Eventually he realized he wasn't alone.  Dietrich was sitting next to his diagnostic table.  Knowing Dietrich, he’d been there for hours.  He was probably Rick’s closest friend on the whole ship.  Rick couldn’t remember how they met.  It could have been something as trivial as striking up a conversation in the mess line.

     Being that Dietrich was in the European Federation Air Force on Earth and Rick was with the Federation of North American Army they made for unlikely friends.  Rick’s and Dietrich’s Federations were not at war.   The oddness of their friendship was due more to the traditional and universal separation of forces (Air Force and Army) that occurred even within the same country.  Rick was glad to have Dietrich as a friend.  His easy going nature and ready smile could cheer up Rick no matter how deeply engrossed he was with his problems.  Dietrich was sturdily built and wore his black hair trained up in a semi-short brush cut.  Dietrich was truly attractive to women in a Teutonic fashion.  If he knew he was hansom, he never let it show.

     “About time you woke up, sleepy head,” Dietrich said in English spoken with a heavy German accent.  Rick was still very groggy and couldn’t lift his head very well.  Focusing his vision on his friend was proving to be a real effort for Rick.  “We have got to stop meeting this way,” Dietrich chided him.  “Do you think you could at least survive one simulation?”

     “Uhh,” was all that Rick could grunt.   He was slowly getting better. At least the burning sensation from where he was hit was now just a dull itch in his chest.  Dietrich displayed on of his infectious smiles. 

     “You’d better hurry up and get well or you’ll miss this week’s movie.”  Rick felt odd about being reminded of the weekly movie.  The Dominai were strangely insistent that all the troops watch Earth movies every week.  Their selection for viewing was poor.  No romances, comedies, or mysteries were ever shown by the Dominai.  It was always the same genre selected; violence, mayhem, and action.  For some reason, the bloodier the movie, the more insistent the Dominai were in making sure that everyone viewed it.