"So why are you bringing me to your work today, Cyrus?"

A confused but equally curious girl asked, looking out of the window of the passenger seat beside the driver. Light rain falling on the glass, running down as if the water droplets were racing one another. They were driving along an empty road in a forested area, which was very rare on earth in this day and age, since 80% of the planet was one big corporal city for buisnesses, jobs and a shit ton of people to live.

"You'll see soon enough Asuka. I'm sure you'll find this as interesting as I have after only a few days with this subject."

Cyrus' face lit up at the mention of his recent work project, making Asuka all the more curious. Cyrus was a scientist, but thats all she really knew about his line of work. He was a person of an average build, average height, average looks and a typical short male hairstyle with black hair. He wore a lab coat and a pair of suit pants and shoes, like he was going to a science job interview. He could be doing anything behind those lab walls, but today Asuka was lucky enough to find out and hopefully shed some light on the topic.

Asuka, on the other hand, had no job. She had an hourglass build but never payed much notice to it, average female height and long hair that fell to her butt in a light blue colour she had dyed it. She kept herself well covered too, wearing a black long sleeved turtleneck jumper and a pair of jeans with her favourite converse all star shoes. They may be an ancient brand by then, but she was always considered to be relatively old fashioned in many senses, that being one of them.

Asuka couldn't even drive and she was eighteen years old. She refused to take driving classes on account of her own fear towards her low attention span and the high likelihood of her being distracted by something out the window and crash the car. That and the fact she needed glasses and they might fall off while driving. An irrational fear of hers. Asuka, did however, like to study unexplained mysteries and think up theories that could connect several together or solve them, such as the reason for stonehenge's construction and how it was built. After all these years and still nobody has solid evidence towards most of these ancient mysteries. Probably because everyone is so focused on moving forward rather than looking back. To put it simply, nobody gives a flying fuck.

"Alright. We're here."

The car entered a car park made of concrete, much different to the gravel road they were just driving down, in a space that had Cyrus' name on it. He parked the car and the two of them exited the veichle. Asuka looked up in awe at the sheer size of the facility, taking in the exterior details and the company name above the entrance doors as Cyrus made his way inside. Strange how it's so far away from main civilisation.

"Lets go, Asuka. My job doesn't wait or tolerate lateness."

"Oh, right! Coming!"

Asuka hastily caught up, but remembered the company name in the back of her mind.

"Weyland-Yutani, Building better worlds?"

Asuka had heard that name everywhere. On signs, in advertisements, on TV, on billboards, everywhere. She had no idea that her Fiance was working in such a highly respected and well known company. Yes, Asuka and Cyrus were engaged. But this unfortunately wasn't her decision to make, nor could she decline. It was a choice her parents made before she was even born and they refuse to even tell her why. Whenever she asks, they simply reply with comments like "Cyrus is such a nice guy." or "He can take good care of you, Asuka.". Most likely because they were both from rich families. Sure Cyrus was nice sometimes, but she would much preferred to have had the choice.

They both walked up to reception for Cyrus to check in his shift and since Asuka didn't work there, she was given a guest V.I.P tag so she could go where Cyrus could. This was only possible because Cyrus was so well regarded in the facility, normally V.I.P cards weren't given out so easily.

After a long while of walking down halls, through doors, down and up stairs and over bridges connecting floor levels looking over the main building centre, Asuka was wondering where they were actually going and when they would get there.

"How much further? This place is colossal!"

"Be patient Asuka."

Cyrus spoke with slight fustration.

"We'll be there soon. We just have to take this elevator down a few floors."

They both stood in front of an elevator with a large number '6' printed across the two doors, much different from any of the other elevators. This one was made of tough looking steel, as if it were protecting something. Cyrus pressed a button pointing downwards.

"Down? but we just came from the lower floors."

Asuka was slightly puzzled now. Why would you build an elevator to go down or walk so high just to go all the way down again? It must have been the slowest elevator in the world too, because they were waiting a while for the elevator to "ding" and open it's thick metal doors for them both to enter. The doors closed once they were in and Cyrus pressed the button on the lowest floor "B23".

"Why are we going downwards?"

"shhh."

Not to make things any better, the trip downwards felt like hours to Asuka. In awkward silence the whole way down too, after that unxpected 'shhh" she got from Cyrus. Did she say something? As they both exited the elevator, they walked a fair distance down a wide hallway with many rooms that had wide windows to look into. To Asuka's dismay, she couldn't see inside the rooms too well as most of their lights were turned off and she had to keep up with Cyrus' fast walking pace.

