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{{Title|[[Fanon:Revolution|Revolution]] - Episode 10: Misfire <sub>by [[User:WikiBuilder1147|WikiBuilder1147]], [[User:K6ka|K6ka]] and [[User:OpelSpeedster|OpelSpeedster]]</sub>}}
{{Title|[[Fanon:Revolution|Revolution]] - Episode 10: Trial <sub>by [[User:WikiBuilder1147|WikiBuilder1147]], [[User:K6ka|K6ka]] and [[User:OpelSpeedster|OpelSpeedster]]</sub>}}
{{Revolutionbar/Part3}}
{{Revolutionbar/Part3}}
{{Property-multi|WikiBuilder1147|K6ka|OpelSpeedster}}
{{Property-multi|WikiBuilder1147|K6ka|OpelSpeedster}}
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{{Disclaimer|Some content in this narrative is '''not suitable for children under the age of thirteen years''', as it contains some violence and coarse language. '''Caution is advised.'''}}
{{Disclaimer|Some content in this narrative is '''not suitable for children under the age of thirteen years''', as it contains some violence and coarse language. '''Caution is advised.'''}}
{{Fan fiction
{{Fan fiction
|image = [[File:Misfirecover.png|250px]]
|image = [[File:Trialcover.png|250px]]
|name = Assault
|name = Trial
|genre = Drama, Action, Adventure, Scifi
|genre = Drama, Action, Adventure, Scifi
|creator = [[User:WikiBuilder1147|WikiBuilder1147]], {{User|K6ka}}, {{User|OpelSpeedster}}
|creator = [[User:WikiBuilder1147|WikiBuilder1147]], {{User|K6ka}}, {{User|OpelSpeedster}}
|originalrun = 13 October 2014
|originalrun = 13 October 2014 - 29 January 2015
|preceded = [[Fanon:Assault|Assault]]
|preceded = [[Fanon:Assault|Assault]]
|successor = {{Fanon|Capitulation}}
|successor = {{Fanon|Capitulation}}
Line 15: Line 15:
}}
}}


'''Misfire''' is the tenth episode of the [[Fanon:Revolution|Revolution]] series by [[User:WikiBuilder1147|WikiBuilder1147]], {{User|K6ka}} and {{User|OpelSpeedster}}. It depicts the adventures of a group of youngsters as they fight against the oppressive regime under which they live their lives in constant scrutiny and fear.
'''Trial''' is the tenth episode of the [[Fanon:Revolution|Revolution]] series by [[User:WikiBuilder1147|WikiBuilder1147]], {{User|K6ka}} and {{User|OpelSpeedster}}. It depicts the adventures of a group of youngsters as they fight against the oppressive regime under which they live their lives in constant scrutiny and fear.


==Previously on Revolution…==
==Previously on Revolution…==
After a series of misfortunes suffered by the Liberation Army, including the death of one and near-deaths of several others, they have licked their wounds inflicted upon them. Now, the Liberation Army stands at the gates of Bridgeport. Now is the time to strike…
After having been apprehended by the Liberation Army, Corporal Philip Henderson now faces a court-martial for treason, as well as attempted genocide and the murder of Private Thomas Rainer...


==Chapter 1==
==Chapter 1==
"This court is now in session," Lieutenant-General Daniel Geraldton began. "In accordance to Military Regulation Omega-Beta-Epsilon, the members of this court have been appointed by myself as follows: Lieutenant-Commander Hillary Thompson, Colonel René Edwards and Warrant Officer Nikolai Zeritsyn. Corporal Henderson, I am compelled to inform you that you have the right, under the same Regulation, to request the replacement of any officers on this court if you feel that any of these named harbour any prejudiced attitudes to you or your case."
"Keep firing!" Ben screamed to the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Infantry Squads under his command amid the wreckage of several burnt-out vehicles. He was in a sitting position in full combat gear, his back on a destroyed hovercar's side. He raised his assault rifle above his head and over the hovercar, and began shooting blindly.


"No objections, your Honour," Corporal Philip Henderson replied. His attorney, Lieutenant June McCain sat beside him.
He pulled out his communicator and called Harry. "This isn't working. The Government forces are too powerful! My squads can't hold much longer. We have to pull out!"


