What does it mean to tell a lie? To answer that, you must first know what it means to tell the truth. After all, a lie is only information that is not the truth. If you don't know the truth, then how do you know if someone is lying? Technically speaking, anything and everything you hear could be a lie, if given the right context.
For example: someone could tell you that the sky is purple. You know that this is a lie, because the truth is that the sky is blue. However, if you had spent a long period of time indoors, without seeing the sky, then someone telling you the sky is purple would not be a lie. You would be inclined to believe it to be true, simply because you have no evidence or knowledge of the contrary. This phenomenon is best explained in the classic allegory of "Plato's Cave".
In this, plato explains a group of men who live their entire lives inside of a cave, chained to a wall. They see various shapes and shadows, and that is how they perceive reality. However, once a man leaves the cave, he realizes all the images he has seen were nothing more than an illusion. The outside world is the truth. The sun in the sky shines over the grass, the trees, and the sea. It is in that moment, that he realizes everything he ever knew was a lie, and the truth is far more fantastic than anything beyond his comprehension. Another interesting part of the allegory is that when he returns to the cave to tell his fellow man, they do not believe a word he says. In fact, they are all content to remain in the cave, watching the shadows, because that is all they know. They are physically unable to comprehend anything existing outside of the cave.
It is in this eternal pursuit of truth that separates men out of the metaphorical cave. You can do this yourself in your own life, by doing this one simple thing.
Ask: Why?
Why is the world the way it is? Why do things happen? Why are you like this? Why, Why, Why. Never stop asking Why, because that is how you learn the truth. Question everything, even that which you already know to be true, and do not, under any circumstances, accept the official story.
X
Late at night, in an condo in Austin, TX
It was Friday night, and a young man was getting cozy on the couch of his girlfriend's living room. He held the TV remote in his hand, and was searching through the TV guide when he started smelling popcorn from the other room.
"Babe, what do you want to watch?" He yelled out from the couch.
"I don't know. Is there anything good on pay per view?" A pretty young woman yelled back from the kitchen.
"Uhhh…. Nah nothing good that I can find." He kept scrolling through the channels until he found something.
"How about this?" The woman took the popcorn bag out of the microwave and poured it into a bowl.
Welcome back to Globe Life Park in Arlington. It's the top of the 3rd and the Texas Rangers are tied 0-0 with the Houston Astros. Up next at the plate is Jose Altuve.
"No!" The young woman barked at him.
"Aww come one! What's wrong with baseball?"
"Babe, you know I hate watching sports. Come on, pick something else." The young man kept surfing through the channels until he found something else.
Next on House Hunters: Jake and Jen are looking for their dream home. "Hi my name is Jake and I am a freelance butterfly catcher. Hi, I'm Jen and I teach dance classes part time at the community center. We have a budget of $3.5 Million dollars, and we are looking to buy our dream home!"
"Ugh pass!" The young man groaned.
"What? I love this show~"
"~and I love you, but these shows are annoying as hell. I mean, these people are buying a million dollar home and they have the nerve to complain about shit like crown molding and backsplash?"
The young man took the remote and went back to surfing the TV guide. "Hey, what about this?"
(~music playing~) Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you? Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?
****COPS is filmed on location with the men and women of law enforcement. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law****
"Tonight on COPS, we follow the demi-human women of the Monster Ops Neutralization force as they take down the bad guys, or rather, the bad girls." The narrator announced in his cool voice.
(~scene changes to a police car with a zombie monster girl driving. She is dressed in yellow MON body armor~)
"We're basically just like normal cops, except they call us whenever there is a demi-human involved on the scene. See, normal police are not allowed to detain and subdue girls like us, per the interspecies exchange bill. That's where we come in."
***muffled noise on the police scanner****
"Looks like someone needs backup in a home arrest. Light em up, baby!" Zombina turned on her police lights and siren and zoomed through the intersection. She sped through a neighborhood before pulling up to a house with several police cars and an armored truck parked outside. There were a bunch of cops and MON girls there too.
"Tio, status report?" The camera cut to a giant woman standing near the front door in yellow body armor. "They locked the door and won't come out until we have a warrant." All of a sudden, Ms. Smith came walking behind them holding a piece of paper. "I've got the warrant right here. Signed by the judge 10 minutes ago. Ladies, let's get 'em!"
Tio knocked the door down with her riot shield as Zombina started shooting tear gas canisters into the house.
"Police! MON! Come out with your hands up!" Inside the house was a giant King Cobra lamia girl. She lunged at Zombina and bit her, only for Zombina to shoot her with her taser. The lamia girl quickly fell to the ground, screaming in agony. She was swarmed by cops and handcuffed. Zombina walked away without a scratch.
"Get out of my house you shit cunts!" A giant eagle harpy girl flew down from the ceiling and slashed a cop with her giant talons. The cop started bleeding, and she tried to fly away before Tio grabbed her ankles and threw her to the ground.
""Fuck you ya fuckin' ogre! This fuckin' police brutality!"
The scene was interrupted by a giant grizzly bear knocking down the hallway door and growling at the cops. She knocked a few of them back before Zombina yelled "Monoko, take the shot!" and a small cyclops girl fired one round from her .50 cal rifle from across the street. The giant grizzly bear was hit in the neck with a tranquilizer dart, and quickly fell to the ground.
"Oh man those girls looks scary as fuck! I would definitely not want to be one of those cops running in there to arrest them." The young man commented from his couch. The young woman was about to change the channel when she saw a man on screen that looked familiar.
"Put the gun down, and get on the ground!" The cops yelled. There was a young man who was holding a shotgun pointed at the cops in his house.
