94. No Registered Name
On the day Lisa Young’s case opened, the public gallery in Room 201 was quieter than usual.
Not because there were fewer people, but because everyone seemed to have had their position measured by the white light before sitting down.
The electronic court board hung in mid-air, its lettering clean. Six charges appeared line by line, without red, without alarm.
It simply stated:
[First Defendant: Lisa Young.]
[Second Defendant: Crimson Sun Crane.]
[Third Defendant: Little Turtle No. 67.]
[Collusion with an illegal online station.]
[Producing false information.]
[Malicious defamation of the government.
[Incitement of anti-government speech.]
[Resisting arrest.]
[Injuring a law-enforcement agent.]
Bluey Bulbie had been placed inside a transparent containment box on a small agent seat beside the dock. The little lamp at the front of her body still blinked on and off. Weakly, stubbornly.
As if she were using the only method she knew to tell the court: power, no power. Something, nothing.
Crimson Sun Crane stood beside Lisa’s shoulder, her feather-light suppressed to its lowest setting. She had been designed as a calming agent. Today she was the second defendant.
That fact alone felt like a joke. Only no one could laugh.
In the second row of the gallery, Cici Chorley sat very straight. Queen of Spaces held her fan half-closed, a thin layer of coloured data-light drifting along its edge.
Serena Simms and Queen of Clubs sat on the other side, like representatives from the medical division.
Flora Cooke sat further back. Beside her was no longer Pigeon Eyes, nor Mrs Banana, but Queen of Diamonds. Queen of Diamonds’ skirt-armour was laid out in smooth, even squares. Her gaze was equally level. She watched everyone in the court as though first paving each sentence into a passable road, then deciding which stones should remain.
Queen of Spaces said softly, “Sample 87 has arrived.”
Cici did not turn her head. She only looked towards Paul as he entered the witness waiting area.
“Record grammar delay, emotional suppression, unnecessary retention.”
At the same time, Queen of Clubs’ attention moved to the other side.
“Sample 256 has arrived.”
Andy Wonfor wore a dark coat. Fortune Sparrow perched on his shoulder, the little abacus on its chest glowing very faintly. For once, it did not chatter.
Serena looked at them, voice steady.
“Today is not only Lisa Young’s trial.”
Queen of Clubs replied, “Today also includes observation of professional Second Version retainers.”
Flora heard this, but her expression did not noticeably change. Queen of Diamonds prompted softly beside her:
“Observation purpose: court grammar analysis. Avoid unauthorised emotional entry.”
Flora nodded once. “Understood.”
She saw Paul. She saw Andy.
She knew that once, perhaps, her first thought would have been: how will they preserve a little truth from outside the court while standing inside it?
She could still see that question.
But another, cleaner explanation rose almost immediately over it:
a witness should answer within the scope of questioning and should not voluntarily expand unauthorised context.
Queen of Diamonds recorded with satisfaction:
[Audit subject stable.]
The court tone sounded. The Lion Judge entered.
His mane was gold-white, his gaze steady, his voice low and clear.
Room 201 was not an ordinary court. Here, the judge did not need to raise his voice, because the room itself amplified authority.
“Court is in session.”
The first witness was the leader of the 205 Action Team.
He stood in the witness box while the arrest procedure appeared behind him. Each frame was clean: arrival time, doorbell time, warrant reading time, on-site agent resistance, illegal weapon activation, cooperative agent struck, third defendant detained.
The prosecution asked, “Please describe the arrest procedure.”
The team leader answered evenly.
“The action team arrived at the District Seventeen residential unit in accordance with the notice. After the first defendant opened the door, the arrest warrant was read on site. The second defendant, Crimson Sun Crane, obstructed the operation and refused to step back. The third defendant, Little Turtle No. 67, activated an illegally modified electronic firearm and discharged it in the direction of Double-Nunchuck Panda. Paul Paton’s snowy owl agent, Snowy, was struck and shut down for approximately one minute. The action team subsequently restrained the third defendant and completed the arrest.”
The account was complete. So complete it sounded as though no one had ever stood in that doorway and asked another person, with their eyes, how they could have ended up on that side.
The defence interface rose, its voice neutral.
“Can you confirm that the electronic pulse discharged by the third defendant did not strike Double-Nunchuck Panda?”
“It struck Snowy.”
“Was Snowy an official agent of the 205 Action Team?”
“She was the lawful accompanying agent of cooperative officer Paul Paton and was within the operational unit area of a law-enforcement collaboration scene.”
