Truly: First Omnibus

Chapter Three: Friends and Foes Alike

That evening, the bridge was dark except for the blinking lights from the control panels. Each panel emitted noises as they worked on different tasks on the ship. One could hear the creaking of the ship and clicking noises coming from the floor. In fact, if it weren't for the sound of Darshnel's snoring, the bridge would have had a completely mechanical nature in the dark. Suddenly, the door opened and Atresha stepped through. As she turned on the lights, she noticed Darshnel sitting in a chair sleeping, head resting on the control panel.

"Are you asleep?" she asked as she walked in.

"I was," Darshnel admitted and sat up.

"Wow, you are really a bum," Atresha said and sat on the chair next to him.

"Sorry! I was just overlaying the map with the ship's nav computer and plotting our course," Darshnel said while wiping the drool off his face and the panel.

Atresha touched a nearby screen where a video turned off to reveal a map of space. A few more seconds and in the center of the room appeared a holographic image of the galaxy. "Darn screen saver mode. Why'd they even invent such a dumb thing?" Atresha questioned while studying the map.

"There was some historic use for them, but I didn't study that part of ancient history. I do know who would know something like that, but he's busy at the moment fixing the food dispenser. Well, at least that's what I think he's doing with it," Darshnel said, half knowing this probably was not the case. "He is kind of weird. I can tell he's been into everything on this ship."

"I myself had to keep him out of the life-support systems," Atresha said.

"That's just the way he is. He does have the engines working better," Darshnel said.

"Yeah, on that note, we'll have to make sure he doesn't tear the ship apart just to see if the core is still active." Atresha worried about her safety on a ship that was slowly being rebuilt as they spoke. "Hey! What's up with this?" Atresha said, then suddenly zoomed in on an area of space.

"What's with this ice field?" She looked in a direction somewhere off the beaten course.

"No clue, but it's going to be crossing our path soon. No problem, though, the autopilot will steer us around it," Darshnel pointed out.

"That's not why it's interesting." Atresha continues to look at the map.

"So it's an ice field. There are several around in space," Darshnel said, more interested in wondering where the crusaders put their sleeping quarters.

"Well, it's the proximity to the sun," Atresha pointed out.

Darshnel looked at the ice field on the map. "Wow, you're good. I didn't even detect that," Darshnel said, then turned to the hologram in the center of the room.

"Well, being in the army you pick up on things like that. Think of it as military intuition. Now the question is: When are they going to attack us?" Atresha inquired while Darshnel suddenly put on a grave face.

"You aren't serious. No one knows we are out here," he said.

"Well, you tell me what's more likely to happen. An ice field really close to the sun or pirates and the guilds using a heat dampening shield, so they can sneak up on us and take our supplies."

Darshnel looked at the hologram of the ice field then touched a button on the panel turning the map to a thermal map. A blue bubble appeared on the map. "Hmm, they're definitely pirates and not too bright but why would you say the guild too? Aren't they on the side of the law?" Darshnel got up and then turned off the hologram.