| From: | angliss@********.edu (Brian Angliss) |
|---|---|
| Subject: | Lynch's testimony, Drake's hearing |
| Date: | Tue, 1 Oct 1996 10:44:32 -0700 |
>>>>>try an virus my deck, and partially succeeded.
+++++ Begin Trideo Record, International Police S57-01 +++++
Drake's disciplinary hearing, again.
Clerk: The panel calls Jason Running Wolf Lynch.
It takes a few seconds to recognise the figure entering the room: tall, lean,
wearing UCAS Marine dress uniform. His long, greying hair is, as usual, tied
back, but the honour feathers are much more prominent than usual, and his
chest bears a few decorations: marksmanship awards, pilot wings, two narrow
rows of medal ribbons too indistinct to make out. He stands in front of the
chair and comes to attention.
Clerk: State your name and occupation for the Court.
Lynch: Lieutenant Jason Running Wolf Lynch, consultant.
Clerk: Raise your right hand and repeat after me: I, Jason Running Wolf
Lynch...
Lynch: I, Jason Running Wolf Lynch
Clerk: Do solemnly swear...
Lynch: Do solemnly swear.
Clerk: To tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
Lynch: To tell the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help me God.
Sir Harold Burns, Panel Head: You may be seated. Lt. Burr, your witness.
Lt. Gerry Burr, Prosecutor: Are you a Christian, Mr Lynch?
Lynch: No, I am not. I am a warrior of the Sioux, and I gave my word that I
would speak the truth, in a form all would understand.
Chief Eric Skinwalker: The witness and I previously discussed this personally
and I have personally accepted that Mr. Lynch will speak with honor. I also
vouch for him here, as an Elder of my tribe.
Rep. Thomas Lang: This is unacceptable to me, Harry. This criminal's mere
presence is totally unacceptable, never mind his acting as a witness for the
purposes of this hearing.
Burns, turning to Lang: Why is that, Tom?
Lang: Because Mr. Lynch is a known criminal, regardless of his current
affiliation, and his testimony cannot possibly be trusted.
Skinwalker: Representative Lang, I have vouched for him. If he does not
speak the truth, with honor, he will not only besmirch his honor, but mine,
and my entire tribe's. If you doubt his veracity, then you are casting doubt
upon my honor. Are you doing so?
Lang: Of course not....
Skinwalker: Then you have no objections to his testifying?
Lang: Uh....objections withdrawn.
Skinwalker: Okyoshu-san?
Miyamoto Okyoshu: No objections, honored Councilman.
Burns: Well, if we're all friends here again, let us continue.
Prosecution: Of course, sir. Mr Lynch, you identified your employment as
'consultant'. Could you be more specific?
Lynch: Certainly. I work on a part-time basis for the UCAS government.
Firstly, as a specialist in air defence suppression, this including a flying
role: hence my commission in the Marine Corps Reserve. Secondly, I advise on
corporate conflict.
Prosecution: Corporate conflict is a very wide field, Mr Lynch.
Lynch: To be more precise, I analyse data to predict possible incidents
involving corporate forces, observe the actions, advise on possible responses,
and analyse results and consequences. For example, the fighting earlier this
year around the Maxim facilities in Warsaw, La Paz, Cairo and Phnom Penh.
Prosecution: For which agency do you consult?
Lynch: The Strategic Intelligence Gathering Agency, now reporting directly to
its Director, David Coppinger.
Prosecution: Mr Lynch, I submit that you are not merely a consultant, but
that you are a hired assassin and shadowrunner who kills and destroys for SIGA.
Lynch: You may submit anything you wish.
Prosecution: Is this true?
Lynch: Your Honours, how secure are these proceedings?
Burns, glancing around at his fellow panel members: Mr Lynch, these
proceedings may not be entirely secure, but all witness testimony grants
immunity from subsequent investigation or prosecution based upon said
testimony. Does the UCAS representative have any objections to this line of
questioning?
Lang: No. I was told that the Congressmen and women responsible for SIGA do
not object.
Burns: Very good, then. Satisfactory, Mr. Lynch?