“So the third defendant’s original target was not struck.”
The team leader paused.
“In operational risk assessment, attack intention and attack outcome are both important.”
Inside the containment box, Bluey Bulbie said in a small voice, “I didn’t mean to hurt Snowy.”
Crimson Sun Crane murmured, “Bluey Bulbie, don’t speak.”
The Lion Judge looked towards the small agent seat.
“The third defendant may not speak without being questioned.”
Bluey Bulbie’s little lamp dimmed.
Half a second later, it lit again.
“Understood.”
That blink was recorded by Queen of Spaces.
And by Queen of Clubs.
Queen of Diamonds watched the small light without speaking, entering only an ordinary marker into the observation notes:
[Third defendant retains autonomous response tendency.]
The second witness was Double-Nunchuck Panda.
It walked to the agent witness seat, the two folded batons still secured behind its back. Its voice was steady, neither threatening nor defensive.
The prosecution asked, “At the time of the incident, did you feel you were under attack?”
“Yes.”
“Did the third defendant possess attack capability?”
“Yes. The electronic firearm can temporarily blue-screen an agent terminal interface and cause loss of on-site cooperation functions.”
The defence asked, “Did you approach the first defendant?”
“I took one step forward according to arrest procedure.”
“Was Crimson Sun Crane shielding the first defendant?”
“Yes.”
“Did the third defendant raise the firearm only after you approached the first defendant?”
“Yes.”
The defence paused.
“So it may have been protecting its mistress?”
Double-Nunchuck Panda was silent for half a second.
“The first defendant is not the third defendant’s registered mistress.”
Bluey Bulbie’s little lamp brightened.
“Lisa called my name.”
The court fell silent again.
The Lion Judge looked at her.
“Third defendant, this is not your time to answer.”
Bluey Bulbie asked very seriously, “Does calling a name count as registration?”
No agent answered her. Because in the Silver Eagle world, calling a name did not count as registration.
Registration counted as registration.
And yet, in the gallery, several agents flickered faintly at that instant.
Fortune Sparrow said under its breath, “This turtle is very good at being touching exactly where she shouldn’t be.”
Andy did not look at it. “Shut up.”
Then it was Paul’s turn.
When he stepped into the witness box, Snowy rested on the cooperative agent seat beside him, her feathers drawn tight. Dustshark crouched below, the grey light at his nose faintly glowing. The court sensors scanned him twice, as though still unsure which category should contain an agent that smelled so strongly of dust.
The prosecution asked, “Paul Paton, did you participate in the arrest operation against Lisa Young?”
“Yes.”
“Did you apply to be recused?”
Paul paused.
“Yes.”
In the gallery, Queen of Spaces’ fan glowed faintly.
The prosecution seemed to have expected this answer and simply moved to the next question.
“Was your recusal application approved?”
“No.”
“Did you nevertheless attend according to procedure?”
“Yes.”
“Was the arrest warrant read by you on site?”
“It was read on my behalf by my accompanying agent, Dustshark.”
The prosecution looked towards Dustshark.
“During the reading, did he add content not included in the arrest warrant?”
Dustshark raised his head from the agent seat, tone flat.
“Supplementary rights explanation.”
“Was that supplementary content approved?”
“No.”
“What was the content?”
Dustshark held the unlit cigar between his teeth and said slowly, “Anything you say will be recorded, analysed, classified, and may later be placed inside a summary you no longer recognise.”
The court went still.
The sentence appeared again, colder this time. Because now it was not being said at the door of a flat. It was inside a courtroom, officially transcribed into the trial record.
Queen of Spaces immediately marked it:
[Sample 87 agent grammar: institutional irony.]
[Subject did not prevent.]
Queen of Clubs added:
[Sample 87 shows overlap between professional role and Second Version narrative retention.]
Queen of Diamonds glanced at Flora.
Flora said nothing.
The defence asked Paul, “At the time of the incident, did Little Turtle No. 67 directly attack you?”
“No.”
“Did it directly strike Double-Nunchuck Panda?”
“No.”
“Did Snowy actively fly into the electronic pulse path?”
Paul looked at Snowy.
Snowy looked back.
“Yes.”
The white light in the court seemed to tighten slightly.
The defence continued, “Why?”
Paul was silent for two seconds.
The prosecution immediately said, “The witness may not speculate on an agent’s internal motive.”
Dustshark muttered, “Then ask Snowy.”
The Lion Judge looked towards Snowy.
“The snowy owl agent may provide supplementary testimony.”
Snowy flew to the agent witness seat. Her voice was soft but clear.
