In Space
Several spaceships drifted through the void, their hulls burning as explosions tore through their structures. Debris floated between them like a field of shattered bones.
Inside one of the dying vessels, blood?red emergency lights flashed along the walls. Alarm sirens screamed through the ship’s spine, and the hull shook violently as another explosion thundered somewhere below.
A crowd of civilians and armored soldiers raced through the corridor.
The floor was stained with blood. Broken weapons, spent cartridges, and body parts littered the path behind them. The soldiers carried pulse rifles in one hand and glowing energy blades in the other.
"Everyone move it, hurry" one of the soldiers said out sharply, his gun raised as he fired into the swarm behind the group alongside his other comrades.
Rushing towards them were a horde of Xenomorphs.
The corridor didn’t just fill, it flooded.
At first, it was a single shape in the strobe?lit dark, all obsidian carapace and eyeless, elongated skull. Then another slid from the ceiling vent, tail whipping, inner jaw clicking.
Then ten.
Then twenty.
A black tide of ribbed exoskeletons poured from every opening, vents, conduits, ruptured bulkheads moving with insectile synchrony, claws scraping metal in a rising, chittering hiss.
They didn’t roar. They surged.
Runners led the charge, low, feral, and fast, skittering on all fours before launching in desperate, claw?first leaps. Behind them came the Drones, taller and deliberate, shoulders hunched, tails lancing forward like spears.
Warriors followed, heedless of cover, charging straight through pulse fire to close the distance, inner jaws snapping for throats.
Bang! Bang!
Multiple shots rang out as the energy pressurized bullets tore through the air, burrowing through carapace. Acid blood erupted in bright, pressurized arcs, eating through railings and deck plating, smoke billowing as the floor began to cave.
The horde didn’t slow. It flowed around the damage, crawling over walls and ceilings, dropping from above with wet, bone?jarring impacts.
One of the Xenomorphs runners suddenly lunched itself in the face of solider unexpectedly, the man’s eyes widened in pure dread as the creature bore down on him.
Then like a streak of light.
Slash.
A vibrant energy blade cleaves the runner in half in a clean cut.
Standing in front of the shaken solider with his blade held firm and rifle in the other hand was a man, he had jet black hair which stuck to his forehead due to sweat.
His blue eyes narrowed at the charging the horde, some with forms that once looked human, Adam pressed on his trigger sharply shooting down multiple runners in a heartbeat.
"Move your feet faster, the Xenomorphs are closing on us faster" Adam yelled as the group ran faster through the corridor, as the soldier’s released bullets at the horde chasing them.
"Mina is the Sector 02 gate still open" Adam asked as runner leaped out at from a vent on the wall but blasted it with his rifle.
A Japanese woman with pink Sakura hair and green eyes ran her hand over a sleek tab in her hand as they ran
"Just a couple of 3 minutes ahead, Adam, we can make it" She answered
Then a Xenomorph came hurling down from the vents above as they ran past towards the terrified civilians.
"SKREEEE!" the Xenomorph screeched as it attacked
"Arghhh!" The people screamed in sheer terror as the creature descended upon them.
Then a body sailed through the air, metal black armor gleaming under the red lights.
"Get out of the way a**hole!" Adam sent a punch straight into the face of the Xenomorph, his fist connected with its jaw, sending it sideways into the wall.
He landed without losing balance. The Xenomorph stood and tried to dash at them again then a bullet struck it in the head, acid blood spilling out.
<Danger at 4:00, right!> an ai warned instantly, Adam acted swiftly, turned around and raised his rifle at two runners which jumped out from a vent, with precision shots he takes down the creatures instantly, acid yellow blood spilling into the air.
"Everyone faster, gate 02 is up ahead" Mina said to the group as she pointed to large circular door opened.
Then a Xenomorph’s tail suddenly struck from above nearly impaling one solider, but Adam stepped forward and swung his energy blade in a wide horizontal arc
The blade sliced the tail clean in half, the Xenomorph let out a screech of pain, without even losing his footwork, Adam responded with a headshot to the Xenomorph’s skull, a hole carving in its head as the energized bullet sank in.
