The Acolytes of Crane (Theodore Crane, #1)(60)

Nezatron took control of the discussion. ‘Yes and no. You will be like a hybrid. Physically, you will still be teenagers. Your mind will always have that malleability that is so important in teenagers.’

A foreboding air of silence hovered in the room as reality sunk in.

‘As Zane likes to say, ‘Youth is wasted on the young.’ We will ensure that not one bit of your youth is wasted,’ Nezatron said.

Give Liam credit for putting us back at ease. ‘When do we eat?’ he asked, rubbing his hands with glee.

‘We will notify you about dinner. You will find your new clothes behind the platinum doors next to your beds. Take a moment to explore your rooms. Within your closet, there is some unique tech-gear, try to avoid the temptation to use them until your training.’

The ambient lighting throughout the quarters made me feel at home. There was no denying it. The Uriel was my home. With my grandparents deceased, my mom and dad incapable of parenting, I was willing to accept these changes with no resistance. I was still deeply cut by the loss of my guardians.

Zane gave me credit for sacrificing everything, and that surprised me. I could have ensured the death of Travis by driving him into the ground myself, but someone was watching the altercation and teleported him. I should have finished him when I had the chance.

‘Theodore, may I please come in,’ came a young girl’s voice through the door intercom.

I said yes, and when she stepped in, I have to admit, I was taken back. She was covered from head to toe in sandy brown hair, about an inch long. The hair appeared soft and alluring, shifting slightly in hue as I adjusted my line of vision.

She wore a crown. It was a rolesk. Clothed in a sort of toga, she reminded me of a Greek goddess, and her voice was gritty, yet enchanting.

Her pupils were a shade of brown not far from black, and the whites of her eyes contrasted sharply against them. I felt drawn toward these gorgeous features, my heart palpitating.

She stood proper, punctual, and perfect. Her posture reflected her sense of grace and poise. I found myself attracted to her aura of mystique and beauty.

‘I am Tez. I will be escorting you to the Chamber of Rafal. Welcome to the Uriel.’ She smiled to me, tilting her head. ‘What is the matter, you have never seen a Karshiz princess before? I am a leader like you. My father is King Trazuline.’

Yes! King Trazuline, whom I had met when I escaped from my near-certain death at Taylors Falls. ‘I am Theodore. You can call me Ted if you like. You are right, I have never met a princess. The only thing I—that is a matter—I mean, what is—. Dang it, I cannot talk! It is just, you are...’

‘Different?’ she asked.

‘Yes, don’t get me wrong, you are beau—’

‘Okay, okay, let’s just get to the Chamber,’ she said, ‘I remember when I went to the chamber for the second time. It was after I was given the rank of Messiah.’

‘Messiah? What rank is that, like, is that in the military on your planet?’ I asked.

‘No, it is more of a position. You are a Messiah too. Let me explain. If Zane is at the top, you and I are two levels underneath him. That is just if you are organizing us in a level of importance to the resistance. If we were talking about military rank, I would say Migalt and Nezatron are closer to the top, but they don’t formally have a position. They are like Zane’s left hand and his right hand. King Trazuline, my father, definitely has an official position. He is a General, and he is Zane’s tactician and advisor. He would be directly under Zane in rank. All Generals carry out Zane’s orders.’

We walked for a bit down the hallway. The hallway of the Uriel made it seem like I was separated from space by glass, walking on a bridge toward the next wing of the ship.

Once we arrived at the chamber, there was a machine guarding it. Box-like, it had about fifty camera lenses on the flat surfaces of it, peering out in every possible direction. It easily swiveled in response to motion, balancing perfectly on an anti-gravity sphere that allowed it unlimited mobility.


‘What are those things?’ I asked Tez in awe.

‘That is one of the Ophanims. When the ship Uriel elevates its defensive readiness, the Ophanims spread their forces across the ship, making sure there are no security breaches. The eyes on the Ophanims are cameras. They record many different vantage points and process all the information to be sent into the mainframe—Nezatron. If there is a breach, they are known to be extremely deadly, with the use of lasers and plastic monofilament restraints.’

The ship’s defenses made me feel safer. When we stopped at the gate leading to the chamber, the Ophanim protecting it spoke:

‘Please state your name and your purpose. First, tell me the security response to this phrase: People of purpose are…?’ the Ophanim requested in a female robotic voice.

‘Security response: prisoners of production,’ Tez quickly responded confidently and precisely, as the Ophanim beeped in approval. ‘I am Tezmarine Halperin, daughter of King Trazuline Halperin, and princess of the planet Karshiz. I have with me Theodore Crane, Messiah by Urilian order.’

While Tez spoke, the Ophanim scanned our eyes and pricked the tips of the index fingers of our right hands, matching up the results to a pre-screened database. We were clean and good to go. The gates opened, and the Ophanim collapsed into the wall ergonomically.

‘Okay Ted, this is where I stop. Theodore, your life from here on out will be—different. You have to separate friendship from leadership. The humans that you brought are your subordinates now, and should be treated like soldiers of the resistance, with respect, but not love in the sense of friendship. However, they should be valued just through hard work and dedication to you as their leader. Congratulations Theodore, you deserve it—your story inspired me to join in the fight.’