The Tale of Rita Barbour

7:50 am-Droid Control Tribunal, Metropolis.

She she ran up the stone stairs to employee entrance in the back of the building. Fumbling through her storage unit, she pulled out her work and apartment keys and comm-link and placed them on the table next to the x-ray scanner. "I swear Rita, you keep up holding up this line I'll have to make a memo to watch out for you", joked Martin, the security officer.  "Ok, ok, I'll have my things ready before I get in line tomorrow", she joked back. Walking down the hallway, she already felt her energy core fading a little. "Well, at least I'm not in the junk heap", she thought.  With five minutes to spare, she pressed the her right temple button, revealing her human look.  Today, its a black sweater with crisp white pants and heels.  Her red hair was in a ballerina-style bun. "Ok, let's get started", she said under her breath. The door opens to the immense public lobby entrance. She takes her place by the service windows. "Hello, and welcome to the Star Commission Tribunal. Please have your IDs and any e-scrolls relevant to your case ready in order for us to assist you".

9:00 a.m.
"I can't wait to get back to Neon Valley Street", Rita thought.  "Wondaland would be even better".  As she was picking up the next e-record to place on the file case, the office com-link lit.  "E-Records Room, Rita Barbour speaking".  "We will need file #473 brought to the 5th floor tribunal chambers immediately" said the voice on the other end of the line.  "Sure thing", Rita replied.  She descended the stool she was standing on and made her way to farthest file-case in the back of the room.  Files for the most serious offenses were stored there.  Luckily for Rita, the requested file was at eye level.  As she made her way to the elevator, she glanced down at the e-record in her hands.

#57821-Cindy Mayweather
CHARGE-FELONY

"This can't be THE Cindi Mayweather, can it?", she wondered.  "I can't picture her doing anything wrong, much less anything that could get you disassembled".  The bell rings.  The thick metal doors slide open. Once arriving at the tribunal chamber rear door, Rita gives the case to the clerk and returns to her station, thinking about the stack of records waiting for her.

No sooner did she get back the comm-link light up again.  It was 5th floor tribunal chamber.  "Rita, we need you to pick up the file you just delivered to us. We're done with it.  The case is closed, so put it in the proper area".  "I'll be there", she replied.  She waited to look at the e-record again once the chamber door closed.  This time, large red letters were flashing on the screen:

JUDGMENT: GUILTY
SENTENCE-DISASSEMBLY
TO BE CARRIED OUT IMMEDIATELY

"Oh, maker, no", uttered Rita in a muted tone.  The rest of the day found her struggling to concentrate on her duties.  She filed and delivered many cases during her time at the Tribunal, but something was different about this one. She felt she had hand in the condemnation of the most well-known figures in Metropolis-an innocent figure.

On her way home, the plaza mega screen caught her eye. It was a repeat announcement from earlier in the day: "Gooooooood Morning Cyboys and Cybergirls. I am happy to announce that we have a star-crossed winner in today's heartbreak sweepstakes..."

The rest of the words hit like the mallets used to assemble her.  She rushed to her Leopard Plaza apartment with an eagerness she never felt before. "There's gotta be something I can do", she thought.  The elevator door opens. Rita walks in. She presses the button.

4th floor...