A Certain Psychopath's Own Version
#5 of Short Stories
Rated Adult for Lucius.
I suppose few of you have met him until now. Congratulations. You are now privy to the most evil character I have ever created. If you're nice, maybe I'll post his lullaby too.
Sleep well.
You know, it's a shame the atheists are wrong. They paint a rather... what's the word... enticing picture of the world.
No, no, Beautiful. Don't speak. I need you to concentrate on my voice, just for a little while. You'll live longer if you keep quiet. I won't even touch you.
See? Was that so hard?
Where was I? Ah yes. Atheism. I consider myself a practicing atheist, even though I know they're wrong. It takes a lot of chutzpah, or just plain stubbornness, to look at the world we live in and think it's all just random radiation and quirky physics. It never occurs to them that gods and science can get along just fine. Not unless they get to choose what kind of "entity" is on the other side. Most of the time, it's something that looks very familiar. I think they seem to think the universe owes it to them to produce gods and spirits and lifeforms that mirror their own predilections and values. They'd take that Star Trek fellow that annoyed the bald captain over Jesus. Hilarious, I know.
But the thing is, many of them don't go far enough. They stop before reaching the end of the road, before jumping off the logical cliff. Because if God doesn't exist, if there isn't some kind of afterlife, eternity, or hell even karma to reward and punish the dead... then morality is whatever we decide it is. Some of them realize this. Those raised to be men and women of "honor" recognize the horrible responsibility that is. They favor Christianity and any other religion or philosophy that they know to produce a positive, practical effect upon the world. Others imagine themselves as being the leaders of the Brave New World, at the forefront of forging a new society, perhaps a global one where all can work together for the betterment of everyone. Others, and I can tell you many criminals and despots favor this one, take on atheism as a guard against a noisy conscience. The names and causes they use are all different, but the end is the same, is it not? They trample their fellow men into the dust, until they are dust, and sleep soundly at night. And some just drop all faith because they blame God for some ridiculous slight. I guess it never occurred to them that there's a war going on between heaven and hell. Even less that their precious Savior might actually ask them to fight in it. People give me funny looks when I tell them that. Funny thing is, I might've helped God a few times doing that. Ah well. Sometimes, things backfire, no?
The thing I find hilarious though is that so many atheists seem to think that morality still means something without any sort of eternity or God. They argue and protest that just because God doesn't exist doesn't mean morality loses all meaning. They often go on to quote or cite people like Charles Darwin and all that evolution nonsense. Maybe in another universe it's true. But I'm sure as hell not a product of evolution. No. Anthros like me, and especially psionics, are a result of supernatural processes. I know. I looked into that thing that made my kind. The magic behind it is something even the gods fear. But I doubt they'd listen much.
My apologies. I do so love to prattle on, don't I? Well, if you're going to be a stereotype, you might as well put your all into it.
Hush now, I'm nearly done. Here. A little painkiller to make things more bearable. Not completely, mind you. I want you awake.
The real fact of the matter is, Beautiful, they're wrong. Morality has no more meaning than what society gives it. Thus, to alter morality, one merely alters society. Since society has determined that I am a "monster" and that what I do is "evil", it would seem I have my work cut out for me. But I figure, why bother? I might as well burn it all down. Even as a Hound, I am just one man. What possible influence can I have?
Heh. Heheheheheheheheh. Ohhhhh... what influence indeed.
Back to my point though, if morality is just a social construct and thus has no more teeth than what mortal men are able to give it, then I have little fear of them. True, should they find a way around my immortality, they could kill me. Even torture me. But you see, Beautiful... here, let me clean that wound; we're going to need it later... you see, that's all they can do. How can they send me to hell if it doesn't exist? What if the grand Throne of Judgment sits empty when I get there? In the end, if all that awaits us all is oblivion... then I'm far more powerful then they realize.
You see, this means death is the ultimate power. I can unmake someone. I can take them away just by stopping their heart or severing their neck. There won't be any seventy two virgins, nor sunny fields to run in, nor mansion tall and lofty. There's just the gaping, ravenous maw of the dark. And countless souls spinning into it every day. Some before they're even born. So, whenever I kill someone, I'm not just sending them beyond the reach of their family and friends, if they have any. I'm snuffing out the flame. And no one can relight it.
And then, what can they do to me? Hmm? Except for torture, or imprisonment, all they have to threaten is death. And so what? Under their religions, I'm going to end up in the dark anyhow. I've no reason to stop. And they can only kill me once. The number of people I've unmade they will never even know. In the end, if the atheists are right, then I win... because if oblivion is all there is surrounding us, from birth to death...
This part is very important, Beautiful. Let me remove that; I don't want you passing out. Still listening? Good.
If humanity is just a random infestation on the ass end of the universe... if we're all the product of evolution and physics, with no gods or eternity to come from or return to...
Hehehehe.... heheheheheheheHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
...without God, Beautiful. I'm just as good as you. Do you understand? I. Am just. As good. As you.
Oh, shhhhhhhh, shush shush shush. There there. Give us a kiss. Mmmmmmm... quite good. A shame I have to kill you. I bet you're excellent in bed. Perhaps I'll call up your brother. You've certainly taught him well enough. And someone has to look after him once you're gone. I'm sure he'll be quite broken up about your death. Maybe he has some... "issues" to work out... and it's been far too long since I've had a proper screw in the ass. Oh, don't look so surprised, Beautiful. We subs always know how to dominate best. Maybe if you'd given him a turn, you would've realized that. A shame. I guess you'll never know.
Enough of my prattling on. My arm itches and I, well, I need all the free time I can get if I want to play with your brother. Let's pick up where we left off, hmm? Your nipples have to be symmetrical. It would be shoddy work to leave them as they are. Don't you agree?