Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth (31 page)

“What’s the overall reaction by the public on these accusations?”  I inquired.

“From what Wabussie is saying at the moment it’s pretty much evenly divided and there is no real consensus, but it’s possible that by the time you get back you may have to face the Senate in a hearing to defend your actions.  Roritat seems determined to make an issue of this.  Commander Wabussie said that he, Admiral Regeny and Senator Tonclin, had discussed this matter and think they may have a way to resolve this matter by the time you return.”

After Kerabac disconnected the com link I turned to Kala.  “Why do you think Leader Roritat is so set against me?”

“It may not be that he’s against you, Tibby, he doesn’t really know you and from my knowledge of his platform, he is very liberal and he is against war. He has dedicated himself to try to reduce the size of the Federation military claiming that we no longer need it.  I think he sees you as a threat to his ideas.  I’m sure that once he gets all the facts behind the events that have disturbed him, he will see your actions were not only quite appropriate but were necessary as well.”

“I hope you are right, Kala, but I don’t have a very good feeling about it.”

Kala and I showered and dressed and were leaving the pool area when my wrist com beeped again.  “Tibby, here,” I answered.

“Tibby, this is Doctor Danjuma, I have the DNA tests of the expectant Chinese mothers and their fetuses; I thought you would want to know the results.”

“Is the father Ming, like we suspected?”  I asked.

“No, but they do all have the same father.”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Yes, I have DNA samples of everyone aboard the ship, the DNA matches that of Ming’s body guard, Láng Shāshǒu.”

This came as a complete surprise to me; I looked at Kala to see her looking at me with equal surprise on her face.

Doctor Danjuma continued.  “There is something else that I found in looking over the medical records.  All of the Chinese refugees have a vitamin B12 deficiency, all except Ming, Láng and Yǎnjìngshé; their levels are normal.”

“What do you attribute that to?”  I asked.

“Diet,” Dr. Danjuma began, “B12 is generally acquired through diet.  The average person produces some B12 in their own bodies, but the rest has to be acquired through diet or through supplements.  B12 isn’t found in vegetables or fruit, it’s only found in meat.  The Chinese had no meat in their diets for quite some time as all their meat supplies ran out; they were dependent on vegetables and fruits produced in their hydroponics gardens and greenhouses on the Moon for food.”

“So why don’t Ming, Yǎnjìngshé, and Láng have B12 deficiencies as well?”  Kala asked.

“They possibly had a supply of supplements they weren’t sharing with the rest.”  The doctor answered.

“Is everyone getting sufficient B12 now that they are on the
NEW ORLEANS
?"

“They should be.  You have a lot of meat available on the ship and your food replicators add B12 and other vitamins and minerals to food dishes so everyone gets a balanced diet.  With their diet here it’s only a matter of a few days until everyone’s vitamin and mineral requirements and balances should be normal.”

What the doctor was telling me raised a question in my mind.   “Do you think that the deficiencies might have caused the women to miscarry, and that’s why we found no children in the lunar colony?  You said you found evidence that a number of the women had shown signs of previous pregnancies.”

“A poor diet could possibly result in miscarriages, but not in this case.  The deficiencies were not great enough to result in miscarriages.  I don’t think they had miscarriages, either.  The evidence to me would indicate the pregnancies went full term.”

“Okay, Doctor, thanks for the update.  This gives me more to think about.”

After the doctor had disconnected the call, Kala said, “Tib-- there is something very wrong with all of this.”

I had to agree and replied, “I think so also, but I can’t put the pieces of the puzzle together.  None of it makes sense as it is, unless Ming was deliberately mistreating his fellow countrymen simply for the sake of doing so.”  There just are too many mysteries.  There should have been more men at the lunar base and indications are that there were; we saw plenty of empty accommodation spaces, plus women outnumber men three to one, which doesn't make sense either.”

“Do you think Ming had the others killed so he would have more women to himself?”  Kala asked with a dubious tone.

“I find that difficult to believe, but he might conserve resources in an attempt to make sure he had enough to eat.”

“Do you think the others are buried someplace back on the Moon?”

