Chapter 4

The Rescue (TY11-month 130)

«Officer Cho, please report to the recruiting office immediately, » the base AI said as soon as I stepped off the transporter in town. I ran toward the base, about half a mile from the transport center.

I’d been on a routine training circuit, finishing at Drylanders with a patrol cadre that had really adjusted well to the routine. We still required weekly combat and martial arts training. It made them more aware of their official purpose. We did construction, algae harvesting, perimeter patrol, and just about any odd job that was needed. But our purpose was to be a last line of defense for the planet and a peacekeeping force. Like most armed forces in the universe, I suppose, we went unarmed unless deemed absolutely necessary. Even when patrolling the borders, we weren’t lethally armed.

«What’s going on?»

«An irate sponsor is demanding that his concubine be returned to him, » the AI said. «Capo Slocum has explained that he does not have that option but Sponsor Donald Morris has become agitated and has engaged in pushing the capo toward the parade ground door.»

«Lock that door down. No one goes through who is not active in the Militia. What are my options?»

«Talking the citizen down is optimum, but the city AI has been unable to break through Sponsor Morris’s anger. You are authorized non-lethal force if needed to subdue the citizen.»

I burst through the front door of the recruiting center to find Capo Slocum pinned against the door to the base, blocking punches from Morris as the citizen railed on about opening up and giving him his property.

“Sponsor Donald Morris, stand down!” I shouted. “You are not authorized admittance to the Militia base. If you have a grievance against a Militia recruit, you may file it with the Base AI in the office.” Well, that was totally ineffective. He turned snarling at me.

“Who do you think you are to order me around. Do you know who I am? This Militia thing has stolen my property and I want it back,” he yelled at me. “I demand the door be opened so I can retrieve what is mine.”

“I’m afraid you’ll need to go through proper channels, sir. Colony law specifically states that any concubine may volunteer for the Militia and citizens may not interfere with it.” I was really trying to keep my cool, but Morris was far too gone to hear what I had to say. He was a strapping man who looked like he’d taken a Marine upgrade when he became a citizen. He took a swing at me and I blocked it, spinning him away from the door and my capo.

“You dare to strike a citizen? I’ll have you executed! You’re nothing but a drone yourself.”

“Officer Cho is authorized to use force to prevent encroachment of the Militia base,” the AI boomed through the speakers.

“As if he can stop me!” The challenge had been issued and the fight was on.

It had been nearly two years since I was tested by a Marine Sergeant who knew what he was doing when it came to martial arts and had actual battle experience. I wasn’t sure what training this guy had to go with his body upgrade, but it obviously wasn’t up to Marine standards. He came at me with fists flying like a second grade schoolyard bully. I placed a roundhouse kick in the center of his chest that sent him sailing out the front door of the recruitment office. He was so shocked he simply lay there looking up at me.

“You are ordered to stand down, Sponsor Morris. Any further action on your part will result in criminal charges to be stipulated by the Colony AI. You will be escorted to the brig and detained at the pleasure of Governor O’Hara. Am I clear?” I shouted.

“This is just what I warned about when she started this Militia program,” Morris snarled. “We’ll see just who prevails now that the Militia has shown its true colors and assaulted a citizen after kidnapping his property. We’re not done here, slave.” He picked himself up and marched toward the transporter station, dusting himself as he walked.

“Are you okay, Capo?” I asked when I went inside. He was straightening up his office and preparing to interview another recruit who was waiting wide-eyed in the front office.

“A little bruised, Officer, but nothing worse than the beatings you’ve given me!” He laughed. “I’ll spend a few minutes in a med tube when I’m finished here.”

“Don’t scare the recruits, Slocum. I don’t beat everyone on base.” I turned to the recruit standing next to Slocum’s desk. “Welcome to Drovers Run Base. I take it you aren’t the concubine Mr. Morris was after.”

“No, sir. I ... I have permission to enlist from my sponsor.”

“Good for you. It helps to keep good relations with the folks at home. Carry on.”

I went out the door onto the base and straight to Capo Humphreys.

“Officer Cho, is it safe?”

“Yes. Who’s the recruit that bastard wanted returned to him?”

“Trainee Valerie Hodges has been taken to a med tube,” Humphreys said. “Cho, you wouldn’t believe the condition she was in. It’s a wonder she made it to the recruiting office.”

“How long before I can talk to her?”

«Trainee Hodges will be out of the med tube in one hour and seven minutes. I suggest you go directly to your office and contact Deputy Kramer as this incident will undoubtedly be escalated quickly, » the AI said. I nodded and motioned Humphreys to continue with her training duties as I went to my office.

