Metal Boxes - Trapped Outside (22 page)

He closed his eyes and tried to calculate what it would mean to give the Hyrocanians a beachhead so deep inside the Empire. The war would turn from hot to blistering in the blink of an eye. Dozens of systems and millions of people would be threatened with annihilation.

Just as he started to drift off to sleep, he smelled flowers. The scent of roses dipped in maple syrup was so thick it almost made him gag, dragging him to full wakefulness.

TWENTY-EIGHT

Jay and Peebee were screeching, their voices loud yet unintelligible in the distance. Stone’s eyes flew open and he shot a hand out and up. Wrapping his fingers around Doctor Triplett’s throat, he squeezed none too gently. He shook her until she dropped the knife she was thrusting at his chest. He’d caught her with bare inches to spare. He held her at arm’s length.

Stone stood, not releasing his grip on Triplett, until he held her dangling from his arm. She was heavy and he was angry enough not to let her go. She gasped for breath, grabbing his wrists with her hands. Unable to pry him free, she hung limp.

“You bastard,” she spat in his face. “You’re going to get us all killed. I have a chance to stop this war and save millions of lives, but you won’t listen.”

“So, you planned to murder me so you could try and take over again?”

Jay crashed through a bush with a worried wonk. “
Mama is in danger
.” Peebee followed behind.

Stone said, “I’m fine.” He threw Triplett to the ground, unconcerned about the fall injuring her. “Jay and Peebee, watch her. Do not let her move or talk to anyone. Do not eat her until I tell you.”

Jay rose on her hind legs, wonking and hissing a loud warning. Stone heard shouts coming from all over the canyon as people woke up, grabbed weapons, and raced to their defensive positions, unsure what the alarm was, but reacting with military trained responses. Jay remained standing high, hanging her head down, a look of hunger in her eyes. Peebee crouched low, her tail spike scorpioned over her head, beating a tattoo on the ground next to Triplett’s head, gouging dirt and splintering rocks, first on this side and then on the other.

Triplett screamed in panic, but Stone ignored her. He turned in a slow circle, waving at Dollish to stand fast as the spacer raced into the small clearing. The air wasn’t clear and the odors were muddled. He couldn’t find Private Melanie Tighe’s scent. He caught a faint whiff of Agent Ryte and Corporal Tuttle as they raced down the canyon toward the wall.

The canyon mouth was the most logical direction for danger to come, but not this time. Pointing at Dollish and then to the fire, he said, “Build it up, Spacer. Jay, please go get Allie and Numos.”

Jay hesitated and wonked in anger. She said, “
This one wanted to hurt you.
”

Stone said carefully, “Please, Jay. Doctor Triplett did try to hurt me, but Peebee will keep her from—”

“
I can hurt her back,
” Peebee interrupted.

Stone said, “Peebee will keep Doctor Triplett from moving or talking to anyone, but she won’t hurt her. Jay, please do as I ask.”

Jay still hesitated. Before she could leave, Numos rushed into the clearing, followed quickly by Allie. Stone grabbed Allie just as she twisted in pain, dropping her handgun. Her hands clutched her back as she fell to her knees. The cooking fire flared, lighting up the hillside. Numos crouched and whirled in a circle looking for something to shoot.

Stone said, “Major, we are secure here.” He looked at the cook, “Dollish, could you find one of the medical staff for—”

Menendez interrupted, “Never mind, Dollish. I’m here.” She rushed over to Allie and ran a medical scanner over her back, helping to ease her to the ground. “Sit, Lieutenant. Dammit, I told you nothing strenuous or you were going to reinjure your back. Those cracked discs could turn into breaks if you aren’t careful. You’re just having some muscle spasms. Sorry, I’m out of muscle relaxants, so you just have to take deep breaths until the pain goes away.”

Allie scooped up her handgun. With a sheepish look, she dusted it off and slipped it back into her holster. She groaned at the movement and frowned when Tuttle bounced into the clearing with Agent Ryte wrapped in her good arm. Allie looked embarrassed to be injured when others around her were up and about.

Menendez turned to Triplett. She tried to check on the woman, but Jay hissed and made her back away. “What the—! Stone, call off your beasts.”

Stone shook his head. “Doctor Triplet is fine. The blood on her isn’t hers.”

Menendez stared at Triplett, shadows from the fire obscured the older woman on the ground. “I can’t see any … ” She pulled a small flashlight from a pocket and shined the light across the woman. “There is a small splatter of blood.”

Ryte glanced over Menendez’s shoulder. “That’s castoff spatter.”

Stone asked, “Castoff?”

