~ The Program ~
Two months have passed since I first landed on BG-386, and I must admit it has all been quite a shock for me to experience. In the first few weeks of my arrival I was exposed to an extensive class on the history, biology, and behavior of the legendary Xenomorph. It had all been quite jarring to learn in perfect honesty, to fathom that a single species could cause so much widespread chaos in such a short amount of time, it felt daunting that I would eventually be working closely with them.
The Xenomorph can only be described as one thing, a perfect biological species, unlike anything we have ever encountered before. The creature's adaptability is that of a work of fiction, being able to quickly fit into and survive in nearly any environment, even being able to survive in the vacuum of space for moments at a time. Their natural Mesoskeletons provided them protection from even the harshest of impacts, supposedly even capable of shrugging off small caliber rounds, and even if they are to be injured, they release their horrific acidic blood as the ultimate final measure.
From head to toe, they are covered in weapons. From their sick secondary jaw, to the ferocious talons adopting the space at the end of every finger, and finally the wicked blade at the end of their long, powerful, and slender tail. Complementing these features was a common stature of nearly seven to eight feet in height, giving them the ability to easily dwarf even the tallest of humans, and that's just the drones as well.
However, despite being these massive creatures, rarely will their prey ever even hear them approach. The Xenomorphs capitalize on their ability to move nearly silently, and are quick to find even the tiniest nook and cranny to hide into. Their unique biomechanical-like shape gives them exceptional camouflage in dark, dense areas, whether it be mines, jungles, or even the bowels of a spaceship. The amount of damage even a single one can do cannot be understated.
Above all else the Xenomorphs have, they bring with them perhaps one of the most terrifying weapons in the arsenal of evolution, intellect. Time and time again, these creatures have proved their intelligence to be extraordinary. Countless times they have escaped contaminants in the most spectacular of ways, having been so creative that it led to The Company having to spend countless millions of dollars just to develop a new special containment unit just for a single specimen.
Further highlighting the intelligence of the Xenomorph would be their "Hives", the name given to a large group of Xenomorphs. While how they communicate is still unclear, it is well understood they have a way to do so. Old surviving footage of the past proves this. Together, they have been able to thwart entire colonial outposts, and supposedly even entire Weyland-Yutani strike teams sent in for clean up.
In the end, even with all we have learned of the species, there is still so much more we have yet to uncover. One overlying mystery shines high above the rest, and it is this mystery that was chosen as the choice of study for the program I was assigned. The Xenormorphs excreted many unique liquids and various materials for the preservation of their species, however the "Royal Jelly", as it has been dubbed by researchers of the past, is easily the strangest. This "jelly", which origins are redacted, even to me, is seen only in extremely rare circumstances in well developed Hives.
It is a strange and viscous material, and emanates a faint greenish glow, complementing the color of itself. Due to its unknown properties, the team has gone to great lengths to contain it in high security tubes, only allowed to be handled by verified personnel. Today however, was the largest day in the program's entire history, and I was chosen to observe and record. It was on this day they chose to finally test the material on live creatures.
As I walked down the metallic floors of the facility, I saw dozens of personnel going about their daily paths. As I reached the Volatile Research labs I was immediately taken back at the mass increase of security. There were over double the guards, groups at every door and checkpoint, and what's worse is that they weren't even the normal guards either, but rather the elusive soldiers whose every feature was concealed. Many spread rumors about them, whether they were old special ops bought out by Weyland, or even the ludicrous idea that they were some kind of combat android.
We were led into our positions like cattle by the masked guards, and after nearly a half hour of them checking credentials and everyone having confirmed their position, the first test launched its preparations to begin. Beside me in the observation room were two other scientists I have gotten to work with in the past. James had been the first researcher I was ever assigned with and helped me a lot when it came to the new lifestyle as a Wey-Yu researcher. Everett, on the other hand, I had only met recently as he was just transferred to the program this past month in order to fulfill the manpower needed. Everett however, was not a researcher, but rather worked directly with management as a supervisor, similar to Doctor Groves, however not nearly as influential or powerful as the director of the facility.
