Child of the Xenomorph

8

J'Khati recovered from her birth, and we started making our way to the Ocean Hive. Excitement pounded within my heart. If we could get an army, we could have a fighting chance at taking back the Hive.

Ember had molted from her chestburster stage and was now a hatchling, bounding around and was full of life and energy. She was going to be a big Xenomorph, like her mother, as she was already the size of Tsalken, much to his everlasting chagrin. And quite beautiful, too. With no light to illuminate her, she would appear a normal black. But if the light hit her correctly, a blue sheen appeared across her still-smooth exoskeleton. Her dome was slightly translucent, a skull like structure appearing right above her snout inside of her dome. Tsalken told me that all Xenomorphs had it, but after a year of age their domes hardened and turned opaque. She was still learning words, too, and was learning very fast.

"Mama pretty Queen!" She chirped, bounding along her mom's side, appearing like an ant next to her.

J'Khati laughed. "Thank you, sweetie," she said affectionately, rubbing her slick dome with her talon.

Ember giggled and ran over to me. She observed my strange appearance, and then decided I wasn't interesting enough anymore. She bounded off, chasing a golden butterfly much like a Human child would, but unlike a human child, she shot out her inner jaw and trapped the poor butterfly in it. She retraced it inside of her mouth, and then promptly spit it out.

"Yuck!" She hissed, retreating away from the fluttering remains of the hapless insect.

I stifled a laugh. As I did so, the pain struck once more.

By now J'Khati and Tsalken has grown more used to my attacks. But I didn't let them know they were becoming worse. Much, much, worse.

I felt like I was going to die. I stopped myself from screaming, which only made the pain worse. Tears streamed down my eyes, but then something new happened. Blood filled my mouth, trickled down my back, and ran from my fingers and toes. I spit the blood out of my mouth, pain erupting within me. It was like my transformation all over again, although much slower and much more deadly seeming.

Tsalken shouted in alarm when he saw me bleeding. Ember squealed and ran away to the safety of her mother. He ran over to me, but then stood there, not knowing what to do.

And just like that, the bleeding stopped. The blood staunched itself, and quickly clotted. I was so confused, and worried about how much worse it was going to get.

Tsalken-

I was terrified of what was happening to Shaniya. She only seemed to be getting worse, not better, and her pain attacks came more frequently. Something had to be done, although I had no clue what.

I curled my tail around hers in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. She smiled, her teeth still coated in her own blood, and hugged me. I breathed in her warmth, heard her too-fragile heart beating inside of her paper thin skin. She was so delicate. A typical Xenomorph could take an average of four bullets inside of it as long as the heart wasn't directly hit, but I doubted Shaniya could take more than one.

"Are you alright, Shaniya?" J"khati asked, standing over us. Worry wrinkled her snout.

"I am for now," Shaniya said, breathing deeply. "I can keep going. Once the pain is gone, it's literally like nothing ever happened. I'm not drained or anything."

J'Khati nodded, but still looked really concerned. Who could blame her?

"Why don't you ride on my back?" J'Khati suggested. "Perhaps exertion is making whatever it is move faster."

Shaniya nodded, and pulled out of my arms. J'Khati leaned down, with Ember watching curiously from beyond, as Shaniya clambered on top of her, settling comfortably between J'Khati's large back tubes.