Robert Sawyer - Illegal Alien

“Yes.”

“And would such kits contain despodalk ?”

“No.”

“So the only way some of it would be available here on Earth is if someone had thought in advance to bring some down from your mothership, correct?”

Ziegler was clearly making the case for premeditation.

“That is right.”

“Thank you. Now, Mr. Stant, you said you were the defendant’s half brother—”

It hit Dale in a flash—just as it had doubtless occurred to Ziegler just after she’d completed her direct examination. If Stant and Hask were half brothers, and if they’d been born nearly simultaneously, and if sheddings occurred on a regular schedule, then their natural shedding of skin should have been synchronized. But Stant hadn’t shed his skin since arriving on Earth, whereas Hask’s had been shed almost four months ago—strongly suggesting that Hask’s shedding must have been deliberately induced, presumably to enable him to dispose of his blood-covered hide. Dale was immediately on his feet. “Objection! Improper redirect! The question of Stant’s relationship to Hask came up during direct, and should have been dealt with then.”

“Your Honor, I simply want to clear up some points about Tosok family relationships.”

“No way, Linda,” said Dale.

“Mr. Rice—” said Pringle.

“Sorry, Your Honor,” said Dale, turning now to face the judge. “But family relationships were covered in Ms. Ziegler’s direct; her redirect can only cover material I touched on in my cross.”

“Sustained,” said Pringle. “You know the rules, Ms. Ziegler.”

“Very well. Stant, you’ll recall that Mr. Rice did talk to you about the shedding of skin during his cross-examination. Now, you said that this event naturally occurs on a fixed, predictable schedule, correct?”

“Correct.”

“And would that schedule be synchronized with—”

“Objection!”

“Freeze right there, Ms. Ziegler.”

“But, Your Honor—”

“Freeze.”

“Yes, Your Honor.”

“If you have proper redirect, you may continue. Otherwise, take your seat now.”

Ziegler considered for several seconds. Finally, she shrugged and sat back down. “No further questions, Your Honor.”

Dale looked over at the jury. Some of the faces were perplexed, but several others were nodding slowly. They’d come to the same realization as Ziegler and Dale had, and would doubtless share it with the others after today’s session, the admonition not to discuss the case notwithstanding.

The damage had been done.

“The People call Kelkad,” said Linda Ziegler.

The alien captain was sworn in.

Ziegler stepped up to the lectern. This time, she chose her words carefully.

“Kelkad, what is your working relationship to the defendant?”

“I am captain of a starship on which he serves.”

“So you are his boss?”

“Yes.”

“Are you also his friend?”

“We are not close emotionally.”

“Kelkad, how long have you known Hask?”

“Two hundred and nineteen of your years.”

“But you spent most of that time in hibernation, no?”

“That is correct.”

“How long were you in hibernation?”

“Two hundred and eleven Earth years.”

“So, setting aside that time, you’ve still known Hask for eight years.”

“Correct.”

“Have you ever had to discipline him?”

“Of course. I am his commanding officer.”

“In other words, Hask in the past has failed to observe regulations?”

“From time to time.”

“Would you please give an example of Hask’s disobedience?”

“Certainly. Regulations require venting the reclamation facilities aboard our ship after each use; Hask has occasionally failed to observe this protocol.”

A couple of jurors laughed.

“I beg your pardon?” said Ziegler.

“It is comparable to forgetting to flush the toilet,” said Kelkad.

The rest of the jurors laughed, and so did Judge Pringle. Ziegler turned slightly red. “Can you give a more significant example of his disobedience?”

“I have no way of knowing what you would consider significant,” said Kelkad.

“Isn’t it true that your crew originally consisted of eight members?”

“Objection,” said Dale. “Irrelevant.”

“Overruled.”

“Yes,” said Kelkad.

“And isn’t it true that one of those crew members died en route to Earth?”

“Objection,” said Dale. “Irrelevant.”

“Overruled.”

“Yes,” said Kelkad.

“What was the name of this dead crew member?”

“Seltar.”

“Did you have to discipline Hask over Seltar’s death?”

“I was not pleased about it, but it seemed unavoidable. However, I did discipline him for making contact with you humans before I was revived; I felt that Hask had been presumptuous in exceeding his authority.”

“Do you personally know for a fact what killed Seltar?”

“Hask told me that—”

“Hearsay is inadmissible,” said Ziegler. “Do you personally know for a fact what killed Seltar?”

“Yes.”

“How?”

“I was informed by Hask that—”

“Again, that is hearsay.”

“I trust Hask,” said Kelkad.

“Nonresponsive,” said Ziegler. “Move to strike.”

“The jury will disregard the witness’s last comment,” said Pringle.

“Did you yourself examine Seltar’s body?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“I was still in hibernation when the accident occurred.”

“But Seltar was not?”

“That is correct.”

“Who else was not in hibernation?”

“Hask had also been revived.”

“Hask and Seltar were the only ones conscious aboard your ship at that time?”

“Correct.”

“And Hask was the only possible witness to Seltar’s death?”

“Correct. However, I do not know if he actually did witness the death. She died while performing repairs to our ship.”

“I didn’t ask you that. What became of Seltar’s body?”

“It was expelled into space.”

“The whole thing?”

Kelkad’s tuft waved in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“Was the whole, intact body expelled into space?”

“No.”

“In what way was it not intact?”

“Its significant component parts were harvested prior to ejection.”

“ ‘Harvested.’ What do you mean by that?”

Kelkad paused. He glanced uncomfortably at the other Tosoks. “Her organs were removed and stored in case they might be required for transplant at some future time. Of course, if a single organ is damaged, it can usually be regenerated internally, but if two or more are damaged simultaneously, a transplant may be required.”

“Who performed the organ harvesting?”

“Why, Hask, of course.”

“Let me get this straight,” said Ziegler, now facing the jury. “Prior to your arrival at Earth, Hask had been awoken early, and one of the principal tasks he performed at this time was carving the organs out of a Tosok body.”

“It was not a principal task.”

“But he did do it.”

“Yes. I have seen Seltar’s organs in cold storage aboard the mothership.”

“So Hask opened up her body, removed the hearts, the lungs, and so on.”

“Yes.”

“Blood spilling everywhere.”

A sucking in of breath from juror four.

“Your Honor!” said Dale. “Objection.”

Judge Pringle frowned at the prosecutor. “Sustained. Ask a question, Ms. Ziegler.”

“Hask is not a doctor, correct?”

“That is correct. But he was consecrated by a priest-physician to perform certain medical procedures; we all had such training.”