Author's Note: For those of you who are interested, I've put up the first
chapter of a Predator fic, "Predator: He Who Hunts The Hunter". Check in my
profile to see it or go to the Aliens/Predator section.
Part X
I readied myself for the meeting with recon team. The clock slowly dwindled closer to 0700. I put on some fatigues with no rank that someone had kindly put a name patch on that read "Aran."
I went over to the mess hall at 0615 and ordered scrambled eggs and milk out of the food dispenser. It definitely was not the best meal I had ever eaten, but it beat the Nauoruzayian squid larva I had eaten the month before. I saw several faces around the room that looked pretty grizzled. One had a few scars on his face that reminded me very much of the scar on my hand that was from the Yautja-spawned creature of my childhood. I suddenly became very aware to something; several of the patients in the infirmary had similar burns. The idea that those creatures could be on the planet as well suddenly terrified me. I suddenly longed to see Gatak. He had only ever seen me once in between the time he left that night and that morning at the breakfast table. I had been nearly sixteen when that happened. And that had been nearly ten years before. I tried to shun the memories out of my mind and as I did that, the eggs tasted worse and worse.
I got up from the table and headed for the briefing room that I had been instructed to go to. When I arrived it was 0658, and there seemed to be about twenty to twenty five people in the room. Commander Loach was not in there yet, so I had no idea where to sit. Hewling saw me and beckoned for me. I sat next to him, Private Davis was on the other side, and Private Maurice was behind me. Her face was stern and cold. She sat with her arms and legs crossed and simply looked straight at the door.
"She's always like that in briefings," said Davis, quietly. "When she's like that," he started, "Sometimes Loach screws up and thinks she's a man. Of course, most of us think that all the time."
A hand suddenly slapped him across the back of the head, "Shut the hell up, dickwad," said Maurice.
"Both of you, stop it, now," ordered Hewling. Just then, Devin entered the room. All of the recon team stood up and saluted. I stood up, but did not salute. I wasn't really sure what would be appropriate.
I saw Devin Loach fiddled with a few information discs before he prepped his voice with a loud "AH-HEM".
"You may be seated," he said. The soldiers and I all took to our seats and listened. "As you know," he began, "We have run into several," he searched for a word, "Problems since we've been here."
I looked about and saw several soldiers look grimly at each other.
"We've lost a few good people," said Devin, "And I'm sure all of us wish we could get them back." His eyes suddenly seemed to glaze over with grief, but just as quickly became normal again. "Well, it's time we got some information on what we're dealing with." He slipped in an information disc to part of his podium. A screen projected an in orbit view of the area. Devin pointed to a somewhat small looking chain of buildings in the south- central part of the map. "We are here." He then moved up to northwest corner to a large chain of buildings. "And here, is a Federation base. Now, as far as we can tell, it's abandoned. However, there are still a few living bio-signs that show up every once in a while, only one that we can guarantee is human. The base has minimal power, enough to access the computers. What we need to want to do is find our way to the main computer station and download the entire database."
I noticed Private Davis raise his hand.
"Yes, Private Davis?" inquired Devin.
"Commander, what do we need the database for?" Davis asked.
"So we can find out what the hell the Federation was doing over there. We know they brought over Metroids, but there's something else on this planet. And we're not sure if it's native or introduced."
"What is it, sir?" asked a man in the back.
"We're not sure," Devin informed him, "We're never captured any images with them. And those here who have encountered them have either died, or didn't see enough to identify the animal."
"So you think we can find something out over at the base?" grunted Maurice.
"Yes, I think we can," said Devin. "After we're done with the information collecting, we're going after the Metroid nest." He pointed at another point on the map. "At this point is a large cave. The Metroids have set up a nest in this area and seem to be raiding the nest of the other creatures. What they're doing this for, we do not know. But to deal with the Metroids, we have Ms. Aran here. She's dealt with them before and she should be able to help us now." He looked down at his podium and scowled for a moment. "But for now we have a priority on our hands. We need to take care of these Predators before we launch any long range missions." Devin put in another disc and a biological readout of a Predator was displayed. "As you can read, their strength is much higher than that of a human and they're ruthless hunters."
I could take what I had just heard, "I'm sorry, but I've had experience with Predators and I know some of their ways. They do have an honor code, so I wouldn't call them ruthless. They prey on people with weapons. People without weapons are not dangerous." Hewling grabbed my shoulder and tugged at me to sit down. There was a bit of commotion around the soldiers.
"Thank you, Samus," said Devin.
I sat down and crossed my arms. I didn't seem to be making a good impression with the recon team.
"Now, where were we?" Devin muttered. "Ah yes, on the subject of the Predators." He put in the map again and then pointed at a point about three kilometers from the resistance base. "This is where we detected the Predator ship. We will move out at 0900 today and take care of the problem." He scanned the faces of his men. "No one has to go on orders. This is a volunteering mission. Predators can easily kill, so we need to be careful and get them in force. Volunteers?"
I watched as all of the soldiers stood up around me. I stood as well.
"Samus, we need you for taking care of the Metroids, you're too valuable," whispered Hewling into my ear. I saw Devin smirk at me. I smiled back.
"Well, Ms. Aran," started Devin, "You've decided to join us?"
"Yes sir," I replied.
"Alright then," he said, "Corporal Hewling, get a few people to lead different teams and let's get a strategy worked out to take on these damned Predators."