Ryte said, “It’s what’s splashed back onto someone when they stab something. Repeated stabbings will cast off blood on everything around them.”

Triplett screwed up her courage, pointed at Stone and shouted, “He tried to stab me!”

He shook his head. “Doctor Triplett, if I wanted you dead, you would be dead. I wouldn’t have to sneak around in the dark to do it.” He looked at Ryte and Numos. “She came at me with that knife.” He pointed at the knife lying in the dirt.

Allie pulled her handgun from her holster, the click and whine was audible to everyone in the clearing as she flicked off the safety. A low growl in her throat was a warning even Triplett understood.

Ryte said, “As an EMIS agent I’m not required by law to remind anyone of their rights against self-incrimination and that you should have a lawyer present. For everyone’s sake, I want everyone to keep their mouths shut. Especially you, Governor Stone.” She bent down over the knife and ran a scan over it, syncing the scanner with her database. “This is a marine issue K-Bar knife. It has two sets of fingerprints and touch DNA on it. One set belongs to Private Melanie Tighe. The second set belongs to Doctor Anna Triplett. There is blood splatter across the blade, hilt, and handle. My DNA scan says this matches the blood splattered on Triplett and my database says the blood is from Tighe.”

Triplett said, “He must have stabbed her before he came after me. My prints are on the knife because I took it away from him when he tried to kill me.”

Even Dollish laughed trying to imagine how this older woman could take a knife away from Stone. Ryte shook her head. “I doubt that. Not even considering how improbable it sounds for you to take his knife away, there isn’t any evidence of his fingerprints or even the slightest hint of epithelial touch DNA on the handle.”

Stone was as confused now as he had been listening to Sergeant Li talk about his yellow labs. However, he had been through enough court depositions in the last six months to know when things were going his way and when to keep his mouth shut. He looked at Numos. “Major, you may have an injured marine out there somewhere. It looks like everyone is up, so let’s see if we can find Tighe. Dollish, you go help the Major look for her. Doctor Menendez, if would you go along please in case Tighe needs medical assistance?”

Triplett shouted. “You can’t leave this child in charge. He’s going to let us all die out here. Remove him from command. I can assume his governorship and I can get us safe passage from the Hyrocanians.”

Ryte nodded. “Your only motive was to remove Stone from the leadership position because he is obstructing your plans to appoint yourself in charge, and once in charge, you could save us by getting help from the Hyrocanians?”

Triplett sighed, “Of course. I knew you would understand. You are a civilian after all. These war mongering military fools will get us all killed.”

Ryte said, “I need to clearly understand this. You planned on murdering the Emperor’s personally appointed governor and then commit treason by surrendering to an enemy in the time of war?”

“Yes!” Triplett stuttered, “No. Wait. No. It isn’t like that at all.”

Stone said, “Jay and Peebee, you go over there and lay down. Lieutenant Vedrian will watch Doctor Triplett for now.”

Jay said, “
Yes, Mama
.” She trotted over to a clear area and lay down. Peebee hesitated to follow. She didn’t say anything, instead she spit on Triplett, turned and went to join Jay.

The odor of roses and maple syrup was gone. He smelled the strong citrus odor of fear coming from Triplett. He moved over and slid behind Allie, massaging her back muscles. The citrus odor grew stronger when Numos reentered the light of the cook fire. Numos shook his head, glaring at Triplett.

Numos said, “Private Melanie Tighe had a long ragged slit across her jugular vein. She was asleep and bled out without waking up.”

Stone asked, “Asleep or not, how did Doctor Triplett sneak up on one of your marines?”

Numos’s voice shook with anger. “Tighe was drugged. She’d been refusing all morphine and pain killers, insisting the medical corps use what little they had for the more seriously wounded.” Stone wondered how anyone could consider losing a forearm as anything less than serious. Numos continued, “Spacer Dollish discovered some herbal tea leaves Menendez hoped would allow the wounded to get some rest. Tighe took some. Apparently someone laced her herbal tea with enough morphine to knock out a whole fireteam.”

Allie grunted, “Who slipped her the mickey?”

Numos shook his head. “Unknown at this point. There were a lot of people helping the medical staff. What we do know is she wouldn’t have taken anything Triplett handed to her. And we know she was unconscious when Triplett slit her throat. We may never know who spiked her tea.”

Ryte said, “I’ll find out. This is now an EMIS murder and conspiracy to commit murder investigation.”

Stone added, “As the planetary governor, I want to be involved in this investigation.” He hoped to be close when Ryte questioned anyone suspected of conspiring with Triplett. He wasn’t going to let people know his nose made him a lie detector, but he knew he could catch anyone in a lie.

