text: With a firm grip on my shirt collar, an arm tugged me out of my cubicle office chair. I bent backward, hearing the chair hit the floor at the same time as me. Locking his grip onto my collar, the guy dragged me through a town of cubicles. “What’re you doing?” I asked. “As of this morning, your name is on the Z-List,” I heard the man say. “I’m taking you to your trial.” “It can’t be, no,” I shouted, but the guy continued to drag me out. “Let go of me.” Coworkers were avoiding eye contact, I was getting dragged and no one paid more than a glance to the tall muscle dragging me. My boss walked through the stair-well exit, then as he saw the man dragging me, he moved aside, taking a sip from his coffee mug. I was clawing the floor until tossed into the elevator. \ The muscle brought me into a dark room where he dropped me to a chair. I held my arms against the chair handles in silence. That’s when I hear a click. A lamp brought light to the other side of the room. The dim lamp light revealed a tall, wooden podium extended across the room. Alongside the podium, I saw hooded figures and I couldn’t make out their faces. In the middle, the lamp revealed an older man under the hood. “It would appear that trusted members in society have voted that you require rehabilitation. Before you reenter your community, you must serve the judges of the Z-Watch until you earn a citizen status worthy enough to reenter society.” “What? I don’t know who put my name on that list, but I’m a good member in society, I didn’t commit a crime. I don’t need vigilante rehabilitation.” “My job isn’t to decipher who put your name on that list or why. My job is to evaluate whether you’re a worthy citizen of worth status that qualifies to reenter society.” “Wait-” I tried to talk. The judge hit his hammer. “Silence,” the judge’s voice made me still in my chair. “Your current citizen status is currently set to chaotic.” “Ch-chaotic?” I asked. “As a new member on the Z-List, your status is chaotic by default. You must work your way up to outstanding citizen status again if you want your name off the list.” “What do I need to do?” I asked. “Serve your community. Earn your title as an outstanding citizen and you can rejoin society. The judges of the Z-Watch have been watching over the safety of ordinary citizens such as yourself since before you could open your eyes.” “I’m not a danger. If I am, why not call the cops and jail me?” I asked. “You may have not committed a crime, but trusted members of your community seem to think you require a citizen evaluation and pose a safety risk. The Z-Watch must rehabilitate you before you *do* become a danger to your society. It’s time to serve.” “I can’t serve now, I have a full-time job.” “You won’t go hungry while you serve, son. You’ll get your pay cheque. *Show* the Z-Watch judges that you care for your community. There’s a lot of dirt in this town that needs cleaning and as you’re on the list, it’s time to get your hands dirty. Are you ready?” I couldn’t help but think about how crazy this situation was, I was caught in the net of a vigilante group. They wanted me to volunteer but Z-Watch volunteering isn’t a part-time commitment. It’s like they give you a leash and tie you to your phone. You have to take the calls and do the errands for the Z-Watch Judges around town. It seemed honest at first, but who was I to go out there as a vigilante to help order citizens around? “I can’t do it, I’m just not made to work on the street,” My head turned to the muscle then back to the judge. “Are you sure you want to reenter society as a chaotic citizen?” “I’m sure.” “If that’s the case, then you can go,” the judge gestured for the muscle to untie me. I was out of the chair, “uh judge, thanks for understanding.” “Good luck, son,” the judge said. \-- The muscle gestured me out of the judgement room. It seemed like this trial took place in someone’s place of residence. A small house on a regular block. Time to find the nearest subway station. Everyone on the train was quiet for a moment. Then I started hearing chatter over the screeching train-tracks echoing through the tunnels. People started to bring up their phones to their faces. Afterwards, they started to look at me. My heart pounded as someone to my right nudged me. “Yeah?” I asked, turning to the man on my right. No response from him. He seemed to be uttering mutters under his tongue. “Ch-chaotic Z-Lister,” he muttered. “M-must be controlled.” “Are you okay, sir?” I asked. Everyone on the train broke into chatter. They’re all looking at me as they started to stand. “Young man, how can you walk in here with a chaotic status?” The middle-aged blonde woman told me. Everyone started to stand, gazes gravitating toward me. Their stares sending shivers through my weak knees. Someone came up to me with a phone to their ear, “Z-Lister refuses to serve,” the man said. “Neutralize him before he hurts someone.” “Get the hell away from me,” I realized a crowd started following me off of the train. I flew up the stairs to leave the station. At one point, I felt a blade slice some skin off the back of my