[ WP ] Everytime someone has a 'blonde moment ' they get a little blonder . Black hair is now a symbol of brilliance , and you 've just invented hair dye .

Part 1 
 
 A standing ovation. 
 
 The general, who had entered the room first, now stood beside me. He was also clapping, his chest thrust outward. He regarded me with as genuine a look of admiration as I think I've ever had directed at me. With a gesture he silenced the room. `` A man who clearly needs no introduction.'' a few of them laughed. He turned to me: `` Sir, we are just so honored to have you here today, I doubt I'm the first to tell you how many lives you've saved and will continue to save. Your technology gives us the tools we need to infiltrate and strike a real blow where it counts. And we're able to do this efficiently and effectively every time. On behalf of myself, this administration and the country, our sincerest thanks.'' 
 
 More applause. And it kept going. Awkward. 
 
 I was beginning to worry that someone would ask me to speak and I did n't want to. It'd have to be all patriotic and I'm just not good at that stuff. Besides, I did n't start selling the shit for the politics, I did it for the money. Unbelievable amounts of money once I got the government contract. All my friends are poor. I'm basically God to then now. So I was n't there to give speeches. I mean yeah I had to keep up appearances and maintain friendships, but under this administration making friends is easy as keeping your mouth shut. I was there for a show and I had it on good authority that this was one of the best ones in town. 
 
 Perhaps picking up on my desire to get on with it, the general barked: `` Okay! That's enough! Let's show the man what we do!'' Those on the lower floor spun back around in their chairs. Most of the others on the mezzanine filed out through doors on either side of the room. It was n't until then that I realized that some people had come in from other departments just to get a look at me. Christ, this shit was really a big deal for these people! 
 The General gestured toward the stairs to the control room floor. We descended. He asked over his shoulder `` What do you already know about what we do here if you do n't mind me asking?'' 
 
 `` Well,'' I said `` I imagined it was like a police show with, like, mug shots on the wall, like an organizational hierarchy or something and agents calling in with clues..'' 
 
 The general laughed, `` well no, you can see it's a little bit more complicated than that.'' 
 
 Indeed it was. There were three giant screens, rising up from the floor past the mezzanine balcony dominating the forward wall. The lower floor consisted of at least a dozen terminals. Off to one side, under the outcropping of the second floor, which appeared to be used primarily as an observation area for higher ups and civilians in expensive suits, there was a large table cluttered with open files; and on either side of that a desk. On the opposite side of the room there was a large, glass office that I figured for being the general's. In the office, there were two large monitors on the wall. On one of them I could make out what looked like a man being hit repeatedly with something. The other showed what appeared to be a static image of an empty chair. 
 
 `` Interrogation rooms..'' He must have followed my gaze. 
 
 `` You bring them *here*? 
 
 `` If we have to. Have a seat.'' The General pulled out at chair at one of the empty terminals nearest the forward wall. `` We have two jobs here: Identify and neutralize. In Performing our duty in a clean and efficient manner we serve to make the country a safer place by curbing all that civil unrest, as the type we saw when this administration first came to power.'' He gestured to the large screen directly in front of me. `` This is what we call a heat map. This does n't give us an exact location or anything -- that's our job to figure out -- but what it does do is tell us is where we're going to be having problems. I wish we had unlimited resources but unfortunately a lot of that money's tied up right now in making this country great in other ways. So this lets us know where we need to be focusing our efforts at any given time. In a few minutes you're going to be observing the completion of a seven-month operation in Devonston.'' 
 
 I looked at the screen. The map was straightforward enough, but there were all these numbers and stuff I did n't get. `` So wait a minute, how do you know where problems are going to happen? And what's this, this *channel variation*?'' 
 
 `` It's exactly what it sounds like, how often are channels being changed in the region.'' 
 
 `` Like, *television* channels?'' 
 
 `` Yes sir. Used to be we'd be tipped off by the fact that they, by and large, did n't tend to watch, or even own TVs. So as you know, we started backdooring usage and location data from newer sets and it was like bludgeoning monkeys in a barrel. Under 35 with no TV data, but enough money to afford a nice really set, I mean, come on, guy like that's obviously out there occupying streets. But they must have caught on because now they always have nice, new TVs and they're certainly turning them on, but we realized that they're still not watching them, the freaks. They just turn'em on and leave'em. So if we see a region where the TVs are always on but there's a low channel variation then that's a sign that we have some work to do out there. Of course there's other stuff that feeds into this to. You can see search histories, social media post content as well as likes, internet activity in general....'' 
 
 `` Excuse me sir,'' a small man in a black uniform interrupted. `` Team Melbourne is in position and they're awaiting authorization to proceed.'' The man handed the General a clipboard. 
 
 `` Authorization granted.'' he said as he signed the clipboard and handed it back to the officer. He then shouted across the room at a guy sitting behind one of the other terminals in street clothes: `` Grey, put this through to terminal 14 for our guest.'' 
 
'Grey' looked up from whatever it was he was doing, sweeping his medium length, almost white hair behind his ears. The kid looked like he was thirteen `` Audio and video sir?''
