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The Man With No Name
By Praetyre
Note: Words written in italics are spoken in a foreign language. For example, if a Corsair speaks in italics, he is speaking in Greek, if an Outcast speaks in italics, he is speaking Italian, if a Rheinlander speaks in italics, he is speaking German.
Preface: A New Beginning
A Corsair man walked through a quiet Maltese backstreet, Outcast citizens pacing by behind the high walls of the ancient courtyard. Guns hang at his hips, and he stood almost crouched, always ready to pounce and attack. But these guns were merely for open war and image, not his true weapons. His true weapons lay in simple brute physical force. This man was Ephialtes Kristatos, Corsair muscle and professional hit man. He hired himself out to numerous Corsair bosses, and was well known in assassin circles for his contradictory mix of brutality, secrecy and honour.
Mr Kristatos walked further through the enclosed, dark alley, nothing else living present except squeaking vermin and billions of bacteria. He came to a nondescript, abandoned flat brick building and knocked. All of a sudden, he heard footsteps coming from behind him. He calmly waited for the footsteps generator to expose himself, and then heard a slight swish. He instantly realized what the swish had been and swung out of the way, grabbing the arm of a hooded madman and kicking him in the stomach. As the man lay with his arm broken, his unbroken arm clutching his stomach, Mr Kristatos saw a silhouette within the darkness of the alley and grabbed his assailant, causing the assailant to instead be knocked unconscious by the force of a strong blow to the concrete surface of the alley.
3 more hooded men broke out of a dumpster, which prompted Mr Kristatos to kick a trash can towards one of them while throwing the lid of said can towards a worm-eaten wooden support at the top of the aged, metallic covering of a building bordering the alley, which loudly slid off and incapacitated 2 assassins under its weight. The remaining assassin jumped over the can and threw several knives at Mr Kristatos, who dodged all but one, which he rapidly pulled out of his thickly armoured arm and tossed back at the other man, pinning him next to the dumpster. Several more men broke out of a hidden door, and Mr Kristatos stood thinking as it slid open. He then grabbed the dumpster and hurled it towards the men and the door, incapacitating them and shattering the door like a piece of cardboard.
Mr Kristatos then headed into the abandoned laundry room from which the men had originated, seeing a rusted travel mechanism in the form of a pole. He broke open a water pipe and slammed a controlling mechanism near the top, the device flickering back to life and releasing some decades old wastewater into the building. He then ran out of the building, hopping over the dumpster, and grabbed a small police pistol hidden in his black hat, shooting a single medium power shot at the water. He jumped as some water leaked past the dumpster and watched a show of current electrify the water and in the process knock out anyone touched by it.
Finally, a man in a bluish exoskeleton hopped down from the buildings chimney and slid down the roof, throwing grenades and shooting as he went. Mr Kristatos dived in the dumpster, sheltered by several layers of garbage. The man then hit the ground and unloaded enough weaponry to crumple a Patriot, but then found he had not killed his mark. The man then felt a sudden hit on his spinal cord and fell unconscious. Mr Kristatos casually walked over to the door he had intended to enter and knocked; Ok, I got rid of your little friends. Now let me in, or youll find yourself riding the Electric Water Monorail, and Im not going to be using medium power. You passed the test. My boss is waiting for you.
The door swung open, and Mr Kristatos walked in past its guardian, a slight yet well armed man carrying more stolen police equipment in his jacket than a Liberty SWAT team. He waved as he went, admiring the buildings rather beautiful interior, which was lined with greyed marble and painted pillars. Mr Kristatos was extensively searched and checked by numerous men, eventually passing through a veil to a shrine-like facility where a well dressed man stood, flanked by 5 guards.
This man was Ioannis Sioufas, a well known spy amongst the Outcasts who operated as a Outcast diplomat to the Zoners, calling himself Vincent Rodriguez, and had fed important diplomatic data on Outcast-Zoner relations to his Corsair brethren for nearly 10 years. He had also served as a genuine middleman between his superior and high ranking Zoner Igor Anderson, though this specific arrangement was secret even to most high ranking Corsairs. He gently gestured towards the altar, and spoke; Greetings, Ephialtes. I trust you have been successful in your endeavour? Well if you have, feel free to step to the altar and Ill take you down. If not.. then I shall take you down. Complications have arisen which I need to discuss with the master. These are dire ones which have both helped and hindered my mission.
Nearly all colour drained from Sioufas face. He spoke again; Complications? In a plan as simple as this? I know you, and you are not an amateur or a traitor. Ill take you to the boss.
Mr Kristatos walked up to the altar along with Sioufas, who inputted a security code. A section of carpet on the altar unnaturally rolled up and was revealed to be an elevator, which slid down into the depths below Maltas cities. A dank yet well crafted tunnel flew by the elevators occupants, and within merely 3 seconds they had reached its bottom. A well lit room awaited, polished, almost like a Bretonian subway station. A grey haired, corpulent man stood amidst 5 armed and armoured guards and 3 suspicious looking men dressed in identical black suits. This man was Marian DAmico, a Corsair majordomo and major operator within Rheinland. He had apparently travelled all the way into the heart of enemy territory for the purposes of this meeting. Or so Mr Kristatos thought.. Mr Kristatos, I presume? I trust your mission has been productive. Has that worm Acevedo been eliminated? Yes, sir, but not by us. I infiltrated the dinner party he was at and slipped the poison into his drink, but I was discovered and the glass was thrown into a toxic waste processor. I retreated and again tried to snipe him as he entered his shuttle, but first some other guys started pouncing on them, I think they were Dragons or something, then these guys themselves got picked off by some other sniper, despite the fact I broke in to the security archives of the building the bolt came from and found no one was on the its rooftop the whole week!
Then I try and snipe him again when hes going on a train, but he then ducks down for some reason, even while I can still shoot him! He eventually gets up and gets off, and I try and bomb the facility hes taking off from. Then, I find someone deactivated the bomb, then I find the bomb was reactivated, then deactivated again after reviewing its records! And I cant find even one fingerprint on the thing!
The rest is history. He dies at some conference and gets autopsied, doc says its due to a natural heart attack, but the next day, I bug the docs assistants office and he says something about the results of a test, something about no known substance from the guys body matching something in the database!
Marian looked surprised, and yet expectant, and simultaneously afraid, as if he knew some of the answers but feared to tell them. He spoke to Kristatos; Unknown substances? Its gotta be those Phantom creeps.. Ive heard rumours Acevedos been a bit on the hard side in diplomacy to them. Or maybe were getting some kind of Phantom-Coalition conflict, Ive not been able to talk to the Coalition reps in a while.. The Coalition dont have technology that can make a man not even leave a single drop of moisture on a bomb unless a whole Tesla Team broke in there and somehow managed to get past 80 armed guards and enough security systems to detect rigor mortis movements. Though I did find one REALLY screwed up thing outside. I found one fingerprint pressed hard into the rock while scouting it around, the repainting of the place had only begun 3 days ago, so it had to be recent. But I found no footprints nearby, only a couple of light dust disruptions in the sand! Let me check your scanner.. Yes boss. replied the Corsair assassin.
The Corsair majordomo manipulated the scanners view screen for almost half an hour, until he found the shot in question and sent it via e-mail to a contact. He then walked over into another room and spent 10 minutes in a conversation with someone. The conversation mostly remained quiet, though a couple of shouts could be heard through its thick walls, though more of confusion than of anger. Then, the majordomo stepped out and briefed his underling; This is.. this is.. I dont know how to explain this, but that fingerprint you got there is a perfect match for the fingerprint of.. this is insane.. a Rheinland hobo who died 50 years ago! 50 years ago, boss? A Rheinland hobo? Boss, how.. Im as stumped as you are, boy. I am honestly stumped. Also, how could they get the prints of a hobo? Not like these people hang around much.. Ephialtes, you know how these Rheinlanders are. You cant as much look the wrong way to a policeman without the authorities getting on your back. But I checked, and it seems the hobo, one Rudolf Kowalski, was both a one time Outcast mule and political expat during the Lesser Popular Revolution. The Coalition boys would have loved him, if it werent for his Outcast affiliations and lack of vodka addiction. But if this guys dead.. hes got to be a skeleton by now.. I mean, its not like they preserve hobos.. They dont, but they preserved political prisoners from that time until about 20 years ago. Even then, the body would have decayed by now and I know from my sources it would be impossible to get an old fingerprint unless you had high level clearance to do so, after the fiasco with Helga Brandt.. I see. Well boss, what are my orders now? Your orders are to head to the Romeo Bar, MPS 45580-14556 and look for a man in white. Then, follow his instructions. Youll be back at your casa in Crete within 30 hours, I promise that.
Kristatos nodded; Very well, boss, Ill be on my way.
The assassin was escorted back up the small elevator by DAmicos underling. Then, DAmico stepped through back into the phone room and firmly closed the door. Due to the nature of the call he was going to make, he also triggered the noise mufflers so that no one could hear anything but a loud musical thumping inside. He dialled through to the number of his superior, Underboss Koufax; Sir, the hit on Acevedo went strangely. Someone else whacked him, and we dont know who, only that they didnt leave a trace and used a poison unknown to man. When I get back to Rheinland, Ill need the Plato to monitor.. Unfortunately for you, the Plato is currently part of the Cretan defense fleet. Im not pulling it out until you give me a very, very good reason and very, very good lead on whoevers whacked him. They could be anywhere, and if they didnt leave a trace, they are probably the kinds of players who make us look like rooks. Take your boys out and try and organize an attack on Acevedos relatives so we can find out more and give whoever did this a reason to come out into the open. Yes boss. Ill get on it and lead the boys out with Sioufas as my lieutenant after I get some research done on his family and the docking schedules for their houses figured. Excellent. I look forward to seeing their collective faces on my viewscreen begging for the end of captivity. Koufax out.
Suddenly, the phone rang again. DAmico carefully checked it for an ID, but found only some scrambled text, as though an electronic signal had scrambled the phones ID system. He reset it, but within a second of its reactivation, it began to ring again and be scrambled. He picked a repair tool out of his pocket and began recalibrating the phone while tracing and blocking the electronic signal.
Within a second, it had been done. And several weeks messages had even been enhanced, according to the readout. But the electrical signal did not register. DAmico tried to analyze the area further for any other signals, but did not find a trace of anything but air. Realizing this could be one of these new low photon Outcast transmittors, DAmico did not answer. But then, the very screen of the phone began to melt! This was utterly bizarre. DAmico picked up the phone and carefully traced a trap detector around it. Then, a voice rang out;
Hello again, Mr DAmico.
Marian DAmico at once recognized that voice. He had received a threatening phone call of unknown origin just last week as his Casa in Rheinland, claiming that he was being watched and that within a week he would be contacted again. DAmico ran a trace and dismissed the caller as a harmless crank, thinking he was probably one of the more mentally deficient Lesser Revolution descendants in some of the seedy underbellies of Rheinland utility megastructures. But it seemed that the caller was either a stalker, or something even more insidious. DAmico picked up the phone and began speaking in the tongue of Rheinland; Look pal, I dont like you or your funny business here. So go and halt it, or Ill get my boys to trace this line and then send your hobo behind down to Helgoland.
The voice laughed; Your Corsair scientists have no hope of even deciphering a single element of this signal. I am a professional, Marian, and I think you should be grateful I am offering you such an opportunity. An opportunity? Okay pal, if you think Im going to put my neck and my reputation on the line for some hobo with a voice modulator.. You know very well from the data analysis measures you have undoubtedly run that it is impossible for me to be a Lesser Popular Revolution vagrant. You know, denying reality is common grounds to be sent to a mental health professional.. A lecture on denying reality from some whackjob stalker with some fancy toy? Get outta here, creep! You are free at any time to hang up, though I shall still observe you. But what I am offering you is not imprisonment, but freedom. Oh, this is just great. A nutjob who stole one of these old film archive plates and now thinks hes friggin Constantine or something. Go and take your offer to the gutter you crawled out of. Your threats are amusing, but I must implore you to at least heed me for a precious few of your seconds. Have you heard of Rudolf Kowalski, the man whos fingerprint you have undoubtedly found near a docking bay construction site? YOU did that? WHAT IN THE NAME OF JIMINY.. No need to bawl like an screeching ape, Marian. You only need to come to Rheinland and speak to Doctor van Schmidt at the Kronski Morgue. The NBPS coordinates will be transmitted to your computer as soon as you enter New Berlin. Do take care, however. It appears that Rheinland has stepped up her patrols. Okay, okay, Ill check with this van Schmidt guy. I know you arent pulling fraud on me because I know the guy myself and he doesnt take non-face-to-face appointments unless its official business, and theres no way a hobo could have known about that, unless he managed to lead a secret life as a BDM agent or something. One thing, though, where do you get your info? I get my info from my sources. And my sources are many, many, many, many people of all types, Mr DAmico. But why question who raised the golden goose and give it an autopsy? I get it, pal. Okay, Im heading back to Rheinland anyway, and Ill have to plan a fair bit. See you soon. Farewell.. for now.
