Burden of Proof (2 page)

Paul changed his smile to a look of mock disapproval. "My own struggles to get my stomach to accept zero g and occasional acceleration are recent enough that I don't make fun of anyone else going through that."

"You've got a point there. It's hard to believe Captain Gonzalez is leaving us already. We always knew she'd have a short tour as commanding officer since she was a fill-in for the job after Wakeman got relieved for cause, but I'd miss her if I wasn't leaving, too."

Paul snorted. "After Wakeman, anybody could look good. But Gonzalez has been okay. And there'll be some continuity in command since we'll still have Kwan as executive officer."

Carl rolled his eyes. "You lucky dogs. But he's not all that bad. Depending on which Kwan you happen to get."

"Even Good Kwan is no Herdez."

"Ha! You're the only one on this ship who'd say that as if you missed Herdez."

"She was a good XO!"

"No question. Also so tough she could've been tossed out an airlock naked and climbed back in an hour later no worse for wear. They only made one Herdez, Paul, and then they broke the mold before any more could be generated by accident. Of course Kwan's not Herdez. I give thanks for that every day. You should, too."

Paul smiled to avoid answering. Commander Gwen Herdez had been incredibly demanding and a perfectionist as the ship's executive officer, but she'd also been so thoroughly professional and fair that Paul had ended up admiring her.
It's like that old saying about what doesn't kill me makes me strong. I learned a lot from Herdez
. "Do you know anything about the new captain?"

"Hayes?" Carl shrugged. "Nope. He's been real quiet." Hayes had been on the ship for the last week, turning over responsibilities with Captain Gonzalez and observing the crew's performance underway. "But I don't think he misses much."

"I've noticed that. You think he's just kind of hanging around, then you notice his eyes are following everything real close."

"Speaking of following stuff." Carl pulled up the checklist for the firing test. "What exactly is a pulse-phased laser, anyway?"

"I heard the contractors who installed it talking. Apparently it shifts color randomly to counteract protective filters."

Carl looked unhappy. "It's a blinding weapon?"

"Just against ship sensors."

"That's the only way it
can
be used or that's the only way it's
supposed
to be used?"

"I don't know." Paul looked at the checklist. "This doesn't say."

"Of course it doesn't. Well, there's lot of stuff onboard that could be misused. I guess this is one more."

"Yeah. At least it's not a weapon of mass destruction."

"Did you ever think you'd be grateful for that?" Carl indicated the checklist. "Let's get going on this."

A few minutes later, Commander Kwan, the ship's executive officer, entered the bridge, pulling himself over to the seats occupied by Carl and Paul. "How's it going, guys?"

Paul caught Carl's surreptitious wink.
I guess this time we got Good Kwan. I won't complain
. "Doing fine, XO. Just running down the final checklist for the test firing."

"No problems, I take it?"

"No, sir. There's one unidentified spacecraft in the vicinity, but he's outside our operating area."

"Okay! Keep up the good work." Kwan scanned the panels where data on the
Michaelson
's systems overlay displays showing space around them. Smooth arcs traced the paths of every spacecraft being tracked by the
Michaelson
, while a series of lines outlined the sector of space where the weapons test would take place. "Paul, what's the maximum effective range on this new phased laser?"

"One moment, XO." Paul called up the test firing plan and looked for the weapon's data section.

Kwan frowned, his good nature vanished in an instant. "Mr. Sinclair, you mean you don't have that information memorized?"

Paul felt a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature on the bridge.
Uh oh. I'm 'Mr. Sinclair' now instead of 'Paul.
' "It's right here, sir. The maximum range is -"

"Mr. Sinclair, if the Captain asks you that question, or anything else pertaining to this test or the weapon, she isn't going to want to wait while you look things up. Is that clear?"

Paul didn't bother looking to Carl for help. He'd screwed this up all by himself and nothing Carl could do would divert attention from that.
You'd think I'd know better by now. If Herdez had still been here I'm sure I'd have memorized that stuff already. But she's not, and I knew I was making jg and I just got a little sloppy. Stupid, stupid, stupid. At least I know enough not to try any lame excuses. There's only one thing I can say that won't make things worse
. "Yes, sir."

