Aftermath in Oversight

Judge Korvanova takes command. Mal and Rod receive first aid. Drifting in and out of consciousness, Zed can only think of the broken radio – judge Bladelord will rip his legs off for that one. Mal takes off his gas mask and has a look at his nightvision goggles. Great: Uziel’s last swing broke the lenses. That will cost a bundle. Soldiers put Zed and Uziel on stretchers and the whole group is taken to the Lock. There, Korvanova orders a thorough search of the men: The soldiers at the gate take their time – nobody wants to be the person who missed something while iron lady is watching. They find everything Mal and Dan secreted away, in inconspicuous holsters, small pockets and even secret compartments: knives, Mal’s tiny .38 automatic and, of course, Dan’s silenced 10mm Glock.
After this procedure, Mal, Rod and Dan are brought to the Oversight building, LAW’s administrative center and the seat of the tribunal. Korvanova takes their statements about the fight at Rome’s Hotel. She tells the men that they will be debriefed extensively as soon as Zed can take part. Until then, they are guests in the Oversight. They get red pass cards, and they know that they will be arrested or shot if they leave the building without a judge. Before they are shunted into the guest tract of the large building, Rod urges Korvanova to be very careful with Uziel. He tells her of his abilities, and of his lethal tooth-implant. She assures him that LAW knows how to handle such people. They spent two days in the spare rooms of the Oversight, together with some other people in transit, waiting for orders or just recuperating. Mal and Rod use the time to make acquaintances with two judges. They play chess, talk about Memphis, the tribunal and some of the squabbles between various judges. It seems the judges are not quite as united as they appear to outsiders, but then, there are factions even in the smallest gang. The hours pass slowly, but the men are in need of rest, so nobody complains.
It takes the physicians a few days, but in the end Zed, filled to the lower lip with painkillers and swathed in bandages, is able to return to his duties. Even before judge Korvanova starts her debriefing, Mal asks Zed to go look for his car. Zed does so, but when he walks into the small dead end, the Conquistador is gone. A burly LAW soldier rests at a wall and grins at Zed. “You’re looking for something, boy?” “A friend of mine parked his jeep here. Do you know anything about that?” “Oh, that one. You seem to be with us, so there is no harm in telling you. After the ruckus a few days ago, the iron lady had the whole area searched real careful. They found the car and were not able to crack the locks. They suspected an explosive gadget connected to the doors, so they followed the standard procedure. They towed the thing into the desert.” “And then?” “They blew it up. Standard procedure with explosive traps.”
“…”
“I’m just kidding. That would have been such a waste. They took the car to the Motor Pool. They have probably searched it top to bottom, but your friend can collect it there. You really jumped after the guy? From the second floor?” “Yes, I did.” “Good show!”
Zed thanks the man and returns to the Oversight.
The debriefing by judge Korvanova is long and very in-depth. The iron lady is highly critical of Zed’s performance. She makes it very clear that she, and she alone, is responsible for Memphis, and that she has to be the first to know about people like Uziel. While it’s primarily judge Stoneleigh’s failure to inform her, and Zed acted in good faith under Stoneleigh’s orders, he should have known that she, and not Stoneleigh, has the say about such investigations in Memphis. She lets him off with stern warning. Zed, who still nurses his wounds from jumping after Uziel, just nods and says “Yes, m’am.” Korvanova seems to have a better rapport with Rod. After questioning the benefactor about his voyage, she imparts that Uziel died when LAW’s physicians tried to extract the poison tooth. “It was filled with a very effective airborne toxin. Your story sounds quite wild, benefactor, but that tooth proves it. The doctors tell me that it was basically designed to be irremovable – not without releasing the poison and killing its owner. That such an infiltrator would target Memphis is an alarming development, and as he is not alone, we – that is LAW – will have to find out who backs him. I would like to station a strike jhat at the Institute, so that they can take care of the next false benefactor who steps out of the woods. But we don’t do that without permission, and I’ll have to talk it over with the others. If they consent, I would like to ask you to carry a message to your elders, containing our offer. It will also set down guidelines about the way benefactors should work in Memphis: No more skulking in Demeter or the Remnants. If a benefactor wants to heal people, he can offer his services at our two hospitals. He will get the best equipment this city has to offer, as well as food and lodgings. But no more secret doctors in my city.” Rod nods and replies “I think the Institute would be grateful for your support. I or benefactor Goodman could take your message.” “Very good. That leaves us with the small matter of illegal possession of firearms.” She turns to Mal, a small, bloodless smile playing on her face. “As you might have learned, we have impounded your car due to the ongoing investigation. As a standard procedure we searched the vehicle and found several guns that you don’t have a license for.” The two replacement MACs. The M1911. The Dragunov SVD. “There are also the guns you tried to smuggle into Uptown. As you do have performed a service for the city, I will just confiscate these guns and will let the matter rest.” Mal is dejected “But I thought it was okay to keep your guns locked in you car. That’s how I did it for weeks.” “Some judges think this usage is acceptable. I don’t. Things tend to get sloppy if you don’t enforce the rules. And that appears to be my job.” “But you didn’t impound the ammo.” “No, we didn’t. That’s yours…although you carry quite an amount. Anyway, let’s just say you can count yourself lucky that I don’t send you to the farm.” She puts four small piles of merits on the dented table. “Ten merits for each of you. The tribunal insists. Zed, this is a bonus. I don’t think you deserve it, but your heroics impressed the others, so there you go. The tribunal will need to talk about the proposal for the Institute. This might take a few days – you are our guests until we have set down a message, if you choose to. Now, gentlemen, thanks for your time.” The men are ushered out of the small room. Mal wastes no time to visit judge Stoneleigh, not quite angry, but very much in need of explanations and reparation. Judge Stoneleigh is in his small office, an antique Simpson chess set on a tiny table, the walls lined with books. He is inconsolable. He apologizes for the whole mess and recompenses Mal with a bundle of merits from his own stash. It is a lot less than the worth of the guns Mal lost, and while it is quite possible to retrieve the submachine guns and pistols in the Arsenal or in Memphis’ clandestine weapons market, the Dragunov has been snapped up by some judge. Stoneleigh cannot make amends.
Korvanova seemed to be hellbent on aggravating the scavvy, but Mal sees through her stratagem. She might target Stoneleigh through destroying his contacts outside LAW, but Mal is not that easily played. When he departs from Stoneleigh’s office, he is earnest but amiable. He has changed somewhat: The times when he shed blood for blood and went after his enemies no matter what seem to be over. Even a few months ago, he would have taken out Korvanova for this insult, at the cost of his own life if necessary. But people change, sometimes to the better.
A fortnight later, benefactor Goodman leaves Memphis with a message for the Institute. Rod is not quite ready to go back there, as long as there are still some riddles to be solved. He and Dan will go south, towards where the first false benefactor was headed. To the George Madison Correctional Facility, in the foothills of the Appalachians. Mal will take them there, and Zed will ride with them. As the sun rises over Memphis, the heroes are on their way.