I once again longed to see Gatak again.
Part X
I readied myself for the meeting with recon team. The clock slowly dwindled closer to 0700. I put on some fatigues with no rank that someone had kindly put a name patch on that read "Aran."
I went over to the mess hall at 0615 and ordered scrambled eggs and milk out of the food dispenser. It definitely was not the best meal I had ever eaten, but it beat the Nauoruzayian squid larva I had eaten the month before. I saw several faces around the room that looked pretty grizzled. One had a few scars on his face that reminded me very much of the scar on my hand that was from the Yautja-spawned creature of my childhood. I suddenly became very aware to something; several of the patients in the infirmary had similar burns. The idea that those creatures could be on the planet as well suddenly terrified me. I suddenly longed to see Gatak. He had only ever seen me once in between the time he left that night and that morning at the breakfast table. I had been nearly sixteen when that happened. And that had been nearly ten years before. I tried to shun the memories out of my mind and as I did that, the eggs tasted worse and worse.
I got up from the table and headed for the briefing room that I had been instructed to go to. When I arrived it was 0658, and there seemed to be about twenty to twenty five people in the room. Commander Loach was not in there yet, so I had no idea where to sit. Hewling saw me and beckoned for me. I sat next to him, Private Davis was on the other side, and Private Maurice was behind me. Her face was stern and cold. She sat with her arms and legs crossed and simply looked straight at the door.
"She's always like that in briefings," said Davis, quietly. "When she's like that," he started, "Sometimes Loach screws up and thinks she's a man. Of course, most of us think that all the time."
A hand suddenly slapped him across the back of the head, "Shut the hell up, dickwad," said Maurice.
"Both of you, stop it, now," ordered Hewling. Just then, Devin entered the room. All of the recon team stood up and saluted. I stood up, but did not salute. I wasn't really sure what would be appropriate.
I saw Devin Loach fiddled with a few information discs before he prepped his voice with a loud "AH-HEM".
"You may be seated," he said. The soldiers and I all took to our seats and listened. "As you know," he began, "We have run into several," he searched for a word, "Problems since we've been here."
I looked about and saw several soldiers look grimly at each other.
"We've lost a few good people," said Devin, "And I'm sure all of us wish we could get them back." His eyes suddenly seemed to glaze over with grief, but just as quickly became normal again. "Well, it's time we got some information on what we're dealing with." He slipped in an information disc to part of his podium. A screen projected an in orbit view of the area. Devin pointed to a somewhat small looking chain of buildings in the south- central part of the map. "We are here." He then moved up to northwest corner to a large chain of buildings. "And here, is a Federation base. Now, as far as we can tell, it's abandoned. However, there are still a few living bio-signs that show up every once in a while, only one that we can guarantee is human. The base has minimal power, enough to access the computers. What we need to want to do is find our way to the main computer station and download the entire database."
I noticed Private Davis raise his hand.
"Yes, Private Davis?" inquired Devin.
"Commander, what do we need the database for?" Davis asked.
"So we can find out what the hell the Federation was doing over there. We know they brought over Metroids, but there's something else on this planet. And we're not sure if it's native or introduced."
"What is it, sir?" asked a man in the back.
"We're not sure," Devin informed him, "We're never captured any images with them. And those here who have encountered them have either died, or didn't see enough to identify the animal."
"So you think we can find something out over at the base?" grunted Maurice.
"Yes, I think we can," said Devin. "After we're done with the information collecting, we're going after the Metroid nest." He pointed at another point on the map. "At this point is a large cave. The Metroids have set up a nest in this area and seem to be raiding the nest of the other creatures. What they're doing this for, we do not know. But to deal with the Metroids, we have Ms. Aran here. She's dealt with them before and she should be able to help us now." He looked down at his podium and scowled for a moment. "But for now we have a priority on our hands. We need to take care of these Predators before we launch any long range missions." Devin put in another disc and a biological readout of a Predator was displayed. "As you can read, their strength is much higher than that of a human and they're ruthless hunters."
I could take what I had just heard, "I'm sorry, but I've had experience with Predators and I know some of their ways. They do have an honor code, so I wouldn't call them ruthless. They prey on people with weapons. People without weapons are not dangerous." Hewling grabbed my shoulder and tugged at me to sit down. There was a bit of commotion around the soldiers.
"Thank you, Samus," said Devin.
I sat down and crossed my arms. I didn't seem to be making a good impression with the recon team.
"Now, where were we?" Devin muttered. "Ah yes, on the subject of the Predators." He put in the map again and then pointed at a point about three kilometers from the resistance base. "This is where we detected the Predator ship. We will move out at 0900 today and take care of the problem." He scanned the faces of his men. "No one has to go on orders. This is a volunteering mission. Predators can easily kill, so we need to be careful and get them in force. Volunteers?"
I watched as all of the soldiers stood up around me. I stood as well.
"Samus, we need you for taking care of the Metroids, you're too valuable," whispered Hewling into my ear. I saw Devin smirk at me. I smiled back.
"Well, Ms. Aran," started Devin, "You've decided to join us?"
"Yes sir," I replied.
"Alright then," he said, "Corporal Hewling, get a few people to lead different teams and let's get a strategy worked out to take on these damned Predators."
I once again longed to see Gatak again.