I looked over to James and gestured towards the datapad held within his grasp. "Hey, any idea what we are doing these tests on anyhow? They've been pretty tight lipped about the damn creature. You'd think they would tell us something about the thing we're working on." James squinted at the datapad and began to look through the files for our task, only for Everett to interject. "The 'creature', as you so put it, that we are testing on are human subjects. The Company doesn't have the time to spend on wasting potential profits on animals." James and I looked at him, sharing the same dumbfounded expressions beneath our masks. I was at a loss for words, I couldn't even think of how to respond to the obscene statement I had heard. James however responded swiftly.
"The fuck are you talking about? We can't just jump straight to human subjects! Who knows what effects it'll have on them! The amount of risks they would be subjected to would be immense, let alone the risk of death!". Hearing James's rant towards our supervisor only stunned me more, however it was most definitely justified. Everett shot a finger at James and responded with a harsh tone. "Watch your damn mouth boy. Talk to a superior like that again and you'll be working in the foundry faster than you could even comprehend." James stood there, obviously contemplating his next move, but decided to heed his warning.
Everett scoffed and as his demeanor slowly shifted back to the relaxed form it once was. "Besides, the subjects we're using are all wanted men of the law, whether they die here is of no problem to us, they were headed to the grave either way. Think of it as an opportunity for them to help others through all the hardship they caused." This time it was I who lost it, I threw my hands up in anger and gave Everett a disgusted look. "How can you just sit there and talk about a human life like it's just some product for you to use and throw out! Even if they are criminals, what the hell could they have done? Last I checked I've never heard of a murder on BG-386."
Everett gave me a chilling stare as he addressed me, "Did you not listen to what I said to James? Show me some damned respect like I deserve. No matter your thoughts on morality, in the end these people were all judged to die. We are simply using them in the most effective means possible for the company. That is the end of it. I will hear no more of this ridiculous conversation. Now pick up your datapad and do your damn job. It's about to begin." James and I exchanged worried looks before turning to the window of our observation room.
We looked on as a man in the orange drab of a prisoner outfit was herded to an operation table. The man had beads of sweat dripping down his face as he yelled silent screams of help with his facial expressions. The masked guards forced him down and applied the restraints as the man's breathing began to quicken. The whole display was disturbing to witness, I wanted to stop the procedure but who knows what would happen if I would interfere. As Everett stepped forward, he pressed down on the intercom and began the operation.
As time passed the experiment ran its course. I watched on in silent disgust as I saw the poor man be subjected to direct exposure of the royal jelly. Thankfully, James and I's test didn't involve any injections or other more physically harmful tactics, but rather the spreading of the jelly over certain areas of the body such as near sensory organs. Still, I couldn't help but feel disgusted at what was happening, and the addition of the occasional blood curdling scream from a nearby lab didn't help in the slightest.
In the end, our entire time spent observing the subject seemed to be for nothing. Hours passed and the strangest thing we saw was only in the beginning, when the jelly seemed to seep into his pores after a length of time. Since then, nothing had followed for hours. Eventually, the subject was removed and confined in a secure area and the test was concluded. As soon as we were granted leave, James and I gathered our things before rushing out of the labs.
The walk out of Volatile Materials was spent in a hollowing silence between James and I. Others seemed to share our sentiments, but overall most seemed completely unfazed by the recent events. As we finally got out and walked back to the living quarters of the facility, James let out an aggravated sigh before stopping. "What the actual hell just happened back there Orion, I mean, do they really just expect us to act like doing that shit on people is perfectly normal?" James asked as I stopped and looked at him.
I went to respond, but I couldn't find anything to say. James looked at me as I struggled to find my words before scoffing and continuing to walk. "I've always known that Weyland has done some dark shit in the past that they tried to hide, but they really seemed like they had changed." James chuckled as he finished his comment, "How funny is that, how gullible people like us are. It should have been obvious to me they had never changed, they don't exactly try to hide it anyhow. I remember growing up on a fresh colony, some days people would gossip the secrets of Weyland, and a week later they'd disappear or be involved in some kind of 'accident'."
When James and I reached the living quarters I finally took my chance to speak. "In all honesty I think everyone knows the truth deep down. Even on Europa, stains of the Company's sins echoed in the streets, I think we just choose not to see them as it gives us hope that things are better than they really are. After all, in the end most common folk are just looking to live a good life, even if it means turning the other cheek to evil." James looked at me with a slight grin and gave me a nod of approval. "Almost worried you'd sympathize with them for a moment. Watch your back Nathan, you're one of the good ones." With a pat on my back, James and I split ways to our rooms.
