The story set in a future world follows a man named Manuel Abdul Jones who is on trial for murdering a company officer, the judge being a machine. After considering every aspect of his life and the societal complexities surrounding him, and being questioned about his motives, the infallible machine coldly deliberates and ultimately judges that while he is guilty, he is also a product of a flawed system that compels individuals to act violently. In the end, the machine declares him free, leaving the question of true justice and moral responsibility unresolved.