“What did you step in?” Deputy Kramer demanded almost as soon as I arrived in my office. The AI connected the call immediately and I stood at attention. “Oh, at ease, Officer! Stop standing there like a fencepost.”

“Thank you, sir. I’m afraid there was a bit of a conflict at the recruitment office. Nothing too serious, I think,” I said, trying to minimize the urgency I felt.

“Since when is assaulting a sponsor ‘nothing serious?’ I have a complaint filed by the chairman of the urban planning group demanding your immediate recycling. The complaint went straight to the governor and now Director Kotter has called for a hearing.”

“What should I do, sir?”

“Your immediate responsibility is to report to the hearing room in the governor’s plantation house. Bring the capo who witnessed the event. What caused this blowup?”

“We received a recruit this morning named Valerie Hodges, nee Morris,” I explained. “Sponsor Morris demanded her return as his concubine, claiming she’d been kidnapped.”

“Bring her to the hearing as well.”

“She won’t be out of the med tube for another twenty-seven minutes.”

“Med tube? Was she in the fight as well?”

“No, sir. She arrived at the base so badly beaten and wounded that she was sent to a med tube before her evaluation could even be completed. The AI says the placement testing will be conducted while she is being repaired.”

“The Director has just issued a statement indicating the trial will be held at 1330 hours to allow a panel of judges to be assembled. That will include the Commander of the Marine contingent,” he said. “Officer Cho, I shouldn’t need to emphasize how poorly the Marines will react to a concubine assaulting a citizen. Most of them left their own concubines behind rather than risk them enlisting when they arrived here on Tara.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Bring Capo Slocum and Trainee Hodges with you to appear before the court at 1330. Stay out of trouble until then.”

“Yes, sir.” The signal was terminated and I sank down into my chair.

«You will need an attorney, Niall, » Cricket said through my implant. «I will accompany you if you are willing.»

«Can you do that? You aren’t limited to my residence?»

«I can move freely through the planetary network.»

«Thank you, Cricket. I was given a directive immediately prior to engaging Sponsor Morris that the use of non-lethal force against him was authorized.»

«The question will be whether that authorization is legal. It is in direct conflict with the Confederacy regulation against concubines attacking sponsors. The future of the Militia may rest on this case ... as well as your life.»

The Trial (TY11-month 130)

“Why are we even having this formal trial?” Commander Inslee asked. “A concubine attacked a sponsor. Recycle him.”

“Commander, we’ll present the case. It is far more complex than it appears at first. This is a trial of our planetary Militia,” Governor O’Hara said. “We have multiple issues that must be considered. First is the issue of whether a sponsor can demand the return of a concubine who has enlisted in the Militia. Second is whether the Militia can act as a planetary police force as was first envisioned. Third, was the Base AI issuing a legal directive when it told Officer Cho the use of non-lethal force was authorized? Fourth, can a member of the Militia act as a planetary citizen in enforcing laws, even against Confederacy citizens? Finally, was Officer Cho subject to the Confederacy guideline against concubines attacking sponsors, since he was acting as a planetary citizen and not as a concubine.”

“You make things so difficult,” the commander sighed. “Very well. Let’s get on with it. Let’s start with a replay of the events. AI, project the recording, please.”

“Yes, Commander.”

The Base AI ran a holographic playback of the incident in the recruitment office, but began at the point of Concubine Valerie Morris staggering in and asking to enlist. She was naked. Bruising and bleeding were obvious over all her body. She declared her name to be Valerie Hodges following a fairly standard format of enlistees rejecting their former owner’s name and reverting to her own. She was then led directly to the base access door and rushed to a med tube on the base.

“Stop playback,” the commander ordered. It froze. “What is the swearing in of a recruit? Does just coming to the door and saying, ‘I want to enlist,’ automatically make a concubine into a Militia recruit?” Wow! This commander was going to go for clarification on each point. If she was not a recruit or member of the Militia when Morris arrived, he might have the power to demand her return. Maybe.

“As base AI, it is my responsibility to give the oath during the candidate’s placement evaluation. It is done through the testing bed,” our AI said. “Since all med tubes can double as sleep trainers or testing beds, I gave the oath as soon as Trainee Hodges was sealed in the med tube.”

“Was that before or after Citizen Morris arrived to demand his property?”

In front of us the action divided in two settings. In one, we saw Trainee Hodges being half led and half carried to the med tube. In the other, we saw the recruitment office. Above each of the settings, a clock was running. As Hodges was sealed into the med tube we heard the AI administering the oath of service.

