Chapter Text
“We are pretty sure that the hive is in the hanger based on the EM scan. There also looks like they have hunting parties or sentries out and about. Omega seems to be holed up here, about 50 meters from the hanger. I’m pretty sure this is the only hive on the planet, but there is always the chance another one started somewhere else that we can’t pick up.” Gabler said
“We can’t nuke it until we get everyone out, and even then, there may be a drone out of the blast area that would just mutate into a queen to start another hive. We need to find a way to get all the bugs into the area, get everyone out, take off, and nuke the sight before they spread out again.” Bowden said.
“Sergeant, can your ship hold us all?” Thomas asked over the radio still unaware of what kind of ship they were in.
“I think so, it’ll be cozy, but should be ok.” Bowden replied.
“The way I see it, the only way to get the queen to pull everyone into the area is to make her feel threatened. I hate to be the one to say it, but we need to send a team into the nest to attack the queen.” Lin said.
“I think we should go into the hive.” Younger said referring to Delta. “We have some new toys that may give us a better chance that you guys on the ground.”
“I always thought you HRT guys were crazy.” Sergeant Van Vorst said.
***
Over the weeks that they spent getting to LV-688, Gabler and Carik had been tinkering with the controls of the Predator mask, plasma caster, and wrist computer. They had figured out targeting and firing of the plasma caster, how to scan through spectrums on the Predator mask, and found what they thought was some sort of countdown to a self-destruct system in the wrist computer. Luckily, they figured out how to shut it down before it was confirmed, and gave the team explicit instructions never to punch that combination into the wrist computer. They now also each had a knife made from the Predator’s wrist blades.
The plan was about as simple as it could get, but the timing was going to be difficult. Delta would rope in by the storm shelter, grab the APC and drive it into the hive as far as they could and go after the queen. The good news is, they didn’t actually have to kill the queen, just threaten her enough to get all the bugs in the area. HRT Omega and what was left of the fireteam would stay outside to cover Delta’s exit from the hive once they were informed by Green, Gabler, and Carik from the Predator ship that all the bugs were in the area. They would then land, pick everyone up, and sprint to the Marcinko where they would nuke the sight. A million things could go wrong, and they tried to plan for all of them, but there were just too many variables.
Delta was suited up with their normal array of weapons, plus each had a Predator mask cut down so that it would fit their heads, a plasma caster, and a wrist computer. “I think you guys will have about 10 continuous shots with the plasma gun before it will be empty.” Carik said. “It recharges itself but slowly, so if you use it sparingly, it should last a long time.”
“We’re almost in position to drop you in. Good luck, be careful.” Green said from the cockpit.
***
As the Predator ship neared, the queen sensed something different…like and old enemy returning to the fight. It was the closest thing to fear the queen would ever feel. She woke more drones and set the strategically around the complex, just to be on the safe side and continued about her egg laying.
***
The four Delta members roped in and made it to the shelter without incident. Everyone in the room stared at them as they entered curious about the new equipment they were all sporting. “Don’t ask, we’ll tell you when we’re out of here.” Bowden said, cutting off the questions that were sure to follow the looks.
“Once our ship tells us that all the bugs are in the area, we’ll start blasting our way out. When it gets here, run like hell to it, and cover our approach. We don’t know how many are inside, or what we’ll find, but if we can’t get out, don’t come after us, just take off and nuke the place.” Bowden instructed.
“What?! We can’t leave you guys in there!” Wilmer exclaimed
“You can and you will Corporal.” Bowden ordered. “We have been classified as having gone rogue, and on the run. We have a very limited future anywhere, even if we are cleared of the charges by the military, some bigwig from the Company will have us hunted down.”
“Wilmer’s right, we don’t leave our people behind.” Gonzalez said.
“Look this is not up for discussion. We all have a job to do, so let’s just do it, and hope it doesn’t come to that.” Bowden said. “You don’t have to like the orders, you just have to follow them.”
Amidst some grumbling and mutterings everyone got down to business. Delta climbed into the APC and drove it towards the hanger while Omega and the fireteam remnants took up defensive positions to cover their back and hopefully make it easier for Delta to come back out.
***
As she sensed the Predator ship leave, the queen started to relax a little when the APC crashed through the hanger doors. It hit a pile of crates covered in resin causing it to jump up and come down hard. The queen immediately awakened all the drones to protect the hive.
***
“Shit, can’t you drive any better Klingman? And you guys complain about women drivers!” Younger said picking herself off of the floor.
“I think we blew an axle. We’re not going to go much further.” Lin said as he heard a grinding noise coming from the rear of the APC.
