The Killing Machine

The Mars Rover, the James Webb telescope – in recent decades American technology has proven itself capable of miracles. Much of that ingenuity has been directed toward national defense, resulting in the most powerful military on Earth. Spending for preparedness has surpassed six hundred billion dollars annually, and for good reason. Our enemies abroad strive to overtake the U.S. in the development of super weapons and will stop at nothing to achieve their goal. Equally as worrisome is the mental state of rogue leaders, who enslave their people, launch horrific campaigns of mass murder and vow America’s destruction.

In response the federal government has secretly commissioned a team of brilliant scientists to create a mechanical monster, a shape-shifting killing machine whose sole purpose is to secretly invade enemy countries, assassinate their leaders and escape undetected. Given our reluctance to kill soldiers who have no choice but to fight when commanded by unscrupulous dictators, our motives are not primarily bloodthirsty. The Killing Machine is intended to stop wars and limit civilian casualties by cutting off the head of several murderous regimes.

All goes well until The Killing Machine is hijacked by domestic terrorists in the guise of ambitious politicians, and is reprogrammed to finish the insurrection begun on January 6, 2021. After a ‘test run’ which leaves scores dead in Times Square, New York City, the mechanical monster is redirected to Washington, DC, where a terrifying battle for the sanctity of American freedom will soon take place.

The Killing Machine also tells the story of Mae Chow, a Chinese national and a mechanical engineering genius who is smuggled out of her home country to help develop Project Orion, the machine’s official title. Also, in a rare display of cooperation between bickering law enforcement agencies, two NYPD detectives are paired with two FBI agents to track down flimsy leads. Detective Ramon Gutierrez and Agent Della Childs chase clues that suggest Orion’s ultimate destination is Washington, DC, while Detective Elsa Benson and Agent Mike Whaley follow a trail of strange murders to a secret laboratory in Bloomington, Indiana.

The hopes and prayers of an entire country hinge on the capture or destruction of The Killing Machine.