The Archway, Part 15 (Patreon)

A few hours later, Suki interrupted my work as well, for which I was very grateful. She displayed none of her new colleague's reluctance to intrude. My only warning of her arrival was the door opening. She was carrying a thick stack of files under one arm.

“I wish to go over the results of my analysis. Do you have a moment?” she asked, already seated in front of me.

“No, it's fine! Come on in, take a seat.” I said to the woman who already had. A brief frown was her only response to my sarcasm.

“I can see that you are busy, so I will be succinct. I have successfully ruled out the possibility of psychological infection via conversion of Knaves.”

My eyebrows shot up. “Good news! You're sure?”

“Indeed.” she dropped a file on my desk with a triumphant slap and opened it to the front page. “As you can see, all the Knaves we have examined here have a characteristic pattern of disruption in their alpha and theta brainwaves. Efforts to artificially correct this abnormality have, of course, been a very active but sadly unproductive field of study. Until now, that is. Since her conversion, Judith has been completely clear of this pattern, and as you can see on the analysis on page four, your own neurological activity does not show the pattern either. It would seem that you are the 'miracle cure' that my colleagues and I have been searching for, although given the side effects, I don't know if they would see it that way.”

I stared at the complex charts, equations, and tables of figures, trying to make some sense of them. “Wait...you scanned my brain waves? When?”

“Two nights ago.” she said simply. “The best analysis can be done while the patient is sleeping.”

I sighed. “And you didn't think to ask me?”

“I didn't think it necessary, given that you had already asked me to analyze the situation. Asking your permission would only have made it harder for you to sleep, wasting valuable time.”

I rubbed between my eyes. “So I'm not turning evil. That's a relief! Thank you.”

Another file slapped against my desk. “ I have also finished studying the weapon you created by converting the device that was once my amplifier beam. As you can see, the device does indeed fire a concentrated form of your quantum effect. In addition to suspending all conscious thought and voluntary muscle control, the device also places the target in a state of metabolic suspension, ideal for capturing prisoners. The beam also renders the target sufficiently infused to permit conversion within six hours, possibly less, even if you never come near them.”

I whistled. “That's a...sweet-ass gun. Is there any way to make more of them?”

“Potentially. The main limiting factors are materials and labor. I have enough parts to make several more such weapons, but it is finicky work, quite difficult to automate. I confess that my current workload has been quite challenging for me. Some assistance would be helpful, but only if it were the assistance of another Bright.”

“I knew it. Are you wanting Cross to help? I have her working on...” I called up the file on the computer interface. “...a containment suit for George Osman's radiation, and a pair of sunglasses to keep Patty Melrose from giving everyone she glances at skin cancer. Yikes. Oh, she says those will both be done by the end of the day. And...it looks like we'll have all the Oddballs out within a week. If it's safe to start converting Knaves, it looks like we'll be 100% prisoner-free soon. I can assign Cross to you after that if you think she could help.”

She shrugged. “Normally I would say yes, but considering that you have demonstrated the ability to transfer powers between different individuals, I confess that I would prefer to work with you, if you chose to endow yourself with the necessary cognitive abilities. It is entirely up to you, of course.”

What to do about Cross had become a popular topic of conversation in Special Containment. I had overheard several conversations on the topic over the last few days, both from the converted and the unconverted.

“Since the topic has arisen naturally, allow me to show you the analysis I have performed on that particular subject.”

I had to fight the urge to groan as yet another folder joined the growing pile.

“Earlier, you requested advice as to how Duchess Cross may be properly punished for her misdeeds. I have, of course, devoted my considerable analytical powers to solving this question.”

I opened the file and glanced through it, feigning comprehension. “Okay...first of all, I said I would think about it, not that I needed your advice. Secondly, it's the not the sort of thing you can just 'solve'.”

Suki blinked, seeming offended. “That may be true for an ordinary person, Miss Hubble, but not for a Bright. Would you at least do me the courtesy of looking at my analysis before judging it?”

