Comments (Page 68)

Thoughts_Dreams (i hope this is how i reply to someone). Thank you for your kind words!

I don't yet know many things about the og movies, but i have some theories how Dr Shaw -as David said- was the perfect specimen:)

Why do film-makers talk in riddles?

Great find, I've front paged this for you! Thanks for sharing!

As per his comments however, it sounds like he'll be taking the franchise of the beaten path. Not really a fan of the transhuman angle and cyborgs. I thought Synthetics were enough, personally. I just hope this series doesn't derail the essence of what makes the Alien franchise so great and mysterious. I get what he's trying to do... I just remain very skeptical.

I don't really care about the human story aspect, It could be a xenomorph centered story and I would still watch it. I actually have no problems with David as a character, I actually like the idea that the protagonist is an android. Because organic protagonists are overrated and being human is overrated.

“I'm beginning to get annoyed with all these androids, I like Ash and Bishop and even David, somewhat but ALIEN is about aliens, not androids!” 

Me too, that's why I didn't give a single damn about Raised By Wolves, androids doing this and that, whatever. Ash and Bishop worked because they were well-done characters, but it was more about the human journey and the company sacrificing people to get what they wanted, it wasn't about androids doing whatever. They had a good balance because the androids were there and were interesting, but it wasn't about them.

The prequel-journey turned somewhat into poop because it became all about David. Trying new things in the franchise is welcome since it has been around for a while but don't forget that it's a human thing, don't let it be taken over by androids. I would  be as disappointed if it would be shown in the end that the franchise has been about toasters (Bishop-reference) as much as it would be to turn the prequels into being all about David. Hopefully the TV-series will avoid the mistakes that the prequels did. You got to have people that understand what the series is about and that care about it. To have it, being good-looking and having ideas isn't enough. I'm way more interested in this TV-show than the prequels. We haven't gotten anything satisfying since 1992 the way I look at it. Some people would say since 1986, but it's all opinions. Hopefully we'll get something that's well-done this time.

I'm beginning to get annoyed with all these androids, I like Ash and Bishop and even David, somewhat but ALIEN is about aliens, not androids!

The only reason why we had androids in the first place was from a left over piece of the original script of MUTHER being antagonistic.

Bishop existed for Ripley to get over her dislike of androids.

Both Ash and Bishop had a strange attraction to the alien, before Prometheus I was thought of the xenomorphs as the space jockey's versions of Ash and Bishop?

Call's existence... didn't make much sense to me since she lacked Ash, Bishop, and now David's xenomorph obsession.

OCT 07, 2017

Ridley Scott was recently a guest on the Empire podcast, since he serves as a producer on Blade Runner 2049. During the course of the conversation, the subject of his next proposed Alien prequel came up and he revealed a little bit about it, without giving away too much. Likely to the chagrin of many fans, he says the next movie will focus more on androids and A.I, as opposed to Xenomorphs. Here's what he had to say about the Alien: Covenant sequel.

"I think the evolution of the Alien himself is nearly over, but what I was trying to do was transcend and move to another story, which would be taken over by A.I.'s. The world that the AI might create as a leader if he finds himself on a new planet. We have actually quite a big layout for the next one."

I'm pretty sure that ALIENS established the whole QUEEN CASTE because WITHOUT the movie ALIENS, there would be NO QUEEN.

That's kind of interesting, who's to say that an alien-queen has to be what we saw in Aliens? With the black goo it can take different turns. At least it makes Shaw being useful for something. :D

Stick around, it's fun to have new members here.

CHAPTER 6: AWAKENING

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Zeta site Ruins, stasis chamber.

Date: September 22nd, 2230. 7:32 AM.

Yo’kainde slowly awakens, he clicks his mandibles to increase blood flow in them. He spots a dead facehugger lying on his chest, quickly throws the lifeless creature off of himself, kicking it to the corner before rising to his feet, confused. He struggles to remember why he was here. He spots several kainde amedha eggs, just waiting to release its progeny on an unsuspecting victim. Yo’kainde looks around at the ribbed-like structure of the mala’kak egg chamber. He turned his gaze at the now broken ladder, it was of yautja design. He remembers now, he was sent to turn the stasis chamber back on, the kainde amedha were overrunning their hunting colony. The ground shook furiously as chunks of the ceiling started falling down around him. 

He grabs his combi-stick, the eggs remain closed. The yautja spots a massive whole at the side of the egg chamber. He sprinted towards the cavern not wanting to chance awakening the eggs. He moves about the tunnels blindly without his biomask; he can’t easily see a kainde amedha should it attack him here and now. He reaches an opening, he is back in the main chamber but from a higher vantage point. He spots something moving down below… its shape resembled an oomen. 

“An oomen? Why is it here?” Yo’kainde remembered hunting these creatures on a planet called Earth. They shouldn’t have the capability to achieve star flight but here is one now standing and waiting for something to happen. He spots the oomen holding something, he couldn’t make it out. 

The chamber shakes again, the entrance where the slumbering xenomorphs were guarding was closed off. The boulder crushed the sleeping biomechanical horrors into a pool of acid. Dunya drops the metal mask as she runs across the platform for the slow falling artifact.

“Dunya, what has happened?” Rykov asked, his voice slightly raised.

“I think I’m in trouble. It looks like turning off the artifact has caused a cascade of other failures. The entrance to the chamber has collapsed” Dunya reported.

“Can you find another way out?” Rykov asked.

“There are other exits. Hopefully, one will lead to the surface” Dunya replied.

“Then waste no time. Take the Artifact and radio when you’re out. We’ll have a team on stand-by” Rykov ordered. 

“I’m on it,” Dunya removes the artifact from its prong pedestal, she removes her backpack as she stuffs the artifact in it. She was now ready to leave this place. She quickly walked over to the offline synthetics, there was a flamethrower on the ground. She spots a rock tumbling towards her, she briefly looks up at the ceiling, she swore she saw something moving. 

Yo’kainde activates his cloak as he carefully makes his way down to the platform. He sees the oomen fleeing into one of the yautja built hallways. He kneels over to grab the mask, deep scratch marks are etched into the biomask. Yo’kainde remembers, a kainde amedha ripped this biomask from his face what felt like hours ago. He felt its aged surface. 

Yo’kainde places the biomask over his face, he carefully plugs in his power chords into the mask. It comes to life, he is surprised by the date. It's been 500 years since he’s been in stasis. That would explain the sudden presence of the oomens, they must have become a space faring species during that time, he rationalized. His vision mode was set to red: electrovision. He spots several vulture-headed creatures stare at him from behind the structures. Yo’kainde remembers these creatures, they were the ancient mala’kak’s servants, programmed to constantly upkeep their biomachines and biomechanical structures in prime conditions. 

They watch the yautja from afar, their massive compound eyes never seem to blink. Three kainde amedha warriors sneak up on the vulture heads however they seem to ignore the vulture heads. Their only interest was Yo’kainde. The warriors hesitate attacking the yautja, sensing their offspring gestating inside the predator. Yo’kainde took advantage of their hesitation to impale the closest warrior in the chest with his combi-stick. He pulls out his combi-stick to bifurcate the next one. The last one he impales in the neck, before slicing its head off. He bolts towards the yautja halls where the oomen had retreated. 

Dunya ran down the copper metal walls, the grates glowed with copper lighting. She fires a jet of flame down the increasingly dark corridor. She passes through the first copper door into a room covered in dark metal walls with copper light panels decorating their surface. She fires another jet of flame down the dark corridor, she eventually reaches the second copper door, she hears something big approaching. She sprints down the hall as she passes through a third copper door and quickly makes her way to a lift.

Yo’kainde spots something moving across the cage walkway above him, it was the oomen female. He switches to body heat vision, the tri dots lock on to the oomen. Yo’kainde’s aim is thrown off. A kainde amedha wrestles the yautja to the floor. The plasma caster fires, the blast throws Dunya off her feet. She slowly pulls herself up, her arm is now injured, blood trickled down her arm as she continues down the corridor. She fires a jet of flame into the dark, she briefly sees statues of large humanoids wearing the mask she found earlier. A xenomorph runner is hit by the flame, it bolts off into the dark. Dunya managed to reach a light filled room with an orange mist blanketing the floor. She could hear the xenomorphs moving about, she must keep out of their sight. A whole pack of warriors and runners passed her by from an adjacent corridor; fortunately their attention was elsewhere. Dunya carefully guided herself around the corridor walls until she found herself on the surface. The copper walls, ceiling and floors gave way to canyon rock, green skies and grass.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Zeta site Ruins, surface.

Date: September 22nd, 2230. 9:34 AM.

“General Rykov, I've reached the surface,” Dunya reported.

“We’ve located you. There’s an APC just a few clicks away. They’re turning on their transponder now. You should get the barring on them with your motion tracker” Rykov informed

“Yes, sir. I’ll see you at the pods” Dunya vowed, she thought of Dimitri. She makes her way into the wilderness. Dunya dashes across the muddy plain, as a pack of xenomorphs follows her. She managed to scare a herd of buhlaghs into stampeding. The xenomorphs keep their distance from the stampede. Dunya passes through a forest of white barked trees, a large chameleon leaps out at her from a bush. It beats its chest in a gorilla-like fashion to intimidate Dunya. A gunshot was heard, the gorilla-like chameleon retreated from Dunya’s sight.

There she saw an APC surrounded with Iron bear Mercs. Dunya spotted Dimitri among her fellow Mercenaries. Dunya sprinted over to embrace him. Dimitri was filled with joy as he embraced her too.

“Major” Lieutenant Xavier of the Weyland-Yutani Security Corps salutes her. Dunya ignores him as she enters the APC with Dimitri. The APC was almost on its way back to the POC when she suddenly got off her seat. She entered the APC cockpit. A Combat Synth was driving, she relaxed know she could make that important call.

“I have the artifact, General,” Dunya reports.

“Excellent work, Dunya. Ivan will be waiting when you arrive at Pod 5. He will handle it from here” General Rykov transmitted from his comms room.

“As you say, sir” Dunya replied, she looked behind herself, “Sir?”

“Yes, major?” Rykov replied.

“Zeta site. It was just as you suspected. It’s not purely Engineer technology. Someone or something else has been there before us” Dunya added.

“Hmmph. I'll expect a full report tomorrow. No details are to be left out” Rykov’s interests were piqued by Dunya's statement.

“Yes, sir. Genera,” Dunya complied.

The APC finally arrives at the Forward Observation Pods. Dunya, Dimitri and Xavier walk up to the central pod elevator lift. The lift takes them into the belly of the main pod. 

The engineer artifact was taken by the scientists before switching hands to the maintenance boys to be placed in storage. The crate was placed on the top shelf by a forklift. Rykov stares at the crate containing the artifact from behind the glass pane. He nods his head. The buyer will be pleased they have secured such a valuable and rare find. However they were ignorant of its true value and purpose. Rykove leaves the room, he needs to make funeral arrangements for Serge and Becker. 

Locale: Lv-1201, Forward Observation Pod - water pumping station.

Date: September 22nd, 2230. 11:16 AM.

Yo’kainde had made his way to the Pod’s water pumping station. From there he could walk along the roof of the passageway to Pod 5. The ancient Yautja leaps from the water pumping station onto the glass catwalk. He reaches a maintenance hatch. He pulls the hatch off its hinges and tosses it down the ravine.

Locale: Lv-1201, Forward Observation Pod - ground floor.

Date: September 22nd, 2230. 11:19 AM.

Two Weyland-Yutani security guards guard a large metal crate. One guard of african descent named Larry, the other of european descent named Jerry.

“Damn, I hate pulling lift duty,” Jerry loathed his job.

“You and me both,” Larry agreed.

“Hey… you mind if I take a smoke” Jerry asked his coworker.

“You can do whatever you want, Jerry. Just make sure you do it where i can smell it” Larry added.

“Yeah, yeah… all right. I’ll be back in a minute” Jerry leaves his post for a quick smoke.

“Hey Jerry…” Larry asked to catch his friend's attention.

 “Yeah?” Jerry replied.

“Be careful… those things'll kill ya” Larry voiced his concerns over his coworker’s smoking habits. 

“Heh,” Jerry chuckled. He moves further out from the supply crates for some privacy. He pulls out his cigarette, he lights the tip and takes in a single puff when the maintenance hatch crushes him like a bug.

“What the…” Larry was startled by the commotion before realizing his coworker Jerry is more than likely dead. The maintenance hatch displayed NO SMOKING in big bold letters on the turned up underside. 

The engineer artifact started to glow, an energy field slowly envelops the fat disk-shaped device, the crate containing the artifact began to suffer from multiple stress fractures before finally giving in. The crate exploded into shrapnel by the artifact’s gravity manipulation abilities. The artifact called out to the xenomorphs, the necranuhm. The xenomorphs obeyed, the runners grew more agitated. 

The xenomorphs started having seizure-like fits, clawing at the cage doors. Soon the runners accidentally injure themselves, their acidic blood began eating at the cages and the floor surrounding it. The xenomorphs break free of their containment. The artifact began to emit beyond the pods, drawing xenomorphs from the outside to Pod 5, then it emits a signal into space.

Dimitri and Dunya made it back to their quarters. Hoping to continue what they started last night.

Dimitri however was curious of what happened on Dunya’s last mission.

“So what happened, my love? I’ve heard Becker and Serge didn’t make it”

“Eisenberg’s combat synthetics were ahead of us, the xenomorphs swarmed us. I barely made it out alive, I was so scared. But then I found myself in the engineer ruins, the xenomorphs for some reason did not want to enter that place” Dunya explained.

“Perhaps it's just the room they were afraid of,” Dimitri speculated.

“Do you hear what you’re saying? They aren’t afraid of anything” Dunya recalled.

“No. Not normally” Dimitri added.

“Dunya, were showing a breach at the water walk. Xenomorphs have entered Pod 5” Rykov’s voice booms over the intercom.

“There is no response from the guards there, sir,’ said a female voice with a north american accent.

“Sir, you don’t think it has anything to do with the artifact?” Dunya asked.

“I don’t know yet, but I want you to go to storage C and get the artifact. It must be moved off of pod 5 and secured” Rykov ordered before asking “Is Dimitri there?” 

“Yes, sir,” Dimitri answered.

“Dimitri, I want you to meet Chekov at the water walk, on the double. Dunya, contact me the moment you have the artifact” Rykov orders.

