The Purification

When it happened, it was nothing like the movies. There was no magical moment of mutual understanding between beings of a common intelligence. No warships, laser rays, floating cows and sudden explosions. It all seemed to happen in the blink of an eye - the judgement of an entire species and the condemnation that followed.

The last normal thing I remember was sitting at my breakfast table, eating scrambled eggs and listening to my wife getting ready in the shower. I blinked and woke up in a cage. It was literally that fast.

Looking back on it all now, it seems so obvious - our wrongdoings, our blissful ignorance that sustained our way of life while destroying so many others. Something from a distance was observing with an unbiased, analytical, and frankly quite accurate frame of mind. They saw an organism - our planet - under attack, infested by a virus that needed containment. Humanity.

They took away another body today. My eyes were burned out days ago, but I could hear the machine extracting and mulching the flesh and bone. We don’t last long in their labs. Whatever they are testing on us must be very important to justify the tortures we are enduring. Surely such intelligent beings wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reviews

[FirasJanabi]

Nice work Chris. Really, I blew threw a couple of not so interesting ones but this one kept my attention. I like the themes you're exploring, love thinking about that stuff myself. It makes sense too that if there was a species capable of crossing galaxies to get to us, then we wouldn't put up much of a fight. Good job.

[Chris]

Thanks a lot for this comment, you've got some great work and it means a lot!

[blackbird]

Great take on a heavily explored topic. I like the idea you bring to the table: We can't assume intelligent means compassionate. Look at us. After all, are we not "intelligent"? Great writing. Engaging and thought provoking.

[Chris]

Thank you Sadie! Very thoughtful of you, and it's really awesome to hear that it's drumming up some though. :)

[Chaise Nicole]

Oh god was all I could think after finishing this. In a good way, of course! The end was so fantastically written; "but I could hear the machine extracting and mulching the flesh and bone". Great wording throughout this piece :)

[Chris]

Thank you, I really appreciate the review! :)

[RileyRedding]

I like this piece. How transcendently eccentric you are about touching on such a prevalent issue. Keep up the good work!

[Chris]

Thank you very much for this comment!