To Iversson, what happened next was a blur, as the nearest thing lunged towards the exotic he swung the makeshift sword, catching it right between the gaping set of razor teeth. The blade wasn't especially sharp but evidently it didn't need to be as the force of the blow took the creature's lower jaw clean off. Her heart did a funny little stutter to see the way the droplets melted through the metal floor and she could taste the acrid steam in the back of her throat.

"Acid blood!" She hadn't quite believed him.

As it toppled forward into the smoking puddle he used the vent shield to hit the second nearest with devastating force, sending it flying across the room. As the third leapt towards him with claws extended, the exotic drove the edge of the metal vent cover into its neck slamming it back against the wall. It shrieked and fought to free itself but he kept it pinned there, pushing with all his strength, trying to drive the metal edge through its throat. It fought madly, lashing around with its long limbs and he grabbed the threshing tail to keep from being skewered.

As he was focused on the third monster the second flipped upright in an unnatural little movement and began to advance on him. Tail upraised and lips drawn back in a snarl it crept up behind him as he used the blunt metal edge of the vent cover to slowly crush the other creature's throat.

Iversson half rose to her feet in alarm. If it killed him, she would be left on her own with at least one of those things.

She was about to shout a warning to him, when everything seemed to happen all at once; there was a final scrunch of bone and gristle as the exotic messily severed the third creature's head. A wisp of vapour bloomed as its acid blood splattered across the floor. At almost the same moment the second finally leapt and the exotic whipped round to deal it a swiping blow with the smouldering edge of the vent cover, snapping its head to one side. He followed it as it fell backwards, smashing it with the improvised shield and then brought the curved metal strip slashing round again, leaping backwards to avoid a gout of corrosive blood.

He threw the dissolving sword aside as he and the creature circled one another, keeping the vent shield between them. Its obscene head wove from side to side, trying to find an opening to attack him again. Burning blood pattered down like cursed rain onto the metal deck, fizzing and smoking where it fell.

The exotic now had his back against the table where she was hiding. Without taking his eyes off the creature he reached behind him, groping blindly for another metal band to use as a weapon. The creature's skeletal frame tensed, ready to attack. Just as his hand closed around one of the thick metal bands and wrenched it loose, the creature gave a piercing scream and flew at him. He battered it back with the vent cover, intent on keeping the flying acid droplets away from his skin and as it fell back he brought the curved metal band slicing down onto the smooth forehead, embedding it firmly in the top half of its skull, slicing right down to the jawline. Its mouth hung open for a moment as if in surprise, then as he yanked the blade free it toppled sideways, the nasty chemical stink permeating the air as the spreading pool of blood ate through the floor.

The alien dropped the smoking metal shard with a clang and turned to look through the viewing window to see if there were any more of the creatures lurking. None appeared.

Iversson emerged cautiously from behind the slab "My God," She shuddered "What are they?"

He shook his head like a shrug, unconcerned. She couldn't fathom how he could be so calm when just seconds ago he had been fighting for his life

"The hard meat. Do you know nothing, human?"

"Alexa told me they were here. I wasn't sure whether to believe her." Iversson was thoughtful, so Lex had been right about Diana Weyland … about everything.

The exotic was immediately alert "Lexssss? You know where… she is?"

Iversson was about to tell him when there was a crackle from the intercom system in the control room, a voice speaking. She stepped warily through the ravaged window frame and he followed her.

Lloyd was gone.

"Jeanette?" It was Weyland, her china-doll face clearly visible on one of the screens on the desk "What's going on down there?"

She glanced at the exotic. She could see his hackles rise, his mane of plaits virtually lifting off his neck in anger as he recognised her employer. Iversson scarcely felt any less hostile. "I think you know perfectly well what's going on." She said crisply "You tried to kill me by setting those things on me. Sorry to disappoint you, but I'm still alive."

Weyland frowned "What are you talking about?"

