Dangerous Tension

by L.V. Lloyd

6 The Trial

  The atmosphere in the ship grew tense waiting for the arrival of the three officers from Capella Station. Kent was allowed to continue with his duties and it was Harper who kept to his cabin. Wild rumours flew around, changing hour by hour as neither of the protagonists would speak about the case. Everyone was on Kent’s side, although many feared that he might have gone further that the officiators would condone.

  Eventually the officiators arrived, a colonel, a major and a ship’s captain; evidently the base had taken the case seriously. Normally in any dispute between crew members, the ship’s Captain would have made a ruling that both parties would have complied with, but as Harper was both a Major and an external Inspector, he had exercised his right to take the case higher. This had set in train a whole series of protocols that were a nightmare to challenge.

  Kent went to see the officiators as soon as he heard they’d arrived. However, they had been allocated cabins in a secured area and Kent was told firmly, if politely, that it was totally impossible for him to have any contact with any of the officiators before the trial.

  “Can you at least ask Colonel Young to view the recorded evidence before the trial?” he asked the man on duty. “It’s extremely important—there is sensitive information on it which should not be broadcast to the whole ship!” he pressed. The man replied politely that he would see what he could do, and Kent was obliged to leave, trying to have faith that the message would be delivered.

  Colonel Young could see no reason for delay; it appeared a simple matter of hearing from the two protagonists and then making a judgement. There was no evidence to be investigated as far as he was aware and no witnesses to be called. Harper and Kent sat on opposite sides of the three judges, turned slightly toward each other and facing rows of tightly packed crew. Corporal Hamilton had been co-opted into making sure the events were recorded without interruption and was seated next to the judges with the ship’s camcorder in place. Captain Matthews sat next to Lieutenant Kent.

  Colonel Young opened the proceedings with a formal calling to order and then read the charge.

  “It appears to me, Major Harper, that the point we are trying to ascertain is whether or not Lieutenant Kent was aware that you were not a Second Lieutenant as he had been lead to believe but in fact a Major. Lieutenant Kent himself admits to actually striking you. Is that correct, gentlemen?”

  “Yes sir. He also kicked me in the stomach when I was on the ground, unable to defend myself,” Harper added self-righteously.

  “Is that true, Lieutenant Kent?” Young asked him with raised brows.

  “Um... yes sir, it is,” he confessed reluctantly. “Unfortunately, I lost my temper.”

  “I see. Are you making any claim of self defence, Lieutenant Kent?”

  “No sir. Though I will plead extreme provocation, while believing we were both the same rank, sir.”

  “So noted. Now when did this incident occur, Major?”

  “Between 19:00 and 20:00 hours on the 6th of June 2480, sir.”

  “That’s correct, sir,” agreed Kent.

  “Location?”

  “The cabin allotted to me on the P112 Kalar, sir.”

  Kent nodded and Colonel Young asked him to agree verbally for the record.

  “Now Major Harper, I believe you have a recording of the incident, for the whole period in question?”

  “Yes sir, you can check the time and date on it if required.” There was a gasp of comprehension from some of the crew. The Colonel frowned.

  “Could you pass your personal recorder to Corporal Hamilton, please?”

  Corporal Hamilton took the device from Major Harper and scanned it with the ship’s camcorder. “The date and time are as stated, Colonel,” he reported.

  “Let’s hear it then,” requested the Colonel, glancing across at Lieutenant Kent who was sitting absolutely motionless, his jaw clenched. Obviously his request had either not been conveyed to the Colonel or else he had not seen fit to act on it.

  “You understand, Lieutenant, that if you hear anything on that recording that you deny was said, you have the right to say so?”

  “Uh... yes sir.” Kent was so tense he could hardly speak.

  Colonel Young frowned. There was something funny going on here. Matthews wouldn’t back the man like he had if he thought he was lying, and Kent himself would hardly deny the charge if he had admitted it on the recording, yet the thought of that recording being played obviously worried the hell out of him. Perhaps he had said something else that he shouldn’t have, a criticism perhaps of someone above him? Still frowning, Young ordered Hamilton to play the recording to the court.

  There was an excruciating minute’s silence before the soundless courtroom heard Harper’s brisk “Come in.” Then Kent’s voice came, clear and courteous, “Lieutenant Harper, I’ve come here to give you a piece of advice...” As the recording continued, Matthews grew increasingly concerned, what on earth had been happening on his ship?

  Colonel Young’s frown deepened as the import of Kent’s “piece of advice” struck him. It sounded as if Major Harper had been deliberately trying to stir up trouble by disparaging the Kalar’s Captain. He waited expectantly for Harper’s denial to follow.

  Harper’s reply however puzzled and then alarmed him. “I think I know more about your precious Captain Matthews than you do!” Young had a sudden premonition of what he was about to reveal and glanced involuntarily at Matthews. He had obviously had the same idea, the colour had drained from his face and he sat as if frozen. Young had actually opened his mouth to stop the recording when the damning words filled the courtroom. “... a homosexual, an om?”

  Men sucked in their breaths audibly; Colonel Young because he feared the crew’s reaction; the other two officiators because they hadn’t known; and the crew because now they knew why Kent was so tense and feared his reaction.

