# Part 10

“We’d like to call Charlie to the stand.” Called Dr. Hammond. Blue glanced to Owen with enough fear to show that she wanted to run out of the room, and fast. Charlie rose up and made her way to the stand, smiling her usual excited grin. Owen and Dr. Hammond had tried to brief her on what would be asked and how she should answer, but whether or not she’d retain it was the real question. Charlie took the same oath, and then Dr. Hammond stood up and approached her, beaming broadly.
“Good afternoon, Charlie. How’re you feeling today?” He asked.
“I’m okay. I don’t really like wearing my uniform though.” She answered.
“Charlie, do you know why you’re here? What this trail is about?”
“Yes sir,” Charlie answered with a slight sneer, “you’re trying to prove that me and my sisters are sentient, right? That we’re not just weapons.”
“Do you think you’re sentient?” Hammond asked.
“I don’t really know what it means…but I know that we’re not weapons.”
“How do you know that?” Hammond asked.
“Do I look like a gun to you?” Charlie snapped. The courtroom hummed with a ripple of laughter. The judge banged his gavel once to return silence to the room, but Charlie as already accomplishing what Owen and Hammond had hoped for. Though immature and childish in every situation, this would help prove a case for sentience and cognizance. They weren’t blind and unthinking animals. Hammond smiled at Charlie and nodded.
“You certainly don’t to me.” He laughed. “Charlie, what happened on the night you and your sisters were called to duty at the smuggling compound?”
“We got shot at.”
“Did you get hurt?”
“I did.” She answered, pointing to her arm. “It hurt a lot…and it was really scary.”
“When you found out that the targets you’d been sent to deal with were humans, what does protocol say to do in this circumstance?” Charlie’s brow furrowed a moment as she thought about it.
“I’m not as good at understanding the protocol stuff…”
“Objection!” The prosecutor stood up in frustration. “This witness is bordering on incompetent. If she can’t even explain the fundamental protocols she’s supposed to follow, then how can we trust her testimony on it?” The judge glanced at him and then at Hammond.
“Sustained…change the question or move on, counselor.”
“Allow me to rephrase the question.” Hammond sighed. “What do you know you were supposed to do in that situation?”
“Well, we were supposed to pull back and regroup with Alpha…erm…sorry, Officer Grady.” Charlie answered. Hammond turned to the jury and smiled.
“The protocol clearly states, doesn’t it, that in the event of confronting human hostiles, your team is not to engage and instead to report to their-”
“Objection! Asked and answered!” The prosecutor shouted.
“Charlie knew what the protocol was but didn’t realize she did. I’m simply restating what she said so the jury can recognize this as a case of misunderstanding.” The judge groaned.
“Please move on, councilor.”
“I’m not sure I like the prosecutor much.” Blue whispered to Owen.
“You’re not supposed to. Just bear with it a little longer.” Owen answered. They both looked back to Hammond as he approached Charlie.
“Charlie, were you afraid for your life?”
“I was.”
“When Blue gave the order to engage the targets, did you agree with the decision?”
“I wasn’t sure.” Charlie answered honestly. “I knew that we weren’t supposed to, but it was a desperate situation, right? We had the right to protect ourselves.”
“You had the right to?” Hammond asked. “So you believe yourself independent and capable of thinking and acting for yourself with your own inalienable rights?”
“Well…I don’t know what en-alien-ble means….but yeah! We’re soldiers, aren’t we? We should be treated like it.”
“I couldn’t agree more.” Hammond beamed. “Just one more question Charlie…if you were given a second chance, would you still follow Blue’s orders to engage those men and kill them?”
“Objection!” The prosecutor scoffed, standing up. “Not only is this hardly relevant, but we’re not here to debate what could have been done.”
“If you’ll permit me your honor?” Hammond asked, reasonably. The judge rubbed his forehead in frustration but nodded.
“Last chance, Councilor.” He raised a finger to symbolize it was his last chance and Hammond turned back to Charlie.
“Well,” Charlie shrugged, “I don’t think I would have. I mean…look at all the trouble its caused my family. I don’t wanna put us through this ever again.”
“Full awareness of your actions and the consequences. I’ve never known a gun that could do that.”
