Ali crawled underneath a table outside the med lab and watched carefully. The two second stages began moving around in their containers, sensing humans nearby. One of them pushed itself up to the top of its container and used two of its legs to push on the lid. The lid started to push open but then fell back down. The second stage now knew that it could get out and it tried again. This time, it used its tail to propel it upwards into the lid. The lid flung open and the container tipped over. The second stage landed on the floor and scuttled off into the darkness. The second stage still in the container repeated the move the first one had done to get free and it soon vanished into the darkness too. Ali smiled and settled down to wait.
It didn't take long for the second stages to track the location of Newt and Ripley. When the first one finally did, Ali felt Ripley move. The sound of Ripley's breathing quickened and Ali guessed that Ripley noticed the empty containers. Newt's breath suddenly quickened too and Ali knew she was awake too. Ali raised her head and caught sight of Ripley's head sticking out of the opposite side of the bed. Suddenly, a second stage jumped forward and Ripley ducked. Ali heard Newt scream and she giggled softly at the sound. Ripley and Newt scrambled out from under the bed and toward the door. Ali ducked behind the table as Ripley tried to get the door open. When she peeked back out, Newt and Ripley were pounding silently on the window, their screams inaudible.
"You can't get help that way," Ali whispered to herself, enjoying the fright in Newt's eyes. Ripley seemed to reach the same conclusion and she started to wave her arms in front of a video camera. She continued waving her hands, trying to get someone's attention but eventually she gave up. Her next attempt was to break the glass and she wacked at it with a chair. But the glass held firm and Ripley dropped the chair a few seconds later.
"What do you plan to do now? Give up?" Ali asked in a normal voice knowing they couldn't hear her even if she shouted. But Ripley seemed to be determined not to give up and she pulled out a small silver object. She moved away from the window carefully and walked up to a sprinkler sensor. She held the silver object near the sprinkler and a yellow flame jumped from the tip. An alarm sounded and water started to pour down in the lab.
Ali covered her ears as the harsh alarm blared. "Very clever Ripley, now you know you'll get a rescue." She was slightly disappointed that they would be found, but she was confident the second stages would already be in place by the time help arrived and it would be too late to save them.
Newt ran up to hang on to Ripley as they awaited a rescue. Suddenly, a second stage jumped out, aiming for Ripley. It hit her in the chest, and she was able to throw it away from her. Ali crawled further from her hiding place to watch as Ripley crawled away from the second stage as fast as she could. The second stage leapt forward at Ripley, but Ripley grabbed at it and held it away from her face as best she could as its tail reached forward to wrap around her neck. At the other end of the lab, Newt was too busy screaming to realize the second stage crawling up behind her.
"Shoot the glass!" A voice behind Ali commanded and she turned slightly to see Hicks and the rest running toward the lab. Hudson fired at the window, causing it to weaken enough for Hicks to jump through. Ali came out of her hiding place now and watched as Hicks and Vasquez attempted to get the second stage off Ripley. Hudson was killing the second stage that had attacked Newt. With Vasquez's and Hicks' combined strength they were able to unwrap the second stage's tail from around Ripley's neck. They threw it into the corner and Hudson shot it.
"Burke!" Ali heard Ripley gasp, "It was Burke!"
Ripley had changed into dry clothes and Newt was wearing a large jacket. Newt's eyes were somber, the fear gone. Ripley rubbed her throat every now and then. Burke was sitting in a chair and was the focus of everyone's attention, safe for Ali who kept her gaze on Ripley. Because of the threat to Newt and Ripley, no one had noticed that Ali had watched the entire event.
"I say we grease this rat-fuck son of a bitch right now!" Hudson said, aiming a gun at Burke's head.
"This doesn't make any sense," Hicks said.
"He figured that he could get an alien past quarantine if one of us was impregnated, whatever you call it," Ripley said, stepping forward, "Then frozen for the trip home, nobody would know about the embryos we were carrying. Me and Newt."
"Wait a minute, we'd all know about it," Hicks said.
"Yes, the only way he could get away with it is if he sabotaged certain freezers, namely yours," Ripley said looking at Hicks, "then he could jettison the bodies make up any story he liked."
"Fuck, you're dogmeat pal!" Hudson said, pressing the gun against Burke's face.
"This is so nuts. I mean listen to what you're saying. It seems Ali and I are the only sensible people around here."
