Damn it!
He'd been sold out by his own mistress!
Yang Ming left the glass chamber with a dark expression. His hands were shackled, and he headed for the hatch without looking back.
"Hanton!"
Dr. Lina hurried after him, but the guards blocked her way.
Yang Ming turned to meet the gaze of the doctor.
"Take care," Lina said, sounding emotional. "I'll find a way to help you as soon as I can."
"Thanks." Yang Ming felt a warm glow inside, then shot Mistress Number One a glare.
The sultry Intern Navigator merely shrugged and spread her hands. She didn't feel the slightest bit guilty.
They'd only been shipmates. Once the ship had blown up, their intimate relationship had naturally ended, too.
Next, the Humanity Association dispatched more than a dozen teams to investigate and collect evidence in the Glass Room. The operation was highly efficient.
Yang Ming, meanwhile, was taken to a separate interrogation room and given two thorough examinations. Luckily, his identity as a Modified human wasn't exposed.
He began a long silence.
If he were Hanton, what would be the best way to act right now?
It was simple: stay absolutely loyal to the Sherman Empire and wait for the Empire to rescue him.
So, when the Humanity Association's investigation team questioned him, Yang Ming stayed silent;
a day later, when Humanity Association officials questioned him, Yang Ming stayed silent;
and two days after that, when the Interstellar Court's interrogator questioned him, Yang Ming had planned to stay silent—but he realized... if he kept it up, he might really be thrown into an interstellar prison!
He decided to say something.
Interstellar Courtroom No. 3 stood in the center of Kor Port.
At the heart of Kor Port was a massive, abandoned Transport Ship. Using it as a foundation, its alloy framework had continued to "grow" in every direction, taking in more abandoned ships and incorporating fortress sections that had been dismantled. In time, it had become an interstellar transit hub capable of housing a million people.
An M-type Dwarf Star supplied Kor Port with a steady stream of energy. The New Federation had also contributed advanced technology, making simulated Gravity Fields ubiquitous throughout the port.
Of course, most of the residents here were transient.
People preferred to settle down and retire on solid planets.
Courtroom No. 3, open to the public, was something of a Kor Port tourist hotspot.
The courtroom's exterior resembled a sea bowl, like the colosseums Yang Ming remembered. A dozen or so rows of seats ringed the space, sparsely occupied by figures from different star systems and of different species.
At the center of the courtroom, three judges—or, more precisely, public hearing officers—sat on Anti-Gravity Stone Chairs suspended in midair, watching Yang Ming slowly rise on a Flying Disc.
"Captain Hanton."
The presiding officer was an older woman with short, light-brown hair and a sharp gaze. Her unusually long neck and limbs gave her an elegant yet uncanny appearance.
The Female Interrogator asked, "You intend to continue remaining silent today, correct?"
Yang Ming gave no response.
He was savoring the generous meals he'd had over the past week and the soft mattress that had required no effort to sleep on.
The Humanity Association really did care about protecting human rights.
The Female Interrogator nodded, looking over the text projected before her, and spoke slowly:
"You were an outstanding officer of the Sherman Empire. But, Captain, the imperial elites rescued alongside you haven't shown much concern for the Empire's honor. They've already given ample testimony to prove your guilt."
Yang Ming's heart skipped a beat.
Had they found out he was a Modified human?
He'd knocked out the researchers involved in Hanton's modification experiment, and they'd all died in the Research Ship explosion... But did the other researchers know about the experiment that had been conducted on short notice?
Yang Ming paused for a moment.
The Female Interrogator fixed him with a gaze that carried considerable authority.
"I'd like to know what they said," Yang Ming asked calmly.
The Female Interrogator listed a string of terms: "Professor Gigrov, the War God Program, human modification experiments, gene fusion, monster, Valkyrie... You don't need to add anything further, but we'd still like to hear your account. You were one of the perpetrators, too."
"I was only a Third Mate," Yang Ming said with a helpless expression. "I was responsible for maintaining the firefighting system and handling some emergency repairs."
The Female Interrogator asked, "Did you participate directly in the War God Program?"
"No," Yang Ming replied. "I wasn't one of the people carrying out the program. Whenever I wandered into the experimental area by mistake, the people in white coats would chase me out. A Third Mate's position is pretty pitiful, as a rule."
Out of the corner of his eye, Yang Ming spotted several middle-aged men in imperial military uniforms in the audience.
Had his saviors arrived?
The Female Interrogator continued, "The disaster that destroyed the Research Ship was caused by the Valkyrie's riot, correct?"
"Yes."
"According to the testimony of several bridge crew members, you were standing at the central control console and said a few things. You said the Valkyrie needed to suffer penetrating injuries so she wouldn't be able to move. Is that right?"
"Yes."
Yang Ming added, "I just thought that would be safer."
He was gambling that no one who'd survived knew about the fight in the Tail Compartment.
"Furthermore..." The Female Interrogator looked away from the documents before her and fixed her eyes on Yang Ming.
Yang Ming's heart climbed into his throat.
The Female Interrogator said, "The Intern Navigator—your sexual partner aboard the Research Ship—confessed to us that you were extremely anxious before the Valkyrie began her uprising, and that you told her to find an escape pod. Is that right?"
Yang Ming's mouth twitched.
That ungrateful bitch. She'd better not fall into his hands again!
"Yes. Based on various signs, I concluded that the Valkyrie might already be out of control."
