Part 10 (1/2)
”Mayday, Mayday,' said the tape. ”Anyone who is within the sound of my voice, Mayday! We require a.s.sistance. Our s.h.i.+p is down and damaged.
Mayday!” The message began to repeat, and Hrriss shut it off.
”Every pilot of whatever species must respond to such a message.
As Zodd said, we could not ignore a Mayday. It would be uncivilized.” Rogitel stood up. ”Please tell the Council directly: where did you find the buoy?”
”We found it orbiting Hrrilnorr IV.”
”The Buoy Authority lists no such installation in orbit around Hrrilnorr IV.
There are no extrafleous beacons...o...b..ting in that system. There are only two a.s.signed to it, each one All perpendicular to the plane of the ecliptic above and below.”
”There was a third one,' Todd said in weary reb.u.t.tal. ”The buoy was broadcasting the message for help that's recorded on our log. It still sounds genuine. We couldn't and didn't ignore it.” Dismissively Rogitel switched off the audio.
”Anyone could have recorded that message in your s.h.i.+p's memory.
The voice is broadcasting in Middle Hrruban, the language of Doona.
The static could have been made by crumpling packing material near the microphone. You put it in yourself.
Without correlation, the message must be accounted as false.”
”I respectfully suggest that an a.n.a.lysis of the voice patterns of Hrriss and Zodd be made,' Hrrestan said. ”a.n.a.lysis will prove if one of them recorded the Mayday message.” Councillor Dupuis made a note, nodding acknowledgment of Hrrestan's suggestion.
”We didn't make that spurious recording,' Todd said, turning his head to meet the eyes of the seven Council members, ”and we most certainly did not collect or secrete those artifacts in the equipment cabinets.” ”Simple lies to a.s.suage your guilt, Rogitel retorted.
Todd's eyes flashed hotly. ”I do not lie.” He half sprang from his seat, but Hrriss pulled him down.
”Councillors, may I speak?” Hu s.h.i.+h rose somewhat stiffly to his feet. ”We have before us two reliable young men, considered rather more than unusually truthful by their elders and their peers.
Let a full inquiry establish what is fact or fiction.”
”So ordered,' the Treaty Controller said, banging his gavel.
The s.p.a.cedep subdirector shrugged dismissively.
”That can take months. We have before us right now recorded proof that differs greatly from their verbal accounts. Surely this is sufficient to deprive them of positions of high responsibility and trust. The flight recorder has been placed in evidence. It shows landings preceding and following their landing on Hrrilnorr. Their posted flight plan showed that they skimmed the s.p.a.ce between the Human and Hrruban arms of the galaxy, so it is possible to have visited all these worlds in the time they were gone. In every case, they broke interdiction. In only one did they attempt to justify the falsehood with a tale of rescue. Look at the evidence'Rogitel swept an arm to indicate the table where most of the contraband lay-'taken only this morning from the s.h.i.+p they alone seem to use.”
”The commander forgets one detail,' Hrriss said.
”The flight plan we filed with portmaster Martinson is the shortest possible journey we could make between Hrretha and Rrala.
There was not time for us to have landed on all these worlds and collected these things in the weeks we were gone. Especially since our log-in and lof-off times were verifi~d.” As if they had placed themselves in further jeopardy, Rogitel called up the bolo again and pointed out the timeldate designations. ”The flight recorder says that the time was available to you.
We have run it through compcheck. Though the timing is tight, you would have had the time.”
”Only if we knew exactly where all these artifacts were, Hrriss protested, ”with no allowance for any time to search. How could we know where they were? It would have taken months to research archaeological and geological data from the Treaty Island banks. Or are you suggesting that some of the researchers on Treaty Island are guilty of collusion and deception, too?” Hrriss asked softly.
”The matter will be investigated,' was all the commander would say. He addressed the Council.
”Clearly the defendants are guilty of deviating from their registered flight path. s.p.a.cedep, as the body in charge of security and defense for the Amalgamated Worlds, demands that this matter be examined as well.”
”Tell me, Commander,' Todd demanded, leanin across the table toward Rogitel, ”just why would Hrriss and I wish to steal rarities like that? Mucli less something as dangerous as that Glow Stone Where could we possibly fence our loot withoul being detected?
Especially as we are not scheduled to take any off-planet trips in the next year?”
”We are innocent,' Hrriss added, his tone more growl than speech.
Rogitel did not quite flinch, but his body inclined ever so slightly away from the Hrruban. ”Machines cannot lie,' Rogitel said flatly. ”Only people can, and it would appear in this case, very poorly. And you'-he pointed his finger at Todd-'you admit entering the Hrrilnorr system. You have just said that you recognize the danger of a Glow Stone and that you know it is found only on Hrrilnorr IV There are many other unscrupulous persons in this galaxy who could use the Glow Stone's peculiar properties to excellent advantage. And those' now his finger swung to point at Hrriss- ”are particularly well known to Hrrubans.
”We adjourn for due consideration, said the senior Treaty Councillor, rising to his feet' to end this session. His colleagues were equally solemn.
”This is a matter of unprecedented gravity.” Every face was solemn and, in some cases, sad.
This was the first time in twenty-five years that there had been any infraction of the provisions of the Treaty. The ramifications were profound, and could result in punishments ranging from exile for the two defendants, up through war and/or disbandment of the colony. The negotiations among them for renewal of the Treaty had been under way for several years. All knew that the twenty-fifth anniversary would be a crucial time-a time when the Treaty could be easily swept aside. A violation of this magnitude might obliterate two and a half decades of hope and dedication.
Two of the Council, Madam Dupuis and Mrrorra, were representatives of DoonaiRrala, and were both second-wave settlers from the First Villages.
They were upset and puzzled, because they knew Todd and Hrriss well. Neither could find credence in the facts that suggested these two, whose friends.h.i.+p had created the Decision at Doona, could willfully destroy the colony. Their interspecies friends.h.i.+p had been held up as a symbol for Human/Hrruban cooperation all over the galaxy.
”Therefore,' the Treaty Controller said heavily, ”until the inquiry has been conducted and a decision reached, the two defendants are under house arrest. They are to be kept separated at their places of residence, and interim communication denied.
This matter is adjourned pending investigation.” The gavel banged once more. It might have been the report of a gun. Todd and Hrriss both reacted as if it had been, startled, shocked, deeply hurt by even the mere thought of such a separation.
But they were honorable young men, and although they held each other's eyes for a long, long moment, they did not speak. Then, distressed and saddened, they turned away from each other.
No solitary confinement could have been harder to bear.
Especially when they needed each other's support to prove their innocence.
Ken Reeve was out of his seat a split second after the Council had filed out of the chamber. He rushed around the table to his son.
Hrrestan was as quick to go to Hrriss.
”Rogitel seems to have pretty d.a.m.ning evidence against you, Todd,' Ken said, wearily shaking his head. ”But I know you've told the truth, so we'll beat this.
”What motive would we have for stealing such dumb stuff?” Todd asked his father, his hands spread in a helpless gesture of disbelief.
He felt numbed by despair.
”Did either of you enter any or all of these interdicted systems?” Hrrestan asked.
”Why would we? We always come straight back to Doona, where we belong,' Hrriss answered his father in the familial form of Hrruban.
”You know how we hate those d.a.m.ned missions, Dad,' Todd added.
”And one thing more, that d.a.m.ned beacon with its phony message had a destructive band. We were tractoring it up to the Albie when we saw that. Contact stuff from the look of it. Blow us and it up.
”Why didn't you mention that earlier?” Ken demanded.