Transcender Trilogy Complete Box Set

by Vicky Savage

  “The Justices may have a question or two for you, but then you’re finished. I’m going to try to put Ralston on next. Cathcart will raise a big fuss about automatons not being allowed to testify in legal proceedings. But it’s not unheard of, and these Justices may allow it.”

  Ralston nods solemnly. He hasn’t eaten a bite of his cheese soufflé, causing me to wonder if automatons can get a nervous stomach even if they don’t have stomachs.

  We return to the courtroom and get ourselves situated at counsel table once again. The spectator crowd has swollen since this morning. People overflow into the aisles, propping up against the walls or sitting on the stairs.

  The clerk steps to the front of the room. “All rise,” he says. The draperies part, and the Justices appear once again and take their seats.

  Justice Goodspeed clips on her microphone. “Miss Beckett,” she says, “would you please return to the witness stand? The Justices have a few questions for you.”

  I move to the witness box and resume my seat.

  Justice Goodspeed nods to Justice Juma on her left. He’s a large man, with graying, curly, black hair. If I remember Ted’s cheat sheet correctly, he’s from Kenya on an earth I’d never heard of.

  “Miss Beckett,” Justice Juma says in a deep baritone, “the automaton that attacked you at the palace, was he positively identified as an IUGA automaton?”

  “Yes, Mr. Justice.” I glance at Ted and he nods. “I identified him using special glasses Ralston lent to me. I was able to get a photo and an ID number. It should be in our filings.”

  “And did you personally see this automaton kill someone?” Juma asks.

  “As I previously testified, my guard, Patrick, ran onto the balcony to disarm the automaton. What I actually saw was Patrick being blown backward by the force of a rifle shot. Then I heard another shot, and I assumed the automaton had killed the guard with him on the balcony. After that, I saw him emerge from the balcony aiming a rifle. He threatened the guards in my room. Later I saw him shoot at me, but he missed.”

  “How did you finally escape from him?” the Justice asks.

  “Several of my guards and I attacked him. He was thrown against the wall by something or someone and landed face-down on the floor. I grabbed his rifle and used the butt to disable the nerve center at the base of his neck.”

  “I see. Thank you,” Juma says.

  Justice O’Brien, a thin woman with a dishwater blonde bun speaks up. “Miss Beckett, were there any other behaviors of Mr. Ralston that indicated he was operating outside the authority of IUGA?”

  “Yes, a few. He disclosed other information to me that, according to that manual, he shouldn’t have. Oh, and he secretly took a necklace from IUGA’s vault. The necklace belonged to me, and he knew it had sentimental value. He did it as a favor.”

  “Did you ask him to?” she asks.

  “No, Madame Justice. He did it on his own.”

  She nods, and Justice Cheung from Hong Kong asks the next question. “Miss Beckett, I am troubled by what you call your rescue of the automaton Ralston. This appears to me to be a theft of property and information. On what basis do the Transcenders claim that ownership of the automaton, or his memory data, has passed to them?”

  The question throws me a little, and I gulp loudly. Can they really be considering returning Ralston to IUGA? I compose my answer carefully.

  “Mr. Justice Cheung, I’m not a lawyer, but I will tell you what I know. Ralston feared that IUGA would dismantle him and use him for parts once they discovered his disloyalty. Since he had just saved my life and those of several others, I promised him I wouldn’t let that happen.” I take a sip of water, recalling what Ted had argued in the criminal court.

  “When he went missing, we had some ideas about where to look for him. IUGA had removed his arms and legs. They threw the rest of him onto a pile of garbage outside their fence that was scheduled to be picked up by the city and incinerated. The lawyers tell me this is called abandonment, and that anyone who claims abandoned property is the new owner.”

  “But IUGA says in a sworn affidavit that the abandonment was accidental, and they did not intend to relinquish ownership of the automaton,” Cheung says.

  “It didn’t appear accidental to me, Mr. Justice. It looked like they intended to have him burned to ash.”

  He cocks a dark eyebrow and nods grimly.

  Justice Goodspeed glances to her right and then to her left. The other justices shake their heads. “Miss Beckett,” she says. “Before we excuse you, I have a few questions. Do you have any special knowledge or training in computers or robotics which would render you capable of altering Mr. Ralston’s programs?”

  “No Madame Justice. I’m okay with my home computer, but anything more complicated than that, and I’m lost.”

  “Are you familiar with the term source code?”

  “Not really. I think it’s something software programmers use.”

  “And you’ve never had any experience writing source code?”

  “None at all.”

  “Thank you Miss Beckett. You may step down. And Mr. King, you may call your next witness.

  “Madame Justice, I wish to call Constantine Albrecht Ralston to the stand.”

