Author: 唇亡齿寒 / Lips Gone, Teeth Cold
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 129
The conference room was pitch black, with only eight white lights glowing like specters. The eight lights formed a circle, but there was a gap—one light that never turned on. Everyone present knew that it probably never would again.
“9 has been absent for a long time.” 2’s light turned red, indicating that he was speaking. Since the last meeting, when the eight of them decided to send Dr. Frank Shelley to Old Earth to destroy the Yasha, 9’s light hadn’t illuminated again.
“I knew from the start that he wanted to monopolize the Yasha,” 6 said. “Although he claimed he wanted the Federation to acquire that powerful weapon of mass destruction, he’s been using us all along. He wants the Yasha for himself.”
“But now that we’ve rejected his proposal to release the Yasha,” 5 said worriedly, “I’m afraid he might never attend our meetings again. What could he be up to? With his power, he could do something detrimental to the Federation…”
“He’s definitely up to something. I’d bet on it,” 3 sneered. “Remember what he did before? To ensure that those who knew about the existence of the fourth advanced AI stayed silent, he took down an entire ship of people with him. And let’s not forget how he secretly used Council resources to hunt down anyone who might leak information about the Yasha. He’s done a lot behind the scenes, using the Council for his own purposes!”
“But where has 9 gone?” 1 sighed. “Could he be collaborating with someone else, working against us?” He then called on 7. “What are our adversaries currently up to?”
7’s light flickered for nearly a minute before it turned red. “The fleet from Neo Athens has recently been gathering. The internal war within the Empire is still ongoing, and it seems that the royal forces have the upper hand. Winnet’s troops are being pushed back to their stronghold.”
“Is Neo Athens becoming a problem too?” 1 said with a heavy tone. “Their newly appointed Archon, Titian, seems like a young man with great ambitions. If they ally with the Empire, they’ll surely become a significant threat to us.”
“Neo Athens is nothing to worry about,” 8 said. “They’ve always prided themselves as the noble descendants of Earth, disdainful of allying with any faction. They likely won’t support the Empire… at least not in the struggle between the Federation and the Empire. Neo Athens may hold lost technologies, but they’re just a bunch of scholars in their ivory tower…”
“Then why are they gathering their fleet?” 1 asked with a hint of displeasure.
“Who knows!” 8 said lazily, his processed voice still carrying a tone of world-weariness. “Maybe they’ve invented a new weapon and want to conduct a military exercise? Or perhaps they’re strengthening their defenses to prevent an attack on Neo Athens? After all, the world hasn’t been very peaceful lately…” He suddenly raised his voice. “Compared to Neo Athens, isn’t the Empire a much more dangerous enemy?”
“Right now, the Empire is tearing itself apart. We should watch from the sidelines and let them weaken each other,” 4 suggested.
“But what if raising a tiger leads to trouble?” 7 said. “If Winnet wins, it’s one thing—we’ve gathered plenty of intel on him over the years and understand his ways. But if that little princess wins, things will become much more complicated. She’s royalty, beloved by the people. After defeating Winnet, she’ll likely consolidate power, turning the fractured Empire into a unified force, and the advantages we’ve built over the years will vanish.”
“So… should we support Winnet?” 6 asked.
“Winnet is ambitious. He might turn on us in the end!” 3 shouted anxiously. “I think we should stay out of the Empire’s internal conflict and focus on the more urgent matter of the Yasha. We can decide on the Empire later.”
The lights in the room flashed rapidly before most of them turned green. “Agreed.” “I support that.” “Let’s proceed as you suggested.”
Of the eight lights, seven turned green, leaving only 1’s light still white.
“What’s the matter, 1? Do you have any objections?”
The others heard 1 sigh deeply. “Gentlemen,” he said, his light turning red. “Is there any possibility of negotiating peace with the Empire?”
3’s voice shrieked. “As long as the Federation and the Empire have armies to send to the battlefield, the war will never end!”
“If the day comes when there are no more armies to send, as you suggest,” 1 said, “it won’t be the dawn of peace—it will be the end of the galaxy.”
His light turned green.
…..
“What are you doing here?”
Alois was carrying his luggage, preparing to board the small spacecraft “Northern Cross” bound for Old Earth. Near the boarding ramp stood a familiar figure, quietly conversing with Leonard. Upon hearing Alois’s voice, the person turned around and smiled. “Hey, you’re here.”
Alois set down his luggage and excitedly shook Casper Shannon’s hand (the latter’s face twitched slightly). “Are you here to see me off? I’m so touched! You’re a real friend! Back when I was in Hecate, you were the only one who wrote to me every month! Even though this mission is extremely dangerous and might be a one-way trip, I’ll never forget you, my good brother!”
Casper withdrew his hand, his smile fading. “I’m the special envoy appointed by Her Highness the Princess. On this mission, we’re colleagues, Alois.”
“…” Alois carefully examined the paint job on the nearby spacecraft, confirming it was indeed the “Northern Cross” and not some similarly named vessel. Then he looked at Casper, ensuring it was truly his old classmate and not someone who just looked like him.
Finally, he asked Leo, “Is this guy in the right place?”
The AI quickly scanned all the berths. “He’s in the right place.”
“What’s he doing here!”
Casper cleared his throat and declared with righteous dignity, “I’m the special envoy appointed by Her Highness the Princess, and I’m going to Old Earth with you on this mission.”
“…Is there no room for negotiation?” Alois asked Leo.
“You can protest to the Princess,” Leonard replied. “But I won’t be submitting any protest on your behalf—you’ll have to do that yourself.”
“Oh, Lord.” Alois picked up his suitcase and walked briskly up the ramp.
After his figure disappeared through the hatch, Casper, still puzzled, asked Leonard, “Why does it seem like he doesn’t welcome me? He wasn’t like this before. Could two years in prison really change someone’s personality that much? Or did I say something wrong that upset him?”
“Everyone has sides you may not be aware of,” Leo advised gently.
Ten minutes later, Joshua Planck arrived with his luggage. Seeing Casper, he spoke almost the exact same words as Alois. “Colonel Shannon? What are you doing here? Are you here to see us off?”
Casper wearily repeated what he had said earlier, “I’m the special envoy appointed by Her Highness the Princess. I’m going to Old Earth with you on this mission…” By the end, even he felt his voice lacked confidence.
Joshua didn’t throw a tantrum like Alois. Instead, he leaned in close to Casper’s ear and whispered in a voice only they could hear, “I value my privacy, Colonel. If you happen to see something you shouldn’t during the journey, I wouldn’t mind resuming my old hobby of collecting eyeballs.” With that, he gave Casper an encouraging smile and patted him on the shoulder. To an outsider, it might have looked like they were having a friendly chat.
After the assassin had also entered the ship, Casper, even more perplexed, asked Leo, “He threatened me! Am I really that unwelcome? Or did I offend him before?”
“Maybe your wattage is too high,” Leo replied wisely.
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