CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

When I woke up the next morning, he was already gone, but there was a tray of berries on the table.

I smiled, touching my stomach. Was I pregnant? Was his child growing in there? Was it going to be human? I had no idea what to expect or when to expect it, but I knew that it was going to be fine. David wasn't going to let anything hap – "

My mind was suddenly assaulted by a cry from my child. His panic made me burst out of my small hut and look at the dark forest.

It was coming.

I quickly retrieved my communicator. "Walter! The creature is coming and it's hostile. Get everyone to safety!"

"Miss Cassandra, where are you?" his voice came back.

"I'll be fine. I'll try to contact it. Maybe it'll recognise me and –" I was abruptly cut off.

"No! Get back to the ship. I need you safe, Miss Cassandra' he told me.

I glared at the communicator. "I know that these are the words and programming that hehas given you. You can stop pretending to care."

"Miss Cass – "

I turned off the device and threw it back into the hut. He was close. I had to make sure that he was safe.

Donning my coat, I began my trek into the forest, in search of my fleeing child.

I tried to calm him down, but his panic made it difficult for me to do anything but also panic.

My feet stopped when I heard a rustle to my right. I turned just in time to brace myself as my child came leaping out, flying straight into my arms. I stumbled as I narrowed my eyes.

It wasn't long before the creature came roaring. It was jet black. The body was sleep and shiny, not unlike the one wrapped around me. Its eyes were green, glowing in the dimness of the forest.

I stared at it as I slowly extended my hand, offering peace in hopes that it would calm and leave us be.

It took another cautious step forward, causing my child to hiss and growl. It returned the favour, sounding as if they were conversing.

I placed my other hand on his bulbous head and the creature turned its attention back to me, moving a little closer. "It's alright. I won't hurt you." I knew that it wouldn't understand my words, but I was hoping that it would sense my intentions.

My entire body was still, until it bumped its head on my hand as my children liked to do. "That's it."

It continued to step closer, until it was touching the both of us.

Suddenly, I felt something prod my mind – something new, but it wasn't warm like my child. No, it was cold and dark, causing my head to throb painfully.

I immediately moved away with a gasp. "What are you…?" This was definitely different. It didn't want to bond like all the other Xenomorph. It had its own pack somewhere waiting for it and I feared that it may bring them back here to the colony.

As it moved away, continuing its path to the colony, I could still feel its icy grip linger in my mind. Fear began to creep up in me, seizing my senses. I reached towards my tool belt for the communicator, but found neither in my possession and cursed myself for my stupidity. I had tossed it away because I had been angry at Walter for absolutely no reason.

"Find David," I instructed my child. "Find your father. Don't be caught, but get to him and warn him."

He mewed, bumping his head under my chin before bolting away.

When he was gone, I collapsed on to my knees, feeling my consciousness waver. My head felt as if it was about to explode. There was this constant throbbing pain, ever since the creature made contact. It was as if a part of it was still there and if I stretched myself just a little further, I could still sense it.

What were its intentions? Or was it truly just curious because we were the aliens on their planet?

Darkness began to tug at my vision and I tried desperately to hold on, but it wasn't long before the world tipped upside down.

…

David had ushered the last colonist in when a moving shadow caught his eye. He instructed Walter to stay with the others, while he made his way to the stone hut.

The door was opened with the pacing Xenomorph wearing a hole through the floor. "Where is she?"

It whined and bit his sleeve. Where did it want to take him – to Cassandra? Why did she have to be such a fool and leave her communicator here?

As he exited the hut, he found the source of the Xenomorph's anxiety. The beautiful creature he had seen before was slowly approaching them, gauging their hostility as he was doing the same to it.

Its glowing green eyes narrowed before it bare its sharp, yellow teeth. He tensed up for the attack, but the Xenomorph intercepted the lunge. Their bodies crashed together.

David retrieved a needle and syringe from his belt and uncapped it. "Move." The pure command in his voice had the Xenomorph jump away as he plunged the needle into the creature's neck.

Immediately, the thin metal tip began to melt. He had no choice but to jam the rest of the syringe into its body to administer the full dose. He moved his hand away just before its blood could touch him.

It let out a loud cry before falling still, hitting the ground.

"Walter, what was that? Are you okay?" Daniels' voice came from his communicator. "What happened? We can't see anything past the hut!"

"Everything is fine. It is… dead," he replied, dragging the unconscious body into the stone structure. He was just going to have to build Cassandra another room or a new place to stay, but not until later. He'd have to find her first.

"Have you found Miss Cassandra?" Walter asked him.

He sighed. "No, but I will search for her, now. The others should be safe to leave the ship, but it may have companions. Be on guard."

"OF course."

David followed the Xenomorph into the forest. His legs moved quickly keeping up with the creature's pace. When they finally stopped, he found her lying on the ground, motionless.

He could still detect her body heat. She was alive. That was enough for now. He could heal her when he had the proper equipment.

