Alien: Lineage

In the center of the room were several cylindrical tanks that ran from floor to ceiling, the glass so dirty that it was hard to tell what was inside them. They were all shattered, more broken glass crunching beneath his boots as he walked over to the nearest one. Hazardous materials containment units. Jones remembered that term, reflexively checking the seals on his suit. Inside the shattered container was a large, bulb-shaped object. It was organic in appearance with a tough, leathery skin, and around its base were several root-like tendrils that had covered the bottom of the enclosure. It had four fleshy petals that were splayed open like some kind of grisly flower, exposing an empty cavity on the inside. It looked like some kind of alien flora to him - maybe something analogous to a pitcher plant. More samples from the planet, perhaps?

There was nothing else of interest, so he returned to the nexus, examining the rest of the doors. One of them was labeled with the number zero-four, the paint just visible beneath the coating of dirt, that number seeming somehow familiar. Jones approached it, giving it a shove, but it was locked down. Grumbling to himself, he looked around in search of something that he might use to pry it open, but he was out of luck.

As he examined the obstacle, he noticed that there was an electronic reader mounted on the frame, one of its indicator lights blinking. He lifted his badge and held it against the scanner, and to his surprise, the lock disengaged with a click. After opening the door the rest of the way, he stepped inside, finding himself in another lab. This one must have been locked for the duration of whatever misfortune had befallen the colony, because it was in a much better state than the last one. There was still dust and disrepair, but none of the black growth had made its way inside, and the equipment was all relatively intact. The lights flickered on as he ventured further, one of the strips fizzling out in short order to plunge the room into shadow, but it provided enough light to see by.

"I worked here," he muttered to himself as he walked along one of the tables, dragging a finger through the layer of grime. It was all familiar - even the placement of the sample racks and tools dredging up memories. This was where he and his team had analyzed biological samples taken from whatever they had been studying, sequencing genes and breaking down chemical makeups. Maybe the native flora had been interesting enough for Wey-Yu to establish a colony here to study them. There could be pharmaceutical or cosmetic applications.

There was another body off in the far corner of the room, slumped against the wall, so covered in dust and shrouded in shadow that he couldn't make out its features. That was probably for the best. It might have been a colleague once.

Jones made a beeline for his work terminal, hitting the power switch, then slamming his fist on the keyboard when it didn't boot up. Corrosion, moisture, dead batteries - there could be a thousand reasons why it wasn't working. He scanned the desk, knocking an old coffee cup aside, then located a drawer. Inside was a bulky tablet computer. Maybe there was some information on it?

As he fumbled for the power rocker through his gloves, he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, dropping the device in alarm.

The body was moving.

Jones retreated a few paces, his eyes wide as the figure slowly climbed to its feet, its limbs jerky and its movements erratic. It stood there in the corner beside one of the consoles, obscured by shadow, so unnaturally still that it was uncanny. Its head slowly turned to face him, its pale features illuminated by his flashlight as he looked it in the eyes.

"Doctor Jones."

His racing heart slowed as he realized what he was looking at. This was a synth - an android worker designed to assist the research team. It almost resembled a store mannequin, not requiring any advanced cosmetic features like the higher-end models, its milk-white skin tarnished by dirt and moisture. It was dressed in simple yellow coveralls emblazoned with the company logo, now so faded and decayed that it looked like a freshly exhumed body. It repeated its greeting in a strangely calm, level voice that contrasted with its unnerving appearance.

"Doctor Jones, are you quite alright?"

"I-I'm sorry," he mumbled, still reeling from the fright. "I don't remember who you are."

"My name is Horatio," it replied, its head jerking as though it had developed a nervous tic. "I am a Weyland-Yutani synthetic. My assignment is to assist you and your research team with the handling of hazardous chemical compounds and dangerous specimens. You seem confused, Doctor. Would you like me to fetch a medical professional?"

"Then, we worked together?" Jones pressed, ignoring the question. "How are you still online? Do you know what happened to the colony?"