I threw my hands up in surrender. “Sorry, my mistake. Sometimes, I forget you have emotions. You hide them so well.”

“Thank you. As you can see, I carefully listed out all known actions, decisions, and events which can be directly attributed to Duchess Cross, by collecting it algorithmically off the Utopian computer network. I then weighed each event in terms of its severity. You can see the relevant surveys of the local community here. By using the so-called “wisdom of crowds” (actually merely a classic demonstration of the law of large numbers), we can develop a statistically significant relationship between the severity of the crime as perceived by the local community and how it would likely be perceived by any given set of additional parties.”

“Didn't you just say that your workload was getting to you?” I asked.

“This was just something I prepared in my spare time.” she answered without a pause. “I find it is easier to focus when the subject is of personal interest. Next, we begin seeking suggestions for a wide range of available punishments. These are then weighed for severity, utilizing the local community in a similar manner. I have weighed the value of each individual based on the severity of the crimes they personally experienced, number of years incarcerated, severity and length of injury, with a few obvious modifiers.”

I eyed her. I looked through her notes. They were quite lengthy and elaborate, and she had clearly put some very advanced reasoning into developing a purely scientific and fact-based model of the concept of justice. Still, I was eventually drawn to the conclusion that had been inevitable from the start.

“All you've really done here is stand around chatting with people about who Duchess Cross screwed over the most, and then coming up with twisted shit to do to her as punishment.”

She shrugged slightly. “That is a needlessly succinct and not wholly accurate summation. I have also created a set of algorithms that can be used to solve for the guilt of any person, and devise a suitable penalty for them based on the best available data and reasoning.”

There was a long pause.

“Note that I did not say that it was wholly inaccurate.” she confessed, not looking the least bit guilty.

I took a deep breath, trying to organize my thoughts.“Look, I'm sorry, Suki, but this is not how justice works. An answer isn't right just because you get it from a complex formula.”

“If you say so, Miss Hubble.” said Suki, with infuriating indifference.

“I will punish Cross. That is non-negotiable. But I'm not going to to do it on a whim, and I won't just hand her sentence down like some tyrant. I want to give everyone a chance to speak and air their grievances, then select a penalty that is reasonable as a group. A lot of people have suffered a lot more than I have, and their feelings need to be taken into account. ”

“What a gross inefficiency.”

“And I'm sure you haven't forgotten your own role in Cross' organization? How many of the people we're releasing right now have gone through that torture chamber you call a lab?.” I pointed out.

Suki sighed. “Miss Hubble, I am yours to do with as you choose. If you feel that being turned into into a diaper-wearing mockery of my previous self and kissing Sammie's butt are not sufficient punishments, than I will accept your judgment, as always.”

“How do you actually feel about being put in diapers? Do you think of it as a punishment?” I asked, leaning forward and putting on my most evil grin.

Suki was not impressed. “Since you ask, I have found my new lack of toilet training to be both convenient and pleasurable. If anything, I might consider being returned to my previous underwear to a form of censure. I suspect that this is a standard and possibly unavoidable effect of your powers, since I have encountered no one thus far who has expressed any displeasure at their conversion.”

“So what you're saying is that your crimes have still gone largely unpunished? Maybe we ought to apply this fun little formula of yours to your situation, and see what punishment it recommends?”

Suki froze for a moment. She glanced between me and the file. With a jerking motion, she snatched the folder and tucked it under her arm. “I concede that my calculations may have been in error.”

“Shocking.” I answered.

“Please consider my recommendations withdrawn.”

“Already done. As for your request for a lab partner, I'll be sure to provide you with one as soon as Cross is done with her current project. Dismissed.”

Suki looked like she something else to say, but at the word “dismissed”, she turned around and left wordlessly. I felt bad throwing her out like that, but why should I be polite if she won't?

