Chapter 13: Suspicion

"This inquest is now convened." Captain Jeryth's quiet voice seemed to fill the space in the smaller of two adjacent storerooms on Skryben's fourth level. None of the crew were present, but they would be assembled for the later part of the hearing. Skryben's officers were all there, except for Captain Jeryth himself, whose holographic image was relayed from the bridge. Behind a draped table, Rand and Berniss sat on each side of Captain Jeryth's image. Tran Af'Sword was next to Rand, and beyond him was Quartermaster Aweti. Beyond Berniss, First Officer Tshegh was flanked by pilots Tasca and An Inpi.

"For the record, we are here to determine the cause of death of one of our crew, Artificer Medic Third Class Adem Xeren. This portion of the hearing is for the purpose of assembling the facts in the case. Nobody stands accused of any crime, as yet, and this part of the proceedings will be conducted with a minimum of formality."

For the later portion of the hearing, the wall in front of them would be folded back, forming a commodious assembly hall from two empty storerooms. Skryben's officers sat atop a low stage at what would then be the front of the hall. A lectern in front of Captain Jeryth displayed the findings of the truth field, whose soft bluish glow could barely be seen against the room's normal lighting.

"Medic Morss, you were the one who found the deceased. Where was she, and how did she get there?"

"She was lying directly in front of the door to the sick bay. From bloodstains on the door and wall, I would say that she had managed to walk that far before collapsing and dying. She was suffering from numerous abrasions and contusions, on all parts of her body, and she had been raped repeatedly. The rapes may have been symbolic, however, since no trace of sperm was found. The immediate cause of death was pressure on her brain from internal bleeding, caused by multiple skull fractures, but her other injuries were severe enough to have caused her death within a short time."

"Could you tell from which direction she had come?"

"Yes, there were traces of blood at several places along the corridor, where she had supported herself with her hands against the corridor walls as she walked along. There were also traces of blood on the walls and door of the elevator. We have not been able to trace her movements back any further than that."

"You did inspect the corridors at each level, at the entrances to the elevator shaft?"

"We did, but found no other traces. There were no signs of any struggle between her dormitory and the elevator on that level, either."

"Officer Korsun. Do you have anything to add to her statement? Had you noticed anything out of the ordinary up to that point that might have had a bearing on this crime?"

"One thing. About an hour and a half earlier, we were just leaving the elevator on the way to sick bay when we were confronted by a group of crew members wearing masks. I had been with Medic Morss and four of her artificers, helping them to conduct an experiment concerned with repairing Skryben's disabilities." Rand stood facing Captain Jeryth, giving a step by step account of the events of the previous couple of hours.

"You did not report this?" Captain Jeryth interrupted his account when he reached the part about the group of crew members who had threatened Berniss. "Why didn't you?"

"I thought it better to confront them and send them on their way," he explained. "They had done no harm, at that point, and didn't seem up to making any more trouble."

"Officer Korsun, you're the one who has spent the most time around the crew, in recent weeks. What do you think happened?" Captain Jeryth watched the truth field dials closely as Rand answered.

"I really have no idea. From what Medic Morss has told us, I would guess that she was set upon by one or more people. She was attacked, raped and beaten, but managed to get away. She managed to reach sick bay, finding nobody there, before she collapsed and died."

"Could it have been the same group who threatened Medic Morss?"

"The times are right, I guess. They would have had time to attack Xeren between the time they left us and the time we returned, but I don't think that they did it."

"Doesn't that seem a bit unlikely, Officer Korsun? Two scenes of violence, less than an hour apart. I would think it very likely that the same persons were involved."

Rand shook his head stubbornly. "I still don't think that it was the group we met, sir."

"Even after they threatened Medic Morss?" A half smile, almost a sneer, distorted his smooth features.

"They didn't seem that sure of themselves. Also, they didn't have any weapons with them. Nothing but their bare hands."

"Have you anything more to report? Has there been much talk of dissatisfaction among the crew?"

"I wouldn't know. Since my injury, most of the crew members don't talk to me except in the line of duty."

"No, I don't suppose that they would. Do any of the rest of you have anything to add?"

None of them said anything. Captain Jeryth looked dissatisfied, but finally gave the signal for the hearing to continue. At his nod, Tshegh pressed a button and the wall in front of them folded back. The crew members were already in their seats, waiting not too patiently. A buzz of conversation rose to a peak, and subsided.

The room seemed a strange setting for the hearing. The golden metallo organic floor and ceiling, set between off white walls of light weight plastic, gave the scene a spurious air of informality. At regular intervals along the walls, vertical golden pillars connected floor and ceiling. On the wall behind the low podium, the heraldic symbol of the Empire was embossed; a rearing griffin, its front paws gripping crossed lightning bolts and a war hammer.

