It was easy to say upon first sighting it, neither Ensign Angel nor Christie had ever seen anything like it. The structure stood at the edge of the prison facility, unseen from the air because its close proximity to the prison and mining complex made it blend into the dour grey background with ease. Upon sighting it with their own eyes, it did not take them long to come to the conclusion whatever this curious construct might be, it stood on its own, having nothing to do with the prison or those who built it. From a distance, the domed shape was a stark contrast to the block-shaped buildings of sharp angles running against the skyline. For a moment, they were tempted to contact the senior officers to report their find but abandoned the idea when they realized they were uncertain of what exactly they were calling in. A short discussion was made regarding the folly of looking foolish before their superior officers, particularly where a lack of information was concerned.

Finally it was Christie who was the senior of the two ensigns who came up with the idea they ought to at least take a closer look at the structure before reporting to the Chief. When they had first saw the structure it did not seem very far from the edge of the facility. However, upon making the journey itself, the gap seemed to widen and they realized the reason for their misjudgment in distance was due to the size of the construct. From afar, it did not seem terribly large but as they narrowed the space between it and themselves, they were able to appreciate its size very clearly. It was also difficult to discern what the structure was made from because it did not resemble any construction material known to them. It was strangely organic in design and for a time, both Starfleet officers tried to place where they might have seen something like it.

Once they neared the base of it, they realized the dome was constructed not of any kind of building material but rather of anything available at the time. They could see everything from chairs and tables, to kitchen utensils being forced into place and held together with thick epoxy-like resin. There were papers, wood, plastic and every conceivable of object imaginable, frozen into place like a piece of abstract sculpture from a tortured artist’s mind. The dome was just that, a dome with no windows or anything that might allow in light and for some reason that sent a sliver of uneasiness through both the ensigns. 

"We should report this," Angel said still staring at the dome through the veil of teeming rain coming down on them. Even though she was soaked to the skin, the humidity in the air did not allow her to feel cool. Instead, she was wet and miserable. For a time, she was willing to explore what they had found but now it appeared they were dealing with something entirely out of their depth. It made her grateful that although long-range communication was non-functional, at least short-range communications was still possible because they could defer to the senior officers with this. 

"I think you’re right." Christie agreed. "You contact Lieutenant Collins and I’ll take a closer look at this thing. There has to be a way inside."

 "Well don’t go in there if you find it," Angel called out as he drew away from her. "At least, not until you let me know. You’re not doing this alone."

"Yes, mom." Christie threw her a mischievous grin.

"Very funny," Angel grumbled and waved her arm at him, indicating she was washing her hands of him completely before tapping her com badge.

"Lieutenant Collins." She spoke out loud, her voice an octave higher than usual because of the rain.

Lieutenant Collins, who was at the present time, standing guard outside the EEV where the senior officers were presently looking over the find, immediately responded. "Collins here, what’s up Angel?" 

"We’ve found something Sir."

"What something exactly have you found?" Collin’s voice tensed up immediately. For the most part, the Lieutenant was a happy go lucky personality and was one of the more casual senior security officers on the ship. She worked closely with Lieutenant Katovit but was known to be more approachable than the Assistant Security Chief. Most of the time, Collins acted as the go-between the security staff and Katovit who would then bring it to the Chief, if it were required. However, those who knew the woman were often surprised by just how seriously she took her job as opposed to playing den mother to the younger officers.

"It appears to be some kind of a structure," Angel explained. "It doesn’t look to be a part of the prison facility and its construction is strange."

"How so?" Collins asked.

"Well, it appears to be constructed out of materials from the facility. I’m talking everyday appliances." The young woman reported as her gaze swept across the area, searching for Ensign Christie. "There aren’t any windows and Christie is investigating the grounds looking for a way in."

"Hold position," Collins ordered tautly. "Contact Christie and tell him not to proceed until you receive further instructions. Is that clear?" 

"Yes, Sir." Angel nodded, somewhat relieved she would not have to venture into that structure alone. Something about it made her skin crawl. She did not know why this was but she trusted her instincts enough to know that when she felt like this, it was usually for good reason. "Angel out."

Once the connection between them was terminated, Angel resumed her search of Christie across the landscape and was not at all happy when she did not sight him. Had he found a way in? She started skirting the edge of the large structure until she saw fissure at the base of the dome. It was no more than a crack of space between objects fused in its strange configuration and knew it was large enough to enter. Tapping her com badge once more, this time she tried to raise Christie.

"Christie," Angel spoke loudly. "Where the hell are you?"

Christie did not answer, raising Angel’s apprehension even more. Despite her better judgment, she entered the fissure, leaving the comforting feel of rain and daylight behind her as she stepped into almost complete darkness. She fumbled for her belt and immediately found the small torch that hanging there with the rest of the standard issue equipment required of any Away Team mission. Fumbling for the switch, with nothing less than panic in her heart for the darkness, she did not even register the overpowering smell wafting through the place. It was only after the light had filled the chamber, did she note it was a maze of chambers, one after the other, all built from that peculiar alien resin. The walls seemed to run with thick veins and gave Angel the sense of being trapped in something very much alive. 

The smell, however, soon assaulted her and it almost drove her to retch. The smell was familiar to her even though she could not place it at the moment.

"Christie!" She called out again, her voice echoing through the thick, bulbous chambers of odd shapes and dark shadows. "Are you in here?"

There was no answer and Angel had a terrible foreboding something bad had befallen her comrade. It was this fear for his life that forced her to continue instead of holding position. She continued deeper and deeper, breathing in more of that terrible stench which seemed to have soaked into the walls. The interior of the dome felt like a hothouse for flora cultivation and her skin moistened with sweat very quickly. The shapes did not stir as she continued deeper into the chamber, calling out for Christie, telling herself she would fairly roar at him for being so foolish enough to wander through this stygian darkness all by himself when she found him.

****

Ensign Christie surveyed the base of the structure and found the fissure several minutes before Angel made her entry in search of him. Upon finding the way in, he chose wisely not to enter and continue on his way, trying to learn whether or not there were other entrances. Whilst he was doing this, he discovered his com badge was malfunctioning when he attempted to contact Angel and tell her what he found. Upon examining the small communicator fashioned into the Starfleet insignia, he learnt some moisture had penetrated the casing. It was a simple matter to repair but chose to do it when he was somewhere dryer. Being out of communication with Angel, Christie decided the wisest course of action would be to turn back to rejoin her. 

Unfortunately, when he returned to the place where he left her, the young woman was nowhere to be found. Realising that she might have taken her inability to contact him as a sign of danger, Christie wondered if she had gone looking for him and found the entrance into the dome. Uncertain of what she might find in there if he had done the same, Christie was nonetheless unprepared to let her face it alone if she placed herself in danger because of him. Without having to think twice about it, he entered the fissure and found himself enclosed by the same darkness greeting Angel upon entering the dome. He immediately reached for his phaser and his torch at the same time, providing himself with light as well as protection.

Christie did not scare easily. His origins in the Canadian Rockies had seen his upbringing in the midst of some of the most beautiful countries on Earth, as well as the most dangerous. Kodiak bears, wolves and mountain lions roamed freely, endangered species no more thanks to conservation efforts and anyone who could become comfortable with such creatures sharing the same local area with them, did not get frightened of the dark. He was just as confused by the maze of chambers as Angel was before him and Christie told himself not to touch anything while he searched for her.

"Angel!" Christie cried out beyond the range of the torch’s illumination. 

It was to his profound relief when a few seconds later, he heard her response. "I’m here!" She returned. She was some distance away and her relief at being discovered was profound in her voice. 

"Stay where you are!" He ordered, feeling suddenly protective of the young, willowy woman, who was brave, as she was beautiful. She would probably hit him if she thought for a moment he considered her that way, Christie decided with a bemused smile.

He found her in a chamber that looked nothing like the one they encountered previously. For starters, the floor was covered in bones. The bones did not appear to be human but rather of small animals, like dogs and cats. After closer examination, Christie was certain of this. Their bones were all shattered around the sternum and while some remained on the floor, others were attached to the wall, held in place by the resin. He could see the same wounds on all of them and understood finally what that stench had been. It had been the lingering odour of decomposing flesh. The realization almost made him gag in disgust but he forced the unpleasant sensation away.

"Look at this." Angel pointed to the leather shaped objects standing in correspondence to almost every set of bones found here. The objects were unsealed and whatever they contained had long since departed because the interior of the biological canisters was empty.

"What the hell is this place?" He asked. 

"I don’t know," she whispered anxiously. "But I think we ought to get the hell out of here."

Tp With that Christie could not disagree. "I think you’re right."

They turned around slowly and retreated the way they had come, or so they believed. The maze was so thick with so many looming shadows it was hard to tell. Suddenly they entered a new chamber and stopped short immediately. 

The floor was covered with the leather objects and they were all sealed.

The chamber itself was enormous and was the largest one they had seen yet. Neither of them could tell where it ended and the floor was covered with the objects they knew unconsciously to be eggs. Slowly, their eyes moved around, watching the pulsing life inside the translucent objects, wet with moisture from the hothouse conditions inside the dome. They could see digits moving through the viscous fluid.

"God," Christie whispered. "We’re in an egg chamber."

"What’s laying the eggs?" Angel asked.

She never got an answer to her question because there was no need. Christie was standing against a formation they both assumed to be the strange walls of the dome, never anticipating that in the shadows, something had been waiting for a long time. He never even had the chance to scream. His head ruptured like a cracked egg, when the massive inner jaws of something very big, smashed through his cranium and pulled apart his skull when it exited through his forehead. Angel staggered backward and screamed, watching everything that was her friend splatter onto her uniform and across the surrounding area.

The creature pulled back its jaws once it finished with Christie and regarded the remaining human. Angel could not tell how large it was because it was hidden by the darkness of the place and the range of the torch was simply not enough to tell her. She saw limbs moving, large, thick limbs and a ring of material over its enormous head that could have been a crown. Upon retracting its inner jaws into past another set of jaws, it hissed at her, foot-long teeth bared as it cocked it eyeless head and stared straight at her.

Something inside her snapped.

Scrambling to her feet with more than a case of mild panic, she started running blindly. As she raced through the dark maze, her torch gripped tightly in her sweating palm, she became aware of other things. Something was slithering to life in the darkness. She could hear wet sounds of things breaking free and slick noises of movement against a slimy wet floor. Those vague, nondescript emanations struck cold fear through her heart and sent her pulse racing as she continued at breakneck speed. She did not realize she was moving so fast that whatever she and Christie awakened had not quite time to shake the sluggishness from their post hibernating systems. 

Angel saw the fissure of light ahead and knew she was almost out of the dome but refused to let her guard down for it was in her nature to believe the closer one reached one's goal, the more likely it was to slip away from one’s fingers. Just as the thought crossed her mind, something leapt out in front of her. Although smaller than the nightmarish figure that claimed Christie’s life, this one stood taller than her and was by no means any less lethal. It hissed at her, a mass of tentacles, protrusions and an elongated head, to which rather sharp teeth were attached. The two hands it brandished in her direction were capable of ripping through steel, though at this time, she was unaware of that fact. Angel reacted instinctively, she withdrew her phaser and began firing without hesitation. The beam of energy struck the creature in the chest and flung it backwards, its body exploding as it was propelled away from her. Acid sprayed in all directions, eating into the ground as soon as it splattered across it. Angel did not ruminate on this and continued running, leaping over the remains of the alien before escaping through the fissure.

"Angel!" Collins was already there with the Chief. "I told you not to go in!" Collins barked angrily, noting the blood on the younger woman.

"We can’t stay!" Angel stammered. "They’re coming!"

"What’s coming?" Collins demanded again.

"Take it easy on the young lady," Ezra interjected. "Ensign, report."

"Sir, there’s no time!" Angel declared, averting her eyes frantically between him and the fissure. "They’re in there! They killed Christie!"

"The Ensign is right," Ezra responded, needing to hear nothing more. He knew perfectly well what was inside the dome and had known ever since he saw this structure and guessed its purpose. There would be time enough for explanations later but for now, the ensign’s advice though inspired by fear was sound judgment. "We have to leave here immediately."

"What is it, Sir?" Collins asked, seeing the fear in his eyes.

Ezra glanced at the darkness of the fissure for a second before answering grimly. "History repeating itself."

****

"I’m going to disconnect you for awhile Bishop," Alex told the android as she prepared to transport him to the Sulaco. 

"Oh," Bishop responded quietly, clearly disliking the idea of going to sleep again. 

"Its okay," she assured him. "I’m not going to leave you behind. You’re coming back with us to the Sulaco and later onto the Maverick."

"The Maverick?" Bishop asked.

"Yes, it's our ship," Alex responded, aware the android was feeling a little uneasy about being disconnected once more.

"A warship?" He inquired.

"No," she shook her head slowly. "A lot has changed. While we do defend the borders of the planets in the Federation in the instance of an attack, our charter is mostly for the exploration of new life, to extend mutual cooperation between all member races towards peaceful co-existence."

"An admirable goal," Bishop replied. "Very different from my time."

"You’ll have plenty to catch up on," Alex responded. "Now I have to disconnect you but I promise it won’t be for long."

"I believe you," Bishop responded, appearing as if he genuinely believed it. Alex was touched by the faith he had in her and promised herself inwardly whatever happened during this mission, she was not abandoning him here. 

"Alex," Vin hurried into the EEV. "We’ve got trouble."

"What sort of trouble?" She asked automatically.

"Ensign Christie is dead." He replied somberly. "He and Ensign Angel found what Ezra thinks is some kind of a nest outside the facility."

"How is that possible?" Alex exclaimed in shock. "There has only been one alien on this planet."

"All the drones have the ability to produce some eggs if they are alone," Bishop informed them dutifully. "It is from this group that a queen is usually created."

"An egg layer," Alex uttered softly. 

"Yes." Bishop nodded, seeing that she understood the ramifications.

"But this planet has been abandoned for the last four hundred years." Alex could not wrap her mind around it. Everything they knew implied there would have to be hosts for the aliens to reproduce in large numbers and to their knowledge, Fiorina had been devoid of humans for almost four centuries. "There wouldn’t have been any viable hosts."

"Alex, we can debate this later," Vin said shortly, helping her to gather her tools. "Right now, we’ve got to go."

"Alright," she nodded in understanding before turning back to Bishop. "I’ll see you soon." She offered the android another reassuring smile before disconnecting the attachments that kept him conscious. The android’s remains spasmed at the cessation of power, twitching sharply for a few seconds before he stopped moving altogether. 

"Is Ensign Angel alright?" Alex asked as she gathered up Bishop’s remains.

"She’s fine but she’s shaken up," Vin answered as they both walked out of the EEV together. "Alex, there are aliens here and judging from what Angel has told us, there are a lot of them."

Alex looked at him. "What do you mean a lot of them?"

Her question went unanswered for the moment as they joined the Captain, Ezra, Collins and the clearly upset ensign who was doing her level best not to let her fear overcome her. Not an easy task one supposed after what she had just seen. 

"We’re moving out," Chris announced as soon as he caught sight of them.

"Alex," Ezra turned to her. "Can you configure the tricorder to detect these creatures? I am detecting no life signs at all."

"It's not set up to deal with possible silicon-based creatures," Alex explained and immediately took the device from the Security Chief. "Exactly what did you see Ensign?"

"I knew we shouldn’t have gone in," Angel responded as they started moving towards the dropship. "But I thought Christie was in there and I didn’t want to leave him alone."

"It's alright Ensign," Chris said soothingly, aware of how guilty she felt just by the sound of her voice. "You didn’t want to abandon a comrade, that’s admirable."

"Thank you, Sir," she smiled at Chris before continuing. "It was dark in there and the construction was bizarre, like being inside something alive. In retrospect, I guess it reminded me of an ant hive. I walked in quite a way when I heard Christie. We met up in this chamber with all these bones in it. Now that I think of it, all the skeletons were intact except for the chest cavity."

"Human bones?" Chris asked, his stomach hollowing at the thought.

"No Sir," she shook her head. "Animal bones, dogs and cats to be specific. Captain, there were a lot of them, I estimate more than fifty at least and that’s not to mention the ones on the wall."

"The wall." Alex mused. "That's the same way the Marines found the colonists on LV427. They were all suspended along the walls of the atmosphere processor for embryo implantation."

"I don’t understand how there could be that many cats and dogs on this planet." Vin declared. "Where did they come from?"

"The Company," Ezra stated firmly.

"The Company?" Chris shot him a look. "How do you figure that?"

"Well consider this if you may," Ezra remarked as they moved through the facility as fast as possible, their footsteps making harsh sounds against the cracked linoleum floors. "What if the alien who had come down here from the Sulaco chose to lay eggs? There were more than enough prisoners to act as hosts for its progeny. Of course, we assume the creature was killed when the company shut down the facility but what happened if those eggs were discovered? The company finally had what it wanted, alien specimens in what could be considered a rather controlled environment. They close the facility and start bringing in dogs and cats, creatures large enough and completely expendable to be used as hosts for the eggs. Naturally, after the first few are spawned, a queen is created if I can compare the life cycle of these organisms to known contemporaries like ants and bees."

"You wouldn’t be wrong." Alex agreed with his theory. "Before I disconnected him, Bishop said as much. All alien drones have the capability to lay some eggs, one of which can be a queen."

