11 //Update Postponed\\ Recording 8 4/6/2098 "The Bait..."
(Due to life issues and a need to revise my work more,this novel will not be getting any new chapters until further notice. We appreciate your patience during this time,and recommend you read some of the other novels of my collection.)
Grayson sighs softly as he breaks cover,arms open.
His eyes scanned cautiously.
Nothing....
He continues further into the open field.
Grayson felt the Predator's prying eyes,but saw no way to spot him in return. He was at an absolute loss,and now being exposed had began to leave Grayson wondering if reinforcements were a conversation.
The Hunter gave an eerie,echoing laugh to taunt Grayson.
Graysons growls slightly,before taking a deep sniff with his eyes closed.
The Predator was close,but outside of Grayson's attack range,and his scent pulled his head to the northwest,facing away from the temple and in the general direction of where Grayson had come from.
The Predator was not camouflaged,but instead was using the pitch black armor it had to blend in.
Karma was growing impatient,and seamlessly moved away,like a breeze of wind gently brushing through a patch of grass.
The void of a presence notified Grayson that Karma had moved.
Alone,Grayson returns to his hiding spot.
Silence hangs on the jungle.
The Hunter repeats its eerie laugh,stalking the area with incredible stealth.
'So we're stuck in a limbo of hiding or being the bait....just great.' Grayson thought. A quiet hiss sends shivers down his spine,and he turns to see Four.
She purrs softly,pressing her head against his shoulder. 'Yeah...you had me scared too.' He thought.
Grayson hums softly,petting Four as he pondered how to help Karma. Four gives a deep warning growl as Karma approached.
"What the fuck are you doing with that?" Karma spat.
"This is Four. Four this is....uh...Karma."
Four hisses lowly,remaining where she was,though Grayson could feel the power of restraint that Four was exhihiting.
"Moving on,what did you find out?" Karma asked. "He's interested in hunting you,though he seems content with stalking the rest of us." Grayson said.
"Do you expect ME to be the bait?" Karma asked,his dark face dropping into a deeper scowl. "Unless you've got a better idea,it'd be the only way to get that thing in the open." Grayson responds.
Karma sighs in aggravation,"Fine. But you've got ONE shot at this. Dont screw this up."
Grayson nods.
Four gives a deep affirmative growl,turning to leave before she loses herself to her own anger.
Karma growls softly himself,heading to attract the attentions of the Hunter.
With Grayson and Four in position nearby,Karma braced for the worst as he finally made himself known,by letting out a bassious xenomorphesque roar.
Before long the Hunter was seen sprinting at top speed toward Karma. As soon as the Hunter came within range,Four ambushes the Hunter from the top down,attempting to tackle it.
Four manages to land on the Hunter,causing them to roll briefly before the Hunter threw Four off. Grayson uses the opportunity to attempt to stab the hunter with his tail,only to be grabbed and thrown aside.
Four and Grayson continue their attempt to kill the Hunter,only to be thrown away as if they were inexperienced Xenomorph drones.
The scent of the Hunter was off....
It wasnt until the glare of the Hunter's own tail did they realize it too was Iketopemene enhanced. Grayson and Four pause for a moment as the Hunter's tail swayed gently.
Karma was watching from a short distance away,as Grayson and Four circle the hunter.
Tension fell on the forest as they pause in front of and behind the Hunter.
It snarls slightly,as it found itself outnumbered 3 to 1. The Hunter leaps away,nearly instantly disappearing into the jungle canopy as it fled the fight.
"That wont be the last of him..." Karma said.
"You know that thing?" Grayson asked.
"Sorta. It's been a pain in my tail since I got here." Karma replies.
Four gives a soft hiss,seemingly in reluctant agreement. "So what do we do now..?" Grayson asked. "We do what a Xenomorph always does. We wait." Karma said,as he sits in the grass to meditate.
"Right...." Grayson said,sighing softly.
"Speaking of tails... did that hunter have a tail?" He asked.
"No,you weren't hallucinating. That is a Hunter that is using Iketopemene. He has been like us for a very long time." Karma confirms.
Grayson sighs and joins the being in meditation as well..
Silence falls on the forest once more as Grayson and Karma meditate.
