The two larger warriors turned back to the humans, watching them, eyeing the fail-safe. The humans had completely forgotten them in their panic. The sounds, the voices, the images on their machine, were all working to distract them from the warriors. They were a high-strung species, yet adaptable. It was one of the things that made them such good hosts.
They would have to move quickly.
The two warriors turned on the third, who, in spite of his understanding of their need, lost himself momentarily in his individuality. In fear, he bared his teeth at his brothers.
It did not matter.
The two struck as one. The smaller warrior screamed and shrieked, as the two large ones grappled with him, using all their strength, their magnificent tails lashing wildly for balance, slamming into walls, into the clear port in the small space. The dying one shrieked louder, grappling with them as a warrior’s teeth smashed into his skull, as powerful hands ripped at his limbs, his tail, his head.
The wounded warrior’s blood erupted from his skull as the second warrior’s teeth finally punched through the thick exoskeleton. The first warrior wrenched one of his brother’s arms off and blood spurted everywhere, splashing the clear port, the walls, the floor. The first warrior could smell the sturdy cage material begin to melt, hear the sizzling, bubbling destruction. The dying one shrieked on, offering his life for his Queen, for his hive, if reluctantly. Finally, there came a last, triumphant scream, followed by the death rattle.
The two surviving warriors ripped apart his chest, tore the dorsal horns from his back, broke his legs apart. They were coated in their brother’s blood, but they were immune to its damage. The floor of the cage, however, bubbled, seethed, melted and grew soft. They kept tearing at the third warrior, finally pounding him to pulp.
The first warrior felt the Queen accept her son’s sacrifice with sorrow and pride.
* * *
Over the klaxon call of the alarms, over the flashing red alert lights, Father’s calm voice changed its message from the emergency alert it had been sounding to a new one. It took three repetitions before the message got through to either Gediman or his assistant.
“There is serious structural damage to animal holding facility number zero, zero, one. There is serious structural damage to animal holding facility number zero, zero, one. The damage is sufficient to breach the security of animal holding facility number zero, zero, one. There is serious structural damage to animal holding facility number—”
Damage to the cage…? Gediman forgot all about the mess hall riot and whipped around to the view port. He suddenly heard the terrible screams from inside it, though he could barely make out the frantic movement of shadows. A huge tail slammed into the view port, making it quiver. Then there was a sudden splash of liquid on the glass…
…And then the port on the cage began to melt.
Two of those things are ripping the third one to pieces! What the hell…?
“Dr. Gediman!” Carlyn shouted, pointing at the port. “Doctor!”
Without answering her, he ran to the port. There was a flurry of action within the cage, then everything seemed to stop. He could see scattered pieces of something that had once been alive. There was a heaving, melting mass on the floor. The two remaining living Aliens suddenly turned to look at him. It looked like they were grinning!
The mess on the floor began to sink into an oozelike puddle.
Gediman’s eyes couldn’t open any wider. Horrified, he lurched for the fail-safe button, slammed it down, held it. Looking up at the port, he could see the nitrogen spreading through the cage, but there were no screams from the two warriors. In fact, there were no screams at all. And now the nitrogen gas filled the cage, preventing him from seeing anything. He released the button, waited for the fog to lift, so he could see…
“Oh, god, Doctor!” Carlyn shouted, pointing.
As the gas cleared, the only thing left for Gediman to see was one long tail disappearing into a bottomless hole.
* * *
She jerked out of the nightmare with a cry.
Wake up. Be quiet. We’re in trouble.
No, that was just a memory.
She paused, listening, watching in the dark. Sensing.
No, not just a memory, not just a bad dream. Something was happening. Something real.
* * *
Gediman stared as the doors to the cage opened. It was impossible. It couldn’t have happened. They’re gone. Gone! His only coherent thought was, Wren’s going to kill me. My fellowship, my studies, all gone.
He edged into the forbidden territory, the cage, still trying to absorb the reality of the emptiness before him. He walked carefully, stepping cautiously around spots on the floor that were still melting, still bubbling merrily away. The stench of burning plastic nearly choked him.
In the center of the room the entire floor was gone, dissolved, turned to pudding. It wasn’t possible. Where could they possibly go? What could they possibly do?
He leaned over the hole, careful not to step in any of the melting mess. It was too dark. He couldn’t see anything. Maybe they were down there, trapped in the ship’s grid work, and they could contain them… If he could only see—
He knelt, peering into the gloom.
Behind him, Carlyn gasped, “Oh, God, Doctor Gediman, be careful!”
It was worse than he thought. He could see light now. The blood had already eaten through two levels.
“Christ, Carlyn,” he said, “they could be anywhere.”
Suddenly, something black and spidery appeared from under the lip of the melting floor. Gediman, peering past it into the second damaged floor, didn’t notice it for half a second. Half a second too late.
All at once, his brain registered, six fingers, long nails, inhuman hand—
His head jerked back, but not nearly fast enough. The massive hand enveloped his face, grabbed it, held tight. He screamed, but it was smothered against the silicon-skinned palm of the Alien. His terror bloomed hugely, overwhelming him, embracing him, becoming his all. He didn’t care if he couldn’t be heard. He had to scream. And he did. Again. And again.
