February 2022 Test Drive

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION

1. ENTRY

It feels like a dream as you wake up in what appears to be a government office. It is remarkably mundane: white walls, small screens with the number that is being served and at what desk, chairs along the perimeter of the room, and pleasant music playing from unseen speakers. There's nothing out of the ordinary, right?

Then you take a look at the inhabitants in the office: Lost Souls and youkai alike make up the ranks of a never-ending line in front of a desk manned by an akaname in a suit. However, another youkai, a hyakume, is your first contact in this world. You're instructed to take a number and stand in the queue. Take a seat if you want– but you're reminded to be quick when your number is called or you'll be passed by.

Congratulations: you're in Hell.

If you're lucky, you're in line behind a fellow Lost Soul. If you're less lucky, you're stuck behind any number of youkai that may be disturbing to look at or ones that may actively try to harm you. The ones with long arms may even try to steal your ticket from further back in the line.

Make small talk, try not to freak out, and keep your ticket safe (or maybe try to steal a better one) as you make your way up in the line.

2. THE CITY

Once you've been processed through the line, you're given your assignment to one of the four possible clans with directions to their respective clan offices. The city itself looks remarkably similar to a modern Japanese city, complete with narrow alleyways connecting wider streets. Glaring neon signs advertising various businesses compete for your attention, even the most mundane businesses.

Once you tear your attention away from the myriad distractions, your task is to find your way to the office. The akaname didn't exactly give you clear directions, just a piece of paper with an address printed on it. You’re on your own to find your way there.

• Those assigned to the Shuten Clan are directed to the gambling district.
  
• The Tamamo Clan members are directed to the red light district.
  
• New members of the Sutoku Alliance are pointed to the entertainment district.
  
• Those assigned to The Department of the Enma are sent to the administrative district.

Ask your fellow Lost Souls for directions or stubbornly find your way to the office all on your own. No matter how you get there, once you've made your way to the office you're given your lodgings (for rookies, it’s always the cheapest inn or apartment block in the area) and told to go out and get a feel for the city.

3. STREET FIGHT - SHUTEN TERRITORY

Scuffles break out all the time in Jigokucho, especially in the district dominated by the Shuten Clan. Whether it's a rival clan posturing over someone being on the wrong turf, shakedowns of all sorts, or just someone with a chip on their shoulder picking a fight: it always draws a crowd of onlookers.

No matter what street you're going down or what you're on your way to do, there always seems to be a fight to block the way. Take a look, take bets, or maybe you're the one caught in the brawl. Maybe someone decided they didn't like the way you looked at them or maybe they're trying to catch you in a petty scam. You may also feel the need to step in when fights are looking particularly one-sided.

Get used to this happening.

4. STICKY PAWS - SUTOKU TERRITORY

One of the more adorable features in the city is a cat cafe. Located within Sutoku territory, it always draws a steady crowd. If you're lured in by the adorable cats in the window, you're welcomed into a pleasant, cat-friendly environment with cats of every shape, color, and size lounging on various surfaces while being doted on by patrons. Of course not everything is as it seems: these are no ordinary cats. They're bakeneko in disguise and this cafe is a clever way to spirit away a few more coins for the Sutoku Alliance's coffers.

You may notice your wallet is a few (thousand) bills lighter at some point during your visit or your wallet may be missing entirely. Maybe it was one of your fellow patrons helping themselves while you were playing with a cat or maybe it was one of the cats. Who's to say? You quickly realize this place is not on the up and up; you have to do something about it.

Chase down one of the cats, confront your fellow patrons, or maybe try to shake down the owner for information. The latter won't get you very far, but maybe it'll make you feel better about losing your cash to a cute scam.

5. HELP WANTED - TAMAMO TERRITORY

CW: potentially NSFW, optional aphro

If you find yourself in the red light district, you might find yourself pulled into something else entirely. A scout in front of one of the numerous clubs drags you in off the street, assuming you're from the Tamamo Clan. It doesn't matter if you are or not, the scout is not listening to your protests. They say something about staffing shortages as you're shoved into the employee area of the club. The club manager then pushes some clothes at you and tells you to get out onto the floor once you're dressed. It might be a host club, it might be a bikini or banana bar, or maybe something even more salacious – whatever it is, you're working there for the night.