"Fuck you, pigs! You can't do this! I'm with FIRE, and I want to talk to Ms. Smith right now." He was standing his ground until Zombina fired another tear gas canister in his room through the window. He started coughing and choking on the air. The cops moved in and cuffed him.
"Ahhh dammit, listen to me, i'm with FIRE! This is unlawful search and seizure. You are violating my fourth amendment rights! My name is Cole Casey and I demand to speak to Ms. Smith right now!"
Just then, the woman from earlier walked in the room and shoved the warrant in his face. "Save it for the Judge, asshole!"
The man was yelling and cursing as the cops took him away.
~COPS will be right back after these messages~
"Haha what a douchebag." The young man on his couch was about to change the channel when the young woman grabbed the remote out of his hands.
"Hang, go back. Rewind that last part." She clicked the back arrow and went back to the arrest.
"My name is Cole Casey and I demand to speak to Ms. Smith right now!"
The young woman paused the video, and dropped her popcorn. "Holy shit, I know that guy!"
"Babe, what are you talking about?"
"That guy on TV! The one they arrested. I know him! He's…. An old friend. We grew up together."
"Ha, some friend he turned out to be. Got his ass busted on live TV." The young man kept eating his popcorn when his girlfriend walked out of the room.
"Babe, where are you going?"
"Sorry, but I need to make a phone call."
X
In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet very important groups. The police who investigate crime, and the district attorneys who prosecute the offenders.
These are their stories.
(DUN DUN)
X
Inside the county jail, a small woman walked in through the front doors in a sharp black business suit. It was a sunny day, so she had sunglasses on her head. She walked up to the counter and talked to the clerk.
"Excuse me, I need to see the three monster girls being detained here."
The clerk looked at her and scoffed. "Yeah, and who the hell are you?"
The woman reached into her suit jacket and pulled out a business card.
The clerk looked at her card, and then groaned as he pressed the button to open the magnetic gates to the detention block. She walked through the doors and down the hall. Instead of going to the normal holding cell, she walked to where solitary confinement used to be. These days it has been renovated to a holding cell for demi-humans. There was a guard standing by out front.
"This area is off limits. We got three big ass girls in there who will tear you limb from limb."
The woman gave him a stern look. "You also have one right in front of you that will do the same. Now let me in before I have you removed from your post."
The guard grunted as he typed in a code into the keypad on the wall. "You got 1 hour, then you better get your ass outta here." There was a loud buzzing noise as the door opened. The woman walked inside and found three girls sitting near a small table. The guard was right, they were big.
"Hello ladies, looks like you have gotten yourselves in quite the mess." She walked in and set her briefcase down on the table.
"Oi, who the fuck are you? Why are you here?" The harpy eagle spat at her.
"Alexandria Walters, Attorney at Law. I'm here to represent you three in court, and if everything goes well, get you all out of here." She handed them a business card. The girls all looked at it while she opened her briefcase.
"Let me ask again, why are you here?" The harpy was not impressed.
"You're Eleanor, correct? I'm here because my firm represents demi-humans like yourselves in court, for both civil and criminal cases. You should be glad i'm here, because most lawyers would touch this case with a ten foot pole." Alex took some papers out of her briefcase.
"You three are being charged with several counts of homicide in relation to the disappearance of several people in Clearwater, Florida, all of whom went missing during the FIRE festival. Their bodies were recently found washed ashore in Pinellas county, and you three are the last ones to see them alive before they went missing."
"With all due respect ma'am, those were not people when we encountered them. They had changed into something else. Something…inhuman."
"You're Elizabeth, correct? It's going to be hard to convince a jury to let you off. Especially considering your prior criminal record." Ellie kicked Liz in the shin. "Oi, Liz, don't go opening your big mouth this sheila. Anything you say, they can use it to fuck ya."
Alex interrupted. "Technically no. As your attorney, I am legally bound by a statue called the Attorney-Client privilege. This is a special legal protection granted by the law which states that anything you say to me, cannot be revealed in court no matter what. However, Eleanor is correct in that anything you say to anyone ELSE, can and will be used against you."
"Are you for real? Anything we say to anyone, even our host family, can be used in court?" The large lamia girl asked.
"That is correct miss… Priya, is it? Unfortunately the interspecies exchange bill provides no legal protection regarding your miranda rights or 5th amendment rights with respect to your host family." Alex factually stated.
"Fuck you on about mate? Who's Miranda?" Ellie raised an eyebrow.
"Miranda rights are basic rights that are required by law to be read to you upon arrest by any state or local law enforcement agency. This is due to the 1966 supreme court ruling of Miranda v. Arizona. Now then, when you were taken into custody, can you recall if any of the police officers told you that you had the right to remain silent?"
All three of the girls shook their heads.
"Really? Interesting. That will certainly help us in court. Now then, I want you girls to tell me everything. What happened to you all during the FIRE festival."
X
Meanwhile, in another area of the jail
The fluorescent lights buzzed in the dimly lit hallway as the guard walked down to the cell at the very end. He was closely followed by a woman in a wheelchair, who insisted that she needed no help getting herself around. Once they finally approached the cell, he banged on the door.
"Congratulations, today is your lucky day." He grunted while unlocking the large steel bars that held the prisoner inside his cell. When the doors opened, the man looked around in confusion.
"Go on, get your ass out of here!" The guard yelled at him.
"B-but why? I don't understand."
"(sigh) you posted bail, which means you're free to go. Now get out of here while you still can."
Just then, a large woman arrived in front of the jail cell in her wheelchair. She smiled, and clapped her hands together.
