How Evil Dies: Chapter 1 – Influence

Chapter 1 – Influence

I look at the results of my handiwork, the dead bodies of my parents. They had to die so my siblings and I could rise in the company and make the changes we want. Back in the day, they were known for being ruthless, uncompromising, and successful, but something happened and they lost their edge over the years. In their old age, they had mercy on their competitors and gave help to those in need without asking or expecting anything in return. It is said that they were affected by the Quiet, which is an entity said to restrict people’s minds to its will. It’s a mystery as to how anyone can hear it despite how noisy the world is and every moving nature of it that keeps you thinking and busy.

Whatever the case is, I gave my parents the kind of death they wanted. They died around pictures of family and memorable moments. Their machines that helped them move their crippled bodies are stuck in the middle of all these pictures. From their appearance, they died of starvation or thirst, possibly from heart problems, or they could’ve died from defecating themselves and shame because of the mess they made. I sabotaged their machines the last time I was here while they were sleeping and left them here because I’m such a good son. Now, nothing will stop my siblings and me from making the changes we want in the company they’ve left us.

Right now, their bodies are being tested to see if they were poisoned and their machines are looked over to see how they could’ve malfunctioned, but this is all for show and for them to write a sham report for the public. These people are in my pocket and will be rewarded for their share in their part in my ascension to power. I have many plans and grander ideas than my siblings. In time, I’ll be head of the most influential and powerful company in the Complex and rule over every aspect of it. As I look outside the window, I can imagine it now.

All these buildings within a singular building is the Complex, which is the world we live in. The buildings are connected by open areas, hallways, vents, and elevators that can be claustrophobic at times, but it’s efficient. It’s a machine run by those who influence the public the most and those influencers are treated as if they were gods. An influencer is given gifts, appealed to for advice and alliance, has hundreds of thousands, if not millions who work for them, and most of all, is the one that defines what is right and wrong. My goal is to reach that point where everyone listens to what I have to say and doesn’t question if it’s right or wrong. Morality is nothing more than a set of rules that the influencers use to keep their underlings in their cages. One day, I’ll be the master instead of an underling.

My siblings have lesser goals such as being in a comfortable place of power where they don’t have a target on their back while still being respected here in the Business district, spending the rest of their lives in the Sense district, or being able to watch as many blood sports as possible without the possibility of being attacked in the Fighter’s district. None of their goals are as grand as mine and none of them have done as much work to get us to where we are now. Who even has done as much as I have? Who deserves more power and influence than I do?

Looking into the reflection of the glass, I see nothing but a king in it. The mouths on my face, stomach, and hand are thirsty for power and my rightful position, especially since I’m so close to obtaining them.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Capio,” the Board says from behind me.

The Board is a man comprised of three heads, many arms, eyes, and a single gaping mouth in the center where the three heads meet. He is dressed in his usual grey dress shirt and black pants, which is the same kind of outfit I wear except there’s no mouth where his stomach is. This man is my greatest obstacle to my goals besides my siblings since everyone in the Business district answers to him. If he wasn’t with his guards, I would personally kill him with the help of my men, but then again, his skin is stronger than steel so the guns of my workers wouldn’t have much of an impact on him either. Guns are hardly even used nowadays besides by those who don’t have expensive modifications like the Board and I since most people are modified for their jobs and it would take half a magazine to put someone down anyways.

“Thank you for your concern and coming here, but you don’t need to worry about me. My parents taught me never to slow down for anything, not even the loss of loved ones,” I say while turning to him.

“Your siblings and you are the same in that regard. Your parents raised proper children, an honorable legacy for a couple who lost their way at the end of their life.”

“I promise you that I won’t be the same. In fact, let’s get to business right away. I trust that I’ll be seeing you at tonight’s promotional party?”

“Of course. I thought I’d just come here to pay my respects, to you, that is. Not your parents.”

“I’m honored that you went out of your way to do that before the promotional party.”