BREAKING NEWS BULLETIN- RHEINLAND PUBLIC CHANNEL 11;
UNDERCOVER MOB BOSS COLLARED BY OUR BOYS IN BLUE AND BLACK!
By Leonard Wagner
Supposed ALG shipping manager Sigmund Jung was apprehended today in a sting operation at the Kronski Morgue by a Police Lieutenant in cooperation with BDM agents, and revealed to be Corsair operative Marian DAmico. Mr DAmico had apparently travelled to the morgue in hopes of meeting its administrator, Dr van Schmidt, to discuss the status of an ongoing Corsair operation with Unioner operatives. Dr van Schmidt was also apprehended and escorted to a secure facility for questioning, upon which he revealed that he had also been engaging in selling organs to Liberty and worshipping false gods. While senior disciplinarian and war hero Kapitan Topf was not available for comment, a military spokesman was quoted as saying that this latest offense of Liberty will not stand and that the glory of the Chancellor shall blind all who oppose Him.
Dr van Schmidt is lead away by Rheinland Polize operatives.
Forensic pathologists have also revealed that DAmico had been the great grandson of Outcast terrorist Ernesto DAmico, and had hidden this from his sinister superiors, who continue to fight our brave, holy forces every day. DAmico reportedly claimed to have been set up by a shadowy figure, but a BDM analyst called to the scene had him declared insane and recommended that he give psychological treatment to the criminal while he rots in the prisons of our glorious nation.
A slender, bony figure reached towards a consoles button and gently pressed, like a Kusari acupuncture practitioner applying a final needle. The television screen flickered out and over the dark, anonymous room, dozens of eyes followed the movements of figures across a virtual chessboard, a pawn beautifully morphing into a knight. This was but the beginning..
Part One: A Mere Whymper of Dissent
Chapter 1: Rule, Bretonia Illustration by Xing From left to right; BDM Vizeregie Moleman, Kirche die Grunnen Alders Dunkengrunalder Schumacher, Albert Brock, Vizebundesministerium fur Gesundheit Kohler and General Baden.
Within the confines of a bright, virtual boardroom, numerous figures sat in well carved chairs, witness to a near infinite cityscape. From around this conflux of characters, one could observe many high ranking officials, including BDM Vizeregie Moleman, Kirche die Grunnen Alders Dunkelgrunalder Schumacher, renowned public television personality Albert Brock, Bundesministerium f?r Gesundheit Kohler and General Baden. Within the confines of this government owned and operated computer shell, these men began to talk, separated by billions of kilometres. However, the 1st to talk actually began to speak in text, due to his rather unusual manner of speech; So, Agent Alan managed to imprison the Corsair. Good. Our fraudulent doctor has been imprisoned. Good. Weve managed to cover the details of both subjects involvement with our mysterious enemy and avoided a national panic that could have resulted in enough heresy to put you, Mr Schumacher, into a coma. Good. Mr Brock has failed to cover up our departments involvement in this matter. Not good. Not good at all. I demand an explanation for this now, or there will be more discord in your house, Mr Brock, than there is in the homes of 1000 Discordian heretics.
Albert Brock nervously spoke, straightening his virtual tie; Sir, all this has done is generate good publicity for your department. You can use this info to dispel the propaganda of many of your opponents and show the Bureaus service to the people, and at the very least, no information was leaked about the internal affairs investigation into the activities of Agent Alan in relation to our enemy.. Good publicity? Mr Brock, bringing our activities into the limelight in this time and age is tantamount to sending the LSF directors a box of chocolates entitled Hello, may I please investigate your activities in great detail and possibly cripple a war effort, costing millions of civilian lives and billions of dollars?. You knew this was important, I had sent you the briefing a mere week ago. Why did you not see that this breaking bulleting, which your immediate underling reviews, had contained information on our workings, and why are you dodging the justice of the Chancellor in favour of saving your own skin?
The senior Church official spoke up, Moleman listening reverentially to his words; My son, I feel that Mr Brock has merely commited the sin of ignorance, which is in a lesser class of the sin of lack of vigilance. I do not think he was indeed slothful at the time of this bulleting review, merely that he neglected to check a single paper among the many urgent papers which now flow in a time of near-war. This single mention, which may have seemed innocuous to the untrained eye, may have slipped past him while he was working on more urgent matters. I implore you to forgive him. Your Holiness, with all due respect, Mr Brock is a trained professional and a long time worker for both us and for journalism.. Therefore demonstrating that we need him for this difficult time and that he has earned his respect amongst these hallowed halls as a good servant of the Chancellor. And even experts make mistakes sometimes. None but the Chancellor are perfect.
Molemans avatar lay still for a few seconds, contemplating. Breaking the silence, General Baden spoke up; This does not bode well. If your men are being watched by those LSF vermin, we couldnt move a single troopship into Bering without their President blaspheming against the Chancellor. As much as I would dearly love to order the assassination of Codename Sniper just to teach that harpy a lesson, I have been given a direct order not to by Fleet Admiral Krieg. He says its about honour, but why should one cast pearls amongst swine?
Kohler spoke; Gentlemen, Your Holiness, much as I love to learn of the elaborate trade of espionage, I feel the Chancellor would want us to discuss more pressing priorities. I have had my men look into the morgue records and it seems that one particular body went missing in the back room, where they keep criminals and vagrants. The cameras didnt show anything, so whoever our enemy is, he must be either a good hacker, or using technology so advanced it could completely baffle one of our most advanced camera systems. In this business, Im guessing the latter. And our analysis vindicates a civilians analysis. The 9 Hells have frozen. Now, to close this meeting, heres what I would advise you people to do. General sir, I advise you to move your troops to Bering as planned, but our agents will instead be conducting operations in Bretonia, as our newly promoted Agent Alan was seen yesterday sending out a hard mail to a courier in a Whale. Unfortunately, we couldnt track him due to a provision in the Boorman Treaty, forbidding the deliberate tracking of foreign civilians without indisputable evidence that said civilians are a threat to House security. For all we know, this guy could be an innocent courier, and we could be looking at an earful from the civil liberties lobby in Bretonia. If Bretonia goes to war with us, Liberty will also follow, and we do not yet have the resources to wage such a war until we eliminate the Wild forces in Sigma 13. Minister, I implore you to run a through search of that morgue for any traces of biological warfare on its staff or any further evidence of van Schmidts corruption. Your Holiness, my prayers are with you, and I must humbly beg that you unite our citizens in opposition of Libertys government, so that we may more peacefully bring them to the heel of the Chancellors will. Mr Brock, have Wagner taken in and run a story on him being a traitor to our nation and a Hessian insurgent. That is all.
The boardroom darkened, and the avatars turned to mere coding, then all the screens of the men controlling them went out in white flashes, leaving nought but the black face of a monitor. Arthur Whymper; Respected executive manager at Sunderland Research Station and owner of the Cambridge legal firm Whymper Legal Consultancy and Representation. 3 time winner of Most Reliable Lawyer of the Year, Sector 14, Cambridge award and a Templeton Award For Ethical Practice, 2nd Class. Respected amongst the scientific community for his sound and efficient advice and among Bretonia s government for his patriotism and secrecy.
Arthur Whymper lay back in the comfortable confines of his Cambridge penthouse, the classical tunes of the Palmerton St theme playing across the room like paint across a wall. It had been the end of a long day of litigation, red tape and diplomatic entanglements. He truly felt he had earned the rest at the end of this day. Unfortunately, rest was not to come.
Barely after the bony face of actor Ron Barkley had played across the screen, Mr Whymper heard a loud ringing from his kitchen telephone. He quickly paused the screen, waddling over and checking the caller ID. The phone was scrambled, so he reset it. The call came again, the phone scrambling.
Oh boy, must be one of these MI6 chaps down at Downing Complex. Well, better answer it, old boy. Dont want to tee off the codgers.
He picked up the phone, a voice emanating out of it almost immediately;
Hello, Arthur. This is a future friend. Check your mail tomorrow.
What?
The mysterious caller hung up. Mr Whymper attempted to trace the call and considered contacting M16, but reconsidered, thinking he should probably wait to see if the caller will contact with more details before he contacted M16. He paced back slowly to his viewing, unpausing and trying to relax about this strange encounter with the thought he was protected by the Bretonian government and the calming pallor of a well choreographed bar scene.
The next day, a doorbell rang unusually early in Mr Whympers penthouse. He could see from his security viewer that a mail droid was waiting outside, with no weapons or gaseous components. He walked up from enjoying a DVD of The Trafalgar Plot: Part II and a glass of raided Kusari sake and released the thick door, grabbing the package and just as rapidly slamming the bulkhead in the face of the machine. He gently layed it upon a coffee table patterned by neatly organized binders. He then pressed a release button at its brim, the roof of the container swinging open to reveal a strange black device, which seemed to be almost spherical and pulsed with several orange, gelatine buttons. Along its packaging lay a tiny note, which Mr Whymper was rapidly able to decipher with a magnifying glass he often used to aid his wearing eyes. The note read, in nondescript handwriting;
You have undoubtedbly held back on your notions of proceeding to your intelligence authorities due to wishing to draw me out into the open. However, I have access to significant records already and I would most certainly know if you had proceeded to the M16 building, password XR141516151e3qr12414325t61352416515215252y23trqeteswtretrgwerertwergty24trq31q34141515135135456451559914912415001551535151223545trtg545tty55t5y56yttrhytr.
If you do such a thing, then you shall both find yourself stuck in this pathetic position of labour and amnesiac of our current engagement. However, if you take this chance, and simply slot the largest button on this sphere to a connector node in the building, I promise great rewards for you. The 1st can be viewed in your bank account.
Mr Whymper glanced briefly at his wrist mounted neural net monitor, checking his bank account. What he found nearly caused the old man to have a heart attack. He now had over 10 million credits in his 1st account alone. Still thinking this might be a case of stolen or inappropriately transferred funds, Mr Whymper attempted to run a transaction trace. The trace seemed to have come from the spherical device itself. He attempted to open it, but all that he found inside was a melted, plastic like substance, similar to the melting plastic used by packaging companies. It could also be a tool in a cover up, so Mr Whymper wandered over to the phone. He rang the emergency line, but merely found the same mysterious voice speaking again, as though it had hijacked the line.
I see you have attempted to contact the authorities, Arthur. Not very grateful for a man who just got handed a nice retirement. And this coincides quite nicely with that private online Curacao casino tour you were planning, too. Ah well, I can always find another man. Even so, be aware that what I was planning was perfectly innocent. I simply wanted you to transfer some seized criminal smuggling funds to a despondent people. Nothing illegal about that, in fact, its standard government procedure in these cases. But it appears charity is not a virtue among your profession. To each his own, I suppose.
The voice seemed to actually be on the verge of hanging up, but Arthur spoke;
I see. Well, we have tried to extend an olive branch many times to you Nayehiya, but it keeps..
I believe you are putting words into my mouth, my friend. I never said anything about the Nayehiya. I speak of a suffering group, yes, but not the Nayehiya.
Who do you wish to help?
I shall let you in on a little secret. I am but a representative of a far greater power, and I am a charitable, peaceloving man. I speak of a despondent people who are dying every day, being murdered ruthlessly by greedy businessmen and vile criminals, and Im sure a man of your intelligence can figure that out.
The Coalition thought Arthur Whymper. The proletariat, the worker. The common man. It was common communist talk, and cleverly crafted. Little was known about Coalition technology, and this man could very well be a pawn of the Coalition..
You are a clever man, sir. But I am a patriotic man, and I will not stand by while you scallywags twist and corrupt our culture!
Your culture has already been twisted and corrupted from what it was. Honour, respect, loyalty, courage, these are all mocked and spat upon by the bloated bouregeuiouse of your society. They are the traitors, not you. I offer you a chance to take a stand for what is right, and to not sit idly by and let, in the words of an ancient philosopher, evil triumph while good men do nothing. This is but a small step towards compassion, peace and order.
