Since time immemorial the planet of Ryushi
had been a location selected for Yautja Hunts - a prime spot for their rite of passage,
to kill the ultimate prey and become a blooded hunter. Other than that activity, the planet and its
resources had been unmolested, until man's progress reached outwards into the stars. Ryushi was now home to the colony of Prosperity
Wells, a ranching colony owned by the Chigusa Corporation, supervised by its new overseer
Machiko Noguchi. The indigeonous cattle-like creatures, the
rhynth, were reared for their meat and the year's harvest was coming to what seemed to
a be a successful close. Among the population of ranchers, their families,
company employees, and other civilians, Ryushi's population consisted of roughly 150 humans. Though small, the Prosperity Wells ran efficiently
with a few of home's comforts. Its layout demonstrates the workings of the
colony and its locations. -Chigusa Corp's offices and op center, mess
hall, and living quarters for Chigusa employees -Heavy equipment storage and mechanic's crane
-Main garage -Abatoir and local holding pens
-Powerhouse and sewage treatment plant -Main well and pumping station
-Preloading pen -Loading ramps
-Spacecraft cargo doors and shield wall to protect complex from spacecraft's engine wash
-Container storage and main loading crane -School and recreation center - including
theater and mini-sports arena, baseball diamond and soccer field
-Main transmitting antenna -"Little Earth" shopping complex
-med center and heli-pad -Quarantine pens
-and Holding pens for the Ryhnth If it wasn't Earth, at least an attempt had
been made to try to make it look like a town. There were hardly enough people in the gene
pool to turn the planet into anything civilized, and even with more settlers, it wasn't likely
to ever be a major population center; still, the company had made a token effort to make
it look like home. Noguchi had thoroughly studied the layout
of the colony despite mostly staying in her office and living quarters during her first
6 months. Besides seeing an occasional screening at
the rec's theater, she hadn't really been a member of the community. It wasn't her home and she wasn't going to
stay here any longer than it took to show a profit and shine in the company's eyes enough
to earn a transfer to the next rung on the ladder. Her predecessor, Hiroki, would be leaving
after the harvest with a promotion and she looked to his success as a template to achieve
her own. Not just success, as she saw...HONOR. But, in her six months, she gained only resentment
from the ranchers, only focused on the numbers and bottom line. Her approach was not exactly hands-on, as
Hiroki's was - and most of the ranchers spoke to him instead. Hiroki had offered Noguchi advice to better
her ability as supervisor, that she may want try some of the methods that worked well for
him and his relationship with the ranchers, eloquantly suggesting she go out more, and
get some rhynth-shit between her toes. Noguchi had taken this advice to heart and
was working to better her managment in time for the harvest's end. The Chigusa vessel, The Lector, was en route
to the rancher planet to pick up the rhynth cargo, with some final employee/ccorportation
negotiations taking place as the deadline fast approached. Before the arrivial of the lector, however,
different visitors loomed over. Dachande, the experienced and battle-worn
yautja was leading a clan of the unblooded to the previously vacant planet, all hungry
to hunt and kill the perfect prey: Kainde Amedha - HARD MEAT. With a captured xenomorph queen supplying
eggs and boarded into a piece of technology referred to, colloquially, by the hunters
as the tou-dte kalei, the eggs were dispersed within the open desert. At first there was only the vision of dark,
cracked matter all around, seen through a thick cloud of oily smoke. The electronic eye scanned the pit and then
looked up. With a sudden lurch, the tou-dte kalei moved
forward, using its segmented pincers to pull itself out of the crater. It was a large, armored mechanism, the tou-dte
kalei, designed to withstand almost any type of environment so far encountered; it was
actually modeled after a kind of predator discovered on Than, a world of dense metals
and poisonous weather. Something like the Hard Meat, but more efficiently
built-it could climb, walk, run, or dive into liquid. And while the robot crawler did not Hunt as
the real creature could, it served a purpose that was more important than simple survival;
it was the bearer of life. "Lou-dte kalei" was a joke, really, a derogatory
term that was sometimes used for a female-literally, "child-maker." The heavy ramp in the tail of the crawler
lowered and the machine began its function. An egg, the beginning of the Hunt, made its
way gently down the plated ramp to be deposited on the dusty ground. The crawler moved slowly forward to lay another. Dachande rolled the control bar on the table
in his private chamber. The front view appeared again in the oval
monitor's screen; the crawler went toward a high mountain of some unknown material. This world was a warm place, but not as humid
as some. Twin suns and no freestanding liquid in sensory
range. The read on the crawler showed that there
were still dozens of eggs to be set; the red lines and smudges of the counter changed with
each placement. Each egg was coded and tuned to a reader that
would maintain the connection even after the egg hatched and became Hard Meat. They would not leave the Hunt until all the
prey had been taken. To leave even a single one behind was criminal. Dachande had not visited this place before,
although the records showed that there had been Hunts here, many seasons earlier. It was listed as wide and spacious, with no
antagonists and many hiding places; large, four legged creatures dwelled there naturally,
ideal hosts-perfect for training. They would go in fast and dark, that was standard,
but there could hardly be anything on the planet to cause them problems. It was but another dry world with little to
offer save a place to Hunt. The galaxy was full of such places. As the leader of Yautja prepared his group
for prosperity to come, Machiko made the effort to prepare the same for her own. As she walked between shelves piled high with
bike and copter parts, she heard voices from the direction of the open entryway into the
yard. She could make out the distinct soft tone
of Hiroki's voice among the others; he sounded irritated. Noguchi slowed her pace to catch the gist
of the conversation she was about to walk into. ". . . not the point, Hiroki! The company's making a killing from our sweat
and we're getting screwed, right, Ackland?" "That's the way the Ranchers Association sees
it." Noguchi waited just inside the door to listen
for another moment; several ranchers and Hiroki stood in a loose circle several meters away. She could just see the edge of Ackland's heavy
rhynth-hide coat, which he wore even on the hottest day. He was a large, opinionated man who had an
amazing ability to cause friction. "I don't even know why I'm discussing this
with you," said Hiroki. "Ms.Noguchi is in charge now. You should be talking to her." A perfect cue. Noguchi stepped forward and through the entry. "That bitch? She doesn't give a shit about us," said Ackland. "Maybe if she got laid once in a while-" started
one of the other ranchers. Rick Harrison. "Anybody who tried would freeze his dick off,"
said one of Ackland's men. The group chuckled, all except for Hiroki. Harrison broke off abruptly when he spotted
her striding toward them. He coughed suddenly into his hand. "Ms. Noguchi," he said. His voice was loud. She held her head high and stared at him. He dropped his gaze, as did the other men. Only Ackland had the nerve to meet her eyes. "I thought we were in the middle of a roundup,
gentlemen," she said, voice cool. Hiroki stepped in. "We were just discussing the agreement their
association has already signed." Ackland tapped his pipe with the heel of one
hand. "That was before we saw what the market was
doing back on Earth. If we'd known the price of meat was going
to jump like this, we'd have asked for more." "And if the bottom had fallen out of the market,
would you have offered to take less?" said Hiroki. All eyes turned to Noguchi. She faced Ackland, obviously the man to negotiate
with. "I'll talk to the company and see if I can