“I think there might be a misunderstanding. I am paying my respects to your work.”

“Excuse me? What misunderstanding is there?”

“I know how your parents died. I don’t need an investigation to figure it out because I know what you did.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Hahaha! You’re following my example and the example of your parents to the letter. Keep it up and you may have a bright future ahead of you. Just remember who is in charge.”

The Board leaves the room with his guards behind him. Once I know he’s far away, I punch a hole in the wall. He knows, but at least he respects my work. I’ll have to try to be less obvious if I want to take his position. Looking up to the lights outside on the ceiling that hangs above the buildings in the Complex, I think of my next plan, put on my poker face, and leave for the party. While on the way, I pass through the busy streets of the Business district. As soon as I reported my parents’ deaths, the news of my promotion came up. Because of that, I have the eyes of many on me.

Those who have many eyes have all of them focused on me while those with many mouths seem to be drooling as if they are trying to intimidate me or are restraining themselves from killing me and taking the power I now inherit. They’ll all have to keep their delusions of being more influential and powerful than me to themselves, especially with their modifications that are nowhere as functionally good or as good-looking as mine. Still, some are power-hungry here and three people decide to attack me head-on. To counter them, I attack by slicing the throat of one of them with the sharp finger teeth on my left hand and using its mouth to eat the person’s face off. I then use my left hand’s finger teeth to stab the next person in the head and then punch their head off with my right hand. The last person throws swing after swing at me with their multiple legs and arms, but I cut at each one until they’re down on their knees.

“Anyone else who wants to stand against me will end up like these worthless maggots!” I say to the observing crowd.

With my stomach mouth, I decapitate the last person and spit their head back into their chest where it is firmly stuck. Looking around, I see that no one else dares raise their hand against me. Not even the law enforcement officers do anything because of my strength, position of power, and right to defend myself. Of course, if I didn’t have the privileges I have now, it’d be a different story. I walk past the crowd and continue on my way.

The fight has actually renewed my strength in a way as I have been proven strong and untouchable through it. Again looking up, I imagine my inevitable future. Above me I see my family’s company advertising their products of clothes, modifications, and jewelry alongside other advertisements from other companies. Soon, they’ll all be showing what I want in the way that I want it. The Board’s face won’t be everywhere and feared by anyone. Instead, it’ll be me who is feared, respected, and looked up to. This future is so close that I can almost taste it.

When I make it to the party, I make myself comfortable at the table set for me, my siblings, and the heads of our company. As the guests come in, I make note of everyone who comes in and their modifications. Eventually, the room is filled with everyone I expect including the Board that sits with my siblings and me. I make small talk with the guests, my family, and the Board until my oldest brother clinks his glass to give a welcoming speech.

“We’re sorry for the late start. It’s with a heavy heart that we have to announce the deaths of several key members of this organization and friends to my parents,” my older brother says.

My brother starts listing off names and with each name said, I feel a sense of pride because I am responsible for all their deaths. I didn’t want any of them getting in my way, so I had them poisoned or killed by their loved ones or assassins from the Fighter’s district before I went to see my dead parents.

“Despite this, we must keep moving forward. The Complex is a world that never sleeps after all and just as it never stops operating, we must never stop to not only keep up but also get ahead of our competitors. For that reason, it has been decided that my siblings and I take assume the roles that our parents raised us for. One of these roles will also be taken up by the Board who has been guiding us and our inspiration for our entire life,” my brother continues.

Turning to my little sister, I ask, “The Board has a role in our company? Since when was this decided?”

“When you were absent,” my sister answers.

“And you were there?”

“Everyone else besides you was.”

“Was anything else decided without my knowing?”

“Other than you staying in your given position, there’s nothing else you need to know.”

“What?!” I say loud enough to stop my brother’s speech. “I’m sorry. Don’t mind us. Continue on.”

“We’ll talk about this after the party.”

“No, we’ll talk about this now! It’s urgent!”

