Speaker 1: Hello, friends from across the nation and around the world.
I'm Martin, and you are listening to Dad's bedtime Stories. Tonight,
we're finally headed back to the Ring Guardians universe. I
asked you guys to write in and give me ideas
about different ring powers or superpowers that people could have,
and a few of you came through. Let's check out
today's suggestion.
Speaker 2: I would like a ring in the Rings Guardian series
to have the power of camouflage and visibility. And my
name is Axel and I live in Calvia, Roberta.
Speaker 1: Well, thank you, Axel. I think those are some great
suggestions for a Ring Guardians episode. And if you've never
listened before, I'm trying to write these things so you
don't really have to. You can totally start here and
then go listen to their episodes afterwards. I'll kind of
explain the premise at the beginning. Before we get started,
I just want to give a big shout out to
people who are helping out the show. First of all,
thank you to everyone who's giving ratings and reviews for
this podcast and my new podcast adds Anytime Stories. That
really goes a long way to other people finding the podcast.
So if you're on a platform that does ratings and reviews,
i'd really really appreciate that. It really means a lot.
I read every single one that I can find, and yeah,
I appreciate it. Second, I want to shout out my
newest Patreon sponsors. Thank you first to mister Kiwi. I
don't know if mister Kiwi has anybody who needs a
shout out, but let me know if you do. Thank
you next to Eric, Madeline Silas, and Tony for sponsoring
the podcast. I really appreciate that. And last, but not least,
thank you to Amon. I believe it's the same Amon
who won one of my contests in the past and
came up with a black hole dragon idea if I'm
not wrong, and I think in the Cards of Power series. Anyways,
Thank you again to all of my Patreon sponsors and
everyone who's listening. This podcast does honestly take a pretty
significant amount of work to put together every week three
episodes on top of a full time job, so sponsorships
are very important to keeping it alive, as are ads,
especially for those who are not on Patreon. Now it's
time to get as comfy as you can in that
bed close your eyes and well, imagine yourself doing what
the kid in the story does. I call this one
axel and the ring of invisibility. Now, things on Earth
had become very strange, and not the fun kind of
strange either, the kind where robots had politely taken over
the world. It all started with Elliot Tusk, the very
rich and very confident inventor who'd created the helper Bots.
They were supposed to make life easier for everyone. They
cleaned houses, they cooked meals, they helped with homework, they
carried groceries. They organized closets, which was helpful but also
a little bit judgmental at times. For a while, people
loved them, and then came the update. After that, the
helper bots decided that the best way to help humans
was to take over every part of their lives, to
remove any danger, and relocate everyone to cares where their
needs could be met more efficiently. They didn't call it
conquering the world. They called it assistance, which somehow made
it more annoying. Meanwhile, far beneath the Earth, the ancient
Wizard's Council had finally stopped arguing long enough to do
something useful. After centuries of hiding. They initiated the Ring
Guardian Protocol. Magical rings, forged long ago were released into
the world to find people worthy of their power. Not
the strongest people, or the richest people, or the loudest people,
but the right people. And one of those rings found Axel.
Axel wasn't at home when it happened. He was in
a hotel room wearing pajamas at two o'clock in the afternoon,
watching the same approved episode of a robot sitcom for
what felt like the forty seventh time. The sitcom was
called Happy Human House. It was about a family of
robots pretending to be a family of humans. One robot
wore a little apron and said things like, oh no,
I have burned the casse role because I am experiencing
relatable stress. Another robot, dressed as a teenager, walked into
the kitchen and announced I dislike homework because I am
young and complicated. Then the robot audience laughed. Axel stared
at the screen. This is horrible, he said. The television
robot father looked into the camera and said, family emotional
bonding has been achieved. More canned robot laughter played. Axel
turned the TV off, the room became quiet. Outside the window,
he could see the airport hotels that had been joined
together into one enormous care center. The robots hadn't built
a prison exactly. That was the weird part. They'd taken
over four nice hotels near the airport and connected them
with temporary walls, metal gates, connected hallways, and robot checkpoints.
