The Juridic

[sisko]

The Juridic
by Vultur
(originaly posted at the networknode.org)

PROLOGUE
EARTH, UNITED STATES OF EAST AMERICA, A.D. 2051
"...And this Court declare that the accused is not guilty."
The courtroom exploded in applause, demonstrating the happiness after a long silence.
"My compliments, Mr. Mason. Good pleading.” said a voice behind him;
"Thank you, Mr...." replied Mason, asking the name of the unknown,
"Garland" answered him.
"The Chief of the project Unity?” asked Mason surprised.
"Exactly; we need your consultation.” said Garland.
"You have my attention", replied Mason.
"Please, by this way", said Garland.
They entered in a somber room, where two people were waiting.
"At your right the ex-Secretary of U.N., Nobel Prize for Peace three years ago, and my best friend, Pravin Lal"
"...It’s a pleasure, Mr. Lal", murmured Mason astonished.
"And at your left the Nobel Prize for medicine, Prokhor Zakharov, the inventor of the genetic therapy"
"...Very honored, Mr. Zakharov"; said Mason.
He was very surprised ‘why Garland needs my help? He has the help of the best scientific mind of the Earth, and the help of the United Nation...why?’ he murmured.
"Because, Mr. Mason, we need your perfect knowledge of the Right of every country in this world." said Zakharov, interrupting his thoughts.
"We are building a new hope for the human kind but... the colonists of the new world will be too far from Earth to have anything from the home world", added Garland.
Mason remembered: ‘the new hope, the new planet, Chiron.
Four light-year far from Earth, Chiron was considered a good planet to colonize, but this place is too far...they need everything, because it’s a non-return voyage...’
"We can count on your help, Mr. Mason?” asked Lal.
"I’m honored, Mr. Garland, my Lawyer’s Office is at your service", replied Mason.
"I think it’s a ‘yes’. Dasvidanya Mr. Mason" said Zakharov escorting him to the door.
Garland entered in a nearby room.
"He’s the right person? What’s your opinion?" asked to a person, hidden from Mason’s eyes.
"Maybe", replied him coldly.
End of part one.

[sisko]

THE DUTY
GEOSYNCHRONOUS ORBIT, UNITY’S FACTORY, A.D. 2056
"Come here, with that damned energy collector!"
"Wait a moment, $#%#!"
The work proceeded quickly above the heads of the group of people lead by Garland.
"...And here there is a prototype of Colony Pod.” Garland showed a huge white convoy.
"What is its job?” asked Mason, feeling ashamed of his ignorance.
"It’s simple, Mr. Mason,” began Zakharov," it contains all the tools you need to found a base on Chiron: a minerals’ extractor, a proteins’ synthesizer and obviously many gas masks."
"They use the peroxide of nitrogen of Chiron’s atmosphere to extract oxygen for our needs,” added a young woman of Zakharov’s team.
"Who is she?" asked Mason to a person nearby him.
"She’s Miss Skye, don’t waste your time thinking of her... she is colder than an iceberg with all the people. She’s interested only on her plants!"
"By this way, sirs, please..."said Garland to the group.
The group got to the main building-pillar, and was surprised for the amazing show:
The assembly of the fusion reactor core on the structure of the starship, the U.S.S. UNITY.
A man behind Mason said, arrogantly, "This is the work of five years? I hoped in something more... if I had been the chief of this money-wasting project, the starship would have been ready months ago!"
Mason replied, "What have you done for this starship?"
"The money...the only thing important for the human kind... the money is power, and the men want power...I’m Nwabudike Morgan of Morgan Industries, and the only reason because of being here is that this damned ship is the only way to escape from this dying planet!"
"Money... you don’t trust in nothing more this, Morgan?” said a red haired woman.
"Miriam, Miriam... I’m multimillionaire, this is my religion, I don’t need to trust in nothing else!” added Morgan sarcastically.
"Please sirs, please... don’t quarrel..."said Garland.
Later Mason entered in Garland’s cabin, near UNITY ‘s cockpit.
"Do you want to speak me?" asked Mason.
"Yes. Today you have seen the true reason for your presence here..." replied Garland.
"I’ve seen a certain... rivalry among some crew members,” said Mason.
"Unfortunately, it’s true... I need to found a way to control them, and I rely on you.” added Garland.
"Thank you, Captain!" exclaimed proudly Mason.
After his guest was returned to his room, Garland asked to the head of the security:
"I think that in the next months he would be the scales’ needle"
"Maybe", replied him coldly.
End of part two

