The Sanctuary heads had been gathered after several weeks of continuous effort on Will's part. Helen couldn't fault him his determination. Or maybe it was pigheadedness? At any rate, her day in court had finally come. Will was pressing his case with great determination and based on the reactions of the council, was proving persuasive.
"I intend to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Tesla has not only manipulated Dr. Magnus' perceptions to the extent necessary to make her mentally compromised but is also coercing and abusing her routinely. The fundamental issue at hand is the capacity to consent. I believe that Dr. Magnus lacks the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions due to memory loss associated with traumatic brain injury. Thus she cannot be reinstated as head of the Sanctuary network, nor should she continue to have control over Sanctuary funds." Will concluded his introductory statement and rolled back to his table.
Tesla stood and said briefly, "I will defend my wife from these baseless accusations of mental incompetence, and though no one can prove that they love another human being, I believe that my sincere care and affection will vindicate me." He took a seat and waited for the chairman to call the council to order.
Through nomination and a short vote, Onryuji was selected chairman. He then read out the witnesses and evidence. "Expert witness psychologist Dr. Hannah Newman, please come to the stand for questioning." The lanky woman strode assertively to the witness chair. She smoothed her skirt suit and primly crossed her ankles. Dr. Zimmerman approached the stand. "How long have you treated Dr. Magnus?" "Almost three years." "What was your diagnosis?" "She was suffering from emotional lability after traumatic brain injury." "What was the initial cause of seeking treatment, that is, what events brought these emotional symptoms to her attention?" Dr. Newman blinked and said slowly after a long pause, "She came to me with questions about possible sexual dysfunction due to the injury." "Was the dysfunction in respect to partnered or solitary sexual expression?" She cleared her throat then stated plainly, "Partnered. With her husband."
Dr. Zimmerman raised his brows. "Huh. Did the patient seem afraid or express any indication of being in danger?" Dr. Newman looked quickly toward her left and said, "No, she said that they had attempted intercourse, but it was painful and that upon questioning her husband told her that they had never had problems like that previously. She seemed anxious to meet his expectations. I advised her to engage in self-exploration to determine if the problem was physiological. That was the last I heard of it, so the issue appeared to be resolved." Will shook his head, "And you never followed up on it? You didn't question her about being in pain?" Dr. Newman frowned lightly, "No, but I administered the standard battery of questions about domestic violence and abuse and she always indicated no."
"Did you discuss her relationship with her husband in other respects?" "Often. She continued to express anxiety about the expectations of others, including her husband, regarding her former capabilities and personality. Over the course of treatment, I saw her emotional lability decrease as she began to form a new identity-" "Were there any pivotal events that she felt contributed to this new sense of identity?" Dr. Newman nodded, "Yes, she began learning to cook, a skill that she did not have before the injury. She also became focused on domestic work and on her marriage." Will spread his hands, "What sort of work did she feel her marriage needed?" "There was a strong desire to be accepted for herself. She also expressed the desire to become closer-"
"Do you think that was driven by any kind of fear or insecurity-" "Objection. Leading the witness." Tesla said. Onryuji nodded. "Sustained." Will smirked and asked, "What feelings drove her to desire greater closeness and acceptance?" "She was suffering from anxiety and often felt socially misunderstood. In essence, their relationship at that time was more similar to the heightened feelings and risk associated with courtship, rather than the comfortable companionship of an established relationship." "So, we can conclude that her identity was in a state of flux and she was under a degree of social pressure, similar to that of courtship." "Yes."
