The Acolytes of Crane Updated Edition

by Tew, J. D.

  “I am happy to be recording. This is moving along quickly. Were you scared at all?” the warden asks.

  “I wasn’t really scared about what was going to happen, because I had done crazier shit back then.”

  When I was eleven, the boys I skateboarded with, asked me to switch kick-flip over a gap at a post office in Ferndale. I tried, and the board made its rotations and spun downwards toward the ground. I landed them all the time with ease in my runs, but that time my deck was perpendicular to the ground. Well, to put it delicately, that board struck me right into my private parts.

  Let’s just say I was like a human corn dog for about two seconds. It hurt like hell, and I had to get six stitches right next to my danglers. I didn’t think twice to try it a second time. I stood up, and saw I was bleeding from my crotch. I made the trick anyway on my next attempt. The board clapped against my feet, and I slammed it down just right to make a smooth ride-away. I even did a shove-it at the end to compliment the successful landing.

  “My tolerance for pain was high. It wasn’t till I was at home that my mom wanted me to go with her to the emergency room, and she was pissed that I was getting blood everywhere.”

  The guard taps his foot, indicating his impatience for my retelling of my glory days on my skateboard. I might as well have been a grandfather recounting his days of having walked two miles to school every day. “So tell me about Nilo. I only have a little more time for this meeting,” he says.

  “So, anyway, on my way through the castle, I ran into someone. He slammed into my shoulder, and I felt a huge charlie horse in my arm. We both were knocked to the ground, and I wasn’t sure what hurt worse, my butt or shoulder.”

  ‘Watch where you are going, dingle-berry lips,’ I said. When the person stood up I noticed he was a Rangier—he had a projection enhancer around his forehead. ‘Seriously, watch where you are going next time, dude.’

  ‘Hey! You are not to make contact with the humans,’ my tailing guard said. His eyes bulged as he recognized Nilo, and he brought his hand to his mouth as a sign of deference. ‘Oh, my apologies, Nilo. Carry on.’ The guard backed off, staying a respectful twenty feet away. Likely he couldn’t hear our conversation, so I let my curiosity get the best of me.

  ‘Do you work for the king?’ I asked the Rangier.

  ‘Don’t we all?’ He grinned, and exaggerated the nod of his head, with his hands on his hips, behaving like the older teenager that he was. ‘I don’t really look at it that way. I am the castle’s bio-medical botanist. Wait, you are with that team of humans that are here to guard Sephera?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, fascinated that such a young-looking guy could already be entrusted with a senior scientist role.

  ‘At least, that is the rumor,’ the Rangier prattled on in a breakneck pitch, ‘I have been telling people about how awesome you are. Wow, is that a XR-23 on your back?’

  ‘Yeah, isn’t it wicked, you should see what this thing does,’ I said, excited to see someone was interested in me. For the past few weeks, I had just so wrapped up in our cause. Now, it was finally time for me to give in to my natural desire to be radical and have fun.

  ‘What is your name?’ I asked.

  ‘I am Nilo, isn’t this place a drag?’ he said, broken up with laughter. I laughed along with him.

  ‘Yeah, dude, you seem pretty cool. Would you mind coming over to our dorms to meet my friends?’ I asked.

  ‘Not at all, I actually would really enjoy that. I am a fan. The word on the street is that you humans are trouble, but I don’t believe that for a second. I would actually benefit from being part of your team. It is something for you to consider, maybe?’

  ‘We will see what everyone else says, dude,’ I said. I did not want to make any promises.

  The lone guard started to pace himself, walking behind us.

  Nilo spun around and sure told him off. ‘Back off!’

  The guard appeared flustered. I got the sense that he knew Nilo pretty well.

  Nilo said, ‘I said, ‘Back off!’ This is my man now. I’ll guard him for the king. How would you like me to tell Our Majesty that you were messing with me, huh? Huh?’

  An expression of concern crossed the guard’s face, then he quickly darted away, looking back behind him every few seconds. I was impressed with Nilo’s status. He must be real tight with Trazuline. Yet, at the same time, he didn’t seem to care for authority. He seemed like the perfect guy for us.

