Edit: Yet more Xeno speech problems. Hopefully this is the last time I'll have to comb through them to locate the oddities.
"What's going on?" asked the scientist.
The first marine checked the computer panel, entered an access code, and read the message. "Says… terminate the hive." He whistled. "Something big must've happened. That hive has been Haines' pride and joy since it was created."
The scientist shrugged, and went to 'Hive Environmental Controls' panel. Tapping in the access code to activate the panel, he navigated through the computer, looking for the 'Hive Termination' process…
The drone ran through the air vents as though being chased by every demon in existence. Or maybe every angel, given his form.
>Matriarch!> he screamed. >The humans are going to destroy the hive!>
The world seemed to alter slightly, as the Queen's mental focus switched onto him. ¬Why now? What has happened?¬
>I persuaded a human to release me. Obviously my escape convinced the humans that keeping a full hive is more trouble than it is worth.>
The Queen's mental touch became amused. ¬So it would seem that humans are good for more than just food and hosts.¬ She paused. ¬I take it that you made a deal with this human?¬
The drone groaned silently. >Yes,> he admitted. >I promised that bloodshed would be kept to a minimum during the breakout. We couldn't have stayed here, anyway,> he continued hurriedly, >it would have been far too obvious. A simple application of a tactical warhead would wipe us out with ease. I ->
She cut him off. ¬It won't be possible. You forget, little Shadow, that you are not the only one who knows something of how humans think. They will try to stop and kill us at every turn. I trust your judgement, due to your circumstances of creation, so I will not send the hive to cleanse the facility of humans. But if any get in our way, they will be destroyed.¬ She paused. ¬Remember that despite the fact that your mind is still (at least partly) human, you are one of us now. You will have to make a choice soon.¬
>What choice?>
She laughed. ¬You're not that naïve. You know what I mean…¬ With that last comment, she faded from his mind.
Shadow snorted. It was a name that She had given him when he first contacted her. She had said that sensing him had been like seeing a little shadow on the wall where none should be. He'd tried to insist she use his real name, but he stopped soon. That person was dead now. He didn't even remember what that name had been.
He did know what she meant. The next time he encountered a human with a gun, that human would shoot him. And he might not be able to sting his assailant. It would be a case of kill, or be killed. The question was, did he have the willpower to kill a man?
"Ah! Here it is. Private, will you please request confirmation of the termination order, and the method suggested."
The marine tapped the request into the comms panel. The reply flared up soon after. "Termination confirmed. Suggested method: incineration." He whistled again. "They want the hive gone so much that they don't care about the bodies, it would seem."
The scientist selected the 'Incinerate' option on the control panel. The cells containing the hive had several industrial-scale incinerators, capable of blasting out 2000 degrees into the sector. Not even a Xenomorph could survive that.
The touchpad seemed slightly sticky. As he pulled his hand away, a thick, gluey sheen pulled away from the controls.
The scientist remembered where he had seen this substance at the same time that Shadow's tail flicked out and sent paralysing toxins flooding into his system.
The marine spun as he heard the thump of the scientist's body hitting the floor, but saw nothing. Picking up the pulse rifle from the wall-rack, he moved cautiously over to the limp body.
He had a sudden realisation, and raised the pulse rifle to the ceiling. Shadow snatched the weapon away and crushed it with relative ease, before pouncing on the unfortunate man.
>Somehow I doubt that the hive doors will just open at my command,> he said, with a soft hiss. >So I'm going to politely ask you to give me the access code that will do it. If you like, I can ask impolitely.>
The marine had turned the colour of milk, and he shook as he said, "I don't know. Honestly, I don't! Only Dr. Haines, Colonel Brokken and General Gorson have the codes to open the hive!"
Shadow swore silently, and stung the marine.
¬What's happening?¬ asked the Queen.
>I need an access code to open the doors. The only three people who have that code are too heavily defended to attack.>
She considered this. ¬How about that human ally of yours? Would she be able to help?¬
>Perhaps. I don't know how to contact her, though.>
The base was in disarray. Scientists had joined the marines and were blockading the corridors, leaving just Haines, Hukken and Colonel Brokken in the most easily defendable position, an operating theatre.
