Mercury's Orbit

by Lia Black

  Sean let out a shuddering breath. “Yeah. Yes…” he nodded quickly.

  Evan nodded in return, accepting the apologies that Sean figured would just keep coming.

  “This is a hell of a way to clear the air between us,” Sean muttered. “I’m sorry…for everything…”

  “Sean, I wouldn’t be here if I had any animosity. I think our relationship ran its course and we were both adult enough to admit it. We can talk about it some other time. Right now I need to hear about what happened. All of it, from the moment you arrived at LunaMax.”

  Sean hadn’t told his story to anyone, and it was both freeing and terrifying to tell it now. He told Evan about Lyttel’s strange behavior, Rodney’s delay tactics, the attack by the militia in the woods, and Mercury’s collapse in the forest. Throughout it all, Evan sat silently, his legs crossed and hands folded over one knee. Sean’s gaze darted everywhere as he spoke, trying not to rest anywhere too long as he fought to keep his emotions in check. He didn’t tell Evan about Mercury’s sexual assaults, or his constant threats to kill him, and he wouldn’t. It might have helped his case if Stockholm Syndrome was going to be the plea, but it put Mercury under a dark lens. Sean didn’t want that for him. He had let himself forgive Mercury for what had happened before—decided to keep it buried and left as just a matter of history—water under the bridge—because near the end, that wasn’t who Mercury had become. He refused to pile more violence and rape onto Mercury’s all ready mile-long rap sheet.

  “The man and woman who were found in the hotel room with you and Mercury claimed that they had come in to rob you and were surprised by Mercury’s arrival,” Evan said when Sean finished. “Sol Labs never came up.”

  “Not surprising,” Sean said. “You’ll have to forgive me if I sound paranoid.”

  Evan leaned back in his chair with a heavy sigh. “You do, but knowing what I know, it’s not without cause.” He examined his manicure. “I’ve had to hire private security, and I’m staying in an apartment under an alias. I was approached in my office—broad daylight, fully staffed—by a man with an envelope full of credits. He wanted me to tell him anything you said to me.”

  Sean gasped. It felt like someone had just punched Sean in the chest. “Fuck…I’m sorry Evan…”

  Evan waved his hand. “This isn’t the first time in my career that somebody has attempted to pay me off, and it won’t be the last. It’s just the ballsiest.” He reached out, touching Sean’s chin, forcing him to look him in the eye. “Sean, this is big. The implications…the evidence…”

  “Mercury’s data?”

  Evan nodded slowly, his hand returning to link with the other one. “Not surprisingly, some of it was corrupted—possibly during transfer, or because of the fact that it was in his head for so long—but it’s Dr. Frederickson Sol’s memoirs, including the information about how he created Mercury, some early investors to the project…”

  “Jeezus,” Sean had suspected that whatever had been stored in Mercury’s head was important, but this was downright damning. “He probably realized he was dying and wanted to leave some legacy…how fucking arrogant.”

  “His arrogance is to your benefit. The man seemed to like the sound of his own voice.”

  “And he jammed all of that into a little kid’s brain,” Sean murmured, remembering the teddy bear Mercury spoke of, how he’d seemed to become a child when he was falling apart because of the pain in his head. It made him sick, made him want to cry.

  “You know this for sure?” Evan’s voice was high with surprise.

  Sean bobbed his head, realizing that his eyes were stinging. “I know what I saw—what I heard. He ran away from Sol Labs when he was fourteen, so it happened before then.”

  Evan swore under his breath, taking a moment to recompose. “I’ve subpoenaed autopsy records for Rodney Reeves. I assume they’ll be inconclusive so I all ready have an exhumation order ready. His family believed in cryo as opposed to cremation. That could be good news for you.” Evan delivered it without emotion, watching Sean’s face.

  Sean swallowed back the stone in his throat, unable to meet Evan’s scrutinous gaze. “And the rest of it? The collusion? Aiding and abetting?”