“I’ll explain this to him,” the Board says before switching seats with my sister. “Capio, you must understand that this is for the better of your company. Your parents put in hot water when they strayed from their ways and this is the best way to get it back on track.”

“But why was I the one that was chosen to not receive any kind of promotion?”

“Because you weren’t there. It’s as simple as that. Your siblings came to me, we talked, and this is what happened.”

“This is ridiculous…” I don’t mean to say it aloud but do anyway.

“Think about it in this way then. You don’t want a target on your back. If you moved up in the company, then you would’ve had people watching your every move and waiting for you to slip up, but since you didn’t move up, no one takes note of you, so you can do whatever you want.”

“…you’re right.”

In a way he’s right. He’s definitely making logical excuses and benefits for my situation though I’m not sure if absolutely everyone will not pay attention to me since I’m the only one who hasn’t moved up. The Board then puts his hand on my shoulder before coming closer to whisper to me.

“Take pride in the fact that you’ve done the most to save your family’s company even if it was in a stereotypical way. Good work in getting rid of all those other puppets of your parents as well.”

I have nothing more to say to the Board or my siblings. I don’t even stay for the remainder of the party and just walk out before the prostitutes arrive. Knaves from the Fighter’s district were also supposed to show up and fight for us for our entertainment, but I leave before that happens as well not even wishing to stay and watch it and imagine myself beating my siblings and the Board in the fight. Neither lust nor violence has my interest, I only want influence and power. Now, I’m back to square one with little to no influence on how my family’s company is handled.

I’ve made my way back to my house and am now sitting in my room thinking about what to do. The Board was right in saying that I did the most stereotypical thing possible in killing my parents and their allies. Doing so is pretty much a rite of passage in the Complex unless the parents are strong and respectable. Going after my siblings would be even more of a predictable move and even if I managed to kill them, I’d still have to worry about the Board. The man is a mystery and may as well be a god because of all the power and people he has under his control. No one knows what his real name is or how exactly he became so powerful. It’s only known that he’s older than most people here and everyone who goes against him ends up dead.

As far as I know, there’s no way out of my situation. Many in my company alone are in similar situations and they’ve been in it for years no matter how they try to get out of it. This is idiotic. This is absurd. I’ve trapped myself with no way out because I was too focused on getting the threat in front of me that I failed to think about the possible schemes of my siblings. What to do…what can I do?

At this point, I’m lost without a single thought in my head for a while, which is bad because the Quiet could influence me. To counter it, I could get up and leave my mostly quiet room to go outside and fill my ears with the constant noise of the Complex, but I’m too tired to do move. I’ve never spent this long in relative silence in my life and I frankly care less and less about it as what I assume to be the Quiet calms my heart and mind. Is this the effect of this mysterious entity or my own delusions? Whatever it is, it’s getting me to think more.

What’s the point of me obtaining power and influence if all my work can vanish in an instant? The Board may seem untouchable, but everyone dies and no one’s legacy lasts forever, especially in these times when people are trying to be better than everyone else. I think I should knock everyone down from their thrones. Part of me feels like it’s the right thing to do, whatever that means. If I can’t be in power, then I’m going to make it difficult for everyone else to. I’m going to punish them for every crime and evil thing they’ve done. Sure, it’s ironic that a wicked person such as myself should want some kind of real justice to happen in the Complex where the concept is completely foreign, but I feel that this is my chance to change and make an actual difference.

Huh. So, is this what the Quiet does to a person. It’s no wonder my parents changed in the way that they did. Maybe they were on to something. Maybe I should’ve talked to them about it. Maybe…it was wrong to kill them. Um, there’s no reason to dwell on that now. I have a new grand plan that I want to enact.