There are also barkers aggressively recruiting clients for these clubs, promising a good time for anyone who wants it. Whether it be the company of a pretty host or hostess, the lurid appeal of a strip show, or perhaps even other pleasures of the flesh: there's plenty to tempt even the most resistant.

Work at a club for the night or partake in the pleasures. Drinks flow like water, some with a little something extra to help things along. Everything is transactional here. As you have the money, you're bound to find something that tickles your fancy.

Welcome to the test drive meme!

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Comments

Barok van Zieks | Great Ace Attorney

[dehallow]

[ ooc note: van Zieks comes with a content warning for racism attached. He's getting better about it, but his opinion of anything Japanese was very low for a long time. Let me know if you want me to avoid bringing that up in threads! Likewise let me know if you want me to avoid Great Ace Attorney 2 spoilers. There are none in this top-level, but they might come up in threads. ]

1. Welcome to Hell

[ A waiting room like this might be mundane and ordinary to many, but to a man from Victorian England the culture shock is twofold. The architecture is as foreign as the many-eyed creature and its friends that surround van Zieks. For a few seconds, he simply closes his eyes standing up and hopes that this is all just a common nightmare that he'll wake from soon enough. However, the clarity of his senses (the noise, the smells, the firm ground under his feet) begs to differ from that notion. He is here and wherever 'here' may be, there is nothing appealing about it. Under his long dark cloak, his hand moves to the hilt of his sword.

Only, there is nothing to fight. He is given a paper slip and moved into a queue and... alright then. He is not about to cause a fuss in the middle of that procedure, so he does keep his place in line. Only when somebody passes by (or maybe stands in line next to him), van Zieks points at them with a gloved hand to get their attention. ]

You there. Pray tell, just what are we lined up for? These elaborate dress-up charades seem wasted on something as dull as a waiting room.

[ Please tell him the youkai are just people in costumes. Please. (Yes, he knows all the eyes move. It could be... elaborate stage trickery!) ]

2. Foreign Sights

[ Though the general situation was (poorly) explained inside, nothing could have prepared van Zieks for actually stepping out into the open and being assaulted by a spectacle of flashing lights like the nightsky at a fireworks festival and extremely crowded streets. This is an atmosphere like the Great Exhibition of 1900 only much, much worse. Van Zieks' furrows his brows and his face manages to look even more displeased than it does on an average day. He's a distinguished gentleman of 33 (going on a grumpy 60) and this place is disgusting him.

And then, he can suddenly read Japanese. ]

Of all things.... [ A useless complaint muttered under his breath trails off empty. Maybe this could be retribution.

With a heavy heart, he sets out into the town. You can find him doing what can only seem like window-shopping. Any stores that have electronics or modern fashion on sale interest him particularly, though not in the positive.

Or maybe you can find him in a relatively quiet corner, pouring over the smartphone he's been handed. He is currently in the process of figuring out that it doesn't work with gloves... which means he's just swiping uselessly for a good few minutes. ]

How can a world have just gotten rid of communications professionals? Being expected to handle these things personally... [ Grumble grumble grumble... It's really not directed at anybody in particular. ]

3. Wildcard

[ Have a different idea? Please shock van Zieks with modern things, drop a drink on him, get him to pull that sword for a fight?? Whatever you want to throw at me, chances are that I'll be game! If you're unsure about just tossing something out, feel free to PM. ]

foreign sights

[nya]

( it's kind of hard not to notice a large man grumbling to himself in the corner, even if he's not trying to stand out. she understands the struggle, somewhat; back in her world, these kinds of electronics also aren't common — but... she's familiar with similar technology, so she could at least figure out how to use one without that much trouble. )

Take off your gloves! These things need direct touch. ( she peers over his hands, pressing a clawed, bare finger to the screen to open a web browser. ) Try typing something! Anything you want.

( what will the demon network show... )

[dehallow]

[ ... ah. He should be offended by the invasion of his space that is happening here, but his frustration with the smartphone had been pretty close to reaching a boiling point so the help is coming at a very opportune time. ]

How inconvenient and frankly impolite to require the baring of one's hand.

[ He's from London of 1900, gloves are all the rage among the gentry. If he were a fine lady instead of a gentleman, he might have even been scandalized enough to refuse.

However, he is a man and also curious. It just feels a little ridiculous to remove his heavy white leather gloves. ]

The letters are just on the screen then...

