Chapter 110. Admiral Peng leaks secret information
This is really surprising. They didn't expect this at all. They had received a report from the Lexington just a few hours earlier. And the report doesn't sound promising. In fact, Captain Olly even warned that the Sindi might be up to something. They were hatching some kind of plan, but he couldn't pinpoint what it was. However, their offer to negotiate with them does not appear to be sincere. Isaac never wanted to believe it. This was supposed to be an opportunity to improve relations with this mysterious tribe. However, it doesn't look like there will be any progress in the foreseeable future. Ollie's words are clear. The Commonwealth must remain vigilant. If the Sindi people have any intentions, it will be on the highest alert. After all, they've tried to destroy Earth twice. And both times they came very close to success. It was too dangerous for the admirals. Never let something like this happen again.
It's really surprising that the Sindi people are contacting them directly now. Maybe they intercepted Orly Lion's message and now want to calm the situation. Possibly to continue their plans. Maybe this race really can't be trusted.
"What do they want?" Isaac was sure Penn had seen the message. Otherwise he couldn't tell whether it was important.
"Simply put, they want us to send more distinguished representatives," Penn said, appearing to understand the request.
Isaac wasn't surprised. If he were a Sindi, he would not accept negotiations from an ordinary captain. And diplomats are more valuable when planning to take hostages.
“They expressed that request in a more detailed and friendly way,” Penn continued. "In the Sindi's view, Captain Ollishi has no authority to make any decisions on behalf of the Federation. He must seek advice on all issues, which will make negotiations more complex and time-consuming. Furthermore, they suspect that the Captain is In terms of political experience, they believe that he is not capable enough to conduct such negotiations. Although they specifically emphasized that they did not doubt his ability as a captain, they expressed doubts about his ability to conduct such negotiations." Penn paused. , waiting for Isaac's reaction. But Isaac showed no emotion. He accepted the news with a deadpan expression. It's like it doesn't matter. Penn couldn't imagine this. Because even as the supreme commander of the fleet, he must be interested in peaceful coexistence with the Sindi.
Penn waited for a response from his boss, but he seemed to have no intention of making any comment. Either this was his wish, or he was completely overwhelmed by the demands of the Sindi and didn't know what to do.
When the silence in the room continued and became increasingly oppressive, Penn decided to test the waters. "If I may make a suggestion, we should immediately convene the federal parliament and present this news to the MPs. Then..."
"We won't do that. At least not yet," Isaac interrupted harshly. He frowned, seeming to be concentrating on his next steps. "On the one hand, we have Sindi demands," he murmured. Penn wasn't sure if he was explaining his decision or just talking to himself. "This request seems quite reasonable at first glance. But for us, it means huge risks. On the other hand, we have a report from Captain Olli. According to the report, the Sindi people are planning something, and we cannot easily Trust them. If we send our diplomats now, then they may fall straight into a trap. If we don't send them, then the negotiations themselves will end. This is not a good situation," he concluded his reflections.
"But in the end, isn't it up to the federal parliament to decide?" Penn seemed unhappy. After all, the Federation is a democratic institution, and it is the elected representatives of the electorate who decide the path the Federation should take. Decision-making does not lie with the military, let alone withholding information from lawmakers. At present, neither the President nor the Parliament are aware of the Sindi invitation. And the meeting with the Sindi people was not informed to anyone else. This was all done on Isaac's orders. Completely against the law. Penn only complied with such an order because he thought it was a one-time, temporary situation. However, Isaac still doesn't seem ready to end the hiding. But Penn didn't understand the reason at all.
“We are not ready to present conclusive data to Parliament,” Isaac said in his characteristic commanding voice. "We have gathered some conflicting information, which cannot be decided in Parliament. We have to continue to gather information and then communicate it to them," he said in a tone that suggested he would not entertain alternative views.
However, Penn couldn't give up just yet. This goes against his principles too much. "However, Starfleet does not have the authority to make such a decision alone," he reminded his superior, though he was sure he was well aware of this.
Isaac looked at him angrily. His eyes revealed firm determination. He will never change his stance. "However, Starfleet is also responsible for maintaining security and order within the Federation," he replied, barely controlling his emotions. “We are responsible for the security of members of Parliament and the President. We must protect them from possible threats from other races. Only in this way can the Federation remain viable. Therefore, our responsibility is to first collect all information before informing Parliament or the President ." His eyes became sharper and sharper as he spoke.
