"Why would I ever lie about something like that?" Jack asked, his mental state still unstable. "It's not even funny."
"Yes, why would you," Arthur responded. "I'll be interviewing your friend now, so you better hope he says the same thing."
"Of course he'll say the same things. Elliot may be many things, but he isn't a liar."
"Good. Now one final question and I'll leave you alone." Arthur looked intently into Jack's eyes. "Where do your loyalties lie?"
"In the truth." Jack responded casually. "My loyalties lie in the truth."
Arthur didn't respond to his statement. Instead, he got up and left, leaving Jacks notebook on the table between them.
Jack flipped through the journal expecting to find his usual notes and codes. But to his surprise, the pages were blank. Other then the first page, every single one was blank, as if the journal had never been written in before. On the first page was a description of the broadcast and a sketch of the ritual circle. It was so bizarre.
He continued looking at the book in idle curiosity for a few minutes before something happened. His mind seemed to shake off that sense of relaxation.
"Oh god," Jack said, his heart beating incredibly fast. "What did they do to me?"
It didn't matter that he told them everything. He had no intention of lying. But they fiddled with his mind. How did they do that? Nothing that had happened made sense. What did that man mean when he said the town had become a paradox? That those left were neither dead nor alive?
He was left to those thoughts for an uncountable amount of time. Left to ruminate about what he could do differently. How he could have stopped it all.
He didn't blame Elliot for what happened, even though Elliot was the one who'd delivered the radios to their area. He couldn't have known what would happen, he does things like that all the time.
But why, out of all places, did they choose this little Podunk town? Was there something important there? Or was the town just a testing ground before they moved on to an even larger city?
A few times since he'd arrived, the door would open and a guard would walk in carrying food. Whenever he'd try to ask questions or figure out when he could leave, Johanna would appear and calm him down.
She would hum him a lullaby, or just laugh. Then his thoughts and his worries would fade. He felt he lost a part of himself every time this happened. He lost a sense of agency, of control.
He hated this. He hated not knowing and he hated not having control of his thoughts. After what he believed to be three days, the only thought in his head was that he needed to know what happened. What else did they take from him?
He'd barely been aware of his surroundings when he scarfed down his dinner, a sad piece of stale toast and some eggs. He was so engrossed in that one thought he didn't notice that whoever delivered his food didn't leave.
"Ahem," the voice said. Jack looked up to see it was Arthur.
"I've come to tell you that you are now free to leave this room. However, my superiors have informed me they have plans for you and your friend." Arthur said in the same dry tone he used during the interrogation. "Congratulations, Mr. Halden. You've just been recruited to the Ministry of Harmony."
"Isn't the Ministry of Harmony the prop-," Jack realized who he was talking to and changed his wording. "The, uh, department that focuses on domestic intelligence and communication?"
"Yes, we are." Arthur told him, seeming to ignore his slip up. "Though we also deal with concordant threats in the country. Things like you witnessed a few days ago."
"I assume I don't have a choice in my recruitment." Jack asked him.
"You'd be correct in that assumption," Arthur told him. "Now, you'll be meeting your friend, Mr. Clark, at the debriefing room. My supervisors have given me the dubious honor of being your boss."
He put his hand out for Jack to shake. "You may call me Mr. Linscott."
After they shook hands, Mr. Linscott led Jack to another room, this one brighter and more welcoming than the other by just a bit. Inside he found Elliot sitting down, his eyes bloodshot. He didn't even look up when they entered, staring at his hands as if he could see blood on them.
"Hey, Elliot. It's good to see a familiar face around here." Jack tried to get his attention. "Life has certainly got a little weird."
Elliot didn't respond, still stuck in that trance. Jack slid into the seat next to him.
"I don't know what to say," Jack admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He knew Elliot had much deeper roots in that town than he did, having lived there for most of his life. "It wasn't your fault, Elliot. You couldn't have known."
Those words made Elliot look up, his face contorted in rage. But he didn't look angry at Jack. He looked angry at himself, at the world, at this whole situation.
"It wasn't my fault?" Elliot cried. "Of course it was! Everyone I know is dead because I wanted to make a quick buck! My girlfriend's gone because I wanted movie money for us. A few extra bills in exchange for everything."
Elliot started to sob. He stopped looking at Jack and went back to staring at his hands, tears running down his face.
"We, uh," Jack glanced over at Mr. Linscott. "We don't need Johanna, do we?"
Jack really hoped they didn't. He did not want them to mess with Elliot's mind and turn him into something he's not.
"I don't believe that will be needed," Mr. Linscott told him. "Johanna has been relocated elsewhere, she... has completed her job. My superiors have determined you two to be uncompromised."
He said it so callously, as if he didn't view them as human. As if they were just files to be shoved in a drawer.
"Such actions were used to keep you docile until we determine that you weren't corrupted." Mr. Linscott continued, his eyes softened. "Now, you are free to feel as you wish, provided it isn't rebellious, of course."
"And if one were to somehow feel rebellious?" Jack questioned. "What would happen in that hypothetical situation."
"I'd advise against that. Those who have been overtly rebellious in the past were changed in ways that many would find unpleasant." Mr. Linscott's eyes hardened and what little emotions he'd shown were wiped clean. "Johanna's abilities seem rather mild compared to other employed by the Ministry."
Jack saw that Elliot had yet to look up during their conversation.
"So what do you need us for?" Jack asked Mr. Linscott. "It's not like we're elite spies or soldiers."
"That's right, you aren't. The Ministry knows you've worked as a journalist, and Mr. Clark as a delivery boy. But Mr. Clark's power makes him excellent at getting in and out of difficult situations. And Mr. Halden, every team needs a narrative anchor and observer, you just happen to cover both. What you two are makes you good at information gathering." Mr. Linscott said. "We have a new team that is lacking a few members. You've been chosen to join them."