Ali clenched her fist in anger. Burke wasn't trying to tattle on her, but Aglaia had been right, this had come back and bitten her hard on the shoulder.
"What about Ali?" Ripley asked.
All the eyes moved to Ali and she was momentarily at a loss of words. But then she decided that she didn't care anymore. If these humans discovered her true intentions it would be too late for them anyway.
She reached out to Aglaia and asked, "Have you gotten in yet?"
No, I just sent Timothy to take care of one last thing. Then my children will be free to infest the area. Why? Are you planning on revealing yourself?
"Not much choice seeing as Burke just told everyone that I helped him with the second stages," Ali replied.
Will it be too much for me to say 'I told you so'? Aglaia asked.
"Yes," Ali said.
Then I will remain silent.
"What did you make Ali do?" Hicks asked as Ali tuned back into the conversation around her.
"He didn't make me do anything," Ali said quietly.
"What?" Hicks asked; his voice filled with confusion.
"I said he didn't make me do anything. I helped him on my own free will," Ali said.
"Why?" Hicks asked.
"Because she's bad," Newt said and all eyes turned to her. Ali could see the fear drain in Newt's eyes. But Ali knew that the only reason Newt was finally speaking out was because she felt safe around Ripley.
"You knew she was bad?" Ripley asked gently.
Newt nodded. "She was always different from the rest of us. And when the aliens came, she helped them."
"Wait, she's with these mother fuckers?" Hicks asked. His voice suddenly hardened and he stared hatefully at Ali.
"Yes," Ai said, "I helped them because they are my family."
"How?" Ripley asked, "How is it possible that they see you as family?"
Ali shrugged. "Something to do with my birth. My mother was actually the first to be impregnated when she was pregnant with me. Nine years before the alien infestation."
"This is crazy, I say we just kill them both right now and get it over with," Hicks said.
"No, they've got to go back," Ripley said.
Suddenly the lights went out and Ali understood what it was that Timothy had to do before the rest of the aliens could invade.
"They cut the power," Ripley whispered. Ali could tell that she had underestimated the abilities of the aliens. Ali smiled; the colonists had underestimated the aliens too and all ended up dead.
"What do you mean they cut the power? How could they cut the power, they're animals!" Hudson said, fear clouding his judgment.
"No they're not!" Ali shouted.
"I want you and Vasquez out in the hall on patrol," Hicks said, "Gorman, watch Burke." Hicks moved forward quickly and grabbed Ali's upper arm in a tight grip.
Hudson and Vasquez ran into the hall with scanners and began scanning the area. Hudson was already trembling and Ali could tell his fear was overtaking him. Unfortunately, Vasquez remained cool and collected.
"Anything?" Ripley asked as she put on a head piece. Hicks moved forward next to her, dragging Ali behind him. His grip was uncomfortably tight on her arm and she had to hold back from slashing at him with her nails.
"There's something here," Hudson said, "It's inside the complex!"
"Hudson stay cool!" Ripley ordered. She then turned her attention to Vasquez, the calmer one, "Vasquez?"
"Hudson may be right," Vasquez said over the mic and Ali realized that she was grudgingly agreeing with the other soldier.
"Get back, now!" Hicks shouted.
He looked over at Ripley and Ali watched as they shared a glance; they knew what was going to happen.
When Hudson and Vasquez got back into the operations room, Hicks and Vasquez began sealing up the door. Hudson continued to monitor the motion tracker. His voice rose in panic as the distance got smaller.
"Eight meters!"
"They must have found another away in," Ripley mused, "Something we missed."
Ali couldn't tell her how right she was.
"We didn't miss anything!" Hudson insisted.
"Vasquez, Hicks, get away from the door!" Ripley shouted.
As soon as Vasquez and Hicks had sealed the door they stepped back next to Ripley and aimed their guns at the door. Newt was clutching at her shirt sleeve with wide and frightened eyes.
"Four meters!"
"That can't be, that's inside the room!" Ripley said.
"You're must not be reading it right," Vasquez said.
"It's reading right," Hudson insisted.
"Well you're not reading it right!" Vasquez shot back.
As the distance continued to tick down, Ripley pulled out her tracking device and glanced down at it; her expression stated that she thought Hudson was wrong too.
Ali smiled as she saw Ripley stare at the tracker, not understanding how it was possible. Then, Ripley seemed to slowly realize where the aliens were coming from and looked up at the ceiling.