I turned to Matt. “Lieutenant, set up an appointment with the parties we discussed. Tell them I shall issue a summary judgment at 0900 in my office, and I require their presence. Then contact Bosun Smith and request as many additional chairs as we’ll need. That will give you just enough time for breakfast, a shower, and a clean uniform. We’re going to be center stage, so we’ll want to look our best.”
“Absolutely, Inspector.” He saluted. I was starting to get used to that.
When I returned to my office, showered and changed and pumped full of strong coffee, I found the cabin crowded with chairs: one each for Matt, Aames, Carver, and Knapp, plus a space for Gale. The best chair was mine, of course, behind the big desk, but I wouldn’t need it; I would stand for my presentation. Standing would add an impression of authority, and I wanted every edge I could get.
So I slid my chair over by the big window. I took the opportunity to gaze at the Milky Way again. It wasn’t as clear with the cabin lights up, but it was still awe inspiring. I wished I had time to just stare at it, but not today.
Then I returned to my desk and flipped up the top so that it faced the room. I saw Reed’s blinking icon, so I pulled open his call. He looked out from the desktop, larger than life. “Admiral,” I asked, “are you ready?”
After the delay, Reed answered, “I’m just here to watch. You are ready, Inspector. I can see it in your body language. Give ’em hell.”
“Thank you, sir.” Then I stood, rehearsing my points in my head one more time. Admiral Reed did paperwork while he waited. I poured myself a large glass of water and set it in a cup holder in the side of the desk.
Promptly at 0850, Matt opened my office door, came in, and sat in the reporter’s chair. Behind him filed in Carver and Aames, who sat in the chairs closest to São Paulo. Both wore their white dress uniforms. Aames slouched in his chair and stared out the window at the stars. Admiral Reed looked at Aames, muttered under his breath, but then went back to his paperwork.
At 0857, Admiral Knapp came in and took the last seat, farthest from Aames. Then he nudged it farther away, practically on top of Matt. His Admiralty dress uniform was white as well. The service branches had different duty uniforms, but their dress uniforms were identical save for insignia.
Immediately behind Knapp came a sound like slowly clopping hooves on the deck outside, then softer when it reached the carpet of Matt’s office. In walked Gale in a mediskeleton: a large metal and plastic frame that wrapped his body and his limbs, giving him mobility, support, and medication during his extended convalescence. Beneath the frame he wore his dress uniform, but it was mostly hidden by wires and tubes and clamps. What skin showed through was bright and pink, clearly new growth. His scalp in particular was all fresh skin, with a thin layer of brown fuzz just emerging. My sources told me it would be over a month before Gale would leave the mediskeleton. I felt bad about that, but I also knew Adika’s recovery would be longer.
Gale marched in, stood in the last remaining space in the office, and tapped a control at his waist. With a pneumatic hiss, the mediskeleton folded down into a sitting position, with extra legs unfolding behind him to form a chair. I gave the man credit for timing: it was 0859.
Then the desk chimed once, and it was 0900. I looked around the room. “Admirals, Chiefs. Captain Aames. Let us begin. Reporter, start recording. This proceeding shall serve as findings of fact in the matter of The System Initiative v. Captain Nicolau Aames. Furthermore, this office has found cause to invoke Standard Space Mission Protocols, revised, chapter 12, section 1: Plenary Power, and has filed notice to this effect with the Initiative Council. The Council, after due consideration, has concurred that 12-slash-1 applies here. Therefore this proceeding shall also serve as summary judgment in this case, and no further actions shall be pursued. Presiding for the Inspector General’s Office: Inspector General Park Yerim. Court Reporter: Lieutenant Matt Harrold. As representatives for all interested parties are present, we shall begin.”
