The Disclosure

─ Welcome to this hearing where we shall find out what happened when Sophie was brought here to the headquarters. We have seen some disturbing pictures on TV. But we start from the beginning. Sophie, can you take a seat here in the front? Good. You can start with why and how you ended up at the farm in the wilderness.

─ I could not stand the life in town, isolated in a small flat. Our country had changed from democracy to a dictatorship in only one year, that was, and is, unbelievable. I got in contact with the resistance movement and thought that I was going to be smuggled out of the country, but we were transported to a farm where some idealists have started a small society. They live at this old farm far from the civilisation. We were supposed to stay there and to settle down.

─ Who are “we”?

─ Four young women who did not know each other, we thought we should go abroad. I bounded up in short time with the one who picked herself the nickname Aphrodite, and we became best friends. After some months we were asked to walk out in the woods to help the group living outdoors, and I got the message that I should travel here afterwards, since I was promised to meet Jonas again, the leader. He was my boyfriend before the pandemic started and we got departed after the Government made him the Enemy Number One. Aphrodite insisted on following me and did not walk back to the farm alone, as she was supposed to.

─ Why did you let her join you at the travel, no one had said that she could.

─ Till now I have experienced other people to take decisions on my behalf. Who am I to decide for my friend?

─ Did it not occur to you that it was dangerous?

─ No, as I told you, I just got messages of what to do, no information.

─ And you did not make any protests to her decision?

─ I asked her why she was following me, and she answered that she could not let me travel into the unknown without support. Besides, she thought she could go back to the farm later.

─ You agreed on that?

─ Yes. You should know about her that she is a rebel, though she is a good person, and she cannot do anyone harm. She is also restless. The first days at the farm she refused to participate because she was furious that she was ending up at an old-fashioned farm out in the wilderness instead of the Maldives.

─ How did the group at the farm deal with her?

─ We all gave her space and time, and slowly she became a part of the group.

─ How was the relationship between her and her mother?

─ We were strictly told not to speak about our past. It was only once that I heard Aphrodite say something about her mother and that was because one of the new ones who mentioned that Aphrodite had a mother who was closely associated with the authorities.

─ What did she answer?

─ That her mother`s job was one of the reasons why the two were not talking, and that they had not been friends since she was old enough to speak out against her mother. We all believed it. And one of the other new ones, told us that we all had been through a thorough background check before we were accepted.

─ If you think back, are there any small signs that you think afterwards, could be perceived as a suspicion that Aphrodite was sent to the farm on behalf of her mother or someone else?

─That Aphrodite is a spy? No! Under no circumstances. It is not possible. Today I watched closely the TV recording. Aphrodite and her mother still do not have a good dialog. It was clear in the body language of both and she rolled her eyes and protested that she now must stay with her mother.

─ Can we trust you? You do not seem to be able to see this objectively.

─ Don`t I? If you had met her, you had not doubted me. She is no spy.

─ I believe you. The question is, what do we do now? She can reveal something.

─ Do something with Aphrodite? Are you crazy? It is enough that you shot her!

─ Calm down and take the seat again.

─ Now she is where she is, there is nothing you can do. Firstly, you cannot think of killing her once more. Secondly, the authorities would spread one more reason to hate you.

─ Good point.

─ Who killed Charlotte - the resistance movement, or the authorities? You got Aphrodite shot because of a drone. Are the authorities right when they claim the resistance movement responsible for the death of Charlotte?

 ─ Charlotte?

─ Her real name was Maria Teodorsen, and she arrived the farm together with Aphrodite and me.

─ That incident, no, we did not kill that girl. Besides, she is not subject of this hearing. Thank you for your answers. We take a ten-minute break.

─ Olsen, take a seat. Why did you join the resistance movement?

           ─ I am an anarchist and I disagree to the politics around the pandemic.

─ Why did you let Aphrodite join you? You had the order to pick up one person, not two.

─ Both of the girls insisted, and we were in the middle of the wilderness. Besides, she promised that she took the responsibility herself.

─ But you knew who she was?

─ Yes, we had seen photos of her, she was a missing person with a famous mother, and we talked about it, Johnson, and me. We agreed that we trust the group who decide who can become a member of the resistance movement.

─ And you, where does your loyalty lie?

─ The resistance movement, of course. Why do you doubt that?

─ Good, thank you, Olsen. Johnson, take a seat. Why did you join the resistance movement?

           ─ I am an anarchist and I disagree with the politics around the pandemic.

─ Why did you let Aphrodite join you? You had the order to pick up one person, not two.

─ Both of the girls insisted, and we were in the middle of the wilderness. Besides, she promised that she took the responsibility herself.

─ But you knew who she is?

─ Yes, we had seen photos of her, she is a missing person and has a famous mother, and we talked about it, Olsen, and me. We agreed that we trust the group who decide who can become a member of the resistance.

─ So, you agreed to bring an extra person, at her own risk. You knew that she was a wanted person and that her mother was connected to the Government. When the drone came after you and she fell, you stopped, took your weapon, and shot her.

─ Yes, she could gossip.

─ Gossip, to whom about what?

─ To the authorities. About us.

─ What did you fear she would say?

─ Where the headquarters are located.

─ But she had not been there yet.

─ No?

─ What was the order for the assignment?

─ Pick up one person, drive her through the country and get her safely into the headquarters.

─ What are you trained for?

─ Get away from the authorities. They must not discover the headquarters, regardless of price.

─ Whatever the price - what does it mean?

─ Well, eh, we must avoid being caught. That`s why I shot her.

─ Who has given you the order to kill?

─ I am not sure.

─ We, the Resistance Movement, has clear principles for avoiding death. No one has given you the order to kill anyone.

─ But, but. I did what I thought was right!

─ Another point, why did you leave her? Why did you not take the body with you? That would be logical, especially since you feared the authorities so much.

─ I don`t know. Everything happened so quickly.

─ You are a spy for the authorities! You shot her because you didn`t want to be exposed. In addition, it didn`t fit into the schedule to get a wanted person into the headquarters. Do you have anything more you want to say?

─ No.

─ Guards, bring him to a cell. Olsen, you must take a seat again to answer some more questions. Why didn`t you report that Johnson did not follow orders?

─ It happened so fast and I had to bring Sophie to safety. I still cannot believe it, Johnson a spy.

─ OK, but you`re deprived of service outside the headquarters from now on. There will be other tasks for you. When we have ended this hearing, you report yourselves to the administration. Listen everyone, this is serious! We must avoid falling into a witch hunt, but it is important that we all stay awake to details or events that does not follow our principles. We shall not end up being as corrupt and mean as the politicians in the Government.  Johnson will be brought to justice. This hearing is ended.