Alien: Revelation | Aliens Vs. Murder Drones 3

06

J’s ship drifted into the docking bay, the ship's thrusters barely making a sound as it touched down within the massive outpost. The whole approach had been unsettlingly easy. They’d expected alarms, security teams, anything that might indicate the fortified nature of this base. Instead, it was as if the place was half-asleep, its defenses dimmed like the faint, eerie hum in the stale air of the bay. N took it all in, already steeling himself for whatever lay beyond the hatch.

As the landing gear settled with a final metallic clang, J turned to bark orders, but N was already checking his gear, a cold resolve in his gaze that cut through the casual bickering she had expected. “J,” he interrupted sharply, his voice calm but unmistakably firm. “Stay here with Hecate. Watch her, alright? I don’t trust Nori to do it.” He glanced back to where his daughter was watching him, her optics empty with a mix of excitement and the sort of quiet unease that comes when a child realizes just how serious things have become.

J raised a digital eyebrow, her usual sarcastic smirk replaced by a look of genuine surprise. “When did you grow a backbone?” she asked, half in jest, half curious at the new edge in her former pathetic squadmate’s tone.

N’s gaze softened slightly when he looked back at Hecate, the weight of the moment sinking in. “I don’t play around when it comes to Uzi.” His voice was barely above a whisper, but every word was laced with the kind of devotion that was unshakeable, the kind that had kept him alive all this time. He forced himself to look away, nodding once at Hecate, as if to tell her silently that he’d be back. He had to be.

"I love you, biscuit bite."

With that, he turned back to the hatch, ready to step into the belly of the beast. Nori moved up beside him, a glint in her optics as she took in the sights around them, practically vibrating with barely-contained energy. “Alright, son-in-law, here’s the plan.” She tilted her head, revealing the faint glow of her tracking software in her visor, a tiny dot blinking on the screen. Uzi’s position was marked clearly, moving somewhere deep within the facility. The thought of that tracking chip never sat right with him, always reminding him that no matter what he did, Nori’s mistrust was a shadow cast over every step he took. It was her way of keeping tabs, as if she didn’t quite believe he could keep Uzi safe without her constant supervision. As if he was the threat.

They stepped off the ramp, their feet crunching on the grated metal floor of the outpost’s main corridor. Nori glanced at him with a wicked grin, clearly relishing in being the one leading him through this twisted labyrinth. “Straight down this corridor, then we hang a left. She’s closer than I expected. Probably deeper in the central sector,” she said, her tone casual despite the tension in the air.

N followed, his expression set, every movement sharp and alert. Nori's energy was an odd contrast to his steady focus. She was chaos incarnate, and her confidence bordered on reckless, but he had to trust her—if only because she’d get him to Uzi the fastest. Every few steps, she’d glance at the tracker, her gaze flicking back to him with a subtle smirk, as though daring him to challenge her methods.

“Let’s just hope that fancy tracking software doesn’t lead us into a trap,” N muttered under his breath, scanning every shadowed alcove, every dimly lit corner as they moved. Nori only snickered in response.

“You worry too much, N,” she replied with a dismissive wave, her tone light and almost playful. “Besides, if anyone’s setting the traps, it’s gonna be us.” She tapped her tracking device again, zooming in on Uzi’s location, and N had to remind himself that this wasn’t a game to her. It was personal, just as it was for him.

They continued down the winding corridors, the silence around them growing heavier with every step. The layout was confusing, a web of hallways and darkened rooms that seemed designed to disorient intruders. N kept his focus sharp, feeling the virtual adrenaline start to kick in as they ventured deeper into the facility, each step taking them closer to where Uzi was supposed to be. The only sounds were the faint hum of the facility's systems and the muffled echoes of their own footsteps.