High Law and Low Justice, Part 5

[doghead]

Saanath, male human merchant

Saanath:
[sblock]Mr Saanath, sir, please sit down. Doubtless you have much to tell us, though we are more interested in finding the missing chip than investigating the murder. I mean Antonescu, was a traitor and spy, some would say he got what he deserved.

However, we understand you took the lead in securing the computer system and analysing the "hack" into the environmental controls. It seems a most unlikely attack if you don't mind my saying.
[/sblock]

Saanath does what he is told and tries lets the investgators get it over as fast as possible. He checks himself out in his new fatigues. These should do great for working on the ship when all this is over.

Before he goes, Saanath makes sure he thanks dePaolo for helping out with the cargo.

[sblock=Saanath]Saanath ignores the investigator's assessment of Antonescu's character. Saanath really doesn't know, and sees no point in jumping to conclusions. But he nods in agreement with the last statement.

"It was very clever, and it took a bit of finding. After we realised what had been done, I set up some security and monitoring systems in the computer in order to prevent any access to the ships system computer. But given how the killer out-witted us the first time, I could never really shake the feeling that they may have slipped past again.

"I've tried to remember back to when cabins were allocated. But it was all a bit chaotic as departures usually are. I can't really say whether it was just an opportunistic attack, or the killer set things up from the get go."

Saanath shrugs.

"I also linked all the anti-hijack cameras and door activation records to a data dump so we could monitor who went where. I was hoping that the killer, if they had hidden the disk, would give away its location by checking in on where he, or she, had hidden it. But I never found anything out of the ordinary.

"I don't know, perhaps you will see something I didn't. The data should all be there."

Saanath does what he can to help the investigation. He is a bit nervous about the fact that he hacked the disks. But if he hadn't known what was on them until he done so. So Saanath figures he will be up front about if if they ask and hope that they are not going to get difficult.

 

[Maerdwyn]

Ktarle:
[sblock]Doctor, you carried out the intial post-mortem on the deceased. What lead you to the conclusion that he had been killed in such an unusual way? Do you think it credible that his cabin-mate would not only be unaffected but also not notice?[/sblock]

[sblock] "If he was present during the attack, he certainly would have noticed. The gravity necessary to induce heart failure in a man of Antonescu's health would have been crushing. She relates the manner in which she conducted her autopsy, and it's results.* "The best theory is that gravity was alterered within that stateroom only. As Foster never complained about the gravity or brought it to the crew's attention, even after Antonescu was found, he either knew about it and is concealing the fact, or was out of the room at the time of death, approximately 19:00. There was no shift in gravity elsewhere in the ship."

*Ktarle is truthful and holds nothing back, it's just that Maerdwyn wasn't around for much of this Can't remember if it was established whether Foster was in his room or out playing cards with Tuan or what att he time of death. - But she tells what she knows. [/sblock]

 

[Watus]

Tuan:
[sblock]Please sit down 2nd Officer Nguyen, we apologise for the indignity, but these things are sometimes necessary. You just recently joined the Vyrkis yes? You know the Dvonn affair that your other officers were involved with before gaining thier ship? Well, we are concerned that when someone takes the law into their own hands once, however justifed, they may get a taste for it, and if a similar opportunity arises again they may again turn vigilantes for the most flimsy of reasons. What are your thought on this?[/sblock]

[SBLOCK]Tuan laughs and shakes his head. "I take it you haven't interviewed the captain yet." He leans back in his chair, examining the ceiling tiles above his head. "When the captain retired from the Navy, they shoves his epaulets so far up his...."

He pauses as though remembering where he is and lets the front legs of his chair drop to the floor with a thunk. He smiles. "Let's just say the captain likes to do things by the book, and the rest of them pretty much do what he says."

"Besides, what would we be doing here, if that were the case? We could have just spaced the disks, notified the authorities of a natural death aboard, let them conduct their undoubtedly perfunctory inquiry, and gotten our cargo planetside on time with far fewer complications."[/SBLOCK]

 

[Wilphe]

[sblock]
"Good morning. Hmm, well. I know the crew from just after they landed, making sure no 'accidents' would happen" gwydion says while scratching his pet behind the ears.
"Can't say they strike me as a murderous bunch, and from what I've heard in the mess during lunchbreaks, and during the evenings, they went through quite a lot. The doctor, especially, strikes me as sincere and decicated; The rest are just a slightly irregular spacecrew, like so many slightly irregular space crews on freetraders. They aren't scouts, but I think they can be trusted.
As for Tuan, I know him from before. He's Ok as long as you don't play poker with him.
As for the passengers"
He shrugs.
" I ain't no spacedetective Schlock. I'm a tattood barbarian. I'll leave that to you guys."
[/sblock]

Gwydion:
[sblock]The ensign gives a low and apparently amused snort at the "not scouts, but can be trusted" bit, but doesn't press any further.[/sblock]

 

[Wilphe]

Saanath:

[sblock]

"I also linked all the anti-hijack cameras and door activation records to a data dump so we could monitor who went where. I was hoping that the killer, if they had hidden the disk, would give away its location by checking in on where he, or she, had hidden it. But I never found anything out of the ordinary.

