Akkan?

No reply came.

The Xenomorph now latched onto the railing, pulling itself down on the platform, with Weyland and Paul retreating back towards the Elevator's doors.

It hissed, and Weyland began hammering the elevators buttons. "This isn't Akkan, right?"

Paul nodded, drawing his gun.

Weyland spun around, drawing two medium sized pistols.

AKKAN! HELP US!

The xeno, a medium-sized drone, was drooling and hissing, whilst it was moving towards him. Its tail moved, into striking position.

"Paul, I will fire!"

Wait a second. I'm almost there.

"Akkan will arrive in a second."

The drone hissed again, moving towards them. Five metres separated them, and Paul's face had slowly turned white.

Suddenly, they heard another hiss, much louder. A second xeno, this time one wearing a watch, heaved itself over the railing.

The drone spun around, hissing at Akkan, and lowered its stance.

Akkan advanced on it, making all sorts of hisses and screeches. The drone hissed back, standing its ground.

Paul concentrated on Akkan's mind, but did not get any reply.

The two xenos had moved close together now, the drone, visibly smaller than Akkan, whipped its tail around.

I need a distraction. Akkan's thoughts were strained, Paul could feel it. Taking aim, Paul fired a bullet over the drone's head, which made it flinch, and turn towards him, breaking eye contact with Akkan.

The warrior did not waste time, giving the drone a shove, and then a powerful kick, sending it flying over the edge of the platform and into the gravity slipstream.

Grinning, Akkan walked over to them. Well done, right?

Yes, love. Where did the other Xenomorph come from?

They are nesting in the generator spire. He pointed towards the other platform. Over there.

With a large rattle, the elevators doors opened, and the three crowded in.

The maintenance elevator was slow, much slower than the high speed one they had taken down into the stations centre. It was smaller as well, not allowing them as much room. Akkan was almost bent double due to his size, hugging Paul in his arms. Weyland had pressed himself against the side, manipulating the control panel.

"Weyland, what's the plan?"

"I'll open the door, explain Akkan's presence to the humans, and then we will escort them to the airlock one deck down, and get them on the Eusebius."

"The Eusebius?"
"It's my ship."

"All right."

"Before we go down there, Akkan will check each and every one for… impregnation."

Akkan nodded.

"And what will we do with those impregnated?"

Weyland frowned "I suppose it would be most humane to… euthanize them…"

Paul looked unhappy. "Can't we freeze them, and surgically-"

"There's a failure rate of seventy percent on removing a xenomorph embryo, besides, I'm not gonna risk a xenomorph birth on my ship."

Paul nodded again "Understandable."

The elevator made a loud ping.

Akkan, smelling any of your kind?

I told you, I can't smell my own kind. I can perhaps feel them…

Feeling any?

No, not really. Only the minds of the humans.

"Akkan says it's clear."

Weyland manipulated the Elevator's panel, to make the door open. It spilled them out into a glorified broom cupboard. Cleaning materials and tools hung in racks on the wall. Interested, Akkan moved over, gripping a broom in his hand, and weighting it. What sort of a weapon is this? He asked

It's not a weapon, it's for cleaning the floor. Paul giggled, despite himself.

Akkan dropped it like a stone. Oh.

Weyland moved up to the door, and opened it, stepping out onto the corridor. Akkan and Paul followed.

"According to the plans, the module should be down the corridor, to the left. Akkan, will you stay here, and keep an eye on the elevator? Paul, come with me."

Akkan nodded. Don't take too long. And be careful.

I will, love.

I love you, Paul.

I love you too, Akkan.

The xeno hissed, and Weyland and Paul walked away along the corridor.

"We need to handle this right. We can't afford a panic."

"Weyland, I'll stay outside, you go in and explain the situation to the people. You are much better at such things."

Weyland nodded "Providing they will let us in."

They stopped in front of a large door, locked tight. It was the airlock door to the module.

Weyland reached for a panel at the side, and checked the information on it. "It's locked from their side. Won't open from this one. I'm pretty sure they will have some way of communication though." He knocked on the door hard with the grip of one of his revolvers, making a loud booming sound every time it hit. "That should do it."

A few seconds of silence passed, but suddenly, the panel illuminated, and a voice boomed over the loudspeaker: "Who's there?"

Weyland answered "My name is Frederic O'Hara, I've been sent here by the colonial Authorities."

Another short silence, presumably the man behind the door was conferring with his friends.

"Where did you come from?"

"I'm here with a ship. They dropped me off, and we've been looking for you guys to take you home."
"Had any xenomorph contacts? Facehuggers perhaps?"

"No. Neither of us."

Paul nodded as well.

"All right, we will open the outer airlock for ten seconds, and you can come in."

"My assistant here will remain outside, but I will come in."

"Very well!"

The Airlock door unlocked and slid open, and Weyland moved inside, leaving Paul standing on the outside.

The inner airlock door opened, and Weyland entered the module. He quickly did a head count. Eleven adults and two children. They didn't look well.

A man detached himself from one of the computers and moved towards him. "My name is Crawford, Peter Crawford." They shook hands.

