Pike wasn't surprised when his aide told him he had a comm from Leonard McCoy, he knew that he'd get one from either him or Spock. He opened the comm to find a clearly angry doctor looking back at him, again that was no surprise.
"Jim told me what happened" McCoy stated. Pike had expected that as well, so he simply nodded.
"Whatever she told you is complete bullshit, you know that?" McCoy stated, Pike knew that even though it sounded like a question, the doctor didn't want an answer.
"I think she's lying too, but we still have to treat this like she's telling the truth, we still have to investigate" Pike told him.
"I know how you investigate these cases, you use the old way, you question and then you decide if you think the person is guilty or innocent, and if you decide their guilty it's a trip to a penal colony. If you decide Jim is guilty, how would it look when it was discovered he was innocent and you put the savior of earth in a penal colony?" McCoy asked.
"Not good" Pike admitted, and it wouldn't, they'd get a million people complaining and accusing them, they would ruin an innocent mans reputation. And they would also get others claiming their innocence again, using the alleged guilt of one man to say that they had made mistakes with them.
"Exactly, so use something that there would be no question of" McCoy said, leaning back in his seat.
"If I suggested using the computer, they would think I wasn't being subjective" Pike retorted.
"So you'd let Jim go through the ringer, let that bitch accuse him for something he never did" McCoy snapped, leaning forward in his seat once again.
"I'll try everything I can" Pike promised him.
"You know Jim, you know he wouldn't do something like that, but you care more about looking good in front of the other admirals to stand up for the man who saved your life!" McCoy yelled, ending the transmission.
XXX
Pike stared right back at Morrow who was glaring at him from his seat. The man was against using the computer, of course. He had decided that Jim was guilty, and didn't want anything that could prove he was wrong.
"Your not being subjective of this case Chris" Marrow informed him.
"I just don't think we should do this one the way we usually do Harry. If it comes out Kirk didn't do it, and we arrested an innocent man, then every single person that we sent to a penal colony for the same thing is going to file appeals against us. Not to mention the hordes of reporters" Pike replied.
"Chris has a point, if we sent him to a penal colony and he's innocent, we'd never hear the end of it. We should use the computer," Nogura agreed.
"Every one who thinks we should use the computer raise your hand" Archer said. To Pike's surprise Archer raised his hand, along with everyone else except for Marrow. Pike smirked at the scowling Marrow, happy that he had won.