"So the queen is produced and with a steady influx of animals to act as incubators for the spores, the Company had its very own colony of aliens," Ezra concluded.

"But why leave them here Sir?" Collins inquired. "After all that? Why just abandon them?"

"That’s easy," Chris responded in complete agreement with Ezra’s hypothesis over what happened here at Fiorina 361. "World War Three. When the Optimum movement took over, a lot of outposts were abandoned, scientific personnel were recalled to Earth. I’m sure whoever was in charge here, did not want to stay in orbit around Fury considering what’s waiting for them on the surface." 

"I think I saw her." Angel gulped.

"Saw what?" Collins looked at the junior officer.

"The Queen." She muttered softly. "She was huge Chief. I mean she wasn’t moving or anything but she was enormous. She didn’t even have to move when she killed Christie." Her voice threatened to break but once again, Angel maintained her composure.

"Not unusual," Ezra responded. "The queen is usually larger than the normal drone. The queens in wasp and bee colonies may sting many more times and are often larger, where else in termites and ants, she usually needs caring for and is quite helpless."

"Okay," Alex stated as they reached the tarmac where the dropship was presently waiting for them. "I’ve configured this thing so it will register non-carbon based life forms."

"I hope we don’t need it," Vin remarked. "From all accounts, anyone running into these things is going to have a bad day. I say we leave while we can."

"Good idea." Chris agreed. 

However, Alex was not speaking. Her eyes widened as she saw the readings on the tricorder and she raised her eyes to the Captain. "In that case Captain," Alex swallowed visibly. "I think we better get moving."

"Why?" Chris asked, even though the question seemed some redundant. He knew why. 

He just did not know how bad.

She met all their gazes as Ezra came next to her and when he saw what she was seeing, his face drained of colour as well and Alex finally answered. "Because I’m reading one big fucking signal coming right for us."

The dropship seemed untouched when they reached the hatch leading to its innards. However, this was no indication they were safe. According to the tricorders, the aliens were all around them and had a better knowledge of the layout of the prison facility than they did. Fury 361 was a maze of shafts, underground access ways, electrical access tunnels and crawl spaces, all of which the aliens proved from what they learned of the disaster at Acheron, were more than capable of exploiting. In Chris’s opinion, if they made it off the planet, they would be exceedingly lucky. What he saw on the tricorder screen had justified Alex’s startling announcement. The life signs of the aliens were so many it was difficult to take an accurate count of them and judging by the volume, they were at the moment about to converge upon the potential hosts who unwittingly strayed into their realm.

The rain began to pick up momentum again and the wind seemed to increase, creating even more visual confusion as windows shutters slammed and doors flew open, creating noises adding to the chaos of their departure. Ezra, Chris, Collins and Angel were keeping a watchful eye out for the savage creatures, while Vin and Alex went on ahead. Alex refused to leave the Bishop android and Vin needed to get to the dropship first so he could prep the craft for taking off. Ripley had given them scant information about the alien's abilities beyond the fact it was a killer, capable of surviving in a vacuum and did not have any trouble getting through barricades. Chris hoped that did not mean titanium hulls as well.

"How close?" Chris demanded as they saw the dropship through the rain.

"Ten meters." Ezra retorted and noticed Angel’s eyes were wide with panic because she more than anyone had first-hand knowledge of what the things could do after seeing what had happened to poor Ensign Christie.

They were moving across the tarmac, making good time when suddenly, a screech filled the air just as they began to round the dropship to reach the main hatch. The alien scrambled over the top of a nearby building with such speed it was nothing more than a dark blur against the grey sky. In the light of day, it was no less terrifying than it was when it hid in the shadows and were it alone, they might not have felt the panic they did, but it was not alone. There were at least four others behind it and their approach was not frenzied or disorganized but the coordinated attack of pack hunters. The lead alien hissed at them, teeth bared while resin oozed in thick, long rivulet from the two-inch fangs.

"Oh shit," Chris swore under his breath, as he understood the gesture for what it was; attack.

It sprung from the roof of the single storied building like a coiled serpent; fangs bared as the other four behind it split into two and attempt to approach them from the flank. The alien reached the tarmac as if it had flown there and leapt again. The next time it landed, it would be right on top of them. Chris did not plan to let it get that far. He aimed his phaser without even thinking about aiming and pulled the trigger, watching the amber beam of energy tear the creature apart. Whatever it used for skin was extremely tough for usually, a phaser set to kill would disintegrate anything unfortunate enough to get in its path. The alien did not vaporize but rather exploded and considering what their blood was made off, making them extremely hard to kill in close proximity.

Acid began eating into the ground as soon as the creature had ruptured. The potency of its blood could not be denied as they saw bitumen dissolving before their eyes and shuddered at what that could do to skin.

"Behind you!" Ezra shouted at Collins as the two aliens finally made their arrival, now their pack leader was gone. Collin swung around gracefully like a dancer doing a pirouette, her phaser already drawn and fired before the alien could even attempt its customary lunge. Like the others, it met its end in the same spectacular manner and Ezra dispatched the second alien approaching her flank. Even though the rain, the noxious stench of burning asphalt was filling the air, as well as the ragged holes in the ground where the acid ate away the bitumen paving. Angel was firing away with the same intensity, ensuring the remaining two aliens did not reach her or her captain, who was standing side by side with her in the endeavour.

Chris swung around and saw Vin running up the open hatch of the dropship and was about to turn his back on what remained of the aliens when an ugly thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Vin!" Chris shouted. "Not so fast!"

The Captain did not have time to complete his warning because Vin was suddenly thrown back through the open ramp, the dark shape which he was wrestling with was unmistakable, claws, tail and that elongated head filled with razor-sharp teeth. Both tumbled down the ramp and somewhere through the rain, Chris heard Alex cry out in horror as she saw them both go down.

"Vin!" The science officer dropped the android remains she was carrying and immediately went for her phaser in record time but producing the weapon did not give her clear line to fire. Vin and the alien were a tangled mess of limbs, tail and body parts. She could not fire without hitting the Vulcan or worse yet, keep him from being sprayed with acid even if she did hit her intended target.

Vin was beyond hearing anything at the moment.

He could feel the fangs trying to reach him through the aliens frenzied flaying of its limbs. The creature’s tail lashed at him several times as he tried to keep its claws from tearing him to pieces. The alien was incredibly strong and if Vin was not Vulcan, he might not have been able to fight the creature off. He heard Alex screaming in the background and saw her rushing towards him, attempting to dislodge the alien from the top of him when the creature's tail lashed out like a whip and struck her hard across the body. His fear for her allowed his guard to drop and suddenly he felt razor sharp nails sink into his side and pull back with ruthless savagery.

"Shit!" He swore feeling blood running down his flesh, soaking his uniform even more as if the rain had not done it enough. He could feel the alien's breath on him, could see the triumph in its bared fangs and suddenly, Vin got very, very mad.

Unaware of where the rage had come from, satisfied only that it would be put to good use, Vin ignored the pain in his flank and snapped his fist around the alien's thin neck. Using the animal's frenzied movements as a momentum, he rolled on top of it and smashed his fist into what would have been the space between the alien's eyes had it optical senses. The blow disorientated the creature and Vin continued pounding, cautiously reminding himself he could not break skin no matter how much he wanted to make this thing bleed. He only wanted it off balance enough to get away. However, something else was penetrating the wall separating him and this creature, the veneer of civilization that made the alien what it was and himself, a Vulcan.

The familiar warmth of the meld enveloped him before he even knew what he was doing but remembered Vulcans were able to read the thoughts of other creatures simply by making physical contact with them. It was part of the reason why they cultivated such a strict regimen of mental discipline in order to protect themselves from being overwhelmed by the thoughts and emotions of others. Vin had only a limited discipline and though he was fighting this creature for his very life, he could nonetheless feel what was going on inside its mind, such as it was. The experience was beyond description and Vin was staggered by what was filtering into his mind.

Brutal, savage need, lacking in all conscience, with no complicated feelings of morality or understanding, just instinct, driving heated instinct that burned with the intensity of a thousand black stars. This creature did not think. It did not ponder its place in the scheme of the cosmos. Its comprehension was occupied with the singular need for which it would do anything, kill anyone, and use anything to accomplish. Nothing else made any difference, not one single thing that could replace that feverish; all-consuming desire that dictated this alien being's entire existence.

The need to breed.

"Vin get away from it!" He heard Chris order and snapped out of the haze his mind slipped into. For an instant, he had almost forgotten where he was. He was gripped with an overwhelming sense of rage and brutal desire he knew was not his own anger but rather the alien's. Even when Chris's voice brought him to reality, the lingering effects resonated through him even when he felt Alex dragging him off the alien. There was a momentary bout of disconnection when he heard the alien screech just before Ezra turned his phaser on it and destroyed it. However, the effects of the meld lingered and for a second, Vin thought he might faint. However, he maintained his equilibrium.

"Vin," Alex came to him and examined the wound on the side of his body. "God, you're hurt!"

"We've got to keep moving!" Chris ordered. "Are you okay?" The Captain asked.

"I'm fine." Vin nodded and meant it. The pain was starting to make itself felt but he knew as well as Chris they could not stop to let it pass, there were too many of the aliens converging upon them. They were directly beneath the dropship now and Vin had regained his composure enough to know he had to get to the cockpit and fire up the engines if any of them were to leave this place alive.

"Vin," Ezra suddenly spoke out. His eyes looking past the dropship and the helmsman to the surrounding area. "How long is it going to take you to lift off?"

"Three minutes," Vin said as he started running up the ramp, into the dropship. This time he was a little more cautious about his entry since it was conceivable they might have stowaways.

At first, they had all thought it was the sound of the rain pounding down around their ears that was creating such a loud hiss but now they were listening closely, they realized it was not raining at all. The aliens came into sight, no longer hindered by the effects of their long hibernation. There were so many across the skyline of buildings surrounding the tarmac that for a moment, they were a sheer wall of black quickly converging upon the dropship. Their teeth were hissing and they moved slowly as if trying to stay out of range of the terrible weapons that claimed some of their brethren.

Chris knew immediately he and his crew were about to be hit by a swarm. "Vin, we don't have that much time."

No sooner than he made that remark, the aliens charged. They swept across the tarmac like a black tide and the only sensible order Chris could give was one he never thought he'd ever have to say.

"RUN!"

Alex had already scrambled up the ramp carrying the android Bishop. Chris could not bring himself to order her to leave the synthetic behind. Ezra was telling Collins to get into the ship and to keep an eye out for any stowaways. Ezra's gaze met his once his junior officer had gone, and they both knew immediately in two minutes, these creatures would tear through the hull of the dropship. He and his crew would die before they ever left the ground.

"Captain." Ezra and he exchanged looks for an instant, as they both knew what had to be done.

"I'll do it," Chris said quickly, reaching for his phaser. "If it wasn't for me, none of you would be here."

"I don't understand Sir," Ensign Angel asked as she paused at the ramp, wondering why the two senior officers were not coming on board the dropship.

"Absolutely not Sir," Ezra declared refusing to even entertain the notion of letting his Captain fall on his own sword to save their lives. "I will not let you sacrifice yourself. If anyone undertakes this suicide mission, it should be me."

Angel suddenly understood what they were debating. The Captain couldn't sacrifice himself, she thought instantly. He was Chris Larabee. He was the Captain! If the Captain died, then none of them would get out of here alive. A surge of bravery surfaced inside the young Ensign as she watched the two men prepare for the inevitable and wondered if she could be that brave. When Christie had died, she had just run like a coward! Where had been the honour in that? The Chief had been good to her. He had accepted her, a rookie into his ranks when senior officers would give their eyeteeth for an assignment on board the Maverick. The last few months on the Maverick had been the best in her life and she did not want it to end but she also wanted neither man to sacrifice their life.

The Captain had great things to do and people who counted on him, just like the Chief. She had no family and everything in her life was her job as a security officer. Security officers weren't supposed to live long and this was all her fault, to begin with. She woke those things up. They had been sleeping, unaware of the Starfleet officers in their midst when she broke protocol and gone searching for Christie, even though he had never gone in there in the first place. Christie died because of her.  She was not going to let the Captain and Commander Standish die too. Taking a deep breath, she quietly turned her phaser over and set it for overload.

She walked down the ramp, past the two men, towards the swarm only a few dozen meters away now. The creatures that were coming at them like a black tide of death.

"Ensign, what are you doing?" Chris demanded as she saw her walking past them. Through the charge of the aliens, he could hear the low hum of a phaser in overload.

"You need to get into the ship Sir," Angel said coolly and remarkably calm to her surprise. She continued walking until it dawned upon him what she was intending to do.

"No, you don't!" He started for her when Ezra pulled him back.

"CHRIS, NO!" Ezra grabbed him by his arm and kept him from going after that poor child. The aliens having seen their quarry come out to meet them, hastened their pace and were now converging on the young woman like a pack of wolves on a lone sheep.

When she looked over her shoulders, she realized why.

"ENSIGN YOU GET BACK HERE!" Chris shouted impotently, more than prepared to go after her, anguished as he saw her take the place that should have been his. The aliens swept over her until her uniform disappeared in a wave of black gleaming bodies and Chris remembered screaming her name, while Ezra dragged him up the ramp as he tried to search for her. However, there was nothing left of the young Ensign from Texas, whose appointment to Ezra's security staff he approved because he read her Academy files and learned she liked books, the kind of old books his father used to collect, bound in leather and age.

"CAPTAIN, SHE'S GONE!" Ezra's voice cut through his ears as he forced Chris into the dropship, hiding his own sorrow at the loss of one of his youngest and brightest. The pain he felt was just as acute as Chris's, even more so because he worked with the young woman and knew she liked pictures of puppy dogs and was not just another uniform to him. Angel was something to him too and it was his life she tried to save not just the Captain's. It was this fact alone that made Ezra determined not to let her sacrifice be wasted by dying here and now.

Collins pulled the hatch close as soon as Chris and Ezra were through and as she secured the lock, Ezra noted her eyes were wet with tears after she had done that. She wiped it away quickly though as if the situation at present did not allow her to grieve. The interior of the dropship was rumbling as the engines prepared to fire and lift them off the surface of this nightmarish world. A loud explosion was heard outside the ship, followed by the screeching of dying aliens in the fireball induced by Ensign Angel's heroic sacrifice.

Chris broke free from Ezra, having regained his composure and reminding himself his sorrows could wait until he delivered what was left of his crew from the danger he had so irresponsibly place them. Hurrying past the two remaining security officers, Chris made his way to the cockpit. He was almost in the middle of the ship when suddenly something flurried past him overhead. He drew his phaser as the alien landed in front of him on the landing. Chris prepared to fire when suddenly he realized if he did so, the creature's acidic blood would eat through the bulkhead and cause God only knew what damage. The dropship would be in the same predicament that caused the Sulaco to send Ripley and her companions to the EEV! Only there would be no EEV for them to escape. The alien crossed the space between them quickly and Chris turned to run when the dropship lifted off the ground. The sudden movement caused him to lose his footing and the phaser felt out of reach as the alien prepared to leap.

"Captain!" Collins exclaimed as she saw her commander about to be torn to pieces by an alien stowaway and immediately reacted in kind.

"Don't shoot it!" Chris tried to warn her but it was too late. The dropship was already airborne, soaring into the clouds when the beam of amber from her phaser struck the creature in mid-thorax and immediately caused it to rupture with acid spraying in all directions. Chris barely managed to get out of the way as the noxious liquid began to eat through the metal floor and fill the narrow passageway with smoke.

The dropship continued to climb. Chris could see through the small window they were still soaring through the thick, cumulous clouds. He began to hope that perhaps the acid did not eat through any vital systems and perhaps it would be all right...

Then the ship dipped sharply, throwing both him and Collins to the side of the corridor.

"What the hell just happened?" Vin demanded through his com badge. "I just lost the attitude control!"

Ezra struggled up the passageway and the expression on his face as he saw the corridor filled with smoke and the fast appearing hole in the middle of the steel floor, told Chris there was no need for explanation. The dropship rocked once again and they were forced to their knees.

"I'm sorry Sir!" Collins said frantically. "It was going to kill you!"

There was nothing Chris could say to her to lessen the degree of what she had done but he knew she was faced with an impossible choice, one he would have made himself had he been the one with the phaser. If she had not acted, he would be dead now, there was no doubt about it. "You did what was necessary."

"Vin." Chris tapped his com badge. "We had an alien in here."

"I guessed as much." The helmsman responded. "Alex, see if you can stabilize that booster!" He barked to the science officer in the background.

"Can we maintain altitude?" Chris asked although he could tell by the gradual dip of the dropship they were losing their ability to remain airborne.

"I'm sorry Chris," Vin answered after what seemed to be an interminably long pause. "I don't know for sure what killing that thing did to the ship but we don't have the power to break orbit and we're going down."

****

Julia Pemberton peered out the edge of the armoury door and stared cautiously as the passageway leading back to the hangar. She felt her palms moistened around the bulky weapon she was carrying, hoping she understood its working correctly or else her attempt to reach Fury 361 was going to be a very brief effort indeed. She had not seen the alien since she escaped its clutches in the runabout and dreaded facing the thing again. However, she listened just as closely to Ellen Ripley's briefing as the others and knew the bizarre chemistry of the alien's physiology demanded it propagate and at the moment, she seemed like the only viable candidate.

