A/N: I have a plethora of reasons as to why it took me so long to get this chapter out, but it's not my life story you're here to read, so I'll spare you the excuses.
Thank you to everyone who has offered to help me with my Google-translated Russian (I swear I tried to teach myself, it's just so time-consuming to learn a new language, and according to science the older you get, the harder it is for your brain to make good connections and whatnot. Can't argue with science), but the four or so words in this chapter will be the last for a good while.
"Da. Tri dnya? Khorosho." Akilina Sokolov stepped away from the clunky radio set, prompting Tyler to look up from the computer it was hooked up to.
"All well?" he asked curiously, more to find out if he'd been correct in his setup of the device than out of actual concern for their guest; reaching any form of Russian authority had been a chore considering both the range and security-dodging required.
"All well," she confirmed. "Take three day to get here." Tyler nodded and began carefully unplugging various pieces of equipment. Sokolov wanted to protest, but didn't quite know how to word the question, and instead ended up just watching him absently, brow furrowed in concentration. Tyler watched the entire dilemma out the corner of his eye as he worked, and finally paused to address her.
"It's a security risk; I had to do a pretty sketchy job of the whole thing in order to get a good connection fast. I'll put it back together whenever you need it, but for the moment, it's probably best for all of us if we don't have a backdoor into our communications which can be accessed from halfway across the galaxy." Sokolov nodded, finding it easier than having to grate out a sentence in English. She had to admit, it was a lot of effort to go through for one person; they could have just as easily told her she was stranded there instead of putting themselves at risk.
Briefly, she found herself wondering. From what she had heard, these people were supposed to be loud, selfish, paranoid and violent. Were these not Americans? Of course they were – Americans are the only ones who speak American.
"Korporatsia," she muttered under her breath. Of course it made sense. The Corporation would want nothing more than to divide humanity up like sheep. Collaboration meant cooperation, cooperation meant organisation, organisation meant resistance. As long as humanity was scattered and at one another's throats, they wouldn't be able to stop to think about their common enemy; Korporatsia, the Weyland-Yutani Corporation.
"On the topic of tech, I was curious," Tyler spoke up again, "there was a Motion Tracker in your ship. Ancient technology – and I mean ancient. Centuries old. Is that stuff normal for your military?" Sokolov narrowed her eyes and let out a moody puff of breath.
"Watch it, American. Do not insult Russians."
"You watch it. And don't call me 'American'. I'm just curious is all." Sokolov reluctantly backed down, seeing as this man was helping her get back to her people anyway. Would probably pay to be nice.
"Standard issue," she admitted, "in case of Xenomorph. Very useful. Though not always work."
"Well, that'll be because it's not running on ultrasound like the newer models are," Tyler explained. "I think somebody once told me the older ones detect micro-changes in air density, but that sounds like bullshit to me. It just doesn't work scientifically. I'd love to pull it apart and find out for myself regardless though – not without replacing it with one of ours first, of course."
"You give me American device for Russian garbage? I consider it."
"Well," Tyler grunted as he flung a bag of spare cables into the corner, "you have three days to make up your mind."
"Sarcasm, American. I accept deal. Have fun with rubbish motion sensor." Tyler grumbled quietly as he brushed past her, pausing to stick a reprimanding finger in her face.
"Don't," he growled, "call me 'American'." Sokolov chuckled and watched him leave, before deciding she should do the same, lest she be discovered and accused of espionage by a passer-by. She found herself wondering how Soyuznik would be doing; he was home now, after all. A place full of his family, safe for him to be free of cages and cruel experiments. Just as well too, as even though she had been fully intending to take him back to Russian space with her, she had a feeling things wouldn't have worked out very well, especially if the Corporation caught wind of it. At the same time, she held the burning desire to stay with him and learn – learn about him, his species, this newfound desire for peace and cooperation. Alas, it was not something she was willing to put up with a bunch of Americans for, not necessarily because she didn't like them – indeed, this particular bunch had her attention and the potential to grow on her – more because she hated the language they spoke and how hard it was to get her thoughts across.
She found herself wandering into the small bunker room which the Americans had allocated her to serve as her quarters, and felt the overwhelming urge to slide her hand under her neat stack of gear and clasp a sleek, valuable object which resided beneath, kept secret from her hosts. She cradled the wrist device in her hands as she hummed in thought, staring at her reflection in the shiny metal absently. The aliens who employed the devices had been very near this planet, and obviously held a grudge with Xenomorphs, which happened to be one of the two dominant species in the colony. She could warn the Americans, but that would entail sharing Russian resources, something which would probably get her court-marshalled, or worse. Then again, she could easily gain some American resources in return – for example, Tyler had insinuated he was good at pulling things apart and studying them, perhaps if a certain alien device were to fall into his hands he could shed some light on the creatures and their technological capabilities. In the end, her own words won her over; Collaboration. Collaboration means cooperation, cooperation means organisation, organisation means resistance. And, she decided, it's about time someone offered the Korporatsia some of that.
~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~
"Russian," Advena stated blankly as she pushed some scrambled eggs around her plate with a fork. "Never heard of it." Across the small booth from her, Jake raised a sceptical eyebrow.
"Really? Not even a passing mention? Surely someone would have bad-mouthed them within earshot of you." The duo were seated in the comfortable padding of a small curved booth next to a window overlooking the quiet town streets. Warm morning sunlight filtered in, casting a square of white onto the pristine square of wood which separated them as their table. Advena was avoiding eating the yellow mess on her plate as subtly as possible, not wanting to ruin the pleasant moment they'd been having by telling her partner it was disgusting.
