Catalyst

Unnamed Military Outpost somewhere in Central America

Major General Hollister heaved himself out of the newer low-profile tactical vehicle that was being used in this conflict, his boots splashing into the mud. His driver, a sergeant, was having a hole burned in his skull by Captain Jefferies beside him.

"You couldn't have put the General in a better place than the mud?" he angrily whispered.

"It won't happen again sir" he whispered back.

"Enough, this way nobody can say that I don't ever get dirty" the general interjected. He started to walk towards the hanger where the new project was as the Jefferies scrambled to get out of the vehicle and catch up. "Now I have read the reports on this device and what it's supposed to be able to do, but I need you to break it down Barney style for me". Stumbling, CPT Jefferies started to explain how the supercomputer that was housed in this hangar was a latest generation AI who could virtually control the entire battle space, making decisions better and faster than any commander could. It would be able to tap into any device to collect data and direct troops and drones where to go.

"I don't know why the Secretary of defense wants to replace battle space commanders. It just sounds like a bad idea." the General grumbled.

"Sir it has been doing very well in the testing and has outperformed all the battle space commanders that were put against it" the general paused and slowly turned back to Jefferies.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but no information system is 100% impenetrable"

"Yes sir, but the deep learning aspect of Ares allows it to adapt to any threat to it". He turned and continued to walk towards the hanger this time in silence.

As they approached the perimeter several machine gun emplacements tracked them until they got to within a set distance from the gates. Internally the AI identified General Hollister and sent the weapons back to tracking for any threat that would approach. It had strict programming to keep any unauthorized individual far away from it. Unaware that the war machine was watching and listening to them they continued to talk.

"Sir, if I may ask, what is the plan here?" Jefferies inquired.

"Over the next 3 weeks we will be going through the final testing for this system and following a successful run, we will use it on the Brazilians and hopefully draw an end to this conflict" "And if it isn't successful?"

"Then we will have to destroy it. The boys at the pentagon have serious misgivings on handing over control of battle systems to something that isn't human"

They walked in somber silence for a measure or two longer. Finally, the two of them reached the front gates and entered the control center. It was going to be interesting to find out if this system would be able to break the stalemate between NATO and the South American Defense Council(CDS). Before the CDS were not trying to be like NATO but evidence of manipulation of their governments using the war on drugs to assassinate political bodies changed their minds. Most countries that were accused of doing the deeds denied everything of course. It didn't matter though, because it started them into a defensive posture and that gave some of the bad actors what they needed to take over and start a campaign to take over central America. Mexico petitioned to join NATO so they could be protected and it eventually turned into war.

The next two weeks went very well, if not a little boring. Most of the systems were simulated but they started to give an increasing amount of live systems over to the control of Ares. The third week was designated as the first time that full systems control was going to be given to the AI along with an actual mission. Hollister had been observing the simulations but was very active in the decisions on what the AI had access to up until that point.