Chapter 1: The Journey
Chapter Text
EARTH – (12,000 B.C.)
Amid the sounds of nature, a mechanical noise gradually approaches. A shadow passes over the primordial landscape, flat and rocky. As it nears a river at the far end of the terrain, its pace begins to slow.
The river's current is strong. The water is similar to what we have now, yet somehow different. There is no life in it.
The shadow hovers over the river, shrinking as it descends onto the rocky ground beside it. A loud horn-like sound echoes, followed by the landing of a spacecraft. A metallic clatter resounds as a hatch opens.
A group of hooded humanoid beings descend from the massive ship. They are men… and yet not men. They are tall, at least 4.5 meters in height. Their sandaled feet sink into the shallow water as they finally reveal themselves. Their skin is almost translucent, white as snow. Their smooth heads lack eyebrows or hair. Their eyes are bright and completely black. They wear modest garments… Their features are classical… as if Michelangelo’s David had come to life. They are otherworldly yet familiar. Beautiful yet dangerous.
They are the Engineers.
The Engineers move in single file and step onto the rocks. They halt by the river, near a waterfall. Two of them turn to face each other.
The one closest to the cliff’s edge has a youthful, majestic face. The other is hundreds of thousands of years older, his age evident in his wrinkled, thin, almost wooden-like skin.
The elder then offers the younger a small metal vessel. The young Engineer studies it.
After a moment, he takes it in his hands and asks:
—And now what?
The Engineers speak—primitive yet complex.
—Take this, —the elder replies—. This is the blood of our lord. For we cannot create, for we lost the gift long ago. As always, we shall continue our attempts to craft a perfect world. An Eden much like our own. You, the chosen one, shall create it in your own image.
The young Engineer kneels and bows his head before the elder in a gesture of respect.
—Let your body become the earth, your blood become the water, and your soul become the path back to us, —the elder proclaims before rejoining the other Engineers.
They share one last glance—there is a sense of great importance. Something significant is about to happen here.
The group of Engineers departs, walking back along the walkway toward their massive ship as the roar of its ascending engines fills the air.
The young Engineer left behind begins to remove his garments slowly. Somehow… there is something sorrowful about it.
His skin is pure white, his physique like that of a Greek statue. Naked, with no sign of reproductive organs. Perfect.
Water flows over his shins as he gazes at the vessel in his hands. He frowns… but there is no turning back. The solitary Engineer places the vessel on the ground, opens it, and from within, retrieves a small container filled with a dark, golden, sticky substance. The liquid foams into iridescent spheres.
Closing his eyes, he slowly opens his mouth, lifting the container toward it in a ceremonial manner, as if partaking in communion… and swallows it.
A powerful sound is heard—something rising and departing. The Engineer tilts his face upward, watching the ship disappear into the distance, its shadow vanishing from sight and sound.
Suddenly, cracks and black rashes spread across his masculine form, and he begins to groan in pain. His body convulses violently; he doubles over, clutching his stomach, wracked with unbearable agony.
Inside him, his cells rupture and bleed. Within him, spiraling strands emerge—instantly recognizable. It is the seed of life. It is his DNA being broken down by the mysterious substance.
Within a minute, the Engineer’s entire body begins to disintegrate at an alarming rate. He watches as his hand, his skin, his very being turns to dust and is carried away by the wind. He lets out a final scream as his body collapses. His arm, now severed, falls into the massive waterfall. His decaying form starts to explode, ultimately dissolving into black ashes.
Beneath the water, the ashes drift as floating trails of particles. From within these dark particles, the cellular building blocks of life begin to take shape, rapidly evolving into living strands of DNA.
And thus, life on Earth was born.
In the year 2089, a team of archaeologists was working on excavations on the Isle of Skye, Scotland. Among them was Dr. Elizabeth Shaw, a young and beautiful woman whose gaze reflected curiosity, intelligence, and something special that set her apart.
During the excavation, Dr. Shaw drilled into a wall inside a cave and, to her astonishment, discovered something incredible. Excitement lit up her face as she took in the find. Unable to contain her enthusiasm, she decided to show it to her husband.
—Get Charlie! —she called to a nearby colleague.
The colleague dashed toward the cave entrance, shouting:
—Dr. Holloway! Charlie!
From outside, Charlie responded:
—What?!
—Come quickly! —Elizabeth insisted, waiting beside her discovery.
A man approached Shaw. In his late twenties, with a scruffy yet charismatic air, he exuded confidence—a mix of brilliant intellect and daring recklessness. This was Charlie Holloway. As he laid eyes on Shaw’s discovery, his expression shifted to one of amazement. Moving swiftly, he pulled a pair of glasses from his shirt pocket while stepping closer, clearly fascinated by what lay before him.
The archaeologists eagerly entered the discovery cave. Holloway shone his flashlight across the walls, examining the ancient cave paintings.
—How old do you think this is? —he asked, intrigued.
—Thirty-five thousand years, maybe more, —Elizabeth replied.
At first glance, the drawings seemed ordinary, depicting animals. But then, Elizabeth guided his light upward, revealing a breathtaking image: a group of people worshiping a giant—at least twice their size—pointing toward a cluster of stars in the sky. A pictogram so detailed, it was unlike any cave painting ever seen before.
—I can't believe it… —Holloway murmured, fascinated—. It's the same configuration, but older, maybe by a thousand years.
A wide smile spread across Holloway’s face, one that Shaw quickly mirrored. They shared a look filled with pride, as if they were parents gazing at their newborn for the first time. In that moment, a sense of fulfillment washed over them, as if they had finally found what they had been searching for their entire lives.
Smiling, they took each other's hands, feeling the weight of their discovery.
—I think they want us to find them, —Elizabeth said, staring at the painting.
—Yes… —Holloway replied, still in awe.
—What do we do now? —Elizabeth asked, a note of excitement in her voice.
—We go there, —Holloway answered with determination, his gaze fixed on their goal.
That night, Dr. Elizabeth Shaw sat inside one of the tents. She turned on a video camera in front of her, leaning slightly forward. Her expression reflected a mix of nervousness and determination as she began to speak.
—Hello, Mr. Weyland. I’m Dr. Elizabeth Shaw. My name might sound familiar because I’ve been calling every day for the past month. I suppose your people expected me to give up.
She paused, letting her words sink in.
—I’m not good at giving up. But I am good at my job.
As she spoke, her voice gained confidence.
—I’m an archaeologist. I hold doctorates in paleontology, anthropology, human ethology, and memetics, all from Oxford. I graduated top of my class at seventeen. I don’t mention this to boast, but to point out something important: this is what I know, not necessarily who I am.
Her gaze grew more intense, as if speaking directly to the heart of her listener.
—I make this distinction because there’s a difference between what a scientist knows and what they believe…—She paused briefly, letting the words resonate—. That difference is proof.
Shaw leaned closer to the camera, as if about to share a crucial secret.
—My husband and I have made a discovery, Mr. Weyland. Something extraordinary, something that could change everything.
Now her tone softened, taking on a genuine vulnerability.
—Have you ever felt that all the science in the world can’t answer the questions that truly matter? Where do we come from? What is our purpose? Are we really alone?
Shaw took a deep breath, her emotions visible.
—I believe there is a place where all those questions can be answered. But I need your help to get there.
Her eyes shone with sincerity as she made her final plea.
—Give me ten minutes, sir. Ten minutes to show you what we’ve found. Because if I’m right, it means none of us will ever be alone again.
Shaw’s recording played on a screen elsewhere. Someone was watching intently.
A man, hunched and elderly, sat in front of the monitor. His labored breathing echoed over Shaw’s words.
—If you don’t respond, sir, I understand, — she concluded with a slight smile—. But I’ll call again tomorrow.
A wrinkled hand entered the frame, trembling slightly as it pressed a panel to shut off the recording. The man remained thoughtful for a few moments before a faint smile crossed his face.
EXTERIOR – WEYLAND WHEEL (EARTH ORBIT)
A gleaming, wheel-shaped space station with five spokes spins majestically above the Pacific Ocean, a thousand miles from Earth. Large black letters on the white metal read: WEYLAND WHEEL.
A rounded-design spacecraft slowly approaches the station.
Inside a compact spaceship, similar to a private jet, Holloway and Shaw are the only passengers. Both are strapped into their seats. Shaw, exhilarated by her first space journey, wipes away a tear as she gazes at the view of Earth through the window. Holloway, more relaxed, absentmindedly plays with a pen floating in zero gravity between his fingers.
—Where do we start? You with the climate, and me with genetics? —Shaw asked, curious.
—Archaeology first. Let’s let our ancestors tell the story, —Holloway replied with a smile.
—Do you think he’s serious? —she pressed.
—Serious enough to send his private ship for us, —Holloway answered.
—Weyland could send his ship just to order pizza, —Shaw joked. Both laughed as the spacecraft continued on its course.
—Charlie, if this meeting turns out like the others, maybe we should… —Shaw began, but Holloway cut her off.
—It won’t be like the others, —he said with certainty.
—How do you know? —Shaw asked, intrigued.
Holloway caught the floating pen and pointed toward the window, where the crescent moon shone like a smile.
—The sky is smiling upon our venture, —he said with determination.
The shuttle docked seamlessly with the central hub of the Weyland Wheel. Inside, Holloway and Shaw floated weightlessly in a sleek capsule elevator with wide windows showcasing the vastness of space. Shaw, her hair and clothes drifting freely, reached for Holloway’s neck, pulling him in for a passionate kiss.
As they descended toward the station’s edge, the rotation provided gravity. They stepped out of the elevator into a luxurious lobby with retro-futuristic furniture. Waiting for them was David, an android with an eerily human appearance.
—Dr. Holloway. Dr. Shaw. My name is David —greeted the android politely.
—Hello, David —Shaw responded with a smile.
—Mr. Weyland is eager to meet you —announced David as he walked away with firm steps through the lobby.
Shaw and Holloway exchanged a brief, surprised glance before following him into an exhibition hall filled with models of planets, moons, and asteroids. Holographic labels projected detailed data all around them.
—These are the planetary bodies where Weyland Industries holds mining concessions —explained David.
At the far end, a massive globe of Mars dominated the room, with markers highlighting extensive activity across its surface.
—And here is Mars, the crown jewel of Weyland —David continued.
—How’s the terraforming going? —Holloway asked, intrigued.
—They say they’re getting diminishing returns. It doesn’t seem to be working —added Shaw bluntly.
David maintained his serene tone:
—It is the greatest engineering project ever attempted. Challenges are inevitable, but Mr. Weyland is a determined man.
After a few moments, they arrived at the office. Peter Weyland sat behind an imposing mahogany desk. He had the look of a rural sage in the style of Warren Buffet, a blend of common sense and toughness. He could have been seventy years old, or perhaps a hundred and seventy.
Behind him stood Meredith Vickers, a slender woman of forty-five in an impeccable business suit. Shrewd and cold, her air of authority was unmistakable.
David, the android, waited silently against the wall as Shaw and Holloway took their seats across from Weyland, with Holloway holding his sleek metallic folio.
—Dr. Holloway. Mrs. Shaw —greeted Weyland.
—Doctor Shaw — she corrected firmly.
—Forgive me. Peter Weyland —he replied, inclining his head slightly.
Shaw glanced curiously at David, a detail not lost on Weyland, who smiled.
—Ah, David. Here you have a prototype. Our Series 8. Unique for now, but if it works, it will become a legion —explained Weyland before suddenly shifting his tone—. What do you want here?
Holloway looked at him, surprised.
—We sent you a prospect that... —he began, but Weyland cut him off.
—Let’s assume I know nothing —said Weyland, leaning on his desk.
Holloway swallowed and placed a metallic folio on the desk.
—I am an archaeologist —he replied calmly, activating a small remote control.
Immediately, three-dimensional holograms filled the air: images of a young Holloway excavating ruins in Egypt, China, Peru, and Greece.
—In my studies, I discovered a pattern I couldn’t explain. Every eleven hundred years, humanity experiences sudden advances: agriculture, technology, inventions. Something triggers a great leap forward. This pattern persists throughout known history. Tens of thousands of years. It became the focus of my work —explained Holloway.
Weyland nodded, intrigued. Holloway glanced at Shaw, who took over.
—Doctor Shaw was my student —Holloway added.
Shaw activated her own remote, shifting the holographic images to scientific graphs and photos of her younger self working in a laboratory.
—Analyzing historical changes in human DNA, I found the same pattern: every eleven centuries, a pulse of new information in our species’ genome, distributed globally. This is not natural evolution. Something or someone is modifying us —Shaw explained with passion.
—You mean... aliens? —interrupted Vickers from the shadows, her tone a mix of skepticism and sarcasm.
For a moment, the others seemed to have forgotten she was there. Weyland introduced her calmly.
—Meredith Vickers, director of operations. My right hand, practically.
Holloway resumed, undeterred.
—They guided us toward civilization, elevating us time and again. I call them the Engineers.
Weyland remained silent, contemplating their words. His expression was a mix of curiosity and ambition.
—Once you know what you’re looking for, it’s surprising how the evidence falls into place —said Shaw as photographs flashed rapidly on the screen. Images showed Holloway and Shaw excavating various sites: Egypt, China, Cambodia, Peru. In them, tablets bore similar patterns of writing.
—This is the Engineers' writing. We've found it on every continent. Last month, we discovered our Rosetta Stone —explained Holloway, displaying an image of the cave painting—. It's a formula pointing to a star in our sky.
—What star? —asked Weyland.
—We'll keep that confidential for now. But we want to go there — replied Holloway.
—You want me to fund an interstellar expedition! —exclaimed Weyland.
—It's a unique opportunity to revolutionize science... —Holloway began, but was quickly interrupted.
—Don’t try to sell me this, doctor. You've already been rejected by universities and government agencies. No one will invest that amount of money in your hunch —Weyland stated.
Holloway looked discouraged, while Shaw grimaced. However, Weyland surprised them both:
—No one except me. I’ve read your research.
—That’s impossible, our research is... — Holloway tried to argue.
—Quantum-encrypted on secure servers, yes. We have an AI division that does impressive things. I know exactly which star you want to go to —Weyland said, smiling confidently.
Shaw and Holloway stared at him, shocked by his knowledge.
—You’re lying —said Shaw, incredulous.
—Zeta Two Reticuli —Weyland declared, enjoying the couple’s astonished expressions with satisfaction.
—Do you know how I got rich? I ask myself: what does God spend His time on? And then I go and do that —he continued seriously.
Shaw laughed, but as she realized Weyland wasn’t joking, she quickly stopped.
—Biotechnology was good to me. Fusion energy too. Lately, gravity systems have been paying off quite well —he explained as he turned his chair toward the window, where Earth gleamed in the vastness of space.
—And what was the first thing God did? —Weyland asked, looking at Shaw.
—He created the Heaven and the Earth —she replied.
Weyland pointed at Shaw as if she had won a carnival prize.
—Exactly. But you forgot my favorite part: Earth. David... —he said, calling the android.
For eons, Earth's climate fluctuated between greenhouse and ice ages. Explosions of life, then mass extinctions. But twelve thousand years ago, the changes stopped. The Holocene Epoch began, a period of anomalous calm. The rise of civilization only began then. —David explained in a clear voice.
Holloway and Shaw looked at David with renewed appreciation.
—That’s right —said Holloway, astonished.
—And that change coincides with a visit from the Engineers. Not only did they change us, they changed the world —added Shaw, excited.
—Earth engineering. God’s work —affirmed Weyland, pulling out a contract after rummaging through his desk and placing it in front of Holloway.
—My people reviewed your science. They say it’s solid. I’ll give you your expedition: ship, crew, supplies, and support. But with one condition —declared Weyland.
—And what’s that? —asked Holloway as he flipped through the contract, cautious but thrilled like a man double-checking a lottery ticket.—You get the discovery. The site control. But any technology you find? Anything. It will be mine. — declared the magnate.
—You’ll also take David. My eyes and ears. And, Vickers... you’ll go too —Weyland stated, surprising his director, who looked at him in shock.
Over the following months, a series of interviews and recorded transmissions were conducted with the individuals selected to journey to the planetoid. Each member of the team was given the opportunity to speak before the cameras, sharing their personal motivations, their expectations for the mission, and the fears that accompanied them on this unprecedented endeavor. Some spoke with genuine enthusiasm; others, with a quiet reserve shaped by military or scientific discipline. The diversity of the group was evident in every testimony—there was humanity in their words, vulnerability, and a deep, unwavering resolve.
Through these messages, more than just personal stories emerged. The growing relationships within the team began to surface—moments of camaraderie, subtle tensions, unspoken bonds, and honest reflections that revealed the enormity of what lay ahead. In many ways, these recordings became a historical record of the human spirit in the face of the unknown.
At the same time, a vast collection of audiovisual content was being created for an audience no one could fully define: the Engineers. Documentaries on human culture, history, art, science, and the evolution of Earth's ecosystems were carefully curated and recorded. The goal was to show them the legacy of humanity—what had flourished, and what had been destroyed—since their last known contact with the blue planet. It was an attempt to build a bridge between civilizations, a dialogue long interrupted by time, distance, and silence.
Meanwhile, Weyland Industries worked tirelessly on constructing the spacecraft that would make the journey possible. Designed to withstand the extreme conditions of deep space, with technology never before tested, the vessel would not only carry the explorers but represent the entire human race.
The mission was not merely one of exploration. It was a search for answers. A quest to understand why the creators had given life.
On December 21, 2093, a spacecraft traveled through the vast cosmos toward an unknown destination. It was the Prometheus, a scientific exploration vessel carrying 27 crew members, advancing an unimaginable distance from Earth: 3.27 × 10¹⁴ KM.
Aboard the ship, the android David entered the hypersleep chamber and approached Elizabeth Shaw’s pod. He placed his hand on the capsule, activating the vital signs display, and used a special headset to access the doctor’s dream.
In the dream, a young Elizabeth, only eight years old, watched a group of African natives carrying a corpse into a sanctuary. She spoke with her father about death and the fate of souls, confronting questions about her deceased mother and the afterlife.
—What happened to that man, Daddy?
—He died.
—Why don’t you help them?
—They don’t want my help. Their god is different from ours.
—Why did he die?
—Because sooner or later, we all do.
—Just like Mommy?
—Just like Mommy.
—How did that man die?
