Reed Finds Hidden Programming

Subliminal programming—the idea that hidden images or sounds could be spliced into a film to subconsciously influence the person watching it—was a pseudoscience. Reed Richards was well aware of this; he had spent an entire weekend investigating the science behind it, including the classified CIA and S.H.I.E.L.D. files. So his initial reaction to discovering that there were images spliced into the film's video data and hidden audio tracks was to suspect either an amateur or a hoax of some kind.

What he actually discovered, as he analyzed the data, was more disturbing.

Mathematically, the hidden digital images were almost elegant—yet Reed's blood metaphorically went cold when he saw them. He knew those algorithms. They were dangerous. Forbidden by any government that knew about.

Basilisk hacks.

Images that exploited flaws in the human brain to hack human neural architecture. Used correctly, they could insert information viruses into the brain—reprogram memories—even shut the human mind down entirely, leaving the individual a philosophical zombie, living and breathing but unable to think.

Sue had been watching this. She was exposed.

Reed Richards chewed his lip as he contemplated the next course of action.

Obviously, the best thing to do was to create a counteragent. A basilisk hack of his own that would counter whatever malevolent information she had already been exposed to. Actually getting Sue to view that new counteragent, however, was problematic. He could confront her with the disk, explain what he'd found—but that might set off her programming, whatever it was. Or—he could expose her in some other way.

Mister Fantastic looked at the disc again. For the first time in his life, he thought about making porn.

For strictly heroic reasons, of course.