I don't own Aliens, yadda yadda. On to the story already!
CHAPTER 3 We've Got Xenomorphs!
The lift ground to a halt just a few minutes later. Chris and Mac stepped off it. They were at one of the four security checkpoints - each section had one - which consisted of a metal doorway, which was a security scanner - and the big armoured security door. This door was actually much stronger than the one Chris always saw in the lab, and the only way to open it was to have clearance from the ATLANTIS mainframe. Mac activated the communicator. "Commander, this is Mac. We're outside the Physics security door. Can you open it"
"We sure can, MacGuire." came the reply. "Be quick when coming in, however. Those things can climb."
"Climb?" quizzed Chris. "How can those things climb?" As if to answer him, he suddenly heard a clattering behind them. It sounded like something walking on metal.
"Mac....the lift shaft!" shouted Chris.
A creature suddenly came into their view, on the wall of the shaft opposite the lift exit. Its head snapped back to look at them, and then it leapt over to them.
Without hesitating, Mac blasted it, throwing it back into the lift shaft. A few moments later, they heard its body hit the bottom of the shaft.
"Thanks for the warning! Now let us in, quick!" Mac yelled over the communicator. To compound his fears, the two heard more clattering sounds.
"Door opening...now!" spoke Schwartz. The huge security door began to open. Chris and Mac could see several people standing behind it, obviously some of the security guards. They had their guns ready, in case any of the creatures tried to break through.
Chris and Mac dashed through the door, just as four black figures crawled out of the lift shaft. With a sickening cry, one of them launched itself towards them.
It was met with a blast of smartgun fire from one of the guards, and was soon downed. However, its three buddies launched for the door, and several more of the things emerged from the lift shaft.
Chris and Mac got through the door seconds later. "Close the bloody door!" yelled one of the guards. He was obviously Commander Charles Schwartz - he had gold shoulder bars, compared to the usual red and blue everyone else had.
The door began to close, but the first three creatures were already at it. Two of them got through, but were promptly blown apart by more smartgun fire. The third was crunched by the door, screaming in agony as it was. Its green acidic blood was splashed across the door, but fortunately the same door was acid resistant, so it did no damage to it.
Chris and Mac both breathed a huge sigh of relief. They were safe....for now, at least.
"Thank God you guys are alive." spoke Schwartz. He was taller than the two men, and sported short, dark hair as well as a moustache. He looked more like he belonged behind a desk. In fact, he usually was.
"Yeah well, you can't stop me that easily." Mac grinned, but he was obviously still shocked.
"Follow me, you two. Let's get you to the lobby." The two followed Schwartz and the group of guards to the main lobby of the hub. It was very expansive, decked out in a lighter blue than the labs, and interspersed with white. Blue and white were the colours on the Magnus Industires logo, so it had influenced the colour scheme of the whole station.
The main lobby was basically where any inbound personnel came from the hangar, after arriving on the lab, to be processed and assigned their posts. It also happened to be fully equipped with supplies and whatnot..most importantly an infirmary and an armoury. Around the lobby and its various facilities were the people who had been in the hub when the surge happened, and the few who had been as lucky as Chris and Mac. Chris noticed that most of the survivors were scientists and guards..none of the higher-ups were present and correct.
"How come there's none of the guys upstairs here?" asked Mac. He'd noticed too.
"They were in the Special R&D section when the surge happened. Apparently, that's where most of those monsters came from." replied Schwartz.
The Special R&D section was off limits except to only the highest levels of auhority, including the higher-ups. From what Chris had heard, they undertook top secret research in there, the kind of research that usually resulted in things like super-weapons being created. "How did you know those things were around us, Commander?" said Chris suddenly. The young scientist was curious as to how the commander had been able to track the monsters.
"You haven't been up here much, have you kid?" smiled Schwartz. "And by the, just call me Schwartz. I hate titles"
"No problem, Schwartz." replied Chris. "So, how did you know their position"
Schwartz coughed. "The power surge didn't knock out the main ATLANTIS computer, because it was insulated from that kind of event. ATLANTIS has a station-wide lifeform scanner system." He took them over to a bank of computer screens behind the main lobby's set of desks. He pressed a button on the screen, and a model of the Physics labs were brought up. he entire layout of the section could be seen. Schwartz then pressed the button 'ACTIVATE LIFEFORM SCANNERS'. The computer then asked him to specify what to search for. He pressed a button marked 'UNKNOWN LIFEFORMS.
