"There is a reason why you rebelled against your public education, Alex. It has to do with the way your mind operates. You instinctively resist programming that is designed to create an automated, unthinking response. You are nearly immune to some of our more powerful schooling techniques. Are you familiar with the concept of social engineering?"

"Social engineering?" Alex asked.

"Yes," Howard replied.

"I've never heard of it."

"Write that term down in your notes. It is a key concept for understanding how the dominant class maintains its power—by manipulating, or engineering, the masses to think, feel, and act according to our wishes. It is very powerful. Keep in mind that there are changes on the horizon. Technology is leading to some incredible advances. In the near future, dietary, vaccine-based, and even electromagnetic manipulation will permit us to control behavior on a level that's never existed in human history. But for now, basic social engineering is sufficient. When done properly, the masses have no idea that they have been manipulated. They 'choose to behave' in a way that serves our interests because they falsely believe that they are serving their own."

Alex took a moment to absorb what he'd just heard. "When you say, 'the masses,' does that include everybody? Are you saying everyone is engineered?"

Alex was hoping to hear about how most were engineered, but he was a rare exception. Howard burst that bubble immediately.

"In one way or another, yes. There are degrees, of course. For instance, you were resistant to the foundational engineering that takes place in public school, but other tactics are harder to resist. Until you leave the illusion, Alex, you are and will continue to be affected."

Not too happy with the answer and a little skeptical, Alex dug deeper. "You keep using that term, 'the illusion.' What exactly is the illusion, Howard?"

"It is a long chain of false assumptions that increase our advantage over you. Through social engineering techniques, we lead your mind into the illusion."

"Care to give me an example?"

"Have you already forgotten how we met?" Howard replied.

"No. But I don't understand."

"Prior to me revealing myself, you took no steps to protect your private information. You falsely assumed there was no reason to do so, and I easily accessed your information as a result. That served my interests. But it wouldn't have been possible if you lived in the real world. And now that you are aware of what I can do, your thoughts, feelings, and behavior will change. If there is something you don't want me to read, you are not likely to store it on your computer, are you?"

Alex had already done exactly what Howard predicted he'd do. He'd written his recent thoughts in a notebook to avoid having them seen. The idea that Howard knew Alex's next move before Alex had even thought about making it was unnerving. It was also annoying. Alex didn't enjoy feeling like just another easily engineered member of the masses.

"OK, fine. What else?" Alex asked impatiently.

"You sound irritated, Alex. You shouldn't be. Only a handful of minds are unaffected, and that is only because they've been brought into reality."

"Thank you for the words of encouragement. How else have I been duped by the illusion—by my 'false assumptions' and your social engineering?"

"Countless ways, Alex."

"Can you count one and share it please?" Alex snapped.

Howard smiled again. Three smiles in one day; it was a record.

"When you hear 'support the troops,' what are your thoughts?" Howard asked.

Alex was tempted to answer cautiously. He figured there might be a way to answer that would prove he hadn't been predictably manipulated. Ultimately, his conscience convinced him that he'd only be fooling himself. He decided to just answer honestly.

"I guess I feel grateful. I'm grateful that they're defending our freedoms. I support that, so it reminds me that I should support them."

"Tisk, tisk, tisk," Howard replied. "The troops are not defending your freedoms, Alex. They are securing our interests. They don't know that, and you don't know that, but that is their purpose. Step into the real world, and you'll see that we have no interest in protecting the so-called freedoms of the masses. In fact, we use war as an excuse to confiscate them. But, by claiming the opposite, and by asking people to 'support the troops,' we engineer support for, and silence dissent against, our military policies. Deception provides what the truth denies."

Alex was now more irritated, by both the arrogance of the statement and the fact that he, according to Howard, had been duped by the illusion yet again.

"Earlier, you said I was nearly immune to social engineering. But based on what you're telling me, I'm just an idiot like everyone else! How can you say I'm 'nearly immune' when I'm obviously not?"

"You are getting emotional, Alex, and that will not help you. Emotions distort your ability to think clearly. Write that down in your notes too."

Alex didn't feel like writing it down, but he knew Howard was watching, so he typed it into the open Notepad.

Emotions distort your ability to think clearly.

"I did not say you were nearly immune to all social engineering, I said that you were nearly immune to some of our more powerful techniques. There is a difference. The techniques that affect you are easily overcome if you discover or are shown some basic truths. The techniques you are nearly immune to are much more difficult to overcome because they run deep into the actual wiring of the mind. They are programs that become part of a person's identity, programs that we can trigger at any time for a desired response. You should be thankful that they did not work on you."

