Flesh is Burning

I definitely couldn't hear anything intelligent coming from that death-filled maw, and the only emotion I could decipher from her was hate.

"These things don't talk, Mindy. What the fuck are you going on about?" The thought of this thing speaking to anyone made me shudder in disgust.

Not to mention that Mindy was suggesting that the queen was telling her to unleash hell into the building.

Bitch doesn't even seem alarmed by this at all.

In fact, it seemed as if she was actually considering letting the remaining facehuggers out to infect people. If that was the case, I'd have to stop her. I was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt for the time being.

Mindy looked frail. Like if I clocked her, she'd go down without much of a fight. I couldn't let her looks deceive me, though, so I'd stay on my guard.

First, I wanted to find out what she was going on about.

She canted her head and took a half step away from the observation window. For several seconds she looked confused, then glanced down at her palms. Another brief moment passed and she started to giggle—a shrill sound that made the hair on the back of my neck stand.

"Oh no—silly, no. She doesn't speak like you and I are now . . . maybe you can't hear her because you don't work with her," she said, still tittering.

"What do you mean work with her?" I asked. "I thought no one's allowed in there when they're awake."

Mindy smiled and shook her head. "No, we're not, but we have to go in sometimes to harvest eggs or materials, and that's how we found the jelly."

"The what?"

"The jelly—think like how queen bees are made. We call it Royal Jelly."

I clicked my teeth together in frustration. "Yes, let me just dredge up all that trivia about bees so I remember what the hell you're talking about."

Mindy shook her head and clucked her tongue, patronizing me. "Never mind. I must help the queen, not explain her brilliance to the likes of someone who cannot even communicate with her like we can."

"Help her how?" I asked, tensing up.

"She wants more children."

With that, she turned toward me and started for the exit. At first, I thought she was coming at me, but then I realized she just wanted to leave and I grabbed her arm before she slipped by me, holding on tight.

Through clenched teeth, I asked, "What do you think you're going to do?"

For a moment she stared at me, bewildered, and then bemused realization replaced her expression. "I was going to open the doors to the cage."

She pulled her arm from my grasp and continued toward the exit.

Once more I reached out and snatched her arm up in my grip. "Oh no you fucking aren't."

She struggled and the dream-like look in her eyes morphed into agitation. "Let me go! She needs me! She can't get out of the cage on her own and she needs her children. I know you don't understand, but please!"

Was she actually begging me to let her infect the entire building? I wasn't fond of the bureaucratic bullshit, but I wasn't going to let her ruin their lives, not to mention threaten the entire world, too.

Shaking my head, I yanked her away from the door and swung her back around to the other side of the room, nearly wrenching her arm from its socket.

I snarled, "She doesn't need jack shit from you. She just needs to die. Her and all her demon spawn."

Aghast, she used the wall to regain her balance as she declared, "You're a monster!"

I whirled around and thrust my finger in the direction of the screeching alien.

"No," I hissed, "That is a monster. And I'm gonna fucking end her."

The button was right there. I flipped open the protective glass cover and slapped my palm down over it.

Momma bellowed in equal parts rage and pain as the room was engulfed in an inferno of angry red flames. They roiled and roared, scorching the reinforced glass. A sick sort of glee bubbled up inside me.

Mindy wailed and threw herself at me, trying to prise my fingers off the button. I grunted and shouldered her away, but she cracked back with a swift kick to my bad leg.

Intense pain bloomed and I nearly collapsed with a yelp, the flash button's console the only thing holding me up. Mindy used the moment to rip my hands off the button and shove me to the floor.

I flailed for a moment, catching myself on my arms, and she made a break for it. She was heading for the door, but I was able to dive and grab one of her ankles, tripping her and making her land flat on her stomach.

Her breath left her in a strangled rasp, but she'd saved herself from landing on her face with her hands. I thought I heard something crack, but I couldn't be sure.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" I demanded, dragging her across the floor toward me while also trying to get my defunct legs back underneath me.

Fucking cheap shot, sweeping the leg. I didn't care if it was on purpose or not.

Tears streaked her face and she turned to face me, kicking out to free herself. "You wouldn't understand. No one can hear her like us! You'll understand soon—everyone will. Everyone should be honored that Momma lets us be reborn as her children."

"Us?" I whispered, my brows pinching together. 

