My Xenomorph

CH 10: Charlie Foxtrot

The second day we were at the base Prone and I were in the mess hall eating Rice and some kind of noodle soup.

Yesterday we had spent the whole day in the room being inspected by medics until the General had questioned us. We got a good nights sleep after that and were now eating in silence.

"So, what did you do that was so bad?" I asked after swallowing a mouth full of Rice.

Prone looked at the two guards watching us then back at me, "Well... I 'abandoned' my squad when they got attacked... I gave the order to run but I guess they didn't hear me, then said I abandoned them when they found their way back here," Prone sighed, "I had a squad of six including me, only two made it back."

I looked at my food for a few moments, 'Should I tell him about Xaez? I know I should but he'd tell the others or call me crazy...' I tried to think about it, Xaez was probably still in the woods watching the base... Or maybe he was already in the base and I just didn't see him. 'I have to tell him... I know I do.' I opened my mouth but closed it. 'Later...'

I took a few more spoonfuls of Rice. The Marines that were guarding us seemed to talk to each other often, I had overheard them talking about a base called "Johnson Atoll." I wondered if Prone knew about it or if he was left out.

We continued to eat in silence for another five minutes. 'I should tell him now.'. I swallowed, "Hey Prone." My voice was a bit shaky. He looked up at me expectantly. "You know how Xenomorphs are dangerous and... kill people... well-" I got a lump in my throat and I just couldn't talk.

Prone tilted his head, "You okay?" He asked then glanced at the Marines, a third one had come up and whispered into one of their ears.

Immediately the marines snapped to attention and turned to Prone, "Sir, the General would like to speak to you."

Prone looked back at me, then at them again. He nodded, "Come on Kat," He stood up and followed the marines.

I coughed a bit and followed behind him. 'Why can't I just say it and get it over with, he'll find out eventually.' I sighed grumbling to myself, ran up beside Prone and looked up the hallway. 'The base Johnson Atoll... maybe that's where everyone is going... maybe they're evacuating.' I looked at the marines and was tempted to ask them, but instead I kept my mouth shut.

The Marines escorted Prone into a room but wouldn't let me inside. "Sorry kid." One of them said, "But they need to have a private conversation." He pulled up a chair and put it next to the door.

I grumbled and sat down on it. I crossed my arms over my chest and put on the pouting face. 'Great, now I just got to sit here for who knows how long and do nothing.' The Marines didn't seem to care that I was pouting, then again who would? No one liked it when someone pouted, even I hated it.

'I hope Xaez is okay he's probably freaking out right now, either that or he's just jumping around in the woods... I don't want to tell Prone about him, I know I have too but I don't want them to hunt him down and kill him.' I looked at the door and down at my empty holsters. 'Hmm, I should get my guns back.' I looked up at the Marines next to the door. I watched them and waited for a chance to get away.

It was about fifteen minutes until some other Marine ran up and began to talk to the others. He seemed almost panicked and frantically began to tell the Marines about something. I ignored him and used this chance to get up and go.

I sat for a few more seconds. 'Do it now' I jumped up and crept down the opposite side of the hall. Once I was far enough from the Marines I turned and ran down some more corridors to try and find the armory.

There were civilians along with the marines in the base that were walking around, they didn't seem to care about me running past. They probably didn't know that I was supposed to be supervised, so I brought it down to a jog.

I guessed that the armory would have to be inside somewhere, either that or outside. I noticed a bunch of other children in the base, some of which looked familiar. I thought about going over and asking them, 'I shouldn't they'd wonder what happened to me or ask about the Xenomorphs.' I walked away and instead listened to what some marines were saying.

"Hey," A marine was saying to a civilian, I guessed it was someone from his family, "We've lost communications but I think we're okay, the last transmission we got put the Choppers a few hours out."

'Choppers?' I continued to walk and heard more stuff about the 'Choppers' and the base, Johnson Atoll. Apparently they were evacuating to the base in a few hours and were getting ready to leave.

Now I was around what seemed to be the Medbay. I peaked through the door and saw five Medics, three were talking and two others were trying to calm down some patients.

The injured had burns along their arms and legs and were screaming. "We're all going to die!" One of them was kicking and yelling. "We've lost communications and the Xenomorphs are out there! They are going to take over this base and kill us all!"

"Calm down!" The medics tried to pin him down, one of them muttered something about this "turning into a real Charlie Foxtrot".

'Charlie foxtrot? What's with all the messed up words?' I continued to peek through and tried to stay focused on the Medics, but the three that were talking grabbed my attention.

"We've lost contact with a nearby group." One of them was saying, "Out in the forest by that town that was overrun. Heard they got a few survivors and were supposed to get back here in a few days."

Another one said, "Yeah, I heard about that too. They got an APC from what the General was saying, and some civvies with them that're apparently pretty good at shooting bugs."

'APC?' I sighed, 'To many things I don't know'

"Wait if they get here how are we going to be able to get that APC on the choppers? We need that thing."

"They're bringing those big choppers aren't they? Then we'll be completely fine, once they get here anyway. Hopefully we can last until then." He looked over at the two other medics holding down the patient and rushed over to help them, "We're going to be okay, calm down Rosco." He said trying to calm him down.

I tilted my head, and for a second the patient calmed down and stared with wide eyes back at the Medic.

'I should go find Prone... I don't think I'll be able to find my guns in this place.' I turned away from the Medics, their conversation was stuck in my head, the one about the APC and the civilians. I didn't know why, but something told me that might be useful.

I began to walk back toward the office that Prone was in, when suddenly a group of about six Marines came charging past me. I looked at them for a moment before continuing. 'Probably going out to scout or something.'

Suddenly alarms began to blare and I stopped in my tracks. I looked around and saw a bunch of Marines looking panicked. A few of them continued to talk to the civilians as if nothing was happening, but the others were already running and grabbing their weapons and sprinting away.

I gasped. 'Somethings wrong. Where do I go?" I frantically looked side to side and then remembered my room, 'I need my backpack, and I need to find Prone.' I turned and hurried toward the barracks.

Xaez was now my second priority, I had to find him and make sure he was okay, first Prone, then Xaez and I'll tell Prone about him and hopefully he'll be okay with it.

'I'll find a gun and then I'll be fine.' But I knew for sure that something bad was going to happen.