by JOSEPH RAY
“As property,” Norman replied, not allowing the woman to speak on her own behalf.
“Very well,” David continued, turning back to Nathan. “You said they were his ‘property.’ Please continue with how they came into Lord Elsmere’s possession.”
“Lord Elsmere claimed the girls were used as collateral, for a debt their father owed him.”
“Did they say what the debt was over?”
“No, I didn’t get around to asking that question.”
“Why is that Agent Calloway?”
“I was horrified and distracted. Lord Elsmere made the girls disrobe before us. The youngest, Zulanna, couldn’t have been over ten-years-old. It was all I could do not to lash out at him.”
The crowd gasped, but Judge Mathis did not raise his gavel.
“I see,” David Ballistar continued. “Did you happen to witness the shooting of Lord Elsmere?”
“No, I did not.”
“Why was that?”
“I was on my way to Mesa. Lord Elsmere ordered me to retrieve his property for him and return her to Parasus.”
“And what ‘property’ do you speak of?”
“Elzana Koranth, eldest daughter of Yomiel who fled with dignitaries hired by Yomiel to negotiate a settlement to return his daughters to him.”
“What was the condition of Elzana when you saw her?”
Nathan thought back, realizing where the question was leading him.
“Her face was heavily bruised,” he answered.
“Did she state where the bruises came from?”
“She claimed Lord Elsmere had beaten her severely, then ordered her to return to her father.”
The room gasped once more as hushed conversations resonated from all around. Judge Mathis allowed for the conversations to continue for several seconds before slamming the gavel back down on the podium.
“No further questions your Honor.”
“You may be seated, Agent Calloway,” Judge Mathis ordered.
Nathan waited for the woman to remove the bracelet, wiping it with a wet cloth before she stepped back to her dark corner. Calloway rubbed his wrist, a faint tingle stung his skin as he stepped down and returned to his seat. This time, he looked at MA Joseph, though no expressions were exchanged.
“You may call your next witness,” Mathis continued.
“The prosecution calls upon Terrance Mathis, of Parasus, your honor,” Norman called.
Nathan swore under his breath. He’d never known the last name of Terrance. In the old days, the case would be thrown out as the judge and one of the witnesses were of relation to one another. Still, the judge wasn’t the one making the verdict. He thought better of the situation, knowing that the jury would decide his friend’s fate. He was still trying to understand why Cybers were on the jury when the display screen behind Terrance Mathis lit up.
“Please state your name and title.”
“Terrance Mathis, dignitary advisor to Lord Elsmere.”
“And were you present during the shooting that occurred that day, Terrance Mathis?”
“I was.”
“In your own words, please describe to the court what occurred during that time.”
“The events transpired, much as Agent Calloway stated. Lord Elsmere gave his official complaint to the investigators, whom promptly left our presence.”
“And what happened AFTER the investigators left?”
“The Cyber returned. He stole the guns from the guards, held us at gunpoint, and demanded that the girls be released to his care.”
A faint murmur filled the crowd.
“I see. At any time, did any of the guards’ fire upon J-17?”
“No. The Cyber held everyone at bay. He kept one gun aimed at Lord Elsmere at all times.”
“What would say was the mental state of J-17 during that time?”
“Objection!” David Ballistar called out. “Pure speculation.”
“Objection granted,” Judge Mathis stated. “Do not answer the question, Terrance Mathis.”
“Very well,” Norman continued, blowing off the objected line of questioning. “Did you see J-17 shoot Lord Elsmere?”
“Yes, I did. Only after, he fired other shots, merely to warn us. He fired at the guards and Lord Elsmere at the same time, only missing them by inches, as if he were playing with them.”
“Objection, still speculation,” David yelled.
“Your Honor, the witness if merely stating what he knows to be true,” Norman added.
“I’ll allow it,” Judge Mathis replied. “Objection overruled.”
David Ballistar sat down, disgust forming upon his face.
“No further questions, your Honor,” Norma replied, a smile forming on his tiny face as he returned to his seat.
Major Ballistar rose, slowly walking over to the tiny man with the monitoring bracelet upon his wrist. He watched the vitals on the screen, noting how the heart rate was starting to climb.
“Terrance Mathis,” he started. “What were the last words that Lord Elsmere spoke to MA Joseph?”
The little man looked horrified as he gazed to Norman Voss, hoping for an escape from the question. Norman remained silent, knowing that he had no grounds for an objection. The heart rate on the screen rose.
“I’m…..I’m afraid I can’t recall.”
An enormous spike flashed on the screen, a clear indication of a lie.
“The witness will speak the truth,” Judge Mathis ordered. “Or he will find himself in a cell before nightfall.”
Terrance Mathis swallowed hard, beads of sweat forming on his tight face. A string of makeup washed away, leaving streaks behind their trail.
“If I may paraphrase,” he stuttered.
“No,” David replied. “I want you to say, word for word, what Lord Elsmere said just before MA Joseph shot him.”
The little man looked up to the balcony, as though he were expecting to be struck down from his masters. Realizing that there was no escape from the question, he swallowed hard and answered.
