covert-execution

The use of microscopic explosives detonated remotely in Bud's bloodstream at the funeral pier suggests a secretive and technologically advanced method of capital punishment.

1 chapter across 1 book

The Diamond Age (1996)Neal Stephenson

Chapter 23

Bud is prosecuted in a Confucian-style judicial system in the Chinese Coastal Republic after being accused of mugging and shooting Mr. Kwamina. The trial reveals the integration of traditional and modern legal practices, including advanced technology like nanoweapons and phenomenoscopes. Ultimately, Bud is found guilty and sentenced to walk to a funeral pier, where microscopic explosives in his bloodstream detonate, implying a covert execution.