Lex woke up muzzy and stiff in the chair next to Selim's bed when she heard someone say her name.

"Mmmmffh," She mumbled sleepily, then sat bolt upright in alarm when she saw Iversson standing there "What's wrong?"

"Shhhh, be calm – nothing is wrong." The Professor soothed "Selim is fine, look."

Lex turned to see him sleeping soundly "How long have I been here?" She groaned, rubbing her aching neck.

"About six hours," Iversson told her "I let you sleep, you looked as if you needed it. You were sitting up with him a long time."

"So what is it? Why did you wake me?"

Iversson sighed "I'm sorry to put this on you at such a time Alexa, but I'm going to have to ask you to come with me. My employer wishes to meet you."

Lex's eyes widened "Don't you think I've got more important things to worry about right now?!" She hissed, disbelieving, venomous.

Iversson looked very tired. There were pouches under her eyes and her face looked older and more lined than it had when she'd come to capture them only a few days before.

"Alexa, don't you think I know that?" She said "I understand how hard it is for you. I've held this off for as long as I can because I felt you needed time with your child. But it's now been made clear to me that I can't delay any more."

"Don't worry," She added as Lex glanced over at the sleeping boy "Selim will be fine, I've left instruction for my team to inform me the moment he wakes up."

As they walked down what seemed like miles of corridor, Lex started to feel anxious. Whilst she'd been totally focussed on Selim she'd forgotten all about the huge anonymous entity that was Weyland Corps; who'd moved heaven and earth to find her. They'd used bribery and blackmail and violence to get her where they wanted her and she still didn't even know why.

"What's going on here, Professor?" She said quietly, trying not to speak loud enough for the two lumbering guards to overhear "What the hell do they want from me?"

"Don't be worried Alexa," Iversson reassured her calmly "This is only a preliminary interview. I think she just wants to talk to you, initially at least."

They had reached large, imposing doors at the end of a long walkway. Lex turned slightly to look at the Professor, one black eyebrow arched "She?"

They now entered a room more impressive than any she could imagine being contained on this floating fortress. One whole wall was thick glass, giving a breath-taking view across the ocean. The sun was just sinking behind the remains of a dissipating storm, shafts of golden light threaded through an iron grey lattice of cloud. Lex blinked in the glare.

A small figure got up from behind a desk upon which a slender laptop was sitting open, the white glow a pale counterpart to the blazing gilt of the setting sun.

Lex studied her as she walked towards them effortlessly on towering heels. Small – without the high heels she was barely 5 foot tall, her petite frame wrapped in a streamlined designer suit.

Her skin had an impossible flawless whiteness. Like porcelain. Like snow. It was in stark contrast to the inky black hair, cut short and artfully feathered. The face it surrounded was striking; heart shaped, delicate and dominated by a pair of enormous china blue eyes framed by ebony spikes. Her mouth was a little blood red cupid's bow. The whole effect was slightly unearthly, childlike.

She was a live doll, so tiny and delicate that it was hard to believe that she could be fully adult. When she got closer, the faint lines around her mouth and eyes became visible, almost imperceptible.

There were other things too – the razor sharp chic of the dress she wore, the assured gaze, the set of her shoulders – all of which stated clearly that she couldn't possibly be as young as her dainty features and diminutive build made her seem. This woman must be at least in her late thirties. Maybe even her well preserved forties or fifties, it was impossible to tell.

Lex stifled a yawn. She was tired, she was grimy; she was still in the cheap, blood-stained vest and cargo pants she'd been wearing when this woman's staff had taken her prisoner. Years ago, before Antarctica, she might have felt at a disadvantage here. She might have felt self-conscious standing next to such an elegant woman dressed as she was.

Now, even if she hadn't much more important things on her mind, such matters were beneath her notice anyway. Yautja never cared how they looked. There was no room for insecurities when you were fighting for your life. She had never even seen a mirror on board the Shadow or the Cutter.

Now she met the other woman's gaze with absolute confidence, a confidence that was laced with contempt. For all her apparent self-assurance this woman clearly was not comfortable talking to her without protection. Aside from the security guards who had come in with her and Iversson, she'd also clocked another man – tall, lean and besuited – standing by the wall. He managed to suggest just by his stance that he was ready for trouble.

If the other woman noticed her disdain, she didn't show it "Alexa Woods?" She said briskly, extending her hand "Diana Weyland. Glad to meet you at last."

Lex took her hand without enthusiasm but Diana Weyland seemed not to notice.

"I suppose you're wondering why I've brought you here?" She said in an accent that was pure moneyed New York "Lex, you don't mind if I call you Lex?"

