The two pirate lords stand before me, their power greater than I thought humanly possible. If not for the power the cube gave me, I would be at their mercy. Now I am more powerful than they and with power comes respect. This power I can control. I can’t hurt anyone accidentally. I don’t fear it like the one other I killed Ayesha’s fake dad with.

“So, what sort of deal are we talking about,” Cue asks.

I stand completely still not sure what to say. I don’t know why I said I wanted to make a deal. The two are much stronger as a team than Ayesha, Naomi and I. Is that the reason? It must have been. We need these two powerhouses on our team. Since the Gandole is our enemy a larger team will be necessary to do what the entire Aidoshian army could not. Cue and Chance have fought people with Seeds before so they can train me in combat. I never want to be as helpless as I was the first time I met Neo. He had me pinned down and I had to be saved by Naomi and Ayesha.

“How about this,” I say after I catch my breath. “I don’t kill you. I get us out of here and you join my team.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” Cue laughs. “You think we would…”

“Theat haje elimnatin ve, hall c’toi teasulaser’s had elimnatin, on devastation… on devastation... on devastation.” 

“Is that computer saying self-destruct?” Cue asks Chance. 

Chance nods. “Good thing you sent the crew away when you did.”

Cue turns back around to face me. 

“Looks like I misspoke,” he says “But you get us out of here and later we discuss our price.”

“Fine,” I say.

“I don’t like the idea but we do need skill on our team,” Naomi whispers. “You do seem to have the unnatural ability to turn enemies to allies.”

“Master,” Tak says in my head. “The Helix Core is heating up to dangerous levels. At this rate it will reach critical levels in five minutes.”

“That’s not good,” I say. “We need a way out of here.”

“That will not be a problem,” she says. “I managed to find an emergency escape for you.”

  “What do you mea…”

The floor under me and Naomi gives out instantly sending us down a long tube. Cue and Chance jump down as well. There are no lights, no indication of what is to come. The ground then materializes under our feet. Naomi and I quickly move to the edge of the tube to avoid Cue and Chance. 

“What next?” Cue asks.

A hatch opens under Cue’s feet and light floods the tube. I recognize the inside instantly we are on top of the Rift. I send Naomi in first then myself. Cue and Chance follow behind and we are greeted by Tak. Ayesha jumps up from her corner when she sees Cue and Chance. She tackles both of them to the ground. Her arms quickly change into guns pointed at the center of their foreheads. Cue and Chance raise their hands.

Cue says nervously, “It’s nice to see you again. Look how you’ve grown.”

“Shut-up you scum,” Ayesha yells. “I should kill you two right now.”

I run to the front of the Rift and sit in the chair. I am shocked Ayesha knows them but I am more worried about escaping the explosion. The Rift disconnects from the Ruin and starts off with a sudden burst of speed. We are at the bottom level and zoom through a street of the destroyed city. The Rift points upward and another burst of speed suddenly hits us.

“What is the blast radius of a Helix Core?” I ask.

“Approximately three miles underwater, Master,” Tak responds.

“Can you out run that in submarine mode,” I ask.

“No, Master,” she says. “With one minute five seconds left and the Acceleration Drive deactivated for cool down the only way to outrun the blast is to reach the surface.”

“So you can use jet thrusters?” I ask.

“Yes, Master.”

I turn around in my seat and notice everyone heard my conversation. Ayesha’s worry is hidden in a wave of anger. A bright light flashes as we break the water’s surface and a slight fall back down before the thrusters activate. In a normal jet, the speed increase would have jolted us back, but in the Rift it is no more than a slight push. Instantly, the Rift brakes through the sound barrier moving at supersonic speeds. 

“Master,” Tak says. “We have successfully escaped the blast and shockwave radius.”

“Good,” I say as I stand up. “Now what’s going on? How do you know each other?”

“I will be more inclined to talk if there wasn’t a gun pointed at our heads,” Cue says pointing at Ayesha.

Ayesha glances over at me before she begrudgingly drops her arms. She stands up and walks over to me. Her arms change back to normal and she grazes her hand across my cheek so I turn my head to her.

“We need to talk,” she says in a sweet tone that scares me more than if she had yelled.

She continues into the cockpit and disappears in her seat. I turn my focus to Cue and Chance being part of our team. However with no money that might be difficult to do. Before I get the opportunity to ask they look all around the Rift inspecting every inch.

“What type of ship is this?” Cue asks. “It is not Aidoshian or Gandole design.” 

“And what is that little firecracker doing here?” Chance asks.  

“It is the Rift and she is part of our team,” I respond.

“The Rift, huh,” Cue says nonchalantly. “Wait… the Rift. The Black Technologist’s Rift?”

“You know about it?” Naomi questions.

