Psychological warfare in the isolation room, passing the buck on legacy problems
The door to Isolation Review Room A-3 slid open silently.
A cold, white light leaked out from the crack in the door, carrying a chilly smell of disinfectant mixed with metal.
Lynn stepped inside.
Two fully armed Enforcement Team from the Stability Maintenance Office stood guard at the door. They did not follow Lynn in; instead, they silently closed the heavy Alloy Door again after he entered.
The room was spacious, with nothing on the walls except for a fixed metal table in the center and two chairs facing each other. The walls were made of a special energy-absorbing material, with a dull, dark gray hue, while the uniform light source on the ceiling illuminated the entire space without a single shadow.
Wanda was sitting in one of the chairs.
She wasn't wearing the Ministry of Department of Technology uniform, just a simple gray house arrest suit. She didn't look at Lynn as she walked in; her gaze was fixed on her hands, which were folded together on the table.
There was no violent energy or Scarlet magic in the air.
But this excessive calm is more oppressive than any energy fluctuation.
Lynn sat down in the chair opposite her, her movements unhurried and deliberate.
He didn't speak.
Time flowed in absolute silence, with only a barely audible low-frequency hum from the energy suppression field echoing in the ears.
Finally, Wanda raised her head.
The anger in her eyes had vanished, replaced by a deep, unfathomable weariness and coldness.
"The energy sample brought back from the Asgard Ruins."
Her voice was soft and flat, as if she were stating something that had nothing to do with her.
"Its Underlying Logic is exactly the same as that historical remnant of Sokovia."
Lynn met her gaze without looking away.
"I know."
Wanda's lips curled into a very faint, mocking smile.
"So, both deaths were faked."
She wasn't asking a question, but rather drawing a conclusion.
Lynn leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped together and placed on the table. This was a standard, businesslike posture for conversation.
"Minister Wanda, before answering your question, I need to clarify one thing with you."
His tone was very serious.
"The contents of the following conversation are top-secret internal information. According to the Management Committee's Confidentiality Regulations, you are not authorized to disclose this information to anyone, including Director Gwen Stacy and Director Hela."
The mockery in Wanda's eyes deepened.
Even at this point, he's still using these rigid rules and procedures to get things done.
Lynn ignored her expression and continued, "We were indeed aware of the high degree of consistency between these two energy samples long ago. This information came from our in-depth investigation of TVA's special consultant, Ravonna."
He paused deliberately, observing Wanda's reaction.
"Within TVA, this energy entity is referred to as a ' False Memory Anchor '."
This unfamiliar term caused Wanda to furrow her brow almost imperceptibly.
"It's a standardized, mass-producible cross- Dimension surveillance tool." Lynn's voice was calm and clear, as if he were reading a technical report. "Its function is not to record real events, but to forcibly implant a high-intensity emotional coordinate into the target's memory by simulating an extremely tragic event, one that is etched deep into the soul."
"This coordinate system will cause you special Variant with enormous potential to unconsciously broadcast your thoughts and energy states to TVA's monitoring network when you lose control of your emotions."
As Lynn watched Wanda's eyes gradually change, he continued to analyze the conspiracy he had just fabricated using cold logic.
"Think about it carefully. Sokovia and Asgard. One is on Earth, the other is far away in the realm of the gods. Two completely unrelated events, why would they leave behind two energy remnants with completely identical underlying algorithms?"
"This is no coincidence. These are industrial products manufactured on the same assembly line, bearing the same serial numbers."
"Their sole purpose is to drive two identical nails into your and Hela's memories."
Wanda's breathing began to quicken.
Lynn's words were like a Scalpel, cutting open the most painful wound in her memory, only to tell her that beneath that scar lay not flesh and blood, but a cold listening device.
This feeling is absurd, yet it carries a terrifying sense of logical self-consistency.
"That... the person who shielded me from everything in the Sokovia Ruins..." Her voice finally trembled slightly.
"He's not you?"
"The body is a temporary, simulated shell constructed by TVA using Dimension energy," Lynn gave his prepared answer, half-true, half-false, "But the will to protect you is real."
"They're clever; they don't fabricate feelings out of thin air. Instead, they choose to utilize and amplify the most genuine emotions within the given context. This way, the implanted memory Anchor are strong enough that even you can't distinguish between reality and fiction."
"So, you and Hela were just experimental subjects in their surveillance program. And I, or rather, the image of 'me,' was merely a tool they used to provoke you."
Lynn's tone carried a perfectly measured hint of self-deprecation and coldness.
He also placed himself in the position of a victim.
Wanda fell silent.
She lowered her head, looking at her hands, Scarlet light flickering at her fingertips, stirring the air.
Lynn's words contained a great deal of information.
It cleverly transforms a deeply personal betrayal into a massive, external conspiracy targeting everyone.
The anger and feeling of being deceived remained, but the target of hatred had unknowingly been shifted to that behemoth called "TVA".
Compared to being deceived by Lynn and becoming a victim under the surveillance of a mysterious organization called "TVA," this explanation seemed more acceptable to her.
At least, that will to protect her was real.
A long silence fell over the room once again.
After a period of chaotic fluctuations, the energy fluctuations emanating from Wanda eventually subsided.
She seemed to accept this explanation for the time being.
Lynn breathed a sigh of relief, but he knew that this was just a temporary cover-up of the cracks in his heart with an even bigger lie.
Just then...
The heavy Alloy Door of the isolation room slid open silently once again.
Lynn and Wanda both looked up at the same time.
A tall figure stood at the doorway.
Hela.
She was wearing a crisp black uniform from the Stability Maintenance Office, her long, dark green hair was neatly pinned up behind her head, and her face was expressionless.
She was holding a Data Pad in her hand.
The screen was lit up, displaying the cover of Natasha's Audit Report.
Hela's gaze swept over Lynn, finally landing on Wanda, her voice icy and devoid of any warmth.
"Director, Minister Wanda."
"Since this inquiry concerns high-risk, historical events, I believe that the Stability Maintenance Office, as the head of the department directly affected by such events, has the right and the necessity to participate in this inquiry."
She held up the Data Pad in her hand.
"I believe that this Audit Report, which has just been completed by the Internal Affairs Inspection Office, can provide some necessary new insights for today's discussion."