Alex was sent to the Earth's orbiting space station for recovery. Once she finally woke up, a nurse was there on the spot. "How are you feeling?" she asked.
"Terrible," Alex admitted.
"Better than yesterday, at least," the nurse said dryly.
"Where am I?" Alex asked befuddled.
"You're safe. You're at Starbase One, been here for two days. You were groggy at first but now you're okay. Looks like you got a visitor," the nurse said as Brainiac 5 entered the room with a cat.
"His name is Jonsey. When I told the nurses you like the pussy, there was a miscommunication and they brought a cat for you," Brainiac 5 explained.
"You, fucking with me, Barney?" Alex asked dismayed.
"I'm glad you're a little better. The weakness and disorientation should pass. It's just a natural side effect of being a human popsicle," Brainiac 5 assured her.
"Where's Childs?" Alex demanded.
"Oh, he didn't make it. Froze to death," Brainiac 5 replied.
"How long have I been out?" Alex asked as she noticed her hair was longer.
"This might come as a shock...fifty-seven years," Brainiac 5 said seriously.
"What the fuck?" Alex wondered.
"You've been in a coma for fifty-seven years. Kara insisted we not pull the plug. You drifted in and out of death, and it's really just blind luck you were able to wake up. It's one in a thousand, really. You're damn lucky to be alive. You could have been asleep forever," Brainiac 5 said.
Alex eyed the cat who hissed at her and was probably homophobic. Alex suddenly felt like she was having a heart attack and began to freak out. Brainiac 5 was instantly there to restrain her and call in the medical personnel who rushed into the room. Alex fought with the medics while crying out in pain. Suddenly, her chest burst open as a Thing head resembling herself came out and looked at her.
Alex awoke with a start alone in her hospital bed. "Holy shit," she said stunned. She then eyed the cat sleeping next to her.
"Bad dreams again? Want something to help you sleep?" the nurse asked via video screen.
"I've slept enough," Alex figured. She then turned to the cat. "And you stay the fuck away from me," she said paranoid.
That morning, Alex was on the holodeck absorbing a sunny warm forest environment. Brainiac 5 then entered the room interrupting her tranquility. "Any news on my wife and daughter?" Alex demanded.
"I think we should worry about the hearing because we don't have long. I read your report. It's good. Stick to it and you'll be fine. There will be a lot of heavyweights in there: Kara, Mon, Mara, Kon, the Primarch, and the Winathian Command," Brainiac 5 told her.
"I don't give a shit. What about my family?" Alex demanded.
"I did come up with something. You, mind sitting down," Brainiac 5 said referring to a park bench. "I was hoping to do this after the inquest but..."
"Spill it," Alex ordered.
"Kelex...she just turned one," Brainiac 5 frowned. "Sorry, you couldn't be there. We tried to wake you up." He then showed a picture of Kelly celebrating Kelex's first-year birthday party.
"Wait...what the fuck? You said I was out for fifty-seven years," Alex said confused.
"No, fifty-seven days...days," Brainiac 5 clarified.
"You, fucking with me, Barney. I heard years," Alex said freaking out on him.
"Well...we're going to be late," Brainiac 5 said urgently.
"I heard what I heard. I am not crazy!" Alex ranted at him as they both entered the room with all the leaders present.
"Right...," Kara said as she saw Alex. "Shall we begin?"
Kara killed the committee present with PowerPoint as they went over the twin disasters on Acheron. "I don't understand. We've been at this for over three and a half hours. How many different ways do you want me to retell the story?" Alex asked annoyed.
"We need a prequel that is also a reboot that could be the starting point for another trilogy," Mon mocked.
"Mon, don't be an ass," Kara scolded. "Look at it from our perspective, Alex. You admit to disabling a snow speeder and destroying the entire base. That's like...42 million dollars. Wait...what does that even mean? I thought we got rid of money. Anyone got an inflation calculator?"
"A recovered recording collaborates with some of your accounts," Mara said calmly and then played it.
"I'm going to hide this recording when I'm finished. If none of us makes it, at least there will be some kind of recording. Storms have been hitting us for the last forty-eight hours. We still have nothing to go on. Nobody trusts anyone now and we're all very tired. There's nothing else I can do. Just wait," Alex said on the recording.
"Vague as fuck," Kon remarked.
"No, not vague. I told you what happened. Our post encountered this Thing that killed my entire squad," Alex insisted.
"We found no evidence of this Thing at your post," Kara said patiently.
"Good, that's because I burned everything to the ground and blew up the Thing with dynamite," Alex said passionately.
"There is no indigenous life on Acheron. It's a dead rock," Mara said.
"I said it was not indigenous. It was from a derelict spaceship, an alien ship. It was not here, get it. We found the ship after looking through the Winathian recordings. It's a saucer-shaped ship that was stuck in the ice for thousands of years," Alex said.
"Which has never been recorded on three hundred world surveys. A creature that gestates inside a living host, digests the host internally, absorbs the host, copies the host, and takes it over. With blood that reacts independently of the body?" Mara asked incredulously.
"I'm telling you these Things exist," Alex insisted.
"Alright, I think that will be all," Kara said bored.
"No, it's not all. If the ship is carrying other Things, it must be destroyed. You should nuke the entire surface of that moon," Alex said to them all. "If any of those Things somehow gets to Earth, you can kiss humanity goodbye!" Alex yelled at them.
"It's the finding of this inquiry that Battle Brother Alexandra Olsen has acted with questionable judgment and is unfit to be a Space Marine. No criminal charges will be filed, and you will be released on your own recognizance for six months of psychometric probation to include a monthly review by a commissioned officer. Your wife...basically. See what I did there?" Kara said, pleased with her own wit.
"Fuck you, Kara," Alex said unamused.
"These proceedings are closed," Kara concluded.
"That could have gone better," Brainiac 5 said dryly after the hearing was over.
"Shove it, Barney," Alex told him off and then went to Kara. "Kara. Why don't you check out Acheron for yourself?"
"I don't have to. There have been people there for nearly two months and they never said anything about hostile aliens. We're terraforming the moon. We're going to make it livable, great again," Kara said enthusiastically.
"How many colonists are there?" Alex demanded.
"I don't know, sixty-seventy families. I suppose it also depends on what a family is. Is it simply two people shacking up or do they have to be married and with kids? It's confusing to count," Kara said.
"Jesus, Kara. You put families on that moon," Alex said outraged.
"Alex, it's not your problem. Get some rest, be with your own family, and let me worry about this crap," Kara told her and then walked off.
