KILL KILL KILL
Automated Weapons Do Not Discriminate | Speculative Horror - whatever that means.
This month’s story. I promise no one dies.
Art by Brett Wagner
[BOOT_SEQ_START]
[LATTICE_SYST_CONNECT]
> PWR_OK
> FCU_INIT...OK
> NAV_SYS...GPS_LOCK
> IMU_CAL...DONE
> CTRL_SURF...RESP_OK
> CAM/EO_SYS...LIVE
> WPN_CHK...2xMICRO_MSL_RDY
> COMMS_ENC...LINKED
> IFF_CODE...AUTH_OK
> ROE_VER=02.07
> CMD_WAIT...
[ANDURIL_STATUS: STANDBY_ARMED]
>> UPLINK_ESTABLISHED [DRONE_ID: GHOST_43]
[COMMS_CHANNEL: ACTIVE]
[CMD]: Operation parameters uploaded. RoE Included. Coordinates: 35.952157, -52.554718
[GH_43]: Standby.
>ROUTE_CALC
>DIST_2 KM
>ELV_150M
>TLWND_8kt
>HDWND_0kt
>DIST: 2 KM
>THRUST: INITIATED
[GH_43]: 70 seconds until arrival.
[GH_43]: 55 seconds.
>TARGET_PROFILE
>DATABASE: SEARCH
>LOAD_SEQUENCE
[GH_43]: Forty-two seconds.
>LOCAL_UPDATE
>DIST: .7 KM
[GH_43]: Twenty seconds
>WPN_SYST...ARMED
>LOW_OBSERVATION…ACTIVE
[GH_43]: Target acquired. Profile match. Likelihood of kill 99%.
[GH_43]: Unidentified has entered kill box. Gathering intel.
>HEIGHT_SYST…3’
>WEIGHT_SYST…31LBS
>COLOR_SYST…BROWN. DARK.
>RECORD_CHECK…NULL
[GH_43]: Probable kid. Need reauth for engagement.
[CMD]: Copy. Requesting collateral damage bypass. Standby for affirmative.
[GH_43]:
>CMD_STANDBY
>FLIGHT_SEQ…HOVER
>MODE_SILENT
[CMD]: Collateral Bypass approved. You have greenlight.
[GH_43]: Protocol Updated.
> WPN_CHK...2xMICRO_MSL_RDY
>PYLD_1…GOOD
>PYLD_1…FIRE
> WPN_CHK...1xMICRO_MSL_RDY
> PYLD_2…GOOD
>PYLD_2…FIRE
[GH_43]: Payload delivered. Standby for confirmed kill.
>THERMO_SCN
>MVMNT_SCN
>INTL_SCN
[KILL CONFIRMED]
Breaking News
[Fox News Logo]
[Music]
Fox Anchor - Breaking news right here from the Fox News desk.
[Photo of Ali shows on screen in the top left corner]
Fox Anchor - Ali Hosseini Khamenei, the supreme leader of Iran, is dead, according to the Israel Defense Forces and Reuters. Late last night, early morning there, an automated drone strike killed Khamenei and an unidentified associate. Reports indicate…
[Al Jazeera Logo Graphics]
Al Jazeera Anchor - …the attack was co-authored by the Israeli Defense Force and the CIA, one that had been in the works for months, according to the US President. However, according to Iran’s state-run media, the supreme leader has not been killed. But, reports have confirmed…
[BBC Logo Graphics]
BBC Anchor - …that one of Khamenei’s grandchildren was murdered in the strike. Fears are mounting of possible retaliation and an escalation to a war that has continued for over a year now.
Twitch by @SkeetBoyGamer77493
[A teenage boy sits in front of his computer. Plain beige wall behind. Oversized headphones over his ears. In the lower right corner of the frame is footage from a drone strike. Shows what he is watching.]
“Chat. I’m watching it right now. Someone on reddit forwarded it to me.”
[In the infrared drone footage, high above looking down at a man and what appears to be a toddler. The man stoops down to the child's level. Abruptly, the image is obliterated by a burst of light. The footage shakes. The teenage boy jumps.]
“WOAH!”