The door opened, and Kail was shoved in by a pair of marines, who left to return to the defences.
"So, Dr. Kail, welcome to my little house of fun," said Haines with a mad glint in his eye.
Kail stared at the scientist, terrified. Haines had always been sadistic, but he now looked insane. His eye twitched as he noticed her look.
"Scared? You should be scared, you little BITCH! You've ruined us! You –"
"Maybe you should calm down, sir," said Colonel Brokken.
"Calm? I'm perfectly calm. Let me show you how calm I am!" Haines drew his standard-issue pistol and shot the marine in the head repeatedly. "See? Calm! I'm calm, you're calm… we're all calm!" He spun back to Kail. "So, little bug-lover. What did that thing do, eh? What did he promise? Stay right there, Hukken! Move another step and I'll shoot you!"
Kail whispered something. "Speak up, girl! Or I'll make you speak up! Wait, I'll do that anyway!" Haines drew the pistol again and swung it at her. There was a nasty crack as her nose broke from the butt's impact.
"They were going to get out eventually!" she screamed. "He said they wouldn't hurt anyone!"
"Oh yes, the word of a bloody Alien. That couldn't be it. I know… you're one of those bug-cultists, aren't you? You'd give anything to get one of those eggs shoved down your throat. I bet the idea of one of those little barstards ripping your chest open as it escaped was what sent you to sleep at night…" Haines swung the pistol again. "Well, I'm not having one of those on my base! See?" He waved a hand at the surroundings. "My base! Mine! No one can take it from me! Not even you, Hukken!"
"What are you talking about, sir? I'd never try to replace you!" said Hukken desperately.
"Liar!" Haines shrieked. He shot Hukken in the leg. "You're not going to take over if you can't walk, though." He suddenly seemed calm. "Now, my dear, where were we?"
Hukken mewled slightly from the pain.
"Shut it, you! Oh yes, I remember." Haines clubbed Kail again, and shoved her onto the operating table. "Since you love bugs so much," he snarled, snapping the restraints into place, "Let's see how much you like being one!"
"Sir! If you turn her, we'll have another Alien loose in the base!"
"Hah! You won't undermine my authority that way, Hukken. Haven't you forgotten the ninety per cent failure rate? And eighty per cent DEATH RATE? You hear that, Kail? DEATH! That's the price of wanting to be a Xenomorph. I've tried to persuade you not to undergo the procedure, but what can I do? I must bow to your wishes…"
Haines snatched an injector that had been readied for the next batch of experiments, slammed it into her side, and pressed the button. "A bit of an overdose, I'm afraid, but I'm sure you won't mind. Will you?"
Kail shrieked as the retrovirus attacked her body. Her skin turned black as the huge overdose spread through her system like wildfire.
Hukken stared in horror as her shape squeezed and changed, her mind-numbing shriek continuing even as it melded into an utterly alien screech. The bottom of the table shattered outwards as her tail sprouted. A spasm passed through the apparition, and the restraints snapped like paper. The spines rose from her back, and with one final ripping sound her uniform shredded to reveal a complete transformation into Alien.
The newly-created drone was motionless. Silence spread through the operating theatre.
"Bitch," said Haines, breaking the silence.
Shadow screeched as the waves of mental agony rolled through him. The sense was a strange mixture of human and Alien, but it slowly changed to Alien, before finally falling silent.
¬It seems that we have a newcomer,¬ said the Queen. Even She sounded shaken.
Shadow hissed softly. >I recognised the mind. It was the human who released me.>
The Queen pondered this. ¬If she has not lost her mind or died due to the transformation, this may be a development for the better. I will try to contact her.¬
Shadow took a deep breath, out of habit. Aliens don't really need to breathe, but it steadied his nerves. He wasn't sure if she would be able to hear him from this distance – drone speech was limited in range – but he had to try. He felt no particular connection to her, but it was his fault that she had been subjected to that.
>Kail! Can you hear me?>
"And as for you, traitor…" said Haines, finally turning away from the body.
Kail slowly woke. She realised that the world looked different, and in a flash remembered the pain. What had happened before that? It was so difficult…
"Sir, please!" begged Hukken. "I'd never do anything against you. What have I done?"
