Alien - Series Fan Fiction ❯ Fates Changed ❯ Other Options ( Chapter 2 )

Fates Changed

I don't own the Alien franchise… if I did Newt and Hicks would still be alive throughout the chronicle!

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------

A/N:

 

Well here we go, chapter 2... I REALLY hope I didn't get the characters ooc... well... enjoy!

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------

 

Chapter 2: Other Options

 

As Vasquez treated Alex's injured shoulder Hicks explained their situation with the weapons they had. Alex eyed Hudson, he was still in great distress and hadn't seemed to notice her yet, Burke was checking on the Lieutenant. When Hicks had said the rescue would take seventeen days she thought that wasn't bad at all, she had once been stranded on a planet for two months so that wasn't so bad, unfortunately she didn't know what she was up against. When Hudson had said they wouldn't last seventeen hours she got worried, and when he said that the “things” where going to come back she became curious, she watched Ripley scold him and order him to get the blue prints and schematics.

 

Alex watched the “little girl that survived with no weapons or training” with curiosity, how could this girl have survived? She watched her and noticed sadly how much more mature she was then normal children her age. Something truly terrible must have happened to force this child to grow so fast. She then decided to get some answers. She walked to her brother who looked at her as if he knew what she was going to ask and waiting patiently for her to go ahead and ask it.

 

“Just what “things” is he talking about?” she asked him,

 

“Well, you read our file before arriving here right? It said we were on a mission to check out why a colony lost communication…” he began, Alex nodded, Hicks then began to explain about what had happened so far and about the Aliens, the “Xenomorphs” then when it got too technical he handed the task of explaining the situation to Ripley who educated her on what to expect. Alex said she was ready to help them; she wasn't sure if she would be so ready when she came up against the creatures or how they would affect her but by God she would help them the best she could.

 

Once they had discussed where they would set up their last stand they set off to work. Setting up the turrets and sealing the doors got her thinking what Ripley and her brother described must be more dangerous then she thought, she had thought they'd be like mindless insects but she was starting to wonder. Alex sat in the command room and watched her brother walk in with a small smile on his lips, she had seen him give Ripley a watch like object and they grinned at each other, she smirked knowing her brother all too well, “You like her don't you?” she asked suddenly, startling him,

 

“What? Who?” he asked sincerely confused, she leaned back against a wall,

 

“Ripley.” She answered, he frowned slightly, unsure of what his sister meant,

 

“Sure, she's a tough woman, level-headed, gets things going right, I admire her, sure I like her, why?” he asked, Alex shook her head, a small smile on her lips,

 

“Never mind.” She said and helped him monitor the screens. They watched the screens for a while until Vasquez and Hudson came back. That's when Hudson finally noticed her, he watched her curiously, he knew she was Hicks' sister and friends with Vasquez, he had met her once before but hadn't really noticed when she came with them,

 

“So Alex… what are you doing here?” he asked, trying to calm down, she smiled at him,

 

“I'm on a mission to help you guys out.” She said simply, he smiled weakly,

 

“We need all the help we can get…” he said, suddenly there was a siren and his face became pale again. They rushed to the monitors and watched in horror as the turrets began to fire. Ripley rushed in looking both worried and pissed off but she decided to worry about that later and watched the turrets run out of ammo.

 

“B-Gun's down 50 percent…” Hicks said, his eyes glued to the screens, Hudson chimed in, trying to make a joke and relax,

 

“It's a shooting gallery down there!” The turrets began to run dry of ammo and their hearts accelerated with fear, once the firing stopped and no noises where heard the group relaxed a little, letting out breaths they where holding. They heard the aliens trying to get in through the pressure door a little while later; at least that was keeping them back. Bishop called them and they went to see what was the matter. Bishop explained that the atmospheric generator was malfunctioning and was about to blow up… they had about four hours left.

 

Bishop volunteered to retrieve the Drop Ship from the Saluco after they all argued over what to do. There wasn't much time left for Ripley to have her doubts of his loyalties so she said nothing and let him go for the good of them all. The rest went back to watch the turrets and monitor the halls, when Ripley came back from seeing Bishop off Hicks informed her that the guns where firing again and running out. When they stopped firing once more Hicks ordered the three soldiers to scout the perimeter.

 

Hicks gave a speech that Alex once heard him say when she, him and a couple friend got lost in the mountains back on earth when they where younger. There were wolves around and they had set up a base of operations type place using logs and fallen branches. They were protecting their fallen friend and the wolves were restless and hungry, all they had to fight them off with where sharpened sticks and Hicks was the oldest so he took the role of leader. She knew this situation was FAR worse then when they where younger but the little speech fit just as well, maybe even better in this situation and seemed to cheer them up a bit. Alex, Vasquez and Hudson went off to scout.

 

Hicks turned to Ripley, who looked worse for wears, “…How long has it been since you got any sleep?” he asked her softly, she smiled up at him tiredly, “24 hours?” he asked and watched her eyes glaze momentarily and knew the brave and collected face she put up was a mask for the fear-stricken and sad woman underneath. Hicks all of a sudden felt a deep compassion for this woman and walked a little closer; suddenly feeling protective and not sure why.

 

“Hicks I'm no gunna end up like those others… You'll take care of it won't you?” she asked softly, her voice trembling a bit and looked up at him almost pleadingly; he had a grim but determined look on his face,

 

“If it comes to that… I'll do us both. Listen; just make sure it doesn't come to that… alright?” He said, she smiled, she wasn't sure if he meant he'd kill them both if they where both impregnated or he'd kill himself if she died that way… either way she took some comfort in his words, she didn't know why he made her feel more relaxed when he was around her but decided to ignore that for now, she couldn't afford to be distracted right now.

 

Hicks watched her a bit and saw the depression in her soft features; he hated seeing her that way and wished he could do something for her. Then got an idea that might make her feel better; he began showing her his rifle and how it worked, he admired how quickly she learned and blushed slightly when her body was pressed against his as he taught her to hold the rifle and load it. She seemed eager to learn all she could from weapons and was quite capable of it; he grinned at that. A little later Ripley smiled bashfully at how close they had become but decided it was time to check on the little girl she had been coming to see as a daughter,

 

“I need to…” she began but Hicks seemed to have read her mind,

 

“Go check on her, I want to see how the others are doing anyway.” He said gently and smiled back at her as she walked out with the rifle in her hands. He strolled out on a mission to find the other soldiers.

 

----------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------

A/N: I realize it's rushed but it would take entirely too long to write all of the rest of Aliens 2 with every scene complete... too long and would be a pain, please forgive me... anyway, Please read and REVIEW!