“Lord Elsmere stated that he would send bounty hunters to return his girls, as well as their father,” he muttered, his eyes closing tightly.
“Continue.”
“He then said that he would take the youngest daughter, Zulanna, and engage in sexual intercourse before her father’s eyes.”
The crowd burst, resulting in Judge Mathis slamming the gavel several times before the room grew silent once more.
“And how old is Zulanna Koranth?”
His little eyes shot open. He knew his words would result in his own death, but lying was not possible with his vitals on the screen behind him.
“Zulanna Koranth is ten-years-old.”
This time, many of the crowd stood, cursing at anyone wearing a red silk robe. The guards grabbed the rifles, preparing to take control over the situation. The gavel slammed down, over and over again, until the last protestor was silent.
“No further questions.”
Terrance Mathis looked up at the balcony as the woman removed the bracelet. The little man stood there, sweat streaming down his face, which now turned pale. His mouth hung open as though he were about to beg for mercy. He managed to take a deep breath and carefully step down to the floor before returning to his seat. The little man leaned over Norman Voss, whispering something in his ear before passing through the glass gate barrier.
“Your honor,” David called out. “I would like to surrender to the testimony of the remaining witnesses. I assume the prosecution will bring each guard to the stand. I attest that each of them will describe the same scene, over and over. I believe it is fair to say that MA Joseph acted aggressively, and held the guards at bay with their own weapons.”
“Do you accept this surrender, Norman Voss?” Judge Mathis asked.
“I do your honor,” he replied. “They would only attest to what the Major has clearly stated. However, the prosecution has one more witness to call to the stand.”
David B
allistar looked to his client, wishing that there had been time to examine all of the protocols buried in MA Joseph’s processors.
6 CHAPTER six
“I don’t know about this,” Quaid muttered as the landing stilts of the Hopper touched on the ground. “No one’s been here forever it looks like.”
Sandra double-checked the coordinates that Abraham had given her, verifying for the sixth time that they’d arrived at the correct location. Everything she knew of star navigation told her they were at the right place though her instincts told her to agree with the Captain.
“Yeah, I’m with you,” she muttered, looking up at the view screen. “This place is a ghost town.”
The view from the screens was pleasant, though odd. They reminded her of the historical photos of America, just after the last outbreak of Uhvak Syndrome. The buildings were still pristine though nature seemed to be taking back what was rightfully hers.
“Oxygen levels check out,” Quaid offered. “So we got that on our side. From what Abe said, the tallest building in this cluster is our destination.”
Sandra kept an eye on the screen, begging for any sign of movement. The buildings were tall, making it difficult to decide which one was the tallest. They were white, with large windows reflecting the red sun. Streets had been laid out, yet no vehicles could be seen. Various trees, none of which she’d ever seen, had broken up through the sidewalks, their roots besting man’s effort for pathways.
“No sense sitting here, wondering,” she muttered. “I’ll fetch him.”
Sandra left the cockpit and walked down the long corridor. She passed the Captain’s chamber, closest to the cockpit and by far the largest. Then she passed through the common room, making for the hall that started in the common room’s back left corner. The lights in the hallway lit up, sensors having been tripped by her passing of them. The metal grating was wearing in sections, though she’d memorized long ago where to step to avoid twisting an ankle. She passed her room, stopping to poke her head into the open door of Jenna’s.
“Doing okay?” she asked.
Jenna was laying on the bed, her stomach resting upon the mattress. As always, her data pad lie before her as she slowly scrolled through a wall of text. Sandra had to ask again before her sister acknowledged her presence.
“Sorry,” she offered. “I was just focused. Trying to read up on first gen Cybers. There really isn’t much here about them.”
Sandra stepped into the room, pulling her leather jacket tight around her waist. The ship seemed to have cooled off several degrees since they’d landed, leaving her to wonder if the atmosphere had been made too thick for this planet.
“Did you know that the first Cybers was volunteers?” Jenna asked, never looking up from the data pad. “They were all scientist who were trying to figure out a way off the planet. They just gave up their families and become robotically enhanced people. Can you imagine?”
Sandra looked at her sister. Every day she reminded her more and more of their mother. Sandra was slowly taking after their father, her jaw far wider than Jenna’s and their noses were not the same either. She couldn’t look to her sister without feeling as if something had been taken from her. Still, the thought of their mother made it easy to know what those first Cybers had gone through.
“Yeah,” she muttered. “They sacrificed themselves to save their families. Not so hard to imagine Sis. It’s time to go though.”
Jenna looked up for the first time, her eyes opening wide and her mouth dropping open.
“You mean I get to come?!” she shrieked, leaping from the bed. She dashed to her older sister, throwing her arms around her neck and squeezing her tightly. “You won’t regret it, I promise.”
“Oh, I already am,” Sandra informed her. “You can thank Abe though. He insisted.”
Sandra left her sister to get dressed, pressing the button to close the door behind her. She’d caught the Captain looking at her sister in a way that made her uncomfortable on more than one occasion, especially since Jenna had begun to fill out over the last year. She never thought Julius would ever try anything, but she didn’t care for his eyes wandering.