Looking over maps of the Complex that show the areas under it, I formulate a route to get to the giant generator room that supplies most of the power for the Business district. There are other generators underground, however, if I manage to destroy this one room, then the influencers of this district will face irreparable damages as they won’t be able to communicate with their devices, use the internet, and most importantly of all access their funds. The main generator powers the banks and with it out, they’ll have to break open the nearly unbreakable doors by hand, which will take a while and leave them all strapped for cash. After looking over it again and considering what I have to do to get into the primary generator, I think about going after the smaller ones first. This is a more realistic goal since they aren’t as well-guarded and are relatively easier to get to.

I calculate that over the course of a minimum of a few years, I’ll be able to completely disrupt the district as a whole. Even though I feel set on going after the smaller generators, I can’t help but feel I should go after the main one first. It’ll definitely be more heavily guarded as the other generators shut down, but that’s just a future problem I’ll have to deal with. Once I collect the necessary explosives from my cache of sabotage tools, I head out and use one of the sewer grates to enter the underside of the Complex. Here, those who are worse than the degenerates above hide along with those who are not as degenerate and are unwilling to deal with the evil on the surface. This place is also a good dumpster to hide bodies and evidence of crimes, which I should know best since I’ve used it as a dumping ground for years.

“Up to no good again, Capio?” a partner of mine, Surripio, says from the dark.

“Yes, I am, and try scaring me in a different way next time,” I say.

Surripio does still unnerve me not only because I can’t guarantee his loyalty to me, but also because I’ve never seen his full body. The only parts I have seen are eyes and mouths on tentacles protruding from the dark and a body comprised of multiple writhing bodies in it.

“Oh, but speaking from the darkness is such a classic that hardly fails me. Tell me, what trouble you are getting into now and can it involve me? I’ve heard about what happened to you.”

“I’m not going after my siblings if that’s what you’re thinking and no I don’t need your help. This is something I feel that I have to do on my own.”

“Aren’t you a grown-up? Well, let me know when you need me. I would really like to have more company.”

I know he would. I just hope that I don’t end up like his victims after doing what I plan. While following the map to one of the first generators, I see that the way ahead is blocked by a wall of trash. Since that way is blocked, I go a different route only to find a large fight taking place that blocks another one of my paths. After which, the next couple of routes I try to take are blocked by either rubble, bodies, trash, shady characters, or fights. Now, it feels like I’m being set up as if someone is intentionally leading me to their desired destination. What’s even stranger is the rubble and cracks in the foundation of the Complex that I see in small parts of the ceiling and walls.

The foundation of the Complex is supposed to be strong and under constant improvement and repair. All this rubble, cracks, and damage I see suggest otherwise. At this point, I shouldn’t be surprised that it was a lie since more lies and exaggerations are said than the blunt truth. Parts of the rubble have tunnels that go through them and because I don’t really have a way forward, I go through them and find myself in a part of the underground where there’s a hole in the ceiling. When I reference the map, I see that I’m directly under the main generator. Isn’t this a golden opportunity?

How did the hole under the generator even form? Judging from the damage, it’s hard to tell. Was it an outside or inside job? It couldn’t be because the foundation fell out from under it, could it? I’m in such disbelief seeing this that I remember hearing the rumor from Surripio that this exact thing happened to the main generator’s floor. The only reason I can think of as to why it isn’t repaired yet is because Surripio and the others down here have been taking whoever tries to repair it.

“Do you believe me now?” Surripio says from behind me in the dark.

“I do,” I say while not trying to sound startled.

“It’s curious to me as to why you’re here. What’s your plan? What’s your purpose for being here? Surely, you’re not here for the dead end and are going up to the main generator.”

“You got me figured out, but my business is not your concern.”

“Ah, but it is. Are you here to destroy the generator? Maybe you are here to sabotage it and direct funds to your own bank? Perhaps you want to make some changes in the system for your benefit and the detriment of another. Whatever the case is, I’ll help you.”

“Help me? Why?”

“Because if you do any of these things or any of these things I haven’t guessed, then people will come to me for help.”

“Oh, so it’s not a favor for all our years of friendship.”

“No one in the world does anything for anyone unless they can benefit from it.”