—Ebola, I think.
—Where are they taking him?
—Everyone has their own word for it: Heaven, Arcadia, Zion, Paradise. Whatever they call it, I just know it’s a beautiful place.
—How do you know it’s beautiful?
—Because that’s what I choose to believe. What about you, Ellie?
—I don’t know. Will I meet God if I go to Heaven, Daddy?
—We all have to meet our creator sooner or later.
When the dream ended, David removed the headset. After watching Shaw in silence for a moment, he left the chamber.
David walked down a long, narrow, dark corridor until he reached a closed door. Upon arrival, he entered a command into the panel, and the door opened. He stepped inside and placed the visor-equipped headset on a table situated between two cryogenic capsules before leaving.
Later, while bouncing a basketball, he paused as he noticed a speck of dirt on the floor. He picked it up, examined it, and continued on his way. Then, as he cycled around the gym, he shot the ball repeatedly with perfect accuracy.
At another moment, David watched a holographic monitor displaying a man explaining aspects of an ancient Indo-European language.
—While this articulation is attested in Indo-European descendants as a purely paralinguistic form, it is phonemic in the ancestral form dating back five millennia or more. Let’s try Schleicher’s fable. Repeat after me… —instructed the man in the hologram.
The man spoke in that ancient language, and David repeated it perfectly.
Later, David was in Vickers' survival module watching Lawrence of Arabia, observing the scene of the match trick. It was evident that he had recently bleached his hair to a blonde shade.
—You do it too often. It’s just flesh and blood! —said the character Michael George Hartley.
—Michael George Hartley, you’re a philosopher —replied Lawrence.
—And you’re mad —exclaimed Potter.
A tear rolled down David’s expressionless face as Potter attempted and failed the match trick.
—Ow! That really hurts! —complained Potter.
—Certainly, it hurts —Lawrence responded calmly.
—Then what’s the trick? —asked Potter.
—The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts —answered Lawrence.
Later, in front of a mirror, David styled his blonde hair to replicate Peter O'Toole's look in the film. As he observed himself, he repeated in a precise voice:
—The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.
As the android David walked down a corridor, a sudden surge of tension followed by a loud crash threw him off balance, causing him to collide against a wall. Once the ship regained stability and gravity, David straightened himself, looking around in confusion.
In the cockpit, David approached a holographic monitor projecting a S.E.T.I.-type message.
The monitor activated, filling the air with music from The Beatles as a collage of images began to unfold: blue skies, whales gliding through the water in majestic leaps, a mother cradling her newborn. Over these scenes, a single word flashed on the screen: TRANSMITTING.
David touched the monitor, and a computerized voice interrupted the music with a calm, mechanical tone:
—Good morning, David. No response has been recorded.
David moved toward the observation platform, where the opening revealed the vastness of space and a small planetoid. Fascinated, he smiled. In the distance, the massive ship approached a gigantic gas planet surrounded by small natural satellites.
David headed toward a cryo-bay but stopped upon noticing that the door was open and wet footprints led out of it. Intrigued, he followed them to the survival module, where he found Meredith Vickers in her suite, doing push-ups on the floor, partially dressed.
—Robe! —ordered Vickers.
—Yes, madame —responded David, taking a robe from a hanger and waiting for her to take it.
—How long? —asked Vickers as she got up.
—Two years, four months, nineteen days, twelve hours, and fifteen minutes —replied the android.
Vickers took the robe and put it on before continuing:
—Any casualties?
—Casualties, madame? —David repeated.
—Has anyone died?
—No, madame. Everyone is fine —answered the android.
—Then wake them up —ordered Vickers, grabbing her clothes.
David smiled slightly before leaving the room.
David stood in the hypersleep chamber. He pressed a button on the panel, and soon the pods began to open one by one.
Minutes later, Elizabeth Shaw sat up, struggling against nausea and vomiting. David, calmly, placed a robe around her.
—Try to relax, Dr. Shaw. I am David. Your body and mind are in shock due to stasis —said the android gently.
—It’s okay, doctor. It’s completely normal. Is this your first time? —asked Dr. Ford from her own pod.
—Yes… —Shaw replied, still dazed.
—You get used to it after a while. The first few times, it feels like you’re going to die. Then… it’s like getting over a hangover —commented Ford in a calm tone.
Shaw, panting and groaning, looked at the other crew members, equally disoriented.
—We made it, my love —commented Holloway from his pod, just as Shaw vomited again.
At the other end of the room, other crew members were beginning to rise and stretch. Glasse, Brick, Stillwell, Downs, and Kamarov exchanged sleepy glances as they shook off the lethargy of sleep.
—Sleep well? —asked Brick, directing a friendly smile at Shaw.
—Yes… —she replied, still somewhat dizzy, trying to get her bearings.
At the same time, Idris Janek, the ship’s captain, got up from his pod and, almost immediately, put a cigar in his mouth.
—Chance… Ravel… you boys awake? —he asked in his usual commanding tone.
The pilots, Emun Chance and Benedict Ravel, were in the nearby pods, their drowsy voices soon responding.
—I was having a really good dream! —complained Chance, still half-asleep.
—Me too… And you were there… —added Ravel, a hint of a joke in his voice.
—Oh yeah? That’s funny —Chance replied, letting out a chuckle.
Janek clicked his tongue, cutting the conversation with his calm authority.
—Alright, boys, enough jokes. Let’s grab some food, have a beer, and get to work. I feel like I got hit by a truck. —The captain exhaled a cloud of smoke, waiting for his men to get moving.
In a virtual reality simulation recreating a park on a sunny day, the ship’s three mechanics, Dom, Wallace, and Barnes, were running together along a trail.
—Hey, Barnes, slow down a bit, will you? —protested Dom, trying to keep up.
—No way! I’m on a roll. Hey, Wallace, have you given up already, old man? —responded Barnes with a grin.
Wallace was lagging behind, struggling to catch up while breathing heavily.
Suddenly, the three men removed their virtual reality headsets, revealing that, in reality, they were running on gym treadmills inside the ship.
Later, in the dining hall, Shaw and Holloway stood in line in front of a coffee machine, holding large metal cups. Just as Shaw was about to step forward, a man with head tattoos and reddish hair cut in front of her and began pouring coffee into his cup.
—Excuse me, I was here first —said Shaw, irritated.
—And what do you want? A medal? —the man replied sarcastically, his attitude gruff.
Shaw glanced at Holloway, who sighed before tapping the man on the shoulder.
—Hey, man, wait in line like everyone else.
The tattooed man brushed Holloway’s hand away and took on a confrontational stance.
—Don’t touch me!
Shaw and Holloway stood still, watching as the man took his cup and walked away. At that moment, David approached them, smiling as he watched the man leave.
—What’s his problem? —asked Holloway.
—Dr. Sean Fifield is our geologist. He wouldn’t have been my first choice for a mission of this importance. He failed his pre-mission psychological evaluations and was expelled from his last two assignments due to his hostility and drug abuse —responded David, the android, in a calm tone.
—So why did Weyland hire someone like that? —asked Holloway.
—As I understand it, Mr. Weyland’s original crew selection was overridden in favor of Miss Vickers’ choices —explained David as he made his way to a table. Shaw followed and sat beside him.
Meanwhile, back at the coffee machine, Holloway was watching Shaw and David while filling his cup. That was when Ford arrived beside him.
—Oh! Is she feeling better already? —asked Ford, surprised.
—What? —Holloway responded, confused.
—Her, that woman… Dr. Shaw —Ford gestured toward her.
—That woman, Elizabeth Shaw, is my wife! —Holloway replied with a grin.
Holloway chuckled, glancing at Ford.
—Oh! I’m sorry, I didn’t know —Ford replied, laughing as well.
As the crew gathered for lunch, Vickers watched as Captain Janek placed a small Christmas tree on a pool table.
—What the hell is that thing? —asked Vickers, clear distaste in her tone.
—It’s Christmas —declared the captain with a lively tone—. We need to remember that, so we don’t forget that time keeps moving forward.
Carefully, he pulled a small ornament from a plastic box: a baby Jesus in a manger. He observed it for a moment before delicately hanging it on a nearby branch. Once finished, he gave it a gentle tap with his finger and, in an almost reverent whisper, said:
—Happy birthday, little one.
—As far as I know, time keeps moving forward, with or without decorations —Vickers replied, serious.
—First time deep into space, huh? —he joked, letting out a light chuckle.
Vickers chose to ignore his remark and continued.
—The briefing is about to start, Captain. You should head there.
—Well, I haven’t had breakfast yet —Janek said calmly, lighting a cigarette.
—Don’t you want to know why we’re here? —asked Vickers, part curious, part irritated.
—No, ma’am. I just fly the ship. Thought that’s what I was hired for —he answered with disinterest.
After speaking, Janek picked up the tree from the pool table and placed it on another nearby table. He stepped back a bit, looked at it with satisfaction, and then, turning to his pilots, exclaimed:
—’Tis the season to be jolly, boys… Ho, ho, ho!
Meanwhile, in the dining hall, Rafe Millburn, a biologist, approached a table with an empty chair and asked for permission to sit.
—Is this seat taken? Hi, I’m Millburn from biology, nice to meet you —said the biologist, smiling as he extended his hand toward Fifield, who sat across from him. However, the man barely looked at him, continuing to eat without paying attention, making Millburn awkwardly lower his hand.
—Listen, no offense, but… I’ve been asleep for two years. I’m not here to make friends. I’m here for the money, got it? —said Fifield with a hint of arrogance.
—Got it —Millburn replied, the smile fading from his face.
After finishing breakfast, the crew headed to the gym, where rows of chairs had been arranged for a presentation. Among the attendees, the ship’s pilots, Chance and Ravel, were discussing the possible purpose of the mission, as no clear information had been provided to them.
—I bet you 100 credits this is a survey for terraforming —said Chance with conviction.
—I don’t think so. If it were a survey, they would’ve told us already —Ravel replied, frowning.
—It’s a corporation. They won’t tell us anything —Chance insisted.
—Fine, 100 credits. Deal —concluded Ravel, shaking his companion’s hand.
As the other crew members began taking their seats, Holloway approached Shaw and sat beside her.
—You look a little nervous, Ellie —he commented with a smile.
—I’ll do my best to keep my feet on the ground —she replied, smiling back.
—I’m sure you will —he said, chuckling softly to ease the tension.
—They’ll think we’re crazy —she added, her tone a mix of humor and concern.
—Not if we keep it scientific —he responded confidently.
Finally, Vickers stepped in front of the audience and began speaking with a firm, professional tone:
—Good morning. To those I personally hired, I’m glad to see you again. For the rest, I’m Meredith Vickers, and my job is to make sure each of you does yours.
The audience remained silent, listening attentively.
—All right, let the show begin —she added.
Vickers nodded toward David before stepping aside. David, holding a device in his hands, activated a holographic screen that unfolded before everyone present. The hologram displayed an office on Mars, where an elderly man, around seventy years old, sat accompanied by a small dog. His aged appearance was due to the effects of radiation. Despite looking that old, he would be over ninety if not for spending a quarter of his life in cryogenic sleep. That man was Peter Weyland.
—Hello, friends. My name is Peter Weyland, I am your employer —Weyland began, as everyone watched attentively—. I am recording this on June 22, 2091, and if you are watching this message, it means you have arrived at your destination, and it also means that I am dead. May he rest in peace.
He paused briefly before continuing:
—Among you is a man named David. He is the closest thing to a son I will ever have. However, he is not human. He will never age and will never die, but he will also never be able to appreciate the incredible gift he possesses. Because, to do so, he would need something he will never have: a soul.
Vickers smirked discreetly, casting a look of disdain toward David.
Weyland continued:
—I have dedicated my life to pondering fundamental questions: Where do we come from? What is our purpose? What happens when we die? In my search, I found two people who convinced me they are close to answering them. Doctors Holloway and Shaw. Please, stand up.
Holloway and Shaw complied as Weyland went on:
—As far as this expedition is concerned, they are in charge. Now, let me tell you a story. The ship you are now aboard is called Prometheus. I named it after the titan who stole fire from the gods and gave it to primitive humanity, saving them from the cold and hunger of the Ice Age. Fire was our first great technology. However, the gods saw Prometheus as a traitor and punished him for saving us.
Weyland paused, as if weighing the gravity of his words before continuing:
—The gods wanted us to perish because they could not risk us becoming their equals. In the universe, there is only room for one supreme species, and they could not allow it to be us.
A spark of determination lit his voice as he concluded:
—But now, it will be Prometheus, humanity’s titan, who will bring a new kind of fire, and with it, a new era of human evolution.
Weyland looked forward, as if he could see them through the hologram.
—Doctors, explain to these people why they have traveled thirty-nine light-years from home. The floor is yours.
The holographic display faded as Holloway and Shaw stepped to the front of the room. Holloway let out a small chuckle before speaking:
—Well, wow… I’ve never spoken after a ghost before —he joked, while Shaw smiled—. All right, let me show you why we’re here.
With a determined motion, Holloway placed a cubic device on the floor and activated it.
A series of holograms rose from the device, revealing images of a dozen ancient tablets. Each one depicted a giant figure pointing toward the sky, indicating six small glowing orbs.
—These are images taken from archaeological excavations in different parts of the world: Egypt, the Mayan civilization, the Sumerians, Babylon, Hawaii, and Mesopotamia. We even discovered a thirty-five-thousand-year-old cave painting on the Isle of Skye in Scotland, our most recent find —explained Holloway as he gestured toward the holographic projections.
—These are ancient civilizations, separated by vast oceans and thousands of years. Some are even divided by tens of millennia, with no possible way of having had contact with each other. And yet, we found a remarkable connection.
Holloway pointed to one of the holograms displaying a particular pictogram.
—The same symbol: a group of men worshipping giant figures pointing to the stars. This pictogram appeared in all these cultures, regardless of their location or era.
He touched one of the glowing orbs, and the hologram shifted to a representation of the galaxy. The orbs remained in place, aligning to connect with six specific stars.
—And this led us here —he continued, touching another part of the hologram—. After years of searching, we found that the only galactic system that matched is thirty-nine point four light-years from Earth. But it turns out that this system has a sun very similar to our own.
The image shifted again, displaying a sun much like Earth’s. Then, it changed to a ringed gas giant with several moons orbiting it. Names appeared above each moon: “LV-133,” “LV-223,” and “LV-426.” The gas giant was labeled “Calpamos.”
Finally, the image zoomed in on the moon labeled “LV-426,” offering a detailed close-up.
—And according to our long-range scans, there appeared to be a planet. Only one planet with a moon that we believe is capable of sustaining life. And we arrived there this morning —Holloway concluded, his voice carrying a mix of excitement and anticipation—. Everything indicates that this is where we will find the answers.
—So, you're telling me that we're here because of a map you two found in a bunch of caves? Is that it? Or am I missing something? —asked Fifield with incredulity and an arrogant tone.
—Yes.
—No.
Holloway and Shaw answered at the same time, causing them to glance at each other. Holloway let out a smile and, with a gesture, allowed Shaw to speak.
—No, it's not a map —Shaw clarified, looking at Fifield firmly—. It's an invitation.
—An invitation? —Fifield asked mockingly—. An invitation from who?
—We call them Engineers —Shaw replied calmly.
—Engineers? —Fifield repeated, still mocking—. And could you tell us what exactly they engineered?
—They engineered us —Shaw answered seriously.
—Bullshit! —Fifield declared, almost laughing.
—Aliens? Seriously? —Downs said, clearly skeptical.
—Are you kidding us? —added Glasse with a doubtful expression.
Holloway looked at them with a mix of enthusiasm and patience, determined to explain his theory.
—I believe all of our mythologies are racial memories of the Engineers —he began—. Horus, the sun god. Prometheus bringing fire from the heavens. A pillar of fire, a pillar of smoke. The Engineers are the gods.
Kamarov, upon hearing this, tensed up, interpreting Holloway's words as blasphemy.
—The gods of mythology, maybe. But God is God —Kamarov replied firmly.
—Kamarov, let him speak —Stillwell intervened, trying to keep the group calm.
Stillwell turned his gaze toward the ancient images projected on the screen: representations of gods and titans towering over mortals, inhuman and terrifying. A hint of sadness crossed his face.
—So... are we going to meet these things? —Stillwell asked, not taking his eyes off the images.
—That’s our plan —Shaw responded in an analytical tone—. The Engineers have disappeared from Earth. According to the pattern, they should have returned seventeen centuries ago. And then again six centuries ago. But there’s no trace of them. After twelve thousand years... they just stopped coming.
—Why? —Brick asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and concern.
—Exactly. Why? —Holloway repeated, his tone filled with mystery.
—Is that the big question we’ve traveled light-years to answer? —Glasse inquired, crossing his arms in disbelief.
—It’s just my first question —Holloway said with a slight smile—. We have many more.
Millburn stepped in, trying to sound more rational:
—Okay, do you have anything to back this up? Listen, if you want to throw out three centuries of Darwinism, that’s your choice. But how do you know?
Shaw met his gaze without hesitation.
—I don’t know —she admitted sincerely—. But it’s what I choose to believe.
Millburn shook his head, bewildered, and glanced at Fifield for support. But instead of responding, Fifield simply frowned in silence.
Meanwhile, David watched Shaw. He remained still, but his expression seemed contemplative. He recognized those very same words, remembering that Shaw’s father had spoken them in the dream he had accessed from her memories.
Holloway, noticing the crew’s hesitation, decided to take the lead and inspire them.
—It doesn’t matter what we believe. What matters is what we can prove. And now, we have the chance to be the first of our species to literally meet our creators —he said, his eyes shining with passion—. So let’s go there and see what they have to say.
The crew listened in silence, but the air grew thick with unease. Their expressions told the same story:
What the hell have we gotten ourselves into?
Meanwhile, in space, the ship continued its journey, gliding past the majestic gas giant surrounded by rings. Slowly, it approached the small planetoid lying just ahead.
Later, in one of the ship's corridors, Shaw walked briskly, clearly upset, leaving Holloway behind.
—You know? You could’ve backed me up a little more in there —she reprimanded, stopping just enough to look at him with frustration.
—Oh, come on! What did you expect? How did you think they’d react? —Holloway responded in a defensive tone.
—God, you’re impossible —she shot back, turning to walk away again.
—Hey! Hey, wait! —Holloway called after her, quickly following.
