In the end, it would have always boiled down to this.
Weyland knew this as he and Paul stalked around the obstacles, heading for the centre of the room.
Between the two hulking generators, radiating heatwaves, there was another gate.
It was already open, leading into a darkened room.
They had approached it, and Weyland could see Akkan on the other side of the entrance, waiting patiently, ducked down into a dark corner.
It was a trap.
It had to be a trap.
Schulz' programming was not that desperate, he would not attempt to flee without having covered up his escape route.
But this was a new level of threat, even to Schulz.
"We have to rush inside. It's risky, but there is no other way. Tell that to Akkan too please. And stay behind me." Weyland whispered.
Paul nodded. Fred is going to storm the room.
Stay behind the both of us, Love.
Yeah, I know.
This is it.
Yep, this is it. Soon all will be over.
Let's go
"Akkan is ready."
"All right, on my mark."
He counted down, and then broke his cover with Paul and they stormed through the darkened entrance.
The room behind the door was dimly lit, and it took a few seconds for Paul to adjust his eyes to the low lighting.
It wasn't as vast as the generator room, yet the air was very warm and humid inside it, making Paul sweat.
There was a large, flat panel at the far end of the room, but bar that, and a window in the wall, the room was featureless.
The floor was, like the generator room, laid out with soft sand.
"SCHULZ! REVEAL YOURSELF!"
She's here. Akkan whispered in his mind. Paul wanted to ask who she was, but suddenly, with a hydraulic hiss, the double door behind them slammed shut, a bolt sliding in place.
It was almost completely dark in the room right now.
Paul felt Akkan's protective presence in front of him, the xenomorph had moved as to shield him with his body.
"Welcome, Mr. Weyland. Welcome to the hive."
The lights went on, and Paul gasped.
What he had thought was a large, flat panel in the back of the room was actually a window. A large window, leading into another room.
It was thick glass, blurring Paul's vision, but still the creature behind the glass was unmistakable.
A xenomorph Queen.
She was attached to an oviposter, and around her, there were at least dozens of eggs.
Eggs, Paul knew, contained facehuggers.
Dr. Schulz' face appeared in the window, and smiled. He was holding a microphone in his hand. "Her majesty has been busy laying eggs, so many in such a short time! Not even a few months, and we have got quite a stash of them."
"Your devilry will not endure, Schulz. You cannot get away. Where do you want to go?"
"Oh, but Mr. Weyland, I have everywhere to go. It is just a matter of programming."
"What do you mean?"
"Once you are impregnated, I will take your key card, return to my employer and have myself remodelled. And then I can take Control of Weyland-Yutani, for my employer."
Weyland chuckled. "I don't have my key card with me. Do you think I'm an idiot?"
"Well, no matter. As soon as I will raise the glass, her majesty will kill or impregnate the three of you. I doubt she's very happy at seeing Akkan."
Is that true?
Well... yeah, somehow. I promised to free her once we're done here.
You can't, and you know that.
I know. We will find something, won't we, Paul?
Just let me think how to get out of that situation.
I love you, Paul. Whatever happens?
I love you too, Akkan.
Weyland raised his gun, and loosened two shots in rapid succession at the glass window.
Aside from making ear-splitting sounds, nothing happened.
"You can't get through that with your pea-shooters. The Queen can't even smash through it. You need more than just ordinary bullets to get through the glass. Now, prepare to die."
Schulz started pressing buttons, and the bolts securing the glass between the queen and them slowly slid away.
"Akkan! Use yours!" Weyland shouted, pointing towards the xenomorphs gun.
Akkan expertly drew it, with a speed that surprised even Weyland, aimed it with one hand, and fired.
He knew it was a large calibre gun, but the weapon's boom was unexpectedly loud in the room. Paul clamped his hands over his ears, and Weyland flinched.
One bullet from the gun had managed to crack Schulz' reinforced glass.
Akkan fired again and again, making the Android duck, and re-seal the queen's chamber.
