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Starfall: Chapter 25: The Roswell Trial: Part Three

“You should've consulted me over this plan for my input before purchasing all this Mr. Mercer. At least you listened to me and had the D.N.A. test submitted as an addendum." Steven's lawyer glares lightly at the elder Mercer sibling, but doesn't stop helping him unpack the repurposed children's toys.

A set of colored and blocks of multiple different shapes along with a hollow cube whose faces have corresponding holes. A set of colored rings of various sizes with three posts to put them on. All are placed on the defense table while Ms. Faith and her lawyer watch on from the prosecutor's table.

The hybrid in disguise is just sitting there, having an amused smirk on her face.

Piling the packaging to the side before opening the box containing the more advanced parts of the I.Q. test kit, Steven looks over to his lawyer. “You said it was a good idea to do an I.Q. test."

In contrast to his earlier protest and not giving away everything, considering who else is in the court-room, waiting for the judge. Steven's lawyer does help him clean up the mess they made. “When you said I.Q. test, I thought you meant the standard U.S. one. Not the international version."

Tilting her ears back in a slight bit of embarrassment over all of this, Usako uses a claw tip to tap one of the blocks out of curiosity. To her they looked like wood, but the hollow sound tells her it's plastic. “Wish the judge would get here, so we can get this over with. The waiting is getting on my nerves."

Glancing over to the prosecutor's table and seeing Ms. Faith's face causes the Arctic Fox to look anywhere else. Eventually settling on watching Angela curiously leaf through the instructions of the I.Q. test. 'Damn Ms. Faith's smile is creepy for some reason.'

Their lawyer looks over to the Zootopian, taking his seat at the defense table while Steven hands all the paper and plastic packaging to the court Bailiff for a quick disposal into the waste bin outside the courtroom. “Judge Belitrov, whenever possible. Likes to review physical evidence himself first before hearing any of the parties cases. So he's most likely with the officers who brought in everything but the cockpit wreckage."

“Is that a good or a bad thing?" Angela puts down the instructions and looks over to him.

Their lawyer shrugs. “Could be good as he has stated it allows him to form an unbiased view of cases in the past. Still, we could've gotten a worse judge." his words do little to reassure Usako, her growing nervousness shows on the twitching tail. Hitting the booster seat and filling the mostly silent courtroom with soft thumps.

Reaching up to check if her hair is still covering the tips of her ears, Laura still smiles as she opens her briefcase with her other hand. Pulling out the paperwork she signed yesterday and a quick outline of how she wants to handle things.

Handing the latter to her legally required lawyer, said lawyer sighs upon a quick skim of the contents. “Well, the defense and I share something in common." Placing the outline down on the table in front of her. “We both have clients who think they know our job better than us." Rather than speak it out-loud and give away part of their case, the lawyer loudly taps on the parts she disagrees with.

The fabrication of the cockpit, which more or less is what Laura expected her to object to. She was only planning on using it if she's able to present her case first.

The doors to the court-room open before she's able to reply to her lawyer to indicate as such, without giving it away to those at the defense table.

Bailiffs hold both the front doors and the gate separating the front of the court-room and the empty audience section open, while some the local police push in three tables. Two covered with everything submitted to the police as evidence, minus the main section of the cockpit and one empty one. In its place though are multiple photographs from every angle on every part of it.

They come to a stop in the space between the judge's podium and the two tables for the defense and prosecution. Butting the two up next to each other the officers and bailiffs lock the wheels then place the third between those two and the defense table. The two officers and one of the bailiffs exit the courtroom the way the came in while the other takes his place next to the judge's podium.

The same one they had on the first day of court. “All rise." Bellowing out as the main court-room door closes behind the others. He sweeps his gaze over all that are present.

Standing, Usako nods in thanks to Angela who helps her out by taking the children's booster seat off the chair. Allowing her to stand on it and not the puke brown piece of plastic like before. While the lawyer for Laura and thus Aquis stands with her objections to her client's idea of how to do her job temporarily forgotten, in light of seeing most of the evidence in person for the first time.

“The honorable Judge Belitrov presiding." The elderly judge enters via the doorway behind the podium upon hearing his name. Looking between the defense table, and everything Steven set up on it. Then to the prosecution table and the look on the face of the lawyer for Laura and Aquis ltd. He sighs to himself.

'This is going to be a long day.' Walking up to his chair, he pulls it away from the desk but doesn't sit down just yet.

“Case file 73023157, Aquis Ltd, subsidiary of Yakeru-Tech vs Mercer Traditional Produce and Meat now resumes. You may now sit." Belitrov bangs his gavel once and sits, followed by everyone but the bailiff.

“I can reason to guess." Looking first at the prosecution with a neutral face, then the defense. “Both sides are expecting me to tell them to go first. Thinking it will give you the best chance at shaping my opinion on the matter over the evidence presented. Considering one of you have brought some items to help present your case." Gesturing to the repurposed toys on the defense's table. The elderly judge looks to his bailiff and then to everyone else.

“While I was also just informed the other party in this case." He now gestures to the prosecution's table. “Exercised their right to examine the evidence before you, minus the cockpit. The floor here is isn't rated for the two thousand pounds it weighs. This is also why I took time this morning to examine the evidence before hearing either side present their case."

Belitrov gestures to the two tables in front of his bench and the various items on it.

“So, I think we shall do something rather unconventional, which of course goes with the rest of this case in how it's become a circus of media attention." Reaching under the podium, the sounds of coins clinking and rattling in a cloth bag fills the court-room. Placing it on the lip of the bench in front of him, he reaches into his robe and pulls out a pristine and mirror polished U.S. silver dollar.

Holding it up for all to see, Belitrov smiles. “I think it's fitting that this old, nineteen twenty-nine silver dollar's used here. The year a fundamental change happened in the United States, and because the outcome of this trial will also, but not as drastically fundamentally change the country."

The elderly judge knows full well, without the media telling him. Ruling that Usako Chasofito is a thinking person will put a large dent in the door blocking Bio-Morph personhood and the public realizing the poor creatures are as intelligent as humans.

Opening the sack of coins he drops the silver dollar inside. Picking it up, he then shakes it till the contents are good and mixed. “Inside this sack are other silver dollars, though not in as good condition, but all dated differently. Both prosecution and defense will take turns pulling one coin from the bag, he or she." He looks between Steven and Laura in turn. “Who pulls the Nineteen Twenty-Nine silver dollar will go first."

The bailiff takes the bag from Belitrov and walks over to the defense's table to stand in front of Steven. The elder Mercer sibling stands as the Bailiff holds out the bag of coins for him. Open, but not in such a way to allow him to look inside the sack.

Tilting her ears, Usako listens to the coins clinking inside, something's interesting about the sound of them moving about to her while Steven reaches inside. Sifting around the coins, before pulling one, then showing it to the Bailiff.

“Nope. Nineteen forty-six." Said court official announces to the room. Taking the coin, he places it back into the bag before mixing the contents up again. Heading over to the prosecution's table, he holds the bag out for Laura to reach in and try her luck.

Reaching in, the hybrid in disguise only grabs the top coin, she doesn't rifle around inside the bag with her hand like Steven. 'Last thing I need is to break one of my fake nails, revealing the claws underneath.'

Cursing under her breath at the date on the coin, she places it in the bailiffs outstretched hand.

“Nineteen oh Nine this time your honor." Placing the coin back into the bag he mixes the contents up again. Returning to the Defence's table he stands in front of Steven again. The elder Mercer sibling though shakes his head as he points to his sister.

“Let her have a go. Maybe her luck will be better than mine."

Nodding, the Bailiff holds the bag out for Angela who sticks her hand in, digs to the bottom of the sack. Then pulls out her choice of coin, she sighs upon looking at it. “Of course it would be the wrong one." The youngest Mercer sibling hands the coin over to the expectant bailiff.

“You got close Ms. Mercer. Nineteen Twenty-Eight this time." Placing it back in the bag and mixing the contents up again, he walks back over to Laura who just jams her hand into the sack. The look on her face almost screams how annoyed the hybrid in disguise is at this whole exercise.

Rolling her eyes at Laura's antics, Usako tilts her head a bit upon feeling her ears twitch from the clinking of the coins across the room. Something's tickling her instincts, long taught to be restrained in public each time the sack's mixed up by the Bailiff or someone grabbing a coin.

'This one better be it…' Laura mutters to herself, pulling out the coin, only to grit her teeth and resist the urge to throw the obsolete form of currency at the Bailiff in front of her.

“Nineteen Sixty-Nine." He calmly states after retrieving the coin from Laura. Repeating the same song and dance of mixing the bag back up before walking over to the defense's table, he looks at all who sit there.

“I'll go next." Usako, as polite as she can, climbs up onto the defense table from the boosted seat and walks across the surface. So she can stand more or less face to face with the Bailiff. Said court official nods and holds the bag out for Usako, who holds up one finger. Causing the well-built man to curiously look at the Arctic Fox.

“First, can you please shake the bag a couple more times?" Rotating her ears fully forward, she both looks at and focuses her hearing on the bag. Letting those instincts take hold, if only to figure out what's got them so riled up.

Looking back at the judge questioningly, the Bailiff takes Belitrov's small nod as a yes before shaking and mixing the bag up again. Eon's of instinct and evolution work in the Arctic Fox's ears and brain. Used at one time in the ancient past to allow her less intelligent ancestors to mouse and hunt through snowpacks for their prey of rodents.

The Zootopian finally hears it. One clink, not like the others. A new prey, of metal and not flesh and bone to hone in on.

Grinning, Usako holds up her hand-paw to get the Bailiff to stop, which he does so. She then she reaches in with determination, and digs her fingers to where she thinks the desired coin is. An ancient part of her mind imagines it being filled with tasty rodents instead of coins. She dismisses that out right.

