After all the strange things you’ve seen thus far, it’s some kind of cruel irony that you should wind up exactly where you expected.
A large, antiquated courtroom sprawled before you, spartanly decorated with simple benches and dour wood trim. Fourteen chairs sat in the jury’s box—each bore a metal plate labeled with your chosen names. There was no sign of a defense or prosecution at the empty benches (except… was that a scrap of fabric on the floor?) At the head of the room, though, just below where the courtroom seal should be, stood an enormous statue of Lady Justice.
Neko-Neko strutted in before you, gesturing at the seats before marching straight ahead to the body of the courthouse. If any of you tried to follow them, you’d find some strange invisible barrier preventing you from leaving the jury area—a box indeed. But even if you escaped there, the only other (wooden) door you could see was blocked off by a different statue.
Neko-Neko cleared their throat, however that may have worked for a robotic cat.
With an echoing creak of stone against stone, the statue of Lady Justice moved.
“FIAT IUSTITIA RUAT CAELUM. WHAT MANNER OF CRIME STANDS BEFORE US TODAY?”
“The cold-blooded murder of a Passenger, Atsuko Samukura, Your Honor.”
She grimaced as the cat-halves spoke.
“THIS IS… UNORTHODOX. WHO ARE YOU…?”
“Neko-Neko, Your Honor, here to press charges against the defendants for this heinous crime.”
“And I’m, um, The Stationmaster! To… help defend the innocent?”
The white half looked at the other as if asking for their next line, but none was provided.
“I mean, at least one of them must be, nya…”
“And we’ve got a few other Passengers here to contribute, yeah?”
They looked over to the jury box and remained silent in case anyone felt the need to comment.
“I HEAR… A DEFENSE AND PROSECUTION? AND A JURY…”
It was hard to read her expression with half of her face missing, but she looked a little… lost, as though she only half understood what was happening around her. She held a massive hand up to silence the Passengers.
“SPEAK ONLY OF THE CASE AT HAND, FOR I AM UNWHOLE. WITHOUT PRUDENCE, I CANNOT SEE. WITHOUT VENGEANCE, I CANNOT ACT. THERE IS NAUGHT I CAN DO BUT RENDER A VERDICT… FORGIVE ME.”
She struck the tip of her sword against the floor with a resonant clang.
“SIC INFIT. COURT IS NOW IN SESSION.”
—
[Car Reference Post]
