Chapter 6 Dig Deeper
Summary: As the 2 extraterrestrials continue their quest, they begin to ask questions about each others' species.
Celtic: The Ooman owns nothing
Ghost & Viciousa were nearing San Francisco but had to stop due to the sun rising. They hid in an old subway rail line. While in hiding, Ghost took out a buffalo's skull & continued to clean it. Viciousa noticed it & hissed. "What's wrong?" Ghost asked. "What is it with you hunters & skulls?!" Viciousa asked. "It is a simple explanation. Skulls are where we believe is the origin of thought, emotion and skill. By taking the skull of a creature, we Predators believe that we gain that creatures' skills such as increased stamina or faster reflexes. If the spine gets pulled out, it shows incredible strength. The skulls of some creatures are so impressive, female predators-" "Wait there are female hunters?! Well where are they?!" Viciousa asked. "They don't usually hunt a lot." Ghost said. "Idiots! In a Xenomorph hive, the females are alpha & we have no males! But there are rare occurrences of Xenomorphs being spawned male." Viciousa said.
"Well anyways, female predators sometimes get impressed. Hence, why we collect skulls. Also because they make great trophies." Ghost explained. Viciousa made the head motion as if she were rolling her eyes. "What? It's what we do. Besides, I've been wondering, what is this ranking system Xenomorphs have?" Ghost asked as he finished cleaning the buffalos' skull. "It goes Drone, which are the ones with smooth heads. They build the hive with resin secreted from the tubes on their backs & mouths. Warriors, which have a rough texture on their heads. They defend the hive & are more aggressive than drones. Next is Praetorians-" "They exist?" Ghost asked. "Yes. They rarely come out of the hive. They're bigger than Warriors & have a crest like mine on their heads. They don't have 2 pairs of arms like Queens though. Praetorians are more aggressive than Warriors. Then its me, the Queen. I control when the warriors attack, when hosts are brought to the hive & all other actions. But then there are Empresses. They rule over all Queens on a planet. They're bigger than Queens & have 5 points on their crests. But then there's the strongest of them all… The Queen Mother. She rules over every Xenomorph in the universe. I don't know that much about her, but I think she has a shorter crest than queens but is larger." Viciousa explained. "I had no idea that savage creatures could have a ranking system." Ghost said. "Well do you have a ranking system?" Viciousa asked. "Yes. I would be considered a Blooded. This means that I've been on a hunt & was successful. There are also Young Bloods, those who have yet to go on a hunt. But I haven't interacted with my own species in a long time so I don't know all the ranks." Ghost said. "Why do you hunters go after us Xenomorphs so much?" Viciousa asked. "We hunt your species because it is the only thing in the universe that gives my species a real challenge. Sometimes we win, other times your species wins. Your unlike humans. Your species is the ultimate prey." Ghost explained. "I guess I should be honored by that." Viciousa hissed. Ghost shrugged & finished cleaning the skull. "Should we continue?" Ghost asked. "Its dark out so, yes." Viciousa said. She let Ghost get on her back & the 2 left the subway.
3 hours later…
"How much further?" Viciousa hissed quietly. "We need to keep going North. We're nearly there" Ghost said. Viciousa continued to run. Despite her size, she was pretty quiet. She kept to only alleys & sometimes roof tops. "I've always wondered how Xenomorphs move without eyes" Ghost thought. "We have eyes, our heads are evolved to see out but nothing can see in. This stops us from being seen easier. Now keep quiet!" Viciousa hissed quietly. She continued & the 2 reached the edge of San Francisco. "Dawn is upon us!" Ghost growled. "Keep calm you! I know what I'm doing!" Viciousa hissed. She continued to run until they got to an abandoned building. "I didn't know Queens could run so fast." Ghost said. "That's because we're rarely moved from our egg sac. When you take away that, you have a force to be reckoned with. We're strong enough to rip as the humans say, an 'artificial person' in 2. BTW, how far are we from your ship?" Viciousa asked. "We should be there by tomorrow or the next day." Ghost said. "Good" Viciousa hissed.
Viciousa: So was this a chapter that was needed?
Me: Yes! I've sometimes wondered what Predators are thinking when they see Xenomorphs. Do they have any questions that have yet to be answered?
Ghost: Good concept. How'd you know about the Queen Mothers?
Me: I read about them online.
Ghost: R & R