Finally, Penn lowered his head and nodded briefly. "Yes, sir," he muttered, hoping to get out of the office as quickly as possible. Why did this happen to him? Why now? He was just months away from retirement. Why did fate arrange such a turn for him? If he listens to Isaac, he becomes an accomplice. And if he doesn't, he will be disobeying orders and may be dishonorably discharged. He was never willing to take the risk. But the inner conflict made him suffer.
"Anything else?" Isaac asked.
"No more, sir. That's all." Penn replied stiffly.
"Okay, I'll see you later." Isaac almost kicked him out, but Penn didn't mind. He has little interest in staying in this office for any length of time. He needs to get outside and get some fresh air. Organize your thoughts. Push the information you just heard out of your mind.
Alva Daisy sat at a table in the Experimenter's dining room with a cup of coffee in one hand and a datapad in the other. She frowned and studied the data repeatedly, but still couldn't find a clue. Something seemed illogical, but she couldn't put her finger on what exactly was wrong.
She was dispatched to analyze the Experimenter's test flights along with a number of other technicians. The ship's machinery was still unable to create the stable hyperspace channels that would transport the ship across the universe at unprecedented speeds. In theory it should be possible, but like so often, the theory fails in practice. Each attempt results in a surge of energy before the ship enters the hyperspace portal. Each time the channel collapsed, leaving extensive cable and control gear damage. So far, neither Daisy nor any of her colleagues have found a solution to the problem.
In fact, the hyperspace program almost failed. But renewed contact with the Sindi fueled the ambitions of Starfleet leaders. The Sindi used similar technology, so it should be possible to solve the problem. If the Sindi can do it, surely the Federation can do it too.
However, Daisy is no longer so sure about this. Apparently, the Sindi discovered something that Starfleet had hitherto not discovered. Or maybe they just have better technology at it. Some kind of component that protects against overload.
Suddenly, a male voice came from behind her: "Is there any progress?"
Daisy was so startled that she accidentally spilled some of her coffee on her pants. She thought she was alone here. After all, the ship currently has no crew, just a few technicians conducting analysis. "Damn," she cursed under her breath.
"I'm sorry," the man said, feeling a little embarrassed. "I did not do it on purpose."
"It doesn't matter," she muttered unhappily. She put down the cup and set the dataslate next to her, trying to clean up the accident as best she could.
The man handed her a tissue, looking rather guilty. He looked so funny that Daisy couldn't help laughing.
"It's no big deal," she reassured. "I'll change into a pair of pants later. This isn't the first time this has happened to me." She tilted her mouth slightly. "Please take a seat."
His uniform badge shows that he is also a technician. Of course Daisy knew him. Together they work to solve current problems. They are quite familiar with each other now. Although Daisy didn't think it was familiar enough, it seemed to her that it was enough.
"Have you made any progress?" he asked after sitting next to her. Then he pointed to the dataslate. "I'm referring to the technical issue of course, not the coffee issue."
Daisy tilted her head and looked at him seriously. She was about to respond with a snarky reply, but decided to hold back. "No, I'm not making any progress at all," she admitted. She put the coffee-stained paper towel aside and picked up the dataslate again.
"It's a shame, but it also makes me happy. After all, I've been working on this project for two years. If you found a solution in a few months, I would feel like a newbie," he said, straightening up. .
Daisy made no response to his flippant words. "Every time we generate a channel, the system gets overloaded. Here." She pointed to a chart on the dataslate and handed it to the man. "There are some energy spikes that I can't explain. They're clearly not generated by the ship. That makes absolutely no sense though."
He looked at the data for a long moment, then tapped something on the touch screen and retrieved more data. Then he looked at her. "Looking from here, you're right. The Experimenter didn't generate this energy." There was recognition in his voice. He hadn't discovered this before. "But where does this energy come from?"
Daisy looked thoughtfully into the distance. She had an idea, but it seemed too weird.
"Tell me what you think," he requested.
Daisy took a deep breath and refocused. "It's almost as if the energy comes from the warp," she said. She almost expected him to laugh, but he remained silent, listening intently. "This phenomenon always happens at the same moment. In theory, the channel should have stabilized at that moment, but instead, it went out of control and collapsed. It's as if we extracted an energy from the warp, and then this energy was fed back in the form of way back into our system, causing everything to be overloaded.”
"There is no such energy in the Warp," he retorted sceptically.
