57. From the shadows…

• “Prosecution, any more witness or evidence to be provided?”
• “No, none from our side.”
• “Defense?”
• “No, nothing more.”
• “Then proceed to final statements. Defense, time is yours.”

• “Thank you, your honor.” — lawyer walked to the usual stand, just this time turned toward the jury instead of the witness stand, cameras focusing on his face.
• “During this trial, we demonstrated that the company did everything in their power as reasonably expected to limit a chance for any accident. And furthermore the company complied with all regulations, even designed more strict operating procedures than required.” — he made his eyes wander during the speech to make all juror feel engaged.
• “We demonstrated that the GTSB report’s outcome is questionable and the crew’s actions contributed strongly to the accident despite all regulations and company procedures.” — last framing from the defense perspective delivered, his shoulders raised as he felt less weight.
• “Hence I call on you to dismiss this case and to relieve my client of any damages. Think of the thousands and thousands of jobs the fees would put at risk. While the company does all it can to further develop safety measures. Thank you for your service!” — final plea from the defense may find the hearth easier to sway.
• “Prosecution, time is yours.”
• “Thank you.” — lawyers replaced each other, John, Victoria and Michael in the last row today watching the events — “First of all, I understand how hard this service is and thank you all to do your civilian duty!”
• “You heard technical details, seen deeply complex evidence and confronted with expert opinions. But now it is your duty to provide justice. Remember and evaluate all pieces. Not just feelings and who is right or not.”
• “Look at the evidence. We demonstrated you during this trial that the company ultimately responsible for its vessels and its crews operating those vessels. That the systems we create and design have to be kept accountable to us, the people. Today you have this chance.”
• “We demonstrated over the course of the trial, how many lives been altered, impacted by cheapness. The greed of the few played a key role in this accident. Let’s show others that greed can not be the way forward. Only safety and decency. Thank you all.”
• “Thank you. So, the next is that the jury returns to their room together. You are already provided with the print version of all records and evidences entered. You will have an offline computer terminal where you can recall the digital evidence, including the virtual construct.” — judge took over to describe the last part of the process, still continuing.
• “You have undefined time for deliberation. You have to come to an unanimous conclusion in the following questions. One, is ISV, the Giant of the Star vessel’s owner and operator responsible for the accident?”
• “Two, is ISV responsible for paying restitution for all person involved in the accident, including their families if the person involved deceased?”
• “Three, does ISV have to pay penalty over the restitution as deterrent for future accidents?” — still the judge talking to the jurors and cameras at the same time — “The court in recess until the jury’s decision has been made. Good luck and have a nice day all.”

Just in ten minutes, the crowd dispersed. John and Victoria stayed in the courtroom until every else left.

• “So, what is next?”
• “Now we need to protect the jurors. And the judge. If anything happens to them, the trial won’t be repeated ever, Mr. Coldman and Mr. Delaware will ensure that.”
• “And why even…”
• “Just trust me.”
• “That is a strong ask after your trick with the memory chip.”
• “I know, but… we will talk about that later, if we survive. For now, justice is more important than our feelings.”
• “Damn it… How do you even know these?”
• “Let’s say, I have a good source of intel. Let’s go, Michael and team are in position.”

They arrived to the corridor leading to the jurors in just a few steps. The judge just walked up to them.

• “Raising the shield dome around the building as you requested. Every other part has been silently evacuated.”
• “Thank you, ma’am. Any other entry to the jurors?”
• “None, all thick walls made from concrete with steel reinforcements. They would withstand a frontal tank assault.”
• “What were you prepared for here, a rebellion?”
• “Well, Mr. Sotomayor, history was changed in the courtrooms all too often, and not without violence.”
• “I hoped we got better.”
• “Me too. But you are the ones with weapons and armor standing guard. Ms. Sebes. Thank you for the protection, hope it works out.”
• “Join the jurors. We will take care of the rest.”

John saw Michael and team stacked up, very few meters a black commando armor standing with drawn weapons, in pairs. All facing the only entry point. He and Victoria took up the last position before the heavy steel doors.

The light blue shades of the shield dome rythmically pulsing outside the few windows they can see far over. Their stretch of the corridor is windowless, seemingly assassinations were not ruled out either when reconstruction of the judiciary building commenced a few decades ago.

