No Mercy

This is a slight departure from my previous stories. I had seriously considered posting this under Sci-Fi, given that it takes place far in the future on a planet far from Earth. I decided to put it here anyway, since it deals with a cheating spouse and a husband who seeks to set things right.

As always, constructive comments are always appreciated and welcome...

And for those awaiting my next installment in the "Revenge in Advance" series, please know that something is on its way very soon.

Obviously, this is a work of fiction and not a docu-drama...

*****

It's really a shame that no matter how much our technology advances, humanity basically remains the same. Avarice, greed and lust have always been and always will be a part of human nature no matter how scientifically advanced we become as a species. I considered this as I thought about the events of the last two weeks - events which changed my marriage and my entire life.

Just two weeks ago, my wife, Charis, and I were on board the faster-than-light interstellar passenger liner Roddenberry as it entered our home system on its voyage from Earth to Pacifica. We had been together exclusively for seven years with five years as husband and wife, and decided to take a vacation from Earth, still struggling to rebound after the Great Nuclear War of 2510, a devastating conflict that lasted only 90 minutes but managed to kill over a billion people. The war had been over for 50 years, but the scars were still present.

Charis and I were part of the effort to stabilize and rebuild what was left of the information infrastructure, which included what people in the 21^st century called the Internet. We had been there for three years and decided it was time to take a break. So we headed home for what I thought would be a long vacation filled with sun, fun and of course, lots of wild, uninhibited sex with my beautiful wife, something that seemed to have dropped off considerably in the last couple years, due to the fact that our work had kept us separated for most of our time on Earth.

As I looked out the port in our small stateroom, Charis said she was going to the comm area to place a call to our families, letting them know we would be home soon. I nodded my head to acknowledge my agreement and kept looking out the small window, hoping to catch a glimpse of our home planet.

She returned a half-hour later, having made her calls and came up behind me, looking over my shoulder at the blackness outside.

"We're still too far out to see home, dear," she said. "Maybe in an hour or so, we'll spot it. Don't worry, we'll be home soon enough." I turned to look at her and wrapped my arms around her small waist.

"Yes, we will, and I can't wait to get you on the beach at Westmoreland," I said. Westmoreland was an area on the western coast of the only continent on Pacifica that was known for its beautiful scenery and sandy beaches. Of course, the beaches were all clothing-optional with areas set aside for open-air sexual activity.

Charis laughed and pushed me away.

"Dream on, buddy. Just because we're married doesn't mean I have to screw you on the beach," she said, smiling. "Maybe at the dance club, but not the beach. You know I hate to get sand in my pussy and the last time we did it on the beach I got sunburned and couldn't wear panties for a month."

"Maybe we need to use a more powerful sunscreen on that shaved pussy of yours," I said.

"You're such a naughty boy," Charis said.

We both turned back and looked out the window, hoping to be the first to spot our home world. Finally, we saw a tiny blue dot and knew we were getting close.

Pacifica, settled over 300 years ago after some 75 years of surveys, was considered to be one of the first successful human colonies outside the Solar System. Like Earth, Pacifica had its share of dangers in the form of poisonous plants, wild animals and carnivorous fish, but the powers-to-be decided the dangers were no worse than what humans had faced on Earth for millennia.

In fact, the benefits significantly outweighed the dangers. The ocean, which covered over 85 percent of the planet's surface, contained almost everything a human colony would need in the way of food, and desalinization units easily converted the salty water into something fit for human consumption. Better yet, the edible delights that came out of the sea proved to be quite beneficial for the humans who call the planet home. The same applied to the edible plants and fruits that were quite abundant.

As a result, colonists found they lived much longer and healthier lives than they would have on Earth. Researchers suggested that a person born on Pacifica could, in theory, live to be 150 years old if their entire diet consisted of local food. It also helped that the environment was free of the chemical and radioactive waste that polluted and suffocated Earth.

Being healthier and more active meant that native Pacificans tended to be more sexually active than their Terran counterparts - and for a considerably longer period of time. While Terran women were encountering menopause, native Pacifican women were just hitting their sexual peak and Pacifican men were still fathering children well into their 70s.

