[i]After the sun sets...[/i]
 
A truck made its way across the surface of Hestia Prime, kicking up dust behind it as the heavy duty tires rolled over the barren ground. The slowly lowering sun illuminated the surface, a beautiful sight to as its ray danced over the mountains. The vehicle began to slow down, the driver then brought it to a complete stop with his boot on the brake pedal. The tires screeched lightly as the driver blinked. Benedict took an inhale of fresh air as he stepped out of the truck, the cool, calm oxygen surging through his inner workings. The temperature was slowly dropping on the planet as dusk came and nightfall was soon to come. He shut the door behind him and stared at the cavern entrance in front of him. Signs had been placed everywhere, stating that no trespassing was allowed, offenders would be criminally persecuted. 
 
A smile crept onto the android's face as he walked forward, eerily calm for someone that was about to step inside of a very unknown place. Of course synthetics did not feel fear, he was fascinated with his task at hand, had constantly been thinking about it for hours. Benedict gingerly stepped over a line of police tape, once both feet were over it he continued his stroll ahead. Ever since the 'incident', this entire area had been blocked off. There had been a makeshift barrier here which blocked off the entrance to the cavern, but Mr. Vaughn had it removed for the special mission tonight.
 
As he entered inside he glanced at his surroundings, noting immediately that he was the only one here. It was also dead silent except for the android's footsteps, discarded containers, crates and equipment was placed all around near the entrance. None of that had been touched since the site was evacuated and 'abandoned'. Benedict stopped his calm walk for a moment as he pressed a switch just below his collar, turning on the chest mounted camera and flashlight. A bright beam of light emitted from it as he began recording his mission as ordered by Mr. Vaughn.
 
"Benedict, can you hear me?" An all too familiar voice asked, the sound emitting from the in ear communicator the android had been instructed to bring with him. 
 
"Loud and clear, sir. I'm inside the cave, making my way towards the elevator. As expected I'm the only one here." The synthetic spoke back as he stepped over a discarded power drill, moving towards the elevator in the back of the cavern.
 
"Glad to hear that, do be careful out there. You brought a pistol with you right? Just in case?" Vaughn asked. Back in the city the CEO sat in his office, one leg over another as he watched the display transmitting from the camera on Benedict's chest. He could see just what the android was seeing.
 
"Yes I did, sir. I don't particularly wish to use it, or even touch the weapon, but its here and loaded." The android replied as his hand grazed the semi-automatic firearm tucked into a holster on his hip. Violence was something he despised. Of course he would use the weapon if he absolutely needed to, but he still hoped he wouldn't need to.
 
"It's just another precaution. If things go south down there, then don't be afraid to get out of there quickly. I'd rather have you come back in one piece and learn there's hostile lifeforms down there, than lose you to them." Vaughn added, he didn't particularly care for Benedict personally, but he was the best worker he had one the planet, did everything without question.
 
"Noted, sir." Benedict said as he brought his hand up to the elevator control console, opening the doors as he then stepped inside. The elevator lights came on as soon as he walked into it, then he pressed a button, the doors shut once more and it began to descend.
 
He had been replaying the image in his robotic mind, the mysterious eggs, the disturbing parasites enveloping each of their faces. Benedict was fascinated by every part of it. Were the parasites a natural lifeforms? An species native to this world they had unknowingly stumbled upon? As the elevator came to a halt and the doors opened up, the android stepped cautiously out to the same level the horrific scene had taken place. 
 
"Sir, I'm down on the same level as the miners. I can see them spread around, looks like they haven't been moved." Benedict quietly said into his communications device as he approached the first prone body nearest to the elevator. 
 
As he shined the flashlight over the miner, he noted that the parasitic lifeform was still there, he swore he saw the creature squirm as light shined onto it. But it was still tightly wrapped onto the man's face. Benedict knelt down, staring at the parasite before slowly moved his hand towards it, hovering his fingertips just above it. The creature then shifted its tail, tightening around the miner's throat. It was then Benedict noticed the miner was still breathing, apparently only unconscious.
 
“They’re still alive even being enveloped by those things,” Vaughn muttered, staring at the screen as he watched Benedict step back and the facehugger released its chokehold on the helpless miner. “Be careful, Benedict. Look for all of the miners down there.”
 
“I will, sir.” Benedict replied as he stepped further ahead, over another unconscious miner. His light now shined upon the opened eggs, behind them were more that had yet to spring their nasty surprise within. The android blinked as he counted all thirteen of the humans in here, all spread around but counted for. He cautiously moved closer to the rows of eggs, getting them on camera for Mr. Vaughn to see.
 
