Page 88 of Psyop Kings

Solomon’s steps come close to me. I can see one of his pant legs through the crack in the cabinet doors. “It’s a picture of my daughter when she was only four. I miss that age. They’re so innocent and sweet then, you know?”

Caius changes the subject. “I wanted to meet with you personally to thank you for the invite. Dad’s getting older and has been passing more of his important relationship dealings over to me.”

“I’m someone to be passed on?” Solomon asks, a bite in his tone. “How special I feel. Perhaps I should invest in an endeavor that prioritizes me instead.”

The air is charged with something I can’t put my finger on. It’s as if they’re sizing each other up.

“If I’m frank,” Caius says lowly, “he hasn’t given me shit. I’m taking over. Little by little. The old man isn’t what he used to be.”

Solomon is quiet for a moment. “Interesting. What’s more interesting is your willingness to divulge this information. You know my loyalties lie with your father. I’ve known him long before you were ever brought into the picture.”

“Trust me. I’m well aware of how this club works. However, I’m an opportunist who sees a bigger picture. Dad’s not in that big picture. He’s getting sloppy lately.”

“I see.”

“I believe you do see. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have invited me this weekend on your yacht. You’re seeing the forest through the trees. I’m ascending into his place of power more quickly than either of us expected. There’s no stopping it now.”

“Orion won’t step aside,” Solomon interjects. “He’s ruthless. Even if he’s slipping, he won’t ever let go.”

“Leave that to me,” Caius assures him. “I’ve already begun the programming.”

Programming?

Is he trying to psyop his own dad like he’s been doing to me this whole time?

“Can you truly teach an old dog new tricks?” Solomon asks. “Orion’s been the same for decades. Doesn’t seem the type to succumb to the ol’ CUP trickery, especially considering he developed the playbook.”

Caius snorts in derision. “He took case studies of MK Ultra, hypnotization, and other mind control tactics to create CUP, yes, but he’s far from a master of it.”

All the things he speaks of are ones I’d read up on for our class project. The irony isn’t lost on me. I’m just thankful I have the knowledge to keep up with this conversation.

“And you are the master?” Solomon asks, sounding unconvinced.

“My ways have worked so far.”

“If that were so, your program would’ve worked on Michael Greer’s purchase. Instead, we’re headed to a shipping container facility on this very lake to fetch her replacement.”

Caius is silent, letting his words sink in before he speaks again. “I’m aware that there have been glitches in the programming. Roger Wade is a problem.”

“Something we both can agree on,” Solomon grumbles.

“Where my ways differ from that of my father’s,” Caius begins, “is that they go beyond the brainwashing of sex toys. It goes deeper. I’ve been able to get my hands on classified studies from China, Russia, and our own government that use certain techniques of mind control to turn normal men into singularly focused killing machine super soldiers. Beyond that, my deep dive into the dark web and assistance with AI, I’ve unlocked more secrets.”

“You’ve piqued my interest,” Solomon says, an eagerness in his voice. “I suppose my investments have been making headway after all.”

“What if you could get inside the minds of the most powerful people? Roger Wade, for instance. He’s a threat to our program and brings unnecessary attention to other elites. Making him go away, though, is nearly impossible.”

“No one is untouchable,” Solomon states. “It’s not impossible, but I agree it’s going to be extraordinarily difficult.”

“How would you like to trigger him into doing something heinous in front of the entire world? A spoken word or a visual or even a smell could be the catalyst. I’ve been developing these triggers.” Caius stops to let his words sink in. “We’re not the only ones with this capability, but I think we are the only ones with the availability of thousands of subjects at our disposal, never-ending pockets of money, and zero government red tape to contend with.”

Solomon chuckles. “You’re like Orion, despite not being blood related, but you’re also more. I see it in your eyes. What’s your end game?”

Yeah, whatisyour end game, Caius Crowne?

“A world without wars, poverty, street crime.”

“How noble,” Solomon says with a sneer. “I don’t believe it.”

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