'That's if the one dated Nineteen Twenty-Nine is the one that sounds different.' Pulling the coin out, Usako keeps her hand-paw closed around the sized silver dollar.

Looking back at the curious gaze of the Mercers. Then the indifferent gaze of both Belitrov and the Bailiff. Lastly, the Arctic Fox looks over at the confused and angry gaze Ms. Faith is giving her before she turns to her lawyer.

Looking down, she opens her hand-paw. A grin forms on her muzzle as her tail wags a couple of times before she hands the coin to the Bailiff patiently waiting in front of her.

Turning to face the judge he holds the coin up. “Let it state for the record, Usako Chasofito pulled the Nineteen Twenty-Nine silver dollar. So the Defense may go first." Stating out loud so the court recording machine has a verbal record, then walks up to the judge's podium. Placing the bag and coin in front of the judge.

Task done, he takes his spot next to the podium.

Picking both up, Belitrov puts the coin in his pocket and stashes the bag under the podium's desk. 'She's most likely not a Bio-Morph. They're lupine, and while lupines have great hearing. Foxes outshine them in that category. Arctic Foxes can match Red Foxes in their ability to mouse, if not beat them due to having to hunt in the snow. The nineteen twenty-nine silver dollar has less silver in it than the years before or after due to the skyrocketing cost of silver during the great depression. So it's no wonder she was able to find the coin on sound alone.'

“Objection." The lawyer for Laura and Aquis ltd stands. “If this was some kind of test over the subject of if this 'unknown being' is a Bio-Morph or not. The prosecution requests another means of determining the party who goes first. My client suggests either a simple coin flip or a game of rock-paper-scissors, if the judge still insists on a chance based system."

Without a hint of emotion on his face Belitrov bangs the gavel once. “Overruled. Being the sole arbitrator in this case I am within my power to test and to ask questions of either you, the defense, or neither. Considering what the defense has planned and what I expect you, the prosecution will do in turn. I don't think this argument has a leg to stand on."

The elderly judge looks over to Steven and everyone else sitting at the defense table. “You may proceed with your case. Keep in mind we will adjourn in four hours time for an hour lunch, then continue till six pm when we will adjourn for the night." He bangs his gavel, then watches Steven and his lawyer gather the toy's used in the baby's and child's section of the international I.Q. test and arrange them on the empty table between the defense table and the evidence table.

Reading over the instructions, Steven, and his lawyer place the hole filled hollow cube in the center of the table. Then in front of it, they place each hollow and different colored shape in a row; A yellow star, a pink square, a blue rectangle, a red triangle, a green cylinder, and a shiny gold disc. Each making the sound of hollow plastic as they're placed on the compressed particle board surface.

Once set up, Steven looks back at Usako, who takes it as a signal to slide off her current seat and approach the table. Forgoing walking around the defense table, she just ducks her head and walks under it.

Standing up, Angela grabs the chair the Arctic Fox just vacated, minus the booster seat. She drags it in front of the test table, then helps Usako back up onto it. This table being low enough Usako doesn't need a booster seat.

“This is going to be a rather simple test Ms. Chasofito." Stepping up to the test table, the defense lawyer looks over to the Zootopian.

“This is the basic shape and color association exercise. Normally its administered to human children of the ages between one and two. How this works is I'll state a shape, and you will as quickly as possible find the shape in front of you, and place it through the matching shape on the side of the cube facing you. When you insert all the shapes, I will rotate the cube to a different side. We'll then do it again, but by color instead of shape." He waits, for the Arctic Fox to show some sign of her understanding it.

When she nods, he continues. “The last test of this section will be a combination of both of the previous two, with me calling out fake combinations of colors and shapes. Normally this part's administered to children between the ages of five and seven on average."

Nodding to the lawyer, Usako looks down at the shapes 'Good thing I'm not color-blind like a good third of the vulpine population.' She then looks to the prosecution's table, expecting an objection, then Judge Belitrov.

Belitrov also looks to Laura and her lawyer, with them tight-lipped he looks back at the Zootopian Arctic Fox. “The defense my proceed with this test."

“Triangle." The Defense Lawyer states. Usako without hesitation picks up the triangle and slots it through the matching hole on the hollow cube with ease. He notes down the few seconds it took on a piece of paper. It's then followed by him calling out in order; star, cylinder, cube, disc, and rectangle.

With all the shapes inserted, Steven reaches for the hollow cube to remove them and rotate to a different face. Only to stop upon hearing the most annoying word in the English language to him for the past few days.

“Objection!" Laura's Lawyer beats Laura to the punch, but only by a mere fraction of a second. The fact that Laura almost beat her to doing her job is yet another annoyance she has with this client.

“A single iteration of this test cannot in of itself prove intelligence. It could be just a trained behavior rather than this unknown-being knowing what the shapes are." Laura's lawyer then gives the hybrid an annoyed look but regardless, Laura nods in agreement.

Belitrov bangs his gavel with a sigh. 'As annoying as they are starting to be, they're right.'

“Sustained." He looks to Steven, Angela, Usako, and their lawyer. “Repeat the test. This time put the blocks in a different order and in a different location on the table or the floor, which ever you want." He looks to the prosecution's lawyer. “Does that satisfy the prosecution's objection?"

Usako's ears lower a bit in annoyance with the tip of her tail twitching as Laura and her Lawyer converse for a few minutes before the hybrid's lawyer turns her attention to the elderly judge.

“A total of five iterations of the test with at least one of them having the shapes scattered about the room as the 'unknown being's' is blindfolded and its hearing blocked to prevent it from knowing the locations ahead of time. Only this will satisfy me and my client, Aquis ltd otherwise we will put in an objection to the test in general. Requesting it be stricken from the court record and the judge's consideration of its status in being a Bio-Morph or not." Laura gives a wide toothless smirk to Usako as her lawyer speaks.

Belitrov looks to Steven and his lawyer, both are in mid discussion. In a hushed but animated tone over the now higher bar to meet. Usako's ears fall a bit further as she realizes their one-day set of tests will turn into a multi day affair if the judge continues to grant the prosecution's objections.

Something that doesn't go unnoticed by Steven if the Arctic Fox's ears aren't deceiving her.

Steven's Lawyer turns to face Belitrov once he and Steven make an agreement. “The defense will accept these conditions, 'only' on the condition that we're granted the same courtesy when it is the prosecution's turn to present their evidence."

Banging the gavel twice, Belirov points wooden hammer at the prosecution. “The defense accepts the conditions. Keep in mind not to abuse your right to objecting, otherwise I will find you in contempt of court. Our time isn't unlimited after all." Pointing it the set-up in front of him. “Defense, you may proceed at your own pace."

Setting the gavel down, he folds his hands on the table in front of himself. 'But please be quick, I'd rather not spend the entire day watching some being demean themselves with a baby's toy.'

Retrieving the shapes, Steven places them in a different order in front of Usako. Their lawyer calls out each shape again, and she puts them in the corresponding holes. On the next retrieval from the cube. Steven place one shape on each corner of the table, then the remaining two on the floor on the left and right side of said table, again in a different order from the previous iteration.

While still relatively quick, The Arctic Fox is slower in putting the shapes in the cube this time.

In the next iteration, their lawyer enlists the help of the Bailiff as he, Steven, and Angela hold a shape in both of their hands that the Zootopian has to retrieve from them before being able to place it in the cube. Forcing the Usako to walk back and forth between the three of them and the table.

With that iteration complete and her panting lightly due to her thick but heavily trimmed winter coat. She looks to their lawyer, then judge Belitrov. “Okay. So do I just close my eyes and cover my ears with my hand-paws or?"

Belitrov shakes his head. “To prevent peeking, someone else would have to do it. Would someone on the defense team do it? Or I could have the Bailiff do it for you."

“I'll do it." Steven raises his hand, oddly a little quicker than the judge expected. Steven then walks over behind Usako.

Tilting her muzzle up, Usako looks at Steven as Angela and their lawyer use a quick game of rock paper scissors to determine who'll place the shapes across the room.

Lowering her muzzle, the Arctic Fox lets out a sigh of resignation of having to do this. “Go ahead Steven." Gently, Steven uses his fingers to cover Usako's eyes while his thumb lightly folds over her ears, gently pinching them shut.

Angela ends up winning the game and their Lawyer hands her the shapes to place around the room.

Glancing about the court-room, the youngest Mercer sibling considers her options. 'On the one hand I'm enjoying seeing Usako having to do this, on the other we have to win to keep everything. Still, if I put them in too obvious of places, Ms. Bitch and possible hybrid over there will object to it.'

Walking over to the Judge's podium, she places the disc on the floor in front of it, flat side facing up. From there, Angela makes her way over to the prosecution's table. Grinning politely and with a bit of a look saying 'you wanted this.' in her eyes. She places the square between Laura and her lawyer's things with a smile.

Said hybrid in disguise fiercely tramples down on the urge to bare her teeth and growl at Angela. 'I'm normally in better control of my instincts, why are they flaring up now?'

Palming the rectangle, Angela walks over to the empty Audience section of the court room, looking at all the empty seats, she places it on one of the chairs. On her way back to the front of the court-room, the triangle's expertly balanced on the post for the left side swinging half door.

Heading next for the empty jury box, she smiles to her brother and resists the urge to boop Usako's twitching nose as the Zootopian's sense of smell works overtime to cover for the temporary loss of hearing and sight.

Angela climbs into the jury box and places the star on the seat of a chair near the entrance.

Holding the cylinder in one hand, the youngest Mercer sibling scans the court-room, trying to decide where to put the plastic shape. 'Can't put it too close to another one…' Looking over to their table, Angela dismisses it as well. 'Too obvious, even I would object to the placement if I was in that bitch's high heels. Tacky as they are. Doesn't she know that anything more than an inch is out of style?'