I paused, lifted my glass, and took a small drink. Then I started in. “This office finds that on 7 March, Captain Aames did willfully ignore orders from the Admiralty at a time when the IPV Aldrin was inside Earth’s gravipause and thus within the Admiralty’s jurisdiction.” Knapp started to smile, and I continued, turning to look at Aames, “To wit: Captain Aames, on behalf of himself and his crew, refused a construction mission from the Admiralty. Captain Aames further refused the transfer of new personnel to the Aldrin along with the transfer of existing personnel to other posts, thus interfering with the smooth operation of facilities across the Earth-Luna system. He also instructed his crew to ignore said transfer orders. Then upon being found in breach of his contract, he ignored an order to relinquish command of this vessel.”
I took another drink. “Then on 23 April, after accepting an unauthorized transfer of personnel and materièl from the transport Poling, Captain Aames refused docking with three rendezvous shuttles as ordered by the Admiralty. And on 9 May, he threatened to attack Admiralty ships and personnel. Furthermore, neither Captain Aames nor his counsel have disputed these facts. Any of these actions by itself constitutes a serious violation of regulations. Taken together, they constitute sufficient grounds for a charge of mutiny. If considered without a larger context.”
I turned to Knapp, who was now staring at me, his eyes widening. “But it is the responsibility of this office to consider the entire set of facts, not just those in the Admiralty’s complaint. Captain Aames has argued that the initial orders were unlawful under Protocols, chapter 1, section 3. He contends that his crew’s state of readiness was insufficient to carry out those orders, and that to attempt to do so constituted grave risk.”
I paused, watching for Knapp’s reaction. “This office sees merit in those claims. After exhaustive review—”
“You can’t do that!” Knapp interrupted.
“Admiral Knapp, shall we pause so that I can read chapter 12, section 1 into the record?” Before Knapp could respond, I continued, “I can do anything I deem necessary to resolve this case without violating fundamental rights. Furthermore, I can have you removed from these proceedings if you persist in disrupting them. I would prefer not to, since it is better to have a representative from the Admiralty present. But you shall refrain from speaking without first being recognized. Also, you shall address this office properly. This case will be studied and reviewed for decades to come, so let us show proper respect for the process.” I paused to see if Knapp would challenge me, but he didn’t. “After exhaustive review of the records prior to the incident, this office finds that the crew of the Aldrin was already working at an unsustainable pace. And that pace was not through any failing of the crew themselves, nor of their commanders. It was a direct result of earlier decisions by the Admiralty, to wit, a work schedule that was already too ambitious.”
I turned back to Aames. “But a grave risk claim is difficult to resolve. The Protocols grant the commander sole discretion to determine when a grave risk exists, but subsequent court decisions have muddied the waters there. In some cases that sole discretion has been upheld; but in others it has been overturned after the fact, by distant courts who, while no doubt diligent, were not themselves on-site to face said risk. It is possible, depending on the makeup of the court”—I glanced at Knapp and Gale—“that the assessment of grave risk would be overturned; and just like that, Captain Aames’s actions would flip from lawful to unlawful without a single fact changing.”
I took a drink. “But Captain Aames has proposed a novel theory of this case: that the crew and residents of the Aldrin constitute a viable community, under the precedents established in the matter of the United Cities of Free Luna; and that as a community, they are entitled to decide for themselves what constitutes a grave risk, and to take actions for their own protection; and that the actions of the Admiralty, including those preceding 7 March, constituted a threat to the existence of that community.” I paused, thinking: Here it comes. “After thorough
review of the history of this vessel as well as its financial and contractual assets and obligations, this office concurs. The IPV Aldrin must be considered a free city, an autonomous political entity whose citizens and officers have the right to self-governance and to determine their own economic and political future; and although this status was not legally recognized on 7 March, it was as true then as it is today. Captain Aames was within his rights, on that date, to act in the best interest of his city.”
Admiral Knapp sprang to his feet and advanced on me, his face right up next to mine. “Unacceptable!”
I stood my ground and stared Knapp right in the eyes. It’s always easier to block an admiral with an admiral, so I wished Reed weren’t seventy seconds behind us; but I was on my own, and it was time to assert my authority. “Admiral, you will return to your seat and respect this proceeding and this office. Lieutenant Harrold, if the admiral is not seated in the next three seconds, you are instructed to help him to his seat.”
