Alien - Pandemonium

Chapter Twelve

As Connor navigated through the terminal's interface, his fingers moved with purpose, accessing various files and directories. His brows furrowed in concentration as he attempted to toggle the controls for the lifts, but his attention was momentarily diverted when he inadvertently activated a recorded audio file.

The voice that emanated from the speakers started distorted and garbled but gradually stabilised into a clear, albeit tense tone. "I saw that thing today," it began, the speaker's voice trembling slightly with fear. "It was small, fast, it scurried into a vent, and that's when I heard it scurrying away into Section Three of the station. We tried to lock it in the vents and blow the fucker into space. But we failed."Connor's eyes widened as he listened intently, the implications of the message sinking in. He continued to play the recording, his expression growing more sombre with each passing moment. "It's moving quickly and growing even quicker," the voice continued, filled with frustration and anger. "Doctor Yanagihara has a lot of explaining to do. I want this on record when I say I want his medical license revoked and his morals questioned. He's responsible for so much damage."

Charlie's brows furrowed in concern as she processed the information. "Doctor Yanagihara? Is he the one who released this thing?" she inquired, her voice tinged with a mix of apprehension and curiosity.

Connor shook his head, his expression grim. "We had nothing to do with the medical facility or the doctors. I never met him," he admitted.

Carter stepped forward, his synthetic features betraying no emotion as he spoke. "Doctor Yanagihara is a well-respected Weyland-Yutani scientist," he explained, his voice steady and composed. "According to company files, he was sent here to examine and document the item that was retrieved from the Nostromo."

Connor's frustration boiled over, his voice rising with indignation. "Except what they found wasn't the flight recorder; it was a fucking alien!" he exclaimed, his words punctuated by a mixture of anger and disbelief. "A fucking alien that has since hunted down and killed nearly all of the crew!" Connor's voice echoed with a mixture of rage and desperation.

Charlie glanced between Connor and Carter, her expression a blend of determination and concern. "Whatever it is and whatever happened, we can't change it now," she began, her voice steady despite the tension in the room. "What we can do is get to the medical bay, find the lab, and deal with whatever's in there. Maybe even locate Yanagihara along the way and see if he can provide any assistance."

As the conversation unfolded, Captain Henry quietly entered the small office, his expression grave. "That's even if he's still alive," he added, his voice tinged with concern.

Charlie turned to face him, her brows furrowing in confusion. She accepted the items he handed over, her fingers grazing over the familiar texture of the flashlight and plasma cutter. Securing the flashlight onto her belt and the plasma cutter at her side, she felt the weight of the flamethrower resting on her back. With a nod of gratitude to Captain Henry, she adjusted the strap of the flamethrower and prepared herself for the task ahead.

"I believe he's still alive," Charlie asserted. "If he's responsible for creating such a monstrosity, he won't want it to turn on him. He knows the danger it poses, and he'll want to help us stop it and eliminate the threat."

"Or he's just evil and wants to keep it for the company. He'll make billions," Connor interjected.

Charlie let out a frustrated sigh, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on her. She stepped out of the office, the others trailing behind her closely. "Connor, is there a quick way to access the MOTHER mainframe from here?"

Connor paused, his brow furrowing in concentration as he considered Charlie's request. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke up. "If we backtrack through the service tunnel and return to Section Four, we can reach the central core of Pandemonium. From there, we should be able to access the MOTHER mainframe."