'Sigh. Bad fashion aside, that only leaves one place to put it.' Walking over to the evidence tables and everything that remains of Usako's things, minus the cockpit of her wrecked spacecraft. She points to an empty spot in front of the flight data and flight voice records while looking up to the judge.

Having watched the defendant place each of the shapes, Belitrov nods to the youngest Mercer sibling's unspoken question with an unspoken answer. Just in case Usako Chasofito can still hear them.

Placing the cylinder down on the table, Angela makes her way back to her seat behind the defense table. This time, indulging in the urge from earlier, she boop's Usako's twitching nose. Causing the Zootopian Arctic Fox to sneeze.

“Hey!" Usako rubs her muzzle as Steven lets go of her head, then glares at Angela. 'If this wasn't a court room I'd bare my teeth at her for that. That's rude when it's not done by mates.'

Combing the fur on her muzzle back into place, she then looks over to their lawyer. “I take it we're ready to start?"

Nodding, the Defense Lawyer points to the hollow cube. “Whenever you're ready to begin, I'll start timing."

Climbing down off her seat, Usako walks over and collects the most obvious one first. Picking up the disc from in front of the Judge's podium. Walking back over to their table the Arctic fox climbs back up onto the chair, grabbing the hollow cube with her other hand-paw, she places it on the seat of the chair as she climbs back down off of it.

“There, I don't have to climb up the chair for every shape." Slotting the disc into its respective hole in the hollow cube, Usako retrieves the square shape from the prosecution's table, plastering her best vulpine smile on her muzzle as she does so while looking at Laura and her lawyer in their eyes.

With that shape slipped into it's corresponding hole. She approaches the half doors separating the two parts of the court-room, retrieving the triangle from the top of the left post. Only to stop and scan the audience section in front of her.

'Even if I couldn't scent that one of the other pieces is nearby, I would automatically suspect one of them being placed on one of those many empty chairs in there.' Entering the audience section, the Arctic Fox looks down each row till she spots the rectangle sitting on a seat cushion, grabbing it. Usako makes her way back to the front of the court room with both objects in her hand-paws.

Inserting both into the cube, she stands there, looking around the place from the defense table. 'Well the cylinder is there on the evidence table, saw it earlier. That leaves only the star, and considering the pattern the placement's been following so far, that leaves only one place left.'

With a flick of her tail, Usako walks over to the empty jury box. Pushing open the human waist height half door, she looks around the empty seats. Spotting the star, the Arctic Fox grabs it and promptly returns to the hollow cube to insert it into it's corresponding hole.

'Alright, last one.' Grabbing the chair their lawyer isn't using right now. She drags it over to the tables with all the 'evidence' in this case. Pulling it up next to where the cylinder is, which is in turn next to the two recorders. Usako climbs up and reaches for the last shape, only to suddenly pause as her nose twitches again.

'That scent…' Sniffing a bit closer to the flight voice and flight data recorders. The arctic fox has to clamp down on herself to prevent her ears from folding back and her tail from lashing about. 'That bitch hybrid's perfume is all over both recorders, and only them. Not much is coming from the rest of my stuff. Don't think it's potent enough for these humans to scent it but it's bright as day for me or any canine or feline. I bet even a Bio-Morph could smell it.'

Grabbing the cylinder, Usako hops down off the chair and goes to insert the shape into the hollow cube. 'The judge mentioned Laura exercised her right to examine the evidence herself. I have to say this 'stinks' and I don't mean the scent of her choice of perfume. That's going to be obvious to anyone with a better sense of smell than these humans.'

“Alright, you're done." Their lawyer stops recording the time for each object and starts scoring it. “Well, even taking into account the prosecution's requirements for this test. My client, Ms. Usako Chasofito has completed the one to two year old's section of the test in record time. She'd be considered a genius if she was a human child at the ages this was intended for."

Approaching the judge's podium, he hands Belitorv the filled out paperwork, allowing the elderly judge to look over the results himself.

Banging the gavel once, he looks at all in the court room. “The court accepts the evidence presented by the defense." Then turning to look at the defense table in particular as they remove the shapes from the hollow cube and move said cube to a different face, one where each hole has an outline in the same color as the shapes they represent.

He points the gavel at them while Steven returns all the chairs minus the one being used by Usako at the test table back to behind the defense table. Angela takes her own seat while observing the room with a neutral expression.

“I am of the understanding this was only the first test you have planned. There's a color association one up next, then the ring puzzle test, followed by the written tests. Am I right?"

Belitrov eyes his watch on the same arm holding the gavel. 'Just over an hour has passed. This is shaping up to be a slow day. Please don't let this become a multi week affair like that Simpson trial they use in law school.'

“That is correct your Honor." Steven replies as Usako grabs the attention of their lawyer by waving a hand-paw at him. Kneeling down to be face to muzzle with his vulpine client, he listens to what she has to say.

Belitrov then turns to look at the prosecution. “Does the prosecution object to keeping the following tests to a single instance. In light of the time it took to do just this one, and to keep this trial on a semblance of a schedule?"

Laura and her lawyer look at each other. A semi heated exchange follows over their plans while Belitrov watches them. Taking longer than the elder judge would like, Laura's lawyer then looks back at the judge.

“Only for the sake of time will we accept the premise of only a single instance of the following tests on the 'unknown subject', but we will reserve the right to object if we feel it necessary."

He bangs the gavel. “The defense can proceed with the rest of the tests at their own pace keeping in mind the afore mentioned time constraints." As Belitrov puts the gavel down, the defense lawyer picks up the next packet of paperwork for the next part of the test as Steven lays the colored shapes in front of Usako one by one.

“Alright Ms. Chasofito." Their lawyer looks at her. “I'm going to call out a list of colors and shapes. Some will match the ones in front of you, others won't. Your task is to only pick up colored shape and place it into the corresponding colored hole in the cube when I call out a correct combination as fast as you can. Like 'yellow star'. Not put the shape into the hole when I call out the wrong color like 'blue cylinder'. Understand?"

The Arctic fox nods once, keeping her ears forward and her tail still. The seconds though drag on while their lawyer flips through the paperwork before deciding on a page of pre-prepared combinations. Only then does he start calling out shapes and colors.

“Green Cylinder, Blue Star, Red Disc, Pink Square, Gold Triangle, Pink Rectangle, Yellow Star, Blue Disc, Gold Rectangle, Red Triangle, Green Disc, Blue Rectangle, Gold Disc."

Noting the time it took the Arctic Fox Zootopian to place each of the colored shapes, and that she did not make any mistakes. Even with some fumbling due to the slipperiness of wood chair against her clothes and fur.

The defense's lawyer fills out the rest of the sheet for this test, approaches the judge's podium and presents Belitrov with the results. “Let it be stated that the 'unknown being' scored a near perfect score. Even though she's an adult of her species and the test's geared to five year old human children."

Placing the results in front of the judge, he returns to the defense's table as Steven moves the ring puzzle base in front of the Arctic Fox. Three posts of equal height, set in a block of wood. This is followed by a set of rings. Each one of them a different size than the other in a stack totaling seven.

“Oh a tower of Equinoi puzzle?" The Arctic Fox looks up at Steven.

“If you mean 'Tower of Hanoi', then yes. As listed on the site for the I.Q. test, it's to determine your ability of logical thinking, planning, and forethought. You are familiar with the rules since this 'equinoi' is your worlds name of it?" Steven places all the rings from largest to smallest on the left post of the base, then moves to sit down back at the defense table.

'Last thing we need is for them to object and claim I coached her.'

Glancing down at the seven rings, then behind her to Steven as their lawyer moves to stand beside her with his phone as a stand in for a stop watch. “Moving only one ring at a time, and not placing a larger ring on top of a smaller one. I'm supposed to move the entire stack from one post to another in as few moves as possible."

Nodding, their lawyer readies his phone. “Yes, and I will start the timer the moment you touch the first ring."

“Okay." Usako turns her attention back to the rings. Keeping her ears forward, she doesn't stop her tail from twitching as she mentally moves the pieces in her head for several minutes. Taking a breath, the Arctic Fox reaches over and grabs the smallest ring, labeled one, and places it on the furthest right post labeled C.

Their lawyer starts the timer the moment Usako's claw tips touch the ring.

Usako then moves; Two to B, One to B, Three to C, One to A, Two to C, One to C, Four to B, One to B, Two to A, One to A, Three to B, One to C, Two to B, One to B.

Pausing for a moment the Zootopian scratches behind one of her ears as her tail wildly twitches.

Continuing on, she moves; Five to C, One to A, Two to C, One to C, Three to A, One to B, Two to A, One to A, Four to C, One to C, Two to B, One to B, Three to C, One to A, Two to C, One to C.

Laura raises her hand, only for it to be physically brought back down by her lawyer while she scowls at her. Losing concentration from the noise, Usako stops and stares at the puzzle for a few minutes before continuing.

The Arctic Fox moves; Six to B, One to B, Two to A, One to A, Three to B, One to C, Two to B, One to B, Four to A, One to A, Two to C, One to C, Three to A, One to B, Two to A.

Only to pause again for a few minutes, causing Belitrov to glance at his watch in slight annoyance.

Letting out a sigh upon seeing no faster option, Usako continues. One to A, Five to B, One to C, Two to B, One to B, Three to C, One to A, Two to B, One to C, Four to B, One to B, Two to A, One to A, Three to B, One to C, Two to B.

