Chapter 130. Unable to communicate, another scam?
Isaac's eyes widened slightly, then wrinkled tightly again. "What makes you think that?" he asked angrily. "Of course not. Starfleet would never support or approve of such behavior." His shock seemed genuine.
"I didn't expect them to either," Noah admitted. "I just can't rule anything out. Does Starfleet have missing antimatter reserves? Have ships reported that they've lost these reserves?"
"I've heard of no such thing," Isaac answered honestly. "But I will investigate accordingly. But I don't think we have a leak internally."
Noah nodded. "Okay. We will wait for further investigation reports and then update you on the latest progress. Until then, we will take no other action for the time being."
"Okay," Isaac agreed. He then said goodbye and ended the communication.
Carol looked at her friend and mentor with questioning eyes. "So what do we do with Cindy until the analysis is complete?"
Noah sighed and avoided her gaze. "This is going to be a tough nut to crack. But if we're going to prevent an overreaction, we have no choice now. I'm going to try to stall Otis for now without this looking like a delaying tactic."
"It's not going to be easy," Carol commented flatly.
"I have to come up with some believable reasons." He didn't sound motivated at all. In fact, he is here to build new foundations for future cooperation and trust. Now I have to think about how to hide it behind my back. Diplomacy is sometimes hard work and hypocrisy.
Ingmar walked through the corridors of the Republic with an easy smile. He felt good and content. It was the first time in a long time that he felt so content. Although they are making no progress investigating the incident, Cindy continues to surround the ship, which naturally worries him. But this doesn't change his basic mood. Because he still couldn't believe he was really here. The nightmare of the past few months is over. He feels like everything will be better now, despite the difficulties outside the ship. He felt completely safe here and nothing bad would ever happen again. Of course, he knew this was irrational and they weren't in the safest place in the universe. Still, he felt fine. Because there is a team here that truly works together, not just people who take orders. That's what makes him feel good. What could go wrong here? His experience aboard the Lexington made him truly realize what he had here and what a great crew meant to him.
So he couldn't help but feel quite content as he walked down the corridor. While his easy smile may have drawn a few confused glances, most of the time he was just smiled back. It's clear that most of the crew are happy to be working together again.
After completing his mission, he was preparing to return to his residence. Thinking about the arrangements for the evening. Will he spend his evenings alone again, or consider visiting the ship's relaxation areas? After all, it was also influenced by the redesign of the boat. So, the visit might be worth it. While he was still thinking, Celia came over. Her face didn't look as happy as his, but her face lit up with a smile when she saw him.
"Hi, Ingmar," she greeted friendly.
"Hi, Celia, it's great to meet you," he said happily. Then he unconsciously decided on his plans for the evening. And Celia should go with him. "What are your plans tonight?" he asked her. "Do you want to go to the leisure area and play together?"
She looked at him with tired eyes. "I don't know. I'm tired. I didn't get much sleep last night, so I'm really thinking about just staying where I am."
He looked at her a little surprised. His own new life was just beginning, and he could barely fathom that these days weren't special for anyone else.
"Yes, it's not bad to do that once in a while," she immediately defended herself because of the look in his eyes. “I know, it was unthinkable before, but now it’s nice to just sit on the couch and enjoy some peace and quiet,” she explains, adding sarcastically: “As long as you don’t gorge yourself on a bunch of candy or a tub of ice cream. "
"Have you really tried that?"
"No," she said with a smile. "That's absolutely not going to happen. After all, there's almost nothing more harmful to the body."
Ingmar smiled at her. She certainly didn't look like she would do that. At least not often. But it's fun to imagine her sitting on the couch with a big tub of ice cream and eating it all the time. "If you don't want to go to the lounge, I might have to go over to your place and bring you some ice cream," he said with a grin.
"Then you have to eat together," she emphasized with a wink. "We have to eat two liters of ice cream. And we can't be lazy. So stomachache or body shape are no excuses."
"Then it might really be impossible. I already have to lose two weeks of detention, after all," he replied jokingly, although he wasn't just joking.
"Gee, forget it," she shrugged. "Then we'll see you tomorrow."
"Okay, see you tomorrow," he nodded, smiling wider. "Maybe see you tonight and I'll bring you ice cream."
"Then you have to bring two spoons."