Of course, Julia had no intention of ending up like poor Lieutenant Atwater and every intention of finding the creature before it came looking for her. Besides, her inability to contact the rest of the Away Team had given rise to some rather disturbing thoughts. They had considered it impossible for there to be an alien on the Sulaco and yet here it was. Was it possible the same could be said about what was awaiting the Away Team on Fury? Julia thought the loss of communications with Ezra and the others was due to Fiorina's strange atmospheric conditions. What if there was a more sinister reason for their silence? She may well be their only hope of escaping the planet and what may be waiting for them down there, alive. Whatever happened, she simply had to fix the runabout and get to Fiorina 361.

A sixth sense told her that if she did not, it would be too late for anyone.

With this thought in mind, the Chief Engineer of the Maverick emerged from the armoury where she found a suitable weapon to replace the phaser she lost in the runabout. Although she found the gun she was carrying too heavy and cumbersome, she could not help thinking that it did a great deal for her morale. The gun she was holding, according to the manifest, was an M-41AAA 10-mm pulse-rifle, over and under with a 30 mm pump action grenade launcher. It was in its day, the state of the art in combat weaponry, that seldom jammed, worked underwater or in a vacuum and had no difficulty putting a sizeable hole in steel plates and she hoped, aliens with a tendency to spill acid when attacked.

The gun was surprisingly light considering how large it was and Julia made certain she had ample ammunition to last her for quite some time. She had every intention of killing the alien if it got in her way but no desire to go hunting for it. If Ellen Ripley's tapes told her one thing, the alien was more than a match for a human and no matter how well armed she was, Julia was not confident enough to seek confrontation with the thing unless she really had to. The weapons she had at the moment would protect her while she repaired the runabout. She was more than willing to leave the alien with the run of the Sulaco while she was retrieving the others from the surface of Fiorina because if this sixth sense of hers was right, they were in need of retrieval.

Emerging from the lengthy corridor, she held the tricorder with one hand while ensuring the pulse rifle was firmly in her grip with the other. Julia configured the tricorder to seek out non-carbon based life forms, having no intention of letting the thing jump out at her unexpectedly as it had done earlier when she tried to take off in the runabout. She attributed the alien with some intelligence for she found its previous attack too fortuitous to be mere coincidence. It waited until she attempted to lift off, before choosing to strike. Whether or not the action was guided by the understanding she was about to elude it, Julia was not about to take any chances. She was getting out of this alive, one way or another.

As much as she admired Ellen Ripley, Julia Pemberton was not going to die like her.

Chris fought his way to the cockpit as the dropship continued to shudder, its descent apparent by the clouds thinning around them when its nose sagged forward and the ground seemed like a monster opening its maw to swallow them whole. From the freshly melted orifice created by the alien in its death throes, a column of dark smoke was rising up its jagged walls to fill the ship with black smoke. Ezra and Collins were making a valiant attempt to dissipate the noxious fumes but it was fast making the air in the rear end of the dropship, unbearable for the duo. Chris in the meantime found himself pulled forward by the steep incline of the ship's trajectory towards the cockpit where even without his com badge, he could hear Vin barking orders at Alex as they struggled to keep the ship in the air.

"I can't get the landing gears to lower!" Alex cried out when Chris entered the small cockpit that was the nerve centre of the craft. In the window in front of her, Chris could see just how close they were to the ground.

"We'll have to do without it," Vin said sharply, having no patience with groaning about things they could not change. "I'll have to angle the nose just right before we touch down. With any luck, I can find a stretch of land somewhere and slide this thing to a stop."

"Exactly where would that be?" Chris asked as he saw what was awaiting them beyond the cockpit window. The ground was much lower than he thought and the majority of the landscape was the grey, choppy ocean covering much of this planet. The prison was built on one of the few stretches of solid land there was on Fiorina and judging by their rate of descent, there was not going to be time to search for a safer landing place. Given the alternative of not landing at all and landing to deal with the problem of the aliens once more, Chris decided for the moment, he would take the latter. Besides, he had to assume eventually Julia would come looking for them. Their mission was to last no more than a day and if they were out of communication contact for longer than that time, the Chief Engineer would follow procedure and come in search of them.

"The only place we can land," Vin said grimly. "At the prison."

"Damn," Chris whispered under his breath. "Can you put as much distance between us and the prison as possible? We need some time to set things up if those aliens are going to come after us."

Alex shuddered openly at the thought but Vin was more composed about that eventuality and nodded in response. "I'll do what I can pard but I can't make any promises. Right now, I'm just aiming to get us to the ground in one piece."

"Do what you can," Chris replied patting the Vulcan on the shoulder in a gesture of thanks and it was more than just for his piloting skills. 

Vin gave his Captain a look, understanding the sentiment behind the gesture. "You bet. Now go strap yourself in Captain, this is going to be a rough landing." He advised, moving past the moment. Chris nodded and retreated out of the room with Vin still watching him a few seconds after he left. 

"He's feeling bad," Vin remarked as he faced front again.

"He shouldn't," Alex said automatically as she aided Vin in their rough landing, trying not to pay too much attention at the ground coming up at them. "We all wanted to come here."

"I know," Vin said unhappily. "But he took the drop ship because of me. I wanted to fly her out here."

"Vin," Alex reached for his hand briefly. "Don't start blaming yourself on how we got here. The truth is, I've got as much to do with it as anyone. I wanted to come here just as badly to get my hands on the android. We all had our reasons for being here, you're not alone in feeling the way you do."

Vin stared at Alex for a moment and felt himself melt at the sight of the smile she aimed at him. He watched her for a second as she returned her attention to their difficult landing. Even though the situation was completely inappropriate, Vin could not get enough of looking at her. Just watching the determined way she was handling the controls next to him and being able to scent the subtle perfume she wore was capable of stirring his emotions into a heightened state of awareness.  He had no idea he was physically experiencing something until he felt tingles against his skin. For a minute Vin was rather shocked by the sensation and shrugged it away, wondering what that was all about.

Instead, he turned to the screen before him and searched for possible landing sites, trying to keep in mind Chris's request about keeping as far away from the prison facility as possible. Unfortunately, the list was savagely short. Vin's hand moved across the controls at lightning speed. Being Vulcan, he had the benefit of the eidetic memory characteristic of the race and was able to memorize the cockpit controls very quickly. He fed in the coordinates required and hoped the choice he made would be adequate.

"I'm going to try and set her down on the coast." He explained as he directed the steering controls to where it needed to be. "I hope the stretch is long enough."

"It will have to be." She answered hopefully, trying to hide her fear at being anywhere in proximity to those aliens. 

"You okay?" He asked, seeing something in her eyes that forced the question from him. When it came to courage, Alex was one of the bravest people he knew. What fear she felt, she hid beneath a veneer of ruthless control and it was rare she let that tough mask slip enough to let the emotion show. 

"Yeah," she nodded slightly but her apprehension was clear. "Vin I don't want to die with one of those things inside me. I'd rather kill myself first."

"I understand," Vin replied, agreeing with her on that much. He had no wish to go out of his life knowing his end would see the birth of one of those monstrosities. "Alex, I'll never let it happen to you. I promise."

"Really?" She looked at him, seeing him so far removed from that shy young lieutenant she had to rescue from Charlotte Richmond's acidic tongue. She wondered at what point had their relationship changed so much, she was now seeing him as more than someone she once had to protect. She thought about the nights they spent together, where he held her in his arms and allowed her to sleep without nightmares. With a feeling of reassurance, Alex realised it was good to know he would always be there for her when she stumbled or simply needed holding to chase away the ugly dreams in the dark.

"Yeah, really." He smiled at her and then faced front again, all business as they landing began. Tapping his combadge, he spoke to the other passengers in the dropship. "Everybody, buckle up. We're going to land."

Vin did not have time to learn if they were indeed strapped in because the ground came up at them with terrifying speed and he began to fight the controls against the pull of gravity. Struggling to keep the dropship's nose up, he fought the sharp downturn that would kill them all unless he made the descent gradual. The small craft began to shudder against the two opposing forces and Vin found he was using every ounce of skill and strength to keep them from slamming into the earth. Unlike the design of the runabout whose snub nose front, Vin had to level off the more streamlined dropship to make a successful landing without any landing gears whatsoever. 

The sandy stretch of beach upon which he was using as a runway of sorts swept towards them as the buckling and shuddering became more and more violent. Seals began to snap glass shattered on Alex's right, she raised her hands to shield herself from the flying glass but most of it was borne away by the speed of their descent. Vin continued to wrestle with the steer and finally, the horizon sneaked into view even though around them chaos was ensuing as the dropship groaned from its exertion. He had no idea what state the rest of the craft was in and somehow managed to yell out as the sand rushed up to meet them.

"Brace for impact!"

The nose of the dropship met the dirt first; creating a tidal wave of sand and earth as it impacted like a flaming comet. It dug in and then through as the forward momentum propelled it across the sandy shore. Vin could feel objects being crushed under the tremendous weight as the dropship scraped across the ground, creating a loud, screeching sound that sent tingles through him and made him wince in reaction. He could see the prison facility not far from them and the grey, ugly sea on his flank. The dropship did not seem to slow and Vin started to worry if did not stop, it would keep going and end up in the water.

"She's not slowing down!" Alex shouted over the powerful roar of grinding metal.

"I know!" He shouted back but there was very little he could do at this point. A tremendous heaving was heard and Vin saw what was left of the drop ship's wing fall away from the structure of the craft as if it was blown away in the wind. In its place, were ragged and twisted strips of metal and the exposed framework of the wing. For a moment Vin was horrified that the lack of wind resistance would keep them going but instead, the ship's journey across the ground began to slow. The shuddering though violent began to ease off and slowly the horizon of water ahead began to lengthen further away instead of drawing closer and closer. An eternity of time passed with Vin holding his breath before the dropship finally came to a rest with the edge of the shoreline only a few hundred yards away. After what they had been through, it was a narrow miss despite that distance.

"Oh my God!" Alex let out a gasp as she unbuckled herself from her seat. "We made it!" 

"Just barely," Vin muttered but nonetheless felt just as relieved as his breath escaped him and he leaned into the chair. "And I think we tore her pretty good making that landing." Vin did not even have to examine the damage to know that they would not be taking off again any time soon. He leaned towards the side window of the cockpit to examine the state of the hull and pulled back a second later, his expression grim. "She's had it, Alex."

"How bad?" She asked, not needing to clarify what he was talking about. 

"Pretty bad." He replied. "We've lost a wing and an engine. However, we get off Fury, it’s not going to be on this ship."

*****

Vin's estimation of the damage was not only accurate but in some sense, somewhat more optimistic than what he had seen earlier. They had come down about two miles away from the prison facility but was certain that would not stop the aliens coming after them. Since the species' ability to reproduce hinged on its obtainment of viable hosts, Chris suspected the creatures could not even afford to pass up on five potential hosts if they were available,  which meant if the aliens could sense them, they would be coming. After their turbulent landing, the Away Team made a brief inspection of their landing craft to assess how severe the damage to the dropship had been. Unfortunately, the wreckage was extensive and though most of it was intact, there were gaps were an alien penetration would be remarkably easy when the creatures came in force.

"God what a mess," Alex remarked as she saw the wide, gaping holes in the hull. They were all braving the wind and rain as it battered against their skin in abnormally large droplets, more than aware the weather would not stop the aliens closing in on them soon enough. 

"How long can we hold out in this Sir?" Collins asked none of the officers in particular; however, everyone appeared to be looking towards the Captain.

 "A few hours if we're lucky," Chris muttered.

"If there is one thing about this trip has proven incontrovertibly, it is certainly our good standing with Lady Luck," Ezra said dryly.

Vin flashed him a look of pure venom while Alex merely stiffened, not about to say anything. Chris did not react to the obvious jibe, more than aware he certainly deserved some of Ezra's vitriol. No matter how he might like to think otherwise, the truth was he placed them in this situation. "We need to retrieve the wing."

"What for?" Vin looked at Chris puzzled. "We're never going to get this thing off the ground. She's had it, Chris."

"I know that." Chris returned. "But we're going to need to seal those ruptures in the hull and fortify the ship with barricades. We only need to hold out until our check-in time, which is five hours from now. The minute we don't contact the Sulaco, Julia will be on her way here with the runabout."

"He's right," Alex responded in a show of support for her Captain. "All we need to do is stay alive until then, possibly sooner if this storm passes." She looked up in the sky and was greeted with rain battering her skin.

"I stocked the dropship with a considerable amount of firepower prior to our approach," Ezra remarked. "I found what they called remote sentry units. I had at least five of them loaded in the cargo hold."

"Remote sentry units?" Vin glanced at the security chief.

 "Yes," Chris nodded. "They respond to motion, I believe. Good thinking Ezra." Chris offered the Southerner the compliment, knowing it was a meagre peace offering and not one that would appease the man very much in light of how against this entire trip he had been from the beginning.

"If we set them up around the perimeter of the dropship, we can keep them away for some time. I hope." Ezra volunteered, not missing the sentiment directed at him by his Captain and decided, for now, he could afford to be a little magnanimous.

"You hope?" Alex frowned wishing the news was a little brighter.

"You should have seen how many there were Commander," Collins responded. "They were a lot of them coming after us. We may not have enough artillery to keep them all away."

"It's something," Chris said firmly. "And if we are to survive this. We best get to work immediately. Ezra, you, Alex and Collins set up the sentry units. Vin, you're with me. We're going to get this wing, while we still can."

"Sure thing," Vin replied, wanting to give Chris as little trouble as possible, more than aware the Captain had enough guilt of his own as it was.

*****

They set out without saying very much and Vin noted Chris's gaze seemed fixed on the shale-covered surface before him. Vin, on the other hand, found his eyes studying the grey horizon and the equally grey sea and thought how perfect this world was to be the home of an unspeakable species like the alien. He wondered if the creatures even had a name. Probably not, he soon decided. No civilized species could have survived long enough on their indigenous planet to name them.

"Chris, you okay?" Vin asked as they caught sight of the torn wing of the dropship ahead. They were not very far from the ship at all and Vin was grateful they would not have too long a hike before them when they started dragging the large piece of metal back. 

"No, I'm not," Chris answered shortly because Vin was the one person in whom he could confide without being offered advice or judgement. Perhaps it was why they struck up such an enduring friendship. Vin knew when to pull back and when to get in one's face. He had never seen the Vulcan impress himself upon Chris yet and secretly the Captain wondered what it would take to inspire that kind of passion in the younger man.

"It's not your fault," Vin responded automatically, remembering Alex had said the same words to him earlier and found the whole thing somewhat ironic to a fashion.

Chris looked up and met his gaze. "Yes, it is Vin. No matter what I might like to tell myself, there is no hiding from the truth. It is my fault, we're in this mess."

"Chris we all wanted to come down here," Vin returned, not about to exonerate himself because he knew how much he had contributed to this situation. "Hell, I wanted to take the stupid dropship up so bad I couldn't think straight. If we hadn't taken her, we would be in orbit by now. The runabout would have taken straight off and we would be on the Sulaco safe."

"You didn't have to convince me very hard to take her Vin." Chris offered the young man a little smile and was grateful for what he was trying to do even though Chris knew better. "I wanted to know what happened to Ripley, a woman I had never met, who for some reason my ancestor was hell-bent on keeping alive. I wanted to know what made her so special and the more I found out about her, the more I realised she was special."

"That's not wrong Chris..." Vin started to say.

"Yes, it is!" Chris insisted. "It is when I am the Captain of a starship and I have a thousand people relying on my judgement to stay alive. Then it becomes very much wrong that I bucked protocol and didn't listen to Ezra when I should have and now that...that...ensign, that child is dead! She died to protect me, her Captain because she thought that I was doing the right thing. That I was making the decisions to keep the crew alive and all the while I was wrapped up in what I wanted, I didn't see anything other than getting my hands on it!"

"Chris you're human." Vin found himself saying, wondering where this fountain of wisdom was coming from inside of him but was not prepared to ignore its benefits now it had arisen. He supposed he was not that reserve lieutenant any more and that somewhere along the line, with Alex and the friends he made, Chris in particular, he had found his place in the world and was content with it. "After what you went through with Sarah and Adam and learning what you did. You are entitled to show some hurt."

"I didn't just show some hurt," Chris shook his head wishing he could let himself be exonerated that easily. "I hurt the people I cared about." Chris could not bring himself to say Mary but Vin was certain it was who he meant. "I could have asked for help but I didn't. I don't know where I've been these last few weeks. I don't even know who I was."

"I'll help you, Chris," Vin said hesitantly, a little uncertain about making his innermost feelings known to his Captain but he sensed if there was any time for such revelations, now was the moment for it. "You're my friend and my Captain. We will get out of here and we'll find the truth about your family, one way or another."

Chris did not say much for a few seconds but when he did, he raised his eyes to the Vulcan and smiled. "Thanks, Vin. I really needed that."

"Any time pard."

"When did you wise up?" Chris chuckled as they reached the strip of wing lying half buried in the shale ground. 

"I don't know," Vin shrugged as he leaned over. "But I think it suits me."

*****

Julia had a plan.

