An Eye for an Eye (Original Short Fiction)
"Do you have any idea how much money the federal government spends on military operations?"
Jackson looked around nervously.
"Er, not as such, Sir."
General Larson leaned over so Jackson would get the full effect of his glower.
"Over 21,500 dollars every second."
Jackson gulped.
"Er, I wasn't...totally aware of that. Sir."
General Larson sneered.
"Oh, no? Our R&D department alone has invested tens of millions of dollars into your program over the last six months. One program. Six months. Millions of dollars. Do you see what I'm getting at?"
Jackson nodded frantically.
"Yes, Sir, absolutely, Sir, it's just that--"
"'Just that' what?"
"Er, er, it's just that, Sir, we haven't exactly failed to deliver on our promise, it just needs more, er, tweaking."
General Larson pulled himself up to his full height and bared his teeth in a malicious grin.
"'Tweaking'? Just some 'tweaking'? Mr. Jackson, your team promised us cloaking technology. Is that what you've shown me today?"
Jackson's hand trembled as he attempted and failed to adjust his glasses.
"Well, uh, strictly speaking, Sir, it is. As you can, er, see, or, ha ha, not see, the soldier has been rendered completely, er, invisible."
General Larson threw his hands up.
"And completely blind! What good is a soldier if he can't see in front of his own damn nose?"
"L-like I said, Sir, just a m-minor setback. You see, it's j-just because of the way the cloaking material intercepts and redirects photons. I'm sure if we just had a little more time--"
General Larson slapped the clipboard out of Jackson's hands.
"More time my ass. You're fired. Get the hell out of my sight."
General Larson turned to his assistant as Jackson staggered away.
"What was that other project we had going on in this division?"
His assistant adjusted his glasses and looked over some notes.
"Something about space nukes, sir."
General Larson grunted in approval.
"Sounds good. Let's just dump the rest of the budget into that and call it a day."
Good call, I received a letter once, should the F-35 be backed and would I back it, an upgraded harrier jet. So, I backed it and did not know the first one was supposed to be delivered in 2004.