KATIKA-Treason is never far away (Part.1)

Chapter 7 | Towards the abyss

One month. It had been one month since John instilled terror in Katika and didn't hesitate to make the most oppressive decisions possible.

Layoffs, withholding money from salaries, demotions, public humiliations... The young COO now had a reputation as an uncompromising executive, to the point that employees had given him a nickname: John the Terrible.

Everywhere he went in the building, the faces displayed expressions of fear.

But he reveled in it.

Rebecca hadn't held a grudge against John for the massive layoffs; she just sought to understand his actions, knowing only that he had acted upon Miles Woodford's request.

With her, John tried to show a face that was a pale reflection of the sentimental seducer he once was, without arousing her suspicions, although she had asked him several times for explanations about his reputation within the company.

The culmination of his personality change was a two-week strike within the company after the American media had a field day with the mass layoffs: apparently, Jeremy Carter had kept his promise.

John didn't care; on the contrary, he reveled in the hatred he inspired and sought to create even more.

In his "moments of relaxation," he indulged in excessive drinking and unleashed his various thoughts in order to, as he repeated to a concerned Mikhail or Rebecca, "enjoy the good times."

He had become a drunkard. His life outside the company had turned into a series of depravities and excesses in luxury: between two bottles, he would visit gambling dens every evening to gamble away 25% of his salary, and most of the time, he would leave with lighter pockets, clothes stained with vomit, and bruises from the fights he provoked due to his behavior.

Was he happy? He didn't know. In fact, he didn't know who he was at all since he had chosen to embrace the dark side.

The only real sunshine in his life was the woman he loved and fell even more in love with every time he saw her. He had tried to move their relationship towards a bit more intimacy, but for now, all he had to settle for were intense and passionate kisses, in which explosions of colors and sensations added balm to John's darkened heart.

If he had been self-aware, he would probably have realized that his sexual frustration was due to his alcohol dependency and also his fake and less effective behavior with Rebecca.

As a provocation, he had framed the front page of the "New-York Tribune," entirely dedicated to him: "MASSIVE LAYOFFS AT KATIKA - WHO IS JOHN KATIKA, THE NEW COO BEHIND THIS MEASURE?"

Visitors who went to his office avoided lingering there as much as possible. Only Miles Woodford came regularly to see him and congratulate him on each milestone he achieved in infamy.

But could he continue in this disguise? He believed so, but everything was about to change.

One morning, the usual Board of Directors meeting was held. Nothing very unusual.

The CEO opened the session and announced the topics of the day: among others, optimization of BanzAI's usage, the company's economic situation, and a mysterious subject that Woodford had named "the grand project," of which John was unaware.

"Of course, we must consider this a top-secret operation, and we will have to determine the execution details," said the CEO.

John was perplexed about the exact nature of this operation, a sentiment shared by Anthony Davies, who, despite his recent altercation with Woodford, had been appointed to the Board of Directors due to his long experience within the company.

"This plan is risky and could label us as criminals forever if we don't exercise absolute discretion," continued Woodford in his presentation.

Around the table, the faces of the Board members appeared tense, suddenly realizing the gravity of what their CEO was proposing. He addressed them like a guru addressing his disciples, and the madness in his eyes and the fury of inhumanity added a certain bestiality to his demeanor.

"You must understand," he said, "that you can't make an omelette without breaking eggs. If we succeed, we will ensure the eternal glory of the Katika name, as well as the company's profitability for centuries to come, as the whole world will bow before our story, the story of saviors of the human species."

He paused for two seconds before declaring in the simplest and calmest manner:

"We must create a virus significant enough to trigger a pandemic and provide governments worldwide with the miracle solution, the remedy that we will create alongside the virus."