"Yayyyy! Cole is free from the yucky jail cell. Come on let's go let's go!" She smiled and laughed. The young man smiled at her, then got behind her wheel chair and pushed her out of the jail.
"Olga?! You bailed me out?! B-but how? Where did you get the money?!"
"Silly man. I didn't bail you out. It was the nice lady who drove me here." Olga smiled in that same cute voice she always used with him.
When they walked back out of the jail and into the main lobby of the police station, he saw a face that he never thought he would see again.
"Hello Mr. Casey. It's good to see you again."
"A-Alex?!" His jaw hit the floor.
"That's Ms. Walters to you. Now hurry up and let's get out of here. We have a lot to discuss."
X
On the car ride back, Alex made sure to get Cole up to speed on all of the important details.
"Okay, so the girls are still locked up, and they all plead not guilty at their arraignment. Their jury trial starts on Monday, but you still haven't explained why you bailed me out, or why you decided to represent them in court."
"It's simple, my firm represents monster girls, and this is the biggest monster girl criminal trial this nation has seen since the interspecies exchange bill was signed into law. There will be tons of media at the courthouse on Monday, and you and your girls will become household names by Tuesday. This case could make my career!"
Cole raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. Sure, whatever. This has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it's ME who is involved?"
Alex quickly changed the subject. "N-no not at all. This is strictly business."
They soon pulled up to a medium size hotel off the highway in the suburbs. Alex got out and showed them all to her room.
"My firm is paying for all my travel expenses, so I booked a suite room. You two can stay in the attached suite if you would like. It may not be safe to go home right now."
"Why would you say that?" Cole asked.
"Considering the police and MON just raided your house, they probably have the place bugged to hell, and have 24/7 surveillance around the joint. It was a miracle they never caught your mermaid friend."
Olga cheered up. "That's because Olga has to use the bathtub in Cole's room, since she can't fit in the one upstairs." Cole smiled to himself. How ironic that the panic room FIRE had built for him ended up being used against them.
"Thanks Alex. We'll take you up on that." Cole and Olga walked to the attached suite room and got settled in. Alex was on her side working on her laptop. She was getting everything ready for the trial of Priya, Ellie, and Liz on monday when Cole and Olga started talking.
"Cooooooooleeeee! Olga was so worried about you. When those bad men came to take everyone away, I was so scared." Olga jumped from her wheelchair and into Cole's bed. Cole fell back into the bed with Olga on top of him.
"Ahahaha i'm sorry Olga, but that's sweet of you to worry about me. I'm a lot tougher than I look, so it was fine. County jail is nothing compared to a Taliban POW camp."
Olga looked confused. "Tall-E-bon? Pee Oh Dubyou? Olga does not understand."
"Well, long story short, a long time ago, I fought in a war, and got captured. Everyone thought I was dead, so nobody came looking for me."
Poor Olga, she started crying and hugged Cole nice and tight.
"Nooooooo! Cole is not dead. Cole can't be dead." She was crying loud enough that Alex came over from across the wall.
"Would you two keep it down! I'm trying to wo~oh sweetie what's wrong?" She tried to console Olga, who only looked up a little bit.
"Cole said everyone thinks he is dead. But he can't be dead. Olga is holding him right now."
Alex gave Cole the stink eye. He swallowed and replied "H-hang on, let me explain. I was telling her that when I was fighting in Afghanistan, everyone thought I was dead."
A lightbulb must have went off in her head, because Alex grew a huge smile and ran back to her laptop. "That's it!" She was typing away frantically when Cole and Olga went over to see what she was doing.
"Ah-ha! This is perfect. Olga, you're a genius." The Orca mermaid smiled to herself and beamed with pride. "But of course! We Orca's are the second smartest species on the planet."
"Hang on, i'm confused. Why is Olga such a genius?"
"Because she's right. Everyone thinks you're dead. Which means you have a valid death certificate. See, I found it on the public records website. It even has the date and time stamp, along with a signature from a licensed coroner. With this, I can file a motion to have the judge dismiss your case on the grounds that you are legally dead."
Cole was in disbelief at her strategy, but he didn't know anything about the law, so he decided to go along with it. What was even more crazy to him was how much Olga seemed to be interested in all the legal mumbo jumbo too. He knew she was much smarter than the other girls, but he had no idea how much of an ally the Orca mermaid would become.
X
In court, the next day
Cole walked inside the courtroom with his attorney, Ms. Alexandria Walters, and his homestay, Olga the Orca. Across from them at the opposite table was the prosecutor. Besides them, the courtroom was empty except for the bailiff.
"All rise!" The judge walked into the room and took his seat on the bench. "Thank you, please be seated. We are here today in the case of United States vs. William Coleman Casey Jr. The purpose of this hearing is to discuss a motion that was submitted by the defendant last night. Before we begin, can we have introductions of counsel for the record?"
"Your honor, Alexandria Walters for the defendant."
"Thank you Ms. Walters. So I read over the motion, and you are requesting that the case be dismissed on the grounds that the defendant is… deceased? Is that correct, Ms. Walters?"
Alex stood up and adjusted her jacket. "That is correct, your honor. My client, Mr. Casey was declared legally deceased by the state of Texas. I have attached a copy of the official death certificate to the motion. Additionally, he was officially declared killed in action by the United States Marine Corps. That documentation has also been attached to the motion. Since my client is legally deceased, the government has no ability to pursue criminal charges against him."
The courtroom was quiet for a few minutes as the judge read over the paperwork.
"Well i'll be a monkey's uncle. You are absolutely correct, Ms. Walters. According to the documentation your have provided, Mr. Casey is legally dead."
