"Everything we can. Any objects, natural or artificial. Radiation levels across the spectrum. You name it."
"Did the
Michaelson
detect anything out of the ordinary prior to the
Maury
suffering damage?"
"Out of the ordinary?" Captain Hayes shook his head. "No."
"No unusual radiation levels in any part of the spectrum?"
"No."
"No hazardous objects near the
Michaelson
or the
Maury
?"
"No."
"Nothing that caused you concern for the safety of either your ship or the
Maury
?"
"No."
Carr came to stand before the witness stand again. "You detected no signs of any danger to your ship or the
Maury
. No external elements which could've accounted for what happened to the
Maury
."
Hayes shook his head again. "No, Commander. Nothing like that."
"And no unusual or worrisome detections from the
Maury
herself?"
"No. She'd lit herself up, just like we had, but it was all normal equipment emissions."
"Then, Captain, would you say as a commanding officer whose own ship was present in the same location as the
Maury
that whatever caused the damage to the
Maury
had to have originated inside the ship?"
Hayes pondered the question for a moment, then nodded slowly. "Yes. I'd have to say that."
"But there were also no warning signs from the
Maury
."
"That's right. It just happened."
Commander Carr lowered her voice slightly. "Captain, what was the reaction of your engineers when they discovered the
Maury
's engineering compartments had been destroyed?"
"Shock." Hayes nodded firmly this time. "Disbelief."
"Did you ask them how such a thing could've happened?"
"Yes, I did."
"And what did they say?"
"They . . . said they couldn't imagine. Had no idea."
Carr nodded as well. "And then the
Michaelson
rendered aid to the
Maury
."
"Yes. I brought my ship in a little closer and started sending over damage control teams."
"Did those teams include any engineering personnel?"
"Yes. My main propulsion assistant and her leading chief petty officer."
"Did they see anything on the
Maury
which would've explained what happened?"
Hayes snorted. "They had other priorities, Commander. Saving that ship and her crew."
"I understand, Captain." Commander Carr lowered her head briefly as if in apology. "But they didn't report seeing anything which would explain the damage?"
"They said what the investigation later confirmed. It looked like just about everything in the engineering compartments blew at just about the same time."
"If I may summarize, Captain Hayes, your ship, there beside the
Maury
, saw no external cause for what happened to the
Maury
. Your personnel, first on the scene of the disaster, likewise saw nothing to indicate it was caused by anything but internal explosions."
"That's a fair summary. Yes."
"Thank you, Captain. No further questions."
Lieutenant Bashir glanced back at Paul as he stood, then advanced deferentially on Captain Hayes. "Captain, are there things out in space which you can't detect?"
Hayes snorted again. "The details are classified, Lieutenant, but of course that's true. I'd love to have a crystal ball. Any captain would."
"Things that pose threats to spacecraft?"
"Conceivably."
"What about internally? You testified your ship detected nothing unusual from the
Maury
immediately before the destruction of her engineering compartments. But isn't the
Maury
, like your own ship, designed to minimize the chances of radiation going out as well as going in?"
"Sure." Captain Hayes pointed toward the schematic of the
Maury
still on display. "Just that inner hull alone. It's filled with water cells. They help block radiation from reaching the crew. But they also block any emissions going out."
"Which would make it impossible for your own ship to have detected internal problems on the
Maury
?"
Carr was watching Bashir narrowly, but said nothing.
Hayes pondered the question, then gave another nod. "Essentially, yes. I mean, nothing's impossible. But it'd be very, very hard. Once something's strong enough to come through the hulls, well . . ." He grimaced and indicated the schematic again. "At that point you're in trouble."
"Thank you, Captain."
Commander Carr stood again as Bashir returned to the defense table. "Captain Hayes, to the best of your knowledge, is your ship incapable of detecting any
threats
to it?"
"No. If it's that dangerous, as far as I know we'll see it coming."
"So the fact that your systems aren't 'perfect' doesn't mean they can't detect anything important enough to worry about?"
