Sweat dripped down his cracked forehead and naked back but did nothing to cool him. His throat was parched. What he would give for some shade and a long glass of cool water to quench his thirst. Yet he knew any respite would be at least an hour or two away. He could not stop his work now. Those from afar monitoring him via his nano implants knew that he could sustain considerable more time in this oppressive heat. His dehydration levels, despite being considered worrisome by any qualified doctor on Earth, would show up on the overseers' HUD's within normal ranges. "Those cruel bastards," he thought. They knew exactly how far they could push a human being before extinguishing their life force for good. He was being monitored like cattle in a pen by soulless humans ordered to extract the very last ounce of labor from him. Should they overstep the bounds and accidently kill him, there would be no grave consequences for any of them. He was a prisoner with no tangible value and certainly no hope for redemption.