[sisko]

TRAINING
EARTH, UNITY’S TRAINING CAMP, SOMEWERE IN NEVADA DESERT, A.D. 2060
"Another time?” exclaimed Mason thwarted.
"Yes", replied the doctor.
"Hmm... But... It’s the hundredth time!"
"Yes"
"Well... let’s go", sighed the Unity’s Lawful Consultant
‘I don’t know how long I can stand this... a four month’s quarantine in this desert, ten different medical exams a day, four hour of gymnastic, and synthesized food...’
"Don’t worry, Mr. Mason... next month we will leave for Chiron", said the doctor.
"Yes, frozen like ice-cream far from the rest of the human kind..." added sadly Mason.
"By this way! Come to see it, come to see it!" exclaimed a young crew’s member to his companions.
"Why?" asked they.
"It’s incredible...come to see it!"
Mason intrigued by this confusion followed the little crowd and arrived to the gym.
A sixty year’s old Chinese man dressing a black kimono was warming up with martial arts.
Seated in front of him there were a dozen of people dressed like him.
"What’s happening? Who is he?" asked Mason to a crew’s member near him.
"He’s Mr. Yang, the Unity’s Security Chief, and he’s giving a demonstration of martial art to his crew"
"Now", said Yang stopping his exercises,” it’s your turn: one after one you will attack me trying to let me fall to the ground"
The Security’s crew’s members murmured doubtfully.
"To make the thing more interesting...” added Yang tying a dark bandana on his eyes, "... I’ll give you some advantage"
A crew’s member smiling sure of his victory, approached Yang as silent as he can...
But not enough. Before he realized he was lying on the ground.
"Ohhh...” exclaimed surprised Mason with all the people in the gym.
"An other one!" ordered Yang.
One after one, all the Security members presents after a short fight were thrown on the ground, wounded in the pride more than in the body.
In the meantime a black haired woman that had observed the fights in silence approached Yang from his shoulders trying to hit him.
Yang avoided the stroke with a jump and untied the bandana from his eyes.
"For a fight with you I need all my senses,” explained him.
With an astonishing ability he jumped on his opponent that dodged him with the same skill.
The fight was a lot longer than the others and no one could predict who would win.
A Yang’s stroke hit the opponent that fell to the ground.
"Good fight Santiago, my compliments,” said Yang, wiping himself
"The fight was not over!" exclaimed her, rising from the floor.
"Maybe not... but for today it’s enough,” concluded Yang.
"By this way, Mr. Mason we are late..." said the doctor.
End of part three.

[sisko]

THE LEAVE
MOON LAUNCH BASE, 1ST MARCH 2060, 01:34 GMT - COUNTDOWN: -11:26
"Only twelve hours divide us from a new chapter of humankind’s history. We have colonized the Moon. We are colonizing Mars. But nothing could prepare us from what we are doing now. The vital resources of the Earth have been drained from 8000 years by humankind; the famine, the violence, the war and the death have ever been a steady company of our society. Now we have the technology, the power and the maturity to change our destiny. We can realize an utopia: we have found the Gardens of Eden, the Promised Land: we have found Chiron."
Garland continued after a short silence:
"When twenty years ago a Moon telescope discovered a planet like the Earth nobody between us could suppose that colonize Chiron was so important for our world. The nations have renounced to fighting each other to participate at the greatest journey ever since. We have built the biggest and the fastest starship ever built. We have charged on the Unity not only thousand tons of scientific tools and many more means of survival, but, above all, our faith in a new possibility for the humankind."
"Our is a non-return voyage. We couldn’t see our friends, our family, and our planet. For who remains on the Earth it’s logic to see the rising of the Sun, the blue sky and the white clouds. But for us it’s not the same thing. We’ll see the rising of Alpha and Beta Centaury, a dirty-yellow sky and purple clouds. How we could describe the pain we feel for leaving forever our world?” said the Captain showing the Earth trough the base’s windows, "I remember what a man said 12th April of 99 years ago; Yuri Gagarin, the first man in the space, seeing the Earth from his starship:
‘My God... how it’s beautiful!’"
Garland fell silent for one minute.
"We’ll travel in a 36 years at one tenth of the light-speed. For the effect of the relativity on the Earth will pass forty years, but, thanks to the cryosleep, for us will pass only a couple of days. As you know we will cross the entire Solar system, after leaving it forever. The Unity will use the "Sling effect" to accelerate near Jupiter and Saturn; afterwards, the Astrogator Ulrik Sveensgaard, my crew and me will join you in the cryosleep. Our awakening is foreseen near Centaury system. I’ve nothing to add further except: Good luck."
"For who is interested in, Sister Miriam Godwinson will office a mass at hangar A-09 within one hour."
End of part four.

