0143 VISUAL——WOMAN FINGERING CLITORIS

0144 VISUAL——WOMAN FINGERING CLITORIS

0145 VISUAL——MAN STROKING DETUMESCENT PENIS

0146 VISUAL——MAN STROKING DETUMESCENT PENIS

0147 VISUAL——MAN STROKING DETUMESCENT PENIS

0148 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0149 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0150 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0151 VISUAL——WOMAN SMILING AT ERECT PENIS

0152 VISUAL——WOMAN SMILING AT ERECT PENIS

0153 VISUAL——WOMAN SMILING AT ERECT PENIS

0154 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0155 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0156 VISUAL——WOMAN DOMINANT INTERCOURSE

0157 VISUAL——WOMAN DOMINANT INTERCOURSE

0155 VISUAL—WOMAN DOMINANT INTERCOURSE

0159 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0160 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0161 VISUAL——DOG STYLE INTERCOURSE

0162 VISUAL——DOG STYLE INTERCOURSE

0163 VISUAL——DOG STYLE INTERCOURSE

0164 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0165 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0166 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

0167 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

0168 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

0169 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0170 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY —FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0171 VISUAL——EJACULATION ON WOMAN’S BUTTOCKS

0172 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0173 VISUAL——EJACULATION ON WOMAN’S BUTTOCKS

0174 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY— FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0175 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

“I see the pattern,” Klinger said. “How many of these ‘legends’ were there?”

They were standing at one of the computer consoles. Saisbury’ leaned over and used the keyboard.

One of the screens mounted on the wall began a line-print:

KEY/LOCK STAGE ONE BLOCK—LETTER MESSAGES, IN ORDER OF

APPEARANCE, AS FOLLOWS:

01 OBEDIENCE TO THE KEY—SATISFACTION

02 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

03 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM FEAR

04 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM GUILT

05 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM WORRY

06 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM MORAL CODES

07 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM RESPONSIBILITY

08 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM DEPRESSION

09 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—FREEDOM FROM TENSION

10 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—CONTENTMENT

11 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—HAPPINESS

12 SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—YOUR GREATEST DESIRE

Salsbury touched a tab on the console.

The screen went blank.

“The series was repeated three times through the film.”

“The same thing the second night?” Klinger asked. “No.” He picked up another folded print-out from the seat of the console chair and exchanged it for the stage one analysis. “The first minute is spent securing the. subjects’ undivided attention, as it was in the first film. The difference between stage one and stage two becomes evident starting with the second minute.”

0061 VISUAL——WOMAN WEEPING

0062 VISUAL——WOMAN WEEPING

0063 VISUAL——WOMAN WEEPING

0064 VISUAL——MAN WEEPING

0065 VISUAL——MAN WEEPING

0066 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0067 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0065 VISUAL——WOMAN, COVERED WITH BLOOD, SCREAMING

0069 VISUAL——WOMAN, COVERED WITH BLOOD, SCREAMING

0070 THIS LEGEND-—REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0071 THIS LEGEND-—REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0072 VISUAL——MAN, COVERED WITH BLOOD, SCREAMING

0073 VISUAL——MAN, COVERED WITH BLOOD, SCREAMING

0074 THIS LEGEND-—REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0075 THIS LEGEND-—REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0076 VISUAL——WOMAN, COVERED WITH BLOOD, SCREAMING

0077 VISUAL—-MAN, COVERED WITH BLOOD, SCREAMING

0076 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—PAIN

0079 THIS LEGEND-—PAIN, PAIN, PAINi PAIN

0080 NO CONTENT

0081 NO CONTENT

0082 VISUAL——WOMAN SMILING AT ERECT PENIS

“The second stage of the program alternates between negative reinforcement and positive reinforcement,” Salsbury said. “The next twenty-five seconds are devoted to a sex reinforcement sequence much like those you saw on the first print-out. Skip ahead just a bit.”

