Cortex: Prelude: Special Agent Jack Slender

[FreakyBoy]

The man chokes back a yelp, then nods his head. "Yeah, yeah. No one should know. Wouldn't want that guy to come looking for me. Or those other guys. Silent is best." With a shaking hand, he pinches thumb and forefinger together, then draws them across his lips. "No one will hear about it from me."

[Stan Cold]

"That's just super. Cooperation makes our job a whole lot easier. Thank you for your time, sir."

[FreakyBoy]

"So I can go? Is it safe?" The guy starts looking around. "I mean, is it really safe?"

[Stan Cold]

"I can accompany you out, if you wish, but I assure you it's safe to go."

[FreakyBoy]

The man slowly unclenches from the chair. "Yeah. Yeah. Heh. Heh." He's clearly still hysterical. "It'll be safe once I get home. Sure. Yeah. Of course."

[Stan Cold]

Slender touches the man on the shoulder as he guides him out. "Hey, it's probably best if you just take it easy and forget all about this."

Slender attempts to use Mind to make witness forget the mugging incident.

[FreakyBoy]

The man really just needed to be calmed down, and Agent Slender's training has taught him just how to do that. A touch, a soothing voice; that's what the man really wanted. "Yeah. You're right. You guy have it covered. It's good to know our government is looking out for us."

After Jack escorts the man out, he returns to Room 101, where the Supervisor is waiting. "You've gotten so much better at this, Jack," she says as he enters. "I'm sorry I'm losing you."

[Stan Cold]

"Thanks chief. Couldn't have gotten here without you." Slender extends a hand and states, "It's been great working with you."

[FreakyBoy]

The Supervisor takes his hand. "Just try not to embarrass me, okay?"

[Stan Cold]

"I'll try not to. Good day to you, chief." Slender leaves and goes to his desk to clean out his things. He picks up a well-read paperback book, and pushes all of the papers haphazardly over the side of his desk and into an adjacent waste basket. With his desk clean he says goodbye to his fellow agents and walks off to wherever he's supposed to be.

[FreakyBoy]

And thus was Jack Slender transferred to Directive Six.