Dr. Zimmerman gestured toward the defendants. "Mr. Tesla was also a patient of yours. What were the circumstances of his treatment?" "He was referred to me by Mr. Foss and yourself for treatment of alcoholism." "And what event precipitated that referral?" "His wife left the home without notice after a conversation they had while Mr. Tesla was intoxicated." "Why did Mr. Tesla feel the need to become intoxicated at that time?" Dr. Newman huffed, "Essentially he was stressed about work-" "Why?" "He was not able to obtain funding-" "Would you characterize Mr. Tesla as being responsible with money?" The short-haired woman smiled ruefully, "No. He has a history of high-risk business ventures as well as gambling addiction. He also has difficulty with budgeting and controlling spending." "In other words, he is continually strapped for cash." "Objection. Irrelevant opinions!" Onryuji frowned and said, "Sustained. Move along Zimmerman."
Will smiled and changed tacks, "Does Mr. Tesla also have Obsessive Compulsive Disorder?" Dr. Newman nodded. "Yes, though he no longer meets the clinical threshold of impairment in daily life." "So, he is able to control it?" "Yes." "Would you say that Mr. Tesla is a strong-willed person?" "Indeed." "Is he preoccupied with orderliness, perfectionism, personal and interpersonal control?" "Objection. More leading questions." Onryuji put up a hand, "Overruled." "But-" "Quiet Mr. Tesla." After an awkward silence Dr. Newman continued. "Well yes, but most patients with OCD-" "That is enough. Your witness." Will turned toward the fuming Serb and waved him toward the stand with a smug smile.
Nikola stood and walked up to the witness chair. He looked into Dr. Newman's eyes and thought he detected an unspoken apology there. He asked simply, "Was the treatment successful?" "Yes." "What is your opinion on why the patient stopped drinking excessively?" She smiled gently at him, "He loves his wife and wants her to trust him." Mr. Tesla nodded shortly, "No further questions."
…
"Mr. Foss, when Mr. Tesla was your direct supervisor, would you say that he was an easy person to work with?" Henry sighed, frustrated at the position he was being placed in. "No. He's annoying." "Is he critical?" "Yes…we all know that-" "Does he speak in a hostile, derogatory manner?" "Sometimes. Like I said, he's a pain-" "Would you go so far as to say that he is verbally abusive?" "I dunno, he's arrogant and impatient." "I think the record shows that Mr. Foss here is a very intelligent employee of the Sanctuary, yet on more than one occasion I have heard him call you an idiot. Isn't that so?" "Yeah, he thinks he smarter than everyone." "Have you ever seen him verbally abuse anyone else?" Henry sat there quietly for a moment, frowning unhappily. "Mr. Foss?" Onryuji prompted. Henry continued reluctantly, "Ah, yes. I've seen him call other people names." "Yes, in fact, isn't it true that he would refer to a female colleague in a sexually derogatory manner, routinely refer to the Sanctuary's charges as 'inmates,' continually make sexually suggestive-"
Tesla broke in, "Objection! What is the point?" Onryuji agreed, "Dr. Zimmerman, explain this line of questioning." "I am establishing that Mr. Tesla has a well-known reputation of verbal abusiveness and sexual harassment. It is my belief that he was and is abusive toward Dr. Magnus in order to coerce her compliance in financial, personal and sexual matters when she is a vulnerable state." The chairman sighed, "While that may or may not be the case, the issue at hand is whether or not Dr. Magnus is mentally competent enough to consent to such, and subsequently whether she is competent to regain her former position as head of the Sanctuary network. Please move on."
Will agreed then continued, "During her recovery, did you ever observe a marked personality change in Dr. Magnus?" Henry nodded slowly, "Yes, there was a time when she began to act differently…" "Go on." The dark-haired technician sighed, "She and Tesla started to act all lovey-dovey. She started bringing him coffee, cleaning up after him in the lab, that sort of thing." Will hummed thoughtfully, "And to your knowledge, she had never done anything like that before, even after they had married?" Henry shook his head. "It was weird. Tesla said that it made her feel better, raised her self-esteem to have work she could do. That made sense at the time and they certainly seemed happy together, so I figured that must be the case." Will smiled tightly and said, "Did you ever question Dr. Magnus about it separately from her husband? Maybe ask her if he had asked her to do those sorts of tasks for him?" "No. I figured it was none of my business." Will harrumphed in disgust then turned the witness over to the defense.
