Georgia on My Mind and Other Places (27 page)

She began to list his accomplishments, the same ones that Sally had read two nights before. It took many minutes. Russell Grenville said no more than “That’s right,” or “That is so,” as he was asked for confirmation of an event or an award. But at the end, there was not even a whisper in the courtroom.

“Very well,” said Deirdre Walsh at last. “Now I would like to ask you certain questions about your most recent expedition. Would you agree, Captain Grenville, that this was not supposed to be a particularly dangerous mission? That perhaps the participants of that mission were rather more worried about possible boredom than about catastrophe?”

“Solar System exploration always has an element of danger.” Grenville’s voice was calm and rational, and yet its utterance from deep within his chest somehow made the listener more aware of the truncated body around it. “However, I would agree that I did not see peril as the major element of the mission.”

“And for the reason, you permitted a group of Schimmerhann chimpanzees to be included in your ship’s crew?”

“I did.”

“But it would be fair to say, would it not, that you objected to their presence?”

(“She’s leading him!” whispered Sally.

“She sure is,” replied Leon Karst, just as softly. “But there’s times you object, and there’s times you don’t. For the moment, we keep quiet.”)

“I objected very much. Orally, and in writing.” For the first time, there was an element of feeling in Grenville’s voice.

“Would you mind explaining to the court the basis for your objections?”

“I would not mind at all. The ship that I was commanding, the
Poseidon
of the Hecuba series, calls for eight crew members and a central command computer. That is ample to permit efficient operation of the vessel. There is plenty of space, but ideally that should be reserved for cargo. I was asked to add to the usual complement of crew six Schimmerhann chimpanzees, and to evaluate their possible use in the space environment. I stated, orally and in writing, that it was my task to undertake a serious mission, with serious objectives. I had no interest in managing a spaceborne zoo, whether of Shimmies or anything else.”

While the courtroom buzzed with excited reaction, Leon Karst turned to Sally and shook his head. “I know,” he said softly. “We could object to the implication that Shimmies belong in a zoo. But this isn’t the time for it.”

“You allowed the wishes of your superiors to override your better judgment?” went on Deirdre Walsh, as the hubbub died down.

“I am a member of the Space Navy. As such I believe that we are all better served by the obeying of orders, rather than the following of individual whim. Any naval officer who feels otherwise ought to resign his or her commission.”

In other words, said Sally to herself, I did it because it was my duty—not because I thought that it was a good idea. The packed courtroom was again dead silent.

“Tell us now, if you will, about the trip to the Egyptian Cluster. The six Schimmerhann chimpanzees were with you for over a year. Did you learn to work with them during that time?”

Grenville hesitated for a moment. “Yes, we did. I personally, and several of my crew. But not in the way that we had expected before the trip began. The crew resented the idea that they ought to learn Shimmy sign language. I did not feel it was my task to insist that they should. The Shimmies understood verbal commands—”

“
Simple
verbal commands?”

“Simple verbal commands, exactly.” (
That’s right, Grenville
, said Leon Karst, just loud enough for Sally to hear.
Stick to the script
.) “Enough to carry out simple shipboard duties. And one of my crew members devised a system using a video camera and the ship’s main computer that allowed sign language gestures to be translated into audible form.”

Judge Williams leaned forward. “Excuse me, Captain.” His voice was friendly, almost deferential. “Do you mean that, by a Shimmy making gestures into the camera, some sort of dictionary of gestures was stored in the computer and used to generate spoken language equivalents?”

“Exactly, your Honor. I should point out that this called for considerable changes to the standard Shimmy sign language, in order for the computer translation to work. But there was plenty of time to work on that. By the time that we had been in space for nine months, the system had reached a satisfactory form. I could use it, though I was not our expert.”

“And by that time, what were you doing?”

“We had reached the outlying members of the Egyptian Cluster, and we were busy with assay work. A number of the smaller bodies contain high-grade deposits of valuable minerals, but they had never been inventoried. We spent the next two months on that work.”

“And the Schimmerhann
chimpanzees
”—as always, the counsel for the Attarian Corporation emphasized the last word. She never referred to them as Shimmies—“were they used in this assay work?”