  Matthews felt as if the ground was falling away beneath him—he was finished, the men would despise him and hate him. What were they going to do? Shout, snigger, embarrassed silence? He sat staring straight ahead; he couldn’t bear to meet anyone’s eyes in the room. His whole career, his reputation... Why was Kent taking so long to answer? Kent! Well he knew how he felt about oms at least! No wonder the thought of that recording being played had sent him into a blue spin.

  At first Kent’s quiet, “Yes, I already know,” didn’t register with him. Neither did it with the officiators. They were studying the crew curiously, waiting for their reaction. How would they crack? A slow fury started building in Young toward Harper; his criminal defiance of regulations would almost certainly cause the breakup of the Kalar, let alone the ruination of one of the finest Captains in the fleet.

  Then they began to realise just what Kent had said. “In fact every man on the ship knows! They’ve known for a good two months now, and everything I’ve said still holds.” Harper’s recorded reaction mirrored their own. “No-one minds?” No-one had time to absorb this before the Major’s voice began sneering at Kent. A wave of hostility toward Harper came from the back of the room; it was almost tangible in the air. “I bet if you were put to the test, if you actually saw him kissing another man—”

  “Shut up!” the Captain wanted to shout, “Shut up! He was coping all right with it before, leave him alone!” The recording wound implacably on.

  “I can see that shakes you! Just imagine if it was ever you he fancied, how would you feel then?”

  The men held their breath with tension except for Jonson who uttered a single vehement, “Oh hell!”

  Everyone, including Matthews stared at Kent, who had frankly covered his face with his hands. What had he said about him? Finally Kent’s voice answered. “I am about the most intolerant man toward homosexuality on this ship, and if the Captain ever wanted me, I ...,” the pause was agonising and suddenly Kent straightened and locked his eyes defiantly on Young’s, his chin raised.

  “I would be
honoured, Lieutenant, proud and honoured,” his voice rang with clear sincerity, and suddenly the room was filled with cheers. All the principals in the drama looked startled and Colonel Young called loudly for quiet. He stopped the recording and waited until the noise had abated, then motioned for it to continue. When the sound of the blow exploded in the room the men looked as if they wanted to cheer again but just managed to restrain themselves. Unfortunately, it also recorded the muffled sound of Kent’s kick to his opponent’s stomach. The recording finished.

  Colonel Young tried to organise his thoughts sufficiently to continue with the trial. For several minutes he had quite forgotten the purpose of the hearing.

  “I must confess, Major Harper, that I can’t see where Lieutenant Kent shows knowledge of your superior rank.”

  Harper was actually triumphant. “As an Inspector, I must have had at least the rank of Major to know that piece of ranked information about Captain Matthews.” There was silence as Young deliberated, that was a point, but, “If you follow that reasoning, Major, it can be argued that Lieutenant Kent was a Major or higher because he knew the same information.”

  “But, sir, the difference is that he was a member of the crew and could have had other ways of finding that out,” Harper’s top lip curled involuntarily at this point, “whereas I was an outsider, as I said and could have had no other way of knowing that.”

  Kent finally found his voice. “But, Colonel Young sir, I never even thought to make that deduction.”

  “I’m not sure that matters from a legal standpoint, Lieutenant.” He bent to his neighbour and the three officiators conferred for a few minutes. Everyone else sat still, waiting.

  “Lieutenant Kent, on the offence of assaulting a superior officer in full knowledge of that fact, we find that there is insufficient evidence to convict you. However on the charge of assaulting Major Harper, we have no choice but to find you guilty. We sentence you to the minimum penalty of twenty strokes of the whip or the option of demotion to Sergeant.” Kent closed his eyes briefly.

  Before anyone could voice a protest, Colonel Young continued. “We hereby suspend this sentence on the grounds that you acted to protect your ship. Furthermore, we reprimand Major Harper for the offence of communicating highly confidential, ranked information to an unqualified officer and of using this information in an attempt to interfere with the loyalty of the crew of the Kalar to their Captain. We recommend that charges be laid against him on these two offences mentioned. The court martial of Harper Versus Kent is completed.”

  He paused, “I would like to add a personal note of commendation to the crew and officers of this ship for their loyalty to Captain Matthews. Thank you, everyone is dismissed to your duties.”

  Colonel Young rose and left the room, followed closely by the other officiators. Harper stalked out, tight lipped. Crewmen crowded eagerly around Kent, congratulating him and slapping him on the shoulder, grinning in relief. Kent slumped pale and tired in his seat, self-consciously not looking at the Captain and feeling embarrassed by the praise. Without warning, Matthews spoke from behind him. “Lieutenant Kent, I’d appreciate it if you could spare a few minutes?”

  Kent’s stomach turned over as he rose to his feet. “Of course, sir.” He followed Matthews over to a vacant corner of the room as men began filing out, trying not to appear too eager to overhear what the two were saying. To his dismay, Kent could not meet the Captain’s eyes and instead focussed on a spot over his right shoulder.

  “I don’t want to embarrass you any more, Lieutenant, but I... I want you to know how much I appreciate what you did and said. I think I can just understand how much it cost you. I won’t forget it. Go and get some rest now if you can, I expect the officiators will want to speak to you a little later on.”

  “Thank you, sir,” Kent replied gratefully and escaped to the welcome solitude of his cabin as fast as he could.