Right after the judge said that, the prosecutor stood up. "Objection! Your honor, this is completely ridiculous."
"Overruled, prosecutor. These documents are legitimate, and according to the law, you are unable to pursue criminal charges against a deceased person."
"B-but your honor, Mr. Casey is standing right there!"
"This case is hereby dismissed. Thank you all for your time, and we are off the record." The judge struck his gavel down on the bench, then got up and left the courtroom. The prosecutor could only stand there in shock as the most bullshit loophole ever was used just now to get a criminal out of jail.
Cole and Alex were celebrating. They hugged each other, but then awkwardly pulled away, remembering their prior relationship. Olga jumped up from her wheelchair and gave him a big hug.
X
Monday morning
[Redacted] County Courthouse
The streets were lined with an army of media vans. News reporters from every major news network were on the scene, with their cameras and microphones ready to swarm both sides.
First was the prosecution. The district attorney was a beautiful older woman with big blonde hair and a sexy skirt suit. She was swarmed by the media, and only made a brief statement.
"I enter this court today with one clear goal in mind: To ensure justice is served to the families of the deceased, at the hands of these vicious monsters that walk among us." She then walked off as the reporters followed her.
Soon the reporters left her alone, and ran over to the other group entering the building.
"Ms. Walters, do you have anything to say to the media? Ms. Walters, why did you choose to defend bloodthirsty monsters in court? Ms. Walters, are you happy those people died?" All of them were clearly loaded questions. Alex did her best to ignore them and remember her media training.
"I want to show demi-human Americans that they deserve a fair trial by jury in a court of law, exactly the same as human Americans." And with that, she walked into the courthouse with Cole Casey pushing Olga in her wheelchair.
"Hey Alex, are you sure it was a good idea that the two of us come with you? We are not lawyers, so there is not much we can do." Cole whispered in her ear as they walked through the courthouse.
"My superiors would say no, but I disagree. At this point, I need points for optics. Having Olga here helps our public image. Just wear your mask and keep your mouth shut." Alex whispered back. Cole was wearing one of those medical face masks. It was mostly for appearances, but it also served a double purpose by concealing his identity to the media.
When they entered the courtroom, the place was a beehive of activity. The lady from earlier was there, along with a huge group of attorneys and legal aids. The gallery was full as well. Most were families of the people from FIRE festival that were killed. Cole looked and saw his three homestays all dressed in bright orange prison clothes. They had shiny chains around their wrists and ankles (except Priya for obvious reasons).
"ALL RISE". The bailiff announced. Everyone stood up as the judge walked in. He sat on the bench and spoke into the microphone. "This court is now in session. The honorable Samuel Kent presiding. Please be seated." Everyone took their seats.
"We are here today for opening arguments in the case of United States vs. Priya Casey, Eleanor Casey, and Elizabeth Casey. Who do we have on behalf of the United States?"
The sexy blonde woman from earlier stood up. "Your honor, L. Woods for the United States."
"Hello Ms. Woods. And for the defendants?" Alex stood up from her table and adjusted her jacket.
"Your honor, Alexandria Walters for the defendants."
"Hello Ms. Walters. Okay, let's get started. Would the prosecution please present their opening arguments?"
The sexy blonde woman walked into the middle of the courtroom.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, we are at a turning point in our country's history. Since the beginning of time, the criminal justice system has existed to punish those who break the law. Whether that be the laws of man, the laws of society, or the laws of god himself. Today, in this very courtroom, we have three individuals who recognize no such laws. For they are not men, they are not of our society, and they are not of god. No, these three individuals are nothing more than monsters! Yes, the very ones from the legends of old, who slaughtered men and women with reckless abandon, for no other reason than to sate their own bloodlust. These creatures are not like you and I, despite what some piece of paper may say. These three are violent, dangerous killers, and I will prove this beyond a reasonable doubt. Justice will be served for innocent lives that were taken, and this case will serve as an example for years to come."
Olga was getting angry. Alex put a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down." she whispered.
Ms. Woods finished her opening arguments and walked back to her table. She gave Alex a smug grin. Alex shuffled her papers before standing up to deliver her own opening arguments.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the jury, you have an incredible burden before you. There are three individuals in this courtroom today, who's life hangs in the balance. Now, it may be easy to make your decision with your emotions, or your own personal biases, but that is not what a true American would do."
Alex turned to look at Cole. "For a true American would never take the easy way out. A true American would rise to any challenge, and meet it head on. They would not be scared, or easily swayed. They would not do what is popular, or convenient, because they will do what is right. It's people like that who built this country, and I fully believe it is people like that who sit in the jury box today."
Alex turned back to talk to the gallery. "As Americans, we must recognize that the very foundation of our society is the rule of law. Within these laws, is the clearly defined code that all men are created equal. Everyone within these United States is equal under the law, and that includes the three individuals I represent. So, I ask you, brave Americans of the jury, remember these words during this trial. My clients may be different from you, but they are no different from you as your fellow jurors are. They are no different from anyone else in this room. No matter where we all may come from, or what we all believe in, at the end of the day, we are all Americans, and we live in a society with liberty and justice for all."
Alex walked back to her table. The courtroom was quiet besides Olga violently clapping and cheering. The bailiff came over and quietly warned her not to do that again.
X
"Would the prosecution like to call their first witness?" The judge asked.
"Yes, your honor. The prosecution calls Cole Casey to the stand." Cole stood up and swore the oath of witness before he took the stand. Ms. Woods began her questioning.
"Mr. Casey, are you the host family of the defendants?"