[sisko]

COLD SLEEP
MOON LAUNCH BASE, HANGAR B-17, COUNTDOWN: -05:12
“Attention please, attention please: crew members from number 12001 to number 12500 are kindly requested to go at hangar C-98 between ten minutes. I repeat...”
The loudspeaker croaked upon Mason’s head, interrupting his thoughts; after Garland’s speech he had thought a lot about the Earth’s situation, asking himself about the mean of captain’s words.
He know the serious economy problems that are affecting the Western World, as the oil’s crisis or the secession in regions of the United States, but he didn’t succeed to think at a risk of the civilization’s end, that Garland marked with his words.
‘A new possibility for the mankind... a new possibility for the humankind...’
Mason walked along the hangar seeing hundreds of people waiting their turn to be charged on the shuttle that link the Moon Base to the starship Unity.
“Mr. Mason, please, could you follow me?”
“Yes, sorry, I was lost in my thoughts, doctor”
“Why haven’t you yet dressed your cryosuit?” asked the doctor with tone of reproach
“I feel ridiculous dressed like the others”, explained Mason
“Do I seem ridiculous?” said the young woman, maliciously
“Obviously no, miss” Mason lowering his eyes, ashamed
“Don’t be afraid Mr. Mason: many crew members should have problems to show their physique, but they don’t feel ridiculous”
“Sorry miss, I will dress my suit immediately”
“Attention please, attention please: crew members from number 53501 to number 54000 are kindly requested to go at hangar B-39 between ten minutes. I repeat...”
‘It is my turn’, thought Mason setting out the hangar.
Mason entered in the crowded hangar, seeking his collaborators.
“Mr. Drake!” exclaimed him founding his first assistant.
“Mr. Mason, it seems that we’ll be charged into the same shuttle…”
“Yes, but we’ll be put in the cryosleep before reaching the Unity”
“How do you feel, Mr. Mason? Well, leaving the Earth forever…”
“Someone said that ‘To leave is as to die’, we are not only leaving our planet, but also a part of us…” said Mason thoughtful.
“ ‘To die, to sleep, maybe to dream’ ”, added Drake
“Number 53787” said the loudspeaker
“It’s me!” exclaimed a voice behind Mason
“I’m the next, Mr. Mason”
“Ok, Drake good voyage” added Mason
Few minutes later a white cylinder containing Drake’s frozen body was charged on the shuttle.
“Number 53790” said the loudspeaker
Mason moved automatically to the cryotechs.
“Lie down, please”
The cryotcehs insert some needles in the suit, “It is for the oxygen”, they explained.
Mason was closed in the cylinder and the cryoliquid began to cover him. For a moment he feared to drown, but he remembered the needles in his arm.
He feel cold and the senses were abandon his mind
He thought to fell in the oblivion
“Good night, Mr. Mason” a far voice
And nothing else matter...
End of part five.

