[Video]

[the_prodigal_son]

How common is mind control?

[Looks like someone's been checking books out of the library. They're visible from where he's sitting, a stack of at least twenty books all on varying levels of credible mind control information. Jack himself is incredibly shaken by the amount of information he found, and it's a small comfort that none of it seems to match up quite right with Dr. Suchong's research.

He hopes it sounds like simple curiosity, but something about his tone makes it obvious it's a real concern to him.]

Comments

[kickstart_my_heart]

Couldn't tell you how common it is, but I can say it's pretty universally considered unethical.

[the_prodigal_son]

That doesn't count for much.

[kickstart_my_heart]

... You wanna talk about it?

[the_prodigal_son]

Not really. But I think I.. should.

[He frowns.]

My mind's easier to control than most people's... I want to find some way to fix that.

[kickstart_my_heart]

Oof... That is a tough one... Anything the resident psychics might be able to help with? I mean, mental fortitude is part of their training, I imagine.

[the_prodigal_son]

That's not what I mean. I mean, if you said the right words right now I'd do whatever you want. I'm built for people with no powers to be able to control.

[It still brings back horrible flashbacks to think about his trigger phrase. Suddenly Jack looks very shaken... there's nothing quite like remembering the moment you learned your best friend has been forcing your every action just to kill your father.]

[kickstart_my_heart]

Ah, so... the programming is already there?

... You think they have a way of, you know... turning it off?

[video]

[now_i_know]

By my experience, pretty rare. And usually the folks that do know better than to make people do stuff.

Because once people find out, it usually goes very bad very quick for them.

[video]

[the_prodigal_son]

[He nods slowly. It sure ended badly for the men who tried controlling him.]

There's always men that think they can make the perfect crimes.

[He seems rather tense, now that he's thinking about it. It's put him on listing in his head every person he knows with mind powers. There are more than none, and that's too many for him.]

Think there's any way to stop people from being able to?

[now_i_know]

Near as I can figure the best way t'do it is to not have a brain that they can hack.

Or hurtin' 'em pretty bad so they know better.

[the_prodigal_son]

I guess I've the second one a lot.

[Although dead men don't learn very well, but he likes glossing over that.]

Problem is... last man that screwed around in my head made it easy to access for anyone else.

[now_i_know]

That sounds bad.

[the_prodigal_son]

It is. My head has.. locks and keys and he had more keys than I have. But I don't know who to trust with the keys I do have...

[now_i_know]

I don't get it, but it sounds pretty serious. Do you even think there are folks around that are even trustworthy enough to be able to give something like that?

[She's... trying to follow, but Jack is making it very vague.]

video;

[wholovesyou]

What's got you asking?

video;

[the_prodigal_son]

I'm getting worried about how easy I am to control.

video;

[wholovesyou]

Gonna have to give me a little more detail than that, sugar.

video;

[the_prodigal_son]

I was built in a lab. Someone with no powers wanted a person he could mind control, and that was me. If I hear certain words I stop thinking and just do what I'm told.

video;

[wholovesyou]

That's no way for anyone to live, sugar. Have you thought about seeing Charles about that?

video;

[the_prodigal_son]

I'm not sure if I should. I don't know who I can trust with my head anymore.

video;

[wholovesyou]

I think it's a safe bet that you can at least talk to him about it. He's the first genuinely decent guy I've met in years.

Video

[knowledgeandshadow]

[It wasn't often when someone checked out so many books on a single subject. At the time, the librarian herself, Patchouli, simply assumed that he was researching it for a project and wanted to be thorough.]

Thankfully rare. Though, I realise both the Professor and Miss Frost are capable of it, but choose not to.

Video

[the_prodigal_son]

[So he's correct, the Professor could control him. He'd already pretty much figured it out, but the confirmation is scary all the same.]

"Choose not to" doesn't sound very promising, seeing where I come from.

Re: Video

[knowledgeandshadow]

You needn't worry, Xavier has a strong code of ethics and expects others that work for him to abide by them.

[Technically Patchouli is psychic herself, but her abilities manifest as bolts of energy and forcefields.]

[the_prodigal_son]

All due respect, ma'am, my father had a strong code of ethics too. It's the reason I'm worried.