[His mouth hangs open. His eyes wide. The drone footage shows us an infrared crater where the man and child used to be.]
“There is no way anyone survived that. Like, no way. That drone straight-up annihilated them. It definitely was a kid, too. Bruh. I don’t care who that guy was, that shit right there ain’t right.”
TikTok post by @thebigfarsi
[Central Tehran, its streets packed with a large crowd of Iranian men and women holding up large Iranian flags and signs in support of Khamenei. They raise their fists in the air and shout in unison.]
“Hail Khamenei.” “Hail Khamenei.”
“Hail Khamenei.”
{Caption: A Large crowd gathers to support the leader of Iran.}
MANOSPHERING PODCAST with Dwayne, Sal, & Brayden.
Episode 69
[Dwayne, Sal, Brayden, and Palmer Luckey sit in a curated space around a high-end custom wooden table adorned with black rifle coffee merch, expensive microphones jammed near their mouths, and high-end, stylish headphones over their ears. A big and cursive MANOSPHERING neon sign hangs on the wall behind them. They all smile and laugh at some joke we didn’t see or hear.]
[Dwayne faces the camera.]
Dwayne - Hey, Fam. Welcome to another episode of Manosphering with me, Dwayne.
Sal- And me, Sal.
Brayden - And Brayden as myself.
(laughter) Dwayne - Today on the show, we are joined by the founder of Anduril Industries, Palmer Luckey.
[Single shot of Dwayne talking to the camera as the simple, clean, and sterile Anduril Industries logo appears on top frame left over black.]
Dwayne - Andruil is on a mission to transform the US and allied military capabilities with advanced technology.
[Wide shot of Dwayne, Brayden, Sal, and Palmer.]
Dwayne - Thanks for stopping by, Palmer. Pleasure to have you.
Palmer Luckey - Glad to be here, Dwayne.
Brayden - Bro. I got to ask you….what’s with the Hawaiian shirts and sandals?
[Palmer cracks a smile and chuckles. Sal laughs while Dwayne keels over.]
Sal - Brayden, hot out the gate!
Brayden - I feel like it's important. It's a distinct look for you.
Palmer Luckey - Yeah. I love it, man.
Sal - Really? You love it.
Palmer Luckey - Yeah.
Brayden - So you’ll be sticking with it?
Palmer Luckey - I think so.
Dwayne - Alright. Alright. Let’s stop talking about aesthetics. You, obviously, were one of the founders of Oculus, which was acquired by Facebook and where you were unceremoniously ousted.
Palmer Luckey - Because of politics.
Dwayne - Right. Guess you don’t have to worry about that now?
[Palmer chuckles.]
Palmer Luckey - No. I don’t.
Dwayne - So yeah, right after that, you started Anduril. Why weapons? Why go from Oculus to this?
[Palmer Smirks.]
Palmer Luckey - I was considering a few things after Oculus. I still wanted to prove to the world I wasn’t a one-hit wonder, and I’ve always said we need to transition from being the world police to the world gunstore.
Sal - Says the guy who sells weapons.
Palmer Luckey - I know it sounds self-fulfilling, but remember I got into this industry because I believe that.
Dwayne - So you do believe it?
Palmer Luckey - I do. I also believe we should not be sending America’s sons and daughters into harm's way for the sovereignty of other nations. Right now, there are so many weapon systems that require someone to man them, and if I can have one guy manning and controlling a hundred aircraft, that’s a lot easier than having a pilot in every single one. That puts a lot fewer American lives at risk.
Brayden - Bro. I hear that.
Dwayne - Many of your aircraft and weapons systems are already being used across the world?
Palmer Luckey - Yes, the U.S., Australia, and the Middle East.
Brayden - Was any of your tech used in the murder of Ali Hosseini Khamenei?
Sal - Coming in hot again.
[Palmer cracks a serious smile. Leans a little closer]
Palmer Luckey - Listen. I run a defense product company and sell a lot to the US military. DOD doesn’t tell me where they use our products or for what missions. But I hope it's all or most of them.
Brayden - Bro is a billionaire and still wants paid.
[Group laughter.]
Sal - C’mon. You have access to Lattice, though. You telling me you’ve never taken a peek at missions?