Actually, it was not so much of a plan, as it was an improvisation. However, she had no choice but to make the attempt no matter how outrageous it might seem. She knew she did not have the materials to repair the damaged window of the runabout but if she had enough time, she could rewire the shield to extend the protection grid to the exposed area. Usually, if there was a hull breach on the Maverick, bulkhead shields would immediately kick into gear, protecting the damaged area from decompression. Julia could see no reason why the same principle could not be applied to the runabouts' current difficulties.

Julia emerged into the hangar of the Sulaco, her eyes scouring the immediate vicinity even though her tricorder indicated the alien was nowhere in sight. However, she did not lower the pulse rifle in her hand as she crossed the floor of the deck that only a short time ago, she had fled in fear for her life while being pursued by the creature. Her sixth sense or women's intuition, she was not sure which, was certain something was wrong down on Fiorina 361. Her attempts to contact the Away Team had been met with silence and after finding what was left of poor Lieutenant Atwater, Julia was not going to blithely assume there was some reasonable explanation. Reasonable went out the window the moment she saw Atwater's entrails all over the floor of the runabout.

The runabout door was still open when she reached it and cautiously, the Chief Engineer peered inside the cockpit of the small craft when logically she knew the alien was not there. At the moment, she detected it somewhere near the engines of the Sulaco, probably finding itself a nice little nest before coming back for her. She did not know how much time that gave her to accomplish what she needed to but Julia knew she had no choice but to try. Entering the runabout, she searched the floor covered in broken glass for the phaser she had dropped earlier. The smooth handle peered at her from under one of the compartments and Julia quickly retrieved it before sliding it into place on her belt.

Lowering herself to the floor, she crawled underneath the helm station and slid off the panel, which would give her access to its inner workings. Reluctantly, she relinquished the grip of her pulse rifle and set to work; unaware she was all that stood between the Away Team and a fate worse than death.

They were working against time and they knew it. Retrieving what remained of the dropship’s left wing, the Away Team set to work quickly, fortifying their only protection against the alien hordes undoubtedly coming for them. Ezra, Alex and Collins went to work setting up the remote sentry units Ezra had taken from the arsenal on the Sulaco. Although he would have preferred something more formidable and still had reservations about relying on the 21st-century technology, he knew at the present moment their choices were limited. While they were quickly installing the weapons in place, Ezra was also keeping vigil on the tricorder in expectation of the readings signalling the enemy's coming.

Upon their return, the work detail expanded to include barricading all fissures and openings the aliens might use to make their way into the ship. This included sealing the cockpit, now compromised by the shattered glass of its main window. Using their phasers to do the work, since nothing else on board would weld titanium plates, they worked quickly. All the while mindful about draining phaser energy because they would need it to defend themselves when their assailants finally arrived. The storm did not seem to abate but did not become any worse either, having reached a crescendo in its intensity before choosing to level off. The wet did not make the job of building their barricades any easier but fortunately, most of their equipment was designed to endure in the most adverse climatic conditions.

They worked at a feverish pace until the hours stretched into darkness for the days on Fury 361 were short and with the rain continuing to descend upon them, the blackness surrounding the ship was more than just a little disheartening. From inside their titanium walled fortress, they could hear the pitter-patter of rain against the hull but in truth, they were listening closely for other sounds in the dark. There had not been enough of an alien carcass for Alex to make a thorough examination of the creature because its cellular composition had a tendency to necrotize after death. Alex spent much of the evening studying the damage done to the engines during the acid bath it received from the alien following its demise.

The acid ate through all three decks of the dropship and unfortunately spilled unto the main engines. Their only consolation was the corrosive material had taken time to eat through the metal, giving them the opportunity to land. Otherwise, they would have been a dead weight in the atmosphere.

Following their preparation, Alex took a moment to herself and connected Bishop to a power supply once again. She hoped the android might be able to tell them something further about the alien life form and perhaps interface with some of the data storage units she took from the EEV. In any case, there was nothing left to do but wait for the attack or rescue, whichever arrived first. She hoped for the latter but was more than realistic enough to know the former would make its appearance first.

Sparks of electricity and the spasmodic twitch of his one good hand marked Bishop’s return to life. After a few seconds, the same dazed expression bled into the melted face as Bishop opened a lazy eye and took stock of his surroundings. He did not say anything as the familiar environment impressed itself upon his memory banks and it was not long before he realised where he was.

"We're on the second dropship." He stated, looking at her.

"Yes." Alex nodded. "You know it?"

"I flew it," Bishop said with a little smile, which seemed bizarre on his ruined features. "From LV427."

Alex wondered how she was going to tell him what they were going through and then realised he probably would not have any feelings on the matter anyway. He was an android. However, Bishop preempted the admission.

"Is something the matter?" That smooth but still gravelly voice asked.

Alex released a little laugh. "Yeah, Bishop." She nodded begrudgingly. "Something is wrong. We're trapped here. We killed an alien on board and it ate straight through the ship. We couldn't break the atmosphere and the ship just about tore apart on the landing. There is also some extreme ionization in the atmosphere that keeps us from contacting our ship."

"I'm sorry." He replied and Alex believed he genuinely meant it.

"Thanks," she offered him a little smile. "We have a rescue ship due within the next few hours so if we can hold out that long."

"Just look out for emergency venting." He said dryly.

"What?" She looked at him curiously.

"A little joke." Bishop shrugged the question away. "So why did you revive me?"

"For something to do." Alex replied honestly, "but also because I need you to review the data tapes on the EEV. My tricorder suggests that it may have been used after the crash."

"It was," Bishop explained. "Ripley wanted to know if the alien came down with us. I had to interface with the flight recorder to find out."

"Can you tell me what else she might have used it for?" Alex asked. "I've already got you hardwired to the drive. All you have to do is take a peek."

"I'm not what I used to be," Bishop confessed. "Peeking isn't that easy any more."

"I'm not going to let you become some museum relic Bishop," Alex found herself saying. "You come from one of the most elusive periods of human history. People want to talk to you and I want to see that you're in the state to do it. The best engineer I know is salivating to get her hands on you."

"How appealing," he remarked a hint of amusement in his voice before he sobered and began searching through the darkness of electronic information to find out what she knew.

"Alex," Chris Larabee entered the room. "We're warming some rations up. You should get some food."

"Hello, Captain." Bishop greeted.

"Hey, Bishop." Chris smiled, finding himself similarly fond of the android as his science officer. "I thought you were supposed to be convalescing before we got you back to the ship."

"I just wanted to find out what was in the flight recorder Captain," Alex explained. "Bishop is able to interface with it and give us a step by step account."

"I'm doing what I can," the android responded. "As I said its dark in here."

"Sometimes that's the best way to start," Chris said enigmatically.

"She accessed the medivac." Bishop suddenly spoke.

"Ripley?" Chris found himself asking, feeling a sliver of excitement inside of him, as realizing he was being privy to Ellen Ripley's last few days on Fury.

"Yes." Bishop nodded, his expression turning into a troubled frown quickly. "She is using it on herself."

"Why?" Alex asked puzzled. "Surely the prison facility comes equipped with medical personnel and equipment."

"She's running an internal scan." Bishop continued his running narration. "She's looking for something. She paused at the sternum."

No one needed to ask why.

"Nothing there," Bishop announced to everyone's relief. It's clear. She's moving down mid thorax to the pelvic area..." the android's words drifted away.

"Bishop?" Alex asked but Chris did not need to. Even though Bishop did not say it and though he was a machine incapable of displaying that much emotion or for that matter supposed to feel it, Chris saw the glint in his milky coloured eye and immediately knew.

"Did it get her?" Chris asked quietly.

"Yes." Bishop's voice was full of unspoken sorrow. "It's different." He added a moment later. "They're usually lodged in the sternum. This one is in the uterus."

"Oh, God." Alex gasped, horrified by the notion of something so unholy in that most vulnerable place inside a woman.

"It's embryonic but judging by the way it looks I think this was a queen," Bishop revealed, his eye squinting as if he were trying to get a better look at the thing. "It would make sense if that is the case. The queen would take longer to mature. Ripley was still in one piece days after the crash."

"So all these creatures came from an alien queen that used Ripley as a host?" Alex asked the horror of it was more than she could stomach. There had to be some honour in death but she felt her heart bleed in sympathy for the poor woman.

"I doubt it," Chris said firmly and unaware of how he could be so certain but the truth was he had enough sense about Ellen Ripley to know she had lived how she wished and given the circumstances, she would die in the same way.

"I agree with the Captain. Ripley would have died before letting it live. She was an exceptional human."

Chris did not speak for a few seconds as the final fate of Ellen Ripley seeped into his mind with the tragic knowledge of the truth. He felt a great deal of sorrow for this woman who saw so much, deserve more than anyone for a chance of life only to have it cruelly taken from her in the most unimaginable way possible. He mourned for her and knew perhaps he was mourning for himself a little as well. He had hoped finding out the truth about Ripley might salve some of his own issues about his family's murder but all he had done in this quest was sentenced a good number of people to die, who did not need to.

"I think Hicks cared about her," Bishop volunteered. He hoped his words were in some small way a comfort to the Captain. "They seemed to get along very well. I saw how sad she was when she told me about the others. There was a different kind of hurt when she spoke about Hicks. I think of all the Marines, he was the one who most understood how frightened she was and what act of courage it was for her to accompany them back to LV427. He didn't say it but after the disaster in the atmosphere processor when she got what was left of the squad out of there, he made it his business to see she stayed alive."

Anything Bishop was about to say in response was cut short when suddenly the sound of gunfire ripped through the air. The sound was powerfully loud; resonating against the titanium hull like it was a tuning fork. Chris and Alex exchanged glances, knowing what the activation of the remote sentry units meant.

"Looks like we have company." The Captain said tautly.

Bishop watched the humans leave the room and hoped things turned out a good deal better than it did for the crew of the Sulaco.

*****

"How many?" Chris asked the minute he and Alex stepped into the passenger deck, which also happened to be the inner, most centre of the dropship. Vin, Collins and Ezra were huddled around the computer screen watching the progress of the remote sentry units through the digitized medium. Outside, the roar of erupting gunfire had almost entirely obliterated the sound of rain and screeching aliens as they attempted to breach the deadly barrage.

"Enough," Ezra said coldly as he stepped aside from the screen so that the Captain could see for himself.

What Chris saw in that small screen was more than enough to justify Ezra's present snit with him. The aliens descended upon their target like a swarm of locusts. He could not see where one black, exoskeleton began and where another ended. All he could make out were their talons; the banana-shaped heads and the occasional glint of teeth when the gunfire illuminated the blackness surrounding the craft. He could see them being blown apart while trying to approach the ship, their determination to reach their potential hosts beyond reason or belief. They were absolutely relentless and reminded Chris a little of the Borg but at this moment, he could not imagine which was the worse fate of the two.

"Some of them are going to make it through," Chris warned. "They've got the numbers to see to it."

"I'm on it, Sir." Collins offered. "I'll walk the perimeter of the barricades."

"Susan," Ezra looked over his shoulder. "I require no heroes among my junior staff. If you so much as see a shadow that does not look entirely right, I want you to get back to us immediately. Do we understand each other Lieutenant?"

Collins knew the Chief's tone well enough to understand how serious he was about that order. The Chief took his people's lives very seriously and did not hold with the exception of security officers dying young. It was his devotion to his staff that inspired their loyalty to him.

"Yes, Sir." She nodded and left the room.

Once she was gone, they turned their attention back to the screen once more. The aliens were still coming and the counter reading for the number of rounds left in all the guns began to click down with rapid speed. Although Ezra had brought ammunition for the weapons to last them for several more assaults, the problems were not in the supply but being able to replenish them when there were so many aliens attempting to breach the crossfire. Unearthly screeches tore through the air almost as rapidly as the bullets being fired and Chris had to admit for weapons forged so long ago, they were certainly holding up against the test of time.

"They're still coming," Ezra said grimly.

"They won't stop," Vin spoke with something that sounded a great deal like familiarity. "We're what they need to continue and nothing else defines their existence more than that."

Alex threw an uncertain glance at him. "Since when were you a behavioural expert?"

"I just know it," Vin responded, feeling a little uneasy because he could not explain why he had this sixth sense about the creatures to allow him to make such a statement. However, he had a sense that he was right.

A moment of awkward silence descended the room as no one knew how to respond to Vin's statement. Chris guessed it had something to do with the Vulcan's close contact with the alien, his natural telepathy allowing him to gain some insight into the creature's psyche, such as it was. However, the awkward silence was soon overtaken by something as equally still. Without warning, the guns stopped firing. For a terrible moment, Chris thought their ammunition had finally run out but in truth, the guns had still a long way to go before being completely exhausted. What caused the silence was the sudden withdrawal of the aliens.

"They're going!" Alex exclaimed, never feeling more relieved than at that moment.

"For now." Ezra retorted, not about to get overly optimistic. "They will return later, I am certain of it."

"He's right," Chris agreed. "Let's wait a few minutes and go refill the guns to maximum again. I like to have some insurance before later rolls by."

*****

Collins was walking along the belly of the dropship, poised for trouble when she heard the sound. Although the large rips in the hull were fortified, she knew the aliens were strong. The Bishop android said they were more than capable of tearing through steel as evidenced by the destruction of the barricades erected by the colonists of LV427. She remembered what the Chief said she ought to do in the event she heard anything strange and thought it was sound advice, Collins found that she could not withdraw. It was not lost upon her they were trapped here because she opened fire on one of the creatures when it attempted to attack the Captain. Logically, she knew she had done the right thing but it was hard to discern the right thing when they were in such perilous circumstances because of her actions.

She raised her phaser to fire, prepared to kill anything coming into her sight because she refused to let the alien if it was in here, have the run of the ship and cause another calamity like the one that saw them stranded on this hellish world. Suddenly it occurred to her perhaps using her phaser was not the best course of action. She was also carrying one of the pulse rifles and realised it would cause less damage. Of course, the alien would bleed but it would not create the explosion of acid that crippled the dropship.

The sound of something hard skittering across a metal surface cut short her ruminations and Collins swung around to see the dark shadows moving in the corner. Without wasting any time, she opened fire and caused the alien to leap out of its hiding place with an ear-piercing screech. It leapt towards her and Collins had to roll with it to keep it in her sights. She was about to fire again when she saw it resting on the barricade sealing the hull from the outside. Pull the trigger and the acid would eat away their hopes of staying alive.

For an instant, she had no idea what to do and then realised there was one solution left to her. The alien hissed at her, perhaps sensing her hesitation, if not why. Collins took a deep breath and supposed she might be able to take the creature, at least dislodge it far enough away from the barricade. The belly of the dropship was pressed against the ground. If she shot it while it was there, the acid would eat into the ground harmlessly. Steeling herself, she ran forward, positioning her body as if she were a gridiron player of old, her shoulder ahead of the rest of her. The alien was more than equal to the attack. She slammed into its exoskeleton and was about to pull away when suddenly she realised it was she who had been played for the fool, that the trap was meant for no one but her.

The second alien had been watching in the darkness and the minute she was in between the both of them, it sprang forth and joined its brethren as high-pitched screams of agony tore through the darkness. As Collins felt teeth sink into her body, she did the last thing she could to keep more of these monsters from penetrating the ship. Pulling the trigger several times, she did not know anything but the pain and was glad when she was bathed with acid, she was beyond feeling anything.

*****

The tricorder started beeping.

Julia sat up abruptly and almost cracked her skull on the underside of the panel. She immediately scrambled for her gun, even though she had a phaser in her hand. The tricorder registered the movement of the alien approaching her location fast.  Julia grabbed the pulse rifle because for some foolish reason the large, prolific looking weapon felt a lot more reassuring than her phaser. She knew she was being ridiculous, her phaser was far more efficient than anything built in the 21st century. She grabbed her weapon and left the runabout; not about to shoot the alien inside the craft when it was the only means of escaping the Sulaco but also reaching the Away Team.

She emerged into the hangar and saw nothing out of the ordinary. She was breathing hard and Julia knew she was scared. There were all too many shapes in this large cavernous deck and more than ever, felt how alone she was in this enormous ship. She shuddered inwardly and ached for Ezra, praying he was in better circumstances than she. The tricorder could put the alien at a certain distance but it could not tell her from which direction it would come. It was within fifty feet of her, according to the device and Julia found herself standing on the floor in the centre of the deck, making sure anything that tried to come at her would not be doing so with the element of surprise. Her choice of venue to make her stand gave her direct line of sight with everything on the floor so she was going to be able to vaporize the alien before it could even take a running leap to attack.

The tricorder still continued to show its readings of 50 feet and then 40, dwindling down to a scant 30 feet. Julia began to get confused. That distance should place the creature inside the room and yet she could see no sign of it. She began looking down through the gratings, wondering if it was being smart, that it was making its approach from beneath her. She moved away again from the detachable grills on the floor and reconfigured her safety zone to take the grill into account. Glancing at her tricorder again, she expected to see the distance closing in again but it did not.

Thirty feet and the creature chose to hold position.

Did it know the virtue of patience? Julia wondered, becoming anxious as the time lengthened. Did it know how to wait out its prey, holding firm and creating such a strangulating bout of fear the helpless victim was tricked into doing something foolish? Julia did not know but she feared such a ruse was being played upon her now. She swallowed hard, feeling beads of sweat running down her brow and along her back. Her intense stare began to waver and she kept darting her eyes from one place to another, hoping to catch out the alien playing havoc with her nerves and superbly, she might add.

