DONT READ UNLESS YOU WANT CANCER

Independence Day

Darkness. I strain to see out, but I cannot move. I reach out to the others of my kind with my mind, only to be met with silence.

Where are my brethren? Did they leave me here?

I try to call out again and still get no response. Suddenly a different voice, a human voice, starts to speak, nearly making me jump out of my exoskeleton were it not sealed. "... Should be able to see what it looks like... Remove the exoskeleton..."

Again, I make an attempt at movement. I have to get away. These people want to kill me. This time I can feel the tip of my finger bend slightly. The same man's voice - I can tell from the deep voice - starts talking. "If we just stick this in the top, it should work..."

A splitting pain races through my body as a large knife lodges itself in my shell, splitting open what little protection I have. I want to kill them, feel their minds break as I let out a scream, but I restrain myself.

The closest one, one with white hair, leans over in my face. "Look at that," he says. "An ugly one, isn't it?"

I move my hand again, and I feel three of my five fingers bend. I curl them into a circle, and wait for the human to get out of my face. He turns to one of his assistants, a younger woman with blonde hair. "The aliens are weak when their exoskeletons are removed... Write that down for me, would you?"

I curl my hand into a ball, and leave one finger that stubbornly refuses to bend pointed out. As I do, one male assistant with short brown hair and eyes looks down at my hand, and is almost immediately set on edge. Mentally, I slap myself. Did I really just let him see that? Out of habit, I force my mind away from that thought before I remember that the man can't read my thoughts. I relax a little. I always forget that my thoughts are secure in the presence of other species. "S-sir...?"

The man with the crazed white hair turns to the brown haired man, and looks at him, awaiting an explanation. The assistant gulps down a cry and finishes, "T-the hand is moving."

The white haired man moves forward, and I realize that he still holds the knife in his hand. My heart starts pumping in a frightened flurry, and my exoskeleton comes back under my control. I blink its eyes, and immediately shoot up, breaking the bonds as I do so. All the better to run away with.

I focus in on the white-haired man's brain and let out a screech that the humans can hear. They back away, and I am struck by the fact that they are afraid of me. I take this opportunity at power and shoot up, breaking the restraints they used to try and contain me.

Again I focus on the white haired man and shake his mind back and forth. He drops to the floor, and the woman runs to him. I use the appendages on my back and shoot outwards, spearing the assistants and leaving the white-haired man. This could be of use to me. Maybe I can use this to escape...

I wrap my tentacles around his neck and haul him in the air. Now all I have to do is wait.

----

I hear the door to the viewing room sliding open. They haven't seen it yet...

Just as I predicted, the president waited until he was secured inside to see the surgery room. I throw the white-haired man against the wall, and I hear the gasps coming from inside. I speak to them in a tone that they will understand. "Let... Me... Out..."

They look at each other. "What happened?"

"Escape... Out..."

The guardsmen look at each other before inspecting the white-haired man's throat. Realizing I've been caught, I drop the man before the guards pull out their guns, shattering the window. I leap towards them, jaws open...

And feel a bullet pierce through me. I collapse, and I hear the humans say, "Good thing we got that monster," before my vision blackens.