Kwan pointed to the data Paul had called up. "The captain will be up here soon. I'd recommend you start memorizing that real fast."

"Yes, sir."

"I'm going down to check with Weapons Division and the contractor personnel. I'll be back in a few minutes."

"Yes, sir." Paul watched the XO leave the bridge, then rapped his forehead with one fist. "Maybe I ought to be busted back to ensign."

"That'd be one for the record books," Carl noted. "Ensign to jg to ensign within a few hours."

"I can't believe I slacked off like that. Just because Herdez isn't still here doesn't mean I still don't have the same responsibilities. Getting careless could literally cost somebody's life."

Carl pretended astonishment. "I never thought of that."

"Oh, go to hell. Can you keep an eye on things while I speed-memorize this stuff?"

"First you insult me and then you ask for favors. You're a born space warfare officer, Paul. Go to it. I'll scream if something's about to blow up. And don't be too hard on yourself.
I've
still got a lot to learn, and I've been doing this longer than you."

Paul ran through the test firing plan quickly, using his Academy-honed last-minute cramming skills to commit as much of it as possible to memory in the shortest possible time. He glanced up occasionally, feeling guilty at being absorbed in the task while he should be attending to his duties as Junior Officer of the Deck, but the bridge remained quiet, nothing breaking the routine of a normal watch.

The bosun mate of the watch brought himself to attention as Captain Gonzalez entered the bridge followed closely by Captain Hayes. "Captain's on the bridge!"

Paul thumbed off the test firing plan, converting his screen to a maneuvering display, while breathing a silent prayer that everything he'd packed in would remain in his memory until the test was over.

Carl pivoted to face the captain. "Ma'am, all preparations for the test firing are proceeding on schedule. The range safety ship has reported all clear within our operating area."

"Very well." Captain Gonzalez pulled herself into her chair on the starboard side of the bridge, buckled her harness with the automatic habit of any spacefarer, then leaned back in her chair, putting her feet up on the display panel before her. "Nothing of concern, then, Mr. Meadows?"

"Only one thing to watch, ma'am. We still have that skunk hanging around the edge of the operating area."

Gonzalez eyed her own display, then shook her head. "Yes, we do. He's outside the area, but I don't like having him that close."

"He's about sixty degrees to starboard of our firing vector, ma'am. Well clear."

"Is he within range of the test weapon?"

Carl didn't have to check. "He will be when we're at the designated firing point, yes, ma'am."

"Then let's move his butt. Tell comms to send him a 'get out of here, restricted area' message. Medium heat version, for now."

"Yes, ma'am." A few minutes passed while Carl passed on the order to the communications personnel and the standard scripted message went out directed to the skunk. "He should be getting it about now."

Paul nodded with satisfaction. "We're seeing an aspect change. He's maneuvering to head away."

"Yeah." Carl's expression went from casual to concerned as he scanned the readout. "Something doesn't look right."

Captain Gonzalez raised an eyebrow and checked her own screen. "What's wrong, Carl?"

"I don't know, yet, Captain. Something about the way that guy's moving makes me wonder which way he's pointing."

Commander Kwan had returned to the bridge, unnoticed by Paul, and now pulled himself close to Carl, squinting at the display. "You don't think he's going to leave the area?"

"Sir, he just looks funny to me."

Gonzalez glanced over to where Captain Hayes had hooked himself to a tie-down near her chair. "Lieutenant Meadows is one of our most experienced watch officers. Sometimes an experienced sailor can spot things your instruments can't."

Hayes nodded. "Just like back on Earth."

"Yup. Mr. Meadows, is there -"

Carl interrupted as his display flashed. "He's lighting off his main drive, Captain."

Paul slapped his console. "Look at that vector! He's headed in, not out. You were right, Carl. What's he up to?"

"Beats me. Captain, request permission to order the range safety ship to intercept that guy."

"Granted. We can't do the test shot with him there. Have comms send a high-heat version of the get-out-of-here message to that idiot."

The range safety ship, positioned closer to the intruder than the
Michaelson
, boosted onto an intercept course with the unknown spacecraft. A moment later, a green spacecraft identification symbol blossomed on the
Michaelson
's display where the skunk had previously been represented by a yellow "unknown" symbol. "He's finally broadcasting a specific ship code. Ah, hell. He's Greenspace."

