Chapter 112. Negotiate again, Admiral Peng comes out
"You are about to embark on the most important mission of your lives," the president's words still echoed in his mind, even though more than a day had passed since the conversation. Still, he couldn't forget or dismiss the words. Of course, the president is right. He has the opportunity to guide the development of the Federation and give a new direction to the future. A direction worth pursuing. However, the pressure he felt was correspondingly great. He and his team will determine what the future holds. He has a chance to be a great man in historical memory, a great man with great vision, if he does it right and succeeds. Or, if he fails, he will become a man of the future, ruining future opportunities and costing the Federation the chance to develop. And the boundaries within which he operates are very narrow.
Admiral Peng was not really afraid of this mission. After all, he had accomplished a lot in his past life and done it right. After all, he had become the vice president of an alliance of interstellar nations. This is no small thing, but something that takes hard work and stamina to achieve. But compared with all his past achievements, compared with all the negotiations he had already completed, the task he faced was nothing.
About a day ago, the president summoned him for an emergency meeting. Hyams briefed him in brief but clear terms on the Sindi's offer of negotiation, and on Starfleet's extreme isolation. This was an unprecedented event in the history of the Union. At least that's what everyone thinks. Nonetheless, President Himes ordered a formal investigation to find out what happened and whether similar incidents had occurred in the past.
After the President reported to him the progress of the situation, he was immediately tasked with continuing negotiations with the Sindi people. The first priority is to undo the damage caused by Starfleet. Rebuilding lost trust is the first priority when negotiations begin. Then, the goal is to establish a permanent diplomatic representation. If all goes well, maybe in a few years, they can welcome the Sindi as new members of the Federation.
Heims made cautious predictions about the future. But of course, he also realizes that there is still a long and arduous road ahead. However, this must ultimately be their ultimate goal.
So he now went with his team of advisors to the meeting place with the Sindi people. The departure was rather hasty, as the President did not think there should be any further delays. The president seemed more willing to come in person, but ultimately abandoned the idea at the urging of advisers, though he left open the possibility that he might join the talks later.
His advisory team, consisting of an Andorian, a Vulcan, and three humans, are now traveling to the meeting location on an Orbers-class research vessel. The boat is quite small and offers limited space. But all the consultants agreed that it would be better to go to the meeting with a completely unarmed ship. Only through this gesture of goodwill can the Federation demonstrate their sincerity in the negotiations. The Federation's stance on peace will also be made clear. It's an idea he fully supports. Still, he wanted more comfort and space. But it was not a pleasant trip after all.
There were still a few hours left, and he had to use this time to complete all the documents and read all the information about the Sindi. Although there was not much information, since he had never been exposed to this race before, he had to start from scratch. Due to the hasty departure, there was no time to make these preparations beforehand. But he believes that won't be a problem. They just need to do a little more on-the-ground improvisation. After all, since the customs and social rules of the Sindi were almost unknown, they could not have made much preparation. They must decide on the spot which actions are appropriate and which are not.
Time passed quickly, and he was highly focused on processing data, supplementing information, and coming up with new ideas for his speech. He intended to begin by introducing the Federation and its principles. The Sindi should understand that the Federation is a federation in which each race retains sovereignty and enjoys the benefits of a common alliance. The Federation's direction is peaceful and poses no threat to the Sindi. He was convinced that if he could convince the Sindi people, then subsequent negotiations would proceed smoothly.
With two hours left before arriving at the negotiation location, he organized all the documents and shut down the computer. He had done enough now and there was no point in continuing. Instead, the wisest thing to do now is to take a break and start negotiating fresh. So he lay on the bed and closed his eyes. While the sleep may not be particularly deep, it is enough for him. He was used to sleeping less.
