first trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement, the Champions are free to decide amongst themselves what order the groups leave in. Once that's done the process of teleporting is automatic and happens in the blink of an eye. Once second they're in the center of the cafeteria before a soft blue light surrounds them and then they're standing in the middle of a circle of podiums.

The room itself it the same shiny, chrome-covered atrocity as most of the rest of the ship save for the sections of floor that aren't the teleporter: those are thick clear glass that show nothing but empty space and stars beneath the Champions' feet. As for the podiums they're the same sort of garish chrome with a digital screen facing toward the center of the circle. The screens each have a name and title associated with a Champion written in green block letters, all save for Chloe Price, the Champion of Max Caulfield, Miki Naoki, the Champion Support and Chitose Karasuma, the Champion of Mediocrity. Theirs are a striking red and, floating above their podiums, are greyscale portraits framed in some kind of bold, mechanical-looking frame.

The Overseers are waiting when they all arrive, standing on a floating platform just high enough to be out of reach and back far enough toward a far wall to have a full view of the courtroom. Both are dressed well, Rox in a pressed grey dress jacket and skirt and Blaze in a black suit with the sleeves rolled up to expose his numerous tattoos.Rox is again the one who speaks up.]

Welcome, Champions, to the courtroom! Twenty of you have entered, but - in the best case scenario - only nineteen of you will leave. The goal here is to compile the evidence that you've gathered and figure out who the killer is. Once you think you have an answer, we'll call a vote where you'll use the podium in front of you to vote on the title of the Champion who you all agree has broken the peace. If you're correct, the culprit will be executed and the rest of you will be allowed to go back upstairs. If you're wrong, however, the killer goes free and the rest of you take the punishment in their place.

There's no time limit, but we reserve the right to call for a vote if things drag on too long. Now let the first trial begin!

Comments

[immaculacies]

It seems more likely that it would be Miki, doesn't it? Unless Petuu-san gave the murderer special dispensation for killing.

Mods?

[batfortheprincess]

Well... if they were that intent on having someone kill, then perhaps.

[He'll turn to where the Overseers are.]

Miss Petuu... would an exception be made if a murderer were to break the rules?

[lovecolored]

[ adding to this! after Slaine's done talking ]

Yeah, Shark-chan--if Miki was the one who broke the camera, would she be considered already punished because someone killed her?

[theoverseeing]

We don't interfere in attempts at Rule 7.

[immaculacies]

To be clear: If a murderer breaks one of the security cameras, they won't be punished, except by being caught in a trial?

[theoverseeing]

That's right. Why would we want to miss out on all this?

[immaculacies]

I see. Thank you for the straight answer, Petuu-san.

["We won't interfere" sounded weasel-y to her... But if Rox says it so clearly, Manaka has no other option but to assume that it's true.]

[batfortheprincess]

[There's a lot of things he could say about that answer but.]

Does that also mean that if Miss Miki had broken the rules but was attacked, she would not have been punished either?

[theoverseeing]

What do you think the word "interfering" means?

[batfortheprincess]

...That you would not step in. Not unless it looked like the killer would allow Miss Miki to escape.