Waxing Suspicion & Burning Secrets

Short story by @fatijaoui //

Waxing Suspicion & Burning Secrets

Linda spent her entire life living on military bases, first with her parents and later with her husband. The villages surrounding the bases were tightly secured, gated communities, complete with their own commerce and amenities that resembled those of a real town.

Marcus, Linda's husband, never felt a strong connection to life on the base, which allowed their family to spend time outside its strict borders and enjoy civilian life more often than not. Linda admired how Marcus could detach from work once he left the base and his missions behind. Marcus was the best military engineer of his generation and was frequently sought after for his expertise and advice on missions of the US military all over the world. He was a skilled developer, hacker, analyst, and mechanical engineer, always scoring first on any test he took since he was hired. His work was frequently cited as an example in military schools across the country. He was a Swiss Army Knife, working with all the special agencies that the country possessed.

However, what he read on those files made him despise humanity with every fiber of his being, though he was a master at hiding his emotions. While his superiors loved his work, they had a hard time with his personality which was less than appealing to them. Marcus allowed them to believe that his quirkiness and lack of social skills were all part of his genius so he would never be bothered to join social functions outside of work.

After spending the last two year in Australia working on a special mission to secure a multiple billion-dollar submarine deal that he had to steal from the French, Marcus and his family moved back to the United States. While Linda was thrilled to be back home, and the kids were excited to reunite with their extended family, Marcus felt uneasy being back in the US. As soon as he set foot in The Pentagon, he was inundated with requests from various departments, leaving him with little time to enjoy his cubicle. Upon his return, Marcus requested a month-long vacation to relax and spend time with his family. Linda was overjoyed to have Marcus around. He was the perfect husband - cooking, playing with the kids, cleaning the house, and fixing whatever needed to be repaired. Marcus relished spending time with his family.

Alice and Beau were happy, inquisitive children, always eager to learn new things and follow in their father's genius footsteps. The twins always had ongoing projects, experiments or prototypes they passionately invested time and sweat on. Linda loved her role as a housewife, and her family's substantial inheritance ensured that she never had to work, unlike some of the other mothers on the base. Many of them resorted to launching side businesses by selling handmade items on Etsy, but a recent trend had infiltrated the military mom community: drop shipping. Linda found the practice reprehensible and beneath anyone's dignity to resell goods bought cheaper in China or other mass-manufacturing countries.

As Linda logged onto Facebook after dropping her kids off at school, something even more peculiar caught her eye. While scrolling through her messages, she stumbled upon a post from a military wives group. The post was promoting an offer to start a home-made candle business, complete with a digital pack that included a pre-designed website, a tutorial for creating social media content on TikTok, and a starter kit for only $499. Linda was taken aback by the elaborate offer because how do they expect housewives to do all of these sophisticated internet stuff. Linda didn’t let herself bug by those women who clearly never opened the digital training they were sent. She didn’t let those thoughts take over her and shrug them off while she continued with her day.

Marcus still had a few days off before returning to work, so he spent his time with Linda while the twins were at school. They enjoyed going to the movies in the morning and indulging in nice meals. One evening, before heading to bed, Linda left her laptop open and Marcus couldn't help but take a peek. It was an occupational hazard that he struggled to get rid of. After making sure Linda wasn't cheating on him, he noticed that the Facebook page for the military wives group was open. Marcus became nosy and decided to check the content, wondering if the group had been approved by any authority. Linda noticed him snooping and asked what he was looking at. Together, they agreed that the candle post seemed odd and overly detailed for high school dropouts.

As it was time for Marcus to return to work, he feared that he might be called on a mission out of town. However, he was pleasantly surprised when he reported to his superior. Callum asked him to take a week to do some personal online investigation and debunk some conspiracy theories on social media for the President. Marcus wanted to hug Callum to express his gratitude, but he managed to maintain his composure and power-walked to his beloved cubicle. Once he opened the file, he quickly finished debunking all the conspiracies before lunch. He spent the rest of the afternoon writing reports. The following day, he decided not to inform Callum that he had already finished the task so that he could relax a bit longer.

Marcus checked Twitter and looked into some accounts that had been flagged in his file for further research. As he began to get bored, he was about to tell Callum he was done when he remembered the Facebook group and the candle business. He spent the entire day watching women make candles and soap in their garages, who had become online sensations. Marcus searched for financial data, but to no avail. He then tried to find a website with the information he remembered from the group, but it seemed to be some sort of referral program. Marcus wasn't comfortable doing so, but he logged into his wife's Facebook account on his phone to try and retrieve more information. As he scrolled through pictures of cakes, pies, veterans, and a whole bunch of disturbing mom stuff, he found the post. At the end of the post was a link that led to a Google form that asked for a lot of personal information. The next step was all conducted via WhatsApp or Signal messaging apps.

Callum was puzzled by the request he received in Marcus's email. After carefully reading the brief summary of his analysis, which demonstrated a potential threat in the homemade candle and soap business, Callum didn't know whether he should fire Marcus or promote him. If Marcus's analysis happened to be true, it would give Callum a chance at a big promotion. He went to Marcus's cubicle and invited him to lunch to discuss the matter. After listening to Marcus's thorough report, Callum realized the gravity of the situation and how he needed to hire people to analyze the wax and soap for potential chemical components that could harm people's health after prolonged exposure.

Marcus had no concrete evidence, but a strong intuition that wouldn't leave him alone. He found that the wax and soap plants he had researched were the primary suppliers for most of the businesses on the messaging apps. Furthermore, it appeared that the TikTok app was involved in the scheme, as it provided detailed, step-by-step guidelines for content creation, planning, and specific tricks that could only have been issued by someone with intimate knowledge of the algorithm. The presentation included recommendations for sound, length, shots, and equipment, all of which were provided by various Chinese companies shipping worldwide.

Despite his careful investigation, Marcus was asked to stop working on the case. The frustration he felt was intense, so he began scouring the internet for any interrogation videos that were certified by the US and gave the green light to the Chinese plants. Marcus was convinced that someone in the Oval Office was either involved or had insider knowledge that could potentially harm the US on a national or international level.

Marcus was filled with rage when the investigation was abruptly closed. He struggled to contain his disgust and growing sense of frustration towards his work. One weekend, he gathered all of his information and crafted the perfect Twitter conspiracy. To avoid drawing any unwanted attention, Marcus waited two years before spreading the conspiracy online. The topic quickly began trending on Twitter and was eventually picked up by a French independent newspaper who conducted a thorough investigation that lasted over a year: "Under the Candlelight". The investigation exposed a multi-level corruption under the Trump administration that facilitated a Chinese attack using chemical agents found in soap and candles.

The journalists' investigation uncovered many business owners who showed signs of cancerous infections, infertility and pulmonary deficiencies after being exposed to the chemicals used in their homemade workshops. The article brought up a lot of questions and concerns about the safety of homemade products and the potential involvement of Russian officials as well. Marcus felt a sense of vindication but also a deep sadness for those who had suffered because of his inaction.

AUTHOR: FATIMA MOUDJAOUI

LAST EDITS: MARCH, 3RD 2023