《Narrow Escape: AVP (A Fanfiction)》 Story 1: We Are On Our Side - Chapter 1: No Time For Regrets Razorback Point Whaling Station Antarctica October 10, 1904 Wind whips the hair of the ooman about his face, as he races away from certain death. The yautja brother behind him does not hurry. There is no need. There is nowhere for the ooman to run. The bones of the ooman¡¯s spine and head will look good upon his net suit. Perhaps, he will even keep a hand or a foot to hang from the net across his chest. Either item will make a wonderful trophy. Even better would be the barbed tail of a black serpent. - - Slamming the door to the camp¡¯s main dining facilities, Elgin Hj`almarr backs cautiously toward the center of the room. He glances around furtively, believing himself to be safe and alone. His false security is shattered when there is a rustling noise behind him. Followed swiftly by the stomping of heavy feet. Elgin turns toward the sound and spies the skinned carcass lying on the wooden table across the room. The frightened workman backs away, and bumps into a large wooden pillar, sprawling clumsily onto the floor. A metallic slice cuts through the still afternoon air and Elgin¡¯s eyes grow large in their pale swollen sockets. ¡°Another one of those things is in here,¡± Elgin screams in his head. ¡°Holy fu¡ª¡° Before any words can escape Elgin¡¯s lips, the cloaked warrior is upon him. The sounds of its heavy footsteps only inches from the heels of his feet. Backing into a shelf containing various wooden implements, Elgin prepares to meet his fate. A trio of red dots appears on the right side of his chest and Elgin breathes in deeply. This is it. How can this be it? The last words he said to Marit were not very nice. She had fought with him, and he had told her he hated her. He will never get a chance to take back those dreaded words. She will live on believing them. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. As Elgin presses his back against the wooden tools, there is movement to his left. A tall, slender black creature uncoils itself from the darkness. Elgin barely has time to gasp before it leaps. And is cut down by the unseen alien. Blood from the black creature splashes over Elgin, and his face begins to melt away. The terrified workman grasps at his face and neck, pieces of flesh falling away from every place where the acid touches. He screams as the caustic fluid eats through his cheek and his left eye, boiling them into a liquid mash. He doesn¡¯t scream for long. The invisible warrior slices Elgin¡¯s throat. Red blood mixes with yellow acid on the front of the doomed workman¡¯s shirt. Elgin falls flat on his melted face. Dead before he hit the floor. - - The front door to the dining hall opens and a second¡ªmuch larger¡ªhunter enters the facilities. It is the hunter which stalked Elgin through the storm. The yautja warrior glances around the dining hall before casually removing his mask. His hunt brother has already gone to work on the body of the ooman¡ªcutting away parts that are not suitable for a trophy. The ooman¡¯s spine lies on a nearby table, the partially melted skull still attached. ¡°When you are finished here¡­We will make preparations to leave this planet. The serpent¡¯s offspring, which were aboveground, have been neutralized. The hunt is complete. Until next time.¡± ¡°How many of the keinde did you slay, M-Klou? The serpent which tried to slaughter the ooman was my ninth. They are not so fearsome when separated from the group.¡± M-Klou shakes his large head, grunting softly. The hunt leader ejects his wrist blade and uses the laser on his targeting system to sharpen its edge. He peers askance at his fellow hunter. ¡°Be careful of pride, D¡¯yagh. Many a warrior has been taken down by a foe he was stupid enough to underestimate. Every one of my serpent kills today was hard won. Collect your trophies and let us be gone from this place.¡± M-Klou exits the dining hall without another word to his fellow yautja. S1: Chapter 2: It Is Decided Somewhere in deep space October 1, 2004 A council of nine yautja elders are assembled around a long rectangular table. G¡¯tlak, Chief Elder of the Ta¡¯dnu clan sits at the head of the table. Adorned in his opulent robes, G¡¯tlak is unmistakably the best dressed in the room. The other council members, all of a hunter caste, are dressed in their ordinary battle armor; masks neatly situated beside their full chalices on the table. G¡¯tlak observes his warrior kin with pride in his heart. Each of these hunters has fought long and bravely. They have earned the right to sit at this hallowed table. Vtinyeel, G¡¯tlak¡¯s eldest son, is just returning from a battle on Felsus Prime. The warrior is less one eye, but shows courage¡ªreturning quickly to his duties. The hybrid offspring of the black serpents were put down expeditiously. In no small part, because of Vtinyeel¡¯s quick thinking. He is a son to be proud of. The remaining council members around the table are fathers, brothers, and sons of other clan warriors. All highly favored, all renowned. Not one of them has ever shown a sign of weakness. A force all their own. G¡¯tlak calls the meeting to order, raising his chalice of chruksh elixir; favored libation of the elders. ¡°Brothers¡­Honored kin. Now is the time of the hunt,¡± G¡¯tlak says. Growls and chitters fill the room as members of the council voice their pleasure and assent. G¡¯tlak grins his widest yautja grin and glances around at his brethren. Many have clawed hands clenched in unspoken fury, others stare forward with expressions of absolute glee. The time of the keinde amedha has come. G¡¯tlak turns to his left and addresses the warrior seated beside him. ¡°Who are the three that have been chosen?¡± G¡¯tlak demands. Kla¡¯ali addresses his leader with a head nod before answering. ¡°They are Scar of the blood of Skas¡¯gld¡­Chopper of kv¡¯adil¡®s blood, and Celtic of the blood of Padih, High Elder,¡± Kla¡¯ali explains with another respectful nod. G¡¯tlak is more than pleased to hear the names of the chosen. They are all names he knows well. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°That is good,¡± G¡¯tlak says gleefully. ¡°I wish to have them brought here before they depart. I will give them my blessing for the hunt.¡± Kla¡¯ali nods again. Summoning a messenger, Kla¡¯ali sends the harried yautja servant to fetch the three unblooded youths. G¡¯tlak moves on to the next order of business. - - ¡°What weapons will you be taking for the hunt, brother?¡± Scar questions, looking askance at his warrior kin. Chopper glances over one shoulder at Scar, his brow furrowing deeply. Celtic, the hunt leader, says nothing. He watches his younger companions with interest. ¡°I¡¯ve found that my arm blade works just fine for inflicting maximum damage,¡± Chopper replies. He whips his arm down, by means of demonstration, and a large blade shoots out. With a sly smile, Chopper tilts his head toward Celtic. ¡°Don¡¯t bother asking him,¡± Chopper says, mocking the silent yautja leader. ¡°His answer will be everything.¡± Chopper and Scar share a laugh at Celtic¡¯s expense, knowing the brave warrior will do nothing more than chuff at their idleness. They are correct. With a haughty toss of his head, Celtic ejects his wrist blades and pretends to examine them. His brown eyes stare daggers into the only other young yautja in the weapons room. Chopper chuckles uncomfortably and retracts his arm blade. He moves off to another side of the room. Scar continues staring at his hunt leader¡ªand warrior brother; until Celtic finally issues a short laugh. The two yautja hunters chuckle loudly, causing Chopper to turn back in their direction. ¡°What is so funny, brothers?¡± Chopper inquires. While speaking, Chopper reaches onto a nearby shelf, searching for a stone sharpener for his arm blade. He finds an urn full of sharpeners on the right side of the shelf; nestled between a large shield fashioned from the skull of a vildif, and a thin knife carved from the rib-bone of a ghkivu. Scar shakes his beaded head and peers at Chopper from across the room. ¡°You are funny, brother,¡± Scar says. ¡°The way you run from even a stare. How will you face the keinde amedha¡­If you cannot even face your hunt brothers?¡± Chopper, quite hurt by Scar¡¯s ribbing, remains silent. He glares at Scar with a powerful anger. ¡°I bet I will be blooded before you are, Scar!¡± Chopper finally retorts. ¡°You are all words. Words do not translate to deeds. Your movements during practice are much too slow, and you are easily distracted. Those are not good qualities to have when you are facing our greatest of foes.¡± Scar lets another laugh escape and ejects his wrist blades. Scar¡¯s dual wrist blades are easily three times the size of Celtic¡¯s wrist blades, and he examines them carefully in the light. ¡°That may be so, brother¡­¡± Scar replies. ¡°But I will have the most kills. Who knows, I may even kill the dreaded mother of serpents.¡± It is Celtic¡¯s turn to laugh. He twists his face into a horrifying grimace, examining Scar from head to toe. ¡°You dream big, little brother,¡± Celtic mocks. ¡°That is good. But not good enough. It will take more than bluster to best the serpent queen. Nothing I have seen suggests you are up to the challenge.¡± ¡°We shall see,¡± Scar says, testing the sharpness of his wrist blades with a clawed finger. A tiny droplet of blood appears at the tip of his finger and Scar smiles with satisfaction. ¡°We shall see,¡± Scar repeats in a lower, more menacing tone. S1: Chapter 3: Turning Up the Heat Silver Leaf, Nebraska October 3, 2004 Weyland Industries Satellite Receiving Station # 6-D A loud warning chime sounds from the main computer. Satellite Technician Anthony Reyes stares in disbelief at the flashing image on the screen. He clambers to his feet, motioning to his colleagues. ¡°Hey, hey. Come here. Take a look at this,¡± Anthony exclaims, his voice cracking from nervousness. Nathan Stanley, a strapping man of about six-foot-three, reaches into a nearby pizza box and gives Reyes the stink-eye. Reyes is a man with panic in his blood. Whatever is wrong, it can¡¯t be that bad. Morgan Stillwater and Nancy Rodriguez, Anthony¡¯s other colleagues, are of a different opinion. They follow Anthony over to the flashing monitor. ¡°What the hell?¡± Morgan mutters. His eyes refuse to believe what he is seeing. ¡°Unidentified heat signature? What the hell does that mean?¡± Nancy crowds close to Anthony, attempting to view the coordinates on the screen. The information displayed makes absolutely no sense. ¡°What is that?¡± Nancy questions. ¡°It¡¯s an updated data stream from PS12,¡± Anthony says in a quivering voice. He clenches a fist at his side, excitement nearly getting the better of him. ¡°PS12? Where is she located?¡± Nancy asks, her eyes growing cartoonishly large. "What are we looking at?" Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°She¡¯s right above Sector 14!¡± Anthony explains. Anthony gazes at the screen as if it were the most miraculous thing he has ever seen. Nancy swivels her head to offer him an incredulous glare. ¡°Sector 14?¡± Nancy repeats his words back. ¡°Be serious, Anthony! There¡¯s nothing in Sector 14. Are you reading the data correctly?" Anthony points at the screen with a shaking finger. A reluctant smile tugs at his lips. ¡°Oh yeah? I know these coordinates like the back of my hand, Nancy. There''s something there now,¡± Anthony says with finality. Both Nancy and Morgan share a brief worried look. Anthony¡¯s right. That heat bloom came out of nowhere. But it can¡¯t stay a mystery forever. Mr. Weyland will want to know about it. - - Charles Bishop Weyland takes a sip from his piping hot mug of cocoa and looks around for a stirrer. Most of the chocolate powder has coagulated at the bottom of his mug, making the warm delight anything but. Finding the stirrer beside the image of his father and another powerful magnate, Weyland stirs his drink without even looking at the cup. A message appears on his laptop screen and Weyland scans over it with a furrowed brow. He releases the stirrer in his hand and reaches for the small cellphone at the edge of his desk. He rapidly dials a number. A strongly accented male voice answers on the other line. "Yes, Mr. Weyland?" "Max, I want you to get a team together. And make sure you dress warm. One of our satellites over Antarctica has picked up something out of the ordinary. I want to check it out...Personally." "Is there anyone in particular...That you had in mind, Mr. Weyland?" "Yeah. Make sure you hire that Quinn fellow. The driller. Same rates as always. And that climbing expert...What''s her name? Alexandria Woodruff...Or some other? You know the one. Our lawyers dealt with her a couple summers ago. The land rights deal." "You mean, Alexa Woods?" Max informs his floundering boss. A smile turns up the corner of the company man''s lips. Now, there is a name he had hoped to hear again. "Yes, that''s the one," Charles agrees. "Tell her money is no problem. Just get her on the team. I want to be out of here yesterday." "I''ll do my best, Mr. Weyland." "I''ll need you to do better than that, Max! Get her here. Understand?" "Yes, Sir." Weyland hangs up the phone without ensuring that Max has no more to add. S1: Chapter 4: Chilly Company
Lho La Ice Fall Nepal Alexa woods uses the ice axe in her left hand to achieve purchase and ascend even further up the formidable wall of ice. She repeats the process with the axe in her right hand, slamming the left toe of her spiked crampon into the ice beneath her. A loud beep causes her to momentarily lose her grip, sliding down almost half of a foot. With a gasp, Lex shakes her head and glances down. She reaches for one of several locking carabiners attached to the left side of her climbing sling. When she is certain that her position is secure, Lex activates the speaker function on her earpiece. ¡°Hello.¡± A man¡¯s voice greets Lex on the other end. A strong accent, English heritage perhaps, very refined. ¡°Miss. Woods¡­It¡¯s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.¡± Underneath the folds of her winter beanie, Lex¡¯s brow furrows in confusion. Who the heck is this gentlemen? And did he really have to call right now? ¡°Who is this?¡± Lex says, slight irritation in her voice. ¡°My name¡¯s Maxwell Stafford. I¡¯m a representative for Weyland Industries.¡± Lex¡¯s resulting grunt is more from surprise and disdain than from any strain caused by climbing the ice wall. She visualizes herself hurling chunks, her mouth unconsciously curling to mimic such an action. ¡°Let me guess. He¡¯s suing us again?¡± Lex says, rolling her eyes. ¡°You misunderstand,¡± Max says reassuringly. ¡°Mr. Weyland is prepared to fund the foundation with which you are associated for a full year. But only if you agree to meet with him.¡± Lex¡¯s heart leaps in her chest and she slams her ice axe into the wall. Did he really say a whole year? ¡°When?¡± ¡°Tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ha. Tomorrow is gonna be a bit of a problem,¡± Lex replies. She continues her ascent with a little more enthusiasm. Lex¡¯s mind races for ways to cut the return trip in half. The foundation needs the money. It would be nice not to have to worry about where that money is going to come from¡ªor whether the check will bounce. ¡°It¡¯ll take me a week to get back to the world,¡± she continues. Lex finally reaches the top of the ice wall and slams the ice axe in her right hand into the snow above. ¡°Yes, I told Mr. Weyland that,¡± Max states calmly. Lex glances up at the closeness of Max¡¯s voice and gets a pleasant surprise. The learned gentleman is standing less than ten feet away, a helicopter and pilot waiting on standby. ¡°He said he didn¡¯t have a week,¡± Max finishes, closing his cellular phone and ending the call. Lex studies Max very carefully, liking what she sees. Max does the same, offering Lex an approving smile. - This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. - Piper Maru Ice Breaker Vessel Somewhere near Antarctica Max Stafford greets the assembled archaeologists, mercenaries, and scientific experts with a warm smile. To Lex, he nods and offers her a more friendly grin. Lex tries to appear noncommittal. She returns Max¡¯s head nod and crosses both arms over her chest. To Max¡¯s way of thinking, she only makes matters worse, her ample bosom on further display. Weyland¡¯s head man crosses the floor of the ship¡¯s enormous hold in long casual strides. ¡°Welcome aboard, everyone. Please, take your seats. Some of you may be wondering why this team has been assembled. Your host will give you all of the answers now. May I present to you¡­Mr. Charles Weyland.¡± Heads turn and bodies are reclined, as they are greeted with the sound of footsteps. Standing on a large scaffold above the floor, Mr. Weyland speaks into the mic on his cheek. ¡°Several days ago, one of our company¡¯s satellites over Antarctica discovered a heat bloom under the Earth¡ªwhile hunting for mineral deposits. What they found was this¡­¡± A large graphic is suddenly projected on the opposite wall. Lex squints to see the image. Miller, an archeologist Lex met on the helicopter ride over, leans over as well¡ªhis eyes wider than should be humanly possible. ¡°Oh man,¡± Miller utters to no one in particular. ¡°Oh man, is right,¡± the attractive archeologist Lex knows as Sebastian coos in agreement. Meanwhile, Weyland continues his speech. The aged billionaire¡¯s demeanor is decidedly unpleasant¡ªas if something has him miffed. His brow is furrowed, and his jaw appears perpetually clenched in anger. ¡°The red lines indicate solid walls. Through thermal mapping¡­We¡¯ve generated a rough 3-D image of the structure. It¡¯s massive¡­And has literally hundreds of rooms. All of which are built around a central core. My experts tell me it¡¯s a pyramid. However, what they can¡¯t agree on is who built it. Or when it was constructed.¡± Sebastian finishes scrolling through several images on his laptop, glancing over the infrared schematics. He peers upward at their expedition benefactor with a stunned expression. ¡°One expert tells me this has features reminiscent of the Aztecs. Another tells me the pyramid appears to be Cambodian. They all agree on one thing¡­The smooth side of the pyramid is definitively Egyptian.¡± ¡°And they are right,¡± Sebastian says, interrupting Weyland¡¯s narrative. ¡°Who¡¯s right?¡± ¡°All of them.¡± Weyland chuckles softly. He shoots the archaeologist a condescending smirk and places a slender hand on the railing. ¡°I don¡¯t follow you.¡± ¡°This pyramid contains features of not one¡­But all three cultures. I think we are looking at the first pyramid ever built.¡± It is Miller¡¯s turn to chime in. ¡°But built by whom?¡± ¡°By the first civilization to inhabit this planet,¡± Sebastian says excitedly, his eyes gleaming like that of a small schoolboy. Silence descends upon the room and someone coughs. Sebastian looks sheepishly around, his excitement waning. Weyland¡¯s brow creases and he puckers his lips in disbelief. ¡°Thank you, Sir. Now, if I may continue?¡± ¡°But who would build a pyramid out here?¡± Miller says. ¡°Ancient maps show Antarctica free of ice,¡± Sebastian¡¯s assistant interjects, backing up his shamefaced boss. ¡°It¡¯s possible the continent was once habitable.¡± ¡°Hm. I can¡¯t tell you who built it, Mr. Weyland. But, if I can take a sample from it¡­I can tell you how old it is.¡± ¡°Well, Dr. Miller¡­I¡¯m offering to put you right next to this thing.¡± ¡°What caused the heat bloom?¡± Sebastian¡¯s assistant queries. ¡°We¡¯re not sure,¡± Weyland admits with obvious hesitation. ¡°Well, where exactly on the ice is this?¡± Lex adds her own question to the conversation.
