Chapter eighteen

Motivation

"I told you already, I don't know what lab you are talking about. I bought you, there were a bunch of guys in suits with guns, you were in a box. That's it. I never went to any lab."

The frustrated huff of air from the xenomorph caused the man to zip his lips. He knew that she was at the end of her rope and he really did not want to find out what happened if she was pissed off. Astarte had been questioning the man for a good forty-five minutes and was no closer to finding out where the lab, or Evelynn were. This idiot really had no idea, he just bought a cool thing off the dark web to add to his collection with no consideration as to what he had purchased. He had made it very clear with his answers that she had just been an object, something to show off to his friends. She could vividly remember all the people that he would bring to his home, all the people that came to stare at his 'horror in a box' as he would put it. She remembered all the looks on their faces as they stared at her, thinking that she was a lesser being. She hated each and every time she was shown off as some trophy of his wealth.

She took her gaze from the human and back to the glass box that was still in the apartment, where she had lived while under his boot. She walked over to it, looking it up and down with anger growing behind that eyeless face of hers. She looked at the control panel on the door, its buttons in a neat and tidy pattern. They were not so neat and tidy after Astarte threw her tail blade into it. It dug deep into the layers of metal and wire, causing sparks to appear from around her bone like spear.

She ripped the blade out with a twisting motion, doing even more damage to the device. The action only helped to suppress her anger a small amount, but it did help. She turned back to look at her bound prisoner, Jeff. She still needed a way to find the labs where she had been, where she prayed Evelynn still was, and he was the only connection she had. She walked back over to him and wrote a new message.

"You must know something. Someway to find them." He shook his head and shrugged.

"I told you. I was contacted over the dark web, they dropped me a burner phone, I met someone who gave me a bank account number to transfer to. Then, they showed up one day, about a week later. That's it. They even took the phone back and there is no way to trace them on the web. I've got nothing." The same information she had heard ten times already. Astarte let out a low hiss at the man, being tired of the same answers.

She turned away, needing to walk off her anger. She took a few laps around the island of the kitchen, her foot steps being the only noise in the darkness. The silence did help her think.

"Damn it…how, how to get back there. I have nothing to go on, no direction to follow. I need something, something to follow. Something to…catch a ride on…drop off…they dropped me off. I would have had to been in a vehicle of some kind, it would have picked me up from the labs." She looked over to the silent man from the kitchen before making her way to him yet again. He looked up at her once she had appeared into his view. He rolled his eyes.

"Listen, I have nothing. Just leave." His words were snappy and rude, like a sibling telling their younger one to take a hike. She did not appreciate it.

She grabbed the note pad from his lad, making sure to scratch him with her claws as she did. It granted her a squeak of pain from him, she made sure to keep eye contact with him as she did. The change of his face told her that the message was received. She wrote on a fresh piece of paper on the pad and then showed the man.

"Buy another Xeno." He looked from the paper to her.

"Are you crazy? Why the hell would I want another one of you running around. I already lost a fuck'n hand."

Astarte grabbed the back of the chair and gave it a hard shove, sending the man rolling across the room at speed. He did not stop until he crashed into the computer desk, causing all the content that was upon it to jump. Some rolled off the desk, others toppled and made noises as they hit the glass of the desktop. Astarte was right on him, grabbing his head with her large hand and holding it towards the computer. She then held up the notepad a few inches from his face. Still with the same message upon it.

"Fuck, I get it. Jesus, calm down." She let go of his head and moved around to the opposite side of the desk. The man stared at her as she moved. "You know I can't do shit with the power out, right. I'm not a fuck'n wizard."

The jerk was right, she had not thought that far ahead with her plan. They would need power back on in order to contact the company. Thankfully, Astarte had not destroyed the power lines to the building, merely disconnected them. She could go put them back together, but they were outside the building, she would be seen by the exterior cameras. And once they knew she was here, they would not send another of her sisters, they would send a firing squad to meet her.

