3.c.i
All was clear
and vivid, but it seemed dark just the same.
It was as though the shadows were black ink and everything was outlined
with the heavy weight of a broken quill pen or a thick brush.
The light behaved
in strange way, refracting into small circles or prismatic stripes, and colors
glowed and shimmered for no reason at all.
John Q
Public’s face was sallow and hard. He
complained of feeling weary and anxious; that hope was failing.
“It’s Apathy,”
Corporate Man told him. “His presence is
like a poison.”
“Is it just
him?” John Q Public asked. “I was out of
action for awhile and it’s not just our enemies that seem more ruthless and
harsh, but our country. Today’s music is
dark and depressing and people are so cynical.”
“Part of it is
Apathy. He’s been unleashed and his
ideology has run rampant through Corporate America and popular culture. We can take him though. We’ve exposed Mr. Outsource thanks to you and
have both The Greed and Professor Inflation in custody. The country has turned around under the
current administration. We’ve just got
to keep after our enemies and the new millennium will be a bright and
prosperous place to live.”
John Q Public
smiled and placed his hand on Corporate Man’s shoulder.
“Where would
we be without you,” he said. Then he
stiffened and a stern look drew across his face. “How long has he had Junior Executive?”
“About four
months. This is the third location we’ve
tracked him to, Emperius Inc. Home of
DownLow Records. Apparently, Captain
Apathy owns this media giant and that could account for the darker trends in today’s
music.”
John Q Public
nodded and said, “How do we get in?”
“You could
just call for an appointment. Or knock
perhaps,” a voice shouted down at them.
Standing behind a railing on the second floor of the imposing high rise
was Junior Executive. His hair was long
and shaggy, his clothes looked deliberately threadbare and stained; sheik from
a life of begging in the street.
“Junior, did
you escape? Are you alright?” Corporate
Man shouted back his reply. Junior
Executive threw his head back and laughed.
“You stupid
old has-been. Can’t you see what’s going
on? I’m not a junior executive
anymore. I’m not even part of the job
market. I’m unemployed!”
“No!”
Corporate Man yelled, his face losing all color.
“Why
work? Why do anything? What’s the point?”
“That’s not
you talking, Junior. That’s Captain
Apathy,” said John Q Public.
“You may be
right on that point,” a man said, moving out of the shadows to stand by the
former Junior Executive. “But I’m not
longer a captain. I’ve been promoted. I’m a general now.”