"Do you agree to the service of Captain Orion Silvius as prosecuting officer and to myself as president of the court here assembled?"
There was a short period of static accompanied with the odd explosion. Then, Harry finally replied, "Alright. All forces, retreat to pre-specified extraction points immediately!"


"Yes, your Honour."
"C'mon, people, let's move out!" Ben shouted. "Extraction point, pronto! Avoid capture at all costs!" The squads shuffled, then ran, then sprinted their way out of the city. As they made their unceremonious exit, the battered troops of the Liberation Army shot their guns and threw grenades blindly in an effort to discourage pursuit.


"Clerk," Geraldton called, beckoning for Colonel Alexander Townsend to begin.
Ben finally reached a large pickup truck and climbed into the back. He looked at the carnage before him. It was chaos. The scattered rebel army scuttled about like ants avoiding Government fire. Several soldiers climbed into Ben's vehicle.


"Charges," Alex began. "Treason, Attempted Genocide, Murder. Specification in that on 2nd April, 2150, Corporal Philip Henderson of the 10th Infantry Squad did cause near mass loss of life through poisoning Camp Alpha's water supply with samples of ''Vibrio cholerae'', thereby committing treason and attempted genocide as charged. Specification in that on 4th April, 2150, Corporal Henderson did cause loss of life, specifically that of Private Thomas Rainer of the 5th Artillery Squadron, thereby committing murder as charged. To all recorded charges and specifications, what is the plea?"
"That was a close one," one boy panted.


"Not guilty to all charges, your Honour."
"We're not out of trouble yet," Ben replied.


"Proceed, Captain," Geraldton said. Captain Silvius began calling out witnesses.
"How many on board so far?" called the driver.


"Lieutenant-General Faulkner."
"Twenty-five!" Ben shouted back.


Ben stood and walked to face the panel. He sat and allowed technicians to place components of the lie detector onto his arm.
"Right, we're out of here!" the driver said. He stepped on the accelerator. Hard. The truck shot off back towards base.


"Faulkner, Benjamin," Alex said. "Rank: Lieutenant-General. Position: Commanding officer. Current assignment: Alpha Company, consisting of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Infantry Squads and 3rd Artillery Squadron."
Hundreds of cars, one by one, began their journey back towards camp. Ben put his back against the ute in relief. They had finally gotten away from the Government.


"You were there when Private Rainer was shot, were you not?" Silvius asked.
Then he saw large dots of light fly into the sky from the city.


"Yes, I was," Ben said in reply.
His eyes widened in panic. He grabbed his communicator.


"Did you see any suspicious movement within or without the walls of the interrogation chamber?"
"All drivers, this is Lieutenant-General Faulkner. There are enemy missiles incoming. Step on it! Now!"


"No, sir."
"I see them!" came several replies.


"So do you think Henderson here was hidden well, or do you think he was not present at the site at all?"
"Holy crap!" said another.


"I believe he was present, yes."
Every single vehicle began speeding up to their very limit. The missiles stopped their rise into the sky and began descending. They hit the ground, shattering before sending tonnes of dirt and shrapnel into the air. Ben looked on in horror as several trucks exploded, instantly incinerating those within them.


"And what makes you think that?"
Ben put his hands over his face in shame. They had failed.

"Private Rainer's testimony indicated that a man named 'Philip' was responsible for the contamination of the water supply. Shortly after mentioning the suspect's first name, Rainer was shot, suggesting the suspect did not wish for his identity to be revealed. Given that the shot came after Rainer said, 'Philip', it is quite probable that Philip Henderson was involved in the murder, as he is the only person named 'Philip' in all of the Liberation Army."

"Thank you, Lieutenant-General," said Silvius.

"Does the defence have any questions for the witness?" asked Geraldton.

"Yes, your Honour," said Henderson's attorney. "Lieutenant-General, how can you convince this court that you are not currently under the control of the Government? The attempt to reverse the re-education process did fail, after all."

"Well, I didn't lie, did I?"

"Still, the Government may be manipulating your brain by making it think it is the truth when really it is not."

"The events as recounted earlier are completely true. I have simply made a conclusion based on these events."

"In other words, you're speculating."

There was a momentary silence in the room.

"Yes, sir, I was," Ben finally said.

"Thank you, Lieutenant-General," said the attorney.