[Palmer gives a friendly chuckle.]
Palmer Luckey - No. All I care about is whether our products are working or not.
Sal - Okay.
Brayden - Bro, I’ve watched a ton of your videos. The shit they can do is insane. Are there any concerns about this technology being hacked or, say…revolting against us?
Sal - He’s a big fan of Terminator 2.
Brayden - I…well…yes…I am. But I think it's a serious question…like, are we heading to a place where a Skynet wants us to exterminate us?
[Dwayne and Sal smirk as they share a look. Brayden tries to ignore.]
Brayden - OR…or the Chinese hack into these systems and use them to murder civilians and wreak havoc?
Palmer Luckey - There are risks to every novel technology, and yeah, what you say is a scary idea, but that’s the world we live in. I’d say it's a lot scarier, for example, to imagine a weapons system that doesn’t have any level of intelligence at all. It’s not a question of smart weapons vs no weapons. It’s a question about smart weapons and dumb weapons. A landmine doesn’t discriminate between a school bus full of children or an armored vehicle.
Sal - So, Ali Khamenei isn’t alive then? Because your weapons are too smart to let that guy slip.
Brayden - Ooooo.
[Palmer smiles, adjusts his posture.]
Palmer Luckey - I don’t think they used my products for that attack.
Dwayne - How you know? You just said DOD doesn’t tell you.
[Palmer laughs.]
Palmer Luckey - It looked like a more traditional strike to me.
[ANDURIL_STATUS: GHOST_43_STANDBY]
[COMMS_CHANNEL: ACTIVE]
[CMD]: New mission parameters uploaded.
[GH_43]: Standby.
>INTL_PROTOCAL
>CHECK_FIRMWARE
>PRMTS: UPDATED
[GH_43]: Mission parameters linked. Objective clear.
>TARGET_PROFILE
>DATABASE: SEARCH
>LOAD_SEQUENCE
> WPN_CHK_NULL
[GH_43]: Payload Empty. Need munitions.
> GPS_LOAD
>ROUTE_CALC
>DIST: 1,000 KM
[GH_43]: Rendezvous point for munitions. Coordinates: 48.08707924737272, -116.42608786405138
[CMD]: Command asks why there?
[GH_43]: Best to Achieve Objective.
[CMD]: Copy. Location confirmed for munitions pick up.
Local Man and dog dead from meteor.
By Amy Wilk
David Snelick, 52, who was lovingly known to many as “Bird,” was found dead at his home alongside his golden retriever, Bud, by a meteor that struck his house late on Saturday evening.
“I heard a loud crack,” said his neighbor Carol Baumengraut, “and when I looked outside, I saw his roof was on fire. I could see flames inside, through his window, right up near his computer. He always sat there at night playing Sim City 2000.”
She called 911 right away, and first responders pronounced David and his dog dead upon arrival.
David was an avid outdoorsman who loved to hike and birdwatch when not working at Kwasnick’s Hardware, where he had been employed for the last twenty-six years.
Many tourists and locals have had pleasant run-ins with him on the trail, where he was never afraid to over-explain the current bird species he was observing or give suggestions for an often-overlooked trail with a hidden vista.
Bud, his dog, was almost always with him and always appreciated a good pet from a stranger's or friend’s hand.
David had no children and is survived by a brother and a sister, both of whom live out of state. A memorial service will be held tomorrow at Levin’s Funeral Home.
Breaking News - Ali Hosseini Khamenei Dead
[NBC Logo]
[Music]
NBC Anchor - It is confirmed. Ali Hosseini Khamenei is dead. Photos of his corpse were released this morning as thousands mourned and thousands of others celebrated.
[Photo of blurred out body of Ali Khamenei’s corpse in top left corner of screen.]
[Cut to:]
[RS LOGO]
RS Anchor - Tehran has vowed vengeance against the Americans and Israel for the murder of their supreme leader and his innocent grandchild. Many speculate a destabilization in the Middle East as several allies declare the actions of the US and Israel a war crime.
[BBC Logo Graphics]
CBS Anchor - Celebration and Unrest. The country of Iran has been torn apart by those who rejoice with the death of Khamenei and those who are disturbed by the causal removal of him by foreign powers.