Sandra stepped over a small hole in the floor, noting how she could see the engine room below her. She added it to the list of things to bring up to Julius the next time he took the ship in for upgrades. She understood why he always dumped credits into the engine, the hull, and the life support systems. However, if he kept ignoring everything else, they wouldn’t have a ship to sit in.
The next room had been given to Abraham, despite his insistence upon staying in the engine room. He told her that his bodily controls were returning to their normal levels, and he could program his brain to ignore the humming of the Hopper’s engine. Quaid wouldn’t have it, insisting that he get his own room. Especially after Abe mentioned a means to make some credits, as well as aid him in searching for his lost children. Once Julius heard the word credits, nothing else in the conversation mattered. To his acclaim, he seemed thankful towards the Cyber when Jenna informed him of what happened while he was fueling the ship and selling their findings. A part of her suspected the joy came from the free supplies the Cyber had earned. She couldn’t blame the Captain as the thought had crossed her mind as well, and she did feel a slight joy every time she opened one of the strawberry fruit bars.
“Time to wake up Abe,” Sandra shouted from the open doorway.
Like her sister, Abraham didn’t seem to need much privacy, even when he was sleeping. The Cyber looked odd, lying stiff as a board on the bed, the discs retracted into their housing. His eyes shot open, revealing the mirror eyes just before the two black disc pulled out from the casing, covering them once more. She swore she’d never get used to the sight.
“Ah, we’ve arrived?” Abe asked, sitting up.
Sandra reached into the pocket of her jacket, returning with a protein bar. She lobbed it underhand onto Abraham’s bed. It bounced and skidded against his knee. He hesitated, then snatched the bar up, peeled back the wrapper, and took a small bite.
“I’d swear you were trying to make me fat,” he commented after swallowing the first bite.
“No, just making an investment,” she laughed. “If you’d been any weaker yesterday, my sister and I wouldn’t have heads. I can’t say we’d look so pretty after that.”
Abraham smiled, standing from the bed and reaching for the gray coat that Quaid had given him. He pulled it over his shoulders, noting how it didn’t seem to itch as badly as before. He turned and picked up the protein bar, as well as a small satchel from the stand by the bed. He threw it over his shoulder, taking another bite from the bar before following Sandra out of his room.
“That bag looks familiar,” Sandra stated as she made an obvious gesture to avoid the hole in the floor.
Abe looked down at the hole, scanning it before closing in behind her. He set it to memory to find a suitable piece to replace the grating. The frame below was ten feet by six feet, an uncommon size. He’d have to cut a larger piece down, or fuse two smaller ones together. Either way, the act would require tools he did not possess.
“I’m sorry,” he replied. “Your sister gave it to me. I can use something else if you’d like.”
Sandra stopped at the end of the corridor, looking her new companion over. The jacket and the clothes were a terrible fit for the man, but the satchel seemed right at home with the Cyber scientist.
“It was our fathers,” she informed him. “I don’t have to tell you to take good care of it. I’m guessing you take care of everything equally.”
Abraham looked down at the dark green satchel. He unlocked the latch, then lifted the flap over the bag. There was writing on the inside, which he hadn’t bothered to examine when he filled his borrowed tools into the bag earlier. Now, upon examination, he could clearly make out what the handwriting said.
“John Oliver,” he read. “What did you father do for a living, Sandra Oliver?”
Sandra looked down at th
e bag, remembering everything she knew of the man. Memories came rushing back, some good, some bad, but memories all the same. She remembered being a little girl, watching her father walk from his car to the house, that same satchel hanging from his shoulder. There was always a present inside for her, right up until her sister was born. Her father hadn’t come back as often then though she was never told why.
“He was a doctor, so to speak,” she stated. “He didn’t have a degree, but he’d travel across the planet and give medicine to those whom couldn’t afford it. I couldn’t tell you how many lives were saved because of what was in that bag.”
Abraham slowly closed the flap and clasped the latch. A swell of pity and shame rushed over him.
“I’ll find a replacement today,” he stated. “Then I’ll give it back to you.”
“No, I insist,” she replied. “You can keep it. I just can’t believe she gave it up so easily. My Daddy is the reason she wanted to become a doctor in the first place. That bag is all she has left of him.”
“All the same,” he stated, slowly edging around her. “I would feel much better if I returned it to you as soon as possible. I’d feel awful if something happened to it.”
Sandra was lost for words as she caught up to the Cyber. She’d wanted to ask about his voice, wondering how someone could speak so deeply, yet still talk through his nose. It was one of a million little annoying questions she wanted to ask, but opted not to say. This question, however, was no minor thing.
“You’d feel awful?” she asked, grasping his shoulder. “How is that possible?”
Abraham turned to her, his mouth still and firm. He checked the room for her sister, then decided it was all right to inform her.
“I’ve been reading about these third generation Cybers,” he informed her. “It seems that someone decided they should not be permitted to feel and act as their human counterparts. I feel a deep swell of pity for them, being cheated on all that life has to offer. I can’t say that I care for the role my grandchildren are playing for the military, but I’m powerless to change that at this moment.”