Immediately, a mass of red dots appeared all over the model, and most of them were moving. All of them were the creatures.
"Jesus Christ....." gasped Mac. "There must be hundreds of them"
Schwartz continued. "We can zoom in on any point of any section. That's how we were able to give you guys some warning. Otherwise...." He zoomed in on the life area where the two had been. A massive group of dots was in that same place now.
"Crud....." breathed Chris. He was glad he wasn't still down there. "Schwartz...what the hell are these things, and where did they come from"
"Where we came from, we don't know." Schwartz said, almost automatically. "All we know is that the infestation started from the Special R&D section"
He then brought up another window on the computer screen. "However, we do have some idea of what they are." On the screen, a model of one of the creatures was shown. It looked exactly like the one that Chris had first seen.
"That's one ugly bastard...." commented Mac.
"There's several different types of them." said Schwartz. "This one seems to be the most common. It's packing claws, and it can strike with that tail too. On top of that, it has acidic blood. That stuff burns through metal"
Chris nodded, but he seemed deep in thought. He glanced at the image of the monster again. He had seen it before......the same body shape, the same method of attack, the same cruel teeth.
Then, it hit him.
LV-426.
But it couldn't be. The report had said they were wiped out. And the ones on the Auriga spaceship, too.
"Guys......I know what these are." he said, a serious look on his face.
"You do???" exclaimed Mac.
"What are you talking about, Chris?" Schwartz frowned.
"Do either of you remember the incidents on colony LV-426, and the Auriga spaceship?" Chris was sure it was the same creatures.
"LV-426....? Wait...I remember it now.......some obscure report about an alien infestation, but it was sorted out with no trouble." said Schwartz, scratching his head.
"The Auriga...yeah, that ship blew up near the Earth didn't it?" said Mac. However, he looked puzzled. "What do those things ahve to do with that, though"
Chris swallowed. "So, the did hide the truth. I always thought both those incidents weren't a problem either"
"Chris....is there something you're not telling us?" said Schwartz, his face grave.
"One day....I had to drop something at Samuel Morrissey, my mentor's office." said Chris, recalling that day. "I noticed something odd on his computer. I would have ignored it, but I read somehing about...xenomorphs"
"Go on..." said Mac.
"It mentioned those two incidents. LV-426 wasn't just some small alien infestation, Schwartz." Chris frowned. "It was those things.....those things are the Aliens. It's the same story with the Auriga. Apparently, it was the Weyland-Yutani Corporation's doing..." The contents of the report began to flood back to Chris.
"Weyland-Yutani? They were liquidated years ago....just after the Auriga incident...." Mac gasped. "Now this makes sense"
"On LV-426, the Marines sent there were almost totally slaughtered by the xenomorphs. Nearly everyone on the Auriga was killed, too." Chris then remembered the details of the Aliens themselves. "That one you showed me....it's called a Drone"
"These things, were behind those incidents?" Schwartz was flabbergasted.
"Yeah....but, the last ones were on the Auriga...they were wiped out. This doesn't make sense. How can they be alive again on this station?" Chris racked his brains. He'd read about the horrors they could cause in that report. "I don't know, and I don't care." declared Mac. "The things need killing. that's what's important"
"Chris, do you know anything else about them?" Schwartz looked desperate. it seemed there was nothing else on the Aliens other than what Chris knew.
"That one is the Drone, like I said." Chris pointed at the monitor again. "They.......let me remember....yes, they're the main backbone of the hive. They use a hive system, in which a queen rules over all the rest. The Queen lays the eggs, and the eggs become Facehuggers"
"Facehuggers?" Schwartz looked puzzled. "Wait, that must the little critter that got Barnes....it jumped on his face, and did something to him. Then it died, and a few minutes later, this little thing burst out of his chest"
"The Chestburster...." Chris remembered that very well. "It grows into either a Drone, Runner or Praetorian, depending on what kind of host it has." He tried to remember the other two types. "The Runner comes from animals, it's faster than the Drone. The Praetorian is like a juvenile Queen, and tougher than the Drone or Runner"
"Bloody hell......" Mac breathed. "Lovely sounding bunch"
"I'll have all this logged into ATLANTIS. At least now we know some more about them. How the heck did you remember all this?" Schwartz was slightly suspicious of Chris.