This was the first time that Rand had seen Captain Jeryth in the dress uniform of a Fleet Captain. The dull black uniform with its silver buttons, severe lines, and flat topped cap was an echo from the distant past. It had supposedly been copied from that of the legendary First Captain. Just as the Imperial Griffin was said to have been the insignia of the First Ship, whose captain had been the founder of the Imperial dynasty.

Rand looked out over the heads of the crew. They were seated in no kind of order, neither by rank nor by section, but Rand thought that he could detect a certain amount of grouping by attitudes. In several places, he noticed crew members sitting together who were particularly strong adherents of the Ursudines. As their captain spoke, the last traces of the low muttering that had filled the room died away, and it was plain to see that he had their complete attention.

"Before we ask the official witnesses to come forward, is there anyone here who has information to lay before this court?" Captain Jeryth waited, studying the dials of the truth field. Tension grew as the silence stretched out, but no word was spoken. It was as though the entire crew held its collective breath, waiting. "Nothing? I would think that at least one or two of you would have something to tell us.

"Very well, the court calls Medic Morss." Berniss stood up, turning to face Captain Jeryth. "Medic Morss, before you tell us how you found the body, please tell the court how the deceased met her death."

"The deceased, Artificer Medic Adem Xeren, died of multiple blows to the head and body. She was also sexually assaulted, several times. Though it did not directly cause her death, bruises on her throat showed she was also strangled."

There was a rustle of movement from the crew, as though each one of the watchers had drawn an involuntary breath and let it out again.

"Thank you, Medic Morss. In your opinion, could the assault have been the work of more than one person? And, were any weapons used?"

"I would think it unlikely that so much damage could have been done by only one person, though it would not be impossible. Some of the contusions could have been caused by bare hands, but others were almost certainly from clubs or other blunt instruments. The deceased was apparently not able to offer much resistance, as there were no signs that she inflicted any damage on her attackers."

"Thank you, that will be all for now. Officer Korsun, you were with Medic Morss when the body was found. Please tell the court the events leading up to this discovery, including the exact time of finding the body."

Rand repeated, almost verbatim, the testimony he'd given earlier. Captain Jeryth stopped him when he reached to part of his testimony about the group of crew members they'd met in the corridor.

"All right. We'll get back to them later. What happened after that?"

"We completed the experiment. Successfully, I might add." Rand gave a brief recital of the events that followed. "On our way back to sick bay, we found the... the deceased in the corridor. Medic Morss was the first to see her. The time was 12:16 PM, almost exactly."

"Medic Morss? Do you agree with Officer Korsun's account of the events leading up to your discovery?"

"His account is most accurate," she agreed.

"That will be all for the moment, Officer Korsun. Medic Morss, if you will tell the court what happened after that?"

Rand sat back down, and Berniss took his place on the podium. "Yes, I examined the body without moving it. There were no signs of life, and the body temperature was already much cooler than ambient, indicating that death had occurred quite some time previously. Seeing that nothing could be done to restore her to life, I had the body moved into sick bay, where I later performed a complete autopsy."

"The death occurred, then, at about the time that you encountered the group of crew members who threatened you?"

"I would say so, or a little later. The encounter took place at 11:05 AM. By analysis of enzymes in the body tissues, the crew member died between 11:17 and 11:24 AM with a possible uncertainty of six minutes each way beyond these times."

Thank you, Medic Morss. You may be seated. Officer Korsun. You stated that there were six crew members in the group that threatened Medic Morss. Could you recognize them?"

"No, I could not. They were masked, and only the one said anything. All that I could tell was that there were four men and two women. They were all about average height and weight, or a little below."

"So, in your opinion at the time, they were not likely to cause any more trouble once you had confronted them?"

"That is correct. If anything, they seemed a bit relieved when I dispersed them."

"Yet they immediately pounced upon one of our artificers, raping, beating, and strangling her. If it was the same group, which seems quite likely. Medic Morss, was Artificer Xeren on duty at the time?"

"No, she was not. She had been working first shift, and the last half of third shift, twelve hours on and twelve off." Berniss paused, as though collecting her thoughts. "All Medics and Artificer Medics have been working long shifts, since the... the damage to Skryben. There is so much to do, and so few of us to do it."

"Yes, I appreciate the work that all of you have been doing. It is too bad that the crew's good record should be sullied by such an incident." Captain Jeryth turned slightly, so as to face out over the assembled crew. "Is there anyone here who has anything to add to the circumstances of Adem Xeren's death? Did anyone see her between the time she went off duty at 4:00 AM and 11:30 AM?"

Again, there was silence for a moment. Then, near to the back of the room, a man stood up. Rand recognized him as someone he'd seen with Adem a time or two.