Robert Sawyer - Illegal Alien

“Except for the number and placement of organs involved, this is substantially the same as what happens within a human body, correct?”

“So I would assume.”

“You mentioned blood. What are the constituents of Tosok blood?”

“It consists of a plasma—the chemical composition of which resembles the seawater of our world. In this plasma float various specialized structures, including oxygen conveyors, tools for repairing damage and fighting infection, and free-floating nerve components.”

Dale could hear Frank Nobilio mutter “Fascinating” behind him.

“Free-floating nerve components?” repeated Ziegler.

“Yes. We each have a kivart —an organ that produces these. The floaters are crucial to our muscular control.”

“What happens to your blood when exposed to air?” asked Ziegler.

“It crystallizes, forming a protective covering over the wound.”

“And what color are these crystals?”

“Pink.”

“I show you People’s exhibit forty-two, which is the sample of pink crystals taken from Dr. Calhoun’s breastbone. And, Your Honor, I’d like to enter People’s sixty-three—the UCLA Department of Chemistry analysis on these crystals.”

“Mr. Rice?”

“All right.”

“So entered.”

“Now, Stant, looking at these crystals, and the analysis of their chemical makeup, do you have an opinion about what substance they are?”

“It is blood—Tosok blood.”

“Blood from one of you seven?”

“I cannot say that from the evidence presented here. It could be blood from a Tosok, or conceivably from an animal from our world.”

“But it is blood from a Tosok, or a related life form?”

“Certainly.”

“You mentioned the specialized structures in Tosok blood, Stant. Are they cells?”

“Many are, yes.”

“And do Tosok cells contain within them the genetic blueprint of the individual?”

“They do.”

“Is this blueprint encoded by deoxyribonucleic acid?”

“No.”

“Is the encoding chemical similar to DNA?”

“I really do not know anything about DNA, although early on, before they understood our discomfort in discussing interior workings, Dr. Smathers and Dr. Nobilio did mention it to me. Our genetic molecule encodes in binary, indicated by the presence or absence of methyl groups.”

“Without delving further at this stage into the precise details of the encoding method, is it fair to say there is a wide range of information that can be encoded?”

“Yes.”

“So, since Tosok blood contains cells, and these cells contain widely varying genetic information, is it possible to identify the individual from whom a sample of Tosok blood was taken?”

Stant looked at the judge, looked at Dale, then looked back at Ziegler.

There was a large analog clock on the back wall of the courtroom; it whirred loudly as its minute hand advanced one position. “I wish to assert my Fifth Amendment privilege,” Stant said at last.

There were gasps from the audience. “I— I beg your pardon?” said Ziegler.

“I believe I have phrased the statement correctly. I assert my Fifth Amendment privilege.”

Dale Rice and Michiko Katayama were consulting at the defense table.

Frank leaned in from the row behind them. Journalists were furiously making notes.

“Which part of the Fifth Amendment are you referring to?” asked Ziegler.

“ ‘No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself.’ ”

“How does that possibly apply here?” asked Ziegler.

Dale rose. “Objection, Your Honor! The witness has asserted the privilege.”

“Counsel, approach,” said Pringle.

Dale, Ziegler, and their second chairs came to sidebar. “What’s going on, Ms. Ziegler?” asked Pringle impatiently.

“I have no idea, Your Honor.”

“Does Stant have legal counsel?”

“I’m willing to serve,” said Dale.

“I hardly think that’s appropriate,” said Pringle. “Is there any reason to think he doesn’t understand the Fifth Amendment?”

“Of course he understands it,” said Dale. “It’s obvious. Ms. Ziegler wants to introduce the concept that Tosok blood can be genetically fingerprinted. By taking the Fifth, Stant is clearly saying no, it cannot—and therefore what you’ve taken as evidence against Hask could also be evidence against him.”

“Or else,” said Michiko, “there’s another possibility. “He’s saying that because Hask is his half brother, they have the same Tosok blood type, and that the evidence would incriminate Stant as well as Hask.”

Judge Pringle pursed her lips. “I wish this hadn’t come up before the jury. All right, stand back.”

The lawyers moved away from the bench.

“Ms. Ziegler,” said Judge Pringle. “You may proceed if you have questions in areas other than the one in which Mr. Stant has asserted his constitutional right not to answer.”

Ziegler looked at Stant, then shrugged. “No further questions.”

“Mr. Rice?”

Dale hadn’t yet made it back to his seat. He turned around. “Mr. Stant, are there circumstances under which a Tosok can lose scales that are unrelated to the shedding of skin?”

“Certainly.”

“Such as?”

“Abrasions.”

“You mean if you bumped into something, some scales might flake off.”

“It would take a big bump, but, yes, that can happen.”

“Could one deliberately pry off one’s own scales?”

“It would hurt, but it could be done.”

“You mentioned a chemical that can induce shedding.”

“Yes. It’s called despodalk .”

“This despodalk —you said it’s something normally kept in your ship’s stores?”

“Correct.”

“For medicinal purposes?”

“That is right.”

“Presumably you have an inventory of what supplies are aboard your ship.”

“Yes.”

“And did you check that inventory to see if any despodalk was missing?”

“At the request of Detective Perez, yes, I did that.”

“And was any?”

“Not according to the inventory, but—”

“Thank you. Now—”

“No, wait—”

“I control the asking of questions at this phase, Mr. Stant. You can’t interrupt me.”

“But you made me swear—invoking God as I did so—to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and—”

“I’d like to move on,” said Dale.

Stant turned to the judge. “My answer is not complete.”

Pringle nodded. “I will allow Mr. Stant to complete his answer.”

“Thank you,” said Stant. “The quantity of despodalk aboard our ship matched the quantity specified in the inventory. But the inventory is kept in what you would call an open computer file; if anyone wished to modify it, they could. It would be an easy matter to take a container of the chemical and to alter the inventory to make it appear that none had been removed. I have no personal knowledge of the quantity of despodalk we had when we left our world, and so no way of knowing whether the current inventory is depleted from its original amount.”

“Your Honor,” said Dale, “I move that the last be stricken from the record.”

“Your Honor,” said Ziegler, “I’ll simply reintroduce the same material on redirect.”

“The comment will stand,” said Judge Pringle. “Let’s move along.”

“Once bitten, Your Honor,” said Dale. “No further questions.”

“Redirect?” said Pringle.

Ziegler rose. “Just a few points, Your Honor. Mr. Stant, this chemical agent that can induce shedding—”

“ Despodalk .”

“I assume each of your landing craft contains a first-aid kit, no?”