PHOENIX
Michael Biehn Archive


Choose skin:

RSS

The characters belong to various production/film/TV companies. No profit is being made and no copyright infringement is intended.
- Text Size +
Author's Chapter Notes:
I´m sorry because of grammar mistakes. As you probably noticed, English is not my first language. But I still hope you´ll enjoy my story :)
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting


One year later


Her breath was the only thing she could hear and perceive. Quick and frightened. Just this and sweat running down her back and cheak.

They´ll find me. And then...

Her fingers were dancing on the keyboard of the computer. Soft sound of footsteps from outside the room and she stood frozen.

Shit! Not now...please...

But whoever it was, he passed the room unnoticed and let the young woman sigh with relief. Dark of the room covered one lonely silent tear. She turned back to the keyboard and pushed ENTER. Now it depends just on a galactical web of satelites and it´s coded channels to transfer message to the Earth.

Earth.

It seemed to be so far away now.

Time to get out.

She took a brief look over all computer terminals. In a minute they´ll find out, that mechanical defect is just a small trouble and then, they´ll know it was sabotage. Before the employees come back to it´s workplace, she have to be out of here.

Please, hurry up, sister!


She made it. She couldn´t believe it. She was sure, that the soldiers would catch her immediately when she left the computer center. They didn´t.

It was hard to get out of there, unseen, inconspicuously. But in the end...they´ll come for her. It´s just a matter of time.

Zara Bosworth, crouched in her small apartment, listening to the sounds of a colony. Scientists, technical personnel, their families...and soldiers. The sound of their activity was different. They´ll be looking for her. For someone without a name and without a face...for Zara Bosworth. Young, blonde woman, crying alone, praying.




„Party is going well, isn´t it?“ The man sipped from his beer and smiled at the young, blonde woman.

She smiled back. „Drinking bout. You don´t seem to be having fun, Wells.“

„Just too many things to think about,“ sighed.

Sean Wells was in his forties, second in command in one of W/W´s so-called hunters units. They called themselves Bughunters and the reason why Wells wasn´t their boss was simple – he didn´t want such a responsibility. He used to be an ordinary soldier and always will be. Command – it´s a lonely sport. Ungrateful and joyless.

Former marine, Wells, joined Woods/Weyland after the terrible trick which the army and Yutani played on him and his old team. They sent them as guinea-pigs for one of Yutani´s deadly experiments with weapons technologies. Just two of them survived. Wells and Conny Hartmann.

„Well?“ asked Conny and sat down.

„Where´s the boss?“ replied Wells.

„Hicks?“ Conny raised an eyebrow. „Who knows? Drinking alone, getting himself killed in gym...what´s the best option of all. And who cares? Just troubles around him.“

„What are you talking about, hey?!“

It was Lamb. Great name for the biggest black guy they´ve ever seen.

„About Hicks,“ replied Conny with sour face.

„Goddamn,“ Lamb spit. „Not here and not now! Don´t wanna hear about that fucking crazy machine for a month, hey?!“

Wells shrugged. „Please, Lamb. Ya know I cannot let you talk about our commander like this.“ But he didn´t seem to be annoyed.

„Even if you agree?“ grinned Conny.

Wells didn´t say a word, softly smiling, looking into his beer.

„I´m sure he´s pissed off cause he could kick alien´s ass just twice and even not face to face,“ laughed Lamb.

But then the two buddies took Lamb back to party bedlam.

„He´s a good soldier,“ Wells suddenly mumbled.

„Yeah,“ nodded Conny, looking through her first tattoo. It was a beautiful black and red Chinese dragon on her arm. Her eyes sparkling.

„I know, Wells. We all do. But he definitely needs a cure. Or warning shot...“

„...right into his head,“ finished Wells. He knew that Conny´s favourite phrase very well.

„Forget him, Wells. World forgot him long time ago.“




Taylor Weyland-Perry was sitting in his arm-chair, in Weyland-Perry´s domicile near London, sipping his gin with tonic and thinking.