Folding her ears back she tries to move a bit faster. 'This is taking too long…' One to B, Seven to C, One to A, Two to C, One to C, Three to A, One to B, Two to A, One to A, Four to C, One to C, Two to B, One to B, Three to C, One to A, Two to C, One to C, Five to A, One to B, Two to A, Three to B, One to C, Two to B, One to B, Four to A, One to A, Two to C, One to C, Three to A, One to B, Two to A, One to A, Six to C, One to C, Two to B.

Pausing yet again, upon hearing a sigh of boredom from someone in the room, but guessing from the tone, it's Angela. Usako looks around. 'Fine. Kinda obvious what the last few steps are.' In a flurry, she does the final couple dozen remaining moves.

The moment the last ring completes the cone on post C, their lawyer stops the timer on his phone, compares the result to the scale, then hands the paper to the judge. “Let it be known to the court that one Usako Chasofito completed the test in normal time and without a mistake."

Looking over the sheet, Belitrov mentally winces at the fact it's the shortest amount of moves was over one hundred for the puzzle. 'I would've made a mistake on my first try…'

Holding up the gavel, he looks over at the Prosecution's table. Mentally daring them to object to a single instance of this test. 'No way in hell am I sitting through watching her do that again.' When no movement by Laura or her Lawyer's made to object, Belitrov bangs his gavel twice.

“The court accepts the evidence as presented by the defense." Placing the gavel down on the table, the elderly judge looks to the Defense's table and the table Usako's sitting at in front of it. “I understand that the written tests are next, am I correct?"

Looking up to face the judge from reading the written test instructions, Steven nods. “Yes your honor."

“What is the estimated time for completion of these tests?" Belitrov intertwines his fingers as he rests his hands on the desk in front of him on the podium.

Flipping through the paperwork, Steven searches for that information while their Lawyer sets them up in front of Usako. Including taking out a graphing calculator and setting it to base eight. Surprising the zootopian Arctic Fox if the movement of her ears and tail are any indication.

Finding the spot, the elder Mercer sibling looks up at Belitrov. “The paperwork says to limit the time for each test to forty-five minutes so, two hours and fifteen minutes in total for the three grade level tests. One for elementary, one for junior high, and one for high-school/college." Then walks up to the podium to show him the part of the paperwork.

While keeping a straight face, Belitrov sighs inwardly. 'Two and a half hours watching her take a paper test. In the trial of the century…' He bangs the gavel once.

“The court will accept that time frame, but will allow any member of either the prosecution or the defense. Other than the 'unknown being' in question. Who needs to step out and take a bathroom break or get refreshments, to do so. My bailiff will escort you to the restrooms or vending machines that are down the hall. Otherwise, Ms. Usako Chasofito, you may begin your tests."

Steven quickly heads back to his seat, least he give the prosecution an excuse to object.

Putting the gavel down he places his hands in his lap. 'Just don't take the full two and a half hours… I also have to feel sorry for the Prosecution. It's an awkward position they're in. My own kids, let alone grandkids would've struggled in these two tests at the recommended ages for them. That's about the only angle they have to dispute the evidence given by the defense, even then. Claiming Usako's too old for these to be an indicator of her intelligence would by definition admit that she is at least smarter than the average animal undermining their own case.'

Picking up the pen, Usako mentally prepares herself for this part of their case. 'Just like when I was back in school, just with a lot more pressure than just getting a good grade.'

Opening the grade school level test booklet, the Arctic Fox works on filling out the answer sheet. When she gets to the math section, the extra step of converting to base-eight slows her down a little, but overall she gets the grade school level test finished well before the forty-five-minute time limit given.

Handing the completed answer sheet to their lawyer for grading, Usako opens the Junior-High school level test and gets to work answering the questions within. Only flicking one of her ears, it swivels, focusing in on the sound of Laura standing and grabbing the Bailiff's attention. So the Hybrid in disguise can go use the lady's room and grab a coffee. Usako's ear tracks Laura till she exits the courtroom, then returns to its relaxed position.

By the time Laura returns, steaming coffee in hand. Fifteen minutes has passed, and Usako's already about at the half-way point for the Junior-High school level test. Sitting back down in her seat at the prosecution's table, Laura mentally sighs.

'She finished the first one under the forty-five-minute time limit. Looks like she'll do the same on the second one, which means a good chance she'll do it again on the last one too. It's going to be 'very' hard to prove she's a fake now. Even if I could prove to the judge she's a Bio-Morph and not an intelligent alien, what will this say about other Bio-Morph's and my employer's business considering she's been able to do all this?'

Her gaze wanders to the Flight Voice Recorder and the Flight Data Recorder. 'Being blank will have to be enough to prove to him this is all fake. I don't have similar hard hitting evidence like the defense here with these tests.' Glancing over to her lawyer, her mood sours even more, seeing that the lawyer's demeanor is of just wanting to get this over with.

'Yea she thinks we can't win this…'

Laura's attention's brought back to Usako as the Zootopian Arctic Fox finishes the Junior-High school level test. Closing the booklet, Usako hands the answer sheet to their lawyer to grade like the last test, then grabs the High-School/College level test. Only to pause upon opening it and seeing the first set of questions.

Looking up to their Lawyer, she smiles politely. “Can I have a couple pieces of blank paper to use?"

'Starting the test on math of all subjects! Sigh, well it is High-School and college level, it's almost a rule to be dicks about it to those who take these tests.' Usako holds her hand-paw out towards their lawyer who quickly furnishes her with a couple of sheets from his legal sheet sized pad he's using as a hard surface to grade the tests while sanding next to her.

Taking the paper, the Arctic Fox gets to work on the last of the tests, having a bit over an hour left on the deadline, she tries to not work too fast that she makes mistakes.

Steven watches her work for a few minutes then stands and moves to look at their lawyer grading the second test. Leaning in closer, he whispers in an attempt to try to not disturb the Arctic Fox, even if he knows she would still most likely hear them. “How did she do on the grade-school and secondary ones?"

Glancing over to Steven, the defense Lawyer shows him Usako's graded answer sheet. “A Perfect score on the grade-school level one, though with the simple questions and math problems in it. I'd be worried if she didn't do that well. Got an eighty-seven percent on the Junior High school level one. Mainly missing multiple questions in the geography section and the few history section."

Smiling a bit, the elder Mercer sibling momentarily glances at Ms. Faith and her lawyer before turning back to his lawyer. “Understandable. She says her world's colder than ours so the land masses and stuff would be different. Florida is a large isthmus in her world rather than a chain or large islands in ours. Not surprised either that some history isn't the same either, anyway. With the previous tests, this, and I am thinking the information on the flight voice recorder and the flight data recorder. We may have a strong enough case to just ask the judge to skip whatever they come up with and for a formal ruling."

Looking over to Usako, their lawyer judges how much time they have left till she's done and has to grade it, before turning his attention back to Steven. “I wouldn't go that far, but we do have a rather strong case. Still, I need to talk the judge pertaining those recorders. Ms. Chasofito brought to me a disturbing piece of information from when she retrieved the cylinder."

Steven looks between him and Usako. “What kind of information?"

Taking no chances, their Lawyer uses the pen he was using to grade the tests, flips his pad of paper to a blank page and writes out. 'Ms. Chasofito scented Ms. Faith's perfume on both recorders, but not any of the other evidence on the table. Belitrov stated Ms. Faith exercised her right to look at the evidence, so why only do so with those two items have that and nothing else?'

Politely taking the pen form their lawyer, the elder Mercer sibling jots down his answer under the lawyer's writing. 'If she tried to delete it, it won't do any good. Sis made backups of both of them, they're on our home computer, and we listed them the paperwork I gave you. I don't think she read that part otherwise she wouldn't have tried something like this.'

Handing the pad of paper over to Steven, the elder Mercer sibling flips the other sheets back over, covering what they just wrote. Watching as their lawyer walks back to the defense table, opens his briefcase and pulls out the evidence list. Thumbing through it, he finds what Steven mentioned near the end of the list as an addendum to it on the last page.

Steven hands everything back to their lawyer upon return. Said lawyer flips back over to the page they were using. 'Because it was a last minute addendum. The preceding pages would otherwise have a note that there's one. First chance I get, I'll bring this up with the judge and see if we can't get a hold of the copy today.'

Reading it, Steven nods. Handing the lawyer back the stationary, minus a blank page. Approaching Angela, who's been quietly watching from the defense table, he grabs her attention by tapping her on the shoulder before taking another pen out of their lawyer's briefcase.

She looks over just as her older brother hands her a piece of paper and pen. Taking it and reading it over, the youngest Mercer sibling glances back over to her brother before jotting down her reaction on the paper and handing it and the pen back.

'Get someone to take me home over our lunch recess and I'll drag the family computer here by the cords if I have to. If that bitch over there asks about anything, just say I needed some personal care item.'

Nodding to his younger sister, Steven drops the pen back into the briefcase, then walks up to their lawyer and shows him the piece of paper. Only to fold it up and place it in a pocket and return to his seat at the defense table. Not a moment too soon either as Usako raises her ears and her hand-paw to indicate she's finished with the high-school / college level part of the written I.Q. test.

Collecting the test and answer sheet from the Arctic Fox, their lawyer goes about grading the test as everyone else in the court room looks on. Belitrov and the Bailiff both out of boredom and late morning hunger. The kind you get before lunch as you wait for the clock to strike noon.

Laura and her Lawyer do so out of annoyance at both a stunt like this being allowed and that they had to sit and wait in the court-room till Usako was finished. Bathroom breaks notwithstanding since the Bailiff had to chaperone Laura.

Pocketing his pen, the defense lawyer collects the three graded tests and heads for the judge's podium. He places them in front of the judge next to each other from grade school on the left to high-school / college level on the right.

“Let the court record show, that this 'unknown being' going by the name of Usako Chasofito had a perfect score on the grade school I.Q. test. An eighty-seven on the junior high school one, and an eighty on the high-school / college one. The questions missed by her could be accounted for due to difference between her world and ours, not that she's unintelligent."

