An, Knight One: Time to write a new chapter.
Headhunter
Chapter 3
Tournament.
Bishop was walking to representative Ayanami's quarters. He had received and recorded message, by Gendo Ikari himself. Not these were rare, but usually when "Eyes only" orders are being given, they usually were transmitted trough high security communication channels, encrypted.
But this time it was a voice message, and it was send to a synthetic. Only very important messages were relayed trough synthetic. It was mark of that something big was going on, and it was meant to be a secret. Synthetics were loyal to its builder, Weyland-Yutani. They would never give anything out if they knew it was going to implicate their agenda.
Or so it seemed.
Latest incidents occurring with synthetic pilots and workers had casting shadow over W-Y image.
Some androids, which were slavishly loyal to objectives given to them, had begun to think that humans were threat of accomplishing them. Bishop had heard that some androids had tried even to kill human members of the crew to make sure that orders were carried to the letter.
Bishop was programmed and constructed to be a lab assistant, co-pilot and technician. While he was appalled every though of harming his fellow workers, he some times wondered was it his own will...or someone else's? He had been programmed not to harm any one, even if ordered. He also understood that he could not aid his comrades if their lives are in danger. And he didn't really didn't want to find out which one would finally won: W-Y programming or his own will.
He could only hamper W-Y with indirect activities… He couldn't sabotage or rebel against them, but he could access W-Y data banks. After all he needed it to be better worker to the corporation, and what would be better way to aid his almighty creator, than helping his son to be more aware of himself and his past? He could make up dozens of reasons why he had to know about Yui Ikari. His reason was about freeing resources by tracking and concluding files about former employees of the company. He thought that it was maybe little hazy excuse, but to his surprise it had gone trough in checks inquiries, so it literally meant that W-Y seemed to send it not-so-qualified personnel to run things in the archives.
The real reason was that Shinji had asked him a favor, and that favor seemed to be in his limits to achieve with out breaking so many rules. He was also in his own opinion interested what W-Y was up to. After all he had his own opinion about the matters and the way they were.
He finally reached quarters of the representative of W-Y. He was surprised how much of ahead of him she had got, he hasn't used so much of his time to chat with Shinji, but she still had managed to get inside her own cabin before bishop had change to reach her.
Bishop stopped his servomotors in front of the cabin door. He pressed buttons next to the opening panel and soon soft voice answered. "Yes?" it asked.
"This is artificial worker Bishop number 74. I have a message for you." Bishop stated his own voice. It matched in its official tune Rei's own, but it wasn't so quiet or thin like Rei's.
"What is it?" Rei inquired. Bishop sensed slight change in Rei's tone.
"It's is an eyes only commandment." Bishop answered.
It came silent for a while, and bishop wondered was he come in bad time. But then again message had to be transferred immediately. It was made clear. "Inside." Rei answered finally.
Doors opened and bishop stepped inside of her cabin. Bishop noticed that it was ascetic, there were only those furniture's that were needed. Most of the W&Y personnel wanted to decorate they cabins with their own, what bishop thought to be somewhat eccentric style, but he noticed that this cabin was almost in its original condition. He was a worker not a fashion designer but it seemed desolate to even him.
Bishop heard water flowing inside her cabin. It seemed that he had interrupted representative's shower session. He turned his head and saw Rei, only towel covering her hips. She had stepped out of the shower-but hadn't made any real attempt to cover herself.
Bishop wasn't confused, or flushed. Synthetics have emotional intelligence, which imitates human feelings. They feel pain, and joy in certain degree and they are able to form their own opinions, based on situations and experiences. One thing what they don't poses, which is natural to humans, is sexual arousal. Such function was (Obviously) needless to a synthetic. Bishop though, that some people would disapprove this kind lack of modesty.
On the other hand he also understood, that most of the soldiers on the ship probably wouldn't mind if she made all her briefings to them clothed, or more like unclothed like this. Rei stared Bishop like there weren't anything unusual in her or his appearance. Bishop wondered that did she act like this to save time, or did she just really have hole in her sense of etiquette.
Bishop himself didn't felt or more like know that he had done anything wrong. Rei had asked him to enter.
Rei let her stared him for a little longer and then she spoke. "Play the message." She said. Bishop heard the door closing behind him, and took the searched data banks in his memory for making ready replay it. It was encrypted voice message.
Bishops voice changed radically. His automatic synthesizer made his changes in his tone. "Rei."
Now bishop didn't sound like himself anymore. It was the voice of someone other. Gendo Ikari.
Bishops outside appearance and stance didn't change a bit. Voice what he was Replaying seemed so hard and cold that it was almost impossible to even imagine that it was his real voice.
