After Before and After

Phase 4: Chapter 54

January 21, 1993. 2:57 PM.

After spending the morning and a good chunk of the afternoon listening to testimony from the island's on-site Marine officers and another expert in DNA evidence, Jack was drained. So far, the testimony in regards to Simon's death was centered solely on the evidence found at the scene; physical proof that Simon died out on the island, rather than in the plane crash. The forensic expert who just finished testifying talked about the age of DNA evidence, and how he was able to determine that the Simon's blood found at the scene was about a month or so old on the day the boys were rescued.

The forensic expert also pointed out that B positive blood was something of a rare blood type, belonging to only approximately 9% of the American population. The chances that even one of the other boys had it was rather slim. Further DNA reports from the academy's records was entered into evidence, and proved that Simon was, in fact, the only boy who made it to the island with B positive blood. The only other two in their forty person squadron both died in the crash, leaving Simon as the only possible source of the blood found on the sticks and in the sand on the beachfront.

Well shit.

After Reynolds' swift cross-examination of the expert witness, Jack was surprised when Dana Barnes didn't stand up to call the next witness. Instead, her co-council, Andrew Murray of the Flag State Jurisdiction, rose in her place.

The curious courtroom watched in tense silence as the prosecutor made his way to the front of the room. He looked to the jury, and then to the defendants and their families in the gallery, before he began to speak.

"At this time, I will be joining forces with Dana Barnes to present the evidence for the Flag State Jurisdiction's case against the twenty-two defendants in connection with the death of Simon Bennett. The reason I am standing before you today is because the state prosecution has subpoenaed my team at the Flag State, and the evidence we collected during our independent investigation into the tragedy that occurred out on the island in question. The reason I will be presenting our case in Barnes' place is because the Flag State is an international organization, not an American one. It is our job to investigate and assist in overseas affairs and incidents, specifically in regards to operations of vessels, travel, and transport of goods overseas. When something goes wrong in an operation outside of any nation's jurisdiction, that is where we step in and act as an independent government. The Flag State operates based on its own laws and regulations, and only comes into play when there isn't a nation with the jurisdiction to enforce its own laws. Because the defendants are all American, and the plane they were in that crashed was American-owned, we were able to hand authority over to the American government to decide on how to proceed with the case against the defendants. But because the American government requested to have the evidence from our findings subpoenaed for this trial, the Flag State's independent law requires that all evidence is handled and presented by representatives within our organization. Therefore, all evidence collected under the Flag State Jursidiction will be validated and presented through me, the prosecuting attorney acting on behalf of the Flag State. The testimony you are about to hear was collected and validated through channels that may differ from the way the American government handles its evidence, but rest assured that everything we present has been thoroughly analyzed and vetted. I have worked closely with Dana Barnes to ensure the evidence in question has gone through all the proper channels, and is admissible in court as per the laws of the state of Georgia. Permission to proceed with my first witness, Your Honor?" Andrew Murray thoroughly explained before making the request.

"Permission granted" Judge Eldeson confirmed.

"The Flag State calls Antonio Reyes to the stand" Murray proclaimed.

The man who walked through the double doors in the back of the courtroom was wearing some kind of uniform Jack had never seen before. He turned to catch a glimpse of his sister, who was evidently studying the man as he approached the witness stand too. It was strange to see a clearly un-American uniform. Jack had only ever seen American government uniforms in person. And clearly, so had his sister.