The Ghost of Sephera Read online

  THE GHOST OF

  SEPHERA

  BY J. D. Tew

  Copyright © 2014 J. D. Tew

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.

  ASIN: B00NZ86KBW

  DEDICATION

  To Scott,

  Thank you for tuning up a bike that I haven’t rode in years. You’re not just an editor, an author, and a friend to me. You’re a mentor.

  And just so you know… I don’t drink whiskey, but I do embellish strange dreams.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  PROLOGUE

  1 KING TRAZULINE: THREE YEARS PRIOR

  2 THEODORE: PRESENT TIME

  3 LINCOLN: LIBERATION

  4 DREY REICHERZ: THE ROOKIE

  5 THEODORE: PRISON BRUTALITY

  6 THEODORE: THE PREDICAMENT

  7 THEODORE: RESURRECTION

  8 THEODORE: WINDLED DESERT

  9 THEODORE: INSERT FREEBIRD HERE

  10 THEODORE: CAVE OF RANVIER

  11 THEODORE: THE AMBUSH

  12 THEODORE: REICHERZ?

  13 NILO: MISSION - SAVE THE BOY

  14 NILO: CATALYTIC CONFRONTATIONS

  15 THEODORE: FOITA

  16 THEODORE: LIFE OR DEATH

  17 THEODORE: SEPHERA

  18 THEODORE: THE BEAST WITHIN

  19 THEODORE: EPPA

  20 LINCOLN: EARTH AT PRESENT

  21 THEODORE: CHECKMATE

  22 THEODORE: THE ACOLYTES OF CRANE

  23 THEODORE & DAN: GARDUNGEN’S PEAK

  24 LINCOLN: CHANGE IN COMMAND

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  Editing by Scott Spotson, Author of Bridge Through Time, Life II, Seeking Dr. Magic, Delusional, The Four Kings, and coauthor of the My Wizard Buddy series. Mr. Spotson delivers a thorough edit every time.

  Cover designed and illustrated by J Caleb Clark. When it comes to my vision, Mr. Clark is the translator.

  jcalebdesign.com

  PROLOGUE

  In the ten galactic realms the feud of two brothers challenges the balance of life.

  Genetically engineered by the same Dacturon race, the two Omnian demigods—Zane and Odion, have disavowed their fraternal bond and have taken diametrically opposite warring stances as galactic leaders, with millions of kiloparsecs between them.

  The Galactic Council struggles to govern through the perils of this conflict as the dictatorial Omnian, Odion, destroys entire planets and enslaves those planets of significant economic value; these terracides of entire planets conjure fear in the minds of everyone.

  Zane, a technological visionary, reacted to Odion by creating and accumulating a myriad of android replicants called Sepherans; Zane built each Sepheran from nothing to more than five-hundred-twenty billion nano-machines called Dietons. These android replicants of any deceased, past or present, who had chosen Zane’s path, reside on a planet that Zane colonized—Sephera.

  Zane believed the sentient android army wouldn’t be enough to take down the most powerful race in the galaxy—the Dacturons. And therefore he sought new allies who could team up with him to defeat the galaxy’s most powerful army.

  A planet called Earth was the starting point for Zane’s period of discovery. Scouting for a new Earthen Messiah to add to his pawns, Zane discovered one human teenager who stood out above the rest, Theodore Crane, a young and moldable human. In compliance with Zane’s directive, Theodore added four Earthlings to his team, Lincoln Royce, Mariah Espinosa, Liam McCaffrey, and Dan Anderson.

  The dictatorial Odion and his empire of allegiant followers were not fooled. To thwart Zane’s recruitment strategy, Odion ordered a small-scale mission to Earth to destroy Theodore before he even enlisted. He failed.

  Odion was not the only one undermining Zane’s mission objectives. A king, high within Zane’s ranks, had attempted to turn Theodore and his rag-tag band of Earthlings toward furthering his own agenda—an underground resistance against both Omnians of the galaxies. This congregation of resistance, called the Opposition, planned to rid the universe of Zane and Odion.