"Apologies, Doctor," the synth replied in that perfectly level tone. "I have not had access to the facility's wireless network for some time. As such, I am afraid that I cannot be of much assistance in this matter. If you would like to accompany me to the front desk, perhaps we can investigate the source of this outage."

"Have you not left this room since I last saw you?" Jones asked, watching the android jerk its head again. It might have fared better than the computers, but it was still a piece of equipment that hadn't undergone a maintenance procedure in God knows how long. "How long have I been away?"

"I was unable to exit the laboratory without a key card," the android explained. "It has been approximately four-thousand three-hundred and eighty-five days since I last interacted with a member of staff."

"Wait," Jones began, leaning a hand on the nearest desk as he felt his head start to spin. "You're telling me that I've been out for...twelve fucking years? That can't be right..."

"My internal chronometer is quite accurate, Doctor, I assure you. Am I to understand that there has been some manner of disruption to the facility? That would certainly explain the prolonged absence of any staff members. I have been programmed with basic first aid subroutines and can assist you if you should require it. Please state your r-r-r-r-requirements."

The android stuttered, its face twitching for a moment.

Jones sank into a nearby office chair with a puff of dust, cradling his visor in his hands. Twelve years? It was possible, certainly, but the damned synth had to be wrong. Fucking thing must be busted - that was it. No way had he been left in that stasis pod for over a decade. What life would there even be to go back to now? Hell, maybe he could look forward to some backpay if he ever managed to get off this Godforsaken rock.

"Horatio," he began, turning to the expressionless android. "This colony should have some kind of communications array, right? If I can get you there, can you send out a distress call? Do you know how to repair systems like that if they're damaged?"

"I am rated to repair a wide range of Weyland-Yutani systems," the synth replied.

"Okay, then we have an objective," Jones replied. He steeled himself, then rose from the chair, balling his fists through his gloves. It was just another problem - one step at a time. All he had to do was stay focused. "Follow me, Horatio."

He headed back out of the lab, the android trailing behind him. Horatio's gait was a little wobbly, as he probably hadn't used his legs this much in a decade. Jones' legs were shaky for wholly different reasons.

As they emerged into the nexus, Jones paused, turning back to the android.

"Horatio," he began. "You were assigned as our research assistant, which means that you must have been present for a lot of the experiments. Is that correct?"

"That is correct, Doctor."

"Your memory is a lot more reliable than mine at the moment. What were we studying here?"

"We really must get you to a medical professional as soon as possible, Doctor," the android replied. "You are one of the senior researchers on the project. The team's task is to analyze exobiotic samples and catalog specimens."

"Specimens of what?" Jones pressed.

"Why, species XX-121, of course."

"Is that a species native to this planet?" Jones asked.

"I believe that the majority of the samples were originally sourced from LV-426," the android explained. "They were transported to this location for further study."

"Maybe that's what happened," Jones continued, staring up at the black mass that carpeted the ceiling. "Maybe another corp sent someone to steal the samples. That might explain all the bodies."

"Bodies, Doctor?"

"Do you know what this is?" Jones asked, gesturing to the dark growths. "I've seen it all over the colony, and it appears to be organic."

"My assignment as a lab assistant does not require a great deal of extraneous knowledge, but I believe that to be hive resin, Doctor. It is a substance secreted by species XX-121 in the drone stage of its life cycle. It was being studied for potential industrial applications."

"Drone stage?" Jones added, raising an eyebrow.

"It appears that there have been multiple breaches of containment protocol," Horatio added, his head twitching as he glanced around the room. "I trust that the appropriate authorities have been alerted to the situation?"

"If you're telling me that some kind of creature made this," Jones continued, gesturing to the substance again. "I'm assuming that we don't want to run into one. Then again, if this containment breach happened twelve years ago, it's very unlikely that any organism could have survived this long. There isn't so much as a blade of grass out there - it's a wasteland."

"Still, protocol requires that we report such incidents to Weyland-Yutani security personnel with the briefest of delays."

"I don't think you quite understand the situation yet," Jones muttered, setting off again. "It'll become apparent soon enough."