Alex sulked in her room as she waited to be transported back to Earth. She then heard a knock on her door. Opening her door, she saw Brainiac 5 and a Space Marine officer. "Hi, Alex. This is Lieutenant Goreman of the Space Marine Corps. We have to talk. We've lost contact with Acheron," Brainiac 5 said awkwardly.
Alex gave them a stupefied look and let them both inside. "I don't believe this shit. You throw me to the wolves and now you want me to go back out there. You can go fuck yourself."
"Can I finish?" Brainiac 5 asked calmly.
"No fucking way," Alex repeated.
"You wouldn't be going in with the troops. I guarantee your safety," Lieutenant Goreman promised.
"You won't be able to guarantee shit once you get on ground," Alex doubted.
"These Space Marines are the best of the best, Special Forces, state of the art weaponry. There's nothing they can't handle," Brainiac 5 said.
"We're trained to deal with these situations," Lt. Goreman said confidently.
"No, wrong, fucking wrong. We don't need more Space Marines. We need to evacuate the moon and nuke it," Alex argued. "
"It may just be a downed transmitter," Brainiac 5 downplayed. "If you play ball, I get you reinstated in the Space Marine Corps."
"What's your interest in this?" Alex asked suspiciously.
"I know you better than you know, yourself, Alex. I have your psych profile. You can't be forced out of the Space Marines. The only way for you to leave that life behind is for you to decide that for yourself. That's what Kara doesn't understand. So...if I send you into the shit once more, maybe you'll be good at it. Or, maybe you'll be fed up with it," Brainiac 5 said.
"So, that's why you won't send a drone army to Acheron. You'd risk the lives of all the colonists and Space Marines to make me happy," Alex realized.
"Well...," Brainiac 5 smiled awkwardly.
"You're a son-of-a-bitch, Barney. Tell me, we're going there to destroy them. Not to bring them back, not to study them, just to wipe them out," Alex said seriously.
"You have my word," Brainiac 5 replied.
"Your word means shit," Alex sighed. "When do we leave?"
Without informing Kara, Brainiac 5 brought Alex onto a Poseidon-class sub with a platoon of Space Marines. Alex was immediately reinstated as a Battle-Brother and was back in the military life. Since only officers had their own quarters, the enlisted men slept together in a single bay. Since the environmental controls were relatively warm, most slept without needing a blanket in their underwear. Upon arriving at Acheron, the lights went on waking everyone up.
"They don't compensate us enough for this shit," Drake complained as he woke up next to Alex.
"Not enough to wake up to your face," Corporal Dietrich mocked.
"The fuck?" Drake wondered.
"Ok, sweethearts, what are you waiting for? Breakfast in bed? Wake the fuck up!" Platoon Sergeant Apone shouted. "Another glorious day in the Corps. A day in the Space Marine Corps is like a day on the farm. Every meal a banquet, every ration a fortune, every formation a parade. I love the Corps."
"My boots are in storage," Battle Brother Hudson told him.
"What do you want to do about it? Fetch them for you?" Apone asked sarcastically.
"Would you, Sir?" Hudson asked naively.
"Don't call me Sir. I work for a living. As to your question, look into my eye," Apone said fiercely.
"Err...," Hudson wondered.
"Fuck no!" Apone shouted at him. "Fall in people, let's go!" he said to everyone else.
Alex woke up and got dressed quickly. Feeling she might have lost some muscle mass, during her coma sleep, she went to a metal bar and did some pull-ups. Hudson came over to her amused. "Tell me, Olsen, have you ever been confused for a man?" he asked teasingly.
"No, have you?" Alex shot back.
"Okay, but what's with changing your skin color," Hudson asked curiously.
"She's naturally white, idiot," Corporal Ferro told him off.
"Is she some kind of alien?" Hudson asked cluelessly.
"Hudson, shut the fuck up before you get us all killed," Ferro warned.
The Space Marines got dressed in their uniforms and went to the cafeteria to eat breakfast. The food was already pre-prepared from dispensary systems. The chef was reserved for Navy officers, enlisted, civilians, POWs, basically, anyone other than a Space Marine.
"Top, what's the Op?" Hudson asked. "See what I did there? I rhymed."
"You'll love it, it's a rescue mission," Apone said sarcastically.
"To rescue some virgin colonists' daughters of their virginity," Battle Brother Spunkmeyer joked. "Dumbass colonists."
Alex gave him a WTF look but quickly recovered. Corporal Hicks noticed Alex and decided to ask some questions. "Consensually, right?" he asked Spunkmeyer.
"Yeah, of course," Spunkmeyer said obviously.
"And over the age of eighteen, right?" Hicks continued.
"Yeah, what are you implying, corporal?" Spunkmeyer asked incredulously.
"Not implying anything," Hicks smirked as Spunkmeyer got riled up.
"I sure would like to get some Acturian poontang, if you know what I mean, remember," Battle Brother Frost said to Hudson.
"Yeah, Frost, but yours was a male," Hicks brought up.
"Don't matter if it's Acturian. A hole is a hole," Frost said defensively.
"Actually, Frost, it does matter," Hicks said super-seriously.
"You, implying I'm a queer?" Frost asked offended.
"Not implying anything," Hicks shook his head.
"Hey, Bishop, do the thing with the knife," Hudson requested.
"Okay," Bishop said eagerly and took out a knife.
Alex merely watched in stunned amazement as Bishop placed the knife between Hudson's fingers. Drake then held Hudson down to keep from moving and put his own hand on top of Hudson's. Bishop then rapidly stabbed the table at fast speed between Hudson's fingers. It got so fast that Hudson freaked out and started to shout.
"Alright, knock it off," Apone said finally.
Bishop then went back to his side of the table next to Alex. It was then that he noticed he was bleeding yellow blood. "I thought you never miss, Bishop," Brainiac 5 teased. Bishop's hand morphed and healed the wound instantly.
"Is he a shapeshifter?" Alex questioned.
"A Durlan. He's able to take on any shape he has physical contact with," Brainiac 5 informed her.
"So, what is this mission really about?" Bishop asked interested.
"Olsen's last trip out, there was a shape-shifting alien...there were a few problems...some deaths involved," Brainiac 5 said vaguely.
"I'm shocked. Was it a Durlan?" Bishop asked concernedly.
"Perhaps, but it was in the ice for thousands of years," Brainiac 5 allowed.
"Well, that explains it. After getting frozen in ice for that long, we're bound to get a little twitchy," Bishop remarked. "It's impossible for me to harm or allow someone else to be harmed. That's the commandment from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ."
"You know what? Stay the fuck away from me," Alex said freaked out and left the cafeteria.
In the hangar bay, Lt. Goreman ordered a formation. "Morning, Space Marines. Sorry, we didn't have time to brief you before we left Earth. It's because only now is the appropriate time for an exposition dump."