"Yes"
"And as their host family, you are ultimately responsible for their well being, right?"
"Correct"
"Are you also responsible for disciplining them when they do something wrong?"
"I Guess so. But that isn't really something I do very often."
Ms. Woods grinned. "Oh really? Would you care to describe the events of March 14th, 20XX?"
Cole thought for a second. "It was when Priya first moved in. The weather was very bad that day, and I had gone to the store to buy some chocolate pudding for her."
"Why? Why would you risk going out in a storm, just for something as trivial as chocolate pudding?" Ms. Woods had him right where she wanted him.
"Because she likes it." He tried to say with a straight face. Ms. Woods grinned even wider.
"That's not what FIRE thinks. According to official documents obtained by FIRE, they advised Priya must eat chocolate pudding as an emergency measure to calm her down when she gets… violent."
Alex stood up. "Objection your honor. This is outdated information that is not relevant to this case."
"Overruled. Ms. Woods, please continue". The judge leaned back in his chair. Ms. Woods continued questioning.
"Now then, according to the police report I obtained from that day, it said you were involved in a motor vehicle accident. Would you care to explain what happened?" She put the biggest bait she could out for him. Now let's see if he takes it.
"Yes, I was attacked by a giant hellhound, and Priya saved my life."
"And how did she do that?"
"She bit that fucker and took it down instantly!" Everyone in the courtroom gasped. Damn, Cole took the bait hook line and sinker.
"So you're saying Priya killed someone?"
Shit. Cole was fucked. There was no way out of this. He had to answer or else be held in contempt of court for lying under oath.
"Y-yes."
"No further questions, your honor."
X
The next day
Things were not looking good for the girls. L. Woods was doing her best to convince the jury that the girls were blood thirsty monsters. Just take a look at what she did on the second day of the trial.
"You honor, for my next witness, the prosecution calls the Ramsey family to the stand."
A middle aged couple took the stand. Their young son was seated between them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey, did you ever participate in the Federal Interspecies Residential Exchange program?"
"Yes"
"And how many homestays did you have stay with you?"
"Just one"
"Could you please tell the court who your homestay was?"
The mother pointed at the giant grizzly bear seated at the defense table wearing an orange prison jumpsuit.
"Her. That monster right there."
"You called her a monster. Why would you do that, Mrs. Ramsey?"
The mother started crying. "Sh-she hurt my son. My poor John-Bennett. She abused him, and then attacked me after I tried to stop her."
Liz stood up and yelled out "That's bullshit! You were the ones who hit him, and I saw you do it too!" Everyone in the courtroom gasped. The judge slammed his gavel to call order.
"Your honor, I have copies of the official police report that clearly state Mrs. Ramsey was attacked by the defendant, and was booked into the county jail." She turned back to the family.
"Have you accepted anymore homestays since the incident with the defendant?"
The father yelled out: "Heavens no! We will never allow one of those horrible monsters near our family ever again!"
"No further questions, your honor."
Right as the family was excused from the courtroom, the young boy looked at Liz with sad eyes. He reached out with one tiny hand and whispered "m-mama bear". Liz looked like she was about to cry, but when she reached out her hand, Mrs. Ramsey yanked her son by the arm and dragged the poor boy out of the courtroom.
X
Later that night
Back in the hotel, Alex was hard at work at her desk, while Cole and Olga were distraught.
"It's not looking good, you guys. At this rate, your friends are going to jail." Alex sighed. Cole and Olga looked at each other.
"If the situation looks that dire, then I suppose we have no other choice." Cole turned to Olga. "I want you to go back to the house, go into my room, and enter this code in my closet door. There is something in there that I think we can use to save our case. Or at the very least, get the judge to declare a mistrial." Cole wrote a set of numbers on a post it note and handed it to her.
"Alex, you mind giving her a ride?"
"Sure thing. But are you sure this will work?"
"It's our only chance at this point."
Olga smiled and made a salute with her hands. "Sir yes sir! Olga will get this done right away."
X
Back at the Casey residence
Alex pulled up to the dark house in the wee hours of the morning. There was nobody around the neighborhood this time of night, but Olga made sure to remind her that they were in fact being watched.
"You did remember to bring a key, right?" She asked the large mermaid girl.
"Yes ma'am I sure did. Besides, Cole usually keeps a spare one under a little stone in the flower bed." Olga reached for the knob, and with her key, was able to unlock it. The two of them were inside. She reached to turn the lights on, and they looked around at the giant mess that was everywhere.
"Those bastards really trashed the place during the raid. I'll never forgive them for this." Olga muttered under her breath.
"You know Olga, I've never heard you talk this way before. You always sound so upbeat and cheerful when you're around Cole. Why is that?"
Olga started blushing and laughed a little. "Oh that? Hahaha well that's because he is my favorite person in the whole world. We're partners for life! Being around him always makes me happy." Alex snickered a little bit.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Olga accused her.
"Let's just say that Cole and I are…. Old friends. We go way back, and i've known him for a long time. It makes me really happy that he found someone like you."
The two of them walked through the debris to the back of the first floor where Cole's bedroom was.
"Hey Olga".
"Yes?"
"Take care of him for me, okay? That man has had a hard life. He deserves to have a nice girl like you".
Olga raised an eyebrow. "Umm yeah sure".
Alex smiled as she let Olga wheel herself in front of her and go into the bathroom. She turned on the lights and then entered the code to open the closet door.
The code opened the door, and inside there was a woman who was bound and gagged lying on the floor.
