No Mercy

The judge entered the courtroom, and the bailiff ordered everyone to rise. We did and took our seats after the judge sat down.

"Are both parties prepared to present their facts in the case of the state versus Jere Kondrake?" the judge asked.

"The state is ready," the prosecutor said.

"The defense is ready," Michal added.

"Very well. How does the defense plead?" the judge asked. Michal stood up.

"The defendant maintains his complete innocence, your honor," he said.

"Understood. The state may present its case," the judge said. Don stood up and faced the judge.

"You honor, the state has provided evidence showing that the defendant, Jere Kondrake, has engaged in multiple counts of serial adultery against his wife over the last three years, and in the process, has infected his poor suffering wife with a sexually-transmitted disease. Additionally, he has impregnated another woman in the process and we believe he has plans to continue in his illicit and illegal activity upon returning to Earth. The evidence has been provided to the court, and it is up to the defendant to prove his innocence beyond a shadow of a doubt. Given the seriousness of the charge, Mrs. Kondrake, the injured party, requests an immediate judgment and asks that disposal be carried out at once," Don said before sitting down.

The judge looked over the paperwork before him prior to saying anything further.

"Given that the injured party seeks Mr. Kondrake's execution by mukla, I'd like to hear what he has to say before we execute him, if that's alright by you," he said, addressing the prosecutor.

"As you wish, your honor, but the state requests the order be issued expeditiously," Don said.

"Kindly keep your bloodlust in check," the judge said. Don nodded his head and sat down. The judge looked at Michal.

"What evidence has the defense to present?" the judge asked. Michal stood up.

"Your honor, the defense has incontrovertible evidence that not only shows the defendant's innocence of all charges, but also shows that the defendant is the target of a heinous plot to use the judicial system to kill him and legally steal all of his assets in order to continue Mrs. Kondrake's illicit and highly illegal affairs," Michal said.

The judge's eyes widened at Michal's comments. An audible gasp was heard throughout the courtroom and Charis looked nervously at Rondal and her father.

"Present your evidence, please," the judge said.

"To start, your honor, the defense would like to call expert witnesses to explain the alleged 'evidence' presented by the state."

"Please do," the judge said.

"The defense calls Lars Larsen to the stand, please," Michal said.

A tall man in his early thirties approached the witness stand. The bailiff made him swear an oath to tell the truth under penalty of perjury before he took the stand. Michal approached him.

"Mr. Larsen, you are one of the state's foremost authorities on audio-video evidence, are you not?" he asked.

"Yes sir, I am," Lars said.

Michal handed him copies of the pictures used by the prosecution.

"You've had a chance to thoroughly inspect the photographs provided by the state? Along with the original source files?"

"Yes, sir, I have," Lars answered.

"And what is your conclusion after examining this so-called 'evidence'?"

"These files are clear forgeries. Worse yet, they appear to have been crudely manipulated to make it appear as though the defendant is engaging in sexual activity," Lars said.

"What led you to that conclusion?" Michal asked.

"The original picture files were created with an encoding scheme that has not been used for well over three centuries," Lars said. "After performing a deep dive of Earth's ancient Internet archives, we were able to find the exact photos that were used to create these forgeries."

"Were you also able to determine who may have accessed these files?" Michal asked.

"The system log indicated they were accessed by an individual with the restoration team," Lars said.

"And were you able to identify who that individual may have been?"

"We were," Lars said.

"Can you please state the name of that person?"

"The credentials used belonged to a Rondal Kalrissian," Lars said. Gasps were heard in the courtroom as Rondal looked around nervously.

"Thank you," Michal said.

"Did you also have an opportunity to examine the video provided by the state as well?" Michal asked.

"We did," Lars said.

"What was your conclusion?"

"The video file wasn't forged, but we were able to find the file in the same Internet archive," Lars said.

"And?" Michal asked.

"The original video also dates back to the ancient Earth Internet archives," Lars said.

"So, in your professional opinion, this video could not have been taken anytime in the last three years," Michal said.

"This video could not have been taken in the last 300 years," Lars said.

"Were you able to identify the user who downloaded it?" Michal asked.

