Drone Wars 1: Day of the Drone (23 page)

The golf cart had stopped in front of a large, double swinging-door, but no one was getting out, not until this line of conversation was concluded.

Tiffany had been thinking aloud throughout most of her dissertation, carrying events to their logical conclusion. “I guess I am,” she said at last. “Even though Almasi and Lemon may have planned the attack on the RDC, that operation was limited in scope. It’s what’s happening now that doesn’t make sense.” She looked at Nathan No-Last-Name and saw him smiling, a slight squint in his eyes.

“It would have to be another entity that is more-or-less isolated from the world economy, yet still powerful enough to fill the void left by a weakened America.” Her eyes grew wide as she saw Nathan give her a nod.

“Russia!”

“Excellent, Ms. Collins,” said Nathan. “That’s our belief as well. In recent years, following the tragic events in the Ukraine and other Baltic states, Putin and his successor, Marko, have been hoarding oil and other natural resources. They’ve also increased their gold supplies and linked the value of the ruble to the commodity. In sort, they’ve created an almost independent economy apart from the rest of the world. By destroying the U.S. economy, they not only take us out of the game, but also China, Japan, and most of Europe. The only financial superpower left standing would be Russia, ready with assistance to whomever comes knocking.”

“At a very high price,” Tiffany added.

“The highest.”

“Isn’t that an act of war?” Billy asked. “The Russians may not have soldiers on the ground, but they’re the puppet-masters for those controlling the drones.”

“And what would you have us do, Billy?” Nathan asked. “The links to what’s happening are tenuous at best. We have no hard evidence. And with the ripple effect the attacks are having, it’s only a matter of days before we reach critical mass. The dominoes will fall as stock markets crash, loans default, and panic sets in. This will be Greece fifteen years ago all over again, only a thousand times worse.”

“That’s if the attacks continue and the people don’t regain confidence in the country again,” Xander said. “I hope that’s why you’ve brought us here, Nathan, to show us that DARPA has found the solution to our drone problem.”

Nathan slid out of the driver’s seat. “Why don’t we go take a look? As I said earlier, we’re getting close.”

“
Close
would imply you need more time,” Xander pointed out. “And that is something we don’t have.”

********

“That’s it?” Disappointment was evident in Billy’s voice. “And then you’d have to have scramblers set up within, what, five miles or so of an attack?”

Nathan seemed to be genuinely hurt by Billy’s reaction. “I said it wasn’t perfect, but it’s a start.”

Xander picked up the small plug-in module known as a killbox. “Over ninety percent of attack drones have these attached to their flight controllers. If they can be neutralized, that
does
put us ahead of the game.”

“I realize that, but if what you’re saying is true, we don’t have time to deploy scramblers all across the country in time to save Christmas.”

Xander turned to the scientist. “How far along are you on this technology?”

Nathan nodded, sending a scowl in Billy’s direction. “This isn’t something we just started working on a couple of days ago. This has been an ongoing project for several years, ever since the killboxes first showed up. Fortunately, there’s only three facilities that make the little bastards, so we’re not dealing with a lot of component variety.”

“So take out the factories,” Tiffany offered. “I’m sure no one is going to squawk much considering what’s happening now.”

“That’s already underway,” Nathan said. “But that won’t stop the UAVs already equipped with the modules. And to answer your question, Xander, we have a way to tap into cell tower transmissions and blanket just about any area in the country within seconds with our suppressor signal. However, when we do, certain frequencies are disrupted, if not completely jammed.”

“This defeats the random frequency generators?” Billy asked.

“That it does not. It only affects the basic operation of the killbox, and then it only tends to confuse the programming, not completely override it. Test drones remain on station, but they’re infected with a form of computer Alzheimer’s. They can’t remember what they’re supposed to do when they get to where they’re going.”

“That still leaves the RPAs.”

Nathan turned to Xander. “Countering remotely-controlled aircraft is where live pilots come in. You, and other like you, are still vital; however, now you’ll only have the RPAs to contend with.”

“Only if we have the combat drones available and the pilots to operate them.”

“So, Nathan, are you ready to put your scramblers to work?” Tiffany asked.

“Forty-eight hours, maybe a little longer. We first have to gain access to the major cell carriers’ transmission servers and satellites. Teams of Feds are out right now doing just that. We’re not giving the companies much choice, seeing that this is a national emergency, and we are operating under authority of martial law.”

Nathan looked at Xander and smiled. “Now, Mr. Moore, I’d like to show you something you may find interesting.”

The DARPA rep took them to another room, where a solitary object rested under a canvas tarp. Nathan pulled away the cover.

Both Billy and Xander gasped when they saw—or more correctly, thought they saw—what was revealed under the tarp.

It was a combat drone, yet like nothing they’d ever seen. First of all, it was long and flat, measuring nearly ten feet in length, with six, two-foot diameter rotor rings on each side, angled slightly to the inside. The thrust would be aimed toward the bottom of the UAV, while allowing for a free flow of air from the top of the rings. But what made this unit truly unique was the odd shimmering effect of the finish, something that made the eye hard to focus on any individual part. At a quick glance, the craft would appear as a blur, just a figment of the imagination.

