Chapter 113. Encountered a surprise attack and all members of the meeting were wiped out
Admiral Peng nodded but said nothing. He didn't seem to respond. Suddenly, there was a muffled sound. It was only short-lived and not particularly loud, but enough to make people feel uneasy. People in the room looked around in confusion. Suddenly, a loud bang tore through the silence. The vibrations spread throughout the room. Before they could react, the wall rushed towards them, knocking those present unconscious. Then, a bright fireball followed. The large window leading to Aquatic Cindy's room cracked, allowing a large amount of water to flow into the room, mixing with the shattered walls, the bodies of the attendees, and their gear to create a chaotic mess. But even water could not stop the destructive power of the flames. The flames rolled in and flooded the room, which had no survivors.
A flame instantly soared above the building. This was the result of the flames ejected by the incendiary agent mixed with water. It's almost like the fireball from an atomic bomb. Everything within a few meters became a sea of flames, and it seemed that no one could escape the ravages of the fire.
Alarms were sounded and rescue and firefighting teams moved in as the fire spread to neighboring buildings. Everything happens in just a few seconds. It was less than a minute from the first muffled sound to now. So no one has had a chance to react yet. When the first rescue teams arrived, only the foundation walls of the building were left.
An alarm suddenly sounded on the research ship where a delegation from the Federal Republic of Germany had arrived. Red lights flickered, bathing everything in a terrifying glow. The crew members were stunned and seemed stunned for a moment. No one expected this. Then, after the initial scare, there was a burst of bustle and chaos not seen in recent times. Well-trained soldiers took over the action, replacing surprise and fear, leaving everyone calm and focused on their mission.
"Report the situation!" the captain shouted. So far, no one knows exactly what triggered the alarm.
Quickly adjust sensors, collect and evaluate data. After a few seconds, I finally got the answer. A fragile voice said, "The negotiation building exploded."
The captain was startled. Although he was trained to respond to crises, it still took a few seconds to process the news. Then he calmly ordered, "Send an SOS signal to Starfleet."
He waited for the appropriate confirmation before continuing. "How severe is the damage? Are there any signs of survivors?" he asked.
"The sensors detected an explosion equivalent to 10,000 tons of explosives, and there was nothing within a hundred meters of the building. But due to interference, no clear measurements could be made. It's hard to believe that anyone could have survived there."
"What's the Sindi's explanation for this?" asked the captain. "I want to hear their explanation. In the meantime, offer them our help."
He had planned to turn his attention again to the screen, which showed the planet, where bright fires could be seen burning on the zoomed-in screen. Although the area involved in the fire is small, if the fire is so large, it must be of extremely high intensity. However, another piece of more detailed information caught his eye.
"I'm sorry, Captain, but there is no connection between me and Cindy."
"Was the communications station destroyed on the planet?"
"No, Captain. That's not it. Instead, there's a jamming signal that blocks our communications. We can't establish contact with anyone. It's like someone is trying to prevent us from talking to anyone."
This answer made the captain unhappy. Although they were on the edge of Cindy territory, they were still in enemy territory under uncertain circumstances. Unable to contact Starfleet, they are left to face a very complex and confusing situation alone.
"Where's the emergency signal?" he asked.
"It has been sent." At least there is good news, although it is small.
He slowly sat back in the command chair. They currently have their hands tied. Without more information, he didn't want to take action. What happens next is up to Cindy and they can only react. As long as they still have time.
...
Dre Ingmar walked into his apartment, his head spinning. It was an extremely monotonous day. They returned to their mapping tasks, and the work became tedious again. His mind was barely stimulated and suddenly he was thinking about other things. His worries about Shu Ran returned. He saw her face again, heard her voice, and wondered what she was doing now. And whether she was missing him too. Although he naturally knew the answer. She won't miss him. After all, she was the one who ended their relationship. It would be too contradictory if she missed him. But maybe, at least a little bit.
It's really maddening. Now he was back to where he was a few days ago, as if the past few days had never happened. But on the other hand, what had he expected? Did he think he could forget her overnight? In fact, this state has been going on for a long time. It had been more than half a year, and he could hardly think about anything else except her.
He sighed and opened the first button of his uniform jacket. He is about to get ready for bed. Even though he knew full well that he would dream about her.
Suddenly, the alarm went off. The sound of sirens echoed throughout the ship and in every room. Once a red alert is issued, the entire crew must be on alert, regardless of whether they are normally on watch. Everyone must be available at all times, even if it means someone is awakened from their deep sleep.
He quickly buttoned up his uniform again and was immediately standing in the hallway. A red pulsating light indicates an alert status. Even two minutes after the siren stops sounding, these lights continue to flash. Ingmar walked quickly to the elevator. He didn't want to run, that would be inappropriate, unless he received urgent orders. During an alarm situation, it is crucial to stay calm and stay on track. The last thing you want to see in this situation is people running wild. Because this will increase more risks, such as possibly hitting others.
Reaching the bridge, he stepped onto the upper deck and paused. He's not on duty right now, which means someone is at his post. But as leader and third-ranking officer, he had an obligation to be present on the bridge. Whether he needs to take over his post or not depends on the captain's decision based on the circumstances.
Captain Olly appeared seconds after Ingmar. He was also not on duty and therefore not present. As he sat in the command chair, he wanted to get the first report. He didn't yet know why the alarm went off.
"We received an emergency call for help," Ingmar's agent reported excitedly. "Coming from the Darwin. Involving negotiations with Cindy. Obviously an unexpected incident occurred. However, what exactly happened was not clearly explained in the signal. There was an increasingly strong noise at the end of the message, and then it was suddenly interrupted."