"Yes," Lars said. "It was downloaded by Rondal Kalrissian about the same time as the photos were accessed."

"Thank you," Michal said. "Finally, did you have an opportunity to examine the alleged affidavits provided by the state?"

"Yes, we did."

"What did you conclude after examining those documents?" Michal asked.

"The documents themselves were created using century-old Earth technology. We were unable to locate the individuals named on the documents but we discovered an anomaly with the identifying thumbprints," Lars said.

"Please explain," Michal said.

"In every case, the thumbprint was of an individual who had been dead for many years. One document, for example, has the print of an individual who died in Seattle in 2018," Lars said.

"So you're saying these affidavits could not possibly have been made by anyone living in the last three years, is that correct?"

"That is correct," Lars said.

"Thank you, that is all," Michal said. "Your witness," Michal said to Don.

"No questions at this time," Don said.

"Your honor, I'd like to call Abel Caine to the stand, please," Michal said. The judge agreed and another man approached the witness stand. He sat down after swearing to tell the truth.

"Mr. Caine, can you please tell the court your current position?" Michal asked.

"Yes, sir. I am currently the senior system administrator responsible for the server farm used to handle memory searches," he said. Michal handed him a sheet of paper with rows and columns of information.

"Mr. Caine, can you please identify the paper I just handed you?" Michal asked.

"Yes, sir. It's a portion of the main server access log file," Abel said.

"Please direct your attention to the rows highlighted in yellow," Michal said. "Can you please tell the court what those rows indicate?"

"They tell me someone attempted to access and delete a memory search file," Abel said in response.

"Which memory search file was that?" Michal asked.

"The file corresponds to a search conducted on the defendant, Jere Kondrake."

"Was the attempt to delete the file successful?" Michal asked.

"No, sir, it was not," Abel said.

"Can you explain why it wasn't successful?" Michal asked.

"Yes. Our system is designed so that only two people can remove files. I am one of the two individuals with that right. However, I should add that even if the file was successfully deleted off this server, it would not have been deleted from the system due to multiple redundant servers and ongoing backups," he said.

"I see," Michal said. "Can you identify the individual who attempted to delete the file?"

"Yes, I can."

"And whom might that individual be?" Michal asked.

"Justice Minister Cort LeDonk," Abel said. The courtroom erupted in more gasps, prompting the judge to pound his gavel. The minister's face began to turn white as his name was mentioned.

"Can you offer any possible explanation as to why the Provincial Justice Minister might want to delete that file?" Michal asked. Don instantly rose to object.

"Objection, your honor. That calls for speculation," he said.

"Sustained," the judge said.

"That's all the questions I have for this witness," Michal said. "Your witness," he said to Don.

"No questions at this time," Don responded.

"The defense calls Justice Minister Cort LeDonk," Michal said. Cort hesitated at first but took the stand after the judge motioned for him to take the stand. He swore to tell the truth and took his seat.

"Minister LeDonk, you are Mrs. Kondracke's father, are you not?" Michal asked.

"I am," Cort said.

"Did you or did you not attempt to delete the memory search file corresponding to the defendant?" he asked.

"I don't recall," Cort said.

"Minister, may I please remind you that you are under oath and perjury is a serious matter," Michal said. Cort became indignant.

"Of course I know that perjury is a serious matter," he said. "I perform many mundane tasks during my workday and I simply don't recall accessing that file, that's all."

"Okay, Minister. Let's try something a bit easier. Did you or did you not assist your daughter in her effort to bring these allegations forward?"

"I may have made a call or two," Cort said.

"Did you or did you not order fresh mukla for the planned execution of the defendant?" Michal asked.

"I sign so many papers, I don't remember everything," Cort said. "It's possible."

"Let me show you a piece of video, Minister. Maybe this will jog your memory," Michal said. He motioned to the court audio-video tech, who played video of Charis' detention center visit so the entire court could hear and see her statements.

"Well, Minister?" Michal asked.

"Okay, so maybe I did help fast-track Charis' complaint a bit," Cort said.

"Of course. I understand, she's your daughter and you only want the best for her, right?"