Banging the gavel once, Belitrov looks over the presented answer sheets and tests. “The court accepts the test results as evidence from the defense." Glancing at the time. Just over a half hour before they're scheduled to adjourn for lunch, he looks to both the defense and the prosecution.

“If all parties agree, we may adjourn a bit early for lunch and return here in an hour for the defense to explain their view of the evidence in front of us."

He gestures to the table with all the paraphernalia including the recorders.

Standing, Steven gestures at his younger sister as their lawyer returns to their table. “That would be fine. Though I would like to ask if someone can escort my sister back home. She forgot a rather personal healthcare item in our rush to get here this morning. Something that I think the prosecution's familiar with." Trying hard to give a natural aura of embarrassment about a subject of feminine hygiene.

'Not bad at feigning embarrassment.' Usako notes at Steven's amateur acting.

'Not a bad plan either, guess they also didn't notice me glancing over at what they wrote while I was taking the test.' Usako muses but keeps her muzzle shut. 'Still find it weird human females do that 'every' month, even if we're faking this, so we can get the computer from their house. I'll bet my pension they gave to my family Ms. Hybrid bitch over there blanked both recorders.'

The elderly judge showing actual embarrassment at the fabricated situation in front of him. “My wife and granddaughter would crucify me if I denied such a request." Belitrov bangs the gavel twice. “Court's adjourned for one hour for lunch. Bailiff, inform the resident officers Ms. Angela Mercer will need transport to her house."

Everyone stands, then Steven helps Usako down from the boosted chair before they too head out of the courtroom. Their lawyer though, approaches the bench instead. “Judge Belitrov, can I talk with you for a moment. Alone?"

Letting out a sigh as he stands, the elderly judge looks to the defense lawyer, expecting, yet dreading this. The only surprise to him is that it's the defense lawyer and not the prosecution's. “Yes, follow me to my chambers. I must warn you. I'm about at my limit of shenanigans today though."

His attention's momentarily grabbed by the movement of Usako's tail tip disappearing behind the closing front door of the court-room. Belitrov shakes his head and returns his focus to the defense lawyer as he leads him to his office behind the courtroom.

--

Twitching her tail in annoyance, Usako glances behind herself at Steven, then around the courthouse cafeteria. Ignoring the looks and stares of clerks, and other employees of the federal building in the room. “You'd think they'd spring for something better than this for us to eat?"

“We can always ignore the strongly worded advice of the police and risk going out to eat with the general-public? Besides this is better than grunt food, so I'm not complaining." Steven jests, knowing full well her answer considering what happened on their way here two days ago.

Snorting in mock annoyance at Steven's words, the Arctic Fox politely deflects a curious hand from someone in a neighboring line with her own hand-paw. Then she playfully bats Steven's leg with her tail. “Hah. That's one of the better things about being a test pilot. We got the better food than the grunts on the ground. Catered meals and all that."

Sighing, her mood falls a moment later. “You're right though. I'd be an idiot to want to go out to eat with how worked everyone around here is. I'm just glad we didn't have another set of religious nuts trying to kill me on our way in today. Only the weapons grade amount of camera flashes." Letting her ears fall a bit, she follows the person in front of her in the non-vegetarian food line.

Only to yip out loud in protest as Steven picks her up. “Hey what!… oh right." Closing her muzzle, she sees they're up next, and she's too short to see over the tray rails.

“That's one thing I miss from home. Is at least there, they'd have a ramp for me to walk up onto if they didn't have a separate line for mammals my size."

Holding her on his hip like he would a human child of her size, Steven helps her fill a small plate of food with what the zootopian wants as he fills his own. “I'd hate to have to be the person who has to figure out the logistics of such a system. Not to mention how chaotic it would be to navigate for everyone."

Setting her down at the end of the line after they choose their drinks, Steven places it all on a tray as Usako shakes her tail and smooths her fur. “Granted it is annoying in that if you own or rent property you have to make sure you've furnished the place to fit the most possible species. Still, it's better than the old days from what my grand-parents had to go through. The whole having separate buildings, yet supposedly equally furnished or serviced."

Tilting a brow, Steven leads the Arctic Fox to an empty table. After setting the tray down, he helps her up onto one of the chairs before taking one opposite hers. As he sits, zootopian grabs her drink, a non caffeinated soda and her chicken sandwich meal, setting them in front of herself.

“Forced integration? It took decades for us to realize that doesn't work well. Breeds resentment in one group and undue entitlement in the other, often ending in violence. Better to just forbid out right banning and let those who want to mingle do so, while leaving those who don't alone. Until they do something illegal like murder or what not."

Folding her ears back, not at what Steven said but the bland food in her mouth. Usako nonetheless forces it down least she goes hungry. “I wouldn't call it forced like I suspect you're thinking. It's just illegal to for example not have multi-mammal sized doors. Ramps, stairs and other means to allow all sizes of mammals to use the same facilities. I mean if I were to rent or buy a home back home, and if it was already sized for a mammal of my stature. I would also have to furnish it for mammal's smaller than me like rabbits, ferrets, and rodents. Or provide means for them to use everything from the kitchen to the bathroom and furniture without undue hardship."

Steven digs into his chicken fried steak with similar musings about the quality and a similar need to just suck it up and eat it least he goes hungry as well. “That, I think is the definition of forced." Sighing loudly.

“I would rather talk about something else and mot have our meal tread ground covered by the civics courses I had in school. For example, you know a lot about me, my sister and our family. I just don't know much about you besides being a test pilot and well, you know, the various bits and pieces from what's been happening."

Lapping up her soda, because the straw's not the right type for a predator teeth filled muzzle. Usako tilts her head a bit. “We've got a bit of time before we're due back in court and your sister returns, so, what would you like to know?"

Sipping his soda, Steven thinks it over for a few moments before setting his own glass down. “Well family for starters. Why did you become a test pilot too, other than, well, that chip on your shoulder over 'him'. Any particular hobbies you're interested in? You're going to be staying with us for the foreseeable future after all. I want you to be comfortable."

Involuntarily letting her tail bash the chair's backrest at the hint of Nick Wilde, Usako sighs. “I recall telling you a bit about my family. Just not everything. Anyway, I have an almost twin sister named Sasaki Chasofito and a brother Dalium Chasofito. Arctic Foxes have small litters compared to other fox species, three at most compared to red foxs who start at two to three. Sasaki looks almost like me except her summer coat is more red than cobalt blue. Don't know why. Even Dalium's a normal cobalt blue, a lighter shade than me, but still normal color."

Finishing off her sandwich she nibbles on the fries.

“So they're the same age as you then." Grabbing a ketchup packet, Steven coats his own fries with it to mask the blandness.

“Yup, but were pretty different from each other in everything else." Usako sighs.

“I wanted to prove I wasn't like what other mammals view foxes as while I discovered my love of flying. When I could join up to peruse it, I went through a literal stack of applications and rejection letters before I got in. Sasaki just wanted to peruse her interests and let others think what they will, She's gotten 'really' into the home manufacture scene or maker's as they call themselves. Dad still to this day jokes that my sister may soon make an airplane that I could fly using her three-dimensional printers and CnC machines. Dalium on the other paw is laser focused on being a doctor and was as of my test flight, building his own stack of applications and rejection letters to be let in."

Pointing a fry at her, Steven subtly smiles. 'Heh, Arctic Fox she may be, but that's no different from any human family, not to mention how Angela, Mark and I grew apart interest wise even though we were born only a few years apart and grew up together.'

“Did Sasaki, approve of what you wanted to do? What about Dalium and your parents?"

“That's complicated…" Usako pauses to think a moment. “My love of flying, they were alright with that. My attitude once Mr. holier fox than thou appeared in the news, even if for most of his life he was doing his upmost to embody all the negative views of foxes. No, they all said it was unhealthy and I shouldn't be so focused on it. Despite the fact it helped me push through everything I had to go through to be approved as a test pilot for the first FTL flight. You're too big, you're too small, you're the wrong species. Yadda yadda."

Letting a wave of homesickness wash though her. Usako reaches up and scratches one of her ears. “Sis in particular told me that I'd stress myself into an early grave over it and I should just ignore him as he would most likely ignore me. Saying we'd never really cross paths after all."

Chuckling a couple of times, Steven takes a sip of his soda. “Well, she's right. You'll never see him in the, um I guess fur? Unless you count seeing the movie that is."

Shaking her head once, Usako smiles back at Steven. “Nope. Not going there. I'm still processing that little fact." She points a claw tip at Steven. “Yes, the saying is 'in the fur' back home rather than the weird 'in the flesh' one here."

Lowering it, the Arctic fox uses the same hand-paw to pick up and munch on a french-fry.

“Anyway. As for my parents. Mom's a child of immigrants. Her parents, my grand-parents fled to our version of America while the Purrussians absorbed the large peninsula north of the large island of Nippon and the small cold island between it and Nippon. Dad's from Barklaska who was attracted by the stories of the newfangled city being built, the name it was changed to, and the opportunity it held compared to the remote village he lived in."

Finishing up her meal, Usako places the plate on the tray before focusing on finishing the child sized drink. Not wanting any of the food to go to waste.

“Let me guess, Zootopia, right? Also, Nippon, Purrussians? Barklaska is kinda obvious…" Steven follows suit, placing his on top of hers.

Blinking once, Usako chastises herself at using the names of places from her world rather than the names for them here that she's learned. “If I recall the maps you've shown me. That be 'Japan', and 'Russia' respectively. Though the former is just a bunch of islands here, and the latter doesn't extend as far into Pawurope, I mean European Union, as it does back home."

