"It is the unanimous decision of this tribunal that you have all been found guilty of High Crimes against the Federation, and as such, are subject to sentencing under the Outcast Act. It is the ruling of this chamber that you and your families shall be banished for life from this world, and will be transported to Devil's Planet where you shall live until the end of your natural days. It is only the Life Decree, passed earlier this month by the Council, that prevents the Federation from doing to you what you have done to countless others. The savage barbarism you have displayed, and the heinous acts perpetrated against our people, cannot truly be balanced by any sentence that we may pass. But let it be known that the dark memory of your vile deeds shall far outlive all of you."
And with these words a dark chapter in the people's history drew to a close. Sixty-three men and women, enemies of the state, along with their families, were to be sent to a harsh, inhospitable new world, never to return. It had been a difficult decision, especially concerning the women and children, but one that had to be made. It would do no good for future generations to grow up hating the state and continuing this senseless round of violence. And so the Outcast Act was created, and all these people knew was that they were bound for some godforsaken world known only as . . .
Devil's Planet
It was the year 2027. The war was over, and the radioactive dust had all but settled, but now the world was in the throes of a nuclear winter, the result of a brief but devastating encounter between the superpowers. It had taken all of forty minutes to wipe out 1/3 of the world's population, and now another third was in imminent danger of dying from starvation and disease. And it was against this backdrop of human misery that the trial was set.
"I am standing outside the World Federation Council in the Eastern Sector. It is another bitterly cold day here in the Decontaminated Zone. The winds have picked up again, and the sun, which made a rare appearance earlier in the day, is now completely obscured by a dark, heavy haze. For reasons of security there are no windows in the Federation's twin towers, and it is only the occasional rooftop arrival or departure of a jetcopter that gives any indication of activity within. Inside, lawyers are preparing their cases for the trial, set to begin next week. Sixty-three men and women, including senior government and military officials, are charged with High Crimes against the Federation, for having initiated the nuclear exchange. But unlike previous war tribunals, the sheer scope of these killings has no precedent in any court of law. No matter what the verdict, however, one thing is already certain. None of the accused will be executed. Yesterday, in a landmark decision, the Supreme Council struck down the death penalty forever. In its place they created the Outcast Act, which provides for the banishment of convicted war criminals from the planet. This all follows an emotional plea from the Chairman of the Federation in which he called on its members to find a permanent solution to the violence.
Here is an excerpt from that speech: "The world is passing through its darkest days. The horrors of war, the ravages of disease, and the human suffering we have all witnessed shall be indelibly marked in our minds. We must break this chain of violence that has brought us to the brink of extinction. The killing must stop. I call on all of you to search your souls, search deeply and try to find a little compassion."
The Life Decree, as that decision is known, went into effect today.
And in the Secure Room the Chief Astronomer was talking with the President of the Council: "Yes, sir, all indications are that this planet can sustain life. The atmosphere is rich in oxygen and nitrogen, the temperature range is right, and our latest enhanced photos show some definite regions of water. We have every reason to believe that people can survive. The President nodded, and turning to his Design Engineer, he asked; "Can we make it?" . . . "We have the technology!"
"I am reporting to you from the Detention Center in Tesla, where the accused are being held. This once-beautiful city boasted the finest museums, galleries and theatres, and the people were known for their friendly, outward dispositions. But the people, like their institutions, are gone. All that remains standing after the blast is the old security building, known as the Fortress, and it is in this building that the sixty-three are being held. Three of the men are former heads of state, and twelve others are their adjutants who held down various positions of power in their respective governments. Twenty-two are senior military officials, including some former heroes of previous conventional campaigns. The rest are scientists, technicians and industrialists, who are accused of developing and manufacturing the nuclear arsenal. All sixty-three have pleaded not guilty. One of the military men is quoted as saying that his only crime is that he was on the losing side, while a leading scientist said he has no idea why he is on trial at all. In fact, this is the first time that members of the scientific community are being held accountable for their actions."
There doesn't seem to be much doubt concerning the verdict in light of the overwhelming evidence, but what possible sentence may be rendered raises some questions. Now that the death penalty has been abolished it is not legally apparent what the alternative is. As the law now stands, these men would, on conviction, be sentenced to automatic life imprisonment. However, the Council has stated at the beginning of the hearings that any man found guilty of these crimes poses too great a threat to society. Incarceration, no matter how far from the surviving centers, could not fully guarantee safety, for the prospect of an escape, or an uprising by supporters, would always be there. Moreover, their continued presence could only arouse renewed hatred among the victims and bitter enmity between peoples. Informed sources at the Space Research Center have raised the possibility of an orbiting prison. Launched into a geosynchronous orbit, this 'Security Station' would remain in a fixed position thousands of miles away. However, even this distance could not preclude an escape attempt.
Meanwhile, the families of the accused wait. Right now they are housed in temporary compounds located within the laser fences which form the perimeter of the World Council Chambers. Nobody seems to know what will become of them. That they, too, have suffered in this war no one doubts. Shunned by society, their families torn apart, their shattered lives are yet another tragedy in this sad affair.