/Has she been talking in the plural this whole time? Who else does she mean?/

I finally managed to scramble into a kneeling position, pulling her closer to me. Just one solid hit, that's all it would take. All I had to do was avoid her frantic attacks then I could knock her lights out and—

One of her feet slipped through my grip and she landed a solid blow to my chest, driving the wind from my lungs.

It was enough to make me crumple over, couching and pressing my hands against my sternum. Nothing felt broken, and after a few deep breaths, the sharp ache had disappeared and in its place was a dull soreness.

The door was still closed when I checked it—I looked around the room and found Mindy at one of the monitoring computers against the back wall, her fingers clacking away at the keyboard.

Glowering at her, I stood up and thought to leave her be, going back to that big red button.

Let her call for backup. No one's going to be on her side on this, I thought, sparing her only a small glance over my shoulder.

Before I made it, a klaxon inside started to blare, startling me. I peered inside the lab, not even for one second thinking that the short burst of napalm had been enough to kill the queen.

It had been plenty enough to leave the laboratory in disrepair, burned and charred equipment littered all over the floor.

Somewhere behind me, Mindy screeched with victorious laughter. The large loading doors in the side of the enclosure were spreading open.

The opening was big enough for a couple humans to enter and maybe a drone, but I realized quickly that there wasn't room for the queen.

She was still trapped.

Above the view window, the CCTV showed an invigorated queen thrashing around in her chamber, smoke still wafting from off her thick chitin. She butted her thick crest against the walls, but to no avail.

"Thank god," I breathed, relaxing against the window.

"No," Mindy groaned, and I twisted around to look at her as she pushed her hands against her head. "You—no, no! The sedative hasn't worn off enough. She's not strong enough to escape on her own, yet!"

Relief cooled my fire and I huffed, "Good," while I left my post by the window and pushed my palm against the switch.

Flames erupted in the laboratory once more, the subsequent siren overpowering the klaxons of the laboratory. The queen's cry of pain was barely heard over the roar of the fire.

Mindy was upon me, shrieking a battle cry that would make a banshee envious. She threw her entire weight on top of me and I stumbled, unable to keep my hand on the controls.

The queen continued to howl, her pain giving way to anger.

Mindy's hands clawed at my face without drawing blood, and I was able to grab and throw her from my shoulders before she caused any damage. She crashed into the wall and grunted, dazed.

"You're a crazy fucking bitch!" I shouted, pointing an accusing finger toward her.

Mindy pulled her feet under her and stood on shaky legs. Her assault had her between me and my goal, and I could see into the lab behind her. Momma was still trying to escape.

Straightening, I made another move for the flash button but Mindy squared off in front of me.

"Fine. We'll do this the hard way," I huffed.

I lunged, pushing away her hands at she slapped haphazardly at me, and decked her with a quick jab to the nose. As I had predicted, she folded like a wet tissue and fell to the floor in a heap, blood trickling between her fingers as she held her face.

What I hadn't been expecting was for her to immediately burst into tears and start wailing.

My lip curled in disdain and I stepped over her prone body to the console. Though my hand was on the switch, Mindy clutched at my ankle, keeping me rooted.

I was surprised she was able to function through her apparent suffering.

"Please—let her go. She deserves better than this," she implored, her words garbled through the broken nose.

"Why do you care so much?" I growled, looking down at her with borderline disgust.

She held still for a few heartbeats, breathing through her mouth, then babbled, "She talks to me, you know. Not like . . . in words, but if I fall asleep at my desk or close my eyes—she sends me visions. We've been wasting her gift on the wrong people."

"What gift? The gift of having some demented spider implant a parasite in you? Then have that parasite rip through your body and murder you?"

"You'll never understand . . . never understand . . ."

"Oh just shut the fuck up," I grunted, freeing my leg by lashing out and sending her sprawling into the wall under the window.

Standing was a chore, but I was managing. She'd really done a number on my leg.

A muffled crash from inside the lab drew my attention. The queen had powered through the first opening and was shoving herself through the short tunnel, thrusting her head upward until the compromised Plexiglas shattered.

All the color drained from my face as my heart skipped a beat. I was vaguely aware of Mindy's jubilant cry of "Momma's out!" before I whirled around toward the console.

"Enjoy freedom while it lasts, bitch," I muttered under my breath, slapping down hard on the emergency button.

"No!" Mindy sobbed.

An alarm sounded and then the lab was engulfed in flames again, eliciting an otherworldly cry from the blazing queen.

