Chapter Nineteen - Chill time

After I've entered the CIC, I sat myself at the control chair, making every possible check-up to make sure every system is in a state of full operation. "Alyss, are we ready to leave? Also did you manufacture enough ammunition for every weapon aboard, in case an enemy shows up?"

"Yes, Dorian. Everything is ready. We're stocked up for approximately a month on everything. Are we heading now to Helius's base or are we going to visit Hades?" I've entered the coordinates for Helius's base and started the undocking procedures.

"We're going to Helius. It would be hard to enter the underworld with a warship. You wouldn't fit in there, though. Also, if one wants to enter there a ritual is necessary to be performed."

After I made sure that we're going to fly uninterrupted all the way to Helius's base, I got up from my chair and turned to leave the CIC. "I'm going to check up on the girls. Please, can you prep up some decent food in the dining hall, Alyss?"

"Yes, what would you like to eat?" I stopped for a little, thinking about what to eat. I know that Annie would eat anything that I did, but for Jaina, I wasn't so sure. Even I know what elves usually eat, Jaina wasn't a typical elf.

"Make me and Annie some nice steak with some vegetables. I'll leave the choice of them to you. As for our newest crew member, do whatever you thing she will enjoy."

And with that, I left the CIC.

I walked for around 20 Mis, just because I wanted, as I was thinking about what happened in those few months, through many different corridors at random. I had two fairly difficult battles alongside Annie, and got myself another crewmate to travel through the universe along with.

As I walked through Alyss, I remembered that she still need those firewalls to be improved. I've decided to go to the main core room to do exactly that.

"Let's check up your firewalls, Alyss. And give me a complete report of your electronics. After that, I'll boost them up a bit, if it's within my power." I've received the report inside my handheld multitool, and started going through it.

"Here is the report, Dorian. Here, here and here, if I may tell you, are some weak points I discovered within my core program while being hacked by the Voids." Alyss told me through the speakers in the room, while circling said segments in the programming, as I was reading it.

"Okay, let's improve them. And while we're at it, I can rewrite this, this and this." I've circled over another three segments, which looked similarly weak to hacking. It took me around an Heri to rewrite the segments we both agreed on.

"Don't forget that I've called the girls into the dining hall. They're on their way there," she reminded me. "Thanks, Alyss. For the reminder, and also for showing those other weak points. I'll go now."

I said after turning off the console for operating the core programming for Alyss. Then I turned around, and left through the "north" mag-doors, leaving the main power supply room, heading to the dining hall.

When I entered the room, both of the girls were chatting with each other in a free-spirited way as they were drinking something from a nearby bar. They didn't notice me, so I've turned around and leaned against a nearby wall, just to try and see if they notice my arrival. I though that they were getting along quite well as I observed them from a distance.

They seemed very relaxed as they were sharing some stories from their travels, talking about what happened where and other similar topics. I was standing there for around ten Mis, when Annie noticed that I am already in the room, as she smiled at me, gesturing me to join them.

I walked towards a table, at which both girls were seated: "Hey there, you two. I'm glad that you're getting along that nicely. I thought it would not be so easy, so I'm happy that I was mistaken."

"Hi, Dorian. Jaina here is kinda fun, I like her. We were just talking about how I met up with you and she thought it was funny. Well, except the part of that battle." Annie stated, as she was already a bit drunk, her cheeks getting red.

"Yo, Dorian. Come and join us, will ya? Tell us some stories as well. Since you're so old, you must know a lot." Jaina, obviously more drunk than Annie, seemed to have great difficulties to keep herself as straight as much as possible, said to me.

I've pulled a chair from the table, sitting on it: "You hurt my feelings, Jaina, telling me that I'm old. I'm now feeling like someone too old, and I don't like it."

She started laughing right after I finished speaking: "Hehehe. C'mon, you old chap. Tell us something!"

I felt that it would be impossible for me to deny Jaina's inquiry, as i started to tell stories from my days, when I was still wandering alone, while we started to eat the food, which I took the liberty to "order" from Alyss.

We chatted, ate and drank for many Heris, until those two were too tired to go on. After that, I brought them back to their respective rooms and headed back to the CIC to initiate the FTL jump to our destination.