Author's Note:
Hi everyone! I absolutely welcome and appreciate any comments or reviews about the story, whether you're enjoying it or have suggestions for improvement. Your feedback means a lot to me. However, I need to make one thing very clear: I will not tolerate spam reviews asking if I'm interested in purchasing a comic. I've seen similar scam attempts on other websites involving drawings, and I'm not interested. If I come across these spam comments, I won't hesitate to block the account and report the user. Thanks for understanding and for your continued support! Best, BlueJade30
Amidst the chaos, the South Pole's haunting silence broke under a barrage of tumultuous noises: metal contorting under immense pressure, wooden beams fracturing, and glass bursting into myriad piercing fragments that could easily cut through skin. The force of gravity orchestrated this discord. The earth started to give way, forming a void that swallowed the surrounding area. This turmoil gave rise to a dark, icy chasm, its depths hidden within the spiraling abyss, veiled in obscurity from human sight. As quickly as the devastation emerged, altering the frozen terrain, it subsided. The haze and frosty mist dissipated, unveiling the source of the disaster: a hunter's wrist blade programmed for self-destruction, triggering an explosive force akin to a nuclear detonation from a subterranean pyramid. The South Pole reverted to its spectral calm, a stark contrast to the earlier upheaval. Yet, it was not entirely quiet; the sound of water colliding with the icy tundra's walls continued, marking its existence. As the landscape reformed itself, the dramatic occurrence escaped the notice of two figures standing at a safe distance from the newly created gorge. Before they could exchange words, the serpent queen, having astonishingly withstood the deadly explosion, emerged, determined to avenge the loss of her progeny. But her retribution was thwarted as her scythe-like tail entangled in an oil rig, culminating in her fatal descent from the cliff of the icy wasteland.
Alexa Woods found herself at the brink of the world, engulfed in a maelstrom of emotions, her mind grappling with disbelief. The events she had experienced on Bouvetøya, an island near the South Pole, defied her understanding and logical reasoning. Her heart pounded fiercely, mirroring the exhaustion of a marathon run without water, her mouth parched. Her breathing was uneven, and her hands shook with the residue of terror, having just evaded a near-fatal encounter. As minutes passed, the adrenaline that had fueled her for hours began to wane, and she felt the full weight of her physical and emotional fatigue. Alexa experienced a slight irritation on her skin, a gentle burn from the tiny acidic droplets that made her skin flake and itch intolerably. Nevertheless, Alexa Woods ignored the discomfort, captivated by the scene unfolding before her. She watched, transfixed, as the alien queen faced its end, dragged into the icy depths of the Antarctic Ocean. The creature's cries of pain reverberated as it was overwhelmed by the immense pressure and cold. For Alexa, it was a victorious moment as the alien queen sank deeper into the ocean's chasm. Following the queen's last, ear-piercing cry, Alexa let out a long sigh of relief. "The vile creature is finally dead," she whispered. With a bold gesture, Alexa lifted a finger in salute, saying, "May you freeze to death, you monstrous fiend!" A profound silence ensued, devoid of desperate flights or the terrifying screams of demise. Tranquility prevailed. The serpent queen and her brood vanquished, humanity was saved from a grim fate that threatened to extinguish all life on Earth.
The epiphany hit her without warning. How could she possibly convey this to humanity? The very idea of discussing the event with those unacquainted with the terror of these monstrous serpents seemed absurd. Should Alexa forsake all logic and disclose what she had found, pandemonium would follow. Truly, who would accept her tale of the supernatural occurrence at the South Pole? Any effort to divulge her experience would likely result in Alexa being deemed mentally unstable and institutionalized. This was almost a given, particularly as she had not managed to prevent her crew's dire end, including the leader of Weyland-Yutani Corporation. She could almost predict Miss Yutani's response; the co-CEO of the Japanese Yutani Corporation would surely call for harsh and immediate punishment, blaming Alexa Woods for the disaster. Such allegations could land Alexa in Federal Prison, especially considering Weyland-Yutani's tendency towards lavish legal spending. No attorney on Earth would risk representing her, ensuring her inevitable downfall. Furthermore, the relatives of the lost crew would certainly demand justice and reparation, despite Alexa's innocence. Feeling a wave of indignation, Alexa pondered the looming legal strife. 'It is those serpents, acting under the Queen's orders, who are responsible for the massacre,' she mused. Alexa bore no fault for the crew's gruesome dismemberment by the serpents' progeny, which burst forth from their bodies.
