The Dovetail

Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting a different result. Look to the past to foretell what will happen in the 22nd century.

World War Three (WWIII) reshaped nations and eliminated others.

The end of WWIII was quickly overshadowed by the start of the United Kingdom’s civil war that saw the kingdom split into four factions. After five pugnacious decades, a new King of England, King Domhall Erskine, emerged and reunited the empire. But, following his murder, a rebellion rises, and peace is again in imperilment.

In 2162, trials in the United Kingdom were either heard by the royal representative or by a jury of three-hundred peers. But who could be impartial in the most notable murder trial of all time? Affairs, murder, scandals, and desecration of a body for the world to see. No longer is the time of surprise verdicts. Instead, anyone anywhere can see which way jurors were leaning as they cast their votes on their mobile devices—immediately accessible on blockchain ledgers.

Despite her implication in the murder, his widow, Arla Erskine, rules as the queen regent while their son Finlay comes of age. Arla holds court, hosts council meetings, and puts out fires in the powder-keg of a kingdom while standing trial. The more progress she makes with bringing peace to the Kingdom, the more her relationship with her son erodes.

As rebellions morph into anarchy, pieces from Arla’s past return, after a 13-year separation, to right a dystopian society that threatens women's rights. This help not only comes from the United States, an enemy nation but from an adept military sergeant, Ruby Cadell, who also stands accused of killing the king.