After Suki had left, I found it all but impossible to re-focus my attention on reading through the files. I was too preoccupied with what I had learned today.  Cassandra had been right about a society forming around me. She had also been right about the risk of punishing Cross. If this prison was going to become the seed of a whole new society, I needed to be careful not to allow that society to be corrupted. Justice was important, but it had to be carried out carefully. It couldn't be capricious or sadistic. It needed to be systematic and measured, with at least some element of mercy thrown in. And it needed to apply to everyone, and involve everyone, equally. Slowly but surely, a plan began to form in my mind.

I discussed my plan with my friends over dinner. Some were enthusiastically in favor, others less so. Sammy was particularly excited, but Suki was naturally uncertain about her own fate. Princess boom-Boom showed no sign of understanding what I was talking about, but I suspected that she did anyway, at least on some level. We began making the necessary preparations.

Days passed in busy anticipation. Now that nearly all the prisoners had been released and were living and moving freely within the facility, the time to set things right would soon arrive. The few that remained were Knaves that would need to be pacified and converted in the fullness of time. Once again, I began writing at my new desk, with much crossing out and re-writing. Finally, I was ready to make my announcement. I took a deep breath, and turned on the intercom:

“People of Special Containment: Your attention please! As you know, many of those who once controlled this facility are still here with us. I myself only arrived very recently, but even I am aware of how cruel and unethical the conditions here have been. Many of you have suffered greatly due to the neglect and outright abuse of the staff here. In the process of seizing control of this facility, I have gained control of many of these people through my special abilities. Some of them have already faced steep consequences for their involvement in these crimes, but I don't feel right handing out judgments without considering your views. As such, I have decided that it is time to hold a proper, public trial. You have until tomorrow evening to consider your positions and your arguments. Everyone will be given a chance to speak if they choose to. I will retain the final say on all punishments to be handed out, but I promise to consider your views before making the final decision. Thank you.”

After I made the announcement, I didn't have a moment's peace. Any time I left the office, I was surrounded by people who wanted to try and influence my decisions, usually by suggesting harsher punishments for Cross. Some were more inclined to be merciful than others, but most of the suggestions mirrored things I had seen in Suki's papers. This kind of talk really bothered me, and I found myself spending more and more time either in my new office or in Low Security with my diapered entourage, avoiding the unconverted citizens of my new society.

The Day of Judgment finally arrived. I assembled the crowd in the storage area below the facility, where there was enough room to hold court. I transformed some of the empty crates into play-pens, so that my converts could get a front-row seat to the action. Cassandra assisted me with arranging other crates into bleachers for the non-converted. With the strength we now had, moving a box that would normally require a fork-lift was about as difficult as putting on a hat. I also conjured a judge's stand and witness box at the far end of the make-shift courtroom. They appeared to be assembled from colorful toy building blocks, and my lime-green  gavel made loud squeaking noises when I called the assembly to general silence.

One by one, every guard and worker who had assisted Duchess Cross in keeping us all prisoner here was brought forward to be judged by the people of Special Containment. My own followers were not made an exception. Suki, Nurse Wipes, Cassandra, and even Princess Boom-Boom were put on trial along with the others. Witnesses were called, both to accuse and to defend the accused. Many former prisoners spoke movingly of the cruelties or the kindnesses that their jailers had shown them. Some begged for mercy, others just silently accepted their fates.

The teddy bears were put on trial, along with the other Knights. I restored their ability to speak for the occasion. Once their names were known, many came forward to accuse or defend them. Some had been relatively lenient, others tough but fair, but some had been truly cruel. I was shocked to learn that Cynthia and Sammy had been having a pillow fight with a man who had once broken a prisoner's arm for making too much noise.

