ORIGINS: The Guardian

Set during the Roman Empire, 1600 years prior to the futuristic The Guardian: Extinction, the Origins bonus chapter offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse of the inner workings of the Guardians of Infinite Knowledge as the Elders plot their course for the future and debate the fate of all mankind.

In a modest house set inside the perimeter of the massive stone wall protecting Mediolanum from invaders, a group of men huddled together in a dimly lit room, discussing their future and that of mankind. Living outwardly ordinary lives, no one outside of their membership knew the true objective of their organization. Known amongst themselves as Elders, they were the leaders of the Guardians of Infinite Knowledge, an ancient order of scholars that, for thousands of years, had assisted kings and emperors in creating great empires, providing them with advanced knowledge that was lightyears ahead of man’s current understanding of math, physics, engineering and astronomy. It was an experiment in human behavior that had just about run its course.

As the senior Elder, Cyrus was the first to speak. “The times are not going well, Marcus Sentius,” he said, his voice neither harsh nor comforting. “Every time we try to help a civilization, it always turns out the same; war, destruction and death. The extent to which they build up their empires is always in direct inverse proportion to how they tear down their adversaries, both from within and without.”

Hesitating, Marcus took a moment to process those words. Tall and muscular, he resembled all of the handsome, dark-haired males in his bloodline, but he had his mother’s fierce determination. “While I don’t disagree with that assessment,” he replied, picking up on the grim undercurrent among the Elders, “the more I advise him, the worse it seems to get. The massacre in Greece, the two civil wars, it’s all taken its toll. As with the others, he is headstrong and domineering, using our knowledge for personal gain rather than to elevate the lives of the masses.”

Leaning forward, Elder Gaius refilled Marcus’ wine glass. “A member of the Guardians has been a part of the royal court of the Roman Empire for centuries,” he said, eyeing the young man they had groomed since birth, “and with each new emperor, we try to make a lasting positive impact, but alas, to no avail.”

“Theodosius has been better than most, but I’m afraid the changes the Elders are seeking will not come by his hand.”

“It has been the same cycle throughout our existence, good intentions gone awry.”

Frustrated, Marcus stood, always able to think better on his feet. “The problem,” he said, pacing the room, “is that while I have the ear of the emperor, I cannot direct him on how to utilize the knowledge we provide him.”

“Nor were you ever intended to direct him,” Cyrus said, pausing as the house was rattled by the passing of a legion of soldiers returning from a skirmish. Even in times of relative peace, peace was an elusive quality. “We are here to share our knowledge in ways that make it seem as if it is their ideas they are acting upon, and then we must allow them to apply it in their own ways.”

“Since all that I share with Theodosius is under the guidance of the Elders, how would you have me proceed?”

After a moment’s somber silence, all eyes turned to Gaius. “We have deliberated long and hard over this,” he said, nodding to the others, “and we have concluded that this madness must come to an end.”

“I agree,” Marcus said, throwing his arms up in despair, “but how?”

At this, Cyrus rose to his feet, placing his strong hands on the younger man’s shoulders. “You must assassinate the emperor,” he said, looking directly into his eyes. “With him gone, it will conclude our assistance, once and for all, leaving the empire to slowly deteriorate, putting an end to our participation in the savagery that seems to always overshadow their greatness.”

Shocked, Marcus studied each of the Elders, seeing they were dead serious. “Are you certain about this?” he asked, his mind reeling with the implications. “This is something that can never be undone.”

“There is no other way. Once Theodosius is dead, the Visigoths will deem their treaty of AD 382 with the Empire to have ended, and that will set the stage for King Alaric to gather the forces necessary to sack Rome, a seminal event that will eventually lead to the fall of the Roman Empire. Out of that chaos will grow the natural order of man’s existence.”

“Your prediction may one day come to pass, but it will take Alaric years to be strong enough to pull off such a feat.”

“A decade, a century, a millennium; the passage of time means nothing to us. However, within twenty years, no later than AD 415, Rome will be laid bare, and then the decline will begin, but by that time, we will be long gone.”

Although Marcus had the power to veto the Elders, he knew in his heart that their assessment was accurate. “Where will we go from here?” he asked, having several thoughts of his own in that regard.

“Into the sands of time,” Gaius said, his voice firm, his eyes sad, “leaving humanity to their own devices.” He paused, shrugging. “Perhaps it will turn out that our meddling was the problem, and we will find that people cannot succeed unless they figure these things out for themselves, advancing at their own pace, in their own way.”

“It sounds as if we will no longer be sharing our knowledge with others.”

“Never say never,” he said, making it clear it would not be during their lifetimes. “When the time is right, the Guardians will return.”

Seeing that they were in unanimous consent, Marcus resigned himself to carrying out their decree. “How shall I kill him?” he asked, never having imagined a day like this might come.

Cyrus handed him a small box. “We would not ask you to do the actual deed, but with security so tight, we need your assistance.”

Pocketing the box, he didn’t bother to look inside. “What do you need me to do?” he asked, ready to have done with it.

“Just before sundown, you will exit the palace to the east, distracting the guards in a manner that will allow our man to slip inside and up to Theodosius’ bedroom chambers. Since the emperor is already suffering from disease, our assassin will have no problem making it seem as though he died of natural causes.”

“And the box?”

“What’s inside of the box is for you … in case you are captured.”