Capitalism Continues

Theodore Sharpe was an exceptionally wealthy man.

As the owner of ArmSys Corporation, a military weapons and technology manufacturer, he was also exceedingly powerful. However such wealth was useless in the apocalypse since all digital currency had been erased. That is until he met his patron God: Hermes.

"I, Hermes, am the God of Trade and Capitalism," declared a humanoid machine wearing a black business suit with red accents as time slowed to a crawl "And I have come to make a deal with you, Mr Sharpe."

Theodore, who happened to be wearing the exact same suit, nodded in response.

"I am offering you a truly exceptional power, one that will allow you to rise again - if you meet my demands that is." Began the God, its electronic voice punctuated by a hint of expectation.

"I'm listening." replied Mr Sharpe, folding his arms across his chest.

"Most excellent," continued Hermes, LED eyes flickering from off-white to sunny yellow "The ability I am offering you is rather simple in nature but limitless in use cases. To begin with, you will be able to purchase items using your own monetary wealth, which I have taken the liberty of setting as your net worth. Anyway, the items and objects you purchase will be summoned to you upon purchase. For example, you could purchase a car. Provided you have the necessary funds, a car will materialise whenever you wish within a 5 metre range. You can also sell items, atomising them and adding their current worth to your already impressive bank account. Considering your wealth, this ability will allow you to grow exponentially and gather a large following should you use it well."

Mr Sharpe nodded slowly, thinking about the God's proposal. His total net worth was just shy of 300 billion USD and although the vast majority of it was in the form of stocks and non-physical assets, he would have access to all of it. [This means I will be walking a warehouse of every weapon, vehicle and conceivable resource] thought Theodore, [this deal is almost too good to be true].

"What are your terms?" he asked cautiously, taking out a yellow notepad and a blue pen.

A yellow smile flickered onto the God's LED face.

"Every day at noon, 1 Billion USD will be deducted from your bank account. Otherwise, you are free to use this power as you so desire." Explained Hermes with a smirk.

"What happens if I cannot pay the daily Billion?" inquired Me Sharpe while scribbling down notes.

The God's smile widened to a grin.

"Why, Mr Theodore Alexander Sharpe, you will die with no chance of resurrection." answered Hermes.

"And what happens if I refuse your offer?" asked Mr Sharpe.

"You die anyway" cackled the God in reply.

"In that case, I accept." said Mr Sharpe, putting out his hand to shake the God's own.

Hermes smiled once more and shook the mortal's hand.

"One last thing" began the God as time gradually accelerated to its normal speed "To use this ability simply touch an object and say 'Liquidate' to sell. To buy, simply think of the item you wish to buy and say Acquire'. To see your balance say 'Balance' and 'Transaction History' to see your purchase history. Of course to use all of these you must also intend to use the ability while saying the appropriate command word. In time you'll be able to do it silently but for now you require verbal activations."

The God flickered out of existence as time returned to normal in Mr Sharpe's London mansion. Ancient Undead were flooding through countless windows and Theodore's security team were low on ammo. It was a dire situation - the perfect opportunity to try his newfound abilities.

Thinking of the ArmSys B-2 machinegun and it's required ammunition, Mr Sharpe shouted "Acquire". Instantaneously, the machinegun appeared in his hands along with two spare drum magazines of ammo. Smiling, he began mowing down the undead and purchased thirty-one more B-2s - one for each of his security guards. Together they drove back the waves of undead and began refitting the mansion into a fortress.

***

Theodore Sharpe had not always been a businessman. Twenty years ago he had been a soldier in a Paratrooper Regiment of the British Army. He had been a marksman that constantly seeked to optimise his rifle and improve his equipment. He had fought alongside his brothers and sisters in arms in countries whose names he couldn't hope to pronounce without offending locals. He had killed terrorists, rebels and renegades. However such accomplishments left Theodore Sharpe feeling nothing, hollow even. He was a hero on all accounts but had nothing to show for it. After eight long years in the army, at age twenty-seven, both his parents died in a firearm accident. The hunting rifle his father had been using exploded due to poor design and craftsmanship - killing the man instantly. Theodore's mother had not met such a fortunate fate. Instead, she had slowly bled out from the stray shrapnel that rendered her blind. The pair were found weeks later, the elderly lady's vocal cords snapped from screaming for help that never arrived.

Theodore Sharpe was soon discharged from the Paratrooper Regiment after concerns for his mental health. He had not slept in two weeks since the death of his parents which greatly affected his ability to function and operate as an effective soldier. Thus the real reason for his discharge was not mental health concerns, rather it was the fact the former decisive blade had been dulled. The predator had lost his teeth. His former friends abandoned him, further deepening his depression.

However a man like Theodore Sharpe cannot be crushed by the cruel wheel of life. From the basement of his tiny cottage inherited from his parents, he began designing and developing weapons of incredible calibre. At first he simply sold the designs to the highest bidder, but after accumulating a respectable sum of wealth, an excellent reputation and an ego; the seed of greed sprouted within him. Never had he felt so powerful, so wanted, so valued, so respected and so clear in his purpose.

At thirty years of age Sharpe founded his own military weapons and equipment manufacturing company - ArmSys Proprietary Limited. Unlike many corporations in the field, ArmSys focused on exceptional quality and functionality above volume and low production costs. The craftsmanship of ArmSys rifles were unparalleled, the reliability of ArmSys handguns unmatched. Every ArmSys product was overengineered to an unprecedented level, allowing functions previously thought impossible. Soon ArmSys was selling firearms tenfold the average market price and was growing at an exponential rate. This allowed the company to further diversify, developing and selling military vehicles, ammunition and heavy weapons in addition to firearms. Such diversification led Mr Sharpe to become the wealthiest arms manufacturer worldwide and to be ranked in the top hundred wealthiest individuals on the planet. Now, with his newfound power, Mr Sharpe had reclaimed the spark of willpower that allowed him to build his empire.

He was a predator once more.

[End Chapter]

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[Basic Appraisal]

Name: Theodore Sharpe

Title/s: None

Essence: 9

Favour: 12

Reserve: 3

Power Level: 24

[End Appraisal]

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