  I walked my new homie to the rest of my crew, so they could meet him. Mariah wanted badly to recruit a Rangier mercenary to be a part of our crew. Maybe he was the person for the job.

  As we walked, I noticed that even though Nilo was a Rangier, he really didn’t carry himself as one. He had a hoodie, but he didn’t use it. It was almost as if he didn’t have anything to hide.

  ‘So what is a medical botanist, or whatever?’ I asked Nilo.

  ‘I have a unique job. I collect biological samples and test them for healing attributes. It is really complicated. I am not sure if you will understand,’ he said.

  ‘Dude, lay it on me, I have seen a lot of crazy stuff lately.’

  We arrived near the crew’s quarters. I was so thrilled there were no guards around! Obviously, Nilo must be quite a dynamic, commanding person in order for him to successfully be able to ward off the security.

  I said, ‘Alright, here we are. Hey guys, I have someone I want you to meet. This is Nilo, resident medical botanist of this pad,’ I said with hope that they would welcome him warmly.

  ‘Hi, Nilo,’ they all chimed in, curiously glancing at him, then back to me.

  I leaned in, looked around, and whispered, ‘He’s someone who can help us escape. He’s a Rangier.’

  The reception just got frosty.

  With leery eyes and a scrunched-up mouth, Liam hesitated, then said, ‘Dan, you’re supposed to ask us first!’ The other murmured in agreement.

  I said, ‘Okay Dad, but look, there are no guards around. This guy knows how to handle them. Just relax. Come on guys. This guy is our age, and he’s really interesting. I think he should join us.’

  ‘Join us? Are you nuts? He isn’t even human,’ Lincoln said. His face turned bright red.

  ‘Really, does that even matter right now, because Mariah said she wanted a Rangier. . .’ I said.

  I didn’t continue because Lincoln talked over me, gazing at me with his evil eye. He yelled, ‘You are always taking risks, Dan, you’ve said way too much!’ Lincoln paced back and forth, looking as if he were going to explode in a fit of anger.

  ‘Honey, breathe,’ Mariah rested her hand on his neck. Sighing, she said, ‘Lincoln, what’s done is done. Now that he knows, we might as well finish this. We might just get lucky.’ She reached out to shake hands with him. ‘By the way, nice to meet you, Nilo.’ Relieved, he returned the favor.

  I figured since he was my responsibility, then it was my duty to ask Nilo, ‘Do you want to be part of our crew?’

  ‘Are you kidding me, I would love it!’ Nilo shouted out softly, obviously delighted. ‘I am your biggest fan! If anyone is going to take out the Dacturons and protect Sephera it is going to be you guys, and girl. Where are we headed?’

  Lincoln strode over to Nilo, furious once again. He pointed an accusing finger straight at the Rangier. ‘How the heck did you know about our mission?’

  Nilo didn’t appear fazed. ‘C’mon. You guys are the worst-kept secret on the planet. Everyone knows that Ted dissed off Zane and ran away. Everyone gossips about Zane, anyway, and we all know that he’s fighting with his brother for control of Sephera. Sephera is the jewel in Zane’s crown that he’ll fight for at all costs.’

  Everyone else stood still in silence. So it was true after all. Everyone knew of our mission. The question was how we were going to accomplish it. We had to move ahead quickly.

  Mariah stepped forward. ‘Last we heard, Theodore was in Tritillia.’

  ‘That is great! I can pick up some plant specimens there
for research,’ Nilo said.

  Nilo was obviously excited, but the gang and I were surprised at his choice of words. We knew very well that while Nilo may be an accomplished botanist, he wasn’t joining the mission just to pick up a few plants. No. There was more to it. We preferred that he say he wanted to use his awesome projection skills and perhaps to tick off Zane even a little bit. That would have better matched his youthful impetuosity.

  Still, the die was cast. Nilo knew now. If we cut him off now, he could go blabbing to King Trazuline. He was our only hope. We had to keep him close.

  I saw Liam lean over to him and I heard him hiss, ‘I will be watching you like a hawk.’ Liam always issued few words, and they usually were to instill fear.

  ‘Stop it, Liam.’ Mariah walked in between to two. She softly spoke, ‘We’re all in this together. Either we trust each other, or we do nothing. Clear?’

