TWO STORIES IN ONE DAY?! I WAS REALLY FEELING THE PASSION!

Hey guys! It's been so long. The Coronavirus and the pressure it brought the world has been a huge reason why I just haven't had the mental or emotional energy to write. However, I am striving to change that this year. It's been so long since I've touched this story, and honestly I've got to get back into the swing of things - but hopefully this filler chapter will be enough to satisfy your appetites, and get my passion back to burning at full heat. Please review - it encourages me to keep on writing!


THE ENEMY'S HEART

Unknown Territories

COMPONENT:

SIX

The Home Light Divisions Committee was, in short, a consisting body of the Governmental Organization's highest ranked and most influential members from each individual branch (ID – Intelligence Division, LFD – Legal and Field Division, and HLR – Home Light Reserve/Military Division), as well as government officials. The majority of these government officials were naturally from the United States, but seeing as how Home Light had also recruited brilliant minds and brute strength from other parts of the civilized world, there were also a small number of officials from other countries as well upon the Committee. It was basically a Congress formed around the location and destruction of the extraterrestrial threat that had originally been focused solely on the Predators, but now also included the dangerous bug aliens first discovered on Bouvetoya. Brilliance, however, was not a sole determining factor in admittance upon the Committee. There were countless brilliant minds within the Organization – but not every genius could be trusted to make important decisions in regard to the safety of the human race. Lance – despite being amongst the most brilliant scientists within the Intelligence Division – had words that were highly regarded amongst Committee members…but no invitation of a seat upon the Committee had been extended to the scientist. Part of that bothered Dr. Henson – but the other part knew being bothered with trivial and nerve-wracking fears and alliances would in the end only slow down his progression. It was a sting, but a necessary pain for the greater good in his research.

Dr. Henson stepped out of the elevator upon one of the higher levels and hobbled wearily on his cane down a private hall lined with private security guards. Normally members of the compound's militia would be guarding any proceedings within the facility, but the sight of the privatized service guards said to the Doctor that there was far more desperation taking place beyond the double doors ahead of him at the end of the hall. The guards did not bother to check the scientist, knowing who he was all too well and that their keepers would not appreciate any further delay in his arrival. The Doctor rotated his neck and pushed open the doors before stepping into a small auditorium. There were at least fifty seats that surrounded a stage in a crescent shape. Beyond the stage, raised slightly upwards on an elevated platform, was a massive chair behind a massive desk like structure with three smaller chairs on each side of it. The six smaller chairs were reserved for two members for each branch – the most powerful leaders of their departments. The fifty chairs in the audience were filled with other scientists, military personnel, and government figures from across the country and world. It was rare when all fifty chairs were filled – but this time they were. Additional chairs had to even be brought in for trusted staff for these dignitaries, which was also rare. But the most surprising sight, Lance had to internally agree, was what was waiting for him in the head chairs above the stage and podium where he would be making his case.

In the center chair – which very hardly was filled – sat none other than the most powerful man in the world, himself: The President of the United States of America. Lance gulped. He had never made a speech in front of the President, and he gripped the journal from the Woods' household ever closer. In the other chairs sat the department heads. From the Intelligence Division (his division) was Doctors Adriana Montgomery and Lucas Ridge. Lucas was fine, but Adriana was a scientist not to be trifled with. In fact, her presence here for many of the Committee personnel felt nearly as intimidating as the President's…in some ways even more. From the Legal and Field Division were: Attorney Benjamin Reed and Agent Secretary Marcus Williams. And finally, from the Reserve were: Colonel David Franklin and General Allison Dubois…Dubois – as in the now deceased Frank Dubois' mother. The scowl on her face was enough to make the hottest furnace run cold. Allison Dubois and Adriana Montgomery were sisters – and both were absolutely livid about the fate of their beloved relative. This was why Lance tried to keep family out of work…personal attachments like that would only distract him when things went south.