"You may return to your seat, Lieutenant-General."

"Next, Commander Mars," Silvius called.

Commander Marion Mars stood and walked to the witness' chair before sitting. The lie detector was now clamped over her arm.

"Commander, what were you doing at the time of the incident?" Silvius asked.

"I was questioning Private Rainer in Interrogation Chamber 12. I was accompanied by Lieutenant-General Faulkner," Mars replied. "The three of us were the only people in the room at the time of the incident."

"Did you notice anything odd about the room you were in? Perhaps a hole in the walls or ceiling?"

"No I didn't, sir. As far as I could tell, the room was secured," Mars said. "There were guards outside the door and security cameras present. I could notice no holes in the walls or ceiling, except for the ventilation shaft grilles."

"The ventilation shaft…" Silvius wondered. After a short period of silence, he gave his response.

"Thank you, Commander," he gestured to the defence, prompting Henderson's attorney to speak up.

"I have no questions for the Commander," she said.

"Very well," Daniel replied. "You may return to your seat, Commander." Mars nodded before standing up and sitting back down in her own chair.

"Your Honour," Silvius requested. "I would like to call a recess to the proceedings in order for us to consider our findings."

"Alright. This court is in recess." Daniel said before standing up himself and leaving the room.


==Chapter 2==
==Chapter 2==
"Damn, this is one confusing trial," Ben said. "There isn't enough evidence on either side. It's all just speculation."
Supreme Command was once again convened in the war room of Camp Alpha.


"I'm not really sure about this," Miami replied. "What if Philip Henderson wasn't the culprit at all?"
"We suffered heavy casualties," Lieutenant-General Daniel Geraldton said glumly. "The 3rd and 4th Infantry Squads were wiped out, and the 1st Artillery Squadron as of today no longer exists. Besides that, many others have been killed. We've inflicted, at best, superficial damage upon the enemy."


"Surely Henderson has to be the one responsible!" Ben argued. "Tom himself said that—"
"This war didn't have a good start," Harry muttered. "Why did we fail?"


As the two were walking down the hallway, a girl around 15 years of age darted right past them. She braked before turning to face Ben and Miami.
"Perhaps the strategy was not sound," suggested Brigadier-General Harald Knutsen.


"So sorry, Lieutenant-General, Major-General," the girl said, before bolting into the ladies' restroom.
"I beg to differ," Ben countered. "I believe the weapons we currently have, such as our light cannons, are hardly enough to take on a city as large as Bridgeport. We need to acquire new weapons so that the strategy can be effective."


"Hmm, something seems... wrong... about that girl," Miami said. "I'll go in and check it out."
"What do you suggest we do?" asked Harry.


The door creaked slowly as Miami tiptoed in. She wasn't sure why she tiptoed, but for some reason she deemed it necessary.
"There's another camp not far from Bridgeport. Camp Victor-Delta-251," Ben replied. "Sources indicate that Victor-Delta has heavier weaponry and is more heavily armed. While this camp will be more difficult to take, if we do, we will have all the weapons we need to take Bridgeport."


The girl had already disappeared into one of the toilet stalls and was fumbling with the belt on her pants.
"I have an idea," said Major-General Miami Hodgson. The rest of the group turned to look at the red-haired girl standing next to Ben.


"Oh....oh....oh....oh god... oh god," came out of the stall.
"I think that we can do what Lieutenant-General Faulkner, General Miller and Colonel Townsend did when they rescued me," she said.


Miami looked around. She couldn't just stand there, otherwise the girl would get suspicious. She calmly made her way to the stall next to the one the girl was in and sat down.
"Which is?"
"Oh gosh... oh Lord Jesus, please forgive me," the girl continued. "I only did it because I... I... I had to... I was forced to..."
''This could be interesting'', Miami thought. ''We might be able to score some points here.'' She pulled out a recording device and switched it on.

==Chapter 3==
"This court is now in session," Geraldton said. "We shall now resume the court-martial of Corporal Philip Henderson."

"Your Honour," June McCain stood up and walked towards Geraldton. She placed a rectangular disc on his desk and spoke to him briefly before sitting back down.

"It seems that some new evidence has surfaced regarding Henderson's innocence," Geraldton said. He then gestured to the defence attorney. "Miss McCain."