Lynch: Yes. I am a field agent for SIGA.
Prosecution: SIGA supposedly has no field agents.
Lynch: And InterPol is supposedly honest.
Prosecution: Your Honour, caution the witness against contempt.
Burns: Counsel is correct, Mr Lynch.
Prosecution: What is the role of those field agents?
Lynch: To carry out illegal operations when required.
Prosecution: What sort of illegal operations?
Lynch: An example would be the elimination of a company of Aztechnology
Leopard Guards who had deployed into the UCAS in violation of international
and corporate law, and killed and wounded several civilians - and, I might add,
an InterPol officer.
Prosecution: Such as your murder of thirty-one people at the Five Eyes motel.
Lynch: Exactly. We couldn't arrest them because we didn't have a warrant. We
couldn't get a warrant because, typically, before the ink's dry, the 'lost'
paperwork authorising this 'legitimate training exercise' would have been
found and the Leopards would have been moved to another location.
Prosecution: So you committed mass murder instead.
Lynch: We retaliated for an act of war, Counsel. Stationing armed forces
within another national entity constitutes casus belli. Their wearing of
civilian clothing while bearing arms is likewise casus belli and a major
violation of the laws of armed conflict. Their uses of lethal force against
civilians were a third such action. In short, Aztechnology got off lightly.
Prosecution: It would, it seems, have been more justifiable and correct to
call in the Metroplex Guard.
Lynch: And also much bloodier, with higher casualties, more collateral
damage, and a major international incident causing escalation,
heightened tensions, and possible further incidents. Our actions were
illegal. They were also the safest and surest method to eliminate those
Leopards.
Prosecution: Surely a case for the Special Branch of InterPol?
Lynch: They were all busy. <Laughter>
Prosecution: Hunting you.
Lynch: That's right. Hunting me at Aztlan's behest.
Prosecution: In your opinion, at least.
Lynch: My opinion and that of Commander Drake.
Prosecution: The Commander will have a chance to speak in his defense
later. What is your view of Commander Drake?
Lynch: He's an honest and honourable man. I think he misapplies his
considerable talents, but his personal integrity has never been questioned.
Prosecution: Why do you consider his talent misapplied?
Lynch: Special Branch primarily pursues shadowrunners. The disposable,
deniable tools that those in power use to keep their hands clean. I
think the people giving the orders are a greater threat than those
carrying them out, which is why I do what I do .
Prosecution: Why did Commander Drake release you after arresting you?
Lynch: I don't know.
Prosecution: Don't you think his releasing you, a wanted felon - one
who had committed murder right in front of him mere days earlier -
undermines his integrity?
Lynch: No. What is right, and what is legal, do not always coincide.
Prosecution: Is Commander Drake qualified to make those decisions?
Lynch: If he is not, who is?
Prosecution: Commander Drake had explicit orders to arrest you.
Lynch: Blind obedience to orders was rejected as a defence at
Nuremberg. Commanders are expected to use their judgement. He did so,
and is answering for his actions now.
Prosecution: Wouldn't you say most of your crimes are committed while
dealing with cases that fall within InterPol's jurisdiction?
Lynch: With a few exceptions, that's true. There are more avenues open
to deal with crime or with corrupt law-enforcement when the crime and
perpetrator are both within the UCAS. We're just not needed anywhere
near as often, the FBI has specialist and effective units for this
role. Unfortunately, once borders are crossed, InterPol becomes the
responsible agency, and their record is not good.
Prosecution: So, your Agency usurps InterPol.
Lt. Rachel Mizikar, Defense: Objection, sir.
Burns: Sustained. Lt. Burr, the ice is getting thin. Please reword
your last question.
Prosecution: Mr Lynch, does SIGA knowingly interfere in cases that fall
within InterPol's jurisdiction?
Lynch: Yes, on a frequent basis.
Prosecution: Does SIGA have any warrant, authority or permission to do so?
Lynch: Not even slightly.
Prosecution: So, you are a criminal who breaks the law of your own
jurisdiction, and of any other jurisdiction you see fit, and ignores the
properly constituted bodies who enforce those laws.
