‘So you see Eldon’ Ethan continued. ‘The water molecules created a bond with the radiation, and concentrated the dose, killing Jimmy instantly. I didn’t think that would be an issue, or I wouldn’t have done it.’
‘I suppose it’s okay,’ Eldon replied, looking at Johann who was also in attendance. He was hoping for another opinion, but Johann was in the middle of what might best be described as preening himself. Checking his fingernails; looking at his reflection in a smoked window and adjusting his hair; picking lint off his trousers.
‘The main thing is he’s dead,’ Eldon continued as he shook his head. ‘What did you do with the body?’
‘Cremated it. We had to capture the radiation’.
‘How are we making out with the reactor.’
‘It goes up Friday 6:00 AM.’
‘Good, and the next?’
‘A little over a month. All 3 will be up, in position and fully operational within 6 months’.
‘Good. We might have to hold back for a month or two before we make our presence known. We’ll see how how far we’ve got along with our war by then. The right time will show itself, and I want everything ready and tested when it does’.
‘There won’t be a problem Eldon. We’re going far beyond code with all materials; testing and retesting everything. There will be no mistakes’.
‘Good,’ Eldon replied. ‘Set up lots of cameras at the launch site’.
‘Aren’t you coming?’
‘No. I’m watching it from here’.
‘Right,’
‘That’s good, Ethan,’ Eldon said, by way of dismissing him. ‘I look forward to Friday’.
‘Right,’ Ethan said, getting up to leave. ‘All pertinent information is on your feed. Let me know it you need clarification on anything’.
Eldon and Johann watched Ethan leave.
‘What do you think about him’ Eldon asked.
‘Who Ethan?’ Johann looked at Eldon. ’C’mon, it’s Ethan. He’s alright’.
‘How’s he helping you with your projects?’
‘He’s right there. Anything I need is done, no questions asked’.
‘Really?’
‘Yes sir.’
‘So, you’re getting stuff into Afghanistan okay?’
‘Oh yeah. It’s working just like you thought it would. We went in with the army and construction equipment, went right to where we wanted to build our bases and what not, and started building. They don’t know what to do right now. Just watching us.
‘It’s pretty obvious what we’re doing though, and my sources tell me the Taliban and China are in close talks. It’s ready to blow up.
‘Now remember, defend, but go after Russian and Chinese holdings. Kick them out. Kick them right out of Afghanistan. We want to see both their tanks at the borders when things blow up. Keep pushing them until they retaliate’.
‘Well,’ Johann replied. ‘That’s one of my favorite things’.
‘It is indeed’.
When Johann left, Eldon took stock of where he was at. With Taiwan and Ukraine, China and Russia were using a divide and conquer strategy, pulling the West into two different conflict zones. Afghanistan was right between the two countries. Staging the war there forced the two countries together or lose because of their exposed rear flanks. That’s where Eldon wanted everyone. China, Russia, and the Western world all in one place. It made it so much easier to destroy all three of them.
Everything was on track for the ground war, and it was giving him time to get StarForce operational. Eldon didn’t have anything, if he didn’t have StarForce. That might be why he felt uneasy about Ethan. Everything hinged on him getting the reactors into space.
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The problem was, Ethan was giving Eldon things to be concerned about. Eldon knew Ethan and Jimmy had been up to something. Them sleeping with only Jimmy’s girls, was not a casual connection. Agreement was going on there. Then Eldon had Jimmy watched, and he discovered Jimmy didn’t kill the girls after the orgies. He had them fostered out to homes all over Upper Manhattan. Probably with members of the resistance.
Now Ethan tells him he cremated Jimmy, without allowing Eldon to verify the death. How did Eldon know Jimmy was dead? Normally, he’d have his own people check to confirm. The guy didn’t even die when he supposed to. Maybe he didn’t die at all?
The biggest red flag to Eldon was Johann telling him Ethan was following his orders? When did that ever happen? That was not Ethan at all. Ethan was too inquisitive. It was not in him to take a back seat on anything. That was the whole reason he put Ethan with Johann together. He knew Ethan would end up running the whole show and get things done the way Eldon wanted.
No, Eldon knew Ethan. Eldon had determined long ago Ethan was just like him. He couldn’t count the times he saw Ethan do something in a particular way, and think, ’That’s exactly how I’d do it’. Even Ethan’s thoughts tended to mirror his own. He had a ruthless, yet analytical way of looking at things. The perspective Eldon had found so successful. Eldon couldn’t put his finger on what about Ethan had changed, but he didn’t recognize him. He didn’t see himself in Ethan any more.
