Dillon caught Viviane and the twins before they could escape and forced them at gunpoint into Judge Carswell’s courtroom. The girls were made to sit at the defense table while the Judge assumed his place on the bench. Dillon, the bailiff, stood below the bench but always near the Judge. Viviane, who wore only her undergarments when caught, was allowed to dress back into her long-sleeved blouse which covered her hips and rear, but not long enough to cover her legs and thighs which remained bare. It looked like there was going to be a trial. Judge Carswell called the court into session.

“Court is now in session. Currently before us now is the matter of attempted escape of prisoners from confinement. Since the prisoners have been found obviously guilty of attempted escape, we can move immediately to the sentencing phase and determine a proper punishment for the escapees.”

Viviane stood up to complain. “Wait! How is this a fair trial where we skip over all the testimony and don’t have an opportunity to call witnesses or to show evidence?”

“Young lady, this is not a trial.” Case’s tone was firm. “Your guilt is obvious. This is only for me to determine the proper punishment for your uncivil actions against the Order.”

“What about the fact that we’re victims of kidnapping! We came here to this place unwillingly. We committed no ill against your secret organization. In fact, a crime was committed against us! How can you say this is justice? Why, this is the very definition of injustice!”

Viviane had somehow pushed the Judge’s buttons. “Don’t you speak to me about injustice! For I have suffered an injustice so horrible that I now seek revenge to right a long forgotten wrong. You don’t know a thing about what happened to be able to judge me!”

Thirty-five Years Ago

In the Nation of the Etatsunien

Inside a generic looking courtroom, a young-looking Case Carswell accompanied another, more senior Judge of the courthouse. Case was thirty years old, but both he and the senior Judge wore black judicial robes. The courtroom itself was empty and, except for the liberal use of the organic building material called “wood”, it looked to be either a large treehouse or a very ordinary courtroom. The senior Judge welcomed Case.

“Here’s your very own courtroom, Case. We’re glad to have you as a new justice on the bench with your talent. It was a nerve-wracking confirmation vote wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was,” replied Case. “But since I was confirmed by a majority of the voters, the public must know that I intend to carry out the spirit and letter of the law in my courtroom.”

The nation of the Etatsunien where Case was born was a big proponent of something called “democracy” and while a judicial committee nominated new Judges, they were confirmed by a popular vote of the people. Case had to campaign hard to win enough votes to secure his confirmation as a Superior Court Judge. He was proud of his accomplishment when a majority of voters voted for him.

Twenty Years Ago

Case served on the bench for fifteen years. He heard all kinds of criminal and civil cases in his courtroom, but he always had an eye for fairness, justice and equal treatment before the law. His peers, the other judges of the courthouse, recognized his outstanding performance. They gave him an award for executing the duties of a judge with high distinction. However, the way things worked in the Etatsunien, Case was up for re-confirmation every few years. He was out campaigning for re-election to the bench when the news was leaked. Twenty years ago, the headlines were damaging.

Incumbent of the court Judge Case Carswell rumored as gay.

Judge Case Carswell outed as homosexual.

Can we trust a gay judge on the bench?

A reporter on TV interviewed an ordinary citizen. “Can we get your opinion, ma’am, of the controversy surrounding incumbent judge Case Carswell?”

“Sure, I suppose,” said the ambushed citizen. She was caught off-guard.

“Now that we know Judge Carswell is a homosexual, do you feel you can vote for him in his re-election bid to be judge?” asked the reporter.

“I don’t know,” started off the ordinary citizen. “This would explain why he’s never been married before. I don’t know if I could trust a judge who didn’t know what it’s like to be normal. You know, with a wife and children of his own. How can he understand the majority of us if he’s queer?”

“Thank you, ma’am, for your opinions.” The reporter obtained the sound-bite she needed.

