Grade A first class professional Cristina Krum, 33 years old and an accountant from C1, had been a pro-feminist activist since her college years. The periods she had to spend in the lockers, the two “dives” and the boarding sessions she had to endure had apparently only reaffirmed her in her ideas no matter how wrong she might have been. Cristina liked to form her own opinions and express them and it didn’t seem she cared such thoughts had made some of her friends and co-partisans sudden and mysteriously leave the university and the city for Oblivia. The letters her friends had sent could not have been less mysterious and strange. All those letters seemed to say all of them had chosen not to return to Antigua and that everything they used to stand for, all those ideas about true freedom and against the fascist regime, had been nothing but a mistake and a stupid way to waste their time.

In spite of her ideas, Cristina’s behavior had always been faultless. She managed to keep her respect points and even earned more of them thanks to her commitment to different community projects.

Cristina had forgotten to appear at her previous appointments with the People’s Court but the third time the brothers of the Holy Circle of Mercy patiently waited outside the business compound she used to work at. Cristina knew she had no choice but to accompany them. She grabbed her jacket, locked her office and went out for an unusually long lunch break.

--Grade A first class professional Cristina Krum, be welcomed. We have come to accompany you to an appointment scheduled for today at the CED-- said one of the three brothers standing by the tailgate of the truck, already open for Cristina to take her place.

Cristina smiled as she saw the brothers trying to get in her way.

--Gentlemen, it is an honor to meet you. Shall we go? --said Cristina and stepped into the back of the truck.

It was a long ride in the back of one of the trucks that the Holy Circle of Mercy drives to such events and it was a sunny afternoon. Cristina had never been openly confrontational in spite of her well-formed opinions, but she had learned a trick or two to get away with shocking the opposition. She took off her jacket quite slowly, almost provocatively, before the brothers watching her from the other side of the polycarbonate shield. What could they do? Taking her to another facility to give her the spanking that would surely met what she had just done would take time and the requests of a People’s Court are always first, even more so considering she had ignored her two previous appointments.

Cristina put her jacket back on before leaving the truck. She said good bye to the brothers with a slight bow of her head and a smile. She then followed the two men of the Municipal Guard that came to escort her to a comfortable waiting room.

The waiting room was small but livable. Cristina turned the radio on to listen to one of the official stations, she took off her shoes and jacket and put her finger on the biometric reader of the snack vending machine. The magazines on the coffee table had been placed there on purpose but Cristina had heard some rumours back in her college days and, despite the urge to defy the baboons that had arisen in the truck of the brothers with the Holy Circle of Mercy, she chose to avoid bringing further trouble upon herself. She would face the People’s Court and return home to get on with her life.

The door slid open and Cristina could see three men from the Municipal Guard waiting for her on the other side. She was willing to face the facts but having to suffer the embarrassment of being restrained was just too much for her to bear.

Cristina left the waiting room and walked where the guards told her to. She seemed to lead the march at a resolute pace. The guards seemed to be glad about her good behavior.

-- This People’s Court is assembled today to consider the case of first class professional grade A Cristina Krum. The evidence collected by this court in the case of Miss Krum reflects the persistence of the defendant in her participation in activities that are contrary to the peace and tranquility of the people of the republic as well as to the progress of this glorious nation. This court deems the Defendant’s continued organisation of anti-republican events as well as the Defendant’s constant manifestation, both in public and in private, of ideas that undermine the very core values of the republic as a direct incitement to anarchy, violence and terrorism. Taking into account that the defendant has on two previous occasions failed to appear before a People’s Court without having so far presented a valid excuse justifying such absences and knowing of previous breaches of discipline on the part of the defendant, breaches which reflect the ineffectiveness of the corrective measures previously applied in this case, this People’s Court decides to open a charge file against the defendant, professional first class grade A, Miss Cristina Krum, and formulates against her the charges of terrorism and anti-republican behaviour. Miss Cristina Krum, please rise according to the codes of etiquette to answer the following question: Do you understand the reason for your presence here today?” concluded Mr. Pascual Brown, a man in his 50s dressed in a dark blue robe acting on behalf of the will of the People’s Court.

Cristina stood up, put her hands behind her back and answered the prosecutor’s question.

--Yes your honor, I understand--

--Do you accept the charges of terrorism and anti-republican behavior brought against you? If you accept them, you will be allowed to avail yourself of the benefits that this court can offer-- said Mr. Brown.

--No, your honor, I do not accept the charges, I am not a terrorist-- answered Cristina Krum.

Mr. Brown shook his head, organized his papers and continued. He was sure of what was going to happen, he knew there would be no way around it but he couldn’t help feeling bad about having to send a professional and a woman of Cristina’s high quality to the torment meant by the penal system in Antigua to all opposers.