"Uh, you could say that. Yes."
"Were you in communication with the
Maury
immediately prior to her suffering damage?"
"Yes."
"Did anyone or anything on the
Maury
indicate to you internal problems which you wouldn't have picked up with your own sensors?"
Once again, Captain Hayes shook his head slowly. "No. Nothing like that."
Commander Carr sat again, and Judge McMasters pointed to Captain Carney.
Carney gave Captain Hayes an approving smile. "Captain, I hope it's not out of line for me to express my admiration for how well your ship rendered assistance to the
Maury
in her time of need."
Paul barely restrained showing annoyance.
I can't believe he's sucking up to Captain Hayes during the court-martial. Isn't there anything illegal or improper about that
? He looked at Lieutenant Bashir, who took no action and revealed nothing by his expression.
I guess not
.
Jen's faced remained rigidly unemotional, providing no clues to whatever she felt inside. Paul couldn't see her eyes, which would've told him something even if Jen had been trying to hide her feelings.
Captain Hayes nodded his head to acknowledge Carney's praise. "Thank you, Captain. I'm proud of my crew."
"Didn't the defendant ride the
Michaelson
back to Franklin?"
Hayes nodded again. "Yes, she did."
"Any impressions of her from that ride?"
Bashir had tensed, as if ready to object, but he glanced toward Paul first. Paul tried to indicate it'd be a good idea to let Hayes speak, and apparently got that across, because Bashir relaxed again.
"Not many," Captain Hayes was saying. "We were all very busy. She was in shock, like the rest of
Maury
's surviving crew, but she also asked me for any work I had to do." Hayes looked toward Jen for the first time. "I guess you could say that even in the aftermath of the disaster on the
Maury
she impressed me a bit."
"Did she do any work in engineering on your ship?" Carney pressed.
"Yes. Just paperwork, though she asked to do anything we needed help at."
"How'd she know the
Michaelson
well enough to make that offer?"
"She'd served on the
Michaelson
. Before I became CO."
"You didn't think it was odd that she volunteered to work so soon after such a tragedy?"
Hayes frowned, then shook his head. "No."
Carney made an expression Paul couldn't interpret, but before he could say anything else, Lieutenant Kalin spoke. "Sir, did any other members of the
Maury
's crew volunteer to help out on the
Michaelson
?"
Carney shot her an annoyed glance, but Hayes was already nodding. "Quite a few. They wanted to repay our help. They wanted to earn their keep."
"Thank you, Captain." Kalin acted as if unaware of Carney's disapproval.
Lieutenant Commander Cloud, perhaps taking advantage of Captain Carney being distracted, gestured for attention. "Captain Hayes, could you tell us, sir, as commanding officer of one of the
Maury
's sister ships, what your assessment is of the odds that what happened to the
Maury
could've been the result of an accident?"
Hayes stayed silent for a few seconds, then, his mouth a thin line, shook his head. "From my own knowledge, from what my own engineers have told me, it doesn't appear possible for it to have been an accident."
"Then you agree that some form of deliberate sabotage is the only possible explanation?"
Once again, Captain Hayes took a few moments before answering. "No. I feel fairly confident I know one thing that
didn't
cause it. I am far less confident that means one particular thing
did
cause it."
"Thank you, Captain."
Captain Carney cleared his throat. "Captain Hayes, do you know of anything else that could've caused what happened to the
Maury
? Any other specific cause that could explain the disaster?"
Hayes favored Carney with a flat expression Paul recognized.
He's not impressed by Carney. He knows Carney's trying to drive the discussion in just one direction.
But Captain Hayes' answer was only one word. "No."
"Uh, thank you, Captain."
Captain Hayes left, but deliberately offered a brief wave to Paul as he walked out of the court-room.
Judge McMasters held up a hand to forestall Commander Carr. "Lunchtime, Trial Counsel. This court-martial is closed and will reconvene at 1300 in this same courtroom."