0110 VISUAL——WOLF’S FACE, SNARLING

0111 VISUAL——WOLF’S FACE, SNARLING

0112 VISUAL——SCORPION STINGING A MOUSE

0113 VISUAL——SCORPION STINGING A MOUSE

0114 VISUAL——COFFIN

0115 VISUAL——COFFIN

0116 VISUAL——COFFIN

0117 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—DEATH

0118 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—DEATH

0119 VISUAL——HUMAN SKULL

0120 VISUAL——HUMAN SKULL

0121 VISUAL——ROTTING CORPSE

0122 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—DEATH

0123 VISUAL——ROTTING CORPSE

0124 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—DEATH

Looking up from the print-out, Klinger said, “Do you mean that death is as effective as sex in subliminal persuasion?”

“Nearly so, yes. In advertising, subliminals can be used to establish the same sort of motivational equation with death as with sex. According to Wilson Bryan Key, who wrote a book about the nature of subceptive manipulation a few years back, the first use of death images might have come in a Calvert Whiskey ad that appeared in a number of magazines in 1971. Since then hundreds of death symbols have become standard tools of the major ad agencies.”

Putting down the second print-out, the general said, “What about the third stage? What was hidden in the film you showed them on the third night?”

Salsbury had another length of computer paper. “In the beginning, this one just reinforces and strengthens the messages and effects of the first two films. It’s broken down into tenths of seconds in some places because by this time the subjects are primed for faster input, rapid-fire commands. Like the others, it really begins with the second minute.”

0060 00 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

0061 00 THIS LEGEND——OBEDIENCE TO THE KEY—SATISFACTION

0061 05 VISUAL——PENIS EJACULATING

0062 00 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

0062 05 THIS LEGEND——OBEDIENCE TO THE KEY—SATISFACTION

0063 00 VISUAL——WOMAN WEEPING

0063 03 VISUAL——MAN WEEPING

0063 06 VISUAL——WOLF’S FACE, SNARLING

0063 09 VISUAL——SCORPION STINGING A MOUSE

0064 02 VISUAL——COFFIN

0064 05 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—DEATH

0065 00 VISUAL——WOMAN KISSING PENIS

0065 05 VISUAL——PENIS SLIDING BETWEEN WOMAN’S BREASTS

0065 08 VISUAL——PENIS ENTERING VAGINA

0066 00 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY——FREEDOM FROM FAILURE

0066 05 VISUAL——SEVERED, BLOODY HUMAN ARM

0066 08 VISUAL——ROTTING CORPSE

Farther on, both the tempo and the emotional impact of the images increased drastically:

0800 00 VISUAL——HUMAN HEAD WITH GUNSHOT WOUND

0800 02 VISUAL——DEAD VIETNAMESE BABY

0800 04 VISUAL——MAGGOTS IN PIECE OF BEEF

0800 06 VISUAL——RAT’S FACE, SNARLING

0800 07 VISUAL——WOLF’S FACE, SNARLING

0800 08 VISUAL——COFFIN

0600 09 VISUAL——MAGGOTS IN PIECE OF BEEF

0801 00 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL TO OBEY THE KEY—DEATH

0801 02 VISUAL——ERECT PENIS

0801 04 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

0801 06 VISUAL——TONGUE ON CLITORIS

0801 08 VISUAL——WOMAN KISSING PENIS

0801 09 VISUAL——PENIS IN VAGINA

0802 00 VISUAL——EJACULATION ON WOMAN’S PUBIC HAIR

0802 01 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION TO THE KEY—YOUR GREATEST DESIRE

Much farther on, faster and faster:

2400 00 VISUAL——DEAD BABY’S FACE, CLOSE—UP

2400 01 VISUAL—-MAGGOTS IN HORSE MANURE

2400 02 THIS LEGEND——REFUSE THE KEY: DEATH

2400 03 VISUAL——MAN FINGERING CLITORIS

2400 04 VISUAL——WOMAN LICKING PENIS

2400 05 THIS LEGEND——SUBMIT TO THE KEY: HAPPINESS

2400 06 VISUAL——STEAMING ENTRAILS OF COW

2400 07 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL: PAlN

2400 08 THIS LEGEND-—REFUSAL: DEATH

2400 09 VISUAL——EJACULATION INTO WOMAN’S MOUTH

2401 00 VISUAL——WOMAN’S FACE EXPRESSING ECSTASY

2401 01 THIS LEGEND_—SUBMISSION: HAPPINESS

2401 02 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION: BLISS

Eventually, there was less time given to the motivating images and more to the direct commands:

3600 00 VISUAL——MAGGOTS IN PIECE OF BEEF

3600 01 THIS LEGEND——REFUSAL: DEATH

3600 02 VISUAL——DEAD CAT

3600 03 THIS LEGEND-—OBEY THE KEY

3600 04 THIS LEGEND——OBEY, OBEY, OBEY

3600 05 VISUAL——WOMAN LICKING PENIS

3600 06 THIS LEGEND——SUBMISSION: LIFE

3600 0? THIS LEGEND—-OBEY THE KEY

3600 08 VISUAL——EJACULATION ON WOMAN’S THIGH

3600 09 THIS LEGEND——OBEY THE KEY

3600 10 THIS LEGEND——LIFE, LIFE, LIFE

“That pace is maintained straight through to the end of the film,” Salsbury said. “During the last fifteen minutes, while all of this sex and death input continues, the concept of the key-lock code phrases is also introduced and implanted permanently in the viewer’s deep subconscious mind.”

“That’s all there is to it?”

“Thanks to the drug that primes them for the subliminals— yes, that’s all there is to it.”

“And they don’t realize they’ve seen any of it.”

“If they did know, the program would have no effect on them. It has to speak solely to the subconscious in order to pass the natural reasoning ability of the conscious mind.”

Klinger pulled the command chair away from the console and sat down. His left hand was curled in his lap. It was so matted with black hair that it reminded Salsbury of a sewer rat. The general petted it with his other hand while he considered the print-outs he had just seen. At last he said, “Our three mercenaries. When did they complete the third stage of the program?”

“Thirty days ago. I’ve been observing them and testing their submissiveness for the past few weeks.”

“Any of them react at all as Kingman did?”

“They all had bad dreams,” Saisbury said. “Probably about what they had seen on the rheostatic screen. None of them could recall. Furthermore, they all had severe night chills and mild nausea. But they lived.”

“Encountered any other problems?”

“None.”

“No weak spots in the program? No moments when they refused to obey you?”

“None at all, so far. In a few minutes, after we’ve put them to the ultimate test, we’ll know whether or not we have absolute control of them. If not, I’ll start over. If we do—champagne.”

Klinger sighed. “I suppose this is something we have to know. I suppose this last test is entirely necessary.”

“Entirely.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Weren’t you an officer in Vietnam?”

“What’s that got to do with this?”

“You’ve sent men to die before.”

Grimacing, Klinger said, “But always with honor. Always with honor. And there’s sure as hell no honor in what’s going to happen here.”

Honor, Salsbury thought acidly. You’re as big an idiot as Leonard. There isn’t any heaven, and there’s no such thing as honor. All that counts is getting what you want. You know that and I know that and even Leonard, when he’s humbled Over his fruit cup at a White House prayer breakfast with Billy Graham and the President, knows that—but I’m the only one of us who will admit it to himself.

Getting to his feet, Klinger said, “Okay. Let’s finish this. Where are they?”

“In the next room. Waiting.”

“They know what they’re going to do?”

“No.” Salsbury went to his desk, thumbed a button on the

intercom, and spoke into the wire grid. “Rossner, Holbrook, and Picard. Come in now. We’re ready for you.”

A few seconds later the door opened, and three men filed inside.

“Co to the center of the room,” Salsbury said.

They did as he directed.

“You’ve already opened them with the code phrase?” Klinger asked.

“Before you came.”

The first of them, in spite of the fact that he was in his late thirties or early forties, looked like a dangerous street-corner punk. Slim but hard and wiry. Five feet ten. Dark complexion. Dark brown hair combed straight back and graying at the temples. A way of standing with his feet apart and most of his weight on his toes so that he was always prepared to move and move quickly. His face was pinched, his eyes a bit too close together, his lips thin and grayish-pink above a pointed chin.

“This is Rossner,” Salsbury told Klinger. “Glenn Rossner. American. He’s been a free-lance soldier for sixteen years.”

“Hello,” Rossner said.