Dr. Jaeger's Report

October 13th, 3146

Two volunteers met with all seven of the team today. Lucien, a 50-year-old Exif male, and Yshtar S., a 37-year-old French Polynesian female, have passed our personality profile evaluation, all psychological and host fitness tests, and given the chance to volunteer or reconsider, both are going through with it. While I understand their willingness, the extreme commitment required of the process would prohibit my study of these beautiful, exotic beings, which I could never be satisfied with if there was any alternative.

Owing to Violet's size, we met in her chamber for convenience. Our first host mothers had been the Progenitors of the hive we've built, but of course Violet, Alcina, and Xenobia are very keen to meet any new hosts and be with them through the entire process. If they had disapproved of Lucien and Yshtar, we would have declined to go through with things. Everyone is very excited to hatch new P. praepotens, but in this situation, both we and the girls are inclined towards quality over quantity. Alcina had mentioned that laying eggs like they are, without ovipositors and in very small numbers, would result in a higher rate of specialized and unusual castes. Xenobia seemed to add something to that which I didn't fully understand, something about taking in a special substance that had skyrocketed their already legendary adaptability. I think she's referring to royal jelly. Since the girls don't currently produce any, I'm not positive. Could there be anything I don't know about? Some… additional mutagen that causes even Plagiarus praepotens and royal jelly work more effectively? Xenobia declined to answer the questions I had about what she meant, either because she didn't understand or didn't want me to know.

It's extremely curious, but with everything happening now, I just have to stick a pin in the incident. I'll make time to follow up and clarify what she was referring to. While our interest is not pharmaceutical, that doesn't mean we wouldn't take advantage of a useful development if the girls were unharmed and cooperative.

Exif are a telepathic species, so Lucien didn't require an interpreter, and Yshtar declined to have Dracul act as her interpreter. Almost as soon as the pair had entered the chamber, Violet picked them both up, as gently as if they were made of cardboard, and examined them both at her face level. Yshtar had momentarily struggled, like most do the first time Violet does that to them. Lucien remained perfectly calm throughout, which is no less than I expected. After looking them over curiously, she set them down, where Xenobia and Alcina had at them, looking them over from top to bottom, gently touching them both with their hands, head crests, and inner mouths, and after the three had each had their time to evaluate them both, they were released to wander where they pleased while we conversed.

"I had read in some ancient accounts that they smelled horrible," Yshtar said. "but their scent, it reminds me of rich earth and spices."

Ancestors lived in a more brutal world than we do, Alcina replied. Their host mothers and fathers were made part of the Nest, and they'd rot there, what remained of them after. We aspire to be more civilized than our Foremothers.

Yshtar approached the smallest Queen and embraced her, her head not quite reaching Alcina's chest. Alcina returned the embrace, radiating happiness at the gesture of acceptance.

"How do your memories work?" Lucien asked his question aloud for the benefit of myself, Taggart, and Mr. Death. "Do you have all your host mothers' memories?"

All of our Foremothers', Violet clarified. Not all of our host mothers, but enough so that we know them. My Mother was a kind, loving parent to me, but presented the outside world with a sterner face so she wouldn't be hurt by that kindness.

Lucien broadcast something at that point. His demeanor was calm, even friendly, but the girls grew agitated, as if he had shown them something in his mind that even they feared. I looked to Dracul at this point, but I wasn't sure then or now if he heard what was said. He made a discreet calming gesture to me, and I let the matter lie.

Even in the depths of space, what could there possibly be that even a 50-foot tall Xenomorph Queen is afraid of? Next to such a speculative monster, Violet wouldn't even be worth the fear one might feel towards her.

Yshtar noticed too. She climbed up Alcina by standing on her feet and ran her hands over the winged Queen's long head in a soothing motion. Alcina held Yshtar up a bit to help her position.

"Do you have the eggs nearby?" Yshtar asked.

They're in my chamber, Xenobia answered. Both eggs we're using in this batch came from her. It took a few tries, and there were some deformed, non-viable eggs she made at first that I took with her permission so I can learn more about the Ovomorph (report of my findings filed on datestamp 31460830145512).

This is not wholly a scientific assessment, but I was moved by the assembly of us. Five humans, an Exif, and three Xenomorphs, engaging in friendly, productive interactions with real communication. Three alien species coexisting peacefully is rare on any planet I know of. In a week's time, Lucien and Yshtar will, in one sense, be dead. In another, equally real sense, they will be reborn into their own children, with their core personalities and much of their memories living for as long as their particular strain exists.

For the moment, studying them as part of the hive, or Colony, as they call it, I wouldn't trade what I experience and learn for anything in the world. But one day, I'll be an old woman, weak and ready for the grave. Perhaps before I'm too aged to be viable for a healthy chrysalide, I'll volunteer as well, and my daughter will inherit my life's knowledge of her species, what I can pass to her of my own culture's wisdom, and the love that only a mother willing to sacrifice for her baby can impart to her child.

Centuries ago, humans associated the Xenomorph with death, but maybe in reality, it's the reverse. Ashley, Kurumu, Taki, Lucien, and Yshtar were all born with an expiration date, same as I was. They might have squeezed a few extra years out if they hadn't volunteered, but in the end, it would just end in oblivion. In a century, they might as well have never existed at all. But because they chose sacrifice, a significant part of them will endure centuries, millennia, eons. Maybe eternity.

{Private Addendum: Access restricted to the personal computer of Jill Jaeger}

It wasn't royal jelly Xenobia meant, and there weren't five humans in the room. There weren't three species congregating that day.

If you find a diamond laying on the ground, what do you do? Pick it up and move on? That's small thinking. I'd take that diamond and start hunting for the diamond mine it came from. When opportunity, real opportunity, comes knocking, it's not enough just to let it in. You have to look to the future. The far future.