Thinking about how they could manage things for so long – maintain family, keep discipline, keep balance, maintain trust, keep power, stay above water…survive. Through all of these years, facing all the problems, danger…they still hold together. Their organization, their lifes didn´t fall into pieces. He was sometimes just...amazed.

Taylor Weyland-Perry was in his 40´s dedicated to the W/W Foundation. This charismatic man had studied law and never wanted to have anything common with the Foundation. He´d lived his own life and let his father and younger brother „play that crazy game“.

Till the day when he unexpectedly came home, ten years ago, and saw the video, which his father and brother were watching in his father´s workroom.

Light years from the Earth, Yutani was developing a new type of virus, perfectly hidden under the name of inconspicuous small company. The virus had to be an absolutely deadly fucker, artificial God´s fist. When the work was done...Yutani wanted to try it, test it. And scientists, who developed the virus called Chimera, were used as guinea-pigs.

It worked perfectly. The video tape in Weyland-Perry´s workroom was a proof.

Taylor´s wife was one of the scientists.

Taylor sighed. Revenge wasn´t his only motivation. He had met many „victims“ – not only Yutani´s - and really dared to help them...But the picture of his dead wife, stigmatized by agony never really faded.

That´s why he was there this night, watching his brother Devon sitting by the fireplace and Bradley Connors, Lexa Woods´s descendant as he was browsing through the book from Taylor´s book case.

„What are you reading?“ Taylor asked Connors to break through the silence.

„Pyramid in Honduras by Richard Morse. Quite good.“

„You´ve never read it?“ Taylor raised an eyebrow.

„Well...no. Not really. I mean...what a guy like this one can teach us? You know what I mean.“

„Experiences my friend. Never enough of them.“

„We have got enough of experiences. Where the hell is Morton?“

„He´s about to come, don´t worry.“

There was a silence for a while, until Devon asked: „Do you find something interesting there?“

„Well...just four people survived?“

„That´s right,“ Devon replied. He knew every word from the book.

„That author, Morse, anthropologist Jansen, doctor...ehm...Clemens, right? And his daughter...“

„His niece,“ Devon butt in.

„His niece...Heidi?“

„That´s right. Do you know who she is?“

„No and I don´t care...“

Then the last member of the company entered the softly illuminated room.

Morton. Tired and nervous. Taylor knew....knew that something terrible was happening.

„You´re late.“ It was Connors.

Both brothers ignored him.

„So?“ Devon almost stuttered, his eyes wide open and throat dry.

Morton stood in silence for a few seconds, his eyes starring blindly. Then : „Dr.Jansen is dead.“

Taylor Weyland-Perry closed his eyes.

Then it´s true. Someone is killing their wards.

„How?“ Devon asked in shock.

„Looks like an accident, but...there´s nothing as easy as arranging small accident. And Jansen is already the 9th victim.“

„Cuckoo in Foundation nest?“ Connors suggested

„Probably not. All of them refused our protection....“ Morton finally took a seat, his legs were shaking, but not his voice.

„Then it is of no account. Just bad luck. Nothing more or less.“

Taylor shook his head. „No, Connors. That means a lot. Jansen, Carpenter, Szczerba...You can´t see it? They were by aliens events! It´s a danger signal! I don´t want to be paranoid, but it seems to me like someone is trying to eliminate witnesses.“

Devon twitched, now starring at his brother. „You mean...they got them?!“

„How?“ Connors raised his voice.

„The question is : Can we protect the others?“ Taylor replied.

„The question is,“ Connors frowned,“ where the fuck do they have them?“




Hicks woke up in a motel, trembling, sweating, heart beating in a mad rhythm. His sheets were wet and blanket lay on the right side of the bed where she was sleeping. What was her name? Jamila? Daniella?Dalilah?

He sat on a corner of the bed completely awake and lit a cigarette. His heart started to slow down. The blonde girl muttered something from her restful sleep...Is it something to be jealous of? Just one night without dreams. Those dreams.

