Gens Romae
31-07-2007, 22:18
Secret IC...somewhere in Rome, an in undisclosed location:
The setting is that of a dark, dank chamber, lit only by torches. High stone walls enclose the room. There is a deep, seemingly bottomless pit in the center of the room, the stain of blood appearing on the rim of the same.
On one side of the pit is a judge's seat and desk, rising above everything else, upon which sits a layman, girded in a white toga. The layman is clearly a mediterranean, the head of the man completely hairless, the man shaven. In Rome, this is not at all the common dress of the people. Indeed, the dress of the people is relatively contemporary. Rather, the toga of the judge is a show of his intellectual faculties as a philosopher.
Across from the Judge, on the other side of the pit, seperated by a low wooden rail, is a number of people, dressed in black jumpsuits, surrounded by police officers. At the gate of the fence stands a Dominican monk, a high ranking police officer, and a military officer, representative of the various spheres of Roman Law...crimes against the Church, against the the People of Rome, and against the State respectively.
The Dominican monk approaches the gate first, one of the prisoners brought with him, and actually brought just in front of the rail, to the foot of the pit.
Monk: Your honor! The Holy Church bringeth to trial a heretic!
Judge: On what grounds?
Monk: He denieth the Filioque of the Nicene Creed.
The Judge turns to face the prisoner, his expression stern.
Judge: Behold, O accused, thine own death before you that lieth in that pit. Yet, I offer thee mercy. Do you recant?
Heretic: I do not.
Judge: Very well then. You are accused of heresy, are proven a heretic, and condemned a heretic. The penalty is death. Gaurds!
Immediately, a group of 5 officers approach from the left side of the Judge's seat, bearing G36 assault rifles, and a diocesian priest also.
The police officers form a semi circle around the man, the priest standing to the side. The priest raises his hand in blessing, extending the graces of a general absolution.
Yet, the heretic stands unmoved, unrepenting, unphased.
The police open fire upon the man, firing round upon round into his chest. He falls, bloody and dying, into the vast pit. After a moment, he can no longer be seen, except for what seems a flicker of flames in the depths.
The Dominican stands down, and is replaced by the police officer, another man brought up, once again, brought to the mouth of the pit.
Policeman: The People of Rome bring accused a murderer. He hath slain in cold blood an entire family...a man, his wife...and their 12 children. We have substantial proof that he is guilty...eye witnesses, DNA evidence, indeed, our own policement caught him in the act.
The Judge turns to the murderer.
Judge: Why have you done this?
The murderer is tearful.
Murderer: I needed money, and they were well off.
Judge: Man, behold the penalty that lieth before you in that pit. Yet, I offer thee mercy. Do you repent?
The murderer is clearly shaken, weighed down by the gravity of his crime, and collapses to the floor, at the mouth of the pit, in sobs and groaning. "I do!"
The Judge is clearly moved by the show of penance, and adresses him once more:
Judge: "The Lord sayeth to us 'Though your sins be as scarlet as blood, I can make them white as snow,' and to the adulteress, 'I do not condemn thee.'" Therefore, because you are sorrowful of your crimes, just as the Gentle Redeemer does not condemn thee, neither does the Court. Yet, you must do penance. Friars!"
A group of Fransiscan Friars approach the man from the right of the Judge's seat, and bear the man off to another room, so that he might be brought to a maximum security monastery.
The police chief stands down, replaced by the military officer, bearing a third man.
Military Officer: The State brings to trial a Spy. He has come in from Sardinia, posing as a CA military person. He is not a Roman Citizen.
Judge: He is not a Roman, and the State will not contradict the State. Do with him as thou wilt.
A number of military infantry approach the accused person, driving him to the mouth of the pit. "Prepare to die!"
The spy is clearly shocked by all that he has seen, and can scarcely stammer out a single line..."This is madness!"
The military officer approaches, and screams in his face, "No! This. is. ROME!
The infantry shove the man into the pitt, where his screams, his shrieks become slowly more and more faint...until they cannot be heard at all, and again, a small flicker of flame can be seen deep below.
