Weyland heard the Airlock door shut with a hiss, and he made sure Jeanne detached the vessel. They were alone now.

"I'm going to check for a computer terminal." He whispered "I'd prefer silence."

The rest nodded.

They walked along the empty corridor. The lights had been dimmed, and some had completely failed, reminding them of the general state of disrepair the Odessa was in. Akkan stopped every few metres to check the scent, quickly conferring with Paul about it in their minds.

"What is he smelling?" Weyland asked.

Paul shook his head. "Death. There's a body close by."

Eran nodded in agreement.

They checked the side-rooms leading off the airlock corridor. They were filled with space-suits, and other equipment needed for embarkation.

In the third room, Weyland found a computer terminal.

"I'll check the status of the station. You guys watch my back."

Aki nodded.

Weyland brought the computer online, interfacing with the systems, and quickly hacking himself to the maintenance levels of the operating system.

What he found did not look good.

Paul was leaning against the doorframe, his hand on his revolver. Akkan was moving up and down the corridor, checking the air again and again.

What is it, love?

I'm sure there's a body here somewhere.

Paul sighed. It's possible.

It's not just possible, I'm sure! I want to check it out.

Be careful then. And make sure you hurry back.

Akkan walked over, kissing Paul's forehead. I'll be back before you know it. Besides, I can always find you.

Paul nodded, and Akkan walked a few feet along the corridor, and then jumped up into a ventilation shaft.

A few seconds afterwards, Aki came out. The big yautja was almost too large for the door. He looked at Paul

"Where did Akkan go?"

Paul sighed. "He's going to check on something he's smelled. He will be back soon."

Aki growled "We should not be lingering here."

"Weyland will be done soon. He's just checking on the systems."

After a minute, the man emerged from the room. He had a grave look on his face.

"Fred, what is it?"

Weyland shook his head "Just about everything on this station quit working. There's a hull breach on deck fifteen, most of the CCTV is offline, but I managed to use the external sensors to scan the inside."

"Well?"

"There are fifteen humans on this ship, us included. One unidentified, that's you, Aki."

"What about the xenomorphs?" Aki growled

"It doesn't register them, unfortunately."

"Where are the other thirteen humans?" Paul asked

"They are at the top of the medical spire, they locked themselves in one of the modules."

The scientist scratched his chin. "Can you dock your ship to evacuate them?"

"I can, but the only docking port is a deck downwards. We'd have to go there, and unlock it manually."

"Then let's do this!"

Aki shook his head. "No."

"Sorry?"

"Me and Eran are not coming. We are here to hunt Blood Moon, and we will do so. We are not here to save humans."

Weyland nodded "I understand. In fact, it might be even better that way. Can you scout the area, and find Blood Moon?"

"That is our plan."

"Then, you communicate its location to us, and we will help you kill it."

Aki did not say anything, so Eran communicated his assent.

Weyland grinned, and hailed Smyth on the communicator.

Akkan had pulled a body from the vents, and, leaving a trail of blood, had brought it to them. Eran had eyed it hungrily, whilst Paul and Weyland were slightly repulsed.

See! Told you there'd be a body.

What killed him? The question was an obsolete one. The ribcage was mauled open, exploded up from the inside.

Do I have to answer that question?

Weyland bent down, whilst Paul kept his distance. The man's face was distorted in agony, and it was not a nice sight.

"A xenomorph."

"Yes." Aki growled

"That explains the people's location. Presumably they found the only location that was still safe. The modules are able to be jettisoned, therefor they can be locked down fully." Weyland muttered.

"What's the plan, Weyland?" Paul asked

"The three of us will make our way to the centre of the station, and then up through the spire again, to reach the humans, and evacuate them into my ship."

Paul nodded.

Aki looked at the three. "We will leave now, and hunt Blood Moon."

Weyland nodded. "Hail us once you picked up its trail. We will get there ASAP."

Aki nodded, and they turned away, walking down the tunnel with Aki in the lead, and Eran following.

"Fred, why are you suddenly that interested in saving those people. I can't remember you being so … philanthropic."

Weyland chuckled "I'm not going to risk an uncontrolled Xenomorph outbreak out here. My firm has large assets down on the planet, and if they mount a rescue mission, and carry one of the xenos down to the planet, it'll be a nightmare."

"How does saving a few people change that? Besides, one of them could be already infected."

"Akkan can sense if there is one of his number growing inside them, can't he?"

"Yes…"

"That way we'll make sure we won't carry any on board. Afterwards, we'll sabotage the generator, and blow this entire facility to smithereens."
Paul nodded. "Let's get on to it then."

"Akkan, are you feeling all right with that?" Weyland turned to the large Xeno who didn't look too happy.

Whilst I do not condone genocide on my people for saving a few humans, I do have to agree that any xenomorph getting down on the planet will cause havoc.

Paul quickly translated. Akkan continued: I will help you, Weyland, get those people off this station. Afterwards, I will hunt down Blood Moon together with Aki, and Eran. But I will not commit genocide against my own kind, and I will not help you do this.

Paul translated it again for Weyland's benefit. He looked slightly surprised "What should we do then?"

