Aliens Vs. Predator 1 - Prey

by Steve Perry

  The giant seemed to understand. It stepped back.

  "Weird," said Scott. He coughed-and with it came an odd nauseous feeling. Like he had swallowed something alive.

  "Just do it, okay?"

  Noguchi held her pistol up. "Close your eyes, Scott. Count to three."

  Scott closed his eyes. He sensed the barrel of the weapon behind his skull and he clenched his eyes tighter. He was afraid. But he was ready.

  "I'll remember you," said Noguchi gently.

  "One. Two-"

  The warrior looked away from the fallen ooman and stood still for a moment. Dachande said nothing, but after a short span, he growled a time reminder at the standing ooman and motioned at the door. The Leader had done what a Leader had to do; there was no cure for an infected host and the larger ooman's death was quick and honorable. It had not fought or tried to run.

  He moved to the dead ooman, judged where the unborn Hard Meat embryo was, and raised his spear. Looked at the remaining ooman.

  The ooman nodded and turned away as Dachande drove the spear downward. Felt the blade hit the harder substance of the embryo. Felt it struggle to escape the point, then give up.

  He pulled the blade free, hammered the shaft of the weapon with his free fist to shake the blood from it. Done.

  The other ooman walked to join him. Glanced down at its dead comrade, then away. It looked tired. It motioned at a side entrance with its weapon and nodded at Dachande.

  He nodded back and followed the small warrior to crouch by the entry. The drones still scrabbled madly outside the main door, but there were no sounds outside this one.

  The warrior raised its burner. Dachande readied his staff.

  The door opened.

  * * *

  Chapter 28

  Roth yawned and glanced at her chrono for the third time in fifteen minutes. They were out in the middle of nowhere in a quick and dirty makeshift camp and she was watching the darkness for monsters. Monsters.

  Life sure wasn't what you expected, at least never for more than a few minutes at a time.

  The suns would be coming up soon, which meant her shift was about done. In the dim predawn light, she leaned against Ackland's AV and whistled softly for Creep. The mutt had wandered over to stand watch with Leo, an older Chinese man who always seemed to have candy in his pocket.

  After a few seconds, Creep padded quietly through the maze of vehicles to join her. She scratched his head.

  "How's Leo, dog? Still awake?"

  Creep whuffled softly and sat down, tongue hanging out.

  "I heard that, Roth," a voice crackled in her ear.

  "You been feeding my dog crap again, Leo?" Roth spoke quietly. Most of the camp was still asleep, except for her and five others. On any normal night, they would've swapped jokes and insults, maybe taken turns napping. But the day before had been too long and too frightening. The shift had been tense and silent, and except for one false alarm when a few stray rhynth had wandered into camp, uneventful.

  Leo chuckled. "Yep. You don't give him anything good; if I were him, I'd be hungry for something besides soypro in a can, too."

  "You'd make a good dog, Leo."

  There was a short pause and then Kaylor came online. "Sorry to interrupt, folks, but shouldn't Noguchi be here by now?"

  Roth sighed. "Yeah, we know" Kaylor had a bad habit of stating the obvious.

  Leo cut in. "Maybe someone should go back . . ."

  He trailed off. No one replied. Roth concentrated on the twins suns as they sneaked up on the far edge of the desert and began to lighten the clear sky.

  Twenty minutes later, the door to Ackland's AV banged open.

  Roth jumped. She had been lulled into a trance by the silence and purity of the early morning. Asshole.

  Within a few minutes, the camp was up. Bleary-eyed ranchers and their children stumbled out into the almost-cool air and trotted off to relieve themselves behind various rocks and low shrub.

  Roth shouldered her rifle and rubbed at her eyes.

  Sleep would be bliss, but she wanted to stay awake for a while and watch for Noguchi.

  "Jame?" Cathie walked over with two cups of coffee.

  "Thanks, hon. Get any sleep?"

  Cathie smiled. "An hour or two, at least."

  She handed Roth a mug and kissed her lightly. "I figured you wouldn't be ready for bed quite yet."