  “Your psychiatric diagnosis. If anything, this lessens the charges against Mercury, but opens up an entirely new set for Sol Labs. I’ve been speaking to the prosecuting attorney; she’s a veteran, a good person, and about as fiercely driven towards law and order as you always were.” Evan offered a crooked, apologetic smile.

  “She’s willing to risk her safety to go after Sol Labs?”

  “All of that just adds to the evidence against them, so yeah. I think she’s up to it. She’s agreed to let me present the evidence at your trial. That means a room full of people—including the media—will be witness to what Sol Labs has been up to. Regardless of the size of their militia or bankroll, Sol Labs can’t silence them all.”

  37

  The day of Sean’s trial came only a few days after meeting with Evan. Because of the alleged security risk involved with space travel, in an unprecedented move, the Tribunal came to them.

  Evan’s security team dispatched decoy vehicles on the way to the trial—driverless transports loaded with security drones. Sean was glad that they’d had that kind of foresight as both vehicles were intercepted and blasted to shrapnel down in some blind alley.

  The justices of the tribunal sat stone-faced as they listened to both sides. Five of the six of them weren’t human, and Sean found himself studying their features, wondering if any of their races had contributed to making Mercury. He did not do the same with the jury. The last thing he needed was to be accused of trying to intimidate a juror during trial. The suit he was wearing belonged to Evan’s husband. Sean had tried to tell Evan no, but realized the kind of impression he’d make sitting at the table in his prison grays. So he sat, trying not to fidget, wearing a suit that shouldn’t have been too big on him, but was, probably cost his year’s salary as a cop, and belonged to his ex’s new husband. He was struggling to keep the threat of giddy laughter at bay, beginning to believe that the irony might make him lose his mind.

  Sean knew what to expect of the process; he’d been to court plenty of times before, just never as a defendant. The prosecution was a hawk-faced woman in her late fifties. She was human and looked well put together with her short, silver-blonde hair and designer suit. The federation’s case opened by discussing Rodney Reeves, flashing pictures of him on the vid com, starting when he was an infant. Sean looked away from the red-haired, red-faced baby hovering, projected, above the courtroom floor. It was difficult to see him as anything but a brat after what had happened on the transport.

  “It is the Federation’s belief that Former CSD Sergeant Sean Argeneau—who was previously a pilot in the federation military—deliberately changed the shuttle’s course when it was his turn to fly, but was confronted by Officer Reeves,” the prosecutor began. “There was evidence of a physical altercation and Officer Reeves suffered a broken nose and several broken teeth in the assault.”

  Sean almost wished he had killed the bastard when he’d had the chance.

  More circumstantial evidence was laid out, but no mention of the hunters or mercenary units sent by Sol Labs. Sean wasn’t surprised, but at this point he wasn’t sure if the evidence wasn’t there, or if the prosecutor had been paid to suppress it. Then it was time for witness statements. Sean swallowed back the sick in his throat when Tim—the guard from LunaMax— was called to testify. Tim shot him nervous glances from the witness stand as he talked about how he’d met Sean in the prison, then spent most of the evening with him in his hotel room. There was nothing damning, but he did mention how Mercury seemed to respond to Sean at the prison.

  “He was drugged, behind four layers of sound-proofed one-way glass. He shouldn’t have been able to see or hear anything, but when Sergeant Argeneau stepped up to the window, Fie stared right at him…like he knew he was there…”

  “Obje
ction. Speculation.” Evan said clearly.

  “Sustained,” one of the judges said with a small nod.

  While Sean appreciated the effort Evan was putting in, he wasn’t sure it would do any good. Yes, the evidence was circumstantial, but if there was enough of it to sway the jury, he’d be accused of Rodney’s death at the very least. While he wouldn’t get the death penalty for that, he would be in for a very uncomfortable life sentence.

  When it came time for Evan to cross-examine Tim, he remained seated behind the defense’s table. “Officer Krantz, is it true that after you met my client outside of Mercury Fie’s cell that you made arrangements to meet him after your shift?”

  Tim glanced quickly at Sean. “Um, yes.”

  “Then the exchange between my client and Mercury Fie wasn’t so disturbing you weren’t willing to meet him for a drink…or more?”