Lynch: Absolutely right.
Prosecution: Did you cold-bloodedly murder Juanita Cuellar in her residence?
Lynch: Yes, I did.
Prosecution: Did you cold-bloodedly murder Jose Zicahuata in front of
InterPol, Lone Star and Aztechnology witnesses?
Lynch: I killed him, though my blood was hardly cold.
Prosecution: Did you orchestrate the deaths of a total of thirty-seven
people, at the Five Eyes Motel?
Lynch: Yes, and I was personally responsible for at least eight of
those deaths.
Prosecution: No further questions, sir.
Burns: We will adjourn for fifteen minutes, after which the Defence may
examine he witness.
<pause>
Defence: Mr Lynch, why does your organization interfere in cases that
are within InterPol's jurisdiction, when you have no authority to do so?
Lynch: May I speak freely and honestly?
Defense: You're under oath and, as such, required to do so.
Lynch: Because most of InterPol is so totally fucking corrupt.
Prosecution: OBJECTION!!!!
Burns, after a thoughtful pause: Deferred for now. Mr. Lynch's
testimony is relevant here, if a bit...distasteful. Lt. Mizikar, I hope
you know what you're doing.
Defense: Yes sir. Has it been your experience that InterPol act firmly
and effectively when crimes are brought to their attention?
Lynch: Certainly. They firmly and effectively alert the criminal he's
under suspicion, contaminate all available evidence, then attempt to
arrest the SIGA agents, before banking the payoff from the criminal.
That's one of the extremes, the other is simply no response to the
request for assistance. Something on that spectrum occurs in about
three-quarters of the cases where InterPol's assistance is sought,
including almost all felonies. Including, for instance, our requests
that InterPol investigate Manchu, or act against the Leopard Guard. We
alerted you that a major breach of the law was in progress. You did
nothing. We acted. You then moved to protect the criminals.
Prosecution: Objection, sir. Mr. Lynch is defaming InterPol.
Lynch: Am I? Did you do anything at all to investigate Manchu, or stop
the Leopards? Drake did more in passing, while he was after me, than
the rest of InterPol.
Burns: Mr Lynch, please restrain yourself. You are here to answer our
questions and offer your testimony, not ask questions. Objection
overruled: relevance of witness testimony.
Defense: Mr. Lynch has offered relevant data which professes to
substantiate his findings and his claims. It is filed as Lynch
Deposition 1 in the Court logs and available to all of you via your
terminals.
Burns: First objection overruled pending contemplation of this
evidence. Please continue.
Defense: Why do you believe this happens?
Lynch: Individuals within InterPol are bought.
Prosecution: Objection!
Defense: Your honour, this is an investigative hearing. We must at
least listen to such allegations.
Burns: Agreed. Objection overruled.
Defense: Can you substantiate this?
Lynch: How else do you explain the invocation of Section 96a against
me, for a single alleged murder? On behalf, I might add, of a nation
that is not an InterPol signatory? In a case where the only evidence to
incriminate me shows the victim to have been a member of a foreign
intelligence organisation, illegally orchestrating the supply of
mind-altering and physically damaging chipware into the UCAS? Is it
just me or is that a tiny little bit unusual?
Defense: You're referring to Major Cuellar, who you killed in Denver.
Lynch: Exactly. She was smuggling interrogation simchips to Seattle.
We confirmed that she was in charge of the operation and killed her.
Then I attacked the Seattle end of the chain and shut that down.
Defense: Why do you use the word 'murdered'?
Lynch: Murder is defined as killing another human being with malice
aforethought, in my dictionary. I intended her death and carried it out.
Defense: The same with Jose Zicahuata?
Lynch: Yes.
Defense: Why did you kill him?
Lynch: Read the Amnesty files on him, from the Yucatan. He was also
linked to a number of abductions and murders of suspected dissidents in
Seattle. InterPol was releasing him without charge, to continue his
crimes, and refused to extradite him to a UCAS jurisdiction to face
questioning. That was not acceptable.
Defense: And the men and women at the Five Eyes Motel?