"Who designed this building?!"

"shh."

"what is this pla-"

"Shush!"

Cyrus cut off Asuka abruptly.

"Wait until we're inside before you get your blabbing mouth going!"

He spoke in a loud whisper, as if even though Asuka had a V.I.P pass, she shouldn't be there or knowing too much. Cyrus stopped at a door to a room that looked very much like the others, swiped his I.D card on the door control panel and the door opened for them both to enter the room. There were already two other scientists doing what Asuka translated in her head as "Science Stuff". The typical note taking, chemical and equasions chatter and pressing buttons on a computer while looking through the large glass window in front of them. They turned their attention to them both entering.

"Ah, Cyrus. Good afternoon. Number 78 is doing well today. Obedient, accurate and fully up to our expctations as per usual. His morning tests are finished and he was re-harnessed while we were about to go on lunch break as to prevent any... mischief in our absence."

Cyrus closed the door behind him before Asuka could see his body becoming less tense. Asuka tried to look through the glass but couldn't see very much as the enclosure lights were turned off to save power, but noticed something was in there.

In his enclosure, 78 was becoming more furious as each day went by that he had the same damn tests performed on him by the same damn scientist for their curiosity and amusement. Locked in a harness, released, run tests, knocked out, back in harness for lunch break, out of harness, more tests, knocked out, back in harness, sleep in harness, woken up, repeat cycle. He used to diobey everything he was told in the first couple of days, go against all that was set against him, but that never ended well with these white coated bastards. They would simply gas him with this painful substance whenever he did something they didn't like, so he learned to just play their little games, pretent to be obedient and when his chance opens, he'll kill them all and release his Xenomorph siblings to escape with. He felt nothing but severe hatred for humans and everything they did.

"Disgusting humans back again for more tests. Pathetic."

One of the scientists pressed a button and spoke through the microphone.

"Good afternoon 78. We'll be preparing for the second round of daily tests soon."

"Fuck you, too."

78 gave a small, low toned hiss to acknowledge he heard them. He would have much prefered to snarl, hiss and growl loudly, but that would result in getting gassed, and he tried to avoid that where he could. In his time he had been enclosed, 78 had picked up on a few human habits and the english language after seeing and hearing it even after only a few days. The humans greatly underestimated they were fast learners. They only saw him as being fast to obey orders given by those other than the queen with the right reinforcements. So he was able to fluently understand everything the humans were saying to him. Unfortunately for them, they weren't advanced enough to hear his telepathic threats and words he was going to say once he escaped and slaughtered them all.

"That's brilliant, Carter. We'll start very soon with the tests. But first, Carter, Majo, this is my fiance I was telling you about, Asuka."

"oh so this is the Asuka we've heard so much about!"

"The eighteen year old body with an eight year old mind?"

"huh?"

"Ahem!" Cyrus awkwardly tried to avert away from how he describes his fiance to his co-workers.

"Asuka, these are my main co-workers, Carter and Majo. But theres also that."

Cyrus directed his attention to the glass in front of the computers that Carter and Majo were looking into before. Asuka tried to looks for someone in the darkness again like she attempted before, but no luck. Her eyesight wasn't the best in the universe.

"Uh Carter? Lights?"

"Oh, righto!"

Carter flicked a switch on the computer and lights turned on in the space beyond the glass. Asuka was only able to stare in amazement at what she never though she would see in her wildest dreams. A jet black, amazingy detailed creature with an elongated head and a long tail with a spear-like end, held with limited movement in a large, circular harness. Similar to an electric chair that didn't have a seat and clamped it's body behind it so all it could really move were it's tail, hands and head.

78 made a hissing noise as a reaction to the sudden change in brightness, allowing him to see the fourth presence he sensed before, much clearer. Asuka placed a hand against the glass, completely mesmerised by the alien behind it.

"Asuka. Meet Number 78, it's what we call a Xenomorph. An alien from another planet."
Asuka had so many thoughts rushing through her head right then and there. "what planet is it from? is it male or female? Its design is amazing, is it an exo-skeleton? Are there more like it? Why is it clamped in a harness?" and the most evident one through her mind. "It's gorgeous..."

78 was feeling confused now. She didn't appear to be a scientist like the other three, not because she wasn't dressed in a white lab coat, but because she had a very different scent and presense about her. He could sense she was there before she entered the room but could now put a face to the scent. It was a contradiction to him. She was different, yet she was part of the pathetic race that caged him. This human seemed to have no intention of harming him, yet at the same time, equally as curious about him as the scientists were, maybe even more. He looked towards Asuka to show her he had noticed her and to get a more direct sense of her atmospheric vibe she gave off, but then looked away and let out a small hiss of disaproval.

