“I guess we’ll try to make that work,” Red said softly.
The kitchen contained a food processing unit and one drink station. “This is for twelve people?”
“It will service twelve people without any problems.”
“As only an EI can say it. If there were twelve people squeezed aboard this thing, there would be problems. By the way, what’s her name?”
“Federation Corvette Seven Seven Four.”
“That’s a hull number. What’s her name?” Rivka pressed. Grainger shook his head. “Looks like we get to name her.”
Red pointed at Rivka. “You get to name her. I don’t give an upside-down flying goat-fucking nut roll whether this tin can has a name.”
“I’ll take care of it. I can’t have my baby without a name. Maybe Lucretia.”
“Two seconds ago you were hating on your ride and now she’s your baby?”
“Yes. It’s just how things are going to be. Oh, Chaz, darling, lead me to the luxury Magistrate’s suite, please.”
“Prepare for disappointment.” Grainger wouldn’t look at her.
“Buzzkill,” she shot back.
“Down the corridor. There are six cabins on the port side.”
“I thought this ship could carry twelve people?”
“Now she’s starting to get the picture.”
“Everyone doubles up? The barbarity of it all. You’d think The Queen’s Magistrate would be treated better. I’ll have to send Bethany Anne a personal note stating my dismay.”
Grainger raised one eyebrow. “I doubt the Queen will have any sympathy. You get a cabin to yourself. Stop whining and cradle your baby to your bosom.”
Rivka gave Grainger a five-second stink-eye. Red squeezed past the Magistrates and started opening doors. “These are better than my first apartment.”
“How’s that?” Grainger asked, staring without blinking at Rivka’s golden-blue hazel eyes.
“No rats.” He tossed his jacket in the last berth and opened the door to the small cargo storage area. A white cat with gray spots shot past him up the passageway and stopped when it saw the Magistrates, bouncing sideways with an arched back and hissing at Grainger.
Rivka bent down. “Who is this pretty kitty?”
The cat stopped hissing, and she scooped him up before he knew what hit him. She cradled him expertly, holding his claws at bay and tickling his neck until he started to purr. Red slammed the door to his cabin and worked his way back to the side hatch, where he stood vigil to make sure no other undesirables entered the corvette.
Grainger waved and headed for the exit.
“Where are you going?”
He rolled his eyes and threw his arms down in dramatic exasperation. “Not with you, clearly. The EI has your briefing.” Grainger stood up straight and turned serious. “It’s time to go, Magistrate. You’ve been training with me for a month, but you’ve been training to do this job your whole life. Now is the time to embrace your gift and use it for the good of the universe. You are licensed to judge innocence or guilt and mete out punishment. I know you don’t take the job lightly, but take it you must, and now is the time.”
He waved, nodded to Red as he passed, and yelled over his shoulder, “Chaz, take her to the Intripas System, best possible speed.”
“Yes, Magistrate Grainger. I will Gate the ship from within the system. We should be at our destination in less than thirty minutes.”
9
On the ship’s main screen, a brownish-blue planet rotated beneath a heavily clouded sky.
“Looks serene, don’t you think?” she asked.
“I wouldn’t know,” Red replied softly, not because he was evasive, but because he didn’t know. He had no interest in aesthetics.
“What motivates you, Red?” Rivka asked while reviewing the case file.
“A good workout. The hot dancers at an All Guns Blazing bar. The usual stuff.”
“That’s not what I mean.” She looked up from the screen. “What is your motivation to do what you do? You know, be a bodyguard?”
He turned toward the planet’s image, but he wasn’t looking at it. His eyes were unfocused as he stared and narrated as if he were talking to himself. “All my life I’ve been keeping people safe. I knew I wasn’t smart enough to be a leader, but I’m smart enough to know that they can’t do it alone. As a child, I was bigger and faster. That has value. I sold my services way back then and protected whoever could pay, bullies or bullied alike. Didn’t matter to me.”
“You’ve been a bodyguard your whole life? I guess it’s true that sometimes a profession chooses you and not the other way around. If you don’t mind me getting personal, what happened to all the money you’ve made along the way?”
“I do mind. I’m not a gambler or a big drinker, but it went somewhere that mattered to me.”
“That’s good enough for me. Sorry to intrude.” Rivka returned to her file.
Red glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He didn’t want to share that he had used his money to bail his mother out of a series of bad debts, and then she had died as soon as she was free. The whole affair had left him bitter, and the last thing he wanted was to talk about it.
Rivka flipped another page on her datapad and…Criminal Mischief? Why the hell are they sending a Magistrate out here to deal with a misdemeanor?
“Because the perp is the governor’s daughter,” Rivka remarked aloud. “They’re sending me to deal with a family squabble. Ain’t that some shit?”
Vered didn’t reply. It wasn’t his place to comment on legal matters, plus, he didn’t think she was talking to him. She often talked to herself. It was the curse of the lonely.
