Ancient Relics (Shadow of the Ancients Book 1) by Ellema Ummia Page A

two-planet system called Orsen,”
Zoey informs Paige.
    “Orsen? Isn’t that a white dwarf star system?” Logan
replies.
    Paige snaps out an answer before Zoey has a chance
to reply, “Yes, it is. Rumor has it, that an ancient civilization had a home
world there.”
    Paige then begins to detail her knowledge of the
system, “The Star expanded into a red giant, and towards the end of the stars
life the people of the lost civilization abandoned their home. They headed out
for a new world. No one knows anything about them, and I always wanted to go
there to try and solve the mystery myself.”
    Paige continues her intrigue as she darts her eyes
back and forth between Zoey and Logan, “The resulting nova remnant left only
two planets in the system. We call them Orsen I and Orsen II, though we don’t
know how many planets were there initially, since the nova dates back to before
the discovery of the Drak Empire.”
    Zoey closes-in to the center of the table and with a
whisper-like voice adds with intrigue, “On one of the planets is supposed to be
some ruins. We hope to find some valuable information contained there, if
they’re there.”
    Zoey passes the DataCom pad to Logan and Paige for
their examination.
    After an hour or so of reviewing the file and
mission, the group finally disbands to their quarters for a little sleep before
the next day begins.
    Several days later, Logan arises from his slightly
uncomfortable slumber groggy and tired.
    He heads to the mess hall for a cup of his favorite
addiction, Cava juice.
    Cava juice is a type of highly caffeinated drink
discovered on the outer rim world of Cava during an exploration mission
two-thousand years ago.
    While other forms of caffeinated drinks are still in
use across the Alliance, Cava fruit are much more readily available, due to the
fruit's ability to grow in some of the harshest environments.
    Because of the fruit’s trait to grow fast and
abundant with Cava beans, despite harsh conditions, it is cheaper to grow than
other caffeine plants.
    Logan pours himself a cup of Cava and takes a seat
at one of the many empty tables in the early morning mess hall.
    Just as he sits and begins to enjoy his drink, Paige
and another archaeologist in their group named Buck, walk into the mess hall
exchanging comments and laughing.
    Logan looks up at the two jesters, and then looks
around the room to see if their bolstered laughter is distracting any official
business.
    After observing that the few crew-members in the
room are ignoring them, he looks back down at his cup of Cava and continues to
sip his drink.
    Paige and Buck grab trays and begin to set food
items out on display.
    They grab some drinks, and then make their way to
Logan’s table without any noticeable signs they have even been aware of his
presence.
    They sit down and continue their personal
conversation.
    Paige then looks over to Logan to indicate an
invitation to the conversation and asks, “What do you think of Furballs?”
    A Furball is a type of pet commonly found in the
Dogan core worlds. Feline like, they make perfect replacements for the now
extinct domestic feline pets of former generations.
    The name ‘Furball’ came into use as the animal’s
common name, as the moniker physically describes the more recently discovered
species.
    “Furballs?” Logan replies curiously, “Really? This
is what you talk about first thing in the morning?”
    Logan is not a morning person, despite waking before
most everyone else, especially after a hard day’s work and a short night’s
rest.
    “Oh, come on now Logan,” Buck renounces Logan's
abstinence to the conversation, attempting to draw him in, “It’s just a little
entertaining, non-business related, conversation to wake us up.”
    Logan sighs slightly and takes a sip of his Cava
drink, and then denotes his feelings towards the small, cute, and furry pet.
    “I don’t like them, personally. They shed too much,
make too much noise, and constantly want