"Yes," Cort said.

"Tell us, Minister, how would you describe your relationship with your daughter?" Michal asked.

"Objection!" Don yelled. "Immaterial!" Michal turned to the judge.

"Your honor, if you will bear with me, please, this is extremely important to our case," Michal said.

"Very well, councilor. Make your point," the judge said. Michal motioned to the audio-video tech, who started another video. The courtroom erupted again.

"Order in the court!" the judge said loudly. Michal motioned to pause the video.

"Minister, can you please identify the three individuals in this freeze-frame?" he asked.

"Yes," Cort said.

"And? Who are they?" Michal asked.

"Myself, my daughter Charis and Rondal Kalrissian," Cort said.

"Please tell the court when and where was this taken?" Michal asked. "Keep in mind it is timestamped."

"This week at Westmoreland Beach," Cort said.

"Specifically, in an area designated for open-air sexual activity, correct?" Michal asked. Cort sighed.

"Yes," he said. Michal gave another signal to the audio-video tech and playback resumed.

Charis was seen in the video embracing Cort as a lover before removing all her clothes. Cort and Rondal also stripped naked. Charis then straddled her father and lowered herself onto his hard cock. She then motioned for Rondal to stand and face her so she could suck his cock while riding her father. The court audience was treated to a vigorous sexual encounter between the three that lasted for only a few minutes.

I felt like I was about to throw up watching my wife debase herself like a common whore with both Rondal and her father. What they said afterward was even worse.

"Just think," Charis said in the video. "In less than a week, we'll be able to do this every day, all day long. And we won't even have to sneak around anymore." They all laughed at that.

"Don't worry, daughter dearest, soon your uptight snob of a husband will be mukla food. I'll personally see to that," Cort said. "Even if I have to push the motherfucker into the tank myself."

"I heard he had a memory search done," Charis said. "Is there any way we can get rid of that or do something with it?"

"I'm the Justice Minister," Cort said. "I'll go in and delete it. Don't worry."

Michal gave the signal to stop the video. One could have heard a pin drop in the courtroom. Charis and Rondal held their heads down and covered their eyes as though that would somehow keep the media from seeing them.

"Would you care to revise your statement, Minister, or do you wish to be charged with perjury along with incest and the other charges you'll be facing today?" Michal asked.

"No comment at this time as I refuse to give an answer that might incriminate myself," Cort said. Michal shook his head in disbelief.

"Justice Minister," he said sarcastically. "I'm done with this... witness," Michal said.

"I have no questions at this time, your honor," Don said. Michal pulled out another tablet and handed it to the bailiff who relayed it on to the judge.

"And finally, your honor, this is the result of an intense memory search of the defendant going back over the last seven years - the entire time of his exclusive relationship with Mrs. Kondrake. As your honor can see by the summary on page one, signed and verified by the Justice Ministry, Mr. Kondrake has engaged in absolutely no conduct that could be considered illegal by the state, including adultery," he said. "Since there was no adultery on the part of the defendant, there is no way he could have impregnated another woman in the last three years nor is there any way he could have passed on a sexually-transmitted disease to his wife.

"In light of this evidence, your honor, I move that my client be immediately judged innocent and all charges summarily dropped," Michal said as the judge looked over the summary.

"I have to agree, counselor," he said. "Will defendant Jere Kondracke please rise?"

I stood up next to my lawyer. The judge looked long and hard at me.

"Mr. Kondrake, it is the judgment of this court that you have been found innocent of all charges put forward against you. Please accept the apologies of the court."

Michal spoke out.

"Your honor, my client hereby invokes his rights under the Retribution Act," he said.

"Objection," Don yelled. "This is highly irregular, your honor. The Retribution Act hasn't been invoked in years." The judge looked hard at the prosecutor.

"You know the Retribution Act was put in place to prevent exactly this kind of prosecutorial malfeasance, counselor. The things I have seen and heard today frankly make me sick to my stomach," the judge said. "You should consider yourself lucky that I'm not going to toss you into mukla tank with the three individuals behind you. I will, however, see to it that the Judicial Review Board take a hard look at your total incompetence in this matter. As for the co-conspirators in this attempt to commit murder through the court, you are hereby sentenced to death by the same method you chose for Mr. Kondrake."