“By no means. That work calls for scientific training. I would entrust it only to my crew.” Grenville hesitated, then added: “However, occasionally one or two of the Schimmerhann chimpanzees would accompany crew members in the pinnace. That is the small free-flying exploration module that was housed in the main ship—”

“But the Schimmerhann chimpanzees had no active role to play, did they?” interrupted Deirdre Walsh. Sally had the feeling that Grenville had been moving onto unrehearsed ground. She made a note for later discussion with Leon Karst.

“Not in the assay operation. Nor in the operation of the pinnace. They were there, if you like, as supercargo.”

“Very well. Now, Captain Grenville.” Deirdre Walsh dropped her voice a tone. “Now we must come to something that I know will be a very painful memory to you. Would you please describe to this court the final terrible hours aboard your ship, just as you remember them.”

“Very well.” Grenville cleared his throat. When he continued his voice was perfectly steady, but nonetheless a shiver of anticipation ran through the courtroom.

“We had examined a small fragment co-orbiting with Bast—that’s one of the bigger Cluster members, eleven kilometers in mean diameter. We were ready to head for Atmu, and on the way I was proposing to pay a visit to Horus and drop off medical supplies to the mining colony there. It was early in our working day. I and three of my crew members were in the forward part of the ship. The other crew bunked aft. The Schimmerhann chimpanzees were all midships, in a modified cargo compartment. I was initiating the control sequence for an in-space attitude change, ready to direct us on a low-thrust approach path to Horus, and as I was leaning over the control board I was struck a violent blow on the back of the head.”

Grenville lifted his face to the ceiling, and rolled his head back and forth from shoulder to shoulder. Sally Polk felt that what Grenville really wanted to do was rub at the back of his skull with one vanished hand.

“I began to turn, but before I could get more than halfway round I was hit again, even harder. That knocked me cold.”

“What else do you remember of events inside the ship?”

“Inside the ship? I remember nothing. My next memory is of waking in the emergency medical facility on Horus. Two of my crew were with me. We were all—like this.” Grenville turned his head, to look at the empty jacket sleeves.

“Where are those crew members now?”

“They are still on Horus. In due course they ought to be brought to Earth. We will all be fitted with prosthetics. I am told that these days they can do wonderful things with prosthetics.”

“The other two are expected to survive?”

“Oh, yes. We will all survive. Unfortunately.”

The impact was in his words, not in his calm tone. Sally felt sick. A few weeks ago Russell Grenville had been a complete man, healthy and powerful. Now . . .

“What happened to the other crew members?” said Deirdre Walsh gently. “And to the Schimmerhann chimpanzees?”

“I am not sure. This can be only a conjecture.” Grenville nodded at Leon Karst, forestalling any possible objection. “But it is, sir, a conjecture based on good evidence. First, we arrived at Horus in our little pinnace, not in the ship. It’s a miracle that we made it at all, because we were down to our last dregs of power. The main ship itself has not been found, although a search is being made for it throughout the Egyptian Cluster.”

“So could the other crew members perhaps be alive on that ship?”

“Absolutely not. We each wore life-support beacons, transmitting on selected frequencies and with coded identification signals. They function as long as their wearer is alive, and they have enough power for years of operation. The other crew members are dead.”

“And the Schimmerhann chimpanzees. Did they also wear beacons?”

“It was not considered necessary. Or appropriate.”

“So the Schimmerhann chimpanzees might still be alive?” Deirdre Walsh glanced across at Leon Karst. “Before my honored colleague can object to that question as leading or conjectural, let me ask Captain Grenville to comment in his own way.”

“Thank you, Counsel,” said Judge Williams. But the reproof in his tone was mild.

“They might certainly be alive,” said Grenville. “But it’s my bet they are all dead. One of them certainly is. We had been having some discipline problems with all of them for a week or two. They didn’t like some of their assignments, and they were doing a sloppier and sloppier job. I think they became angry when they were chastised, and so they attacked without warning. I feel sure they put my crew out of action and gained the run of the whole ship. They killed some, and then did—what they did—” he drew in a long, controlled breath “—to the rest of us. Then they stuck us in the pinnace, and let us fly off to die. But they were stuck, too, because running the ship was way beyond them. They could be gibbering on their way to Sirius by now, with no idea how to turn off the drive.”