Rei recognized this voice instantly. Her figure seemed to start when she heard recorded voice. Her red eyes seemed to get sharper and her figure was alarmed.
"I have several tasks for you." Voice continued. "You may choose yourself what task will you complete first. But choose carefully."
Rei nodded.
"First one concerns transferring new personnel. Doctor Ritsuko Akagi has been ordered to be transferred Costanoga class cruiser Solaris. She's waiting for getting first hand knowledge on Xenomorphs. She has her own equipment as well trained operator and lab tech with her. While she has done excellent work with some minor samples, I'm uncertain how she will deal with real specimen. Watch her carefully. I don't know if she is fully committed to our cause."
Gendo Ikari was silent for a while then he continued. "Next task is both military and retrieval. Band of…raiders…" Ikari kept small pause and them filled the gap with despising snort. "…Has made a bold move. They have intercepted one of our cargo ferries and raided it. They are using wartime frigate as their base of operations, its named 'Firefly'. I doubt that there will be any survivors. Personally I've grown tired of playing games with its 'captain'. Make sure that he and his raider operations are dead as the Scifi series after they have named their ship. Do not, how ever, destroy the ship until you have boarded it and secured the cargo. It's carrying Terium drug, which is more valuable than the whole crew. If some raiders do surrender, take them captive. They may be useful as a test subjects or mercenaries. Last transmission came near coordinates 7-3-4 near Io, one of Jupiter's moons. If you are lucky you can still catch them." Bishop wondered what did Ikari meant by test subjects.
Rei's expression grew more wearied and heavier. So she knew something about them or at least guessed it. But she didn't like it, or thought it without pleasure.
"The last task…" Bishop continued replaying the message."…Is about our experiments with living Xenomorph specimens. At planet Enron, unfortunate event took place as specimens containing systems has failed, and they have escaped. As predicted our classification protocol has override any attempts of them to make distress calls. It has completely foiled their signal frequencies and none of our ships in the region will come to their aid…except this of course. Case of unwanted witnesses should be taken care of by Xenomorphs; they should all be dead by now. So you don't have blood on your hands, they are all replaceable. What I can tell you that there were two specimens in holding pen. Try to capture at least one of them, and maybe doctor Akagi's request of whole specimen can be fulfilled. Officially this was a tragic accident, which was caused by yet another mistake by choosing worlds to colonize…Xenomorphs seem to rest in most different places indeed. What comes the lives what have been sacrificed in the name of mankind for making universe better place to live" Gendo sounded almost like he was giving a press statement, until he finished his sentence "…they were incompetent and that was bad for public face of Weyland-Yutani. We didn't suffer any real losses, and compensations what has to be paid for the families are only one drip in the ocean. Should be good publicity to our insurance division. Every problem has been dealt with, so only real issue is capturing of the specimen. Take contact to me when it's done."
What bishop could read from her face was mixture of inventing a plan with worry in it. Or was it maybe guilt? Bishop couldn't tell. He had noticed that all the humans he had work with, only Rei was the one that seemed to be like him. Actually some people said even that she was new kind of android, capable of independent thinking. But bishop could notice easily that Rei, no matter how strange her act was, wasn't one of his kinds.
Message wasn't yet concluded. "I suggest that you will leave Akagi wait, and now proceed with these more important missions. She has waited this for long time. She can wait more. So you should choose more important objectives to taken care with."
"End of transmission." Bishop stated. This was one of his qualities that he didn't value. All though many of his designers kept this message transmitting and securing system all most one of synthetic workers top qualities, he didn't like replaying messages this way. It sounded weird, and it seemed like he possessed.
Rei seemed eased. When he was beginning to replay it, she was tense, like somebody what she feared but yet somehow valued had been here. Rei was now carefully considering where should her go. Both option seemed like they were already closed. She couldn't help people on Enron; they were all dead by now…
"Representative…?" Bishop called as he saw how Rei almost forgot his presence in her cabin.
"Yes?" Rei answered immediately. Her expression returned to moment that she had been when she first left. She was like nothing did happen.
"May I be excused? Mechanic Horaki has requested my help on maintenance duties on one of the upper decks." Bishop didn't see any reason to ask was she all right, because she wouldn't tell even if something were wrong. She had avoided routine checks in docks for every time.
"Of course." Rei answered and turned around back to her shower. Seemed like she intend to finish what bishop had interrupted. Bishop walked out of the door and began to find a way there where he had been called to assist.