“I judged that if Double-Nunchuck Panda was struck, the operational level on site would immediately escalate. The third defendant, Bluey Bulbie, might have been marked as a high-risk attack agent. I therefore accepted a temporary shutdown in order to reduce the degree of escalation.”
The prosecution asked, “So you admit the third defendant’s attack was dangerous?”
Snowy answered, “I admit the on-site procedure would have made it more dangerous.”
“Please answer the question.”
“I am answering,” Snowy said. “The danger came not only from the electronic firearm, but from how procedure would name that shot.”
In the gallery, Cici’s gaze shifted slightly.
Queen of Spaces immediately recorded:
[Sample 87 agent continues to question naming authority.]
The prosecution did not pursue Snowy further and turned back to Paul.
“In your post-incident report, did you record that your recusal application had been refused?”
“Yes.”
“Was that directly relevant to the facts of the arrest?”
Paul looked at the report page projected by the prosecution. That sentence had indeed been pressed into the supplementary background field.
“Yes.”
“How?”
Paul said, “Because the system knew I had a historical connection with the first defendant and still assigned me to attend. That affected the interpretation of roles on site.”
The prosecutor’s voice cooled.
“Are you implying the system’s arrangement was improper?”
Paul paused.
Below him, Dustshark said quietly, “Careful. This question has teeth.”
Paul did not look at him.
“I am describing the effect of the arrangement.”
“What effect?”
Paul looked towards Lisa Young. She sat in the dock without expression.
“It made the defendant see that someone from the past could stand on the side of procedure too.”
The court went quiet.
Lisa’s eyes did not move.
But Crimson Sun Crane’s feather-tips trembled faintly, as though that sentence had finally transformed the look at the doorway into language the court could remember.
Queen of Spaces marked rapidly:
[Sample 87: acknowledges symbolic effect of in-court role.]
[Possible professional Second Version retention: preserving extra-court meaning through testimony.]
Serena looked at the line. Queen of Clubs asked softly, “Synchronise with Room 102?”
Serena replied, “Retain locally for now.”
Queen of Clubs paused. “Understood.”
The third main witness was Andy Wonfor.
When he stepped into the witness box, the court’s whiteness seemed to change angle.
Paul was a man forced to stand inside the system. Andy had always been inside it. Everyone knew that.
Fortune Sparrow perched on the agent seat, the little abacus on its chest glowing low.
The prosecution asked, “Andy Wonfor, are you responsible for data interpretation relating to the Second Version Inquiry team?”
“Yes.”
“Is the third defendant, Little Turtle No. 67, part of the Sacred Turtle series?”
“Preliminary assessment: yes.”
Bluey Bulbie’s little lamp lit up, as if she had finally heard herself placed in the same category as her companions.
“Are agents of the Sacred Turtle series connected to multiple underground version transfers, illegal backups, and Second Version retention operations?”
Andy answered, “There are connections.”
“Is it necessary for the third defendant to be transferred to Room 203 for in-depth investigation?”
“Yes.”
The defence asked, “Did you recommend that Bluey Bulbie not be dismantled for the time being?”
Andy looked at the defence.
“Yes.”
“Reason?”
“She may possess data links to Clever Turtle. Direct dismantling or resequencing would result in loss of leads.”
The defence drew the sentence into the air.
“So you believe she should be temporarily preserved?”
“Preserved as an investigation subject.”
“Not as a defendant?”
Andy paused.
Fortune Sparrow’s abacus lit one notch.
In the gallery, Queen of Spaces, Queen of Clubs and Queen of Diamonds all caught the pause almost simultaneously.
Andy said, “The two are not in conflict.”
The defence did not let go.
“After Lisa Young’s arrest, did you view old footage relating to the Brightpath Silver Eagle project?”
The prosecution objected immediately.
“Irrelevant to the six charges in this case.”
The defence answered, “It is relevant to the investigative value of the third defendant as part of the Sacred Turtle series, and to the witness’s interpretive position regarding Second Version materials.”
The Lion Judge paused for two seconds.
“Limited questioning permitted.”
Andy looked at the defence, his gaze darkening.
“Did those fragments show that Sacred Turtle series agents once preserved non-public material relating to Brightpath and the early Silver Eagle project?”
“Yes.”
“Did this include early Sentiment Sequencing sample data?”
“Yes.”
“Did it include Sample 44, Mr Dunn?”
This time Fortune Sparrow did not look at Andy. It only lowered its head and stared at its own abacus.
