Chapter 17
Blackthorne, known to agents like John and Marcela simply as ‘the Firm’, had an extensive portion of its training on psychological warfare. Candidates underwent brutal reshaping to steel themselves against the weight of annoying human imperatives that could be unpredictable, like emotion or morality.
The reasoning was twofold. On the one hand, it made agents impervious to external pressures, such as interrogation efforts or the simple stress of social isolation that was often imposed. It also ensured individuals were able to carry out vicious actions that most would balk at. In one case, an agent had reportedly claimed killing someone had the same emotional value as cutting a slice of cheese.
Obviously this had to be monitored. Things had changed since the experimental phase
