theairlock | The Mock Trial

[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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ For the crime of murder, the law is clear. Repentant or not, one who has willfully killed another shall be put to death. This is what Thomasin knows to be the will of God. She hasn't been to a hanging before, but from the beginning of this trial she accepted that this was the only possible outcome.

But she never expected the dispatch to take such a nightmarish form. They butcher hogs and shoot wolves more humanely than this. This is cruel, and terrifying, and she cannot look away from it.

She stands and watches the whole execution in silence, her fingernails digging crescents in her palms. When it's over, she stands and stares at nothing. ]

[It's an awful, needless, terrible thing. He's seen personal tragedy, but never brutality like this. Despite his memories and despite himself, he thinks that this is truly what humanity gets driven to.

But he can't. He must not let himself fall into that kind of apathy again.

When the elevator opens, indicating that they should pile in and return, Shadow makes a line for it, intent on taking an entire lift for himself and people can take the next one, but he pauses by Thomasin and her blank stare and clenched fists. Looks away, debating with himself, to leave her be or to--]

Thomasin. [He keeps his voice low as to not startle her.] We should go now.

[ This is not the first meeting she's been too shocked to leave. Around six months earlier she stood in her neatest clothes and broad-brimmed hat and stared at the village congregation as the rest of her family left the meetinghouse, and tried to comprehend that she was no longer one of them. Her brother Caleb had snapped her from her frozen state, and they had left the plantation forever.

This time it's a hedgehog. Go figure. Thomasin turns her head to look at Shadow. Her pupils, and her voice, are very small. ]

Aye.

[ She unsteadily steps away from her podium and starts walking. ]

... thank you.

[He doesn't offer a hand, but he does walk alongside her, in case she should stumble on weak knees, numb legs. As a distraction, he scratches at some of the now dried blood on his face, matted into his fur. Seems fitting, now, in a metaphorical sense, as he flicks a few flakes away.]

I've done nothing to deserve any thanks.

[Could have argued, like the Doctor, or made a noble if fruitless stand, like Luke. And they all voted. None had gotten close enough to Naho in the span of a week to be willing to sacrifice themselves for or with her.]

[ Her steps are less than even, but she keeps walking upright enough. Thomasin is very aware of the presence by her side, and aware that, at this moment, it's not a source of fear. That's a stark difference from her state of mind just a week ago.

But a week ago, she'd yet to witness horror. Pain and wrenching sorrow and uncertainty she knew before she ever flipped out at the sight of a giant furry, but Naho's death is new and exceptional in its brutality. There is a vast difference between your baby brother vanishing before your eyes and seeing his gruesome death. ]

None of us are clear of this -- nor will be. You do me a kindness still.

You think I should treat you differently for something we've all done, especially forced? Is that what your lord would suggest?

[It's not angry or snappy, just...honest wondering. Though his ears flick back as soon as he says it, frowning deeply. He shouldn't expect anything fully coherent after...that, so he feels a little bad for asking.] We're all victims as much as McCree was. And Naho.

No, I... you mistake my meaning. As you say -- the stain of this sin marks us all, yet we were given no warning. I never thought--

[ She cuts herself off as the images flash through her mind again. ]

You helped me. 'Tis that what deserves my thanks. [ ... ] Would you speak on God?

[ With her, she means. He does seem pretty continuously interested in the subject, albeit in a bemused way. ]

Sorry, you...speak so differently from what I'm used to. [You and everyone else, hedgeboy. He shakes his head.] I just didn't think you should be left down here alone, given the circumstances. [shadow you realize acting disaffected about these things to people has worked 0/2 times what makes you think this is gonna work buddyhog]

I...have only the basest of knowledge of religion. I doubt it's for me. [Does God love all the little unholy abomination test tube babies too?] I don't mean to offend if my curiosity is intrusive.

The Mock Trial

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