¡°Bouvetoya Island. But this pyramid isn¡¯t on top of the ice. It¡¯s 2,000 feet below it.¡± Max gives a subtle nod of his head. A tall man, one of the drillers, climbs to his feet. ¡°My name is Quinn. I¡¯m the drill boss over this expedition. You¡¯re looking at the best drilling team in the world. We¡¯ll chew to that depth in less than seven days.¡± ¡°Add three weeks on top of that to train everyone here,¡± Lex states in a commanding voice. ¡°We don¡¯t have that kind of time, Ms. Woods. I¡¯m not the only one with a satellite trained over Antarctica. Others will follow suit¡ªand soon.¡± ¡°Maybe¡­I didn¡¯t make myself clear?" Lex reiterates her point. ¡°No one in this room is prepared for this trip.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Bouvetoya Island is one of the most isolated locations in the world. The nearest land is over a thousand miles away. There¡¯s no help if the team runs into trouble.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. It¡¯s a no-man¡¯s land,¡± Weyland barks, losing his temper somewhat at Lex¡¯s insistence. ¡°But the train has left the station. I think I speak for everyone here¡­When I say that this is worth the risk.¡± All heads, except for Lex¡¯s, either nod or turn in unison. A current of acceptance falls over the group. Lex sighs heavily and climbs to her feet. She passes close to Weyland, as he descends the narrow staircase, and gives him a smoldering look. ¡°Then, you¡¯ll have to find another guide,¡± Lex hisses. S1: Chapter 5: Touchdown
Standing on the ice breaker¡¯s upper deck, Lex observes the pulsating rhythm of the Northern Lights as they dance across the arctic sky. A familiar voice cuts through her brooding. Miller, Sebastian in tow.
¡°Ah, it¡¯s in the upper atmosphere,¡± Miller intones. Sebastian skirts around Dr. Miller, in order to come up on Lex¡¯s left side. He offers Lex a shy smile before gazing up at the sky. ¡°Streams of protons and electrons from the sun. They¡¯re being deflected by Earth¡¯s magnetic field. Resulting in a solar radiation storm." Lex briefly peers over at Miller, who stands to her right. With a thin smile, she returns her attention to the heavens. ¡°Shackleton called Antarctica the last great journey left to man,¡± Lex says, cluing Miller in that she isn¡¯t just a pretty face. There¡¯s a brain in that pretty little head too. ¡°It¡¯s the one place left in the world that no one owns. It¡¯s completely free.¡± Sebastian bows his head in silent agreement, his lips drawn in to form a shy smile. ¡°Me¡ªI¡¯m partial to the penguins,¡± Lex quips. The trio share a brief laugh before thick silence falls over them again. Miller''s brow creases and he lowers his voice seductively, drawing an uncharacteristically annoyed scowl from Sebastian. ¡°I wish you¡¯d reconsider coming with us, Lex. Don¡¯t make me pull out pictures of my kids again,¡± Dr. Miller jokes. ¡°Your kids aren¡¯t that cute,¡± Lex retorts with a wily smile. ¡°What about pictures of other people¡¯s kids?¡± Sebastian cuts in. Lex averts her gaze and inhales deeply. She reluctantly locks eyes with Sebastian. The archeologist stares back without hesitation, pale green orbs gleaming with unspoken joy and emotion. ¡°Want my advice?¡± Lex asks. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Stay on the boat,¡± Lex says, all hilarity gone from her manner and tone. Miller draws his face into the front of his coat, trying desperately to protect his nose from the bitter cold. He peers questioningly at Lex. Sebastian refuses to be dissuaded from his pursuit. ¡°Let me ask you something. Do we stand a better chance of surviving with you¡­Or with the number two guide?¡± Lex¡¯s expression becomes one of surprise and foreboding.
- - October 10, 2004 Somewhere near the orbit of Mars Ta¡¯dnu Clan Mothership The three chosen unblooded lie asleep in their stasis chambers, resting up for the coming hunt. On the forward view screen, Earth gradually comes into view. Glowing red lights along the corridor, and on the walls, wink on. Gas hisses from vents along the floor. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. On a lower deck, three masks rest on metallic stations, information downloading into each one. At the center of the elaborate room, a holographic image of a pyramid shimmers into view. Symbols attach themselves to the pyramid and other graphics scroll by in quick succession. Once a large red triangle appears, the targeting system locks on. A blast of blue energy erupts from the front of the mothership. The energy blast strikes the Earth at a perfect 30-degree angle. Its target, the pyramid nestled safely under the snow in Sector 14. No human eyes are around to see the brilliance and ingenuity at work. However, several penguins scatter from the site, chattering as they make their departure. There has been no human activity here for many years. The violent disturbance of the flightless birds¡¯ peace has them greatly unsettled. Many seek shelter away from the human settlement. While other, braver birds, simply move further away from the common areas. - - Reaching the summit above what was once the Razorback Point Whaling Station, Quinn motions for his men to come in close and for the other expedition members to hang back. ¡°Conners,¡± Quinn yells over the noise of snowplows and heavy machinery. A rail thin man, with dark brown hair, saunters over to where Quinn stands. The two drillers share a brief exchange. Weyland muscles his way forward and studies the abandoned camp below. The expedition team forms a semi-circle around the summit¡¯s rim. Retrieving her flare gun, Lex shoots a flare up into the air, illuminating the surrounding perimeter in bright white light. ¡°It¡¯s an abandoned whaling station,¡± Lex informs the team. ¡°According to your satellites, Mr. Weyland¡­The pyramid is located directly beneath it.¡±
The team carefully makes their way down to the station and everyone spreads out. Max signals to the big man¡ªQuinn. ¡°We¡¯ll use this place as a base camp,¡± Max instructs. ¡°Mr. Quinn, commence drilling operations as soon as possible.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on it,¡± Quinn says with a head nod. ¡°Okay, guys. Let¡¯s get moving.¡± Lex and Miller go off in one direction, while Sebastian goes in another. The lone archaeologist wanders toward the rear of the camp. Cautiously making his way up a decrepit staircase, Sebastian squints to see through the surrounding darkness. His pale green eyes land on something which defies anything his rational mind can accept. He calls to the other expedition members at the top of his lungs, attempting to be heard over the howling wind. ¡°Hey! Over here! You all need to see this!¡± Quinn and several others race toward the sound of the distressed expert¡¯s voice. They stop short when they observe the giant hole which has grabbed the man¡¯s undivided attention. ¡°Can you believe that?¡± Sebastian coos. Quinn tosses a flare into the borehole, allowing everyone in attendance to view the hollowed out interior. The flare falls so far into the hole that it completely disappears. Drill Boss Quinn squats at the rim of the hole and whistles loudly. ¡°This is unbelievable. It¡¯s drilled at a perfect thirty-degree angle,¡± Quinn informs the group, particularly Weyland. ¡°How far does it go down?¡± Lex questions. ¡°All the way down to the pyramid,¡± Weyland says, agitation in his voice. The aging gentleman releases a deep sigh before continuing. He studies a set of thermal images being downloaded to his laptop via satellite. ¡°There it is. Clear as day. But at the same time yesterday¡­Nothing.¡± ¡°How was it done?¡± Miller inquires, leaning in close. ¡°Some kind of advanced thermal equipment. Incredibly powerful,¡± Quinn says with a touch of awe. ¡°Like yours?¡± Weyland demands in a suspicious tone.
¡°What we have doesn¡¯t even come close to being able to bore a hole this size in less than twenty-four hours,¡± Quinn explains. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like it. I¡¯m telling you, Mr. Weyland. There¡¯s isn¡¯t a team¡­Or a machine¡­In the world that could have done this.¡± Weyland is not convinced. He glowers at his lead driller with a cruel uncertainty. ¡°The only way to know for sure is to go down there and find out.¡± - - On the yautja mothership, the three warriors are now fully awake. Each of the chosen briefly tests their weapons for efficacy. Satisfied with the results, they claim their masks from the metal stations. Celtic turns to Scar and Chopper respectively. ¡°Now the hunt will begin,¡± Celtic intones. ¡°Do not let yourselves be distracted. Do not show weakness or fear. We have been chosen for a great honor. May we make our clan and our brethren proud!¡± Each yautja nods to the others respectfully and issues a soft growl. Celtic¡¯s words are strong and true. There is no room for fear on a hunt. Striding in perfect unison, down a corridor illuminated by bright red columns of light, the three hunters make their way to the transport pods which will carry them to the planet below. S1: Chapter 6: Long Way Down An hour after discovering the mysterious borehole, the expedition team is prepared to head down. Weyland follows Lex at a slow pace, carefully securing each ice screw with meticulous care. On the surface, a strong gust of wind sends one of Quinn''s men scrambling and tumbling forward. He plows into the pulley feeding cord into the borehole. Weyland glances up just as the cord he is rappelling from snaps. With a holler, Weyland loses his footing and sprawls onto the slick surface of icy walls within the borehole. He falls several feet in the span of a moment. Arms and screams go up, in an attempt to catch the wealthy expedition leader. They can ill afford to lose the man who is the very reason they are all down here in the first place. Lex gauges the distance between herself and the elder Weyland. Retrieving her ice axe, Lex lifts it into the air and then slams it downward. Right on the hood of Weyland¡¯s thermal coat. The wealthy mogul sways from the end of her axe, his teeth chattering with cold and fear. Lex offers him a sarcastic nod. It''s a long way down, Mr. Weyland,¡± she chides the older gentleman. - - Riding the storm into the ooman camp, the yautja mothership passes overhead undetected. A moment later, three transport pods eject from the ship and zip toward the frozen ground. The three transport pods slam into the powdery snow with the force of two large automobiles ramming each other at top speed. Snow and buried debris explodes into the air. The few penguins which had sought shelter there swiftly scurry away--squawking their discontent the whole way. A door opens on the side of one of the transport pods. Light spills out, illuminating a sliver of land in the distance. A large clawed hand grips the side of the pod. With a loud chitter, Scar climbs heavily from the crashed transport vessel. He calmly surveys his surroundings. No heat signatures appear anywhere in the immediate vicinity. Celtic steps beside Scar and they both peer into the distance. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Standing atop a large hill, the two warriors gaze down at the ooman settlement. Movement. Many oomans. More than would be necessary for a decent hunt. There will be many black serpents to slay. Chopper finally makes it to where they are standing. He looks to Celtic for their orders. ¡°The oomans¡­Have they gone into the chuf''trhat?¡± Chopper asks, murder playing behind gray eyes. ¡°Not all of them have gone down,¡± Celtic informs his hunt brother. ¡°The few you see have stayed behind. Most likely as a security force. We will sweep them easily.¡± Scar happily ejects his wrist blades, flexing the muscles in his clawed hands. Retracting his blades, Scar reclines one leg on a nearby ledge. ¡°A security force, you say? Haha. As if oomans would truly know the meaning of the words,¡± Scar laughs, his eyes narrowing menacingly. ¡°Even so,¡± Celtic says sternly. ¡°We will exercise caution. Full stealth. We do not want the hunt ended before it has begun.¡± Scar nods respectfully and then activates his cloak. With a shimmer of gray light, Scar fades from visibility. Chopper and Celtic follow suit, the two larger yautja warriors dissolving into the snowy background. Let the hunt begin. - - Lex is one of the first team members to reach the bottom of the borehole. She carefully studies everything around her, looking for signs of danger. A possible cave-in would not be beyond the realm of possibility. The flare in Lex''s hand goes out and she gropes in the darkness for another. Before Lex can ignite her flare, Weyland steps beside her and lights his own. Lex jumps with the suddenness of his presence. ¡°I don¡¯t understand it. No equipment, and no sign of a team,¡± Weyland laments. The company man is truly perplexed. ¡°Well, that tunnel didn¡¯t dig itself,¡± Lex retorts. Further away, the rest of the expedition team members are setting up UV lamps and other equipment. Before long, the cavernous space is illuminated in bright white light. Weyland steps forward, his face altered by surprise and utter giddiness. Lex is not far behind. Meters in front of them, lies the pyramid¡ªin all of its ancient splendor. Unnecessarily, but out of a sense of adventure, Lex fires off another flare. Weyland grins from ear to ear. ¡°Congratulations, Mr. Weyland. You¡¯ve just made history,¡± Lex utters with a thin smile. "We did it together," Weyland says. The wealthy company man places a hand on Lex''s arm and smiles warmly down at her. "Thank you." Lex only nods. For the first time, since ever, Charles Weyland actually resembles a living, breathing human being. The man''s smile is more genuine than she would have thought him capable of. "Thank you all for this!" Weyland says in a louder voice. "Don''t get too excited," Lex quips. "We still have to climb those steps." S1: Chapter 7: Under The Hunters Gaze Inside the pyramid, Lex spies a mural which snags her attention. She halts her forward motion long enough to admire the artistry and detail. In the engraved image, two warriors¡ªpossibly an armored man and a beast¡ªare engaged in mortal combat. The armored warrior¡¯s blades are raised high in the air, ready to strike down the beast rearing above him. Lex studies the image for a moment longer. Something about the proportions seems--off. Glancing at the surrounding images, and accounting for scale, the armored warrior would be quite tall indeed. Possibly pushing eight feet or more. Lex shakes her head emphatically before continuing behind the other team members. Unbeknownst to her, Lex steps on a pressurized plate. The tile shifts when she raises her foot, triggering other¡ªmore ominous¡ªmechanisms within the core of the pyramid. - - Climbing atop a large ooman structure, Celtic watches for signs of his hunt brothers. It will not be long before ooman screams pierce the darkness. He will let his brothers have their choice of kills. Only if they run into trouble will he interfere. However, how much trouble could an ooman really be? The oomans are outmatched in skill, weapons, and knowledge. They do not know this place. The three hunters do. They have been preparing for this day most of their life. The oomans will inevitably fall. And they will fall upon the blade of a yautja warrior. - - Chopper lies in wait for the ooman. Like a scared prey beast, the ooman turns in wary circles. The scared ooman is trying desperately to pinpoint the direction of weird noises being carried on the wind. Noises which sound an awful lot like deep growls. With a sinister grin, Chopper leaps from his hiding place. His arm blade pierces the ooman¡¯s heart, killing him almost instantly. A single yell escapes the dying ooman¡¯s lips. And then, he screams no more. - - Back at the dining hall, three oomans in soft, light-colored armor sit around a table drinking. Upon hearing the scream of their companion, they exchange frightened glances. Scar throws open the door of the hall and strides casually inside. The three dumb oomans stare in disbelief at the door, obviously expecting to see their leader or the ooman which Chopper has killed. Instead, they are greeted by empty space. With a haughty gait, Scar strolls into the center of the room. The first ooman clambers noisily to his feet and Scar impales him with his wrist blades. The other oomans train their weapons on Scar, hoping desperately for a kill shot. Roughly tossing the impaled ooman aside, Scar drives his wrist blades into the second ooman. Gurgling and red blood erupts from the ooman¡¯s mouth as Scar effortlessly lifts him into the air. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The third ooman opens fire, spraying small metal pellets everywhere. Most aren¡¯t even close to hitting their target. Angrily, Scar pulls his combistick from his implement belt and opens it to full length. Holding the second impaled ooman with one arm, he throws his combistick at the sole remaining ooman. The ooman flies into the air and slams into the wall. He does not slide to the ground. The dying ooman glances down at his ribcage and grips the combistick pinning him to the wall. With a weak sigh, the ooman¡¯s head droops onto his chest. ¡°Security force, indeed,¡± Scar says with a sinister grin. - - Atop the large ooman structure, Celtic studies the ooman called Quinn. This particular ooman is large and strong. He will do fine for a battle to the death. The ooman¡¯s of course. ¡°Mikkel?