybernetic unit destroyed.
Dr. Parnon: Yes, general. I personally disposed of the unit. It was prematurely
cremated as stipulated per military contract requirement.
General Seyath: Those convicts really thought we were going to award them freedom for volunteering to be guinea pigs in these illegal experiments. No, the
secret clause was to prematurely cremate any battle injured survivors, and
those not injured were to have their human memories completely erased and
become permanent cybersoldiers.
General Ta'lith: Why didn't we wipe their memories from the get go, doctors?
Dr. Quintas: We needed a baseline reference point in which to see if their
cybernetic responses were enhanced with their human instincts as a motivating
factor. Have all your questions been answered satisfactorily, gentlemen.
The trio of generals: Yes, doctors.
Copyright © Freddie Robinson Jr. | Year Posted 2016
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