The founders also wanted to avoid the mistakes that led to Earth's ultimate downfall. By the time the colony was officially established, the crime rate on Earth had hit an all-time high. Gangs of armed thugs roamed the streets of the planet's cities taking whatever they wanted - food, money, possessions, women, you name it - with little or no repercussions. Illicit drugs were sold over the counter to anyone with a few pennies to rub together regardless of age and the planet's sense of morality was all but gone.

As a result, over 95 percent of marriages in the so-called "civilized" nations of Earth ended in divorce, with adultery being the cause for more than 80 percent of them.

So the founders, perhaps imbued with a false sense of righteous indignation, set up a tough system of justice that was swift and at times brutal and to some, unfair. Adultery, for example, was made a felony with harsh penalties. But as imperfect as it was, the system seemed to work and the crime rate on Pacifica was quite low, less than 10 percent that of Earth.

So while Earth continued its plunge into chaos, crime and endless war, Pacifica flourished.

Then the last Great Nuclear War happened, plunging much of the planet into something that resembled the Stone Age. Almost all of the great cities of Earth were completely demolished and all of the planet's electrical grids were smashed, rendered inoperable by EMP. Many of the remaining occupants of the planet lived in squalor, killing each other for a gallon of fuel or a stalk of green celery.

It took thirty years for the radiation levels to drop enough for off-world teams to begin the job of rebuilding the planet's infrastructure. And for the last three years, Charis and I were part of that effort. It was hard, to say the least. The hours were long and the work could be backbreaking. Food and medicine had to be imported and security for the teams was tight. Native Terrans had forgotten what it meant to be civilized and would literally kill for a tiny piece of bread or fish.

After three years of that, Charis and I decided we had to come home just to keep our sanity and reconnect.

Finally, the Roddenberry, named after a man who created an ancient but still popular science fiction program, docked at Pacifica Station, an orbital platform that served as a port of entry for the planet. The intercom came to life announcing our arrival along with instructions for disembarking.

"Finally, home at last," I said, looking at Charis. She seemed lost in thought and didn't say anything for a few seconds.

"Yeah. Finally," she said quietly.

"Are you okay?" I asked, concerned.

"I'm fine," she said in a neutral tone of voice. I didn't quite believe her, though. I would have thought she'd be happy to be home. Something was on her mind but I was unable to figure it out and she apparently didn't feel like talking.

We left the ship, grabbed our bags and headed for the shuttle that would take us to the planet below. After going through customs and the mandatory medical screening we walked into the main terminal and headed for the exit. My wife said nothing to me the whole time and barely acknowledged my presence.

She suddenly stopped and turned to face me. She didn't look happy at all.

"I'm sorry, Jere," she said.

"What? What are you sorry for, Charis? I don't understand."

I saw her divert her eyes and sensed the presence of two other men next to me. I looked and saw they were Pacifica Security Police officers. What was this all about?

"Jere Kondrake?" one of them asked.

"Yes," I answered. "What can I do for you?"

"You're under arrest, sir," the officer said. "Please drop your luggage and place your hands behind your back."

"What am I being arrested for?" I asked. "I've done nothing wrong."

"Adultery," the other officer said. "To be precise, multiple counts of first-degree serial adultery."

I looked at my wife who was watching the whole thing.

"Charis, what is this?" I asked. "I've never cheated on you, ever. You know that. Why are you doing this to me?" She took a deep breath before answering.

"Like I said, Jere, I'm sorry," she said, refusing to look me in the face.

"Can you at least call my attorney?" I asked. "These charges are false."

"I've already called your father. He's contacting an attorney. I think it would be best if we said goodbye here," she said before turning around and walking away.

My mind was in turmoil. What the hell was going on, I wondered. I've never even thought about cheating on Charis, even before we became exclusive. I loved her more than anything and was looking forward to spending my life with her.