¡± Quinn hollers into the darkness. He races into the mess hall to a scene of blood and carnage. The burly driller--and mercenary-- barely has time to register the mayhem around him before he hears the metallic sound of Scar¡¯s wrist blades being ejected. In the same part of the room, a body is being hoisted into the air. The body falls heavily to the floor, as whatever was holding it steps away. Practically throwing himself back out into the storm, Quinn hurries to shut the door to the mess hall. Scar¡¯s fully extended combistick slams through the door, ripping the sleeve of Quinn¡¯s thermal suit and tearing away part of his left bicep. Quinn covers the wound with one trembling hand, cursing as he scrambles to get away. - - Watching the injured Quinn stumble through the darkness, Celtic waits for the right moment to pounce. The ooman has lost a lot of blood. He will be slightly weakened. Even so, Celtic will enjoy taking the life from him. The ooman falls onto his back and scrambles backward on all fours. Climbing to his feet, the Quinn prey runs right into a hanging body. Frightened, the Quinn prey hollers loudly. Scrambling backwards in the snow, the ooman finds a weapon lying on the ground and aims it blindly. Perfect. Now that the ooman is armed, he is a more worthy foe. The large ooman spots movement and opens fire. The small pellets ineffectually bounce off of Celtic¡¯s shimmering cloak, sparking where they meet with his mesh suit. Celtic releases a loud roar and leaps from the tall ooman structure. He lands almost directly on the Quinn prey. The ooman lashes out with his puny weapon and strikes Celtic on the cheek. With a growl which is more like a laugh, Celtic knocks the ooman away. The force of the hit sends the ooman sprawling through a small wooden building. Celtic follows him into the splintered mess, clawing at the debris to get at his chosen prey. The ooman is fast, but not fast enough. Celtic closes to within a foot of his prey. The ooman swings a two-by-four, and makes contact with the big yautja¡¯s broad chest. The warrior strikes out at the Quinn, barely missing him. With a leap, the ooman slides into the hole created by the mothership¡¯s energy blast. Celtic growls with fury as the ooman slips out of his grasp. - - At the bottom of the frozen shaft, Quinn awakens from his trauma-induced temporary shutdown. He opens his eyes but refrains from moving a muscle. The footsteps approaching are too heavy to be human. Those things. Quinn watches as two of the beasts stroll past. A rustling to his back causes the big man to glance in that direction. Scar¡¯s wrist blades slice through the air, severing the ooman¡¯s head from his body before the scream is completely out of his lips. S1: Chapter 8: Loss of Control At the base of the pyramid, Chopper and Celtic wait for Scar to finish dispensing with the Quinn ooman and catch up. Celtic secretly broods at the loss of his kill. However, Chopper is a lot less charitable about his own thought processes. He peers back over one shoulder as Scar approaches. ¡°Not very sporting,¡± Chopper chides Scar. ¡°To make a trophy of another¡¯s kill. Especially when the ooman was unarmed.¡± ¡°He was mine,¡± Scar retorts. ¡°It was my combistick which nearly severed his arm. Was it not I, who chased the big ooman through the cold white? It is not my fault if he ended up at Celtic''s feet. Did you also not see the ooman attack our hunt leader? He only lost his weapon later. He was still mine to hunt.¡± ¡°So you say, Little Brother,¡± Chopper mocks. ¡°I still say you should not have killed him. Not without a weapon. It is dishonor. He was no threat to you without one. That kill would disqualify you in the eyes of the elders.¡± Scar¡¯s eyes narrow behind his face mask and he stifles the growl building in his throat. Were Chopper not of his clan, Scar would end his miserable life right here at the base of the great chuf''trhat. Yet, Chopper is of his clan. The hatred boiling in his blood will have to wait for the practice pits. After they have achieved their victory and become one of the blooded. Ignoring anything further Chopper might say, Scar climbs the steps of the great pyramid two at a time. His battle brothers follow closely behind. At the top, an alarm sounds. Celtic glances down at his wrist device and lets loose an agitated growl. ¡°The oomans¡­,¡± Celtic roars. ¡°They have extracted our sacred hunt weapons!¡± ¡°What? That is impossible!¡± Chopped exclaims. ¡°That has never been done!¡± ¡°It has now,¡± Scar says. A chill travels down the unblooded youth¡¯s spine, but not from the surrounding cold. He turns to his disbelieving brethren, and attempts to still the rapid beating of his heart. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°These oomans are not like the ones who visited many cycles of the moon ago,¡± Scar says. ¡°They are cunning. But we are more so. Brother¡­Hunt leader. Let us go! Before they get too far from the sarcophagus.¡± Running at full speed, the three hunters enter the pyramid. In search of the violating oomans, and their stolen yautja weapons. - - The walls of the pyramid begin to shift all around them. Scar and Chopper follow their hunt leader deeper into the heart of the pyramid, leaping to avoid some of the rapidly closing apertures. Scar¡¯s heart pounds in his chest, at the idea of confronting the oomans. Chopper, on the other hand, is more concerned with their misappropriated weapons. He mumbles and swears angrily under his breath. Celtic, forever the stoic hero, shows no emotion either way. The massive hunt leader¡¯s arms move fluidly through the air as he races through the labyrinth of passageways. Entering the sacred resting place of the masters¡¯ sarcophagus; Celtic kneels before the large slab of stone. He scans the floor with his mask. ¡°I see possibly seven distinct footprints here,¡± Celtic says between a growl. ¡°We can expect to run into that many of them. Maybe one or two more.¡± ¡°But they have our weapons!¡± Chopper yells. ¡°How do we fight the serpents without them? And where are the oomans going? Do they not understand what this is?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe they do,¡± Scar says candidly. ¡°Otherwise, they would not have taken our weapons. They cannot use them. But neither can we. They have greatly reduced the chances of their own survival.¡± ¡°I do not care!¡± Chopper bellows. ¡°All I care about is getting my weapon back from the oomans. If they die at the claws of the keinde amedha¡­All the better. I can wrench the weapon from their cold dead fingers as the worm grows inside them!¡± ¡°Not very smart, Chopper!¡± Celtic warns. ¡°To get that close to the nest without a true weapon would be recklessness. You would end up a host for the worm as well. Now, stop chattering your teeth and let us be gone from this place. The oomans have quite a start on us already.¡± Pointing to a large opening several yards away, Celtic motions for his two companions to follow him. ¡°We can go this way,¡± Celtic explains. ¡°The shaft leads into an adjacent corridor.¡± Gripping the top of the hole, Celtic hefts his massive bulk off of the ground. He slides down the chute like an ooman child at an amusement park, his arms outstretched behind him. Chopper is still fuming at the loss of his weapon. He pushes past Scar and climbs into the chute behind Celtic. Scar shakes his head with a soft growl and follows his hunt brothers down. S1: Chapter 9: Confrontation Kneeling beside a stone statue of an ancient warrior, Scar watches as the oomans pass underneath him. Nine oomans in all, including one unarmed female. The ooman in the far back glances around cautiously. He walks straight into the metallic noose set down in front of him. The noose tightens around the ooman¡¯s neck and he is hauled up and away. The flailing ooman¡¯s weapon falls to the ground, alerting the other oomans of his abrupt abduction. The oomans turn every which way, trying to locate their missing comrade. It is too late for the ooman. He is already dead. Scar chooses his next target. His clawed hands clench tightly around his combistick. Another, slightly aged, ooman male spots Scar¡¯s subtle movements and raises his weapon. Scar spears him expertly with his combistick and the man goes flying. The remaining oomans, with the exception of the unarmed female and an infirm male, open fire. Metal pellets spray everywhere and the passageway echoes with sound. A loud grinding behind Scar causes him to look over one muscular shoulder. The far wall is moving quickly in his direction. With a powerful leap, Scar flings himself into the air, pin-wheeling his sinewy arms for a more aerodynamic flight. He lands heavily on the other side of the stone passageway. Kneeling beside the opening on that side, he watches the oomans until the shifting of the pyramid blocks them from view. As luck would have it, the corpse of the ooman Scar struck with his combistick becomes wedged between two large slabs of stone. Before the stones completely cut the ooman in half, Scar retrieves his valuable weapon. Unfortunately, the ooman''s head is attached to the half of his body not accessible to the yautja warrior. Scar drops down into a squat and examines the deceased ooman with his mask. He will have to settle for another kind of trophy. Ejecting his wrist blades, Scar saws at the dead ooman''s left foot. - - Celtic stalks the tall dark-colored ooman with unmatched stealth. The other three oomans with him, including the unarmed female, are of no interest to Celtic. The ooman they refer to as Max is of a caliber worthy of the hunt. Fierce eyes which take in everything, a sturdy bone structure free of slouching; and a coarseness which denotes a fearsome leader. He will be the first ooman to sacrifice his head for the mesh on Celtic¡¯s back. Stepping into plain view, Celtic waits for the Max prey to level his weapon before firing his netgun. The Max prey is thrown backward. The net encircles the ooman leader and attaches to a slab of stone behind him. The net quickly begins to retract into the gun. The Max ooman grunts, using his puny ooman weapon in an attempt to pry the net away from his body. To no avail. The more the ooman struggles, the tighter the net becomes. Until it is cutting into the skin of the Max¡¯s forehead. Another ooman, the female, rushes at Celtic with a pointed weapon. He knocks her aside with only a fraction of his usual force. She issues a short cry and hits the floor hard¡ªrolling onto her side. A second male ooman tries to intervene. Celtic knocks the infirm idiot aside with a backhand. The infirm ooman crumbles to the ground behind the stone slab where the Max is entangled. A third male, much younger than the infirm idiot, struggles uselessly to free the doomed Max. Celtic grips the younger ooman by his scrawny throat and lifts him high into the air. The eyes of the ooman bulge in his face as the air is taken from its lungs.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. The thud of a kick landing makes Celtic glance over his shoulder. The ooman female had foolishly gone for her pointed weapon. With a solid kick, Chopper had sent her flying into a nearby pillar. She pulls herself painfully along on the ground. Celtic makes a note of the event. He will chide Chopper for his brazen disregard for the rules later. The female is no threat. Even with her pointed weapon she could do little harm. She should have been left for the serpents to impregnate. With a satisfied growl, Celtic uses his combistick to end the suffering of the ooman called Max. The prey¡¯s eyes flutter shut and his body sags lifelessly in the net. The infirm ooman backs away, staring in terror at his fallen companion. Before Celtic has a chance to revel in his victory, there is a meaty crunch of blood, flesh, and bone. Turning to see what has happened, Celtic¡¯s eyes fall upon a heart-wrenching sight. Chopper is suspended in the air by the armored tail of a massive black serpent. The serpent turns its head to peer in Celtic¡¯s direction, mocking him, before tossing Chopper¡¯s body away. Chopper¡¯s lifeless body slides on the floor and slams into a giant slab, pieces of stone breaking free from the impact. Celtic releases a loud roar and tosses the ooman male in his grip aside. Beaded braids whipping about in anger, Celtic races across the room. The large serpent makes a calculated leap from its place above him, landing directly on the bulky warrior. Celtic rolls so that he is atop the black beast. Gripping the throat of the serpent and watching out for its murderous tail, Celtic lands several hard punches to its head and abdomen. They roll, as they struggle, and the black serpent manages to regain its position atop the warrior. Raking a claw across Celtic¡¯s mask, the creature creates three deep gashes in the metal. The beast lashes out with its tail, in an attempt to impale the fierce hunter. Instead, its tail becomes embedded in the stone¡ªonly a few inches from Celtic¡¯s head. The angry yautja warrior uses his wrist blades to slice through the serpent¡¯s tail. With a screech, the serpent rears up. Celtics hurls the attacking serpent away with a powerful kick. The black nightmare slams against the floor and spins erratically--desperately attempting to right itself. When it finally does, Celtic wastes no time. He slams the serpent bodily against a giant pillar, jarring it and throwing off its equilibrium. Gripping the serpent¡¯s tail in his large clawed hands, Celtic swings it through the air. He slams the spiny creature several times against the surrounding pillars. With a smirk, Celtic releases the beast¡¯s tail. The black serpent sails across the enormous open area. It lands several meters away and scrambles unsteadily to its feet, hissing in fury. However, it still has one more trick. As Celtic charges forward, the serpent lashes out with its tail again¡ªspraying acidic blood in the warrior¡¯s direction. Some of the acid eats through Celtic¡¯s metal chest plate. In frustration, he yanks it off. Tossing the smoking armor aside, Celtic searches for his quarry. The black serpent is gone. Celtic scans the area, knowing the serpent will not go far. A scraping above his right shoulder causes Celtic to pause. The creature is attempting to ambush him from behind. Readying his netgun, Celtic whirls in a half-circle. The serpent leaps for him and Celtic fires the netgun. The creature squeals as it is temporarily hurtled upward, only to slam down onto the stone below. The stone gives way under the beast¡¯s violent impact. The creature, and Celtic¡¯s net, tumble down into a cavern completely filled with the bones of many long dead oomans. Celtic looks down into the death chamber below. Without another moment¡¯s hesitation, he leaps into the pit. Glancing around, he spies his quarry. His wrist blades have been melted beyond repair. Therefore, Celtic retrieves a large blade from a holster on his thigh. By this time, the beast¡¯s acidic blood has eaten through the net. With a violent wrenching motion, the beast tears the net in two, catching Celtic by surprise. It leaps upon him with tremendous force, driving him down into the pile of dry ooman bones. The black serpent does not waste time. It slams its secondary inner jaw into Celtic¡¯s facemask. Green blood and pieces of brain matter spray everywhere. With a triumphant screech, the serpent breaks the news of a second kill to its kin. S1: Chapter 10: Worthy to Carry the Mark The walls of the pyramid shift again. Scar rises from his place of deep contemplation and moves quickly down the dark corridor. The long screech from the serpent can only mean one thing. One of his warrior kin is dead. Following the heat trail of at least three oomans, Scar finds them cowering at the foot of a staircase. It is the infirm ooman, the female, and one other. The thin ooman male stops pacing and races to the female''s side. He utters a string of unintelligible words, such is his fear. The infirm male hollers an order and the second ooman grabs the female. She struggles in his grip, and glances from Scar to the infirm one. She tries to coax the sick ooman to rise. Instead, he barks another loud order. The second male drags the female away, but not before Scar glimpses the plasmacaster inside her bag. This cannot be so. To give the female his weapon was a stroke of genius. These new oomans are smarter than their predecessors--if only by the smallest fraction. However, if they believe that doing so will prevent him from obtaining his weapon--they are sadly mistaken. Renewing his prideful gait, Scar storms toward the staircase. He will soon have his weapon. The infirm male strikes out with a pointed tool. His feeble aim is off-target. Scar grips the sick ooman¡¯s throat in a large hand and scans his body cavity. This creature is barely alive, tumors of enormous size growing on every part of his breathing organs. Certainly, not worth a fight. Scar releases the infirm ooman and turns to go up the stairs. In a fit of rage, the ooman male yanks free a small canister from his person. He utters a cry which is barely audible and fires a gout of flame at Scar¡¯s back. Hesitating only a second, Scar turns and ejects his wrist blades. A quick death then. Scar impales the infirm ooman on his sharpened blades. The sick one''s breath escapes in a hoarse gasp. As Scar watches, the remaining life fades from the ooman¡¯s eyes. Scar retracts his blades and the body of the ooman falls away. The body rolls down the steps and lands on the stone below. Eyes still open even in death. Scar shakes his head in frustration. He has lost the other two oomans. No matter. He will catch up with them soon enough. The lone yautja picks up the pace. He strides purposefully through the winding corridors. He does not run like the puny oomans. There is no need.