“Obje-”
“Withdrawn.” Hammond smirked, turning and walking back to his table. “That’s all for this witness.” Charlie smiled as Owen gave her a thumbs up. The prosecution stood, adjusted his tie and then looked to Charlie with a smile that held anything but warmth.

“On the night in question, you said you were injured. Did that impact your decision making?” He asked.
“Not really. I mean, I was scared but I wasn’t worried about making bad decisions.”
“Why not?”
“Well…Blue makes the decisions.” Charlie answered. “She’s the Beta, so she’s second in command. If Alpha’s not around, then…oops, I mean…if Officer Grady isn’t around, she makes the decisions.”
“Is that always the case?” He asked.
“Yes. Always.” Charlie answered.
“Have you ever questioned Blue’s decisions? Or even Alpha’s for that matter?” He asked. Charlie shrugged.
“Sometimes…but they know what’s best. It’s easier to just trust their decisions.”
“So, it could be said, that you don’t think for yourself?”
“Objection!” Hammond snapped.
“I do think for myself!” Charlie snarled. The judge banged his gavel again to silence the room.
“The objection is sustained.” He growled.
“Sorry, your honor.” The Prosecutor replied. He turned back to Charlie. “Charlie do all of your sisters follow Blue’s leadership?”
“Of course.”
“Always?”
“Always.”
“No matter what?”
“OBJECTION!” Hammond shouted. “Asked and answered!”
“Sustained.”
“What happens when you don’t?” he continued, without skipping a beat. Charlie tensed up a little as the Prosecutor walked back to his table and pulled out a series of laminated photographs. Each one had a different profile shot of Echo when she was much younger. They each had a fresh image of the scar that ran across her face. They were the medical photos from after the incident. Owen had seen them only once, but he didn’t have access to them. Blue looked away in disgust and disdain and Charlie bit her lip. Hammond was beside himself.
“Objection! I request to approach the bench!” He shouted. The judge nodded and waved both of the lawyers up to speak to him privately. Blue was trembling with rage as Owen stared at the bench, trying to hear what was being said. He couldn’t hear, but he could tell it was a heated discussion.
“How do they have those?” Owen hissed. “Everything that happened to you girls on the island is classified.”
“Alpha, this is bad…I don’t think I like what they’ll ask Charlie.”
“Let’s hope Hammond can shut this down.” Owen agreed. After a few more moments of discussion, the judge waved them back.
“The photos will be admitted into evidence.” Hammond sat back down, anger etched on his face.
“Hammond, those are classified images! How can they admit them?”
“It’s complicated, I’ll explain later.” Hammond whispered. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that he doesn’t take things anywhere they shouldn’t go.”

“Charlie,” The Prosecution proceeded, “do you remember Blue giving these scars to Echo?”
“I do…”
“And do you remember why?”
“…yes…Echo was vying for leadership.”
“So Echo wanted to be the leader…and when she did that, Blue put her back in her place?”
“Objection!”
“Sustained.”
“Let me try a different question, does Blue usually physically injure her subordinates when they don’t do what she says?”
“NO!” Charlie cried. “Blue loves us! She only did what she did for Echo’s own good!”
“So that scar on her face is for her own good?”
“It’s not like that!” Charlie cried. Owen swiftly had to grab Blue’s arm to stop her from leaping out of her seat in a fury.
“Then tell us what it’s like!” He nearly shouted. “What good came from this?” Charlie had tears building up in her eyes as she tried to think of the right words to say.
“We’re all smart…but we can’t act alone. Since we were hatched, we don’t remember our parents, so we always had to look out for one another. Blue was the wisest. She knows a lot and knows how to lead. She cared about all of us and wanted what was best for all of us. Echo didn’t. She was full of herself and she was kind of braggy…if that’s the word for it…so Blue knew she wouldn’t make a good leader. They fought, and Blue won.”
“So Blue knew what was best?”
“Yes.”
“And because she knows what’s best, you do anything she tells you to do.”
“…Y-yes…”
“And if she told you to kill Delta, Echo, or even Alpha, would you do it?”
“OBJECTION!” Hammond roared. Blue was on her feet and Owen had to grab her around the middle to pull her back down.
“NO! I’d never do that!”
“But you just said you’d do whatever Blue told you.”