Something was wrong with Ethan. Something had changed. Eldon wondered what it could be and what he should do about it? He could remove Ethan from his duties, but something told him he was too big of a threat to just cut out and ignore. If Ethan wasn’t onboard with Eldon’s plans, he had plans of his own.
Eldon thought about killing Ethan, He wondered if it stopped with him, or if Ethan was part of something bigger? He must be. How else could he position himself to rebel against Eldon. Eldon did not allow anyone enough resources to rebel from within. Ethan would have to have outside resources.
So, was Ethan working for Zhang? He was doing something with Jimmy. Jimmy could easily have been a double agent for Zhang with his AI and computer technology.
There definitely was something going on between Ethan and Jimmy. Eldon questioned whether Jimmy was even dead? Right now, he looked at Jimmy as Schrodinger’s Cat. He was dead and alive. Eldon didn’t discount the possibility that Jimmy was alive somewhere and the two were still working on whatever they cooked up.
But what could they do? Eldon now had access to Jimmy’s AI, which he was told, was a hundred times more efficient than either his or Zhang’s AI. It completely controlled Zhang’s AI which is what Eldon wanted all along and hired Jimmy to do. Now he had it. Zhang was finished. Eldon had control over the AI and the AI was control of everything else in Zhang’s world. Now Zhang would be forced into a traditional war, with limitations at that.
They weren’t fighting for Zhang. That game was over, yet they were still fighting. At least Ethan was fighting him. There was only one other possible threat out there. The public and the influence of the resistance. If organized, the people could be a threat. They still represented over 60% of the entire economy. If they acted together, they could stop things pretty quickly. The people were neither contained or mobilized, but they were becoming increasingly vocal. If Eldon was to put his money on it, he would bet Ethan and Jimmy were tied in with the resistance.
Even as a child, Eldon was inquisitive. He would read his sci-fi books and magazines and get lost in their universes, wondering what other possibilities came out of these futuristic idea’s.
If he wasn’t reading sci-fi, he was conducting thought experiments like Einstein was famous for; dreaming about the possibilities and then building them in his mind. He didn’t need people. He found the one’s around him wanting. He considered them so limited in their views, they were an annoyance. He watched them though. To understand how he could control them.
Of course, even as a child, he understood he would have to learn people’s capacities, and how much they differed. How far could he push some, but not others, and what was different between these two types of people. He honed his skills on what worked better; persuasion or fear?’
He began testing these limits at an early age. One day, he wanted to know, if it came to it, at what stage a person knows they’re dying? Once the realization of death came upon them, he determined, the fear would be gone. To find out, he lured a pedophile into a nearby forest. Eldon had known about the man for some time. He was a local, and always talking to the boys about sex and trying to get a feel in.
Eldon told the man he could do anything he wanted to him, and the man followed him. Eldon let the man hug him and even kiss his cheek before he pulled the 12 inch Bowie knife he had sheathed under his shirt, and struck with the heal of the knife by the temple. The man crumpled and Eldon proceeded to tie him to a tree with rope he had previously hid there.
When the man woke, Eldon showed the man the knife and told him he was going to kill him.
With just a visual cue and threat, a person does not realize they are about to die. Rather the man begged to live. Bargained with Eldon. Eldon repeated he was going to kill the man, but he still didn’t get it.
Eldon shoved the blade into the man’s stomach and pulled it out. The man still didn’t get he was dying. He just kept begging and pleading.
Eldon watched the man for a few minutes. Blood was everywhere. It should be obvious he was dying.
‘Don’t you feel like you’re dying?’ Eldon asked the man.
‘I do, but there’s still time. Get an ambulance please’.
‘What’s that feel like,’ Eldon asked.
‘What?’
‘You’re going to die. I’m not going to do anything, but stand here and watch you die. You need to admit that to yourself. What does that feel like?’
The man looked at Eldon, then looked down at his belly. He looked back up at Eldon. The fear in his eyes was gone. He knew he was going to die.
‘Everything that mattered is gone,’ the man said. ‘Now I see only myself, and I pray for forgiveness.
‘Thank-you,’ Eldon said as he stuck the knife into the man again. ‘You’ve been very helpful’.
Eldon had learned there was a distance between fear and acceptance of death that day. He figured that was something he could string out as long as he wanted. Distance created time, and it was that time, Eldon had come to know, was the time which produced the greatest willingness to talk and barter, It even produced moments of sincere honesty. It was important to know how long to pace out a death. That’s where all the information lived. It was a skill, and Eldon had grown to enjoy the process. He let out a sigh. Now, it was Ethan’s turn.