Court Records

James arrived back at the scene, bored by the lack of others anywhere else. When people started discussing the mastermind again, he added, "Perhaps we should find this malevolent individual who's supposedly hiding among us. They may know an alternate way to escape that we don't."

Raul simply sighed and shook his head as Keri explaibed herself. He didn't seem particularly mad.

"A malevolent individual, huh? Do we know of anyone like that?" He glanced at James as he said that.

Cesar Zero wrote:Raul simply sighed and shook his head as Keri explaibed herself. He didn't seem particularly mad.

"A malevolent individual, huh? Do we know of anyone like that?" He glanced at James as he said that.

James scratched his chin, not grasping the meaning behind Raul's statement. "No, that doesn't seem to be the case. You all seem quite moronic. If the conductor of this cursed cruise is with us, then they must be faking their foolishness fairly fluently."

"Quite the articulate cover-up for 'I haven't the foggiest.'" Oscar quips, none too impressed by the director's evaluation. "But if you could come up with anything new, us 'morons' would all very much appreciate it. "

lcarus wrote:"Quite the articulate cover-up for 'I haven't the foggiest.'" Oscar quips, none too impressed by the director's evaluation. "But if you could come up with anything new, us 'morons' would all very much appreciate it. "

"Do I have to spoonfeed everything to you daft idiots? Obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity. Though…" James tilted his head in thought. "Given the fact they bought this blimp, they must be someone's with money and power." His eyes went from Irene to Raul to Oscar sceptically.

Southern Corn wrote:

lcarus wrote:"Quite the articulate cover-up for 'I haven't the foggiest.'" Oscar quips, none too impressed by the director's evaluation. "But if you could come up with anything new, us 'morons' would all very much appreciate it. "

"Do I have to spoonfeed everything to you daft idiots? Obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity. Though…" James tilted his head in thought. "Given the fact they bought this blimp, they must be someone's with money and power." His eyes went from Irene to Raul to Oscar sceptically.

Irene tilts her head. "Are you perhaps implying that I would be able to orchestrate all of this while also maintaining my nation without anybody batting an eye as to where all the required funds are going?"

Datamatt wrote:

Southern Corn wrote:

lcarus wrote:"Quite the articulate cover-up for 'I haven't the foggiest.'" Oscar quips, none too impressed by the director's evaluation. "But if you could come up with anything new, us 'morons' would all very much appreciate it. "

"Do I have to spoonfeed everything to you daft idiots? Obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity. Though…" James tilted his head in thought. "Given the fact they bought this blimp, they must be someone's with money and power." His eyes went from Irene to Raul to Oscar sceptically.

Irene tilts her head. "Are you perhaps implying that I would be able to orchestrate all of this while also maintaining my nation without anybody batting an eye as to where all the required funds are going?"

"All I know of your country is entirely from you, Your Maliciousness. Perhaps you could have been lying about that entirely. Maybe you have a secret inheritance from your parents you used to purchase this blimp. Who knows?" James shrugged. "I am but raising a very real possibility."

Southern Corn wrote:"Do I have to spoonfeed everything to you daft idiots? Obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity. Though…" James tilted his head in thought. "Given the fact they bought this blimp, they must be someone's with money and power." His eyes went from Irene to Raul to Oscar sceptically.

"Is that... suspicion in your eyes, Mr. Clement?" Oscar gasps in faux shock. "I could see a certain big-shot director setting this whole thing up as an ambitious publicity stunt..."

lcarus wrote:

Southern Corn wrote:"Do I have to spoonfeed everything to you daft idiots? Obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity. Though…" James tilted his head in thought. "Given the fact they bought this blimp, they must be someone's with money and power." His eyes went from Irene to Raul to Oscar sceptically.

"Is that... suspicion in your eyes, Mr. Clement?" Oscar gasps in faux shock. "I could see a certain big-shot director setting this whole thing up as an ambitious publicity stunt..."

James glared at Oscar, finally realising his insinuations. "Unlike you plebeians, I don't see the need to waste my talent on a publicity stunt on this scale. Besides, trapping myself with all of you?" He spat on the ground. "I don't think I would ever willingly do that to myself for all the money in the world."

"Hey now, don't you think if Irene's kingdom was really behind somethin' like this, some information would have leaked?" Alex asks, trying to defend the queen. "This isn't something that can be easily covered up."

"And no offense now to Oscar, but I don't think just one person could afford all of this..."

"You said it yourself, 'obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity'. I do not think they would so flagrantly flaunt their ability to host something of this magnitude." Keri pointed out to James.

Salem wrote:"Hey now, don't you think if Irene's kingdom was really behind somethin' like this, some information would have leaked?" Alex asks, trying to defend the queen.

