Martian Dawn

Part 4, Chapter 11: The Rover's Tale

From the official record, hearing date: January 15th, 2056, MY54 Sol 384

BAILIFF: This hearing is now in session, the Honorable Siwan Pryce, Lt. Commander Maria Gutierrez, Executive Officer of the Aguila, and Roberto Aguilar-Serrano presiding. We will now hear a reading of the evidence in regard to the alleged rape of Dawn Joysree Heinke on Sol 353, MY 54, corresponding to Terran date December 15th, 2055. In accordance with our agreements with your respective countries, this is a preliminary hearing to provide a plan of action until the Aguila reaches Earth, and to provide a record of the investigation for any subsequent prosecution on Earth. If the finding today is that there is sufficient evidence of a crime for it to go to trial, then any trial will take place upon your return to your own countries. Is that understood?

SANTIAGO: Yes.

SMALL: I do not recognize this court. The judges are not judges, and my supposed advocate is not a lawyer. You have absolutely no authority to try any crime at all.

BAILIFF: Which is exactly why this is not a trial. Again, any criminal trial will take place upon your return to Earth. This is simply a hearing to determine the need for such a trial, and to decide what to do with you in the meantime. Both the United States of America and Honduras have agreed to this arrangement.
As for authority, both of you signed documents of employment with Aguilar Aerospace which make you officially employees of Sr. Aguilar and crew members of the Aguila, currently orbiting Mars. Since the commanding officer of that ship, Captain Armando Ortíz-Rosales, will be presenting the findings, he has delegated authority in this case to his executive officer. As for authority on the surface of Mars, the various installations and constructions on the surface officially belong to the United Nations, and are managed jointly by the corporations, Mars Science Colony, LLC and Aguilar Aerospace. Siwan Pryce represents MSC in this matter, and holds a position equivalent to executive officer. Does that satisfy your concerns, Mr. Small?

SMALL: As long as it is recognized that this... whatever-this-is has no authority to convict or to sentence, I agree to sit through it. Also, I dismiss my legal council on the grounds that I don't believe for a second that he is on my side. I will represent myself.

BAILIFF: Done. The Court will now hear from Captain Armando Ortíz-Rosales, presenting the case against both defendants.

ORTÍZ: To save time, I'd like to go straight to the video, please.

(Video screen is turned on to reveal the inflatable section of Waystation One, from a perspective about one meter off the ground, near the outer airlock. Danny stands at the galley counter, pouring drinks, while Dawn and Emilio sit in side by side chairs, laughing at a video on Dawn's tablet.)

ORTÍZ: At this point, the rover is recording in the visible spectrum, and the events we're seeing correspond with both suspects' accounts. This point in time would be after Ms. Heinke's blackout began.

AGUILAR: At any point, can you confirm that either suspect spiked her drink?

ORTÍZ: No, not that we see here, and the tox screen came back negative for any of the typical date rape drugs. However, do you see these plants--here, here and here? Each of those can be used to produce a sedative.

SMALL: Oh come on! Chamomile, hops and lavender? You've got to be kidding! Yes, they're relaxing, but they're hardly knockout drugs!

ORTÍZ: Not in the way they're typically formulated, no. However, we did some experimentation in the chemistry lab and found that a distilled mixture of all three, when combined with alcohol, was a very effective sedative, and did not show up on the tox screen.

SMALL: What kind of a witch hunt is this?!

ORTÍZ (fast forwards the video): Both Ms. Heinke and Sr. Santiago are clearly seen to fall asleep in their chairs soon after finishing their drinks. Ms. Heinke attested under oath that there was a distiller set up in the lab when she went in there, the next morning. When we searched the habitat, we found the parts for one, but no still.