Everyone liked Howard Hughes. This tech wizard was harmless; he only had a passion for flying and beautiful women.
William White, on the other hand, wasn't as favored.
"Howard Hughes, huh? You all really ought to open your eyes. That guy spent the latter part of his life almost in exile. And you idiots, if something happens to him, you can bet your behinds you're going down with him too," William White scoffed, refusing to comment on external judgments. Since you all enjoy stirring the pot, feel free to try your hand at it.
Twilight was a novel about vampires, nothing too new there; similar stories and comics existed in plenty. But this one was different; it seemed aimed at giving vampires a kinder image.
However, why were there twelve vampire clans? The number thirteen seemed more fitting for something sinister; people often used the number thirteen for their curses.
Gee, this vampire family was indeed widespread. The organization looked somewhat familiar; just where had he seen it before?
William White's new book naturally caused quite a stir. In just a week, nearly ten million copies flew off the shelves worldwide. Had the subject matter not been a niche, the sales could have been even higher.
Of course, William slipped in some personal remarks; he equated the Federal Reserve with vampires. The intent was clear, brimming with malice.
Onlookers might have been baffled -- they just saw it as a spectacle. All in all, this book was nowhere near the level of A Game of Thrones. However, it was certainly the right fit for the younger crowd.
The publisher thought that William White was trying to charm young readers by avoiding obscure vocabulary. The consortium and the Federal Reserve had a different view; they were aware of his little games, considering this a counterattack.
Vampires? Ha! That was quite a vivid metaphor.
"Twelve vampire clans, huh? This kid's got some real talent," joked George Bush Sr., smirking. As a seasoned politician, he certainly had his own opinions.
"Dad, these guys can't really be vampires, can they?"
"Cough, cough. You're something else," George Bush's son caught him off guard with his question. He realized that many half-informed folks might take it literally.
"Vampires? Give William White a few more years, and he'll become one of them, that guy."
A group of old Wall Street figures scratched their heads in confusion. They had a hard time grasping whether he had really flipped into Teddy mode or not.
Howard Hughes? A joke. That guy's influence was confined to Hollywood; outside of California, he was useless. William White, with one novel selling over ten million copies, showed that he was still mighty relevant, or perhaps even more so, considering it was looking to exceed standard novel length.
The old-timers began to have headaches; if they were labeled as part of this 'evil clan,' they might escape unharmed while they were alive, but the minute trouble struck, who knew what would happen? They'd better look out for themselves, not that they had any idea what William White had in store for the second volume.
What was most troubling for them was the total lack of explanation; if the public deemed them vampires, all they could do was humorlessly chuckle.
Once global sales smashed the one hundred million mark, that would bring Twilight to the big screen. The entire series spanned six volumes, excluding prequels and spin-offs; it was set to become a massive franchise casting worldwide.
William White's revelation of this news made the old-timers' blood run cold. He was essentially saying that for the next several decades, his main job was going to be bringing them down.
For a while, no one talked about Howard Hughes anymore, except for NBC.
From NBC's angle, it was all about conspiracy theories. First off, Hughes' H1 plane was outstanding, breaking world records with a speed close to 550 kilometers per hour.
What shocked everyone was that the U.S. military went with the Curtis P series, while the Japanese had "stolen" the entire blueprint for the H1. The outcome? The Japanese Zero reduced Curtis to shambles.
Think about it; if the Americans had had the Zero two years earlier, the attack on Pearl Harbor would not have happened as it did even if it had succeeded.
How did a glorified scientist and entrepreneur find himself ostracized from the United States?
The so-called mental illness, oh boy!
Aren't you all the ones obsessed with Howard Hughes?
Fine, I'll give you what you want; but after this wave passes, who'll dare bring it up again?
Communications satellites, TV satellites, and moon landings -- everything of that nature was invented by this great scientist. You fools, do you really have the right to discuss it?
When William White started throwing logic out the window, the old-timers finally felt fear. As those who had directly experienced those events, they certainly knew what had happened back then.
Paranoid? Ha.
Things were getting bigger and bigger; naturally, someone wasn't going to sit around quietly. Starting a fight was easy; how to end it was the hard part.
For the onlookers, it was chaos. They realized that the biggest threat in this country seemed to have always been internal.
"Stop him! He's undermining the foundation of this country!" cried an old man, his voice hoarse with fury, though it wavered; it was hard to tell if he was angrier or scared.
"Just be careful; it might be too late. The waves of controversy we face now aren't stirred by NBC anymore; they're through. Right now, it's about what we need to do to clean up the mess. If we stop provoking, it'll likely be just the way it is."
*****
https://www.patreon.com/Sayonara816.