Deep Space Odysse Volume 1

Chapter 12 Interrogation (Part 2)

The coffee was served.

Reynolds took a delicate sip, savoring the bitter sweetness as if he were tasting life itself. His focus was intense, his fingers lightly tracing the rim of the cup, eyes deep and brimming with confidence.

He smiled.

"You've been staring at my legs," he remarked.

This caught Russell Hill off guard.

Reynolds continued in a calm, measured tone, "From a psychological standpoint, when someone being interrogated repeatedly shifts their posture, it's often a sign of tension and unease. Agents are trained to detect these tells. For those without professional training, they're unaware that no matter how well they craft their lies, their body language betrays them. Some, for instance, tend to cross and uncross their legs while lying, or cover part of their face with their hand in an attempt to mask their discomfort, not realizing that these actions are already giving them away."

He looked directly at Russell Hill, smiling. "So, take a good look. Observe my movements. Listen carefully to what I say. Analyze whether there's a lie in my words. And, by the way, there's no need to hide that lie detector under the table. You might as well bring it out in the open."

Russell Hill and the female investigator exchanged glances before pulling a small square device from under the table. It was a lie detector, capable of analyzing falsehoods with remarkable accuracy. However, due to the complexity of human nature, it could never be entirely foolproof, which is why it was only used as a reference tool, not as definitive evidence.

Reynolds placed his hands on the table, his demeanor suddenly commanding. "Alec Colcott was an excellent officer. I knew him, admired him, respected him. I would never have murdered him. As for the questions you've asked, I can only tell you this: during the incident, Captain Jerome had summoned all officers above the rank of major for a meeting, which I did not attend. Everything that happened, we learned about afterward. You must understand, once a battle begins, the situation is usually chaotic. Everyone is fighting for survival, and no one has the luxury of remembering every detail. You ask why Colcott's chip wasn't vaporized by the energy cannon—I can only say I don't know because I wasn't there. I was at my station, commanding the mecha division. When the Divine Clan attacked, I led my team into battle. It wasn't until the news came that I realized I had become the captain of the Aphrodite. Given the circumstances, it's entirely possible that misunderstandings arose."

He paused before continuing, "As for your suggestion that Colcott was murdered, I agree—it's shocking. But I refuse to believe such a thing could happen aboard the Aphrodite without my knowledge. Perhaps it's possible, as you mentioned, that the fatal blow was not delivered by a bullet but by debris from the ship, damaged during the Divine Clan's attack. A piece of machinery could have flown out and struck Colcott in the head. After all, the chip only records that his head sustained a penetrating injury, shattering the skull and severely damaging the brain and brainstem. Nowhere does it state that it was a gunshot."

Russell Hill's expression darkened.

Reynolds continued, "Even if, hypothetically, he was murdered, what makes you think I had anything to do with it? Is it simply because I benefited from their deaths? In that case, let me correct your understanding."

His face grew stern and serious. "I am not a beneficiary. I have shouldered an enormous burden, as if carrying a mountain on my back, a weight that could crush a man. Investigator Hill, or should I say, Investigator of Starship Affairs, perhaps in your world, everything is a conspiracy or a murder plot. But for a soldier, the world can be far simpler—it's life or death. You have no idea what that battle was like, how brutal and perilous it truly was. When you see artillery shells flying past you, when massive starships explode in the distance, when energy cannons capable of cracking open planets scream through the sky, stretching across millions of kilometers—there's only destruction and debris all around, and in the vastness of it all, you feel only emptiness and helplessness!"