She took a deep breath. No, she would wait. The humans would find the problem and fix it soon enough, the night was still young, so Astarte still had plenty of time until morning. She would wait. Coming to terms with that, her body relaxed a bit, her shoulders dropped. It would be a tough enough time just staying in this apartment again, let alone putting up with a whiny human. She would make the most of it. She walked over and grabbed the back of the chair and proceeded to pull Jeff into the kitchen.

"What the hell?" He asked as she opened the door to the pantry. Shoving him to make sure he slammed into the back wall, she made sure he had one last look at her before she closed the door. She could hear the muffled protest from the man, which is exactly what she wanted. Nothing but muffled noises. She turned to face the now empty apartment and shivered at the fact that she was here again. She wished she could be anywhere but. However, she kept remembering Evelynn and her mission to collect her. She would endure this for her.

So, Astarte passed the time by exploring the space that she had never really been able to before. Climbing the walls up to the roof she made her way to where the bedroom was. She looked down from the ceiling at the rather large bed that was taking up most of the space. Perhaps destroying the bed would bring her some pleasure. She dropped to the floor and stared at the piece of furniture for a moment. How many nights had she had to listen to the disgusting activities that went on up her. Remembering them made her upset. So, destroying the soft, bamboo covers and blankets brought her all the joy she was looking for.

She ripped and tore into the soft fabric, the scream of them being ripped apart filling the apartment. It was gratifying in such a strange way. She tore into the pillows that were there, sending feathers in every direction as she dug her claws in again and again. She threw the empty carcass aside and started on the bed frame. The solid wood frame was tough, but she was stronger. She pulled the wood apart at the seams and broke each piece into multiple pieces and tossed them aside. At one point she even used her maw to bite deep into the wood, listening to it protest as she sunk her razor teeth into its flesh before shattering under her powerful jaw. She looked for more of the bed to destroy, but there was nothing left. She paused and looked over the complete mess that she had made. She mentally smiled at her work. Suddenly, she felt her midsection cramp and twisted like she had been hit with something. Her hands snapped down to hold herself, she had forgotten how hungry she was.

She leapt down from the loft and landed on the island of the kitchen. Walking towards the fridge, it was easy enough to open the extra wide appliance and find all its contents. She looked from item to item not knowing what many of them were.

However, the scent from the four beef steaks that were on the top shelf filled her vision with the most wonderful rainbow of colors. She started to drool, knowing what she had just found. She pulled them all off the top shelf and began to pull off the plastic cover that was protecting them. As even more wonderful smells appeared in her vision, there was a noise from the pantry.

"Hay…hay! You better not be in my fridge!" Astarte turned towards the closed door and thought she would have some fun. She went over and opened it, seeing the man still stuck to the chair. She did nothing to hide the pile of meat she now had in her hand. Jeff's eyes snapped down from her face to the slabs of meat she was holding. "Hay!"

She slammed the door before he could say anything else. She wanted him to know how it felt to be stuck in a box. To be stuck with nothing that could be done. To be an object.

It was the little things that brought her joy.

She wasted no more time and shoved the first steak into her maw and felt the soft tissue squish between her teeth. The sweet juices flowed forth, covering every inch of her mouth. It was delicious. She pulled her head away from her hands, tearing the piece off. She slowly chewed, enjoying every second of its flavor. Bite by bite, she devoured the delectable treats. Before she knew it, all four of them were gone. She looked at the container they had been in with disappointment. Back to the fridge she went, hoping that there was more that she had not seen.

Almost tearing the door from its hinger, she opened the appliance with vigor. Her gaze darted from item to item, looking for more of the sweet treat. She moved things, opened jars and checked the drawers that were inside the appliance.

She had almost lost hope until she came upon something in the back corner. It was large, covered in a thicker plastic, and looked like it had bones sticking out of it. She moved a few things aside to make room for the larger item, she grabbed the plate that it had been placed on and slid it to the front of the fridge. After readjusting her grip, she hoisted the heavy thing out and onto the island. It was a good ten or so pounds of…whatever it was. She looked at it for a moment before using her one claw to gently slice open the plastic. She placed the tip of her claw at the far end and slowly dragged it towards the other, opening the plastic like a zipper. The cover split with ease and the wave of smells hit Astarte with instant ecstasy. It was beyond good, sending shivers down her body.