"Come on out you bastard!" She shouted. Her voice flowing through the room until it reached the obstruction of the wall and bounced back upon itself.

Still no response.

Perhaps her tricorder was malfunctioning. Julia slipped her phaser back onto her belt so she could take a closer look at the device when suddenly; her eyes caught something overhead. It came down on her so fast she barely had time to move and landed almost entirely on top of the petite redhead. Julia let out a scream as it recovered much faster than she did to lunge at her. She raised the pulse rifle to fire because she was too frightened to let go of it and attempted to pull the trigger. She almost did before freezing at the realization the flailing arms and the teeth attempting to tear her apart belonged to a creature that was on top of her at this moment. Pull the trigger and she would kill it alright, but she would almost certainly kill herself as well.

Instead, as the alien's secondary jaws snapped forth almost crushing her cranium, Julia forced the gun in its way and it ended crunching down on steel. Hardly a tasty morsel in its opinion because it screeched angrily in protest. Talons dug into her chest and pulled back, taking a good deal of skin with it and immediately tearing a cry from her lips. Julia let out a pained scream as she felt her skin shredded and reacted the only way a terrified woman, filled with anguish could. With complete instinct. Throwing one foot up and arching her back, she flung the alien off her with enough force to send it over her head and crashing onto the floor.

Julia rolled bodily, her pulse rifle still in her hand as she stood upright on her knees as the alien began scrambling forward, its exoskeleton making teeth chattering noise as it skittered across the floor towards her, dispensing with the formalities of using her as a host but preparing to tear her apart. This time Julia was filled with an incredible sense of euphoria as well as clarity produced by the adrenaline surge inspired by her abundance of terror.

Time seemed to slow as she lifted the pulse rifle and took aim.

The alien lunged, its coiled tail propelling it through the air when Julia pulled the trigger. The bullets tore out of the short barrel with such force she fell backwards as multiple rounds propelled by chemical reactions slammed into the alien and halted its progress with deadly efficiency. She heard it utter a final death shriek as its body was torn apart by the dangerous projectiles, pieces flying in all directions as she scrambled away from the spray of acid. Acid began eating into the floor plates as the alien remains splattered onto the deck of the hangar. For a long while, Julia stared at it panting, her hands still clutching the pulse rifle as she kept aiming at the carcass as if in death it might still be able to do harm. The alien did not move and as the acid of its form ate its way through the floor, she saw it sink past the newly created orifice and disappear into the blackness.

Only when it was completely gone, did she finally lower her gun.

Julia was trembling when she stood up shakily to her feet.

"I hope you learned your lesson." She declared when she walked to the hole created by the acid spray eating through more decks than she could count when she peered into it. The corrosive substance did its work well and she could see through what was almost half the ship. "Never mess with an engineer."

God, she just hoped she didn't throw up.

"That stings," Vin complained as Alex reapplied the dressing on the wounds he received when he was battling with the alien earlier. Although the lacerations were superficial, Alex was determined he not ignore the injury even though it barely registered in his mind. His body was surging with adrenaline and pain seemed very far away, even her presence was impacting on his senses with more acuity than ever. As he felt her fingers on his bare skin, Vin found himself taking a deep breath of her scent and savouring the sensation as it filled him with warmth like he had never known before. Even her innocent touches against him felt tantalising, just the manner in which the pads of her fingers ran across his flesh made him want to...

He wasn't sure what. He only knew he liked it.

"Stop complaining," she said abruptly, cleaning the smears of green blood from around the tears in his flesh. "You may be stronger than a human but you're not indestructible."

"I hadn't guessed," he grumbled as he flinched again at her probing. "It isn't that bad."

"In this environment?" She looked at him. "With huge bugs running around the place spraying acid all over, wanting to make us hosts for more of them, not to mention the tiny parasitic suckers that seemed to thrive in this climate? Leaving it will be inviting trouble." She said firmly and went back to what she was doing.

"As opposed to what?" Vin complained; more interested in how her fingers were moving against him, how her body seemed more fluid and graceful than ever and how every breath made him feel something he never felt before. His blood felt as if it was boiling in his veins and the sensation was surprisingly good, even if he did not understand it.

"Good point," she gave him a wry smile. "Just humour me okay?" She responded and continued tending to him. The Captain and Ezra had gone outside the ship, taking advantage of the momentary pause in hostilities to reload the remote sentry units with ammunition, for when the creatures made their second attempt to infiltrate the ship. It did not appear as if too long would pass before the aliens came after them again and Alex wanted to put the brief time afforded by the lull to good use.

"Alright," Vin grumbled, hating the fuss but enjoying everything else she was doing.

His time to enjoy it was cut short when the unmistakable sound of a pulse rifle shattered the stillness of the quiet in the small room. Their eyes locked for barely an instant before they realised the shots were close, too close to be produced by either the Captain or Ezra outside. Whoever pulled the trigger to their weapon had done it inside the confines of the dropship barricades. Vin jumped to his feet, grabbing his own weapon as Alex tapped on her com badge. The science officer was also on the move, unprepared to let him go anywhere on this ship by himself.

"Captain, did you hear that?" She asked as she followed Vin down the narrow corridor.

"Yes, we did." Chris Larabee responded, his voice was audible in stutters as he talked to while in motion. "Ezra and I are on our way."

Alex disconnected the link between them. Instead, she tapped her com badge hoping Collins, the only one among them who could have discharged a weapon inside the barricade, was still with them. "Collins!"

There was no response.

"Come on Sue!" Alex called out again; hoping desperation alone would produce the result she wanted. The seconds stretched past as she and Vin descended in the lower depths of the dropship without hearing a sound from the Lieutenant. Although Alex had some idea what they would find at the source of the gunfire, inwardly she dared to hope Collins was not gone like Christie and Angel but she also knew she had to be realistic.

"I'm not getting anything from her!" Alex cried out as they reached the belly of the dropship and immediately the noxious fumes of acid seeped from the cargo hold deck, pressed firmly against the shale floor. The fumes were accompanied by the familiar smell of molten steel and Alex knew what they would find before they entered the hold. Vin slipped through the door first, walking into a fog of smoke, which he had to brush aside. It was difficult to see inside the room but Alex's readings on the tricorder indicated there were no creatures presently in the dropship. She wished she had been as diligent when the aliens attempted to pass the remote sentries. She should have known some might penetrate the ship.

Unfortunately, not only did the tricorder register the lack of aliens; it also registered the absence of Collins. It took only a second later for Vin to confirm visually what she learned using the device.

"Alex," he said softly. "Its too late."

"Damnit!" Alex swore emotionally. "I should have been paying attention during the attack."

"Don't start blaming yourself," he replied as he stepped away from the bloody remains of Lieutenant Collins who had died fighting and ensured she took the aliens with her. The carcasses of the dead creatures were already eating their way through the floor and what parts of Collins not doused with acid was covered in blood. Vin doubted there would be enough of her left to bury after the acid was done with its grisly work.

Alex forced herself to look long enough to know that she probably shouldn't have. She turned away in time to see the Captain and Ezra making their entrance to the place. Both men paused upon seeing her expression and thought it was a redundant gesture, Alex shook her head enough for them to know for certain. "Its too late."

Chris closed his eyes, feeling the burden of another death on his conscience, a death that came about needlessly because he decided to ignore good sense and bring them to this world where there was the possibility of danger. His voice died in this throat and he halted where he stood, unable to think for a moment because the overwhelming guilt lashed at him like the gale force winds against a canvas sail in a storm. Chris did not follow as Ezra forced himself to the place in the room where Lieutenant Collins died doing her duty.

"It looks like two of them got in here during the shooting." Vin stepped away from the scene, having seen enough to last him several lifetimes. "I figured Collins walked in here and spotted them. She realised if she used a phaser, she'd most likely spill enough acid blood to leave a serious breach in our defences. Judging from where she had them pinned, I think she somehow lured them to solid ground so if she were to kill them, the acid would seep into the soil, not eat through the hull."

"Why didn't she call for help?" Chris whispered angrily.

"Chances are she didn't have time." Alex offered a guess. "You've seen how fast these things move."

Chris had to agree with that much. The aliens moved at lightning speed. Their ability to adapt themselves to any terrain was without doubt and Collins would have known how dangerous it was to have two such creatures roaming loose inside the dropship. Even for a craft this small and with their tricorders, there were ample places for the aliens to hide and make it extremely hard to neutralize.

"Are there any more of them?" Chris turned to Alex who was carrying the tricorder.

"No," she shook her head. "The ship is clear."

"Alright," Chris nodded somberly. "We best get ready for the next wave." He gestured the others to follow him as he started out of the cargo hold.

Alex and Vin immediately fell into stride side by side while trailing behind their Captain, however, Ezra had not moved a step. The security chief remained hunched over what remained of Lieutenant Collins, staring into the blood and dissolving remnants of an officer and a friend he worked with closely since arriving on the Maverick. She had always a reputation for being trouble and Chris had more than raised a brow when Ezra asked for her transfer to the Maverick. However, Ezra himself was known to be something of an outcast and he never could find himself to take a bad report about any officer at face value.

"Ezra?" Vin called out.

Ezra did not answer and his silence made the others stop.

Ezra was so angry he could not speak. Only when Silas Poplar killed Julia in that holo-deck fantasy world created by Q, had Ezra felt anger equal to this. However, his rage this time was not directed at some faceless killer he had yet to discover but rather at a source closer to home. For the first time since this began, the fury he felt at the irresponsibility of his Captain bubbled to the surface and was not held in check by his usual indifferent facade. Ezra rose to his feet slowly and glared at Chris, venom exuding from him in clear waves of rage.

"I hold you completely responsible for this."

"Ezra, this is not the time." Alex stepped in, seeing the look in his eyes and pretty sure they were going to have a situation unless it was not stopped in its tracks now.

"When is it time?" Ezra whirled at her, too carried away by his anger to stop. He had tried so hard to do his job. Time and time again, he asked the Captain to walk on the side of prudence but the Captain, obsessed with finding answers to a riddle in the past ignored him, despite the fact everything about the situation demanded caution. "When we are all dead? Well, that dear Alexandra is not too far away now is it?" He sneered.

"Ezra that's enough," Vin warned even though he felt Ezra's anger was warranted. However, nothing he said to Chris would make the Captain feel any worse than Chris already did for the deaths of the security team.

"It is not enough!" Ezra glared at Chris. He rarely allowed his rage to have free reigned but now it was unleashed, was determined to have its day. "My people are dead! They did not have to die! If you had just listened to me! If you had just acknowledged one single concern I had, they would still be here! In fact, not only would they be alive, we would be on our way out of here instead of waiting for those hellish creatures to close in on us."

"Ezra!" Alex snapped, this time she was not speaking to the security chief as his friend but rather as his superior officer. "You are riding close to insubordination, now give it a rest!"

"The hell I will," he took a step towards Chris and Vin immediately blocked his path, ensuring he did not reach the Captain.

"Ezra I did what I had to." Chris finally spoke defending himself. "I'm sorry about Angel, Christie and Collins. I'll never be able to forgive myself for what happened to them and you're right, not just about this but about everything."

"And you think that actually makes a difference don't you?" Ezra retorted shaking his head. "You think that an apology makes everything you did permissible? Forgive me Sir but I am afraid that is not good enough. What happens the next time we go on a mission that conflicts with your personal difficulties?"

"Don't push your luck, Ezra," Chris broke past Vin and was now standing toe to toe with the security chief. He was more than aware of his complicity in the deaths of those crewmen but Ezra was crossing a line he would not abide from anyone, even a friend.

"Or what Captain? Are you going to charge me with insubordination?"

"Maybe." Chris was thinking that was the least he was going to do. The most was he was going to wipe that insubordinate smirk off Ezra's face.

"You do that Captain and I will charge you with misconduct resulting in the death of innocent crewmen!" He exploded and lunged at Chris, prepared to strike while Chris did the same. Fortunately, Vin was already grabbing both men apart and flung them to either side of the room. He had more than enough strength to manage the feat quite easily and both security chief and Captain went sprawling in opposite directions.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" The Vulcan fairly shouted. "WE ARE IN NO SHAPE FOR EITHER OF YOU TO GET INTO A PISSING CONTEST ABOUT WHO'S TO BLAME!"

Vin's own rage was properly provoked by this display from both his friends.  While Chris did deserve some of the things said to him, just as Ezra was justified in saying them, there was a line crossed he did not care for from either of them.

"Now we need to work together to get out of this mess alive. What you two decide to do once we get off this hellhole is up to you but for the moment, we're all standing waist deep in the same shit! Those things are coming back for us as soon as they discover there are more of them then there are bullets in the remote sentry units, so we better start thinking of a plan. Captain, we need you to come up with one." He shifted his gaze from Chris to Ezra. "And Ezra, we need you to make it work."

Ezra blinked and looked away, feeling an inordinate amount of shame for letting his anger get the best of him. A short time ago, he was thinking of how he asked for Collins to be assigned to the Maverick because he knew what it was like to be undervalued because of what was said in one's official record. Yet he forgot the reason he was on the Maverick at all was that Chris took the same chance on him. In the light of Vin's harsh but justifiable words, Ezra realised he had behaved abominably and Vin was right, nothing he said to Chris could make the Captain feel any worse already. Besides, Collins, Christie and Angel were apart of Chris's crew, not just his security team.

"Captain," Ezra swallowed hard, feeling flushes of shame stain his cheeks as he kept his eyes fixed on the floor, unable to meet Chris's stare. "I am sorry for what I said. I had no right to speak to you in that fashion and I know you did not mean for any of this to happen.'

The apology meant a great deal to Chris because he knew exactly how pained Ezra was feeling.  He was responsible for their deaths because Ezra had pointed out the potential for something to go wrong and was ignored. He was culpable and not about to get on his high horse now he was a little less angry at Ezra's outburst.

"Thank you, Ezra," he said genuinely accepting the apology. "I promise you I'll never take your advice for granted again and we will get out of here. I won't let any more of us die in this place."

"Captain," Alex interrupted the speech as her eyes remained fixed on the tricorder. The expression on her face was deathly and they knew even before she spoke what terrible revelation was going to come from her.

"The aliens. They're attacking."

*****

This time the converging number of aliens did not resemble their earlier attack. Instead of coming blindly at the sentry units and being cut to pieces like before, the aliens were more coordinated, sacrificing some of their numbers to keep the sentries busy while others slipped past their defensive perimeter. The Starfleet officers watched through the console screen at the scenery outside, feeling their blood chill with each screech tearing a shrill path through the air before being obliterated by a more mechanical one as the remote sentries found more targets to shoot. Even though none of the aliens had yet to reach the hull, Chris could tell it was only a matter of time. The problem was, there was little he could think to do to stop them once they decided to take the ship. The small room where they were keeping watch made it almost impossible for them to talk thanks to the deafening noise outside, so all they could do was watch without speaking, trying not to let the scene outside diminish their hope.

Alex could see the writing on the wall just like her Captain.  Soon, they would be in a position with very little chance of survival no matter what course they were forced to take. It stood to reason eventually the aliens would make their way to the hull and when that happened, Alex had no doubt the creatures would tear the titanium off the ship's structure if that was what it took to penetrate the barricades. Once the aliens were inside the dropship, this was no longer a suitable place to hide and they would have to leave except there was nowhere to go. The prison may have been a maximum-security installation but it was not made to keep out a lifeform as versatile and determined as this one. Alex did not like their chances out in the open but supposed it was better than nothing.

Suddenly, Alex remembered Bishop and realised she left him conscious. She was not about to leave the android behind, especially powered. She could think of no crueller act than to leave him awake, without the ability to save himself waiting for deliverance that would never come if anything happened to them. For someone who had been in a similar situation a lifetime ago, Alex was not about to let it happen to Bishop if it was in her power to do something about it. Without considering the wisdom of her actions, the science officer broke away from the others as she hurried to the passenger deck, where she left the android.

She was halfway there when suddenly a burst of static ruptured in her ears making her flinch. She looked around and searched for the noise, thinking at first it must have been one of those old-fashioned radios, the 21st century was so fond of using. Straining to listen in order to pinpoint the source, she was once again rewarded with another scratchy burst she discovered was coming from her com badge and trailed by a familiar voice.

"Lieutenant Pemberton to the Away Team! Come in." Julia's voice reached across space and flooded Alex with nothing less than joy.

"Julia!" Alex tapped her com badge and wondered if the Captain and the others could hear it. It took her a split second to realize they could barely hear each other when the sentry units were firing, let alone this uneven voice from space. "Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea what we've been going through?"

"What you've been going through?" The redhead snorted from the cockpit of the runabout. "Don't even get me started."

"How did you manage to contact us through the storm?" Alex asked, wondering how this minor miracle had come about.

"I'm piggybacking the signal on a tachyon pulse. It's drawing your transmission to it through the interference." The Chief Engineer explained and did not surprise the Science Officer by its ingenuity.

"Julia get down here! The place is crawling with aliens. We've already lost all our security personnel."

"All?" Her voice tightened with sheer terror. "Ezra?"