Lynch: Aztechnology Leopard Guards, present illegally on UCAS soil.
Prosecution: Objection!
Defense: Your Honour, IPSB-Seattle hold three individuals in protective
custody who were apprehended at the scene of the Five Eyes incident, and
who have been confirmed as former members of the Aztechnology Leopards.
And to date, there have been four attempts to elminate the three
survivors, the third of which was nearly successful.
Prosecution: Former Leopard members, Sir. Not current.
Defense: I would add that all the identifiable bodies were of former
Leopards. Over twenty ex-Leopards, all co-located in one place, and all
were seperated from service mere weeks before their capture or death.
Prosecution: Unit cohesion, or a group of renegades perhaps? There is
no proof-
Burns: Counsels will approach the panel.
Both Lt. Burr and Lt. Mizikar approach the main table and stand before
Burns.
Prosecution: Sir, the defence is drawing the most tenuous of conclusions.
Defense: Your Honour, the evidence speaks for itself. Read Comander
Drake's report, observe the tapes of the incident.
Burns: We will all do so as soon as possible. For now, however, Lt.
Burr's objection is noted and overruled. Please continue, Lt. Mizikar.
Defense: I was under the impression that Project Manchu was an Aztlan
matter, not an Aztechnology programme.
Lynch: <Contemptuous laughter> Oh, sure. This is a closed hearing, we
don't have any Aztlan officials present. The Aztechnology Corporation
is separate from the government of Aztlan only in name. The fiction
persists only because to challenge it would prejudice the doctrine of
corporate extraterritoriality, and the Big Eight will never permit
that. It's a legal device, nothing more. Aztlan and Aztechnology are
one and the same.
Defense: Is that your opinion?
Lynch: It is the official position of the Strategic Intelligence
Gathering Agency.
Defense: What do you see as the threat, Mr Lynch?
Lynch: To the UCAS?
Defense: Yes.
Lynch: Individuals and bodies who feel they are above the law and who
are reckless of the lives of others.
Defense: Like yourself?
Lynch: No. I work outside and around the law, not above it, and I am
not reckless in my killing. I mean what SIGA once was. Like corporate
executives using shadowrunners as pawns, and murdering innocents to
increase their profits. In my case, I'm far from above the law, as
Commander Drake's dogged pursuit and arrest of me proves.
Defense: Yet you persist in your actions, and you evade arrest and
prosecution. Often, charges are not even brought against you.
Lynch: And there's the funny thing. Because when I kidnap someone for
trial, destroy their bioweapons lab, or just kill them, to prove a case
againat me you need a motive. And the motive tends to be embarrasing.
Yes, we knew that this man was a criminal. Yes, we indulged his
hobbies. Yes, we refused extradition requests. No, we took no action
to stop him.
If he were not a criminal of note, why would SIGA pursue him? If he was
such a criminal why did his corporation protect him? The case is never
brought to court. And other employees with similar inclinations are
reined in, lest they be lost too.
If I hit the wrong target, if I murder without the best of cause, then
the honest law enforcers I work to support will, rightly, turn on me and
put me behind bars for a long, long time. When I eliminate those
individuals that they are not permitted to pursue, they turn a Nelsonian
blind eye. Even Commander Drake chose to do so."
The camera turns to face Commander Drake, sitting totallly impassive and
seemingly staring off into space. If that comment, possibly construed
as a mild assault on his integrity, had any effect, it can't be read in
his face.
Lynch: I broke the law. But I broke the law to protect the citizens of
my country, from criminals who considered themselves exempt from what
law they could not purchase. I have faith that what I have done is right
and just.
Prosecution: Objection! The witness is attempting to use the North Defence!
Defense: The witness is not on trial, sir.
Burns: Overruled, but I recommend that you remember where you are, Mr.
Lynch. Not all of us agree with your perspective, regardless of our
national pride or heritage.
Lynch: Of course.
Defense: You kill to uphold the law, then?
Lynch: I kill to protect the citizens of my country, when there is no
other way to stop a criminal. When the law is bought off, anarchy
reins. I remind people that the law is a protector, as well as a
restraint. It's a frightening tightrope to walk.