"Thank you, we are certain that nobody took the chip off the ship, so it must still remain aboard. That will be all."[/sblock]

 

[Wilphe]

[sblock] "If he was present during the attack, he certainly would have noticed. The gravity necessary to induce heart failure in a man of Antonescu's health would have been crushing. She relates the manner in which she conducted her autopsy, and it's results.* "The best theory is that gravity was alterered within that stateroom only. As Foster never complained about the gravity or brought it to the crew's attention, even after Antonescu was found, he either knew about it and is concealing the fact, or was out of the room at the time of death, approximately 19:00. There was no shift in gravity elsewhere in the ship."

*Ktarle is truthful and holds nothing back, it's just that Maerdwyn wasn't around for much of this Can't remember if it was established whether Foster was in his room or out playing cards with Tuan or what att he time of death. - But she tells what she knows. [/sblock]

Ktarle:

[sblock]"Thank you, we'll keep an eye on Mr Foster. A fact you may not be aware of however, he was born, and has lived most of his life, on a fairly dense, high gravity planet. That may have been a factor.
The killer may or may not have known this, did he talk about his home that you can remember?"


OOC:
He was killed during the ngiht, and Foster was inside at that time.
Ktarle knows that he was fairly trim, as he spent a lot of time keeping fit (a source of considerable friction between himself and Antonescu) - which would explain how he survived.
It is, as Ktarle says, highly unlikely that he wouldn't notice, even if it was increased only gradually. Therefore he was either complicit, elsewhere or unconscious, drugged perhaps.

Post 209 in post 154 (the reconstructed one)
http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2837498&postcount=154

Time of death was around 5am
[/sblock]

 

[Wilphe]

Tuan:
[sblock]

Tuan laughs and shakes his head. "I take it you haven't interviewed the captain yet." He leans back in his chair, examining the ceiling tiles above his head. "When the captain retired from the Navy, they shoves his epaulets so far up his...."

"No please, do go on"

He pauses as though remembering where he is and lets the front legs of his chair drop to the floor with a thunk. He smiles. "Let's just say the captain likes to do things by the book, and the rest of them pretty much do what he says."

"Besides, what would we be doing here, if that were the case? We could have just spaced the disks, notified the authorities of a natural death aboard, let them conduct their undoubtedly perfunctory inquiry, and gotten our cargo planetside on time with far fewer complications."

The interrogating lieutenant looks somewhat discomfitted, "There's a fine line between criminal genius and highly complex stupidity. In any case, it might for example, have been the Captain and Engineer who arranged the killing, and the Medic and Purser whose suspicious minds turned up foul play. However, I can see you don't believe that."[/sblock]

 

[Wilphe]

Everybody:
About six hours go by, and as your interrogators finish with you are left to wait, together, in what appears to be a petty officers' mess aboard the Coronel. While you aren't technically under arrest, there are a couple of marines posted outside the door. Back to you.

 

[Wilphe]

It's now about midday, and a marine sergeant enters the mess, "We've finished, could you accompany me back aboard your vessal please."

Doing so you return aboard the Vyrkris to find a a large chunk of Coronel's command staff present and sat at one end of the main table in the lounge. All officers, and the marines leave you and return to guarding the docking port.

Present are:
Commodore Angela Marsh - Flag officer commanding escort detachment. A short middle age human woman with short, greying hair.
Lieutenant Commander Massena - Executive Officer, Imperial Navy Vessal Coronel. A tall, distinguished looking Luriani.
Lieutenant de Paolo - Deck Officer, INV Coronel. Commanded boarding party and security detachment.
Ensign hault Propter - A young, sly looking human who was present during your interrogations.

Trelene, Gwydion, Ruzz'koff:
[sblock]You note that de Paolo is now wearing Naval Intelligence insignia [/sblock]

After the introductions, the Commodore seats herself at the foot of the table, "You will be relieved to know that we have finished our investigation, and that the matter is now closed. Lieutenant de Paolo, you may present your report."

de Paolo stands, "Thank you maam. With your permission I will skip the pointless reiteration of facts of which we are all we aware and come to the point. Issue number 1; we have located the missing data disk. It was in the waste bin the common area, as almost everyone on board has had occassion to place items there since it was last emptied, this does not help us identify who took it. However, it is accounted for, and does not appear to have been copied, therefore we can consider this data not compromised."

"We are not really any closer to finding out who was responsible for the murder of Mr Antonescu. A review of the various accounts suggest that only Malico Sharisgara &
Curtis Foster had access to the deceased's room before you sealed it off and were thus in a position to steal the chip. However, there is no other evidence to connect them, and they both were clean when searched."

 

[Wilphe]

"We are also reasonably certain that you, individually or collectively, were not responsible for the murder."

Massena interrupts, "Once Occam's razor had been let loose upon your wilder theories?"

"It's his job to be suspicious and distrustful," says the Commodore lightly, "I wouldn't want a naive security officer now would I?"

"May I continue Maam?" after the affirmative nod, de Paolo continues, "so, there is insufficient evidence to hold any of the suspects involved and they have been released, this includes yoursleves. Thank you for bringing this matter to out attention, we regret that we were unable to bring the matter to a conclusion, but the file will remain open and the investigation ongoing. You are cleared to leave."