The Gadgeteer

Chapter 18

UNDER the microscope, the mechanisms were so small that Arabeth had to adjust the magnifier several times to see their precise, perpetual movement. The fact that it took a microscope to see them clearly in the first place was testament to the breakthrough in technology it represented.

"Want a look?" She asked, thinking it was a good way to stop Hicks' hovering.

He nodded and moved in to look as she stepped away.

"Can you explain?" Hicks was trying to look as close as he could, not having a microscope of his own to look through. "What are we looking at?"

Arabeth stood back, crossing her arms and looking smug. "Mental manipulation via circuits and wiring. It's quite brilliant, and theoretically, this is supposed to stop the war."

"By causing them to turn on each other, instead of us."

She nodded, unsure if he saw the ethical dilemma, or was amongst those who felt it was a fair price to pay in the long run.

"I take it you would rather find a different solution," he said.

"I haven't given it much thought, but yes. There must be a better way."

"What do you have in mind?" he asked.

She paused, knowing what she was thinking seemed anticlimactic. Dull by comparison. And there might not be a lot of support for it, being as it was so undramatic.

"Spit it out, Arabeth."

"Well, if it can make people violent and crazy, why can't it do the opposite? Why can't it turn them passive?"

Hicks chuckled. "Okay, let's pursue that line of logic. What level of passivity would be required for them to surrender? Would they even be motivated at that point to wave the white flag?"

"We don't have to influence the decision-makers, just the ones carrying out the orders."

"And when it wears off, what will keep them from going straight back to aggression?"

Arabeth paused. "You're saying that only violence will stop more violence?"

"I'm asking a question," Hicks replied.

"The key to both situations is that they don't find out they were manipulated. Which do you think is more likely to make them mad enough to retaliate?"

"True. If we all just stop killing each other, there won't be as many calling for blood compensation."

"Withdraw our men off the front line, secretly plant enough of these to make their soldiers put their guns down, and wait for the superiors to say it was their idea to have a ceasefire in the first place."

It was Hicks's turn to pause.

"Do you remember why the war started in the first place?" Arabeth asked. Her grandfather's story had long since been shelved - no one liked it when she talked about this being a city of exiles, forbidden to cross to the other side of the mountains. Hicks had heard it before and dismissed it, just like everyone else. Somehow it rang true, though. She sighed. He'd give the stock answer, and she'd go along with it.

"Resources. They wanted us to increase our trade quotas. When we said we didn't have much more to spare, they decided that was unacceptable."

"And now, both sides are depleted beyond recovery. And science has been making the wrong kind of advances to compensate," she said.

He nodded again. "True."

"So, neither side feels they can afford to stop now. And your supposition is that if no one will fight, they'll be forced to find other solutions."