Present Day

'Beautiful.' I surveyed the freshly laid grass covering an expanse before me. It was perfectly smooth, large enough to play soccer on with palm trees huddling around it in groups. Between the trees, the sun glinted on the distant waves of the ocean. I flicked my head at the foreman beside me "Are we ready then?"

'Yes Mr Bom,' he uttered as he deferentially bowed his head. 'The final fitting and testing is complete.'

'Fine work, you would never be able to guess even close up!' I cradled my new cat, a Persian. He purred, delightful long, white fur draping over my arms as I held him close. 'Lead on then.'

A gentle wind frolicked with my hair as I strode purposefully to the centre of the circle. The foreman trailing behind me at the contractual two paces. We stood in the centre of the grassy expanse. The sun made sweat prickle at the back of my neck. Perhaps I should have worn shorts instead of my fine white linen suit but appearances must be kept. The foreman, Ralphie I think was his name moved hesitantly forward pressing a small box into my outstretched hand. It was a sparse affair. Gun metal grey with a singular red button on it. 'Thank you Ralphie, no surprises, final snags? We are good to go?"

'Yes Mr Bom, the men have finished all of the work on time.'

'Utterly splendid my fine fellow!' I boomed gregariously. I checked my Rolex. 'Ah and here they are, right on time!'

Trotting through the trees in single file was a column of some twenty men in black combat fatigues. I admired the efficient way they approached, perfectly in step and with utter discipline. They pulled to a halt a few paces from myself and the nervously twitching Ralphie. One of the men stepped forward from the rest

'Rory Harding, reportin for duty Mr Bom, as requested at 1400 hours,' his Scottish Highland burr made my lowlander lips twitch as I fought down a snigger.

'Yes, yes. Very good. Ralphie? Name tags please.'

Ralphie darted forward to hand Rory Harding his name tag which simply read Guard 1 then proceeded down the line handing out the rest of the guards their numbers. I leant toward Guard 1 and in a jovially conspiratorial tone whispered 'Not very good with names these days, just can't be bothered you see. Hope you don't mind this little foible of mine?'

'Aye sir, nae bother.' Guard 1 snapped off some odd salute.

'Well gentlemen, let us do this thing!' I cried. With a flourish, I gestured my arm in an arc. Who would have believed this could all be happening? Three months ago I was just Johnny Normal and now?...

I pressed the button.

Three months ago

*The train damply chuffed its way into the station, sounding a forlorn whooo as it slowed to a halt. I looked around at my fellow commuters standing in the misty Scottish rain. Just another Scottish summer. How bloody depressing. The doors parted with a swish and I made my way to a seat. Wiping the condensation from the window I peered out and sighed as we pulled off. Oh well, another day complete in the misery factory that was my work. I noticed the shrieking headline on the newspaper the chap beside me was reading -

Lotto winner still to come forward!

I chortled to myself, lucky bastard and pulled my smartphone out to read the real news. The portly chap beside me was breathing with such gusto that I couldn't focus on my phone. I looked at that headline again. Had I checked my ticket? Had I? Wouldn't that be a thing, to have won and not known? I fumbled my wallet from my pocket and fished it out, who knows, I might have won a tenner. On my phone, I scrolled past the advert laden text proclaiming portentously of the life changing amount an astonishing 386 million pounds due to successive rollovers.There! I stopped swiping when the article finally saw fit to display the winning numbers. Hmmph, 14, yep, 17 yep My heart skipped a beat. ..23..24.39 ... I was having trouble swallowing and now my heart was booming in my chest as I got to the last number.

Fuck! I won... It's me!

I quickly stuffed my ticket back into my wallet. I fought the urge to run, to scream, to shout my news. But a sudden fear silenced me. I sat in grim silence among my drab travelling companions like a coiled snake for the rest of the journey, terrified that they knew and were plotting to take my golden ticket my any means necessary.

Present day

The button clicked and the ground we stood on trembled then gently sank. There were murmurs from the guards attempting to hide their surprise as we sunk directly down into the earth on a disc some twenty feet across. The sides of the shaft glimmered softly, LEDS set at intervals in a veined black marble. 100 metres down the sides of the shaft fell away into the distance and the platform we rode upon came gently to a halt. My empire lay before me. A futuristic lair of glass and chrome, irised doorways punctuating the walls. Numbered guards patrolled lofty gangways connecting a series of windowed rooms. The main space comprised of a gigantic screen and a command bridge before it.

I stepped forward smugly, my cat mewing in religious awe at my lair. Ralphie scurried at my side whilst the guards fanned out, covering me against potential harm. As I strode onto the command deck a large black armchair sphinctered out of the ground before a lone console. I delicately sat down and motioned for Ralphie to come forward. 'I am greatly pleased Ralphie. Your men did sterling work here but I am afraid it has only just begun.'

'Mr Bom?'

'Yes Ralphie,' I tapped a series of buttons and the screen above us fractured into life. It showed the view of a group of construction workers standing precariously on a small scaffold jutting over a large water tank. Below them, the fins of sharks circled angrily.

'The work you and your men have done has pleased me greatly. This is my secret lair in which I will plot on how best to become ruler of the WORLD!' My voice screeched slightly at the last and I reigned myself in. 'But you see Ralphie, there is one problem. I can't have anyone knowing where my secret headquarters is now can I?'

'Wait,' Ralphie's face dropped as he realised the import of my words. 'Meester Bom, please, no. I have children!'

'Oh fear not Ralphie, as I said. You have pleased me.'

'Please, please Meester Bom,'

'Yes yes, I have spared you Ralphie but I cannot be lenient. I must protect my new secret headquarters. If you wish to stand by my side then you must prove your loyalty. Can you do that Ralphie? Can you?' I pointed to a large pulsing button on the console before me. 'Push the button Ralphie and your erstwhile comrades will plunge into the shark-infested pool where they will be torn apart. Push the button Ralphie and you will be saved'

'What?' Ralphie's face turned ashen. 'Mr Bom, I can't. I can't do this?'

'You wish to join them Ralphie? You wish to feed the sharks with your own flesh? What of your children?'

'Mr Bom, please no, this is wrong!'

'Push the button Ralphie,'

'Please, Mr Bom, I beg you,' despite his pleas he moved a shaking finger closer to the gently pulsing kill switch.

'Push the button Ralphie, then my plans can begin!' I started shaking with mirth.

'PUSH THE BUTTON RALPHIE!'