Rossi nodded and continued speaking.
"Kaczynski wasn't always a madman. He was once a strong advocate for technological progress, believing that science could make the world a better place."
This statement made everyone turn and look at him, even Reid, the "walking encyclopedia," showed a rare expression of surprise.
"I always thought the idea that Kaczynski's mental issues stemmed from participating in the 'MKUltra' project was just a conspiracy theory."
Rossi sighed. "Unfortunately, that conspiracy theory is true. While most of the 'MKUltra' project documents were ordered destroyed by CIA Director Richard Helms in 1973, around 20,000 pages of vague records survived.
But what the public doesn't know is that the FBI kept copies of most of those documents."
Everyone perked up at that, clutching their glasses and crowding around Rossi, eyes gleaming with curiosity and gossip. After all, this was a dark chapter in CIA history, and FBI agents loved hearing about it.
Most people had heard of the 'MKUltra' project. It was a program that began after the end of a war—the first time in federal history when no victorious ceasefire agreement was signed.
In 1953, a few POWs refused to return home, while others who did were full of praise for the enemy. This led authorities to suspect that the evil Eastern nation had used drug-induced brainwashing or mind control techniques on their "poor" soldiers.
Otherwise, how could these well-mannered men from developed countries willingly stay in a place where people couldn't even get enough to eat? Even those who returned spoke highly of the place.
Thus, the 'MKUltra' project was launched to study similar mind control techniques.
These techniques included, but were not limited to, drug control, hypnosis, sensory deprivation, psychological manipulation, verbal abuse, sexual abuse, sleep deprivation, and even torture.
The project was enormous, spawning nearly 200 sub-projects by the time it was officially terminated in 1973, with involvement spanning North America, Oceania, and much of Europe, including the UK.
Many universities and secret prisons, even within the US, participated in the project. Volunteers were recruited without being informed of the risks, and in some cases, unsuspecting people were subjected to drug testing.
There were even famous participants, like Ken Kesey, the author of *One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest*, and another infamous figure of the FBI's past, James Joseph Bulger, the mob boss who was an FBI informant and eluded capture for 17 years. Both voluntarily or involuntarily took part in related experiments.
Rossi took a sip of his wine and slowly revealed more of the secrets from those days.
"In 1958, when Kaczynski was 16 years old, he was admitted to Harvard as a prodigy. There, he met Dr. Henry Murray, the man who would change his life forever.
At the time, Dr. Murray was a Harvard psychology professor working with the CIA on the 'MKUltra' project. He disguised an experiment designed to destroy a person's internal beliefs and consciousness as a simple debate exercise."
"In 1959, when Kaczynski was 17, he signed up for this experiment. He was brought to Dr. Murray's lab, where he wrote an essay about his deepest beliefs, values, and ideals, explaining why he believed science could make the world a better place. He was then set up to debate a law student."
"During the debate, Kaczynski was hooked up to electrodes to monitor his heart rate, facing a one-way mirror. What he didn't know was that his opponent wasn't a random student. The researchers had dissected his essay, analyzing every word.
Through the law student, they systematically ridiculed and belittled him from every angle."
"Dr. Murray recorded the entire process on camera, forcing Kaczynski to watch his reactions afterward. He pointed out every moment when Kaczynski showed helpless rage in response to the ridicule and insults, using it to further humiliate him."
"This is unfair. That's not a debate; it's a twisted form of interrogation!" Emily's face flushed red, whether from the alcohol or from her indignation on Kaczynski's behalf.
"Exactly. The experiment lasted three years. I don't know everything Kaczynski went through, but it's clear that this experiment changed him, inside and out.
I've visited Kaczynski many times. He's very talkative, no different from any other intelligent, normal person. But whenever I bring up that experiment, he shuts down completely."
At this point, Rossi paused, a wry smile appearing on his face.
"I just remembered something—Kaczynski has been imprisoned in this state all along, in Florence, near Denver, at the highest-security federal prison, also known as the 'Alcatraz of the Rockies.'"
For a moment, no one spoke. They quietly drained their glasses of wine, which should have been delicious but now left a bitter taste in their mouths.
Rossi's story may have seemed unrelated, but the reason for his direct action in shooting Heyman Vasher was now clear.
Jack grabbed the bottle and poured a little into everyone's glass. Then he raised his own and solemnly said, "Let's be thankful that technology is in the hands of the civilized."
Everyone paused, reflecting on the meaning behind the words. Jack's face flushed slightly as he realized the weight of his remark.
Although his original intent was a bit sarcastic, the statement could be interpreted in different ways depending on one's perspective.
"Uh, that line is actually from a sci-fi novel called *The Three-Body Problem*."
Even though Jack had secretly begun writing his own novel, this line was too iconic, so he figured it was best to clarify. He wasn't going to plagiarize, after all.
Besides, *The Three-Body Problem* wasn't as obscure in the West as some might think. As a sci-fi novel that had even prompted a former US president to email the author asking for a sequel, it had gained considerable recognition in the West.
This time, Reid didn't launch into one of his usual explanations or lectures about this classic sci-fi novel. Instead, he pondered for a moment, then raised his glass alongside Jack.
The others quickly followed suit, raising their glasses in unison. "To technology in the hands of the civilized!"
After wrapping up this somewhat gloomy topic, the group moved on to chatting about Oppenheimer, the Manhattan Project, and eventually, the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan.
Everyone at the table was a rational and intelligent person, and none of them were swayed enough to sympathize with the imperialists. The conversation ended with a joke from Jack, which had everyone laughing.
He said, "Now, I've got this awesome firecracker in my hand, and there's a conveniently placed pit of poop right in front of me. Every boy knows what to do, right?"
The men all shared a knowing smile, while JJ and Emily laughed so hard they pounded Jack's shoulder. Only Reid, who grew up in the city and had few childhood playmates, looked bewildered, not understanding the joke at all.
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