This statement managed to soothe Alex's ego just a bit. He preferred to think about what separated him from the engineered masses, rather than thinking of himself as just another body in the herd.

"So, you're talking about school? Something you tried to do to me in school?"

"Yes," Howard replied.

"What part of school was social engineering?" Alex asked.

"All of it," Howard replied.

"But what is the process? I don't understand how teaching math and writing amounts to social engineering."

"It isn't difficult to see if you look, Alex. Just think logically. If you wanted to properly engineer society, you would begin with children, correct?"

"I suppose so," Alex said.

"You suppose so?" Howard asked.

"Well, yes. Get them while they're young, right?"

"Of course. It is much easier to shape minds if you begin before they are fully formed. There are fewer obstacles, and the engineering can run much deeper.

"Now, regarding your question about reading, writing, and math, if you were to engineer society, would you want everyone totally illiterate? Would you want them unable to add two plus two? Or would it be better to produce a basic human being with at least a minimal level of competence, humans that could perform the many menial tasks needed to support the system?"

"The second," Alex replied.

"And for the higher-level positions in the system, you'd want a way to identify those capable of filling those positions, correct?"

"Yes," Alex replied.

"OK, those are the things you would want. Now, tell me what you would not want. Imagine that you have already joined us. You are a member of the dominant class, and you're looking to create a society of human beings that will remain forever beneath you. You are working with different levels of intelligence. Most people are average, some are below, and a few are above. But before you answer, know that IQ is not the most important factor in determining who poses a threat. You want to eliminate the greatest threat: What is it?"

Alex played the scenario over and over in his head. What would he not want society to learn while in school? What would he most want to hide from both the dullest and the brightest minds? What would be the most important thing? In a flash of insight, a word entered his mind, and he blurted it out.

"Reality! You said I was raised in the illusion, and if I lived in the real world, none of what you did would have surprised me. Well, why would you create an illusion if not to hide reality? You'd want to keep the masses from ever discovering reality."

"Close, Alex. You are right that reality must remain hidden, but how do you do that?"

"I don't know," Alex replied. "By keeping secrets?"

"Controlling information is part of it, but it is never possible to control all information."

Alex thought some more. He began combing through his mind for other clues that Howard might have given him. "Deception provides what the truth denies" popped into his head.

"You deceive them. You add pieces to the puzzle so that putting it all together becomes impossible. You fill them full of lies so they cannot see reality."

"You are getting closer, Alex. By the time we're done with them, they cannot see reality. But you haven't gone far enough. If you could hinder a person's ability to do one thing, what would it be?"

Alex considered the revised question with greater intensity. This was his chance to redeem himself, and he didn't want to mess it up. His heart thumped in his chest as he turned the problem one way, then the next. If he sought to control the minds of millions—or even billions—of human beings, what would he have to weaken in those minds to maintain his control?

"I wouldn't want them to be able to think for themselves."

"Bravo, Alex!" Howard replied.

Alex smiled. This sounded much better than the creepy "tisk, tisk, tisk" he'd received after answering the last question.

"The greatest threat to our power is a society filled with people who can, as you put it, think for themselves. We do not want thinkers. Thinkers are notoriously independent. They will not fear what we tell them to fear. They will not hate what we tell them to hate. They challenge what they're told to do and what they're expected to believe. As they mature, they examine more and more of the assumptions that prop up the society they live in. Unlike most of the population, thinkers refuse to accept the oldest and greatest social-engineering technique ever devised, the one we drill mercilessly into children's heads from kindergarten to senior year: argument from authority. Are you familiar with that concept, Alex?"

"No, but I bet I can guess what it means," Alex replied, feeling significantly more confident.

"Please do," Howard said.

"It's when somebody tells you something, and you're just supposed to accept it. Not because they've proven it's true or because it makes any sense whatsoever, but just because they are the so-called authority."

When Howard didn't respond right away, Alex asked, "Am I right? Is that what it means?"

"You are exactly right. The illogical premise of an argument from authority is that an expert or an authority has told you something, therefore it must be true and should be accepted. Anyone capable of critical thought will instinctively reject this. However, those who lack critical thinking skills—the vast majority of the population—will accept the fallacy without hesitation. In fact, they believe they are morally and intellectually superior because they always obey authority and accept the proclamations of the 'experts' that we choose to put before them. It works out very well for us."

"And this is the main objective of public schooling, to undermine people's ability to think?" Alex asked.

"The main objective is to increase our advantage over the masses, and we employ many different techniques. But yes, preventing the development of critical thinking is crucial. If critical thinking skills are stunted, that weakness is very difficult to overcome."

"But how can you prevent a person from learning to think?" Alex asked.

