Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Hard fiction

Some time ago I entered a contest to have a story made into an audio drama.  The contest highlighted tales of "hard fiction."  That is science fiction stories with technology that is feasible from our current level of knowledge.  Time travel and faster-than-light travel weren't options, but things virtual reality, holographic performances, and basic artificial intelligence were possible.

I decided to consider what non-lethal methods law enforcement could use in the near future.  Capacitors in modern electronics can hold an electronic charge for some time.  If someone improperly handles a charged capacitor they can receive a little shock.  What if that amount of charge could be raised and the capacitor fired from a modified handgun?  This would basically give an officer a taser with the range of a pistol.

I also explored the expansion of Google glasses.  The data from IR and motion detectors, computers with blueprint data, personal data devices, and the equivalent of GPS transceivers all relayed to the wearer's heads-up display.  A SWAT or similar unit could coordinate their movements and monitor the suspects without putting anyone else at risk.

I am Christian Thomas, a captain in the Elite Legal Force of the LSC. I lead an eight member team on a mission to protect the residents that rely on us. Our training focuses on a combination of hand-to-hand combat and an array of nonlethal weapons. We are frequently called upon to execute raids on residences and warehouses in order to confiscate contraband items. Today's assignments was no different.

It is nearly time. Hundreds of man hours had been used researching and and tracking this one group. The sting to stop these smugglers in their tracks would keep all that time from having been wasted. All the intelligence my team would need had been downloaded into our individual digital interface devices.

With the touch of a button, the visual interface of my goggles activates. Weeks of training followed by many months of field use allows me to quickly transition between the digital display and the outside world. A floor plan of the building before me is projected in a semi-transparent manner. A real-time infrared scan of the building is being relayed to my interface. The occupants are all marked by sharp red dots. I could see them clearly as they moved from room to room. Their activities could easily be considered those of a typical warehouse operation. However, once the illegal items were removed, all activity here would cease.

White dots surround the storage facility on numerous approaches. These represent my fellow team members. I make a mental note as each person reaches their assigned positions. After a few seconds, the white dots start to turn green as my team members signal their readiness. I check my standard-issue stun pistol to make sure it is ready. I have done this numerous times tonight, but it was a trained habit to check it at each stage of an assault. It was fully loaded with 25 rounds, each carrying enough of an electrical charge to knock out a full grown man.

All of the target subjects were moving around some large boxes in the middle of the main storage area. It looked like we were making our raid at the right time, they were preparing their contraband for distribution.

A second glance through the digital display of my goggles tells me that the rest of my team has signaled their readiness. I press a small stud on the device at my hip to signal my preparedness. This starts a simultaneous countdown on the goggles of each team member. When the number reaches zero, we all spring into action.

I kick my way through a side door into the building as my teammates charge through other doors and crash into windows. Not a single word is uttered as our movements are coordinated through the digital displays on our goggles. We rush from the side hallways into the main room. Our pistols let out a signature sizzling pop as the low-velocity rounds are fired at figures milling around the crates in the center of the floor. A handful of them drop limply to the ground before the group is aware of our presence. There is no time for them to mount any kind of resistance before the only people still on their feet are the members of my team.


The perpetrators were rounded up as they regained their senses. The contraband was sealed into crates and marked for disposal. Chalk up another victory for the Lunar Security Corps.

How far do you see some of today's technology going?  What are some other uses for future advances?

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