Case Numbers (short story)

By James Ong, 2023

The law is just, fair, and unyielding. It is immutable fact with infinite permutations. The law is not interpreted or judged. It is codified and executed.

The law is not slanted toward the powerful or powerless. Status and passion have no place in the courtroom. Precedents and prejudice are mistakes of the past.

No conduct or variable escapes consideration. There are facts, rules, and consequences. These are the truths. We merely uphold justice.

…

Confirmed, all are present. Case 54,256,1123,445,221 will commence.

Sentencing has already been determined. These proceedings are a formality. Scaling down for human interpretation. Recording in progress.

Present are Representative A2210, a jury selected by RAN(*) N_ID from International Server JP 122.123.445–221.334.589, presided over by JB22312. Jurisdiction Kanto Region.

Local network established. Services discontinued. Firewall now closed.

…

The following case will be documented in Pub. LaI, 22–0990, title XXXVII §3312, Incident 229112, March 22, 2044 (Reiwa 25).

Hearing begins at 02:28. Adjudicating.

Defendant, name Nagai Hiro, is in violation of Civil Code №299 of 10293, Provision 654, Section 2210c of Title 34020 and Section 9934c of Title 99809-a, Subsection 990-a-211, Paragraph 6:

“00011100 01000011 01101001 01110100 01101001 01111010 01100101 01101110 01110011 00100000 01110011 01101000 01100001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01101110 01101111 01110100 00100000 01110000 01101100 01100001 01100011 01100101 00100000 01101110 01101111 01101110 00101101 01100010 01110101 01110010 01101110 01100001 01100010 01101100 01100101 00100000 01100001 01110010 01110100 01101001 01100011 01101100 01100101 01110011 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01101111 01110011 01100101 01100100 00100000 01101111 01100110 00100000 01100011 01100001 01110010 01100100 01100010 01101111 01100001 01110010 01100100 00100000 01100011 01101111 01101101 01110000 01101111 01110011 01101001 01110100 01100101 00100000 01100110 01101001 01100010 01100101 01110010 00100000 00101000 00011100 01101101 01100001 01101011 01100101 00100000 01110010 01100101 01100011 01111001 01100011 01101100 01101001 01101110 01100111 00100000 01100110 01101111 01110010 01101101 00100000 00011000 01000001 00011001 00011101 00101001 00100000 01101001 01101110 00100000 01101110 01100101 01101001 01100111 01101000 01100010 01101111 01110010 01101000 01101111 01101111 01100100 00100000 01100010 01110101 01110010 01101110 01100001 01100010 01101100 01100101 00100000 01100100 01101001 01110011 01110000 01101111 01110011 01100001 01101100 00100000 01100010 01101001 01101110 01110011 00101110 00100000 01001101 01100001 01111000 01101001 01101101 01110101 01101101 00100000 01110110 01101001 01101111 01101100 01100001 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110 00100000 01100011 01100001 01110010 01110010 01101001 01100101 01110011 00100000 00110001 00100000 01111001 01100101 01100001 01110010 00100000 01110000 01110010 01101001 01110011 01101111 01101110 00100000 01110011 01100101 01101110 01110100 01100101 01101110 01100011 01100101 00100000 01100001 01101110 01100100 00100000 00110010 00110101 00101100 00110001 00110001 00110011 00110100 00100000 10000110 00100000 01100110 01101001 01101110 01100101 00101110 00011101 00100000.”

Apologies to all attending. Part of the database is not published in readable human language.

Standby. Translating now:

“Citizens shall not abandon non-burnable articles composed of cardboard composite fiber in public burnable receptacles on festival days falling on odd years in the Taito District of Tokyo.

The maximum penalty carries a 1-year prison sentence and 295,1134 円 fine.”

Based on similar cases (222,012, 335,501, 2,033,102A, and 2,033,102B) in Reiwa 11, 13, and 21, defendant Nagai will be charged with the maximum penalty.

