INT. DEEP STATION MELVILLE - CORRIDOR JUNCTION.
Broussard, Elias and the station survivors have reached a four way junction. Elias checks the station schematics.
ELIAS.
To reach the upper docking port we need to take the left corridor.
KHARISH.
That will take us through the engineering sub - levels.
BROUSSARD.
Why don't we go back to the Command Centre and make our way from there?
MICHALSKI.
There's a freight elevator in engineering that connects to the upper docking port.
ELIAS.
That was my reasoning. If the elevator is still functional it is a direct route to the shuttle.
MICHALSKI.
A five minute ride in the lift and we're out of here.
The party continues on.
INT. WEYLAND - YUTANI RESEARCH VESSEL USCSS WILLARD - XENOMORPH RESEARCH LAB - ORBITING EREBUS 191 - TAU CETI II.
Doctor Hirigawa, the head of the Weyland - Yutani Weapons Division research team is in his office when his deputy Doctor Masen enters.
DOCTOR HIRIGAWA.
Come in Masen. I've just received a report from communications, there's been an intersesting development.
Hirigawa is looking through old Survey and Weapons Division files on his laptop.
DOCTOR HIRIGAWA.
About 45 minutes ago communications picked up a transmission from a shuttlecraft entering the system.
DOCTOR MASEN.
It was bound to happen sooner or later I guess. How does this affect our program?
HIRIGAWA.
Significantly. The shuttlecraft is registered to the USCSS Kurtz.
He pauses briefly to let Masen absorb this bit of information.
HIRIGAWA.
The comms tech was able to piggyback a download command back to the shuttle without alerting the occupants. According to the Kurtz logs they set down on moon LV 427 and discovered the ruins of an advanced alien race's outpost, that much we know. The extraterrestrials had been experimenting with the Xenomorph, suffice to say the encounter did not go well for the Kurtz. As you know, they believed the Captain shut down the Fusion Grid coolant system and destroyed the ship, the shuttle obviously escaped the vessel shortly before detonation.
MASEN.
Was anybody aboard the shuttle infected?
HIRIGAWA.
No, we have something infinitely more valuable. According to the logs, the ship's synthetic designated as...(hechecks the files) 7th generation Hyperdine Systems 120 A2, was short circuited by an alien device on LV 427. In the process an enormous amount of information was downloaded to it's CPU. Masen the synthetic was aboard that shuttle.
MASEN.
The chance to study an advanced alien race's weapons facility would be of more value to us than the synthetic surely? I assume we will shut down the program here and proceed to Zeta II Reticuli?
HIRIGAWA.
No. The Kurtz' log states that the alien outpost was destroyed by seismic survey nukes, apparently by one of the mission's security team...(checks the files) a Colonial Marine Private Vossler. We need that android, the data that it possesses is invaluable. I have dispatched a Commando squad to Deep Station Melville, their orders are to retrieve the synthetic and terminate any station survivors they encounter.
MASEN.
There was no mention of Kurtz survivors in our mission briefing.
HIRIGAWA.
The file Division director Freeling discovered was the Captain's final log entry, dated 21st November 2116. The file was heavily corrupted and contained no reference to survivors.
He inputs a command and Captain Hunter's final log entry is replayed.
HUNTER. (breathing raggedly).
This...log entry of Captain... Hunter,...SS Kurtz... intercepted ..alien trans...the Zeta II Reticuli... landed...LV 427 to investigate...crew...dead. Some infect...organism...lays an embryo ..side a living host, the rest...killed...adult creature...infected were incubating... The adult... ... is extremely hostile ... very hard to kill, they... armour...exoskeleton...extremely corrosive blood...Tasers... shock stunners are ineffective... the creatures, projectile weapons... kill them , though the blood... eat through four... thick hardened steel bulkheads with ease...My ship is infested with these..., and accordingly there... one course of action left open to me. I ca... chance of ... abominations reaching...habited system...
MASEN.
So if the Company was aware of the Xenomorph 20 plus years ago why wasn't an attempt made to obtain specimens then? Why wait 20 years to send an expedition?
HIRIGAWA.
Freeling said the file was buried deep in the company database. With a bit of digging he discovered that in 2121 a deep salvage team retrieved the Kurtz' black box. It was badly damaged, the only data they could retrieve was the corrupted log entry. Based on this two Weapons Division executives, Melkonis and Roby, diverted a towing vessel to Zeta II Reticuli to obtain a Xenomorph specimen. The vessel was subsequently listed as missing with all hands in 2125.
