This is going to be a new thing. A true horror fic, capable of showing what I can do. Just stick with it and review in the end…

AVP: War

Book 1: Vector's Folly

Chapter 1: Entropy


"The Machine does not isolate man from the great problems of nature but plunges him more deeply into them."

- Antoine de Saint-Exupery


Control, it's what everyone wanted these days. Weyland-Yutani was a company that seemed to have most of it.

Buying up worlds that have just been surveyed, getting into practically every market known to man.

They were always there, and had always been there. Not since the days back in the 2000's that there wasn't a Weyland-Yutani.

Sure as hell weren't going anywhere. The least you could do however, was accept the existence you had, and try not to get on their bad list.

As a Colonial Marine however, you were essentially Weyland-Yutani's bitch, and you always did their shit work.

/VXV\

Gateway Station

If you could describe it in a single word, it would be 'massive'. That however, was a gross understatement.

The station was the size of New York City. Not just Manhattan, but Queens, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Staten Island.

The station took in more space traffic in a single day than all of the settlements out elsewhere did in five years.

Weyland Yutani Corporation built it to streamline shipping to Earth. All it did was simply hold everything else and distribute it elsewhere. Even the Colonial Marine Base that was built aboard was empty.

The base had been designed to serve as a nexus for the service, where they would have central command.

However, it was mostly empty, with most every squad out elsewhere. Squads were hard to come by, and with the strange events that had been going on, it was only a matter of days before a squad which had just gotten back to go elsewhere.

Nathan Van Hold

He sighed, getting up off of his bunk at Gateway Station Base. He knew that this life wasn't glamorous, but it paid well, and the benefits weren't so bad either.

A Corporal, he was considered a rising star in the Colonial Marine Corps.

He had jet-black hair which was cut short, and always stood up. His dark-brown eyes told of world weariness fit for an old man, yet belonged to a 27 year old marine Corporal. His build was rather unusual, tall and thin.

Basic Training, a good 3 years ago, had put some muscle on him, the biggest gain since puberty ended.

He ran his finger over the scar on his eye, a daily ritual that had lost meaning, simply a reminder he was still alive.

As he donned his fatigues, he wondered what today's mission would be. His last one, barely a week ago, involved taking down a group of terrorists in the Free-Trade Knights organization.

He looked out his window, looking upon the massive construct that was his station.

"You sure like looking out that window." His bunkmate, Private First Class Marko Edwards sighed, getting down from the top bunk.

Edwards was medium build, with a farmer's tan. His eyes were green in the light, but turned hazel in the dark.

"So what do you think the op'll be today?" Nathan asked, turning to his bunkmate.

"Why are you so sure there'll be an op?" Edwards asked "We've only been here a week."

"All the more reason for there to be one," Nathan sighed "We'll be considered idle, and they'll try and put us to use."
"Let's just get breakfast" Edwards replied, getting dressed.

They left to the mess hall, a large place with dozens of tables, lines of food vending machines that operated for free, and empty space.

However, the usual squad was there, eating the synthesized material that they called food.

Nathan took his usual seat at the table, before tucking into his food. It was supposed to be cornbread, though it was a bit more like hardtack.

He looked up from his food over to Sergeant Dyer.

Dyer was one of those officers who got to know his grunts. He was medium height, and black. He always smoked/chewed cigars.

"Supposedly it's a rescue mission." Dyer replied "I'm not too sure yet. I'll have to get more from Yost."

Nathan figured as much. The Lieutenant, Alise Yost, always liked to keep the details only as needed.

Hopefully she hadn't gotten them a bug hunt.

Later…

As they gathered in the briefing room, everyone felt disappointed. They'd barely been here a week, and they already had to leave.

Nathan took a seat in the back, where he'd get a good view of everything. He could easily see his fellow squadmates from here.

Lieutenant Yost entered, and shut the door behind her.

She may be only 30, barely 3 years ahead of Nathan, but she was incredibly talented.

She had her usual blonde hair kept back in a ponytail, with her slender form.

"As you all know," she began "We're shipping out."

She pulled up the star map behind her. It zoomed in to reveal a planet somewhere in the Catoid Sector.

"We'll be shipping to VF-132, a sandy world in the heart of the Catoid Sector. Contact with Vector's Folly has been lost 3 days ago, and we'll be shipping out."

Edwards, up front, raised his hand.

Yost frowned. "What is it Private?"

"Is this going to be a stand-up fight, or just another bug hunt?" He asked.

"As far as we know," Yost sighed "We'll be on a bug-hunt. We ship out on the Australis in three hours. I want everyone in cryo by four. Further briefing will come when we arrive."

Later

The Australis was massive, yet a standard military craft. It had the usual engine bearing, a massive sphereical shape. The middle was the normal sections, with more guns riding than the NRA. The front was the usual knife-like projections, all holding out.

Van Hold

He couldn't help but admire the ship as he walked up the transparent boarding tube. He always looked forward to his usual ship because he'd see Standard, the Android that was attached.

However, as corollary officer, or in other words, Corporal, he was supposed to arrive later.

Walking down the hibernacula floor, he noticed the names of his squadmates as they'd gotten a head start on the trip.

Edwards

Grimes

Falloway

Henley

Sussex

Rosenblatt

Jiminez

D'Amcio

Egorov

Warren

As he walked past the row, he couldn't help but wonder what they were dreaming about. It always was something to think of.

"You goin' in first or am I?" a voice called from behind.

Spinning around, Nathan saw Pelinski standing behind him, hip cocked and smile on her face. His fellow Corporal and squad Corpsman always had a way of sneaking up on him.

"I'm hoping to talk to Standard." He admitted.

"She's with the central computer." Pelinski replied "You're better off waiting until we wake up again."

"I guess I'll get to sleep." He admitted, smiling.

He found his tube, and put on his electrodes. Once they were all on, he shut his eyes, and thumbed for the tube to close.