“Since this is the first case and my chance to prove myself, I’ll treat it just like anything else. We’ll interview those involved, collect data, and make a ruling. Should there be punishment, I’ll have to take care of that since I can’t pass it to dear old dad. Should she go free, I better be able to explain why in words the general population will understand. Words that don’t start with ‘governor’s daughter.’ Yup. That’s what they sent me here for. Thanks, Grainger. I won’t let you down, and afterward I’ll take the opportunity to call you creative names I have yet to come up with.”
“We are entering orbit. Please secure yourselves in case something goes awry,” the EI suggested.
“Will it?” Rivka wondered.
“It hasn’t yet, but one can’t be too careful.”
Red took one of the three seats on the bridge that wasn’t the captain’s chair, which he had directed Rivka into because it had the best workstations and he could secure the bridge from the back. He wasn’t sure what he was securing it from.
The corvette bumped across the upper atmosphere, and the screen faded out for a few moments as the ship’s energy diverted to the heat shields. A miniaturized Etheric power supply propelled the small vessel and juiced her systems. It gave her the ability to Gate from one end of the universe to the other in a single jump. The power supply would change the Etheric Federation.
Rivka didn’t think about any of that, just accepted that the ship took her where she needed to go. Although the ship had fantastic capabilities, she took it for granted. The one who had designed the systems and made them available would have been appalled.
The ship bounced back into a high-orbit, coming at the space station from below.
“Shall I coordinate the landing protocol?”
Rivka held her hands up. “Of course,” she finally agreed. Sarcasm would be lost on the EI so she saved it, thinking of ways to improve her point and counterpoint with Grainger. “Let us know when we’ve docked. I have a list of people I need to interview, and I’d like to start those as soon as possible.”
“You can contact them now if you would like.”
Rivka looked at her notes. “Do that, please. I’ll start with the governor, and we’ll work our way backward.”
“Communications channel is open,” Chaz replied.
“Good mo
rning, Magistrate. I’m Governor Flikansador, and I’m surprised that the Federation sent someone of your station to deal with this issue. Pleasantly surprised and quite honored, if I may say so.”
Rivka heard the politician in his voice. She was afraid she’d sound young and he’d be patronizing, but she was the Magistrate and wielded authority that superseded his.
No matter how young she was.
“I’m not amused at being here, Governor. There are real crimes in this universe that warrant a Magistrate’s attention, but what I see here is a family squabble wrapped in politics. No matter. I’m here, and I will deal with this. I’m forwarding a list. Bring each to an interrogation room sealed from all outside intrusion and keep them isolated until I call for them.”
“Very well,” the governor agreed softly. “I expect you’ll keep us appraised while the process is ongoing.”
“I will not. You will find out the adjudication at the same time as everyone else–when I make it public, and not before. When you called in the Federation to resolve your personal problems you handed all authority to us, and to me in particular. Magistrate Rivka out.” She drew a line across her throat to close the channel.
“I can slap the shit out of him if he crosses you again,” Red offered.
Rivka chuckled. “He sounded like a weasel. I could probably slap the snot out of him until he was begging for breast milk.”
“I will watch your back. Men like him have people like me.”
Rivka pursed her lips as she contemplated the wisdom of Vered’s observation. “I am comfortable knowing that you have my back. I also see why Grainger hired you. You’re a good man, Red. Thank you for taking the job.”
The ship settled into a berthing slot and an extendable tube clamped to the airlock.
“Now, what do you say we go resolve this bullshit so we can go home?”
“Stay behind me, ma’am. You know the SOP.”
“Which means that I won’t see anything except your back.”
“Probably better that way, ma’am. You will have enemies on this station before you say your first word. You will gain enemies as they spread lies of what you’re doing, and whatever you decide, you will earn even more.”
“Is there any way I can do this without creating so many new enemies?” Rivka was concerned. She hadn’t thought about an army of people who wished her ill when all she wanted to do was adjudicate the crime and deal with the criminal. “I have more to weigh than just the criminal mischief. I thought I would, but I didn’t think it would have such a broad impact. I’ll chalk that up to my inexperience. Thank you for your insight, Red. It means a lot to me.”
He unbuckled his belt and stood, then stretched before putting on his armored vest. He added a loose jacket on top of it to conceal the hardware he carried. He had demonstrated his abilities with firearms on the shooting range. Rivka could generally hit what she was aiming at, but he always hit it, and often in the bullseye. He shook off the accolades she had tried to give. “It’s different when they’re shooting back. Way different,” he’d said every time.
Rivka had excelled with improvised weapons, which gave her new confidence. Wherever she looked, she saw something that could help her survive if a situation went into the toilet.
Red led her off the ship, through the airlock, and onto the space station of the Intripas System. Red grunted and stepped aside.
Her eyes darted everywhere at once after she saw the small group before her. A man in front, clearly the governor. His wife to the side and one step back. On the other side and two steps back was a lackey. They stood in a corridor with no decorations; nothing to use in case of a fight. She appraised the three before her as Red looked down the corridors beyond. He wasn’t concerned about the greeting party.
Rivka offered her hand. “I’m Magistrate Rivka,” she said coolly.
“Governor Flikansador,” the man replied, shaking her hand. He tried to give her hand a manly squeeze, but she squeezed back until he winced in pain before she let go. Neither of the other two offered to shake hands.
