Planetbound by DM Arnold (best contemporary novels TXT) 📕

Kronta tapped his chest. “I am, but the vice-chair will conduct the hearing. I wanted to be the one to represent you. Please don't worry, Nyk. The outcome is a foregone conclusion. This is merely a formality.”

Nyk stood as the committee members filed in and took their seats. The vice chair stood. “We're re-opening the case of Nykkyo Kyhana, charged with fraternization with the Earth population, unauthorized transit and unauthorized transport of an Earth woman. What is your petition?”

Kronta stood. “We petition dismissal of the charges based on mitigating factors.”

The vice-chair nodded. “You will present evidence of such factors?”

“Yes,” Kronta said. “Each of you will find on your vidisplay a document. Please take a moment to examine it.”

Nyk looked at the vidisplay before him. His eye caught a line of Esperanto rendered in Floran characters:

... Sukiko Kyhana: naskigi New York, New York 27 augusto 1974; morti New York, New York 1 septembro 2001 ...

His jaw dropped and he buried his face in his hands. “This is Koichi's genealogy!” he whispered to Kronta.

“Yes, Nyk, yes!”

“I don't want to see it!”

“Please explain the evidence,” the vice-chair said.

“This document shows the family line from Sukiko Kyhana to Koichi Kyhana. Two items are of interest -- first, the name of Sukiko Kyhana's only child is Nykkyo Kyhana. She named her son after this man.” Kronta patted Nyk on the shoulder. “She did so out of love for him.”

“And the second item?”

“After the birth of Sukiko's child, the record shows she married a man named Nick Kane, who became the child's step-father.” He put his hand on Nyk's shoulder again. “Nykkyo, would you please tell the committee your Earth identity?”

“It's Nick Kane,” he replied, his face buried.

“Can you repeat it so the entire committee can hear?”

Nyk stood, his eyes closed. “It's Nick Kane.”

“The relationship of Nykkyo Kyhana, otherwise known as Nick Kane, to Koichi Kyhana's forebear is documented in this genealogy. It is a matter of historic fact. What we have here is a unique case. Despite our regulations against temporal interference and fraternizing with the Earth population, Nykkyo found himself thrust into contact with someone on the critical path to the Centauri mission. Temporal interference did occur. Sukiko was diverted from her rightful path -- onto another one requiring Nykkyo's participation. This committee, in punishing Nykkyo Kyhana was in fact itself causing temporal interference that, if left unchecked, could have had catastrophic -- disastrous consequences.”

“What evidence have you of the authenticity of this document?” the chair asked.

“We are presenting a transcript of the document created in the year 6602APF. This is three years before the birth of the petitioner. The format and content of the document is consistent with genealogies of other Floran crewmembers.”

“Are there any questions?” The vice chair looked up and down the committee. “Hearing none, would the petitioner care to make a statement?”

“Just tell me when that document is down. I don't want to see it.”

“It's down,” Kronta said. “You can take it.” He handed Nyk the datacel.

“We will recess to deliberate.” The committee filed from the room.

“Illya, where did you obtain that genealogy?”

“Your friend Andra brought it to my attention.”

“I didn't want to see it.”

“Why not?” Illya replied. “It's an important historic document.”

“Then, give it to future generations. I don't want to see it -- I don't want to know about it. That document contains dates, Illya -- it lists Suki's death as 1 September, 2001. That's less than a year away!”

“Nyk -- I'm so sorry -- I had no idea. I'm not familiar with the Earth calendar.”

“How can you not be? You're a Kyhana scholar!”

“My specialty is the early days of THIS world. This must be very upsetting to you.”

“Upsetting! I know -- I saw -- and I can't un-see it! Suki will die within the year -- and I'm powerless to do anything about it!”

“The committee is returning. You'd better stand.”

