"Visitors?" Weyland repeated.
"Just answer my question, Fred."
"To answer your question, I didn't even know where the Planet was. We deleted it from navigational archives. The only person alive who knew where you went was Jeanne."
Akkan appeared behind Paul, putting his talon around Paul's shoulder.
"So only Jeanne knew… I'd have to ask her…"
"Paul, what happened?"
The scientist turned to Akkan and stroked his ridged dome. "It was just about eighteen months back. Back then we still lived in one of the more intact buildings of the base. It was only through Akkan's hearing that we noticed the ship. It was large, filling the entire courtyard. If you are interested I can still show you where the landing gear damaged the concrete..."
"No need, I believe you."
"There were at least twenty people on board, if not more. Most of them armed. They had a prisoner, and apparently, they knew what they were after. We retreated up into the mountains, away from the base. But they didn't care about us. They were looking for the cave systems, below the base."
"Cave system?"
"The surface of this planet is riddled with caves. I'll show you tomorrow."
Weyland nodded
Paul continued "There are entry points all over the valley. They disappeared down into the ground, leaving a few people to guard their ship. We watched them from a safe distance, but they just didn't care about the traces we had left in the colony base."
"Did they come back up?"
"They did. Missing two men and the prisoner, and carrying something between them, something hidden in a coffin-like box. I'm not sure if it was the bodies or something else."
"They left afterwards."
"Yeah. That was the moment we stopped living in the colony base and decided to move further up the mountainside."
"Did you check where they went?"
"No we did not, but I'm pretty sure they were in the Temple."
Weyland's brow furrowed with interest "The Temple?"
"It's a subterranean structure, created by an ancient civilization, inhabiting this planet. I don't fully know what it does, but I do know it is dangerous."
"That's the place you want to go tomorrow with Aki for answers?"
"Exactly."
Weyland scratched his chin. "Jeanne will stay up here and fix the ship, and I'll come with you."
Paul nodded.
"How are you, Paul?" Weyland asked, his voice slightly softening.
"I am all right. I could just do without all these disturbances." Akkan hissed.
"Well, the faster we have our answers, the faster we will be gone again. Now, about that razor…"
Aki stared into the dying fire, Eran in his arms. They were snuggled up to each other.
Paul and Akkan had left the room, and now they were alone, just illuminated by the glow of the embers. It was getting cold, but they didn't care.
"Eran, what do you think?" Aki clicked.
The Xeno didn't answer immediately. He cuddled Aki, and then turned his head to him "I think we are on the right track."
"What about Akkan? Did you talk to him?"
Eran shook his head "He doesn't speak."
"How does he communicate with the human?"
Eran scratched his head, kissed Aki's cheek, and snuggled up to the yautja again, presumably for warmth. "I think they communicate in their thoughts. At least that's what it feels like."
Aki was surprised, and said so
"It's not unusual. Most of us use our minds to communicate with each other."
The yautja stroked Eran's back. "Well, why don't you talk to Akkan?"
Eran's voice became constricted. "I… I just… don't feel comfortable."
Aki hugged him tightly. "Hey, it's fine."
It seemed a paradox. Eran was more comfortable with him, or the humans, than with some of his own kind. Aki didn't know why, but he didn't feel comfortable asking right now. Besides, Eran was purring, and hugging him. The fire's warmth felt good, and, without noticing, he drifted off to sleep.
The next day dawned in grey, the sun hidden by low-hanging clouds that obscured the mountaintops.
Jeanne was already hard at work, stripping the engine's intake. Weyland climbed up to her, and sat down beside her.
"Morning."
"Yeah." She said grumpily
"When will you be flight-ready?"
"It's only a matter of hours, and one test-firing, if nothing else goes haywire."
"All right. Once you're done, be ready. We might have to leave in a hurry."
Jeanne nodded, and he climbed back down. He checked the mess hall, only to find it empty. Where were the other four?
"WHERE IS THE REST?" he hollered up to Jeanne, who pointed at her communicator. Sighing, he drew his, and heard her voice.
"Aki and Eran have gone hunting, where Paul is I have no idea."
Sighing, Weyland turned, and walked back into the ship. He'd best check his weapons while waiting for the rest. After all, Paul had said the Temple was dangerous.
The story the scientist had told him last night intrigued him. Who were the visitors? Why were they here? He presumed they had taken something from the temple, but what was it?
This was truly tangled.
And what about the blood Moon? He hadn't spent too much time thinking about said creature. If he had reconstructed things right, it was on board of Aki's ship, which was still in orbit around LX 239.
He presumed after what Aki had said, he and Eran wanted to board the ship, and hunt the creature, whatever it was.
Something felt wrong. Like the picture in his mind was off.
The Ship wouldn't be in orbit around LX 239 anymore. It's been almost two weeks since it was abandoned. No Autopilot, no matter how good, would keep it in orbit this long. Either it would have started its descent, eventually breaking up in the atmosphere, or, more likely, raised the attention of the space controllers, and they would've sent a recovery vessel.
