The Slide

Chapter 19 — Set-Up: The Hearing

Present Time | Part 2 — A Science Fiction Mystery/Thriller

Jockeying for Position

Ra strode into the Magistrate’s office and sat down opposite him at his desk as if he owned the room. The Magistrate shook his head and then bowed it in exasperation.

“You called me here,” Ra proclaimed. A question of presumption, meant to playfully rattle the Magistrate.

“Well, since you knew I was going to call you, you came before I even had a chance to put out the call. So yes, I called you.”

They looked at each other. Ra surrendered the pomp and righteousness, while the Magistrate let go of most of his indignation.

“Don’t you know what I’m going to say?”

“No, I don’t,” Ra was about to admit a weakness, but he stopped the reveal.

“The inquiry will begin today at 1 pm,” he awaited the reaction.

“I thought as much. I have a formal protest at the ready if needed,” Ra said quietly with some humility. “On what grounds are you going forward.”

“Since the death of the infant and your observations that you have revealed in your relationship with the subject; we will proceed with a reading of the facts to establish a timeline,” the Magistrate said matter-of-fact matching his emotional tenor to Ra’s delivery.

“Do we have the scientific DNA results from the Paris Lab yet?” Ra asked.

“No. But the birthmark is indicative of the baby’s identity.”

“Birthmarks can be fabricated,” Ra bluffed. “We need this new science of DNA to determine if the newborn is who you think he was. And even if he was, there is no bearing in the inquiry’s placing of blame on Farha. It makes no sense.”

“Since when does anything that comes from the Slide make sense?”

Ra stared deeply into the Magistrate’s eyes:

“I know that you know, Louié, that you have used a non-sequitur to make your argument. I am at odds that you would use such a tactic when the law does not support it,” Ra concluded.

“Ah-grudge,” The Magistrate exhaled disgust. “This meeting is over, Ra. Be there at 1 pm or do not. It matters little to this office.”

Ra’s eyes bore deeply into the man behind the office — the Magistrate. He pushed the chair back. It toppled with a clash of wood to the floor but did not break. Ra’s presence once again filled the room, he picked up the chair, straightened it and strode out.

Meeting in the Timeless Place

Ra sat in the dim lavender light within his meditation. He felt the embrace of his teacher Orca and he felt and saw Orca’s thoughts.

It was a layout of the courtroom with the Magistrate, two aides, two of the three court clerks who were masquerading as court clerks, the Governor who was presiding over the court and Ra. An appointed military defender arrived a minute late.

Farha was in the anteroom, locked into a chair with eyelids clamped open. She was being forced to watch the proceeding on an audio/video feed.

Orca downloaded a massive amount of information into Ra’s sensory field and slowly left, dissolving his immense presence. Ra collapsed for a nanosecond that seemed, from his perspective, to have lasted a year. He awakened, stood, yawned and stretched.

I do not worry about assimilating the download. It will be there when needed, Ra thought in a nod to Orca on a stream of distant connection. Between ordinary peoples this would have been a wave hello or goodbye. Orca smiled as only he could.

“Drumhead” — facts

It was just as Ra’s teacher, mentor and guide had laid-out for him. Ra asked to approach the bench where the Governor presided as judge. The Governor/Judge twittered his hand to beckon Ra forward. Ra put the writ there with a sticky note on the blank surface to which the Judge glanced at and made a mental note.

It was as Orca had imparted to Ra, all the players, including the military defender, two of the three clerks — spies for the military. Ra stood and objected to the military defender since Farha had been in the paramilitary organization.

“While that’s true technically, your Honor,” the Magistrate/Attorney for the Prosecution explained and continued, “Section 5 article 91 of the Military Code for Slide Expeditions states that ‘any personnel entering said “Slide” will be treated as a member of the military’.”

“Sustained. And so, noted,” the Judge stated. He cleared his throat and continued:

“Acting as Attorney for the Prosecution: Magistrate. Please present the facts as we now know them regarding Farha Izem.”

The Magistrate appeared lost in thought.

“If you please… Magistrate?”

“Yes. Let us view videotape of the subject, exhibit tapes A and B.”

They viewed all the attacks made by Farha on the guards and the Magistrate and none of the provocations nor attacks of the guards on Farha.

The Magistrate glanced at Ra looking for a response, but Ra did not take the bait.

A transcript of the death confession by Pierre Tueterria was to be read by the Judge, but the Magistrate interceded with some remarks:

“Pierre Tueterria was a messenger for the CC, Civilian Corp and was selected for this mission into the Slide because of his uncanny ability to relay messages and report of events with photographic accuracy. He was found severely wounded and partially dismembered at Ground Zero and was transported to the main bunker there.

His visible wounds had been cauterized, but it was surmised that there were massive internal injuries.”

The Magistrate looked at the Judge and said: “The transcript your honor.”

Ra smiled. The doors to the chamber opened and two officials from Paris entered with three stuffed briefcases.

“What is the meaning of this?” the Magistrate was incensed.

“Order,” the Judge said. “I gave permission for them to interrupt with the DNA evidence and the results.”

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