Chapter 10

Sandeep felt the slight buck of the ID tractor as the plow bit into something more dense than the soil. Using the sonic imager, he backed up and found the two pieces of the boulder that the blade had split asunder, and delicately re-shaped the energy blade of the plow to coax them to the surface. Once they were out, he moved the tractor forward, then stabilized it before jumping down to retrieve the pieces of rock.

Many of the farmers on Bait used air-conditioning in the cabins of their tractors, but Sandeep, like his father before him, figured that all that would do was make the heat even more unbearable when you had to go out in it, as any competent farmer did often. Of course, most of his peers would have left the rock in the field and not worried about the effect on the crop yield, but Dad had always taught him that if your were going to do a job, you might as well do it right.

The big piece was bit of a struggle - probably more than fifty kilos, but Sandeep managed to get it over the battered edge of the tractor's cargo bed to join the others already there. They would join the growing pile at the edge of the field before he went in for dinner.

As he climbed back into the tractor's cabin, its MI spoke. A general assembly has been called in Bateston. It is to start two hours from now.

"Crap!" Sandeep cursed. The field wasn't going to plow itself, but general assemblies on Bait were attended by everyone not engaged in an essential task at the time, so Sandeep turned off the plow and headed for the house.

He splashed water on his face while his mother fretted over the time, and Sangeeta jabbered excitedly about the UEN ships that had been in orbit since this morning.

"It must be him," she gushed. "I heard he was with the fleet, and I'll bet he's called this meeting."

"'Him' who, dear?" their mother asked, checking the clock on the wall again.

"Him the Commodore," Sangeeta replied disgustedly, as if her mother were the stupidest person in the Galaxy for not knowing. "Oh I hope it is him! If he looks anything like his pictures..."

"Sangeeta!" Vaishnavi exclaimed, "You're talking about the commander of the entire Earth Union space force! The man is old enough to be your grandfather!"

"He doesn't look it on the vid," Sangeeta gushed, "Is it true that he married you and Dad?"

"Yes," Vaishnavi smiled sadly, "We had intended to get married before boarding the ship that brought us here to Bates' World, but there was just so much to do to get ready for the trip that we didn't have time. The Commodore happened to pass us and I don't know what came over me, but I asked him to perform the ceremony. He was very gracious about it."

"Did he come all the way to Bait with you?"

"I do wish you would use the planet's proper name, Sangeeta," Vaishnavi admonished.

"Everyone calls it that," her daughter shrugged with all the self assurance of the precocious thirteen-year-old that she was. "It fits, and it's easier to say than 'Bates World'. Besides, it's far void. 'Bates World' is so atmospheric."

Vaishnavi gazed at her daughter, exasperated by her attitude and the slang she used. That was something she got off the vid, for certain. Most of the kids on Bates' World had not yet picked up on the current Earth slang. She knew the futility of saying anything about it to her daughter, and turned her frustration on her son, instead, even though he didn't deserve it.

"Sandeep! Come on! We're going to be late!"

"Do you want me to go dressed as an oilseed field, mother?" Sandeep replied through the fabric of the clean shirt he was putting on. "I'm just getting cleaned up and changed. I'll be right out!"

Vaishnavi felt guilty about picking on her son. He certainly hadn't given her any cause. After his father died, Sandeep had stepped in and filled his shoes, growing up almost overnight. At seventeen, he should still have had some childhood left, but life on the frontier worlds didn't always allow for such luxuries. God, how she missed Lars! He had always been able to calm even the roughest waters in the middle of a tempest. She was beginning to see that in Sandeep, but he still had some of his youthful impetuousness.

"Okay, let's go!" Sandeep announced, emerging at last with his hair slicked back.

They piled into the family sedan. There had never been any roads on Bates' World, since all of the vehicles used Inertial Drive technology, but lanes were kept cleared along certain routes to make it easier to navigate, since most of their vehicles could not rise above a few feet. As he steered up their private lane, Sandeep realized that he was going to have to mow it again pretty soon. One never ran out of work on a farm.

The parking field at the Grange Hall was slightly less than half full as Sandeep stabilized the sedan in his chosen spot - as near to the entrance as he could get. When they entered the hall, they despaired of getting a decent seat, until Josie Cabot, who had a serious crush on Sandeep, called them over to the seats she had saved for them with her family.

Sandeep didn't mind. Josie was a nice enough girl and would make some farmer a fine wife. He just wasn't sure he was ready to get serious about anyone yet.

"Why, thank you, Josie!" his mother said as she took the middle of the three empty seats. Since Sandeep was obligated to sit next to Josie, this would force Sangeeta to sit in the farthest chair, and hopefully keep her from teasing her brother during the meeting.

"Hi, Mrs. Olsen, 'Geeta," the young lady greeted perfunctorily, then her voice changed. "Hi, Sandeep. I saved these seats for you and your family."

"Um, okay, um, ouch!:" he glared at his mother who had just elbowed him sharply. It took him a moment to realize that her mouth was pantomiming 'Thank you.'

"Oh, um, yeah, thanks, um Josie," he told the young lady as she slipped her arm through his and hugged his biceps between her breasts.