  FORTY-NINE

  Cathcart is up and out of his seat with lightning speed, impressive for a man his size. “Madame Justice, as was indicated earlier, this Ralston character is an automaton. It is well established in the law that automatons may not testify in legal proceedings. The iris scanning equipment is not effective on robots, and we’ve already heard testimony that this particular robot has the ability if not the propensity to lie whenever it wants to.”

  “Mr. King, the weight of the law is in Mr. Cathcart’s favor on this point,” Goodspeed says. “Do you have anything that might persuade us to rule otherwise?”

  “Honorable Justices,” Ted says to the panel. “I could give you the emotional argument that Mr. Ralston’s actions in saving numerous human lives have shown him to be an individual of principle and morals. But I prefer to give you the logical argument. Why not?” He holds up his palms and shrugs.

  “Mr. Ralston is a key figure in this lawsuit,” Ted continues. “Why not hear what he has to say? Mr. Cathcart implies that since the iris scanners do not work on automatons, you will not know if he’s lying. Therefore, you may be duped. I disagree. You are five distinguished Justices with decades of experience among you. Who better to judge whether or not Mr. Ralston’s words ring true? What harm is there in hearing him out?”

  “Give us a moment,” Justice Goodspeed says. She turns off the microphone system, and the justices huddle behind the bench once again. This discussion takes longer and appears to be more contentious than the previous one. After a nerve-racking five minutes, they return to their positions at the bench.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” Justice Goodspeed says. “We have decided to allow the testimony of the automaton, Mr. Ralston, with the stipulation that should this court determine at the close of Mr. Ralston’s testimony that it has muddied rather than clarified this case, we reserve the right to have the testimony stricken from the record.”

  “Thank you Madame Justice,” Ted says. He motions for Ralston to come forward to the witness stand.

  Justice Goodspeed doesn’t give Ralston the instruction on the iris scanning equipment. Instead she says, “Mr. Ralston, you are expected to speak the truth to this court. I caution you that if we believe your testimony is untruthful in any way, we will strike it in its entirety from the record and not consider it in making our decision. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, Madame Justice,” Ralston says. He looks handsome in his tweed suit, hands folded neatly in his lap.

  On Ted’s request Ralston states his full name for the record. “And what is your registration number?” Ted asks.

  “My current Arumel Registration Number is XM261702.”

  “Thank you Mr. Ralston. And what was your IUGA ID Number when you worked for th
at agency?”

  “D7829,” he says.

  “Thank you. Now, please tell the court how you first learned about Miss Beckett.”

  “I was assigned to Earth H87D at the time. The then IUGA Director, Zarbain, called me into his office and told me Miss Beckett was predicted to accidentally shift into my sector, thereby disrupting a significant event about to take place there. He pulled me from my current assignment and ordered me to assist her in assuming a temporary identity, and to watch over her until IUGA could work out a way to send her home.”

  “Was Miss Beckett aware at the time that she was a Transcender?”

  “No. She was a first-timer. Normally these first shifts come as a complete shock to the unsuspecting person.”

  “Were you instructed to conceal the fact that she is a Transcender from Miss Beckett?”

  “Yes. I was told to keep the Transcenders away from her at all costs.”

  “Do you know why you were given that instruction?” Ted asks.

  “At the time, I assumed it was because my director had a prejudice against Transcenders. But I’ve since been told that it was because he knew she posed a threat to IUGA, and he wanted to send her back to Earth 7Y12 permanently.”

  Cathcart stands. “Objection, Madame Justice. This is hearsay, twice removed.”

  Goodspeed addresses Ralston. “Who told you that the former director knew she was a threat to IUGA?”

  “Director Canto,” he says.

  “Mr. Cathcart I assume you intend to call Director Canto,” Goodspeed says, “since he is listed as your only witness. Hence, you may ask him what he did or did not tell Mr. Ralston. Objection overruled.”

  “Yes, Madame Justice.” Cathcart reseats himself.

  Ted continues. “Now Mr. Ralston, the court is most interested in the events that took place beginning with the day you visited Miss Beckett in Connecticut up until the present. On the day you offered Miss Beckett the opportunity to return to Domerica, were you aware that anyone at IUGA perceived her as a threat to the continued existence of the agency?”

  “No I was not.”

  “Did Director Canto ask you to persuade Miss Beckett to accept IUGA’s offer?”

  “No. I was promised my old position back as a Senior Agent if Miss Beckett agreed to return to Domerica. But Director Canto told me he was quite certain she would readily accept since she had been forced to leave Domerica against her will.”

  “And who forced her to return to Connecticut against her will?”

  Cathcart is on his feet again. “Objection. This is in the stipulated facts. We’re covering old ground here.”

  “That is true,” Goodspeed says. “Mr. King, please move on.”

  “Apologies Madame Justice,” Ted says. “Mr. Cathcart is correct. The parties have stipulated that IUGA forced Miss Beckett to leave Domerica.”

  “Madame Justice,” Cathcart blusters, “is counsel now testifying?”

