Chapter 140. Goodbye, Noah!
On the small screen of his connector appeared the face of a Plant Sindy. Whether he is young or old, it's hard to tell since the tree man seems to look the same at every stage of his life.
"Mr. Otis, we have completed our investigation of the Federation data chip," Plant Cindy explained his call.
"Yes. Then what?" Otis urged the man, because he really couldn't stand the slowness of this race at the moment.
"There is no serious doubt that this record is true," Plant Cindy replied, seemingly oblivious to the man's impatience.
"No serious suspicion?" Otis repeated doubtfully. "This means that there are still doubts about authenticity?"
Plant Cindy glanced at him. Clearly, he was thinking about how to explain this to someone not involved in science. "In an investigation like this, there is always some suspicion. Whether true or false can never be proven 100 percent. However, there are some leads that can be investigated. If these leads are true, then there is no serious doubt. "
Otis rolled his eyes. The scientists at Plant Cindy are always so petty, and this attitude is really tiring. However, he has yet to meet any Martian scientists.
"Okay," then Otis nodded. "Please send your results in a formal format to all members of parliament, and a copy to their respective governments. We want to have as much transparency as possible here."
"I will," Cindy the plant replied, before ending the call.
Otis breathed a sigh of relief, allowing himself time to contemplate fate and its twists. The path of the universe can be really twisty and unpredictable sometimes. Just a day earlier, he had wanted to blame the Confederacy for this tragedy. He felt guilty that he had taken sides with them and negotiated, risking his political future and career by doing so. He had sworn never to trust them again. However, it has now been proven that they were actually innocent. Just like they always emphasize.
Following this realization, it can be expected that Parliament will agree to continue negotiations. And based on his knowledge of the Federation, they would not refuse. This meant that he could continue to advance his original idea. Perhaps now, closer cooperation between the Cindy clan can finally be achieved, especially considering that the Crawling Cindy is once again going it alone. This is no longer acceptable. Only by working together can we stop this. Furthermore, they only have common agreement with the Federation. Responsible governments must recognize that they are one ethnic group.
In principle, this is very simple. In reality, however, this is not the case. Because there is much more at stake than unity imagined. It's about more power for the governments involved. There are currently five governments, five different forms of governance. In every government, a few people hold power and benefit from it. This is something no one wants to give up easily. Therefore, there is still a long and difficult journey to achieve the true unification of the Sindi people. Otis realizes this now. And he had to admit that he might not be able to witness this unity himself. But that's no reason for him to give up now. He believes this goal will be achieved one day. At that time, all Sindi will benefit. In order for this day not to be too far away, we must fight for it now. And he will continue to do this until the end of his life.
Ingmar stood in the turbolift on the way to the bridge. Although he was already off duty, Captain Carol asked him to go to her preparation room. He didn't know what she wanted from him. But that can't be a good thing. There seems to be no good news these days. Noah's death looms over everything. The atmosphere on the ship was strange, even though they were on their way back home. Everything was quiet and the relaxation area was deserted. People spoke only to each other in hushed tones, and the crew was so overcome with grief that they could almost feel it. Almost the entire crew had served under Noah since he was captain. Including Ingemar. And most have served longer than he has. Some crew members had served under him for many years and had never experienced another commander. He has always been well-liked by his crew and a highly respected captain. He understands the balance between his leadership role and being a human being. Not every commander can do this.
Ingemar was also overcome with grief. Even though he tried not to let anyone notice. He and Captain Noah spent less than two years together, and all under extreme circumstances. But he knew very well that he had to thank Noah. After all he was the one who, after all his faults, kept him on the ship and gave him a chance. An opportunity to change your mind and find the right path. This is rare.
It was a strange feeling to know that he was gone, one that Ingmar could not understand or explain.
The elevator door opened and he walked into the bridge. No one paid attention to him, everyone was silently busy with their tasks. There was this sad silence on the bridge too.
He walked toward the back of the bridge, toward the captain's ready room. Murakami Io glanced at him and nodded slightly. He currently holds command of the ship, so he sits in the command chair.
Then Ingmar entered the preparation room. Carol was sitting behind her desk, already waiting for him. She stood up and motioned for him to sit at the desk. Then she sat down with Ingmar.
"Mr. Ingmar, I called you here to tell you that I have made a decision regarding my representation," Carol said straight to the point.
Ingmar nodded. He is currently her deputy, but the ship's first officer position remains vacant. He knew he couldn't serve as interim agent forever. Although he enjoys the job.
"After much consideration, I have decided that you are the best person for this position," she revealed to him. "I will promote you to commander." She smiled. "congratulations."
Ingmar looked at her in complete surprise. He didn't expect this. He originally thought she just wanted to tell him about the new officers and that he would be back in the operations department again. It was a bit unexpected that she would promote him. He instinctively reached out and took the hand she offered him. "Thank you very much," he said. "Forgive me for saying this, but I always thought you didn't have any special affection for me," he blurted out, almost regretting it. But now it has been said.
