Kate considered that. “Are they bullies?”
He thought of Roger Dickinson. “Some of them are. Some of them are nice.”
“Was the one who called Mom a bully?”
He nodded.
“Are you going to beat him up?”
Cooper laughed. “Only if I have to.” He stood, then reached down to hoist her to his hip. She was getting too old for it, but right then he didn’t care, and she didn’t seem to either. “Don’t worry about anything, okay? Your mom and I will take care of everything. No one is going to—”
If the test says she’s tier one, they’ll send her to an academy.
She will be given a new name.
Implanted with a microphone.
Raised to mistrust and fear.
And you will never see her again.
“—hurt you. Everything is going to be fine. I promise.” He stared into her eyes. “You believe me?”
Kate nodded, chewing her lip again.
“Okay. Now let’s go have some eggs.” He started for the door.
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“Are you scared?”
“Do I look scared?” He smiled at her.
Kate shook her head no, then stopped, nodded yes. Her lips pinched. Finally, she said, “I can’t tell.”
“No, baby. I’m not scared. I promise.”
It’s not fear I’m feeling.
No, not fear.
Rage.
MAX VIVID IS TRYING TO OFFEND YOU
Entertainment Weekly, March 12, 2013
Los Angeles: You can call him an ingenious ringmaster with his finger on the pulse, or the most offensive, degrading television host since Chuck Barris. What you can’t call Max Vivid is polite.
“Social conscience is boring, darling,” Vivid said, downing a triple espresso at Urth Café. “F–k political correctness. I’m here to entertain.”
If ratings are any proof, his latest show (Ab)Normal is precisely the entertainment America is looking for. The reality show, which pits gifted individuals against teams of normals in competitions that include mock-assassinations, daring robberies, and even hand-to-hand combat, regularly draws 45 million viewers a week.
It also garners criticism for at best exacerbating social tensions—and at worst, for being explicitly racist.
“In Rome they watched slaves fight lions. Entertainment’s a blood sport, baby,” Vivid responds. “Besides, how can it be racist? We’re all the same race, f–ktard.”
It’s a typical comment from the inflammatory host, who revels in insulting detractors and fans alike. Nor does he stray from controversy. In this season’s most infamous (Ab)Normal episode, three gifted contestants were tasked with infiltrating the Library of Congress and planting explosives. While the bombs were fake, the security was genuine—and failed to protect the library from the television terrorists.
It was a shocking display in an age when domestic terrorism is a very real threat, and neither the FCC nor the FBI was amused. The former has levied extensive fines against the network, while the latter has opened an active investigation to determine whether criminal charges should apply.
“I think of it as a public service,” said Vivid. “I’m pointing out the weaknesses in the system. But bring ’em on. I’ve got a 42 share. I can afford all the lawyers in the world.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Cooper used the drive to work to run scenarios. He got no small amount of grim pleasure from the one in which he tracked down the gutless bureaucrat who had called Natalie this morning and beat him bloody with the handset of his desk phone. Unbelievable. What kind of a job was that? Sit in a cubicle cold-calling families to tell them that something had happened, you couldn’t say what, but that their son or daughter needed to take the Treffert-Down Scale Assessment the following day. Hiding behind a call sheet and a flowchart of responses. Sorry, sir, sorry, ma’am, it’s just policy.