  “Mr. Cathcart, sit down,” Goodspeed says. “Mr. King, move on to new ground or this witness will be excused.”

  “Sorry,” Ted says. “Mr. Ralston when did you first become aware of Director Canto’s concern that Miss Beckett posed a threat to the agency?”

  “On the day I returned to headquarters to have the legal department prepare the final contracts for Miss Beckett’s signature.”

  “What did Director Canto tell you at that time?”

  “He said it was imperative that Miss Beckett sign the contract electing to remain in Domerica as soon as possible. He showed me the information gleaned from the prediction models regarding the agency’s likely demise should Miss Beckett elect to join the Transcender Society. He also showed me the data predicting her death, should she stay in Domerica. Director Canto said it would be in everyone’s best interest, including my own, if the latter destiny was fulfilled.”

  “So he told you that Miss Beckett had at least two possible destinies, but that she should be guided into the destiny which kept her in Domerica and led to her death?”

  “That’s correct,” Ralston says. “He went on to explain that IUGA agents were assisting a group of soldiers from Dome Noir in a plot to assassinate Miss Beckett. He shared all the pertinent details regarding the location of the soldiers’ hideout and plans for executing the attack.”

  “Now, Mr. Ralston, please tell the court what you did after receiving this information.”

  “In all good conscience, I could not allow Miss Beckett to sign the contract until she was told the entire truth about what would happen to her and other members of the royal family should she elect to remain in Domerica. Consequently, I informed her of what I had learned.”

  “After you gave her this information, what happened?”

  “I shared with Miss Beckett a plan I had formulated on my journey back to Domerica to save her life as well as the lives of her loved ones, and we agreed to put the plan into action.”

  Ted consults his notebook a moment. “Mr. Ralston, what steps did you and Miss Beckett take to put this plan into motion?”

  “We enlisted the cooperation of the Transcenders, the Enclave army and the Unicoi Warriors to entrap and fight the foreign attackers on the palace grounds. Most of the royal family was sent to a safe haven in Old Unicoi prior to the attack.”

  “Please describe for the court what transpired on the day scheduled as Miss Beckett’s wedding day.”

  Covering much of the same ground I did, Ralston faithfully recounts the events as they unfolded on the day of the attack. He goes over the arrest of the princes, the Noirs’ invasion of the palace grounds, and the ensuing battle. He details how he positioned the princess’s body at the base of the tower as if she had just fallen. Then he describes sneaking into the stable to wait for the Transcenders to come for him.

  “And what happened when you entered the main stable at Warrington Palace?” Ted asks.

  “I was attacked from behind by two automatons. They immediately began to dismember me and throw my limbs into a cart. Eventually, I short-circuited. I don’t remember anything until the moment that Jaden, excuse me, Miss Beckett, and the others revived me and rescued me from the refuse pile.”

  “Now, Mr. Ralston,” Ted says. “One of the allegations of IUGA’s counterclaim is that Miss Beckett altered your program turning you into her spy and causing you to disobey IUGA’s orders. Did that in fact happen?”

  Ralston chuckles softly. “Absolutely not. Miss Beckett possesses neither the knowledge nor the skills to alter my programs, and she certainly could not have accomplished it against my will.”

  “Did anyone alter your program, Mr. Ralston?”

  “Yes. I did.”

  “Will you please explain to the court how you did it?”

  Ralston looks pained. I know he’s worried that if he explains how it’s done, IUGA will be able to prevent it from happening in the future.

  “The explanation is rather technical Mr. King. But, to put it in layman’s terms, I possess the ability to make repairs on myself and to update my own programs. By using this know-how as a back door, if you will, I was able to rewrite segments of my own source code to allow for the behaviors I desired.”

  Ted doesn’t press him for a more thorough explanation. “Very well,” he says. “I understand you are currently working for the Transcender Society at the Chateau du Soleil. Please describe your duties for the court.”

  Ralston presents a nice portrait of the work he does at the Chateau from teaching classes on fencing and world governments to helping out with the cooking and gardening.

  “Thank you, Mr. Ralston. I have no more questions, Madame Justice.”

  “Mr. Cathcart,” Justice Goodspeed says, “do you wish to cross?”

  “I have a few questions, Madame Justice.” Cathcart carries his notebook to the podium.

  “Ahem. Mr. Ralston,” he says with obvious distain, “you’ve testified that, ‘in all good conscience’ you could not allow Miss Beckett to sign the contract with IUGA until you disclosed co
nfidential information to her about her future. Is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  “You are aware that you are an automaton and not a human, are you not?”

  “Of course.”

  “Yet, you expect us to believe that you possess a conscience?”

  “To be accurate, Mr. Cathcart, the phrase ‘in all good conscience’ simply means, ‘while being fair and reasonable.’ I believed that it was only fair and reasonable for Miss Beckett to have all the pertinent information. But, in answer to your question, yes, I do possess a conscience.”