Chapter 78. Ingmar falls in love
Postin took a deep breath. Damn it, why did he have to be the bearer of this news? Now probably everyone will think of this day when they see him, and now he has the added hassle and stress of convening a special Senate session. He followed Olet with slumped shoulders.
Ingmar sat happily in his chair, feeling so filled with happiness that he almost lost his mind. He and Shu Ran were sitting at the bar. She invited him to meet tonight, and the decision was apparently made at the last minute. Clearly, she wanted to have fun tonight and knew that would be the case with him. Just like every time we met before.
And indeed it is. They talked and laughed, even if it seemed a little too cheeky to others, but they didn't care. They were breaking the oppressive atmosphere that had settled on the ship since the discovery of the destroyed planet. But they don't care.
Ingmar was just grateful to have spent time with her. When they were joking around, he almost forgot that she only considered him a friend.
Just like before, she spoke and made various gestures with her hands and head. He laughed like crazy every time he saw her telling stories like this. During these movements she occasionally touched him, and each time she pleased him. If he had a choice, he wanted her to touch him forever.
Shu Ran even briefly touched the back of his hand when she praised him again for saving the captain. It felt so good that goosebumps broke out on his skin.
Ingmar stared into her eyes. He wasn't sure if she was up to something or what was going on. He simply couldn't think clearly on his own. Her continued touch made him dizzy. His inner voice told him that these encounters could not be a coincidence. But he wasn't sure if he was just being fancy. The worst part is that he can no longer believe in himself. Under normal circumstances, he would take these gestures as clear invitations and move to the next step without hesitation. But he knew where she stood, so his interpretation of her gesture must have been wrong. He didn't want to make the same mistake again and wanted more than he actually had.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you so quiet?" She noticed his state and looked at him provocatively. He thought he saw a distinct fire in her eyes.
What should he say? He's crazy about her and can barely stand just sitting in front of her? He wanted to kiss her, touch and pamper her. He wanted her completely to himself. He felt like a thousand arrows were piercing his heart because she no longer wanted him. Should he tell her this? "I'm a little tired," he lied. "The last few days have been hard."
"Oh," she said softly, sounding disappointed. "Okay then, let's go."
"No, no, it's okay," he defended quickly. As bad as he felt, he knew he would feel even worse if he was left alone in his room again.
"But let us go," she insisted, rising immediately.
She wants to get rid of me, Ingmar thought, and a wave of disappointment hit him. But he didn't have more time to think about it. He stood up too and they left the bar together. As they walked through the hallway leading to the elevator, she walked so close to him that he could smell her perfume. Her scent was so wonderful that it made his thoughts even more confusing. He felt almost like he was stepping on clouds.
She seemed to be challenging or testing him because she was so close to him that she was almost touching him. Ingemar felt the spark between them almost palpable. Acting on instinct, and because he no longer had control of his body, he put an arm around her. She didn't respond, but she didn't show any dislike. So they continued walking together until they stood in front of Shu Ran's room door.
Ingmar let go of her and stood in front of her. "Thank you for the invitation."
"Would you like to come in and sit down? Have a cup of coffee or something?" she asked quickly, perhaps a little too eagerly.
Ingmar looked at her hesitantly. This is his chance. Or was she teasing him? He felt more uncertain about himself than at any time in his life. "I don't know," he said weakly.
"Oh, don't be so hesitant." She opened the door to her room and pulled him in. He followed her, then paused hesitantly in the room. "Isn't your roommate here?" he asked when he remembered that she lived in a double room.
"Not here," Shu Ran replied briefly.
Ingmar swallowed. He wishes someone was there because he can no longer be responsible for anything. "Okay, I'll have a cup of coffee," he said, turning to face her.
She was suddenly standing in front of him, and his heart was pounding. She stared into his eyes and he felt completely attracted to her. Before he could react, she leaned forward and kissed him. Her lips were soft and warm. After his first surprise, he returned the kiss. Cautiously at first, then more and more enthusiastic. Her tongue slid into his mouth eagerly. She suddenly became passionate and lively. He readily complied with her requests and responded to her passions. His hands slid gently along her neck. He could feel her trembling in the kiss. She wrapped her arms around him and rubbed them gently along his back.
After a long, seemingly endless kiss, she released him slightly just to open his shirt. He let his shirt fall to the floor, trembling under her gentle touch.
