Let's Explain Timeline

Roy called them a week later into his office. "Good afternoon. I trust you have not had second thoughts?"

Iris shook her head. "Just want to get rid of the actual culprit."

"Good. I will simplify legal procedure as I can for you, as I... suspect you have not read Chapter 439. To begin with, the prosecution has handed over their relevant evidence, and we will be expected to hand over our's within fourteen days. Less than that, preferably; I would operate as if you're on ten days."

"I take it you got the Revenant test, then?"

"Correct. Thomas was a former host, or so the test states."

"Shame." Iris frowned. "Wouldn't have had a case if he wasn't."

Roy shook his head. "No. They would merely find an expert to claim Thomas exhibits the telltale markers of a former host, and given the immense danger a host possesses to civilians, I would not be surprised if a jury would convict regardless. Regardless, Thomas himself has told me he is a former host, and I see no reason to doubt his testimony."

"Speaking of... something I'm a bit curious about. Why did Thomas call you and still confess?"

"You spoke with him for a minute and he almost confessed to you, two complete strangers. In further talks with him, I must admit I have found his mental capacity to be about two feet wide and three inches deep." Roy shook his head. "However, from what I have seen of the confession, it matches coercion; he was afraid he would go to prison immediately if he did not confess, and was told he could fight it in court, ignorant to that the confession is precisely why we must now fight it in court."

"Explains why he kept repeating that. Fight it in court."

"Correct. Repeat a phrase to someone of Thomas's nature and a genius will never reply. But to answer your question: he called his mother when he was arrested, who called me while her son was busy making my job far more difficult than it needed to be." He sighed. "To be clear, Kronos: this case will be extremely difficult, and however frustrated I may look, know that I am grateful for your's and Lucifer's assistance."

"Is there much other evidence against him?"

"As far as I see, no, which is precisely the issue: he has provided his own gallow on which the police will construct a fraudulent noose. That he once hosted a Revenant will be motive enough: the prosecution will argue that hosts are naturally violent and that killing little girls and mutilating their bodies is simply what hosts do. They will pay experts until his opinion aligns with their conclusions; they will present my coming in and telling the tragic fool to be silent as evidence that they were about to finally seal the case, if only I did not muck it up with my foolish commitment to individual rights."

"That bad?"

"A bit of pessimism is protective in this profession, and especially when one lives in a country like America where the most vengeful of urges is rationalized into judicial philosophy. Of course, to live in fear under security is not really freedom, yet the distinction will be lost on most."

He shook his head.

"Let us not delay. Now, I have prepared a document for you two, and we shall go over it numerous times before you investigate."

He handed it to them. It was a paper in tiny font, explaining in direct language what they were allowed and not allowed to do; what would cause evidence to become inadmissible. One of the bullet points mentioned that torture was not allowed, as civilians are generally squeamish about that sort of thing; Iris felt a little stereotyped, but went along with it for now.

"Ensure that you follow all protocols as stated in that document: do not deviate from it."

"You got my message about Kairos, right? My Revenant."

"Yes, and your note about Timeline."

"Do you know if a Revenant ability like that would be accepted in court?"

"It's possible, though it's left to the discretion of the judge. I happen to know who will be trying the case; like many state judges he is a petty tyrant, with his own ridiculous quirks and petty inconsistencies… yet he is the best I've encountered in that he annoys the police with them as well. He should accept it, but explain the ability to me as you would to the jury. We'll rehearse."

Iris nodded. "By spreading Kairos' web around a location, I can construct a living timeline of an area. If I span it for the entire month of November, I can see how a room looked on 2:34pm on November 1st, then fast-forward to 8:30am on November 10th."

"Then, Ms. Kronos, would it be accurate to say that Timeline is comparable to the timeline of a video?"

"Yes, that would be accurate. There are some restrictions, however. I can't move around people who are alive; only inanimate objects, and the Timeline is silent. I keep a digital watch with me that displays what 'time' it currently is."

"Ms. Kronos, you say you cannot move around those are alive. Does this include other hosts?"

"Yes. Hosts have an innate resistance against other Revenants, which extends into what they are carrying. We call this a host aura. They appear as moving air during Timeline, essentially; invisible people who make invisible what they touch and hold."

"Thus far, you have specified those who are living. In your example, what would occur if a man was in his home on November 1st, was murdered there on November 5th, and his corpse was carried out on November 10th?"

"His corpse would be there on November 1st, and go through all the motions as if it were still alive. He would then be carried out on November 10th. If it was carried out by someone who is still alive, it would appear to be floating by itself." she said. "However, corpses in Timeline are 'stamped' at time of death. They look exactly how they did when they died, no matter where in the Timeline it is. So, in your example, the man on November 1st would appear as he did at time of death on November 5th, including his clothes."

He considered it for a while.

"Was that good?" asked Iris.

"Most likely you'll simply demonstrate."

"It takes an hour to set up."

"They pay for the jury's lunch. Regardless, I've made arrangements for us to meet with the judge later today; you will demonstrate your abilities to him and he will decide whether to allow it or not. Though unusual, most likely it will be allowed so long as it is properly tested, and explicable to the jury."

Olivia frowned. "We're not actually getting to investigate today, are we?"

"Not until Iris's ability is allowed. I presume that given its strength, it is what you are most accustomed to using... but the law is patient. Occasionally too little so."