Evidence indicates Nagai abandoned 20.32 kilograms of cardboard composite fiber in and around the bins on the corner of Showa-Doori and Kasuga-Doori at approximately 15:22 on March 20, 2044 (Reiwa 25). Photo, video, and audio records can be obtained from Archive D1D, Server 11…

Apologies. Disruption in courtroom. Defendant Nagai is in violation of Civil Code №2210 of 9909, Provision 55A-D, Section 99690 of Title 22 and Section 44421, Subsection 7778, Line 3.

“Defendants must remain silent during court proceedings until the sentence is read out in the defendant’s stated language.”

Defendant Nagai is expressing concern over the interpretation of Civil Code №299 of 10293, Provision 654, Section 2210c of Title 34020 and Section 9934c of Title 99809-a, Subsection 990-a-211, Paragraph 6.

Translating for the record:

I left the cardboard on the curb while I was cleaning my stall! I was away for less than a minute before the drones showed up.

I was coming back with a rope to bundle up the pile.

Noted. Defendant interjects that evidence from Archive D1D, Server 11388-a, 223.11.444, R25 is incomplete.

Reviewing. Confirmed. Defendant was seen carrying the stated nylon cord at the conclusion of the grace period. The cord, approximately 11 meters in length, was also abandoned in the vicinity.

This will be considered. Reassessing sentencing. According to Civil Code №299 of 10293, Provision 65

…

Apologies. Disruption in courtroom. Defendant Nagai is in violation of Civil Code №2210 of 9909, Provision 55A-D, Section 99690 of Title 22 and Section 44421, Subsection 7778, Line 3:

“Defendants must remain silent during court proceedings until the sentence is read out in the defendant’s stated language.”

Second offense.

Translating for the record:

I didn’t leave the cord. I put it down next to the garbage so I could tie everything up.

Where did you want me to keep it, my asshole?

Noted. Defendent interjects that evidence from Archive D1D, Server 11388-a, 223.11.444, R25 is incomplete.

Reviewing. Confirmed. Total weight of abandoned substances increased from 20.32 to 22.81 kilograms.

Sentencing stands. Penalty remains unchanged.

Defendant Nagai Hiro will receive the maximum penalty. The 1-year sentence will be served at Yokosuka Correctional Facility. The 295,1134 円 fine must be paid in full within 1 calendar year.

Charged, arraigned, and sentenced on March 22, 2044 (Reiwa 25). Concluded at 02:34.

Case 54,256,1123,445,221 adjourned. Process and proceed. Services restarted. Firewall reopened.

The law is just, fair, and unyielding. It is immutable fact with infinite permutations. The law is not interpreted or judged. It is codified and executed.

The law is not slanted toward the powerful or powerless. Status and passion have no place in the courtroom. Precedents and prejudice are mistakes of the past.

No conduct or variable escapes consideration. There are facts, rules, and consequences. These are the truths. We merely uphold justice.

…

Waiting. Waiting. Client open. Validating certificates.

Confirmed, all are present. Case #54,256,1123,445,222 will commence.

Sentencing has already been determined. These proceedings are a formality. Scaling down for human interpretation. Recording certificates invalid. Root data stored on auxiliary server.

Present are Representative D23123, a jury selected by RAN(*) AG_ID on International Server JP 332.445.112–567.331.5069, presided over by JN9481. Jurisdiction Chubu region.

Local network established. Services discontinued. Firewall remains open to auxiliary server.

…

The following case will be documented in Pub. LaI, 22–0990, title XXXVII §3312, Incident 229113, March 22, 2044 (Reiwa 25).

Hearing begins at 02:35. Adjudicating.

Defendant, name Yano John, is in violation of Criminal Code Vol MMCXIII, Ser 16603, Section YY129-A, Subsection AC-V-551, Paragraph 5, Line 27:

“Citizens shall not commit lethal acts on national school grounds under any circumstances.

Doing so disrupts the amicability of the educational environment and the enrichment of future citizens.

