Cognitive Deviance

35. Higher Power

May 26, 2045 - 4:50 PM

The Multi Man stood on the balcony of a building long neglected by man, left to rot in the Psycho Slums. Sunlight shined down on the endless trails of wiring providing him and his lackeys with enough tech to power their holographic projectors. But their little hideout hadn't been abandoned by the Scans for too long; in fact, he was only three blocks away from the rally at Independence National Historic Park.

However, the park was his territory now. The Scans were down, and the entire rally was free from the System. All he had to do now was deliver his speech and wait for his audience to decide whether this was a siege or a liberation.

"Identify yourself immediately, " Mason ordered on the other end of the Multi Man's earpiece. "If you don't, we'll track you down ourselves. The consequences won't be as strict if you turn itself in now rather than wait for us to find you."

"Funny," the Multi Man replied. "I was originally going to ask you to do the same. But my plans have a bad habit of changing at the last minute."

"Identify yourself now!" Andrade shouted through her piece.

"I'm multiple people. Got multiple names. Multiple motives. Multiple ways of tearing society apart."

Margo gasped. "That's what Finn said back in the PACER, " she whispered.

"Indeed he did, Miss Sandoval. I guess I took his life for nothing then. In the end, our paths crossed."

"Wait, how do you know my—"

"I know all of you. Margo Sandoval. Janice Mason. Daniela Andrade. Carl Maslow. Shall I continue? I know you all so well, we're practically a family!"

"Shut up!" Margo hissed.

"Stand down, Sandoval, " Mason barked. "And you, sir, what do you intend to do?"

"Something big. Something I know you won't enjoy very much."

The Multi Man paused to watch the vans carrying his goons race toward the park. On any other day, the SanityScans would've stopped them as soon as they surpassed the speed limit. But that day wasn't like most days. It was one where the Man felt no concerns or doubts about his plans. One where he knew exactly how the world would react next.

"Royce, Sanger, whoever's listening," Mason ordered quickly, "trace the source of this call and run a diagnostic through the nearest SanityScan."

"You assume that just because I'm an unconventional thinker, I must be legible for whatever conditions the rest of these people are cursed with?"

"Commissioner," Andrade interjected, "five vans have approached each exit out of the rally."

"Approach with caution, Andrade. If they even draw their weapons, open fire immediately."

"And why on Earth would you do that?" the Multi Man asked. "I thought you guys could only operate within the range of your Scans. Wouldn't you be declared as feral as your targets by doing so?"

"We can operate wherever we want, " Mason asserted. "The Scans were made to protect the citizens, not just our own officers."

"Well, I'm glad you now see why you're no longer connected."

The Multi Man remained silent as gunfire erupted out of his earpiece. "Hostiles neutralized on Sansom Street!" Andrade shouted.

"Uh, Commissioner," Nikki said, "I know the drones are off, but I can see several more vans approaching the rally. And we still don't know where Maslow, Royce, and Holloway are!"