The queen hissed loudly, and the glass separating them from Schulz splintered, a shower of diamonds raining through the room.
Akkan roared victoriously, and holstered the gun. His moment had now come.
Loping towards the broken glass, he prepared himself to sink his teeth into Schulz.
Vaulting through the window, he scanned the room for his opponent. The last he had seen of him was his duck for cover but now the room was empty.
Schulz wasn't here. The xenomorph screeched loudly.
Where did he go? WHERE?
Weyland had followed Akkan, gun at the ready, also checking the room. There was a door leading out of it, and Weyland tried the handle. Locked.
"Stand back!" he ordered, pulling his gun and shooting through the lock. He had barely opened the door when he was roughly pushed aside by an angry xenomorph, and he saw Akkan bound through the corridor.
"Paul, wait here!" he shouted, and followed the xenomorph.
Paul saw the two of them disappear along the corridor, and turned his attention towards the queen. She was behind the thick glass, staring back at him. Rows and rows of eggs were positioned right around her. She was alone in the room, no members of her hive were with her.
Paul knew she must be suffering from that. It was not natural for a queen to be separated from her children, and it caused her suffering beyond his knowledge. She was angry and enraged for what Schulz had done to her, and he doubted that she would recognize the difference between Schulz, him or Weyland even if Akkan managed to communicate it.
His lover had promised to free her, but he knew they couldn't. She had nowhere to go to but death.
Lost in thought, Paul gazed at the queen, scratching his head. What should he do with her? He had to wait until Weyland and Akkan returned from their hunt. No doubt, Schulz would not survive them, and then, finally, this madness would stop. For madness it was, a crusade for revenge on both Akkan's and Weyland's account. As an educated person, he could grasp the futility of the concept of revenge, and yet, he understood them to an extent that amazed himself.
Would he have acted differently? If he had the chance, would he have killed Merrill? He didn't know, yet seeing Merrill's broken body on the floor gave him a strange satisfaction.
He was so lost in thought, he didn't even hear the man enter the room, until he spoke up.
"Dr. Cromwell?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, Paul jumped at seeing Schulz standing not five metres away from him. Fuck!
"Dr. Schulz!"
"Please, just forget about the Dr. it is time we needed to talk."
"The time for talk is over! You've almost killed us!"
"I haven't. Rather, my android self has. And now the Xenomorph and Weyland have fallen for the oldest trick in existence. A double."
"You are human?"
"I am human, Cromwell. We might not have met yet, you only knew my android self, but rest assured that I am well informed about you and the events that happened during your time on Sigma-44."
"Who are you?"
"I am Emmanuel Friedrich Schulz, chairman of the Old Wood Foundation."
"What is the Old Wood Foundation?" Paul noticed that Schulz' face was different. The android had been a very good replica but this was the real thing. He was older than the android, and the shadow of a beard had appeared again.
"The Old Wood Foundation is a consortium of banks and shareholders. In today's world, it is difficult for people outside Weyland-Yutani to build a successful, profitable business. The Old Wood Foundation is trying to break the dominance of one firm over the whole world. We are not the bad guys! We are just trying to shape and guide humanity to greatness!"
"If you are the "good" guys, why are you trying to kill me and Akkan?"
"Oh, but you don't understand! You are unique! You live like a human, like any other human, yet your DNA is almost similar to a xenomorph's! You shouldn't even be able to live like that!"
"You still tried to kill me for good measure. You left me at the hands of a brutal rapist, and tried to kill the one person I love."
"Your "love" for the xenomorph is nothing but a cranial misfiring. You cannot love that creature, as it cannot love you. But nevertheless, you managed, by adding your DNA to the Valaraoin, to turn it sentient. Your body contains litres of your blood, but I doubt after your experience that you would've aided us willingly."
"Schulz, you should've let go of this project years ago. Weyland –Yutani was wise, yet you are being stupid as we speak."