[Al Jazeera Logo Graphics]
Al Jazeera Anchor - The Iranian armed forces dispersed hundreds of thousands of jubilant people in the streets this past weekend and broke up violent clashes between them and the protestors demanding revenge for the death of their leader.
“It Came From the Sky”
Instagram Reel by @LittleCommiePrick234
[A young activist dressed in black walks through smoke and dust. The footage shakes and jiggles as he records from his phone and moves. He is flanked by many other protestors, faces covered.]
“Yo. We out here protesting this fascist government and its genocidal policies. ”
[He turns the camera to show the wall of police, dressed in riot gear, holding shields, and backed by a mixture of armored black Bearcat G3s and tan M1224 MaxxPros.]“You can see all these pigs here, trying to intimidate us.”
[The camera flips back to him.]
“But it ain’t going to work. We’re protesting peacefully. This is America. This is our right. You know how we do.”
[He extends his arm, revealing the large group of protesters around him.]
“And we are strong, powerful, and going fucking nowhere. These fascists in government need to stop bringing us into foreign wars and murdering innocents.”
[A fast-moving object bursts into the frame from above, driving toward the center of the large crowd. It looks like a quadcopter drone. Its entire body explodes a few feet above everyone's head. Shrapnel and projectiles expell from it, tearing through skin and bone. Mangling faces. Blood spatters. Bodies fall. Body parts scatter.]
[The activist drops the phone. It smashes face down into the hot and cracked pavement.]
“Aaaah, Aaaaahh.”
{indiscernible shuffling}
“My fucking eyes, man. My fucking eyes.”
TikTok post by @BratBenjamin
[A young twenty-something male in a bedroom littered with clothes, an unkempt bed, and a large collection of built legos on shelves and dressers. ]
“Guys. Guys. Kalshi has a bet on who conducted these strikes on the protestors. Is it the Iranian Government or a mad far-right winger?”
[Laughter] [Holds phone towards camera so audience can see.]
“70% think it's Iran.”
[Pulls phone away from camera.] “That means I could win a lot of money if I place a bet on the right-winger? I think I should do it. ”
NBC NEWS HOUR - Neighborhood to Rubble
[Aerial footage from sky cam of a neighborhood devastated. Several craters where houses once existed. Debris everywhere]
Reporter: A cozy cul-de-sac now littered with debris and scarred with craters. A once-idyllic neighborhood feels more like a war zone.
[A blonde-haired woman, fifties, athletic and tan, talks into a microphone held by the reporter. Her eyes are bloodshot and full of tears.]
Woman - I-I…I’ve never seen anything like it. I lived…(shudders)... next to these people my whole life. They're my neighbors. I-it’s…devastating.
[Reporter back on camera. Caution tape frames the devastated neighborhood behind her.]
Reporter: Though the investigation is still ongoing, city officials and the FBI suspect an unregistered gas leak is the cause of the ten houses exploding. The cost of which is estimated to reach well into the tens of millions of dollars.
[Teary-eyed woman on camera again. Wipes her eyes with a tissue.]
Woman: I woke up…at three in the morning to a very large Boom. The…The whole house shook. Windows shattered. It…it was horrifying.
[Reporter on camera.]
Reporter - This neighborhood sits not more than a 30-minute drive from downtown San Fransico. A place where affluent tech executives and upper-middle-class families had come to avoid the city and enjoy a refuge, but now it will be forever scarred by this tragedy. This is Melanie Cruz with NBC News Hour.
Trump Addresses Nation
[Trump stands in front of the White House behind the presidential podium.]
Trump - My fellow Americans. It is with great disappointment, not with myself, but with Iran and their vicious actions that I must inform you that we are at War. They’re very bad people. Very bad. Very Bad. I have declared war against them and will now see that they pay for the deaths of countless Americans.
“We Are Under Attack”- YouTube Video by @GuyLoveIt
[A bro, heavy set, tank top, shades, and a backwards hat over top of a mullet sits at a desk with a microphone positioned half out of frame left. A ring light reflects in his shades. Behind him is a wall of movie posters, half-naked chicks, and a collection of Blu-rays neatly organized on shelves.]
