The Black(mail) Book

Monday, March 11, 2030, began as most workdays did. As I settled into my desk, I checked my new messages. My date, Melissa Jackson, a young accountant who worked nearby, texted, “Ready for tonight, Matt?”

I texted back, “You bet. I found the perfect place.” I sighed. The night seemed so far away.

I am Matt Stanley, a young defense systems engineer working in downtown Los Angeles. I was always busy and facing insufferable pressure. Fortunately, the handsome pay allowed me to live comfortably and have an active social life, which allowed me to meet Melissa. After seeing her regularly, I was ready to take the next step with her that night.

As I worked at my desk that morning, one of my coworkers, Adam Knight, was twitching nervously and suddenly began screaming, sobbing, and convulsing. Medical personnel promptly took him away. Most of our team was too numb to work for a while.

Our boss, Neil Simmons, said sternly, “Just to be clear, this industry demands perfection at all times. There is no room for failure.” My heart pounded when he looked at me. “Now get back to work.”

After he left, the other teammates began raiding Adam's workstation. Employees often reclaim company property used by a departed coworker, but it seemed tone-deaf to do so right after what happened. While I processed these events, they took everything else and left me with a black Moleskine notebook and a strange headset.

When the workday was over, I examined the book. It had several tables, graphs, and other notes. The front page read, “This book contains data about several top-secret projects. Feel your talent is worth more than you're paid? If you are interested in lucrative opportunities in defense, activate the headset.”

When I turned it on, a booming voice announced, “You are mine. You will do exactly as I say. I know where you and your loved ones are at all times. Defy me and pay.”

The voice continued, “My team monitors dangerous agents that want to harm you because of what you know. Criminals recently broke into the financial sector, intending to abduct professionals. You're next. Follow me, and you will be safe.”

I panicked as millions of questions flooded my mind. What else was endangering me? Can I live a normal life again? What did he want me to do?

The voice commanded, “Open to page 5 and start building the wide spectrum waveform scanner.”

I objected, “I can't tonight. I have a date.”

The voice answered, “Those nearest to you may work for our enemies. You think you know them until they betray you. We will monitor the situation closely.”

Once I arrived at the restaurant, I greeted Melissa, “Sorry I'm late, Mel. I had to finish some work.” Why did I have to cover for him?

We talked excitedly over dinner and gazed into each others' eyes. We soon reached a crescendo of romantic energy, and I knew then we were ready.

Suddenly, the voice yelled, “This date is over,” taking the wind out of me. She saw that I was faltering, my face in anguish. Should I make an excuse? What would be sufficient? Why did I even need one? He shouted, “Go!” I forced myself to leave without saying a word. She gasped in confusion.

When I returned to the apartment, the voice spoke, “I will awaken you at 6 am sharp. Besides that, she works at the building that was attacked. They may be using her to reach you.”

I exclaimed, “That's ridiculous!” Suddenly, the headset lit up and started projecting images onto my consciousness of Melissa conspiring with the enemy and grinning wickedly while they interrogated me. “She wants your knowledge and is manipulating you into serving our enemy.”

After a restless night, the headset loudly jolted me awake. The voice said, “Begin construction immediately and finish it without delay!” How? Work on two computers while clocked in? Fortunately, there were enough parts in the fabrication lab, as long as I could sneak them out.

Besides that, the workday went smoothly. I was relieved when I saw Melissa's new text. “What you did last night was kinda weird. Is everything okay? I can help.”

The voice said, “You're still thinking about her, aren't you?” The headset projected more harmful images involving Melissa. This time, I was tied up in a dark cellar while Melissa and others pointed knives at me. The voice ordered, “Terminate your relationship or your visions will come true.” After the device displayed several more harmful images, I caved in and called her.

I spoke with great anguish while trying to remain stoic, “We're through.”

Melissa started to cry but tried to hold back. “Whatever it is, we can talk!”

The voice yelled, “No emotions!”

Tears welled up in my eyes as I reluctantly hung up on her. The voice said, “This is for your own good.” I broke down in rage, anguish, and sadness. Little did I know, the worst was yet to come.

The voice continued, “You've been rather defiant, but soon I will break you. This headset contains a sophisticated transponder that can send signals deep into your brain. I can greatly increase your energy and multiply your productivity tenfold for twenty-four hours straight. I will use it continuously until you complete the projects. We're already far behind schedule.”

I immediately felt intense magnetic stimulation deep inside my brain, followed by an exhilarating rush of pure adrenaline and focus. Despite poor sleep, I had new energy to work hard all night long. The following day, my teammates marveled at my sharpness and productivity.

Eventually, I depleted my energy, and I immediately entered a debilitating and lethargic low-energy state as my body tried to recover. I was bed-ridden and filled with sadness and despair. The voice continued to harass me while the headset projected harmful imagery to scare me into working. I was too weak to object.