My wife, Rondal and Cort looked like they were going to be sick. Their faces went pale and their eyes were as big as saucers.

"However," the judge said. "I am concerned about the possibility this conspiracy may be wider than the three of you. Therefore, I am ordering you to be taken from this court for an immediate memory scan. Once I have reviewed the results of those scans, I will make my final determination as to your disposal.

"Guards, take them away," the judge ordered.

As the four guards approached my wife and her co-conspirators, Cort and Rondal looked at each other, nodded their heads then jumped forward and tried to grab one guard's sidearm. The other three guards reacted quickly, pulled their sidearms and fired multiple times, the plasma projectiles going clean through both men, sending them to the floor in bloody heaps.

"Please don't shoot me," Charis cried, holding up her hands in surrender. The guards quickly grabbed her and secured her hands behind her back. She looked at me as she was being led out.

"Please, Jere, I don't want to die. Have mercy on me," she begged through her tears.

"Like you were going to have mercy on me?" I asked. "Not hardly."

The judge banged his gavel and declared order in the court. He looked at me before speaking again.

"Mr. Kondrake, I strongly suggest you get counseling to help you deal with the events of this past week. Again, you have my most sincere apologies," he said.

"I will, your honor. Thank you," I said.

"Mr. Dax," the judge said, "please join me in my chambers after you've finished with your client."

"Yes, your honor," he said. Michal shook my hand in congratulations but he looked sad.

"I'm glad we won, of course, Jere, but I'm truly sorry for what it cost you. I'll call the medical facility to let them know you're coming after you check out of detention. Maybe your folks can take you over there," he said. "I'll come by and check in on you."

"Thanks, Michal, I couldn't have gotten through this without you," I said. He was right. I had won my case and proved my innocence, but at what cost? My marriage was completely destroyed and my trust in basic humanity was all but gone. I would get my revenge, but I wondered if I would be able to live with myself in the long run. I had a lot to think about before I could go on with the rest of my life.

The guards escorted my parents and I out of the courtroom and to the parking area through a corridor not accessible by the media, which was fortunate. The last thing any of us wanted to deal with was a bunch of snarky reporters.

We went first to the detention center where I was checked out and my belongings returned to me. The guards at the center treated me kindly, having watched the entire debacle unfold on their infoscreens in real time.

From there we went to the medical facility where I was checked in and taken to a nicely-appointed private room. I collapsed in a reclining chair, mentally exhausted by what had taken place. My parents came over after talking with what I presumed would be my counselor.

"You get some rest, son," my dad said. "You've been through a lot and I want you to know I'm proud of the way you handled yourself."

"I'm proud of you too, Jere," my mother said, giving me one of her world-class hugs. Suddenly, I broke down crying. My mother hugged me even tighter.

"It's all right, Jere," she said. "It's over now. You're safe. No one's going to hurt you."

I eventually calmed down and noticed an attractive woman about Charis' age standing over us when I looked up.

"Your mother's right, Jere," she said calmly. "You're safe. And I'm here to help get you over it. I see you've taken a good first step. It's important that you deal with your grief as soon as possible."

The counselor, who introduced herself as Cher, spoke briefly with my parents, then came back to me.

"Your parents are going home for now, but they'll be back soon," she said. "You're very lucky to have such loving parents, you know." She sat down in front of me and took my hand. I began to instantly feel better. "Now, tell me about your life with Charis," she said.

I told her the story of how we got together in school, the years of dating and what I thought had been a good marriage.

"We took the six-year assignment to Earth so we could come back and start our family," I said. "We figured that with our combined earnings we could buy a house overlooking Westmoreland beach and raise our kids. Guess that's not going to happen now. I don't understand how she could have done this. What did I do wrong? What made her hate me so much that she'd do this to me?"

"I don't know, Jere," she said. "Maybe something happened when you two were on Earth. You said that you guys were apart more than you were together. Maybe she lost it during those separations. It's happened before, you know."