by Ian Miller
All of this, the women agreed, was very interesting, but the novelties began to wear off. They read/viewed translations of what they wished, but this was only interesting for so much of the day. As Lucilla was to observe one day, learning about the settlement of a new planet was very interesting the first time, but an analysis of the same problems on the twentieth planet was, well, starting to lose its shine.
For Gaius, the situation was not quite so bad. He had been guided through a preliminary description of physics. He had learned about numbers, and had gained at least an elementary understanding of calculus and what rates of change involved. He had come to understand gravity, at least at an initial level, so he found the concept of fields at least reasonable. The concept of friction was easy; he had virtually discovered it himself, and the concept of conservation of momentum and angular momentum were, after all, variations of the concepts of eternal motion. But it was when he found out why they were conserved that he felt excited, as if a light had been turned on in a deep cave to reveal a wonderful treasure. One piece of space was the same as another piece, one direction was as good as another. If he were to do something here, or the same thing there, the outcomes had to be the same if the void was the same. It was so simple in concept. It was, he reflected sadly, not beyond the realms of possibility that he might have thought about it himself.
But then again, he had not. If it were that simple . . . And there was the truth. It was so simple when he was told the answer. It was nowhere nearly as simple before he knew the question.
Then he learned about the electric and magnetic fields, one radial and one circular, and how the resultant forces could be used to make motors, propel vehicles, send communications, a dazzling array of uses.
He learned that all matter ended up as discrete entities: molecules, then atoms, just as Democritus had supposed. And as Lucretius had surmised, atoms were eternal, and what they made depended on how they were joined together, except there were so many different ones. The amount of matter was constant, as was the amount of energy. Then he learned that atoms were divisible, that electrons went around nuclei due to the electric field, and the nuclei themselves could be smashed into pieces. When molecules were broken and their atoms reformed, energy was available; that was what drove a fire. Then he learned that mass and energy were equivalent, and by smashing nuclei, and then quarks, increasingly large amounts of energy were available.
Within the generalities, the Ulsians were sufficiently impressed by Gaius' progress, they tried to take things further. Velocity was distance over time, but time depended on velocity. Go to the speed of light, and time stopped. That was why Earth would never be recognizable if he were to go back. Then there was the concept of action. In a sense Gaius could understand that. In free motion, this was minimized; in the absence of a force a particle travelled in a straight line between two points at constant velocity , or on a circle, ellipse or hyperbola in an inverse square field. Aristotle himself had alluded vaguely to something like this.
Nobody was quite sure how much of the next part Gaius really understood. There was a field that started and stopped on electric charge and hence that which crossed a hypothetical surface equalled the charge the surface enclosed. That was why it was inverse-square; the surface area increased with the square of the radius, and that field was independent of the uncharged material between the charges. But the force was not, for the field put strain into that which was between the charges, even if that were a void, and strain represented stored energy. The energy of an interaction between two charges therefore depended on how much strain lay between the charges, for the energy had to be conserved. The magnetic field, on the other hand, was a circular field and had no ends, and in most cases did not interact with matter to any great extent, the exceptions being materials like iron and charged objects if they were in motion.
The conservation of momentum and angular momentum depended on one piece of void being exactly equivalent to another, which, to a point, it was. The conservation of energy depended on one piece of time in the void being exactly equivalent to another, which, to a point, it was. But in reality, if these points were small enough, the void that was supporting a field was seething with activity. For the tiniest of fleeting instants incredibly small particles came and went, or, if one preferred, there were energy fluctuations that were very localized in time and space, and for those brief periods of time, one extraordinarily small piece of void was not equivalent to a similar sized piece of void adjacent to it. Thus on a small enough scale of time or distance, conservation did not occur. Action was not smooth and continuous, but rather it could only change discretely. Oddly, Gaius had less difficulty with this than expected, perhaps because Aristotle had emphasized action rather than energy, even if he had not quite defined it properly, and Aristotle had not discussed whether it was or was not continuous. Even more importantly, Aristotle had stated that nature abhorred a void. Indeed, this seething void was not unlike Aristotle's substratum, and Gaius had little problem in considering that tiny entities were continually coming into being and then passing away. He even had strangely little difficulty in accepting that the edge of a sufficiently small object was not an edge at all, but rather a blur as bits of the edge were continuously coming into being and passing away, sometimes in the particle, sometimes part of the void. That this was the mechanism that fields held particles together was greeted almost like an old friend, although of course the recognition was of kind, and not of the underlying mathematical complexities. And while the mathematical complexities placed a great limitation on what comprised 'understanding', the fact that he could genuinely come to grips with the underpinning importance of action across a wide range of physical phenomena surprised most Ulsians.
