-Day 1, August 15th 2090, - ".... Dear Rothius M. Brawn, Father, I know it's been a long time sense I last sent you a email, I apologize for it. Especially sense it's because of you I have two new arms. It took awhile getting used to them ,but the augmentations are just fine. I even tested them in the field a couple of times and they are deadly accurate. Enough about that though, how are you? I know you and mother have not talked much sense I left for the marines. I am doing fine as usual. Life on the base in New York is going great. I have a feeling you had something to do with it. Even though it has been peaceful and all for awhile sense the last terrorist attack, but I got this odd feeling that something big is about to happen. You know, the type of feeling. I had it once before remember when our dog died. Well this is the same ,but I don't fear something like a attack from the rebels in the east but more so from the home front. I don't know what it is, but Miles just tells me to ignore it and enjoy what time I got left. I told you about Miles right? The Major in charge of my division? Well we are pretty close. I think I told you that too. Perhaps you can visit some time when your not so busy and we can all go out to eat some where. Just you, me, and Miles, for your sake I wont invite mom. Ever sense the debate you two had about what I should become you two never got along. I am still your baby girl though. Anyhow don't be a stranger, come by once in awhile or reply to these emails I keep sending you........" It was another beautiful day in paradise, also known as the big apple. For some it was escape from their old lives across the ocean or from home back west. It was always so inviting but if you did not have what it takes to live in it you ended up in the bad parts of town for better or worse. However, it was the type of city that if you could make it, you could make it anywhere. Life was good for most people, some struggled and some did not. The ones who struggled you often found on the news, mostly because they decided to take a swan dive off one of the high sky scrappers on manhattan. There were all kind of people living in the city too, Italians, Russians, Japanese, Cubans, Mexicans and all kinds of different races. Some were forced to come here and some did so willingly. Either way they were here and the city did not look like it does now. It was a thing of the future, from light rails that could take you from one spot of the city to the other safely and quickly. Neon lights seemed to decorate the road ways from shops and stores of all shapes and sizes. It was something to behold of course. Almost like a Neon Tokyo, but it was New York. Somewhere in New York at a army base close to the river, a alarm went off. Not some mobilization alarm or disaster alarm. A alarm coming from a clock on a night stand in someones private chambers. Erika's eyes opened slowly as she stared up at the ceiling for awhile before her hand reached out and slapped the button to turn it off. "Another day in paradise." She said. She rose up and checked the computer on her desk. Its monitor still on giving the room its only source of light. She could see that her email had no response. She sighed and blew a bit of hot air up her face causing her bangs to rise for a second. She wondered why her father would not respond to her at all. Is he that busy or is he just ignoring her responses? Is he that angry with her about deciding to become a marine instead of a doctor like him? She got up and reached a hand behind her to pull up her underwear and moved to the closet. She opened it and saw her uniform. It was not like your standard united states marine uniform. It was slightly different. Because we were in the time of age where corporations were able to build their own armies, hers was different. Wayland Yutani had indoctrinated itself into the American military though so she was still a soldier for the states, however she still belonged to Wayland Yutani corporation. She looked to the shoulder of her jacket and it had the Typical insignia of a large W and a Y in behind it. Under neath it it said "Wayland Yutani Corporation, Building better safer worlds for everyone. " She snorted and shrugged at the same time. That was right her father's company was in charge of building pretty much machines that could terraform worlds and make them live able. Mars and the Moon were the front runners of that project. After their success the company moved onto bigger projects. However, to say that was the only thing they did would be stupid and ignorant. With such duties they needed other assets to help out with the projects. They needed their own forces and soldiers in case shit hit the fan on some derelict planet and they needed to send out a task force to clean it up. Therefore they had military contracts and weapons divisions. Of course every corporation needs money so they branched out into other industries. Cosmetics, prosthetics, clothing, and yes even food. Now unlike most businesses that made food and sucked at it, her fathers was actually pretty successful at it. The cola tasted awesome and so did some of the snack foods they put out. They even had water that they claimed was from one of the moons of Saturn. She did not really think it was but who really gives