Hikari was again in the main launching bay repairing airlock emergency pressuring system. Considering that there was only one safety system, it was relatively badly maintained. Hikari could only wonder how did it pass safety inspections. Seemed like that safety was last in company's list of duties. "Had to be the cheapest system what you could get, huh?" she mumbled "Can't buy better one, no…have to always stick on the cheapest…what about if couple hundred gun toaters are blown to the void, just send paycheck after them…" She took again good look about safety system's wiring; everything seemed to be all right. She had done this for at lest three times, and diagnostics said to her that command could not be transmitted. "Talk to me please…" she began to run diagnostic for a fourth time.
"Talking to you now." Voice said behind her.
Hikari glanced behind her. Sudden start changed quickly to annoyance and anger. "You!" she barked. "What you are doing here?" she snapped.
Toji startled about Hikari's sudden outburst. He forgot that she had long memory. "I've missed you too." toji said submissive. He looked at his girl not seeing her for couple of weeks. Her appereance had changed only little. Instead of two piggy tails she had only one thicker pony tail. She wore most of her time dark blue mechanic, pilot uniform what she had combined together, so it was green at some parts. Freckles had stayed too. "Don't start with that thing! I've had enough of that. " She said icily. "Besides I have work to do, so why don't you go shoot somebody, do some parade or what ever you people do for a living…" she turned back to her diagnostic terminal.
Toji spread his arms and shook his head. "Such warm welcome, I almost though that I'm unwanted here. Besides you weren't so 'delighted' yesterday when we met."
"Yesterday was just that: yesterday! If you are trying to spin that act of yours here, you are gonna get a war and you hope to run hide back of a bloodthirsty Predator." Hikari said in serious tone.
Toji took little more apologizing expression. "Are you still chewing on that old thing…?"
"Old?!" Hikari shrieked and jumped up and turned to face him. "Old! It was three weeks, two days and…." Hikari glanced her watch. "…15 hours ago when I had everything set, and though 'oh maybe Toji needs some cheer up', and called you and to invited you to my place. And what did you answer?" she looked Toji accusing.
Toji had begun to sweat a little, and did now regret that he had thought that Hikari would have forgot such atrocity. "W-well I...I…" he stuttered.
"You…" Hikari voice climbed at least two octaves. "…Said that you had more important things to do. And what was so important that you had to show middle finger to my irresistible offer?" she again let Toji to answer and stared him with 'no mercy' stare(Tm). It was same way that Asuka did Shinji while she was still alive.
Toji took couple back steps. It seemed that Hikari wasn't cheery mood, and suddenly being in a line listening Sargent Barnes's taunts didn't felt so bad idea, in fact it was almost inviting. "Um…"
"I'll tell you: you had to put your girlfriends invitation aside because… a… freaking… basketball… match!" She poked finger towards Toji's chest between every word in 'a freaking basketball match'-part. "Basket ball! So bouncing rubber ball is more valuable to you than your girlfriend?"
"Hey!" he roared. "It wasn't just a match, it was the semi-finals!" he yelled back. His just gained courage what had came up after Hikari's mocking against his favourite sport how ever hit the bottom when Hikari got (if possible) more fury to her next barrage of words.
"Don't you 'Hey' me! I'm the one whose feelings are hurt, I'm the one who had been dumped because of a sport!" she yelled.
"Look, I didn't mean to offend you, but it was my favourite team on the line, besides we can always have one of those..." he said apologising tone.
"This isn't about a dinner, it's about the way you act! You don't give even that much value that you could call me and say that you aren't coming!" her voice echoed trough the hall, making the walls tremble.
"That's not true! I do value you!" he retorted.
"You didn't call me or send a message to tell 'hey sorry, can't come, because I have to watch group of guys chasing a rubber ball' did you?" she left question hanging in the air.
"Ummm…I…" Toji was nervous even more, he haven't seen her yet this angry, so he tried to do something what he thought would be the best. Being honest. "I…didn't want to…hurt you feelings…"
"You honestly think that leaving me wait wouldn't make me mad?" she asked tiredly.
Toji thought about her question "No…not exactly, but…I just thought that…" he began to lose his words again and purpose of his talk was beginning to fade away.
"Though what?" Hikari asked in resolute tone.
"That if I call you and said we would have this fight then, and it was after all day before my departure to another escort duty and then to here, I couldn't relax even if we would've been in earth's best restaurant sipping up finest wine that corporations import there…" he shook his head." I just didn't want to go away with us having something straining like this in background…" he answered.
"Wasn't the real reason that you didn't want to miss start of you match?" she asked dryly.
Toji think how to answer that. "Well, that one too…but…"
"Of course." Hikari rolled her eyes. "What do you think that I feel when some sport gets between us and you are making up lies to protect it?"
