Frontier justice by Lia Faile

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Frontier Justice, Part 7
by Lia Faile

Julia's and Bess' trek to the mess tent was interrupted by Cameron's cry of "Camp Alert!" All other activity was immediately halted as everyone followed their prearranged drill instructions. The children sought out Yale who was to keep them out of harm's and the adults' way. Those with quick access to weapons cautiously went out to investigate and those unarmed headed for first available cover. Devon and Danziger being the official and unofficial heads of Eden Advance also responded to alarms whether armed or not.

Since Julia and Bess were just a few yards from Cameron, they headed towards the supply tent. Cameron saw Julia headed his way and relief washed over his worry pinched face. "Julia, thank God! He's banged up pretty bad!" Julia's good humor melted away and once again she was the serious physician. She left Bess' side and jogged over to the slumped form lying on the ground at Cameron's feet.

"How long has he been this way?" She asked as she kneeled down and checked his pulse.

"I'm not certain." Cameron stammered. "He had the 3 am to 8 am watch. I was just a little late coming from breakfast to relieve him.

Julia sighed with relief when her fingertips detected the gentle beating of his jugular.

"What happened?" Devon and Danziger demanded in unison as they rushed up and took in the sight of Walman lying battered and unconscious on the ground.

Julia could tell by looking at Walman's bashed face what had happened. "Jaxsom." She replied curtly. "I need my med kit." She started to get up when a familiar hand clasped her shoulder and her diaglove was dangled in front of her face.

"I thought you'd want this." Alonzo flashed her a smile that disappeared when he gazed at Walman. "He going to be okay?"

"Yes." Julia answered as she slipped on the glove and activated it. She wasn't about to lose Walman because she'd insisted on bringing Jaxsom back to camp. Silently she worked on him ignoring her anxious audience.

"Uhhhmmm...geeze. I'm going to kill him." Walman groaned as he regain consciousness and Cameron helped him to sit up.

"Well, if we find Jaxsom, you'll get first crack at him, I promise." Danziger told him nodding.

"Not Jaxsom. Morgan! The little weasel blind sided me with a thermos! Ohhh......mannn. I feel like koba manure!"

"Morgan hit you?" Cameron asked dubiously. "Are you sure your brains aren't too rattled?"

"No. Morgan came by right after I started my watch and offered me some coffee. I put down my magpro and then WHAMMO!! I was seeing stars."

"I caught Morgan rummaging around in the Transrover earlier last night. He was acting weirder than usual." Danziger added thoughtfully.

"Oh my Gosh." Bess fell pale. "Morgan wasn't in bed this morning. His VR gear was gone and I assumed he was out practicing his drums.--I bet he tried to do something foolish, like be a hero." She covered her face with her hands. "Ohhh....I'm sure Jaxsom's killed him!"

"Why would he take his VR gear?" Devon puzzled aloud.

"Who knows. We're talking about Morgan Martin. He probably plans to be buried with his VR gear on." Danziger grumbled. "MAGUS! See if you can get me a fix on Morgan's VR gear!" He hollered as he strode off. "Cameron, you and Baines meet me at the Rail. And be quick about it." He shot back over his shoulder. He stopped suddenly and then turned around facing the group by the supply tent. "And *you* are staying here." He barked, shaking his finger at Julia.

"What about me?" Alonzo quipped. "I haven't got to ride in the posse all week."

Danziger glared at the pilot. Solace's humor tended to come out at odd times. "You're too gimpy. Jaxsom will pick you off like a sitting duck. Stay here and keep an eye out in case either of them circles back. Maybe Morgan managed to get away. He's real good at that." He snarled and stomped off towards the Rail while Cameron rushed off to obey his orders.

"Hey Cameron!" Devon shouted. "Keep those hotheads in check!" Cameron turned around and shot Devon a hesitant salute. He doubted anyone could keep Baines and Danziger in check when they were in full swing, but he'd try since Devon told him too.

Julia was attempting to comfort the sobbing Bess to no avail. She was convicted that if they found her husband, they would only be bringing him back for burial. This was what she got for thinking vengeful thoughts. Morgan would be murdered and it would be all her fault.

"Don't worry, Bess." Alonzo spoke soothingly. "Danziger won't let anyone kill Morgan. He's been dreaming about that day himself for too long and won't be denied that pleasure."

"Really?" She sniffed. Strangely comforted by the thought.

Alonzo kissed her hand and gave her a winning smile. "Really."

###
Danziger brought the Rail to a stop in the exact same place he had yesterday. An eerily feeling of deja vu crept through him as he stood in the empty field. This time he had a clear signal to track. Although why, he couldn't fathom. He couldn't imagine Morgan and Jaxsom slipping off to play VR games together. Grimly he figured that Jaxsom had offed Morgan and was playing with his new toy. Or, a more sinister thought entered Danziger's mind, Jaxsom was recording Morgan's death throes for later viewing. The burly man shuddered.

"Okay," He whispered to the other two men crouched next to him by the Rail. "The signal's coming from over there." He motioned northeast of where he'd followed Bess and Jaxsom into the woods the other day. We'll split up and try to surround him. Be as quiet as you can and if you must shoot make sure you don't hit Morgan or one of us." He waved his hand in a "let's go" motion and the three started for the now sinister looking woods.