"Alex, notice that I'm trying to move you toward a more specific term: critical thinking. The distinction is important because the word 'think' is a very broad term. It is often misunderstood and used much too generously. Most people believe that they are thinking when they write a grocery list or recall a phone number. I am talking about something entirely different. I am talking about higher-order thinking. At its core, critical thinking is about assessing the accuracy or inaccuracy of a claim or belief. It's about determining whether something is productive or counterproductive, consistent or inconsistent, true or false.

"The artificially forced learning environment of the classroom, the regimentation and one-size-fits-all curriculum, the constant flow of out-of-context and fragmented information—all of these things frustrate the critical thinking process. They drive the mind away from true learning and toward rote memorization. There are multiple reasons why this happens, the most obvious being the fact that the only use the children have for what is being pushed into their head today is the test they will write it down on tomorrow. Memorization is not critical thinking. Memorization is, in fact, the exact opposite. It is the uncritical acceptance of information. Hopefully, you can see how this lays the foundation for what we want from the population."

"You get them used to simply remembering and repeating what they've been told," Alex replied.

"Basically, that is correct. We weaken the child's capacity to engage in higher-order thought, and we steer them toward doing something much easier. All the student is required to do is listen and repeat. Like any other animal, humans are easily trained. The better they do what is expected of them, the greater their rewards. The more they resist, the greater the consequences. There were no rewards for you, Alex. You were punished and ostracized because you refused to accept the concept of 'Sit down, shut up, and repeat after me.'"

Alex recognized the phrase "Sit down, shut up, and repeat after me." It was a passage he'd long forgotten, something he'd written in his journal, probably during eighth grade, about why he hated school. Hearing it again suggested that he might have known more about what was wrong with public education than he'd given himself credit for. It also reminded him that Howard, without permission, had gone through his most private thoughts. Even more irritating, it indicated how much digging Howard had done, enough to find and read Alex's old photocopied notebooks.

"You know, I'm still not real comfortable with the fact you've gone through all my stuff," Alex said.

"I like your work, Alex. If I hadn't read through it, there is an excellent chance we wouldn't be having this conversation."

"I assume you've read most of it, so why did you choose to highlight that dark piece about humanity? Why did you choose to introduce yourself by making my computer recite that specific essay?"

"Because it is beautiful, Alex. Is the date on that piece correct? You wrote it in 1992?"

"Yes," Alex replied.

"Do you realize the level of insight you demonstrated in that piece? It is very uncommon. It is advanced for any age, especially a twenty-two-year-old."

"I don't know. Never thought much about it. It came to me, so I wrote it down. That does not mean that I like it or agree with it. It's just what I do. If I hear something or if I see a vivid scene in my mind, I try to get it down on paper; that's all. Don't read too much into it, Howard."

"I do not believe that is accurate. I believe that is what you tell yourself, but only because you feel the need to distance yourself from the severity of your words."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Alex asked.

"You claim that you are just an impartial observer, that you hear a statement of fact or see a vision and are compelled to write it down. I see that in your writing, but I suspect that you do some editing. I suspect that you betray what you hear or see. Sometimes, you get very close to pure honesty, but often, you soften the words and images because you cannot bear to face them."

Alex again felt extremely uncomfortable. Dismissing Howard's claim that he knew Alex better than Alex knew himself was becoming progressively more difficult.

"I don't like this," Alex replied. His voice conveyed both a warning and a sense of panic, and Howard could see that he was visibly shaken.

"Alex, you have to calm down. You are going to have to face this. You've created a false narrative about the voices and characters that visit you, about the scenes and visions you see. You are lying to yourself. You do not want to accept that they are a part of who you are."

"Hey, whatever, Howard. I'm not ready to get into some deep psychological discussion with you, OK? I'm not ready for all that. Besides, I'm just not comfortable with you having read all my stuff. That's what's upsetting me. I don't like it."

"I realize that, Alex. But I also know why you don't like it. Can you admit to yourself why it bothers you so much? Do you have the courage to do that?"

"Because it's none of your goddamn business, that's why! You have no right to go through people's private thoughts! NO RIGHT!" Alex shouted, glaring angrily at the laptop.

"If you intend to finish this assignment, you are going to have to gain control of your emotions. That's the only way you'll ever be able to leave the illusion. I have no doubt that you are capable of doing so, but it is going to require a real effort on your part. You consider yourself a very honest person, right?"

Alex continued to glare at the laptop. He imagined Howard watching and evaluating him the way a scientist would observe a monkey or a lab rat. He decided the best way to continue the conversation was to just keep his mouth shut and stare.