Advena shook her head gently, confirming to him that she had no idea what the word meant. "It's uh, a sub-species of humans, if you will. Just like your kind have Runners, Warriors, Praetorians, Queens and all the rest, humanity has nationalities like American, Russian, Chinese and Indian. There used to be hundreds, but a lot of them chose to merge with the Federation, so there's only a dozen or so left nowadays."
"So… all the different 'nationalities' have different roles in society? And your sub-species are in charge of researching us Xenos, which is why we haven't seen anyone else around?"
"No. I mean yeah, kind of." Jake sighed, desperately wishing he had some back-up right then, but he had insisted they spend some more one-on-one time together, as he was disturbed they hadn't gone out on any dates together bar those which involved high-stress situations and massacring rebels. "No one nation is strictly better at one thing than another. We're all the same really, we just live differently and call ourselves by different names. Well, okay, there might be some genetic variation between us, but nothing quite as drastic as the difference between a Runner and a Spitter."
"I'm actually rather curious. Are Xenomorphs the first aliens humans have come into contact with?"
"If I were to go into any kind of detail about that, it would be a long story," Jake chuckled. Advena simply gestured at the lazy early-morning murmur of the café around them with a small grin tugging at her lips, before cupping a mug of coffee between her hands.
"We have time." Jake shrugged at the valid argument and launched into his explanation.
"So, uh, a long, long, long time ago, humanity breached the barrier that was our home system and entered the galaxy at large. The first aliens we ever came across were on a planet with one continent full of tribal-stage sentients. Aside from the massive culture shock which came with landing big space-faring vessels next to a straw hut filled with rock-wielding cavemen, some pretty nasty stuff ensued. Bear in mind that the Weyland-Yutani Corporation was solely responsible for all major space ventures at this point. Extensive studies with… questionable methods ensued of the new species, and that's when the Federation pops in."
Jake paused to ensure she was still listening, and was satisfied at her rapt expression. "They basically kidnapped the research crew and waited for the search and rescue team to show up and investigate. When it happened, the aliens demanded to talk to our leaders. We sent over some Weyland representatives, as Earth doesn't have a sole leader, so instead we sent the leaders of the corporation which was in charge of the ventures. It made sense, but began a pretty stupid spiral of power which ultimately led to the Corporation you see today. Anyway, they basically told us to stop fucking around with the tribals and join their government, as they were the sole power in the galaxy. As a Federation, we would still maintain control of our species, so long as we operated within their overarching laws. It sounded like a good deal, so we joined up. That was the best decision of our collective history as rapid technological advancement ensued, particularly in space exploration departments. The Federation always felt uneasy about us, as we made contact with them using pretty low-tier tech. Most other species in the Federation were at a much higher tech level when they joined up. As a result, the Federation kept a close eye on us, cue the next disaster.
Weyland-Yutani never stopped their genetic-engineering, controlled mutagen, weapons, artificial intelligence or population control research, of course. Far too profitable. They merely did their work in the shadows, keeping quite well-hidden for many decades, maybe even a century. In the end, they were exposed, but the Corporation knows how to manipulate a crowd. They sold it as the Federation trying to strip us of our freedom by taking away anything we could fight them with, that way we would be forced to obey them or be crushed. At this point only a few superpowers were left of Earthen countries; Russia, USA, China and India being the most prominent; the rest just kinda melted together under the banner of 'humanity', apart from those still on Earth, that is. It's hard to maintain your sense of national identity when everyone in your family since your great-great-great-great-great-grandfather was born in space. Not America though. As the Wey-Yu's nation of origin, we stood up for their freedom and independence. Eventually sick of it, the Federation kicked the US out in the hopes that a few centuries starved of technology would set us straight – meaning they cut off trade and all major contact with us. Unfortunately, the harsh action prompted the other superpowers to leave as well, fearing that we were right in saying they were there to control everything. Since then Federation Humanity has qualified for a seat on the Senate, and all fears of power-hungry aliens have been put to rest for them.
On a side note, that's also how the Wey-Yu has such power. All the major manufacturing companies stayed in the Federation, except for one. And being the only provider of tech and advancement to the outcast humans, it grew, and grew, and grew."
"Ironic, isn't it?" Tyler's pessimistic drawl interjected. "The Americans were so afraid of being controlled, they gave all their freedom to the Wey-Yu to prevent it. Meanwhile those prim assholes in the Federation are enjoying the high life of extended life spans, life-changing tech, lack of poverty and tolerance towards people different from themselves. Boy do I wish I was born in there instead of out here in this shit-show."
"Tyler we're having a da – we're trying to spend some quality time together here," Jake complained. "How did you even find us?" Rather than answer, Tyler simply nodded his head towards the café's counter, where Sal was accepting two steaming travel mugs from the barista.
"Just thought I'd hop over and say there's some important shit going on to do with a certain second species of dangerous aliens you should know about."
"Our Russian friend shared some more info?" Jake inquired curiously, momentarily forgetting his annoyance at being interrupted.
"And a whole lot more. I'll let you two get back to your date – you can talk to Jeica about it whenever you're ready." Jake watched the man saunter off to rejoin his boyfriend at the exit, before accepting his mug and leaving together.
"You hesitated," Advena hissed privately. Jake blinked in confusion, about to ask her what she was talking about. "You were going to say 'date', but you hesitated." He sighed and stared down at his own mug of steaming coffee for a few moments, struggling to put it into a way which the hot-headed alien would understand.
"I just… being around Tyler got me thinking that maybe… maybe we shouldn't be so open about our relationship. If you think Tyler's had it bad for being gay, then you don't want to know what happens to interspecial couples."
"I thought you said humans and the Federation had been cut off from one another. How could there even be any interspecies couples?"
