{"sf1_id":1471173,"sf2_id":"B1QXZQon","title":"How to join the Korps, Part 2","author":"onewhoknew","words":2167,"posted_at":"2019-07-18T20:31:06.000Z","tags":["Human","Mind Control"],"url":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1471173-how-to-join-the-korps-part-2","original_url":"https://sofurry.com/s/B1QXZQon","image_url":"https://www.sofurryfiles.com/std/thumb?page=1471173\u0026ext=.jpg","description":"Second part of the Korps story! This one is very introspective, but I did enjoy writing the last section. No picture with this one, as most of it is pretty boring to draw and I didn't want to give out the last part. More to come soon!","content":"How to join the Korps, Part 2  \n  \nThe RCGs were burning a hole in my pocket. Given they were in the pocket of my jacket hung   \n  \nup on the other side of the room, that was quite impressive.   \n  \n\"You were late in this morning,\" said Mary, my co-worker at the next computer. I tried to   \n  \nlook like I had been staring blankly at my screen rather that past it to the coat rack. She   \n  \ncontinued, \"Was the more trouble at the checkpoint?\"  \n  \n\"No, or, well, I don't know. I went, a, uh, back way,\" I sputter out, trying not to blush.   \n  \n\"Trying to avoid the queues, you know? But it took longer than I thought. Probably not worth   \n  \nthe time.\"  \n  \n\"Oh?\" Mary put the form she was typing in on her keyboard, and turned to me. \"So there's a   \n  \nback route across the city? I thought those creepy Korps animals were watching everything.\"   \n  \n\"I think they are.\"  \n  \n\"How do you know?\"   \n  \n\"There was one of their, uh, soldiers at the end, on the street. She waved at me.\"  \n  \n\"Shit! Did it give you any trouble? Harass you?\"  \n  \nShe was staring at me intently. \"Uh,\" I said. \"No, it's not like I was doing anything wrong   \n  \nanyway. They couldn't have stopped me for anything.\"  \n  \n\"Ha!\" Mary sat back and crossed her arms. \"THEY don't need a reason! They been pulling   \n  \nrandom people off the street, then there's suddenly another animal saying they wanted it all   \n  \nalong!\"   \n  \nI gulped, thinking of the RCGs again. The ones with a guaranteed mind control program on   \n  \nthem. \"That... that can't be true.\"  \n  \nShe leaned in close and hissed, \"They say it's not, but it's pretty easy to get someone to   \n  \nsay they joined up willingly when you can alter their minds! Look it up online, and stay   \n  \naway from those freaks!\"  \n  \nShe winked at me quickly, and turned back to her work. I turned back to the form I was   \n  \nentering, thoughts running through my head. Was I one of those people? I'd heard some weird   \n  \nthings about people... if I suddenly disappeared and came back with a muzzle and a Korps   \n  \nlogo and ...tits... would that be proof for Mary that her fears were real? Maybe I should   \n  \nhave defended the Korps, or something...   \n  \nBut I wasn't going to join. Definitely not.  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \nI took the bus on the way home.   \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \nAt home in my crappy little flat, I started up my laptop and searched for information on the   \n  \nRCGs.   \n  \nAfter reading a few articles, I took the pair that Lily had given me, wrapped them in tin   \n  \nfoil, then put them in my microwave. The metal box would prevent the RCGs from picking up   \n  \nany wireless or phone signals, and insulate any sounds its microphone might be picking up as   \n  \nwell.  \n  \nA minute later I stuck a post-it note of the control panel that said 'TAKE OUT FIRST'.  \n  \nThere were specs for the RCGs online; it seemed that the Korps had made all the schematics   \n  \nand software open source. You could build your own, if you had the equipment and knowledge.   \n  \nI did not. I knew a bit of coding, but the software was all in the Korps own programming   \n  \nlanguage, something specialised and efficient, but I couldn't tell where to start. I had to   \n  \nrely on other people's analysis, which was... biased.  \n  \nEveryone agreed what the RCGs could do. Cameras, heads-up display, kinetically charged   \n  \nbattery, an incredible range of communication facilities - and yes, the 'direct neural   \n  \ninterface'. The mind control. It was advertised as for therapeutic purposes, but there were   \n  \nso many stories about it being used to just fuck up someone... I was fairly sure some of   \n  \nthem were supposed to be porn. Some were obviously made up - hell, I'd written my own story   \n  \nabout joining the Korps.. But there were some that worried me - stories about the more   \n  \nsubtle changes. A boyfriend altering his girlfriend's RCGs with a little encouragement for   \n  \nher to be more receptive to her desires. A boss, persuading his employees not to think about   \n  \nhow inappropriate his actions were. These... were they more fiction? Surely no-one would be   \n  \nstupid enough to admit it, and actually prove it? They'd get caught, wouldn't they?  \n  \nMaybe the Korps would check on people abusing their creations...  \n  \nI shook my head. I was getting distracted, thinking about a porn story. I closed the tabs of   \n  \npersonal accounts and tried to look for more tech based reviews. I picked the least asshole   \n  \nlooking tech guy in the list of white half-beard men with videos. He rattled through the   \n  \nspecs, gave a few results from his examination of the code, and then came to his summary.  \n  \n\"So, do the RCGs do what they say? As far as I can tell. They can alter your mind. But the   \n  \nprogramming that's on there won't unless you add some. Right now, as supplied, they are   \n  \nperfectly safe.  \n  \n\"So should you try to use them, if you have some metal problems you want to solve?   \n  \nAbsolutely not! Do NOT mess with your own mind. Get a professional, if you have to do it at   \n  \nall.  \n  \n\"But there's a bigger problem with these glasses. I know a lot of people think the Korps are   \n  \nout to get them, and wouldn't touch these things. But even if you do trust the Korps, think   \n  \nabout this: do you believe they are perfect, and never make mistakes?  \n  \n\"Because if there is a glitch in these things that a hostile party finds, or if the Korps   \n  \nsoftware update service gets hacked, then whoever does it has a direct line into the minds   \n  \nof anyone who uses the RCGs. These have the exact same problem of all software connected to   \n  \nthe internet. In order to prevent unauthorised access - not just to your computer, but to   \n  \neverything that makes you you - not just does the Korps have to have your best interests at   \n  \nheart, but they have to be better than every lone hacker, every government investigation   \n  \nagency, every corporate espionage department, and you can bet they are trying right now to   \n  \nget into this.  \n  \n\"My decision? Don't buy these. Or even make your own.\"  \n  \nI closed the video and sat back in my chair. That was it, wasn't it? I had to trust not only   \n  \nthat they were good, but that they were better. And would always be better. If I put those   \n  \nglasses on, it was saying I trusted them more than I trusted my own decisions.  \n  \nI sighed, looking around at the crappy 2 room flat, thinking about my shitty data entry job,   \n  \nand how I was sat here alone and friendless. Was this the life of someone who made good   \n  \ndecisions? Wouldn't I be better if I did let someone else help me?   \n  \nBut that's the thing. Maybe I was making bad choices, but in order to make a good decision,   \n  \nI had to make a decision.  \n  \nI was going to take the glasses back, tomorrow morning.  \n  \n\\*\\*\\*  \n  \nI walked to the checkpoint. They were stopping buses, but I didn't want to hold one of them   \n  \nup. She'd probably pull me aside, and then I'd hand the glasses back to her. But what if she   \n  \nwasn't there? Well, I'd have to keep them, but I'd and them back next time I saw her. What   \n  \nif she never showed up? She was keeping an eye on me, after all, and could avoid me if she   \n  \nwanted me to keep them... Then I'd sell them, or something.  \n  \nThe crowed of morning commuters grew thicker as I approached the checkpoint. It was a metal   \n  \nbarricade with a few concrete barriers built out into the road, stopping the traffic, and a   \n  \nmetal scanner gate that everyone had to pass through. Thinking about the range of vision   \n  \nthat normal RCGs could see, from infra-red to UV, I wondered if the Korps had better, secret   \n  \nones that could see further, and the scanner was just for show. The crowd slowed as they   \n  \npassed through the scanner one by one, the two guards - a wolf and the bear I'd seen with   \n  \nLily the first time - waving them through without even looking. And, standing a little   \n  \nfurther away and casually running her eyes back and forth, was Lily the lioness, in her   \n  \nKorps uniform and armour.   \n  \nShe hadn't seen me yet.  \n  \nA wave of fear washed over me. Could I actually talk to her, rather than her talking to me?   \n  \nI was bumped from behind, and hurried to move with the crowd, hiding behind people, closer   \n  \nto the shop windows. Lily's eyes moved towards me, and then her body twitched. Her lips   \n  \nmoved, whispering something, but -   \n  \nShe wasn't looking at me.   \n  \nFor a second or two, nothing happened. I could see her tensing, one hand slowly moving to   \n  \nthe stunner on her hip. Then, further forward in the swarm of people, I heard a scream.   \n  \nThe crowd paused, uncertain of what to do. I tried to see the cause, but there were too many   \n  \npeople in the way - who were suddenly pushing at me. More screams came as I slammed against   \n  \nthe glass of a shop window. It cracked against my back.  \n  \nLily was charging into the crowd, roaring. At the checkpoint, I could see the bear haul   \n  \ncivilians over the concrete barrier. The wolf was frantically pawing at a strange gun, long   \n  \nand with a solid shining barrel. Lily pounced.   \n  \nIt didn't sound like anything. One moment, I was pushed up against a splintering pane of   \n  \nglass, bodies flowing past me. The next, I was on my arse, half inside the display, people   \n  \nmoaning and picking themselves up. I stumbled to my feet, feeling the tiny cuts in my hands   \n  \nfrom the glass, and tried to piece together what was going on. Had the glass broken? Had I   \n  \nhit my head?  \n  \nSomeone must have fallen in the crush of people, and everyone tripped over them, and then...   \n  \nI hoped they were alright. I stumbled forward, past those staggering to their feet. I wanted   \n  \nto see Lily... That was my plan, right? And she was somewhere in the crowd.  \n  \nWhy had she charged into the crowd?  \n  \nI work out what had happened, but the ringing sound was making my head spin. I couldn't   \n  \nfocus! My hand rested on a car, its panels dented and windows shattered. Something hit it...   \n  \nhard.  \n  \nA wall of combat armour and fur appeared in front of me. The bear. She was saying something,   \n  \nbut she was too far away to hear. I tried to say something, but the words slurred together   \n  \nin my mouth. The bear grabbed one of my shoulders, and this time I could hear her, muffled   \n  \nand distant over the ringing. \"Sir,\" she said. \"I need you to go over there, sit down and   \n  \nwait for a medic-\"  \n  \n\"Lily,\" I got out. \"Wheresh Lily?\"  \n  \nShe paused. Her eyes flickered, reading something inside her goggles. \"Okay, Lily can't- you   \n  \nneed to sit down and wait for the medics.\"  \n  \nThe ringing was fading, and I could hear shouts and screams, and in the distance, sirens. \"I   \n  \nneed to help!\" I said.  \n  \nShe turned and glanced over her shoulder, for a fraction of a second. \"No. I think right   \n  \nnow, all Lily wants you to do is sit down, carefully, over there, and wait.\"  \n  \nShe pushed me, gently but firmly, to a wall. We she let me go, I felt unbalanced, and   \n  \nwavered on my feet. Perhaps I should sit down.   \n  \nI slumped against the wall. My phone was buzzing, so I pulled it out. A Korps alert? I don't   \n  \nremember installing that...  \n  \nALL CHECKPOINT CLOSED, the alert flashed. CITIZENS ARE ADVISED TO STAY INDOORS AND AVOID   \n  \nCROWDED PLACED DUE TO BOMB THREATS.  \n  \nBomb threats? That would explain the car. If the checkpoints were closed, I wouldn't be able   \n  \nto get to work... I should let them know...  \n  \nI fumbled through menus to call work. On the fifth ring, my boss picked up. \"Yes?\"  \n  \n\"Hi, I won't be able to come to work today.\"  \n  \n\"What? Kevin, you are needed today-\"  \n  \nWhy did my phone feel wet against my ear? \"They've closed the checkpoints because of the   \n  \nbomb, I can't get to you.\"  \n  \n\"Hmph. Well, you can at least do some work from home. The data from the WilsonCategory   \n  \ndatabase need to be transcribed to-\"  \n  \n\"She said I have to wait here, wait for the medic.\"  \n  \n\"Medic? Where are you?\"   \n  \n\"I'm by the checkpoint.\" I finally put it together in my head, understanding at last. \"Where   \n  \nthe bomb went off.\"  \n  \n\"...Why don't you take the day off.\"  \n  \nSomething was running down my arm, a riverlet of red. \"Is that blood?\" I asked. \"Is that my   \n  \nblood?\"  \n  \n\"...Take as long as you need!\"  \n  \nI nodded, and whispered, \"Okay...\"  \n  \nMy arms felt weak, and I slipped to a sitting position, my hands at my sides, listening to   \n  \nthe wail of sirens getting closer.","series":{"name":"How To Join The Korps 1","previous":"https://sofurry.com/s/znJW8rB1","next":"https://fse.anthro.fr/stories/1500134-how-to-join-the-korps-part-3.json"}}