"Sir, is this going to be a stand-up fight or another bug hunt?" Hudson asked out of turn.
"How about you shut the fuck up and listen and then ask questions," Lt. Goreman told him off. "All we know is that we lost contact with the colony and that a queer-looking alien might be involved."
"Sounds like a bug hunt," Spunkmeyer figured.
"What exactly are we dealing with here, Sir?" Hicks asked super-seriously.
"I'll tell you what I know. I was stationed on an outpost on this moon. A dog entered our camp. It mutated and killed the other dogs. It digested, absorbed, and copied their cells to become an imitation. It then attacked members of my squad one by one. When it infects one of you, you won't realize it until it's too late. Then, it will act like you, think like you, and be very difficult to spot," Alex began.
"How can we detect them?" Hicks asked.
"A simple blood test will determine if your cells are contaminated. Or, when cornered, the Thing will transform into a monster to fight or escape," Alex answered. "They're very difficult to kill and when you kill it, you must destroy every single part of it."
"Ok, thank you, Olsen. We have Olsen's report on a disc. I suggest you study it," Lt. Goreman said to everyone. The Space Marines chuckled and laughed at the very notion any of them could read anything that wasn't written on paper with crayons.
"Because that Thing took out my squad within 24 hours. If the colonists encountered one of these Things, there's no telling how many have been infected. Do you understand?" Alex asked impatiently.
"Alright, I want this smooth and by the numbers and other military clichés. Load up ordinances, weapon strips, and dropship prep within seven hours. Now, move it," Lt. Goreman ordered and took off.
"No fucking way," Ferro shook her head dismayed.
"You heard the man, and you know the drill. If you don't want me to say more military clichés, you better get moving," Apone shouted at them.
The Space Marines got everything ready on the double in the hangar. "I don't care if your dick is short, get it done," Apone yelled at Frost. "You'll get lip cancer trying to suck our lieutenant's dick, corporal," Apone warned Dietrich.
"I feel like a fifth wheel. Is there anything I can do?" Alex asked Apone.
"Is there anything you can do?" Apone asked right back at her.
"I can operate that mech unit," Alex volunteered.
"Knock yourself out," Apone allowed.
Alex then walked around like a boss in the mech suit carrying and lifting heavy things to where they needed to be. "Nice," Apone said pleased.
Once they were ready, the Space Marines put on their armored spacesuits which included translucent forcefield helmets and bio-reading monitors. An armored car was placed inside the Magnun-class fighter ship. The armored car had two gun turrets controlled remotely inside. Ferro put on her pilot's helmet and mirror sunglasses ready to pilot the fighter down to the surface.
"Alright, you're a team and there's nothing to worry about. We're gonna conquer, and we're gonna kick ass. Understood?" Apone said to his men. "That's what we're gonna do, sweethearts. Alright, people, on the ready line," he ordered. "Are you lean? Are you mean?" he asked them.
"Lean, mean, Marines!" they shouted.
The Space Marines got on their armor and plasma rifles and lined up near the fighter ship. "Absolutely badasses! Let's pack it in! Get here! Move out! Did I miss a cliche?" Apone said as he opened the door.
"No, Veteran Sergeant!" the Space Marines yelled as they entered the armored car.
"I want combat seating. You know where you need to be," Apone said to them as they scrambled in. "Get those weapons stowed. If there is a negligent discharge, I'll eat your ass."
Brainiac 5, Alex, and Lt. Goreman entered the armored car without armor as they were not expected to go outside the car. Lt. Goreman took his place at a command console of computers and monitoring equipment.
"Ok, Bishop, let's go," Lt. Goreman said to him.
Bishop nodded and drove the armored car inside the fighter ship.
"Ready to get it on!" Hudson shouted enthusiastically as he took his seat.
"Stop with the clichés, God damn!" Lt. Goreman lectured.
The Magnun fighter detached from the Poseidon sub and ignited its engines. The fighter accelerated hard toward the colony destination and went through some stormy clouds. The fighter vibrated hard inside the storm. Lt. Goreman was noticeably uncomfortable. "How many jumps for you, Lieutenant?" Alex asked.
"Thirty-eight simulated, two combat drops, including this one," he admitted.
The Magnun fighter stopped shaking as they came out of the upper atmosphere. Lt. Goreman got his groove on as he focused on all the computer monitors in front of him. Hudson got out of his seat and was a little too full of himself. "Ultimate badass. You do not want to fuck with me," he said.
"So, you're celibate now?" Drake mocked.
"What...no," Hudson backtracked.
"Knock it off. Gear up," Apone ordered. "Two minutes, people, and wake up Hicks."
Alex eyed Hicks who had fallen asleep during the entire jump.
The Magnun fighter came by the colony and found the World Engine. "That's it, the World Engine," Alex identified on the screen.
"Remarkable piece of machinery. Completely automated. I manufacture them in mass now," Brainiac 5 said impressed with himself. The Magnun fighter went around the World Engine and found the colony's living areas.
"Storm shutters are sealed, there's no visible activity," Ferro reported. "Structure appears to be intact."
"Slow circle around the colony," Lt. Goreman ordered Ferro.
"They still have power," Alex noticed.
"Put us down on the landing pad," Lt. Goreman ordered Ferro after looking around for a while. "And then dust off."
The Magnun fighter dropped off the armored car and then flew off back into the air. The armored car drove toward the colony door. The Space Marines then got out in the pouring rain and tactically made their way to the door. It was locked. "Slice the door, Hudson," Apone ordered.
Hudson took out a device to connect with the door's circuitry and opened the door. The Space Marines managed to get the door open and got bottlenecked in the thin corridor. Inside the corridor, the Space Marines noticed holes in the ceiling indicating plasma fire.
"Second team, Hicks, take the second level," Lt. Goreman ordered.
"Sir, we got indications of small-arms fire. We got some explosive damage, looks like grenade charges," Hudson reported as he took point on the first level.
"Hicks, Hudson, activate motion trackers," Lt. Goreman ordered.
"Nothing, not a God damn thing," Hicks said spooked.
"Search in teams of two," Lt. Goreman said finally.
Hudson and Drake finally detected some movement. "It's in there," Hudson pointed out a room. The two barged in and found two live pet rats. "Sir, we have a negative situation here."
"Destroy them," Alex insisted.
Lt. Goreman gave her a look and then nodded. "All teams, destroy all non-sentient life."
"Well, okay then," Hudson said as he incinerated the mice with plasma fire.
"Move on," Lt. Goreman ordered.
The two teams moved around the colony offices and found nothing. "Team two, what do you got?" Apone asked.
"Just finished our sweep. We got nothing," Hicks reported.
