Uplift (8 page)

Right then the door slammed open, and two Special Forces group came in, and started to down my two former adversaries.

“Whoa. These guys are cool, but thank you for saving my ass,” I said to the SF guys with my pistols. “Let your supervisor know that the next keg is on me, and all those weapons are gratis – they are your personal property thanks to a grateful vendor…a very grateful vendor.”

“I turned to my two former torturers, and my squad of rescuers – drinks on me at Piaci’s Pub. All your guys – thank you,” I said, and meant it.

We got wasted that night, and I never heard any more from Anderson. I’m sure he was listening, and knew he fucked up somehow.

****

“Okay. I’m sold. Security team from now on…Wordley. Should have listened to you too. Hamilton tried to tell me the same thing. I also want to put up a buffer zone around this place. Being naive doesn’t make us safer. Everyone armed around here all the time with the stun pistols if nothing else.” I clapped my hands. “Move it. Wordley – you were always good at planning to take fortifications – do it for us here. I’ll purchase this place – we have an option, and you send me a list of what you need.”

Corey. Need you to get the lawyers moving on this. I want to own this place by the end of the week. Would you help me with the computer security system for this place? I can’t get something as smart as you, but I want a system that tracks everything we do, and assists us. How do we do that? Can we sell the system we make for us, but make it so we can’t be hacked?

Certainly. I will send out specs for the fabrication of the circuitry as we speak. We can also sell the product – there.

There? What does that mean? I want you to set up a company to sell a security system. What do you mean there?

There means I have set up a company, filed the proper papers, made a web site, and am taking my first order currently.

Oh. You are fast. Sorry. Look. Set up any companies you think we need, and hide a lot of our assets because I foresee a time where the government, and others will try to shut us down – we need to diversify, but I have some other devices to prototype. We are making the rail gun with almost all U.S. parts. What do we need to make next. We won’t be able to defeat killer aliens with handguns.

No. You won’t, but this is a necessary step in the uplift process. Your technology, and social infrastructure needs to be altered so now we need heavier weapons, and defenses.

Why do we need weapons to uplift our infrastructure?

Richard. Change is always a messy business, and the corporations, and the wealthy will fight to the death to keep the status quo. They are on top, and intend to stay there, and anyone that opposes that view is a deviant, and should be destroyed. Corporations cling to their short-term, quarterly profit view. It is similar to running a cross-country race while looking at their feet. You can’t see the long path ahead, and you can’t avoid obstacles that are obvious to everyone with a long-term view. Corporations are like starving dogs that will try to get the last morsel of flesh out of a carcass even when the tiger is approaching.

Well – thank you for those graphic mind images. So how are we doing amassing weapons sales?

We are doing reasonably well. We can afford a Congressman, but not enough for a senator yet. The gun lobby is rousing, and I expect legislation will get pushed to slow our entrance into the field. I liked your idea of selling many of these to other countries. We need the shield as the next prototype, and I can fabricate an anti-indirect fire weapon with the new rapid prototypers. I’d like our guys to be safe from mortars, and artillery. We could do a demo next week, and give them a couple to test.

****

Sergeant Major Grady Pinchon liked these new weapons. They were inexpensive, and nearly glitch free. They provided more firepower with a smaller troop base, and that saved lives on the battlefield. They practically solved the logistics problems though getting gas to the battlefield was always an issue. He’d proved you could use damn near any flammable hydrocarbon – sure easier than finding compatible ammo. His comm buzzed. Wordley again. He sighed. The man talked too much, but he was a decent soldier – not up to SFG standard, but not bad. Wonder what he had this time? Two AcuMint guys were outside, and wanted to show him something.

Wordley smiled as the sergeant major came out.

“This is MY boss, Lieutenant Richard Patterson – formally with Sigma Max.”

“Are you the Patterson that lead the Sigma team near Jakarta? I read about that…pleased to meet you. Those Aussies are tough SOBs, and anyone who can best them is a real soldier – though they are technically still our allies. What is so special that we get you out here?”

“Are you interested in a way to protect your guys from indirect fire?” Wordley blurted.

“Wordley. There are all kinds of systems already. They do okay, but the laser systems that work against mortars, and artillery aren’t that good against many of the new rockets. Okay – okay. I’ve seen that look before. What are we going to have to tow where?” the sergeant major relented. He’d been too impressed too many times by these folks to turn down a good thing. Too many of the upper echelon were too busy fighting the last war. At least Word kept coming up with really neat toys – killer toys, but toys for soldiers. He had gotten orders in, and had product delivered the fastest he had ever seen in his life.

Wordley got out of his vehicle, and opened the trunk. The trunk contained this big ball on a pole. The pole was about a meter long.

“Okay Word. You got me on this one. What the hell is that?” It looked like a shiny ball with dots all over it about the size of a medicine ball, or a basketball on steroids. The pole had a control panel on it, but he left it all in the trunk.

“Sergeant Major,” Richard spoke. “You’ve seen, and used our weapons…of course you have. We want to put on a little demo, and we need to do it with officers that can place orders.”

“Every corporation that makes weapons wants to push them in the military. Your pulse rifle, and railgun look they will be the defacto choice for our four battalions here pretty soon, and then they’ll go to the rest of the military. I’m just the little guy in the trench – not the one in the ivory tower.”

Richard held up his hand. “Understand that completely, but our weapons are being manufactured all over the world now. Did you know that?”

“You bastard. Why’d you do that? Don’t answer that – You frigging money-grubbing bastard. I don’t have any use for you,” he said, and turned around to leave, but spun back, and held out a fist. “Your weapons in the hands of some of the heathens will cut our guys to bits. Did you think of that? Did you?” he yelled.