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The grinding of stone against stone reaches the yautja warrior¡¯s sensitive ears. He spies the male ooman just as he rounds a corner. The ooman is attempting to squeeze into a tiny closing space in the opposite wall. Scar retrieves a throwing disc from his belt and hurls it at the ooman. The disc slices through the air, but misses the ooman. Scar curses in the language of his ancestors. Had he not missed, he could have simply waited for the chuf''trhat to shift again, before claiming the ooman¡¯s severed head. - - Standing alone in a closed off chamber of the pyramid, Scar takes in his surroundings. It won¡¯t be long before the walls move again. When they do, he will seek out the oomans. If necessary, he will use the female to his advantage. It is obvious by now, that the oomans consider her valuable. He can use that. A scurrying behind Scar stops the warrior in his musing. One of the host implanters is attempting to catch him unawares. Deftly flinging a second throwing disc, Scar cuts the vile implanter straight down the middle. The two halves of the handlike monster writhe on the ground. Scar¡¯s senses go into overdrive. Real danger is not far. One of the serpent queen¡¯s cursed offspring is hiding in a hollow recess above his position. Scar is able to hear the slight hiss the creature makes as it draws back its outer lip. Pretending not to notice, Scar brazenly turns his back on the bony nightmare. The serpent creeps almost silently down the wall. When the creature is within striking distance, Scar swivels and severs the top of its head with the sharp edges of his throwing disc. Scar manages to inflict the mortal injury so expertly¡ªand quickly¡ªthat the serpent¡¯s body does not immediately react to its sudden demise. The beast¡¯s nervous system inevitably accepts the truth and the serpent falls heavily to the ground. The severed piece of serpent skull sliding away before the spiny body even hits the floor. Scar retracts the throwing disc and secures it on his belt. He growls triumphantly and kneels before the two halves of the fingery implanter. He breaks off one of the creature¡¯s jointed appendages. Acid drips from the tip and Scar uses it to mark the symbol of his clan on the forehead of his facemask. Next, he uses the same appendage to mark his own forehead. The pain is only slightly bearable, but the pride Scar feels outweighs everything else. Today, he has become a blooded youth. Soon, he will be a lot more. He will be the slayer of the serpent queen. He only hopes that Chopper was not killed. So that he may rub his victory in the hothead¡¯s smug face. As Scar considers the very real possibility that either Celtic or Chopper may have been murdered by the serpents, he forgets to be aware of all around him. A second host implanter clambers up a nearby pillar. This implanter is much different than the first; its flesh covered by a hard darkened carapace. Scar rises to his feet. The implanter leaps into the air just as he turns, plastering itself to his face. S1: Chapter 11: Powerful Catalyst Scar awakens to find himself on the floor. Beside his head lies the shriveled body of a host implanter. Putting a large clawed hand to his chest, Scar struggles to contain the vengeful roar welling up inside him. How can this be? How could he have let this happen? Celtic had tried to warn him about distractions. He had not listened. And now, he will pay the ultimate price. Climbing unsteadily to his feet, Scar replaces his mask. A warning buzz sounds through his interface, warning him of infestation. Scar pays it no heed. He will continue the hunt. He will kill the serpent queen. Only then, will everything have been made right. The pyramid shifts again. The wall directly across from him begins to rise toward the ceiling. Scar waits until the opening is wide enough to slip through. Glancing once over his shoulder, he melts into the darkness ahead. - - Scar follows the trail of the solitary ooman female. At some point, she and her male companion must have gotten split up. The other ooman is nowhere in sight. The female stumbles through the darkened corridors, turning to peer behind herself every so often. Scar keeps his cloak activated. It is the weapon he wants, nothing more. If she were to tire and put the weapon down, he could leave without her having knowledge of his continued presence. Nevertheless, the female continues forward. The ooman''s march of uncertainty only ends when she enters a chamber with no exit¡ªsave the way she originally came. Looking at a round object on her arm, she taps the surface. Displeased with what she sees, she sighs heavily and lowers her head in defeat. Scar takes a moment to smell the air. Unlike the males of her group, this female does not smell exclusively of fear. True, she is frightened. But there are other chemicals present in her blood. As a youth, he was taught that during times of extreme stress, ooman females can sometimes exhibit enormous strength--due to a sudden release of chemicals in their brain. What will this female do if she is confronted? The sturdy warrior studies the ooman female a brief moment longer. He releases a sigh of his own. Despite the code, he will have to confront her--if he hopes to retrieve his weapon. Dropping his cloak, Scar stands silently behind the frightened female. Maybe it was a rustle of his armor, or the metallic jingle of items on his belt. Whatever the cause, the female senses his presence. She turns to look at him. Shuddering uncontrollably, she remains where she is. Scar holds out his combistick, extending it to its full length. Fear completely takes hold of the ooman female and she trembles even more violently. Growling threateningly, Scar takes on a fighting stance. The female extends her hands forward and utters an ooman plea of surrender. At first, Scar mimics her motions, believing this is how she wishes to fight. However, she repeats the same phrase again, and the meaning finally sinks in. She does not wish to fight. That is good, because he does not desire to kill her.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Wait¡­Please. Please, wait,¡± the female cries. The ooman¡¯s heat signature fluctuates as she struggles against her growing fear. Scar listens intently as the ooman continues to speak. Some of her words make no sense. Others bring him great confusion. She kneels on the ground and reaches behind her. Removing her bag, she slides it¡ªand the weapon¡ªto him. Scar only stares at the ooman female in disbelief. Is she one of the faithful? Why else would she have carried his weapon for so long? The ooman gasps and there is movement to Scar''s left. A serpent leaps from the darkness, taking him by surprise. The weight of the pouncing beast drives Scar into a nearby wall, and his combistick flies from his hand. Scar forcefully hurls the vile beast away. It lands almost directly in front of the ooman female. Orienting itself, the beast focuses its attention on the ooman. It leaps for her. The ooman female¡¯s reflexes are surprisingly fast. She grips Scar¡¯s combistick and places it in front of her. The black serpent impales itself on Scar¡¯s combistick. This alone, is not enough to stop its murderous crusade. The creature struggles to get closer to the ooman, inflicting more damage on itself. Using its wicked tail, it attempts to stab the cowering female. She holds the combistick steady, not letting the creature gain even an inch. Scar watches as the beast feigns death in order to trick the female into a false sense of security. Just as she tries to lower the combistick¡ªand the creature¡ªto the ground; it snaps its inner jaw. The extendable jaw nearly connects with the ooman female¡¯s face. Had it done so, she would surely be dead. The serpent¡¯s secondary mouth is able to punch through even the toughest yautjian metal. Eventually, the serpent is still. Truly dead this time. The ooman lowers it to the ground and inhales deeply. Her body resumes its trembling when she observes the three dots which appear on her hand. She warily raises her head and follows them to their source. Peering up at him, she mouths a silent plea. Then, her attention is pulled elsewhere. Scar follows her gaze. This location is no longer safe. Several serpents are clambering on the walls and ceiling. Scar readies his plasmacaster and fires on the black beasts. He takes down all but three, which manage to slither back into the darkness from whence they came. His plasmacaster red-hot from rapid firing, Scar turns to retrieve his combistick. Now that he has his weapon, he will head for the serpent queen¡¯s lair. If the female is smart, she will head for the surface. There will be nothing but death here. To his surprise, the ooman female leaps forward as if to follow him. She reaches out as if to grab him and he whirls on her. Backing the female into the corner where she had originally cowered, Scar studies her carefully. It doesn¡¯t take him long to make up his mind. Dropping to one knee, Scar grips the elongated head of the slain black serpent. Her slain black serpent. If the female wishes to die with honor, or avenge her companions¡¯ deaths; he will not stand in her way. He will provide her with weapons. But should she prove burdensome, he will leave her behind. Or will he? Scar admits to himself that the female has fought bravely. She has survived while the rest of her ooman party are dead. She killed a keinde amedha. Even though she is ooman, she has already earned her blooded status. Scar finishes cutting off the head and barbed tail of the deceased serpent. He yanks free the spear from a nearby statue and affixes the barbed tail to one end. Handing the new weapon to the ooman female, he is pleased when she gazes at it admiringly. Motioning with his beaded head, Scar races down the corridor. The female manages to keep stride with him almost step for step. S1: Chapter 12: One Ugly Mother Approaching the lair of the serpent queen, Scar and the ooman female slow their run to a fast walk. Scar stops to inspect a piece of serpent detritus left behind at the entrance. The black beast which left this behind has not been gone long--the organic material still retains is tacky composition. The ooman female unwisely wanders into the moist inky darkness of the serpents¡¯ home. Scar remains behind in order to stand guard. He listens closely to the sounds the ooman female¡¯s shoes make on the floor. He will know if she is in trouble. A part of Scar wrestles with the knowledge that should the female be impregnated, she will simply be fulfilling her intended purpose. Yet, another part of him does not wish to see the female succumb to the will of the serpent queen. Inside him, grows one of the queen''s cruel spawn. Every so often, there is a strange flutter below his warrior''s breast. It is a feeling no being should ever know. He will not allow the same to happen to the ooman. She has fought too bravely, and come too far--saving his life more than once already. The serpent queen and her devil offspring will perish when he detonates his wrist device at the heart of the chuf''trhat. No more deaths--save those of the vile beasts--need happen this day. After a short time, Scar joins the female in the labyrinth of bones and blackened organic matter. The female is struggling to free the ooman male he saw her with before his impregnation. Charging into the room, Scar levels his shoulder cannon. She cannot be allowed to free the ooman male. All of the queen¡¯s progeny must die with her. The ooman female spies the three red dots hovering over her male companion and races to cut Scar off. Shoving him, she shakes her head furiously. ¡°No! Please, I need to help him,¡± the ooman cries. Scar tries to muscle past her, to get another shot at the ooman male, but the female continues to get in his way. Chittering loudly, Scar shakes his head. He makes a motion at his chest to signify a serpent bursting forth. With a nod of her head, the female returns her attention to her fellow ooman. ¡°You have to kill me, Lex!¡± the ooman says between violent shudders. ¡°I can feel it. It¡¯s inside of me. You can¡¯t let them reach the surface. Not even one.¡± ¡°I know,¡± the ooman called Lex answers. She reaches into a pocket and retrieves a small ooman weapon. ¡°Please, Lex¡­Just do it!¡± the cocooned ooman cries again. There is a sound like breaking bones, and the ooman convulses involuntarily. The ooman¡¯s unbearable pain is reflected in his quivering voice. ¡°Do it, Lex!¡± he cries yet again. Lex aims her weapon at the ooman¡¯s head, but her hands will not cooperate. She sobs and applies only minimal pressure to the trigger. Another loud crack of bone. The ooman on the wall shudders and his eyes roll up in his head. The cracking of his sternum is louder even than Lex¡¯s desperate wail. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Sebastian!¡± Lex hollers. And then she pulls the trigger. The back of ooman Sebastian¡¯s head explodes like a ripe melon as the bullet exits his skull and slams into the organic matter behind him. His head snaps back with the force and then rocks forward, settling on his chest. No doubt the ooman is dead. Lex ooman''s body is racked by tremors and she sobs uncontrollably. She drops her weapon on the ground and walks away. While impressed that such a small weapon could pack such a big punch, Scar also feels the ooman female¡¯s pain. She had been close to the other ooman. That much Scar had observed. Being forced to kill someone she cared deeply for could not have been easy. But she had done it.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. An even louder crack of bone interrupts Scar¡¯s thoughts. Followed by a meaty squish. Like a net being propelled at a prey beast, the serpent worm in the Sebastian ooman¡¯s chest launches itself directly at Scar. Free of its bony prison, the serpent thinks of only two things: kill and infest. If one is impossible, it will do the other. Not a complicated beast to figure out. Scar catches the serpent worm mid flight. He snaps its neck with a powerful twist of his thumb. The worm grows still in his clawed hand and he tosses it away. The newly blooded yautja warrior shakes his beaded head in utter disgust. He returns his attention to the Sebastian ooman. Disappointment floods Scar¡¯s heart and causes his stomach to drop. Shame that the female destroyed such a fine skull. It will no longer do as a trophy. He should not have missed severing it from the ooman¡¯s body¡ªwhile the ooman fled merely hours before. And what of the small weapon the female carried? When, and where, had she obtained it? She had not been armed when he met her in the dark corridors. How much damage could that weapon have inflicted had she turned it on him? After the damage done to the ooman Sebastian¡¯s skull; Scar has no desire to find out. He is grateful she left it behind. Realizing that his ooman companion is still wandering the dangerous serpent labyrinth, Scar heads in the direction Lex went. He peers over his shoulder once more and growls. Such a waste of a perfect skull. - - Scar catches up with the Lex in a small antechamber. Dozens of serpent eggs are spread throughout the room. Some implanters have already expired, after passing on their deadly gift. Others eggs are on the verge of opening¡ªsensing the Lex¡¯s body heat and respiration nearby. Scar flicks open his wrist device with a frustrated growl. She should not have come in here. The Lex stares at Scar¡¯s device and he feels the need to explain its function. He points to his wrist device and makes a hand gesture to signify a flowering explosion. The Lex nods. ¡°That thing is a bomb? That¡¯s great! I hope it kills every one of these bastards!¡± the Lex roars. Her anger encourages Scar. She will need that anger. There are many miles between this lair and the surface. He will do his best to help her get back. However, should she fall behind, he will have no choice but to leave her. The serpent worm has been inside of him for far too long. Even the most skilled yautja physicians cannot save him now. Nothing is more important than stopping the serpent hoard. This hunt has gotten out of hand. Time to set matters right. Scar sets the timer on his wrist device and tosses it into the midst of the serpent eggs. Scar nods toward the exit and the Lex acknowledges him with a nod of her own. The last remaining yautja and the solitary ooman female take off running. - - The entire sprint back through the pyramid, the Lex manages to keep up stride for stride. They make it back to the frozen borehole in record time. Only while attempting to navigate around the mess oomans call supplies is Scar forced to slow down. His massive bulk makes it difficult to move around the many loose items littering the floor. The Lex looks over her shoulder but keeps running. The female reaches an ooman lift and extends her hand to punch in the necessary code. She turns and peers at Scar with frightened eyes. The fingers of her hand are covered in serpent jelly. The vile beasts have been here. A fierce growl echoes off the walls of the frozen ground around them. A large serpent leaps onto Scars back, knocking away his shoulder cannon. Scar falls to his knees and attempts to bodily hurl the beast backward. It pierces his right shoulder, from the back, with its murderous tail. The pain is excruciating but Scar manages to keep his composure. He rears back in order to throw the creature. It hisses and draws back it elongated head. Preparing for the killing strike¡ªit snaps its inner jaw. The Lex grabs a large ooman weapon and aims it at the creature. ¡°You are one ugly¡­¡± the Lex says. Before she can finish her statement, the serpent strikes. With the large weapon, the Lex blows the front of its double mauled face through the back of its black elongated head. Scar growls and tosses the lifeless serpent away before its blood can pour over his body. The body slides on the frozen ground, halting at the talons of several more of its serpent brethren. Lex shakes her head emphatically and leaps onto the lift. Scar follows her lead, as the lift lurches forward. The serpents launch themselves at the lift, but are much too slow. The lift climbs rapidly toward the entrance of the borehole. S1: Chapter 13: Oh Crap (End of Story 1) As the ooman lift climbs higher and higher, Scar goes over everything he has witnessed or experienced. The serpent with the netlike injuries to its carapace; he has seen it before. The same serpent had attempted to slay him after his first meeting with the ooman female. It had crept stealthily along the ceiling before hiding in a nearby crevasse. Only the piercing screeches of its queen had drove it back into hiding. But why? He has not seen or heard from his hunt brothers since they separated. Finding a serpent with a net burn cannot be a good thing. Celtic would never have left it alive. Therefore, the hunt leader must surely be dead. And Chopper? What has become of him? An earsplitting boom greets Scar¡¯s ears. All at once, none of his suppositions matter. If either Chopper or Celtic were in the chuf''trhat when the bomb went off; they are dead now. The entrance of the borehole looms ahead. Scar and Lex brace themselves for impact. The lift erupts from the hole like a cannonball, the explosion from Scar¡¯s wrist device bursting forth a split second later. The ooman lift slams into the ground and the Lex ooman emits a short cry. Nevertheless, the pain does not deter her. She climbs to her feet and races away from the expanding fireball. Admiring the female¡¯s determination, Scar follows closely behind. Eventually the two beings are once again matching stride for stride. Buildings and other large structures collapse all around them. They dodge most obstacles without difficulty. However, the entire ice shelf starts to crumble. As the ice collapses, it takes the ooman settlement with it. Scar and Lex quickly find themselves in a race to avoid being dragged down into the resulting pit. The ledge ahead of them shifts and begins crumbling. Without any need for coordination, Lex and Scar leap across the gap. Landing in a crouch, Scar catches his breath and slowly climbs to his feet. He surveys the ruined landscape around him. The Lex ooman comes to stand beside him. Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the level of devastation. Scar turns to the ooman with a sense of pride. His heart swims with joy. He has done it. He has killed the serpent queen and ended the hunt. He considers what he will tell the ooman. Will she understand why he cannot go with her? What he has growing inside of him?If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. During their brief journey up through the borehole, Scar''s mind has crafted scenarios regarding his own demise. Not a very easy task. It was much easier when it was not his own hide being considered for termination. To die upon the cold white, in the company of his new ooman companion, will be a more fitting death than to die at the tiny teeth of the monster growing within him. He alone will choose the moment of his death--not the black queen. The Lex is brave for an ooman. And also intelligent. She will understand. She will know what must be done. Removing his mask, Scar observes the mix of emotions which play over the ooman female¡¯s face. First, fear. Then, surprise. Followed by stubborn resolve. She is determined not to show fear. Even if she may feel it deep inside. Scar roars half-heartedly, in an attempt to break the Lex¡¯s resolve. She only stiffens her face and continues to meet his gaze. She is indeed brave. Scar reaches down and rips the bony finger of a serpent from his belt. Lex watches his every move. Brandishing the still bleeding appendage, Scar holds it close to the acid scar on his forehead. The Lex nods her head with understanding and offers him her left cheek. Scar traces the symbol of his clan across her flesh. He is surprised that the female only inhales sharply when the acid burns through her skin. No tears. No flailing. Just those two small inhalations. Once he is finished, Scar offers the ooman his own version of a smile and his eyes soften. The female returns his smile and brings her spear erect, planting it in the powdery snow. Unsure if he should use her own ooman words, to explain his mortal situation, Scar leans closer to the ooman female. Behind them, there is a loud crack of ice and a sudden upheaval of snow. The ginormous serpent queen bursts from her icy prison and glowers at the two beings who have caused so much destruction to her brood. With a loud gasp, the Lex begins slowly backing away. In the same instant, Scar¡¯s amber eyes grow wider than he ever thought possible. His mouth gaps open in shock and disbelief. In the words of the oomans: ¡°Oh Crap!¡± End Story One (We Are On Our Side) S2: Narrow Escape-Chapter 1: Why? Antarctica, 2004 The yautja mothership rises slowly into the air. Lex watches the alien vessel until it is no more than a streak in the heavens. With a disheartened sigh, she turns to the idling snowplow several meters away and heads in that direction. So much loss. So many dead. Even poor Weyland. Lex catches herself referring to the late Charles Weyland in a much too familiar tone and a wistful smile touches her lips. The old company man had had a heart after all. Who knew? Lex''s mind returns to the strange alien warrior. The being who had risked his life to save her, and who''d helped her escape the death pyramid in one piece. Only to be killed so suddenly after their assumed victory. Everyone, everything, all gone. Lex touches the acid burn on her cheek and is surprised when her fingers come away wet. Tears. Of course there are tears. Climbing aboard the snowplow, Lex wrenches the radio mic free and hollers into it. ¡°Piper Maru.¡­Piper Maru¡­.This is Weyland Expedition Six. Do you read me, Piper Maru? Over.¡± After a few more attempts at communication, a male voice¡ªgarbled by static¡ªfinally breaks through. ¡°Weyland Expedition¡­.This is Piper Maru. We read you. What is your status? Over.¡± Relief washes over Lex and she exhales loudly. Taking a moment to collect herself, Lex pushes back the emotion welling up in her chest. A voice. Another human. Rescue. ¡°Piper Maru¡­This is Alexa Woods. The status of our mission is critical. Everyone else is dead. Over.¡± ¡°Repeat that, Ms. Woods. Did you say¡­.Everyone is dead? Come on back. Over.¡± ¡°Yes. You heard me right! Everyone else is dead. Including Mr. Weyland. I barely made it back from the pyramid. I need an emergency evac¡­.Yesterday. Over.¡± Silence. And then. ¡°Ten-Four. Hang tight, Ms. Woods. We are triangulating your coordinates as we speak. We¡¯ll have evac to your location A-S-A-P! Over!¡± Lex exhales sharply and drops the mic unceremoniously. Leaning against the seat back of the large snowplow, Lex allows her eyes to flutter shut for the first time in days. She isn¡¯t asleep for long. Climbing out of the massive snowplow, Lex makes her way toward the decimated water tower. She searches the ground with an intense urgency. She finally finds what she is looking for more than three meters away¡ªnearly buried in powdery snow. Kneeling on the frozen ground, Lex reaches for Scar¡¯s broken combistick. Any remnant of the massive black creature''s acidic blood has been washed away by the surrounding snow. Even so, Lex is very cautious, picking up the implement with two fingers. She stares at the metal object for what seems like an eternity.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°He died¡­He died trying to save me,¡± Lex states in a solemn voice. ¡°Why did I do that? Why? We were so close. We almost had her. This staff was supposed to be his. It should be his. I¡ªI can''t believe this!¡± Lowering her face into her hands, Lex cries like she hasn¡¯t cried in years. Visions of everyone she has lost swirl in her mind. First, her father¡ªtaken in the prime of his life, doing what he loved most in this world. Max, Sebastian, Weyland, Miller, and now the alien warrior. Why did the universe choose her to be the lone survivor of this frozen hell? Eventually managing to retract what remains of Scar¡¯s combistick, Lex places it inside the back of her waistband. She holds out the much larger staff and extends it to its full length. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill me? Why did you help me? I don¡¯t understand. That wasn¡¯t part of the game. Why didn''t you stick to the rules?¡± Retracting the ceremonial hunt staff, Lex inhales sharply. She spins on her heels and makes her way back to the snowplow. The entire walk back, she rehearses what she will say to investigators. The bare minimum. There were no aliens. No ships. Only strange creatures doing battle in the pyramid¡¯s depths. - - Aboard the yautja mothership Scar¡¯s prone body is placed respectfully on an altar situated before a massive viewport. The four yautja servants who carried his body aboard nod at two fellow guards and exit the room. The two guards remain behind. The larger of the two yautja guards presses a triangular button on the wall and a large conical structure drops slowly from the ceiling. Hovering above Scar, the conical device scans Scar¡¯s unmoving corpse. An alarm sounds and a holographic projection appears in the air. The hologram is a display of the serpent queen growing rapidly in Scar¡¯ chest cavity. Growing, but not yet fully mature. Faster than the eye can see a circular apparatus descends from the center of the conical scanning device and punches a round hole straight through the fallen warrior¡¯s body¡ªlarge enough to scoop out the serpent queen and the surrounding tissue she is leeching sustenance from. The apparatus ascends back into the conical device with its captured prize. This queen will serve the clan on another hunt world. As for the warrior¡¯s now mangled body. It will cease to be. A light mist issues from tiny holes on the conical device hovering over Scar¡¯s body. Slowly, the hunter''s body is reduced to something akin to protoplasm. The metal armor, the fallen warrior once wore, is all that remains. The liquid left behind flows into two tiny gutters, on either side of the altar, and drains into a thin pipe trailing underneath the altar¡¯s platform. Yautja scientists are waiting below to study the runoff. Not many warriors can take on a serpent queen alone. Despite his tragic death, this yautja was truly legendary. - - A lone yautja enters the chamber. He watches as the bloody liquid which was once Scar flows through to the drains below. Scorvo¡¯s eyes flash and his mandibles open and shut in agitation. ¡°How can this be?¡± the warrior shrieks in his mind. ¡°How can Scar be dead? And all because of an ooman female? Surely, there is more to it than that?¡± When the last of Scar has slid into the drain, Scorvo whirls on his heels. ¡°This cannot be!¡± he hisses aloud. S2: Chapter 2: It Cannot Be 11 Years later Laura Mattley climbs from the cab of her Hunter Green F-250 and slams the door. Gathering up her unruly black hair into a loose bun, Laura surveys the sprawling property around her. Laura¡¯s jaw tightens and she exhales loudly. The name on the archway over the immaculate electrified fence should be Woods. Not Mattley. Not this person she has been forced to become. As part of her vow of silence, Weyland Industries had given her a new name, and a new identity. Complete with a nice, cushy allowance. Not bad, for the sole survivor of an expedition where the head of the company''s body was never recovered. Too bad, she lacks the enthusiasm to enjoy any of it. It has been over a decade since she has thought of herself as Alexa Woods. In all of that time, the shame has borne down on her like a ton of bricks. As far as Weyland Industries¡ªand the world¡ªis concerned, the entire Antarctica expedition team is dead. By erasing her identity, Weyland has also stolen her father¡¯s legacy--and everything she and her father had stood for. She should not have let them. She should have fought to reveal the truth. But at what cost? In the end, she had simply wanted to forget. Shaking her head, Laura¡ªformerly Alexa Woods¡ªstrolls across her property, headed for the main house. Nathan Bush, her year-round groundskeeper, is away visiting his mother. Going to be a boring day in the neighborhood. - - Two hours later Stepping underneath the warm spray from the shower, Lex/Laura pulls the glass door shut. She massages her scalp, lathering up the shampoo in her hair. Silent tears run down Lex¡¯s cheeks as faces from the past make their appearance in the back of her mind. Three faces refuse to budge¡ªtheir images unwavering. Daddy¡­Sebastian¡­The alien visitor. The alien who¡¯d saved her life on the frozen continent. It has been some time since she has thought of him. If you count three weeks as a long time? But over the last few days, her mind has been inundated with dreams and visions of their time in the pyramid. And the moment of his violent death. Lex draws her left hand down her damp cheek. The scar from the black alien¡¯s acidic blood is no longer dark and angry. It has faded somewhat. Just enough to be concealed by a healthy application of makeup. The doctor¡¯s at W-I had suggested getting the mark surgically removed or tattooed over. Lex/Laura had opted to keep it¡ªagainst their advice. As a reminder. - - Later that evening Lex crosses to the bedroom window and stares out at the moon. From her place at the window, Lex observes that the circular orb is completely full¡ªand huge. What had Sebastian called it? ¡®The Hunter¡¯s Moon?¡¯ She allows herself to smile and hugs her midsection. Cinching her robe tighter, she climbs back into bed¡ªpulling the covers up to her chin. - - The Next Day Lex throws down the sturdy trowel in her hand and glances across the wide area which constitutes her cabbage patch. The fruits and vegetables, she manages to grow, aren''t as much a hit with the Farmer''s Market crowd as they used to be. With the yearly stipend from Weyland Industries, Lex''s work with the land is fairly unnecessary. However, it helps to ease her worried mind. Her other acquired habits help to do the rest. Removing her gardening gloves, Lex flexes the fingers of both hands. While her hands may sting, and are covered in callouses, the sensation is welcoming. It makes her feel alive. How did the saying go? ¡°Pain is only weakness leaving the body?¡± ¡°Pain!¡± Lex murmurs to herself. A memory floats to the front of her mind and Lex struggles to hold back tears. Sebastian, his head blown apart by a bullet which she fired. But not before that vile worm had almost torn loose from his chest¡ªthe sound of breaking bone filling that dank cavern and her ears. And then, there had been Weyland¡ªweak and vulnerable. Fighting futilely with the only thing he¡¯d had. And Max. Poor arrogant Max. If only he had not insisted they take those damn weapons.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Lex draws in a sharp breath and climbs to her feet. She reaches down to grab her holster, complete with pistol, and gloves. Movement to her left draws Lex¡¯s attention and she whirls in that direction. A greyish-blue light, resembling sparks, flares a few feet in front of her. A sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu seizes Lex and she takes a step back. She has seen such a thing before. Many years ago, at the edge of a collapsed ice shelf. Standing alone before the massive yautja mothership. One of them. As the tall figure materializes before her, Lex¡¯s mouth falls open in surprise. It cannot be. ¡°Wait! No. It can¡¯t be. But how? You¡¯re alive?¡± Lex stammers. Absently taking a step forward, Lex stops her approach when common sense rushes in. The creature, which should be dead, stares at her with amber eyes. He studies her from head to toe, his eyes not quite disapproving¡ªbut suspicious. ¡°I am not who you believe me to be,¡± the creature states in a guttural voice. ¡°I am Scorvo. The yautja you knew was my cha¡¯l brother, Scar. My f¡¯tyhu¡­My twin¡ªin ooman speak.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± Lex sighs, partially from relief and partially in disbelief. ¡°Well. Okay. So, why are you here? If you¡¯re under the impression that I know something? You¡¯re wrong. Besides your brother¡¯s brave attempts to save my life¡­He never told me anything. There wasn¡¯t time. We were too busy trying to escape with our hides. That damn queen was just too big and too fast. He died valiantly. It was your head alien who gave me that nifty stick. The one meant for your brother. Which I still have, by the way. The guys at W-I didn¡¯t know what to make of it. I told them it was something we found in the whaling station. I said it was used for harpooning large fish or whales. If that¡¯s what you want? You can have it back.¡± Scorvo takes a step closer to Lex. A scent like sea air washes over the former guide and she inhales it in. Scar had smelled the same way. She is surprised when the hunter gently takes her by the elbow, his eyes studying her face. ¡°It is my brother¡¯s decision to save you¡­That I wish to discuss,¡± Scorvo says in his deep rolling voice. ¡°I wish to know how you came to meet. The hunt viewers have told me their version. I wish to know yours. I must know what happened inside the chuf¡¯trhat¡ªthe pyramid.¡± As gently as she can, so as not to offend the enormous hunter, Lex removes her elbow from his grasp. She keeps her brown eyes fixed on his face. ¡°Look. That was a lifetime ago,¡± Lex replies. ¡°A lifetime and many dead friends ago. After I was debriefed, the company had me sign an airtight NDA and gave me a whole new life. I¡¯ve been doing everything I can to forget the old one. I¡¯m tired of seeing faces floating in my dreams at night¡ªincluding your brother¡¯s. I just want to forget. Please. Leave me alone. There¡¯s nothing more I can tell you!¡± Lex turns to leave. However, Scorvo¡¯s hand shoots forward and grips her elbow a second time. This time, he squeezes tightly, keeping Lex from striding away. She turns back to face the now angry warrior, anger flaring in her own heart. ¡°What do you think you are doing? Let go of me!¡± Scorvo does not release Lex¡¯s arm. However, he does loosen his grip. He stares down into her fierce face with a cruel smirk. He uses his right hand to touch the fading scar on Lex¡¯s cheek. The scar made by a keinde amedha¡¯s acidic blood. Put there by his brother¡¯s hand. Lex does not pull away. A tiny sliver of regret takes hold of her senses. Makeup. Why hadn¡¯t she applied the damn makeup? Well, because it made no sense to do so¡ªworking in the garden. Regrets aside, Lex watches Scorvo with suspicious eyes. ¡°I can see why my brother might try to save you,¡± Scorvo says. ¡°He was always so curious about oomans. Especially ooman females. Studying diagrams long after the lessons were over. I warned him that you oomans would be the death of him. He only laughed. He is no longer laughing.¡± Alex shifts uncomfortably in Scorvo¡¯s grasp. Realizing he is still holding her, Scorvo reluctantly releases Lex¡¯s elbow. She drops her arm by her side and continues to observe the bulky warrior. He looks every bit like the yautja who rescued her in the pyramid, the one who had marked her face. Scar? What an appropriate name. Scorvo glances around before stepping even closer. His round amber eyes stare at Lex as if attempting to bore a hole through her deeper than the one the expedition team found in Antarctica. However, the intensity of his stare is not intimidating. In fact, Lex is unable to pin down exactly what is behind the large hunter¡¯s measured gaze. Either way, it makes her uneasy. ¡°Perhaps¡­We should continue talking inside,¡± the warrior says cryptically, his voice dropping two octaves. ¡°Oh¡­No. Hell, no,¡± Lex exclaims. ¡°You are not coming in my house. I¡¯ve already told you¡­I don¡¯t want to talk about this anymore. It¡¯s over and done with for me. I¡¯m heartbroken that Scar is dead. But that was over a decade ago. I¡¯ve moved on. I had to. So¡­Goodbye. I have somewhere I have to be later. I don¡¯t have time for this. Bye.