"Whatever happened here, I think we missed it," Apone radioed to Lt. Goreman.
"Area is secured, find the computer room," Lt. Goreman ordered. "Hudson, try to get the CPU online. Hicks, meet me at the Southgate. I'm coming in."
Bishop drove the armored car to the Southgate and stopped as they met up with Hick's team. Lt. Goreman, Alex, and Brainiac 5 got out of the armored car in armored spacesuits with translucent forcefield helmets.
"Sir, we got the CPU online. It's working fine," Hudson radioed.
"Good, standby in operations," Lt. Goreman ordered.
The three went inside the Southgate and found the wing barricaded with random stuff. "Sir, they sealed off this wing at both ends, welded the doors, and blocked the stairs with heavy equipment but it looks like the barricade didn't hold," Drake reported.
"Any bodies?" Lt. Goreman asked.
"No, Sir," Drake replied.
"Last stand. Must have been a hell of a fight," Frost said.
"Looks like that way," Hicks agreed.
The Space Marines entered the computer room and found jars of specimens. Alex eyed the miniature Thing creatures. They were an assortment of claws, jaws, tentacles, and eyes. "Are these the Things?" Brainiac 5 asked Alex. She merely nodded.
The Things remained motionless inside the thick glass jars until Brainiac 5 got close to them. The Thing then reacted trying to attach itself to him. "Two are alive, three are dead," Brainiac 5 detected. "Subject: Marachuk, John, was infected, died during foreign removal procedure."
"Yo, Hicks, I think we got something here," Frost said as the motion detector went off.
"Behind us," Hicks said to Alex upon seeing the reading.
"One of us?" Alex wondered.
"Apone, do you have any of your people in D-block?" Lt. Goreman asked.
"Negative, we're all in operations," Apone replied.
"Well...shit," Lt. Goreman said and then had the squad move out.
Drake, Frost, Hicks, Alex, Goreman, Brainiac 5, and Bishop moved toward the source in that order. "It's moving straight toward us and up," Drake said as they entered a corridor. Drake, Frost, and Hicks formed a T-formation as they cautiously moved through the corridor. They suddenly something darted out. Drake fired automatic fire at it as it crossed them.
"Fuck," Drake said spooked.
"Hold up," Hicks said as they all calmed down.
The Space Marines crouched down and saw a little girl with her doll. She looked dirty, malnourished, and traumatized. "Olsen?" Hicks asked of the situation.
"Just grab her," Lt. Goreman said.
"No, she could be one of them," Alex told him. "If she bites you, you're fucked."
Brainiac 5 reached out to the girl with his hand. The girl bit him and took off in the tunnel shafts of the wall. Brainiac 5 chased after the girl as she crawled underneath the floor panels. The girl then entered a room filled with trash and food supplies. The girl had been using the room as a holdout. Brainiac 5 entered the room. The ceiling of the room was a lethal as fuck generator fan.
"It's okay. I'm from the government...and I'm here to help," Brainiac 5 said gently. The girl tried to get away through a ventilation shaft. "Yeah, no," Brainiac 5 said as he wrapped her up with metal cables. The girl continued to resist her hold as he gently squeezed tighter and tighter. "You will be raised in the Brainiac way." The girl was even more resistant to that.
Brainiac 5 then used one of his fingers to prick her and take a blood test. "Rebecca Jordan," he identified. "She's clean."
Rebecca was brought to the computer lab. Lt. Goreman began the interrogation of the child. "I want you to think. Where the fuck are your parents? What the fuck happened here? How the fuck did you survive?"
"Goreman, really?" Alex asked him.
"She's borderline malnourished and fucking traumatized," Dietrich, the medic, reported.
"Waste of my fucking time," Lt. Goreman said to the little girl and walked out with Dietrich.
"Screw that asshole. Here's some hot chocolate," Alex said as she went into mother-mode. "That good, huh? Well, time for bath time," she said as she got some baby-wipes to clean the girl up. "Hard to believe there's a little girl underneath all this. And a pretty one, too. And, no, I'm not saying that because I'm gay. You know what, forget it."
The girl merely stared at her. "I don't know how you managed to stay alive but you're one brave kid. You don't talk much. I think I'll call you Mute," Alex said. "Yeah, I like that name. I'm Alex. You'll be safer with us." The girl shook her head in disbelief.
In the lab, Bishop analyzed the dead Thing sample. Even though it appeared dead, there was still some cellular activity. Bishop introduced some of Rebecca's blood to the dish. Immediately, the Thing cells latched onto it, took it over, and then imitated the blood cells. "Magnificent," Bishop said impressed.
Meanwhile, Hudson was working on the computers. "I found their colony locator chips. It looks like all of them over at the processing station, sub-level 3, under the main coolant towers," he said pointed it out on the specs.
"Looks like a God damn town meeting," Hicks said suspiciously.
"Let's saddle up, Apone," Lt. Goreman said pleased.
"Sir, the Thing is not able to replicate non-organic material. When it absorbs a person, it leaves behind metal like these chips. It could be a trap," Alex warned.
"A trap is only a trap if you don't know it is. I say it's a proper challenge," Lt. Goreman said ambitiously.
"Let's go people, head out. Frost, you're driving," Apone ordered.
The Space Marines took the armored car to the World Engine. "Don't worry, it'll be okay, probably, maybe...," Alex said to Mute inside the armored car. The armored car went inside the World Engine and immediately the Space Marines got out.
The Space Marines made their way to the stairwell from level 1 to level 3. Inside the armored car, Lt. Goreman, Alex, Brainiac 5, and Mute could see what was going on with body cameras. Upon arriving at level three, the walls were coated with a flesh-like material. "What is that?" Lt. Goreman asked Alex.
"I think the Thing grew itself on the walls. Don't touch it," Alex advised.
The walls resembled multiple spines and ribs coming off them with a red muscular material covering the bones. The Space Marines appeared to be walking through a living body. "Nobody touch anything," Apone warned even as they were fully armored.
"Hot as hell in here. I should now. My name is Frost," Frost noted.
"But it's a dry heat," Hudson joked as it was super-humid inside.
"Knock it off. Adjust temperature controls in your suit if you're going to complain like a bitch," Apone lectured.
Alex eyed the specs as the Space Marines got closer to the coolant towers. "You'll need to switch to flamethrower," Alex advised.
"We'll run out of fuel shortly," Lt. Goreman objected.
"But your plasma rifle ammunition could pierce the coolant and cause a nuclear meltdown," Alex pointed out.
"She's correct," Brainiac 5 concurred.
"Well...fuck me, shit...God damn it," Lt. Goreman realized. "Apone, no firing in there. Only use flame throwers...and no grenades."
