THE FIRST TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

THE FIRST TRIAL

[Almost as soon as the investigation is over, a loud DING echoes through the mall.

The elevator doors in the food court, before completely inaccessible, have now opened for the Titled. It will not close until every last Titled has gotten in. Nor will everyone have to wait long for potential stragglers; a thought comes to everyone's mind, a realization that they need to get into the elevator. They need to go.

They need to find out who did this.

The elevator is a small freight elevator inside, and its just big enough to fit everyone in it. After a short ride, the elevator opens...

And they are on the roof. Despite it clearly not being that late in the day, the roof seems to be surrounded by an air of cool, perpetual sunset. Beyond that, good luck making out what's beyond the roof - there seems to be a city, but it's utterly unidentifiable. Not that anyone can jump off the roof to try and get closer - there is a translucent barrier surrounding the roof that is utterly impenetrable.

The main attraction of the roof, however, is not the fuzzy landscape beyond. It's the large, stepped circular platform which is a mere ten paces from the elevator. On this platform are 15 podiums, surrounding a large, empty, circular floor. Instantly every phone pings, giving everyone their platform assignment based on their bedroom number. And - upon arriving at their designated podium - they will find a dock for their phone to slide into. As soon as they do so the XAMINE app will pop up, revealing everyone's findings regarding the murder.

Not Wake, though. His podium is lower, and bare save for a white cloth.

Still, everyone - including Ren, who will find that whoever arranged this whole deal has given him a chair to sit in - will need their strength. Which is why each Stranger also has a bento box lunch, carefully prepared, waiting for them at their podium. Each meal is tailored to every Stranger's specific tastes and allergies, as best as a bent box meal can be. It even comes with a cup of their favorite drink.

So, take a few bites, take a few breaths, and get ready, Titled.

The trial for the murder of Wake Archus, The Feeling, has begun.]

Comments

[scienceofmagic]

The only thing I can think of is the picture frame in evidence... The one of the lighthouse...

[ Wait. Did the lighthouse picture frame have something electrical installed in it maybe? ]

...Did the picture light up?

[foolishjustice]

Not that I noticed. It was just an ordinary landscape. A little on the generic side, even.

[notgentle]

Uh, no? [waving his phone] I don't see any lights on it. Even the nails didn't carry enough current to singe the walls. So the wire around his wrist wasn't connected to any of the other nails when the charge went through.

I THINK I HAVE THIS RIGHT????

[scienceofmagic]

...

[ Bing maybe? ]

It was looped around the unstripped wire. That's why the nails weren't singed! The current went through his body to the wire, didn't it!?

[notgentle]

The current went through his body at some point, obviously, but how would it stay tightly in place around the wire?

I HAVE LOGIC TO THIS I SWEAR.

[scienceofmagic]

The tripwire would need to be taut for someone to trigger a trap. It's a loop, right? And then his own body would make a loop--between his own wet body, the handcuffs on the oven door... And the wire loops back on itself... That's a complete circuit, isn't it? It would then come loose when the tripwire was tripped. It would be easy enough to launch a radio off of something once, electrocute him, then blast him out of the water to end the circuit and safely set up your trap to allow him to fall back in--thus leading to the burns on his wrist and neck.