"Are we sure? The Warp is still not well studied enough that we can't rule it out with certainty." She paused, looking at him. "It's just a theory. But I have no other explanation for these energy spikes."
"If you say that, I dare not refute you. After all, you are too smart."
Only then did Daisy notice his focused gaze. Looking away awkwardly. "That's not true, Peggy. Maybe I saw something, but maybe others saw it too."
"No, that's not true. I've had this data for almost two years and have never seen these energy spikes."
"You haven't had this data for two years," she corrected him. "Each attempt will generate new data, making the whole picture more complete. As an outsider, I may have a slightly different perspective. If you are just joining, you will definitely see it too."
He smiled and shook his head without saying anything more. "Would you like to have dinner with me tonight?" he asked instead.
Daisy looked at him for a moment. Although a little unexpected, it is definitely not out of place. "I'd love to," she accepted. "It's just that I need to change into some clean pants before that," she playfully reminded him of the embarrassing scene before, and then he looked guilty again and she laughed.
Admiral Isaac appeared in a highly displeased mood on the Place de la Concorde in Paris, home to the Federal Presidential Palace. A light drizzle greeted him. This wet and cold weather seemed to match his mood at the moment. He was about to face a very unpleasant meeting, one that he had not planned and that he had wanted to avoid.
Just three hours earlier, he had received a call from the building. An angry president immediately appeared on screen as he began to rant. He was so out of control that it was a miracle he didn't fire Isaac on the spot. Without pause he complained to the Admiral and asked him to come to Paris to meet him. Isaac didn't get a chance to speak. He now needed to explain all these issues. If he could talk.
The President learned of the negotiations with Cindy and that Isaac was preventing any information from reaching federal political institutions. This, of course, angered the president. Isaac clearly suspected Admiral Peng of leaking information privately after he left San Francisco, although he had no proof. But once he returns to San Francisco, he will first settle the score with Admiral Peng. General Peng disobeyed direct orders and acted without authorization. This is absolutely inexcusable. Because as Starfleet officers, they have to follow orders, even if they don't feel like doing it. What would Starfleet look like if everyone did what they thought was right?
When the teleportation beam freed Isaac, he walked towards the majestic building and entered directly through the main entrance. As Commander-in-Chief of Starfleet, he can teleport directly from San Francisco using the orbiting space station's teleporter. His molecular data signals are relayed to satellites. It's a very convenient way to travel, saving hours of time that a regular flight would still require to cross half the planet.
The president's secretary told him to go straight in. Apparently, the president couldn't wait for him. This is how he received him. The president stood behind his desk, looking seriously at his guests.
The current president, Himes, is a human being. Although he was only of average height, he exuded a power that made him immediately appear important. Most of his hair has fallen out, leaving only a ring of snow-white hair surrounding his head. Under the stern eyes at this moment, he has a broad nose and an equally white beard. Although he has a broad-shouldered physique, it's obvious that he may not have much time to exercise as president.
"Mr. President," Isaac gave a military salute as he closed the door and stood in front of the table. After all, as President, he is also the Supreme Commander of Starfleet. Isaac had known him for a long time.
"Admiral, I heard some bad things," President Himes immediately got to the point. Although he was angry, he seemed to have calmed down slightly, as he spoke in a relatively calm, albeit muffled voice. "If we were very suspicious, it sounds like a conspiracy."
Isaac listened, while again organizing the words he had prepared in his mind. He was convinced that he could convince the president that his actions were necessary and that he could avoid this trouble.
Isaac glanced furtively around the room as the President described to him the allegations of concealing Cindy's invitation to negotiate and Starfleet's unauthorized conduct of those negotiations. Of course, he already knows the room from many meetings with the president. Behind the desk, one can see the coat of arms of the Confederation, a nebula surrounded by laurel leaves, and a large fern on the left, next to the large window overlooking Paris, directly towards the Eiffel Tower. On a good day it was a majestic sight, although Isaac missed the sight of the ocean sparkling out of his window in San Francisco. But today, the sky was overcast and a drizzle obscured the view. However, his eyes did not linger on the view or the decor of the room. Instead, he wanted to confirm if anyone else was present. In fact, he saw Admiral Peng in a corner, but he obviously wished he was somewhere else. For Isaac, it was now certain who betrayed him. While he remains unable to take action against his colleagues, he will make Admiral Peng's last few months in the post less than pleasant.