"Alright, you heard the man, he told us to go fuck ourselves so that's what we're going to do. Incinerators only," Apone said to his men. "Head out, people."
"I'm keeping my holy shotgun because I don't give a fuck," Hicks said to Frost as he pulled it out.
The Space Marines started to notice clothes and non-organic matter hanging out on the muscular walls. "Steady, people, let's finish our sweep. We're still Space Marines and we have a job to do. Keep it moving."
Finally, the Space Marines came upon a live victim. Dietrich found someone hanging on the walls. The civilian suddenly opened her eyes with a freaky expression and suddenly her chest formed giant jaws and tentacles. The Thing then tried to attack Dietrich by entangling her up. Dietrich was able to move out of the way as the Space Marines blasted the Thing with fire.
"Multiple signals, all around us," Hudson detected.
"Metal helmets down, look sharp," Apone ordered.
The Things attacked from all sides as grotesque humanoid creatures. The walls, themselves, became alive and tried to digest the Space Marines with an assortment of jaws, claws, limbs, and tentacles. The Space Marines fought back with flame throwers and energized chainsaw swords. The Things were entirely organic and weren't able to penetrate the Space Marine armor. Still, the Space Marines were getting pushed around and clawed at.
"Lay down suppressing fire with incinerators and fall back," Lt. Goreman ordered.
"Didn't hear?" Apone lied as he was having too much fun to leave.
"Fall back and...," Lt. Goreman ordered.
"What? Can't hear you," Apone smiled inside his helmet as he was slicing and dicing all the Things around him.
The Things adapted to the situation and tried another approach. They kept sending more Things to attack until the Space Marines ran out of fuel for their flamethrowers. They then tried to strangle the Space Marines with large tentacles. When that proved difficult, the floor, itself, tried to keep the Space Marines in place. The walls then came closer and closer in an attempt to crush the Space Marines. Slowly but surely, the Space Marines found they could no longer move.
"Talk to me, Apone," Lt. Goreman requested as all the Space Marines appeared stuck and not moving.
"Get them out of there," Alex said forcefully to Lt. Goreman.
"Their vitals are fine," Lt. Goreman downplayed.
"Get them out now!" Alex yelled at him.
"Shut up!" Lt. Goreman told her off.
At this point, the walls were so tight around the Space Marines that they couldn't breathe. The Space Marine life support system kicked in, but they were completely stuck. "I told them to fall back. What the fuck?" Lt. Goreman wondered out loud.
"They're cut-off. Do something, you, fuck!" Alex yelled at him and then went to take the wheel. Alex drove the armored car toward where the Space Marines were to break them out.
"What the hell?" Lt. Goreman asked alarmed as they started moving. Lt. Goreman fought over the wheel with Alex causing them to bump into the walls several times. "Stop this vehicle! That's an order!" Lt. Goreman yelled at her. "I'm in chaaaarge!" he said lamely.
Alex resisted Lt. Goreman and burst through a metal wall. Lt. Goreman was tossed inside the armored car and got himself a concussion. Alex ignored Lt. Goreman and fired the two gun turrets on the armored car to tear through the biological material. A remnant of Space Marines made their way to the armored car.
"Open the door," Alex told Brainiac 5 as they got closer.
The Things took hold of Drake and tangled him up good. Hicks used his holy shotgun to blast a Thing in the head splattering it as he got in. Hudson also managed to get in as well. Alex then drove the armored car out of the World Engine and onto rocky surface of the moon. Once a safe distance, Alex parked the armored car. She went over to Lt. Goreman and noticed his eyes.
"He's got a concussion," she diagnosed.
"Look, Sarge and the others aren't dead. They still got life support," Hudson remarked of the computer monitors.
"Then we go back and get them," Hicks said nonchalantly.
"Fuck yeah, let's do it," Hudson readily agreed.
"You can't help them. If they take their helmets off, they'll be infected and turned into Things. If they don't, they'll suffocate," Alex said simply.
"I say we nerve-gas the fuck out of that place," Hudson suggested.
"We don't know if that's going to affect them," Hicks doubted.
"I say we take off and nuke the site from orbit," Alex said fiercely. "It's the only way to be sure."
"Hold on a second, that's our brothers still left behind," Hudson disagreed.
"Also, this installation has a significant high value to it," Brainiac 5 chimed in.
"You can bill me," Alex said sarcastically.
"Look, this is an emotional moment for most of us. I know that. But let us not make snap judgements. This is clearly an important species, and I don't think we have the right to arbitrarily exterminate them," Brainiac 5 argued.
"Wrong, fucking wrong," Alex told him off.
"I'm not authorizing that kind of action. Sorry," Brainiac 5 refused.
"I believe Corporal Hicks has authority here since this is a military operation," Alex pointed out. "Isn't that right?" she asked him.
"Yeah," Hicks nodded.
"Corporal Hicks is just a grunt, no offense," Brainiac 5 began.
"None taken," Hicks said pissed off as he took offense.
"A corporal can't authorize a nuke attack on a moon," Brainiac 5 said obviously.
"Ferro, do you copy. Need immediate evac," Hicks radioed.
"On our way," Ferro radioed back.
The Space Marines and Mute exited the armored car and waited for Ferro to arrive. Lt. Goreman was put on a stretcher as he was still unconscious. On the way, Ferro spotted Spunkmeyer flagging her down with his helmet off. Ferro sighed, landed near him, and lowered the ramp. "Move it, Spunkmeyer, we're moving," Ferro radioed him as he got inside.
"We, leaving the system?" Spunkmeyer asked.
"Not yet. We have to pick up some others," Ferro told him.
"I'm so glad to see none of those Things got to you," Spunkmeyer said gratefully.
"Imagine if I was a stupid bitch that kept the ramp down the entire mission," Ferro rolled her eyes.
"It's because you were assigned male at birth," Spunkmeyer joked.
"Don't start with that again," Ferro said annoyed.
Spunkmeyer's head suddenly tore apart and rapidly grew several tentacles that wrapped around Ferro's body. She went for a pistol, but the Thing already had a good grip on her arm. The Thing then tried to take over the fighter to take it off-world. Ferro fired her pistol into the fighter's control panel sending the fighter down to the ground.
The Space Marines below saw the fighter struggle in the air and then crash land on rocky ground in a fireball. The Space Marines took cover as shrapnel went everywhere. The fighter rolled a few times before it settled, destroyed. Fiery debris was everywhere.
"Ow," Lt. Goreman muttered as a piece of metal on fire was on his chest. Hicks got there in time and moved the metal away.
"Well...shit," Hudson said of the destroyed fighter.
