Rescue Branch (Kinsella Universe)

by Gina Marie Wylie

  “Anyone who attempts to take a victim from this place and is caught will face an immediate court-martial. If they should succeed, however, the charge will be complicity with a crime against humanity, and whoever was involved will also stand trial in a Federation court for their lives.

  “I've asked for reinforcements. Spread the word: the odds are very good you'll earn combat pay and gongs for this -- I've asked for the rest of the division and they're calling up reserves.”

  One of the Marines, a staff sergeant, spoke up. “Admiral, sir, we're Marines. If you ever want to know how to implement light speed communications, observe how Marines spread rumors. There's not one of us who doesn't know what's downstairs, even though they won't let anyone down but officers, medics and some senior NCOs. I'm here to tell you, Admiral, point us at the people who did this, and we'll give back the combat pay and gongs.”

  Stephanie smiled slightly. “I hear you, Sergeant. I'm sorry to say that if you earn your combat pay, you'll be killing people just as angry about this as you are, but have no better target than this place. That said, the very first such person will enter this place over my dead body.”

  “The world is one screwed up place,” the sergeant said, his face suddenly pale.

  “And we're working to make it a better place,” she reminded him. “This is growing pains; I had my fair share growing up,” she told him. “Not as many as you,” she told the Marine who was head and shoulders taller than she was.

  The Marines all laughed, even the major.

  Past them she could see a shuttle land not far away, with the Federation's golden comet on the side. “Show time!” she said softly. “This is where it gets real!”

  She walked outside and greeted three justices of the Federation Supreme Court, plus a half dozen hangers-on.

  Two of the justices were elderly, a man and a woman. The third was a much younger man, robust and healthy. Stephanie made a private bet with herself that he'd go first.

  The woman stepped up to Stephanie. “Admiral, I'm Justice Delores Taylor; I believe we met once before.”

  “I remember you, Madam Justice.”

  She nodded at the older man, “This is Thomas Reynolds, and the young whipper-snapper is James Gallagher.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Stephanie told them, shaking hands with each in turn.

  “This is Carol Henson, a chief investigator of the Federation Special Investigation Service.”

  Carol Henson was not much older than Stephanie, and if anything, thinner.

  “The others are our clerks, and Mr. Wilson there,” she waved at one of them, “will give you their names for the record. We'd like to see the evidence.”

  Stephanie shook her head. “Madam Justice, there are, so far as we can determine, six hundred and fifty-one living victims. In my unenlightened layman's opinion, they have been heavily tranquilized. At some point that's going to wear off; when it does I believe crowds will upset them. Madam Justice, all of the victims appear to be infants. I would prefer to keep the groups as small as possible; in this case, myself, Major Gordon, you three justices and your head investigator.”

  “And they are victims of what?” Justice Taylor asked.

  “Ma'am, I could use words to describe it; were I to do that, you wouldn't truly understand just from the words. Seeing this... this infamy... will give you an accurate perspective.”

  “Have they been mutilated?” the judge pressed.

  “Ma'am, please. Words are singularly inefficient to describe this. There are a thousand words that could be used to describe what has passed here, maybe ten thousand. None of them will carry with it the enormity of what's waiting for you downstairs when you see for yourselves.”

  She turned her back on them and led the way into the building. They went past the guards and down the s. As Stephanie had done before, she stopped. “Each of the curtained off areas contain a group of victims. Each time I've come down here I've told myself that I have to see all of this. Each time I lose my nerve.” She waved at the curtained-off areas. “One hundred and thirty-five groups, honorable justices. Six hundred and fifty-one individuals.”

  She walked into the first enclosure and as she'd done every time she entered the small space she walked up to the particular bassinet, to be greeted by the joyous grin and the clutching hand. She felt the baby’s firm grip on her hand and nearly lost her firm grip on her emotions. She reached out for the damnable card and plucked it. The baby saw the movement and let go of Stephanie's finger, aware of what would happen next.

