X-Files Fanfic Challenge 12: Jury Duty

X-Files Fanfic Challenge 12: Jury Duty
Concept: Someone from the X-Files serves jury duty.
Word Count: 750-2000 words.

TITLE: A Propensity for Bribes

Impossible! How could he have ended up in jury duty? With all his influence, and all his connections, here he was, in an overcrowded room full of the common man. The air conditioner wasn’t up to the challenge, and managed to keep the room just above bearable. He was already considering removing his suit- jacket, and it was only 10:04.

How had he ended up here, in the bowels of the public justice system? How was it that nothing he tried got through the ultimate bureaucracy of the court system, leaving him no choice but to go to that most dreaded of civic duties?

He read some of the book he had brought with him, and stopped to look around. The common man left him questioning all the sacrifices he had made for the future of humanity. He took a deep breath, and reached for the pack of cigarettes in his pocket. His eyes drifted to the no smoking sign on the wall. He looked down at the book and read a few more pages. Maybe now was a good time to quit smoking.

He tapped his finger on the book’s pages, thinking that thought. All those years he’d tried to quit, all the things he had tried. Jury duty didn’t stand a chance. He turned his attention back to his book.

It wasn’t holding his attention at all. He stood and walked the length of the room. The jurors were kept in waiting like soldiers in a child’s toybox, and the room’s windows were just as effective. He stared out the dirt-encrusted windows at the parking lot. An uninspiring view, certainly, but he’d thought through world-changing situations with a worse view than this.

His mind reviewed the problems they were having with a saboteur at a military installation. There had to be a way to pinpoint the problem, and its perpetrator, without disrupting the day to day operations of the facility. He was so lost in thought he almost didn’t hear his group number called.

His fellow jurors congregated in the hallway outside the courtroom. He hung at the back of the crowd, watching them shuffle forward in a press of bodies. People were so easy to lead. They would do whatever they were told by authority, even if they didn’t want to.

Not that he was in a position to judge them. He himself was subject to the same behavior. How could that be? If he was the authority, in almost any situation he walked into, why did he still follow the rules laid out by authority figures? Why had he bothered to show up today? As soon as a warrant was issued, he could simply have it removed from all records.

He stood at the back of the hall, considering leaving. He sighed, deciding he may as well see this through. But he wasn’t going to come back tomorrow for another day of sitting around in a waiting room.

He followed the last person into the courtroom and seated himself in one of the uncomfortable and unattractive chairs at the back of the room. He mind drifted, until he heard the description of the case.

A young man had purportedly bribed a police officer in order to avoid arrest, and continue his promising career as head of the student body at his college. He looked at the young man, who sat calmly listening to the lawyers questioning the possible jurors, trying to choose the right ones. His lawyer even consulted with him a few times.

The jury was chosen, and he was dismissed. But he stood outside the building, waiting until he saw the young man leave. Of course he was on his own recognizance. A young man like this wouldn’t let something like bail slow him down. He fell into step beside him, “Care for a smoke?”

The young man looked at him, “No, thanks.”

He lit a fresh cigarette, “Filthy habit. It’s best not to start. You’re looking forward to a future in politics?”

“I am. Are you on the jury? I’m not supposed to talk to any jury members.”

“No. I wasn’t selected. I’d like to talk to you about your future.”

“What about my future?”

“I think you may be better suited to a future in law enforcement.”

“Not unless I shake these charges.”

“I might be able to provide some assistance with that. If you’re willing to work with me. Do you offer a lot of bribes, Mr. Folmer?”

The young man looked at him with surprise, “How did you know my name?”

“I made a few phone calls while I was waiting for you.”

“What is it you want with me again?”

“I want to place you in a position where you could be of use to me in the future. A position at a prestigious law enforcement agency.”

Step 1. Serve
Step 2. Resist from Within