It had been an incredibly challenging period for the judicial officers of the new government. Following the victorious revolution of the dominants, numerous issues demanded immediate attention. They had to address the charges against political criminals from the previous regime, establish a new legal system to reflect the new ideology, and manage ongoing conflicts instigated by extremist recessives. Additionally, the crime rate among the now-free and uncontrollable dominants, who possessed various superpowers, had surged. Amidst this chaos, the case of a teenager accused of killing two men seemed insignificant. However, this boy was the third son of Daniel Lanes, a prominent politician who had heroically fought for a better world. As a leading figure in the new government and a representative of evolved individuals who opposed old-world crimes like violence and murder, Daniel faced a dilemma when his own son was accused of such crimes. The public followed the case with great interest.
The courtroom was packed. Daniel and Mary sat uneasily in the front row, having left their other children at home to shield them from the ordeal of Gabriel's final judgment. Gabriel, seated in the defendant's position, looked weary and anxious in his brown detention uniform. He kept his head down, avoiding his mother's sobbing in his father's arms and the prying eyes of strangers.
"To confirm, the defense requests a sentence reduction on the grounds of self-defense, correct?" the judge, a venerable-looking middle-aged man, asked Gabriel's lawyer.
"Yes, sir," the lawyer, a man in his 30s, replied, standing next to Gabriel. "My client was protecting his younger sister from hostile individuals seeking revenge on their father, Mr. Daniel Lanes, for opposing the old authorities. We ask for consideration of the Lanes' contributions to the revolution and the new system, as well as Mr. Gabriel Lanes' honesty and remorse."
Mary and Daniel held hands tightly, their eyes sparkling with hope.
"Prosecutor, do you have anything to add?" the judge asked, turning to the other side. A strict-looking man in a red gown stood up, speaking firmly.
"Yes, Your Honor. I have obtained footage from the sole witness, Ms. Anna Lanes. Allow me to play it."
The room buzzed with whispers. The judge restored order with his gavel. "You may proceed."
The prosecutor turned on a large screen, showing a pale, timid little girl. Her sapphire blue eyes darted around nervously, her hands clasped tightly. From the camera's perspective, the prosecutor's voice was gentle and reassuring.
"It's okay, Anna. You are safe now. No one can harm you anymore."
"I... I don't want to go to court," Anna mumbled.
"Don't worry. You don't have to," the prosecutor said. "Just tell me what happened."
Anna nodded weakly. "There were two men chasing us. They tried to hurt us, so Gab... I mean, Gabriel fought back... and killed them... accidentally."
Her voice grew smaller, but the prosecutor pressed on. "How did he fight them? Your brother is just a teenager. How could he defeat two strong adults?"
"He... he brought a knife," Anna stammered. "A kitchen knife... from our house. He used it to... to slash them. It was so fast... I couldn't see anything." She started trembling.
"Alright, this is the last question. Was he trying to protect you? Did he show concern for your safety, or fear of losing you?" the prosecutor asked.
Anna paused, then burst into tears, surprising everyone. "No, he wasn't! He didn't hesitate to charge at the man holding me hostage. His feelings rushed through me, and it was so... so horrible I couldn't stand it!"
The footage ended with Anna nearly fainting from stress, and others rushed to care for her.
The courtroom erupted in commotion. The viewers grew suspicious of the Lanes' third boy. Mary yelled while Daniel tried to calm her.
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"I object! The unclear memory of a traumatized nine-year-old can't be evidence!"
The prosecutor responded firmly, "Ms. Anna Lanes may be traumatized, but her memory is not unclear. Mrs. Lanes, you know your daughter is the most vivid living recorder, with her special ability, 'absolute empathy'!"
Mary froze, unable to argue.
"Everyone," the prosecutor explained, 'absolute empathy' is the ability to share the exact thoughts, feelings, and emotions of another person upon contact. Ms. Anna Lanes is one of the rare individuals with this ability. Her testimonies are not to be taken lightly, Your Honor."