Geraldton plugged the disc into a port.

"Analysing," the computer announced. After some silence, it continued. "Audio only. Playback commencing."

"Why would you make me do such a thing?" a voice began. It was the girl. "God is never going to forgive me…Oh Lord Jesus…mercy--"

Then, immediately the girl's tone darkened into a growl. "Stop begging to your filthy God! The Government--"

Her voice immediately shifted again, completing the sentence for her 'other.' "The Government is the worst thing to happen to humanity! I have to give myself up--"

"NO! Stay low! We must escape and report back to the Government!"

"Please, listen to me! I'll never be able to live with myself!"

"And what would you expect me to do, eh? Give you a bloody shoulder to cry on? Enough with your nonsense! We must escape with the others!"

"Please, dear God, mercy…I'd never murder anybody in cold blood!"

"Pause playback," McCain said. "This recording, provided by Major-General Miami Hodgson, is, according to her, of a young female around fifteen years of age. While there appear to be two personalities in this recording, they are of the same voice, indicating that this girl has split-personality disorder.

"One personality says that they must 'report back to the Government.' This suggests that the girl is affiliated to the Government. The other personality says that she'd 'never murder anybody in cold blood.' This could possibly mean that she committed murder while under the control of her Government-aligned personality."

"And your point is?" Silvius asked, prompting McCain to continue.

"The point, Your Honour," McCain replied, "is that if this recording is true, then Corporal Henderson could be innocent."

There was a silence in the room.

"Computer, run a voice identification on recording," Geraldton commanded. The computer complied with a series of beeps and whines.

After several seconds, the computer gave its answer. "Voice identification complete. Match found. Private First Class Shelby, Catherine of 7th Infantry Squad."

==Chapter 4==
"Get your damn hands off me! Let go of me you creeps!" screamed Private First Class Catherine Shelby as she was led by two security guards, gripping tightly on her arms. The sound could be heard through the corridors as the three got closer to the interrogation chamber.

Then, something else could be heard. "Please! Let me walk to the chamber myself. I'll tell you everything, I swear!"

"No, I'll tell you nothing!" she spat.

Private Shelby appeared in the chamber, flanked by her escorts. Her flaxen hair shook as she tried to break free, then trembled as she prayed for forgiveness. Her pale olive eyes darted from side to side first with malevolence, then with extreme fright.

"Please, have a seat, Private," Orion Silvius said politely. Shelby's escorts planted her to a chair before restraining her and placing the lie detector over her upper right arm.

"Shelby, Catherine," Silvius' assistant began reading out Shelby's details. "Age: 14 years 5 months. Service rank: Private First Class. Position: Infantryman. Current assignment: 7th Infantry Squad. Psychologist has confirmed that this individual is affected by multiple-personality disorder."

"Now, Private," Silvius began in a soft tone, "based on evidence we have gathered, it is believed that you are responsible for the murder of Private Thomas Rainer and an attempted genocide by contaminating the camp's water tank. Is that true?"

"Why should I tell you?" Shelby snapped. She started trying to pull her arms free from the restraints. "RELEASE ME!"

Silvius decided to try a different approach. He let his gentle demeanour fade away immediately. "TELL ME NOW!" He slammed his fist onto the table.

Immediately Shelby stopped struggling and started crying. "Please, Captain Silvius, sir, I'm sorry!" Silvius looked shocked. He reached out to help her.

"LET ME GO!" Shelby began wrestling with the straps again. Silvius pulled his hand back.

"We're not letting you go until you give us the information we need," Silvius said, now attempting to be as neutral as possible. "We already have enough information to lock you up for a very long time. The length of your sentence will depend upon your response."

"Please, Captain, I'll tell you everything…," Shelby sobbed.

"Quit it with the act, Private, and tell me!" Silvius was starting to feel ''very'' frustrated.

"The Government does not tolerate failures like you!" Shelby hissed.

"Give me an answer, Private!" Silvius demanded.

Shelby remained silent. She suddenly looked exhausted. Her breathing became laboured. Silvius moved to the microphone.

"Get a medic in here immediately!" he said.

Shelby took a raspy breath before speaking. Her voice was reduced to a gentle whisper. "There were…four of us. Deployed by the Government…Fed…Service…for Nash…Secure…" She stopped.