This was quite an achievement. The fact of the matter is that despite, or because of, our education system even now most Ulsians have no comprehension in any form whatsoever about quantum theory . . . (M)
While Gaius was amazed by the knowledge available to him, he also recognized that his reading was for interest only. He was never going to use it, for while he could follow to some extent brief general descriptions, his ability at mathematics left him to limit himself to general reading. He was also affected by the boredom affecting the women. If they wanted to go somewhere, he usually had to accompany them. They visited sites, they began to learn their way around the parts of the Ulsian city they were permitted to visit, but after a while the novelty of this wore off. They visited their site for picnics, they lived a life of almost complete luxury, in which everything they wanted was there before them. Their only problem was, there was nothing to do.
Chapter 10
The Terrans were informed that the trial would commence in six days. Their presence would not be required, and the case would proceed in the same way whether or not they were present. Did they wish to attend?
They did. If nothing else, it would break the boredom. The three Terrans were then informed they would be permitted to view proceedings provided that they remained silent at all times, unless a question was directed towards them by the judge. There was to be one exception: Gaius would be required to make a speech to the court. He must make it in Latin; there would be an automatic translation into Ulsian.
"That makes no sense," Lucilla said, when the droid that had invited them had left. "First they say that the trial will be totally unaffected by our presence, then they say Gaius has to make a speech?"
"It makes sense if there are two trials there," Vipsania suggested. "The speech may be used to help decide what to do about us."
Gaius stared at her for a moment, then suddenly realized what was happening. "Yes," he said slowly. "By making a speech to judge the accused, we judge ourselves."
"Then you'd better write a good speech," Lucilla said in a chastising tone. "I suppose now you wished you'd taken more notice of your rhetoric classes!"
Gaius refused to acknowledge that he had not been paying the attention he should have paid in his youth, but he did
begin to have the first nervous reaction in his stomach.
* * *
The day of the trial arrived. The Terrans had each tried to imagine what the court room would look like; they had each imagined some sort of grandiose room, with huge pillars, imposing decorations, with symbols of power, justice, whatever, liberally scattered around. What they found was the exact opposite. It was of only moderate size, although there were cubicles on an upper level, the walls were a uniform grey, there were no windows, and the furniture was Spartan. There were no decorations, other than the Ulsian words corresponding to 'Ulsian High Court' written above the Judge's seat.
Gradually those entitled to attend filed in. The Terrans were allocated a small cubicle, and as they sat down Gaius had yet another nervous fidget with the notes for his speech. He gazed around the room. All present wore trefunes, except the accused and the Terrans. Then the judge entered, and without any ceremony at all sat down and announced that the trial was now commencing.
The judge ordered that recorded evidence be entered. The Tin Man was connected to a cable, and the entire evidence was entered in less than a minute. Then Klendor appeared, and gave clear evidence that the accused had attempted to betray him to the enemies of Ulse, and also that it was clear that the Terrans represented an emerging civilization. The prosecution's case was essentially, "The evidence speaks for itself. The accused carried out the illegal act of slave trading, compounded by the far more serious crime of interfering with the development of an emerging civilization, and finally, to cover up these crimes, he deliberately colluded with an enemy of Ulse, thereby committing treason."
The defence offered no evidence, although the accused stood up and made a speech. His case boiled down to, "First, the Terrans came onto the ship of their own accord. They were not forced. Had they not done so, they would have been killed, so irrespective of what happened, he had done them a favour and should not be held responsible for the more philosophical aspects of the charges. Further, the Roman Empire was cruel and unjust, Romans themselves owned a large number of slaves, hence the Terrans had not had anything done to them that was not the lot of other Terrans. They operated a form of government that was barbaric in the extreme. Certainly, there could be good leaders, but there was too much room for tyrants at all levels. It was impossible for true civilization to emerge from this barbaric civilization. There was no way he could know Gaius was a scientist, Gaius would never have succeeded in swaying Terran opinion, and in any case there was no evidence Gaius would have completed his steam engine had he remained on Earth."
The accused paused, then said with a crafty look, "The Romans spend most of their time working out how to conquer, or how to get revenge for alleged wrongs done unto them. Let's suppose what everybody says is true, and let's suppose these Terrans could have introduced the industrial age to Rome well before the time it would otherwise arrive. What would be the result?
"You don't know? Well, I put it to you that with their aggressive nature what you'd get is more conquest, more killing, a greater nation, and if, as some said, science did emerge, there might even be a Roman Space Force well ahead of its time, going out to conquer. Now what would happen, given the nearby planet and the nature of its inhabitants? Was it not possible that my action, in slowing down the Terrans, if in fact I did, may have been the biggest favour I could have done?"
Lucilla was clearly furious. How dare that . . . Vipsania held her arm, and made sure she said nothing. Gaius was then invited to make his speech.
Gaius stood, bowed to the judge, bowed to the two advocates, then to the public. He paused, and remembered his old teacher's gruff advice. Self-control, poise, wash away emotion. So many times had he been insulted furiously and required to speak afterwards that this was relatively easy. He thought about his notes, and realized that these had not anticipated the accused's speech. If he proceeded with his prepared speech, he would give the first speech credence. No! He had to counter that. He pushed aside his notes.
