Chapter Seven
The staff room wassilent as the officers stared at Regi with various degrees of horror. Regi focused on his own argument, ignoring their incredulity. “For those reasons,” Regi concluded, “I would like permission to allow Dante to shadow me as I complete my duties.”
For a time, silence reigned. Eventually Ean cleared her throat loudly. Then again, her neck was wider than her skull and her species had the ability to produce sound that could travel over hundreds of miles. So quiet was not a trait she excelled in. She lacked the delicacy that Regi associated with those who worked in the field of psychology.
“I greatly admire your willingness to address the post-trauma needs of this new species,” Ean said, each word slow and deliberate, and only moderately loud. “However, I am concerned that you believe it appropriate to allow this huuman access to information that should be limited to the command structure.”
“The alternative is allowing him to sit in a room where he was held captive and forced into slavery.” Regi noted that most of the command staff winced. Cota tried to hide it by becoming interested in his computer display. “Besides,” Regi continued, “we are heading into Empire space. The only secrets he would be exposed to would be those of my people.” Regi did not add that his people were already going to be aggravated with him for bringing others into Empire space, so one more foreigner was unlikely to provoke them any more than they already would be.
Regi would have to speak quickly to avoid having his name erased from the temple scrolls altogether. Given that the scrolls were now computerized in an updated format shared between all the temples, it was a lot easier to exile a Kowri from the temple than the historical stories would suggest.
In those tales, the hero had time to redeem himself before the final decree reached every corner of the Empire. However, unlike the Coalition or even the Befin, Kowri had developed a way to update information across the Empire in less time than a ship required to pass the same distance. If they had access to that technology now, they could call for help. Unfortunately, Coalition ships had to rely on far less reliable communication relays.
Cota tapped his computer to close whatever program he'd been looking at and then he stared right at Regi. “Has he given you reason to trust him?”
“Such as?”
Cota’s eyes drew closer together, making a long wrinkle appear between them. “Has he given you information on the members of his species that may have been on this ship? Has he offered testimony about the pirates who held him here? Has he told you anything that we do not already know from our own investigation?”
“He’s talked about his people,” Regi said. He disliked the direction of the captain’s thoughts.
“Have you asked him directly?”
Regi bristled. “He has been traumatized. I listen to the stories he chooses to tell, including the information that other huumans were imprisoned with him in the converted storeroom. However, I will not force him to speak about these things.”
Ean gave a quick caw of approval for that decision, and the captain glared at her. “We have no evidence that this new species is friendly,” Cota said. “For all we know, he was one of the pirates.”
Regi's heart lurched at the idea. Among his people, he would be able to say that he was heartsure that Dante had been the victim here. Kowri said that when knowledge came from the heart, it was a god-touch so that one did not ignore the truth. But his people also understood that many confused heart-knowledge for a sort of self-delusion in which one believed that a god spoke with one's own logic.
The logic of the gods was rarely as rational.
So Regi could not dismiss Cota’s concern entirely. “His reactions are such that I believe that he is telling the truth.” Regi didn't have any other evidence, and he was unsure how to explain his utter conviction. “If he is with me, then I will know if he attempts to escape justice. If he is a pirate, his main objective at this point will be to flee.”
“Or retake the ship,” Cota said.
Regi turned to Ter who had become something of a secret weapon for him. “How likely would a pirate be to retake the ship?”
“Somewhere between implausible and impossible. We have rewritten the codes and added new security measures.” Ter lifted a finger to stop Regi before he could celebrate his victory. “But one could do damage. I cannot secure all sensitive areas, not without having an entire legion of security forces standing at every corridor.”
Regi had few security forces, and none with advanced skills. The only major task the ship undertook was training young engineers and scientists who needed experience in space. “If he is a pirate, keeping him with me will ensure that he does not have a chance to sabotage the ship or contact the other pirates,” Regi said. “I believe the most likely truth is that Dante is a victim. He has been kidnapped and enslaved because the pirates could not find anyone foolish enough to work on a ship clinging to the edge of a black hole. He says he is from a young species with only two planets, and they have never encountered others. This is bolstered by the fact that there is no Coalition data on huumans, even when Bevti searched all species known to have an odd number of digits. With that evidence, I cannot condone doing anything that might traumatize a victim of a heinous crime. So the only way to minimize the danger would be to allow Dante to remain with me as I perform my duties.” Regi was proud of his logic.
The others considered him with dubious gazes. “Unless you believe that I am unable to physically contain a medically fragile species,” he finished. His people were tough and had a nose wide enough to allow healthful respiration. A huuman was no match for him.
Cota's expression mimicked one who had recently eaten something unpleasant. “I dislike your conclusion.” He ran his thumbs along the edge of the table before adding, “If we wish to avoid damaging a potential victim, the logic is sound. Permission granted.” Cota asked, “Is there anything else we need to discuss as a staff?”