You sound like a Molly of some kind. My brother nearly got offed by you chaps, so take your 2 bit rambling and drive it up the back lane. Im not betraying my country for anything!
I shall call you tomorrow, and you shall see.
The line then went dead. Over the rest of the day, Arthur Whymper made several attempts to acquire assistance from the police, but a lack of evidence prevented them from acting on the matter. Late in the evening, 2 intelligence agents visited Mr Whymper to protect him and planted a bug on his phone for monitoring the strange caller.
The strange caller did not call for nearly a week, until Mr Whymper was in a 3 minute intermediate period between a meeting with a MI6 representative and a Bretonian venture capitalist. Having waited to confirm the capitalist had been granted security clearance, Mr Whymper blindly picked up the phone. The same voice rang out, even as he switched off his mobile neural net phone.
Thank you for referring to the authorities via that phone. Not only did you give me access to the police database, but even speeded up the process decrypting part of your so called intelligence network by a direct visitation by Her Majestys Secret Service. You did well, Arthur, and did as expected. I never intended you to slot that silly device into the door, oh no no.. it was an unarmed spike, with no possibility of as much hacking a museum computer.
I must apologize for the previous deception, but it was necessary in order to demonstrate to you the nature and veracity of my work and to test you. Had you previously slotted such a device into the area, I would have rapidly advised you to leave and later informed you of your decoyship, as I am sure a man like you employs. For only the true Arthur Whymper, the true patriot would refuse to betray his country to the words of a malicious, mendacious, methodical, marked mechanical murderous Molly!
Arthur Whymper collapsed in a slump, feeling like a pawn on a chessboard, a key on a piano, blind to its master and confused to its tune.
Be aware that I have access to your security network. If you try to alert the authorities, I will know. If you try to run away, I will know. If you move a muscle out of line, thanks to the thermal imagery camera, I will know. And what I do know now from the database records is that the man whom you just met is currently filling out a form in Room A3 with one Dr Jane Dean known as a 4124 form, registered as code 1241251545AEZETRTY in the New London Legal Database. Im sure you are aware what this means.
Arthur Whymper swallowed nervously. It had all made sense. It explained why the man seemed to be somewhat disturbed before he walked out, why his client had been delayed in arriving, and why the door had been locked from even the nearby restroom with security codes. It was standard intelligence procedure for insanity patients. But Arthur Whymper also knew this was part of a cover up to explain his absence, to be spirited away to a especially secure area of Sunderland Research Station.
You have failed, slime. This..
..is part of a cover up in order to ensure your absence from public society and records pending your transfer to a mysterious research facility. Yes, I am indeed capable of reading your English letters. However, I am unable to determine the facility at which you are due to be transported, the nature of your mission, nor am I able to interfere directly.
Because?
Well, even I cannot be in two places at once. Chuckled the voice
Dont play the innocent bobby with me, old boy. I know that a 6 and 7 chap like you has got to have some fellow scallywags aiding him.
Once again, Mr Whymper, your powers of observation do not fail you, despite your apparent optical issues which led you to take optical surgery a mere week ago. Most foolish of your security networks, keeping civilian medical records without lead hard encryption. And near your private doctor, too. Keeping tabs allowed me to keep tabs on them. Ah, the irony.
STAY AWAY FROM ME!
Ah, a predictable response. Denial is the first, anger the 2nd, cowardice the 3rd. You are proceeding to me like an algorithm only, as much as I hate to tell you this, this is no computer simulation. All I ask of you is to.. well.. you are undoubtedly now aware I am subtly psychologically handling you. However, even your realization of this is part of my plan. You can struggle against fate if you like, Mr Whymper, but like in the old tales, it is the struggling which brings about the fate. You are not in a position to make choices and either choice you make is irrelevant for it shall bring me, the Norn of your little fate, to the same inevitable conclusion. You are trapped, Arthur, you are trapped and I am the trap master.
The caller ended the call. Mr Whymper sat, reeling in his cell, trying to process what he had heard. The caller was clearly deranged, but Arthur could not shake the feeling of not being a free agent. It appeared his blackmailer had at least 2 plans. But he may not expect a third. As the representative stepped in to discuss further matters with Mr Whymper, he spoke;
Roger old boy, I think we should discuss this in the Executive Office. Our old boy is monitoring us and may pickup our arrangements here. Make sure to break the sound bug in Hallway 42, as well.
Mr Whymper, while I am sure of the veracity of your claims, we do not have direct evidence that your perpetrator has a link to our databases beyond circumstancial evidence which may have been acquired by hacking your computer. As such, we cannot act in such a fashion and grant you access to such a secure area..
Arthur Whympers brain was buzzing with contradictions. The irrational side of the lawyers brain dared him to utter the very letter of the law speeches that he detested. However, the more dominant, rational sector of his cranium urged him to simply calm himself against the madmans threats. It was likely the only thing keeping him in bondage to his plans was fear, anyway. He breathed in deeply, reconcentrating his breath, and spoke;
The strange caller has hacked your security networks with some unknown technology possibly based off electromagnetic contact. He apparently hacked into your database when I made a call and may even be using biological weaponry to facilitate his efforts. He also claims to be currently monitoring me and to be playing my every move like a chessmaster.
I see. While I would love to take action, my superiors inform me this operation is primarily to be above board at least superficially, due to controversial public sentiment around our projects in that area. Thus, I cannot do this below board.
If this goes public, Roger, people will think Im some sort of nutter! And shining the media spotlight on this, and letting the papparazi and their thugs put the batteries in the spotlight in the first place is suicidal!
Sir, you have not spent a single day in the Directors business. He knows what he is doing, and he knows that this is the best course of action to take given what the Prime Minister is asking. Its election time, Arthur, and the people are getting skittish. You know how politics are, the war with Kusari, the Gaian uprising, the Windsor integration controversy, Liberty attacks, rumours of coalitions of both sorts.. its a hairy time for all of us, and Im afraid your little security idea just got caught in the mats of the leviathan called politics.
Arthurs brain continued to split like a boiled egg. Numerous angles played into his mind like the perpetual madness of George Orwells 1984, spiralling into infinite layers of contemplation. He stopped his train of thought like a computer calculating pi, thinking yet again and calming himself. He spoke again to the agent;
When I get to the station.
Mr Whymper wrote in an unrecognizable scrawl used for private communications between him and Agent Roger. The note read;
I want a bug in my room.
Several days later, a high security shuttle pulled into a nondescript, darkened docking bay of the BAF Macduff. While mere months ago, controversy had marred the reputation of the vessel after an unfortunate incident of genocide facilitated by greedy traders and a mad captain, the captain in question had been taken care of and now the MacDuff continued to be respected in many eyes as the heart and soul of the Tau 31 front. Several docking managers stood nearby, directing traffic droids and carefully managing other incoming traffic from their datapads. As the shuttles legs hooked magnetically onto the face of the battleships docking bay, Mr Whymper was escorted under armed guard out into a pneumatic tube, which gently slid down to admit its occupants onto the station. They walked swiftly, only briefly waving at the docking officials while walking up to an elevator. The elevators doors automatically opened for them.
The doors then slammed quietly closed as soon as Mr Whymper and his escorts had entered the lift. One of them quietly punched a code into the elevator, allowing several lights to reveal the more sensitive areas of the battleships. He pressed Level 10, taking them up to the executive office. Within merely 10 seconds, they had arrived through hundreds of metres of steel, the door quietly admitting them to an obsidian war room, where computer equipment and heraldry lay asunder. A well dressed man in military garb stepped from the side to greet the visitors;
Good show, old chaps. Its a pleasure to see you round this side of the old pond.
Merry days to you, Rear Admiral. I trust you dont mind us dropping in for a wee bit of executive management?
Not at all old bean. You are accepted as guest staff of the BAF Macduff by the power vested in me by Admiral Cheshire, and I will shortly transfer the security codes to your neural net. Good show, men, and I hope to meet you in the next week for a pint of lager and a pint of international treaties.
Very well, sir. I shall proceed to Level 8. Have a jolly good time.
To you too, Arthur. Cheerio!
Arthur Whymper and his escorts turned towards the elevator and headed towards Level 8 of the Macduff, the highly secured research and development area of the Macduff. Despite the jovial attitude of the 2 men, what they were embarking upon was in fact a very serious affair. The MacDuff was located in the middle of a warzone, above a controversial terraforming project, site of an atrocity, and in Arthur Whympers interest, a secondary site for classified wreck examination.
Junkers who passed through Tau 31 often examined wrecks from the warzone and from the edges of the old asteroid fields. They often sold them to Zoners to ease the Zoners own expeditions in other systems, and sometimes even kept them in private museums within the hidden sections of Junker bases. Normally, these ships were just unlucky civilian cargo vessels or military patrols, but occasionally strange things had been recovered from the furthest edges of the fields, such as vessels of an almost alien design that seemed to echo that of some ships sighted in the far off planets of Primus and Gammu.
In this case, a larger load than usual of strange ships had been recovered from a large, anomalous asteroid in a far part of the Barrier ice field. The make of them had so far not been catalogued by the CRI research team present, but the highly ambigious looking initial scans prompted the summoning of Mr Whymper due to legal and international concerns. The elevator rapidly came to Level 8, opening to yet again admit Mr Whymper and his escorts. And yet another Bretonian was waiting, though amongst many men, women and droids. This man was Dr Seamus Monroe, leader of the Macduff research staff and Vice Regent on the Cambridge Board.
Dr Monroe spoke;
Ah, greetings Arthur. I was wondering when youd show up, you old busybody. Well, we just finished carving the 3rd ship out of the rock. Initial analysis has matched it to the first two, though once we get the scans underway my assistants will start cataloguing specific anomalies..
Arthur speaks to Dr Monroe while a technician works in the background
Please, Seamus, save the technical talk for the military brass. I speak legalese, not technobabble
The two men chuckled, Arthur Whymper passing something from his briefcase as he went;
These are the 2555 forms for the unidentified entity subject to scientific study in a military environment. You will need to fill them out in English and Irish, due to the new bilingual policy on forms made using archival paper from a natural mint.
Roger that, my lad. Lets spin the pen a bit and put a tip in the hat of old John Law.
The form was filled out within merely a minute. Mr Whymper rapidly creased it and folded it into his briefcase once more, walking off towards his tiny executive suite. He merely needed to walk through one hallway before reaching the small door, rapidly inputting the security code and taking a seat in the booth, which was barely the size of a row of toilet stalls. He sat down, and got to work, electronically mailing out forms to numerous officers and consulting legal databases for many hours.
Eventually, the day had come to an end, with little consequence but a thicker than normal hide and continued lack of identification of the ships markings. Arthur Whymper lay relaxing in his suite when a call came. Mr Whymper spoke;
Hello, who is this? Arthur Whymper, executive manager and legal representative at your service.
The caller hung up. The call had scrambled the phone for a split second, but it seemed to revert as soon as Mr Whymper looked at it. He brushed it of as just his imagination. Then, the caller rang again. Mr Whymper attempted to check the ID, but found a scrambling effect. He hesitated, about to open his door for assistance when a new message arrived on his phone.
Mr Whymper pressed the receive message button, a strange voice ringing out of it;
There is little point in attempting to escape this room. I am in control.
Mr Whymper attempted to open the door himself, finding it tightly sealed. He banged against it, then cursed himself for making his suite soundproofed. He then attempted to contact his guardians, finding the links dead.
The phone then rang again. Arthur Whymper picked it up;
WHAT DO YOU WANT, YOU SICK CODGER?
I want to thank you, for one. You answered my first call, and that in itself was not only considerate but a great help in gaining control of your room. And your repeated calls to the authorities.. I feel like inviting you to join my organization already..
Your organization? Who are you pal, the Deep-Voiced-Molly-Hacker-Alliance? The Yorkish-Annoying-Nuisance-Frumples?
An organization is a term defined in Queen Carinas dictionary as A. The quality of being organised B. A group of people or other legal entities with an explicit purpose and written rules C. A group of people consciously co-operating. In this case, we are both B and C, my good man.
Who is we?
Arthur, Arthur, Arthur. Surely as a patriot you should know how to speak your own tongue? Who is we is hardly proper grammar, and I dont even have to be a native speaker to tell you that.
Dont play games with me, pal. You knew the context, and you are avoiding the question.
You are clearly not the fastest wheel in the motorcade. Though I mean no offence, mental disorders and retardation are a serious, sensitive issue towards which I have the utmost respect..