Yes, when – not if. According to Lance's calculations the death of Frank Dubois was an absolute factor of occurrence. While it was true that Home Light Reserve members had the highest probability of meeting extinguishment the quickest out of all personnel, it was also a sure fire fact that the life expectancy of any member of the Legal and Field Division could be a fairly short one. Going out after an alien encounter and "cleaning up" loose ends would surely lead to a life of looking over the shoulder. It would not be the first time that an LFD agent got killed in the crossfire of vengeance or work when terminating or attempting to terminate any survivors or witnesses. As far as Lance was concerned, Dubois – though mildly intelligent – had gotten cocky (the worst thing a man in his position could do) and played on the hand of fate too much. He had been cowardly, and turned against Lex – a woman with a significant upper hand during the tirade of New Zealand. It was only a matter of time before he kicked the bucket. The only surprising result of his hypothesis was the fact that it was not Lex who killed him or her hunter mate, but rather an actual alien itself. Either way, death had been destined for Dubois sooner or later – and Henson did not grieve for the jerk in the slightest. But he could not deny the knowledge that his mother and aunt were grieving…and that trouble would surely follow for Lex if she ever returned to Earth.

The whispers of impatience shushed once the doctor arrived and began to hobble down to the stage. Adriana stared at the young scientist approaching and smiled softly, though not with the affection she perhaps had hoped to convey. "Dr. Henson," she practically hummed into her microphone, "we were just about to send for you when your beloved Helen (HLIIN) announced you were already on your way."

Lance reached the steps and rejected the help from a guard as he glided somewhat smoothly upwards and towards the center podium and mic. He placed an assortment of papers and the notebook down upon the podium incline before turning back to face the real heads of this Committee and addressed, "I figured you would be wanting an audience as soon as I reached base. I simply beat you on the time."

Adriana smirked. She had to admit she liked the young upstart. He was serious, strong willed, and didn't wait for others to take the first step. He was a man of science and initiative – a necessary combination particularly in their line of work. It didn't hurt that he was also sinfully handsome – enough to make the older woman want to spring to life once more between her bed sheets. But pleasure mattered in an almost nonexistent way in Home Light. Standing at five ten and built like a young Angelina Jolie with dark brown hair and eyes like that of dying vegetation, her intimidation was enough to chase any man away, no matter how close they may have strived to get.

Allison Dubois – growing impatient of her sister's deceitfully flirtatious behavior towards her employee – cut in sharply, "We trust, Dr. Henson, that you have actually discovered some information on these monsters that will save lives instead of letting them get killed." It was a jab at what had happened in New Zealand and everyone knew it. Allison was the eldest between both sisters, and could have a disposition that put Adriana to shame if she was angry enough. Her dark blonde hair curled about her angular face – the only softness to the woman's hard and sharp features.

Lance is about to respond, when the next voice cuts into the growing disquiet with its own irritation that held such authoritative power, even Lance cleared his throat. The President leaned forward into his mic, a blank expression on his face as his voice rung out clear over the sound system, "I did not fly all the way to Nevada from negotiating politics in South Korea on the spur of a moment, to listen to senseless bickering. Ladies and gentlemen, I strongly suggest we get to the point…" That was enough to put a halt to any other disagreements.

Henson cleared his throat yet again and motioned for a chair to be brought on stage. His leg was suddenly killing him under the weight of the President's cut in, and once it had been done and the podium lowered for easy reading, Lance took a deep breath and begun. "Ladies and gentlemen of the Committee, distinguished guests – my name is Dr. Lance Henson. I am a top scientist and researcher in the ID, and have made many discoveries and theories as to the patterns of these alien threats our planet has faced ever since historical times…perhaps even before then. Within the past week, I was present at a recent extraterrestrial event that took place in the forests of New Zealand."

Colonel David Franklin chimed in with a solemn sigh, "An event that took countless Reserve lives, as well as civilians." Colonel Donovan Lucas had been an old friend – and Colonel David Franklin was sad to hear of his death at the hands of a Marine…and even more pissed that said Marines were practically set free.

Henson nodded his head in agreement before turning back to the observing faces. "Yes, that is true. We lost virtually an entire combat group save a few survivors, and at least 300 civilians were killed during the event that lasted a number of days. I am here to debrief you on what happened, and what I have found. Please bear with me." Lance opened up a folder on the podium and scanned whatever document was before him before tapping a device on his watch and saying, "Helen, please lower the auditorium left screen, and begin syncing gallery file BV/NZ."

The sensual, computerized voice whispered back in his ear, "Of course, Lance. Anything for you."