¡± Bravely turning her back on Scorvo, Lex prepares to leave. Scorvo lets out a soft chuckle and takes another calculated step toward Lex. The sound of the hunter¡¯s laugh causes Lex to pause her departure. ¡°You are referring to the place where you sing and play the stringed instrument? I am aware that you go to this place. I had simply hoped that we might speak before that time.¡± Lex whirls to face Scorvo. She places a hand on her hip and peers at him with narrowed eyes. ¡°So¡­What? You¡¯ve been stalking me? Is that it?¡± Lex queries, anger straining her voice. ¡°I did not need to stalk you. You are not a prey animal,¡± Scorvo responds casually. ¡°I simply wondered where it is that you go at night. So I followed you.¡± An alien smile alters Scorvo¡¯s mouth, and he also narrows his eyes. ¡°I have heard many sing and pull the strings of instruments. But none as well as you do.¡± Lex shoots Scorvo a sarcastic grin and rolls her eyes skyward. Such a charmer. She sweeps a hand in the direction of the main house. ¡°Okay. But you¡¯re not staying long. Like I said, I have an engagement later. I¡¯ll answer your questions as best I can. And then¡­You¡¯re gone. Got it?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Scorvo says. With a frustrated sigh, Lex makes her way toward the main house¡ªthe towering Scorvo in tow. S2: Chapter 3: Uncanny Valley ¡°The leader of our expedition¡­A guy named Max¡­He took the hunt weapons¡ªagainst my protestations. There was nothing I could do. It was like Hell on Earth after that. Your hunters came after us with everything they had. It didn¡¯t help that the pyramid kept shifting every ten minutes. Everywhere we turned, there was a gaping hole¡­Or a wall¡­Or one of those black aliens¡­Or one of you. It was crazy. Me and Sebastian¡­One of my team members¡­We were the last two humans alive. We observed your brother¡­Scar¡­While he was marking himself. We were hidden inside one of the pyramid¡¯s apertures. It was after he''d tried to kill us. But we didn¡¯t see anything attack him. I don¡¯t know when that happened. When the pyramid reconfigured again, Sebastian was taken by one of the black aliens and impregnated. Of course, I didn¡¯t know that until later.¡± Lex takes a deep breath and glances around the kitchen. She climbs from her seat at the table and crosses to the sink. Leaning against the front of the sink, she gazes out of the tiny kitchen window. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to talk about this. I¡¯ve spent the last eleven years pushing it down and away. I can¡¯t do this right now.¡± Scorvo follows Lex¡¯s lead and climbs to his feet. He strides to where Lex leans against the sink and stops a foot or two behind her. His eyes slide over her form, observing the tiny shivers coursing through her body. The ooman female is crying. ¡°There is no need to continue this conversation now. I only wished to know how it is that my brother came to be in your presence¡­And dead by the queen serpent¡¯s tail. There are those who talk of stripping my brother of his honored warrior title¡­Because he strayed from the hunt. Because he dared save the life of an ooman. While these voices and whispers are very small, I worry they may further poison opinions of my fallen hunt brother. The shame would bring down my entire house. I did not mean to cause you pain.¡± When Lex turns to face Scorvo, her eyes and cheeks are indeed wet. The seasoned warrior finds himself struggling to meet the ooman female¡¯s gaze. The emotion visible on her face is more than what he would have expected¡ªher scent quickly changing to match the depth of her sadness. ¡°They would strip him of his title¡­Because he dared to save me?¡± Lex says, disbelief evident in her voice. ¡°There is talk of such,¡± Scorvo says, his amber eyes sad and unblinking. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous!¡± Lex exclaims. ¡°Since when is saving another life dishonorable? What kind of society do you live in? No, never mind. That was rude. Forgive me. I just can¡¯t believe what I¡¯m hearing. Or seeing.¡± Wiping at her cheeks, Lex peers up at the clock on the kitchen wall.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Look¡­I really have to go.¡± Scorvo nods with agreement but makes no attempt to leave. His eyes are riveted to Lex¡¯s face, studying every twitch and curve. ¡°Which means¡­You have to leave,¡± Lex says, trying to spur Scorvo to movement. ¡°I believe it would be better for you if I stayed,¡± Scorvo counters. ¡°Why?¡± Lex challenges. ¡°Because I do not believe it is safe for you to be alone at this time,¡± Scorvo says, his eyes remaining locked on Lex¡¯s face. Tears well up in the corners of Lex¡¯s eyes. She shakes her head, voice cracking under the emotional strain. ¡°No. I don¡¯t think so. Sorry. Please go. Now.¡± Scorvo¡¯s eyes narrow and he reaches up to touch the scar on Lex¡¯s cheek again. This time, she does flinch, unsure of why he continues to repeat the action. ¡°If that is your wish,¡± Scorvo replies. ¡°It is. Thank you. And goodbye. I hope everything works out for you. Your brother¡­Scar¡­Was a hero. Plain and simple. At least, as far as I¡¯m concerned. But now, I have important things to do.¡± Scorvo drops his hand from Lex¡¯s cheek and moves in the direction of the back door. He peers wolfishly over one shoulder, eyes narrowed and mandibles drawn up in a sly grin. ¡°I understand your need for expediency. I am sure the many males who fill the singing chamber will worry if you are not there on time. I have seen the way their eyes graze over your body. As I have said before¡­I can see why my brother would want to save you. I might have been tempted to do the same.¡± Lex takes a moment to process the words she has just heard. By the time she spins to face the back door, Scorvo is exiting it at a quick pace. Lex¡¯s mouth moves wordlessly and she places a hand at her forehead, as if checking for a fever. ¡°What the hell was that about?¡± Lex exclaims, finally finding her voice. - - Jukebox Club Laura/Lex slowly lowers herself down onto the plush seat of the chair directly facing her wardrobe mirror. Opening the top drawer, she retrieves a tube of dark red lipstick. She changes her mind and decides to go with a more natural look, choosing a medium shade of peach. Evenly applying the lipstick, she turns her face so that her left cheek is fully visible in the reflection of the mirror. Makeup now hides the scar on her cheek. Why today? Why now? After all of these years. Just when she had managed to convince herself that everything would be okay. How strange, her alien visitor. How much he resembles the alien from the pyramid. Even for twins, the resemblance is more than uncanny. Had the visitor not revealed the truth, she would have gone on believing it was him--Scar. Why did the simple mention of his name cause a stirring in her stomach? Guilt? Remorse? Something else? The way he had leaned toward her, just before the queen had emerged. What had he planned to say? Or do? She will never know. Finishing with her lipstick, Lex smacks her lips twice and forces a smile. S2: Chapter 4: Frankenstein Lex returns home almost five hours later, tired and worn down with worry. Gripping the handle of her guitar case, Lex climbs the four steps leading to her front door. She withdraws the door key from her jacket pocket and presses it into the keyhole. However, the door opens of its own accord¡ªno key necessary. Fear fills Lex¡¯s heart, making her stomach do flips. After she has had a moment to think clearly, she shakes her head and exhales loudly. Her strange alien visitor. Of course. How could she have forgotten? ¡°That damn yautja! Look! I told you I wanted you gone. You have no right¡ª¡± Before Lex can finish her statement, a strong arm yanks her into the house. A human arm. An expression of sheer terror alters Lex¡¯s face as she takes in her intruder. Dressed in a black suit, and sporting a black hood over his face, the large man stares at Lex with angry blue eyes. ¡°Ms. Mattley! Or shall I call you, Ms. Woods? I need you to come with me.¡± Lex tries to yank her arm free, but the large hooded man only tightens his grip. ¡°I don¡¯t think so! Just who the hell are you? And what the hell are you doing in my house?¡± ¡°The company has an urgent matter they wish to discuss with you,¡± hooded man says. ¡°I cannot say any more than that. You will come with me now!¡± ¡°I said¡­No!¡± Lex growls, her teeth pressed tightly together. ¡°Get your hands off of me! I told the company everything I knew a decade ago. There¡¯s nothing more to tell.¡± ¡°Oh. I think there is!¡± the suited figure says, a short deep chuckle escaping his lips. ¡°Don¡¯t make this harder on yourself, Ms. Woods. Come willingly¡­And I won¡¯t have to hurt you.¡± ¡°You bastard!¡± Lex yells, her blood running cold. With those words, Lex brings up her guitar case, the handle of which is still gripped tightly in one hand. She wallops the large man just as he prepares to retrieve his gun from a holster at his side. Lex considers her own weapon, locked in its case on the other side of the living room. The club doesn¡¯t allow weapons on the premises. Not after a young woman was shot and killed only feet from the entrance. Lex regrets not having brought the pistol along anyway. She could have left it in the truck. At least, she¡¯d be armed right now. Lex¡¯s assault with the guitar case momentarily stuns her attacker. He stumbles back a couple of steps, his grip on her arm loosening. Enough for Lex to wrench free. She frees her arm and hits the hooded man with the guitar case a second time. Hard enough that there is a loud crack of wood. Damn. That was a vintage ¡°Frankenstein¡±. Damn. With an angry growl, Lex raises the guitar in the air. Her attacker has gone down on one knee. But he isn¡¯t out of the game. He prepares to bring up his gun, now freed from its holster. Lex freezes momentarily, but does not lower the guitar. ¡°You freaking whore!¡± the hooded man bellows. He touches one hand to the battered side of his head and comes away with blood on his fingertips. Even through the black hood, blood drips down onto the floor from the would-be kidnapper¡¯s busted ear. A bright flash fills the room and the hooded figure¡¯s chest is blown out from behind. His eyes bulge in the spaces left for them to peek out of the hood. He sputters twice before pitching forward and falling face down on the floor. Damn. Now the carpet. Not the carpet. Lex cautiously lowers her guitar case and sets it down on the floor. She turns in the direction from which the blast originated. Scorvo stands silhouetted against the darkness of the night, the porch light illuminating his massive bulk. Lex takes a step forward and then reconsiders. She pretends to be cross with her unearthly visitor.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Did you have to spray his blood all over my damn carpet? I just had that laid two months ago!¡± ¡°I apologize,¡± Scorvo says, smoothly stepping into the house and shutting the front door. ¡°Next time, I will ask if it is okay to kill the ooman who would end your life. I am sorry about the carpet.¡± ¡°Whatever!¡± Lex kneels beside the dead hooded man and turns him over. She carefully peels back the hood from his face, shaking her head. ¡°I don¡¯t recognize him. I¡¯ve never seen him before in my life. I don¡¯t get it! He mentioned the company! Weyland Industries? What would they want with me after all of these years?¡± Silence fills the room as a realization dawns on Lex. The only change in her life, as of late, is the darn alien standing in her living room. ¡°We should bury him,¡± Lex utters in a soft voice. ¡°I can pretend he never came to see me. I¡¯ll need you to help me rip up the carpet. This whole thing is half your fault anyway. Nathan¡­My groundskeeper¡­Won¡¯t be back for a few days. The remainder of the carpeting is rolled up in the shed out back. We can replace the carpet if we hurry.¡± Lex climbs to her feet and whirls around. Only to find Scorvo standing directly in front of her. She stares down at his muscled chest and then up into his round amber eyes. Eyes so much like a pair she had once gazed into many years ago. Scar¡¯s eyes. ¡°That will not help you!¡± Scorvo says. ¡°They will simply send another¡­And another.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Lex nearly yells, her voice tinged with rage and impatience. ¡°Why? And how do you know that?¡± ¡°I have already dispatched three such assassins in as many days. They sent one the first evening. The second night, there were two. Tonight, they sent an even better one. I watched as he disarmed your security system and entered your property with relative ease. They will not stop until they get what they want.¡± ¡°And just what is it that they want?¡± Lex says testily. ¡°You. And me.¡± Scorvo explains. ¡°Me? I¡¯ve only just met you! You said the company has been sending these guys for three days now. How could this possibly have anything to do with me?¡± ¡°Five days ago, my ship entered your planet¡¯s atmosphere. A day after that, I became aware that they were considering bringing you in. They know I am yautja. They suspected that I would come to you. They wanted to get to you first.¡± Lex takes a moment to think. Sucking on her inner jaw, she manages a thin smile. ¡°What you¡¯re saying is¡­They¡¯re after you?¡± ¡°You could say that?¡± Scorvo says, his eyes narrowing. ¡°So¡­What¡¯s to stop me from just¡­Turning you in?¡± Lex replies, her words dripping with sarcasm. Almost immediately, a trio of red dots appear on her chest. Lex glances down at her chest and then back up at Scorvo, her jaw tightening. The yautja warrior simply tilts his head and smirks, shrugging both shoulders. ¡°You do have that choice.¡± ¡°Look! I don¡¯t need this! After everything I¡¯ve been through¡­Everything I¡¯ve lost. I just want to live my life. Can¡¯t you understand that?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t live long if the company you once worked for has its way. They will kill you. I would think that would be obvious by now!¡± ¡°No. No. This isn¡¯t happening. Even if they think you might have made contact with me¡­Why would Weyland Industries want me dead? What¡¯s so special about you?¡± ¡°Not only me,¡± Scorvo says quietly. ¡°I did not tell you the whole reason for my journey to your planet. Some time ago, word reached our home world that the oomans have one of our kind in a secret facility. That your scientists managed to clone DNA from material found at a site¡­On a frozen continent. Rumors are¡­It was the same creature mentioned in the original report of one Alexa Woods.¡± Lex¡¯s eyes widen and her mouth falls open with surprise. ¡°What? How? Those reports were never to be seen. I signed a non-disclosure.¡± ¡°We have our ways.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll say. I only told them the bare minimum. I had to. How else could I explain how I came to be the only survivor? They would have nailed me to the wall like some kind of psycho killer.¡± ¡°I am aware of this,¡± Scorvo says. Lex gazes askance at Scorvo and pouts. When she speaks again, her voice is low and filled with sadness. ¡°Scar¡­At least some part of him¡­Is alive?¡± ¡°It would appear so! That is why I am here! If my brother is being held in captivity¡­I aim to free him. And I will need your help to do that!¡± Lex swallows the lump in her throat and turns away from Scorvo, emotion welling up in her chest. ¡°First things first,¡± Lex says, in a hurry to change the subject. ¡°Let¡¯s bury this asshole. If his blood soaks in any more the wood underneath won¡¯t be salvageable.¡± S2: Chapter 5: Eat It Alive? Lex throws down her shovel and peers into the gaping six-foot hole she and Scorvo have dug. Glancing up at Scorvo, she nods her head. ¡°Roll him on in there! He won¡¯t mind!¡± Lex jokes. Scorvo uses a clawed foot to nudge the dead would-be assassin into his soil grave. The hooded corpse hits the dirt with a soft thud. Lex immediately sets to work filling in the deep hole. Scorvo watches her briefly, and then picks up his own shovel. - - Back at home, Lex washes the dirt from her hands and arms with warm water from the kitchen sink. She takes special care to get under her fingernails with a metal implement. Scorvo watches Lex from a seat at the kitchen table. It is obvious she is doing everything possible to keep from facing her very real and present danger. ¡°You said¡­You¡¯ve dispatched three other men¡­In as many days,¡± Lex begins. ¡°Please tell me, you didn¡¯t bury them all over my yard? Or leave their bodies somewhere for someone to find?¡± ¡°No. I did not.¡± ¡°Good,¡± Lex sighs, relieved. ¡°So¡­Where did you bury them?¡± ¡°I did not bury them. I used the dissolving solution I carry with me at all times. It is much more efficient.¡± A glass clinks in the sink as the implement Lex is using to clean under her nails falls from her hand and knocks the glass over. Lex¡¯s brow creases and she turns to Scorvo with a less than pleasant expression. ¡°And you are just mentioning this¡­Now?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± Scorvo offers nonchalantly. Lex leans against the edge of the sink, and crosses both arms over her chest. Scorvo observes the sudden change of color which radiates up Lex¡¯s face¡ªstarting with her cheeks. ¡°You allowed me to toil for nearly three hours¡­When you could have said¡­¡®How about we use this dissolving solution I carry on my person at all times?¡¯ Really?¡± ¡°You did not ask. You said¡­¡¯We should bury him¡¯. I did not question your judgment.¡± Lex covers her face with both hands and releases a frustrated growl. ¡°Oh my god! I think I¡¯m stuck with the wrong brother. At least, Scar was useful.¡± As soon as the words are out of Lex¡¯s mouth, she regrets them. She lowers both hands from her face and peers across the room at the seated yautja warrior. ¡°Scorvo¡­I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m so stressed out right now. I didn¡¯t think about what I was saying. That was a terrible thing for me to say.