Nyk stood as the committee resumed their seats. The vice-chair stood. “It is the decision of this committee to dispose of the charges as follows. In the charge of inappropriate contact with a member of the Earth population, Nykkyo Kyhana will be given an official reprimand, to be placed in his Agency personal file.

“In the charge of unauthorized transit and transport, Mr Kyhana will receive another reprimand. Otherwise, the charges are dropped. The sentence of economic incarceration is abrogated, and he is returned to full ExoAgency status and privileges. The case is closed.”

“Congratulations, Nyk,” Kronta said. “Don't worry about those reprimands. I doubt this committee will second-guess anything you do, now.”

Nyk headed with Andra toward the tubecar platform. “You gave Kronta the genealogy.”

“Yes -- I did. I was so distraught after you disappeared -- I looked in the genealogy. I don't know how to read Esperanto but I do recognize your name when I see it; and when I saw it I realized you must've made it safely back to Earth.”

“So, you DO understand temporal phenomena.”

“I was so relieved to see your name. Then, it dawned on me... The fact you were named in the document could exonerate you.”

“You were right.”

“I hope you're not too angry with me.”

“No -- I'm not angry. I just wish I had some warning. Why didn't you didn't take it to Korlo?”

“I tried to but he was too busy to meet with me.”

“Too ... busy?” Nyk shook his head. “That doesn't make sense.”

“I tried contacting Tomyka Wells. She refused to meet with me -- refused even to return my calls. So then...”

“Then you took it to Kronta.”

“No. I showed it to Senta -- at her Food Services office. Senta's a trained scientist and scientific method requires one to abandon a hypothesis in the light of contradictory evidence. I showed her your name in the document. I thought it would convince her, and she could convince Tomyka.”

“I take it she was unconvinced.”

“That's right. We had another horrible row. We argued over what the document meant -- how to interpret it. I suggested we consult a temporal expert -- there are several at Sudal University -- but she refused. Then, we fought over who should have custody of the datacel. She claimed it was hers, since she's your wife and it would be community property.”

“That's debatable. Go on.”

“She grappled the datacel away from me and then summoned Food Service Security to escort me from the building. I told her I'd leave quietly, if she would promise to show it to Tomyka.”

“And, did she do that?”

“At Vebinad we were taught to read people and I read deceit in Senta. I realized she had no intention of pursuing the genealogy -- rather she wanted the datacel in order to suppress it ... to destroy it perhaps. I remembered Kronta from the Lexal business. I know he is fond of you, Nyk. I thought he might help.”

“But if Senta had the datacel ... it would be your word against hers.”

“Although I don't have an advanced degree like Senta does,” Andra replied, “I do know something about how scientists operate; and I know one thing a good scientist does is to make backup copies of critical data.”

“So you gave Kronta a copy.”

“No. I let Senta take the copy; and I took the original to Kronta. I told Illya about my altercation with her. It's why she was detained, for suppressing evidence. Kronta confronted Tomyka with the genealogy and she refused to give her ground. Then, he consulted temporal experts who drew up charges of interference against her.”

Nyk nodded. “She should've closed the case then and there. She let her emotional involvement overrule her civic responsibility.”

The tubecar arrived at the hostel. Nyk escorted Andra to their room. “Did Kronta tell you what was in the datacel?” Nyk asked.

“Yes -- proof you marry Sukiko. Now you can return to Earth and the two of you can live happily ever after.”

“No. Andra -- that document lists Suki's death as 1-September 2001. It's less than a year away!”

Andra gaped at him. “NO! Oh, Nyk -- you must do something!”

“I can't -- I can't do anything. It's Quinn's Postulate -- I have precognizance! I can't change history.”

“What will you do?”

“There's only one thing I can do -- I must live each remaining day to its fullest. And on that dreaded day -- I'll stick to her like glue -- and hope when the moment comes -- she'll die in my arms. Oh, Andra!” He collapsed against her and wept.