Yang Ming looked utterly sincere:
"The signs are complicated to explain, and the conclusion was mostly thanks to the biological sixth sense—intuition.
"Some of my information came from researchers in abnormal mental states. I'm a mature, physically strong man, and I've had more than one temporary partner."
"Oh?"
The Female Interrogator pushed up her glasses and studied Yang Ming's well-built, proportionate physique beneath his uniform.
The Female Interrogator asked, "After you concluded that the Valkyrie might be out of control, what did you do?"
"I didn't have time to do anything before the riot broke out."
Yang Ming thought for a moment, then spoke slowly:
"I know you may already think of me as an evil executioner, but I want to say that I was only a junior officer following my superior's orders.
"I'm standing here now because the disaster took the lives of my superiors. The Captain, First Mate, and Second Mate all died, so I had to step up as the Firefighter Third Mate—not because I committed some kind of crime."
"That's right, Captain Hanton," the Female Interrogator said with a nod. "We need to hold someone accountable for the crimes aboard that Research Ship. There must be a specific person responsible."
Yang Ming frowned. "Are you saying that no matter what I say, I'm going to prison?"
"Objective facts cannot be changed by your subjective arguments."
The Female Interrogator continued:
"If you're willing to plead guilty in court and take part in the upcoming press conference, truthfully explain to reporters everything that happened aboard the Research Ship, and promote racial equality and justice, then I'll give you the lightest sentence permitted under interstellar law and ensure you're settled somewhere safe.
"If you choose to defend that laughable imperial honor, you could face up to twenty-two years in prison."
Yang Ming was about to speak.
The Female Interrogator cut in. "There's no need to rush, Hanton. Under our regulations, the interrogation period lasts two months. You'll be sent to a prison in Kor Port, where you can wait for a month. The next hearing will be held a month from now."
"You're a citizen of the New Federation, aren't you, interrogator?" Yang Ming suddenly asked.
The Female Interrogator paused, then smiled. "Yes. I just work here."
Yang Ming pursed his lips and said calmly, "I can feel your hostility toward the Sherman Empire in your words. You're practically telling me to betray my country."
The Female Interrogator replied, "I don't bring personal feelings into my work. You're questioning my professional integrity."
Yang Ming smiled. "Hypocritical Federation."
"Very well. The next hearing will be held in two months. You'll have two months to experience prison."
Yang Ming calmly raised both fists, knuckles facing himself, and extended his middle fingers.
He hadn't expected this greeting, which originated on Earth, to be understood across galactic civilization, too.
The Female Interrogator's face turned green with rage.
On the way to prison, Yang Ming heard some news that was half good and half bad.
All the "refugees" brought back by the Humanity Association had been released, except for him.
In other words, the white-coated researchers who'd taken part in the experiment were getting off scot-free, while he, the Third Mate responsible for repairing the firefighting pipes, had become the scapegoat.
Sure enough, the hypocritical Federation and the evil Empire went hand in hand. The two biggest powers in the galaxy were both scoundrels!
This also suggested that the Empire didn't know Hanton had been modified.
But had Professor Gigrov's Research Ship left behind any data? Or some kind of "cloud data" backup? Would Dr. Lina betray him?
As far as Yang Ming was concerned, these were all unpredictable risks.
The transport vehicle was fully enclosed, so Yang Ming had no chance to admire Kor Port's distinctive metal architecture.
He carefully studied the layout inside the vehicle. He was confident he could knock out the four Escorts around him before they could react, then kick open the door and walk away.
But what then?
Did he have a map of the city?
Was there a way to leave this port city?
How strong was its defense system?
No matter how strong this body was, could it withstand a ship's cannons?
Impossible. Even the incomplete Valkyrie couldn't withstand the particle cannon fire of an Old Mech. Forget ship cannons—even being targeted by a Guard Cannon would mean certain death.
Not to mention that the Ancient God Lifeform that had provided the Valkyrie's modified genes had also died beneath the guns of the Empire's powerful fleet.
This was an age of starships and cannons, a galactic Age of Sail.
His individual combat abilities were only an advantage in confined spaces. Of course, if he could get inside a starship, things would be different.
Yang Ming focused on planning his next move, paying little attention to his surroundings.
He climbed out of the transport vehicle in his shackles and calmly walked through a shabby doorway that might have been an antique. A team of guards in black uniforms took over from the Escorts.
The Escort commander exchanged a few words in a low voice with the prison guards.
Yang Ming's ears twitched. He easily picked out several key phrases:
[evil imperial soldier], [special treatment], [the interrogator wants him to suffer a little so he'll cooperate with the upcoming proceedings].
Yang Ming smiled to himself, not taking any of it seriously.
A few minutes later, sure enough.
Several guards unlocked Yang Ming's shackles and shoved him into a crowded shared cell.
Seven or eight muscular men who'd been lifting weights turned to look. When they saw Yang Ming's handsome face, their expressions changed in a subtle way.
"Give him a proper welcome!"
The guards whistled from outside the cell, then quickly left the "crime scene."
Yang Ming ignored the useless meatheads and walked over to a corner by himself.
Nothing mattered more to him right now than planning for the future.
"Hey, brother," several muscular men slowly closed in. "New arrivals need a thorough physical. Take all your clothes off."
Yang Ming slowly raised his head.
"You sure?"
Before you continue