Here’s a little bit of an idea that’s been in my head for a little bit. I may develop this idea more in the future.
Everything about Michael Crane was American. From his amber waves of hair to the majestic ridge of his jawline, proud and uncompromising, he wore the handsome face of an American hero. His blue eyes shone like a prairie sky, and when paired with his winning smile, they melted hearts and sealed deals. Michael Crane had the charm of a straight-laced, no-nonsense politician, and had even run for office once before, but had lost narrowly in the end due to a set of vicious attack ads. If this unsettled him, however, Crane never let a trace of it cross his chiseled features; shortly after the campaign was over, Crane returned cheerily to the head of his company, never to utter a hateful word toward his opponent.
Crane ran Crane Technologies Incorporated, a massive developer of nonlethal weapons technologies that worked hand-in-hand with the U.S. government. CTI had begun as an arms manufacturer, but under the leadership of Alec Crane, Michael’s father, it had turned away from lethal technologies and focused on developing weapons and other technologies that provided formidable, powerful, yet non-lethal responses to dangerous threats. This move won CTI resounding public approval, as well as an enormous contract from the U.S. military.
The media loved Michael Crane and his company. Time magazine, unsurprisingly, chose him as its Person of the Year before he had turned thirty. CTI was regularly found on lists of the nation’s most profitable corporations, as well as its most ethical. With the help of the reporters, the journalists, and the bloggers, Crane became the most loved man in America. He donated to charities, sponsored free concerts, and used his influence to support important causes. Try as they might, the paparazzi could find no pictures of him smoking, drinking, or engaging in any conduct of questionable morality. Michael Crane was the good American boy through-and-through.
What I’m getting at is this: When Chichi told me he was actually an evil mastermind, the idea took a little getting used to.
This is neat. Kudos.