Cognitive Deviance

65. Unexpected Origins

"Hold on, I'll close the door first."

"B-B-But Margo, uh—"

Margo shut the door, and Nikki found herself in a room alone with one of Psychwatch's newest rebels.

"Here," Margo said, extending her hand. "Can I borrow your ThoughtControl piece?"

"Margo, I...I really don't think this is—"

"It won't take that long. I'll just ask him some things he wouldn't tell Mason. He thinks I'm naïve and I won't be able to handle the truth or whatever."

"But..."

With a sigh, Nikki handed over her piece.

"Thank you so much, Nikki," Margo said, and she leaned forward, gazing into the screen with her finger on the piece. She awaited the beeps of her ThoughtControl as it connected to whatever piece of technology she desired.

BEEP BEEP! BEEP BEEP!

"Malcolm Slater," she said, startling the man from his position. "We need to talk."

Slater clutched his chest, roaring with laughter. "You scared the shit out of me!" he said. "Almost thought you were the AI. Their sense of humor is getting better with each update. But anyway, who is this?"

"This is Margo Sandoval."

Slater rubbed his head. "Margo...Sandoval..."

"We worked together down in the Rabbit Hole."

"Oh! Margo!" Slater snapped his fingers. "I remember you now. How are you doing, sweetie? Heard people say you're fucking losing it out there, shrieking in hallways, seeing shit, picking fights with Janice and Daniela."

"Is it true what you did to Jack?"

"Blast him in the eye with a stunner? Get him high on Wonderland? Hand him over to the masked man behind everything? It's a possibility."

"But why? What could you have possibly gained from this?"

Slater shrugged. "Thought it would've been amusing seeing you guys subdue him like the way you did. In life, you gotta enjoy the little things."

"Slater, there is nothing enjoyable about taking advantage of an unstable person like Jack! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Hey, I said I'd turn myself in at the end of the mission. I just thought I'd have a little more fun before I have all my rights and freedom taken away by Psychwatch."

"Rights taken away? You have access to television in your cell!"

Slater shrugged again. "Seen it all before, though."

Margo clenched her fists, lungs burning.

"But I'm glad you're here, honey," Slater said. "TV is alright, but real life? You just can't beat it. We humans say and do the craziest shit, sometimes for no reason at all! Thanks for entertaining me like this."

"M-M-Margo," Nikki said, "maybe we should stop talking to him."

"I've got this," Margo barked. "Slater, please just tell me why you did what you did."

"I'm telling you, honey, I just thought it would be amusing. I mean, Psychwatch is one of the strongest organizations to come into existence in the last fifteen years. You'd have to be an idiot to think the Rabbit Hole would still be standing by the time you guys were done with it! So I just felt like making it a little more of a challenge."

"But why does this amuse you? What could've possibly turned you into this type of person who takes pleasure in watching other people get hurt?"