Disclaimer: I don't own Aliens, just every character in this fic.

Chapter 7

Origin

Half-Jaw finally turned and left the room.

Anthony relaxed as the praetorian disappeared from view. As soon as Xena gave the all clear, he released his grip on the ceiling and fell back to the floor.

(You know you'll have to tell him,) Xena said. (Half-Jaw is very persistent.)

(Let me worry about that,) the Queen said. (Now, about the girl…)

(Jane,) Anthony said. (Yeah, I don't know why I remembered her; after all it was five years ago.) Anthony paused to think. (I guess its because…)

Anthony excitedly glanced around the lab. His mom and dad were right behind him. He moved around the lab toward a dog that seemed out of place in the lab for some reason.

A young woman kneeled beside the animal. She scratched its ears as its tongue lolled out in ecstasy. It was a black Labrador retriever.

"What are you doing with that dog?" Anthony asked as he walked up next to the dog.

She looked up at him and smiled. "We're experimenting, trying to improve them. You know give them longer lives, more resistant to disease, etcetera etcetera."

"How are you doing that?" Anthony asked curiously.

"Well, we…" she looked up behind him and stood up. "Hello, sir."

Anthony looked behind him and saw his father. He smiled at her and looked down at his son. "Come on, Anthony, let's move along."

"Dad, can't I stay here and watch?" Anthony pleaded.

Anthony's dad was about to reply when his wife came up beside him. "I don't see why you couldn't," she said before her husband could say anything. "Of course, it's up to your father."

Tom Herrera looked at Jane as though deciding whether or not she could be trusted with Anthony.

"Don't worry, sir," Jane said. "I won't let him out of my sight."

Tom nodded and said. "All right." He and his wife moved to the exit, while Anthony scratched the dog's ears.

"So," Jane said extending her hand. "I'm Jane Florien."

Anthony shook her hand. "Anthony Herrera."

"Come on," she said escorting him to a computer terminal. Anthony looked at the screen. Two separate strands of DNA were shown on the screen. "We're trying to improve the dog's DNA by adding this other strand that your father has provided for us."

"What kind of DNA?" Anthony asked.

"I don't know," Jane said shrugging. "The company just gave it to us to play with, but didn't tell us where it was from. It could be from any of the millions of off world life forms. I sure would like to know what this strand belonged to."

"So has anything worked?" Anthony asked.

"No," Jane replied disappointedly. "But it would be very good if something did. Imagine after supping up the dogs, we could maybe move unto humans! Too bad we don't have the technology to."

"You know it's surprising you remembered me," Jane said.

(Well, I always did like science,) Anthony said. (And plus it was the first time I was in a lab. How come you remember me?)

"That unknown DNA strand?" Jane said. "That turned out to belong to an alien. After we got some results experimenting with dogs, the board of directors decided to move to human experimentation. That's why I remember. Because that stupid strand of DNA is why I am here."

(But you couldn't have made such a dramatic change,) Anthony said. (It's beyond human technology!)

"Well, we had help," Jane, said. "The government discovered a downed spaceship. Its hall was filled with alien eggs and the first expedition into the ship was unsuccessful."

"Next they sent in marines and they wiped out the aliens. After they were certain all of the creatures were dead scientist were brought in to look at the ship. They discovered the skeleton of an alien creature that had its chest burst open. The thing looked like a bipedal elephant. But even more interesting was what they found in the cargo hold, a cache of xenomorph DNA and a genetics instruction manual."

"It took a while to translate the alien language, but the manual, combined with some of the machines taken from the ship, allowed us to produce this," she nodded toward Anthony.

(What did these things want with the aliens?) Anthony asked. Jane shrugged in response.

Anthony took a deep breath and asked. (What's the life span of an alien?)

"A normal drone would live for about one year," Jane replied. "But we've improved your DNA. We're not sure how long you'll live (the manual wasn't very descriptive), but it should be very long."

(Can I be changed back?) Anthony asked anxiously.

"No," Jane said. Anthony snarled angrily. Jane got up and moved to the door. The door opened, but Anthony's senses still detected the force field. She looked back at him. "I'm sorry."

The door closed and the force field turned off. Anthony sighed.

(Now, how come you'll talk to one of the people that turned you into a lizard, but you've been ignoring me for two days?) asked the voice from before, which Anthony now realized belonged to another xenomorph.

(Do you have idea how we can get out of here?) Anthony asked.

(No,) the voice replied. (But it would be nice to have someone to talk to.)

(All right, what's your name?) Anthony asked.

(Jack Blood,) the voice said. (And you are?)

(Anthony Herrera,) Anthony replied. He waited for Blood to say something, but when he didn't he decided he would have to provide the topic. (So, how did you end up here?)

(I was convicted of brutally murdering two people,) Blood replied as though it was perfectly normal. (These guys decided that nobody would miss me since I had no living relatives.)

(So they transform a murder into an alien,) Anthony said. (Man, these guys are really bright.)

(I said, 'I was convicted,') Blood said defensively. (Convicted of the crime and committed the crime is two different things.)

(Okay, so you didn't kill them,) Anthony said.

(I didn't say that,) Blood said chuckling.

(I don't see what's so funny,) Anthony said.

(Sorry,) Blood apologized. (But I needed something to keep myself from going nuts. Sarcasm was a pretty good way.)

(Uh-huh,) Anthony said. (How long have you been here?)

(One year,) Blood replied.

Anthony was silent for a moment. (One year? There's no chance of escape! Even if we could the only place he have to go is into some mysterious jungle!) Anthony angrily punched the wall. His punch didn't damage the steel.)

Anthony looked down at the scorpion-like stinger on his tail.

(Don't do it, kid,) Blood said as though he knew what he was considering. (As long as we're alive there's hope.)

Anthony nodded. (Maybe.)