Laurie gave me a nudge to remind me to move and I made it out of the elevator without falling over my feet. I was ushered to a seat at the side of the audience and surrounded by the Wardens who had escorted me there. Needs-a-wash stood close behind me and I wrinkled my nose in an attempt to block him out.
Lucretia Scorin moved up onto the platform and filled the final seat at the table. She fixed a look of impatience on her face and drummed her fingernails along the table top. There were two more empty seats to my right. Before I could ask why, the elevator doors opened again and Taylor and Artie were escorted in by their own platoon of Wardens.
I looked at them as they sat down and Artie gave me a reassuring smile.
"We have considered the evidence presented to us already." Lucretia stood to address everyone assembled in the room. "The statements taken from the three accused all give the same account of the incident and we have no other evidence to suggest there is any more to the story. Foolish actions were followed by further actions that were made without thought and resulted in a failure to keep to protocol. We now need to vote based on the evidence as to the guilt of the accused." She strolled to the far end of the table and a screen rose in front of her.
"In the case of Dr Jackson, do you find him guilty of a failure to respond in the correct manner in the case of an emergency?" she asked the room.
A flickering of hands from the audience made me notice that they all held small tablet computers which they must have been using to register their votes.
"Not guilty," Lucretia read from her own screen. A flash of relief went through me.
"Do you find him guilty of endangering the population?" Another flicker of hands from the audience. "Not guilty," she repeated with a small scowl.
I could see now that this was all a show, a way to teach us a lesson, but we were going to be found innocent and this nightmare would all be over.
"In the case of Miss Summers, do you find her guilty of a failure to respond in the correct manner in the case of an emergency?" A pause. I forgot how to breathe and then- "Not guilty."
"Do you find her guilty of reckless activities whilst on duty in her position as a scientific researcher for our city?" Another pause as my heartbeat thundered in my ears.
"Guilty," Lucretia said with a smug look in my direction. The word rebounded in my head as if my brain was refusing to accept what I had just heard. I struggled to regain concentration and my hands curled into fists in my lap.
"Do you find her guilty of endangering the population?" This pause seemed to stretch on and on.
"Guilty."
I hadn't even considered what might happen to me if they found me guilty in all of this.
"Do you find her guilty of endangering the population intentionally?" she asked, her eyes flicked down to the screen and narrowed slightly. I bit my lip so hard that I tasted blood.
"Not guilty," she announced, though she seemed far from happy with the outcome. I sighed with audible relief but it wasn't over yet.
Tap, tap, tap. Her fingernails drummed against the table as she waited for the room's muttering to quiet back down.
"In the case of Mr Jackson do you find him guilty of a failure to respond in the correct manner in the case of an emergency?" Pause. "Guilty." Lucretia gave a curt nod of approval before continuing. I looked across at Taylor in horror.
"Do you find him guilty of reckless activities whilst on duty in his position as a scientific researcher for our city?" Pause. "Guilty. Do you find him guilty of endangering the population? Guilty." She smirked and it looked like her face might crack. What was going to happen to us?
"Do you find him guilty of endangering the population intentionally?" Too long a pause followed this, some hands seemed to hover above their tablets whilst people made their decisions.
Lucretia scowled at the screen as if she didn't agree with their verdict. "Not guilty," she read and moved back to her seat at the table with a look on her face like she had smelled something awful. She drummed her nails along the side of her chair and crossed her legs, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Warden Commander Roberts will decide on the punishment as the crimes caused a danger to the safety of the population within The Wall," Professor Delo announced with a scowl in our direction.
President Rivers yawned and rearranged his toupee, seeming disinterested in the proceedings. He flicked a look at us and started fiddling with his tablet, clearly unconcerned with hearing any more.
Commander Roberts slowly climbed out of his seat. Throughout the trial his suspicious eyes had been studying our faces as if looking for answers from us.
He was huge, more muscle than man really. He swung around the table before using it to prop his mass up and crossed his arms in front of his chest (though they barely made it). I felt sorry for the table as it tried to hold his weight.
Several minutes ticked by while he considered what to do with us. I couldn't breathe. I reached my arm out towards Taylor, who was sat on my right, and his fingers closed around mine.
The commander raised a hand and pointed at Artie before pointing at the door without a word. Taylor watched as his dad was escorted out, a mixture of desperation and relief written over his face. A small knot in my stomach released as I watched him leave. I hoped that he hadn't been kept away from Jane this whole time. She must have been worried sick about all of us.
Commander Roberts' attention then shifted to me and he frowned, holding my gaze for a moment. I saw his eyes move to where my hand clutched Taylor's.
"Miss Summers is to serve three months as a message runner in SubWar, it will be strictly