Toji sighed. "You misunderstood me, I said that was one reason, but the main reason was that I didn't want to how this conversation then. "
"Oh now I get it!" hikari crossed her arms. "I'm just getting angry because of nothing! I should just smile and let you do your stuff and have a good distance between us!"
"I didn't say that! I don't say that you haven't a reason to be angry, but you have to admit that you are boiling over because a dinner, and we are gonna have more time together here that there."
"You didn't listen to me, this wasn't about you skipping out a dinner, it was you skipping out time that we have before you die!" she shrieked.
"Well maybe I…wait a minute…" he stopped when he noticed what Hikari had told to him.
Hikari seemed to realize something. She looked horrified and her face turned pale. "Did I say that?"
She asked quietly.
"You said that I'm going to die." Toji answered seriously.
Hikari bowed her head and sit down to her diagnostic equipment. She rubbed her palm down from her forehead to her chin. "Godda…."she stopped her curse before it even begun. "I didn't meant to…say that…I…" she shook her head.
Toji looked at her and then he began to put things together. "Let me get this right…you aren't angry because I didn't call you, or that I left with out saying goodbyes…It's because you think that someday I…" Toji whistled and snapped his fingers."…And you want to make all use of that time…"
"It's…" she started. "Well, I got mad too because you seem sometimes taking this as granted."
"I understand now." He nodded. "But why did you put this whole show together? Why didn't you just say why you were really angry?"
Hikari looked at him but now her anger was gone. "I was afraid to say that, because I think if I would said it out loud, it would actually come true…" she looked him in sorrow. "Just like what Asuka said…she was desperate before the day of her mother's death. She said that cooling process wouldn't work and her mother was going to die…and it happened. No matter how hard I tried to comfort her, I couldn't make her feel better…"
Toji kneeled next to her and put his hand on her shoulder. "Hey…you did what you could, no less. If Asuka didn't value that, it's her fault not yours."
"I know…but it's still didn't felt right…she was dying herself when she was watching her mother being strangled by that…." She shuddered as memory of spider creature began to loom back of her mind. "...Thing."
Toji didn't saw Asuka's mother and he didn't go to see her, because he felt like an outsider. He did see Hikari though and sorrow was radiating from her, too. "If she said something I'm sure that she didn't meant it…"
"That's just it…she didn't say a thing. I tried to get her to talk but she didn't say anything-just mumbled something and continued watching her mother…"she lifted her head and glanced at him. "I've missed her, wondering what would have been like if she and the others from that station would still be alive…"
"Me too...in sort of way those fights were refressing, and she didn't stop me screwing things over. I wonder did that shaped us the people what we are now, or is this fate." He answered.
Hikari sighed. "Sometimes I think that this isn't what I should do, or would I be doing something else…"
"Either way I think that Asuka would be proud for you now…" Toji said.
"You think so?"
"Of course. You are both head mechanic and the pilot of dropships, something that isn't easy for a woman to do…I mean you both were feminists, weren't you?" He asked jokingly.
"And I am still!" She chirped "Why should I be worse than men mechanics, after all I can do more of things at the same time!"
"That's the spirit, girl!" Toji said and clenched his fist playfully hitting her arm.
Hikari laughed a little and then she looked deeply in to his eyes. "I've thought about what you did, and I willing to put it aside if you promise something."
"Tempting offer, but I'm not doing you dishes this time." He answered.
"No, just promise me that…you won't die." She said shyly.
Toji smiled at her. Then he took her hands inside of his palms. "I promise. Next when some predator is trying to decapitate me I just say that I can't die yet."
"And what about Xenomorphs? What are you gonna say to them? I heard they don't talk much." She asked playfully.
Toji grinned. "My kind of guys; little talk but more action."
"Way I see it's other way around." Hikari sneered.
"Are you going to start this whole thing all over again?" Toji retorted.
"Just trying to make you a better person. Is that a crime?" She smiled.
"Maybe not worth of capitol punishment, but I guess you could use some spanking." He winked his eye to her implying.
Hikari had listened this kind of talk from him since they started dating. At first it seemed rude, but now she just but it aside. "In you dreams, I still have my famous Horaki modesty what to hold on."
Toji slumped his shoulders down and pretended to be hurt. "That's a shame. Well you can't win always. Not even every time."
"That's right." She laughed. "I still got lot of work to do. They didn't give me my mechanic and pilots uniform so that I could just to make your guilty conscience lighter."
"I though that you forgave me all ready…" Toji complained.
"I may forgive, but I don't forget." Hikari snapped.