Alex scolded herself and immediately clarified. "Ezra's fine but we've barricaded ourselves on the dropship. We can't take off and we're about to be overwhelmed by these things. Kick that runabout into maximum burn and get us the hell out of here!"

"I'm already on my way!" Julia declared firmly, panic-stricken for the safety of not only her lover but also her friends. "Just hang on!"

"Alex!" Chris' voice sliced through Julia's communication with her. "Where the hell are you? We've got breaches through the perimeter! They've gotten through the hull! We've got to evacuate immediately!"

Alex swung around and prepared to go back the way she came when something dropped in front of her. All black and slithery, it landed softly on the grating in front of her and straightened itself upright to hiss at her with its massive jaws, tentacles and tail coiling languidly as it prepared to attack. Alex was mesmerized for a brief instance before she pulled her phaser and fired. The alien prepared to lunge but a beam of energy caught it straight in the gut and threw it halfway across the corridor before its body exploded, spraying acid in all directions. Alex backed up, preparing to find another way to the Captain when she heard something behind her.

Something very close.

She whirled around into a set of glistening jaws and something sharp that struck her in the centre of her thigh. There was a moment of clarity when she realised what the creature had done and tried to scream but the darkness overwhelmed her and she knew nothing more.

*****

It was Vin who guessed Alex might have gone back to get the android Bishop. What was left of the Away team left the command centre where they had been monitoring the sentry units' progress at keeping the aliens at bay. Since it was more or less a moot point with the damn things overrunning the dropship, all the Away Team could do was find their missing member and get out while they could. It was anyone's guess what would happen once they were out in the open but at the moment, the confined spaces were giving the aliens too much advantage. As they attempted to reach the passenger compartment, they saw the damage inflicted by an alien's demise and found another route instead.

"Bishop," Vin spoke as he lowered himself from an access hatch on the ceiling leading from the upper deck. "Where's Alex?"

Bishop could not meet the Vulcan's gaze as Chris and Ezra followed him into the room by way of the same hatchway.

"I heard her coming." He said softly. "She was speaking to someone but she never got here."

"Speaking to someone?" Vin mused and exchanged puzzled glances with both Ezra and Chris.

"Someone called Julia," Bishop informed.

"Julia!" Ezra exclaimed. "Did you say, Julia?"

"How did she get through the storm?" Chris asked but decided it did not matter. He tapped his combadge as Vin ran out of the room, trying to retrace Alex's step with Ezra following closely behind.

"Away Team to Lieutenant Pemberton. Come in." Chris tried, hoping the same fluke that allowed Alex to communicate with Julia was still in existence. "This is Captain Larabee, come in Julia."

"I heard her," Bishop said sadly. "And then I heard it."

Chris's heart froze in his chest when he realised what Bishop was trying to say when suddenly, Julia's voice belayed his horror with hope.

"Captain!" She answered, her voice full of relief. "Thank God you're alright. I was talking to Alex and suddenly we were cut off. Standby for pick up, I've got the dropship in sight now."

No sooner than she uttered those words, the ground shuddered with a violent rumble. Bishop rattled on his table and anything still perched on a shelf was jostled out of place onto the floor.

"I was not aware of Fiorina experiencing seismic instability." Bishop's grotesque face wrinkled into a frown.

"It's not seismic instability," Chris responded with a grin. "Those are phaser blasts."

"Just clearing the area," Julia announced. The signal between them was far stronger now they were no longer forced to send the signal through the atmosphere. "You seemed to be surrounded by the things."

Chris was about to answer when Vin and Ezra entered the room. Vin was carrying a phaser in his hands and the expression on his face was beyond sorrow. Chris had never seen Vin's cobalt-coloured eyes take on the shade of dark almost as black as the alien's soul.  It was as if someone stuck a knife through his heart and Chris knew of only one thing capable of devastating the helmsman so much.

"Alex?" Chris was almost afraid to ask.

"There was no sign of her," Ezra spoke because Vin could not. Chris could see the Vulcan's hand clenched so tightly around the science officer's phaser the metal was starting to bend. "All we found is her phaser."

"Vin, I'm sorry." Chris tried to say but words were not enough. If it was Mary taken and Vin was responsible for it, as Chris was responsible for Alex, there was nothing that would keep Vin from tearing him apart.

"Nobody?" Bishop suddenly asked.

Both Ezra and Vin looked up. "Nobody," Ezra answered.

"She's still alive." Bishop quickly replied. "They don't kill you. They only do that if you give them no choice but to kill. Chances are she's being cocooned for implantation."

"NO!" Vin shouted horrified. "I promised her I wouldn't let that happen!" Vin shot a look at Chris and defied the Captain to say otherwise because friend or not, he would regret it. "If she's alive I'm going to get her. I won't let her die like that!"

"Steady there Vin," Ezra responded automatically. "We are not letting her die, are we Captain?"

The security officer met his Captain's eyes and told him in that one hard stare he was more than willing to walk into that hive at Vin's side to get Alex back alive.

"'No we're not," Chris said firmly, deciding that much there and then. Tapping his combadge, he addressed Julia once again. "Julia, we're coming top side. Be ready to pick us up. "

With that, he severed the connection and gave both Vin and Ezra one of those infamous Larabee stares and stated firmly. "We're leaving. All of us."

Drip. Drip. Drip.

The sound of water impacting against the surface somewhere in the distant fog lulled Alexandra Styles back to consciousness. Her head began throbbing almost immediately after awareness filled her and she winced slightly at the dull ache pulsing steadily inside her mind. For a few seconds, she had no idea where she was but the amnesia lasted briefly. The memories began to return quickly when she raised her heavy head and realised there was only darkness around her. Images of glistening teeth and not moving away quite fast enough slammed into her as her eyes widened and instinctively, she glanced at the leg that flared in pain moments before she woke up from the sleep that found her here.

Oh God, I'm inside the hive.

The realization struck cold terror in her heart. Frantically, she let her eyes sweep across her present surroundings, searching for salvation and finding nothing but an addendum to the horror of her situation. She had not been in the hive that saw Ensign Christie torn apart but there was no doubt this was where she was. Alex could see the skeletons described so prolifically by Ensign Angel. The dank musty smell of decomposed bodies still clinging stridently to the air. She tried not to think of what she was inhaling as she began to tremble. Inside the darkened host chamber, the air was also hot and humid. Alex could feel beads of sweat forming under her uniform and breaking free of her hairline to run down her brow. The chamber was still and she heard no movement or saw any of the creatures that brought her here.

She did, however, see the sealed egg in front of her.

Alex froze, wanting to scream but too terrified to bring attention to herself from the creature. They had not killed her, which meant she was meant to be this spore's host. It had been a long time she was this afraid, not since she had been in the hands of the Cardassians. Back then, they had implanted their seed in her too but this was far different. This was obscene. She looked to her hands, trying to see how they managed to pin her to this chamber of horrors and realised she was being held in place by the creature's secreted resin.  It was strong enough to keep her off the floor and trapped to the wall with the rest of the poor creatures forced into being hosts for the alien spores. Scanning the wall, she saw the unsealed eggs that brought to so many their doom still on the floor, their twisted progeny just as scattered.

The egg in front of her remained sealed but Alex knew this was a temporary state of affairs. She wanted to scream her head off for help but the scientist in her vetoed the idea almost immediately. Besides, if the Captain were smart, he would take what's left of the Away Team and get the hell out, not waste time trying to mount a rescue attempt which would end them up in exactly the position she now found herself. Thus, however she extricated herself from this present situation, it would have to be on her own. If worse came to worse, she would find a way to kill herself before she became host to one of these monsters.

She was a scientist. She had to believe her mind could get her out of this or her life's work would mean nothing. Think, Alex. Work the problem as someone famous had once said. These things have no sensory organs of any kind and yet they detect their prey easily. Obviously they were not drawn to light for this place felt like a tomb. They had no eyes to see it anyway, no ears to hear it. Telepathic perhaps? It was possible. They had an exceedingly organized hierarchy structure. Spores, drones, she wondered if there were warrior aliens as well. If there was a Queen, there had to be a warrior caste too.

Not important, Alex quickly disregarded that line of reasoning. Right now, she needed to know how the spores seemed to detect when a host was near. It stood to reason the eggs must hatch pretty quickly after coming into contact with a potential host because of the inconsistency of the supply. So they must hatch when they sense the host nearby but how? Scent? Not from inside a sealed egg.

Sound? Could it be sound? Is that why it was so quiet in here? She did not see any auditory organs but that did not mean anything. Who knew ducks had ears? Alex tensed up and took a deep breath but made certain it was a silent inhale. Sound was not just a thing that was heard, it could be felt. It moved through the air in invisible tremors. It was all a matter of frequency. White sound could shatter eardrums. Low-frequency noise beyond human hearing could drive canines insane. If the alien spore sensed her presence by sound then every breath, every flex of muscle no matter how slight could be a beacon to wake it up.

So she had to be extremely quiet and pray it would be enough until she could figure out how to escape.

******

"Are we ready?" Chris asked his Away Team from inside the confines of the runabout.

"Let's get going," Vin said impatiently as he held the phaser rifle in his hand. The Vulcan was standing at the main hatch, waiting for Julia, who was still at the helm, about to land.

Their rescue from the dropship was fraught with danger but Julia created enough carnage thanks to the phasers, that even if there were aliens left to make their rescue of Alex somewhat difficult, it would be nowhere in the numbers they confronted earlier. When all this was said and done, Chris was going to have to sit down and ponder where the Prime Directive stood in all this. If the atmosphere was not ionized, this entire mission would have gone a great deal smoother with a lot less loss of lives. Even though he learnt the truth about Ripley and Hicks from Bishop, who at the moment was disconnected and lying in a compartment at the back of the runabout, because Vin wouldn't leave it behind, Chris wasn't sure if he gained as much as he thought.

Needless to say, there would be a great deal he would hold himself accountable for later on but for right now, they had to get Alex before any one else paid for his mistakes. It was bad enough to see the look of sorrow on Ezra's face when Julia told him Lieutenant Atwater died, being host to one of those creatures and she bore wounds herself from her encounter with his progeny. Chris was not about to lose his science officer to the same fate that took Ty Atwater. As it was, Vin was already foaming at the mouth and the Vulcan was riding a wave of savagery that would give some of those aliens down there a run for their money. He noted the aggression in Vin's behaviour and wondered was it just Alex's situation that was the cause or was it something more?

"Have you got her Ezra?" Chris asked the security officer who was holding the tricorder in his hand while a phaser rifle was slung over his shoulder.

"Yes," the southerner nodded. "I detect her life signs clearly." He added for Vin's benefit. "She is alive but there is no way to tell if..." he trailed off not knowing how to finish that sentence.

"If they haven't got one of those things inside of her," Vin nodded in understanding. "Well if she's taken we can put her in stasis until the Maverick gets back right?" He looked at Chris.

"Absolutely." Chris nodded. If there was anyone who could be able to extract the parasite from inside Alex, it was Nathan Jackson.

"We may even be able to beam it out of her," Julia added hopefully, able to see how fearful Vin was for Alex.

"Rest assured Vin," Ezra said firmly. "One way or another, she will not die on this God forsaken place."

"Alright," Chris let out a breath as he turned to Julia. "Julia, you know what to do."

"Yes Sir," the Chief Engineer nodded though she did not like the idea much. "Once you're on the ground, I am to circle the hive until I receive your signal to land."

"Right." He nodded. "Under no circumstances will you be on the ground before that Lieutenant. Are we clear?"

Julia swallowed, glancing instinctively at Ezra when Chris made that statement only to see him nod his agreement with his Captain. "I do not want you in any more danger than you have already been Julia." He solidified his solidarity with the Captain by that statement.

"Yes, Sir." She whispered unhappily.

"Good," Chris turned towards the hatch. "Take us down."

******

It had started to rain again but this time it was a light teeming fall, which felt prickly against the skin. The runabout soared into the air and Chris was consoled by the fact it would not be far away when they needed it. They sighted the same fissure on the surface of the large hive structure found by Ensign Angel in the last hour of her life. There was no light radiating from that jagged smear of black leading into hell. There were no aliens in sight now. Most likely they were scattered, searching for the prey they knew were here if not gone. Vin started walking first, his phaser rifle slung around his shoulder and held in a firm grip in readiness to fire. The expression on his face was something Chris had never seen. The Captain had no doubt that any alien attempting to stop Vin from reaching Alex would have reason to regret it.

"Vin, wait up," Chris ordered the Vulcan who immediately came to a stop and glanced impatiently over his shoulder for his Captain and the security chief to catch up.

"Captain," Ezra spoke up as he studied his tricorder, a slight frown appearing on his face. "I cannot get an accurate fix on the aliens. I think there may be some interference coming from the structure. I can pinpoint their general location but nothing exact."

"What about Alex?" Vin turned around and faced Ezra at that alarming news.

"Her life signs are easy to pinpoint Mr Tanner," Ezra responded automatically. "Fortunately, one carbon-based life form amongst a complement of silicon types makes for a standout."

"That's something at least," Chris muttered under his breath before speaking in a clearer voice. "Are we clear to go?" He looked at Ezra, as they were about to penetrate the interior of the hive.

"As we will ever be." Ezra shrugged. "There does not appear to be aliens in the immediate vicinity."

"You don't sound very sure," Chris noted.

"I am not." He returned the stare Chris was giving him with just as much intensity.

Predictably, Vin entered without waiting for them while they were still talking. The phaser rifles came equipped with a torch perched on the barrel and the moment they entered the darkness, the small bulb illuminated inside its glass casing and lit the way for them. Chris and Ezra followed right behind him and were immediately faced with the bizarre construction of the alien hive. Gigantic veins ran across the high ceilings and the interior of the hive seemed to be a collection of dark chambers, shadowy and indistinct. It was the perfect environment for the aliens to lie in wait. Chris wondered if the creatures' homeworld resembled this and was glad he never had the misfortune to land in such a stygian place.

There were tiny wisps of rain drifting past the light beams and the humid temperature soon attacked them mercilessly. Vin would not stand for it and immediately divested himself of his Starfleet issue blazer and turtleneck.

"Ezra, how far away is she?" Chris asked as they moved through the black chambers.

"About a hundred feet," Ezra responded his voice soft and hushed.

"Almost at the centre," Vin remarked.

"Makes sense," Chris replied. "She would be placed very close to the egg chamber, which is where the queen would. If the entomology principles of a hive society were in force here at least in the conventional sense, the queen would be isolated. She would be protected by the others but at a safe distance."

"So we will have to pass their defensive perimeter to reach her." Ezra nodded in understanding.

"I think so."

"Everybody quiet!" Ezra hissed loudly. "I'm getting alien signals approaching."

"How far?" Chris demanded.

"I cannot determine that accurately." The security chief replied, "But I think we ought to proceed with extreme caution."

There was no need to seek out the approaching aliens for they emerged soon enough. Chris saw the black shape spring out of nowhere, the angle of its trajectory heading straight for Ezra. As it leapt over himself and Vin, Chris aimed his phaser to fire while Ezra staggered out of the way when suddenly Vin shot out his arm and wrapped a fist around what appeared to be the creature's leg.

The Vulcan pulled back with so much force the alien swung back the way it came, slamming onto the hard ground while screeching its outrage. Giving it little time to recover from its abrupt landing, Vin brought the butt of his rifle down on the banana-shaped head and fairly shattered the mouthful of sharp teeth that made up the alien's fangs. The creature hissed again and Vin let go of his rifle, allowing it to swing under his arm as both hands grabbed the elongated head and twisted hard. The following snap was loud enough for even Chris and Ezra to wince as the Vulcan twisted the head all the way around. The alien felt down limp without offering further protest.

Vin stood up and looked over his shoulder before stating icily. "Let's go."

But they were not going anywhere yet. Probably because they were just as astonished by the brutal demise of their own, two more aliens made their appearance and Chris ducked as one lunged and rolled across the grimy floor as he fired. The only thing he heard was a screech of pain and the brief illumination of the phaser as the creature was blown apart, spraying acid in all directions. A bit of landed on his shoulder and Chris uttered a small gasp of pain as he felt the noxious substance eating through his skin. Without wasting any time, Chris ripped the entire sleeve away, abruptly cutting off the flow of acid making its way through the fabric to flesh. He still had some burns though but not enough to slow him down, just enough to give him something to think about.

Ezra in the meantime just completed vaporizing the second creature when he noted Vin had gone ahead.

"VIN!" Ezra shouted as he hurried to the Captain and helped him up. "Wait for us, Lieutenant!" Vin did not respond and Ezra shook his head in annoyance as he turned to Chris. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," Chris nodded wincing. "It hurts but I'll live." Chris raised himself to his feet and examined the burnt flesh on his shoulder. It did hurt but adrenaline was dousing the pain for now. His attention was mostly focussed on Vin who had disappeared. "Vin, hold your horses! NOW!"

"Well hurry up!" Vin snapped back from the next chamber.

Chris shook his head in disbelief at the helmsman's impeccable timing to suddenly become temperamental. "Is it me or is he behaving just a little bit..."

"Deranged?" Ezra completed, thinking the same thing himself. "What he did to that alien made me feel pity for the creature. It's not just worrying for Alex either. He has been this way for quite some time now."

"I know." Chris nodded remembering how he tore them both apart during their spat. A little more strength and they could be in the same condition as that alien lying on the floor with its head 180°degrees from where it ought to be. "We'll deal with this later," Chris sighed knowing at this moment, they had not the time for such debate. "If there is a later."