swing a larger cut for your ranchers," she said. "We want to be fair." Ackland nodded and tugged at his dirty red
beard. He opened his mouth to speak, but Noguchi
cut him off. "But there won't be anything for anyone if
your rhynth aren't ready for shipment when The Lector arrives." She noted his flash of annoyance with smug
satisfaction. No matter what she changed, Ackland was never
going to be a man she enjoyed working with. "I suggest you get back to your jobs." She smiled at the others as they followed
Ackland across the yard. Hiroki raised his eyebrows at her after the
ranchers had reached a safe distance. "Pleasant man, Ackland," he said blandly. "Perhaps someday we'll marry," she said, keeping
a straight face. Hiroki grinned. "Let's saddle up," said Noguchi. She shaded her eyes against the suns and looked
out at the open plain. "I'm ready to get some rhynth shit between
my toes." "Words of wisdom," said Hiroki. Noguchi nodded and then walked with Hiroki
toward the hover bikes. Already she felt as if she'd set wheels in
motion; and once started, there would be no turning back. The young males stood in standard formation
and watched Dachande expectantly. The kehrite stank of musk and the air was
alive with tension. He had made them wait long enough; it was
time. Dachande looked at the heaps of armor and
weaponry that Skemte and Warkha had lined up against the wall. "You may collect your àwuàsà," he said,
waving at the armor. "Now." With passionate cries of excitement, the yautja
ran to the piles of equipment and Hard Meat shell, shoving and kicking to get there first. There was enough to suit all of them, of course,
but they would fight for the better trappings; the stronger males would get the prime supplies. That was always the way. Dachande watched as the yautja strapped on
the scarred platings and struggled for arm sheaths and masks. Shafted knives were weighed and measured,
burners' sights checked. Med kits and multiple eyes weren't standard
for young males' armor, nor were tarei'hsan loops; only the warriors used such additions. There was shift capacity in a few of the suits,
but the young males would not need such things anyway; the first Hunt was more a matter of
point-and-kill than tracking and hiding. Invisibility was generally reserved for prey
that shot back. You had to earn the right to use the better
gear, and the prey for which it was necessary. The yautja would need to become accustomed
to their 'awu'asa', to feel comfortable with movement and weight. Dachande himself had slept in his armor the
first night he had donned it. They had worn the gear only briefly during
their training and under strict supervision. For this there were reasons-the main being
that a young male given too much power too early was a hazard to himself and others. Turn some of the wet-behind-the-knees younglings
loose with a burner even a few weeks ago and there would have been the risk of holes in
the ship's hull or bodies piled in the corridors. The ceiling of the firing range had more scars
than a ceremonial blood-pig. Dachande watched Tichinde backhand a smaller
male for the mask he held and hiss triumphantly at the gain. The Leader nodded thoughtfully; Tichinde was
strong but reckless. Such recklessness could get him killed. Did he survive, however, he could be a great
warrior and a credit to his teacher. It was far better to be brave and die than
to be cowardly and survive by hiding from the Black Warrior. Songs were not sung about those who showed
their back to an attack. One by one, the dressed yautja held up their
shafted knives and howled to each other, pointing their burners to the floor and pretending
to fire in mock battle. Skemte caught Dachande's gaze and growled
amusement at their fervor. Dachande nodded and echoed the growl. Doubtless each of the would-be warriors thought
himself the bravest to have ever picked up a spear and waved it. The young males were as ready as he could
make them. He hoped they were ready enough. If they were not, it was too late. And too bad their successes or failures would
start soon on the planet now speeding toward them. The Hunt was about to begin. Noguchi rode slightly behind Hiroki through
the midafternoon light, their hover bikes setting up whirls of baked tan dust and hot
pebbles in their wake. Earlier they had skimmed the inner ridges
of the gorge and then circled back to town for a light lunch. Now they were headed out again, toward Beriki
canyon, one of the primary, runs for the majority of the herds. Noguchi had spent most of the morning getting
used to the flier's controls; fortunately, they weren't too hard to figure out-stop,
go, height and speed adjustments. The trick was to watch for obstacles that
might cause problems; jump a big rock too fast and you could find yourself on your back,
your scooter flying merrily along without you, at least until the dead-hand control
shut it down. Besides basic instructions and a few landscape
remarks through the comsets, Hiroki had kept quiet during their ride. It was the longest she'd spent outdoors since
arriving on Ryushi. The heat was incredible, the rays from two
suns slapping at them with tangible force. Very winds ruffled the tips of her black hair
at the base of her visor, and particles of sandy dirt kicked up by Hiroki's bike pelted
her goggles and dusted her cheeks. Ahead and all around, huge cliffs encircled
them. Initially, it had all looked the same, harsh
and unforgiving. But she had to admit there was a sparse beauty
to the plains as well. It recalled images of sand gardens that Noguchi
had visited in her youth at Kyoto. Here the sand was unchanneled and pocked with
planets and rocks. Knee-high stands of beige reeds grew randomly
near the edges of the valleys. Stones jutted from the earth in layers of
shaded browns and grays. The fractured topsoil was a huge jigsaw puzzle
with no end. There was plenty of sand, to be sure, but
no order here, no simple zen lines. It was raw chaos. Billions of years in the making, this world,
and she and a handful of men and women now held sway over it, masters of all the dry
land. It was not hard to believe in manifest destiny
out here in the far reaches of the galaxy, that mankind's true role was to minister to
and control all things. Noguchi could understand, at least intellectually,
why the ranchers had left Earth to make Ryushi their home. There was a kind of freedom to the prairies,
a calm serenity to the stark lands. A certain beauty in it all. On Earth, a single living plex could house
fifty thousand people in tight, tiny cubicles. On Earth, open land still existed but under
so many regulations that just to walk upon it without a proper license might be worth
a year in prison. Nowhere on the homeworld was there such vast
emptiness as was all around her here. She found herself even enjoying the weather
as they neared the southern end of Beriki canyon, the simplicity of a dry wind in her
face. She wondered if it was too late for this new
understanding to change her standing with the ranchers. Perhaps with time . . . "We're coming up on one of Ackland's camps,"
Hiroki crackled in her ear. "Right." She slowed as they rounded a bend in the gully. There were several dozen rhynth grazing on
weeds a couple of hundred meters ahead, and beyond, the large treaded vehicle that Ackland
used to check on his herds. The crawler could hold twenty people comfortably
and was equipped with a full kitchen and sleeping accommodations for at least six; most of the
ranchers had automatic vehicles--AVs--but Ackland's was the biggest. Of course. Noguchi came to a stop next to Hiroki's bike
and dismounted, legs still throbbing with the feel of the engine. Ackland and several of his people stood grouped
near the AV and watched them approach. Noguchi set her eye protectors up on her cap
and patted dust from her clothing as they neared Ackland. The big man gazed at them with a sneer. "What's the problem, Hiroki? You and the boss lady get lost?" "We're just making the rounds-" began Hiroki. "Yeah, right." Ackland grinned without humor. "What's the real reason? The company shoot down the price increase?" Noguchi cleared her throat. "You know we can't get through the magnetic
interference during the day. I'll contact them this evening." Ackland scoffed and started to turn away. "And," she continued, "I'll do all I can to
get you a bigger cut." Ackland raised an eyebrow. "So what are you doing here?" He made no effort to keep irritation out of
his voice. Hiroki remained silent. "We're checking on everyone's progress-seeing