"The accused argues," Gaius started, "that Rome was fundamentally flawed, therefore the accused could do what he liked with its citizens. First, I agree that Rome was flawed. It is true that a number of officials had too much power, and power can be misused. I saw that in Alexandria, where the Governor used his position to steal from a minority. However, while the occurrence of such crime is indisputable, how does it follow that the situation can be improved by some external force that removes citizens who do what they can to correct the situation? I understand my role in this was included in the information made available from the Tin Man." As this name was translated, there was a sudden burst of interest, and cackling, from the audience.
"Then, apart from that," Gaius continued, "even if Rome is flawed, it does not follow that an alien should have the right to act as some random variable, taking what he wishes for his own profit."
He paused, then continued, "The accused stated that nothing was done to us that was not the lot of other Terrans." He paused again, frowned, and said, "Really? That implies that being taken off our planet is common practice. Which begs the question, how does he know it is common practice? Because he has done it himself many times?" He paused again, and watched the look of horror pass over the accused's face, as the entire courtroom turned to look at him. Gaius remembered again his lessons. You have made a point; do not gloat. Continue in the same tone, and the audience may promote the importance of your next point.
"He claims the Roman Empire was bad. Perhaps, but everywhere else was worse. That Rome had invaded Britain is undisputed. It is also undisputed that the Britons were frequently sacrificing innocent people to various Gods, decapitating the weak, torturing those who are captured . . . No, in Ulsian eyes that may not justify invasion, nor was that the reason for it, but remember this. When any area on Earth was under Roman control for a reasonable time, that area joined the Empire in which, alone on the planet ordinary people could trade in peace, free from the threat of robbery, rape, or unjust oppression." He paused, then added solemnly, "In Roman territory, citizens could plan their lives, free from fear, and could expect to carry out those plans. Rome may not have been highly civilized in terms of Ulse, but it was the best available.
"Yes, there were criminals, people who broke our laws, but I suspect Rome is not alone in having criminals. Any civilization with courts has criminals." Sympathetic cackles arose. "He speaks of a Roman Space Force." Gaius paused, then opened his hands. "With respect, that is ludicrous. However, I submit that that is effectively a confession that he recognizes that he has interrupted the development of technology on our planet. From my point of view, I believe that what might have happened has probably been overstated, and there has been too much made of my limited abilities. However, the accused himself seems to believe in them with that defence. And in any case, while I may be limited in ability, he hardly established those limitations. I tried to communicate with him after I rescued him, and he refused to acknowledge my attempts. I know that in itself is irrelevant in the broader sense, but not if he claims to have assessed my abilities.
"Now," Gaius continued, "the accused appears to think of me as a barbarian, lacking in honour. He may note that when I first met him, he was trapped in a pit, weaponless, with a number of Celts ready to kill him. He states that we went onto his ship of our free will. That is true. We thought he was a being of honour. I had saved his life, and when he beckoned to us, I thought he would save ours in return. He states that Romans kept looking for revenge. Perhaps, but Romans also honoured debts . . ." He paused, then added, "Well, most of the time . . ." Laughter broke out as Gaius added, "There were always recidivists who would always spend more than they could ever repay.
"The accused speaks of favours," Gaius continued. "If he wanted to do us a favour, he could have put us down a few miles away. What we want is to be able to be back home, amongst our friends. Yes, I know that is impossible, and we accept that. However, he has done us no favours. Every act, including his treachery to your planet, was mot
ivated by greed.
"What should happen to him? I wish to emphasize that we have no opinion, other than to see Ulse impose the correct penalty within its laws. What should happen to us? We say, this is not our fault. We do not beg, but we do say that as a matter of honour we should be treated with the respect that would be given to others of our position in other civilizations."
With that he sat down. The Terrans looked towards the judge, who was clearly about to make his decision.
The judge's remarks were curt. "Ulsian law does not accept incompetence as an excuse, there was every evidence that the Terrans would be supported by the Princeps, who, as far as Ulse could tell, had power limited only by ability, and finally, the relevant Ulsian law said 'could', not 'would'. Further, while minor in comparison, slave trading is quite illegal in Ulsian law, treason is most definitely illegal, and the accused has not even denied these self-evident accusations."
In less than six minutes the trial was over. The accused was found guilty, and sentenced to seven days luxury in some place that was not understandable to Gaius. Everyone was immediately cleared from the court. Gaius tried to get to Klendor, but Klendor had left by a side door.
"Some punishment!" Lucilla snorted later.
"Indeed it was most harsh," the Tin Man agreed. "Mind you, I think I have mentioned that this is the worst offence he could have committed against Ulsian law."
"That was not quite what I was thinking," Lucilla snorted. "I was uprooted, separated forever from my husband . . ."
"For which he pays," the Tin Man replied.
"With seven days luxury?" Lucilla almost shrieked.
"I think what Lucilla means," Gaius interrupted, and tried to calm her down, "is that seven days of luxury is more an incentive for him to do that again than a punishment."
"He won't," the Tin Man said.
"And why not?" Lucilla cried angrily.