[ That comment is more to himself again. Alright. Let's type.

Vintage wine is the first query he can think of so that one it is.

He does not know that he has to press enter after though.. ]

[nya]

Huh?

( is it really impolite? considering how she's dressed, the act of baring your hands doesn't seem particularly scandalous to her... but, you know, she prefers to be fully covered too, on most days. it's just that this place has taken away her ability to conveniently change forms, and now she's stuck.

that's neither here nor there, though — and it's not like she's asking him to bare his ankles, okay!!

she watches him type in vintage wine and waits, a moment, before taking the initiative to tap the screen again. unfortunately, at this angle, she just ends up brushing her fingers against more letters, which changes vintage wine to vintage winer, which in turn autocorrects to vintage miner, and now they're staring at a picture of a particularly ugly youkai covered in black dust. probably from coal. who knows. )

... ew. ( is her instinctive reaction, as she shuffles closer to the stranger to take a better look. ) That's what you wanted to look at?!

[dehallow]

... certainly not.

[ He looks... pained by this image, glaring at it as though it had personally insulted not only him but also his whole lineage.

At least the offense makes him a little bolder with trying to approach smartphone functionalities. He taps the search window again in the hopes that it will bring back the little keyboard and lo and behold! It does. One thing learned.

public decency.

A moment of waiting. Nothing. And then, as a small lightbulb seems to go off in his head, another tap. Enter.

... those sure are some infographics that involve a lot of clothing for appendages not commonly found in human beings. Huh. ]

This does not appear to be made for human use. [ He eyes Nia's ears as he says so. ]

[nya]

( technology isn't new to her, but she can't say this particular device is something commonplace, back on alrest. touch screens, sure, and giant robots, but smartphones? very strange. still, she seems to enjoy the different colors and images that pop up on the screen, ears flicking up in interest as she watches him type another query.

public decency... not something she'd personally ever bother to search up?! )

Oh! Do they have any ear-armor? ( there's some wrappings for your tentacles, and extensive sleeves for long arms, but what about cat ear protection?

she reaches towards the screen again, claws tapping against it obnoxiously, but instead of retyping his query, she just ends up messing it up to public indecency instead. what they see next... truly outdoes any human expectations...

... or maybe not. youkai indecency seems to be strange. an exposed tentacle doesn't mean much to her, nor is it particularly scandalous, but then she scrolls down further and there's someone humanoid and — )

Uwaah!! ( she jumps away, startled by the sight. ) These kinds of things are on there, too?!

[dehallow]

...?!

[ There is a second where it seems like van Zieks is about to drop the phone as though he had been burned by it like a vampire by a cross. Only at the last second he remembers that technological devices tend to be a) fragile and b) expensive and tightens his grip instead. ]

Almighty in heaven! Never do this again, girl.

[ This is... He is a Victorian age adult virgin and he cannot, for the life of him, comprehend just what he is looking at here. But he knows he doesn't like it. He turns the screen to Nia instead, unwilling to have this in his sight for a second longer. ]

Remove the pictures.

[nya]

I didn't do it on purpose!!

( before he thinks she's some kind of a pervert!

... that aside, he seems even more scandalized than she is, which in turn makes her less scandalized and more amused. watching a grown man react like he's allergic to naked people is, admittedly, funny enough to forget all about her blunder — she laughs, instead, peering at the screen again.

that sure is a naked yokai. they have like, four arms and five — )

Huh? Me? Uh... ( is he sure? well... alright, she can try. reaching over to the phone, she taps the first button she sees — which makes it play a strange sound. is someone slapping someone else? very weird. ) It says... "xxx-app downloaded." I guess that wasn't it...

( taps more. how many viruses can she download in the timespan of 5 minutes? )

1

[nichocolatine]

[ there badou was, minding his own business, shuffling into his place in line muttering about his rotten luck that he would be late enough even for hell, of all places, that he'd get such a shitty high number.

then some fancypants starts talking to him, like he's got any idea what's happening here outside of what he'd been told. (and, let's face it, he hadn't really been listening like he should have.) ]

I dunno man, but I ain't wanting to ask and risk making 'em mad.

[dehallow]

[ That is an astoundingly obedient answer for a man with an eyepatch and such casual speech. Unfortunately, it is also not a helpful one. ]

Hmph. I do not imagine suits like such are easy to engage in combat in, if that is what you're worried about.