“Yes, sir. General,” Dunya complied.

Dimitri sighs frustrated, “Another time, then?”

“Another time, love” Dunya also sighed in frustration.

The two mercenaries quickly arm themselves with their M41a1 Pulse Rifles before heading off to their posts. The sounds of xenomorphs hissing could be heard down the hallway. Weyland Yutani Security marches past the two iron bear mercs to suppress the flood of intruders.

Yo’kainde wrist computer picks up on the artifact’s signal, its warning the mala’kak. Yo’kainde cloaks as he enters the oomen stronghold. To Yo’kainde surprise the oomens have advanced quite a lot, the last time he hunted their kind they were still sailing in tall wooden ships and fought with crude gunpowder weapons. He spots two ceiling sentry guns, he quickly disabled the cannons before they could deployed. The alien hunter snuck around the oomens, not wishing to alert them for the time being. He finds a locked door, he interfaces his wrist computer with the exposed wires of the door panel.

Yo’kainde climbs down a ladder into a maintenance room being patrolled by three synthetic guards. Yo’kainde quickly dispatches the synthetic oomens with his combi-stick. The Yautja makes his way down to storage, he scans the cargo crates of any valuables. He detects some of the quadrupedal kainde amedha roaming around the animal crates. He wondered what the oomens would want with the kainde amedha, they make terrible pets. An aching pain stabs him like a sword, he quickly recovers. He stabs the kainde amedha with his combi-stick, before throwing it to the floor. He cuts away at its neck to claim its head. Another kainde amedha leaped out from the corner. He swung his combi-stick into its gut, sending the copperish-pink creature fumbling backwards. Yo’kainde looks at his wrist computer, the signal was getting stronger. He sneaks off into one of the adjacent cargo rooms. There he stood in a cramp room with several shelves full of large crates. He leapt onto the shelves before reaching the one with the artifact.  

The artifact was there exposed in the open, he does make note of the shrapnel that used to be its container. He grabs the mala’kak device, knowing full well should they return… he hears the sounds of doors opening and followed by rapid footsteps.

Yo’kainde flashed his fleshy dreadlocks as he turned around to see a glass pane with an ooman woman staring at him. Could it be the same oomen he was following? He laughs at her as he activates his cloak. Dunya was startled by the humanoid creature, it was wearing the scratched mask she found in the ruins.

“General,” Dunya established contact.

“Go ahead, Dunya,” Rykov acknowledged.

“The artifact… it is gone, sir” Dunya reported.

“Gone? What are you saying, Dunya? Someone took it?” Rykov asked.

“Something took it. Not a xenomorph, sir - something I’ve never seen before. It was standing there. And then it just… disappeared. The air seemed to shimmer where it had been standing” Dunya reported.

“Dunya, get out of there. Now!” Rykov suddenly raised his voice. What got the General scared all of a sudden? Dunya thought.

“But, General, it could not have taken the Artifact very far. I could follow it with the motion tracker” Dunya insisted.

“No! The artifact is of no importance now” Rykov shouted.

The walkways leading to Pod 2 and Pod 4 are detonated by combat synthetics. The ground shook as an explosion could be heard followed by the sounds of xenomorphs screaming from outside storage C, followed by heavy gunfire. 

“Dunya. Eisenberg’s men have blown the walks to Pod 2 and 4. Get down to the cargo lift. This is an order. We are evacuating the pod” Rkyov demanded.

“Yes sir, General” Dunya complied.

Dunya hears a sound behind her, it was Dimitri accompanied by Chekov, Martin Xavier and his Weyland Yutani security team. A runner wanders into the room, the security team blasts it apart with their pulse rifles. 

“Dunya, let's go,” Dimitri shouted. Dunya nodded. They doubled time out of the hallway as they climbed out of Storage Area C. Another runner charges into the base of the ladder, it reared its head up at the security team and the mercs. The security guards aimed their pulse rifles downwards at the creature, the runner scurried away when the floors became riddled with bullet holes.

Dunya aimed her rifle up to see if any xenos were hiding in the maintenance shaft. She began climbing up the second ladder, Dimitri was next, then Chekov, then Xavier and the others. Dunya switches the airlock vent to open, it slowly uncoils like a stomach valve. In situations like this Dunya hated going into the vents but what choice do they have? Dimitri was also claustrophobic. But they must push on if they want to live through this. She opens the side hatch, she turns on her flashlight on her rifle to see if there was anything hiding in the adjacent shaft. There was nothing. She squeezed herself into the next maintenance shaft, now prone and vulnerable however Dimitri was behind her, offering her some peace of mind that he will guard her rear. She proceeds down the dark shaft as Chekov, then Xavier and his team now are in the same shaft. The security team began opening fire as the xenomorphs had followed them into the shaft. Dunya cleared the next few vents, she opened the vent where she discovered a ladder leading down a long maintenance shaft.

She climbs down the long ladder until she opens the final vent leading into a dark hallway. She and Dimitri scout the room, it was so far empty. They help Chekov out of the vent, then Xavier however out of eight of his men only three managed to come through the vent. Chekov quickly seals the maintenance vent. The xenomorph warriors hissed before turning around looking for another way in. Dunya leads the entourage down an adjacent hallway. A runner sprints up the stairs but is gunned down by the security team and mercs. The warriors began denting in a closed door. Dunya avoids the acidic blood of the runner as she and the others race down the stairs. The warriors finally burst open the locked door but the prey was gone.

An aching chest pain episode delayed him from reaching the communications. Yo’kainde spots two oomens patrolling down the corridor, he must get to communications.

The two guards swore they saw the walls bulge and moved, they heard communication’s door close. Yo’kainde wired his wrist computer into the primitive oomen computers.

Pod 5 communications

Landline uplink acquired.

Connecting to POC subspace array.

Coordinates accepted.

Transmitting.

A progress bar appears on the screen. The aching pain grew unbearable for Yo’kainde to bear. His roars alert the two guards outside, a creature violently rips its way out of the yautja’s sternum. Green blood splats on all of the computer monitors. The predalien chestburster covered in green blood slithered behind one of the computing consoles as the two guards entered the room.

“What the…” Carter, the first security guard, doubled back seeing the big alien hunter laying dead in one of the swivel chairs. Mark, the other guard, stood watching the corridors from inside. 

“Sarge, do you copy?” Carter radio-in, staring at the dead yautja. 

“Go ahead, Carter,” said his security sergeant.

“Looks like I found the source of that unauthorized broadcast” Carter reported.

“And? Who was it?” the security sergeant asked.

“Uh… more like WHAT is it, sir. It’s not human, but it’s dead. Looks like it’s been chest bursted. And it's holding some sort of object”

“Damn… Don’t touch anything. I’ll get a decon team up there and try to raise Rykov. You just get back here, ASAP. There’s no telling if there’s more of those things around here” the sergeant replied.

“You got it,” Carter replied, nodding his head to Mark to move out. They make their way down the white corridor and are soon ambushed by a xenomorph warrior. 

Locale: Lv-1201, Pod 5, Communications Room

Date: September 22nd, 2230. 12:05 PM.

The predalien chestburster slithers into a nearby air vent, to hide from the decon team. Then it wiggles its way under the floorboard before slithering its way into the air duct. It slips its way out of the ducts into the men’s room. A lone guard spots the chestburster but before he could react a xenomorph warrior drops down from the ceiling to deal with him. The chestburster makes it to the toilets where another warrior rips its way out of the air vent to pull an unsuspecting guard off the toilet, cramming his body into the vent.

The other warrior grabs the chestburster, she carries the infant xenomorph to a food source. She snarls at the other xenomorphs, the runners understood as they seek out any threats in the vicinity while the other warriors and drones accompany her. The xenomorph pack arrives at a morgue, human corpses lying on several tables. The warrior releases the chestburster onto one of the dead bodies. 

Dunya, Dimitri, Chekov, and Xavier had arrived at the Pod 5 elevator. They had lost the other three security guards when escaping from a praetorian; their sacrifices allowed the others to reach the elevator. 

There Rykov, Popov, Ivan and some Combat Synthetics were getting the turrets ready inside of the main cargo lift bay. 

“I want the turrets armed for anything - inside or outside the perimeter - that doesn’t respond to IFF” Rykov ordered Popov.

“There will be hell to pay if one of the technical staff forgets his badge” Popov stated.

“We’ll worry about that IF it happens. For now -” Rykov then spots Dunya, Dimitri, Chekov and Martin Xavier.

“Dunya, Dimitri and Chekov” Rykov ignores Martin’s presence, “Good, were leaving the pod”

“Yes, sir. What about the other personnel? Are they evacuated?” Dunya asks.

“No. We’ll reassess once we're off the pod” Rykov replied.

“Looks like our scientist friends will be bringing water up the lift from now on. Rykov told Eisenberg connecting to the pumping station was a risk. As usual, he would not listen” Dunya tells Dimitri.

“Sounds like someone I know…”Dimitri snarks.

“Lucky for you. Now let’s get the hell off this pod. I have a promise to keep” Dunya flirts.

“Yes, Ma’am” Dimitri smiles. The lift lowers them to the ground floor outside.

Locale: Lv-1201, Pod 5, Morgue.

Date: September 23nd, 2230. 3:28 AM.

Achestburster skin lies in the middle of the room. A security guard rushed into the morgue as the xenomorphs had finished off his unit.

“Olmy?! Neun?! This is Winter. Anyone copy?” Winter asked into his radio, “Damnit. Beta team, this gamma. Copy” he looked around the morgue growing more frightened.

“Beta here, go ahead” Finally someone responded to Winter’s pleas. 

“We’ve taken heavy casualties. I’m holed up in the morgue, but the halls are crawling. Requesting assistance. Over” Winter requested.

“Roger. We’re just below you. ETA 60 seconds” Beta team leader response.

“Shit. Make it 30 and I might still be breathing” Winter demanded.

“Were on it” Beta team leader replies.

“I shoulda taken mom’s advice and been a programmer,” Winter mutters to himself. Winter heard a sound coming from the back of the room. He spots a huge xenomorph, larger than a warrior but shorter than a praetorian. Its biomechanical carapace was light tan rather than the typical gunmetal grey of a typical xenomorph. It sported a set of mandibles and a mane of segmented dreadlocks it inherited from its yautja host.

The predalien now fully grown had molted from its chestburster body hours ago. It flares its segmented dreadlocks and its mandibles at Winter. He screams as he unloads a full clip into the Predalien. Its carapace deflects some of the bullets while the other bullets barely penetrate its thick body armor.

“Holy shit” Winter cusses.

With a smack of her tail, Winter is sent flying into a wall. She leaps down on to the guard, grabbing him by the head. She plunges her clawed hand deep into his back while pulling out his spine and skull.

Beta team arrives moments later, the predalien smacks her tail against the security guards. She impales her mandibles into the beta team leader, her teeth sinks into his head, blood pours all over his face. The predalien finishes him off with a hard crunch. The guards' screams are heard down the hallway.

Popov and Ivan’s team of combat synthetics gun down several xenomorph runners and drones and a few warriors. One of the warriors was carrying the engineer artifact. 

“Damn it Richter. The pod is about to go” Ivan cursed.

“I’ve got it. Let's get the hell out of here” Richter demanded.

“Chekov, do you copy? Chekov” Popov tries to radio in Chekov.

“Go ahead,” Chekov finally responded.

“I can’t raise Rykov. There is some kind of interference here,” Popov transmitted.

“You are barely audible here,” Chekov commented.

“Tell Rykov we have the Artifact,” Popov reported.

“Oh, man. not again” Richter grows increasingly weary of the xenomorphs hissing growing louder.

“…and we are on our way down to the extraction point,” Popov reported.

“Make it fast. The first charges will be going off any second by now” Chekov reminded him.

“Shit everybody out! Double time it to the lines” Popov demanded.

“You don’t have to ask me twice, baby” Richter and Popov both bolted onwards to the exit.

Date: September 23rd, 2230. 7:02 PM.

Dunya, Rykov, Dimitri, Popov, Ivan, Xavier, Eisenberg and the remaining security, scientists, and Iron Bear mercenaries stare up at the Pods.

“There is no  way to save it, General?” Dunya asks.

“We have done all we can. Once the lift broke away, we lost all hope of regaining the pod. We must cut our losses before the xenomorphs find a way to spread to the other pods” Rykov explained.

“And what of the - creature - I saw?” Dunya asks.

There was a long pause, Dr. Eisenberg briefly turned his gaze to Dunya.

“It would seem that… It found what it was looking for,” Rykov speculated. 

“What about those remaining in the pod?” Dunya asks.

Eisenberg walked between Dunya and Rykov, “They are already dead. Sever the pod, General” Dr. Eisenberg demanded.

The charges began detonating across Pod 5. The predalien led some of the xenomorphs outside of Pod 5 as they leapt onto the scaffolding metal support beams. Pod 5 falls from its severed supports as it crashes into the ground below sealing any remaining xenomorphs, any unfortunate scientist, guard, or merc and The Artifact along with it.

“How are we going to explain to the buyer that we lost the artifact?” Ivan Hushvatov asked Rykov.

“By tying loose ends, Ivan” Rykov looked at Captain Martin Xavier, he gave Ivan a commanding look. Ivan understoods what General Rykov wants as he approaches the Guard captain.

“Captain Xavier…was it? I’ve heard Markinson talk about you. You were there when Dunya recovered the Artifact, is this correct?” Ivan asked.

“Yes,” Xavier replied.

 “You were also in charge of guarding its transfer to Storage C, is this correct as well?” Ivan’s tone grew deeper.

“Yes, but wait a minute, are you accusing me of something?” Xavier doesn’t like what Ivan is about to imply.

“The evidence is already against you, Rykov has already searched your quarters and found evidence of your collusion with Chigusa Corporation” Ivan accused.

“Wait, that can’t be true, that’s a lie! I would never betray the Company for Chigusa!” Xavier snarls in protest. He was innocent but the Iron Bears needed an escape goat. 

“Protest all you like, Martin, it doesn’t change the facts…” He nods to his men to grab Martin Xavier by the arms. “What General Rykov says… It means truth” Ivan knocks Xavier unconscious. “Throw him in with the laborers at the Primary Operations Complex, that's an order from Rykov himself” the Iron Bears nodded to Ivan as they carry the unconscious man away.

