I HOLD NO CLAIMS TO ANY MEMBER OF THIS STORY. Only Riley and Jack are mine!
Chapter Four
Aliens Strike Back
"Yo! Stop your grinnin' and drop your linen! Found them." Hudson's call grabbed everyone's attention, bringing them closer to the computer he was on.
"They alive?" Gorman asked.
"Probably not," Riley replied, crossing her arms as she took a closer look at the screen.
"Unknown," Hudson told him. "But it looks like all of them over at the processing station…sub-level three…under the main cooling towers."
"It looks like a goddamn town meeting." Hicks commented, a confused look on his face.
"Or a feast," Jack joined in, taking a look at the screen himself.
Gorman wore a smile on his face. "Let's saddle up, Apone."
"Aye, sir." The lead man turned to his troops. "All right, let's go. They ain't paying us by the hour. Head 'em out. Ok, Frost, you're driving."
"I guess that means we stay here?" Riley asked.
"Hell no," Jack replied. "I'm at least going in the damn tank."
…
"So, you're name's Newt, huh?" The young girl looked up at the woman that sat beside her. Riley gave a smile. "I'm Riley, Ripley's sister. I heard you don't like to talk but I'm just gonna say one thing. I am impressed that you were able to stay alive this long on your own. Very impressed. You are one hell of a little girl."
Newt stared at the woman for a moment before beginning to pet the doll's head with a large smile on her face.
Jack watched them for a moment longer before turning back to the Marines as the tank came to a stop. "You guys be careful in there, you hear? No stupid actions, got it?" Apone gave him a nod before the troops moved out.
"I want a straight 'V' deployment, second team on left flank." Gorman ordered into his headset. "Advance on axial six-six-four. Tracker on-line. Set the V-gain to filter R-F ambient. Forty meters in, bearing two-two-one, there should be a stairwell."
"They're gonna die," Newt decided to comment.
Riley gave a sigh. "Most likely, but let's keep our fingers crossed, shall we?" The little girl gave a soft nod.
"No need for such depression around a child, Riley." Jack commented, watching the screens as the Marines continued to move in.
"What is that?" Gorman asked, looking at Ripley.
She shook her head, taking in the strange substance that had been created on the walkways. "I don't know."
"Looks like something the Xenomorphs would make. Like a nest or something, maybe." Riley commented, leaning in for a better look. "Has to be. Dallas told me about something like this last time when they returned."
"You don't think there are more eggs, do you?" Jack asked with a frown.
"Who knows? Most likely if they found them. These idiots wouldn't have destroyed the egg field if they took in the facehuggers for tests." Ripley commented.
"Then maybe we should call the Marines out," Riley suggested. "Before it's too late."
"And just leave the colonists there?" Ripley asked.
"They're probably dead already anyway," Jack rubbed his chin. "But at the same time, we're not sure."
"They're dead," Newt joined in, playing with her doll head again.
"Well, that answers that question," Riley straightened back up and watched as the Marines continued on through the path; her bad feeling growing worse and worse as she watched them move.
"Busy little creatures, huh?" Burke commented.
"Lieutenant, what do those pulse-rifles fire?" Ripley asked.
Gorman glanced at her. "Ten millimeter explosive-tip caseless. Standard light armor-piercing round. Why?"
"Well, look where your team is." The woman replied.
Jack caught on. "Oh shit; right beneath the primary heat exchangers. If they fire in there, they'll risk rupturing the cooling system and if that happens-"
"Yippee-Kai-yay, Motherfucker." Riley snorted.
"A thermonuclear explosion," Burke nodded.
"Oh, great," Burke sighed. "Wonderful. Shit!" Jack clapped a hand on his shoulder as he sighed. "Look. Uh…Apone. Look, we can't have any firing in there. I, uh, I want you to collect magazines from everybody.
"Is he fuckin' crazy?" Hudson demanded.
"Then what the hell are we supposed to use, man? Harsh language?" Frost asked.
"Flame units only. I want rifles slung." Gorman answered.
"Sir, I-"
"Just do it, Sergeant. And no grenades."
"It might be a good idea to tell them why so they don't be stupid and use the rifles anyway." Jack commented but he was ignored.
