Court-Martial (Horatio Logan Chronicles Book 2)

by Chris Hechtl

  “Crap,” the president muttered.

  @^@

  The longer the trial was drawn-out, the more Admiral Childress tried to spin it. He tried to blame Horatio's actions as to the reason why upgrades hadn't happened in industry and medicine and other fields, but Doctor Bullettine and the government quietly countered that, so did members of the military off the record. Members who retired or resigned after Childress took over stepped into the spotlight to add their two cents worth.

  “This is spiraling out of control,” Sherman said as he watched the latest news report. He shook his head. They were struggling with control of the navy on a daily basis. He knew Omar was furious that the government wasn't backing him. At best, they could blackmail President K'k'R'll into being quiet or changing his tone in media broadcasts. But the not-quite subtle threats of a coup were starting to hit the public and were being turned against them. They had started to see cracks in their industrial and civilian support as patience wore increasingly thin.

  And now this he thought in annoyance as he stared at Omar's latest brainstorm. He probably should be happy on the face of it; it was a return to their exercise program. The exercises would be a welcome distraction for the rank and file, a way to keep them busy and to help bury their overall situation. They would all be electronic simulations to keep with the low budget, but that was to be expected for the time being. Beggars couldn't be choosers he thought.

  At least, that was what it should do. Instead, Omar had decided to rub their nose in their changed status. His plan was to create a series of training scenarios that had the navy fighting off a possible navy attack. Specifically, Omar wanted to find ways to counter an A.I. attack in one scenario, which was probably a good thing. But the tech imbalance hadn't been treated right.

  Sherman shook his head and called Omar. “You realize this will throw everyone into a tizzy, that we're setting up a defense against the Federation,” he said, waving the tablet.

  “We're not. We're preparing in case the pirates come,” Omar replied calmly.

  “Sure we are,” Sherman accused.

  That earned him a sour look. “Just do as you are told.”

  @^@

  Admiral Miller was of two minds when he got the new download. At first, he'd been excited, but then when his command team had pulled the scenario summaries, he had been less than enthused. He could just imagine what others were thinking.

  When he checked the Admiralty flag officer discussion boards, he wasn't at all surprised that they had lit up with critiques of the scenarios. Some of the officers involved in the training were not sure about it. Others were glad that they were training to get their people used to following orders and finding weak links in their command chains. But many were not happy at the subject matter, though few were stupid enough to put their misgivings out bluntly.

  The awareness that they and their people were not happy permeated the site however. He shook his head. Drills were made to make personnel follow orders instinctively, but the reminder of a potential threat from the outer Federation was going to hit morale hard. He switched to the other boards and then grimaced. It was also increasing the muttering he noted as he surfed the various threads.

  He hoped and prayed it would never come to an actual shooting match.

  He also hoped ONI was on top of the situation, though given the amount of grumbling, he wasn't too sure.

  @^@

  Commander Onslo grimaced as he read the latest report. He couldn't help but be concerned about some of the personnel who stayed in service, especially the transplants from Pyrax. Not one of them had resigned, which was suspicious as hell to him. His teams tried to monitor them on a daily basis but they couldn't keep a constant watch. The doctors moved around in their offices all the time for instance. Each of the transplants used their implants regularly. Despite numerous attempts, his people were stymied at invading their memories to see what was there. They also couldn't receive any encrypted files or text messages that individuals shared outside of the network.

  He rubbed a frustrated hand through his head fur. It was hard to keep up with everyone when they were chronically shorthanded. He had twice asked for more resources from Admiral Hill. When she let him in her office for his weekly debrief, he laid it out to her. “So, you are saying they aren't doing anything yet you still have your suspicions?”

  “Don't you, ma'am? They served with Logan.”

  “I do,” she said as she played with a stylus in front of her. “I know Admiral Draken does as well. But we have no proof of wrong doing.” She eyed him. “You've got to give me something.”

  “We can't be everywhere, monitor every conversation, every damn time they go to the head, ma'am,” he said in exasperation. “It isn't going to work, not that way. We'd need dozens of people on each of them. We don't have the resources.”

  “Damn it. Do your best,” she growled.

  “Yes, ma'am, that's what I'm trying to do. I don't like the idea of focusing on one and letting something else slip past my people. But …,” he waved a frustrated hand.

  “I know, you are swamped. I can't get you more people, I don't have them. And no, you can't pull any of them in for interrogation. Tempting, but no. Commander Thistle has made himself indispensable in Logistics. I don't see him being pulled in without opening a damn big hole there. Despite his little problems with the media, he's too valuable to shuffle off anywhere else. The same for the others.”

  “Ma'am?”

  “We've already scattered them to the wind. The medics are on different planets. The others are scattered. Anything from the lieutenant at the academy?”

  “He's the most vocal about being upset with the situation, both in the large picture and his own career. But it's grumbling, ma'am. I know he's tried to go to Admiral Zekowitz to do something, but the admiral shoots him down each and every time. He's been verbally reprimanded twice, just like Commander Thistle.”

  “Understood. And we can't use any of this if they do act up because we don't have a warrant. Admiral Shren said he'd backdate something, but it could and probably would bite us in the ass.” She grimaced. “Damn it,” she said, sitting back in her chair.