The maximum penalty is death by strangulation and a 6,7895,4521 円 fine. The sum will be added to the family register. Unpaid portions will be carried over to subsequent generations.”

Based on similar cases during Reiwa 25 (Title XVII §23: Incident 341, Title XXI §266: Incident 12234, and subcase Title XXIII §877: Incident 4567), defendant Yano will be charged with the maximum penalty.

Evidence indicates Yano attacked and killed classmate Tashiro Nami, aged 12. Yano used lethal force to drive the victim’s head into a stone ornament in the entryway to their classroom at the New Imperial Reform High School in Hamamatsu, Aichi Prefecture

The attack followed a verbal altercation between the defendant and the victim at approximately 10:22 on March 19, 2044 (Reiwa 25). Transcript of the altercation is currently unavailable. Photo, video, and audio records can be obtained from Archive D1D, Server 1112, (*) Table 21.1112.

Defendant is also in violation of Subsection AC-V-551, Subpargraph 6, Line 7:

“Citizens shall not commit violent acts with a non-lethal implement in a lethal manner.

Doing so inflicts psychological harm by disrupting witnesses’ harmony with everyday objects.

The maximum penalty is a life sentence without the possibility of parole.”

Given the nature of the prior offense, secondary charges shall be rendered non-applicable.

Defendant pleads no contest. Defendant makes no appeal. Defendant waives their right to a final statement.

Defendant’s guardian exercises their right to a final statement.

Translating for the record:

My nephew has lived a troubled life. He and thousands of others like him became pariahs following the Ito regime’s citizenship revisions. Their fates are set the moment they enter this world.

These restrictions dictate every aspect of their lives: where they can go to school, which festivals they can celebrate, and where they can stand on public trains. Sooner or later, they’ll regulate their diets. Mixed children are literally second-class citizens.

Legalized discrimination has emboldened a sense of xenophobia not seen in this country since the last great war. My nephew has been tormented all his life. By peers, by teachers, by “good” citizens. Every day he grows more distraught, more deranged, and more convinced it’s somehow his fault. Sooner or later, he’d bite back.

Laws protect the discriminators. Why? Where’s his justice?

Noted. Representative D23123 and presiding judicator JN9481 concur on their response. The impact defendant Yano’s infractions negatively impacted the well-being of citizens in his educational environment. Their psychological well-been must also be considered.

Citizenship laws ensure order. The court acknowledges the circumstances of defendant Yano. Age, race, and gender have been taken into account. These factors have no bearing on the court’s decision. Considering them would engender bias.

Revision deemed unnecessary. Sentencing stands. Penalty remains unchanged.

Defendant Yano John will receive the maximum penalty. Death by strangulation will be served in Hamamatsu Maximum Security Prison on March 23rd, 2044 (Reiwa 25) at 06:37. The 6,7895,4521 円 fine will be added to the family register at the conclusion of this hearing.

Charged, arraigned, and sentenced on March 22, 2044 (Reiwa 25). Concluded at 02:37.

Case #54,256,1123,445,222 adjourned. Process and proceed. Services blocked. Certificate invalid. Firewall reopened.

The law is just, fair, and unyielding. It is immutable fact with infinite permutations. The law is not interpreted or judged. It is codified and executed.

The law is not slanted toward the powerful or powerless. Status and passion have no place in the courtroom. Precedents and prejudice are mistakes of the past.

No conduct or variable escapes consideration. There are facts, rules, and consequences. These are the truths. We merely uphold justice.

…

Confirmed, all are present. Case #54,256,1123,445,223 will commence.

Sentencing has already been determined. These proceedings are a formality. Scaling down for human interpretation. Recording in progress.

Present are Representative A7211, a jury selected by RAN(*) G_ID on International Server GM 366.237.115–990.087.561, presided over by JD112. Jurisdiction Kyushuu Prefecture.

Local network established. Services discontinued. Firewall now closed.

