On the platform of a discipline dome a non-public military court case begun. Once the judge, Jury, lawyers, clerks and witnesses had seated, the door to the court dock opened. A pair of custodial officers escorted the still double chevron No.105781259 soldier, known as Leo (Leopold) to friends and family, hand-cuffed into the dock. The grey tungsten caged dock provided enough room for the prisoner and the escorts to sit (and stand when summoned). The court clerk announced that the prisoner was in attendance and that the charge against him read 'Conspiring against the World Administration'.
When asked how he the prisoner intended to plea, the lawyer who represented Leo as duty lawyer answered “My client pleads 'Not Guilty', Sir of Justice.”
The court clerk called each witness to the dock. Each of the five gave a version of what happened during the secret meetings held by Leo. Questions in the style 'if it wasn't this was it that' continued, to draw the Jury's attention towards negative possibilities.
Leo's lawyer portrayed the whole matter from different angles. From forming a work union through to a psychological condition. A condition which signalled that although the welfare of colleagues concerned him, the pressures of his own work led him looking for ways to cope.
Leo was not as well defended as he may have been if he had hired a private lawyer. Prior to his arrest he had confided in his sister True. That he was a target due to his demands for a union and because of the candidate campaign work he prepared. Escorts took Leo from the dock back to the cells while the Jury discussed and confirmed the verdict.
After twenty minutes he was back out in the dock. Everyone stood up as the Jury announced that the verdict was 'Guilty'. Although murmurs came from the public viewers in attendance after hearing the verdict, none dared question the decision made. It was obvious to many in attendance that the judge had prepared his script as he proceeded with the prompt issue of the sentence.
The judge now looked at the ginger haired prisoner, and said “Prisoner One Zero Five Seven Eight One Two Five Nine, you are found guilty of conspiring against the World Administration. I sentence you to banishment from the World Administration network. You are to be stripped of rank and citizenship. The wrist chip data is to be invalidated. Escorts, remove Prisoner One Zero Five Seven Eight One Two Five Nine from the court.”
Having dedicated his years to earn promotions as a soldier, Leo never considered how life was outside the dome network. He had even been a member of teams who's job it was to protect the network domes against intruders from the old breed settlement. Now he was to be at the old breed's mercy. He hoped for a chance of being accepted at the settlement – otherwise he seen his days of survival to be few.
Below in the cell network, the escorts took Leo to a scan room. A machine situated on a small round metal table caught his attention. Sat on the chair provided, he received the order to place his wrist with the palm of his hand over the scanner. A custodial officer, in grey uniform, typed in an instruction on the device keyboard. The scan took place and after ten minutes was complete and had wiped the data stored within the chip. A small injection jab numbed the skin, and a cut was made for the chip to be extracted. Then the realisation of what happened hit him, the conspiracy and what he lost. Leo broke as the tears overwhelmed his otherwise strong posture.
Officers took him back to the cell while his discharge and exit from the network was prepared. One guard unlocked the cell door and Leo received a sand-coloured pair of canvas trousers, shirt, pullover, jacket and cap of the same colour and material. One pair of green socks, black leather boots and belt got issued just before departure. A custodial officer remained in the cell so that Leo's W.A.F uniform and military identification metal chain and rectangular discs could be confiscated. Once dressed, Leo was to board one of the W.A.F armed discipline vehicles. On board, although the equipment was available to place passengers in chains secured to the floor and walls, Leo could sit unrestricted. The reason was due to a short one-way route.
The vehicle glided out from the dock, locked onto the dome exit portal convoy and was placed in line for launch. After the vehicle's release from the convoy, the custodial driver continued flight course for full ahead until what looked to be a lighted open space appeared. The vehicle descended and hovered one metre from the ground. The open space measured fifty metres in diameter, surrounded by wooden market stands. Today though a large old breed crowd was in attendance to watch the W.A.F discipline vehicle arrive at the settlement marketplace.
One of the custodial officers on board prompted Leo to stand and walk to the vehicle exist hatch. As Leo stood and edged towards the exit, the custodial officer removed the hand-cuffs and gave him a shove from the rear; which pushed Leo over the vehicle exit hatch threshold. Instinct ensured that his arms stretched out in front of his body, to prepare for a frontal landing on the ground. But Leo brought his legs and feet forward to descend upon the dusty floor of the marketplace. Once the dust had cleared, as he had expected the old breed encircled him, bearing tools and weapons.