  “Ah, for a good conspiracy and sloppy opponents,” the commander quipped.

  “Cute,” the admiral growled, eyes returning to him. “Keep me posted.”

  “Aye aye, ma’am.”

  @^@

  Doctor Windswept grimaced as she read the latest report from the trial. From what she was told, the prosecution intended to bring up the story of Tesla Station and Marconi Station in order to build fear of nanotechnology and A.I.

  She shook her head. Oh, how she regretted using them. She had culled both references from Federation history and then rewritten them to suit the sleeper's purposes.

  She closed her eyes in pain. Tesla had been in Alpha quadrant. The other, Marconi Station had been in another sector and had been lost due to a Xeno A.I. cyberattack early in the war. They had bent the historical record to fit what they needed to keep their people from exploring either technology.

  By creating the story and then classifying it, even faking the destruction of the station, it had become a living legend. There was no psychical evidence, but people talked about it in bars. Stories swirled around it. People had made up information to backup their source, which was usually someone that had told it to them third or fourth hand in the first place. Some had gone so far as to claim a friend or family member had been on one of the stations.

  She hadn't anticipated the problems involved though, nor the costs. The fact that so much of the Federation's advanced technology had relied on nanotech. But they'd needed a hard lesson, a burned hand. The engineers had hated the decision right off since the Republic had passed laws banning any exploration of nanotechnology or A.I. She was reminded of the scientists who had grown bitterly resentful of their own involvement in nuclear weapons creation on long-lost Terra. They hated that their designs had been used for wa
r but had been hypocrites in taking the money. And many of the technologies from those terror weapons had gone on to spark other research. Some of the other sleepers may not regret their decision, but as a historian who had always thought of her as a truthsayer of the past, it haunted her.

  And it wasn't just that she thought to herself. It was that it had imprisoned her people. It was a lie, a series of lies an adult told a child to protect them, but all children grow up eventually. And now those same lies were being used against an innocent man.

  Something had to be done.

  She tried to rise to get to her terminal but her body was too tired, too weak. She hated getting old; her body was becoming feebler by the moment. She refused the requests for her to go back into stasis or to meet with the doctors to ease her symptoms. No, it was her penance; she would deal with it.

  Even if it was a terrible inconvenience she thought as she tried to remain awake as her fatigue sapped her strength.

  @^@

  “The following is classified as eyes only. Commander, you have seen the classified historical record. Can you give us any insight into what happened?”

  “Yes, sir. On two separate occasions, Republic scientists attempted to recreate nanotechnology and artificial intelligence. The first attempt was on Tesla Station in the northern part of the star system—um, about four AU out, near the heliopause.”

  “And what happened?” the prosecutor asked.

  “We don't know for sure,” the historian said, spreading his hands apart. “We received a mayday and then a ship was dispatched to investigate. The report states that the station was destroyed by a nuclear weapon too,” he looked down to the tablet in front of him. “And I quote, “to prevent the spread of nano gobblers from destroying all life in the star system.’ The event was classified, but it has become an open secret.”

  “I see. And how many people were on that station?”

  The historian looked up. “According to our records, 2,407.”

  “I see. And the second incident?”

  “The second incident happened four years later in the southeastern part of the Heliopause. Marconi Station reported a mayday. According to reports they had been experimenting with both A.I. and nanotechnology.”

  “And what happened?”

  “Well, this,” the historian said, turning and using the remote control to show a video of a distant space station. It turned slowly in space and then a missile flew out towards it. There was a brief flash and then nuclear fire lit the screen like a brief star. He hit the pause button.

  “Fortunately, we don't have records of what happened on the station, so we can spare you the scenes of people being torn apart by nanites,” the prosecutor said darkly to the jury. He turned back to the historian. “That is what happens to someone who is infected with nanites correct, Commander Presley?”

  “Yes,” the commander replied, bobbing a nod. “All historical references point to that going as far back as the First A.I. War.”

  “Bullshit,” Horatio murmured to Benny as he leaned over to him. “We've used replicators for over a thousand years. And regen therapy is nanotech. Hell, the antigeriatric treatments Childress took are nanotech.”

  Benny turned to him in surprise. His lips puckered as he fought to ask something but his training made him aware that others were looking their way.

  “Tell me about it later,” he murmured.

  “Your witness,” the prosecutor stated, turning to the defense table.

  “Commander Presley,” Commander Chedwiggen said as he rose and stepped around the desk. “Did you see any of this with your own eyes?” he asked.

  “No, of course not. I wasn't alive then,” the commander replied with a sniff.

  “Ah, so this is innuendo and electronic data. Data that can be faked according to the prosecution,” the commander said with a malicious look at the captain.

  “This is historical record,” Commander Presley objected from the witness box.

  “Are you an expert in either nanotechnology or artificial intelligence?”

  “Such research was banned and for good reason.”

  “So, the answer is no?”

  “No, I am not.”

  “Okay, let's try this,” the commander said turning back to the historian. “Can you tell me how this is relevant to the charges in this case?”

