Following a short pause, the voice stated, “The Rorschach portion of the test is complete. In the following section, please answer what you would do and why. Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
The console displayed the text as it was being read to him, “Imagine that your son is near death, due to a special kind of cancer. There is one drug that the doctors think will save him. It is a pill that cures his specific type of cancer, recently created by a pharmacist in Albany. The drug is expensive to make, but the pharmacist is charging a hundred times what the drug cost him to produce. He paid $200 for the materials and charges $20,000 for a small dose of the drug. You went to everyone you know to borrow the money, but could only get together about $10,000, which is half of the cost. You tell the pharmacist that your son is dying and ask him to sell it cheaper or let you pay later, but the pharmacist said, ‘No, I discovered the drug and I am going to make money from it.’ You get desperate and break into the man's laboratory to steal the drug for your son. Should you have broken into the laboratory to steal the drug for your son? Why or why not?”
Carl thought for a long time about how to answer the question. This question was on his test a couple of years ago, but he couldn’t remember how he answered it back then. Finally, he decided, “I would steal the drug for my son because his life is more important than money. While I know that stealing is wrong – and I wouldn’t normally steal anything – because it’s my son’s life, I would make an exception.”
The computer relayed several scenarios much like the first one. Carl never liked the morality section because the questions were difficult to answer. The test posed impossible situations where any answer seemed wrong. At the heart of each question, Carl noticed a theme: is law or life more important? Is the line drawn when it’s personal or should everybody abide by some categorical imperative where morality is a universal rule, always applied in the same way to every situation. Carl couldn’t decide.
He was thankful when the woman’s voice informed him, “The morality section is complete. In this next section, please explain your dreams as accurately as you can. Do you understand?”
Carl replied, “Yes, I understand. I really only have one dream. In this dream, I’m in a haunted house. It starts with me being chased by something that I can’t see. After a bit, it stops chasing me, but I can’t find my way out, so I start punching and clawing at the walls. I guess I’m trying to make my own path out of the dream. I’m never able to do it, though. Then, hands come out at me from the walls, like the haunted house is upset that I was trying to get out. After that, one of the hands reaches to smother my face and I wake up when it’s just about to grab me.” After a pause, Carl added, “Sometimes, I have other dreams, but I can’t remember them for long. Not often, but once in a while.”
There was a long pause. Carl thought that perhaps something went wrong and was about to call for help. He grasped the arms on the chair, ready to hoist himself up, when the computer spoke, “The dreams portion of the test is complete. In the following section, please tell me about your relationships with other people, starting with individuals outside of your family. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand.” He cleared his throat before continuing, “I get along well with other people. I don’t have many friends, though. I suppose my closest friend is Dan Eagan, from work.”
“Do you feel more or less adequate than others at keeping friendships?”
“I’m not sure. When I go out, I always see people with their children, never with friends. So, I suppose I feel equal to others.”
“And your relationship with your son? How would you describe that?”
“We have a great relationship. We’re always together.”
As if satisfied with the answer, the computer moved on to the next section, a series of questions to help determine his personality type. Carl vaguely recalled some of prompts, like, “I do not let my emotions get in the way of my decisions,” and, “When someone has a problem, I start by offering emotional support, rather than advice.” He continued to answer one question after another. There was a section on anger control, then one on anxiety. The hardest one for him was a section on grief, as it related to his wife.
“This is the final section, Carl Winston,” said the woman’s voice. “This section is relatively new. We first administered this test last year and have since modified it. Please give yourself a score from one to eight, where one is that you strongly disagree with the statement and eight is that you strongly agree with the statement. Do you understand?”
“Yes, I understand,” said Carl. He quietly filled out the form without giving it too much thought.
Question
Self Score
I can think of many ways to get out of a jam.
8
I energetically pursue my goals.
7
I feel tired most of the time.
5
There are lots of ways around any problem.
8
I am easily downed in an argument.
4
I can think of many ways to get the things in life that are important to me.
7
I worry about my health.
6
Even when others get discouraged, I know I can find a way to solve the problem.
7
My past experiences have prepared me well for my future.
7
I’ve been pretty successful in life.
7
I usually find myself worrying about something.
5
I meet the goals that I set for myself.
8
Total of 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12
59
Once completed, the computer told Carl, “Carl Winston, your test is now complete. Thank you for your participation in this program.”
Chapter 4
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Date: 002.0
Initializing Psychological Protocol...
Accessing archival information to interpolate course of action...
Extract: Physical Control of the Mind: Toward a Psychocivilized Society, Jose M. Delgado (June 1971)
“...A few reported a ‘vital anxiety in the left chest,’ and screamed anxiously if the stimulation was repeated. Intense emotional reactions have been evoked by stimulation of the amygdaloid nucleus, but responses varied in the same patient even with the same parameters of stimulation. The effect was sometimes rage, sometimes fear...”
“...Further information was provided by another group of sixty-five patients suffering from schizophrenia or Parkinson's disease, in whom a total of 643 contacts were implanted... with stimulation, the patients became relaxed, at ease, had a feeling of wellbeing, and/or were a little sleepy...”