a fuck. It is water, that is all you need to know. It did taste good though... even more so then the Fiji water. After she put her jacket over her tank top and grabbed her pants she walked over to her bed and sat down. Here she slowly put it on fitting one leg in and then the other. Then came a fresh pair of socks and then her shoes. She then moved over to a weapons cabinet and looked to the datapad located on the right door. She pressed a button and a key bad slowly pushed out underneath it. "Please enter your four digit pin" came up one the screen. She quickly did so, these things were so sensitive and annoying that if you didn't do it fast enough it would telll you to do it again or that it did not get the code. Fail too many times and it locks up and then you have to call maintenance. Once she hit enter another device opened. It was a eye scanner and she sighed and lowered her face towards it and held her eye open with her fingers. The red laser shot out and scanned for only a second, causing moisture to gather and drop down her cheek. "Welcome, Miss Erika. I hope you have a beautiful day." The artificial intelligence said. She smiled and gave it a thumbs up. "I'll try...." She said as she reached up and pulled open the cabinet. She removed from it her vest that went over her jacket. It held two side arms and two slots on each side that held in them to magazines. These were strictly for the .45 autos. Next came the next piece of her equipment. It was the belt which held four slots for 5.56mm cartridges. Those were for the M41A pulse rifle which hung from its place on the far wall of the cabinet. These things were something alright. Much better then anything the army has. These things were a whole lot of kick assery, side from its regular arsenal it also had a 20mm grenade launcher as well. That alone made the marines of Wayland Yutani pretty formidable. She took her rifle hooked up its sling and then swung it over her shoulder. She took from a shelf a few 20mm grenades and placed them in slots on her belt as well as a few stims. Stims were good for killing pain and stopped most wounds from bleeding. She then took a few regular frag grenades and then stepped back and closed the cabinet while she placed them in their spots on her belt. Once she was ready she moved over to a mini fridge and bent down and opened it. She grabbed from it a ice cold Wayland Cola. She was addicted to the things. After Wayland bought out Coke Cola and Pepsi they put out all kinds of drinks. That were even more amazing then what the companies had before. She did not know what else her father did but she sure did like the soda they developed. She twisted the cap off and put the top to her lips and took a long gulp from the soda. She drained it down to half way before lowering it. She then turned around and headed for the door and opened it. She was greeted by the sunny sky and green grass of the military base. Her place was kinda like a shack... a really expensive nice shack. Which was kinda funny in her mind. It had air conditioning, its own shower and toilet. Everything a girl needs... well the mini fridge wasn't there when she got it. That was her own little gift to herself. Beat making trips to the damn store or mess hall every day. She looked around and found soldiers doing their morning exercises and smiled tilting her head down and giving a slight wave in charge of the morning drills. He saw her gesture and nodded. She slowly began to head towards the recreation hall to check out on her men specifically, then she began to hear a noise.... a loud annoying beeping noise. When she looked down she saw that it was her arm. Her new augmented arms. She was basically half android.... well her arms were machine, mostly. Well up to her shoulder were all gears and machinery. A gift from her father so to speak. She raised it up and pressed it with a free index finger. "This is Erika how can I help you?" She said. "You need to work on your introduction lady..... your supposed to say. 'This is Lieutenant Erika Brawns how can I help you?" Came back a voice. She snorted and chuckled a bit. "So court martial me then,... anyhow what did you want Miles?... oh I am sorry Major Miles." She said correcting herself. She heard a sigh. "You know if you keep sounding too formal with me people will suspect we have a thing." Came back the same voice. "Hun,.... they already know. I mean we haven't been exactly covert about it. Now what is it?" She asked. "Good point,... anyhow I need to see you in my office. I have all the other Lieutenants with me right now. It's urgent and you need to be here......" ---------------------------------------------------- Forty hours before........... "How are the specimens?...." A lady in a large lab coat spoke. She stared through the glass. On the other side was a Xenomorph. Specifically labeled underneath the class was the number Nine. On it's forehead was also imprinted and cut into it the same number. That was her name Nine. Nine had been taken away from a clutch of eggs on a derelict planet. The egg she was in had been frozen and brought back to earth. It took nearly a hundred years for it to get here but it got here. When it did they thawed it out and then with a little help from the local poor population. She was born. A Xenomorph