Immediately a large panel to the left of the auditorium pulled open, and a massive theater screen descended from a hidden compartment within the wall. The lights dimmed as the attendees rotated their chairs towards the screen and watched as a set of images illuminated before them. The first was of a frozen tundra, collapsed under the force of some mighty event, and the massive hole drilled supernaturally into the ice. The second, was of a team digging through the ice with a crane and other tools. This was where Lance began to speak. "Following the destruction of the Antarctic temple discovered by Weyland Enterprises at the hands of lone survivor Alexa Woods over a year ago, a specialized team was sent to the remnants of that battleground to collect samples, artifacts, and whatever data may have survived and been deemed necessary to assist Home Light's cause. During the dig, the team which consisted of one Intelligence Division scientist, three Legal and Field Agents, and at least five Reserve members, discovered a specimen frozen within the ice. It was a bug-," the next image pops up on the slide of a frozen black bug-like creature covered in thick chunks of ice. The audience gasps in shock and disgust – many seeing this bug-like species for the very first time. Lance continues, "-and it was perfectly preserved. This was our first true indication of this species' existence – especially on Earth. The lead scientist figured that it could not have survived the dropped temperature or weight of the ice it had been buried beneath after such an extended period of time, and much like preserved dinosaurs or mammals, was worth packing up and bringing back to Nevada for further study.

"The events of Bouvetoya not only taught us that the Hunters had different time frames for coming to Earth for their ritualistic hunts, but that they had the technology and skill to bring and perfectly preserve a secondary hunting species that were deemed far more worthy on their ledger of blood…and that we humans were not only good prey, but could be used as cattle to breed the most perfect and dangerous prey that was truly worthy of the hunters exploits and desires." The next image shows the team loading their specimen into a military transport, placing it into a special hold within the plane. Lance shakes his head. "Unfortunately, we would discover after a brief distress call coming from the transport that the alien specimen was not deceased. The ice encasing the creature began to melt, and the alien began to stir until finally it was able to break free from its hold and slay virtually everyone on board – causing the transport to crash into a fairly remote region in a New Zealand forest. The resilience of this species is catastrophic. If the creature could survive Bouvetoya, it became apparent that the chances of the creature surviving the crash landing were far higher than we would have liked. Immediately a team was formed. The quickest military assistance we could get was a specialized Marine group that had been scouted to join Home Light." A picture of Team Celsius hit the screen, followed by another more emotional face, "One of our best LFD agents, the late Frank Dubois, was also recruited." Allison could practically be heard trying to fight the emotional sigh and whine in her throat.

Lance allowed a moment to pass for both sisters to recollect themselves before continuing onwards as the image of a black woman with wavy hair squatted over the edge of a cliff appeared upon the screen next. "We also recruited Alexa Woods from the Bouvetoya incident."

Whispers and murmurs began to float throughout the auditorium – some of shock, others mostly of what sounded like disapproval. A ding sound played out over the speakers, an indication that someone in the audience wanted to speak. A small glass pane on the podium lit up with a name, informing the speaker of whose button had been pressed. Lance noted the name was a William Freemont. Henson scowled. Freemont was another brilliant mind in his department – and a constant pain in Henson's neck. "Dr. Freemont," Lance offered dryly. It was bad enough that they were rivals in practically every area of research and discovery, but knowing that Freemont had been selected instead of Henson to be on the Committee was the sting that often left Lance swelling with bitter anger. William was an older, scrawny, pale, nerdy arrogant prick with a superiority complex just because he'd graduated with a Masters at the age of 17 before pursuing a Doctorate. Lance scoffed – just because Freemont had been a child genius didn't mean anything. After all, none of his theories on the Hunters were sound or even viable in the face of evidence. As smart as he was, he couldn't get a single grasp on the Hunters or their behaviors in the slightest; while Lance was the leading mind in this field.

William Freemont cocked his head to the side in inquisition, pointing his pen at Lance accusatorily. "I'm sure many of the Committee members here would like to know why the organization would recruit a mentally unsound woman who worked side by side with an extraterrestrial species hellbent on the destruction of mankind?"

Dr. Henson pointed tentatively to the image of Alexa Woods on the screen. "Well, Dr. Freemont – for exactly the reason you just mentioned." There were more murmurs. "Alexa Woods worked side by side with an extraterrestrial species hellbent on the destruction of mankind. After what happened a year ago, she was not only the sole survivor of the Bouvetoya incident, but became a direct source of a behavior that has probably never been recorded before in our history of Hunter traits."