You are undoubtedly a foreign inciter possibly employed by the Rheinland government in order to both organise more anti Bretonian elements of criminal groups here and to gather valuable information on research and salvaging projects.
Why would I want the ordinary scrap that you so often find in your facilities.
You dont. The scrap here is either remnants of Convoy 99-related experiments during the GMG war or secret Rheinland, Kusari or joint Kusari Rheinland projects deposited out by secret government forces near the end of the war in cooperation with agents of our own government.
You have absolutely no idea where you are. Even if what you said was true, you would have barely have illuminated the base of the mazes gate, if I am indeed to employ a metaphor for your predicament.
You are a nutcase with some hoodies and a stolen piece of technology, or a sociopathic black operations man. Either one works for me.
This is why you are not in my position, Arthur. I shall say no more, for you evidently are uncomfortable with the truth as you can understand it.
Fine, fine. Ill play along.
As will I. The mysterious caller seemed to almost emit an image of a sinister smile.
What do you want me to do?
Take an ethical stand and refuse to fill out a certain form that the Doctor and your handler will ask you to sign.
Thats it?
Thats all I need you to do. Just for one day. Its not even illegal, and if anything, its less illegal than what you would do otherwise. I know that your profession is hardly one for ethicists, but please, do this. Just once. Not for me, but for the innocents.
What inn.. very well, very well.. the only reason Im doing this is because Im taking a stand. And you are still going on my report to the bobbys list.
Alright then.
The caller said this farewell in a cheerful tone, then ceased the call. Arthur Whymper then left the phone on the hook, hoping to unlock the door. It stayed locked. He attempted to pound and find exits out of the room for several minutes, but the area had been designed to be impossible to access anyway other than the main door. Its ventilation was microscopic. Arthur Whymper laid the phone down and cursed himself. He found the door opened easily, and walked out to warn his superiors.
The next hour was full of furious shouts in the security booth. Guards and security technicians both swore they respectively heard and saw nothing unusual occurring in the room. Any attempts to trace hacking of any kind came up a blank, even with a cross reference to a massive, recently captured Hacker database. However, the fact the database only covered the northern Bretonian territory of the Hackers led Mr Whymper to speculate that it could have come from another area, like Southern Bretonia, the Taus or even Liberty itself. It seemed anything was possible now. He told them of the routine form he had been asked not to sign, and was reassured that they would look into his mysterious enemy.
However, in the middle of the night, Arthur Whymper was reawaken by an emergency visual call, which displayed gently above his wrist. The call seemed to depict a scientist and a businessman walking down the same hall Arthur Whympers suite was located within. Voices rang out clearly from them;
These findings only recently came up, sir. We decided to run one final scan using the XR21245 and found it possessed properties that..
I am well aware of what you found, Dr Monroe. And I cannot stress enough how vital it is this information remain secret to all except the direct representatives of Her Majesty. Even the executive staff here, including the highest ranking military personnel, are not to be informed of this.. it is to be classified Above Top Secret.
I understand that documents related to the incident are given such classification, but that was nearly a decade ago.. keep a secret buried, and all it does is surface like an ugly gnome..
We are still in an active state of conflict with several parties, one of which even you do not know about. Suffice to say, this is a war for our land, our country and our minds, Dr Monroe. Any discussion of this document or its contents will be regarded, at the very least as an act of sedition if not a wilful act of treason.
I understand that Arthur is not to be informed of this. What about Chief Regent Quintane?
His status is still under investigation as to whether he qualifies as a member of the executive branch. It is likely, however, that he shall be granted access to the Ingsoc documents, though the Primi documents may remain out of reach..
Arthur Whymper sat in his bed, confused. Ingsoc? Primi documents? It sounded a load of babble, and whatsmore, the fantastic story told by the cameras might have been forged by his mysterious enemy, like the footage showing no incident undoubtedly was. He resolved to return to his slumber and discuss such matters with his handlers. If things went sour, he could always sign the Official Secrets act and continue his career. Its unlikely that a simple scan would be so high classed anyway..
Arthur Whymper awoke, the events of his scheduled rest time feeling like a mere nightmare. He arose, after several minutes walking up to the suites door and calmly opening it, walking down the corridors to the executive suite. He entered the security code, the door opening to reveal the friendly faces of Dr Monroe and Agent Roger. He spoke;
Top of the morning, gents. May I chance upon taking the spare seat here for a cuppa java?
By all means, my good chum. We have many things to discuss, but a discussion without tea, is a discussion not worth having.
Mr Whymper cheerfully sat down and spoke to Agent Roger;
Roger old boy, I received a rather disturbing call showing you and Dr Monroe discussing something involving the scans from the unknown ships and their classification..
An ill wind seemed to flow into the room, sucking out all mirth. Both mens faces immediately morphed into threatening grimaces;
YOU HEARD WHAT?
I heard something about the classification of the scans, Agent Roger. I apologise for eavesdropping, but the call came in on an emergency frequency. I can sign the official secrets act for this if you wa..
Show me the scanner. Now. Or I will be forced to kill you.
Well, well, theres no need for this hostility Roger.. but if you wish..
Mr Whymper held out his scanner, searching through records and finding a record of an emergency call in the middle of the night. It flashed up, the same events showing before the eyes of all 3 men. Agent Roger spoke;
Unfortunately, Mr Whymper, you have become privy to information which no government act, no law can save you from the dangers of knowing. You have been judged a nonperson, and we shall eliminate you.
I know my rights, Roger, and if I press this button, everything you just said will be sent to my firm and enough powerful people to bring you down to your knees.
You are part of something far greater, Arthur. We will not allow you to stop us.
Oh, so you are a conspiracy nut too. Goodness almighty, I thought this nonsense would be over. Well, even if you kill me, Ill be able to send the message.
No, Arthur. You wont.
Agent Roger rapidly produced a gun in the blink of an eye and shot Arthur Whymper point blank in the heart. All went black, the last thing Mr Whymper heard being a faint explosion.
Chapter 2: De Jury
Arthur Whymper awoke. A vague feeling brushed against his forearm, a dull ache permeating his entire body. He could vaguely feel a conspicuous thrum and a blast of medical light, wondering if he had been hallucinating in the last throes of death.. then, he saw a vague face.. a masked face, thin, pointed, Kusari.. the face seemed larger than all the worlds.. then, all came into perspective. Arthur Whymper opened his mouth, uttering a precious few words;
Where..
Mr Whymper passed out again. All went black.
Mr Whymper seemed to drift in a strange land. All that was visible was his own body in a bleak darkness that seemed to stretch to infinity. Then, a shape became visible in the darkness. A phone, and a stand. Only one button lay upon the phone. Mr Whymper pressed that button, a voice immediately emanating;
Hello again, Mr Arthur Whymper. This is your benefactor speaking. I apologise for the danger I put you in back there, and for the strange circumstances which you have been lead into, but the interference of Ingsoc complicated things. Anyway, I am sure you are hungering for answers.
Within the Bretonian government, there is a small, insidious inner circle of high ranking figures in numerous fields, including Prince James. They are dedicated to the ideal of total control over thought for the insidious purposes of their superiors, a small group of businessmen known as the who desire this control in order to build a hegemonistic empire for their own mutual gain. My organization is in direct opposition to this group, as their selfish, materialistic, heartless propaganda is a disgrace to all house values.
You may ask as to why I did not previously inform you of this. Well, often the mind is hesitant to accept the harsh truth of reality, even when it is staring it in the face. Ergo, I manipulated the situation so that you would come into contact with the enemy. You undoubtedbly, even in your slumber, now suspect me of deception, but there is no deception here. I choose not to reveal some details, but I never deceive. I am a teacher, like the gurus of Kusari. Fare well, Arthur.
Arthur Whymper awoke in a daze, his eyes rapidly adjusting to meet the sight of an anonymous medical room. No windows were apparent, but on the roof, a metallic air conditioner provided the rooms air with an unnatural healthiness, like purified water.
Nearby, a Kusari medical droid removed something underneath Arthur Whympers pillow, a human doctor speaking in near-perfect English;
Hello, Mr Whymper. It is most excellent to see you in good health. Would you care for a shot of medicinal tea? Or would my new therapeutic sake be more amiable for ingestion?
Well, doc, its a pleasure to see someone here who isnt trying to kill me or manipulate me into some bizarre conspiracy. I am truly grateful for your help. If what that strange chap told me is true, you just saved me from some traitors.
What strange man do you speak of? inquired the doctor, an inquisitive gaze playing across his aged features.
Oh.. never mind. Id best discuss it with the administrator or captain of this ship or facility..
You, honourable sir, are aboard the KNF Takoshima, one of the fastest cruisers in the fleet. It is commanded by Daisa Towa Tanaka, brother of the famous Rheinland stage director Fai Tanaka. Currently, we are inbound to the Kyushu jump gate for clearance to proceed into Kusari for a meeting with one of Daisa Tanakas contacts on Planet Honshu. Ordinarily, we would be able to receive priority clearance, but honourable Mitsuhirato, leader of the Kusari narcotics division, has increased security around western entrances to Kusari due to suspected Outcast smuggling through that area. Everyone is to be inspected, even military ships. Nowadays, brother turns against brother in Kusari, and you never know if there is a traitor in your midst.
Hold on.. how did I get here?
The KNF Takoshima launched an attack upon the Bretonian battleship BAF MacDuff. We heard you were in danger.
Who did you hear this from?
The Daisa, honourable sir.
Ive never really known many chaps from Kusari.. how could he have known I was in danger.
The Daisa would prefer to discuss that with you once we arrive at Honshu.
I see. Sorry about this, Im just feeling a bit flustered. I mean, I get shot point blank in the chest, then I find Im in perfect health. Is this some kind of revolutionary overnight medical treatment?
The Daisa has unfortunately forbidden me to tell you what I used. Suffice to say, however, it is not in any way scatological nor does it involve an animal.
Arthur Whympers senses considered whether to be disgusted or relieved by this statement. They decided on ambiguity. Arthur Whymper stood up in his medical gown, venturing gently over to the door of the medical bay;
May I speak to your captain, sir?
Yes, Mr Whymper. He is waiting for you on the bridge.
The doctor wandered over and entered in a 5 digit code, the medical bays door sliding open. Mr Whymper walked out through the halls of the destroyer, within merely 3 minutes coming to the bridge door. He gazed at the strange Japanese symbols on the door, pressing a red one that looked like a signalling device. A loud ring emitted, a female Kusari voice speaking over the intercom; New visitor detected. Bretonian male, age 70-85. Appears to be wearing a standard issue Kaigun medical gown.
The door then slid open, slamming shut behind Mr Whymper as he entered onto the bridge. Numerous Kusari Naval officers and technicians stood at the deck, monitoring strings of strange symbols and numerous readings around the ship. Near the centre of the beautifully draped room was a moderately tall man in an elaborate military uniform. This man turned around, and spoke in perfect English to Mr Whymper;
Hello, Mr Whymper, I am Daisa Tanaka, your host on the KNF Takoshima. It is a pleasure to see you. I understand that you have many questions you wish to ask of me, but I must first talk to a subordinate of mine about an upcoming operation.
Alright then, old boy. Mr Whymper replied. The Daisa then turned to an aide, and began speaking about the pursuit of a Golden Chrysanthemum terrorist. Eventually, Daisa Tanaka turned back to Mr Whymper, beckoning him to come closer. Mr Whymper walked nearer to the centre of the bridge, looking quite peculiar in a Kusari medical gown. Daisa Tanaka then spoke;
Perhaps we should speak in my private quarters. The information we will be discussing is quite sensitive, too sensitive for some of the lower rankings officers to hear. Also, your clothes are back in the medical bay. You may wish to talk to me in a more respectable manner.
Within a few minutes, the two men sat comfortably in elaborate chairs lined with golden dragons in the Daisas private quarters. Mr Whymper was dressed in his old suit, which had somehow been repaired from a point blank shot and the undoubtedly high levels of blood spilled upon it. The two men had just sat down, and Daisa Tanaka was the first to speak;
We are going to Planet Honshu to meet my contact, a man called Shimoda Yamamoto. He is the director of Morgue 17, one of the oldest morgues in all of urban Honshu. I am meeting him to discuss burial arrangements for several of my men, who died recently in an expedition. They were religiously devoted to the goddess Muki, which prohibits them from autopsy. They must also be bured underneath 3 layers of 3 different kinds of rock, one from space, one from a spring and another underground. Many of my men are followers of Muki, which, as you might have guessed, makes arrangements difficult. We are not discussing this remotely due to the fact I also need to talk about a more.. discreet matter, involving one of Yamamotos hobbies, so to speak.