Tesla stood and asked curtly, "Have you ever, since I was returned to my human state, witnessed me abuse my wife in any way?" Henry answered promptly, "No, never." "The defense rests."
…
"Dr. Hughes, two months ago Dr. Magnus came to see you about an injury to her wrist, is that not so?" The silver-haired doctor nodded sagely and added, "Technically it was for a compression of the radial nerve that led to wrist drop." Will hummed thoughtfully, "Mr. Tesla came with her, correct?" "Yes, it was a bit of an emergency." "At that time, did you notice any marks on the patient's arms, such as might be caused by being bound with rope?" Nikola shook his head disgusted by the line of questioning and Helen put her hand on his arm in an attempt to comfort him.
Dr. Hughes raised a brow sardonically, "Yes, but I don't make it a habit to pry into the personal lives of my patients unless truly necessary. Diagnosis and resolution of the injury did not necessitate asking about it." Dr. Zimmerman nodded then asked quickly, "Then I take it, if the injury had been more severe-" "Objection! Hypothetical questions." "Sustained." "Your witness." Tesla shook his head tensely, "No questions."
…
"A written assessment of Dr. Magnus' neurological function will now be read. Please begin Ms. Li." Sunny nervously read the medical report out loud. "Uh, Helen Magnus continues to exhibit a reduced attention span, reports trouble concentrating and has intellectual impairment. There was a reduction of IQ from 140+ pre-accident to 129 from six months post-accident. She has persistent memory problems and reports amnesia of much of the middle years of her life except for a few isolated episodes in her history. She reports clear memories of her childhood and early adulthood. When tested, she had memory lapses of recent incidents (post-accident) on an occasional basis. Emotional lability has resolved and personality features of neurosis have receded, though scores are elevated compared to their pre-injury level. Other personality features have permanently changed, such as extroversion to introversion as well as a moderately higher level of agreeableness. She has excellent problem-solving abilities and impulse control and exhibits no confusion or disorganization of speech. Prognosis is good, however it is recommended that she refrain from work that requires perfect or near-perfect recall of previous actions, episodes or facts."
Onryuji thanked her and asked if there was any additional witness testimony. After replies in the negative he opened the floor for statements by the prosecution and defense.
Will positioned himself before the council and spoke at length, "The witnesses bear testimony of signs of an abusive and controlling relationship that Mr. Tesla has mostly succeeded in keeping hidden. He has been less successful in concealing his character, showing himself to be a recovering alcoholic who is control obsessed, financially irresponsible, verbally and possibly physically abusive, who was entrusted with the care of a vulnerable, emotionally unstable and mentally impaired woman, who was desperately anxious to please him. Given the reality of continued gaps in Dr. Magnus' memory, this abuse is hidden even from her own recollection and exemplifies her clouded judgement both professionally and personally.
We must also keep in mind the neurologist's assessment that the majority of her retained memories and identity are from her early life during the Victorian era. As you may know, marriage was then legally a very different institution, where the husband was assumed to be the master of his wife and legal consent of the wife to all manner of treatment was irrevocably given with the words 'I do.' All the witnesses agree that Dr. Magnus has never reported marital abuse, but this is in fact quite common in cultures with such a concept of permanent, irrevocable marital consent. The victims do not recognize their own continued capacity for choice, nor do they acknowledge any ability to refuse the abusive control of their husbands. Indeed, even when questioned in a bluntly direct manner about being verbally degraded or physically beaten, they merely say that such behavior is normal for a husband towards his wife.
Finally, there is the issue of the enormous amount of power that Mr. Tesla has enjoyed over his wife during her recovery. This included the power to tell her the history of her own life, express what he believes that she was like, tell her what was normal or abnormal in their relationship, and so on. Given this tremendous power differential, any manipulations of her self-concept or her concept of their marital relationship would appear completely seamless to her, thus making his lies indistinguishable from the truth. It will be our task to bring that truth to light, something that I believe will become crystal clear with the presentation of the material evidence. Thank you."