“Possibly but Ming’s the sort who would have had them made into fertilizer and used it in their greenhouses.  I don’t really know what to think.”

Suddenly my wrist com began beeping again.  “Now what?”  I asked before opening the link.  “Tibby here.”  I answered.

“Tibby, this in Marranalis, you need to get down to the gym where we work out for martial arts.  Jenira nearly decapitated and neutered Láng!”

“WHAT?!”  both Kala and I exclaimed in unison.

“I’ll be right there.”  I answered as I rushed out the door.

“I’m coming with you, Tib.”  Kala said as she hastened to keep up with me.  “What do you think caused her to attack him?

“I’m not sure, but I am sure she has a good reason.”  I said, and then under my breath, I muttered “at least I hope she has.”

When we arrived two of Marranalis’s men were holding Jenira by both her arms, a third stood by holding both her swords, while yet another two firmly held Láng.

“Now, what's the meaning of this?”  I asked.  Before anyone else had a chance to answer Láng exploded.  “This wild beast attacked me with her swords; she nearly cut off my head.  You need to get her off your ship, jettison her into space for the safety of everyone aboard!” 

“And what did you do that caused her to attack?” I asked, as I looked at Jenira, who glared a hate-filled gaze at Láng.

“Nothing, I was merely walking by when suddenly she attacked me with her swords.  It was only my quick reflexes that saved me from the little
bitch
.”  He didn’t actually use the word
bitch
, which is an English world and for which the closest translation would be ‘doesee’ in Federation language; instead he used
'Biǎo zi
', a Chinese word that translates to bitch in English.  In my mind, both bitch and doesee translated simultaneously into both English and Federation, causing me a moment of dizziness as I was not used to having a word translate into two different things at one time.

“I see,” I said as I turned facing Jenira.  “And what’s your explanation for what happened?”

Jenira tried to jerk her arms free, so she could start signing, but the troopers at her sides held her arms firmly.

“Release her arms,” I ordered, “she needs her hands free to sign.”

The two men released her arms and immediately Jenira began signing.  “He grabbed me in an inappropriate manner and said he wanted to have sex with me!  I shoved him away and signed NO, then he slapped me and   said he knew I was a little whore and I would do as he said.  Then he tried to grab me again, that’s when I pulled my swords.  I didn’t kill him or hurt him, but I could have.  I only wanted him to go away!”  All the time she was signing, she glared at Láng.

All this time Láng had been watching Jenira sign and I knew he understood, as he had received the knowledge of the Federation sign language from the learning headbands.

“She lies, the little Biǎo zi lies.  She tried to proposition me.  I told her I was not interested in a child!”  Láng spat.  I could see fear in his eyes and I knew he was lying, but I could not go with my feelings alone.

“Marranalis, what do you know of this?  Are there any witnesses?”

“”I’m afraid not, Tibby, we were just finishing working out when suddenly we heard Láng screaming for help and we rushed here to find him pinned two the wall by Jenira with one blade pressed to his throat the other blade between his legs.  If he had tried to move he would have gotten cut for sure.”

“See,” Láng spat, “she is a dangerous little beast; she should not be allowed to carry those swords. It’s all your fault for allowing her to do so.  I demand you have her executed immediately!”

“Not so fast, Láng, we need to check the recordings made by the security cameras.  “I said as I pointed to the security cameras mounted in the corridor.”

Suddenly Láng began squirming and looking even more terrified.  “I’m sure this is all a mistake,” Láng muttered.  “Perhaps I may have brushed into the young lady and she misinterpreted the accident as an affront.  I am sure that’s what must have happened.”

“Hmm, we shall see.” I responded as Marranalis activated one of the vid panels in the wall and entered the codes to play back the security monitor recordings from the corridor.

“I’m sure this is not necessary,” Láng tried to smile and laughed nervously, “my apology to the girl should smooth over the matter,” he said looking Jenira hopefully.  Jenira stared back at him defiantly, and Marranalis said.   “Here is the playback from the far hall monitor.”