Lex shrugged.

Diana Weyland's scarlet lips curved into a slight smile. "I've been waiting a long time to talk to you."

"Your father was Charles Weyland?"

"Hard to believe I know. I more resemble my mother." She gave a slight shrug "But I was his only child. He left all his shares to me …and so the controlling interest in this company."

"Lucky you. So what do you want from me?"

"My father hired you to get him through the Antarctica expedition alive, but things didn't work out did they?"

"I'd say it wasn't my fault," Lex said wearily "But it'd be wasted breath, wouldn't it? You just want somewhere to lay the blame."

"Not at all." Diana Weyland shook her head slightly "Perhaps I once felt something like that but now…"

Lex's eyes narrowed, waiting for her to go on.

"Well, you knew my father didn't you?"

"That's an exaggeration," Lex thought for a moment, summoned up the shade of Charles Weyland "I only spent a few days in his company but as far as I knew him I liked him."

"He hired you personally, didn't he?"

"Yes he did."

"He always had a… partiality for strong women, as evidenced by my mother." Diana Weyland sat down in the chair opposite, crossing her legs "But I'm forgetting myself. Please, sit." She said, then gesturing to the Professor "Jeanette. Please."

She turned to the two guards still standing just next to the door "You two leave us. Wait outside." She said dismissively "Have someone to send up tea."

Lex watched her, already feeling a creeping dislike for this woman. Her ostensibly friendly behaviour felt superficial – just on the surface. How could they be friendly when they were all being held prisoner here on her orders? True Iversson had helped Selim, but she didn't know what they were doing to Scar. Or what they had planned for her.

She also noted that Weyland hadn't told the suit to leave. Obviously she was still not as relaxed about being left alone with Lex as she was striving to appear.

"Now," Diana said when the two guards had gone "We won't be interrupted."

"Is there something particular you wanted to know Ms Weyland or are we just having a little chit-chat?" Lex asked pointedly "Because my son has just gone through major surgery so I'd rather not be away from him any longer than necessary."

"Straight to the point, hmmm?" Diana's pale brow wrinkled a little, a gentle breeze ruffling a moonlit pond "Well, I was coming to that. As I was saying, at first I was angry with you Lex – you were the one who was supposed to bring everyone back safe – but at the time I thought you were dead. I spent quite a lot of time and money trying to find out what happened, but of course there was no one left alive who could tell me. Or so I thought."

"Then I crossed paths with Jeanette here," She indicated the Professor with a wave of her perfect manicure "She told me about your escape from Nevada andyour… delicate condition. I must admit; when I first heard that you'd been alive all this time, I was angry. I kept thinking – of that whole party – why should you have been allowed to survive?"

"It wasn't the easy option." Lex said, stone-faced.

"I would like some answers though. I think it's the least you owe me."

"Owe you?"

"Come on Lex," Diana raised an eyebrow "It's been six years of wondering. What really happened out there on the ice? I just want to know how my father died."

Lex paused.

"Of course I know how Charles Weyland died; Scar killed him, skewered him with the dah'kte right before my eyes."

In Scar's defence, his logic had been pretty hard to dispute "He used a flamethrower on me Lex!" He'd said in exasperation when she'd thrown it up to him once "I showed him mercy, I walked away and he shot me in the back! What should I have done – let him have another try at burning me alive?"

"He was a sick, old man!" She'd said, but it sounded weak even to her own ears. Of course it would have been stupid of him to do anything else. As far as he was concerned Charles Weyland was just an enemy. He had been on a hunt, when life or death might hang on a split second decision. Weyland had been stupid to attack him when the hunter was intending to let him live.

"He wanted death!" Scar had said to her, strangely she thought now that perhaps he had said this to make her feel better "And you are right that he was sick Lex. Very sick. I saw it through the mask; his lungs were eaten away by terrible corruption. That was why I let him go. He attacked me, knowing I would kill him. He wanted me to do it. He welcomed it."

No, the death of Charles Weyland had not weighed lightly on her conscience. Of course it wasn't she who had killed him and she couldn't have done anything to prevent his death but she had compromised her own moral code to justify Scar's actions. That was almost as bad – perhaps it was worse. The terrible thing was that though she wanted to disagree with Scar's violent outlook on life, the older she got the more she suspected that he was right.

Now, looking into the unfathomable eyes of Charles Weyland's daughter, Lex knew absolutely that she must not tell her the truth about what had really happened to him. Whatever guilt she felt about his death, she felt absolutely no guilt whatsoever in lying about it to protect Scar. Presumably he was being held here somewhere – in this woman's power – and she certainly owed him loyalty before their captor. Who knew what Weyland would do to him if she knew…

"Things spiralled out of control so fast, I didn't see what happened." She said firmly.