"Those other extra-terrestrial subjects that you declined to discuss with me? Three of them just attacked me in the holding cell!"

Her employer's already ghostly features looked suddenly cadaverous "The Hive are loose?"

"So you do know what I'm talking about!" Iversson "What have you and Danzig done!? Are you mad? Don't you realise those things could get over to Island South? You'll all be killed. And what about Isaac? What about Selim?"

There was a pause, then Weyland regained some of her impressive poise "I'm sending the security staff down to seal us off from North." She said calmly "So it's only you who need worry about them, incidentally how have you manage to survive thus far?"

At this point, the exotic pushed Iversson to one side and leaned close to the camera "Do you know who I… am, sickly, white maggot?" He said in tones of chilling menace "You darrrrre… imprison me. You put my son and my female in mortal danger! You had better start to… run because when I catch you … I will tear you into a thousand bloody scraps. Or perhaps… I will give you to the hard meat, if any remain… alive when I am finished!"

With that he reached out and ripped the camera from its mounting above the desk. Weyland's voice came through the speaker again, angry and frightened "Professor? Answer me! What have you done? Iversson!?"

Then there was static, then nothing.

Slowly, very slowly, the exotic turned round from the console. He fixed her with a murderous glare, as if seeing her for the first time "You are Professor Iversssssson?" He said.


In South Control Diana Weyland sat back from the intercom her smooth face livid "She let him free!" She hissed "The stupid woman! And Danzig - "

Then she brought herself up short, her thin hand pressed to her mouth.

Her staff watched her apprehensively. Unlike her father, their former CEO, Ms Weyland was usually outwardly controlled. Charles Weyland's rages – like his infidelities – had been legendary, but they had been equally short-lived. His temper would flare up without warning and then subside just as suddenly, particularly against subordinates. He might fire you on the spur of the moment but if you were lucky he might hire you back the next day.

His daughter was an entirely different kind of monster. She had never been heard to speak in tones that would not have been acceptable at the politest society gathering but her enmity – once invoked – was implacable, bitter and poisonous. Dark rumours circulated amongst the corporation's employees about what happened to people who displeased her.

"How did the Hive manage to get out?" She demanded of Rathbone, her head of security "Have you heard anything from Danzig, or Marino over on North?"

"Marino's on his way up here now." He replied.

"What?!"

"He says Danzig dismissed him and Pascoe, told them they wouldn't be needed for the rest of the evening. He said he had direct authorisation from you."

"And they just believed him without checking with me first?"

"I guess they figured they didn't need to." Rathbone had the grace to look a little uncomfortable "They've always been told to follow his orders without question so – "

"Yes, I see." She held up a hand impatiently and then seemed to be thinking again.

"Ma'am?" He said quietly "Do you want me to send the guards down to North Terminus like you told Professor Iversson?"

She nodded "As quickly as possible. And make sure they're heavily armed."

"Well Ma'am, my guys are already packing super strength tranquiliser dart launchers and pulse rifles. Do I have your authorisation to use lethal force?"

"Against the exotic?" Her brow creased slightly "Absolutely not. I want him taken alive – is that clear?"

"Ma'am, with respect, that may not be possible."

"It had better be possible Rathbone." She said frostily "That animal killed my father so now I'm going to use him to make us the world leaders in military technology – stealth and biotech – whether he wants to or not. Recapture him; I don't care how you do it. This time I'm going to have his spinal cord cut just to make sure there won't be any repeat escapes."

"What about the… other subjects?"

"Lethal force. There are plenty more where they came from. You're head of security, make this complex secure!"


Lex could not rest. Ever since they'd shoved her back into her cell she'd prowled the room distractedly, the wailing wind outside an echo of her state of mind. The hard meat were here. They might be caged right now but experience told her it would only be a matter of time before they were free... every sense she possessed had gone onto hyper-alert, every sound magnified.

She was beginning to regret telling Iversson "What was I thinking?" She berated herself "She caught me at a weak moment and I just blurted it out to her like an idiot, I let my guard down! I still don't really know if I can trust her!"

