Crimson Palace 3 weeks later
The work that was delayed due to the sand storm was quickly made up and the project got back on schedule faster than Mr. Armond had expected. If every thing went well the residential sector would be finished in less than a year. But things were not going well as they would all learn.
Landing pad
Kathryn was standing at the landing pad to say goodbye to some of her workers that were being transferred out. Also leaving the planet was the only medically trained person but a replacement was coming in on the ship.
"Well I guess I'll see you around." Kathryn said shaking her workers hands as the ship came into sight.
"We're just going on vacation." A worker said. "We're gonna go see our families back of the Seagrave."
The ship landed and the doors opened. Kathryn waved to her workers and walked away with her guard with her.
"Kat." A woman yelled from behind her.
Kathryn turned around and saw Jane running at her.
"uh-oh." She said.
"What?" Kittler asked.
"She has a schoolgirl crush on me." Kathryn said. "Hey Jane."
Jane ran up to her and gave her a big hug.
"I heard that there was a new nurse coming in but I didn't know it was you." Kathryn said. 'I should have known thought.'
"Yea I was transferred." Jane said releasing Kathryn.
"Well you'll like it here." Kathryn said. "The rooms are much bigger."
"I like the sound of that." Jane said. "You know I'm claustrophobic."
"Yea I know." Kathryn said. "Hey I have to get back to work."
"Ok I'll see you later." Jane said and walked into the main building.
Kathryn sighed and walked back to the residential sector.
"She seems lively." Kittler said.
"Extremely." Kathryn said.
They were almost at the site when one of the workers came running up in a panic.
"It's got Kevin." He yelled running up to the group.
"What does?" Kittler asked.
"I don't know what it is." The man said. "But attached to his face."
Kathryn and the Marines ran with the worker to where Kevin was lying. There was a facehugger attached to his face.
"What the fuck is that sir?" Jacky asked.
"Like I know." Kittler said.
"Lets get him to medical now." Kathryn said. "Kain and Fisher make sure that the workers get into the compound safely. Work is on hold until we figure out what this thing is."
"Yes ma'am." Kain and Fisher said.
Kittler picked Kevin up and put him over his shoulder and ran with the others into the main compound and into medical.
Medical
Jane was putting her things away in the desk that was in the small medical room where Kathryn and the others came in carrying Kevin.
"Oh Kat coming to see me so soon?" Jane asked.
"No." Kathryn said. "This thing just attacked one of my workers."
Kittler laid Kevin on a bed and Jane walked over putting on gloves.
"What the hell is this?" She asked looking at it.
She could see the air sacks on its sides pumping air into Kevin's lungs.
"Let's get him onto the x-ray table." She said.
Kittler and Walther picked him up and set him down on the x-ray table and walked out of the room until the x-ray was complete then walked back into the room.
"So what's the verdict?" Kittler asked.
"Well it like nothing I've ever heard of before." Jane said. From what the x-ray shows it's got a tube running down his throat into his lungs supplying him air."
She reached out and touched the facehugger and pulled her hand back when its tail started to squeeze Kevin's neck.
"Look at it's tail." Jane said. "It's a defiance tactic. It'll kill him if you try and remove it."
"So there's nothing you can do?" Kathryn asked.
"Nothing at all." Jane said. "All we can hope for is that it comes off before he starves to death."
"Alright Terry and Jacky I want the two of you to stay here and kill that thing as soon as it comes off." Kittler said.
"You got it." Terry said.
Kathryn and the others walked into the hall closing the door behind them.
"I have no idea what that thing is." Jane said. "Hell for all I know it could be laying eggs in his chest."
"So what to you think we should do?" Kathryn asked.
"I don't know." Jane said.
Just then they heard the sound of gunfire coming from out side the compound. The Marines ran out and saw Kain and Fisher slowly walking up to something on the ground.
"What happened?" Kittler asked.
"It's another one of those spider things." Kain said. "It was chasing a worker but we stopped it butt cold."
Kittler walked up and pulled his knife and lifted the facehugger up.
"Ugly little bastard." He said.
"Sir look at your knife." Fisher said.
Kittler looked at his knife and saw that the things blood was eating through the metal.
"Shit." He said dropping the knife. "Fucker's blood is acidic."
"Hey what was the shooting about?" Terry asked.
"It's another one of those spider things." Kittler said. "Its blood is acidic so what ever you do don't cut it."
Terry and Jacky looked at each other and headed back into the med room. They looked at Kevin but the facehugger wasn't oh him anymore.
"Go get the Lieutenant." Terry said.
Jacky nodded and ran out of the room as Terry searched for the creature. There was only one open cabinet that it could have gone in. She used the barrel of her weapon and opened it all the way. She took a step back when its tail fell out of the cabinet.
"Did you find it?" Kittle asked running into the room.
"Yea." Jacky said. "But it's dead."
"What could have killed it?" Kathryn asked.
"The shock of seeing Jacky." Terry said.
"You want to eat this?" Jacky said.
"No." Terry said.
"Then shut up." Jacky said.
"Ok that's enough." Kittler said. "Hey doc check on Kevin."
