Member-only story
It is early morning and Putin is in one of his offices somewhere in Moscow, sitting at his desk.
With Ukraine firing drones onto the Kremlin and hitting buildings in sections of the city, there is a growing sense of insecurity.
Then the lights go out. All the monitors on the wall facing his desk go blank.
Putin quietly counts off the seconds as he waits for the backup generator to kick in but it doesn’t.
Then he hears a Voice behind him.
‘Vladimir,’ it calls softly.
Putin turns round, quickly pulling out a large gun from his top drawer. But there’s no one to aim it to.
‘Good morning,’ says the Voice, now coming from a different direction.
Putin pivots in his chair, finger on the trigger.
‘There is no use for the gun… I am your conscience,’ says the Voice again from yet another direction. Putin turns and fires off a shot into the darkness.
‘Did you not hear me?’
Putin grimaces, now holding the weapon with both hands.
‘I should correct myself… I am what’s left of your conscience. Vladimir… you can’t kill me… unless you kill yourself… which I don’t think you’re inclined to do… not now… though I wouldn’t rule it out. That’s the only way I would die.’
‘What do you want?’ cries Putin.
‘I’d like to hear what you think your truth is,’ returns the Voice.
‘My truth?’ Putin snickers at first, then breaks out into a loud laugh that turns to mockery.
‘Simple question… but maybe you don’t know your truth.’
Putin fires…
