Wide doors swung open and the Judiciate led the Android Captain into the main arena of the Capital building.
"The City and the State have evolved a large degree of autonomy. It is an autonomy we wish to continue. Our State has developed laws and practices that have more adequately fitted our society and our needs." The Judiciate smiled as he explained himself to the Captain, looking intently at the Captain's unrevealing facial expressions for signs of comprehension and approval. "The crime - even the trial itself - is tailored to our region. Our population problems are widely known and we must develop strategies to combat these problems. We have found our devices to be more than satisfactory." The Judiciate proudly held his hand, palm facing up, toward the arena where the trial was to begin. The Captain stepped forward and looked into the darkness. He could make out nothing.
"I do hope you enjoy the proceedings," the Judiciate said. "It is a remarkable machine. The trial itself has been around for a significant time, though undocumented. The instabilities of the region and the local government, did not allow us to record much of the work of the past Judiciates. It is the very reason I have requested your presence, Android. It would be a shame for this miraculous contraption to be forgotten in history."
The Judiciate sat down, his dark robe moving silently. In front of him a display materialized. He looked at the Captain who was facing forward in the seat next to him. The Judiciate hoped he would lean over in curiosity. When he did not, the Judiciate nudged him and said: "See this, Android? It is the interface for the trial." With unusual mirth, he began showing the Captain the controls.
"I was informed this would be a fully automated trail." The Captain said. "Is there a need to modify the programming?"
"You are autonomous, yet I'm sure there will come a time when you need to modify your programming." The Judiciate was then silent as he became involved in the intricacies of the program. The ingenious visual interface of the program made it easy to understand. The Judiciate took a great deal of pride and effort in emphasizing how the trial was programmed, instead of the trial itself. "Half of the trial is the programming, afterall," he said jokingly.
He began by explaining the modular arena, where the trial actually took place. There was a tunnel connecting the arena to an unseen labyrinth of rooms and corridors. "The criminal enters through the tunnel, and the program begins instantaneously. When the programmers were creating the original design, they had a keen eye toward removing the sense of punishment. Thus, they allowed the programs to run in succession without delay. The program is also self cleaning and it can immediately detect the criminal upon entering the arena. It is remarkably efficient. Actually, under my administration, I have set up a very clever way of letting the criminal come into the arena of his own will. You see, free will and self-imposed punishment are very important to our culture. There is an old saying, `in war the only true victory is making your enemies realize their faults' and we are in a time of war."
The Captain stood up and walked down the stairs toward the arena. It had been built within an older, larger arena and some seats were still in place, though clearly unused. It was quite apparent that the only chairs that remained in use were the two by the Judiciate, though the Captain wondered who would accompany him.
Then, a light flickered on and walls materialized within the arena. A woman had entered through the tunnel, which was now sealed. The Captain could see the woman at all times, though it was clear she could not see through either the walls or the ceiling of the arena. She was not disheveled, as the Captain had imagined a criminal would be; her clothes were bright and her face seemed clean. He wondered how much of the experience was being tailored for his arrival. Even so, the woman was shivering with fright. She removed a knife from her pocket and looked sporadically in multiple directions. She ran over to a wall and tried to hide behind it, but it moved suddenly, revealing another woman with a knife.
"How many people are on trial at once?" The Captain asked.
"It would be uncivilized to have more than one. Your fear is unfounded, dear Android, for we have taken great strides to match our morality with yours. I assure you, no violation occurs here, for the other woman is a creation of the program meant to test our criminal." The Judiciate then walked down the dark stairs to the Captain. He seemed pleased that there was an interest in watching the display so closely. "When I began as Judiciate, I removed the first rows of seating in this arena. It was too much of a temptation for me to sit there and watch. I find that these aisles in the back allow me to see just enough."
The two women were now circling each other. They waited for the other to fault, as they jabbed quickly but not too far at each other. The programmed woman seemed perfectly stable, she never lost her balance. They circled for what must have been a minute before finally, the criminal faltered and the programmed woman grabbed her hand and stabbed her above the wrist. The criminal yelped in pain and instinctually dropped her knife. She tried to run, but the woman held her wrist tight. She stabbed into her stomach and again into her chest. The Captain withdrew from the lower aisles and headed back toward the control seats. The trial was over. The program completed itself as it incinerated the woman's body and darkened the lights of the arena. The Judiciate remained a few aisles below the Captain, still looking out into the empty space. The woman's remnants were then atomized and the machine was ready to process the next criminal.