"You're welcome anytime, Sandeep," she replied in a low voice, resting her lustrous auburn haired head on his muscular shoulder. "I wonder what this meeting is about."

If that was intended to get the young man talking, it didn't work. Sandeep had been gregarious enough in school, but since taking over the operation of the farm, he had, of necessity, been spending more and more time alone. It was becoming increasingly hard for him to know how to make small talk. He was saved from having to think of something to say when the Governor of the colony approached the podium.

"I think that's most of us," he said solemnly into the microphone. "It's my understanding that this will be recorded and sent out on vid, too."

What in the world?! Vaishnavi thought to herself. These things are never recorded. There are dozens of more important colonies out there. Whatever on a backwater like Bates' World could be so important that they would want to record it and send it out on vid?

"I know all of you have a lot of questions, and those of you from the farms are anxious to get back to work, but we've got some serious business before us today, so just be patient a little longer. Now, I'm going the let Commodore McClintock have the podium. He'll answer any questions you have. Commodore?"

From twenty feet away, the Commodore, dressed in everyday grays instead of his dress blues, was not an imposing figure. From ten feet away, where Sangeeta and her family sat, he looked better than he did on the vids.

"Oooh!" the young girl couldn't help exclaiming under her breath. "He's stellar!"

"Shush!" Vaishnavi warned.

Instead of standing behind the podium, the Commodore took a position in front and to one side. His eyes seemed to make contact with those of each person in the audience.

"As you are aware," he said in a sepulchral voice, "two weeks ago, local time, a young man under my command attempted to physically consummate his love for one of your own, despite our orders against cohabitation with civilians. Tragically, he underestimated the power of his enhanced muscles, and overestimated his self control. As a result of his lapse in judgment, the young lady was rushed to the hospital where, despite the best efforts of modern medicine, she succumbed to her injuries and died. The young man was taken into military custody and tried under the provisions of the Joint Uniform Code of Military Justice. Since the injuries, though accidental, were caused by his disregard for standing orders, he was found guilty of murder of a civilian, the penalty for which is death."

This brought a gasp from the audience, which transformed into a a groundswell of murmurs as a young man was brought forward in cuffs by two Yuees in full armor, their reflective faceplates keeping them anonymous to the civilians.

"I have asked you here today for three reasons: First, the young man has asked to speak publicly to the young lady's family. Second, you are to witness the execution so that you will understand how seriously we take our obligation to protect you. Third, to prevent further such incidents I have approved certain policy changes that will affect you and other civilians. I will outline those later."

The Commodore stepped to one side and the young man was brought to the front of the stage. He stood for a long moment with his head down, before searching the audience for the faces of the grieving family.

"Mr. and Mrs. Trevor," his voice trembled as he spoke. "You know how much I loved Carolyn. I would never intentionally ... I just thought I could, you know, control myself. I can't ask you to forgive me, because I can never forgive myself. I just want you to know that I am so sorry!"

With that, he broke down sobbing, as did the girl's mother. Mr. Trevor sat, stone faced, only the glistening of moisture in the corners of his eyes betraying how he felt.

When no more was forthcoming from the young man, his guards turned him to face the Commodore.

"In accordance with the provisions of the Joint Uniform Code of Military Justice, you have been found guilty of the murder of a civilian," Colin intoned. "Do you have anything to say before sentence is carried out?"

The young man stiffened and stood at attention before replying. "No sir!"

"Have you made peace with your God?"

"Sir, I can never have peace, but I have made what apologies I can to God and man," the young man's voice almost broke, but his resolve stiffened.

"Then may all of the Gods have mercy upon our souls," Colin said solemnly.

Suddenly, the Commodore's sidearm was in his hand, and before the young man could even think about reacting, the sonobolt had homogenized the gray matter in his brain, killing him instantly. Cries of shock and horror echoed through the hall as Colin holstered his weapon.

Vaishnavi shrieked in horror and gathered her children close. Sangeeta's eyes and mouth were wide with shock, while Sandeep's expression reminded her of Mr. Trevor's from moments before. How could he do this in front of everyone? she thought.

Colin made only a brief apology before continuing on.

"I apologize for bringing such violence into your community," he told the audience, "but I felt it necessary that everyone in the Earth Union understand our commitment to the protection of the civilians in the Union. The loss of this young man was both tragic and avoidable, as was the young lady's death. Human nature being what it is, there will be other incidents of this kind if nothing is done to prevent them. To that end I have made some changes to standing orders that I wish to share with you today. This is particularly important to Bates' World because of the large fleet presence here, which will only grow as the starship factory in orbit around your planet increases its productivity."

"We cannot keep a large enough military police force on any planet to prevent such occurrences, nor would you want us to," Colin continued. "Neither can we police the private lives of either military or civilians, even if we had the manpower. Again, you would not want that, even if it were possible. To that end, we will henceforth make available to civilians who desire to engage in physical relations with military personnel, certain medical procedures to make injury from such relations less likely. These procedures will be made available to anyone above the local age of consent, or that dictated by military law, whichever is older. They will also be held in strictest confidence. The MIs implanted in each member of the military will be able to inform those who wish to engage in relations with a civilian if their prospective partners have had the procedure performed."