if there's anything we can do to help," she said. The late-afternoon light glinted off of the
AV's pitted hull behind him as Ackland looked her up and down. Finally, he nodded. "Yeah, you can help. You can stay out of our way. The last thing we need is`help' from corporate
paper-pushers." He faced the young woman next to him and pointed
to the shaded monitor built into the AV. "Roth, take some of the boys and run these three
gullies. Drive 'em down into the canyon and hook up
with Cho's group." Roth nodded and motioned to two of the men
in Ackland's company. Ackland presented his back to Noguchi and
Hiroki and punched at the controls set into the monitor's rim. Apparently, they had been dismissed. They walked back to their bikes slowly. Hiroki placed a hand on her forearm gently
as they reached the flyers. "I'm sorry about the way Ackland treated you,"
he said. Noguchi shrugged. "Actually, it's okay. I know how-" she paused, searched for the
right word. "I know what kind of an uncaring bitch I've
been. I would have been surprised if he had had
any other reaction. It is as if I have been in some kind of suspended
animation for the last few months. I cannot explain it." She pulled her visor down firmly and looked
to ward Prosperity Wells, about to say something else, except all thoughts disappeared. "Wow," she whispered. "What-?" Hiroki looked past her. "Oh, yes. You haven't gotten out much since you arrived,
have you?" Noguchi barely heard him. The suns were setting, the desert was bathed
now in golds and reds. Long shadows stretched from the mountains
toward them, and in the cloudless sky, the arrangement of shade and light left her breathless. It was actually the first time she had ever
seen the sunset outside. Her mind couldn't pair the stunning sight
with the thoughts she'd had of Ryushi for the past six months; she would have to let
one or the other go. Ryushi was, in its way, a beautiful place,
at least here and in this moment it was. Noguchi sighed and watched the sunset, Hiroki
quiet beside her. When they finally mounted their bikes to head
home, she felt as if a heavy weight had been lifted from her shoulders, one she had not
been aware of until it was gone. "My job...my life to that point had been concerned
with schedules and numbers and quarterly reports -- a full, satisfying life - I thought. Seeing the sunset that day, I suddently realized
how much I'd been missing. Little did I know that would be the last time
I'd ever view a sundown with any emotion other than dread." At a quarter past three in the morning, Jame
Roth leaned against her flyer and watched for Ackland's headlights. The night was hot and free of wind, and stars
twinkled faintly over the mountains. Her dog, Creep, lay panting at her feet, occasionally
whining at the bulging sack hooked to the scooter's seat. Behind her a hundred meters or so, Travis
and Adam watched over a small herd of rhynth, most of them on the ground asleep. "Except rhynth sleep standing, eh, Creep?' The mutt raised his head and whined again. Roth considered herself a practical woman,
but something about all of this gave her the shivers. The things she had found in the canyon were,
well, odd. Unnatural to say the least. And now the rhynth were acting funny and Ackland's
vet had found no cause for the symptoms. She didn't like it, not one bit. The AV came rumbling around the bend up ahead
and squealed to a halt in front of her, the headlights almost blinding to her dark-adjusted
eyes. Ackland climbed down from the cab almost before
the transport had stopped moving. Roth unhooked the sack and started toward
him, Creep at her heels. He looked at the rhynth beyond her and walked
quickly to meet them halfway. "I got your message, Roth." He sounded out of breath. "What's the problem?" "Take a look," she said, and crouched down
to empty her find onto the dusty ground. Creep growled at the lifeless things and backed
away. Roth speared one of the three creatures with
a rhynth-stick and held it up for Ackland to see. It looked like nothing so much as a huge spider
with a spiny tail, a little smaller than a male firewalker, perhaps two handspans. Its long, segmented legs curved under its
plated body and its half-meter tail looked prehensile. There were no eyes as far as Roth could tell,
but there was a short fleshy tube that perhaps served as a mouth; it hung limply at the head
of the creature. The thing was a mottled slate-gray all over. Ackland took the stick from her and studied
it carefully. "What the hell is it?" His voice was thick with disgust. "Besides uglier than shit? I was hoping you could tell me," she said. Ackland frowned and set the spider down next
to the other two. "I've never seen anything like these things. Where'd you find them?" "Up at the head of Beriki canyon. There were a couple dozen of them lying around
dead." She brushed a long strand of sun-bleached
hair out of her eyes and looked over at the rhynth. A few of them lowed mournfully, the sounds
quiet in the still air. "That's where we scared up these poke-snoots. They were stumbling around and bumping into
each other like they were half-asleep." She rose to her feet and faced Ackland, who
had also stood. "I think maybe they're sick, Mr. Ackland. I thought you should know." "What did T Stone say?" "Tests all clean so far." Ackland tipped his wide-brimmed hat back on
his head and then nodded at her. "You did the right thing, Roth." He looked at the herd and then down at the
alien things thoughtfully. Roth waited. "We don't know that there's anything wrong
with the rhynth," he said carefully. "And we wouldn't want some dickhead from the
company to panic and set up a quarantine, right?" Ackland's speculative gaze turned to her face. "I mean, we've invested a lot of time here-and
something like that, well, that would mean that some of us wouldn't get the payoffs that
we deserve . . ." He trailed off, leaving the obvious unstated. Roth chewed at her lower lip and nudged one
of the creatures with one boot. Ackland was a greedy man, but he would be
a rich greedy man within the week. And she had checked the main herd before she
had called him; the only affected rhynth were the thirty-plus head behind her. Something like this could ruin all that she
and Cathie had worked for . . . Roth shrugged mentally, her decision made. This was Ackland's problem now. "I understand." Ackland grinned and rocked back on his heels,
nodding. "But what do I do with these things?" she
said. "Take 'em to Dr. Revna---but tell him you
found them in Iwa Gorge, okay?" He put one hand on her shoulder and squeezed
lightly. "You're doing a great job, Roth. There will be a bonus for you when this roundup
is over." She shoved the creatures back into the bag
with the rhynth-stick and loaded it onto the bike for the trip into town. "C'mon Creep." She patted her thigh and the herd dog followed
her back to the watch; the rhynth that weren't asleep lay on their sides, panting heavily. Wet ropes of mucus hung from their mouths
and trembled with each gasp. Poke-snoots were stupid beasts, but she didn't
like to see them this way, like they had swallowed something poison . . . Noguchi sat on the rounded mat in her apartment
and breathed deeply, head down. It was just after dawn, and today The Lector
came. She had awakened nervous and wanted to try
to relax before starting the final roundup-but it had been almost a month since her last
real practice and she could feel the muscles in her legs groaning from the stretch. She had gotten her brown belt in karate before
she'd left Earth for Ryushi, and had not been far away from black. While there were holo teaching devices that
she could train to at the rec center, she had decided to put her lessons aside for a
while-at least until she had found a human sparring partner. Holos weren't a bad way to go, but they lacked
something. Dignity, perhaps. But she hadn't made any close enough friends
to work out with . . . No friends, Machiko, close or otherwise. Don't kid yourself. Right. Most ranchers probably weren't into martial
arts anyway. Her thighs trembled when she stood to form
riding, horse stance; her old sensei, Master Ko, would have put her on the floor for letting
herself go like this. She ran through blocks and kicks to loosen
up a little, and was surprised at the vague sadness she felt at the familiarity of the
moves. Homesickness? No, she had left little behind on Earth worth
missing. It was .
