Status: I do not own the Aliens franchise. I only own my OC, and anything that you do not recognize. Please leave comments, and recommend it.
This Time...It's War.
Ripley's Nightmare.
Across the serene blue curve of the Earth, in high orbit was Gateway Station, a sprawling complex of modular orbital habitats. In a viewing portal, it opened into a vertical wall of the medical section. In one of the multiple hospital rooms, harsh sunlight filled the room from the viewing portal. A female med-tech turned from the window. She crossed to a bed, where Ellen Ripley was laying. She looked looking wan, amid an array of arcane white medical equipment. The tech executed practiced cheeriness, but Ripley didn't buy it.
"How are we today?"
The med-tech asked, as Ripley began to sit up, her voice barely audible.
"Terrible."
Came her almost inaudible answer.
"Oh, better than yesterday at least."
"Where am I?"
Ripley asked, as the med-tech came around to the side of the bed, and re-positioned Ripley's pillow for her.
"You're safe. You’re at Gateway Station. Been here a couple of days. You were pretty groggy at first, but now you’re okay." She replied, as the med-tech glanced up as the door opened. She smiled, clearly thankful to be saved by the distraction.
"Looks like you have a visitor."
A man crossed the room carrying a familiar large, orange tomcat. Beside him, was a young girl, dressed in sweatpants and a sweater. Even though this was not her usual attire, Ripley knew who the girl was, and who the cat was.
"Jonesy! Come here!"
Ripley said, as she completely ignored the man, and she grabbed the cat, and hugged it to her. Jones seemed none the worse for fear, and began to purr.
"Hey, come here. How are you, you stupid cat? How are you? Where've you been?"
She said, before she glanced at Kendall, and she smiled.
"Hey Kenny, how've you been?"
Kendall-Rae only smiled, as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Still a bit groggy, but I've recovered faster than you have."
She replied, as she scratched Jones' head.
The visitor was seated beside the bed, and beside Kendall-Rae and Ripley finally noticed him. He was thirty-ish and handsome, in a suit that looked executive or legal, the tie loosened with studied casualness. A smile referred to as 'winning.'
"I guess you three have met, huh? I'm Burke. Carter Burke. I work for the company, but don't let that fool you. I'm really an okay guy. I'm glad to see you two feeling better. Ms. Kendall-Rae here, has surprisingly recovered a lot faster than you have. Anyways... they tell me that all the weakness and disorientation should pass soon. That's just natural side affects of such an unusually long hypersleep or something like that."
The man said, introducing himself.
"What do you mean? How long were we out there for?"
Ripley asked, glancing at Kendall first.
Did she know? Had she already been told?
"Has no one discussed this with either of you, yet?"
Burke asked both of the women before him.
"No. But, I mean. I don't recognize this place. Kenny, do you?"
Ripley stated, as she looked at her daughter, who just shook her head.
Burke just looked visually uncomfortable.
"I know. Okay, it's just that this might be a shock to you. It's long..."
"How long? Please."
Ripley asked, her voice soft, and full of questions.
"Fifty-seven years."
Was Burke's answer, and both Kendall-Rae and Ripley felt their breath hitch in their throat. They were both stunned, and they seemed to deflate. Their facial expressions passing through amazement and shock as they face reality. 57 years. Both of them coming to realization of all that they had lost since they took the job on the Nostromo. Friends. Family. Their world. Well. At least they still had each other. There was one positive thing. They also had Jones.
"What!?"
Ripley asked, finally finding her voice.
"That's the thing. You two were out there for fifty-seven years. What happened was you two had drifted right through the core systems and it's really just blind luck that a deep-salvage team found you guys when they did. One in a thousand really. I think you're just damned lucky to be alive, kiddo. You could be floating out there forever."
While Burke was talking, Jones began to hiss, and struggle in Ripley's arms.
The cat leaped onto the floor, bounding away. Ripley coughed, suddenly, as if she was choking. Her expression, and Kendall's had become one of dawning horror. Burke, completely unaware of what was coming, handed her a glass of water from the nightstand. She slapped it away, as it shattered with a smash on the floor. Jones dived underneath a cabinet, yowling, hissing as well. Not knowing what else to do, or what was going on, Burke hit a console button.
