Chapter 132. Surveillance is strengthened, and the situation between Cindy and the Federation becomes intense.
Noah looked at Otis dejectedly, looking past him toward the screen. There are still shipping containers showing that are harmful to the Federation. If Otis was unwilling to listen to him now, any further justification would be superfluous. Not only that, but it might even irritate him further. In this case, it's best to let him calm down for a while until his anger subsides. Then move on to further conversations. Maybe then, he'll realize the Federation had nothing to do with this horrific act. What are their benefits? Even Otis must admit that the lack of motive was a major problem with this incident. However, Noah gradually became convinced that this was a terrorist attack. None of the clues they found had any other explanation. Antimatter doesn't appear here for no reason. Shipping containers prove it. Now there are attempts to put the blame on the federation.
"Maybe we should continue talking some other time," Noah suggested kindly. "I'll go back to my ship and..."
"You're not going back anywhere," Otis interrupted. He then nodded to the guards, who immediately drew their weapons and pointed them at Noah. "You will be our guest until the formal proceedings begin. Unless someone responsible in Starfleet or the Federation is willing to take the blame for you."
Noah looked at Cindy in surprise. He hadn't expected this at all, even though it seemed obvious. "I think we should..." he started to say, but Otis wasn't even listening to him anymore. Instead, he motioned to the guards to escort Noah away. Admiral Noah therefore had no choice but to be taken to the cell without any conditions.
"Coffee, black coffee," she ordered her replicator in Gabriel Kahlo's waiting room. She had been working countless hours and thought she deserved a short break and a cup of coffee to boost her energy. The replicator made a brief buzzing sound, and then a cup of black liquid with a strong aroma appeared. She happily inhaled the soothing aroma and picked up the cup. Just as she was about to take a bite, the alarm suddenly went off. A red light flickered in the doorway of her room.
Carol was startled. Then she quickly put the cup on the table and hurried out of the room before she even had a chance to take a sip. She once again mentally thanked the ship's designers for their inspiration. Their idea was to place the ready room directly behind the command bridge, still on the same floor, how important that was. In this way, she can reach the bridge as soon as she enters the door, whereas on the old ship, the captain would have to take the elevator to the upper floor. In an emergency, this wastes valuable time.
The red warning light on the bridge was also flashing, and the siren sounded for a few seconds before going off. If not, communication with each other will be very difficult. A red pulsating light is sufficient to indicate an alarm status.
"Report the situation!" she shouted loudly, walking to the command chair and sitting down.
"The escorting Cindy ships have just changed position," Ingmar reported. "They have moved closer and are now only ten meters away from our shell."
Carol couldn't help but shudder. On a vessel of this size, a distance of ten meters is insignificant. It's almost equal to touch. At such a close, the smallest error in navigation would cause the ships to collide, which could have disastrous consequences, with at least one life lost if the ship's hull ruptured. In the worst-case scenario, if a collision affects particularly critical areas, the entire structural integrity can be compromised, resulting in the complete destruction of the vessel. Therefore, such approaches are generally avoided unless the intention is to lean in and dock. However, it's clear that Cindy wants to reduce the Republic's maneuverability to zero. Because that's exactly what happened. They were now unable to move, risking a collision wherever they went.
"In addition, three more Cindy-crawling warships are approaching our interception route," Ingmar continued. "My guess is they're going to be involved in the blockade of us."
Carol quickly mentally considered their remaining options, and there weren't many to choose from. They could no longer escape, and they wouldn't have planned to do so even without Admiral Noah. They are also unable to solve their problems on their own. They can only stay here and try their best to deal with the current situation.
"Did Cindy explain this action?" Carol asked.
"No, Captain. So far, they have not contacted us." Ingmar answered her question.
And Admiral Noah is still there. He'll know what's going on, Carol thought to herself. "Contact Otis's ship. I think he owes us some explanations."
"I hope it's a very good explanation," Ingmar muttered under his breath and started working on the communication. His fingers moved rapidly on the console, and soon the message was transmitted to Otis's ship.
The crew had no choice but to wait while waiting for a response. They watched the approach of the Cindy ships, eventually taking up the Republic's blockade position. Now, the starship is completely surrounded and unable to make any maneuvers. Carol was horrified by their situation. They are like mice caught in a mousetrap. The surrounding ships had enough firepower to destroy the Republic in one blow. If Cindy decided to destroy the starship, they wouldn't even have to worry about counterattack. The crew of the Republic didn't even have a chance to react in this situation. They will die completely unaware.