As the scene played out we could see Jenira coming out of the gym area adjusting her uniform. She walked down the corridor, moving to the side as she and Láng approached each other coming from opposite directions.  Just as they were about to pass each other, Láng reached out and grabbed Jenira with one hand, pulling her close to himself as he grabbed her between her legs with the other hand. Jenira quickly broke his hold with a martial arts move and shoved him back.  Láng suddenly slapped Jenira and we could see his lips moving, and then there a blur of motion, too fast for the monitors to fully capture as Jenira reached over her shoulders and grabbed her swords.  When the blur was over, Láng was pinned to the wall with a sword pressed to his neck and one pressed to his groin by a very angry-looking Jenira.  Láng could be seen screaming as Marranalis and two troopers came rushing into the corridor and pulled Jenira off Láng, who immediately tried to flee, when a third trooper came out of the gym and stopped him.

“Well Láng,” I said. “I certainly can see how your accidental brushing into Jenira could have seemed to her like an affront.”

“You have no right to do anything to me,” Láng growled.  She is just a common whore.  I know all about her. I have heard of her past.”

I don’t know what Jenira tried to do just then; I heard her struggle in the arms of her guards.  It didn’t matter what she did, because I punched Láng so hard in the face I knocked three teeth out, and he fell to the deck like a turd dropping from a fubalo’s butt.

“Get this piece of crap to the med unit.  I don’t particularly care if the doctor fixes him up or not.  Once she is done with him and he is conscious, I want him placed in a holding cell with two guards outside his door.  He is to have no visitors and only minimal rations until we get to Megelleon, where he will be turned over to the judicial system and tried for sexual assault.”

“Right, Tibby,” Marranalis said as he grabbed Láng’s feet and began dragging him down the corridor, “I may just have to drag him up and down a few sets of stairs before I get him to the med unit.  I hope his head can take the steps.”  I had to chuckle at Marranalis’s humor; while I knew he wouldn’t really to any of those things, I do not doubt for an instant that he seriously wanted to.  As he rounded the corner Jenira came to me and gave me a hug and Kala came and put her arms around both of us.  “I’m glad you punched him in the mouth, Tib, because if you hadn’t I would have.”  Kala said.  Jenira looked at both of us and smiled.

It was about an hour later when a red-faced and angry Ming approached me outside my study.  “What have you done with Láng?” he demanded.  “Why is he in a cell and under guard?  I wished to speak to him; your men will not allow me to see him!  You have no right!”

“Ming, I have every right.  First of all, he sexually assaulted one of the women on this ship, then he lied about it.  Secondly, this is my ship.  It operates out of Federation space, but on this ship Federation laws are enforced.  Láng will be taken back to Megelleon where he will stand trial for sexual assault.”

“So you beat him based on the accusation of some woman, and you beat him without a trial!  You call that justice.”

“I knocked his teeth out; I didn’t beat him!  However, I sure wanted to.  No one speaks to a woman, or about a woman, the way he did on my ship!  He’s lucky I didn’t space him right then and there.”

“Ming looked at me a moment and then continued.  “I suppose you have men prepared to lie and say that he attacked this woman.  But you have no real proof; it is only the words of liars.”

“No, Ming we have much more.  We have the entire event captured on video recordings from two separate cameras and angles.  They speak quite clearly as to what took place.”

Ming looked as though he were about to say something else and then suddenly shut his mouth and turned and stormed away.  I was glad to see him go, but I had a gut feeling that Ming was not about to let the matter end.

News about the event between Jenira and Láng spread quickly about the ship.  I was concerned about how the Chinese would react to the event and was pleasantly astonished when the Chinese women suddenly all wanted to be around Jenira, laughing and smiling and treating her like she was their best friend. Even the majority of Chinese men seemed to look upon her with great favor and spoke politely and favorably with her, smiling and treating her like a beloved daughter or a princess.  Only a few of the males that had been guards and soldiers serving Ming showed any form of disapproval of her, and those that did seemed to keep it to themselves.  It was three days after the event with Láng that Kala and I were coming out of our private garden that Cantolla tracked us down.