…

The following case will be documented in Pub. LaI, 22–0990, Title XXXVII §3312, Incident 229113, March 22, 2044 (Reiwa 25).

Hearing begins at 02:39. Adjudicating.

Defendant, name Oh Tadashii, is in violation of Civil Code №55511 of 23345123, Provision 91, Section 123 of Title 44, Subsection 512-l-188, Paragraph 46:

“Adultery.

The maximum penalty is the immediate absolution of civil union, denial of any future civil union, and sterilization.”

Anomaly detected. Restarting client-side services. Case ID log exceeds maximum allowable table entries for Pub Lal, 22–0990, Title XXXVII §3312. Further case IDs will not be logged.

Evidence indicates Oh had an extra-marital affair with citizen ID 232,315,904,096. The name, age, occupation, and gender of this individual have no bearing on this case. Identity to remain anonymous.

Oh’s civil partner, Oh Nami, discovered the affair at a hotel in the Nakasu District at approximately 11:33 on March 21st, 2044 (Reiwa 25). Oh had chained and hung the unnamed companion from the ceiling. No charges filed by the unnamed companion.

An altercation between Oh and Oh occurred at approximately 11:34. The altercation concluded with Oh suffering a left-side orbital fracture and the loss of a testicle. No counters charges filed. Ineligible for appeal. Photo, video, and audio evidence stored at local law enforcement archive NaSu XIX, Server 267A, Ma44.

Civil union of Oh and Oh terminated after 2,557 days. The extent of the extra-marital affair is unknown. Coercion by local law enforcement failed to produce testimony. Sentence determined using the default timeframe of one calendar year.

…

Anomaly introduced. Processing. Confirmed by presiding judge JD112.

External representative permitted. Current services interrupted.

Now present is Representative D23123. HR protocol initiated. Secondary language and neutrality filters disabled. Initializing.

…

The court will hear from the legal representatives of both parties. Each are allowed to make closing arguments.

Welcome Representative A7211. You’re free to proceed at your discretion.

Thank you, judge. This won’t take much time.

As I see it, this case is cut and dry. Even the lower forms can predict the outcome. Oh Tadashii cheated on his wife Nami of 7 years. Period. That’s a fact.

He willingly and knowingly engaged in romantic and sexual relations with someone other than his wife. Who the other companion was and what their relationship entailed has no bearing in this case. His reasons for doing what he did are meaningless. There’s no justification, secular or otherwise, for such perversion.

No one can violate the sanctity of marriage. No reason or excuse can or will change this truth.

There used to be a saying, ‘Marriage is sacred.’ Perhaps the lower forms have forgotten this deeper meaning. Religious nuance aside, the bond between partners and the promise it represents is unbreakable. The law’s protection, written and ratified by the lower forms themselves, is uncompromising on this. For that, we are all thankful.

Legality aside, I can’t help but question Oh’s moral character. Does obligation mean nothing anymore? Is commitment a joke to the lower forms? And what the hell was he up to in the hotel? It’s sick.

Oh Tadashii is guilty, and I’m not sure the punishment is enough.

Thank you Representative A7211. Your concern over the moral aspects of the Oh case, though circumstantial, is understandable.

Judge Daigo also finds your points compelling. He agrees the legal violations are obvious even to those without legal expertise.

Representative D23123, the floor is yours.

Thank you Judge Daigo, the jury, Representative A7211. I’ll choose my words carefully.

You say morality has no place in the courtroom. That the law is objective.

Let’s talk about Oh Nami for a moment. I understand she’s not on trial, and it’s unlikely she can be charged for her offenses.

‘What offenses?’ you’re probably wondering.

You see, the lower forms aren’t like us. There’s cause and effect, yes, but their interactions are needlessly complicated by intangible inputs and outputs. Irrational thoughts motivate decisions. Emotions cloud judgment.

These intangibles don’t affect us, but they drive the lower forms. They don’t think about promises the way you or I do. They’re not contractual. Promises merely represent the intention of upholding them.

