Derek asked.
“The professor will explain.”
The one he called Yob3 then launched into a detailed history of the Torian space exploration program. Earth was a planet just outside of Erobian space, and was as far away as any of their missions had ever ventured. It was considered an underdeveloped planet, by their standards, but was fascinating from a cultural perspective so continuing missions were commissioned. When it was discovered Earth would soon experience a violent orbital shift, “research subjects” were taken and brought back to the Amulen Science Complex for study. The deep space exploration missions to that section of the galaxy were discontinued approximately 24.4 Torian years ago, before Earth’s pending orbital shift occurred. Being so far away, the actual fate of Earth is still unknown at the present time. During the time since, until now, the Earth research subjects were kept in cryonic preservation chambers, a process which almost freezes the body but maintains life support. The aging of the body is slowed almost to a stop when kept in that type of environment.
Derek pointed his thumb back at Brandon, without turning around. “This guy says he’s from my future.”
“That is correct,” Yob3 said. “He was the last subject taken. You were the first. A time period of approximately 45 Earth years separates you, although the cryonic preservation process has resulted in your current condition being very close to that of the time when each of you were …rescued. We revived the first and the last subjects in order to ascertain if the maintenance process had developed any obvious flaws over the years. The fact that you both have resuscitated completely, and to good health, validates some of our theories.”
“Well, so glad we could help,” Brandon said. He hoped Derek would return to him now.
“How many more are there?” Derek asked. Brandon had to admit, Derek was handling himself much better than he was.
“We accumulated research subjects from several other underdeveloped planets as well,” Yob3 began.
“No—from Earth. How many more prisoners did you kidnap from Earth?”
Professor Yob3 looked at Arkan9 instead of answering. So did everyone else in the room. Finally, Arkan9 spoke.
“Would you like to go for a walk?”
Brandon found his question avoidance unnerving, but he spoke up anyway.
“You mean, outside?”
Arkan9 looked back at Yob3, who simply shrugged, before continuing.
“Yes, we can go outside. Why don’t we all go for walk?”
Chapter Five
Derek walked alongside Arkan9 immediately in front of Brandon. Professor Yob3 led the procession, and the one called Mip7 brought up the rear behind Brandon, forming a secure formation. The doors were all closed in the corridor they now walked through. It was the same metallic color as the gray room. Brandon thought about making a break for it as soon as they got outside, whenever and wherever that would be—but where could he go? The food and beds were back in here. Even so, if it looked like Earth when they got outside, he decided he would look for an escape opportunity and take his chances.
He knew these shoes might be a problem, though. Brandon figured he may need to ditch them, as they could contain a tracking device, or even have a remote control that could stop him from running. Arkan9 had made him and Derek get fitted with them before the walk, calling them gravity footwear , claiming he and Derek would not have good control of their movements outside without them. The shoes were black and had a strip of small green lights on the outside that occasionally flashed in sequence, which Yob3 explained was evidence they were “calibrating.” They looked futuristic and were kind of cool—although, if Brandon saw NBA players wearing them with a Nike symbol back home, he wouldn’t have thought twice about it.
They turned left and exited through a sliding door into sudden bright sunshine. Everyone stood still for a
“The professor will explain.”
The one he called Yob3 then launched into a detailed history of the Torian space exploration program. Earth was a planet just outside of Erobian space, and was as far away as any of their missions had ever ventured. It was considered an underdeveloped planet, by their standards, but was fascinating from a cultural perspective so continuing missions were commissioned. When it was discovered Earth would soon experience a violent orbital shift, “research subjects” were taken and brought back to the Amulen Science Complex for study. The deep space exploration missions to that section of the galaxy were discontinued approximately 24.4 Torian years ago, before Earth’s pending orbital shift occurred. Being so far away, the actual fate of Earth is still unknown at the present time. During the time since, until now, the Earth research subjects were kept in cryonic preservation chambers, a process which almost freezes the body but maintains life support. The aging of the body is slowed almost to a stop when kept in that type of environment.
Derek pointed his thumb back at Brandon, without turning around. “This guy says he’s from my future.”
“That is correct,” Yob3 said. “He was the last subject taken. You were the first. A time period of approximately 45 Earth years separates you, although the cryonic preservation process has resulted in your current condition being very close to that of the time when each of you were …rescued. We revived the first and the last subjects in order to ascertain if the maintenance process had developed any obvious flaws over the years. The fact that you both have resuscitated completely, and to good health, validates some of our theories.”
“Well, so glad we could help,” Brandon said. He hoped Derek would return to him now.
“How many more are there?” Derek asked. Brandon had to admit, Derek was handling himself much better than he was.
“We accumulated research subjects from several other underdeveloped planets as well,” Yob3 began.
“No—from Earth. How many more prisoners did you kidnap from Earth?”
Professor Yob3 looked at Arkan9 instead of answering. So did everyone else in the room. Finally, Arkan9 spoke.
“Would you like to go for a walk?”
Brandon found his question avoidance unnerving, but he spoke up anyway.
“You mean, outside?”
Arkan9 looked back at Yob3, who simply shrugged, before continuing.
“Yes, we can go outside. Why don’t we all go for walk?”
Chapter Five
Derek walked alongside Arkan9 immediately in front of Brandon. Professor Yob3 led the procession, and the one called Mip7 brought up the rear behind Brandon, forming a secure formation. The doors were all closed in the corridor they now walked through. It was the same metallic color as the gray room. Brandon thought about making a break for it as soon as they got outside, whenever and wherever that would be—but where could he go? The food and beds were back in here. Even so, if it looked like Earth when they got outside, he decided he would look for an escape opportunity and take his chances.
He knew these shoes might be a problem, though. Brandon figured he may need to ditch them, as they could contain a tracking device, or even have a remote control that could stop him from running. Arkan9 had made him and Derek get fitted with them before the walk, calling them gravity footwear , claiming he and Derek would not have good control of their movements outside without them. The shoes were black and had a strip of small green lights on the outside that occasionally flashed in sequence, which Yob3 explained was evidence they were “calibrating.” They looked futuristic and were kind of cool—although, if Brandon saw NBA players wearing them with a Nike symbol back home, he wouldn’t have thought twice about it.
They turned left and exited through a sliding door into sudden bright sunshine. Everyone stood still for a
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