She knew that it had been a loss of control on her part. Seeing Scar paralysed in that room … she hadn't really been thinking clearly.

"I've just been sitting here like a dumb beast," She thought "When Selim got ill it's like I lost all ability to resist, I let them use him to control me but now he's so much better, now I know those things are here…"

She stood at the window, staring out over the dark, heaving water "Now I know what they've done to Scar I just can't sit back and let it go on." She thought "I have to do something to get us all out, all of us. And Isaac... "

She bit her lip hard as she thought about of that stubborn, confused, angry boy abandoned amongst the monsters "I've started to see him as mine," She swallowed down a lump in her throat "Genetically he is mine. He and Selim are like brothers, they could be twins! When I get out of here … when we get out of here, I'm taking him with us."

Her eyes narrowed in the darkness. There had to be some way she could break free. The security wasn't even as tight as it had been at the Nevada facility. There was no too way mirror they could watch her through; there was a security camera – just one – but there weren't nearly so many guards. She wondered if anyone was even watching the feeds. The Company seemed to rely on the complicated biometric ID technology that you were required to pass through at various doorways throughout the complex. In her experience, technology was rarely a substitute for manpower.

"I had Scar's help breaking out of Nevada," She thought "Even though I didn't know he was coming to bust me out, he did. Guess I'll have to think of a way to come to his rescue this time around."

Looking around the room, her eye was drawn irresistibly to the ventilation shaft.


As the exotic stared at her, Iversson felt the hair stand up on the back of her neck. Something about the way he said her name told her all she needed to know. She had to force herself to hold his gaze "Yes, I am Professor Iversson."

He straightened up to his full intimidating height, towering over her "It was you who… told Lex all those lies?"

She was genuinely bewildered "What lies?"

"You told her our offspring would be born weak and dangerously ill!" He snarled, advancing on her "A deformed monstrosity, not able to live unaided – do not tell me that you have FORGOTTEN!"

She almost jumped physically as his voice rose to an ear splitting pitch, took a pace backwards and then another.

"I wasn't lying," She rallied herself, sensing somehow that if she appeared weak it would make things worse "At the time I thought it the most likely outcome – but I can see now I was wrong. I only said that to Lex because I wanted to help her!"

"Help her?!" He cut her off furiously "Do you have any idea of the distress you have caused her? She has never been able to forget it!" She noticed with in a detached way that his English was not so halting when he was angry.

"If you kill me," She said "You'll never find Lex and Selim. Don't you want to get to them before those things do?"

He pressed his hands to the sides of his head in frustration, as if he wanted to shut out the things she was saying "Do you think I cannot mak-k-ke you tell me?"

"You promised me you wouldn't hurt me, remember?" She said tensely.

"I promised myself that if ever I got my hands on you I would make you suffer, you deserve a surfeit of agony! You brought the hard meat here! You paralysed me!"

"I never knew anything about these creatures before tonight, I swear." Iversson continued to hold his gaze steadily as he closed in on her "And I cured your son, I suppose you don't count that as a debt you owe me?"

He looked at her, talons curling and uncurling, undecided. Then the growl in his throat got louder and he seized her, pinning her up against the wall. He leaned down slowly so that his face was level with hers, his jaws only a few inches away. Iversson stiffened her spine and forced herself not to flinch.

"Tell me scientissssst!" He snarled "Tell me why should I not rip you apart?

Iversson was no stranger to facing bellowing male anger, but this was a whole different level of terror. Her knees wanted to give way under her and it took almost superhuman resolve not to let them. She made herself look him in the eye, summoning all the courage she had and her most ringing, authoritative voice.

"You don't intimidate me you big, ugly bully!" She snapped "I saved Selim's life and I only told Alexa what I thought was the truth; I don't care whether you believe me or not – you can back off right now!"

The exotic blinked in surprise and released his hold on her, though he did not move away but stood for a moment, regarding her between narrowed lids.

