Chapter 6: Death

"Doctor Hallows, I believe you understand the reason you were summoned here. Your simple-minded actions have cost the lives of six of our best men and women. I'm sure you're able to comprehend the gravity o of this situation. You have no choice but to comply with any punishment the Foundation sees fit."

The man with the coarse voice was back and this time he spoke to Doctor Hallows in the same hostile way he had spoken to D. this man had no remorse for people who had made unforgivable mistakes.

"I agree and will unquestionably comply with any punishment I deserve." Hallows seemed to understand his mistakes and was ready to work on bettering himself. What he didn't understand was why he was strapped to a steel chair faced away from the council he was once part of. "so this is how you felt, Subject D-3491," thought Hallows. He had never before imagined what the class D personnel felt like, their feelings were invalid to the experiments.

Throughout his years of researching for the Foundation, Hallows had never sympathized with the murderers that were brought in. and he didn't need to. They were truly the lowest of the low and any sympathy towards them would be useless for their actions would remain unforgivable. It was better to think of them as objects rather than humans. That's what made it so easy for the scientists to send countless inmates to their deaths without hesitation. And no matter how much they masked their actions by saying 'it is to help secure a future for humanity, it all always boiled down to them indirectly murdering the inmates. There was also the question of whether or not the inmates deserved to die for their actions in the past, and while many strongly believed they should, others would usually refrain from taking part in the argument.

But ethical beliefs aside, what Hallows had done was still very stupid, and nothing would change that.

"Doctor Hallows' will to experiment on the subject has resulted in the deaths of 6 officers. Does the defendant have anything to say against this claim?"

Despite accepting what he had done, Hallows still felt shocked as the words in his mind were blurted out into the open. "No sir," he replied. "my actions were morally questionable and all I can do is apologize sincerely to the families of the soldiers I killed." Hallows bowed his head down in shame.

He clenched his fists as the regret sowed itself deep into his being. He had finally begun to repent his actions.

"The Doctor left the Subject crippled but did not finish him off right then and there. Is this true?" this was the second question the man with the rough voice asked. Hallows clenched his fists harder.

"Yes sir. I did indeed leave the man crippled but did not wait to kill him. If I am to speak truthfully, in those last moments as I saw that pathetic monster fall onto the floor and slowly bleed out as his screaming continued, I felt a sliver of sympathy. I believe this sympathy nudged me into the direction of not killing him."

Hallows had just admitted to a crime now, and the silence that followed his answer proved him right. "I'm done for," he thought.

"As the Doctor has stated himself, he placed the life of a criminal over the fate of humanity. This is an unforgivable action and I'm sure the Doctor understands that as well.

"The council will now vote for what will happen to Hallows now. Everyone who thinks Hallows should be forgiven for his crimes and given a light punishment, please raise your hand."

Silence followed the statement. Dead silence. Hallows clenched his jaws as his fate was sealed. There was no shuffling of sleeves against the table, and that confirmed Hallows' suspicions.

"Not even Fischer?" Hallows asked himself. He understood why Fischer would want nothing to do with him at all. He had put her life at risk and did not deserve to be forgiven for it. He did not expect to be forgiven as well. "Or maybe Fischer wasn't even here to begin with. Maybe she was in the medical ward because of shock." Hallows proceeded to stick with his second conclusion. He was not emotionally ready to handle the fact that Fischer would let him die that easily.

"Everyone in favour of 'firing' Doctor Hallows please raise your hands."

As if all the dots had been finally connected, all hands went up into the air in synchrony. The shuffling sounds attacked Hallows' ears as his fate was sealed in stone. No amount of persuasion would shift the council's decision anymore.

Hallows had finally begun to accept his end now. No one was ever fired from the Foundation. This would risk secret information and the existence of the Foundation being leaked to the outside world. 'Firing' was just another term for killing the person in question.

Hallows finally let out some tears. This was the end of his life. the end of his days filled with torturing people who had once tortured others. The end of his story.

"The council has made a decision. Miss Fischer please call the medical staff in and tell them to proceed with the firing."

Hallows stopped his contemplating. Upon hearing Fischer's name, he stiffened. This was the final blow, the final nail in his coffin. Fischer was here, and she too had chosen to destroy Hallows' existence from this world.

Hallows lifted his head and stared at the pale grey ceiling. He wondered if he had lived a good life. or rather a life full of memories. But none would come to mind. His years at the Foundation were a blank as if none of them ever existed. He could not recall anything as he slowly lost his will to live.

"Fischer has condemned me as well." He thought, the heavy reality crushing his hopes.

The medical professionals soon entered the room and filled a syringe with a transparent fluid. They injected the serum into the vein in his forearm and Hallows closed his eyes.

His mind remained blank for a few seconds as he felt the poison slowly destroy his cells. Despite that, he felt no pain. His mind was blank and devoid of any emotions.

As the poison spread to his heart and brain, hallows let out a single tear. A single drop rolled across his face down the ridge of his nose from where it disappeared near the beginning of his lip. Hallows could taste the tear that rolled into his now gaping mouth. His muscles had lost all rigidity; he was now nothing more than a man living in a dead body.

The cells of his brain slowly disintegrated, and Hallows could feel his consciousness slipping. And till the end, all he could sense was the salty taste of regret lingering in his mouth as his ragged soul finally left his body.