  Stephanie couldn't help it; when she turned to the others, she was weeping.

  “A baby,” Justice Taylor said, “six babies to be more exact.” Stephanie had never intended to hand the card to anyone else but Justice Taylor reached for it and took it.

  The justice read the card and looked at Stephanie. “I do believe this means you should recuse yourself, Admiral.”

  “Madam Justice, I am a military officer -- a person who executes policy. I am not permitted to 'recuse' myself. I'm here to do my duty, and so I shall.”

  “I take it you were unaware of this.”

  “Indeed so, Madam Justice. According to the chief of the Erfurt police, his best guess at a translation is 'daughter out of Stephanie Kinsella by Richard Rampling' and includes our parent’s names. As if we were race horses or prize livestock.”

  Justice Taylor grimaced, and then Justice Reynolds, who hadn't spoken before, did so. “Bringing a infant to term without the parent's knowledge or permission is a clear violation of Federation ethical guidelines. It is, however, not a crime against humanity, no matter what the personal dimension.”

  Stephanie turned to her. “Six hundred and fifty-one victims, sir. After this group, there are six hundred and forty-five victims. Prepare yourself, ma’am, as best you can.”

  “I've been to war crimes; I helped at Atlanta hospitals during the plague.”

  “Come,” Stephanie said and led the way to the next enclosure.

  She wasn't prepared for Justice Taylor to exclaim, “Puppies!” and try to push past her.

  Stephanie put her hand on the justice's coat sleeve and stopped her. “Madam Justice, a moment if you please.”

  The justice stopped and looked at Stephanie, once again annoyed.

  “Madam, you are used to poring over evidence with a discerning eye...”

  The chief investigator said out of the blue, “I'm going to be sick.”

  Major Gordon handed her a bucket and she was ill.

  Stephanie ignored the byplay. “Madam Justice, before you is evidence in a foul, heinous crime. Discern, please. Scrutinize the evidence. Observe the victims. They have something in common with the six you just saw.”

  The puppies regarded them curiously, heads crooked, looking for reactions.

  The third justice, the youngest, spoke up. “You said the policeman called this a crime against God... he's right. This is far, far beyond a crime against humanity.”

  “I still don't understand,” Justice Taylor said peevishly.

  “The technical term for these individuals, Justice Taylor, is 'human-canine chimeras.' We don't have any confidence yet to know to what extent genes from the different species have been intermixed, but it's clear they have some understanding of their surroundings. You can see them listening, trying to understand what we're saying.”

  “You're anthropomorphizing,” the justice said.

  “No,” said the other justice. “Delores... this is ten victims we've seen. I'm willing to bet there are far, far worse.”

  “You have no idea,” Major Gordon said. “If nothing else, the next group will clear up the matter in your minds completely.”

  “The one you can't bring yourself to see?” Justice Taylor said scornfully to Stephanie.

  Stephanie waved the major to precede them and followed last.

  They entered the next enclosure. A medic was there, standing next to a covered object, about three feet on a side.

  “A
dmiral, sir, this is a very bad idea. Half, Admiral, half of the people if I pull the cover off, crack. Major Gordon I'm pretty sure of; I'm sure of myself. There are four of you. Two of you will need medical treatment in a few moments if you ask me to do this.”

  “Do it,” Justice Taylor demanded.

  Stephanie nodded and the medic grimly did as he'd been told.

  It was, for Stephanie, a thunderbolt. A strike at every area of her psyche, from her life as a child to that of a young adult, so full of herself and self-confident.

  Justice Taylor stared for a second; you could see when she realized the truth. An instant later she had fallen to the floor, bleeding from her ears, eyes, nose and mouth.

  Justice Gallagher spoke softly, looking at his superior on the ground, at the medic hastily attending her. “I've prided myself on my judicial temperament since I was a young man and decided that I was going to be the very best judge there ever was.

  “And yet, here I stand, wanting to find the persons responsible for this and rend them limb from limb. The thought that someone could do this... I would never have believed it. Sure, we've all known such things might be possible in the future. I thought we would have a chance to grow into it.”

