hunger

[Raleigh]

Ah, so you have that whole limitless life span, bodies of all description based on ones preference rather than genetics, and such of the full capabilities of science and technology. Good to hear. I always like those kinds of worlds as its much easier to blend into them.

The question that raises from this MPC is what if the person is already crazy before they learn it? How is that dealt with as they could prevent themselves from even being helped by any kind of therapy after a fashion?

[Zoe]

Zoe pauses a moment. "I don't think our world's science is capable of providing immortality, though a number of healthcare improvements have at least tripled what the average lifespan used to be. As for appearance, well, more extreme surgeries have a small risk of injury or death but if someone's willing to sign the forms they can go through with them. MPC is a skill someone would have to learn, and usually a person with a mental disorder would only want to go to the trouble of learning it if they were still sane enough to want to get better. If I remember correctly, telepathic therapy was a very short-lived practice and ended with a number of lawsuits. I suppose one with MPC training could prevent the effects of drugs intended to help with a condition, but as MPC is regarded as a much safer replacement for that kind of drug, someone intent on keeping a mental disorder probably wouldn't even have to go to the trouble."

[Raleigh]

So this MPC is uniform across the board and not self determined? At least that is the inference I get from that. Wouldn't that be a bad thing though? I mean someone could use it to brainwash the world and do so unopposed.

[Zoe]

"Well, I don't think you quite understand..it's not a piece of technology or something that's 'programmed' into a person's mind, it's a learned skill. MPC is something most people are taught in public schools these days, and its only function is for an individual to have more control of his or her own brain's functioning. It's sort of like saying that math would brainwash society because we teach it in all our schools. I mean, I guess a high-level mathematician might make the argument that some of the things we learn in early schooling aren't exactly true or aren't always true, but it's not something that would very easily be turned into a megalomaniac's tool."

[Raleigh]

That was the impression I originally had I was just checking to make sure. After all if its taught at that level then most people who might have had a mental problem from their youth could insure it persists regardless of outside influence unless you have a habit of doing a full psyche eval on children. Still, it sounds like a good technique. Is there any chance you could teach it to the locals?

[Zoe]

"Well, I don't know as much about it as an instructor, but I think I know enough to teach an adult who wanted to learn. I guess you're getting at that being a good job to do, since there's probably some people who would like to keep control of their minds...if I advertised it that way, though, I'd have to prove it works first, eh?" The pizza is almost entirely gone by this point.

[Raleigh]

Yeah though it would be an ideal way for you to make money here. I suppose the best way to do that would be to put up some production of a psychic trying to alter your mind and you overturning it.

[Zoe]

"I'm certain I could do that. I did meet a psychic when I first got here, so I could probably try to find her again. If I wanted to advertise it as a safeguard against those fruits' mind-warping properties, though, I would have to prove it using one of those, wouldn't I?"

[Raleigh]

True as that would be one of the selling points I suppose. You'll have to pardon my fascination with it in the concept of conflict. Its a part of my nature plus I am not really effected by the mental portions of the fruits changes so I tend to forget about them.

[Zoe]

Zoe nods. He's finished his food completely at this point. "Well, I should find some way to repay you for this sometime. What sort of things do you accept as payment from people?"

[Raleigh]

Artifacts of power, souls, gems, gold, silver, relics, weapons, techniques, genetic samples, servitude, portions of life span, and so on. I accept a lot of payments to be honest.