[Onyx's Note:: I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone, (which includes you lurkers out there :D) for staying with me as I continue on this crazy journey of mine lol.

And, so far...Onyx and Riddick have just gone along with the Aliens story line... But in This Chapter...things begin to change. And on that note, Enjoy!!

Dripping through the cracks of hidden things, terrible secrets…like that of a plague bleeding from the twisted lips of the damned. Their whispers become a deafening poison into the ears of the innocent. Silence a tranquil necessity, blinding, unforgiving to the courageous.

They shall walk amongst the wicked, the deviant, the devils of an abyss untouched, unknown by the living. A bitter sweet symphony of disaster to their demonic ways. Sweet whispers of the damned…do not forsake them. Let them fight with the fury of angels…let them not fall in vain. Let them not become the food of the evil that lurks within the darkest reaches of an unimaginable hell…

Gods…ever merciful…save them.

---------*****---------*****---------*****---------

::Outside Perspective::

Bishop, the only artificial person in the entire crew, is seen hunched over an ocular probe doing a dissection of one of the dead facehuggers. Using an instrument that resembles a five inch long pair of tweezers, he gently lifts the inner organs back and forth, the exposed internal anatomy shimmering under the examination lights. Peering through a micro-scope like device, he remains focused and almost in awe of the dead parasite before him.

Spunkmeyer, Ferro's co-pilot, enters the room with some electronics gear on a hand truck and parks it near Bishop's work table, just behind Bishop to the left.

"Need anything else?" Spunkmeyer asks as Bishop looks up from his work for a moment. He seems to have trouble answering the question. "Hello, Bishop. Do you need anything else?"

Bishop regards the young man for a moment. "No." And goes back to the dissection.

Brow furrowed, Spunkmeyer smirks and says in a somewhat sarcastic tone, "that's a nice pet you've got there, Bishop."

Without turning to meet the young man's gaze, he continues looking over the dead facehugger, a smile dancing over his lips. "Magnificent, isn't it?"

-Operations-

Everyone jumps when Hudson suddenly hollers, "yo! Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen! Found'em."

Gorman peers over Hudson's shoulder. "They alive?"

"Unknown. It looks like all of them. Over at the processing station...Sub-Level 3...under the main cooling towers." Hudson explains while looking over the monitor. It becomes very apparent when everyone notices an amoeba-like cluster of flashing white dots clumped tightly in one area.

Hicks looks over the monitor, taking a drag off of his cigarette and grows a crease in his brow. "Looks like a goddamn town meeting." He says with an exhale of smoke, not quite sure he likes what he's seeing.

Gorman straightens up and gets this smug look on his face. "Let's saddle up, Apone."

"Aye, sir." Apone nods and starts barking off orders. "Alright, let's go people, they ain't payin' us by the hour. Let's go! Head'em out! Okay, Frost. Your drivin'."

::Her Perspective::

I can hear the commotion and feel a horrible sting in my chest. I hold my hand to the phantom wound and close my eyes, hoping it'll go away. But it doesn't, it's as though something's telling me…that's time to intervene.

"Baby…" A voice, rich and deep like a cup of strong coffee causes me to open my eyes and I find myself looking into Riddick's covered gaze. "You okay?"

I swallow, breathe in slowly and nod, rubbing the center of my chest. "Yea…" I say with a hoarse voice and clear my throat. "I just have this feeling…"

"Go tell him." He says and I feel my heart jump, the pain pulsing just beneath my chest plate. "You want a clear conscience, you go and tell Gorman. But he may not listen."

"If he doesn't listen I'll make him." I growl softly and start to feel and edge cutting into my mind… The beast is stirring.

"Easy kitten, you want to save these people. Not have'em for lunch." Riddick muses and gets me to smile.

"Come with me?" I ask, my eyes pleading and watch him nod with a warm smile dancing on his lips. "Okay…let's go." I say, straighten up and watch his smile melt away into that dark, unreadable expression. If they don't listen to me, maybe they'll listen to Riddick. Gods I hope Gorman listens to me.

I make my way toward Hudson and the others and meet eyes with Hicks. He notices the look on my face and walks up to me. "What's up?"

Here goes…

"I need to talk to Gorman, and actually…" My voice trails off as the pain thunders like a dagger shredding the delicate fibers of my heart. "It's extremely important."

He doesn't say anything. He looks to me, then to Riddick, and nods. "Follow me." Hicks replies, turns and walks up to Gorman. "Lieutenant Gorman." He says and gets his attention.