[ How's a lump with hundreds of eyes going to handle a weapon? Well, one supposes it could pull the trigger of a gun, but...

... really that's not the pressing matter at all, isn't it. ]

Unless you suppose we are dealing with something more sinister than simple disguise.

[nichocolatine]

Disguise?

[ the redhead scoffs, though he sounds torn between disbelief and indignation. ]

Who the fuck would go to that much trouble just to greet a couple of chumps like us, huh?

[ so he's of the same mind as van zieks... except except badou's disbelief is directed at van zieks himself instead of the situation. because frankly? badou's seem more than enough crazy shit in his life that this just seems par for the course. ]

[dehallow]

There are all kinds of sick predilections in this world. Far be it from me to try and understand the preferences of every vulgar person out there.

[ Van Zieks has not seen crazy shit but he has seen crazy people and he'd not be all that surprised to find a whole cult of humans who love dressing up as bureaucratic monsters. ]

That said... if these are costumes, the stage trickery applied in making them is nothing short from the work of a genius.

foreign sights!

[nerine]

There's a learning curve, but once you get it, you get it.

[The genial voice comes from the young woman with short hair and light-colored eyes that gleam with some bemusement, enhanced by the city lights. Rounding the corner, the sight of the intimidating-looking man glowering at the newfangled(ish) technology makes Monts stop to watch for a minute.

It reminds her of the cafe; the Grind would have visitors who come from worlds that were not as technologically advanced, marveling at the coffee machines and items they used to create the beverages. Most were baffled and others suspicious, wondering why there needed to be a tool to make the milk foamy for instance?

Those were the fun customers. So in a way, she wants to be helpful in this case.]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but what kind of communication were you expecting exactly? Because with those, you can send letters and messages with voice too. It's an all-in-one kind of deal.

[dehallow]

Telegrams or letters are most commonplace these days. There is an invention called the telephone which would make a voice to voice connection possible, but it is not accessible to the general public and very much in its experimental stages.

[ He pauses here, because what he just said is the reasonable and easy answer. These are aspects of contemporary science that are familiar and seem to make a good deal of sense. But then...

Van Zieks looks a little exasperated as he continues. ]

Some people have further made the instantaneous transmission of voice and image possible in a sort of two way communication. They have not elected to share their achievements with the world - which may be fortunate for I do not believe their mad experiments are ready for mass production.

[ Herlock Sholmes' inventions are... a league of their own and van Zieks loves to deal with them by ignoring them. However, calling them to mind makes this "smartphone" seem a little less insane. ]

This object is commonplace where you hail from?

[nerine]

[Monts is a careful listener as Van Zieks explains what he was familiar with, technology-wise. Alright, so telephones were very much not a thing yet; emerging, but not a thing. He's seen these machinations at work, so it's not impossible and still in development.

Oren and Iona's advice when it comes to individuals who come from a different culture and/or time (it's a fluctuating concept), is to simply listen and not overload them with Too Much Information. It helps no one, and no one learns anything. Just one step at a time.

And currently, the first step is to answer his question. Monts taps her chin, looking thoughtful, before replying with a nod.]

Yep! Things are... Different? Yes, that's an easy way to put it. There are all types of communication methods where I'm from that are daunting if you didn't grow up into it. There's the longer explanation, but you don't look like the sort of fellow who wants to listen to all talk and no show.

[She glances at the smartphone display nearby and holds up her few fingers.]

Are you okay with a demo of one to two basic functions?

[dehallow]

You'd be surprised how much baseless talk I put up with on a daily basis.

[ As a prosecutor, he tries to make short concise work of his cases, but there are certain enthusiastic defense attorneys who have a tendency to bring up the most ludicrous hypotheticals to the court - and the gall to be right about them half the time as well. ]

Nevertheless, I would indeed appreciate a demonstration. I have been made to understand that I shall need this device more often than not in my daily life from now on, so I would do well to learn the ropes straight away.

I will follow your lead, Miss...?

[nerine]

Monts.

[That is most definitely a name.]

I'm gonna go borrow a phone from the shop so we can start somewhere. A minute if you will?

[And before he can answer, Monts quickly enters the shop and immediately chats up one of the employees, not at all perturbed by its facelessness when it turns to er, face her. After a minute or two, with some gestures towards Baron Van Zieks, the Nopperabō youkai hands her a phone and she strolls back to him, her finger already swiping across the surface.]