Shaw stopped reluctantly, and Holloway stepped closer.
—They might be laughing now, but they won’t when we show them proof. Trust me, Ellie —he said, trying to reassure her.
Before Shaw could respond, a voice interrupted their conversation.
—Doctors?
Both turned to see David standing there, offering a polite smile as he gestured toward an adjacent hallway.
—Miss Vickers wishes to speak with you before your adventure begins —the android informed them, smoothly opening the hatch beside him.
The three entered Vickers’ suite in the module. As Holloway and Shaw looked around, David stood near the minibar.
—Wow, nice place —Holloway remarked, surprised—. Looks completely different from the rest of the ship.
—Actually, this is a self-contained module with its own autonomous life support. Air, food, everything Miss Vickers would need to survive in a hostile environment —David explained, without looking at the others.
—So… she lives in a lifeboat? —Holloway asked with mild irony.
Vickers arrived behind the trio and, overhearing the conversation, interjected.
—Yes, that’s right. I like to minimize risk —Vickers replied with an indifferent tone. Then, she turned to David—. David, why don’t you fix the doctors a drink?
—Yes, madam —the android responded, obeying immediately.
—I’ll have a vodka. Neat —Vickers said as she made herself comfortable.
Shaw stepped through an open doorway leading to an emergency preparation room. Inside, she approached a medical capsule. A Med-Pod.
—Charlie, look at this —she said, pointing at the machine—. It’s a Pauling medical pod. They only made a dozen of these.
Shaw touched the panel, and a computerized voice responded.
—Please verbally state the nature of your injury.
— Miss Shaw, please don’t touch that. It’s a very delicate piece of machinery —Vickers said in a firm tone.
—It performs arterial surgeries. Why do you need it? —Shaw asked curiously, not taking her eyes off the capsule.
Shaw stepped closer and stopped beside Holloway.
—I believe there may be some confusion about our relationship —Vickers began, speaking seriously—. Weyland considered you important enough to be part of this mission.
—But I’m fairly certain your Engineers are nothing more than doodles made by savages living in filthy caves —she continued with disdain—. But let’s say I’m wrong and you actually find those beings down there. You will not contact them. You will not speak to them. You will do nothing except report to me.
—Miss Vickers, is there a plan you’re not telling us about? —Holloway asked, crossing his arms.
Vickers looked at him seriously.
—My company financed 80% of a decade’s worth of work to find this place and bring us here. If you had secured that money yourself, Dr. Holloway, I’d be happy to follow your plan. But you didn’t. Which makes you an employee, working for me and the company —Vickers responded firmly.
David, holding a glass of neat vodka, approached Vickers and remained at her side like a butler.
—But if we can’t establish contact, why did you even bring us here? —Shaw asked, confused.
Vickers settled into a lounge chair, taking the vodka glass while maintaining her serious expression
—Weyland was a superstitious man. He wanted true believers on board —she answered—. Cheers.
Shaw, surprised, looked at Holloway, who smirked. He scoffed before glancing at David. As they locked eyes, the android’s smile slowly faded into a serious expression.
—I’m sorry, no —the android replied in his usual tone.
—Maybe they didn’t understand it —said Holloway—. So, how are your lessons going, David?
David remained impassive.
—I spent two years deconstructing dozens of ancient languages down to their roots. I am quite certain I can communicate with them, provided your thesis is correct —he responded.
—"Provided it’s correct." That’s reassuring —Holloway commented sarcastically.
—That’s why they call it a "thesis," doctor —David replied with a slight condescending tone.
The two locked eyes, sharing an antagonistic smirk before David withdrew. Shaw, who had been quietly observing, smiled softly.
—What are you laughing at? —Holloway asked, looking at her.
—Nothing —she replied, still with a faint smile on her lips.
Outside the massive bridge window, the star Zeta 2 Reticuli shone like a cold beacon in the darkness of space. Janek paced in front of the window, watching Shaw and Holloway’s reactions as they stared in awe at the view. He smirked in satisfaction at their amazement.
—Welcome to Zeta Two Reticuli. Edge of the system. Open your eyes —Janek said.
The Prometheus "opened its eyes": two enormous telescopes emerged from its structure, their irises unfolding to reveal massive lenses. Antennas extended as well, like vast, gleaming wings, prepared to sift through the void for any whisper of information.
Through the window, the system’s planets appeared as mere points of light.
—Seven planets: two hot rocks, two gas giants, three snowballs. Nothing Earth-like —announced Janek.
Shaw smiled at Holloway, her eyes shining with excitement.
—The first humans in this system —Shaw said with pride.
—Run an EMR scan: thirty hertz to three hundred gigahertz. Spectroscopic passes on every planet and major moon. Infrared and albedo scans for hotspots and light sources —ordered Holloway, wanting to check for any signs of the Engineers elsewhere in the solar system before focusing on the moon that had piqued their interest.
—The man knows what he wants. Execute it —Janek nodded.
The telescopes rotated and focused as the antennas adjusted with precision. On the screens, the nearest planet to the star, Alpha, quickly appeared. The ship’s sensors began breaking it down into layers, producing a massive flow of chemical, magnetic, orbital, and topographic data that flooded the screens, casting a glow on the faces of those present.
The scan progressed from planet to planet.
—Negative for radio signals. Nobody's talking —reported Ravel.
—Negative for laser and maser —added Chance.
The data stream completed its analysis of the planets and moved on to explore the moons of the gas giants.
—No biological markers. No artificial light. No signs of industry or agriculture. The system is dead, as always —declared Chance.
—It’s also very poor. Low in heavy elements —added Ravel.
Finally, the screen displayed Epsilon, a gas giant surrounded by numerous moons. The data highlighted one moon in particular—the one mentioned by Shaw and Holloway in their presentation: LV-426.
—Eighty-six percent of Earth’s mass. Weak metal signals —reported Ravel.
Holloway asked impatiently:
—Anything else?
The sensors completed their analysis of the last moon.
—That’s all —Janek replied.
—Take us in, Captain —ordered Holloway.
The Prometheus retracted its massive antennas and telescopes. The engines roared to life, and the ship launched toward the gas giant Epsilon and its mysterious moon.
Janek settled into his chair, followed by Ravel and Chance.
—Alright, Mr. Ravel, Mr. Chance, time to descend —Janek ordered.
—Understood —Chance responded.
—Yes, Captain —Ravel nodded.
—Chance, have you found us a spot? —Janek asked.
—Yes, Captain. Descent trajectory mapped —Chance confirmed.
Just then, Shaw approached and stopped beside Janek.
—How’s it going? —Shaw asked.
—Great —Janek replied—. Our mini satellite probes scanned the planet. So far, no signs of your gods. Why don’t you take a seat, Dr. Shaw, and strap in?
Janek pressed a button, and his voice echoed over the overhead intercom.
—All personnel, this is the Captain. Prepare for entry. You too, Vickers.
—All systems online —the ship’s computer announced.
The ship was now just a few miles above the planetoid’s upper atmosphere. It began a silent descent into the atmosphere, and seconds after entry, the engines roared, engulfed in flames from friction.
As they passed through the upper layers, Janek leaned toward the console.
—What’s the atmosphere made of? —he asked.
—It’s 71% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and trace amounts of argon gas —Ravel replied.
Janek rose from his seat and stepped onto the observation platform, watching as hurricane-like clouds swirled violently.
—Well, now that’s some weather —he said sarcastically.
—Just like home —Holloway added, equally sarcastic.
Ford, reviewing the data, interjected:
—Only if you can breathe exhaust fumes. CO₂ levels are over three percent. Without a suit, you wouldn’t last long.
From the console, Chance reported:
—Terrain data loading. We’ve got a couple of hard points; could be metal. We’re forty miles from the probe’s marked location, Captain.
The ship descended further, revealing an alien landscape. A mountain range, similar to the Himalayas yet unmistakably otherworldly, stretched before them. Compared to these mountains, the Prometheus seemed like a tiny ant. As they advanced, a faint trail followed in their wake as they approached a second layer of dense, electrified clouds, where active volcanoes pulsed with energy.
The Prometheus maneuvered side to side, dodging the dangerous electric currents, and finally emerged over a desert with dunes shaped like pyramids. From there, it headed toward a series of rocky mountains, as the landscape grew even more intriguing and mysterious.
—Captain, the probe indicates the point of interest is somewhere around here, but I’m not picking up any radio signals or heat sources —Ravel reported from his station.
—Keep looking —Janek replied calmly.
—No one’s home. We’re alone —Millburn commented with a serious expression, while Shaw shot him a slightly irritated look at his skepticism.
—You’d think Weyland would be satisfied with conquering just one planet. Does he really need the whole galaxy too? —Ford said, her tone dripping with sarcasm.
—There is nothing in the desert, and no man needs nothing —David suddenly interjected, breaking the silence.
Ford glanced at him, puzzled.
—What did you say?
—It’s just a line from a movie I like —the android replied with a slight smile.
The Prometheus continued its flight, soaring over a landscape reminiscent of the Grand Canyon, with deep ravines and rock formations. Further ahead, the terrain flattened out, covered in rocks and sand, with massive, strange patterns that evoked the Nazca Lines in Peru.
Then, suddenly, to the northwest, the ship descended under a clear sky, revealing a breathtaking sight: Dome-shaped pyramid structures nestled within craters hundreds of meters in diameter, connected by deep trenches forming an intricate pattern, like crop circles carved into the rock.
Holloway was the first to notice the imposing figures, his eyes widening with awe as the ship moved toward them.
Holloway suddenly jumped from his seat and ran toward the observation window beside Janek, pointing excitedly toward the horizon.
—Charlie! What are you doing? —Shaw asked, bewildered by his reaction.
—Dr. Holloway, why are you leaving your seat? —Janek questioned, frowning.
—Captain, over there! What is that? —Holloway said, frantically pointing.
—What? I don’t see anything —Janek replied, straining to identify what Holloway was referring to.
—Look where I’m pointing! —Holloway insisted, gesturing more emphatically.
Finally, Janek managed to spot what Holloway was indicating, and his expression shifted to a mix of surprise and curiosity.
—Ah, yeah... What the hell is that?
—God doesn’t build in straight lines —Holloway responded, still in awe—. Look at this valley! Captain, do you think you could land the ship down there, near those structures?
Janek smirked confidently, crossing his arms.
—I wouldn’t be a good pilot if I couldn’t.
Then, he turned to his officers.
—Mr. Ravel, Mr. Chance, prepare for descent. Bring us closer to those structures, but not too close. We don’t want ET getting mad over not getting a sequel —he added with a hint of sarcasm as he returned to his seat.
Ravel and Chance exchanged glances before nodding and beginning to execute the orders, guiding the Prometheus toward the mysterious structures.
The Prometheus smoothly adjusted course, heading directly toward the line of pyramids. At the center of the main crater stood a massive dome, significantly larger than the others. The Prometheus circled the site, allowing the crew to take in its sheer scale. The structure was imposing, cryptic, and colossal, radiating an unsettling mystery.
—One mile, port side —Janek indicated.
—One mile, port side —Ravel confirmed, following the direction.
—Shutting down thrusters. Engaging vertical flight. In five... four… —Chance counted down.
—Initiate landing sequence —the captain ordered.
—Commencing landing —Ravel acknowledged, executing the command.
—Switching to manual mode —Janek instructed.
—Switching to manual mode —Ravel repeated.
—Take it easy. Alright, guys, let’s ease her down nice and slow —Janek said, referring to the ship.
Gradually reducing speed, the Prometheus executed an almost vertical descent, settling just a mile from the first pyramid.
The Prometheus lands, kicking up a storm of sand that quickly begins to settle.
—Landing in five, four, three, two... one. —Chance’s voice echoes over the intercom.
The ship makes a flawless descent, touching down with precision. The engines gradually power down as the sandstorm fully dissipates.
—The Prometheus has landed. Well done, gentlemen. Next round’s on me. —Janek declares with a satisfied smile.
Shaw and Holloway rush to the observation window, gazing at the massive pyramid two miles away. The structure, worn by time, displays eroded facets that seem to tell stories of an ancient and forgotten past. One by one, the rest of the crew joins them. Though some remain skeptical, the sight provokes a moment of collective awe.
Shaw observes the pyramid with fascination, while Holloway, overcome with excitement, grabs her in his arms and kisses her passionately. Then, he spreads his arms wide as if wanting to embrace the entire scene before them.
—Captain, could you order the reconnaissance team to suit up and meet us at the airlock? —Holloway requests urgently.
Janek frowns, assessing the situation.
—There are only six hours of daylight left. Why not wait until morning? —he suggests pragmatically.
Holloway shakes his head, his excitement undeniable.
—We’ve got that outside the window, and you want to wait until morning? If they’re really out there, it’s best we introduce ourselves first. God knows how they’d react if we kept them waiting. —He pauses, a mischievous smile crossing his face before adding— Besides, it’s Christmas, Captain, and I want to open my presents.
Janek sighs but allows a faint smile, his decision clear.
Holloway claps excitedly and, as he turns to leave, gestures toward David.
—You, boy! You’re coming with us! —he calls to the android.
David nods calmly.
—I’d be delighted. —he replies.
Meanwhile, in Vickers’ suite within the module, a man named Jackson enters, followed closely by his three subordinates: Lion and the twins, Liam and Henry Johnson, maintaining a tight formation.
Vickers turns to face them, a calculated smile on her lips.
—You wanted to see us, ma’am? —Jackson asks, his voice firm and professional.
—Yes. I never had the chance to speak with you or your men before departure. —Vickers replies, her tone cold but controlled.
Jackson shrugs.
—No, we didn’t. But what can I do for you?
Vickers crosses her arms and locks eyes with him.
—I don’t want any of you going in there. —she states firmly.
Jackson raises an eyebrow, clearly confused.
—So we’re not following them?
—When you take them to the place they think they’re looking for, you and your men will stay with the vehicles. —Vickers orders coldly— Your mission is not to protect them. Those scientists are not our priority. I want you to remember that. Any questions?
Jackson smirks with a hint of sarcasm.
—Yeah, actually. Where the hell did the old man hire these goons? I talked to a biologist, and the guy’s dumber than a damn swamp rat. If these people are scientists, then IQ levels must’ve plummeted since I got out of school.
Vickers lets out a quiet chuckle.
—The old man didn’t hire them. I did.
Jackson narrows his eyes, puzzled.
—Why? You want them to fail or something?
Vickers’ smile widens, full of calculated irony.
—You were always too smart for this job, Jackson. —she says, a hint of mockery in her voice.
To be continued...
Chapter 2: The Expedition
Chapter Text
The crew prepared themselves, adjusting their suits and helmets while checking their equipment. Suddenly, Jackson entered the room, carrying a pulse carbine rifle. With precise movements, he inserted a magazine into the weapon, and the ammo counter lit up on the side.
Shaw looked up, noticing the weapon.
—Hey, Jackson, what’s that for? —she asked curiously.
Jackson responded calmly while verifying his gear.
—Expedition security. My job is to make sure everyone stays safe and sound.
Shaw frowned, clearly displeased.
—This is a scientific expedition. Weapons aren’t allowed. Besides, the last thing you’d want to do is point a gun at whoever created us in the first place.
Jackson glanced at her, indifferent, as he finished adjusting the rifle.
—Alright then. Good luck with that. —he replied, dismissing Shaw’s concerns before exiting the room.
Meanwhile, Holloway observed David as the android carefully adjusted his suit. With a mocking smile, Holloway snapped his fingers to get his attention.
—David, why are you wearing a suit, buddy? —he asked in an amused tone.
David looked up, visibly uncomfortable.
—Excuse me?
Holloway widened his grin, noticing the android’s reaction.
—You don’t breathe, right? So, what’s the suit for?
David responded with composure, though his tone hinted at mild irritation.
—I was designed this way because your species feels more comfortable interacting with its own. If I didn’t wear the suit, my presence would be less comprehensible to you.
Holloway crossed his arms, maintaining his mocking attitude.
—They make you pretty realistic, huh?
David looked at him with a slight, almost defiant smile.
—Not too much, I hope.
The expedition team exited the airlocks, mounted on cargo rovers—robotic vehicles designed to transport their owners or follow them automatically.
The platforms of the rovers were loaded with equipment, while the explorers occupied seats mounted on the running boards. Everyone was wearing their space suits.
The crew, composed of ten people, headed toward three parked vehicles: two futuristic sand buggies and an armored APC-type vehicle. Jackson and one of his men got into one of the buggies, while the other two soldiers took the other. David and Ford occupied the driver and co-pilot seats in the cargo rover, while Shaw, Holloway, Millburn, and Fifield settled in the back.
The ship’s ramp opened, and the three vehicles descended into the vast valley. The buggies led the way, accelerating toward the imposing pyramid.
Inside the rover, Millburn, seated across from Fifield, smiled at him in a friendly manner. Fifield frowned, changed seats, and shook his head in clear displeasure.
—Idiot! —muttered Fifield.
Meanwhile, Holloway was visibly excited, his legs shaking with anticipation.
—Hello, baby, this is just one small step for man, —he joked with Shaw.
—Seriously? —she replied, giving him a stern look.
Holloway let out a laugh, then leaned toward Fifield and patted him on the shoulder.
—Wow! You’re ready for this. I know you are.
Fifield glared at him and responded bluntly:
—Go to hell!
The three vehicles stopped in front of the largest pyramid. Jackson and his men stood by the buggy, observing the imposing structure in awe. Meanwhile, Shaw, Holloway, and the others descended from the rover and gathered in front of the pyramid, equally fascinated. Shaw elbowed Holloway and pointed to an opening at the base of the structure.
—Fifield, I want a spectrograph of this structure. I need to know if it’s natural or if someone built it, —ordered Holloway.
—I can’t tell you if it’s natural or not, but what I can tell you is that it’s hollow, —Fifield responded while checking his instruments.
—Pathogen tests are clear, but the air here would still kill us, so keep track of your supplies and check your suit seals, —Shaw informed the team.
She took a few steps forward to examine the pyramid more closely.
—Prometheus, are you seeing this? —she asked, impressed.
Aboard the ship, Janek, Ravel, Chance, and Vickers were in front of a series of monitors broadcasting live images from the helmet cameras of the ten crew members.
—Affirmative. We see it. But what the hell is that? —Janek responded, intrigued.
