Different Similarities

Without her

Giant ivy leaves would have to do for now, it was the only material flexible and big enough to wrap the hand in. A hand I held when it first swatted the air. This hand that was once smaller than my palm now rivaled mine. A squishy flesh hardened by training and maturing. Rare green scales inherited by his birth mother. My precious son-

The hand now hung beside my hip.

Rain washed away any other blood trail that was not covered by the giant trees providing shelter from the storm. The Yautja was satisfied with his findings of the other escape pods that crash landed with them along with the proof of his offspring landing nearby was enough for him to decide to retrieve his female before seeking his kin.

With no other leads visible the male made his way back to the laboratory, making sure to keep an eye out for any other hints he might have missed.

The laboratory was visible from this crash site; it was suspiciously close to the structure yet well hidden by a small mountain. From here he was only three hours away by foot. Perhaps this crash was the one they actually heard whilst they witnessed the other one fall.

The storm was more of a nuisance than I previously calculated. It successfully covered the Kiande Amedha acidic stench that now roamed the tree line. They seemed to be searching for something, mobs of them angrily digged at the dirt and scratched at the muddy gravel. More filtered out of the laboratory from the broken windows and scaled up the walls to roam the grounds. Scurrying around like rats till a pack stopped at the broken down fence the Yautja and Human entered through. From up the tree the male could see a bloody cloth. Long and gray made to resemble a bandage wrap. Muddy and wet shoes stained with the unmistakable red blood of the human. Dark gray helmet used to zoom in on the dried blood through the darkness which was now being licked by the Kiande Amedha causing a brawl to break out between the pack. The cloth scrap pulled apart and devoured senselessly, an action the male found strange. Regular Kiande Amedha prioritizes reproduction and hunting, not this bloodlust causing the chain of command to break within the pack. This was the second time the Elite had ever witnessed the xenomorphs turn on one another. The first time being on the Voyagers' airship before escaping. In that case the outbreak made sense, the hybrid between his people and the xenomorphs created a prey driven mutt who only lived to conqueror. Long ago these hybrids were studied to find that unlike kiande amedha they were solitary beings not a hive driven lifeform.

The male concluded it was a direct result from the alternations in their genetics caused by experimentation on this planet. It is a surprise they had not overpopulated and started cannibalizing each other. Or perhaps they had already started that stage seeing as they were now tearing each other's throats out. Either way the Yautja concluded that the bloodthirsty pack was searching for her as they fought to sniff and taste the discarded shoes.

There was no trail to follow. Whatever scent, footprints, blood, sound, anything that could signal her presence was washed away by the rain.

In the aftermath of the storm the forest remained oddly peaceful. Insects of the night fluttered with lights signaling for a mate. The noisy ones cried out into the moonlight. Occasionally rodents cross the Yautja's path unknowingly. Large muddy footprints indicating his invisible presence. Rotting flesh hanging from his hip swinging back and forth tantalizing the hidden predators with its smell. The occasional holographic shimmer and smell of danger being the only thing keeping them away.

Minutes ticking by could mean her getting closer to death. It was strangely cold outside, the storm that rolled down from the snowy mountains had brought icy rains and though the clouds have somewhat cleared they still lingered in the night sky promising more rainfall throughout the night. Humans were warm blooded creatures and though genetically she had a better chance at adapting to the fluctuating weather compared to him she had fallen sick recently. The storm that was brewing brought promises of more fits of illnesses for both of them.

Adrenaline was starting to wear the man down. After multiple sleepless nights his body had begun to wear down. The woman could be dead for all he knew but still he hoped that she had made it out safely. The drive to see the woman drove him forward as well as the decision to escape this planet with his kin.

Silent steps increased in volume as he stomped his way through the forest. One question nagged him through his search.

Why did she leave in the first place?

Was the place overrun and she had to flee?

Or was she running from him?

Had her wounds reopened despite him using his healthcare pack or had she been attacked? And if so, how badly was she injured this time?

Rocks dug into his leather boots, his hardened soles pounding the pebbles into the muddy floor.

Retracing his steps, thermal vision, and even his flickering night vision were fruitless endeavors in his search. Hours he spent circling the laboratory; slowly expanding his search. His neck muscles ached, tense from anxiousness, his head bobbed up and down looking up at the tree and under logs.

1 2 3
Scan the area
4 5 6
He called out to the human
7 8 9
Silence.