Allie asked, “What do we do with this waste of air? I can put a hole in her head right now or we can just toss her over the wall and let the jungle eat her.”

“I don’t know, yet.” Stone said.

Triplett screeched. “I demand my right of appeal.”

Ryte said, “That is your right, but only after you have something to appeal. Your first right of appeal is to the planetary governor, president, or king. Our planetary appeal authority is Ensign Stone.”

Stone shook his head. “I think an appeal to me is premature, however, I won’t abstain from a ruling just because I’m personally involved. I may not be a lawyer, but I have talked to so many in the last few months I know how they think. I’ve heard more than one complainant demand an Emperor’s appeal. I never heard about any of them being granted. The Emperor only reviews about one out of each million appeals sent his way. That’s my precedent. Doctor Triplet has the right to appeal and I have the right to deny the appeal, then she will have the right to appeal to the Emperor. Still, we can’t submit an appeal without first having a ruling.”

Triplett said, “I refuse to be tried by a military court.”

Ryte laughed, “It isn’t up to you, Triplett. That is the governor’s call, your intended murder victim.”

Triplett blanched when she realized she could be tried and sentenced by someone she had attempted to murder.

Stone said, “I can’t try her. I’m the appeal authority, remember? And I don’t think the military will give her a fair hearing since she murdered one of our own.”

Ryte snorted, “Allegedly murdered. If we are going to do this right, then let’s do it right.”

Allie said, “Then, call in all of the civilians. Let them hear her case and pass judgment.”

Stone agreed, “That works for me.” He wanted to be around the scientists when someone asked about drugging Private Tighe. “Do you agree, Doctor Triplett? A jury of your peers? Majority rules? I don’t know whether such a thing will work, but I am willing to abide by their ruling, if you are.”

“Yes. Of course. I insist.”

Stone shook his head. “No, Doctor Triplett. You can agree, but you can’t insist.” He took a deep breath. “Agent Ryte, would you see about gathering up every civilian who can walk and bring them here? And while we wait, we need to figure out how to stop the Hyrocanians on Allie’s World.

TWENTY-NINE

Stone tasked Tuttle with keeping Doctor Triplett segregated, not allowing anyone to talk about what the scientist had attempted. He even asked her to try keeping the gathering crowd from speculating about Triplett, although everyone knew she had committed treason. Once they located and gathered the civilian scientists, he insisted that they—as potential jurors—not speak to each other.

He moved back to his clearing by the boulders, inviting all of his officers to join him in discussing the Hyrocanian problem while they waited for Ryte to locate and gather the civilian scientists. As much as Stone wanted a solution to the Hyrocanian problem, no suggestions were forthcoming. Stone was willing to listen to any idea from anyone, even if it came from Dollish, but he wanted to have a clear understanding of where they stood before they started listening to some of the silly ideas that always seemed to pop up in open meetings.

Numos and Vedrian represented the marines. Butcher assisted by Thomas commanded their navy contingent. Menendez spoke for the medical corps. Once he arrived, Wyznewski stood in as the civilian representative. Theoretically, Stone, as governor, could speak for each group, yet he realized he needed smarter people than him to wrestle with what to do with the Hyrocanians.

He didn’t think Wyznewski was paying close attention. It seemed he had his mind on the upcoming trial of Dr. Triplett. He kept going back to his geology charts and planetary maps, barely listening to the suggestions flowing around him. Stone kept prodding the man to stay focused on the problem of having a strong enemy force in their backyard. He also explained his concern about the Hyrocanians possibly having a hidden jump point to Hyrocanian space in the vicinity, giving them a short supply line. Brickman’s station was one of the shortest jump points any of them was aware of, but that line was cut as long as there was an enemy spaceship in Allie’s World’s space. Butcher confirmed that mining a jump point would be the first thing he would do if he was a Hyrocanian commander. Stone emphasized the danger to the Empire if the Hyrocanians could get a foothold this deep into human space. He repeated it as a warning enough times even Wyznewski understood the urgency in his voice.

However, no one had any realistic solutions. Numos was willing to take all uninjured marines, walk through the jungle to the Hyrocanian camp, and attack them, barehanded if necessary. Stone shook his head, the marines would do it unless he specifically forbid it. He did. The marines were the largest contingent of uninjured personnel, mostly by virtue of having more people to start with, but their numbers were so low taking half of them away from the camp, would make their canyon hideout untenable. The marines were providing security and provisioning. The wounded couldn’t man the defenses around the clock and couldn’t forage into the jungle for food.

The medical corps was already worn to a frazzle. Even though they were the third leg of the Empire’s triune military structure, no one would send medics in to fight a war. They went to war carrying weapons, but their duty was to help and heal the wounded. The civilians in their group were beyond being helpful in any kind of assault against the Hyrocanians.