"Moron." Riley sighed, shaking her head as the Marines continued on.
"Any movement?"
"Nothing. Zip."
But that was spoken a little too early as the cameras found the colonists, all dead and hanging from the black substance on the walls.
"Looks like you were right on the whole nest idea," Jack told Riley.
"Newt," Ripley looked at the child. "Go sit up front. Go on. Now!"
As the girl moved away, they all watched as more and more cocooned colonists appeared, some of them with large holes in their chests. Riley closed her eyes for a moment as the memory of Kane's ordeal passed through her mind before calming her breath and continuing to watch as dead Facehuggers and eggs all joined in.
"The other bastards aren't too far behind now," Jack commented, his firm eyes on the screens. "They better be-" He was cut off by cries of a live colonist and watched as the woman asked for them to kill her.
"No, she's got a bastard inside her!" Riley cried, watching as the little prick decided to burst out of her. "Shoot it! Shoot it!"
"No!" Ripley cried. Jack gathered his wife into his arms and held her, blocking her view as the little alien burst out of the body, it's little mouths chomping as it gave out cries. Apone pulled out a flamethrower and took care of it but that just made things worse. "No! Get out of there!" Riley could see the movement on the walls from different cameras. The fully grown Xenomorphs had been there the entire time, watching, and decided to make themselves known now. "Hurry! Run!"
~The bastards knew they were there, they just didn't do anything,~ Riley told herself, watching as the catastrophe began. ~They didn't plan on doing anything to them, until Apone killed one of the babies. But why? What's going on?!~
Dietrich was the first to go, followed by Frost who was set on fire, as well as the magazines he held exploded. Vasquez and Drake began to fire off their weapons. Gorman was lost as things went hectic. He tried to take control but he had no idea what to do in a situation like this and as more and more Marines were dying he got further and further lost.
"I am not going to stand here and watch this, dammit!" Jack growled as Hicks and Hudson led whoever else was left out of there. Jack hurried from the screen and jumped into the drivers seat, heading into the building as Ripley grabbed Newt and held on to her.
"Jack, what the hell are you doing?" Gorman went to stand up to stop the other man but Riley cut him off with a punch to the face.
"Saving your damn team, you idiot! Now sit down and just shut the fuck up!" Riley hurried into the back of the tank and searched through the area to see if there were any guns left; she found a small handgun and gripped it. "Better than nothing; just in case."
Jack wasted no time and just burst in through all the walls. Riley clung to a rail and held on, eyes set of the side door as she waited for it to open. She had no real use with a gun but she was going to try her hardest to kill any of those creepy bastards if they even thought about moving in through that door after they saved what Marines were left; if any were left.
"Open the door!" Jack cried back as the tank came to a stop after a final jerk. Burke moved forward and pulled the door open, revealing Hicks standing there with Hudson clinging to him as Vasquez and Drake continued to fire and kill the Xenomorphs that were chasing them.
"Drake, come on, man!" Vasquez cried as she joined them on the tank. She watched as one of the aliens popped up behind drake and fired at it. Riley, knowing what was going to happen, tried to stop her but was too late. The Acid-blood exploded everywhere and splattered all over Drake. The man gave a cry and fell backwards, his flamethrower firing inside. Burke grabbed an extinguisher and took care of it quickly as Hicks held Vasquez back from going outside again.
"He's gone!"
"No! Drake's out there! Drake's coming!"
"He's gone!"
"No, he's not!"
"Forget him! He's gone!" Hicks shoved her away and grabbed the door, pulling it closed as Jack began to move the tank again. An alien popped up though and decided to try and force its way in. "Get on the goddamn door!"
Vasquez and Hudson moved forward but the three Marines weren't strong enough. Riley took a breath and stepped forward. One foot on Hicks' back, Riley pushed herself up and then shoved her other foot in the Alien's face, catching it off guard and shoving it back outside. The door slammed shut and Hicks dropped his head against it, breathing hard.
Jack went crazy and stormed out the building again, knocking everyone off of their feet and to the floor. Pushing herself back up again, Riley grabbed the rail and clutched the gun she held to her chest, breathing hard herself. Out of all the Marines, only three were left. Only Hicks, Hudson, and Vasquez.