The setting is that of a dark, dank chamber, lit only by torches. High stone walls enclose the room. There is a deep, seemingly bottomless pit in the center of the room, the stain of blood appearing on the rim of the same.
On one side of the pit is a judge's seat and desk, rising above everything else, upon which sits a layman, girded in a white toga. The layman is clearly a mediterranean, the head of the man completely hairless, the man shaven. In Rome, this is not at all the common dress of the people. Indeed, the dress of the people is relatively contemporary. Rather, the toga of the judge is a show of his intellectual faculties as a philosopher.
Across from the Judge, on the other side of the pit, seperated by a low wooden rail, is a number of people, dressed in black jumpsuits, surrounded by police officers. At the gate of the fence stands a Dominican monk, a high ranking police officer, and a military officer, representative of the various spheres of Roman Law...crimes against the Church, against the the People of Rome, and against the State respectively.
The Dominican monk approaches the gate first, one of the prisoners brought with him, and actually brought just in front of the rail, to the foot of the pit.
Monk: Your honor! The Holy Church bringeth to trial a heretic!
Judge: On what grounds?
Monk: He denieth the Filioque of the Nicene Creed.
The Judge turns to face the prisoner, his expression stern.
Judge: Behold, O accused, thine own death before you that lieth in that pit. Yet, I offer thee mercy. Do you recant?
Heretic: I do not.
Judge: Very well then. You are accused of heresy, are proven a heretic, and condemned a heretic. The penalty is death. Gaurds!
Immediately, a group of 5 officers approach from the left side of the Judge's seat, bearing G36 assault rifles, and a diocesian priest also.
The police officers form a semi circle around the man, the priest standing to the side. The priest raises his hand in blessing, extending the graces of a general absolution.
Yet, the heretic stands unmoved, unrepenting, unphased.
The police open fire upon the man, firing round upon round into his chest. He falls, bloody and dying, into the vast pit. After a moment, he can no longer be seen, except for what seems a flicker of flames in the depths.
The Dominican stands down, and is replaced by the police officer, another man brought up, once again, brought to the mouth of the pit.
Policeman: The People of Rome bring accused a murderer. He hath slain in cold blood an entire family...a man, his wife...and their 12 children. We have substantial proof that he is guilty...eye witnesses, DNA evidence, indeed, our own policement caught him in the act.
The Judge turns to the murderer.
Judge: Why have you done this?
The murderer is tearful.
Murderer: I needed money, and they were well off.
Judge: Man, behold the penalty that lieth before you in that pit. Yet, I offer thee mercy. Do you repent?
The murderer is clearly shaken, weighed down by the gravity of his crime, and collapses to the floor, at the mouth of the pit, in sobs and groaning. "I do!"
The Judge is clearly moved by the show of penance, and adresses him once more:
Judge: "The Lord sayeth to us 'Though your sins be as scarlet as blood, I can make them white as snow,' and to the adulteress, 'I do not condemn thee.'" Therefore, because you are sorrowful of your crimes, just as the Gentle Redeemer does not condemn thee, neither does the Court. Yet, you must do penance. Friars!"
A group of Fransiscan Friars approach the man from the right of the Judge's seat, and bear the man off to another room, so that he might be brought to a maximum security monastery.
The police chief stands down, replaced by the military officer, bearing a third man.
Military Officer: The State brings to trial a Spy. He has come in from Sardinia, posing as a CA military person. He is not a Roman Citizen.
Judge: He is not a Roman, and the State will not contradict the State. Do with him as thou wilt.
A number of military infantry approach the accused person, driving him to the mouth of the pit. "Prepare to die!"
The spy is clearly shocked by all that he has seen, and can scarcely stammer out a single line..."This is madness!"
The military officer approaches, and screams in his face, "No! This. is. ROME!
The infantry shove the man into the pitt, where his screams, his shrieks become slowly more and more faint...until they cannot be heard at all, and again, a small flicker of flame can be seen deep below.