Part Seventeen

Judge Advocate General's Office Complex, Starbase 27, Courtroom Three

"And this data proves, your honor, that it was Lore and not my client who penetrated the Daystrom Institute's security systems and accessed their main computer. I therefore move once again that these facetious 'cyberterrorism' charges be dropped immediately and an official public apology be entered into the record by –"

"Just a minute, Ms. Forrester," the judge interrupted, scowling down at the electronic documents that cluttered his desk. "This Lore you mention – that's the designation of a computer system, isn't it? Soong's…what was it…Learning Observation Recall Experiment? L-O-R-E?"

"That is correct, your honor," Eileen answered, motioning for Dr. Soong to keep still and silent in his seat beside her at the defense table. "Lore is a positronic computer."

"Hm," the judge grunted, his frown deepening. "Now, I may not be a computer expert, Ms. Forrester, but as I understand it, computers do not just up and act all on their own. If they act at all, they do so according to programming. As such, they have no agency to take conscious action. It is the programmer, not the program, that must be held responsible for the outcomes of that program, particularly in regards to illegal acts such as mining protected data and—"

"With all due respect, your honor," Eileen broke in. "Lore is not your average computer. He…"

"Yes, Ms. Forrester?" the judge prompted.

"Well…" she said, all too aware of the outlandish nature of the claim she was about to make. She straightened her posture and said, "Sir, there may be evidence to suggest Lore is self-aware. Conscious. Alive, even. He is certainly capable of making decisions and taking action on his own volition."

At his table across the room, Graves leaned over to whisper in his counsel's ear. The prosecuting lawyer nodded, then stood up.

"Your honor, if I may – we contend this Lore device only appears to behave this way because, as a computer, it has been programmed to do so."

"I assure you, it's not that simple, your honor," Eileen countered quickly. "Lore may be programmed, but he has a mind, and a will, of his own, separate and apart from that of his creator. He is a distinct personality. And it was this unique, self-determining personality that took action, without the knowledge or consent of my client. Lore is the one who collected, collated, and analyzed the data before you. He did this in secret over the course of several years, with the repeatedly stated aim of freeing his father from the slanderous accusations the opposition has been publically and notoriously spewing against him for decades."

"Objection, characterization," the prosecutor cried. "And, she's stating facts not in evidence."

"Sustained," the judge said. "Please calm down, Ms. Forrester. Now, I have a question. If the information this Lore compiled is so crucial to your case, why is it that this….computer…has not been listed as a witness…by either side?"

"We tried, your honor," Eileen said. "And, apart from being told by your own legal experts serving on this base that computers are not sentient beings and, therefore, not competent to give legal testimony, we were denied access to Lore and his brothers at every turn. Apparently, there has been some sort of accident at the Daystrom Institute's Galor IV Annex where they are being held…the nature and details of which my client is most eager to know and which Dr. Graves over there has been suspiciously reluctant to reveal."

"Wait, let me get this straight," the judge said, holding up a hand to stave off the prosecuting attorney. "Are you telling me there's more than one of these Lore-type computer things?"

"Lore is the only one of his kind, your honor," Eileen said, "but Dr. Graves is at present also holding two of Dr. Soong's positronic android prototypes, designated C-5 and D-6 respectively, as well as an earlier B-4 model that is no longer functioning. Concurrent with this criminal trial, we are at this time engaged in a civil property suit to establish—"

"Enough, enough," the judge said, reaching for his gavel. "I want this Lore computer and all these android prototypes in here, in this courtroom. This afternoon," he proclaimed, and slammed his gavel down with a sharp whack! "We're adjourned and will reconvene at fifteen hundred hours sharp. Make sure that computer is here by then. And I don't want to hear any feeble excuses about planetside time differences," he said, cutting off the prosecution's protest just as the lawyer opened his mouth. "Federation Time is a universal standard. If the Klingons, Breen, and Ferengi can keep their appointments with us, I expect no less from the Daystrom Institute."

Everyone in the courtroom stood as the judge got up and stalked through a small, private door, and a low, curious muttering broke out among the observers at the back of the room.

Juliana, who had been at the front of the public seating area, behind her husband, tried to skirt the barrier to reach him before he was escorted back to the holding cell, but Dr. Soong had already shrugged off his security guard and stormed over to the prosecution table.

"All right, you beard-faced bastard, I've had enough of your stalling. What did you do to my boys?" he demanded.

Graves shot the younger man a scornful glare.

"You're looking old, Noon," he said, running a hand over his notably smoother features. "All those creases and bags. You really should try this new algae treatment they have on Altoor VII. It'll do wonders."

"Don't even start with me, Ira," Soong snarled. "You're a creep and a kidnapper and if this damn trial doesn't bring that to light, our civil suit sure as hell will. I'll make sure the whole Federation knows exactly what you really are!"

"Oh?" Graves raised his graying eyebrows. "Well, guess what. It's not your petty outrage that concerns me. Only posterity. And what do you think posterity will have to say about me?" he sneered, smirking as the yellow-clad security guard grabbed Soong's arm and began pulling the struggling scientist away. "That I am a leader? A legend? A pioneer in my field? And what of you, Noon? How will history characterize you? I'll tell you: you're a failure, Soong. A sniveling, cowardly little plagiarist who ran and hid when he couldn't live up to his grandiose claims!"

Soong fought even harder against the guard's firm grip, his face a florid red.

"You lying piece of— It was all my work, Graves! My ideas! Hey, get off me! Let me go!"

The guard manhandled the fuming scientist out of the room, his echoing shouts fading as he was forced down the corridor leading to the holding cells.

Graves shook his head and started to follow his lawyer back into the Starbase's main promenade, but Juliana blocked his path, her blue eyes ice cold.

"If I find you have harmed our sons in any way…" she started.

"'Sons', indeed," Graves scoffed, and looked her up and down with an appraising air that made her want to slap him. "So, Soong's gotten you to share his delusion too. Seems a shame. I heard you once showed some promise…before you went and hitched your star to that aging crackpot."

Juliana straightened, peering down her nose at the taller man.

"All these years, when Noonian spoke of you, there was always a part of me that put the animosity down to sour grapes," she said. "Some ancient argument between two equally stubborn colleagues, never fully resolved. But now that I've seen you, talked to you…"

She stepped in closer.

"You may be a brilliant technician – perhaps the most brilliant who's ever lived," she spoke through her teeth. "But my husband is an artist. And that's what you can't stand. His is a talent you could never manage to control or emulate. But this petty nonsense is beneath you. Both of you. And you know it. Lore and the androids are the children of Noonian's mind, not yours. And they'll say as much, when they arrive here this afternoon."

Graves scowled down at her, but she turned away before he or his lawyer could speak, joining Eileen in the crowded foyer.

As for Graves, the moment Juliana was out of sight, the cocky smirk on his face morphed to something very near panic.

"Contact the Institute," he snarled at his lawyer. "Get me Brianon! With Lore as he is...and that C-5 droid as well... We need to formulate some kind of plausible delay here, and I mean now!"

To Be Continued…

Next Time: Back to Lore. Stay Tuned, and thanks so much for reading! :)