Away From Eden

Tension

"What the fu***!"

Jimmie pays close attention to the several computer and television monitors leaning up against the wall. Each screen had a different size. Some were the size of his head, while others were rather enormous. The majority of the monitors were showing what was happening in the party games, and the remaining ones showed radars, charts, and other information his allies are sending to him.

Unlike with the police, Jimmie made sure that he got the most high-tech control room in the world. Last time his question to himself was how could a guy like Carsen who's got exceptional IQ would win the game. And now, he's seeing the answer.

Jimmie pressed some buttons on the side. He's calling someone.

"Carsen Adams of the Newmans. He's the son of Lily right?" Jimmie asked a person in the other line.

" Then, there's no way he couldn't be human, right?"

Of course, he wanted to be sure. And if this Carsen guy is something special, then he has to make sure he's not gonna go against him. Even before the apocalypse, there were some things Jimmie had learned to keep his place at the top of survival. First, if you can't subdue someone who's physically stronger than you, then you need to make him an ally. One thing he learned about humans is that even those with exceptional talents can be fooled. Just show them little inspiration and empathy and they'll be easily manipulated.

" Thanks to my cult preacher dad!"

Jimmie leaned back on his chair, grinning wide while his thoughts were reminiscing the days of his youth.

Contrary to what the general public knows, Jimmie Vaughn is a rich psychopath. He made his own way to the leadership of this hierarchical society, and even before that, his ways are influenced by the inspiration he got in childhood - from his father. Jimmie knows that humanity can't be easily fooled, especially the working Newmans. He has to be proactive, some of them there are smart. So, he ordered all records of him be kept confidential and hidden in his vicinity. He hides everything about himself, so their perfect perception of him won't be tainted. And of course, humanity can't know his past that he was the son of that cult preacher who was once famous for spreeing an organized deceptive murder.

" I am even better than my father...look at my creation..."

Jimmie whispered as his eyes were fixed on the screen monitor that was depicting the party games.

" I am not the murderer here...it's you people who murdered yourselves. It's your fault anyway. You easily fell enchanted to promises,"

Jimmie whispered.

He smiled satisfied.

This entire social order, and the party games, are all his creations.

The world has now indeed reached perfection. Yeah, perfect as how I want it to be. He thinks.

" S...sir!"

The hesitant voice of his assistant disturbed his thoughts again.

" The conference room is now ready. The council is waiting," the assistant said.

Jimmie smiled wide. He was in the mood for a great speech today. He's ready. And so, he rose from his seat and put on that charisma he had practiced for long since childhood. His father always reminded him about putting a smile on his face.

If you can't care, then at least fake it. Remember people fall because they think you care. That isn't a mask but a weapon.

It was like his father's words reverberates in his mind. Yeah, that's what he exactly needed this time for he'll be in a tough job of stopping this movement that the council is conceiving.

In the center of the boardroom is a large table that could fit up to 20 people. Everyone was ready when Jimmie arrived. They were all seated with their laptops and conferencing devices on. The council's heads turned synchronized towards Jimmie when he entered the room.

" Hi,"

Jimmie greeted them all with that charismatic face of his.

The meeting started lightly. The flow was just vibing until sensitive issues were brought out in the middle, creating unexpected tension in the talk. The concern is - the new world system. The council's opinion was to turn halves. Some are in favor of its continuation. While the other half are not.

Jimmie chuckled. Now it's time to pull off his convincing charm.

" I don't see why you can't appreciate the kind of lives we have now," he begins.

" You see, we should be grateful for our planet's second life. And because we are grateful, we are generous then," he said.

There was a pause in the air.

The council exchanged glances at each other, weighing what he had said.

" You see, I wouldn't personally grant to see you all guys in a face-to-face meeting if your concern isn't important to me," Jimmie said.

This is his one tactic. Make them feel important until they agree with you. Opposing them, the force would just give him a lot of work.

" If you think of it...we rarely live on free stuff before the apocalypse. Come to think of it! This is the kind of life we dreamed of, right? Free food, shelter, and clothes...lifetime free? Isn't that perfect?" Jimmie added.

The council nodded their heads.

This is always Jimmie's convincing point.

Whenever he laids the "free commodities card" the council buys it.

They gave up in the end.

" Yeah, our great leader is right. The best things in life are free...as they say. And now in this new world of ours...we can consume everything freely. Money is already...without power," someone in the council said.

And they all raised their glasses for a toss.

Jimmie was grinning wide for he's still got the hold to power. As long as these people were agreeing with him, then he was good.

But then, someone in the council was not happy with the majority's decision. He was tossing her glass and forcing a smile, yet at the back of her mind she was cursing, Jimmie Vaughn.

The Outsiders must know how it works here inside the council. Dash thought to herself.

Dash Collins is in her 30's. She had been a member of the council for long. Thanks to her influential ancestors, she had got access to Jimmie's circle of elite. She may be elite in status but not in heart. God knows how she tried not to puke whenever she listens to Jimmie's manipulative words. She's a psychiatrist turned lawyer. She knows his ways well. Jimmie is like transparent stuff to her. She sees his evil soul clearly.

That's why you easily get fooled. You admired this guy much. My dream is to place you in the interrogation room and yelled at you about how sick bastard you are, Jimmie Vaughn.

Dash thinks while her eyes were on her fellow council members.

Meanwhile, inside the party games, Jair Santana was glaring at Carsen while some medics were attending to his wounds. In this game, he only had two players to take note of - Janesi and Carsen.

He hates Janesi for what she's done to him in that spin the bottle round. And he hates Carsen for he smells him as a threat. Now, that Lizie's mask got peeled off, he's worried his real life would soon be revealed too. Jair was now rehearsing in his thoughts what will he do if ever his co-players learned that his life now is so far from the kind of Jair Santana they know in high school.

That's why I hate attending reunions! Seems the games in this sick reunion party include digging out skeletons! Jair thought to himself.

Jair Santana's high school life in Standford was favorable. He's got the guts to be the bully because no one got the courage to interfere in his way. Who would then? He's got the influence and the money...back then. But now, no one can know he's fallen down to the bottom of the class.

For him, this new social order of theirs is as sick as these party games. There's no way going up. Going down is the only abundant option for humanity, and winning in this game was his only hope of ascension. But it seems that Carsen Adams is going to ruin it.

No one can take the prize away from me! Jair whispered in his thoughts as he glares at Carsen.