Crime and Punishment

Erin was forced, reluctantly to agree. "Good" said Ellen. "Karen?" said Ellen calling her executive assistant.

"Yes" came an almost instantaneous reply from Karen in the outer office.

"Send April in, please," said Ellen.

"On her way" came the reply.

"April, have a seat," said Ellen when April walked in a few moments later. "I'm sure you heard about the investigation concerning Custom Genetics."

"Yes," replied April, smiling slightly at Erin. "Is it true that Erin has been arrested?"

"Not exactly," said Ellen. "A detainment has been issued against Erin and the company has posted bond."

"So sorry," replied April insincerely. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Yes," said Ellen. "I'm assigning the Custom Genetics account to you until this is cleared up. You can get any information you need from Lisa, and if necessary, Erin. However, I want both of them kept out of any further involvement with this account. You are to assume full responsibility. As I just explained to Erin, the reputation of the company is at stake here. None of us can afford to mess up. Understood?"

"Absolutely," replied April.

"Good, then get going," said Ellen.

"I'm on it," said April as she left.

"Now," continued Ellen, "I want you to see the company counsel first thing tomorrow. Her name is Cassandra and she has been with World for years. She is one of the best corporate counsels in the business. If anyone can straighten this mess out, it's her. Until further notice, working to clear this up is your full time job. Lisa, and some of the other vice presidents can cover for you till this is over, which hopefully won't be long. Erin, I want you to know that I don't think you did anything wrong and that I will provide all the support I can."

"Thanks," replied Erin, starting to cry. "It's nice to have you on my side."

"OK, don't go soft on me now," said Ellen trying to look tough, but not quite succeeding as some of her liking for Erin showed through. "Get out of here and let's clear this thing up."

"I'll do my very best," said Erin as she left.

*********

Unbeknownst to Erin at the time, April had left Ellen's office that day extremely pleased and happy because of Erin's predicament. Things were definitely going her way. She had gained a major new account, which she thought, should have been hers to begin with, and with any luck she would soon be rid of the damnable Erin. Erin had rubbed her the wrong way from the start. She was stuck-up and was a thorn in her side at work. Ellen clearly favored Erin and had repeatedly given her choice assignments, which had advanced her rapidly up the corporate ladder. She had been dogging April from the beginning and now was April's chance to be rid of her.

April was a beautiful and ruthless woman. At five-nine she was tall and athletic. With medium hips, full, firm breasts, blue eyes and flaming red hair, she turned heads almost anywhere she went. April was very popular on the society scene do to her good looks and old-money family name. About two years ago she had brokered her way into becoming chairwoman of the board of Zax, the infamous and notorious quasi-secret BDSM society. Zax's membership was rumored to include some of the wealthiest and most powerful women on the planet. April's rise to power at Zax was due to a combination of raw talent, reputation, and desperation. On a personal level, she was famous for her kinky parties. She was also a damned good businesswoman, and unlike some of her family predecessors, had a knack for making sound and creative business decisions as well as money. April's problem was that she was essentially broke and as a result, she lacked the necessary capital to rebuild her fortune. Except for a few small properties, her one remaining asset of value had been seven slaves owned by the Katz family. She had traded these, along with her reputation and family name for the chairwomanship at Zax. This was a good deal for both her and Zax. Zax had gained seven very valuable slaves as well as a very able and capable leader. April in turn, had gained access to Zax's immense resources and important connections. Using these, April hoped to eventually rebuild her fortune.

As the chairwomen of Zax, April had access to numerous slaves (Zax was the largest owner of slaves on the planet) and Zax Castle. There she could host lavish parties and orgies for the benefit of the rich and powerful. April had a ravenous sexual appetite and was an expert domatrix. Like most of Zax's members, her sexual tastes were definitely not mainstream or tame. April was cruel and loved to see, and better yet, cause discomfort to others. Her orgies (or play sessions as she called them), were notorious and typically involved a dozen or more slaves and lasted for several days. On the business side, April had reorganized Zax's finances and significantly increased the society's wealth. As a result, April's reputation and popularity quickly grew and after two years, she was well on her way to becoming one of Zax's most successful leaders.