--Miss Cristina Krum, this people’s court recommends you to immediately appear before the Local Government Board ascribed to your district. Said Board will hold an extraordinary session today in approximately one hour at the CED facilities. This People’s Court is adjourned. Miss Cristina Krum, as a defendant, may remain at the CED facilities until she is called by said Local Board. Miss Cristina Krum, you may retire to one of the waiting rooms-- concluded Mr. Brown.

One of the Municipal Guard men opened the cubicle to let Cristina out. She withdrew her arms with a somewhat violent attitude when the Municipal Guardsmen tried to restrain her and walked toward the waiting room in the same way she had entered the room. She could not hide a few tears that sprang to her eyes in anger, but she was not going to give up her fight.

Cristina put on her jacket and shoes and left the waiting room. Her excellent Discipline marks spared her the embarrassment of having to appear before the Local Governing Board with her hands cuffed behind her back. She walked at a steady pace ahead of the guards who had set out to escort her to the Local Board’s courtroom.

A glass-walled cubicle in the middle of the courtroom was waiting for Cristina. A glass-walled cubicle in the middle of the courtroom was waiting for Cristina. The members of the Junta Local de Gobierno were standing next to their seats and Cristina could spot Lieutenant Alfaro, a man in his thirties and a humanist, a rare quality in military men of his age, and Colonel Lagos, already in his fifties and who has distinguished himself as a stern and order-loving officer among them.

Cristina had already crossed paths with the colonel a couple of times before and, unfortunately for her, her relationship with him could not be more difficult because the colonel did not like people who disturbed the order with ideas contrary to the high moral values that have governed the destiny of Antigua since its foundation and Cristina did not like people who hide behind ideals and values in order to commit their horrendous crimes with impunity. To Cristina’s further misfortune, Colonel Lagos was chairing the session of the Local Government Board that time.

--Defendant Miss Cristina Krum-- began Colonel Lagos, --This court is thoroughly acquainted with your anti-republican activities, which, as reported in the recent brief, were not duly approved by the people’s court that took notice of your case, and with your reluctance to reform your conduct in spite of the repeated and well-intentioned warnings from civilian and military entities-- Colonel Lagos drank some water and cleared his throat to continue.

--I will be brief, Ms. Krum, the evidence against you is weighty and incriminating to an extreme degree. This court, taking into account the aforementioned evidence, formulates the charges of terrorism, treason, anti-republican activity, sedition and ideological pollution against you. Miss Krum, do you have anything to say before this court pronounces sentence against you?-- concluded Colonel Lagos.

Cristina slowly stood up, she put her hands behind her back and stood up straight, showing her chest to the court, perhaps as a small and late challenge.

--Your honor, I deeply regret that the destiny of the republic is going through its darkest and most difficult moment in the hands of men who, in my opinion, suffer from a complete lack of good qualities to govern. I do not accept the charges, I am not a terrorist and certainly not a traitor, but I understand my situation and I have accepted it. Lets just get this charade over with-- said Cristina.

Lieutenant Alfaro shook his head. He had always secretly admired women like Cristina and sometimes he had secretly regretted many of the men under his command were not half as brave as the women he admired so much. Colonel Lagos organized his papers and drew a few lines with his pen before continuing.

--Accused Christina Krum, this court sentences you to immediately appear before a superior court of justice. Said court will meet this evening to study your case and it is expected, for the sake of your own reputation, that you will be present at the time said court delivers sentence against you, otherwise you will be judged and sentenced in absentia by the superior court of justice. Should you decide to wait inside the CED premises, the confraternity of the Holy Circle of Mercy will bring your dinner to the waiting room where you must remain until the time you are summoned by the superior court. This court is adjourned. The defendant may be taken away-- Colonel Lagos concluded. It was evident that he had developed one of the greatest qualities of a soldier, patience, and that he had been waiting for the moment to put an end to Cristina’s activities for quite some time.

The man with the Municipal Guard opened the cubicle and Cristina left the room silently and just as she had entered, without losing that polite pride she had learned at the academy for a moment. A lady must always be and be seen as such regardless of the moments she has to face. Cristina knew well enough that this whole charade of trials could only lead her to Oblivia and to a certain death. Cristina had come to terms with becoming a martyr from the moment she stepped into the van of the Holy Circle of Mercy and felt no fear but not knowing how exactly she would die nor what other tortures she might be subjected to during her stay in Oblivia were thoughts that made her uneasy and filled her with dread. Waiting was certainly a heavier penalty than death itself.

--Excuse me your eminence, I must be surely mistaken but I think I once read from a history book we, prisoners condemned to die, were free to choose our last supper-- said Cristina and tasted the soup the brother of the Order of the Holy Circle of Mercy had just left on the folding table--it’s not bad, I hope they don’t leave me with your order for too long. It wouldn’t be difficult to get used to such good attentions and who knows, I might gain weight and ruin the plans of the Supreme Junta-- ended Cristina.