Finishing off her drink, the Arctic Fox places it on the tray and wipes her muzzle with a napkin. Bunching it up and tossing it onto the tray as well. “Yes, Zootopia was originally a smaller fishing focused city. The only things left from all the building and revamping from when my grandparents were my age are the slums of happy town and the historical wharf district. It's all 'new' in the sense nothing is older than fifty or sixty years."

Downing the rest of his soda, Steven places it on the tray. Standing, he picks the tray up. Hopping of the chair, Usako follows him to the 'silverware and tray collection' point where the elder Mercer sibling deposits their used dishes.

“So those climate walls shown in the movie aren't new?" Steven glances down at Usako before leading her out of the cafeteria. She follows ears forward and a lazy tail sway back and forth.

“Nope. They are meticulously maintained because they are a point of pride for the city. So they do look as shiny as they do in that movie, they just don't look exactly like that. They were built back when nuclear power was new and the public found it interesting so it's got that fifties 'flair'. Of course, we understand it better now and newer nuclear plants put function over form."

Not far outside the cafeteria they meet up with some court officers who in turn escort them back to the court room. More or less ending their conversation.

'Wait… I just had lunch with Steven and casually talked about my family and a bit about myself…' Her ears perk up and her tail goes still at the thought of this. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by the elder Mercer sibling. 'Did I just have a 'date' with him in the middle of a trial of all places?'

Forcing them back down to their neutral positions, she tries to focus on them heading back to the courtroom. 'I mean, he's not 'bad' looking from what I can tell of these 'humans'. He's been nice to me and has tried to treat me with respect, when I don't trigger a lecture about civics here… Sigh, your pregnant girl. Don't let your hormones get the better of you and make you read into things that may not be there. We have a trial to win first after all. Then we can do this soap opera shit.'

Tilting her ears back slightly, she glances at Steven, then the doors to the courtroom before the officers push them open for the two of them. Seeing the Hybrid in disguise, Ms. Faith's already back at the prosecution's table with her lawyer, sours her mood a bit.

Once inside they head for their seats at the defense table, but before the doors behind them can close. Angela and their own lawyer push them open, the latter dragging a plastic cart with some closed cardboard boxes on it.

Steven, continuing his polite behavior, of course helps Usako up onto booster seat. Then looks over to his sister, who takes the seat opposite of the Arctic Fox. “Get what you needed at home sis? I don't think they'll let you go back again if you forgot something."

“Yea" She looks over as their lawyer parks the cart next to their table before sitting down himself. “Bet I also had better food for lunch than you did." Angela playfully smirks at her older brother.

Chuckling, he nods. “That would be a bet you'd win. Still, it was better than the field rations I had during deployment in Antarctica."

The shuffling of papers causes one of Usako's ears to swivel in the direction of the prosecution's table. As well as their hushed tones about what they're going do on their turn, not to mention speculation about what's in the boxes.

Entering from the back of the courtroom, the bailiff walks up in front of the judge's podium next to the evidence tables. The empty table Usako took the tests on is no longer in the room, someone must've moved it during lunch break. “All rise!"

Everyone stands, though Usako opts to do so on the table rather than on the booster seat this time.

Belitrov enters a second later. Taking his seat on the judge's podium, he bangs the gavel a single time. “You may all sit. Court is back in session." Putting the gavel down he looks to the defense table.

“If I recall correctly, we left off just before you were going to explain your views on the evidence presented to the court."

Gesturing to the two tables in front of the podium.

The defense lawyer stands. “Yes your honor, though with a slight alteration from the original submitted briefing."

He walks up to the podium and stops next to the two tables. “From the scores on the international I.Q. test, I assert that the evidence is clear. One Usako Chasofito is not a Bio-Morph. So, we will only do a general overview of what the items before us are." He gestures to everything on the table.

“Not how they couldn't have been manufactured by the Mercers, as I know the prosecution will try to claim on their turn. With one exception though, we move to have the contents of the Flight Voice recorder, and the Flight Data recorder viewed first and in full before that and the resting of our case."

Usako cannot help noticing the self-assured grin forming on Ms. Faith's face as she reaches over. Grabbing her lawyer's arm to stop her from raising it and objecting to this, much to said lawyer's disgruntlement. She yields to the will of her client, no matter how dumb she may think it is, and from the look on her face. The Arctic fox can tell the prosecution's lawyer thinks her client is a complete idiot.

Belitrov also looks over to the prosecution, with a slight frown rather than a look of confusion. 'If it wasn't for what the Mercer's lawyer shared with me before lunch, I'd be suspicious of why Ms. Faith just stopped her lawyer from objecting to this.'

Waiting for a few moments longer without the prosecution objecting, the elder judge bangs his gavel once. “The court accepts this change in itinerary. I take it the defense has a method to play contents of the two black boxes for the court on hand without us having to delay the proceedings any further?"

Moving from the defense table the Angela opens the top box on the cart their lawyer brought in. Pulling out the Mercer's USB-C to modern standard adapter cable. Cleaned up of the degraded and melted rubberized plastic coating. Followed by a small near paper thin television. Usako recognizes it as being from Angela's room.

Carrying both, she walks over to the evidence table, gently pushing some smaller objects aside as to not knock them off. The younger Mercer sibling sets everything up minus connecting the USB-C end of the adapter to either of the Data recorders. With that task done, Angela returns to her seat at the defense table as their lawyer stands to take her place.

'And their case will fall apart once they find both blank.' Laura lightly bites down on her tongue, least she starts showing her teeth in the grin plastered on her face at how well this is going.

“Does everyone have a good view?" The Mercer's lawyer glances at everybody, except Belitrov, who vacates the judge's podium, he won't be able to see the screen otherwise.

As the elderly judge moves to stand between the prosecution and the defense table's, next to the court Bailiff. The Mercer's lawyer turns on the TV before connecting the flight voice recorder to the USB-C end of the adapter.

The following's displayed on screen. {Unknown Media connected. Do you wish to format? Y/N} Followed by a cartoonish rendition of the required remote for the set, showing the user how to say yes or no.

The calm and methodical action of the defense lawyer disconnecting the Flight Voice recorder, and connecting the Flight Data recorder with the same result erases the grin on Laura's face. 'They should be panicking, why aren't they panicking about this? They've rested their entire case on the contents I erased.'

“Ms. Chasofito." The defense lawyer disconnects the Flight Data recorder.

Looking over to the Zootopian Arctic Fox he politely motions for her to stand. “For the court's records, as you picked up cylinder from the last iteration of the first shapes test earlier. What was the scent you picked up off the Flight Data and Flight Voice recorders and not the rest of the evidence on these tables?"

Fighting to hide a smirk worthy of the vulpine she hates, Usako moves to stand on the defense table as she looks at her lawyer. Then to Ms. Faith before looking to Judge Belitrov standing between the two tables.

“I scented the heavily applied perfume that Ms. Faith uses only coming from the two 'black boxes' and not anything else of my property on that table. So heavily applied that it seems to coat anything she touches."

“Objection." Shooting to her feet, Laura yells with a bit of a growl to her voice. Something that only goes unnoticed by Laura herself.

“I used my legal right to examine the evidence. The local police didn't provide strong enough neoprene gloves to deal with my nails. So of course the scent of my perfume is on them."

Not having his gavel to bang, Belitrov does the next best thing. He walks up to which ever of the two tables is closer, and bangs his hand on it to make a similar sound. “Objection denied, that does not answer as to why she claims your scent is only on the two recorders and nothing else."

“She's of course mistaken or lying." Pointing back at Usako. “I examined and touched everything except for the inside of the fake cockpit because they didn't remove any of the dirt or debris inside it and I didn't want to get any of that under my nails."

Approaching Belitrov, the defense lawyer smiles. “So you're admitting Ms. Chasofito, who you're claiming is an unintelligent bio-morph, is actually intelligent? It takes intelligence and forethought to lie in such a manner Ms. Faith."

The prosecution's lawyer also approaches the judge, unintentionally crowding him, causing the Bailiff to gently move both lawyers a few steps away from him. “I would like to move to have that last statement stricken from the record, and a moment to talk to my client about her tendency to have outbursts and not letting her council do her job please."

“Partially sustained." Belitrov nods to the prosecution's lawyer, before addressing them both in general. Trying to Ignore the vulpine grin on Usako, and the shit eating grin on Angela's face.

“This is highly suspicious. They were supposed to be left intact for this very purpose." Glaring at Laura who was about to object, but his stern gaze silences her.

“Still, it would be a conflict of interest to assume at face value that one Ms. Usako Chasofito is telling the truth without checking. Do both councils object to having a k-nine unit confirm or deny Ms. Chasofito's assertion?"

Both the Defense lawyer and the Prosecution's lawyer shake their heads, despite the latter ignoring Laura's verbal objection.

The elderly judge glances to the Bailiff standing next to him. “Let in the k-nine unit I requested please." Wordlessly, the court bailiff walks over to the main entrance to the courtroom, opening one of the doors.

A male German Shepard breed Bio-Morph, wearing an orange vest saying 'k-9 unit' on it, and a leash enters. Followed shortly by a middle-aged male officer, holding the other end of said leash. His face neutral and looking uninterested as he walks up to Belitrov.

The Bio-Morph looks over to Usako curiously, tilting his head. Confused as to why she kinda looks like a child but smells like a pregnant adult female.

“You may begin." The elderly judge takes a step back, allowing the officer to do his job.

Snapping his finger's to draw the attention of his 'bio-morph' charge, once the German Shepard breed looks at his handler. The middle-aged officer uses the hand signal for 'scenting', he then points to Laura.

Filing the mystery of Usako for later, the German Shepard Bio-Morph walks over to the hybrid in disguise, to everyone but him and his nose that is. Having scented her from the moment he was in the building, the Bio-Morph knew a hybrid was near.