"Hello there, Ms. Smith. It would seem that we are in need of your assistance. Would you kindly help us?" Olga asked her with a terrifying smile. Alex walked around and found a bottle of champagne, but the liquid inside was a dark purple color.
"What's this stuff?"
"Oh yes! Thanks for reminding me. Please bring that too. We'll need everything we can."
X
The next day, back in court
Everyone was back inside the courtroom. L. Woods looked like she was getting ready to celebrate her victory tonight, while Alex had a surprisingly confident look about her.
"Psst. Did you two get what I asked you for?" Olga winked at him, and gave him a thumbs up.
"ALL RISE" the bailiff announced as the judge walked into the courtroom. "Thank you, please be seated. Now then, does the prosecution have any new evidence to submit to the court?"
"No, your honor." L. Woods turned to look at Alex, Cole, and the girls. "I think we're done here. The prosecution rests."
"Very well. Ms. Walters, how do you wish to proceed?"
Alex stood up from her table and smiled. "Your honor, the defense would like to call FIRE Interspecies Exchange Coordinator Ms. Smith to the stand."
A dark haired woman walked up to the stand and swore the out of witness before sitting down. Alex held some documents in her hand, and started her questioning.
"Ms. Smith. Where do you work?"
"The Federal Interspecies Residential Exchange"
"And what do you do there?"
"I am an Interspecies Exchange Coordinator"
"What is your relationship with Cole Casey?"
"He is one of the host families that I supervise"
"Are you responsible for his conduct within the exchange program?"
"Yes"
"How does Mr. Casey usually contact you?"
"He calls my cell phone"
"And what is your phone number?"
L. Woods stood up and raised her hands. "Objection. Your honor, this is not relevant to the case." The judge dismissed her. "Ms. Walters, please get to the point quickly or else I will sustain her objection."
Alex held her papers to her chest tightly. "Ms. Smith, please tell the court what your phone number is for the record."
"Umm…. 212-"
"AHA! That is a lie! Your real phone number starts with 202." Alex pointed at her. The judge looked confused. "Your honor, this is not the real Ms. Smith". She turned to the gallery and pointed to a woman in the crowd. "The real Ms. Smith is sitting right there! This woman on the stand is a doppelganger who works for MON."
The woman on the witness stand started getting nervous as Ms. Smith stood up and walked past the bar into the court.
"I also have here in my hand, the warrant that Ms. Smith presented to MON the night of the police raid, but as you can see, the warrant is fake! All warrants are stamped with a seal once they are filed with the clerk's office, but this one has no such stamp. In fact, the date on here is not even a real date! See, right here, this warrant is dated June 31st, 20XX."
Alex showed the warrant to the judge, and his eyes went wide. "By god, you're right. I can't believe nobody ever caught that."
"Let me see that!" Ms. Woods walked over and looked at the warrant. Sure enough, the document was not stamped, and it was signed by the judge on June 31st.
"Aww dammit, I always forget to check the dates on those things." A naked girl commented while standing next to Ms. Woods.
"W-what the hell?! Who are you?! How did you get into this courtroom?!" Ms. Woods freaked out at the naked little girl. She had dark skin, white hair, and dark eyes.
"Doppel, how could you do this?" (the real) Ms. Smith pleaded. Doppel just kind of shrugged. "Because you never came back from that FIRE festival. Someone had to take over as leader of the team. You really trust any of the others to step up? No. They wouldn't follow me either, so I started impersonating you" The little girl pointed at Cole and his girls. "This asshole was the whole reason you even went there in the first place. I wanted to raid his house because I wanted to know why they all came back and not you."
Alex stepped up and gave Ms. Smith a stern look. "All hostilities aside, she has a point. Please tell the court what exactly happened at the FIRE festival."
Ms. Smith took a deep breath. "Mr. Casey, and the defendants, were brought to FIRE festival as part of a social experiment."
"What kind of social experiment?"
"Well, we knew the senate was voting on amending the interspecies exchange act to allow for marriages between host families and their homestays. We wanted to see the reactions between the different types of demi-humans when they found out~in real time~that they could now have sexual relations with each other."
The courtroom gasped. There was murmuring among the gallery. Even Alex was a little shocked.
"But why? Why would FIRE want to see if monster girls were having sex?"
"We needed a controlled environment where the… activities…. Could take place with minimal risk to the public. What better place than a private beach resort? Once we confirmed that interspecies couples could have sex together without destroying property or injuring their hosts, we received the green light from leadership to begin moving to phase 2 testing."
Alex turned back to Cole and Olga. He reached into a large duffel bag that he had brought with him. Inside, he pulled out a glass bottle of champagne, except the champagne was a dark purple liquid.
"Ms. Smith, can you tell me what this is?"
"That is Monstato."
"Have you seen this before?"
"What is the purpose of this?"
"I was told this drink was supposed to work as an aphrodisiac."
"Is that what happened? Did people drink this at FIRE festival?"
"Y-yes they did. We provided it to them as part of phase 2 testing."
"Please tell the court what happened to those individuals who drank this liquid."
"I'm sorry, I can't do that."
"Ms. Smith, may I remind you that you are under oath. Failure to answer the question will result in you being held in contempt of court."
"What the hell do you want from me? A confession?"
"I want the truth!" Alex yelled.
"YOU CAN"T HANDLE THE TRUTH!" Smith yelled back. "If you knew what we were really planning to do with that stuff, you would go mad. Believe me, I find it harder and harder to cope with it every day."
Alex stepped forward and spoke softly. "It's okay. This is your time to shine. Get it off your chest, and be free from that burden."