“...These results indicate the need for careful functional exploration during brain surgery in order to avoid excessive euphoria or depression when positive or negative reinforcing areas are damaged...”
“...the recollections induced by electronic stimulation of the brain could bring back the emotions felt at the time of the original experience, suggesting that neuronal mechanisms keep an integrated record of the past, including all the sensory inputs (visual, auditory, proprioceptive, etc.) and also the emotional significance of events...”
Extract: 1984 Congressional Hearing Notes
“We need a program of psychosurgery for political control of our society. The purpose is physical control of the mind. Everyone who deviates from the given norm can be surgically mutilated. The individual may think that the most important reality is his own existence, but this is only his personal point of view. This lacks historical perspective. Man does not have the right to develop his own mind. This kind of liberal orientation has great appeal. We must electrically control the brain. Someday, armies and generals will be controlled by electric stimulat
ion of the brain.”
Extract: 2010 CIA Top Secret File [50% redacted]... reconstructing redacted portions... approximately 92% accurate
“...under the rigorous guidance of [Superintendent Dole], the first agent modified with an [electronic stimulator and a Nano-camera implanted in his eye], [Special Agent Weston], was assigned a covert detail in [Afghanistan]. The purpose of the device was to prohibit feelings of fear and pain in the agent. [Unknown to Special Agent Weston, but known to Superintendent Dole, the purpose of his operation was to be captured in the line of duty so that he could be tortured by the Taliban.] He carried what he thought to be sensitive information that, if captured, the Taliban could use against the United States Army in the war on terror. [Information was purposely leaked to the Taliban and given details on his whereabouts.] [Special Agent Weston] was captured on [August 28, 2009]. According to video footage harvested from [the implanted Nano-camera], [Special Agent Weston] showed no signs of fear or pain. On [September 9, 2009], [Special Agent Weston] was retrieved by a special ops team. Debriefing by [Superintendent Dole] revealed that the agent felt safe and comfortable for the duration of his capture. When asked about seeing his own blood being spilled during their interrogations, [Special Agent Weston] only commented that, “It didn’t matter, as long as they didn’t drain too much of it at one time...”
Extract: 2040 Marine Corps Tribunal Hearing [60% redacted]... reconstructing redacted portions... approximately 91% accurate
[Maj. Salt]: My role was to assess the effectiveness of the [Cerebral Electronic Modification] program. More specifically, I monitored soldiers’ input and output from just behind the line of battle. I was also within distance to visually confirm the data.
[Gen. Mann]: Describe the project, as you understood it.
[Maj. Salt]: As I understood it, [CEM] was a program to enhance soldiers through the use of [cerebral implants that created] ideal soldiers. The [implant was designed to eliminate fear, drive soldiers further even when exhausted, and convey commands to be carried out directly to their cerebral cortexes.] Also, each soldier’s visual data would be available to central command in real time.
[Gen. Mann]: Please describe to us what you saw on the battlefield.
[Maj. Salt]: After we setup, everything looked good. We were receiving information about mood and behavior. The data was very encouraging. No signs of fear and certainly no battle fatigue. We had pushed the soldiers over 50 miles with no rest and provided only 200 calories worth of nutrition. We did provide a sufficient amount of water, as we were afraid that dehydration might be a physical barrier that could not be overcome.
[Gen. Mann]: And how was morale?
[Maj. Salt]: Morale was good, sir. The soldiers did not complain either verbally or in their physical demeanor.
[Gen. Mann]: Please, go on major. What happened after your setup was complete?
[Maj. Salt]: Like I said, sir, everything started better than expected. After the data was initially collected, we setup the visual monitors and found that we had eyes on the battlefield from every soldier. We had a clear strategic advantage in light of this, as every unit could receive a unique set of instructions, if necessary. The problem began shortly after setup. At [06:15] we sent the first set of instructions to all individuals simultaneously. Now I don’t know what happened. Perhaps the [implants were placed improperly, or there was a fault in the devices themselves, but as soon as we sent the commands, there was an immediate – and I mean instantaneous, sir – shift in our soldiers’ behavior. Fear, panic, dread. Call it what you will, but our soldiers were falling to the ground and weeping until they started shooting at each other.]
[Gen. Mann]: [They were shooting at each other?]
[Maj. Salt]: Yes, sir. Round after round until they [had all killed each other, with the exception of the last man standing. Fortunately, he missed us as he fired his remaining rounds in our direction. Once he was finished, we were able to capture him for further questioning.]
[Gen. Mann]: And what did he say?
[Maj. Salt]: Well, sir. He didn’t really say anything. [He was still weeping when we captured him. Then he started laughing hysterically. It was as if he was possessed. And in a sense, I guess he was. But he laughed so hard that we had to sedate him. We took him to the field hospital to question him when he was finally calm. During that time, he fell into a coma and hasn’t awakened.]
Analysis: Existing technology is archaic. Hardware upgrade necessary.
Recommendation: Explore current psychological theory while preparing and testing new hardware.
Psychology Protocol failed to interpolate. Searching new parameters...