He looked at her with half-lidded eyes, and replied with a smoky low voice: "No, we just use a spoon to feed each other."
She laughed loudly and tapped him on the upper arm. "Keep walking. Don't come here tonight, you have to be careful."
Ingmar laughed too. He wished her good night and let her go on her way. He stared briefly at her back. Once again, he couldn't help but wonder how they had established such a friendship under less than favorable conditions. And he wasn't sure he deserved such a friendship.
He shook his head slightly and moved on. The little conversation he had just had further increased his satisfaction. It's great to be back here. It was as if time had been turned back and everything was restored to its original state. He knew very well that this was a rare blessing, for few changes could bring people back to their happiest place.
His residence was dark the moment he entered. And in the split second it took for the computer to turn on its lights, Ingmar saw his tablet flicker. The computer left him a message. This could be anything. From reminding him of a meeting, to incoming information, to a new instruction or new rule. Whatever it was, it wasn't what he wanted to know right now. However, he still picked up the tablet and checked it. Maybe this might be something important.
When he saw the sender of the message, he felt like he'd been hit hard. At the same time, his sense of contentment collapsed like a house of cards. This message was sent by Shu Ran. How did she know he could be reached here? He felt like he had suddenly reopened an old wound, one he no longer thought about.
He opened the message with slightly trembling fingers. Because of course we can't wait. Perhaps there is a glimmer of unreasonable hope.
Shu Ran's face appeared on the tablet screen. She looked directly into the camera, just as she did when she recorded the message. "Hi, Ingmar," she said seriously, looking far less happy than usual. "I sent you a message yesterday, and you can imagine my surprise when she came back with your response, which said you were no longer on the Lexington."
She smiled disapprovingly. "Did you forget to tell me that you were transferred? Do you want to make up for this omission? Or are you playing some strange game? I don't know how to treat this." She paused and shook her head. "I have to say, I'm disappointed. We are friends after all. Friends should be honest with each other. Especially about something as important as this. Why didn't you tell me? Don't I have any value to you?" Her eyes were cold and cold. Elusive. "Think carefully about what our friendship means to you. Then you can contact me and I look forward to your explanation. Okay, goodbye."
After playing the message, Ingemar's heartbeat gradually increased. At first it was because of the influence. She was right. He did not tell her that he had been transferred. But that's because he didn't know about the transfer until it was implemented. Of course, he could have told her immediately afterwards, but Celia's words kept echoing in his mind. "Shu Ran has had a boyfriend for almost four weeks." He didn't know how to deal with this. Is it true? The easiest way is to ask her directly. But he hesitated. Maybe it's the fear of hearing the answer. Because deep down in his heart, he knew it was true.
This also made him angry at the end of Shu Ran's message. She scolded him for not being honest enough. But she probably didn't tell him everything either. Why did she think he had to tell her everything, while she herself kept it a secret from him? Who does she think she is? And if she does have a boyfriend, what's the point of asking her if she still cares about him? Did she want to keep him as a backup in case things didn't work out with that person?
The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He wanted to throw the tablet against the wall and break it into pieces. But that would neither eliminate the news about Shu Ran nor change anything.
He stood there angrily. There is only one thing to do now. He had to talk to someone and vent his feelings. And the only suitable person is Celia. Even though she had wanted to be quiet tonight.
Tablet in hand, he rushed out of the room and down the corridor. Not far away. Celia's room was only a few doors down from his. He met no one on the way. This is also good. Because his twisted angry expression would only make people jump.
His inner turmoil was so great that he couldn't wait for Celia to open the door as soon as possible. He didn't say anything and just squeezed into the room.
"Ingmar, what does this mean?" she asked angrily.
He stopped in the middle of the room and turned to face her. His face was full of anger and frustration. He didn't know where to start. Still, his intrusion into her room was registered in his mind. She was already in her pajamas, and her hair looked like she was getting ready for a bath. "I'm sorry, it would be rude if I barged in suddenly like this." He said forcefully.
She immediately sensed something was wrong, and her anger subsided. "I guess you're not here for the ice cream," she said deliberately calmly, trying to lessen his anger.
"Yeah," he shook his head, actually looking slightly relieved. "I received a message from Shu Ran."
