AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thanks so much for the praise and constructive criticism! It motivates me and I really do listen to it and try to correct things you may find to be incorrect. I also want to say that I'm working on changing some things with the first chapter (already told ya that, though… heh) but I'm having a bit of writer's block with the corrections so please be patient.
There's one final thing that I have to mention. I now have a new job (I didn't have one for about a month) and I'm starting my trade school so I'm not going to have as much time to update as I did before. So I guess what I wanted to tell you was that updates will now be a little farther apart.
PARTS REWRITTEN!
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Chapter 4: Sublevel 3
While the previous interrogation was taking place in the Manager's Office, a certain Corporal was standing just out of sight listening to much of what was being said.
"My daughter died, my father died, and I'm pretty sure my brother's gone too. I had a whole goddamn family here." Hicks heard this woman, Charlotte, say at one point during the conversation with Lieutenant Gorman.
That was when Hicks looked down and carefully studied the picture he had in his hand. Two of the four corners were torn and the photo seemed faded, the colors not as bright or radiant as they used to be. There was a woman and a child in the picture. The woman, who Hicks assumed to be Charlotte, was donning a huge toothy grin and looking up at the girl that sat on her shoulders. The girl looked exactly like Charlotte; same nose, same smile, same dusty brown hair. The only difference was the eyes. Charlotte's were a deep ocean blue, but the girl's were a beautiful hazel. The two looked enormously happy.
Hicks remembered when he first came across the picture.
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"Don't shoot!" Hicks barked. The two soldiers next to him stopped in mid-step and looked at him strangely. "Look." Hicks said as he pointed down the hallway.
From around the bend came two people; a small girl and a woman, maybe twenty-five or so. The two stopped at the end of the hallway and stared at the soldiers and the four people behind them. The girl was clinging to the woman's leg fiercely and hiding half her head behind the woman's lower back. This lady, whoever she was, had her arm wrapped protectively around the girl's upper body. They both looked ragged and terrified.
"P-please." The woman began softly as tears streamed down her dirty cheeks. "Please, help us."
Without hesitation Hicks ran to the two. Frost and Drake followed.
The woman seemed like she was going to collapse and so Frost grabbed the child and picked her up, pulling her away from her protector. The girl grunted a little as she struggled, but she never screamed or yelled. She knew better than to make noise in a place like that. She did succeed in biting his hand, though.
Once Frost had the girl, Drake swooped in and threw the woman's arm around his shoulder as he helped her stand and keep her feet on the ground.
Hicks was about to slip in under her other arm when he noticed something falling to the floor behind her. He quickly bent down to pick it up. He didn't even bother taking a closer look at the picture that had fallen out of the woman's pocket. He simply slipped it into his own back pocket and figured he would just give it back later when he had the opportunity.
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Hicks snapped out of his daze when he realized there was something taped to the back. He flipped the photo over and inspected the back carefully. It was an ID card, Charlotte's ID card. It probably used to be stark white but the card had warped slightly and the white was now faded to a dull ivory. A thick, red line bordered the edges of the card and across the top in black, bold letters it said 'WEYLAND-YUTANI' and underneath that it said 'Building Better Worlds'. Then came all the little tid-bits of information anyone would ever want to know about the original cardholder.
ID #: 6253-41-9921
Name: Charlotte R. Hodges
Occupation: Licensed Practical Nurse
Birth Date: 06/14/2153
Issue Date: 09/05/2173
Sex: Female
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 118 lbs.
Eyes: Blue
Hair: Brown
Next to all of this basic information was a picture of Charlotte. Her hair was pulled back into a snug bun and her mouth was curved into a tight, very business-like smile. It seemed rather fake.
Hicks wondered briefly why she would tape her colony ID card to the back of a photograph. Whatever the reason, he believed that the ID card and the picture were probably very important to her. He hoped for the chance to give it back to her.
The Corporal looked up to see Gorman walk out of the small office and head towards another area of Operations. He appeared frustrated. He looked back to see Ripley, Charlotte, and Newt. Ripley and Charlotte seemed to be talking.
'I can just do it later.' He said to himself as he walked away from the woman with the frizzy ponytail and striking blue eyes.
He strolled past his fellow Marines and his Sergeant over to Gorman, Burke, and Hudson. Gorman and Burke were huddled closely around Hudson as the gum-chewing Marine carefully scanned a large computer. It appeared to be a layout of the entire colony. Suddenly, Hicks knew what Hudson was searching for.
Hudson glanced over his shoulder at the trio. "Smoking or non-smoking?" he asked as he chomped loudly on the gum in his mouth.
Gorman was standing almost directly behind the soldier. He had his hands clasped neatly behind his back and he was leaning slightly over Hudson's shoulder. "Just tell me what you're scanning for, Private."