"Captain, Mr. Otis is calling for you," Ingmar finally called into the silence of the bridge.
"Finally," Carol breathed a sigh of relief, her tension relaxing a little. "Put him on the screen."
On the ship's main screen, a Cindy human face appeared. His face was familiar enough to instantly identify him as their desired contact. However, his expression was cold.
"Mr. Otis, good to hear your voice," Carol began friendly. "There are some events that have happened here that are confusing to us, and I hope you can explain it to us." She gave a flattering smile, but Otis was expressionless and didn't even indicate what to say, so Carol continued. "We have added three more Creeper warships to our convoy, and they are closer to us. Can you tell us the reason for this?" She asked a straightforward question now.
Otis looked at her silently for several seconds. Carol had a feeling that maybe he didn't understand. She was about to repeat the question when he finally started to answer. "This is a precautionary measure to protect you," he said, but his choice of words immediately made Carol suspicious. "Furthermore, I have been directed to inform you that Noah has been arrested. He will be held accountable for his crimes against Cindy. You are to remain on the ship until a decision is made on your further fate. Any other actions on your part will be Will result in the immediate destruction of the Republic."
Carol's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected this at all. The other members of the bridge were also shocked. No one could react, everyone was staring at the screen as if they'd heard something wrong.
"Follow further instructions and wait," Otis ordered, then turned and left.
"Wait," Carol yelled before he could cut the connection. "What crime is Admiral Noah accused of?" She was far more worried about her old comrade than she was about herself and the ship.
"He has been charged with committing a crime on behalf of the Commonwealth. The charges are: conspiring against Cindy and murdering Cindy diplomats. If found guilty, he faces the death penalty." Then he cut the connection before Carol could say anything.
Hastily, Gabriel Caro took some notes before the meeting. She definitely doesn't want to forget any information that needs to be conveyed to her colleagues. Because even something that she personally doesn't think is important may be important to other departments. She never wanted to hide anything. So she's found it helpful over the past few weeks to jot down key points using key words. That way she doesn't miss anything. And it will be easier for her to write reports in the ship's log later.
After learning of Noah's detention and Cindy's apparent suspicion that the Federation was involved in the explosion on the planet, Carol convened an emergency meeting with management. They must quickly agree on next steps. Not only was Noah facing charges and possible conviction, but Cindy immediately began disrupting all communications in the Republic as soon as she got word of Otis. The escorting Republic ships created a powerful jamming zone, preventing any communication. Therefore, they can't even contact Starfleet. They can't even contact Cindy again unless she wants to.
Without the possibility of communication, Carol was unable to coordinate further operations with Starfleet. She has to deal with this situation alone. Although she didn't expect much support. The generals were thousands of miles away, and some even had no actual combat experience. As a result, their orders sometimes seem a little out of touch. But they might be able to achieve something on a completely different diplomatic level to de-escalate the situation here. The Republic's options are decidedly limited.
Carol paused and took a deep breath. They will find a solution. They will resolve the situation. After all, she has a capable crew and no one has to figure things out alone.
When she was sure everything was ready, she left the room, walked across the bridge, and immediately entered the elevator. The main conference room is still located one level below the bridge. Placing the conference room on a deck would require more space, although Carol would have loved to have done so. But can't get everything.
The leadership team consists of Ingemar, Daisy, Jeffrey, Dr. Celia and the young psychologist Mi Zhiwa. But Nilf and Tiny were also invited to this meeting. Tiny was invited because it involved the fate of her father, and she was more than just a regular member of the crew. Nilf was invited because he was the best pilot on the ship and might be able to make some contribution.
As captain, Carol sat at the head of the table and looked at her colleagues in turn. "You've all heard what happened," she began, because of course, Otis's words had spread rapidly throughout the ship. Sometimes it’s unbelievable how far rumors spread. If only official news could spread as quickly as this.
She goes over the conversation and Otis's words so that everyone understands the situation. In order not to miss anything, she also put the transcript of the conversation in front of her. "What do you think about this?" She looked at Ingemar first.
Ingmar said hesitantly: "I don't think we have much choice. We have to wait for the Sindi to contact us again. They hold our fate in their hands. If the data we collect doesn't hold any clues that prove our innocence, I think The future is grim." Ingemar was very aware of this helpless situation, and so was everyone else. Therefore, he felt that there was no need to talk in roundabout ways.
