Chapter 276 — Negotiations and Returns
The workshop had only just begun to settle after the long discussion when the sharp tone of a communicator broke through the quiet.
At first, Halsey had been about to continue asking questions about the Imperium, the Great Scouring, and the Codex Astartes. There were still countless things she wanted to know. The future of the Imperium. Guilliman's reforms. How the Legions had been broken apart and how that change had held together for ten thousand years.
But the sound stopped that thought in its tracks.
Halsey glanced down at her wrist communicator.
The caller identification appeared almost immediately.
Commander Osman.
Halsey stared at the name for a moment. Osman was likely calling to check on progress. The lasgun had been the opening exchange, but the real question now was what Gaius and his group wanted in return.
The sound drew everyone's attention.
Gaius looked toward her.
Tony did as well.
Naruto and Mindy paused their own side conversation and glanced over.
Halsey tapped the communicator once and held it for a moment before answering.
"It is Commander Osman."
Tony nodded.
"That was fast."
Given the significance of the lasgun and the kind of possibilities it opened, nobody was really surprised. Osman would want updates. The exchange was too important to leave idle for long.
Halsey looked toward Gaius.
"I'll step out for a moment and speak with Commander Osman about the Slipspace technology."
Gaius gave a nod.
"You have my thanks."
Halsey nodded back. A faint smile touched her face.
"Don't thank me yet."
Then she turned and walked out of the workshop.
The door closed behind her.
For a moment, the room was quiet.
The remaining group sat in the workshop with the soft hum of machinery around them. The conversation they had just finished had been heavy enough already. Horus. The Emperor. The Astronomican. The Golden Throne. The Great Scouring. Guilliman. The Codex Astartes.
For once, nobody seemed eager to immediately fill the silence.
Then Mindy glanced around the room.
"Should I call Tanya and the others?"
Naruto looked between Tony and Gaius, clearly leaving the decision to them. He had listened more than he probably would have admitted, but the scale of the history still left him looking more interested than invested.
Tony shrugged.
"I don't have any objections."
His gaze shifted to Gaius.
After all, it was his history they had been discussing.
Gaius thought for a moment before shaking his head.
"There is no need to disturb them."
Mindy tilted her head slightly.
Gaius continued.
"Simply send them a recording of what was discussed. Or relay the information to them later. That should be enough for them to understand my world and its history."
Naruto nodded.
"That sounds easier."
Then he stretched a little and added with a glance toward the ceiling, "Besides, that's a lot of history to sit through."
Mindy immediately pointed at him.
"Wait. You were actually paying attention?"
Naruto looked away.
"I was listening."
A brief pause followed.
"Mostly."
That earned a laugh from Tony, and even Gaius seemed faintly amused. The mood in the room loosened a little after Halsey's departure. The weight of what they had been discussing was still there, but for the moment there was no urgency to push ahead.
Outside the workshop, Halsey had already accepted Osman's call.
A holographic image of Commander Osman appeared before her. The projection shimmered to life in the corridor, centered neatly before Halsey's line of sight.
"Dr. Halsey," Osman began, "I'm calling to ask about the progress. Have you learned what technology Gaius wants in exchange for the lasgun?"
Halsey nodded once.
"Yes."
"I've asked him directly."
Osman's expression sharpened with interest.
"And?"
Halsey answered plainly.
"Slipspace technology."
For a brief moment, Osman said nothing.
The silence was easy to read. The answer was not what she had expected.
The lasgun itself was already a remarkable weapon. Even the power pack alone could change military logistics in ways the UNSC would immediately feel. Exchanging Slipspace technology for it sounded, at first glance, uneven.
Halsey saw the hesitation immediately.
"You're thinking too narrowly."
Osman looked at her.
"What do you mean?"
Halsey folded her arms.
"Do you honestly believe the lasgun is the only technology they possess?"
That made Osman pause.
Halsey continued before she could answer.
"Everything we've learned so far suggests otherwise."
"The lasgun is merely one piece of their technological base."
"They possess interstellar travel."
"They have transhuman soldiers."
"They have technologies and sciences we haven't even begun to understand."
Osman remained quiet, listening carefully.
Halsey pressed on.
"And more importantly, this isn't simply a trade."
"This is the beginning of a relationship."
"A long-term one, if we handle it correctly."
Her tone was even, but firm.
"If they were only interested in taking what they could and leaving, they wouldn't be spending days answering questions, sharing information, and helping us understand their civilization."
That part was difficult to argue against.
Halsey knew it.
Osman knew it too.
Halsey continued.
"We gain more from trust than from a single exchange."
"Cooperation opens access to future exchanges."
"Future knowledge."
"Future technologies."
Osman slowly nodded, the hesitation leaving her expression little by little. She could see the logic. The value was not just in what was being traded right now, but in everything that might come after.
Then Halsey added one last remark.
"Commander."
Osman looked up.
"Are you really Admiral Parangosky's protégé?"
The question caught her off guard.
Halsey did not let that slow her down.
"Because Admiral Parangosky would already be looking ten steps ahead."
The words hung in the air for a moment.
Osman stayed quiet for several seconds.
Then she nodded.
"I understand your point."
Halsey gave a small nod in return.
Good.
A few more moments passed in conversation before the call finally ended. Halsey turned back and walked into the workshop again.
When she re-entered, the others looked up.
She greeted them with a calm expression, then spoke at once.
"The technology of the Slipspace for exchange is completed."
Tony's eyes shifted toward her immediately.
Halsey continued.
"The related information will be delivered to you via physical blueprint, physical information on paper, and a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine will be given to you."
Tony blinked, then let out a low sound of appreciation.
"Oh, even given a Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine. That's quite generous."
Gaius looked at Halsey and gave a respectful nod.
"Thank you, Dr. Halsey."
He had clearly heard enough of what she and Osman had discussed outside to understand the exchange, but he had not rejected it. He had not taken offense. He had welcomed it.
Halsey nodded once and accepted that response without hesitation.
Then she asked the next question naturally.
"Shall we continue?"
Gaius nodded.
He did not refuse.
~~~
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