Starship Armstrong - Season 2

Part 73 - The Trial Of Dr. Kang (IX)

The first day of the trial ended without any other notable testimony. Dr. Kang's sleazy lawyer approached Captain Littlecrow on the courthouse steps with a message from Dr. Kang: he wanted to meet with her again.

Littlecrow rolled her eyes, but what was she going to do? She boarded yet another shuttle and flew up to the orbital prison. She was beginning to feel like she was in prison.

Littlecrow passed through security and founding Dr. Kang waiting for her in the visiting room. She sat down at her side on the force-field divided table.

Littlecrow rested her chin on her knuckles.

"That was an interesting call you made to Dr. Po, wasn't it?" she said "Your lawyer implied it was faked. Was it?"

"Not faked per se," admitted Kang "The recording is of me. I said those words, exactly those, words, and I said them to Dr. Po over her public T-Net connection, on the day she died. But it was part of a much larger conversation. I wasn't threatening her I was warning her about the people who apparently did eventually come and kill her that night."

"Forget whether you think I'm capable of murder, do you really think I'm so stupid that I would call someone I intended to murder on a public T-Net connection just to tell them I was going to murder them? Right before I murdered them? I can accept that you'd think I might kill someone, maybe I would, but the idea that you should believe I could be so careless about it is what's really insulting."

"If those records have been altered then you really are being framed," said Littlecrow.

"Are you blind?" demanded Dr. Kang, leaning forward "Of course I'm being framed! By the people who actually killed Dr. Po. Pay attention, my life is on the line here."

"If you can prove that if you will exonerate you," said Littlecrow.

"I'll settle for dismantling the Prosecution's manufactured case," said Kang "My lawyer has seen all their evidence and he's confident he can suppress the worst of it on a technicality."

"And you really believe him?"

Kang shrugged "He gets murderers off all the time."

Littlecrow gave him a look of concern.

"...which means he should have no trouble helping an innocent man beat bogus murder charges."

"Fine," said Littlecrow "So what did you want to see me about?"

"I need another favor," said Kang.

"Which is?" asked Littlecrow.

"I haven't heard from McAfree since all this started, and I don't seem to have the pull around this planet that I used to. I need you to track her down. She was arrested at the same at as I was so she's probably in the legal system somewhere. If she needs anything, like a lawyer, pay for it out of the bank accounts I gave you access to."

"About those accounts," said Littlecrow "How did you get that kind of money?"

"Ha!" laughed Kang "What do you think I'm some kind of underworld kingpin? I get 24 and one half credits worth of royalties every time a Mark 5 Relativity drive is built. I get a half of a percent of all artificial antimatter sales, that alone would make me one of the richest men on Mars. I also own the patent for-"

"Alright, I get it," said Littlecrow "It's clean money."

"What money is truly clean though, eh, Captain?" asked Kang "Just find McAfree and help her. Please. She wouldn't be in any of this trouble if it wasn't for her association with me."

"If I didn't know any better I'd swear you're acting like you care about her, Doctor," said Littlecrow, smiling.

"As my situation evolves it becomes increasingly less likely I will be able to replace her in the near future," admitted Kang.

"Don't worry," said Littlecrow "I like McAfree. She's a good kid. I'll make sure nothing happens to her. You may in the doghouse but I still have some pull around here. Mars still remembers the Armstrong from the Reunification Wars."

"Thank you," said Dr. Kang "In the present circumstances I need to be able to focus 100% of my mental energy on myself and my situation. To that end I believe I will have to cut our meeting short at this time. I have to go strategize."

"I understand," said Littlecrow, and she swore she saw fear in Dr. Kang's eyes for perhaps the first time.