Connection (19 page)

“Sorry your honor. Go on Mister Kobe.”

“We shut down our drive and we were near another star system,” Robert said.

“Near it – not there yet. How far away were you and how did you manage this never before done feat?” Taylor asked.

“We came out fifty light-hours from a planet in the ‘Goldilocks Zone’. That’s an area away from a star that would have liquid water,” Robert said.

“Why didn’t you just turn around and come home?” asked Taylor seriously for once.

“We didn’t have much food and air and thought trying to travel very far was even riskier than going forward,” Robert explained.

“…but you didn’t know if there would be food or water or air ahead of you, did you? Why would you go forward? …it seems a stretch,” Taylor said.

“Mister Taylor. Watch your addendums. Please answer the question Mister Kobe. I’m interested too,” stated the judge.

“We detected a large number of electronic communications…we could not understand them but there were a number of strong signals on a variety of frequencies emanating from the planet. We went to that planet and were radar scanned when we approached the planet.”

“They were using radar?” Taylor asked. “What did you see and do after that?”

“We saw there were spaceships between LesMa and another planet – we later learned was Xale. They had satellites in orbit and we could see large cities on the surface. We decided to land in a deserted airfield. We did so,” Robert said.

“…and then…would you sum this up a little for us? I’m sure you have years worth of stories for us,” Taylor said with an exasperated sigh.

“We met locals, learned the language, went to the other planet – really a moon around a gas giant, and then came home with a technique the ship and I developed. We noticed the time stamp was a two years and one month after we left and I had only been on those planets for two months. I realized there was a time distortion effect from the faster-than-light travel.”

“I have no other questions for this witness but I would like to be able to question him again at a later time if necessary,” said Taylor.

“Noted, Mister Taylor… Mister Wadley?” the judge asked.

“Not at this time,” Mister Wadley replied.

“Mister Kobe. You may step down,” the judge said. “Mister Taylor?’

“Yes your honor. Thank you. I would like to present an alternative explanation of Mister Kobe’s disappearance that runs counter to the very…creative story presented. I call Susan Tanksley.”

An attractive brunette stepped forward and was sworn in. She stated her name and Mister Taylor started questioning her.

“Miss Tanksley. Were you an employee of Kobe Industries? How long?” he asked.

“I worked for Mister Kobe for a year before he disappeared,” she said.

“Where did you work? Which facility?”

“I worked at the Texas spaceport that Kobe Industries owned,” she said.

“What was your position? What were your duties?” he asked.

“I was a personal assistant to Mister Kobe. I worked long hours in his office and he would confide in me,” she said.

“He would confide in you Miss Tanksley? Did you have a close relationship with Mister Kobe?” Taylor asked.

Robert leaned over and whispered to Frasier and Wadley. They patted his arm and whispered they’d handle it.

“What do you think happened on that day two years ago?” Taylor asked Miss Tanksley.

“Objection,” Wadley stated loudly. “Calling for a hypothesis from the witness.”

“Sustained,” stated the judge.

Taylor nodded and paused as if in thought. “How close were you to Mister Kobe in your working relationship? What did he say to you right before leaving for Australia?”

“Oh. I was his
personal
assistant if you know what I mean. I was
very
close to him. He told me he…let me see if I can use the words he said. He said, ‘I can’t wait to get away from this place. I’m going to be gone a while. Everyone wants a piece of me here. I’m going where no one can bother me for a bit.”

“Did you attach any particular importance to this statement? Did you warn anyone?” Taylor asked.

“Well no. At the time, I thought it was odd, with all the problems Kobe Industries was having at the time. We carried a big debt. Our capital ratios were off,” she said.

“Capital ratios. What are those and why did that concern you?” Taylor asked looking at some documents in his hand…obviously preparing to introduce them as evidence.

“I’m not sure what capital ratios are…just we had a lot of debt,” she said.

Taylor looked perturbed and put the papers behind his back. “Define… a lot of debt?”

“A whole lot…millions,” she said. Realizing that Taylor was not looking pleased, she blurted. “There were lots of companies we owed money to for all kinds of things except that ship of his – he paid for that out of his own pocket…crazy…”

“No further questions,” Taylor said realizing Miss Tanksley had a room temperature IQ – on a cool day.

“Mister Wadley?” the judge said.

Wadley nodded to the judge and got up. “Miss Tanksley. Who do you work for now?”

“Oh. I work for SpaceX at the same facility,” she said proudly.

“At the same Texas facility that Kobe industries owned? How long have you worked there?” Wadley asked.

“I worked there since a year before Mister Kobe – Robert left,” she said.

“No Miss Tanksley. When did you start working for SpaceX? When did they start paying you?” Wadley asked.