"Hmph. I shouldn't let one different human scent distract me. I'll kill them all once i'm out of here and free my siblings and Queen!"

78 didn't want to let his guard down, not now that he knew what kinds of horrible tests they could perform when he wasn't paying attention. Thats exactly what they'd want.

"That must be why the fuckers brought her here, as a vague change to a constant routine to see if I get put off."

"well, we're not having any of that rude behaviour, 78."

Cyrus spoke through the microphone in a stern tone, placing his hand over a large red button and pressing down on it hard, releasing a snow white gas causing 78 to hiss and screech in pain. Asuka instanty reacted by pulling Cyrus' hand away and quickly stopping the spread of gas on the Xenomorph.

"What are you doing Asuka?!"

Cyrus almost yelled at her out of anger.

"That was way to harsh!"

"How else will we teach this, this... monster who's master if we don't deal proper punishment?!"

Asuka didn't like the sound of how Cyrus, Carter and Majo 'taught' 78, and she was going to let all three of them know.

"PROPER? Just for hissing? It's not a HUMAN Cyrus! You can't expect to train them to act like one by putting them in a room and inflicting pain whenever you choose! That goes for you two aswell!"

"He was doing WELL and obeying up until a moment ago!"

"of course he was, did he roll over and sit and beg when you asked because if he doesn't he gets gassed and put in horrible pain?"

78 hung his head in his harness, trying to recover while the humans were arguing and hoping they wouldn't inflict the gas on him again while they were. But he was also listening to every word being spoken while the microphone was left on by Cyrus, peaking his curiosity and also his levels of confusion.

"He was probably scared because he's never seen me before! I'm sure you wouldn't take to kindly to a stranger that greets you behind glass you're encased in now would you?"

"Cut it out, Asuka."

"I'll reckon he's not a monster either! How do you know he is? I'll bet from his point of view you're quite the monster yourselves!"

"Asuka. Stop."

"I'll bet if there wasn't a communication barrier, the tides would be changed! What are you even training him for, huh?"

"Enough, Asuka! OR i'll have security escort you off the premesis!"

78 slowly lifted his head to see the two had abruptly stopped arguing and haltered to silence for a brief moment.

"well that escalated quickly. But... is that pathetic being... seriously sticking its neck out for me?"

He was beyond confused. This was not just a contradiction, it was a paradox to him. Was she actually even a human at all? She didn't act like any human he had ever seen before. Surely humans aren't this considerate or caring for something they've only just seen, or even anything for that matter.

"This makes no sense. Every other human i've ever seen has done nothing but want my race killed or captured to be trained as their military war dogs."

He had to have a moment to think this over. But he still wouldn't trust her, being the race he so despises.

"Asuka, Cyrus, would it be a good idea to have a short break to clear everyones heads to make testing more efficient? We were about to head off to lunch break, and Cyrus got here earlier then scheduled today so theres plenty of time."

Cyrus nodded to Majo and collected his card key before following the two towards to door, taking their notes with them.

"Oh and by the way, you left the microphone on."

Carter notioned, leaning over to turn the micrphone switch to 'off'. Asuka didn't understand the point of this comment, but it surely must mean the Xenomorph could speak or at least understand english. Otherwise it wouldn't have been worth the effort to make the comment. Asuka began to follow the three scientists but then Cyrus turned to her and spoke, still sounding furious.

"No. YOU will stay in here. I need some space where you aren't around! Touch anything and you'll deeply regret it."

The three scientists left the room as Asuka watched the door close in front of her and sat in the spinny red chair, hearing one of them lock the door behind them. She was almost a prisoner like 78 was, but not anywhere near as extreme. If something like this was going to happen, and Cyrus probably knew it would. Then why would he bring her?

"Do you think that was wise, Cyrus?" Carter asked with slight caution, taking in mind that Cyrus was probably still furious.

"Like I said, 18 year old body, 8 year old mind. she couldn't work a laptop if you gave her one."

"A laptop? Those ancient things?"

Majo snickered in response.

They all laughed as they walked a short distance down the hall into a different room for a break, taking in turns to mock Asuka on the way, leaving her and 78 alone together.

My first fanfic chapter ever! YAAY! XD

I would greatly appreciate hearing anything anyone has to say. Good or bad.

If it's criticism, I will greatly take it in if it's constructive and could help me in further chapters. :D

Thanks for reading! Chapter 2: First Contact, is right around the corner. :3