“I’ll give Ms. Dobson my research and a summary of your case. If she decides not to accept it, we’ll let you know promptly so you can find an attorney in time. There are many very good for-fee attorneys and other public attorneys who don’t have such long waiting times.”
▼
Claire answered Khyla Sims’ call the next morning. “Ms. Dobson will take your case. She said it has issues she would like to pursue.”
▼
David challenged Claire to a dogfight in the maneuvering control simulators. As before, they took off their communications devices in the bedroom.
After they were soundproofed in the simulators, he said, “You can accompany me on a test flight in February. That way, it won’t look suspicious when you go with me after the trial.
“We can launch with full fuel and supplies and be in space each day while the judges are actively considering our case. If they decide against us, we’ll ask NASA to launch the settlers, join the two ships, and keep going to Bedford.”
“Okay,” Claire said. “But how will we know when they are considering our case and what the decision is?”
“We’ll ask Elf. It’s normal for people to be concerned about their cases.”
“What if the settlers don’t launch?” she asked.
“Then we’ll go it alone. I’ve ordered Bec Corporation to start building the next tractor as soon as the one they’re building now is delivered. It can bring the settlers a few months later. If we leave, Bec will continue to build a continuous stream of tractors and housing units, so every few months we’ll have a new batch of settlers for company on Bedford.”
“Can they force us to come back?” she asked.
“We’re building the new ship with our money. Legally, it’s ours. If anybody tries to stop us, we shut off communications and continue acceleration. I don’t think we could be stopped without deadly force. I can’t imagine this society would allow that.”
“It sounds like a good plan, David, but I hope we don’t have to go.”
“Me, too.”
“What’re we going to call the new starship?”
“I don’t know. A lot of good names have been taken,” he said. “Any ideas?”
“It’ll be flying to Bedford. How about Michael?”
“Starship Michael it is.”
▼
On January 5th, one of Ms. Dobson’s senior legal assistants interviewed Claire and David extensively. “Dr. Archer,” RandiLeigh Jones asked, “do you still plan to return to medicine?”
Claire shook her head. “Our PLC interview was only five days after we returned to Earth, and I still had my twenty-first century mindset. Since then, I’ve learned there’s no shortage of doctors. I plan to become a full-time mother until after my children are grown.”
“General Archer,” Ms. Jones asked, “other than your duties as an Air Force pilot, have you ever been in an altercation?”
“Yes,” David answered.
“What were the circumstances?”
“When I was in elementary school, bullies were punching a smaller kid on the school playground, and I stepped in. After a few punches, the bullies ran away. At another time, Claire was being assaulted. I stopped her assailant before the police arrived.”
“What were the consequences?”
“I was suspended from elementary school for three days. The man that assaulted Claire was sentenced to life in prison without parole on another charge.”
“If you had it to do over again, would you do the same?”
“Yes.”
▼
The interview with Lauren Dobson on January 24th was short. She said she intended to introduce their military decorations in her filing and during the hearing.
“Do you think that’s wise?” Claire asked. “This is a peaceful society, and the story about how David got his Air Force Cross may be considered gory.”
“I think your medals reflect courage and strength of character and it’s best to address potentially negative issues head on.”
On January 29, 2554, Ms. Dobson filed a motion to dismiss the appeal on the grounds of unlawful discrimination by Bernice Moore and Jason Kim. A hearing on the motion was scheduled for Tuesday, February 18, 2554.
▼
Michael’s tractor section was ready for inspection and test flights on Monday, February 10th.
David flew one of their taxis with manual flight controls over the Mojave Desert with Claire in a front passenger seat looking over his shoulder. A gleaming tower in the distance grew into what resembled a shining skyscraper as they approached.
The most prominent feature was two dozen pairs of massive, noise-canceling engines mounted around the top. To defend the settlers from attack, a laser cannon in a swivel mount between each engine pair drew power from both engines. Each of the 24 cannons could independently swivel to target more than half of the space around the ship: simultaneous fire from at least 13 laser cannons could target any point around the ship.
David hovered close to top of the ship and circled it while he carefully inspected the engines and cannons. Then he inspected the rest of the ship as he spiraled down around it to land.
The inspection ended with Claire and David at the shirtsleeve command console where visual images of everything on the monitors were razor sharp.
David said, “We could have brought back much more data with this system.”
“But would our data storage have been able to hold it all?”
“The new data storage could handle it.” He grinned. “Maybe we should do it all over again.”
She said, “Have a nice trip.”
▼
David finished Michael’s test flights in time for Claire to fly it on the day before the hearing. She enjoyed flying the powerful new ship, but the thought of leaving Earth again made her sad.
Chapter 44
Claire and David met with Lauren Dobson briefly before the hearing. She told them that eight depositions supporting their license had been entered into the record. Five were from experts in the field of child welfare. Three were from other members of the Malibu Parent Licensing Committee.
Claire asked, “How many depositions have been entered supporting the appeal?”