—Are you guys ready? —Shaw asked, flashing a smile at her husband.
—Let’s do this, —Holloway replied with determination.
—Move slowly, stay together, and don’t touch anything. Things could be more fragile than they seem... or more dangerous. There might be technologies here that we don’t understand, —Holloway warned seriously.
The crew exchanged nervous glances. They still didn’t know what to expect.
—Prometheus, we’re going in, —Shaw informed through the communicator.
—Copy that, —Janek responded from the ship.
The entire group moved toward the Pyramid, except for Jackson, Leon, and the twins, who stayed behind to guard the vehicles as per Vickers’ orders.
The trench grew deeper as they followed it toward the central crater, with the pyramid’s peak framed before them like a monument at the end of a triumphant avenue.
They crossed a perpendicular channel. Looking left and right, they saw smaller craters, each with its own central peak. They passed beneath the shadow of a tall stone promontory rising over one of the canal’s edges. Though they didn’t notice it, the opposite side of the promontory bore a massive, eroded face, reminiscent of a sphinx. Its features were so worn down that it was uncertain whether it was artificial in origin.
The crater floor was a vast enclosed plain. At its center, the pyramidal mount loomed on a colossal scale, imposing in its magnitude. The explorers descended into the crater, leaving behind columns of dust. They circled the pyramid cautiously, their eyes fixed on every detail.
On the southern face of the structure, they discovered an iris door composed of multiple blades, standing at least fifteen meters tall. It appeared to be made from the same basaltic stone as the Pyramid—a monumental and astonishing work.
The group stood frozen, overwhelmed by the magnitude of the discovery. Any trace of skepticism had vanished.
—Irrefutable proof of extraterrestrial civilization. History will remember our names, —Holloway said with a wide smile.
Shaw stepped closer, examining the iris in detail. The lowest blade was broken, shattered into pieces among the rubble at the base of the door. The remaining opening had an irregular, jagged shape—like the edge of a knife—beckoning them into the Pyramid.
The group moved toward the opening at the base of the Pyramid, stopping right at its threshold. A gust of air rushed from within, creating a mist that blended with a strange, eerie sound produced by the wind as it whistled from the depths.
With flashlights in hand, Shaw led the group into the tunnel, followed by Holloway, Ford, David, and Millburn. Each step was a leap into the unknown.
The group entered the opening, their silhouettes slowly vanishing into the mist as the Pyramid seemed to watch them in ominous silence.
Fifield, however, hesitated for a moment, glancing around with evident panic. He was sweating, breathing heavily, and muttering something inaudible before finally gathering the courage to follow them.
Inside, the group advanced through a tunnel whose walls were slick, almost organic, covered in a strange material that seemed to pulse faintly. Scattered fragments of bones lay around them, casting unsettling shadows under the glow of their flashlights.
—If there's anything here worth discovering, these babies will find it, —Fifield replied confidently.
—Babies? What are you talking about? —Millburn asked, visibly puzzled.
—Yeah, my babies. My precious babies, —Fifield answered with pride, a touch of arrogance in his voice.
Fifield retrieved four small flying probes from his equipment, each spherical and about the size of a hand, and proceeded to activate them. Releasing them into the air, the probes swiftly maneuvered through the tunnel, scanning every corner with precise red laser beams.
The probes emitted peculiar sounds, resembling howls and panting, almost like a dog's breathing. Caught up in the moment, Fifield let out a wolf-like howl, eliciting smiles from the rest of the team, who couldn't help but marvel at the impressive technology unfolding before them.
Fifield adjusted his equipment and spoke through the communicator:
—Prometheus, we're mapping now.
On the ship’s bridge, the pilots and Janek leaned toward the monitor screen, watching in amazement as the scan data unfolded.
—Copy that, —Janek responded over the communicator—. Hey, why don’t you guys head back to the ship and wait until we finish scanning the place?
—No way, —Holloway replied firmly from inside the pyramid—. We've already passed the point of no return.
Janek sighed in exasperation and muttered:
—Stupid idiot.
Holloway’s response came with an amused tone:
—I heard that...
Paying no further attention, Janek turned toward the tactical table. On it, a holographic map of the pyramid’s interior began to take shape. The intricate structures and corridors emerged in a three-dimensional display, capturing every detail. Janek crossed his arms as an ironic smile formed on his face.
—Well, I'll be damned... —he muttered, letting the sarcasm in his tone mask his genuine astonishment.
Meanwhile, inside the Pyramid, the group continued advancing through the darkness of the tunnels.
—Fifield, do you have any readings? —Millburn asked, his tone a mix of curiosity and impatience.
—Shit... This is fucking useless... I’m not getting anything from this, —Fifield replied, frowning as he checked his devices.
—Why the hell not? —Millburn insisted, staring at the drones as if expecting them to come to life and answer for themselves.
—I don’t know. It’s just not working, —Fifield replied, exasperated.
The group paused for a moment while Fifield tried to recalibrate the probes. Apparently, the walls of the pyramid were causing interference, preventing the drones from fully scanning the tunnels.
—So, what you’re saying is, if we get lost, we’re screwed? —Millburn asked, his concern now evident.
—Exactly... This way, I think, —Fifield answered, pointing in a direction, though his tone didn’t inspire much confidence.
After a few minutes of walking in silence, the tension in the group began to build. The darkness of the tunnel seemed to devour the light from their flashlights, and the echo of their footsteps made everything feel even more unsettling.
—Fifield, any signal? —Holloway asked, breaking the silence, his voice echoing down the corridor.
Fifield quickly checked the probe data. A flicker of relief crossed his face.
—Yeah, the babies say this way, —he replied, pointing more decisively to a leftward fork.
The group exchanged glances, and without further discussion, they followed Fifield into the unknown.
—Look… Is that a door? —Ford asked, pointing to an entrance on the right side of the hallway.
—Look at this… —Holloway murmured, astonished as he observed the peculiar features of the place.
The central chamber gradually illuminated as the sun outside aligned perfectly, casting a focused beam of light into the center of the room.
A deep sigh, as if the pyramid itself were breathing, echoed through the air. Suddenly, a thick drop of water fell onto Shaw’s glove. Startled, she looked up just as another drop slid down her visor. Within seconds, it began to rain inside the pyramid.
The water seeped into the depths, soaking the mossy growths that covered the walls.
Holloway looked at Shaw with a smile full of childlike wonder.
—Miracles and wonders! —he exclaimed excitedly.
The beam of light continued its path, and the central chamber began to darken slightly. The rain stopped as abruptly as it had begun, leaving behind an air thick with mystery.
—Jesus, the sunlight is heating the water. Look at the humidity, —Ford added in awe, analyzing the readings on her equipment.
—Yeah, and check out the CO₂ levels. Outside, it's completely toxic, but in here, there's nothing. It’s breathable, —Holloway confirmed, examining the data on his visor.
Suddenly, a bold smile appeared on his face. He glanced at Shaw with a knowing look before beginning to unfasten his helmet.
—Charlie, what are you doing? Don’t be an idiot! —Shaw exclaimed, alarmed as she realized his intentions.
—Don’t be so skeptical. If the air were poisonous, our devices would’ve already told us. You yourself said the environmental analysis came out clean, right? Look how far we’ve come, Ellie. We trust our lives to this technology; we depend on it to survive. David, am I wrong? —Holloway responded, looking at Shaw and then at the android.
David, in his unshakable tone, nodded.
—Dr. Holloway is correct. The air here is safe and breathable.
—Cleaner than Earth’s, actually, —Ford added, checking her own data.
—They were terraforming this place. I don’t need this damn thing anymore, —Holloway declared with a defiant grin, gripping his helmet as Shaw tried to stop him.
—Charlie, no! —Shaw pleaded desperately.
The communicator crackled with Captain Janek’s voice.
—Dr. Holloway, do you copy? Do not remove your helmet!
Holloway ignored the warnings. With a decisive motion, he took off his helmet and drew in a deep breath. For a moment, everyone held their breath. Then, he broke into a wide smile and let out a triumphant laugh.
—Wow! —Holloway shouted ecstatically, his voice echoing off the chamber walls. Excitement and relief filled the air as everyone exchanged glances, still incredulous at the experience.
Shaw let out a relieved sigh but couldn’t resist giving him a light punch on the shoulder.
—Crazy fool… —she muttered, caught between scolding and relief.
One by one, the team members began removing their helmets, following Holloway’s lead. Even Fifield, always skeptical, grinned as he took his off.
—Prometheus, link up the cameras on our suits if you want to keep watching this monster show. We’re taking off our helmets, —Fifield reported mockingly.
—Copy that. Switching feed, —Ravel responded over the comms.
Suddenly, Millburn’s excited shout shattered the calm.
—Oh my God! Oh my God! Guys? Look at this… Oh my God! —he exclaimed, kneeling beside a small pool of water.
Several worm-like organisms were slowly wriggling through the water, moving in a hypnotic fashion.
—Honey, you might want to see this. Hey, guys, come here, —Holloway called out, pointing toward the creatures—. Look at what we’ve found: a new organism.
—Across all the systems we’ve cataloged, we’ve never seen anything more complex than bacteria. But this… this is life. We’ve found life beyond Earth, —Millburn leaned closer to the pool, fascinated—. Come on, baby, don’t be scared… Come here.
Carefully, Millburn scooped up one of the alien worms and placed it inside a sealed container. The creature squirmed slightly before settling inside.
David took the container from Millburn’s hands and examined it with his usual composure.
—Our first alien, —the android remarked with a faint smile.
Holloway and Shaw exchanged satisfied glances, sharing the moment of triumph.
Fifield, less impressed, crossed his arms.
—Guess we’re real lucky to have you here, Millburn, Mr. Biology. But listen, guys, I know this is an incredible discovery, but I think we should head back to the ship, chill out, and come back tomorrow.
Holloway shook his head, resolute.
—No, let’s keep going. There’s another door up ahead. Let’s check it out, —he said, leading the group toward the next area, his excitement undiminished.
Meanwhile, on the bridge of the Prometheus, pilots Ravel and Chance were chatting animatedly, picking up on a bet they had made.
—Well, Ravel, pay up what you owe me, —Chance said with a triumphant smile.
—Pay up? Pay what? —Ravel asked, pretending not to understand.
—What do you mean, "pay what"? Something down there is making breathable air. That, my friend, is terraforming. The bet was clear! —Chance replied, crossing his arms.
Ravel shook his head, holding his ground.
—No, no. The bet was about the reason for our mission. If you had said the old man wanted to talk to ET, then I’d pay you. But that’s not the case.
Chance sighed in exasperation but kept his good humor.
—Come on, it's just a hundred credits. I’ll pay for Janek’s music lessons, and on top of that, I’ll treat you to a private exotic dance from Miss Vickers. How about that? —he said, winking as he grinned widely.
Ravel let out a laugh, shaking his head.
—You’re impossible, Chance.
The explorers moved along the main path, skirting the perimeter of a chamber and passing by a gallery of mysterious machines.
In the shadows, astonishing wonders were revealed: cells within the dark apparatuses opened to reveal dazzling deposits. There were alabaster flutes of translucent sheen, honeycombs of pure gold, and crystal matrices that reflected light in a hypnotic dance.
Shaw walked, using a scanning instrument.
—Intense field readings. There are enormous energy sources here, —she reported.
The group arrived at a wide opening in the floor. A strange ramp curved downward, its surface segmented and serrated.
The structure puzzled the explorers—it was neither a staircase nor an escalator. There were no moving parts, rails, or visible tracks.
—There's space beneath us. A vast space, —Holloway observed.
As they inspected it, a probe tumbled down the ramp, bouncing slightly as it descended. Shaw smiled, intrigued.
—How does this work? —she asked, fascinated.
Without hesitation, she began descending on foot, followed closely by Holloway. The rest of the team followed suit, reaching the bottom of the ramp, slightly breathless from the effort. Looking back up, they noticed that the ramp was now empty—there was no trace of the probe.
Ahead of them, a broad hallway stretched forward, punctuated by large alcoves shaped like seashells. Inside each alcove, a biomechanical apparatus stood, constructed from the same dark material as the pyramid. Its design suggested it was meant to house giants.
Holloway and Shaw walked slowly through the vestibule, their flashlights illuminating the imposing dark machinery. Their footsteps echoed through the silence, heightening the sense of awe and mystery.
The group proceeded cautiously through another tunnel, where absolute darkness reigned, broken only by the beams of their lights. The atmosphere was oppressive, and the sound of their steps reverberated against the walls.
—It's minus twelve degrees in here, —Ford reported, checking her suit's readings.
—Then why isn't this water frozen? —Millburn asked, looking at the small streams that crossed their path.
—Maybe it's not water, —Fifield replied dryly.
—Maybe it's Martian piss, —Millburn joked sarcastically.
Fifield scoffed and looked at him incredulously.
—That’s your great scientific theory, Mr. Biology?
—Whatever it is, I bet it’s got collagen or some weird kind of sediment, —Millburn said, ignoring the sarcasm.
Fifield let out a short laugh.
—Just be grateful those "piss worms" were so small.
Millburn frowned, puzzled.
—Why?
—Because worms don’t usually survive in the cold. They look for a warm place to live. Be thankful it wasn’t your stomach, —Fifield answered with a tone that was both mocking and cautionary.
Millburn, without losing his composure, replied:
—We’re wearing stab-proof vests, reinforced gloves, and helmets. No worm or snake could get through these suits.
Fifield smirked sarcastically, shaking his head.
—You always have an answer for everything, don’t you, Mr. Biology?
The tension between them eased slightly with the banter, but the atmosphere remained tense and filled with mystery.
David observed his surroundings with fascination, his eyes meticulously analyzing the dark, damp walls. Every detail seemed to capture his attention.
—Ellie. Over here, —Holloway called out, urgency in his voice.
He shone his light on the rock in front of him, revealing a series of symbols etched into the surface—dots, lines, and arcs intertwined in an intricate pattern.
—The Engineers' writing… This is a conclusive connection, —Holloway said, his voice filled with excitement, almost trembling.
David stepped forward to examine the carvings. His expression remained calm, but a fierce curiosity gleamed in his eyes.
—Congratulations, Dr. Holloway, —the android said in his usual serene and calculated tone.
Shaw illuminated the symbols with her flashlight, carefully recording them with her devices. After a moment, she continued deeper into the tunnel, pressing forward into the darkness.
David, however, lingered behind, absorbed in the carvings. Suddenly, something caught his attention—a strange alien panel on the side of the passage. Without saying a word, he moved toward it.
He examined it closely, his fingers brushing over the surface. A strange substance was adhered to it, glowing with a greenish hue under the light. David touched it cautiously, bringing his fingers up to his face for a closer look. Then, he lightly sniffed it, as if trying to decipher its composition.
Through his eyes—perfectly replicating human vision—he distinguished an extraordinary detail: the substance contained millions of tiny symbols and hieroglyphs, shifting and changing within it like a living code.
—Interesting… —the android whispered, mesmerized by what he saw before him.
With the greenish substance still on his finger, David began touching the alien panel with precise, methodical movements. Suddenly, the panel lit up, activating what seemed to be a visual record of the Engineers.
The walls of the tunnel began to glow faintly, and a monstrous, deep, and unsettling groan echoed throughout the space. Shaw, Holloway, and the others froze, alarmed, turning toward the source of the sound.
—What was that? —Millburn asked, his voice trembling with fear.
Then, a holographic projection emerged in the tunnel. Fifteen towering figures, over fifteen feet tall, appeared, running frantically. They were Engineers, dressed in pressurized suits and helmets resembling elephant heads. The vision was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.
One of the Engineers tripped and fell, rolling across the ground. His fall caused chaos among the others, and a dozen of them collapsed in disarray, writhing as if in agony. However, three Engineers managed to continue forward, passing through David as if he weren’t there and running near Millburn, Fifield, and Ford.
—Ellie! —Holloway shouted, grabbing Shaw and pushing her against the wall to protect her as the three Engineers ran past them.
One of the Engineers, trailing behind, began to stagger. His erratic gait caused him to stop briefly and turn toward the group, watching them with unsettling precision before continuing to run.
—What the hell were those things? —Millburn asked, visibly scared.
—I’m so glad we didn’t bring weapons... Whose brilliant idea was that? —Fifield said sarcastically, though his fear was evident.
—Get up! We’re leaving! —Holloway ordered, his tone firm and urgent.
—No! Let’s follow them! —Shaw intervened, determined, already moving after the holographic Engineers.
The group of six chased the projections through the tunnel. The holograms led them to an open door, but the projected scene didn’t end there.
One of the holographic Engineers, the one that had been staggering, fell to its knees right at the threshold of the doors. It tried to move forward, but eventually collapsed, lying motionless on the ground. Before the others could react, a holographic door violently closed on him, crushing him and turning off his figure as if he had never been there.
The group reached the place just in time to witness the end of the recording. Everyone stood in silence, panting and processing what they had just witnessed.
Shaw took a step forward, but Holloway stopped her with a firm gesture.
—Wait here, —he said, as he cautiously moved toward the door.
The holographic pixels that had filled the tunnel began to fade, leaving behind an eerie silence. Holloway froze, motionless, when his eyes landed on a giant, fossilized body, decapitated and worn by time.
—There it is... —he murmured, his voice filled with awe as he illuminated the corpse with his flashlight— Look at its size.
Shaw approached, her face reflecting a mixture of disbelief and fascination.
The scientists stood frozen, contemplating the scene before them.
Before them lay the body of a giant: an Engineer.
If it were standing, it would be about fifteen feet tall. Its shape was vaguely human, with a broad, barrel-shaped chest. Its body, reduced to skin and bones, displayed massive protrusions fused with its flesh. It was hard to tell if these were parts of its equipment or biological extensions of its body.
—My God, Charlie... We found them, —she whispered, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Before Holloway could respond, Fifield interrupted with a trembling voice, his face filled with tension.
—What do you mean by that? We need to get out of here! Something’s wrong, something’s really, really wrong with all of this. We shouldn’t be here... —
Holloway, however, didn’t take his eyes off the corpse or the colossal door standing in front of them.
—It’s them, Ellie... —he murmured, directing the beam of his flashlight towards the door.
The structure was covered in symbols and an unknown language that could only be that of the Engineers. Holloway pointed towards the door while his gaze remained fixed on the body.
