Future Weapons of War

“I—thank you, sir.”

“Which is why I called you in to see me. I think you can be more than the ordinary soldier.” He leaned forward. “We need volunteers for special training. People who are willing to work alone. People who can get a particular job done.” He paused. “You ever hear of Carlos Hathcock?”

“No, sir,” I replied, puzzled.

“Look him up in the camp database. He’s what I’d like you to become. Let me know your decision within twenty-four hours. Dismissed.”

I left the tent, and almost immediately Samantha said, “Forget the database. I know who Hathcock was.” And she told me all about him.

I whistled when she was done. “The lieutenant wants me to do that? I can’t.”

“Sure you can. Let’s volunteer for the training.”

“I don’t want to work alone.”

She laughed. “You won’t be alone,” she replied. “You’ll have me along.”

That’s how I became a sniper.

* * * *

Becoming a sniper required more training. Despite Samantha’s assurances, it took a lot more than my just being able to aim my SM accurately. I had to learn about camouflage and concealment, so the enemy wouldn’t spot me when I was sent on missions. It took a lot of studying.

But I wasn’t alone. A handful of other soldiers and their SM-rifles had also been moved to sniper training, so we studied together. In a way, Samantha was wrong about it just being her and me.

But Samantha was right about one thing—our ability to shoot. Part of sniper training is learning how to shoot one’s rifle under various conditions. But with Samantha and me together, we aced all the preliminary tests, because we really could got into each others minds.

In fact, we did it so much better than any of the other soldier-rifle pairs that we were the first ones sent back to the front. We reported back to the lieutenant, who assigned us to a whole variety of interesting missions.

One time, we were working with my unit, but positioned far away, at a location perpendicular to their advance. Our job was to pick off the enemy soldiers at random, sowing confusion and fear while my unit engaged in a frontal assault. The tactic worked, and we took another hill.

Another time, we were sent on our own to one of the enemy’s cities. Our spy network had intercepted reports that one of the enemy’s generals was going to be doing an inspection of the city. We managed to keep ourselves hidden for two days until we got a clear shot, right into the general’s chest.

I was promoted to corporal and given a medal. I was pleased about that, but something nagged me in the back of my mind.

And I started having bad dreams. When I closed my eyes, I would see my targets explode in front of me. Sometimes I dreamt that I was my rifle. I felt the plasma flow through my body and then burst out at my targets, burning holes in their chests and heads. I woke up a few times in a cold sweat, unable to get back to sleep for an hour or two.

But our new role didn’t affect Samantha any. She seemed almost gleeful about our success. For her, killing became more than just a job. It became fun.

And that scared me to death.

* * * *

So here’s how it all came to an end. Our last mission.

As always, my orders came from the lieutenant. He called us into his office as usual, but this time he had a much more sober look on his face.

“This is a different sort of mission, Johnny. A very sensitive one. We’ve located an enemy training facility for new soldiers. We want a sniper to go in there and pick off some of their new recruits, to strike fear into their hearts. Are you willing to do it?”

I remember feeling unsure, but Samantha’s voice in the back of my head told me to go ahead.

So I accepted.

The next day, we were dropped off a few kilometers away from the facility and we headed towards it. We never had to worry about getting lost, as Samantha always knew where she was going.

When we got close enough, I took a look at the building. It was a red brick converted school building, with an outside playground transformed into a shooting range. I found a good copse of trees in which to conceal ourselves, and we waited.

Finally, after about twenty minutes, the front door opened, and my jaw dropped.

Two enemy soldiers led out a parade of children, none of them older than ten years at the most.

They lined them up at the shooting range, gave them pistols, and began to instruct them on the use of their weapons.

I froze. I could feel myself sweating, and a lump formed in my throat.

Sam’s voice appeared in the back of my mind. Johnny, are you ready? Come on, aim me. We can take out at least five of the students before they’d get back into the building for safety.

I closed my eyes and shook my head. Sam, did you see the targets? I asked her.

Sure I did. They’re enemy soldiers-in-training, just like the lieutenant said.

They’re not soldiers-in-training! They’re kids. Children.

We knew the enemy was turning its young citizens to fight back. We just didn’t realize how young. But it doesn’t matter. They’re still the enemy.

I whispered aloud. “I can’t kill children.”

“Sure you can,” Sam replied in the same quiet tones.

“How can you say that?”

She sighed, something she hadn’t done in a while. Then she cursed at me. “Damn it, Johnny, they’ve already been indoctrinated to hate you. There’s not one of them that wouldn’t just as soon kill you as look at you, and you know it.”

She was right. I knew she was right. But damn it—“This wasn’t what I signed up for.”

“Yes, it is,” she said. “You volunteered. We volunteered.”

“I—I can’t.”

Her voice reappeared in my head. Here. Let me help you get into a proper frame of mind.

And then images appeared in my mind—images of the dead children lying bloodied at my feet, with me grinning like a maniac…

I dropped Samantha as if she had turned red-hot. “What are you putting in my mind?”

“Johnny, quiet! The enemy will hear you.”

“I don’t care! Stop putting things into my mind.”

She chuckled. “I can’t put anything into your mind that wasn’t already there.”

I recoiled. “That image was never in my mind. That came from you.”

“But where did I come from?” she asked. “Remember that I’m a reflection of you. A perfect reflection. Everything inside me comes from you.” She paused. “I have those dreams too, but I enjoy them. I can help you to enjoy them as well.”

I shook my head. “No! I refuse to accept that.”

“It’s true, Johnny,” she said. “I wouldn’t be the perfect weapon I am if it weren’t for you.”

And I knew she was right. The army hadn’t just turned me into a killer; they had found something within me already, something that Samantha had nurtured until it grew, and turned me into the monster I had become.

But no more.

I turned the SM-rifle off and walked away from the mission. When I got back, I handed the weapon to my CO and said that I didn’t want to see it anymore. And that’s why I’m here now, although I don’t know why you needed me to dictate this whole story yet another time. I don’t care if you plan to court-martial me for insubordination or lock me away without trial.

I’m not the same as that thing. I won’t kill again. It can’t make me.