The moment they bumps and grinds from outside hit them, Jack slowed down the tank and came to a stop, taking a moment before turning to check on his wife.
"You all right?"
"Yeah," Ripley nodded, still holding Newt to her.
"Riley, you all right back there?"
"No worries; just scared out of my damn mind." She called back, her knees shaking. "Gorman's out, though, I'm afraid."
"It might be a concussion, but he's alive," Hicks commented, checking the knocked-out man.
"No, man, he's dead!" Vasquez growled and went to grab him. "Wake up, pendejo! I'm going to kill you!"
Hicks blocked her with an arm. "Back off. Right now." She moved away, cursing as Hicks called for a first-aid kit.
"Hey. Hey, look." Hudson was staring at the screens. "The Sarge and Dietrich aren't dead, man. Their signs are real low, but they ain't dead."
"Then we go back and get them." Vasquez said instantly.
"Fuck that!" Hudson cried,
"We don't leave people behind!"
"I ain't going back!"
"You can't help them!" Ripley's voice cut them off. "You can't.
"They're probably already cocooned like the colonists were," Jack sighed, closing his eyes. "Waiting for the facehuggers; maybe already latched on to."
Hudson looked like he was about to shit himself. "Oh, dear Lord Jesus, this ain't happenin', man."
"God damn it." Hicks sighed.
"This can't be happenin', man. This isn't happenin'."
"Hudson, listen," Riley moved up next to him and placed an arm around his shoulders. "This is happening but now is not the time to freak out, all right? We gotta think up of a plan so just try and stay calm, okay?"
Vasquez turned to them. "We've got seven canisters of CN-20. I say we roll them in there and nerve gas the whole fucking nest."
"It's worth a try, but we don't know if it'll affect them." Hicks replied.
"Let's just bug out and call it even, okay? What are we talking about this for?" Hudson asked.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit." Ripley told them, smoking a cigarette. "It's the only way to be sure."
"And that, my friends, is why I married her." Jack pulled his wife to him and gave her forehead a kiss. "Best idea I've heard all day."
"Fuckin' 'A'." Hudson nodded.
"Hold on one second," Burke jumped in. "This installation has a substantial dollar value attached to it."
"Fuck that," Riley growled.
"They can bill me." Ripley agreed.
"Ok, look. This is an emotional moment for all of us, ok? I know that. But let's not make snap judgments, please. This is clearly, clearly and important species we're dealing with and I don't think that you or I or anybody has the right-"
"Oh, don't even start," Riley took a step forward. "Look, I understand that this is just a species trying to live its life but you and I know for a damn fact that this is not why you're after it. Do you think I'm stupid?" Riley got up in his face. "I'm smart enough to know that you're trying to take it back to Earth for some stupid military shit so you can just shut the fuck up and sit down before I make you, understand?"
"Damn, you tell him, girl." Jack grinned.
"Corporal Hicks," the man looked at Riley as she continued to glare at Burke. "You're in control now that Sarge is gone and Gorman is out, right?"
"This operation is under Military jurisdiction," Ripley caught on to what her sister was saying. "Hicks is next in chain of command, right?"
"Yeah…yeah, that's right." He didn't sound too happy about it though, and he hung his head.
"Yeah." Burke sighed. "Look, this is a multimillion dollar installation," He continued to try. He can't make that decision. He's just a grunt. Uh, no offense."
Hicks pulled a face. "None taken." He turned to his headset. "Ferro, do you copy?"
"Standing by."
"Prep for dust-off. We are going to need immediate evac."
"Roger. On our way."
"I say we take off, nuke the site from orbit." Hicks shot the sisters a look. "It's the only way to be sure. Let's do it."
Hudson and Jack carried Gorman as Vasquez and Hicks led the way. Burke trudged behind and Riley and Ripley had Newt pinned between them, Riley still hanging on to that small handgun she had found. When they came to a halt, Hicks tossed out a flare or two and they didn't have to wait long to see the dropship… until it went haywire and crashed, making them flee from the scene.
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