Now everyone's attention turns to Jeffrey as Ingmar mentions the data they collected at the explosion site. The Vulcan is the person responsible for data analysis.
Jeffrey understood the intention and took the topic very calmly. "These data do not allow us to infer the origin of the antimatter," he said, disappointing everyone else. "Regardless of which race is responsible for its production, antimatter has the same properties. Unlike materials such as processed metal, there are no typical production characteristics that can be inferred."
"In other words, this antimatter may come from any race," Carol concluded his statement again.
"Yes."
"So, this antimatter may also come from the Federation?" Celia answered the question.
"The possibility exists," the Vulcan confirmed in his usual objective manner. "However, this is not an argument for or against. As I said before, it could come from any race."
"Well, the data doesn't help us," Carol said.
Jeffrey hesitated, then said, "At least not in this case."
"There are no other questions now," she stressed. "Our most important task is to find evidence to prove the captain's innocence."
Jeffrey raised his right eyebrow. "We don't have any evidence that excludes federal involvement."
"As long as there is no conclusive evidence, we will rule out this possibility." Her firm words left no room for doubt. "Keep analyzing the data and squeeze out every bit of information. Read the subtext. No matter what, come up with a result," she instructed the Vulcan.
"It would be nice if we had more data," Ingmar muttered.
"Forget it. The Sindi won't allow us to investigate further on that planet. We have to make do with what we have." Carol didn't like this either, but they had no choice. They cannot make demands.
"Is this all we can do?" Tini spoke, her voice a little hoarse, as if she was trying to stay calm. "This will never help our father."
Several pairs of sympathetic eyes turned to her. Because everyone knows how difficult the situation is. In this situation, it must have been particularly difficult for Tiny. Her father was not far away, but completely out of reach. And they knew nothing of his further fate. It was almost like standing by and unable to do anything.
"That's really not a good starting point," Carol said softly, trying to reassure Tiny. "But we will work hard to bring your father back. No one will stop looking until he is here again. Because we all regard him as a mentor, a friend or a highly respected colleague. I am sure the Sindi people will also be interested in We're open to reasonable arguments. We just need to find them."
Tini just nodded and said nothing more.
"Ms. Daisy, please find a way to neutralize the Sindi interference field," she ordered the Chief Engineer. "We must restore functionality to our communications systems. Without them, we will be deaf and dumb."
"We're working on it," Daisy replied firmly. "But it's not simple. The Sindi interfere with all frequencies in a way I've never seen before. But of course, we won't give up."
Carol nodded. "Mr. Murakami Io, stay safe. There may be an opportunity for a rescue mission. We can't miss this opportunity. We don't know what other plans the Sindi have. If they plan to board our spacecraft, we must be prepared. .”
Murakami Io nodded, his blue tentacles swaying slightly.
"Mr. Ingmar, use sensors to scan the explosion site as best you can. Maybe we can get some information from here."
"Yes, Captain." His voice betrayed his suspicion. It is very impossible to obtain information from orbit. The sensors on the ship don't have enough resolution to receive data at the atomic level.
Carol looked around briefly. "That'll be it for now," she said then. "start working."
...
"Any news coming in?" Admiral Isaac asked his secretary. He leaned slightly and spoke clearly into the microphone of the communication device connected to the room next to him.
"Not yet, Admiral," was the answer he was worried about hearing. After all, this isn't the first time he's asked. He must have asked that five or six times in the past hour. I got the same answer every time. while his secretary repeated it with admirable calmness. She didn't seem bothered by his repeated questioning. He made sure to express his appreciation to her when the time was right.
"Okay. Let me know as soon as you have any news."
"Of course, sir." The secretary confirmed?
After he disconnected the call, he leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath. Hours earlier, he ordered an inspection of all antimatter stocks. Inspections were carried out in all storage rooms and on board vessels. Although he was sure that Starfleet had not lost anything, as such losses would have been reported to him, he wanted to be sure. Because if something does go missing and the material falls into the wrong hands, the consequences could be catastrophic. Antimatter is not only used in energy production but also in weapons. A photon torpedo without antimatter is nothing more than an ineffective firework. As a bomb in a terrorist attack, if the entire quantity is used at once, the consequences will be catastrophic.
Finally, he stood up and walked to the window, which offered a view of San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge. The sun hits the water and the bridge, making everything bright. But today the sky is cloudy and gloomy. So even the spectacular scenery in the past has lost its charm and looks a bit depressed. It's as if the outside world is trying to adapt to the atmosphere inside Starfleet.