"You have courage… female," He said finally "I concede that… but you lie! I can see I do…intimidate you." This last said in a growl so low, the Professor felt herself break out in gooseflesh.

"Well, I'd be a lot more comfortable if you put some clothes on!" She said, trying to maintain the attitude of defiance.

His brow wrinkled for a moment and then he erupted into harsh, deafening laughter – at least she fervently hoped that's what it was. He didn't seem at all disconcerted, just continued to stand there, much too close for her liking.

"It was your… minions who took-k-k my armour," He said finally, straightening up, "So you … go and fetch it for me." His jaws spread in what she guessed to be a grin, not much less terrifying than his face when he was angry "I am not exactly eager to… face the hard meat again with only the… weapons bestowed on me at birth," His grin got wider "Fearsome though they arrrre!"

Feeling almost faint with relief at his sudden change of mood Iversson edged round him and walked quickly to the giant, metal storage drawer that was set into the wall at the back of the monitoring room. She'd been meaning to catalogue all his armour and weapons and send them to the lab upstairs but hadn't yet got round to it, fortunately as it turned out. Swiping her pass she opened it and waved a hand in his direction. "It's all in there," She told him "Help yourself."

Trying to fight off a minor heart attack, she leaned against the wall as he retrieved his possessions.

"Where is my ship?" He asked, strapping his armour and weapons systematically into place.

"On the top deck of this Island." She breathed, her pulse finally seemed to be slowing to something like normal "We airlifted it over as we didn't know how to work the controls."

He snorted, it might have been scorn or laughter or both. Then he frowned "My wristcom is …not here," He said "Where is it?"

"It's in my office," She said, guessing at once what he meant. It was the one thing she had not wanted to leave down here, knowing what a powerful bomb it was – powerful enough to destroy this whole complex "Up on Island South, I can show you when we get up there –"

"We?" He turned to look at her, holding his mask in both hands "Human, we are at an end. Once you have told me where to find my female and my offsssspring our … association is finished."

"You promised you would protect me!"

"And I have. You are … unhurt, are you not?"

Iversson shot a glance into the corridor outside, dark and dank. The creatures' acid blood must have eaten through some electrical connections somewhere because even the lights were flickering now. She shivered; terrifying though she found the exotic, the thought of going out there without him scared her even more.

"How am I supposed to get out of here?" She said "The whole place could be crawling with those things!"

"That is not … as you humans would say… my problem."

Iversson thought quickly. "No you have to take me, you'll get lost!" He stopped in the doorway and turned to look at her "This place is a maze; you'll never get to Lex and Selim in time without my help!"

He considered for a moment arms folded; then he gave a jerk of his head towards the door "Show me."

"Not so fast," She said "If I lead you to them I want something in return; you have to promise you'll help me escape from here."

He made an impatient movement "Very well but – "

"And Isaac, we have to go and fetch him!"

"You mean…. the facsimile?" He said curiously "The copy you have made of my son?"

"How do you know I made him?" She demanded.

One mandible curled up in what could have been a sneer "Just because I am pretty," He said with heavy irony "Does not mean I am …ssstupid. I saw you with him, I… guessssed. Besides now I know you are… Iverssssson… who else would …create this profane replica?"

"He's not profane or just a replica," She said indignantly "He's an innocent child, a person in his own right! Genetically he's just as much your son as Selim! You should want to protect him!"

"He is nothing to me."

"Well he's not nothing to me!" Iversson was suddenly furious "He's just a little boy and i you won't help him I won't help you!"

"I do not see why you… care. He is certainly… nothing to do with you, genetically… or otherwise."

"Because I love him." She said firmly "I don't care if you don't understand. Just say you'll help us."

He made another movement like a shrug and pushed his mask onto his face "Whatever you say scientissst. Just… stop wasssting my time!" He made his huge hands into fists and extended the jagged triple blades at his wrists.

Then the lights went out.