I'd prefer if, after Blood Moon is dead, we would just leave. By all means, inform other humans of what had transpired here, I cannot stop your people killing mine, as well as I cannot stop my people killing yours. If other humans decide to destroy this station, I will not be happy, but I will understand it. But I will not have any hand in it myself. I am not your dog, Weyland.

For a third time, Paul translated. Weyland looked slightly relieved "Well, that's settled then. After Blood Moon is dead, we will make for the Shipstern Bluff, and deliver you back where you came from."

Akkan nodded. For now, that is enough.

They walked over to the elevators.
"Fred, are there bridges or something between the spires?"

"Not as far as I saw. I'm pretty sure we have to pass through the centre."

Be careful though. I am pretty sure that is where the Queen will be.

"Akkan says that in the centre, the alien Nest will be."

The elevator arrived, and the door opened. Weyland stepped in, and mentioned Paul and Akkan to come with him "I'm pretty sure Akkan is right. I'll override the elevator controls to take us directly down to the middle of the station."

"Isn't that where the generator is?"

"No, the generator is in one of the spires, the one we aren't going to. Down in the centre the artificial gravity engine is located."

"Oh." Paul nodded perfunctory.
"I doubt the Xenos will nest there. Gravity is pretty lopsided down there. But there's a small service elevator we can use to get back up the medical spire."

Weyland interfaced with the computer, and the Elevator doors slid open, and it moved downwards.

"Are you sure the shaft is clear of xenos?"

"This one is for sure. It's the high speed shaft, it's not pressurized, there's no air inside it to allow the elevator to go faster."

Akkan gulped. So this tin can is practically flying through space?

Paul nodded. Makes me uncomfortable too.

Slight music was playing through loudspeakers, and, after a few seconds, the Elevator slowed and stopped

You'd better let me go first, Paul. After all, I'm a xenomorph.

Paul nodded, and Akkan moved in front of the two humans. He breathed in deeply, and the door opened

Eran and Aki had moved along the corridors of the spire for some time. Aki was checking the ground for signs of prey, and Eran was testing the air ever so often.

"Found anything yet?"

"I don't think it is here. It is in this station, yes, but it isn't here, in this spire."

"So we have to change to one of the other ones? Perhaps follow Weyland?"

Eran scratched his head "Perhaps."

Aki turned back, looking for the elevators, but Eran stayed where he was.

"Eran, you coming?"

"There must be a system to get over to the other spire." Slowly the xenomorph walked over to the window that looked out into space, at the medical spire of the Odessa. Aki joined him.
"I don't know. I think we should rather use the elevator."

Eran shook his head. "We will run into my kind."

"There is a hive down there?"

"If there is a hive in here, it won't be in one of the spires. It will be in the central part of the station. I don't know much about the art of hive-building, but that is pretty basic."

"I'm not scared of your kind. I want to kill Blood Moon, and if he is down there-"

Eran shook his head again "Going to confront my kind down there is unwise, and confronting Blood Moon inside a hive even more so."

Aki nodded, reluctantly. "So what do we do?"

"We call the Shipstern Bluff, to dock back here, and get us over to the medical Spire…"

The yautja smiled, and reached for his communicator "Wise!"

He activated it, hailing Jeanne.

The Elevator door had opened to reveal a large platform, and no traces of xenomorphs. They had all left the capsule, which had shut again, onto the platform.

The centre of the Odessa was a large, spherical room, at least sixty metres in diameter. The platform they were standing on was attached to the side of the sphere. Thirty metres away, Paul could see another one.

"That's where we need to go? How?"

Weyland pointed down into the middle of the room. A strange machine was moving in the middle. It was made out of three flat cylinders, intersecting each other, and rotating and spinning at an insane speed. In the middle of each cylinder, three cubes were spinning around each other.

"What's that?"

"That's the gravity machine. Around it, Gravity is bent and truncated. In theory, we can just jump over to the other platform."

"In theory?"

"It's never been done, at least not with a human."

"Are you serious?"

"It is the fastest way." Weyland gauged the distance. "I'll go first."

Paul wanted to object, but Weyland took a run, and leapt.

For a moment, he hung suspended in mid-air, his coat flapping about him, and then he dropped like a stone.

Akkan and Paul raced to the railing, to watch him fall, but he didn't. He had stabilized himself, and was floating, towards the platform. Gripping onto the railing, he steadied himself.

"SEE!" he hollered back to them.

It had worked!

I am so going to regret this, Paul though.

I'll be right behind you.

Moving towards the ledge, he closed his eyes, and then jumped.

He fell for a split-second, and then felt the gravity waves pummel him, and opened his eyes. He soared, above the strange, moving machine, slowly flying closer to the Platform.

His stomach turned, as his world span, but after a second, he saw Weyland reach for him and pull him to the ground.

"You all right, Paul?"

Feebly, he nodded.

Akkan, you coming? Paul looked around, but couldn't see his lover.

There he was! Flying towards them, hissing softly.

But something seemed off. The Xenomorph that slowly flew closer in the gravity slipstream looked different. Smaller, even.

His head wasn't ridged

And on his left wrist, no golden watch gleamed.