I am three months pregnant when Amanda and I arrive at Octavius Station. It is a large station in the Andromeda Galaxy, and it is also the first of its kind.

'Good luck, guys.' Captain Sasabe says to us as he waves us off.
'Thanks, pal.' I reply happily as I check my weapons.

Captain Tim Sasabe is an old pal of mine, and he and his crew saved myself and Amanda from becoming another Yokohama statistic. He is also one of the best captains, and the moment the airlock closes, he flies off.

'Where's he going now?' Amanda asks as she turns to face me.

'Back to the Milky Way would be my best guess.' I reply with a smile.

At that moment, a female member of staff walks over to us. She is obviously not Human, and her name is Nanek.

'He's not heading there.' Nanek confirms, catching us by surprise.

'And who are you?' I ask, eager to know the answer.
'I am Nanek, and you came at the right time, as we've been overrun by unknown lifeforms.' Nanek replies with a sigh.

I nod, and Nanek pulls up a diagram. What Amanda and I both see makes us feel faint, as the xenomorph that Nanek is showing us has a longer tail and what appears to be bony hands where the spikes would normally be.

'What the fuck is that?' I ask as I regain my composure.

'This is a lifeform born from a Volrakian host.' Nanek replies worriedly.

Before I can reply, a xenomorph appears. It resembles a Human, and it runs over. I flame it, seemingly killing it, but it regenerates, and it runs off.

'That's new.' Amanda sighs as she looks at me.
'My thoughts exactly.' I reply as I rub my stomach.

Eve tells me to crouch down, and I do so immediately. I then check the trail that the xenomorph has left, and from what I can tell, it's not acidic, although there are visible marks.

'Where is the comms array?' I ask Nanek out of curiosity as I look up.
'It is in the sixth tower. However, you will need my guidance, as this station is unlike anything you've ever seen before, and I am the only one who can help you through.' Nanek replies as she pulls out a Marshall badge.

Amanda crouches down next to me, and Nanek hands her a pair of scanners. They are alien technology, and she hands one to me.

'These are in place of your motion trackers.' Nanek announces as she checks the doors. 'They will detect all heat signatures, as some of the lifeforms here can't be detected by the motion trackers you brought with you.'

I nod, and scan the trail. The xenomorph is confirmed to be only a few days old, and instead of being born, it was assimilated, meaning that there is a brand new xenomorph strain here that is native to Andromeda.

And it's just one of about seven new strains that we'll be seeing whilst we're here.

I stand up, and make a mental note of the nearest exit. It is a large oval-shaped door, and it has blue lights around the edges. It is also the entrance to the corridor that we are about to walk down, and the moment Amanda stands up, we start walking.

'The systems here are operated by Zeus, which is our central network.' Nanek announces as she follows us. 'I will have to guide you every step of the way, although from the comms array onwards, you will technically be on your own, as it won't be safe for me to join you beyond that point.'

Amanda nods, and we enter yet another corridor. There are dead bodies all over the place, aswell as a few "Human" xenomorphs mid-assimilation process. Note that they aren't actually Human, as they are actually members of other alien races, but the xenomorph strain that has been found has the ability to make them look Human whilst subsequently transforming them into what is basically a Human with two mouths and the ability to regenerate after being flamed.

We finally enter the comms array about ten minutes later. Our scanners are picking up suspicious activity, and Nanek leads us over to a spherical terminal. It is very obviously alien technology, and she motions for us to place our hands on it.

'Why do we have to do that?' Amanda asks Nanek out of curiosity.

'It's so the network knows that you're here, and that we can send personal broadcasts.' Nanek replies with a smile.

'I will also warn you that I am with child.' I warn with a sigh.

'That has already been noted.' Nanek confirms as we place our hands on the terminal.

The terminal scans our DNA, and within seconds, we are welcomed to Octavius. It feels like pins and needles, and the moment Nanek gives the order, we remove our hands.

'Jesus hell that was unpleasant.' I moan as I hold my hand.

'It's standard for newcomers, although I understand that you will be heading to Mendel Station once you have finished here.' Nanek replies as she looks my way.

'That's the plan.' Amanda replies on my behalf.

Mendel Station is located in intergalactic space. It is already overrun by xenomorphs, and we have to make a pitstop there to gather supplies despite the danger. The xenomorphs there are the descendants of the xenomorphs from Sevastopol, having been imported because Weyland-Yutani wanted to cause as much chaos and destruction as possible.

And we won't be alone when we go there.

Unbeknownst to us, alien survivors are going to be there. We do not know them, nor are they Octavius residents, but they are going to be there, and we will have to rely on their help to get us through.

Oh, and by the way, we are a little on the mentally scarred side.

You see, both Sevastopol and Yokohama forced Amanda and myself to make some rather difficult choices. Some of which you probably picked up on during my previous accounts which like this one, were happening as we went along, although others were not so obvious, as we had to shoot people who were literally running for their lives, and we also saw a lot more shit than I let on.

And Octavius is about to get A LOT worse.

There are joes here, although they are unlike the joes found in the Milky Way, as these ones are of alien origin. As a result, they do not speak any Human languages, so our scanners have to translate everything that they say.

'How do we access standard terminals here?' I ask Nanek out of curiosity.

'It's easy, as all you have to do is put your hands on the scanner, and they will start up.' Nanek replies as she gets out her scanner. 'You know, what I'm doing is actually illegal, and if my superiors found out, I could actually get myself killed.'

I put my right hand on Nanek's shoulder.

'Sometimes the illegal option is the best.' I reply with a sigh. 'Ever wonder how Amanda and I managed to survive on two stations full of xenomorphs? Certainly not by using legal options, as we had to shoot survivors in the head, and in some cases, we even injured ourselves. As a result, we're now here, albeit with a few emotional scars that will get worse before they get better.'

Nanek sighs.

'Our final destination is Remis III, which is where Amanda and I plan on having our baby. It will become our new home, and if you are able to get yourself into a shuttle, you will be able to start over.' I smile as I place my left hand on my stomach.

At that moment, Eve moves. It is one of the only things that provides any sort of comfort, and I know that when she is born, I will do whatever it takes to protect her. I also know her gender for real now, as Captain Sasabe performed a scan on me during the flight over, and he has confirmed that she is indeed a girl.

'I might do that.' Nanek confirms with a sigh. 'However, my life will be short, as I will only live for twenty years, which is average for my kind.'

'Shuttles are being built as we speak that will make it so that we can get there in months, maybe even weeks.' Amanda replies, catching both Nanek and myself by surprise.

I take a deep breath, and Amanda turns to face me.

'I found that out whilst we were on the ship.' Amanda smiles as she squeezes my hand. 'Only six more months to go before we meet her.