Chapter 122. Inform Carol of new mission
Daisy looked around furtively with some uneasiness. She felt like everyone around her was staring at her, as if she had green spots on her face. Instead, she was just sitting alone in a fancy restaurant in San Francisco. But I'm afraid that's exactly why. It is highly unusual for a woman to sit alone in a black evening gown at a table filled with wine glasses and candles. Literally, there's only one reason a woman would be sitting here alone. That means she was let go. People looked at her with pity in their eyes and sympathized with her situation. A woman in her early forties was let go and lost the chance to have happiness again.
Daisy felt very uncomfortable about this. She better want to become invisible. Especially since everyone else's guesses are completely wrong. She was not let down. She just came too early. Pei Ji originally wanted to pick her up, but he was suddenly called by his boss. If he still went to pick her up, time would be tight. Because this is one of the trendiest places in town. The place was always crowded at night and her reserved seat might be in jeopardy if she arrived too late. Daisy therefore suggested that they meet here. And because she was a little nervous, she scheduled more time in advance than necessary. So now she sat here before the appointed time, having to endure the stares.
And it wasn't just the looks that made her uncomfortable. The dress she was wearing also made her feel uncomfortable. A beautiful black evening gown with a skirt that reached just above her knees and a neckline that made her feel almost naked as she sat there. She kept tugging at her collar, hoping no one would notice. It made her feel like she was going through puberty for the first time. But that was already thirty years ago.
Her discomfort with the clothing was not surprising. For her, there was virtually no opportunity to wear such clothing. At work, she wears a uniform. And for special occasions, she has evening gowns. No matter how beautiful the clothes are, an officer would not wear civilian clothes on formal occasions. This is inappropriate. There was no occasion in her private life that called for such an evening gown. Especially since she wasn't going to deliberately look for such an opportunity. She had never particularly liked this kind of clothing. First, she thought her red hair didn't go with such an outfit. Secondly, she always thought her breasts were not full enough to fill the neckline of such a dress. Always looked a little thin. Therefore, she has not worn such clothes for at least ten years. Her last date was ten years ago.
"Good evening, beautiful lady," a male voice said.
Daisy was startled at first, but quickly calmed down and raised her head to look at him. "Good evening," she replied automatically. At the same time she looked at the man. He is slim, elegantly dressed and handsome. He was about the same age as her.
"Come alone?" he asked, pointing to the empty seat opposite her.
She smiled a little sheepishly.
He shook his head in confusion. "A woman sitting here like this either has no eyes or is a fool." He smiled friendly and charmingly. "You look stunning, if I may say so."
Daisy smiled awkwardly. "Thank you very much," she said, not knowing what else to say.
There was a moment of silence, no one knew what to say next. Before he could continue speaking, however, something occurred to Daisy. "Are you dating anyone else?" She tried to sound less interested.
"Yes, I have," he admitted. "But I guess I was given a pass." He looked so miserable that she almost burst out laughing. This is not appropriate in this environment. "Okay, that's enough," she said, grinning. "Sit down or we might stand out more."
He looked around innocently. "We're already noticeable. Already." He smiled mischievously at her. "Nice to meet you," he said as he sat down. "What I just said, you look amazing, I meant it."
Her eyes sparkled and she glared at him. "Thanks, Peggy."
Peggy is her colleague, and they work together on the FTL project. Their jobs brought them together, and over time, their bond became more than just that of coworkers. Still, this was their second date. Their current job doesn't give them much freedom.
It had been over a week since that first date. It had been a great night, but it didn't go the way she had hoped. Because he sent her home at night, kissed the back of her hand, said good night and left. In a way, it's very sweet. He behaved like an old-school gentleman and was not forced at all. On the other hand, she really wanted to kiss him passionately and pull him into her bed. But maybe there will be a chance tonight.
"Have you been waiting for a long time?" he asked guiltily, even though he arrived on time.
"No," she waved her hand.
As soon as Pei Ji sat down, the waiter appeared immediately, ready to take the order. Both of them opted for light meals as their jobs currently left little time for exercise. Daisy also ordered a glass of strong red wine, and he also ordered a glass. She hoped the alcohol in it would lighten his mood and something would happen tonight. It was a wish, and she didn't know yet whether it would come true.
