Disclaimer: I don't own Aliens, just Anthony, Half-Jaw, Sonar, and the Queen. Steal any of my characters and they will hunt you down and whatever pain they inflict upon you will be well deserved.

Chapter 2

Welcome to the Family

Breathing heavily and trembling with fear, Anthony stared at the Queen alien, the Queen alien that could speak.

Yes, I can speak, the Queen said watching the unusual sight of an xenomorph trembling in fear.

(How did you know what I was thinking?) Anthony asked. He glanced around the throne room. At least there were no other aliens besides him and the Queen.

I'm the Queen, she replied simply. I can read your mind easily since you're a drone.

(How did I get here?) Anthony questioned. He was still trembling uncontrollably.

A human installation was discovered in our territory, the Queen replied. Having never dealt with humans before my only knowledge of them was what my mother told me, before I left.

(Your mother?) Anthony asked. (How exactly is it that new alien colonies start?) He had calmed himself down and managed to stop trembling. The Queen wasn't a threat to him, at least, not yet.

Sometimes when a hive becomes overcrowd, the Queen began. The Queen lays another Queen egg, which after… she paused searching for the right words. … Bursting is schooled and taught by the Queen and is then sent out with a couple of drones and maybe a praetorian or two and starts a new hive.

(There are more hives on this planet?) Anthony asked. (But they said there was no xenomorph activity on this planet.)

That's because we are more subtle then a normal hive, the Queen said. Instead of overpopulating and killing off all the creatures we can find, we just take whatever we need to survive and new xenomorphs are seldom born.

(So they didn't notice you, because you weren't wrecking the environment,) Anthony said.

That and also we're the only xenomorph hive on this planet, the Queen replied.

(Then where's your mother's hive?) Anthony asked bewildered.

I was taken by some hunters from my home planet, the Queen said. I escaped them, before they could use me to further their twisted means. The Queen was silent and appeared to be thinking.

(Hunters?) Anthony asked.

It doesn't matter, the Queen said her mental voice suddenly darkening. You're a human. No matter what you look like outwardly, you'll never fit into the hive. So the length of your life depends on how long you stay useful to me.

The fear that Anthony had felt suddenly returned. He had actually started to get comfortable probably because of his damn alien instincts. (And how am I supposed to be useful?)

Tell me what you know of your own kind, the Queen said. After all, you should know your enemy. I suspect that with the destruction of that base more humans may be arriving here to investigate.

(Well, what do you want to know?) Anthony asked.

Let's start with your childhood, the Queen replied.

Thomas Herrera once again looked disappointedly at his son's report card. "You could be doing better," he said venomously without looking at his son.

"A few C's isn't too bad," Anthony replied, this was about two years ago, Anthony was still human.

"You're going to have to do better if you want to keep the company afloat," Anthony's dad said. Still looking at the holographic grades and not at his son.

"Suppose I don't want to be the owner of a multibillion dollar company?" Anthony asked. Anthony immediately closed his mouth. He had asked that same question before when his father had started this. That discussion had not ended well and Anthony didn't want to go through it again.

"Who else is supposed to take over after I'm gone?" His father asked finally looking at Anthony.

"I don't know," Anthony said. "But I don't want to be in that line of work."

"All right," his father said. "What do you want to be?"

"I don't know," Anthony admitted. His father's eyes darkened.

Anthony had no idea why he was being so honest to the Queen. Perhaps she was somehow using her mental link to him to manipulate him. Anthony stopped his explanation and asked. (What's the point in me telling you all this?)

Maybe there is a chance I'll let you live, the Queen said. But only if I like you and if I think you can adjust to the standards of a xenomorph.

(Your standards are pretty low,) Anthony growled. (I would have to fit in with the other aliens. Which means killing in cold blood!) He raised his voice as he ended his sentence.

I'm not going to force you to do anything, the Queen said. But if you are of no use to us…

(You're not giving me much choice,) Anthony said.

Please continue,) the Queen said.

Anthony angrily stuffed his backpack full of clothing. The conversation he had just been in had made up his mind for him. Something that he had been considering for the past two years, since his dad had started his plan to shape Anthony into his heir.

His dad had gotten mad at his last report card. The grades were all acceptable, but not to Thomas Herrera. Him and his son had gotten into an argument in which he had slapped Anthony.

Anthony grabbed his coat from the closet and quietly entered the kitchen. He stuffed as much food as he could into the backpack. He then left the apartment and headed toward the elevator. He pressed the button to call it and waited until the steel doors finally opened. He walked into the elevator and pushed the button that would take him to the ground floor.

The elevator descended as Anthony discussed his options with himself.

All right, He thought now what?

Dad is going to come looking for me, his thoughts answered. He isn't going to want his heir escaping.

So it would be better if I left the city and even better if I left the planet, he concluded. The elevator doors opened and Anthony strode toward the glass doors.

That's enough for today, the Queen said. Pray that your story gets better, or I'll most likely kill you tomorrow.

Anthony turned ready to run away. He left the throne room with the Queen calling after him. Don't leave the hive. It's dangerous and a lone drone won't be able to survive out there.

Anthony rounded a corner and disappeared from the Queen's sight, but her mental bound to him was unbroken, whether he knew this or not.

Xena? The Queen called out.

Yes, my Queen? The female praetorian answered.

There is a new arrival in the hive, the Queen said. A… peculiar one needing protection.

Why not assign this task to Half-Jaw? Xena asked.

You are the only one to know of this, the Queen said. If any one tries to harm this new drone you have my full permission to do whatever it takes to stop them.

Yes, my Queen, the praetorian replied. She waited as the Queen mentally told her the location of the drone. She got up from her resting place and started toward the drone.

Don't let the drone know you're following him, the Queen added, as Xena approached her target silently.

Anthony ran trying to escape the voices that filled his head, the voices of the hive's hundreds of members. He ran whenever he encountered one of the creatures trying to get to a secluded place, or find a way out of the endless corridors. He felt fresher air and head toward it hoping that it was an exit. Anything was better then being in here.

He saw light ahead and sped up. He jumped out of the hole and emerged into the lush green jungles of planet VR-335.

The whole hive must have been built in an underground cave of some kind, Anthony realized.

What are you doing? The Queen's voice asked as he stepped toward the forest.

(Nothing,) Anthony replied. (Just looking around the hive.)

As I said before the jungle is too dangerous for a drone, the Queen said. Even one with human intelligence. You're better off staying in the hive.

(So I can wait for you to get bored of me and feed me to the kiddies?) Anthony retorted. (Let's see you stop me.)

All right, the Queen replied.

Something crashed into Anthony's back and pinned him to the ground. Anthony's senses gave the picture of a large xenomorph pinning him to the ground. It was not as large as a Queen, but it was still big. His tail was pinned under its foot and his mouth and claws couldn't reach the alien.

Consider yourself stopped, the Queen said with a mental smirk. Don't worry little Scar. It's far better this way.

The Queen was ultimately right. It was far better that I stayed with the hive. The jungle offered almost certain death, while the hive offered a possible death. So I stayed what choice did I have?

-Anthony.