  He waved weakly at the cage. “Tinker Bells! Dear God! We all grew up with Tinker Bell!” He choked, tears streaming down his cheeks.

  Stephanie risked another glance at the cage. Ten, she thought. There were ten of them. Each five or so inches high, anatomically correct for both sexes -- except for the size and the wings. They fluttered, trying to look at the people outside their cage, the same expression of curiosity and concern in their eyes as the puppies and babies.

  The medic looked up at her. “Sorry, Admiral; she was dead before she hit the ground. A massive stroke. Her blood pressure must have spiked well above the stratosphere.”

  “Sirs, we need to go upstairs now,” Stephanie told the two justices. They gathered up the chief investigator who was still dizzy from the second group and went outside.

  There Stephanie confronted them. “Legally I need three Federation justices to declare this a crime against humanity. I am, however, willing to try to get the courts to accept two out of three.”

  Justice Reynolds shook his head. “I know Justice Taylor's mind. Knew.” His voice choked. “She was an iconoclast, a person who demanded the most rigid proof. While I do not know how she would have voted in the final analysis, I think her fate speaks for itself. We'll go for two out of two surviving jurists.”

  “Yes,” the other justice said.

  “Justice Taylor?” the investigator queried.

  “Saw the next piece of evidence and died instantly,” Justice Gallagher told her.

  He turned to Stephanie. “Admiral, I have no idea how we are going to handle this -- situation. Each group is disturbing in and of itself. Combined -- it's like being hit with a sledgehammer.”

  “I've requested all of the available medical personnel. The local Germans are suggesting that their people should be used. I am reluctant to do so, however.”

  The two justices exchanged glances. Justice Gallagher spoke again. “No, we'll accept their serving warrants, but we can't, in all good faith, let doctors and others who might have been involved with this treat these patients -- not until we are ten thousand percent certain they weren't involved. I will talk to our people; there will be no problem declaring this a crime against humanity.”

  “The President will be here in about three minutes. Shortly after he arrives, the Argos, the Fleet Marine transport, will land a reinforced division of Marines. I expect things will get right exciting after that, sir.”

  “I expect they will. At least one of us will be available henceforth for whatever legal services you require, Admiral. We'll be calling up a number of people as quickly as we can.”

  Stephanie nodded and walked a few feet away. Major Gordon appeared at her elbow. “The President is three minutes, ten seconds out, Admiral. Argos is ten minutes out. Her captain says they'll use a pinwheel, to land troops.”

  “Tell him that's fine.”

  “Fleet frigates Manchester and Spithead will provide over cover.”

  “Tell their captains, that one of them can be ostentatious, but the other will have to be too high to be visible, but handy at need.”

  “Aye, aye, Admiral.”

  “I need a minute,” Stephanie told him. He nodded and she walked a few feet away and picked up her phone and dialed a number she hadn't used much of late.

  A surly voice responded. “Why am I not surprised you would call in the middle of the night?”

  “Hello, Granny,” Stephanie told her.

  “Pardon?”

  “Granny, you need to listen to me. I'm sending you a Fleet shuttle. You will want to board it and come here, as fast as you possibly can.”

  “Admiral Kinsella, I thought I made it clear: I never want to talk to you, I never want to see you again... what's this 'Granny' crap?”

  “Dick and I are parents, Charlie. A baby girl. Charlie, please, dear God! If you do nothing else for me ever again, please! Come! This is far more your bailiwick than mine. This concerns your future, even more than it does mine. I owe you, Charlie. This is it. Either respond to this heads up, or not... it's your choice.

  “I have the President of the Federation landing here shortly. Half the Federation government will be here by dawn local time. Charlie, your future will be on the line. If you want to speak up for your peers, you get your bottom here as fast as you can make that shuttle pilot fly.”

  “I'm a grandmother?”

  “Yes; there will, however, be some issues.”

