Free Test of Magnitude (The Torian Reclamation) by Andy Kasch

Earth’s last observed orbital angle.”
    The two outlined figures on the screen were now zoomed in on, and they were shown fading into actual pictures of men—no, not men—skin appeared on them, but it became scale-like and leathery. When the finished images became clear, Brandon and Derek both jumped out of their seats.
    “It’s the lizard-men, man!” Derek shouted.
    Brandon ran from the screen, back to the far side of the room. Derek followed him there. The lights came back on in the room and the film paused.
    “What do you want from us!” Brandon yelled at the ceiling.
    The voice on the overhead audio system spoke.
    “Do you need to use the waste room?”
    “No!” Derek shouted. “We don’t need to use the freaking hyena room! Let us go, you freaky lizard warmongers!”
    There was a short pause, and then the audio voice continued.
    “Please return to your video. Everything will be explained. You are in no danger. The sooner we complete the orientation process, the sooner your freedoms can be established.”
    Brandon looked at Derek, who was backing up against the wall and looking around the room rapidly. Brandon was suddenly glad Derek was there. If it wasn’t for him, that would be Brandon reacting in extreme paranoia.
    “We better do what they say,” Brandon said as calmly as he could under the circumstances. “For now, anyway. We are prisoners for the time being, and it makes no more sense to be on this side of the room than on the other. That’s only a film over there—it can’t hurt us, and if these people wanted to hurt us they could have done that already. I was stupid to panic like that. Sorry.”
    Brandon returned to his chair and Derek followed a few minutes later. The lights went out and the video resumed.
    “There have been no wars fought in Tora for more than 2,000 years,” the narrator said. “Our efforts instead have focused on social issues, technology, architecture, and space exploration.” The video showed clips of incredible buildings, hovercraft, spaceships, and what appeared to be a large space station of some kind.
    “And kidnapping!” Derek yelled.
    “Many of our efforts were motivated by philanthropy,” the narrator continued as if he were responding to Derek, “including our Earth project. We have successfully rescued some of the members of your race from the polar axis shift extinction that our scientists projected.” The video zoomed in on Amulen again, Continent-2 again, but farther north than the capital area shown earlier. It kept zooming in to show a huge futuristic city, something that looked like a gigantic theme park.
    “This is the Amulen C2 Science Complex,” the narrator said. “You are here now, in research lab number 71. There will be a question and answer period during the next phase of your orientation. Thank you for watching.” The room remained dark and the film kept playing, but the narration stopped. Clips of exotic vegetation and animal life were shown, which would have been captivating if the full weight of what had just been revealed had not suddenly fallen on Brandon like a ton of bricks. He suddenly felt violated, homesick, and very alone.
    The lights came back on and the video stopped. Derek didn’t say anything. Brandon looked over at him, but he was just staring straight ahead with a look of dejection. Finally, Brandon decided to break the silence.
    “So—we’ve been abducted by space aliens.”
    Derek turned to face him now. Brandon wasn’t sure why, but he felt compassion for this annoying hippie, and wanted to help him. As if he wasn’t up to his ears in his own problems at the moment. But their problems were one and the same, after all. Maybe they could help each other. At the moment, this guy was all he had. Brandon smiled at him.
    The hippie forced a smile back and said, “Hey, no wars. They seem to be doing way better than our planet.”
    “Right on, brother.” Brandon said.
    Derek stood up and started to come over to