Tensing a bit, Laura watches as the Bio-Morph leans down and sniffs her over. On her hands, upper part of her chest and then her neck. Normally where she dabs herself with perfume every morning. Places the scent of her 'heritage' is the strongest to her own nose. A nose not as strong as the one on the German Shepard breed though.

“Got her scent boy?" The officer asks.

The bio-morph stands sternly straight as he was 'trained' to do for a positive answer to his handler. Despite wanting to roll his eyes at the human's obliviousness.

“Good boy." The officer points to the evidence table. “Find it." He verbally commands while also giving the Bio-Morph the hand signal equivalent.

With the words spoken, the German Shepard breed Bio-Morph walks up to the table and sniffs every item on it. Methodically, from one side of the table to another, not missing a single object. Till he stops at the Flight Voice and Data recorders. Moving to sit on his haunches he points his muzzle at the two objects and holds his tail straight out.

The body language he was trained to give, if he found a scent it was told to find.

Walking up to the Bio-Morph the officer pats him on the head and gently pulls him back, away from the evidence table via the leash. Belitrov quickly takes his place.

“Let it be known for the court record, the k-nine unit scented Ms. Laura Faith's scent only on the Flight Data recorder and the Flight Voice recorder. Indicating she only touched those two objects. The k-nine unit may wait outside the courtroom please."

Nodding once, the officer leads his Bio-Morph by the leash, exiting the court-room. Even if the Bio-Morph would be more than willing to leave on his own, Laura's perfume leaving a bad taste in his mouth as it lingers in his nose.

Laura's lawyer looks at the hybrid in disguise then to the judge. “I am obligated to point out that they could've been blank before they were handed to the police." She says rather meekly.

'Though am pretty sure my client did something stupid. Don't know why, she's normally smarter than this.' Musing to herself as she stares daggers at Laura.

'I'm 'so' getting reprimanded by the bar for this.'

Climbing down from her seat, Usako approaches the judge, though not as closely as to not further crowd the elderly man. “The crash was hardly bad enough to damage them enough to wipe them. They dropped that exact model of recorders from orbit in a mock up of the prototype I flew 'several' times and both boxes survived with most of their data intact each time."

“And I can testify they worked before handing them to the police." Angela quickly stands, speaking up.

Belitrov looks over to the zootopian Arctic fox. “I surmised as such, human craft have similar systems for a similar purpose. Though painted bright neon orange, and these don't look badly damaged either."

Turning this attention to the Younger Mercer sibling, he points to her out of habit like he was holding his gavel, which is sitting back at the podium. “Please explain for the court how you know that Ms Mercer."

Stepping out from behind the defense table, Angela approaches the evidence table and removes the converter box from the television's sole input port. “Because I copied the data on them onto our home computer. I was, emotionally distraught at that time. Especially after learning that it was Usako's craft that hit the ship my older brother Mark was on. So I wanted to keep those last moments on those recorders of his ship to remember him by. Hell, they haven't even given us his personal belongings from the wreckage yet."

Walking back to the defense table, Angela grabs the other box off the cart, hauling it over to the evidence table. Placing it on the floor next to the television, she removes the family computer from the box.

Laura's lawyer interjects, suddenly realizing what else is in the boxes the defense brought in. “Objection. The defense cannot admit evidence not already submitted to the court and allowed for both parties to review during discovery prior to the trial."

“Objection denied." Belitrov glares prosecution's lawyer and her lack of due diligence.

“Check the addendum at the end of the list of submitted evidence in your paperwork. Mr. Steven Mercer submitted a copy of their home computer's data drive and within the copy of the contents of the two black boxes to the police prior to trial."

Walking back to the table, the prosecution's lawyer opens her briefcase, pulling out her hard-copy of the evidence list to leaf through. Finding the page, a frown forms on her lips before looking back to judge Belitrov. “Objection withdrawn your honor." Dropping the paperwork into her briefcase she turns her growing ire on her client.

'You screwed up and I can't help you.'

Having hooked up the computer as they were discussing the legality of doing this, Angela takes a step back. “Okay. Ready if everyone else is."

Moving to stand between the defense and the prosecution table again, the elderly judge nods. “You may start whenever your ready Ms. Angela Mercer."

Nodding once, the youngest Mercer sibling launches two instances of the default media player. One to play the voice data, the other to play the visual data.

The first thing everyone sees is a fully suited Usako Chasofito forcefully stuffing herself into the cockpit of the 'Experimental spacecraft-113' via the Zootopian version of the internal space station. Though the video feed across the bottom indicates her as 'Lieutenant Chasofito'.

The arctic fox runs through various preflight checks, once strapped in the only seat in the craft. To the point she's asked if everything is okay over the general comms, which she confirms.

A short bit of dead air comes next as she moves to off record communications about her worry. “They were asking if I was getting too nervous over the private comms." Usako fills in for the dead air on screen.

The Zootopian Arctic Fox, followed by their mission control give an all clear for flight once the dead air ends. Everyone in the room watches through the various camera angles on screen of the ship separating from the space station, moving under its own power. Only the ship's camera's shaking tells them that it's the ship moving and not the space station.

More points of data come alive on the Flight Data recorder's playback when in the video, Usako reaches to flip the switch connecting the ship's radiological thermal reactor to all the systems on the craft rather than battery power. Soon the view of the Zootopian version of the International Space Station and the bunnies crowding the windows shrink away on the forward facing camera.

Replaced by a view from orbit of a much colder, lower sea level earth. The North American continent in clear view in the center of the screen.

Instead of great lakes, minus one now connected to the sea like in their three degree plus warmed world, there are glaciers. The islands of Florida are an isthmus nearly twice the thickness as how Florida was a century ago ending mere miles from the giant Caribbean island, compared to their many islands now.

The continent itself is wider too, the sheer sight of it amazes everyone in the room other than Angela and Usako.

The latter of which gets a little homesick at the sight as her eyes focus on where camalfornia is, near zootopia, at where one of the smaller satellite cities would be, though it's not visible from orbit. Where her parents, grand-parents, sister, and brother live.

No doubt looking up at the sky trying to see her at the same time.

As they watch, the earth shrinks while the craft moves away. Usako reporting over the radio she's moving the craft to the minimum safe distance per the plan for the test. All the while lines indicating the state of charge of four giant high voltage capacitors creep ever upwards on the graphs from the Flight Data recorder.

In her seat in the courtroom, Usako mimes the actions she took that day. Reaching up the flip invisible switches, and grasping an invisible control stick in front of her as the craft flips. The front camera becoming pitch black, the aperture too short to see the starlight. Along with the rear camera gaining the shrinking blue marble of the Zootopian earth.

Motions that do not go unnoticed by Belitrov, or the prosecution's lawyer. Both moved by the sight of what appears to them a pristine and untouched earth compared to theirs ravaged by the hubris of their kind.

“The mission was simple." The Arctic Fox speaks up in the dead air as the engine charges on screen. “Do a short FTL hop from somewhere between the earth and the moon to the orbit of Jupiter on an intercept course for an old orbiter probe still in orbit. Mission control would monitor the probe's camera's and I would pilot the craft into its field of view. Then flip the craft again, charge the engines, and jump back to earth and try to dock with the space station. Failing that, disconnect the cockpit section from the engine section and do a splashdown in the pawcific. Umm, pacific."

The craft flips again, a small earth fills the front camera view. Almost the size of the moon as seen from the surface of the earth. Spikes in the data show the craft's thrusters fire, slowing and eventually stopping the craft near the Lagrange point between the earth and the moon.

“You're at the Lagrange point, aren't you?" Everyone looks to the Bailiff as he speaks, the voice no less quiet or bass filled than when he does his job. “Brother's a resource runner to one of the farm colonies. He's sent me photos of the earth from there to show how small we really are. It's also one of the main FTL space entry points for resource runner craft."

“Yes, that was the name of the place where they wanted me to fire the engines. Far enough away that if the FTL drive didn't work. The resulting explosion wouldn't take out the space station or rain debris back down onto the planet. Close enough that if I had to bail with the cockpit section, I'd eventually make it back to earth." Usako looks at the Bailiff, then back at the screen as the Ion-Engines shut off. Again the craft flips as her past self aims it at the target.

“How much longer do we have to wait till something relevant happens?" Laura quips, causing everyone except the judge to look at her disdainfully.

“Just a few more minutes 'Ms. Faith'" The Arctic Fox points to the graphs showing the charges of the super-capacitors. “They're almost charged."

{Mission Control, Lieutenant Usako here. Super-Capacitors charged at … T-plus twenty-five minutes, over.}

A few minutes later. {Lieutenant Usako, this is Mission Control. We are a go for engine start.}

{Mission Control, this is Lieutenant Usako in the experimental Space-Craft-113, Acknowledged. Flipping the first four switches.}

The voice data recorder doesn't pick it up, but Usako fully remembers the noises the craft made as she flipped the switches to activate the FTL engine. One of her ears flicks in tune with that memory of the loud clunks the ship made.

{Lieutenant Usako to mission control … I'll see you on the other side Mission Control} The video shows her flipping the final switch.

Controlled chaos is the word that comes to mind as they all watch the output of the Flight Data recorder while the video feed goes white. Only to be replaced with the colorful swirl of FTL space.

Along with a giant, dull brown and multi segmented ship that is the standard resource runner quickly growing in size as the craft uncontrollably careens at it.

“I tried to do evasive maneuvers, but neither the propellant thrusters nor the Ion-engines seemed to work.". Usako comments as the resource runner ship looms large in view, moments before impact. A small detail the Zootopian pilot missed, because she was frantically working the controls at the time, but the camera caught.

