Titan's Plague: The Trial by Tom Briggs (story reading .txt) 📕

when they courted because he could easily afford to buy the restaurants if he wanted. When Nancy and Joe brought her here, Pati almost had to refuse because she knew she couldn’t afford it. Nancy would hear nothing of it and said they’d happily pick up the tab for someone who should be ready to celebrate. Pati graciously accepted and hoped she could return the favor someday.

And despite the name, none of the meats were from animals. Food was manufactured in chemical reactors and the process produced food fresher and cleaner than natural food grown or raised on Earth. How much your meal cost depended on how much work the manufacturers put into getting it just right. If you wanted the greatest meal you ever tasted, you paid most of your salary for it unless you could afford to buy the restaurant.

“How’s your meal?” Nancy asked.

Pati turned her attention away from the ceiling and to Nancy, who was wearing a black dress with gray trim. Her hair was down this time. “Far better than prison food,” Pati said.

“I guess I should expect that answer,” Nancy replied, with a laugh.

Nancy’s husband, in his brown slacks and blue, long-sleeved shirt, did not laugh. In fact, Joe had said little since they sat down at the table for four in the middle of the half-filled restaurant. He was like Pati, from Earth, although he came from the southeastern part of North America. He quietly ate his meal as if he was the only person in the room, and only occasionally asked Nancy a question. With brown hair and blue eyes, he wasn’t bad looking, except being from Earth, he seemed a midget among men. Although he was a midget that could crush two men born and raised off of Earth, Pati reminded herself.

She heard meat being thrown onto a grill. Then the smell of spices, probably some garlic, floated past. This was the only sit-down restaurant without a wall between the kitchen and dining area. The owners used that advantage for all it was worth, and it particularly affected Pati because the food on her mining ship didn’t register on an aroma scale.

“Nancy, thanks for taking me out. Ever since I started my sentence on the ice-mining ship, I haven’t had, well, a dining experience. And this is just what I needed after everything that happened the last few days.”

“You’re welcome,” she replied. Again, her husband stayed silent. “How do you like where you’re staying? It’s not what you're used to, I’m sure—”

“It’s perfect, Nancy. Even though I lived well being married to a McLear, it’s way better than a jail cell.”

Even Joe nodded to that.

“Well, I think we’ll be able to keep you from sitting in another jail cell this time.”

Pati assumed she meant the trial over her crew’s mutiny, a subject she still had much to talk about. “I need the whole truth to come out,” Pati said. “If they can rebuild the ship’s records, I’m all for it, because I want proof that I did what I had to do.”

Nancy shook her head, “Pati, we don’t even need that. Your word will be good enough. I know we’re going against Jack Reagan, and he’s really good. Unfortunately for him, he’s not a superman. He’ll have to let you go, or we’ll be up in front of the JJ and he’ll get beat bad.”

“I don’t want my life determined by a computer,” Pati said.  She paused a moment and thought about the next question on her mind. She hadn’t asked before because Nancy wanted her to focus on her case. Now, however, the time might be right. “Nancy, is there any way I can still make that next cruiser back to Earth?”

Nancy stopped eating and didn’t look hopeful. “Pati, I’ll do all I can do to keep you on schedule. But you have to understand, it depends on what Jack Reagan does. If he wants to drag this out, you’ll be here till we finish. You can’t leave until the state decides you can or we force it. There’s no other way.”

Pati suspected as much. She came to terms with the probability after getting settled in her apartment, realizing she might stay there longer than she hoped. “Thanks,” Pati said. “I understand you’re doing your best. I’ll still be researching trips home while we wait, though.”

“I don’t blame you,” Joe said.

Nancy looked irritated, and she didn’t give Joe a positive look after his comment. She didn’t say a word either and resumed eating her meal. Pati did the same and hoped the chill she just felt was the air.

Joe shook his head before he took his next bite. Then, he wolfed down what was left on his plate. He stood up. “Nance,” he said. “I need to be getting home.”

Joe called the waiter over. A short robot, just taller than a meter high, made its way on tracks through the line of tables. When the robot arrived, Joe handed it his card to read. The robot had small arms, just long enough to reach to the other side of the table. It took the card, placed it on a scanner on its body, and returned it to Joe. “Don’t let my wife put this on her business account,” he said. He walked out, saying nothing more.

“Um, what happened?” Pati asked.

Nancy looked as if she’d seen a ghost. “I forgot to tell you, he was friends with Bruno Redden.”

“Oh, ah, how did they get to know each other?”

“Bruno helped Joe get his first job working construction when he arrived from Earth. They hadn’t talked in years, not since Joe started working at the spaceport. I think Joe feels some loyalty towards him, and he’s not sure you’re innocent when it comes to his death.”

Pati stopped eating and exhaled a deep breath. Without the recordings, everyone could come to their own conclusion about what happened. Maybe the state couldn’t convict her, but the rest of her life they’d call her a murderer four times over. All she could do was argue. She had no proof each time was an accident or self-defense.

Except, that alien that appeared to her did take credit for all that happened. It stated it was in Richard when she hit him. In fact, it blamed her for stopping its plans. It also took credit for disabling the life support system on the mining ship. If she could show those aliens were real and lived here on Titan, then the people would have to take her account of her actions more seriously. “Nancy, I want to make an announcement about those aliens I told you about,” she said.

Nancy almost choked on her food. She finished swallowing and reached a hand over to Pati’s wrist. “Pati,” she whispered, “we’ve been through this in private, and I’ve pointed out to you we can’t make any such statement until your status is secure. With the records of the flight compromised, the only account of what happened is your recollection. If you say it happened, no one else can say different without physical proof. And if Jack Reagan tries, he’ll come close to disbarment.” Nancy released her wrist.

“Everyone thinks I’m a murderer.”

“You won’t fix that impression if you’re on a thirty-year trip to Earth.”

The statement chilled Pati’s bones. It reminded her that survival was all that mattered, just like when the life support died on the mining ship. The truth about the aliens could wait until she had certainty. “Okay, you’ve made your point,” Pati said.

“Good, no more talk about that subject until you’re on your way back to Earth. Is that clear?”

Pati nodded and finished the last bites on her plate. Nancy did the same.

“I wish I could stay and talk, Pati, but I think we’ll see enough of each other in the next few days.” She stood up from the table. “We don’t see each other until Monday, so what do you have planned for your Sunday?”

“Besides straightening out my apartment, I’m going for a gravity treatment.”

Nancy shuddered. “Oh, I hate those.”

“I need them if I’m going back to Earth. Especially with all the work I was doing in zero gravity.”

Nancy shook her head. “I haven’t been to one in years. I’m scared to think what it would do to me now.”

“You need to get it done, Nancy. You might want to go to Earth someday, and you won’t be able if you wait too long.”

“Is Earth really worth it? For someone like me, who’s never been there?”

It’d been a long day, and Pati didn’t feel like providing a dissertation on the benefits of breathing outdoors. “I think so,” she said, and then stood up. “We can talk about it another time.”

“All right, we’ll see you on Monday, then,” Nancy said. She turned and walked out along the rows of tables.

Pati waited for Nancy to walk past the shops around the restaurant seating. Then, Pati walked out herself. It was time to learn how to live frugally again, and getting a good night's sleep was probably the best place to start.