Alexa Woods was recently enlisted by Weyland-Yutani for a South Pole exploration mission, following the discovery of an ancient pyramid beneath a deserted whaling station. Her mountaineering expertise, honed by conquering formidable heights and enduring severe environments, made her an exemplary candidate. Despite this, Woods expressed strong reservations before the expedition, criticizing the venture for the crew's lack of experience and the associated dangers, compounded by Charles Weyland's willingness to overlook safety protocols while also contending with lung cancer. Upon discovering Weyland's imprudent decision to employ an unseasoned mountaineer, Woods vehemently opposed the exploration, fearing for the group's safety. Guilt-ridden, she eventually yielded to Weyland's insistence. Had she anticipated the calamitous events within the pyramid, she might have disassociated from Weyland-Yutani. Nevertheless, guided by her conscience, she embarked on the hazardous mission. Ascending Mount Everest would have been trivial compared to this ordeal that nearly cost her life. The pyramid harbored a dreadful secret: it was a haven for extraterrestrial predators, nocturnal hunters that ruthlessly exterminated any creature they encountered. Facing immediate death by these beings was preferable to the grim prospect of being chosen as a host, captured, and compelled to carry their grotesque offspring. Alexa was coerced into witnessing the appalling destiny of her colleagues, who fell prey to the alien serpents dwelling within the pyramid.
It was not only the shadowy alien drones that decimated Alexa's crew; Charles Weyland too fell victim to a mysterious creature. In the pyramid's depths, another being lurked, one vastly superior to both the serpents and humans. The walls were etched with hieroglyphs of extraterrestrial hunters who reveled in the chase of these serpents, treating humans as mere pawns to breed their prey for sport and honor. These predators, relentless in their hunt, spared neither serpent nor human. Towering and reptilian, they moved with stealth and strength, their bodies sheathed in metal, faces hidden behind masks. Their heads were crowned with elongated, dreadlock-like appendages, and their formidable physiques boasted powerful, well-defined muscles.
Confronted with her return to civilization, Alexa mused, "What lies ahead for me?" She cursed the creatures and their corrosive blood as she noticed the burgeoning irritation on her arms, a precursor to blisters. Yet, an unexpected distraction seized her awareness, reminding her of her company. Perched on the Antarctic tundra's precipice, she discerned a cacophony of growls and clicks nearby. Beside Alexa Woods loomed a formidable reptilian entity, known variably as a predator or hunter. To Alexa, it was clear this creature was not of human origin; its stature was immense. In her eyes, the hunter stood over eight feet tall, dwarfing the average human male, and its muscular build was thrice that of any bodybuilder she had observed on television or social media. Indeed, even the most accomplished or ambitious bodybuilders might envy the hunter's pronounced musculature. Yet, a more urgent call to survival abruptly overtook her, diverting her attention from the hunter's formidable form. The stark reality of her position on an Antarctic cliff edge became acutely apparent. Her thermal jacket, once a bastion against the South Pole's biting gales, had been cast aside in a frantic gesture. The necessity to shed it arose swiftly as it became soaked with the corrosive blood of the alien queen, which had jetted towards her akin to a burst pipe following a grievous injury to the regal beast.
The situation unfolded as it did solely because Alexa was able to inflict a critical hit on the queen's left leg, wielding a branded spear bestowed upon her by the space hunter at their initial meeting. The hunter had fashioned the spear from the remains of a vanquished alien drone, equipping Alexa with the means to fend off the other alien serpent drones. Following her perilous clash with the alien drones and their belligerent queen, her jacket had regrettably disintegrated, succumbing to the ground as a result of the corrosive acidic droplets. To prevent her skin from meeting the same demise as her thermal jacket, she was compelled to remove it. Fortuitously, she only suffered minor burns, a testament to her prompt decision-making. Nonetheless, devoid of suitable attire to shield her from the Antarctic gales, she was at risk of falling victim to the frigid temperatures. The harsh, frosty winds induced shudders in Lex, eliciting the instinctive human reaction to severe chill. Shivering, Alexa clasped her arms around herself in a desperate bid to preserve heat, in spite of the searing acidic burns that rendered the gesture nearly intolerable. She chafed her arms with vigor, wishing the friction would produce sufficient warmth to offset the temperatures that had plummeted to well below -10 degrees, yet it was a futile effort. Eventually, Lex was compelled to curl up on the snow-laden terrain, her strength to remain upright depleted. Agony coursed through her limbs and backbone, akin to sharp blades carving through her nervous system, the pain was excruciating. Overcome by the intensity, she relinquished her balance, no longer able to stand as the agony became overwhelming.