  Theodore, Lincoln, Mariah, Liam, and Dan collectively made their fateful decision. They would determine their own destiny, and not pledge allegiance to either warlord. Barely escaping the wrath of Zane, they would eventually join battle against Odion on the planet Tritillia. In liberating Tritillia from Odion’s wracking grasp, Theodore’s fearless crew suffered great losses—the death of their incisive comrade, Lincoln; the destruction of their loyal robot, ED; the loss of their brute guardian, Liam; and the arrest of the Karshiz Messiah—Princess Tezmarine, daughter of King Trazuline. Scattered about by the decisive battle, the remaining Earth crew and King Trazuline fled in separate directions to avoid Council imprisonment.

  The Galactic Council has intervened in this matter. The Council and its Machiavellian leader Silon Richerz—he who governs the galaxy with the Galactic Primes at his side—arrests Theodore, on charges of the destruction of Eppa, a temple that safeguards Zane’s coveted technology. And now, Theodore Crane tells his story from within the walls of a galactic prison cell, awaiting the trial that could determine his fate.

  1 KING TRAZULINE: THREE YEARS PRIOR

  We are currently aboard a massive Urilian spacecraft carrier. It’s three miles long and soaring within sight of the planet Tritillia. I look through the large circular observation window in my quarters, as I equip my battle dress uniform; the slight sheen of the ambient lights within this room obscures the transparency of the window to outer space. Just barely, I see the giant jungle planet in the distance. We are soaring further from it, and further from Theodore—my trump card from Earth. I think of Theodore now more than anything.

  From the vantage of this vessel, the planet Tritillia is a brilliant green celestial body teeming with life, joining the gracious dusting of glimmering stars that highlight the black canvas of the universe. The light of a giant star creeps over the spherical rim of Tritillia, sending a beaming flash of light my way. I squint against the flash. The harshness of the light compels a lone tear to trickle down from one eye.

  The planet becomes difficult to identify as it disappears due to our increasing distance.

  Even with our victory moments ago, I feel something is out of place. Pritok, my right-hand man, is using his hairy fingers to rap away on his tablet device. He’s always on that infernal computer. For strategic purposes, I appointed Pritok through the ranks to his present position as Captain. He was part of my elite guard at my palace on the planet of Karshiz. Born and bred on Karshiz, Pritok and I are, with every conviction, devoted to protecting our planet from being a mere pawn in the interstellar game between two powerful warlords. This is why I formed an outfit of underground resistance.

  Lately, the hapless Captain Pritok had one foot in my covert operation, called the Opposition, and now there is no turning back for him. He’s an accomplice, in my eyes, but still needs some convincing. Many who follow me, do so because I am their king or commander; it’s as if I am a father to them and a granddad to their children.

  Something’s amok; Pritok seems distraught.

  “You get any closer to that tablet and you might become one with it. What are you gawking at, Pritok?”

  “...I’m just a bit curious; that’s all.”

  “Come out with it captain!”

  “It’s odd, but someone has just sent me a cryptic video; it’s security footage from five minutes ago, Sire.
There is something... Something’s not right, Your Highness. I’m almost finished with it.”

  “What is it? A warning?”

  “My king, have you activated the imperial Urilian sentries? They are en route”

  “No,” I say, befuddled by Captain Pritok’s report.

  “I will pull up their location on my tablet, now. The sentries are currently two-point-seven miles from our location on the ship... and approaching.”

  “Captain, run all comsec filtered audio transmissions placed in the last ten minutes aboard the ship, with a command radius of only my upper echelons, Lieutenants and above.”

  “Yes Your Majesty. While it’s processing, would you mind filling me in on your concern, sire? I’d like to play along.”

  “If I have not activated the sentries, then what we have always feared may be happening, right now.”

  “Oh no!” Pritok says, raking his right hairy hand across the side of his face to extract the single wireless headphone from his left ear, his opposite hand is holding the tablet device.