MASEN.
So the Company has lost two ships to the Xenomorph, I'm beginning to understand their reticence in sending another ship to the system.
HIRIGAWA.
Two ships plus payload, the Nostromo was towing a mineral ore refinery, the Company lost billions. There was an ICC enquiry into the loss of the Nostromo, a relative of one of the crew had received evidence from an anonymous source that the vessel was deliberately sent in to peril. The Company threw Melkonis and Roby to the sharks, and with a bit of deft political maneuvering and bribery, the ICC's official report stated that the Nostromo and payload were lost due to an asteroid collision. The file was closed and the Kurtz transmission was buried in the Company database.
MASEN.
And that's why the Company didn't send a ship for 20 years, they were waiting for the heat to die down.
HIRIGAWA.
Precisely.
MASEN.
One thing is bothering me though, we've jammed the distress signals from Meville and 87, but sooner or later another ship is going to come through this system, we can't keep this quiet for much longer.
HIRIGAWA.
Division director Freeling has a contigency plan in place. Unfortunately there has been an outbreak of Rigellian plague on Con - Am 87 which has spread to Deep Station Melville. Tau Ceti II will be placed under ICC quarantine, no shipping to enter or leave the system. That should keep any unwanted visitors off our backs.
MASEN.
I've got the latest updates on test subject #9, everything is proceeding according to projections. They're ready to begin prepping subject #10. Warden Campbell's got ten more volunteers ready, the prison shuttle should be here in two hours.
Masen hands the report to Hirigawa.
INT. USCSS WILLARD SHUTTLECRAFT AUSTRALIS - EN ROUTE TO DEEP STATION MELVILLE.
The Weyland - Yutani commando Squad: Vikander, Trenchard, Ransom and Coates are strapped in, the squad's pilot Richter is at the shuttle's controls.
RICHTER.
OK ladies, we're in the pipe. ETA at Melville is four hours, smoke 'em if you got 'em.
The rest of the squad release their acceleration harnesses and stand up.
TRENCHARD.
What's the op sarge?
SERGEANT VIKANDER.
Sweep and Retrieval. We're after a synthetic, Hyperdine Systems 120 A2 designation Elias 7. Terminate any randoms we encounter.
COATES.
Hostiles? What are we up against sarge?
VIKANDER.
The station has been overrun by some sort of alien organism, extremely hostile, it's all on the database. Orders are to terminate any friendlies we find, the suits don't want any witnessess.
COATES.
That means civilians, there isn't any military based at Melville.
VIKANDER.
You aren't getting soft on me are you Coates? You knew the score when you signed on with the Company, you can always go back to the marines.
COATES.
Just sayin' is all sarge.
VIKANDER.
Alright ladies you got three hours. Weapons strip, suit prep and full mission database assimilation by...(Checks his watch) 2130.
The squad retrieve their weapons from lockers and begin stripping and checking them. Vikander goes forward to the pilots compartment. He calls up the Melville specs on a terminal, and a 3D holographic display of the station appears. Vikander studies the display for a few minutes.
VIKANDER.
The upper docking port is a no go, our point of entry will be here...(he indicates an area of the station) the docking port pressure maintenance hatch. You will have to hold station manually while we are EVA, once we've acquired our target I'll cut the docked mining ship loose and you can dock the Australis.
Richter studies the display.
RICHTER.
No problem sarge.
VIKANDER.
I want a full spectrum scan of the station as soon we're in range, it's likely that station hull integrity has been compromised, I want to know the extent of the damage before we get there.
RICHTER.
Will do sarge.
Vikander returns his attention to the holographic display.
INT. DEEP STATION MELVILLE - FREIGHT ELEVATOR - ASCENDING.
Broussard, Elias and the station survivors are ascending to the upper docking port in the freight elevator. A warning buzzer sounds and there is a sound of grinding steel. The elevator lurches and comes to a complete stop.
KHARISH.
That's it, the elevator shaft must be blocked above this level.
MICHALSKI.
It got us 10 levels closer, that's something I guess.
Carrington presses a button on the lift's control pad and the hatch opens.
JERICHO.
We're on the lower observation deck, there's a stairwell at the end of this level.
The survivors exit the stalled freight elevator. At the end of the corridor is a closed emergency bulkhead hatch. Elias scans the observation deck.
