Well, it looks like "Redmond Justice" may indeed go off the air sooner rather than later, one way or another. According to the New York Times, the "fast track" schedule for the conclusion of the case has been set, and it's aggressive. Clear your viewing calendar for the following dates, or you'll miss all the drama. First, the government has until April 28th to submit its remedy proposals to the judge. Then Microsoft has until May 10th to issue a response. The government has until May 17th to respond to the response. And then the real action kicks in: hearings are to start on May 24th, "presumably with witnesses." Once all that's over, the case ends, and Microsoft's appeals process begins-- which may be kicked right upstairs to the Supreme Court.

Now, that whole schedule goes out the window and the show comes to an abrupt end if a settlement is reached before this all plays out. Given the complete and utter lack of progress made over the course of four months of negotiations, we originally doubted that a settlement is in the cards. But faithful viewer Bill Moore has us a bit worried; he pointed out that Bill Gates himself was in Washington to meet with President Clinton. According to a TechWeb article, Gates was simply "participating in a White House conference on the new economy," but the man was lobbying up a storm in "closed-door sessions" with members of the House and Senate. Guess what they were talking about? Don't sprain your brain thinking too hard.

And while Clinton and Gates reportedly only engaged in "friendly conversation" and "did not speak of the antitrust case," we all know better, right? Someone's trying to grease the wheels. As Ed Black, the president of the Computer and Communications Industry Association, points out, "such a rich schedule of meetings is generally reserved for world leaders, and rarely given to someone who violated federal laws." Apparently "$3 million in political donations" (and being the richest man in the world) can cover a multitude of sins. Here's hoping that Bill's obvious lobbying efforts don't lead to a mysterious willingness to settle on the government's part.