The yautja’s transmission would eventually reach its fellow yautja in the neighboring Nodus Secundas system. While the artifact’s signal would eventually reach the Engineer homeworld.

CHAPTER 5: ZETA SITE

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Construction Site.

Date: June 12th, 2223

Dr. Arnaud Esienberg having survived his operation, went on to gain the funding he needed and returned to LV-1201 to overlook the construction of his greatest projects. Learning from the dormancy cycle on this planet he took many things into consideration.

“I want the Forward Observation Post here, we erect electric fences on the falls to prevent any xenomorph incursions from harming our personnel. The complex would be surrounded by a massive wall, the only way in is through a series of sally ports with robust security sentries placed within the ceilings. Next is the construction of our labs, this gorge will do nicely. We will construct five observation pods suspended in a series of cables and support structures along the canyon walls. Only way inside the FOP is through a suspended cable elevator, the ground region will be surrounded by an electric perimeter fence with strategic sentry cannons placed around the lift operations,” Eisenberg instructed.

“Sir we will need a security force to maintain both the POC and the FOPs” Project Manager Jason Dwitzes suggested.

“Weyland-Yutani Security Corps will handle most of the facilities nicely but I will need more additional protection aside from basic security and combat synthetics,” Eisenberg agreed. “I will need a personal army to carry out our goals” The senior project manager added.

“What do you have in mind, sir?” Jason asks.

“Mercenary groups, give me a list of the best mercenary companies” Eisenberg demanded.

“Sir, no need. The Iron Bear Mercenaries are the best mercenary company, out there sir,” Jason already had his bases covered.

“But don’t they usually operate in UPP space?” Eisenberg asked.

“Usually, but they are one of the few mercenary companies willing to operate beyond frontier space,” Jason rest assured, 

“I’ll take them into consideration,” Eisenberg concluded.

“Sir, there is a new transfer, a Kenji Maurita, geneticists,” Jason added.

“Yes, a promising mind indeed. Place him in the advanced genetics laboratory, I wish to see his amazing talents for myself” Dr. Eisenberg ordered.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Forward Observation Pods

Date: August 21, 2229

After spending years in the Advanced genetics laboratory. Kenji was ordered to perform human genetic modifications to the inmates and on occasions sent out to the zeta site to study the xenomorphs and came very close to losing his life. He had since published his theories on xenomorph genetic hive memory.

“I hate this place,” Kenji said to his coworker, Shinji.

“I know what you mean,” Shinji nodded.

“I have requested a transfer back to gateway station. I’m tired of experimenting on inmates… on another human being!” A letter is swiped beneath his quarter’s door. Kenji walks over and picks up the letter while holding it, From: A Eisenberg. To: Administration. he opens it up, “I regret to inform you that I cannot approve Dr. Maurita’s transfer back to gateway. Due to his extremely time-sensitive research, he has elected to press on with his current duties… dude what the fuck” Kenji stared at the letter in disbelief.

“What are you going to do Kenji?” Shinji asked.

“I’m going to have a talk with Dr. Eisenberg about this!” Kenji gripped the letter tightly.

 Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Primary Operations Complex Administration

Date: October 9, 2229

Mr. Burns sighs as the refrigerator power problem hasn’t been resolved. The butter is completely melted and everything is spoiled. 

Esienberg was greeting the new personnel that had arrived from the supply ship. He reads the new personnel roster, Tomiko, Kenji’s sister, was among them.

“Tomiko, was it?” Eisenberg asked for confirmation.

“Yes, that's me,” Tomiko replied.

“We are saddened by the loss of your brother Kenji Maurita, he was a brilliant scientist, wise beyond his years” said Eisenberg.

Tomiko broke down sobbing at the loss of her brother, she knew he had a dangerous job having to deal with the xenomorphs but to have it confirmed so suddenly when she arrived.

“How did he die?” Tomiko asked.

“I am not at liberty to discuss the details, however please know that it was an accident” Eisenberg insisted. 

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Forward Observation Pods

Date: October 2nd, 2230.

When a young medical doctor Betheny Clements arrived at the artifact laboratory, she overheard the scientists accusing Dr. Adam Post for stealing the artifacts from his labs. She was a close friend of Dr. Post and knew he could never do such a thing. 

“Hey what's going on?” She attempts to but-in but Dr. Martin Sharpe grabs her by the arm and pulls her to the side.

“Don’t get involved, not yet,” Dr. Sharpe tells her.

“What’s going in there? Dr. Post is not a thief!”

“I know, I’ve read your letter. Don’t do anything stupid, I don’t want what happened to Dr. Maurita happen to you too”

“Thanks for the concern but I am not afraid of Dr. Eisenberg”

“Just be careful,”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Forward Observation Pods, Eisenberg’s Office

Date: October 2nd, 2230.

Dr. Clements walks into Eisenberg’s office. Eisernberg turns around in his chair, surprised to see the young doctor in his office.

“What’s the meaning of this? You don’t have an appointment, leave before I call security” Dr. Eisenberg demanded.

“He is not a thief! Dr. Adam Post is not a thief, It is Rykov, I am sure of it”

“General Rykov is a valuable member of my security team, now please leave before I call security!” Eisenberg squinted his eyes at Clements, she left on her own accord. Eisenberg fusiosly taps at his computer console, “Ms. Kazama, I would like to call Dr. Sharpe”

“Calling Dr. Sharpe, he is on line 5” Eisenberg secretary replies.

“Yes?” Dr. Sharpe answers.

“Sharpe, your friend Dr. Clements barge in my office today. She misunderstands rykov’s importance and cost. A policeman makes a fine bodyguard, unless you plan to rob a bank - and good bodyguards must be paid with one currency or the other. Control your team, or I will!”

“It won’t happen again, Dr. Eisenberg,” Dr. Sharpe complied.

“Good,” Dr. Eisenberg concludes.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Forward Observation Pods, Eisenberg’s Office

Date: October 3rd, 2230.

“Sir, Mr. Bishop wishes to speak with you,” said Eisenberg’s secretary.

“Very well I’ll take the call in my office” Eisenberg has the call transferred to his office, “Dr. Micheal Bishop, it's a pleasure to finally speak with you”

“How are things down there, Dr. Eisenberg,” An older man materialized on the screen. He looks like a spitting image of Lance Henriksen.

“Everything is…stable. The xenomorphs are manageable…”

“Damn it, Eisenberg! Stop beating around the bush! I have several of my peers breathing down my neck, so don’t test my patience so tell me what is really going on down there? Have you made any progress on reverse engineering the Engineer’s technology?”

“We are getting close sir, the zeta ruins are hard to traverse with the xenomorphs heavily concentrated in that area”

“Here's a word of advice: Try harder,” Bishop glared at Eisenberg.

“Yes, Mr. Bishop”

“Now onto another matter, I want you to ship back Convict Rieser to gateway Station immediately, we wish to transfer him to the Io Mining facility”

“I’ll make the arrangements” Dr. Eisenberg.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Forward Observation Pods, Facehugger containment room.

Date: October 4th, 2230.

Dr. Clements was still bitter over her conversation with Eisenberg, how could he defend a thug like Rykov? She wasn’t in the proper state of mind, she forgot to initialize the safeguard override system. A facehugger escapes from its container, it sneaks around the white cabinets filled with facehuggers in stasis. The klaxons went off but Dr. Clements was too distracted by the incident to realize something went wrong. She saw something scurry in her peripheral vision. She turns around as the facehugger springs off the wall, latching on to her face. 

Security quickly rushes in with Dr. Sharpe, they place her in cryo-stasis until they can figure out how to arrest the xenomorph lifecycle. They notified her family.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Forward Observation Pod 5

Date: September 21st, 2230. 7:06 PM

A white walled room decorated with furniture, a computer table, a large cubby whole bed and a shower unit. A russian man dressed in the Iron Bear Mercenary uniform laid in the bed while his girlfriend was taking a hot shower just a few feet away. The vidphone blared like a ringing telephone. The Mercenary answers the vidphone.

“Ah Dimitri. Have Dunya come to my office immediately. It is a matter of urgency,” a large russian male with short military style grey hair and bushy eyebrows appeared on its screen. 

“Yes sir, General Rykov” Dimitri saluted to the vidphone. He knew better than to question General Rykov. The large man disappears from the screen as it turns into a blank grey. Dimitri walks over to the showers where his precious Dunya was bathing, he quickly admires how beautiful her body is before remembering his orders, “Dun, that was the General. He wants to see you in his office right away”

“Oh?” Dunya replies.

“He says it's urgent,” Dimitri declares.

“Then it must be, my love. This will have to wait for another time” Dunya having canceled their private time. Dimitri sighs in disappointment but he hopes to get another chance later.

General Rykov stares out from his office window, watching the newly designed WY-612 Landers arriving and departing from the POC. The white blast doors bearing the Weyland-Yutani Logo slides open. A tall physically fit woman wearing an iron bear mercenary uniform walks through the archway sporting a bob haircut and piercing blue eyes, Major Dunya, she walks over to General Rykov awaiting his instructions.

“We have a buyer,” Rykov spoke suddenly.

“It’s about time,” Dunya replied sharply.

“Our precautions have made things proceed much more slowly than I had originally anticipated. It is unfortunate we had to wait before obtaining the Artifact, but it was necessary” General Rykov begins the briefing.

“And so this is our next step?” Dunya asked.

“You should get your gear together and leave tonight while the opportunity remains. When you arrive at Zeta site there will be no one but Iron Bears there to greet you” General Rykov continues the briefing.

“I assume the Iron Bears won’t be blamed for this breach?” Dunya wanted some assurances.

“Hmmph. Of course not. Ivan has taken care of the details. Once you're ready to go, meet Chekov in the cargo bay. He has one final piece of equipment you will be needing,” Rykov wraps up his briefing.

“Yes sir, General” Dunya turns around to make her leave.

“Dunya,” General Rykov calls out to her, not finished with her, “The artifact is several levels below the guard station and Eisenberg has already a team of synthetics attempting to retrieve it. Be careful, Dunya” Rykov concluded his briefing.

“Yes, general,” Dunya replied before leaving his office.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Zeta site

Date: September 21st, 2230. 11:40 PM

The howling winds echoed in between the canyon walls, Iron Bear Mercs gathered around a maintenance shed waiting for a certain female merc to show up so they could do their jobs and get back to the pods.

“Everything ready?” asked Becker, his voice carrying a thick Texan drawl.

“Yeah, Xavier will have quite a hangover in the morning. He might even think he stole the Artifact himself,” Serge reported.

“Good. I doubt the Major would approve of the General’s methods” Becker voiced his concerns.

“Hmmph… Well, she didn’t serve on korari, now did she?” Serge retorted.

“Yeah… and I’d stow it if I were you. You don’t want to see her pissed off” retorted Becker, “Major?” He finds himself saluting her.

“Is everything ready?” Dunya asked her two subordinates.

“Um… Yes, ma’am” Becker replied.

“Then let’s proceed. Becker, Serge, you’re with me. Popov, I want you here in the APC. Chances are we'll be coming out hot.”

“You’ve got it,” replied Popov.

Dunya, Becker and Serge rush into the guard station, weapons ready and the safeties off. The red emergency light gleamed ahead. Dunya’s motion tracker bleeps her movements as well as her comrade’s movements. They move through a large room with a ramp that slopes down to the lower floor, a xenomorph runner hiding behind a trash can. Their movements startle it awake as it slowly raises to its feet. 

“Open fire!” Dunya orders her men, the runner is engulfed in flames. Another runner type xenomorph emerges from the shadow then another and another. Dunya fires her Pulse Rifle, 90, rounds left. There are now only two runners left. Becker sets another runner alite with his flame thrower. Serge blasts away the last runner with his pulse rifle. The xenomorph’s blood melts away the floor grates, plunging their remains down a few levels.

“Tough bastards” Serge comments.

Dunya opens the door into the next room. The ceiling in the next room caves in as a drone lands on the floor. 82, rounds left. The drone retreats after being struck by the hail of bullets. Dunya nods her head for her men to survey the room. In the center of the room is an elevator leading down. Serge reads a PDA about someone dumb enough to read Eisenberg’s email. While Dunya walks over to a large yellow box with a handle. She pulls the lever, restoring power to the elevator. The elevator slowly starts to retract back to the top. The long powerful cable reeling the lift up, generates an uncomfortable amount of noise. Dunya presses the only button on the elevator, it reverses its function as it begins lowering the mercenaries down to the lower levels. The shaft walls were copper in color with bands of red lights ringing around the shaft ever so many feet. They reached the bottom of the shaft. It opens up into a massive cavern.

The three mercs walked down the stoney stairs, two yellow stand flood lights luminated the cavern. To Dunya, Serge, and Becker’s surprise, three of Eisenberg's combat synthetics laid motionless on the rocky dirt floor. It's not clear what rendered them offline, if they were attacked or they just ceased to function. The motion tracker began to seize up before briefly detecting two bleeps coming from the cave tunnel up ahead. Two warriors charge towards the Mercs. Their carapace was tougher and its rigid shape helped deflect some of the bullets fired at it. The warriors were briefly repelled, 67 rounds left in Dunya’s clip. Dunya looked over at her men, she noticed Serge was missing.

“Where’s Serge?” Dunya asked.

“I don’t know..” Becker replied, he trips over something hard. “Jesus christ…” He turns to see it was Serge’s heavy flamethrower. On closer inspection it was covered in blood. “Oh shit, no… no… not Serge”

“Hold yourself together, comrade. We have a job to do,” Dunya proceeded further into the cave. Becker hesitantly follows her. The motion trackers began to malfunction, but the Mercs could hear their hisses coming from behind and from the side tunnels. The warriors return to cut them off from their escape. Becker begins to unload an entire clip into the warriors, one of the warriors goes down but her sisters quickly take her place. 

“Dunya, run!” Becker shouts at his comrade, the xenomorphs overpower the Texan Mercenary. He removes a grenade from his belt, “See you fucks, in hell!” The lead warrior fires her inner jaws into his skull before Becker  has the chance to pull the pin. His body goes limp, the grenade rolls harmless away from the xenomorphs.