As they approached the gate a Xenomorph launched itself directly in the face of Mina but she was unfazed and just drew her blade, in a slash she cleaved the Xenomorph in half, it’s body falling sideways as its blood ate through metal.
They all made through the gate, then she tapped on her tab as she closed the gate through the tab.
[Access granted]
[Gate 02 closing in process]
"The gate needs just 10 seconds to close; we need suppressive fire to keep the horde at bay" Mina said as the horde of Xenomorph charged at them.
"Shield wall formation!" Adam ordered as the soldiers took a formation like a wall, rifles raised forward.
Their hands gripped tightly on their triggers as the horde swarmed the corridors with clicks, screeches and snarls.
"Fire!!" Adam ordered.
Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!
Shots rang out as energized bullets tore through the air towards the Xenomorphs, acidic yellow blood sprayed in the air as the aliens where gunned down.
The gate began to close by closing into a rolling close as the gunshots tore into the horde, the metallic gate rolled close shut before the Xenomorphs could reach them.
[Gate 02 closed]
Bang!
The Xenomorphs collided into the thick metallic door as claws and bodies slammed against the door.
The civilians shuddered in fear by the banging.
Adam lowered his rifle.
"No time to waste," he said. "Keep moving."
"Damn these bastards," one soldier sneered in disdain.
After running through a corridor bleeding with red lights, they finally stepped into a wide lobby. Two corridors connected from the left and right; at the center of the lobby, a holographic screen flickered.
At the front, three corridors stretched forward with Escape Pod Route 1, 2, and 3 written above them.
They were not the only ones coming into the lobby. Other squads with rescued civilians entered too.
At the center of the lobby stood three soldiers, and a device stood at the center beeping—a countdown timer.
"Looks like they’re blowing up the ship alongside the Nexomorphs," Mina said to Adam as his group walked past them, leading the civilians toward the escape pod route.
"It’s better than letting these things crash on the planet," Adam said with a stern look.
Then suddenly a little hand tugged at Adam’s leg. He looked down only to see a little girl with teary eyes looking at him.
"I... can’t... find my... mummy," the little girl sobbed.
As Adam saw the expression on the girl’s face, his heart tightened. His fist curled firmly around the hilt of his blade.
He knelt down before the little girl, a wide smile on his face. "Don’t worry, we will find your mommy later." He smiled at her.
The girl looked at him and nodded.
But deep down, Adam knew it was a lie. This girl would never see her mother again.
Mina looked at him without saying a word.
"Nexomorphs!" Adam clenched his teeth in anger. He had lost his parents to these creatures when the invasion started eight years ago.
Just as the soldiers installed the bomb and civilians moved into the route passage orderly, skittering noises were heard above.
Everyone stopped instantly. The soldiers looked up, rifles raised at the ceiling of the lobby.
Then it stopped.
Everyone held their breath. Adam’s eyes scanned the ceiling and vents.
<Adam, I have detected multiple hostiles above your position.>
Ava, his AI, suddenly warned him.
"Everyone, move quickly into the routes now!!" he yelled at the top of his voice.
BANG!
A loud explosion echoed as a group of Nexomorphs dropped from a vent above with brute force. Shrill screams echoed around the civilians.
Gunfire rang out as the Nexomorphs attacked the soldiers. A Nexomorph clamped down on a soldier, ripping his face off with its teeth, claws tearing him apart as red blood dyed the ground.
One of the soldiers installing the bomb was impaled by a Nexomorph’s tail, the remote detonator falling to the ground. Chaos erupted as the civilians ran into the escape route passage in panic.
"Protect the civilians!" Adam ordered his men as they guarded the civilians toward the escape passage leading to the escape pods.
[Escape Route Gates Closing in 8 Seconds]
An announcement rang out.
"Eight seconds!" Adam was surprised.
A Nexomorph leaped at the terrified little girl by Adam’s side, but Adam stepped in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her.