  ‘I guess,’ Liam grumbled, still glaring at Nilo.

  Nilo stood passively, still beaming like a dog holding a leash in its mouth to go out for a walk. He obviously wasn’t deterred.

  Lincoln spoke, resigned. ‘Okay, so one thing you need to know about me, Nilo, is that I crunch numbers. I need to know what you bring to the table, so that I can find a way to fit you in.’

  ‘I am a Rangier. I can project images. My skill is confusion and distraction. Plus, I am a semi-experienced pilot,’ Nilo said.

  ‘Okay, I need a moment to figure this out. Wait, I have an idea. We leave tonight, and here’s how,’ Lincoln said and that was it.

  “Cool! I was elated beyond anything else. We were finally going to make our move, and only in a few hours. As we huddled like a football team, Lincoln let us in on his mastermind agenda. It was a rough start to a smooth plan, and at the same time, a smooth transition into rough times ahead. That doesn’t make sense. Whatever! Let me tell yah, it was intense.”

  “That was a great story. You will have to tell me sometime about the sand surfing competition, but now our meeting is over. Guard. Take the prisoner back to his cell,” the warden says. I leave behind my befriended guard, and head back to my cell.

  19 lincoln: karshiz

  “I was the missing Linc. That was what they called me.”

  We were so woven into the time continuum—now the playground fought over between Zane and Odion—that all we did, right down to a sneeze, affected everything.

  The sand whips of Karshiz were dying down, and the red star found cover behind the planet’s body. I could not believe that Dan brought that outsider into our group. I didn’t think that he would have taken Mariah seriously about recruiting a Rangier. I fit him in adequately. I told Liam to monitor him regardless.

  With the sand whips absent, the visibility of our actions needed to be disguised by the projections of Nilo.

  Sand whips were like miniature whirls of sand. They were slightly larger than dust devils, but not as threatening as a sandstorm. I was tickled to see that they were dying down, because even during the several minutes en route to Trazuline’s palace, they were enough to leave a layer of dirt in my nostrils.

  Today’s scheduled meeting of Trazuline’s executive council began, and so did our plan. Everyone knew their part. The pinnacle of our mission was to escape undetected, so that we would have more time to put distance behind us before anyone could chase us.

  Our plan hinged on one major contribution from our new recruit, Nilo. We needed a masterful projection from Nilo to mask our escape ship’s status, because from where the captain was attending to his mistress, there was a possibility that he could see us approaching his ship, the ZF-Targine. While there were dozens of other ships docked close by, we preferred the ZF-Targine, because we obtained a familiarity with it when we boarded it from the Uriel to land on Karshiz. We needed as much comfort as possible given our newness to this universe.

  As if on cue, Nilo approached our sleeping quarters.

  He hissed to the three guards in our area. ‘I’m taking them in personally to train at the Amphitheatre.’

  ‘We will assist you.’ One of the guards stepped forward, challenging his authority.

  ‘Trazuline sent me,’ he scowled at them, quickly swooping his hand from waist level to head level in a show of anger. ‘Now vamoose!’

  Cowered, the three guards walked away, looking over their shoulders as they did so.

  We were jubilant at Nilo’s stature in this palace. He was really vital for our mission. Perhaps it was a good idea to enlist him after all. After we rallied our gear, we looked as we should—warriors equipped for a battle. We failed at trying to be inconspicuous, but we did not have to worry about that now.

  We split up into two groups: Dan, Liam, and Nilo in one, and Mariah and I in the other.

  Nilo didn’t have our full trust, and that left us extremely on edge. A part of me believed he was the one contracted to kill Theodore. Thus, Dan and Liam, being the bigger guys, could probably take care of him, physically if need be.

  ‘Godspeed,’ I said to the other group.

  ‘Good luck,’ echoed Dan and Liam.

  ‘If anything happens to us, well…’ Mariah started, but composed herself. ‘I just want to say that I love all of you.’

  ‘Not to worry.’ Dan grinned. ‘We’ll make it.’

  The two groups split into different directions.