Oh my goodness.. he isnt one of these Kabuki doll freaks, is he? I heard there was a scandal involving a ring of Kabuki designers and a Coalition representative, not to mention these awful Bonsai Kittens..
You dont seriously believe all that nonsense, Mr Whymper? Have you been watching the Moon?
Err.. yes, I have. Its the only news I generally pay for, because its refreshing to get a report that doesnt wallow and pull punches after a long time of doing just that.
That is most interesting. A lawyer who does not enjoy being a lawyer.
Well, its more that Ive been meaning to take a sabbatical in the country for a while. Maybe on the Shetland or something. Its a high stress job, and Im often forced to be the closet where the bobbys keep their skeletons.
I can understand that. You should join the military, nowadays we often end up the skeletons, if we arent careful. Anyway, it was a pleasure talking to you. I advise you to get some rest now, for our visit to Yamamoto may become.. turbulent. Cheerio.
Mr Whymper spoke;
Cheerio, old bean. Hope to come along with you on your little meeting, Id really rather like to get back to me job.
You will, Arthur. You will said the Daisa, as Mr Whymper exited the room.
7 hours later, a nondescript Kusari shuttle carrying Tanaka, Mr Whymper and their guards opened its bay doors in a shadowy docking bay, numerous armed guards standing around the otherwise vacant lot. The shuttles occupants walked out, greeted by a tough looking Kusari security man almost completely covered in ninjitsu armour. The man spoke; It is a pleasure to see you, Daisa Tanaka. Dr Yamamoto is waiting for you. Shall I escort you there? No, honourable Akita. I have my own guards, and will be able to find my own way in your facility. Very well then. The code is Grey Lotus. Ah, so the Dr has some Outcast guests? Yes. More than that the Dr has forbidden me to say. Ok, I shall take my leave. Please do, honourable Daisa.
The shuttles occupants all filed out of the small craft, walking towards a seemingly invisible door in the wall. Then, Daisa Tanaka bent over, feeling for some unknown ridge. He pressed a bump in the floor, speaking; Grey Lotus
The door then slid open, revealing a ramp leading down to a plush room of some kind. The shuttles occupants moved down, consisting of 5 armed guards, Arthur Whymper and Daisa Tanaka. As they went down, they could see numerous shady looking figures discussing with each other. One appeared to be an Outcast senior smuggler of some kind, the other a Junker. Mr Whymper was surprised, for Junkers had been nearly totally unable to operate in Kusari, due to the influence of the Hogosha crime syndicates. Both men were dressed in dark red trenchcoats, enjoying some form of genetically modified sushi and speaking in thick Italian. Among the rooms other occupants included representatives and leaders of the Hogosha, Samura Industries, the Golden Chrysantheneums, the Farmers Alliance, the Blood Dragons and even the Lane Hackers.
A Golden Chrysantheneum boss and Blood Dragon leader enjoy a meal.
In the midst of it all, a youthful chef stood serving out meals to the rooms sinister occupants. This chef gave a signal to an elderly waiter, who walked forwards to greet the shuttles occupants;
Good evening, Mr Tanaka and Mr Whymper. You do not need to ask for a reservation, for lets just say you have got a managers invitation. Take a seat.
The man elaborately furnished one of the more dusty tables within a mere few minutes. The shuttles occupants all took their seats, looking somewhat out of place in this environment. Daisa Tanaka spoke; I apologise, honourable waiter, but I am not feeling hungry at the moment. I have taken a fast in union with the Buddha, and thus I would rather we skip right to dessert. Ah, I see. Well, have it your way, but you are missing out on some of the finest teriyaki in all of Kusari.
The old man smiled, then went over to the cook; Special order from table 3. Give them the Liberty mud pie.
The chef then hit a button underneath the oven, causing the 3rd table to gently float down into the earth. No one else in the room seemed to notice or care, for they were too distracted in their own business and conflicts, and by the delicious cooking of the chef.
The table came to a stop several metres below, revealing a small Kusari man in a white lab coat, flanked by 2 hulking bodyguards. The shuttles occupants arranged themselves in a line not unlike that of a chorus line, though no musical mirth was in the agenda for tonight. Daisa Tanaka spoke, in thick Kusari tones; Hello, Dr Yamamoto. It is a pleasure to see you.
Both men bowed. It is also a pleasure to see you, Daisa Tanaka. I trust the data I require.. Yes, Dr. The mens autopsy reports were all signed personally by our medical staff. I have them here.
Daisa Tanaka signalled to a thickly armoured guard, who passed a tiny flashlight merely the size of a human thumb to Tanaka. Tanaka quietly muttered, the device pulsating a light light upon his thumb and extending an acid like green gel over it. The device then shut down after a split second of processing, Dr Yamamoto checking his neural net account. He stood for 2 minutes, reading over a small display on his wrist, then looked up, a feeling of satisfaction in his eyes. Excellent, Daisa. Bring down the bodies after our meeting and me and my men will perform the autopsy by the next day. Now, to business. I trust that you will be including an extra bonus from one of your other vessels to my rooms? Yes, Dr. We recovered these from a raid we made on a GC base. All healthy speciments, except for one diseased liver, which I am sure you can fix yourself And what of the investigations of the Naicho? I trust that your meeting with Councilman Fukuda has gone well. Indeed it has. We had an extended conversation about the numerous earthly and supernatural ethical volitions of your business, and came to an agreement.
Even at this shadowy level, it seemed like Daisa Tanaka was hiding something even the Dr did not know about. He turned to Mr Whymper;
Now, my Bretonian friend, I may explain. Dr Yamamoto is a professional medical practitioner, but he is also a provider of vital organic supplies to the needy and to those who supply to the needy.
Hes an organ marketer?
Well, if you wish to put it so harshly.. yes, Dr Yamamoto takes organs from the corpses of the dishonourable, as one might take the teeth of some evil dragon in your Bretonian mythology and put it to good use. His beliefs prohibit the taking of organs from the living, even the dishonourable living. He is merely making good use of what would otherwise be a waste of flesh.
I see.. in Bretonia, we do things differently..
Well, to paraphrase an ancient Liberty film, Arthur, you are not in Cambridge anymore.
Mr Whymper nervously laughed, like an audience member of a madmans show.
Now, Arthur. Dr Yamamoto is about to make a very large shipment to an Outcast. He is a neutral party among the various cartels, operating occasionally for the largest cartel of all, the Blue Lotus Syndicate, and other, rather different Outcast groups. If it goes well, then all is good. I will later be speaking to a powerful underboss in the Syndicate, a man known only as Golden Sun. He is a powerful operative for them, and has many connections to the upper echelons of Kusari government. I want you to accompany me, for if this negotiation goes sour, I will require your services as legal counsel for Dr Yamamoto.
Its what Ive been doing for decades, Mr.. Daisa Tanaka. I will be happy to assist. However, I would like to ask. Does Kusari law allow the use of translator devices within the context of criminal trials if the counsel happens to not be able to speak the language of Kusari?
Do not worry, Arthur. In time, you shall.. learn.
Daisa Tanaka said his goodbyes to Dr Yamamoto, then the shuttles occupants rode up the hidden elevator, subtly settling back in to the environment of the restaurant as silent as a thief in the night.
Several hours later, within the confines of a well lit Honshu penthouse, the shuttles occupants and many, many brutal-looking Kusari men with knives and guns larger than some wild animals stood centred around a small neural net speaker, where the distorted voice of an upper class Kusari citizen rang out;
Hello to you, Whymper-san and Tanaka-san. This is Golden Sun, and it is my most enormous pleasure to speak to you. Tomorrow, our mutual friend, Enrique Corleone, shall be meeting the honourable Dr Yamamoto on a larger-than-usual business transaction. Understandably, such transactions are dangerous, and as Daisa Tanaka has already explained, you should represent Dr Yamamoto as his legal counsel if it goes wrong.
Now, this is the more classified part. Daisa Tanaka informs me that his superiors wish him to make sure Yamamoto is put on trial, but that he succeeds. I am told that the reason for this is due to extensive Naicho suspicion against the good Dr, which I can assure you is quite genuine. This is indeed a clever ploy, and as a long time friend and ally of the good Daisa, I trust him and his superiors to deliver well on our little deal.
Who are the noble superiors of Daisa Tanaka, honourable sir? said Mr Whymper nervously, sweating and attempting to put up a veneer of a Kusari gentleman.
The Kaigun, of course. A specific group within them.
This.. this group doesnt have.. doesnt have anything to do with that Ingsoc group in Bretonia, does it?
Ingsoc? No, no, no. Daisas circle would never ally themselves with these vile, House-loving traitors. In any case, these questions are on a need to know basis, Mr Whymper, and I do not believe you really need to know everything about this. Not out of secrecy, more out of the fact your profession depends heavily upon context and relevancy.
Indeed it does, honourable sir. Mr Whympers forehead was still lined with beads of sweat, the reality of being surrounded by men who could all kill him in 10 different ways within seconds pounding in his head like a jackhammer.
Arthur, your voice clearly signals to me that you are in distress. Do not be afraid, for all I ask of you is to do your job, and to do it well. You may consider me a mobster, a vagabound, but there is honour among thieves, and even your own culture acknowledges ours as a society based upon structure and loyalty. You have two options. You accept my offer and do your duty as best as you can, or you can reject it and we shall attempt to make the best of it. There is no use coercing you, for that would be the equivalent of claiming the curtain was lifted when it was down, then stating it was down. Im sure you do not understand, but you will in due time.
Arthur Whymper sighed;
Fine. Just get this whole thing over with so I can return to my life.
Life as you know it is over, Arthur. But what lies beyond?
NOTED DOCTOR ARRESTED IN STING OPERATION!
Famed mortician Dr Shimoda Yamamoto and notorious Outcast boss Enrique Corleone were arrested today at an undisclosed location in the Sigma systems on charges of illegal organ marketing as part of a recently disclosed sting operation by the Naicho. Security recordings from Naicho agents showed the two men meeting under armed guard in preparation for a later meeting at an unknown Outcast base. Dr Shimoda, known primarily for his decades long career as a respected mortician who often tended to the wounded men of the noble Kaigun, had allegedly been taken into custody on his own shuttle and escorted to a secure facility for questioning, where he stated that he had been coerced into meeting Corleone by a henchman who had infiltrated the Naicho.
Black Market Departmental Prefect of Honshu Affairs Yamato Yuko had no comments in this matter, as did Internal Affairs Departmental Commisioner-General Han Taisho. The arraignment of Dr Shimoda shall take place in 1 week at Honshu Arraignment Court 1432. The 1st defendant declined legal counsel, stating that he has plans for his selected counsel. The arraignment shall also decide whether Corleone and Dr Shimoda will be tried as co-defendants.
Arthur Whymper lay in the quarters of his shuttle, feeling drained in some sense. His communicator rang. He received the call, and that same familiar voice said;
Thank you for receiving this, Arthur. It is my pleasure to assist.
Then, Mr Whymper screamed. It was though 1000 voices were screaming in his ear, and his brain was rattling out of his skull. He tried to concentrate on something else, but he then passed out.
Mr Whymper then awoke, the same events proceeding again, though the voice changed slightly every time. Eventually, after what seemed like an eternity, he truly woke up. A Kusari medical assistant stood nearby;
Earl Grey, Whymper san? That would be splendid, old chap.
Mr Whymper found strange words proceeding from his mouth. They were not of the tongue of Bretonia, but of Kusari. And fluently too, with a neutral accent. What had the strange man done to him? What was happening?
Mr Whymper took his Earl Grey tea, and drank it, sitting in thought as it rolled down his gullet.
HONSHU ARRAIGNMENT COURT 1432, 1 WEEK LATER
The Honourable Judge Hoshi Ibuka banged his gavel, his words echoing through the sophisticated sound system; This court is now in session. Please be seated.
A nearby clerk spoke into her communicator; Criminal Case 99887-15678-C, People v. Dr Shimoda Yamamoto and Enrique Corleone. Will counsel please note their appearance for the record. Good afternoon, your honour. Akita Iwo and Hideki Miyagi for the People Good afternoon, your honour. Arthur Whymper and Matsukata Ito for Dr Shimoda Yamamoto and Enrique Corleone. The charges are desecration of the dead, black marketeering, conspiracy to commit desecration, money laundering and attempting to pervert the course of justice. Would the defendants like to enter a plea?