  Roth motioned with her head at a small group of people who had gathered by Luccini's AV, Ackland and Weaver among them.

  "What's the deal?"

  Cathie shrugged. "Ackland's being a dickhead, what else?"

  Jenkins arrived and took over from Roth. They nodded at each other.

  As soon as the shift was covered, Roth and Cathie walked over to join the circle; several other ranchers had also stopped.

  ". . . and I think it's suicide!" Ackland looked blustery and irritated, as usual; Cathie was right, he was a dickhead.

  "What's suicide?" Roth asked.

  Weaver's cheeks were flushed. "Oh, nothing. Ackland is being a coward, that's all."

  "Bullshit," said Ackland. "There's nothing we can do until the Marines show up, that's all! If one of you wants to go back and get killed, that's fine by me!"

  Paul Luccini spoke up. He didn't talk much, but people tended to listen when he did. "The Marines might take a while, Ackland."

  Cathie stepped in. "In the meantime, she could be hurt, or in need of help."

  "Those are the chances she took when she accepted the job," said Ackland. His voice was now patronizing and slow, as if he were addressing children. "The Chigusa Corporation is responsible for the safety of the colonists, not the other way around."

  A red haze seemed to settle over everything for Roth. She took a deep breath, tried to control it, but something snapped while Ackland spoke.

  "You bastard!" She stepped forward and poked him in the chest with one trembling finger. "You can't shove this off on the company! You had me lie to Doc Revna about where we found those creatures! And it was your idea to sneak those rhynth past quarantine!" She took another step toward him. "I'm ashamed to admit to my part in it, but I take responsibility for my stupidity! What's your excuse?"

  Ackland held up his hands, as if to defend himself. "Hey, look-you know what a hardass Noguchi is, right?" He searched the assembled ranchers for support. "I was just trying to protect my investments. Our investments."

  Luccini spoke again. "Fuck the investments. I've got a family."

  Several others chorused agreement.

  Weaver glared at Ackland. "You can say what you want about Noguchi, but when it came down to it, she risked her life to save all of us-including your ass!"

  Ackland opened his mouth, his fat face angry-and then closed it again. He turned and walked away.

  "He'd better pray she's still alive when this is all over," Cathie whispered to Roth.

  Roth nodded. The rush of adrenaline was gone, had left her exhausted. She caught Weaver's gaze. "Are you looking for volunteers?"

  Weaver considered it for a moment and then shook her head. "No. Not yet, anyway. Machiko told us to wait, so we'll wait. If she'd not here by late afternoon, though . . ."

  "Right. Let me know, okay?"

  Roth and Cathie walked over to a makeshift table that had been assembled and stacked with trays of rolls and a couple of pots of coffee.

  "Do you think she's still alive?" said Cathie.

  Roth started to say no, but then thought better of it.

  "If anyone could survive that place right now," she said carefully, "it'd be her."

  Dawn had come.

  Broken Tusk stepped past her, out into the open compound, and then motioned for her to follow.

  Noguchi crouched outside of the door and pointed left, then right with her handgun. It was clear.

  She could still hear the screaming bugs around the corner to her right; they continued to slam into the main door, apparently unaware their prey had escaped.

  Noguchi and
Broken Tusk circled to the back. From behind them, Noguchi heard several loud cracks as the door finally gave up the fight.

  Looks like they got tired of waiting for us to let them in-

  Broken Tusk glanced back at her.

  She pointed forward and he moved on.

  Noguchi covered the rear as they headed to the other side of the ops building. They hurried, but didn't run. She took her cues from the warrior; he had dealt with these things before, and he stepped cautiously.

  In spite of the situation, part of Noguchi could appreciate the dawn. The compound was illuminated softly by the early light, so unlike the Prosperity Wells sloe had known, harsh and glaring. It seemed tranquil and cool, like a dream

  -or a memory

  Pay attention here, Noguchi. Daydream when you don't have to worry about being eaten.

  Good thought, but a little late.