Soon they came to her bed. On the way to the bed, they gradually lost all their clothing and ended up kissing closely on the bed. Shu Ran lay on her back on the bed, and Ingmar approached her with desire. He caressed her legs tenderly, caressing her thighs gently. Shu Ran trembled under his caress.
He slowly entered her body gently and with a faint moan, while touching her sensitive little bud with his hand.
"I love you," he whispered to her.
Shu Ran held his head affectionately with her hands and pulled him close. Then, he sat up slightly and looked at her with a vague smile, while continuing to move slowly and emotionally.
The Senate chamber occupies almost the entire ground floor of the building. Only the entrance area and two conference rooms also complement the ground floor. The senators sat around a large round table with an image of a planet in the center. Around the circular room, columns supporting the ceiling are placed at two-meter intervals, creating a small corridor that people can walk around in the room. The ceiling itself is carefully painted to give the impression of being under a dome. With subtle lighting, it also looks as if sunlight is shining through the dome. However, this was not possible as there was another floor above.
All twenty-nine senators were present. No one wants to miss this special session. No one could sit still when Earth's orders were announced. As expected, local councilors were furious when they heard the news, and they launched into a loud protest. No one wants to accept such an order. While as a colony they are bound by Earth's laws, that doesn't mean they have to accept everything from their distant home planet. The discussion was heated and everyone was talking loudly.
Olert did not participate in the discussion. He had two hours to process the news. Although he is still angry at Earth's government, he has calmed down and started thinking rationally again. Staying calm is key so that solutions can be found. He fully understands the senators' anger. So he gave them a few minutes and then ordered them to restore order. Amid the enforced calm at the scene, continued anger could still be seen on everyone's faces.
“We cannot accept this decree, which we received only a few hours ago,” Olert shouted to loud applause. "We should respond to Earth, clarify our position, and show that we cannot abandon our relationship with alien traders."
"They will never agree. It's a waste of paper," interjected Ichiro Ono, a young senator who only entered the Senate in the last election and was born on Earth. He was not a popular figure. Neither his behavior nor his appearance were pleasing. His hair is cut short and he has a nose like an eagle's beak. He was a troublemaker, but he knew how to accurately reflect the mood of the people.
"If we ignore this message, we are openly defying the planet. We cannot risk such a conflict. We will fail," another senator countered. "Earth will send an army to force us to submit. Just like on Xuanwo."
The recollection of these events is anything but reassuring. More than a decade ago, the residents of Xuanwo, the oldest colony on Earth, refused to pay the newly imposed tax rate. These rates seemed arbitrary and threatened the livelihoods of many people in the colony. Despite repeated threats from Earth's government, the inhabitants did not give in. They withheld shipments to Earth and refused to allow Earth ships to land on their planet. The colonies openly boycotted Earth. The Earth cannot tolerate such provocation. So, four weeks after the new tax law was enacted, four destroyers from Earth's military arrived in orbit around the planet. Then, the landing force entered the planet, and the residents were unable to resist. Soldiers took control of the planet, overthrowing the government and arresting every resident. Most of the residents were never seen again. They may be imprisoned in a secret prison, or may be dead. Since then, new residents have settled there. A large army and overt military action ensured tranquility in the colony.
Since then, the name "Xuanwo Planet" no longer represents the hope that immigrants had when heading to the New World, but has become synonymous with Earth never giving up control of the colonies.
"But we cannot compare our situation with Xuanwoxing," Ono Ichiro responded calmly. "We are much further away from Earth."
"Distance doesn't matter," someone interjected.
"We can resist."
"What do we resist with? We have no army. We have almost no weapons. How do we fight against a trained army? We have children and old people here. What will they do if we start an uprising?" A female senator raised some concerns .
"This is not the first time Earth has tried to decide our fate," Ono continued, ignoring the others' objections. "We are always told how to act. How to deal with certain things. People on Earth have no idea what is really going on here. And the taxes we need to pay could be used to continue building our colony. Instead, the money goes to Earth, and disappear there into opaque channels. We benefit little from it. This new decree is just another culmination of a long series of grievances. We are a stable colony. We are self-sufficient. We no longer need Earth .So I speak for everyone. We should get rid of the Earth completely. We must become independent. We can buy weapons to defend ourselves. We can form our own army. And there will definitely be some ethnic groups willing to support us against the Earth."
