So, new story. I'm on a Xeno kick right now, so this is why you get to read about Steelshine instead of reading the last instalment of Kemiri's trilogy. Enjoy!
Chapter 1
Pain. It grew in his chest, fiery, gnawing pressure!
A strangled yell issued from his mouth, bringing the coppery taste of blood, foul in his mouth as… something writhed in his chest. The pressure increased, as did the gnawing sensation.
He screamed as his chest bulged outward, his ribs and sternum cracking! He shrieked again, feeling blood vessels burst in his eyes as his blood pressure spiked, as he screamed with such force. Blood gushed from his mouth and his voice failed him as whatever was inside his chest thrashed, pulverizing his lungs.
It burst out of his chest with a screech, worming free of the splintered bones that had caged it, its host dieing instantly.
In the dark world beyond, shrill voices rose in triumph, celebrating the new life that had battered its way into the world with such vigour. It tumbled from the dead human's body, landing with a thump on the ground. It squirmed away into the shadows instinctively, though it was quite safe there.
No one would dream of harming the next Queen.
…..
The little Queen grew, not as quickly as a Drone or even Praetorian. She was healthy and strong, the apple of her mother's eye, her last hope to continue her mighty dynasty.
The other Xenomorphs lavished attention on her, hunting and bringing only the finest meat for her. It was as their Matriarch had commanded after all. She was spoiled. The only thing she was denied was freedom.
She wanted nothing more than to be able to go with the Drones on hunting and experience the world outside the Hive.
But the old Queen, Steelfang, had lost her other daughter that way. She had been killed by the very Prey she had been hunting. Steelfang was old now and would have no more children. If she tried it could kill her, drain her frail body into nothing more than a husk. Steelshine was her only hope. Besides, if she never went out, then how could she know what she was missing?
The old Queen watched the new, relaxing on the resinous Hive floor. Her chitin, once as glossy and iridescent as her daughter's, was now dull, cracked and brittle. Her claws were flaking and blunt, as opposed to the glittering needles that tipped Steelshine's six fingered hands. Only her eyes, slanting and black and glittery as the night sky remained lively as they had been in her youth.
She settled more comfortably on the resin nest that had been built under where she had once hung, heavy with eggs. She let her eyes droop closed. She slept much of the time now.
…..
Steelshine watched as her mother dropped into sleep again, and then got up, stretching her long spine and swinging her barbed tail.
Steelfang still dwarfed her, though she was much more angular now than she used to be, looking bony even for a Xenomorph.
Steelshine was in a sort of extended adolescence, still gangly and long limbed, her crest no more than a ridged hint along the sides of her skull. As long as her mother lived and produced pheromones, she would not grow to be a Queen.
She crept out of the inner sanctum of the Hive, the still Praetorians following her movement with their heads, some with eyes, some without.
:WHERE ARE YOU GOING?: one asked.
"OUT. NOW BE QUIET." she replied, sending some of her will behind the statement. She may not be an adult Queen yet, but her mind was powerful and it was difficult for even Praetorians to disobey her.
Steelshine padded through the Hive, her mind open to the chatter of the Drones.
:HELLO, YOUNG MATRIARCH. MATRIARCH IS HUNGRY? MATRIARCH IS THIRSTY? MATRIARCH WOULD LIKE TO BE GROOMED?:
She smiled, basking in their unconditional love. They reached out for her, stopping what they were doing to 'watch' as she passed, though unlike the Praetorians, no Drones had eyes. She brushed past.
Normally, Steelshine would have stopped and lingered among her future subjects, for she loved them as much as they loved her. But she wanted to breathe the open air now and gaze out upon the world.
Without a glance upwards, she leaped, her hands and feet precisely catching the sides of the vertical tunnel. Her multiple senses let her know exactly where she was. The young Matriarch skittered neatly up the tunnel.
It narrowed and kinked back and forth, quickly making it a tight fit, though she could still squeeze through. If she wanted to do something forbidden, it was best that she use the ventilation shafts since there was less chance of meeting a Drone who might report her to her mother, inadvertently or otherwise.
Steelshine squeezed around a bulge in the resin and popped into the bright day, shutting her eyes tight against the brightness with a hiss. Her nostrils flared, sucking in cool air perfumed by the plants around her, infused with the scent of life.
In the Hive, the air was warm and muggy, carrying the smell of hardening resin and occasionally the unpleasant stink of rotting meat or spoilt blood from a kill in addition to the welcome scent of her kind.
She liked the contrast.