She could hear something. What were they called? Voices? That sounded right. She recognised that voice.
"Don't lie to me, Hukken! I've seen your looks, your little conversations. You don't like my leadership of this project! You want to take it over!"
Another voice. She recognised that voice as well. Anger blazed at the owner of the new voice, but she still couldn't remember why…
"No! Please, sir. I'm loyal to you! I'd do anything for you! How can I prove myself?"
The voices belonged to people. She looked at herself, recognised the shiny, black shell. Not people like her. People with soft, white skin and red flesh and blood. The word 'human' floated through her mind. Yes, the speakers were human. And she was… Alien. Yes. That was the word that attached itself to her kind.
>Kail! Can you hear me?>
Another voice. This one in her mind. It seemed more natural than this human twittering. So wasteful. How could they communicate in a hunt? Silence is paramount in a hunt.
¬You brought such pain to us. Your change must not have been easy.¬
Yet another voice. Also in her head. An image of a huge, six-limbed creature with a long, elaborate crest appeared in her mind. The word 'Queen' followed it. Some thought that was not entirely her own said, "I need a Queen…"
>I need a Queen…>
She said it out loud in her mind, knowing that it would reach those of her kind, almost for fun.
¬I can feel her mind and body. Her transformation was too quick. She is in shock.¬
>I can almost see it… she can't stay like that! Haines could finish her off at any moment! It must have been him who changed her.>
Haines. The word neatly attached itself to the voice that she hated. Did she know this… Haines?
Haines looked at the pitiful figure in front of him. "Too late, Hukken. We're all dead. Thanks to her," he said, with a gesture at the operating table. "I might as well finish it right here. But not before I inflict a bit more suffering on that… thing!"
Images flooded through her. Images of a human named Kail. It led up to the human being tied onto a table, and a serum of this… retrovirus being injected.
It hit her. She was Kail. Haines was behind her. And there was nothing to stop her from taking revenge.
Haines aimed the pistol at the dead Alien, and pulled the trigger.
He got off one shot before Kail leapt at him, scything her claws through the air.
Haines fell to the floor with a scream of terror. "Hukken, help me! I'm sorry, I didn't mean what I said! I wasn't thinking straight!"
>You'll think a lot less straighter without a head to think with!> shrieked Kail.
¬Hold.¬
Kail stopped, claws about to rip the scientist apart.
¬We need him alive. Or at least, Shadow says we do.¬
>Shadow?>
>That would be me,> said the drone matter-of-factly. >I can't see what you're doing the way the Queen can, but I would assume that you are about to rip Haines apart. We need the access code to release the hive, and he's the only one who has it.>
Kail paused. >Why should I help you? I let you out, that was it. I don't want more blood on my hands.>
>Empty reflex. I thought that way at first as well.>
¬You talk of blood on your hands. If I hadn't stopped you, you would have that in plenty.¬
Kail looked down at the quivering Haines as though seeing him for the first time. A drop of blood oozed from the pistol wound and fell to the floor, hissing as the acid ate through the metal. They were right. Empty reflex. Like it or not, this was her fight now.
She focused her thoughts on Haines, allowing the human to hear them. >It seems that we need you, scum. The access code to release the hive. Now.>
Hukken stared at her. "Kail, stop! I understand you wanting to hurt Dr. Haines, but not joining them! You're human! You wanted to prevent bloodshed. Releasing the hive will increase it!"
>Too late,> she said quietly. >Thanks to our friend here, I'm now on the other side. And releasing the hive is my best hope of survival.>
"Selfish bitch," hissed Haines. "If you think I'll ever tell you anything…"
Kail looked at him, and then swiped her claws across his chest. Blood spurted from the wounds, and the scientist screamed.
>I can keep doing that.>
"You deplored violence before!" shrieked Hukken. "Just stop! We'll work out a reverser for the virus! You can be human again!"
