Friends in High Places p3

Posted on Sat 11th Jan, 2025 @ 5:32pm by Commander Paul Graves PsyD & Renato Solis
Edited on on Tue 14th Jan, 2025 @ 1:29am

1,772 words; about a 9 minute read

Mission: The Phoenix Gamble
Location: SB109- CRC

-Continuing...

No pressure, Paul thought wryly. He seated himself in the witness chair and swept his gaze at the assembled judiciaries, meeting Renato's gaze for just a moment before looking back at the judges.

"I am Cmdr. Paul Graves, Doctor of Psychology, Second Officer and Chief Counselor of Starbase 109. I met Renato Solis just over four years ago while exploring a rundown section of the starbase that had been mostly forgotten by Starfleet. Renato when I first met him was an active drug user, living on the fringes even of that fringe area, called Brown Sector back then.

"Renato was unusual for an addict. He liked to help people by resolving issues that were troubling them--missing items, people behaving strangely, minor crimes, and the like. He can make sense of disparate facts and observations to derive correct answers from the resulting pattern. He was interesting enough that I wanted to befriend him. I observed that, even though suffering from addiction, Renato nonetheless did what he could to improve the lives of many, many people in Brown Sector. He's a man who would give you the shirt off his back if you needed it.

"Eventually, Renato stopped using the illegal drugs. He and Kya Adtanis organized and founded a community center for the residents of Brown Sector here. They are both respected by their neighbors and by Starfleet personnel alike. Renato has assisted Starfleet Security with locating a bomb that a criminal had hidden in the Brown Sector decks, which saved at least 15,000 lives, if not the lives of everyone on the base. He convinced the people of the sector to trust Starfleet enough to work with us to save their lives. In my opinion, lobotomizing him would be a barbaric punishment and a terrible waste of his talents."

Paul glanced at the lead judiciary. "I have a question for the plaintiff, relevant to psychological matters."

Three red lights at the Lecterns for each Judiciary flared into being at the request. It bathed the witness gallery in the combat red of battle. After several seconds, a new Judiciary, identified in script on the dialogue feed as "Principium" appeared, though similarly obscured in silhouette.

"You are not the advocate for Renato, and as such no witness can be compelled to answer. This would create a bias in the witness response...s..."

The Principium was distracted when for all his stoicism, he fell short of that sentence ending. Before his eyes, Renato had the gall to step out of his shackles and raise his hand. The Officer nearest him wasn't even aware it had happened, stuck in their own stoic parade rest.

"Hi Principium? I need to announce a change in my defense team."

Renato made no move to run, in fact there was a nearby table and chair for the defense only the Federation Advocate was using. He made it seem natural and nonthreatening and simply sat, free of burden.

The red lights returned and Renato whispered to the Advocate while the judges deliberated. They knew what was coming, and the defense was ready with its counter.

"Renato has asked I speak for him, he wishes to repsent himself and speak before the chamber."

Dr. Graves was cut off from the holo feed, but the main broadcast was still going, albeit at a half-minute delay.

All three shadows returned, the two others flanking likely a scribe and Parliamentarian. for the legal decisions it came to the Principium, The Judiciary, and the Executor. This unity spelled certain doom for their plea when The Executor spoke, the voice was clearly modified, bass, but had the unmistakable tones of a mother scolding.

"Denied. You have not shown deference to the chamber or the custody you are in. We will grant no exceptions."

The Advocate spoke up, standing, "It is no exception to appoint an expert and member of Starfleet to this team. As both the treating doctor and esteemed officer of Starfleet, I am duty beholden to defer to his higher rank and expertise."

The Principium was ready, "Denied, Denied again. There is no point to further discussion; the witness statements have concluded."

"Then there is no point in denying the request, I can't proceed without my proffered rightful defense advocate from Starfleet, I am a citizen of the Federation and resident of a Starbase in its principality" Renato said.

A chime went off, a new light appeared. The case had taken on a new level of interest, and the dais was incorporating a fourth vote. Little did the shadowy forms know, Renato's goal was to create drama and draw attention. Over a billion eyes had found this trial by now. The testimony was out there; they just needed a referendum vote which was automatic once a certain engagement was reached. Twenty-five percent of their population was 1.4 billion, they were still shy of the referendum protocols.

