Article 23 Read online

  "Well, children, are we ready to face the music?"

  Justin smiled at the sight of O'Brian. For the first time since he joined the Somers Justin saw the cook not in an old T-shirt but dressed in full class-A blues, a tangle of ribbons on his left breast. Justin was surprised to see a Medal of Honor with Oak Leaf Cluster and a Purple Heart among the "spaghetti." O'Brian caught him staring.

  "Yeah, saw a little fun now and again but I tell you, this ride took the cake. Now let's get forward, can't be late for what might be our funerals."

  Justin stepped into the lounge and, seeing Matt coming slowly through the door to the forward section, went over to join him.

  "How we doing today?" Justin asked.

  "Feeling coming back in my fingers and toes gosh, I thought old Zhing was gonna have to lop them off."

  "Your ear?"

  "Healing. He did a little laser surgery on it yesterday, said I should be back up to Service standard in a month. Darn, can't wash out just because of a bad ear."

  Justin smiled. Washing out over a busted eardrum was the least of his worries for Matt at the moment.

  "Captain on deck," someone announced, and all came to attention as Hemenez, her arm still in a sling, came into the room. She went up to the airlock door, stopped, and slowly surveyed the group.

  "You're a good crew and I hope you don't think it strange for me to say that it was an honor to serve with you. As I promised, I have not looked at your reports. I know you filled them out honestly and that's all that I ask that if questioned about the events which transpired on this ship you speak truthfully and with courage no matter how you feel about what happened here. Open the airlock."

  As the door unhinged a bosun's pipe twittered. Justin drew in his breath and he saw a quick sidelong glance of reassurance from Hemenez.

  The first man through the door was a fully armed marine in battle gear. The marine cleared the airlock, sharply scanned the group, and then stepped to one side. A short portly man wearing the uniform of a base commander came through the door, and Hemenez snapped to attention and saluted.

  "Acting Ship's Captain Hemenez, sir. Welcome aboard."

  The commander returned the salute and then slowly examined the group, his gazing lingering on Justin and Matt as if he had been studying their pictures long before actually meeting them face to face.

  "Captain, you are relieved. My Exec will take command. Where are Captain MacKenzie, Lieutenant Lewis and Cadet Colson?"

  "Down below, sir."

  The commander motioned with his hand; half a dozen marines came aboard and immediately headed for the lower deck.

  "Lieutenant Hemenez, Sergeant O'Brian, Cadets Everett, Leonov, Smith and Bell, come with me."

  Justin spared one final glance for his comrades, and he could see that all eyes were fixed on him. He was tempted to say something but knew it would be inappropriate, and as he left the ship he wondered if he would ever see any of them again.

  Chapter X

  "Plebe Cadet Bell, Justin, 144-99-1842 reporting as ordered."

  Justin stood before the Court-Martial Review Board, eyes straight ahead. Behind the five men sitting at the long table he could see Mons Olympus framed by the airlock window. The highest mountain on Mars soaring upward, its summit lost beneath a thin line of clouds wreathing the slopes. It felt good to have one-third gravity under his feet again; it made him feel steady.

  Outside the window he saw a few protesters standing outside the base perimeter; one sign caught his eye, Space Mackenzie! Justin flushed at the sight of it.

  The hearings and trial had been moved down to Lowell City, the main base of the USMC on the planets surface. The general explanation was that a matter of such grave significance had to be heard by the office of the rear admiral in command of Mars, Omar Singh. Justin could understand the unstated political reasons as well. The separatists had seized upon the "Somers Incident," as it was now called, to demonstrate that the USMC was a service out of control. Holding the trial in the heart of the separatist region would be seen, hopefully, as an act of fairness. He also knew that the media back on Earth saw the holding of the review board on Mars as caving in. More than one commentator was openly stating that MacKenzie had in fact shown restraint and should be decorated for heroism rather than face a court-martial. Justin and his followers were already being branded as a group of reckless, spoiled children.

