Cognitive Deviance

1. Officer Sandoval

March 23, 2045 - 8:55 AM

Margo Sandoval stood patiently in the elevator as it ascended to the top floor of Psychwatch's main precinct. A small grin formed across her face as she quietly compared this vertical ascension to her life. Starting off just like everyone else, stuck at ground level without any experience or knowledge of where she was going, all she could do was rise up the ranks until she found the right place for her.

She knew what awaited her at the top of the building: a graduation ceremony on the roof, where she would join many other lucky graduates in completing their initiation into Psychwatch. She would officially become one of the most beloved people in the city as well as the most hated. She was fully aware of the controversies surrounding this organization, but she only embraced them.

Still waiting for the elevator to complete its travel, Margo tapped her fingers against the side of her skirt and nervously tugged on her blazer. The entire time, besides fidgeting at her clothing, she recited to herself Psychwatch's most valued motto: "Neutralize the threats, empathize with the victims, stabilize society. Neutralize, empathize, stabilize."

"You've been repeating that same damn phrase since you got here," Ellie chimed in through Margo's ThoughtControl earpiece, the same one Psychwatch had given her at the beginning of her initiation. "Hasn't it been burned into your brain yet?"

"It's a stress relief method, sis," Margo replied. "You should try it more often. You'll be less tense."

"Why are you calling me tense? I'm not the one becoming a doctor-cop here. Plus, I can tell you're scared out of your mind."

Margo chuckled. "Are you following me around or something?"

"Nah, I just got used to your forced confidence. Don't get me wrong; I know you're gonna do great, but I can still tell you're trying a little harder than usual to hide the fear."

"Ellie, this is Psychwatch we're talking about. People don't look up to fearful officers."

"But fear makes you human. And people do appreciate an officer who's not afraid to show she's human. It makes you relatable."

Margo shrugged. "I guess."

"Jeez, how long does one elevator ride take?" Ellie asked.

"How'd you know I was in—"

The ding of the elevator sounded as the doors slowly slid open, and she was greeted by a small path leading out onto the rooftop.

"That's why," Ellie replied. "That ding is an instant indicator. Good luck, by the way."

"Thanks, sis. I'll call you back when it's done."

Margo stepped out of the elevator and followed the path out of the hall onto the rooftop deck. Dozens of people sat down on foldable chairs positioned over the large patch of turf taking up the roof. SanityScans hung from the pillars positioned at the building's corners, slowly swaying back and forth to ensure everyone's safety both mentally and physically. The seats were divided into two sections, one for current Psychwatch officers along with the inductees and the other for the families and friends of the aforementioned inductees. In the middle of those two sections was the path leading up to the stage, where Commissioner Janice Mason stood at a pedestal, ready to welcome these future doctor-cops into the crazy lawless world that awaited them.

In the front row of the section holding the new recruits remained an empty seat. Margo took it, taking a quick glimpse to wave at her mother and Officer Carl Maslow, the closest person she had to a father. She returned her view to Commissioner Mason.

"We're here today to congratulate our new recruits, a lucky few individuals worthy of having the honor of joining our ranks," she spoke. "Here at Psychwatch, we always prepare to face what we're afraid of. And we can all agree that our greatest fear is unpredictability. A lack of control. The inability to prevent yourself from becoming a danger to other people." She paused. "And that's exactly what world we live in. A world that cares for mental illness as well as it stigmatizes it. A world where it is embraced as much as it is feared. Our technology makes it easy to see what's going on in someone's head, but it's quite the challenge to decipher what it means."