Will rolled back to his table, looking supremely confident in his convictions. The council watched intently as Mr. Tesla got to his feet. Unlike his normal manner, he looked anything but confident. It was obvious that Zimmerman's statement had brought up points that he had not anticipated having to refute. He cleared his throat nervously then began reading a prepared statement,
"The witnesses have made clear that Helen has recovered much of her mental function and is certainly capable of making her own decisions and living her own life. There is no evidence of abuse whether mental, physical or financial. In fact, all of her assets are held in a trust currently administered and controlled, so long as she gives her continued consent, by Dr. Zimmerman. Any accusations of financial abuse on my part are thus completely baseless. Moreover, they are impossible. I, who am supposedly so influential, have at my disposal only soft pleas, and that is something I hardly avail myself of either. Helen decides where her money goes, such as remodeling her own residence for her own use, and even to do that, she had to confer with and notify Dr. Zimmerman."
He put down his prepared statement and spoke extemporaneously, "As for these accusations of manipulating Helen for my own benefit, even if I did do such a thing, which those of you who have known me from when I was a vampire may have come to expect, Helen was always smart and capable enough to never give me one inch. At the time of our marriage she set up everything to make and keep me powerless, choosing only to trust me with her physical well-being and care. She trusted me with that because she knew-knows, that I love her and that I would do my absolute best to care for her. Helen was and is perfectly competent to make decisions for the organization that she founded and we should stand by the choices she made well before her injury."
…
Onryuji called the trial to order after the recess. "The prosecution will now present and examine their material evidence. Dr. Zimmerman." Will turned toward the assembled Sanctuary heads. "The evidence I have to present will show that Mr. Tesla dominates and abuses Dr. Magnus to such an extreme degree that it proves his tremendous influence over her. Due to the shocking and obscene nature of the recording, I wish to play only the audio, so as to preserve some of the victim's privacy."
Tesla jumped to his feet, wild-eyed and frantic, "Objection! The recording is and should remain private! To admit it as evidence is a serious violation of Helen's and my right to privacy!" Onryuji pursed his lips then turned to Dr. Zimmerman, "How was the recording obtained?" "It was accidentally viewed by a Sanctuary staff member who expressed concern and notified myself. I have viewed the full recording-" "That recording was a private, encrypted file!" Will spoke over Tesla's objections, "-which was found unencrypted on a Pad that is Sanctuary property-" "You can't play it!"
Onryuji banged the gavel and demanded "Order! Given the notorious difficulty of obtaining evidence of family violence which takes place behind closed doors, particularly where there are allegations that the perpetrator has maintained a charming public face, as well as the tremendous magnitude of the decision at hand, we must admit the recording as evidence. Limiting it to audio only is a reasonable accommodation of Dr. Magnus' right to privacy."
Nikola stood there, face pale, brow furrowed in an almost comical expression of dumbfounded shock. By the troubled frowns on the faces of the council members it was clear that they were being swayed to the notion that he was guilty. Unable to help himself, the scientist begged, "Please, this is our private life. Everything was consensual and it was not-not in seriousness-" Onryuji stated mercilessly, "We will review the evidence now. Please sit down Mr. Tesla or I will have to have you removed." "Everything said was merely in play-" "Sit down!" Nikola collapsed into the wooden chair, then put his head in his hands as they began playing the audio recording.
…
The evidence was damning. Based on their reactions, it seemed clear that the council would find Nikola guilty of spousal abuse and it was likely that they would consider her to be mentally unfit to lead the Sanctuary. Despite her humiliation, Helen didn't feel anywhere near as bad as her husband appeared to be. He was distraught, face still buried in his hands well after the recording ended and didn't respond when called upon by the chairman. Helen stood and the assembled crowd quieted. "I would like to make a statement and am willing to answer any and all questions." Onryuji replied, "Of course. Come to the witness stand please."