  She didn't see the thing until it was almost on top of her.

  Dachande heard the splintering of the weak door behind them as they circled. He wasn't sure of what the ooman warrior had planned, but he knew what he needed to know and it was simple: kill everything that got in their way.

  The ooman pointed past him and then turned its back again; it watched for threats from the rear.

  Dachande glanced upward and then went on. They should step a little faster. The drones would run through the ooman structure quickly, and then come back out. They were stupid, but good at finding live meat.

  Dachande heard a cry from above and looked up again, too late.

  A single drone howled and jumped, its long body twisted in the air. It landed behind him. In front of the ooman.

  Noguchi spun. The hellish creature reached for her. She whipped her arm around, tried to aim, no time, fired

  Missed.

  The nightmare bug towered over her, shrieking.

  Slime dripped from its metallic jaws. Its huge mouth opened, exposed a set of inner teeth, razor sharp.

  Noguchi stumbled backward as the inner jaws snapped forward and smacked into her chest.

  Something ripped. Hot pain seared her skin, blood flowed-

  -she shoved the gun like a punch as the creature prepared to leap-

  Before she could pull the trigger, the bug convulsed and shuddered wildly. A thick silver blade had suddenly appeared in the middle of its segmented torso. The thing's acid blood sprayed across the dusty floor, flowing toward her.

  Noguchi passed out.

  Dachande speared the drone in the back and then tossed the body across the ground. It wasn't dead yet, but it would be.

  He spun, searched for others. He could hear the attacker's cry answered from structures all around. They would be here in seconds.

  He scooped up the ooman and ran.

  He had not had time to study the ooman dwellings properly, save the tower he had fallen from the night before-but the two larger oomans had been in one of the buildings nearby, he was sure of it. With luck, it was still safe. And the warrior had seemed to want them to head in that direction.

  The warrior weighed almost nothing, hardly more than his staff. It made a low sound of pain as he pounded the dust. Speed was of the essence; he could not fight with it in his arms. The drone had clawed open the ooman's soft armor, armor now soaked in thwei. Red blood unlike his own. How different they were.

  He heard screams from where he'd left the dying bug; it had been found.

  Dachande ran faster.

  She was flying.

  Noguchi opened her eyes and blinked hard. Her abdomen felt shredded and her head ached.

  Broken Tusk carried her. They ran through the compound, incredibly fast. Something had happened, she had been attacked-

  She lifted her head slightly and panicked for a split second before she realized that the gun was still clenched in her fist. She winced at the pain in her chest and belly and closed her eyes again. Broken Tusk had saved her, but there was nothing she could do until he put her down.

  From somewhere not so far away, the nightmare creatures howled.

  Dachande saw the open entry to some long, low structure directly ahead.

  The drones hadn't spotted him yet. He ran to the building, scanned the interior quickly, and ducked through the ooman-sized door.

  It was empty. He set the warrior down carefully and then closed the door. He fumbled for a minute with the latch mechanism, and finally smashed the door hard enough to drive it into the frame. It was a flimsy barrier, the drones would get through it in seconds-but they didn't know where he was, not yet.

  He turned to look at the ooman, and was surprised to see it sitting up. It still held its small burner-not aimed at him, but not down, either.

  He approached it carefully and crouched down next to it to study the wound. The ooman seemed to protest at first, but relented quickly; it lay down.

  He pulled the soaked padding away from the warrior's body and touched it gently. The ooman moaned.

  "It's not going to kill you," he said. The ooman didn't reply.

  He tried again. "No thei-de, understand?"

  It didn't understand. It babbled for a minute and then fell quiet again. Frustrating.

  Dachande lifted the rest of the weak armor away from the warrior's chest and then hissed, surprised. If ooman anatomy was anywhere similar to yautja, this warrior was a female; he hadn't thought of it before. It had a pair of what were obviously milk glands.

  Stupid! Of course it's female!

  Yautja females were bigger than males; it was apparently the reverse for oomans. It had never occurred to him. That was stupid; simple mistakes like that could lead to bigger ones, fatal ones.