"If I manage to turn the Xenomorph into a bio-weapon, Weyland-Yutani's arms division will be out of work. And that will give us the leverage. Besides, I will build an android double to Frederic Weyland, and this will permit me to make the Weyland clan release their shares of Weyland-Yutani. Then it's only a question of money."
"Schulz, you are a criminal!"
"None of it matters now. You will die. You will all die, I'll have this bunker filled, and then research will start anew, from the frozen remains of your body, and the Valaraoin we will construct an army of Xenomorphs. And only small alterations to the formula will allow us to control them."
"You're a fool! You can't control them. Nobody can! You're trying something you will never succeed! You'll never manage to control Xenomorphs."
Schulz drew a gun on him, the barrel glinting in the dim light. "This thing might not look much, but trust me, it does its job."
Paul froze, staring at the weapon. Schulz would kill him, and he would never see Akkan again.
"Schulz, don't do this. We can agree on som-"
With a hiss, Akkan appeared in the Doorway, followed by Weyland. The xenomorph was splattered with white android liquid, and angrily hissed at Schulz now.
"Hello, Mr. Weyland!"
Schulz turned around, pointing the gun towards Weyland, and fired.
Akkan had reacted fast, but not fast enough. He tried to shove Weyland out of the way, but the bullet hit the human, slamming him to the ground.
Akkan hissed angrily, and looked at Schulz, as the human aimed the gun at him.
"Goodbye, number 13."
Akkan started to reach for his gun, but someone was faster.
Gunfire rapped through the room, and Schulz staggered, blood spurting from his chest.
Paul pressed the trigger again and again, the recoil making his arms hurt, but he aimed steadily.
Nine shots impacted in the man, the last one spreading his brain all over the glass in front of the queen.
The body slumped to the ground, falling over and coming to rest face-down on the floor.
It was over.
Paul stared at the weapon in his hand. The clip was empty, the barrel slightly smoking.
Paul!? Are you all right?
I'm okay….
Akkan bounded over to him, and hugged him. It is over. You've done it.
I have…
You saved my life. The xenomorph pressed his lips on Paul's. I love you.
I love you too, Akkan.
They let go of each other. We have to get out.
Is Weyland still alive? Paul jogged over to Weyland, who was lying in the dirt.
He was alive.
"Fred! Where are you hit?"
"It ... went into my side… But it's a low-power bullet – It's not shot through.-…"
He was pressing his hand on his side, groaning in pain. "We will get you out, don't worry."
Akkan, help me! Carry him for me! And then get out!
What about you?
Paul gritted his teeth. I'm going to save the queen, just as you promised.
I'm not leaving without you!
Then get Fred up to the Ship! He needs medical attention! Too many people have died of Schulz' plan, no more!
Akkan reluctantly lifted Weyland up, and turned to Paul I will find you if you aren't back fast enough.
Go! Hurry! I'm not sure if Schulz had a backup plan!
The Xenomorph turned, and left the room, and Paul was alone with the queen.
Paul must be insane.
Akkan loped along the corridors, holding a bleeding and groaning Weyland.
Strangely, the human's blood did not interest him. Maybe it was because he had devoured a human just a few hours ago, and now felt full.
He avoided passing his brethren's cells.
They wouldn't understand.
Guilt stabbed his heart. He was leaving them, and he was leaving his own mother. She had tried to contact him, but so far he had blocked it out, causing him to have regrets now.
Mother, I'm sorry. I cannot get you out. But Paul will find a way to save you.
She wanted to answer, but Akkan closed his mind again, closed it to anything.
He only felt the beating of his heart, the pain coursing through his wounded leg, and Weyland's ragged breathing.
The man was in pain, in a similar way as Paul when he was shot, so Akkan had some experience.
He turned left and right, scouting for guards, but there weren't any. He couldn't smell or feel any either. It seemed the complex was deserted.
He loped on, towards the exit tunnel.
Paul had returned into the generator room, using Schulz' key card to open up the terminal.