"Don't look at me like that!" said Chris, frowning. "I saved the report to my computer. I was going to report it to the higher-ups....that was 3 days ago......I must've forgotten about it"
"Can we get the report?" asked Schwartz.
"It was destroyed by the surge." replied Chris. "There was more in there, but I didn't get the chance to read it"
"Damn....." cursed Schwartz. "Oh well, at least we know more than we did before. One thing though"
"What?" said Chris.
"Why did you call them 'Aliens'?" Schwartz was curious about the name.
"The report said everything about them was alien, so they simply named the species 'Alien'." replied Chris, remembering exactly from the report.
"I see....somebody got lazy." Schwartz raised a little chuckle. "Chris, you've been a lot of help"
"Thanks.....but what now?" It then dawned on them that they hadn't thought of what to do next. Here they were, along with several more survivors, trapped on an unpowered space lab, with dozens of bloodthirsty Aliens wanting them for lunch.
"Escape is not an option." said Schwartz gravely. "There are no ships in the hangar, and we the communications array is down. We can't get word out to anybody, not even Jupiter"
"They'll come looking for us eventually." informed Mac. "Jupiter keeps regular comms with the place"
"By that time, we'll be dead. And they'll have no idea what's on this station." Schwartz shook his head. "Isn't there a way to fix the communications array?" Chris inquired.
"The main array is up the top section of the hub. However, the place is crawling with xenomorphs." sighed Schwartz. "It was Barnes who went up there....that was before we got the lifeform scanners online. Poor bastard met one of those Facehugger things, like I said"
"Yeah........." Chris didn't wish a fate like that on anyone. Especially not Michelle.
"Oh my God........" Chris had completely forgotten about Michelle! He'd assumed she'd made it out.
"Schwartz, is my girlfriend among the survivors?" Chris' voice started to turn panicked.
"Shit!" cursed Mac. "Michelle"
"Your girlfriend? What's her name?" asked Schwartz.
"Michelle Campbell, she's a junior scientist like me. Worked in Planetology..." Chris' voice filled with dread. No......she can't be dead.
"We got a list of the survivors......" Schwartz took a moment to check over the computer screen. Michelle's name had the words 'UNACCOUNTED FOR' next to it.
"Oh God......" Chris felt a cold feeling enter him.
"Don't panic, mate! Schwartz, bring up the Planetology area!" Mac comforted his friend while Schwartz did as was requested.
"She worked in lab 12-B." Chris spoke, his voice shaking.
Schwartz locked on that area and ordered the scanners to search for humans. Several green dots appeared, and one was in the quarters section.
"There's several people down there!" yelled Schwartz. Chris leaned over and looked at the dot. That was her quarters.
"She's alive.......thank God....." Chris breathed yet another sigh of relief.
"Chris, we have no way of knowing that's her....." Mac said slowly, hoping not to dash his friend's hopes.
"Maybe.....but if she's in there, I'm not leaving her to become the next course on those monsters' menu!" Chris' voice wasn't panicky now...it was determined. He stood up. "Schwartz....I'm going in there"
Schwartz's face turned angry in less than 5 seconds. "WHAT?! Are you out of your mind?! You won't have a chance!!! The Planetology is absolutely alive with those things"
"I'm not leaving her!!!" yelled Chris. There was no way he was going to leave her, even if it meant facing every last Alien on the station.
"You're a scientist, for God's sake!" shouted Schwartz. the other people in the lobby could now hear them. "Not a Marine"
"Maybe, but he handled himself OK back down in Physics!" Mac butted in. "And he won't be alone. I'm going too"
"Mac......."Chris was touched. "You don't have to do this"
"Someone's gotta watch your back." Mac grinned and winked.
"Normally, I'd be putting you in the brig for this, Appleyard." said Schwartz with a growl. "But I don't want you to lose your girlfriend. There's also other survivors down there. I hope you'll try and get them out. It so happens I have someone I care about down there as well......Lt. Marissa Fielding...." He bowed his head.