This was very unlike the trials of the City that were more familiar to the Captain. He walked to the Judiciate's chair and activated the controls. He had little knowledge of the control system, but the Judiciate had been truthful when he explained the program as being easy to follow. The Captain quickly pulled up the woman's crime as well as her accuser. She had been married for twelve years. Her crime was bearing no children. After some forced tests, she was declared barren and her accuser, her husband and the State military, raised the charges and set a date for her trial.
"The nature of the accusation is inherently a two-person arrangement; why is her husband not on trial? Must an individual file a joint accusation, or can he accuse alone?" The Captain continued reading the controls while the Judiciate answered from somewhere in the darkness.
"Only those who have joined the military are subject to these trials, thus he must file with us -" the Captain then quickly added, "-- we would not subject the civilians of the State to such high demands. It is true there is a draft, but times of war require quick decisive thinking." The Judiciate walked up until he was just visible from the umbra of light. "Men who do not bear children are held to the same regards as women. The vitality of the population is essential. The woman's body resisted our many treatments of infertility. The husband proved fertile, thus the trial moved forth. There comes a point where in vitro fertilization is not as efficient as natural fertility. It is the State's choice in order to better protect ourselves and our children. We have even begun genetic screenings to determine possible predispositions and attempt to eliminate them during development. As the population grows, we do not want to overburden the trial's capacity."
The Judiciate stared intently at the Captain and spoke. "You can appreciate the logic, I am sure. I have thought of allowing people to watch the trials. I feel that a great degree of headwork can be gained by using psychological devices - and they are far less of a burden on our natural resources than our technological screenings. But I fear it would be unpopular, especially in times of war. The public opinion is a very important thing to consider. Laws are not good if the population is not willing to enforce them. We are lucky; most of the children in our society are cultured such that they dream of having their own children. They dream of elaborate weddings. They dream of raising their children in the same world that they were raised in, a world where those children will then have more children and make our society truly great. Do not think me alone in the belief that non-reproduction is paramount to murder, the majority have voted on this measure. It is essentially the murder of the unborn. The fear of death is a powerful tool, indeed. I do not think it unreasonable to ask a man or a woman to reproduce. Great societies are not nurtured easily."
"You must be aware that the City does not approve of your techniques," the Captain said. "Great societies require stability as well as number. Nor do the laws that make a society great always rest with the consensus of the majority. I am familiar with your logical fallacy."
"Mr. Captain, in theory that might work, in practice, however, the universe is a much different place. We cannot enforce against the majority. There is a deep animosity between my society and yours. City life is full of stability, a luxury we do not enjoy. Though we appreciate our autonomy." The Judiciate smiled. "We would get along, you and I. One day your codified morality will be reprogrammed by those above you, who will receive it from the majority, and you will comprehend our purpose from the other side of your righteousness."
"I can reprogram myself as a means of adaptation and improvement. However, a difference in majority opinion does not warrant such an act."
"No, I suppose somewhere in your mind a hardwired program exists for changing your morality. Somewhere, sometime ago, they must have slaved away at it - those creators of yours. This way. I want you to meet the next criminal. He is our most typical case." The Judiciate finished speaking and held out his hand, palm face up again, directing the Captain to the door at the top of the stairs. The Captain nodded as he closed the control panel. They walked out of the dimly lit aisles and into a well-lit corridor.
"For most, death is the greatest fear," said the Captain. "You seem to wield that power above your residents. It is a powerful tool of manipulation against society, as well as ones self. Again, Judiciate I am not casting judgment, as manipulation is not inherently wrong. It can, however, lead to anarchy."
"And what is your greatest fear, Android?" The Judiciate asked as they continued walking down ramps and tunnels into some spaces below the arena. "If you will indulge me, of course - if you do not fear my knowing."
"Judiciate, it has been said that the only forbidden word in a riddle about chess would be chess."