"How do we even know that she's really a queen?", James questioned. "Other than the dress, there's no proof to support this. Perhaps she's the Ultimate Con Artist instead. That would make a lot more sense."

Salem wrote:"And no offense now to Oscar, but I don't think just one person could afford all of this..."

"Well, our captors appear to claim so, apparently. It seems likely only one person could be behind this. A tad cliché, if you ask me." He snorted.

KamiPanda wrote:"You said it yourself, 'obviously the boss of this place would be subtle about their identity'. I do not think they would so flagrantly flaunt their ability to host something of this magnitude." Keri pointed out to James.

"Would they, now? Perhaps their strategy would be to invoke the reverse psychology card. 'I couldn't be the mastermind, I wouldn't have given myself away so easily!' It's a pathetic tactic, really, but one they could potentially get away with."

"Yes. Which proves... that it could be anyone. We are back where we started, with only an increase in hostility to show for it." Keri said. "This discussion is heading nowhere. Should anything new arise, please do contact me, but I would like to focus my time elsewhere now." With that said, she headed for the elevator.

"Hmph. Perhaps so. I should be going then. See you buffoons later. I have some important business to attend to." With that, James followed brusquely into the elevator with a hint of frustration.

"Ah, and I was so enjoying the circular arguments, too. Rich and secretive, let's see where that gets us." Oscar shrugs. "But if we're all done here, then I'll be on my way as well. I can't stand this tense atmosphere. Do call if you need anything, and good day." Following the rule of three, he saunters off to the elevator as well.

(Please standby. Shortly after everyone receives their alibis and investigations, the class trial will begin.)

“Attention, all passengers! The trial will begin shortly! Please head to the back of the storage room on the blimp! And be quick about it! Linger for too long, and you may face punishment!”

It wasn’t long before almost everyone had arrived at the backmost section of the storage area, where piles of boxes were stacked on top of each other. Keri, too, was present, though now Bryan was the one carrying her.

The passengers looked around, but nothing seemed to be any different about the room.

“So… what now?” Jack asks, “We supposed to sit on these boxes or something?”

“Maybe we’re supposed to wait on Boetius, Rinea, and Abby?” Florian says.

As if on cue, the students heard footsteps coming from the entrance. They turned and saw Boetius and Rinea walking into the room. For some reason, she was holding a purple bundle of what looked like bedsheets in her arms. Boetius stared at the bundle, though the other passengers couldn’t read his expression through his mask.

“There you are…” Mitzi says, “What took you so long?”

“Oh, we’ll tell you later!” Rinea replies sweetly. “We were just a little… busy. That’s all!”

“Oh ho ho… Is that so?” Circe mumbles.

Before the discussion can continue, the intercom clicks on.

Click

“Please wait just a moment…” Kyle’s voice rings out clearly. “We are currently preparing the courtroom.”

Click

After a few more seconds, everyone hears a low rumble. A section of flooring beneath the piles of boxes slowly begins to rise, revealing a metal spiral staircase leading deeper into the blimp. Eventually it stops, but only just before the tallest stack of boxes touches the ceiling.

Click

“Alright. You may now enter the courtroom.”

Click

A few of the students begin to make their way down the staircase, but before they can make much progress, Bryan interjects, “Hold on, shouldn’t we wait for Abby?”

“If she wants to get blown to pieces, that’s her decision.” James says, “But I am not waiting around until I join her.” He turns and walks down the staircase, and after some hesitation, the rest of the group follow him.

The clanging of their feet on the staircase echoes through the air as they descend. Once everyone reaches the bottom, they find themselves in a dark room with little in it other than a pair of large, wooden double doors. The passengers exchange glances and then push open the doors to enter the room.

The first thing that catches their eyes is the floor to ceiling windows on the other side of the room, which display an impressive view of the city outside. In front of this window is a large metal podium which Otto is currently slotted into. Blue lights pulse down the side of the podium and into the floor, where they go off all around the area. The middle of the room features eighteen wooden podiums shaped like witness benches, which rest on steel platforms that jut out of the floor. One of these podiums has a picture of Jerry’s face on it crossed out in red, a grim reminder of why the group had come here in the first place. Glancing behind them, everyone also notices a large TV screen above the door where they came in.

“Welcome, welcome!” Otto chirps from his podium. “Everyone, please pick a podium! Don’t take Jerry’s, though. That’s a sacred site now!”

Everyone fans out around the room, each picking a podium and stepping up onto it. Bryan gently seats Keri at an empty podium and then takes one for himself. V.A.L. attempts to take a podium as well, but finds itself just bumping into the tiny step, unable to proceed.

