Extermination

Prologue: Infestation

Colony World LV-312

Population: 300

Civilian: 100

Scientist: 86

Weyland-Yutani Security Personnel: 114

Time: 1000 hours

Incident: Start

"Good day, Doctor."

George Andrews scowled at Doctor Aaron Lambrey. The two had been rivals ever since George had joined the Company. Many people thought this a shame, as the two were very much alike. Both were tall, both had entirely grey hair since their mid-thirties and both were balding. They were both considered experts in their field, Biological Research, as well. In fact, perhaps the only difference between them was where they each wanted to take Bio Studies. George wanted to use his research for the betterment of mankind, while Aaron believed the field could be better placed in warfare. It was for these reasons that the Company integrated them into the research of the Xenomorphs: Aaron to fully research their offensive capabilities, and George to discover ways for the Company to control them.

Despite his misgivings about the Xenomorph project, George had to admit that he was excited to be a part of a project of this magnitude. He had already discovered that the Queen communicated with her hive via something akin to telepathy, and was in the process of developing a means to recreate those messages. He was unsure of Aaron's progress in his research, as the two had had little time for their usual banter.

An hour ago the head of Xenomorph Research, Laura Goodman, had personally approached George and requested he meet her in her office. George had entered Dr. Goodman's office to find it empty save for his rival.

"Hello, Lambrey. What are you doing here?"

"Dr. Goodman told me to meet her here. I figured she wanted to commend me on my work. Why are you here?"

"Pretty much the same reason. Dr. Goodman asked me to meet her here."

"I see. Well, pull up a chair, old boy, and let's catch up. How is your research going?"

George sat down in one of the chairs adorning the small, uniform office, "Very well, actually. I'm very close to designing a way for the Company to simulate the telepathic abilities of the Xenomorph Queen. How's your work going?"

"Extremely well, actually. We've discovered that the Runner - the specimen born from four-legged animals – is designed so that heat-based weapons will cause it to explode! These creatures are fascinating. Also-"

"That will be enough, Dr. Lambrey." Dr. Goodman's voice interrupted the rather excited doctor from the doorway. Laura Goodman was a young woman, perhaps in her mid-twenties, but she was the leading expert on the Xenomorphs. She gave the two scientists a quick smile before sitting behind her desk, "Gentlemen, I asked you here to inform you that one of our teams brought in a new Xenomorph specimen."

"New specimens come in all the time," said Aaron, "What's so special about this one?"

"I'm getting to that." Goodman's glare silenced Aaron immediately, "This specimen is different to the others. We have reason to believe it is a new species of Xenomorph. You two are considered experts in your field, and I thought it would be best to get your opinions on it."

"Well, where is it?" Aaron's voice betrayed his excitement. George himself was anxious to see this new specimen, "We'd be glad to take a look for you."

Goodman gave him a brief smile and pushed a button on her desk, causing the wall nearest Aaron to open up, revealing a large room containing a strange alien.

Both men flinched as the creature, which had been on the other side of the room, sprung into the air, flying perhaps twenty feet to hit the glass with a dull thud. George recovered quickly from his shock and moved towards the room, studying the now-crouching alien. The creature, from what he could tell, was half again as tall as a man. Its skin, unlike the pitch-black of the other creatures, was tan, and it seemed to be made up entirely of muscles, as opposed to the skeletal look of the Alien Drones. Its oddest feature, however, was its head. It's skull, unlike the elongated skulls of other aliens, ended in a bunch of flexible foot-long spikes that looked oddly like thick strands of hair, and it's mouth was three-lipped and, from the look of it, toothless.

The creature seemed to notice that he had finished his inspection and stood up, opening its mouth in what looked oddly like a grin before it leapt back to its original spot and, with a roaring cry, ripped off part of it's own tail, smearing the acidic blood on the floor and disappearing before the scientists' startled eyes.

George turned to the gaping Dr. Goodman, "My opinion of this new species, Dr. Goodman, based on what I've seen here, is that it's too intelligent to attempt to tame. It should be found and destroyed."

Aaron immediately regained his ability for speech, "Are you insane!? This thing is too valuable to kill! It should be recaptured and immediately transferred to one of my enclosures for study!"

"Didn't you see what it just did? That thing is far too dangerous to be kept alive!"

Before Aaron could voice his argument, Dr. Goodman let out a piercing scream. Both men spun to face her, and both were terrified by what they saw.

The alien they had just witnessed remove its own tail violently wrenched Dr. Goodman's head from her body. It dropped the head as it leapt over the table and hit Aaron in a flurry of claws, reducing him to a gory mess.

George was petrified as the Xenomorph advanced on him slowly, and the last thing he saw was its bloodied claw reaching for him.