Chapter 17 — Part 1
Cortalis Arrival — "The Judge-in-Training"
The train slid into Cortalis Central with surgical precision, doors opening on a clean rush of conditioned air.
Jonathan stepped out with his backpack, tablet case, and the kind of nervous energy that could power three laptops simultaneously.
Behind him came the Nugano entourage:
Elliott, already checking itineraries Mari, adjusting her badge holder Soren and Daven, whisper-arguing about which hallway maps were newer Two interns, quietly panicking in perfect synchronization
Lena stepped forward last, blazer immaculate, expression firm but composed.
Cortalis hit them immediately—bright lines, sharp architecture, and an unspoken "move fast or move aside" energy that made Nugano feel like a countryside cafe.
Jonathan straightened his posture.
He had a director, six coworkers, and two interns depending on him to not implode.
"No panicking," he muttered. "No nonsense. Standard corporate protocol, please…"
Lena's voice cut through the terminal noise, smooth and polished Kansai:
"Raines. Team. Y'all stay close. Cortalis Central ain't gonna wait for anyone wanderin'."
Everyone fell in behind her instantly.
Jonathan kept pace—barely.
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Cortalis Judicial Hall — East Wing Lobby
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The Judicial Hall was colder, quieter, and so pristine that Jonathan felt he needed to apologize for breathing.
Marble.
Glass.
Perfect acoustics.
The type of space where footsteps sounded like a performance review.
The team formed a tidy line behind Lena as she approached the reception desk.
A young man stood reviewing case memos—dark academic suit, posture straight, movements precise. He didn't just look trained; he looked calibrated.
He looked up.
Jonathan felt the temperature shift.
Lena spoke first, maintaining her light professional Kansai:
"Kian. Nugano division's arrived for the summit briefin'."
Jonathan blinked.
Kian.
This was him.
The judge-in-training.
Kian closed his memo folder with smooth efficiency and bowed at the exact correct angle.
"Director Lena. Judge Hale asked me to escort y'all. Conference Room Three is prepared."
Then he turned to Jonathan.
Measured.
Observant.
Neutral.
"You must be Jonathan Raines."
Jonathan nearly forgot how to exist.
"Y—yes. Analyst Jonathan Raines, Nugano branch. Pleasure t'meet ya… formally."
Kian studied him for one heartbeat longer than comfortable.
Not unkind—just assessing.
He gave a small nod.
"Judge Hale's expectin' you specifically. Please follow me. And keep the team together—this wing loops if you take the wrong turn."
The interns stiffened in fear.
Elliott mouthed thank you at Kian.
Jonathan tried to walk confidently.
His stressed Kansai slipped out anyway:
"Appreciate the guidance—really—this place looks like it grades ya for steppin' too loud."
Kian didn't smile, but something flickered in his eyes.
Lena murmured, amused:
"Relax, Raines. We ain't assignin' posture scores."
Kian added dryly:
"Unless ya fall."
Jonathan did not fall.
But it was close.
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Arrival at Conference Room 3
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Kian opened the door with a controlled, almost silent motion.
Inside, Marcus Hale stood at the far end—straight-backed, gloved, emanating an authority that seemed to hold up half the room by itself.
He turned as the group filed in.
His eyes landed on Jonathan first.
Not harsh.
Not warm.
Evaluating.
Jonathan instinctively straightened three degrees.
Marcus nodded.
"Jonathan Raines. Welcome to Cortalis."
Jonathan responded tightly:
"Honored t'be here, sir."
Marcus looked to the group, then to Kian.
"Kian. Begin the orientation."
"Yes, Judge Hale."
Kian stepped forward, opening the first file packet.
Jonathan swallowed.
Oh heavens… this summit's gonna end me.
Chapter 17 — Part 2
Cortalis Summit — "The Review Begins"
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Conference Room Three had the kind of atmosphere that could wrinkle your shirt purely through tension.
A long obsidian table, silent projectors humming overhead, precise seating arrangements marked with understated nameplates.
Jonathan stepped inside last, still trying to keep his hands from shaking.