Chris clasped him on the shoulder. "I'll get her out, Schwartz"
"You will....? Thank you...you're a braver man than me...." He coughed, and looked up. "Take a team with you. Let's get those people out of there." He gave Chris and Mac a nod.
"That's more like it!" Mac gave a wide smile.
Schwartz addressed the lobby. "Alright people! There's survivors in the Planetology section, and we're sending a team in to get them out! Rockett, Davis, Samson, Lafayette and Tsukino, suit up, and then report to briefing in 5 minutes! Let's move"
The crowd in the lobby cheered, and the five guards which Schwartz had named gave a salute.
"I just hope we're all gonna come back..." Chris thought.
Five minutes later, Chris, Mac and the rest of the team were inside the armoury, being briefed.
"So that's the intel on the enemy." Schwartz had just finished talking about the Aliens.
"Sounds like smartguns are the best bet." Lance Samson was the one who spoke. He was American, with short brown hair, and bristles on his face. He was the oldest of the bunch, at 30.
"Pistols are good with me." quipped Morgan Rockett, another American. He sported spiked blond hair, and was a pistol fanatic.
"You'll proceed to these three points, where the survivors have been located." continued Schwartz. "You'll be equipped with lifeform scanners, to track both the location of the survivors...and hostile Aliens"
The lifeform scanner was a tecnological improvement over the old motion trackers used by the Marines, and had been developed at the Atlantis SpaceLab. It could see 360 degrees unlike its predecessor, and could distinguish between different lifeforms.
"Once all survivors are found, return to the elevator with all haste. This is vitally important." Schwartz's face was one of seriousness now. "No doubt there'll be a small army of the things after you on the way back, and we have to get all of you through the door. If the door is open when the xenomorphs arrive, there's no way we'll be able to hold off that many." He let this sink in for a moment. "Any questions"
"No offense, sir...but this is suicide! There's at least a couple hundred of those things down there!" It was Marcus Davis that spoke. He was from England, like Chris. His hair was brown and tied in a ponytail that went right down his back. He was ll for a good fight, but not when the odds were this slim.
"Don't piss in your pants now, Marcus." laughed Gerard Lafayette. He was French, and had good looks to add to his rapier wit. He brushed his long golden hair back, and laid back against his seat.
"Laugh it up, pretty boy." retorted Davis.
"Ahem." interrupted Schwartz. "The object is not to engage the xenomorphs. Try and avoid them as much as you can. If you fight you'll bring the whole damn horde crashing down on you. get the survivors, and get out. Those are your orders"
"Understood, sir." Miyuki Tsukino, Japanese and the only female member of the group, acknowledged the commander. Her hair was black, and tied in a bun. "OK, people.....get moving, and stay frosty." Schwartz saluted the team, then watched as they headed for the lift.
A minute later, the security door to the Planetology section opened. The team moved through, weapons ready. However, no Aliens were outside the lift.
Mac pressed the call button, and looked at Chris. The scientist now had a vest of body armour as well as shoulder pads and knee pads. He now carried a pulse rifle, and two pistols were in holsters on his hips. "Mate, you look like an action hero." Mac clapped his friend on the shoulder. "She'll be OK, man"
"I hope you're right......." Chris clapped Mac on the shoulder. "You'd better be OK, too, you hear"
"Piece of cake!" Mac winked. "Same to you guys!" Chris said loudly to the rest of the team. They were decked out in their full security guard gear, with helmets and full body armour. They gave him thumbs up.
"Don't worry dude. We've got your back." Rockett winked at Chris.
The lift arrived. The seven humans got inside. Moments later, the door closed, and the team descended into the darkness.......
"Hmmmm.....this should be very interesting indeed." He was looking at the security monitor, at the team getting onto the lift.
"Well, they will be taken care of shortly........"
"Oh my God........oh...my....God"
Michelle was huddled inside her quarters, absolutely frozen with fear. She didn't have a clue what was going on, but she'd known that a power surge had hit. Then she'd seen those things...those horrible monsters come in and tear everyone apart. What were they? She still felt physically sick after seeing someone get decapitated by one of them. Somehow, they hadn't found her.....yet. And when they did, she'd be torn apart too.
Tears dripped down her face. "Chris.........help me........"
The plot thickens.........Chapter 4 up soon
Chris the Phoenix Knight