Dunya finds her sprinting down the cave, unsure of where she is going and questions the futility of running to save herself. The xenomorph's constant hissing echoes from all directions. Dunya had no choice but to flee down the narrow passage, the warriors squeezed themselves down the narrow passageway. Dunya trips over a rock as she falls and rolls down a steep incline. She mentally prepares for her inevitable death, clenching her teeth as tears roll her face. The xenomorph hisses fill the chamber from a steady distance. Dunya was wondering why they hadn't approached her. She lifts her head to see the xenomorphs have suddenly stopped in the middle of the cave entrance. They stood there pacing back and forth as if some invisible wall was preventing them from moving forward.

She turned around to see the chamber was different from the natural cave formation. It was artificial and biomechanical in design, where the artifact stood hovering within a cylindrical energy field above a pedestal but below a large four prong ceiling structure, perhaps it’s to keep the artifact powered. To the left was a large segmented arching over a large clunky copper computing unit. Its design is alien to the rest of the ruins.

“Sir, are you listening?” Dunya pauses, “Sir?” the xenomorphs had gone silent as they stared at her from afar. Two offline synthetics laid sprawled on the floor like the ones from earlier.

“You took… than expected. I trust you have arrived… chamber?” Rykov’s transmission was staticy and garbled.

But Dunya understood the gist, “I believe so, sir. Is this channel secure?” she asks.

“Yes, quite,” Rkyov confirmed, “The others - they are with you?” Rykov asked.

“No, sir. They… are not” Dunya answered remorsefully. More xenomorphs gathered at the chamber entrance.

“They… knew the risks. And the reward. Let us make sure their efforts are not wasted” Rykov then switched the topic, “What do you see?”

“I am in a large chamber. It appears different from the ruins I've been in before. I see… the artifact. It appears to be floating… no suspended… in some sort of field” Dunya slowly approached the artifact, keeping her distance from the xenomorphs.

“That’s as we expected. Eisenberg’s synthetics made it almost this far. They just didn’t make it back. We do have some poor quality transmission of what they saw there, however” an American-accent man suddenly started speaking to her.

Dunya was wondering who was speaking to her, “Dunya, that was Dr. Post. He is going to give instructions on using the device” Rykov explained.

Dr. Post, a red haired man with a wiry build, dressed in white lab attire. He spoke through the com-unit hanging off the side of his face. “I doubt you are going to like this very much…” Dr. Post warned.

“Hmm… What I like is of little concern, doctor” Dunya replied.

“No… I suppose not. If you look at the back of the device, you can see it has a peculiarly shaped extrusion” Dr. Post explained. Dunya stares at the box-shaped device she brought with her. She sees the four rectangular extrusions on the back. 

“Yes… with four prongs coming out of it” Dunya observed.

“Yes, that's it. What you have now is called a worm device. As far as we can tell, this is fairly standard interface for the Engineer computer tech. Once you plug the device in, it should interface with the Engineer systems that are online and start shutting them down one by one” Dr. Post explained extensively.

Dunya stared up at the ceiling, the artifact still being suspended by the purple energy field. The massive biomechanical prongs sticking out of the ceiling seem to emit tiny lights along its arms. The four prong-like pedestal rests on a platform surrounded by a maintenance crevice that seemingly leads to the lower levels of the chamber. Across from the platform was the biomechanical archway above the copper bulky computer of unknown design. Behind it was a similar architectural design door grafted onto the biomechanical doorway. 

“How long will that take?” Dunya asked.

“Ah… well, that’s the tricky part. There is no telling how much of the tech there is still functioning correctly. Our tests show it could take several hours if things are really bad” Dr. Post added. Dunya turns her head towards the xenomorphs behind her. They begin to assume a resting position. Dunya turns her attention back to the artifact, she swore she saw something move around in the shadows.

“That could be the problem, Doctor. You told me this would take several minutes” General Rykov growled.

“Well… it would. If everything were…” Dr. Post started stuttering nervously.

“Dunya, you cannot spend several hours down there alone. I am sending a team to extract you, ASAP” Rykov gave Dr. Post a disapproving glare.

“That’s just it, sir. I was fighting for my life up until the moment I entered the chamber. When I did… the xenomorphs just… they just stopped” She observed the xenomorphs were now all curled up into a box-like shape.

“It’s likely they have some aversion to this area. After all, it was obviously an important place when the Engineers built it. Dr. Maurita once speculated that the xenomorphs might have a hive memory, which allowed…” Dr. Post droned on before Rykov interrupted.

“Dunya, once you activate the device, be prepared to get out as quickly as possible. If there is any trouble, leave the artifact. It can be retrieved later once the device has managed to disable the Engineer tech” Rykov ordered.

“Just the same, sir. I’d prefer not to come down here a second time if I can avoid it.” Dunya grows increasingly nervous of her situation, “Just plug it in and this thing starts shutting systems down at random?” Dunya asks curiously while she raises her arms in the air.

“That’s it. The Engineer systems are remarkably intelligent and robust. It’s only a matter of time before the surviving systems figure out how to turn everything back on again, so you must retrieve the artifact quickly” Dr. Post warns.

“Dunya, keep your comlink open and inform us as soon as anything changes. Good Luck” Rykov added.

“Yes, sir” Dunya complies. She walks away from the seemingly dormant xenomorphs. She walks down the slopes to the platform holding the artifact. She slips down into the maintenance crevice between the platform and the rest of the chamber. The maintenance crevice was more biomechanical looking then the rest of the chamber. There Dunya spots a large computing unit attached to the platform base. A man-made large rectangular computing block is grafted onto the engineer’s bio-computer. Dunya attaches the worm device to the computing block. 

“General?” Dunya asked, waiting for further orders.

“Go ahead,” Rykov replied.

“I've inserted the device,” Dunya reported.

“Good, now we wait,” Rykov replied.

Dunya finds her way back to the platform suspending the engineer artifact. She looks around the adjacent walls. She swore she spotted something again in the corner. Dunya accidentally kicks a heavy metal mask across the floor. She picked it up curiously, it was quite heavy and had deep gashes across its face.

The vulture heads watch from afar, curious of this tiny creature. To it a human resembles their late enslavers, just smaller and their heads covered in hair. The vulture heads chirp amongst themselves. They could sense the power fluctuating, which means he will be awakening soon from his slumber.

CHAPTER 3: ANCESTORS

Locale: Planet Korari, Weyland-Yutani Bio-Weapons Facility
Date: July 13th, 2211

A vessel drops from the dark grey clouds, it was a UD6 Mohawk Dropship. It flew over the research facility. The facility was seemingly deserted. The dropship circles around the perimeter before extending its landing gears to land. The seven colonial marines depart from their military vessel, unaware that they are being watched. Private Dane White was sent to scout the base perimeter. He was followed by Private Bruno Honcho, both armed with the standard issue M41A1 Pulse Rifle.

“Perimeter secured sir” Pvt. White reports over his com unit.

Private First Class Mira Laine and Private First Class Shane Laine sweeped in with their M55 Smart Guns. Next was Cpl. Vassil Rykov, Sgt. Jonathan Manners, and 2nd Lt. Enrico Rodriguez.

The marines had entered the facility. He began traversing the korarikian jungles. Leaping from tree to tree, branch to branch, until he finally arrives at the oomen facility. He clicks his mandibles, contemplating the many ways he is going to butcher these oomens. He taps at his wrist computer shrouding himself in a cloak.

The marines slowly surveyed the rooms, the mess hall was an utter mess. The researchers' bodies were all hung upside down stripped of their skin. The marines examined the room further, they found the scientists missing parts lying in a pile in the corner.

“What the hell happened here?” asked Huncho.

“I think i’m going to be sick” White retreated out of the room.

“What's the matter Dane, can’t keep your food in?” Mira asked rhetorically.

“The Dweeb always had a weak stomach,” Shane comments.

“Enough of the chatter, comrades” Corporal Rykov demanded.

“Hey, remind me again why we took the roosky with us?” Shane asked.

“I am not a Russian, I am colony born… of Russian descent, major difference” Rykov corrected.

Dane’s screams could be heard coming down from the hallway followed by the sound of gunfire. The six marines bolted down the corridor only to find the bathroom stalls covered in his blood. His uniform was ripped to shreds and stuffed in the toilet along with what's left of his digestive system.

“Oh my god…’ Mira cursed to herself.

“What the hell?” Lt. Rodriguez spots what Mira is staring at, the hanging body of Private Dane White. “Manners call HQ, I want answers,” Rodriguez demanded.

“Sir” Sgt Manners heads to the comms room to set up communications.

He stared down at the hanging corpse, its heat began to fade into blue and black. He switches the vision of his biomask. Black vision, the bones of his prey were now visible through the obstructions. He projects his tridot laser on one of the oomens with the big gun. A red line dances across his biomask’s vision before forming into a locking red triangle. His plasma caster jerks to life, a blue plasma ball escapes from the shoulder cannon. FSHRRNKKK!

Mira’s chest is blown open, her eyes flustered before collapsing to the ground lifelessly. Hunter lets out a loud cry, he kicks open the door to the outside as he readies his M56 smartgun and begins unleashing a hail of bullets randomly into the infrastructure. The predator switches his biomask vision back to blue, Heat vision. A stray bullet knicks the yautja in the shoulder, his glowing green blood drips on the ground. He retreats to the broad limbed korarian trees.

The alien hunter’s presence only served to alert the colonial marines. What went from an investigation switched to a rescue mission.
However the alien hunter has a mission of his own, the destruction of this facility and the reclaimition of his people’s remains. The predator Paya’kan’di will not allow these oomens to live, his ancestor’s honor must be restored.

Paya’kan’di leaped from the broad-limbed forest as he sprinted to the other side of the facility. He climbs through the second floor window of the facility. There he spots the recovered ancient weapons and the skeletal remains of his ancestors, Paya’kan’di will bury them later.
The predator bursts into the comms room where Rodriguez and Manners are seen talking to their superiors through the computers. Manners turned around to the intruder but saw nothing. Briefly there was a shuttery wave moving closer to him. Paya’kan’di silences him with a swift beheading with his combi-stick.
The leader was now alone. Paya’kan’di charged with full zeal, his combi-stick tore through the lieutenant's stomach wall and broke his spine. He pulls the combi-stick out of his prey. Satisfied that he’ll no longer pose a threat to him, he turns around to cut off the communications.
However Rodriguez wasn’t dead yet, the colonial marine officer defiantly raised his pistol at the predator alien. He squeezed the trigger, globs of green blood splats around the room.

Paya’kan’di spun around and impaled Rodriguez in the throat with the back blade of his combi-stick. He claims his skull, honoring his noble defiance to his memory. He spots Hunter in the doorway. Paya’kan’di draws his smartdisk. Hunter locks his smart gun on the alien hunter. The smart gun unleashes a volley of bullets into Paya’kan’di, the alien predator dashes behind a set of large clunky computer monitors. His armor takes most of the damage but the bullets do hit a few soft spots. The bulky computers are ripped to pieces by the hail of bullets.

Paya’kan’di stood up despite his injuries, throwing the smartdisk at Hunter. The smartdisk flies in the air, Hunter raises his smart gun up to block the disk. The disk cuts through the smartgun before slicing into Hunter, bifurcating his chest cavity. Paya’kand’di took this time to medicate his injuries. First he sprays pain killers of his wounds as he pulls the bullets out, he roars in pain but it must be done. Next he begins melting building materials into a blue coagulative adhesive to seal up his wounds. Finally he injects himself with a blood producer to replenish the amount of blood he lost.

His biomask picked up two heat signatures, Honcho and Rykov. He must eliminate them before tending to his ancestor’s remains. Paya’kan’di grabs his combi-stick and smart disk. The hunt is not over yet.
Honcho and Rkyov heard a strange roar in the comms room, they arrived too late as Hunter was just eviscerated by something. Honcho is thrown to the opposite wall. His stomach bleeds profusely as the impaling combi-stick materializes out of thin air.

Rykov bolted away, fearing he would suffer the same fate as his comrades. “Not me, Not me!” he whispered to himself, “Come on Vassili, come on Vassili, you'll make it” For a while he thought the alien predator had lost interest in him. But now he was lost in the Korarian forest, surrounded by nothing but broad limbed trees. It's been hours since he last saw another human being. A loud explosion boomed across the air, Rykov feared it was the research facility. He feared he failed his mission and let his fallen comrades down. Rykov would swear to avenge their deaths, should he survive this ordeal.

Paya’kand’di stares down from the white barked broad limbed tree at the pathetic sight that was Vassili Rykov. Killing him now would be boring to the elite yautja. He decided he wanted to have some fun with this oomen. He clicks his mandibles to get Rykov’s attention. Rykov didn’t budge believing these clicking was from an insect of somesorts. “I WANT ANSWERS,” the predator plays back Lt. Rodriguez’s voice.

Rykov bolted from his spot. He ran out into a clearing. The ground cuts off into a deep gorge. Rykov could see water at the bottom. He heard that insect clicking again, only now he realizes it's coming from his pursuer. Rykov turns around, looking for his attacker. Paya’kan’di reveals himself to his prey. Rykov got a good look at him. Paya’kan’di stood strongly on the broad-limbed tree. He wore a gold biomask with crown-like protrusions on the forehead region. He looked like a prince on a boar hunt, Rykov thought.
Paya’kand’di however wasn’t too impressed with his prey, although he was a large bulky oomen with strong features. All he has done thus far was to run away from him and coware when backed in a corner.

“WHAT THE HELL?” Paya’kan’di replayed Rodriguez’s voice after seeing Rykov drop his weapon. Rykov slowly took a step back, he was encroaching on the precipice of the gorge. “GrrrCome ongrrrr, Vassiligrrr” Paya’kand’di attempts to speak in the oomen’s language. Rykov allowed himself to fall off the cliff’s edge. Paya’kand’di angrily fires his plasma caster where Rykov once stood. The alien prince leaps down from his tree, he looks over the cliff edge. His biomask attempts to gain a lock on his query but detects nothing; Paya’kan’di anger filled roars echo across the gorge.

Vassili Rykov awakens on the shoreline, he mustered up all the strength to climb out of the flowing water. “We got movement,” said someone. Vassili looked up, it was a colonial marine. The second team had arrived. The quickly medics place him on a stretcher. They wheel him on to the dropships before departing from the planet's surface. Paya’kan’di watched as the colonial marine ships abandoned the planet. The research facility is in flames and the ancestral remains are restored to the ancestral tombs beneath the korarian soil.