"Nurse! Please! Someone get in here now! NOW!!"
Ripley grabbed her chest, struggling, as if she was being strangled. The med-tech and a doctor ran in for assistance.
"Hold her... Hold her..."
The doctor said, as he and Burke were holding onto Ripley's shoulders.
Ripley pushed the doctor away, and Kenny went to hold onto Ripley's shoulder. Just as she did that, Ripley went into convulsions, and her back arched in agony
"Pleeaassee...kill me!"
Ripley pleaded, and Kendall-Rae knew exactly what was happening, and it was something that she was dreading.
They tried to restrain her as she thrashed about, knocking over equipment in the process. Her EKG raced like mad. Kendall glanced out of the corner of her eyes, and she saw Jones, underneath the cabinet, as he started to hiss, with his eyes wide.
Both Kendall and Ripley glanced down at Ripley's chest, and Ripley pulled back her gown to reveal her stomach. They both stared at the nightmarish shape pushing up under her skin. Tearing itself out of her stomach. Both Kendall and Ripley froze, as Ripley started to shout.
---------------------------------------------------------
Hearing her mother shout, Kendall shot out of bed, and on instinct, fearing the worst, but then she remembered where they were. She watched in the dark, as Ripley snapped up from her bed in their darkened hospital room. They shared a room, since they barely left the presence of the other. Ripley grasped for breath, as she clutched pathetically at her chest. When she did that, Kendall knew what her nightmare was about.
Just like what had happened to Kane, except Ripley's was a dream. There was no demented horror ripping itself out of her. Kendall watched as her eyes snapped about wildly, before they slowly focused on the reality of her safety. The safety of her and Kenny. Shuddering, bathed in sweat, Ripley kneaded her breastbone with the heel of her hand and sobbed.
A video monitor beside the bed snapped on. The Med-Tech's face appeared.
"Bad dreams again? Want something to help you sleep?"
Kendall heard her ask.
"No. I've slept enough."
Even though Ripley's voice was faint, Kendall could still hear her, and she could hear the slight quavering in it as well.
The tech shrugged and switched off. Ripley hugged Jones to her and rocked with him like a child, still shattered by the nightmare. Kendall swung her feet off of the bed, and she slowly made her way over to her mother, and when she was close enough, she was pulled into a tight embrace along with Jones.
"How are we today?"
The med-tech asked, as Ripley began to sit up, her voice barely audible.
"Terrible."
Came her almost inaudible answer.
"Oh, better than yesterday at least."
"Where am I?"
Ripley asked, as the med-tech came around to the side of the bed, and re-positioned Ripley's pillow for her.
"You're safe. You’re at Gateway Station. Been here a couple of days. You were pretty groggy at first, but now you’re okay." She replied, as the med-tech glanced up as the door opened. She smiled, clearly thankful to be saved by the distraction.
"Looks like you have a visitor."
A man crossed the room carrying a familiar large, orange tomcat. Beside him, was a young girl, dressed in sweatpants and a sweater. Even though this was not her usual attire, Ripley knew who the girl was, and who the cat was.
"Jonesy! Come here!"
Ripley said, as she completely ignored the man, and she grabbed the cat, and hugged it to her. Jones seemed none the worse for fear, and began to purr.
"Hey, come here. How are you, you stupid cat? How are you? Where've you been?"
She said, before she glanced at Kendall, and she smiled.
"Hey Kenny, how've you been?"
Kendall-Rae only smiled, as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Still a bit groggy, but I've recovered faster than you have."
She replied, as she scratched Jones' head.
The visitor was seated beside the bed, and beside Kendall-Rae and Ripley finally noticed him. He was thirty-ish and handsome, in a suit that looked executive or legal, the tie loosened with studied casualness. A smile referred to as 'winning.'
"I guess you three have met, huh? I'm Burke. Carter Burke. I work for the company, but don't let that fool you. I'm really an okay guy. I'm glad to see you two feeling better. Ms. Kendall-Rae here, has surprisingly recovered a lot faster than you have. Anyways... they tell me that all the weakness and disorientation should pass soon. That's just natural side affects of such an unusually long hypersleep or something like that."