  “What now, Captain?”

  Pritok is raising his voice and concern. “Sire... you are going to want to hear this. I found an audio transmission; the operators are playing the audio over the ships public broadcast. Your daughter... She revealed your affiliation with the Opposition. We’re screwed.” He tries to hand me the black headphone, but I decline by pushing his hand away.

  “Tezmarine did what! Play it back on our inboard speakers. Zane is trying to turn my brigade against me by broadcasting this!” I shout, while continuing to ponder nervously, calculating all known variables.

  “He won’t need to try. This is condemning audio, sire.”

  The speakers queue up my daughter’s careless transmission, and I impatiently await listening to the conversation that will prematurely bring the Opposition out of the shadows. This resistance I have formed is a gang of elite warriors and leaders, using subterfuge to undermine the supernatural Omnian beings of the Galaxy. The audio starts with my daughter’s voice.

  ‘Ted, that means a lot to me. I know he’s one-hundred-percent behind you…’

  ‘Tez! I forgot!’

  ‘Oh no! How stupid of me…!’

  ‘They can hear us… Zane can hear us.’

  ‘My father! I said his name!’

  ‘Tez, Tez! Maybe they’re not paying attention.’

  ‘Tezmarine Halperin, daughter of King Trazuline, you are hereby arrested for the act of treason!’

  After the audio ends with shouting from guards detaining my daughter, I feel a dizzying sense of exposure from a problem that the Opposition is not ready to face; none of us are. And the worst feeling of regret speeds my contrite heart. My daughter is captured.

  “Ready your gear, Captain! We have at minimum ten minutes before they reach this sector of the vessel. It’s obvious now, the Sentries are coming for us,” I say, as my captain equips his graphene under-armor; graphene is a transparent flexible substance, much stronger than most alloys; it glistens from the room’s blue core power grid above.

  For a moment, I ponder.

  I relish in the fact that Theodore’s victory and escape from the jungle planet Tritillia is a step above miracles and brings hope to this situation; if only the completion of this task came about without disclosing our charade to hide so close to the enemy.

  The Opposition, my underground affiliation of those who oppose Zane’s technocracy is now wavering like a behemoth on spindly stilts. Did I fail by shifting my focus from Odion to Zane? These two brothers are the most powerful beings in the multiverse, both being Omnian demi-gods. There are only two Omnians in the universe, at war with each other, and I am caught in their web of alliances and deceit. Odion’s terracides, should have remained my focus. Dammit.

  This is where things become complicated. It is hard to fight a war when the home front is in an ever-fluctuating state of mistrust.

  As the King of the planet Karshiz, I am required to make the decisions that are appropriate for my public. Many years ago, I lent the army and resources of my world to Zane’s crusade, because I saw him as the lesser of two evils. To oppose both Omnians would have resulted in slavery for my planet and my death decades ago; the best course was to align with one Omnian and strive to be on the right side of galactic history.

  To think, fifteen minutes ago, my power play was culminating with the Earth teenager’s victory, only to be thwarted by my daughter’s carelessness. Our hidden mutiny is about to be subjected to the heavy-handed rage of Zane. Zane, who commands a technocracy at the forefront of a latent empire, is now going to become my enemy. Insanity! I should only be able to count my enemies on one paw.

  “Sire. I don’t mean to be out of line, but shouldn’t we scram?” I suppose my silent pondering worries the young captain.

  “Just a moment. A bit of thought may lead to sound actions,” I say.

  “I’m ready to put it all on the line here, my king. Hey, I can’t deny it. Zane made it personal for me too! First my mother and now, my sister!”

  “Yes, your sister’s death was a tragedy, Pritok. We will continue to thwart Zane’s efforts. We just need time.” Pritok’s sister, Quidan, died from cancer last week. She was a naturalist; they always tend to die the old ways. But dying the old way does not prevent Zane’s Dietons—his own engineered empire of nanotechnology—from claiming Quidan’s private personal data for Eppa: the gigantic mainframe designed to transfer one’s metaphysical life to a sentient mechanical body on the planet Sephera at the time of their demise.

