#trial five

Towa had finally taken the time to stop crying and listen, but nothing she heard sounded good. At least there was a bit more insight into what the whole ‘traitor’ business was referring to, though it only raised more questions.

“Kurihara-san…I’m not sure I understand. If Doctor Pathos only wanted you to kill the mastermind…why sacrifice two otherwise-innocent people by setting up a murder, instead of doing something that might even end this game and save everyone?” Too forward, too hostile—she grasped madly at anything she could find to appreciate instead, trying to summon a lopsided but genuine smile. “Is there some sort of…underlying plan here, that that’s really the best thing you could have done?”

She had thought that would be the end of it, as good of a confession as anyone was going to get, but then everyone started yelling and insulting each other and wasn’t this supposed to be a fair trial? She took a step backwards, ready to hide in some corner of the room if it wasn’t for her duty to do something, or at least to try.

“Please, s-stop fighting…we can’t…” She started just above a whisper, gradually recovering the strength that she had lost. “We’ll never get anything done. I just…I just want to understand, and we can’t do that if we keep ignoring the facts! Kurihara-san had a part in it, Doctor Pathos had a part in it, and Tadashi…Tadashi was part of it too! There’s no point in being dishonest, it just makes it harder for everyone—what do you think you’ll get out of all this?”

Current Murder Vote Tally:

- Red: 4

- Mina: 4

- Koharu: 1

- Atsuko: 1

Current Captor Vote Tally:

- Yes: 9

Both human and robotic staff alike had sat by quietly, but listening with intensity, as the trial went on. Based on the evidence presented, all of them seemed to be collectively realizing that this one had somehow managed to involve them as well. Speaking up first was Ubasti, who had become a large talking point in the trial - though their voice was a drowsy drawl.

“Nya…. how could you think the great Ubasti could have done such a thing?”

They waved a paw in front of their face.

“Hm…. I don’t know what happened, but me? Murder? How macabre. My good fellow HPME staff can attest to my good character!”

Helios and Selene, the Lion and Bat who did your makeup and hair respectively, also approached with clear apprehension on their faces. The shorter of the duo, Selene, put a wing to their hip and frowned heavily.

“Yeah! Ubasti’s a pain, but they ain’t a killer. And why the hell would I be workin’ for someone I don’t even know? I know most of you guys just have it out for bots like us, but c’mon! I’d never kill any of ya, and I probably couldn’t anyway. I thought we were just supposed t’ be unwilling spectators...”

Helios pitched in.

“Do you think I would have done such a thing? Merde! Merde, the lot of it. Like Selene, I would not put a paw on any one of you. I didn’t want to ever get involved in such a thing.”

While some people had brought the local security bot to attention, Mamoru had cooly crossed their disembodied hands across their chest. It was typical when interacting with them to be met with an eccentric, mocking smile, but now that grin had been replaced for a thin and unreadable line. Despite not commenting, it was clear they were trying to process whatever happened. It maybe wasn’t the best sign when even the security system was at a loss.

But in the end, could you really trust any of them? Given the Judges’ most recent switch in mannerisms, odd happenings in the agency, and not even to mention the information that had been shared with you all by your peers…

Which side were the robots really on? Could they really be as neutral as they claimed?

“This...”

Suddenly, a hollowed voice spoke up. Despite having been sitting there lifelessly since the investigation began, the former SHSL Social Roboticist had been sharing in the confusion along with everyone else. Leaning on her crutch, Mina’s gaze stays firmly at the ground before slowly bringing her stare up to you all.

“...This trial is… wrong. Even for this place…. T-This setup’s like nothing I’ve seen you guys handle before.”

Her eyes fall to Koharu, then Kaz, then Kagemori, Red, Atsuko- All of you. The crease in her brows gave away her hints of frustration and also… fear?

“Before, the cases were clear cut… T-They became obvious after a while. But… I think we know the gist of what happened… b-but how could you choose a culprit?”

Like several others before her, Mina slowly turns to the Judges for answers.

To be honest, Towa expected Tadashi to pull away from the hug, to call her out as the hypocrite she was, to give Towa some reason to want her gone. She was just pulling Tadashi’s strings, she told herself, it was never meant to be a gesture of support at all—but she knew she was lying, because at the end of the day, she was grateful for the response, the last remnants of a smile returning to her face.

“I won’t forget you…I doubt any of us will, whether we hated you…or considered you a precious friend. Even after what you’ve done, you…I couldn’t ignore the rest of you if I wanted to.”

When Pathos led her away, that last source of stability, Towa had to lean on the nearest podium instead; Tadashi’s name was still selected, just like all the others. Eight votes…did she vote for herself, or…? Having something else to think about made it easier, stopped the emotions from becoming overwhelming.