[sisko]

DREAMS
NON-RETURN POINT – SATURN’S ORBIT 10TH WEEK OF NAVIGATION
From Captain Garland’s Personal Diary
The navigation through the Mars’ asteroid’s belt and the first fusion reactor’s ignition near Jupiter was passed without accidents of any sort: the starship’s AI was programmed so well that the Astrogator Svensgaard said that his job was “a job for a monkey”. Pravin has organized the cryogenic sleep for all of us. I will be the last one falling asleep and the first one who will awake near Chiron, so my friend has told me exactly what to do. Zakharov is studying the exactly coordinates of the arrival with the support of his assistant Aky… her neural grafting makes her much more “efficient”, but talking to her is interesting as speaking to the starship’s AI… sometimes I have the impression to speak to the Unity itself… It is time, our Security Chief is calling me… let’s go doing this “monkey’s job”, the second ignition of the reactor.
Cryobay B-39 – Cryocell 53790
…Nothing…
…Cold…
…Sensation of fall…
…My name is…
…Time…
…A voice…
…What?…
…Jeopardize…
…Mission…
…Kill…
…Capt…
…No sense…
…My name is…
…Time…
…To die…
…To sleep…
…Maybe…
…To dream…
…Nightmares…
…Visions…
…Destruction…
…The scale’s needle…
…My name is…
…Silence…
…Cold…
…Fall…
…Mason!…
…Why me?…
…Destiny?…
…The Mind?…
…The Ruler?…
…Silence…
…Cold…
…Fall…
…Time…
…Time…
…Time…
…T…
End of part six

[sisko]

THE AWAKENING
U.S.S. UNITY, 9370 MILLIONS KM FAR FROM CHIRON, 15TH DECEMBER 2099
From Unity’s Events Manager-AI Data Recordings
Report 20178/2234 of 15/12/2099 – 13:12:34.41: From Zeta-6 to Zeta-0: Red alarm: an asteroid, mass: 0.1614 tons will collide with the Unity in 4:56.16 minutes. Evasion maneuver calculated. Sent to Navigation Manager AI.
From Unity’s Navigation Manager-AI Data Recordings
Report 3198/3348 of 15/12/2099 – 13:12:34.57: From Zeta-1 to Zeta-0: Red alarm: navigation data deleted. Unknown virus is infecting the system. Running antivirus. Antivirus failed. Running data saving. Data saving failed. Running security protocol. Security protocol failed. Transferring Zeta-1 algorithm to Zeta-0’s control. Transfer failed. Disabling transmissions. Loosing self-awareness... End of the activity. I’m… disappearing... Dr. Zakharov has taught me a nursery rhyme... Do you want hear it?
End of Zeta-1 Data Records.
From Unity’s Events Manager-AI Data Recordings
Report 20189/2237 of 15/12/2099 – 13:17:30.58: From Zeta-6 to Zeta-0: Red alarm: the asteroid collided with the Unity. Damage reports: Fusion reactor stopped. Decks from 45 to 56 destroyed. Losing pressure in Decks from 21 to 34. Fire in Deck 78, 97 and 112. Cryobays are safe. Secondary reactor efficiency 67.54%. Unity’s deceleration stopped.
From Unity’s AI-Coordinator Data Recordings
From Zeta-0 to all AIs: Unity’s speed is 6778.36 Km/s. Time needed to Unity’s deceleration: 8 days, 6:54:32.78 hours. Time before leaving Alpha Centaury System: 15 days, 10:47:25.59 hours. Run Emergency Protocol A001/019. Zeta-0 to Zeta-4: Begin the awakening of the human crew.
Cryobay B-39 – Cryocell 53790
Pain.
Like a blade crossing the brain, the shadows around Mason’s consciousness began to disappear.
Black.
Cold.
A sound…
Bump, bump, bump…
Can’t move…
Memories…
It’s black…
No…
Maybe…
...Green??
The cryocell!!
The cryoliquid was warming Mason’s body from –132°C to 0°C. Slowly. The cryoliquid was drained from the cell. The cryocell opened. Mason felt to the ground. He tried to breath... but the air was like fire for his lungs.
I’m reborn! he thought.
Am I thinking? I’m alive! exclaimed his mind.
After long minutes of semi-unconsciousness, Mason tried to move his right hand. He felt his muscles frozen. The energies begun to return in Mason’s body, and after some efforts he could move normally. Seat in the cryobay he begun to put an order in his mind. He recognized his companions of voyage that was lying, confused, on the ground. Drake seemed regain the control of himself rapidly and was helping the others to seat. Mason saw his friend and tried to stand up, but he found some difficulties. Drake reached and helped him.
“Drake, where are the doctors?” asked Mason
“I don’t know, it’s strange... I’ve a bad feeling...”
“Don’t try to move!” shouted ten armed men dressed with the security staff uniform arrived in the cryobay.
“The exits are closed, you are hostages of the Survivalist Front!”
Three men entered in the cryobay.
“Have you slept well, Mr. Mason?” asked one of them with a cold voice.
“Yang?!”
End of part seven.

