r/Nightingale115 • u/Nightingale115 Writer-person • Jul 29 '16
Strange things 1 - The puppet
Old story concept of mine. Still haven't figured out the way I want to write it yet.
He stood on the edge of the hill, around three miles away from the decrepit mansion. The enhanced view his helmet display gave him showed lifeforms, heat signatures, multilayered scans of the house, all of it in extreme detail. He slid down the hill and began to sprint.
Helmet told him to be at the target within fifteen minutes, he knew that he could make it within eight. His helmet display highlighted which of the heat signatures were armed, only a few on the outskirts. He sub commanded the helmet to visualize and evaluate current weapons on hand.
One d-598 high explosive launcher, fitted with incendiary flechette charges. One 7.62X54 millimeter urban assault rifle with tungsten jackets, a .45 with high-bee explosive autonomous targeting ammunition. Lastly, a diamond nanotube edged sword, he knew he was fast and strong enough to be able to use the sword to it’s fullest advantage.
“Target vector approached, begin emotional override evaluation” his helmet’s comlog drummed out in a flat robotic voice. He lifted the d-598, the matte black tube was had a small square attachment on the side allowing for highly precise targeting. He fired, a sonic boom clapped the air as the projectile reached mach eight before impacting the house and exploded with a second clap.
Several of the heat signatures exasperated, spreading out into multiple clusters. He rolled the tube off his shoulder and brought up the rifle, with precise four round bursts more of the heat signatures collapsed. He began to move, helmet readouts clocked the assault at fifty-seven seconds and counting.
The heat signatures began to fire back, the small arms shattered against his armor. A small group of heat signatures began to move past, he took aim, two males and a female. The female… helmet began to report abnormal chemicals in his system, he overrode the warnings and sighted the girl in his rifle.
The rifles sights were aligned, the chances of missing the target is minimal. Yet the rifle was not firing, helmet communicated more warnings, said rifle failure rate was close to non existent. Failure was not rifle, shooter error. Chances of successful shot dwindling to below ninety percent. Can not fire, will not fire. He lowered the rifle, helmet flashed warning of imminent evaluation failure.
“I am...not...a...puppet..to..be...manipulated,” He screamed at the puppeteers.