Okay, it looks like it works pretty much the same as my old phone. Click on the notification you see after I give you a text.

[She's in the middle of typing with both thumbs before pausing and smiling brightly.]

Ah, pardon me. I'm going to send you a 'letter.'

[dehallow]

[ There are a lot of things going wrong here so the oddity of her name mostly registers for the absence of a last name. Everything else can probably be explained by simply assuming that she isn't British.

Van Zieks is quickly distracted by the distinct lack of a face on the shop proprietor, but his stoics face does well at masking how unsettled he feels inside.

Letters, then. Sure. And not even a cable in sight. ]

I am prepared. Go ahead when ready.

[ He is staring down at this phone as though he's trying to get it to confess to a crime... ]

[nerine]

[And with that, her fingers start immediately tapping the screen.]

Annnnd send! There we go!

[The message she sends to him in the text message application is as follows:]

Hello!

As I said, you can call me Monts. This isn't so much a letter as it is a short-form version.

[She glances at van Zieks before sending another message.]

In general, there's a choice between sending letters or speaking with our voices using this type of phone. It makes coordinating plans a little easier or at least it gets things moving along at a more rapid pace.

2

[perfectlytimed]

[ Stronghart wasn't so quick to accept any of this as reality — much to the chagrin of that mass of eyes who had to deal with his unfettered complaints about the speed of the processing line, probably — and spotting such a familiar face in the crowd now just makes him suspect all over again that this may simply be a matter of his mind playing tricks on him. He's been working even more tirelessly than usual, after all, what with the Exhibition and the Symposium and now the loss of several of his most faithful colleagues. It's not too much of a leap to conclude that this is a ridiculous dream borne from a lack of rest and an abundance of Japanese associates both past and present asserting their relevance all at once.

...So, maybe he's a little more glib than he really ought to be when he speaks up in response to van Zieks's grumblings, especially given his supposition of the other man's current circumstances in their world. ]

What it lacks in convenience it makes up for in other ways, I should think.

[ He prefers tighter control over his communications anyway, so an instantaneous message sent directly to his intended recipient with no middleman to potentially intercept it sounds like a welcome development if it's to be believed, and isn't just the wishful thinking of his own subconscious.

...He really can't stand this digital clock display, though. He frowns at his phone's lock screen for a moment, then slips it into his coat pocket in exchange for his pocket watch. ]

I'd chide you for missing your court date, but I imagine neither of us planned for this.

[dehallow]

[ Van Zieks flinches subtly at that voice even before he looks up to confirm the identity of his conversation partner. Where Stronghart considers van Zieks' presence to be evidence corroborating the idea of a dream, Stronghart's presence does the same for van Zieks' belief that this is indeed the hell it proclaims itself to be.

The personalized torture of this place is distinct from the nightmares that van Zieks has long learned to live with. His dreams are pitch black darkness and the suffocating smell of copper and blood. Meanwhile, the bright bureaucratic nature of this town is completely antithetical to van Zieks' nature, even the nature of his dreams.

So, hell. God knows, Stronghart deserves to be there as well. It should be satisfying, then, to find him here - but van Zieks can't bring himself to be triumphant.

My... court date? He frowns, likewise putting his phone aside for the time being. ]

If I were to take a spontaneous vacation so soon after my return to duty, I would be certain to choose a more tranquil destination.

[ His court date... No, he won't acknowledge that statement right now and instead wait for Stronghart's reactions. Every encounter with the man is a dangerous game to play and he doesn't need to show his cards right now. ]

Not that it appears that we will be given any rest in this place.

slaps a warning for GAA2 spoilers on this thread

[perfectlytimed]

[ This time it's van Zieks' turn to give Stronghart pause. Return to duty? Regrettable though it may have been, that was never going to be an option. If Asogi were to somehow fail to secure his conviction in the courtroom, then it would be inevitable that the Reaper would fall to his own curse shortly thereafter. Van Zieks is well aware of this, he's sure; the man has his faults, but starry-eyed optimism certainly isn't one of them... and Stronghart doubts that even his subconscious would ascribe it to him.

Putting that phrase back in context — it implies this improbable return has already happened, doesn't it?

...