Weyland racked his brains. He didn't remember the procedures fully, but in his memory, the recovery ship wouldn't board, but it would rather tow the stricken vessel to a safe place, either landing it with the help of a tug, or…
"The Odessa!" he breathed. They'd tow the vessel to the Odessa, and dock it there.
Aki had talked about live cargo. That meant they had xenomorphs on board. Real, live, feral xenomorphs.
Weyland swore under his breath. He hoped the colonial marines were prepared for it, but he knew killing Xenos on a ship or a station was very dangerous. And there was the Blood Moon.
They had to head to the temple. This was starting to get even more dangerous.
Akkan, we need to get to the Base. They will be waiting for us already.
The xenomorph was swinging from a tree, munching the remnants of a small, weasel-like creature. He dropped himself from the tree, giving Paul a soft shove Oi, let me finish breakfast at least.
Paul giggled It's like second breakfast, right?
No, it's not. This: He gobbled up the creature, grinning with a blood-stained maw is extended breakfast! Second breakfast requires a break between eating, I've eaten non-stop.
You are terrible!
The Xeno wiped his mouth. He was happy seeing Paul in much better shape than before. Especially having his hair cut and his beard removed made him more beautiful.
I'll carry you. We'll be so fast. You know how fast I can run...
I'd rather walk by myself, you know…
Nonsense! Akkan scooped Paul up in his arms and snuggled him to his chest, breaking into a run.
I love you, Akkan. You're just sometime a bit overprotective, you do know that?
Akkan hissed There's only one of you. I have to take care that you stay alive.
Yes, I know.
See.
You're an idiot.
Akkan hissed, and kissed Paul while running, almost hitting a tree in the process.
Paul chuckled See.
We're almost there, sweetie.
I know! It's not that far, I could've walked.
Yeah but I wanted to carry you.
They broke through the shrubbery, onto the concrete courtyard. The Shipstern Bluff was still on the ground in the middle, and Jeanne was already moving around on top of it.
Weyland was leaning against the landing gear, watching Eran and Aki feast on a large animal.
I'm impressed.
I beg your pardon? Paul struggled, and Akkan set him down again
They killed one of the large biters. That's no easy feat, especially during such a short time.
The xeno walked over to the two. Eran was busy ripping the meat out with his powerful jaws, whilst Aki was skinning the animal expertly.
They both looked up at Akkan, as the Xenomorph got nearer. He wasn't hungry himself, but he could see that Eran was looking at him slightly worried. Not wanting to contest their kill, he drew himself back a distance and watched them resume their work.
If they had killed the creature this morning, and that was how it looked, they had some impressive skills, Akkan had to admit grudgingly.
Weyland and Paul had stuck their heads together and were talking. Undoubtedly, they were preparing for the voyage underground to the temple.
Paul had briefed Weyland on where the temple was, and all five of them had assembled in the generator room of the base.
There was a large hole in the ground, complete with stairs. Weyland had handed torches to Paul and Aki, and kept two for himself. The Xenos didn't need them obviously.
The beams of light were now shining along the rocky sides of the tunnel.
"This has been dug by the colonists, it leads down into the basement of the generator facility. Down there is a small tunnel leading off into the cave system."
They all followed Paul downwards, into the gloom.
The tunnel walls seemed soft to the touch, until they reached the small tunnel Paul had talked about. It was man-made as well, but the breach in the wall seemed rough.
"It's not too long. Only perhaps two metres. I'll go first. Aki and Eran after me, then Fred and then Akkan."
They all nodded. The passage was tight, and Aki did feel uncomfortable inside it. It reminded him of the slot canyon, where he had gotten stuck, but luckily this time there was no water around. Accidents seem to happen to him when in water.
After a few seconds, they were all through, and in a larger passage, that was clearly a natural cave. It led off in two directions, and was totally dark.
"We go right. The left tunnel leads to the mines, it's pretty easy to navigate, but when you reach the mines, one can get lost. There's a fluorescent marker on top of the tunnel, it shows you were the break-through to the generator is" Paul shone his light up to the marker. "We will walk in single file from here on now."
They set off along the road. Paul seemed pretty aware of where they were going. From time to time he showed them the markers Akkan and he had put on the tunnel ceiling.
A
After having walked for about an hour, they reached the first signs of the temple.
The Tunnel walls were smoother, and the tunnel had been widened and, more important, heightened "The People who built the Temple were much larger than us. That's why all their structures have tall rooms."
The cave slowly turned from a natural tunnel into something much more refined. The walls had been cut at straight angles, the floor was smooth, and from time to time, they noticed pillars set in the walls showing strange symbols.
Weyland stopped to examine them "Are those writings?"
"I don't think so. They look like art." Paul answered. "We'd better keep going. The temple entrance isn't far."
The tunnel turned, and they ended up in front of a large stone slab, seemingly blocking their way.
Paul turned around to them. "This is the door to the temple. Keep your eyes peeled once we are inside. There is stuff in there that's actually dangerous."
Turning around to the door, Paul pressed his hands against them, and, noiselessly, the stone slab disappeared into the ground, and the way into the temple was open.