The team waited and waited, nothing happened. All except John could be mistaken for sculptures. Obsidian sculptures of modern bravery. And a few tons of freedom.

Sun almost went down when Mr. Coldman appeared in the other end of the corridor. Two hundred meters between John and him. The handgun offered the targeting data right into John’s own glasses.

Staring at each other as the last sunlight disappeared. The building’s lights coming alive. Except around Mr. Coldman. Then the corridor’s light flickered out. In the darkness, shrieking and screaming filled the air.

Then the first line opened fire. Methodically cutting down human like shapes rushing toward them. Mr. Coldman disappeared from their view. Precise headshots making the attackers fall over. Next attacker already on top, falls over, winning half a meter.

With the experience at the Giant’s wreckage, first line fell back while second line kept the attackers as far as they could. First line reload and rejoined the fight. Even with their night vision, they could not see more than shapes with a head, arms and legs climbing and running, falling and then rising again.

Shortly the first line now composing of four commando were the wall pushing against a mass of bodies. Without their exo-skeleton, they would have been crushed in a microsecond as a thousand shapes pushed with their weight on them. Another four commando lined up and fired over their mates. Carefully avoiding to hit their friendlies, their rate was much slower.

Seemed every moment they have to give up space. Feet by feet, centimeter by centimeter the fluid shapes gained and gained on the juror’s door.

Ava watched as the commando put up a desperate fight against the unnatural. For her, the whole thing played like a slow motion. Barefoot, she walked between Victoria and John taking slow potshots where it seemed a shape gets through.

She cared less of the dark shapes and more of their source of power. Mr. Coldman step by step closing in. His full attention on Ava, knowing the weapons could not hurt him. With a wave of his hand, a previously lifeless wave of shapes get new energy and jump above the freshly fallen.

• “So you were the one saving Mr. Sotomayor.”
• “And a lot of others. You should know. The cycle has to keep going.”
• “No, the lies have to end. And this is the point it can end.”
• “Not if you fail. And I make sure of that.”
• “Oh, Ava. You never knew when to stop.”
• “And you gave up too easily. You were one of us, one to be trusted to keep the cycle humming.”
• “Until I finally understood. It is just a lie. You can’t see it? They just use us. And keeping us enslaved into this damned loop.”
• “You are mistaken. The loop is the only thing giving life a meaning.” — Ava stepped into the shapes, her skin bright with light. The shapes rushing away from her burning skin. — “It has to go on.”
• “You are shortsighted. Don’t even remember where you came from. This billion year old lie has to stop. Let people make their own meaning.” — Mr. Coldman stopped a hundred meters from the door. He felt the shield dome’s power which he himself could not cross. But neither Ava from the inside.
• “They can, and they do. You, breakers, are small in number. And today mankind finally learns. And you will actually cause it to happen.” — Ava blinked ahead a few meters and hugged the surprised Mr. Coldman.

He screaming as her skin burned him alive and struggled to get away from the deadly hug. Ava let him go after a few seconds and the commando line fell over as the tons of pushing disappeared in an instant.

• “Captain Sebes to Irondome, now!”

A few thousand kilometers above them, the majestic steel cylinder just dropped out of FTL. The body was already spinning, providing normal gravitation and more importantly a boost for their fighters. Every rotation they released a squadron from the docking bays, jumpstarted by the rotation.

• “Irondome to all fighters, search and destroy the Swordship cruiser.”

Down on Earth, Victoria and John ran out of the building to look up, unable to do anything else they just watched the night sky. Small brightness wherever the fighter engines took over to accelerate away from their mothership. One much brighter, almost like a star appeared for a moment nearby.

• “Identify.”
• “That is the Steeldome.”
• “It can’t be, it is still under construction.”
• “Irondome, Alpha One, the cruiser is right where you predicted, engaging!”
• “Sir, bogeys on radar!”
• “How many?”
• “Six!”
• “Irondome, cruiser destroyed but it managed to fire the torpedoes! Chasing!”
• “Sir, the Steeldome is targeting us!”

Read the story leading up to now:

Giant of the Stars

Fictional story of a luxury starliner’s catastrophy