Cognitive Deviance

75. For Better or Worse

October 30, 2045 - 2:50 PM

Shadows eclipsed the hall leading toward Margo's cell, and Carl's steps resonated with the beat of his heart. His hands and body shivered, yet no draft of air reached him deep within the heart of Psychwatch. Or perhaps the hollow cavern where a heart should've been.

"Did I really say that out loud?" Carl asked. I need to see my daughter again. So benevolent, and yet so pathetic. So desperate. He'd filled in the blanks so his superiors couldn't get to them first. "Please, someone tell me I didn't say that out loud."

I don't know, man, said Loki. The moment came and went. Maybe no one heard it.

"The fact I actually said it is the problem. Why did you guys let that happen?"

There's nothing to be ashamed of, mi precioso, said Catalina. You see her as family. That's a wonderful thing! Even Holden finally understands. Why do you still feel so much pain?

"I'm scared they'll hold it over me and Margo. And I can't just leave this job! I don't have anywhere else to go, and we almost have those masked maniacs cornered."

Maybe we should take time off. Go somewhere far away, somewhere nice, and take Margo and her mother with you. We can come back when you're ready.

"That's not how this works, Catty."

Well, how does it work, Carl? How will you know when you've reached your limits?

"I thought you guys would be the ones who'd know."

The hallway ended, a wall of metal panels blocking him.

You're stronger than you think, Carl, said Catalina. We will protect you no matter what. But you also need to recognize what is hurting you and what is building you up.

Carl nodded his head. He eyed the SanityScan in the corner, remaining still.

Carl?

The Scan squeaked to life, its lens stretching towards the ceiling before focusing on Carl, and he stared the eye of Psychwatch down, its beeps and twitches making him flinch. He'd known the Scans his entire career, only now understanding how unwelcoming their presence was. He'd imagined how a goldfish felt on the other side of the glass, watched over with unwavering curiosity by the eye of a being so massive, it took a whole other world to encompass its size and power.

Eight seconds later, the Scan went dormant, slouched with its lens trained on the floor beneath it as the panels in the walls parted ways. Carl squinted as a flash of silver light crept through the broadening crevice, catching his eyes, and as the light dimmed, he saw Margo slumped on a sofa, glaring at the ceiling above her.

Carl, said Catalina. We are here for you. Please remember that.

"I will, Catty," he said, and he marched into the cell.

The panels returned to seal Carl into the cell, clicking and sliding into place until the corridor vanished from sight. One would've never suspected the cell had an entrance. Carl paused before his old friend, a part of him hoping she would look at him, welcome him back. Say something deadpan and witty like "Long time no see" or "There's a familiar face." But he knew he'd asked for too much.

Even with the ability to peek into the human mind thanks to Psychwatch, humans remained an unpredictable species, one better understood through risk and chance.

"Hey, kiddo," he said, his voice soft, afraid he'd depart the room amidst another dissociative episode like their last encounter.

Margo didn't respond. The ceiling's grasp on her attention remained strong as steel.