Fifth Profession
Encyclopedia
The Fifth Profession is a 1990 novel
by David Morrell
. It features the characters Savage and Akira, executive protectors - "no mere bodyguard
[s] but... state-of-the-art defender[s]", an occupation also known as the "fifth profession".
Savage and Akira meet - seemingly for the first time - by Savage being dispatched by a Joyce Stone to liberate her sister, Rachel, whom Akira is guarding against that eventuality. Their brief clash triggers off memories of a previous meeting, where each believed he saw the other die in the course of a prior mission of protection together; memories that are quite obviously false, but which both believe to be entirely real. The two join together to uncover a string of other falsified memories, taking Rachel Stone with them - thus fulfilling both protectors' missions; Savage's to retrieve her, and Akira's to protect her.
This is a phenomenon that Savage identifies as "jamais vu
", a term used to describe any familiar situation which is not recognized by the observer. It is often described as the opposite of déjà vu
. In the book, the occurrence of this phenomenon is explained by the discovery of evidence of brain surgery performed on both men, entailing a scarring of the temporal lobe
of the brain, or the amygdala hippocampal area by an electrode inserted through the skull - a process similar to that used to treat epilepsy
- while both men were subjected to a series of hypnosis
and dramatic re-enactments of the false memories.. The process served to 'delete' Savage's and Akira's memories, and supplant them with falsified ones.
Morrell then goes on to cite these two particular events; the Japanese tale of the Forty-seven Ronin
, telling of the honor and devotion of the bodyguards of a Lord Asano, a daimyo
or minor lord, even beyond his death; and the Battle of Maldon
, in particular the Anglo-Saxon poem of the same name
, detailing the unfailing loyalty of the comitatus, or household guard, of a local lord, Byrhtnoth. The common theme - of protectors, and their loyalty to their masters - is one to which both Savage and Akira intimately relate.
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
by David Morrell
David Morrell
David Morrell is a Canadian-American novelist, best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become the successful Rambo film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone. He has written 28 novels, and his work has been translated into 26 languages...
. It features the characters Savage and Akira, executive protectors - "no mere bodyguard
Bodyguard
A bodyguard is a type of security operative or government agent who protects a person—usually a famous, wealthy, or politically important figure—from assault, kidnapping, assassination, stalking, loss of confidential information, terrorist attack or other threats.Most important public figures such...
[s] but... state-of-the-art defender[s]", an occupation also known as the "fifth profession".
Savage and Akira meet - seemingly for the first time - by Savage being dispatched by a Joyce Stone to liberate her sister, Rachel, whom Akira is guarding against that eventuality. Their brief clash triggers off memories of a previous meeting, where each believed he saw the other die in the course of a prior mission of protection together; memories that are quite obviously false, but which both believe to be entirely real. The two join together to uncover a string of other falsified memories, taking Rachel Stone with them - thus fulfilling both protectors' missions; Savage's to retrieve her, and Akira's to protect her.
This is a phenomenon that Savage identifies as "jamais vu
Jamais vu
In psychology, jamais vu is the phenomenon of experiencing a situation that one recognises but that nonetheless seems very unfamiliar.-Linguistics:...
", a term used to describe any familiar situation which is not recognized by the observer. It is often described as the opposite of déjà vu
Déjà vu
Déjà vu is the experience of feeling sure that one has already witnessed or experienced a current situation, even though the exact circumstances of the prior encounter are uncertain and were perhaps imagined...
. In the book, the occurrence of this phenomenon is explained by the discovery of evidence of brain surgery performed on both men, entailing a scarring of the temporal lobe
Temporal lobe
The temporal lobe is a region of the cerebral cortex that is located beneath the Sylvian fissure on both cerebral hemispheres of the mammalian brain....
of the brain, or the amygdala hippocampal area by an electrode inserted through the skull - a process similar to that used to treat epilepsy
Epilepsy
Epilepsy is a common chronic neurological disorder characterized by seizures. These seizures are transient signs and/or symptoms of abnormal, excessive or hypersynchronous neuronal activity in the brain.About 50 million people worldwide have epilepsy, and nearly two out of every three new cases...
- while both men were subjected to a series of hypnosis
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is "a trance state characterized by extreme suggestibility, relaxation and heightened imagination."It is a mental state or imaginative role-enactment . It is usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a long series of preliminary...
and dramatic re-enactments of the false memories.. The process served to 'delete' Savage's and Akira's memories, and supplant them with falsified ones.
Title
At the beginning of the book, Morrell explains the title of the work:
No single historical event marks the origin of Savage's profession. The skill to which he devoted himself has its antecedents prior to fact in the haze of myth. At the start, there were hunters, then farmers, then with something to be gained by barter, prostitutes and politicians. Given some debate about precedence, those are the first four human endeavours. But as soon as something can be gained, it must be protected. Hence Savages - the fifth - profession. Although his craft's inception has not been documented, two incidents illustrate it's valiant traditions.
Morrell then goes on to cite these two particular events; the Japanese tale of the Forty-seven Ronin
Forty-seven Ronin
The revenge of the , also known as the Forty-seven Samurai, the Akō vendetta, or the took place in Japan at the start of the 18th century...
, telling of the honor and devotion of the bodyguards of a Lord Asano, a daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
or minor lord, even beyond his death; and the Battle of Maldon
Battle of Maldon
The Battle of Maldon took place on 10 August 991 near Maldon beside the River Blackwater in Essex, England, during the reign of Aethelred the Unready. Earl Byrhtnoth and his thegns led the English against a Viking invasion. The battle ended in an Anglo-Saxon defeat...
, in particular the Anglo-Saxon poem of the same name
The Battle of Maldon
The Battle of Maldon is the name given to an Old English poem of uncertain date celebrating the real Battle of Maldon of 991, at which the Anglo-Saxons failed to prevent a Viking invasion...
, detailing the unfailing loyalty of the comitatus, or household guard, of a local lord, Byrhtnoth. The common theme - of protectors, and their loyalty to their masters - is one to which both Savage and Akira intimately relate.