¡± A shadow crosses Scorvo¡¯s face and he averts his gaze. ¡°No need to apologize. You are not the only one who feels this way.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. It was rude. I¡¯m sorry.¡± Scorvo stands from his place at the table and crosses to where Lex leans against the counter. He takes her face in both hands, one thumb tracing the acid scar on her left cheek. Lex uneasily meets his gaze. ¡°Why do you keep doing that?¡± Lex questions, her eyes searching Scorvo¡¯s face. ¡°You truly do not understand?¡± Scorvo says, a sad smile drawing up the corner of his mouth, mandibles opening slightly. ¡°Understand what?¡± ¡°If you do not know¡­It is not my place to tell you.¡± Lex¡¯s shoulders droop as Scorvo releases her face but refuses to elaborate. She continues to stare into his round amber eyes.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Have you eaten?¡± ¡°What?¡± Scorvo says, taken aback. ¡°Have you¡­Eaten?¡± Lex repeats. ¡°You know¡­Food? I¡¯m afraid I haven¡¯t been a very good host. When was the last time you¡¯ve had something to eat? It¡¯s the least I can do. You did save my life. I don¡¯t know about you¡­But I¡¯m famished. I¡¯m no chef. But I make a pretty mean omelet.¡± ¡°A mean omelet? What is an omelet? How can an omelet be aggressive? Do you eat it alive?¡± Lex bursts out laughing, covering her mouth with the back of one hand. Human Delicacies 101 must not be required reading where he comes from. ¡°Uh¡­Never mind. You sit down and I¡¯ll bring you¡­Something to eat. Oh god!¡± Scorvo observes Lex with half-lidded eyes. Her smile, her laugh, they are strangely infectious¡ª growing inside him like the dreaded worm of the keinde amedha. Scar had been correct in choosing this one. The rugged warrior offers Lex a smile of his own before returning to the table. He chooses a chair which will give him the best view of the ooman female as she goes about her savory business. - - ¡°Not very good, huh?¡± Lex says, scrunching up her face. Scorvo peers up at Lex before looking down at his plate. He tries to appear grateful. In truth, the ooman food¡ªLex calls an omelet¡ªhas caused a strange sensation in his gut. Too many flavors competing for the attention of his taste buds and assaulting his olfactory senses. Not to mention, the strange texture¡ªcoupled with the greasy liquid Lex used to cook the spongy substance. The oil coats Scorvo¡¯s tongue and makes his mouth feel thick with saliva. ¡°I am not used to ooman food. It is not your fault.¡± ¡°Oh yeah. Right.¡± A moment of silence ensues. Lex glances up at the clock, watching the second hand tick away. ¡°There¡¯s one thing I don¡¯t understand. You claim that they¡¯ve cloned your brother¡ªScar. How? I mean¡­We all grow up hearing stories about Area 51, UFO¡¯s, and secret military bases in Cheyenne Mountain. If you really want to go down a rabbit hole of conspiracy theories¡­There are shadowy government organizations with cloak and dagger assassins¡­Men in black. But that¡¯s all they are¡ªstories. Nothing has ever been proven. How do you know that what you¡¯ve heard is even true? It could be some cooked up urban legend from a bored, disgruntled intern. Humanity is nowhere near the level of advancement needed to clone an individual¡­independent thinking¡­living being. At least, I don¡¯t think so. I mean, that would be pretty ground-breaking and hard to keep a secret. I don¡¯t think even Weyland Industries has that capability. Where did you get your information?¡± ¡°We have our sources,¡± Scorvo offers cryptically. Lex sighs in annoyance. ¡°Even if our earthly government¡­Or governments¡­Are hiding the true level of their scientific knowledge¡ªWhy Scar? What could they hope to learn from him?¡± ¡°Everything they can. It would not matter. The location of our home world. The inner workings of our weapons and technology. Especially our shielding and cloaking methods. You cannot imagine what evils might be unleashed on the cosmos with the knowledge contained within my brother¡¯s head.¡± ¡°If what you¡¯ve been told is correct, and they¡¯ve already succeeded in cloning him¡ªwe can only assume they have that information already.¡± ¡°Not so. But even if that were true, I will not leave what little remains of my brother in ooman hands. I will free him. I ask for your help because I am certain that if it were you in that facility¡ªScar would do everything he could to get you out. Such was his loyalty.¡± Lex¡¯s face contorts as she struggles to hold back tears which threaten to spill from her eyes. Did he really need to twist the knife in any deeper? Lex pushes her chair away from the table and stands up. She looks everywhere but at Scorvo¡¯s face. ¡°I¡¯m going to catch a few Z¡¯s. You¡¯re welcome to stay in the living room. There¡¯s a mattress I use for guests in the hallway closet. I don¡¯t have very many guests these days. So it¡¯s basically brand new. I¡¯ll see you in the morning.¡± ¡°Lex?¡± Scorvo says in his usual deep voice. Lex slowly turns to face him. An eerie feeling comes over Lex as she locks eyes with the being staring across the room at her. So much like the other, in nearly every detail. The only key differences are the armor he wears and the mask strapped to his back. His amber eyes burn with the same hunter¡¯s fire, ready to do violence at a moment¡¯s notice. Yet, also calm and calculating. ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°For what? I haven¡¯t done anything. And you barely touched your food.¡± Scorvo cocks his head to the side and Lex feels a strange flutter in her chest. This is already becoming too much. ¡°For helping me to restore my cha¡¯l brother¡¯s honor. The honor of my family¡ªand of my clan. If the oomans should learn of our home world¡­It could mean intergalactic war. Many lives would be lost. Scar¡¯s name would be forever tarnished¡ªbecause it would be Scar¡¯s blood, and his knowledge, which allowed the oomans to glean such information. Our family would be exiled.¡± Lex shifts her weight from one foot to the other. She counts to three and breathes out slowly, damming the tears threatening to pour from her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re welcome. But I still don¡¯t understand what you expect me to do. I¡¯m not a scientist¡­Or a mercenary.¡± Scorvo intertwines the fingers of both hands and places them on the table in front of him. He offers Lex a knowing smile. ¡°I will tell you once you are rested. Good night, Alexa.¡± ¡°Good night, Scorvo.¡± Final goodnights spoken, Lex makes her way upstairs, heading for her bedroom. She pauses at the top of the stairs and glances back over her left shoulder. Scorvo stands silently at the entrance to the kitchen, watching her with unblinking amber eyes. S2: Chapter 6: Master Plan Alex stumbles blindly through the darkened corridors. Every drop of condensation falling to the floor, or draft whistling around a corner, is cause to turn and glance over a shoulder. She pauses at a large juncture, deciding on which way to go. Not giving her mind a chance to play tricks, Lex chooses to go left. Bad choice. She finds herself at a dead end. Glancing down at her watch, which also serves as a compass, Lex releases a wary sigh. ¡°I guess¡­I go back,¡± she mentally chides herself. At that moment, a strange sensation travels the entire course of her spine. She is not alone. A soft metallic clink, very similar to one she has heard off and on for several minutes, sounds in the large open space. Pursing her lips, and steeling herself, Lex prepares to turn and face her enemy. One of those black demons? Maybe even the same one that carried Sebastian away. Shivering uncontrollably, Lex turns completely around. No, not one of the black demons. It is the creature from the staircase. The creature which ended poor Weyland¡¯s life at the edge of a blade. Tears spring to Alex¡¯s eyes and her body trembles more violently. It can¡¯t end like this. Oh god. It can¡¯t end like this. The creature extends a long metal weapon, resembling a retractable spear, to its full length. Fear completely takes hold of Lex and she trembles even more violently. Growling menacingly, the alien creature takes on a fighting stance, its beaded braids whipping violently. Lex extends both hands forward and utters a plea of surrender. ¡°Wait¡­Please. Please, wait,¡± Lex cries. The creature seems to understand her intent. It halts its movement and listens intently as Lex attempts to communicate. Unsure if her point is truly getting across, Lex kneels on the ground and reaches behind her. Removing her bag, she slides it¡ªand the ancient weapon¡ªtowards the creature. The creature stares at her with what can only be disbelief. A loud gasp escapes Lex¡¯s lips as an enormous barbed tail erupts from the center of the creature¡¯s chest. Stumbling forward, Lex utters a single word: ¡°No!¡± - - Bolting upright in bed, Lex places a hand across the left side of her chest. She glances over at the clock on her nightstand. 1:21 am. Damn. Only thirty minutes since she laid her head down to sleep. It had all seemed so real. She had really believed she was back there. In Antarctica. Inside the pyramid. Climbing out of bed, Lex uses both feet to search for her bunny slippers. Sliding her slender feet into them, Lex makes her way to the bedroom door. Was any of it real? The alien in her kitchen¡ªclaiming to be the twin of the yautja she knew as Scar. The hooded man in black? Lex peers at her hands in the darkness. The splinter which embedded itself in the center of her hand¡ªwhile digging a six-foot hole for the miscreant assassin¡¯s body¡ªis still there. This is no dream. Cautiously opening the door, Lex makes her way down the staircase, eyes searching every shadow for hidden figures. At the bottom of the steps, she glances behind her, and runs right into a cloaked Scorvo. The hunter casually drops his shield and tilts his head to one side.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep,¡± Lex says. ¡°I know,¡± Scorvo responds matter-of-factly. ¡°I heard you cry out.¡± ¡°Did I? Uh. Yeah. I had a nightmare. Nearly getting killed¡­Again¡­Will do that to a person.¡± Lex absently rubs at the splinter which has made its home in her palm. Scorvo observes the movement and reaches down to take Lex¡¯s hand in his larger one. ¡°Does it still bother you? The injury to your hand?¡± ¡°No. Not really. It¡¯s only a splinter. It¡¯ll work its way out eventually. They always do.¡± Lex tries to pry her hand from Scorvo¡¯s but the yautja warrior is having none of it. ¡°I can remove it for you. There will be no pain.¡± Lex stops moving and locks eyes with Scorvo. ¡°Okay. Sure. And while you do that¡­You can tell me exactly how we¡¯re going to get into a maximum security facility. Got a magic wand I don¡¯t know about?¡± ¡°I have something better,¡± Scorvo says, a grin exploding onto his face. ¡°I have you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Lex crows in disbelief. Scorvo continues to smile. - - Lex is seated at the table, hand outstretched. Scorvo finishes cleaning her palm and gazes up into her face with half-lidded eyes. ¡°I¡¯m waiting,¡± Lex demands impatiently. ¡°When we enter the ooman science facility¡­You will no longer be Alexa Woods. Or even Laura Mattley. You will be Solora Brighton.¡± Lex wrenches her hand free and wags a finger at Scorvo. Already, she is doubting the effectiveness of Scorvo¡¯s plan. ¡°Who the hell is Solora Brighton?¡± ¡°Solora Brighton is an ooman biologist stationed at the facility where my kind believe Scar is being imprisoned. I have read through her files. She is a perfect match. You could impersonate her quite easily. You are both the same height, approximately the same weight, you have a more than similar facial structure, your hair is the same length, and your skin is the same shade. We were quite lucky in this regard. However, I will admit¡­Your chest mounds are negligibly smaller. But I don¡¯t think any male of your species would notice the difference.¡± ¡°Excuse me?¡± Lex says, more than a little offended. ¡°Hello! Rude much!¡± A small chuckle escapes from between Scorvo¡¯s teeth and he draws his mandibles shut. ¡°I apologize. I was warned¡­During our lessons as childlings¡­That ooman females are quite sensitive about their physical appearance. I did not mean to offend.¡± ¡°None taken,¡± Lex lies. ¡°You did say¡­Negligibly¡­After all.¡± The smile plastered to Scorvo¡¯s mouth does not fade as he continues to outline their plan. Lex listens closely and intently. ¡°It will be easier to reach the science facility by ship. My vessel is hidden in a stony place several kilometers from the edge of your nearest ooman town.¡± ¡°Graystone National Park? You stashed your ship¡­In a national park? Do you know how many people go through there every day? Someone might find it? We need to go now!¡± Scorvo is taken aback by Lex¡¯s sudden need for urgency. Only hours ago, she¡¯d shown not even a hint of desire to accompany him. He follows Lex¡¯s lead, as she climbs hurriedly to her feet. He strides toward the departing woman and gently grips her by the right elbow. ¡°I do not understand,¡± Scorvo says. ¡°My ship is cloaked. Even if someone should happen upon it, they would not know it for what it is. Not in the dark.¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t understand,¡± Lex says. This time, it is her turn to laugh. ¡°I have a chance to ride in a bona fide alien ship. I¡¯ve been waiting to do that for over eleven years. Since your buddies left me stranded on the ice in Antarctica. I¡¯ll be damned, if I¡¯m going to miss this opportunity. Give me a few minutes to get ready¡­And I¡¯ll grab my keys.¡± Lex pats the side of Scorvo¡¯s face and strolls from the kitchen. Scorvo looks after her in bewilderment. If he¡¯d known that was all it would take to win the ooman female¡¯s trust, he would have mentioned the ship earlier. S2: Chapter 7: Marauders Lex tosses her backpack in the bed of the pickup truck and climbs behind the wheel. Leaning over the seat, she opens the passenger door, allowing Scorvo to climb in beside her. Thanks to the truck¡¯s oversized interior, Scorvo is able to fit inside, his beaded dreads brushing the ceiling of the cab. ¡°Buckle up!¡± Lex jokes. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get a ticket.¡± Scorvo mimics her actions without much enthusiasm. The seatbelt presses uncomfortably against the metal of his armor. He is unable to keep his eyes from wandering to Lex¡¯s front, the clothe belt nestled snuggly under one chest mound and over the other. After a moment of staring, Scorvo settles his gaze forward, peering straight out of the truck¡¯s windshield. ¡°A negligible difference,¡± Lex says coyly. ¡°How negligible?¡± It is Scorvo¡¯s turn to roll his amber eyes upward. Pressing the green button on a remote clamped to the pickup¡¯s visor, Lex waits for the front gate to open before driving through it. - - ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Lex exclaims. She pulls up beside a land rover parked in front of an ancient-looking log cabin. ¡°I know the ranger. Strange¡ªI don¡¯t see Phillip''s ATV. He¡¯s probably out doing rounds. I¡¯m not going to bother signing in, because we really aren¡¯t supposed to be here right now. He¡¯ll know it¡¯s me. Don¡¯t worry. The camera hasn¡¯t worked in ages. It¡¯s mostly for show. Scares the local kids so they don¡¯t vandalize the place. Come on. We¡¯ve got a ship to catch.¡± Lex bounces out of the pickup and drops down the door to the truck bed. She pulls out her backpack, which has slid into a corner, and softly closes the truck bed. Scorvo lightly touches Lex¡¯s arm, his round amber eyes staring down at her in the darkness. ¡°Are you absolutely sure you want to do this? Once we are there¡­There will be no turning back,¡± Scorvo warns. Lex¡¯s eyes harden and a smirk turns up the corners of her mouth. For a moment, she entertains the idea of mocking the enormous hunter''s display of genuine concern. Not unlike his brother, Scorvo possesses an immense capacity for compassion. Something she''d never believed possible, watching Scar skewer the late Charles Weyland on his fearsome blades. There is more to these otherworldly hunters than meets the eye. ¡°You coming?¡± Lex says, casually shrugging into her backpack. Strolling away, Lex does not even look back. A knowing smile builds on Scorvo¡¯s face. Well chosen indeed. - - In a dense part of the woods, a river winds through the trees. An abandoned ATV is parked beside the river, a body sprawled on the ground a few yards away. Glazed human eyes stare up at the nighttime sky, a bullet hole dead-center between them. Dried blood coats the pale skin around the ragged wound and flies buzz in and out of the artificial orifice. Ranger Phillip Espenza had been dead for more than several hours. Long before his idling ATV ran out of gas. The ranger¡¯s murderers are not far from the scene of the crime. Enjoying the spoils of their misadventure. Cosmo Blankenship stretches noisily and manspreads on the lush grass that is his blanket. Trent, Cosmo¡¯s youngest brother, sits by the small fire they have burning. He uses the flames to light a joint. Taking a long drag, Trent hugs himself and moves his legs up and down, bending them at the knees before straightening them out again. The third member of the party, Johnny Carvello, glances over at Trent with disdain.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Do you have to smoke that crap around me, you dumb bastard? I told you I hate the smell of that crap!¡± ¡°It calms me down, okay? I mean, we did just kill a man. A ranger, Johnny! What if someone comes looking for him? We were supposed to lay low. Wait until the heat went down¡­And then escape with the cash. We weren¡¯t supposed to kill nobody!¡± ¡°Shut the hell up, Trent!¡± Cosmo roars. ¡°And you¡­Leave him the hell alone, okay?¡± ¡°Whatever, man! He¡¯s your damn brother!¡± Johnny barks back. ¡°I still say we shouldn¡¯t have brought him along on this one.¡± ¡°And I don¡¯t give a damn what you say, Johnny! He¡¯s here. Get over it! Now, will the two of you just shut the hell up, so I can get some sleep? Please. Damn! Like a bunch of catty schoolgirls!