The man said, introducing himself.
"What do you mean? How long were we out there for?"
Ripley asked, glancing at Kendall first.
Did she know? Had she already been told?
"Has no one discussed this with either of you, yet?"
Burke asked both of the women before him.
"No. But, I mean. I don't recognize this place. Kenny, do you?"
Ripley stated, as she looked at her daughter, who just shook her head.
Burke just looked visually uncomfortable.
"I know. Okay, it's just that this might be a shock to you. It's long..."
"How long? Please."
Ripley asked, her voice soft, and full of questions.
"Fifty-seven years."
Was Burke's answer, and both Kendall-Rae and Ripley felt their breath hitch in their throat. They were both stunned, and they seemed to deflate. Their facial expressions passing through amazement and shock as they face reality. 57 years. Both of them coming to realization of all that they had lost since they took the job on the Nostromo. Friends. Family. Their world. Well. At least they still had each other. There was one positive thing. They also had Jones.
"What!?"
Ripley asked, finally finding her voice.
"That's the thing. You two were out there for fifty-seven years. What happened was you two had drifted right through the core systems and it's really just blind luck that a deep-salvage team found you guys when they did. One in a thousand really. I think you're just damned lucky to be alive, kiddo. You could be floating out there forever."
While Burke was talking, Jones began to hiss, and struggle in Ripley's arms.
The cat leaped onto the floor, bounding away. Ripley coughed, suddenly, as if she was choking. Her expression, and Kendall's had become one of dawning horror. Burke, completely unaware of what was coming, handed her a glass of water from the nightstand. She slapped it away, as it shattered with a smash on the floor. Jones dived underneath a cabinet, yowling, hissing as well. Not knowing what else to do, or what was going on, Burke hit a console button.
"Nurse! Please! Someone get in here now! NOW!!"
Ripley grabbed her chest, struggling, as if she was being strangled. The med-tech and a doctor ran in for assistance.
"Hold her... Hold her..."
The doctor said, as he and Burke were holding onto Ripley's shoulders.
Ripley pushed the doctor away, and Kenny went to hold onto Ripley's shoulder. Just as she did that, Ripley went into convulsions, and her back arched in agony
"Pleeaassee...kill me!"
Ripley pleaded, and Kendall-Rae knew exactly what was happening, and it was something that she was dreading.
They tried to restrain her as she thrashed about, knocking over equipment in the process. Her EKG raced like mad. Kendall glanced out of the corner of her eyes, and she saw Jones, underneath the cabinet, as he started to hiss, with his eyes wide.
Both Kendall and Ripley glanced down at Ripley's chest, and Ripley pulled back her gown to reveal her stomach. They both stared at the nightmarish shape pushing up under her skin. Tearing itself out of her stomach. Both Kendall and Ripley froze, as Ripley started to shout.
---------------------------------------------------------
Hearing her mother shout, Kendall shot out of bed, and on instinct, fearing the worst, but then she remembered where they were. She watched in the dark, as Ripley snapped up from her bed in their darkened hospital room. They shared a room, since they barely left the presence of the other. Ripley grasped for breath, as she clutched pathetically at her chest. When she did that, Kendall knew what her nightmare was about.
Just like what had happened to Kane, except Ripley's was a dream. There was no demented horror ripping itself out of her. Kendall watched as her eyes snapped about wildly, before they slowly focused on the reality of her safety. The safety of her and Kenny. Shuddering, bathed in sweat, Ripley kneaded her breastbone with the heel of her hand and sobbed.
A video monitor beside the bed snapped on. The Med-Tech's face appeared.
"Bad dreams again? Want something to help you sleep?"
Kendall heard her ask.
"No. I've slept enough."
Even though Ripley's voice was faint, Kendall could still hear her, and she could hear the slight quavering in it as well.
The tech shrugged and switched off. Ripley hugged Jones to her and rocked with him like a child, still shattered by the nightmare. Kendall swung her feet off of the bed, and she slowly made her way over to her mother, and when she was close enough, she was pulled into a tight embrace along with Jones.