Darwin

by Amanda Bridgeman

  “Above all else, it is my job to decide whether any disciplinary action is to be taken with regards to the deaths of the seven UNF scientists and lab workers on Station Darwin, and whether there is any responsibility to be laid for the deaths of the four Aurora crew members. Today, I will pass only my judgment on the Aurora crew for the deaths of Darwin crew. It’s been confirmed that one UNF team has already reached the Darwin to investigate the matter further. However, again, due to some of the allegations of the Aurora crew, a second independent team was dispatched to ensure all investigations are aboveboard. Judgement against the remaining Darwin crew for the deaths of the four Aurora crew will take place once they have been brought back to Earth.”

  Judge Bates reached forward, picked up the glass of water in front of him and took a sip. He placed the glass back down and looked over the top of his glasses at those present.

  “So, I will have the Aurora team standing in front of me as I hand down my findings. As I call your name, please step forward to this line,” he said, pointing to a white line along the floor about four meters in front of his table.

  “Captain Saul Harris.”

  Harris stood from his chair, walked up to the line, and stood straight, arms by his sides.

  “First Lieutenant Daniel Walker.”

  Carrie watched as Doc stood at the line by Harris’s side.

  “Second Lieutenant James McKinley.”

  McKinley stood up from his wheelchair, and with the help of crutches handed to him by a nurse, made his way over to stand by Doc, who turned and watched him.

  “First Sergeant Jacob Hunter. Sergeant James Jay Brown.”

  Hunter was pushed forward in his wheelchair by a UNF nurse. As he reached the line, she helped him to stand, resting his weight on his good leg, then wheeled the chair away slightly. Brown stood alongside of him.

  “Sergeant Sarah Packham. Corporal Sabrina Colt.”

  Colt, like Hunter was wheeled up to the line, and then helped out of her chair to stand on the white line beside Packham.

  “And Corporal Carrie Welles.”

  Carrie stood and made her way over to stand by Colt in the line. Her heart was racing and her chest felt tight. She could sense the others felt the same way, as the tension hung in the air thickly like a stifling heat.

  The judge, still looking over the top of his glasses, ran his eye over the line, analyzing each and every one of them. “As I address you each individually, you will take another step forward, then fall back into line when done. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, sir,” they all replied.

  “Captain Harris, if you would?” The judge motioned for Harris to step forward.

  He did so.

  “Captain Harris, according to the report, you were called to Command at 0600 on September 20th and issued with your orders for the Darwin mission. You were then informed that you would be taking on three new recruits. Is this correct?”

  “Yes, sir,” Harris answered, staring dead ahead, his face devoid of emotion.

  “And you were advised the mission was a response to a loss of comms on the Darwin, and that your team, including your new recruits would be leaving that night. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “And when you arrived you found the station deserted, except for four survivors, whom you quarantined. First Lieutenant Walker, please step forward. Thank you, Captain Harris.”

  Doc stepped forward as Harris stepped back.

  “Lieutenant Walker. You ran several tests on the ‘survivors’, finding no trace of a virus, despite them exhibiting symptoms indicating otherwise. You then held the survivors for some 12 hours to be sure there was no change in their symptoms. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “After waiting these 12 hours and running another series of tests, you recommended their release from quarantine to Captain Harris, as their results were clean and you had no reason to quarantine them any longer. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The judge looked down at his file again for a moment. “I’ve seen your medical files and I’m satisfied that your tests were thorough and you took the necessary precautions for the team. Step back, lieutenant. Captain Harris step forward again.”

  Harris did, as Doc stepped back.

  “So, as per Lieutenant Walker’s recommendations, captain, you approved the release of the four survivors into your custody and onto the Aurora. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’m satisfied, given the classified nature of the Darwin, that you exhausted all lines of investigation into the disappearance of the rest of the crew, had no reason to hold them further and therefore released the survivors under UNF law. However, it does appear that this is the moment the mission took a turn.” The judge eyed Harris carefully over his glasses, then looked back at his file.

  “Corporal Welles, would you please step forward,” he called, looking over his glasses again.

  Carrie’s heart thumped against her ribcage so hard she thought it was going to burst right on through. She stepped forward and stared straight ahead.

  “Corporal Welles, the incident between you and Tynek Grolsh set off a chain of events for your team that has ultimately led us all here today.”

  Carrie tried to hold it, but she couldn’t help but swallow hard.