—It looks like a door... and he... was decapitated by it. —
Shaw and the others remained silent, processing his words and the magnitude of what they had just discovered.
On the ship, Janek, Vickers, and the pilots watched the monitor with disbelief and awe.
—Damn... they were right, —Vickers said, still trying to process what she was seeing.
—What, did you want them to be wrong? —Janek replied dryly, not taking his eyes off the screen.
Both continued to watch the explorers’ progress, transmitted on the main holographic screen. The distorted voices from the communicators filled the air as the group moved through the pyramid. Janek shifted his gaze to the window, silently contemplating the imposing peak of the structure.
Vickers, without saying a word, turned and left the bridge with a firm stride, hastening toward her quarters.
Upon entering her cabin, she walked straight to the back wall, where there were two small metal doors. She opened the first one and entered a luxurious bathroom, with shiny surfaces and modern details. With quick movements, she took a pill and swallowed it with a glass of cold water.
Then, she returned to her cabin and opened the second door. Behind it was a room lined with steel panels. The air vibrated with a constant hum of ventilation and energy; it was clear there was a significant amount of advanced technology in the space.
Vickers approached a console near the entrance. Without hesitation, she flipped a series of switches. The hum intensified, and a series of hidden mechanisms began to activate, breaking the silence with a deep, constant mechanical murmur.
In the pyramid, David closely examined the symbols etched into the door, his gaze fixed on the alien language.
—David, please tell me you can read that, —Holloway asked, anxiety in his voice.
—Maybe, —the android replied calmly, before beginning to read aloud some of the texts he had managed to translate.
The others watched him with growing concern as fear began to take hold of them.
—"Only the chosen may pass. This is sacred ground and must be kept sacred. If you dare to cross this sacred soil, you will be punished. This is the place of worship of our lord, and no being is worthy of it." —David read in the Engineers' language, his voice serious and cold.
An uncomfortable silence enveloped the group as they absorbed the meaning of these words.
—David, try to find a way in, —Holloway ordered with determination.
—I’ll try, Dr. Holloway, —David responded, showing no emotion on his face.
Shaw, somewhat confused, looked at David and asked:
—You speak their language. What does it say on the door?
David looked at her for a moment before answering:
—It warns us not to enter. Those who do will be punished.
—Well, I’m getting out of here, —Fifield said, visibly shaken.
—Come on, the dead can’t hurt you, —Holloway said with a touch of mockery at Fifield's obvious cowardice.
—Hey, Fifield, where are you going? —Shaw asked, her tone confused.
—Are you serious? —he murmured, letting out a tone of arrogance, but also fear.
Fifield, who had been clearly nervous ever since the Engineers' holograms appeared, approached Shaw, shaking as if out of his mind. He stopped just an inch from her face.
—Look, I’m just a geologist. I like rocks, I love them. I get paid to look at them and pretend they amaze me. Now it’s clear you two don’t care about rocks. But what seems to interest you are the giant corpses. And I have nothing to contribute in the giant corpse department! —Fifield shouted, his voice filled with frustration.
—Enough! —Holloway commanded, demanding he move away from his wife.
—Fine! Since I have nothing to contribute in the giant corpse department, I want to go back to the ship, if you don’t mind, Doctor... Shaw —Fifield said sarcastically, turning around.
—Fine... Go! —Shaw said, annoyed by his attitude, not holding back her frustration.
—Anyone want to come with me? Millburn, you staying? —the geologist asked, looking at the biologist.
—Hell no! The ship is fine, —Millburn replied, clearly uninterested in following Fifield.
—Yeah, the ship is just fine. Congratulations on meeting your creator, —Fifield said with disdain, before turning toward the exit.
—Thanks, —Shaw responded, unfazed.
—Calm down, buddy, —Holloway said, watching as Fifield and Millburn walked away.
—And here I thought you were the crazy one, —Fifield said, shooting Millburn a glance before walking off with him.
On the ship, Janek stood by the window, gazing at the long channel stretching toward the distant pyramid. The ship's advanced imaging systems transmitted real-time data: stereoscopic transmissions of the explorers' flashlights and a map that updated as they moved, outlining the underground labyrinth beneath the pyramid with light.
An LV-426 globe appeared on the screen, displaying terrain and weather information, as the satellites fed data to the ship.
Vickers approached and stopped beside Janek.
—Director, interested? —Janek asked, looking at Vickers.
—It's my operation, isn't it? —Vickers replied, not taking her eyes off the screens.
—In all ancient mythologies, the visitors from the sky were giants —Holloway commented, still stunned and excited by the discovery.
Shaw approached Holloway and reached her hand out to the Engineer's body. Upon touching it, she noticed it was as hard as rock, completely ossified.
—Do you have a carbon reader? —Shaw asked.
Her husband nodded and handed her the requested device.
—Thanks —she replied.
Shaw and Holloway knelt next to the body, closely examining it. Shaw inserted the device into the body to gather more information. Meanwhile, David used a portable ladder to climb up to a panel near the door.
—So, what does the carbon reader tell us? How long has it been dead? —Holloway asked, looking at Shaw.
—About two thousand years, more or less —Shaw answered, still focused on the body.
—Jesus... —Holloway murmured, amazed by the ancient death.
—I wonder what they were running from —Ford commented thoughtfully.
—Well, it's been two thousand years, so whatever it was, it's not here anymore —Holloway replied, trying to ease the unease in the air.
—David, what are you doing? —Shaw asked, looking at the android.
David began pressing buttons on the panel.
—I'm trying to open the door —the android replied calmly.
—Wait, we don't know what's on the other side! David, stop! —Shaw demanded, alarmed.
Suddenly, the thin door opened and rose. A blast of frozen oxygen exploded through the opening, throwing Shaw, Holloway, and Ford to the ground while one of the probes entered to scan the interior.
—Oops, sorry... —David said, in a nonchalant tone.
The three coughed, trying to regain their balance, and entered the misty room on the other side.
David led the way and stopped in front of them.
—Maybe you should put your helmets on again. I’m afraid you won’t last long in here. It’s under three degrees —he said.
Quickly, the three put on their helmets before venturing into the room. On the ground, there were more worms similar to the one they had discovered earlier, but these were smaller, so they didn’t notice them.
The Engineer's head was there, tilted to one side, separated from its body. Its eyes seemed to be covered by glasses, though they appeared fused with the skull. A trunk-like proboscis, now severed, seemed to have been connected to its chest.
—Look, Ford, it's the head... —Shaw said, astonished.
—It’s an impressive state of preservation. The cold here must have kept it frozen —Ford commented, examining the discovery.
—We’ll take it with us —Shaw declared determinedly.
—Yes. But look at the size. They seemed much smaller in the holograms —Ford said, intrigued.
—Maybe two thousand years of fossilization expanded it —Holloway suggested, gazing at the corpse in awe.
David stepped deeper into the large domed room. Around him, strange blisters or jars could be seen. He then directed his flashlight toward a large monument shaped like a head. Although mostly eroded, the monument appeared human.
—Notably human —David commented.
Shaw and Holloway stood up and looked at the monument in awe. David, however, stopped and focused his flashlight on a mural on the ceiling. The mural depicted a creature emerging from an Engineer, whose figure was identical to that of the head-shaped monument.
—Beautiful painting —David said.
—It’s a mural —Shaw corrected.
David observed the writing on the creature's face and, quietly, repeated the words in the Engineer language, with no one hearing him.
—Our chosen one. The chosen one who created our lord. This is his resting place and the attempt to resurrect the blood of our lord —David said, frowning as he looked back at the mural.
—I wonder what they were trying to create —he murmured to himself, thoughtful.
Holloway, reaching the back of the monument, illuminated another mural embedded in the wall with his flashlight. This one depicted a strange being, completely different from any Engineer.
The being had its arms stretched out in the shape of a cross, and in the lower corners of the mural, Engineers were shown being attacked by spider-like creatures covering their faces. Around the mural, an image showed an Engineer, resembling the main monument, being attacked and impregnated by an octopus-like creature. In front of the mural was an altar with a small vessel identical to the one the Engineer who sacrificed his existence to create life on Earth had.
The group turned back to the image of the bipedal, pointed-headed being with outstretched arms.
—David, what the hell is that? —Holloway asked.
David approached Holloway and examined the mural. He got closer and began reading the Engineer language aloud.
—Our lord came from the chosen one in the time when our ancestors gave birth to life. His sacred blood was our salvation. His sacred blood, through our lips, gave birth to life on other worlds —David said.
Holloway, frowning, turned to David.
—What do you think is inside these urns or jars, whatever they are?
David, thoughtful, replied:
—I’m not entirely sure, but I think the humanoid we saw being attacked orally gave birth to this being, and the Engineers worshiped it. What’s inside these capsules might be related to those experiments. If my translation is correct, it seems they were trying to recreate the blood of this being they worshiped.
Meanwhile, outside, one of Jackson’s men, Lion, lifts his gaze toward the sky, noticing how it begins to change.
The horizon gradually darkens, casting an eerie atmosphere. Jackson and the twins remain behind Lion, watching in silence.
—Hey, guys, are you seeing this? —Lion asked, his tone filled with confusion.
Elsewhere in the Pyramid, Millburn and Fifield stumbled through the darkness, lost and visibly frustrated. The interior was a labyrinth—vast corridors like railway tunnels intersecting and diverging.
—This isn’t the same place —said Millburn, glancing around uneasily.
—Of course it is! It’s that same weird thing we saw before —Fifield replied irritably, pointing at a distinctive architectural feature.
—No, no, it’s not! The other one was more… something like… —Millburn sighed in exasperation and pulled out his communicator, attempting to contact Captain Janek— Millburn to Prometheus. Do you copy?
However, there was no response. The walls in this section of the pyramid caused interference, blocking the signal just as had happened before with some of the probes.
In the ampoule chamber, David approached one of them and began examining it closely. He was about to touch it when Shaw interrupted him.
—Stop, stop! Please, don’t touch it —Shaw pleaded, concerned.
—My apologies… —David responded, withdrawing his hand from the ampoule.
—Please, don’t touch anything —Shaw ordered the group firmly.
David knelt beside the ampoule, observing it carefully. The frost covering it began to melt.
—Sweating… —David murmured, puzzled.
The upper part of the leather-like ampoule started to disintegrate, and a thick, black substance began seeping out. David touched it, examining it without Shaw or the others noticing.
Looking around, he saw that nearly all the other ampoules were undergoing the same process. Meanwhile, Shaw directed her light toward the mural on the ceiling, and, disturbingly, the mural began to disintegrate as well.
—Oh no, the mural is changing. I think we’ve altered the room’s atmosphere. The head! Ford, quickly, help me bag the head! —Shaw said urgently.
In outer space, one of Prometheus’ satellites moved at high speed above the moon’s atmosphere. It crossed the terminator line, where the night side met the day side.
Through the clouds, a storm front laden with lightning advanced across LV-426, spreading like a wave. The increasing winds swept the upper layer of soil past the window.
Ravel observed a monitor and then turned toward the captain.
—Boss, a storm front is approaching. There’s silica in the air and a lot of static. This isn’t good.
Chance stepped away from the observation window and moved toward the holographic globe.
—I see it —Janek replied.
Meanwhile, Shaw and Ford managed to place the giant head into a bag, sealing it quickly.
—Ground team, this is Janek. I need you back immediately. Ground team, do you copy? I’ve got winds at two hundred kilometers per hour, silica in the air, and enough static to fry your suits —Janek warned over the comm—. All personnel, return to the ship. We have a severe storm front incoming. I repeat, all personnel...
—Copy that, sir, but we need more time —Shaw responded.
—We've found something important here! I’m not leaving because of bad weather —Holloway said, visibly irritated.
—I’ll be sealing the outer doors in fifteen minutes. I sincerely hope you can make it back in time. Good luck —Vickers said with a touch of disdain, her tone contradicting the courtesy in her words.
Standing next to the giant corpse, Shaw and Ford exchanged glances as the communication signal came through.
—Rolling forward... returning to the ship... —Janek continued over the comm, but due to interference, his words became distorted.
—Communications are failing —Shaw said, visibly frustrated—. Charlie! David! We need to leave now!
—This is just another tomb —Holloway muttered, visibly disappointed, giving one last glance at the mural of the creature.
David knelt beside a still-frozen ampoule and used a cooling gun to lower its temperature even further. Then, he carefully stored the ampoule in his bag. Unnoticed, a small container slipped from his back pouch, rolling across the floor. The lid popped open, and a tiny worm-like alien slithered out.
—David, we’re leaving! Hurry, we have to go! —Holloway shouted as he headed toward the ceremonial hall’s exit.
David stood up with his bag and followed Shaw, Holloway, and Ford. Meanwhile, the worm slid toward one of the leaking ampoules and submerged itself in the thick black liquid. At the same time, the worms already present in the room began bathing in the strange substance.
The rover carrying Jackson’s team sped toward Prometheus. Ford, Shaw, David, and Holloway rushed out of the pyramid, only to see the rover driving away.
—Damn it, they’re already gone —Holloway exclaimed in frustration.
Holloway and Shaw jumped into one of the buggies, while David and Ford boarded the other. The storm had already passed the pyramid and was closing in fast on the vehicles.
Holloway hit the accelerator on the cargo rover, kicking up a cloud of dust as they sped away from the structure. Shaw, riding in the back, secured a heavy load under a tarp on the deck.
—Go faster! —Shaw yelled, worried.
The storm was only a hundred meters behind them. Shaw looked back, watching the massive front chase them— a wall of dust streaked with lightning, hurricane-force winds ripping across the landscape. Bolts struck the pyramid and the crater walls.
As they reached Prometheus, they saw that the other rover was already on the airlock lift. David drove his buggy up the ramp and into the ship, followed closely by Holloway. However, as he did, the bag containing the Engineer’s head slipped from Shaw’s lap and rolled out of the vehicle.
—Charlie, the skull! —Shaw shouted.
Shaw jumped out of the buggy and ran after the bag, which kept rolling, pushed by the wind. Holloway turned the buggy around and drove back just as the ramp began to close. The storm hit instantly, howling winds slamming against the lift. Dust filled the air, reducing visibility to zero.
Shaw, managing to grab the bag, was suddenly struck by the storm’s force, lifted off the ground, and thrown against the landing gear before collapsing to the ground. Holloway pulled up next to her, jumped out, but the buggy was immediately hurled away by the storm, landing far off in the distance.
—Shit! Goddamn it! —Janek cursed, watching the situation unfold on the monitors.
Holloway shielded Shaw, both clinging to a metal bar, struggling to stay grounded as the storm raged around them.
—I can’t hold on much longer! —Shaw cried out, exhausted.
—Let go of the bag, Ellie! —Holloway demanded.
—No! I can’t! —Shaw refused, unwilling to abandon their discovery.
—Ellie, drop the bag! —Holloway insisted.
At that moment, a side door on Prometheus opened, and David, secured by a cable, leapt out into the storm. He reached Shaw and Holloway, latched them onto his harness, and all three were pulled back inside the ship, safe and sound.
—So, what the hell was that, Ellie? You could’ve compromised the mission! Not to mention, you could’ve gotten yourself killed! —Holloway scolded his wife, visibly upset.
—Are you alright, Elizabeth? —David asked, concerned.
—Yes, thank you, David —Shaw replied, grateful.
—It’s a pleasure. Your safety is my primary concern. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you —the synthetic said calmly.
David smiled at Shaw before turning to Holloway, who observed him with a slight smirk. David smirked back mockingly, causing Holloway to frown, noting the eerily human-like behavior.
On the bridge, Janek and the two pilots sat at the controls.
—Alright, doctors, good to have you back, but... where are Millburn and Fifield? —Janek asked seriously.
—They haven’t returned yet? —Shaw asked, confused, looking at the communicator.
—Shit... Try to find them —Janek ordered the pilots.
—Sure thing, captain —Chance responded, complying with the order.
Meanwhile, inside the Pyramid, Millburn and Fifield were still lost. The interference caused by the structure’s walls made it difficult for the probes to properly scan the tunnels, preventing Fifield from using his digital map to navigate.
—Can you believe they just left? —Millburn said, looking around—. We’ve been here before, Fifield.
—I don’t know, man, it all looks the same to me —Fifield replied, visibly confused.
Suddenly, Captain Janek’s voice came through the communicator.
—Listen up, boys, this is the captain. Hear me out. With all this static electricity and wind speed, there’s no safe way to come get you.
—What? —Fifield asked, surprised.
—The temperature’s dropping fast. So put your helmets on and keep warm until the storm passes —Janek responded firmly.
With sarcasm, Fifield replied:
—Captain, could you send a message to the scientist and his fangirl girlfriend? Got a pen handy?
—I think we’ll remember it for you. What’s your message? —Janek asked, staying calm.
—Tell them I said to go fuck themselves. Got that? —Fifield answered arrogantly.
—Message received. Alright, boys, keep your heads down. We’ll come get you in the morning —Janek said over the communicator.
—Where do we go now? You’re the expert here —Millburn asked, frustrated.
—I told you, my mapping device isn’t working. Let’s just go this way —Fifield responded, irritated and disoriented.
—Fantastic… —Millburn muttered, resigned.
To be continued...
Chapter 3: Experiment
Chapter Text
Later, Vickers made her way to a secret chamber, where a hypersleep pod was located. Placing David’s special headset over her head, she accessed a virtual simulation, where the consciousness of the man inside the pod resided—the supposedly deceased Peter Weyland.
Vickers found herself inside a floating house, suspended just a few meters above a misty lake. She stopped at the door, her gaze landing on a large framed poster of Lawrence of Arabia before turning her attention to the man inside—a young-looking Peter Weyland, seemingly in his forties. Tall, handsome, with blue eyes and blond hair. His appearance bore a striking resemblance to David.
Weyland sat on a sofa near a fireplace, a blanket draped over his lap and a glass of gin in his hand.
—So, Meredith, what can you tell me about the progress of the mission? —asked the magnate.
—I didn’t come here to talk about that —Vickers replied coldly.
—So you haven’t completed the mission? —Weyland asked, surprised.
—I told you, I didn’t come here to talk about that —Vickers repeated, her tone serious.
Weyland, visibly displeased, responded:
—I recall telling you not to come here unless you had found what I want.
—We’re working on it. I came here because I wanted answers —Vickers said, more firmly.
