Chapter 35

SPOV

Once Ash had set up the laptop, I took it over to a large cushioned single chair making myself comfortable with the laptop sat on my knee. I sat without actually doing anything mulling over what Ranger had said to me. The words were running through my head as I tried to fully believe what he'd said. My heart felt like it was going to explode from the feelings those words had on me. He loved me. He wanted me to be with him. He wanted me to be his. I still had some niggling doubts in my head, hell it seemed to have happened so quickly. It wasn't long ago that he'd totally alienated me, but maybe because of that and what had happened it had opened his head and his heart. I loved him, I had no doubts about that, and I wanted him to be mine. I shook my head to still my emotions and looked down at the closed laptop. Opening it I realized I had work to do. The sooner we sorted this mess out then the sooner we could start to focus on our someday.

The computer didn't need a login, Ash said all the computers were connected to another computer so just to remember the name I gave a file if I saved it. I inserted the stick in the slot surprised when two files appeared on the screen. I double clicked on the first file but got the message that it required a password and then a warning that I only had one attempt left before the contents were deleted. I didn't have a clue what the password would be and didn't want the possibility that I could lose the contents so closed that down and went to the second file. This had been the one that I'd seen before so started the arduous task of reading. I have to say I disliked reading from a computer screen; I liked to add notes and highlight things as I came across them, but it was probably too many pages to print out.

The first section of the file went into detail about how the army already used robotics and it was almost a history of the use of robotics that started during World War 2. As I continued to read, yeah, I could understand the use of these machines carrying out jobs rather than humans. There was a lot of detail about current technology used from taking pictures, firing a gun, disarming bombs, carrying wounded soldiers, detecting mines, firing missiles, and all these could be done from the air, on the ground and out at sea.

I was pleased to read that most of the military robots that were used today are manned and for those that were autonomous it was the programs used that limited what they did giving out an alert for a human to take control of any decision to fire weapons. The efficacy and morality of these and other operations were controversial, but supporters say drones were less costly, minimized collateral damage and didn't require putting American troops at risk. That's partly because humans could operate these machines that were often in far-flung, dangerous places from the safety and comfort of a domestic operations center meaning the loss of human life was better managed.

While drones did their work from high above, other robots were operating on the ground in battlefields worldwide. American forces had relied on bomb-squad robots to inspect and defuse possible explosive devices during military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. The remote-controlled machines moved via tank tread and featured infrared vision, multiple cameras, floodlights and mechanical arms in order to spot bombs and dispose of them, all while human operators stayed a safe distance away.

The U.S. currently support a killer robot ban. In 2012, the Obama Administration had issued a directive, which the Trump White House apparently had chosen to continue, requiring that autonomous weapons technology should be designed "to allow commanders and operators to exercise appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force." The directive also required safeguards to protect against autonomous weapons malfunctioning and launching attacks on their own. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Director had said that he doubted that the U.S. would ever allow machines to make decisions about using lethal force. DARPA's research related to autonomy and was seeking to find an optimal balance between various operating modes with an emphasis on providing maximum decision support to warfighters and they were investigating ways to ensure that technology improved human operators' ability to make rapid decisions at critical moments rather than to erode that ability.

While most of the countries at the UN conference were concerned about autonomous weapons, there was not yet a consensus of support for a legally binding international ban. Would a ban on killer robots work? A longstanding international treaty banning chemical arms, for example, apparently hadn't stopped the use of such weapons in the Syrian civil war.

The rapid rush to automate warfare was alarming scientists, across the globe, and there was a growing movement to halt the development of autonomous weapons before the technology had a chance to proliferate. Close to 4,000 artificial intelligence and robotics researchers and scientists in other fields, including SpaceX and Tesla founder Elon Musk, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak and the late astrophysicist Stephen Hawking, had signed an open letter to the world, urging a ban on "offensive autonomous weapons that are beyond meaningful human control." Organizations such as the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots had become increasingly vocal about the need for restrictions on such technology.