“Stop! Stop confusing me!”
“What’s so confusing, Charlie? You’re a soldier, aren’t you? You do what you’re told! So if Blue told you to kill your comrade FOR YOUR OWN GOOD, would you do it, yes or no!?”
“STOP IT!” Charlie cried, covering her ears as if she could block out the question.
“OBJECTION! THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS!” Hammond bellowed. The judge slammed his gavel on the desk with tremendous force three times.
“THAT’S ENOUGH, COUNCILOR! One more word, and I’ll hold you in contempt. Sustained on all counts.”
“Your honor, I’d like to redirect!” Hammond pleaded. Charlie was bent over, crying into her knees as she held her hands over her ears.
“I don’t think she’s in a fit state for that.”
“Trust me, your honor…please…” The judge gazed down at Charlie before finally giving a brief nod for Hammond to go ahead. Hammond stood and approached Charlie slowly and calmly. “Charlie…Charlie calm down. Can you hear me?” She nodded. “Charlie…why did that question confuse you?” Charlie didn’t answer at first, simply sitting still and sobbing. “I need to know Charlie, why couldn’t you answer the question.”
“I can’t…I can’t kill my family…because they’re all I have.” Charlie whimpered through sobs, making Blue shake as she too began crying. “We need each other…B-Blue would never tell me to do that…because if I did…we’d all die too. I love my sisters…and Alpha!” Without another word, she ran from the stand and flew to Blue’s arms, who caught her and held her in a warm embrace, stroking her hair reassuringly.
“Shhh~” Blue whispered, trying to console her. “It’s okay…”
“This court is adjourned for the day.” The judge sighed. “I think we could all use a break. We’ll reconvene tomorrow at 9:30.” With another bang of his gavel, the court began to disperse. Owen stood up from his seat and smiled sadly at Hammond.
“How bad is it?”
“We can make this work for us. By forcing Charlie to cry on the stand, he further validated their emotional state. He won’t win on that argument alone. I have to go back to my office and prepare. Be ready, because tomorrow he’s planning on calling you to the stand.” Hammond said.
“Right.”
“I’d like to meet with you tonight to go over what he’ll likely ask.” He turned and started to walk away, but as he passed out of view, Owen saw someone else…and overweight figure moving through the crowd.
“Son of a bitch…” He hissed.

Owen moved fast once he was outside of the courthouse and he could catch up to the much more slow and lumbering fellow in front of him. He moved swift and efficiently like a guided missile.
“Hoskins, you arrogant son of a bitch!” He snapped. Hoskins spun around just in time for Owen to grab him by the collar and slam him against the wall of the courthouse.
“AGH! What’s the matter with-”
“What the hell are you doing, you fat bastard!?” Owen spat. “You’re the only one with clearance to have access to those photos of Echo. You’ve been feeding information to the Prosecution on this case, and I wanna know why!”
“Just what kind of game do you think you’re playing, Grady?” Hoskins answered forcefully. “The Navy didn’t hand those girls over to you so you could play house! They’re trained and efficient killing machines, and it’s time the world realized that!”
“THEY’RE GIRLS!” Owen bellowed. “They deserve a life and a future that doesn’t involve ripping open throats!”
“And the fact you think that shows that leaving them in your charge was a mistake!” Hoskins snapped. “Under your roof, you have four of the most effective weapons the world has ever seen. A perfect combination of prehistoric and modern killing power! You saw it for yourself on that goddamn island!”
“I saw four girls terrified for their lives, reacting to a dangerous situation.”
“And what I saw were the most deadly weapons in forest combat I’ve ever laid eyes on.” Owen stopped a moment as the realization hit him.
“You were there…you knew what would happen!” Owen snapped in disbelief. “YOU SET THIS UP!” Hoskins adjusted his shirt as Owen released him and he coughed very professionally.
“It’s time you woke up and realized what was going on here, Mr. Grady.” He explained. “This is march of progress. Progress breeds warriors and creates success…and it always wins in the end.”
“If this is what you call progress; taking these girls and putting them back on that island of yours…turning them into nothing more than guns…then I hope to God progress loses this round.”
“You have a good day, Grady.” Hoskins answered, marching off, and leaving Owen fuming behind him, wondering what on earth his next move would have to be.