Chapter 50. Mission assigned: Go to investigate area 859J
"We have to take the risk," Isaac replied. He nodded to Harry. "Thank you for the explanation," he then said to everyone again. "Cindy once tried to destroy us. We cannot let them succeed. Therefore, we will send a ship to Triangle 859J to recon the situation. This mission will be undertaken by the USS Republic. That is why you are here today, Captain Noah .”
He struggled to control his expression at the person being addressed. Noah was totally taken by surprise. He didn't expect this. While he had expected to get some information about a future mission, he had not expected that Cindy would be involved. If he had known the news earlier, he might have made some preparations. Now he was a little confused. "I thought we would continue to deal with the Demon Flame thing," he said simply, because he couldn't think of a better excuse at the moment. Although he really didn't want to be captured by the demonic flames again, and the memory of his captivity in the mine was still very deep, his curiosity about this race was aroused. This curiosity outweighed his worries. And this time, they'll know what they're dealing with. They would not face this race as unprepared as they had the first time.
"We haven't heard from the Demon Flame since you escaped. They don't seem to be very interested in us," Isaac quickly dismissed the topic.
"But..." Noah wanted to speak, but was immediately interrupted.
"By the way, our diplomatic service is dealing with the mess you left in the Kingdom of Kabulan," the Admiral added unnecessarily. His tone seemed to convey blame for Noah and the events. But he didn't say it directly. "You will handle Cindy." It was a direct order and there was nothing else to say.
Therefore, Noah just nodded and asked after a brief eye contact with Carol, "Is there any other more detailed information about this mission?" Those vague accusations made him feel uneasy, so his tone It's not entirely neutral either.
"Fly to Triangle 859J and figure out what's going on there. That's the brief part of the mission," Isaac explained briefly.
Too presumptuous, Noah thought, but he just said, "To me, what I just said sounds like this mission is very urgent. However, the Republic will not be able to set off again for two weeks."
"Repairs have been expedited and will be completed by the end of this week. You will set sail in a week," the Admiral replied.
The captain almost lost his composure. He was not notified of any changes to the maintenance schedule. A week? This can become a problem. The crew is not only scattered across the Earth, but also on other planets. His science officer Jeffrey is even on Mars.
"With all due respect, sir," he began. "First, we should conduct a thorough test of the ship. Second, most of the crew are on Earth for a year and have fixed matters that cannot be easily solved. For example, they cannot abandon their residences overnight. The original schedule completely different."
"Don't worry, if something goes wrong, Starfleet will take care of everything else while you're gone," which seemed like a perfectly normal thing for the Admiral to do. Isaac really didn't see anything wrong.
"I do not think so..."
"If there are no more questions, I declare the meeting closed," Isaac interrupted loudly. Before anyone could answer, he stood up and left the room with most of the admirals.
Noah and Carol looked at each other. Carol shrugged. It's one thing to deal with a bunch of wild Klingons, but dealing with superior officers is an entirely different challenge.
Noah sighed and stood up. They must convey this information to the crew as quickly as possible to give them as much time as possible to prepare. Every hour counts now.
As they reached the door, they bumped into Admiral Jim. He looked at them almost sympathetically. "I know how you feel now, Captain. I made decisions like this when I was in command. I always hated them. And I didn't always follow them," he said with a sly smile on his face. "But it should be the right decision."
"Thank you," Noah nodded politely. He didn't want to get too close to the living legend, although he couldn't imagine Jim knowing how he was feeling. "Are you going to the next meeting now too?"
"Luckily, not for now. I'm going to go out and relax," he said with a smile.
"Hope you enjoy your time."
"Thank you." Jim held out his hand. "Good luck, Captain Noah," he said and left the room.
"I'll lend you a good word," Noah muttered, turning to Carol. "Especially when I have to explain to Daisy why we set sail early."
"Why so hasty?!" Alva Daisy said angrily, repeating this sentence for the fifth time. "It's totally impossible. You have to tell them it's not going to work. Absolutely not." She walked around Noah's office excitedly. The captain summoned her immediately after the meeting with her superiors to inform her. Just as he expected, she was furious almost as soon as he finished speaking.
"I told you so," Noah assured her calmly.
"Then what?"
"They don't want to listen. This mission is too important." Noah replied.
"But it won't work..." She started to freak out again.