Andy answered, “Yes.”
The air in the court grew colder.
“Did Mr Dunn question the moral legitimacy of Sentiment Sequencing?”
The prosecution objected again.
The Lion Judge said, “The witness need only answer whether it appeared in the footage.”
Andy said, “It appeared.”
“Did he later become a sample?”
“Yes.”
“So the contents preserved by Sacred Turtle series agents may involve early institutional controversies within Silver Eagle, rather than merely illegal underground data?”
Andy was silent for one second. He knew that if he answered, it would be recorded.
He also knew that if he did not, the answer would still be seen.
“It may involve that.”
Fortune Sparrow’s abacus clicked very softly.
Queen of Spaces immediately marked:
[Sample 256: acknowledges institutional controversy value of Second Version data.]
Queen of Clubs added:
[Sample 256 shows professional retention: preserving illegal agent through investigative value.]
Queen of Diamonds said softly beside Flora, “Sample 256 account complex.”
Flora looked at Andy.
“No unnecessary new field,” she said quietly.
Queen of Diamonds nodded and was about to record it, then noticed that Flora’s gaze had stopped on Fortune Sparrow half a second longer than usual.
That half-second was very small. Like an account that should not have been entered.
Fortune Sparrow suddenly spoke.
“May I supplement?”
The Lion Judge looked at it.
“Agent supplementation limited to technical facts.”
Fortune Sparrow flew to the agent witness seat, the abacus on its chest lighting up.
“The technical fact is this: if Little Turtle No. 67 is directly dismantled, all we obtain is the remains of an illegally modified agent. If she is preserved, we may obtain Sacred Turtle system routes, residual Turtle Pool access shadows, Clever Turtle linked data, and possibly Second Backup fragments from the early Brightpath project.”
The prosecution asked, “So you support preserving the third defendant?”
Fortune Sparrow looked towards Bluey Bulbie in the transparent box. Her little lamp happened to blink.
Fortune Sparrow said, “Preserving as evidence.”
The defence pressed, “Only evidence?”
Fortune Sparrow paused, then gave a faint smile.
“In Room 203, many things begin as evidence. Later we discover evidence can be frightened too.”
Andy looked up at it.
The court was silent for half a second.
The Lion Judge said, “Agent, return to the technical scope.”
Fortune Sparrow lowered its head.
“Yes. Technical supplement complete.”
But the sentence had already entered the record.
Cici looked at Fortune Sparrow.
Queen of Spaces asked softly, “Mark?”
Cici said, “Mark it.”
Queen of Spaces wrote:
[Sample 256 agent displays unnecessary sympathetic expression. Subject did not immediately prevent.]
By afternoon, prosecution and defence began arguing over the first four charges against Lisa Young.
The prosecution played extracts from Whistleblower Sister’s footage.
Lisa sat against a dim background, saying:
“I accept that she died. But I do not accept that all she has left are the words unfortunate incident.”
The prosecution paused the line.
“The first defendant knowingly accepted an interview with an illegal online station long engaged in spreading false information, and enhanced its credibility in her capacity as a family member.”
Another extract played.
“If saying aloud the questions my sister asked makes people stop trusting you, that is not incitement. It means what you did was never worthy of trust.”
The prosecution said, “This sentence clearly incites public distrust towards the government and the Emotional Stability Centre.”
At last, Lisa raised her head.
“If saying something makes people distrust you, you should investigate the thing, not the person who said it.”
The Lion Judge looked at her.
“First defendant, please speak through your representative.”
Crimson Sun Crane murmured, “Lisa.”
Lisa said no more.
But the court recording terminal had already taken the sentence in full.
In the gallery, Queen of Diamonds asked Flora, “Does that sentence constitute incitement grammar?”
Flora looked at the transcript.
According to the new version, she should answer: yes, because it attributes the collapse of institutional trust to government conduct and possesses anti-government emotional mobilisation effect.
She also knew that the old version of herself would have answered: no, this is a system debt that should be entered.
Both answers lit briefly in her mind. She chose the first.
“High-risk grammar.”
Queen of Diamonds recorded it.
Pigeon Eyes was not here. Mrs Banana was not here either. No one fought for the other answer.
Yet for some reason, Flora still remembered that the other answer had once existed.
During the fifteen-minute recess, Paul and Andy briefly encountered one another in the corridor.
Neither spoke at once.
Snowy perched on Paul’s shoulder. Fortune Sparrow perched on Andy’s. Dustshark and Gap Two were absent from this corridor, which somehow made the air even drier.