The former marine sighed, now had a terrible headache and his gimlet eyes were bleary, scarred face pale. The picture of his old team was slowly fading away behind his eyelids. But the feeling...The painful weight inside his chest will tear him into pieces. Soon.

Cigarette ashes were falling down on the floor.

Then his cell phone rang.

Who cares...?

Once. Twice.

But then...What If?

„Hicks,“ reported. „What do you want, Morse?“

„Don´t tell me you´re having fun, buddy.“

„What...do...you...want,“ Hicks growled at him, not even asking. When did he see Morse for the last time? Four months, five months...? No no, it was...When?

„Look out of the window.“

Hicks frowned but stood up and took a few steps toward the window, then looked out. Down there, on the street, Morse was leaned against his car, waving arm.

„How the hell you...?“

„Sorry, can´t tell ya. Secret. Hey, I´m not gonna wait forever! And don´t be angry, it was not my idea.“

„Okay,“ Hicks mumbled. He had already had a pent-up feeling in this room.

It took just a minute to get dressed but when he was about to leave, suddenly the sleepy voice of his lady companion stopped him.

„Hey, cowboy! And what about money?!“

Hicks stood frozen. „What money?“

She scowled at him, his uncomprehending look was literally eloquent.

„What the fuck you think, cowboy? I´m a charity for a war veterans?“ She almost burst out laughing. „Awww, man. Look at you! Your ugly scars. And you´re drunk. You´re definitely not my type...“

Hicks, in pure fury, made a quick movement and threw a handful of bank-bills right at her so it hit the girl right in the face.

„You wish to never meet me again!“ yelled Hicks and left the room.

„You moral cripple!“ she yelled back.

„Take me out of here,“ he told Morse when he got in his car and then lit another cigarette.

Morse noticed Hicks´s trembling hand.

Trembling in anger.

„As you wish, buddy. What happened? You met a ghost?“

„Don´t ask,“ Hicks replied with his voice saying once again and I´m gonna kick your ass.

„Okay.“

After a moment of silence : „So what´s going on?“ His green eyes blank starring out of the window.

„You won´t believe it ... Boss of Center of Operations, Jared Boyd...I´ve never met him but I heard this guy rocks... is longing for a small gathering. He wants namely yours and Cooper´s team. Immediately. And Ripley.“

Hicks twitched. „Why Ripley?“

Morse hesitated for a second. „Well...do you know what she has been doing since she joined the Foundation?“

„The same as me I guess.“

„Drinking a lot, chasing girls and leading our soldiers to madness?“ grinned Morse.

„Hold up!“

„You don´t know, do you?“ Morse asked with no pity.

„How could I?“ Hicks asked with irritation. „You and Morton became her big friends!“

The former thief shook his head. „She´s been trying to find someone called Deirdre R. Clemens. Daughter of Amanda Ripley-McClaren and Daniel Clemens. Ripley´s granddaughter. What we do know for sure about her is she has to be about 23 or so. And she was on Ryushi.“

„Ryushi?“ Hicks snapped to attention.

The Ryushi incident was known on the both sides of barricade. At the time Yutani was faster and dug all over the planet to find just at least one of the alien species. Literally almost the same way they did with every single one of the survivors. But unsuccessfully. Some of the victims then recruited Foundation, some of them disappeared.
But one of the new recruits was Morton. This man lost his wife and daughter on Ryushi. Longing for revenge, trying to avoid Yutani again cause the same disaster as the Cydonia incident was ... he joined. But he´ll never forget the fourteen year old girl, friend of his dead daughter, who risked her life to save her newborn female-cousin but lost her dad and older brother. He´ll never forget the look of her eyes...

„Yeah, right. Morton is probably our last and only evidence about the girl. Soon after that Ryushi events Mrs. Ripley-McClaren died, buried in Wisconsin. Yutani confiscated all the information. But ... the truth is that young Ms. Clemens disappeared without a trace. And Ripley calls it the Family Curse. She was in pretty shock when she found out.“

„Okay, that´s nice. But what´s it gotta do with me and Operations and this emergency?“

Morse withdrew into silence.

