Chapter 1: First Day at a New Job
I do not own the Alien Series or the Predator Series; they belong to their respective owners. I only own my OC's.
I walked in the door to my two story house and threw my briefcase on the couch. I was just let go from my third job that year. It was not anything that I did, they had to make some cuts and I was the least important, so they let me go. I was jobless, soon I wouldn't be able to afford my own house. After my family died in Gunnison, Colorado, I've been interested in xenomorph biology. I had spent the past seven years studying biology and genetics. I was almost kicked out of college for persisting that xeno-morphs and the Yautja existed. But, I graduated college at the top of my class and went into the job market. I grabbed a root beer from the fridge and slouched in my lazy chair. The mail slot opened and a letter was sent through and fluttered to the floor. I walked up and grabbed the envelope, which had a yellow 'w' on the front. I opened the letter and read aloud to myself.
"Doctor Manchester,
You have captured my attention, and with that an opportunity for a job. I have been watching your performance in the field of xenomorph and Yautja biology, and I think that you'd be perfect for a job in the genetics department at Weyland Industries. Tell no one about the details of this job. However, if someone asks where you work, you can tell them that you work at Weyland Industries. Bring a résumé and good clothes. Xenomorphs and the Yautja are real.
Sincerely,
John Smith"
A smile grew across my face; as soon as I lost a job, I have the opportunity to have a new job; the next day I went to the building, went to an interview, and got the job; the day after that I was given a white lab coat, a nametag, and a tour.
"Hello there, Doctor Manchester." John said as he shook my hand.
"You can call me Patrick, or Pat." I corrected.
"If you would step into the elevator Doctor Manchester," he ignored my correction. "I will show you the xenomorph holding facilities."
I took a deep breath and stepped in the elevator. John pressed the down button on the elevator, and we started to descend.
"You seem nervous Doctor Manchester," he said "what is wrong?"
"Patrick," I said getting a little annoyed "and I am nervous because I've never seen a xenomorph before. My parents were killed in the Gunnison incident when I was still in high school. When I saw the leaked footage of what happened in that town, I knew that I had to learn more about the creatures that were there."
"I apologize for your loss Doctor Manchester," he said in a monotonous voice "but the chances of an escape are slim."
"If you call me that again I'll punch you in the nose." I blurted out.
He chuckled, "Alright… Patrick." He said as the elevator door opened to reveal a bunch of men in white coats walking with clipboards, sitting behind desks, and chatting at water coolers. We walked forward to a large door with a retinal scanner. Xenomorphs lined the walls like the lizard exhibit in a zoo.
Why is it so quiet in here? I thought to myself.
"Soundproof glass." John said.
"What?" I asked.
"Most people wonder 'Why is it so quiet in here'; soundproof glass had been installed when most of the staff complained of hearing loss."
"They're beautiful," I said "sleek, serpentine, the perfect organism."
"Not really." John said.
"Why is that?" I asked.
"Off the record:" he said "they're about as smart as a German Sheppard. Most of what they do is based off of their instincts."
"I never really thought about it that way." I said.
"How much do you know about xenomorph anatomy?" he asked.
I chuckled, "I know that they have acid for blood and that they are tough, fast, agile, and that they can see with no eyes. My guess is that it is based off of electromagnetic signals. Although, it is difficult to tell what is real and what is fake since most people believe that xenomorphs do not exist. I'd honestly like to know about the life cycle, how their own blood doesn't burn them, and how they can be so durable and yet so flexible."
He laughed and clapped, "You're going to do great here. First off; they can because of the pheromones given off by their prey and each other."
"But how can they 'see' the environment around them?" I asked.
"We're still working on that." He said.
"What can you tell me about the life cycle of the xenomorph?" I asked.
"Good question," he said "the xenomorphs come from a queen, or matriarch if you prefer, that has an ovipositor like a termite that lays the eggs. The eggs then have a middle larva stage that we call the 'facehugger' for *inhales deeply* obvious reasons. The facehugger deposits a larval entity in the host that, we believe, acts like a virus. That is: it takes the DNA from its host and blends it with its own DNA. That would explain hybrids that occur naturally, such as the Runner or dog/xenomorph hybrid. It essentially forces the host's body to create an embryo. The hosts then incubate the larva until it… bursts from the host."
"Through the chest cavity?" I asked.
"Through the chest cavity." He answered, "Anyway, that stage is, what we call, the 'chestburster stage'. The chestburster is basically an immature xenomorph that eventually grows into the adult xenomorph that we see before us."
At this point we both turn to look at the xenomorph in the cell next to us, and then we turned back toward each other. "What about the blood," I asked "why doesn't it affect the xenomorph itself?"
"It's the same reason that the acid in our stomachs don't dissolve us from the inside out. As for their skin; the top half of their body has an exoskeleton, while the lower half has an endoskeleton. Their entire body is coated with polytetrafluoroethylene. So basically, their body is a glass jar that holds the acid in."
"Interesting." I said.
"Would you like to see your office now?" John asked.
"Yes I would." I said. We walked out of the door to my office.