It was not going to be enough, Brenard and I had seriously underestimated the lifespan of this movement.

  “Why is it so much harder to get people to do something good for themselves than it is to fleece them and laugh?” I sighed as I watched the news while simultaneously in a video conference with Brenard, who was in Australia today.

  “Yeah, you would think prosperity and wealth would be easy sells,” Brenard agreed. “But then, the whole issue we are fighting against is the fact that people are idiots.”

  A fair point, that. If you had to make a convoluted plan to reduce the amount of idiots around you, chances are you were surrounded by idiots. And you can always count on an idiot to do something idiotic.

  Somewhat witty observations aside, this was fast approaching a point that I had wanted to avoid. Though Brenard and I joked about it, this issue was no laughing matter. Anti-vaccers and alternative medicine bullshitters were causing real harm- oftentimes, deadly harm and almost always economic harm. The very best they could do was nothing at all- and the worst result was painful death.

  Creationists were admittedly less overtly harmful, but their opposition to science had a definite impact on the progress of the human race. Less scientists, less money for science, hampering the spread of new discoveries- these fools might not directly hurt people, but I could see that the unintended consequences of their actions cost lives.

  “Kevin…” Brenard looked uncomfortable, even on screen. “I hate to say this, but…”

  “Yeah, I know.” I sighed again, “I will call you after I get it done.”

  If my next call became public, it would undoubtedly fuel ethics debates in classrooms for the next century. Was what I did good, was it bad? How much is one life worth when compared to the well-being of society? Kids in ethics classes could debate that constantly, but they are only deluding themselves- there is an objective right answer, it just isn’t a pleasant one.

  A lot of the things I do operate under the butterfly effect, I change something small and inconsequential somewhere and that snowballs into massive movements in society around me. I can do this because of the sheer amount of data and processing power available to me that allows me to come damn close to modelling real life in human society, albeit on a small scale. Loosening up the accuracy a bit allows me to use it in a far broader sense, and to know where to poke to make people do what I want without ever seeing my hand.

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  -Is what I would like to say. In reality, it is far less powerful than it seems or I would be able to solve education with a wave of my hand. Sometimes things need more of a prod than a poke to get moving.

  And at the worst of times, they require a shove.

  The news agencies were going wild with the story, a man had gone to a rally of kids who were gathering to support science in education- and shot the speaker. A seemingly senseless act of violence that was without a doubt, my fault. If I was not so busy I would hate myself more than I already do, but this was not something I could let go to waste.

  I had to tie this death into the movement, make it look like speaking out against it was the same as supporting the child’s death and then ram it home as hard as I could. One of the senators I kept in my pocket- the pocket lined with ruber to prevent the filth leaking out- put forth the bill, though anyone with half of a working brain could figure out that he did not draft it. Though if people had more than half of a working brain this whole thing would be unnecesary.

  A two thousand page behemoth that, once you cut through the legalese shit and the special extras put in to bribe certain blocs of the House of Representatives, boiled down into a few simple concepts.

  First, the elimination of anything but established scientific thought from public schools. People would no longer have the ‘freedom’ to choose ignorance, they would accept reality and be better for it.

  Second, graduation from high school and the requirements for college degrees would be managed by the federal government. Private schools were free to teach religion, but anyone who wanted a high school diploma and a shot at college needed to have basic knowledge of the world around them.

  Third, mandatory vaccinations. Vaccinations are the single greatest acheivment in medicine, driving many of the worlds most deadly illnesses to the verge of extinction- and some idiots think it is a pharmaceutical plot. They hardly even make money on vacciines! I have friends in big pharma, and they make most of their money off of medications that people have to take daily for years- which is a problem I will need to address at some point as well. Fuck, I have a long to do list!

  And finally, that all claims to cure or treat a disease must be approved by the federal government. Bullshit artists who peddle fake cures to desperate people are despicable in ways that I find hard to describe. To make money offering snake oil disguised as hope is disgusting- and it would no longer be tolerated.

  Thousands of lives saved, tens of thousands- if not hundreds of thousands- enlightened and better educated, and billions of dollars of wasted money saved. This bill was a wonderful thing for the country, and I had to kill a kid to get it to happen.

  I need another drink...

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  “Mystic Ink” Releases: Thursday and Sunday

  A grimdark fantasy adventure following Cass, a homeless orphan abducted off the streets of Tyine and subjected to magical experiments. Join her in a journey through blood and magic in a treacherous world that strives to warp her very mind! In my opinion, this is my most well written story, and it is certainly my highest rated!

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  Set in the future where governments have collapsed and corporations have claimed the lands for themselves, the remnants of nations fight back against the encroachment of these giant companies in a special operations shadow war. Reduced to its original thirteen colonies, the United States employs the Elite R.A.D.E. squad to take on missions no one else can. Recon, Assault, Demolition, and Espionage, all fall under the purview of this elite squad!

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  Set in a province of Imperial Rome, Pathos is our world and yet not. Emotions leak out from people to affect the very air itself creating an Emotional Atmosphere. This atmosphere can range from prosperous to destructive, and some powerful individuals can use the strength within it to produce magical abilities and miracles. Marius, the son of the Governor of Germania Inferior, is taking over for his father while he is away in Rome. However, internal strife, trouble across the border, and hurricanes of emotions will make his easy life far harder than he ever imagined!

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  Thomas Savery invented the steam engine, and in this alternate history world, he did not stop there! A steampunk slice-of-life story set in the London of the late 1700’s where steampunk automations are a common sight and have even begun to push people out of jobs! Follow Mary and Alan as they live life in this constantly changing world and try to make their own way through!

  “The Illuminating Heroes” Releases: Monday

  Set in the near future, Kevin Sterling, a billionaire owner of a giant tech company can no longer stand to watch the governments of the world destroy it. Environmental disasters, violence both domestically and internationally, economic struggles… All caused by bumbling fools at the top who care nothing but for keeping their fat asses in their seats. Sterling has had enough, and so have his friends and colleagues. The movers and shakers of the world, business leaders from every industry and sector, artists and scientists, all gather together to form The Illuminati! And they will work to save the world from the destruction corrupt and inept governments have brought down on it. They may not be the heroes we want, but they are the only ones we are going to get! A slice-of-life, overpowered protagonist (overpowered pocketbook that is), comedy focusing on Sterling’s work to start a New World Order!

  “A Dungeon Core”

  Releases: Tuesday

  The main character dies and is resurrected as a dungeon core. So far, so normal. But he has no intention of staying as a crystal for eternity. Join this Core on his path to regain his body and his life while building up his defenses against people who would plunder and kill him!

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