The Bag - Master of the Games/The Guard

This microfiction is part of a series. In order:

The Bag; Jason's Dilemma; The Girl; Jason and the Girl; The Skewered Apple; Girl, Disrupted; Reward; Him;

You may want to visit those first for context.

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He's like Moriarty. Crossed with Caligula. Do you know your Sherlock Holmes and your Roman Emperors? Well, look them up. You won't be disappointed.

He's clever. And he's mad. Oh, and he's cruel.

Who is he? I don't know his name. I don't call him anything. I just do what he asks. Because if I don't...

So, I am Master of the Games. Master? Don't make me laugh! I'm just a puppet, with his hand up my arse, squeezing my innards and holding my life in his hideous hand and with it, he twists and directs and I follow. I can do nothing less.

I did wonder when I worked in defence, if I was exposing myself to exploitation from nefarious powers. It went through my mind but you don't think about it that seriously, do you? It's a job. This is the realm of the paranoid, some far-fetched movie script. But when I first encountered him, after my predecessor mysteriously vanished, every hair on my body vibrated. If they had a voice, they'd have shrieked.

I didn't discover the Perceptives: Malcolm did. My predecessor. His daughter was one. I don't know where he is now. Or his daughter. But it wasn't his discovery that was his undoing; it was Malcolm's sharing of it and him finding out.

Could you imagine what it would be like to be faced with an army of individuals with extraordinary mind powers? Who can appear, disappear, maybe control outcomes, behaviour, death tolls? If you could harness that power?

He could. He wants it for himself and he's enjoying the process of finding out its extent.

Poor Malcolm was forced to create the Disruptors, to distort. He resisted this, I know.

Master of the Games. It is his macabre title for me. I am tasked with discovering the extent of these powers, of the Perceptives. Catch them. Watch them. To him, it's entertainment. Tempt them with freedom. Push them. Laugh at their failing.

He won't stop until he has absolute control. I have to play along.

Or else.

But something is different this time. This girl and now this man...

I hope I get to see how it plays out.

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366 Words

Master of the Games/The Guard is not a willing participant in these "Games" but it sounds like they are more tests or trials than games as such. I wonder how he is being coerced, what "He" has over him to make The Guard/Master do stuff? And Malcolm and his daughter? Are they still around somewhere? Or victims? Do we return to Jason now? Or the girl? What are Disruptors?

Let me know your thoughts!

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