They'd just reached the outskirts of the woods when they were brought up short by a series of gut wrenching screams reverberating through the forest. Baines and Cameron looked at Danziger. He gave a quick, grim nod and the trio abandoned their prior plan. They plunged into the woods and raced for the source of the screaming, magpros armed and ready.

A small sod cabin came into sight. They slowed back down and proceeded closer with more caution. No one was in sight and the screaming had stopped. Danziger looked over his shoulder in a silent command for the men to cover him. Baines and Cameron hunched down and aimed their guns at the cabin while Danziger carefully headed for the door.

Danziger leaned his ear to the door and could hear the muffled sound of a man sobbing and of someone pacing restlessly inside. He took a step back and lifted his leg to kick in the door, when it was suddenly yanked open from within. Baines straighten up at the motion and automatically squeezed off a shot at the form standing in the doorway. The calmer Cameron had taken a split second to get a really good look at the person and instead of firing, he shoved the muzzle of Baines' gun upward sending the shot wide. So instead of plowing into Morgan's chest it gouged out a patch of sod just above the door.

Little clouds of dirt rained down on Danziger and Morgan. The mechanic impatiently shook the dirt from his hair and glared over his shoulder at Baines. Relieved that he'd been prevented from shooting the wrong man, Baines patted Cameron's shoulder and shakily wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Morgan let out a squeak of terror and tried to retreat back into the cabin and shut the door. "Morgan! What the hell are you doing?! It's us!" Danziger shouted. "Where's Jaxsom?!"

"NO! You can't come in! Not until I've finished carrying out the sentence!" Morgan hollered back through the door as he leaned against it.

"You're talking crazy, Martin!" He growled. "Open the damn door!"

"I'm the Government Liaison to the Eden Project. That means I have the right to interpret the Laws and act as judge when one isn't available. I've invoked martial law and if you come in here, you are in violation of Station Law and will have to face the consequences!" Morgan hoped he sounded official and threatening enough.

A new round of screaming erupted from the interior of the cabin. "Like hell!" Danziger slammed into the door with his shoulder sending it flying open and Morgan flying to the dirt floor.

Danziger was stopped cold by the sight of Jaxsom Frigg withering on the dank floor. His hands and feet were tied. A restraining ring was around his neck and Morgan's VR gear was on his head. The man was apparently trying to get away from someone or something in the program. The ground about him was covered with tiny trenches carved out by his gouging fingernails. Everytime he touched the VR gear, the restraint ring sent a charge through his body.

"What have you done, Morgan?" Danziger asked softly.

Morgan scrambled up to his feet with his stolen magpro clutched to his chest. "For once I'm doing my job. You know Adair would insist on letting him go! My way, he goes free and gets punished. Maybe even learns a lesson or two."

"What program are you running?" Baines asked from the doorway gazing at Jaxsom's pain contorted form.

Morgan rubbed the dark stubble on his cheek and glanced at Jaxsom and then quickly away. "I accessed the VR recordings Yale said Jaxsom had made of himself and his victims. I removed the victims images and set up the program for him to take their places."

Baines let out a low whistle. "So you're giving him a taste of his own medicine, huh?"

"Not Morgan, *Jaxsom*. He's being raped and tortured by himself. He's the victim *and* the villain." Danziger replied. He couldn't decide if he appreciated the irony of Morgan's plan more than he was shocked by it. "Well, Adair wanted alternatives. She got one."

He walked over to Jaxsom, bent down and removed the VR gear. Jaxsom was certainly a changed man. He slide across the floor away from Danziger and the gear whimpering and begging to be left alone. Without a word, Danziger stood and ushered the other three out the door to the waiting Rail. Baines and Cameron hopped in the back seats. Morgan stood uncertain by the passenger side twisting the barrel of the magpro in his sweaty palms.

"I-I tried to-to shoot him but I guess I wasn't man enough."

Danziger walked up to Morgan and gently removed the magpro from his hands and gave it to Cameron. "Killing someone doesn't make you a man, Morgan." Danziger assured him quietly as he guided the weary man into the front passenger seat.

The ride back to camp was a silent one. Finally the silence was broken by Morgan. "I did it for Bess."

"Yeah, I know." Danziger replied.

Morgan turned and faced Danziger with a vulnerable look in his eyes. "Do you think I did the right thing?"

Danziger thought a moment then locked eyes with Morgan and nodded. "Yeah," He drawled. "I think you did something right for a change."

"Really?" Morgan smiled. "Wow."

While the two men had been talking, Cameron took a good look at Morgan's magpro. "Uh, Morgan?" He leaned forward between the two front seats. "Did you know the safety was on?"

"WHAT!" Morgan whipped around and stared wildly at the gun. "I could have been killed!" He whined.

The other three burst into peals of laughter. Morgan calmed down and saw the absurdity of his claim in the face of his actions. He could have been killed whether the safety was on or not. His chuckles joined the others.

###
Voice of Yale:

"We have once more faced a crisis and weathered it together. We learned a little bit more about one another and ourselves. This will not be our last judicial dilemma and perhaps Station Law will have to be further amended or bent to deal with life here. The ultimate goal of Law is Justice but the two words are not always interchangeable. No one can say that what Morgan Martin did was justice or simply vengeance, not even Morgan himself. Laws are not perfect because humanity is not perfect. If we were, we wouldn't have a need for laws, would we?"

-The End-

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