Derelict

By THE Xenomorph

I own only the character of Vile.

Star Trek Voyager is © Paramount

Aliens vs Predator is © Fox

Training Day (Part One)

It took us; Hary Kim, Tom Paris and myself, almost two weeks to get a simulation that was up to my standards. I had to argue with them about the safety measures, I didn't want anyone on the crew to actually get seriously injured, but I wasn't convinced the crew would take the threat seriously unless there was some chance of injury. They finally convinced me though, when a malfunction sent one of the holographic kainde after Harry and it was damn near impossible to get to him without risking my own well being. Now it was ready and it was exactly what was needed.

On the surface it looked like the start of a basic colony set to start terraforming a planet. It looked perfectly untouched from the outside, but once inside a grisly story unfolded as the trainees would discover almost no one left in the buildings and the only survivor being a malfunctioning EMH, which we gave a different face so as not to offend the Doctor. The scenario would have a series of goals: discover why the colony has lost communication, investigate the odd structures and secretions, and finally survive long enough to get off the planet. I didn't expect anyone to actually "survive" their first dozen attempts or so.

Tuvok, Harry and I would judge the trainees on different things. Tuvok would measure their ability to keep a cool head under pressure and their ability to follow orders in a high stress situation. Harry would keep tabs on their vitals so we knew who was and wasn't the best choice physically. I had the hardest thing to judge, I had to make sure they weren't to aggressive, but capable of adapting to the kainde's quick change in tactics. Now all that was left was for the trainees to arrive and show us their best.

(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)

Of the fifteen people Tuvok had suggested Harry and Vile could only agree on seven of them. They showed up with little delay. Among them was Seven of Nine and Lieutenant Ayala and Vile made his displeasure quite known that either where in the selection.

"This should be interesting." One female crewman said with a smile.

"Really?" Vile laughed from the back of the holodeck. "Computer activate sub program tunnels." The holodeck shifted to a dark steam filled tunnel. The lights were barely on and those gathered instantly felt the hostility it was meant to enforce. "There are three kainde in this tunnel, two of which are very close. Find them." Vile said as he sat on a pipe.

The crewman looked carefully and deeply into the shadows. It was Ayala who spotted the first one.

"Wow, that's ugly."

"God's only sin." Vile laughed.

"The second one must be hiding really well." Another crewman said as he casually poke his hands in several openings.

"You're dead." Vile rolled his eyes.

"Huh?" The crewman asked.

"You are dead crewman Carlson." Seven repeated. "Your casual poking into various openings would result in your death ninety-nine percent of the time." She then turned to Vile. "As for the second xenomorph, Vile is referring to himself."

"What?" Carlson looked confused.

"I scan as kainde the majority of the time, so you go by the scanners and you run a chance to kill me." Vile leaned back. "That means you need to have sharp eyes and an even faster mind. I don't feel like taking friendly fire."

"Oh." Carlson looked a little surprised. "Do I still participate?"

"You're hear until you hear me say otherwise." Vile smiled devilishly. "Or Harry says it."

"What about the commander?" The female crewman asked.

"He's here to advise." Harry stepped up, "In the end Vile and I have the final say on who's going to be going on with us."

"So that's your first lesson folks." Vile stood up with a stretch. "Computer; loading area."

The room shifted to an armory. Rows upon rows of non-standard issue weapons lined many shelves. Several types of physical armor and special gear also lined the shelves. Vile picked up a weapon that looked very different from the other ones.

"This lovely thing is used by our friends who took me, Flores and Janeway. It's called a burner in their language and they each carry a far deadlier version on a shoulder cannon." He tossed the weapon to Seven. "You run the chance of encountering them if we're fighting kainde. You see one, you run."

"What if we can't run?" Carlson asked.

"Then you'll be dead." Vile said. "I can't make a training sim for them and I won't. They raised me so I won't tell you how to fight them."

"It would be foolish to try." Seven said as she checked the weapon. "This is to unwieldy."

"So take your pick here kiddos." Vile smiled. "The kainde won't be damaged by phaser fire, you need something more damaging, so we've made these function as disruptors."

"What's with the armor?" The female crewman asked.

"Your name?" Vile asked.

"Crewman Lydia Anderson." She she saluted.

"I'm not an officer, don't salute me." Vile's face became dead serious. "That armor simulates the bulk of the real stuff you'll be wearing while keeping the threat of the simulation real. You can loose that armor and it will sting like a motherfucker when you do."

"Pain?" Carlson barked a laugh. "In a simulation?"

"It's the one thing Vile insisted on. It won't be deadly or harmful to you, but the blood of the holographic xenomorphs will cause pain over the area of your bodies it hits."

