[Very deliberate (and deliberated over) video]

[closedcircuit]

[Ky's sitting in his apartment. It's afternoon now, and he's spent since midnight thinking about this, almost entirely off the network. But it's clear that the solution isn't just thinking, and that he can't implement his desired solution on his own.]

It's become apparent that one thing this place is suffering from is a severe lack of justice. There always remained the question of once we caught the murderer what could be done to keep them separate in what passes for society here, to keep them from hurting another.

And now, failed joke or not, a woman lies dead. And we do know who is responsible.

Are we really going to sit back, be distressed and discomfited, but do nothing?

Or is it time to set up some system of justice? -- Not vengeance, that's not what I'm recommending, but there needs to a rehabilitation process.

Comments

[redcloakedthief]

Do you want to know why a system doesn't exist here?

[He looks amused mostly, as he watches this happen.]

[closedcircuit]

Because people tend to come and go and no one's set up a system, I would imagine. Because those that care are used to such a system already being in place and don't know how to start.

[redcloakedthief]

Pretty good.

Those are the big ones, though there's one more--

Whose system of justice do you plan to follow? I come from a world in which killing is a way to survive. That's not true here--or maybe it will be.

The world changes, people change. There are self-proclaimed 'villains' here, self-proclaimed heroes who have no issues with killing said villains.

If everything is free, do you penalize for stealing? If you steal something from someone who got it for free...can it even still be considered a crime?

[He laughs, shaking his head.]

If you can satisfactorily answer those, maybe it'd be possible. Perhaps.

[closedcircuit]

Any society needs to establish its own system of justice. Ours would need to be established according to God's laws and the common accords that we could reach here.

[At least God's laws will be a significant factor in what Ky brings to the table, but-- He sighs.]

Or rather, just the common accords that we can reach. It's come up before that we have a defence force but its ability to actually protect people is limited.

As for stealing... It isn't only the monetary value that matters. I will be upset more by the theft of a gift that I receive without paying anything than something I bought myself. There's also a factor of how easily it can be replaces, and I would think that that would need to be a guiding principle here.

[redcloakedthief]

Common accords sound better than 'God's laws', I'll admit that one right now. My world? We've got different gods, different beings to worship, and I definitely wouldn't model a system of justice after them.

Most of their solutions were "kill whoever doesn't agree". And their clerics were demonic, heh!

It's just an example though. Tomorrow the world might take something away from everyone--should we look for a thief?

Tomorrow a native might go berserk, killing us all. Do you really think that they'll allow us to put them away for anything beyond "the Great Lamufao's will"?

[closedcircuit]

[Ky doesn't tell Matthew that his gods are false. He just thinks it. But really! That just didn't sound like anything godlike, even disregarding the fact that there is only one, true, God.]

We cannot file charges against the world, as much as we might wish to. And the most important would probably be what brought us here. But an inability to do that doesn't mean we're completely powerless. Just because we were kidnapped to be brought here doesn't mean that we've forfeited our right to move about freely within the city.

Should a native go berserk and kill us all, then we'll still have the chance to enact justice, so long as we come back. I don't believe that they're a unitary body with no concept of justice nor the ability to be taught it, and I don't believe that if they opposed us they would necessarily win.

[redcloakedthief]

[That's probably for the better, since he knows his gods are real. But he just tilts his head, grinning.]

You're pretty good at thinking on your feet--or you've just got some rock solid beliefs there.

But the natives do have their own system of justice, you're right.

The problem is that it's not yours--it's theirs. They worship their own god, and while I don't believe in "the great Lamufao", you'll never meet a more devout group of people. You can't change their minds. It's like they've been programmed.

[closedcircuit]

I hope it doesn't make me sound arrogant to say that I believe it's likely a combination of the two. Certainly my faith is of great help to me.

I've encountered difficulties with those who are literally programmed before, and when we don't really have the option of going after their programmers it seems that we much hold them to the same standard as we're holding everyone else. They're welcome to have input into the process, but I'm not certain that that will happen. But the fact that they'll refuse the justice doesn't mean it can't exist.

[redcloakedthief]

No, it doesn't mean it can't exist.

But it does mean you will be asking for trouble. Remember--we are an experiment here. Perhaps setting up a system of justice goes along with the plans of those observing us. Perhaps not. Perhaps they'll find a way to...stop us.

If you can find a way to set up a system of justice that takes into account each and every factor, from each and every world?

You'll have my support, ha! It's just not going to be an easy task. I'm not convinced yet.

[closedcircuit]

I don't intend to stand paralyzed in inaction simply because our captors may not approve of what I'm doing.

I intend to do my best on the latter, but I will freely admit that my personal bias will cause me to privilege some worlds' systems of justice above others. For instance, neither rape nor murder are crimes everywhere, but I cannot imagine justice if those things are permitted to freely exist unpunished.

[redcloakedthief]

Ahaha, you're stubborn, aren't you?

Well, maybe you will be able to do it then. We need less complacent people here--maybe.

Good luck then. I'll be watching.

[He chuckles, and then he hangs up.

Click!]