few moments to allow their eyes to adjust. They were outside, yes—but in the courtyard of a building, completely enclosed. There was no place to run to.
Arkan9 led them to some benches. There were several other lizard-men milling about in the courtyard and conversing, some of whom pointed in their direction before going back inside. This appeared to be a break area for the Torians who worked at the lab, assuming Brandon and Derek were really in a lab on a planet called Amulen.
The plant life in the courtyard was undeniably exotic. One tree with rich green leaves had three or four different kinds of fruit on it. Another had three trunks and one large leaf on top where they all came together. There were vines made entirely of blooming flowers growing on trellises. A patch of purple grass lay in front of them, and a squirrel-looking mammal, what Brandon recognized as giant-frog food, scurried up the fruit tree. It was quite a beautiful scene.
Derek was first to speak. He was looking up at the sky.
“Whoa man, a big full moon out in the daytime. That thing’s outta sight.”
Brandon looked up, and then all doubt was removed about still being on Earth. The moon was much different.
“That is Banor,” Arkan9 said. “It is particularly visible in the mornings this time of year from Continent-2 Amulen. Neither of our worlds have a natural satellite like the Earth’s moon.”
They sat outside for a while, without anyone speaking, while Brandon and Derek took it all in. At one point, Brandon got up and wandered around the courtyard to examine the vegetation and the walls of the buildings that surrounded them. The two natives would have stayed close to him, but Arkan9 waved them off. The Sheen was right; Brandon no longer had a desire to run. There would be no point to it. He was lost, so far from home it was unfathomable, and completely at the mercy of these aliens, who, fortunately, seemed to be committed to taking care of him. He came back over to the group after a bit. Derek had moved and was now sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of Arkan9’s bench. Brandon sat on the bench next to Arkan9.
The specter of it all began to wear off.
“Why did you revive us?” Brandon asked.
“It is a cruelty, and a violation of our moral law, to keep intelligent life forms in perpetual comatose,” Arkan9 said.
“What about kidnapping, man?” Derek said. “Your moral law has no issues with that?”
“Understand,” Mip7 interjected, “if you had remained on your home planet, there is a strong chance you would have perished by now, along with your entire species.” The lizard-professor nodded in agreement.
“Perhaps that’s what we preferred,” Brandon said. “At least it would have been proper to ask first.”
“Right on brother,” Derek said. “Me, I could have just lived my life. I had tickets to a hot show, man. I am fine with dying, as long as I got to see Hendrix play live first. Dang it, I would have been an old geezer, if I was still alive even, by the time you bagged Brando there. It ain’t right, man. You guys obviously didn’t know what you were doing, ‘cause the Earth didn’t roll over or nothing in what was supposed to be my lifetime.”
Arkan9 looked at Brandon. “Your name is Brando?”
“No. Brandon.”
Arkan9 turned to Derek. “What can we call you?”
Derek just sat there for a long moment looking annoyed. He eventually answered, “Derek. Call me Derek.” Brandon shook his head in amazement.
“Brandon and Derek,” Arkan9 said, “I cannot defend all the actions my people have taken, especially in our recent history. Torians are a good people, but all beings error in their ways at times. I do not purport that your abductions were justified. I can only offer an apology.”
“You brought us here, so can you take us home?” Brandon asked.
Arkan9 thought for a moment. “The technology does exist, of course. It is physically possible, yes—but, it is not within my ability
Arkan9 led them to some benches. There were several other lizard-men milling about in the courtyard and conversing, some of whom pointed in their direction before going back inside. This appeared to be a break area for the Torians who worked at the lab, assuming Brandon and Derek were really in a lab on a planet called Amulen.
The plant life in the courtyard was undeniably exotic. One tree with rich green leaves had three or four different kinds of fruit on it. Another had three trunks and one large leaf on top where they all came together. There were vines made entirely of blooming flowers growing on trellises. A patch of purple grass lay in front of them, and a squirrel-looking mammal, what Brandon recognized as giant-frog food, scurried up the fruit tree. It was quite a beautiful scene.
Derek was first to speak. He was looking up at the sky.
“Whoa man, a big full moon out in the daytime. That thing’s outta sight.”
Brandon looked up, and then all doubt was removed about still being on Earth. The moon was much different.
“That is Banor,” Arkan9 said. “It is particularly visible in the mornings this time of year from Continent-2 Amulen. Neither of our worlds have a natural satellite like the Earth’s moon.”
They sat outside for a while, without anyone speaking, while Brandon and Derek took it all in. At one point, Brandon got up and wandered around the courtyard to examine the vegetation and the walls of the buildings that surrounded them. The two natives would have stayed close to him, but Arkan9 waved them off. The Sheen was right; Brandon no longer had a desire to run. There would be no point to it. He was lost, so far from home it was unfathomable, and completely at the mercy of these aliens, who, fortunately, seemed to be committed to taking care of him. He came back over to the group after a bit. Derek had moved and was now sitting cross-legged on the grass in front of Arkan9’s bench. Brandon sat on the bench next to Arkan9.
The specter of it all began to wear off.
“Why did you revive us?” Brandon asked.
“It is a cruelty, and a violation of our moral law, to keep intelligent life forms in perpetual comatose,” Arkan9 said.
“What about kidnapping, man?” Derek said. “Your moral law has no issues with that?”
“Understand,” Mip7 interjected, “if you had remained on your home planet, there is a strong chance you would have perished by now, along with your entire species.” The lizard-professor nodded in agreement.
“Perhaps that’s what we preferred,” Brandon said. “At least it would have been proper to ask first.”
“Right on brother,” Derek said. “Me, I could have just lived my life. I had tickets to a hot show, man. I am fine with dying, as long as I got to see Hendrix play live first. Dang it, I would have been an old geezer, if I was still alive even, by the time you bagged Brando there. It ain’t right, man. You guys obviously didn’t know what you were doing, ‘cause the Earth didn’t roll over or nothing in what was supposed to be my lifetime.”
Arkan9 looked at Brandon. “Your name is Brando?”
“No. Brandon.”
Arkan9 turned to Derek. “What can we call you?”
Derek just sat there for a long moment looking annoyed. He eventually answered, “Derek. Call me Derek.” Brandon shook his head in amazement.
“Brandon and Derek,” Arkan9 said, “I cannot defend all the actions my people have taken, especially in our recent history. Torians are a good people, but all beings error in their ways at times. I do not purport that your abductions were justified. I can only offer an apology.”
“You brought us here, so can you take us home?” Brandon asked.
Arkan9 thought for a moment. “The technology does exist, of course. It is physically possible, yes—but, it is not within my ability
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