JP: Nilsen, Lahl, Dieter, T'Reth, Caras, Astrolabe: Star Trek: SCI (3 of 5)
Avander Promontory
Part III
(( Magistrate’s Council Chambers, Port Coray ))
The next morning, a summons had been issued to Lahl, Promontory and Nilsen. The prime magistrate demanded an update on their progress so far. Since the opening commentary, there had been a frenzy of gossip around the port with folks shocked that Lexiudex had not yet issued her judgment.
The fact that the deceased’s face was repeatedly bashed in with an axe, to the point that he was unrecognizable, and that the accused’s blood on the victim would have already been enough for Lexiudex to issue the death penalty. But that wasn’t all. The Port’s own investigative team had retrieved fingerprints off the murder weapon, and this Nilsen had visited the establishment a number of times over the last several cycles.
Lexiudex had a handheld energy weapon secured under her throne, and had used it several times in the past when a verdict didn’t go the way the defendant wanted. She contemplated using it now on the man, a show that would be long remembered, but the invisible weight of the UDP bore on her.
She recapped the facts to the room, and then looked directly into Lahl’s eyes.
Lexiudex: So… you’re telling me that despite all this, the man’s innocent? ::laughing incredulously::
Nilsen: Yes I’m innocent, I wasn’t there at the time. He was a friend to me as well. I wanted the place to succeed
Promontory: Lhandon, quiet, let your counsel do the talking.
Lahl: Indeed Your Honor, this man was not invol-
Port Coray Constable: (cutting him off abruptly) And that’s not all, apparently ::pointing to Nilsen:: He’s also a telepath.
Whispers erupted throughout the room, and as Lexiudex shot a glare at the galleries, silence fell.
Lexiudex: Is that how you committed this crime ::looking at Lhandon:: you brainwashed him into a trance and then took it out on him?
Lhandon looked to both Promontory and Lahl, he struggled for the words.
Nilsen: No, I didn't brainwash him. I don’t even know how…
Promontory: (quietly, but severely) Lhandon–lawyer!
Lahl: Your Honor! The manner of his telepathy hasn’t even been confirmed by anyone in this case! For all we know he can just hear things that people are thinking on the surface. There is no proof that he can control anyone’s minds!
A genuine smile appeared on the magistrate; she was worried that this girl was just a timid little pawn of the Federation.
Nilsen: I’m not even that kind of telepath, I need to work with others, I don’t how to use it myself.
Avander placed his palm to his face as he mouthed the words “let your lawyer do the talking kid.”
Lahl: Indeed Your Honor. Lieutenant Nilsen is not the perpetrator of that crime.
Lexiudex: So present your case on why I shouldn’t just end this trial right now.
Lhandon really projected his voice, what was it that they didn’t understand? It was simple. His voice pitched a little higher, he was short of breath
Nilsen: Because I didn’t do it. It’s that simple! What do you…
Lhandon once again looked to Promontory and Lahl, the panic in eyes, the half-spoken words wanted this whole thing to be over.
Lahl: Because if you do so, then there will be no trust in the justice system here.
Promontory: (rising and straightening his back) Due to the extraordinary nature of this case involving jurisdictions that literally span our galaxy, I’m sure that everyone present would like to ensure a precedent is set for future incidents to be according justice beyond reproach. (beat) I understand the United Dominion of Planets is particularly interested in this matter being resolved to the satisfaction of all concerned parties.
Lexiudex: (frowning with resigned acceptance) Very well, if only to satisfy our UDP friends.
(( a short time later… ))
(( Private rooms adjoining Magistrate’s Council Chambers, Port Coray ))
The audience had slowly dissipated, some waiting for the next part of this drama with bated breath, others no doubt ready to update their Tidbitter account with the latest updates twisted out of context. Lhandon moved slowly as he stepped down from the dock and soon the two had the space to themselves. His wrists were still bound in front of him and the guards didn’t afford him any reprieve.
Nilsen: I…I’m dead…they’ve made up their mind.
That relief from before had passed. He didn’t speak with the clarity or energy he or anyone else who knows him is accustomed to, rather he spoke as if he was staring off into the distance.
Kimonzi felt Audriy Lahl take over again as she spoke with Nilsen.
Lahl: No, you’re not. Not yet. This isn’t the worst case I’ve had to defend.
Nilsen: I didn’t do a thing Lahl.
Lahl: I know, I know.
Nilsen: I’m innocent ::tear forming in his eye:: I swear on my life, on my family, on all six of my sibling's lifes. I didn’t kill him.
Lahl: I know that, and you know that, and Starfleet knows that. What I need you to do is shape up, because this kind of attitude wins you points in the Federation, but it’s not going to win you points here. Understood?
