One by one, those before Bain were judged. And soon, it was his turn.
"Next!"
The front guard fiercely nudged him forward, letting him stand on a massive white square below his feet. Looking around, Bain thought this should be the perfect position for all cameras to capture him.
"Former Military Recruit, Bain Ratnier, age 16…" The judge momentarily paused, arousing the curiosity of many watching.
The judge cleared his throat, reading the charges with a stoic expression.
"Bain Ratnier, recruited to the army 5 and a half months ago. Charged with not only maliciously killing your Supervisor during your first outdoor training but also killing the other 449 in your camp!"
He didn't do it.
Bain was overwhelmed, thinking of that fateful day.
In Oven Country, after 3 months of service, new military recruits would join light-weighted or laissez-faire missions that required little to no effort. It was practically 99% risk-free and was only there first to teach them how to force out in various climate situations. But who would've known that while out, all 449 of those he went with would die overnight?
Bain slept and woke up to find the entire campsite bloody. Blood everywhere he looked.
The foul stench reeked for miles without end. And what was more ghastly was that a minute after opening his eyes, he found the entire site was surrounded by other military and police forces.
Before he could react and explain himself, they rained tranquilizers as though he was some devilish monster about to go berserk.
He later woke up in a tightly locked security sight for questioning. And no matter how he spoke, all evidence led to him. There was even evidence in his home!
Bain was an orphan adopted by a kind widow. She also lost her son 5 years back. Bain was just 11 when he stared at his brother's cold corpse with a bullet straight to his skull. And after burying him alongside his adopted mother, Bain made a promise to his 30-year-old brother, who had always been good to him.
At that time, he swore to fulfill his brother's dream of becoming the best soldier. However, reality was quick to turn him into a villain. Worse, his 66-year-old adopted mother was also killed, with all evidence pointing to him.
He had been set up. But by who?
What person had such a deep hatred against his family and himself? Why single him out when killing the other 449? And why attack his adopted mother?
There's nothing worse than having an invisible enemy watch your every move.
.
Bain dropped his head, recalling the painful memories in his mind.
His alleged crimes were so heavy that they caused those watching to burst out in rage.
What? Murdering 500? What's worse, killing his poor and kind foster mother too?... What an ungrateful person!
(*⌗*)
Listening to the charges read out, a majority of people already looked at the youngster unfavorably. And seated within many military facilities, many watched, coldly wishing to personally kill the bastard that caused one of the greatest one-person slaughter in Military history!
Many knew that with time, his incident would be forgotten.
Though he killed 449 military personnel, would you believe that it wasn't as big a deal as the case of one of the soldiers who single-handedly killed the famous Skull Crusher?
These 449 were considered weak in the eyes of many because they had no significant rank.
The world had truly turned too rotten to the point where even the military deposited their lower-rank officers.
The world's population was rampant. Recruits will come, and others will go.
Such a case would be forgotten in no time, with many not even wanting to look deeply into the case. After all, the military training route was extremely tough, with ⅛ of the recruits dying before they could even rise a rank up.
It could not be stressed how dangerous the world of today was.
Most people will forget his face, especially now that he stood before the camera in such a disheveled state.
His skin was dull, and his hair was overgrown, falling over his face, making him look too haggard.
Many military people were immersed in the heat of the moment. But give it a couple of months later, new stories would emerge replacing his, not to mention that the Absolute Court judged batches of devious cases like his twice a year.
In several main military offices, many superiors who knew the real situation briefly looked at one another in understanding.
There was a secret in their eyes.
In Particular, a burly man with a deep scar running from one end of his forehead to another lightly tapped his table.
"Did you process the documents?"
"Yes, sir. The kid's fate is decided."
"Good."
....
-Silence-
It was as though the world gave a collective wave of silence.
What will the boy's fate be?
The judge looked at Bain for longer than he had looked at anyone since the proceedings began.
"Bain Ratnier… We, the Absolute Judges, will now pass judgment on you. At this point, because your charges involve murdering our brave defenders of Oven country, if you are indeed found guilty, you will be sentenced to 310 years in 'Mainland 01' (A.K.A. ML-1)."
Hiss!~
Many sucked in their beaches in horror.
The Mainland? That was just suicide!
As of now, the judges have indeed sent almost everyone guilty into the Mainland. But those were far older than this boy of 16. To them, it would be a miracle if the boy could last a day after going in.
Tch.
The boy better prays that his verdict came out innocent, or he would be in for Hell.
The Judge picked up the boy's file to pass it to the side. And everyone knew that the verdict was about to drop.
"Former military recruit Bain Ratnier, we found you— GUILTY!"
Bam!
"Next!"
Case closed.
….
