“Urk!” Joshua grunted as the Roach clasped powerful pincer-like fingers around his skull. The alien yanked him by the head from the electromagnets holding his limp body in place. Both his legs and arms popped out of socket due to the violent motion. The alien then dropped him to the floor in a puddle of his own blood, which had been drained from him over hours of torturous interrogation. Behind him, the restraining fixture buzzed and crackled since it could no longer connect to the restraining bands all over his body. Even if he wanted to move, the metal restraints were far too heavy to move while in such a weakened state, not to mention his broken and mangled legs.

Angry chittering rumbled from the mouth of the Roach who wasted its time torturing him without gaining any new intel. If Joshua was honest with himself, he probably would have given in by the time his captor drilled holes through his kneecaps, but he couldn’t muster the energy needed to actually form words.

Next thing he knew, the Roach hoisted him by his dislocated arms and dropped him onto a medical hovercart. Wavy indentations lined the entirety of the bed portion. It had obviously been designed with Volkri in mind. As uncomfortable as it was, he knew he would not be capable of going anywhere. All the bruises and wounds left him essentially handicapped. Rather, he didn’t see a reason for these aliens to even keep him alive at this point. Couldn’t they just let him ascend the golden stairway to those pearly gates already? He could already envision the pity on the faces of his brothers-in-arms who already passed on before him. Maybe it was a good time to pray and ask God to allow him to die. What kind of reason would necessitate outliving all his brothers only to suffer at the hands of the ones who murdered them?

Suddenly, the medical cart lurched forward, shooting waves of pain through his nerves. Tears leaked from his eyes. He couldn’t hold them back. It hurt too much. His eyelids slammed shut and he grit his teeth. However, when his eyelids slit open again, he felt dizzy. Fuzz coated the edges of his vision. Perhaps he actually fainted.

From that point on, the Roach did not bother to keep him awake as it did during the interrogation. His consciousness faded in and out multiple times as the hovercart carried him through brightly lit dome-shaped halls. Although he did not remember much each time, he did notice several combat-class Roaches due to the bright red markings on their faces. Due to being in a somewhat deluded state, he reacted on instinct every time he saw them by flailing around like a fish out of water in an attempt to search for a weapon until sharp pain knocked him out again.

At some point, he awoke in a feverish state. He was hooked up to an unfamiliar machine. Heart palpitations set in. Fear gripped him. Despite restraints holding his wounded body to a flat bed, he thrashed as hard as he could. Rushed and exaggerated chittering started ringing in his ears. The Roaches wouldn’t hurt him anymore. He would escape. He would run.

Suddenly, a sharp prick pierced his thigh. Although he couldn’t see it, the sting startled him into an even more livid fervor. As his entire body numbed, his mind screamed for both freedom and death at the same time.

* * * * *

Hours later, Joshua lazily opened his eyes. Grogginess penetrated every fiber of his being. All of his joints felt out of place. Dryness coated his lips and mouth. His stomach ached from several days without sustenance. The last time he ate anything was before the start of Operation Blackmist.

Overhead, strange vines covered most of the ceiling. Small white bulbs grew in intervals along the vines and glowed with a comforting warmth. Countless white and purple flowers sprouted from the base of each bulb. A sweet scent reminiscent of lavender and thyme tickled his nostrils, though an unfamiliar hint of bitterness wafted along with it.

Curious about his location, he rolled his head to the right. All he saw was a folding curtain. The same could be said of every other direction. Giving up on that, he lifted his head and looked over his body. Since waking, he thought it strange that he only felt uncomfortable. Now he understood why he no longer felt overwhelming pain. Although his torso was held down by multiple straps, his legs and arms were suspended a few inches off the bed. Some kind of slimy bandaging was wrapped around them. He only got a short look at all of it before his neck muscles gave out and his head plopped back down on the bed.

