Activating Transceiver

Explorer 0613 initiating Status Report. Day eleven.

It has been a full Earth week since I had last fed. My body was ravenous.

Throughout my captivity, the Humans have made several attempts to nourish me, offering a variety of both plain and intricate dishes. Although I myself have no desire for these, I have taken the opportunity to make note of these creatures' dietary needs. With what they were offering me, it is clear that these animals are omnivores, similar to the Selenites. Their nutritional requirements will be vastly different, however, and when I return to my capsule, I will study provisions such as these more closely and set about creating the ideal formula with which we may feed these Humans.

But regardless of my future goals, I was no longer able to ignore the needs of my own body, and I had taken a bold risk.

Familiar with the routine of my captors, I chose the most ideal moment to proceed with my plans. During the night, I slipped from my cell, the task as easy as I had previously speculated. There were no guards in sight, although I knew they had not left the prison's outer perimeter, ready to stop me should I attempt to flee. This is a needless precaution, for my inevitable escape will not be made in such a foolhardy manner.

Moving to where the Humans were holding my devices, I felt great relief when I saw my feeding tool was among them. I had not been eager to use the Human's primitive needles kept within their medical kit.

With my device back in my possession, I had moved deeper into the prison. Many of the other cell blocks around me were empty, but I soon came upon a Human huddled on the soft platform that each cell was equipped with. It seemed to be unconscious, similar to the state of suspended animation the Selenites would slip into when idle for long periods.

This strange state will be further studied upon gaining my freedom, as I have no doubt this period of weakness can be exploited during our cleansing mission.

As I let myself into its cage, the creature began to stir from the noise of the bars opening and I reacted quickly. Wrapping my tentacles around the beast, I was careful to grab the throat to insure the animal cannot call for assistance and bring unneeded attention. I gathered my strength and pulled the creature to me, pinning it under my body. The creature struggled, but my heavy bulk seemed enough to hold it down, Earth's immense gravity at last working in my favor.

But although I had managed to subdue it via my own physical strength, it is not something I would recommend. Whilst the Selenites and our livestock put up meager struggles at best, this animal fought until its dying breath. For safety, I would suggest restraining a fully-grown Human through mechanical means.

Despite its struggles, I fed quickly and extracted blood from the richest of its veins, until the creature perished and my body was sated. I had no tool with which to dispose of the evidence, but I was not concerned. It is obvious that this Human was an outcast in its society, unwanted. My life is far more valuable to my captors than that of this lesser specimen, and no substantial harm will come to me for this action.

Replacing myself back in my cell with urgency, I waited for the Scientist to return.

It was not until the Sun's rays flooded my cell from the small window that the Humans began to scurry about once more. The Lead Human was making a fuss about the death of the prisoner, but I ignored it completely. The Scientist and its Student soon returned, reminding the Lead Human that it no longer had any right to me and that there's little evidence to link me to the death in the first place. Even if I was involved, my victim was destined to death anyway.

As the Lead Human continued to make its senseless noise regardless of these facts, the Scientist entered my cell and proceeded to tend to my injury. I stayed silent and compliant as the Human unwrapped and examined my wound. I waited for the Lead Human to leave and then turned my attention to the Scientist. My first attempt to communicate bore no result and I had to deepen my mental connection with this creature's crude brain before my efforts were successful.

Filling its mind with a sense of benevolence as I spoke, I gave it a simple, tentative greeting.

At this, the Human froze and stared at me, visibly perplexed. I repeated myself and it took a brief moment for the Human to break free of its confounded state and it reacted with excitement. Its Student, -to whom I did not communicate with-, was uncertain of the situation and began inquiring its teacher.

The Scientist quietly urged me to speak more, and I did so, telling it that I did not feel comfortable with so many armed Humans around. As I expected, the Human began ushering out the others, although there was much protest. They eventually settled on compromise and I can see that the armed Humans were lingering just outside the door; without a doubt, it was for the safety of the Scientist should I choose to attack.

