anything local beyond disturbing the regolith and making the local rescue squad go cut him out of the wreck. The boulder that had stopped his travel had been neither damaged nor moved.
"What do you think We should do with you?" she asked the now sober trucker.
"Send me back to Armstrong on the work bus. I'm going to have enough trouble on that end from the guy who hired me to drive his truck to Central."
"If you'd killed one of my subjects, I'd have had you tossed out the airlock without benefit of a p-suit. However, I don't wish to start criminalizing behavior based on its potential to cause harm. That road leads to all sorts of repressive regulation. I think my mother, who has years more experience with people and no small measure of wisdom, informed me correctly."
"Her advice some years ago to me, was that a drunk is rarely reformed. So I have no harm with which to charge you, yet I find you a danger and don't want to wait for you to prove me correct, at the expense of some innocent person."
"So, I do not wish to issue a blanket law about dangerous behavior, but it is my decision that you are an undesirable person, of poor judgment, possibly impaired if your condition is chronic instead of a unique episode. I'm going to allow you to get on the work bus tomorrow morning and return to Armstrong, but I reserve the right to judge other such cases upon their merits.
" You are however banned from entering Central again for any reason. You are declared outlaw, literally outside my law. If any person acts against you I will offer you no protection of my law. Robbing you or killing you will receive no censure. I'd consider carefully if you want to rely on the kindness of every member of the community and be sure none will judge you a hazard that may be removed without personal price."
"Do you have anything to say? This doesn't mean you can appeal in any way. But you can make any expression you wish and I won't harm you for it."
"No ma'am. I don't remember crashing. I was drinking and I'll own I have a problem. I won't be back here. I got that message clear enough."
"Mr. Hesston? I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I'd point out something to you. You intend not to come back here, now, while you are sober. But just as you don't remember your truck crash, you may forget not to come here if you are drunk. The thing to remember is this. The time to remember is when that first drink is in your hand. When you are sober and have no excuse. Because if you show up again I won't give you a free pass because you can't remember."
"Yes ma'am. The point is well taken."
"Very well, you are free, but we have no hotel yet. You will be returned to the room that served as your cell while you sobered up, but you will not be locked in it. If you are not to be found and miss the bus, my decree still takes effect. Good night Mr. Hesston."
He nodded and followed the fellow who beckoned to him.
"Advise me," Heather asked Dakota. "How do you find my justice?"
"I found it restrained, which I'm glad of, since I might stand before you some day. But I find it disturbing you said you'd order him spaced if he had killed someone."
"Are you opposed to capital punishment?"
"No, but I think it would be a bad idea to order any of your subjects, or even a team of them, to be an executioner. You might very well lose a subject to depression and suicide if it's against their nature."
"I can see that. So, should I call for volunteers, or do the deed myself?"
"If I may suggest, this is one of those things that needs the formality of some uh, pomp and symbolism. You should have some forms. Lay a pistol on the table in front of you – public notice it's a court of life and death. I'm not saying to have robes or anything, but you should be dressed somewhat formally, not in a p-suit or coveralls."
"We need something, I'm not sure what, to say it's a courtroom. Not necessarily like an Earth courtroom with a high bench, but something. Different than when
"What do you think We should do with you?" she asked the now sober trucker.
"Send me back to Armstrong on the work bus. I'm going to have enough trouble on that end from the guy who hired me to drive his truck to Central."
"If you'd killed one of my subjects, I'd have had you tossed out the airlock without benefit of a p-suit. However, I don't wish to start criminalizing behavior based on its potential to cause harm. That road leads to all sorts of repressive regulation. I think my mother, who has years more experience with people and no small measure of wisdom, informed me correctly."
"Her advice some years ago to me, was that a drunk is rarely reformed. So I have no harm with which to charge you, yet I find you a danger and don't want to wait for you to prove me correct, at the expense of some innocent person."
"So, I do not wish to issue a blanket law about dangerous behavior, but it is my decision that you are an undesirable person, of poor judgment, possibly impaired if your condition is chronic instead of a unique episode. I'm going to allow you to get on the work bus tomorrow morning and return to Armstrong, but I reserve the right to judge other such cases upon their merits.
" You are however banned from entering Central again for any reason. You are declared outlaw, literally outside my law. If any person acts against you I will offer you no protection of my law. Robbing you or killing you will receive no censure. I'd consider carefully if you want to rely on the kindness of every member of the community and be sure none will judge you a hazard that may be removed without personal price."
"Do you have anything to say? This doesn't mean you can appeal in any way. But you can make any expression you wish and I won't harm you for it."
"No ma'am. I don't remember crashing. I was drinking and I'll own I have a problem. I won't be back here. I got that message clear enough."
"Mr. Hesston? I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but I'd point out something to you. You intend not to come back here, now, while you are sober. But just as you don't remember your truck crash, you may forget not to come here if you are drunk. The thing to remember is this. The time to remember is when that first drink is in your hand. When you are sober and have no excuse. Because if you show up again I won't give you a free pass because you can't remember."
"Yes ma'am. The point is well taken."
"Very well, you are free, but we have no hotel yet. You will be returned to the room that served as your cell while you sobered up, but you will not be locked in it. If you are not to be found and miss the bus, my decree still takes effect. Good night Mr. Hesston."
He nodded and followed the fellow who beckoned to him.
"Advise me," Heather asked Dakota. "How do you find my justice?"
"I found it restrained, which I'm glad of, since I might stand before you some day. But I find it disturbing you said you'd order him spaced if he had killed someone."
"Are you opposed to capital punishment?"
"No, but I think it would be a bad idea to order any of your subjects, or even a team of them, to be an executioner. You might very well lose a subject to depression and suicide if it's against their nature."
"I can see that. So, should I call for volunteers, or do the deed myself?"
"If I may suggest, this is one of those things that needs the formality of some uh, pomp and symbolism. You should have some forms. Lay a pistol on the table in front of you – public notice it's a court of life and death. I'm not saying to have robes or anything, but you should be dressed somewhat formally, not in a p-suit or coveralls."
"We need something, I'm not sure what, to say it's a courtroom. Not necessarily like an Earth courtroom with a high bench, but something. Different than when
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