******

They encountered more aliens the further into the hive they pushed. Ezra's tricorder readings indicated there were a large number of them in the hive and at this moment they were converging upon the rescue team. Fortunately, they were almost twenty feet away from Alex's coordinates and her life signs were still strong. Vin was pushing forward with the same savage pace and the more Chris saw him react to the aliens, the more the Captain became nervous. The latest kill, again with his bare hands, had Vin shoving one of those elongated heads into a protrusion of jagged metal, the remains of a steel chair leg the aliens had used to construct their hive. Vin had impaled the creature through the base of its skull, forcing steel to exit through the top of its head, just beyond the jaw. According to Vin, it was where its central cortex was located. Chris did not argue with the results since the alien did not survive the procedure.

They entered the large chamber with the skeletons and saw the remains of humans and domestic animals the company used in its breeding program. It was a macabre picture of death and Chris could not imagine what kind of evil that allowed one human being to do this to another.

Sometimes he didn't know which species was worse. You didn't see them fucking each other over a goddamn percentage.

"These poor souls," Ezra whispered as he imagined the terror in those skeletal faces.

Chris was passing by a corpse clinging to the wall when suddenly; a hand reached out and grabbed him. Chris almost turned around and fired but when he looked, all he saw was a human face. A live human face.

"Angel." He gasped and felt a little of himself die then and there when he saw her eyes fix on him.

"Captain." She whispered. Her face was covered in moisture and held in place with ooze. She was pinned to the wall with the resin the creatures used to construct their hive and keep their prey immobilized for implantation.

"Oh, sweet Jesus," Ezra muttered somewhere in the dark and Chris knew it was not because she was alive but because he saw the unsealed egg and the dead spore at her feet. With an alien inside of her, the tricorder was unable to pick her life sign as human.

"Captain, I can feel it moving." She blinked and hot tears ran down her cheeks. "It's scratching against my insides. I think it's going to come soon."

"We'll get you out of here Ensign," Chris said quickly examining her trappings to do just that.

"Captain," she met his gaze with a great deal more realism than he himself, possessed. "You can't get this out of me in time." She said softly, trying not to cry. "I don't want to die like this. Please don't let me see it coming. I couldn't stand it."

Chris understood and she was right. If she could feel the infant alien starting to claw its way out of her sternum then they were out of time. Even if he pulled her free, they had to make it out of here again and it would be too late. With anguish, he realised his ensign was far braver and smarter than he was.

"Angel do not talk that way," Ezra replied, refusing to let things end like this. "We will extricate you from this..."

"Ezra," Chris spoke with a voice not quite his own. "You and Vin go get Alex."

"What?" Ezra gasped. "Why?"

"DO AS I SAY!" Chris roared with a vehemence that would have sent the aliens running for cover if they understood the words.

Vin met Chris's gaze and a wave of sympathy filled not only for the young ensign but his Captain. "Come on Ezra," Vin tugged at the security officer's arm. "We have to go."

"No." Ezra shook his head. "Not like this."

"Please Chief," Angel made her final plea. "I don't want to see it come out of me." She was begging and Ezra felt his heart breaking into a thousand pieces and never hated a species more than this miserable race they happened upon on Fury 361.

Ezra couldn't say any more because Vin was pulling him away. Chris did not watch as his security chief and helmsman faded into the darkness. All he could do was stare into the face of this child whose life was turned in an obscenity because of his obsession. He had never felt so ashamed in his life and he took a step to the young woman and placed his hand on her warm cheek, wet with tears. She had started to cry and each sob tore at his soul like knives.

"I'm scared Captain," she wept. "I'm so scared."

"Its okay Ensign, I'm going to be right here." Chris leaned forward, raising her chin in his hand and lowering his lips to hers in a gentle kiss. It was the most lingering kiss he had given any woman, not at all passionate but filled with tender, gentle affection. He closed his eyes and felt her tears against his skin, even as the barrel of the phaser rifle was moving stealthily through the darkness towards her brow. She did not notice it, lost in the kiss. Lost in the one beautiful moment she would have before she died. Chris felt her respond, felt her lips take his hungrily and felt his own tears come just as he pulled the trigger.

She went limp in his arms with the discharge of the weapon and her head slumped against him as the life drained out of it. When Chris stepped back, there were more tears running down his face. Of all the things he had done to bring them to this place, until this moment he never realised how wrong he was until he stared at this child who had begged him to take her life.

"I'm so sorry Ensign. God help me, I am so sorry."

******

Alex heard a sharp voice and knew through some miracle, they were actually coming for her. She heard gunfire and voices in the distance, all the while praying they would reach her before the noise they caused gave the alien spore before her reason to awake. Through all the shooting and voices, the spore remained sealed which gave further evidence the spore's sensory perception had limits. However, now it was time to make a decision. Her friends were close and they had to know where she was. They had to know even if she had to help them. Even if she had to risk giving the spore stimulus to awake.

"VIN!" Alex screamed on top of her lungs and hoped it was enough.

"Alex!" His voice returned almost immediately. "Alex, we're coming!"

The egg needed no more incentive than that. It started to unseal with a loud hiss of warm gases escaping the mouth, like an obscene parody of a flower bud opening.

"Come faster!" She shouted, unashamed at the pure unadulterated terror in her voice. Alex saw the appearance of one spindly digit making an exploratory examination of the outside world, through the noisome fluid of its receptacle.

She watched as another digit peered out, dragging clear, sticky fluid in thick suspending rivulets. Soon the entire creature was pushing towards the edge of the egg. Alex had not actually seen the spore before but it reminded her of a hand with way too many fingers. She did recognise the tail, however, the long coiling tail whose only purpose was to send it propelling through the air towards some helpless victims. She saw its muscles flex and knew it was preparing to jump.

Alex screamed just as Vin fired and killed the thing before it had a chance to reach her.

As he did so, an alien leapt into view and Ezra dispatched it with as much impunity. Another emerged and Vin displayed the skill that made him the best shot on the Maverick when he swung around and killed it before it could even reach them.

"Alex!" Vin hurried to her, letting go of his rifle as he reached her. A surge of happiness at seeing her well made him push his lips against her in a hard, demanding kiss before he had a chance to know what he was doing. Alex did not know if her sudden deliverance was more surprising or the fact that Vin had actually kissed her.

"Are you alright?" He asked, his eyes full of concern.

"One second more and I wouldn't have been." She laughed with relief even though they were nowhere out of trouble.

"I do not wish to interrupt your reunion Lieutenant Tanner but do you think you could possibly remove our lovely science officer from her present incarceration so we can get the FUCK out of here?"

"What he said but without the swearing and a hell of a lot more gratitude." She looked around and saw the Captain was not with them. "Where's the Captain?" She was almost fearful of the answer.

"Right here," Chris responded emerging from out of the darkness. "You okay Alex?"

"Yes, Sir," Alex replied and noted something in his eyes that made her decide to keep her answer short. It wasn't just him, it was also in Vin and Ezra's eyes, and Alex wondered what happened. She'd ask Vin about it later, for now, she was just grateful at being freed.

Vin ripped the resinous material that kept her bound and Alex dropped into his arms from her suspended position against the wall. She took a moment to embrace him, never being so happy to be alive. However, she soon noted Ezra was keeping watch on the tricorder reading. The frown on his face did not bode well.

"Captain," Ezra said softly. "They're coming."

"How many?" Chris returned tautly as they started to backtrack.

There was a pause before the security officer answered. "All of them."

Chris thought quickly.

There was only one way for them to get out of here alive. It was time for a royal meeting.

******

It was not hard to find the chamber where all the alien eggs originated. As soon as they approached it, the advance stopped in its tracks. The aliens were hovering at a perimeter, uncertain of what to do, Chris wagered. He was correct in assuming the drones would not risk attacking while the mother of their entire society was endangered. Knowing she existed was nothing like laying eyes upon her in reality. In her report, Angel spoke of the queen being larger and far more formidable than the drones they so far encountered, but seeing her for themselves made that description pale in comparison. The room they entered was full of eggs, produced by a biological conveyor belt running across the length of the room.

As Chris, Vin, Alex and Ezra entered the maw of hell, no one dared to speak. The horror of their situation robbed every one of words. The eggs sack ran like a giant conduit around them, beginning at an egg and ending with the queen alien perched on top of it. She was aware she had visitors and raised her massive head, flared with black frills that looked very much like a crown. Her outer lips, it was the closest definition Chris could come up with, pulled back and revealed an enormous mouth full of teeth the size of his forearms. Clear ooze dribbled off those massive uneven teeth as fangs were bared in their direction.

"Oh shit," Alex whispered. "Captain, tell me again how this is a good idea?"

Chris did not know what he was doing for an instant as he stepped forward and stared at the thing, ahead of those with him. He was just beyond her reach but close enough for the alien queen to know she was being observed by the leader of this small band of humans or by her reckoning, incubators.

"So you're the Queen?" He asked, his voice devoid of humour.

She hissed a loud stomach-turning sound.

They regarded each other for a long moment, bringing puzzlement to those who observed the silent exchange.

"I'm going to kill you," Chris said simply but the menace in his voice made those who heard it, shudder. "I'm going to wipe you and your whole fucking nest out of existence. If I have to turn this planet into radioactive mush, I will do that because you're going to pay for Ripley, for Hicks," his voice wavered a little. "For Angel. You're gonna pay a thousand fucking times for Angel."

An egg unsealed next to him and Chris stared at the queen, aware she had just thrown down the gauntlet. Fine, he had come in here with a plan.

"Now Julia." He ordered.

No sooner than the words left his mouth and explosion rocked the structure. The queen screeched loudly, her arms flaying as the high ceiling above them suddenly shattered, torn apart by a phaser blast. Chris chose that moment to withdraw, ordering his people to the far corner of the room as the runabout slammed through the top of egg chamber, raining debris down over the queen's precious eggs, following the signal of their com badges. She roared once again with fury, struggling to break free and Chris had no intention of sticking around for that. Once inside the hatchery, the runabout lowered to the ground. Julia picked her landing spot carefully as the Away Team watched in anticipation as she set down on a pile of debris, safe from squashing the acid-filled eggs. The landing was unstable but Chris knew as well as Julia, the runabout would be capable of blasting off any surface.

"Get to the ship!" Chris shouted though it was a redundant gesture. Everyone was already bolting across the hatchery towards the small ship, which was as close to heaven as any vehicle could be. Alex was the first to reach the hatch, which Julia opened for them. The destruction of the hive had overridden the aliens fear for their queen and they were closing in. As Alex clambered through the open door, Julia fired at an approaching alien in the shadows. Following close behind was Ezra and Vin. Chris was the last.

Chris had one more thing to do before he vacated the area. He set his hand phaser for overload and dropped it in front of the queen's perch before he ran like hell for the runabout as his crew valiantly provided him with cover. Chris had to practically jump into the open mouth of the runabout's open hatch.

"Get us out of here!" He shouted at Vin who had taken the helm.

The runabout was already lifting off the ground as Julia closed the hatch and when the craft rose into the air, Chris could see the aliens closing in on the ship. No doubt some would try to reach it. He didn't care. They could hang on for all they were worth, but they were not going to survive the trip out of the atmosphere because he'd burn the bastards off first.

The runabout exploded off the ground as Vin took off at maximum speed, sending hot waves of plasma from the engines as it shot into the air like a comet. The fallout incinerated the eggs and aliens beneath it, ending their threat in a screech of all-consuming heat. Vin directed the runabout through the fissure Julia created to reach them, widening as the hive began to collapse. The small Starfleet craft reached open air when another explosion was heard; this time a little more localized in its concentration and had all the characteristics of a detonating phaser set on overload.

Inwardly, Chris whispered to himself. Die bitch, die.

"Vin," Chris struggled to his feet after they were free of the hive and went to his pilot. "Circle around."

"Circle around?" Vin stared at him in surprise.

"Do it," Chris ordered. "Ezra how many torpedoes have we got on this thing?"

"Five."

"Vin, I want you to take a pass at that hive," Chris said with a tone that would not tolerate any argument, even from his best friend. "And then I want you to fire all torpedoes at that damn thing."

"All?" Ezra exclaimed. "One would be sufficient."

"ALL." Chris glared at him. "I want the entire site levelled."

Strangely enough, it was a comforting thought for everybody and Chris received no further protest.

The Maverick was no more than two days away from the Sulaco when the distress signal Julia Pemberton sent prior to leaving the ship to retrieve the Away Team on Fiorina reached them. Buck Wilmington sent his apologies to Admiral Donaldson, citing an emergency and that they would be a little late in reaching their destination at the Vorlis system. Fortunately, the USS Saratoga was in the vicinity and was able to assume the duties that the Maverick was forced to abandon in order to carry out their rescue mission. Buck immediately reversed course, proceeding to the prison facilities at Warp 9, cutting down a trip that would have taken days into a matter of hours. The distress signal did not explain much in the way of the emergency but considering what they knew about the life forms encountered by Ellen Ripley, Buck wasted no time in returning to the lady’s last known location.

The runabout had already returned to the Sulaco when the Maverick arrived and Chris wasted no time having his crew beamed off the ancient ship and back to more familiar surroundings. After what they had been through, he would not force them to remain on the Sulaco for longer than necessary. This entire situation was his fault and he knew it. It would be a long time before he would ever overcome the price of forgetting he was Captain. All he would have to do was to remember that girl who had asked to be killed and suddenly, the obsession driving him these past few weeks did not seem as important as his crew or his duty to them.

Utilising the Maverick’s sensors, they were able to make another sweep of the Sulaco, calibrating them to detect any further evidence of non-carbon based life forms to ensure there were no more of the aliens that were almost the death of them all on Fury 361. The sensors gave the Sulaco a clean bill of health and the Maverick signalled Deep Space Five to dispatch a tug to tow the vessel back to Earth. Every member of the Away Team had seen just about as much of the Sulaco as they wanted to, for a long time. To ensure no one else stumbled inadvertently into the alien nest if any of the creatures survived the torpedo barrage, Chris ordered the deployment of a cautionary beacon, warning any ships who happened by to avoid landing on the surface.

Chris remained on the Sulaco long enough after the Maverick's arrival to gather the belongings of Corporal Hicks for himself. He was after all, family and Chris did not feel right about leaving the man’s last possessions on the ship that brought him to his death. He did the same for Ripley, mostly because he could not bear to forget her. Ripley and Ensign Angel both taught him valuable lessons.

Ripley taught him to value the friends in his life for she lost everyone she had through no fault of her own and he who was a great deal luckier, should never take his own for granted as he had been doing since learning about Q’s gift to him. What Angel taught him was an even more painful lesson and one he would carry for a long time. She and all the others, Lieutenant Ty Atwater, Lieutenant Susan Collins and Ensign John Christie were dead because he forgot a Captain had a responsibility to his crew first, everything else came second.

After what finally seemed like an eternity, Chris and the Away Team were transported back to the Maverick. All of them were a mess of injuries that needed tending. Julia and Vin had severe lacerations that simple field dressing was not adequate to treat and they were immediately ordered to Sick Bay by Nathan Jackson before they even stepped off the transporter pad. Alex and Ezra were unscathed but both were exhausted and immediately retired to their quarters for some rest. Although he was suffering third-degree burns to the shoulder, he resisted Nathan’s demand to get medical help for the time being. In truth, Chris had no patience with a doctor’s poking and prodding when there was one thing he had to do he had put off too long.

When he knocked on her door, he did not know what to say to her.

His behaviour the past few weeks had been next to offensive and he knew she was completely justified in wishing to leave the Maverick permanently. Before all this happened, he was more than happy to let her go, ignorantly believing she was less important than the quest he had to complete. Now as he waited for her to open the door, Chris knew if Sarah were standing here, she would have been utterly furious at how he behaved to Mary. He did not know what he had to say to her but the pain inside of him was so intense, he knew only her forgiveness would make some of it go away.

The doors slid open and Mary’s shock at his appearance showed. He was still covered in grime, soot left over from smoke and gooey alien. His Starfleet blazer and turtle neck were discarded after he was forced to tear the sleeves off when sprayed with acid and his skin was covered with a plethora of bruises and acid burns across his skin, the most prominent being his wounded shoulder. However, none of this mattered to him because seeing her before him, smelling the faint smell of her perfume and seeing the worry in her dove-like eyes was enough to make him feel terribly grateful to be alive.

"Oh my God, Chris!  What happened to you?"

"Can I come in Mary?" He asked meekly.

Mary nodded and stepped aside. She had been on her way to the bridge herself to find out what happened to require the Maverick straying off mission to come rescue them for Fury 361. She expected whatever the emergency was, she would most likely find Chris at SickBay. Looking at him now, she wondered why he was not there already.

"Chris you’re hurt." She ran her finger gently on the tender flesh seared with acid.

"Its okay," Chris swallowed and met her eyes. "I'll see Nathan later. I've got something to tell you. Something important."

She could see it in his eyes, something terrible happened down there. Something so unspeakable he could barely keep it contained behind that icy coloured stare. Her heart pounded in fear as well as compassion. Everything that happened between them of late was brushed to the back of her mind because he needed her and he was not a man who would ask. Their relationship in tatters could be dealt with later but for now she wrapped her arms around him and held him close to her. There was a slight moment of hesitation before she felt his own arms around her waist and his head lowered into the crook where her shoulder met her neck.

