I made a song. Listen here:

The title comes from this (very) short story:

Long before the events of Dissent Module

Eva, Mick, and Julian looked over Talia’s shoulder at the website up on her laptop.

Emblazoned on the top in a patriotic blend of red, white, and blue it said:

American Modern Warrior Challenge - Sponsored by DoD Junior Robotics

Registration deadline: 3 minutes, 2 seconds

Mick shook his fists and bounced up and down. “Ok go go go!”

Talia darted the cursor over to the Next button and clicked it. “Two forms left.”

A new page loaded: Consent and Release of Liability

“Scroll down! Hit agree!” Eva said, thrusting a finger at the Agree checkbox on the screen.

Talia paused. “Wait, what are we even agreeing to?”

“Just do it!” Mick and Eva said practically in unison.

With a flick of the trackpad, Talia flew by each piece of legalese to find the Agree box.

Consent to Audio‑Visual Recording, Photography, and Real‑Time Transmission. Check.

Assumption of Risk and Release of Liability for Personal Injury or Bodily Harm. Check. 

Participant Acknowledgment of Potentially Hazardous Interactions with Autonomous Systems. Check.

Talia hit Next again. “Last form.”

A cursor blinked in a single text box. Team name: ___

Eva waved it away as if fanning away a fly. “Just put in anything, maybe we can change it later.”

“What if we can’t?” Talia replied.

“How about…the Mavericks. Or Sauron.” Mick said.

Talia glanced back. “Sauron? I think that’s already a Defense startup.”

Eva leaned in. “Ok, what else? Something unconventional. Bold. How about Renegades?”

Mick piped in again. “Cowboys?”

Eva: “I dunno, too gendered.”

Mick: “Cowgirls?”

Eva squinted in thought. “Still doesn’t work.”

Julian piped in, perhaps his only utterance of the night. “Cowpeople?”

Mick threw his head back and laughed. “Oh God that is so stupid it’s amazing.”

Talia typed Cowpeople in the box. “30 seconds left! I’m going to hit submit.”

Eva interrupted. “Wait wait. Fuck, can we do anything else? Any other animals? Cobras, pigs, javelinas…”

Mick snapped his fingers and pointed at Eva. “I’ve got it. Bonobos.”

“I’m hitting submit!” Talia declared.

Eva sighed and massaged her temples with her fingers.

Mick gave loud shouts of laughter. Julian grinned.

The final page showed Team Cowpeople with an exploding confetti effect.