neck. Or was it someone’s nail, attempting to claw at me? I jog toward an intersection set to a red stop light. After coming to a stop for a second, I realized I was about to collapse. Not enough energy to raise a finger. With no plan in mind except to get away, I took a right turn to the cars parked along a quiet road. As I turned, my vision revealed the mob on my tail. The on foot chase must’ve lasted more than half an hour. Around twenty or thirty of them, roaring and yelling for me to stop. As I stood in the intersection, I knew I had one of three ways to take. A figure from down the road caught my attention. Is someone calling me? “Over here! Quick, I’m right here,” the man waved, his foot holding the door open to one of the restaurants along the curb. I had my eyes set on the next intersection, I couldn’t stop for this stranger, I thought. Though, I realized I felt an overbearing tiredness, like I’d already exhausted the energy needed to get away. I couldn’t help but keep looking at the man holding the door open, “come in here, I can help you.” “Help *me*?” “I’m on the list. I’m a judged citizen, just like you. Those vigilantes are getting closer, now get in here so I can close the damn door,” the man’s voice escalated. I didn’t have a breath in me to keep running, so I followed him inside. My eyes tracked him as he ensured all locks were snapped shut. He had these glasses with big frames and sweat sliding down the side of his neck. Stuck to his skin was an old dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I wanted to sit down, but we had to shut all the windows as the mob passed the restaurant. I noticed a half empty glass of water on the barstool, “go ahead, drink,” he said. I emptied the glass into my dry throat. While exhaling, I leaned against the bar table, not an eye off the windows. It was starting to get quieter. Most of the crowd passed the restaurant and started heading to the next intersection. “What the heck were you doing out there as a chaotic Z-Lister?” the man asked. “I don’t know why they’re after me... I think the judges are doing more than just cast me out. I think the judges are turning everyone around me insane. One second I’m on the train, next second everyone’s trying to kill me,” I watch the veins on my hand. “Welcome to the list, kid. Guess now’s when you learn what the judges have been really doing to chaotic Z-Listers. Judges have a supercomputer configured to trigger everyone’s emotions to act against you. It doesn’t matter what you are or why you’re on the list. What matters is you get phazed out if you exist with a chaotic status.” “Damn,” my jaw stayed open for a few solid seconds. “That sounds like one messed up piece of tech.” “It’s something, isn’t it? The judges of the Z-Watch. They can’t keep up with everyone on the list on their own. They need a supercomputer to help. A computer that makes sure we stay in the prison.” “The prison?” I tilted my head. He snapped his finger, “wake up Z-lister, since you refuse to volunteer, the judges put you in a cage.” “A cage?” “With a chaotic status, everyone around you gets hacked to break you open until you submit to the judges. The world is a prison until you complete your rehabilitation. That’s why that crowd was after you.” “How could it be like this? What’s happening to the world?” “World is the same. You just woke up today on the wrong list. This was always the nature of this. I reckon at one point, the supercomputer made *you* act out against other chaotic Z-Listers throughout your life.” “How long have you been on the Z-List?” I asked. “Two years.” “Two years? Why are you still on the list? Did you try to serve?” “I served, I broke my knuckles on a daily basis helping put criminals away. I managed to reach the ‘good citizen’ status. But a while into the game I realized, the judges always needed servants, they weren’t just going to let us loose. And as long as we’re still on the list, they can keep up away from society for as long as they please..” “What do we do?” “Run,” the man asked. “Right behind you,” I nodded. “Good,” the man marched to the back of the restaurant, waving to me to follow along. I paced behind him. “There’s a door at the back of this restaurant, we’ll make our way through the alley, then get to a main road to make our way out of here.” I started hearing engines roaring at what seemed like a block away, “You hear those engines? Looks like the Judges already sent their errand boys are here,” L said.”I think we’re about to see a judge real soon.” A roar came into the road. A large black truck, flashing high beams into my eyes. Another truck like it came from the other side of the road, spreading the people on the road apart. They both zoomed toward us and zigzagged to a full stop. A large guy with a cape jumped out of the truck, “you’re coming to see the judge,” said the Z-Watch errand boy. “Jake, when it comes to facing a judge, it’s not a matter of *if* you face trial. It’s a matter of when,” L placed his hands above his head. “Better not struggle. We’re in the palms of the Judges, it’s best to submit before they crush us.” I looked up to the podium, I saw hooded figures and I couldn’t make out their faces. In the middle, an older man had his face revealed. “Please, take my name off the Z-List,” I shouted at the podium. The judge pointed a piece of chalk to a chalkboard behind him. On the board, I saw a column of words. First the word laying on top was, ‘outstanding’, below it was ‘good citizen’. Next the word, ‘satisfactory.