Submission in the Stars

Chapter 15: Surviving, but at What Cost?

The metal collar around Valentin's neck was a constant, heavy reminder of his captivity. It buzzed faintly every now and then, a soft hum that sent uncomfortable vibrations down his spine, as if warning him that any step out of line would come with consequences. His days were spent in a cycle of obedience, repetition, and constant surveillance. The reptoids and other aliens treated him like a dog in training—punished for disobedience, rewarded for meeting and exceeding their expectations.

And, just like a dog, he was learning how to survive in this nightmare.

Every test, every scenario, was designed to condition him. He was pitted against more creatures, each more dangerous than the last. They threw him into increasingly complex obstacle courses, testing his physical and mental limits, and when he succeeded, he was rewarded with better food or brief moments of rest. But if he hesitated, if he faltered or disobeyed, the punishment was swift and severe.

The first time he had tried to resist, to push back against their control, he had paid the price. They had shocked him—an intense, searing pain that radiated from the collar and left him writhing on the floor, gasping for breath. It wasn't just physical pain. It was humiliation. Being brought low like that, stripped of his dignity. It broke something inside him. Not completely, but enough to make him hesitate the next time they gave him an order.

And that's how it continued. Every time he thought about fighting back, about resisting, they reminded him of his place. They used the collar, the electric shocks, the restraints. They punished him like a dog that needed to be trained. And it was working. Slowly, against his will, they were breaking down his resistance.

What scared him most was how much he began to crave the rewards. A small portion of real food instead of the nutrient paste, an extra hour of sleep on his cot, a brief moment of silence without the buzz of machinery. It was pitiful how much he started to look forward to those small comforts, how easily he fell into their pattern of control. He hated himself for it, but the longer he was trapped in this alien world, the harder it became to hold onto the idea of escape.

And then, he was brought back to see the others.

Valentin hadn't seen the other humans since the "integration" process began. The tests had separated them, and he had been left to navigate his own hell alone. When the reptoids led him into a large, brightly lit chamber, the sight that awaited him made his blood run cold.

There were fewer humans now. The group that had once been six strong was now down to four. Reese was still there, her sharp blue eyes scanning the room with the same focused intensity, though she looked thinner, more worn. Simon, too, remained, his graying hair slick with sweat as he leaned against the wall, his eyes hollow. Nina stood near the back, her small frame trembling slightly, her eyes darting between the aliens in the room as if expecting something terrible to happen at any moment. But Malik and Rowan—both of them were gone.

Valentin's stomach churned. He didn't need to ask where they had gone. The grim looks on the others' faces, the way they avoided his gaze, said everything. They had been killed. The ones who didn't participate, who didn't comply, who didn't fit into the aliens' plans—they were discarded like broken tools.

His heart pounded in his chest as the reptoid guiding him shoved him forward into the room, the collar humming menacingly as a reminder of the consequences of defiance. Valentin looked at the remaining humans, their faces etched with exhaustion and fear. No one spoke at first. There was a thick, suffocating silence between them, each person trapped in their own private nightmare.

Finally, Reese broke the silence, her voice low and hoarse. "You've seen it, haven't you?"

Valentin nodded slowly, unsure of what to say. "Yeah... I've seen it."