Mindy tried to stand. I kept an eye on her, waiting. She was a blubbering mess, but she was on her feet in a few more seconds, still clutching her bloodied nose as she came at me.

My right hook connected with her jaw, sloppy but effective. She reeled and hit the ground, her crying cut off abruptly. She was motionless on the floor for several heartbeats as I shook the ache from my hand.

Then, all at once, everything settled and fell quiet. The ambient crashing as the queen moved about the room stopped and I released the button, eagerly stepping up to the window as the flames slowly sputtered and flickered out of life.

When I couldn't immediately spot the queen, my stomach twisted in on itself and I pounded on the glass, seeking a response from her if she was alive.

But nothing moved.

As Mindy stirred, I looked over my shoulder to gauge if she was a threat. I felt a little bit of relief at the fact that I hadn't straight up killed her with one punch, but that worry seemed silly when I considered it.

Wolf could maybe pull that off, but me?

"Momma . . . ," Mindy muttered, slurring every sound. She staggered around, holding her head, and slowly made her way toward the door. "Mom—Momma . . ."

I let her go. I'd got her good with that blow and there was a fair chance that she had a bad concussion from it.

She wasn't going to hurt anything.

For a while, nothing moved except for the thick smog still hanging in the air. Then, it furled inward as something long disturbed the air, sliding on the ground.

The queen slammed face-first into the viewing window and I leaped back with a sharp cry. Her carapace was steaming, her dark-gray hide charred into night black. Parts of it were still smoldering, glowing like a dying coal.

Her claws raked down the glass and the sound made my entire body shudder, but despite all of her posturing, she was stumbling and was having difficulty keeping her head up.

She thumped against the pane and it shuddered under her weakened strength.

I was about to smash my fist against the flash command again when I spotted Mindy stumbling inside, nearly falling down the steps. Even the queen turned to watch her, that stubbed tail of hers lashing, and my body went rigid. I expected nothing less than a bloodbath.

Instead, Momma turned away and head-butted the window again, startling me. She hissed and rammed herself against the glass a few more times, making me stare at her with a gaping mouth, surprised that she hadn't straight up eaten Mindy yet.

Whatever weird effect that jelly or the queen had, she knew to leave Mindy alone. Just what were these fucking aliens?

Mindy waded through the blackened remains of the lab before slipping inside the cage. Momma turned again and staggered after her. With her giant head out of the way, I counted her missing limbs and saw just how shriveled her tail was.

One more blast and I was certain she would finally perish. I would have to hold the button longer.

Now, though, Mindy was inside, and who knew how many people I hadn't seen when I'd first seared the lab. It couldn't have been many . . . they'd have been helping load the bugs.

A tightness constricted around my heart and my hand froze over the command. I searched for the scientist inside the cage, but it was difficult to see much of anything through the fire-damaged glass and the smoke.

However, moments later, the queen backed out of the hole she had made and Mindy wandered out from underneath her, still unable to walk straight. Her mouth was moving, but I couldn't hear what she was saying.

Next to the window was a speaker and a button. I pushed it with a finger and her voice came through, albeit barely intelligible between the damage and her slurring.

". . . left were dissected . . . have to start over . . . make a new egg sack. It'll be days before she can start producing again . . . no warriors to protect her . . ."

Momma hovered above her, mirroring the way Mindy swayed back and forth, unbalanced and unstable. The edges of her crown were glowing a dim orange, as well as the tips of her shoulder spines.

The queen was shaking it off, though. I could already tell that strength and clarity were returning to her as she looked around, spotting the door Mindy had come through. She head for it, her steps heavy and thudding with her weight.

"Go, Momma," Mindy called, finally falling to her knees. Blood coated her front. "I'll . . . stay . . ."

Her massive head swinging, Momma continued forward. Her chrome teeth shone as her lips pulled back. She lowered her head, preparing to charge.

/Don't let her out. You can't./

Biting my lip, I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. My resolve hardened and I buried my emotions deep inside me.

The queen snarled and bull-rushed the door. My eyes closed, I pressed the button with a trembling hand.

The roar of the fire filled me. I heard nothing from Mindy, and the screeches of the queen seemed far away.

Though the queen's momentum wasn't interrupted, her impact was greatly diminished. Instead of exploding into splinters and debris, the walls shuddered when she hit them.