The officers read me my rights and escorted me out of the terminal. I felt ashamed, as the eyes of everyone in the terminal were on me. Someone being led off in restraints by police was a rare sight on Pacifica.

I was placed in the back of the police cruiser and taken to jail where I was processed and deposited in a clean but tiny eight-foot by eight-foot square room with a single bar light, a bunk and an infoscreen built into the wall.

An hour later, I was taken from my cell and placed in a reception room where my father was waiting for me.

"What the hell is wrong with you, boy?" he asked. "Why would you even think about cheating on Charis?"

"Dad, I swear to you, I've never, ever cheated on her. I've never even thought of it. And I resent you immediately taking her side without even talking to me," I said.

My dad knew that I would never lie to him, not after that one time when I just a child. He could always tell when I had screwed up just by looking at my face. Maybe that's what made him back down, or maybe it was my tone of voice.

"Okay," he said. "I just needed to see your response for myself. I believe you. I couldn't believe it when Charis told me so I had to confront you to your face. I hope you understand and I'm sorry."

"I understand," I said. "I don't know why she would accuse me of this. She's never said anything and she never gave me any indication that something is wrong."

"I don't understand it either. Something about this just doesn't add up. Anyway, I've retained an attorney. He's the best there is and he should be here any time. I haven't said anything to your mom yet. I wanted to get your response first," he said.

"Thanks, Dad, I appreciate that."

About that time, a tall, well-built man entered the reception room and walked up to my dad.

"Kor Kondrake, good to see you again," he said.

"Yes, it's been too long," my father said in response.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to speak with your son privately first. The prosecutor will also want to interview him. Once I know what we're facing, I'll be in touch, okay?"

My father agreed, shook his hand and started out.

"Don't worry, son," he said before he left. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

The lawyer sat down across from me and introduced himself as he opened his case.

"Michal Dax," he said, offering his hand. I did my best to return the shake but it was difficult with the shackles.

"Before we get started, Jere, I'd like to do a quick polygraph if you don't mind. This isn't anything admissible in court, but it will give me an indication of your guilt or innocence. I'm not presuming anything, but I do want to know whether or not I'm representing a guilty man. Please take no offense, this is just for my own peace of mind," he said, pulling out a small box with wires attached to it.

"No offense taken, Mr. Dax," I said. "What do I have to do?"

"You can start by calling me Michal, please," he said. "Let's put these on your fingers, and once that's done, I'll ask you a few questions."

After placing the probes on my fingers, he turned on his tablet, connected the box and turned it on.

"Are you ready," he asked. I nodded to indicate I was ready.

"Just a few questions to set a baseline, okay?" he asked. "Is your name Jere Kondrake?"

"Yes."

"Are you married to Charis Kondrake?"

"Yes."

"Have you been on Earth for the last three years?"

"Yes."

"At any time since becoming exclusive with Charis, have you ever had sexual relations with anyone else?"

"No."

"This time, I want you to lie so I can compare the reaction, okay?" he asked.

"Okay."

"Are you a native Terran?"

"Yes," I said, lying on purpose.

"Okay, that's all I need," he said. "From this short test, I believe you may very well be innocent. Thank you for being so truthful."

"You're welcome," I said. He disconnected the box and the wires and put them back into his briefcase. He closed his briefcase and looked at me, somewhat sad.

"I don't need to tell you that you're facing serious charges," he said. "I haven't seen the charging documents yet, but I expect they'll be ready any time now. The prosecutor will want to speak with you, of course. This is very important. Under no circumstances are you to speak with him or anyone else without me there. At no time are you to speak to the media. If they approach you, direct them to me. If you have any issues in here, you contact me immediately, got it?"

"Got it," I said.

"Tell me, did your wife ever indicate there was a problem?" he asked.

"No, she never did. I don't know where this comes from. I haven't done anything wrong," I said. I felt so lost. Why would she do this to me, I wondered.

"I know you're scared right now. You're hurt, scared, confused. You're probably wondering why your wife would do this. I get it. But I need for you to be strong, okay? We'll get through this, together. Are you with me?"