Knapp stared back at me—but only for two seconds. Then he returned to his seat. “I’m not finished, Inspector. I shall contest this all the way to the Initiative Council. It is not going to stand.”
I stepped forward, looking down at Knapp. “Admiral, I have no doubt you will take steps to fight this. It has been alleged that you have a vested interest in shutting down the Aldrin, and I find those allegations to have some merit.”
“Vested interest!” Knapp moved to stand again, but he thought better of it when Matt shifted behind him.
“There’s big money in pushing people around, and that money can end up in the most unusual places. Admiral Reed’s auditors stand ready to trace funds related to Holmes Transport, mission planning for the Aldrin, and the planning committee. I believe you’re a member of that committee? If you do have a vested interest, the auditors will find it.”
Knapp glared at me. “Do not threaten me, Inspector. This plenary power of yours only lasts through this investigation. When it’s over, I can make your life hell.”
I smiled. “When it’s over, Admiral, you will no longer have any statutory authority over the crew and passengers of this vessel. You will, of course, still have authority over Initiative personnel, myself included. You’re welcome to try to use it against me, sir, but you forget: this proceeding is being recorded.” I looked over my shoulder at Reed’s giant face on the desk screen.
Just at that moment, Reed caught up with the start of the confrontation. His voice was harsh as he said, “Sit down, Knapp, and don’t be an ass. Harrold, if he doesn’t sit down, sit on him. And Knapp, if you’re thinking of threatening my officers, back off! My auditors have already identified a certain account in the Tycho Under Agro Bank, and are filing papers to connect that account to its owner. If you threaten Park, you threaten me, and we will fight back.”
Knapp scowled at the screen. I snapped my fingers. “Look at me, Admiral! I’m running this proceeding, not Admiral Reed. He’s only here as an observer.”
Knapp turned back to me. “I can’t believe you people are going to let that mutineer get away with this. He steals a ship, defies orders, and you don’t punish him, you give him a city!”
“No.” I shook my head. “If that’s what concerns you, Admiral, let me put your mind at ease.” I walked to the far side of the room and stood in front of Aames. “While I find reason to believe that this entire situation has been manipulated by special interests to gain control of Earth-Mars commerce, I have no doubt that those interests would never have succeeded were it not for the intransigence, the arrogance, and the manipulative game-playing of Captain Aames. You and Anton Holmes may have used this situation to your advantage, but Aames created the situation just as surely as he created a community aboard this ship. A better, wiser man could have united the Aldrin without antagonizing the Admiralty. In fact, a better, wiser man did. Captain Aames did not cause the events of 7 March, but he contributed to them, and he must face the consequences of his actions. At the close of these proceedings, he shall be dishonorably discharged from the International Space Corps and stripped of all rank and privileges, including pension and other retirement benefits. His contract, formerly with Holmes Interplanetary and currently with the System Initiative, shall be declared void, and he shall have no recourse to invoke the penalty clauses therein. He shall be forever barred from service in any fashion with the International Space Corps.”
I shifted my position, standing between Carver and Aames where I could look down on them both. “And as a condition of its grant of independence, the Free City of Aldrin must agree never to elect nor appoint Nicolau Aames to any position of command within the city. He may find gainful employment with whomever will put up with him, but he must not have any decision-making power within this city. The grant of independence shall require that the interim governor general of the Free City of Aldrin shall be Mr. Anson Carver.”
Carver’s jaw dropped. Then he responded, “You can’t do that!”
Aames had sat silent as I had spoken, but now he laughed. “She has to do that, Carver. It’s her only choice, and your only chance. I’m a lightning rod for enemies all across the system: every bureaucrat I’ve shown to be an idiot, every incompetent spacer I’ve ever dismissed, every business that ever demanded we cut corners and I told them to shove it. As long as I have a say in things here, every one of them will hound you and harry you and make it impossible for the Aldrin to succeed. But with me gone, and all the blame with me, you’ll have a fighting chance to keep this city running and growing. In twenty years, this will be the most important city in all of space—but not if I’m running it.”
