Captain America Bucky Barnes Winter Soldier Steve Rogers Fan Fic - The Constant

Chapter Thirty-One: The Constant & The Winter Soldier - Programming

The Constant & The Winter Soldier - Programming

Now that he is just one unified personality, it is simple to complete his training. He has been tested out in the field and he is ready. There is just one more hurdle to go before they can assign him a mission.

Programming.

They need to address this soon as they are seeing indications that the Winter Soldier is beginning to care about his Constant, beginning to question certain things. That will not do.

That is not what Hydra wants.

This is something that will be done with only Lehmann, Elise and Peter present. With the exception of Johann Fennhoff and Zola, no one else is even allowed into the programming suite or permitted any knowledge of how the programming is done. Even the original doctors are not told anything.

No one knows what goes on in those rooms. There are always two guards outside and the doors are firmly locked and bolted. But the locked doors do not shut out everything. The guards can still hear the Winter Soldier's screams.

Director Lehmann oversees it all.

The programming is done in layers. Some will remain the same each time, some will change depending on the mission.

Layer One

Lehmann begins with the reinforcement of the values he has taught the Winter Soldier. These are important; these are to reiterate where his loyalties lay. Hydra are his masters. He is no one, he has no past, no identity, he belongs to them and his only purpose is to serve them. He is to work for them and only them.

He is helping to create a better world.

Lehmann's word counteracts all others, and most importantly a safe word to be followed by a phrase is embedded into his deepest memories. This will deactivate and reset him. It is for their safety. This layer continually tells him his overall mission in life. He is to have no feelings other than those to help him fulfil his mission.

Those are not the only words they will programme in. There will be a set of words that when spoken will prepare him for the programming each time. When these words are spoken in the correct order, they will open his mind, make him be receptive: Longing, Rusted, Seventeen, Daybreak, Furnace, Nine, Benign, Homecoming, One, Freight Car.

He will then be ready. He will then comply.

He is told he is never allowed to hurt Lehmann.

This layer is programmed into him every single time. They will take no chances.

Layer Two

The next layer would surprise Freya: it is about her.

The Winter Soldier at this point knows that she is his Constant. They know there is no need to tell him that whenever he is wiped because he will remember her; when he awakens the sight of her and the sound of her voice allays any fear or panic and any anger. Each time the Winter Soldier comes out of cryo freeze he will not remember much, he will almost be a blank slate. She is there to ground him.

However, that knowledge is now to be buried deep inside his subconsciousness. In Layer Two, he is told that she is a whore. She is there for all his needs, and he can do whatever he likes to her without retribution. She belongs to him, she is his one possession, and it is up to him to keep her controlled.