Miss Tanksley looked panicked and looked over at Taylor’s table.

“Just answer the question Miss Tanksley,” the judge interjected.

“I worked there since Mister Kobe was declared dead,” she said.

“Did you not give testimony to a lower court in the petition to have Mister Kobe declared dead?” Wadley asked.

“Well yes,” she said. “I just told the truth,” she said and looked at Taylor’s table for affirmation.

“Did you receive money from Winstrom Inc. after your testimony? Did you not receive $45,000 from Winstrom?” he asked.

“They said that was a signing bonus from SpaceX to pay off my college loans,” she said.

“You have a degree?” Wadley asked.

“Yes,” she said proudly. “I have an Associates in Science degree in business from Santa Monica College.”

“What is your current job title and duties?” he asked.

“I’m a Assistant Admin I,” she said. “Filing and checking the calendar and stuff like that.”

“Thank you Miss Tanksley. No further questions,” Wadley said.

The judge had her step down.

Taylor called an auditor that had been assigned to the ‘Kobe case’ after Kobe had been declared dead.

The auditor was sworn in and testified to the extent of Kobe Industries indebtedness. He testified that the Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) for Kobe was ten percent (10%) and that was high, he explained. The auditor went on and on about debt ratio and capital loading.

Wadley and Frazier got the auditor to admit, on cross examination, that the normal, acceptable ratio was eight percent (8%) and ten percent was not dangerously high but fairly normal for a company in a high-risk industry like space travel. Frazier got the guy to admit that other parts of Kobe Industries – the manufacturing and design were highly profitable and less risky. Frazier then started drilling the auditor on who had profited from the sale of Kobe stock and properties. He pulled out financial inventory sheets on Kobe Industry competitors. The financial sheets also showed when these companies transferred money to Winstrom Inc. Most of these transfers were just before the petition to declare Robert Kobe dead. Wadley submitted them into evidence.

Taylor then called a private investigator, Juan Ramos, and swore him in. “Your honor. We intend to show, with this witness, that Robert Kobe never went into space but moved from place to place in Central America to avoid detection.”

Ramos swore in, stated his full name, and then was asked about his employment with Winstrom. He stated he had been hired after the disappearance of Kobe. He detailed his interviews and how he had ‘finally’ tracked down a promising lead in Costa Rica and had pictures to prove it was taken after the disappearance. He also said that later he had pictures of the same man in Honduras and finally followed him to Belize. Ramos swore this was Kobe because his informants had all called him the ‘gringo from Texas.’

Mister Wadley said, “Please let the court have these photos to submit as evidence. We will be able to use facial recognition on your photographs won’t we?” Wadley asked.

“Probably not. The photos are a bit grainy because they were taken from pretty far away. They all are the same man and they are listed as to when and where each was taken on the back,” Ramos said.

“This is the ‘gringo from Texas’ then – this is Robert Kobe? Mister Ramos? How many Americans are living in Central America? What are Americans commonly called in Central America?” Wadley asked.

Ramos made no response.

Wadley stated, “Gringos. They are called ‘Gringos’ and were you aware that 75,000 of these ‘gringos’ live in Central America? Do you happen to know how many of these 75,000 ‘gringos’ are from Texas?”

The judge spoke, admonishing Wadley. “You will refrain from issuing ‘so-called’ facts in your questions and answering them yourself. Are we clear on that Mister Wadley?”

“Yes, your honor,” Wadley said.

The judge turned to the investigator, Ramos. “You may answer the original question.”

“They call them Gringos,” Ramos said. “I have no idea how many are from Texas but I’m sure some are,” he added.

“No further questions for the witness at this time your honor and we have no objection to submitting these photos into evidence with one qualification,” said Wadley. “Your honor. We can bring in teams of forensic experts but someone else could identify these photos being Jimmy Hoffa, Big Foot, or even Emelia Erhardt – you cannot even tell if it is a man or woman…grainy is being gracious your honor.” Wadley finished and sat down.

Taylor was summarizing the case so far. “Your honor. We have shown that Robert Kobe told his employee that he would be ‘away for a while’ and had financial troubles. We proved he was spotted in Central America after his ‘so-called’ disappearance. He told no one in his company that he was going to do a ‘deep space’ test. He never even tried to get clearance for the flight. He says he went to an alien planet – and he has no proof. He says he was away for two months but he disappeared for over two years. Two years your honor because…because time dilated. Your honor…His list of witnesses includes partial names with no official records on three of the people. Our case suggests that the man, Robert Kobe, planned a disappearance because of financial troubles. He then went to Central America and lived comfortably for two years. He then hopped in his ship and returned…possibly with some carefully crafted persons masquerading as ‘aliens’. I propose, your honor that Winstrom Incorporated is not at fault and Mister Kobe should answer to the disappearance of Skip Mullins. Thank you – your honor.”