Burke, who had been sitting in a chair next to Hudson, looked behind him at Gorman. "PDTs." he said.
"What?"
"Personal Data Transmitters. Every colonist had one surgically implanted." Burke replied. He looked away from Gorman and once again concentrated on the screen in front of him.
"If they're within twenty clicks we'll read it out here. But so far… zippo." Hudson never broke his gaze from the screen.
It took a few more minutes for Hudson to finally cry out and startle everyone. "Yo! Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen!" He bobbed his head slightly. "Found em'."
"Alive?" Gorman asked.
"Unknown, but it looks like all of em'." Hudson squinted his eyes at the screen to make sure this was indeed real. It was so strange to find all of the colonists in one place. "Over at the processing station, sublevel three, under the main cooling towers."
Hicks, by this time, had whipped out a cigarette and was puffing heavily on it. He inched his way closer to the screen and stared strangely at the tightly-packed clump of blue, flashing dots. "Looks like a goddamn town meeting."
Gorman finally stood up straight, his hands still tangled together behind his back, of course. "Let's saddle up, Apone." he said confidently. He never seemed to find this whole situation awfully suspicious.
"Aye, Sir." Apone said from behind him. "Awright! Let's go, girls! They ain't payin' us by the hour!"
Suddenly Hicks got a very strange feeling. He wasn't sure what it was at first, but he decided to ignore it for the time being, blaming it on the adrenaline that was starting to pump through his veins.
He didn't realize it at the time, but it was a mixture of anticipation and panic.
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The turbulent atmosphere of LV-426 had a strange, gloomy tint of blue to it and the surface was nothing but craters and odd rock formations. They seemed to poke out of the ground like knives. No matter, the APC charged over the rugged terrain like a tank. It was armored to the hilt and the only weakness it appeared to have was the small glass windshield in the front of the vehicle.
All of the Marines sat in the back of the APC as it roared along. They were joking quietly with each other. Hudson and Vasquez teased each other relentlessly as they always did while some of the others looked on, smirking. Frost and Crowe were in their own little world having their own little conversation.
"Man, I'm telling you, I got a bad feeling about this mission."
"You always say that, Frost. You always say, 'I got a bad feeling about this mission.'"
"Okay, okay. When we get back without you, I'll call your folks."
Hicks, meanwhile, sat there silently as he always did. He tended not to talk much to his fellow Marines unless he had something significant to say. He was known for this so they generally left their Corporal alone.
Hicks watched with a tinge of intrigue at the woman who sat on the floor with the small girl next to her. She appeared to be thinking about something as she stared off into the distance.
Charlotte could feel a pair of eyes boring into her. She could see him in her peripheral vision. She didn't want to look up but she couldn't help herself. Her eyes rose in his direction and for a short moment they made eye contact. Charlotte recognized him as one of the men who helped her and Newt when they were first found.
They continued to stare at each other until Charlotte broke her gaze away. It's not that she felt uncomfortable because for whatever reason she seemed to find him just as interesting as he found her but she knew that they must be getting closer to the atmosphere processor by now. It wasn't that far. She looked up to the many computer screens to her right and in front of them sat Lieutenant Gorman. Ripley was nearby as well and she too seemed to take interest in the screens that showed the huge, cone-shaped station looming ahead.
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The APC drove closer to the station and the vehicle moved underneath huge metallic legs that seemed to stem from the sides of the processor. A massive entrance came into view that lead to the bowels of the atmosphere processor and just to the right of that was an access ramp.
The APC slowed down and then came to a brief pause as it waited for the ramp door to shift upwards and let the vehicle through. It moved slowly along through the access ramp, heading deeper and deeper into the processor until it finally came to a halt.
Within seconds all of the Marines had hopped out of the vehicle, leaving the likes of Charlotte and Newt and the others behind.
The access ramp was dimly lit and steam poured out of vents covering the walls and ceiling, making the ramp dank and moist. Water dripped down, splashing on the helmets of the Marines and the thrum of the working machines echoed eerily throughout the massive structure.
Vasquez and Drake led the way for the troopers with their giant smart-guns. The rest of the soldiers positioned themselves behind the two smart-gun operators as they all moved along the ramp.
Gorman began his ramblings immediately. No one seemed to listen except the Sergeant. "Hudson, tracker online." Apone said loudly.
Gorman pointed them in the direction of an open stairwell. "You want sublevel 3." He said as all the Marines paused and looked stared at a brightly lit sign that indicated their position. Sublevel 1.
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Back in the APC, Gorman sat in front of all the small screens and keyboards and buttons. His hands and eyes danced over everything as he swiveled around side to side in his chair.
Ripley and Burke crowded around him, watching with interest at the screens that showed what each individual Marine was seeing from his or her headset. The quiet Newt was nearby, hanging from a metal bar above her. For a child, she seemed to take great interest in the event happening before her.