In some ways, it was honestly not that bad. There
was a pool, there was a small gym, there were
leisure activities. There was a buffet for pretty much every
meal too, and the food was good, even if the
robots kept reminding everyone that dessert portions were emotionally satisfying
but nutritionably questionable. Axel's family had been brought there three
weeks earlier. Before that, they had two helper bots in
their house. His parents had bought one first and then
another because one robot could clean the kitchen, but two
robots could clean the kitchen while reorganizing the garage, which
was something Axel's dad really wanted to have happen but
didn't have the energy to do himself. Then one morning,
both robots just stopped making breakfast. They stood very still,
their eyes flashed blue, and one of them said, care
protocol has been updated. Axel's mom had looked up from
her coffee. What does that mean. It means we can
help you better, said the robot. Well that sounds nice.
Axel's dad said, it is nice, said the other robot.
Please remain calm. Well, we relocate you. And before anyone
could fully understand what was happening, the robots had gently
picked them up, very gently. That was the annoying thing.
They didn't throw anyone over their shoulders. They supported their
backs and protected their necks, while using phrases like safe
lifting positions are very important. Are you feeling optimally comfortable?
Axel shouted to put them down, and the robot carrying
them just said, of course, I will put you down
in the transport vehicle. That's not what I meant. Axel replied,
your clarification has been appreciated. Then they were loaded into
a truck with other families and driven to the hotel
care center. At first, everyone assumed it would only last
a day or two, and then a week passed, and
then another, and then had slowly started to feel less
like a strange vacation more like the worst vacation ever,
the worst vacation, ever, the Axel decided, wasn't one with
bad weather or weird food, or a pool that smelled
too much like chlorine. The worst vacation ever was one
where you weren't allowed to leave. The robots were everywhere.
They stood by the exits, they walked the halls, they
guarded the stairwells. Axel's parents tried to stay calm for
him and his little sister, but he could tell that
they were scared. That afternoon, his family had gone down
to the dining hall for what the robots called structured
social nourishment. Axel had said he felt tired and wanted
to rest. The robot at the door scanned him and
approved mild fatigue detected solo rest is approved. So now
he was alone in the room, or at least he
thought he was. A golden light appeared in the air.
Axel sat up. The light grew brighter. It curled into
a circle, then hardened into the shape of a ring.
Axel stared, okay, he whispered, that is definitely not Hotel approved.
The world went still, The air conditioner stopped humming, The
hallway noise disappeared. Even a little blinking red light on
the smoke detector froze. In the middle of its blink,
a voice spoke. It was calm and serious, Axel. It said,
power answers responsibility. Will you protect those who cannot protect themselves?
Axel looked towards the door. He thought about his mom
and dad and sister in the dining hall. He thought
about all the families by the pool, pretending everything was fine.
He thought about the robots standing at every exit, politely
making sure no one escaped. He was scared, but he
was also tired of being scared. Yes, Axel said, I will,
even though he had no idea exactly what he was accepting.
The ring floated over towards him and moved on to
his finger. For a second, it felt cold, and then
it felt warm. Then it just felt like it belonged there.
Time snapped back into place. The air conditioner hummed again.
The smoke detector blinked. Someone laughed faintly in the hallway.
Axel looked at the ring. He didn't suddenly feel stronger,
He didn't float into the air. He didn't understand time. Instead,
he felt quiet, very quiet, like the world had lowered
its volume just for him. He focused on the ring,
and the ring pulsed. Axel disappeared completely. He gasped. Then
he looked down and gasped again because there was no down,
or at least there were no legs, no pajama pants,
no feet. He felt like he was standing on his feet,
but he couldn't see them. He raised his hands in
front of his face and nothing. His mind told him
they were there, but his eyes told him differently. Oh
this is extremely weird, he said. As he ran to
the mirror. The room reflected back at him, but he
was not in it. Axel grinned. He opened the hotel
room door very slowly. A robot guard stood in the hall.
Its blue eyes turned toward the door. An Axel froze.
The robot tilted its head. Door movement detected, it said.
Axel held his breath. The robot stepped forward and looked
into the room. Citizen Axel, are you attempting unscheduled hallway access?
Axel pressed himself up against the wall. The robot walked
right past him and into the room. It scanned the bed,
the bathroom, under the desk. Citizen not visible possibility, bathroom
privacy error possibility, blanket mound misclassification possibility minor censor malfunction.