"Well, through aliens like you guys. Non-Federation aliens; new aliens. For example, we contacted the Arcturians before the Federation did. Sure, they quickly ditched us for the Senate, but the Russians, the Russians have a pretty good relationship with the Karartiin. Good enough that they refused to join the Feds. Some of the other nations might have contacted aliens too."
"You don't know?"
"Well, no. We don't really hear a lot from the other nations. They were smart enough to spread out a bit more and cut off contact. The Russians on the other hand, the damn stubborn bastards wouldn't find their own corner of the galaxy and kept arguing that they were here first. There's literally a line on the star map separating our territories from one another – we're that close."
"And, instead of the proximity bringing you closer together…"
"It made us hate each other even more. Yeah, big surprise there. Not our fault though, they practically tried to passive-aggressively invade us. They keep wandering into our damn space as well – it's a miracle we haven't started a war."
"So… the whole taboo aliens thing… is that why Parker was so grossed out when we told him?" Jake nodded.
"Yeah, probably."
"Will he… tell anyone?" she asked cautiously. Her mind flickered to the scars, both physical and emotional, which marred their homosexual friend, and she shuddered. She didn't want to feel those scars being carved into her lover, too.
"Nah," Jake dismissed her nonchalantly. He was so sure of himself that Advena had to relax her body and flash a reassured smile. "The Resistance needs us, not only because they need every able-bodied soul they can get their hands on, but we also happen to be one of the few dozen super-awesome kick-ass elite special units of psychic humans and Xenos. The original pair at that." Advena did the emotional equivalent of an eye-roll at the childish spiel, but the wolfish grin stayed fixed on her face until she had to awkwardly tilt her head back in order to take a sip of coffee. The taste was slightly unpleasant to her, but it sent a nice – and worryingly addictive – tingle of energy down her spine which had her craving more.
"This is nice," Advena admitted after a companionable lull in the conversation. "We should do stuff like this more. Just relax, bring a few friends along maybe." A pang of discomfort plagued Jake at that, and Advena was both touched and annoyed that the reason why was locked away behind his mental defences. He didn't want her to find out, lest it spoil her fun too.
Jake had, in fact, suddenly thought of Verah, and all the other Unbonded Xenomorphs. It didn't feel right to him, enjoying the company of his Bonded while so many others were stranded in loneliness against their will. Every moment he spent like this, they spent in frustration at having to watch others enjoy the thing they had been craving for so long. He resolved to just hope Jeica would clear their mission soon.
~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~
"What do you mean you're leaving?" Jeica demanded with a furious gesture, swatting the air with an arm in frustration. Her arms returned to their position clasped behind her back a second later while she paced up and down the bunker's command room. Parker, on the other hand, leaned idly against the locked doorway, as if he hadn't a care in the world.
"I'm a lieutenant, Jeica. The Resistance needs me to lead people. As much as I love helping out around here, as far as the generals are concerned, I'm just sitting on my hands. I think we both know you're quite capable of leading these people without me." Jeica stopped, narrowed her eyes, and jabbed an accusatory finger at the man.
"You know that's not the point. I can lead marines, in a marine hierarchy. You're supposed to be teaching me how the Resistance works. How am I supposed to –"
"Tyler knows the ins and outs," Parker interrupted her, patting the air in a 'calm down' motion. "We were good friends back in the day; I taught him all there is to know. I'm sure he will be more than happy to point out everything you're doing wrong with an upturned nose and snide remark."
"God damn it Parker, don't make me laugh – I'm trying to be pissed at you." Parker's own lips tugged up into a smirk at those words, and his tone twisted into one more playful to match.
"Well, shuttle arrives tomorrow, so if you've got any questions… here I am."
"Just one for now," Jeica said, much calmer now – though whether it was because of the sound reasoning or the playful attitude, she wasn't sure. "If you do plan on leaving, then I'm going to be an official lieutenant before that, right? Otherwise we might have some problems here."
"Hm, that is the plan, but Tyler should have gotten back to us with the paperwork by now. Maybe we should go check up on him?"
"The kid does have a habit of getting sidetracked," Jeica agreed. Parker thumbed the door control, and after a sweeping gesture, the two strode out into the bunker beyond. It didn't take them long to reach Tyler's abode, Jeica having fired off the occasional question as they walked. Once there, she gave the heavy hatch a gentle knock, eying up the half-built structure which hugged the crashed ship's side. It looked to be a small garage of sorts. Maybe Tyler planned on owning a car so he didn't have to walk the distance to town all the time?
The hatch creaked open, revealing Tyler clad in his stained lab coat, an annoyed frown on his lips – probably at being interrupted, knowing him.
"Yeah?" was all the two lieutenants at the door got from him as he leaned against the doorframe, trying to look as disinterested as possible. Jeica knew enough by now to see through the guise; Tyler really did enjoy his time here, even if his reasons for staying were limited.
"You have some paperwork due in, Mister Doelle," Jeica chided him as a teacher would a tardy student. Tyler's brow almost creased in confusion, but thankfully for his pride, Parker's presence was enough to tip him off to what she was referring to.
"Well golly gee, sorry ma'am," Tyler drawled with an eye roll, "guess I was just so busy I forgot to hand it in. If Harlor thought your to-do list was tedious…" Tyler let that one hang as he disappeared back inside his ship, returning a moment later with a stack of paper in his arms. "A piece of advice: just throw all this in a draw somewhere and read up on it with a PDA – it's much easier on the eyes." Jeica glanced down at the first page as the weighty pile was shifted into her arms. It was neatly set out, quite organised for a rebellion. The top of the page held the Resistance emblem, followed by her own faction insignia, which was an eagle, eyes to the sky, wings bursting out at its sides as it prepared to soar upwards. She nodded approvingly – that was badass enough for her. Below it, however, was her faction's name.
