mode.”
“Carefully and slowly — because of what happened to Brian Kingman?” the general asked.
“Because of what happened to Brian Kingman.”
Klinger said, “The penis doesn’t become erect until the viewer is told that obedience to the key equals satisfaction.”
“That’s right. And you’ll notice that both the man’s and woman’s orgasms are represented. This program would be effective with either sex.”
“Was all this taken from some porno movie?”
“It was shot especially for me by a professional pornographic film maker in New York City,” Salsbury said, pushing his glasses up on his nose and wiping his damp forehead. “He was instructed to use only the most attractive performers. He shot everything at regular light intensity, but I used a special process to print below the recognition threshold. Then I intercut the sex footage with the block-letter messages.” He unfolded some of the print-out. “This first sequence lasts another forty seconds. Then there is a two-second pause, and another message is presented in the same fashion.”
“I see the pattern,” Klinger said. “How many of these ‘legends’ were there?”
They were standing at one of the computer consoles. Salsbury 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:
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.”
“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.”
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 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.”
Farther on, both the tempo and the emotional impact of the images increased drastically:
Much farther on, faster and faster:
Eventually, there was less time given to the motivating images and more to the direct commands:
“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,” Salsbury 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
“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?”