CHAPTER 4: OUTPOSTS

Locale: Gateway Station

Date: August 5th, 2221

A man stood at his computer in a dark tight room, his hair was medium length black and slick; his skin fair in complexion. His name was Arnaud Eisenberg, a brilliant young scientist, his family is renowned for their contribution to revolutionize cybernetics. His father’s patent led to a successful brain transplant to a full prosthetic body for a dying girl back during the Earth War. Arnaud had no interest in the girl’s life nor her being one of the first Cyborgs created. Arnaud was more interested in the xenomorphs that had infected her. A shame the xenomorphs had to be eradicated, he thought.

The monitor displayed his grandfather’s notes on the lost Lv-426 derelict ship. He brought up the telemetry data, with the rapid tapping of his keyboard, Arnaud deciphers the data. He discovers that his grandfather had discovered a planet beyond the frontier. A binary star system within the Draco Constellation. Lv-1201 it was designated. Unfortunately there was no data on the planet itself as the original expedition ended in failure. Arnuad stood up from his computer to stretch. He would need to convince the colonial administration and the Weyland-Yutani board of directors to send out another expedition.

A week later…

Eisenberg after convincing the board of directors, he was placed in charge of Expedition One. Eisenberg boarded a colony ship, called the Vega. It was an old model, resembling the early 2100’s Covenant-class colony ship. It was a board-shaped starship with large solar sails.

Locale: Lv-1201

Date: October 15th, 2221

Vega arrived in orbit around the green planet. Scans of the planet's exterior indicated there was once a small human outpost here in the zeta region. The scanners also detect a sizable amount of silicon concentrated in the region as well. 

The Vega sends down a lander craft to the planet’s surface. Once the clouds had departed from the lander’s view, the crew was able to see the dark green oceans surrounding the pale tan shoes of land. White barked trees with pink leaves dominated the lowlands. A herd of buhlagh are seen drinking from a nearby river, while a lone chameleon is slowly stalking them. 

Eisenberg ordered his pilot to land the lander in the dark rocky highlands. There they spotted an abandoned weyland-yutani outpost. The lander carefully lands near the old colonial structure. Corporate security unit steps off the transport first, then the scientist and finally Eisenberg leaves the lander.

The expedition crew quickly noticed, although the air was breathable it was a little too thin for their liking. Eisenberg ordered the mechanics to work on restoring the power right away. 

Days went by as the twin suns quickly dropped from the green skies as night rolled around for a long duration. The repairs have finally stopped as they fully convert this outpost into a base. Eisenberg boarded the lander, he activated his synthetics guards to clear any plant from the outpost, once the foliage was removed they began heading to the lander. They pry open the crates as they remove the mines and sentry guns from their containers.

Eisenberg remembered from his days at the Weyland-Yutani Academy of Science, back in 2181 a Weyland-Yutani research facility was set up on BG-386 but due to poor management and a lack of understanding of the Xenomorph XX121; the xenomorphs overran the facility in 2189.

He pulls out his PDA as he types experiences into his log.

“October 15th, 2221

We have arrived. From now on, I’ll refer to Earth-dated notation for these logs although days here run short, while nights feel interminable. The air is thin. Just walking around causes people to strain.

We’ve set up base camp in the broken lands south of the hive. The synthetics have cleared the foliage and are currently adding a minefield and sentry gun emplacements. As I argued so often to the funding committee, human ingenuity conquers all.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Xenomorph XX121 Hive

Date: November 7th, 2221

Car-size remote controlled rovers traverse the rocky landscape to the hive the synthetics had scouted earlier. Orange fleshy plants sparsely dot the mountain side. The rovers stop at a massive hole with scretid resin encrusting its entrance; the hive entrance was barren however the surrounding muddy ground betrayed its inhabitants by retaining their footprints. Surrounding the hive exterior, where Giant curved organic-metallic structures stick out of the ground, they are of the same architectural culture as the derelict from Lv-426. “Engineer architecture” Eisenberg said to himself. The rover’s camera pans over what could seem like ruins of a great alien city. All of the stone structures had since eroded leaving only the more durable biomechanical structures behind. He records this in his PDA log.

“November 7th, 2221

The Hive appears dormant. The remote rover has found Xenomorph XX121 traces, but no active specimens. The synths have begun explorations. Many signs of the carrier species. Dr. Shaw’s Engineers. Unexplained structures out from the earth, and mysterious shafts vanish underground, all exhibiting the distinctive architecture of the ship from LV-426. Although these archaeological remnants come as little surprise --- we follow the ship’s flight telemetry here, after all --- I find it all a bit unnerving.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 3.

Date: November 15th, 2221

While the scientists and the mechanics were busy working on the newly erected observation posts, the synthetic guards spotted several man-sized copper-ish pink xenomorphs prowling the area. The science team quickly retreated inside but the smaller xenomorphs did not seem to be aggressive nor interested in taking human hosts. Eisenberg recorded this into his PDA log.

“November 15th, 2221

The Synths have caught glimpses of Xenomorph XX121 smaller than those observed on LV-426. I have named them Runners. They stray great distances from the hive especially at night. We are careful to return to the observation posts as a precaution, but they appear uninterested in us. They seem to be looking for something.

The Hive itself remains dormant. I believe this dormancy may be tied to the severe climatic conditions. Our initial analysis of the flora seems to corroborate this theory. But what are they waiting for? Cooler temperatures? Increased humidity? Or is it something else?”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 4.

Date: November 24th, 2221

Eisenberg gathers his most able body scientists, he leads the trek back to the xenomorph hive. They encountered a few runners along the way, they seemed harmless like usual to the science team. They would occasionally run over to the engineer architecture before resuming their natural duties. Weller approached one the Engineer archways, when suddenly the runners began to peel back their lips, revealing their disturbingly human-like teeth. They hissed threateningly as they ran across the muddy ground, Weller didn’t have time to react as they leapt onto Weller, thrashing him with their claws. Eisenberg was startled by this sudden change in the alien’s behavior, one of the other scientists ran towards Wellers but Eisenberg shouted, “Don’t! You’ll die if you interfere,“ the other scientists began retreating back to the observation post but the xenomorph didn’t follow them; Weller’s cries for help were suddenly silenced. The xenomorph retracks its inner jaws back into its mouth. Weller’s body lay lifeless on the muddy soil. The xenomorphs drag Weller’s body away from their view. The following day, Esienberg recorded this into his PDA log.

“November 25th, 2221

The Runners remain a cipher. Yesterday afternoon, they abruptly attacked Weller, but have since returned to their prior disinterest in us. The attack may have been prompted by his proximity to the Hive. In any case, his death is a grim reminder not to let down our guard.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Xenomorph XX121 Hive

Date: November 27th, 2221

Learning from last time with the death of Weller weighing heavily on the science team’s minds, Eisenberg programs a few of the pups to map out the xenomorph hive. The runners ignore the pups as they continue their daily activity. The pups scan the runners and the hive walls as it continues to map out the hive interior. 

“November 27, 2221

Our remote probes show that Runner activity is linked to increased pheromone discharge from the Hive walls along with extremely high-frequency sound waves. Perhaps the covered cranium of the Xenomorph XX121 operates as a resonance chamber: boosting, receiving and transmitting their ultrasonic communications. If so, the Runner must stay close to the Hive to maintain contact. With study, one might learn to duplicate their language, perhaps even replace their orders with some of my own. An entertaining theory, at least.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 4

Date: December 12th, 2221

The mechanics were working on the electrical units, when one of them noticed the rockweeds started blooming flower-like organs. The xenomorphs were slowly growing more agitated. They slowly start to encroach the science base. The synthetic guards do their best to watch the runners but they give the synthetics the slip for the night. Dr. Eisenberg plans on sending scouts to the engineer city ruins soon.

“December 12, 2221

The rockweeds bloomed today. If my theories are correct, this means an end to dormancy. McCulloch, our security chief, insists that we must withdraw to a safe vantage. Nonsense, I say. We are here to observe and collect data. We must witness the transformation.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 4

Date: December 12th, 2221

The science team began exploring the engineer city. McCulloch discovers a cannon-like device laying on the ground. 

“What’s this?” McCulloch examines the strange device, its shape and design doesn’t match the engineer's aesthetics. It was mechanical looking compared to the biomechanical aesthetics typical to the Engineers. 

“It must be an Engineer device,” Eisenberg dismisses at first.

“I don’t think so, I will have to go back to the labs to properly carbon date it but it looks quite recent” McColloch elaborated but Eisenberg could tell he was scared.

Eisenberg smiles at his colleague, “What a tremendous opportunity this is, my friend! We are on the cusps of discovering something big, my friend”

“I’m not so sure about this whole thing… It scares me, Arnaud,” McCulloch stares up at the giant stoney Engineer face in the middle of the ancient city.

“December 14th, 2221

McCulloch is having fits. He has found a device, very advanced technology, yet stylized with a tribal flair. It does not match the Dr. Shaw’s Engineers. In fact, McCulloch thinks it is recent, less than a decade old. It appears to be a weapon.

Of course, he’s now terrified. I’ve tried to convince him what a tremendous opportunity this is. Afterall, we came to learn. 

Still, we will limit our risks. Radio traffic is being kept to a minimum and we shall camouflage as best we can. Better we spot them than they spot us.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 1

Date: December 31st, 2221

The power fluctuated, the lights flickered on and off, the sound of raging winds batter the observation base. The power unit struggled to endure the storm’s harsh conditions, but alas the power failed. The sounds of explosions were muffled by the raging storm. Everyone is on edge but couldn’t go beyond the perimeter due to the storm.

One of the security guards spotted something amid the winds beyond the perimeter. It stood on two legs, so it couldn’t be the runners. Its silhouette was tall and slender, so it couldn’t be one of the Chameleons. The guard, having not seen the hive footage, rushes out to greet the silhouette, misbelieving it as one of the female combat synthetics. “Oi Lady bot, over here” he waved the silhouette down.

The silhouette began walking faster towards the guard, little by little the silhouette’s features began to betray it. The figure walked with a funny gait, its head was hunched forward and something was thrashing around behind it. The guard squinted his eyes but had a feeling this wasn’t a combat android. It drew closer, the creature was biomechanical in appearance, much like the hive and the Engineer city. Its head was shaped like a banana or a cigar. Four tubular structures stick out from its back, probably to support its massive head. The strange movement from behind it was a long segmented stinger-tipped tail.

The guard now recognizes the creature, he only heard stories of them and thought they were anti-homeworlder propaganda or myths spread by frontiersmen. The xenomorph warrior peels back its lips, like the runner its teeth were disturbingly human-like however it has more pronounced canines then the runners. It embraced the guard, its inner jaws like a piston rapidly punched a hole into the guard’s cranium. The guard fell to the ground dead. 

The other security guards spot the towering alien, blood seeping from its jaws. They instinctively fire their pistols at it but the bullets merely deflect from its black carapace. The warrior retreats into the stormy tempest only to return minutes later with its family. The warrior xenomorphs had the encampment surrounded on all sides. They all came at once, attacking every living creature they could see. Several people sought refuge inside the lander but the black armored xenomorphs like ants on road kill swarmed the lander. The lander's cockpit was compromised when the xenomorphs shattered its windows allowing the xenomorphs to squeeze themselves inside.

McCullogh ran out from safety, he waved his arms at the creatures like a maniac. Shouting, “Hey!” he caught their attention, he bolted towards the perimeter hoping they would follow him, and they did. He drew the xenomorphs away from the compound long enough for Esienberg and the rest of the personnel to escape. He tripped and slipped down a hill which gained him some distance away from his pursuers. A large worm-like plant opening its “mouth” only to snap close seemed to delay the xenomorphs from encroaching on McCullough. McCullough quickly returned to his feet as he made his way to the minefields. To his horror the minefield was already denoted; he presumed the runners must have triggered them. In the end, the xenomorphs had caught up with him. Day breaks hours later. 

“January 1st, 2222

Happy New Year. The Hive is awake.

We are stranded. Last night, our perimeter defense was interrupted by the most severe storm we’ve seen thus far. It was as if they knew, for within minutes, their warriors swept through our encampment, slaughtering everyone in their path and crippling our dropship.

McCullogh is gone. For what it’s worth, he was brave at the end. Brave and Dead.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 2

Date: January 4th, 2222

Through McCullogh’s sacrifice the science team had reached Observation Post 2. They quickly closed the door behind themselves ensuring no xenomorph could get in for the time being. Seventeen out of an expedition of fifty-five, now huddling together, hoping someone will save them. The cook Jerry started passing out food to the survivors to keep their spirits up.

Eisenberg stood up, he slowly began walking towards Jerry “What are you doing?”

“I’m passing out food, we need to keep our spirits up” Jerry explains.

“No, we must ration our food and water. Otherwise we will all starve in the long run” Eisenberg rationalizes. He looks over to frightened faces of his employees. “We should at least have four or five days of rations. At least until we have to make the trek to Observation Post 3. There will gain an additional week of rations”

“Are you insane, there is no way I’m going out there again. I just lost my daughter out there,” Leeroy, one of the remaining mechanics, protested.

“You’ll do it because your life and paycheck depends on it,” Esienberg threatened.

“No! I would rather starve or die of thirst than to be ripped apart by those monsters!” Leeroy retorted.

Esienberg, losing his patience, pulls out his gun on the mechanic, “If you wish to die, fine by me. But if you think you can drag the rest of us down with you, think again” the mechanic started to calm down, “There that’s more like it, unity is the key to our survival”

“January 4th, 2222

We’re trying to adjust. It's hard. Seventeen of us left, holed up inside Observation Post 2. If we stretch our rations, particularly the water, the supplies should last four or five days. By then, we’ll have to break for OP3, toward the Hive. I estimate its remaining stores will buy us about a week. OP4 should hold for an additional month.

That means two months without food before the next supply ship is due. If we can reach all of the observation posts, we might survive.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 2

Date: January 5th, 2222

“Alright everyone ready for this?” Adams asked.

“Let's just proceed with the plan, the xenomorphs should have calmed down by now. Our priority right now is Observation Post 3” Eisenberg ordered.

The storm was still raging outside but they needed to reach the other Observation Post, quickly. Eisenberg slowly followed behind the woman named Adams and her partner Green. The rest of the group followed shortly behind him. The wind battered against the seventeen survivors, heavy acid rain burns their skin. Visibility was poor and any or all sounds were muffled by the downpour.

