Controlled environment

[Aardvark]

Unseen by the masses milling around him, the figure moved along through the crowd, occasionally reaching out and brushing the flesh of one of the creatures around it. They would turn around to see who touched them, but would see nothing. This was how it was meant to be, however. The figure was invisible to them through it's own means for it's own reasons. It continued through the crowded streets of the city, noting the various sites, sampling the various smells, occasionally reaching out and gently brushing the flesh of a passer by.

 

It traveled through a less crowded street into an area designated the slave markets. It observed several of the creatures chained in pens, awaiting sale. It listened to a voice booming over the crowds, a salesman's pitch for the hardest workers around. The conclusion from this was a raid on a neighbouring village was more than successful. The figure quickly made it's way out.

 

As it left, it passed a group of small children holding down and beating an even smaller child. There were elders around, but none made any move to break this up. The figure resisted the temptation to aid the smaller child and continued on it's way.

 

It past an old temple. A relic of an age long past, it was currently being used as a brothel. The figure watched various customers enter through the once-grand arch, then shook it's head. As it continued on it's way, it noted several customers sneaking into a side entrance hidden down a dark alley.

 

A few streets down, a riot had broken out. The cause was unknown, as all riots are, but the mercenary thugs hired to keep the peace were already on the scene, dealing out eternal peace. The bodies of civilians lay in the streets, some still thrashing around. Wounds from the cruel swords and axes carried could be identified, as could tooth and claw marks from the guards' reptilian mounts. The observer watched the few remaining civilians scattering, pursued by the guards, before leaving the area.

 

Further down one of the streets, the reptilian mounts of the guards could be seen tied up outside a house. Shouting and screaming was coming from the house, but the observer didn't bother with it. It already knew what was going on.

 

It's last stop was the capital building. A grand palace, the only structure in the city that received regular maintenance. Surrounded by an ancient moat that had recently been filled with sharp stakes, cruel chunks of jagged metal and other pointy objects. The only way across was the drawbridge. More mercenary guards were here, searching anyone who didn't look like they had a right to be here. Shielded from their vision, the observer silently moved past them, brushing one's arm as it went.

 

Inside, there were slaves cleaning and polishing, being overseen by large men with larger whips. These were of no interest to the observer, who went straight to the council chamber. A long line of peasants who had brought their grievances guided it to the chamber. At the head of the queue, guards stood either side of an ornate portal. Once in a while, the doors would open and someone would leave, downcast more often than not. Then the guards would close the doors and wait for a bell, then send one more in. The observer waited patiently until such an opportunity occurred, then slipped inside.

 

Inside, the dictator of this realm, a rather fat individual, surrounded by guards, seen to by various servants, sat on an ancient throne. Peasants would come, kneel before him, tell him of their problems, then be sent away when they fail to make a sufficiently large offering. This was the observer's final task. It moved behind the obese official and pulled out a small probe. Holding it over the fat man's head, it brought it down hard. All the man noticed was the slightest breeze over his scalp, not realising his entire brain had just been scanned and copied. With this done, the observer pulled a small device out of it's clothes, pressed a red button and disappeared in the blink of an eye. It's presence there was never even noted

 

It reappeared inside a large laboratory and disabled it's invisibility device. A few other individuals were present in the lab, awaiting it's return. No words were passed between them, yet thoughts were shared. Telepathy had its advantages. The figures seemed to come to some form of consensus. An unheard signal went out and was received by another individual in a hanger, some distance away. It'd been waiting for this for some time. Finally, some action, it thought. It hopped into the cockpit of it's craft and jetted out of the hanger. The option of invisibility was open to it, but there was no point.

 

On the ground, the inhabitants of the city were startled by a screaming noise from the heavens. No one could make out the shape as it approached, the sun to it's back, but it's intentions became clear soon enough, as bolts of energy were unleashed upon the city. Buildings were demolished, streets melted and people vapourised by the bolts as they smashed into the ground. The craft skimmed as low as it could, releasing more bolts into the masses. The pilot could take it's time with this task, there was nothing they could do and nowhere they could go. It banked sharply as it left the city, to avoid smashing into the large energy dome separating this area from the rest of the planet. On it's second run, it circle strafed around the city, unleashing another barrage of energy bolts, wiping out everything up to the moat surrounding the palace at the center of the city. Then it burned towards the palace.

 

The dictator looked out his window at the destruction. For the first time in his life, he prayed to the gods who's temple he'd ordered desecrated. Then it dawned on him. The old tales. "We will watch over you always, as long as you do not stray. Pray you never have to see us." He gulped, then held his ears as the craft roared overhead.

 

The pilot climbed sharply as it was over the palace. After climbing a hundred meters or so, it pressed a small button on one of the panels. A small round ball fell from the back of the craft, accelerating towards the ground. The pilot steered his craft through an opening in the energy dome above the city as the bomb struck. Below it, the ground was bathed in purple fire. Screams of the dying were drowned out by the roar of energy released from the device. Seconds later, it was over. No trace of the city remained. The entire area was nothing more than a burnt patch on the ground.

 

The observers received thought from the pilot. The experiment had been terminated successfully. Sure, there were salvageable components, but there were other experiments. The samples taken during the final analysis would be archived along with the records of this one, incase a future team wished to further investigate the phenomena discovered in this one.

[Tamaranis]

I'd say I agree with Zool on your writing in that you leave your readers wondering. This seems like a unique and complex setting, but you only let us see a tiny portion of it. One could infer about exactly what is going on, but it would be nice to see some background, or aftermath, or something.

[lumpenproletariat]

*prods Aardvark to apply*

 

Even though you're australian, you're too good to not join!

 

waiting your next glimpse into a tiny portion of a unique world...