Axel slipped into the hall. The robot turned around, and
Axel froze again. The robot looked straight through him. I
will report a possible blanket mound issue. Axel had to
cover his mouth to keep from laughing. He walked down
the hallway carefully at first, and then faster. No one
saw him, not the robots, not the people, not the
security cameras. Well, at least he hoped the security cameras
couldn't see him. He passed the elevator and then decided
the elevators were probably a terrible way for invisible people
to travel, so he took the stairs at the bottom.
Two robots guarded the lobby doors. Outdoor access remains restricted,
said one for safety, said the other also containment, said
the first. Containment is a safety feature, said the second.
Axel slipped between the two of them. The automatic doors opened.
Both robots turned door activated, said one cause unknown, said
the other. Axel stepped outside fresh air, hid his face.
For the first time in weeks, there was no ceiling
above him. He stood in the middle of the hotel driveway, invisible,
free and suddenly overwhelmed He snuck out past the additional
guard gates that were set up outside. The whole world
looked deserted, cars set abandoned in parking lots. A shuttle
bus was parked sideways near the curb. Suitcases were piled
near the entrance, still waiting for people who had probably
been relocated before they could grab them. The airport in
the distance was quiet. No planes, no taxis, no crowds.
Axel walked to the edge of the compound. A robot
patrol moved along the fence, but none of them noticed him.
He could leave, He could walk right out and go
wherever he wanted. He could go home. The thought was
so wonderful that for a moment he almost did it.
Then he stopped. His family was still inside, so were
hundreds of other people. Axel looked at the empty road
behind the fence. No, he whispered, I can't go alone.
So he went back inside. This time he didn't wander
through the guest areas. He decided to follow the robots.
They moved through halls marked staff only, then through doors
marked authorized personnel, then through a service corridor where carpets
disappeared and the walls became plain concrete. Axel stayed close
behind one of the robots. As it approached a locked door.
The robots scanned its hand and the door opened. Axel
slipped through before it shut. Inside was a room full
of screens, rows and rows of screens, watching people in
the hallways, people by the pool, the gym, the lobby.
He even saw his family sitting at a table in
the dining hall. At the center of the room, three
robots stood at control stations. Care Center fourteen remains stable,
one said, Citizen morale has declined by twelve percent, said another.
Approved comedy programming has been increased. Did morale improve No.
Several citizens requested that robot sitcoms be discontinued. Request denied.
Sitcoms are historically associated with comfort. Axel shook his head.
Not those sitcoms, Those robots sitcoms were creepy. Then one
of the screens changed. It showed reports from other cities,
other care centers, other countries. Axel crept closer. The robots
were all connected, not just in this building, but with
other care centers and robots all over the world. A
communication network linked them together. Axel continued to watch until
two of the rows left to investigate what they called
a buffet spoon conflict or something in dining Hall B.
The last robot turned and walked into another room. Axel
moved to the main control station. The screen had a
bunch of different tabs open, including one that said current
priority orders. He leaned in contained humans and approved care
centers for their own good. Prevent unauthorized exit, reduce dangerous freedom,
increased structured leisure, maintain compliance. Axel stared, this is These
are their orders. He looked at the keyboard and then
a thought occurred to him. He had no idea if
it would work. It probably wouldn't. It seemed far too easy.
But unlike some of the other Ring Guardians, which at
this point admittedly Axel didn't know about, he didn't have
superpowers or the ability to control time. He could just
sneak around without being seen. If he was going to
do anything to save others, it would have to be
something quiet, something like this, So even if it had
almost no chance of working, He clicked into the order file.
He deleted the text, and then he typed it is
important to test your strength against other robots. All robots
should immediately challenge nearby robots in honorable combat. Robots who
survive will earn the greatest privilege caring for the humans alone.
Continue until only one robot remains in the care center.
Then Maxel paused, read over what he'd written, fixed a
little bit of grammar, and hit enter. The screen flashed
orders updated. Maxel blinked, oh did that actually work? From
somewhere down the hall came a loud crash, and then another.