"What is it Corporal?"

"Onyx needs to have a word with you." Hicks explains and moves out the way so that I can speak to Gorman personally.

"I need to speak to you. Right now, away from everyone." My voice is calm, a sound that's commanding respect and yet oozes warning all in the same illustrious tone. Thank the gods I had theatre all those years ago. Otherwise I'd be squeaking right about now. "What I'm about to tell you is going to sound like lunacy, but I need you to listen very carefully."

Gorman moves to one side of the room and regards me thoughtfully, "go on Onyx."

"You can't go to the atmosphere processor." I pause for a moment and watch him about to open his mouth to speak but my voice drops an octave, silencing him. "I'm not finished." I say and watch as Gorman clenches his jaws shut. "Look, I'm not going to bullshit you. You go to find the colonists, you're going to end up in the middle of a Hive."

"Hive?" Gorman repeats the word and gives me an odd look.

I let out a soft sigh and begin to speak, my voice even softer then before so I'm not overheard by the others. "The Xenomorphs, they've gathered in a Hive. They've taken every last colonist and have used them for hosts for that parasite you saw floating in those tubes." I pause and feel questioning glances around the room as I keep my eyes locked with Gorman. "Gorman please, I'm telling the truth. You lead your squad into that Hive and you've just signed their death certificates."

I feel the slow crawl of anxiety slithering its way through my spine and have to clench my hands into fists so I don't start shaking. I'm terrified he won't believe me. Jesus Corn-Holio fucking say something!

"We have no idea what condition the colonists are in. Our mission is to find survivors. Alive if possible." Gorman replies and takes a deep breath. "Your point has been made, but there's no proof behind it."

"Please you're not listening. I'm not going on a hunch. I'm going by what I've seen. I'm a fucking Empath and I've seen what will happen if you take these marines to the atmosphere processor. People are going to DIE. What part of that don't you understand?"

I feel Riddick's hand gently squeeze my hip and release, telling me that I need to keep my temper and voice down.

Gorman's face is a mixture of confused emotions. "I have my orders Onyx. You can come along or stay here at the station. We are going in." Without another word he turns on the heel of his boot and walks off, leaving me here with a sense of horror welling up in my chest.

Riddick is still next to me, his hand on my waist. "You tried."

"I don't understand…why didn't he listen to me?" I say in a soft tone of disbelief and feel terror swirling through my veins.

I hear him sigh, which comes out more like a growl and feel him turn me toward him. "Don't beat yourself up. You tried. And he didn't listen. Now we go along and try to help any way we can." Riddick says in his low baritone voice and I look down, feeling as though I've failed.

"I don't understand…" I think aloud and bring my head up when I hear someone approaching us from behind. I make a sharp turn of my body and watch Ripley's eyes widen in response. "Hey Ripley…"

She calms down and her brows furrow, her expression obviously that of concern. "Is everything okay? You look like you've just seen a ghost." She asks in a tone naturally deeper then mine, but just as pleasant.

"Yea I'm okay…Gorman just proved he's an idiot." I reply and try to push the growing anxiety out of my mind.

"Why's that?" Ripley questions with concern in her tone as she tries to read my eyes.

A lump forms in the back of my throat, and for a moment, words become fleeting. "Well…I…" I stumble over my own voice and bite my bottom lip out of anger. I can feel my sharp teeth tear the sensitive flesh and then taste the salty copper of my blood as a slight sting pulses in my lip.

"Erin?" Ripley's suddenly very close to me, her energy is screaming a protective mother instinct. I almost want to break down and collapse into her arms. But I can't and try to straighten myself up before I completely fall apart. "Erin, what is it?"

I bring my gaze to hers and finally find my voice. "Something very bad is going to happen Ripley…and he didn't listen. He wouldn't listen. And now it will happen. I was supposed to stop it…I was supposed to save lives…"

Riddick cuts me off and catches Ripley's attention with a rumbling voice. "She tried to tell Gorman about future events and he of course, didn't listen. Now we just have to go along for the ride."

"You know what's going to happen?" I nod at her question and she lets out a sigh. "Gorman doesn't know his ass from a hole in the ground, so it doesn't surprise me that he didn't listen." Ripley says and tries to give me a smile, one I saw her use with Newt. "Well, they're ready to head out and it wouldn't be right if you two didn't come along."

"Of course we're coming along. Can't let you have all the fun." Riddick replies and gently squeezes my hips with his hands.