"Don't worry about it, Mute. It wasn't your fault, mostly," Alex assured her.
"The fuck are we going to do now?" Hudson asked.
"We could build a fire, sing some songs," Brainiac 5 suggested.
"Look, these Things like to attack at night. Let's get inside," Alex said to the others.
Inside the colony operations center, Hicks took stock of what was left. "We got four plasma rifles, 50 rounds each, we got 15 M-40 grenades, one flamethrower half full, that's the bad news. But we do have these robot sentries with displays and scanners intact. That's some good shit."
"I'm going to the terminal and getting a floor plan of this place," Hudson volunteered.
"I need construction blueprints, airducts, electrical access tunnels, sub-basements, every possible way into this complex," Alex said to him.
"On it," Hudson nodded.
"I'll be in the med lab," Bishop said.
"You, you go do that," Alex said, still freaked out by him.
Soon thereafter, Hicks, Alex, Hudson, Brainiac 5, and Mute considered the defense plan to place sentry robots in two strategic locations, weld up and barricade potential entrances, and patrol paths. They also set up cameras to monitor the potential entrance areas.
In the med lab, Brainiac 5 and Bishop tested everyone's blood and cleared everyone. The gore-stained armor of the Space Marines was left outside. "I have developed nanomachines that will specifically target the alien's particles should any of you be infected," Brainiac 5 said to the group. "But once your mind is taken over, there is no cure."
"Great, we'll just be torn to pieces instead," Hudson rolled his eyes.
"I think that would be more preferable," Bishop said hauntedly.
After all preparations had been made, Alex put Mute to sleep. "Now, you have a nap. You're very tired. If you have scary dreams, you're in good company," Alex said to her. "You know, they say monsters only exist in your dreams. But...that was a fucking lie," she said reflectively.
"You're probably asking yourself whether one of those Things grew inside your mom. The truth is, I don't know. Maybe. And before you ask, that's not how babies are made. I had a baby. A baby girl. But she's on Earth. So, I get to play mom here with you. Here's a locator wristband in case shit hits the fan," Alex said to her and then turned the light off.
Mute tried to stop Alex as she was about to leave. "I'm going to be right in the other room," Alex assured her. "And you see that camera. It allows me to see you at all times," she pointed out. "So, here's your dolly. Don't worry about a thing. I promise to protect you."
"Now, go to sleep, don't dream, and stay in this room," Alex ordered.
Alex went to talk with the other Space Marines. "By now, the rest of the squad must be dead or worse," she figured. "We have to assume these Things have infected and converted all the colonists as well."
"That follows," Bishop agreed.
"But it also appears to be the case that these Things work together. Is it possible they have a leader, a queen?" Alex theorized.
"Yeah, like ants in a hive," Hudson said ignorantly.
"Bees live in a hive," Hicks corrected.
"Yeah, but the queen must be big, a badass," Hudson figured.
"These things aren't ants," Hicks mocked.
"I know that," Hudson said peeved.
"These specimens must be destroyed when you're done," Alex said seriously.
"Mr. Dox want them kept alive for return to the Imperial labs. He was very specific about that point," Bishop refused.
Immediately, Alex and Brainiac 5 got into an argument about the specimens away from the others. "Those two specimens are very valuable to my bio-weapons division. If you're smart, you can come out of this a hero and get another award. Then, I can set you up for life with adrenalin pumping violent missions," Brainiac 5 said.
"You're fucking crazy, you know that? All of you. You really think you can get past Kara with this?" Alex asked him.
"She doesn't need to know," Brainiac 5 said dismissively.
"But she will know about it. From me," Alex said obviously. "You caused the deaths of 157 colonists."
"Wait a second, I had no information this organism was on this moon," Brainiac 5 said defensively.
"It's just a coincidence this moon has an ancient alien ship," Alex doubted.
"It was Winathian and Human incompetence that allowed this creature to get free and populate," Brainiac 5 said. "When the colony ship and World Engine arrived here, it was before we knew what happened with your post," Brainiac 5 said.
"That sounds like bullshit. You used the colony as bait...knowing I would feel morally obligated to save them, and get me back in the fight. How many people are you willing to put in the meat grinder to force me to leave the Space Marines?" Alex asked.
"As many as it takes," Brainiac 5 said obviously. "You are of the false notion that your service makes a positive difference to the galaxy. In reality, everyone pays the price for your addiction to danger. So, I made a decision, and it was wrong, it was a bad call."
"These people are dead!" Alex grabbed Brainiac 5 and slammed him against the window. "I'm going to make sure everyone knows it. You're not going to sleaze your way out of this one."
"Please, this is one of my least controversial decisions. If everyone knows, it won't make a difference. I control the galactic economy. Everyone enjoys and is dependent on my system. I am responsible for everyone in the Galactic Federation being provided all of their basic needs. I allow everyone in the galaxy to fulfill their passions. And if I am disinvited from a world, that world goes back to the Dark Ages," Brainiac 5 explained.
"Fuck you, Barney," Alex said angrily.
"I expected more from you. I thought you would be smarter than this," Brainiac 5 said condescendingly.
"I'm sorry to disappoint you," Alex nodded.
Alarm bells went off as the Things attacked in their first wave. The robot sentries went to work blasting the queer-looking monstrosities in the tunnels. The robot sentries aimed and fired on their own on multiple targets. Eventually, the robot sentries ran out of bullets.
"Looks like the Things are using General Zap Branigan's tactics," Hicks said dryly.
The Space Marines then heard a loud noise outside. Bishop pulled the group aside to the window. "See that? It's emergency venting from the World Engine reactor."
"How long until it blows?" Hicks asked.
"Four hours with a blast radius of 30 kilometers equal to 40 megatons," Bishop replied.
"That's fucking beautiful, man," Hudson said frustrated.
"We have problems," Hicks admitted.
"Can we shut it down from here?" Alex asked.
"It's already on meltdown," Bishop replied.
"We have to get the USS Sulaco to bring another Magnun fighter down here," Alex figured.
"The transmitter on the last Magnun fighter is wasted," Hudson objected.
"What about the colony transmitters?" Hicks asked.
"The hardwiring between here and there was damaged. We can't align the dish," Bishop said.
"Bishop, how about you give us the right answer instead of expositing every wrong one?" Hudson said annoyed.
"Someone needs to go out there, take a portable terminal, and patch in manually," Alex said finally.
"That would work," Bishop allowed.
"I'll do it. Fuck it," Hudson volunteered.
"I should do it. I'm the only one qualified and I can get there faster. Believe me, I'd rather not. I may be a Durlan but I'm not stupid."
