Test of Magnitude (The Torian Reclamation)

by Kasch, Andy

  “I have no answers,” he said, “only anguish.”

  “Well I need some answers because I’m losing it, man. I didn’t risk my life in that battle up there for Tora. I did it for my people in those tanks on Amulen, and for the only other conscious Earthling in this godforsaken place, my friend and companion who we left ‘safe’ here on Banor. He’s supposed to be here! What did the attackers want with these Sheen, and why would they take Derek hostage?”

  Mip7 didn’t answer. The two of them were back at Uden surveying the destruction after having spent the night in a hotel room at the spaceport. Brandon didn’t get much sleep. They watched the news reports in their room last night, and had learned about the attack on Uden then, including the abductions of Arkan9 and Derek. Up until just a few minutes ago, though, Brandon had been holding out hope that Derek was really hiding out in the bushes somewhere.

  Now that they were here, that hope was quickly dissipating. Many of the shacks and huts were burned to the ground. The halcyon arc was gone. The modern building that housed the bar and arcade was only minimally damaged, however, probably from an errant laser. But Arkan9, Derek, and dozens of other Sheen were missing and confirmed by witnesses as taken hostage by the invaders. On the local hilltops, smoke from funeral fires could be seen. Mip7 explained to Brandon that the Sheen burned their dead, as was the custom with all Torians.

  A figure approached them walking through the scattered pieces of burnt wood. When he drew close, Brandon recognized him as Nunon4, the Sheen whom Brandon had played the Othello-style game with by the campfire one night.

  “Tulros,” he said, and sat down on the ground next to Mip7. Brandon sat down now as well. The three of them were almost in the same spot where Brandon had beaten Nunon4 at the game, near where the halcyon arc had been.

  “Nunon4,” Brandon said, “I’m glad to see you’re safe. What can you tell us about what happened? I’m having a terrible time trying to understand it.”

  “Lawlessness only makes sense to the lawless,” Nunon4 said, “but perhaps I can help you regain some balance. I saw the attack, from up there.” He pointed towards the hills. “I went up to watch the sunset. What I witnessed instead was the sun setting on the Erobian era of peace. Now there will be wars, I’m afraid, and troubled times.”

  “You saw them land?” Mip7 asked.

  “Yes. They landed in the village, right on top of our homes, destroying many of them. Most of those who were killed were burned and crushed right in their own house by the attackers’ landing craft. The others were shot with laser weapons when they came running up to see what happened. Some thought it had been an accident, but more craft kept landing. The invaders killed the first ones they saw, and burned down other houses, in order to instill fear it seemed. After that, they mostly just shot at structures as they made their way through the village, until they found the halcyon arc. That must have been what they came for. They killed two more Sheen who foolishly tried to stop them from taking it. Your friend, Derek, was fortunate not to be killed with them, as he was also running towards the arc before the other two were slain in front of him. Once they had the arc secured, the invaders began rounding up prisoners, probably as a way to ensure their landing craft would not be attacked on the return journey. Quite devious.”

  “They definitely took Derek as one of the hostages?” Brandon asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What of Arkan9?” Mip7 asked.

  “He was nearby with some of the elders. They had been discussing the things of the prophet tests before the sudden attack. They were also corralled and taken by the invaders. I witnessed it. Derek was taken into a different craft than Arkan9 and the elders.”

  Brandon held his face in his hands. “This is a nightmare. Poor guy has been kidnapped twice now by aliens. These Azaarians don’t figure to be nice captors, either.”

  “Perhaps the hostages will be given their freedom when they reach their destination,” Nunon4 said. “The lawless killings, as atrocious as they were, all appeared to have a purpose. The only purpose of taking hostages may have been to aid in the escape.”

  “That could very well mean the hostages will be killed as soon as their usefulness is ended,” Brandon said.

  Nunon4 looked to the sky and said, “The remaining elders and I do not feel that is what has happened. We sense the life force of our friends still, and believe they may live through the ordeal—especially since the prophet had foretold distant visions of his future. He also felt Derek would have a part in the reclamation of Tora.”