“Do you, Valerie Hodges, solemnly swear to defend the planet Tara against invading forces, no matter the race, to uphold and enforce the laws of the planet, to work for the betterment of Tara as assigned by your superiors, and to keep the peace on this planet?”

“I do,” the Valerie hologram spoke. The scene and the clock running above it froze.

In the other setting, Capo Slocum sat at his desk as Morris stormed into the office.

“Where is she?” Morris demanded.

“Where is who?” Slocum responded.

“My concubine. I saw her enter this office. Where is she?”

“What is your concubine’s name, sir?”

“You know very well! Her name is Valerie Morris.”

“We have admitted a recruit named Valerie Hodges,” Slocum said.

“I demand the return of my property. Valerie Morris did not have permission to enlist.”

The scene froze. We looked at the displayed clocks and noted it was ten seconds later on the office scene than on the med tube scene.

“Issue one. Let the record show that Valerie Hodges was sworn in as a Militia recruit before her former owner demanded her return,” the commander said.

“She didn’t have permission to enlist!” Morris shouted. “She was a runaway.”

“AI, was Valerie Hodges free to enlist today?” Governor O’Hara asked.

“According to planetary law, a concubine may request enlistment on any anniversary of her arrival on the planet Tara. Comrade Hodges arrived on the planet one year ago today,” the AI intoned. “Testing revealed that the concubine was beaten severely early this morning, specifically so she would be unable to travel to the recruitment center. She showed remarkable fortitude in making the journey regardless.”

“By planetary law, a sponsor must allow a concubine freedom to test or to enlist on the anniversary of her arrival on Tara,” the governor said.

“By that law, I find in favor of Comrade Hodges,” the commander said. “Citizen Morris, you had no right to prevent your concubine from enlisting and no right to demand her return. Considering the extreme you went to in order to keep her from leaving your domicile, I will recommend retesting.”

“But by the Earth calendar, her arrival anniversary was eight days ago!” Morris insisted. “She missed her opportunity.”

“Tara runs on the Tara calendar. All anniversaries are computed according to the Tara annum,” the planetary AI interrupted.

“Objection overruled,” the commander said. “The case of Citizen Morris versus Trainee Hodges is dismissed.” He scowled at Morris and the pompous ass shrank back. He turned all his baleful countenance on me.

“Next is the validity of the planetary Militia being used as a police force,” The AI continued.

“Has the Militia charter not been reviewed by a Confederacy representative?” Commander Inslee asked.

“Tara has limited dealings with the rest of the Confederacy. Even the company of Marines currently housed in Sunnybrook have been sent here for quiet rest and do not generally have any direct interaction with the people of Tara beyond the brothels and entertainment,” the governor said. “According to the planetary charter, I can run the planet as I choose. I chose to chair a governing council, which created the Militia a little over two years ago.”

“Since it is the right of the governor to choose the mode of government and law-making, I deem my role to be determining whether acting as a planetary police force exceeds the authority granted in the Militia charter. AI, please provide a copy of the Militia charter.”

WHEREAS the Confederacy planet Tara is a non-militarized planet with the Corps of Engineers Agriculture Division as its citizen population devoted to preserving the agricultural ecosystems of planet Earth; and

WHEREAS the Confederacy citizens of Tara are pledged to perform job functions with an active term of service of thirty years and a reserve term of service for an additional thirty years; and

WHEREAS it is desired to keep the peace and security of the planet Tara against all disruptions domestic and interplanetary;

THEREFORE, be it resolved that the Tara Planetary Militia shall be established from the sub-sponsor-level population to provide manpower for public works, security and peacekeeping on the planet, and emergency defense from invaders.

FURTHER be it resolved that any resident of the planet age fourteen or above and not scoring 6.5 or higher on their CAP test will have the opportunity to enlist in this planetary Militia on the anniversary of their registered arrival on this planet, or if under the age of fourteen at arrival, upon their fourteenth birthday or anniversary of their birth thereafter. This opportunity will be repeated on each anniversary of arrival or birth and is not to be infringed in any way by citizen, non-citizen, or artificial intelligence. Any person who has a CAP test and scores 6.5 or above and who does not wish to volunteer for the Confederacy Military Forces may also volunteer for the planetary Militia under the same terms and conditions as a concubine.

FURTHER be it resolved that the Tara Planetary Militia will be charged with peacekeeping, safety, and security of the planet and its residents. It will execute public works as may be assigned at any time by the Governor or her/his designated representative. The Militia will be trained in both armed and unarmed combat and defense and will respond to any emergency on the planet, including civil unrest, natural disaster, invasion, or criminal activity.