The Nexomorph slammed into Adam’s armor suit, sending him and the girl skidding across the ground like a skipping stone.
"Adam!" Mina yelled his name.
"Keep moving, don’t stop!" Adam ordered her as the escape passage gates were closing.
Mina just bit her lip and pushed forward.
Adam stood up, holding the terrified girl in his arms, his rifle at his back, his blade in hand as the Nexomorph snarled at him and then whipped its spike tail forward.
Adam simply dodged with fast reflexes, ducking under the attack and returning the favor, swinging his blade in a rising uppercut. The energy blade slashed through the creature, and it screeched in pain as its body slumped to the ground.
Adam looked at the bomb console blinking, the soldiers around it, and the frozen timer with the detonator on the ground.
He did the math in his head. One decoy to give the evac line time to escape. Then he turned to the rapidly closing door, his squad shouting for him to hurry up.
He had made up his mind.
He dashed toward them at full speed, surpassing human limits, the girl in his arms. He was gonna make sure she lived.
He crushed a facehugger beneath his boots, slashing down another which tried to jump in his face.
Mina’s fingers ran rapidly across her tab as she tried to keep the gate open enough for Adam to enter.
As Adam approached them, a group of facehuggers and runners dashed at him from behind.
Adam took out an electro?plasma grenade, pressed a button, and threw it at the Nexomorphs. An explosion of electricity erupted behind him.
"Catch her!" Adam threw the little girl toward his comrades on the other side, who caught the girl.
"Adam, what are you waiting for? Come on!" Mina yelled at him as she tried her possible best to keep the gate open.
Adam looked back at the group of Nexomorphs heading his way, the bomb in the lobby. He sighed, then raised his rifle.
A shot echoed as the manual close button for the gate got blasted to chunks by a bullet, causing the door to close faster.
"Adam, what the hell are you doing?!!" Mina yelled at him. Even the others were surprised.
"Live," Adam said with a steady voice. "Have a peaceful life." He smiled and turned as the door closed shut before Mina could reach for him.
"Adam!!" she screamed as she banged her fist at the door.
"I am sorry, Mina, but this is the only chance to ensure you all make it alive." A smiling Mina in a dress appeared in Adam’s mind.
He drew his energy blade and looked at the charging creatures.
"Ava, play that phonk called ’Funk Sereno,’" Adam instructed as his helmet covered his face rapidly.
<You are about to do something stupid, right?>
"You know me too well." He smiled as the creatures charged.
<Very well.> Then the music began to play.
"Come on, you bloody bastards!!" Adam roared as he charged too, clashing and cleaving his way through the creatures.
A figure dragged his feet across the ground. Dead Nexomorphs surrounded him. It was Adam. His rifle fell beside him as he approached the bomb, still blinking.
He was battered and injured. Claw marks spread across his armor. Parts of the armor were damaged. Blood trickled down his lips. His helmet was half?broken.
Blood dripped from his wound to the ground.
He picked up the detonator from the dead soldier, stood beside the bomb, then looked at the detonator in his hand. Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Well, seems it has come to this," Adam spoke weakly as hordes of Nexomorphs swarmed from the corridors toward him.
Adam placed his hand on the detonator button as a sea of black swarmed around him.
<Sergeant Adam, it’s been a pleasure serving with you.>
"And the honor is mine too, Ava," Adam said.
"Father, Mother, I am coming to meet you both soon." Adam smiled as the Nexomorphs launched at him.
"Mina, I am sorry for leaving you all behind." Then Adam pressed the button. "God, in a next life, I want a family."
BOOM!!
The bomb went off as Adam smiled. A bloom of fire and heat erupted around him, swallowing up the horde. The explosion spread through the ship.
Darkness swallowed Adam’s vision.
In a dark void, a white ball of light floated.
Then two massive, colossal molten golden eyes opened.
"You have lost much, child, and sacrificed a lot. Have a blessed life that ye wish for."
Then a pair of blue eyes snapped open.