Titan's Plague: The Trial by Tom Briggs (story reading .txt) đź“•
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- Author: Tom Briggs
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“Well, the score wasn’t enough to get you released immediately, but it’s better than I hoped for at this stage of the trial.”
Pati also hoped, although she had more than one desire. “Okay, so, what’s my chances of making it back to Earth soon?” she asked.
“Well, the only answer I can give you is how much longer the trial will last, and that depends on what the results will be. Getting back to Earth is up to you, although if we get a positive result in the trial, it won’t be long before you’re on your way. Should you still choose to leave.”
Pati nodded, no need to tell Nancy her chances of staying were zero. “All right then,” she said, “what do we do now?”
“We keep looking for data that supports your statements, which is why we’ll inspect the mining ship tomorrow, looking for more evidence. The score the JJ came back with tells me that the prosecutor is living on rhetoric. The only reason he wants to keep the trial going is he hopes more incriminating evidence becomes available, and he thinks there should be no time limit. Except it’s not his call, and the JJ has programs to determine how long it can go before calling it quits. If the engineer can’t restore the mining ship records Jack Reagan is banking on, the JJ goes with your statement and any evidence that supports or contradicts.”
“And he can’t do anything about it?”
“No, not at all. The JJ works without emotion, which generally hurts public defendants more than prosecutors. We’re just lucky this time the rules favor your case. I could never see Jack breaking down in tears in order to get a conviction, but I have seen him play the victim’s fiddle to try to push up a score.”
“That’s why Bruno’s family was there.”
“Another reason why I’m glad we’re working with a JJ and not on Earth. That scream would sink you if there was a jury. The JJ doesn’t even pay attention to statements in the courtroom. Unless you or I make them.”
Pati tried hard not to feel remorse over Bruno, even though there was no reason for Pati to doubt her actions. Bruno attacked her, and he had a chance to stop more than once. They were in an emergency situation, she was in charge, and he attacked her. He got what was coming, and the only thing she wished was the recordings still existed so everyone would know what happened. Still, she couldn’t help but feel a little sympathy for his mother. “You’d think his family would accept that Bruno stepped out of line,” Pati said.
“Pati, when it comes to tragedy, people always look for someone to blame. Even if we had the video showing he attacked you, they’d still want to find a reason to show it was your fault or that you lured him into those actions. Try not to worry about it.”
“Okay, I won’t.”
Nancy sat back and stared at the ceiling. “Even though we had a good score, a score I’d take without thinking if it was the final ruling, it’s time to pour on the heat.” Nancy looked at Pati. “I want to get it even lower in the next hearing. We need to put Jack Reagan in a position where if he continues the trial, he'll lose his license to practice law.”
“Is that so important?”
“It’s leverage we have to use, Pati. The prosecutors have unlimited funds to do what they do. If they waste resources just because they want to put a hurt on somebody they can’t convict, then there needs to be consequences. Jack Reagan, bulldog personality and all, has to follow all of those rules, and I think if we push the score down, he’ll cut his losses.” She smiled. “Or maybe even accept you’re innocent of the charges, who knows?”
Pati nodded. They should do anything if it helped her case. Three men tried to kill her, and each time they died because she defended herself. Now she was on trial for their murder. The only correct result was to clear her of those charges. Who cared how it happened, or if a lawyer had his career damaged trying to stop it?
“I’ll meet you at the Grand Center tomorrow, and we’ll go down to the spaceport to see your mining ship,” Nancy said. “We’ll then—”
“I thought they won’t let me near the docks with my ankle bracelet,” Pati said. She hadn’t thought of that restriction when Nancy mentioned it before.
“They’ll let you for this. Besides, I need you to show me around. You were living on that tub for three months, and you’re the only source of information on what happened, so it’s a task we have to do.” She leaned forward. “You’ll be up to it, won’t you? I mean, you won’t have any problems going back there, will you?”
“No problems at all,” she said. Pati didn’t even think about her answer. Unless Bruno or the twin’s ghosts were there waiting for her, a possibility she could only laugh at, she would have no problem walking back onto her ship again.
Then again, she did see Richard’s ghost.
* * *
Why am I back in Dingle again? Pati asked. She was back at the docks and saw old folks walking down to the water. Or did they walk out of the water? She couldn’t tell.
It was as gray as last time, and the buildings were as dreary. Even the yellow buildings reminded her more of butter than the bright sun.
“I’m back,” a young voice said behind her. Pati turned to see the young girl from before.
“How are you?” Pati asked.
“I’m doing well. Do you still want us to give you what you desire?”
“What do I desire?” Pati wasn’t certain what she was expected to say.
“What everyone wants.”
This confused Pati. She didn’t believe all people desired the same thing. She knew, living in Dingle, she only wanted to live somewhere else. At the other place, she only wanted to leave as well. She never understood where she wanted to be. She always thought she knew, yet the experience of being where she wanted to be never seemed quite the same. Did this girl know where Pati desired to be?
“Where do I want to go?” Pati asked.
“You don’t want to go anywhere,” she said.
Pati really didn’t understand. Okay, she was in Dingle, or was it really Dingle? “Do I desire to stay in Dingle, or just return there?” Pati asked.
“You’re not in Dingle. Watch.”
Pati watched, and the next moment she was orbiting Saturn like in the mining ship. Again, the colors were grayish with lots of shades, more so than in Dingle. She remembered watching the same view from monitors in the mining ship, except now it was a panoramic view in three-dimensions.
“We don’t travel here unless we are required,” the girl said, without being seen. In fact, Pati couldn’t see herself at the moment; she just experienced the view traveling around Saturn. Then, up ahead, she saw Titan approach.
“That’s our home since we came to this galaxy,” the girl said.
Pati could see Xanadu and identify where Karakorum would be if not for the clouds. She continued toward Titan as if watching a video. She penetrated to the interior, and the next moment, she existed inside a cavern that resembled the interior of a massive cathedral on Earth. Except the color was gold, a golden-red that glowed. She examined the scene, and she saw more of that glow, or more precisely, objects that glowed.
They were like Richard, or what she saw Richard to be on the mining ship. Hundreds, no, there must have been thousands floating in the cavern.
She felt warmth, goodness, and peace. They didn’t communicate in words, or in any other human method. They somehow could share their emotions with her, and it was simple ecstasy.
“This is what you desire,” the little girl said. The little girl was still only a voice in her head. Pati suspected she was one of the apparitions.
“Yes, I am, we all are, and we’re waiting for you,” the little girl said.
It made sense. If she could transport Pati all this way, the little girl was not a little girl. Pati reviewed the scene, having no desire other than to relax in these feelings. She had questions, as well. Could this be heaven? Was she no longer alive? For the moment, the answers were immaterial. The only problem with this environment was the buzzing noise.
A buzzing noise that woke her up, and she saw the time projected onto the ceiling. “Damn,” she muttered. The dream was so wonderful, it gave her withdrawals just to wake up. She never had such a powerful dream; it couldn’t be real, though.
Pati pushed the covers off and rolled off the bed. She had her meeting with Nancy in a couple of hours. As much as she wanted to go back to bed, and maybe re-experience what she just felt, she wanted to stay out of jail first.
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