Encounters Out There

“The chip’s working, Professor Jones?” asked General Marcusson.

“Let’s ask him. John, disassociate. How do you feel?”

“Fine. Calm. No different.”

Professor Jones held up a sparkling electric prod. John grabbed the prod, zapped the professor unconscious, then broke the prod in half.

“What happened, John?” The general lifted up the professor.

“Somehow, I re-abstracted my sense of fairness and justice, decoupling my inhibitions from reality. I could switch my fears of consequences at will.”

“Brilliant!” General Marcusson patted John’s shoulder. “The alien invaders evolved the same dissociative ability to conquer worlds. We’ll bypass our morality—no longer the prey!”