His coworkers filed into the rows of chairs lining the wall behind the main table—this was the arrangement Lena had warned them about:
— Jonathan sits with the directors
— everyone else observes
Meaning his entire office had front-row seats to his potential demise.
He swallowed.
Lena took the seat to Marcus's right.
Jonathan took the one next to her.
He double-checked that his tablet was set to "silent", "do not disturb", and "if I breathe wrong, immobilize".
Across from them, Kian placed a thick stack of briefing packets on the table with the ease of someone who knew the weight of every page by memory. He did not sit yet—formality dictated he stand until Marcus began.
Marcus surveyed the room with that controlled, penetrating calm that made even the air behave properly.
"Before we start," he said, "I want to confirm that Nugano's team understands the confidentiality of this summit."
The Nugano entourage all nodded in perfect, terrified unison.
Marcus continued:
"These proceedings involve sealed regional cases, pending legislative adjustments, and inter-branch evaluations. Breaches will not be tolerated."
Elliott nodded so fast Jonathan feared his neck would detach.
Marcus turned his gaze onto Jonathan.
"This includes you, Raines."
Jonathan sat up straighter.
"Understood, sir. You won't hear one word leaked from me. Not even a syllable. Not even half a syllable."
His voice cracked.
"Respectfully."
Lena nudged his elbow under the table—a silent please stop talking before you pass out.
Marcus didn't react outwardly, but Jonathan could feel the corner of Kian's attention sharpen.
Kian stepped forward.
He set a summary sheet in front of Jonathan and Lena first, then distributed copies to the observers.
"Today's orientation," he said in that soft, measured Kansai tone, "covers three primary categories: interbranch compliance, cross-regional case structures, and Nugano's procedural updates."
He paused before the final item.
"And the analyst performance audit tied to Case 47-K."
His eyes flicked—only briefly—to Jonathan.
Jonathan's spine attempted to exit his body.
Lena leaned forward.
"Kian," she said lightly, "let's get the categories rollin' before Raines here dissolves into vapor."
Jonathan mouthed thank you.
Kian gave a tiny bow of acknowledgment and began the presentation.
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Interbranch Compliance Review
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Kian projected the first set of documents onto the wall. The screens lit up with crisp Cortalis formatting—color-coded, elegant, far sharper than Nugano's templates.
"Our first item," Kian began, "is cross-division compliance. Nugano's updated reports from the last quarter showed improvements—significant ones."
Elliott perked up behind Jonathan, whispering, "I told you the new filing system would pay off."
Daven whispered back, "You color-coded the coffee maker, dude."
"It's systematized."
"It's concerning."
Mari elbowed both of them silent.
Kian continued, unfazed.
"However," he said, "there were inconsistencies with timestamp synchronizations. These must be corrected by the next cycle."
Jonathan froze.
He knew exactly which timestamps those were.
They were his.
"Sir," he said quietly, "if I may offer context on those inconsistencies—"
Marcus raised a hand.
"Later. Finish listening first, Raines."
"Yes sir. Listening with full intensity, sir."
Lena covering a soft cough did not hide her amusement.
Kian went line by line through the compliance metrics.
He used precise language—never vague, never lengthy, each sentence engineered for efficiency.
Jonathan had a fleeting thought that if this man ever wrote a threat, it would be grammatically flawless.
When the slide ended, Kian turned subtly toward Marcus for confirmation. Marcus gave a barely perceptible nod.
"Proceed," he said.
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Cross-Regional Case Structures
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This section was dense.
Charts.
Flow diagrams.
Case sequences that looked like they were designed by whoever invented labyrinths.
Kian explained each shift with calm clarity.
"The adjustments to multi-branch jurisdiction protocols," he said, "will impact Nugano's approval chain. Particularly for analysts handling long-term case mapping."
Jonathan's hand rose automatically.
Marcus watched him like he was observing an exotic species making an unexpected sound.
"You have a question, Raines?"
"Yes, sir."
Jonathan swallowed.
"Regarding the jurisdiction chain—does this impact analysts directly, or only during the handoff phase?"
Kian answered before Marcus could.
"It impacts analysts who handle cross-division preparation."
His tone didn't soften, but it gentled slightly.