While waiting for something to happen, he examined the vines again since there was nothing better to do. Considering he had never seen such a noticeable plant before, he wondered which planet it originated from. For all he knew, it came from the Volkri homeworld, wherever that was.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Eventually, the curtain opened. It sounded like cloth ripping as it slid along its wrungs. Joshua wearily lifted his head to see his visitor. Another Roach. Encountering these bugs without his weapons or armor agitated him. A yearning to fight these creatures was thoroughly ingrained within him over years of conflict.

Before his weakened neck muscles gave out again, he squinted at the Roach. It looked similar to the one that asked for his name. Despite how unique the Volkri facial features were, it was as hard to tell them apart as two dogs of the same breed.

The Volkri approached his bedside. For a few moments, it silently scanned over his body with its compound eyes. In return, Joshua observed the satchels wrapped around the alien’s abdomen. Perhaps it really was the same Roach from before. His suspicions were confirmed when it pulled out the tablet while chittering, “Kreshwa Kreshel.”

Joshua opened his mouth to speak but found himself incapable of uttering a single word. Only a tired wheeze came out.

Thin membranes closed sideways over the Volkri’s smaller pair of eyes.

In response, Joshua raised a brow. Although he had never seen any Volkri soldiers do that on the battlefield, he assumed it was a simple blink, albeit overtly deliberate.

Once again, the Volkri tapped away on its tablet before showing it to Joshua.

Water?

Once again, Joshua raised a brow. He squinted before nodding hesitantly.

A yes?

Despite the nagging in the back of his mind that he might be giving the enemy too much information on human communication, thirst forced him to nod yet again.

The Volkri blinked again and pulled a steel canteen from one of its satchels with a free hand. It pressed a button on the lid which opened a small nozzle. Joshua’s eyes widened at the prospect of drinking clean water for the first time in days. Unfortunately, the Roach drained the water into his gaping mouth only a few drops at a time. Still, he felt grateful as the cool droplets rolled down his hoarse tongue and throat.

Once the Roach depleted every last drop of water from the canteen, it returned the container to the exact same spot in the satchel from where it came. Now that he could think a little more, Joshua realized the alien did that with everything in those satchels. All of its belongings were organized into perfectly squared compartments within.

Suddenly, the tablet was in front of his face again.

Can speak now?

“...Er, yes,” Joshua answered. His voice was still weak and ragged, but at least his vocal cords worked again.

Pain?

Confused, Joshua furrowed his brows.

Hurt?

“It doesn’t hurt much, no.”

Strong human.

“...I guess.”

The Volkri blinked in the same disturbing fashion as earlier while chittering quietly to itself. Even without a translator, Joshua could tell it was dumbfounded by his response.

Human word. Makes no sense. Is only yes and no. Yes pain or no pain?

“No pain.”

Another disturbing blink.

Good. Now, I scan you.

Joshua frowned. By the looks of it, this Roach served as the Volkri equivalent of a doctor. It probably operated on him while he was unconscious. He didn't trust it.

Completely oblivious to the human's thoughts, the Volkri proceeded with the body scan using its tablet. Afterward, it chittered excitedly. It typed something on the tablet and shoved it into Joshua's face close enough that he couldn't focus on it with both eyes.

You are different. Rare specimen.

Grimacing, Joshua clicked his tongue. Even though he mentally prepared himself to be experimented on upon capture, he couldn't help dreading what the future held in store. Surely, this couldn't be the first time this Roach got an augmented human to toy with. Joshua silently prayed that he wouldn't become a guinea pig for an insect.

The Volkri vibrated its mandibles in apparent satisfaction and scurried away. It forgot to close the curtain.

Out of curiosity, Joshua peered through the opening. Several curtained-off areas similar to his own filled his view. One of them was open.

A human man glared back with bloodshot eyes. Brutal scars covered every inch of his visible skin.

“Hey,” Joshua said, straining his voice in an attempt to hopefully ask some questions.

Before Joshua could say anything else, the man spit on the floor and growled, “Don't talk to me, you military scum.”

Sighing, Joshua let his head fall back on the bed. Perhaps a new set of prayers were in order.