‘ ‘Chaotic’ was written and underlined in the very bottom.“ “Once you get to the level of an outstanding citizen,” he tapped the chalk against the board. “Then you’ll get your name off the list. You’ll qualify to get back into society again. But for now, you need to serve.” “You can’t do this to me, you can’t control me like this, I’m an adult,” I noticed my voice rose. “Hell, *you’re* an adult, sir.” “Silence.” “Judge, just outside this room, I saw your Certified Public Accountant certificate... I think this is your part-time job or something,” I took a step closer to the podium. “I know you’re serving this purpose as a vigilante, but I shouldn’t be on the Z-List, I’m a good citizen, I swear.” “Either way, you must begin your rehabilitation or you *will* be permanently programmed out of society itself,” the Judge leaned forward. “Is that clear?” I exhaled out of my nose, “okay.” “Okay what? Do you really want to stay with a chaotic citizen status? No one will even look at you, so wait like a young, respectful gentleman and pick up the call to serve.” “Why...” I take a breath. The judge had to hear this. “How could you vigilantes sit there and judge me like this? Who’s judging what you do as people in our society? You’re a vigilante, you’re not an actual judge.” The judge didn’t respond. He just looked at me. I started feeling uneasy, it started with a bit of chest pain. Then my head started to feel heavy. One of my eyes started to twitch. I looked at the judge and he didn’t seem bothered. “Something the matter, Jake?” My breathing was getting slower, “no, judge.” “You seem exhausted.” I looked at the lamp in front of the Judge, then back down to his stare. He was watching me struggle to take breath. My thoughts started to become unsorted. I began to sweat, it wasn’t out of embarrassment from the Judge watching. I fell off the chair and laid myself on the floor. “Sometimes you’ll stray off the path, but realize, I don’t have to place you behind bars to imprison you,” I heard the judge. I reached my hand up toward the podium. I felt nothing but head pain. I realized he didn’t care for what I was going through, “help,” I called out. “You’re not going to die. Do you feel that? Feel the grasp of our powerful system? We call it the Mother System.” “The system?” My eyes were nearly shut but I was regaining consciousness as he spoke. I remembered the supercomputer me and L were talking about. “It can sift through the code of your brain like nothing else, gazing straight into your soul....” “Please, make it stop.” “My suggestion: free yourself of the chaotic citizen status, serve and volunteer,” he tapped his cane as he stared down at me, I layed there sick, watching him. What was he doing, what sort of system was he talking about? Or was it witchcraft? “J-judge,” I fought to breathe out the words. “Okay, you can turn down the Mother System,” I heard the judge tell a figure next to him. Now, I was regaining my ability to breathe again. “Does the Mother System frighten you?” “What sinister technology is this?” I asked. “The Mother System is programmed to fix subpar citizens. There are no worse citizens than chaotic. See where you stand now?” “I understand you judge, I will serve.” \-- My first service call was helping to wipe the remains of a corpse off an apartment floor. Other days, helping local police control gangs that brought trouble. It was order after order to help law boys clean the streets. Sometimes it was a simple drive along with the neighbourhood watch to help them look out for robberies and the districts with soaring crime rates. Z-Watch representatives would reach me with a phone call. I didn’t know how much of what I was doing mattered. But judges must’ve been the ones who saw the bigger picture. I’m sure the last judge I spoke to sees the bigger picture, they see how Z-Watch props up our communities. My hand was on my phone before it even rang. I stared at it, waiting for a Z-Watch service call. A ring brought up my pulse. I pick up the phone, “hello?” I said. “Hello Z-Lister Jake. I’m a Z-Watch representative.” “I’m listening.” “Okay. You’re getting a big request. This one is priority high.” “Woah,” I react and whisper over to L what the rep told me. “Judges are getting happier with you, but if you want to make them really happy, this is the kind of service you want to do,” the representative continued to tell me that this was the mission that earns us a lot of points with the Judges. The Z-Watch will for sure elevate my status after this one. A young girl in a poor neighbourhood had been kidnapped. Once the girl gets to safety in one piece, I get my satisfactory citizen status, leaving behind the chaotic one. A young black girl disappeared. No