Chapter 2

"Statistics tell a story, sometimes they tell more than one. Numbers serve to classify and separate. Tests seek to reveal that which is inherent within us. Can statistics and numbers and tests explain how a 100 lb woman can lift a 3,000 lb car off of her trapped child? Can they explain the intricacies of the human mind? I don't believe so. For every test, statistic or score you see there are a thousand intangible, immeasurable qualities that make us unique."

Rev. Silas Jones - Earth First rally

Lt. Colonel Ray Walker walked down the corridor of the Azahar Advanced Weapons Institute (AAWI) toward the conference room. As he opened the door he saw that everyone else was already there. He knew that what he was here to tell them might make some of them mad, but he also hoped that these people would see the value in his report and would also be willing to make the necessary adjustments to the Swift program to make it a better fighter.

As he entered the conference room the four people waiting for him rose from their seats. Major Karen Green and 1st Lieutenant Bob Kolinski snapped him crisp salutes while the two civilians, Ross McGee and Kelly Ng stood to greet him.
Ray looked over the four people. Karen Green was the acting liaison between AAWI and the Confederacy. Her apparent age was 29 or 30 and she was small by Marine standards at only 5'10" tall. Ray knew from her file that when she was assigned to Azahar she underwent medical "de-augmentation" to reduce her size. Bob Kolinski, at 2 meters in height, was the archetypical combat Marine. Ross McGee was the head weapons engineer on the Swift project and had been instrumental in the development of the BLiPP cannon. As a civilian Ross had only undergone minor outward changes during augmentation. Kelly Ng was the aerospace engineer in charge of the design of the Swift. Unlike Ross, she had opted for considerable physical changes. She was now well over 6' tall with a model's body and a face more Caucasian that Asian.

"At ease," Ray said to the two Marines. "Thank you all for being here. There will be time for proper introductions in a while."
"Excuse me sir," Ross interjected, "Can you tell us why we are here? Kelly and I have not been informed as to why we were taken off of our current projects and brought to this meeting."

"If you insist, Mr. McGee. We are here to discuss the failure of the Swift fighter project."

"What do you mean failure?" Kelly Ng retorted in an angry tone. "The Swift is the finest fighter aircraft humans have ever built. The Swift simply cannot be a failure."

"I beg to disagree," Ray replied, "If an aircraft can only accomplish a 15% kill ratio then it is a military failure."

Kelly looked at him in astonishment. "Did you say 15%?"

"Yes."

"But we were told that the Swift trials were showing kill ratios greater than 90%?" She responded.

"Initially they were. That is until the Swift was required to perform evasive maneuvers. After that the kill ratios fell to approximately 15%."

"So, my plane isn't the problem." Kelly said with a look of relief on her face,

"No, the Swift actually far exceeded the expectations of the Confederacy in terms of speed and maneuverability." Ray replied.

"Whoa, hold on there, partner!" Ross McGee exclaimed, "I see where this is going. The weapons on those planes were right on spec and performing perfectly when they left Azahar. You're not going to pin this crap on my department."

"I never said they weren't," Ray said, "the problem isn't in the weapons."

"Somebody must be at fault." Major Green stated, "So why don't you just tell us who that is."

"Actually, the person at fault for the Swift program failure is you, Major Green." Ray replied.

"Excuse me? How could this possibly be my fault? I wasn't even part of the Swift project during design and construction."

"Sorry." Ray replied. "I didn't mean to imply that it was your fault personally. I meant to say that it was the fault of the Confederacy and the Marines."

"How so?" Kelly Ng asked.

"Because most of the volunteers that have requested pilot training are simply not suited to flying this aircraft. They are too big to handle the G forces and their reaction times are too slow to acquire targets during evasive action." Ray responded. "Our job right now is to try and fix the Swift."

"How do you expect to do that?" Major Green asked.

"I can see several areas for improvement and I'm sure that once the training data has been analyzed we will see more." Ray said. "Initially I see potential improvements to the computer assisted targeting systems and defense capabilities. And we need to try and fit a shield generator in here somewhere."

Ross interrupted. "That's not going to be easy. Shield generators take up too much space. We might have to trade off some weapons capacity."

"I understand that, but I don't think we need a full shield. Most of our losses came when we weren't expecting fire; either when the pilots were stabilizing the Swift for targeting or when they were bugging out of the combat zone. What we need is a shield that will withstand one, maybe two hits so that the pilot has enough time to begin evasive maneuvers." Ray said. "We also need to work on some biomechanical guidelines for pilot and gunner augmentation. Six foot five, 280-pound pilots and gunners just won't work. We need small, strong pilots and gunners who are physically adapted to working effectively in high G."

Ray paused for a moment and looked around the room. Ross and Kelly were already scribbling notes and talking in hushed tones outlining the tasks they would need to do to begin the changes. Major Green sat looking at him with a thoughtful expression. The only occupant of the room that hadn't yet opened his mouth about the subject was Bob Kolinski. He just sat there with puzzled look on his face.

Ray cleared his throat to get everyone's attention again. "There is one other thing that we need to start doing and that is where Lieutenant Kolinski comes in." Ray began.

"I don't understand what I could possibly do to help you." Bob replied. "I'm just a Marine and I don't want to be a pilot."

"What do you do for a living Lieutenant?" Ray asked.

"I'm a supply depot supervisor." Bob said.

"Not in the Marines. What is your education in? What did you do before you volunteered?" Ray prompted.

"I was a computer programmer."

"What kind of programmer?"

"I wrote video games. I tried to get a job as a computer specialist when I volunteered but with the AI's around computer specialists weren't really needed." Bob said.

"Well they are now Lieutenant. You will be working with the AI and the engineering team to develop a new video game based on the capabilities of the Swift."

"Why would we do that?" Karen Green asked with a confused look on her face. Smiles, however, were spreading across the faces of Bob, Kelly and Ross.

The geeks in the room get it! Ray thought. "Major Green, there are thousands of people out there who have spent most of their lives in bedrooms, dens and basements sitting in front of a TV or a computer playing video games. They thought they were having fun. They were really training to fly the Swift and to kill the Sa'arm. We are going to find those people and we are going to train them to fly and shoot the real thing. We are going to take a bunch of geeks, dweebs, and losers," Ray said, "and turn them into heroes."