by S. H. Jucha
“Maybe artifact is the wrong term. It’s big, maybe one hundred meters across.”
“That’s certainly scary. What’s its condition?”
“It’s covered in centuries of accumulated space dust.”
“Can we reclaim the metal … maybe learn something from a compositional analysis?”
“Jessie, I don’t think you’re listening to me, and maybe I’m not laying this out properly. The metal under the dust is clean, like it was laid yesterday. According to the crew, who discovered it, they can’t sample it, and they didn’t get a compound identity with a spectrometer.”
“Sounds like some advanced entity was on Triton before us, but they’re gone now, and what they left behind is of no commercial use to us. Is that about right?”
Yohlin stared at her comm unit, as if it had come alive in her hand. She couldn’t understand Jessie’s reaction.
“Okay, Yohlin, enough fooling around. You have to be in a great mood to try to spin this yarn. Sounds like Nose made a rich strike. I’m looking forward to studying the assay report when he completes it. By the way, you have my congratulations!”
“Jessie, this is no joke. We haven’t made a strike. We’ve found nothing on Triton, except an alien structure. And, to make this story stranger, Rules believes the place is active.”
There was dead silence on the comm. Then Yohlin heard Jessie ask, “Are any of our people hurt or in danger?” She breathed a sigh of relief. This was the Jessie she knew. He could cut to the heart of a problem faster than anyone. “We’re all safe. I’ve recalled the crew from the site. Four of them were out in the search rover.”
“Hold, Yohlin,” Jessie ordered. He called Ituau, who was off shift and asleep. “My cabin, on the double,” Jessie said tersely when Ituau answered his comm in a groggy voice. Then Jessie switched back to the original call. “Yohlin, who was in the rover?”
“Tully, an engineer; Hamoi, a tech; Belinda, my new second mate; and —”
“Rules,” Jessie finished for her.
“Affirmative.”
“And she found the place, didn’t she?”
“Yes, how did you guess that?”
“Let’s say that I’ve had a crash course in the capabilities of empaths, and there’s a lot that we normals don’t understand about them. Hold again, Yohlin.”
“Come in,” Jessie shouted, in response to the tap on his door.
“Captain?” Ituau queried. She’d jumped into a pair of skins and deck shoes, but it was obvious she wasn’t fully awake.
“Wake Jeremy, have him plot a course to Triton, execute it immediately, and burn some mass. I want to be there soonest. Dismissed.”
“Aye, aye, Captain,” Ituau replied. She stepped out of the cabin, closed the door, stood in the corridor, and ran through a quick series of breathing exercises to clear her head. Then she dashed for Jeremy’s cabin.
“I’m back, Yohlin. Is there any reason to suspect that there might be other alien sites on Triton?”
“We’ve explored maybe six percent of the surface, Jessie. I’ve kept the ship stationed over top of the shelter for safety reasons.”
“Understood, and I concur with your protocols. What precautions are you taking?”
“I’ve got Darrin checking out the rover, equipment, and people, before there’s any transfer or open contact with the crew. But, Jessie, based on the report from Tully and Hamoi, who were at the site, Darrin’s worried that if there is a potential of contamination, he won’t be able to detect it.”
“They were in vac suits during the entire time, correct?”
“Affirmative.”
“Did they take any samples into the rover, alien items or ore samples from the site?”
“I forgot to ask,” Yohlin replied, swearing at her failure to question the crew more thoroughly. “I’ll contact the crew and determine that.”
“If they did, I want those items or samples dropped far away from our people and the location marked. Then I want the crew, then and there, to open the rover to vacuum for a half hour. Clear?”
“Understood, Jessie.”
Jessie felt the ship’s slight acceleration. “Hold, Yohlin.” Switching channels, he asked the bridge for status.
“Nate here, Captain. Ituau and Jeremy have returned to their cabins to freshen up. A new course is locked in and we’re on a three-point-five percent increase in burn. Estimated arrival at Triton is eight-point-four days, Captain.”