Defense: But your actions remain illegal.
Lynch: Yes. And I would have it no other way. We have to be illegal
in our operations. When one has an Executive Order, you have sanction
to legally murder your fellow citizens. It has been my experience and
the experience of others that this leads to disaster: look at
Zicahuata, he's a product of such a system.
Under those rules, I would not have faced any sanction or pursuit for
killing Jose Zicahuata, or the Leopard Guards. I could have executed
Commander Drake entirely legally, eliminating him for "obstructing
national interests", provided I did so within the UCAS. That would have
been convenient, legal, and much simpler than evading him. Instead,
every time I consider the use of lethal force in an offical role, I must
be sure it's justified and justifiable.
If I had murdered innocent guests along with Leopard Guards at the Five
Eyes, Drake would not have let me go. If I had abused my position for
personal gain, he would have ensured I went to prison. It's not an easy
position, but so far it works. We can get what must be done outside the
law, done: but we cannot grow comfortable with our power.
Prosecution: You said you don't have any power.
Lynch: Semantics. What I am capable of doing, and what I am legally
permitted to do, are two different things.
Prosecution: A question of Mr. Lynch, if I may, sir.
Burns: I'm inclined to allow it. Mr Lynch, you are not required to answer.
Lynch: I'll hear the question, at least.
Prosecution: When you killed Mr Buntaka Ohki, you extorted half a
million newyen from him before you murdered him. Wouldn't you call that
'personal gain'?
Lynch: I donated the money to the refuge of Haven.
Prosecution: To an admitted nest of criminals and gutter scum.
Lynch: To a facility dedicated to the teaching and protection of the
disadvantaged, run by a committed pacifist. (Lynch adds something in
another language)
Burns: I beg your pardon, Mr Lynch? Clerk, a translation?
Clerk: I know the language is Sioux, but my program is having with a
translation.
Skinwalker: Mr Lynch said "If you were a man I would spill your blood
upon the earth for those words."
Burns: Mr Lynch, I assure you that Lt. Burr is male.
Lynch: That, your Honour, is not sufficient to make him a man. If he
wishes to insult Haven, he may do so outdoors, tomorrow, at dawn, and we
may then debate the matter in a more traditional way.
Prosecution: Your Honour, please caution the witness.
Burns: You really should be a little more careful who and what you
insult. Lt. Burr. Nevertheless, Mr Lynch, I cannot and will not allow
InterPol officers and witnesses to fight duels, for whatever reason.
Regardless, please refrain from threatening Lt. Burr further. And I
believe that the panel may take the statements of Father O'Kennedy and
many others as to Haven's charitable and benign purpose, as fact. Lt.
Burr, refrain from inflammatory remarks in future: I will allow no
further supplementals against this witness. Lt. Mizikar, are you
finished questioning this witness?
Defense: No further questions, sir.
Burns: Mr Lynch, any final statements for the panel?
Lynch: I would like to say that, if you remove Commander Drake, the job
of SIGA will become easier. Our agents will be less fearful and
cautious in their operations, and correspondingly less careful and
restrained. Many other forces, many less heedful of collateral
casualties, will conclude similarly.
I would also point out that, in many years of working both sides of the
shadows, I had only been captured once before, by a maximum-effort
manhunt launched by Mitsuhama: and their success was primarily due to
my betrayal by a traitor within Ares, with whom I was then still
associated. Commander Drake, with a smaller force and fewer resources,
achieved the same feat, entirely without assistance. Consider that
carefully before you decide to remove him from his post.
Skinwalker: What would you do in our place, Mr. Lynch?
Lynch: <laughs> I'd want to hear the other testimony.
Burns: You are excused, Mr Lynch. Thank you. Court will adjourn for
ninety minutes: we will resume after lunch.
+++++ End Trideo Record +++++
Well, that was odd. The guy who got arrested turning out for the guy
who arrested him. Sounds to me a bit like the kidnapees who refuse to
press charges against thier kidnappers because they fell in love with
them. Gack.]<<<<<
-- Trideo Pirate <10:40:44/10-01-57>