He looked back at the judge, his eyes serious. The judge frowned in deep thought, then addressed Gabriel directly.
"Defendant, please respond honestly. Do you admit that your sister's statements are true?"
Gabriel's lawyer whispered advice to him, "Admit it!"
Gabriel stood slowly, looking at his desperate parents, then at the judge. "No, that's not true," he denied. "An had it wrong. Let me see her. Mom, dad, where is she?"
The judge sighed in disappointment. Gabriel's lawyer squeezed his forehead in frustration. The prosecutor raised his voice.
"Defendant! Ms. Anna's testimonies were confirmed by our lie detector specialists. Your Honor, please consider the weight of this case seriously. Due to his unsettling mental state, the defendant caused his sister severe trauma and refused to admit his wrongdoing. This should be an example of the new law's intolerance towards barbaric crimes like murder!"
The judge signaled for silence with his gavel. After some discussion, he pronounced, "The court hereby sentences Mr. Gabriel Lanes. He is still a minor, and his actions stemmed from self-defense. However, it was intentional killing, and there were signs of excessive self-defense. Therefore, he shall be sentenced to nine years in juvenile detention, followed by prison."
With that, the court concluded. The judicial officers hurriedly moved on to other cases, leaving Gabriel and his parents in bewilderment. Gabriel, hands cuffed, was being pulled away. He tried to look back at Mary and Daniel with pleading eyes, but they could only stand there, speechless.
Some time later, in the visiting room of the juvenile detention center, Gabriel saw his mother. They sat in a quiet, guarded place. Mary noticed that the boy in front of her had changed. He looked calmer and quieter, his eyes no longer confused, just sad.
"How is An? Is she okay?" Gabriel asked softly.
"She is recovering," Mary answered, relieved that her gentle son was still there. "With therapy, her condition has improved."
Gabriel nodded understandingly.
"What about you, Gab? Are you alright?" Mary asked, holding his hands tightly and looking at him attentively. "An kept having nightmares, saying how scared she was of you back then. I still find it hard to understand."
Gabriel saw a glimpse of doubt in her eyes. "Did you... did you do something... you shouldn't have?" she asked hesitantly. "Oh no, what am I saying?" she quickly turned away, confused. "I must be out of my mind."
Mary thought Gabriel would be angry or hurt. He should have been, since even his mother didn't trust him. But to her surprise, Gabriel's hands and voice started shaking as he spoke. "I did kill them. That's horrible. It... it's me who traumatized An. I was scared and not in my right mind. I... I'm sorry!"
Tears flowed from his eyes. At that point, after all the guilt he felt and the questions people had thrown at him, even he couldn't trust himself anymore.
Mary felt like crying. She embraced him tightly. "Oh, my poor boy..."
Meanwhile, in a private but spacious and well-appointed office, Daniel was meeting with someone else. The other man, seated behind a nameplate at a large desk, looked like a powerful politician. He gazed at Daniel with concern.
"It's unfortunate that your son's case turned out this way, but you know what you need to do, don't you?"
"Yes, sir," Daniel nodded respectfully, his face tense. "I cannot let my family matters affect our work."
"Right. We are trying to build a new world, better than the one those old recessives ruined," the elder man said. "What would people say if we are strict with other offenders but give special treatment to someone just because of his father's title?"
"I understand, sir," Daniel responded.
"This is for your sake too, Daniel. You need to maintain your public image," the man spoke softly.
After a brief silence, the man inquired, "Now, let me ask you again. Are you sure about this?"
Daniel stood up, facing him with determination. "I am. Please accept my request. Sign Gabriel up for the NET training program and reduce his sentence as the offer stated."
They looked at each other quietly before the other man sighed. "Alright, if that's what you want. Now, take this document and go see Anthony. Say hi to him for me."
"Thank you, sir," Daniel said, taking a paper from the elder man and hurrying out of the room.
The document bore a logo with the image of a sword at the center of a scale, and the name: NET - National Execution Taskforce.