sighed.
– R assay what was bothering him.
– Now that you think of it, how about this very coffee?
– Thank you in advance.
The gray sky outside the window and the dim, matte light in the room were not conducive to conversation . Coffee, especially the aroma , which I especially appreciated in this drink, and the ritual of its consumption ( I prefer without sugar, so I always combine the drink with something sweet), like a magic elixir, transformed both the landscape outside the window and the background in the office .
– A god complex is not a clinical diagnosis.
The professor's voice distracted me from my thoughts. " With lava God," I thought, for they were inspired by the dim view outside the window.
– It's not in the DSM," the doctor continued as he approached a table with a coffee maker and two cups on a tray with a handle. – Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," he explained the professional acronym. – H e likes to distract the staff because of an unprofessional request," he said, placing the tray on the table.
– God complex? – I inquired about the term.
– Yes, that's what we call him," the doctor expressed a chuckle. – H e is a narcissistic disorder, which is often confused with it.
– Uh-oh, you think I'm good at this. Somewhere something just clicked – and that's it.
The doctor was understandingly silent in response, pouring coffee into cups .
– It manifests itself in people who tend to consider their opinion to be the only correct one," the psychiatry specialist began to explain the symptoms . – In addition, not noticing their mistakes or justifying them . This is such a complex of behavioral problems and experiences. As a rule, such patients are irritated by criticism of themselves. They are also characterized by inflated self-esteem .
I remained silent. I was becoming more and more interested in the practice of the person to whom my investigation had led me. He, having caught the silent "signal," complemented :
– People with theomania have difficulty recognizing or accepting another person's experience.
I've learned the professional terminology.
– As a rule, they are not interested in anyone, they do not like to listen to others, only if it is for their benefit: they are often self-absorbed. And, as usual, this whole complex leads to gaslighting.
The doctor paused for a second, looked intently at me, handed me a coffee and said:
–E then a facet of this complex in which the client denies anyone's reality . Not everyone, of course .
– Customer ? – from curving my lips , said I.
– It's a professional syndrome. It's like they say, "You can't go wrong with anyone.
– And what was it about our client? – a little louder and more cheerfully I asked, signaling an interest purely in the client's case.
– You know, he surprised me right away. He didn't have any special manifestations, but…" Dr. was a little quiet, lowering his voice before doing so.
– What?" I lowered my tone and asked almost warily.
– Everything revolved around one task or problem. He never really defined what it was for him. He kept asking me to explain how his consciousness would react if he suddenly became younger.
– Both- on. What do you mean?
– Here. All the time. I try to hint to him about his complex, and he only shows interest around this topic.
– Paid?
– I told you, I'm in private practice. You want to charge me with using government property?
– God forbid. That's not our department.
We smiled.
– Paid… more and more.
– So what did he want? You must have explained all e to him right away.
– All e, not all e. He asked me to outline his new life. After my question, " h what do you want to change?" he surprised me quite a bit. He started squirming in his chair, looking around, examining the office, noticing my curiosity, expressed partly by repeating his gaze. I began to involuntarily look for the object of his interest, because he even looked under the table, which was quite unseemly. The symptoms were manifesting themselves. Behavior characteristic of people with persecution mania. I only had to test him for megalomania, – the doctor paused again , – he didn't wait long, he said, that he could become the manager of our institute. I smiled a little at this, to which I received: " D what is there institute , I can become…" He didn't finish, started drilling the badge on my robe with his gaze. Then he got up and left. And that was it. When I asked him " what did you want?" he looked around, lingered in the doorway a bit, thanked me and left. Anyway, the symptoms were just pouring out of him, pardon such jargon . I didn't go looking for him.
– Yeah, that's a bit of a bummer. And here I am waiting for a reliable thread in the maze he created…
– So, why don't you tell me about this maze?
– In the course of the investigation, consultants and participants in the case in general, even unwittingly, become aware of some of the information in the case, despite the secrecy of the investigation. I can tell you, – I added thoughtfully, which sounded somewhat fatal . – You only have to sign a non-disclosure agreement… and you become a person of interest in the case.
– You've surprised me once again. I have been on the case for a long time without even knowing about your investigation. Isn't that right?
I looked at the interlocutor , expressing goodwill with a slight smile, slightly raising my shoulders and slightly spreading my hands, while opening my palms. The gesture and facial expressions made it clear – there was no way without it.
– In the foreign intelligence material a certain type, through whom information from your regime enterprise was transmitted or leaked, we don't know exactly yet, is listed under this data.
– Hmm. And what did he report? who's his accomplice here?
– I can't tell you what he said. I can only give you a general idea… – I was quiet for a moment, thinking about what I could tell him without compromising security, because he, like everyone else, was still a suspect . – My materials are related to the work of your suddenly deceased employee, which makes the event doubly suspicious.
– Uh, I said something's not right. I'll do my best.
Chapter 5: Hello brain
…The next person I met with about the issues I was interested in was the head of the cyber security service of ZASLON JSC. In my file cabinet, I identified him as "Mr. citizen A ntivirus". A man of medium height, about fifty years old, he looked like Charlie Chaplin, the image known from his famous movies.
Here I must make one more one small digression in order to remind you once again what level of technology is in your use and what the intelligence services may have in relation to it. As an example, I will cite the already known to you story with present to the U.S. Ambassador . And story is as follows: on August 4, 1945, a delegation of Soviet pioneers presented U.S. Ambassador Averell Harriman with a gift – a wooden image of the Great Seal of the United States. The ambassador hung the gift on the wall in his office at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow, not realizing that an endovibrator was built inside.
With the help of an endovibrator, Soviet secret services bugged the residence of the US ambassador – "Spaso House" –