“I’m the governor’s wife,” the woman said.
“Surely you have a name,” Rivka replied.
“Flutterby.” The woman looked uncomfortable as she spoke her name.
Flutterby Flikansador. I guess I wouldn’t tell people my name either, Rivka thought. “Flutterby is a beautiful name.” Rivka smiled easily at the sad face. She’d seen too many women in the shadows of their men. Flutterby looked like she deserved better.
“I’m Superintendent Thidney,” the other man said from behind the governor.
“If I had to guess, Thidney, I’d say you’re my handler, ushering me wherever I need to go and reporting back to the governor at every turn. No, thank you. I’ll find my own way.” She tapped the datapad in her hand.
Governor Flikansador’s face turned sour. “If you need anything, anything at all, please don’t hesitate to ask.” He turned with a flourish and strode briskly away, his wife and the superintendent hurrying to keep up.
Rivka wanted to say something smart, but Red was occupied by his job. She was probably being recorded, so maintaining her decorum took on new importance. “Chaz, show me the way,” she ordered the datapad.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know the way,” the EI responded. “The governor didn’t share where the room was.”
Swallowing her pride, Rivka took off running after the official and yelled, “Governor!” She slowed to a dignified walk before he turned. “On second thought, I may have been hasty. I would be honored to have the superintendent escort me.”
The governor let a smirk creep into his expression before he wiped it away. He snapped his fingers, and the superintendent nodded. The governor and his wife walked away arm in arm, at a much slower pace than before.
“Lead on, Super.” Rivka motioned for the man to lead the way. He pointed behind her.
“Superintendent Thidney,” he corrected as he brushed past. She clamped her mouth shut and glared at the back of his head as he took her through a maze of corridors. She had kept her datapad out and had run a live feed to Chaz the entire time. She didn’t want to rely on the government of the space station any more than absolutely necessary.
She wanted to take a shower to wash away the station’s stains.
He finally reached a corridor with chairs outside a single door. The people sitting next to each other watched the Magistrate approach. She tapped the superintendent on the shoulder. “You and I have a vastly different definition of the word ‘sequester.’”
The man shrugged. Rivka didn’t know what else to expect by way of an answer. “Stay out here and make sure they don’t talk to each other. Red, stay with him and block the door. I’ll be fine in there with whoever I’m talking to at the moment, although the first person on my list isn’t here. Please have him report within the next ten minutes.”
“The governor will not talk to you here!” the superintendent exclaimed.
“He sure as fuck will.”
“Or what?”
“I leave and report his obstructionism to the Federation. Next thing you know, the station will be looking for a new governor. From what I’ve seen, I’m not so sure that would be a bad thing. Nine minutes and fifty seconds. I’ll be inside.”
Rivka went into the room. Cameras looked down on the table from each of the four corners. The Magistrate pulled a challenge coin, a coin with the logo of the Magistrates’ Office, and threw it at one camera, shattering the lens. She recovered her coin and dispatched the other three cameras. She flipped the coin in the air, caught it, and slapped it onto her forearm. “Heads, you lose,” she declared before returning it to her pocket.
She took a seat and accessed her datapad. Rivka looked at the screen but didn’t see anything. Her mind was focused on the questions she needed to ask the governor. Her mind played and replayed numerous scenarios before Governor Flikansador walked in.
He wasn’t alone.
“I brought my lawyer.
I hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all, as long as he doesn’t speak. One word comes out of his mouth, I will throw him out of here and hold you in contempt. Please be seated.”
Rivka sat on her side of the table, and the governor sat on his. There weren’t any other chairs.
“When were you first made aware of the vandalism to the shops on the station?”
The governor looked at his lawyer, who nodded. “About a month ago. I’m sure you have the reports in your pad. They’ll give the exact date.”
“They give the date the report was made, but when were you made aware?”
“When the report was filed. I get a read-package each morning, so it would have been the day after the report was filed.”
Rivka tapped her screen. She wasn’t writing anything down. She only wanted him to think she was. “When did you come to believe that the damage was caused by Jayita Flikansador?”
“Jay told us herself after we received the fifth or sixth report.”
“And what did you do?”
The governor looked to the lawyer, who shook his head and held a finger to his lips.
“Under the advisement of my legal counsel, I won’t be answering that question.”
Rivka closed her eyes, counted to ten, and stood up. She walked slowly around the table to face the governor’s lawyer. He puffed out his chest, and she smiled and delivered a punch that tagged him right on his twig and berries. The man collapsed. Demonstrating the strength of the nano-enhanced, she picked him up like a piece of luggage, lumbered to the door, opened it, and tossed him into the corridor. She closed the door softly behind herself, flipping the deadbolt before turning to find the governor standing. Rivka pointed to his chair and stabbed her finger at it until he sat.
She resumed her position in the interrogation, the position of Federation authority. “What did you do when your daughter told you she was responsible for the vandalism?”
“I grounded her,” he whispered.
“Did you know for certain that she did it?”
“What?” He looked confused and started fumbling with his fingers. “I never questioned it. I believed her. It seemed to fit.”
You Have Been Judged_A Space Opera Adventure Legal Thriller Page 8