She looked at him with a look he couldn't understand. "I have reservations about you," she said slowly. "But your work convinced me." She paused, considering whether to say more, but decided against it. "Besides, Admiral Noah recommended you to me for this position before he died..." She paused, looking away for a moment. When she regained her composure, she looked at Ingmar again. "He thinks you're the right person for the position."
Ingmar grew serious and looked at her. "Are you promoting me just because Admiral Noah is now dead?" His surprise was replaced by suspicion. "Because if that's the case..."
"No," she interrupted firmly. "The final decision is mine. I don't promote anyone because of what others want. That's not what I want. And Noah wouldn't want that. I've thought about it and decided you are a good fit for the position. Only time will tell if I'm right. Just like any other promotion."
"I will do whatever it takes to live up to your trust," Ingmar replied, and he meant what he said. He was almost dishonorably kicked out of the fleet two years ago and never expected to be promoted again. And now, both Noah and Carol have given him this opportunity. He definitely didn't want to let any of them down. At the same time, he immediately thought of other things. "Ops positions are now vacant," he said, referring to this fact.
Carol looked at him sideways, wondering what he was going to do. She was sure he had a suggestion to make. And he does have the power to make important personnel recommendations in his new position.
"I have an idea for my successor. Depp from the Lexington."
Carol frowned. "Sorry, I don't recognize that name," she shook her head.
"He's a relatively new cadet graduate. But I think he'll be a good fit with our crew," he explained. "And he reminds me of my youth. I want to coach him so he doesn't make the same mistakes I made."
Carol didn't seem entirely sure about this, but she decided not to say no outright right away. "This decision doesn't have to be made today," she said. "We'll discuss it after we get to Earth."
Ingmar nodded politely. "Of course." There was no urgency. There are more important things now. Like an upcoming event. A thought flashed through his mind that maybe Carol promoted him to First Class now so that she wouldn't have to show up alone. Because in a few minutes, a memorial service for Admiral Noah will begin.
In fact, Carol now stood up and asked him to accompany her. Together they crossed the bridge with only a few people on it. None of these personnel had ever served under Noah. Others will not miss the opportunity to attend the memorial service.
The memorial ceremony was held on the large observation deck of the spacecraft. From there you can overlook the entire universe. The Republic has initiated the jump and is now stationary in space, far away from any star system.
A torpedo room was built in front of the window, and Noah's body lay inside. The photon torpedo's hull is as long as a human being, making it ideal for a final resting place. Therefore, it is customary in Starfleet to bury the remains of fallen colleagues within them. Aboard the spaceship, the flag of the Interstellar Federation draped the sarcophagus, a white, simplified representation of the Milky Way surrounded by a blue garland. This symbolizes that Noah always regarded the welfare of the Federation, peaceful coexistence with other races, and continued curiosity as more important than his own life. He had always believed that bringing together people from such diverse races in the Commonwealth was a blessing and worth protecting.
When Carol and Ingmar entered the room, the space was already packed. Some of the crew had to stand in the open doorway. There simply isn’t enough space for so many people. After all, the ship had more than four hundred crew members. If you take into account the temporary replenishment of the entire ship, then there are only about fifty people absent here.
A passage was left open for the captain and Ingemar, and they moved forward. Other senior officials were already standing there. After briefly making eye contact with Carol, Ingmar walked over to Celia and hugged her. Her eyes were already red, grateful to have him for support.
Carol walked up to the crew and looked around everyone in silence. On every face she saw the grief they felt at this loss. The tears shed were almost countless. Many people present were crying or had tears in their eyes. Tiny looked particularly bad. She is devastated by the loss of her father, although she tries to stay strong. It was obvious on her face that she had cried a lot. Especially when she is alone or with close friends. At this moment, she stood between Mi Zhiwa and Daisy. Nilf stood behind her, looking ready to support her in case her legs gave out. He also appears tired, although he has a Vulcan side that allows him to handle the situation better than others. Only Jeffrey looked as calm as ever. He stood next to Io Murakami, whose blue skin looked paler than usual, his tentacles hanging sadly.
"We are gathered here today to say goodbye to a man that each of us knew in some way," Carol began, her voice cracking. "Some of you have known him for a long time, served under his leadership for a long time, and spent many years with him. We have experienced a lot with him and endured a lot together." The whole room was silent, except for a few A small sigh followed by tears. "I myself served under him for five years. I learned a lot from him. I also have a lot to thank him for. It was he who promoted me to First Officer. And ultimately nominated me to Captain. Many of you here People go through similar experiences. He always thinks about his crew. Everyone is the same. If sometimes he fails to do that, he is the one who suffers the most. He wants everything to be fair. This is a High standards, bound to fail occasionally. But he tried. He was more than just a leader. He was the kind of superior we aspire to be. He showed understanding when appropriate, but also challenged and pushed the crew to achieve The limit. And beyond. We grew with him. But he never overloaded anyone. He had a feel for his crew and always seemed to have the right words. He was an extraordinary captain. He was an extraordinary person. . There are very few people like him. The universe has now lost an important figure. But we will never forget him." Carol felt her voice becoming more and more trembling, as if she might choke at any time. But she had said what she wanted to say. Therefore, she now assumed an upright military posture. Others across the room followed her example. Then, Carol gave the signal, and Murakami stepped forward, removed the flag from the coffin, and folded it neatly. Then take two steps back.