The Absolutes… They were the most powerful organization in the world that emerged for no other reason than to fight and put order into the world.They symbolize justice and the ones many have blind faith in. But today, the darkness hovering within them has become more apparent to a few.However, the unsighted remained blinded.*********"Cheers to the Absolute Court!""Cheers!""Hooray! Hooray!... The Absolute Court has done it again!!!"(^0^)Oven country was bubbling while watching the Absolute court dish out the many verdicts.People cheered and celebrated, thanking the Court for bringing justice into the world.Some victims' families took interviews, putting in their good words and showing gratitude for it all.Yes…Oven country was going wild with glee. And in a very simple holding, a young man watched the very protected Tv. — Protected was the word.The Tv was placed in a unique see-through casing as tough as several pounds of steel and embedded into the wall. Several tiny holes
In the vast white space, many prisoners secretly observed their surroundings and one another from the corners of their eyes.With narrowed eyes, they gazed at all angles. They couldn't find any hidden devices but knew they were being watched.Soon, their eyes fell on the guards and those in lab coats, trying to pick out as much information as they could.Smart people already knew the battle had begun.This was also a battlefield. Everyone was a potential enemy to themselves. And unbeknownst to Bain, many had been sizing him up from the moment he was strapped in."Line Up!"The order was given. And in full nudity, some prisoners strolled with slight grins, others moved provocatively, and some acted like perfect nobles, with auras affirming their superior beliefs.Just within this single moment, their actions already gave off a little about their personalities. Although for some others, it was hard for the guards to determine what personas they had.Some were too tricky to read.Cold.B
~Brrrmmm~~~The aircraft flew across the waters at a steady pace. And throughout the flight, no one was permitted to stand. Suppose you feel like taking a piss, too bad. Do it in your pants!The aircraft danced chaotically until Bain, and the others felt its abrupt descent.Wow!Those flying the aircraft didn't even tell them to brace themselves.The aircraft descended at an incredible speed, giving the illusion they were about to crash. And while in this illusionary state, a bright light quickly engulfed the scene.It was now that many realized the walls they were leaning on were see-through. And now with the outer surface of the ship moving upward like a shuttered window, many could see the outside world via the transparent walls they were leaning against."Look! That's the famous 'Cotton Cloud' Waters surrounding the Mainland!" Someone exclaimed.Bain knew a thing or 2 about these Cotton Cloud waters.In this world called Blue Sails, the waters were vastly different depending on wh
In the overly massive Control room, more than 900 men and women sat or stood by, watching the chaotic scenes via the monitors.The room was vast, with spring ceilings of open space 3 stories high.The Space was Hexagonal, with its front 3 out of 6 sides having nothing transparent wall screens to see the outside world while flying.The back wall had several elevators and doors leading into the space, while the last 2 side walls were floor-to-ceiling monitors showing hundreds of images.The Captain smoked his pipe, looking at the many images projected on the wall monitors. "There... Enlarge.""Yes, Captain,'' replied one of the men, enlarging the image as instructed.Seeing it, the Captain smacked his belly in delight. "Look at how these scallywags run about. Fear, greed for survival, thrilled, expectation, excitement... It's all on their faces!"The Captain seemed to be paying attention to a few. These should be the ones with the highest kill counts this time. Soon, Bain's image was en
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!All remaining prisoners were shot dead.The Captain tugged on the tip of his hat, masking the discerning trace of malice in his eyes. And very subtly, he headed into his office space overseeing the Control.Click.He locked the door and reached for the phone on his desk.[Is it done?] A rich but cold voice sounded out from the other end."Affirmative, sir... The kid is off the ship. Now, he's Mainland property."[And what about the rat?]The Captain thought of one of the prisoners he shot during the mass shooting.During the final shooting round, they killed the last few remaining prisoners aboard. But that wasn't when he killed the rat.During the first shooting round, he and his crew targeted non-lethal body parts, causing many of the prisoners to leave the ship hastily. But amidst the chaos, he killed the rat before the bastard could make it out of the aircraft. Even the crew members didn't know of his actions.To keep the matter confidential, he had to limi
Bain shivered, quickly leaving the scene and heading for the nearby hills and bushy terrain. And in a blink of an eye, he had already moved a great distance, rustling past several bushes, trees, and open fields with tall stalks of wheat a few feet taller than he.~Bang!His heart skipped. Not good!"Come out, boy… We know you're in there." Said a deep and playful voice belonging to the burly lead figure amidst his gang of ruffians.They stopped leisurely, snickering and jesting at Bain's unfortunate situation.Hehehehe~"Boss, I reckon he has wet himself.""Pff!~ What sort of criminal would wet himself from a gunshot?" A man they called fatty, couldn't help mocking."Heh… A newbie like him won't be able to survive a day out in these parts," another added.He had seen a close-up on Bain back in town, feeling the boy should be one of those scaredy-cat criminals.One could find all sorts of criminals on the Mainland.There were those bold and hot-tempered, those who always used others as
The popular tunes from the night crickets and the low rustling leaves were the only sounds that resounded in Bain's ear.One boy with a sharp stone in his grasp, stared at the many circling him. 'I'm almost at my wit's end.'Bain quickly caught himself from falling, looking at the person the rest referred to as Boss.The gang of miscreants wore boots, baggy pants, and different styled tops. Some wore tank tops, others wore light jackets, some stuck to tee-shirts, and others went shirtless.He stared at them in scrutiny, realizing that no one was pointing a weapon at him. This was an important hint!'It's either they deem me so worthless that they don't bother raising their pistols at me… Or they need to capture me intact.'Come to think of it, why did they chase after him so much when he never offended them? In any case, he felt his thinking was smart.'I'm valuable.'Bain concluded, finding leverage over the situation. And the one they called boss, slowly lit a cigarette amidst the t
Mmm~~~Bain moaned softly as nature's quiet sounds registered in his brain.Where am I?He opened his eyes abruptly, examining the strange wooden cabin he found himself in.Hiss!~~He had a headache.'What happened? I remember that he was surrounded with no way out... But then someone... Someone… Someone!'Bain was about to spring up when a calm voice echoed out."I see you're up."Who?Bain quickly turned his attention to the cabin door. And there he was… The silver-haired stranger!With unhurried steps, the man stepped into the cabin in full farming attire with a hoe in his hand and a basket of wheat on his back."Easy boy... You don't have enough strength in you." The silver-haired man said, slowly putting his hoe and basket.Bain placed his hand on the mat he rested on, trying to pull himself up and lean against the wall.With a skeptical look, he gazed at the good-looking man who was now taking out the many stalks of wheat from his basket."Relax."The man gave him a brief yet la