Adam stares off at the distance swearing she saw something. The group passed her by, “Adams, keep up with the group” the ground started moving as if something large was moving underneath. A large worm bursts out of the ground to take a chunk out of Adams. Eisenberg fires his pistol into the worm-like creature, the creature retreated back underground. The gunfire reverbnation echoed through the canyon, alerting a passing pack of xenomorphs. 

“Shit,” Eisenberg realized what he had done, “Everyone, fall back to Observation Post 2” the group immediately turned around as they ran back to their only piece of safety. Adams slipped on the mud, Green turned around to help her but they were soon surrounded by xenomorph warriors. Eisenberg closes the Observation Post’s doors. Seventeen down to Fifteen.

“What the hell happened out there, Eisenberg!” Leeroy demanded.

“You saw for yourself, we were ambushed,” Eisenberg retorted. 

“Bullshit you alerted them with your goddamn gun” Leeroy accused.

“I was trying to save Adams from the indenious worm,” Eisenberg added.

“Yet you left her and green out there with those things!” Leeroy points at the door.

“If you were in my position what would you have done differently? Would you risk the safety of the many for the needs of the few? We are all saddened by their loss but we must think about our own survival. If we can hold out for eight weeks, help should arrive” Eisenberg couldn’t help but smirk a little.

“January 5th, 2222

We had to give up on OP3 today. Adams slipped and Green stopped to help her. We all feel guilty, but what could we have done except die with them? Besides, although no one has said it, there’s now more food for the rest of us.

I’ve told them that if we can hold out eight weeks, we’ll probably be saved. It’s a lie, but at last it keeps them together. The last thing we need is to start turning on each other.

We’ll try for OP3 again tomorrow.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 2

Date: January 10th, 2222

After several delays, Eisenberg managed to psyche the survivors up for a final attempt for Observation Post 3. “Alright now, after I open this door, there is no going back. I just want to make that abundantly clear to all of you” the survivors collectively nod their heads.

The storm seemed to have calmed down, Eisenberg took point as he guided the survivors across the black rock canyon. There the lights of Observation Post 3 stood out like a beacon of hope. They made it inside, thanking whatever patron deity that would listen to their gratitude. They were not of Eisenberg’s concern, he cared more about ration supplies and the eventual trek to Observation Post 4.

He enters the observation room to confirm the status of Observation Post 4. But to his horror the next Observation Post’s camera revealed the xenomorphs had overrun the facility. Hope for rescue dwindles in Eisernberg’s mind. How was he supposed to tell the others? Should he tell the others?

“January 10th, 2222

End of the line. We made the run without a single casualty, but we’re all as good as dead. We have nowhere else to go. Not enough food, but more importantly, not enough water. Observation Post 4 has been overrun.

The camera link shows it awash with Xenomorph XX121. They swarm around the place. Right up and over the emergency food stores. They seem to be taunting us. Is it that? Do they know we can see them?

They don’t understand how resourceful we humans can be. Or at least how resourceful I can be. I will not starve.”

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region, Observation Post 3

Date: March 15th, 2222

A dropship soars overhead, large thick trees sprout out around Observation Post 4’s landing pad. The colonial marines make their trek across the facility until they reach the security room, they spot a survivor huddled in a corner on the security feed in Operation Post 3.

Eisenberg, covered in the blood of his former colleagues, struggles to stay alive; muttering, “I will not allow them to gloat, I will not allow them to gloat. I will not give them the satisfaction” the sounds of hissing and scratching of the xenomorph replays over and over in his mind.

The electronic door slides open, and several United American Colonial Marines enter the room. They spot Eisenberg lying on the floor, huddled in the fetal position. The colonial marines were led by a Sgt. Steve Logan.

“One survivor. Looks like the others were…eaten,” Logan radioed to his superiors.

“I didn’t have a choice,” Eisenberg growled remorsefully. Remorseful but thankful that he is still alive.

A loud bang echoed through the observation post, “Hey what the hell is that?” asked one of the marines. An all too familiar form of death stalked around the corner. “We got multiple contacts, quick get the survivor out of here” Logan ordered. The M41A pulse rifles scream as they spray in the general direction of the creatures. Logan orders his riflemen to take point in suppressing the xenomorphs in the hallway. While Two marines grab Eisenberg as they double team it back to the dropship. Logan followed his two grunts with the doctor as the riflemen were quickly overpowered by the Xenomophs. They barely make it back to the dropship.

Locale: Anchorpoint Station

Date: March 30th, 2222

Arnaud is sent to the intensive care unit. He is diagnosed with PTSD to explain his mental anguish, his body was covered with scarring that would never heal. He suffers from constant hallucinations, paranoia and even developed an obsession with the xenomorph. His father, a large burly man, looked through the ICU glass pane. To see his son in such a pathetic state, angers him greatly. He shot a look at the doctor, “Can you fix him?”

“I am afraid there is nothing…” The doctor was cut off by the father’s soul piercing eyes. He pats the doctor’s shoulder, as he pulls out a giant cigar and places it in his mouth. He lights the cigar before reaching into his jacket pocket and pulls out a wad of hundred WY-Dollar bills.

“You didn’t let me finish, doctor. Have you ever heard of the Valerie Armstrong operation?”

“Yes, I have. A young woman in her early 20’s that had her brain surgically implanted in a full prosthetic body. However such an operation can be very risky, It was a pure medical miracle that she even survived and she is still comatosed” The doctor saw the man waving the cash around, “But with the right equipment I think I can pull it off”

“Don’t think, get it done. I’ll provide you with all the necessary technology you will need for the OP, I am an engineer in cybernetics” he pulls the cigar out of his mouth, while blowing the smoke into the doctor’s face before walking off.

maybe

CHAPTER 2: REDISCOVERY

Locale: Lv-1201
Date: 1730 AD

A sharp bronze ship cuts through the void. The jungle planet filled the view of the clanship. The clanship drew closer to the planet. It slowly descended to its dark oceans and brown rocky landscape covered in lush jungles of bone white barked trees with crimson spider web-shaped leaves. Large reptilian animals scattered across its surface as the bronze ship makes its landing. A small hatch opens along the side of the bronze ship. An imposing vaguely man-like creature stood in the doorway. He wore metal sandals around his clawed feet, fishnets covering most of his body that aren’t covered in leather or steel. Thick fleshy dreadlocks grow out from its cranium, a large electronic mask covers its crab-like face.
The creature was a Yautja, a species of space faring trophy hunters.

“Yo’kainde, search this world for prey” a voice emulates from the hunter’s biomask. The hunter nods in acceptance of this order. He deploys his wrist blades. He turns his gaze toward his fellow hunters. The hunting captain urges Yo’kainde onwards.

Yo’kainde pushes all of the doubt out of his mind as he leaps out of the hatch. He lands on his feet on the soft grassy ground. The landscape is mostly rocky where he landed. He hears low grunting sounds, he readies his speargun.

Yo’kainde is ambushed by a Buhlagh, a large boar-like reptile with moose-like antlers. The green scaled beast roars, flashing its tusk-like teeth. Yo’kainde saw the creature glowing varieties of red and white crontaszing the cold blue and black background through his biomask. Yo’kainde aims his speargun at the Buhlagh, his biomask paints three dots on its head. Before the Buglagh had time to react its head was penetrated by a spear tip. Yo’kainde roars victoriously over his first kill. He pulls out his ceremonial knife, he carefully cuts around the vertebrae to free the skull from its spine.

A whaling hissing calls out to Yo’kainde from the cave nearby. Yo’kainde looked up before resuming his skinning duties. Yo’kainde poured a small dab of flesh-eating chemicals onto the Buhlagh skull; it dissolved the blood and fleshy parts but left the skull bleached white. The whaling grew louder. Yo’kainde stood up from his prone position, he had just finished fastening the buhlagh skull to his armor; which rests on his chest. He taps at his wrist computer, light bends around his frame rendering him nearly invisible. He draws out his combi-stick while cautiously entering the cave. He clicks his mandibles in anticipation, his heart beat increases in rapidity with each step. Something is moving from within the cave. Yo’kainde unleashes a maddening roar as he rolls around the corner with his collapsible spear in hand. A family of Buhlagh flees from the enraged yautja.

Yo’kainde snorted in disappointment of the reptilian herbivore’s cowardice, he had hoped the buhlagh would have swarmed him; Give him a good fight. He sees the cave exit, the opening revealed a large plains was up ahead. The buhlagh family rejoins its herd there while Yo’kainde follows them, hoping to find and hunt something more dangerous. Yo’kainde was now at the mouth of the cave. Rocks trickle down from the cavern mouth, like rain droplets to a coming storm. Yo’kainde turned his head towards the cliff face and a medium sized boulder suddenly flew at him.

Yo’kainde throws himself to the other side of the crashing boulder. His biomask reads a body heat signature radiating from the large rock. The boulder suddenly opens its large forearms, its skin changes color from grey to green; a reptilian ape-like creature now stood before the yautja. The chameleon snorts and beats its claws against its chest in a gorilla-like fashion. Yo’kainde roars in excitement, he thrusts his combi-stick into the creature. The creature despite its clumsy looking physique was quite nimble. It slams its clawed fists into Yo’kainde, before picking the yautja up like a child then hurling him towards the bone white trees.
Yo’kainde clicks his mandibles joyfully. He deploys his wrist blades. He bellows a loud roar before charging straight in to gut the hulking lizard.

Yo’kainde pets the skull of the chameleon. His biomask was picking up a signal, it was from the ship. The hunting captain urged him to report. “The prey is plentiful here, dangerous medium size herbivores with horns and camouflaging predators” Yo’kainde reports back.

The hunting captain stared at the computer screen, it was an overview of the landscape. A blimp reveals Yo’kainde’s location. He was not too far from the ship. The news of this Planet is enriched with dangerous prey made the hunting captain feel relieved. In order for a yautja clan to grow strong, the clan must constantly seek out dangerous prey to grow stronger. In yautja society they value strength, honor, and sportsmanship above all else.

The buhlagh herd continued to flee southward, Yo’kainde continued to follow the game trail. Several chameleons leap down from the rock face. The Buhlagh buck one of the chameleons off its baby. Yo’kainde cloaks to get a drop on one of the chameleons but the buhlagh herd's sudden change of direction threw the yautja’s plans off. The chameleon had little time to retreat before getting trampled by the herd, so they coiled themselves up into a ball and changed their skin texture from green to stoney grey; resembling boulders once again. Yo’kainde immediately leaped onto one of the bone white trees. The blooded yautja growls frustratingly as the buhlagh once again fills him with disappointment. He hops down from the tree branch, the native bugs retreat from his presence.

The three chameleons uncoil themselves in the yautja presence. They beat their chests with their clawed fists. Yo’kainde mimics the gesture to show he too is ready to fight. The ground began to shake, rocks tumbled as the landscape started to split and tear. Jets of trapped condensed toxic gas shoot out from the ground. One of the chameleons mysteriously fell to the ground. The other two quickly tended to their sick fellow. The surrounding air temperature began to increase, making it difficult for Yo’kainde to see his prey’s body temperature. The ground continued to shake, the quake was growing more aggressively; Yo’kainde collapsed from the constant shaking, cursing to himself wishing the quakes would stop.

The trees are uprooted as they collapse around the yautja and chameleons. The ground slowly started to cease with inactivity. Yo’Kainde pulls himself up with his combi-stick. He glances around to see what devastation the quake had made. New rock formations were made, trees piled everywhere and the three chameleon predators laid motionless. Yo’kainde approaches the three predatory reptiles. Their body heats were slowly fading from red and white to blue and black. He noticed a rapid heat lost near their chest regions. Yo’kainde roars angrily, believing somebody stole his prey. Movement, he swore he saw something moving around.

He switches his biomasks vision from blue to white; nothing. He switches to yellow vision; nothing. He switches to the red vision; he spots three worm-like creatures fleeing from the chameleon's bodies. “Honorless scavengers” Yo’kainde snorted. The yautja traverse the newly formed rock that dot the plains. Something in the distance wiggled behind one of the rocks. Its body registers on the electrovision. Its head was cigar/banana shaped and apparently eyeless, four tubular growths adorn its back followed up by a long segmented tail with a stinger tip. It stood as tall as a yautja. Though it didn’t look too intimidating since its skeletal-like appearance suggests to the yautja its anorexic, possibly blind and unfit to fight.

However looks were deceiving, the creature bolted towards the yautja hunter on its spindly limbs. Yo’kainde attempts to dodge the creature, however despite lacking visible eyes the creature knew exactly where he was. Yo’kainde stabs the creature in the gut with his wristblades, its yellow blood poured on the yautja hand, burning his scaly flesh and melting the metal wrist blades along with it. Yo’kainde howls in pain.

The creature peeled back its thin lips, baring its odd assortment of shovel-shaped teeth and razor sharp fangs. It lowers its lower jaw as a set of inner jaws slowly prepares to shoot out at him. Yo’kainde dodges his head away from the snapping inner jaws. The biomechanical creature shoves the yautja onto the floor. Its six fingered hands feel around the yautja’s biomask, looking for a way to remove it. Yo’kainde shoves his feet into the creature’s stomach in a last attempt to free himself.

The creature howls as it tumbles backwards. Yo’kainde quickly rises to his feet, he spots his combi-stick. Without hesitation he dashes for his weapon. He turns around to confront the creature. With a swift stabbing the biomechanical creature bellows its last screech. The exhausted yautja stared at the broken body of his enemy. He then tended to his wounded hand. Yo’kainde could hear distant hissing and screeching, the creature’s packmates were not far behind. The blooded yautja lifted the dead creature, he must take it back with him to the ship.

The other yautja stared at the dead creature Yo’kainde had brought back with him, curiously. Yo’kainde made his recounts of the encounter with the hunting captain. “It bleeds acid, you say? Do you know where it comes from?” the hunting captain asks.

“From the plain valley, a regional quake must have awakened these… kainde amedha (hard meats)” Yo’kainde explained.

“Go organize the young bloods, take as many weapons you can carry” the hunting captain orders.

“Yes” Yo’kainde bows before heading off to the armory.