"The Saints… of America?" Jeica demanded. Tyler just shrugged.
"Well, I thought the Resistance could do with a bit of propaganda. I was actually thinking that your faction could head a campaign which people would just eat up. Everyone knows the Wey-Yu is corrupt, all you gotta do is convince them that we're the solution – that we're the ones who are gonna put things back to the way they should be. The Xenomorphs make a pretty good addition, seeing as it promotes the peace and prosperity between people and yada yada yada."
"The Saints of America," Jeica repeated thoughtfully. "You know, now that you mention it, it does kind of fit. And hey, if the Corporation is going to use propaganda against us, we might as well give 'em a taste of their own medicine." She briefly glanced over the rest of the summery. Abbreviation: SoA, faction leader: Lieutenant Jeica Smith, colony: Altin.
"So yeah, congratulations on your promotion, lieutenant. You are now officially the leader of the first interspecial battalion in several centuries. Do us proud. And get the hell off my front porch already; I've got work to do." Jeica chuckled at the playfully-biting tone and tucked the papers under her arm, before about-facing and marching back to the colony, Parker close in tow.
"So… how are you planning on handling things from here on out?" Parker asked curiously, though Jeica could pick out apprehension in his voice. He was worried for her. Cute.
"Well, I figured first thing's first, we've got to pick up some Royal Jelly, maybe find a Queen if we're lucky. That'll only take a small strike force, considering we've got Xenos to back us up, so I might just bring Jacob and a few others I can trust. From there, I'll root out the ones who don't have the Resistance's best interests at heart and… actually, what do I do with them? Turn them away? Lock them up? I'm sure as hell not gonna initiate a mass execution." Jeica turned to Parker, curious for his input. After all, the Resistance could have encountered a similar dilemma before.
"Sometimes…" he began slowly, not daring to return her gaze, "we have to do things we aren't proud of. For the greater good."
"No," Jeica growled flatly. "That's something the Wey-Yu would say. I'm done with that shit. We build this Resistance on good morals and humanity, or we don't even bother trying."
"You don't have the resources to house fifty socioeconomic dead-weights on this planet, let alone a hundred, or two hundred. So what are you going to do then? There are no good options here, Jeica. Every choice you make will always hurt someone – I thought you of all people would be used to that by now."
"And I thought you of all people would understand the need to be better than those we wish to fight." Parker shrugged nonchalantly and slipped his hands into his pocket, not intent on making an argument of it.
"I'm not gonna tell you your business. But if it were down to me, I'd put my own people first. Anyway, I've got to have a chat with the Generals regarding my lack of faction to return to, so I'll let ya mull it over in peace. Good luck, Lieutenant Smith." Jeica's stride slowed to a halt, leaving her standing on the paved road with her hands on her hips, staring peevishly at Parker's receding back. She didn't consider their conversation over, but she wasn't willing to chase after the rebel like some stray dog, so she blew out an annoyed puff of air and simply checked her watch. She had enough time for a coffee before she was set to meet up with Soyuznik. She'd taken it upon herself to show him around the place and make sure he knew how to fit in. She made her way over to her favourite café, thinking deeply about her plans for the next week as she went.
First, they would have to offload their foreign guest before doing anything drastic – not because she didn't trust the Russian, more because she wanted to be here to see her off, rather than away on a mission. If anything, it was her own people she didn't trust. Who knows how they would react when a Russian cruiser dropped into orbit without her nearby? After that, she would take Jacob, Advena, Mozart and a few other marines she could scrape up to find some Royal Jelly – she would have to talk to Tyler about potential locations to raid tomorrow. Next up was separating the loyalists from the rebels, and then… she would make a decision. If she was even going to consider Parker's option, she would have to trick the loyalists into thinking they were going to get out alive… make them think she was naïve. Perhaps rigging a small ship to remotely detonate, then offering it as an escape for all those who wanted to return to the Wey-Yu? Not that it mattered, she told herself; it would never come to that. She would find another way.
Jeica suddenly did a double-take and backpedalled slightly. Just outside the café in a small island of grass amongst the sea of pavement, a lone tree stood proudly. It could have been Oak if not for the odd swirling branches and bright pink, orange and yellow leaves. One might have thought it mid-autumn by looking at the plant, but it was in fact mid-summer – the tree just happened to bear those colours all year round. Ironically, that made it an evergreen by principle, even though its leaves were never green. Besides the tree, there were a few park benches facing the rows of buildings – mostly shops in this area – where a few birds hung around, keeping a sharp eye out for any snatch-able lunches. Below the tree, however, in the shade of its sturdy mahogany branches, were the two figures which caught her eye.
A Xeno who Jeica didn't recognise – though that wasn't saying much, considering her ability to recognise the aliens hadn't caught on with her like it had with Jake – was lounging on its belly like an oversized cat, looking uncomfortable despite its leisurely position. Next to it, leaning against the trunk of the tree, was a woman clad in Russian military fatigues, arms folded across her chest while the peak of an American marine's cap was pulled over her eyes to shield them from the sun, obviously having a mid-afternoon snooze.
"Howdy," Jeica greeted them, stepping closer. Soyuznik slowly raised his head, the lack of any other action confirming her suspicions of him having been watching her the whole time discreetly. It wouldn't be hard, considering nobody could see a Xeno's eyes. Akilina Sokolov stirred and lazily pushed the cap up off her eyes so she could stare at the newcomer.
"Privet," she returned cautiously, unsure what to make of the semi-friendly figure. Jeica nodded, assuming that was her way of saying hello.
