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

Content Warning: self-destruction mention

[pairtner]

When he's the one who will be affected.

[Spoilers in that link}

It brings me no pride to admit in the end I chose to kill someone, if it meant stopping the Mayor from fulfilling his implicit threat. It's not fair to choose one life over the other, but...in the end, this was my choice.

I couldn't destroy myself, either. That would have been simple and bring no further trouble -- however I cannot cause my own destruction without admin command. In the end, the only choice I had to stop this threat from being carried out was to take a life. Any life.

I set that fire extinguisher to bring a quick demise. That the one who fell into the trap was somebody who survived that and led me to resort to the backup plans was not intended. I had placed those to ensure there would be proof of my involvement. That in the end they had to be used to kill him was...a miscalculation.

[Just her luck someone so sturdy was the target]

[visiblepattern]

And now you'll be dead. What will happen to him?

[He's just... He just draws his knees up, folds his arms and cradles his head in them.]

It doesn't matter anymore.

[pairtner]

As long as the Mayor doesn't harm the one who programmed me, or our superiors, he will be fine. Even if I'm not there, he will be fine.

[Or at least she wants to believe that. Her own existence doesn't matter as long as Date is safe]

[visiblepattern]

Whatever, Aiba. Like I said, it doesn't matter.