Loneliness. The thought struck a chord within her that
she hadn't felt for a very long time. It was the sense of-not belonging. At least on Earth she had worked in an office
building with thousands of other employees, had walked through streets full of people;
she had been in a karate class. Noguchi hadn't been very close to anyone,
but at least there had been that option. And here there was only Hiroki, who seemed
to disapprove of her somehow in spite of his smiling facade. Hiroki and a group of ranchers who didn't
give a shit if she came or went. She ran through the rest of her workout quickly. Today would be a nonstop panic, supervising
roundup and then preparations for the arrival of The Lector. There were responsibilities to delegate and
papers to shuffle. She wished there was someone to talk to, someone
to commiserate with over the busy day to come . .
Well. There was no time to regret her choices now,
there was too much to be done. She had practiced smiling and nodding and
tonight would be her first gesture of goodwill toward the ranchers, the company approved
price increase. She hoped that it would be the start of a
new relationship of mutual respect. It has to be; Hiroki leaves in a few days
with the rhynth shipment. Right. Time to get ready. Kesar Revna was fascinated. Alien biology was supposedly his forte, but
he hadn't seen anything quite like it. He tried to keep up with the UMA reports from
Earth, and Chigusa had a monthly online biomed journal that was one of the best; new species
were being discovered every day, it seemed. But besides a mutant form of crab that had
turned up on Terra Nova a few years back after a radioactive waste mishap, he found nothing
in the literature that looked quite like this . . .
"I have to get back to work, Dr. Revna, if that's okay-"
He reluctantly looked up from the examination table at the young woman who had brought in
the amazing creatures. She seemed nervous, anxious to be gone; she
certainly looked out of place in the lab. Her dusty range clothes and darkly tanned
skin didn't seem to agree with indoor lighting. "Of course," he said. "It's the big day, isn't it?" "Yeah." "And you say you found these in Iwa Gorge?" "Uh, yeah. Right." She dropped her gaze to the table and shuddered
slightly. "Mr. Ackland said you might want to take a
look at them." "Give Mr. Ackland my thanks. And I appreciate you coming in, I know how
busy you must be." "Sure, no problem. Let us know how things turn out when you get
a chance." She turned to walk out and nearly collided
with Miriam, the town's human doctor and Kesar's wife, which made her Dr. Revna, too. "Excuse me, Dr. Revna,"
Miriam smiled. Her tanned skin crinkled at the corners of
her eyes. She had her long and dark hair pulled back
into a ponytail and she always seemed so tiny and petite she made Roth feel like a rhynth. "Hello, Jame. How's Cathie's knee?" "Great. Good as new. I'm sorry, I really have to run-"
"That's all right. We'll hopefully see you both tonight." Kesar had already turned his attention back
to the specimen. Kesar had already turned his attention back
to the specimen. "What do you make of this, Doc?" Miriam laughed. "Oh, thank you. Good morning, my love, how did you sleep'?" Kesar looked at his wife and grinned. "Good morning, my love, how did you sleep? Now take a look at what Roth brought in. I could use a second opinion." Miriam bent over the table and raised her
eyebrows. "She found this on Ryushi?" "Iwa Gorge, she says. And she also said that there were at least
twenty more, dead. I've already tried to cut one of the legs
with the Killian, and nothing. Not a scratch." "You're kidding." Miriam searched his face for the joke. "Any carbon-based animal . . ." she trailed
off. "Silicon? Couldn't be and even if it was, that would
at least have been marked-" She gazed at the specimen in wonder. "What is it, Kesar? You're the DVM." He shook his head. "I don't know. There was that Terra Nova mutation, and I
heard some rumors about a weird life form found in a mining colony somewhere, but somebody
clamped down on that, nothing substantiated. We're going to need to run some tests; and
I think afterward, I'm going to take a little ride up to the gorge and poke around." Miriam frowned. "Alone?" Kesar nodded. He felt wired. This was a totally new species . . .
