The e-cuffs were doing their job just fine, he couldn’t move his hands in obscene gestures and his feet had no possibility to flee. They were humane, those cuffs that is, they left no chaffing marks on wrist or ankle. He was pulled from his thoughts, at least they were his own on a day like that.

“You understand and are of clear of your own mind why you were brought here?”

He nodded.

“I’m sorry I need to hear a word for the records.” The judge waved her gavel in a moody half arc.

“Yes, your honor, I understand.” He tried it for fun to see if his middle fingers could rise and show his true opinion. They were immediately forced back into their natural position.

She straightened the lace collar that she had crocheted herself on her plain black robe. She pulled her tablet up from her lap, the glow making her face show its many years of exasperated wrinkles. “You are hereby charged with carrying the one who committed the aggravated murder of seven cerebral citizens. How do you plead for yourself?”

He didn’t feel it was aggravated at all, he had watched as a witness, all he had done was simply turn them off. Forever. Except for one.

All lawyers had been delicensed thirty years before. With the new Cerebroplugs a crime could be solved with a switch. But it was not so easy with him. He had taken the job and been approved because of his strong constitution and mental stability to be a TV. Not the old century before meaning of TV, but the new one of that new century: Thought-Vessel. He had been designated as TV289 after having passed all tests and exams. For over two years he had been carrying the thoughts of those in Cerebro-Stasis. With their personal fortunes still earning in the real world, they could pay a rental to leave their After-E-Life in a host vessel and be part of the world again. Some simply went to the board meeting of their companies, others went to see their great-great-great grandchildren take their first steps or graduate from college. It was a job he liked, making both sides happy. Until yesterday.

“Mr Collins?” She politely tried to pull him from his distractions, even though her patience had begun to tap her gavel lightly on the wood of the judicial bench.

“I’m innocent.”

“That’s not what I asked. We have the video of you entering the main frame. We’re not sure how you got in. But we know it was not you.”

A dry swallow shook his throat. He knew it wasn’t him either. He knew who it was, who had been in his head. But what he had done he did not do out of malice. The other seven were tired. Tired of being held in an electronic coffin and making it worse being able to just for a short time go back into the world. Most of them could no longer recognize or feel any connection to their descendants. Their businesses were boring. They had no senses, just thoughts electrically stimulated. The outwitting of death in an electronic realm had made them feel deader than ever.

“Mr Collins?”

“Yes, your honor?”

“Please answer.” She placed her gavel down and folded her hands one in the other. She looked out at him as if she were trying to be an understanding mother.

Then he heard a click in his head, he felt the microchip alarm, someone was having illegal access. There was nothing to do in with those e-cuffs holding him tight. He couldn’t reach for the reset button, but then he heard the voice in his head: Jake tell her, it’s ok! I knew this would happen, I wanted to be completely dead too. But the others needed me to guide you to turn off their lives. Now, it’s your turn to turn off mine.

He felt the tears start to roll from his eyes. Mr Tamaka had been one of his favorite rides as they explored the world together and he told him how things had once been. He had always tipped so well with a bevy of credits as he slipped back into those electrical circuits. He heard the voice again: do it Jake, it’s fine.

He swallowed a few times to wet his throat, he squeezed the tears from his eyes, then in a stable voice he said, “Your honor, it was Mr Tamaka who turned off and freed the others at their request.”

Her hands came undone and she looked directly at him, “That was not Mr Tamaka’s choice. Only the law can end life.”

His head became heavy on his shoulders and he heard that voice one last time: You know I got to go Jake so that you don’t have a shock when they turn me off for the last time. Then for a moment he felt like an empty vessel. Nothing seemed to be inside. Then the gavel pounding on the wood brought him back to his senses.

“Mr Tamaka found guilty of aggravated murder. Termination is done.” Then she looked at him like a mother to a son, “I’m requiring you to go to a week of therapy sessions to learn how to keep the professional from becoming personal.”

She forced a reassuring smile upon her face. Her gavel struck three more times. She pressed a button and the e-cuffs let loose.

“You are free to go, Mr Collins.”

As he walked out of the court his middle fingers rose, but they weren’t directed at anyone. Just the world he lived in.