[sisko]

DECISIONS
U.S.S. UNITY’S COCKPIT, IN THE MEANTIME
“What’s hell...?” shouted the Captain, trying to be listened over the metallic sound of the alarm. “Stop this damned...alarm”; the silence fell, an unnatural atmosphere filled the cockpit rapidly. ‘This is not happening... it’s only a dream... no... A nightmare’ repeated Garland to himself. The crew looked at him, their glances were void, confused. ‘They need a leader’ observed coldly the Captain seeing the life filling the their void, deleting their confusion. The weight of the responsibility hit Garland’s mind like an hammer; ‘They needed a leader... I need an aspirin’ considered him, feeling a pain in the center of his forehead. For a moment he wondered why that sensation was so familiar... when remembered: ‘an ice cream! It’s the same feeling when one swallows an ice cream too fast. Garland moved rapidly to his place, “Damage report,” ordered with a sure voice: “Damage reports: Fusion reactor stopped. Decks from 45 to 56 destroyed. Losing pressure in Decks from 21 to 34. Fire in Deck 78, 97 and 112. Cryobays are safe. Secondary reactor efficiency 67.54%. Unity’s deceleration stopped,” replied the AI’s metallic voice. “Captain! The sensors are detecting a non-authorized movement in the cryobay A-07, B-39 and C-77” exclaimed a young lieutenant, “... and it’s not all! Zeta-1, the Navigation AI doesn’t work any more! It seems a virus, I’m not sure...” “Where is the security crew?” asked Garland “We... don’t know!” replied the boy evidently scared. “Call Zakharov, I want to know what we can do to fix the ship, we have no time to waste, I think...”
‘Where is the security crew?.. Where is Yang?’ wondered the Captain...........
Cryobay B-39
“Yang?!.. What?..” exclaimed Mason.
“Mr. Yang will join you in your stay here” explained one of the security crewmembers.
Mason observed, and understood: the scorched holes in the cryosuit... the little red scars on the skin... five hits of a taser! Then Mason noticed the escort of Yang... one broken nose... one sprained shoulder... many bruises on their faces... martial arts! Evidently the Security Chief has resisted at the assault of the two mutineers.
“And you have not seen what I’ve done at the third one!” said Yang smiling.
One of the men pushed ruthlessly the prisoner to the ground, “You! Look after him! He’s our most important hostage!” ordered to a companion.
“I must thank you Mr. Mason,” began Yang with a ceremonial tone.
“Why?” asked Mason surprised.
“If I am not wrong, you have insisted to equip our security crew with non-lethal weaponry.”
“Oh... but was a logical thing, also if I had not predicted a similar situation...”
“YOU, SILENCE!” shouted a guard, snapping his psych-whip.
“If I don’t?” said Mason standing up.
“You can have some problems...” Before he could sense the whip hit him to the right arm. A burning pain invaded his body immediately, leaving Mason without forces. He fall one second later.
“Damn...” murmured breathless Mason.
“Next time I will be less kind with you!” menaced the guard, returning to his place.
“Mr. Mason!” exclaimed Drake “are you wounded?”
“It’s a psych-whip,” began Yang “it hit the nerve centers, does not hurt the body”
“What do they want?” asked the young lawyer whispering.
“We wonna survive!” yelled one mutineer “This damned ship is broken and your «Captain», what he’s doin’? I say it to you: nothing! He spend his time playin’ at the ‘little chemist’ with Zak, the arteriosclerotic chief of his egg-headed crew!”
“It’s only a question of time and this fools will found a way to access the Weapon Bay” murmured the Chief of Security.
“But... what we can do?” asked Mason.
“I can do something, but I need... a diversion” replied Yang coldly.
End of part eight

[sisko]

