Coronation: A Kid Sensation Novel (Kid Sensation #5) Read Free Page B

have sufficed when something flew in front of my face, buzzing slightly. It was some sort of alien insect, an extraterrestrial version of a housefly, I suppose. I instinctively waved my hand in front of me, trying to shoo it away.
    I never got the opportunity to see if my attempts to make the insect flee would have been successful. I had swatted at it no more than twice when I heard a distinct crackle, accompanied by a quick flash of light. The alien bug fell to the ground in front of me, burnt to a crisp. At the same time, I detected the distinct smell of burning ozone. I looked towards Sloe – where the flash had originated – and saw him lowering his hand. However, his index finger was still pointed in my direction, the tip of it shining with a voltaic spark.
    It wasn’t hard to guess what had happened: Sloe had zapped the insect with some type of electrical charge.
    “A
gherifpa
,” Berran said, staring it the dead bug (and apparently identifying it for my benefit).
    “Is it dangerous?” I asked. “Poisonous or something?”
    “No,” Sloe stated, “but it was annoying you, Prince, and would have profaned you with its touch.”
    I shook my head, still a little surprised by what had happened. “Okay. Well, for future reference, let’s avoid zapping things simply because they might annoy me or touch me.”
    Sloe stood silently for a moment, as he often did when processing new data. Something about not zapping probably ran counter to part of his programming – most likely the instructions to protect me.
    After what seemed an inordinately long time (but was probably no more than thirty seconds), the robot declared, “I will take your suggestion under advisement, my Prince.”
    I rolled my eyes in mock frustration and turned to Berran. “It’s so hard to find good help.”
    The courier suddenly looked unsure of himself, as if he wasn’t certain how to reply (or whether to reply at all). I shook my head, thinking how typical this was. No matter how often I had tried to inject a little levity into conversations during our journey, my efforts always seemed to fall on deaf ears. While there was no denying that Berran was utterly faithful and devoted in his service to my family, the man was completely humorless. For the millionth time, it occurred to me that this was going to be the worst trip ever if I couldn’t find at least one person to crack a joke with.
    Sloe discontinued the holographic display; with nothing else to look at, I turned my attention back to the observation window. From all appearances, we were about to enter the planet’s atmosphere. Within an hour or so, I’d be setting foot on an alien world – one that some of my ancestors had come from, but alien nonetheless – and the thought caused me to have butterflies in my stomach.
    I didn’t have them for long, however, as a few moments later the ship suddenly began to shake violently, as if it were having a grand mal seizure. Sloe laid a steadying hand on my shoulder in an effort to help me stay on my feet. After a few seconds, the shuddering subsided.
    “What the hell was that?” I asked.
    “Massive shock wave,” Sloe answered. “Based on my interface with the ship’s systems, it originated from an explosion near the engines.”
    “Can you detect the level of damage?” Berran asked anxiously.
    “This vessel is fully compromised,” Sloe declared in response. “It can no longer safely land on Caeles or even enter the planet’s atmosphere. Almost all aboard are certain to perish.”

Chapter 2
    I was given no time to absorb what Sloe had said.
    “Come, Prince!” Berran yelled while hustling me over to the exit from the observation deck. By now, emergency lights were flashing and klaxons were sounding throughout the ship.
    The exit opened automatically at our approach, revealing a hallway on the other side that was starting to fill with smoke and people dashing madly about.
    “We have to hurry!” Berran yelled as Sloe moved into