At World April had also been doing well, at least until Erin came along. April had hoped to replace Ellen as the senior president of the division when the older woman retired or moved on. However, Erin clearly stood in her way being Ellen's favorite. April was therefore extremely happy about Erin's predicament, and eagerly anticipated even greater satisfaction in the near future.

Walking into her office, she called her assistant, Candy into her office. "How did it go," Candy asked walking in.

"Good," replied April, "Very good. Did you talk to Lisa?"

"No," said Candy. "You said to wait."

"Yes," answered April. 'Call her, will you?"

"Sure," replied Candy walking out. April watched Candy's ass as she departed. She would be having a good time with it tonight. Candy was aptly named, she mused, pretty and sweet. A natural blond, with a trim tight figure, she was sweet on the outside, but hard as nails inside, and with a bite too. Just like old fashioned hard peppermint candy. And like that confection, Candy also looked good well striped after a whipping, which April loved to give, and she to receive. Yes, things were definitely sweet, and they were going to get sweeter still.

*********

The next morning, Erin went to see Cassandra. She was an older, but still handsome, woman nearing retirement. She greeted Erin warmly and invited her to be seated.

"Well," began Cassandra, "I have been reviewing the FIS case and I have some questions."

"Sure," replied Erin, "Ask away. Ellen has put me at your complete disposal."

"Good," said the counselor. "When was the first time you suspected there was a problem with this account?"

"Not until the FIS agents showed up in my office a few days ago" answered Erin.

"You tried to track the funds on your own, but you were unsuccessful, right?" questioned Cassandra.

"Yes," replied Erin again. "Lisa, my assistant, and I spent the better part of a day in the attempt. We found that the money was invested in a high-risk equity instead of the bonds I had originally proposed. The principal was lost, a few days after the purchase. I have not been able to pursue the matter further, as the last few days have been busy."

"Are such mix-ups common?" asked the counselor.

"No," answered Erin, slightly annoyed. "I don't usually put client's money in such investments. Not without a thorough study, at least. At the time, we were very busy with the General Fission deal, and I really don't remember this transaction that well. I delegated the details to Lisa."

"Who used your authorization to buy the equities instead of the bonds" added the counselor.

"Look," answered Erin, getting angry. "I would not have authorized such a transaction. Lisa or the receiving agent must have made a mistake and bought the equities instead. Like I said, I haven't had the time to investigate further."

"What's going on here anyways," continued Erin. "I thought you were on my side and were supposed to help me."

"Cool down," replied Cassandra. "I'm only trying to understand what happened, like you. You also have to realize that, although I am on your side, this isn't like some old courtroom vid from 400 years ago."

"How's that?" asked Erin.

"Let me ask you, do you understand how our legal system works?" asked the counselor. "Wait, a second and reflect before you reply. I know what you learned in school: that our system is based on the old European and American systems of justice; trial by peers and all that. But so little time is spent on this nowadays. Most people have little or nothing to do with the criminal legal system and there is so much to learn in school. It's natural to skip through this, without really giving it the attention it deserves."

"I guess you may be right" said Erin sheepishly. "I probably don't know as much as I should."

"You're probably right" said Cassandra. "And I am pleased that you are willing to admit it. Let's start with what you probably do know. Almost all crime is punishable by servitude. Only extremely violent crime, such as murder carries another penalty, and that's death. But there isso little crime of any kind; science has given us that. The magnitude of the crime determines the severity of the punishment, as it has from time immemorial. Petty crimes, such as shoplifting, carry a few weeks to a few years of community service. Cleaning the parks, and such. More serious crimes, carry a stiffer class of penalties. The most serious carry a punishment of complete servitude for the life of the perpetrator. In other words slavery."

"Yes, I know this," replied Erin.

"Right. This is what most people know," continued Cassandra. "What you probably don't know is the definition of a serious crime. You have to understand that almost all remaining crime is financial. Science has engineered away the violent offenders. The very few that remain, are eliminated, as I said previously. You also have to realize, that blue collar financial crimes such as armed robbery and breaking into people's residences also never occur. We are all just too well off materially for that sort of thing. There is no point in stealing something you can afford to buy or can get for free. This leaves essentially white collar financial crime."

