'Mike.'
'Okay. To be perfectly honest, Mike, what we do is up to the captain.'
'We don't have orders?'
'We do.' Paul frowned, remember the convoluted wording and evasive language of their orders. 'But they pretty much leave it up to the captain's judgment as to what to do.'
Bristol's jaw sagged for a moment. 'Just like non-judicial punishment, huh?'
'Yeah, effectively. Just like that.'
'Oh, great. I guess I better hope that doesn't happen. And I better forget about us getting back ahead of schedule.'
'It's probably just as well,' Paul offered. 'I'd imagine if they needed us home early it'd be because something really bad had happened. I'm not so sure that'd be a good thing.'
Commander Sykes took another drink, then sighed. 'From the mouths of babes. As you say, Mr. Sinclair, getting home early would only be worth it if it didn't involve getting into a situation even worse than boring figurative holes through some of the more vacant space in the solar system. Be careful what you wish for, gentlemen. There's always a worse alternative.'
Bristol grinned. 'As Chief Mangala will discover.'
'Ah, yes. Chief Mangala. Beware the wrath of pork chops.' Sykes settled back in his chair, even though the gesture was meaningless in zero g, a small smile playing on his lips.
Half a day later, in the same wardroom, the Arroyo/Mangala affair assumed trivial significance to Paul as he and Kris Denaldo watched a friend in agony. Carl Meadows was shaking his head continuously, as if hoping he could deny a fact out of existence, his voice strained as he spoke. 'Oh my God.'
Paul reached out a hand toward Carl's shoulder, then drew it back, uncertain how to react. 'What happened?'
'Petty Officer Davidas. He's dead.'
'What? How?'
'We don't know. It just happened. He was working on one of the pulse lasers. It had been de-energized and tagged out. I saw the physical tag placed and watched the virtual tag placed on the automated systems controls. But the thing got energized somehow while he was lying across it.'
'Holy Jesus.' Kris Denaldo crossed herself in reflexive fashion. 'He couldn't have stood a chance.'
'No. Fried instantly. Never knew what hit him, I'm sure.' Meadows buried his head in his hands. 'Oh, God.'
'Lieutenant Meadows.' Commander Herdez hung in the hatchway. 'I have appointed Commander Garcia to conduct an investigation of Petty Officer Davidas' death. Ensure he receives full cooperation from everyone in your division.'
Meadows raised his head. 'Yes, ma'am.'
Her gaze shifted to Paul. 'Ensign Sinclair. Provide Commander Garcia with any legal or other support he needs.'
'Yes, ma'am.' Oh, great. Garcia already hates every second I spend on legal duties, and now I have to work directly with him on legal stuff. Paul glanced over at Carl Meadows' drawn expression. What right do I have to worry about that? A guy just died. I can be such a jerk sometimes. 'Carl, I better check with Commander Garcia right away. If there's anything you need…'
'Yeah.'
Paul detoured to his stateroom first, calling up his copy of the Manual of the Judge Advocate General to refresh his knowledge on investigations. Okay. Death of military personnel falls under the Command Investigation category. Garcia doesn't need to be sworn in in order to run the investigation. He only needs a preponderance of evidence… except if he decides Davidas or somebody else caused the accident deliberately. Hope that doesn't come up. It's prohibited to make any determination as to whether the death was in the line of duty.
Garcia answered Paul's knock with a gruff grunt, then glowered at him as Paul stammered out his mission. 'I don't need an ensign's help to do my job. Everything is spelled out in the manual, right?'
'Yes, sir. Chapter II of the JAGMAN. There's a sample report format at the end of the chapter.'
'I've already looked at that. Do I need to swear anybody in when I take statements from them?'
'No, sir. Swearing in is not required for a command-level accident investigation. You can swear somebody in if you want to, though. The oath you use is in Chapter II.'
'How long do I have to finish this?'
'A death investigation is supposed to be completed within twenty days, sir.'
'Good. I won't need nearly that much time.' Garcia focused on his own screen again, his face reddening with familiar anger.
It took Paul a moment to realize the anger wasn't directed at him. Is he really that upset over the death of Davidas? It can't possibly make him look bad. Just when I thought I had Garcia pegged, he turns out to care about something besides his own reputation. Paul stood awkwardly, wanting to leave but unable to do so until dismissed. 'Sir, is there anything I can assist you with?'
Garcia's eyes locked back on Paul and held there for a long moment. 'Yes, as a matter of fact, Sinclair. As long as you're standing there, go down to sickbay and make sure the doc knows what he's supposed to put in his report.'
'Yes, sir.' Paul left, steeling himself for the visit to sickbay and praying whatever remained of Petty Officer Davidas wouldn't be visible.
The ship's doctor nodded wearily at Paul's arrival. 'Yes, I know. You people need an autopsy of sorts. I'm not a forensic pathologist, you know. I work on the living. That's by choice. But I should be able to tell you what killed the man. It's pretty obvious. I don't suppose you want to see for yourself?'
'No! No, sir.' Paul swallowed hastily, his stomach suddenly feeling just as it had when he first encountered zero-gravity. 'There's a format you're supposed to follow. Do you…?'
'Probably, but let me see.' The doctor scanned the form for a moment, then nodded and made a notation in his own data link. 'Okay. I'll use that form. Am I supposed to fill out all these areas?'
'As many as possible, sir. The report needs to rule out possible contributing factors to the accident.'
The doctor snorted derisively. 'I guarantee he didn't die from a drug overdose. Or alcohol poisoning. But I still need to test for drugs or alcohol?'
'Yes, sir. Not that anyone thinks those were a factor, but we have to rule it out.'
'The body tissues have suffered extensive trauma. Serious oxidation from the energy that hit him. I might not be able to get a good test.'
Paul swallowed again. 'You just have to try, sir. If… if there's no way to make a determination, we'll have to work with what evidence is available.'
'Fine. I'll do my best.' The doctor let his gaze wander toward a sealed storage bin. 'Not that my best could have helped that poor bastard. I work on the living.'
'Yes, sir.'
'Do you have any idea yet how this happened? Aren't there some sort of precautions taken to ensure equipment isn't energized when someone is working on it?'
Paul glanced at the doctor, surprised by the question. But then, how would he know about electrical safety procedures? That isn't what he does. 'Yes, sir. They use tags. There's an actual physical tag put on the circuit where it's switched off, saying don't turn it on because someone is working on it, and there's a virtual tag saying the same thing that's placed in the electrical distribution system software to prevent anyone from remotely activating the circuit.'
'Why didn't they use these tags?'
'They did, sir. At least, that's what everyone involved is saying. Maybe someone overrode the virtual tag, or pulled the physical tag off the circuit. If so, we'll find out.'
'I see.' The doctor scowled at his table surface. 'Then you can punish whoever was responsible. That won't help Petty Officer Davidas, you know.'
'No, sir, it won't. But punishment isn't the primary reason for the investigation. Finding out what went wrong is most important. So we can try to make sure it never happens again to any other sailor.'