one knew where she went, the police officer on the block informed me. The officer said that one of the witnesses told him the girl was last seen with a gangster that lives across the street from her family. Through a reported analysis, the Z-Watch’s Mother System predicts that he’s 95% likely to be the kidnapper. I look at the gangster from a distance. He’s twice my size, “What do you want?” He asked, an annoyed expression sat across his face. I took out my phone to show him a picture of the missing girl, “I need to find that girl.” “What’re you concerned about her for?” “I need to know her whereabouts.” He laughed. “You were last seen with her, you know where she headed?” I ask, not breaking my straight expression or eye contact. “I don’t know..” “You need to tell me where she is.” “I can’t help you.” I ask the gangster once again,“where is the girl?” I ask the gangster. “I don’t know, I’m heading back into my house, get lost,” he slammed the door behind him. “He won’t talk,” I told L. “What now?” “Backup. Our target might require mind control,” L said. “Mind control? What do you mean?” “We extract truth out of him, with the help of the Z-Watch of course.” I watch L bring up his phone, picking one of the numbers on the contact list, he texts one of them, “Is Mother System online?” A response to his text appears in a second, “mother System servers are online.” “The Mother System?” “We want the girl now and alive, yeah? We can make this mission simple, all we really do is text a Z-Watch representative and they’ll have the mother system inside the gangster’s mind and hacked in no time.” “So we’re going to use a system to hack a person’s mind? Don’t you think that’s messed up?” I asked. “Yeah. But if we can’t find the girl, can you really afford to face a judge again?” I shook my head, “no.” I watched L text to the Z-Watch rep, “I need the target to have a fear of level 3, he’s not revealing information about a kidnapped girl”.. This brings a response text to his phone, “A judge accepted your request to the mother system, the system will now modify your target.” “What happens now?” I asked L. “Now watch the gangster’s house.” We stood outside his house. A sudden scream came from the gangster’s home, as if he were trapped in there with a monster. “What the heck is going on in that house?” I asked. “His brain got hacked to elevate his fear level to three. For all I know, the Mother System is making him hallucinate the walls of his home collapsing on him, you’re sure going to make him talk now.” “Wh-what?” The gangster burst outside the house, like a corpse collapsing in his front yard. “Why’re you getting on the ground like that? What’s wrong with you?” I asked him. “I don’t know what’s happening, the inside of the house is hell and you're becoming the shadow as I look at you, I don’t know who drugged me man,” the gangster cried out. “A shadow?” I realized that Mother System must’ve been playing with his emotions, but it seems to have made him hallucinate. L must’ve used a level of fear that was too high when he commanded the system to raise it to three. I don’t know who that guy is. He seems young. I’m not here to hurt him. I just needed answers. I approached the gangster, I felt sorry seeing him lay down like that, “please, where’s the young girl?” I asked. “I can tell you, please don’t hurt me,” the brainwashed gangster said. The gangster started spitting out everything, telling us the kidnapped girl was in his basement. She’s safe now. But what did it take? We had to drive the gangster’s brain into a state of fear. Was that justified? He kidnapped that girl, he has a history of sexual assault. Maybe an investigation wouldn’t have had the same result, but who am I to say? I’m just a service Z-Lister and the Judges pull the strings. I held my phone to my ear, “Jake, I’m a Z-Watch representative. I assume you want an update on your status as a citizen.” “Yeah, I do.” “Well, last job puts you above satisfactory. You go straight to good citizen status.” “What? No Way,” I exhaled relief, a lot of tension fled my mind. “The judges are proud of your recent contribution to your community, making the gangster confess to the kidnapping.” “Thank you,” I hung up the phone. I look at L,“we might’ve been upgraded to satisfactory citizens but we’re still on the Z-List, judges are still judging us.” “For now. But you know how to play the game now, right? We just have to serve.” “I guess.” “This is all for the greater good, we saved that girl, right?” L asked. I didn’t know how to answer him. I used a system to make someone else feel uncomfortable. The judge used this computer system to instill fear in me. Yet I have the audacity to use it to instill fear in others. If I was using something like the Mother System against another person, am I that different from this cult that terrorized me? But I knew it was all to do with my name on that cursed Z-List. I had to keep my neck elevated above a chaotic status. I served the judges and made them happy. In returned they promised Z-Listers freedom and a better tomorrow using us as servants to build the new world.