CHAPTER 2: COMPANY MAN

They made their way back to the lobby, Jones watching Horatio curiously, wondering if the android might show any signs of emotion. Not being an advanced model, he mostly seemed vaguely annoyed by the state of the building, like a nanny seeing a child's room strewn with toys. Jones had no doubt that the synth would have picked up the nearest mop and started cleaning if left to his own devices.

The rain began to hammer Jones' suit again as he stepped outside, Horatio stumbling in the wet mud. At least the storm was cleaning some of the dirt from the android's face, giving him a somewhat less horrifying countenance. They passed more rubble, trudging through the wreckage as they headed in the direction of the reactor, following the main street - such as it was. The conditions made the going tough, and it wasn't long before Jones needed to seek shelter again, taking refuge from the downpour inside a large warehouse.

The interior was cavernous, with shelves stacked to a ceiling that must have been three stories high, the sound of rain hitting the roof creating a dull roar that echoed through the space. There were supply crates, shipping containers, and pallets of goods strewn around the concrete floor. To the left was an alcove that housed a couple of power loaders, their industrial yellow paint job picking them out against their otherwise drab surroundings. This must have been where the colony stored a lot of its goods and raw materials.

"The colony is in an alarming condition," Horatio began, rainwater dripping from his tattered uniform. "I must restore network access and contact headquarters at the earliest opportunity."

"I need a break first," Jones sighed, popping open the visor on his helmet to get a breath of fresh air. He wrinkled his nose, his brow furrowing. "What's that smell? And why is it so hot in here?"

He began to walk deeper into the warehouse, scanning the shelves with his flashlight, the sound of his rubber boots echoing off the concrete. The beam reflected off something lustrous in the gloom, Jones pausing as he glimpsed more of the hive resin. The stuff seemed to blend into the darkness, making it all but invisible unless it was under direct light.

There was so much of it here, forming great pillars that rose all the way to the ceiling, carpeting the shelves to create sheer walls. Their uneven surfaces made him think of flowstone from some dank cave. It was so hot that his suit had already shut off its heating element, and he could see droplets of moisture seeping down the glistening structures, almost like they were sweating. More of those strange bulbs had taken root at the base of the mass, forming clusters like pustules, most of their fleshy petals splayed open. In only moments, he was standing in a completely alien environment, the walls closing in to form tunnels like some kind of termite mound.

Something pale caught his eye - there was something on the wall of the nearest tunnel. He stepped closer, focusing his beam on the area, then recoiled. There was a person melded into the wall, desiccated flesh stretched over the pale bone of their exposed skull, their body completely cocooned in the dark resin. There was a hole in their chest the size of a basketball, their broken ribs visible through the breach, like something had exploded out of them.

Horatio caught him by the arm as he stumbled backwards, almost falling over, Jones jerking away from the synth in his alarm. As he turned his head, he saw that there were more of them, some two dozen bodies cocooned inside the walls like some kind of nightmarish beehive.

"What the fuck happened here?" he demanded, spinning around to face the android again. "What did this to these people?"

"Species XX-121, naturally," Horatio replied as though it was the most normal thing in the world. "Their reproductive cycle is quite well understood. I suggest that we move on lest we encounter any drones. They can be quite protective of their breeding grounds."

"Breeding grounds?" Jones repeated, his eyes scanning the bodies. They were frozen in place, their jaws open in silent screams, each one having fallen victim to the same strange injury. "Just what the hell were we studying here?"

"I recall you being quite optimistic about their employment as biological weapons, Doctor."

"Me?" Jones demanded, turning to glance at the synth in disbelief. "I wouldn't...couldn't have done this."

"On the contrary, you were instrumental in the study of the captured specimens. However, I doubt that you had any part to play in the containment breach, so your distress is unwarranted. I never once observed you failing to adhere to facility protocols, and your employee evaluations were always exemplary."

"I can't be here," Jones muttered, turning back the way he had come. There was a creeping sense of dread looming over him like a shadow, commanding him to run, as though there was some nameless terror on his heels about to give chase. What were these drones, and why did the term instill such fear in him?

