Page 32 - Unlikely Stories 1

DeathCon

“No, Mr. Bauser, I’m not going to do that. Maybe someone
else has that idea, and is developing a plastic tougher than any armor
plating now in use. My intention is to use the vehicle as a delivery
system for chemical and biological warfare. You see in these
schematics how an otherwise obsolete M60 Patton can be refitted at
minimal cost to contain the tanks and pressure nozzles required to
spray pathogens or toxic substances in a wide pattern around its
path.”
“Well, Stew, that sounds like a great way to reuse a lot of old
hardware. But what about the soldiers driving the tank: wouldn’t they
be at risk, as well?”
“Oh, I’ve thought about that, sir. There won’t be any people
inside it. Completely driven by remote control, just like the drones
you see everywhere in the skies these days. And if it gets stuck—say,
if the enemy blows off one of its tracks—then the whole thing can be
detonated with an on-board charge that will send the contents of its
tanks flying out in all directions for hundreds of yards. Just think of
it: a hundred or two of my Septic Tanks fanning out over a salient
into enemy territory wreaking havoc, and maybe one of them making
it all the way to their capital city.”
“Um, er, yes, I see what you mean. Well, what about this
other thingamabob next to it?”
“That is my own invention, sir: it’s a modified pipeline
inspection gauge, or pig. The original is in wide use today to capture
video images of blockages in drains. My self-propelled version,
Crapper Sapper, will crawl through a sewer line to plant explosives or
spy gear at specific locations under enemy targets. I built it with easily
obtained miniature electric motors, a GPS and transmitter, and a
completely watertight shell. The design is mine, however, and I have
a patent pending. I guarantee it will be in the army’s toolkit within six
months of finding a buyer.”
“Gotten any good leads, sir—I mean, Stew?”
“I can’t reveal that, sir. You’ll find that confidentiality is
required in making these deals, if not exclusivity.”

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