“Mister Taylor,” the judge said leaning forward. “Are you finishing your case?”

“No your honor,” Taylor said.

“…then you will not waste the courts time summarizing your case before it is finished. I am capable of reaching my own conclusions. This is not – I repeat NOT a reality show for entertainment. Do I need to make that clearer to you?” admonished the judge. “Do you wish to continue?”

“Yes your honor,” said Taylor.

“Very well Mister Taylor. Mister Frasier. You may call your next witness,” said the judge who clinced jaw showed he had about been pushed to his limit and Taylor had his associate touch his arm and motion down – to get him to pull back a bit.

Frasier got up. “I call Twlise.”

Twlise came in wearing a conservative but very stylish, sleeveless grey dress that showed off her multi-colored skin. Her hair was pulled up and something had been done with it – it kind of sparkled in its curls. She had small dangling earrings and walked in short spiked heel shoes that showed off her (also) multicolored legs. Her makeup was conservative…yet…her eyes looked huge and the eye makeup pulled your vision to center on her lovely face. She looked over and smiled at Robert.

The clerk directed her to sit in the witness stand and she looked regal. The clerk put the bible out and told her to put her hand on it and swear. Before he could say anything else, she looked puzzled and began swearing. “Zhast, s*#t, f*#k, c*#t, Mother-F^*#*#, m3rde, zut, ^**%#, #*-*, W*^#@#, --#%^>:*, @*@)%$, ^**%#, #*-*, W*^#@#,  #%^>:*, @*)$, xco-#@*, …should I go on? I can do this is twenty more languages.”

The judge jumped in. “That’s quite all right. What the clerk was trying to say was ‘do you swear – promise – to tell the truth – the whole truth and nothing but the truth’.”

“Oh course your honor. Everyone knows you must tell the absolute truth in court,” she said sweetly with her contralto voice.

“I wish that were so,” the judge said looking directly at Taylor’s table of lawyers.

“It is where I come from,” Twlise said quietly but enough to be heard in the courtroom which was filling up with onlookers and the media. There were muted chuckles from the gallery.

Frasier walked forward. “What is your name? Where are you from?”

“My name is Twlise,” she said.

Taylor jumped up immediately, “Objection your honor. We need the witness’s full name.”

“Sustained,” the judge said. “Miss. Please state your full name to the court.”

“Judge. It is against the custom and mores of my people to publically announce our full name. Our parents and mate are the only ones to know our full name. May I show you my full name on my passport?” she said.

“You have a passport? I don’t read your language?” said the judge.

“You can read this,” she said as she handed him the burgundy booklet.

“Why this is a French passport? When did you become a French citizen?” the judge asked he was so stunned.

“They gave it to me last week when I did the photo shoot for Vogue e-zine in Paris. They said I ‘embodied the true French soul and looks’. It was wonderful. You should see all the shops and the food was
magnifique
,” she said with a perfect French accent.

“The witness has shown me her full name on an official government document – baring any further questions – let us proceed,” the judge said.

“Where are you from?” Frasier asked again. “What do you do?”

“I was born in Thraman City on the planet LesMa – we call it that. It is tens of light-years from here according to Professor LeEck who, I understand, will testify later. I am a linguist. I speak twenty-seven languages and dialects – recently adding English and French last week. I have a natural ability. I would say I am the foremost authority on LesMan languages on this planet,” she said and chuckled eliciting some accompanying chuckles from the gallery.

“When did you meet Robert Kobe? How long have you known him?” Frasier asked.

“I knew him from just after he landed on LesMa ‘til now …about three and a half of your months…about two months on LesMa and Xale and since we came here – about three and a half months altogether,” she said.

“How long was the trip back?” he asked. “Was it two years?”

“Oh,” she laughed. “It was only like two of your hours and we came out near your planet Saturn – it is so-o pretty with its rings. Much prettier than the gas giant near Xale.”

“So how do you know you went any distance?” asked Frasier.

“Well the views changed. The planets and sun were all different. We see in a different spectrum and nobody speaks our language. Your technology is different and your environment is not clean. Your toilets are what we used 100 years ago. You can barely see my sun from here at night and only then when we are away from your cities,” she said with a melancholy intonation.

“No further questions,” Frasier said. “Your witness.”

“Miss Twlise. You come from a simpler place do you not?” Taylor asked.

“Do you mean simpler satellites, cell phones, spaceships and interplanetary colonies? …perhaps in some ways. Our court system is much simpler…so yes to your question,” she said and the spectators laughed.

“You have three fingers and a thumb. Were you born with this defect? Aren’t you from Central America?” he asked and she leaned back as if struck.

