Alien Breed

The night is a warm blanket I wish to drift and disappear into forever. If only there was a way to turn back time. But then I wouldn’t have found him.

Hugh sharply exhales. “Whoa, boy,” he mutters to himself. “Why on Earth would you let something like that happen?”

“Who said I let it happen?” I growl. “Who said I didn’t fight him off? Listen, guys, we’re not on Earth. We’re on Avalon. Things happen. Missions go wrong. But we have one last task to finish. We have to find that fuel and get back home.”

Roy shakes his head. “You’re infected with it,” he says. “You’re infected with a bio-weapon.”

“You don’t understand,” I say.

They close in on me. “No. What are you doing?” I ask.

Roy grabs my arms. Hugh blocks me from behind.

Halloway takes out his pistol. “I don’t want to use this,” he says.

Fuck. Turin was right. All of them have turned on me.

“You’re making a big mistake,” I say. “Turin is the only one who can save us.”

“Shut your mouth,” Roy says.

Quickly, they sweep me off my feet. They take me deeper into the jungle, eventually reaching a trail. “You’re taking me to Discovery Base?” I ask.

“I said, shut up,” Roy mutters. “I can’t trust you. Can’t trust Fassbender. It’s just the three of us on this one, and you know what? I’m okay with that.”

I beg. “Roy, I came to save you.”

“That’s exactly my point. You came to save us, knowing full well you were having that savage’s kid. You’re more harmful to this crew than you know. I can’t trust your judgment anymore,” he says.

It feels like my brain is going haywire.

Error. Can’t compute.

Is this really how it ends? I got to experience love, and that’s that?

“God, my skin,” the Captain groans.

Both Roy and Hugh stop, still bracing my body over their shoulders.

Roy clicks his tongue, confused. “What about you, Captain? What’s on your skin?”

The Captain backs away, but trips into the mud. “I must have brushed against some tree sap.”

“Ain’t those kind of trees out here,” Roy says, gruffly.

I bite Roy’s shoulder, and he drops me to the ground. Rolling away, I back against a bush. “He’s compromised,” I shout.

They stand over me. “There are two aliens. The other sprayed him with that stuff,” I say.

“Two aliens?” Hugh mutters.

“One is good. He was designed as a weapon, but he can feel real emotions. Empathy, Roy. I’m telling you, he’s on our side,” I say.

Well, he’s on my side. But if I can get the others to help save him, maybe he’ll repay the favor.

“You know how crazy you sound?” Roy asks.

“I’m not crazy. I know a hell of a lot more than you,” I say. “On the other starship, there was a tape.”