Monday, January 9, 2017

Story Seed - Marksman

Image Source: http://aituarmanas.deviantart.com/art/Cyborg-Araneae-461010438

My comms bleeped twice; the operation was go. I mentally triggered the full suite sensor helm that was slaved into my biocomp. There was a high pitched whine as the electronics woke up and the external projectors came to life. The night fled like shadow under the noon sun. I flipped through the overlays and dialed in a combination of IR (25% opacity), active UV (20% opacity), passive light amplification (65% opacity), and ultrasonic echolocation (45% opacity). The world looked like a drug trip gone wrong, and the detail was washed out, lost beneath the optics enhancements. I dialed up the computer active framing assist to 85% opacity with a 70% sensitivity. My biocomp processed the incoming data set separately and the redrew the details I'd miss into my active display. I could have read the newspaper lying in the gutter if I'd wanted.

I gave my rifle an unconscious heft. My biocomp told me that it came in at 18.87 kilos, and the magazine was fully loaded. One hundred solid steel, polymer coated, 14mm slugs, lined up and eager to fly with the assistance of several dozen high Gauss electromagnets. I activated the smart gun overlay (77% opacity) and knew exactly where the gun was pointed. In this case at the alley below, and the picture in picture pop up on my active display was more than enough to know that there was smashed flat soda bottle at the end of my gun's current trajectory.

I shouldered the weapon and took a shooting position before locking my leg joints (100% stiffness) and dialing up the resistance in my lower back (45% stiffness). I'd barely feel the recoil at all. I waited, my reticle hovering over a bit of brick wall. I adjusted the IR overlay (65% opacity) and dialed back the passive light amplification (20% opacity) so I could better see the interior of the cheap hourly coffin bank. Details were lost as my biocomp adjusted for targeting beyond the wall and inside the building (projection accuracy: 73%). Lucky for me the uplink quickly communicated my problem with the field agent inside. His biocomp provided as much data as it could and my active display started to update with projected renders based on what he could see and sense (projection accuracy: 87% and climbing).

I waited.

Sunday, January 8, 2017