Only a few days following the experiment had passed before I was suddenly called back to the lab in an emergency, apparently a major development had taken hold on the subject. By the time I arrived I saw James frantically pacing outside the door waiting for me. "It's about time you get here, you need to see this. Everett has been breathin' down my neck to get this under wraps." James quickly ushered me towards the office. "What the hell even happened?" I asked. James simply shook his head as he opened the door, motioning for me to take the lead. "See it for yourself."
As I walked into the observation room I saw the test subject crawled up in a corner, fingers digging into the sides of his head with so much pressure, thin streams of blood were ever so slightly running down his face to a pool of the metallic liquid on the floor. He was distraught, mumbling sayings too unintelligible to hear as he rocked his body back and forth. "How long has he been like this?" I asked as I took a step away from the sight. "It started about a couple hours ago, he was a lot worse earlier. By the time I had gotten here he had been practically begging to be killed. I've never seen anything like it." James said. "Have you tried to talk to him at all?" I asked. James simply shook his head, "Everett didn't want us to do anything yet. Said we could 'jeopardize the specimen'."
I shook my head as I went back to looking at the lump of a man in the corner of his cell. Seeing a human being getting degraded into a state such as this, it was awful to witness. "Well we can't just sit here and watch him rot anymore. Where is Everett at?" I asked James as I walked towards the door leading inside the cell. "He is out trying to get contact with Doctor Groves, don't tell me you're thinking of going in there. If you go in there there's no telling what'll happen to you." I shook my head as I grabbed my keycard. "I'm not just gonna let the dude rot and bleed out, hand me that first aid kit."
James stared for a moment before handing it to me. "Orion, listen, we're both already on Everetts bad side, if he gets an excuse to get rid of you, he won't hesitate to take it." I took the first-aid kit from James before punching in my card to open the door. "If we do nothing then the guy is gonna bleed out. If Everett really wants to get rid of us, that'll just be another way to do so. At least this way we can save a life." As I turned away from James, I took my first step into the containment chamber with the husk of a man.
He was facing to the corner of the room opposite of me, hurdled in a small ball just as before. With each step I took I could feel dread build up inside of me. Every piece of common sense I had told me to flee, and yet I continued. When I was only a step away from the man I clicked open the first-aid kit and knelt behind him. "Hey there, don't worry sir, I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm here to help you with your wounds."
His rampant mumblings began to slow as well as his persistent rocking. He turned his head only just enough to catch a glimpse of me before continuing his past actions. "I need you to listen to me, please, I need you to stop moving so I can apply aid." I paused for another response but the man kept on spewing nonsense. Finally, in a last attempt at contact I decided to tap on his shoulder.
With a sudden jerk the man jumped away from me, pressing himself even further into the corner. With his back to the wall I saw in horror at the wounds he inflicted upon himself. Scars marked his face and one of his eyes had been clawed away. His other was bloodshot and bleeding a stream down his cheek. His ears had been ripped to chunks, and he looked at me with trauma in his eyes.
Seeing the disfigured form I felt my body pause as I tried to process what I was seeing. The man began to sob as he shook his head, "I tried to make it stop, I tried, I tried…". I shook my head in confusion, "What were you trying to stop?" I asked, with a low, soft voice. He looked up to me with tears in his eyes, "Her. She is so, so loud. I could see them no matter how hard I closed my eyes. They're coming for us all." I looked on in confusion, was this the jelly's work? Had it caused some kind of schizophrenic attack? "Who is 'her'? Who is coming?" I asked. He shook his head frantically. "You're all fools! You can't stop this! They'll get us all!"
As the man began to raise his voice I stepped back in caution. James on the intercom began to yell for me to get out. Suddenly the man grabbed me and pulled me towards him. His face was filled with anguish as he looked into me. "Kill me, please, kill me. Her disciple will free them all. I don't want to be one of them!" the man pleaded. I tried to get him off me but he wouldn't let go. "Kill me! KILL ME!" I began to panic as the man's screams only grew louder and louder. I struggled against his grasp before I finally got him off.
