Child of the Gods IV

“Things are working fine how they are now. People are all working together, if we add money then we are adding a contest,” Jacob argued.

“I don’t know where you have been looking but it’s already a contest, people are already fighting over resources, I’m a nurse, I’m the one who has to heal people that have been knifed for a piece of bread. You are teaching people great skills about how to feed themselves in this world, how to avoid contaminated water and everything, but I think it’s time we add some civilization to this place.” Jacob stared at Alex in horror; didn’t Alex understand that this was paradise? Why try to corrupt it?

“What do you mean by civilization?” Jacob asked cautiously. After all Alex had been a good friend and if all he wanted to do was money then Jacob supposed he could make allowances.

“Well I was thinking that we should start with the money and then move up from there. There are some people who know the basics of electricity for instance; I was thinking we could try to fix the power plant that’s over on the west side of the island. It didn’t get too damaged and I’m sure some of the people who worked there survived and can help us figure out what went where. We still have all the pipes and the broken water main and everything so we could start trying to get some clean water through here if we could find anyone who knew about that. Phones would be nice as well of course, though I don’t expect we could start a cell phone company or anything that would send a message across the water to the rest of what’s left of society.”

This was pure blasphemy. Didn’t Alex realize that if they went through with that plan then he and Jacob would lose all their power? Did Alex think that people would continue listening to them if they no longer needed them to survive? Then Jacob realized, Alex would still be needed, as the only medically trained person on the island Alex would be needed no matter what, he was the one who would no longer be needed. This was all a plot for Alex to take all of the power for himself. Jacob, whose only knowledge was how to survive in harsh conditions, would become unneeded.

Jacob stared at the back in front of him and anger welled up from deep inside. He could see through the plot. As quickly as the thought occurred to him his arms shot forward. Alex only had time for a short scream as he fell off of the cliff and into the vicious pounding ocean below.

As Jacob turned away his mind was working franticly. Now he was the only child of the gods. These ideas of rebuilding had probably already started circulating around the camp through other sources, something had to be done. Not everyone with the knowledge to rebuild the world could be pushed off of the cliff one at a time, people would grow suspicious. He couldn’t call them all to the cliff at once because he wasn’t strong enough to fight them all and he wouldn’t be able to push them off all at once. There must not be any survivors to tell people what he had done.

He would call them all to the ruined power plant he realized, with the idea of rebuilding it like Alex had suggested. Poor Alex had the cliff face crumble beneath his feet, a hero lost. Jacob had of course tried to save him but hadn’t made it in time. That was the story he would use. And in memory of Alex he would announce he would try to finish what Alex had suggested in his last moments. Once everyone with the proper skills was gathered at the power plant he would blow it up. There was surely something that would blow up at a power plant. Another tragic accident that would end all hopes of rebuilding, so many more poor lives lost, men of such talent. Useless talents, talents that were in his way, they would all have to be removed. It would be written of as the men’s fault too, Jacob promised himself. He would accuse the men of doing something stupid that triggered the explosion. And then Jacob would be free, free to do what ever he wanted with his kingdom, because people would live like he wanted them to forever, and ever, and ever.