The colors were wonderful, just as the steak had been, so she pieced together that it was some other kind of meat. Just one that she had never had before. She removed the rest of the plastic and lifted the dead creature off the plate. She held it in front of herself for a moment before violently sinking her teeth into it. Her jaw easily cut through the tissue and pulled off the chunk of meat and bone. As she chewed, she found herself enjoying the crunch of the bones. It was an interesting sensation. She continued to eat, until there was nothing left. And with a satisfied sigh, looked at the empty plate in front of her. She was still a bit hungry, but nothing near what she had been. It would have to do, for now.

Looking around the apartment again, she wondered what else she could do to kill time. Wondering over to the large windows that made up the far walls, she took a moment to look out into the night. Her vision reviling all to her. Not much was happening, she watched a few cars go by, but there were not many. She looked into the far distance at the group of very tall buildings that broke the horizon line. They reminded her of some of the lab equipment that she had seen. With the same strait edges and shapes, not organic at all.

A sudden noise from behind caught her attention.

She snapped around, tail and claws up, ready for whatever was there. She was expecting it to be another attack squad sent from the company. Had she messed up? Had they found her? Not having any cover in her current position, she looked for an enemy that she could pounce upon. A direction to go. Yet, there was nothing. Nothing moved and no human could be seen. She relaxed. The noise continued as she tracked its source, following it to a table by the bedroom stairs. Curious, she walked over and looked scanned the items upon its surface. She saw a few books and a small plant, and some kind of large metal box with a flat disk that was spinning on it. There was a small armature that was cutting across its surface with a small pin touching its surface as it rotated.

She had no idea what this was, but it seemed to be the source of the sound. Astarte noticed some kind of toggle switch on its right side and pushed it with her claw, the noise stopped. Interesting. As she looked at the device, she heard the muffle sounds of the man she had left in the pantry. Deciding that she might want to hear what he was saying, she wondered over. Opening the door, she looked at Jeff who had not moved an inch since being put into the room. He looked up at her in silence as she stood in the door frame.

"Power's back on." Was all he said. She slightly turned her head to look back into the apartment but with her gray vision, it looked exactly the same. Considering the device she was just inspecting had randomly started making noise, she believed the man.

She moved into the small room and shot a hand forward to grab the headrest of the chair, which startled the human. He could do nothing about it with how bound he still was. She turned the chair around and began to drag him across the cold, smooth floor. She did, however, not pull him right up to the desk with the computer, but when she was a good fifteen feet back, hurdled the chair across the floor.

The man let out a quick yelp before slamming into the desk, his head snapping back and forth with the impact. She did not wish to harm the man, as much as she wanted to, but she did need to get her point across. She approached him with haste, and brought her exposed teeth close to his face, letting out a low hiss at the same time. The yellow mist that emanated from the man was strong and told her that he was good and scared. Her clawed hands went towards the resin that was holding the man in place and began to strategically remove just enough that he could use his hands. She watched as he flexed his fist and stretched his fingers outward, glad they were free to move.

She did not give him much chance to enjoy this new freedom, whirling his chair around violently so he could get to work. She pointed to the pad of paper that was still on the desk from earlier.

"Buy another Xeno." The man let out a loud sigh.

"You know, it 'ant going to be that fucken easy, right? Last time, they were the ones who contacted me. I didn't find you in a bloody store." For some reason, his attitude was becoming increasingly annoying. She lunged forward, her large maw open and her second mouth extending forward with teeth flexed. A loud hiss accompanied the action. "Aaa, fuck! Alright, alright! Shit." He protested.

Astarte could tell that the prospect of death and harm was this man's weak point. When the display of power was done, she slammed her hand into the desk, making sure it landed close to the paper pad. There was a soft crack as somewhere on the glass a few cracks appeared.