There's no visible change in his expression, stony and unreadable as always — but he does watch van Zieks silently for a good [ .... ] four seconds before he responds again. ]

No, that does seem like it would be counterproductive to this place's intended purpose, if we're to believe what we've been told.

[ He's not much for relaxing in the first place, of course, and honestly, having nothing pressing to attend to might be a sort of hell in and of itself... but he's fairly certain that he'd take even that over having to work under someone else's direction again. So if it really does turn out that this isn't a dream...

He looks back down at his watch, making note this time of the fact that the numerals are perfectly clear and in their proper order, in contrast to the jumbled blur its face so often appears as in his more bothersome dreams.

Hm. ]

...On that note, I'd like to hear your initial evaluation of the situation. Opinions on the communications technology aside.

[dehallow]

[ It does feel like predator and prey, the way they evaluate each other so carefully, but van Zieks isn't sure which role is reserved for him this time. In a paradoxical way he misses not knowing the truth and going into any conversation with Stronghart merely thinking of him as a capricious and authoritative but competent superior. Back then the second guessing had been on such a simple level. Just a comfortable bit of 'will he arrive within the next hour or can I get out some files and work in the meantime?... ]

I do not have Albert... Professor Harebrayne's propensity for contemplating the various ways a human body can be disassembled and transported elsewhere, but there is a distinct chance that something of that nature has occurred.

I have no recollection of either of us shuffling off this mortal coil, so I see no reason to rely on the word of demons declaring us 'lost souls'.

[ Stronghart would be executed soon, certainly, but not yet. The one in front of van Zieks now doesn't seem like an apparition. ]

Forgive the blasphemy that lurks in referring to them as such, but I cannot think of a more fitting descriptor. [ And the blasphemy ship has probably sailed with the whole 'Reaper' business anyway. ] They have the game of temptation down pat.

Though the only thing they could offer me in their dealings is passage home. This... far Eastern city is not becoming for gentlemen of our standing.

[perfectlytimed]

[ There's another second's pause, and then Stronghart nods — as if this were just any other discussion, revealing nothing. ]

A valid point. Given what we've seen of their inventions here so far, there's no reason to assume they haven't managed to perfect the ideas laid out in that faulty hypothesis.

[ Pointed though that last bit may seem, it isn't said with any change in his tone. Just casually demeaning, as usual. ]

Certainly more plausible than that "lost souls" rubbish, I'll agree. If this is really supposed to be some sort of Hell, there are several scores of deserving criminals I could specifically name whom I've yet to see.

[ And though he certainly isn't going to admit to it, he knows van Zieks isn't truly deserving of some great moral punishment at all (which does throw another little wrench into that dream theory which seems, to his dismay, to be being rapidly discredited). If this place really is what it claims to be, the management is utterly incompetent.

...Then again, he supposes they did make out like bandits on that joke of a contract. As far as he knows, the only things awaiting van Zieks back home are an inevitable guilty verdict and a ticket to the gallows. ]

...I suppose your reluctance to enter into an agreement with any breed of Japanese is hardly a surprise, but I think you could have set your sights a little higher than that.

[ He did, however, note that wording — "far Eastern" — and that slight pause, as if he purposefully stopped himself from using his usual favoured term. Interesting. ]

[dehallow]

[ Van Zieks can't help but scoff at that. ]

And where would that leave me?

[ It is so very like Stronghart to immediately consider profit. Whatever the demons have offered him is surely of much greater magnitude. But despite all else that has transpired, despite the hatred that courses through van Zieks' veins when he looks at the man now... he still finds himself hoping that at the very least Stronghart is not so easily bought. It seems that some of that respect he'd once felt for the man is fighting for its life even now.]

Allow me to be forthright. I do not believe there is anything to be gained from engaging in transactions with monsters. A goal that is reached by piggybacking off illicit means is nothing but a fanciful illusion.

[ And how much he wishes that Stronghart could have understood this same thing years and years ago, before bringing ruin to everyone he touches. ]

As you have long known, I pride myself in facing each challenge posed to me straight on. I would not disgrace my ambitions here.

[ His 'ambitions'. That is perhaps a bit much said. What does he have left, now that everything has fallen to rubble around him? Without Stronghart's well-oiled machine, the London judiciary is a shell of its former self. Is it up to van Zieks to rebuild its power? Is that the only thing he can do to atone? ]