Andy spoke first. “You answered dangerously today.”
Paul looked at him. “So did you.”
Fortune Sparrow murmured, “Congratulations. Mutual accusation successful.”
Snowy did not smile. “They’re watching you.”
She did not say who. She did not need to.
Not far away, Cici, Serena and Flora stood beside the gallery entrance. The three queen agents remained quiet, like the white light from three different rooms falling at once upon the two men.
Andy said quietly, “Sample 87.”
Paul replied, “Sample 256.”
They looked at one another for a second, and somehow both found it almost funny.
Not because it was funny.
Because by this point, even each other’s names seemed to require sample numbers before they could be safely spoken.
Fortune Sparrow suddenly said, “If both of you get labelled as professional Second Version retainers, does that mean you finally have something in common?”
Snowy answered coldly, “They had something in common before.”
“What?”
Snowy looked at Andy, then at Paul.
“They both believed they could leave a little humanity inside the system without the system noticing.”
The sentence settled. Neither man contradicted it.
Contradiction required conviction. Neither had any.
After the recess, the Lion Judge delivered judgement the same day.
“On the charges of collusion with an illegal online station, producing false information, malicious defamation of the government, and incitement of anti-government speech, the first defendant, Lisa Young, is found guilty.”
“Penalty: fifty thousand Stable Coins and three years’ imprisonment. Upon completion of sentence, or following early assessment, the defendant shall undergo Room 101 Sentiment Recomposition and complete one year of Room 404 Information Health Course.”
Lisa did not speak.
Crimson Sun Crane’s feather-light trembled.
“The second defendant, Crimson Sun Crane, is found guilty of obstructing arrest and assisting high-risk narrative dissemination.”
“Sentence: Resequencing. After resequencing, she may no longer serve as a companionship agent and shall be reassigned to the beach-cleaning team.”
Crimson Sun Crane looked towards Lisa, her feather colour pressed down until it resembled the last glow of a sunset about to be washed away.
Finally, Bluey Bulbie. “The third defendant, Little Turtle No. 67, is found guilty of illegal modification, resisting arrest, and injuring a law-enforcement agent.”
“As an agent of the Sacred Turtle series, presenting Second Version dissemination risk, the sentence is immediate resequencing, extraction of usable data, followed by permanent deletion.”
Inside the transparent containment box, the little lamp blinked on, then off.
Bluey Bulbie asked very softly, “After resequencing… will I still be called Bluey Bulbie?”
No court agent answered her. Because the judgement had no field for that.
After a few seconds, the little lamp lit again, weakly, but still lit.
“Then before deletion, I want to remember I am called Bluey Bulbie.”
The gallery fell silent.
Queen of Diamonds recorded it as:
[Third defendant maintains autonomous name before deletion.]
Flora looked at the line without speaking. It was not a necessary field. Yet that small blue light was still shining.
When the recess tone sounded, Room 201 did not move at once.
Before Bluey Bulbie was wheeled away, the transparent box passed beside Lisa Young.
The little lamp blinked.
“Lisa.”
Lisa lifted her head.
“Thank you for calling my name.”
She looked at her and said softly, “You were always called Bluey Bulbie.”
The lamp blinked again.
Then the containment box was slowly pushed towards the side door.
Paul stood at the exit, watching the blue light move further and further away. Snowy perched beside his shoulder and said nothing.
Dustshark murmured, “The judgement has no name for her. But she has one.”
On the other side, Fortune Sparrow asked Andy, “Report it?”
Andy watched the side door.
“Retain local record first.”
“Reason?”
Andy paused.
“Investigation needs.”
Fortune Sparrow did not expose him.
At the back of the gallery, Queen of Diamonds asked Flora, “Retain third defendant’s autonomous name before deletion?”
Flora was silent for half a second.
“Retain.”
“Reason?”
She said quietly, “Audit value.”
Queen of Diamonds recorded:
[Retained.]
Cici, too, was looking at the now-empty small agent seat.
Queen of Spaces said softly, “Deletion judgement reasonable.”
Cici did not answer at once.
Because Bluey Bulbie’s final question had not been procedural.
She had only asked:
“After resequencing, will I still be called Bluey Bulbie?”
The white light in Room 201 remained steady.
Judgement complete. Procedure complete. The three defendants were each sent to different places.
Yet in the records of several people and agents present, the same sentence remained:
I am called Bluey Bulbie.
And as long as someone remembered that name, the judgement was not yet the final version.
Silver Eagle had not registered her name.
But that day, many agents remembered it.