I concentrated on my breath, steadying it against the onslaught of my swirling surroundings.
 
 It was more difficult to resist this time.
 
 The images on the holo-screen were still blurry and disjointed, just out of my reach.
 
 I could feel the strain of my mind trying to decipher them, the headache building behind my eyes.
 
 The Supervisor’s voice echoed in my ears, an incessant drone of:
 
 “What do you see, Ceara?”
 
 But I fought back, retreating into the corners of my mind, away from the intrusion of the truth serum.
 
 Thankfully, I could still reply with the same answer:
 
 “Nothing.”
 
 I gripped the chair tightly, my knuckles turning white under the strain.
 
 All of it served to ground me, to keep me present even as I fought to stay away from the forefront of my consciousness.
 
 I fought until I couldn’t anymore, until the darkness crept in at the edges of my vision, and I succumbed to unconsciousness.
 
 When I came to, I was met with the sight of the Supervisor yelling at the Scientist.
 
 His booming voice echoed around the room.
 
 I squinted, determinedly blinking the blurry images into unfocus.
 
 I didn’t want to see those images on the holo-screen.
 
 Whatever purpose the Supervisor wanted me for, it could not be for anything good, and every day that I managed to resist him was a victory.
 
 The Scientist looked even more frantic with his round goggle-like glasses, his many hands flitting nervously around the machine.
 
 I watched as the Supervisor’s anger grew, his large form looming over the Scientist, his voice reaching a fever pitch.
 
 It was clear that he wasn’t getting what he wanted, and he was far from pleased.
 
 A cold dread settled in my gut.
 
 If the Supervisor didn’t get what he wanted from me soon, he was going to take drastic action.
 
 I had no illusions about what that meant for me.
 
 Perhaps he would decide I wasn’t worth the trouble and have me executed.
 
 The thought should have terrified me, but instead, it brought a strange sense of relief.
 
 After all, who would mourn the death of a captive alien?
 
 Who would care if I disappeared from existence?
 
 I was alone, completely and utterly alone.
 
 And maybe that was for the best.
 
 Maybe death was the release I had been unknowingly yearning for.