"Oh come on Lex," Diana's lips twisted "Even if you didn't see for yourself, can't you ask your alien friend? Surely he knows!"

Lex shrugged, reluctant to give them any more information than she had to "He doesn't talk. I do know your father wasn't a well man. He had lung cancer, pretty advanced. To be honest, I was surprised he made it to the island at all." At least that was truthful, she had been surprised. He'd been coughing up blood before they even left the boat.

If this news was a shock to Diana she didn't show it "Don't be ridiculous, my father wasn't sick." She even gave a slight laugh as she said this "He was in perfect physical health when I last saw him!"

Lex looked at her incredulously "I'm sorry to break it to you but he was seriously ill, I tried to persuade him not to come on the expedition but he wouldn't listen to me."

"How could you know something like that after only spending a few days with him?"

"He told me." Lex shrugged again – that was also true, whatever Diana might believe "But even before that I heard him coughing his lungs out and I had my suspicions. Maybe it was easier to tell someone he barely knew than his family."

"You mean easier to give a sob story to an attractive woman he was trying to sweet talk into bed!" Diana said, her composure not wavering, a slight smile still on her lips "Are you sure he wasn't just trying to make you feel sorry for him? My father had a ….weakness where women were concerned."

"Well that doesn't paint a very flattering picture of your Daddy, now does it Ms Weyland? Making up a story about terminal cancer just to seduce me?"

Diana sniffed "My father had many fine qualities but restraint around the opposite sex was not amongst them." She said "His philandering was legendary. It was the reason my mother divorced him."

Lex said nothing, watching her warily. She couldn't warm to this woman but she had to admit she had poise. Even the news of her father's illness didn't seem to have disturbed her, or if it had she concealed it well.

At that moment one of the staff came in with tea and Diana Weyland seemed to feel a change of subject was called for.

"Well," She said, smoothing her skirt over her legs as the minion retreated "Let's not get hung up on the past shall we? Not when we're just getting to know one another. You ought to know, I admire you. You could say over the years I've been rather fascinated to meet you."

"Really." Lex said flatly.

"Yes, you are a formidable woman. I used to feel somewhat angry with you," Diana waved her delicate hand again, as if it was all too tiresome for words "But Jeanette made me see the bigger picture and that you were part of it, you and the evolution of the species. Or at least the evolution of the Company."

Lex frowned "What has that got to do with me?"

"I need you Lex." Weyland answered smoothly "You could say we need each other. It wasn't easy persuading our shareholders that I could do as good a job as my father. I think they all saw me as just Daddy's little girl, but with the Professor here and now your contribution I've managed to win them round. I suppose you'd know all about that wouldn't you? How difficult it is sometimes to hold your own as a woman in a male environment." She gave Lex a conspiratorial little smile.

Lex turned to look at Iversson who, to her credit, looked very uncomfortable, then she leaned over the table "Listen Ms Weyland," She said "I'm very tired; as I already told you my son is just getting over a major operation."

"Yes, I know," Diana made a little face and sipped her tea "I paid for it."

Lex pushed her hair back from her face and stood up. She'd had enough of this "And I'm very grateful, but he still needs me. So I'm sorry I can't give you the information you want, but I have to go back to him now."

"Lex, that's not the only reason I asked you up here."

"I don't care."

"You mean you don't know," Diana said. Lex could see a sparkle in her eyes although the rest of her face remained immobile "I'm surprised the Professor hasn't told you already."

"Told me what?" Lex snapped, her tolerance for these mind games reaching its end.

"Jeanette's been much too modest, haven't you Jeanette?" Diana looked over at Iversson with the smallest hint of a spiteful smile "You mean you really haven't said anything to her yet?"

Even the red light of the setting sun couldn't disguise the colour draining out of Professor Iversson's face. Lex stared at her "What is it? What haven't you told me?"

"Alexa," Iversson said rapidly "I was trying to find the right moment, but you've been through such a difficult time I didn't feel I could – "

"What is it?" Lex hissed at her "Is it Scar? Where is he?"

"The exotic?" Iversson spread her hands, trying to calm the situation "He's very heavily sedated. You don't need to worry about him."

"Then what!?" Lex almost shouted at her. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Diana Weyland watching her with an air of feline amusement. The suit was suddenly more alert, had even moved slightly towards her.

"Alexa," Professor Iversson took a deep breath "There's no easy way to tell you this but – "

"Jeanette," Diana stood up "We can't just tell her, we have to show her."