"One of us should stay in case of any problems with the herding. Anyway, like you just said, I'm the vet, right? If I can find one of these alive-"
"-it could bite you, Kesar. Perhaps you should wait for a few days. Until someone can come with you." "Right. I need a guard to protect me from this little
fist-sized spider. Don't worry, I'll be fine, Miriam." He patted her hand and smiled. "I'll take a net and watch where I put my
feet." He turned his attention back to the specimen
even though he was aware she was hovering there, concerned. "Hmm. The belly looks a lot softer than the legs. I bet I can incise along this plate line. Could you please fetch me the scalpel kit? Oh, and the Menashe saw? I'll peel this critter, one way or another." She pursed her lips doubtfully but went to
get the equipment from storage. He stooped over the alien again, already lost
in thought. Miriam was a good doctor and a good spouse,
but she worried too much. This creature was the most intriguing thing
he'd come across on this planet so far. Hell, that's why he'd gotten into offworld
medicine, stuff like this. To have some new and fascinating creature
with his own Latinized name hung on it and then studied in biology classes at prestigious
universities was perhaps an egotistical wish, but not an immoral one, was it? Why, yes, this is the first of the many unique
Life forms discovered by the galactically famous Dr. Kesar Revna. A minor find compared to his later work, of
course, but even great men must have beginnings. Let him stand as an example to you all... He smiled at the fantasy. How could anyone fear such a unique find? Besides, the creature was probably as harmless
as his fantasy of academic greatness. They landed on the parched world in the bottom
of a vast ravine, far from where the lou-dte kalei had sown
the Hard Meat eggs; they came in cloaked and during light hours, although the Hunt would
not begin until after dark. It was all standard procedure; there were
some worlds upon which the natives had developed weaponry and would fight for their skins,
infected or not. Dachande had not lived long by being careless
on strange terrain, and the planet had not been used for a Hunt so recently that precautions
could be discarded. Especially now, because since the yautja's
last visit to Hunt here, others had come. The Soft Meat, bleeding all over the radio
bands for all to hear. It was a shock to find them here. Given his choice, he would hunt the Soft Meat,
a thing he had long desired. They were cunning and they shot back. Soft Meat skulls were highly prized, the centerpiece
of a warrior's trophy wall. He would challenge them, were it at all possible. But not with a handful of raw and unseasoned
would-be warriors. Not only would it be foolish, it was also
against the rules of the Hunt. Dachande could almost smell them, the Soft
Meat, and he would like nothing better than to test his mettle against them, but he would
not, not this time. He had responsibilities, duties, and to cast
them aside for his personal satisfaction would be to dishonor his name. Dachande turned and walked through the corridor
toward the front of the ship. As Leader, he would be the first to set foot
on the Hunting grounds, a pleasure that rumbled deep in his gut. This would be a good Hunt, oomans not, withstanding. Twilight fell over Prosperity Wells. The Chigusa staff had been setting up tables
and portable roasting pits near the shield wall when she had gone to shower and change,
but she was surprised at the crowd that had gathered in her short absence. She stepped out of her building and was nearly
run over by a group of giggling children. Not many of those here, children, but some. The scent of grilled rhynth steaks carried
to her along with the sounds of people talking and laughing. Ranchers and their spouses walked past, hand
in hand, all headed toward the landing pad. Noguchi joined them. Hiroki was easy to spot amid the ranchers
in his dark dress suit; he stood near the loading ramp, drink in hand. He returned her wave and wove his way through
the crowd to meet her. "You look lovely, Machiko-san." "Thank you. You look very nice yourself." She gazed wonderingly at the mass of people
all around. "Is every person on the planet here?" "Just about. A few of the staff are watching screens in
ops, but other than that . . ." Noguchi smiled. "A hundred people in one place is now a mob
to me. Funny, how perspectives change." Hiroki nodded. "It is. And I'm glad to see them enjoying themselves. This is their first roundup, everything they've
worked for, for three years." Noguchi looked around at the ranchers, relaxed
and mingling in the open compound. It was impossible not to pick up on the mood
of excitement and accomplishment. Someone had even fed music over the public
address system; couples danced in the deepening dusk while their children ran and played through
the streets. "Come on, let's go greet the ship," said Hiroki. "It's due any minute." She followed him through the dancing crowd
toward the antenna tower. "The home office called," he said mildly. "They've approved the price hike for the ranchers. I haven't told anyone - I figured you'd want
the pleasure. Machiko raised her eyebrows and smiled at
him. "Good, I can't wait wait to see Ackland's
face." "Where are we headed, anyway?" "Up here. The tower is the only place to watch a landing." Hiroki stopped in front of the runged ladder
that ran up one side of the transmitting structure and rested one hand on the lowest step. "Can that thing support both of us?" Noguchi looked at the ladder doubtfully. "Let's find out, shall we?" They scaled one story and hit the first landing,
then slowly climbed the stairs to the top, five floors up. There was a moderate, warm breeze blowing,
and Noguchi looked down to see the miniature people milling about in the night air. It was easy to forget the pressures of work
on such an occasion. Pleasant memories from long ago ran through
her head, Nakama festivals with her parents, walks through bonsai forests that made her
feel like a giant. A low rumbling began, somewhere in the sky. The people below watched the clouds for movement. Noguchi looked up to see the ship, and even
so far away, she could tell it was big. Huge. It was hard for her mind to grasp such a gigantic
object in the air. She had seen craft like it before, of course-but
this one was bigger than the entire rec center and op building combined. It had pusher vents easily twenty meters long
and half as wide on either side; there were three loading docks in front, each big enough
to admit four rhynth side by side; giant air-pushers swept a benign wind over the crowd as the
ship rumbled toward the landing pad. With a roar that drowned out all other sound,
The Lector settled gently. It was quite a trick to land such a tub in
atmosphere; the aerodynamics were hardly conducive to such things. The shield wall protected the complex from
most of the engine wash, but the sudden gale that hit all of them was enough to whip up
dresses and hair and a considerable haze of dust. As the thunder dwindled slowly, Noguchi heard
a chorus of laughter and hand clapping. It was a magnificent spectacle, The Lector
come to roost. Well, part of the ship anyway. The rest was still in orbit. A hand landed on her shoulder. Hiroki. He grinned at her. "Down to the final klick, eh? Let's go introduce ourselves to the crew." They started toward the stairs, Hiroki leading. Noguchi cast one last look at the ship and
thought about what he had said, the final kilometer. In spite of the mood of the evening, she had
felt a chill at his words. Odd. She brushed the ominous speculation aside
and went to join the party. Scott and Tom stepped off the ramp together
into Prosperity Wells. For some reason, the mass of people assembled
to greet them was a relief to Scott, although he wasn't sure why. Other crew members filed out past them to
shake hands and chat with the ranchers and their families. "Hey, we're celebrities, man, check it out,"
Tom mumbled. Scott smirked. It was true; the locals had gathered around
each of The Lector's crew with smiles and backslaps. "Guess they don't get out much," Scott whispered. A tall, husky man, with a red beard and a
