(prompt: 'experience' 6/11/2020)

Even from that distance, it was clear to the Ahndohs in their space pod high above, the four-leggeds in the rectangle below controlled the two-leggeds to an amazing degree; the slaves working themselves near delirious in the undivided attention they gave their masters.

X-ray visuals gave the observers a direct view into the shed all the creatures visited daily, although the purpose remained puzzling. The Overlords led their slaves as was right and fitting, then gathered in a tight holding pattern before passing into the building in small groups, lining up and being connected to relatively simple lines of machinery.

The Ahndohs had observed curious blood-letting in previous visits to this alien planet; but this operation was completely different. This time it was the masters white-liquid-letting copious amounts, twice a day, into weird octopus-like sucking tentacles, funneled into a great, shiny silver cauldron — all controlled by the slaves, rushing back and forth. The slaves appeared to stay inside most of the time, only emerging to assist their masters. After all the Lords passed through the building, copious cleaning took place.

Initially, it was believed this was a religious observance, and the Ahndohs had to admit, they still retained significant doubts about this possibility. There was much more to be learned, but for now basic perceptions were acceptable. This was, after all, the initial exploratory investigation of this planet's status quo and greater intellects than the explorers would decipher the deeper meaning.

The exploratory team of Ahndohs' most pressing current need was to determine how the slaves recharged themselves daily to give the ultimate care and attention the Masters demanded. The Leader of this expedition summoned Divyanga, Chief Explorer Extraordinaire, to receive his instructions to enter the structure the slaves sheltered in each evening. This was obviously their place of reparation and renewal.

The Ahndohs were confident Divyanga would 'deliver the goods' with his prior experience of breaking and entering other such recharge stations. He didn't disappoint them, snaking his elongated smoky body through the broken shards of the window he had silently shattered. Much later, he would learn the two-legged aliens in this area almost never locked what they called their home, blithely tossing around such concepts as 'trust' and 'good faith' — bizarre, foreign ideas like that — together with an amazing belief none in their close vicinity would ever harm them.

Divyanga lurked in a shadowy corner of what they called their kitchen to complete an in-depth study of their sustenance and renewal activities. Much of this period involved 'eating' and 'drinking' (their names for whatever it was they ingested). They appeared to partake of copious amounts of dark red liquid before moving to another area (somewhat unsteadily, it was noted) . Here, they stretched themselves out on a rectangular structure, heads on puffy contraptions, pulling even puffier covers over them... and stayed through the dark hours until some mysterious summons from the Overlords summoned the slaves to repeat all. Twice a day. EVERY day.

It's a mad, mad world, the Ahndohs surmised.

**Cover Photo by Adrian Newell on Unsplash

**Verbal embroidery by Christine Larsen on her trusty Fotor editor