  “Prophet?” Mip7 said. “Isn’t that title premature?”

  Nunon4 smiled and said, “Perhaps, but not by much. It is almost certain he would have been confirmed as a prophet shortly.”

  “But the tests had not even started yet when we left,” Mip7 said. “From what I remember in school, they would take many weeks to conclude. How much progress could he have made in a day or two?”

  Nunon4 removed his hood. “Arkan9 didn’t realize it, but he had actually been performing the ancient prophet tests for many weeks already. It was part of the procedure specially designed for him. He did, after all, predict the first interstellar war, and the involvement of you and your governor. Did he not also know specific details about the Torian leaders, which no one could have known? And also about these Earthlings? His visions propelled him through the highest government offices, and he successfully began the revival of the Earthmen, which he stated would be a vital resource in the coming battle.”

  Nunon4 then turned to Brandon. “Which you were. Thank you for your valiant effort. You are the hero of Tora, although it is doubtful you will be a sung hero. Also, I fear your job is not over.”

  “I’m not doing anything else unless more of my people are freed, or unless it involves getting Derek back,” Brandon said.

  “Of course,” Nunon4 said. “That is your purpose.”

  “I don’t understand,” Mip7 said. “If he is a true prophet, wouldn’t he also know about the tests? You say he didn’t even know he had been taking them. How can that be, if he really is a prophet?”

  “A natural question from an outside observer,” Nunon4 said, “albeit an uninspired one.” Mip7 frowned.

  “It is part of the ways of the tests to fool the one who is taking them,” Nunon4 explained. “We have ways of doing that, which we go to great lengths to achieve. I regret I am unable to be more explicit about this, but understand we did not originally expect Arkan9 to progress so far. The great majority of prospective prophets fail the first test by actually desiring to take the tests. Arkan9’s stubborn resistance, his unwillingness to submit to them, made him quite unique. No true prophet ever seeks the recognition of being such.”

  A child Sheen walked up to them. Nunon4 gave him a hand signal and he sat down with them. Brandon recognized the child.

  “You remember my son?” Nunon4 said.

  Brandon and Mip7 nodded. Mip7 said Tulros to him.

  Brandon spoke. “Nunon4, you said that Arkan9 predicted something about Derek being involved in a …reclamation?”

  “Yes, that’s correct.”

  “Reclamation of what, exactly?”

  Nunon4 thought for a moment. “Perhaps the word does not translate well. Suffice it to say that things are changing in the Erobian Sphere. Not just here in Tora. The prophet foresaw this. He also foresaw that you Earthmen could be a great asset to us. Evil times come, but perhaps they will be short-lived. You and your friends may play a significant role in helping us to restore a lawful and peaceful society. This is what the prophet saw. It has already begun.”

  They sat in silence for a while. Brandon considered Nunon4’s words. They were resplendent with hope. It was strange, but suddenly Brandon wished he could sit in front of the halcyon arc.

  The Sheen child suddenly spoke. “Brandon Foss.”

  Brandon looked down at him. “Yes? Sorry, I don’t know your name.”

  “Nunon5.”

  Brandon forced a polite sm
ile. “Of course.”

  “I have a message for you,” the child said.

  “What’s this?” Nunon4 said to his son, seemingly annoyed.

  The child looked up at his father. “I’m sorry, Sire, but Arkan9 told me to wait and deliver the message now, after he was gone and the Earthman returned, and to tell no one of it until then.”

  “A message from Arkan9?” Mip7 said. “Why did you wait so long to tell us?”

  “A Sheen child waits until it is his turn to speak. We are not always in a hurry, as the native Torians are.” He looked up at his father again. “ Right, Sire?”

  “Very good, son. Give Brandon your message.”

  “He wants you to go to Landen. You will be received there. The prophet wanted me to tell you not to worry, and to be of good cheer and courage.” Nunon4’s son appeared to be tremendously satisfied at having delivered his message. His father gave his approval in the form of a nod.