grin stepped toward them. He held out two cups of beer to the pilots. "Ackland's the name," he said, extending his
large hand. Tom shook it, then Scott. "I'm head of the local ranchers association. How was your trip, Captains-?" "Strandberg," said Tom. "But just call me Tom. This is my copilot, Scott Conover. The trip was fine." "Nice to meet you, sirs. Hope you and your crew are ready to party;
we got some nice steaks on the grill-" Ackland leaned closer and lowered his voice. "And we got some fine young ladies looking
for dance partners, I'll bet. That is, if you're inclined that way-"
Scott grinned. "You bet. Tom here was starting to look pretty good
near the last leg of the trip, if you know what I mean." Ackland chuckled, a forced and overly jovial
sound, and clapped Scott on the back. "I thought so," he started. "You know, I was-"
"Can I have your attention, please?" A short Japanese woman in a green suit stood
on a chair a few meters away, a dinner tray in hand. "Can I have everyone's attention, please?" She was pretty, that one. Scott looked her up and down. Nice legs, nice butt. A little shy in the breast department, but
Scott had seen worse. "Who's the babe?" he said quietly to Ackland. "You mean bitch," Ackland replied. "Nitrogen queen. That's the boss." Noguchi spoke out to the crowd once more asking
for their attention. "I know you're all anxious for the festivities
to begin, but first I have an important announcement." The crowd calmed as everyone turned to look
at her. "Loading will proceed as follows-Ackland,
you're first on deck. Harrison's next, followed by Luccini and Marianetti. The rest of the assignments will be handed
out tomorrow at dusk." She paused, then smiled. "One more thing. The company gave their answer on the price
adjustment-you'll be getting the increase you requested. Enjoy the party, everyone." She stepped off the chair to the sounds of
scattered clapping and hoots of excitement. "Go figure," said Ackland. "Maybe she's good for something after all." Scott took a long gulp of beer and then laughed. "I could think of a few other things she might
be good at." Tom rolled his eyes, and Ackland shook his
head. "I wouldn't try it. Noguchi probably doesn't uncross her legs
to take a shit, you know?" "Too bad," mumbled Tom. He wandered off. Scott took another slug and belched softly. "Takes all kinds, right?" he said, and looked
into his cup. Not bad for a local brew. He picked out the Japanese woman again and
studied her smile as she talked to some rancher woman. Ackland was babbling something about the weather,
but Scott watched Noguchi. Dust ball it was, but the place wasn't a lost
cause. He swigged more beer and turned his attention
back to Ackland. Anything could happen in three days, no matter
what the rancher said. Hell, nitrogen was his specialty . . . Noguchi walked toward the ops center, the
party in full swing behind her. It was definitely a success, in more ways
than one. A few of the ranchers had warmed toward her
after the announcement, and she had kept up a steady patter of innocuous conversation
for at least two hours. Nice people. And she had been doing a good job of nodding
and smiling Although one day doesn't undo six months of
stupidity, Machiko. Right. But it was a start. For the ranchers, watching the sullen, plodding
columns of rhynth board the lector was the culmination of years of hard work. Every lumbering step, every nervous snort,
meant more credits in their account. The ranchers and their families had reason
to celebrate, but the bustle and commotion filled me with melancholy. Perhaps it was the sorrowful braying of the
rynth that got to me...or maybe it was simply the knowledge that with this first phase of
colonization completed, Hiroki would be leaving. I'd never expected much from him -- after
all, I was taking his job. But he hadn't let that affect his professionalism,
or our relationship. Climbing the corporate ladder, I hadn't felt
the need for friends. But Prosperity Wells was a long way from Chigusa
Headquarters. Here, position and status were cold comfort
during a 17-hour night. Now that Hiroki's departure was just a few
weeks away, I realized how much I'd miss him...he was a friend...maybe my only one. I'd have to have to make some changes. She walked into operations to see only one
person manning the screens. "Collins, right?" she said hopefully. The young man nodded and stood up. "Go join the party, okay? I'll watch things here for a while." Collins's eyes widened. "Really? Thanks, Ms. Noguchi." "It's just Machiko from now on." She smiled at him and moved by so that he
could pass. "Uh, okay," he said. "Machiko." He sounded uncomfortable with her first name
but he smiled back. He started to walk out and then turned. "Oh, listen-when Doc Revna gets back, tell
him the home office received his report. It's in the tray with his notes." Noguchi frowned. She had seen Fem Doc at the party, but Revna
hadn't been around, had he? "Gets back from where?" she said. "Said he was going up to Iwa Gorge to look
for something," he said. "He signed out a hover bike a couple of hours
ago." "Today? Bad timing," she said. "Yeah, that's what I said." Collins shrugged. "But he said it was important. Listen, thanks again." After he had left, Noguchi sat at the console
and gazed at the radar, lost in thought. She hadn't expected much from Hiroki at the
beginning, but he had been unfailingly patient with her. His professionalism was top-notch; it would
be sad to see him leave . . . She shook her head and glanced around for
something to take her mind off of Hiroki. Doc Revna's report lay in a basket nearby,
but she hesitated picking it up. What if it were private information-? Then he wouldn't have let Collins send it,
he would've done it himself. Brilliant. She picked up the stack of hard copy and leaned
back in her chair. What the hell was in Iwa Gorge, anyway? She liked the doc, he was a smart man. She leafed through the papers and settled
down to read, with a silent wish for Revna to find whatever it was he was looking for
. . . Kesar trained his binoculars on the sight
at the bottom of the gorge and inhaled sharply. His heart hammered in his chest and his hands
shook. It was incredible. It was unbelievable. A dozen or so humanoids stood surrounding
a large craft, the likes of which he had never seen. The ship looked like a cross between a fish
and a huge engine tube, it was tinted a strange greenish hue, with a broad ramp set into the
ground. The humanoids were tall; he couldn't be sure
because of nothing to show relative size, and the scaler in his scope was malfunctioning,
but he would guess two and a half meters, maybe a little more. More amazing, they appeared to be carrying
. . . spears. Revna had stopped halfway down into the gorge,
had parked his bike near some rocks twenty meters behind him or so. The adrenaline in his system was screaming
at him to go back to the flyer, now. Big aliens with spears did not seem like the
kind of folks you wanted to meet by yourself in the middle of the desert. But he couldn't stop looking at the amazing
sight. He hit the full magnification button and the
creatures zoomed closer. Tall, muscular, definitely armed. Still too far away to get a good view and
it was also too bad the scope's scaler was out of whack, he wanted to get a size on them. Whatever they were, they were definitely not
human. Now here was a discovery that would get his
name in the books. Not just a new species of spider or crab,
but sentient aliens! He watched for another half minute. What were they doing here? What were they? A hundred questions formed and tried to rise
all at once. Incredible. He licked his lips and focused on one of the
alien faces. Some kind of mask it wore, like the others. Breathing gear? He would go back to town, get some of the
ranchers, some photo equipment-Kesar blinked. One of the creatures turned and looked at
him. It threw back its head, its long, odd braids
fell back. A long, crazy howl filled the canyon, echoed
off of the cliffs, and beat at his ears, joined by others. Impossible, he was mostly hidden from view,
and he could hardly see them with the scope. They couldn't see him. But they did. He knew for sure in a second. When they ran toward him, waving their spears,