Helen sat gingerly on the wooden chair, flushing red at the many pairs of eyes on her. Several held poorly concealed pity. A few also held disgust. She cleared her throat, feeling terribly uncomfortable having to explain her private sexual activities to her peers and subordinates. "On that day, my husband was merely playacting. It is a common enough thing, to, ah…enhance the experience…And, I was certainly not being harmed in any way. He is always careful." She huffed nervously and shook her head, "And besides, this is all rather beside the point. The doctors say I am capable of rational thought. I can make decisions. What no one is addressing is how Mr. Zimmerman has done this last year. I do not think he has made good decisions. People's lives were endangered. He required my assistance to vet new hires properly-"
Onryuji interrupted her complaints. "Ah, Dr. Magnus, that is not the issue at hand. Firstly, were you aware that your husband was recording your sexual encounters?" Helen reluctantly shook her head, knowing that she was incriminating her husband in a crime. "He made a mistake. I forgive him for it and don't want to press charges." Onryuji nodded slowly then continued, "Ah, I must ask, did it occur to you that such a video could be used as leverage or for blackmail?" Helen shook her head slowly, a small frown appearing on her face. "I-I don't think-that wouldn't even work because-who would he even show it to?" Onryuji pursed his lips, dropped the subject and went on, "Please tell us in your own words, what was your experience during your recovery? What sort of things did Mr. Tesla tell you about yourself, your marriage and so on?"
Helen took a deep breath and looked inward. "Um, well the first thing I remember him saying about our relationship is that I am the boss. He said I was literally his boss before, and that I am still in charge, that he wants to help and take of me any way he can." The chairman's poker face never wavered as he asked, "Who was the one that introduced the sexual practices we have witnessed?" The woman swallowed visibly, "Um, I asked about some things I found in our closet…" After a moment she managed to say, "…for bondage, flagellation, that sort of thing. It is really a common thing, not a-um, abusive thing at all." "And, did you recognize those things as familiar? The practices you engaged in, did you have any memory of such practices previously, and did you ever recover any such memories?" Helen shook her head, "At that time I had no memory of any of our previous relations and I have not remembered anything about it from before the accident."
Onryuji nodded then asked gently, "If your husband had to tell you these practices were part of your marital relations, and you have never remembered that for yourself, then how do you know that his statements were true? Is it not possible that he simply placed the, uh, paraphernalia, in the closet, knowing you would find it and ask about it?" Helen was stopped short. She had never considered that as a possibility. She looked over at her husband only to see his bloodshot eyes staring back at her. He shook his head and mouthed the word 'No' as she wrung her hands anxiously and replied simply, "I-uh-don't think he would do that-" Onryuji nodded, "Of course. But is there any evidence that you had such relations before the accident? Did he show you other recordings perhaps?" Helen shook her head, subdued by the impossibility of the situation she found herself in. The chairman addressed her husband, "Are there such recordings?" The scientist nodded hurriedly, "Yes, there are, but please, protect our privacy. I can…show them, uh, to you, I guess…" Helen relaxed as her husband stuttered and struggled with his humiliation. She sighed and muttered to herself, "Of course, your bad habit would save us…"
Onryuji turned to other matters. "Did your husband make decisions on your behalf during your recovery?" Helen nodded, "Well, yes, of course, that was natural in the situation we were in." "Please clarify what you mean and tell us what sort of decisions he made." Helen thought back, "He, well, he had to care for me as any spouse would…and he had to take up the slack, make decisions to manage the Sanctuary, together with Henry. I wouldn't agree with all of them, like digitizing and automating the records like he did. That seemed to me to be unnecessary and unreliable." Onryuji nodded, "Those changes he made, they have continued?" "Yes, we are still using the system he designed. It is a part of the reason why we could take so long to hire new staff." "How has the implementation of this new system affected the transition of leadership to Dr. Zimmerman?" Helen shook her head confused. "I don't know." "Dr. Zimmerman? Have you found the system easy to use?" Will started at the unexpected questioning. "Uh, no. I spend a lot of time trying to access the data, make sense of it, and I'm concerned about security." "What about the others, does Mr. Foss have any difficulty?" Henry shook his head when Will glanced over at him.