The generator was running on hot fusion, and whilst Paul couldn't get the queen out of the bunker, he could at least ensure she stayed alive till someone could get her out.
And there was only one way to ensure that.
He had to cool the bunker down.
The generators possessed heat sinks, and, being standard issue ones, could run on hot fusion as well as on cold fusion.
He just had to reverse the magnetic field, allowing the fusion to reverse, and then re-reverse and cool down.
But the hot plasma within the chambers did not make it easier.
He attempted to override it, but the system did not budge.
Even with the master key, the security measures wouldn't permit cold fusion. He had to disable the sensors.
Turning towards the hot, throbbing generators, he searched around for the sensor access panel. The air was stifling hot the closer he got to the machines.
He had been given a short course in generator maintenance before his employment at Sigma-44, so he did know where to find it, but everything was coated with grime and dirt, and the symbols were almost illegible.
Yet, he found the panel, ripping it open, and disconnecting the wiring within it.
The software beeped, but now he was able to override the magnetic field.
Yet, once the generators were reversed, the whole bunker wouldn't be heated anymore, but cooled to an extreme.
It would work like the cryo-capsules on interstellar ships, deep-freezing anyone, until they could be thawed, or the generator would run out of fuel, which would take another few years.
Hitting the right buttons, he heard fizz from the inside of the generators, and then, with a loud groaned and a screech, the head subsided.
The panel informed him that he cold fusion had begun.
Akkan had pressed the gas mask over Weyland's face, and they had been pulled up the exhaust shaft, and on board the Shipstern Bluff.
Jeanne was tending to Weyland, who was very pale due to the blood loss, whilst Akkan was fiddling with his gun.
Paul hadn't returned, and Jeanne was, on Weyland's question, monitoring the bunker.
It was cooling down. Paul seemingly had reversed the generators, goodness knows why.
"He's cooling down the bunker. The temperature is dropping quite rapidly. The lower levels dropped down to five degrees, the higher one is still at ten, but dropping as well. The exhaust fumes have almost disappeared. It's only a matter of time, till the generators will start belching out ice-cold air, and then he can't take this route."
Weyland nodded. "how. ..long.."
"Fred, don't worry. Rest, I'll handle this."
"How .. much.. time . does.. he have?"
"About ten minutes."
Paul was running. He wasn't sweating anymore, he was freezing. The temperature was dropping rapidly, as was the power output of the generators. The emergency lighting was on, and the lifts weren't working.
It was getting real cold, and he wasn't wearing enough to combat it. He had to head to the entrance shafts. The gas masks where still there, and the winch rope, and hopefully, the generators weren't yet producing enough exhaust fumes.
If those fumes hit him, he would deep-freeze. They were extremly cold.
Paul had climbed up the shaft of a lift, his fingers getting stiff, and hurting from the cold. He had left most of his gear behind, it was only weighting him down anyway.
It was warmer further up, as the warm air was rising upwards, to Paul it felt like entering a sauna. His muscles, clenched up due to the cold relaxed a bit, and he sprinted onwards.
It wasn't far now, he could already smell the exhaust through the maintenance shaft.
Diving inside it, he crawled along its length. His gas mask was gone, but the fumes had almost dissipated too, so he didn't care.
The winch rope was swinging in the shaft, and Paul jumped out, barely grabbing it with his cold hands.
He slid down for a few metres, the rope burning his palms, until he managed to stop the slide. Hanging over the large hole, slowly, he moved upwards.
Below him was the blackness of the exhaust pipe, and warm air was rushing past him. The last remnants of warm air from the bunker.
Looking upwards, he saw the Shipstern Bluff blocking out the sun, and saw Akkan frantically hopping on the loading hatch.
Then suddenly, the warm air stopped flowing past him. The air went still.
A blast of cold made him gasp and almost let go. The Shipstern bluff rocked, and Paul closed his eyes.
It got colder, even colder, and he suddenly stopped feeling his hands and feet.
Clinging onto the rope, he didn't even feel Akkan's talon pull him into the warm ship.