ELIAS.
I am not reading any atmosphere beyond the bulkhead. The observation deck appears to be exposed to vacuum.
CARRINGTON.
This is our only option, with the lift stalled there is no other way through.
TUCKER.
Well that's just fucking great, we're all gonna suffocate in this rat trap. FUCK.
He slams his fist into the wall.
JERICHO.
Stow that shit Tucker, we're all in strung out shape but we gotta keep our shit together if we want to get out of here.
Carrington presses controls on the pad next to the closed bulkhead and the vision from the observation deck surveillance camera appears on a monitor. There are three bodies lying on the deck.
BILLY HANNIGAN.
It must only be a small leak, the people weren't sucked out into space.
TUCKER.
Shut up kid, what the fuck would you know.
JERICHO.
Actually Tucker he's right on the money. The artificial gravity is still operational too.
MICHALSKI.
If it's only a small leak a tempseal patch will seal it, open the hatch, toss in a few sticky blobs and the venting atmosphere will seal the leak.
KHARISH.
We don't know the extent of the structural damage though, opening the hatch could cause an explosive decompression.
ELIAS.
As our options are limited I will attempt to seal the leak. Everyone return to the freight elevator and seal the hatch, if my attempt fails and there is an explosive decompression you will be safe. As a last resort you may be able to access the upper levels through the elevator shaft if it is not completely obstructed.
The others return to the freight elevator and seal the hatch. Elias opens an emergency utility locker and takes out three of the red tempseal sticky gel blobs. He presses the hatch control and the emergency bulkhead opens. Immediately the oxygen in the section is sucked towards the leak, Elias staggers slightly as the air rushes past him and he tosses the sticky blobs into the observation level. They are caught by the escaping air and sucked toward the leak.
INT. DEEP STATION MELVILLE - FREIGHT ELEVATOR.
Sounds can be heard echoing up the elevator shaft. Metallic banging and crashing, the aliens are active somewhere below them.
CARRINGTON.
I hope this works, if the lift isn't totally jammed we could go back down a few levels, backtrack and find another way through, but it sounds like the aliens are moving down there.
JERICHO. (Addressing the children).
How are you kids doing?
BILLY.
I'm OK sir.
The 16 year old Amber doesn't reply. She has been sullen and withdrawn since the death of her parents. The station synthetic Freya reaches out and gently brushes a lock of hair away from the teenagers eyes. She puts a protective arm around the young girl.
FREYA 8.
She will be fine sir.
The freight elevator hatch opens. Elias is standing there, the survivors are visibly relieved.
ELIAS.
We must get through the observation deck as quickly as possible, most of the atmosphere in this section was lost patching the leak. Also the breached viewport has been structurally compromised, it will fail catastrophically sometime within the next 30 minutes.
DELANEY.
Well let's not stand here talking about it Tin Man, let's get moving.
The survivors move out onto the observation deck. They pass the bodies on the deck.
BILLY.
Wow, they didn't even explode.
DELANEY.
It was a slow leak kid, besides people don't explode when exposed to vacuum, that's just Hollywood bullshit.
BROUSSARD.
Poor bastards, the spacer's worst nightmare, stuck on the wrong side of an emergency bulkhead.
JERICHO.
What concerns me is that they were trapped in here at all, why couldn't they escape through the stairwell?
ELIAS.
Unfortunately I felt it would not be prudent to take the time to survey the exit.
CARRINGTON.
Everyone shut up, you're burning up our oxygen.
They continue on past the patched viewport. The bright red high visibility gel patches can be seen on the compromised viewport, webs of cracks radiate out from underneath the temporary patches.
CLOSE UP ON:
The Viewport. The cracks in the glassteel visibly extend a few centimeters. An onimous cracking sound can be heard.
They reach the stairwell at the end of the observation deck. The hatch is closed. Jericho presses the hatch control but it remains closed, he repetatedly jabs the button in frustration but it is futile.
Elias opens an emergency utility locker and takes out a steel pry bar. He places it into the point where the hatch is flush with door. He looks at Freya and nods, She takes hold of the recessed handle in the hatch with both hands and pulls with the massive strength of a synthetic, the hatch opens a few milimetres and Elias jams the pry bar into the narrow gap and begins to slowly lever the jammed hatch open.
CLOSE UP ON:
The Viewport. The cracks are growing more rapidly, the cracking sound increases.