Another voice interrupted without pressing their button to speak – one of the aides to a representative of the LFD. "What trait would that be, Doctor?"

Looks like he'd have to produce a small history lesson. "Well," engaged the scientist, "we know these Hunters are just that: hunters – who have deemed mankind as preferential prey, and will take many lengths to accomplish the kill; doing so without much challenge for thousands of years or longer. I don't think it's farfetched to hypothesize the Hunters' presence going back to the existence of prehistoric species such as dinosaurs." He tossed a callous gaze to Dr. Freemont who had wholeheartedly argued for years that the arrival of the Hunters was recent, not long before the fateful confrontation with Major Dutch and his men in the forests of Val Verde. Henson belligerently stated otherwise – earning him some professional attacks at the hands of fellow scientists much older than he. But the Bouvetoya incident and ruins not only proved the Hunters were long existing visitors to the planet, but that his hypothesis was likely correct. If they could have been here to help build one of the oldest civilizations, who's to say they weren't here long ago before then. "We also learned from the California incident that they would not kill those in a fragile state of physical health. Detective Leona Cantrell was pregnant when she came face to face with the California Hunter. Once he discovered her condition, he immediately spared her. Charles Bishop Weyland suffered with terminal, advanced bronchogenic carcinoma. When the Bouvetoya Hunter dubbed Scar by Woods saw Weyland was sick, he regarded him an unworthy opponent and initially spared him before Weyland attacked Scar with a flamethrower. But with Alexa, we got to see a different bond-."

Dr. Freemont interrupted, "You're implying that Woods was the first person the Hunter worked with – but they worked with the civilization who built the Bouvetoya temple."

"Worked with is a huge stretch. The Hunters used that civilization – making an almost monetary exchange for services. They helped establish the people and their way of life, but the people in turn sacrificed themselves to breed the serpents for the hunts. They did this until the Hunters finally lost and annihilated everything. BUT, what Alexa formed with Scar was more than just an exchange – but a partnership. We learned that human victors kept trophies-."

Freemont interrupted again with a condescending tone, "-and Woods was awarded said trophy for her 'partnership'."

"Yes-." Lance was beginning to get frustrated. Dangerously so.

"So what's the point? Why are you making Woods into such a major figure-?"

"Last I checked, William," Lance snarled, "I was the one with the information you don't and never could seem to have – that's why I'm up here leading this briefing, and you're down there, listening."

You could almost hear the childish "Ooooo's" coming from the other members in attendance. Freemont jumped to his feet, about to take exception to the younger colleague's disrespect, when the President yells into his microphone, "THAT'S ENOUGH! Dr. Freemont, either you sit down and shut your mouth, or I will personally make sure my Secret Service Agents toss you not out of this meeting, but out of this organization altogether. Am I clear?" When the older Doctor immediately falls into his seat, the President turns his attention back to Dr. Henson and encourages, "Please continue."

Lance nods his head reverently. "Alexa Woods was given a mark by the Hunter – one of great significance it seems to their culture. This mark gave her enough reverence that as far as I'm concerned she basically BECAME one of the Hunters, even if she wasn't entirely aware of it at the time. This new rank was why she was chosen to assist in New Zealand – why she HAD to be there. When the plane went down and it became apparent that a survivor bug was the cause, we knew the probability was too high to ignore that the Hunters would return to rectify the situation. Having Alexa there with that mark may change things – that's what we assumed. If a Hunter came down and saw her there with that mark and with that spear, it was possible he would be willing to work with her, or at least not stand much in her way. We had hoped for the former – inevitably using her to help us trick whoever was sent so that we could capture it – learn from its technology to strengthen our own, dissect it eventually to better understand its anatomy and so forth. But when it was Scar who arrived – who we were all surprised to see still alive – their bond showed to be more, and things didn't go quite as planned."