Onryuji turned back to Helen. "What do you think are the roles of women and men in marriage?" Helen shook her head, utterly bewildered. "What? I really don't see-" "Please answer the question." She sat quietly for a moment, unsure what to say. "I think a man must care for his wife and protect her…" Onryuji nodded encouragingly. "…um, and a wife should care for her husband." "Do you think women should serve or obey their husbands?" "What do you mean by that?" The chairman cleared his throat, "Should she make herself his servant or helper? Should she always do what he directs her to do?" Helen shook her head, "I think it depends on the situation, on the individuals involved." Onryuji gestured for her to go on. "Um, some women may be very nurturing and wish to be helpful. Some may enjoy being advised by someone smarter or may know they require benevolent guidance. And the same goes for some men, I'm sure." The Japanese man nodded in agreement then asked, "What do you feel is your role in your marriage? Do you try to be helpful? Do you feel you require guidance?"
Helen paused then nodded. "Of course. I do what I can to make him happy and he, well, he does…certainly, he has had to guide me through my recovery." Onryuji looked at her directly and asked seriously, "Given your memory loss and the neurologist's findings that you continue to have difficulty making new memories, do you think that you can consider yourself a reliable witness to Mr. Tesla's character, his treatment of you, and the amount of influence that he has had over your decisions?" Helen huffed, "I suppose I see your point, but the reality is that I know my husband is a good man." The chairman raised a brow, "How?" "I can feel it. I am not-afraid, nervous, nothing. I know how…I can handle him." There was a smattering of laughter in the assembled council. Onryuji smiled briefly then turned to Will. "Dr. Zimmerman. Do you have questions for the defendant?"
Will rolled over to the stand and spat accusingly, "After that damning evidence, how can you expect us to believe that you are anything more than a slave to this man? He treats you like that and your response is to wait on him and give him every privilege?! I can only conclude that your marriage is one of profound inequality, that you believe you deserve-that such is your role, to be an outlet for his redirected aggression-" Helen was taken aback by his vitriol and stammered, "I-what business is it of yours?" The Sanctuary head laughed bitterly, "Yes, what indeed! This man-!" he pointed angrily at Nikola, "-has ruined our budget, destroyed the team, and has reshaped someone I care for deeply into a person I can't recognize! And on top of it all, I have to live with the knowledge that he is abusing her daily and getting away with it!" Onryuji watched passively as the handicapped younger man ranted, finally given a forum for his feelings.
"You deserve better than this! It-it breaks my heart to see you-he's undermined your confidence…he's told you-given you a picture of things that's distorted by his lies. Everything is set up to his advantage, and he's using you…in every way possible!" The last was ground out with an expression of deep disgust. Nikola finally interjected, "Fuck you Zimmerman! You stole that video, you bastard!" Onryuji banged the gavel. "Order! Sit down Mr. Tesla. And Dr. Zimmerman, it seems that you are very personally invested in Dr. Magnus' life. That is not something we can afford to ignore." He stared coldly at the younger man and asked, "Do you harbor romantic feelings for Dr. Magnus?" Will opened his mouth but said nothing. "Answer the question." He swallowed, "Uh, I did…" "Did you ever tell her about these feelings?" Will glanced at Helen nervously, "Yes…but she asked me to never speak of it again. Then she got married." Onryuji sighed, "This is a complicated situation. The council must deliberate. Then we will give our verdict."
…