Neural resocialization

"This is the new marine! Neural resocialization! Cookie-cutter soldiers! Press them out of the resoc tanks like so many gingerbread men, wind 'em up and send 'em off to die!"

- Lieutenant L. Z. Breanne

"Well, ma'am, it's a lot quicker than the old way, that's for sure. That's progress."

- Sergeant Jon Littlefield

"God save me from progress!"

- Breanne and Littlefield discussing neurally resocialized Marine Ardo Melnikov Neural resocialization is a process used to treat criminals suffering from mental disorders. The process usually, if not always, involves sentencing the criminals into the military. A number of mercenaries, such as Marcus Wright, have also undergone the experience as a result of having committed brutal crimes.

Terrans sometimes refer to neural resocialization simply as "resoc" or "brain panning" (the latter term also refers to any form of insanity, brain damage, drug use or even simple stupidity).

History
Neural resocialization was new, "unproved" technology c. 2480.

During the tenure of the Terran Confederacy, most Marines were resocialized, but near its end it claimed that only half of its Marines were resocialized, "sometimes less". In the aftermath of the Brood War, the intake of resocialized marines has fallen slightly, but volunteers remain low, so the process has continued.

Programming
"All the other boys and girls in the marines-they don't understand like I do, they don't yet realize that it's better to be dead and who you are than walking around with everything that made you you buried and smothered with fake chocolate-coated memories. That ain't living. They're better off dead."

- A 'liberated' Marcus Wright

There are at least two methods of neural resocialization, but they all share something in common: reshaping of memories and enforced obedience. The different methods enforce obedience to different levels.

The resocialization process has been refined over time. By 2499 the Terran Confederacy had devised "non-invasive" neural resocialization. Such resocialized individuals had small but obvious marks.

Resocialization does not remove memories but rather layers new ones. Based on the method of operation used in resocialization tanks, electricity is used to re-arrange the brain's memory cells, disorientation occurring afterwards.

The process can "suppress" emotionally charged violent criminal memories, covering them with "chocolate-coated" filler memories. The process uses cybernetics, which have become less obvious over time. This can drastically change the victim's personality.

Neurally resocialized individuals always follow orders from their higher ranking officers, but the process can leave them vulnerable to taking orders from non-military personnel. This susceptibility to orders increases when the person is under the effects of stims. Neurally resocialized soldiers can shift loyalties if their commanders do so as well.

Resocialized characters' minds are "fuzzy" when sensed by a telepath.

Neural resocialization bears many similarities to the technology used to control ghosts, who are unable to resist orders unless they come from a direct enemy of their government.

Faults
"He undid it. Undid the resoc. Made me remember who and what I was. Made me remember the joy of what I did. And made me remember how damn bad it hurt when you boys played with my brain to make it all docile-like."

- A 'liberated' Marcus Wright

Neural resocialization is not restricted to enlisted personnel; Lieutenant Emily Swallow of Alpha Squadron had undergone the process. Notably, a number of obvious candidates have not undergone the process, such as Major Esmerelda Ndoci.

Neural resocialization can "shatter" under stress. For instance, when Lt. Emily Swallow faced stress when questioning a Sons of Korhal agitator, she had to use her StimPack to "relieve" the stress after the encounter. Later on, her previous criminal behavior came to the fore when she was attacked by Zerg.

Terrans believe the process is foolproof, but the Protoss mystic Zamara knows better. Even Terran psychics can undo the process to an extent.