<list:item>
<i: I do not think I am capable of killing another person.>
<i: I do not think I could bear the guilt I would feel even if I did manage to kill someone.>
<i: Though my body is a public body, the same goes for others around me.>
<i: I will not let myself be killed by the evil people who claim to be doing this.>
<i: I apologize to my wife and son, and my neighbors, for choosing to kill myself instead.>
</list>
✦ ✦ ✦
That was all.
“This is a new development. We do not think our mastermind was involved,” Stauffenberg said.
I had to agree. This wasn’t the doing of whoever had sent that memorycel to Network 24. This was someone who had taken that news report seriously and decided to take their own life before the “mastermind” could take it for him. It wasn’t an entirely outrageous decision.
Stauffenberg asked about media coverage and was informed that at present the only people other than the family who knew about the suicide were the local Italian police, Interpol, and the Helix Inspection Agency. Still, they would probably only be able to keep it under wraps for a few days at most. After that, the Werther effect would sweep the globe.
That was why they were giving the media a gag order, to keep would-be Werthers from popping up. Incidentally, the Werther effect refers to multiple linked suicides after a widely publicized one. Why did I know this mostly useless fact? Because Miach Mihie had told me.
✦ ✦ ✦
<recollection>
“See this?” Miach held up a book. “The Sorrows of Young Werther. This book killed a lot of people. Impressive, isn’t it?”
How does a book kill people, I asked her. “You mean someone hit them with it?”
So Miach explained the travails of jungen Werther to me. Apparently, the titular character loves this girl, but the girl is engaged to marry another man. Unable to bear unrequited love, our hero kills himself.
“Sounds like a pretty typical romantic love tragedy,” I said. “What does that have to do with lots of people dying?”
“Get this—people who identified with Werther, because, say, they were in a similar position, were influenced by the story to kill themselves. Then people heard about that and they killed themselves. The first copycat suicides! And all after a completely fictional character, though no doubt inspired by the author Goethe’s own experiences.”
Miach Mihie flashed her customary smile and thrust the book out in front of her. “Isn’t it cool? Words, books, fiction all have the power to kill.”
</recollection>
✦ ✦ ✦
Useless information, rotting at the bottom of the world.
I knew these things, thanks to Miach.
If word of the suicide and the accompanying note got out, it was a sure thing that plenty of other people would follow suit. I wondered how many would choose suicide before we reached the time limit, and how many people would do as they were told and kill at least one other person. It occurred to me that there would be a lot of people unable to kill themselves or another person who would simply try to wait it out.
Either way, it was clear we were headed for another Maelstrom.
“Couldn’t we take everyone’s WatchMe off-line and cut the links to the health supervision servers?” someone suggested, but it was an impractical idea. WatchMe was tied into the global ID system. If a person took their WatchMe off-line, they couldn’t buy things, get on the train, or even get into their own home. It would be mass chaos.
“The world will fall into chaos,” grumbled one of the other Helix agents in the AR session. Then the weary-faced agents all began to talk at once, their words describing a grand list of what we would lose.
“All the admedistrative functions: hitch-homing, morality sessions, mutual aid, elder care. All will cease.”
“Our social system is based on the open exchange of information and unlimited trust in others within the admedistration and regional collectives. What will happen to that?”
“And our economic cycle is based on the assumption that people will live long, healthy lives.”
“Things will grind to a halt.”
“What’s to keep people from killing each other? From killing us?”
“If things keep going this way—”
“We’ll be back to the beginning of the twenty-first century, no—”
“There will be no morality at all! Another Maelstrom!”
“They’ve activated some kind of process in the brain. The question is, what?”
“Clearly, what we’ve seen is the forced introduction of artifical intent. What I’d like to know is who is doing this?”
“According to Senior Inspector Tuan Kirie’s report, there already exists a paper describing in detail the structures in the brain that express human will. The paper is a study by Russian neurologist Sergey Gorlukovich Yelensky on the feedback system of the midbrain.” Prime was speaking. “This paper details how to very accurately model the human psyche control system and has already influenced some practicing therapists. I believe our agent has some solid evidence related to this paper that will help us get to the core of our current dilemma.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not true,” I said. “I’m merely in a position to contact someone who I believe may have the kind of information that will lead us back to those responsible.”
“Well, whatever the case, the fact that you’re ahead of us in this investigation remains unchanged.”
One of the other agents spoke up. “If they understand that much about human will, it’s possible they can in fact control it. Senior Inspector Kirie, shouldn’t you share any information you have with the rest of us?”
He spoke very gently. This was a discussion. No feathers were to be ruffled.
This was how it was done.
“At the present moment I have no solid information. The scraps I do have on hand would only needlessly confuse the investigation as a whole. I did not see the need to contact any other members of this agency.”
“I think that I should be the judge of what is solid and what is not,” Stauffenberg said, narrowing her eyes.
I gave a noncommittal nod and imagined how good it would feel to just give her the finger.
✦ ✦ ✦
<recollection>
“That’s a symbol? What does it mean?” I asked, looking at Miach’s raised middle finger.
“It’s an ancient gesture. It means fuck you. That’s English, though the phrase isn’t even in use anymore, so it’s kind of hard to feel the impact it once had. Imagine all the worst things you could possibly say to someone to show how little you think of them. That’s fuck you.”
</recollection>