McMasters stood even as the bailiff bawled out, "all stand." After the judge left, the members of the court filed out through their door. As soon as that door closed, the ranks of spectators congealed into a crowd heading for the courtroom's main exit.
Paul waited, hoping Jen would turn and speak to him after she and Bashir finished an intense, quiet conversation. Finally, just as the masters-at-arms arrived, Jen looked his way and offered Paul a smile which wasn't either confident or genuine. But he smiled back as if reassured, wondering if his own mood was as transparent.
Lieutenant Bashir remained behind as the masters-at-arms escorted Jen to a holding cell near the court-room where she'd get a fully nutritious and horribly bland meal. Paul took a couple of steps toward the lawyer. "Well?"
Bashir gave Paul a sidelong look. "I've had better mornings. Thanks for not saying so directly."
"I still don't really understand why it's so hard. I mean, they haven't presented anything yet that links Jen to what happened to the
Maury
."
"It doesn't make sense, does it? But it's an uphill battle. Listen, your Jen Shen isn't helping me as much as she could. She's trying to look cool and professional, but that also looks cold. I know you won't have a chance to see her before tonight, but can you convince her to show more emotion?"
"I can try."
"Mind you," Bashir added dryly, "if she looks too emotional they'll decide that's bad, too."
"I guess we should've got a drama coach appointed in addition to a lawyer."
"It wouldn't have hurt." Bashir pointed to Paul's seat. "Make sure you're back here from lunch early. We've got the trial's prime witness coming up, and some high-and-mighty might try to grab that seat despite the sign."
Paul shook his head. "I'm not hungry. I'll stay there until the trial restarts."
"Suit yourself." Bashir went out, his face a mask.
Paul sat back down, looking around, and saw Commander Carr still seated at the trial counsel's table.
She always stayed a little later at Silver's court-martial, too
. Carr finally finished whatever she was working on and stood. Turning to go, she saw Paul and looked at him for a moment, then looked down and away as she left the courtroom.
Not happy. Cold comfort, but she's not enjoying this at all.
The room emptied of the last occupants but Paul. The bailiff came through at one point, glanced at Paul with disinterest, then continued onward. After about half an hour, people began trickling back in. A captain came by at one point, frowning down at Paul in a why-are-you-in-that-chair way, but Paul just pointed to the placard on the back. "Reserved, sir." Apparently believing Paul must be place holding the seat for a more senior officer, the captain moved off.
Almost last to reenter was Jen and her escorts. She took time to offer him another tight-lipped smile, then bent her head to talk to Lieutenant Bashir. Paul could see her shaking her head, but couldn't hear anything.
"All rise."
Once the judge and the members of the court had once more taken their places, McMasters used his gavel to once again indicate Commander Carr. "This court-martial is open. Proceed, Trial Counsel."
"Thank you, your honor. The United States calls as its next witness Captain Elizabeth Halis, United States Navy."
The courtroom, already quiet, seemed to fall even more silent as Captain Halis entered, walking steadily to the witness stand and taking the oath with a stubbornly unreadable expression. Commander Carr stood a little further back from her than she had other witnesses, as though granting Captain Halis an extra measure of respect. "Captain Halis, please state your current assignment."
Halis actually twitched one eyebrow as if amused. "I am currently serving as commanding officer of the USS
Maury
."
"And you were serving in that capacity on 21 February of this year?"
Halis stared evenly back at Carr. "I was."
"Previous testimony has established that on the afternoon of 21 February, 2101, the USS
Maury
, your ship, was wracked by devastating internal explosions that destroyed her engineering compartments and killed sixty-one members of her crew. Prior to that happening, had you received any notification from your engineering personnel of concerns or problems in engineering?"
"There are always problems and concerns in engineering, Commander." Halis' voice betrayed nothing of whatever she was feeling.
"Anything out of the ordinary, then? Anything that aroused particular concern?"
"No. Not that aroused particular concern. As for out of the ordinary, I received a report about noon from Commander Juko that the engineering system was continuing to display what he called 'teething troubles' in the wake of our yard period and modifications."