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"No one chose you," I snap

"And have people been so great at choosing their leaders?" he snaps back

"But you can’t do that! You’re taking away so that makes us fundamentally human!"

Hideo steps closer "And what is it that makes us human, exactly? The choice to kill and rape? To war and boun down the innocent? Is that the part of humanity that shouldn’t be taken away? Has deht back with laws--but law enforcers cannot be everywhere at once They cannot see everything What if I can? I could have stopped the person who stole Sasuke--the NeuroLink can stop anyone who ht do the same now to another child I canour law enforce ten percent"

"You mean you’ll control ninety percent of the population"

"People can still live their lives, pursue their drea they’ve ever wished to do I’ they want, as long as it is not a cries except for this So why not?"

Everything about Hideo’s words see in the middle, not sure what to believe I think of my own city, how I have a job as a bounty hunter because the police can no longer keep up with the rising cri everywhere They can do anything they want, as long as it is not a cries except for this

Except for giving up their freedo

"It’s an essential part of everyday life, the NeuroLink," Hideo says "People work inside it and build businesses on top of it and are engulfed in the entertainment it offers They want to use it"

And I realize that, of course, he’s right Why would anyone give up the perfect fantasy reality just because they have to give up their freedo in aeveryone to quit using the internet And even as e that I’ve worn the NeuroLink lenses--aht of never logging back into the Link, a reluctance to abandon theainst the eyes, people would never stop using it They probably won’t even believe that it’s doing this to the with each other about the implications of the NeuroLink’s manipulation, their lives now revolve around it Anyone not logged in to the NeuroLink right noill use it before long, triggering this new algorithm the instant they do Eventually, everyone will have this installed in their ive Hideo control over each of them

Maybe no one would even care

"What about protestors?" I press "What about fighting for what’s right or ree with you? Is it going to stop people fro to enforce, exactly?" I clench ing everyone in the world, or understanding why they do what they do? How do you know you won’t go too far? You aren’t going to bring about world peace all by yourself"

"Everyone pays lip service to world peace," Hideo says "They use it as a pretty answer to pointless questions, to ood" His eyes sear me to the core "I’m tired of the horror in the world So I will force it to end"

I think of the tihts in school or shouted things I later regretted I think of what I’d done to defend Annie Pattridge Hideo’s code would have stopped ood? Why does it feel like a knife twisting in my chest, to know that this is the reason why he flew s from him for me to leave

"You lied to me," I say in a firm voice

"I was not the one who attacked you" Hideo’s eyes are soft and steady "I was not the one who destroyed as precious to you There is real evil in the world, and I as that mattered most to me-- My avethrown into the streets, who mourns his brother and loves his fas