Chapter 46: Resolution

We found Laine and Mina in the Lido. I found it amusing.

“Why are you grinning, Brian?” asked Jem.

“I was thinking how the Lido is so popular. I created it based on a comment you made. It just turned out even more awesome than I imagined,” I said.

“You found a winner here. We don’t have to travel to far off planets for a vacation, we can take a mini-vacation here whenever we are off duty,” replied Jem.

Laine noticed our presence. She nudged Mina, and they soon joined us.

“How goes the investigation?” Laine asked me with a smile.

I looked to Jem, she shrugged. “We completed our first round of interviews. Nothing conclusive so far,” I said.

“We eliminated one being from the investigation,” added Jem.

“I thought it was a good time to eat, so we came here to join you for lunch,” I said.

“Since we are on the beach, I could order a few seafood dishes from the food dispenser,” said Mina.

“Great idea!” said Jem.

Mina went to the food dispenser and got the food while we arranged chairs around a table under one of the palm trees.

“You can almost forget we’re on a space vessel for a moment. Is that a warm, salty breeze I’m feeling?” I said.

“Yes. That was my idea. Ship had to adjust the air ducts to recreate the weather on Carolus four. It helps make the experience more authentic,” said Mina. She placed various dishes on the table.

“As long as you don’t create authentic Varech creatures. I had enough of them for a lifetime,” I said.

“Agreed. No monsters allowed in the Lido. Mina, this dish is exquisite!” said Jem.

“It is a favourite of mine,” replied Mina. “I love the herbs and spices used in it.”

“Yum! I like it,” said Laine.

The investigation was forgotten while we enjoyed our time together, eating delicious seafood at the table, on the beach.

After lunch, Jem and I left the Lido. We ended up in the main bridge.

“Are we ready to meet with our guests again?” asked Jem.

“No. I need time to consider our next step. Perhaps we can talk with the AIs first,” I said.

Jem looked at me strangely. “Sure, but I don’t want you doing things on your own. We are working on this together.”

“Agreed. Ship, did you find anything unusual near the time the crew entered stasis?” I asked.

“Negative Commander,” replied Ship.

“Thank you Ship. I suppose that is understandable. Our murderer knew how to hide their sabotage,” said Jem.

“Tal, I have a few questions for you, to help me understand the timeline of events. You fabricated five stasis capsules, each identical?” I asked.

“Confirmed,” replied Tal.

“The stasis seals were each tested, as part of the fabrication process?”

“Confirmed. They each passed testing with no defects,” replied Tal.

“And yet it was the stasis seal on Jon’s stasis capsule that failed? The damage that Laine discovered causing the eventual failure?”

“Confirmed,” replied Tal.

There had to be something. I felt it was staring me in the face. Jem was watching me intently.

“Tal, the five stasis capsules were in medical, before, during and after the crew entered the stasis capsules?” I asked.

“Confirmed. I only moved Jon’s capsule just before you came over to retrieve the other four,” replied Tal.

“Tal, did they enter the stasis capsules at the same time or in sequence?” I asked.

“They entered one-at-a-time Commander,” replied Tal.

I grinned. Jem looked puzzled.

“Please tell us the order in which they entered the stasis capsules,” I said.

“Commander Gil, Ensign Eller, Lieutenant Jon, Lieutenant Commander Cham, Captain Thom,” replied Tal.

“And can we tell if the damage to Jon’s stasis capsule happened before or after he entered it?”

“Based on the scans taken by Laine, the damage likely happened before being closed,” replied Tal.

“By likely, you mean... ?”

“In this context, seventy five percent confidence,” replied Tal.

I reclined on the sofa to process everything.

I must have took too long. Jem nudged me in the ribs. I turned to look at her.

“What?” I asked.

“Think out loud. Then I can take part,” said Jem.

“Sorry. I have an idea who our murderer is,” I said.

“Explain it to me,” said Jem.

“Well, the stasis capsules were fine just after fabrication. No damage. The damage happened before the last crew entered stasis,” I said.

“Agreed,” said Jem.

“If the damage happened before Jon entered his stasis capsule, that narrows it to two suspects. The good news is we ruled out one of them,” I said.

“Continue,” said Jem.

“We can rule out Cham and Thom because they entered stasis after Jon. We ruled out Eller after the first round of interviews. That leaves Commander Gil. She had the means and the opportunity. I don’t understand the motive yet,” I said.

“This is assuming that the damage to Jon’s stasis capsule happened before he entered stasis,” said Jem.