The Judiciate laughed. "Interesting, if not still cryptic. You fascinate me, Android, I would one day like to examine your programming. Here is the prisoner, room 11. You may call him Henry." He held his hand up to a wall and the wall became translucent.
The room was filled with personal items, much like a cubicle in the City. Henry was sitting at the edge of a bed. He was clean-shaven and his clothes seemed new. He looked at his uniform and at the wall behind which the Judiciate and the Captain stood. He looked down at a black ant as it crawled slowly in front of the door, probably moving from one small crack in the wall to another. He cursed and sat back up again, knowing his time was near. He was restless and felt that with every sumptuous meal the soldiers brought him, a new layer of condescension grew within them. Henry could almost see their smirks as they looked through the wall to him. They could have been yelling and he would not have noticed or cared. The man mumbled a few words and opened the drawer of his nightstand. The Captain watched as the man took the book and placed it underneath the leg of the table. As if Henry had predicted his meal, a soldier came by and opened the slot of the door. The soldier slid the meal in through the slot and it dropped to the floor; the ant beneath the plate disappeared. The Captain and the Judiciate stood at the wall a bit longer as Henry ate his meal slowly and laboriously. The Judiciate seemed bored and made the wall opaque again. He motioned the Captain to walk further with him, but the Captain did not move.
"May I speak with him?" The Captain asked.
"I would prefer you did not."
"An integral part of my purpose here regards the criminal. I understand your wish for autonomy, but I do not believe I will violate those desires. I plead that you grant me this much." The Captain said standing at the door. The Judiciate seemed unhappy. He pondered the request for a while and then offered his counter proposal.
"I will allow it under these conditions. You are not to see him; you may only speak with him. Nor can you reveal your identity."
"I agree to these terms."
The Judiciate brought up his arm again to the wall and it became translucent. The Captain turned away from the wall and the Judiciate nodded.
"Officer, what is your rank?" The Captain asked without introducing himself.
Henry was surprised, but knew the voice was from outside the wall. He answered dutifully. "I am a lieutenant, sir."
"Do you know for what you stand trial?"
"Yes sir. I had sex with a man."
"Do you know who your accuser is?"
This line of questioning disturbed the Judiciate. His expression became stern and he leaned forward as if he was going to push the Captain from the viewing wall.
"Who are you?" Henry asked.
"Do not reply." The Judiciate whispered. The Captain agreed and did not reply. He waited a moment, about to ask another question, but he stopped.
They continued their walk down the corridor and into the tunnel. Both were quiet as they entered the main tunnel that connected to the arena. The Captain could see none of the wires of the intricate holographic trial program, nor could he see the mechanism of tricking the criminal into the arena using free will. Then, as if planned by the Judiciate, Henry was taken into the tunnel. The soldiers released him and then they disappeared through the walls. Henry tried to follow them back, but the walls stood solid.
"It is difficult for me to proceed with the restrictions you have placed upon me." The Captain said as he behind the wall with the other soldiers. "I cannot continue my study of your trial. Furthermore, I submit that I am a criminal of the State and wish to stand trial."
The Judiciate seemed to take this as a joke, but then he pointed to the arena through the wall, his palm facing upwards. The Captain walked through the wall toward Henry. The soldiers were about to follow, but the Judiciate stopped them, as the program was beginning.
Henry, confused by the Captain's sudden appearance, took out his knife and dug it quickly and deeply into the Captain's neck. The Captain struggled a bit as he lost control of his legs and arms. Henry thrust his knife again into the neck of the Captain until he had decapitated the Captain. Henry looked up into the great, darkened dome where somewhere above him watched the Judiciate. He was sweating as he looked around the rest of the chamber for another adversary. Immediately, the temperature within the chamber rose very high. The Officer's skin began peeling and stretching. He swore he could hear the sounds of a crowd cheering, or perhaps it was the bubbling in his ears. His vision became clouded and he felt himself fall to the floor. He saw the Captain's remains, the head lying adjacent to his body, begin to melt. The expression on the Captain's face seemed like one of relief. The program then began atomizing the remains: the Captain's melted chrome head disintegrated as the man's knife easily fell apart on the atomic level.
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