Ono Ichiro's words caused silence. Some senators were in disbelief, some were horrified. His words were incredible. War with the Earth? What did he think?
"I must warn you, Mr. Ono Ichiro," Olet finally said seriously. "Calling for independence is a dangerous idea. Such an idea is unpopular in the Senate. We will never go down that path. Everyone knows that no one is more skeptical of Earth's government than I am. But we are no closer to independence. Far, far away. Because we are still citizens of the Earth, even if some of us were born here and have never even seen the Earth. And we are far less independent than some of our younger inhabitants might think. We are absolutely I won’t fight against the people of Earth.”
"If we want freedom, we must fight," Ono responded stubbornly.
"This discussion is over," Olert warned calmly, but with a dangerous edge in his tone. After a quick glance at the other senators to ensure their support, he continued: "We will issue a formal response explaining why we cannot abandon the market and its visitors."
Ono Ichiro snorted in disgust and sat down in the chair. In his opinion, those old men and women were too timid to continue leading the colony. You cannot bring about change without taking risks. So they can never escape the bondage of the earth. He himself must take action.
At the end of the Senate session, as all senators left the building, Olert noticed that one senator remained. That is the respected Monwiski. At 96 years old, he is the oldest senator and the senior chairman. His opinions are always in the spotlight. Moreover, what he said was not very frequent, but once it was published, it was valued more than other people's words. He seemed to be sitting absentmindedly in his seat, his eyes lost somewhere. It seems that the old man's thoughts have drifted far away and are no longer here.
Ollert walked toward him slowly, clearing his throat repeatedly. He didn't want to scare him. But if something was bothering Monwiski, he wanted to know. It's not that Olet doesn't trust his own judgment, he's been through enough. But Monwiski may be taking into account things that others haven’t. If not, at least try to ease his worries.
Monwiski looked up when he noticed Olet standing next to him, clearing his throat again. "Ah, Olet, it's you." His voice was hoarse and low. His already numerous facial wrinkles seemed to grow deeper.
"What are you thinking about?" Olet asked.
Monwiski looked at him through pale eyes. "We're going to have hard times," he said slowly. "The unity of the colony is in danger. The young men rush forward uncompromisingly, hoping to get as far away from Earth as possible. They don't understand that unconnecting with Earth will take time. A long time. Those of us who remember Earth, Although we have left and never want to return, we are still connected to the earth." He sighed, and the only sound heard in the room was his hoarse breathing. "Our response will not satisfy the Earth," he continued. "They will carry out their orders at all costs. Otherwise they will lose credibility and potentially cause other colonies to start ignoring Earth's directives as well."
Olet nodded silently. "I have also considered this. I also did not expect them to give in easily. But if we can buy some time, we will win a lot. We just need to delay the earth's reaction until after the market ends. Maybe in the next season, The situation will ease."
Monwiski looked at him sternly. "You're not that naive, are you? Earth's governments won't be fooled for long. They'll react like angry lions. I hate to say this, but maybe Ichiro Ono is right."
"You mean we should openly defy the Earth?" Olet looked at him suspiciously. He didn't expect the old man to make such a suggestion.
Monwischi smiled indulgently. "No, we shouldn't do that. At least not proactively. But he's right, we should look to the aliens for allies. Looking for people who are willing to help us, but don't want us to surrender to them. And they don't do anything to us either. Earth takes an interest.”
Olet frowned. "Finding such allies can be difficult. We have little to offer. And there is no strategic advantage to allying with us. Unless someone is willing to accommodate us into their territory, there is no interest in our help."
"I didn't say it was going to be easy," Monwiski said with difficulty, slowly standing up and picking up the cane that was leaning on the table. "But you should think about it. But you have to hurry, you won't have much time. We need an ally before Earth's army arrives." Then he turned and slowly left the room. As he walked out, he muttered: "I had hoped to never have to go through something like this again."
Olet was left alone in the room. Suddenly, he realizes he may be facing the most difficult task of his life. And he doesn't have much choice. His entire career was suddenly in jeopardy. The fate of the entire colony lay on the table, and there was little he could do. It was as if the forces of the universe were shuffling the cards, and he was dealt the worst cards. The game has begun and his only choice is how to fail. Only a miracle can help them now. But he doesn't believe in miracles.