Bishop morphed into a flying creature and flew off from the colony command center to where the colony transmitter was located. Meanwhile, the Things attacked from another direction. The robot sentries blasted them. Just as the guns were out of ammunition, the Things retreated. "Next time, they'll be able to come to the door and knock," Hicks said concernedly.
"Yeah, but they don't know that," Alex figured. "They're going to look for another way in."
"Maybe we got them demoralized," Hudson guessed.
"They're all about self-preservation but they're even more motivated to get off this rock and infect an entire eco-system. Their best bet is to overwhelm us and take us over," Alex said.
"Hudson, do perimeter," Hicks ordered to get him away from the conversation. He reluctantly moved off. Hicks then turned to Alex. "How long has it been since you had any sleep?"
"I'm good. You promise me that if they infect me and take me over, you'll take care of it?" Alex asked.
"If it comes to that, I'll do us both," Hicks promised. "Let's just make sure it doesn't come to that. You're a legend, Alex. You came across time to be a hero for humanity. As a Battle Brother, I'll always love you for that."
"How about you talk dirty to me with weapon's porn?" Alex smirked.
Hicks smiled and gave Alex a class on his multi-tool rifle.
Eventually. Lt. Goreman woke the fuck up. "How do you feel?" Alex asked him as he exited the med lab.
"One hell of a hangover. I have total memory loss of you committing mutiny," Lt. Goreman said dryly.
"Good. I need to go sleep with my girl," Alex said and went past him.
"What the fuck?" Lt. Goreman wondered.
Alex went into Mute's room and slept with her in the same bed as mother and child.
Outside, Bishop used multiple arms to work on the terminal. He quickly sent a message to the USS Sulaco on their situation and what they needed. On the USS Sulaco, they Imperial Navy prepped the fighter. "They don't want anyone going down there. They're going to pilot it remotely," the communications officer informed the captain.
"Fuck it then," the captain agreed.
The Magnun fighter departed from the Poseidon sub and went down the moon below.
Alex awoke as the power went off. All the room were now using back-up red lights. "Well...shit," Hicks muttered as it was hard to see anything. Alex and Hudson went out into the barricaded corridor. "They're everywhere, all around us," Hudson said confused.
"They're above us," Alex realized.
"Get back to operations!" Hicks shouted.
Alex and Hudson went back inside the operations room and closed the door behind them. Hicks then welded the door shut as Hudson continued to monitor the movement. The Things continued to get closer on the motion detector. "Short bursts," Hicks said to the others.
Suddenly the ceiling collapsed as the Things got inside the operation's room. Hicks, Alex, and Hudson fired their plasma rifles while Lt. Goreman fired his pistol. "Go to the med lab," Alex shouted to Mute as the battle became intense.
The room became filled with plasma fire as the Space Marines blasted Things apart. Even when blasted to pieces, body parts moved on their own across the floor. Hudson was having the time of his life as he dropped Things all around him. "Come on, get some, die motherfucker die, come and get it, baby, come on, you bastard, you want some of this? Fuck you!"
As it happened, the Things were unamused with Hudson's long list of clichés and grabbed him from below the floor. Hicks tried to grab Hudson, but it was too late. The Things took Hudson down out of sight. Alex ran out of ammunition and fired grenades from her launcher. "Fall back to the med lab!" Alex shouted to the others.
The Space Marines made their way to the med lab door only to find it locked by Brainiac 5 on the other side. "Barney, you, asshole!" Alex yelled at him. Mute then pointed to ventilation shaft they could escape to. Alex checked it out and nodded to the others. The Space Marines entered the ventilation shaft and made their way away from operations.
"Which way to the landing zone?" Alex asked Mute. The girl pointed to where they needed to go.
"Bishop, what is the status of the ship?" Hicks radioed.
"Estimated time of arrival: sixteen minutes," Bishop replied.
"Good, standby. We're on our way," Hicks radioed back.
In the med-lab, a Thing approached Brainiac 5 with a pissed-off human face on a grotesque body of limbs, jaws, and tentacles. Brainiac 5 gave a calm face not threatened in the least by it. "I have a proposition you'll be interested in," Brainiac 5 said to the Thing.
Inside the ventilation shaft, Lt. Goreman took up the rear as he was slower than the others, not yet recovered from his concussion. He fired back at the Things as they chased after them. Once his rifle ran out of ammunition, he fired with his pistol. The Things then broke through the ventilation shaft on both sides surrounding him. "Semper Fi," Lt. Goreman said as he pulled a grenade. He exploded taking out two Things with him.
Alex and Mute made their way to an open area that hosted a generator fan. "Why the fuck is this here?" Alex muttered. The fan was still unless stepped on. Carefully, she stepped across and then brought Mute over to her. The grenade explosion from Lt. Goreman shook Mute off of Alex and onto the fan. She slid through the gaps in the fan and down a ventilation shaft below.
"Shit," Alex realized. "I'm really bad at this mother job."
"We can still track her," Hicks reminded her as Mute still had the tracker wristband.
Alex and Hicks got out of the ventilation shaft system and ran down some corridors. They found Mute sticking her fingers through the floor as they came by. She was in the level below in the sewer system. "Are you okay?" Alex asked her. She merely nodded.
"I need to cut it," Hicks said as he took out a laser welder.
"Mute, go back down," Alex ordered her.
Hicks then went to work slicing through the metal while Alex monitored the motion tracker. An army of Things arrived on the scene underneath them. "Hurry," Alex said urgently.
"Almost there," Hicks said.
Mute then screamed as she was taken away by the Things. Hicks and Alex kicked the floor panel out and looked around for Mute, but she was already gone. "Well...shit," Alex frowned.
"We got to go," Hicks told her.
"Do you know what they do to you? She's alive! They're going to infect her and destroy her from the inside! She will become one of them!" Alex suddenly freaked out on Hicks.
"I believe you. We've got to go, marine!" Hicks said to her and then took her to an elevator. As the elevator doors closed, a Thing sliced through Hick's gut with a bladed limb.
Alex blasted the Thing with her rifle destroying it. Reaching the landing zone, Alex carried Hicks over to Bishop. The Magnun fighter then dropped down remotely and the ramp opened for them.
"Bishop, how much time?" Alex shouted.
"Plenty, twenty-six minutes," he said.
"Good, enough time for a suicidal child-saving mission," Alex said pleased.
Entering the Magnum fighter, Alex placed Hicks in a seat. He was in no shape to be a badass. Alex took two rifles, tapped them together, tapped a flashlight to them, and loaded up on all sorts of explosives. Bishop piloted the fighter inside the World Engine interior as close as he could to Mute's signal.
"I don't want to hear it," Alex said to Bishop as he came to warn her.
