In an instant, Robert woke up. Like so many moments in the past, he rolled off his bed and unto the floor. He fell hard due to landing on a metal-like floor.

He looked around and saw Capt. Delcid, the very one. “Captain, how—I m-mean, where did you come from? Where is my crew? Where in the hell am I?”

“Questions, valid questions, Colonel,” retorted Capt. Delcid was still sporting a military-style crew cut with his official dress uniform on, including his metals. It was very peculiar to wear such a uniform during a space mission. He was a few inches shorter than him but was very stocky. He wore glasses and showed a smile.

It appeared to be happiness that someone else was here that he could associate with. He approached Col. Harrison and said, “I am pleased you are here. I don’t know where your crew is, but you were brought here a few hours ago.”

“Brought here by who?” asked a more confused Col. Harrison.

“Our captors, of course,” answered Capt. Delcid.

The Colonel stood up slowly from the floor before speaking again, “I need to find my crew Delcid. Will you help me?”

“Of course, I will assist you, Sir. Do you remember anything?”

“No, I don’t—it’s really frustrating. Who are our captors?”

“We are prisoners of the Hurras Empire. More to the point, we are under the control of the Horologes.”

“Come again?!”

“That is their name. Some call them the Galactic Lords,
watchers of the galaxies and controllers of life.”

Captain Delcid (Astronomical)