Charlotte stood in the background, staring at all of this blankly as she realized something was probably going to go wrong. It always did in these kinds of situations. A dull ache formed in her stomach as she watched the Marines move from sublevel 1 to sublevel 2. It was fear and worry.
For a moment she found herself focusing on Hicks' camera transmission. He appeared to be bringing up the rear.
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"Probably getting some interference from the structure." came Hudson's reply over his headset as he heard Gorman say that their transmission was showing a lot of breakup.
"Next one down." Gorman said as he looked at another screen and saw the Marines were getting closer to the flashing blue dots, the colonists. "And proceed on a two-one-six."
"Ah, roger. That's a two-one-six." Apone replied.
There was silence for a moment as all of the Marines entered some kind of huge chamber. It could only be described as frightening.
Among the pipes and vents and machine workings was something new and grotesque. It overlapped the damp metal and clung wetly to it. It weaved in and out of the original hardware that it almost looked like the original hardware. It was difficult to see where one ended and the other began. It was dark and slimy and looked almost alive and pulsing. And whatever it was, it was everywhere.
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"I'm not making that out too well. What is that, Hudson?" Goman asked calmly, looking at the screens.
Hudson looked into Vasquez's headset camera. "You tell me, man. I only work here." The disgusted and bewildered look was evident on his face.
Gorman looked to Ripley who was leaning over him. "What is that?" he asked.
"I don't know."
Gorman looked back to the camera feed. "Proceed inside."
Charlotte was horrified by what she saw. She knew it could only be them. This was not of human origin.
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Apone waved his team inside and they all began to move down an array of tunnels. They used to be corridors and hallways but the black, encrusted substance deformed and changed everything it touched. And now these hallways-turned-tunnels seemed to pulse with a strange kind of life.
"Watch your fire and check your targets. Remember, we're looking for civilians here." Apone's voice rattled over the headsets of the Marines.
The adrenaline that had been pumping through Hicks' veins, he realized, was turning into a state of dread and panic. 'Something isn't right here. What the hell is going on?'
Dietrich was holding up the rear with Hicks. She was fascinated by this strange… whatever it was. She broke off a small piece that hung near her and fiddled around with it in her hand. "Looks like some sort of secreted resin." She said to no one in particular.
Hicks looked up to the dripping ceiling. "Yeah, but secreted from what?"
Apone heard the dialogue at the end of the line and knew how his men were. They couldn't just look at anything. They always had to touch. "No body touch nothin'." He growled.
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Burke stared at the screens. "Busy little creatures, huh?"
Charlotte was standing next to him and when she heard him speak she turned her head to a near 90 degree angle and glared at him. He seemed so insensitive to the situation and Charlotte felt a sudden distaste for him.
Burke felt the colonist watching him and he glanced in her direction.
"You have no idea." he heard her mumble.
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"Hot as hell n' here." Frost piped up.
Hudson smirked. "Yeah, man, but it's a dry heat."
Apone was getting annoyed. "Knock it off, Hudson."
The Marines continued to move along smoothly and unknowingly to their eventual defeat.
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Ripley stared intensely at the screen with the flashing blue dots and Charlotte moved up next to her, sensing the wheels turning in the woman's head. She was thinking.
"Lieutenant, what do those pulse rifles fire?" Ripley said, referring to the guns the marines carried.
"10mm explosive-tip caseless, standard light-armor piercing round. Why?"
Ripley remained calm. "Well, look where your team is. They're right under the primary heat exchangers."
Suddenly it dawned on Charlotte what Ripley was trying to get it at. Her eyes grew wide as she realized the implications of this.
Gorman was not catching on so easily, though. "So?"
Charlotte butted into the conversation. "Lieutenant, if they fire those pulse rifles in there, there's a good chance they'll rupture the cooling system."
Burke leaned in closer. They all seemed to be invading each other's space at this point. "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Yeah, she's absolutely right."
Gorman was getting irritated at what he thought to be a pointless conversation. "So? So what?"
"Look," Burke was trying to get this through to the Lieutenant, "this whole station is basically a big fusion reactor, right? So we're talking about a thermonuclear explosion and adios muchachos."
A bead of sweat made it's way down the side of Gorman's temple. "Oh, great. Wonderful. Shit!" He massaged his head while trying to think.
"Look… uh… Apone… look, we can't have any firing in there. I, uh, I want you to collect magazines from everybody."
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All the troopers looked at each other in stupid shock as they heard Gorman over their headsets.
"Is he fucking crazy?" Hudson yelled.
Frost was next to speak among the Marines. "What the hell are we supposed to use, man? Harsh language?"
Gorman spoke again. "Flame-units only. I want rifles slung."