"I thought I might give your friend a tour of the place, seeing as he's going to be staying with us. Hopefully make him a little more comfortable – he looks a little on edge." Akilina simply shrugged, so Jeica turned to the Xeno in question. "So… uh… Sputnik?"
"Soyuznik," Akilina corrected her.
"Right, right. Soyuznik. Shall we?" Rather than answer, he peeled himself off the soft grass and slowly rose onto all fours, hesitating before drawing himself to his full height on two feet. "You don't mind if I grab a coffee first, do you?" Soyuznik shook his head and followed her into the café across the paved road, the fact that Akilina stretched and tagged along behind them not lost on her.
Soyuznik hung back once they entered the sparsely-populated café, opting to observe his surroundings rather than partake in them. In a corner booth, he spotted a human and Xeno sitting across from one another, chatting leisurely while sipping from identical Styrofoam cups. At the counter, the cashier was all smiles, asking Jeica what she'd like today, a badge on his breast proclaiming cheerily 'I'm a telepath!'. When the kitchen door swung open to make way for a waiter, Soyuznik caught sight of one of his kin, dressed almost comically in an apron and what looked like a white cloak over its thankfully-spineless back. It held a knife in one hand, dicing some vegetables, while its tail, almost with a mind of its own, dipped itself in some bubbly liquid, dried itself off on a towel and began slicing some meat thinly with its bladed tip.
It seemed… too perfect. Soyuznik had to wonder how long the two species had been together to include each other so perfectly and so synchronously. It couldn't have been more than a few months, judging by the fact there were still non-telepaths. It could be a trap; designed to lull him into a false sense of security. But then why would the other Xenos be cooperating? And what was the point of tricking him anyway?
Then again… not all of the humans were so synchronous, which would make sense if they had only been together for a short time. He remembered earlier that day how he'd seen a man trip over nothing and fall on his ass after seeing a Xenomorph slip around a street corner. At the time, Soyuznik had thought nothing of it, but now, it only made sense. Humans were still scared of his kind. Oddly enough, that thought relaxed him a little. That was natural, at least. The rest of the colony, however, just seemed all so strange to him.
He made another round of the room, and sure enough, he noticed a pattern in the seating. The Xenomorph and their Bonded were in the far corner of the room, with about two people sitting near them. In the other corner of the room, about seven people were eating and chatting quietly, whilst an empty stretch of perfectly-good seating separated the two sides of the room. It was subtle, but the more he looked, the more he noticed the divide. Not just between human and Xenomorph, but between the humans who were comfortable with their alien allies, and the humans who were terrified of them.
One of the humans on the non-Xeno side of the room gave the Bonded human an odd look, before turning back to their companion and speaking in hushed tones, to which the other human nodded, casting an unreadable glance of his own at the duo in the corner.
"Are you alright there?" a soft voice asked, coercing him from his thoughts. His head twitched to the side, drinking in the sight of a plainly-dressed waitress. Using a trick he had picked up in his days of captivity – though, regrettably, back then he had used it for more malicious reasons – he moved his head to indicate where he was looking, despite the fact Xenomorphs had a wide field of view. The waitress was wearing one of the sparkly blue badges exclaiming 'I'm a telepath!'.
"I am fine… thank you, human." Was that right? He felt like he should thank the human for its concern, but often if 'thank you' was said when none was necessary, it was meant in a sarcastic or snarky way. He didn't want to come off as having ill-intent. All his worrying was proven to be for naught, however, when the waitress flashed him a smile and continued on her way, clearly not offended.
Jeica returned moments later with three Styrofoam cups, handing one to Akilina and one to himself, which he hesitantly accepted.
"It's a latte," the lieutenant explained as she ushered them out the door. "Fairly beginner level coffee, in case you want to try some. If you don't like it, you can just toss it, I won't mind."
"Flat white is best, but latte is good too," Akilina put in before taking a sip. She was unusual, Soyuznik had come to realise, more so than he had initially thought when meeting her. She didn't just talk oddly, but she made weird observations, excluded herself from the others, and kept muttering things in a tongue he didn't understand every so often. Apart from that, she was treated oddly too – almost as if she too were an alien in this colony. She attracted the same suspicious, fearful and hateful glances that his kind did. Was she an alien? Maybe, but she was almost identical to a human, so it was a bit of a stretch. He could ask his 'tour guide', he supposed.
Jeica was heading the pack, so her back was turned to him, which meant a physical gesture was out of the question, apart from tapping her on the shoulder, which he was unwilling to do for fear of startling her. He could clear his throat, but that just wouldn't make any sense at all. Maybe he should just start talking and hope it's not rude to do so? Being around humans in such a manner was giving him a headache, he had no idea how the others put up with it; it was almost easier back when their species were still fighting one another.
"Here is where a lot of our people spend their time," Jeica announced, snapping Soyuznik out of his thoughts and bringing his attention to their surroundings. They were on a small grassy hill in the shade of a solitary tree, a rolling slope below them giving way to a flat, barren area with several esoteric stations scattered around. One was a square of padded material ringed in with elastic rope, another was a set of booths overlooking a stretch of land, capped off by several standing targets with a backdrop of thick concrete. A small shack off to the side, near a bunker entrance, was relatively busy compared to the rest of the place – marines would waltz in empty-handed, and come back out with a weapon of some kind. What caught Soyuznik's attention, however, was the synergy between the humans and the Xenos. Here, there were no odd stares, no hateful whispers, only grim determination, smirks, and jibes. One pair appeared to be having an argument of some sort, and Soyuznik feared it would get physical, but the human roared with laughter, slapped their Xeno companion's shoulder good-naturedly, and shouldered a rifle, before the duo made their way over to the shooting range booths. A competition ensued, each warrior trying to best the other in tests of speed, accuracy and efficiency.