She looked on for a while in cold silence, keeping herself distracted by analyzing the traps or the time they’d spent together or the implications of the fifth White Room – she’s…not even really dying, right? That’s good. Not that life would mean much, trapped in a computer for the foreseeable future…what kind of body could Towa build her, to live in for the rest of time? A cat or a snake or—?

The silence was broken by a quiet sound of discomfort as one of the hands in her hair pulled a bit too hard, accidentally jolting her back to reality. Previous musings forgotten, she cursed under her breath, a bit too dazed to care what she was saying but too trapped in the moment to pull herself back out, to do anything but keep watching. ‘She’s going to make it’…that’s what I want to think, but I know it’s impossible.

She winced sympathetically as the flag pierced Tadashi’s neck, briefly averting her eyes, but by now the pain was dull.

TW: eye gore, limb dismemberment

Pathos walked Tadashi to her execution, holding back the tempest of emotions inside of him. 

Tadashi was scared, terrified. She'd barely evaded death before, but now...now would be her greatest test. Tadashi looked on at her execution, standing right in front of her. A gauntlet, a massive obstacle run of pain. Buzz saws, spikes, electrical shocks...all of it. And at the end...a flag. Her finish line. 

She took a tentative step forward, before breaking into a full sprint down the course. The first few traps were easy. A few blades and arrow traps that she managed to mostly avoid, getting nicked and scratched. She kept moving through traps, more and more injuries finding their way onto Tadashi's body. Spikes impaled themselves through her arm, electric shocks left her screaming in pain on the ground. But she picked herself back up. She had to. She couldn't stop now, when she was so close, when she had promises to keep, when she had people to make happy.

She kept limping along, fingers being sliced off and an arrow digging its way into her blind eye. A flamethrower trap singed her leg, causing her to fall to the ground as a buzz saw came up...and cut off her right arm. She laid on the ground, the life fading from her eyes as she slowly crawled forward until...the end. It was right in front of her. She stood, legs trembling, as she went over to pick up the small flag. She was tired. So tired...and then she was falling.

Her legs gave out as Tadashi collapsed, the pointed top of the flag piercing her throat. Tadashi bled out onto the flag pole, the life fading from her eyes as she looked up at the lab coat standing over him. She gave Pathos a last shaky smile, before going limp. The pennant having two simple words on it, written in black. "You tried." 

Pathos wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He wanted to break everything in anger. But he just couldn't. Everything felt numb. Everything was dull. He couldn't bring himself to do anything as he stared down at the girl in a brown sweater, wearing red glasses, and bleeding out onto the ground. He bent down, eyes blank and tired, reaching out for her neck. He slipped the tie off her, holding it in his hand before bringing it to his eyes, letting the tears soak in.

Art by Ashe

Voting has ended and the results are in! Those who have not voted or took too long to vote have had their votes placed in for themselves automatically. They are as follows:

Tadashi Kimura: 8

Pathos couldn’t speak, but he couldn’t say nothing either, a variety of grunts, growls and other noises croaked out of him as he sweated profusely, clutching his sides and swaying uneasily.

“Fuck sake... no... no... nooooo....”

His hands lost grip on his sweat-damp lab coat and fell to his side.

“No.... Christ no..... Why does it.... why does it have to always....”

He picked up his goggles that had fallen to the ground to place them back on his reddened face, as if it would somehow hide the tears already flowing like a fountain.

“Fuck sake... can’t change the rules... can’t take ya place.... I just.... can’t do fuckin’ shit can I?”

Liya felt a rush of fear coursing through them as they began to take in account for the voting. People were voting for Kimura-san, and…

They agreed. Even with the mistrial previously and their nerves being in bundles of negative energy, they wanted to hope this choice was right. Even if it wasn’t, it was keeping them all safe.

“Kimura-san, you… you still killed someone. You’re weak. We all know that in the end, the trial will occur and the murderer will be found. You thought to take the chance that proves fruitless.” Liya tugged at their hair, at the pins that clipped that back. Something to distract themselves.

“I… I can't understand why you'd do it. I never fucking will. You live on regretting what you did if you get away with it and die if you don’t make it out. It’s a worthless game and this motive finally could have granted us peace. It wasn’t gas, it wasn’t drowning. It was just secrets.” Anyone would kill over a secret, but they tried to ignore that possibility.

“I don’t know what to say, even as someone who studies death. I should be happy about this, but instead I feel nothing but sadness over how we keep losing such talented individuals. Thank you for contributing to that count. I… I’m sorry for how I treated you before, at least.”