The summary that Gannon had composed made a shiver run through me, his focus was that since this development was already underway then the USA had to be prepared. The quotes he used "We are only a few years away" and "Prototypes exist in every sphere of battle, in the air, on the ground, on the sea and under the sea." It was becoming apparent that "an arms race to develop such weapons was starting, and we had an opportunity to prevent the dystopian future so often portrayed by Hollywood." Hence why he was pursuing all available resources to that end.

I wasn't sure if what had been written was pushing forward the argument that America needed to be a part of future development and have its own army of robotics or if Gannon was pushing for all development to be found and stopped. My brain felt totally befuddled by the time I reached the end of reading the document and I felt a sense of doom envelope me. I had never really given much thought to the deployment of robots as a means to ending a war and all I could see were images from Terminator in my head, hell that was a series of films I never wanted to watch again.

As I looked beyond the windows I took in the view of the lake, the trees and hills beyond, it was such a contrast to what I'd been reading. I closed down the document and saved it and shut down the computer, I needed a distraction, some happy, so went in search of Ranger. He was working in the lounge area and looked up as I came into the room. I'm sure he knew I was feeling a little bit down because he immediately closed down his laptop and came to meet me, his arms coming around me to hold me tight.

"Can we go outside for a walk?"

"Of course we can, go get some boots and a coat"

When I came out through the sunroom door onto the decking, Ranger was waiting for me and held his hand out for me to take as we then started to walk along a path by the shore of the lake. The going was surprising easy which made me wonder who used the footpath but as I turned to ask the question Ranger was already starting to talk to me.

"I use this track for running in the morning, you can run right around the lake if need be, though it is a long way. I thought we'd cut up onto the hill up there"

I looked up at where he was pointing and nodded my head, I wasn't put off with the fact that it seemed so far away I was just so happy to be outside. It was beautiful out here, the air smelt clean and the views were constantly changing, yeah, I could see why Ranger would come here to relax, because that was how I was feeling as we continued our walk.

"You're quiet Babe"

"I know, I needed to clear my head"

"The reading hard going?"

"Yeah, but it was what it was talking about that blew my mind"

"There's a lot happening in the world, but for now forget what you read and enjoy being outside"

We didn't really talk much after that, probably because getting to the top of that hill just about finished me off. Shit I really did need to get fitter, but as I reached Ranger and turned around the view blew my mind away. We were at one end of the lake and being this high up it felt like I could see for miles. I looked down at the lake and at the trees that came to its edge, the rolling hills that surrounded it, their feet in the water and heads in the clouds. The colors were bright and clear, the greens of the trees contrasting with the pale grey of the lake and the white clouds up above. I felt Ranger behind me as he pulled me back into his chest and rested my hands on his.

"It really is breathtaking"

"Worth the hike?"

"Yeah it was"

"I come up and just sit and watch, it's as if time stands still, it gives me a chance to think"

"I can feel that as well"

"Would you come back here with me, just the two of us when we get everything sorted out?"

"I'd like that"

"We need to head back, it's going to get dark soon and I bet you're hungry"

We returned by a different route, this time following a track through the trees and seeing as the track was wide enough, we walked with my arm around Ranger's waist while he held my shoulders with his. We didn't talk, we didn't need to. As we eventually got back to the house, it looked amazing with the lights on. There were small lights round the decking and down onto the pier, the reflections glittering from the surface of the lake. Ash and Zeph were sat out on the deck drinking beers where we joined them. To be honest I didn't know which I needed the most, sleep or food. As I sank down into a chair Ash laughed and Zeph went inside the house with Ranger.

"You enjoy the walk?"

"Yeah I did, it's so tranquil here and the views are amazing"

"They sure are, so I take it you've never been here before?"

"No but I think I should have when Ranger first suggested it"

"Why didn't you?"

"I don't know, I thought I needed to stay and be part of sorting things out"

"I don't get what you're saying"

"I attract a lot of dangerous people and Ranger always wants me to hide away"

"He just wants you to be safe"

"I know, but sometimes I feel that I should be able to take care of myself"

"Don't work like that, we all need people to help us and a place to go to"

"I know that now. So, what about you. Are you going to work for Rangeman?"