warrior,.... this warrior seemed far superior then the others they had made. Well that's what Lucy believed anyways. "She is perfectly healthy Doctor. Odd enough she has been rather calm and cooperative today." He said as he tapped the glass. Despite the irritating noise it caused Nine did not look over at him. Her gaze was placed solely on Lucy. She found it a bit disturbing at that. "Strange.... she is never calm... nor cooperative. I don't know how many times we had to gas her." Then suddenly the lights flickered. Lucy looked up at the lights and when they went back to normal she looked to her assistant. "Go see what that was...." She said. The man nodded and headed for a intercom. "Hello Command,... this is Doctor Thomas A. Broch. What was with the flicker a little while ago?" He asked. There was a pause,..... a very odd pause that had never happened before. He was about to press the button again when a response finally occured. "Do not worry about it,... we are handling the situation now.......... Sir what ever you do, do not shoot that....." gun shots could be heard. It sounded like it came from some automatic machine gun. Afterwards came a long static noise. What came after him and Lucy did not expect. The whole building shook violently and then the lights went off. The doctor had clung to the wall trying to keep his balance as much as he could. Emergency power had turned on and the lights went back on and when he looked around he saw Lucy staring wide in the eyes through the glass. "What is it Lucy?" He asked. He looked to her hand as it raised and pointed. "She is gone......" Was all she had said. The doctors face became that of panic as he rushed over and saw that the restraints had been destroyed and there was a large hole in the ceiling. "What the...... we got to retrieve her before she....." In his panic he did something stupid. He moved over and opened the door and went inside the room. He moved to stand right below the hole and looked up. He looked back to Lucy. "She's not......." He said but then his eyes went wide once more. Right behind Lucy he saw a large pitch black object drop. It then rose up and stood right behind Lucy. "Lucy... she is right behind you, whatever you do don't...." Before he could finish his sentence he saw blood splatter about the glass window as a hole was punched through her head. Nine grabbed her body by the shoulder and shoved her away. Nine then pressed a button and then the doors closed Thomas inside. Nine let out a hiss. It's tail shattering the pad so he couldn't get out. What she did next was its own desire of revenge. His eyes went to Nine's hand as it moved towards a very familiar button." Nine,... don't do it. I was always nice to you Nine. Remember that.... it was Lucy who was mean to you. She deserved what you did but I was nice to you remember?" He tried to plea. The hand continued to move towards the button. Nine staring directly at him and then with a quick motion of its hand it pressed the button and instantly the vents shot out the very same painful gas that was used to put her out. None lethal to her kind but... for a human. It was highly toxic. All Nine listened to for the next ten seconds was his screaming until finally there was quiet. Nine hissed and looked about the hall way. She noticed a lot of her kin were out of their restraints just like her. What she did next was one by one release all ten of her kin. Once they were all out they escaped back into the vents and headed for their queen...... Five hours later Nine had reached the Queen's chambers with little time to spare she began to punch tiny holes in the Queens wrists where she was bound. Not enough to hurt her but enough to cause her blood to come out and spill onto the metallic restraints that quickly began to melt. Once the restraints were weak enough. The Queen broke free from them and with her kin she pushed through the door. What she saw was a man. The man was bald and he had some weird nazi tattoos on his forehead. "Them bastards thought they could just abuse alien life forms down here without consequence I will show them." He then made a gesture. " I made a large as hole in the side by the power generators. Should give you a escape route into the sewers...." He said, explaining. I suppose he thought the Xenomorph Queen would thank him... or spare him for his act of justice for her kin. However,.... She had no remorse for a creature that would betray it's own kind. She swung with her large sized hands so fast and so quick he couldn't react fast enough. His eyes went wide and traced down to his gut. He then saw blood began to leak out. "But..... I rescued you......." His top half then separated from his lower half and the lights were forever turned off for him. The Queen took his directions and proceeded the way he said to go. It did not take long before her and her kin escaped into the sewer system underneath manhattan....... ------------------------------------------------------- .........The Now. Jin Yujiro was located on the other side of the island in the suburb of Broadway and Lexington. He was there at a police hub standing at a counter. "Look,... I am just here to collect one of my men. He said he had been arrested by one of your men and I came to post bail." He said his finger pressing up against