Kimonzi knew she was taking a risk talking to Nilsen like this, but Audriy had always been a bit rough with her clients.
Lhandon felt the anger well inside him but he knew that it wouldn’t serve him here, and the others may use it as even more evidence against him, so he just resigned himself to whatever this feeling was and pushed it down.
Nilsen: But why would they…?
Kimonzi didn’t even respond to that. She just gave him the look Audriy gave many of her clients back in the day. She even sometimes browbeat prosecutors into submission with it.
Nilsen: Yeah…I get you.
He wiped the tear from his eye.
Lahl: We’re going to get you through this.
Nilsen: It's just how can. ::pausing to think:: it's not just about proving me innocent, we need to find someone else to be guilty. I mean, how messed up is that?
There were a hundred and one thoughts inside Lhandon's head and he felt the anxiety in the pit of his stomach and his heart beat as fast as it could.
Lahl: It’s insanely messed up. But we just have to be better.
Nilsen: Alright, What do we need to do? None of my diplomatic stuff is going to work.
Lahl: I need to convince the magistrate that someone else did it.
There was a touch of reservation from Lhandon, he felt the objection coming over him.
Nilsen: But would
He then shut that up and nodded.
Nilsen: Alright, yeah, let's do it. Eh, what have I got to lose?
Aside from his life for starters.
Lahl: ::giving him a look again:: Keep your chin up. We’ll get through this.
Nilsen: You know, I'd always thought I'd die heroically, doing something that had a hundred explosions, some kind of punk rock music playing and saving a million billion lives. I didn't think this was a way I could die.
Lahl: Well, you’re not going to die here, so you have plenty of time to die a tragically heroic death.
Nilsen: Yeah, I know. Listen, on my database, there's a bunch of files, you'll find the folder easy enough. In it there are messages to friends and family, if they do ::his mouth goes dry:: kill me, can you make sure they get them
(( Forensics Lab, Deck 4, USS Themis ))
The walls were lined with metal and lights, all streaming down upon a cavern that served as Astrolabe’s lab. With great glee, the human who had been assigned to the Themis as a resident forensic scientist, flittered from one side to the other. Every single machine was put to use and currently ran a series of analyses - not a single one lay idle, much like the person who couldn't seem to sit down even for a moment. As soon as one computer beeped, she hurried over, jotted down some notes, and was pulled away when another caught her attention. She would be on the fourth or fifth when the original would chirp yet again, a reminder that she herself had set to make sure she returned and documented every single detail.
Such details were never instantly made, for she had far too many processes to allow her to simply sit and do one at a time. Or perhaps it was simply the way her mind worked, whirling so quickly that she could not remain still more than a moment, and thus while everything got done, it was concurrently so, and no process would get finished on its own - they always came in sets. She was right in the middle of said processes when the doors to her lab opened and the stoic Vulcan entered, followed by the lead investigator. Vulcans were sometimes entertaining, and she greeted the woman with a cheerful ‘hello!’ but did not stay still long enough to offer anything more. Instead, she hurried over to another console and continued documenting where she had left off several moments before when a different console grabbed her attention with its own results.
T’Reth: I assumed you called us down here because you made a breakthrough.
Astrolabe: Oh yes, yes, I did, a breakthrough indeed, I ran a program of my own design, yes, and it’s a very clever one indeed. It’s really useful for clearing up recordings like you sent to me, yes.
T’Reth: (intrigued, despite herself) Some sort of Guassian Defragmentation program?
Astrolabe: Yes, and no, and yes, and maybe. It’s more of a DeGaussian retrofragmentation declutterer…well, something along those lines. Just a moment!
She held up a finger coupled with a beaming smile and hurried over to another console to jot down some notes. After that, a different console received her attention, this one set apart from the others. It was only used to show information that she had gleaned from her study of evidence provided to her, so that her work consoles weren’t cluttered up.
Astrolabe: Let’s see…let’s see…no, not the pickled Pachua case….wait…wait…no, not that one. Oh yes, here it is!
Tapping at the controls, she brought up a still image, though with another tap, it was set into motion. Still smiling, the expression seemingly frozen upon her face, she stepped aside and motioned to the screen.
T’Reth: That is not Mr. Nilsen.
Although, to be fair, the build was somewhat similar.
Astrolabe: It isn’t? Oh…yes, well, I guess it isn’t!
Astrolabe wasn’t particularly familiar with any of the crewmembers in question, she only provided the necessary information and researched and dove and sought out the truth, sifting through the lies that others wove.
T’Reth: But what about—
Astrolabe: What about what?