Meanwhile, Melissa met her close friend Jessica Ramos. She said, “Matt became strange one day and said he wanted to break up. Why?” She sighed, “I bet it's that one thing I have that scares them all away.” Melissa slumped in her chair.

Jessica responded, “He might be hot, but it won't work unless he loves you as you are. You also can't go forth being ashamed. If you don't love all of you, how do you expect someone else to?” Melissa smiled.

Eventually, the lethargy wore off, and I resumed work. Afterward, he sent additional signals, cycling my body repeatedly over the next several days. With each subsequent infusion, the high-energy period shortened while the low-energy period lengthened.

One day, my boss ordered me into his office and said, “Your attendance and performance have been slipping. Put an end to this immediately or you're out.”

As I left in despair, someone motioned me to come over. He shook my hand and said, “I am Josh Fields, investigator. Richard Johnson, the district manager, asked me to speak to you. He only visits this location quarterly, so it's fortunate that he spotted you. He noticed that you have a certain black book and headset. Why?” The headset wasted no time projecting mental images of Josh harming me.

I couldn't hold back any longer. “Someone on the other end is threatening me, projecting hallucinations into my mind, and altering my brain chemistry with powerful signals.”

Fields' expression became more serious. “Many people are connected to him, including someone else in this office.” Was he talking about Adam? “He is a dangerous madman known only as Cycorath. He tasks each victim with constructing a device that he will use in his nefarious plots. Many people break down due to his continuous assault on their minds. So far, we haven't found the information we need to stop him.”

I said, “He had me build a wide spectrum waveform scanner. Maybe we can use it to detect and analyze his signals.”

“Excellent idea! I can help you prepare it. In the meantime, here's something to keep you safe.”

He handed me a hat made from a shiny material. He explained, “This hat contains properties that can deflect all known electromagnetic waves. He can't harm you anymore.”

Moments later, the headset pumped me up again, and the voice said, “That ridiculous hat won't protect you. You're really arrogant to think you can defy me. Not only can my transponder pump you up, it can also mess you up!” Many more mental images flooded my mind, now accompanied by jolts of pain throughout my body.

I spoke defiantly, “Then let's end this here and now! You've alienated me from the one I love, ruined my career, and taken over my life! I will be free!” I reeled back from the constant deluge of images and painful sensations.

Suddenly, the hat activated in a brilliant glow, and it began blocking the signals and relieving me of the pain. I turned to Josh and exclaimed, “The hat! Couldn't you have used it sooner?”

He answered, “No, we had to deceive you both to bait him into sending signals strong enough for your scanner to analyze.” Josh then used some specialized instruments to carefully remove the headset and place it in an isolated chamber for further study.

I collapsed and sighed, “I thought that was the end for me. Thank you!”

Josh smiled, “No. Thank you! We have the information we need. We can now find ways to counteract this technology and put an end to his operations.”

After a few days of rest, my energy levels normalized, and I returned to work. Richard Johnson greeted me and said, “Excellent work, Matt. You've been very brave, and we're better off now, thanks to you. I'm offering you an opportunity to join my team, alongside Adam Knight, to do further research into mind-bending technologies and psychopathology. Many people worldwide have experiences like yours, and we need to help them.”

He continued, “Sadly, I couldn't convince Neil to keep you. He does not understand, nor would I expect him to. But never mind that. Let's move forward. To sweeten the deal, I'll give you a $20,000 sign-on bonus. What do you say?”

I smiled and said, “I accept.” Thanks to the bonus, I could repair my life, take training courses, gather equipment, contribute to research, and find more ways to continue the fight against Cycorath and mental illness in general. But could any amount of money bring back Melissa?

I attempted to contact Melissa but received no response. Undeterred, I instead tried to meet her at that special spot in the park that she would visit in tough times.

Once I arrived, I brought flowers and saw her staring blankly at the lake. I approached her slowly and called her name. “Mel? I know I hurt you, but I didn't plan this. I planned for March 11 to be a magical night, but it all fell apart. I know this will sound crazy, but I don't know how else to say it. Something had overtaken my mind for the past few weeks and was forcing me to act against my will.”

Melissa's countenance softened and she turned toward me. “Ever since adolescence, I felt as though someone was in my head, criticizing me for everything I did, telling me how I should think, and pulling me away from people I loved. It made me question every part of my being. But with the right medications and therapy, I've been able to control it. There's more to me than a pretty face.”

I answered, “I understand. Let's do what we were planning to do that day. Melissa, I want you to be my girlfriend.” I handed her the flowers.

Melissa asked, “Are you sure? With crazy me?”

I answered, “Absolutely. You are my lady. Let's build our future together.” Melissa cried tears of joy and embraced me. We held each other and celebrated the beginning of our new love.