With a strength he had never imagined, the massive Alien warrior dragged him into the darkness of the subflooring grid in a move that was almost graceful. The Alien embraced him there under the floor, his arms and tail surrounding Gediman like a lover, holding him close, holding him secure, so that he would not fall. Gently, then, the beast freed his mouth, observing Gediman curiously, as Gediman’s lungs powered his frantic screams of total, utter terror.
The creature seemed to smile there in the dark, but like the Cheshire cat, all Gediman could see were those terrible silver teeth, grinning. Grinning at him. Gediman screamed some more.
* * *
Carlyn stared wildly as Dr. Gediman suddenly, inexplicably disappeared into the hole in the floor. No, not inexplicably. She knew exactly what had happened. Dear God, she knew.
Eyes wide, mouth open, chin quivering in horror, Carlyn edged out of the cage, and slammed her hand on the controls that would shut the door.
They were out. They were out!
Father was babbling at her about structural damage and breach of security. Terrorists had taken over the mess hall, and now…
She ran, panicked, to find someone, to get some help. But here, on the outskirts of Pluto, she knew there was no help. They were all locked in a terrible bottle with the angriest genies of all.
* * *
Call had never known such frustration. She stared at Elgyn. She had to get through to him, she had to. She could see Elgyn wavering, half believing her, half ready to cut his losses and run for it.
“He’s conducting illegal experiments,” she nearly shouted at the Betty’s captain. “He’s breeding—”
Johner, still half drunk, cut her off. “She’s a goddamn mole! Ice the bitch—”
She shouted over him, pointing to Wren. “Listen to me! He’s breeding an Alien species here. More than dangerous. If they
get loose, it’ll make the Lacerta Worm Plague look like a fucking square dance!”
Elgyn was clearly considering what she was saying, his eyes darting between Call and Wren.
Suddenly, Christie murmured, “Listen!” and the soft command brought them all to attention, even Wren and Distephano.
It was distant, but they could hear it. Screaming. Terrible screaming. They all froze as they realized. Many voices. Gunfire. The squeal of something high-pitched, horrible…
Wren turned slowly in the direction of the noise.
Suddenly, the male voice of the computer broke in: “Emergency. Animal holding facilities numbers zero, zero, one through zero, one, zero have sustained extensive structural damage that has destroyed their structural integrity. The specimens housed in those facilities are no longer contained. All personnel are to evacuate the Auriga immediately. Repeat. All personnel are to evacuate immediately.”
Wren screamed, “NO!”
* * *
In his quarters, Martin Perez jerked awaked, the klaxon call of the alarm an unexpected jolt. Over the alarm, Father’s calm voice outlined emergency procedures, ordering immediate evacuation.
Evacuation? Perez thought groggily. That’s impossible. The only possible reason to evacuate the Auriga would be if—
Father’s repetitive, if brief, explanation of the crisis made everything clear. “…Animal holding facilities have sustained extensive structural damage. The specimens are no longer contained…”
With a frustrated roar, Perez grabbed his military cap, jamming it onto his head as he reached for his slacks. If that clone was responsible for this, he’d personally ensure her complete destruction, right down to every last individual cell.
* * *
The research staff scrambled to help the minute they heard Father’s announcement. None of them could believe the Aliens were really out. That wasn’t possible, was it? How?
Dr. Brian Clauss had been closest to the animal holding facilities when all the screaming and gunfire started. He raced to the area without thinking, working on sheer adrenaline. Along the way, he’d shed his lab coat. Underneath, he wore the same military fatigues the other soldiers wore.
Entering the compound, he moved cautiously along the track that carried the observation room along its path. He froze, staring in shock at the five dead soldiers that lay before him. Or were they dead? Carefully he crouched, staying alert, aware of everything around him. He was closest to a young female sergeant and bent at the knees to touch her neck. Beneath the still warm skin he could feel the pulsing blood, the heartbeat strong, sure. Were they paralyzed? Didn’t matter. She couldn’t help him, couldn’t tell him what had happened here.
Brian rose, moved along carefully, watching everything. On impulse, he reached down, took the sergeant’s gun, checked the rounds. Better to be safe…
Wren’s orders would be against shooting to kill—he’d want to try to take the creatures, to stun them and recapture them. He’d worked with the head researcher long enough to know that. But, as Clauss looked over the overcome soldiers, and the damaged, empty animal facilities, he found comfort in the weapon he clutched tight against him.
Fuck Wren, Brian decided. The purpose of research was to learn from past failures. He checked each collapsed soldier, and thought, Uh-uh, not me. I’m not gonna end up like them. One of those bastards surprises me and we’ll see who ends up flat out on the floor. He snapped off the safety, and was ready to party, suddenly very grateful for the weapons training he’d endured for this assignment.
Let’s see how those ugly fuckers like eating these huge bore bullets I’ve got waiting for them. He moved along the row of destroyed cages carefully, silently, respectfully stepping over the fallen soldiers.
Every cage was smashed, every one totally destroyed, even the ones that had been empty! And with a violence that was hard to imagine. As if those animals hated the very concept of their captivity. But that was crazy. They were just animals… weren’t they?