Andra held him and stroked his hair, weeping along with him. She began kissing the tears from his cheeks. “Drink my tears,” she said. He kissed away hers. “We've cried over the same hurt and tasted each other's tears -- we're bonded...”

“We're already bonded, Andra.”

“...Stronger than ever -- the deeper the hurt the stronger the bond, and I can't imagine a deeper hurt. Nyk -- I'll do anything you ask -- anything you need -- to help you through this. If there's a way...”

“Let me look at this.” He took the datacel and slipped it into a handheld vidisplay. “You were right -- I AM better off knowing this... I can't believe it -- not only does Suki die on September first, so does her father!” He flicked through the document. “It starts with her great- great-grandfather -- the one who emigrated from Japan. It goes straight through to Koichi and his children. They're all here -- George, Yasuko, Suki, Nicky... Nykkyo Nicholas Kane Kyhana, born 5 December, 2000... I don't want to know when he dies.” He scrolled through the document backwards. “Nicky married Jenna, who gave birth to Jeremy...”

“What does it say about you?”

“Nothing -- except that Suki married Nick Kane after Nicky's birth. No dates, no other family references -- nothing. It's the story of my life, Andra -- I'm nothing. Everyone around me is something. My dad, my mother, Senta... I'm not even a real Kyhana, and I'm not important enough to be in this document except as a footnote.”

He showed her the display. “George and Suki die together on 1 September. I don't know why or how...” He buried his face in his hands -- then looked up. “Maybe something happened on that date -- some historic event. Come with me -- we're going to the museum.”

Nyk sat at a vidisplay in the library of the Floran Museum. “It's no use! The Encyclopedia only shows dates through 1979.”

“What are these documents?” Andra asked.

“It's the contents of the database aboard the Floran -- they intended to build schools on the Centauri colony, and they needed an encyclopedia. It contains all significant historic events up through the launch of the mission.”

“But, the mission was launched in 2201.”

“In order to discourage temporal mischief, the entries for events in Earth's future are classified. Every twenty to thirty years or so, they declassify recent entries -- after they're safely in Earth's past.”

“If, according to Quinn's postulate, no one can change history -- then, why the top-secrecy?” Andra asked.

“No one can alter a historic event -- but, with precognizance, one could do plenty of temporal damage -- or, use the knowledge for personal gain.”

A young man approached them. “Nykkyo -- good to see you.”

“Korlo -- this is Andra Baxa.”

“Andra Baxa...” he mused. “I remember -- you sent me a telemessage stating you had an object of interest you wanted examined.”

She produced the datacel. “It's this.”

Golmya took it. “This is an ordinary datacel.”

“It's what's on the cel that's of interest. It contains Koichi Kyhana's lost genealogy.”

The color drained from Golmya's face. “The genealogy? Why ... why didn't you say so? We've been looking for that for ... for generations. I apologize for dismissing you -- so many people come in here claiming to have found this artifact or that, and they end up being two- hundred-year-old pieces of construction debris. If I had only known ... I'm undone by my own arrogance ... you have humbled me today... Come -- come upstairs and let's have a look.”

Golmya led them into his office, slipped the cel into his vidisplay and read it. “This looks like a transcript of the genealogy -- it's written in Esperanto, but in Floran characters. It is not original.”

“I have the original data capsule,” Andra replied. Golmya's eyes popped. “Well, I think it's the original. In addition, I have another datacel -- one I couldn't read.”

“Where are these?”

“At the Residence, in Sudal.”

“I would hope you'd consider donating that capsule to the museum -- it's an important artifact... When you said you couldn't read the other cel -- did you mean it was unreadable -- or, you couldn't understand what was there.”

“It was unreadable -- or maybe not.”

Golmya brought up a page from Koichi's journal. “Did it look like this?”

“It might have,” she replied. “Now, I can't recall.”

“If it did -- what you had might've been the raw contents in Roman characters.” He picked up her cel. “This would be the transcript.”

“Is it genuine?” Nyk asked.

“That's hard to know