Because of the sensationalism stoked by the media, Case lost his re-confirmation bid to be judge for another term. He was removed from his courtroom, not because of his performance nor for his judicial record, but because he was gay and the majority of the public felt that a gay judge could not be fair. Could not be impartial. Could not understand or be trusted as much as a straight man or woman could. To Case, this was the TRUE meaning of injustice.

After Case lost his re-election due to the media circus surrounding him, he was unable to find a job even as a lowly law clerk anywhere in the Etatsunien. No one wanted to have anything to do with the controversial Case Carswell and the media spotlight he brought wherever he went and so he fell into a deep and dark depression. That was when Case decided to flee the Etatsunien and to give up his citizenship! He fled to the rouge island nation of Formose where he started the Order of One Justice and where he made a deal with the military leaders of the island to give him cover. In return, Case promised to share with them whatever intelligence he could gather from his spy network operating inside the United Earth Nation (UEN), Formose’s sworn enemy. Since then, Case worked to exact his revenge on the Etatsunien. Case considered their use of the democratic process which allowed non-partisan judges to be confirmed by a majority as one of the most ridiculous uses of the ballot box. Asking the ignorant masses to elect a judge was folly! The public knew nothing about the job of Judge and of what it took to be effective and impartial.

Present Day

Case Carswell finished telling Viviane the story of his past and the injustice he suffered for being gay. He plotted his revenge all this time against the Etatsunien who he blamed for his injury. Viviane and the twins who were behind the defense table heard Case’s fantastic, autobiographical summary of his life with their mouths open in astonishment.

Case addressed the defendants. “So as I said, young lady, do not lecture me on what constitutes injustice.”

Viviane snapped out of her hypnotic state. “So you want your revenge? Fine! What does it have to do with us?”

“Oh! But it has everything to do with you. You see, the three of you hold the keys to my plan for revenge,” explained Case.

Viviane was incredulous. “How???”

“Because of the clues provided by the twin girls, if my scientists can learn how to teleport humans without killing them in the process, the Formose military leaders will help me topple the UEN government by teleporting invading forces through the Transportals directly into the UEN’s Capital City where they have four Transportals. I can then become Supreme Leader of the most powerful nation on the planet!”

That answered why Case wanted the twins. “What about me?” asked Viviane.

“You have a different purpose.” Case’s tone slowed and sounded more menacing. He coughed a little thinking about his emphysema. “You will help me travel back in time! Back to a time when I was young, energetic and healthy. Before the environmental pollution of the Etatsunien caused the ailments leading me to a slow death. With you as the only sample, Viviane, or should I say, Elise, you will unlock the secret of the Fountain of Youth Effect to allow me to live FOREVER!”

Viviane’s eyes widened and she gasped to comprehend Case’s diabolic plan to take over the entire world and become immortal!

Anaelle and Marielle listened to everything and were confused about what Judge Carswell said about them in his twisted plan.

In unison, they turned to Viviane. “Viviane! What does he mean about using us to teleport humans without killing them?!”

“Not now, girls!” Viviane tried to get them to stay quiet. “I’ll have to tell you later.”

But the twins had more questions. “And why did he call you ‘Elise’, the name of our dead mother?”

“No! Later!” Viviane insisted.

The twins choked back tears but did not push their curiosity any further with Viviane.

“Back to the business at hand.” Judge Carswell continued. “Since you are already lifetime prisoners of the Order of One Justice, there’s no point extending your sentence; therefore, it is the ruling of this court that you will be remanded to your guest room confinement and served gruel for your meals for three weeks as punishment for attempted escape. Deputies, please remove these three prisoners back to their room.”

“What?! That’s inhumane!” Viviane was outraged.

Before Viviane could protest much more, the Deputies of the courthouse grabbed Viviane and the twins by their arms and dragged them off to their room where they would remain under lock and key. It was not known if Viviane’s remark about being inhumane referred to the life sentence they were serving or to the three weeks of gruel they would have to eat as punishment for trying to escape.