Wednesday Season Two: Better The Devil You Woe (A Wednesday Fanfiction)

Episode Five: Stick To The Status Woe

It may come as a surprise to learn that the United States Government has not always been entirely transparent or moral in their research methods, motives, and intentions. Now, one could launch into a utilitarian ethical debate on the needs of the many outweighing the needs of the few, the suffering of the few resulting in the happiness of the many, and so on and so forth. But as Wednesday and Enid came to the realization that their government was at least partially responsible for the bizarre happenings at Nevermore and the town of Jericho, the following would likely be a more prudent use of time, given the tight timeline the two students had to crack the case.

~ Unethical U.S. Central Intelligence Agency Experiments - A Brief Timeline ~

Project Artichoke:

Beginning in August of 1951, Project Artichoke was an early attempt at CIA mind control with the main goal of determining whether one could be involuntarily forced to commit acts of murder. Could the CIA turn someone into an assassin against their own free will? The use of several drugs ranging from cocaine to heroin were employed on test subjects during experimentation, with the CIA eventually settling on LSD as the most promising substance. Individuals subject to these experiments were often left with severe amnesia, effectively wiping their memory of the experience.

Project MKUltra:

Following Project Artichoke, MKUltra began in 1953 and also relied on high doses of LSD in an attempt to achieve government mind control over its subjects. This project focused greater on substances that would elicit forced confessions, however the project was also used for purposes of harassment or torture. Several deaths were associated with MKUltra due to the uncontrolled experimentation on mostly unwilling or unknowing subjects. The presence of MKUltra has entered popular culture through several modern television and media references.

Stargate Project:

Established in 1978, the Stargate Project built upon the CIA's research done on the human mind with the goal of achieving remote viewing; the ability to psychically witness events, people, and information from anywhere in the world. Despite extensive research and experimentation, there is inconclusive evidence that the CIA achieved successful remote viewing, and their efforts have mostly been classified as paranormal pseudoscience. The program was shut down in 1995 after the declassification of the Stargate Project documents. No known mind control experiments have officially been conducted since, by the CIA or any other governmental agency.

~ Fin ~

Enid sat on the edge of her bed in the dorm room, her mouth open and her eyes wide in horror after hearing the terrifying timeline orated to her by Wednesday.

"Holy shit." Enid eventually uttered, the only two words that could come to mind. "How the hell do you know all this?"

"I was fortunate to have an uncle who taught me to appreciate the soothing intricacies of government cover-ups at a young age." Wednesday replied. "They were the only bedtime stories I'd allow anyone to read me."

"And all those mind control programs?" Enid asked worriedly. "They were real?"

"Every last one." Wednesday replied. "And I don't think they've ever stopped them. I think they kept working on those programs, even more in the shadows than before. And I think they shifted their focus from using drugs on normies, to going after outcasts instead."

"No..." Enid whimpered. "No, I don't like this Wednesday. I think we need to stop looking into this, right now."

"You promised." Wednesday replied. "We keep on investigating until you leave for San Francisco."