Ms. Dobson said, “One from Bernice Moore, and one from Jason Kim.”
▼
The courtroom was small and resembled a 21st-century courtroom. The only occupants were Bernice Moore, Jason Kim, their attorney, Claire, David, Lauren Dobson, and a police robot standing off to the side of the courtroom.
Three judges entered and took their seats. Chief Judge Jessica DeMille called the hearing to order and called the case of Moore and Kim vs. the Malibu Parent Licensing Committee.
Both attorneys made opening statements, and then Moore and Kims’ attorney called Bernice Moore to the witness stand. Jason Kim was escorted to a witness waiting room so he would not hear or be influenced by Bernice’s testimony.
In response to her attorney’s questions, Ms. Moore testified that she did not believe Claire and David were capable of being good parents: they came from a brutal culture and could not rise above what was so deeply ingrained in their characters. And she did not believe that Doctor Archer would be willing to give up a career in medicine to be there for her child.
Lauren Dobson cross-examined. “Ms. Moore, do you have any information about Doctor Claire Archer and General David Archer other than the fact that they are 21st century Americans?”
“Certainly. I learned about them in history class in school, I’ve seen several movies about them, and I watched a two-hour special on TV about them last year.”
“What do you know about them?” Lauren asked.
“They are brave and rich celebrities who are undoubtedly typical of the brutal society from which they came. Both were officers in military service sworn to defend America with violence. David Archer has a history of violence. He’s a killer of men and animals. They can’t throw off everything they’ve been taught lik
e a snake sheds its skin.”
Lauren said, “We ask the court to note that what Ms. Moore said is her opinion and some of it is in dispute here. Her opinion is important overall, however, because it reveals her state of mind.”
Judge Jessica DeMille said, “So noted.”
Then Lauren asked Bernice, “Despite what they said before the Malibu Parent Licensing Committee?”
“Yes,” Bernice answered. “People naturally want to present their best case when being questioned by authority. We expect them to dissemble.”
“During the PLC’s deliberations about the Archers’ application, you said, ‘We’re not here to mollycoddle celebrities.’ What did you mean by that?” Lauren asked.
“I meant we weren’t there to give them a license just because they’re celebrities. Just because they’re famous and rich and have achieved great things doesn’t mean they would be good parents. The fact that they came from culture where violence was common and all but worshiped is more relevant.”
“You said David Archer killed animals. When did he do that?”
“I watched a movie that said he hunted deer with a bow when he was a teenager.”
“Did the movie say why he hunted deer?”
“I believe it said to help feed the people at the ranch where he grew up.”
“Do you eat meat, Ms. Moore?”
“I eat manufactured meat, not killed meat.”
“Did manufactured meat exist in the twenty-first century?” Lauren asked.
“If I remember correctly, it was invented about the year twenty-sixty.”
“While Cougar Flight was in space?” Lauren asked.
“Yes,” Bernice replied. “They had been gone about ten years by then.”
“Did you ask Elf to do any special research into the backgrounds of Claire and David Archer before their PLC hearing?”
“No. I felt I knew enough about them.”
“Yet, did you not say to the other members of the Malibu PLC during discussion of their application, ‘We just don’t have enough information to be able to make a sound judgment?’”
“Yes. That was in reference to their family backgrounds and histories. Elf has always been able to give us details about the family histories of our applicants.”
“Is it fair to say that you did not feel you had enough information to vote for their application, but you’re certain you have enough information to vote against their application and file an appeal?”
Bernice said, “All of the information I have relative to them being good parents is negative. Twenty-first-century America was a brutal culture with a high rate of violent crime. It had the death penalty and the highest incarceration rate in the world: with only about 5% of the world’s population, it had more than 20% of the world’s prisoners. It used its military might to attack smaller nations and try to bend them to its will. Its entertainment was saturated with violence and glorification of violence.”
Lauren asked, “Did you inquire about the psychological fitness profiles prepared by NASA for Claire and David Archer?”
“No, but if I may point out, the requirements to fly a spaceship and the requirements to be a good parent are two different things.”
“Do you know about Doctor Claire Archer’s Distinguished Flying Cross?”
“I don’t know what that is.”
“It’s a medal awarded for heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in an aerial flight,” Lauren said. “We included the official citation for Doctor Archer’s DFC in our filing. Display the citation, Elf.”
The citation appeared on the court’s display screens. Lauren said, “This citation states that Doctor Archer risked her life to be lowered from a hovering helicopter at night in turbulence to a train wreck surrounded by fire. It also says she was burned as she worked through the night in freezing weather to provide medical care for injured people. Is this a satisfactory explanation, Ms. Moore?”
“Yes.”
“Does that sound like the behavior of a brutal person?”
“No.”
“Does that sound like the behavior of a person who cares enough about others to risk her life to help them?”
Bernice hesitated, and then said, “Yes.”
“Did you know about General Archer’s medals?”
“I know he has some,” Bernice answered.
