POWER OR FREEDOM

POV: Joseph Weli

Location: ♾️

Time: infinity

When you finally opened your eyes, the first thing you could see was the blinding light from a large florescent bulb. It was not the type you could find in a hospital but rather the type you could find in an office or a business auditorium.

Wait a minute, I can open my eyes?

Immediately you jumped up to your feet and took a defensive stance. Only to see yourself in front of a desk with a put together woman in a blue suit, holding a half opened novel, starring at you.

Woman: Are you finally awake?

(She did not give you a chance to answer)

Take a seat. Let us begin.

You: Begin what? Who the fuck are you?

Woman: (sighs) Every frickin time.

Listen up mortal, I have been called so many things by so many people over so many years that I don't even remember my own name. Destiny, Karma, the Fate you name it. However if you wish to call me something simply call me the guardian as that is what I prefer.

Wait this is destiny?

Woman: Not what you were expecting?

You: Honestly, Yes. I was expecting.....

Woman: Let me guess, a excessively beautiful woman, dressed in the richest of clothing and seated on a golden throne?

(Her tone was dripping with mockery)

You humans are so predictable.

You: So you choose a desk because you prefer it?

Woman: I chose the desk because it reminds people that true power can come from anyway. For instance the person sitting on the desk in the oval office has the power of the country behind him even though he/she does not wear a crown. So also the person who sits as a stockbroker in his office has the power of wall street behind him. Did you not know this?

You: All right then guardian, where the hell am I?

Guardian: Simply put you are in the infinity veil. It is the world between the mortal world and the afterlife.

You: Wait dose that mean I'm....

Guardian: Dead? Yes. You and your sister were taken out by the bomb the mercenaries wore.

You: So my sister is dead as well?

Guardian: Yes. Although I would be much more concerned about me if I were you.

So much for that line of questioning

You: Was there anything left of my body?

Guardian: Well most of it ended up as puddle on new money roof, but the part that survived was given a very lavish funeral. Your achievement was catalogued in a separate archive in wall street and they posthumously awarded you the best stock broker ever. As for your properties and businesses, well let's just say that your lawyer was very strict with your will and your daughter and her mother will not lack anything for the next 12,000 years.

Despite your better judgement you could not help but smile

You: And my sister?

Guardian: (laughs) Ha!! That one was buried in what the papers called 'the most expensive funeral ever and her peace proposal passed through the UN in the first ever unanimous vote of the general assembly. If you ask me, I think most of them voted for the motion out of respect for her memory. Is there anything else you would like to know.

You: Yes. What do you want with me?

She raised an eyebrow in amusement.

Guardian: Why do think I would want something with you?

You: Because we are having this conversation.

(You replied casually)

If as your name implies you are the guardian of life and death then you could have simply sent me to the afterlife. Instead in the last few minutes I have been here, you have been showing me how irreversible my situation is and reminding me that I and my sister's fate depends on your generosity. That is something I would do before a negotiation and I only negotiate when you have something I want.

She looked intently at you for a while then she burst into a beautiful laughter

Guardian: You really are the greatest stock broker of all time.

(She said admidst laughter.

She then joined her palms together, placed them across her chest and leaned on the table across you.)

Let me ask you something mortal, do you know why an immortal like me would be interested in a flimsy existence like yours?

(You shook your head)

Boredom

You: Boredom?

(You echoed in surprise)

Guardian: Of course. I have lived for so long that there is nothing new and impressive to me anymore. That is why to keep from being bored I follow the life journey of very interesting mortals such as you and your sister. To be honest, I think it is a crying shame that to of my favorite actors lived through so much only to end up as puddle on their favorite rooftop.

You: So you plan to remedy this? Bring us back to life?

(You struggled to keep the hope from your voice)

Guardian: Even if I wanted to, I couldn't. Your bodies have already been buried so there will be no vessel to transfer your essence into.

You: But can't you just create another one?

Guardian: There are rules against that sort of thing mortal.

You: Oh.

(You said as your raising hope quickly came crashing down)

Guardian: But lucky for you I am an expert at spotting loopholes. You see while the rule makes it clear that I cannot actively influence this realm, it never said anything about any other realm that I create.

You: You are going to send us to a realm you created? What realm is this?

Rather than reply she casually turned the novel she was reading and words could not portray your shock as you immediately recognized the cover.

You: The magician's trick? You are sending me into my own book.

Guardian: I believe the book is long overdue for a spinoff. Don't you agree?

I think I am going to call that spinoff 'the tyrants pet". What do you think?

You: I think you are fucking crazy.

Guardian: Be that as it may

(She said with a shrug)

I'm going to ask you a question and I will have to insist on an answer.

You: Fire away.

(You said with resignation)

Guardian: Judging from your experiences in life, what do you think is the most important? Power or freedom?

It did not take you a second to realize that this was a test and judging from her stern gaze,any answer you were about to give was bound to have some serious consequences.

You: Neither is more important than the other because you cannot get one without aquiring the other. A prisoner cannot become the warden while a warden in chains is no different from a prisoner. A slave cannot gain power while a free weakling would only be used by those stronger than him.

A part of you had wanted her to be impressed by your analogy but her facial expression remained the same.

Guardian: As refreshing as your view on the matter is, I asked you a question and I must insist on a singular answer. Power or freedom, Which do you prefer?

You took a moment to think back to your childhood as a blind orphan who was struggling on the street of New York. You were powerless and often hungry back then but you had the freedom to do whatever you wanted, whenever you wanted to.

And what good did that freedom do for me?

You thought to yourself

Did it protect me from hunger and thirst? Did it protect me from those who wished to do me harm? Did it help protect those I love from almost dying in front of me?

Besides is anyone ever free anyways?

You: Power

(You replied with conviction)

Because with enough power I can take anything I want including freedom. The strong rule and the weak serve. No man with enough power will ever bow his head.

Her eyes flashed with surprise but it disappeared with such speed that you were not sure you had not imagined it.

Guardian: You know I am so glad you made that choice.

(She said with an undisguised glee)

I believe it will just make things much more interesting going forward.

Enjoy your power my friend...

While you still have it.

Without saying another word she lifted her right hand right hand up and snapped her fingers.

LIGHT FLOODED YOUR VISION

"A man's worst fear is his own imagination. Are you ready to face the world you imagined?"