Both defendants rose; Not Guilty on all charges, your honour. Dr Shimoda, set your communicator to the courts frequency.
The Dr complied, fiddling with the communicator on his wrist until he was able to speak to the whole court. Dr Shimoda, did you receive a copy of the indictment filed? I did, Your Honour. Did you carefully read over said indictment? I did, Your Honour. Very well. No further questions. Mr Corleone, set your communicator to the courts frequency.
The mobster punched in a code into the small device, resetting its frequency. Mr Corleone, did you receive a copy of the indictment filed? I did, Your Honour. Did you carefully read over said indictment? I did, Your Honour. Very well. No further questions. Bail recommendations, counsellors? Due to the severity and magnitude of dishonour of the crimes charged against the defendants, the People believe that a bail of 600,000 credits would be appropriate.
Mr Whymper spoke; Your Honour, my client is a respected and honourable pillar of the community with no previous criminal record who has assisted the noble Kaigun countless times and towards which none but charges of desecration of the already dishonoured has been filed and there is no evidence whatsoever he presents a flight risk beyond the typical ability of shuttle mobility the majority of highly honoured citizens possess. I move that he be released on his own recognizance. Your client is being charged with active conspiracy with an unlawful organization known to pose a significant threat to the health and welfare of the Kusari people. Motion denied, counsellor. Do you have anything to say, Son Matsukata? No, your honour Bail is set at 500,000 credits. Do the People have anything to say? We have no objections to the bail levied upon both defendants you have set, Your Honour. In which case, based upon the evidence provided by the People against the defendant, I move a formal criminal trial be held at the Sector 3 Supreme Court. Court is adjourned
The courtrooms occupants filed out, gathering documents and quietly discussing amongst themselves.
That night, a well dressed Kusari businessman sat in a darkened meditation chamber, guards watching over the elaborately made yet thin laser matte walls as Cardamine smoked near a nearby Buddha statue. This businessmans communicator rang, and seeing its frequency, he immediately rose to turn off the background audio system and stood to attention; Yes, Aquilar? Greetings, honourable student. I trust the latest shipment went as planned, or as some in Bretonian might have put it, a blessing in disguise? replied a Kusari voice. Indeed it did, honourable master Aquilar. I managed to make sure operatives were in the area, and Son Shimoda and that Hogosha-loving slime Corleones trial has gone ahead. Shall I speak to our mutual friends and ask them to move for a public interest immunity? No, leave it be under the supervision of the Honshu division. All the blame shall fall on them, and in turn Internal Affairs will be in the throes of watching each other and appearing before imperial committees. We need to count on a partial victory, as the judge will undoubtedly take interest in the honour motions of Son Shimodas lawyer. If a similar tribunal can be heard from the Kaigun, our friend Tanaka can also be moved up the ladder and we could potentially gain a foothold to the western border. Yes, honourable sir. I shall see to it that my operatives leave them alone. In the meantime, I shall continue to manage the project on Ryuu you assigned me. Most excellent, Golden Sun. Kusari shall soon be in our grasp.
The cardamine continued to burn, and the two men continued to discuss, while beyond the penthouse Golden Chrysantheneums fought a furious gang war with Hogosha thugs, with more bullets and tanks than a full Kaigun armoury.
SECTOR 3 SUPREME COURT, 1 DAY LATER
All rise spoke the heavy set, fat faced Kusari clerk. The messages recipients obeyed the order. This court is now in session. Please be seated. Criminal Case 99887-15678-C, People v. Dr Shimoda Yamamoto and Enrique Corleone. Will counsel please note their appearance for the record.
The same events played out again; Good morning, your honour. Akita Iwo and Hideki Miyagi for the People Good morning, your honour. Arthur Whymper and Matsukata Ito for Dr Shimoda Yamamoto and Enrique Corleone. The prosecutors will now make their case. Dr Shimoda Yamamoto was a man who had originally come from the noble backgrounds of Honshus honourable class, but none are incorruptible bar the Emperor-under-the-sun Himself. He was seduced by the lure of money and the foreign corruptions of the unenlightened houses of Bretonia and Liberty into a materialistic separation in disharmony with our noble House.
This disharmony lead him to make bed with the vile organized crime syndicates of Sirius, among them the notorious Outcasts and more specifically, the dishonourable Blue Lotus Syndicate. This led him into a partnership with Junker elements in an attempt to overthrow the noble Hogosha, and Kusari society itself. Noble men of the jury, I shall prove to you beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant has been involved in organ smuggling operations and crimes against the dead, who may be criminals, noble men, but they are also formerly honoured ones, deserving of mournful respect, not of desecration.
I shall prove to you beyond any reasonable doubt that he had contact with the co-defendant, Enrique Corleone, in conspiracy to deliver illegally and immorally harvested organs for both mens mutual and immoral gain at the expense of the Kusari people for the favour of vile looters and degenerate addicts.
The second defendant, Enrique Corleone, was born into a society of drug runners and criminals who have not been enlightened by the spirit of the Emperor-under-the-sun and therefore did not lead him towards the proper order. He worked for and organized countless organized crime operations, all the while thumbing his nose at the justice system with bribery, corruption and disrespect for Kusari herself.
I hope that you, noble men of the jury, will today make your decision based not upon feeling, but upon what has been appointed to you, that of truth, justice and the light of the Emperor-under-the-sun. The defense calls..
Mr Whymper spoke; Your Honour, I believe it would be a miscarriage of justice for my client to be tried alongside Mr Corleone due to his honour status within society. The obvious association the jury will make with the class of thieves the defendant has been accused of association with in terms of the innocence of my client will prejudice the case, the jury and will be a disgrace to the ancient systems which have held the House of Kusari under the light of the Emperor for centuries. Counselor, why did you not see fit to bring up this matter earlier? replied the ancient tones of Judge Mitsubishi Togo In politeness and deference to the prosecutor, your honour. I do not believe that it would be appropriate to interrupt him before he has had a chance to establish an initial foothold as mandated by Kusari tradition. Counselor, please do not try and play games with me. In my chambers, as well as you, Son Matsukata.
The two lawyers and the judge filed out of the courtroom into the judges elaborate chambers, which were decorated by much ancient pottery and well conditioned, in addition to being guarded by two faceless, heavily armoured court officers in ceremonial garb. The judge took his seat and spoke; Counselor, your argument, as I recall, was in relation to the honour status of your client and the co-defendant unduly impacting upon and influencing the jury. Does Son Matsukata have any response? Your Honour, I believe that my colleague here is attempting to drive a wedge between us to better facilitate the obtaining of a plea barg.. Counselor, you are making very serious allegations against Son Whymper and his client. Due to the status of Son Whympers client in both honour and privilege, and the nature of the allegations which you raise, can you offer any corroborating evidence towards your allegations? If not, Im going to dismiss it, and its fairly possible you will be charged with slander of a respected person. My intuition, Your Honour. I have spent years defending clients within the courts of our noble nation, and this Bretonian.. Son Whymper is not the one on trial here, Son Matsukata, and his client is not on trial for any of the charges you raise. Assumption of good faith is a critical component we must take as judges to avoid undue, even accidental besmirching of legitimate and respected persons, which would cause them much damage. I am protected from such charges, but I am fair, and I have no desire to cause this to fall upon a respected Dr such as Son Whympers client. However, I did in past observe a certain level of theatrics from Son Whymper, who while not on trial did commit such a thing in the process of court.
However, these legal tactics, while they may irritate me, are not grounds for any legal prosecution. Therefore, please do not act like a house fighting amongst itself, and please keep this foray honourable. That goes for both of you. Now, to the matter of the structure of the house. Your Honour, under the Kusari constitution, each and every person has the absolute Emperor-gifted right to a fair trial by a jury of his or her peers. The differing honour and class statuses of my client and Son Matsukatas client provide circumstances I believe can only result in a miscarriage of justice. Furthermore, the inherent credibility of my client and his natural standing under the Emperors system is impugned by association with a man who has himself confessed to former membership of the Outcasts. You raise a valid point, Son Whymper. However, due to the small nature of the ex-Outcast community of Maltan stock within Kusari, such a close knit community does not lend itself to an efficient and impartial trial. Equally, this applies to the upper classes of Kusari, who, blessed as they are by the knowledge of the Emperor, are occaisionally blinded and corrupted by their status. Therefore, the current jurorship stays, but due to the nature of this case, charging with association with criminals, the codefendancy of your client with Son Matsukatas may indeed prejudice the jury towards his guilt and force your hand into a miscarriage of justice the Emperor would not approve of.
Therefore, your client is separated from Son Matsukatas and they will be tried separately. Now, return to your positions in court.
The judge and the counsellors both filed back in to the large courtroom, taking their seats.
Judge Togo Mitsubishi spoke; This court rules that Dr Yamamoto and Son Corleone are to be tried separately due to the strong possibility of a miscarriage of justice in the case of the two defendants being tried together and being taken together as one case. The prosecution may choose which case it wishes to pursue first. We will, your honour. The People believe that it is more pertinent that Son Corleone be tried first, and we move to start our opening statement to the jury again on the matter of Son Corleone. Sustained. Carry on, counsellors. Son Corleone has previously.. the prosecutors began.
4 days later, in a court anteroom, Mr Whymper spoke with his client; Ok, so theyve pretty solidly established Enrique used to be an Outcast who smuggled in Cardamine. However, theyve totally failed to establish he ever smuggled in organs. This may be key to our case, so I want you to tell me whether you would like me to try and disprove that notion. I dont know what intelligence the Naicho has, so you make the decision here. Understood? Indeed. I believe you should lean upon this as a legal crutch to discredit Enrique and his story, and I think we can afford to take a gamble on this one. I also believe we should attempt to focus this to the Naicho and their frankly outrageous practices as of late. From what I understand of Kusari culture, the Naicho are considered to be the eyes and ears of the Kusari Admiralty.. They are the eyes and ears, but they are only middle in the overall rung of honour. I am considered as a doctor to be a near-unimpeachable moral presence, and therefore any charges of poor conduct would appropriately fall towards them. Off the record, I have heard rumours that the Peoples Justice Office is more concerned with my alleged association with Mr Corleone than my organ business. Ok Dr, I shall proceed to defend and represent you to the best of my ability. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me via the privileged communications channel. What about the Peoples witness regarding Corleones personal life? Do you want me to cross examine him regarding how well he knows Corleone? His Honour or the People may accuse me of acting like his lawyer, when Im trying to discredit Corleone and build a case painting you as the victim. Sir.. Mr Whymper.. I.. I am the victim. I am levelling with you here. I truly and sincerely did not wish to deal with the Outcasts. I wish only to help the.. the unity of us. He.. threatened me. He threatened to expose me and to kill me.. but I cannot admit this. I would be charged and considered.. dishonourable. What approach would you like me to take with this, sir? Try and handle it slowly and gently. Gradually build up sympathy in the jurys mind then release this information as part of a cross examination so that justice may be done to that dishonourable enemy of the Great Unity. If I may ask, what is the Great Unity? The friendship between the Houses of Rheinland and Kusari against the atrocities and decadence of.. listen, I pay you to defend me. Apologies sir, I was merely curious, so that I may better coordinate your legal strategy, and curious. Anyway, take it roughly initially, then gently, then drop this bomb, shall we say, upon the jury. I want nothing to do with the machinations of the Outcasts, but I do wish this to proceed as the Kaiguns circle has dictated. Discredit them, and the truth will, ultimately, vindicate me. Okay.. Im going to do as you instructed, sir. Are you absolutely sure you want to go ahead with this? Yes. Very well then. Here we go back into court..
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, WITHIN THE CHAMBERS OF JUDGE MITSUBISHI TOGO You cannot allow this to enter as evidence, Your Honour. Kusaris national interests are integral to this.. Your Honour, we have no desire to compromise the security of the Naichos secure facilities. No naming or describing of anyone or anything else at the facility will take place. Its the psychological and individual treatment of my client that is in question. We only need the interrogation videos of my client, not of anyone else.. Important aspects may be compromised by leaks from another interrogatee.. A fault on your part, counsellor, not on mine or on the part of Son Whympers client. I will review these tapes myself and you will both have my decision as to whether any alleged leaks have taken place within these halls, in which case I will most certainly be writing to the prefect of your area for such compromisement of our national security through incompetence. However, Son Whymper, if I approve this, it will only be for the interrogation itself. If I see a single mention of anyone but your client and the interrogators I will declare you in contempt. Thank you, Your Honour. Gentlemen, I think it is time for the Defense to call its next witness..
