Chapter 4 - Hope Barimen

Chapter 4.7 – Brainwashing

His name is Rakim Hasan.
 
He comes from a small tribe in the mountains and had raised goats until five years ago. He had been given a blessed vision, instructing him to join the holy fight against the infidels and unbelievers. And so now he trains for the glorious day when he will do his part to erase the evil that has spread across the world, and join the proud ranks of those martyred before him.
 
His name is Mark Barimen.
He has been deep undercover for five years in pursuit of Ali Zalne. He will stop at nothing to capture or kill the man who caused the deaths of his mother and brother. He has tracked Ali to this remote paramilitary facility in central Asia. Ali is a high-ranking member, and Mark must build trust and work his way through the chain of command in order to gain unrestricted access to his elusive foe.
 
 He has seen the coded messages ordering his return. Some of them have been forged, which leads him to believe that there is somebody else wise to his activity. But whether the messages are official or not, he has come too close to be extracted now. Is he obsessed? Perhaps. Call it a character flaw. He doesn’t much care. As long as Ali walks free, Mark will be there to shadow him until the bitter end.
 
Sometimes it is hard to remember why he is here, though. He has never been this deep undercover before, and there are days, sometimes weeks, that he forgets who he is. The hatred these sims vomit is hypnotizing, and he often has to fight not to lose himself. But is he really Rakim? Or is he really Mark? Rakim did not go to China and study under Jiang Xi, nor did he meet the most beautiful and balanced woman who bore him two children. No. He is Mark Barimen of Sunset Valley; and he has a job to do.
 
This is often the argument he has with himself as he sits through the hours of rhetoric, listening to the lessons of hatred. These are the twisted words of power-hungry and murderous warlords. The blood lust is intoxicating, and they use it with alarming effectiveness in the brainwashing of many sims.  But he is stronger than them. He refuses to lose himself.  Had his own faith ever been used like this? How is it possible? How can such a beautiful thing be perverted into something so vile?
 
Rakim Hasan watches his wife, a girl barely of age, sleep in her bed. He did not choose her, nor did she choose him. It was said to be necessary for a greater purpose, and it was made to be so. They were told to procreate, and so they did what they were told. Who can question the will of the almighty? It feels wrong, and he dreams of another life somewhere.
Jiang Xi frowns as he paces the dark room where Mark has been put to keep him away from the other students at the Academy. He speaks about Mark being out of balance. He sees Mei, the instructor’s granddaughter, practicing on a training dummy, hovering in the air like a perfect butterfly. Her baby brother, taking his first steps, chases her; but he falls into a swift stream and is gone.
—
Rakim awakens with a start in the middle of the night, breathing heavily with sweat pouring from his body.
 
The day of his martyrdom draws near; and he gives praise and worship before drifting off into another restless, unsettled night’s sleep.

6 thoughts on “Chapter 4.7 – Brainwashing”

  1. Oh my goodness! Mark, what have you done? It seems that he has been brainwashed almost fully, but he is barely remembering his past. And now – a wife and a child? *Sharp intake of breath* He can’t just leave them, even when the cover is blown – what if the girl is judged for her father’s mistakes? What has he gotten himself into – I know he did this for revenge but it seems like he’s becoming one of them. And the day of his martyrdom? What is thinking of doing?

    Agh. You’re going to have to update soon! 🙂

    FortA

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  5. Oh no! What has happened to Mark!? I can understand the going undercover, the need for revenge. But its eating him alive..its turning him into something that he isnt.
    He has a wife and child here..doesnt he think how horrible it would be for them? Innocent lives damaged in the process. I dont know what to think anymore!
    This was such a shockingly amazing chapter.
    I dont know how Mark will get out of this!

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