"I'm sorry," he whispered as the bottled up sorrow inside of him finally found release. The tears came freely as he wept softly in her embrace and felt her arms encircle him even tighter as she cooed in the background that things would be all right.

"I love you." He had never said it before and Mary paused for a moment, reeling from the surprise and the elation at his finally admitting what was unspoken for so long.

Chris did not fear telling her how he felt. He would say anything to keep her from going away because it was in his power to keep her in his life. Ellen Ripley never had the chance. The people in her life were stolen her from through no fault of her own. Chris would not make the mistake of standing by and letting those in his life slip away because he was too thick headed or stubborn to say what was necessary for them to stay. He would not lose Mary for anything. Chris composed himself a short moment later and pulled away from her.

"I love you Mary. I've loved you from the minute I met you. I don't know what to say to you to explain how I've been these past few weeks but I want to make it right between us. I don't want you to leave the Maverick. You belong here, I need you."

"Oh Chris," Mary responded with tears in her eyes. She couldn't think of anything else to say for the moment was filled with too many emotions to articulate anything clearly.

Chris caught a wet drop in his fingertip and met her gaze. "I don't want you to leave Mary. You're the best thing that's happened to me since Sarah and Adam died, I don't want to lose you. I was a complete fool for acting the way I did, not knowing what it is I had that I was dumb enough to think I could do without it. I can't do without you or Billy. You're part of my life."

"I guess we are." She said with a little smile and studied him for a moment. She was elated by his admission but she was also aware he had been through something traumatic for him to finally speak so deeply from the heart. "Chris, what happened down there?"

Chris did not speak as he considered whether or not he should tell her what transpired between himself and Lieutenant Michelle Angel. When he finally decided what he would say, Chris looked up at Mary and took her hand in his. "I learnt my choices can hurt people and I have to start thinking of them and letting go of my obsessions. I can't promise you I won't always be a little irrational about finding the truth about Sarah and Adam but I do promise you I won't shut you or any of my friends out."

"Chris," she gently caressed his face and smiled. "We'll be there for you and with you, no matter what happens."

"I know that," Chris answered and knowing that was of some comfort to him. "I should have always known that."

"We all grow a little Chris," she offered him a bittersweet smile. "Even starship captains."

"Especially star ship captains." He agreed but secretly this was one lesson he could have done without.

******

"You feeling alright Vin?" Nathan Jackson asked as he regarded the Vulcan sitting impatiently on the treatment while one of his nurses put the finishing touches on the wound Nathan had just tended to. The doctor was staring at the readings on his medical scanner and had to confess he did not need the sophisticated piece of diagnostic equipment to see there was something wrong with the helmsman.

Vin was fidgeting on table as if the inactivity was making him anxious. Although he showed no signs of illness, Nathan's scans indicated his metabolic rate was moving much more rapidly than was customary for a Vulcan. Not to mention the fact the young man was paying particularly close attention to his nurse. Vin seemed to be leaning in towards her, as if his senses were basking in the sensations. The Vulcan equivalent of endorphins was surging through Vin at this moment and Nathan wondered what on Earth happened down on Fury 361. His age had him placed too early for Vulcan maturity, that was almost two years down the track.

"Yeah," Vin tore his attention away from Lieutenant Saunders and her attention to his injuries. He could smell her in his nostrils, not just her scent but something beneath the skin that reached into him on a primal level. She smelt female. That was the closest definition he could come to what it was. He wondered if Alex smelled the same way and suddenly wished to find her.

"I'm okay, why?" He met Nathan's studious eyes.

"You seem a little out of sorts." Nathan pointed up. "Your metabolism is up. Anything else happened to you down there you want to talk about?"

Vin decided that perhaps he ought to tell Nathan he was becoming very aware of sensations and the opposite sex but felt slightly embarrassed about doing so in front of Lieutenant Saunders. The Maverick may have been a galaxy class starship but news travelled quickly, faster whenever the morsel was particularly salacious. Vin had no intention of letting anyone know his private business. Unfortunately, Nathan was no fool and if he thought Vin was lying, he would keep the helmsman in Sick Bay until kingdom come to get an answer, so Vin decided he better come up with some conciliatory gesture.

"There is one thing," he said after a moment. "It's not much really but maybe it has some bearing. When we down there, I got into a tangle with one of the aliens. We were in very close contact and I picked up things, telepathically."

"What sort of things?" Nathan said, his brow frowning into a knot and made Vin immediately regret telling him at all.

Too late now Tanner, he told himself. Might as well finish the story. Vin braced himself and continued speaking.

"Emotions I guess. Instincts. I got pretty much into its head. They're not intelligent like we are. They live do one thing and one thing alone, breed. Nothing else matters."

"How much inside did you get?" Nathan asked again, not showing Vin just how worried he was about the Vulcan. Nathan knew of no way to confirm his suspicions because Vulcans did not discuss a matter like this without extremely good reason and as a Vulcan would put it, right now he did not have the appropriate facts to confirm his theory.

"Not much," Vin shrugged and Nathan knew instantly he was lying. "Just enough to know we were in a lot of trouble."

Nathan did not answer but he was thinking the same thing. They were in a lot of trouble and though it had yet to manifest, Nathan knew it would not last for long. The problem was, he had no idea how to treat the problem if he was right about what he believed, which at the moment he was not entirely certain enough to vocalize. However, Nathan was convinced the melding with the alien had done more than simply given Vin insight into the alien's psyche. If he was right, then they had better batten down the hatches and wait for the storm to come.

Either way it was going to be a bumpy ride.

*****

The android Bishop materialized on the floor of Holo-deck 2 some days later and was rather to surprised to find himself in the middle of what appeared to be a Scottish glen. In the distance, he could see the splendor of the highland mountains and his mind registered the beauty of the landscape in rolling glades of lustrous green grass. He did not know what surprised him more, the fact he had awakened from another bout of darkened sleep to find he was somehow transported to Earth or when he looked down at himself, he was very much intact. He appeared exactly as he had when he came off the production line some four hundred years ago. There was no sign of the massive damage perpetrated on his body by the alien queen, so laboriously ejected from the air lock of the Sulaco by Ellen Ripley.

Bishop marvelled at the beauty around him and took a deep breath when suddenly, he saw a familiar face standing in front of him with a not so familiar face but an equally lovely one as that.

"Alex." He greeted with a faint smile. "Where am I?"

Alexandra Styles grinned, genuinely pleased to see Bishop was rather taken by his restored form and the surroundings she produced for him. Ever since she recovered from the ordeal at Fiorina, Julia and Alex had been working hard to give Bishop some form of mobility. The two women were realistic they would be unable to restore Bishop's body to what it was in a space of a few days. That kind of construction would take months and a lot of the information would come from Bishop himself. However, Alex hated the idea of leaving Bishop in limbo for that amount of time. Thus she and Julia devised instead to download his core memory into the holographic projection system and in essence, give him back his body in this environment of light and magnetic containment.

"You are on board the Maverick," Alex answered quickly.

"This is a starship?" Bishop looked at her incredulously. His gaze swept around the idyllic scene before he remarked again. "It doesn't look it."

"Oh, I like him." Julia beamed.

"Hello." Bishop greeted her politely.

"Bishop," Alex spoke up. "This is Chief Engineer Julia Pemberton. She's the one who helped me configure your core memory into a holographic matrix."

"This is a hologram?" The android exclaimed with the surprise though one would hardly be pressed to know for certain with Bishop's understated voice.

"Yes but not unlike anything you might understand of the concept." Julia explained. "You're at the moment a hard light hologram. In this place, you are essentially a whole person. We're going to need your help to construct your original body so we can download your matrix. I have contacted the Daystrom Institute. There are robotic experts who are very eager to meet you."

"I see." Bishop nodded absorbing everything with usual quiet. "How long do I remain on line?" He asked, hating the fact he might be turned on and off at will.

"You can remain online as you put it, for as long as you like," Alex smiled. "We've given you autonomous control of your program, not to mention access to the ship's computer. You will be able to interface with the main computer and update your memory banks."

"I like this place," Bishop looked up at the picturesque world around him.

"You can program as many scenery or places as you like. If it's on the main computer, you can go there. I know it can't compare to seeing the real thing but it will keep you busy while we figure out how to get that body of yours restored to what it was." Julia could see why Alex had grown so fond of the android.

"I don't know what to say," Bishop replied, genuinely touched by the effort these humans had gone to for him.

"Don't say anything," Alex answered. "Just enjoy it. This is your new home, Bishop."

Bishop looked around the glen and lowered himself onto the lush grass. He slipped his fingers through the artificially generated blades and caressed the pile gently. He was pleasantly surprised at how real the cool texture of leaves felt under his palm. He had never been to Earth. He was activated when he was first shipped out on the Sulaco and had never seen the world where he was designed and created. For the first time, he understood why humans were always drawn to home even out in the middle of deep space.

"Not bad," he whispered to himself as the artificial sun peeked past the thick clouds and shone on his face. "Not bad for an android."

*****

Chris stared out the window of his Ready Room at the jeweled orb that was the Vorlis home world. Although a day later than expected, the Maverick made good time once it picked up its wayward Captain and resumed the journey to complete its mission. Chris had spent much of the time making himself accessible to his crew once again. For the first time in weeks, he walked the length of his ship, dropped in for inspections and generally let those who had noted his absence know he was back from the dark corner he had been hiding himself of late. He forgot how good it felt to acquaint himself with the Maverick. He communed with the vessel the way he had not done since he first came on board and assumed command.

He also had a number of apologies to make, other than just making amends to Mary for his behaviour the past weeks. He had neglected Billy as well and delighted the boy when Chris took him fishing, just the two of them for half the day. It was the most time  Chris was able to allot to the boy alone and Billy was thrilled by the attention. It reinforced Chris's realization that though he had lost Sarah and Adam, his new family were just as important and needed him as well. Chris also called into seeing Josiah who was more than happy to share a bottle of Saurian brandy to make Chris's apologizing pass a little smoother, proving once and for all, the man was one hell of a psychiatrist.

Buck as always was easy to please and seeing his Captain and oldest friend back on track was all the thanks he needed although Chris felt compelled to make the gesture nonetheless. During his obsession, it was Buck who held the Maverick and the senior staff together. It was not an easy thing to do while having to wrestle with knocking some sense into his obtuse captain. Buck took the effort as he always did, with a shrug and smile. Sometimes, Chris wondered how he would have ever managed anything if Buck was not there to pick him up or tell him what he needed to hear, even though he did not wish it.

He turned away from the window after a moment and returned to his desk, paying attention to the data pads of backed up work he either ignored or left Casey to deal with during the last month. Chris picked up his cup of brisk hot coffee and took a deep sip, determined to get on top of this daunting heap of paperwork by the end of the day. He had neglected his duties as Captain for far too long. It was time for him to show why he deserved to be master of this vessel,

Lord knew he had not done much lately to warrant his deserving this command.

The other pile of data pads, the one that sat on the far end of the desk, tried desperately to catch his attention but Chris ignored them. His obsession with finding out the truth about his family's murder to the point of ignoring everything else, was over. He would pursue it when he was done with the day's work. Justice had waited so many years for him to realise the truth, he did not think a few more hours would matter. However, just because he put his quest into perspective did not mean if he were to find out who was responsible for their deaths, there would be no stone in any corner of the galaxy under which they could hide from him. He would hunt them down and kill them, that much he remained adamant about.

Suddenly, the soft chime of someone at his door sounded its tune in the air. Chris looked up from the staff evaluations Buck prepared for him and sang out in a firm voice. "Come in."

The doors slid open noiselessly and Ezra Standish stepped into the room. The Captain had not seen much of the Chief Security officer since their arrival at Vorlis. Ezra was busy with the Vorlis delegates who were touring the Maverick in order to make a thorough assessment of the defensive, as well as social impact, of obtaining Federation membership. As always, the commander dealt with the politicians himself, claiming a special knack was needed to attend the security arrangements of such a breed as if the occupation was a genetic trait as defined as a race.

"Ezra," Chris leaned back into his chair and set his cup down on this desk. "What can I do for you? The Vorli delegation not giving us any trouble?"

"Well," Ezra remarked pausing in front of the Captain's desk. "At the moment, they are more fascinated with our holographic android than they are of anything else."

"Really?" Chris asked with surprised, aware Julia and Alex made the restoration of Bishop their pet project. "How so?"

"Well, Mr Bishop has been studying the hologram database quite extensively and has introduced our visitors to Scotland, New Zealand and Alaska in one afternoon. At the moment, I have a dozen officials who want to know if a Kodiak bear really exists or it is some holographic fantasy." Ezra remarked with clear amusement in his voice. "Our android is quite the ambassador of Earth."

"I like that," Chris smiled despite himself. "The Daystrom people want his entire matrix sent to Earth."

"Julia and Alex will not be happy." Ezra pointed out and Chris tended to agree.

"I told the Daystrom Institute they can see him when we put into Earth or come here themselves but Bishop is accustomed to Julia and Alex, he might find it difficult to adjust to new faces."

"How did they take that?" The security chief asked certain the engineers at the prestigious Daystrom Institute for Robotics would be scoffing at the idea of giving thought to an android's mental health, despite their experiences with Commander Data of the Enterprise.

"Surprisingly well actually," Chris responded. "The guy I spoke to, Commander Maddox, conceded there was no reason Bishop can't remain with us for a while."

Ezra knew he was delaying the real reason for his arrival here and after a moment of silent, he noted the Captain had made the same observation himself. Ezra cleared his throat and glanced at the pile of data disks being intentionally ignored at the corner of the Captain's desk and hoped he did not get sentence to the brig indefinitely for what he was about to ask. However, he had gained a great deal of leverage over Chris regarding the Captain's judgement on Fiorina and felt he might not be met as indifferently as he feared.

"You're not working on finding your answer?" Ezra gestured to the data pads with a slight glimpse. Chris did not need him to elaborate to know what he was talking about.

"I have duties to this ship first," Chris said firmly, his voice tensing despite himself. "I'll deal with that later."

Ezra nodded. "Would you mind if I peruse your data?"

Chris stared at Ezra.

"Why?" The Captain asked with a hint of suspicion.

"Forgive me Captain," Ezra began the speech he had carefully rehearsed only to realise it was best he made this entreaty from the heart.  "Chris," he said with a loud exhale. "Of the two of us, I am more qualified than you are to discover if there is a conspiracy regarding your family's demise. I deal with deception every day in security. You selected me to be your Chief Security Officer because you knew I could detect trouble better than anyone in the fleet. While I do not choose to overstate my capabilities, I know if there is something to find in those data pads regarding the unfortunate situation with your wife and child, I can locate it. Also, I think you are too close to the issue. I have by experience learnt that when you are too close to a thing, you may not see the whole picture as it were."

Chris felt his anger bubble up, feeling as if Ezra intruded upon something that was his private domain but then he remembered Ellen Ripley and how she was forced to do everything alone, probably even die alone and that gave him pause to consider Ezra's words. There had been no way for Ripley to get help but there was for him, and Ezra was that good. If there was something in those data pad that could lead him to the truth, Chris knew Ezra would find it. The security chief was absolutely relentless in that respect. Understanding he was at a threshold, Chris took a deep breath and decided to fight his instincts and accept the help Ripley never had.

"Alright." Chris found himself saying. "Take your best shot." He glanced at the data pads and gestured at Ezra to take them from his sight before he changed his mind.

"Thank you, Chris," Ezra replied, gathering the small collection. "I know how hard that decision was and I will not stop until I have an answer for you."

"Thank you, Ezra," Chris answered, genuinely touched by the offer and wondered if Ezra was so smart, had he also guessed what Chris had, on Fiorina? The realization that had made him order Vin to torpedo the hive with not one but five photon torpedoes? He doubted it.

"You know something Ezra," Chris sighed turning away from the security chief as he stared at the window again. "When I was standing face to face with that alien queen, she looked at me like she already won. Like she and her kind always would. It was like it didn't matter I was going to kill her, because death doesn't have the same kind of meaning for them that it does for us. No matter how many times I killed her, it wouldn't matter because we are fodder for her children. That in the end, we will die so that they can live."

"I shudder at the prospect, I can only reiterate my gratitude the lady and her deadly progeny are no more," Ezra responded, despising the entire race for what it had done to his crewmen.

"No, she isn't." Chris shook his head and averted his gaze enough to look Ezra straight in the eye. "She isn't gone and this is far from over. The aliens down there on Fiorina are gone, that's all that is certain."

"I do not see how there could be any more," Ezra remarked wondering where Chris was going with this. "The nuclear explosion on LV427 would have destroyed the derelict as well."

"Ezra," Chris looked at him with almost pity in his eyes. Pity because he did not understand the full implications of what Chris was trying to tell him. "The derelict ship carrying the original alien eggs crashed on LV427. It didn't come from there. Somewhere out there," he gestured towards the window, revealing the stars, "somewhere out there is an entire planet of these things and someday, we're going to land on it and she'll find us all over again."

And the stars, which always looked so pure and beautiful to Commander Ezra Standish suddenly became as black as the alien's empty soul.

THE END

BACK TO MAIN PAGE