“What, replacing them? That involves new candidates for the requisite positions, them running for office, winning their respective elections, and so on. And all this assumes we’re talking about countries with some kind of democratic political system as opposed to a dictatorship or a monarchy.”
Jack laughed. “You’re overthinking this. Isn’t there a way we could replace them almost immediately?”
I frowned. “Not without somebody dying. And even if world leaders did start dropping like flies, there’s always someone next in line, but you don’t know if that person’s going to care about things that are important to you. I mean, you don’t know how they’ll feel about global issues like world peace and nuclear proliferation, or even topics that hit close to home, like access to health care, education, minimum wage…”
I trailed off unexpectedly as my thoughts veered in a new direction, prompted by my brain suddenly connecting the dots between my current conversation and something I’d heard earlier.
“That congressman,” I droned. “The one who voted differently than anticipated on the minimum wage law. It was you.”
Jack gave me a sly smile. “You know, telekinesis makes it ever so easy to drug somebody.” He nodded towards the end of our table, where a set of salt and pepper shakers were located. As I watched, the salt shaker rose up about an inch and then tilted slightly, spilling a bit of its contents upon the table before going back to its original position. However, the action was so subtle that, had Jack not called my attention to it, I might never have noticed it.
“So you inconspicuously slip him some knockout drops,” I summed up. “Presumably something untraceable – maybe in his coffee, or juice, or the glass of wine he sips to relax after work – and then shapeshift into him and vote the way you want.”
“Pretty much,” Jack agreed.
“And now you want to step up your game – take it up a notch. Go from domestic affairs to global politics.”
“It’s the level where I think I can do the most good.”
“Good?” I said incredulously. “You don’t see anything wrong, morally, with what you’ve done or what you’re proposing?”
He shrugged. “I guess I see it as the ends justifying the means. But in terms of the world peace I mentioned, I can’t do it alone. I can shapeshift into one person, but not two – not at the same time, anyway.”
There was no need for him to break it down any further. I clearly knew exactly what he was suggesting.
“You’re crazy,” I blurted out. “There’s no way I’m helping you with this insane plan.”
“That’s hurtful, Jim,” Jack said, but in a tone that didn’t imply that he felt pained at all. “Especially coming from you, since we’re the same person.”
“We’re not the same person!” I practically hissed, trying to keep from raising my voice.
“Well, we’ll just have to agree to disagree on that point,” he declared with a slight smile. Emotionally, I could sense that he found my position on the subject amusing.
“Regardless,” he went on, “world peace is just the tip of the iceberg. There’s so much more we can do, so much we can achieve, if we work together.”
“There’s no working together,” I stressed. “Look, Jack, simply based on the things you’ve done, your moral compass is off. You don’t seem to draw a strong distinction between right and wrong. That said, I don’t blame you entirely for that. I know what they did to you – what they put you through to cause the development of your powers.”
Without warning, I felt heated emotions – led by unbridled animus and fierce resentment – roiling in Jack like a tempest.
“You can’t imagine all the things they did to me,” he growled with balled fists. “The things they’d still be doing if I’d let them…”
There was a faraway look in his eyes, and from the emotional vibe I was picking up, I knew that he was remembering some deep-rooted trauma he had experienced. His pain seemed so palpable that even a person without empathic abilities would have picked up on it, and – despite the things he’d done – I couldn’t help feeling sorry for him.
“But hey,” he blurted, snapping out of his reverie, “that’s all in the past. We’ve got other fish to fry. I’m taking off now, but just think about what I said. We can do great things together.”
And then he was gone, along with his food.
Chapter 64
“I’m not seeing any lunch,” Mouse noted critically when I teleported back to his lab.
“Change of plans,” I said, then recounted my recent tête-à-tête with Jack.
“And this just happened?” BT asked when I finished.
“Yes,” I confirmed. “A few minutes ago. I came straight here afterwards.”
A solemn expression settled on BT’s face. “Any idea where he went?”
“No,” I answered, emphatically shaking my head. “But I think it’s safe to assume at this juncture that he does not intend to go gently into that good night.”
“No doubt,” Mouse agreed, “but in speaking to you, he’s given us info that we didn’t have before.”
“You mean his plans for world peace?” I inquired.
“More like world domination,” BT asserted. “Because if you’re talking about replacing world leaders – even temporarily – to significantly alter the course of global events, then there’s no other term for it.”
“Well, I’m not just focusing on that,” Mouse said. “I’m also talking about Jack’s power set. In pretending to be that congressman, he confirmed that he’s a shapeshifter.”
“Huh?” I muttered, puzzled. “I thought we already knew that.”
“No,” BT chimed in. “I think initially there was an assumption that he was a shapeshifter because he looked like you on tape. We’ve since learned that his natural features replicate your own. Thus, even when he was pretending to be you, he never had to alter his appearance. This is the first indication that he can actually look like someone else.”
“Hmmm,” I droned, thinking. “So there’s this broad overlap between his power set and mine.”
“Yeah, but that’s to be expected,”
