I would have never figured that water, H2O, a human being’s life source, would be this alien species poison. Just a drop of it will burn their skin almost like acid. Yet, to them, acid is just considered a dressing of some sort. An option to put on the side with their food. I wouldn’t even call it that to be quite honest, that stuff looks rancid and took them way too long to figure out that it was what was killing a whole enslavement camp of humans when the invasion first happened 40 years back. How did I find out?

There was a new guy on guard in our unit. Obviously new and almost mocking us non-verbally about his new post. Our wing is considered to be an easy one to manage. No criminal history, pretty obedient due to the fear that was instilled during the initial contact of this species. They are called the Fillians, a race of aliens that have gray almost styrofoam skin, but from observing their conversations with one another, I don’t think they are grey, but a color spectrum the human eye just doesn’t pick up. Like how some animal species on Earth could see UV light. To them, we are just animals who can’t see anything, like dogs who just obey and follow orders. Nothing more.

This new guard though, he was very proud of his new position because they really don’t do much other than kicking us down every now and then to remind us who is in charge, like its not already very obvious due to the fact that we aren’t even on earth anymore. I use “he” and “his” because they seem to have a similarly reproductive system as mammals, and their spectrum of gender isn’t like ours, but still very binary. He also would walk around with what I assume is his chest all puffed out and an arrogant smile to follow and the flurry of antennas coming from the top of his head stood completely straight up like he was concentrated on keeping up with this visual for the whole camp to see.

Nice to know this type of cockiness is not reserved for the human stereotype, i guess.

Anyways, he was walking around clocking everyone in and making sure everyone was in their cell after our day. Our cell was actually pretty typical of ones we had at home, a toilet in the cell with us, cement or metal beds with a thing sheet and limp pillow to keep us comfy through the “nights”. We all were delivered meals in the cell and stayed in there until the next morning for our morning duties. They made sure to keep us on a 24 hour day because they realized all too late that yes, exhaustion would kill us too if we were to be on their 54 hour days. They would sleep for about 15 hours but for the other 39, they were awake working 15 hour shifts. I can’t even get into what the rest of their “year” is like, mostly because I still haven’t really figured it out.

Our doors had little slots where they would push through our trays with, you guessed it water. Breakfast and dinner were the only times we got any water, so they made sure it was at least 16 oz each time to make sure we didn’t dehydrate completely. We were disposable of course, but still needed us alive for at least a couple years until we all die out. I mean there’s over 5 billion of us what are they really going to do? I meant their population is almost double ours so we replaced a lot of their inmates.

Tonight, I was mad. We had been arguing while making metal parts for their army about silly mundane things. We have all been together in the same hot room for almost 10 hours and that, plus barely any water, barely any food, and not sign of it cooling off any time soon, every little thing set each and every one of us off. So naturally a fight broke out and someone died this time. We all got sent to our rooms early so the clean up crew could get the poor guy together. Very much of a dystopian Oedipus moment, but instead of a gold needle, it was a power drill.

Tensions were still high by the time we were all escorted to our cells, and I myself had got into it with my neighbor because they keep banging on the wall because they are making a beat to a tune in their own head. It’s fucking obnoxious and annoying when I am trying to sleep in the most uncomfortable place in possible existence. So, when the food and water was pushed into my cell, I took the water, opened it, and threw it at the brute. Next thing I knew, I heard guttural screaming and almost a sizzling sound coming from his body. I could hear other guards rushing towards him, yelling, “How do we make it stop?”, and “It’s gonna remove the whole face!”.

Then I heard a thud on the grated metal floor and just silence. The only thing you could hear were those weird slim balls slushing around in the vents that the encampment completely denies that are investing our site. Not even a minute later, my door slams open and they take me by the underarm and drag me to where I am now. Solitary confinement. I don’t think I am going to get out of here alive, but I have to tell someone, anyone who is a human, that their weakness is our most precious nutrient possible. The one thing that could get us all back home, if its not already obliterated. It could get us back our freedom and maybe a sense of autonomy to get back into living a life worth living. All we need is water.