"Stand at attention!" he shouted, and everyone present saluted. The next moment, the coffin was captured by the teleportation beam and teleported into space. There it will rest forever.
Through the large windows, people could see the coffin slowly leaving the ship, although it was not certain whether it was the coffin leaving the ship or the ship leaving the coffin.
"We were born from stardust and we shall return to stars," Carol said softly, enough for almost everyone in the quiet room to hear. These words brought some people to tears.
On this day, Carol herself couldn't cry. She had shed all her tears. But she felt the same deep sadness as everyone else. She's glad that others are able to express their emotions more freely. This way, crew members don’t have stored emotions that interfere with their ability to do their jobs. Or lead to a sudden outburst of emotion at a certain moment. Mi Zhiwa also sees it this way. Being at peace with your sad feelings will help you process them.
As the coffin moved farther and farther away from the ship, the crew gradually dispersed. Because people standing at the back can hardly see the situation in front through the windows. So, the room gradually emptied out until only the leadership team remained. They stood there until Noah's coffin was out of sight. Even so, they stood together quietly. No one spoke, everyone was immersed in their own memories of the deceased. Only Tiny's sobs broke the silence from time to time. Daisy held her in her arms and together they found support in their grief.
Finally, Jeffrey was the first to break the silence. "I'll be back in the control room," he told Carol. It seemed to him that there was nothing left to do here. Because grief is an emotion, Jeffrey cannot understand it. It doesn't make sense. Of course, he feels the loss, but unlike humans, he just accepts it and recognizes it as a part of life. Then move on. To the logical Vulcan, grief was meaningless. It cannot resurrect the dead, nor does it serve any other purpose. So, logically, it doesn't make any sense.
Ino Murakami also followed the Vulcans, and Carol let them leave. After all, there is no rule on how long they should stay here. This is a free decision for each individual.
A few minutes later, Carol said goodbye too. She's not the type to express her emotions in public. She preferred to mourn silently in silence. She knew this probably wouldn't be the only loss in her life. Living in the universe can be dangerous and occasionally costly. But that shouldn’t stop anyone from making the journey. Noah also understood the risk, but nonetheless made his choice. She knew that if she could ask him, he would not regret his decision now.
Finally, Celia, Ingmar and Nilfer left too. The doctor touched Tiny's arm tenderly, having to hold back his tears again. She was filled with sympathy for the young woman and hoped to help share some of her burden. But this is impossible. She can only be with Tiny when she needs her.
Ingmar found it strange to return to everyday life. They've already experienced a loss and now they have to continue working as normal? It was a bit unimaginable to him at the moment, but he had no other ideas. And life must go on, a reality faced after every death. Even though it’s emotionally difficult to imagine right now.
Tini, Daisy and Mi Zhiwa stayed in this big room. They continued to look out the window at the stars. They remained silent, enjoying the tranquility and calmness of the universe. Countless stars and light points emitted eternal light in the infinite universe, as if to transcend time. They are seemingly everlasting lights in the ever-changing world of the living.
Suddenly, Tiny broke the silence with uncertainty, "Does he know what he means to me and how much I love him?"
Daisy hugged her tightly, "Of course I do," she replied. "He loves you back."
Tiny looked at her as if to say that this answer would be the same for anyone. She looked suspicious. "Why are you so sure?"
Daisy smiled good-naturedly, "Because he told me so himself," she answered. "More than once. He talked about you a lot. Because he wanted to do everything right by you. He felt so guilty for not being there for you sooner and he never forgave himself."
"But he didn't know me at all," Tiny said through tears. "He doesn't know me at all."
"That doesn't mean he doesn't blame himself for it. That's just the kind of person he is."
Tiny tried to hold back the tears that welled up in her heart. "It's all my fault," she said with difficulty. "I made the mistake of harboring so much blame for him. At first, I treated him with my hatred and rejection, but he was so understanding and considerate. However, I wronged him." Her weeping became more and more violent, and the last few words The words were barely audible.
Daisy stroked Tiny's hair tenderly. She herself had developed a strong bond with Noah through friendship, and she now felt equally responsible for the young woman. She swore to herself that she and her friend and mentor would be there for Tiny whenever she needed her. "He never felt it was wrong," Daisy replied. "He loves you and he is happy to have found you. No matter what you do, his feelings will never change. You can ask for anything and he will try to give it. You are his everything."
Tiny couldn't hold it in any longer. She let her tears flow freely. Daisy hugged her tightly, showing her that she was not alone in her grief. So, they stood there, with Mi Zhiwa nearby, looking at the stars. Now these stars had a new companion - Noah.