Soon the yautja scoured the jungle for the kainde amedha. Slaughtering the scattered packs, claiming their skulls for their trophies. They soon spotted another variant of the creature, this one was smaller and lacked the dorsal tube structures on its back. Their lithe forms gave them extraordinary speed. Some of the young bloods moved wrong and they paid for it with their lives. For each kainde amedha slain five took its place. The kainde amedha suddenly ceased their attack on the yautja, the creatures quickly retreated back into the caves below.

Yo’kainde leaps down into the cave after them. He gestures to his fellow hunters to follow him. The yautja final came to a stop, a massive biomechanical doorway stood before the hunting party. Its design wasn’t natural, clearly someone or something had built it. The hunting captain flared his mandibles.

“Yo’kainde” he growls, “Proceed with caution, my brother” he warns. The yautja hunting party traverses deeper into the biomechanical ruins. The tunnels led to a massive biomechanical city. The armor of the legendary Mala'kak lay buried under eons of secreted resin. The kainde amedha watched the yautja from countless hiding spots. The yautja traverse deeper into the extinct city. A distant sharp hissing roar signals the kainde amedha to strike.

Kainde amedha abandon their hiding spots as they crawl down the black smooth biomechanical walls driving the yautja into a massive open chamber. Tall statues of the mala'kak stood imposingly along the walls. In the center of the chamber was a pedestal standing on a central platform surrounded by a deep crevice leading to other chambers. In the center of the pedestal layed a disk-shaped device. The yautja managed to keep the kainde amedha back with their plasma casters.
The hunting captain spots an elaborate device down the massive corridor, and gestures to Yo’kainde follow him there. A large kainde amedha with a flat head brings with her a swarm of the tubed backs and flat back kainde amedha. Yo’kainde ran to the device, it was some sort of computing device but built for something much larger than a yautja. He pulled some of the levers; that didn’t work. He rubbed his fingers on some green sticky moss. His biomask registers and switches to yellow mode. It detects that there is an electrical component in the moss. His biomask registers a similar moss residue on the computing device. Yo’kainde wipes the moss on the residue parts. The device roars to life as power is restored to the city. The pedestal shoots an energy wave into the disk-shaped device.

The disk-shaped device now hovers above the kainde amedha. It spins rapidly before emitting a power energy field throughout the ancient city. The kainde amedha screeched in collective pain, holding the sides of their elongated heads. Some of the kainde amedha struggle to retreat while the others expire on the spot.

Eight months later…

The Yautja had colonized the mala'kak city, erecting their own devices to feed off the ancient malanuhm power grid. Within this time the yautja discovered through their hunts of the kainde amedha that a much bigger one controls the hive. Yo’kainde gathers a hunting party in preparation. Kain-yeyin, the former hunting captain, was studying the mala'kak cartography chamber. Yo’kainde had no interest in learning the history of the mala'kak. As far as he was concerned they abandoned this place a long time ago, the planet now belongs to the yautja. Yo’kainde and his hunting party tread on the perimeter of the energy field. They spot a massive kainde amedha from the hallowed chambers below.

Like the leader-types from before, she has a massive flat head and a robust body compared to the smaller ones. Claiming her skull would be a challenge but his bravery and courage will win him a higher position within yautja society. The ground started shaking. It was just a little tremor, nothing more. Yo’kainde gestures to his party towards the elevator. With a push of the button the elevator takes them beyond the safety of the energy field. Kainde Amedha was waiting for them in the resin-encoated caves below.

The ground suddenly started shaking violently. The ancient power source falters, the disk-shaped device falls to the ground. The protective energy field fades. The yautja guards detect some kainde amedha approaching them. They make short work of the creatures with their plasma casters. Then came thousands of kainde amedha flooding towards the yautja settlement. They rip their way through the yautja forged metals as they regained access to the ancient city. Yo’kainde gestures his hunting party back to the elevators but it was too late, the roars of their fellow hunters of getting slaughtered echoed throughout the corridors.

His hunting party ran ahead of him as they engaged the kainde amedha. Yo’kainde spots the kainde amedha parasitic young latching themselves to the faces of his comrades. A kainde amedha drone had leapt down from the ceiling to block Yo’kainde’s path. The kainde amedha swipes Yo’kainde across the face, ripping off his biomask. The former hunting captain, Kain-yeyin, imaples the creature with his smart disk.

“Go, reactivate the power to the egg chamber!” Kain-yeyin roars.

He made his way through the newly constructed living quarters. The familiar yautja architecture and yellow haze. The kainde amedha had overran these parts as well. Yo’kainde slices away at the flat back kainde amedha with ease. He passes by a few of his comrades that were busy hunting for the spider-like kainde amedha.

One of the facehuggers picks up on Yo’kainde’s scent and begins to stalk him. It carefully traverses the walls while the others are distracted. A yautja swings its combi-stick into it, the facehugger leaps off the wall as the spear blade cuts into metal. The facehugger squirms away into a small hole. The yautja tailing the facehugger is then ambushed by two tubed back kainde amedha.

Yo’kainde opened the bronze door leading to the egg chamber. He climbs down the ladder. He redirects the power of the stasis fields to operate on the auxiliary power units. He hears something crawling above him. He turns around, forgetting his face is now vulnerable to it. The facehugger clamped its legs around his skull, forcing its probacius down his trachea. Yo’kainde body flops to the ground, preserved by the stasis field.

Kain-yeyin and several other yautja survivors barely make it to the surface. Some sacrificed themselves to seal the city entrance behind the survivors. Though they had suffered many casualties, word had spread of this particular kainde amedha to other yautja clans. Kain-yeyin having recorded the malanuhm starmap, he could easily find more sources of the kainde amedha elsewhere in the galaxy.

CHAPTER 1: THE ANCIENTS

Locale: Draco Sector, Epsilon Draconis 1 (- 5 Rimward, 32 Spinward),  Lv-1201, Zeta Region

Date: 35 Million BC

High above the thick white clouds, looms a massive horseshoe shaped ship, designated by its creators as a Juggernaut. Its metallic surface looked organic in nature as if the ship was grown rather than constructed. Within its biomechanical shell, thin biomechanical beings stalk its corridors. Their heads resembled a vulture with large bug-like eyes on their bloated heads attached to their frail weak humanoid bodies. They report to their master, a being of massive portions sitting…no growing out of his pilot chair. The vaguely elephantine malanuhm-major exhales exhaustedly through his flight snorkel as he glares at the vulture-like creatures; they were once masters of biomechanical technology; now they were nothing more than basic servants to the pilot, the pilot’s people had since enslaved the vulture-heads and recreated them to maintain the ship’s basic functions. The Pilot then glances over at another group of creatures roughly the same size as the vulture-heads, these beings looking closer in appearance to a human but were in fact a heavily modified member of the malanuhm species. Their humanoid appearance was a product of hybridization from a human-like species known to the Pilot as the Rulk. 

The smaller malanuhm-minors bow before their flight master, awaiting his commands. The larger malanuhm gave them an exhausted yet caring look before manipulating his navigational instruments. There a hologram of the planet materializes before the smaller malanuhm. The smaller malanuhm understood what their master wanted from them, to engineer an outpost on the planet.

The Juggernaut slowly makes its descent in the middle of a vast jungle. The native fauna flee from the encroaching ship as the bottom of the juggernaut opens into a perfect circle, several robed figures climb down from the ship. The malanuhm-minors summoned their industrial machines, resembling biomechanical dinosaur-like constructs, to begin building for the Engineers. Within a span of several years, they constructed a grand city of biomechanical skyscrapers and buildings in the city center, with stone buildings surrounding the city border. The malanuhm-majors arrived on their disk-shaped starships accompanied by the smaller elderly malanuhm-minors dressed in their beige monk-like robes. As they arrived at the Starport to congratulate the builders of their hard work. A dark cloud loomed over the malanuhm city, the city’s defenses quickly identified the cloud was actually a swarm of beetle-shaped ships.

Within the interior of the metallic insectoid craft, stood tall dark brown humanoid insects. The Amengi, a highly intelligent space-faring species with large bulbous yellow eyes mounted on a mantis-like head with large powerful pincer jaws. They were known to the Malanuhm as raiders, marauders and pirates. Their ships now surround the Juggernauts, firing volleys of blue plasmic fire into the black horseshoe and disk ships, the juggernauts and saucers dropped out of the sky to their fiery demise. The skeletons of their hauls stood out of the burning jungles like broken ribs out of a wound.

The amengi landed their ships on solid ground. The amengi disembark from their beetle-shaped spacecraft as they tapped their segmented claws on a large arm-cannon encasing their other forearm. Their bodies were then shrouded in an energy field that bent the light around them. The amengi captain directs his raiders to begin the attack, like locus they overrun the malanuhm city garrison. A single amengi warrior can overpower a malanuhm-minor, and a whole swarm of them just took out an entire garrison. The screaming malanuhm-minor peasants retreated deeper into the city center, as amengi raiders made short work of the guards. They now turned their attention to the fleeing peasants. They blasted away the retreating peasants into piles of burning flesh. Those that escaped the amengi’s wrath reached the inner city wall, the malanuhm peasants passed through the circular biomechanical archway, the amengi followed them but were soon intercepted by malanuhm in bulky armor. 

The amengi arrogantly fired their arm cannons at the bulky armored malanuhm-minors. The plasma fire was quickly absorbed into the malanuhm biomechanical armor. The amengi clicked their insectoid mouthparts furiously as they sporadically discharged their weapons. The malanuhm-minor soldiers stood in a line formation, the front line dropped to one knee in unison as they aimed their biomechanical rifles at the amengi. The second line aimed their biomechanical rifles over the shoulders of the front line malanuhm-minor soldiers. The amengi raiders swarmed the malanuhm soldiers. The malannuhm commander gave the order, the amengi were reduced to charred atomized particles, vaporized by a volley of bright red energy from the malanuhm’s black biomechanical rifles.

The malanuhm soldiers drove the raiding amengi out of the inner city. The amengi raiders would regroup to strike back at the malanuhm soldiers, however the malanuhm made short work of any amengi dumb enough to cross them again. The surviving amengi looted what they could from the outer city before retreating back to their beetle ships as they departed to the stars. 

A year later…

Several malanuhm-minors and a few malanuhm-major were harvesting the massive alien wheat. The disk shaped saucers arrived alongside a convoy of multi-armed dreadnoughts and the horseshoe shaped juggernauts. The Farmer, one of the few malanuhm-majors, looked up at the pale green sky. The twin stars shining brightly in the midday sky. He spots the convoy as he rests on the handle of his shovel. Several malanuhm-minor elders accompanied by a high ranking malanuhm-major depart from the disk-shaped starship, they traverse the wheat, the malanuhm-major Farmer lowers his shovel as he bows to his superior. The malanuhm-minor elders looked on as the high ranking malanuhm-major spoke to the Farmer. He spoke of the recent raids from the amengi and spoke of the looming dangers to their star empire. He hands the Farmer an information orb. 

The orb glowed a bright green as it flooded with images of the mantis-like Amengi pillaging many of their worlds and vassal worlds. They had allied themselves with the former vassal species, Drukathi, a centaur dog-like creature. Another off-set of images shows green simian creatures called Reapers are seen tearing down their shrines dedicated to the malanuhm in favor of a new faith. The last image briefly shows a group of allosaurus-like humanoids called Shi’larks marching in a militaristic manner to their spaceport, preparing for war. The Farmer accepted the role he must play as he caresses the information orb. 

The Farmer now dressed in his biomechanical flight suit, slowly walks down the halls of his ship. The organic-like texture of the juggernaut felt alien to him, he would rather spend his time back on the planet tending to the crops with the malanuhm-minor. He briefly spots a pack of the vulture-heads tending to the ship’s life support functions. He loses interest really quickly as he continues down the hallway. The vulture heads chirp amongst themselves regarding their space jockey masters. They quickly went back to tending the ship when the smaller malanuhm-minors passed them-by. One of the vulture heads snapped its beak aggressively at the distant malanuhm-minors. Barely able to hold back its hatred for them and their larger relatives.

 The farmer extended his biosuit’s snorkel to his nose as he merged with the pilot seat. The nervous system of the ship connects to his body, he makes a quick diagnostics check of all the juggernaut’s systems before he tugs on the controls on his pilot chair, he feels the ship gaining lift off from the starport. He makes a quick status check of his cargo, the thousands of leathery eggs aligning the ribbed bowels of the cargo hold. The ship accelerates beyond the green skies of the planet. Other juggernauts were departing from the planet to their own destinations but all sharing the same mission: Seek out their enemies planets and bomb them with their biomechanical foot soldiers, the necranuhm.

The juggernaut suddenly appears above the orbit of the first planet in its database. The farmer is fed images from his probes observing the planet, the green skinned Reapers, they will see their last days filled with suffering for crossing the malanuhm. The farmer sends a thought through the juggernaut, the eggs are pulled from their “roots,” by the vulture-heads, a new egg soon grows in its place. The plucked eggs are then enveloped in a green jelly before being grav-lifted into the ship’s cannons. The juggernaut fires the green capsules down to the planet surface before departing to the next system. It was just a matter of time before the necranuhm seeds would blossom and release unfathomable horrors to the planet’s inhabitants.

The Farmer grunted disapprovingly at the images of carnage his probes fed him. He switched the feeds to the database, searching for another planet to release the necranuhm. The ship vanishes out of orbit as It speeds through the space lanes of hyperspace. He feels a surging shock pass throughout his body, before his sensors went offline the ship’s computers detected a neutrino blast from a near-by system, the force of the neutrino blast was enough to knock the juggernaut out of hyperspace. 

Locale: Zeta Reticuli II, Calpamos

Date: 35 Million BC

A rectangular ship engages the juggernaut. It fires a volley of orange plasma into the aft of the juggernaut. The vulture-heads and the malanuhm-minor crew are sucked out into the vast vacuum of space. Instinctively the ship does its best to seal the damaged corridors from further oxygen leakage. The rectangular ship moves in closer to examine the malanuhm ship, feeling the juggernaut was no longer posing as a threat the unknown vessel flees into hyperspace.

The Farmer awakens a bit dazed, he notices the atmosphere is growing thin. He must return the systems back online. He tugs at his seat’s controls, power returns to the juggernaut, however the cargo bay needs to be manually reactivated. He urges the flight chair to release his hulking form; he is now able to move freely within the ship. He is concerned by the lack of shipmates patrolling the ship’s corridors. Turn after turn he assessed the damage to his ship. He noticed several corridors he had passed through days earlier were now inaccessible to him. He opened the emergency main cargo doors. 