Noah held up a comforting hand. While he understood her excitement, it wasn't helpful. "Daisy, if there are really time-related experiments being carried out in this area, we should learn about the situation as soon as possible. Otherwise it may be too late."
"But why us? There are other ships," she told him.
"There are no other ships nearby,"
"Where's the Enterprise?"
Noah sneered. "The Enterprise has been around for 20 years," he replied. "You should know best. You were there for a week learning about engineering. And it was a training ship, full of cadets."
Daisy looked at him angrily. "But at least they have time. For one exploration, the trainees are more than enough."
"The decision has been made. We will sail within a week. You should move into your accommodation on the ship immediately, before everyone else does. Then you will have time to finish the ship."
Daisy looked at him angrily, he could tell. But it didn't work. They received instructions. Noah hoped she would follow his advice. But he would also give orders if necessary, be it a friend or whatever.
However, she seemed to be calming down. "I'll do it right away," she muttered. "But we still can't do it. It's impossible," she said and left the office.
Noah stared at the closed door for a moment, then began to compile the crew list. While the crew has largely been decided, there are a few candidates that he has yet to make a decision on.
Just as he was thinking about the last batch of crew members, staff from the headquarters began to contact the crew members and inform them of the advance start time of the mission. Everything must go according to plan. After all, more than four hundred people needed to completely change their plans. Not only do personal matters need to be sorted out, but people must be found to take their place in work and projects. And all of this has to go as smoothly as possible. The people in charge of Starfleet are doing their best to make this happen. Although the captain was initially skeptical, he now believes they can do it.
With a hasty pace, Carol walked through the courtyard of Starfleet Academy. There are only a few students here. Most students are taking classes now. Inside the building, it was so quiet that you could hear her footsteps echoing. She had an appointment to see Dr. Celia and she couldn't be late. Since she didn't know what time it was, she decided to move faster.
Dr. Celia had planned to use the year to become a lecturer at the college. This has always been her dream. She enjoys imparting her knowledge and seeing others learn. She especially likes that brief moment when students understand what they are learning. It’s a brief moment of realization and their eyes light up. At that moment, it seemed they understood the key to the universe.
Carol soon found the reading room Celia had agreed to read. She reached for the doorknob but hesitated. A voice came from the other side of the door. Is this the wrong room? She listened quietly for a moment, then was sure she heard Celia's voice. Then she can go in.
As she opened the door and walked in, she paused. The reading room was full of people. On the bench, the students listened intently to Celia's speech. Some turned to look at Carol, but most didn't seem to notice her arrival.
Maybe it would be best to back off, Carol thought, but then Celia motioned to her to stay. So she went completely inside, closed the door, and stood against the wall. She listened to Celia's words.
"No matter how different we see on the outside, all living things are actually similar on the inside. Having organs for pumping blood, converting oxygen or nitrogen, or being able to think, these characteristics are almost universal, although in each Biological manifestations are different. This is true in every aspect." Some students laughed, others didn't seem to get the joke. "Ultimately, no matter what you're dealing with, as a doctor you have a responsibility to help every sick creature. That's something you should always keep in mind. Thank you."
The students were full of vitality in the previous tranquility. They packed their belongings, packed their bags, and pulled out chairs. Some discussions and conversations also started. So, one by one, they left the room.
Carol walked over from her position against the wall. She nodded to several students. Slowly walked towards Celia, who was also sorting out her utensils and packing them into her bag carefully. "Hello, Commander," she smiled and pushed a strand of golden hair behind her ear.
"Hello, Doctor. It seems you are an excellent lecturer." She motioned to the packed seats. "Everyone was focused and focused. At least that's the impression I got."
"The commander standing at the door must be helpful." Celia smiled. “But really, just packaging the knowledge in a fun way helps.”
"It seems like you're doing a great job. But we don't want to lose you and keep you teaching at the academy."
"No, that's not going to happen. Not yet. I'd like to see the vast diversity of the universe first. But I do plan to become a lecturer permanently one day."
"I understand." She waited quietly until Celia had sorted out all the papers. "What do you want to talk to me about?" she finally said.
"Yes, that's right." Celia took a deep breath. Then she pointed to the first row, where the students were sitting just now. "Please take a seat."
Carol frowned, but did as she was told. Celia sat next to her. "Where do I begin?"