Ms. Smith took a deep breath, and continued. "All of the individuals who drank Monstato at FIRE festival…. Turned into succubi." Everyone in the court gasped. Even the judge.
"Yes. Everyone. Women, monster girls, even the men. Everyone who drank that stuff turned into succubi. Every single one."
"Does that include the deceased?"
"Yes." More shouting from the gallery. Everyone was shocked to hear this. The judge had to smash his gavel to get them to be quiet.
"But why? Why would the government want monster girls to have sex with people, and then turn people into succubi?"
Ms. Smith looked uneasy. "Why not? It would solve a lot of issues. Racism, sexism, declining birth rates, crime would disappear completely. If everyone was a succubus, there would be no more wars. Everyone would be happy."
"But if everyone was a female, then nobody could reproduce! The entire world population would die out in just one generation."
"Is that really such a bad thing? Humanity has destroyed this planet beyond the point of no return. There are 7 Billion people in the world, and we only have enough resources left to support maybe a few hundred million at best. It was fine for a while, because we needed people to work factories and fight wars, but we have machines to do that for us now. You people are literally obsolete. You are sucking up all the air, eating all the food, and shitting all over the place. Every single one of you is worthless and disposable. However, the government can't just kill everyone. That would be evil. We figured this would be a more humane way to do it."
"By letting everyone get super horny and have sex orgies until we eventually die out?!"
"You said it, not me. I mean that's just insane! You're starting to sound like one of those tin foil hat wearing schizos."
There was a brief pause as Alex took a second to compose herself.
"What happened when the people turned to succubi?"
"My superiors ordered me to have all of the succubi gathered and sent to a private vessel about 50 miles off the gulf coast of Florida. The only problem was that when we checked Mr. Casey's room, they were nowhere to be found. We noticed neither he nor his girls drank any of the Monstato. My superiors ordered me to capture him and take him and his girls prisoner."
"Did you take them to the boat?"
"Yes. I never received any order after that, but I did learn that my superiors were going to kill Mr. Casey and his girls. They escaped, but not after fighting for their lives to get out of there."
"So are you willing to admit, on record, that Mr. Casey and his girls acted in self defense after the victims attacked them with intent to kill?"
Ms. Smith took a breath. "Yes. That is all correct."
"No further questions, your honor."
X
Later
After closing arguments, the jury was dismissed to the deliberation room. Since this was a criminal case, they needed to reach a unanimous decision for a verdict. That means every single juror had to agree before they could finish.
A few hours later, the judge called everyone back into the courtroom, and everyone was eagerly awaiting the jurors verdict.
"We, the members of the jury, find the defendant Priya Casey: Not Guilty on all charges. Eleanor Casey: Not Guilty on all charges. Elizabeth Casey: Not Guilty on all charges."
The three girls stood up and cheered. They all ran to hug Cole, and then hug Alex.
When they left the courthouse, they were surrounded by the media. Alex made sure to tell everyone not to talk to the media at all.
Once they got back to the hotel, Alex paid for Cole and the girls to have their own rooms. It was the least she could do for them.
As the all slept soundly in their beds, Alex woke up early to pack. When she was on her way out of the door, She stood outside and decided to smoke a cigarette before getting back into her rental car.
"When did you start smoking?" A mans voice called out to her. Alex turned around and saw Cole standing there.
"When this job had me working 60 hour work weeks. It's the only way I can cope with the stress."
Cole stepped forward. "I never said thank you."
Alex took a drag. "I never asked you to."
"You know what I mean. Those girls mean the world to me, and if it weren't for you, we would all be in jail."
"That's what friends are for, right?" She chuckled a little. Cole laughed too. "You know, despite the stress of this whole ordeal, it was nice getting to spend time with you again. Felt like old times."
"Yeah…"
The two stood out there in the dark until Alex finished her cigarette. "Well I should probably get going. I already checked out, and I need to return this rental car and catch a flight back to Austin."
"Yeah I should probably head back to my room before the girls wake up and realize i'm gone."
Alex gabbed her suitcase and walked over to Cole. She gave him a small kiss on the cheek.
"Goodbye Cole. I'm… i'm glad you came back."
And with that, she walked into the darkness of the night.
X
A few days later, at the Casey house
Alex had left town, but she made sure to say goodbye to everyone first. Cole did his best to clean up his old house, and with the help of the girls, the place was good as new.
To celebrate, he decided to throw himself a little party. Everyone was hanging out and having a great time.
"Fuckin' oath mate, I still can't believe that fuckin' sheila got us all off scot free. What a crazy couple of days it's been." Ellie sat on the couch thinking back on the whole ordeal.
"Yeah seriously. I feel like I owe that girl my life. She really saved all of our asses." Priya agreed.
"I still can't believe the nerve of that stupid prosecutor. Bringing in my former host family. That was a low blow. Just looking at their fucking faces makes my blood boil."
"Now now Liz, calm down and take a breath. We're here to celebrate, not get all worked up." Priya tried to comfort her.
Cole walked into the room and addressed the room. "Everyone, can I have your attention? I'd like to make a toast." The girls all raised their glasses. "Here's to family. May our bonds never be broken!"
"Here here!"
"Fuck yeah"
"Cheers!"
"And also, i'd like to officially welcome our newest member to our family. Olga!" Cole pointed at the large mermaid in the wheelchair. She just smiled and clapped her hands. The rest of the girls cheered and drank their beer.
"Oh the oven's ready! Hang on, I'll be right back." Cole dashed out of the room. Leaving the four girls all alone.
They were all giving her judgemental stares. Inspecting her as if trying to find out how to kill her in a fight.