Hicks frowned. „They found the girl?“

Morse shook his head. „No. Actually...girl found us.“

Hicks winked. „How?“

Operations Center of Foundation was top secret place. If it was so easy to find, then they were...

„How? Well...just wait. It´s not the only surprise that girl brought!“




Zara Bosworth was running down the corridor between dirty, wheezing machines. The metal footbridge was clattering under her weight. She jumped down from it and hid herself in a maze of pipes and iron casings. She was shaking all over, barely breathing, sweat was flowing down her back. Zara still could hear the heavy footsteps of rushing soldiers. It was near.

It won´t be long and then...

She shook her head, closed her eyes for a precious second and suppressed panic.

Breathe, tread carefully...You still cannot get out of here...

She didn´t hear him. But when she turned back at impasse he was there. A man with the face of Charles Bishop Weyland. But it wasn´t him. Yutani´s machine. Android.

Before she could scream he squeezed her throat and started pushing her to the wall. After a second, there was just a droning of blood in her head and ears, big red circles in her visual field. She was quickly loosing her breath. The only chance left.

Sorry, sis. Please, hurry...

„I...I know...who..who has a...microchip...“

Then Zara Bosworth fainted.




After all the input procedures Hicks and Morse entered the Operations. It wasn´t as amazing as the private Foundation colony where many wards lived and many others were already born. But surprising for newbies? Hell yeah. Very surprising.

First thing Hicks noticed was that everything was upside down. Not literally, but... But when they were meeting people...some of them looked just stunned.

„What the hell is going on here?“ Hicks wanted to know when he saw the familiar face of Tonny Austen. She was a true „gunman in skirts“. Her love for the wild west was widely known. She´s also been married to the boss of the Operations Centre, Jared Boyd.

Austen was in the same state of shock as the rest of company.

„I...well...come with me. The others are already here. But first I have to take you to the weapons warehouse.“

Hicks flashed look at Morse, but he just shrugged. All that Morse knew, he´s been told through the cell phone.

They entered the not very spacious room where Hicks´s team and also Cooper´s were already waiting. Fully armed. His eyes immediately found Ripley, Morton talking to her with uncomprehending look. He just came, all sweaty and excited. The most noticeable person there stood beside the big dark window at the other side of the room. His name was Jared Boyd.

Boyd was Hicks´s look-alike in many ways. Color of his hair and eyes, he was tall with athletic figure. But their boss was much older than Hicks, almost in his 50´s. This guy commanded respect just by the way he looked. When he started to talk, there was no one who wasn´t listening.

„Enough! Silence!“ Boyd addressed them.

Everyone stopped, looking at him and waited. Except Ripley.

„Is it her? Is my granddaughter here?“ Sound of her voice doubtful.

„Yeah. She´s...here,“ Boyd nodded.

„But why are we here?“ Cooper´s strong voice.

Hicks noticed one of his men, Thomas Riley, sitting on a chair in the corner of the room, shaking his head and starring blankly. 43-year old Riley had been a soldier since he was sixteen till he joined with Morton. He was one of the soldiers allocated on Ryushi to protect collonists.

He must know her, Hicks imagined.

„You are here to secure the safety.“

Some soldiers burst out laughing.

„Security, sir?“ repeated Cooper, grinning. „Who are we dealing with here?“

Boyd stood for a while in deep silence. „Well...it´s a girl about twenty...“

„Twenty?!“ It was Lamb, wide smiling and sparkling eyes. It was a wonder he wasn´t blind drunk at this late hour. „Let me guess. She´ll blind us with her radiant smile and then finish off with the smell of her Chanel parfume?“

„Hold up, Mr.Lamb,“ Boyd warned him, frowning. „We´re not scared of her but of her ...ehm...companion. Now. Cooper and Hicks and their subs will stay here. Please, choose two or three good men from your teams, which will stay too. The others will leave and guard all exits from this room and this level. Be careful. You all, better than anyone else, know what is a prize for an underestimation. Dismissed.“

„Okay, sweethearts. Wells, Lamb...come here!“ Hicks looked around. „Conny Hartmann! You...Riley, come on! I won´t wait forever!“

It was ridiculous. Big stir because of some kid. But Boyd gave the order. And he was a good leader.