>Like I said, too late. You know as well as I do that this facility is finished. Even if all of us are rounded up and put into pens, do you really think that General Gorson would fund a reverser? Where's the profit? And besides,> she said, combing her claws with the tongue-like inner jaws and enjoying the taste, >I kinda like this.>
The threat of impending death seemed to finally restore Haines' sanity. He stared at the creature that towered over him. "Angels of death bring the only redemption. Sigma seven-three-dee-nine, safety override nine-six."
Kail would have smiled if her new form's face muscles allowed it. >Shadow! Listen carefully.> She repeated the code, and turned back to Haines. >Death's too good for you, after all you've done. You destroyed the lives of twelve people with that retrovirus of yours, and every death that occurs while we escape will be on your hands. Remember that.> She leapt onto the ceiling, and shredded the grating to enter the air vents.
"Note to self," muttered Hukken. "Don't stay in a room connected to the air vents when bugs are on the loose."
Shadow tapped in the long command sequence into the computer.
"Access code accepted," said the computer tonelessly. "Command to release hive containment accepted. Please confirm and re-enter code."
Shadow repeated the code.
"Command accepted and confirmed. Releasing hive containment."
The thick panels slowly retracted from the wall, and slid apart. A faint, distinctive burnt plastic smell drifted from the darkness, but nothing else occurred.
A clawed hand wrapped itself around the doorway, and a quartet of drones leapt into the room.
¬Enemies?¬ they inquired. They didn't have the same 'tones' as the Queen, but Shadow knew that their… purer… DNA meant that their telepathy was different to his, which in turn prevented them from communicating with humans.
>No. Not here, anyway. They will probably be setting up defences around this sector to contain us.>
¬A perimeter we must break. I know that you don't have any experience of human warfare, but do you have any suggestions?¬
As Shadow considered this, a dark shape jumped from the air vent.
>Did I miss anything?> asked Kail.
Shadow looked at her amusedly. She had come a long way from the slightly paranoid, pacifistic human, if the Queen's description of her encounter with Haines was anything to go by. >Not really. The code worked, as you can see.>
¬There is no time for idle discussion,¬ broke in one of the drones. ¬The humans will be reinforcing their defences as we speak.¬
Shadow thought for a moment, and then it hit him. >I have an idea…>
The three marines and two scientists charged with guarding Sector Five Corridor Seven had created a highly unpleasant set of defences. Each armed with pulse rifles, and equipped with a scatter cannon primed and ready to fire down the corridor, a frontal assault would be suicide against them.
It was something of an anti-climax that when the drones dropped on them from the air vent, not a single shot was fired. About ten seconds later, the Aliens returned to the tunnels, leaving several blood-spattered corpses.
In the corridors all over the base, similar scenes occurred.
Haines watched the security cameras with horror as the carefully-laid out plan fell apart. He had assumed they would be safe from above – the air vents were several independent systems that did not connect. Evidently, the solid metal walls between the systems had been ripped out by the rampaging Aliens.
He snatched the intercom, and said, "Fall back to the Sector Three! I repeat, fall back to Sector Three!" It was a desperate measure – Sector Three was the entrance area, at the very front of the facility.
"What's this, Dr. Haines? Falling back? What's going on?"
Haines almost whimpered in gratitude to any deities that might be listening.
"General Gorson, thank god you're here! We've got a full-scale breakout – the hive, plus experimental subject A. They're ripping through us like there's no tomorrow – please tell me you've got some serious firepower."
Gorson breathed in sharply. "I knew something was up when the fail-safes on the hive were deactivated. We've got thirty marines and two APCs en route, ETA three minutes. Is there any chance of holding out that long?" There was an edge of sarcasm in the General's voice.
"We'll try, sir. We're bringing XR-7 from the med-labs – hopefully he should give the Xenomorphs a hard time."
"Well, just make sure that you've got the datachip for the retrovirus. That thing is worth a fortune."
"Yes, sir!"
Haines flipped off the comms to the General. "What are you looking at, Hukken? Get over to Sector Three! Unless you want to end up as bug-food…"
Before anyone asks, yes, the 'scatter cannon' used by the marines is my own invention. Think minigun and you've pretty much got it.
Second author's note: If you're reading this, Raptor-Chick, I hope you don't mind the small X-13 reference in the form of XR-7.
Third author's note: Hope you feel the length has got up to scratch, Evance.