Stars Rise... and Stars Fall
“At last, it’s time for your final trial. The movie… Starlight Showtime is drawing to a close, and the only thing it needs is a resounding climax, and an ending. That’s what this trial is for, because… the movie is set to release on my command. I could release it right now, if I really wanted, but it’s... incomplete.”
He glances at Eiji, and his next words are pointed.
“You asked about a vote, and here it is. The most important vote of all.”
“I’ll have you know that I’ve already engineered my execution here, and if you all wish it, I’ll suffer the same fate as… almost every other murderer you’ve condemned. After all, the crimes I’ve committed are far worse than anything that any of you have been made to do. It seems only fitting that I might be… properly punished for my sins. And this time, if I die, it will be for good.”
And you may be able to tell from the exhaustion in his voice that death is all he really wants, in the end, but he continues to speak.
“On the other hand, a number of you may think that death is an easy escape, a way for me to avoid addressing the consequences of my actions. Some of you may think that I should be judged in a court of law and serve whatever sentence may be just. If this is what you desire, there will be a… nonlethal punishment I’ll suffer, so that I will survive to accept whatever judgement the world exacts on me.”
Alan Keay pauses, though, and then smirks, the smile cutting across his face. Of course, he won’t make it as simple as that.
“The rules will remain the same: the plurality will determine what my fate is. Whether I die, or whether I will be judged according to the law, the choice is up to you. But there is one small caveat that you should be made aware of.”
“Should your votes not be unanimous, and wholeheartedly so, I shall release the movie immediately following whatever decision you happen to make. It will be streamed across the world to a voracious public. They’re all dying to see what Starlight Showtime is, after all. No censors, no glamour, just the truth about this horrid industry and what it does to people from all walks of life.
“That being said, if you all come to a unanimous decision, I will leave it up to you what to do with the film. There is a recording of everything that happened here still in these walls, and what you do with it is up to you. You could destroy it and move on, or maybe you’ll show it to the world anyway. Maybe you’ll keep it as some fucked up memento. No matter what, it will be out of my hands, and into yours.”
The mastermind leans back.
“Now that we’ve laid out the ground rules, it’s time for our last vote.”
“Oh, and don’t forget: you don’t get to default this time. Everyone votes.”
So begins the Falling Star Game, where you play amongst each other.
Who’s will shall reign above the rest in the end?
