Scapegoat Options

[Dantrag]

This is in no way TES related, but I figured I'd share anyway. It's already finished, but I'm going to post it in small parts so that it's easier to read.

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Scapegoat


“You’ll do it, or you will face a court marshal.” The gruff General McDowell commanded threateningly.

“It’s a civilian ship!” replied a young man of eighteen, sitting in a chair with numerous electrodes attached to his head.

“Damn it, Cedric, the Russians are using it to transport weapons! Fire now!” McDowell shouted angrily.

“Yes, Sir.” Cedric replied reluctantly as he flipped the single switch on the arm of his chair.

Instantly, the image of General McDowell’s angry face was replaced with a view of outer space from the vantage point of a starship’s bridge. He was seeing through the eyes of the ship’s captain, made possible through the use of a chip surgically implanted in the Captain’s brain. Cedric was now accustomed to the feeling of having a passive role in someone else’s body, but at first it had been one of the strangest feelings he had ever experienced.

“Fire.” He commanded, repeating the general’s order through the captain’s earpiece.

“Yes, Sir.” The Captain replied.

Cedric had no sooner seen the explosion than an entire fleet of Russian ships pounced on them, seemingly out of nowhere. The United States had attacked a civilian starship. More than enough cause for war.

“Retreat!” Cedric shouted at the captain.

The captain hesitated, panic obviously setting in.

“Retreat!” he repeated again, this time more forcefully. Cedric’s vision was reduced to static before he flipped the switch to return to his own body.

“Wake up, Cedric,” a thick German accent woke him.

[Dantrag]

“Sit down, Mr. Black.”

“But-“

“If you’re worried about being traced, don’t be. I have the best hackers in the country concealing your ID code from the government’s AI.”

Cedric gave in and sat down in the chair. It felt good to return to the former glory of his past. A man in a lab coat wearing thick glasses attached the electrodes to his head while Cromwell laid out instructions.

“When you flip the switch, Mr. Black, you will find yourself aboard the U.S.S. Treachery, in the head of Captain Murphy. Act as if there is an emergency, and order Murphy to fire on McDowell’s ship. It will be leaving the International Space Station in three minutes.”

Cedric flipped the switch and as expected, he was seeing through the eyes of Captain Murphy.

“Captain Murphy,” he said in an official tone, “Do you read me?”

“Aye, Sir. Neural communication confirmed.”

“Captain, this is a matter of utmost importance, and national security is at stake. I need to to follow my orders without hesitation and without question.”

“Aye, Sir.”

“In approximately two minutes, a ship will leave the International Space Station. This ship is carrying Russian bombs that will be detonated upon reaching earth. More specifically, Washington, D.C. I want that ship blown to bits before it reaches Earth. Is that understood?”

“Aye, aye, Sir.” the captain replied as he barked orders to his crew, preparing to fire.

The two minutes seemed like an eternity, but finally, McDowell’s ship came into view.

“Don’t hesitate Captain. Do it.”

“Fire!” Captain Murphy ordered, and in answer, the ship in the distance lit up with flames.

His job complete, Cedric flipped the switch to return to his own head. He found the room empty. He stood, ripping the electrodes from his head.

“Cromwell!” he shouted, but nobody answered.

Suddenly, a loud noise surprised him, and Cedric looked over to see that the double doors had just been forced open.

“Cedric Byron Black, you are under arrest for the charges of…”

Cedric stopped listening to the officer as the betrayal became clear to him. He realized then that he would never be anything more than a scapegoat.