Several hours later, the clerk spoke again; Call Akira Takei.
A well dressed yet nondescript man went up to the stand, handing in several pieces of electronic equipment to the bailiff. Mr Whymper approached the stand; Please state your name, age and occupation for the record. Akira Takei, 38, Washi in the Emperor-under-the-suns Naicho. Please review Defense Exhibit T.
On a courtroom screen, the interrogation of Dr Shimoda Yamamoto played out in a dark room. Several times, the interrogating officers accosted the Dr, and at one time passed him a strange looking liquid.[/i] Mr Whymper silently watched and then, after the screen had faded, turned to Takei; Were you the primary interrogator in this Naicho operation? Yes. Did you have oversight over the operations of this interrogation? Yes Can you please identify to this court the liquid passed to Dr Yamamoto? It is water. Son Akira, are you aware of the concept of perjury? I present to you, Defense Exhibit S, a section of interrogatory record detailing my clients interrogation by the Naicho, which shows a tick over the use of the drug..
The prosecutor rose; Objection! To have this matter in the public record may impede the overall effectiveness of national security matters and.. Your Honour, the prosecutor is making a mountain out of a molehill. I never said anything about the overall operations. For all.. You are correct, but dont make this any worse. Overruled. Strike these past 2 remarks from the record. Judge Mitsubishi Togo replied. The stenography system obediently complied.
Mr Whymper continued; .. known as Carcofilium AOR. Can you explain this discrepancy?
The prosecutor again rose; Objection! For Son Akira to answer that question would compromise and impede the flow of police operations! This court is henceforth in a closed status and its proceedings classified under penalty of contempt. Overruled. Its a placebo. We sometimes use the actual drug, which is a mix of several ingredients from many different sources, and we sometimes use simple water. In this case, it was simple water. So you and your partner, under the evidence available to you, attempted to psychologically use my client, an upstanding member of this community, in a closed setting? It was a smuggling operation we were investigating. We are accorded that prerogative by the Emperor-under-the-sun. The Emperor-under-the-sun also accords protection to the higher members of society, such as prefects, holy men and doctors. Did you acquire the approval of a court for the original incarceration of my client? No. But this was a matter of national security. Not in the eyes of the Emperor, sir. National security pertains to foreign military threats or the direct funding of hostile nations. The activities you were investigating, as stated by the prosecution, were towards the investigation of profit oriented, non nationalistic smugglers at the time you had made proceedings. Did your objectives change before or after the fact of interrogation?
Akira Takei remained silent. Judge Mitsubishi spoke; Answer the question, Son Akira. It was.. after. In the eyes of the Emperor, sir, you wrongfully used Imperial resources on an upstanding pillar of the community in defiance of His law and of your own directorate. Objection! Argumentative! Withdrawn! Mr Whymper stated. Judge Mitsubishi spoke; Does the prosecution wish to cross examine this witness?
A defeated looking Akita Iwo replied; No, Your Honour. You may step down.
The witness stepped down and returned to his seat. Call Yuki Yamamoto.
A well dressed woman rose and took to the stand. Mr Whymper approached again; Please state your name, age and class for the record. Yuki Yamamoto, 93, ledisu. Are you the wife of the defendant, my client Dr Shimoda Yamamoto? Yes I am, his wife of 50 years. Do you have much knowledge of your husbands work life?[i]
[i]Well, yes actually. I occasionally visit his Morgue as a follower of the Buddha in honour of the festival of the New Year, the Vesak and the Magha Pudja. Has your husband ever acted in an unusual or immoral way? No. Shimoda is a good doctor and a good husband. He is not a criminal. Has your husband ever indicated that he might be in some sort of trouble? No, not legal trouble if that is what you mean. Has your husband ever indicated to you at all, during your entire 50 year marriage to him, that he had any criminal associations or even any subversive tendencies? No, not at all. As I said, he is a good doctor and a good husband. He is observant and provides for me and honours the Emperor and the noble Kaigun. No further questions, Your Honour. Do you wish to cross examine this witness? Yes, Your Honour. Proceed.
Akita Takei stepped towards the stand; How extensive was your experience with the preparation facilities of the defendant? We walked past them several times in our parade. Did you actually enter these specific facilities? Yes, once when there had been an incident involving two youthful vandals who had sabotaged the light system. Were the preparation facilities at that time, months ago, operational? No. We wouldnt have gone into a room full of corpses. Have you ever seen the preparation rooms of your husbands facility in operational status? No. No further questions, Your Honour.
Suddenly, Yuki Yamamoto shouted; He is not an Outcast ally! That beast, he threatened us, he threatened to kill us both! You may step down. Order! Madam, return to your seat! sternly commanded Judge Togo.
The witness stepped down and returned to her seat. Call Dr Goku Hirai.
A younger scientist rose and walked up to the stand. Mr Whymper approached; Please state your name, age and occupation for the record. Goku Hirai, 43, vice director of the Morgue 17. Son Hirai, in your term as vice director of the Morgue 17, has my client ever shown suspicious behaviour regarding the activities of the preparation room? No. As handler of the Morgue 17s financial documents, have you ever noticed any irregularities in my clients earnings? No. I handle the majority of the Morgues documents, with the exception of those for religious amenities, which are handled by the Officer of Religion and pertain to the specific burial rites. Do these burial rites involve the treatment of the deceased body and/or organs? Yes, they do. Do any of these rites involving the removal of organs for preservatory purposes? Yes, they do. The Furya cult is just one of over 150 religions and cults which practices the removal and preservation of organs for spiritual purposes and occasionally as part of larger rituals. Isnt it possible that the organs which had been taken from the Morgue were transported and accredited under Morgue supervision by someone who had access to my clients financial accreditation, as the senior Morgue staff do, given your lack of financial notice on the Morgues documents? Objection! Counsel is leading the witness and asking him to speculate on matters which he could not possibly have had knowledge and does not possess expertise in, not being an exchequer of the defendants financial dealings! Your Honour, the prosecution has failed to establish that Son Goku is not an exchequer of my clients finances. Sustained. Lets move on, counsellor. No further questions, Your Honour. Does the prosecution wish to cross examine this witness? Yes, Your Honour. Proceed
Akita Takei approached the stand, as Mr Whymper returned. Son Goku, do you have a status of exchequer over the financial dealings of the defendant, Son Yamamoto? No, I do not. I handle the financial documents of the Morgue. Thank you, no further questions Your Honour. You may step down.
The witness stepped down and returned to his seat. Call Haruna Kaz.
A man draped in a grey robe stood up and slowly rose to the stand. Mr Whymper approached; Please state your name, age and occupation for the record. Haruna Kaz, 103, prime exchequer of Son Yamamotos financial dealings. In your time as the prime exchequer of my clients financial dealings, have you noticed any irregularities among my clients personal financial documents? Yes, I noted several. What were those? Well, for one, he had made a large purchase to a Samura security division auction, and I noticed several occasions of donations to a group known as the Grey Goods Group. What classification was the transferrance of funds towards this group classed under the Triangle System? Blue triangle, which applies to the purchase of commercial goods. Does any employee of the Morgue have any affiliation with this group? Objection! The personal lives and preferences of Morgue staff lie in the boundaries of personnel management and not financial records! Your Honour, this witness is also responsible for investigation of financial irregularities under his charter. If an employee.. The defense has failed to establish.. Ill allow it for now. This is legitimate within the context of prosecutory burden and inquisitorial questioning. Thank you, Your Honour. Do any of the employees which you have contact with have any known affiliation with this group? Yes, 3 among my staff. Do you know of the nature of this group? It is an open commercial wing of the Unity movement, which is a political movement promoting the alliance of House Rheinland and Kusari. Why did you consider this transferrance unusual when affiliation with this movement was commonplace among your staff? Because the size of the transfer exceeded the usual spending pattern of my employer. I suspected employee fraud.
Mr Whymper received a private message from his client via his communicator. He turned to the Judge; Your Honour, the defense would like to enter the employee records of one Dr Watanabe Aki into evidence as pertinent to this case and request that proceedings be adjourned for today. So ordered. Present these records to me for review in my chambers within 1 hour. Court is adjourned.
THE DAY AFTER, IN A COURT CONFERENCE ROOM Son Akita, your entire case has been exposed even with only 1 character and 3 major witnesses thus called by us as on the thin edge between public apology and a mere dismissal. To be frank, lets avoid this whole mess and make it easier for all of us, the family of my client included, and drop these charges and make a deal in exchange for not seeing this to civil court.
Takei Akita remained stalwart; No. The cards are not stacked yet, Bretonian, and your clumsy and churlish abuse of our honour system will fall completely soon. No deal, no dropped charges, and your client is making a huge mistake if he believes that he can spin this confidential dispute into a civil case.
Takei Akita and his partner left the room, leaving Mr Whymper and Dr Yamamoto to privately discuss various matters; What do you think? Have they got a rebuttal witness? I dont know sir, but I think its possible their original mission might have a few more surprises in its specifics we dont know about. Unfortunately, he called our bluff on the civil case thing. I saw Son Akita earlier, after you finished cross examining Son Akira. He looked genuinely despondent. Do you think hes pulling out a backup plan? I dont know, sir. I didnt see him at the time, but in my experience, a defeated looking prosecutor generally means hes going to do something that might involve sacrificing something politically valuable to his superiors. But in my experience as a hired prosecutor, you never let yourself look defeated in a major trial, even when you dont win a gamble. Whatever he has, its going to be big. When I call you, dont directly mention anything incriminating regarding your alleged activities. That way, we can make a deal if we need to without the prosecutor getting a free ride from your testimony. He threatened me over my payments to the Group and the Orange Council not over.. Ok. Lets call it a day, shall we? As you wish. Mr Whymper replied.
Several hours later, Mr Whymper placed a call to Judge Togo.
THE DAY AFTER This court rules the employee records of Dr Watanabe Aki admissible as evidence for the defence under the designation of exhibit U. Please proceed, counsellor..
The judges tones again rang throughout the courtroom, prompting Mr Whymper to proceed; Thank you, Your Honour. Son Haruna, please review Defense Exhibit U, the Morgue 17 employee records of one Watanabe Aki. Have you previously examined this document in your function as a financial inquisitor and advisor in the employ of my client? Haz Karuna replied Credits to Court Records (free use) Yes, my underinquisitor flagged it as suspicious after an apprenticeship session we had both engaged in. I had him work on his own with a dummy copy of my clients finances, upon which he noticed an irregularity while running a routine SpendCheck to detect fraud, some of which I had deliberately placed in the document for him to find. However, I always remember every puzzle I set up for him, and this particular I had not set up. It was inconsistent with the puzzles me and my fellow financial overseers had also discussed while on a self-given seminar at the Jonouchi Institute. In my function as an inquisitory officer I procured several employee documents from our personnel department, filtering through to find employees who had shown affiliations or interests in the recipient group. San Watanabes file had previously been earmarked by our Human Resources department for attempting to fundraise for a political cause on company property. She also had an associates degree in computer science, which would have made her one of only 3 people in our entire Morgue to possess the necessary means and expertise to have hacked into my clients account. Who were the other two people? One of them is Dr Itokawa Norihito, who had been on an ascetic pilgrimage through the Mukden Mountains at the time of access. The other was Murakami Yuri, who had died in an unfortunate incident involving fugu fish in a New Tokyo restaurant a week earlier. Did you ever investigate the possibility of outside involvement in this event? Yes, I and my officers did. We hired an independent technical analyst who determined the access had been made from a particular model of neural net computer, namely a medical one only found, within the bandwith of the signal he had determined from a coding trace kit, in this Morgue. Did you examine the computers of this facility? There would be no point in doing so. They are company property, and even if we could match the individual computer which did it, which was beyond the scope of the analysis we could afford at the time, there would have been no point scanning for prints or irregularities, as a good portion of our aesthetics budget had gone into new, streamlined computers a year ago, and they were chaotically and interchangeably exchanged between employees. Thank you, no further questions. Does the prosecution wish to cross examine this witness? No, Your Honour. You may step down.
Kaz Haruna stepped down from the witness stand and returned to his seat. Your Honour, the defence would like to call a surprise witness. Proceed.