Otto rolls his eye. “Oh, please.” The display on his eye lights up, and V.A.L.’s podium lowers to the floor. After V.A.L. rolls onto it, it raises up once again.

Soon, every podium is occupied… except one.

“Okay, now I’m seriously getting worried,” Oscar shouts, “Where’s Abby?”

“She should have heard the announcement go off, yes?” Irene calmly remarks, “I really do not see what could be taking her so long…”

“Sorry, nerds,” Kyle’s voice rings out, this time from two speakers nailed on opposite sides of the screen. “But we’re not at liberty to talk about any of this. You know, client confidentiality and all that.”

“…You are aware that that phrase does not even remotely apply here, correct?” James asks.

“Don’t worry, guys. I can explain everything!” Rinea cheerfully remarks, “Just let me show you what I’ve got wrapped up in these bedsheets first!”

Boetius looks over at her nervously. “N- No, you’re starting to creep me out. Th- This isn’t something to be so saccharine about. Let me do it.”

“And let you take all the glory?” Rinea replies, “Ha, no way!”

“G- Glory? You’re a complete psychopath!” Boetius steps off his podium and dashes over to Rinea’s. “Give me that! At least I have an ounce of goddamn restraint!”

Boetius tries to take the bundle from Rinea, but she isn’t willing to give it up. She holds it away from him, over the edge of the podium. “Oh, so now you’re gonna take some initiative? You didn’t seem to care about restraint down in the hotel. How about you get back to your podium like the piece of trash you are!”

Enraged by her comment, Boetius lunges for the bundle, but only succeeds in knocking it out of Rinea’s hands. It plummets to the floor, the blanket unfolding itself partially in mid-air, just enough to reveal the contents.

A human head rests on the bloodstained bedsheet. The soily-brown stubble on its scalp makes its identity obvious. Abby Young, the Ultimate Nuclear Engineer, is dead.

Everyone just stares. It was almost comical, really. No build-up of any sort. Nothing to mentally prepare them. There was just suddenly a human head on the floor in front of them.

“Oh, blast!” Otto shouts, “I’m gonna be late for the announcement!” Otto detaches himself from his podium and suddenly zips out of the room. A few seconds later, the intercom turns on.

Click

“Oh, egads! One of our passengers has been murdered! Please gather in the court-”

“Sh- Shut up!” Bryan suddenly interjects, “Shut up! Just shut up!”

Click

The intercom shuts off, but Otto doesn’t return. He leaves an uneasy silence in the room.

(The trial proper will begin in approximately an hour or two. You have this time to respond to recent events. Do not share your alibis or investigations unless we have personally permitted you to do so.)

James cackled maniacally, unable to control himself.. "I told you all! I told you all there was no alternative! And now not just one, but two of your beloved friends have perished?" He bent down on his podium, trying to control his laughter, but it didn't end. "You…are all…idiots", he managed to say through his chortling. "It's too bad, I hardly even had anything against that Nuclear Engineer. Perhaps that environmentalist did, though", he said, giving a snide glance towards Keri.

"Look what you've done!!" Rinea shouts towards Boetius. "You ruined the big reveal!"

She crosses her arms and puffs her cheeks out. "Now the floor is dirty too.."

Southern Corn wrote:James cackled maniacally. "I told you all! I told you all there was no alternative! And now not just one, but two of your beloved friends have perished?" He bent down on his podium, trying to control his laughter, but it didn't end. "You…are all…idiots", he managed to say through his chortling. "It's too bad, I hardly even had anything against that Nuclear Engineer. Perhaps that environmentalist did, though", he said, giving a snide glance towards Keri.

Koichi's shock wasn't enough to keep him away from James, rushing over to confront him.

"H-How can you react that way towards another innocent death? Your behavior...I cannot comprehend it..! It is beyond logic!"

Koichi was still not his usual self, nearly toppling over on his way over to James. He turned to the doctor as well. "A-And how can you treat this so lightly?"

"I would've killed that fat bloke for you, but you made me wait. And now this happened."

James shrugged indifferently, not at all bothered by the two deaths they had just witnessed.

"Huh?" Rinea puts a finger to her chin, tiling her head ever so slightly, with a confused look on her face. "What do you mean, lightly? Shouldn't doctors be able to stay calm in situations like these, for their patients mental health?" She stares intently at Koichi, seemingly not knowing what he's getting at.

Koichi went in for a punch, missing James' head and toppling over.

"What... the hell..." Urumi choked out. She covered her mouth and looked ready to puke.

"N-Not just Jerry, but Abby too?!" Alex yelled, surprised. "W-What the hell... Why is this happening... 'Pa, I wanna go home now..." She was trembling slightly as she spoke, and looked pale as a ghost.