Jeica motioned for them to begin walking down, intending on introducing a few of the soldiers to ease his nervousness, and Soyuznik's curiosity convinced him to comply. "Most Xenomorphs chose to continue fighting in order to free the rest of their kind from the Corporation's grasp, so they come here to train. Others decided to throw in the towel and find a more passive way of helping the Resistance, such as construction work and hunting, or even helping us humans get comfortable with our telepathy. Fair enough I say; you guys shouldn't need to fight any longer than you already have. Hell, I wish we didn't have to, but it seems to be the only way we can show things are able to change. The Weyland-Yutani Corporation has built itself into something indomitable; nobody believes we can get rid of them, and so nobody chooses to stand against them. I choose to believe if we kick their corporate shins enough, others will join the fray, and we'll bring them down, one way or another."
"And others believe this is all a pointlessly complicated way of committing suicide," Tyler helpfully added from nearby. Jeica placed her hands on her hips irritably and turned to face him.
"Really?" she demanded with a scowl. They were supposed to be consoling Soyuznik, not adding more stress and fear into his life. The scientist simply shrugged and continued fiddling with what looked like a cannibalised flamethrower atop a table outside the storage shed. "What are you doing here anyway? I thought you had something important to work on."
"Funny story, I went to pick up some better tools to crack this alien device, but it turns out we don't have anything with more finesse than a sledgehammer. Thus, I'm making an impromptu micro-solder." Jeica sighed at his matter-of-fact attitude and extended an exasperated arm in his direction.
"This is our resident scientist, Tyler," she introduced him. "God knows what diplomas he has, but he seems to know a little of everything. He's not exactly charismatic though, so if you need anything from him, you'll probably have better luck talking to his Xeno, Sal."
"None actually," Tyler answered nonchalantly as he hefted a gas canister. Jeica cocked her head, unsure of what he was referring to. "I got kicked out of my home and joined the Resistance in my last year of high school. Never made it to college."
"That's actually really worrying."
"'Tis, isn't it?" Tyler cackled maniacally as he finished twisting the dangerous-looking device together. He experimentally clicked the trigger a few times and a tiny flame leapt to life in the thin nozzle which was once a flamethrower's primer. Tyler grinned at his handiwork, shut it off, and pocketed it. "Anyway, I have important things to do, you have a tour to get on with; it's probably time for you to skidaddle." Jeica harrumphed at the disrespect, but otherwise let it slide and turned back to her companions with a sigh.
"Yes, yes, I'm sure you two will be wanting to take a look at the Hive-in-progress. Follow me."
~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~
Jake leapt off the top of a tall, half-destroyed building, explosions rocking the distance and wind whipping past his face. A bright flash split the sky as a ball of fire approached the ground in the distance. He hit the dusty ground in a slide, his sights set on a running target before him. He unleashed half a clip of his SMG, giving the enemy barely enough time to spin around before their body was sent flying backwards in a shower of sparks. He slipped gracefully back onto his feet and kept running, leaping towards the nearest wall and running along its vertical surface with the aid of small thrusters set into the back of his armour. The distant fireball had struck the earth, revealing itself to be a colossal mech suit protected by an orange dome of a shield. The body of the machine split open, allowing a red figure to jump inside, and Jake knew his time was short. He boosted himself off the wall, towards the orange dome and… died in a pathetic fizzle.
'Killed by BOT_06'
"Damn it!" Jake exclaimed, letting his controller fall into his lap in exasperation. "I can never get the timing right on those stupid shields."
"They disappear as soon as the person inside moves; you just have to predict when they're going to start moving," Advena advised him, her long fingers squirming uncomfortably on the buttons of the much-too-small controller.
"Ugh, this game feels too weird for me. I've always been taught to take things slow, check every corner, maintain visual with your squad – it feels unnatural to play something where you have to act on instinct and rush through everything."
"I can see where you're coming from. I guess it just feels natural to me, because quick and instinctual is just how Xenomorphs are. Playing this game to you is what learning to be a marine was to me: Unnatural." Jake's character respawned, and they continued playing the game for a few more minutes in concentrated silence, before he spoke up again.
"I've been thinking about the hypothetical Queen we're trying to get," he stated suddenly. "And I was wondering what they're like. I've never seen one before, apart from my first Bug Hunt…" They both simultaneously grimaced at the memories, Jake's hand subconsciously scratching at the acid wounds which still scarred his shoulder and upper chest. Neither had really thought or talked about those times much – it wasn't exactly something they were comfortable with. Both parties had suffered heavy losses, and the only thing they could find to be thankful for was the fact Jake hadn't managed to kill himself with his grenade like he'd intended.
Advena had to consider the unspoken request for a while. She'd had two Queens in her lifetime; the one she'd been born to, and the one which adopted her when she was moved to the research colony on which she had impregnated her lover. She briefly wondered if the latter was still alive, because there was nobody else she would rather have leading her people on this colony than her foster mother. With a sad smile, she made her choice.
"My memories won't be much good to us on this matter; I was far too young, younger than I was in… the last memory I shared with you." Jake acknowledged the fact with a grim nod, grateful she was leaving that recent wound be. "But I can at least try to do her some justice with my words. My mother was the single greatest person I have ever known – oh don't give me that look, you'd –" Advena stopped herself before she could finish that sentence with 'you'd say the same about your own mother', steeled herself, then continued. "She was always so kind and nurturing to us, often going days on end without sleep in order to give all her children the love they needed. She never let us give up, she always kept us strong, never let us hurt one another or scrabble to survive. She raised us all to be a true family, so much that when one or two Xenomorphs had a chance to escape alone, they left it and withstood the pain and humiliation of their experiments. Her will is what let us break out like we did. I just wish she had still been around to see it… she would have been so proud of us, even if we did all die. Except me, that came a little later."
