Ψυχή – Dawn of the Galaxy

02-1 “Within the Bridge of O.UNI-X”: A Voyage of Millennia and the Final Charge

On the bridge of the O.UNI-X, Eft, the chief pilot, deftly manipulated the console with nimble fingers, humming a light tune with a touch of cheerfulness.

“Hey, Lite, once this voyage’s done, we’ll finally be off duty! All that’s left is to scatter the LEP on the Third Planet, then we can just take it easy on the way home!”

Behind her, Lite, the co-pilot, replied quietly.

“That’s true, Eft. But as I’ve said many times before, there’s no guarantee we’ll be taking it easy on the way back. The mission hasn’t even really begun yet.”

“Lite always says that. Just ‘cause you’re made of silicon, doesn’t mean your brain’s got to be stiff as well. You could stand to loosen up a bit, don’t you think?”

Without turning around, Eft pursed her lips for a moment, then quickly smiled and answered. Lite merely let her words drift past like a playful breeze and calmly stared at the monitor. To him, her teasing was but a passing wind.

Towards the back of the bridge, countless monitors were embedded in the walls and ceiling. There, One, the project leader and Life Overseer, smiled quietly. His gaze was fixed on minute particles of shimmering light—what the Life Overseers called “life” and the very passengers this ship was tasked to deliver.

These were the so-called LEP—the Life Element Particles that One and his team were charged with transporting.

Watching One from afar was Shior, a newcomer on this mission, who turned to Captain Love with a curious look.

“Captain Love, um… what is it that Mr One sees? He’s always smiling like that, staring at the monitors as if there’s nothing there…”

Tall Captain Love stood in the captain’s quarters, his long red hair drifting behind him as he checked the ship’s systems. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he replied to Shior’s casual question.

“Oh, that? It’s just One being One. It might seem odd to you as a first-timer, but you’ll soon learn not to pay it any mind.”

Shior tilted her head, unconvinced, but did not press the matter further.

Before boarding the explorer ship, she had heard that One was a rather peculiar character. And every day since departure, she had witnessed his unusual mannerisms.

As the warm conversation continued, Lite’s calm yet slightly tense voice suddenly echoed through the bridge.

“Eft, the ansigate’s about to open. Initiate the separation check from the ansible network.”

“Right!”

Eft’s expression turned serious as her fingers moved with precision and confidence. The soft sounds of her exacting commands gradually shifted the atmosphere on the bridge.

From the co-pilot’s seat, Lite confirmed the process, then announced so all could hear:

“We’ll be exiting normal space soon.”