--I hope your stay at the CED will be pleasant, Miss Krum. I would advise you not to jump to conclusions before knowing the decision of the superior court-- said the monk as he left the waiting room. The Municipal Guard man waiting outside the room activated the control and the door slowly slid shut, leaving Cristina locked inside the waiting room.

After watching the reality show for a while, Cristina had to admit that life in Oblivia did not seem to be so difficult to cope with, this made her think about what was surely hidden behind a facade which could be considered the most civilized and humane penal colony on record. She thought she would like to have a quick and painless death, she also thought the humiliation of having been brought to CED had been entirely her fault and that she surely deserved whatever sentence the higher court might impose on her. She tried not to think anymore about disavowing her ideals, she was not going to give the baboons the reason or the pleasure of knowing that perhaps they had succeeded in subduing her.

The door to the waiting room opened and a brother with the Holy Circle of Mercy came in to pick up the dishes. Cristina hugged him almost tenderly and thanked him for the attention. The brother pointed to the jacket on the back of the desk chair and Cristina put it on. The brother took the china and left the waiting room to make way for the men of the Municipal Guard. The four guards waited for Cristina outside the room, she came out and saluted them with a slight nod of her head. The guards surrounded her and one of them instructed her to face the wall while another secured her wrists behind her back with a nylon cord. Cristina simply closed her eyes and bowed her head, she had never given the baboons the opportunity to be humiliated in such a manner but the security protocols of the upper court rooms were the strictest for the sake of the defendants themselves. The guards surrounded Cristina in diamond formation and the procession departed for the superior court room. The quick and determined pace of Cristina, who seemed to still be leading the guards despite the position she was in, made the walk shorter but perhaps more torturous. Cristina could not help but imagine that the guards were leading her to her own death at that moment and wished if the time was to come, they would allow her to go to her end as a free woman and a worthy citizen of Antigua.

The stage in the superior court room was somewhat higher than the ones Cristina had seen in the two previous courts, no doubt meant to remind the defendants of their stature in the face of the enormous power of the Supreme Military Junta of Government. The defendant’s place was simply a space in the middle of the courtroom, with no desk or glass cubicle. Cristina was led to the middle of the courtroom and two guards stood next to her. The members of the court took their places and the session began without much ceremony, for which Cristina was silently grateful.

--Defendant Cristina Krum, do you understand the reason for your presence before the court tonight? Please refrain from answering other than yes or no- said Colonel Blades, who presided over that night’s session.

--Yes, your honor, I understand-- replied the defendant. It was not difficult to realize Cristina was doing her best to remain composed.

-- Defendant Cristina Krum, this court finds you responsible for the punishable conducts typified as sedition, terrorism, treason, ideological contamination and creation of anti-republican initiatives. The evidence against you is overwhelming and does not allow you the possibility of opposing your defense. This court expresses its admiration for you, which is due to your excellent behavior throughout your life and your impeccable professional career. This court will take into account the mitigating factors caused in your case by your commitment and devotion to the different community projects in which you have participated as well as your virtuous behavior---Colonel Blades put on his glasses and continued---Defendant Cristina Krum, do you have anything to say before this court proceeds to sentence?---Colonel Blades finished.

--No, your honor, I think words are redundant at this moment. I thank you and the honorable members of the court for the briefness of this procedure-- Cristina replied. Saying she was not a terrorist and that she would consider herself an outstanding citizen and a martyr of the regime seemed to make little sense at a time when her fate was already sealed.

--Accused Cristina Krum, taking the evidence provided by the people’s court in this case into account and considering that said court did not grant the endorsement to your activities related to the aforementioned punishable conducts, this court opens an executive process against you and sentences you to be transported to Oblivia. Once there, you will remain in the penitentiary colony for a temporary period of six months. After the aforementioned temporary lapse, your sentence will be commuted to suspension to close the executive process against you. --In the following, this court will refer to the defendant as the suspended. This court grants the suspended Cristina Krum authorization to leave the CED facilities for a period of no longer than three days, prior signature of the confidentiality protocol, so that she may put her personal affairs in order before leaving for Oblivia to serve the sentence handed down by this court. The aforementioned authorization is valid from the moment this session is adjourned. Upon expiration of the terms of the authorization and in the event that the suspended Cristina Krum has not reported to the CED facilities for transportation, a military escort will be designated to accompany the suspended Cristina Krum to her appointment. The military escort will be accompanied by a member of the Confraternity of the Holy Circle of Mercy. You may take the suspended woman with you--- concluded Colonel Blades.