  “Landen?” Mip7 asked.

  “It is a Sheen colony on C5 Amulen,” Nunon4 said. “Similar to this one in many ways, only more reclusive, and more rural.”

  Brandon grimaced. “More rural than here?”

  “It could be a dangerous place for a frail creature like an Earthling,” Nunon4 said to Mip7. “You will need to escort him safely. I’m sure everything will be all right, if the prophet has ordained it.”

  “Prophet,” Brandon muttered to himself.

  “Yes,” Nunon4 said, having overheard him. “Any remaining doubt about that has now been removed.”

  * * *

  Brandon didn’t mind travelling to some far-off new place. There was nothing for him at Uden anymore, and the scene of the destruction only served to remind him that this star system was not his home. He had come to like the Sheen colony, though, so perhaps going to a different one, even farther out in the sticks, would afford him a place to rest for a while. He felt like resting. If Arkan9 had directed him to go there, that was good enough for Brandon. He actually had a glimmer of newfound hope that he would somehow find Derek and Arkan9 at this Landen colony. Stranger things have happened to him lately.

  He and Mip7 spent one night at Uden and rode their yuquil back to the local spaceport early the next day, where they ran into some trouble. They had parked their fighter craft off on one side of the tarmac, tucked out of the way, where several other small shuttles were kept. It seemed like a natural place to store them, and two days ago no one had showed any concern when they left them there. Today, however, when they came back, military personnel had sectioned off that area and were not allowing Mip7 and Brandon near the ships again. So, they had to take shuttle flights to get to their destination.

  No big deal as it turned out. Mip7 found that his Cardinal-4 employee expense account was working again. They had a few argims in the spaceport lounge and then caught a short flight to a larger Banorian spaceport, where they had another argim before catching a direct flight to the only spaceport on C5 Amulen. They boarded a hoverbus from there, changed busses twice, and headed out across the sand.

  C5 Amulen was a brown, dusty place. The air was dry and hot. The desert conditions reminded Brandon of a vacation he took in Utah back home during the early years of his marriage.

  Sheri. He hadn’t thought about her lately. Brandon wondered how many years—well, months—well, days—it had taken her to find another man after his disappearance. Funny thing was he really didn’t miss her. That is, he didn’t miss the Sheri he knew at the time of his abduction. He missed the one he knew from their courtship days, but she had been gone for years already. Maybe there was a good woman waiting for him somewhere in that cryonic network at the C2 Science Complex. Female companionship would be nice. The space station commander owed him big time now, and Brandon had every intention of holding him to it—just as soon as he found the energy. Right now, he was tired. A peaceful, quiet place to sleep long hours for a few days was what he hoped to come to.

  At last, the final hoverbus stopped at a remote station with a small rural village behind it, similar to the one where they rented yuquil in order to get to Uden. Same drill here, only the riding animals were slightly different looking. Mip7 explained that they were yuquin, a close relative of yuquil. They had much thicker, hard-leather skin and a big horn on their head.

  “These animals are more naturally protected from the serpents here,” Mip7 said after getting directions from the stable keeper.

  “Serpents?”

  “Yes, venomous serpents, and very aggressive. Our leather skin protects us, for the most part, but they would probably be deadly to you. We may see some along the way, I don’t know. I have never been here, but have seen shows about this area.”

  “Great. Well, I’m staying up here off the ground, and not letting these animals eat if I am underneath any tree.”

  “There aren’t as many trees on C5 Amulen, mostly just bushes, so that plan will be easy to follow. You don’t need to worry about ground serpents as much as the flying ones.”

  “Flying poisonous snakes?”

  “Here.” Mip7 handed him a hand-laser with green and red buttons.

  “This looks like a fishing pole,” Brandon said.

  “It’s a fishing device, yes. Like the ones you and Derek used to catch candeer fish, only bigger and more powerful—so be careful with it. These are for larger saltwater fish. Flying serpents are sometimes used as bait for them. You can shoot them right out of the air with the green laser. Might even be fun for someone like you.”

