What resisting Agent Smith’s powers can do to you

“Colonel Shelly sat behind his desk, facedown on a set of disciplinary reports. Red lines ran from his nostrils, his ears, and his left eye. Enough of it had pooled on the desk to start spreading out past his skull.”



“I was hoping to speak to the colonel about his claims of contact with a governing body. Why do you believe he suffered from a hemorrhage?”
“He’s not the first,” said the doctor. He walked to the desk. “Three people have died the same way. They all had too much on their minds. Very conflicted, just like the colonel.”
“Conflicted?”
“He didn’t want any of you out here. He just wanted to establish contact, make sure you were doing a good job, make sure you were all safe …” His voice trailed off again and he ran his fingers back and forth on the desk. The tips passed just a few inches from the puddle of blood.
“Doctor?”
“And then he changed his mind,” said the older man. He drummed the fingers of his other hand against his thumb. “Between breakfast and lunch. Just like someone flipping a switch.”

Excerpt From Ex-Patriots, pg 391, 393
Peter Clines
https://books.apple.com/us/book/ex-patriots/id585738393