He was standing before the first cage. This must’ve been where it began. He peered inside, saw a huge melted hole in the floor. How had that happened? The light was dim, but he thought he saw something move in the cavernous hole. Was one of them still hiding here?
Clauss aimed his gun, but couldn’t see well enough. He listened. Nothing. Cautiously, carefully, he stepped through the shattered port into the cage itself. His entire body was poised, tense, ready to fire. He squinted, now inside the cage, but stayed close to the front, close to the port, as he peered at the hole.
There. Was that it? Something moving? Like a tail?
Brian stared harder, taking aim. He didn’t feel like a researcher now. He felt like a soldier. He’d love to kill one of those bastards, after what they did to the soldiers outside, after what Carlyn said they’d done to Dr. Gediman.
* * *
The warrior hiding in the observation room waited until the human was completely inside the warrior’s old cage, waited until the prey stood poised, watching as one of his brothers lured him with a tail tip. They were so gullible, these humans. He watched as the researcher lifted its weapon to its face.
The warrior waited…
The warrior lashed out with his stiff tongue, slamming it onto the hated red button, holding it down.
The nitrogen gas jets sprayed the human, soaking its clothes, splashing its face, overwhelming it, burning it with terrible cold. The human jerked under the nitrogen shower, grabbing at its freezing, burning face, which only caused its hand to stick there to the freezing flesh. The prey screamed until its lungs froze and stopped moving air. It slammed around the cage in agony, the arm holding its weapon hitting the wall, and breaking off like an icicle at the elbow. It spun again, slamming its other side into a wall, shattering the forearm, but leaving the hand still stuck to its face. Then finally it collapsed, its legs and spine cracking with the force of its fall, its skin seared, its body so brittle it shattered into shards.
The warrior watched it all, able to see what was happening even through the fog of nitrogen gas. He released the button when the human lay still, unmoving, broken and scattered all over the cage. The human would still be useful for food. He’d come back for it later—when the body wasn’t quite so cold.
* * *
The noise finally filtered down to Ripley’s cell. In the darkness, her eyes opened. She tensed, as she always did on waking, and listened with all her senses.
Slowly she emerged from the shadow, and moved into the center of the room. She could hear them, the humans, screaming, firing weapons. She could hear the chaos. So familiar.
And she could hear the warriors, being freed, screaming their victory over the prey who’d tried to keep them captive, the humans who would now become the hosts. Distantly she could hear the Queen as well, sense her joy, her love for her subjects, her approval of their courage.
She listened to the humans and the Aliens with all her senses. She’d heard it all before…
Ellen Ripley couldn’t help it. Sitting crouched on the floor of her cell, she started to laugh. It was a joyless laugh, touched with hysteria.
Suddenly, something huge slammed against her cell door. She jumped, no longer amused. It hit again. Again. Again. The door buckled slightly. It hit again, loud, powerful.
Her terrible children. Coming for her.
8
There might come a time when Perez would demand an accounting for what had happened aboard his ship, exactly who had fucked up, but he was a good enough commander to know that now was not the time. If Father determined that the danger to personnel was sufficient to abandon ship, then that was what they would do. All was not completely lost. They could control the Auriga from the lifeboats in space, and bring the space station to dock elsewhere while the creatures were trapped within. Trapped without prey. Then they’d have the time to find a way to force them into new confinement units…
But those were plans that would have to wait. Right now he was obliged to get his
troops to safety.
His well-trained, handpicked soldiers were responding perfectly, just as they’d been drilled. The nearest lifeboat was powered up, and was already filling with soldiers. Perez directed them efficiently, quickly, wasting no time, no effort. One by one, soldiers slid down the pole into the belly of the lifeboat where they would strap themselves in. Father kept track of the personnel, counting each soldier as he or she strapped themselves in place. There should be one more…
Olsen straggled along, late as usual. If he hadn’t been such a competent tech—
“Get your ass in gear, boy, and get in that boat!” Perez barked at the jogging soldier.
Olsen hit the pole running, as the lifeboat hatch started to lower right behind him.
Something moving on the edge of his vision made Perez look up.
Suddenly a shadow, black, spidery, huge, scrabbled down the side of the dock incredibly fast, then onto the pole, finally sliding under the closing hatch as slippery as oil.
“Sir!” the soldier behind him, operating the docking bay’s controls screamed, pointing.
My god! The general stood frozen to the deck, staring in horror as the massive Alien warrior entered the lifeboat. “Open the hatch! Let them out!”
The soldier complied, slamming his hands against the controls.
As the hatch reopened, they could hear shouts, shrieks, human and inhuman, coming from inside the lifeboat.
Those men are strapped in place. Weaponless!
Perez could see blood—human blood—splashing against the clear ports of the lifeboat. The screams intensified.
Perez turned, pulled a grenade off the armed soldier behind him who was standing in mute horror, and yanked the pin.
Just then Olsen bolted out of the hatch as if propelled, his face contorted in frantic terror. He grabbed the rails, the pole, fighting to get out. Huge, dark hands grabbed him around the legs, hauling him down, back into hell.
“Close the hatch!” Perez ordered.
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