  “Honestly,” Brandon said, “I’ve had enough of shooting at things for the time being. I’ll keep it handy though, thanks.”

  The two of them rode out over the desolate landscape. Yellow and red patches painted the otherwise brown expanses of ground, along with an occasional bush, small tree, or cactus-looking plant. The place had a unique beauty to it, if you could stand the heat. They each had two water skins draped over their animal’s necks, and Brandon drank from his frequently. He was nearly finished with the first skin when they came to a watering hole at the bottom of a gulley. It was surrounded by thick bushes. They found an opening and directed their animals towards it in order to water them there, without dismounting.

  Brandon’s yuquin was chewing a mouthful of bush leaves when it swung its head out suddenly, making a stabbing motion with its horn in the air. Something flew up out of its way and hovered in front of Brandon, about four feet from his head. It was a flying serpent. Damned if the thing didn’t look just like a miniature dragon. Brandon fumbled for his fishing laser, but dropped it when the yuquin bucked to take another stab at the serpent. It was all Brandon could do to hold on and not fall off.

  A large object then blurred in the air in front of Brandon where the serpent was flying, and the serpent was gone. The yuquin settled down again. Brandon looked to the ground. There was one of those giant frog-head looking animals he had seen on the wildlife documentary, sitting in the shallow water with the serpent’s head dangling from its mouth. The frog-thing then extended its head upward and swallowed the serpent whole. It then jumped over to a patch of dry grass where it promptly changed colors to blend in with the ground cover, becoming nearly invisible to Brandon’s eyes.

  “You let that one get a little close,” Mip7 said.

  Brandon dismounted to retrieve his laser. Mip7 came over and extended his hand to help him remount.

  “Is Landen much farther?” Brandon asked. “I’m halfway through my water supply already.”

  “Based on what they told me, I think we are most of the way there. Maybe over the next ridge.”

  They rode on, but didn’t stop at any more watering holes. Brandon saw a large bird fly by with a snake in its talons, but other than that no further serpent sightings.

  Mip7’s estimation was almost correct. The village could be seen from the top of the next ridge, but it was off to the right a ways. They had approached from a slightly wrong direction, so now had to make their way back along the hilltop.

  They
came to a small stable on the outskirts of the village, where a young Sheen seemed surprised to see them. They deposited their animals and Mip7 asked about lodging. The stable boy led them towards the front of the village, near the area they would have come to if they had approached from the right direction. They came to a shack and stopped.

  “Wait here please,” the stable boy said and entered.

  Landen was located on higher ground than much of the surrounding horizon. The air was slightly cooler here, and there were some small groves of trees. The houses were a mix of wood cabins and grass huts, much like Uden, but were spread out more from one another, except for several areas of condensed shacks. The most notable landmark, however, was a tall dark rock formation of some kind towering from the middle of the village.

  The stable boy emerged from the shack with another Sheen, who bowed and said, “Tulros.” The boy then ran back towards the stable.

  “Turlos,” Mip7 said. “I am Mip7 of Cardinal-4, and this is Brandon Foss, a friendly alien, from planet Earth.”

  “I am Madkin3. We know who you are. We live simple lives here, but are not without communications. Why have you come?”

  Mip7 explained about the message from Arkan9. Madkin3 thought for a while before responding.

  “Arkan9 is greatly respected in Landen,” he said. “It is a great mystery that he allowed himself to be taken away from us, in such a manner as has happened. I now perceive our humble village may play a small part in the ensuing battle of wisdom and folly. You are welcome here.”

  Madkin3 faced Brandon and continued speaking.

  “You may not find us to be especially warm and friendly. This is nothing personal, please understand. It is simply our way. We are …a reclusive lot. I will personally endeavor to extend friendship to you, however. Please consider me to be your servant. Follow me now, and I will provide you with comfortable lodging.”

  He turned and began walking. Mip7 shrugged and followed, so Brandon fell in line behind them.

  “Why did you say Arkan9 allowed himself to be taken away?” Mip7 asked.