“Don’t go any closer. They’re huge. What the hell laid them?” Dexter questioned, unsure of where exactly they had come from. Or if whatever laid them was still alive and on the world. The last thing he needed was for more people to go down, especially not citizens of Hestia Prime. That would make a dent in their finances. The world was prosperous.
 
“There’s nothing else here. The room the eggs are in is empty otherwise, I can see the other side and it's just another wall.” Benedict stated. It was also disturbingly silent, only his footsteps filled the room sound wise. He took another daring step closer to the already opened eggs, then grazed the side of one with a gloved hand. It distinctly resembled the feel of tough leather, rough and sturdy.
 
“Would you like me to try to take one of the eggs with me, sir?” Benedict asked as he walked around, staring intently at an unopened one. He was just out of range of the same fate happening to him as the miners. Then he wondered what would happen exactly, he was a machine, outwardly human but entirely a synthetic lifeform otherwise.
 
“Try to take one of the already opened ones with you. Don’t get near the others, Benedict.” Vaughn ordered. They could learn so much from even just an empty one.
 
“As you request, sir. How many of these miners would you like me to take back?” The android then asked, as he approached the same opened egg he had previously touched. He peaked over inside of it, not seeing any signs of life. It seemed to be empty. Benedict then knelt down, and with a grunt wrapped his arms around it and lifted it off the ground. It might’ve been heavy for a human, but to a machine such as himself, it was nothing.
 
“There’s thirteen down there. How many can you fit on the truck along with the egg?” 
 
“Perhaps six at most, it would be a tight fit but I can manage, sir.” Benedict replied with another grunt as he carried the opened egg towards the elevator, then set it down inside. Then the android walked back into the nest of eggs.
 
“Get me six of them. We could retrieve the rest on a second mission.” Vaughn ordered as he crossed his arms, figuring out the plan for the incapacitated miners once they were brought back here.
 
“As you wish, sir.” Benedict replied cheerfully, then stepped to the closest body, grasped the man’s legs and dragged him into the elevator. The facehugger did not seem to care it was being moved along with the miner it was attached to. The android did this five more times, grabbing the five closest miners and bringing them into the elevator. 
 
“Very good, now get back here. Pile them all into the truck, come in the back entrance of the facility,” Dexter ordered, taking a sip of coffee from a mug in his office. “I’ll inform some esteemed members of our science team of your arrival along with security and the like.”
 
“Understood, sir. I do get to examine these creatures and the egg, right?” Benedict asked hopefully as he stood in the elevator with all of the ‘cargo’. He stared at the nest and miners that were going to be left behind, then shut the door and ascended in the elevator. 
 
“Of course. You were the one that retrieved them. Plus your archives of scientific knowledge will come in handy.” Dexter said with a smirk as Benedict meanwhile dragged the bodies and the egg out of the elevator, then the cavern. 
 
“I am delighted to hear that sir, I will not let you down.” Benedict replied cheerfully then went about arranging everything in the bed of truck. He carefully lifted then laid each of the bodies in the back, then the egg. After that he strapped everything down with cables and threw a tarp over the top, strapping that down as well.
 
“I’m sure you won’t Benedict. Drive safely.” Dexter said with another smile before Benedict shut off the camera and began his drive back into the settlement. Vaughn sent a message to the head of security, then several scientists and essential personnel in the facility. 
[hr]
The truck drove through a green light in the settlement, the traffic light in the city for the moment. As more and more new arrivals came to the colony it would slowly fill up. Benedict was happy about that, he enjoyed speaking with new people on the world. He made a turn, then pulled into a road behind the main facility which housed the science laboratories. A garage door came open in the back, as Benedict maneuvered the trick inside. As he entered the garage he noted a few scattered people, those awaiting his arrival. He parked the truck, then stepped outside of it and walked towards the back of the vehicle. 

"Take everything into the main lab!" A security guard stated in a gruff tone, as people darted around the unload the truck. The six bodies were loaded onto stretchers, then lugged into another elevator. The egg was handled by two men, as Benedict supervised the scene. A few top scientists stared at the parasites with curiosity, shocked and intrigued by what they were seeing. Vaughn had most of the facility cleared out, other than trusted personnel, himself and guards. Not even he knew the horror that was about to unfold next, none of them. 

"Do be careful with all of that." Benedict calmly stated with a smile.