“True. Ship, examine the scans. On a scale of one to ten, how likely was the damage done to Jon’s stasis capsule before he entered stasis? You may confer with your fellow AIs for this,” I said.

“Confirmed ... Commander, based on an analysis of the scans and the logs, my response is seven,” replied Ship.

“Seven is enough to move forward. As of now, I’m elevating Commander Gil to our prime suspect,” said Jem.

“Agreed. I want to understand her motive for killing Jon. Jon’s death upset her substantially which makes little sense. She also asked after her daughter,” I said.

“Could her feeling upset be remorse instead? And they had to believe that they may never wake up from stasis. I wonder how that affected her thinking?” asked Jem.

“I agree with the remorse. I don’t know her state of mind when they went into stasis. What if she was being protective of her daughter? Did Jon represent a threat to Eller?” I replied.

“We need to talk with her again,” said Jem.

Jem and I returned to Commander Gil’s quarters. Jem pressed the chime, and the door opened.

She didn’t get up to meet us this time. We stepped in and the door closed behind us. We stood facing the table where Gil sat.

“Commander, you know why we are here,” said Jem.

She looked up at us. “You worked it out, didn’t you?”

“Yes. You killed Jon, but we don’t understand why a Baglogi could kill another,” said Jem.

“You had better take a seat,” she said with a grim, resigned expression on her face.

We both sat at the table. When she saw we were ready, she continued.

“I assume your AI is recording this?” she asked.

Jem nodded.

“We are a dying race. Our crew had only one or two generations left. My daughter is one of the last. She has not yet reached maturity, but there were two suitors.

“Jon was my favourite choice. I grew up with his parents. He was an ideal match for Eller. He lived with integrity, although he was quiet and barely registered with my daughter.

“By now you have met Cham. He is a weasel of the highest order. The very idea of him and my daughter made my blood run cold. He constantly put Jon down, blaming him for every little thing. Cham used his fake charms on Eller, and I could tell he would eventually succeed.

“Our vessel ran into trouble. An unfriendly race attacked us. We escaped, but took more damage than was possible to repair. Tal made it to this system before the hyper drive failed. To save the crew, our AI fabricated stasis capsules.

“I saw the opportunity to stop Cham. Thom had declared ‘ladies first’ so I went to medical first, and I sabotaged the stasis capsule I thought was for Cham. I believed he would be in the third one. I covered up my sabotage and then entered the first stasis capsule. That was my last memory until I woke up here,” said Gil.

“But it was Jon who took the third stasis capsule, not Cham,” said Jem.

“I don’t know what happened!” said Gil.

“Tal, can you explain why Jon and not Cham took third place?” I said.

“Confirmed. Lieutenant Commander Cham was not ready and Lieutenant Jon took his place,” replied Tal.

Gil put her head in her hands and wept. We waited for a few minutes.

Jem touched Gil on the shoulder to get her attention. Gil looked up at us.

“Commander Gil, by your own admission you deliberately tried to kill another member of your crew. Your actions resulted in the death of a crew member. As senior ranking officer, I find you guilty of murder,” said Jem.

Gil nodded, resigned to her fate.

“Commander Gil, I now have the unenviable task of deciding sentencing of a fellow Baglogi. I will talk with Captain Thom and my crew. We will take your testimony and that you admitted your crime into account. You must remain in your quarters for now,” said Jem.

She didn’t respond. We got up and left. The door closed behind us.

Back in the corridor again.

I turned to Jem. “Are we ready to talk with Captain Thom?”

“Yes, let’s do that. But first, Ship, please reinstate the respective ranks of Thom, Eller and Cham,” replied Jem.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

“And Ship, please monitor Commander Gil for possible suicidal behaviour. We don’t want another Baglogi to die,” I added.

“Confirmed,” replied Ship.

Jem looked at me.

“She looked very upset. It is a possibility,” I answered. Jem nodded.

We then moved the short distance to his cabin. Jem pressed the chime, and a moment later the door opened.

Captain Thom greeted us in Baglogi. We entered, and the door closed behind us. We took a seat around the table.

“Captain, we uncovered the murderer. You are no longer a suspect. I reinstated your rank as Captain,” said Jem.

“Thank you, Commodore. I assume you are here to share your findings?” asked Thom.

“Yes, and to discuss sentencing. But before we continue, I need you to detach yourself from your crew. I know that crew are family, but you need to be separate for this,” said Jem.

“Understood. I’m ready,” replied Thom.

“The murderer is Commander Gil,” said Jem.

“What!! No!! That can’t be so. She loved Jon as much as her own daughter,” said Thom. He stood up, upset. I tensed up ready to block him if he tried to attack Jem.