  The prosecutor shot up from her seat. “Objection!”

  “Overruled.”

  Evan shook his head, leaning back in his chair. “I have no further questions for this witness.”

  When Lyttel took the stand, Sean felt like he’d been smacked with a board. Lyttel told the jury about how Sean seemed fascinated by one of the prisoners being restrained when they were headed down to see Mercury. Lyttel’s wormy mouth twisted into a crooked leer as he raised his eyebrows with a pretense of innocence, flashing Sean a look every opportunity he got.

  Sean was a bit dismayed that Evan hadn’t cross-examined Lyttel, though he appreciated that he hadn’t spoken to Tim. It was weird enough having to listen to his sex life being discussed, especially in front of his former lover, he didn’t need the jury hearing all of the details.

  “Your honors, “ Evan said as Lyttel was leaving the witness stand. “I would like to request that Warden Lyttel remain in the courtroom. I’d like to reserve my chance to cross-examine him after I have presented all of my evidence.”

  “Seems reasonable,” one of the judges said and the others nodded in agreement. “Ms. Feinsted?” he addressed the prosecuting attorney.

  “No objections, your honors.”

  “Alright. Warden Lyttel, you are hereby directed to remain within a fifty-foot radius of the courtroom until further notice.”

  That wiped the twisted smirk off of Lyttel’s ghoulish face.

  After what seemed like several hours, the prosecution rested and it was the defense’s turn to lay out their rebuttal. Evan didn’t waste time trying to tell the jury the story of Sean’s childhood, which was likely for the best. Instead he called as his first witness, one of Sean’s closest co-workers. Tammy.

  “Please state your name for the record,” Evan said as she took a seat.

  “Sergeant Tammy Steel.”

  “And can you please tell the court how you know Officer Argeneau?”

  “We’re…we were…co-workers and squad leaders for the CSD.”

  “Civilian Security Department, is that right?”

  “Yes.” Tammy nodded.

  “Sergeant Steel, can you tell me what it takes to be a squad leader with the CSD? Is it a position to which any officer can aspire?”

  Tammy shook her head, her brown curls bobbing. “No. You have to have at least seven years on the force and an exemplary service record.”

  “And what sorts of things are expected to be on a candidate’s service record?”

  “Strength of character, loyalty to the law, fellow officers, and the community…”

  “They have to have letters of commodation and service awards as well, right?”

  “Yes sir. Sergeant Argeneau had all of that and more. In fact, he had so much that they’d wanted to move him directly to head office.”

  “But you said he was a squad leader. Isn’t that a lower-ranking position?”

  “It is, sir. But Sean—Sergeant Argeneau—felt his place was in the field. As long as I’ve worked with him, he’s never cut corners, never taken the quick way when there was a right way, and he’s never put any of his squad into a situation of unnecessary risk.”

  “You sound as though you are very familiar with his leadership style, Sergeant Steel.”

  “I am sir,” Tammy said with a sharp nod of her head. “He was my squad leader. In fact, it was his leadership that inspired me to work towards a position as a squad leader myself.”

  Sean pursed his lips, looking down at his hands. It was both gratifying and uncomfortable to hear how much she’d thought of him. He’d never tried to do anything but his job, and it came as a surprise that he’d been an inspiration.

  “Can you tell me what happened on the night of March 28th?”

  “Yes sir. We ran a raid on Mercury Fie’s compound.”

  “We? Was Sergeant Argeneau part of that raid?”

  Tammy nodded again. “Yes sir. First wave. Did a perimeter sweep. The grounds were crawling with mercenaries hired by Fie. Sergeant Argeneau’s squad cleared it, gave us a straight shot in and watched our backs when we came out.”

  “Does it seem plausible that a man who was well acquainted with Mercury Fie would want to help the CSD raid his facility?”

  The prosecutor rose from her table. “Objection. Leading the witness.”

  “Sustained. Mr. Seaton?”

  “I’ll rephrase the question,” Evan said and tapped his knuckle against his top lip, something Sean knew he did when he was thinking.