“Thanks, Nate,” Jessie replied and picked up Yohlin’s call.
“We’re eight to nine days out, Yohlin.”
“In the meantime, what do you want me to do with our people and equipment downside?”
“Put the shelter in extended leave status. Shut down the equipment; it will stay downside. Recover our people, as soon as you can. Then I want you to orbit the moon from pole to pole. I want to know if there are other alien sites on Triton.”
“It’ll be done, Jessie.”
“Be careful, Yohlin. Over and out.”
After the call with Yohlin, Jessie called Nate. “Have Ituau meet me on the bridge when she’s ready. I want to talk to the two of you.” Then he hung up and hurried to dress.
When the three of them, Jessie, Ituau, and Nate, were alone on the bridge, Jessie regarded his officers, for a moment, and then asked, “Have you two ever seen protocols for handling alien artifacts?”
Nate laughed and said, “What, Captain? Did Nose find some little green men?” He looked at Ituau, expecting to find her sharing his humor, but her face was a stern mask. Ituau had witnessed the worry evidenced by Jessie during the call to Captain Erring.
“No, no little green men, Nate. So far, it’s only a large, alien installation made of a material that doesn’t register on a mass spectrometer test.”
“Sorry, Captain,” Nate replied. He dipped his head in apology.
“Anyone hurt or … contaminated?” Ituau asked.
“No one hurt. As to contamination, we don’t know and maybe won’t be able to tell.”
“Captain, is it smart to expose this crew to the Annie’s people, if we don’t know what we’re dealing with on Triton?” Nate asked.
“I understand your concern, Nate. I’ll work to limit the exposure of this crew to any potential infection. But those are our crewmates on Triton, and I’m headed there to help them. So, what’s the answer to my question?”
“Sorry, Captain, I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that,” Nate volunteered.
“Ituau?” Jessie asked, when his first mate failed to answer.
“I haven’t either, Captain, but I have a thought where we might find it.”
-24-
Trial
Most Review Board hearings were attended by a small collection of individuals — the defendant, his counsel, witnesses, and security. The Review Board collected the evidence and witness statements prior to the actual trial, which was the opportunity for the defense to review the evidence. In addition, it had to be remembered that much of the station was covered in cams, and there were often an ample number of witnesses. That meant that the opportunity for defendants to argue against the evidence was minimal, if not nonexistent.
However, there was no chance that the governor’s trial was to remain unobserved. Stationers hounded the Board members and commandant to make the event public, and the family heads lobbied the commandant for a viewing. The requests were so numerous that Captain Henry Stamerson, the head of the Review Board, agreed to have vid cams in the meeting room, for the first time.
As the trial date neared, Toby became ecstatic. The rumor he’d inadvertently planted about Aurelia being an empath, which explained how she was able to hide from security, had been proven to be true. For someone who had been a bit of a loner, he suddenly had a lot of friends. Then there was the BRC operation. The bone replacement had taken, and he was walking with the aid of crutches until the healing completed.
But, best of all for Toby, Pena had taken notice of him. She�
��d visited him in his cabin, while the BRC was taking hold. Sometimes, she’d push him and his chair around the station, while the two of them talked. To Toby’s delight, Pena was a fan of freefall. The moment Toby was off crutches, the two of them headed for terminal arm 2 for their first venture together into weightless playtime.
In the Starlight, several patrons asked if anyone had seen the miner who struck it rich. They vividly recalled his idea that Aurelia might be an empath. While no one could recall exactly how he’d arrived at that conclusion or whether they had been led to it in response to his musings, they clearly remembered, although mistakenly so, that he was the first to voice the concept. Now that the miner’s theory had been proven to be true, the patrons, who remembered him, were anxious to buy him drinks. A person like that, who fortune followed, was an individual to befriend and keep close.
For Markos Andropov’s trial, the Board required the attendance of Helena Garmenti, Major Finian, and Sergeant Lindstrom to rebut any defense testimony. Sasha was not called by the Review Board to attend the trial, and when she learned that, she argued vociferously and continuously with Harbour. She was adamant that she be there.