  Mariah and I took the lightly guarded paths through the palace to approach the docking bay. We were focused on figuring out what type of ship it was. Specifically, I was in charge of locating the nomenclature of the vessel, while Mariah was to watch over with her rifle from a raised platform designed to allow access to energy level readings. We knew, from our previous scouting, that this platform was not considered a security risk and therefore was not guarded.

  Once I found out the make of the ship, I could use my IPU to initiate an autopilot launch-sequence based on the make. Then we quickly needed to maneuver the vessel.

  Mariah and I took a deep breath as we approached the docking bay. I looked over the gigantic space ahead of me. Three guards stood, each a wide distance apart, ramrod straight, with a rifle slung over his right shoulder.

  I tried to find any clue that the holographic projection was in place. Everything seemed normal.

  ‘Did Nilo do it?’ Mariah asked.

  ‘That’s the problem,’ I sighed. ‘If he did a real good job, there would be no difference at all.’

  ‘I know,’ Mariah said resolutely. ‘I’m going out there.’ She handed me her laser rifle.

  ‘Mariah, no!’ I hissed at her. ‘You could get shot!’

  ‘It’s the only way,’ she said. ‘If the projection is working, they won’t see me. If not, I’ll just pretend I’m lost.’

  I smiled weakly. ‘They won’t fire upon a lovely damsel in distress.’

  ‘You’re too kind,’ she returned my smile and grasped me by the hand. ‘I love you.’

  Entranced, all I could manage was a dreamlike stance and a mumbled, ‘I love you.’

  Letting go, she strolled out quietly into the open. My heart beat rapidly. For a while, I wondered about bringing her rifle into position, ready to shoot. But even with all my combat training, I was nowhere as good a shot as she. Still, I might have to chance it.

  Within seconds, it was apparent that the projection was holding. The guards didn’t even blink as Mariah strolled about, like an alluring vision, right near the escape vehicle. She even waved vigorously about, soundlessly. Not a twitch from the guards.

  Holding in her breath, Mariah quickly darted back to me, careful to leave silent footsteps. ‘It’s working,’ she whispered.

  I nodded. ‘Time to move into position.’ Taking back her rifle, she clambered up to the platform.

  Taking a deep breath, I consulted my IPU. ‘Hatch open,’ I commanded through my mind.

  The colossal hatch in the ceiling parted, then steadily slid open. The sunbeams shone through aggressively.

  The projection was holding. Again, no reaction from th
e guards. Thank goodness the hatch was a ruthlessly efficient, totally silent machination.

  Now it was decision time on my part. Running silently, I arrived at the front panel of the ship. I typed in the password that I had obtained through the IPU, and the ship’s hatch opened. As on Earth, passwords were very poorly protected; really, placebos designed to lull people into a false sense of security. The hatch made a loud beeping sound, and I was stunned because I feared someone could have heard the noise, but nothing yet happened. I entered the ship regardless. There was no time to lose.

  As the door closed behind me, I realized that I was alone. I prayed that we would succeed in our mission. Even though I was alone, I had Mariah, and my desire to reunite with my best friend, which was all the motivation I needed.

  I ran through the ship frantically. The vessel itself was large but only a tenth the size of the Uriel. It was black on the outside and the majority of the inside was sleek and white.

  I didn’t really have a clue where to look for the nomenclature of the ship, so I consulted my IPU. It explained that the ship’s make and model were located on the hatch door, which was ironic, because that is where I entered, and I was at that moment, on the opposite side of the ship.

  I sprinted back to the hatch, but in haste, tripped on an operator’s chair. My knee slid across the slick floor. A grid of tiny blood spots immediately appeared on my sore knee. I slowly rose up from the floor and hobbled quickly. ‘Got it,’ I exclaimed to myself, ‘IPU, I need guidance on ignition and autopilot for a ZF-Targine.’ I took the direction of my in-brain advisor at the risk of alerting those that may have been listening in on the channel.

  I started the ship and over the sound of the ignition, I heard a shot. It was a weapon. I knew that if I was hearing a shot from a rifle, that things were about to become unpredictable.

  I programmed the autopilot to launch in four morgets, which was equivalent to two minutes. I ran to the hatch, hoping to see my team all present and accounted for, ready to disembark immediately. However, when the hatch opened, only Mariah was there.