Jane went over to Kevin and checked him out.
"He's in a coma but he'll be fine." Jane said.
"That's good." Kathryn said.
"Walther I want you to stay here until he wakes up and come get me." Kittler said.
"Yes sir." Jack said.
Kittler and the others walked out of the room leaving Jack and Jane in charge of Kevin and headed to the operations room.
"Mr. Armond we have big trouble." Kathryn said walking up to him.
"What is it?" Rick asked.
"Something attacked one of my workers about 30 minutes ago." Kathryn said. "It looked like a spider but it latched itself onto his face. It came off and died a few minutes ago. Another was killed by the Marines."
"Is your worker ok?" Rick asked.
"He's in a coma but he'll be fine." Kathryn said.
"Ok well keep me informed on the situation." Rick said. "I'll call the station and try and get more Marines but that will take at least 3 days."
"Sir I recommend that you call back all the teams that are out and get everyone inside until help arrives." Kittler said.
"Ok I will but we can't reach our guys in sector 5 ever since the sand storm." Rick said. "Their antenna is probably down."
"When are they expected back?" Kittler asked.
"Next week." Rick said.
"That's too long." Kittler said. "How many are there?"
"40." Rick said. "But don't worry about them they are armed."
"I still don't like the thought of them being out there." Kittler said.
"Well as soon as help gets here I'll send a team out to get them." Rick said. "Right now there are 200 civilians for me to look after and only a hand full of guns."
"Ok." Kittler said. "I'm gonna go to the armory and see if I can find something useful."
He walked out of the room with the others right behind him.
Armory
The armory was a disgrace to the name only having 2 pulse rifles with 500 rounds between them. 10 handguns with 30 rounds each and one flamethrower that was half empty.
"Damn this place couldn't keep out an ant let alone what ever those things are." Kittler said.
Kathryn looked around the small room and saw something that looked out of place.
"What's this?" She asked.
She walked over to a spear like thing that was double sided. The blades looked like they were made of class but when Kathryn hit it against the ground it left a cut in the ground and not a dent on the blades.
"You know how to use that?" Kittler asked.
Kathryn spun the spear around her head and came down with a slash and stopped right at Kittler's throat.
"Ok I guess you do." He said.
"This is a nice spear." Kathryn said. "But I wonder where they got it from."
"Don't ask me." Kittler said. "Now let's get back to medical and see how Kevin's doing."
Medical
Jack was talking with Jane about what the creatures were and what killed it when Kevin groaned.
"He's waking up." Jane said.
She walked over to him and looked into his eyes.
"Do you know where you are?" She asked.
"Looks like Medical." Kevin said.
"That's right." Jane said. "Now what is the last thing you remember?"
"I saw something run behind some containers in the construction zone." Kevin said. "I looked around the container to see what it was and now I'm here."
Jane checked all his vitals and they all were normal.
"What happened to me?" Kevin asked sitting up.
"You were brought in with something attached to your face." Jane said. "It came off on its own and died about 20 minutes ago."
"What was it?" Kevin asked.
"We don't know." Jane said. "How are you feeling?"
"My chest feels a little tight." Kevin said. "Like something's sitting on it."
He put his hand on his chest and shook his head.
"Damn this hurts." He said.
"Well lay back down." Jane said. "I'll give you something for the pain whatever it is."
She walked off to the drug cabinet and started looking around for a pain killer. Jack walked up next to her and set his rifle down.
"What are you looking for I can help find it." He said letting his hand brush against her hip.
She looked down at his hand and smiled.
"Well I'm looking for some morphine for him." She said. "And you'll be looking for a cast if you try that again."
"Point taken." Jack said walking back over to Kevin leaving his rifle. "Feeling any better?"
"No." Kevin said with pain in his voice. Damn thing hurts like hell."
He started clinching hit teeth and hands and sweating.
"Ahh damn." He said starting to move around.
"Keep still." Jack said. "Hey doc he's in a lot of pain over here."
"I'm coming." Jane said.
She started walking back to the bed with the morphine in her hand when Kevin screamed and arched his back.
"What the hell?" Jack said looking at him.
"Oh Gad it hurts!" Kevin yelled.
From under his shirt jack saw a bulge come up then disappear.
"What the hell was that?" He said pulling his knife and cutting the shirt open.
He looked on in horror as the bulge came up again.
"Oh my God." Julie yelled dropping the morphine and backing up.
Kevin was screaming and gurgling up blood. Jack started backing up just as Kevin's chest ripped open. Kevin went limp and a snake like creature came out of his chest.
"Holy shit!" Jack yelled pulling his sidearm.
The creature started screeching and looked around the room. Just thin the door opened and the others walked in. The creature made a run for the door and Jack started shooting at it as it ran.
"Whoa" Kittler yelled pulling up his rifle and firing.
The creature made it half way across the room before being killed by multiple hits from pulse rifles.
"What the hell is that?" Kathryn asked looking at it.
"It came out of Kevin's chest." Jane said almost vomiting.
Kathryn walked over to her and put her arm around her shoulder and turned her away from the body.
"Ok this is a whole new ballgame." Kittler said and ran for operations.