  "Mr. Bell, you may be seated."

  Justin sat down in the plain armless chair in the middle of the room. Admiral Singh was sitting less than a four meters away, a semicircle of glittering brass flanking him on either side. Singh nodded to the Judge Advocate, who stood up.

  "Mr. Bell, I am Captain Tracey Houston. I want to explain something to you before we proceed. This is not a general court-martial but rather a review board hearing to decide if the events that you were involved in aboard the Somers warrant the need for a general court-martial, and if so what charges the USMC will bring against you and others. Do you understand that?"

  "Yes, sir, it was explained to me by my legal advisor."

  Justin nodded to the woman sitting to the side of the room.

  "You understand, therefore, that there is no one here in this room who is seeking to prosecute you or who will defend you, though your advisor may intervene if she believes your rights as a member of this service are being violated. Do you understand that?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "The reason for this method is as follows. The captain of the Somers, Ian MacKenzie, has preferred a charge of mutiny against you and ten other cadets. Normally that would automatically lead to a general court-martial. However, the service has brought charges against the captain based upon Article Twenty-Five, and his trial goes before the court-martial board starting tomorrow. This hearing is to serve as a general review of that charge against him, but also possibly against you and others. I think it is evident that if Captain MacKenzie is exonerated you and your compatriots will undoubtedly face charges."

  "Yes, sir, I understand that."

  "Mr. Bell, we are seeking to gather background information regarding what happened aboard that ship from the moment of embarking from Star Voyager Academy until docking at Deimos. I must warn you that you are under oath, and whatever you say before this board may indeed be used against you if you are brought up on charges."

  "I understand that, sir."

  "Thank you, Mr. Bell. Admiral, you may proceed."

  Singh smiled and leaned forward.

  "Well, Mr. Bell, I dare say you realize that you have created one hell of a mess for this service."

  Startled, Justin did not know how to answer.

  Singh then launched into his attack, and for the next hour Justin felt as if he were being pummeled by Malady, the one difference being that a beating from Malady was administered with a certain amount of mercy. Singh began with Justin's decision to mutiny against MacKenzie and the bringing of Leonov, O'Brian, and Hemenez into his plan. By the tone of his questioning he displayed obvious displeasure over the fact that a regular serving officer and an enlisted man with years of experience had thrown in with a mere plebe cadet.

  He then reviewed the attack and seizure of the ship and Hemenez's subsequent behavior. Singh then turned the subject to Matthew Everett and grilled him about Matt and their friendship. He focused on whether Matt had made any statements that might be construed as favorable to the separatists, and Justin was forced to admit that what his friend had said might be misunderstood.

  "Now, as to the incident of striking an officer. Remember, Mr. Bell, Captain MacKenzie placed the sentence of execution upon Mr. Everett not for any alleged traitorous intent, actions or statements but rather for striking an officer in what was believed to be a state of emergency while administering his lawful office as captain of the ship. Did Mr. Everett strike Captain MacKenzie?"

  "Sir, it was accidental, a glancing blow while Matt was still asleep."

  "Did he, or did he not, strike him?"

  "Sir, Capt
ain MacKenzie laid hands on Matt, dragging him violently out of his sleeping net without warning. Matt flailed about; he has a hard time waking up from a deep sleep."

  "Did he or did he not?"

  "Sir, that would be like someone saying that you hit their fist with your nose. Matt banged into him, yes, but Captain MacKenzie had grabbed hold of Matt and was dragging him around."

  "Then he did strike him."

  "I didn't say that, sir," Justin replied and a touch of anger was in his voice. He could sense where Singh wanted this to go; that no matter how erratic and crazy MacKenzie's earlier actions might have been, the bottom line was that a cadet hit a captain of a ship. If that was the case, then everything else would be brushed under the carpet. Matt would be guilty and therefore his own actions and those of his friends would have been illegal, or at best in a very gray area of the law.

  Singh- looked down at his computer screen, then back at Justin.

