A Brief History of Amorality

The atom-in-ouroboros glows brightly, pulsing like a heartbeat against the darkness, gradually fading from view.

The scene opens. The footage is in colour, but grainy, filmed by hand, clearly damaged by age. We are in an enormous open park, the sun shining brightly. The park is filled with people, the crowd spreading out into the distance, thousands upon thousands. At the front of the crowd is a large stage, an empty space before it, the crowd blocked off by steel barricades.

At intervals along the barricade stand individuals clad in black suits with grey ties, the atom-in-ouroboros tattooed on their forehead or right hand. They carry nightsticks, pistols strapped to their hips, eyes surveying the crowd with a mixture of contempt and satisfaction.

On the stage stands a man - Clyde Pierre, Founder of the Spirit Science Research Institute. He is in his early 30s, his hair a dark brown, a pair of glasses perched on his nose. He is addressing the crowd, clearly in the middle of great passion, his voice strong, unwavering.

A caption at the bottom of the screen reads “THE FOUNDING OF THE INSTITUTE. 1ST MAY, 1968. EXPOSITION PARK, LOS ANGELES.”

The Founder pauses, taking in his audience. They watch in fascinated silence, none whispering a word.

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not covet.’ But I say to you, 'Thou shalt covet only those things one truly desires.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not steal.’ But I say to you, 'Thou shalt take what thou wilt.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not bear false witness.’ But I say to you, 'Thou shalt forge truth and falsehood into weapons in the service of Will.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not commit adultery.’ But I say to you, 'Seduce as you wish.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain.’ But I say to you, 'Thou shalt use every name and power to curse those who block thy path.’

“You have heard it said, 'Honour thy father and thy mother’. But I say to you, 'Honour only thine own Will, and the Founder who revealed it to thee.’

“You have heard it said, 'Honour the Sabbath.’ But I say to you, 'Each day is made for indulgence.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt have no gods before me’. But I say to you, 'Gods and angels, devils and demons, all shall submit to thy power.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not make a graven image’. But I say to you, 'Thou shalt not worship those who stand against Amorality.’

“You have heard it said, 'Thou shalt not kill’. But I say to you, 'Thou shalt strike down those who would stand against your Will, against the Will of the Institute that guides you and of the Founder who taught you, crushing thy enemies swiftly and without sorrow.’

“This is the word of the Founder.”

The crowd erupts into a deafening chorus of cheers. Many raise black flags emblazoned with the atom-in-ouroboros high into the air, the chorus merging into a single deafening roar, washing over the viewer like an overwhelming wave.

We focus on Clyde Pierre, watching over the crowd with clear satisfaction. He smirks as the scene fades out.

He is replaced by Cassandra, standing once again in the centre of an illuminated clearing in the centre of an otherwise abandoned arena. She looks deeply into the camera, her eyes piercing, looking into the viewer’s soul. At the bottom left of the screen is the image of a phoenix drawn as a stylised flame, beside it the word “UNBOUND”.

“Good evening, one and all. I trust you are well.

“It has come to our attention that there are some amongst you who labour under the weight of misinformation as regards the Spirit Science Research Institute. This is only to be expected. Our enemies are many, our allies few; the Institute and Pierreia stand alone against the world. And still we thrive.

“Ignorance may be forgiven; the reluctance of many of you to accept the simple truths of Amorality and Spirit Science, is but the inevitable consequence of a world filled with jealousy and lies. It is our hope that, over the coming weeks and months, the truth of our message and historic mission may be revealed to you all.

“Once those truths have been revealed, those who persist in their error - who continue to deny the power of the Institute and the teachings on which it is built - shall be dealt with. That clock is ticking as we speak; I pray only that you make the correct decision before it strikes midnight. Tick-tock, my dears.

“The man you just saw is the late Founder of the Spirit Science Research Institute, the man known to the vulgar world by the name of Clyde Pierre.

"Perhaps the most amazing man who ever lived. One day the world shall know his name.

"The Founder was incarnated on this earth on 1st May, 1935. It was a little over ten years later, as a small child, that he first read of the atomic bombings carried out by the United States on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and of the terrible and beautiful aftermath. It was an event which would transform the way he saw the world from that day forth.

"In 1963, the Founder would write the book Amorality, a book which one day will be known alongside the Bible, Quran, Gitas and all the holy texts of the world. The works of the Founder shall surpass them all, leaving them in the dustbin of history. This book embodied his teachings and the philosophy of Amorality, presenting them in a manner understandable to all from the lowliest peasant to presidents and kings.

"Five years later, he would found the Spirit Science Research Institute. And for thirty years more he would serve as its leader, overseeing the spread of the Institute across the whole world, the teachings of Amorality and Spirit Science being applied to every field of human endeavour."

The camera fades out. Cassandra's face is replaced with a video montage, a series of clips in quick succession. A hospital ward filled with row after row of beds, patients hooked up to drips, each smiling with a slightly forced expression. A series of cages filled with animals from all over the world, endangered and deadly. Ligers and tigons mix behind bars, the bloodied body of a goat between them. A man and a woman sitting on opposite sides of a desk, beneath the watchful portrait of the Founder. Happy, smiling families - smiling a smile that never quite reaches the eyes.

"Around the world, our medical experts at the Friends of Paracelsus provide first class healthcare to millions, bringing together the best of modern medicine and ancient wisdom. Our mental health services in Nepenthe have brought comfort and healing to countless souls, while our Bestiaries - established by the Founder himself - serve not only to protect endangered species in our ever vanishing world, but to create new life, standing at the forefront of genetic engineering and the creation of hybrids.

"In 1998, following the supposed death of the Founder, the Institute fell into the hands of a weak and feeble man unworthy of the role. He would rule until 2018, when - following a short internal conflict - he would be overthrown by forces led by my consort and myself. The Institute in turn would lead our revolution in the land now known as Pierreia, a land now governed by the principles of Amorality and Spirit Science.

"The purpose of this history lesson is simply this: the Institute prevails.

"The Institute always prevails.

"Already, you have witnessed the power of the Institute and the teachings of Amorality."

We fade out, switching to footage from Carnage. Su, beating Zephyr to within an inch of her life. Su, eyes filled with fury, tongue tipped with poison. Su, standing tall beneath the atom-in-ouroboros. We fade back to Cassandra.

“She is the first. Believe me when I say she shall not be the last. Time is short.

“He who has an ear, let him hear; the day is coming when each of you will have to make a choice. To languish in the mediocrity of everyday life. Or to become gods.

“Choose wisely.”

The winks and nods at the camera. We fade to black, leaving only a crimson atom-in-ouroboros, glowing against the darkness.