“It is normal for everyone on my planet to have three fingers and a thumb. We are born with better manners Mister Taylor. Is your large nose a birth defect? I am unfamiliar with human physiology.”

Taylor snorted, rubbed his nose, and stopped when he realized what he was doing. “What proof do you have that your planet exists?”

“I was born there. I grew up there. I worked there. I have memories and pictures, video, and products from there,” she said.

“Please show us. What storage medium are your images?” Taylor asked.

“They are on my Dex,” she said. “I know how to link – which one – I see a link to the sixth chancery court. That one?”

“Yes,” said Taylor. “Please tell us what we are viewing. We are recording.”

The lights in the courtroom dimmed and showed a brilliant projection at the right front of the courtroom. “This is flying over LesMa – as you can see there are many large cities. We have very little pollution – we do not…defecate…that’s the word…in our own nest. That is why the air is so clean and the rivers blue. Here is the airfield that Robert first landed. We used it to meet with government officials. Here we are flying to another airfield further north where I met Professor LeEck. He had originally been summoned to examine the Cassandra spaceship.”

The view changed and showed Cassandra reaching orbit and then LesMa receding in the background. “This is when I left Lesma and traveled to Xale with Robert.” There was a view shift and the view showed the ship approaching Xale – the moon orbiting the gas giant. “The next scenes were approaching Xale and then traveling to Earth.” It then shifted to show a scene of a group of people wishing them good luck and the four boarding Cassandra for the return trip to Earth. The view then changed to orbiting Xale and bypassing the gas giant ‘til emerging at Saturn and returning to Earth.” There were gasps from the gallery. “This is when we emerged near Saturn…it is very pretty.”

The lights returned to normal. “Very interesting CGI,” stated Taylor. “You witnessed this?”

“It was recorded by the computer but it was not fictionally generated by the computer, if that is what you are implying. It was edited to reduce the time to display it from two months to twelve minutes in response to your questions,” she explained. “Yes. I witnessed all this.”

“No further questions at this time your honor,” said Taylor.

Frasier stood up. “I call Professor LeEck.”

Professor LeEck was sworn in without Twlise’s swearing but had the same problem with his name. “My I show your honor my passport. Would that suffice? I can recognize my name in Earth writing but I cannot read your writings.”

“Yes Professor. Do you have a French passport also?” the judge said stretching out his hand – enjoying jerking Winstrom’s chain. He didn’t like them in his courtroom – never had but did his best to be impartial.

“No your magnificence,” said LeEck and brought a chuckle throughout the court.

“We use the term ‘Your honor’ here,” said the judge.

“I am sorry your honor. My passport is from your country of Sweden. They granted that to me, and Latima, after my talk and journal article on LesMa political systems. They said it was too soon for a ‘Nobel Prize’ but this would have ‘to do’. Is this sufficient?” LeEck said.

“Yes. Thank you. Go ahead Mister Frasier,” the judge said.

“Professor. Please explain your title, current position, and qualifications…oh…where you were born – briefly,” Frasier stated.

“I am Professor LeEck. I was born…near Thraman City. I traveled extensively on LesMa and currently teach at the University in Thraman City – it is the only one in our regional universities and has over 100,000 students. I teach scientific inquiry. You must minimally show expertise in four disciplines on LesMa to be considered a ‘Professor’ and become immune to involvement with government – similar to your legislature that cannot be arrested while in session. We earn our positions through research. I recently designed a wireless phone system that the government was obligated to install,” he said.

“Excuse me Professor. Did you say ‘obligated to install’?” Frasier asked.

“Yes – yes young man. Scientists who develop enhancements for the citizenry must show a case where it will benefit a majority of the population. The government is then obligated to implement those changes. The cost is shared through the entire population served by the improvements. That is why our pollution control is not left up to the polluters. That is why you would never see a bridge falling down or a road that is untended. Professors must always look after the public interest and the government is there to serve all.”

“That is a terrible obligation but you must be very wealthy from your inventions,” Frasier said.

“Excuse me. I do not understand,” LeEck said.

“Don’t you profit from your inventions?” Frasier asked.

“Oh yes. The water is sparkling clean, people are healthy, and there are no projects that do not help a large number of people – oh – except when smaller groups of people need assistance and the public votes to help or not. There are disagreements and arguments but our courts are very swift and decisive. The judges are also chosen by their knowledge and temperament – they must be empathetic and patient. I am sure that is the same here. Being a judge requires infinite patience dealing with the people that enter the courtroom. We sometimes use jurors but these are carefully chosen from the most experienced in the court’s specialties. They are paid well and it is a rare honor to be chosen. Jurors serve a two year term and could be asked to serve another term if they are especially competent.”