"Yeah, but it's not easy," I said. He patted my arm.

"It'll be okay, son. I'll be here with you," he said. "Now, let's see what the prosecutor has to say."

A couple minutes later, two guards came into the room and escorted us into a smaller interrogation room. A man I presumed was the prosecuting attorney was already there with a stack of documents. He glanced up as we were escorted in. The guard shackled me to a chair, then left, closing the door. Michal sat down next to me.

"So, Michal, I see you're defending cheating adulterers now," he said sarcastically.

"My client hasn't been found guilty of anything, Don," he said. "He hasn't even even had a trial yet. He's presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, or did you forget that part of our judicial system?"

"Normally, you'd be right," Don said. "Except this is a capital adultery case. And the plaintiff has requested it be fast-tracked."

Michal looked shocked.

"Aren't we jumping the gun here a bit?" he asked. "There hasn't even been any discovery. My client has a right to examine the evidence and so far there's been nothing."

"The plaintiff, one Charis Kondrake, says your client has had at least 100 sexual encounters with as many as four women. She also says your client passed on a horrific sexually-transmitted disease requiring extensive medical treatment and she says your client is the father of at least one illegitimate child," Don said.

"That's a pack of goddamn lies," I said, nearly screaming. "She's lying her ass off. I've never, ever had sex with anyone but her since the day we became exclusive."

Don tossed a folder on the table and Michal picked it up. He opened it and took out three photos, placing them on the table before me. There were also several other documents in the folder that looked like affidavits.

"These photos are fake," I said. "They're obvious forgeries. Where did you get them?"

"Your wife provided them to me," Don said. "She also has video." Michal held up his hand to keep me from saying anything else.

"Don, I'd like to discuss all this with my client for a few minutes before we proceed, if that's okay with you," he said.

"I think that would be very wise given what your client is facing," Don said, pulling out another folder and handing it to Michal. "Here's your copy of the charging documents, the request for fast-track and the plaintiff's disposal request. I'll gather my things here and step outside so you can confer with your client. Let me know when you're finished."

After Don left, Michal reviewed all of the documents and looked at the video, which was, at best, horrible and amateurish.

"I'm confused, Michal, what's this about fast-track and disposal requests? What's going on?" I asked. He held up his hand as he pulled his communicator out of his jacket.

"Hang on a second, okay?" he asked, hitting a button on his phone. "Jans, hi, this is Michal. Listen, I have a rush job that needs to get done right now. I need you to contact the Earth Rehabilitation Project office and get me all documents, work requests and dispatch records for both Jere and Charis Kondrake. I need to know every step they've taken on Earth for the last three years. Got it? Good. This is an emergency, so I need that information collated and on my desk ASAP. We'll also need the best audio-visual people available immediately. Thanks."

After closing the communicator, Michal turned to me.

"This is worse than I thought. You've been charged with multiple counts of first-degree serial adultery, which under certain circumstances can carry the death penalty. Your wife has requested it be fast-tracked, which means we have one week to prove your innocence beyond a doubt. Normally, our system says a person is innocent until proven guilty, but there are times when the evidence makes it an open-and-shut case, like if someone is caught in the act of murder. In those cases, the court has said the perpetrator is basically guilty and to save time and money is presumed guilty.

"The disposal is a courtesy extended to the victim of the crime. In cases like this, the victim is given a choice as to how the guilty party is to be, well, disposed of. It seems your wife has a rather vicious streak because she requested that you be executed by mukla after being publicly castrated. Worse yet, the prosecutor's office has approved it."

At that moment I felt like my insides were going to be turned inside out and I fought a strong desire to pass out. Mukla fish were vicious creatures, somewhat analogous to piranha on Earth, but far deadlier. They had rows of razor-sharp teeth set in jaws strong enough to crush a man's bone. It was said that a school of 10 mukla could completely consume a strong adult male in a matter of minutes. Fortunately, they were fairly rare, but if any of them ever got into a body of water, like a lake, it was only a matter of time before every other living creature in the water was consumed.