  "According to a statement made this morning by Captain MacKenzie, and I quote, 'based upon the information given to [me] by Mr. Colson,' Cadet Matthew Everett had uttered treasonous statements, and had declared that he planned to take the ship and turn it over to the separatist movement. Everett had boasted that he would do the Gustavus one better."

  "That is a lie, sir," Justin snapped angrily. "Either I or Cadet Smith was with Matt the entire time, and we never heard him make a statement like that."

  "Cadet Colson is not facing charges at this moment," Singh replied sharply. "You and Smith are, and so help me, son, if you interrupt me again you'll have a charge of insubordination thrown at you before you leave this room, do you understand that?"

  Justin looked over at his legal advisor, who shook her head sharply.

  "Yes, sir."

  "So you are claiming that Cadet Colson is lying in regards to his allegations against Cadet Everett?"

  "Yes, sir," Justin said emphatically.

  'That is all I have to ask," Singh said calmly and as he leaned back in his chair again he gave a disarming smile as if he and Justin were in a friendly game and not involved in an issue of life or death.

  "Are there any other questions?"

  There was a moment of silence, as if all that Justin had said was somehow beyond belief, and then an officer at the end of the table stirred.

  "I have some, sir."

  "Go ahead then."

  "Cadet Bell, I am Captain Roberto Marcioni. I wish to tell you now that I served with your father when I was a cadet, and found him to be an honorable man."

  "Thank you, sir."

  "As I look at your file I see that you gained admittance to the Academy not through the standard review process but rather by special decree as the son of the winner of a posthumous Medal of Honor. I therefore have to ask you are you worthy of the honorable name of Bell, or is your presence in this service nothing more than a way for the service to honor your father?"

  Startled, Justin did not reply for a second. The thought had indeed troubled him during the long days of the cruise after the mutiny. What would his father have done, he had wondered while lying awake at night. During the time from Marts arrest to his seizure of the ship he had not had time to contemplate that question and he realized now that in fact he should have cast the question more in that light before going ahead, rather than simply acting on the impulsive decision that he was right and MacKenzie was wrong.

  "Sir, I believe I am worthy of my father's name."

  'Tell this board why, Mr. Bell."

  "Sir, my father, as you know, gave his life to save over five hundred civilians aboard a transport that was threatened with catastrophic decompression. I believe my father did not hesitate to make that decision, even though in those few seconds before his death he knew that he would certainly die by going through that airlock and closing it behind him."

  Justin paused for a moment. Again the image formed and he wondered if in those last seconds his father might have indeed hesitated, if he was afraid, and if his last thoughts were of his wife and son. Justin drew a deep breath, afraid that there might be a shudder in his voice, worried that the others in the room would then believe that he was trying to play on their emotions.

  "I made my decision to take the Somers based upon Article Twenty-five, that the Captain was engaged in an immoral and illegal act and as such I was honor-bound to stop him. Also, I did it to save a life.

  "To ask if I can compare myself to my father is unfair," he said, his voice steady but low. "I am proud to be his son and only hope that someday I might measure up to half his stature."

  He fell silent.

  "If the cadet facing execution had been Mr. Colson rather than Mr. Everett, would you have acted?"

  Justin, surprised by the question, said nothing for a moment. Would he? He loathed Colson, and Matt was his best friend. Would he risk his life, his career for a worm like Colson? He realized that if he would not be willing to do that, then he was indeed a hypocrite, only willing to selectively apply the high ideals of Article Twenty-five.

  "I believe, sir, that I would have," Justin finally replied, "though I must confess it would have been far more difficult to reach that decision."

  The captain questioning him said nothing for a moment.

  "One final question, cadet."

  "Sir?"

  "Did you want to kill Captain MacKenzie?"

  Justin closed his eyes for a moment.

  "Yes," he said. "I wasn't sure when I made my way upstairs and prepared to attack. I had considered the chance that people might get shot. I had hoped originally to arm everyone I had released, burst into the room, and by a show of force convince the guards to lay down their weapons. The idea of firing the engines was a lucky break."