screaming. Dachande spun, tusks flared, as the cries
of his brood vibrated through the gorge. Sounds of challenge, of aggression. Ooman! Warkha spoke behind him, but the words were
swallowed in the frenzy. Dachande gave orders without looking. "Tell Skemte to prepare flight and gather
those you can! Ki'cte! He ran, blade in hand. The Hunt would have to be aborted, but the
ooman would die first. There was no other way. Dachande cursed mentally and ran faster. He was almost to the rocks when the noise
of a craft starting hit him. Damn! If the ooman got away, it would bring others! A single ooman manned the ship, was balanced
clumsily at the controls, hair swept back from an ugly, pale face. Revna ran to his bike, his stomach an empty
hole. Stark terror made him fumble the starter. His hands shook uncontrollably. "Start, please, oh, please, start, start-"
He heard his own voice and for a moment it sounded as if it belonged to someone else. The cycle roared to life. Relief rushed through him, cool and welcome. He stepped on the accelerator, hard, thinking
only of escape. And he flew directly into them. He topped the rock formation, his thoughts
clouded with panic; turn, turn, turn, fool-One of the creatures leapt up in front of him. He tried to swerve, but it was too late. The impact jarred him from his seat; he would
have fallen except for the reflexive grab at the handles. The alien was huge; Revna caught a whiff of
some musky, bitter oil. Its screech was one of pain and fury. It grabbed for him. Without thinking, Revna veered toward a cliff
wall. The screaming thing smacked into the rocks,
hard, and then was gone. He tried to regain control of the scooter
but the impact had thrown him into a turn. And the controls were damaged, he couldn't
turn, the flier responded sluggishly. ALL right, don't panic, it's okay. He would have to use speed to get past them,
have to go so fast they couldn't catch him, couldn't spear him-Another of the creatures
reached for him, but he passed it. Revna smashed on the accelerator all the way
forward as a blast of incredible heat blew by him. He ducked, felt his facial hair singe. The craft didn't want to alter its course. He was going to pass right next to the ship. The repellors still worked, he managed to
trim the elevators and start to climb. Five meters, seven, still heading right at
the ship but he would clear it-Another blast of heat, this one splashed the underside of
the flier, cooked plastic and metal. The repellors coughed and the craft dropped
a meter, sputtered. He raised his watering eyes just in time to
see that he was headed for the alien craft at high speed and that -he wasn't going to
clear it. He was going to hit it dead center---
Miriam--- It was his last thought before the world turned
to fire. The tiny flier smashed into the ship and blew
apart in a fireball that shattered both craft. A second later came another blast, bigger
than the first. Flame and debris sprayed, scorched rocks,
moved boulders, knocked over delicate formations that had stood undisturbed for millions of
years. Huge chunks of burning ship flew through the
gully as the hunters were blown to the ground by the blast. After a moment Tichinde stood and looked around
at his fallen peers. He waited to hear direction from the Leader,
but there were no instructive cries. Other yautja rose to their feet, dazed. The Leader had fallen not far from Tichinde. Several of the others stumbled with him to
where Dachande lay. The Leader was barely alive. Wreckage had hit him, knocked him into dhi'kide,
the sleep near death. A quick survey showed them that Warkha, too,
was dead, and the other Blooded, Skemte, had been on the ship that still burned and smoked
and looked now like nothing so much as a gutted crab. No one would be leaving this world on that
vessel. And it would be weeks, months, years perhaps,
before anybody came to look for them Not good. When all of the students alive had gathered
around Dachande, Tichinde counted. Ten of them. No transport and no elder to tell them what
would happen. "What will we do?" From Àseigan. "Dachande still breathes," said Gkyaun. "We could-"
"You are a medic?" Tichinde snorted. "He is beyond the aid kits, look at him. Let him die honorably of his wounds, wounds
sustained in battle." He waved at the smoking ship. "The ooman deliberately attacked us and killed
our ship. Therefore, we will kill the oomans, that is
what we will do. Dachande lives but his time is short." Aseigan growled. "Who proclaimed you Leader?" His voice was thick with contempt. "You will not lead me. And Hunting Soft Meat is forbidden to unBlooded,
even a fool such as you knows this." Tichinde grinned and pointed his burner at
the yautja. Àseigan took a step toward him, arms high. Tichinde fired. The blast blew Aseigan against a pile of smoking
rock. The others leapt back in surprise. "Others dispute?" Tichinde swung the burner in a circle. "I will spill your thwei as easily as I do
that of the ooman dogs later! This is not a Hunt, as that dead slave-to-rules
thought, but self-defense. We are allowed to defend ourselves from attack,
are we not?" Once again he waved at the ruins of their
ship. None of the nine disagreed. They watched him warily, hands close to their
own burners. There was a long moment when a Challenge might
have come, when one of the nine might have taken it upon himself to raise his burner
and try him, but that moment passed. If another would be Leader, he would have
made his move and none did. Tichinde smiled. They would follow him, reluctantly or not. He raised his staff to the sky and screamed
of revenge. When Gkyaun returned from the wreck and handed
him the smoldering ooman skull a moment later, Tichinde crushed it with bare claw to the
approving hisses of the others. It had killed itself and bravely in the doing,
so it could not be a proper trophy. But there would be others to be earned. The yautja chanted and howled their approval
into the night. Tichinde sent them to scavenge for whole weapons
and armor. They were stuck here. So be it. The oomans would be sorry they dared attack
the yautja. Sorry they dared to cross blades with Tichinde. Very sorry. The disparity in ratio between the smooth-backed
specimens and the single carcass with dorsal spines not withstanding, I believe the differences
between the two types represent sexual indicators-not of the specimens themselves, but of the zygote
or "egg" that each carries. As stated above, none of the specimens is
equipped for independent life, their sole purpose seems to be nothing more than that
of a living delivery vehicle-an ambulatory penis, if you will. Noguchi tapped her cigarette without looking
at the tray and skimmed back to the top of the page, totally absorbed. This is what Revna had gone after? Why hadn't he told anyone? Why hadn't he told her? While it is risky to postulate so much from
such a tiny sample, we need to know as much as possible about these specimens as quickly
as possible. If my assumptions are correct, or even near
the mark, we're dealing with only one stage of this organism. The hybrid silicon-carbon cell construction
would lead- 'Ambulatory penis,' huh? Conjures quite an image, don't it?" Noguchi jumped in her chair and turned quickly,
heart pounding. A tall man with blond hair and beard stood
there, grinning. He swayed slightly on his feet; from the smell
of him, he had been drinking. A lot. She stood and backed away a step. "You're from The Lector, right?" The stranger took a step closer. "Hell, I fly that bucket!" He belched softly. "Scuse me. Scott Conover atcher service." Noguchi smiled but inched back a little more. His intentions weren't exactly clear but one
thing was . . . "You're drunk, Mr. Conover." "Yeah, but not too drunk, if you know what
I mean. You're Ms. Nogooshi. I've been watching you-" "It's Noguchi," she said coolly. "And you can call me ma'am." Conover laughed and reached out to take her
hand. Noguchi tried to pull away, but the pilot
gripped her wrist tightly. He leaned close, his alcohol breath moist
and pungent. "I heard about what a tough lady you were,
the company ramrod, right?" His words slurred together slightly. The drunken pilot tried to pull her hand down