"Of course would be too easy for me…." Toji murmured and then he noticed something while watching his girlfriends face for a second. "Hikari?"
"Yeah?" she asked and tilted her head.
"You have something on you pretty face…" Toji pointed her right cheek.
Hikari felt her cheek with her fingertips and then rubbed them a little against her cheek. Soon her fingertips were all black. "Oh great" she snorted, "It's that cursed stuff what corporations are using. I don't even have a tissue to wipe it off…"
Toji grinned when he saw it. "Well you have me right here, what if…" he winked his eye browns.
Hikari flushed a little but then answered. "Haven't you learned anything? Last time when you eat that, I still can't believe that you could eat whole sandwich of that stuff without wondering the taste, you didn't do anything but sit on the toilet for a day, making crap out both of your ends."
Toji's expression darkened a little. "That was one of your, you-know-who's stunts. I'm sure that she had fun doing it. Besides it's worth It." he smiled again
Hikari eyes seemed to go little sleepy when she let her own look sunk deeply into his eyes. "Guess that one of your strongest points is that you don't learn…"
"First time I heard that from you…" he slowly began to move himself closer.
This is one of the events where time seems to slow down. Hikari slowly began to close her eyes, and move her face closer to Toji's, as an answer for his gentle gesture. When their faces were less than inch away from each other Toji could sense her warm, but soft breath. Suddenly Hikari's face bended to a cheerful smile and her eyes grew wider from state of half closeness. She moved her head out of his eyes, but toji soon heard what was the reason. "Bishop!" Hikari chirped.
"Did I…" he looked at obviously disappointed toji. Bishop couldn't possibly know, but right now in his mind Toji cursed every synthetic, android, artificial person, robot or whatever Weyland-Yutani had put together. Maybe his feelings about interruption would be best described with comic book symbol of human skull with crossed bones.
"Interrupt something?" Hikari added. "No. Not at all, toji only is stopping by. Glad you came, where were you?"
Bishops data banks analyzed for appropriate answer. Even if with Shinji's help of releasing some safety mechanisms, corporate business where enclosed, and sealed. "I was delivering message to corporate representative Ayanami. Every matter is classified with command code 7 alpha 8 and…."
"…. Directive 67 and moment 86." Hikari remembered. This was familiar to her. "So I guess that here it later. Well how has your day been this far?" Hikari asked politely.
"I'm feeling fine." In his meaning it meant that his systems were okay. If he felt ill, his artificial organs had been contaminated or he was going trough a programming error. "How are you mechanic Horaki?"
"Could you just call me Hikari like everybody else?" she asked.
Bishop made corrections to his conversation application. "Of course, Hikari." Bishop looked over her shoulder. "But…do we need to report infirmary?" he asked.
"Why?" Hikari wondered.
"I don't know for sure, but think that private Suzahara is experiencing… depression." He pointed his at Toji. Hikari turned and grinned ironically.
Toji had stood up, and looked 'little' enraged. His eyes were tiny slits and he had swiped his hands from his forehead to his chin, and his other hand was clenched into a fist, which seemed to be hurting itself. "What a rotting fate…" he muttered.
"Hey, it's like you said; you can't win always. Not even every time." She laughed.
Toji spread his arms and looked up. In normal conditions he would've faced blue sky, but now he just had to satisfy direct his silent question to dull grey hall roof, in reaching something what was greater force than human, trying to find out why universe hates him. But soon he took, it back because he really didn't want to know.
Hikari left Toji wondering this question by himself, and talked again to bishop. "Hey, I've been buzzing all day long here but haven't find anything. Could you lend a hand? This diagnostic equipment doesn't help me anyway..." she glanced at its screen. For fifth time it showed 'command cannot be translated'
Bishop took a look over her equipment and smiled. "It no wonder you can't get anything. You would go faster even if you only check all the hall's wiring by hand. Even door mechanisms have more circuits than this...diagnostic system. It's range is useless in this kind of hall."
"Wasn't that little harsh? It's like your cousin what you are talking about?" Toji said still annoyed because bishops interference.
Hikari's glared at him angrily and bishop answered, "I don't have a family, I'm unique." He didn't take offense, but certain things annoyed him too.
"Pretty good I picture from an android..."
Bishop was about to answer but Hikari beat him to it. "Artificial worker, stupid. And is it too much for asked if you show him some appreciation, I couldn't possibly come along in here with out him."
"How come, you handle all the equipment don't you, and you were our class prime student?"
Toji said to her.
"I'm flattered. But it isn't about matter how smart you are, but it's how you feel and see." She chuckled.