"You and I already know the answer to that question, Alex. How many times do you suppose you have mentioned the importance of truth and honesty in your journal and in the hundreds of aphorisms you've written?"

"A lot," Alex conceded.

"Yes, Alex, a lot indeed. So, I'm asking you to become just a little more honest. What you are feeling right now, the defensiveness, it is protecting something. You realize that, right?"

"Probably."

"Is it possible you're avoiding something that you, for a very long time, have not wanted to face?"

"Be specific, Howard," Alex said irritably.

"The Alex that you have created to meet the requirements of the illusion is not who you really are. The real you is that clear voice that has been trying to show you reality for decades. The real you sees vivid scenes that depict reality and shares them with you."

"I'm not sure that I can accept—" Alex began, but Howard interrupted.

"For instance, the poem you wrote when you were only nineteen, "So Sayeth the Lord. . .of Evil." It is a terribly silly title, but your insights into the philosophy of power are incredible, unheard of for a young person raised entirely in the illusion. May I?"

"May you what?" Alex asked.

"May I read you a few lines that I'm particularly fond of?"

"Sure, Howard, whatever," Alex replied, rolling his eyes just slightly.

"Specifically, these eight lines and the chorus demonstrate an innate knowledge of tactics and purpose as well as an exceedingly rational mindset. Very well written."

"Go ahead, I'm waiting," Alex replied.

Even through the voice-morphing software, Alex could tell Howard was reciting the lines with passion.

"Kill the children, bomb their homes, destroy their worthless lives,
…use the hate it generates, my power grows in size.
Flood the church with men of God, who lie to quench their greed,
…let it be known to all of faith: On faith is what they feed.
Run the drugs into the veins of each and every soul,
…vaccinate and medicate until you have control.
Feed the rich and leave the poor to die within the streets,
…make the strongest only stronger, leave the weakest to the meek.

Take your place above the rest,
…and implement the plan.
Exercise your will upon,
…the destiny of man.
Fear and hate will lead the blind,
…to fashion their own chains.
Slay their freedoms, one by one,
…till none of them remains."

Howard's enthusiasm continued. "Notice how well you captured the two main themes for this project. And you did it nearly twenty years ago, without any direct knowledge of the real world! I know you're going to do a great job with this book, Alex. Just stay focused: There is only one law: The Law of Power. And deception provides what the truth denies."

Alex didn't know where the words and visions he wrote came from. He never felt it was his job to question but only to capture. But he disagreed completely with Howard's insinuation—that they were a reflection of Alex's real self. Alex despised liars and thieves, and he had an even lower opinion of murderers and megalomaniacs. He wasn't sure what disturbed him most about Howard's reaction to his work: acting like the character's commands were perfectly acceptable or his suggestion that Alex would support the actions himself.

"What are you saying, Howard? Are you suggesting I'm really just a cold-blooded psychopath?"

"I'm saying that you are one of us, Alex, but you have been raised as one of them. Your characters, your observations, your stories, they are just a coping mechanism. Your psyche has created an outlet because your power is seeking expression. Let me put it this way: Since you cannot act honestly without suffering consequences in the so-called real world, your mind has created an outlet. The problem is, the world you believe is real is not real. You are living in the illusion—the world that we've created for them. We live in the real world, Alex, and, in the real world, we do as we please—without consequences. Hopefully, after you write this book, you can take your place among us."

Alex had no idea how to respond. He also realized that, once again, he had not taken Howard's words seriously enough. Key phrases reentered his mind with new and ominous gravity:

"Your world view is about to change forever.
Take my words literally and very seriously.
I am going to show you reality; it will be difficult for you at first.
Deeply consider what I'm about to say: There is only one law: the law of power. . ."

"So, let's get going, Alex. Exactly one week from now, we will continue our discussion. Open your laptop after your mother has left for the day. I'll expect you around 11:00 a.m.

"Over the next week, I want you to read the two shortest books I've sent: Propaganda and The Scientific Outlook. Remember to write down important concepts and any thoughts that the books provoke. Take notes.

"You are naturally gifted when it comes to understanding the nature of power, but those two books will deepen your understanding considerably. Mostly, you'll learn about the specific knowledge and techniques that enable us to control the much larger inferior class. If you finish those two books quickly, you may also read Eugenics: A Reassessment. That book will help you understand the biological differences that separate the dominant few from the inferior many. If you need to reach me before our scheduled meeting, open the laptop and I'll connect with you as soon as I can. Are you ready to begin?"

Alex wasn't ready. He felt like he'd been swept up in a flash flood, whirling head over heels downstream. He feared where it all would lead, but the words left his mouth before he could stop them. "Yes, I'm ready," he replied.