"What are you worried about?" Carol interrupted her in advance. This is more of a confirmation than just a question.
"That's right." The doctor nodded. "As you know, I also have Nilfer and Tiny among my students this year."
"Yes." Carol replied slowly. She feared she knew what Celia was going to say next.
"While medicine is only a small part of their training, I have also spoken to colleagues. Although their first exam is not until a few days later, I can venture to make some predictions now. For Nilf, I don't think there will be a problem. His Martian side is very strong and his thinking is very organized. He'll get top marks." She paused, then continued, "But for Tiny, that's not the case. So optimistic. It's not that she is a bad student. She works hard and is responsible. It's just that she has problems with theory."
Carol smiled. "She really takes after her father."
Celia looked at her quizzically.
"Captain Noah is also more practical. I have discovered this on the Republic. And in the seminars over the past few months, this has also been confirmed. Theory is not his strong point."
"Well, same goes for Tiny. Not sure if she'll pass."
"Are you serious?" Carol was surprised. "Is it that serious?"
"It depends on the relative situation. Due to the shortened training time, the conditions are of course more stringent. She has to learn the same content as all other trainees in one third of the time. In addition, due to time constraints, she already has practical experience It was completely canceled. That was a disadvantage for Tiny."
Carol just nodded. She fully understood that Starfleet would not make special arrangements for exams. Discounting trainee training time must not be allowed to become the rule. After all, this training was intended not only to teach young people about alien races and technology, but also to prepare them for the unknown and to internalize Starfleet's moral and ethical concepts. This also involves team cohesion and the ability to work together. The training center attaches great importance to psychological training, and students must learn to stay calm in unknown situations and make improvisations. Panic must not be allowed to occur. In space missions, there is not a single rule book that applies to every situation.
"If she fails the exam, it will be a bad result, but in this case, the commander also needs to state the case again and make recommendations. Since Captain Noah is related to Tini and cannot participate in the decision, it will be up to your The decision determines Tiny’s future.”
Carol said seriously. "But I understand what you mean. Message received." She stood up and walked to the window. The courtyard can be seen from here. She had been running down there before. The square is a little lively now. Not only was Celia's lecture over, but now some students were gathering outside. They stood together and talked. Some groups seemed to be discussing the course content in earnest. Others were apparently talking about personal matters, for there was occasional laughter. Just a few weeks ago, this was happening in the hallway. But no one stays indoors in this weather. The first warm spring sun must be enjoyed.
Carol is conflicted. In fact, she is also biased. She knew Tiny and liked her. How could she go back on her word and testify against her in an emergency? But on the other hand, she's a leader. These things are within her scope of responsibility. She must be able to separate the professional and the personal. In principle, there is nothing negative to say about Tiny. If Carol needs to testify against the head of the college again, it will only work in Tiny's favor. The question really is, how far will she go to help Tiny? Even if the young Indian girl failed the exam simply because of lack of practical training, this was bad enough in Carol's mind. Of course, theory and practice are often different, but she believes every officer should be proficient in theory. Only in this way can you remain calm in a crisis and consider all options.
But she doesn't need to make a decision just yet. If that happens, she'll probably go with her gut. And who knows if that will actually happen.
"I'm just informing you in advance. Just in case." Celia said in a gentle voice, as if she could guess Carol's thoughts.
"Thank you." Carol nodded, then looked at the doctor again. "Now that I'm here, I can tell you something else too. We just had a meeting with the admirals. We have now received the mission plan. This is a very important exploration mission. The launch date is set for a week from now .”
"A week from now?" Celia repeated in disbelief. "is this real?"
"Yes, it's confirmed."
"But that won't do. I still have to teach some classes. Starfleet assigned me to do that at the beginning of the semester."
"This mission seems urgent," Carol shrugged.
"But it's not good for the students. If I leave and suddenly a new professor comes, especially in such a short time before the exam," Celia said.
Carol nodded slightly. She realized this was no lucky situation. Celia must be right, the exam is in five days. But their mission may be more important. “This is not an ideal solution,” she ultimately said. "However, it is no exaggeration to say that our mission may involve the fate of the entire universe."
Celia looked at her with wide eyes. "We usually say we want to save the world. Now it's the entire universe?" There was obvious sarcasm in her tone.
"Well, doctor, it is indeed possible."
...