An image of the map Alexa had drawn over to retrace the crash site popped onto the screen. "There was a significant miscalculation as to the site of the plane crash, and it was after further analysis that we came to hypothesis that, perhaps, it was possible the bug was able to change the course of the plane, and therefore change where it should have landed to where it did. Intelligence of this level did not seem probable in the bug species, but over the course of the next few days it became apparent that some bugs – though possibly rare – had the potential to develop intelligence – just as it was possible for them to apparently mutate." The picture changed to a side by side of Grid: one image of her in her frozen state, the next in the Praetorian form, and the final as a Queen. "Without an existing Queen, the bug was able to undergo a mutation and turn into a Queen state and begin laying eggs without breeding with a member of the male sex…if there is even a male sex in this species. There's still so much we don't know. Either way, it seemed that the species' survival instincts were enough to make it undergo the change to begin creating a new generation. As the team got on the ground to begin hunting the alien, not only did members die, but a different mutate of the bug was born – a Spitter, that shoots acid from pockets on the side of its head. This same spitter was able to mutate as well, and became what we call the Praetorian or Guard. The difference between this guard like state and the one of its now Queen, was that it was able to develop acid sacks in this state as well. By the time the battle was over, everyone except for a small handful of people sent to fight this invasion had died…and Alexa Woods joined Scar as his mate – disappearing into the stars. Of course, if things had been differently and Alexa had not felt threatened or betrayed by mankind thanks to so much manipulating, she might have stayed and become an ally. But, apparently that, plus the bond which developed mutual feelings between she and the Hunter, influenced her decision to leave."

The President sighed, leaning back into his chair in deep thought. "So, Dr. Henson. Just what do you think is going to happen now? Is it possible Alexa Woods will find a way to stop the hunts?"

Dr. Henson shook his head. "I doubt very seriously that that will ever happen, sir. At this point, the only way to stop the Hunter threat is to destroy them entirely. Not only are they dangerous within themselves, but they nearly wiped us extinct with the bugs they brought here. If anything, I feel Alexa is more likely to stand by them rather than against them. Only the future will tell. According to my calculations, we have two years remaining before the next hunt here on Earth. Chances are that in order to prove herself, she will have to come back to Earth and hunt. That may be our only chance to convince her to side with us once again…or use her to make demands against the Hunter race."

This time, it was Dubois' mother who spoke. "And what makes you so sure a race of bloodthirsty murderers will even care enough about that girl to partake in any kind of negotiations?"

"You didn't see the bond between those two. Scar would do anything to protect Woods from any kind of hurt or danger. And if she is able to join Hunter society to the fullest extent by then, then perhaps her new 'people' will be willing. After all, we know that the Hunters do not like anything belonging to them being taken by us. They will either fight to get her back, listen to get her back, or willingly kill her and themselves to preserve what they have built. Two years for the next hunt is the best time. We know that the vessels that come during that time aren't nearly as large or observed as what happened in Bouvetoya. It might be easier. And by then, I should have plenty of information on them to make sure this works in our favor."

Dr. Freemont scoffs. "And just how do you think you'll have that information?"

Henson holds up the leather notebook he'd received from Alexa's mother. "Because Alexa isn't the only member of her family to have a run in with these Hunters on more than one occasion." The murmurs grow loud, almost too loud, before being silenced. Lance continues with a crooked smile. "Alexa's father – Colonel Alexander Woods – was a member of Home Light. He detailed much of his findings and research in this journal before being officially recruited. His wife, Dr. Margaret Woods – biologist, wasn't a member of Home Light, but detailed her own knowledge into this journal as well. You see, the two of them briefly came across a Hunter in Val Verde in the past. But that wasn't the only time. They became familiar with that same hunter from Val Verde in a deadly way. And surprisingly, the information I've discovered in this journal just may guide the way to being able to defend ourselves against the Hunters for good."

The United States President raises his hand to silence the growing restless crowd. Now they were getting somewhere. Now, things were becoming intriguing. Who would have known that one woman would turn the world as they knew upside down – or that her family just may be the key to turning it right side up? Obviously whatever dark past Alexa Woods' family had with these alien hunters was completely unknown to her. That could be used in their favor, perhaps. But to think it was all in the family – the answer to their problems possibly being all in the family… "And how," asks the President with genuine interest, "do you believe that?"

Lance Henson smirked. "Because Mr. President. According to this journal: there's a Hunter ship still on this planet somewhere – and I have every intention to find it."

To Be Continued…


Family secrets are the most deadly kind.