Noah turned off the screen and looked serious. First, he had to collect his thoughts. Although he had anticipated the news, he is only now truly realizing the weight of the responsibility that rests on his shoulders.
Admiral Isaac had just told him that the fleet had agreed to Cindy's request to let Noah conduct the investigation on behalf of the Federation. and, albeit with some reluctance, his request was granted, that he should be allowed to take with him the crew of the Old Republic, if it could be accomplished in such a short time. This was retained by the generals. They definitely don't want this to delay action.
They assigned him the New Republic as a ship. It was completed just two days ago and it was originally planned to be tested for three months. But there is no time now. The most important tests are now carried out in advance, the rest must wait until the end of the mission. Noah wasn't worried about that. This is Republic. Although no longer an old ship, any ship bearing this name would have difficulties it could not cope with. Jeffrey may think that such an idea is illogical and unqualified, but this does not change Noah's inner feelings.
After making this decision, the first thing he did was to find Gabriel Kahlo. Noah didn't want her to get the news from anyone else. After all, he was in command of the mission, which of course included command of the ship. The thought of him removing her from his command position did not please him. He wanted to talk to her now without making her feel demoted.
So he activated the communication system and established contact with his former deputy. He had to wait a while until she responded. And there is only audio contact. Maybe she didn't have a display near her.
"Admiral. It's good to hear your voice," she said cheerfully. In the background he heard two other men talking animatedly.
"That's what I thought, Captain," he replied easily, hoping she didn't notice the tension in his voice. "Excuse me for interrupting, Carol, but I have to talk to you."
"Can't this wait?" She frowned. "I'm on the Republic right now, and we're getting ready for the first test flight, which starts in three hours."
"This is urgent," Noah insisted, though he felt a little guilty. He knew full well that Carol had her hands full under the circumstances.
She hesitated for a moment and then answered him. "Okay, get ready. We will transport you to the ship immediately. But I ask that you please keep this brief."
The corners of Noah's mouth raised slightly. He could well imagine her cursing her superiors and wondering how he had managed to become a typical desk general in such a short period of time, with no idea of the actual process. "I'll try my best," he replied cheerfully.
"Okay," she muttered, as if she guessed his thoughts. "I'll notify the transport room."
Not long after, Noah stood in the Republic's transport room. He entered a new ship for the first time. And he also entered an Experimenter-class ship for the first time. He immediately noticed that the teleportation chamber was larger than the one on the old ship. And brighter. At least that's how it seemed to him.
A young ensign saluted before him and welcomed him with some reserve. He seemed nervous. After all, it's not every day you greet a general. He tried to hide this behind militaristic behavior. "Captain Carol is waiting for you in her preparation room. I have orders to bring you there."
Noah nodded and followed the young man. He led him down the hallway and into the next elevator. Noah noticed that the corridor seemed wider here. The white color of the walls and lighting also seemed less harsh than on the old ship. Although he had never found it uncomfortable before. And it smells different here. There is a new smell here. Not a nasty smell, or any specific, definable smell. There is no smell indicating any residue of the material or its processing. It's just a typical smell that comes with anything new. It inspires a feeling of change.
Somewhat melancholy, Noah realized that the ship could have been his had he not been promoted to admiral. But he didn't have much time to think about his growing melancholy. Because in a few seconds, they reached the bridge. What Noah saw amazed him. The bridge is larger than the previous one. And his earlier observation still holds true. Everything seems organized and friendly. Of course, this is still the command module of a spacecraft. Therefore, the layout of the console hasn't changed much. There's still a central commander's seat, with two consoles in front of it, facing the displays. The only thing that has changed is behind the center console. The science station disappeared, replaced by a rectangular space extending back from the bridge. This circular bridge is not isolated from the rectangular space behind it, but is directly connected together. There are more extended computer consoles here to allow for more comprehensive scientific analysis on the bridge. In addition, the bridge crew can hold brief discussions here and conduct brief consultations if the situation requires it.
Noah was directed to this rear area of the bridge, from which a door branched off to the captain's ready room. Now the preparation room is no longer located on a deck below the bridge, but directly to the side. This allows the captain to return to the bridge faster in an emergency, which is crucial in times of crisis.
Gabriel Caro was already waiting for him behind her desk. A small banyan tree was placed in the corner of the small room, which slightly relieved the cold working atmosphere. Other than that, there's not much room for personal decoration in this small room. Moving the offices to level 1 has the benefit of connecting to the bridge, but also has the disadvantage that there is not much space on this level.