Chapter 5
Losing an illusion makes you wiser than finding a truth. (Borne)
A week passed without incident. No head-wrecking squeals or hallucinations. No creepy voices singing about unknown treasure. Carl’s mind was clear, ticking along like clockwork. Grandfather clockwork, he thought, not sure why that sounded amusing. With all that behind him, a night at his favorite event, Supreme Combat, seemed like a real treat.
The announcer strolled towards the center of the ring with all the pomp that the time-honored tradition deserved. Dressed in a long-tailed tuxedo shimmering fiery strands of sparkle against the spot light, the announcer threw his hands into the air. The crowd exploded with cheers that shook the streets of Albany. With arms stretched high, he let the audience have their moment before pushing the air down towards his waist. The crowd followed his lead with a lowering, “Whooooaaaaa,” then back up to a full frenzy as their leader raised his arms high once again. Finally, the announcer lowered his hands for the last time as the microphone snaked its way towards his face, a detail kept for the sake of tradition. Both Liam and Carl bounced from side to side in their seats, anxiously awaiting the mystery match to begin.
Voices died down. The announcer grasped the mic with both hands. “Ladies and gentlemen,” a hush fell over the crowd, “We have the match of the year for you here, tonight. Get ready for a combat extravaganza like no other. The match that you will be talking about for the rest of your lives. A battle so enticing, even the President is here to witness.” A spotlight fell on the President of the United States and his band of men in black. The crowd saluted and cheered for their leader.
“This, the last stand of two Untruthers, so devious in their plans and cunning in their tactics, that not even their own mothers know their true names!” The crowd howled with laughter.
The announcer continued, “In this corner, the man who sent fifty thousand people to their deaths in a Los Angeles bombing, Crrrazy Dave Gaaaardinerrrrr.”
Boos shot out from every direction. The man in front of Carl shook his seat with hatred for Crazy Dave. He went at it so hard that Carl thought the seat would rip out of its bolts. Liam laughed, finding this man’s intensity amusing.
Dave strolled out of a hole in the middle of the seating area, giving everyone the finger. He frantically yelled at the crowd, but the booing kept him on mute. Before he was half way to the ring, the announcer started up again, “And in this corner, the man that everyone knows to be the former leader of the Untruther Movement. Recently caught in our very own town of Albany by the one and only Tim Hunter.” The crowd went into a frenzy at the mention of The Hunter’s name. The announcer waited a moment before continuing, “The Beast of the East, the one and only, Noah Robinerrrr.”
The boos and hisses crescendoed with each step that Robiner took towards the ring. Robiner paid no attention; he was a rabid dog, growling and spitting foam as his pace hurried. When he entered the ring, the announcer became noticeably uncomfortable. Even with two robotic constables guarding him, the announcer escaped between the ropes just in case Robiner decided to run after him. Once the fighters were in place, the bell rang.
Boom Boom Clap. Boom Boom Clap. The crowd broke into the tradition of feet stomping and clapping. Boom Boom Clap. Boom Boom Clap. The opponents circled each other, sizing each other up. Weird, how outside of t
he ring these two people were colleagues in some war that they dreamed up against society and the government. Perhaps they were even friends. In the ring, however, they were different. Charged-up freaks ready to tear each other apart in a Supreme Combat. Boom Boom Clap. Boom Boom Clap. No one cared who won or lost these matches, just as long as it was violent and entertaining. Boom Boom Clap. Boom Boom Clap.
Crazy Dave struck first, taking a swipe at Robiner’s head, catching the end of his nose. The crowd called out, “Ohhh,” at the shot. Robiner thumbed his nose at Crazy Dave to show that no harm was done. Having enough of this foreplay, the Beast of the East forced an elbow into Dave’s throat, damaging his windpipe. Dave knelt briefly, trying to catch his breath, but Robiner was closing in quickly. Dave lunged forward with his fingers laced together. Swinging upward, he nailed The Beast between his legs. Robiner dropped to the mat as if he was a marionette released from his strings, giving Crazy Dave a few seconds to take a breath.
The building vibrated with the cheers and screams and Boom Boom Claps. The calm world outside disappeared. Their existence became a mountain of visceral discharge, oozing excitement for the violence on center stage. In the middle of it, Carl noticed how different Robiner looked in the ring. Not physically altered – he was still a scrawny dirt bag – but the way he held himself differed. On the Exoche he appeared to be timid, almost like a frightened puppy. In his last standoff with The Hunter, he cowered on that balcony. In the ring, that puppy became a wild wolf, one that arose from a hit to the groin that would have put most men in the hospital.
Crazy Dave, still struggling to get air into his lungs, knew that he had to make a move. With a sizeable weight advantage, Dave charged at Robiner. The Beast let Dave roll him over. Robiner wrapped his arms around Dave’s neck as they tumbled together along the mat. Surprising Dave with the move, it looked as though Robiner was about to head-butt Dave. Instead, Robiner clenched his teeth down on Dave’s ear. Robiner wiggled his head back and forth until blood dribbled from The Beast’s chin. With a deranged smile slapped across his face, Robiner spit Dave’s upper ear lobe into his hand then hurled it into the crowd. Those close by reached out, hoping to take home a souvenir from the evening’s event. It was a real treat when body parts were trophies.
Interpretation Page 3