  “I have watched the surveillance footage of the incident, and it is clear that Grolsh was the instigator, and that you were not at fault. In fact, corporal, I’d say you are very lucky to be standing here in front of me today.” The judge eyed her for a moment, then looked back down at his file, turning over a page. “Corporal, you are responsible for killing two members of the Darwin crew: Karl Fairmont and Eric Oxer. With regard to Fairmont’s death, I’ve watched the footage from the Aurora’s external cameras and read the supporting testimonies of First Sergeant Hunter and Corporal Colt. It is clear that Sergeant Hunter was under attack from Fairmont and you did attempt to rescue him by first wounding Fairmont. Fairmont then charged you, and you shot and killed him. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “With regard to Oxer’s death, I’ve read Second Lieutenant McKinley’s supporting testimony of the incident and that of Walker, Brown and Packham who were watching from the Aurora’s flight deck. I have also seen the footage from the headcams, although they are, at best, hard to obtain any clarity from. There must have been some kind of interference with the relay during the recording process. However, it is quite clear that this time you made no attempt to wound the enemy, corporal. You fired a single shot to the head, killing Oxer instantly. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  The judge eyed her again for a moment. “Corporal Welles, I have taken into account the fact that you are a sharpshooter. Hitting your targets accurately is what you do. Having said that, you are better placed than most soldiers to simply wound as opposed to killing your enemy. You have accuracy on your side to be able to make that decision. In Fairmont’s case you did, at first. In Oxer’s, you did not.”

  Carrie swallowed hard again.

  “Corporal, I have also taken into account that this was your first mission as part of a team on the ground, in the firing line. Your previous experience has been as a sharpshooter, far away from hand-to-hand combat. You survived the attack by Grolsh, and I believe this was probably still on your mind, not to mention the deaths of your fellow team members, when you killed both Fairmont and Oxer.

  “I believe the force was excessive. But I believe that you felt you were under attack and that you did what you are trained to do, and you did it to save a fellow team member, whom you also thought was at great risk. Therefore, I find no disciplinary action to be taken against you for the deaths of these two UNF lab workers. However, I will not be granting you the commendation that Captain Harris has recommended for your bravery, either. Corporal Welles, you showed elements of bravery, but I do not believe you showed more
than your fellow soldiers. This has been a massive learning curve for you, corporal, and I hope you take what you’ve learned from this mission and keep it in mind on your future missions. You may step back.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Carrie stepped back into line and took a deep breath. She felt a little numb, but like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. More than that, she’d been taken by surprise and touched by Harris’s commendation, despite it being refused.

  “Corporal Colt, Sergeant Brown and First Sergeant Hunter, please step forward,” the judge called.

  Colt took a step forward, while Brown helped Hunter move forward.

  “The three of you were not directly responsible for the deaths of any of the Darwin crew, and therefore you have no charges to answer. First Sergeant Hunter, Corporal Colt, you may step back.”

  They did.

  “Sergeant Brown, Captain Harris has recommended that you receive commendation for stepping up as co-pilot on the Aurora to get your team home. I’ve looked at your file and note that although you’re the chief engineer on the ship, it is in fact beyond the call of duty for you to be asked to co-pilot. But you did and your team made it home. The commendation has been noted in your file. You may step back.”

  “Thank you, sir.” Brown stepped back into line.

  “Sergeant Sarah Packham, would you please step forward.”

  Packham stepped forward, looking nervous.

  “Sergeant, you are responsible for the death of Edgar Carlisle on board the Aurora. I have watched the footage from the Aurora’s onboard surveillance cameras and I have also read the testimonies of Lieutenant Walker and Corporal Welles. Sergeant Bolkov was injured and wrestling with Carlisle when you shot him in the back, killing him almost instantly. I note that your role as co-pilot generally means you are very rarely involved in combat, and this was in fact your first experience of such. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “You shot an unarmed man in the back, sergeant, something I would not normally approve of. However, given the situation you were in and your lack of experience, I believe you did what you thought was right at the time. You shot Carlisle in an attempt to save your wounded teammate. I will not record disciplinary against you. However, I will not be granting you the commendation that Captain Harris recommended for your action in stepping up to pilot the ship when First Sergeant Hunter was wounded. As co-pilot, it is your duty to do this if required. You may step back.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  The judge took another sip of his water.

  “Second Lieutenant McKinley step forward.”

  McKinley crutched forward a step.

  “Lieutenant McKinley, you are charged with the death of Tynek Grolsh. I’ve watched your headcam footage of the incident, lieutenant, and as the third senior officer on board the Aurora and the resident sharpshooter, I’m a little unconvinced that your action was warranted. I understand that two of your team members were being attacked at the time and Grolsh had led them into that ambush, but Grolsh approached you unarmed. You came out from a hidden position and you shot him clean in the chest.

  “You knew your shot would be fatal. You’re a sharpshooter, that’s what you do. More to the point you chose a rather painful way to take him out, rather than a good clean shot to the head, as I know you are capable of. No, I think you’re smart, lieutenant. You shot him in the chest because you knew it would kill him, but there would be a few minutes of excruciating pain first, and that it could look like you didn’t mean to kill him. Provided you weren’t a sharpshooter, of course …

  “I understand that on top of leading your teammates into that ambush, Grolsh was also wanted for the assault on Corporal Welles, and he had also assaulted you during the incident in which Private First Class Smith was killed. Therefore, I do believe that when you took out Grolsh, revenge was on your mind, lieutenant. On reading the testimonies of your fellow team members and of your captain, however, it seems they are all certain that your actions were warranted. I believe your team support you because they, too, wanted revenge. I will have it noted on your file that I believe your actions were excessive, lieutenant, but given the circumstances of this whole mess, you will not receive a formal strike … this time. But next time you have an unarmed man running toward you, lieutenant, I suggest you aim for his legs. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Step back, lieutenant.” McKinley crutched back into place, his face a mask showing no emotion. Carrie actually felt sorry for him. As far as she was concerned, McKinley did the right thing.