The Judiciary replied on order within the court proceedings, "A referendum is likely. The appointment was timely. Dr. Graves may speak in defense of the witness, but no witness can be compelled to answer his questions."

Renato waited to see if the dais lit up again, and when his friend returned to the courtroom he felt the deepest love in his heart for his home and family.

Now that he was speaking as a subject matter expert instead of as a character witness, Paul hastily amended what he had been about to say. He nodded in acknowledgement to the three judges. "I thank the Judicium for their consideration in this matter." He then glanced at the others in the courtroom and went on.

"When a person has a chance to re-examine his life with great accuracy, it often causes him to reconsider past actions he took and to think of better ways of handling those situations. This often happens in near-death experiences, for example, when the dying person experiences a life review, enabling him to observe the actions he took in life from his own point of view and from the perspectives of everyone he interacted with. Part of what I do as a counselor is to assist my patients in not just reviewing their past actions but in planning better ways of dealing with stressful situations in the future, so they don't make the same poor decisions again. So, for the witness who experienced a review of his past crimes when Renato touched him--" Paul looked at the witness in question. "I am curious to know if you received any therapeutic benefit from the experience?"

The man squirmed, a lower back spasm at the memory of how he had suffered returning to him. He was told not to reply, but the man in the uniform had struck a very exposed nerve.

He shouted, "Benefit? I relived every bit of the abuse of my childhood, every painful injury. You're asking if I got some kind of benefit? What the hell kind of person thinks any post-assault revelations are a silver lining, huh?"

He quieted down and the advocate sitting next to Renato stood to be recognized, the light centered on him and he spoke confidently, "I'd like to have Renato take the stand as a witness. I understand this allows for cross, but given Dr. Graves' expertise in Renato's treatment it is relevant to the ongoing proceedings."

The Judicium decided without deliberation, "Dr. Graves will be cross examined by you, after the state is satisfied. With the presence of a material witness to Renato's crimes and expert testimony on his mental state, The truth is served by a full accounting. Dr. Graves, remain in the witness podium."

Kya received a text from the advocate, the lag-time was considerable crossing a quadrant. {Getting other guard to testify. Dr. Graves is a genius. Need time.}

He had to be vague, the state was reading the messages too, did that mean Paul had said something to actually make a difference? She showed it to him standing in the holographic beams.

"Your Honors, may I reply to the witness who just answered me?" Paul asked.

Deliberation from behind the shadowy forms again, and then, "If the witness wishes to speak they may. Make it relevant."

Ryyder Stahn, formerly of the Ullian Corrective Corps, stood up to be recognized, "I will."

"Thank you," Paul said to Stahn. "I am sorry you suffered as you did in your childhood and that you relived it during Mr. Solis' escape. No one should ever abuse another or destroy the trust and love that are a child's natural state. The benefit that you can gain from reliving the experience is to look at the events with the maturity of the adult you are now, rather than with the fear and anger of the child you were then. Sometimes the adult former victim can learn to see the parents as people instead of simply as abusers or as an abuser and the person who didn't intervene. Sometimes the adult notices things the child missed. I hope that will happen for you."

Grown men in many cultures try not to cry, and Ryyder was certainly an example. His mother had been cruel, his father insane. It was true, Renato had forced him to re-live such awful times, but he had also gained the exact insight Dr. Graves described. His mother was fifteen, his psycho father was forty one. The adult knew just by looking at the kid, there wasn't a bright future ahead. That insight came with another, You live in space now, you've made it off that rock! Ryyder was in such a stunned disposition, he said nothing else.

Renato was shuffled to the stage, gloves and shackles making him seem hobbled, while it was really the bruises. Renato had shared a story once of the bullies on Ullia, dislocating fingers on the telepathic kids out of ignorance. Kya could only imagine what was under the gloves. She noticed however as he took the podium, something in him had changed. The act was up, all he had ever asked for was the chance to speak his mind, and here it was. Standing straight, head now held up high, rigid posture, feet aligned to shoulders with a nobility that had been absent now washing over him. He could play small when he needed to, but now was the time for a flourish. He didn't want their pity, their piteous mercy had already seen thousands lobotomized to the tune of "tsk, tsk, tsk."

"I am Renato Solis. I will answer honestly." It was not much, but the iron in his jaw was evident with each word.

-TBC-

 

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