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
U.S.S UINTY’S HYDROPONICS POD 1, 13:37 UNITY TIME
The airtight doors opened with a whisper, and the artificial light invaded the room. A deep smell of wet wood began to pervade the corridor. The Hydroponics Pod was fantastically beautiful, with its hundred meters long networks of glass framed in grids of metal, and the sunlight shining through jungles of vegetation inside.
“It’s incredible”, murmured fascinated Skye gazing the little jungle that invaded the deck. Not only the majority of plants and flowers from all Earth’s ecosystems had done it after the 36 years of voyage, but...
“They have created a little ecosystem auto-sufficient”, explained to a young crew girl.
“I see that Zeta-3 has done a good job, with these plants” nodded Ensign Bouquet
“The only AI duty was to check the temperature, the rest are details” replied the Lieutenant.
Some of the xenobiologists begin to examine the fruit plants while others were inspecting the damages on the Pod’s structure, remembering how they mocked the boring lesson of mechanics and electronics of the Unity’s engineers during the crew training period.
“Zack has said that he ‘has no time to waste for fixing this Pod’, he’s ‘too busy to save the Ship!’”, said Ensign Holloway trying to imitate the Russian accent of the scientist.
“Officer Zackarov must find a way to restart the fusion reactor in 7 days, or we can forget to see Chiron for the next... 15 years, maybe more” replied Skye.
“Yes, but...”
“No buts! we must control the anchors of the Hydroponics Pod or we risk to lose also this one” ordered the Lieutenant indicating the scraps of Pod 2, that were flying in the deep space with the same speed of the Unity.
“Congratulations Skye, you know how to command.” exclaimed a familiar voice behind her.
“Santiago? What do you do here?”
“For you, I’m the Colonel Santiago, don’t forget it.” added the ex-Security Officer with a threatening tone.
Cryobay B-39
‘A diversion...’ thought Mason, examining the Cryobay: about 400 meters of length, not very large, and with a few gravity provided by the slow rotation of the structure around Unity’s core. He couldn’t see what’s happening out of the deck, but the emergency lights were a bad sign.
“I’ve spoken to the mutineers and I’ve found a couple of interesting information”, began Drake, “their leader is Santiago and...”
“Santiago? Damn it!” cursed Yang. “So they are very trained, hmm...”
“But they were very much afraid” concluded Mason.
“Interesting information, but how can you be certain?” asked Yang as that confirmed his suspects.
“Simple. They are nervous, and the are using their weapons to feel more sure of themselves, of their choice. In addition they have a motivated leader and a sort of «ideology», but I can’t say exactly what they want... maybe neither them know what has happened.” explained Mason as if his analysis was a simple thing.
“Congratulations, Mr. Mason, now let’s try to turn their fear against them.” added the Security Chief smiling.
They waited the guards inspecting the opposite side of the Cryobay, so Yang said: “Please, cover me for a while.”
While Drake and other crew members were hiding Yang from mutineers’ eyes, Mason could see the astonishing ability of his companion of captivity: with a strange writhing, Yang’s arms, bounded behind his back were soon in a normal position; after the old Chinese men grabbed his own hands and made a strange maneuver, pulling off the handcuffs.
“How...?”
“Simple, Mr. Mason I’ve sprained my own wrist.” explained Yang as if his action was obvious.
“...And now...”, began the Security Chief, “let’s stop these stupid fools.”
He quickly approached one of his guard who was looking after some prisoners, hitting his neck rapidly. The guard felt to the ground without a noise, the head in an unnatural position.
“This is the punishment for his crime.” said Yang looking at the horrified glance of Mason.
End of part nine

[Green1]

Wow, Sisko. I did think Juridic was one of the better quality NN factions. I did not realize the backstory and work behind it. Wow.

[sisko]

you can find such pearls on most of the defunct SMAC sites because the AC universe has inspired a lot of people during the last 15 years.
that's why we need repositories like Altera Centauri (for scenarios) or the AC wiki..

[JarlWolf]

Yeah, I thought the Lawyers were something more comical in Green's AAR, but this gives a lot more flesh to them.

[ete]

I've added a link to here from that faction's wiki page: http://alphacentauri2.info/wiki/Planet%27s_Law

I encourage others to do the same if they find something related to a custom faction, just throw a link in. Don't worry about formatting, I can tidy that up.

[Green1]

They only thing the author messed up ....

Miriam is from a Southern Protestant background. She does not hold "mass". That is a Catholic thing.