Bishop kneeled down to her equipment and took a wire out of his pocket. This was different that normal couplings. Other end ended up to a sharp spike, and another end was modular, fitting with most of electrical devices he had saw. He didn't first understand the sharp point, which seemed to not to fit anywhere.
Bishop plugged other end to Hikari's equipment. Then he rolled up his sleeve so that his right arm was bare. Next he put his palm to his middle of his arm.
Hikari grimaced. "I hate this part..." she muttered.
Bishop twisted his arm and it let out couple sounds what resembled Toji about the time when he had broke his arm. Bishops case only artificial tissues detached, and they revealed several plugs. Part of him came out like slice of pie. Toji saw several veins what transported Bishop's body liquids, and some things what he didn't want to know better. Bishop didn't seem to feel anything. He calmly put the sharp end in his connector. It let out crackling and sudden sparks what made Toji to start a little. Bishop spasm as connection was made. Bishop closed his eyes and was sitting still.
"What...is that..?" Toji asked.
"Direct connection to ships own recourses." Hikari answered, and crossed her arms. "Bishops CPU make that little box over there to seem like kids toy. The problem is that he can't access any systems by himself; he needs some thing, which is linked to ship itself to form a direct connection between this ships. Now that he is online this should only take a mi..."
"Malfunction found and analysed." Ships speakers said in bishop's voice.
Toji shuddered a little and whispered "That was creepy..."
"Tell me about it." She answered.
Bishop opened his eyes and began to put himself together. "Emergency pressurising system doesn't get power. It seems like there is something wrong in main power relays, I've get number of reports on that department. Power systems have been malfunctioning everywhere in this ship."
"New ship, and it's broken already." Toji snorted.
"Maybe not. Smells like ship yards people were in a hurry and didn't make calibrations to them. Plasma reactor is a 'bit' tricky. It isn't easy to adjust it..." she shook her head.
"I'll come with you. We should get it working it soon if I can find the right wave form frequency."
Bishop answered.
"Right. Toji, lets do this another time..." she said in ironic tune.
"Do I have choice?" He asked knowing well that no.
Hikari smiled at him for one last time before she and bishop exited the hall. When they were at the hall's door she yelled at him. "Try for once to keep your promise! Good luck for your gun plays!" She waved her hand at him and disappeared from Toji's sight.
"Good luck....I'm gonna need hell of lot more...." he remembered that Bishop had came from W-Y representative. "Wonder if snow-white is making a move..." He shrugged and began to search a way back to his unit. Sometimes he wondered did he really want to get himself killed like this, but then he remembered that life is too short for separations. This was the dangerous vocation in the universe after all...
...Or more like the second dangerous. If he and Asuka had somehow managed to meet inside same room they probably would argue who had been most of danger in this life.
Clearly Asuka would have won that debate. After all she had gone trough many phase to get where she was today. Being member of the clan wasn't easy. And it was about to get eve harder for her.
About 20 meters from her, and her ship it was standing. Pitch black beast.
Long arms were hanging loose on its sides. Its strong legs were still, and its huge shield head waved in the air. Its tail hovered in air like a cobra.
But even its massive size wasn't what made Asuka to tremble.
It was its jaws.
Horrifying sharp blades in its mouth. Unlike Xenomorphs, its tooth were white as snow and she could've saw them with out her hunting mask. With it, she could saw every detail, every spot of darkness on it clearly. Normally one only saw Aliens head, and jaws before quick and painful end.
It looked like had been swimming somewhere...It's black skin was moist, and sparkling in the sun rays. Its head shield was bending light away from it self giving its somewhat metallic shade. Creatures jaws weren't entirely clean. Downer jaw was red, from blood what unfortunate worker had left on it when it crushed his head. Its mouth seemed to be twisted in to a smile.
In that smile, all of her fear melded together, in a one moment. Her mothers death and struggle all alone in space station against them. Every step in the way when she had to made sure that they didn't follow was taking over half of hear time. Fear was so strong that she wasn't able to feel even hunger.
Her fear was justified. In moments from her, were maybe the most dangerous creatures what lone hunter could ever face, a juvenile queen. Also known as Praetorian.
Even Most skilled Predators didn't want to fight against it with out planning first. With its claws it could tear unsuspecting hunter to shreds. It rarely used its claws anything else but keeping the victim still so its inner jaws could do the work for it.
This praetorian was hungering. It had killed many humans inside the outpost, but it wasn't enough. It lusted for more. It needed much more so it could grow even larger, and start buildings its own brood. And now it smelled that something had stepped right on the plate on front of it.