Ollie frowned slightly. "These damn Cindy," he half-muttered. "I knew it. But no one wanted to believe me." He exchanged glances with Porterson, seeming to have reached some kind of tacit understanding. Then he looked up. "We are closer to the negotiating site than any other Starfleet ship. We will get back to deal with this. Navigator, set course to Wa
p8 moves forward. Correspondent, sending appropriate reports to Starfleet. Let them know we will take care of the problem. "
All parties confirmed the order. While reporting to Earth Headquarters, the Lexington turned and then entered a lightspeed jump state.
"Lift the red alert and temporarily maintain the yellow alert." Captain Olly ordered. This is a sensible measure as there is currently no immediate threat to the vessel or crew. Therefore, the highest alert status does not need to be maintained. This only makes the crew unnecessarily nervous and increases adrenaline. After all, they don't want to be exhausted when they arrive at their destination a few hours later.
The flashing red light went out. There is also no yellow light to indicate alert status. Crews can resume normal shifts. Just more alert than usual. And be prepared to escalate the alert status again at any time.
For Ingmar, there was nothing more to do on the bridge for the time being. So he returned to his place, hoping to find some peace. After some time, he finally relaxed a little. However, as expected, he dreamed of Shu Ran again, which made him feel that he had not gotten enough rest. So when he returned to the bridge a few hours later, approaching Cindy's planet, he was sure he was just as tired as he had been at the end of his last shift.
The core staff on the bridge are all in place, and they are performing their duties normally but slightly nervously. Now on red alert again, they will be conducting Wa soon
p jumps into the solar system between Cindy and the Federation, where negotiations are ongoing. Then they will finally know what happened here and how the emergency call was sent. Because they were still in the dark, because communications with the Darwin were still interrupted during the flight.
When they entered the solar system, they quickly discovered that the Darwin was in good condition. It's still orbiting the planet, and at least it hasn't been destroyed. Because this possibility still exists after the emergency call signal is interrupted. However, the good news ends there. The fate of the crew is currently unknown as contact still cannot be established.
When the Lexington finally paralleled the Darwin and adjusted its course, Ollie turned to the communications officer. "how's it going?"
The man shrugged. "Still unable to establish contact. Doesn't seem to be an issue with the receiver. There appears to be a jamming signal here, preventing any communication. I can't pick up any signal, no matter what frequency."
Ollie looked at the screen in front of him again. "Then no one can tell us what's going on here."
"Perhaps indeed, captain," Ingmar began. "I have scanned the negotiation location. If that place is the same building where you met Cindy, then we are in trouble. That building no longer exists. Within about twenty meters, there is only Scorched earth and a few broken walls. And there were a lot of signs of life wandering around in there." As Ingmar spoke, he realized the full extent of the damage that had been done. If the Vice President and his entourage were killed there, it would lead to new tensions between Cindy and the Federation. At this time, they are on the front line.
"Do they also include signs of human life?" the captain asked immediately.
Ingemar double-checked the data again and advised himself to calm down. There is no evidence that the diplomat died in the apparent fire. The Vice President may still be safe and sound on the research vessel. And as long as the communication doesn't work, they can't get any more information. So now it's all just speculation, and speculation is useless. "The sensors are not getting clear data. I can't differentiate between species," he responded to the captain's question.
Ollie just made a vague sound, but didn't say anything else. Clearly, he was considering what to do next. Then he stood up. "Then let's take a closer look." He said firmly. "We'll go down and question Cindy directly. If they block communications, we'll go find them ourselves."
Ingmar turned to the captain to convey the idea of a potential conflict with Cindy. But then he changed his mind and remained silent. The captain must have had the same idea. This is really easy to think of. Of course, the captain was right. If they wait for communications to be restored, they may have to wait a long time for news. And there's nothing worse than waiting around with nothing to do.
Ollie stood up and turned to the communications officer. "The doctor and our security director should meet in the transport room. Let's go down." Without waiting for confirmation, he immediately turned to Porterson. "Commander, you remain on the bridge. Be prepared to intervene if necessary."
Porterson nodded slightly without showing any expression. However, if you knew him, you would know how reluctant he was to stay on board. He wanted to see the situation with his own eyes. But of course, he follows orders, albeit reluctantly.
Before the captain entered the elevator, he turned again. "Ingmar, you should follow."
Ingmar looked at him in surprise. He didn't expect this. Especially after the recent conflict with the Captain. Although he was not looking directly at Potterson at the moment, he could feel the latter's jealous and puzzled gaze behind his back.
Without paying attention to anyone on the bridge, Ingmar stood up and followed the captain out. He didn't care whether other people understood it or not.
In the teleportation room, two of their colleagues were already waiting. The captain went straight to the safety officer without saying hello. "Did you bring a few phasers?"
She looked at him doubtfully. "No, sir," and she immediately regained her composure. "I was not given instructions on this."
The captain looked as if he might fly into a rage at any moment. But he seemed to remember his instructions and control himself. But he couldn't help but let out a sigh of annoyance. "Then go and get the four phasers now. We must not go down unprepared."
Atlan nodded respectfully and left quickly.
Ingemar had to express his confusion before Atlan's figure disappeared behind the door. "Captain, we are Cindy's guests. Our presence with weapons may be considered a provocation."
Ollie waved his hand to dismiss his objection. "As long as we don't know what's going on here, we must not go down without defense. If Cindy is hostile to us, we will be almost dead without weapons."
Ingmar stared at the captain as if questioning his sanity. If Cindy was really hostile to them, the four phasers wouldn't be much help. Cindy might just knock them out. And if Cindy was truly hostile to them, they would have opened fire on the Lexington. Can't the captain understand? "But..." He was about to retort, but the captain immediately interrupted him.