As though life's cruel fate intended to mock her with a metaphorical dash of salt on her wounds, an even worse situation emerged, intensifying the unbearable, shivering torment already besieging Alexa Woods. Left with no alternative, she knelt on the frozen, snow-laden ground. Her bruised knees encountered the snow's biting cold, triggering another surge of excruciating pain and a sharp cry. Her body started to fail, her shivering grew more intense, and as she edged towards unconsciousness, the icy embrace of death appeared inevitable. Yet, just before giving in to the encroaching darkness, she heard the growls and clicking sounds of a predator drawing near. In her last conscious moments, she witnessed the hunter hurtling towards her in a frenzied rush.
Lost in an abyss of darkness, Alexa was suddenly enveloped by a warmth that stood in stark contrast to the biting winds of the South Pole. Our story begins with a woman plunged into the frozen depths of a terrestrial hell. The horrors she witnessed, the countless tragic deaths before her eyes, were unfathomable. No terror could compare to what she endured during her time at the South Pole. The screams of the dying haunted her; such vivid echoes of agony could bring even the most stoic to tears, curled up and rocking in a fetal embrace of despair. If only she could move, she would adopt that very position, whispering to herself, 'Why didn't I intervene? Why wouldn't Mr. Weyland listen to my warnings? Why was he so stubborn?' Yet, there she remained, floating in the oppressive darkness, miraculously spared from death's icy clutches. The pressing question lingered: where on Earth was she? Her identity and the harrowing events of the South Pole were the only memories she retained.
Alexa's peaceful sleep was suddenly interrupted. A stark reminder thrust her back into the grim reality as she remembered the agony she had seen. This harsh awakening hit Alexa profoundly, the symbolic blade piercing her soul, leaving her grappling with intense fear and remorse. Her response was immediate; her body stiffened, and tears welled up as distressing nightmares filled her mind with images of her crewmen's gruesome ends. These ill-fated individuals met their demise in the most dreadful ways conceivable, their cries of pain resounding as they yearned for the mercy of death to escape their terrible suffering. Throughout this horrific experience, Alexa was immobilized, unable to rescue them, and mentally replaying the tragic fate of each crewman.
The demise of Sebastian signified a chilling shift for Alexa Woods. Whenever the thought of his death invaded her mind, her arms would seemingly move with their own sinister intent, wielding a handgun directed at Sebastian's head. She found herself completely overpowered by her own limbs, her fingers pulling the trigger against her will. The harrowing recollection of Sebastian's end haunted Alexa; she had been forced to mercifully terminate his life after an infection by the serpent's offspring. The serpent's larva, bursting forth from a human chest, had doomed Sebastian. Without Alexa's merciful intervention, his final moments would have been excruciatingly painful and filled with dread. While tearfully murmuring apologies, she made the harrowing decision to shoot, a choice that shattered her, given the absence of any alternative to his fatal affliction. Plagued by nightmares, she was tormented by visions of Sebastian accusing her, his voice hauntingly asserting, 'it was you, Alexa, you were my end, and you took pleasure in it.' Her guilt was unyielding, as her nightmares reveled in her torment.
Yet, a sliver of hope pierced her thoughts—she realized she was not alone in her struggle. This shard of hope provided a respite from her nocturnal horrors. Beside her stood an unexpected guardian who had repeatedly saved her. In exchange, she had rescued him from near death at the alien serpents' hands.
Alexa was shrouded in darkness; a deep, relentless darkness. No light could penetrate her sight, no shimmer was visible to her. She felt as if she were floating, and the paralyzing cold that had once endangered her life in the South Pole Tundra had thankfully ceased, no longer harming her. Lex felt her body submerged in a pool of warmth, an odd fur-like texture keeping her temperature constant. Her body welcomed this unforeseen warmth, and the fur-like texture seemed exactly what she needed. Yet, sadly, no level of warmth could dispel Lex's nightmarish visions of demise. The darkness enveloping her seemed boundless. The horrific visions of death that haunted and troubled her mind continued, eroding her sanity with each minute. A cool yet warm liquid flowed down her cheeks—tears cascading like water from a broken tap, relentless as she murmured to herself, "It wasn't my fault. Oh God, please make it all stop."
CLICK
The noise brought an abrupt end to it all—the horrific sight of her crewmen's end, her relentless, unmanageable sobbing, and her whispers to herself.