—Answers? Answers, dear, require questions —Weyland replied with a smug smile.
Vickers stared at him, frustration beginning to build.
—What is it about this place that makes you risk everything? The company, your reputation, my reputation! I don’t know what kind of dreamy nonsense is going through your head, but we are fighting a tough market and rival factions —she accused.
Weyland, however, remained calm.
—I used to think like you—money, expansion, reputation, boardroom debates and politics... but now I am wiser. I opened my eyes, and what I hope to find here will change everything. I am dying, Meredith, and you know it. If we find these beings, perhaps—just perhaps—they can cure me, make me young again.
—What? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. So we are nearly bankrupt over something so stupid… —she responded, angry and mocking.
At that moment, a woman entered the room and approached Weyland, handing him some papers. They kissed before the woman left. Vickers frowned, closing her eyes, and when she reopened them, Weyland noticed her look of disdain.
—Well, aren’t you going to say hello to your mother? —Weyland asked with a smug smile.
—Mom died twenty-eight years ago. That is not my mother—it’s just a program you created. An abomination —Vickers said, her tone filled with contempt.
—She’s still your mother, Meredith. I miss her too, you know? I don’t think I could have lived this long without keeping some part of her around me. Here, I have everyone I love close—even those who are not dead —Weyland said, a sadness in his voice that contrasted with his earlier attitude.
Suddenly, the laughter of a child echoed through the room, and a small boy, no older than six, ran past Vickers. The child had blond hair, and for a brief moment, Vickers couldn’t help but smile, recognizing in him a younger version of David—yet also, in a way, a masculine version of herself, shaped by what Weyland had wanted.
—David, what did I say about running in my office? Now go play in your room, son —Weyland said to the child.
Vickers’ smile faded as her eyes landed on a family photograph hanging on the wall. In it, she had been replaced—her face erased and substituted with that of the child who had just run past. The same face she had just seen.
—Anything else, Meredith? —Weyland asked, noticing her discomfort.
Vickers closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and clenched her fists. When she opened them again, her gaze was filled with hatred.
—I hate you so much… —she muttered, her voice seething with anger.
—Excuse me? —Weyland asked, caught off guard.
—How can a man in your position, with your intelligence, be so ignorant and arrogant? First, you waste a fortune investing in this ship, then you consider partnering with Yutani, our biggest rival, and now this… We are here chasing something that doesn’t exist. You are an old fool, chasing fairy tales. I hope you never wake up. I pray for it —Vickers said, her voice filled with resentment before removing the headset and exiting the simulation.
In her quarters, Dr. Shaw sat on a sofa, watching a monitor displaying the holographic recording of the Engineer being decapitated by a door.
—Well, he looked pretty scared for a ghost —Holloway remarked sarcastically.
—He wasn’t a ghost —Shaw replied.
—Oh, right. Then what was he? —he asked.
—A recording. Some kind of visual log. We probably activated it when we entered —Shaw explained.
—Let me ask you something: why isn’t there a recording of whatever was chasing him? —Holloway insisted.
—Look closely. He knew he was about to die. Maybe nothing was chasing him. Maybe it was an outbreak —Shaw’s expression was grave.
—And what are you basing that on, Ellie? —he asked, skeptical.
—I’ve seen it before —Shaw answered bluntly.
—This isn’t Africa, Ellie. We’re in space —Holloway crossed his arms, dismissively.
—I know an infection when I see one, Charlie, and so do you —Shaw said firmly.
Holloway collapsed onto the bed, shaking his head in frustration.
—Oh, who cares, Ellie? We didn’t come here to figure out what killed a bunch of damn aliens two thousand years ago. That changes nothing.
—Then tell me, Charlie, what is it that you want to change? —Shaw asked, challenging him.
Holloway sat up and moved closer to her.
—Look at those recordings, Ellie. You saw the bodies. They were scared, and they all died. That means they weren’t gods.
—Then why did they create us? —Shaw replied, her voice tinged with seriousness and pain.
—We’re just an experiment, Ellie. Earth was nothing but a damn petri dish. That’s all. But we’re never going to prove that with a bunch of two-thousand-year-old mummies. Fine, fine. Then why are you here, huh? What did you travel light-years to ask?
—You’ve been drinking. You promised me you wouldn’t do it again —Shaw said, noticing the aggression in her husband’s demeanor.
Holloway paused before continuing, his tone growing more heated.
—Come on, Ellie, don’t change the subject. So, what did you want to find here? The meaning of life? Forgiveness for your sins? Or maybe you wanted to ask God why He replaced you with your mother? Or why He took your father?
Shaw stared at him, wounded by his words, before standing up and slapping him. Then again. And a third time, harder. Without a word, she turned toward the door. Holloway reacted quickly, grabbing her arm.
—Ellie, wait. Ellie, I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you, okay? —Holloway pleaded with genuine regret.
—Go away, Charlie. Leave me alone! —Shaw demanded, pulling free from his grasp and walking out of the room.
Holloway watched her go, exhaling deeply.
— Ellie... —he murmured, shaking his head. He smacked his forehead, cursing himself.
—Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! —he berated himself in frustration.
He pulled a small, wrapped box from his pocket, looking at it with sorrow.
—Well, I guess I screwed it up again… —he muttered before leaving the room.
Janek hummed a Christmas tune as he walked down the corridor, a thermos in hand. As he passed by, he noticed Vickers leaning against a wall, discreetly wiping away tears. He stopped and looked at her with concern.
—Miss Vickers? Is everything alright? —he asked gently.
She lifted her gaze, trying to pull herself together.
—Oh, Janek... I'm fine. —She quickly wiped her tears— What's the status on Fifield and Millburn?
Janek frowned slightly, noticing her attempt to change the subject, but he answered anyway.
—They're fine, for now. Miss Vickers, are you sure you don’t want to talk about whatever’s going on?
—I said I'm fine —she replied sharply.
Janek sighed, realizing that insisting wouldn’t help.
—Alright, sorry for asking.
He walked past her, resuming his humming as he continued down the corridor. However, before he got too far, Vickers spoke up.
—Janek... am I really a bad person?
Janek stopped, taken aback, and turned to face her.
—What?
—Forget it, it doesn’t matter —she said, shaking her head.
Janek stepped closer, his expression genuinely concerned.
—Miss Vickers...?
—What? —she asked, this time with a firm tone.
—Are you flirting with me? —Janek said with a teasing grin.
Vickers looked at him, surprised, before bursting into unexpected laughter. Janek smiled as he saw her relax a little and raised a hand to wipe away a stray tear.
—Made you smile. —He looked at her directly— Bad people don’t smile, Vickers. Everyone’s in the mess hall. Why don’t you join us?
She took a breath, now calmer, and gave him a faint smile.
—I will, but I need a little time to myself.
—Take all the time you need, but don’t take too long. —Janek winked at her before continuing on his way.
In the dark, labyrinthine tunnels of the pyramid, Fifield and Millburn continued desperately searching for an exit.
—Hey, what’s that? —Millburn asked, pointing at something on the ground with his flashlight.
Fifield stopped and looked in the direction his companion was indicating.
—What thing? —he said, frowning as he aimed his light at the spot.
—There. Do you see it? —Millburn insisted.
The light revealed what appeared to be a torn piece of skin, glistening and wet under the illumination.
—What the hell is that? —Fifield murmured, uneasy.
Intrigued, Millburn crouched down to examine the discovery.
—I don’t know, but it looks like skin —he said as he carefully picked it up with his hands.
—Don’t touch it, Millburn! —Fifield exclaimed, taking a step back with visible nervousness.
—Why not? —Millburn asked, raising an eyebrow as he brought the piece of skin closer to his nose to sniff it.
As he did, he coughed sharply and dropped the skin, stepping back.
—Ugh. Well, yeah, it definitely seems like skin… but I don’t know from what. —Millburn stood up and looked around.
—Whatever it is, I don’t want to find out. Come on, Millburn, let’s get out of here —Fifield insisted, anxious to move on.
Still curious, the biologist cast one last glance at the skin before Fifield grabbed him firmly by the arm.
—Millburn, seriously, let’s go already! —Fifield pleaded, pulling him away from the strange find as the echo of their footsteps resounded through the tunnel.
Later, in the ship’s mess hall, the crew was gathered around Shaw, who stood before them. Even Janek had left his post to join the group. Near the table, Holloway remained silent, drinking from a bottle of alcohol.
Vickers entered the room, pausing briefly to observe the others before taking a seat.
—A woman from Africa once told me the story of how the world was formed —Shaw began, her voice heavy with solemnity—. She said: ‘First, there was the sun, but it had no one to shine upon. So the sun created man. And man looked at the sun and asked: Why did you create me? And the sun answered: Because I was lonely.’
The room fell silent as everyone reflected on her words.
—My whole life, I’ve been searching for what we found today. We are no longer alone. Cheers… —Shaw raised her glass, inviting the crew to toast.
—Cheers! —the others responded in unison, raising their glasses.
Janek smiled and, with his characteristic sarcasm, commented:
—Well, do me a favor, next time you see a storm, run in the other direction.
Shaw lowered her gaze, embarrassed, but with a small smile on her lips.
—As much as I respect your suicidal passion —Janek continued—, why the hell did you go back for that head?
Shaw lifted her head, serious.
—Because it proves they were here, and it’s the only way to find out what killed them.
Holloway, leaning against the wall with the bottle in hand, interjected with disdain.
—And who cares what killed them?
Shaw looked at him in disbelief.
—What’s wrong with you, Charlie?
—What’s wrong with me, Ellie? —Holloway replied sarcastically before staring at her—. They’re all dead.
—So what? —Shaw shot back, irritated.
—So what? —Holloway repeated, this time with a calmer but more pessimistic tone—. It means we are completely alone in the universe. If there were other intelligent species, they would have contacted us. Ellie, we’re alone. The echoes of humanity will go unanswered across this whole damn universe.
Before Shaw could respond, Ford arrived wearing a doctor's coat.
—Doctors, the specimen is ready. We’re waiting for you.
Shaw turned her gaze to Holloway, who shook his head.
—Specimen? No, Ellie. I didn’t come all this way to perform an autopsy. We were supposed to talk to them.
Without a word, Shaw turned and left the mess hall toward the lab, with Vickers following closely behind. Holloway stayed behind, watching her leave with a mix of frustration and resignation.
Later, in the laboratory, Shaw and Ford were wearing contamination suits as they worked. The android had already informed them about the loss of the container holding the strange worm discovered in the structure. But, faced with the discovery of a much more intriguing specimen, the incident was quickly forgotten. Holloway sat at a table, drinking from his bottle of alcohol, while David stood silently, observing them. On the operating table rested the enormous head of the Engineer.
The head, macabre and elephantine in appearance, was covered in vapor. A screen displayed a blinking reading: Sterilized. Scanners passed over the skull, projecting X-ray and ultrasound images that rotated on the laboratory screens.
—The sample is sterile. There’s no risk of infection —declared Ford.
—So it wasn’t infected! —Holloway exclaimed with a hint of satisfaction.
At that moment, Vickers entered the room. Her unpleasant glance at David did not go unnoticed before she fixed her gaze on the head.
—So, are they all dead? —Vickers asked.
—Who? —Shaw responded, slightly puzzled.
—Your Engineers. Are they all dead or not? —Vickers pressed, serious.
—I don’t know, we just got here. Do you even care if they’re dead? —Shaw replied, irritated.
—Weyland does —Vickers responded coldly before adding—. Your head is interesting, but I’m more intrigued by the pyramid’s machinery. The core chamber. What do you think it does?
Shaw looked at her in disbelief.
—How could anyone know that?
—I do —Holloway interjected, his tone tired and cynical.
He looked at Vickers, then at Shaw, encouraging her.
—Think. What we’ve seen, what we know —he said.
Shaw accepted the challenge, thinking aloud:
—Twenty-four pyramids scattered around the moon’s equator. Massive energy sources. Vents in the walls. Changes in the atmosphere. Breeding tanks… —Her voice filled with awe—. The pyramids are terraforming machines!
Holloway smirked slightly, satisfied. But he didn’t notice how Vickers stiffened, her hands clenching into fists.
—That’s why ancient Earth cultures built pyramids—imitating the gods —Holloway added—. Twelve thousand years ago, beings from the sky placed pyramids on Earth and transformed the world. That’s what they were doing here before their civilization collapsed.
Shaw looked at the decapitated head on the table.
—They didn’t collapse… They were annihilated —she said with conviction.
Ford interrupted.
—Dr. Shaw, look at this.
The monitor displayed a detailed 3D scan of the head. Holloway stepped closer to examine it, noticing what seemed to be a second ghostly face beneath the skull.
—That’s not an exoskeleton. It’s a helmet. Let’s see if we can remove it —Shaw suggested.
She used an ultrasound probe, tracing the surface of the head. The vibrations revealed a thin seam around the edge of the face. Shaw and Ford attempted to open it but failed.
—It’s too heavy. David? —Shaw asked, looking at the android.
David stepped forward calmly.
—Carefully —Shaw warned.
—I shall —David replied as he removed the helmet.
Inside, the face of the Engineer was revealed: humanoid, with white skin and no hair or ears—giant and withered, yet beautiful, like a Greek statue. His eyes were closed, his expression one of suffering. Shaw stepped back, shocked, while Ford analyzed the black markings and eruptions on his skin.
—They look like us… —Shaw murmured, amazed.
—No. We look like them. Genesis 1:27: ‘And God created man in His image’ —Holloway responded in a somber tone.
Vickers, confused, asked:
—What are those markings on his head?
—I don’t know. They look like new cells… in a state of change —Shaw said, examining them closely.
—What will they become? —Vickers asked, intrigued.
Shaw gave instructions to Ford:
—Introduce a line of stem cells into the locus coeruleus. Thirty amps, no more.
—Let me make an incision —Ford said.
With precision, Ford inserted a futuristic device into the Engineer’s ear and activated it.
—Increase to forty —Shaw ordered, watching intently.
—Understood, forty up —Ford responded while adjusting the controls.
Suddenly, the black markings on the head began to move.
—Wait! Did you see that? —Shaw exclaimed, alarmed.
The black eruptions started spreading rapidly. Whatever had happened to the Engineer at the beginning of the story now seemed to be repeating itself with this head.
—Increase another ten —Shaw requested, eager to understand what was happening.
Ford obeyed, increasing the intensity. Suddenly, the Engineer’s eyes opened and blinked. His mouth opened as he began to choke and gasp violently.
—It’s too much! Lower by ten… another ten… lower by twenty! —Shaw shouted, distressed.
—It’s not working! It won’t lower! —Ford responded, panicked.
Shaw turned to David.
—David, contain it! Do it now!
—Contain it? Shut it down! —Vickers intervened, equally concerned.
The head began swelling rapidly, like a water balloon about to burst. From its eyes, nostrils, mouth, and ears, a thick black liquid oozed, similar to what was inside the pyramid’s ampoules.
Shaw and Ford covered their noses, disgusted by the nauseating stench that filled the room. The flesh of the head began to fester, the skin decomposing and peeling away at an accelerated rate.
—God, that smell! —Shaw exclaimed, both horrified and repulsed.
David, as calm as ever, activated a control on the panel, sealing the Engineer’s head inside a glass containment box. Inside the box, the head continued to expand until, finally, it exploded in a grotesque display of flesh and black fluid.
Shaw, Ford, and Vickers stood motionless, horrified by what they had just witnessed. David, on the other hand, allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
—Mortal after all —he murmured, with a mix of fascination and satisfaction.
Shaw, regaining composure, ordered:
—Ford, take a sample. I want to see its genetics.
Holloway let out a bitter laugh, leaving the room without another word. David, still wearing his slight smile, also made his way to the exit.
—Excuse me, doctors, but I must take my leave. I have some matters to attend to —he said politely.
Vickers followed him with her eyes, then turned and, without a word, exited after him.
Later, David was in the secret chamber of Peter Weyland’s hypersleep capsule, wearing a special helmet that connected him to the virtual world where the magnate’s consciousness resided.
Upon entering, David found himself in a paradise-like environment: he was riding a jet ski over crystal-clear waters toward a futuristic yacht that floated majestically on the water.
Behind David, on the jet ski, was a woman wearing a bikini, smiling and carefree. On the yacht’s deck, surrounded by impeccably beautiful women, stood Peter Weyland—young and blond, projecting the image of a man at the height of his power.
—Ah, David. If you were human, you could enjoy this luxury as much as I do. —Weyland gave an arrogant smile before continuing—. What news do you bring me?
David, with his usual expressionless tone, responded:
—The mission is a failure, sir.
Weyland frowned, confused.
—What do you mean by "a failure"?
—The Engineers are all dead, sir. What remained of them has just been destroyed in the laboratory.
Weyland remained silent for a moment, processing the information, before asking:
—What else have they found?
—I managed to recover something, but I am not yet certain what it is, sir.
Weyland leaned slightly forward, interested.
—What exactly did you find?
—It is a container holding a type of liquid used by the Engineers. I have translated what I could from the inscriptions on the vessel.
—And what did you discover? —Weyland asked, his curiosity growing.
David proceeded to recount what he had learned:
—A bit of their history, sir. Their civilization is thousands of years old. Once, the Engineers expressed themselves much like humans, using colors, music, and storytelling. But eventually, they learned to perceive dimensions beyond our own. Their art and ornamentation exist in planes imperceptible to human senses. Their structures appear dark and ominous to our eyes, but to theirs, they saw much more.
—It seems these beings could live up to a hundred thousand years. They used to be capable of mating like humans. But at some point in their later history, they evolved and lost both the ability to mate and to reproduce. However, before that happened, they encountered a creature that impregnated one of them with a strange body. From it, a being was born, which they called "The Deacon," or "The Angel of Destruction."
Weyland listened intently as David continued:
—They worshiped this creature, and after its death, they used its blood to seed life on other worlds. When the blood ran out, they attempted to recreate it artificially, but instead, they created something different. That is what I have brought with me, sir.
Weyland remained thoughtful before giving his orders:
—Find out what it is and what it does. This may be my only chance.
—And the search for a living Engineer? —asked Weyland impatiently.
—That is a bit premature, sir —David replied, carefully choosing his words.
—In the meantime, make sure that substance can be of use to me —said Weyland, with a hint of irritation.
