sixth trial

[airlockedmods]

[Six weeks, thirteen Champion dead out of their original twenty as well one half of the former Overseer pair. With Jamie now counted as a fellow Champion in the Benefactors' eyes, their numbers have dwindled down to eight.

C.E.C.E.'s announcement sounds and for what may be the last time the Champions must file to the teleporter with their evidence and the Champion Landscape Artist now officially among them. The courtroom is empty this time around, the floating platform as empty as the updated circle of surviving Champion's podiums. Jamie makes a small, humorless sound when he sees the lack of a portrait at Lightning's podium and his own name in glaring green where she once stood.

There's no Bolton to speak to them this time around so it's C.E.C.E. whose voice rings from on high.]

Welcome, Champions, to the courtroom. Eight of you have entered, but if you vote correctly only seven of you will leave. Compile your evidence and select the correct culprit is. If you vote correctly, the culprit will be executed and the rest of you will be allowed to go back upstairs.

Thank you!

Comments

[stitch_in_time]

Bolton, he was- EP was blackmailing him into cooperation as an Overseer, for the chance for both of you to leave. I'm sorry.

[theoverseers]

[Jamie drags his hands through his hair, staring down at his podium for a long minute.]

Of course they'd pull something like this. Of course .

[stitch_in_time]

[The Doctor's quiet for a moment, but-]

What did they tell you, about all this? The experiment, or program, or whatever. Again, I'm sorry, but it might be important.

[theoverseers]

...They offered me something like that. "If your guidance can keep a group of Champions alive, you and the Champion Barista will be able to return home." [He rubs his eyes, inhaling a shaky breath.] If I talked to B about it the offer would've been taken away and we would've been left here to rot.

[stitch_in_time]

Son of- of course. They've been playing every one of us since the beginning.

[He scrubs at his eyes himself.]

What about the incentives, the murder rules, did they tell you anything at all about Bolton's role in that?

[imnotfat]

Hm. That explains a lot.

[Painting party motive, seriously]