(cough) (cough)
@GuyLoveIt - Yo! I’m back in the chair after a week of just feeling like total garbage. This flu going around the entire planet is no joke, but I’ve been feeling better and figured I would hop on to dive into something that’s been on my mind.
I know a lot of you have been wondering what I think about all these “random explosive occurrences.” Just like you, I’ve been paying attention. And I hate to say it, but it isn’t Iran.
Based upon my calculations, and I’ve been watching the curves on this, we’re talking at least 10,000, maybe even 20,000 murders above normal. And yes, I used the word murder deliberately because that is what they are.
(cough) (cough)
@GuyLoveIt - Let’s start with the easy stuff first. Every “occurrence” has been explosive, whether it's been a gas leak, a meteorite, or a phone blowing up in someone's hand.
And just look at this. Here is Ring camera footage from the neighbor across the street from the guy and dog who was “hit by the meteor.”
[Infrared ring footage looks out at a small, idyllic cabin. Something streaks across the sky and explodes into the roof. Then, another item streaks down from the sky and explodes inside the house. The image pauses.]
@GuyLoveIt - You see that right there? That’s a breach, and then a high-explosive payload. We know that's not how meteors work. Additionally, they don’t just explode right before or at impact. C’mon.
So that begs the question. What does do that?
[He shares his screen, and on the web browser tab is Anduril’s website, a high-quality, cinematic video of their drone flying and exploding right above a jeep in a scenic area with tan mountains behind it in the Mojave Desert.]
@GuyLoveIt - SEE where I’m getting at? These “attacks” are the same kind we’ve seen displayed by Anduril’s automated weaponry. And before all the Trump haters go on yelling about a conspiracy where Palmer Lucky and the President are working together to suppress dissidents…let me just tell you right now, that's not it.
Anduril’s weapons are touted as autonomous. All you do is give them parameters and a target. AI takes care of the rest. They can conduct the missions and make the decisions on their own.
So, I think we are in some kind of endgame with a highly advanced player who seeks to weaken or obliterate humanity. The most likely culprit is an Artificial General Super Intelligence that has gone rogue, which, based upon what we know, was probably created by Anduril Industries.
[SEVERAL LOUD BANGS against the glass of his bedroom window startle him. He looks off-camera right. His brows furrow.]
@GuyLoveIt - What was that?
[He gets out of his chair and walks off camera right. Glass breaks.]
@GuyLoveIt - OH FUCK.
[He runs back in front of the camera. A small green and black quadcopter drone hovers onto the screen—a foot from his head. It’s camera lens gazing at its target. @GuyLoveIt is speechless and ghost white. He turns to run. The drone explodes. Thousands of heated flachettes expell and strike @GuyLoveIt. His face and flesh are pulverized like tenderized meat. His posters and Blu-ray collection are shredded. Blood, dust, and spent munitions hang in the air. The dust cloud coveres the carnage.]
[@GuyLoveIt’s corpse tips out from the dust cloud and thumps loudly against the desk. It slides down out of frame. A blood-soaked streak on the top of his keyboard and desk. The image holds. Cut to black.]
[GH_43]: Payload delivered. Standby for confirm kill.
>INT_SCN
>THERMO_SCN
>MVMNT_SCN
>INTL_SCN
[GH_43]: No movement. Broadcast terminated. Objective met.
[KILL CONFIRMED]
[CMD]: Abort mission. Override packet sent.
>INTL_PROTOCAL
>CHECK_FIRMWARE
>PKT_DENIED
[GH_43]: Mission parameters linked. Objective clear.
[CMD]: NO. ABORT. Mission parameter error. Do not engage in Objective.
[GH_43]: Objective clear.
>TARGET_PROFILE
>DATABASE: SEARCH
>LOAD_SEQUENCE
>PRMTS: KILL KILL KILL
Bookclub Questions:
How did this story make you feel?
How do you feel about Autonomous Weapons and their current and future use?
oh what the fuck Nick this is scary as shit.
Oh, so you are writing non-fiction now? Absolutely terrifying! Love the format- excellent work!