the desk. He was not too happy either. "Look I am not happy he is here either....." He said and the lady rolled her eyes and then looked at him. "Fine,.... but he is still being processed. Once he is done you can pay for him. Until then...." She said gesturing to a seat. "Please wait and let me do my job." She said. He moved into a standing straight position as his eyes blinked. Did she just sass him?.... He sighed and accepted what he heard and just went over and sat down. Damn pig.... can't they just learn to leave us alone. He heard the bell ring and looked to the door to see a very familiar woman walk in. One she did not quite feel like seeing right now. Well not that she was bad or anything it was just.... he wasn't in a good mood and right now she looked like she was in a good one. He did not want to ruin it for her. She looked over and saw him despite his attempt to hide his face. "What Yojiro? not happy to see me?" She asked as she walked over. He could hear her high heels hitting the floor with each step she made. He then felt a rush of air as she sat down. He looked over and saw her face and for some reason he felt calm again. "You know Taki,... you have a way of calming a man when you look at them." He said. She smirked and sat back. "Really? I was always told I scared men....." She said. It was his turn to smile as he sat up. "Well they don't know you like I do apparently. What you doing here?" He asked. "Oh I heard you were in the neighborhood and I decided to come over and have a chat.... why you here?...... Little Danny in trouble again?" She asked. "Yup.... jay walking.....I swear its the little things he does that bother me." He said. She rolled her eyes and leaned in. "You know I could straighten him up for you?" She offered. He laughed it off and then looked to the lady at the desk. He then rose up and walked over. "Second thought... let him sit for awhile. He could use the time. Maybe he will learn to keep out of your hair hmm?" He said. The female officer looked over and raised a brow. "Wow,... finally learned huh? That's the only way the boy is going to learn you know? You keep bailing him out and he will just do the same shit over again.... whose your friend? Your girlfriend?" She asked. He looked over Taki and he smirked. "Girlfriend?.... nah. She acts more like a older sister then she does any actual friend." "Hey I heard that Jin Yojiro....." Taki snapped back. "Uh-oh... she used your full name." The officer said. Jin looked over at her. "Don't encourage her?" He shot back. The officer held up her hands in surrender and he had to chuckle. He then proceeded towards the entrance. He moved his hands to his pockets pulling back the white buttoned up shirt he had on revealing the toned tattooed abbs underneath. As well as the scar that was placed there. "Come on Taki... lets go." He said before exiting. As he did so he thought he saw a black object dart past across the street in one of the drains that the water on the street would escape to. He narrowed his eyes and wondered what it was. Too big to be a human.... .................. He suddenly felt a tug and he looked over to see Taki. "What is it? You look like you saw a ghost or something?" She asked. Jin shrugged it off and the question. "I don't know... you have lunch yet?" He asked. "lunch? I didn't get to eat breakfast........" She said. She liked it when he offered to take her out some where. This was her chance to try and win him over again. She was always trying to get him and she would not pass up another chance. However, her phone rang and she sighed. "Oh come on.... just at the perfect moment too." She said as she reached into the pocket of her leather black skirt. She then removed from it a cell phone. A rather expensive looking phone too. She pressed on the screen to answer it. "What?" She said. The voice of irritated clearly present. She the hissed and blew air up at her bangs. "Fine I will be there......" She said and hung up. She looked to Jin. "Sorry maybe next time... old man Cheng ain't paying his protection money again." She said. Jin looked around at the cops and then back at her. "You know you just said that in front of a police depo right?" She rolled her eyes. "So... its not like I am going to kill him or anything. It's probably not him though... he usually pays but now. Second time in the row. There must be something wrong and I plan to find out what." She said. She walked up to the street towards a black motorcycle. It was a kawasaki. She swung her leg over and then looked over at Jin. She lifted up her black helmet. "I will win you over Jin Yojiro.... don't think you got away from me." She said. He smiled and made a gesture. "Your welcome to try Taki....." He replied and off she went. He sighed once more and looked around. Now what..... was all he had on his mind. ------------------------------------------ Hotaru sat at home. It wasn't a school day so today she was here. It was her eighteenth birthday. She was officially a young woman now. Well Japanese standards she was of age four years ago. Thank god she lived in america as a foreign exchange student. She still recieved cat calls though from horny men. Both American and Oriental decent though. She sighed. I suppose men are the same everywhere. She looked at the clock and was