“Teflon, isn’t it?” Billy asked.

“That’s right,” Nathan confirmed. “It’s something that’s been in the works for a decade, starting at UC San Diego, your old stomping grounds, Mr. Moore.”

“What am I looking at?” Tiffany Collins asked.

“It’s an invisibility cloak,” Xander answered. “A micro-thin coating of light-absorbing Teflon with microscopic ceramic disks embedded.”

“But I can still see it—sort of—so it’s not really invisible.”

“Of course not, Ms. Collins,” Nathan said. “It only serves to cut down on some of the visible aspects of the UAV, as well as the radar signature. It’s not truly invisible—just like all stealth technology—but it is a step forward.”

“I should say it is,” Billy exclaimed. “We’ve been working on this technology at JEN-Tech for years and all we’ve been able to come up with is a heavier, shinier drone.”

“Even if you did come up with the proper formula, it would be cost-prohibitive in civilian applications,” Nathan said.

“I can see weapons—even they’re covered in the stuff,” Tiffany commented as the four of them moved closer to the drone and began to run their hands and fingers over the smooth, reflective surface.

Tiffany was right. The unit itself was not more than a foot thick, with a four-foot by eight foot platform forming the top panel. And on this platform was about every weapon imaginable.

“These are .60-cals,” Xander pointed out, “and full-metal jackets.”

“Exactly, this unit can operate with over a ton of armament and at speeds of up to two hundred miles per hour. The flight controller is hardened and carries our best RFG, so they’ll be no jamming this baby. Made of titanium and reinforced composite, it can take a direct hit from an 88mm cannon shell and just bounce away. You may lose some of the add-ons on the platform, but they’re a minute change-out package. Operational altitude is up to ten thousand feet, maybe higher. Complete with telemetry and target tracking to cut down on collateral damage.”

“Where’s the power box?” Billy asked.

“The most-advanced fuel cells made,” Nathan said, “and integrated into the support structure under the weapons platform. Operating time at full power is six hours, and then a thirty-second change out for a new battery pack will have you up and running again. And one other thing…”

Nathan walked over to a self-contained pilot’s station that resembled a huge sit-inside video game pod. He reached in and pressed a button on the control pad. The UAV came to life, filling the large room with a torrent of swirling wind. Everyone covered their eyes for a moment before all the minute dust in the room was swept away. That’s when Billy and Xander looked at each other in utter amazement.

“Except for the wind in the room, the damn thing’s silent!” Xander exclaimed.

He moved as close as he dared to the spinning propellers, each enclosed in its own rotor ring. The motors were actually part of the ring and of such a low profile and fully integrated into the design that it was hard to spot them. It made noise, yet it was such a low-pitched hum that it reminded Xander of a running refrigerator.

“Please step away, Mr. Moore. There’s one more feature I’d like to show you.”

Xander obeyed. When nothing happened, he turned to look at Nathan. “Sorry,” the scientist said. “Just trying to build a little suspense.” He then pressed another button on the console.

The huge drone stayed airborne momentarily, as four of the propeller rings—two on each side of the vehicle—began to rotate to the vertical. In a matter of seconds the drone had four wheels resting on the floor, with the two center rings helping to provide modest lift and added maneuverability. The two small pusher propeller rings at the rear would add forward thrust.

“Now it’s a ground unit, capable of maneuvering within tight quarters or all-out sprints at over one hundred miles per hour over land. Each ring is operated independently of the others, enabling the Goliath—that’s what we call them—to spin on its axis in place. And with the props engaged, the craft can hop over obstacles or even transition to full flight mode in five seconds flat.”

There were several other drone models that were both ground and air units, but nothing with the capabilities of the Goliath. Xander and Billy were speechless, even when Nathan powered down the drone and leaned against the control pod with a satisfied grin on his face.

Eventually Billy was able to shake himself from his stupor.

“Who builds these things?” Billy asked with suspicion. His company was the leading domestic producer of advanced military drones, and he’d never seen anything like this before.

“Actually, we built this one … and fifty-nine others.”

“Sixty!” Xander cried out. “You have sixty of these things? Where are they? Are they operational? Do you have a command center set up?”

“Relax, Mr. Moore, you’ll get your chance to play with our new toy.”

“Screw that,
Nathan!
” Xander said, moving in closer to the scientist. “I don’t want to play with the damn things. I want to use them to stop the killing taking place. With sixty of these units, and your killbox override system, we could make a real difference.”

Nathan was taken aback by Xander’s sudden display of passion. “I’m sorry if I implied something other than your complete devotion to your duty as an RDC pilot. And yes, we do have a command center set up. It’s over at Andrews.”

“Where do you have these units deployed?”

“Most are in the D.C. area, with a few in Texas for testing, and five in the Middle East, aboard the aircraft carrier
Gerald Ford
. They’re the next generation of CIA attack drones, scheduled for operational release by the end of next year.”

“Next year! Screw that! We need them in the next hour.”