"Tell me more," Silvius said. He ran and kneeled beside Shelby, trying to get as much information out of her as possible.

She slowly turned to face Silvius. "Mission…compromised…all…d--"

Shelby stopped breathing.

==Chapter 5==
As the body bags containing the bodies of Private First Class Catherine Shelby and her three comrades were zipped up, Doctor Thierry Renhald ran up to Ben Faulkner, Miami Hodgson and Orion Silvius.

"It's the same for all of them," the Doctor began. "At exactly the same moment all four released a neurotoxin into their bloodstreams, killing them. Private Shelby lasted a little longer because she was partially separated from Government control systems."

"So you're saying the Government was responsible for their deaths?"

"From what our autopsies have told us, yes," Renhald replied. "The engineers have analysed the transceiver system. They said that all of them had transceivers that connected them to a central computer so that the Government could track them. The transceivers also controlled an implant that contained the neurotoxin. If the computer deemed that the mission was compromised, it would give the command to release the toxin and kill the agents."

"So if the Government wants to terminate a mission, they terminate the agents too?" Miami asked.

"Precisely."
----
----
Ben and Miami stood before the cell of Corporal Philip Henderson.
A guard tower collapsed in flames as the 1st and 2nd Infantry Squads under Benjamin Faulkner stormed Camp Victor-Delta-251. Soldier after soldier collapsed to the ground, was blown off their feet and/or vaporised instantly. Laser cannons lining the boundaries of the camp turned in on the area it was supposed to protect and continuously fired at targets, scorching the ground.


"Deactivate the forcefield," Ben ordered. The guard nodded before pressing on several button on his console. The orange forcefield flickered for a few seconds before it blinked out of existence.
Pandemonium ensued as troops scuttled about the camp grounds, searching desperately for a way to push the enemy out. Government tanks rolled about seeking out groups of enemy soldiers and blasting them to pieces. Sometimes Liberation Army soldiers would climb into a tank, hijack it, and start seeking out ''Government'' soldiers to blast to pieces.


Ben stepped into the cell. "I'm really sorry about what I said the other day." He reached out his hand.
The commandeered tanks aimed at the infrastructure of the camp and began bringing the whole thing down. Guard towers crumbled. Living quarters disintegrated. The roof of the central command building caved in before the walls too gave way. With the camp's destruction, the Government soldiers could do nothing but flee before the marching Liberation Army. Tank after tank rolled out under the command of Liberation Army drivers.


Henderson slowly looked up. He smiled. "It's alright. I understand how you must have felt." He grabbed Ben's hand.
"We're doing well," said Ben, speaking into his communicator. "Capture complete. We now have ten tanks under our control."


"Ready to rejoin the fight for freedom?"
"Good," Daniel replied. "Very good."


"Sure am."
==Chapter 3==

''To be uploaded by 24th October 2014, 1200 UTC''
Ben, Miami and Henderson walked out of the cell and the guard pressed on several other buttons before walking out of the room himself. The lights in the prison shut down one by one until the whole section went dark.
----
'''''[[Fanon:Capitulation|To be continued…]]'''''


{{Revolutionseries}}
{{Revolutionseries}}

Latest revision as of 01:10, 29 January 2015

Revolution
Part III - And So It Begins → 9. Assault 10. Trial 11. Capitulation
Fanon article ownership
This fanon page was created and is owned by multiple users. Unless the edit is constructive and/or minor (such as fixing a template), please do not edit this page unless given permission from one or more of the owners.

Owners: WikiBuilder1147 (talk) · K6ka (talk)

· OpelSpeedster (talk)
Fanon is complete
This fanon story has been concluded by its creator, or this fanon page is completed and will no longer be edited by the creator. This page is not abandoned, but is not likely to be updated in the future.
Disclaimer
Some content in this narrative is not suitable for children under the age of thirteen years, as it contains some violence and coarse language. Caution is advised.
Trial
File:Trialcover.png
Name Trial
Genre Drama, Action, Adventure, Scifi
Created by WikiBuilder1147, K6ka, OpelSpeedster

Production
Original Run 13 October 2014 - 29 January 2015
Status Running

Chronology
Preceded by: Assault
Succeeded by: Capitulation

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Trial is the tenth episode of the Revolution series by WikiBuilder1147, K6ka and OpelSpeedster. It depicts the adventures of a group of youngsters as they fight against the oppressive regime under which they live their lives in constant scrutiny and fear.