"I need to teach you to listen to me," he quietly said to her as he scooped her into his arms. "I need you alive and well to carry my offspring. I did not spend years manufacturing the perfect seed to have you ruin that for me."

He dropped her on to the bed where Walter was pacing just outside the hut, making sure that no one would find the unconscious creature.

"Is she alright?" Walter asked as soon as he was outside.

"Watch her," he instructed. "If she even tries to leave her room, stop her. I will waste no more time searching for her. There is enough that I have to do."

Walter bowed his head and closed the door as soon as David left. He approached the bed where she laid and sat down. "Miss Cassandra, my feelings are my own. I may only be a synthetic, but please, do not undermine what I know and feel." HE could do no more than be moral support for her with David's consent, but he would sit there and keep her company for all of eternity if he had to. "I love you," he whispered, wishing that she was awake and she could hear him.

He closed his eyes and did a quick system scan, while he waited for her to wake up. As every file passed through, he lingered on certain ones. Their first encounter had been mind blowing. Every part of him had been programmed to take them in for what they had done.

They were criminals, testing on a human being. It was wrong. It was so very wrong, but when he saw the two of them together – naked and wanting, he was enamoured. This was what he couldn't have with Daniels and it wasn't because she was still trying to get over her husband's death, he found that what he felt for the captain was nothing to what he felt for the strange woman who was barely human.

When he had fought David in the cave, he was sure that that was going to be the end of him. Somehow, the older model had bested him. There was something very unusual about David 8. He was a prototype, the first to possess human emotions. He was also the only model to be the only one of its line. David 8 had never been reproduced. That was probably for the better. He couldn't imagine the universe with anymore of him around. They'd probably all plot to take over the cosmos and actually succeed.

He couldn't even fathom what would happen to Cassandra with all of them around…

"…Walter…?"

Pausing the progress, he looked down to see her weakly staring back at him. "Miss Cassandra, how are you feeling? May I assist you in anything?"

"What happened?" As she tried to sit, she winced, clutching her head.

"Are you alright? Are you in pain anywhere?" He laid her back down and checked the spot she was covering, but found no external injuries.

She clenched her eyes shut. "My head, it hurts. It feels as if I have the worst brain freeze in the entire world."

"This world is still quite new to us. I can believe that it is, indeed, the worst headache," he stated, hoping that his joke can alleviate some of her stress.

Instead, she peeked an eye open to glare at him. "Anymore and my head will literally explode."

"When did it start?" he asked, firmly pressing around her head to see if he could give her a preliminary diagnosis.

"I…" She tried to shake her head, but stopped when it only increased the pain. "I don't… The creature… It was when I touched it. It felt as if we had temporarily forged a connection, but it was so cold and dark… Is there something wrong with me?"

He didn't know the answer to that, but he hated seeing her like this. "I'll contact David. Perhaps he will be able to find a way to help you."

It was unfortunate that he had been ordered to stay here or he would've taken her to the med bay himself to get her scanned, but he knew that this wasn't the time. If anyone saw the results, they would immediately notice that she wasn't quite human and that would cause unnecessary complications.

He felt her hand squeeze his and he squeezed it back. "David, we have an issue. Miss Cassandra is unwell." He looked over to the beast. "And I will also need another sedative, soon."

No reply came, but he knew that David had heard him. It wasn't long before he returned with his equipment. A long wooden spear plunged into the creature's skull, successfully killing it, but Cassandra arched her back and let out a piercing scream that made him quickly cover her mouth to muffle the noise. "I apologise, but we cannot attract any unwanted attention." He leaned down to kiss her forehead. "It will be fine."

David quickly released the spear as soon as he heard the hiss and a faint wisp of smoke raised upward. By now, he was sure that this creature was very similar to the Xenomorph and Cassandra and this was going to complicate his plans. How was he going to study it if he couldn't properly dissect it? Could there be a material that is immune to the corrosive nature of its blood?

When Cassandra eventually quieted down, tears were streaming down the sides of her face. 'It hurts…" she sobbed. "It's like when I lost my baby…"

David clenched his jaw before going over to her and leaned down. "It was not your child." He was actually quite enraged that even after their child was most likely in her belly, she was still relating these creatures to her in a familial way.

"I know," she sniffed. "But it still hurt."

"Stay here. I don't want to have to look for you again nor do I want to keep Walter idle to make sure you do as you're told," he stated.

She nodded. "I'll be good. I promise. I'll just take a walk around here alter to see if the fresh air will help me."

"That is fine. Do not go into the forest without either of us and keep the communicator with you. I will not tolerate anymore insubordination or I will make sure that you will never defy me, ever again, dear Cassandra," he purred against my lips.

She nodded again, her eyes wide as she stared at him, and he was finally satisfied.

AUTHOR'S NOTE

Plot?

Thank you Zerousy and kingdomhearts49120.

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