'Press A to Respawn' had been flashing insistently on both their screens for a good while now, neither of them having been paying attention to the game. The Xeno's monologue hadn't exactly been informative in they way Jake had hoped, but he appreciated her opening up to him on the matter, so leaned over and wrapped his arms around her regardless. "It hurts, knowing what happened to her," Advena whimpered, nuzzling closer into his grip. "That despite all her kindness and valour, she ended up dead. Murdered. Gone. All for nothing, a pointless cause in a pointless war, if we can even call it that. But after all this time, the pain's dulled and I understand what happened and why it did. I know your pain isn't dulled yet Jacob, but whenever you feel like you can handle it, I have more memories of your parents I can show you. For closure."
Jake took a deep breath and nodded his understanding. Maybe in time, but at that moment, there was a mission to consider and a day to enjoy – he didn't want negative emotions to be hanging over either of those things like an angry storm cloud, just waiting to strike painful thunder into his heart. He thanked his alien companion, but didn't give her the go-ahead. Instead, they stayed on the couch a little longer, cuddling away the bad memories.
~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~
Soyuznik visibly relaxed when he stepped over the dark threshold into the resin-lined cave. Behind him, swaying ferns and bushes cast bouncing shadows into the entryway from the forest beyond. They had traversed the thick foliage via a small tunnel carved out of the flora already by some of the colony's construction workers, while the Xenomorphs worked on the interior. A good half of the branching cave system had yet to be covered, but it was already feeling rather cosy – for the Xenomorphs. Jeica grimaced as she felt her shirt sticking to her body, making her tac-vest dig into her skin uncomfortably, probably chafing her. She ignored the unpleasant sensation and pointed at the ceiling, where strings of dull lights were dangling, supported by thick casings of resin.
"We had our construction crews install some luxuries into the place, though the lights are more for our benefit, really. We had some spare atmos regulators leftover from the colony pack though, so we've thrown them around the place to keep it nice and humid, and sticky… and gross." Soyuznik shot her an insulted look, at which she shrugged. "It ain't comfy for us, it's the hard truth. There's also the fact that half of us don't dare set foot in here because of… well, you know."
"Because they are still scared of us, despite the alliance?" Soyuznik provided matter-of-factly.
"Don't pretend like you haven't been ready to tear me apart at the first sign of trouble. We've been struggling against each other for hundreds of years, give us some time to settle in, yeah?" The Xeno had no rebuttal for that, so Jeica grunted in satisfaction and resumed admiring the intricate patterns slicked into the walls. "Speaking of settling in… we're hoping to have a Queen some time soon. I'm leading a mission to retrieve some Royal Jelly in a few days. Trouble is, we're having trouble finding a Xenomorph fit for the role – you wouldn't happen to fancy yourself a Queen, would you?" Soyuznik shook his head bemusedly, and Jeica sighed. "Ah well, was worth a shot."
The duo (Akilina not included as she was too busy running her hand along the ribbed walls, admiring the resin) stood still for a few minutes more, merely watching the goings-ons around them. A construction worker stumbled slightly in fright when a Xenomorph peeled itself off the wall and stalked towards the exit, almost dropping his payload of small steel beams. Luckily, another Xeno happened to be passing by with two heavy slabs of concrete on either shoulder, so it hastily caught the beams with its tail and presented them to the nervous man. Soyuznik observed all this, and turned back to Jeica, who had been watching also.
"Are you sure it's wise to leave this colony on a mission? You are their leader, are you not?" Jeica nodded, already seeing where this was going, and hating every second of it. Worst of all, is she knew he was right. "Shouldn't you stay here then, and make sure nobody does anything… regrettable?"
Jeica glanced back up to the hubbub of construction around her and sighed. She began making her way out of the spine-chilling cave and back into the daylight, Soyuznik dutifully following close behind. He again found himself thinking how oddly comforting it was to see humans acting uneasy around his kind, but with every observation of fear and nerve, Soyuznik grew more confident of the peculiar colony. As for Jeica, she was contemplating the idea of letting Jacob head the mission – he and Advena could probably tackle the operation alone, after all.
"Do you know a lot about your kind?" Jeica asked suddenly as they walked, the rumble of machinery and voices fading quickly the farther they travelled. "About Bonding and all that?"
"I like to think I know as much as any other Xenomorph – bar the ones currently in a Bond, of course."
"Is it normal for a Xeno and their Host to… y'know, not click?"
"I'm not sure I follow."
"I dunno, Mozart just doesn't seem to have the same kind of connection with me as Jake and Tyler do with their lovers."
"You think he might not love you?"
"What? No I – I'm not interested in fucking aliens, to be frank. The thought of it grosses me out a little, no offense. What I mean is, Jake and 'Vena are just so in sync; I've seen them fight, and it's like they're one person. Mozart and I are definitely two separate people; two different people. Do your people sometimes pick the wrong person to Bond with?" Soyuznik shamefacedly dragged his tail through the dirt while staring at his feet like a dog that had been caught tearing up the couch.
"If I'm honest, not many of us have thought about who we impregnate for a long time. For the last couple of centuries, we've accepted the fact that you all die when we hatch, so there's no point picking our Hosts out like anything different is going to happen. It's quite possible your 'Mozart' had given up, while your friends' companions clung to their dreams of Bonding." Jeica didn't know whether to be disappointed or not – at the very least, she had telepathy, and should Mozart ever give up his pacifism he had proven to fight quite well at her side if the short bout on Reveles was anything to go by.
