14th March 2009
Eye contact.
It seemed like something normal or a situation whereby you would eventually look away from the person. That is, unless you're making eye contact with someone whose factory you burnt down. In that case, it could be very intense.
"You'll pay for this" Charles shouted at Pius.
Pius couldn't care less.
On the 14th of March 2009, the members of 'The Awakening' were having their weekly meeting. They consisted of three members; Pius Okoli, Charles Adewale and Ace Ogboi. Pius founded the organization three years ago for the sole purposes of;
- Making innovations big enough to have impact on the world.
- Change the narrative that Nigerians can't create world changing inventions.
- Exposing the hidden plans of the government.
Pius gathered the two most intelligent people he knew and formed the organization. Pius worked on time travel. Charles worked on human experiments and mind control. Ace worked on modernized technology.
The three of them were seated round a table in pure darkness. The only light source was a light bulb on the ceiling with the light directed at the middle of the table. This seating arrangement was done for a purpose.
The darkness signified how they had been in the dark for so long due to the secrets the government kept from them despite their total allegiance to saving the world.
The light in the middle symbolizes truth. They opened their eyes and brought light among themselves. The light shines only in the middle because the truth lies amongst them for now. Gradually, the light will spread. It always does.
"You're going to regret this" Charles repeated.
"I highly doubt that" Pius responded.
Ace lit up his cigar while reading a book, not wanting to involve himself in the whole drama.
"You burnt down my factory!"
"Correction, I burnt down a fraction of your factory, just seven buildings. You know, since you like the number so much. It should soothe your arithmomania. I did it as a warning"
The three of them teamed up for the purpose of doing good. They even got donations for their research from other organizations. However, greed took control of Charles. He was supposed to close the gap between humans and technology by simply creating advanced robots since the country wasn't that technologically advanced. Instead, he took it a little too far and ran experiments trying to convert humans to androids in order to control the population.
"A warning for what?"
"For the horrible things you've done" Pius banged his hand on the table "You kidnapped people, kept them in a hidden location and ran tests on them without their permission for the sole purpose of turning them into things you can control. You even chipped your own son for God's sake. He's just two"
"He's three years old actually"
Ace chuckled.
"What's the difference? You're a mad man, Charles and you need to be stopped"
Charles sighed.
"Take it from my angle" Charles explained "It's for the good of the country. Imagine what other countries would think if they found out I can make- we can make a way to finally create androids. Pius, we can rule the world"
Pius shook his head. Charles was even more insane than he thought.
"The fact that you're justifying your actions makes it a hundred times worse. You have violated the rights of humans by holding them hostage for experiments they know nothing about. There's something called 'research ethics' for a reason. Have you no conscience? These innocent civilians were stripped from their families for something they know nothing of. You ripped their brains open and inserted chips inside. A lot of them have died in the process"
"Look at the bigger picture. This will be a historical innovation. We'll have all the power"
"Power' is not the reason I started this organization and you know it. You're playing with people's lives. I have come to a conclusion"
"Which is?"
"Stop all forms of these experiments and focus on the main purpose of your presence here or I'll remove you from the organization"
Charles laughed.
"You can't be serious. You need me"
"That's where you're wrong"
"What do you think you're gonna achieve without me? Your stupid time travel theories don't even exist. My experiments are realistic and I have actually made results. I just need a few more months"
"Good luck with finding donations when you're no longer under me. I'll make sure to tell every reputable brand about the evil you're up to. I'll have you blacklisted"
Charles' expression hardened.
"Is that a threat?"
Pius leaned in closer.
"No Charles, it's a promise"
Charles stood up and spat on the table.
"You'll regret this" he said again.
With a smirk, Pius replied.
"Like I said, I highly doubt it"
He took his things and left. Pius turned to Ace.
"You're not going to say anything?"
"What do you want me to say?" Ace asked.
"Say what's on your mind"
"You were too harsh on him"
"What?"
Ace dropped the book he was reading and faced him.
"You could have just told him to get informed consent then warn him to stop kidnapping people. Just try to make him see how wrong it is. Besides, there's nothing wrong with what he's doing. He's just trying to make a difference"
"Ace, people are dying and people have already died. Charles is doing it for his own selfish reasons. He's driven by his obsession for control, greed, money and power"
"What's wrong with control? The US government have done the same thing. They've been running MK Ultra for years. Do you know the experiments that go on in Area 51?"
"We are not the US government! We are 'The Awakening" and our purpose is to make a difference...in a positive manner. We can make an impact on the world without getting our hands dirty"
Ace scoffed.
"That's impossible"
"You know what? If you don't see anything wrong with what Charles is doing then you are part of the problem"
Ace stood up and grabbed his things.
"You know what your problem is Pius? You have a hero complex. Let's face it, success is a dirty game and you'll have to play it in order to win. You don't have to act all righteous all the time. Your righteous talks are easier said than done. Charles is a fucking genius who just needed support from his friends. Instead, you burnt down his factory that's worth years of hard work and experiments and you turned him away. He isn't the horrible person here, you are"
Without another word, he left too.
Feeling exasperated, Pius let out a huge sigh.
Why is it so hard to do the right thing?
Was he really too harsh on Charles?
These and many other questions ran through his mind as he ran his hands on his head.
Maybe he should have just corrected Charles and given him a warning instead of burning down his factory. If he did that, Charles still wouldn't have listened. He should probably apologize and set things right.
The opening of the door brought Pius out of his thoughts. The secretary; Zoandra came in.
"Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked.
He let his eyes run down her tight blouse with a cleavage and the mini skirt underneath. The things that killed him internally were the heels...so tiny and long and ....Jesus. He shook his head and replied.
"No. I'll be going home soon"
Immediately he said the word 'home', his mood became worse. He dreaded the thought of going to meet his pregnant wife. In times like this, he wished he could take advice from his wife but that wasn't the case. She nagged until he felt like his head was going to explode.
Instead of getting encouragements from her, she told him how useless and unrealistic the concept of time travel was. She also complained about his late-night shifts at the office.
They met at spy training years ago then dated for three years. They were the best three years of his life. They had what you could describe as 'an epic love'. Unfortunately, she changed for the worse during marriage with her emotional abusive words, constant hitting, nagging, insults and throwing of stuff when she's angry.
Where did it all go wrong? He constantly asked himself till this day.
Being a spy operatives' manager, a husband to an abusive woman and a man who is trying to make a difference in the world by doing the right thing is not as easy as he made it seem. He was beyond exhausted. He was at the verge of giving up.
The only person who made the house worth living in was his two-year-old daughter; Adaeze. She's the only reason for his happiness plus he had twins on the way.
"You look tired" Zoe said in a commiserative tone.
"You have no idea"
Now, he doesn't even know where the organization stands. He had some serious thinking to do and he couldn't go home just yet. He can't think when he's at home.
Zoe walked over to the back of the chair. Slowly and without hesitation, she started to massage his shoulders. His body stiffened out of confusion. They've never been this close before.
What is she doing?
"Hey" she spoke softly "Don't overthink it. Just relax"
He relaxed into the chair. He couldn't help but admit how good her fingers felt against his skin. She clearly knew what she was doing. He imagined how skilled her hands could be in other places.
"You're a married man" he said to himself.
An unhappy married man.
At that moment, all the troubles plus the insults that awaited him at home could wait. He just wanted to forget about everything, for a while at least. So, he closed his eyes and got lost in the feeling of relief that only her fingers could bring.