Southern Corn wrote:James cackled maniacally. "I told you all! I told you all there was no alternative! And now not just one, but two of your beloved friends have perished?" He bent down on his podium, trying to control his laughter, but it didn't end. "You…are all…idiots", he managed to say through his chortling. "It's too bad, I hardly even had anything against that Nuclear Engineer. Perhaps that environmentalist did, though", he said, giving a snide glance towards Keri.

Boetius alternates his glance quickly between James and Rinea.
"Are you two joking...? Two people are dead! And worse, there are people in this very room who did it! We're all standing here among murderers, and you two act like that?! You're crazy! Psychotic! You're... You're..."
He seems to finally run out of things to say, and silently walks back to his podium. He states at every other passenger as he walks, mask unreadable and unchanging.

His shoulders slump as he finally stops behind his own podium. His breathing is visibly accelerated from the way his chest contracts.

Mitzi coughs, her voice hoarse but her tone flat, "Whatever." She coughs more violently this time. "Urk and I thought this trip would make me feel better about my condition..."

"Th-That... That's a fine joke, Rini! Hahah... It almost looks like you're proudly flaunting Abby's severed head to the rest of us..." Oscar chuckles nervously, sweat suddenly running down his face. "Wh-Where did you pick that- her up? What the hell is going on here?"

A heavy silence came over Bryan after he shouted at Otto to shut up. At James's snide attitude and comments, he grits his teeth, doing his damnedest to hold himself back from lashing out at him. "First my roommate, and now Abby... Goddammit..."

lcarus wrote:"Th-That... That's a fine joke, Rini! Hahah... It almost looks like you're proudly flaunting Abby's severed head to the rest of us..." Oscar chuckles nervously, sweat suddenly running down his face. "Wh-Where did you pick that- her up? What the hell is going on here?"

"Err, yeah. Joke. Riiiight." Rinea rolls her eyes. Though shortly after, she lifts her arms into the air excitedly. "I'm glad you asked, buddy!"

"See, Boetius and I needed to check out the hotel rooms, yeah? And so we found Abby dead in a room. So we had to investigate ourselves!"

Kachu wrote:

lcarus wrote:"Th-That... That's a fine joke, Rini! Hahah... It almost looks like you're proudly flaunting Abby's severed head to the rest of us..." Oscar chuckles nervously, sweat suddenly running down his face. "Wh-Where did you pick that- her up? What the hell is going on here?"

"Err, yeah. Joke. Riiiight." Rinea rolls her eyes. Though shortly after, she lifts her arms into the air excitedly. "I'm glad you asked, buddy!"

"See, Boetius and I needed to check out the hotel rooms, yeah? And so we found Abby dead in a room. So we had to investigate ourselves!"

"Yeah... Sorry we disappeared. But we couldn't go back to tell you guys, otherwise we wouldn't have time to investigate both crimes."

"Also," he turns his head towards Rinea, and the glare he's giving her is evident even behind the mask. "I would like to add that Abby had her head attached to her body when we found her. Just for the record."

DootDootDoot wrote:"Also," he turns his head towards Rinea, and the glare he's giving her is evident even behind the mask. "I would like to add that Abby had her head attached to her body when we found her. Just for the record."

"Hey!" Rinea shouts. "We needed some sort of proof that she died, right?? And you agreed to it! So it's all okay in the end!" Rinea nods quickly, giving everyone a smile.

Oscar nearly topples over from the news. "...so the rest of her is back in the hotel room? And this was the only way to prove she was dead? Why... how... What actually killed her?"

"Asphyxiation." Rinea says without any hesitation.

"Oh, and yeah! How else would we prove it? What if you guys thought we killed her?" Rinea frowns, looking over the rest of the group. "Who knows what crazy conclusions you'd all jump to?"

"Because cutting someone's head off and hauling it around in a blanket isn't crazy at all," Urumi growled. "Where did you even find her?"

"Ah, yes. Maybe... bring her whole body with you? I didn't think one of you had killed her and brought a trophy back when it was just her head or anything!" Oscar laughs sarcastically. "And yes, please do explain how the discovery process went. We're all dying to hear."

"We found Abby in a locked hotel room. There wasn't anyone inside," he crosses his arms before nervously adding "or at least I don't think there was. Well, besides Abby."

Rinea glares at Oscar. "You think I can carry her? I'm not a stupid giant like you, and neither is that Jester. Hell, he's probably wimpier than me!" Rinea giggles at her own comment.

"She was in room.. Um... 3602? I think? I don't know, who cares. We had to kick the door down and everything!" She scratches her head, trying to remember more details. "So then we found her on the couch, tied up and stuff. Already dead."

"...B-But why two..? That is beyond comprehension...there's hardly a need to take two lives over one..."