"Admiral," she greeted him, returning to her current teasing tone, although it was clear from her expression that she wasn't particularly happy about his arrival. She is so busy now that she has no time to talk about personal feelings. Still, she couldn't refuse his request to come aboard. After all, they have been through too much. She knew how painful it was for him to lose a Starfleet command ship.
"Captain," Noah responded to the greeting and simply smiled. Because he knew very well that Carol had almost no time at the moment. He didn't want to take up too much of her time.
She pointed to the chair in front of her desk, and after sitting down, he surprised her by saying bluntly, "I'm not here on a friendly visit." "I'm here to tell you in advance, completely unofficially, the Republic's next mission. Of course, you must promise not to talk to anyone about it before officially receiving orders."
She raised her eyebrows and leaned back in her chair, looking at him expectantly. Whatever is going to happen, it's going to be interesting. Because actually, there shouldn't be an order for the Republic yet. Over the next three months, they will first conduct a variety of tests.
"An unexpected incident occurred during the negotiations with the Sindi," he continued, emphasizing the word "unexpected incident." "The entire federal delegation is dead, including Admiral Peng."
Carol visibly took a breath after hearing this, but said nothing.
He briefly described the events as he understood them. "The Sindi have now asked me to lead the investigation on the Federation side. The Republic will transport me there," he concluded his report.
Carol slowly leaned forward and looked directly into Noah's eyes. "So you'll be commanding this mission?" she came to this conclusion without really seeming to ask the question.
"Yes," Noah nodded. "But you command the Republic... This is your ship and I have no intention of taking it. You..." He couldn't finish because she cut him off.
"You know very well this isn't going to work," she reminded him. "Only one person can give orders on a mission like this. Otherwise it would be chaos. Because in an emergency, where is the line between the ship and the mission?"
Noah knew what she meant. But he never wanted to give the impression that he wanted to seize command. Because that's not his intention. He respected her too much and liked her too much. This is her ship and she deserves it. "But I don't want to..."
"Noah," she interrupted gently. "I know. But that's how it is now. In this mission, you take command. That's good. I trust you more than others." She smiled sincerely. "Just like before."
The Admiral didn't know what to say. He was touched by her devotion and understanding of him. He vowed to make amends.
"But our test hasn't been completed yet. Can't the task wait?" She continued to think about the problem objectively and did not spend too much time on personal evaluation. That's her style.
Noah just nodded.
"What does it mean, we're taking a brand new ship, and we don't know exactly all of its reliable capabilities and capabilities, into a crisis area, and we don't know exactly what we're going to encounter?" she continued. road.
"Exactly," Noah confirmed. "I know these are not ideal conditions, but..."
"Not ideal? That's the biggest understatement in a century," she replied sarcastically. "It's really almost the same as before." She shook her head slightly, but a smile appeared on her lips.
Noah couldn't help but laugh too. "Yes, like before," he repeated, although the memory of the past few missions aboard the Republic was not particularly pleasant.
"Not exactly," she added immediately. “It was a crew team of another crew back then.”
At this time, Noah's smile widened. "At least at this point I have good news," he said. "Starfleet will reassemble those former crew members. These were my conditions for this important mission, and they agreed. All former crew members who can be redeployed within a week will be redeployed."
Carol looked at him in disbelief.
"If all goes well, I'm sure you'll still have this crew. It's the least I can do," Noah added.
Carol still couldn't say anything. She could hardly believe it. Just a moment ago, I thought I would be working with a whole new crew and new people, but now I got the familiar old team. This would make her task much easier. "Thank you," she finally said, because she couldn't find any better words.
Noah simply nodded. He was sure that Carol would be able to do the job even with a completely new crew. But why do everything have to be done the hard way, when there's an easy way out? He expected her to be in an awkward situation, not knowing what to say. She has always been reserved about expressing emotions and prefers to be reserved. Carol is the sensible kind of person. He knew her characteristics very well, after all they had been working together for a long time.
"Now we have to think quickly about how to get the crew back together," he continued, in order to relieve Carol of her awkward situation. "You also need to consider who will be your first officer." After Carol was promoted to captain, the position, of course, remained vacant.