Harbour tried reasoning with Sasha, but found she was unable to dissuade her. Worse, she couldn’t override the child’s emotional focus. You’re willful, Sasha, she thought in lament, and, worse, you’re stronger than terminal arm metal. Harbour placated Sasha by saying that she would request permission for her to attend, and she broached the subject with Captain Stamerson.
“Harbour, we’re talking about an undisciplined child with incredible power, who holds enormous animus toward the defendant. I hardly see that as a recipe for a fair and balanced trial, and, let’s not forget, this will be broadcast across Pyre.
“Ask yourself this, Captain Stamerson: If Sasha were a normal child of ten, who demanded her right to face her tormentor, would you refuse her?”
“Probably not, Harbour. However, she isn’t a normal. What if she tries to influence the Board members, the defendant, or a witness?”
“That’s why I’ll be there, Captain, to ensure that doesn’t happen. It will be a promise I extract from Sasha before I’ll permit her to attend. If she breaks her word, I’ll exit the proceedings with her, even if it takes the assistance of security. In fact, I have the perfect officer to sit beside her with me.”
“Very well, Harbour, she may attend,” Stamerson relented. “But hear me well. She’s your responsibility. I’m depending on you to see that she doesn’t influence this trial. This one is too important.”
On the day of the trial and after all parties were assembled, Stamerson called the Review Board to order. He opened the trial by addressing the defendant. “Governor Markos Andropov, you’re appearing before this Review Board accused of crimes against Helena Garmenti, Aurelia Garmenti, and Sasha Garmenti,” Stamerson announced in a sonorous voice. “The Board has noted that you’ve not retained counsel. Is this correct?”
“I haven’t, Captain,” Markos replied, “and I don’t intend to.”
Pyrean citizens everywhere were riveted to their chairs, cantina stools, and monitors. For many who resided topside, the first view of the mighty downside governor was a significant disappointment. The audiences expected to see a proud, defiant man, ready to take on the JOS Review Board. Instead, the governor appeared deflated, as if he had shrunk in his chair.
“Then, we will proceed,” Stamerson said. “Mr. Bondi, please read the charges.”
Bondi, the newest member of the Board, rose and read the lengthy list of charges. Throughout the stations, ships, and domes, audiences heard the first complete version of what had transpired at the JOS, seventeen years ago, and then at the governor’s house. That a stationer was kidnapped, kept imprisoned downside, and forced to father two children by the governor, no less, incensed nearly everyone. It was an example of what was wrong with Pyrean society that there wasn’t a single, cohesive government, which controlled a security force that had a purview over all locations, including the domes.
Bondi finished reading the charges and took his seat.
“Markos Andropov, you’ve heard the charges preferred against you. How do you plead?” Stamerson asked.
Markos said nothing. His hands were clasped together on the table in front of him, and he was staring at them.
Stamerson repeated his question to Markos, who let loose a long, shuddering breath and announced, “I’m guilty, of course.”
Audiences everywhere were shocked. A short utterance of guilt from Markos Andropov had cut the trial short. In an instant, it was over.
“Governor Andropov,” Stamerson said, “you have the right to defend yourself against any or all charges. The Review Board is prepared to give you all the time necessary for you to prove your innocence.”
Markos turned in his chair to the small gallery seated behind him. His sad eyes took in Helena and Sasha. “I’m so sorry for what I did to the three of you,” he said.
Harbour felt the anger drain from Sasha. She smoldered, while the charges were read, each one reminding her of what she had endured. But, to her credit, the emotions were kept bottled inside. She sat next to Officer Nunez, her hand entwined in his.
Helena shook her head slowly at Markos. To her, his apology didn’t make up for the theft of half her lifespan, although she had produced two daughters, whom she dearly loved.
Markos turned around and faced the Review Board. “I stand by my guilty plea, Captain. I offer no defense. The charges are true, every one of them.”