—If I may ask, sir, how should I approach this mission objective? —David inquired respectfully.
Weyland frowned, visibly impatient.
—Use your imagination, David. Do whatever is necessary. Is that too much to ask?
—No, sir. I will handle it —David inclined his head slightly.
—Perfect. That’s all, David. Do not interrupt me again unless you have results.
—Yes, sir. Understood. My apologies, sir.
David withdrew his gloved hand from the capsule and removed the visor of his helmet, exiting the simulation. His face remained expressionless as he processed the orders he had just received, ready to carry out the next step.
The android left the chamber and, as he walked down the corridor, he encountered Vickers, who had been waiting for him. She approached with a serious expression.
—Miss Vickers —David greeted with his usual polite tone.
—What did he say? —she asked, her gaze sharp and demanding
—I do not believe he would like me to share that information —David replied calmly, attempting to move past her.
Vickers, quick and determined, blocked his path, stepping directly in front of him.
—What did he say, David? —she insisted, her tone laced with frustration.
—I am sorry, but that is confidential —the android replied without the slightest change in demeanor.
Suddenly, Vickers moved with agility, grabbing him by the neck and shoving him against the wall. They were now face to face, her eyes blazing with fury.
—Do not play with me. I will find the wires that keep you running and cut them, understood? I will shut you down! Now tell me, what did he say? —she threatened in a low but intense voice.
David, unfazed, looked directly into her eyes before responding with calm precision:
—He said… "Try harder." —he paused before adding, with a touch of irony—. Would you care for some tea, madame?
Vickers released him reluctantly, glaring at him with pure contempt before turning on her heel and walking away without another word. David simply adjusted his clothing and continued on his way, as composed as ever.
In the laboratory, Shaw was fully covered in her white biological suit, working with determination as she extracted a sample from the remains of the Engineer's head using a syringe. Her enthusiasm was palpable. Beside her, Ford watched every movement attentively.
Shaw placed the extracted material onto a metal tray and carefully inserted it into an advanced machine, similar to a microwave. Meanwhile, Ford monitored the results on the screen.
—Shaw, I think you'd better see this. I can't believe what I'm looking at —said Ford, her voice filled with astonishment.
—What is it? —Shaw asked, quickly moving closer.
The computer was analyzing the Engineer's DNA alongside a sample of human DNA. Shaw watched the screen with growing disbelief as the data appeared before her. The Engineer's DNA and human DNA were a match.
—My God... —Shaw whispered, stunned—. It's the same as ours.
Ford looked at her, equally shocked.
—What could have killed them? —Shaw murmured, still trying to process what she was seeing, her mind filled with unanswered questions.
Ford observed the data screens, which displayed cross-sections of the Engineer's skull, while Glasse entered through a hatch.
Shaw, her nose almost touching the glass tank, examined the head itself. The sight was anything but pleasant.
As she observed, a current in the formaldehyde caused one of the gauze-covered eyelids to slowly peel away. The eye revealed beneath was as black as obsidian, iridescent like opal. A true marvel.
Fascinated, Shaw retrieved a plastic case and opened it, revealing a high-tech control unit with a screen. She opened a plastic capsule, extracted a tiny test probe—smaller than a grain of rice—and dropped it into the tank.
Carefully, she guided the tiny seed toward the severed neck, and it began to move, navigating toward the medulla oblongata and then the brain.
On one screen, the probe's perspective showed the medulla as a tunnel, ascending through the neural pathways. Another screen displayed the probe's progress as it traveled through the skull.
Ford watched and commented with skepticism:
—You won't get anything. The tissue is too degraded. Hmm. The brain cavity is massive, even in proportion.
But Shaw responded with certainty:
—The neural pathways are still conductive.
The probe reached the optic nerve of the exposed eye. The screen displayed a stunning vision: the face of a woman surrounded by a mystical glow, like an angel.
Ford's jaw dropped as she saw the image, stunned by the vision. The woman in the blurry vision was Shaw, exactly as the Engineer's dead eye had seen her.
—Incredible —said Glasse, visibly impressed.
The image dissolved into static, and error messages began flashing on the screen. Shaw sighed.
—The formaldehyde is killing the tissue —she said, looking at the screen in frustration.
Ford stared at her, amazed.
—Did you record that? —she asked, still in shock over what had just happened.
—Of course —Shaw replied calmly.
Later, Shaw was dissecting one of the Engineer's eyes, working carefully under water in a shallow tray filled with preservative fluid. Ford and Glasse watched, utterly fascinated by Shaw's work.
She had magnifying glasses resting on her forehead, lowering and raising them as needed. With precise movements, she cut into the eye and extracted the hard lens behind the cornea. Holding it up to her own eye, she observed its opalescent, almost luminous quality.
—The lens is where the phase shift occurs —Shaw said, examining the piece.
The uncorrected vision through the lens was blurred.
—Glasse, I want to look through these lenses. Can you seal them and apply optical correction? —Shaw asked, handing him the glasses.
Glasse reached out to take them, a smile lighting up his face.
—I have an idea about that —he replied, already working on the correction.
In another section of the laboratory, David opened a freezer, retrieved a small vial from a shelf, and placed it on a table. Carefully, he removed the cap, revealing its contents: four green crystals fused together. With a knife, he separated one of the crystals and placed it in a scanning machine. Then, using a syringe, he extracted a black substance from inside the bulb.
David took out a tray containing two dead, frozen mice and placed it beneath a scanning device. He injected half of the substance into one of the mice and sprayed the liquid over the other. Closing the device's lid, he stepped back to observe the monitor, which displayed a split-screen feed tracking both subjects.
The mouse that had been injected suddenly exploded.
Fascinated, David observed the analysis results on the screen and began reading them aloud:
—Internal infection causes cell and bone disintegration, replacing them with entirely new structures. External infection induces rapid, aggressive mutation, altering genetics at the cellular level... Fascinating.
He returned to the table, took another crystal, and squeezed a drop of the black liquid onto his index finger. Bringing it close to his eyes, he smiled.
—Big things have small beginnings —the android murmured.
David then left the laboratory and entered another room, where he found Holloway sitting alone by a pool table. The android still had the drop of black substance on his finger. With a seemingly cordial smile, David picked up a bottle of wine and a glass, then approached Holloway.
—Am I interrupting? I thought you might want some wine —David remarked.
—Pour yourself a glass, buddy —Holloway replied, without much enthusiasm.
—Thank you, but that would be a waste —David responded neutrally.
—Ah, right, almost forgot. You're not a real boy, huh? —Holloway said with sarcasm.
David’s smile faded, replaced by an expressionless face. Though he wasn’t supposed to feel emotions, it was clear he didn’t care much for Holloway.
—I’m sorry that all your Engineers are gone, Dr. Holloway —David said, his tone devoid of genuine sympathy.
—Do you think we wasted our time coming here? —Holloway asked, visibly discouraged.
—That question depends on whether I understand what you expected to accomplish by coming here —David replied with calculated neutrality.
—We hoped to meet our creators and get answers about why they made us in the first place.
David looked at him with curiosity before asking his next question:
—And why do you think your species made me?
—We made you because we could —Holloway answered dismissively.
—Can you imagine how disappointing it would be for you to hear the same from your own creator? —David countered.
—Well, I guess it’s a good thing you can’t feel disappointment, right? —Holloway said with a sarcastic grin.
David placed the empty glass on the table and replied:
—Yes, it is an advantage, actually. May I ask you a question?
—Go ahead —Holloway said, somewhat intrigued.
—How far would you go to get what you came here for? Your answers. What would you be willing to do?
—I’d do whatever it takes —Holloway answered with determination.
David gave a slight smile.
—I suppose that deserves a drink.
With calculated movements, he poured the wine into the glass, and as he did, he dipped his index finger into the liquid, letting the drop of black substance fall in. The substance quickly dispersed, but Holloway didn’t seem to notice. Raising the glass, he winked at David.
—This one’s for you, buddy —Holloway said before downing the entire drink in one gulp.
David watched him with a measured smile.
—Cheers —the android said calmly, as he observed the consequences of his experiment begin to take shape.
Inside the pyramid, Fifield and Millburn continued advancing through the dark tunnels when they came across a terrifying sight: a dozen dead Engineers piled against a sealed door. Their bodies were twisted in agony, as if they had been trying to escape from something. The wounds on their corpses were horrific, the remnants of an ancient massacre.
—What are these things? Are they real? —Millburn asked, shocked.
—I don’t know... —Fifield replied, visibly scared.
Millburn stared at the pile of corpses in disbelief.
—Jesus Christ... Look at that pile, it’s huge. What could have done this?
—Looks like they were running from something —Fifield said, examining the scene.
—Alright, don’t touch them, okay? Just look at them... Look at those holes. It’s like these things burst open from the inside. Almost like they exploded —Millburn observed.
—It’s like something straight out of a Holocaust painting... —Fifield added, shuddering
Millburn pointed at some green patches.
—Look at all this algae. It looks like it’s growing from inside their bodies.
Meanwhile, aboard the Prometheus, Captain Janek was on the bridge playing a Christmas melody on his accordion when a sound from the holographic map caught his attention. One of Fifield’s “Pup” probes was beeping at the end of a tunnel. Janek moved closer to the rotating 3D map on the table, watching it carefully.
Back in the tunnels, Millburn looked nervously at Fifield.
—So, whatever killed them... it’s been gone for a long time, right? —Millburn asked.
Before Fifield could answer, Janek’s voice interrupted over the communicator, startling them.
—Millburn, Fifield. Prometheus here. What’s your position?
—Prometheus, this is Millburn. We have no idea. Why? —Millburn responded.
—I just picked up a pulse from the far end of that tunnel complex. It’s about a kilometer west of your position —Janek informed them.
—What do you mean by a pulse? —Millburn asked, clearly nervous.
—Well, whatever that probe is detecting, it’s not dead. It’s reading as a life form.
Fifield took a step back.
—A life form? Is it moving?
—No, but there’s definitely something down there with you —Janek replied.
Millburn moved closer to his companion, fear creeping into his voice.
—Look, Captain, it’s obvious you’re not seeing what we’re seeing down here. If you were, you wouldn’t be talking about a damn pulse.
—I get it, guys. The signal has been coming in intermittently since the storm started —Janek explained.
—That’s not good for us down here, this is a goddamn nightmare! —Fifield yelled.
Suddenly, the probe’s beeping disappeared from the holographic map.
—Is it moving? Is it still there? —Fifield asked, more terrified than before.
—No. It just vanished. Must be a glitch —Janek replied.
—What do you mean by “a glitch”? —Millburn snapped, irritated and confused.
Janek tried to reassure them, though with a touch of sarcasm.
—Sleep tight, boys. Try not to cuddle each other.
—Tell us what the hell you mean by “a glitch”! —Millburn demanded, increasingly frustrated.
Janek no longer responded. Instead, he watched the monitors displaying the feed from the two men’s helmet cameras: the pile of dead Engineers that left him deep in thought.
—You said the signal was west, right? —Fifield asked.
—Yeah —Millburn replied.
—Then we’re not going west, are we? —Fifield suggested.
—Hell no —Millburn confirmed.
—So where are we going? —the geologist insisted.
—East —Millburn answered without hesitation.
—Yeah, east... —Fifield repeated, trembling.
Millburn took one last look at the corpses before starting to walk.
—A glitch? Seriously, a goddamn glitch? This is insane. Come on, Fifield. Let’s get the hell out of here.
The two men walked away, leaving behind the macabre scene and the unsettling sensation that something—or someone—was watching them.
Later, in her quarters, Elizabeth Shaw was alone, sitting on the couch with a plate in her hands, carefully watching the holographic recordings of the Engineer being decapitated by a door once again. Holding a small pen-shaped recording device, she spoke softly:
—Based on the subject’s behavior in these holographic recordings, we are still trying to identify what caused the combustion of the head. I can’t help but wonder… was there an outbreak here?
Suddenly, Holloway entered the room, holding a rose.
—Did you call for me, miss? —he asked with a playful smile.
Shaw looked up, surprised.
—I have something important to show you. What’s that you’ve got there?
Holloway stepped closer, delicately holding the rose.
—It’s an English rose. I had it frozen in stasis with me. I planned to give it to you when we found what we were looking for… but I was an idiot. Now I’m using it to win you back and tell you I’m sorry. Ellie, I’m so sorry about earlier.
He sat in a chair in front of Shaw. Moved, she stood up and settled into his lap. Holloway reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box.
—I was going to wait until we found proof that we were created by them, but there’s something I want to give you.
Shaw nodded, but before responding, she added with excitement:
—I have something for you too… And we did find what we were looking for, Charlie. They were here, and…
She couldn’t finish; Holloway interrupted her.
—The most important discovery in human history. Oh, I know what we found, but I wanted to talk to them, Ellie. I’m upset because I’ll never get that chance. I want to know why they came, why they abandoned us. I just want answers, love.
Shaw picked up a small device from the table and showed it to him. On the screen, the structure of the Engineers' DNA was displayed, combined with human DNA.
—We were right, Charlie, and I have proof. Look here. Their genetic material is billions of years older than ours. We descend from them. All life on Earth comes from them.
Holloway laughed, incredulous.
—Are you kidding me?
—No, look at it. We were right. We can go home and prove to the world that we're not just crazy people with ridiculous theories.
Holloway stared at her intensely.
—Do you know what this means?
—What? —asked Shaw, intrigued.
—It means you can take off that crucifix now.
—Why would I do that?
—Because they created us.
—And who created them? —Shaw replied.
Holloway smiled, shrugging.
—Exactly. We'll never know. But this proves something: both creationism and evolution are right. All life on Earth was created by a higher being and then evolved. This might be the answer that ends that debate.
Shaw looked at him, thoughtful, as he continued:
—But, Ellie, creating life is no big deal. Anyone can do it. You just need some DNA and a little ingenuity, right?
Shaw looked away, her eyes misty.
—I can’t. I can’t create life. What does that say about me?
Holloway frowned, concerned.
—Ellie, that’s not what I meant, and you know it. I wasn’t talking about…
—Kids? —Shaw interrupted, guessing his thoughts.
—About us. —he finished softly.
Shaw stood up and walked over to the bed, wiping her tears. Holloway followed and gently embraced her. They both fell softly onto the bed.
—Hey, Elizabeth Shaw. You’re the most special person I’ve ever met in my life.
—Say it. —she replied.
—Say what? —Holloway asked, confused.
—Say it, Charlie. You’ve never told me. I’ve been waiting to hear it since we met. Please, Charlie…
He avoided the answer with a deep kiss. Their lips met urgently and passionately, and soon the moment became intimate, leaving the words for later.
Meanwhile, in the Vickers module, David stood next to the woman, interacting with her holographic terminal. Although she was still upset with the android due to their previous argument, she now needed his help. David placed his hand on a signal plate, and the terminal lit up, projecting a three-dimensional image before them.
The central camera of the pyramid appeared from David's point of view. Through his eyes, something seemed different; he not only saw visible light, but also heat and electromagnetic energy, as if his vision encompassed more than a human could perceive. Calibrated readings overlapped on the scene, showing complex energy patterns surrounding the pyramid's structures. The technology in front of them was incomprehensible.
—This is the core of the pyramid. Now you see it —David said calmly, observing the screen.
Vickers stood rigid, her gaze fixed on the image. There was a palpable greed in her eyes.
—Proceed with protocol two —Vickers ordered firmly.
—Understood —David replied, preparing to act.
Minutes later, Vickers entered the command bridge, heading toward the table where the holographic scan of the pyramid was being projected. She studied the details carefully, but just as she extended her hand to touch the hologram, an unexpected sound made her jump.
To her left, Janek was sitting on a couch, holding his accordion, watching her with a calm smile.
—Hello —the captain greeted.
—How much longer is this going to take? —Vickers asked, clearly annoyed.
—I don't know, I'm just the captain —Janek replied casually, starting to play his accordion.
Vickers closed her eyes, sighing in exasperation.
—That thing sounds like a dying cat —she commented, crossing her arms.
—Well, just so you know, this "thing" once belonged to Stephen Stills —Janek said proudly.
—Am I supposed to know who that is? —she replied, raising an eyebrow.
The captain smiled wider.
—Look, if you want to have sex, you don't have to pretend you're interested in the pyramid. You can just say, "Hey, I want to have sex."
Vickers stared at him, surprised by his boldness, then smiled ironically.
—I could. I could say that, couldn't I? But in that case, it wouldn't make sense for me to fly 800 million kilometers away from all the men on Earth if that's what I was looking for, don't you think? —she replied with a biting tone before turning to leave the room.
Janek stood up from the couch and followed her, stopping her before she could completely leave.
—Hey, Vickers, can I ask you a question?
—What do you want? —she said, stopping.
—I just wanted to know... are you a robot? —he asked, pretending to be serious, but with a playful glint in his eyes.
Vickers stared at him for several seconds before letting out a small smile.
—My room. Fifteen minutes —she ordered, accepting the captain's peculiar flirting.
She turned around and left the bridge without looking back.
Janek watched her leave and, laughing, sat back down on the couch. He started playing his accordion, this time singing along to the rhythm of the melody:
"Well, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with..."
When he was gone, David silently appeared on the bridge. His steps were light, almost imperceptible, as he crossed toward a nearby staircase. Without stopping, he descended to the lower compartment.
In the dim light of the compartment, David activated the navigation computer terminal. The screen lit up, bathing his face in a cold, artificial glow. His fingers moved with precision and superhuman speed, typing commands with unsettling skill.
—Activate. Administrative override —he murmured quietly, as the system began responding to his orders.
Inside the pyramid, the ampoules in the ceremonial hall had fully released their contents, forming a large pool of black substance that covered the room. Lost in the tunnels, Fifield and Millburn accidentally returned to the place they had originally tried to avoid.
—Wait! Isn't that the headless giant's corpse? —Fifield asked, shining his flashlight on the body.
—That's right... Oh no! —Millburn responded, recognizing the area. Turning around, he saw that the large door with hieroglyphs was now open and the black liquid was flooding the floor, dangerously approaching them.
—Millburn, do you see that? What is that thing? —Fifield asked, pointing to the inside of the ceremonial hall.
—How the hell am I supposed to know? —Millburn replied, visibly uncomfortable.
Fifield coughed, and thick smoke filled his helmet.
—Is that tobacco you have in the respirator? —Millburn asked, looking at him incredulously.