Lauren told Elf to display the citation for David’s Distinguished Flying Cross. “This citation states that then Lieutenant David Archer was assigned to provide fighter escort protection for Air Force One with the President on board. When a missile was fired at the plane, Lieutenant Archer put his plane and his life between the missile and President. He led the missile away and caused it to crash with no damage to any person or property. Is this a satisfactory explanation?”
Bernice said, “Yes, that’s satisfactory.”
“Does that behavior by David Archer sound like the behavior of a killer, Ms. Moore?”
“No.”
Lauren addressed the court. “To avoid confusion with numbers, it should be noted here that David Archer shot down two enemy airplanes on missions before the mission I will be discussing. His United States Air Force records credit him with shooting down a total of nineteen enemy airplanes.”
The chief judge nodded and said, “So noted.”
Lauren asked for David’s Air Force Cross citation to be displayed. Then she said, “This citation states that Captain Archer was assigned to combat air patrol over Africa. His flight was part of an effort, sanctioned by the United Nations, to try to prevent genocide. Captain Archer placed his life at extreme risk to destroy sixteen fighter-bombers heavily laden with bombs on their way to kill and maim men, women, and children in a refugee camp. He also shot down a seventeenth fighter plane that attacked him with missiles and cannon fire.
“Do you wish to read the citation, Ms. Moore, or is this a satisfactory explanation?”
“Does that mean he shot down seventeen airplanes in one day?” Bernice asked.
“Yes. On one flight, in one day.”
“That sounds like a lot. Has the number been verified?”
“Yes,” Lauren said. “General Archer was originally recommended for the Medal of Honor, and the information has been redundantly verified. We can ask for a recess if you wish to review the documentation.”
“That won’t be necessary. I accept your explanation. Why didn’t he get the Medal of Honor?”
“From what I understand, he was not injured and his plane was not damaged.”
“He must have been an excellent pilot.”
Lauren asked, “Under the circumstances that David Archer faced, can you think of any way that he could have stopped the slaughter of children without destroying the fighter bombers?”
Bernice was thoughtful before she shook her head. “No, but I’m not an expert.”
“Isn’t part of your job, your duty, to protect children, Ms. Moore?”
Bernice Moore straightened in the witness chair. With a determined expression, she said, Absolutely, and I take my duty very seriously.”
“Ms. Moore, if it was absolutely necessary and there was no reasonable alternative, would you kill to save a child’s life?” Lauren asked.
Bernice appeared to be taken aback, and she did not answer.
After a minute, Lauren addressed Judge DeMille, “We ask that the record show that the witness is mute. We have no further questions for this witness.”
Bernice Moore appeared to be shaken as she left the witness stand. After she was escorted from the courtroom, Jason Kim’s attorney called him back into the courtroom and called him as a witness.
Kim’s testimony was similar to Bernice Moore’s, and Lauren cross examined. At the end, he said, “I don’t think I would know how to kill anybody.”
The plaintiffs’ attorney rested their case.
Lauren called Claire to the witness stand and asked questions that allowed her to explain that she loved children and wanted a family.
Then Lauren asked, “Would you be willing to give up the practice of medicine to be a mother?”
“Yes, I plan to do that. Since I’ve been back on Earth, I’ve learned I’m not needed as a physician here as much as I was in the twenty-first century. My children will need me. I intend to be there for them and be the best mother I can be.”
“Children?” Lauren asked.
“Yes. I would like to have at least three.”
The plaintiffs’ attorney had no questions for Claire.
Lauren called David as a witness. Her questions led him to explain why he wanted a family. Then she asked, “Why did you want to be a fighter pilot?”
“I love to fly,” David answered, “and flying fighters is the most challenging. It also gave me the opportunity to serve my country.”
“Did you ever expect to be rich?” Lauren said.
He shook his head, “I hoped I’d be able to live and retire with an adequate income. But I never expected to be rich.”
Lauren asked, “So you thought serving your country would be a sacrifice?”
He shook his head. “No. I made enough money, and it was satisfying to know I was doing a job for my country that needed to be done.”
“Why did you want to be an astronaut?”
“It was another way I could fly and serve my country.”
“Was it better than flying fighters?” Lauren asked.
“Yes, in one way,” he answered.
“What’s that?” she asked.
“I don’t like killing. Astronauts aren’t required to do that.”
After a pause, Lauren said, “Your witness.”
The attorney for Bernice Moore, Jason Kim, stood up behind his table and said, “General Archer, do you intend to hunt deer or other animals?”
“No, I do not.”
▼
At the end of Lauren Dobson’s closing argument, she said, “Elements of the preamble to the Constitution apply directly to this case: ‘Justice is the absence of injustice.’ And ‘The government of the United States shall eliminate and prevent crime and injustice.’
“The evidence presented to this court clearly shows that the plaintiffs’ actions constitute prejudice and discrimination. They assumed that because Doctor Claire Archer and General David Archer came from a violent culture that they were also violent. And once the plaintiffs had made their false assumptions, they refused to consider other evidence.
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