“That’s correct,” the prosecutor said.
“Is the prosecution preferring any charges related to their pushing the constable?”
“Not at this time, Your Honor. The constable feels that stunning them, and a night in jail was sufficient punishment.”
“I see, very commendable of her,” Judge Muñoz said. “And the defense is claiming that since Mr. Maguro allowed Sydney into the bar, they should be held blameless.”
“That’s correct, Your Honor. Without Sydney cheating my clients, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Okay, give me a moment,” Judge Muñoz said. She spent a few minutes conferring with her notes and looking some things up before she turned back to the court.
“Okay, I agree with the defense that Mr. Maguro is culpable due to his allowing Sydney to work his bar. Therefore, I’m absolving the defendants of the three hundred for the tab. I am also absolving them of half the damages. They will pay Mr. Maguro four hundred dollars.”
“Your Honor, my clients do not have any money,” the defense attorney said.
“They have no money and no assets?”
“They were on a fishing boat and were let go,” the defense attorney said. “They’ve spent everything they had.”
“Then I suggest that they find a job. Take them to one of the starter barracks and get them signed up.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” the defense attorney said. He didn’t look too excited to have to continue dealing with his clients. Now he had to take them to the clinic to get a physical, then to the barracks. At least there, he could just hand them off.
◆ ◆ ◆
“I am not happy to see your clients back here,” Judge Muñoz said as she looked at the four tourists and their defense attorney. It was three days later and she couldn’t imagine what the problem could be now.
“I’m sorry, Your Honor, they refuse to work.”
“Ms. Ungerer, can you explain?”
“I’ve never had nobody like them at the barracks. They eat like pigs, act like pigs, and refuse to go to the jobs we got for them.”
“And why are your clients refusing to work?”
“They say they’re not slaves,” the defense attorney said.
“I see. Have you explained that if they refuse to work or pay off their debt, I will be forced to throw them in jail?”
“I have, Your Honor.”
“Alright, I impose a one-hundred dollar fine for the two days they spent in the barracks without working, to be added to their current debt. I also sentence them to ten days in jail. Constable, please take them to the jail. Tell Constable Maryanski that she is to use the Seneca protocol.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“I told you she’d throw us in jail,” tourist A said.
“Who cares, that jail is nicer than that barracks they put us in. We need a vacation,” tourist B replied.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Hey, are you going to feed us?!” yelled tourist A.
“Ms. Ungerer said she already fed you this morning,” the jailer replied.
“That was this morning!”
“Well, this is a jail, and you’re on the Seneca protocol. We only feed you once a day.”
“This isn’t looking so good,” tourist C said.
“We’ll get used to it,” tourist A said.
◆ ◆ ◆
The next morning after their shower, the four tourists were led back to separate cells.
“Hey, how come we’re being separated?!” tourist A demanded.
“That’s part of the Seneca protocol. If you don’t like it, you can go back to the barracks and take a job,” the jailer replied.
“Whatever, I was tired of those guys anyway,” tourist A said. “Hey, where’s my bed?”
“It’s daytime,” the jailer replied. “You don’t need a bed.”
“What am I supposed to do all day?”
“There’s a chair when you want to sit, just flip it down from the wall,” the jailer said, pointing to a fold-up chair.
“This cell is too small!”
“It’s one meter by three meters. What more do you need?”
“Where a blanket?!”
“You don’t need a blanket.”
“But it’s cold in here!”
“It is exactly twenty degrees Celsius, sixty-eight Fahrenheit. If you’re cold, walk around a bit, that’ll warm you up.”
Tourist A ran in place for a bit to warm up, then sat in the chair. It wasn’t very comfortable, just barely big enough to sit in. If he tried to slouch, he would slide off the chair. “Ha, they think they can break me! I’ve suffered worse.”
◆ ◆ ◆
“Lunch is served,” the jailer announced. A tray flipped down from the wall, and the jailer slid a plate with a large round biscuit on it through the slot.
“What is this?!” tourist A demanded.
“Your meal.”
“This is not acceptable. You cannot put me on bread and water, that’s inhumane.”
“That is three thousand calories and the prescribed amount of fiber that the doctor says you need. It has all the minerals, protein, and vitamins your body needs.”
Tourist A broke off a piece and ate it. “This taste like sawdust.”
“If you want fine dining, I suggest you get a job.”
After tourist A finished eating, a bot slid into his cell and swept the floor. It even wiped down the walls before it left.
At nine o’clock, a bed slid out from the wall with a pillow and blanket.
“Well, at least this is comfortable,” tourist A thought as he crawled in and went to sleep.
◆ ◆ ◆
At six a.m., the lights came on, and an alarm went off. Tourist A woke up, trying to remember where he was. “Damn, jail. Well, I’m not getting out of this bed,” he said.
Ten minutes later, the bed started to slide back into the wall. He grabbed the blanket, trying to keep it, but it was attached to the bed, and nothing he could do would detach it. It took a full minute before the bed, the pillow, and the blanket disappeared.
“Son of a bitch, this is inhumane!”
“Get a job!” shouted the jailer.
◆ ◆ ◆
“Lunch is served.”
“The same thing!”
“If you want fine dining . . .”
“I know, get a job. Is there any entertainment available here?”
“You can read a book. Over there is a panel; a shelf will slide out for you to