Dieter: What about the fact that face completely vanished for a second and then reappeared?
The Vulcan nodded.
Astrolabe: Oh that was nothing, a bit of interference. But if you’re referring to how it helps your case, it’s clear to you that this isn’t your Mr. Nilsen, but that’s only because I was able to draw the truth out of the matter.
Dieter: Given how ‘fair’ the magistrate has been up to this point, I think we’re going to need more than just grainy footage to motivate her away from a guilty verdict.
T’Reth: Anything else?
Astrolabe: Oh yes, the DNA samples!
Dieter: oO Oh yes, probably should have led with that! Oo Go on…
Astrolabe clapped her hands together as if her visitors had made the most delightful comment in the entire galaxy, and that smile beamed even more brightly, a deed which would have surely seemed impossible but a moment before. Inserting herself back at the console, her fingers went tippity tap and the next bit of data scrolled upon the screen.
Astrolabe: From what I can see, it does have the same markers as Nilsen’s blood.
T’Reth: (matter-of-factly) So he is guilty, after all?
Dieter: I’m hoping you’re going to delight us with something here because if it’s going to be that he’s guilty, I’m not sure I want to hear it — plausible deniability and all.
Suddenly, she lifted a finger, as if pointing to a lightbulb, and if it were possible that one could have truly shone above her head, it would have been drowned out by the cheer upon her visage.
Astrolabe: The degradation rate proved that the blood was more recent!
T’Reth: (cautiously following-along) Meaning someone placed or planted it post-mortem?
Blood could be sourced from a number of places. Perhaps the accused had gotten into a bar fight and someone had seized an opportunity. Hopefully there was a more parsimonious explanation.
Dieter: I’m not sure that the magistrate’s going to dramatically alter her perspective if this is what’s on offer. That’s all?
He didn’t want to seem ungrateful, but a recovered video and blood degradation would not prove Nilsen’s innocence in this court.
Astrolabe: Is that all? Yes that is all. At least I think that is all…wait….wait…just a second.
She paused, that finger still in the air, only it began to move in tiny circles and her eyes went wide, giving the smile a crazed tone.
Astrolabe: But wait! There’s more!
T’Reth raised an eyebrow and waited.
Dieter: (impatient) More as in…
Astrolabe: Yes, yes there’s…wait…
The finger wavered and she blinked as if she had forgotten what she was going to say. Which was exactly the case.
Astrolabe: Oh dear…it’s slipped from my brain.
Dieter: ::motioning to T’Reth:: C’mon…
Astrolabe: No, no, give me a minute!
Turning back to her console, the woman began pounding at the controls as if frantically searching for the lost thoughts.
Astrolabe: Oh, yes!
T’Reth: (nonplussed) What is it?
Motioning for the others to come closer, she bent over the console even as she brought up more information.
Astrolabe: I found some interesting files. I can send this to you.
T’Reth: Hmm. Please do.
Dieter: Would you care to elaborate on what is so interesting about these files, or are you leaving it up to us to figure it out? oO Lab weirdos, they’re all the same. oo
Straightening up, Astrolabe affected a more serious and somber expression.
Astrolabe: Pay attention to the dates.
Dieter: Ugh… bank records. oO Did I say that out loud?
He looked at the complex array of financial transactions across an elaborate number of accounts, Astrolabe had somehow retrieved a full history of the accounts and traced the connections. Partial transfers, numbered accounts, mysterious banks. All of the transactions happened within an hour of the murder. This more than made up for the forensic scientist’s other shortcomings.
Dieter: ::tapping the floating holo a bit too excitedly:: So we just need to find out who “Client X412SA#4” is and we’ll have them.
TBC
–
Starring:
Sahiana Ordana
Medical Examiner
Starfleet Criminal Investigative Team
&&
Lieutenant JG Lhandon Joseph Nilsen
Assistant Chief of Operations.
USS Octavia E Butler
O240007LN1
He/Him/His (Both player and character)
Ensign Kimonzi Lahl
Engineering Officer
U.S.S. Octavia E. Butler
O240107KL4
Lieutenant Ty B Dieter
Lead Investigator
Starfleet Criminal Investigative Team
O240005JH3 / O239910AP4
&&
Lexiudex
The Right Honorable Prime Magistrate
Autonomous Authority of Port Coray
O240005JH3
he/him/his (player)
Special Agent T’reth
Starfleet Criminal Investigative Team
O239910AP4
Caras
Ensign Morro Caras
Engineering Officer
USS Octavia E. Butler
O240106MC1
Astrolabe
Forensic Scientist
&
Gigranal
Undular Witness
M239008AD0