Saliva dripped all over its head and slowly inner jaws pushed out of its mouth. It let out a pleased hissed when it saw Asuka waiting it on the launch bad. It smelled that this piece of flesh was human but it was different from humans that it had killed inside the outpost. Small suspicion began to strain its savage brains. But if this human was different, it could have more nutrient feast when tearing her to pieces.
It took couple slowly steps as it prepared itself to deadly chase what was about to come.
Asuka was now horrified. When question was about Xenomorphs she could've take the fight against them, but she never expected to even see Praetorian, or to fight with it. Thaarn had only told her little about these creatures, because he either didn't expect that she would face them. She was also equipped with weapons that were difficult to use against it. This strong beast could rip spear out of her hands.
Strangling feeling of fear was all around her. She was alone, no Thaarn or any of her tribe warriors could help her. Just like four years ago.
Praetorian could somehow sense her fear, and it feed the beast's blood thirst. It took again couple steps. And its death white grin seemed to grow larger.
It looked like it was laughing. Not solely at her person, but what she was, what she is, what she tries to be. Asuka felt like it was laughing at her whole life, and what she was now. Like everything what she had done to get here was a good joke and amusing as hell.
This finally pushed her over the edge. She didn't come all this way here to die in hands of a mongrel, neither she would betray his teachers trust by dying in her first solo hunt. Deep rage towards Aliens began to take over her. "What are you laughing at!?" she grumbled and took out her spear from its containment part. Twin alien tails grew from its carrying mode. She twirled it making a circle. "I'm Asuka Sohryu, hunter and student of Predator Thaarn! Come here and I'll wipe you pretty face dry, Sweinhund!" she shrieked and readied her spear. Small humming noise cut the air as her mask vision mode changed. Praetorian glowed in metallic shade figure and everything around changed to deep red.
Praetorian hissed and suddenly changed its pace from lazy walking to quick four-limbed running. Giant claws took support from the launch pads steel plating. When it was about five meters from her it leaped in the air. It's four legged running was more that it dragged itself more speed on its running.
Asuka first stood still but when creature was just about to touch her she took sides step and swing her spear quickly hitting creatures shield head. Next she crouched and made a somersault on the ground, managing to avoid praetorians giant tail hit. She quickly turned to face it.
Praetorian hissed more loudly and swung its tail while turning towards her. Asuka shielded her self with her spear and took jumped backwards. Praetorian again crouched and leaped trying to crush her with its own weight. Loud thump echoed when its feet met the ground. Again Asuka had avoided it, this time flipping a cartwheel to left holding her spear with her right hand.
Thaarn had noticed that she did these kinds of stunts and advised that they aren't necessary only working retreats are. Asuka had of course made up her own opinion and continued to make these acrobatics. She implied that maybe Thaarn was jealous because he couldn't move like her.
Thaarn didn't say anything to that.
With Fast back steps she begun to realise that she should soon do something. This kind of jumping from one point to another leads to nowhere.
Asuka began to remember the little what Thaarn had told about them. "I tell about the Praetorians you shortly. They are ultimate guard creatures of, what we call, in your language, teeth-tongue. Many of them are at least equally strong as your fellow predators, usually they are much more powerful. As you being what you are, I don't recommend that you try to kill them at close range; they are too much. What you should remember that they are stronger but also slower than ordinary teeth-tongues. You should be faster, if need arises. I have only killed two of them, one with disc and another with my sword. Don't take this as shame: in only used sword because I had no other weapon available." Asuka glanced again her spear. "Little too late for that..."
Praetorian glanced at her and let out a low growl. All though it enjoyed toying with its food, it didn't like food what it couldn't touch. "Tired already?" Asuka taunted it. Praetorian leaped again in air, and Asuka did another a side step.
Just like it hoped. It didn't made full jump but landed shortly and rolled quickly swinging its tail in wide arc trying to hit its still alive food.
Asuka barely saw it coming and managed narrowly to place her spear between herself and coming tail. Tail twisted around her spear and began to tear it away from her hands. "Uuunghh...let it go...." she tried to hold on to her spear as her life depended on it. If Praetorian could get it away form her hands she would be done.
Praetorian was hissing more enthusiastically as it knew that its victory would be closed at hand.
Though tailed look like it was only bone, it was strong enough to bind their victims and certainly enough power to lift objects. Her strength began to be drained up, soon praetorian would win. Then she noticed living tail touched only one of the dead tails. She shrink quickly it back to it compact mode. Praetorians tail slipped from it loose.
Giant alien didn't leave in nothingness. It swung its tail like a sledgehammer hitting right in Asukas hunting mask.
Whole world seemed to throw around. Strike was so powerful that it lifted her from the ground and she flied trough the air. She finally landed to her side in the ground.
