Apex

Chapter 3

•Kriss•

They didn't put me back with the others. I was left in some sort of lab in another clear cage. Sometimes the giants would come in and take notes, check various beakers, look at topographical maps of what used to be my planet. Few paid me much attention. The top of the cage would be lifted and they'd drop my food inside. Typically, that food would be a mixture of raw vegetables, nuts, and occasionally fruit.

Recently, I've been given various foods I couldn't identify. The first time I saw the dripping, neon blue chunks of what I suspected was fruit, I'd been certain they were attempting to poison me. Once I ate it and had no side affects, I figured they simply wanted to know if their food was edible to humans.

Thankfully, the answer has been yes so far.

I hadn't seen the giant from my first day of testing ever since he'd cleaned and bounded my injuries.

I shouldn't have spoken to him, shouldn't have even thought of questioning him. But something about my impending doom made me want to try. If I was going to die anyway, then I might as well ask for some sort of answers. My captor was far from forthcoming.

My days have been long and boring. At least in the other room I saw other humans every day. I didn't speak to them, but they reminded me that some of us were still alive for now, against the odds. I don't know if there's anyone left hiding anymore. Were we all that was left of humanity? It was with these thoughts that I'd dozed off on the cold floor of my cage.

A hissing sound woke me up. I looked around and saw I was surrounded by an orange mist. Beyond the clear walls of my cage were three giants. I could only see the torso of one of them. The other two were leaning towards the cage, tablets in hand and squinting at me. They seemed to be waiting for me to do something.

I couldn't move as they scrutinized me, so many in the same place. Their bodies rose towards the heavens, larger than I could comprehend. Their eyes holding a frightening intelligence, as if knowing something that we humans could never begin to understand. These eyes stared into my soul, ready to drag it to hell.

All I could do was gasp for breath as my heart raced, though I couldn't seem to get enough air. Each breath burned my throat. I rolled over and coughed violently. Orange was fogging my vision, an acidic smell filling my cage. I looked up to see lid of my container was replaced with a black covering with a single circular opening. Orange fumes pumped out of it like an upside-down chimney.

They were going to let me suffocate.

No...please no!

I stumbled to my feet, wheezing. My body ached. My head throbbed. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't breathe!

I would suffocate alone in a cage under the scrutiny of these giant aliens.

"Help!" I choked out. I stumbled toward one of the glass walls. "Please help! Please..." I choked. Bending over, I threw up the contents of my stomach. I fell to my knees and banged my fist against the wall.

The giant beyond had a long face and thick navy hair. He tilted his head at my struggles.

"Please...LET ME OUT! PLEASE!" He blinked at me and reached out a hand. I waited for him to lift the cage, stop the gas, do something. His hand came close to the wall in front of me, almost touching it. I couldn't move.

He flicked the wall.

I yelped as the glass vibrated by the force of his touch. I fell flat on my back, winded. Things looked fuzzy. Was I going blind? I tried and failed to get back up. The alien's voices rumbled from beyond my prison.