"So get crackin'." Vile smiled, "Gear up and we'll start." Vile stepped outside of the holodeck.

"Remember, work as a team to finish your goals. Don't try to be a hero and do not, I repeat do not think you've won." Harry said as he to left with Tuvok.

"We're so dead." Carlson gulped.

"We will fail this simulation many times." Seven said. "Its purpose is to find those among us best suited for combating the xenomorphs."

"Well let's get started." Anderson said as she chose her weapon and put her armor on.

(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)(8)

Five minutes later the group was 'landing' at the colony. The entirety of the team was immediately on edge. They all looked to Seven, expecting her to take charge, but she simply nodded to Lieutenant Ayala.

"All right, move up in ranks." Ayala said, "Keep quiet and keep moving."

"Lieutenant." Seven pointed to a malfunctioning door. "We should be on guard."

"Good catch. You heard the lady." Ayala nodded.

The seven of them entered the building and within five minutes Crewman Carlson was running towards the door with fear he had never known. He almost made it to the exit before clawed hands grabbed him from underneath and ended the scenario.

"Well that was a spectacular failure." Vile said with a smile as he entered the now cleared holodeck.

"Five minutes guys?" Harry looked concerned, but not upset.

"Am I gone now?" Carlson asked.

"Hell no." Vile laughed. "You were the smart one."

"What?!" Carlson shrieked.

"You ran into a room with twenty five kainde..." Vile pointed to Ayala. "...and decided to fight. Carlson ran like a scared child, which is the proper tactic, even for me."

"Victory was not possible." Seven said.

"Victory is never possible with the kainde, survival is the goal." Vile said with a deep sigh. "Now what did you learn?"

"I learned they're fast." Carlson said as he laid back onto the floor. "Damn fast."

"Good, now how do you use that to your advantage?" Harry asked.

The group looked blankly at the two.

"You can't really, not unless you can find ways to suddenly block their path. That might slow them down a bit." Vile said.

"So throw dressers in their path?" Carlson asked.

"Nope, they crawl on walls Carlson." Anderson laughed.

"So we watch every direction next time." Ayala said.

"That's a good start." Harry said, Vile simply laughed.

"And get them at range. That acid blood stings." Anderson piped in.

"And you've seen the records of the doctor's attempt to remove the implanters." Vile said. "This time you'll have a chance to win. I want to you survive, not rack up a body count."

"How many are there anyway?" Carlson asked as he stood up.

"We can't tell you." Harry said. "You have to figure out numbers if you want to."

"Man, this training is going to be something else." Anderson smiled, she never noticed the subtle nod Vile gave to Harry.

"I agree." Harry said aloud.

"Ms Anderson, you may leave." Tuvok said.

"What?" Anderson spun and looked confused.

"Giving her a warning Tuvok." Vile said. "Check your aggression Anderson, you go in guns running you can kill friendlies and kainde with the same shot."

"Right." Anderson straightened and went to salute before Vile's glare stopped her. She then turned to Harry and saluted. "Sorry sir."

"Not a problem. Just keep in mind this is not for fun." Harry said. "This program is for training only."

"Yes, sir." Anderson confirmed.

"All right." Vile said. "We'll be resetting. Try to make it a little longer this time. Harry might actually win his bet."

"What'd you bet?" Carlson asked

"Holodeck time." Harry sighed. "I lost an hour."

"Double or nothing." Vile smiled. "I'll even give them a better time limit."

"No thanks." Harry sighed. "Computer; loading area." The armory loaded up once again.

"So lets try this again without the dying." Vile smiled and left, Tuvok and Harry silently joined him.

"He is such an ass." Carlson groaned.

"It would be wise, Crewman Carlson, to not disregard his advice." Seven said flatly, a very slight hint of malice in her voice.

"Sorry." Carlson said as he grabbed some armor and a plasma projector. "But he is."

"He's always antagonistic." Anderson said, "You just have to push past that if you can."

"How would you know?"

"I bunk with Flores, remember." Anderson smiled.

"That has got to be the strangest relationship on this ship." Carlson sighed.

"I think they're sweet together." Anderson laughed.

"Focus you two." Ayala said. "I'd like to get this down so we know what to do. I want to make it home to my boys."

"Right, sorry Lieutenant." Anderson said.

"Don't be sorry, just focus." Ayala said.

"Carlson, you're taking point. I wanna fry any of these guys if they take us head on."

"Ok lieutenant, I got a big gun now so hopefully it won't be an issue." Carlson smiled as the group signaled they were ready and reentered the false colony.