  “What sort of issues?”

  “Charlie, I've declared a crime against humanity. That sort of issue. Hurry.”

  With that, Stephanie hung up, and dialed a more familiar number.

  Her father answered. “I'm always glad to hear from you, daughter. But I would prefer it to be at more reasonable time of day.”

  “I need a legal favor.”

  “You?” he seemed shocked.

  “Yes. I'm on duty; it would look bad. I want you to go to the California Superior Court and seek custody of 'Baby Girl Kinsella,' the daughter of Stephanie Kinsella and Richard Rampling, kidnapped before birth. I want the same action laid in American Federal courts, as well as Federation courts. I want it brought before the German and EU courts as well. Those last two are the important ones.”

  “And there is such a child?”

  “Yes. She is currently in Erfurt, Germany in Federation protective custody.”

  “Are you the custodian?”

  “Technically, I suppose yes. In practice I'm building a firewall that should be legally sufficient.”

  Stephanie paused. “This is going to be a legal nightmare; you'll hear about that it due course. I just want my action in the pipeline first.”

  “And you have evidence she is your daughter?”

  “I'll admit the evidence is anecdotal -- consisting of a file card at the head of her bassinet. Almost certainly before the end of the day she -- and others -- will be declared wards of the Federation Supreme Court.”

  “Others? There are others like this?”

  “Yes, sir. I can't say exactly how many others there are. I looked at several of the cards; Dick's and my names were the only ones I recognized. The details of this are all secret at this point in time.”

  “Obviously, this has to go at once. What should I tell your mother?”

  “Hi, Granny!” Stephanie told him. “I've already told Charlie. Tell Mom what I've told you; please stick with the bare bones facts that I've given you. Discourage speculation of any sort.”

  “You aren't going to get in trouble are you?”

  Stephanie smiled, even though he couldn't see her. “I imagine they'll give me a medal. I have to run; President Campbell is here.”

  “Take care, daughter. I'll be on this as soon as I'm off the phone with you.”

  The presidential shu
ttle was larger than most and Stephanie was joined by the two surviving judges and the investigator.

  President Campbell was a little heaver than he appeared on videos, but he was still an active man. He didn't fool around. He walked up to Stephanie and stuck out his hand.

  “Another fine mess you've found for us, Admiral.”

  “That appears to be true, sir.”

  He looked over where four Marines were carrying a stretcher, the sheet drawn up over the head. “I see two justices; I sent you three.”

  “This is a very difficult situation, sir. We were told that two of the four of us who hadn't seen the group before would be casualties. Only a quarter of us were, and half dealt -- adequately -- with it. One stayed back.”

  “That is?” he asked softly, nodding at the stretcher.

  “Justice Taylor, sir,” the investigator said quietly. “She refused to believe the evidence she saw with her own eyes. When I understood what I was seeing... Mr. President, there is no penalty too harsh to impose on the perpetrators of this deed. None.”

  “This complicates things,” the President announced.

  “Sir,” Stephanie said, breaking into the bubble of silence that followed his pronouncement, “Article XXIX of the Federation Charter says three justices need to decide if something is a crime against humanity. The two remaining justices believe that two will suffice; the wording isn't as explicit as it could be. Still, the Federation Charter is young; I'd hate to start parsing it this soon.

  “Better, I think, to get another justice here as quickly as possible.”

  President Campbell looked at his chief of staff. “Madam Chief Justice Tone is in Paris, is she not?”

  “Yes, sir. You said it wouldn't look good if the Chief Justice was one of the justices.”

  “It won't; however speed is of the essence. I take it there is no possible doubt about this?”

  Justice Gallagher answered. “Sir, not a bit. Perhaps someone not from a western culture might be able to deal with things better. The third group of victims...” He wiped away a tear. “Words, Mr. President, don't even begin to describe the enormity of what's happened here. I thought Admiral Kinsella was overreacting. Mr. President this is a terrible crime. I have no idea how she bears up.”