I began to run back to the door as the man got to his feet before stumbling to a wall, chanting his request. As the door opened James quickly grabbed me and brought me inside. With a loud 'thunk' the door slammed shut, and quickly as I could, I turned back immediately to the room only to see the man violently begin bashing his head into the wall. With each impact a sickening sound of cracking bones reverberated off the room. "Stop him now!" a voice yelled out behind me as two of the masked soldiers ran into the room.
By the time they got to the man however, all they could rescue was his corpse. He had bashed open his own skull. Shards of bone scattered the area as blood gushed from the wound. Brain matter darted the floor and his body was soon grabbed and began to be prepared for disposal. I couldn't feel anything, I couldn't even move. I stood there staring at the corpse of the man I had attempted to save. Yet despite everything I had just seen, the violent death of a human being right before my eyes, his words still echoed in the shadows of my thoughts. What had he heard to cause such a fate? Who had he seen? Who was this mysterio-
Suddenly a fist slammed into the side of my face as I was sent flying to the ground. My senses rushed back to me as I looked up at my attacker, Doctor Everett. The man had a mad twitch in his eye and I could see James standing back, clearly in shock of the events as well. "What the HELL did you do you damned idiot!" Everett roared. "I told you not to make contact with the specimen! I'll have your ass for this! I'll have your whole damn name wiped from the records!" As I moved to get back up he sent a kick into my ribs, making me writhed on the ground in pain.
As I opened my eyes again I watched as more of the masked guards swarmed in the room, two of them carrying a stretcher and bodybag. Behind them was none other than Doctor Groves himself. He bore an expression of irritation as he walked into the room and locked eyes with the body. As I struggled to get up his cold, calculating eyes darted my way. Any sense of whom he was when I first met him was gone. "This is him Doctor Groves, this is the imbecile that ruined the whole damn thing." Everett said as Groves stared me down. "Upon your word I'll have him sent straight to Maximum Containment for 'processing'".
Ignoring Everett completely, Groves lifted me to my feet and took a step back. "You there. Orion is it? Tell me exactly what happened. I want everything." Without hesitation I began to recall all the events that had taken place, from the wake up call, to entering the cell, everything.
By the time I had told him everything that happened, he seemed to have had a change in demeanor entirely. "You said he mentioned a 'her'?" I nodded, "Yes Doctor Groves, he also mentioned something about 'Her disciple'." Groves rubbed his chin in thought as he looked at the corpse being loaded into the bag. "Fascinating, I wonder…" Groves thought aloud before quickly looking back at me. "No matter, for now go back to your chambers Orion. You've done enough here." I gave James a worried look before turning back to Groves, "Go. We need to clean up this mess. Oh yes, I believe it doesn't need to be said, but not a word of this is to get out of this room. Understood?" I gave him a quick nod before turning as quickly as I could and leaving for my room.
As I left Volatile Materials I could faintly hear Everett begin to argue with Groves, he must not have approved that I was sent off without punishment. Choosing not to risk Groves' mercy, I quickened my pace home.
- Author Notes -
I am proud to share with you Chapter Five of my story! Furthermore, I am proud to say that my block has been beaten down, and the length of chapters from this point should be much better than the last few were. With Chapter Five, we are introduced to some new characters! James seems to be quite the comrade for Orion to be paired with, however his more direct attitude might just bring him more trouble than anticipated. Then of course we have Everett, the stuck up and rather psychopathic supervisor for the Queen Jelly Program. I assure you that both will be returning when their time comes. However, what fate is to befall poor doctor Orion? What wicked plot could Groves possibly been planning in retribution for Orion's actions that indirectly lead to the death of a specimen? Only time will tell the fate of this world and its characters, and possibly more worlds to come.
For now, thank you all for reading, and I would like to personally give my biggest thanks possible for getting this story to a shocking 1k+ views! I never thought my story would ever get so much recognition, and I truly can't say how honored I am to see you all enjoying my tale so far. In honor of this amazing feat, I would like to pay you guys back by doing something special! I am currently still a couple chapters ahead, so I will be posting Chapter Six not on Saturday, but rather Wednesday night! Thank you all again for all the support and feedback you have given me, and have a wonderful night!
This is your Narrator, signing off.
