Trial by Memory: Scapegoat of the Collapse

An overpass under construction in Winfeld collapses, killing many, and the victims' families demand that someone pay. The company blames Aaron Bennett, an intern and quality assurance inspector, claiming he failed to relay the order to halt construction in time. Now he sits handcuffed in the defendant's chair as public enemy number one, his personal details exposed by an enraged public.

Across from him sit David Harper, a supervisor at City Bridgeroads, and Wallace Quinn, who ran the overpass project. Wallace, once Aaron's senior at school, testifies that he misjudged Aaron's character, while Aaron's girlfriend Leia Holloway accuses him from the prosecution's side. Classmate Quentin Harper takes the stand as a witness, and the crowd turns on Aaron.

Refusing to plead guilty, Aaron invokes the court's new, still-experimental system for replaying memories directly from the mind. The prosecution objects at once, and as their composure cracks, a truth reaching back to his university days begins to surface.