“All Black Technology excavators know about the only spaceship ever mentioned by the Black Technologists,” Cue says, leaning on the crystal table. “So this is the reason Naomi’s grandfather betrayed Gandalia.”

“That’s not the matter at hand,” Naomi says.

“Ah, right, our price,” Cue smirks. “How about this ship?”

“You could never command me,” says Tak as she appears beside Cue.

“And you would be…?” Chance asks. “Never mind. I don’t too much care. Adults are talking. Go away little one.”

“I am the Rift’s program personified. My name is Tak. My size is irrelevant to my age.”

“This freaky little girl is the computer systems?” Cue asks as he bends down to inspect her more closely.

“Now that you know you cannot have the ship what is your price,” Naomi asks.

“What is the job?” Chance asks noticing Cue is to entranced by Tak to respond.

“In a nutshell, we are going to bring down the Myrmidons and topple the dictator who has seized control of Gandalia for the past seventeen years,” Naomi says.

“We are not mercenaries or revolutionists,” says Cue as he finally returns to reality. “So no deal can be struck here. You all can drop us off in Chinchi and we will be on our way.”

“If you’re not going to join then you not getting off this ship alive,” Ayesha says as she changes her hands into blades.

“Ayesha,” I say.

“What? You won’t need them anymore,” she says as she changes her arms back to normal.

“My Master, wants you on our team,” says Tak. “Would you reconsider if the payment was a kingdom of gold?” 

“Do you know such a kingdom?” Cue and Chance both ask.

“Yes. The Temple Allaco,” she says.

“That Oracle temple in Aidon?” Chance asks. “It was destroyed ten years ago and it was certainly not gold.” 

“Allaco is not located in Aidon; the Aidoshian Allaco must have been a copy,” Tak responds.

“Why should we trust you?” asks Cue.

“Because I’m the closes thing in this world to a Black Technologist, my creators,” Tak replies. “This arrangement will benefit us both. I will have pleased my Master and you will become rich beyond measure when your task is complete.”

Cue and Chance to turn around facing each other and mumble back and forth. At times their conversation becomes heated. Every few second they stare into Tak’s emotionless face as if to see if she is lying then turn back around arguing with each other.

Cue says, “We would like some sort of proof this place exists.”

A screen appears in front of Cue and Chance. It is a painting of a golden temple that looks exactly like the Allaco in Aidon.  

“You have two new teammates,” Cue says. “So what’s the name of this little band of rebels and traitors?”

“Um… ah,” I stumble caught off guard by the question. “The Rift… Riders?”

“Rift Riders, huh,” Cue says. “Cool name.”

“Excuse me, Master,” Tak says, “but I have scanned an anomaly in the Vortex’s program. The Seed has evolved. Did you find anything inside of the Ruin?”

“A floating cube. I was the only one that saw it,” I say. “When I touched it, it fused into my body and I got a new power.”

“May I retrieve it, Master?” she asks.

“I don’t see why not.”

She reaches out to my chest. Not knowing what to do, I stand still. Her hand passes into my body. I can’t feel anything until she starts pulling out what feels like my heart.  An object stops at my ribcage and slowly begins to pass through me. The pain starts just as it did when the cube entered my body.  Heat starts to burn inside my chest becoming hotter and more insufferable until all my other senses numb from the pain. Slowly the cube becomes visible and Tak removes it, with the pain. I keel over to the ground. My entire body is fatigued. Ayesha runs to me and helps me up to my feet, but I’m so drained I can’t stand on my own.

“I apologize, Master,” Tak says. “The process should have been painless. My incomplete programs made the process more difficult than it should have been.”

“He’s fine,” Cue says. “What is that thing?”

“It is the Black Technologist storage cube,” Tak replies. “It is called digionglci, data-matter in Nayate.”

“Data-matter?” I ask.

“This is part of my program and parts of the Rift. Data-matter is matter which has been converted into energy for storage. I can reconstruct the matter into the Rift’s form and implement any program it holds.”

Tak walks to the crystal table and places the cube in the center. The cube is slowly swallowed up by the table. The Rift begins to shift around us changing shape and size. The cockpit now has two levels. The upper with my chair and the crystal table and the lower with four chairs at individual stations overlooking holo-monitors. The hall is increased in length and size including several doors. 

Tak vanishes but reappears standing over the crystal table. She begins to glow so brightly that we are forced to turn away. When the light stops, we are all amazed it is Tak before us. In an instant she looks to have aged to eighteen years old. Her body has filled out and she has gained the curves of a woman. Her face is no longer lifeless and her complexion has gained more human hues though she is still somewhat pail. Her hair is longer and braided down her back and is golden blond. Her pupils are beautiful and multi-colored like a rainbow. Her robes are black and white.

“Master,” Tak says, her voice beautifully adorns the air. “The Rift is now ready for use.”