"Well, thanks anyway. I suppose I should call Jacob then – if I'm not going on the mission, then there's no point delaying it so I can see Akilina off – oh shit, did we leave her behind?" They glanced at one another guiltily, then ran back the way they'd come, back towards the Hive.
~~~~~~~~~~()~~~~~~~~~~
Jeica placed her palms against the deactivated holo-table, studying the faces of the assorted creatures assembled across from her. Jake and Advena stood on the leftmost side of the room, the former having his arms folded loosely, an expression of rapt attention fixated on his face, and the latter studying the other occupants curiously, having not met these humans before. Tyler and Sal were next to them, the human wearing a scowl and fiddling with his PDA while his alien companion fidgeted and occasionally leaned over his shoulder, obviously conversing privately. Next to them were the two pairs Jeica had picked out; Corporal Leonard McDain, his Warrior Xeno Skater, Private Estela Burtz and her Spitter Xeno Loco. At the far end of the group was a lone man with a very neutral expression and an odd dullness in his icy blue eyes, standing at attention with his arms clasped behind his back. He went by the name of 'Larry' and was oddly unsettling.
"Tyler?" Jeica demanded simply. The scientist took a deep breath, eyes still glued to his screen, before finally looking up and tucking it away.
"There's not a lot of information in the ether," he began, gesturing to the air for emphasis, "so I've been running off experience to determine the best place. There's a small research outpost all about testing Xenomorph sub-species and the likes where I was stationed for a good nine months in my early days. This was over a year ago mind you, so I can't make any promises, but it's the best lead I can get. Last I was there, they had a Queen and a pretty sizable supply of Royal Jelly for research purposes. With any luck, we'll find one or the other still around. My codes will definitely be out of the system by now even if they weren't low-access, but I can still crack the systems once we're on-site, which means –"
"Hang on," Jake interjected. "What do you mean 'we'? There is no way you're coming with."
"I need to be there to break into their archives; the information they'll have there is too good to pass up. Not to mention I know the layout of the place. There's also some… personal business I'd like to attend to there." Jake glared at Jeica, demanding she share her thoughts on the matter.
"I couldn't stop him if I wanted to," she said with a shrug. "He's more than capable, Jacob – especially with Sal at his side."
"As I was saying," Tyler continued, satisfied with the answer, "they'll detect us as soon as we're in orbit as I won't be able to get us an entry code. They don't have anti-air cannons, but they will have ground forces ready to defend the doors. Method of entry is up to you, Sergeant Harlor." Jeica nodded and flicked the holo-table on, allowing a star map to flicker to life. A dotted line connected two planets over an expanse of stars, each labelled by its serial number in tiny print.
"It's a two-week-round trip," she took over, "which is where Larry comes in. Now that we have synthetics like him on our side, we can use the cryo-pods."
"Are you insane?" Tyler objected. He jabbed a finger at the unafflicted synthetic and leaned over the holo-table at her. "We don't know how well they've been scrubbed – they could still have Wey-Yu protocols inside them! This droid could deliver us and our ship directly to the Company's doorstep as soon as our heads hit the pillows!"
"If you do not trust me, you are welcome to stay awake," Larry soothed him, the peevish edge coming from his hatred of being called a 'droid'.
"I damn well will," Tyler snapped. Jake couldn't help but suppress a smirk when Advena amusedly pointed out Sal's resigned expression in private. He couldn't blame the poor alien; the last time he'd been cooped up in a ship for that long hadn't exactly been fun for him.
"Alright ladies, let's not forget why we're here," Jeica intervened. "Equipment-wise, you'll be taking a small transport vessel loaded with standard siege ops gear. If you need anything loaded on, get it today, as you're leaving tomorrow morning, oh-nine-hundred." She tapped a few commands into the holo table's controls, prompting it to zoom in on the planet and show the outer shell of the facility. "Uninhabitable atmosphere, which limits your breaching capabilities. You're going to have to EVA to an airlock or risk compromising the facility and its contents. Other than that, she's all yours Sergeant."
"'Vena and I will look it over tonight. We can plan during the trip if need be," Jake informed her, caught off-guard by her sudden professionalism. The persona cracked, however, when she smiled and slapped him on the shoulder supportively.
"Good luck marines." She strode out the room, effectively dismissing the meeting. Tyler gave Sal a look which meant business, and the two followed on after the lieutenant, likely to gather the supplies they'd need to last a two-week round trip. The other marines weren't far behind, casting anxious glances at the still-active holo-table, before turning and leaving, trusting that Jake would do his job.
Now alone, Advena leaned over to her lover and kissed his cheek gently, bringing him out of his brow-furrowing train of thought.
"Don't worry about it; you and I could tackle that place in our sleep. Just keep in mind that with Xenos on your side, you can afford to try some more… unorthodox strategies, like in the video games. In fact, you'd probably benefit from doing so due to my kind's particular nature. Just something to think about," Advena added quickly, already feeling the doubt welling in her partner. Why were humans so insistent on sticking to their rules and procedures?
"Because if rules and procedures had been followed, our species would never have been at war in the first place; we would never have even made first contact. It was due to the disobedience of Ellen Ripley's quarantine order that the first Xeno outbreak happened." Jake chuckled at her dumbfounded expression and rubbed her cheek affectionately. "They drilled that into us in Bug Hunting 101."
"How bad was first contact?" Advena asked hesitantly. Jake's answer was simple, but all the information she needed.
"One survivor."
"Oh."
Jake patted her back reassuringly and began leading them out of the dark room, planning on catching some sleep before their big debut.
A/N: After editing this chapter, I just suddenly realised how much I have Tyler pop out of nowhere to offer his pessimistic stance on everything. Ah well, it's a running gag now I s'pose. CrazyBirdMan59 out.