Previously on Revolution…[edit | edit source]

After having been apprehended by the Liberation Army, Corporal Philip Henderson now faces a court-martial for treason, as well as attempted genocide and the murder of Private Thomas Rainer...

Chapter 1[edit | edit source]

"This court is now in session," Lieutenant-General Daniel Geraldton began. "In accordance to Military Regulation Omega-Beta-Epsilon, the members of this court have been appointed by myself as follows: Lieutenant-Commander Hillary Thompson, Colonel René Edwards and Warrant Officer Nikolai Zeritsyn. Corporal Henderson, I am compelled to inform you that you have the right, under the same Regulation, to request the replacement of any officers on this court if you feel that any of these named harbour any prejudiced attitudes to you or your case."

"No objections, your Honour," Corporal Philip Henderson replied. His attorney, Lieutenant June McCain sat beside him.

"Do you agree to the service of Captain Orion Silvius as prosecuting officer and to myself as president of the court here assembled?"

"Yes, your Honour."

"Clerk," Geraldton called, beckoning for Colonel Alexander Townsend to begin.

"Charges," Alex began. "Treason, Attempted Genocide, Murder. Specification in that on 2nd April, 2150, Corporal Philip Henderson of the 10th Infantry Squad did cause near mass loss of life through poisoning Camp Alpha's water supply with samples of Vibrio cholerae, thereby committing treason and attempted genocide as charged. Specification in that on 4th April, 2150, Corporal Henderson did cause loss of life, specifically that of Private Thomas Rainer of the 5th Artillery Squadron, thereby committing murder as charged. To all recorded charges and specifications, what is the plea?"

"Not guilty to all charges, your Honour."

"Proceed, Captain," Geraldton said. Captain Silvius began calling out witnesses.

"Lieutenant-General Faulkner."

Ben stood and walked to face the panel. He sat and allowed technicians to place components of the lie detector onto his arm.

"Faulkner, Benjamin," Alex said. "Rank: Lieutenant-General. Position: Commanding officer. Current assignment: Alpha Company, consisting of the 1st, 2nd, and 6th Infantry Squads and 3rd Artillery Squadron."

"You were there when Private Rainer was shot, were you not?" Silvius asked.

"Yes, I was," Ben said in reply.

"Did you see any suspicious movement within or without the walls of the interrogation chamber?"

"No, sir."

"So do you think Henderson here was hidden well, or do you think he was not present at the site at all?"

"I believe he was present, yes."

"And what makes you think that?"

"Private Rainer's testimony indicated that a man named 'Philip' was responsible for the contamination of the water supply. Shortly after mentioning the suspect's first name, Rainer was shot, suggesting the suspect did not wish for his identity to be revealed. Given that the shot came after Rainer said, 'Philip', it is quite probable that Philip Henderson was involved in the murder, as he is the only person named 'Philip' in all of the Liberation Army."

"Thank you, Lieutenant-General," said Silvius.

"Does the defence have any questions for the witness?" asked Geraldton.

"Yes, your Honour," said Henderson's attorney. "Lieutenant-General, how can you convince this court that you are not currently under the control of the Government? The attempt to reverse the re-education process did fail, after all."

"Well, I didn't lie, did I?"

"Still, the Government may be manipulating your brain by making it think it is the truth when really it is not."

"The events as recounted earlier are completely true. I have simply made a conclusion based on these events."

"In other words, you're speculating."

There was a momentary silence in the room.

"Yes, sir, I was," Ben finally said.

"Thank you, Lieutenant-General," said the attorney.

"You may return to your seat, Lieutenant-General."

"Next, Commander Mars," Silvius called.

Commander Marion Mars stood and walked to the witness' chair before sitting. The lie detector was now clamped over her arm.

"Commander, what were you doing at the time of the incident?" Silvius asked.

"I was questioning Private Rainer in Interrogation Chamber 12. I was accompanied by Lieutenant-General Faulkner," Mars replied. "The three of us were the only people in the room at the time of the incident."

"Did you notice anything odd about the room you were in? Perhaps a hole in the walls or ceiling?"