Sergeant Apone didn't think this was such a good idea and so he began to protest.
"Just do it, Sergeant. And no grenades."
Apone looked at each of his men as if to say, 'Sorry, but it's orders.' "Awright, sweethearts, you heard the man. Pull 'em out. Come on. Let's have 'em. Come on, Vasquez. Clear and lock." Vasquez grudgingly popped out the small battery unit that powered the gun and handed it over to the waiting Apone.
Apone walked along the line of troopers and collected magazines from each. "You too. Give it up, Speedy. Come on. Let's go. Crowe, I want it now. Give it up."
After Apone moved past Vasquez and Drake, Vasquez whipped out two spare lithium batteries that she had been hiding. She inserted one into her own weapon and gave the other to Drake.
Drake smirked. "Right on, Vas."
Apone made his way to the end of the line to Hicks. "Let's go, Marine. Give it up." He looked to Frost. "Frost, you got the duty. Open that bag." Apone tossed all the magazines into the rucksack that Frost was carrying.
"Thanks a lot, Sarge." the trooper said as the bag became heavier and heavier with everyone's magazines.
Apone began to walk away. "Hicks, cover our ass. Head 'em out, people!"
Hicks made sure Apone was completely out of sight before he pulled out an old-style pump-action twelve gauge. "I like to keep this handy--" he chambered a round, "--for close encounters."
Frost looked over his gun. "I heard that."
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Back in the APC Charlotte was protesting. "This is not a good idea, Lieutenant! They have nothing to defend themselves!"
Gorman looked back at her casually. "They have flame-units."
"That's not gonna work with these creatures!"
Ripley looked at Charlotte in horror.
"But didn't you just tell all of us that their pulse rifles could rupture the cooling system?" Burke said.
"Yes, but what I'm trying to tell you is to get the Marines out of there!" Charlotte couldn't bear to watch a massacre.
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"Any movement?" Gorman's voice filtered over the headsets of the Marines. And along with his voice a woman's voice could be heard in the background. She seemed to be yelling about something.
A couple of the Marines smirked at each other but Hicks paused for a moment as he realized that the voice belonged to Charlotte. Her voice faded in and out and it sounded distant, but it was definitely her. "…get them out… have to leave…… they're down… not alone… plea--"
This distant rambling was cut off by Hudson as he looked at the motion tracker. "Nothing… zip."
As the Marines left one of the tunnels and entered another, they stopped. They all looked to the walls in dawning horror.
"Holy shit…" Apone whispered.
There were people everywhere and they were cocooned to the walls, entombed alive. This was what the flashing blue dots led them to. This is what awaited them. Over a hundred dead colonists. They were trapped in the same material that the walls seemed to be made out of. Their bodies were contorted and twisted, ribcages exploding outwards, whatever was inside now let loose.
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Everybody in the APC was silent as Charlotte started to cry.
Ripley realized that Newt was still right there along with them. "Newt, go sit up front. Go on. Now!" Newt scrambled off.
Ripley looked over to Charlotte and saw the tears etching rivers into her cheeks. Ripley put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly. These were all people that Charlotte knew, worked with, and saw on a day-to-day basis and Ripley knew what it was like to loose people that close.
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Soon the Marines came across the eggs.
There were dozens of them all over the place. Their leathery tops were spilt open like flower petals and they were empty and dry.
Hicks poked one with his gun and shined his light into it. As he walked along a little more he found a beige, spider-like creature that looked alarmingly familiar. He lifted it up with the end of his gun. A gooey slime stuck to it. Hicks stared at it for a moment and realized that it was just like the creatures found in the med-lab back in the colony. Thank heaven it was dead. 'This is fucking nuts.'
Apone knew his men were probably frightened or at the very least grossed out so he spoke to them. "Steady people. Let's finish our sweep. We're still Marines and we have a job to do. Keep it movin'. Easy."
Dietrich moved closer to one of the cocooned figures so she could examine it. She carefully lifted the head. It was a woman with dark, short hair that was now slimed over, as was the rest of her encased body. She was deathly pale and her face was drawn and thin. She looked almost frightening. That was when her eyes snapped open.
Dietrich jumped back, startled. "Top!" she cried.
Apone started to move in her direction. "What?"
"Top! Get over here! We got a live one!" She looked at the woman and her voice dropped to barely a whisper. "You're going to be alright. You're going to be alllright."
The woman stared at the med-tech pleadingly. "Please… ki-kill me."
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Charlotte saw the woman on Dietrich's camera feed. She moved out of Ripley's grip and pushed Burke out of the way as she inched closer and closer to the computers. She reached her hand out and placed it on the screen as her tears turned to sobs. "N-Natalie?"
Everyone turned to stare at Charlotte in shock.
"Do something, Lieutenant! Don't just sit there! Save her!"