  “First Lieutenant Walker, would you please step forward again.”

  Doc stepped forward. She felt her heartbeat step up a notch.

  “Lieutenant, you are charged with the death of Julian Ravearez. I have watched the surveillance footage and I have read the testimonies of Corporal Welles and Sergeant Packham, and I must say that I was a little undecided whether your action was warranted. You shot Ravearez three times in the face, neck and shoulder, killing him almost instantly. He was unarmed.”

  The judge took a good hard look at Doc over his glasses. “Ravearez had tripped Corporal Welles, who was to your left, as you made your way toward Bolkov and Carlisle who were wrestling. Lieutenant, you claim that Ravearez was trying to pull Corporal Welles toward him, and perhaps drag her away, when you shot him, three times, in the face, neck and shoulder. Is that correct?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “I’ve read your file, lieutenant. You have a good solid record, cleaner than most, and Captain Harris rates you very highly. Your response to Ravearez attacking Welles does seem a little excessive, but given the situation of Bolkov under attack, not to mention the deaths of Carter and Louis that Corporal Welles had just informed you of, I believe you felt the team was being attacked and extreme measures were called for. You took control of the situation and did what you had to do to rescue your fellow team members and secure the ship. So there is no strike against you to be noted in your file. You may step back.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “And so this leaves me with you, Captain Harris.” The judge looked over his glasses again. “Please step forward.”

  Harris stepped forward, standing straight and tall.

  “Captain Harris, you are charged with shooting Bradford Chet. I could not view the footage from your, or Corporal Welles’s, headcam. Whilst the footage on the Darwin’s main floor has interference, there appears to have been something blocking the signal altogether up there on this supposed second floor, but I have read Corporal Welles’s supporting testimony of the incident. From what I can gather, Corporal Welles had been taken hostage, was suffering from a head injury and Chet was in the process of attacking her when you shot him. Chet had been wounded twice by Welles. A shot to the arm and she also stabbed him with the needle provided by Lieutenant Walker, yet he continued to attack. You went to her rescue, Captain Harris, and you did what you had to do to get both her and yourself out of there alive. I believe you have no charges to be answered.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Judge Bates took off his glasses and looked back at Harris. “All in all, would I rate this mission as successful, Captain Harris? No, I would not. You left with a team of 12 and headed for a station of UNF scientists. You lost four men. A third of your team, captain. You also returned with five wounded soldiers, some seriously. Even you did not come out of this unscathed.

  “This was not an ideal test case for the UNF. Although the three female soldiers returned alive and stand before me now, two of them were wounded badly and could have died. That would not have been a good result for the UNF, captain. I must say at this point, however, that Lieutenant Walker did a good job in keeping the wounded alive, and I do believe there was nothing he could have done to save the four men who did die.

  “This mission was a mess, and many errors in judgment were made on all sides. And due to the classified nature of the Darwin and it
s programs, I believe this is a mission the UNF will not want known to any person outside of these four walls. Therefore, this debrief will now be classified, and all your personnel files will be elevated to a level 4 and locked. You will need to regroup, captain, and put this mess behind you. But I have faith that you will do so, and continue to serve the UNF as you have done.”

  The judge stared firmly at Harris for a moment, then scanned the row of soldiers before him again, making eye contact with each and every one. “You faced the unknown on this, soldiers. For the most part, you did well. You got out of there alive, and where possible you got your team out alive, too. Every mission, be it good or bad, is ultimately useful. You learn from failures. They make you stronger, better soldiers. So, learn from these events, but move on, and forget these events. Forget this mission … because it never happened. That is my order to you all.”

  The judge closed the file in front of him. “Captain Harris, do you have any final words to say?”

  A brief moment of silence passed before Harris firmly answered, “Yes, sir, I do.”

  “Very well.”

  “Sir, I would like to personally thank my team for pulling together and being the strong unit that I know them to be. It can be a difficult thing when you introduce new team members at the last minute, then throw them into a mission like this, but I believe the team integrated well and did what they had to when it counted. My experienced soldiers—Lieutenants Walker and McKinley and Sergeants Hunter and Brown—stayed solid as a rock and, as ever, I believe there are no better soldiers in the UNF with whom I would entrust my life. My new recruits, Sergeant Packham and Corporals Colt and Welles, stepped up to the level of my experienced soldiers and I was proud to have them in my team for this mission.

  “I would like it to be noted, however, sir, that I am disappointed that more information was not readily available to me when my unit was sent in. My particular grievance being with Professor Martin, as he was in control of that station. It is hard to fight an enemy when you do not know their full capabilities, especially when their capabilities are beyond what is considered normal by UNF standards. Unfortunately, I had to lose four good soldiers to find that out. Four soldiers who, I believe, deserved better from the UNF they served. Four soldiers, whose deaths have left a gaping hole in my team.