"Alright, fuck I get it! Buy another Xeno, shit." Jeff whimpered as he reached out with his only hand and pulled the keyboard and mouse closer so he could use it. His hand hovered above the mouse for a moment of hesitation, she could not tell if he was trying to figure out how to proceed, or if he was too scared to. The strong mist of yellow surrounded the man told her it might be the latter. She stood back up to her full height and decided to give him some space to work.

She moved to the window and gazed out upon the city scape before her. It was a strange kind of hive, none of it made sense. The shapes of the buildings and roads were not effective for travel or gathering resources, and it all seemed to lack creativity. O well, she was not here to build a society for these humans. She just wanted her friend and family. That was all.

She took a deep breath into her body and released the hot air onto the glass before her. She watched as the moist air condensed into water droplets on the smooth surface. The cold outside air reacting to her warm breath. It must still be well into the night if it was that cold out. The warmth of the sun had not yet touched the building. She placed a hand upon the window, feeling the cold surface with her large hands. She was struck with a memory from the labs.

(Some time ago.)

Astarte looked down at Evelynn as she shivered and shook, the lack of clothing was doing nothing to keep her warm. She looked up from her friend for some way to help, but within her room, there was nothing. Nothing but the building resin she had produced to cover the walls and ceiling. She looked back to the small mammal before her on the floor. Astarte noticed all the wounds and blood that covered her body, she was not looking well.

The people from the labs had thrown her into the room a while ago, like a sack of meat being thrown away. Astarte had moved quickly to gather her friend and get her as far away from the door as possible, wanting to get her away from any more danger. However, Astarte feared that the damage had already been done and there was nothing she could do to help. She reached out to the only one that might be able to help.

"Mother…mother are you there?" She called out into the void. Only a few seconds passed before a warm feeling flooded her mind and a feeling of calm and love flooded her body.

"My daughter. Wh-w-what is it? Are…you alright?" Jolene answered, her words covered with concern.

"Yes mother, I am fine." She looked down at Evelynne. "But my friend is not. They…they hurt her again. More than last time. I…I don't know how to help. Please, mother, what do I do." She asked in desperation. Jolene's words took a turn of action and confidence.

"Blood?"

"Yes, lots."

"Find the…wounds. You need…to…to close them. Use your…acid. A v-very tiny…bit." She explained.

Astarte went to work, gently removing the rags that Evelynn was wearing. There were holes and blood covering the fabric that made removal a bit difficult. She had to struggle to supress her hunger as the intoxicating smell of the blood touched her vision. But she moved with a purpose and love. In no time, a naked Evelynn lay bare before the xenomorph. Still shivering, still unconscious.

Astarte's was filled with sadness as she looked from wound to wound that covered her body. Some looked geometrical in shape, which was strange, as if some specific tool was used to cut the flesh. Others looked as if the scientists had just rammed a blade into her with no real purpose. She could only wonder what they were doing to her that would merit such action. Evelynn had been nothing but kind to her, why would these people in the lab hurt her so? Her emotions did not go unnoticed by her mother.

"Astarte, I…I understand your…sadness. B-but you need to act…fast." Astarte shook her head once to right herself, she would be sad later, right now she needed action of she is to save her friend. She found the largest wound on Evelynn and would start there. It was a gash about twelve inches long upon her back, just to the left of her spine. It was not deep, but it was bleeding a lot. Astarte looked at her left arm and at a small, soft section of flesh that was between the hard plates of her exoskeleton. She used a claw to cut a small gash, letting her acid blood emerge. She dipped the tip of her claw into the fluid and began her work.

She pressed Evelynn's flesh together and lightly touched her acid over the wound and watched as smoke came forth from the slightly melting flesh. Evelynn flinched which caused Astarte to hold her in place, not wanting to get acid somewhere it didn't need to be. She kept covering the wound, cauterizing the opening and stopping the flow of blood. Once done, she covered it in resin and quickly moved onto the next biggest wound, a strange rectangle cut on her forearm. It was as if they had cut her skin to be folded back, then placed it back. There were a few poorly done stitched keeping the flesh in place but nothing more than that.

