12th August 2013
21:11 GMT
Dru-Zod stares up at the g-lusca, an expression of mild distaste on his face.
"What is
that?"
Arnus takes his position next to him, just outside of the containment area marked on the floor. "It is a synthetic creature called a 'g-lusca', Essentially, a living computer."
"And if it makes you feel any better, it's genetically kryptonian.
"
He shakes his head, eyes still fixed on it. "Krypton had no creatures like that."
"It turns out that rondor and
thought-beasts are distantly related. A little genetic tweaking, and you can get something like that.
"
"Where did you get samples of
either?"
"Nam-Ek. Well,
I didn't. A team of researchers did. And
they created-
" The g-gnomes stick their heads out of their compartments.
"-those, and a few other variants, who in turn created the g-lusca.
"
**And MMe.**
Lesley and Nallam enter from the opposite, along with a xudarian lawyer named Nowan-Lu who is acting for the prosecution. Amalak… Didn't trust himself to be in the same room as Dru-Zod.
Dru-Zod straightens up. "I've already given my testimony."
Nallam
very carefully gets her face under control before explaining. "The defence has raised the possibility that your mental processes may have been externally altered."
He frowns. "By
what?"
Arnus shakes his head. "That is irrelevant."
"Are you talking about
narcotics?"
"No, but Kryptonian law -and the Timaronian law derived from it- make allowances for deliberate mental alterations."
"By
who? We were isolationist."
"The daxamites had an Eradicator-derived A.I. that could alter kryptonian minds. I doubt that Kem-El was working both in isolation and without records.
"
He looks to Arnus, who nods, before turning back to Nallam.
"Very well, if it satisfies you. I regret nothing."
"Arnus, are you satisfied as to the qualifications of the telepaths?
"
He nods. "I am familiar with the capabilities of the genomorphs. I am confident that they will act appropriately."
Nallam looks at Lesley. Lesley nods, and her horns and those of the g-gnomes begin glowing.
Nowan-Lu comes forwards, taking the prosecution position as Nallam occupies the 'court overseer' position. Not ideal, but she's probably the only one who
can do it. Nowan-Lu is here mostly because in addition to her law degree she has an encyclopaedic knowledge of Timaronian courtroom dramas, but that still doesn't cover knowing the application of a foreign legal code. Nallam might be biased, the rules of evidentiary process aren't really something that can be weighted.
If she tried something like that then the defence can request that she be removed,
but taking a look at her I don't think that's going to be a problem. She honestly wants to demonstrate that this was done justly.
Nowan-Lu briefly consults her notes. "Do you recall when you first became aware of Jor-El?"
"No."
"No?"
"I remember when I was first tasked with monitoring his political activity, but I also remember having a level of awareness of him before that. It may have been associated with his political activism, or it may have been something else. I was somewhat aware of a great many people."
Nowan-Lu looks at Lesley, who shrugs. **What do you want TTo know?**
"Is he telling the truth?"
**Yes.**
Nallam looks at Lesley. "Can you
make him remember, or at least tell us yourself?"
Lesley cocks her head to the side. "WWhich do you prefer?"
Arnus draws himself up slightly. "My client has been entirely open and honest throughout-."
"Make him remember."
Lesley nods twice, and the horns of the genomorphs glow more brightly for a moment.
"Oh!" Dru-Zod blinks heavily, his right hand going to the side of his head. "That-. Yes, that was.. it. The first time I heard his name was when he was assigned as the operator of the phantom zone projector for Gra-Mo's banishment. I saw his name on the daily action summary, though I only saw
him briefly during the actual event. We didn't speak or otherwise interact."
Nowan-Lu nods. "When did you first hear of Timaron?"
"Specifically?"
"What do you mean 'specifically'?"
"I heard of the possession worlds early in my education, but I didn't hear anything special about Timaron's geography or culture until far later." He frowns, glancing at Nallam. "I haven't actually been in a room with one of you before this."
Nowan-Lu glances nervously back at Nallam, but she gives no outward sign of being bothered by his statement. "Specifically, then."
"Shortly before I was promoted to Colonel. Part of my work involved the assessment of theoretical threats from outside of our system. That required me to understand how their technology was when we last had contact, and how it might have changed since them."
"And-. Summarise your conclusion."
"That our garrison had previously had a good rapport with them and that there was unlikely to be any hostility. That they would likely have increased the size of their fleet to make up for the absence of ours in policing the trade routes but that as their technology was little better than that of the vrang when we defeated them they would need to put a great deal more effort into it. Based on my study of their culture I felt it most likely that they would
not build a deep space fleet but rather create a self-defence fleet which might get sent out if there was a report of raiding. Culturally, they weren't warlike enough to become an active threat without a significant external influence."
Nowan-Lu glances at Lesley, who once again nods twice.
"Then why did you select them as your target?"
"I didn't select them as a target because they were a
threat. That would have been too great a risk. There were several worlds who regarded the guiding hand of the Kryptonian Empire as a grievous imposition; those had fleets that might have been able to fight off the handful of vessels still under my command. Timaron was a viable target because it
lacked such defences, and it's formerly positive relationship with the Empire made my claim that someone had handed over something without authorisation credible."
Lesley tilts her head to the side. **That's NNot true.**
Of course, it's just natural curiosity.
Though in his case it's more 'physically destroyed' than 'mildly misremembered'...