"Greenspace." Gonzalez shook her head in disgust. "That figures. No wonder they're messing with our test firing."

Captain Hayes indicated the glowing symbol. "Do they interfere with a lot of test firings?"

"They interfere with anything they can. Anything they think is about the 'militarization' or 'economic exploitation' of space. Hell, humans
came
up here to exploit space economically, and once we started doing that some people wanted to fight over who got to exploit what, which is why the Navy's here."

Hayes smiled humorlessly. "So, basically they interfere with everything."

"If they can. But spacecraft are expensive and we're watching for them, so they don't get too many places. Unfortunately, they got to this one."

"I see. If they enter an operating area like this, do they fall under our jurisdiction, or do we need to call in civil authorities to arrest them?"

Gonzalez waved toward Paul. "Ensign. . .pardon me,
Lieutenant Junior Grade
Sinclair there is your collateral duty ship's legal officer. He will provide you with all appropriate guidance in such situations. Correct, Mr. Sinclair?"

Paul nodded, acutely aware he was the object of two captains' attention. "Yes, ma'am."

"And such guidance in this case would be . . . ?"

It's a good thing I checked the rules on that subject before we got underway for this test shot. At least I've learned something since I was a new ensign
. "We're authorized to make arrests and seize property if the protesters enter a posted restricted area and disregard instructions to leave."
And . . .
"We're to notify civil authorities and turn over the protestors and property as soon as, uh, reasonably feasible."

"Very well. If we end up needing to know just what 'reasonably feasible' means we'll get back to you, Mr. Sinclair." Captain Gonzalez motioned to Carl. "Lieutenant Meadows, did the Greenspacers acknowledge our latest warning to leave?"

Carl double-checked his panel, then shook his head. "No, ma'am. No reply."

"Then have comms tell that ship to get out of here
now
, or we will intercept and seize it. Make sure they know there'll be no more warnings."

"Aye, aye, ma'am." Carl bent to the task, but halted as an alarm sounded. "What the hell? That Greenspace ship is launching something."

"A lot of somethings," Paul added. "What are those?"

Gonzalez was chewing on a thumbnail. "Since that's a Greenspace ship, at least we can be reasonably sure they're not weapons. I want a quick ID on those things."

Paul and Carl exchanged a quick glance. When ships' captains said 'I want,' their crews knew they'd better satisfy the request. Commander Kwan wedged between them, his expression and voice harsh. "Let's get that ID for the Captain. Now."

As if we needed the XO telling us that, and as if leaning on us will get the Captain a faster answer. Bad Kwan strikes again, but then he might still be ticked off at me for screwing up earlier
. Biting his lip to help hide his reaction, Paul tapped in commands which up'd the priority on a target ID. The
Michaelson
's targeting system beeped a moment later, calling attention to its identification of the objects. Paul stared at it. "They're short-range emergency escape pods."

"Escape pods?" Gonzalez checked the ID herself, as did Commander Kwan.

"There's nothing wrong with that ship," Paul insisted.

"I'm sure there isn't." Gonzalez looked seriously out of sorts now. "But they've just sown a dozen of those pods through our firing area. It'll take us and the range safety ship so long to round them up that we'll have to postpone the test firing."

"Sweet," Commander Kwan muttered. "Maybe we should just leave them."

"Wish we could, George, but those short-range pods have real limited life-support capability. If we don't pick them up within a few hours, those protesters will be dead meat, and letting them die because of their own stupidity will make
us
look real bad. Go figure. I've got to give them credit for thinking of this." Gonzalez unbuckled her harness and swung out of her chair. "I'll go get on a private line to the Commodore and let her know what happened. Lieutenant Meadows, plot intercepts to those pods. Tell the range safety ship I'd appreciate it if she seized that mothership."

"Aye, aye, ma'am. Best-speed intercepts on the pods?"

"Naw. We've got to postpone the firing, anyway. Make sure we take a while to get to those pods. Not too long, but long enough to make 'em sweat on whether their life support'll hold out."