Fiction | Sci-Fi | Horror

The Terrifying Truth About Human Biology

I was calibrating the force field generator when I was warned about our new crew member. They were a human that would be boarding the ship soon. I was a bit confused at first but mostly curious about the situation.

Little was known about the human race. They didn’t seem to venture very far from their home planet and their short lifespans were not well suited for long intergalactic travel. Regardless, we were in desperate need of a capable engineer, and the human had the appropriate credentials for the job.

I wasn’t sure what to think of them when we first met. They were severely lacking in limbs compared to most other races and their diminutive size was concerning should we ever be involved in a close combat situation against pirates. On the other hand, the human’s small size would likely prove invaluable when it came time to service the smaller, hard-to-reach, areas of the ship.

The human also wore some sort of exoskeleton suit. It made it quite difficult to discern its sex as all of its features and genitalia were hidden from view. A stark contrast to my own race which openly displayed such parts for all to witness.

Despite the oddities of the creature, the human proved to be a diligent worker. They were quiet and we would often forget they were on the ship for hours at a time. They only seemed to be interested in working and lounging about in their biosphere.

I had inquired about the purpose of the biosphere once. None of the other crew members required such a structure so my curiosity felt justified. They only said they needed a small space similar to home. Perhaps it was to absorb certain gasses during a resting period such as argon or xenon. It was a rare situation but I could recall a couple of races that practiced such acts.

I couldn’t understand why we were warned about the human. I’ve certainly encountered more troublesome races during my service on Federation ships but this one left me scratching my heads. There was no discharge, acidic slime trails, or other bothersome traits. It was like the human simply just existed.

I finally discovered what made the human biology so different from ours to warrant a warning. Some of the other crewmembers wanted to invite the human to play Blackholes and Mournspest. They were hesitant to accept and for the most part, things were going quite well for everyone.

The situation took a turn when the human pulled out a pressurized container with the words dihydrogen monoxide. Everyone at the table grew stiff with fear. We had no idea the human had such a potent chemical weapon on their person this entire time.

I can still recall learning about the galaxy’s most dangerous chemical in my early years at the academy. Accelerated corrosion, high risk of suffocation if inhaled, may cause severe burns at the point of contact and is a major component in acid rain. How could such a dangerous and poisonous substance be allowed on the ship?

The human never noticed our shared fear. They simply connected the canister to the exoskeleton suit and continued on as if nothing had happened. Then their voice emitted from a small speaker and broke the silence.

“Ah! I really needed that drink of water.”

They weren’t charging a weapon or planning to poison us. In part, I was relieved but I couldn’t shake the fact we just witnessed this tiny creature consume some of the most dangerous chemical in the known universe. I had to inquire to learn more or else if someone else did they might not have been as reserved as I.

“You consume it often?”

The human only shrugged and commented that they do but would rather have some alcohol. We were all shocked at the response. Another highly toxic substance known for its addictive properties and destructive capabilities on motor and cognitive functions.

We all were a lot quieter after that exchange. We played nice and finished the game, even if we were sweating large amounts of krypton and helium. Afterward, we were all careful around the human. Even going as far as to avoid them altogether.

I snuck into the captain’s quarters to see the human’s Federation report. Much to my shock and horror not only was the human consuming large amounts of water and alcohol but they were also consuming granulated sodium on their food. Apparently, they had special dispensary codes issued by the Federation to access such dangerous chemicals, normally, which would only be available to the highest-ranking military officials.

The more I read the report the greater the sense of dread grew in my third stomach. Humans were immune to many of the chemicals we used in warfare and actually breathed them in regularly on their home planet. Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, carbon dioxide, and dihydrogen monoxide vapor.

This human was a walking flesh membrane sack of some of the most dangerous chemicals ever known to the Federation and they were simply fixing power links and capacitors on the ship. I urged the rest of the crew to play nice with the human and under no circumstances to bother them.

Most of them listened, but unfortunately, some idiots never listen. A group of them went to attack the human during their rest period. When they sliced open the biosphere they were met with the overwhelming heat of the human’s home planet combined with those toxic gases.

I can still see their disfigured corpses when I close all my eyes. Scalded. Melted. Warped. We had to send their bodies back to their home planets in special sealed coffins.

Despite all that had happened the human simply kept working. The rest of the crew steered clear of them in fear of sharing a similar fate as that of their deceased crewmates.

When we finally made it to port the human was paid just like the rest of us. An equal share of Federation credits all around. They left without saying a word and climbed aboard a passenger ship.

I tried to warn the ship’s captain of the human’s vastly different biology. I could have told him the truth. I could have warned him about the dangerous chemicals and how frequently the human consumed them. I could have even warned him about the deaths of our crewmates, but who would ever believe me?