“Okay, then I accept your help.”

“I wasn’t asking if you’d accept my help. I’ll distract and get rid of the guards for you. Then, you can do whatever it is you wish. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll be making some friends.”

What Surripio says about doing things for other people seems wrong to me despite my knowing it to be the truth. I hardly even take note of him as he passes by me in an instant. Is this the influence of the Quiet on me? Has it influenced how I see good and evil? Well, it isn’t the reason why I’m doing what I am because I’m doing this for myself. I will be the one to take all the glory of being the Business district and its gods to its knees and laugh as they suffer. If I can’t rule over them, then no one can.

After climbing up the rubble and making it into the building, I find that it’s eerily quiet as if no one is guarding the generators nor doing routine maintenance on it. In the distance, I can hear the sound of fighting and screaming, which is surely Surripio doing his work. I try my best to ignore the sounds of horror while I plant the explosives in the cooling tanks that keep the generators from overheating. Once I finish, I turn around ready to leave until I’m suddenly confronted by a group of guards led by the Board.

“Why am I not surprised you’re here?” I wonder aloud.

“Because you should know that nothing happens in the Complex without me knowing about it. I’ve had my people monitoring your progress ever since you left the party,” the Board says.

“And? What do I owe the pleasure of your personal appearance?”

“You’ll get a promotion in your company from me if you step away and let the bomb defusal squad disarm the explosives you’ve planted.”

“A promotion? You’re offering me a promotion in my own company?”

“It’s not just that. You’ll rule at my side over your siblings and everyone I rule over. Nothing will happen or be said without you knowing about it. People will fear, listen, and respect you.”

“Why are you giving me such a generous offer?”

“Because you’ve done something that I can respect. I see myself in you and the potential that you have because you’ve gone out of your way and put yourself in danger in such a way that few do, which is the mark of someone with real strength and determination. So, what do you say? You only have one good choice.”

“One good choice? Heh, I don’t think so.”

“Do you have another that I don’t know about? Is there someone you’re working for? What they’re giving you to do this is not as worth it as what am offering.”

“This must be the Quiet’s influence on me, but I don’t have any desire for power at the moment. What I want is a concept foreign to me even now. I want true justice.”

What happens next is a blur as I press the button to detonate the explosives and try my best to escape it. The way I came in is covered by rubble and everything and everyone in the building is in a panic. I don’t know what happens after other than me aimlessly running through the chaos and being knocked unconscious. By the time I wake up, people are digging me out of the rubble and I’m not able to say anything or move because of the pain I’m in and the damage done to my body. My “rescuers” bring me out of the building as I pass out and wake up on and off. My mind is mostly awake for the brief moments that I’m outside and back in the Business district to see that it’s in chaos, a sight that fills me with happiness and peace. Eventually, I’m brought to a hospital room where doctors and the Board is.

“I’m surprised that we were able to find you and even more surprised that you’re still alive,” the Board says. “The Quiet is something else to have moved you to do it. I’ll be sure to keep a closer eye on its followers since I’ve vastly underestimated what it can get people to do. As for you, you’ll be kept alive and hung for your crime and as an example to all who think of doing the same as you or following the Quiet’s advice. You won’t be allowed to die and will hang there until I say so. I hope you enjoy your just reward and take pride that I respect you for being so bold and stupid in the fate you have chosen.”

The doctors then perform some kind of operation on me before I’m taken outside and hung by the neck in the center of the Business district. People throw things at me and yell insults and curses. My neck feels like it’s been crushed, but I’m still able to breathe, and yet, I can’t move or speak still. At this point, I don’t care if this is my fate for the rest of my life. My life was miserable before, so this is hardly any different. If anything, I’m glad that I got to do something meaningful and right for once in my life.

Even in the nosiness, I can hear silence. In it, I hear the Quiet whispering to me. Well, I might as well listen to what it has to say. It’s not like I have anything better to do. Tell me your secrets. Let me know more about you.