“Yes sergeant major I did,” I said softly, and the soldier just stood there a moment as I continued. “That is why I came to you. You understand how vulnerable our troops would be so I’ve come to you with ways to defend against those weapons.”

The sergeant major just stood there. “You can defend against your lasers, and railgun rounds with that thing? This I’ve got to see.”

“My point exactly sergeant major. You understand the energy, and threat involved, and I need your help getting another tank for a demo – I’m fresh out of them,” Richard said. The sergeant major started laughing ‘til tears came out though I didn’t think it was that funny – guess it’s the tension. “Also. We need some brass that will understand, and we need to keep this hush hush. They will close my factory, and slap me into some geek lab somewhere if I just go to the high brass, but I want your guys to get first dibs on everything we come up with, and I don’t plan for these to be sold abroad. You know my weapons designs would already be stolen if I hadn’t licensed them. We can at least get quality control this way.”

“When do you need this done?” the sergeant major asked.

“Before the Joint Chiefs, and Secretary of Defense leave – preferably during your demonstration at 0800 Friday,” Richard said. “I want our soldiers to live through an attack with similarly armed attackers. This system is totally different from anything previously used – ever. I don’t think we could even get invited without your help this late in the game.”

“I could definitely get you in to watch the demo, and it would be good to have you there to answer questions – how did you even find out who was here – there are only a handful of people that…” he stopped when he realized he was confirming that they were here.

It was I – in here, Corey thought. Me… me me me. I never get any credit (chuckle).

Richard almost burst out laughing at Corey’s antics in his head, but reached into the car, and pulled out a folder. He handed it to the Sergeant Major. “This is what I suggest you add to the demo – please make the shooter someone who is a good shot with a M8, and the other weapons,” I said.

THE DEMO

I was having quite the philosophical argument with Corey. I thought we were showing our hand way too soon, but he said this was the right way to do it. This demo would secure the contracts for AcuMint, and accelerate our plans for space. I thought this showed too many technological jumps too fast, but he downloaded the science for me. The tech to break down hydrocarbons was what was needed to produce cheap energy in the next stages of the uplift. We needed weapons first, and then defenses. The defense would later take us into space, and he showed me the steps. It made sense, and that was scary because I – I could understand it, and explain it to others. It would actually be easier for me to explain these leaps in logic then someone classically schooled, but these were true leaps.

Wordley, and I drove to the Gate 5 where we were met by a staff sergeant who checked our IDs, and gave us badges to wear. We were to leave our vehicle near, and we transferred our paraphernalia to the military vehicle. The sergeant drove us to the demo area, and helped Wordley set up a little beach shade cabana, a folding chair, cooler full of beer, and our little ball on a pole. The staff sergeant asked if Wordley needed help sticking the pole in the ground (which was as hard as cement since the drought of the last three years). Wordley told him no, and pressed a, button on the side of the pole. The pole sank into the ground beside the cabana like it was quick sand until Wordley let go of the, button.

Wordley asked the sergeant if he wanted to see if it was sturdy enough, and the sergeant tried to move, or pull up the pole. The sergeant worked up a sweat, but couldn’t move it. Wordley then touched another button, and the pole extended about 2 meters higher than the cabana with the globe on top.

The sergeant then got back in the vehicle, and drove us all back to the reviewing stand to meet the sergeant major.

“Good morning Mister…lieutenant Patterson. You sure you want to go through with this additional demo. I don’t want anyone killed on my watch – I’m two years from retirement.”

“I won’t mess you up sergeant major here, but I am hiring if you will look me up as soon as you’re out. There’s a fun job with me waiting for you, and any of your smarter people you want to bring with you.”

“Thank you sir. I’ll keep that in mind. The observers will be arriving momentarily.”

Vehicles started arriving right on schedule, and began disgorging generals, and aides of all descriptions. I recognized the secretary of defense, and a few of the generals, but Corey filled me in on everyone’s name, and background at any I lingered looking over.

Sergeant Major Grady Pinchon (I realized I hadn’t even known his name ‘til just now) started speaking.

“Base Commander, General Jack Green will have told you about our new weaponry. I want to let you see this in action. My people have used it, and abused it over the last two months, and they love it. It takes a beating – can use almost any combustible fuel to power it, and packs a hell of a punch. I must remind you that this is still classified. Are there any questions before we start?”

“Who are these two people with you Sergeant Major?” asked General Green. “I don’t remember authorizing any civilians here – especially to a classified activity.”

“I admitted them, General. They will be able to answer questions I cannot. These are the people that designed, and built these weapons. Sir. May I present Richard Patterson, and Frank Wordley of AcuMint.”

The general sat down, but Sergeant Major Pinchon knew the General didn’t like surprises, and let a breath out slow. He knew he’d be broken down an E5, or lower if this didn’t go right.

“We’ll start by having a volunteer demonstrate the less lethal tetanizing pistol – think of this as a wireless Taser with a fifty-meter effective range. Privates Smith, and Alvarez have volunteered. We require users to experience this for themselves. First we’ll demo with Private Smith who will put on a foam, full head helmet so he won’t break a nose, or something.” Sergeant Major Pinchon whipped a pistol out, and pointed it at Smith who went rigid, and dropped like a stone. “Would one of you like to try using one of these?”

General Clanton came forward, and the Sergeant Major gave the general a full fifty seconds of instruction while Private Alvarez was putting on his foam helmet. The private immediately started running away at full speed—first one way, and then the other. The general looked at the sergeant major questioningly.