to his crotch. "I got your ramrod right here, ma'am," he
stage-whispered. Noguchi narrowed her eyes and took a deep
breath. Noguchi grabbed his arm above the elbow with
her free hand and hooked one foot behind his. She twisted, pushing up and over at the same
time, and the pilot went down. She jumped back and struck a ready pose, left
foot forward, fists made. It had happened so fast, she was barely aware
that she had done it. The drunk groaned loudly; he didn't get up. Noguchi relaxed slightly, but kept her distance. Another man stepped into the room, dark-haired,
wearing glasses. "Scott?" He looked down and moved immediately to the
fallen man. "Jesus, what happened?" He stared. up at Noguchi, at her fighting stance; realization
dawned on his face. "You next?" Adrenaline still pumped through her system. The drunk's friend stood, hands in the air. "No, no, I was just coming to tell you that
the ship is loaded and that we'll be making our first shuttle run as soon as the inspectors
give the rhynth a clean bill of health-" He spoke all at once, in a rush, but seemed to
catch himself. Noguchi nodded. "You'd better have them check out this pilot,
too." She looked down at Conover and frowned. "Especially his judgment." "I'm Tom Strandberg, ma'am. I'm sorry about this, he's the designated
drinker on this run." As the man spoke, he bent down and tried to
help Conover to his feet. He grinned sheepishly. "Tomorrow it'll be my turn." With a grunt of effort, Strandberg stood up,
Conover half over one shoulder. "Your turn to drink or your turn to get some
of what I gave him?" Noguchi spoke sharply; she knew that none
of this was Strandberg's fault, but damn him for excusing his friend so lightly; attempted
rape wasn't particularly funny. Strandberg edged toward the door with his
heavy load. "Look, I'll make sure he doesn't bother you
again, okay?" It seemed to be the perfect cue. Conover raised his head slightly. "Damn bitch," he mumbled, and nodded back
out. Strandberg carried the other pilot out without
another word. Noguchi sax back in her chair and felt her
heart slow down little by little. If she didn't receive a formal apology the
next morning, she would file a complaint with the company. Maybe I'll do that anyway. Conover certainly didn't deserve anything
less, of I-got-your-ramrod-right-here. Noguchi picked up the papers she had been
reading, a smile still on her face. Well, it had broken the tension she'd been
feeling. After she'd read the same paragraph three
times, she sighed and put the report down. This was important stuff, but she couldn't
seem to regain her concentration after the rush of adrenaline that idiot's advances had
created. Besides, it was late. Revna must have gone to the party or just
gone home. She stood, stretched, and yawned. Maybe she wasn't so very out of martial arts'
practice after all. She had tossed him without thinking about
it. It came back quick enough when she'd needed
it. She made sure that the recorders were all
on and pulled her jacket off the back of the chair. She would talk to Revna tomorrow about these
"specimens"; from the sound of it, there might be some crucial things going on out at Iwa
Gorge-and it was her job to know about it. Scott hurt. He rolled his head and opened his eyes, but
closed them again immediately. The whole fuckin' planet was spinning. And there was an earthquake or something. What planet?
"Wha' the fuck?" he mumbled. He opened his eyes again. "Back to the land of the living?" Tom's face swam into view next to him. They were riding a small cart outside, back
to the ship-the earthquake was the rumbling motor. On Ryushi. The Lector. Cowboys. Japanese babe
Scott focused on Tom's face. "Nogooshi," he said. It was coming back. Tom grinned. "Scott, you're plowed. Apparently you tried to have sex with the
head of the company here, a very capable woman who knocked the shit out of you before you
got around to figuring out she wasn't interested." He paused for a second and then added, "And
if you ask me, you're lucky she didn't rip your dick off and feed it to you." "Great," said Scott. He closed his eyes, exhausted. "Nice to have you on my side, ol buddy ol
pal." Scott was almost asleep when the cart stopped. He growled and pulled himself upright. They were back at The Lector. "Need help?" "No. Fucking Judas." He got out of the cart okay, but discovered
that his legs weren't particularly interested in staying straight. Tom grabbed one of his arms and pulled it
over his own shoulder. Scott leaned on him heavily. "Yeah, okay." He shuffled along next to Tom as they walked
onto the second loading ramp. "She can't treat me like that, you know." "Maybe you want to go back and tell her that,"
Tom said. "What's with the lights? Prindle's team is getting sloppy, maintenance
is going to hell-" Scott sighed. "Fuck the lights. But you know what I mean, right? I mean, I'm a goddamned star-pilot, you know?" On top of the humiliation of it all, he was
getting a huge headache. Tom leaned him up against a wall. "Hang on a sec, let me get a light." Scott went on. "Who the fuck does she think she is, you know?" He stared at the floor. Goddamn rhynth all over the place, looked
like one of them had thrown up on the floor. He toed the puddle of wet, mucusy goo with
one foot and then looked away quickly; that was enough to make his stomach pretty damn
unhappy. "She's corporate," said Tom. "She pulled rank on you." He re-appeared holding a flashlight and reached
out to steady Scott with his free arm. "That's not all she pulled," said Scott glumly. "I think my back is broken or something." "Who in the hell left this hatch open?" Tom stepped forward and shined the light into
the dark rhynth pen. "You're not listening to me." Scott leaned back on the wall. Fuck the hatch
"Hey, Ackland warned you, right?" Tom's voice had taken on an echo-like quality. He had walked into the pen. With the last of his coordination, Scott followed
him, narrowly missing a renegade doorway. Rhynth puke everywhere. Tom continued. "But you Wouldn't listen, no. You just had to go mess with the queen-"
Tom stopped short. The flashlight hit the floor and a low hiss
filled the room, coming from all around. Scott shook his head and followed Tom's gaze. There were four. Or seven. Or twenty. A flurry of horrible images: long, dark skulls
and dripping razor teeth. Gigantic, black, all arms and legs and spiny
tails, hissing. Moving forward. Reaching toward them- Double suns blazed upon Prosperity Wells..banished
the shadows...dried men's sweat to chafing, salty crust...erased even the memory of comfort. But on that day, even at Ryushi's shadless
noon...there was darkness.... A darkness echoing with the soft, wet sounds
of rhythmic movement.... The insistent pulse of body against body... A dizzying, wordless thrum... Building toward a screaming, feral release. The speed at which the xenomorph plague spread
itself, with the added benefit of confined rhynth hosts, was alarming, though an inherent,
almost enivable trait of the alien species' propogation. The captive queen, laying an egg containing
its own future - another egg-layer, had ensured its own species' prosperity. The human interference had left another variable
that hindered the hunt. With Dachande, the yautja leader, fallen,
the remaining unblooded had no choice but to fight for their lives under the usurper
-- the hot-headed, veangeful Tichinde, who called for bloood: human, alien, or otherwise. The battle would find its way to Nogochui,
who, without knowing just yet, had been preparing for it her entire life. It would also leave Ryushi as barren and desolate
as it had been before either species set foot on its surface. As always, I'd like to Thank you very much
for watching. I really appreciate it, and If you enjoyed
this video, please make sure to give it a like - and you can also subscribe for all
the latest videos from the channel A very, very special thanks goes out to Weyland
Yutani Executives EmYaruk, and Lady Anne, part of the Patreon Hive. I'd also like to welcome our newest Weyland-Yutnai
executive, Mark Fox. Thank you very much for your support, Mr.
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