Star Trek Hunter
Episode 25:
I Dream of Shiva
Scene 6:
Terms and Conditions
25.6
Terms and Conditions
“Your turn, Captain Dolphin,” said Brack. “Tell us what you did in preparation on your journey toward Trillus Prime - specifically regarding the Trillian Master Forces’ adherence to their licensing agreement with the Daystrom Institute - in regard to the interceptors in question.”
Captain Kenneth Dolphin was in the witness chair located between the defendant’s and plaintiff’s tables, facing Justice Cisl Mreek. “I contacted Dee Dee Smith, one of the pilot attorneys at the Daystrom Institute, and had her send me a copy of the license agreement, signed by the Trillian Senate President and the Trillian General Staff’s Chief Counsel, for use of Daystrom Institute property, specifically the targeting, navigation and fuel regulation computers for their interceptors.”
Brack opened the reader provided by Lt. Commander Napoleon Boles and thumbed a control. “Submitted into evidence as Defense Exhibit one.”
Justice Mreek spent a minute reviewing a copy of the file on the reader at her desk, then looked up and said, “Defense Exhibit accepted. You may continue, Captain Dolphin.”
Dolphin took a breath. “Under the terms of this agreement, Section 39, Part A, Subsection 5, the Daystrom Institute may, at any time, analyze its property, namely the targeting, navigation and fuel regulation computers, for evidence of misuse, neglect or piracy under the terms of this agreement,” he continued. “Under the Star Fleet Charter, Section 20, Part D, Star Fleet is authorized to act as agent and protector for affiliated public-private partners, of which the Daystrom Institute is one of the most prominent. Hunter, that is the artificially intelligent Federation citizen officially known as The United Space Ship Hunter, Navy-Daystrom Craft commission number 1201, and assigned as Master Warrant Officer to the U.S.S. Hunter, reviewed the license agreement with me and prepared the analysis protocols according to Section 414, Parts D, G and I, to analyze telemetry recorded from the property in question for any grounded interceptors left out in the open.”
Captain Dolphin ran his fingers through his thick, blonde hair. “On coming out of warp, Hunter performed the analysis of each of the 236 computers in question and determined in each case that the licensing agreement had been violated. Having made that determination, Hunter strategically distributed targeting coordinates to all ships in the task force. As mentioned earlier, the U.S.S. Fowler was the first to open fire. All ships fired as soon as authorized by their individual commanding officers and the license enforcement action was completed within 43 seconds, allowing the entire task force to break orbit having spent less than one minute in orbit of Trillus Prime.”
Brack lightly tapped the silver foot of his cane (actually shaped like the life-sized unshod foot of a ferengi) against the floor. “Please be specific Captain. Which parts of the licensing agreement were violated by the Trillian Master Forces?”
Dolphin ticked off points on his fingers. “Section 2, Part A, Subsection 1, regarding use of Daystrom Institute property in commission of a violation of the Federation Charter, specifically the Cultural Treasures subclause of Section 19.” Dolphin ticked a second finger: “Section 2, Part B, Subsection 1, regarding use of Daystrom Institute property in such a manner as to endanger the lives of Daystrom Institute employees or employees of any organization affiliated with the Daystrom Institute, specifically Star Fleet, in the person of Star Fleet Lieutenant Grorher.” He ticked a third finger: “Section 2, Part B, Subsection 2, regarding use of Daystrom Institute property in such a manner as to endanger the lives of Federation citizens or other persons not engaged in hostilities with the Federation, namely twelve bajoran pilots killed in action while helping to enforce the Cultural Treasures subclause of Section 19 of the Federation Charter.”
Counselor Brack leaned back in his seat at the defense table as Dolphin ticked a fourth point on the pinky of his left hand and continued: “Section 2, Part B, Subsection 3, regarding use of Daystrom Institute property in such a manner as to endanger other property of the Daystrom Institute, specifically the targeting, navigation and fuel regulation computers of thirteen Bajoran Defense Force interceptors, all of which were destroyed by the combined fleet operation of the interceptors in question.” Dolphin dropped his hand to the arm of the witness chair. “There were 11 other minor violations that would also have led to revocation of the license agreement, as authorized under Section 437, Part A, and these have been highlighted in the evidence submitted, but there is no need to enumerate those at this time.”
“Let’s be clear, Captain Dolphin,” said Brack. “In this action, you and your task force were acting as the agent of the Daystrom Institute, as authorized under the Star Fleet Charter and in accordance with the Daystrom Institute’s licensing agreement, which was signed by the Trill Senate and the Trill military?”
“For the purposes of this action and this action alone, that is correct,” Dolphin confirmed.
The ancient ferengi attorney stood up, made a dramatic gesture with both hands and a formal bow to Justice Cisl Mreek, then turned to the trill attorneys and said, “Counsellors, your witness.”
Mreek tapped her titanium gavel against the titanium block in irritation: “That’s my line, Brack…”
The trill military attorney, Russell Dueex, stood up, tugged on her hair. She took a step forward and turned toward Dolphin, then said, “I am curious Captain Dolphin, how did your strike force manage to fire from space at targets located on Trillus Prime for nearly a full standard minute and not get obliterated by defensive fire from the planetary defense satellite network?”
“Mr. Brack,” asked Justice Mreek from her perch on the judges platform, “Do you care to object?”
“Considering the question and answer simply provide more evidence of malfeasance on the part of the plaintiff,” mused Brack, “well, as the humans say, it’s their funeral…”
“Answer the question, Captain,” said Mreek.
Dolphin took a deep breath. “Under the terms of the Fourth Defense Technology Compatibility Treaty, as amended, Exhibit 5, Section 16, private-public partnership technology institutions affiliated with the Vulcan High Command, the Andorian Imperial Guard, the Bolian Web Service and Star Fleet, that license plug-in units to be used in defensive installations or weapon systems, must use compatible clauses in their license agreements. Because the planetary defense satellite grid for Trillus Prime is licensed from the Avradega Satellite Defense Research Institute, which is affiliated with the Andorian Imperial Guard, I reached out to the lead counsel for the ASDRI, who agreed that a violation of the DI licensing agreement would, ipso facto, constitute a violation of the ASDRI license and when that violation was confirmed by Hunter, ASDRI immediately took the planetary defense grid offline.”
“Okay,” said Counselor Dueex, “We will stipulate that the computer systems that your strike force targeted and destroyed were Daystrom Institute property, but in that attack you and your strike force did severe damage to other systems as well as making the frames impossible to fly…”
“Section 627, Part C, Subsection 5,” Dolphin responded: “The Daystrom Institute, its employees, representatives and agents are not responsible for collateral damages to property or persons arising from misuse of licensed property. This includes damages arising from enforcement activities as required under Section 400 of this agreement…”
“And you provided no notice of this enforcement action…” Dueex objected.
Dolphin rolled his eyes and looked pleadingly toward Justice Mreek.
Brack sat impassively at the defendant’s table, arms folded, one eyebrow raised.
“I agree, Goldilocks,” Mreek said quietly to Dolphin. “…’Section 29, Part A, subsection 5’… …’may at any time’… It was the very first thing you said.” The tellerite tribunal justice turned her full judicial ire on the trill lawyers. “For the love of your own planet,” Mreek thundered, “this licensing agreement has only 852 sections! Didn’t your people bother to read the thing before signing it???”
Mreek drove her titanium gavel into the titanium block with the vigor of John Henry pounding rail spike, setting off sparks that scorched the historic plastic of the judicial table.
“Case dismissed!!” she roared, “With prejudice!!”