"Aw...." silent moan came out of her lips. She had managed to keep her spear with her. After while she managed set her eyes together. With out her battle mask she would be shorter now.
To Praetorians surprise it's food was still alive. It had its fun, but now was time to end it.
Praetorian began again to run this time in straighten not using its claws. Asuka didn't see it as she was lying in the ground trying to decide was she still in flight or did the planet suddenly had changed it's rotation cycle. But she heard it. Suddenly she saw it shield head over, it had stop over her and raised its claws in the air, hitting them downward.
Asuka managed to roll out of its way but didn't get far enough to avoid its next hit.
"AH!" Creatures right claw managed to hit narrowly her back. Dark nails cut her flesh and all feelings about losing her consciousness disappeared. She got now other things to think about. She continued rolling, and dirt what wind had carried here managed to get inside her flesh. They burned her wound like fire. "Damn it...." She hissed and watched her prey what was in good way to show her who really was hunter here. She struggled to get over her feet.
Praetorian was now going full throttle. It saw how its food had injured and blood trail from here to its feast seemed like opened red carpet. It let out victorious roar and didn't made any effort to hurry as it again raised up tow walk on two feet
Asuka saw her spear. Her own blood was covering it, and it was close of her. Quickly she ran over it and grabbed it from the ground. She ran front of praetorian and quickly began to stab it with her spear. Her spears made from alien's tails did make the Praetorian confused. Its reactions had been dulled, it had gotten used to easy prey what it had killed inside the outpost. Spear didn't do it any real damage, because unlike normal xenomorphs its skull was thicker. Asuka managed to made couple wounds on its head, but further she didn't get.
Praetorian countered by slashing its claws. Asuka managed to reject or avoid every one of them.
Finally ache on he muscles and blood loss began to wear her, and Praetorian slashed once more, and the spear fell out of Asukas hands. Before she could retreat Praetorian hit its claws to shoulders. All though shoulders plating held its nails outside, it didn't protect her from the squeezing force. It managed to lock her to her place. Asuka tried to broke free, her hands trying to fend of her attackers claws, but its skin was too slimy, and creature was too strong.
She saw giant aliens head now closer than before. White fangs had opened and inner jaws were seen inside its mouth. Asuka was beginning to thought that this was her end, but then she while looking at her nightmare eye to eye remembered last resort what would at least took her demon with her.
She managed to press hidden button inside her left arm. Her own wrist computer let out blipping and it her right pad opened.
It revealed sharp metal object. She directed it right to her tormentor. "See you in hell." She said as metal object began to sparkle. Praetorian wondered where the sparkles and noise was coming from but didn't paid attention to it until it was too late.
Metal Object shot out from her right hand like a missile. Asuka had closed her eyes she heard loud splat and praetorians roar out of both pain and surprise. She felt pressure on of her shoulders to let go and she fell to the ground. It took a while to her to notice that she wasn't dead. She opened her eyes when she felt something burning trough her thigh.
Metal object had managed to cut trough creatures right arm. It was still hanging from her shoulder, and dripping acid to her thigh. She could smell her own burning flesh. She began to detach praetorians arm from her shoulder, and it was tossed aside. She looked at her thigh and it was still letting out smoke. "There goes my changes being miss Germany this year...." she chuckled while sweating a little because all of her injuries. She soon found out where her adversary had gone.
It wasn't far away. It had easy to spot as the smoke trail on the ground because of its blood's nature.
It was on the ground like her, breathing heavily and letting out moans. There where its arm had been was only dirty yellow spot of flesh and acid.
"Could you just drop dead...?" Asuka asked sarcastically.
Like it had heard that it began slowly to arise, and slowly walking to her. Dripping more acid on it self and all over the way it walked. It was now almost as hurt as Asuka, and it seemed to try literally bleeding over her.
Asuka looked at it and sighed. She had just delayed her destruction. When she saw her spear she decided to try for once more. She dragged it to herself. Praetorian let out a growl when it had managed to get to her and was about to collapse over.
Then Asuka held her spear between her and the Praetorian was impaled to it. She did her last roll out away the acid spray of the giant creature. It began to howl as spear sunk deeper into its body. Spear was sinking into the launch pad under the giant's weight. Finally it's howl changed into a pitiful growl as its head and left arm fell loose.
It was finally dead.
Asuka was hurt, but happy. Not (solely) because the giant alien was dead, but because she had endured it. She only smiled and lowered her head to ground. She would rest here for a moment.
A Long moment.
AN: Knight One: This wasn't edited so much. Don't know what K2 did to it. But I trust it was for the better.
Knight Two: Small fixes, nothing serious.