A guard was assigned to the hall, and the new shift in the control center were ordered to maintain a higher standard of observance on the most dangerous prisoners. They would comply readily--they were replacing their fellows, who were now awaiting their own punishment for failing to sound the alarm. Too many for him to personally see to. He only had time to give them a lecture on their insufficient work. The punishments themselves would be carried out by other guards he found more promising.
After that, he still had hours of regular duties to attend to before he could rest. He'd had vague plans for the end of his day. A few moments of time when his services were not required, and he could relax. But the exhaustion brought on by his punishment was both mental and physical. He ate mechanically, winced his way through scrubbing himself clean in the shower, and then wasted little time in falling asleep.
He awoke some hours later. Not as rested as he'd hoped, but enough: He lay there and listened to the Spire for a few long minutes, and the pulsing hum in his head matched its rhythm once more.
He wasn't idle for long. Reading reports while he ate a ration for breakfast, dispatching orders to the watch captains, filling in more plans for the next phase of construction... and requesting that he be alerted when Prisoner #836 fell asleep.
The alert was well-timed. He'd hit the limits of his ability to think through the plans for now. Punishing something was a far more straightforward exercise. Down to the cell he went, taking a few tools with him in a case.
As expected, the prisoner was asleep. He approached quietly, setting down the case and pulling out a riding crop. For training others, he would usually select something less forgiving. But the lack of a proper collar to ease the process of submission meant he had to be more careful.
He stood there for a moment, considering his options, before giving the prisoner a stinging blow across the thighs.
no subject
After that, he still had hours of regular duties to attend to before he could rest. He'd had vague plans for the end of his day. A few moments of time when his services were not required, and he could relax. But the exhaustion brought on by his punishment was both mental and physical. He ate mechanically, winced his way through scrubbing himself clean in the shower, and then wasted little time in falling asleep.
He awoke some hours later. Not as rested as he'd hoped, but enough: He lay there and listened to the Spire for a few long minutes, and the pulsing hum in his head matched its rhythm once more.
He wasn't idle for long. Reading reports while he ate a ration for breakfast, dispatching orders to the watch captains, filling in more plans for the next phase of construction... and requesting that he be alerted when Prisoner #836 fell asleep.
The alert was well-timed. He'd hit the limits of his ability to think through the plans for now. Punishing something was a far more straightforward exercise. Down to the cell he went, taking a few tools with him in a case.
As expected, the prisoner was asleep. He approached quietly, setting down the case and pulling out a riding crop. For training others, he would usually select something less forgiving. But the lack of a proper collar to ease the process of submission meant he had to be more careful.
He stood there for a moment, considering his options, before giving the prisoner a stinging blow across the thighs.