Before the assembled group time to react the horror before them, a hiss from above got their attention. Hicks and Ripley in their last moment conscious thought cursed themselves for not bringing their breather masks inside as they quickly fell victim to the gas that filled the room.
Dark and disturbing visions filled her sleep, visions of the Queen tearing Newt and Hicks limb from limb, the Queen grasping her in her oversized hands, and hissing out her name before the gigantic inner mouth turned her head into a bloody pulp.
A bright light and a sharp buzzing sound jostled Ripley back to consciousness and gave her a very welcome relief from the nightmares. Although disoriented, Ripley quickly gained her bearings especially could. She was in a small cell and could not see any of the other members of the team.
With the sudden and frantic motion when the walls of her cell opened, and four very big and serious looking armed guards picked her up from her bunk and placed her on her feet. Ripley decided this was not the time for protests and decided to play along and accompany the guards as she attempted to learn more about the shocking developments. She figured if they wanted her dead they could have done so already so the best thing for her to do at this moment was to stall for time and plan her escape.
As they walked through the complex Ripley saw a number of guards as well as offices, labs, scientists, and numerous sports staff that would be appropriate in any company facility. The staff seemed to pay little to no attention to her and she passed by as if such sites were commonplace. Ripley made a mental note of this as their lack of interest in her could be to her advantage should the opportunity arise.
After a while, Ripley was ushered into a spacious and very well decorated office which he assumed belonged to the serious looking suit before her with the very expensive looking hairstyle.
Ripley’s thoughts were interrupted when the suit spoke to her…”Lt. Ellen Ripley, you are one determined and resourceful individual I must say”. “I am impressed how far you and your colleagues have managed to come with all the security we have in place”. Ripley decided that this is the time to listen and not talk especially since her hosting more than happy to do the talking for that both of them.
“It’s actually lucky that we got to you when we did as months of hard work would have been lost and would not cut your sightseeing tour short”.
Ripley decided it was time to speak up and asked that since her host clearly knew a lot about her perhaps she could enlighten her with his name. To this he chuckled, and replied, “I am Warner Huntington head of special projects for the company and you put me in a bit of a disadvantage thanks to our unplanned meeting”.
Huntington explained that the facility was set up as a remote research facility destined to allow the maximum security and maximum privacy. He then moved on to explain that the company had dispatched a second ship to LV 426 a couple of days after the Sulaco had departed. When they arrived, the ship and crew had already begun their return journey to Earth, however the colony and surrounding landscape were complete and utter loss. With this in mind, they begin series of scans and in an absolute one in 1 million stroke of luck they discovered very angry cast off floating in space.
Although it took considerable effort, they were able to build a containment facility in one of the hanger bays and use the airlock to capture and house the Queen.
With a flourish, Huntington activated a video monitor and showed Ripley footage of the Queen under study both on the ship and in the facility. In time, the Queen began to lay her eggs and prisoners are brought the planet to service hosts.
“Unfortunately as you know, the creatures are extremely resourceful and difficult to contain and we had a bit of an incident”. Huntington explained. “Said incident was likely the fragment of the message that he received that undoubtedly brought you here”. Huntington continued…” After we dealt with the uprising we found that the remaining alien corpses were not easy to study thanks to their unique biochemical makeup”.
The DNA would after some research, allowed humans to be infused with the alien genetic markers without the unpleasantries associated with creating and maintaining the aliens which would allow for an enhanced breed of soldier that would hopefully be susceptible and receptive to following orders.
Huntington like a kid at Christmas unable to contain himself, gleefully explained that under study they learned how to extract and manipulate DNA that was left in the host bodies after the incubation process which allowed them to gather and reproduce the alien DNA which to his thinking was far more desirable than having extremely dangerous and uncontrollable lab specimens around.
Ripley decided to ask why they allowed the Queen to remain since they no longer had need of her children. Huntington explained that she was a valuable asset and one that they would be foolish not to harness. He explained that while drones could easily be replaced a Queen, was a rare and valuable gem who would provide numerous benefits for them down the road including fresh stocks of DNA whenever they needed.
Ripley knew from firsthand experience of the company was capable of some truly horrific actions however nothing could prepare her for what she had just seen and heard. She decided to ask about the well-being of her shipmates and was told that they are safe for now but how much longer that remains is entirely up to her.
Huntington explained that the rent able to locate their ship and instructed her to make contact with them so that they can get a fix on its location. When Ripley was unwilling to do this and told Huntington what he could do it himself and extremely graphic and unflattering manner the childlike smile disappeared from his face and more malevolent grin replaced.
“As you wish”, was his only comment before pressing a button and bringing in the guards. “Take her to the arena and make sure her friends are with her”. Committed Huntington and with a quick nod Ripley was abruptly ushered from the room, and taken through the facility to a large chamber. The chamber had large thick doors on either end and exceptionally high ceilings that would easily be over 100 feet tall. She was very happy to see Hicks, Anderson, and the remaining members of her party although she feared for the worst.
As if on command, room became highly illuminated and they could make out the soft whirr from the servomotors in the cameras that filled the room. Without warning, one of the large doors parted and like efficient out of a nightmare, the Queen burst into the room turning the first two unfortunate soldiers in her path to paste.
The brutality and carnage of the creature was beyond anything Ripley had every seen from the race, and it seemed that it was taking delight in inflicting as much chaos and damage as it could. Ripley also noticed a few other individuals in the room and thought she recognized a couple from the transmission she had received. I desperately attempted to find an exit or find sanctuary from the creature but there was none to be found and they were horrifically dismembered in no time.
Ripley suspected that the staff of the facility and Huntington himself probably took great delight in watching the spectacle and I’m sure wagered more than a few credits on the outcome. As if out of nowhere, Huntington’s voice appeared and told Ripley and Hicks that this would all end as soon as they gave the location of their ship to him but they better click fast because her Majesty isn’t as patient as he was.
A glance between Ripley and Hicks said all they needed to know that they would not give up their crewmates, but they fear that despite their best intentions they were about to meet gruesome fate. Anderson and Hicks did their best to run about the room and distract the Queen walked Ripley attempted to find some sanctuary for them. Unfortunately despite their phenomenal efforts to elude Queen or to damage her by throwing the odd box or random object at her they were not able to do much more than infuriate her.
As fatigue set in, three survivors quickly realized that they were only delaying the inevitable without to go down fighting. Despite their best intentions they were deftly fighting a war of attrition and having dispatched the other candidates, the Queen turned to focus her sole attention on the three survivors. The Queen quickly sprinted toward them and Ripley prepared herself as she could when suddenly, a bright blue beam tore a hole through the roof of the arena and struck the Queen solidly in her head while a second beam ripped a gigantic hole clean through her body.
The Queen, quite dead, laying in the corner a smoldering pile as her body acids began to emanate around the corpse. At once Hicks and Ripley looked up and saw Marines repelling from the hole in the dome complete with weapons and rebreather equipment for the survivors.
On board the Sulaco, Bishop said that controls to the ships rail gun and thought to himself of the old human saying about payback being a bitch. Regardless of whether his programming allowed it or not he made a mental note of the satisfaction he got from reducing the Queen to a smoking blob.
To be continued…..