Luckily, the crowd did not engage in gratuitous sadism or vengeance as I had feared they might. Maybe it was due to the fact that most of their former tormentors now looked cuddly and adorable. The harsh torments that I had heard bandied about the hallways seemed to evaporate in the light of day. It was one thing to imagine someone being punished for their misdeeds, by when actually given the choice, most chose to forgive. Little by little, a consensus was reached: Loss of power, independence and status were suitable punishments, even if they didn't actually cause any real distress to the perpetrator. As long as it was clear that the guilty had lost the respect and authority that had allowed their crimes in the first place, there was no need for anyone to be actually miserable. Besides, seeing their jailers reduced to obedient servants or plush toys was very satisfying.

Of the six teddy bears I had originally captured, none actually requested to be returned to human form. As Suki had suggested, it seemed that my powers simply didn't allow me to change someone into a form they disliked. Of the converted, everyone seemed relieved to be able to leave their former lives behind and embrace an existence of comfort and play.

Princess Boom-Boom was also called to testify, and gushed about how stupid and useless she was now, and how grateful she was to be done with her old life. Most of the crowd were too embarrassed on her behalf to be really angry at her. She hadn't been the best guard or the worst one, but after hearing her speak, hardly anyone felt she deserved any further loss of dignity.

Finally, it was time for the main event. My gavel let out a mighty honk. “Duchess Cross! Come forward to face this community.”

She obediently did so, standing with an air of imperious dignity despite being compelled to obey my orders. When I requested witnesses to speak against her, a forest of hands shot up. I called on them one by one, and for hours I sat listening to a truly heinous series of accusations.

“I haven't had the chance to talk to my family in over six years. I don't even know if they are still alive. Maybe they think I'm dead.”

“I saw the sun yesterday, for the first time in I don't even know how long. Cross confined me to an air-tight tank after my last escape attempt. It wasn't even big enough to move around inside. I could barely even scratch an itch. All my oxygen and nutrients were fed in through an electrified tube. I didn't ask to be able to shape-shift!”

“I've been kept in a low-oxygen cell, to keep me from burning my way out. Most days, even pacing back and forth exhausted me. And if I accidentally used my powers, I would nearly suffocate.”

“The second you show the slightest desire for independence, they toss you back in a cell! All I did was complain about the food! I mean, I'm only here because I can communicate mentally with jellyfish! Why should I have to eat gruel like I'm a criminal?”

“I can read at superhuman speed, but all my requests for books were denied. I can't even access the computer network. I thought I was going to die without ever reading another book.”

Even more chilling than the stories of her cruelty and indifference were the cold pronouncements she made in her own defense.

“Allowing inmates access to their families creates an unconscionable burden for all involved. It is often emotionally distressing for both family and inmate, not to mention the administrative burden of monitoring the communication. Their families are enjoying their time in Utopia. They shouldn't be bothered by those who cannot share in it.”

“If she didn't want to be confined, she shouldn't have tried to escape so many times. It is my duty to keep her here, and if the only container available that can hold her is eight cubic feet in volume, that is where she goes.”

“His powers are extremely hazardous. He would often start fires in his sleep. Limiting his oxygen supply was the only reasonable way to stop him from immolating himself, or someone else.”

“It is difficult enough to maintain morale and proper discipline without allowing whiners and cranks to demand that I satisfy their every whim. I have found that isolation makes the inmates much more amenable. It is important for them to understand that the ability to move freely within the facility is a privilege, not a right.”

“She began showing worrying spikes in her neural activity after reading several textbooks under laboratory conditions. Providing her with additional reading material may have resulted in a dangerous interaction. It pays to be cautious when dealing with powers that cannot be adequately analyzed.”

It was more than a little distressing, particularly since it would be my job to carry out whatever sentence was decided upon, and almost any sentence for such a litany of offenses would be either too lenient or too horrible to contemplate. Finally, the accusations ground to a halt. No one spoke in Cross' defense. Even the staff who had worked under her seemed unwilling to come to her aid.

Finally, I was ready to drop the bombshell I had been sitting on for days.