  “Sergeant Steel, did it appear to you that Sergeant Argeneau had any familiarity with the facility before the night in question?”

  Tammy shook her head. “No sir, I mean no more than the rest of us. We all had maps, and Officer Craig—the informant—had specific knowledge of the inside of the building; but the grounds…no, we really had very little to go by.”

  “Did Sergeant Argeneau seem hesitant to lead the raid?”

  “No sir. He was as pumped up as the rest of us. We even went to the bar afterward to celebrate.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant. No further questions.”

  Sean tensed when the prosecution asked to cross-examine Tammy. He was aware that the crux of case against him sought to discredit the defense of Stockholm syndrome, which was what he assumed Evan was still pushing for. Evan had tried to discuss his strategy with Sean a few times, but Sean wasn’t listening. His head was too messed up to find a way out, so he trusted that Evan would do his best, and the outcome would be what the outcome would be.

  “Sergeant Steel, from what I gather about being considered for a squad leader position, there are a lot of things taken into account. Is there any psychological testing done?”

  “Um,” Tammy swallowed, glancing at Sean. “Yes ma’am.”

  “And because Sergeant Argeneau ascended not only to the rank of squad leader, but was considered for a higher officer’s position, could it be safely assumed that he passed the psychological evaluation?”

  “Y-yes ma’am. He’d have to.”

  “Thank you, Sergeant. No further questions.”

  Tammy shot Sean an apologetic look, but he smiled at her and gave her a nod. She’d done her job, and he couldn’t fault her for telling the truth.

  Sean was surprised and relieved when Evan called his CO to the stand. He’d always respected the man and the thought that he’d been bought out had been discouraging.

  “Can you please state your name and job title for the record?”

  “Captain Edward Roth, I’m the CO—commanding officer for the CSD Eastern District Squad.”

  “Sergeant Argeneau reported to you, is that right?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “We’ve all ready heard testimony about Sergent Argeneau’s character and career record. Do you have anything to add to that?”

  “No sir, except to say that Argeneau was the straightest cop I’ve ever seen…I mean…legally speaking.”

  The jury got a laugh in as Roth floundered a little, apologizing for his poor choice of words.

  Evan smiled. “That’s quite all right, Captain. I think we understand what you meant. Capta
in, can you tell me about the events leading up to April second, when Sergeant Argeneau was dispatched to LunaMax to transport Mercury Fie to the Galactic Tribunal.” Evan nodded to the judges, acknowledging them as he said it.

  “The thing about that,” Roth started, “was that they’d asked for him specifically.”

  “Was that unusual?” Evan asked.

  “Yes and no. Argeneau had made a couple of trips to LunaMax for small things, but the CSD has two other qualified pilots who usually make the longer runs.”

  “And why was it that Sergeant Argeneau didn’t make long flights?”

  “Well, it’s part of his professional record that he gets jump-sick. The trip from LunaMax to Amara is ten light years—that’s a hell of a lot of jumps. Seemed odd that they would want a co-pilot who’d be down for most of the trip.”

  “And you mentioned this to the person putting in the request from LunaMax?”

  “I did sir. It was Warden Lyttel who’d requested it.”

  “And that was odd as well?”

  “Yes sir. Usually he has someone on staff do it. I figured if he was calling himself and asking that he must have had a good reason so I agreed to send Sergent Argeneau.”

  Again the prosecution rose from her seat. “Objection. Your honors, I fail to see the relevance in this line of questioning…”

  “Overruled; but, Mr. Seaton, I trust that you have a good reason for this line of questioning?” A female, non-human judge said, her brow lifted and she cocked her head at Evan.

  “I do, your honor. I have no further questions of this witness,” Evan said with a smile.

  “Fine. Is there anything else then, Mr. Seaton?” the judge asked.

  “Yes, your honor. I’d like to call my client, the defendant, to the witness stand.” Evan rose from his seat behind the table, giving Sean a small tip of his head.

  Sean’s mouth was dry, his throat tightening as he rose to his feet. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room upon him as he made his way up to the front of the courtroom. The floor felt like mud under his feet; too soft, sucking him down with each step forward.