Chapter 6: The Trial
The courtroom was actually a remodeled theater near the center of Terminal City. During the siege it had been used as a meeting place because (aside from the parking garage) it was the one comfortable place that could fit all of the transgenics at once. Nowadays it was used for actual plays as well as town hall meetings. Given that a troupe of transgenics could learn a play with costumes and blocking in an easy going week of rehearsals, this was actually a popular pastime.
During trials, or other times when the council of judges was convened, a long, heavy oak table was put on the stage with five chairs behind it. Those addressing the council tended to stand in the audience or on the stage, but in this case there were solid chairs for the guilty as well, where the six Naturalists submitted to the indignity of being manacled. Max and Alec decided to take a place in the front row, with the other onlookers who might be called to witness. Actually, Alec decided to sit there, Max simply followed him and sat on his lap, muttering very distracting things about the trial ending quickly.
Mole, heading the tribunal in absence of mayor and alderman, seemed to be acceding to her wishes. The facts of the case were stated very quickly by the defendants and their assistants. Jondy testified to securing Max, and things went smoothly when Lila simply admitted to kidnapping her. Max was called on to present the facts of her encounter, which she did with the same willing speed that had thus far characterized the trial.
"They didn't force me to do anything, which, I suppose, is the problem. They didn't make me go outside, in fact, they even reminded me verbally what going outside would mean. I'm not sure I can blame them for not forcibly restraining me, after all, I'd kick their asses so hard they wouldn't be able to sit in those chairs now," she testified. "Then again, I'm feeling very lenient just now. About an hour ago I wanted to force them to commit seppuku; you should have asked me for dirt earlier." Behind her, Alec laughed.
"Logan?" he asked softly, restraining another giggle. "Really?"
"What?" she asked him. After a second of eye contact she snapped, "There's nothing funny about that!"
"Well, not funny 'ha ha', really," Alec defended, "I've just always seen him as a Frost, you know, fighting the good fight: 'The woods are lovely, dark and deep, but I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep' and all that bull."
"Could we please get back to Max's testimony," Mole grunted, "for those of us who can't see what the hell you two love kittens are thinking at one another?"
"That's pretty much it," Max said, sitting back on her mate's lap. "I chose to leave the apartment of my own hormonally influenced will. Technically, they didn't break that porting of the pact. Although you should beat them up a little bit for, you know, ABDUCTING me."
"Agreed," Dix stated, scribbling down a few more notes from his place at Mole's right.
"Does anyone else have any evidence to add?" Mole asked formally. When no one came forward, the three justices went into a huddle. They came to an agreement quickly.
"The six of you are sentenced to a full year of grunt work for tech ops without pay and five additional years of probation," Dix stated. "Failure to comply with Luke's every order and any attempt to skip out on your punishment will result in permanent exile from Terminal City." He banged his steel gavel with a final clang and the two X-5s acting as bailiffs unlocked the manacles.
There was another matter to discuss before the meeting could end. It was brought to the floor by a blonde transgenic in a cast. Just looking at the male's injuries, Max began rubbing against Alec distractedly. She remembered the punishments her mate had given this man. She also remembered what Syl said about not leaving the house for a month when she first mated with Krit. Camping out with Alec would probably be a good idea, just until she got used to their connection. He could sense her instinctive approval and they were bouncing feelings of lust between their minds, magnifying it on each impact.
"Motion to call a vote for a change to the Terminal City Pact," the X-5 asked clearly.
"Section and Article?" asked Dix, even though everyone already knew what the matter on the floor was.
"Section 3 of Article 4," the injured soldier indicated the passage that should have kept him from being hurt, "Motion for it to be stricken entirely from the pact." More than one second was heard from around the room.
"Very well," Mole said. "All male X series in favor or striking the passage please rise." The majority of that description stood. "All opposed," he inquired, a few males who had not been close enough to be affected by the fight for Max rose. "Abstentions," he asked finally. Many of the mated males stood at this. Alec made a half hearted attempt to rise, but Max was still rubbing against him: a lap dance far superior to the one she'd given him at the Blowfish Tavern.
"Motion clearly passes," Dix stated. "Article 4 Section 3 shall be stricken from the Terminal City Pact, and a female X series shall be forced to take no precautions that she does not deem necessary during her heat."
"Any other business?" Mole asked formally. When nothing was raised, he adjourned the meeting.
"We should go home now," Max purred against Alec's ear so that he did not protest her pulling away from him.
"Agreed. Boy or girl?" he asked as they began walking briskly back to Max's apartment.
"What?"
"The baby we're about to make," he explained as though she was being an idiot. "Do you want it to be a boy or a girl?"
Max simply took his hand and began running at top speed in answer to his question.