Kalvin stared at Olivia cautiously. "No," he replied, his eyes sharp.
Olivia's expression turned annoyed. "Then why did we bother to bring guns here? Why do we bother to risk our lives hiding them in our jackets?" she asked, gesturing towards her leather jacket.
Kalvin's voice was urgent as he answered, "We brought them in case we want them, but that doesn't mean we must use them."
"And now it's needed," Olivia said firmly.
"It's not as simple as you think, Olivia!" Kalvin replied, concern evident in his tone. "We need more details before crossing that line. It's death if you cross it at the wrong time. We need to find the perfect moment."
Olivia frowned in response to Kalvin's dismissive behaviour. "I didn't say I'm going to use it now," she disagreed.
Kalvin looked away, his body language indicating he was still unconvinced.
Undeterred, Kalvin continued, "Anyway, the easiest thing to do is to find a way to win Megan's trust. We can get Kara's trust through Megan, or maybe we can use Emerson."
Olivia's brow furrowed in confusion. "We're talking about stealing keys? Why does trust matter?" she complained.
Kalvin interrupted her sharply, "I'm talking about collecting necessary information from them."
Olivia's frown deepened as she tried to understand Kalvin's reasoning. "But Kalvin, we don't have time to play the long game. We need to act quickly if we want to have any chance of getting that key card."
Kalvin shook his head, his expression serious. "No, just getting the card and running away isn't the plan. You may not be seeing the full risk here, but the tunnels are not an option. They're highly guarded, as we already know."
He paused, his gaze intent. "The ocean is the way that we have to use. For that, we need the advanced diving suits we saw ." Kalvin said pointing his head toward the swimming suit lying on the floor of the other room. Olivia took another quick look at it
Olivia frowned, her frustration evident. "How long do you plan to stay here, Kalvin? A year? Maybe you love the party here, but I want to go."
Kalvin's voice turned sharp. "Are you the soldier here or am I? You know nothing about planning a mission."
Olivia smirked, her expression tinged with humiliation. "Oh, really? But at least I know we can't stay here a year and we can't just buy diving suits."
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With that, she angrily turned and walked down the staircase, leaving Kalvin behind.
Kalvin muttered under his breath, his own humiliation evident. "So much for working together."
Olivia hurried to the dining room, where she saw Carl talking with Emerson. Eager to learn more, she took a seat beside Carl.
"Interesting talk?" Olivia asked.
Carl greeted her with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I'm sure you'll find it interesting," he said cryptically.
Olivia's brow furrowed. "Why? What's wrong?"
Carl's expression turned serious as he revealed the news. "They're going to break down O-1129 into pieces," he said, his hand resting under his chin.
Olivia's eyes widened in surprise and fear. "What?" she exclaimed.
Emerson nodded solemnly. "Yes, he's right. They're scanning it now to find out which parts are usable."
Olivia's voice rose in desperation. "But we need it! We can't let them do that!"
Carl quickly shushed her, his eyes darting around the room. "Keep your voice down," he warned.
Emerson explained, "They need parts to repair their spacecraft. They've been looking for proper parts for centuries."
Olivia fell silent, her mind racing as she processed this new information. After a moment, her eyes lit up with determination.
"Can I talk to their leader? Is there a way?" she asked urgently. Emerson's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Talk? You're not even supposed to stand in front of the queen without permission," he said.
Olivia and Carl exchanged a glance of surprise. "Stand? Are we supposed to bow?" Carl asked, confused.
"Yes, of course," Emerson replied, staring at the bewildered faces of Olivia and Carl.
Olivia let out a breath, the stress evident on her face. "Isn't there any way for me to meet the queen? Can Kara ask? You can tell the queen that I'm a daughter of the leader of the Octagon Verenda and that Kalvin is the son of the chancellor. Tell her we'd like to have a deal or alliance or something like that," she said enthusiastically.
Emerson was puzzled for a moment. "I don't think Megan will like this idea," he said, lost in thought.
"Megan's born here. She knows nothing about Octagon Verenda, but you do! Our future relies on that spacecraft. We want it unharmed," Olivia pleaded, her tone desperate.
Emerson let out a breath. "I'll try, but I can't be sure of anything," he replied.
"Okay," Olivia said as Emerson stood up to leave.Olivia and Carl watched as Emerson left, both of them lost in thought.
Olivia turned to Carl, her expression troubled. "Hmmm, I don't think it'll work. We have to do something," she said.
Carl placed a hand on her arm, his expression serious. "Olivia, we need to be careful here. These people have their own rules and customs, and we don't want to risk angering them further. Let's see what Emerson can do, and then we can decide our next move. Don't do anything stupid."
Olivia nodded, her determination still evident. "I know, Carl. I just feel like time is running out, and we can't afford to lose that spacecraft. But we'll do this the right way, with Emerson's help."
Carl squeezed her arm reassuringly. "I understand, but we have to be smart about this. One wrong move could jeopardize everything. Let's trust that Emerson can at least get us an audience with the queen. If not, we'll regroup and come up with another plan."
Olivia sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Alright, Carl. I'll try to be patient, but you know how hard that is for me."
Carl chuckled lightly. "I know, Olivia. That's why I'm here to keep an eye on you. We're in this together, and we'll figure a way out of this, I promise."
Olivia managed a small smile, her faith in her boyfriend renewing.
"Okay, Carl. Let's wait and see what Emerson can do. But if it doesn't work, we're going to have to take matters into our own hands, one way or another."She said standing up. She kissed his lips softly before leaving.