Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Three

"So now?" Duvall asked.The four of them had lunch together in the restaurant. "What do you mean?" Hearst asked. "I mean, what to do now?" Duvall said, pointing to Hearst, "You've been transplanted into a new body," and then pointing to Dahl, "He's back from Death too, and we're all from parallel worlds. The movie is back, no more dying for drama. We won. Now what?" "I don't think it's going to be that simple," Hansen said. "I don't think we've won the game. We're just in control of our own destiny."

"That's right," Hurst said, "after all this stuff, the final conclusion is that if one day we slipped in the bathroom and banged our skulls on the toilet, , we can say with great pride: 'So what, I made my own choice.'” "When you put it this way, I think it's not worth the trouble before." Duval said. "I don't mind banging my head on the toilet," Hurst said, "if I live to be a hundred and twenty years old." "When you turn one hundred and twenty years old, I will bring ceresin as a gift." Duval said solemnly. "I just can't wait," Hurst said.

"Andy, are you okay?" Hansen asked. "I'm fine," Dahl smiled. "I'm sorry, I was just thinking about things, about the reality of my own existence and so on." "We don't need to worry about this anymore," Hurst said. "That's what it's all about." "You're right," Dahl said, "I know." Duvall looked at her communicator. "Oops, I'm going to be late," she said. "I have to go train the recruits." "Oh, heavy promotion," Hurst said. "It's hard, really hard." Duval said, getting up to leave.

"I'll go with you," said Hurst, "and you can pour out your bitterness." "Great," Duvall said.They both left. Hansen stared at Dahl, and said after a while: "Are you still thinking about the authenticity of existence?" "Basically," Dahl said, "it's your business I'm really thinking about." "Me?" Hansen was a little surprised. "Well," Dahl said, "while I was recovering, there was something about you that puzzled me. You seemed out of place." "Interesting," Hansen said, "I'd like to hear more about it."

"Think about it," Dahl said, "recalling the day the five of us first met, the day we were aboard the Intrepid. In a sense, each of us was special. Hearst's Existence, seemingly purposeless, becomes the key to everything; Duvall is medically trained and close to Kerensky, making her a great help when we need to use Kerensky; Finn gave us material and intelligence support, and his sacrifice urged us to action; Jenkins told us how it happened, and taught us how to get there." "So what about you?" Hansen said, "What is your role?" "Actually, that's what I've never figured out," Dahl said. "I've been thinking about what I've brought to the group. I've thought I'm the one who makes the plan — comes up with the basic idea. And then everyone executes together. A logistics. But then I think about Kerensky, what kind of role does he play in that."

"His role is the same as Xiaoqiang's starring role in other plays, and he is constantly beaten." Hansen said. "That's right." "But you can't be Kerensky," Hansen said. "We already have a Kerensky, and he's Kerensky." "The point wasn't that Kerensky kept getting beaten," Dahl said. "The point was that he kept getting beaten and never died." "I can't keep up with your train of thought," Hansen said. "Jimmy, how many times have we died since we came aboard the Intrepid?" Dahl asked. "I can count at least three. First, the time I was attacked at Eskridge Colony." The first time, when Cathaway and Becky both died; then there was the time on the Nantes, in the interrogation room with Finn and Captain Abernathy; and this time with Hess. I was wounded on deck six on the Dreadnought together; all three times I was logically certain to die, no 'ifs' and 'buts'. I was really badly wounded. But I didn't die. So I I feel that I am the protagonist at the center of the world.”

"But you're a bitch," Hanson said. "We're all. Jenkins said it, Paulson said it, even the actor who played you said it." "I'm a supporting character in this show," Dahl said, "but I'm really a protagonist in other places." "Where?" "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you, Jimmy." "What?" Hansen asked, "What the hell are you talking about?" "Like I said, you look out of place," Dahl said. "Everyone else drives the story. Everyone, except you. All I can say about that is, you're just a passerby, Jimmy. You have Backstory, but it has nothing to do with anything we do. You also do some useful things - you investigate some situations on the show, you give some opinions, and every now and then you can remind people to do what they should do. You just put in a little push and it looks like you're involved. But the more I think about it, the more it feels like you're not as fully involved as the rest of us."

"That's the way life is, Andy," Hanson said, "it's muddy water. We're not always in it." "No," Dahl said, "we're in it. Everyone else is the same. Except you. The only event that allows you to participate hasn't happened yet. You can't really participate until something else happens. We should all be Ordinary guy, finds himself a supporting character in a TV show. But I know that doesn't explain what happened to me. I should have died several times, like Kerensky or the other main characters in this show, wouldn't have Should go on living like this, but not like that, because they are favored by the world. And the world favors me, too."

"Maybe you're lucky," Hansen said. "No one's lucky enough, Jimmy," Dahl said, "that's why I'm thinking about it. I guess, there's no TV show. There's no real TV show. I think Charles Paulson is fine, Mark. · Corey, Brian Abnett, all of them are as unreal as we are. I think Captain Abernathy, Commander King, Science Officer Hartnell and the engine Long West was the small part, and me, Maya, Finn, and Jasper were the really big ones. So at the end of the day, I think there’s only one explanation for your existence.” "What is it, Andy?" Hansen asked.

"It's telling me I'm right," Dahl said. "My parents would be amazed at your conclusion," Hansen said. "My parents would be amazed by all of this," Dahl said, "but parents aren't what we're talking about." "Andy, we've known each other for years," Hansen said, "I think you know who I am." "Jimmy," Dahl said, "please tell me if I'm right?" Hansen sat quietly, looked at Dahl, and finally said: "If I say, you are right, will you be satisfied?" "I don't need to be satisfied," Dahl said, "I just want to know the truth."

"Also, even if what you said is right," Hansen said, "what benefits do you gain? Wouldn't it be good to firmly believe that you have achieved something? Wouldn't it be good to get a happy ending as you wished? Why do you have to get to the bottom of it?" "Because I need to know the truth," Dahl said, "I've always sought the truth." "Because that's who you are," Hansen said. "A seeker of truth. A man of faith." "yes." "A guy who desperately wanted to know if he was who he was or if he was made to be that," Hansen said. "yes." "A man who desperately wants to know if he is himself, or—" "Don't tell me you're just trying to amuse me with word games," Dahl said. Hansen smiled. "Sorry," he said. "It's simple." He rose from his chair. "Andy, you're my friend. You believe that?" "Yes," Dahl said, "I remember." "Then maybe you can believe it," Hansen said. "Whether you're a hero or a sideshow, the story is coming to an end. When it's over, it's up to you to be who you want to be, and Only you can decide who you belong to. When the author stops the pen, the screen gradually dims, and the audience looks away, you will finally be yourself.” "If I'm still around by then," Dahl said. "That's it," Hansen said. "It's an interesting philosophical question. But if I'm not mistaken, I think the person who created you wants you to live happily ever after." "It's just your guesswork," Dahl said. "Maybe more than that," Hansen said, "but I'd still like to tell you that you're right." "about what?" "So I'm done with my job," Hansen said, "but now I have to do the next thing, which is to get back to my job. I'll see you at dinner, Andy." Dahl smiled. "Okay," he said, "if we're still alive." "Great," Hansen said, "see you then." Then he walked away. Dahl sat quietly on the chair, reminiscing about everything that happened and what Hansen said.Then he stood up and went back to his workbench on the bridge.Because whether it’s fiction or not, he’s got a job to do on this ship, in the show or something, and he’s going to be surrounded by his friends and hang out with the crew of the Intrepid. And that's exactly what he did, until one day, six months later, a system crash caused the Intrepid to crash into an asteroid.The ship was wiped out, and no one on board survived.