"For your position specifically, yes. You'll be interfacin' with Cortalis more frequently."
Jonathan blinked fast.
"Oh… heavens above. Okay. Yes. I'll—I'll adjust. I'll restructure anything that needs restructurin'. Even if it's everythin'."
Kian nodded.
"Good."
Mari whispered behind him, "You're doing fine."
Jonathan whispered back, "I feel like a lone ant on a glass table."
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Nugano Procedural Updates
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The screens switched to Nugano's format—slightly softer colors, slightly less intimidating, and slightly more "we did our best with the budget we had."
Lena straightened.
"This section's ours," she said smoothly.
Marcus gestured for her to begin.
She walked the room through the changes:
Improved intake forms
Revised data verification
New training schedules
Her professional Kansai was crisp, confident, steady.
Kian watched, absorbing every detail.
Not critiquing.
Not judging.
Just recording.
When she finished, Marcus turned to Jonathan again.
"Raines."
Jonathan jolted.
"Yes sir—present and accounted for—sir."
"You developed the new margin-check automation?"
"Yes sir. It—it wasn't anything fancy. Just a layered logic filter."
"It reduced error rates by eleven percent."
Jonathan blinked rapidly.
"It… did?"
"Yes," Marcus said. "Explain your methodology."
In front of the director.
In front of the judge-in-training.
In front of his coworkers.
In front of the interns, who were probably taking notes on how to not breathe too loud.
Jonathan inhaled slowly.
Then he explained.
Not wobbly.
Not stuttering.
But professionally.
Clear.
Structured.
Confident—though sweat may have been involved.
By the end, the room was silent.
Marcus gave one firm nod.
"Acceptable. Continue refining it."
Jonathan almost fainted with relief.
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Analyst Performance Audit — Case 47-K
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This was the part Jonathan feared.
Kian brought up the sealed file with a quiet, mechanical click.
The screen displayed a red stamp:
LIMITED ACCESS — CONDITIONAL REVIEW
Kian stood behind Jonathan's left shoulder as he laid out the summary packet.
"This case," he said, "was reviewed because Nugano and Cortalis both handled early-stage components."
Jonathan's hands tightened around his stylus.
Kian continued:
"Cross-checkin' our logs revealed four timestamp anomalies."
He placed a finger on one of the highlighted lines.
"These were yours."
Jonathan's heart sank.
"I apologize," he said quickly. "It was never intentional—I had an overlapping queue, and the regional server lagged, and—"
Kian raised a hand lightly.
"Context accepted. But the record must still be corrected."
Jonathan nodded vigorously.
"Of course. I'll fix every line. I'll fix 'em twice. I'll fix 'em politely."
The last line slipped out under stress.
Lena pinched the bridge of her nose to hide a smile.
Marcus looked between the two.
"Kian. Final assessment?"
Kian didn't hesitate.
"Raines is diligent," he said.
"Errors present, but causes explainable. His revisions are timely, and his cross-regional accuracy rating remains high."
Jonathan startled.
Kian… defended him?
Marcus nodded.
"Then the matter is marked 'corrective and closed.' Move on."
Jonathan nearly slumped over the table in exhausted gratitude.
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Closing of Part 2
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The summit continued another twenty minutes—dense but survivable.
When Marcus finally dismissed them for a short recess, Jonathan exhaled so sharply he nearly collapsed against the table.
Soren whispered, "Dude. You lived."
Daven added, "Barely, but still counts."
The interns nodded solemnly.
Lena leaned toward him.
Voice soft.
A hint of Kansai threading through.
"Good work, Raines. Keep steady. Ain't over yet, but you're holdin' your ground."
Jonathan inhaled deeply.
"Yes ma'am. I'm— I'm doin' my level best not to explode."
Kian approached then.
Jonathan froze.
Kian placed the briefing packet in front of him.
"You addressed the audit properly," he said.
"Keep up that standard, and Cortalis will integrate smoother than you expect."
Jonathan blinked.
"…Thank you."
Kian nodded once.
Then stepped away with the same calm precision he'd entered with.
Jonathan slumped.
"Oh heavens… and that's just Part 2. I'm doomed."