"Like I am accused of," added Erin.

"Precisely," answered the counselor. "The penalty is still based on the magnitude of the crime. But now there is a trivial and exact way of defining magnitude: by the amount involved."

"And I take it," said Erin, "that the amount involved in my case merits the most serious class of punishment."

"Yes," answered Cassandra. "But things are not quite this straight forward. We no longer have an adversarial legal system, like in the vids of old."

"Adversarial?" inquired Erin.

"Yes," answered Cassandra, "In vids you probably saw that one side would fight the other in a sort of ritual combat of words. Strategy and tactics were employed. Information was both sought and withheld, even hidden, as in a war. This is not surprising considering this system was invented by our violent ancestors. Our system is more cooperative. We don't have trials, but rather formal investigations; a search for truth instead of a contest, if you will. Information cannot be withheld. All sides are required to answer the relevant questions put to them. My role as a counselor is to insure that the state does not abuse its authority or infringe on your rights. I thus have the power to stop a trial if I suspect such tactics. On the other hand, I can't protect you by withholding information or by using other legal tactics."

"I see," said Erin. "So what do you advise me to do?"

"There are many courses of action available here," answered Cassandra. "The FIS seems to have a very solid case. The equity loss appears to be a sham. Money was transferred to Mexico before the loss. The account is in your name. Your signature is all over the place. On the plus side, most of the money is still in the account and has been recovered. I suggest we bargain with the FIS."

"Bargain?" said Erin. "What do you mean?"

"Well, you can admit to the crime in exchange for a lesser punishment," answered the counselor.

"What kind of punishment? Why would the FIS even consider such a deal?" asked Erin.

"Well in response to your first question, probably 15 to 20 years of indentured servitude. Not slavery; you would retain most of your rights. However, you would be forced to work for a court designated employer for the time in question, without complaint. In answer to your second question, the FIS must prove you are guilty. They have a good case, but no case is iron clad. In addition, it takes time and money to do a judicial investigation."

"And if I refuse and insist I am innocent?" asked Erin, knowing the answer.

"A full investigation will be held, of course. If you are found guilty you will most likely be sold as a slave to help pay for your crime. You should also consider this. Slaves have no rights. You cannot appeal or reopen your case, ever. On the other hand, as an indentured servant, you still have rights. You can pursue your case, and in time, possibly win a reversal," answered Cassandra.

"I need to think about this," said Erin.

"OK," replied Cassandra. "Take a few days and let me know."

*********

The next two days were agonizing for Erin. On one hand, she hated the idea of admitting to a crime that she did not commit; on the other, the idea of loosing her freedom and becoming a slave was terrifying. Lisa tried to help her the best she could, even letting Erin cry herself to sleep in her arms one night. The next morning, Erin woke early, went home, showered, and went to see Cassandra.

"Come in," said Cassandra. "I take it you have come to a decision."

"Yes," said Erin. "I have decided to fight this all the way. I just can't bring myself to admit to something I didn't do and destroy my life."

"OK," replied Cassandra. "I'll do my very best. Nothing that can be done will be left undone. You have my word."

"Thanks," said Erin. "I can't ask for more."

*********

April sat in her office enjoying herself. "Yes. That's right. Try and transfer 16 million from the account," said April to Candy.

"You know the account is frozen, and the request will be denied," said Candy.

"Yes," said April, "but it's the attempt I am interested in, not the actual transfer. Be sure to use the persona I sent you though. If you screw this up I will really beat you to death. As it is, you're in for a good thrashing."

"Yes Mistress," replied Candy, feeling her pussy start to get wet. "Right away."

****************************

The 'trial' (as Erin thought of it) began two weeks later and was almost anticlimactic. Erin and Cassandra sat at one end of a long wide table, while the government's team sat at the other. Six judges sat along the long side of the table and the judicial mediator, or investigator, opposite them. The mediator acted as a sort of judge, while the six "judges" were really a sort of jury. They along with the mediator would decide Erin's fate. Ellen, Lisa, April, and Candy made up the spectators and sat behind the government team.

