WEEK 9 - Trial

[al2955]

the pygmalion. . . ONLINE CAPTAIN'S LOG: WEEK (9)

saturday TRIAL DAY ONE (19) survivors At 9 AM, a klaxon alarm begins blaring in every area of the ship. The alarm will continue to go off until everyone has gathered in the conference room. Should anyone be running late or avoiding the trial for whatever reason, a robot guide will appear wherever they are and gently but firmly escort them into the room. Once all the living players are present, the conference room doors will lock shut; anyone who wishes to leave for whatever reason will need to ask AL-2955 or one of the robots. Anyone leaving for non-investigative purposes, such as bathroom breaks, will be accompanied by a robot escort. The large round table in the center of the conference room has been set up to help the trial run as smoothly as possible. Three holographic screens hover above the center hollow of the table, visible from every angle. The first screen displays the pictures and profiles of the suspects and victim; the second displays the autopsy report; the third displays a blank word processor. Each of the chairs comes equipped with a virtual keyboard which can be used to type information directly into the third screen, such as theories and updated information; they can also be set into privacy mode, which will transfer whatever notes someone writes directly into their datapad instead of on screen. There's also a tablet function for those who wish to draw charts or pictures on screen. The keyboards will detect the DNA of whoever's using them and record who's typed what - simply press an area of text and the name of whoever wrote it will pop up. The area to the right of the table has been temporarily sectioned off with a glass partition and sliding door for hygienic issues. Inside, the victim's body has been laid out on a metal autopsy table, covered by a plastic sheet. Above it is a holographic screen that displays a close-up color photograph of the body when it was found. A hand sanitizer dispenser has been considerately attached to the wall nearby for anyone getting up close and personal to the body. To the left of the conference table is a display case. Any evidence found during the investigation will be carefully collected by the robots at some point the previous day and placed here before the trial starts. Beneath each piece of evidence is a small tablet where players can type up information, such as a short description or where it was found. There are also empty areas left over for any evidence that may be found during the trial. The shelf at the very bottom of the case has been reserved for an extra rulebook in case anyone needs it. Food will be served throughout the day by the robots, who will take individual orders whenever you're feeling hungry. The trial will end at 9:00 PM, at which point all players will have been expected to cast their vote.

victim



suspects



Character Statuses
Setting
Rulebook
Voting

Comments

[erythristic]

[without needing to be asked, later on, a cup of coffee how he takes it is placed by him.

guess who's also working, just like last week?]

You're going to get into a habit like that.

[pot, meet kettle.]

[chiseler]

What, a habit of reviewing notes? Never thought that was a bad habit. [There's a thankful smile for the coffee though.]

[erythristic]

A habit of not sleeping during these events.

[but at least he'll have company in her? and whoever else is awake this week.]

Any astounding breakthroughs occur to you so far?

[chiseler]

You should know how sleep and I get along even on the best days. [That is to say, not very well at all. He looks down at his notes which are a bunch of half-scrawled notes, really.]

The only thing that's been a breakthrough is what being valued means. And also that Machias's gun was fired not too long before he was killed...maybe ten or fifteen minutes. That's the downside.

[erythristic]

So Minako undoubtedly died before he did, but he was somehow incapacitated so as to not raise an alarm in that timeframe. [he would have hollered. they know that much.] Unless he was set up to be killed, Minako was killed, and then his gun was thrown back into the room for whatever reason.

You don't...think this could be the aliens again, do you? Performing impossible feats with cruelty unlike their hosts.

[chiseler]

[He sure would have, and that's what Luke's wondering, too.]

That makes some sense but that would mean Machias would have had to been floating around for half an hour while the killer went after Minako, or the killer had a very small frame of time between the time Machias exploded and we all came down to the bottom deck and found Minako dead. There're too many stab wounds on her, too, to make it seem like a quick thing.

The aliens might be involved but this seems too precise even for them. You remember what happened to Harold don't you? [That's nearly rhetorical.] ...can I ask you something? Are there any pressure points on the back that would knock somebody totally unconscious?