"Do be wary of the ovimorphs, Doctor," Horatio added as Jones passed by a cluster of bulbs. "They are capable of entering hibernation and remaining fertile for extended periods of time."

"Ovimorphs?" Jones repeated, pausing to look at the nearest bulb. "You're saying these are eggs?"

Almost as if to answer his question, one of the intact bulbs shifted, its four petals splaying open. They were joined by ropes of slime, their fleshy inner surfaces glistening and wet. Inside was something that looked like a mass of wobbling offal, making him recoil, the movement suggesting that something was alive in there. He raised a hand to close his visor reflexively, but too late. Like some kind of hellish jack-in-the-box, something sprang from the egg, moving so quickly that Jones scarcely had time to react.

In a flash, there was a pale hand in front of his face, Jones reeling backwards to see that Horatio had interceded. The synth had some kind of horrifying insect clutched in his hand, its jointed, spider-like limbs flailing wildly. It had a long, serpentine tail that cut through the air like a whip, coiling around the android's forearm with enough strength to cut into his sleeve.

Jones watched with wide eyes as Horatio crushed the thing, its spindly legs twitching erratically, green goo and unidentifiable guts spilling between the android's fingers. The blood began to smoke as it hit the concrete, creating acrid fumes and forcing Jones to seal his visor. The substance was eating through the material like sulfuric acid, bubbling and smoking. When Horatio let the corpse fall, it too sank into the ground, its bodily fluids burning through the floor like a ball of red-hot nickel through ice. The synth had not fared much better, Horatio examining his own hand curiously as it began to disintegrate, several fingers falling away as the metallic endoskeleton beneath his rubbery epidermis was exposed.

"My God!" Jones exclaimed, retreating another few paces. "What the fuck was that thing?"

"Their purpose is to implant a host with a parasitic embryo," Horatio explained, impervious to pain. "I suggest that you keep your visor sealed, as it may provide some small measure of protection if such an attempt reoccurs."

Jones scanned the forest of eggs that surrounded him, adrenaline making his heart race. Suddenly, the freezing rainstorm was feeling a lot more welcoming. Setting off at a brisk jog that bordered on a panicked run, he headed for the exit, leaving the hive behind him. He paused when he reached the door, doubling over to catch his breath. His stay in the stasis pod was still making him weak and tired.

"Thanks," he added as the synth approached, pausing to swallow. "I don't know what being implanted with an embryo entails, but that might have been the end of me if you hadn't intervened."

"I consider the safety and well-being of the Weyland-Yutani workforce to be my personal responsibility," Horatio replied with a warm smile, apparently unaffected by his mangled hand.

"I'll give you a steam wash myself when we're through this."

"Might I be so bold as to suggest that we proceed with haste, Doctor?" the android continued. "I am growing increasingly concerned for your safety."

"A very wise suggestion."

They headed back outside, weathering the storm, Jones' flashlight beam barely helping him navigate through the twisted metal and boggy terrain. He came across a couple more bodies that had been all but reclaimed by the mud, along with another Marine who was leaning against the wall of a prefab, a rifle still resting in his lap. Jones briefly considered taking it, but he knew nothing about firearms, and it wasn't likely to be functional after a decade of being exposed to the elements.

What Horatio had told him was still rattling around inside his skull. Granted, Jones had few clear memories of his time before emerging from stasis, but he refused to believe that he would ever be a part of something like this. Surely he would have recognized the danger that these specimens posed?

As he skirted around an abandoned truck, the tarp that was strapped over its bed whipping in the wind, something caught his eye. There was a shape on top of a prefab far to his right, silhouetted briefly by a flash of lightning, picking it out against the clouds. At first, he mistook it for a cluster of comms antennas, but then it moved. As darkness engulfed the figure once more, he caught a brief glimpse of something not quite humanoid slinking away. Its body was covered in jutting prongs, and there was a serpentine tail slithering behind it.

Horatio noticed his double-take, but between the rain and Jones' helmet, they couldn't communicate.