  Captain Pritok exclaims, “Every time Zane fabricates an artificial being on that planet it makes me want to kick some serious tail!” I feel empathy for the young Captain, but his sister’s death strengthens my relationship with him.

  “Well, these two cursed Omnians are driving us mad! And now my careless daughter complicates everything. They say that two million people die in the galaxies per second. If that’s the case, Zane’s potential Sepheran army is reaching incomprehensible numbers. Damn my daughter for this and that Earthling!”

  “It was unintentional, sire. It isn’t a crime to be young and inexperienced. We should just leave now!”

  “No, Pritok. We need to see where we stand with our men.”

  “Then you might want to envision the execution line, Your Majesty. Because that will probably be the order sent down by Zane.”

  My lead captain, Pritok, is flexing and peering through a slit between an open automatic door and its frame.

  Pritok and I are feeling the ever-deepening doubt of our new path. My daughter’s announcement of my treason over live communication is a betrayal I’m sure she will never forget, as she is now a prisoner of this civil war that I have created.

  This turn of events has slammed into me like a wave of water, deserving for a king who turns his back on the ocean. I prefer Tezmarine’s transfer to a more neutral facility, but this fight went from covert to personal in seconds; Zane will see to it that my daughter is placed in the most oppressive penitentiary of his choice, or maybe I am just full of emotions that distract and confuse at this moment.

  Zane may be my direct superior and the known dictator of a zillion microscopic drones, but I won’t allow him to use my daughter as a tool to pry me from my objective. If only I was in a position to kill him; I would hesitate, but I have reconciled that Zane’s death may be my only option.

  Pritok’s gear is rattling, as he probably cannot find a position that is comfortable with all of his armor. This is our predicament: two veterans of war, caught with our pants down, as Theodore says on occasion. Pritok looks back at me, with a fringe of hair lying over his eyes and sweat meandering down the rough scruff of his face, awaiting our impending doom. He jerks his head back from the sleek automatic gray door as if to say something, but a gasp leaves his mouth. He glares down the hallway, probably avoiding the thoughts that I am addressing.

  Pritok is watching out for the coup that surely approaches aboard the ship; he h
as a crippled leg from a motojex flying accident, years ago, and is a Karshiz cyborg now because of it. But that never slows him down any. We both are covered from head to toe in brown and gray fur, yet his shiny prosthetic stands out by way of glistening mechanical components and sheer brilliance of design; it is a testament to his use of technological advancement. Our home planet reaches for the bar in technology every day; we may never see her again, after this fight.

  “You are the king of Karshiz, what could they possibly do to us, without risking civil war?” My reflection of Pritok’s statement is that he is right. I am the king; certainly, Zane is pleading to the Council for my dethroning or a council order to seize governship of the territories under my command. I start equipping the gear necessary for our escape, while I assure to myself that maybe Zane’s first move will be to force his small but elite army into my sovereign nation.

  I guess I am—or rather, was—Zane’s confidant in the rearing of Theodore Crane—Earth’s messiah, until I betrayed Zane’s best interests by assisting Theodore’s change of heart to work with the Opposition. Leading Theodore into this fight may be a mistake! How can I be a commander, king to millions, yet also be a mentor to a teenage boy from Earth? And a father to an imprisoned princess!

  “Sire, they were speaking over coms. Za—”

  I shout, “I’m tired of hearing his name! We’re lucky he isn’t here and would have a hell of a fight if he was.”

  “Zane?”

  “I told you not to speak of him,” I say, scolding the captain. Zane might be here in this vessel, but I wouldn’t dare allude to that predicament, not until I see him with my own eyes. Our hasty retreat could be our only edge, and I wave to Pritok in a motion that is insistent of speed. I want him to don the remainder of his gear quickly in preparation for what is to come.

  “I still can’t believe they captured Tez, sire.”