  It also explained why this warrior was smarter than most of the yautja he taught. Females of any species were usually smarter than the males.

  Dachande assessed the wounds; minor. There was a fair amount of blood, but it had already stopped flowing, and most of the acid burns had been slowed by the armor.

  He used some of the torn armor to stanch the wound and then sat back on his heels and studied the ooman. It watched him, curious perhaps.

  They didn't have much time, but Dachande thought they could spare a few seconds.

  He pointed at his chest and gave her his honorary name. "Dachande."

  The ooman shook her head.

  "Dah-shann-day." He stretched it out.

  The ooman tried, but couldn't make the right sounds. Dachande shook his head.

  She reached out hesitantly and touched his shortened mandible. The new style masks covered only the nostrils, leaving the fighting tusks bare. She said something in her own language, then repeated it.

  Dachande tilted his head. It wasn't his name, but she seemed to understand the meaning. "Brr-k'in dusg?"

  The ooman exposed her teeth and then pointed at herself and spoke.

  Dachande tried. "Nihkuo'te?"

  The ooman shook its-no, her head.

  He looked at the creature for a moment and then named her.

  "Da'dtou-di." It was the feminine of "small knife." A brave name, and it suited her.

  Da'dtou-di pointed at herself and did her best. "Dahdtooudee?"

  Dachande hissed with pleasure. It was a start, and it was enough; it was all the time they could waste on pleasantries. Should they survive, they would talk later.

  He stood. "Da'dtou-di," he said, "we must go."

  The ooman got up, staggered slightly, and then nodded. She was all right.

  Dachande turned and walked to the door. He listened.

  The drones had run past their structure and were assembling elsewhere. Which likely meant their nest was close by.

  The Leader waited for Da'dtou-di to join him, feeling older than he'd ever felt before. His bones ached. He had been on many Hunts, dangerous Hunts, but for the first time, the outcome was not obvious. There were more drones here than he'd ever fought, and where there was a nest, there would be a queen-the drones could do that, change to female when no others were around. And a queen was not an easy kil
l.

  He sighed deeply. If his Final Hunt were not today, it would be soon.

  Noguchi got to her feet carefully and fought off dizziness. Broken Tusk started to reach toward her, but she nodded and held up a hand. The wounds weren't as bad as she'd feared; the light-headedness was more exhaustion than anything else.

  She joined Broken Tusk at the door and held her handgun ready. Her new name rang through her thoughts, Dahdtoudi. If someone had told her a year ago that she'd be fighting XTs with an alien warrior, the fate of a hundred people on their shoulders, she would have laughed for a week.

  As it stood, she allowed herself a tight grin. It was actually pretty funny; she'd laugh later, if there was time. If she woke up.

  Noguchi motioned at the door, then pointed toward the south, where The Lector sat. Broken Tusk tilted his head to one side in agreement.

  Next thing you know, we'll be talking philosophy.

  Broken Tusk growled something at her and then pushed her back from the door slightly. He had jammed it.

  Noguchi stepped back and watched as the warrior took a deep breath-

  -and the door flew open to expose one of the warriors, a twin to Broken Tusk, holding a spear, its arms raised to strike.

  * * *

  Chapter 29

  Noguchi reacted without thinking.

  She dropped her weapon to chest level and fired into the warrior's belly until her gun ran dry.

  The warrior fell backward. Its strange gun discharged harmlessly into the air with a hollow thump and an eye-smiting flare. The spear it held in the other hand fell and clattered on the door stoop.

  He had not had time to scream.

  Broken Tusk jumped in a split second later, but it was done.

  A low, guttural gurgle came from the dying warrior's throat, punctuated with a spew of thick, greenish, milky, almost glowing fluid.

  Blood.

  Broken Tusk hefted his staff and brought the weighted end down on the warrior's skull. The head split with a dull, wet crack.

  Broken Tusk's posture indicated anger and sorrow, his huge shoulders tensed, head bowed. She had killed one of his people. Would he be angry with her?