Guardian

The Guardian
by A. Sylvur

Though the stars and moon were like spotlights in the night sky, shadows still moved without being seen. Suspiciously, a lone man walked in the park with a solid steel collar piped around his neck with only one of the many lights lit. He scanned the shadows as he absently tugged the collar that began to vibrate a warning. He looked at freedom further down the path, but knew the rumor that no one ever escaped the guardians. Yet many prisoners never gave up hope of being the first. Without another moment of hesitation, the prisoner made a mad dash towards freedom.

A second later a howl followed by a growl raced through the stillness from behind and he knew immediately it was his guardian’s wolf on his trail. Still, he ran with everything he had. The edge of the park got closer with each leap. Without warning, something heavy rammed into his back. A second later, he was on the ground.

Freedom’s gate grew distant once again.


“Easy, Wolf,” the guardian's deep voice commanded.


“Get it off me!” The prisoner pleaded in fear, his hands as far up as he could get them from the ground.


The guardian tilted his Stetson back, “Don’t move.” He pulled out a square silver gadget and touched the flat screen. There were several dots that moved about, but none close to the red boundaries except this one. All of his other prisoners knew him, except this one. And it was about time they got to know each other. This prisoner needed a personal chat to break him into his new lifestyle. He sighed. “Wolf, let him up.”


Wolf obeyed but stayed close to the prisoner.


“Why were you trying to escape your area, John?”


“You know why.” The man growled and took a menacing step.


Wolf interpreted the threat and knocked the prisoner down again.


“I suppose since this is our first meeting I should introduce you. This is my dog, Wolf. He's sensitive. You’d best watch your attitude and your temper.” His boot tapped the man’s foot as he readjusted all the firepower on his hips. “Also, my name is Ron. I’m your guardian and I have an awesome little gadget that if you ever escape me, gives me the power to end your life by blowing your head off your shoulders. Got that boy?”


“Yes, Sir,” the man on the ground spoke through clenched teeth.

Wolf lowered his head and growled in the man’s face. Saliva dripped.


“Let him up, Wolf.” Ron helped the man up to his feet. “I’ll escort you to your apartment and you’re going to go back to living your everyday life.” He spoke three commands into the computer, watch his wrist then a few minutes later a hover car dropped from the trees onto the path.


“You call this living?” John stopped himself before raising his voice to a shout. “I’m wearing a collar. Everywhere I go people know I’ve done something wrong. I’m an outcast. A freak.”


The guardian nodded. “But you put that around your own neck when you raped and killed your college girlfriend. Yes, I have all the personal info about your life.”


“She drove me to it.”


“That’s what they all say. But you had the opportunity to walk away from her and you didn’t. No one can make you do something you don’t want to do. The sooner you accept that you are in a collar because you are a threat to society and it is their right to be warned the sooner you can move forward and be free.”


“What about my rights?”


Ron chuckled. “What about that girl’s right to life, liberty and happiness? I’ll tell you about it. You stole that from her. Now the people have taken your rights away. Everyone knows that if you violate someone else’s rights you lose your own.”


“I’d rather the death penalty.”


“That’s ancient history. Banned over 300 years ago. Don’t expect they’ll bring that back. Isolation never helped convicted felons it only made them worse. But I see you’ve only been in a collar for a few months and you are already beginning to feel something. Now that’s progress.”


He shoved the prisoner into the car and walked around to the other side. When he lifted himself into the driver’s seat, he noticed the prisoner tried to push buttons. “Having problems?”


“How do you get this thing to move?”


“By voice command only, which means you’ll never escape in my car. It can differentiate between a recording and live voice being forced to speak.” He glanced around the ground then called, “Wolf!”


His pet leapt into his lap then into the back seat and gave one bark that he was ready to fly.


“That means he’s ready to go.” Ron whispered commands into his wrist again and the car began to move forward.


“What does your dog like to eat?”


Ron shook his head at the prisoner’s attempt to gain information. “He doesn’t take food from a stranger and neither does he eat until I give him the command to do so. Remember that the next time you try to escape. I may have forgotten to feed him. If I accidentally say the magic word,” he shrugged and smiled. “Oops, there goes your life.”


The prisoner remained silent the rest of the drive to his nice apartment in the center of town close to the park. Now he understood why no prisoner ever escaped the guardians. His enemy was loaded down with the latest weapons, gadgets and the government made sure they had nothing but time to devote to their prisoners. He realized it would help to know how many prisoners a single guardian controlled. And he promised himself he’d find a way to get that list. By himself it was hopeless, but with the others they could escape.


“Don’t even think about.” Ron lifted a brow in the prisoner’s direction. “Stronger and smarter men have tried and died.”


“What?”


“I suppose I should also tell you that when you were given the collar, a chip was implanted in your head that relates your private thoughts to another gadget of mine and sends it to me.” He tapped his head to drive the thought home.


The prisoner moaned then wept in utter despair as the information was processed. For the first time since her death, John began to think about what he’d done.


"How long will I wear this?" His tear filled eyes glanced at his guardian.


"Now that depends entirely on you."


John didn't ask anymore questions.


“I do love my job.” Ron lifted his hat then readjusted it on his head.


Wolf barked his agreement and the guardian laughed.