The Mock Trial

[airlockedmods]

[Jesse McCree is dead, the first victim of, what the Overseers seem to hope, is a long game of motives and murder for whatever their reasons. With the investigation completed, C.E.C.E.'s voice comes over the system and directs the Champions to proceed to the locked elevator door at the end of the hallway. Once all Champions are on board, the elevator begins a slow descent down beyond any area that they've been able to explore so far. At least the elevator music is charming.

When the elevator door opens, the Champions enter a courtroom with 21 podiums arranged in a circle and each one marked with a name. McCree's face grins casually at the 20 surviving members from one of the podiums, a greyscale portrait in honor of the dead.]

Congratulations. We have now entered the trial portion of the test. I trust that you will do your best to determine who disturbed the peace by committing murder. Once the culprit has been found, they will face an appropriate punishment for their crime. If you fail to determine the culprit, however, they will be allowed to leave the space station and the rest of you will face punishment instead.

Comments

[misinforms]

[Thank you-- that is a question that makes her smile brightly.]

It's a romance novel. Or at least, the ideas for one. If I survive this place I'd like to leave the paranormal stuff behind me. But I love writing. So I'd like to write about things I love from now on.

[semperperatus]

Ah...

[Look between your lack of alibi and the notebook...he'll try, though. In spite of the growing dread in the pit of his stomach.

My wife's a writer. I can definitely understand that kind of passion. Probably part of the reason we divorced.

[mikooon]

[tamamos not gonna say anything but she's just gonna stare at u like

yo man that's awkward as fuck at least don't mention the DIVORCE now of all things]

[semperperatus]

[Blink?]

What?

[mikooon]

Nothing, nothing.

[i didn't think I would write a comment this unproductive but here we are]

[semperperatus]

[Right then, back to Naho]

Well, in any case...yeah. She didn't like my lifestyle, and looking back, I couldn't blame her. And we both did things to hurt one another. But...as time went by and things happened...as we got older and realized what was important...well, we got back together.

[SEE he was going places with this story]

[mikooon]

[AWWWWWWWWW THATS CUTE]

...Master wouldn't leave me for something like that, right? Yes, of course! We're contractually bound anyway, so I can't leave even if I tried to.

[tamamo stop whispering so loudly]

[semperperatus]

...'Master'?

[TAMAMO]

[misinforms]

I can understand that. After all... the reason I got into the paranormal was because there was a man I liked that I thought I could help with my gifts. But I absolutely hate it.

[The people you love aren't always good for you.]

Oh right... about that part earlier... I'm seventeen. But that doesn't mean I like keeping guests at night. Isn't that a little late to expect people to be meeting up?

[SHE'S JOKING. Only because she kind of likes you crazy guy.]

[semperperatus]

Nah, I get that.

[as he's reminiscing about his cyborg waifu]

Though, you know that doesn't really eliminate you. Then again, it probably doesn't eliminate most of us.

[Buuuuut you're the only one with the bead so...]

Speaking of which, Naho...?

[misinforms]

No, I understand as much. I'd call you all fools if you thought it did.

[No really, she'd do it. Probably a little less nicely than that even.]

...yes?

[semperperatus]

[Well.

He takes out that toilet paper. You probably know what he's doing since you were there when he did it. Measuring your ladder-rung foot ration thing.]

You mind if I measure you? This might help.

[have_a_heart]

[...toilet paper??]

[semperperatus]

[Yes. Toilet paper]

[damnfourthemerald]

[Well if Fin's not gonna ask...]

Naho. Is this your notebook, or were you writing on the notetaking function on your wristbound computer?

[semperperatus]

[HE WAS GETTING THERE SHE'S JUST A KID]

[misinforms]

I was writing on my PIP. I'm a blogger, so this kind of thing is a lot more natural to me.

[damnfourthemerald]

For the sake of the evidence, may I see your PIP and confirm that?

[misinforms]

Yes of course.

[She displays a section of writing-- it is indeed as she said. It's not actual novel stuff but there is a very clear outline for a story of some sort. Bullet'd note style. That said... it is very much written in short hand. But that may just be a writer thing.]

[damnfourthemerald]

[Spacehog knows nothing of professional writing or Champion Blogging, but this seems legit enough to him. (A Champion Blogger would have some kind of shorthand, maybe?) He nods.] Thank you.

That makes two items now that nobody knows where they came from: the notebook and the toolbox.

[misplacedxsheath]

Each of us was provided a notebook in our quarters. I've been using mine for my notes out of personal preference.

[voltrounds]

[ARGH why didn't she think to check whether anyone was missing a notebook stupid stupid stupid]

[stitch_in_time]

Any chance there's some kind of time or datestamp on those? Might make things clearer.

[One way or another, unfortunately.]

[misinforms]

[If there are time and date stamps then it would show that she had started writing at 10:25 pm that night. If there are other more periodic ones it would show that the times are spread out-- natural, probably, for someone who was thinking and writing as things came to them. But they aren't one right after another. There are minute gaps between bullets, some larger and some smaller.]

[semperperatus]

[Shep is going to take a look at this. Now the question is, when's the last date stamp?]