The Question
Objectivism doesn't work.
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2005
- Messages
- 40,541
- Reaction score
- 30
- Points
- 58
The little piece of alien jewelry hung in the air in front of me. Curious, I slowly put out my hand towards it. I immediately started to think better of it, but before I could pull my hand away the ring shot on to my finger. The second it was on my hand my heart started racing. I felt more wired than I had in my entire life. My mind started racing with a blur of images from my life, from the kids who beat me up in the orphanage to the slumlords of Hub City, all of them unpleasant. My blood boiled and I wanted to scream out at all these poor excuses for people I'd met over the course of my life. I felt high as a kite and sick to my stomach all at once. I ripped the ring off my finger and shoved it into my pants' pocket.
'Christ, is that what it's like for Jordan every time he wears the ring?' I thought to myself.
It was unsettling, to say the least. Wearing the ring hurt, but at the same time, I kind of liked it. Full of fire and life. I decided to hold onto it, partially to keep anyone else from finding it by accident, and partially because I figured if I could learn more about it, it might become useful.
I turned back towards the basement I was renting as by Gotham base. My guest had been stewing in his own fear long enough, and with this alien thing in my pocket I suddenly felt a need to accelerate my plans.
When I got back, he was still staring at my collection of tools. His expression was blank and hopeless. He winced when I opened the door, but kept staring. Didn't otherwise acknowledge my presence.
"So," I said. "How are you?"
He looked up at me.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this, man."
"Yes, that's pretty obvious."
"I don't want to be here."
"Also obvious."
"It was supposed to be different."
"How was it supposed to be different, Bill?"
He took a little while to respond. Ten, twenty seconds or so. It seemed like he was weighing his options.
"They promised me," he said. "They said that I'd be special. Important. That I'd get everything I wanted and that I'd be free. For the first time in my life I'd be free and I'd belong."
"Who told you that, Bill?"
"Th... the church. They lied to me. None of this was supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen to me."
"The church is built on lies, Bill. They take people with no sense of self worth and they give them something to believe in. But it's all based on corruption and hatred. And then when you're not useful anymore they leave you to the wolves."
"Let me get swallowed up when the revolution comes..." he muttered.
"Revolution?"
"They... they said the old order was going to be swept away. Building a new future."
"Is the church planning a coup?"
"An apocalypse. Fire erupting from the ground."
"That's just more of their lies. Their theology is hollow. There's no god of crime..."
"There is!" he shouted. "The man at the top isn't a man. He's hatred wearing a man's skin. I met him once. I know."
"What's his name?"
"He called himself Boss Darkseid. And that's all I know."
I started pacing back and forth in front of him, thinking over everything he'd said.
"I believe you," I finally said.
I walked to the door.
"The police will be here to get you soon," I said as I switched off the light and shut the door behind me.
I'd gotten everything out of him that I thought there was to get. My next priority was to get this alien ring figured out.
I went across town, out towards the suburbs where all the swimming pools and movie stars were. I rung the doorbell of a large, old gothic style mansion on top of a hill. A thin, grey haired man in a suit answered the door.
"Yes?"
"Hello... Mr. Butler," I said. "Is Bruce home?"
'Christ, is that what it's like for Jordan every time he wears the ring?' I thought to myself.
It was unsettling, to say the least. Wearing the ring hurt, but at the same time, I kind of liked it. Full of fire and life. I decided to hold onto it, partially to keep anyone else from finding it by accident, and partially because I figured if I could learn more about it, it might become useful.
I turned back towards the basement I was renting as by Gotham base. My guest had been stewing in his own fear long enough, and with this alien thing in my pocket I suddenly felt a need to accelerate my plans.
When I got back, he was still staring at my collection of tools. His expression was blank and hopeless. He winced when I opened the door, but kept staring. Didn't otherwise acknowledge my presence.
"So," I said. "How are you?"
He looked up at me.
"It wasn't supposed to be like this, man."
"Yes, that's pretty obvious."
"I don't want to be here."
"Also obvious."
"It was supposed to be different."
"How was it supposed to be different, Bill?"
He took a little while to respond. Ten, twenty seconds or so. It seemed like he was weighing his options.
"They promised me," he said. "They said that I'd be special. Important. That I'd get everything I wanted and that I'd be free. For the first time in my life I'd be free and I'd belong."
"Who told you that, Bill?"
"Th... the church. They lied to me. None of this was supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen to me."
"The church is built on lies, Bill. They take people with no sense of self worth and they give them something to believe in. But it's all based on corruption and hatred. And then when you're not useful anymore they leave you to the wolves."
"Let me get swallowed up when the revolution comes..." he muttered.
"Revolution?"
"They... they said the old order was going to be swept away. Building a new future."
"Is the church planning a coup?"
"An apocalypse. Fire erupting from the ground."
"That's just more of their lies. Their theology is hollow. There's no god of crime..."
"There is!" he shouted. "The man at the top isn't a man. He's hatred wearing a man's skin. I met him once. I know."
"What's his name?"
"He called himself Boss Darkseid. And that's all I know."
I started pacing back and forth in front of him, thinking over everything he'd said.
"I believe you," I finally said.
I walked to the door.
"The police will be here to get you soon," I said as I switched off the light and shut the door behind me.
I'd gotten everything out of him that I thought there was to get. My next priority was to get this alien ring figured out.
I went across town, out towards the suburbs where all the swimming pools and movie stars were. I rung the doorbell of a large, old gothic style mansion on top of a hill. A thin, grey haired man in a suit answered the door.
"Yes?"
"Hello... Mr. Butler," I said. "Is Bruce home?"