Fourth Trial

[bathymetric]

[ After the evidence (and what a large batch of evidence it is, this time) has been gathered up, after actually patiently waiting a longer time than usual to make sure everything's been grabbed, the speakers over New Rapture crackle to life. ]

Time's up, everyone. You know where to go.

[ The lower number of bathyspheres, as you descend, is starting to become really notable, isn't it? The descent is the same as ever, lower and lower into the sea. The bioluminescence of those slugs on the ocean floor is almost brighter today, somehow, and some of them have even crawled up the cliff face around you as you pass them.

The dome approaches, slowly as ever, gleaming red in the darkness. The bathyspheres land in a row, doors opening one by one to reveal the familiar sight of the trial room, three more podiums now darkened. ]

Take your places, ladies and gentlemen. You've got a doozy of a situation to discuss. Ass Man and Silver Fox are dead. You know what happens if you can't figure out whodunnit.

[ Welcome to your fourth trial. ]

Comments

[onemillion]

It's worth the attempt, at least. Thank you for offering, Aiba.

[good luck!!]

mods please

[pairtner]

[Nodding, Aiba zooms onto the box and fires up X-ray vision, to attempt seeing if there's anything inside. Let's goooooo and see if it works!]

[bathymetric]

[ So! What Aiba gets is...unconventional.

It's not like seeing inside something. It's like seeing moments. They're all quick, all little flashes. All with Dandy. Piloting a ship with beloved crewmates. Hagakure, leaning over him for a sweet kiss. Laughing with Joy, who's brought him food. Jonathan tenderly kissing his knuckles.

All of these moments fill Aiba with brief but powerful happiness. Like she's feeling what Dandy felt at that time.

That makes it all the more jarring when there's a quick flash of metal and intense emotional pain. It's too quick to get a sense of what it is, who's doing it.

But this is the moment Dandy died.

It's over just like that. She can't look again. ]

[pairtner]

...!

[Aiba's projection disappears, the shock of what she saw is so strong for a brief moment it's like she blue screened. For a long minute, Aiba stays silent, trying to dispel all the emotions looking inside that box brought her, until she finally recovers enough to focus back on what she was doing]

That box...it contains memories! I cannot explain how -- that's what I saw!

[Aiba forces herself to calm down]

Memories of moments he has spent with people at home, memories of people here. It's full of happiness, until--the end. When he died.

He was pained. Emotionally. I couldn't see any details.

[......]

Don't try to open it.

[It's bound to damage something, whether it's the box itself or your own minds if you somehow feel everything in there too]

[specialyellthing]

… Did anybody ever find his heart?

[pairtner]

Are you thinking this might be his heart?

[specialyellthing]

Either that, or… it’s somethin like a plane’s black box.

[honeyedtea]

What exactly is a "black box"?

[pairtner]

[Aiba shows an image of an airplane black box. Contrary to the name, it is an orange box! Modern regulations made them like that]

It is an electronic recording device placed in an aircraft for the purpose of facilitating the investigation of aviation accidents and incidents.

[thanks for the wikipedia article definition aiba]

When an accident occurs, investigators check the information within.

[specialyellthing]

[zinda nods along. It's post-her time, but aviation's one of the places she's stayed up to date with in modern times.]

Records a history of what the plane did and has been through.

... Uh, on second thought? I'm gonna... put this down... [she sets the box on the floor because hahahaha they dont all need to stare at it]

[honeyedtea]

So this odd device was used to... record his final moments, somehow.

[ Mielle sighs. ]

I imagine it's too much to ask that it might have given us a clue towards the killer's identity.

[pairtner]

All I got when I checked it-- [unintentionally, she had no idea it would happen, haha] --was the glint of metal and his emotional state at the time. Nothing that could lead to any potential clues.

[Well, his emotional state maybe could? But that's pretty vague, all things considered. It could very easily lead into a red herring or two]

[honeyedtea]

Well, what was his emotional state at the time?

[pairtner]

Intense emotional pain. It's hard to pinpoint if it's because of betrayal from someone he trusted, or despair at his situation, or regret.

[There are so many possible reasons, that's for sure]

[honeyedtea]

Hm... he would have considered an attack from anyone here to be a betrayal, don't you think? He was that horribly sentimental sort of person.

[ "Like Jonathan" she thinks but decides it's wiser not to say. ]

So narrowing it down from there wouldn't have helped, even if we could tell.

[fuckingguy]

I mean, probably not Seo Dawon.

[specialyellthing]

[I MEAN HES THE ONE WHO SAID IT--]

[buriedstar]

Probably not.

[ Listen he's fine with this. ]

[bathymetric]

[ ...And as a little extra. The more Aiba thinks on it? The more she may be able to pin down something in the emotional distress that's a little weird. Something like empathy. ]

[pairtner]

[Aiba decides to rewind, thinking back]

...?

[Aiba tilts her head. It feels off...checking it again from what she remembers, Aiba tries to delve deeper, now that the shock of the overload was gone. It's still something that hurts to feel, but...]

Examining what I sensed, I'm finding something else.

I'm not certain, but it seems to be...empathy. Perhaps towards the killer -- nothing about his situation can evoke empathy of any way.

[You know, since...all those wounds and pain can't have been great. The empathy must have been towards the killer for some reason]

[hotpaprika]

... Why.

[Theres venom in his voice, like Jonathan could fathom how Dandy would have an ounce of empathy towards his killer.]

[daimakaicho]

I imagine that's probably it. Or an equivalent, at least.

[onemillion]

Are you alright?

[That's the most important question, you gonna be okay, Aiba...? That sounds like A Lot.]

[pairtner]

As alright as one can be after the emotional overload!

[It'll take her a bit to recover. Aiba already was feeling pretty drained while checking Dandy, and this didn't help her feel any better]

I will be quiet for a while. Just let me rest.

[Byyyyye, she'll just...tune things out until she feels recovered enough to join back]

[onemillion]

Yes, of course.

[SORRY AIBA..... Please take care, get all the rest you can here!!]