Cover Gallery to Confrence Call in abus This chapter opens with a discussion of the book's protagonist, David. David is a scientist who is troubled by the way his inventions are being used by the government. He loves his work, but is concerned about how they are being misused. He is not an atheist, he says, but he was not a scientist like himself and other current scientists. David's creation, the drone, was originally used for reconnaissance, but it quickly became a weapon of war. The drones now roam around looking for David and using their remaining electrical charge, they fire the bullet. The narrator compares the military recruitment process to a comic book. Even the grunts don't know what they are signing up for. Even though he doesn't understand it, he thinks it's plain and simple. He compares chemical warfare to the war in which the United States supported Saddam Hussein and gave him the weapons he eventually used against them. He says that if you could make a drink that was safe for a single person, they would think it was safe to drink it and die. He lists a number of examples of how scientists have been using chemical weapons for thousands of years. The first example is from World War 2, when the United states entered the war late, only after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. The second is from the Phillippines, where the government spends too much money on research and development. The third is from a map of Fort Meade, where David is supposed to blow through the wall and escape. He leaves out the details of his finances because he wants to tell some of the story in future flashbacks.