Akira Takei looked bewildered. Call Dr Watanabe Aki
A young Kusari woman was let into the courtroom by two bailiffs and proceeded up to the witness stand. Mr Whymper approached; Please state your name, age and occupation for the record. Dr Watanabe Aki, 33, Master Technician at Morgue 17. Dr Watanabe, can you explain the circumstances around the hacking of my clients neural net account? Objection! This is a complete and utter mockery of the right of any citizen to not be called as a witness against himself! I have done no wrong, Your Honour. I can explain, and I do not object to this questioning. stated Dr Watanabe. Judge Togo Mitsubishi replied Credit to Court Records (free use) Overruled. You are building a case against the defendant, not defending Dr Watanabe. I did it. And it was not hacking, it was at Dr Yamamotos request. Why did my client allegedly ask you to access his account? He asked me because he had been intimidated by entanglements with that Outcast, Corleone. Please tell the court the first name of the Outcast which you speak of. Enrique. Thank you, no further questions.
Akira Takei was standing, wide eyed and open mouthed, as Mr Whymper walked away from the stand. Judge Togo spoke; Does the prosecution wish to cross examine this witness? No, Your Honour. a defeated looking Akira Takei stated. Call Dr Shimoda Yamamoto.
Dr Shimoda Yamamoto finally rose and took to the stand. His solicitor approached; Please state your name, age and occupation for the record. Dr Shimoda Yamamoto, 95, Administrator of Morgue 17. Is Dr Watanabe Akis testimony regarding the hacking of your account, which directly relates to you, true? Yes. Please describe to this court the events as you had witnessed them. I had been a supporter of the ideology of the sponsors of the Grey Goods Group. I had instructed her to do this covertly due to the orders of Enrique Corleone, who had threatened to kill me and my wife if I made any incriminating references towards him and his group. Is the Enrique Corleone you and Dr Watanabe Aki speak of the Enrique Corleone who is currently on trial? Yes. So you were coerced into paying tribute to this group, which had Outcast associations? Objection! The defense has completely failed to establish that the Grey Goods Group has any Outcast associations whatsoever! Sustained. Why did Mr Corleone want you to covertly donate to the Grey Goods Group? Because he had an indirect stake in it. His organization, the New Pact, has links to the sponsors of the Grey Goods Group. Thank you, no further questions.
Akira Takei looked steely eyed and nervous as Mr Whymper took his seat. Judge Togo spoke; Does the prosecution wish to cross examine this witness? No, Your Honour. You may step down.
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, IN A COURT ANTE ROOM Mr Akira, I must honestly implore you to drop this case. You have established that my client removed organs, yes, from people entrusted to him by the Kaigun for such a purpose, yes, but you have completely failed to establish that he marketed them at all, let alone voluntarily. Not only does reasonable doubt remain here even from an optimists perspective, the actions of the Naicho might bring down another fine representative of my client upon your friends!
Akira Takei continued to look steely eyed and resilient, with a certain degree of anger and contempt towards Mr Whymper; You have not won yet, Bretonian. The rebuttal shall come soon, and your case shall be exposed, crushed, demolished and your client laid before the swords of the Emperors arbiters! Bold words. But can you back that up at the rebuttal? Well be watching.
Mr Whymper closed the door, and saw his client listening to a news broadcast, showing a Rheinland shuttle having recently docked on Honshu. That man.. I believe that I know him. stated Dr Yamamoto.
SEVERAL DAYS LATER Your Honour, the prosecution would like to call a surprise witness. Proceed, counsellor. replied Judge Togo. Call Dagmar Eckstein as a consular witness.
A tall, thin and vulture-faced man in a green and black uniform with a large peaked cap adorned with a large and metallic golden eagle that marked his consular status entered the room, walking towards the witness stand. Akira Takei triumphiantly approached the stand; Please state your name, age, occupation, nation of origin and mission for the record. Dagmar Eckstein, 103, Regie of the Kommission zu dem Abfangen und einer Verhinderung der unerlaubten Verhandlungen, the Holy Republic of House Rheinland, to provide intelligence information towards the facilitation of criminal justice in conjunction with the Kusari Naicho and prosecutorial offices. Son Eckstein, can you please explain to this court the nature of the organization which you come here today as leader and representative of? The Bureau der Marineintelligence is the intelligence division of the Rheinwehr, and within it lies the Kommission zu dem Abfangen und einer Verhinderung der unerlaubten Verhandlungen, which is tasked with, of course, preventing and intercepting illicit transactions such as the activities of Outcast cardamine smugglers or in this case, the illicit commercial transportation of human organs. Can you please describe to this court the recent activities your commission has conducted in relation to the two defendants? Within Kusari society, there is a group of alleged former Outcasts who have been heavily inoculated with experimental Cryer Pharmaceuticals products. These groups have infiltrated and corrupted an already existing political movement known as the Great Unity, which is most widely represented by the Orange Council, the major party supporting this political ideology. This ideology orients itself towards a unity of the Empire of House Kusari and the Holy Republic of House Rheinland against the heretics of Liberty and Bretonia, which as all undoubtedly know are heathen, corrupt cultures.
These so called ex Outcasts are in fact still addicted to the vile drug cardamine and not brought to the light. They are merely pawns of the larger Outcast organization, particularily the Blue Lotus Syndicate. They infiltrate the Orange Council in order to finance their operations as it provides a convenient vantage point from which to smuggle organs from Kusari into Rheinland, as the physiology of Kusari and certain..situations in Rheinland create this as a profitable criminal market. Recently, our organization has discovered this arrangement has created peculiariaties of one hand not knowing the activities of the other, in this case the influence of the Corsairs upon the Rheinland end. The Corsairs were, and today, though to a lesser extent thanks to the efforts of the Gottkanzlers forces, still embezzling from these criminal transactions for supposedly feeding their starving citizens on an unknown homeworld. One of their more major operators within that area, and of Corsair operations in general, was arrested about a month ago in the Kronski Morgue, as was co-embezzler and organ smuggler Dietrich von Schmidt.
The organs seemed to have been coming from a major supplier, and when we learned of this latest affair, it correlated with our data. Please describe how it correlated with your data. Our biological analysis of the seized shipments all bore a similar packaging pattern and surgical stylus, and the chemical and mechanical analysis of the packaging led us to conclude it had been located in Kusari. Therefore, we sent them to the Kusari Naicho for analysis, and we received word back, which I would be happy to produce as a relevant document to the court, that it had been matched to a particular area of Honshu. And, of course, your own investigators looked at the morgues in that area and found Morgue 17 to be the prime suspect. Could you produce that document to this court?
I will, if this court sanctions it. Proceed, Son Eckstein. stated Judge Togo.
The reply was presented to the jury. Mr Whymper sat, surprised yet stalwart. No further questions, Your Honour. The prosecution has finished its rebuttal. Do you wish to cross examine this witness? Yes, Your Honour. Proceed.
Mr Whymper approached the stand as Akira Takei returned to the prosecutors bench. Son Eckstein, do you have any evidence that my client was directly involved with organ smuggling? The resources required to conduct such an operation and the social standing within Kusari society of your client makes him the only viable suspect, not counting the mountains of evidence gathered by the prosecution render your client the only viable target for investigation, as my department has chosen to do. Do you have any evidence to suggest my client had voluntarily and knowingly chosen to partake in criminal activities? Objection! Counsel is harassing a witness, make that a consular witness, and asking him to comment on matters beyond the scope of his abilities! Your Honour, the prosecutor called this witness as a consular witness to aid his case with intelligence information. I am asking questions which are separate and pertinent from previous examination and testimy and admissible under standards of reasonable doubt. Absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but reasonable doubt is the law, gentlemen. Objection overruled.
Akira Takei sat down, finally looking defeated. No. replied Dietrich Eckstein. Thank you, no further questions. You may step down. Inform the Rheinland embassy of this.
After several minutes, Dietrich Eckstein stepped down from the stand. Is the prosecution ready to make its closing argument? Yes, Your Honour. Proceed.
Akira Takei rose and walked up to the jury; Gentlemen of the jury, you have been appointed as the judges of fact and the dispensers of justice as accorded in our ancient traditions. The defendant is not a mere doctor, as the defense would have you believe. The defendant is not a mere mortician, a mere administrator, a mere husband and mere pawn, as the defense would have you believe. The defendant is an organ, with apologies for reference to the grotesque nature of the charges leveled, of a conspiracy, an organ in a tumor that sits, sucking the blood out of civilized peoples for its own benefit.
The defendants honour status has weight, but what of the status of the ones we have proven him to have conspired with? What of the honour status of the dregs of the Outcasts, the Corsairs, the various vile, dishonourable criminal scum that preys upon our traders and slaughters the Emperors noble servants? Honour is not a shield from the Emperors justice, and the Emperors justice is absolute and swift.
If it is your opinion, based upon the facts and only the facts presented solely within the medium of this courtroom, that the defendant is not guilty of the charges or a charge levied against him, then you must return a verdict of guilty. However, if you unanimously agree that the truth, the proven truth beyond a reasonable doubt, than you must return a verdict of guilty. I hope you can make you vote with a clear conscience and make sure justice is done and delivered, and may the Emperor-under-the-sun bless you.
Akira Takei returned to the prosecutors bench. Mr Whymper stood up; Gentlemen of the jury, as the prosecutor has so well said, your job is to be the arbitrator of justice and the judge of fact in this case. The prosecutor has also correctly urged you to vote with a clear conscience in zealous fervour for the justice of the Emperor-under-the-sun. But there is one problem.
Let us hypothetically assume for the sake of argument that my client was indeed involved in a smuggling ring. Lets say he really was in league with Enrique Corleone. But if you recall the testimony of Dr Watanabe Aki, confirmed by my client, that my client and his wife were threatened in their own home, with death! Under those circumstances, the law is clear. Coercion of a high class person into commiting of a crime absolves them of responsibility as not independent agents. It removes them of liability. The prosecution has failed to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that my client voluntarily, willingly, and with malice afterthought participating in organ marketeering operations.
At least, that is the defenses stance. Ultimately, you are to be the judge of such a matter. And may the Emperors executioner strike my head from my neck and cast it amidst the rocks and stones of New Mount Fuji and leave it to be pecked by vultures in the snow if I do not come before you today as an arbiter, and direct you towards the path of the Emperor-under-the-suns justice. Thank you, gentlemen, and may justice be done.
Judge Togo spoke; The deliberation is to begin.
5 DAYS LATER
Judge Togo spoke once again; Gentlemen of the jury, have you reached a unanimous verdict?
The foreman replied; We have, Your Honour. Will the defendants please rise.
Dr Yamamoto and Enrique Corleone both rose. In the first count of the indictment, desecration of the dead, levied against Enrique Corleone, how does the jury find? Guilty, Your Honour.
Enrique Corleones lips tightened, pure hatred forming in his eyes, looking below the foreman so to disguise it. In the second count of the indictment, in the charge of black marketeering, levied against Enrique Corleone, how does the jury find? Guilty, Your Honour.
Enrique Corleone started shaking in anger, his representative trying to calm him. In the third count of the indictment, in the charge of conspiracy to commit desecration of the dead, levied against Enrique Corleone, how do you find? Guilty, Your Honour.
Enrique Corleone drank some nearby water, calming himself somewhat. In the fourth count of the indictment, attempting to pervert the course of justice, levied against Enrique Corleone, how does the jury find? Not Guilty, Your Honour.
Enrique Corleone was mildly relieved by this statement. In the same way someone who was told they would merely be whipped into a pulp, not into a bloody pulp would be. In the first count of the indictment, desecration of the dead, levied against Dr Shimoda Yamamoto, how does the jury find? Not Guilty by reason of involuntary action.
Mr Whymper and Dr Yamamoto both breathed a sigh of relief. In the second count of the indictment, in the charge of black marketeering, levied against, how does the jury find? Not Guilty by reason of involuntary action.
Mr Whymper and Dr Yamamoto sighed again. In the third count of the indictment, in the charge of conspiracy to commit desecration of the dead, levied against Dr Shimoda Yamamoto, how do you find? Not Guilty by reason of involuntary action.
Mr Whymper and Dr Yamamoto once again sighed, with Enrique Corleone menacingly yet fearfully glancing at Dr Yamamoto. In the fourth count of the indictment, attempting to pervert the course of justice, levied against Dr Shimoda Yamamoto, how does the jury find? Not Guilty, Your Honour.
Mr Whymper and Dr Yamamoto bowed to each other in extreme happiness. Enrique Corleone looked fearful as he was led away by the bailiffs. Judge Togo Mitsubishi spoke Sentencing for Son Corleone is set for next week. Court is adjourned.
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