They shook a couple more times when she made another attempt or two, but she couldn't combat the napalm consuming her.

Wails and squeals assaulted my ears and I kept my eyes shut tight. Momma abandoned her efforts and instead beat her large talons against the glass in front of me. My arms began to shake, but I held my positions until long after all noises stopped.

After several moments, the flash sputtered and died out, but still, I held the button.

Voices started to pick up outside. I was made aware of them only when the door started to open, but I kept my weight on the flash console. Nothing had moved inside the lab for some time, but it was like I was stuck there.

Droplets of water fell onto the back of my hands. My jaw hurt from how hard I was gritting my teeth.

/It's done,/ a small voice told me.

I still didn't move.

Someone's hands gripped my wrist and pried me off of the console. I opened my mouth to protest, but all that came out was a choked-back sob.

"What happened?" a voice said into my ear.

I came back to myself then, yanking my hands-free and stumbling back. My cheeks were wet, but I didn't remember when I'd started crying. I quickly brushed the tears away on my damp hands, looking around me.

A few scientists had burst into the room, likely drawn by the sounding alarms. They stopped dead in their tracks and stared at me like I'd sprouted a second head.

One of them lurched for the viewing window and let out a pained choking noise. "She burned it all! Everything that was in there is gone!"

The accusations and questions started up all at once and I felt trapped, cornered. I put my hands up and scowled, ready for another fight. Mindy hadn't put up much of a fight after that first square hit, so how many would it take to win this one?

"What is the meaning of this?"

"Why would you do something like this?"

"Did the queen escape?"

"Where's Mindy? She was overseeing the chain of custody when Weyland seized them."

More joined the first at the window and the others followed suit. I edged around in the direction of the exit and lifted my hand to my head. When I spoke, my voice was heavy and thick. I wasn't sure if I was talking to them or myself.

"She—she went crazy. Mindy—she opened the cage doors and let the queen out. She was spouting nonsense about how big of an honor it would be to be a host for them and all kinds of shit. She was fucking out of her mind so I flashed the lab!"

A few of them exchanged glances, and more muttered to themselves about the whole thing.

"Mindy did?"

"That sounds like a crock of shit!"

"Some of them have been acting weird as of late . . ."

For the most part, they were all too shocked by the destruction to question my story. One of the ones by the window pointed out the destroyed entrance to the cage and impact damage against the far wall.

No one could see Mindy among the charred remains of the lab, but the queen's massive body was there, blackened and emanating an eerie orange glow.

Not moving.

/I did it. She's dead./

With them occupied, I slipped from the room and headed toward the elevators, my hands trembling. I tried my best to keep my knees from shaking, but a few times I lost my balance and had to brace myself against the wall.

I'd condemned that woman to death. I'd completely erased her existence in a few minutes, reduced her to nothing more than ash on the floor. She'd been in my way and I'd smote her for it.

I put a hand to my head and fought through blurry vision as the realization of what I'd done encumbered me. Both her and Dixon deserved their broken noses—did Mindy deserve to be cooked alive as well?

/She did it to herself,/ a voice told me. /She left you no choice./

Something struck the side of my head and I dropped to the floor like a sack. I didn't have enough time or coordination after the blow to brace myself for landing and I hit the ground half on my chest and half on my shoulder.

The world around me swam and stars obscured my vision. The spot where I'd been struck felt wet and cold, and my pulse thrummed in my head like angry wasps.

When I rolled onto my back, a weight dropped on my stomach and further chased away my breath.

Whoever they were, they removed themselves from on top of me and I rolled back over to my stomach, wheezing and choking. My ears were ringing, tears of pain burning the corners of my eyes.

Every nerve in my body was on fire, screaming at me for some sort of relief.

Though I was still close to observation and the lab, there wasn't enough air in my lungs to call for aid.

Feet appeared by my shoulders—the person was standing over me. I tried to face them, but a hand gripped the back of my shirt and heaved me upward. I was hauled down a different hallway, my hands clawing behind me to free my collar.

"You killed her." A man.

"She . . . ran in there . . . on her own . . . I couldn't . . . stop her! I didn't . . . want to, but . . . she forced my . . . hand." I swallowed cotton and tried to blink my vision into returning.

Somehow, I had to force the crackling ache in my cheek to the back of my mind. I fought to keep my voice even through the gasps.

"What?" he snapped. His face was red and eyes glassy. "I—I'm talking about Momma!"