Two hours later, the computer woke him up, feeling energized and motivated. He put on a dark suit that was in line with the fashion of the day, and then stood in front of the mirror. The mirror reflected an older, thin face, and the hard work was clearly visible on it. Deep wrinkles etched his face, and the bags under his eyes were heavy and dark. His hair was featurelessly trimmed, and his dim eyes belied his actual energy. A hooked nose adorned his face, which did not have a positive impact on his image. Saying that men become more handsome as they age definitely does not apply to him. But that didn't matter to him. What matters is the deeds a person leaves behind in his life. Future generations will judge him by this. And he acted exactly according to this standard. That's all that matters.
He quickly turned away from the mirror and picked up the bag he had prepared, which contained all the documents he might need. Before leaving the room, he closed his eyes again and took a deep breath, slowing his breathing slightly. Absolute calmness is a must here. Nervousness is unprofessional. He must give the impression of being in control at all times. Calm and balanced breathing is the basic prerequisite for achieving this goal.
When General Peng finally opened the door, his colleagues from Andorra were waiting at the door and ready to press the doorbell. In the middle of the movement, he paused and dropped his hand. "Mr. Vice President," the blue-skinned Andorran greeted him, bowing slightly with his blue head. His blue antennae also tilted forward, almost touching the snow-white hair. "We're ready," and he took a step to the side.
"Then let's go", he said and left the room. They walked silently through the corridor toward the teleportation room. Although the ship that brought them here was relatively small compared to other ships, it was still not designed for atmospheric flight or landing. So the only way they can get down to the ground is through teleportation. However, since teleportation became a standard form of transportation decades ago, no one gives it a second thought.
As for their upcoming meeting, there's nothing to discuss now. They have had detailed discussions, exchanged views and tried their best to prepare. Any more would now just be repetition and possibly cause new confusion. So they remained silent. Before such a meeting, everyone performs their own rituals in silence. Although few are willing to admit it, everyone has their own rituals, their own superstitions, to ensure a smooth meeting. Sometimes it's just certain preparation steps, or a talisman they carry quietly in their pocket that makes them feel more at ease. Some people must say some sentences silently in their hearts, or say a small prayer. For these rituals, there is no time like the present.
When they walked into the teleporter room, the rest of the team was already waiting there. And the captain from the ship came specially to see them off for today. They would return to the ship for the night, as it would be the home of the Federation delegation during the negotiations.
The five people stepped onto the small teleportation platform, while the captain stood next to the teleportation platform console.
"Mr. Admiral Peng, I wish you good luck and everything goes well," the captain said to the vice president. Admiral Peng nodded slightly, and then the captain carried out the transmission procedure. The teleporter began to hum, scanning personnel and analyzing every molecule. The pattern is then stored in a buffer, and the transported person's molecules are unpacked one by one. Through pipes and transmitters on the hull, the data is transmitted to the destination. The transmission beam is then focused, reassembling the person molecule by molecule according to the stored pattern. There was no difference from the person standing in the teleportation room just a few seconds ago. The only difference may be that most people say they feel a chill. Very sensitive people also claim to feel disoriented for a moment after the transmission. However, this cannot be proven scientifically.
The five people looked around. They had just been in the teleportation room, and now they were in front of the Sindi's chosen meeting place. Captain Olli had a meeting here a few days ago, which could never be seen as a model of diplomacy.
The air was dry and dusty, although dense clouds hung in the sky. They don't usually seem to release much water vapor, which would explain the dry air and overall arid environment.
Before they entered the building, the Sindi approached them. These were the same people greeted by Captain Olly Lion. Once again, only humanoid Cindy and plant Cindy appear. Crawling Cindy and Insect Cindy seemed to want to express their rejection by staying away from the guests' reception. Aquatic Cindy also couldn't show up at the door for some understandable reasons.
Admiral Peng was truly fascinated by the appearance of his host. The two species look very different. It's hard to imagine that they evolved on the same planet. Despite their differences, there are also some small things in common that identify them as the same species. For example, a slight forehead hump and prominent cheekbones extend from the temples to the face, and almost the entire face of the tree man is covered in hair, making the resemblance less obvious.