They were barely hanging on by a thin thread in the canyon and it might be dangerous to even spare a squad sized detail of sixteen people. Such a small group crossing hundreds of miles of untamed jungle and then attacking hundreds of enemy in a well-fortified position was the dumbest plan Stone had ever heard. Such as plans go, the stupid idea was also the best one anyone had.

Numos shook his head, just about the time the sun peaked over the canyon wall. “We have been at this all night. It breaks down to our not having the manpower or materials to engage the enemy. It’s also evident we don’t have a choice but to try. I volunteer to lead the assault team. No frontal assault will work, so maybe we can slow them down with guerilla tactics.”

Stone said, “Major, when the time comes, I’ll remember you said that.” He waved down Allie, Butcher, and Thomas, stating, “If this is what we’re going to do, then only the uninjured will go.” He didn’t doubt Menendez would have volunteered to join the suicide assault team even though her skills were more necessary here with the wounded who might have a chance to survive. Without a shuttle to hide in at night or a fully functioning combat suit, injuries in the jungle wouldn’t be survivable. Still, Menendez didn’t get the opportunity to volunteer, having fallen asleep a few hours before and no one saw the need to wake her.

Stone was surprised when Wyznewski raised his hand. “I’ll go.”

Numos said, “Whizzer, I appreciate the sentiment, but we will only be taking trained marines with us.”

Whizzer asked, “Why? You’ve already said you don’t have enough suited marines to take a full squad with you and still leave enough here to secure everyone else.”

Numos nodded, “True, but marines are trained even outside of their suits.”

Whizzer said, “Trained? For fighting, yes. This may be a long-term guerilla engagement. Besides, I am doing frak all here. Governor Stone, you put me in charge of the civilians, but I screwed the pooch so bad that Doctor Triplett still managed to—” He waved a hand in the general direction of the cooking fire where Tuttle and Dollish were holding Triplett and the other civilians. “Well, whatever Triplett has been accused of doing.”

Stone said, “Everyone talk to your people and see if anyone has a better idea than taking on the Hyrocanians with a suicide guerilla squad. In the meantime, let’s take care of the accusations against Doctor Triplett.” He led the small group back up the hill to the area near the cooking fire. The slope wasn’t steep, but Butcher leaned on Thomas and Allie leaned on Numos. Menendez and Whizzer followed on behind, with the Doc trudging sleepily.

Jay and Peebee were still lying where he’d instructed them to stay. Stone smiled, knowing the girls had never needed the cages to obey and stay put. Navy regulations and the not so delicate sensibilities of other junior officers he shared the barracks with required cages on Lazzaroni Base. He knew now their willingness to obey was more than just being better trained. They actually understood him when he spoke. He patted them both, grinning big now that he didn’t require heavy gloves to pat their heads or rub their bellies. His thicker skin protected him against most of their sandpaper rough hide.

“Thank you for being such good girls.” He reached underneath and dug into the tender spot under Jay’s back leg.

Jay grunted and pulled away. “
Why does that hurt? I like it when Mama rubs me there.”

Peebee said, “
Rub me, Mama
.”

Stone obliged and rubbed Peebee. That spot would cause the drasco’s back leg to dance with pleasure, now she whined and pushed Stone away.

Peebee said, “
That makes my babies squirm
.”

Stone nodded and spoke softly to them, “You must be getting tender there since you’re pregnant. I wish I knew how long it would be before you give birth.” He took the drasco’s silence as an indication they didn’t know either. Jay propped up a knee for him. He sat, leaned back against her bulk and propped his feet up on Peebee. Their legs weren’t as comfortable as a shuttle’s crash couch, but it beat sitting on the ground.

Everyone was used to him talking to his pets, still when he looked up, everyone in the clearing was staring at him. The clearing was filled to overflowing. Everyone in the canyon not too injured to move and not on guard duty was there.

“What?” Stone asked.

Agent Ryte chuckled, “Nothing, Governor Stone. We are just waiting for you to get done playing with your pets, so we can get started.”

“Why would you wait for me? Who’s presiding over this hearing?”

Ryte said, “You are.”

Stone shook his head. “I can’t. Not only am I a victim and a witness, I’m also the appeal authority. Can’t you do it?”

“I’m the investigator. Major Numos can’t since Tighe was a marine and he was her commanding officer. That would be a conflict of interest.”

Stone asked, “Isn’t it a conflict of interest for me to be a witness and the appeal authority?”