"No I didn't, sir. As far as I could tell, the room was secured," Mars said. "There were guards outside the door and security cameras present. I could notice no holes in the walls or ceiling, except for the ventilation shaft grilles."

"The ventilation shaft…" Silvius wondered. After a short period of silence, he gave his response.

"Thank you, Commander," he gestured to the defence, prompting Henderson's attorney to speak up.

"I have no questions for the Commander," she said.

"Very well," Daniel replied. "You may return to your seat, Commander." Mars nodded before standing up and sitting back down in her own chair.

"Your Honour," Silvius requested. "I would like to call a recess to the proceedings in order for us to consider our findings."

"Alright. This court is in recess." Daniel said before standing up himself and leaving the room.

Chapter 2[edit | edit source]

"Damn, this is one confusing trial," Ben said. "There isn't enough evidence on either side. It's all just speculation."

"I'm not really sure about this," Miami replied. "What if Philip Henderson wasn't the culprit at all?"

"Surely Henderson has to be the one responsible!" Ben argued. "Tom himself said that—"

As the two were walking down the hallway, a girl around 15 years of age darted right past them. She braked before turning to face Ben and Miami.

"So sorry, Lieutenant-General, Major-General," the girl said, before bolting into the ladies' restroom.

"Hmm, something seems... wrong... about that girl," Miami said. "I'll go in and check it out."

The door creaked slowly as Miami tiptoed in. She wasn't sure why she tiptoed, but for some reason she deemed it necessary.

The girl had already disappeared into one of the toilet stalls and was fumbling with the belt on her pants.

"Oh....oh....oh....oh god... oh god," came out of the stall.

Miami looked around. She couldn't just stand there, otherwise the girl would get suspicious. She calmly made her way to the stall next to the one the girl was in and sat down.

"Oh gosh... oh Lord Jesus, please forgive me," the girl continued. "I only did it because I... I... I had to... I was forced to..."

This could be interesting, Miami thought. We might be able to score some points here. She pulled out a recording device and switched it on.

Chapter 3[edit | edit source]

"This court is now in session," Geraldton said. "We shall now resume the court-martial of Corporal Philip Henderson."

"Your Honour," June McCain stood up and walked towards Geraldton. She placed a rectangular disc on his desk and spoke to him briefly before sitting back down.

"It seems that some new evidence has surfaced regarding Henderson's innocence," Geraldton said. He then gestured to the defence attorney. "Miss McCain."

Geraldton plugged the disc into a port.

"Analysing," the computer announced. After some silence, it continued. "Audio only. Playback commencing."

"Why would you make me do such a thing?" a voice began. It was the girl. "God is never going to forgive me…Oh Lord Jesus…mercy--"

Then, immediately the girl's tone darkened into a growl. "Stop begging to your filthy God! The Government--"

Her voice immediately shifted again, completing the sentence for her 'other.' "The Government is the worst thing to happen to humanity! I have to give myself up--"

"NO! Stay low! We must escape and report back to the Government!"

"Please, listen to me! I'll never be able to live with myself!"

"And what would you expect me to do, eh? Give you a bloody shoulder to cry on? Enough with your nonsense! We must escape with the others!"

"Please, dear God, mercy…I'd never murder anybody in cold blood!"

"Pause playback," McCain said. "This recording, provided by Major-General Miami Hodgson, is, according to her, of a young female around fifteen years of age. While there appear to be two personalities in this recording, they are of the same voice, indicating that this girl has split-personality disorder.

"One personality says that they must 'report back to the Government.' This suggests that the girl is affiliated to the Government. The other personality says that she'd 'never murder anybody in cold blood.' This could possibly mean that she committed murder while under the control of her Government-aligned personality."

"And your point is?" Silvius asked, prompting McCain to continue.

"The point, Your Honour," McCain replied, "is that if this recording is true, then Corporal Henderson could be innocent."

There was a silence in the room.

"Computer, run a voice identification on recording," Geraldton commanded. The computer complied with a series of beeps and whines.

After several seconds, the computer gave its answer. "Voice identification complete. Match found. Private First Class Shelby, Catherine of 7th Infantry Squad."