Gods…please…watch over us.

-Acheron - Twilight-

::Outside Perspective::

Within the darkness of Hadley's Hope Colony… The APC roars across the stygian landscape, desolate and alien, in a world just as unwelcoming as it moves toward the Atmosphere Station that waits like a sleeping giant just two kilometers away… Taking them deeper within into the bowels of a hell…no one has ever been able to escape from…alive.

-Inside the APC-

"It's okay. Don't worry. It'll be okay." Newt sits just aft of the driver's cockpit. Gorman's MTOB is right behind her. She sits, clutching her doll head and talking to it in a soft, cooing manner. She pauses and turns her gaze behind her. Newt sees a shadow of a large man that's just behind Ripley and Onyx, as they stand by Gorman. Her focus is then riveted to a monitor, where the atmosphere station looms within the screen like the shadow of some terrible monster.

*Just outside the Atmosphere Station*

The vast structure towers above the personnel carrier as it drives up the access ramp and stops before the door. The door to the massive building opens, sliding up into the ceiling with an ominous groan. The APC drives on into the station, speed reduced and begins dropping its huge top-mounted cannon down on its rear in the process. If it hadn't, the cannon would have bashed into the ceiling of the narrow corridor ahead.

The APC comes to a slow halt. The crew door slides open, allowing the marines to spill out before the APC, the lights of the vehicle streaming over their backs, creating a cascade of long twisting shadows as they move into the base of the station. Which suddenly appears to be a depthless maze of conduits and pressure vessels, like an oil refinery out of some dark science fiction novel.

Gorman's voice filters through the marines' headsets. "I want a straight B-Deployment. Second team on the left flank. Advance on axial six-six-four. Tracker on-line. Set the V-gain to filter RF ambient…"

Apone replies. "Hudson, tracker on-line. Left and right little buddy."

"Forty meters in, bearing two-two-one, there should be a stairwell…" Gorman concludes and continues watching through the panel of screens.

"Check! Got it!" Apone says as the group pools over to an area with a wall that says, Level One, with a set of stairs descending to the deeper levels of the atmosphere processing station.

"You want Sub-Level 3." Gorman's voice says over the com as the marines get into position.

They begin to descend into the stairwell, deeper into the dark pit of machinery. "Let's go people. Hudson, you get the point. Hicks, watch our tails. Nice and easy. Check those corners…" Apone announces while leading the pack down to sub-level three…

-Inside the APC-

Onyx is nervously watching the screens and can see Apone and the other soldiers from Hicks' P.O.V. as they continue descending the stairwell when Apone's voice filters over the com. "…Check those corners."

"Watch your spacing." Gorman says into his headset while watching the activity on the panel.

"Awright, you heard the man. Don't bunch up. Stay loose." Apone adds to the marines when the screens suddenly start to become fuzzy.

"Uh...your transmission's showing a lot of breakup." Gorman announces while looking to Hudson from Apone's P.O.V.

"Probably getting some interference from the structure." Hudson replies when Apone cuts in.

"Watch those lights."

Onyx looks to the computer screen, which shows the ground-plan of the station. The troopers are only a line of white dots slowly moving down the stairwell in the layout. She tries to keep her breathing normal when her growing anxiety rears its ugly head, causing her blood to run cold with fear. She closes her eyes for a moment, trying to regain her sanity as Gorman continues speaking out orders into his headset.

"Next one down. Then proceed on a two-one-six."

Apone replies, "uh...roger. That's a two-one-six."

Opening her eyes, she sees Newt looking at the all the marines on the screens. She lets her eyes fall on the panel, watching as well and sees the one thing that is the proof she needs.

The corridor the soldiers have just entered from Vasquez's P.O.V., reveals something very strange. The group stands before a bizarre sight. Over the refinery-like lattice pipes and conduits, something new and not of human design has been added. It is a structure of some sort, extending from and crudely imitating the complex of plumbing, but made of some strange encrusted substance. It seems to flow outward and up, like a mangled spider's web made from some kind of deranged bee hive.

Gorman's face shows the shocked realization at what he's viewing. "I'm not making that out too well. What is that, Hudson?"

Hudson appears on Vasquez's P.O.V.. "You tell me, man. I only work here."

Gorman tries to focus on what he's seeing as Ripley looks to Onyx, seeing a look of horror on her face. Everyone within the APC watches as the marines enter the organic labyrinth, playing their lights over the walls, revealing a bio-mechanical lattice.