¡± Johnny opens his mouth to retort, but thinks better of it. He lies back against a rock and takes a pack of cigarettes from his breast pocket. He glowers at Trent with a menacing scowl. Cosmo¡¯s kid brother is now high as a kite, his eyes unfocused and his body swaying gently back and forth. ¡°Aw, man! Talk about sorry!¡± Johnny mutters to himself. A few moments later, Cosmo is asleep and Johnny is nearly in snooze land as well. The loud snapping of a twig causes Johnny¡¯s head to shoot up from its resting place on his chest. He climbs quickly to his feet, pulling a pistol from the waistband of his pants. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± the frustrated murderer whispers into the still night air. ¡°Probably just an animal. Take your paranoid ass back to sleep, Johnny! Jeezus!¡± ¡°Nah! Weren¡¯t no animal! Listen!¡± With a sigh, Cosmo throws his hands into the air. Johnny isn¡¯t the only person having regrets tonight. Cosmo wonders if it would be a good idea to just off the crazy hothead and be done with it. ¡°I don¡¯t hear a thing, Johnny. What am I listening for?¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it, Cos. It¡¯s sort of like when the forest gets quiet before you take out that prized buck. Or the quiet before a real bad storm. The animals ain¡¯t talking no more. Something¡¯s got ¡®em scared. Real scared. I¡¯m thinking¡­We¡¯ve got company.¡± Trent, still caught up in his high, jumps to his feet and turns in a semi-circle. ¡°You think they¡¯ve found us, Cosmo? Oh god! Please no! Please. Don¡¯t shoot us! Oh god! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± Johnny has had enough. He coldcocks Trent with the butt of his gun. Trent goes down in a heap, holding the side of his head. Anger courses through Cosmo and he leaps to his feet. ¡°What the hell did you do that for?¡± ¡°The little bastard is gonna give away our position,¡± Johnny answers. Cosmo closes the distance between himself and Johnny in less than twenty strides. He stands directly in the thinner man¡¯s face. ¡°If what you say is true¡­Our position has already been compromised. Remember your training, soldier. And don¡¯t you ever do that again! You understand? Or the next thing you¡¯ll feel¡­Will be a bullet through your head. Same as the ole ranger over there. How does that compute in your little brain?¡± Johnny glowers at Cosmo but keeps his thoughts to himself. As a former military sergeant, Johnny understands the value of the chain of command. Right now, Cosmo is big man on campus. It won¡¯t always be that way. One day, he will have the goods. Then, Cosmo will be begging him for scraps and leads. Cosmo walks to his kid brother and offers him his hand. ¡°Come on, kid. Get up!¡± Trent rubs at his bruised temple and hauls himself unsteadily to his feet. Cosmo grips Trent¡¯s left shoulder with one hand, and holds up two fingers with his other hand. ¡°How many fingers am I holding up?¡± Trent squints and tilts his head to one side. ¡°Two?¡± It comes out as more of a question than an answer. Cosmo snickers and slaps Trent on the shoulder. He is anxious to get everyone back on a good footing. No one wants to shoot their brother or their best friend. ¡°See, you¡¯re alright. Everyone¡¯s alright? Right? Let¡¯s not have any more of this badmouthing and bickering, okay? We¡¯ll fan out and search the area. If we don¡¯t find anyone lurking¡­Good. If we do¡­We smoke ¡®em! Real simple. Okay?¡± Trent nods without much enthusiasm. Johnny simply takes the safety off of his weapon, an evil grin on his cruel face. S2: Chapter 8: The Plunge Lex spies the abandoned ATV at the same time that Scorvo puts out an arm to stop her forward motion. The skilled hunter¡¯s face is twisted into a confused scowl. ¡°Oh my god!¡± Lex exclaims, her gaze falling on the sprawled figure lying beside the ATV. Even from a distance, and through the trees, Lex is certain that Phillip is already dead. No human would lie in such an unnatural position. Voices filter through the air to Lex¡¯s listening ears, and she grows stiff. Men. Three men. Camping out in the area surrounding the river, the ranger¡¯s body, and the abandoned ATV. No doubt, Phillip¡¯s murderers. Scorvo motions with his head for Lex to follow him in a southerly direction. Lex moves to follow him. As she does so, her foot comes down on a large twig, snapping it in two. Lex freezes, her eyes wide as saucers. Scorvo¡¯s brow creases and he tilts his head back in the direction they came from, listening. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± one of the murderers yells into the night. ¡°Probably just an animal. Take your paranoid ass back to sleep, Johnny! Jeezus!¡± says a second male voice. ¡°Nah! Weren¡¯t no animal! Listen!¡± the first man responds. Scorvo and Lex stay as still as possible, desperately trying not to draw attention to their continued presence. ¡°That¡¯s just it, Cos. It¡¯s kind of like when the forest gets quiet before you take out that prized buck. Or the quiet before a real bad storm. The animals ain¡¯t talking no more. Something¡¯s got ¡®em scared. Real scared. I¡¯m thinking¡­We¡¯ve got company.¡± That first voice again. ¡°You think they found us, Cosmo? Oh god! Please no! Please. Don¡¯t shoot us! Oh god! I don¡¯t want to die!¡± A third voice, more high-pitched and frantic. A brief moment later, there is a loud thud and a body hits the ground. Lex shakes her head in a negative fashion and mouths the words: ¡°Hell, no.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± she whispers to Scorvo. The yautja warrior nods agreement. While he could easily dispatch each of the three oomans, without much trouble, he doesn¡¯t care to put Lex at risk. Reaching out for her hand, Scorvo grips it tightly and guides Lex away from the small campfire and the angry voices. - - Trent is quite literally shivering as he makes his way through the dense woods. The joint he smoked over thirty minutes ago has created a thin veil of fuzziness in his brain. He stumbles blindly, weapon held loosely in front of him. A flash of something to his left draws the bumbling murderer¡¯s attention. He raises his weapon and fires, barely missing Lex and clipping the corner of her backpack. Lex glances over her shoulder and catches sight of Trent. When she turns back around, Scorvo is in the process of activating his cloak. He slowly melts into the darkness around him. ¡°Scorvo? What are you¡ª?¡± The words are not even out of her mouth when a second shot rings out. Lex takes off running, shrugging out of her backpack and allowing it to fall to the ground. By now, Trent is very aware of her presence. He fires a third time and a fourth. None of his shots come as close to hitting Lex as the first one. He had been nearly lucky that time.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. The river looms ahead and Lex stops at the edge. The thought of going into the cold water, at this time of night, causes a shiver to course her spine. She runs along the bank until she spots a downed tree overhanging a boulder. Clambering up the decaying trunk of the tree, Lex aims for the opposite shore. Trent arrives at the trunk of the tree only moments after Lex clambers onto it. He fires on her a fifth time. ¡°Stupid whore! Get back here!¡± Trent yells, his voice a messy slur. ¡°I said, get down from there dammit!¡± Trent raises his gun to fire again, but never gets the chance. A spray of blood and bone erupts from Trent¡¯s front as Scorvo¡¯s plasmacaster blows out the dumb bastard¡¯s chest. Trent¡¯s eyes roll up in his head and he crumbles to the ground, in almost the same position as the fallen ranger. Lex breathes a sigh of relief and begins making her way back across the tree. There is a deafening crack and a large portion of the dead tree falls away. Lex pinwheels her arms and manages to grip a hanging limb before she can plunge into the freezing water below. Scorvo¡¯s mandibles flare open and he utters a low growl. He looks down. He considers using his netgun to hook the tree and draw Lex in. However, doing so might also plunge her into the roaring river. Or worse, he might injure her in the attempt. He decides to take his chances climbing the tree. Scorvo slowly scales up the tree trunk, inch by painstaking inch. When he is close enough to reach Lex, he lowers his body flush with the tree and offers her his hand. Lex is just reaching to grip his hand when a loud shot rings out. Scorvo roars loudly, as a bullet pierces his right shoulder. He raises his upper body and uses his targeting system to pinpoint his assailant. Johnny¡¯s head explodes a moment later, the gun held in his grip firing a second time. The bullet goes wild, spiraling and tearing through the dense canopy of trees. Scorvo turns back to Lex. Just in time to see her lose her grip on the limb she was so frantically holding on to. Lex¡¯s eyes widen as she plunges down and into the river. As Scorvo watches, Lex is swept away by the raging current. Scorvo¡¯s mandibles flare out impossibly wide and he lets loose an angry bellow. - - ¡°Lex? Come over here!¡± Lex gazes up at her father with adoring eyes. Gathering up his only daughter in his arms, Neville Woods points up at the night sky. ¡°Can you tell me what that one is, Lex? The one with the three stars all in a row?¡± ¡°The Big Dipper!¡± Tiny Lex says with a giggle. ¡°That¡¯s right! The Big Dipper! I¡¯m so proud of you!¡± Mr. Woods gushes. He presses his nose into the side of Lex¡¯s face, making her giggle. ¡°That¡¯s my smart girl!¡± Lowering Lex back to the ground, Mr. Woods takes her tiny hand in his. He kneels at her side, looking into her intelligent brown eyes. ¡°Now, Daddy has to take some people out for a climb tomorrow. You going to be good for Aunt Tamra?¡± Lex hangs her head and pouts. She hates it when her father goes off without her, leaving her alone with Tamra. The woman is old and she smells funny. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I can¡¯t come with you.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t take you on a climb, Lex. Not until you¡¯re older. Now, I want you to promise me you¡¯ll behave. No writing bad words like you did the last time. Will you promise me?¡± ¡°Yes, Daddy. I promise. I¡¯ll be good this time.¡± ¡°There¡¯s my big girl! Now, give me a kiss.¡± Lex goes up on tiptoe and kisses the bridge of her father¡¯s nose. ¡°I love you, Daddy!¡± ¡°I love you too, Lex! Now¡­Go on to bed. Go on.¡± The family housekeeper, Tamra, guides little Lex into the house and up to bed. Mr. Woods climbs to his feet and turns to look in the direction of the Big Dipper. It has been three long years since the death of his wife, and it hasn¡¯t gotten any easier. At least, he has Lex. The one good thing left in his world. S2: Chapter 9: Pain Lex opens her eyes to a world of pain and darkness. Every bone seems to ache and her wet clothes cause small tremors to course through her body. She frantically sits up, surveying the area around her. It appears to be some sort of cave. Lex breathes a sigh of relief when she catches sight of Scorvo. ¡°Oh¡­Thank god! I was sure I was a goner! Thank you for¡ª¡± The words freeze on Lex¡¯s tongue as she spies the bright-green blood spilling down Scorvo¡¯s right shoulder. The injured yautja is seated on the ground a few yards away. He struggles futilely to reach his shoulder blade with his skin mending tool. Lex uses a rock to steady herself and climbs to her feet. She makes her way over to Scorvo and kneels beside him. ¡°Here. Let me. Just tell me what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡± Scorvo instructs Lex on how to use the mending tool and she clamps it onto his injured shoulder. She shivers slightly, as Scorvo¡¯s hand grips the inner part of her knee. ¡°I¡¯m guessing¡­This is going to hurt?¡± Lex queries. ¡°Sorry.¡± Lex snaps the mending tool shut and Scorvo releases a long deep growl. Lex instinctually shrinks back, but is unable to move when Scorvo¡¯s arm slips around her waist. They lock eyes and Lex blinks rapidly to avoid staring too long. ¡°Thank you,¡± Scorvo says, eyes narrowing. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± Lex replies. For what seems like an eternity, Scorvo maintains his hold on Lex¡¯s waist. Only when she averts her gaze does he release her. Lex drops down onto a nearby rock, eyeing Scorvo incredulously. ¡°We cannot remain here,¡± Scorvo says. ¡°I brought you here until such time that you regained consciousness. I also needed time to mend my wounds. There is still another ooman hunter out there. I do not wish to leave a trail of death. To do so would be costly and draw suspicion. We should go.¡± ¡°No!¡± Lex nearly shouts. ¡°No! I think we should stay here. From what you¡¯ve told me¡­Your ship is still some distance away. It will be daylight soon. There will be people roaming all over the place. We should wait.¡± ¡°I did not have a chance to dissolve the bodies of the ooman hunters. I was preoccupied with saving you. When their bodies are found¡­Along with that of the ooman you call a ranger¡­Many oomans will swarm to this area. We should go.¡± ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll go. But I need to rest for a little while. I don¡¯t feel so hot.¡± ¡°You are right. It is quite cold. Yautja do not thrive in cold environments. It will be warmer on my ship.¡± Lex rolls her eyes and places her steepled hands in front of her nose and mouth. Laughter threatens to bubble out of Lex''s throat. She pushes it down by breathing slowly into both hands and counting to ten. ¡°No, Scorvo. No.¡± Scorvo tilts his head in confusion. His amber eyes scrutinize Lex''s face, noting the subtle rise of her cheeks. She is not angry. Something else.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°You no longer wish to go to the ship?¡± ¡°No, Scorvo! I mean¡­No, I was not referring to the temperature in this cave. I was talking about me. I don¡¯t feel well. As in, I¡¯m not feeling too hot!¡± Finally understanding Lex¡¯s point, Scorvo climbs heavily to his feet. He plops down on a rock directly next to Lex. He places an arm around her shoulder, drawing her in close. ¡°With your soft skin, and those wet clothes, you will certainly be cold. We will be warmer if we stay close together.¡± ¡°Uh¡­Sure,¡± Lex says, settling into the crook of Scorvo¡¯s arm. ¡°I kind of lost track of my backpack when I was running for dear life. My spare clothes and my pistol were in there. Just don¡¯t try anything. I¡¯m a black belt.¡± ¡°I do not under¡ª,¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it, Scorvo! Everything isn¡¯t a pop quiz. Wake me when you think I¡¯ve slept long enough.¡± Before long, Lex is fast asleep. Scorvo¡¯s eyes soften as he gazes down at Lex¡¯s slumbering face. He traces the mark of his clan etched into her cheek by the burning blood of the keinde amedha. Wrapping his other arm around her, Scorvo draws Lex against his chest. She settles into her new spot, not even bothering to open her eyes. The pain in Scorvo¡¯s shoulder increases, due to the angle in which he must hold his arm. Yet, he makes no effort to readjust. He listens to the soft sounds of Lex¡¯s breathing, a calm settling over his spirit. He will protect the chosen one of his f¡¯tyhu. He will restore honor to his cha¡¯l brother¡¯s name, and he will free him from the ooman prison. These things, he will do. Scorvo rests his cheek against the crown of Lex¡¯s head. She stirs ever so slightly. - - ¡°I¡¯m so sorry, Lex!¡± a tall women with long black dreadlocks says, nodding her head solemnly. ¡°Your father was a good man!¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Lex mutters softly, numbness in her heart and in her mind. The tall woman nods a second time and strolls away. A man waits for the dreadlock woman at the bottom of the hill and they head towards a limo parked along the path. Lex angrily wipes a tear from her eye and gazes upward. Gray clouds threaten rain, as they race each other across the afternoon sky. Pressing a hand to her mouth, Lex loses the battle to rein in her tears. At nearly the same instant, a giant raindrop falls onto her left cheek. Lex wipes at it with her hand, believing it to be a tear. All around her, mourners rush to their vehicles, in order to avoid the impending storm. Lex is the last person to leave. The rain pelts her body, falling in buckets from the heavens. Lex pays the rain no heed. Her hair and clothes are plastered to her body, and she shivers uncontrollably. Still, she remains in her position on the hill. She stares down at her father¡¯s freshly dug grave. Seeing, but not believing. - - Cosmo backs through the trees, his weapon trained on the spot where he witnessed the strange silvery blur. Whatever had killed Trent and Johnny¡­It wasn¡¯t human. And it was big. The sounds the creature had made were truly terrifying. But was it really a creature? Creatures don¡¯t carry weapons? Do they? The murderer, and bank robber, searches his mind for the best means of escape. The ranger¡¯s ATV is out, having run out of gas hours ago. Whatever was in that damn gas can probably wouldn''t get him far. And besides, that would mean going back to face that thing. Cosmo licks his lips, his nerves frayed from constantly whirling to check his six. He switches his pistol from one hand to the other and reaches into his back pocket for the pack of cigarettes he stashed there. He withdraws the pack and uses his teeth to pull one of the cigarettes loose. Throwing the pack on the ground, Cosmo retrieves a lighter from his pocket with the same hand. He lights the cigarette, replaces the lighter in his pocket, and takes a deep drag on his cancer stick. He releases a puff of smoke at the same instant that Scorvo explodes from the trees. ¡°No¡­No No¡­No!¡± are the last words Cosmo ever utters. Impaling Cosmo with his enormous wrist blade, Scorvo lifts the man high into the air. Cosmo¡¯s lifeblood gurgles from his mouth¡ªas well as from the massive hole in his chest. Scorvo waits unto the ooman stops moving before lowering him to the ground. Gripping the dead bank robber¡¯s mass of brown hair, Scorvo yanks Cosmo¡¯s head forward. He retracts his wrist blade from within Cosmo¡¯s chest cavity, and severs the robber''s head with one slice.