Chapter 16 Into The Depth

(This...this actually could work...) I mused as I looked at the rather large opening that went down into the earth below.

[Building a hive underground...how original.] Goldy muttered sarcastically causing me to simply roll my eyes at him.

(And you would prefer that I nest out in the open where everyone can see me?)

He simply chuckled at that before answering with what I think was a grin. [It would be way more interesting to watch that way.]

(And be drenched in fire when they bombed me into oblivion from above?) I asked while rubbing my head in annoyance.

[You know, you're doing a really bad job at persuading me that you shouldn't do this.] God, he really was annoying at times.

(I fucking hate you...)

[Oh come on, I know that you mean love~]

Seeing that this was going to go on for a while I decided to just change the subject all together. (Anyway, let's take a look shall we.)

[Love love love love love!] Was his only response, a fact that irritated me to no end.

(God damn it all...) I groaned and I began heading down below.

The whole underground area was a mess to say the least, it was rather obvious that it hadn't really been maintained for quite a long time. Surprisingly a few of the lights were functioning but they were rather far apart with the vast majority being completely broken down or just completely ripped from the walls.

Anyway, I was a little taken aback by how good my night vision was, although I do suppose that it does make some sense considering that xenos do seem to prefer dark places. As I made my way deeper however I made sure to leave behind a few dozen markers so that my two thralls could follow once they had caught up with me, after all I had moved ahead of them to clear the way while they focused on getting the captives awake and moving.

(This place is a bloody labyrinth.) I grumbled as I kept to the dark areas just in case someone appeared before I was able to notice them.

[The fact that several tunnels have collapsed is definitely not helping with our navigations.] That was both a good and bad thing if I really thought about it.

(That just means that any invaders would be just as confused, so long as they don't have a map or something like that.) 

[That is a fair point I suppose.] Goldy hummed but stopped when he noticed me suddenly stop in my tracks. [What's up?]

(Did you hear that?) I asked while glancing around confused.

[You're losing your mind woman.] He mused but I could tell that he knew what I was talking about by the way he spoke.

(Stop fucking around, we have shit to do.) I growled and I could feel him pout.

[You are absolutely no fun at all.]

Moving on from his antics however, I moved forward listening for the quiet murmuring I was sure that I had heard, it was incredibly quiet but it was definitely there. Soon enough though the voice grew much louder, well, voices but whatever, there were two of them from what I could tell and they were both male. After a while it didn't take me all that long to actually locate where exactly they were coming from.

Clawing my way up a wall and peering around a bend in the path I found something rather interesting. Not that far away from me stood two rather muscular looking men that were standing in front of something that really got my attention. It was a dark coloured armoured train that's back half was sticking out of a collapsed tunnel, the front half was probably on the other side of the wall of boulders and dirt that covered a large section of it.

(What are they even doing?) I asked myself not really expecting an answer but got one anyway.

[It would appear that they are guarding something of importance.]

(Now what would that be I wonder?) I hummed as I began to move.

[I'm guessing whatever it may be you will find it on the other side of that train.] 

(Agreed...)

"Hey..." Guard number one mused as he lent against the rusted side of the train.

"Yeah?"

"Why the hell are we standing out here?" He asked with a look of displeasure and annoyance.

"That's the big question isn't it...we made our choices, walked our path and now we're here. Is this what we truly deserve? To be trapped here on this nightmare of a world, maybe...maybe but we can't change the passed now can we." The shorter of the two answered with a sigh only to immediately get whacked in the side of the head.

"What the hell are you on about now?" He asked with an expression of clear confusion. "Are you retarded or something? I was asking why the hell we had to stand out here when everyone else is in ther-!" He wasn't able to finish sadly, mostly because he got cut off when a black tail wrapped around his neck and titaned sharply before he could react in time.

"Bloody hel-!" Guard number two was also cut off when a dark blur jumped down from the roof of the train and punched him in the face with enough force to break his jaw.

[A xenomorph sucker punching a guy in the face...well damn, that's not a sight you see every day.] I could hear Goldy slowly clapping as he said that.

(I was trying to knock them out.) I muttered as the other guard finally passed out from the lack of oxygen.

[Congratulations, you have succeeded.] He mused sarcastically.

I just rolled my eyes before focusing on the train and the two knocked out idiots on the floor. (Now what is it that you were guarding?) I asked no one in particular as I crept inside through a door that had seemingly been forced open a while ago.

(Before we actually go in any further however...) I said as I stopped moving and quickly checked the current location of my thralls. (Good, they should be here soon.)

[Can we get going then?] Goldy grumbled impatiently.

(Sure sure.) I shrugged as I began inching my way through the train's inner section.

[Finally, now then, INTO THE GREAT BEYOND!] That surprised me a little and I wasn't expecting the sudden volume change.

(You can be real childish sometimes you know.) I smirked internally.

[Don't judge me.] I could tell he was pouting, a fact that I found oddly endearing.

(Anyway, what exactly will we be able to find in here I wonder?)

Whatever I was expecting it wasn't a large open underground chamber that looked like some kind of military supply point filled with various miscellaneous things as well as dozens of armed thugs. There was also a large rectangular open section built into the north side of the space that seemed to be some kind of offloading point, if the metal walls, broken down mechanical equipment and the collapsed elevator were anything to go by anyway.

It was honestly hard to get a full grasp of the area as the train was blocking parts of my view but once I managed to slip outside without being seen I got a better grasp on the situation. Despite the infestation  of criminals I couldn't help but admire just how isolated this place seemed to be.

(Only one visible way in and out that I can see, it also doesn't appear they've been here long considering their lack of any real defenses.) I analyzed as I made sure not to be spotted by anyone. 

(This would make a great place for me to start off my hive, with a few modifications of course.) I mused as I weighed the pros and cons. (Getting out of here once I am a full grown queen might be annoying but I should be able to figure something out.)

[It would seem that this place is already occupied and I really doubt they would be willing to move for you.] Goldy yawned stating the obvious all of a sudden.

(I guess I'll have to remove them by force then.) I muttered with a shrug, I didn't say it out loud but I found myself feeling rather excited for what was to come, a fact that both confused and disturbed me.

[I count about forty of them, so yeah, you sure that you can handle it all by yourself?] Goldy asked lazily and without much care for my actual decision.

(Most of them are using melee weapons from what I can see from here, weapons that probably won't have any real effect on me at all to be honest.) I mused as I secretly observed my prey from my hidden position. (The few that have firearms are more threatening though, however I should be fine for the most part. I mean from the looks of their slightly rusted guns I'm willing to bet that they wouldn't actually be able to kill me straight away even if they all attacked at once, and that's even if those pieces of junk can even fire anymore without blowing up in the user's hands.)

[Do as you please, it's your life on the line not mine]

(I'll be fine.) I huffed with a slow shake of my head. (Now, let the hunt begin.)