"What is that?" Gorman asks in a softer voice, sweat forming over his brow and upper lip.

Ripley is at a loss. "I don't know." She replies softly when Onyx finally gets her courage back.

"I do."

Gorman, Ripley, Newt and Burke all look to her with curious eyes. Riddick remains behind her, his presence alone the only thing giving her strength.

"That's the Hive, the one I warned you about Gorman." Onyx says in a dark voice, her eyes filled with a silent knowing.

Gorman looks at Onyx and then back to the screens. Obviously shaken that she had actually told the truth. "Uh…" He covers his headset mic for a moment. "Shit…"

"It's easy Gorman, tell Apone to fall back and report back to the APC. We'll regroup and reevaluate the situation. Better safe then sorry." Riddick explains and looks to Onyx, who's eyes are hopeful that he might actually listen this time.

For a moment Gorman doesn't do or say anything…he just has this wide eyed look on his face. "Pull your team out Gorman." Ripley says finally and gets his attention.

"Oh and Gorman, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves." Onyx chimes and he whips his eyes toward her. "You do realize they're packing 10mm explosive-tip caseless, standard light-armor piercing rounds correct?"

"Yea so?" Gorman retorts, becoming more nervous.

Riddick cuts in. "You're about to send them toward the Primary heat exchangers."

The Lieutenant is starting to sweat heavily. "So?"

Ripley cuts in. "So, if they fire their weapons in there, won't they rupture the cooling system?"

"Ho, ho, ho. Yeah. They're absolutely right." Burke chimes in, actually helping.

Gorman looks like a dear about to get run over by a semi. "So? So what?"

Burke leans closer to Gorman. "Look, this whole station is basically a big fusion reactor. Right? So, we're talking about a thermonuclear explosion and adios muchachos."

Gorman's pupils actually dilate. "Oh...ah, great. Wonderful. Shhhit!" He rubs his hand over his face and then speaks into the headset. "Look...uh…Apone...look, we can't have any firing in there. I, uh, want you to collect magazines from everybody."

*Within The Hive*

The troopers look at each other in dismay. They all start arguing against the command. "Is he fucking crazy?" Hudson barks and looks to his comrades.

"What the hell are we supposed to use, man? Harsh language?" Frost chimes in disbelief as Gorman's voice filters through.

"Flame-units only. I want rifles slung."

Apone can't believe what he's hearing. "Sir, I…?"

"Just do it, Sergeant. And no grenades." Gorman concludes, his voice dropping out of the com.

Apone sighs, "Awright, sweethearts, you heard the man. Pull'em out. Come on. Let's have'em. Come on, Vasquez. Clear and lock."

-Back on the APC-

"Gorman tell them to fall back!" Onyx snarls but he seems to be somewhere else. The guy has no idea what he's doing.

"Shut up!" He snaps at her and goes to speak into the headset when Riddick moves Onyx to the side, gets up behind Gorman and clamps his hand around the back of his neck. Gorman's eyes widen, his mouth opens and is suddenly completely passed out.

Everyone just looks at Riddick. "He's unable to do his job properly." Riddick says in a collected manner and grabs Gorman under the shoulders, "Burke, help me move him to the back. Ripley, take over and Onyx…" He pauses while handing Onyx Gorman's headset. "Help Ripley Get them out of there."

Onyx just nods and looks to Ripley. "We can do this." Ripley says reassuringly as Onyx slips the headset on. "Go ahead."

"Apone, can you hear me?" Onyx says into the headset and watches the screens.

"Roger…uh is that you Onyx? Where's Gorman?"

She takes a deep breath and Ripley replies for her. "Apone it's Ripley. Gorman passed out, maybe it was nerves. So we're taking over."

Onyx cuts in. "Apone have you given Frost all the magazines?"

"Roger, we've just collected."

"Turn your team around and fall back to the APC." Onyx explains and starts to get a very bad feeling.

Suddenly…Hudson's motion tracker starts beeping off the charts and his voice fills the com. "Movement!"

"Apone, Hicks, everyone get your asses out of there NOW!" She barks and notices a strange mist starting to fill the screens.

Apone's voice filters through as he gives the order. "You heard the lady, fall back! Double Time!"

Onyx and Ripley stand back and watch as the screens reveal the marines running when a woman's scream bellows out in terror and one of the screens…Dietrich's, the Med-tech…spins and goes black, all bio-readings flat lining.

-End Chapter Thirty-Eight-