Wind tickled across her long skull. Steelshine walked a few steps away from her exit and sprawled across the top of the Hive. The sun felt good on her black chitin, warming her and making her drowsy, a sensation which she resisted.
If Steelfang knew she was outside, she would be paralyzed with worry.
She felt an insect skitter by, a tiny spark of life.
Steelshine's hand darted out and slapped the bug down. She poked her nose down to the edge of her hand, sensors on her lips searching for signs of life. She lifted her hand too fast and the insect came running out, spreading hard wing cases and unfurling delicate wings which hummed into life.
She snapped at it, her teeth clicking, but missing every time. It flew higher and higher, but wobbled. Her attack seemed to have wounded it. Finally, the young Xenomorph jumped up, making a two-handed grab for the bug, trapping it in a secure cage.
Now Steelshine settled back on her haunches, tail flicking in excitement. She opened her hands a tiny amount so it couldn't escape. She could feel the insect's legs tickling her palm.
Trapping it against her hand she managed to pick it up between a finger and thumb. She opened her eyes a slit, but no more since the bright sun hurt them.
Steelshine examined it closely, noting with interest that it too had hard chitin and in many ways, superficially resembled one of her Hive members.
After her analysis, the young Queen delicately bit off the front half of the bug, chewing carefully before deeming it edible and finishing it off. Mighty huntress indeed!
She swiped away a string of drool that hung delicately below her lower jaw, squinting at the landscape.
Far in the distance, she caught the faintest movement. Her gaze instantly locked on it, her body freezing unconsciously.
Prey of some sort?
No.
She blinked slowly, cleaning dust off her eyes that the wind had left.
They moved far too sinuously; prey did not have such fluid grace. Besides, the Drones had never brought back anything black before. The hunting party had returned!
She watched a while longer, soon feeling the vibration of their footsteps through her hands and feet, feeling the electric crackle of their hearts and muscles and nerves, feeling the faint sensation of pressure on her body as they moved through the air and disturbed it.
Time to go.
Steelshine flipped around and disappeared into the air hole, squeezing back down through the tunnel.
:WE ARE BACK! WE HAVE FOOD! WE HAVE PREY!: chanted the Drones. Two bounded up to her, carrying a mostly dead four-legged prey between them. :FRESH BLOOD FOR YOUNG MATRIARCH? WARM AND GOOD, SWEET AND FRESH. HAVE SOME HAVE SOME!:
Their exuberance was contagious.
Steelshine squeaked happily, taking the animal from them. It struggled weakly in her grasp, but most of the fight was gone.
She paused to nuzzle the Drones and then sank her teeth into the four-legged prey's throat, ripping it open with a sharp yank of her powerful neck and letting the hot arterial blood spray into her mouth.
The beast twitched and shuddered in her claws, dying.
The blood ebbed and became a trickle as it finally expired. The young Queen smacked her jaws happily.
"VERY GOOD. THANK YOU."
The Drones took the carcass back and carried it on out of sight and sense.
She decided to watch them bring in the rest. It had been a fruitful hunt. There were many kinds of four-legged prey, winged prey and even a few two-legged prey. Those were still alive and would be carried off to be cocooned in resin for young Xenomorphs to grow in. They were preferred hosts; the young that were implanted in them were usually cleverer.
This was a very large hunt, but it had to be. Soon it would be winter when most of the Hive would sleep, except for a few to guard and maintain their home. They had to eat plenty of meat to be able to sleep comfortably. They could spend months and months, sometimes even years in hibernation, but having a good meal ensured that they would wake up again strong and fit. Some would also be cocooned in resin, to be saved for later.
Steelshine trailed after a few that were heading back to the inner sanctum. She might as well join her mother in the feast.
…..
Steelshine lounged on the floor, leaning against Steelfang's bony hip.
She groomed herself, biting at the little flakes of chitin around the bases of her claws, keeping them sharp and clean, scraping her chitin with her teeth and claws. Until she became Matriarch, she would not grow more and would not shed all of her skin at once, so she had to work to keep herself clean and glossy. She twisted around to bite at the base of her tail, groaning. Too much meat.
She terminated the idea and summoned a Drone over, letting the sterile female groom her instead.
Steelfang opened a lazy eye, amusement radiating out.
Steelshine bared her teeth, but there was no real menace attached. She just flopped over and let the Drone clean her other side, making grumbling noises under her breath.
Soon, the two Queens dropped off into a heavy sleep and most of the Hive followed, activity dropping to a minimum.
It was a surprise to everyone when they came.