How extraordinary it must have seemed back then, to bridge thoughts and machines with something so delicate, so intricate.. born from nothing but human ingenuity.”

His eyes briefly met those of the plaintiffs…

“These devices,” he continued, gesturing subtly toward the plaintiffs counsel, “aren’t just technological marvels. They are extensions of our very minds, integrating seamlessly with our neural pathways. Just as you, at the plaintiff’s table, have these coils interfacing directly with your thoughts, so too have we embraced this fusion of flesh and machine.”

“Frontiering the ability for all of us to achieve save state.. a moment of pause and reflection.. to even permanent state, where our ideals and efforts endure beyond the fleeting present.”

“And I’m looking right at you, Mr. Clad Jibbity, sitting in the back row.. don’t think for a second you’re off the hook!”…

“Imagine the possibilities when every individual possesses such intimate control over their cognitive functions. The line between human and machine blurs, creating a new paradigm of existence.”

At the plaintiff’s table, Juniper felt her pulse quicken. This wasn’t Roma’s usual performative gambit - this was something far more dangerous. Truth wielded like a scalpel.

“That we may take longer still,” he continued, building momentum like a gathering storm, “but we are worth the wait.” His eyes found the back row of the gallery. “Care to ask the plaintiff why Joseph Synnett didn’t take the stand as he sits back there?”

The courtroom erupted in whispers as heads turned. Roma broke the mounting tension with a single sentence: “Well, it’s for the same reason I stated that I’m here and you’re here today. As subpoenas function differently under the law for things that can’t be streamed… or uploaded.”

He was fully in his element now, but transformed - theatrical skill married to genuine conviction.