"I have to say Angel, it aint dull with you around"

"Angel?"

"Sorry it just seemed right, do you mind?"

"No, I suppose there are a lot of people who use a nickname for me"

"Yeah, I noticed that, but why do people call you Bomber?"

Shit did I really want him to know, I mean how it came about was ancient history now, but I suppose he was only trying to be polite and probably curious.

"I ended up getting into the local newspaper because of things that seemed to happen to me, they called me the Bombshell Bounty Hunter and I suppose with some of the guys who've known me for a while I became Bomber"

"I heard of some of the, err, incidents you've had with cars"

"Well believe me when I say it was someone else who set them on fire"

I turned as the door opened and Zeph and Ranger walked out, each carrying a tray, I closed my eyes as the smells wafted toward me.

"Spiced chicken, spinach & sweet potato stew"

"It smells amazing"

I took the bowl that Zeph handed to me with a spoon and started to eat, trying really hard not to voice my appreciation when the flavors hit my tongue, I really didn't want to embarrass myself in front of the three men.

"Who made this?"

I asked as I wiped up the last of the sauce in my bowl with my bread, surprised when it was Ranger who answered.

"Ella, she sent some meals with the guys when we dropped the others off"

I should have known Ella would have sent things with us and wondered what else she'd sent.

"No, she didn't send any desserts"

"How did you know I was thinking that?"

"Your eyes just changed color"

"What did you find out from those files Steph?"

"A history of the use of robotics in the army and how advanced some of them are"

"Yeah I've seen those things out in Syria and man I was sure happy it was them going into an area where a bomb had been"

"I understand that Zeph and I now know how important they are but as I read on it was how the development was progressing that made me nervous"

"Anything I've come across Angel has always been under the control of an operator"

"Yeah but obviously the research is going further, and Gannon used the old argument, if someone has one, then another person will need one bigger and better. I didn't realize there were so many people opposed to the development in case the robots turned"

"You think those robots we saw are the future Ash?"

"Hell, no Ranger, you can't program a computer with morality and a conscience, so it won't happen, don't mean to say you won't have a nutcase at the controls though"

"Ash why did they stop hurting us?"

"Maybe the programming had an override about protecting women or Dolby didn't want you hurt"

I really hoped that was the case but somehow, I wasn't so sure about that, I was sure Dolby wouldn't care who he hurt, but then he probably did need me alive if he thought I knew where Buckley's work was.

"Ash did you get into Hastings?"

"Not completely, they have levels that their systems are working at that I got into but I think they're using a really sophisticated shield for certain sections of their work, there's definitely something going on there Ranger, that they're keeping it well protected"

"Zeph?"

"Gannon is a bit of a loner, not sure why, but the guys I spoke to say he's vying for higher promotion and will do anything to get there. No one is close enough to him to know anything about his personal life"

"Okay I spoke with the Colonel, he was very hesitant at first but after I told him about our ordeal at Safenet he was furious, he's of the opinion that the order that came down from the Whitehouse was that there should be no research on autonomous robotic technology and asked me to keep him in the loop"

"Did you mention Gannon?"

"No, because to be honest we have no proof that he's involved in Safenet and those robots. Maybe that's a reason why you didn't find anything Babe when we were at Adelphi. He wouldn't want any evidence on army turf"

"Okay I'm going to look at this from a personal perspective"

"You sure Babe?"

"Yes, there has to be another link into this"

"Ash?"

"I'm talking with Hector about that chip we found"

"Zeph?"

"Sorry folks but I need to work on the bird tomorrow"

"Bird?"

"Helicopter Steph"

"Okay I'm heading upstairs because if I don't move now, I think my muscles will cease up"

I took the bowls and the trays and went through to the kitchen area. After washing them and then leaving them to drain I headed upstairs. The shower was definitely calling my name. Once I felt my muscles begin to ease, I found some shorts and one of Rangers T-shirts and I have to say as soon as my head hit the pillow, I was fast asleep.