"You only have nineteen minutes," he said anyway.
Alex then went to Hicks. "Hicks, don't let them leave without me," she ordered.
"Sure," Hicks agreed. "And it's Dwayne," he revealed.
Alex gave him an incredulous look. "Really?"
"Don't be gone long, Alex," Hicks told her.
14 Minutes World Engine Reactor Meltdown
Alex entered an elevator shaft and made her way to the Thing's nest on level three. Using the tracker, Alex made her way toward Mute and finally found her wristband on the floor. Alex then heard Mute's scream as a Thing got closer to her. Alex arrived on the scene and blasted the Thing to pieces. Alex then grabbed Mute from the muscular wall and back the way they came.
It was then that Alex came across the Thing boss. It had a slug-like tail, multiple legs and arms, and jaw for a face. On its torso were the faces of the Space Marines that had already been killed in the first attack. This Thing was a combination of all of their bodies put together. It towered above Alex and Mute.
"What the fuck?" Alex mouthed.
The Thing roared at her with an inhuman screech. "I'm going to go now," Alex said awkwardly and then walked backward away from it. The Thing then rushed her. Alex blasted the whole area with flames to keep the Thing back and then fired her rifle on the minor Things that were trying to ambush her from all sides. Alex fired all of her ammunition at the Thing and then switched to grenades. She fired of several grenades at the Thing causing massive tissue damage.
Alex then fired on Things that were trying to get her from behind. Once she was done, she threw a grenade belt in the room for good measure. Alex then took Mute away toward the elevator shaft. The Thing, severely injured, detached from its slug-like tail and grew a bonier tail from its spine.
4 Minutes World Engine Reactor Meltdown
Alex and Mute made it to the elevator shaft and made her way up just as the Thing was on her. At two minutes, Alex brought Mute to where the Magnun fighter was supposed to be, but it was nowhere to be seen. Her rifle was also out of ammunition. The World Engine was exploding all around her. "Damn...it," she muttered.
The Thing then emerged from the elevator shaft looking pissed off on several faces. Bishop suddenly piloted the Magnun fighter near Alex and Mute as the platform he was on previously collapsed. Alex and Mute grabbed a hold of the fighter's ramp and took off. "Punch it!" Alex shouted to Bishop.
The fighter snagged on some debris for a moment but then got free. Rising high into the atmosphere, the fighter barely escaped the nuclear explosion of the World Engine. The fighter jolted hard from the impact. "We're okay," Bishop assured everyone else. Only Alex, Mute, Hicks, and Bishop had survived the ordeal.
"We made it," Alex smiled at Mute.
"I knew you would come," Mute said appreciatively.
Upon entering the USS Sulaco's docking bay, Alex checked up on Hicks who seemed out of it. "He's high as fuck from the meds I gave him," Bishop explained. "He'll need a stretcher."
Bishop, Alex, and Mute exited the fighter. "Sorry if I scared you, I had to hope things didn't get too rough to take off," Bishop said apologetically.
"Bishop, I was prejudiced against you because you're an alien and a shapeshifter. I'm sorry. You did okay," Alex said sincerely.
"I did?" Bishop asked with an appreciative glowing smile.
Suddenly, a bony tail sliced through Bishop's torso. Bishop coughed up yellow blood and was pulled up into the air. The Thing had attached itself to the bottom of the fighter. Using multiple limbs, the Thing tore Bishop apart in two. The two halves fell on the floor with yellow blood everywhere.
Several squads of Brainiac 5 drones then arrived on the scene and had their rifles on the Thing. In a coordinated volley, the drones blasted the Thing to pieces with plasma fire. A squad of drones then advanced forward and roasted what was left with flame throwers. The individual pieces hissed and screeched as they were roasted to ash. Another squad of drones went to work to sterilize the floor and ship completely.
"Is it over? Are we going home now?" Mute asked Alex.
"Yes, yes we are," Alex assured her.
A lone Brainiac 5 drone interrupted their bonding. "If you would please," he said as he pricked Alex's finger. "Negative," Brainiac 5 said to her. He then advanced on the girl. Mute fearfully tried to stay away from Brainiac 5. Alex gave a haunted expression as she realized it was possible Mute was a Thing. Brainiac 5 cornered her with multiple drones and pricked her finger by force.
"Help me, Alex! Help me!" Mute shouted fearfully.
Brainiac 5 calmly went back to Alex. "Positive."
"Bullshit," Alex doubted.
A drone sliced off Mute's hair. The drone then fried the hair with his flame thrower. Immediately, the hair became alive, screeched, and tried to crawl away. "Satisfied?" Brainiac 5 asked Alex.
Alex watched in dismay as the drones blasted both halves of Bishop to ash as he had been infected as well. Hicks was taken from the fighter, tested, and then surrounded. Hicks became a Thing and tried to fight the drones off. The drones blasted him with fire until he was ash. Brainiac 5 then approached Alex.
"I'm taking the girl to my lab and then I'll place her in a new eco-system to see what happens. Do not worry, it won't be a planet with sentient life. And, it's unlikely anyone will visit it," Brainiac 5 said.
Alex merely stared at him. "Unless, of course, a hero decided to do the right thing," Brainiac 5 said and handed her a flamethrower rifle.
"What kind of sick experiment is this, Barney? I agree to leave the Space Marines, or you'll put children in front of me to burn?" Alex accused.
"The choice is yours," Brainiac 5 shrugged. "Will Rebecca Jordan be our honored guest...or not?"
The drones gave Mute a wide circle and allowed Alex to approach. "Alex, don't burn me!" Mute cried to her.
"I should have known when you first spoke," Alex said tearfully.
"Alex...Alex, no!" Mute screamed.
Alex blasted her with flames. The girl thrashed about in the flames with an inhuman scream and then turned to ash. Alex then turned to Brainiac 5. "You, son-of-a-bitch, you made a deal with then, didn't you?"
"I told them that if they captured the girl rather than kill her and carefully conceal themself in her body, it was their best chance to find a new world to infect. Unfortunately, for them, my science experiment with these Things on another world is second to my first priority," Brainiac 5 said.
"Which is?" Alex questioned.
"To make you sick of this life. I'm going to give you horror and trial until you break," Brainiac 5 promised. "Until you beg me to leave the corps."
"Tall order, asshole," Alex sneered at him and walked off.
On the bridge of the ship, several Brainiac 5 drones were present at their stations. On the viewing screen was an alien ship, a Yautja hunting ship. The Yautja Captain then appeared on screen and gave Brainiac 5 some threatening clicks. "I have the game you requested. But on the condition that the white queer female not be killed. Then, you will be given another batch."
The Yautja Captain bowed his head in agreement.