Synthetic Survivor: Machine Age - Chapter 144

“Milord, I-” One raised his hand.

“You have failed to bring upon the evidence I specifically requested, did you think that I would judge these accused purely by hearsay? Sir Trent, I am not so much as a fool that you make me as,” One said.

“No, milord, I did not mea-” One snapped his fingers.

“Silence, let us now question the good man beside you, what is your name?” One looked at the other representative.

“I am Marcus, Milord. Marcus Foester,” Marcus said.

“From the Foester family, where is your evidence?” One asked. Marcus began to sweat profusely.

“You have none, as expected from Sir Trent’s accomplice,” One said.

The entire room erupted into an uproar.

One did not raise his hand, instead, he let the other representatives in the room unleash their doubts against the two men who accused the Borne and Fidel families wrongly.

“I propose an inquiry!” Some asked.

But One, despite having a fair trial, did not have time for inquiries since that would give the two unwanted advantage by paying fake witnesses to stand up.

He did not want more people to be tried for corruption.

One then raised his hand again but it took a minute before everyone calmed down.

One walked towards Trent and Marcus, looked at them directly in the eye.

“Arrest these men,” One said. William then ran in with a few knights, tied their hands behind their backs and took them away from the throne room.

The others then cheered as justice was put to light.

“John Borne and Joseph Fidel are hereby declared not guilty of the accusations placed upon them by the foul mouthed, scheming, and conniving men. And as such, they are to be released and compensated for the embarrassment they had procured,” One announced.

Several knights then came and cut off their bounds. The men then stood, ran towards One and knelt down.

“We thank you, Lord Ben!” They both said in unison.

“Do the people good and I shall reward you appropriately, now go,” One said.

The two men picked themselves up, bowed their heads one more time and walked out of the throne room filled with happiness and an increased loyalty to One.

And then the trial proceeded.

The other five accused tried their luck but ultimately failed. Those who accused them had several documents that they presented to One. All of which were genuine documents with their stamps, none were even forged.

Some of the accused tried to say that the documents were forged but since One had the ability to determine if the documents were indeed forged, One dismissed their appeals.

After approximately two hours of roasting the accused, they were declared guilty of crimes of corruption, embezzlement, treason, and inciting rebellion.

The verdict was death by hanging.

A sense of a newfound state of security and justice spread amongst the population that night, with the man in black having returned to the city, all now had high hopes that their new lives would continue to prosper.

In the castle, One went to his room.

It was a cold night, the storm had just passed and the wind blew in from the open balcony.

[Dear, can you stand over the balcony for a while?] Hailey asked.

“Sure, why not,” One stood from the bed and walked towards the balcony with the wind still blowing.

Hailey then appeared as a projection clinging to One’s left side.

One felt her embrace around his left arm. As if she had a physical body and was actually there at One’s side.

“I feel you,” One said.

“It’s my gift,” Hailey said as she leaned over One’s shoulder.

“Your emotions.. they still haven’t recovered.. but, I know you’re still the Johann I fell in love with years ago,” Hailey said.

“I’m sorry I don’t remember the past, and I’m sorry that, if you let me remember, I might go insane,” One said.

“Dear, it’s okay. I’m happy with what you are right now, although.. you’ve done some.. horrible things but I can understand that you were merely trying to accomplish what I vaguely told you..  and for not being with you sooner, I’m sorry,” Hailey said.

One then placed his left arm on Hailey’s shoulders as if she was there. One felt as so.

In reality, Hailey was manipulating One’s senses to give the illusion that she was there.

It was the only thing she could do for him, for now.

As the two of them embraced under the moons that were finally peeking through the gaps in between the clouds in the sky, they turned to each other.

“Tell me, what was I like back then? When, Earth was.. alive,” One asked.

Hailey giggled and hugged him tightly before answering.

“You were one big idiot,” Hailey said.

And she was serious.

This made One regret ever asking what he was like back then.

“But you were a good idiot, an idiot so good that you angered every government in a span of six seconds,” Hailey teased.

One then kissed her forehead, making Hailey blush.

“Dummy, sneak attacks aren’t allowed,” Hailey said.

“Aw c’mon,” One said.

Hailey was happy with what they were now. Although she was not there physically, at least she resided in her husband’s mind.

“You act more like a human than before,” Hailey said.

“I know and I embrace it, but that doesn’t change my goals, but it only changes my ways of achieving my goals, albeit, a little,” One said.

“Then, take me with you until the end,” Hailey said as she placed her hands over One’s cheeks.

One smiled.

“How long are you gonna stay in that form?” One asked.

“Johann, dear, I will stay like this until I say so,” Hailey said.

“Which means?” One asked.

“I’ll stay like this, I’ll stay for you,”

The two of them then kissed under the two moons.

A new chapter in One’s journey, begins.