Days...and weeks end up passing before long without much interruption yet again. Karma had come to find out his only way out had been destroyed,leaving him,Grayson, Four and Three stranded on the planet.
Another day passes in silence when four came back empty handed yet again from a hunt.
"Uh,Karma...We have a problem." Grayson said.
"That is?" He questioned.
"We're running short on wild food. It seems the Hunters are trying to starve us."
"Hm..."
"For now just stay vigilant. We have reason to stay put." Karma said.
Days grow into weeks...
Weeks onto months...
All quiet.
Little did they know their every waking movement was now watched...intently from the safety of the forest.
Animals began to return in light of the blessed silence that finally hung once more,though it was clearly a fragile one.
//Meanwhile....\\
(LOCATION:WEYLAND,YUTANI CENTRAL HQ ALPHA-2)
(STAUTS:FULLY OPERATIONAL)
A male was rushing through the halls,dressed in a business suit,lugging with him a heavy suitcase.
He arrives in a meeting room,straightening up as he enters.
Sitting before him were numerous marines,a handful of commanders and the Weyland Yutani CEO.
"Good to see you,Parkins." The CEO said.
"A-and you,Mr. Yuntani...sir.." He said as he closes the door.
"You mentioned a lead on the Demimorph cases?" He questioned.
"Yes sir. Numerous body camera death signals consistent with that of Iketopegenic mutation. Even worse is that there is a Beta Queen,one drone,Engineer 10XT,and who we assume to be Agent KARMA,who went AWOL shortly after being sent to investigate a potential Demimorph settlement. Since arriving there by ship, his signal disappeared mere minutes after arriving. Its safe to assume by the body camera evidence..."
Parkins pulls out a heavy laptop with the captured footage of the first fireteam sent to investigate the same mission.
"That they are NOT friendly in the slightest to anything that happens to be within their range. Marines especially."
"So,what do you suppose we do? We cannot just let this fester like a sore wound you know?" One of the Commanders ask.
"Like how the Marlow was already crawling with them?" Another questions
"I propose we send in the SCFs."
"After losing 3 facilities and millions of dollars? To the Yujit? AND the bugs? We are currently trying to recover from the loss of the Marlow,and the ship related to this case. Why dont you just put a gun to my head and pull the trigger right now? The SCFs are not ready in the slightest for that situation." The CEO growls,as one of the commanders settle a pistol on the table.
"But elaborate. 5 minutes."
"We send all we have in technology in the form of SCFs at them in the form of 4 men. The best of everything we've got that can kill,hunt,and trick even a Yujit elder.
It'll be a bonus if we capture them live,because their DNA is perfectly balanced. Engineer 10XT especially. From what little we saw,id say the fellow is relatively balanced between both worlds."
"I thought Karma was already the perfect balance?" The CEO asked.
"In BODY. Not in the Telepathic communication aspect. As far as what we've seen of the Engineer, he is working WITH the Xenomorph,tactically I might add."
"Good to know...Ill see it through. But to be sure I dont fail.." The CEO began,holding his hand out,and the commander hands him the pistol,silencer attached.
He fired into the shoulder of Parkins.
He hands it back to the commander as Parkins slides down the wall,holding his wound in silent pain.
One of the Marines picked him up,bringing him over to the table to sit him down.
"Do not betray me. DO NOT fail me. You are expendable. I am not. Are we clear?" The CEO asked in a serious tone.
"X-ray..." Parkins said,almost straining to keep his voice down.
"Good. Congratulations on your promotion. Commanders Hawkins,Xenon,Sarif,and Kliner now respond to you.
You have 4 months to prepare."
In those four months,the best of the best had been sent in to produce 4 High Quality Cybernetic drones..
Much like a Xenomorph experiment,they were given a number as their name.
"1 is intended to be the leader,and more importantly,the trapper.
2 is our Medic,Not precisely meant for offensive.
3. Is the Heavy,mainly to deal with the bigger,more dangerous bogies.
And lastly,4 Is our imposter spy. She will be a cybernetic copy of the Subject 4 that is currently resided with Grayson. We will have to time her appearance just right,or it could get bloody."