He carefully traverses the rib-like structures, despite zero visibility. He carefully kept his feet on the thin ribbed structure. He feels around for the power core, his large clumsy hands feel a handle. He pulls it down, blue light fills the ribbed structures. The Farmer sees the rest of his crew, the malanum-minors laid within the depressions between the ribbed structures next to open eggs. Their faces are covered with large spider-like creatures. The Necranuhm! The farmer reacted. He hears beaks chirping within the distance. The surviving vulture-heads were applying the accelerant to one of the eggs; the egg began to grow bigger. The vulture-heads immediately turn their attention to the Farmer.

The Farmer flies into a furious rage as he charges towards the vulture-heads. His clumsy stomping feet awakened the necranuhm larvae; fortunately for him, he was too big for implantation. The Farmer grabs one of the vulture-heads and crushes its skull with his powerful hands. He turns his gaze towards the remaining vulture-heads. He drops the remains of the first one he killed. Their screams are quickly silenced. The farmer, exhausted, slowly rises to his feet. The massive egg had already opened. The Farmer realizes what he must do, he needs to purge the cargo. He quickly makes his way to the emergence doors, swatting away the necranuhm-neonates. Their spider-like forms collapsed lifelessly to the floor. 

The Farmer reaches for the doors, however a long pale tail slips around his neck. The evolved necranuhm spun the Farmer around until his hulking form collapsed into the door. The necranuhm-neonate removes the snorkel apparatus from the Farmer as it couples with his face. The last thing the Farmer could feel before blacking out was the necranuhm’s legs grabbing a hold of his elongated skull.

A few hours later… The Farmer finds himself back in the pilot chamber. He reattached his flight snorkel as his throat burned from the necranuhm’s intrusion. He felt an uncomfortable weight inside of his chest, it began to slither within his ribcage causing the Farmer some discomfort. The Farmer merges with his seat, he tugs on the controls to send out a warning message to any malanuhm patrolling among the stars. The pain in his chest began to increase in severity. Confident the message was sent, the Farmer directed the Juggernaut to one of Calpamos’s moons. Hoping the crash would destroy him, the cargo, and the ship. The armor plating on his chest began to bulge. A pink head rips its way out of the malanuhm’s ribcage.

Locale: Lv-1201, Zeta Region

Date: 35 Million BC

Large rectangular ships break through the thick clouds as they descend from the green skies. The rectangular starships sweep the region before bombarding the ancient city from above with their ion cannons, destroying the outer city within hours of their arrival. The large ships send down box-shaped crafts that litter the ruined city. A large muscular reptilian leg slams down on a dead malanuhm-major’s corpse, a Shi'lark warrior standing proudly on the corpse declaring its victory. The Shi’lark warriors combed the now desolated outer city before making their way into the biomechanical inner city. They were met with heavy resistance from the malnuhm soldiers, both sides suffered heavy casualties but the shi’larks preserved due to their harder reptilian nature and superior numbers.

Once the maluhm soldiers were dead the Shi’lark advanced upon the city interior before entering the main hall of the great citadel before descending down a great shaft. Something dark and menacing was awaiting for the vaguely dinosaurian aliens to encroach its chambers. The Shi’lark made their way to a massive room, where a disk-shaped device was seen hovering within the center of the room. Emanating an energy field that produced a low hum and was harmless to the Shi’lark intruders. The Shi’larks ignorantly remove the device to study its financial value. Deep within the bowels of the citadel the blue mist concealing the eggs of the necranuhm was released. The vulture-heads begin collecting the eggs, the vulture-heads hum to pacify the necranuhm larvae before removing them from their egg. The vulture-heads slowly advance upon the unsuspecting allosaur-like Shi’lark as they argue amongst themselves over the selling price of the artifact, completely unaware of the creatures they just unleashed.

I can't take anyone serious if they praise AVP 04 as a good or fun movie

If I had to compare it to something AvP, it's Godzilla vs Kong. Unfortunately, that movie failed, I mean, just in principle.
Godzilla has an origin. It's a serious movie about a monster that could destroy humanity. The director made it for a reason. King Kong is also about a monster. It was made for a completely different reason. Again, the director has a message here. Both films are excellent.

Godzilla vs Kong is made for one reason. To have fun. To fight monsters. A spectacular show. If the director had given it an idea it would have been a fine film, but it doesn't interfere with or borrow anything from the original films - except the monsters.

AvP also doesn't borrow anything from Alien or Predator other than the monsters. And on top of that, there's a fun story where I'm having fun and not looking forward to it ending. On the contrary. That's why I like AvP. It doesn't play at anything. Action, fun, suspense. It's not gonna beat the original Alien or Predator. Aliens, A3 or Alien Covenant does.

AvP is good fun for me. I don't have an aversion to this movie like I do to Aliens, A3 etc. Aliens vs Predator has its own world. It has its rules. It doesn't touch the original Alien at all. It's a different universe. It's a different time. Each of the monsters just has their own charm and I like AvP.
It doesn't deal with where the Alien species originated, it doesn't make nonsensical connections between events. The director showed a sense of fun when he combined the two monsters, created a reality of sorts, and it worked. Unfortunately, AvP2 is a tragedy for me. But if I have to choose a movie from the Alien universe that didn't ruin my mood and instead entertained me, it's AvP.

I don't this increasing amount of hate that ALIENS is getting, did people forget about Alien Resurrection or the AVP movies?

I just hope the new AVP movie is more like AVP2 (the 2001 video game, not Requiem) instead of AVP 2004

Boo this man, throw rotten eggs upon him, curse his endeavors to fail, lol.
For real though, I'm a huge AvP nerd and Aliens is so far the GOAT...unfortunately.  I first remember seeing it when I was like 7 or 8 but as I watched it, some things were familiar, so I know my actual first time was before I had a fully functioning memory.  I've seen it countless times since, heck just watched the directors cut AGAIN 3 weeks ago with my roommate who hadn't seen the theatrical release since he was a teenager.  
Now Alien 3, that's a poster child for how to not make a movie.  Kill off Newt and Hicks right out the gate?  WTAF!  Even the director wishes he had never made it.  Now, Charles Dutton, Sigorney, and Jeremy Irons were fantastic and given that they started filming with NO SCRIPT, I gotta give the whole cast props on their improvisation.  
TBH, I understand the first movie is necessary viewing to the uninitiated, but I always get kinda bored with it.  Very few movies scare me for even a second, Alien no exception.  Poor John Hurt though, he dies in the worst ways possible in every role.  Not cluing in the rest of the cast on what was about to happen was a stroke of genius.

The revelation of xenomorph learning and strategy in Aliens was a boon the the whole AVPverse.  If there were some cut of the xenomorph in Alien 3 that kept the scenes in the director's cut but retained the canine origins, that would be great but we can't have nice things I guess.  I almost hate Resurrection but I did like the design and movement of the xenomorphs that weren't white baby face.  How they sacrificed one of their own to escape was one of the best things about that turd of a movie.  
AVP 1 and 2 on PC was great playing as xenomorph, so was playing as "6" of AVP2010 for PC.  In AVP 1 you really had to think and strategize like a xeno, destroying lights and being sneaky and patient, waiting for the right moment to show a poor fool what nightmare fuel looks like.  I miss playing that online and hiding up in a dark corner and lmao as dumb human players backed right into my jaws.  Also the one time I was in a match with lifecycle mode on and my xeno team kicked so much marine butt, (especially myself, one marine player said I was God) we all became pratorians and the marines left the match.  We were like...sooo what we do now?  We need marines.  I was like, "I'll be your huckleberry...", left, rejoined, and beat them undefeated until they all quit.  Good times.

 Oh um....it just occurred to me, a prequel to Aliens about the events at Hadley's Hope prior to the arrival of the Colonial Marines could be a masterpiece.  It would definitely need to be rated R and be very depressing because so....much...carnage and not even a pinch of hope.

Now from what I've heard, this new one will be set in the past, staring a female native American.  That actually has excellent potential.  Still, it would be nice to see a good one that doesn't rely on human perspective.

I'm a huge AVP nerd but the crossover movies have been so bad, even cannon wreckers.  Charles Weyland in modern times?  Pathetic.  I think the most awesome potential for a good movie would be to focus on a Yautja clan, no humans or humans as a plot device only.  Make it a foreign language move.  It's a risk but if done right, a worthy addition.  Everyone involved in such an undertaking would need to be or become very familiar with the first 3 Alien movies, the first 2 Pedator movies, and Predator, plus some graphic novels and AVP PC games (Not YOU, Colonial Marines trash!).  Gotta get the Yautja culture and way of thinking right.  

It's been great having you as part of our community here ninXeno426! Differences of opinions are what make discussions so engaging here! I'm glad you continue to enjoy these forums, I do as well and I too am looking for to 5+ more years. Let's hope we have more Alien news / theories to dissect in that time frame though haha

Happy New Year!

Thanks for sticking around. I like that there are different people here with their perspectives, likes and dislikes. Having different opinions is what drives discussions and that's fine, not to say that I'll agree with everyone, but that's OK. I like the picture that you attached

Uhhh the marines were slaughtered by the xenomorphs, also Vasquez unloaded an entire pistol clip into that xenomorph warrior, it was still pretty tough. Yes we see xenomorphs gun down but are they actually dead? They may have just got knocked down from the impact of the pulse rifle...aside from the ones Ripley killed in the hive.

Also Ash was pretty much worshipping the xenomorph at that point of the movie and he is capable of lying and withholding information.

Ash says: You can't kill it. You don't know what you're dealing with. He knew full well they had flamethrowers.
Alien at the end goes into the spacecraft's thrusters and is only ejected by pressure when the engines are turned on. It won't burn. The shot is repeated.
Dallas is found with  empty flamethrower. Parker: This flamethrower needs a new charge. It's safe to assume he fired on the Alien.
A flamethrower can kill monsters like polar bears. But even the spacecraft's thrusters don't work on the Alien.
A bunch of Marines with rifles were shooting Aliens like cattle in a pasture. Vasquez with a pistol. It's completely stupid. Aliens would be easier to hunt in the forests of Earth than bears or lions.
Nobody's saying that Alien should have come to Earth. Ripley should have died and the pile of garbage that was filmed later wouldn't have happened. And that would have been great.

Holy crap really? The alien imitating Ripleys voice if that was suggested should have been taking out the whole idea is stupid. Even if they didn't take that out what would they story been? 1 alien comes to earth?? Boring 

Really? How was it clear that she died at the end of Alien? And saying that Cameron took a almost unkillable creature and turned it into a beatle you can kill with a shotgun? Umm did you watch alien? The whole thing? Thay had no weapons. They were not on a marine carrier full of weapons. They had to make a weapon. So your entire thought process is damaged. 

"It's Christmas and I want to open my presents"

The James Webb telescope was launched yesterday on Christmas Day 2021. 

David, who had the painting of the nativity in his sightline when he wakes in Peter Weyland's home,  turns to Elizabeth on the bridge of the Engineer ship, the latter recovering from her miraculous Christmas day birth. 

"It was discovered 80 years ago and first photographed in 2030."

David, onboard the Lone Engineer Ship with Elizabeth, is referring to the photographing of a planet that is the ship's destination.

In the real world, The James Webb Telescope is scheduled to photograph the planet in question, which I draw into the narrative of the Furious Gods. However, I could never have anticipated that the telescope would be launched on a day that is symbolically crucial to the story. 

Xenotaris

Can’t wait to see where that takes it.

Also love that the article is just Don’t be dumb when gambling. 

Not sure about having a reboot continuity, I kind of love the storyline already present in the movies right now

To be Honest i think thats the BEST thing they could do, is you have this as a Alternative Universe/Canon like a Reboot of Sorts then they have Complete Freedom.

Then it gives us like TWO Alternative Universes which we can enjoy, or Choose to ignore.

There has NOT been a lot of Information about the Project Yet but it seems they are going to CHANGE IT a little bit but still RESPECT the Original Vision.

Quite HOW they do this, and IF we are going to see a Discovery of Eggs or something that could become Eggs is UNKNOWN at this Point.

It seems the Xenomorph will look more Familiar to that from Alien Covenant but maybe with a Color Tone thats similar to the Runner from ALIEN 3 but then the ONLY such Image we have could NOT be what we END UP with or that this is just the Embryo Stage Color.

From the PROMO stuff we have seen ONE THING seems to be Certain there is a Structure/Interior of a Complex/Ship that has the Prometheus Aesthetic and this Interior is Submerged.

I think this would INDICATE the Xenomorph is Encountered/Discovered on Earth and UNDER WATER.

If its terrible, we can always see it as an alternate continuity like AVP 04

Thats a Good Point,  if they DONT come from Earth they maybe could NEVER have been to Earth and could come from as you said Colonies out in Space and so YEAH! maybe a Outbreak in the Past could Happen and they would HAVE NO IDEA about it.... or the Specifics etc.

Its a case of WAIT and see... the TV Show will Start Shooting in March and so i am sure by ALIEN DAY 2022 we should have MORE NEWS on WHAT we are in store for...

Then its a case of then seeing HOW GOOD or BAD it is once it is OUT..... i dont think your going to Please every Fan... but as long as it Pleases Most then it would be a Success.

I know someone who is Excited and HOPE we see a Young Ripley aged between 6-12..... but i am like WHY OH WHY!

I would NOT be surprised if we do-not see a Queen at all, i do Suspect it may look at something a LITTLE DIFFERENT but it would IN NO WAY be something that will Conflict the Queen as in a Queen cant Exist.  

ALIENS in the most Iconic and Recognized Movie in the Franchise and so i dont think they would do something to make that Movie be Removed from Canon or ALIEN too.

If its set before ANY of those then as LONG as they TIE-UP any Loose Ends at the END of the TV Series this would then NOT go and Conflict the Franchise too much... we can HOPE.

HinikunaGoji

You just inspired me to make a casino in the ALIEN universe, for both AVPU and my ALIEN RPG campaign

"the Mercenaries who brought the Human Hosts with them on the Betty had NO idea about WHAT the Xenomorph were."

The mercenaries never strike me as the educated type so even if there was a major xenomorph outbreak on earth, they probably never cared to read up on their history especially if they grew up on one of the distant colonies.