Chapter 4[edit | edit source]

"Get your damn hands off me! Let go of me you creeps!" screamed Private First Class Catherine Shelby as she was led by two security guards, gripping tightly on her arms. The sound could be heard through the corridors as the three got closer to the interrogation chamber.

Then, something else could be heard. "Please! Let me walk to the chamber myself. I'll tell you everything, I swear!"

"No, I'll tell you nothing!" she spat.

Private Shelby appeared in the chamber, flanked by her escorts. Her flaxen hair shook as she tried to break free, then trembled as she prayed for forgiveness. Her pale olive eyes darted from side to side first with malevolence, then with extreme fright.

"Please, have a seat, Private," Orion Silvius said politely. Shelby's escorts planted her to a chair before restraining her and placing the lie detector over her upper right arm.

"Shelby, Catherine," Silvius' assistant began reading out Shelby's details. "Age: 14 years 5 months. Service rank: Private First Class. Position: Infantryman. Current assignment: 7th Infantry Squad. Psychologist has confirmed that this individual is affected by multiple-personality disorder."

"Now, Private," Silvius began in a soft tone, "based on evidence we have gathered, it is believed that you are responsible for the murder of Private Thomas Rainer and an attempted genocide by contaminating the camp's water tank. Is that true?"

"Why should I tell you?" Shelby snapped. She started trying to pull her arms free from the restraints. "RELEASE ME!"

Silvius decided to try a different approach. He let his gentle demeanour fade away immediately. "TELL ME NOW!" He slammed his fist onto the table.

Immediately Shelby stopped struggling and started crying. "Please, Captain Silvius, sir, I'm sorry!" Silvius looked shocked. He reached out to help her.

"LET ME GO!" Shelby began wrestling with the straps again. Silvius pulled his hand back.

"We're not letting you go until you give us the information we need," Silvius said, now attempting to be as neutral as possible. "We already have enough information to lock you up for a very long time. The length of your sentence will depend upon your response."

"Please, Captain, I'll tell you everything…," Shelby sobbed.

"Quit it with the act, Private, and tell me!" Silvius was starting to feel very frustrated.

"The Government does not tolerate failures like you!" Shelby hissed.

"Give me an answer, Private!" Silvius demanded.

Shelby remained silent. She suddenly looked exhausted. Her breathing became laboured. Silvius moved to the microphone.

"Get a medic in here immediately!" he said.

Shelby took a raspy breath before speaking. Her voice was reduced to a gentle whisper. "There were…four of us. Deployed by the Government…Fed…Service…for Nash…Secure…" She stopped.

"Tell me more," Silvius said. He ran and kneeled beside Shelby, trying to get as much information out of her as possible.

She slowly turned to face Silvius. "Mission…compromised…all…d--"

Shelby stopped breathing.

Chapter 5[edit | edit source]

As the body bags containing the bodies of Private First Class Catherine Shelby and her three comrades were zipped up, Doctor Thierry Renhald ran up to Ben Faulkner, Miami Hodgson and Orion Silvius.

"It's the same for all of them," the Doctor began. "At exactly the same moment all four released a neurotoxin into their bloodstreams, killing them. Private Shelby lasted a little longer because she was partially separated from Government control systems."

"So you're saying the Government was responsible for their deaths?"

"From what our autopsies have told us, yes," Renhald replied. "The engineers have analysed the transceiver system. They said that all of them had transceivers that connected them to a central computer so that the Government could track them. The transceivers also controlled an implant that contained the neurotoxin. If the computer deemed that the mission was compromised, it would give the command to release the toxin and kill the agents."

"So if the Government wants to terminate a mission, they terminate the agents too?" Miami asked.

"Precisely."


Ben and Miami stood before the cell of Corporal Philip Henderson.

"Deactivate the forcefield," Ben ordered. The guard nodded before pressing on several button on his console. The orange forcefield flickered for a few seconds before it blinked out of existence.

Ben stepped into the cell. "I'm really sorry about what I said the other day." He reached out his hand.

Henderson slowly looked up. He smiled. "It's alright. I understand how you must have felt." He grabbed Ben's hand.

"Ready to rejoin the fight for freedom?"

"Sure am."

Ben, Miami and Henderson walked out of the cell and the guard pressed on several other buttons before walking out of the room himself. The lights in the prison shut down one by one until the whole section went dark.


To be continued…