One Lazy Afternoon

He couldn't believe it.

The world was his, and his alone. He and his followers had overthrown every last government on the planet, down to the last third-world nation-state, and had made short work of even the vaunted US Armed Forces. Soon thereafter, he had executed his most trusted lieutenants, wanting no challengers to his new throne. With his amazing abilities, he built a glorious utopia, so that no human being went without, and all the people of the world were content. They simply had to live by his laws, and offer complete and total fealty unto him. Oh, there were a few rabble-rousers who preferred the freedom of the cesspool to a comfortable prison, or some such nonsense, but they were few and becoming fewer each day.

He snapped his fingers, and two of his wives approached his throne. The other four were tending to his growing brood of children, so there were only these two to sate his lusts at the moment. He was sure that was all he needed. A good romp with two nubile young women usually brightened his day considerably. He gestured for them to begin without him, and settled in to enjoy the show.

Later, sprawled on the cushions behind his throne, his two wives exhausted by his passions, he arrived at the conclusion that that hadn't helped at all. It was fun while it was happening, but he still felt kind of empty. He was still so damned bored.

An execution. That's what he needed. A good old-fashioned execution always put him to rights. He summoned his executioner, secure in the knowledge that this was all he'd need to feel happy again.

It wasn't. Again, while the poor slob he'd chosen to die had been entertaining enough to watch, the emptiness remained. And if the screams of a political dissident being tortured to death couldn't cheer him up, he didn't know what would.

Idly, he punched up the holographic display of the planet, absently flipping a few switches so as to launch a few warheads at randomly selected targets. Perhaps a bit of genocide would help him find his smile again. He watched the holographic mushroom clouds erupt out of the globe. New York, London, Cairo and Beijing were all so much ash now. At the thought of the millions who would die slowly from radiation poisoning, the corners of his mouth twitched upward a bit.

But still not so much as a smile. With a sigh, he flicked a few more switches and watched a few more cities burn. He pressed a couple of buttons and turned off the display. Well, that was ultimately fruitless. He was no less bored than he was before he started. He sighed again and hauled himself up out of his throne.

Maybe there was something on TV.