However, Admiral Peng was also a little disappointed. The appearance of the tree man was not as spectacular as he expected. His imagination was formed from descriptions, but seeing them directly was another matter. Since Cindy had almost no imagery, he had no idea what each species looked like. The earliest pictures of the humanoid Cindy appeared about half a year ago, when Captain Noah was contacted by a humanoid Cindy named Otis after the Cindy weapon was destroyed. For other species there are no images. But since plant Cindy didn't match his expectations, he had mentally adjusted his expectations for other species.
"Mr. Admiral Peng, on behalf of all Sindi people, I welcome you and your team," Narekmen greeted him, extending his hand to him in accordance with human etiquette. "My name is Narekmen."
Admiral Peng shook hands with him happily. After receiving Cindy's message to the Federation, he expected to receive a slightly lukewarm reception. But apparently, Cindy is willing to forget her first conversation with the Federation and start over.
"Thank you very much", he replied cheerfully. "Thank you for inviting us to this meeting. We look forward to having a formal dialogue with your people. This is an excellent opportunity to make up for a century of misunderstanding and move towards a better future." In fact, Peng Shang A presentation will have been prepared for the plenary session. He intended to speak to all of the Cindy species, so he had to restrain himself from saying everything he wanted to say now.
Narekmen seemed pleased with the views of the federal vice-president. These words are full of hope. But after his experience with Captain Ollie, his joy was somewhat reserved. The Vice President’s words need to be backed up with action. Still, it's better than it was a few days ago.
After an initial exchange of courtesies, Narekmen invited his guests inside. Here, Admiral Peng got a real surprise. Because the other three Sindi species were even stranger than he expected. He was shocked to see so many different species. Climbing Cindy, Insect Cindy and Aquatic Cindy. He had never seen such strange intelligent creatures. And he's seen many different species. But I have never encountered an intelligent insect. As for intelligent aquatic creatures, he had only heard of them once before. It is almost unique that aquatic life can develop to such an extent that it can use its intelligence to develop technology similar to that of terrestrial life. Because for the most part, intelligent aquatic creatures have not developed similar technologies because their physiology is completely different. They rarely have anything resembling arms or fingers. They are also generally not interested in life on land. For them, land is not their habitat and they generally avoid it. The underwater people did not do this, perhaps simply because they were not the only intelligent species on their planet and therefore inevitably had to come into contact with land dwellers.
The self-introduction ended quickly. To the surprise of the Sindi people, Admiral Peng already knew the names of all the Sindi representatives present. They thought the captain had forgotten or simply not passed on the information because of his arrogance and conceit. After all, he gave them the impression of not being very interested in the Sindi and their culture.
The federal representatives made a deep impression on the Sindi. Even the usually aggressive Creeping Cindy stayed quiet this time and just looked at them with a look of rejection. To them, this almost amounts to approval.
Admiral Peng took advantage of this good atmosphere and began his prepared speech. He conveyed the greetings of the President and the peoples of the Federation. The Federation's desire to ally with the Sindi was then emphasized. In his speech, he reiterated the fundamental values of the Union, including the freedoms and civil rights enjoyed by every citizen. He mentioned Starfleet and its peaceful mission to explore the universe for the benefit of all. He also emphasized the equal rights of every ethnic group that was a member of the federation. No one needs to worry that joining the Federation will cause them to lose their identity and be forced to be identical to humans or Vulcans. Finally, he expressed how happy the Federation was to finally be able to hold talks with the Sindi after a hundred years. And they look forward to the day when they can adopt the Sindi as new members of the Federation.
"Thank you for your warm words," Narekmen said, sitting back down when he finished his speech. "Those words of encouragement. But I want to make one thing clear at the outset. Our goal is not to become a member of the Federation. We want to have long-term diplomatic ties with you, now and in the future, and to live with you as equal partners . But Cindy will always remain independent. There’s no doubt about it.”
"Never forget this," snarled the Creeper Lizhua, though it was not clear whether he was addressing the Federation representative or Narekmon, whom he trusted as little as a stranger.