Cooper and his sub, Sarah White, chose Samuel Storm and Irene Santiago. In a minute the rest of soldiers left the room grumbling.

„What was that big show?“ asked Ripley with an annoyed expression. „Is it all neccessary?“

„Good question,“ commented Cooper.

Boyd exchanged strange glances with Austen. „Yeah. Yeah, probably it is.“

„Where is she?“ Ripley was calm and self-confident, but Hicks knew, what she was feeling.


„In the other room,“ Austen pointed a finger at the darkened window.

„In isolation?“ Ripley frowned. Hicks stood with Morse right behind her and he could see her fist clenched.

„You have to see it,“ Boyd gave up. „But...keep your hands far away from your guns, okay?“

Then the darkened window became transparent.

All of them were starring through the bullet-proof window into the second room.

It was small, empty, just grey walls, floor and ceiling... A girl who had to be 23, but looked younger than that was sitting on the floor, back leaned against the wall. Everyone looking at her could also see the family resemblance. Dark brown hair, the same shaped hazel eyes, the same cheekbones...Yeah, but Deirde R.Clemens was the original. She was...Hicks found the right word...more soft. Her face was gently round, lips more sensual and she also wasn´t as tall as Ripley, but more womanly. But her eyes...There was something cold, sad and very cold in her eyes.

Hicks gulped.

„It´s ... Heidi,“ mumbled Morse, amazed with eyes wide opened.

„What?“ Hicks didn´t understand.

„Doesn´t look dangerous to me,“ shrugged Cooper with slight smile. „In fact she´s really cute.“ The small scar on his forehead turned a bit into red.

„Gosh, she is!“ Lamb was shamelessly watching her.

„Is it some kind of peep show?“ asked Conny seriously. „Cause I´m not impressed.“

„What do you mean, Morse. Who is Hedi?“

Their conversation captivated Ripley. „Heidi is that young girl from your book about Honduras events, right?“

„Right,“ nodded Morse and pointed a finger at Deirdre Clemense. „She´s Heidi.“

Ripley shook her head. „It´s impossible. No, she´s not.“

„Trust me. She´s older. She was 18 or 19....But it´s Heidi...Fuck! Heidi Clemens! The same surname! I´m dumb...Hey, Morton! What was name of her uncle?“

„Jonathan Clemens. Doctor Jonat....“

„Okay! Well...no doubts! I know this cutie and I called her heidi, like the others. She was there with her uncle, in Honduras. In pyramid.“

„No...,“ mumbled Ripley, her voice trembling. She was starring at the girl, her eyes dull and skin pale. „It´ll never come to an end?“

„Another veteran then?“ asked Cooper with a bit more respect.

„Then what about a closer look?“ suggested Sarah White.

They all came closer to the window...But then they saw it.

The soldiers froze in pure horror. Except Lamb and Storm He started to fire at the window.

„Hold your fire!“ yelled Boyd.

No effect on Lamb but Storm stopped immediately.

„Hold your fire!“ Hicks stopped his soldier with a rough knockdown blow. For a big guy like Lamb it was just a STOP warning and he did.

„We´ll talk about it later,“ Boyd told him. He was the only one calm.

They couldn´t believe it. Inside the room, there was a bug. An Alien. Emerged out of knowhere and...They all buggered. Ripley shouted a warning though the girl couldn´t hear her. The bug came to the girl and cuddled up right beside her. When she gently stroked his awful hand-shaped claw, they shuddered with disgust.

„What the hell...!“ Wells gasped for breath. His pulse rifle almost fell down from his hands on the ground.

„What is it, Boyd?“ Hicks couldn´t take his eyes of the surrealistic view.

Shoot! Screamed his mind. Shoot it!

But his muscles were paralyzed by shock. And that fucking window was bullet-proof. The only thing which saved Deirdre Clemens when Lamb and Storm started to shoot.
You must login () to review.