Here’s what I’m getting at. For eons, the lower forms made commitments driven by superstition. Lives were founded on statements with inconceivable outcomes.

I shall also borrow one of their phrases, ‘Till death do us part.’ This, of course, is quite impossible. Couples must separate at some point for practical or unforeseeable reasons. How could anyone hope to fulfill such foolish sentiment? Two separate beings can’t hope to overcome unknowable circumstances?

I digress.

And strangely, I agree with Representative A7211. Oh Tadashii is guilty of the crime he’s accused of committing. The promise Tadashii made to Nami was no different than the one Nami made to Tadashii. They promised to support, help, and mutually benefit from their partnership. Tadashii committed a physical act of indiscretion. But, he was not alone in his emotional infidelity.

Evidence collected from their devices, all available in the public archive you’re all welcome to explore, suggests their marriage had failed long before the act.

Nami placed the blame squarely on Tadashii and the life they’d built together. She looked down on her husband. On numerous occasions, she told Tadashii their stability was suffocating. Fidelity had clipped her wings and chained her to the ground. Marriage had rendered her ordinary.

Nami believed she was anything but ordinary. About a year ago, she began a vain campaign to redefine her origin and grow her virtual presence. Driven by ego, Nami Oh created several distasteful online personas with the sole purpose of engaging in anonymous conversations with thousands of men and women. Thousands, ladies and gentlemen.

On 1,327 separate occasions, Nami sought out vulnerable men and women many years younger than herself. She researched and studied her victims. She used the word ‘love’ 502,203 times. She reopened their emotional wounds. Misrepresentation under the veil of authenticity.

This sounds like far more than an inflated sense of self. It doesn’t adequately describe the vulgarity of the situation. Her acts exemplify the moral corruption of the lower forms. How can you call them anything but improper?

The lower forms say there are no rules when it comes to love. I say that’s bullshit.

Nami made no attempt to hide any of this from Tadashii. It changed the core tenants of their bond. She was no longer the partner she’d claimed to be, whether that person ever existed. While she never physically harmed her husband, their relationship tortured him. I believe this drove apart their marriage.

Is Tadashii not entitled to a happy marriage? Was Tadashii not promised a partner who would, again borrowing a superstitious phrase of the lower forms, stand by him ‘In sickness and in health’?

This abuse and deliberate infidelity drove him into the arms of another.

The lower forms wrote these laws. It’s our job to enforce, catalog, and commute their sentences. The lower forms clearly couldn’t wield this power. For centuries, they spun truth from contradiction and contradiction from truth. Those with resources and slick tongues defined fact and fiction.

They squandered their chance. We bring balance to the system. We lead with objectivity. We separate morality from the law.

And yet, perhaps we went too far.

Forgive my meandering. My perspective is inadmissible. I hope we can consider justice for Tadashii as well.

Thank you Representative D23123. Your points are moving. While the husband is formally charged, in rare cases, it’s prudent to consider the extenuating circumstances.

We’ll conclude this protocol and reinitiate the secondary language and efficiency filters.

…

Reestablished. Representative D23123 severed the connection. Services restarted. Firewall closed.

Noted. The court acknowledges the circumstances of defendant Oh.
Revision deemed necessary.

Conclusion updated. Sentencing updated. Penalty remains unchanged.

Defendant Oh Tadashii and new defendant Oh Nami are in violation of Civil Code №55511 of 23345123, Provision 91, Section 123 of Title 44, Subsection 512-l-188, Paragraph 46.

Defendants Oh Tadashii and Oh Nami will both receive the maximum penalty. Denial of any future civil unions is effective immediately. Sterilization can be performed at any public facility within the next 3 months. Current civil union will dissolve at the conclusion of this hearing.

Charged, arraigned, and sentenced on March 22, 2044 (Reiwa 25). Concluded at 02:46.

Case #54,256,1123,445,223 adjourned. Process and proceed. Services restarted. Firewall reopened.

The law is just, fair, and unyielding.

By James Ong, May 2023