The letters of the ship's name clearly painted on the side, leaving no doubt what ship Usako hit. The 'Vector', the ship Mark was a crew-member of. Followed by one of the maneuvering thrusters on the ship. Next to the snip name, sputtering to life. Flaring brightly in the video, before sheering off the side of the resource runner. Flying off into who knows where in FTL space and making it impossible for the Vector to avoid the collision, which it was almost able to.

Laura collapses onto her seat. Realizing why that person she talked to on her phone wanted this data gone, or downplayed as a forgery.

'Neglectful maintenance caused the collision, thus destruction of the ship and this alien to be here. They're obligated to not only pay the next of kin of those who were on that ship their balance, as if they completed this run, per their contracts. On top of that, an additional amount for negligence as the company runs the ship maintenance in between runs, not the crew.'

“I've seen enough. You may stop the playback Ms. Angela Mercer." Belitrov gestures at the television screen. The youngest Mercer sibling quickly moves to stop the actual playback, at about the point her craft collided with Mark's escape pod, 'just' missing a smeared split second frame that could've been Mark's face on the belly mounted camera of Usako's craft.

Walking back up to the Judge's podium, Belitrov sits down, then picks up his gavel, gripping it tightly. “Does the Defense rest their case, or would they like to continue as planned?" Pointing the gavel at Steven, Angela, Usako and their lawyer in turn. Knowing full well they'll say yes. Belitrov still has to ask for the official record.

Standing, the Defense lawyer smiles. “We do our honor." he glances over to the prosecution's table before sitting back down.

Laura tries to shrink further into her seat while her lawyer goes about packing things away into her briefcase.

Belitrov swings the gavel over and points it to the prosecution. “The Prosecution may present their case if they so desire now that the defense has rested their case." Noticing how Laura's and thus Aquis's lawyer is packing things up like she's getting ready to leave, Belitrov can already surmise the answer is 'No'.

“We do not your honor." She speaks up causing Laura bolts upright at this. “Wait!"

Her lawyer stops what she's doing and turns to face the Hybrid in disguise, and places her hands on Laura's shoulders.

“If you're going to start taking my legal advice, it best be now! What slim chance of a case we had here flew out the window when you pulled what ever stunt you did to blank those Black Box recorders Ms Faith. Drop the case, then lawyer up. With anyone 'other' than me. If you're lucky you may only spend the next five years of your life in jail and losing your citizenship for tampering with evidence, least of which on the trial of the century."

Letting go and turning around, the prosecution's lawyer closes and her briefcase and picks it up. Looking to the judge, she sighs more at herself than anyone.

“I hereby state for the record, I am no longer the lawyer for the parties of Aquis LTD nor Ms. Laura Faith." Turning away from Belitrov, she walks out of the courtroom. Her heels the only noise till the door closes behind her.

Three bangs of the gavel brings three eager set of eyes and one set of eyes full of dread back to the elderly judge Belitrov. “Since the prosecution has declined to present their case, I will now render my judgment in Case file 73023157, Aquis Ltd, subsidiary of Yakeru-Tech vs Mercer Traditional Produce and Meat."

Looking over each person in the room, lingering a bit longer on Usako and then Laura. He folds his hands on top of the lip of the table in front of him while leaning forward.

“I've been a judge for many years, longer than some of you have been alive. I don't think I can recall a time when such a high profile case, ends up being such a simple matter to render a decision jury or not." His gaze falls on Laura. “Prosecution misconduct non-withstanding. You do make the top ten of idiot moves in my book, but not number one."

Shifting his gaze over to Usako, the weight of it causes her to lower her ears even if she has a good feeling about what he's going to say.

“In front of me lays multiple objects minus the wreckage that could not be placed in here for obvious reasons. Any one of them individually, could within a reasonable doubt, have the possibility of being manufactured by the Mercer family with the tools they have on hand. From what I understand the prosecution planned on presenting such an argument."

His gaze falls upon Ms. Faith again, if only for a moment.

“Combined, along with the recordings we just watched assembles an image unassailable and 'extremely' unlikely to have been manufactured as a whole by the Mercer family short of them having a triple A movie studio hidden somewhere on their property." Pausing as he turns his attention to the room in general.

'No one's going to believe how such an important trail ended up being so easy to decide nor more than a bit boring if I am being honest with myself.'

“I here by rule in favor of the Mercer family and Mercer Traditional Produce and Meat. They are not required to pay the remaining balance on their leased Bio-Morphs, one Lieutenant Usako Chasofito, is a thinking and rational being. Not a Bio-Morph. It was within her rights to remove the collar mistakenly put on her. So the Mercer family and their company Mercer Traditional Produce and Meat did not acquire the health and well-being point against their lease, triggering the events leading up to this trial."

Banging the Gavel once, Belitrov continues.

“Further more. I hereby with the power invested in me by the state of Texas, grant one Lieutenant Usako Chasofito full citizenship to the United States of America…"

The afore mentioned Arctic Fox stands on her booster seat, wobbliness be dammed, waving one of her hand-paws in the air to get the attention of the judge.

“Yes Ms. Chasofito? Can it wait till I am finished with rendering my ruling in your favor?" A bit of snark enters belitrov's voice as the day weighs on him a bit.

Shaking her head, Usako speaks up. “No. I just needed to remind you in case you forgot, I know I'm not showing yet, but I'm pregnant. What about my kits? I doubt they'll have the opportunity to become citizens in your system. They wouldn't be able to pass the hard labor civil requirements and I doubt your military would let them in even if they wanted to follow in their mother's foot-paws."

Smiling at Usako's forethought, Belitrov nods. “No I did not forget, but you raised a good point. We must always look after our children." Pausing it looks through the paperwork in front of him.

“Good, the defense submitted a DNA test." Casting his gaze to the entire room in general.

“In addition to granting one Lieutenant Usako Chasofito citizenship, with the power invested in me by the state of Texas. I also grant citizenship to her unborn children and any descendants there of, if any. Pending a DNA test against the genome entered into this court's records for heredity. After all Lieutenant Usako Chasofito didn't choose to be stranded here, she, nor her descendants should be punished for it by being stuck in legal resident status by their birth."

He looks to Ms. Faith. “To facilitate this, Aquis LTD is here by ordered to furnish Ms. Chasofito and her kin for as long as their line exists, with a method to advertise to the public at large they're free and not to be confused with Bio-Morphs. If Aquis LTD is unwilling, the State of Texas will provide such a system instead, if not the federal government of the United States of America."

Banging the gavel thrice, loudly. He sets the instrument of justice down, but doesn't stand. “Bailiff!" bellowing out.

The Bailiff stands at attention, facing the Judge. “Please escort Ms. Laura Faith to the nearest court officer." Belitrov looks at Laura.

“You're being held under the suspicion of tampering and destruction of evidence. Federal trial or not, that's a federal offense." Striding over to the prosecution's table, the Bailiff reaches to help the hybrid in disguise up to her feet.

Momentarily forgetting about her non-human looking teeth in her anger, Ms. Faith fully bares them as she swats the Bailiffs hands away in an almost claw like swipe. “You have no proof other than the trained scent animal."

Both acts aren't missed by the rest of the courtroom, causing the Bailiff hesitate briefly, before he grabs the hybrid 'gently' and helps her to her feet, semi involuntarily on Laura's part.

The vulpine grin on Usako's muzzle's quite visible to the now revealed hybrid as she's taken out of the courtroom.

“One more thing before you're free to go Ms. Chasofito." Speaking up, Belitrov draws her, and the Mercer's attention back to him as he smiles like an elderly grandfather. Rather than a judge.

Erasing her grin, Usako tilts her head slightly as she looks back at him while their lawyer and the Mercer Siblings go about packing everything up, including the Mercer's family computer. “Yes?"

“This is a completely personal request, and you can refuse if you want to. Yet, I would be raked over the coals by my grandkids if I didn't at least take the opportunity to ask. Well, considering one of my granddaughters calls you the cute fluffy fox and wants us to 'get one like her' every time you're on the news."

The elderly judge pulls out his phone, not as paper thin as the modern ones the Arctic Fox has seen, but thinner than the one she used to own.

“If you would allow me to take a photograph that I can send to her? It would make my granddaughter's day." The elderly judge steps down from his podium and approaches the Zootopian Arctic Fox more like the elderly man he is than the weight of his office of a mere few minutes ago.

Shrugging, Usako climbs down from her chair. “Why not." Standing at attention in front of the defnese table. She stands at her full height, Ears up and forward, tail still and held in her hand-paws curved forward in front of her, after all it's the fluffiest part of her. Holding the phone up, Belitrov aims, then takes a step back to get a better angle before taking a few pictures of the Zootopian Arctic Fox in her trimmed winter coat glory wearing the approximation of her service uniform.

“Thank you Ms. Chasofito. I hope you have a nice rest of the day and I hope you enjoy your stay here in the states."

Smiling back at the elderly judge, Usako nods. “You're welcome, and thank you for seeing reason compared to some other Humans."

“Lets get back to the farm." Steven steps up next to Usako, causing her to look up to him as Belitrov pockets his phone. He heads to his chambers behind the courtroom so his phone can explode in notifications in private from his grandkids.

“Yea. Let's go back and try to ignore the media, which is going to swarm the place." Reaching up to take his hand, Steven leads her out of the courtroom.

Angela follows behind them pushing the cart with their computer and everything that was on the evidence table on it. The look on her brother's face and Usako's muzzle as they hold hands doesn't escape her notice.

'She may act like a bitch, can't deny bro looks good with her.'

---

End chapter notes:

I know it seems a bit one sided, but the last chapter had a lot of time spent on what Laura was going to do i felt that having the prosecution having a go would just feel like repeating myself.

Yes, the original idea was to have Usako and Steven get together and yes that's at least 'most' of the solution to the 7 disc tower puzzle.