Surfing through numerous websites and downloading data became so much easier after he modified his computer; John thought as contemplated his new life and new abilities.
In the past few days, he was not only able to control people but make physical changes to their bodies and make them do and think what he wanted them to. The only catch was that if his motives were selfish he'd have to make sure that he did more to help people than bad. Maintaining a good balance was important, or he might find himself imprisoned within the ring with other less successful masters. The ring seemed to generate its power from sexual energy, that which he generated and that of his agents, women who worked for him whose job it was to seek out partners and have mind blowing sex, then transfer that energy back to him via the ring. John was now getting more sex than he ever imagined he could, and being a young man of eighteen, he imagined a lot of sex.
However, he had almost lost everything when his body was taken over by a former master of the "Ring of Power" and he worried that the things had done while he wasn't in control, if they would be held against him. He needed to strike a sufficient balance so that he would never come close to abusing the power and suffer the fate of previous masters.
He felt like he was losing himself, being slowly seduced by the power of the ring. He understood that he would have to make some significant changes in his life, he had wealth and power, but how would he know how much to change? He didn't know. Had he already been changed and by his encounter with the imprisoned former masters, were they influencing him now and corrupting his mind? The number of failed masters was astonishing, even his father had failed. How many minds were trapped inside the ring? How old was it? If they couldn't resist abusing its power what made him think he could. He was still just a kid, not yet nineteen. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely", goes the saying. He didn't want to end up back in that void with the others; in that short period of time he was there it terrified him.
Summing his courage, he smiled as he thought of the many new benefits, such as being able to upgrade his existing PC through pure thought taking it beyond the "state of the art" to the next level of computing using holograms as an interface and to display images and information. His searches were find a suitable new home, something just inside Mountain View city limits, yet a little more rural on a few acres of land for him to develop.
"Don't worry, Johnny." The voice of his father interrupted his thoughts. "I am here to help guide you. Simply be true to who you are, and trust yourself. You are a good person."
"Thanks, dad," John replied still not quite accustom to his thoughts being heard. He wondered if everyone imprisoned within the ring could hear his thoughts, too.
"No, Johnny, they can't." His father lied. "Only I can hear them. If it makes you feel better, I can simply remain in the background until you need me, holding my tongue except in the event of imminent peril."
"Okay, dad that may be best, for now."
"By the way Johnny, you are going to need more agents, Mary and Elizabeth are enough. At the rate you are consuming energy, even if you planned on having sex constantly, you will need at least five more agents, if you continue at your current level of consumption. I suggest you begin looking for converts. When you are ready, I will teach you how to transform and train them."
"Okay, I do have one or two in mind, but I hadn't considered needing so many. I guess I will have to expand my list." John began to feel better about things.
It was time Elizabeth and Mary went to work collect sexual energy. John kind of felt like a pimp, but then he reframed the question and realized that his job was to help people. Sexual energy was just how he was able to create his magic. In addition to finding suitable sexual partners he would instruct all his agents would seek out and identify people that were worthy of the special help that he could provide.
Elizabeth needed to find a new place to live, he thought, although there would be plenty of space in his new house, she needed a residence of her own. She should be able to handle any problems that may arise with the disappearance of Ms. Lizzy, by now people would have certainly began to wonder where she was, but without a body, there wouldn't be much of a reason to suspect that she had died. Upon further thought, perhaps Mary should keep the house; it may provide him with an anchor to his old life. She would also have a room in his home and she should continue to see Dr. James, and could work him in around her other activities, he thought.
Mary fascination with Elizabeth was growing, she seemed to know everything; the woman had lived a very long life, had a tremendous wealth of knowledge and was eager to share. Imaging having lived over a hundred years and then instead of dying being able to start again in your thirties and have all that accumulated knowledge intact. She taught Mary how to size up potential partners who would generate the most sexual energy and how to recognize those that weren't worth the time. She also helped her hone her knowledge of the Kama Sutra and which positions were the most exciting. Mary was delighted when John told her to continue to see James; she planned to do just that. And now there would be many new lovers, she didn't want to hurt James, and she certainly wouldn't be able to settle down with one man now. She was happy, happier than she had been in a very long time.
April dialed the number frantically, not getting through the first three times before she remembered that she had programmed the number into her cell phone.
"John, is that you? Thank GOD, are you home? Can I come over; better yet can you come here?" April asked clearly agitated and in a hurry.
John, paused before answering, making certain that it was April on the end of the call. She didn't sound like herself and he was becoming very concerned.