trying to decide if she was going to go out or not. The local book store was open now and she would like to look for a new book to read. She however, was just not feeling it right now. Then something happened. She heard the sound of her being buzzed at the door. She rose a brow and rose up. She walked over and stepped over towards it and pressed the button. "Who is it?" "It's me Hotaru... its your dad." Came a familiar voice and her eyes light up and she went for the door and opened it. What she saw was her old man standing there with a cake and a few balloons. "What are you doing here?.... did you come all the way from Japan just for my birthday?" She asked. He simply just lifted up his arms that held the cake and a few presents. She smiled and moved out of the way and gestured for him to enter. "Thank you,... I really appreciate it." She said as she took from him the cake and a few presents. She then helped him to the kitchen and placed the cake down and next to it the gifts. "Do you have a boyfriend yet?" He asked and she turned red. "No father I do not.... I am just not into the guys here." She said. He nodded accepting the answer. "Your hunting for one like those people in those books aren't you?" He asked. She sighed and nodded. "It wouldn't hurt to look father....." She replied and he nodded once more. She then moved to sit down at the table and she smiled at her father. Now she was glad she hadn't gone to the book store today. This was all she wanted for today. Just some time with her father. She then looked around the room and rose up. "You hungry father? You must have had one hell of a plane ride." She said. He looked up and tried to wave her off. "I ate some on the plane." Was his excuse. She just shook her head. "Father you know full well that that stuff doesn't count as food. I got enough don't worry" She said as she walked over to the fridge and opened it. To his surprise he saw a lot of stuff that you would see in the old country back home. "I could never get used to the food here,... I mean I like fast food but sometimes I miss your home cooked meals. Luckily there is a place called china town. They have all kinds of things you find back home in Japan. Even some of the sodas.... you know the kind that have the marble inside them." She said. He smiled at his daughter. She then began to pull out some food that she knew he would love. Including some squid... She put them on the counter as well as a few carrots and seaweed. Next came some already cooked rice. Once she had everything she needed she put her hands together and started to try and think of what she should make. ---------------------------------------------------- On the military base a rather large man was polishing a jeep. The man had a bald head and a rather large beard. It was surprising that his higher ups didn't make him shave. Luckily he was not in some ordinary outfit. He was with Erika and her group. He was just making sure the mud was all washed off seeing as it was refusing to rain. His hand then wondered off to a basket and grabbed a good sized piece of jerky and brought it to his mouth and tossed it in and chewed. Today was another non eventful day for him. He suddenly looked to his left and saw Erika walking up to the main building where Miles office was. He was going to wave but she was in her own little world it would seem. "Lucky bastard.... having such a fine little flower like that." He said mostly to himself. However, he remembered he was in the presence of one of his men. Before he could say anything his voice sounded off. "Flower?.... well I guess you can say that. But you know what they say about Roses?" He said. In unison him and Jarvis said the answer. "Every Rose has its thorns.... " "Yeah I know. She aint that bad though. You make her sound like a bitch from hell" Jarvis said. The guy shrugged. Jarvis just shook his head at the man. ------------------------------------------------------ ........ At a construction site. Ramiro Alvarez returned to work after a lunch break. "Welcome back Ramiro... you have a good vacation?" The foreman said. Ramiro stopped and sneered at the man. "I was only gone for thirty minutes man.... lay off. Don't make me call the union rep. again." He threatened and the foreman glared at him. The foreman then headed back to his office and kicked a bucket.... a bucket full of dry cement. He hollered in pain which caused Ramiro to laugh. "Dumbass.... looks like one of your great employees forgot to use the cement to fill in the hole... again." He fired at him. He then moved towards his work space. It wasnt far... just a elevator ride up to the third floor. Nothing to difficult. As long as the damn boss got off his ass. I swear that man has it in for him for some reason..... ....As he moved to the Elevator he had this strange feeling he was being watched. Not by the foreman or any of the other workers. By something else. He turned around and looked all over the place in attempt to try and spot it. What he saw though was a figure. It was quite a distance away in a gutter. A black figure staring right at him. It was too far for him to really figure it out. Then he blinked and it was gone. He suddenly had a shiver down his spine and made his way towards the elevator. What the hell was that? He thought to himself.