At the hatch Elias has opened a gap with the pry bar, Freya places her fingers in the gap and the two androids slowly open the hatch, which squeals with a grinding metal on metal sound.
SLAYTON.
Hurry it up guys, that viewport is gonna blow.
At that moment the hatch opens all the way, whatever was obstructing it has been cleared. The survivors pile through the hatch and Elias, the last one through presses the hatch control to close it, the hatch begins to close and then stops. The sound of the mechanism that closes the hatch can be heard straining.
CLOSE UP ON:
The Viewport. It blows out explosively.
The atmosphere in the stairwell is sucked through the breach. The sound of the escaping air is deafening. The hatch again clears the obstruction and slams shut. The party collapse onto the deck, they sit there breathing hard as they try to regain their breath.
INT. DEEP STATION MELVILLE - SECURITY SUB LEVEL - STATION SECURITY CONTROL.
The back up generator is failing, it cuts out. In frustration Farrell kicks the malfunctioning generator. It starts to function again, but it is clearly in a bad state.
FARRELL.
Clear the barricades, it's time we got out of here, I don't want to be trapped in here when that generator fails.
The Admin. staff begin clearing the barricaded entry hatch.
STEINBERG.
You shouldn't have let the techs leave Farrell.
FARRELL.
Fuck you Steinberg, you couldn't stop your people leaving, what was I supposed to do? Hold them here at gunpoint?
STEINBERG.
Yeah maybe you should have, they wouldn't have argued with that hand cannon you carry.
FARRELL.
It's too late to argue about it now, why don't you make yourself useful and help them clear the entry hatch.
Muttering under his breath, Steinberg joins the party clearing the hatch. He makes a less than convincing effort to help the others.
INT. DEEP STATION MELVILLE - SECURITY SUB LEVEL - CELL BLOCK.
A duct grating falls from the ceiling with loud metallic clang.
INT. DEEP STATION MELVILLE - SECURITY SUB LEVEL - STATION SECURITY CONTROL.
Everyone pauses as they all turn to stare at the cell block. The station staff return their attention to the task at hand and in minutes the entry hatch is clear. Hubacek opens the hatch and peers out into the corridor, but it is empty.
The generator fails for the last time. Ominous sounds are heard in the room, aliens are moving.
At that moment the control centre explodes with noise and chaos.
Atwell is standing in front of a wall duct, the grate flies off and an alien grabs him and pulls him in almost too fast to see. His screams can be heard as the alien takes him deep into the air ducts.
Aliens burst in to the control centre and the survivors open fire with stunners and tasers, a few aliens are knocked off balance by the powerful concussion stunners, but Yusagi and Blaylock go down and are dragged off by aliens.
Steinberg and Hubacek are firing tasers at the aliens, one grabs Hubacek, Farrell is aiming and firing rounds from a Colt Python. An alien lunges toward him and Farrell aims the revolver at the alien and fires. The xenomorph is hit in the head, which comes apart under the impact of the high powered hollow point rounds.
CLOSE UP ON:
Hubacek and the alien dragging him away are hit by the acid spray from the alien Farrell shot. Hubacek screams as the acid begins eating into his head and upper torso. The alien is unaffected by the acid and drags the screaming man into an air duct.
Another alien lunges for Steinberg.
STEINBERG.
Do something Farrell.
The cowardly company man shoves Farrell into the aliens path, the station administrator stumbles and is grabbed by the xenomorph. Steinberg rushes for the now open entry hatch and stumbles through, he slaps the hatch control and the the control centre hatch slams shut, the survivors screams echo through the corridor. Out of breath Steinberg leans against the now closed hatch as he tries to regain his breath. A loud impact on the hatch makes Steinberg start with surprise, the aliens are smashing at the hatch which begins to buckle.
Steinberg is in a panic, he runs for the elevator and hits the controls, as the aliens tear through the Security Control entry hatch and run towards the elevator. He makes it into the elevator and presses the controls. Steinberg is muttering to himself as the aliens race toward the elevator. He stabs at the controls again, the aliens are so close he can smell their foul odour. The hatch closes just before the aliens reach it. The lift begins to ascend and Steinberg is sweating hard, he collapses to the lift floor breathing rapidly and muttering. For now he is safe.
STEINBERG.
Oh God...oh Shit...mother forgive me...
The sound of the Aliens battering at the elevator hatch below resounds through the elevator shaft.
FADE OUT.