Bowden emptied what was left in the APC guns at whatever moved and shouted, “Alright people, let’s get ready to kill some bugs!” He opened the door and all four of them jumped out firing at the bugs crawling all over the walls and ceiling.
***
Phaye heard the crash and then the sound of automatic weapons fire and shotgun blasts interspersed with a strange hissing sound that accompanied a plasma caster. She was jolted from her thoughts of how Delta might be doing when Van Vorst shouted, “Here they come!”
They all looked out at the sheer number of bugs coming, seemingly, from every crack and cranny that existed on the buildings in the compound. They all opened up trying to keep short controlled bursts to save ammo, but with the number of bugs increasing, that was becoming difficult.
***
Delta was making their way steadily towards the center of the hive. The confined space was making it easier for them because it limited the number of bugs that could come at them at once. The only thing they had to worry about was when a couple of bugs got smart and tried coming at them through the chitinous walls.
***
Danni was worried. She saw the number of aliens in the area on the EM readout that Gabler was monitoring and wondered how any of the team would get out. She was actually wishing the queen would hurry up and get all her drones back so she could pick up the team and get them out of there. It was all just a waiting game now.
“I think that’s it.” Gabler said all of a sudden. “I haven’t seen a new signal enter the area in several minutes.”
“Bowden, all bugs are in the area, get out of there! Now!” Green radioed.
***
Delta received Green’s transmission right as they made it to the main egg chamber in the center of the hive. They were in a large open area with the queen connected to her egg sac, and dozens of leathery eggs surrounding her.
“Oh shit!” Younger exclaimed as she stepped into the chamber and saw the queen, the eggs and a large number of drones and praetorians guarding the chamber.
“I don’t think we’re welcome anymore.” Klingman said.
“I think you’re right, time to leave.” Bowden said.
At that moment, the aliens charged…
***
Things were getting easier for the team outside the hive. The aliens were basically ignoring them, rushing into the hive to protect their queen. Pretty soon the streets were deserted and the only sounds you heard were the sounds of a massive fight inside the hanger.
The Predator ship landed ungracefully in a clearing and the colonists ran aboard.
“I need volunteers to come with me and get Delta out of there.” Phaye said. Captain Thomas, Sergeant Van Vorst, Corporal Miliken, Private Zilist, and all of Omega’s remaining members stepped forward.
“Thomas, Gonzalez, Wilmer, Miliken and Zilist, stay here and guard the ship. If we are not back in 10 minutes, or too many bugs for you to handle start coming at you, you are to take off and nuke the sight.” Phaye said.
“No can do LT, we didn’t leave Delta, we’re not leaving you.” Wilmer said.
“Wilmer, if we’re not back in 10 minutes, or the bugs start coming after you, it will be because we are dead or about to be dead.” Phaye said. “I’ll keep in radio contact if plans change.”
Wilmer nodded, and the team entered the hive.
***
HRT Omega was having a harder time. Not being able to spot the aliens made it harder and more nerve racking as aliens leapt out at them from their camouflaged positions. Things weren’t so bad until they passed the wrecked APC, and them it seemed that the aliens finally noticed them and came at them hard.
The members of Delta were fighting for their lives. They were herded by the aliens into a larger chamber where they could come at the team from more directions and in greater numbers. Only the Predator technology was keeping them informed of the aliens’ positions, and thus keeping them alive. However, they were running out of ammo, and not able to move more quickly towards the exit.
Klingman was the first to run dry. Lin tossed him one of his two remaining magazines before his rifle was empty also, and he loaded his last magazine. They made it to a smaller chamber when Bowden’s rifle was finally exhausted and he drew out a sidearm in each hand. Younger, covering their retreat had two drums of shells left for her shotgun. She calculated that it would probably not be enough to get them out of the hanger. Their plasma casters all read between a third and half charged.
Klingman’s last magazine was down to about half when the aliens blocking their retreat were suddenly not there. All of them were perplexed at their unexpected good luck when they heard the sounds of pulse rifles that weren’t theirs.
***
Omega was entering the first tunnel when Marsh went down. An alien that was playing dead among the bodies of other aliens grabbed him and drug him back into a hole in the nest. Franks was next. He was running point when an alien dropped between him and Phaye. Phaye saw this and shot the alien, but some of the acidic blood splattered on the back of Franks’ legs, and he went down screaming.
“I’m OK! Keep moving!” Franks said through gritted teeth to Phaye as he injected some painkiller. “You got get to Delta and pull ‘em out.”
Phaye was about to head down the tunnel when Klingman came around the corner with the rest of Delta. Bowden both relieved and upset said, “I thought I said not to come after us!” as he picked up Franks to help Van Vorst carry him out.
