Captured By Aliens

We were captured by aliens.  Tall, green, lanky creatures that I thought were better suited for science fiction shows than real life.

We dug.  That was all we did.  All day long, digging.  Not anything in particular.  Just digging.  The aliens harvested the energy produced and turned it into electricity.  It was cheaper than using natural resources (after all, they only had to feed us) and better for the enviroment.

Maybe we could have marched around or played sports, but no.  We dug.

I never talked.  Not one word for almost five years.  There was no point.  I disliked almost everyone, and the rest I hated.

But for some reason the others thought I was nice.  When I'd give up my spot in line, or shared my food, they thought it was because I liked them. 

They were wrong.  I only did it because it was the right thing to do.  They were hungrier than I was.

Meals were always the same.  Four times a day, people would scramble to be in the front of the line.  There were so many people and not enough time for everyone to go through the line and eat.

It was always the same people at the front of the line, those who were fastest and most crafty.  Toward the middle were those in good shape, and smarter than average.  They would get to eat more often than not.  Hunger drove them to perform better.

The same people were always at the end of the line, but they would not be there long.  They would learn to be quick, or they would die.

It must have been some kind of "natural selection" desived by the aliens.  They only wanted the strongest and healthist providing their energy.  Otherwise it would be a waste of time.

At least, that was what I thought.

The days ended early, before the alien sun even began to set.  Even after eight hours of digging, most of us weren't ready to collapse.  Some would hang out in the recreation rooms the aliens had set aside.  They had couches to lay on, computers with games, one had a piano.  We would sit there, talking petty talking, pretending we were home and with friends.

We weren't.

I rarely went into those rooms though; they were too crowded, too noisy.  I went to sleep.  All the smartest and craftiest went to bed early.  Then we would rise early, and get in line long before 'breakfast' would actually be served.

We got paid.  Just how the aliens got money, no one really knew.  They paid us a lot of money, but it didn't really matter.  Money meant nothing.  We would pretend it did.  We traded scraps of food, mementos, and other things for the crisp bills.

And we had a little store.  Since the aliens had to go to earth to get more sorces of energy, some of us would go along and buy things that people requested.  Food mainly.  There was no real need for much else.

I never went to the store.  I saved all of the money I was given, hiding it in a little hole in the wall.  Like an old movie, behind a loose brick.  There was no need for the money.  But if I ever escaped, I would take it with me.  Start a new life.

Obviously, I didn't know any better.