[erythristic]

Luke, you should know you can ask me anything. [whether she'll answer is another story.] On the back? As far as I know, no. You want somewhere more vulnerable for unconsciousness, hence why the throat, the back of the neck, anything involving the head, or a strong enough punch to the stomach are best. Theoretically, strong enough trauma to the spine in any location might send someone out, but it's so far fetched it's not worth considering.

[she can guess why he's asking, though.]

I'll need to check his head again. Of our suspects, some don't have the strength required to effectively strangle someone, but his head being blown off means that the death injuries could obscure those of knocking him out. Unless it wasn't strangulation at all.

[guess who's going back to her notes on profile cards?]

[chiseler]

Somehow I knew you'd know. [There's a strained smile. Whether it's because the subject is grim or because his body's still throbbing from being thrown against a wall it's hard to say.] I think it's important for us to identify the bruising on his back, too. Jason said it wasn't too big but it was darker in the center. I can't think of a lot of things that'd match that description.

You think it's possible it could've been strangulation in the first place? I hadn't thought of it.

[erythristic]

If it was getting hit in the head, there will be signs. If it was strangulation, there has to be something. And...I'm curious about this.

[tapping the page, she's on the words injection gun.]

We'll also need to check to see if there's any marks from him being dragged somewhere - I don't think all of our suspects could lift his weight. Not being too big but a dark center suggests a sort of targeted hit - as if someone was trying to shove him with something.

[leaning back in her chair, she takes off her glasses for a moment, using a corner of the blanket on her shoulders to wipe away a smudge.]

...listening to me, you'd think Lady Alice didn't tell us that it was time to stop for the night.

[but what is there to think about, besides the truth of this case, and the truth about themselves?]

[chiseler]

[...oh no. Ohhhhh no, he knows where she's going and she might be surprised to find he looks appropriately horrified.]

No. Grell, I know what you're thinking and...it can't be. Okay? It's something else. [He really doesn't want to blame any of the kids, but especially Clover.] Machias wasn't that heavy, was he?

[He apparently doesn't know the meaning of the word "stop" either.] And if Alice wanted us to stop for the night, she wouldn't lock us in here.

[erythristic]

We didn't want to blame Elizabeth, either.

[the words are soft, almost a regret, but they sound more like a reprimand than she wants. she knows. she knows her track record is "unpopular opinions" in these trials, and she knows that people want to look out for Clover. but when the only adult has an airtight alibi, and Yuno has a presence confirmed by herself, no one's going to be happy with the results.

in any case. she sets the notes down on her lap, and she can already tell this discussion is not going to be something they're going to want to have. at least, not right now.]

[chiseler]

That was different. [He can't help but clench his jaw.] Clover killed that alien, remember? Why would someone who's hosting an alien kill another alien? That doesn't make sense either.

[erythristic]

I'm not saying it makes sense but-

[she sighs. they're not going to get anywhere on this.]

...You know what? Ask me something. Anything, as long as it's not related to this trial. I could do with a subject change.

[they could do with one.]

[chiseler]

--huh? [He hadn't been expecting that and so he blinks in surprise.] I...what?

[Grell help him.]

[erythristic]

If we're going to get upset over who might be an alien and who killed for what and crafting theories that seem outrageous, we might as well save that for tomorrow.

[because she can see how done Luke looks in general, even if he can't.]

So, I'm offering to sate a touch more of your boundless curiosity if it helps shift the subject.

[chiseler]

[He looks absolutely confused for a moment...but then he picks up his coffee and sighs before taking a sip.]

...why embroidery? [May as well go with something easy.]

[erythristic]

Adelina got the supplies for us, and it's something I know how to do. Keeps my hands busy and my mind distracted enough that I can use it to not think about other things, as long as I focus on getting the stitches right. And it's making something, seeing progress on it. That section wasn't there yesterday, that sort of thing. It makes me feel like I'm doing something.

[she could help in the garden, yes, but the robots did all of the major work. it wasn't the same.]