“You told Wilmer not to come after you, and I outrank you Sergeant!” Phaye said half smiling. “Alright people, let’s get out of here.
On their way out a runner alien weaved through shots from Younger and jumped onto Van Vorst and put his tail through Van Vorst’s lower back and out the front of his stomach. Bowden dropped Franks, drew his sidearm, and blew the runner away while it was trying to free himself from Van Vorst. “Lin, gimme a hand!” Bowden shouted.
Lin fired off the last rounds from his rifle, dropped it, and came to pick up Van Vorst. He saw the sergeant was trying to hold in his intestines in the hole that the alien made. “You gotta leave me. You won’t make it dragging me with you.” Van Vorst said. Lin knew he was right, but he wasn’t going to leave the sergeant at the mercy of the Xenomorphs or to bleed out.
He stripped off his wrist computer and punched in the code that he was told never to do. He nodded and patted Van Vorst on the shoulder, turned and helped Bowden with Franks and yelled, “We gotta go, NOW!”
They exited the hive/hanger and ran toward the Predator ship that was waiting for them. Wilmer and Gonzalez laid down a wall of covering fire ensuring no aliens followed them. They piled into the ship and blasted off accelerating rapidly into the atmosphere. A bright light and mushroom cloud appeared behind them as the Predator self destruct went off obliterating everything in the area.
***
As they approached the Marcinko, Captain Thomas keyed a transmission code opening up the main hanger for the Predator ship to dock. Before they exited, Gonzalez scanned everyone, including himself, for infection, just to be safe. They also did a check of the hull surface and hanger with the Predator masks just to make sure that no bugs hitched a ride with them. When it all came back clean, they finally began to relax.
“What are you guys going to do now sergeant?” Phaye asked Bowden.
“Not sure, some Company guy with major ju-ju is making sure we don’t survive.” Bowden said. “You guys better not mention us in any reports, and make sure there is no record of us helping you. Otherwise, you might be next on the hit list.”
A long silence followed with nobody knowing quite what to say or what to do next. Then, Jake Peters, one of the colonists that they had rescued said, “Maybe I can do something to help you out. I mean you guys did save my life and everything.”
“What can you do for us?” Klingman asked.
“Well, my father is the #2 man at Chigusa. He might be able to arrange something.” Jake replied.
***
Corey Mitchum was reading the classified military report of what happened at LV-688. Based on the surviving colonists’ observation, total infestation of the colony happened in 10-12 days. The HRT and fireteam had been totally wiped out, and only the captain and two members of the fireteam escaped. The dropship that brought them back had to be ejected out of the airlock due to possible xenomorph contamination, and then they had nuked the site. The area had been destroyed, but was not unusable because of the low yield warhead used.
The Captain had been promoted to Major and must have chosen a black ops position because he basically disappeared into the military machine. The other two were also promoted and decorated, but had their contracts from the military bought out by Weyland-Yutani and were now working as civilian advisors for the Company. The surviving colonists chose to also stay with Chigusa, probably because they were paid a lot of money, and were currently working for random projects inside that company.
All in all, Mitchum was fairly happy. He had his data and everyone that had known about his involvement was dead. Time to focus on his new project.
***
The colonist made good on his promise. Chigusa had taken care of the colonists and soldiers that survived and they would be set up for life. While the life of luxury was attractive to the members of Delta and Omega, they were still basically operators at heart, and didn’t want to give that up yet.
Green, Gabler, and Carik were given a research lab with virtually unlimited funding to research the various pieces of technology that they had from the Predator ship. From this and research from cleaned out alien hives, they were able to improve on the bio-metric suit that Klingman first wore, and develop a poly-carbonate silicone armor that not only protected like body armor, but resisted the acidic blood of the xenomorphs. They also developed many weapons from the Predator technology. The most impressive being a rapid recharge phased plasma rifle, and many hand to hand weapons made from materials based on the Predator wrist blades, spears, and other weapons they had found in the ship.
Delta and Omega were combined into a top secret elite military squad covertly funded and maintained by Chigusa. They had decided to follow the HRT mandate and using a vast intelligence network set up by Major Thomas in the military and Lance Miliken and Sara Zilist in Weyland-Yutani. With this information, they were able to spot patterns in shipping and troop movements and predict with relative accuracy where either terrorists would strike or an alien infestation would occur. This also let them start tracing the paper trail to hunt down who within the WY and the government was responsible for these incidents.
Rumors began to spread through the galaxy of a mysterious group that would appear out of nowhere, save lives from criminals and terrorists, to xenomorphs, and then literally disappear. They always seemed to be there when they were needed, and were becoming known as the Protectors.
These rumors of these elite warriors also circulated to other ears. Ones that belonged to the hunters of the galaxy…