“And what would you say, Captain Grenville, if you were asked again to lead a ship with Schimmerhann chimpanzees as part of the crew?”

Grenville smiled wearily, and took plenty of time to look all around the courtroom. “Don’t you think that is rather an improbable request, Counsel, given my present condition? But I’ll answer you. I would say, no. I would say, definitely no. I would say, never. I would say, not under penalty of court martial, or any other penalty you care to name. I will never again permit myself to be in a situation in which a Schimmerhann chimpanzee is in a position to do me harm.”

Deirdre Walsh moved forward to stand directly in front of him. “So based on your experience, you would say that the Schimmerhann chimpanzees are no more than animals—and murderous, unreliable animals at that?” And then, before Leon Karst could voice his objection: “I withdraw that question. Thank you, Captain Grenville. You are a true hero. No further questions, your Honor.”

“Thank you, Counsel.” Judge Williams consulted his watch. “Captain Grenville, we have several more hours available today. But I know that you arrived recently on Earth, and this recollection of events must have been dreadfully taxing to you. I want to express the appreciation of this court for your testimony. And I want to ask if you need a rest, before we permit cross-examination. I must add that, because of the unusual circumstances of your appearance here, counsel for the plaintiff has the right to defer cross-examination until tomorrow.”

“I would prefer to continue now,” said Grenville. “If plaintiff’s counsel is willing.”

Every head in court turned toward Karst. He gave Sally Polk one quick glance out of the corner of his eye
(Screwed
—
I’m damned if I do and I’m damned if I don’t)
and rose to his feet.

“Thank you, Captain. I have just a few questions. And thank you, your Honor, for noting plaintiff’s right to hold over some cross-examination for tomorrow.”

He moved to stand in front of Grenville, blocking the captain’s view of Deirdre Walsh.

“Captain, I was perplexed by one point of your testimony. If I am quoting you correctly, you stated concerning the probable dead state of the Shimmies on board your ship: ‘One of them certainly is.’ And you mentioned this in connection with discipline problems on board. Am I to infer that a Shimmy was put to death on the ship?”

“Certainly not.” Grenville’s reply came without hesitation. “I put no Shimmy to death. However, I would certainly claim my right to do so to save a crew member.”

“So what was the basis for your comment?”

“One of the Schimmerhann chimpanzees was on the pinnace that reached Horus. No surviving crew member was conscious at the time, but the miners on Horus saw what had been done to us. They formed their own conclusion as to what must have happened on the ship. And they tried and executed that Schimmerhann chimpanzee, within hours of our arrival.”

There was a gasp and a stirring in the courtroom, but Leon Karst was pressing on. “‘Trial and execution’—you suggest, Captain, that the miners recognized the Shimmy’s humanity.”

“I used the wrong term. They had the Shimmy put down.”

“Then let me ask another question. You lived closely with a group of Shimmies for over a year. You had a chance to observe them. Did you notice much variability in Shimmy intelligence?”

“Your Honor.” Deirdre Walsh moved to stand between Karst and the tribunal. “I hope that this is relevant. We have had testimony
ad nauseam
concerning the intelligence or lack of it of the Schimmerhann chimpanzees. I don’t see what can be added at this point.”

Judge Williams nodded. “Your comment is noted. Captain Grenville, please answer the question.”

But Grenville was hesitating. “Variability of intelligence. You mean from one Shimmy to another, Mr. Karst?”

“I mean exactly that.”

“Then, yes. Three of them—Pip, Squeak, and Wilfred, the crew called them—were very dumb. Only able to follow the simplest directives. But one of the others, Skip, he was . . . well . . .”

“He was more intelligent than the others?”

“He was supposedly much more
alert
. I would not use the word intelligent. More . . . If I say that the crew found him more understanding of instructions, I hope I will not be misinterpreted. He was certainly no more responsive, in my opinion, than any well-trained sheepdog.”