Day 5

I'm still breathing.

The sterile, metallic walls of the Pah'kreth vessel had become both my prison and my reality. Everyday melded into the next, an endless cycle of isolation and dread. They watched me constantly, their unreadable eyes fixated on me.

I was locked in a claustrophobic cell, with a small window that I could just reach to look through. The floor cold, the dim lighting offered little comfort. Uncertainty gnawed at me.

The Pah'kreth seemed intent on breaking into my mind. They would bring me to a room and strap me into a chair surrounded by complex machinery and computers. Wires and probes connected to my temples, fingers, toes and groin. Waves of pain would surge through me as they attempted to extract information. The process left me drained, my thoughts a jumbled mess.

Every session was the same: the alien language I couldn’t understand, yet somehow, the meaning was clear. They wanted information. But why? I had no military knowledge, no secret codes, nothing of strategic value. My role on the space station was routine, mundane even. What could they possibly hope to gain from me?

Today’s session began as usual, with the cold, clinical procedures and the invasive probes. This time, the pain was more intense, and the sensations were different. It felt as if they were peeling back layers of my consciousness, delving into memories I had long forgotten.

Flashes of my life on Earth flickered before my eyes: childhood moments, my family, my friends, mundane days at the space station. They sifted through everything, dissecting my very essence. I could feel their frustration, their impatience. They were searching for something specific, something they believed I had.

After what felt like eternity, the session ended abruptly. The probes were unhooked and I was escorted back to my cell. I collapsed onto the cold floor, my head throbbing and my body trembling. 

What were they looking for? Why were they so desperate for information from someone like me?

As I lay there, trying to make sense of it all, a new thought began to form. Maybe it wasn’t about what I knew, but what I represented. Humanity was being annihilated, running scared, frantic to survive. Perhaps I was a symbol, a test subject in their grand scheme. They wanted to understand us, break us down, and ensure there would be no resistance.

I couldn’t give up. I had to find a way to survive, to hold onto my humanity. If there was even a chance to fight back, I had to. 

I made a silent vow: 

Endure.

Resist.

I would find a way to escape this nightmare.