“The Review Board will adjourn to deliberate and pass sentence on the defendant at a future date,” Stamerson said and tapped the table with a piece of meteorite shaped into a semi-sphere with a small knob extending from the flat side for a handgrip.
Sooner than anyone expected, which was the following day, Giorgio Sestos was on trial. He did retain counsel, a well-known downsider, who was known for defending heads of families accused of financial indiscretions against stationers.
Stamerson opened the trial and Bondi read the charges. Except for an occasional change of noun, verb, or phrase, the indictments were the same as that of Markos.
“How do you plead, Giorgio Sestos?” Stamerson asked, when Bondi sat down.
“Not guilty to all charges,” Giorgio replied.
“You will address me as captain or chairman, Mr. Sestos,” Stamerson said, his voice cutting through the room, as the captain he once was.
Giorgio grudgingly nodded, but said nothing more.
“I find a simple movement of your head in response to my request to be insufficient, Mr. Sestos,” Stamerson added, his voice hardening.
Giorgio’s counsel whispered in his ear, and the security chief locked eyes with Stamerson and said, “Understood, Captain.”
Stamerson refused to back down from Giorgio’s stare, and the meeting room witnessed an eerie moment of silence before Giorgio looked away.
Topside audiences cheered, as the captain faced down the downsider. More than one drink in a cantina was spilt during the momentary celebration.
“The defendant having pled not guilty may present his rebuttal arguments and evidence,” Stamerson announced.
To Giorgio’s detriment, he had no evidence to contradict the charges. His presentation consisted of an argument that he was in the employ of Governor Andropov, at the time of the kidnapping, and was unaware that Helena Garmenti was sedated and locked in a shipping crate in the hold of the El car. He’d transported the crate to the house on the governor’s orders. Afterwards, household members had taken the woman from the crate and locked her in the dead wife’s suite on the third floor.
“The Board must remember that I was nothing more than a security officer when Helena was kidnapped. I didn’t obtain the position of security chief until many years later,” Giorgio argued.
Harbour felt Sasha’s anger grow, and her power leaked out. She grasped the child’s hand and gently squeezed. Sasha glanced up at her, and she frowned in reply. Th
e broadcast ended, but Harbour suspected Sasha’s enmity smoldered beneath the surface.
“Mr. Sestos, we have statements from Helena and Sasha Garmenti that they interfaced with you nearly daily over the lifetime of their incarcerations. Furthermore, Helena Garmenti contradicts your statement that you weren’t involved in the kidnapping. She testified to the Board that she was talking to Governor Andropov when she was grabbed from behind and a trank gun pressed against her neck. Prior to that moment, she contends, that there were only the three of you in the room. How do you respond to those statements?” Bondi asked, reviewing Helena’s testimony on his comm unit.
Giorgio listened to the whispers of his counsel before he said, “The kidnapping happened seventeen years ago to a young girl. That’s a long time to keep memories straight after such a traumatic event. As for my supposed interactions with the woman and her child, I’m sure they have a great deal of loathing for the governor. Under the circumstances, that’s extremely understandable. I believe they’re lashing out at me, simply because I was in the employ of the governor. Nothing more.”
To every question put to Giorgio, he offered the same points that he had no knowledge of the kidnapping and the women’s incarcerations. It was becoming a question of Giorgio’s word against that of the women. Proof to substantiate Helena and Sasha’s claims of his involvement wasn’t in evidence, although the Review Board found it difficult to believe that a security chief wouldn’t be aware of the presence of three women, who were locked in rooms on the third floor of a house that he held responsibility for safeguarding.
Major Finian had traveled downside to procure testimony from the governor’s household, as to Giorgio’s interaction with the women, but they were too frightened to speak on the record. They were downsiders, and future employment depended on whether they kept silent about another downsider, even one as distasteful as Giorgio Sestos.
At one point, Harbour whispered in Sasha’s ear. “You have to stop. You can’t let it out.”
“I can’t help it,” Sasha replied. Tears threatened to spill down her face. She was trying desperately to control her power, but her anger at Giorgio’s testimony was overwhelming her woefully inadequate skills.
