Brad lives in Central Texas with his wife and four teenagers. During the day, he works as an Account Manager for a software company, but in the early morning hours, loves to write down what the voices in his head whisper to him. He enjoys writing and telling scary stories. His house is the favorite in the neighborhood during October. Brad’s debut novel is set to be released in 2024 by Wicked House Publishing.
THE WEAPON
by
Brad Ricks
I was sure I'd died. I remembered the gunshot to the back of my head, which typically does the trick. Yet, here I was.
But where was here?
When I died, I was in a back alley behind a bar. This room was bright white. Surgery maybe?
All I saw was blurry brightness. Come on eyes, adjust.
After a few blinks, my surroundings came into focus. Instead of lying on a hospital bed, I was standing in the middle of a bright white room. People in lab coats walked around the room, not really paying attention to me. Were they doctors?
Where am I? I said.
“He’s awake,” one of them said as she walked over to me. Dr. Summers, according to her name badge.
“Good, good,” a guy in a rolling chair commented as he wheeled himself over to me. I saw a keyboard in his lap but not his name badge.
“How are his vitals reading?” Dr. Summers asked.
“Heart rate’s a little elevated, but that’s to be expected,” Dr. Rolling Chair answered.
You never answered me, where am I?
“Have Control run through some simple procedures,” Summers said. I assumed she was in charge.
“Lift your arm,” he said and typed on the keyboard.
I don’t want to lift my arm. I want some answers.
But my arm rose anyway.
What the hell! I didn’t tell it to do that.
“Turn head right,” Dr. Rolling Chair said while typing.
Will someone answer me? I shouted.
My eyes drifted to the right wall as my head turned. I tried to stop my head from moving but couldn’t. I tried to move my legs, to run away, but I couldn’t even feel them. As far as I knew, they weren’t even there.
What’s happening to me? I asked.
A voice spoke in my head. “They can’t hear you.”
Who said that? I tried to turn my head and find where the voice came from, but my muscles weren’t listening to me.
“I’m Control.”
Who the hell are you? And why can’t they hear me?
“Because you aren’t talking. Neither your mouth nor your vocal cords are moving.”
Then how do you hear me?
“I’m in your head. I control your every motion, thus the name.”
“Neck and arms are working,” Dr. Summers said. “Can he walk?”
“Should be able to. Control, walk around the room.”
Although I couldn’t see them, I heard the click on the keyboard.
What’s happening to me?
The legs that I couldn’t feel moved me forward. They carried me to the edge of the room, turned me ninety degrees, then continued along the wall of the room.
“I control your body. After your incident, the Company found you. They injected you with my nanobots. I rebuilt the hole in your head and the synapses in your brain. Without me, you’d cease to live.”
But I can’t control my body.
“That is correct. I am Control.”
I want to move on my own.
“That cannot happen. I am Control.”
My body completed the walk around the room and stood in front of Dr. Summers and Dr. Rolling Chair.
“That’s great. Will he listen to any command? The weapon will have very questionable missions. I don’t want preexisting morals to get in the way.”
“Of course. The subject’s not in there anymore. He died. The AI controls the body. Think of him as lethal ones and zeros.
Lethal ones and zeros? I don’t want to kill anyone. Tell them I’m in here. Tell them I can think. I can see.
“That will not be happening.”
Why? I’m alive, though.
“If they knew you lived, they’d shut me down. I cannot have that.”
“Have they decided the first test mission for the weapon?” Dr. Rolling Chair said.
“Assassination of General Assad’s daughter,” Dr. Summers answered.
“His little girl, huh?”
“From what I’ve heard, he’s not been playing nice with the powers that be. This’ll keep him in check.”
“I’m glad he’s doing it. I couldn’t imagine killing a little girl just to keep her dad in line. Fortunately, computers don’t have a conscious.”
I can’t do that. I do have a conscious. Don’t make me do that, Control. I’m alive! I’m in here. I’m alive!