CLICK
Once again, the sudden noise echoed, and its origin was clear. It was him! The hunter was close, the clicking sound signaling his nearness; so close, she could nearly sense his presence. Then, a realization clicked in her mind, and it didn't take long for Alexa to put the pieces together. The darkness was simply because her eyes were shut, and the feeling of floating in warmth was her body lying on a bed. She found that the fur-like texture was in fact a large fur pelt, acting as a blanket to keep her warm and stave off the deadly cold of hypothermia. Alexa knew she had to open her eyes, but a sense of foreboding warned her of the grim sight awaiting. 'Oh God, please no! Don't let it be,' she silently implored. Gently and with trepidation, Alexa let her eyes open, her vision slowly coming into focus. The first thing she saw was a towering humanoid shape looming over her. Recognition struck her. As her vision fully returned, she glimpsed the hunter in her peripheral view, his mask now off. His amber-gold eyes were locked on Alexa, his large mandibles quivering, producing clicks and growls even without his mask. A strong, foul, and offensive odor emanated from his heated breath, like a wolf that had feasted on its prey. Alexa's nose wrinkled in disgust at the smell, and she noticed droplets of saliva falling from his sharp, fanged, lipless mouth. The awareness of the stench made the sensation of his breath on her face even more intense. The hunter's face was a terrifying sight, leaving Alexa with only one reaction: a shrill scream.
Suddenly, Alexa began to stagger backwards, attempting to distance herself from the hunter. In her haste, she miscalculated the edge of the strange bed and took a severe fall—not onto the snowy, icy terrain she remembered, but onto a cold, metallic surface. The impact on the unforgiving surface was bad enough, but to her dismay, she realized she was only in her underwear. Not only was Alexa alone with this murderous hunter, but he also somehow managed to find the time to strip her of all of her necessary form of clothing, with the exception of her undergarments. Struggling to her feet, she realized something had ensnared her left ankle. Looking back, she saw the blanket, with its fur-like texture, somehow it had formed a noose around her ankle, preventing her from standing. Panicking, she frantically attempted to free her ankle from the fur-covered blanket, only to stop as she noticed the hunter standing over her, shaking his head in a disapproving glance.
"Oh my god! Keep away from me, you sick reptilian pervert!" Alexa's scream was a demand for the hunter to keep his distance. Despite her plea, he ignored it, kneeling down to her level. He placed his large, clawed hand gently on her cheek, indicating the mark there. With a soft purr, he bowed his head to touch her forehead, a gesture intended to show his peaceful intentions. Lex, on the other hand, was anything but pleased. She had been forcibly taken to an undisclosed location and tried to slap the hunter. Anticipating her action, the hunter quickly seized Lex's hand with cat-like reflexes. The purring escalated to frustrated growls as he hoisted Lex off the ground. Despite her kicking and writhing, his overwhelming strength rendered her attempts ineffective. "Put me down, you brute!" she yelled, fighting to escape the creature's hold. The hunter, observing her vein efforts, made a clicking sound, his version of laughter. Lex continued to resist, trying to bite and claw at him, but it was useless against the hunter's steadfast grip. Eventually, Alexa stopped her futile resistance, and the hunter issued a low, rumbling growl, as if questioning, 'Have you finished your tantrum?' It appeared as though he was reprimanding a child who was having a tantrum.
The Hunter, holding Alexa in his arms, turned and walked back to the bed from which she had fallen. "What do you want with me?" Alexa demanded, her tone sharp. The Hunter gently placed her back on the bed and covered her with the fur pelt blanket once again. "This is no joke. What do you want from me, and where have you taken me?" Alexa's questions went unanswered. Taking a deep breath, she tried again, this time calmly, "Okay, I'm calm... Where are we?" The Hunter communicated through hand gestures similar to sign language. He pointed at Alexa, who pointed to herself in response, "Right, me." He then pointed to himself, and she understood, "Okay, you." He gestured upwards, circling his finger around them both, prompting Alexa to look up. She then noticed her surroundings: a dimly lit room filled with an odd fog at the bottom, featuring metallic decor and strange wires overhead. Suddenly, Alexa halted, her words trailing off, "You didn't bring me aboard your ship, did you? Please tell me you didn't." The Hunter gestured towards a large porthole to the right of them. Through it, they saw Planet Earth, Alexa's home world, shrinking in the distance as viewed from the ship's window. Overwhelmed, Alexa's eyes rolled back, and she fainted in front of the Hunter.