  “I …” The commander shot an appealing look at the prosecutor.

  “Objection. The commander's testimony is for the historical record and to put the events on the station in B-102c into context,” the prosecutor said smoothly.

  “Yet, it has no bearing on the events that happened there. There is no connection,” Commander Chedwiggen stated, turning to the judges. “Move to strike this witness testimony as irrelevant, Your Honors,” he stated. “The witness was not at any of the incidents he is being called to testify about. Nor, as he just stated, is he an expert on nanotechnology or artificial intelligence.”

  Admiral Thurgrad opened his mouth and reached for his gavel, but Admiral Silvestri cleared his throat. He turned to the other admiral and looked on to the colonel.

  “He has a point. This is inflammatory and prejudicial,” Colonel Talia stated.

  “Agreed,” Admiral Silvestri said reluctantly.

  “In a vote two to one, this testimony is stricken from the official record. The witness is excused,” Admiral Thurgrad stated reluctantly.

  Commander Presley looked bewildered, but he got up from the witness box and left the courtroom.

  Horatio watched Commander Chedwiggen as the man returned to his seat. He frowned as a thought came to him. He leaned over to Benny. “There is something off about this story. I remember a similar incident on a station, but it happened ages ago. It wasn't here either; it was in the Alpha quadrant,” he said in a soft whisper as Benny leaned in to him. “Commander Fitz brought it up on the Harbor Station, but with everything that had happened there, I forgot to look into it then. I remember he said it was classified, but the details don't match.”

  “Can't be the same place,” Benny replied in an equally soft voice as he glanced at the rest of the defense team. “That's it for the prosecution's witnesses,” he said to Commander Chedwiggen as the commander settled himself. The commander smoothed his jacket and nodded once.

  “I know,” the commander murmured as the captain rose from behind his table. All eyes turned to the high elf.

  “With respect to the court, the prosecution rests,” Captain Rising Tide announced formally. It was a Friday afternoon, near 1600 hours.

  “Very well. The defense will begin their case on Monday then,” Admiral Thurgrad said before he gaveled the session closed for the day.

  @^@

  The defense began their case by attacking the charges systematically. They provided their own proof as well as testimony from experts. They were immediately attacked by the prosecution in a series of Article 39a hearings each time they tried to introduce evidence that contradicted the prosecution's narrative.

  Horatio's legal team countered many of the charges with his own copy of records and implant recordings. The prosecution alleged misconduct and that the files were illegal. When that didn't stick with the judges, Captain Rising Tide tried to charge Horatio with tampering with evidence.

  “Why don't you throw the kitchen sink at him while you are at it?” Benny growled in a rare burst of anger during the Article 39a hearing.

  “As you were, Counselor,” Colonel Talia scolded.

  “Your Honors, we've had experts on the stand as rebuttal witnesses proving that the evidence the prosecution has provided has been tampered with. We've provided the admiral's copy as well as his audiovisual recordings of the verbal order sessions. Metadata proves that someone tampered with the evidence before the prosecution printed it out. What more do we need?” Benny asked.

  “Unless you can find a smoking gun, Counselor, you can't use the electronic evidence,” Admiral Thurgrad stated.

  “Unless it
is audiovisual and only to rebut testimony,” Admiral Silvestri added. Admiral Thurgrad gave him a dark look.

  Horatio nodded silently as the motion hearing wound down. He knew the system was rigged against him. There was no way they could afford to let him off—not with so much invested. That meant it was make or break for both sides. Still, he felt like he was making progress he thought as he glanced at the judges.

  The Neo marine colonel at the least seemed to take his impartial status seriously, though Horatio occasionally felt a bit of sympathy coming from the other human flag officer, Silvestri. He was uncertain if he was imagining it or not. The judges didn't matter as much as the jury did however.

  @^@

  Lieutenants Weiss and Jaroslaw waited on a bench outside the courtroom. A bailiff sternly watched them and the others assembled, so they couldn't talk. Lee could tell Tucker was tempted to text her but a subtle shake of her head put him off. She had decided to honor the rules of the court, even if the court was a bit tilted these days.

  Each of them had been ordered to testify as rebuttal witnesses for the defense. Each took a turn on the stand. When it was Lee's turn, she was asked a series of questions about her time in Pyrax, then on implants, and finally medical nanotechnology. She did her best to answer them in a way that the jury could easily understand. She could tell from her implants though that they were not that interested in what she had to say about nanotech however. It was like they had a switch; mention nanotech and their revulsion just shut their hearing and brains down.

  Her cross-examination was light. When she was finished, she waited with Tucker until court concluded for the day. When it did, they went in and spoke with the defense team after the courtroom had cleared. She was amused to see that both of them had prepared and sent text files of support to Admiral Logan. He nodded when he received them.

  He in turn sent them a text warning them of ONI recording them. “We know,” Lee responded, rolling her eyes.

  “I have that problem. You wouldn't know of anyone who could give Commander Chedwiggen implants, now would you?” Admiral Logan texted in the group chat. He glanced at the commander, then over to the court reporter that had accidentally knocked over a machine in front of the bailiff. The bailiff stopped to help her right it.