  "Not for the two cadets who were seriously injured," Singh interrupted.

  "I regret that, sir, I honestly do, but I saw no other way."

  "I think you realized though that MacKenzie would fight," the captain continued. "I know the man, and you did, too."

  "Yes, sir, perhaps I wasn't thinking that far ahead at that moment. But when I came through the door after firing the engine and saw my friend in the airlock, breathing vacuum and dying, yes, sir, I did want to kill him."

  "Why didn't you? He fired two shots at you but you did not reply."

  "Perhaps I was afraid, sir," Justin whispered.

  "I don't think so, Bell," Marcioni replied, and he looked over at Singh. "No further questions."

  Justin looked out the window, watching as the shadows of twilight deepened on the side of the mountain. It was such a strange light, the sky directly overhead a dark indigo blue, the horizon showing a faint orange glow of reflected light from the surface. On the south-facing side of a nearby hill he saw a team of farmers wearing light pressure suits checking the protective plastic covers that automatically wrapped around the rows of Yarinba cactus when the temperature dropped below zero. The plant had been created from genetically altered barrel cactus to withstand the thin air and harsh climate extremes of the planet. The Yarinba were part of the first step in terraforming the planet, the plant locking moisture beneath its tough outer hide and ever so slowly pumping the hundreds of billions of cubic meters of oxygen into the atmosphere that would finally make the surface habitable.

  "How are you, Justin?"

  Justin stood up as his legal advisor, Janet Kowalski, came into the room and sat down beside him.

  "How are things?" Justin asked. "I don't know. I feel like I was dragged through a meat grinder over the last week."

  "I told you that they were going to be tough. This is not some simulation, although you raised that question. This is for real. Careers, and not just MacKenzie's, are on the line. There are major political considerations as well. A kid like you often gets caught in the grinder for far less, even when they're right."

  "Are you telling me it's looking bad?"

  "MacKenzie is basing his whole defense on the fact that at the time he acted he had every reason to believe that Matt was pl
anning a mutiny and was about to strike. He then claims a show of mercy for not executing the other eight even though that was within his power. Matt had to be executed, according to MacKenzie, to prevent a general uprising of his comrades. In a perverse way, your mutiny now actually serves as proof of MacKenzie's claim, rather than the justified provocation you claim."

  "That Colson is such a damn little weasel."

  "He is also the son of a member of the United Nations cabinet, and you can believe that his old man is screaming bloody murder. I'm willing to bet Wendell's father has called every flag officer in the service who in any way whatsoever can bring pressure to bear on Singh. That's a lot of heat to take. Colson can threaten to squeeze appropriations, question promotions and in general make life a pain for the top echelon if they don't back his son up."

  "And the hell with the truth," Justin sighed.

  "If Colson's story is accepted, then MacKenzie has a peg to hang his defense on; that he had probable cause to at least seek the arrest or temporary detain-ment of Cadet Everett. If that fact is accepted, then it follows that Cadet Everett struck the Captain."

  "Even if he did," Justin replied hotly, "is that any reason to space a sixteen-year-old cadet?"

  "Hell, no," Janet replied, "that was something straight out of the old navy, as if he were playing Captain Bligh or Billy Budd."

  "Melville wrote that too, didn't he?" Justin asked.

  "Yes, why?"

  "Just that MacKenzie had me reading Moby Dick. It was creepy."

  "He is a deeply disturbed man. But unlike the vids, someone can be crazy without walking around frothing. Ninety-nine percent of the time they appear to be perfectly normal. And there are some people who want to see MacKenzie continue to appear normal. Because if he's proven not to be, then there are going to be a whole lot of questions asked as to how such a man rose to the authority of command of a ship. And not just any ship, but a ship that is considered to be a weapon and is, in fact, carrying nuclear weapons on board which could be released on any country on Earth."