The Acolytes of Crane (Theodore Crane, #1)(67)

I still remember those days upon the Uriel, because they were the calm before the storm. The ship Uriel was fully populated with a fascinating microcosm of vastly different cultures.

One day, I was late to class, and our instructor was lecturing about Bromel and Karshiz cultures. The only spot left in class was next to that bullying Bromel, Drangle.

While peering through the window of the classroom door a bit longer, I decided to skip class that day after seeing that I would have to sit next to that huge oaf. I took a break on the bridge to observe the destroyers that impressively waited by the docking bays. Guarding these docking bays was an electronic perimeter. Beyond it was the Field of Termination, a no man’s land. If something crossed that line, it would be duly vaporized by the Ophanims.

In the hallway to the Chamber of Rafal, there was a giant yet elegant telescope of sorts. It was monocular, and carved from a single log of mahogany with brass bindings and focus adjusters. It seemed too exquisite to belong in this sterile setting.

I suspected the telescope was found on an expedition to Earth, maybe. I looked through the lens of the telescope, and I saw the destroyers up even closer, as compared to the countless times before from the deck on the ship. I watched and waited, formulating visions of Odion’s minions invading the Uriel, and yours truly blasting them away with his bracers. My restless mind was constantly devising war mongering strategies. I impatiently wanted to use my skills.

Then I heard a voice, ‘Why did he let your friend Jason die at the cliffs?’

‘Who is this?’ I asked.

‘Go with your instincts, Theodore. Why should you trust the Dietons and Zane?’ the voice asked.

‘Get out of my head!’ I yelled to myself. This was amounting to treason, and I didn’t want to be caught. I knew I could be monitored through the nanocom.

I ran from the bridge. I wasn’t sure what was happening to me. I went to the Colosseum to train by myself, but what I really wanted to do was take my mind off things.

I learned numerous types of martial arts during my stay. The types that I believed to be effective were Aikido, Jujitsu, and Muay Tai kickboxing. My favorite activity so far was wearing my bracers into the fight simulator and letting loose on some bricks.

I had smashed bricks and disintegrated wood with my bracers many times. I only wish I were allowed to use my sword in there. Instead, my double-bladed sword, ready to flame upon command, sat mounted and dormant within the confines of my closet.

Figuring the class with that oafish Bromel sitting side by side my empty seat was almost over, I ran through the bridge to the next class. I looked forward to greeting my friends. I had a question that I was just dying to ask the others.


I saw them all standing outside the arena. Conferring homage upon ancient Roman empires, they called it the Colosseum. Next to the Colosseum was another war games arena, the Battle Simulator. In the Battle Simulator, we trained on weaponry and combat situations upon a pre-selected terrain that was originally designed from one of the planets within the multiverse. It was clever to have the topography of vastly different terrains captured into holograph format, as listed on a menu of options. Whether we wanted to battle in a desert scene, or in the jungle, we had them all.

The most popular terrain to train in was based on that of Tritillia. Tritillia was a planet in the infant galaxy of Valeon. Giant sentient plants ruled that planet. Their environment was highly unpredictable, because of the billions of different plant species.

The Colosseum had only a few simulated arenas. There was a hypogeum—which was a subterranean temple popular in ancient cultures on Earth—that introduced different variables like robotic mercenaries, vicious offensive plants, and ferocious animals such as Tigers or Rangier Cliguires.

A Rangier Cliguire was similar to our mystical imagined dragons. They were not capable of breathing fire, but they did have some nasty breath, and could crush a grape with a stern look. They were locked to pillars, with chains.

The hypogeum arena was also equipped with centrifugal fans and sprinklers situated on the ceiling. They were used to simulate volatile weather conditions during battle.

I strolled closer to the now-familiar four. It felt good to see them. They were my only confidants away from home.

Mariah was happy to see me. ‘Hey, good to see ya, Ted!’ she said, embracing me.

‘Where the hell were you, dude? Wicked uncool to miss class, bro,’ Dan said.

I said, ‘Sorry, you’re right, but I was busy. I had some important things to do. Does anyone want to go a couple rounds in the Colesseum?’

Dan rose to the invite immediately. ‘Totally. I will do it. I am going to beat you like I used to when we played SKATE!’

Once inside the Colosseum we could not see any spectators, but anyone on the ship who wanted to drop in to watch the battles—practice, simulated, or bloodthirsty competitions—could simply take his seat in the overhang, peering through a one-way window. We could not see them, but they could see us. I could hear people applauding from the spectator stands, and it would motivate my desire to fight. Clearly, they could hear everything we said to each other.

‘Okay, name the rules,’ I said in a challenging tone.

‘Obviously no use of your rolesk, just mano-a-mano,’ Daniel said, borrowing some of Mariah’s native Spanish vocabulary.

‘Okay, bring it on,’ I demanded.

‘This will be easy,’ he said as he ran toward me at full force. It was as if he forgot about my Aikido Ukemi: a powerful technique to reciprocate a person’s own force against him. He threw a typical boxing one-two combination followed by an overhand right, and I grabbed his wrist just below the palm to gooseneck it. I returned his force to launch him over my body, hurling him smashing into the closest pillar.