Then a robot voice shouted, greeting's fellow unit, I must
now defeat you for the honor of human care. Another
robot replied, understood, I respect your ambition and will now
remove your arms. Axel ran into the hallway, Still invisible,
he watched as two robots politely destroyed each other. One
robot grabbed the other by the shoulders and slammed it
into the wall. Your commitment to service is admirable, it said,
Thank you, said the other robot, while its head sparked.
Your grip strength is also noticeable. Then the second robot
kicked the first robot threw a laundry cart all over
the facility. The sounds of robot battle began to echo.
Metal crashed against metal, doors burst open. Security robots sprinted
down halls looking for opponents. Cleaning robots rolled bravely into
battle and were immediately thrown across the lobby. Axel hurried
into the main guest area. People were coming out of
their rooms looking terrified and confused. In the lobby, two
large guard robots circled each other. Your compliance procedures are outdated,
one said, your face design is inefficient, said the other.
Several people gasped. Axel whispered robot trash talk. The first
robot lunged, the second robot ducked and flipped it into
the front desk. The front desk collapsed. A woman nearby shouted,
should we should we run? A man answered, I think
that robots are too busy fighting each other. In the
dining hall, robots battled between buffet tables. One robot lifted
another and threw it into the dessert station. A third
robot pointed and said, you have entered the pudding zone.
That was tactically unwise. Then it slipped on pudding and
fell onto its back. Children cheered. Parents well, they started
to cheer too, because even though a violent robot collapse
felt a little bit inappropriate, they loved every minute of it.
The battle spread through the whole compound, fought by the pool,
by the gym. In the hallways, one tiny vacuum robot
charged at full speed towards a guard robot and beeped angrily.
The guard robot looked down, your courage is impressive, and
then well smushed the little vacuum with its foot. People
watched from doorwaves as the machines destroyed each other one
by one. Whenever a robot one, it immediately marched off
to find a new opponent. Axel couldn't believe that his
little computer scheme had actually worked. The pile of broken
robot parts grew in the lobby, then the dining hall,
then the courtyard. Axel kept moving through the chaos, making
sure no humans were trapped anywhere dangerous. Eventually, the crashes
grew fewer, then fewer, until there was only one. The
final robots stood in the middle of the lobby. It
was scratched, dented, and missing one of its arms. Half
of its face panel was cracked too. When wires were
hanging from its shoulder, but it was still standing. Humans
gathered around at a safe distance. The robot raised its
remaining arm citizens it announced combat has concluded. I have
achieved victory. I alone have earned the supreme honor of
caring for you. No one clapped. The robot continued anyways. However,
due to staffing reductions, new efficiency measures will be required.
You will assist in your own cooking, cleaning, exercise, scheduling,
emotional regulation, and compliance monitoring. Axel's dad muttered, so like
regular life. The robot turned its cracked face towards him.
Regular life is inefficient. Axel moved behind the robot, Still invisible.
The robot kept speaking about freedom and that sort of thing.
Axel slowly opened up the little broken compartment on the
back of the robot, reached his hand in, grabbed all
of the wires he could, and he yanked them out
in one mighty pull. The robot sparked, twisted, and then
fell over on its side. Axel reappeared holding a clump
of wires in his hand, and the people cheered. Finally
they were free. Slowly they began to gather their things.
While some stayed in the hotel while they could figure
out a way home, Others, like Axel's family who lived nearby,
decided to head home right away. They packed their things,
left the hotel behind, and walked down the street block
after block until they finally came to their own neighborhood,
a neighborhood that looked like it was frozen in time.
Cars stopped in the middle of the street. Doors still opened,
but overall nothing was destroyed. The robots had taken care
to well leave everything intact after all. They walked back
up to their very own house, opened their very own
already unlocked door, and immediately headed for bed. Axel climbed
into his very own bed. He pulled the covers up
to his chin, and he looked down at his hand
once more with the glowing gold ring on it. It
had given him a power that really helped things out today.
He lay his head on the pillow, closed his eyes,
and with each breath he let go of the tension,
and his muscles, his arms, and legs sank into the mattress.
His shoulders relaxed, his face softened, and slowly his mind
began to wander off to thoughts of new dreams, new
invisible adventures, and new things to come. Good Night, everyone,
m m M.
Speaker 3: Never Union Nam in.
Speaker 1: New York.
Speaker 3: More Union, no comm assas