Collateral Damage by Dale Brown

straight out of a 1950s sci-fi flick, and yet one Todd had wrestled with carefully before authorizing the deployment of the Sabres to Libya.
    There were plenty of precedents for computers being involved in the decision-making process. The Navy’s Aegis system, far back in the 1980s, computed firing solutions on its own—though these were always under the supervision of crew. The Flighthawks developed by Dreamland in the mid- and late 1990s chose their own course and tactics when dealing with enemy fighters.
    From one perspective, the Sabre missions were hardly different. The targets were specified by humans, and the feeds from the sensors aboard the aircraft could be constantly monitored.
    Could be , not were.
    That was one difference. Another was the fact that the Sabres plotted their own courses, and chose their own strategies for approaching targets. They didn’t need humans at all. They were capable of switching off prime targets, and even secondary targets. They could decide how to handle threats.
    They’d done an excellent job in all the tests so far. They seemed ready for the next step.
    And now this. A humanitarian disaster.
    â€œTaking people out of the loop was a definite mistake,” said Branson, who though he had welcomed the Sabres was now clearly having second thoughts. “I was under the impression that they would be controlled by the Tigershark pilot at all times. I’d like to review why he diverted.”
    â€œHe diverted because he came under fire,” said Breanna.
    â€œI think we’re drifting into an area of debate that will be unfruitful at the moment,” said Blitz. “We all know the issues involved long-term. The ability of robots on the battlefield is something to be discussed another day.”
    â€œYou prejudice the argument by using the word ‘ability,’ ” countered the general.
    â€œDr. Blitz is right,” interrupted the President. “This will be a valuable discussion for another time. Right now, we need to sequester those aircraft and find out what went wrong.”
    â€œWe’re working on that,” said Breanna.
    â€œGood. Now, for the diplomatic fallout. I assume you’ve all seen the gun camera video.”
    â€œWe’re working on who leaked that,” said Yourish. “Unfortunately, there’s a large list of people who had access.”
    â€œWhy?” asked the President.
    â€œWell, the investigation . . .”
    There was no satisfactory answer. Well over a hundred staffers had access to the computers where the information was being gathered for review, and dossiers had been prepared for all the members in the alliance. There were any number of people who wouldn’t mind embarrassing the United States, or perhaps making a little extra money by selling the video.
    President Todd assumed that the investigation would go on for months without coming to any real conclusion.
    In a sense it didn’t matter. The gun tape wasn’t particularly revealing: a building targeted, the missile launch, then on to the next target before the missile hit. The images on the ground were much more devastating, in terms of public relations.
    But they did mean blame couldn’t be shifted away from the Sabre project, if anyone was so inclined.
    The President was not. She had already directed a statement to be issued with the bare facts—the attack had been misdirected and was under investigation. The U.S. deeply regretted the loss of life. The victims would be compensated in accordance with past precedent.
    â€œWhat do we do when people ask how it happened?” asked General Yourish, returning to a question that had been nagging at them since the incident first occurred.
    â€œThe truth,” said Blitz. “It’s still being investigated. We don’t want to prejudice the investigation. And we don’t know.”
    â€œI think Senator Stockard’s presence on the committee has