In the Penal Colony

“Guilt is never to be doubted.”

Living through a slow shift in values is eerie. The officer clings to a torture machine that everyone else has already forgotten.

“It’s a remarkable piece of apparatus.”

Watching someone defend a cruel system just because they saw it built is haunting. He treats that machine like a holy relic.

Justice feels terrifying when the accused doesn't even know their own sentence. The prisoner just stands there while his death is prepared.

Old traditions die in such a pathetic way. The new Commandant doesn't ban the execution. He just stops showing up to watch.