Colin waited for the murmurs to subside before continuing. "I will answer questions in a moment. Please let me finish what I have to say, first. In light of this new order, the orders pertaining to cohabitation with civilians are amended to allow relations with civilians who have undergone the aforementioned procedure. This is not a license for military personnel to do as they please. If they attempt intercourse with civilians who have not had these procedures, they will be prosecuted as severely as if the new orders had not been issued. It is our fervent hope that these changes will prevent further tragedies of this sort. I will now take your questions."

"What if I don't want my daughter to have this done?" one of the farmers across the room asked. "Shouldn't you ask my permission first?"

"If your daughter is not above the local age of consent and the military age of consent, she will not be allowed to have the procedure," Colin replied, "but if she is old enough, her privacy will be protected. That is simply respecting the age of consent laws. At least this way she won't meet the fate suffered by Miss Trevor."

"But aren't you just giving the local girls license to practice prostitution?" someone else asked.

"This ruling is not intended to abet or prevent prostitution," the Commodore replied. "That is up to your local legal system. I would think twice about prohibiting prostitution if I were your community, however. Whatever you think of the moral character of women who make their living sleeping with fleet personnel, historically they have served as a kind of buffer between military personnel and the rest of the civilian community. Personnel who can readily find what they need close to base are less likely to look for it in your homes and families."

"Isn't this going to produce a bunch of super-women?"

"First, it is being offered to men as well as women, and no, it will not create stronger men or women," Colin smiled the barest of smiles. "It will only make them more, ahem, durable."

"Can this procedure be reversed?"

"Yes."

There were questions, protests, and general discussion for the next half hour. In the end, Colin put a stop to it by saying, "Ladies and gentlemen, we cannot afford the loss of any more lives over such basic human failings as this. I have heard and understand your concerns, but all of you know what our ultimate goal here is. I am willing to listen to suggestions and even advice, but the decision and the burden is mine alone. That is why I performed the execution myself. I do not wish to perform another."

With that, he turned on his heel and marched from the room.

Sandeep, Vaishnavi and Sangeeta were deep in solemn discussion about the proceedings as they headed across the parking field to their sedan. Suddenly, a figure materialized next to them in full armor.

"Mrs. Olsen," Colin said as his faceplate cleared. "Please allow me to extend my belated condolences on the loss of your husband. I wanted to attend the memorial, but my duties kept me away."

"Commodore!" Vaishnavi gasped in shock as her daughter tugged at her arm with excitement, "You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I apologize for that," Colin said. "My job being what it is these days, I find myself using this stealth armor to avoid my friends more than my enemies, but it does have its drawbacks."

"It's all right," Vaishnavi said, hand over her heaving chest, "It was unexpectedly thoughtful of you to send an actual card when Lars died. Most only sent electronic cards. I was surprised that you even knew."

"I confess that I have asked the MIs to keep me informed of important events in your lives," Colin said, "Since I was the one who married you, I suppose I felt a bit of avuncular attachment to you and Lars and your family."

Sangeeta was tugging at her mother's arm trying to get her attention.

"Whatever do you want, Sangeeta?" Vaishnavi finally asked, slightly irritated. "Can't you see I'm having a conversation?"

"Invite him to dinner, Mother!" Sangeeta whispered excitedly, having apparently forgotten the violence from before.

"The Commodore doesn't have time to waste on us, Sangeeta," her mother whispered back, not at all sure she wanted the man who could so coldly execute someone in her home.

"Ahem," Colin cleared his throat. "I should, perhaps, warn you that my hearing has been enhanced, along with the rest of me, and if you can set a place for one more, I would be delighted to have dinner with you this evening."

"Oh!" Vaishnavi gasped, "Of course. I'm so sorry. It's just that my daughter thinks you're 'stellar', I believe is how she put it. We did not mean to be rude."

"If I'm any student of current slang," Colin grinned, "I'm flattered. I didn't think you rude. I simply didn't want to eavesdrop on a private conversation without your knowledge. Nor do I wish to impose upon you. If dinner is too much trouble..."

"Oh, no! Of course you're invited!" Vaishnavi answered, flustered and feeling a little trapped. "It will be simple fare, I'm afraid. As you know, we don't have livestock here on Bates' World."

"I can have a gourmet meal at almost any restaurant in the Union, almost any time I choose," Colin told her, "It is almost impossible for me to get a home-cooked meal, however, and I would love to sample your cooking."

"My cooking!" Sangeeta said proudly. "I will be doing the cooking tonight."

"Well, there you have it," Vaishnavi laughed nervously, "Sangeeta is an excellent cook, but it takes an event of biblical proportions, or some serious arm-twisting to get her to do it!"

"So this lovely young lady is your daughter, Sangeeta? Then this must be Sandeep." Colin said, turning his attention on the young man. "I can see a lot of your father in you, son."

"You knew my father?" Sandeep asked.

"Only for a brief time," Colin replied, "and he was not much older than you then, but he impressed me as a solid young man with a good head on his shoulders. I see some of the same in you."