The proceedings were largely uneventful. The government presented its case and the electronic and technical evidence detailing the transactions. Cassandra countered many of their points and even challenged the interpretation of the evidence. Erin denied knowledge of the account in Mexico and other parts of the transaction. In the end, Erin admitted to herself that the judicial investigation seemed fair and though the government's case was extremely solid, Cassandra had cast at least some doubt on it. Thus it came as a shock when the judges reached their guilty verdict after deliberating for only an hour.

As she stood before the panel with Cassandra's hand on her shoulder, Erin could just not bring herself to believe what she was hearing. What came next was an even greater shock. After hearing the verdict the judicial investigator asked Erin and Cassandra to be seated. Erin knew that the judicial investigator, or JI, as Cassandra called her, would pass sentence almost immediately.

"Before passing sentence, are there any further statements on either side?" asked the JI.

At this point, Cassandra was prepared to present a plea for mercy. Her strategy was to point out that Erin, although guilty, had fully cooperated and had not actually spent or attempted to spend the stolen money. She hoped that Erin would get a sentence just short of full slavery. Cassandra had initially disagreed with Erin's decision not to negotiate, but the more she looked into the case the more suspicious she had gotten. Although the government's case was airtight there was something odd that she couldn't quite put her finger on. If Erin received a sentence less than full slavery, she was determined to pursue the case until she got to the bottom of things. But for this to happen, Erin could not be sentenced to slavery.

Before, Cassandra could begin however, April rose, glanced at Ellen who looked very angry but nodded to her anyways, and approached the JI. "Yes ma'am," she began. "Yesterday, an attempt was made by Erin to transfer 16 of the twenty million out of the Mexican account. I have the records here," she said putting some information cubes on the table.

Cassandra protested, but was waved down by the JI. The panel examined the new evidence, which was quite damning. It showed a virtual persona of Erin with a valid signature trying to transfer the funds.

After the examination, April rose and asked to present additional testimony. The JI agreed.

"Ma'am," began April, "I would like this panel to know that World is self insured and has paid Custom Genetics' claim. As a result World is now the aggrieved party in this investigation. As such we wish to minimize our loss, which is our duty to our shareholders."

"Can you show evidence of the paid claim," asked the JI.

"Yes," said April putting an information cube on the table.

"Very well," said the JI after examining the contents. "What is your request?"

"Ma'am, we request that sentence be full diapered servitude. As you know this greatly increases the slave's value. In addition we request the usual sale of all property."

The JI turned to Cassandra, "Do you have anything to add before I pass sentence?"

"Ma'am," replied Cassandra, "Can I have a word with my client?"

"Yes," answered the JI. "This investigation will recess for one hour. Dismissed"

****************************

In a private conference room, Erin looked at Cassandra in shock. "What's going on here?" she asked. "What is diapered servitude?"

Cassandra, looking uncomfortable, tried to answer her client's question. "Remember when I told you that punishment is determined by the severity of the crime?"

"Yes," answered Erin. "You said the worst punishment was complete servitude. But what is this diapered servitude?"

"I said the most serious punishment was complete servitude," replied Cassandra. "However there are varying degrees of complete servitude."

"What could be worse than complete servitude?" asked Erin, incredulous.

"Well," answered Cassandra, "something that makes your existence completely and totally humiliating on a daily basis. Diapered servitude is just what the words mean. The slave is placed in diapers and kept there for life."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" exclaimed Erin, starting to cry.

"Diapered servitude is an extremely rare punishment. Only a few percent are sentenced to this form of punishment. Such a slave is highly sought after in the high society fetish scene. As such, they command the highest prices. Normally, your crime would not make you eligible for this severe a sentence. However the attempt to transfer the money yesterday has changed this. In addition, by buying the claim, World has acted to protect their reputation. Although the funds have been recovered, by not asking for the maximum penalty World risks being perceived as not taking the matter seriously, even perhaps encouraging this type of activity. Such a perception would be disastrous."