“But not like Greyhound. I can’t just go buy a ticket for a ride to Houston or Chicago.”

“That’s right. We move cargo for governments and businesses.”

“Some of it human cargo.”

“Correct.”

“Who is your biggest customer?”

“That would be our parent company, AMR—the American Management and Retraining Company.”

“Such a big customer that they bought you so they could get a better deal.”

“I guess so. They bought us three years ago, after PDL had become one of their main suppliers.”

“And their biggest customer is the federal government?”

“Was,” said Bagley. “Now I’m not sure who the biggest customer is.”

“Business is off, I take it.”

“Their business is.”

“And what business is that?”

“They operate detention, resettlement, and skills-training facilities for governments and other companies. Or did. Most of the federal contracts got canceled after the takeover.”

“By the takeover, you mean the popular revolt that restored the Constitution?”

“No, I mean the foreign-backed revolt that shredded the Constitution.”

“Compliance with international law hasn’t been bad for your business, has it?”

“No. The bus business and cargo volumes have really taken off since the air-travel bans.”

“How long have you been working for PDL?”

“Nine years, since before the buyout.”

“That’s a long run. What is your current position?”

“I’m the VP of operations for District Four.”

“What territory does District Four cover?”

“Most of the Central US—the Dakotas and Minnesota south to here in Texas, and as far east as Mississippi.”

“So your region covers most of the resettlement farms and crop labs.”

“Pretty much.”

“Where are you based?”

“Oklahoma City.”

“‘The Crossroads of America.’ Good hub for a bus company.”

“It works well for us.”

“How long have you been the VP of operations?”

“Around two years.”

“Since the cease-fire?”

“Pretty much.”

“And before that you managed the operation at Fort Hood down in Killeen, correct?”

“I was one of the managers.”

“Is PDL paying you to be here today?”

“I guess. I’m on a salary, and this ain’t vacation.”

“No, it’s not. You sent some folks on vacation, though, didn’t you? Permanent vacation.”

“Objection, Your Honor,” said Keller. She didn’t need to explain the basis.

“Mr. Kimoe,” said the judge.

“Sorry,” said Donny. “That’s not what they called it. But we’ll get to that in a bit. At Fort Hood, you were assigned to help support the AMR account, before AMR bought PDL, correct?”

“They were our main customer. But we were all really working for Tripto Labs, who hired AMR. And for the federal government, who gave Tripto Labs the contract to grow their New Corn on a production scale.”

“So this was after Fort Hood was designated as a resettlement farm, where Tripto Labs planted their next-gen GMO crop and the prisoners provided the labor.”

“They were not prisoners,” said Bagley. “Maybe some of them. Most were just refugees. Refugees from other states.”