"So, you're gonna be staying with us?" Priya asked. Olga nodded.
"What kind of mermaid are you? I've never seen one like you." Liz asked.
"Olga is an Orca mermaid."
Ellie laughed a little. "No fuckin way? Oi cunts get load of fuckin' shamuu over here! You gonna do some fuckin' flips or some shit? Hahahaha!"
Without warning, Olga leaped from her wheelchair and bit down on Priya's neck.
"Listen here you fucking overgrown chicken, I am a goddamn apex predator of the seas. I eat sharks for fucking breakfast. We may be on dry land, but don't think for a fucking second that you can talk to me like that. Do you understand me?" Olga was squeezing hard on her neck.
"Let me go you fuckin' whale! Ahh fuck that hurts! Lizzy, Priya, little help here!" The other two girls rushed over and pulled Olga off her.
"Calm down Olga. She's Australian. That's just how she is. I promise she doesn't mean any offense by it." Priya tried her best to calm her down. Liz nodded her head too.
"Whatever. Just watch your manners when you talk to me. Now as for you two, I need to make one thing clear to the both of you. That man in there? He is MINE. I've seen the way you both look at him, and I want you to know right now that I am not sharing him. If you want him, you'll have to go through me. Understand?"
Priya and Liz just stood there in disbelief as this giant mermaid girl was making all of these threats. Before they could reply, Cole came back into the room with a plate of biscuits.
"Hey girls, snacks are ready! Why are you so quiet?"
Olga smiled and clapped her hands. "Olga was just having some girl talk with these lovely ladies. No worries! Ohhhh those look yummy!"
For the rest of the evening, the gang hung out like old times. However, things were definitely getting interesting around the Casey house. A new rival has moved in, and despite being a (literal) fish out of water, she has proven herself to be a formidable rival. Only time will tell how this will play out.
X
ADX Florence Supermax Prison
Florence, Colorado
A small back sedan drove along the dirt road through open countryside to the massive facility. The numerous gates opened until the car was parked at the front door. A slim man in an expensive suit got out of the car, and was escorted inside by armed guards.
He made his way through the prison until he reached the visiting area. It wasn't really a visiting area. Technically it was an interrogation room, but he insisted that this was fine. When the man was seated. A loud buzzing noise rang out, and a door on the other side of the room opened. A massive spider walked through the doors. She was wearing a bright orange shirt, and had her arms and legs all chained. The woman even had a kevlar muzzle attached to her face.
The two were separated by a large, thick wall with several layers of bulletproof glass between. Them. He picked up the phone to talk to her.
"Greetings, Aparecida. Thank you for meeting with me."
The Arachne picked up the phone on the other end. "Senator Allen Gilmore. What's a nice guy like you doing in a dump like this?"
"I have a certain… problem. I would like your help. There is someone that I need….gone." The man's voice was cold as ice.
"If you want them gone, then buy them a fucking plane ticket."
"Ha, very funny. No, I need them gone and never coming back. Perhaps you can help me."
"Perhaps. Too bad for you, i'm stuck here." The Arachne rolled her eyes.
"Tomorrow I have an 8:00 tee time with the judge who put you in here. I'm sure I can persuade him to…. Adjust your sentence."
The Arachne girl narrowed her eyes at him. "You politicians disgust me, ya know that? You parade yourselves on TV like you're some kind of hero, but eventually you all find your way back to me. Tell you what, get me out of here, and i'll take care of your little problem."
The senator nodded. He put the phone down and was escorted out of the prison. A few days later, the giant Arachne girl was released from jail. When she got out, the same man was waiting for her outside of the prison walls.
"It's good to see you again, Aparecida."
"Shove it up your ass, Gilmore. Now tell me who's the target before I bite you." The senator handed her a folder filed with some papers. She looked at them for a little bit, then stroked her chin. She looked at the senator and cocked a grin. The two of them got into his car, and took off down the dirt road.
TO BE CONTINUED...
AN: Bonjour dear reader! Hope you have been well. This chapter ended up being much longer than I originally wanted it to be. As I was going through, I realized I had way more plot points to address than I first thought in the outline. Plus I ended up rewriting the whole thing in 3rd person since it was way too confusing to keep switching from 1st person, back to 3rd, etc. So now the sinister plans of FIRE have been laid bare. However, there are still a few loose ends. What about Lily? Where does she fit in to all this? What about that secret government facility from way back in chapter 1? What about the Monster Girl Encyclopedia that Cole found in the attic in chapter 3? What about Greta and Ronnie? What Cole's Parents? Those questions will be answered in time.
In case you didn't notice, this chapter was full of Easter eggs. Some of them were obvious, like the Cops and Law & Order ones. Other ones were a little more subtle, like the Legally Blonde and A Few Good Men references. One Easter egg that you may not have caught was Samuel Kent, and June 31st. So here are some fun facts, Samuel Kent was a former federal judge who is famous for being the only judge history to be impeached and removed from office. He is currently incarcerated in federal prison. Also the June 31st is a funny easter egg about a guy who got released from jail because the judge accidentally signed his arrest warrant June 31st, and his attorney argued that since that date didn't exist, his arrest violated his 4th amendment rights. Last but not least was the Cole Casey trial. That was also inspired by a true story about a guy in romania named who had a court rule he was legally dead, despite appearing in court to argue against that. Don't you love bureaucracy?
Next time on Everyday Life with Apex Predators: The Arachne chapter! The next girl joining the Casey house is Aparecida (Sida). She is a Brazilian Wandering Spider monster girl, so you better get ready! Especially you, my Brazilian readers ;) See you next time and GO BE ALIVE