The Cost of Freedom
Countless wars have been waged in the name of 'the greater good.' Yet, history teaches us that the 'greater good' often serves the few, not the many, as this heroine comes to realize that morality is ever subjective.
Stacy Mendez stood before Kenrick "Argo" Kemp, her heart heavy with the weight of what she knew she had to do. Kenrick, once her ally and lover, had gone too far. He believed that by eliminating the weak and ensuring only the brightest would survive, he was doing mankind a favor. "What you're doing isn't fair, Kenrick," Stacy said, her voice trembling. "You’ve brainwashed people, used evil propaganda, and experimented on innocent lives."
Kenrick remained unfazed, his confidence unwavering. "In the long run, you'll appreciate that you won't have to deal with dimwits anymore. We will be accepted. I'm not doing anything incoherently evil, Stacy. I'm making the world better."
Stacy’s heart ached as she realized how far he had fallen. He had used vulnerable people—the ones who wouldn’t be missed—as test subjects for his failed supersoldier serum, turning them into nothing more than gooey, explosive messes. However, he didn’t know that she already knew; unlike most of the population, the Alena Tower—Argo's mind-control masterpiece—had no effect on her.
"You’re right," she said softly, stepping closer. "I’m sorry. I love you, Ken."
Kenrick’s expression softened, but before he could react, Stacy swiftly injected him with a syringe. As the poison took effect, he looked at her in shock. "Why?" he asked, his voice weak.
Tears streamed down Stacy's face as she pulled out a gun and shot him in the head. "Because you lied," she whispered as his body crumpled to the floor.
Later, as she walked the streets, Stacy was tormented by her actions. She loved him, but she knew she had to stop him for the greater good.
About the Creator
Karina Thyra
Fangirl of sorts.
Twitter: @ArianaGsparks
Keep reading
More stories from Karina Thyra and writers in Fiction and other communities.
The Cost of Utopia
Kenrick Argo Kemp, once overlooked and rejected despite his genius, grew to believe that only the most capable should lead society. He saw the world’s inefficiencies and injustices as the result of incompetence, leading him to embrace a twisted utilitarianism—sacrificing the "expendables" to create a utopia where only the brightest could thrive. He believed that by controlling who reproduced, he could eliminate humanity's flaws and craft a superior society.
By Karina Thyraabout a year ago in Fiction
Miss Persephone's Manual to a Seemingly Ordinary Life
Miss Persephone was found at the dining table, her blue eyes swollen, her tears arriving and retreating like the tides of the ocean. Earlier that day, her family had visited her in the retirement home where she had lived for eight years. It was her eightieth birthday.
By Imola Tótha day ago in Fiction
Identity and the Exhaustion of Grand Ideas
Over the past few decades, intellectual life has been shaped by a growing distrust of ambitious theories that once claimed to explain history and society as a whole. The fading influence of the radical projects associated with the 1968 generation produced a more careful and restrained scholarly atmosphere. Many historians and social theorists became skeptical of large narratives and universal categories, preferring limited scope and methodological caution. In Germany, this shift took a distinctive form through the rise of microhistory, an approach that emphasizes close attention to sources, local contexts, and everyday life. Microhistorians sought to revive the craft of traditional historiography while distancing themselves from older positivist assumptions. Their work often challenges broad concepts such as capitalism, industrialization, and the state, treating them as abstractions that obscure rather than clarify lived experience.
By Gopal Balakrishnan4 days ago in Fiction
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.