Now left with the Scientist and its Student, -whom continued tending to my injury-, I spoke to the creature, and transmitted corresponding images into its mind to supplement my accounts. I told it of our race, taking liberties to omit certain details that might alarm it. I expressed that Mars, due to its farther proximity from the Sun, had cooled long before Earth, allowing life to flourish sooner after its creation. I stated that we were a peaceful, humble race, cultivating Mars back when it was a lush paradise much like Earth. I then shared with it our current dilemma, of how the global cooling that had once allowed our planet to sprout life has now begun to bring about its end, as Mars' water froze at the poles and life on our world began to decline at an alarming rate.

Faced with extinction, we had begun exploring other planets and celestial bodies for habitation. I told it that I was just such an explorer, sent here to study the environment and its potential for Martian life. I informed it that my intentions towards Humans were peaceful, that I was to negotiate an alliance with their leaders so that we may co-exist in harmony.

When it questioned the Heat Rays and all the deaths I had caused in my short stay, I reported the weaponry were merely for self-defense, that we were aware of humanity's violent tendencies and was expecting a hostile reception on first contact. I told it that this prediction ended up holding true, as the first Humans I encountered had treated me with brutality and now I have found myself being held prisoner.

The Human also brought about the question that's been a plague to my patience since my captivity, regarding the whereabouts of the Humans I held captive. I finally put it to rest by telling the creature that while I was out in the surrounding forest, the Humans caught sight of me and driven by fear, had viciously attacked me with a projectile weapon. I was forced to kill them with a Heat Ray in response.

The Human then brought up the earlier incident with the prisoner I fed on. It quietly told me that although it defended me from the other Humans, it knew I had a hand in the death. It reassured me that I was not to be punished in any way, although this was of little concern to me in the first place. So my answer was made with all honesty: I was being starved here and I acted in desperation on the first source of nourishment I can find. I told it that we had long since done away with the expensive and wasteful process of digestion, leaving our bodies free to expend the excess energy on the development of our brain. However, because of this, we can no longer acquire nutrition through natural means, and hence we needed to inject the fresh blood of others into our own veins in order to survive.

I further told it that we obtain this blood usually through harmless donations, something that is currently unavailable to me. At this, the Human reacted as I had hoped and shared that it can get me the blood that I needed, even if it had to give up some of its own. But this soon transitioned into a question regarding the bloodless remains of the Selenites I had used as provisions, and how their deaths came about if I was merely using them for donations.

I did not falter in my explanation, telling it that the journey here took much longer than what was expected. As the Selenites' food rations ran out and they began to die, I was forced to salvage as much blood from their bodies as possible to ensure a successful mission. It was through this that allowed me to survive long enough to reach Earth, although none of the Selenites managed to pull through.

The Scientist seemed to be understanding of this explanation, nodding its head softly. When it expressed sympathy for the beasts, I assured that on their own, the workers were not sentient beings; their race's intelligence comes solely from their Grand Lunar, to whom they share a Hive Mind with. Its curiosity seemed to grow and it questioned the Selenite's involvement with keen interest.

Once more there was no hesitation in my response as I told it that we had formed an alliance with the insectoids centuries ago during an exploration of Earth's moon. In exchange for their generous donation of blood, we help them expand their knowledge and aid their society's evolution.

The Human's eagerness was evident and it felt confident that the people of Earth would readily agree to a similar arrangement. Its eyes keen, it had insisted that I share more images of Mars' landscape with it. I held no qualms in doing so and gave its mind the full experience of living on our planet. Its body gave a noticeable shudder as I did this and after a brief time, it requested that I stop. It seemed overwhelmed as it told me how that experience had it empathize fully with my plight, and how it will do its best to get me the audience I desired.

As it prepared to leave with its Student, I requested that it not share this knowledge with the Humans holding me hostage. I told it that its scientific background, calm understanding, and benevolent actions towards me has made it worthy in my eyes for communication, but I had no such opinions towards the barbaric brutes that had imprisoned me.

It agreed, seemingly proud to be given such a privilege.

With this first contact, the seeds have been planted and I merely have to wait to see if it'll bear fruit.

Transceiver Deactivated