“Yes, but your appointment by the Emperor overrules any conflict for the appeal. Besides, you have already agreed to give Doctor Triplett a civilian trial.”

Numos said, “No. You agreed to give her a civilian jury, not that it couldn’t be presided over by a military officer.”

Stone said, “I’m tired and hungry. I spent way too many months at Lazzaroni while lawyers on both sides argued over each minute detail, from which deposition room was too far from the restrooms to objecting to what someone wore. I don’t want to start that crap—”

Whizzer stepped up to Stone. “I think I can be an impartial presiding officer for whatever is going on here. Since I don’t know what is going on, I should be able to keep things moving along.” He reached down and patted Peebee on the head. He looked at his hand, checking for scrapes, petted her again anyway when Peebee stretched her neck out for more.

Ryte asked Whizzer, “Doctor Triplett was your supervisor. Do you think that relationship will color your judgment?”

Whizzer answered, “No. Doctor Mohamed was my supervisor right up until we were attacked by the Hyrocanians. I will admit I didn’t like the imperious old bastard, but I had only minimal dealings with Doctor Triplett. Things have been more confused than not since then. I believe I have been her supervisor, once Governor Stone appointed me, for longer than I reported to her.”

Ryte asked, “Have you had any relationship other than a professional one with Doctor Triplett?”

“Do you mean, are we having an affair? Well, I’m still a functional male with all of the attendant urges and desires, both emotional and sexual, however, those needs are satisfied elsewhere. I may be old, but I’m not that old.” Whizzer laughed.

“That sounds like a job for Tuttle,” someone shouted.

Amid the hoots and laughter, Doctor Emmons, about twenty years older than Whizzer, stood up and raised her hand. She shrugged and said, “It’s a casual relationship only. I’m not that old either. However, I’m far too old to be embarrassed about it.”

Stone thought the woman was too old for Whizzer, then realized there wasn’t as much age difference between the scientists as there was between him and Allie. The civilians insisted their sexual relationship was casual. Nothing he felt about Allie was casual. He could feel the blood rush to his face in embarrassment thinking about his relationship with Allie. Yes, what he wanted from her wasn’t casual at all. His face felt flushed, but he wondered if his new skin blushed as readily as his old skin.

Whizzer stood petting Peebee, having found a fairly unrough spot on the top of her head. “Well, Governor Stone. How about it?”

Stone said, “It sounds fair to me. I want everyone to agree we’ve been fair to Triplett. What do you say, Doctor?”

Triplett snorted, “I want Doctor Arnold to preside. He is much more qualified than Doctor Wyznewski. No offence, Whizzer, but you’re a geologist. Doctor Arnold at least did his undergraduate studies in anthropology before getting his doctorate in climatology.

Whizzer shrugged. “Okay by me.”

Stone said, “Doctor Arnold, did you help the medical corps mix medications yesterday?”

Arnold snorted, “I did not.”

Stone caught the scent of citrus lime oozing from Arnold, a clear indication to Stone’s nose of fear and caution. Jay emitted a low growl. The noise was unlike anything Stone had ever heard from his drascos, but it sounded remarkably like the low growl Allie had used earlier to threaten Triplett. Still, caution and fear weren’t the telltale odors of a lie.

Peebee said, “
He isn’t lying, but his isn’t telling the truth either.”

Stone said, “You did help hand out the medications, didn’t you? No, don’t answer. I’m sure you did, just as I’m sure you helped hand out cups of herbal tea to the injured.”

Arnold shrugged, “So what? A lot of us are doing what we can to help the ill and injured. Sure, I passed around cups of herbal tea to dozens of military people.”

Stone pointed an accusing finger at Triplett. “Getting one of your co-conspirators appointed to preside over your hearing might sound like a good idea, but I don’t think so. Whizzer can do this.” The blood drained from Arnold’s face at being called a co-conspirator. He sat on the ground with a thump, proclaiming his innocence to the scientists around him.

Whizzer said, “All right then. From this point on, everyone shut up. The only people who get to say anything are the ones I ask questions of. First, how many people do we have on this civilian jury thing? I remember reading about it in a constitutional law class as an undergrad student, but that was more years back than I’m going to admit.”

Stone said, “Just pick a bunch of civilians. They will review the evidence Ryte will present against Triplett. They get to vote whether they think she is guilty or not and then they get to say what we should do with her. Majority rules.”

Whizzer said, “Well then, we need an odd number of jurors so we avoid any voting ties.” He pointed at five civilian scientists. “Tag, you’re it.” He looked at Triplett, “Unless you have any issues with these five, Doctor? How about you, Governor Stone?”

Stone shook his head. There wasn’t anything to convince him to trust or not trust anyone in the group.