"Ah, Shu Ran. It's her again," she sighed. She really didn't want to talk about it tonight. But she didn't want to leave Ingemar alone in this state. Her peaceful night was thus broken.
"She contacted me. She knew I was on the Republic." He told her almost word for word what Shu Ran had accused him of. His emotions wavered between anger and despair. He couldn't handle the emotional turmoil. "How can she accuse me of being indifferent to her? And that I deliberately didn't tell her everything?" He paced the room. "But in a way, she had a point. I really didn't tell her about my transfer. From her perspective, it looked like I was hiding something from her."
"That's not true," Celia interrupted. "Of course, you did not tell her everything, but this finally showed her true colors." When Ingmar looked at her bitterly, she continued: "She is playing games with you." She emphasized every word , it was clear that Ingmar needed this ruthless revelation.
"Why?" he asked weakly.
Celia shrugged. The question was only one word, but it covered so much that she couldn't give an answer. People sometimes have a desire to control others, sometimes consciously and sometimes unconsciously. There are many such examples in human history. From leaders, to entrepreneurs and bosses, to powerful members of the family. Maybe this is just one of human instincts, but some people have stronger instincts.
Not sure how to respond, Celia shrugged again and said, "Why not ask her directly? Have a genuine and direct conversation instead of another recorded message."
"No," he replied in frustration. "Her ship is too far away for direct transmission."
"Who said that?"
"Shu Ran."
Celia sighed. The intensity of emotion that Ingmar was now experiencing apparently not only made him lose his mind but also made him look stupid. "Do you believe what she said?"
Ingmar was surprised and confused. "Why would she lie?"
"She didn't tell the truth about many other things. Why don't you think about it?" Celia asked. When Ingmar didn't answer, she continued: "Because it's convenient for her. And because it gives her control over you."
Ingmar looked at her in shock, not knowing what to say. Was he really deceived by her?
"She is not as far away as she says she is. You can communicate with her directly. Contact her immediately," Celia advised. "While you're still angry."
"Even if I did, she would see based on the communication data that it was me trying to contact her. She would probably not accept it."
Celia nodded. "You're probably right. Then contact her here. Use my connection. I'll be gone for now." She stood up, intending to leave him alone.
"Are you sure I should do this?" He held her back uncertainly.
She sighed and shook her head. "Sometimes I wish I could go back to the old Dre Ingmar. The guy who always knew what he was doing," she murmured. Then she faced Ingemar again. "Of course you should. Tell her what you think. Ask her why she doesn't always tell you everything. She accuses you of doing this. You have the same right."
Ingmar looked at her hesitantly. Of course, he has the right to do so, but the issue is not about rights. But if he confronted her now, it might mean he lost her completely. Although this is not much different from the current situation. Yet he could now cling to a glimmer of hope that, in that case, might eventually disappear. Of course, it's wise to make a clear decision. But he wasn't sure he was ready. Now he at least knew what to expect each day, even if it wasn't pleasant.
Celia emphasized, "I'm waiting in the bedroom." After that, she turned and left, leaving him alone there.
Ingmar stood there somewhat hesitantly. What he wanted most was to return to his room immediately. But he knew Celia wouldn't accept this. Moreover, why does he continue to be fooled by Shu Ran? Why does he continue to act like a clown just to please her?
Her words still echoed in his mind, fueling his anger again. Who does she think she is? Some of his old resolutions came back to him. Celia was right, he had to do it. Here, in this moment, act now. So, he walked to the computer screen and issued an order to establish a connection with Shu Ran.
The connection establishment process lasted several minutes. While waiting, his determination wavered. Was he right to do this? Should he barge in violently, or have a nice talk with her first? Or should he first apologize for not contacting her after his transfer and explain everything?
As time went on, his uneasiness gradually increased and he became a little nervous. When the screen finally came on, he barely noticed, so lost in thought was he.
"Hello, how are you?" Shu Ran announced. She looked confused and surprised. It was obvious that she had just been confused. Maybe he woke her from her sleep. He didn't know what shift she was on and therefore didn't know when she went to sleep.
"Hi, Shuran," Ingmar said, trying to sound as neutral as possible.
"Ingmar?" Her voice was full of surprise. She didn't expect it to be him. However, she was not happy. "Hello, how can you contact me?"