The events of this past year have profoundly altered the course of human history. The decimated cities, the destruction of the environment, and the wanton waste of life stand as a testament to man's inhumanity. But could they have been prevented? The answer to this question is not an simple one. In hindsight, we look back to the outbreak of hostilities and have to wonder how we could have let events slip so far from our grasp. Though there had been a long, uneasy balance of power, and an equally long history of terrorist action, governments had always managed to avoid an all-out confrontation. But then a civilian aircraft was shot down killing 453 people and despite unanimous condemnation by the World Council, that action was defended as a legitimate security measure. And though cooler heads prevailed at the time, it remained a highly-charged, emotional issue, a time-bomb, just waiting for a spark to ignite.
Gradually, inevitably, events unfolded the way everyone knew they one day would. The continual arms buildup, the years of stockpiling, and the wide proliferation of advanced weaponry provided the essential ingredients for one hell of a war. Mixed with the fanaticism of nations, their leaders fanning the flames of hatred, it produced a reaction that could no longer be contained. And daily the world watched, witnesses to a disaster in progress ... as the news reports came in chronicling the latest developments in the arms race and the fierce battles raging in some faraway place. The whole world watched ... and listened ... and waited ... as it raced headlong into oblivion.
It took just three weeks and a day for the trial. The prosecution called no witnesses, but instead relied on a giant telescreen in the courtroom for satellite analysis of the damage. City after city flickered by ... lifeless, motionless ... like pictures from some lost civilization. The total devastation of some areas contrasted sharply with an almost peaceful look in others. Highly advanced proton and neutron technology had proven their killing efficiency, maximizing casualties while minimizing damage. In fact, it was difficult to tell exactly what had transpired. In some cities the buildings were all standing, the bridges and road arteries were intact, and you could still see vehicles on them, though nothing was moving. Twenty-four hours after the blast there were bodies everywhere ... on sidewalks, in the streets, sitting on park benches, in outdoor cafes, slumped behind the wheels of their cars. There were no trees, no birds, no plants, no life ... nothing. Only the concrete and asphalt shell of a city. Ten days later the bodies were all gone. There was still no movement, no signs of life. Audio-scans produced the occasional sound which on closer inspection proved to be nothing more than a door being blown by the wind. And always there was that wind. It seemed to be blowing constantly now, not especially strong, but relentless. Radiation remained at a level far above what had been predicted. Though the initial count had dropped as expected to near safe levels, after two weeks it rose again. Fallout from the older, more primitive hydrogen bombs, which smaller nations had been able to acquire when the superpowers deemed the technology obsolete, was being carried far and wide on the wind and in ocean currents. For those fortunate enough to live in regions unscathed by the nuclear attack their prospects were dubious, at best. There was talk of building huge domes encompassing entire towns and cities, but the costs and logistics were staggering, and there were growing fears that even these centers would soon have to be abandoned. It had been prudent to remain underground. Of course it was the corporate/political, military and wealthy classes who had the only access to the subterranean centers ... the so-called 'Safe Cities'. So the elite would survive to purge the past and plot the future. It could only be hoped that there would be enough good men and women among them to insure that nothing like this would ever happen again.
Good evening. Tonight in the news we have a special focus on the Outcasts. Today marked the departure of the exiles, just five short days after their stunning conviction by the World Council. Joined by members of their immediate families a total of 178 men, women and children are now a quarter of a million miles into their flight to Devil's Planet. They are aboard the Odyssey, one of a fleet of powerful launch vehicles from the Deep Space program, specially refitted and secured for this trip. The crewless craft is guided by an onboard computer in a highly secure compartment of titanium, and is in direct remote communication with Astrolab. The Odyssey is also carrying a small version of the Eye, which will be put into orbit over Devil's Planet to monitor the activities of the Outcasts and to provide further data on life Feasibility on other worlds. This was the scene earlier this morning, in a Special Report filed by our space correspondent:
"There is a feeling of electricity in the air, reminiscent of previous Deep Space launches, but with the added tension surrounding the Outcasts and their families. Many of their scientists here at Astrolab have worked closely with their foreign counterparts, some of whom are now members of the Outcasts, and most certainly have strong emotions about the turn of events. However, a wall of silence has been imposed here since the arrival of the prisoners, leaving virtually no room for any contact between former friends. Right now the launch site is cleared of all personnel. The Outcasts, who boarded the Odyssey over seven hours ago are anxiously awaiting the final countdown."
"I have just received word that the Chief Flight Engineer has completed the final tests of the guidance system, and the next voice you will hear will be that of the Launch Director": "T minus 10 seconds and counting ... 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0, Ignition ... We have liftoff."
Within moments the Odyssey had flown beyond the gravitational pull of home and was now streaking into the night sky. From a port window, the Outcasts watched as their tiny planet grew ever smaller. The chaos and ruin they were leaving behind were fast fading into memory, but like flashbacks from a recurring nightmare, the images of war would come back to haunt them again and again, no matter how far away they might be. But at this moment all they could see was a peaceful, blue planet. They watched as their world shrank, until it was one of a million blinking lights in the heavens. Soon it would be indistinguishable among the mass of stars. A wave of sadness swept the passengers as the realization finally set in that they could never go home again.
It took eleven months to complete their journey. The spacecraft had carried them across the solar system, and into the vast,
uncharted depths of space. They travelled over a 100 million miles, past planets, moons and asteroids,
and now at last they were in sight of their final destination.
the true story of Devil's Planet . . .