"A pleasure to meet you" Weyland intoned. "What's the status of the survivors?"

"We ran out of food a few hours ago, but otherwise, everyone is alive and, given the circumstances, all right. What's your plan?"

"There is an airlock, a deck downwards. I can dock my ship there. We would have to move the survivors through one of the elevator shafts…"

Crawford scratched his unshaven chin. "That could work."

"I'd prefer it if the survivors were to group in teams of four or five, and we'd lead them one at a time down the shaft. My associate outside will lead you to the shaft, and you will climb down, covered by him. I'll take over downstairs, and will lead you to the ship."
Crawford nodded. "Good idea. I'll group them up immediately."

"I'll be outside again, to brief my assistant, and set up the escape route."

Weyland had called the Eusebius to dock at the airlock port, and then explained his plan to Akkan and Paul.

Where do I come in?

"Akkan asks where he comes in."

"You'll check the survivors once they are in the antechamber to the airlock. It's safest. If they are clean, you shake your head, if they are not, you nod."

Akkan nodded.

"Paul, keep your eyes peeled, and Akkan, inform us if there are any Xenos close by. Make an X with your hands if Paul isn't near."

Akkan snorted but nodded.

"All right, then let's get through with this! Akkan, get in position at the airlock. Paul, we will get the first group."

Akkan scooted down the ladder leading down into the elevator shaft, gracefully leaping down through the open door to the deck below them.

Paul and Weyland moved up back towards the Airlock, knocking on it.

It slid open, to reveal the first group. It was the family, a husband, wife and two children.

"Follow me." Weyland said, and they complied. Paul walked in their rear, both of them with their weapons ready.

They reached the elevator shaft. "You will have to climb down. It's the deck below this. Paul will cover you from above, I'll go first."
The husband nodded. "Let's go."

Weyland quickly climbed down, and with Paul overseeing things, the family was guided down as well. Weyland grabbed his communicator, telling Paul to wait at the airlock door till he gave the signal.
They moved along the corridor. It was maybe fifty metres to the airlock room. Now was the time to tell them about Akkan.

"All right, I'm telling you this that you don't panic. Up in the airlock antechamber will be a xenomorph. It's a tame one, and it will not hurt any of you. We brought it up here in case of trouble."

"A... Xeno? Tame?"

"Trust me. He won't hurt you."

"Why is he there?"

"He can sense his kind. He will check each of you for… impregnation."

Fearfully, they nodded

"I'm sorry, but I have to be sure."

The door of the antechamber slid open, and the youngest girl screamed at seeing Akkan's large black form in the whiteness of the room. Behind him, the Airlock was open, and Cabe was standing in it, with his pulse rifle in his hand.

"The children first." Weyland ordered.

After a few seconds talk, and holding the hand of their mother, they moved towards the xeno.

Akkan's mouth was closed, and he bent down towards the child, slightly sniffing each of them. They were petrified, being so close to him, and Weyland could practically feel their fear.
After having checked all three, Akkan raised himself again, and shook his head, stepping aside, and allowing them to scoot into the belly of the Eusebius.

The husband was scared as well, even though he valiantly tried to supress it. "Tame Xeno, huh. You don't see them every day."

Weyland shook his head "There's only this one."

Akkan moved close, and tasted the man's scent, and then, grinning wide, he shook his head. The man walked over to his family pretty fast, and Cabe guided them into the Eusebius.

Weyland pulled his communicator, and signalled Paul to bring the second party.

Akkan felt bored. Paul was pretty far away, and he regularly extended his mind to check for others of his kind. Weyland had gone again, and the soldier at the airlock gate was not too interesting.
He longed to go, to check out some of the ventilation shafts that smelled interesting. He was naturally curious, he couldn't help it.
But he wouldn't give in to his curiosity, not without Paul. And besides, ingratiating himself to Weyland would perhaps help with the ship.

A noise, and soft, subdued talk woke him from his daydreams. Weyland was bringing the second group of survivors. The door opened, and one of the men almost screamed, jamming his fist in his mouth.

He smelt their fear. Weyland explained the procedure, and Akkan waited patiently for the first human to step in front of him.

He moved his head close to the human's and smelt him. Nothing but fear and more fear, and even some hate. No impregnation.

The second one was negative as well.

The third one he wasn't too sure at first, but eventually he noticed that the female human was pregnant, but not with a xenomorph but another human.

He shook his head as well.

The fourth one smelt of chemicals but checked out as well.

Weyland nodded at Akkan, and moved off again, with the soldier shepherding the people into the ship.

After a few minutes of idle waiting and fiddling with one of the space-suits hanging in a locker, Weyland and Paul had brought the last five survivors.

They almost panicked as they saw him, and he slightly relished the feeling of fear he struck in human hearts. Paul wouldn't be too happy about such thoughts, but, hey, he was a xeno, he couldn't help himself.

Smelling the first two, he quickly gave his okay. The third one was harder, but he nodded his head as well.

With the fourth one, he merely needed to bend his head close to smell the sweet smell of one of his number gestating inside her.

Bingo. He though, and then nodded his head.

Paul's face fell, and even Weyland looked unhappy.