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“. . . due to the nature of the issue in question, Captain, I am afraid that your hearing cannot be arbitrated or judged by any of our legal AIs.”
“Nature of the issue?” Brooks asked.
“The fact that it involves zerospace . . . tenkionic matter. It makes it highly dangerous to expose as powerful an AI as our justice machines to anything that could potentially be corruptive.”
“I see,” Brooks said. “Will it be a panel, then?”
“Yes,” he was told. The voice was faceless, audio only, but he knew he was speaking to the Director of Fleet Law in the Justice Bureau, Davij Kernos. “A tribunal consisting of System Admiral Vandoss, Director Kressin of the Research Bureau, and myself. Several other directors will also be functioning as questioners and observers.
“While you are gone, Brooks, Executive Commander Urle will be acting captain.”
“And if I am found to have been negligent in my duties, as Director Freeman has claimed?” Brooks asked.
“Then Urle will remain in command until a new Captain is selected for the Craton,” Kernos replied. “You will be subject to a recall election as Mayor of the ship as well.”
“I understand,” Brooks replied. “Thank you, Director. I’ll see you in a few days.”
The link ended, and Brooks turned in his seat to address the officers who had been waiting.
The tension pulled their faces into stressed lines, and he spoke.
“Zach, you heard – you’ll be in command while I’m gone. Jaya, I’d like you to function as his Executive Officer if you don’t mind.” A wry smile went onto his face. “According to protocol, I am off-duty once the ship reaches port, so I cannot order you.”
“Of course, Captain,” Jaya replied.
“The ship will be in top shape when you return, Captain,” Urle said.
A warmth blossomed in Brooks’s chest, and he nodded. “Zeela, would you begin the recall election procedures?”
“I will, Captain,” she said, her eyes darting to the other officers before settling on him.
Dr. Y had said nothing, and Brooks looked to him. “What are you thinking, Doctor?”
“I am thinking, Captain, that this action makes no sense. Director Freeman gave you a senseless order – how to keep someone alive whose existence we do not understand? You did nothing.”
“I agree,” Brooks said. “I know that Freeman is . . . often open with his emotions, but he’s not stupid. Having me brought up on charges seems like an outburst, and while it might be easy to believe he’d do that, I’m skeptical.”
“Do you think it’s someone other than him?” Zach asked, brow furrowing.
“I don’t know,” Brooks replied. “I think it’s more likely that there’s something not obvious here, something we’re missing. Is this a power-grab for authority from the Medical Department?”
“A power grab,” Jaya said. “What have the times come to? Anti-corruption measures have kept this sort of selfishness under control for centuries.”
“No system is perfect,” Brooks replied. “Perhaps some corruption will sneak into a system like ours. On certain timescales, it starts to seem inevitable.”
He rose from his desk. “But even if this is the case, I believe we’ll come through – I will not be found guilty of charges as nonsense as these.”
“Exactly,” Y said. “You cannot be found guilty. As far as anyone can prove logically, no one did anything to kill Michal Denso. No one knows his cause of death. How, then, could it possibly be your fault, Captain?”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” Brooks said.
“I am sorry to say that I do not mean it as a reassuring statement, Captain. It concerns me more than if I believed Director Freeman genuinely wanted to exact revenge upon you with these charges. Instead, as you have guessed, there is something else that is going on. The fact that we do not know what it is means that we cannot take counter-actions.”
Y’s words were astute, and Brooks could see in the eyes of his officers that they saw it, too.
“Captain,” Zeela said, clearly trying to cheer the conversation. “Seeing as I manage all campaign information distribution, is there any verbal point you’d like me to make to the citizens of the Craton?”
“No,” he told her. “I’ll tell them myself.”
Other Terrestrial 