The Strongest Marshall
< Prologue >
[Cyberpunk]
Will do anything for the right amount! Has someone refused to pay? Do you want people beaten up? Do you suspect that your wife, or husband is cheating on you? The Federation Marshal with the privilege of ‘Unconditional Innocence’ Allen Strauss is by your side!
Call now!
It’s a world of criminals.
[There will now be a trial for prisoner number 3099.]
[For this trial the automated trial system P-JMT will be used. If you would like to use another system, please select your desired system.]
If it wasn’t for the countless amounts of criminals, there would be no need for an automated trial system capable of completing up to third appeal in an hour.
Now, all the trials are automated, and lawyers, prosecutors, and judges have all disappeared. Soon, the people will lose their rights to trial. And at the same time, lose their right to judge others.
Obviously, one will have rights to choose which program to judge their crimes with. The P-JMT system is the most widely used trial system. It’s funny to talk about satisfaction of penalty levels, but the P-JMT system is preferred by repeat offenders. It also means it has the most precedents.
Obviously, it doesn’t instill good things for the convicts even if it has the greatest number of trials completed.
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So, the P-JMT isn’t the best choice, it’s the least terrible choice.
Prisoner-3099 kept his silence.
[Will regard silence as consent.]
[The automated trial system P-JMT was chosen. The trial begins in 10 seconds.]
[By average, prisoners show a 1.93x increase in their heart rate during trial sequences, and there have been reports of occasional heart seizures. Following the Elysium law concerning prisoners and treatment of prisoners of article 18 section 18, we have heart stimulants on standby. Would you like to be administered the stimulant?]
“No need.”
[Rejected stimulant. The Elysium government takes no responsibility of the prisoner’s health condition following the output of the forthcoming trial.]
[Beginning trial.]
The average time for a trial is about 9 seconds up to a minute.
[Prisoner-3099]
[Name : Allen Strauss ( )]
[Occupation: Elysium Marshal ( )]
[Crime: Murder for work, murder outside of work, conspiracy of murder for work, recruitment of hitman for work, manslaughter, threat and intimidation. Destruction of public property and 29 others.]
[Preparing for Trial…]
Prisoner 3099 motionlessly heard and watched his crimes through the speakers and slide by on the screen.
[The Subject has been approved for innocence on the grounds for illegal crimes as nature of the subject’s occupation.]
[Ruling: Innocent.]
[Subject to be released.]
Marshals of the Federation has the privilege of being unconditionally ruled as innocent.
Even if it’s manslaughter outside of their job.
It’s unfair, but this is common in Elysium.
[Would you like to appeal? Upon appeal, it may take about 1 minute to load the High Court Protocol.]
“No.”
Naturally, I didn’t need any more trials.
[Imprisonment ends as of this moment.]
[Please pick up your valuables from the goods desk.]
[Mr. Allen Strauss, we congratulate your release.]
[Thank you for using the automated trial system P-JMT.]
-Tssing.
Seeing the sliding doors of the confinement room open smoothly, Allen walked out of the confinement room as though nothing happened.
Because of the automated processes in most of the Elysium Capital and its facilities it evolved to be too fast for its own good. It was strange every now and then to Allen. Even while the released prisoners around him with puzzles faces wandered around aimlessly, he casually walked out of the Capital Prison.
As it was built on a relatively higher ground, and built on the center of the city, you had a panoramic view of the sprawling Elysium city.
-Swaaaaaa…
The city’s neon signs and buildings lit up like a dying star amidst the drizzling rain.
Some say that this view is splendid, some say it is messy, and others say the view is detrimental to society.
It’s all garbage.
It’s the same sight no matter where you go in Elysium, so there’s no point in debating whether it’s good or bad. Unless you can get into the Red Line’s Skyscraper Garden only open to the select few of society, there’s nothing to compare it to in the first place.
-Tsssik
He lit his cigarette with a practiced movement of the match.
“Smoking again?”
A woman in a suit came up to him and tacitly asked after a salute. She covered him with the large umbrella she had. He accepted the umbrella from her as if he knew she was coming.
On her chest, the badged engraved [ESPD (Elysium Police Department)] was shining brightly. Elaborately carved cross of sword and three flowers showed her status as a police officer. And underneath, her name Lin Lang (琳琅) along with the juxtaposed Chinese characters were engraved.
And the same design with four flowers on Allen’s badge portrayed the fact he was her superior.
Allen took a deep breath of smoke from the cigarette, and lightly let it out.
“Habit.”
“Frequent smoking brings about deterioration of lung function.”
“Can’t you just swap them out?”
“I’m talking about my lungs.”
“Can’t you just swap them out?”
“What tras….”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Allen tsked at Lin Lang’s words.
The Marshals frequent this place as they have to go through these kinds of automated trials often. After his releases from prison, this man had a habit of smoking at the top of the long and winding stairway.
It was something she never missed out on from the time when she was appointed to the post underneath his wing. And this was a formality that has been repeated for those five years.
There was no need to congratulate the release of a Federation Marshal’s imprisonment since their release was predetermined.
“Congratulations on your release, Mr. Strauss.”
But even so, she always said her congratulations.
“Vice Marshall, don’t call your superior by name.”
Lin Lang has always managed to casually ignore Allen’s scolding.
The two walked down the stairs through the drizzling rain.
And in the midst of the rain-fog was the city of light, Elysium, that spreaded out in front of them.
< Prologue -‘Unconditional Innocence Privilege’ > End
글쟁이 S (Writer S)