"O Evelynn…what have they done to you." Astarte said to herself as she worked to clean and close the wound. She found that with an extremely small amount of her acid blood, she could 'melt' the pieces of flesh together. It would leave a terrible scar upon the woman, but it was better than having her die. She finished with her arm and moved onto the next, and the next, and the next.

Wound after wound was sealed up and closed. The bleeding stopped on each one. There must have been over fifteen large gashes and cuts on the poor woman. Astare worked to close everyone with care. Once done, she double checked to see if she had missed anything. She would not be able to forgive herself if she let Evelynn bleed out from something she had not found. That was when she noticed the woman's shoulder, it looked strange and out of place. It was sitting a few inches out from where the other one was.

"Mother, I…I think her shoulder is hurt. The shape is wrong, like its coming off of her body." She told Jolene.

"P-probably dislocated. Lay her down…on…her back." Astarte followed the instructions as they were given. "Take the…injured arm and put it…o-over her head. Then, p-p-put her hand behind…her head. Pull the hand…towards the…other shoulder."

As Astarte moved the human's hand, she suddenly heard a loud 'pop' from the shoulder, Evelynn moaned and shifted but stayed asleep. Astarte watched, hopeful that she might wake up, but as her eyes stayed closed, her hope faded.

"I think I fixed it mother." There was a pause of silence. "Will she be ok?" She was fearful of the answer.

"We will h-h-have to wait…and see, daughter. I…I don't k-k-know. For now, use…your resin to keep h-h-her arm in place." Astarte called forth the building resin that her class of xenomorph was known for. She wrapped Evelynn's arm across her chest and held it in place as the resin hardened over the next few minutes. Once done, looking down at the still naked woman, Astarte found what remained of her cloths and attempted to put them back on the best she could. It was not much, but it was better than having her naked on the cold floor.

"Mother, how do I warm her? She is so cold."

"Your body pro-produces heat, Astarte. Keep…keep her close to-to-to you. Heat will also…come from your b-b-back. It will warm up…the room for her." Jollene instructed.

Just like the first time she had received Evelynn into her dwelling, she found herself wrapped up around the tiny woman. Keeping her safe, and more importantly, alive. Astarte's sadness grew with each second as she listened to the labored breathing of the woman in her arms, it almost sounded like there was liquid in her lungs. Not good. She also felt the shivers of her body, telling the xenomorph that she needed to hold her closely. She prayed, to whoever was listening, that her friend would survive this, that she would wake and show Astarte her smile once more. There they stayed, in silence, for what felt like forever. Not knowing what would happen. Astarte held her friend tighter.

"Please, little one. Don't leave me. Not yet…not yet."

(Back in the apartment.)

"Ok...done." Astarte retracted her hand from the cold window and turned her long head back to the man that was trapped in front of the computer. The words startled her slightly from the dead silence that had taken over the apartment. She went to join the man, pausing to look at the computer screen and was met with nothing but a gray box that always met her when looking at screens. It was at that moment that she realized that he could very well have set up a trap for her, that he could have contacted the company and told them what was happening. She picked up the pad of paper and pen, writing him another message.

"No tricks. It won't end well for you." She wrote and showed him. The man looked from the message to the eight-foot-tall alien before him. He held up the stump he now had for a hand.

"No shit. You think I want anything else cut off. One hand is fucken enough. I'm not that big of a bloody idiot to piss you off while you have me stuck to a chair." The attitude in his voice still poked at her anger, but from the pheromones surrounded the man, she was fairly certain that he was telling the truth. She went back to the paper.

"When?" He let out a sigh of frustration.

"I told you. They just show up with a crate, they don't give me a time, they don't leave a gift basket, no thank you card. They just show up."

"Then we wait." She told him and started to make her way back to the fridge, she could use another snack and she was sure there was more meat in there somewhere. She heard the cried of the man from behind her.

"Hay! Come on! At least let me out of this chair!" He cried. She kept walking but used her tail to spin the chair around, letting it complete many cycles. She left him at the desk. The man let out a defeated grunt as the xenomorph continued towards the kitchen for another snack.