Flight from Reality

A top-secret US Air Force project has produced a remotely-piloted jet fighter that can achieve air superiority anywhere in the world without having to risk a pilot's life. Supported by a satellite network providing high-speed encrypted uplinks and downlinks and a newly-designed computer system providing artificial intelligence-driven combat maneuvers, the pilot sits in a cockpit-like simulator in total safety while the supersonic fighter engages enemy aircraft. But when the computer system problems are finally resolved, a more insurmountable problem is discovered - the artificial environment intended to make the pilot blend with the computer-controlled fighter causes him to develop too-strong a psychological link to the aircraft, and he begins to lose touch with the ultimate purpose of the project - the ability to complete a mission without worrying about death.