Carver stared at Aames as if he couldn’t believe what the man was suggesting. “You have to be the governor, Nick, not me. That’s the only way that makes sense. I execute the orders, I don’t issue them.”
Aames gripped his shoulder and looked him in the eye. “You connect with people.”
“You connect with me,” Carver objected.
“I connect with persons,” Aames said, “individuals that I select according to my exacting standards. You connect with everybody. People follow me because I keep them alive. People follow you because they like you.”
“You’re wrong, Nick,” Carver answered. “I follow you because I like you and because you keep us alive.”
Aames sighed. “You’re a good friend, Anson. Thank you. But this is no longer about me. Do this. It’s what you were born for. Do this, take control, let me be the power behind the throne.”
Carver shook his head. “No way. If I do this—” And Aames nodded, for Carver had just conceded the possibility. “If I do this, I’m doing it my way. No power behind the throne for me.”
“Fine! Let me be the crotchety old fart yelling ‘Get off my lawn, you rotten kids.’ But do this!”
Carver stared at Aames. Twice the chief opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Finally he turned to me. “On behalf of the people of Aldrin, Inspector, I accept your terms. And your assignment.”
“Good luck, Mr. Carver. You’re going to need it.” I walked back to the screen, and then turned back to face the room. “Our next task, then, is to determine a schedule of debt repayments, interest on investments, dividends, and transfer of assets so that the Free City of Aldrin may remain in good standing with all parties who have a financial interest in the IPV Aldrin. We also must determine what customer assets and payments are due to the IPV Aldrin as a ship of the Initiative, and which of those outstanding receivables are now owed to the free city. And speaking of payments—and penalties—Chief Gale?”
Gale had been silent to that point, and I wondered if he had fallen asleep from his meds; but he answered instantly and alertly, “Yes, Inspector.”
“Chief, it is the opinion of this office that you and crew under your orders were materially responsible for major structural damage to the IPV Aldrin, to wit: the explosion and fire aboard the I Ring, and the resulting stresses and wobble in the rest of the ship. There were also signifi
cant fuel costs to correct that wobble, extensive damage to the H and J Rings, and loss of atmosphere. Not to mention the costs and trauma of major injuries to myself, yourself, Commander Adika, Bosun Smith, and others. And four deaths.” I paused to let that sink in. “However, that incident is outside the purview of this investigation, having transpired while this ship was under control of the Admiralty. This office has no authority to issue findings of fact in that incident. Curiously, however,”—I looked at Knapp—“there appear to be no records that your work in I Ring that day was ordered by anyone. Yet you told Bosun Smith that day—and I have an excellent memory—that she was interfering with orders from Admiral Knapp. Those orders are nowhere to be found. So I must ask you, Chief Gale: did you receive such orders?”
Knapp half rose. “You don’t have to answer that, Gale.”
I looked at Matt, he stood, and Knapp sat back down. Then I looked back at Gale. “He’s right, Chief, you don’t have to answer. But I should point out that at some point there will be an investigation of the incident on the I Ring. Should you prove cooperative in this matter today, this office shall make a note of that cooperation in your records. That will reflect well on you in future proceedings.”
“Gale,” Knapp muttered menacingly.
Gale’s neck and spine were immobilized by the mediskeleton, so he had to swivel the entire frame to look at Knapp. Then with a mechanical whine, he swiveled back to me. He inclined the frame slightly, forward and back, in a stiff approximation of a nod. “Yes, Inspector, I and my crew acted at the direct order of Admiral Knapp.”
“I see.” I turned to Knapp. “And do you have copies of that order, Chief Gale?”
“Yes, Inspector. On my comp.” He tapped the mediskeleton where his comp was affixed.
The Last Dance Page 44
