The Incident (Vol. 5)

Time: 14:15

Date: October 13th

Location: [Data Redacted]

Sender: Officer [Redacted]

Recipient: [Data Redacted], Legal Security Counsel Chair

Log Note: The following transcript is only for your eyes. I’m no longer sure who to trust, after what [Data Redacted] did. You’ll understand, once you see [Data Redacted]’s story of how they come to [Redacted For Security].

[CLICK]

Unknown: Did the world finally oblige you and make sense? Please, spill. Who do you think I am?

Officer: Stop playing mind games, Witness.

[A pause, and then Unknown laughs]

Unknown: The world really did oblige!

Officer: [Unnerved] You’re not… upset?

[Unknown removes their mask]

Witness: No. Did you forget the ‘others don’t listen to you’ point already? Secondly, hiding my identity no longer matters – and I’m done letting them force me to wear this mask.

Officer: …‘them’?

Witness: They’ll be here soon. And since you’re smart, and will want to run-

Officer: Don’t-

Witness [pulls a rope out of a pocket]: - I’m going to tie you to this pole.

[Sounds of mild struggle as the Witness deftly ties them up]

Witness: Now, all we have to do is wait. [They settle on the ground, legs crossed.]

Officer: Waiting is a lot easier when you’re not tied to a–

Carl: Coconspirator! Look who I’ve captured!

Witness: Hello, Investigator [Redacted]. Cail Siron.

Cail: Worst. Day. Ever.

Carl: Glad to hear it. Everything is going to plan.

Witness: Now we just have to wait for the Chief.

Carl: And my brother.

Officer: Agent? You - You’re the killer?

Investigator: Officer, the-

Chief: OFFICER! INVESTIGATOR! I’ve got good news!

Carl [Quietly]: Finally. The show will go on.

[Chief walks into the lobby]

Chief: I found the - [He does a double take] There are two?

Officer: Oh.

[Agent walks in behind Chief]

Agent: Carl.

Carl: [Redacted]

Chief: …Twins?!

Witness: [She stands up] I normally love this sort of “Aha!” moment, but we have a plan to carry out here. You two, get over here. Bring your prisoners.

Agent: Since when are you the leader of this operation?

Witness: Since you stabbed yourself with a dagger to frame me. I didn’t kill a random civilian in a wide-open park.

Carl: [laughs] She’s got you there, brother. Come on, don’t be a snob.

Agent: [sighs] Fine, fine. [They grab Chief lazily, cuffing him]

Chief: What - Agent, what is the meaning of this?

Cail: Can’t trust those high-minded–

Carl: If I were you, I’d be quiet just about now.

Officer: Agent? What - why?

Agent: [He shrugs] I was bored.

Investigator: [stepping backward with such force that Carl and Cail stumble back as well] Let me get this straight. You killed someone and plotted to kill us – because you were bored?

Carl and Agent: Yes.

Agent: And now we’ve got all of you right where we want you.

Carl [clapping his brother on the shoulder]: As the thespians say:the show must go on.

Witness: [sigh] You two! Stop monologuing and get your butts over here!

[The twins look at each other, then shrug and comply]

Carl [With a knife in hand]: Up for some killing, y’all?

[Witness holds up the kitchen knife.]

Witness: Yes.

Agent [pulls out a dagger, smirking]: Yes, of course.

[All three raise their weapons.]

[Witness brings hers down - right into Agent [Redacted]. He falls, blood pooling on the ground. Chief almost gets yanked down on top of him.]

Carl [shocked]: [Redacted]? What—[His eyes lock on the Witness] You back-stabbing liar. You're not a director. [He raises his knife once more] You’re a faulty piece of machinery. [He runs at the Witness, pulling Investigator and Cail along after him.]

Witness: You’re very predictable, Carl. [She dodges to the side, then stabs Carl in the chest. He falls next to his brother. Investigator and Cail get pulled down with him.]

Cail: Oof! Ow…

Officer: What the [Redacted] just happened?

Investigator: [kinda weakly] Officer… language…

[The Witness casually sits down on one of the lobby couches and starts cleaning off the knife]

Chief: She—You—killed them?

Witness: Yes. I said I was up for killing. I never said who. [She sets the knife down next to her and looks up] You see, he [She gestures at the Agent] recruited me to this… operation after I threatened him with my dagger. I pretended I wasn’t interested at all in ending his life, played along with their plans, and now here we are.

Cail: I feel like I’m missing something. Why did you want to kill him?

Witness: [Matter of fact] The ‘random civilian’ he killed in the park was my partner. 

[A beat of silence]

Officer: …oh. 

Witness: She was always spunky. Didn’t back down when he threatened her. [Her voice cracks] I heard her body hit the ground.

Investigator: I’m—wow. That’s terrible. [Quietly] I guess I didn’t know him at all…

Officer: Then why… Why did we get witness reports that you had a knife?Witness: We were sparring. It is—was—a tradition, a way to fight against being blind.

Chief: This is very sad and all, but three of us are chained to dead people, and the other is tied to a pole.

Officer: [groans] Chief…

Witness: No, no. He’s right. [She stands up and unties Officer, then hands him a key ring.] Here. These will unlock the cuffs. [She turns to leave, then stops.] Oh– and that Lie Detector Operator of yours?

Investigator: …yes?Witness: [They turn and look at everyone] There was little you knew about her. She knew the game I was playing from the start. [She smiles sadly, turns, and vanishes out the still-open door]

Officer: Wait—!

Investigator: She’s gone… [sigh] I have so many more questions than answers…

Cail: Can—can I be unshackled? Please?

Officer: Right. Sorry. [He hurries over and frees everyone]

[They all stand around awkwardly, their shoes stained with blood]

Cail: What now?

Officer: Now we get you home—and I guess we have to explain this to the LSC… somehow…

Investigator [She shakes her head]: This isn’t the kind of thing that can be explained. Just send the Chair a transcript.

Chief: That sounds like a good idea. No one would believe us otherwise.

Cail: [Tired laugh] I’m still not sure if I do…

[Another beat of silence]

Officer: Come on, Cail. Let’s get you home.

[BEEP]