Read Online Collateral Damage by Dale Brown - Free Book Online Page B

well throughout his career. Part of the explanation for his young age was the fact that he’d gone to college two years earlier than most people, and graduated in three. But yes, he had been very lucky to be blessed with good instructors, and above all hand-eye coordination that was off the charts.
    Not that it mattered so much when flying a remote plane.
    And then he had been assigned to Dreamland?
    Actually, he worked at Dreamland for only a short period. Some of his work, as a test pilot, was highly classified.
    He needn’t supply the details. Just give a general impression.
    The Brit took over. How was the mission planned, who had authority to call it off, at what point had he known there was a problem?
    Turk tried to answer the questions patiently, though he’d answered them all several times, including twice now for the men in the room.
    â€œThe autonomous control,” said the Frenchman, finally returning to the point they really wanted to know. “How does it work?”
    â€œSpecifically, I don’t know.”
    â€œIn a general way.”
    â€œThe computer works to achieve goals that have been laid out,” said Turk.
    â€œAlways?”
    â€œIt has certain parameters that it can work within. In this case, let’s say there’s twenty tanks or whatever it was. It has priorities to hit certain tanks. But if a more important target is discovered, or let’s say one of the tanks turns out to be fake, the computer can reprogram itself. The units communicate back and forth, and the priority is set.”
    â€œSo the computer selects the target?” said the RAF officer.
    â€œYes and no. It works just the way I described it.”
    â€œHow can that be?” asked the Greek. “The computer can decide.”
    â€œIt works precisely as the captain has described,” said Rubeo. “I’m sure you have used a common map program to find directions to a destination. Think of that as a metaphor.”
    â€œExcuse me,” snapped the Frenchman. “We are questioning the captain.”
    Rubeo took a step away from the wall. His face looked drawn, even more severe than usual—and that was saying quite a bit in his case. “I’m sure the mission tapes can be reviewed. The pilot is blameless. You’re wasting his time. There’s no sense persecuting him like this.”
    Though appreciative, Turk was surprised by Rubeo’s defense. Not because it wasn’t true—it absolutely was—but because it was the opposite of what he expected. While he had no experience in any sort of high level investigation, let alone something as grave as this, he’d been in the military long enough to know that the number one rule in any controversial situation was CYA—cover your ass.
    The others were baffled as well, though for different reasons. The RAF officer asked Rubeo how he knew all this.
    â€œThe team that designed the computer system worked for me,” said Rubeo. “And much of the work is based on my own personal efforts. The distributed intelligence system, specifically.” He looked over at Redstone. “I don’t believe the exact details are necessary to the investigation.”
    â€œUh, no,” said Redstone. He sounded a little like a student caught napping in class. “Specifics would be classified.”
    â€œPrecisely.” Rubeo turned back to Turk. “The aircraft responded to verbal commands once you overrode, didn’t they, Captain?”
    â€œYes, sir.”
    â€œAnd there was no indication that there was a malfunction, either while you were dealing with the government planes or later on, was there?”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    â€œAt no point did you give an order to the planes to deviate from their mission, or their programming, did you?”
    â€œNo, sir.”
    â€œYou can ask if he took any aggressive actions following the shoot-down of the Mirages,” Rubeo told the other