—Yeah, sure, kid. Tobacco —Fifield responded, smiling as he took a puff.
—On behalf of scientists all over the world, I'm ashamed to have you among us —Millburn responded, visibly annoyed.
—It helps me relax, okay? —Fifield said, exhaling the smoke, ignoring Millburn’s disapproving look.
Fifield illuminated the giant stone head at the back of the room.
—Hey, Millburn, that big guy over there... Do you think he was some kind of god? Something they worshipped?
—Maybe. I don't know. He looks like a... —Millburn didn't finish the sentence, interrupted by a movement beneath the black substance.
—What the hell is that? —Fifield asked, pointing with his flashlight.
Millburn leaned close to the pool, frowning as he saw something emerging from the liquid.
—Oh, shit!
The alien worm emerged from the pool, now mutated into a serpentine creature over a meter long, with a crest resembling that of a cobra.
—Millburn, get away from that thing! —Fifield screamed, terrified.
—Fifield, stay calm, okay? Don't make any sudden movements.
—Look at the size of that thing!
Millburn activated his communicator.
—Attention, Prometheus. We have an elongated creature, reptilian type. Do you copy?
The ship's cabin, however, was empty: Janek had gone to Vickers' room, and the pilots were asleep. No one responded.
—Millburn, get away from that thing!
—Calm down. I used to work with snakes. If we don't make any sudden movements, it won't attack.
—What the hell are you talking about? It's not a snake!
Millburn tried to approach cautiously.
—I think it has a blind spot. If I find it, I can neutralize it.
—You're crazy!
—Prepare the bag.
When Millburn tried to grab the creature, it opened a horizontal mouth full of fangs and bit his hand. It quickly wrapped around his arm, tightening it forcefully.
—Get it off me! —Millburn screamed, desperate.
—I'm not touching that! —Fifield replied, backing away.
—God, it's breaking my arm!
With a horrifying scream, the Hammerpede tightened until it broke Millburn's arm. Fifield, trying to help, cut at the creature with a knife, but it sprayed its acidic blood onto Fifield's helmet, which began to melt.
As Fifield screamed, the Hammerpede regenerated its head and slid into Millburn's suit through a hole created by the acid.
—It's inside my suit! Help! —Millburn screamed.
Fifield's helmet finally melted completely, exposing his face to the black liquid. As he tried to get up, he collapsed face-first into the pool and became motionless.
The Hammerpede, now inside Millburn's suit, wrapped around his neck and began to strangle him. Millburn dropped to his knees, desperately banging on his helmet as the creature entered his mouth and slid down his throat. His eyes rolled back, and his body went limp as he sank into the black pond.
To be continued...
Chapter 4: Monsters
Chapter Text
The next morning, the sun emerged on the horizon, painting the sky with warm hues as the storm dissipated. Everything was wrapped in a deathly silence, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
In Vickers' module, a secret high-tech room began to come to life. The indicator lights, now green, blinked, ready. Vickers activated a panel of switches with calculated precision.
From the metal walls, four cryosleep capsules emerged, sliding out with a mechanical hum. Inside each, a muscular soldier awoke from his deep slumber. Their scarred bodies and shaved heads revealed the past of men hardened by combat. They moved like veterans, accustomed to discipline.
The leader of the group, Captain Shepherd, slowly sat up, bringing a hand to his head as a grimace crossed his face, fighting against the pain of awakening.
—Captain Shepherd —Vickers greeted him, firm and authoritative.
—Reporting in —he replied, squinting his eyes against the intensity of the lights.
—Meredith Vickers. I am your direct authority on this mission —she declared, bluntly.
—Understood —Shepherd replied, quickly adjusting to the situation.
—You will receive instructions on the move. We need to move immediately —Vickers ordered, turning to lead the way.
—No breakfast? —Shepherd asked sarcastically.
Vickers ignored him and left the room, leading the way with determined steps.
A few minutes later, in a narrow corridor, Vickers walked briskly, her posture reflecting confidence and urgency. Behind her, the four soldiers followed in unison: Shepherd, Vigoda, Ray, and Card. Their boots echoed loudly on the metal deck, marking the rhythm of a unit used to combat.
In Shaw and Holloway's bedroom, she lay naked on the bed, deeply asleep. Her skin showed small wounds left by the storm and visible bite marks, remnants of her passion with Holloway. Shortly after, Shaw awoke. Her eyes stared into the void, her mind filled with dark thoughts.
—We found the gods —she whispered almost to herself— And they've been killed. What could have killed them? An epidemic? Or something worse?
Holloway, still half-asleep, heard the question. He watched her for a moment before answering sarcastically.
—Who knows? —he said, letting out a bitter laugh— But I guess now we know why they never came back with us. Something killed them... back in the time of Christ. Maybe... He was one of them. A great teacher sent from heaven? Jesus, the last Engineer!
—Charlie, stop! —Shaw exclaimed. Holloway simply laughed at her reaction.
Without saying more, Holloway got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. His body also showed signs of the previous night: bites and scratches on his shoulders, collarbones, and back. But among those wounds, something else began to stand out: small black rashes appeared on his skin, especially on his back.
In the bathroom, Holloway turned on the faucet, splashed cold water on his face, and looked at himself in the mirror. As he leaned forward, a fleeting flash unsettled him: something small, like a worm, moved around his pupil before disappearing. It was part of the microbial fauna in his body, but now it was mutated. Holloway felt a visceral panic as his breathing quickened.
At that moment, Janek's voice came through the communicator.
—Doctors? Are you awake?
Shaw responded quickly, trying to keep calm.
—Yes, Janek. What’s going on?
—The storm is over, but I can't reach Millburn or Fifield. I'm taking a team to search for them —Janek informed.
Shaw frowned, alarmed.
—Any idea where they are?
—The last time they radioed in, they were outside, near the place where they found the head —Janek said.
—Understood. We're leaving immediately —Shaw replied with determination.
—Do you want me to call Holloway? —Janek asked calmly.
—He's here with me —Shaw answered.
Janek smiled, giving a meaningful glance to his men while raising his eyebrows.
—Well, he's certainly lucky. We're leaving in fifteen minutes. Janek out —said the captain before cutting the communication.
As Shaw began to get dressed, Holloway remained in the bathroom, examining a small box he was holding. His mind was divided between fear and the instinct to protect Shaw. He decided to keep what he had seen in his eye a secret, not wanting to worry her.
On the bridge, Janek headed for the door, and before leaving, he issued an order to one of his pilots.
—Chance, come with me. Let’s go.
—Okay, chief —Chance replied as he got up to follow him.
Meanwhile, in the bedroom, Holloway hastily put away the small box when Shaw entered from behind him.
—Hey, babe —she greeted with a smile.
—Ellie —he replied, trying to sound casual.
Shaw noticed his nervousness and frowned, concerned.
—Are you okay? —she asked, walking closer to him.
—Yeah, yeah... I think I just have a hangover —Holloway answered, trying to seem calm.
Shaw watched him more closely and realized something wasn’t right.
—Are you sure? You're sweating. You seem to have a fever —she said, her voice full of worry.
—I'm fine, babe. Really —he insisted, trying to divert her attention.
But then Shaw noticed something strange on his back: small black rashes marking his skin.
—What are those rashes? —she asked, pointing to the marks.
Holloway shrugged.
—I don’t really know.
—Maybe you should stay here. You don't seem like you're in any condition to go —Shaw suggested, concerned.
Holloway shook his head.
—I'm fine, Ellie. I want to go with you.
Shaw hesitated for a moment, evaluating his condition, but finally gave in with a sigh.
—Alright, babe. But if you get worse, you tell me immediately.
Holloway nodded, grateful for her trust.
—I'm sorry for yesterday —he said after a brief silence, looking down— I know I promised I’d never drink again, but I guess I was upset.
Shaw gently stroked his face.
—It's okay. I forgive you. Let’s recover and move forward together.
They shared a brief smile, preparing for what was to come. However, the rhythmic sound of marching footsteps echoed outside their room, interrupting the moment.
—What’s that? —Shaw asked, frowning as she looked at Holloway with confusion.
In the preparation room, located near the airlocks, a man was waiting. It was Vigoda, a slender soldier with dark skin who exuded an unsettling calm.
Holloway and Shaw arrived at the location, still perplexed.
—Who are you? —Holloway asked, confused upon seeing these strangers.
—Captain Janek will lead his crew to recover the missing men. They never returned —Vigoda replied, avoiding the question directly.
—And you are...? —Holloway pressed, his tone full of distrust.
—I’m Vigoda, from Weyland’s security team —the soldier answered, maintaining his composure.
Shaw and Holloway exchanged incredulous looks. Vigoda’s presence and his team seemed impossible.
—Where did you come from? —Shaw asked, suspicious.
—The director called for you. She will explain everything. My job is to escort you to the operations site —Vigoda responded firmly.
—Operations site? —Holloway asked, even more confused.
Vigoda checked a portable mapping unit before responding:
—I understand you’re exploring a structure. Some kind of pyramid.
Minutes later, Holloway and Shaw, visibly upset, arrived with Vigoda at Vickers' cabin. They stopped dead in their tracks when they saw Shepherd standing in front of the door like a guard.
Inside, Vickers was sitting calmly on her sofa, her posture exuding unwavering confidence.
—Why weren’t we informed about this additional personnel? —Holloway demanded, his tone filled with anger.
—They are my staff. On my ship —Vickers replied coldly, unshaken by the reproach.
—Why do they need weapons? —Shaw intervened, questioning the presence of the armed soldiers.
Vickers looked at them serenely, confident in her position.
—I’m taking precautions. These new discoveries give our mission renewed importance —she declared, her tone calculated.
—You should have talked to us first. Charlie is the leader of the mission. That’s stipulated in our contract —Shaw insisted, her frustration evident.
Vickers gave a nearly imperceptible smile before responding:
—From the moment you found alien technology, the control of this mission passed to me. That’s also in your contract.
Shaw and Holloway exchanged looks of frustration. Vickers had won this round.
—Mr. Weyland invested millions of dollars in Mars. He built ships like the Prometheus with the purpose of finding colonizable planets. But Earth-like worlds are extremely rare: the right distance from the sun, the proper atmosphere, enough water...
Vickers paused to emphasize her words before continuing:
—This technology has the potential to transform worlds. It’s far more valuable than mere giant corpses. I won’t abandon it.
—Science must be our priority. We need time to document these findings... —Holloway tried to reply before being interrupted.
—You’re on an alien world thanks to Weyland Industries. Be grateful —Vickers concluded seriously.
Shaw, frustrated but with no arguments to contradict her, approached the holographic terminal, examining the images of the pyramid's core carefully, while the tension in the room remained palpable.
On the cargo dock, Vickers' soldiers boarded one Rover, while Shaw, Holloway, Janek, Chance, Ford, Jackson, Barnes, and Wallace climbed into the other. Just as they were preparing to depart, David appeared and approached Janek.
—Ravel, did you fix the malfunction? —Janek asked, looking at the engineer.
David, intrigued, interjected:
—What problem, Captain?
—One of the probes detected a life form. It appears every hour for a few minutes, then disappears —Janek explained seriously.
—If you’d like, I can locate the probe and repair it —David suggested, calm but determined.
—Do it, it’s all yours. Take one of the Buggys —Janek ordered, giving him the go-ahead.
—Be careful, doctors.
Although he addressed everyone, his eyes lingered on Holloway for a moment, accompanied by a subtle smile, before turning and heading toward the buggy.
Without further words, the vehicles began to move.
—Alright, let’s get this moving —Janek ordered.
The Rovers led the way, speeding down the ramp toward the valley, heading for the mysterious pyramid. David, on the other hand, took the Buggy and stopped at a distance, watching as the Rovers disappeared into the shadows of the structure.
Inside the pyramid, the group explored cautiously, illuminating the dark interior with their flashlights. The atmosphere was tense, and the echo of their footsteps resonated in the silence.
—Fifield! Millburn! —Jackson shouted, his voice bouncing off the walls.
But there was no response. Just the oppressive silence of the alien structure.
Further ahead, in the tunnel, David's Buggy moved slowly, passing a pile of Engineer corpses. It finally stopped a few meters from the probe that was supposedly damaged.
—David, are you alone? —Vickers asked through the communicator, her tone cold and direct.
—Yes, Miss Vickers. —The android replied calmly.
—Send your signal to my quarters. —She ordered.
—Understood. —David said obediently.
David approached the probe, which hovered in front of a massive iron door. He touched the control panel, and the door slowly slid to the side. The probe quickly entered, beginning to scan the interior.
David also passed through the door, finding himself in a completely different area of the structure. In contrast to the stone tunnels, this place had a clearly metallic design.
He was in an immense cargo bay. Colossal pillars rose throughout the space, each perforated with holes containing thousands of resinous blisters. The walls and ceiling were also covered in these blisters, aligned like missiles stored in a nuclear arsenal.
In her survival module, Vickers sat on a sofa, watching David’s transmission on a monitor. Her face reflected a mix of awe and unease as she held her breath while viewing the images.
David continued forward until he reached another door at the end of the hold, flanked by Engineer biomechanical suits. Upon opening it, he entered a tunnel decorated with patterns reminiscent of bones, a disturbingly familiar design.
The tunnel led him to an immense dome-shaped room. Without warning, David turned off his camera, leaving Vickers in the dark.
—Son of a bitch... you cut off my signal. —Vickers spat, furious.
Inside the room, David approached a large platform in the center, where four enormous boxes rested, resembling sarcophagi. Each was about 20 feet long. Two of them had holes, and inside were the decomposed bodies of 15-foot tall Engineers, fossilized by the passage of time.
David stopped in front of the platform, observing silently, as the shadows of the past seemed to envelop him.
Meanwhile, the rest of the group approached the core of the pyramid to carry out Vickers' orders: to collect the terraforming technology.
Shaw and Holloway arrived at the scene just as powerful floodlights illuminated the core chamber, dispelling the darkness. A fine mist of water fell from the darkness above, creating an unsettling atmosphere.
Weyland Security soldiers, along with Jackson's men, were busy dismantling the imposing central mechanism of the pyramid. They used power saws and compact explosives to tear through its thick surface, while robotic scanners took high-resolution images of the machinery.
Two soldiers, Card and Ray, stood guard nearby, equipped with combat suits and automatic rifles, ready for any eventuality.
Shaw watched the destruction with dismay, while Holloway gritted his teeth in visible frustration. Janek, checking an electronic map, advanced toward the group, closely followed by the two scientists.
—Milburn? Fifield? Do you copy? Over. —Janek asked through his communicator, but only received silence.
—We should be able to track their suit signals. —Janek remarked, frowning.
—Could it be that the walls are armored? —Chance asked.
—It could be that the suits malfunctioned. —Ford suggested.
—Both suits? —Janek replied, incredulous.
Meanwhile, Shaw watched in anger as a large section of the central mechanism crashed down with a deafening roar onto the deck.
Later, in one of the tunnels, Holloway tapped Shaw's shoulder to get her attention. With a gesture, he indicated for her to follow, and the two began to speak softly.
—We found the tomb of the gods and brought the tomb robbers right to their doorstep. —Shaw said bitterly.
—Let them dig. This discovery is too big to ruin. —Holloway replied. He then pointed to the walls, covered in biomechanical devices, with his flashlight. —There are dozens of pyramids on this moon, and they're on the wrong path. This is just infrastructure. The main activity of the complex was down here.
The group turned a corner and came upon a shocking scene: Engineer corpses scattered across the floor, desiccated and skeletal, dead for centuries.
Shaw moved between them, fascinated by what she saw. All the Engineers had died from explosive chest wounds; their ribs were bent outward as if something had burst from inside them. Other than that, their bodies showed no other marks.
Meanwhile, Holloway examined the surrounding mechanisms, intrigued by their design. They were biomechanical structures, like iron maidens, adapted for giant bodies. Some were designed for sitting positions, others to remain standing. Their design was not only invasive but also disturbing: they didn’t seem to simply embrace, but merge, penetrate.
—Something different killed these. —Shaw pointed out, studying the corpses closely.
After advancing a little further through the dark corridors, the group finally arrived at the ceremonial hall. The atmosphere was oppressive and heavy with mystery. Their flashlights illuminated the walls adorned with now-melted murals, the aligned ampules, the pool of black liquid in the center, and the imposing giant stone head that dominated the room.
Suddenly, Holloway, visibly ill and disoriented, stumbled over the decapitated Engineer’s body and nearly fell to the ground. Shaw quickly rushed to help him.
—Charlie? Are you okay? —Shaw asked, concerned.
—Yeah, I’m fine. Just tripped. —Holloway responded, trying to downplay it as he regained his balance.
Shaw looked at him more closely, noticing that his eyes were bloodshot and irritated.
—Oh my God, Charlie! You’re sick! —she exclaimed, alarmed.
Holloway shook his head and forced a smile.
—I’m fine, Ellie. Really. Come on! —he said, trying to change the subject while glancing around, seemingly searching for the missing men—. Hey, Fifield?
He tried to maintain a determined attitude, but his discomfort was evident to Shaw, who watched him with growing concern.
—Spread out. —Janek ordered as he studied the area—. Dr. Shaw, any idea what’s coming out of these jars?
—No… —Shaw replied, confused—. They weren’t like this when we left them.
The tension in the room escalated when Ford and Jackson broke the silence.
—Sir… —murmured Ford, alarmed.
—Hey, Captain. —Jackson called from the edge of the pool.
Janek, along with Chance and Ford, rushed toward Jackson, who stood motionless, staring at something in the black water.
—What do you got, Jackson? —Janek asked.
—You tell me, I just work here. —Jackson replied, nervous.
The soldiers carefully pulled a body from the pool, turning it over to examine it. It was covered in blood and the strange black liquid, presenting a grotesque and terrifying sight. Their flashlights illuminated a horrifying scene:
—It’s Milburn… —Chance said with a lump in his throat.
The corpse was in an agonized position. His helmet was shattered, and his head had been bitten down to the bone. Shaw watched in horror.
—What happened to him? —she asked, incredulous.
—Don’t touch him. —Janek intervened firmly—. Ford, come here.
Ford approached and closely examined the body.
—I see movement in his esophagus… —she said, alarmed.
Just as Ford reached to remove the corpse’s helmet, that snake-like creature, the Hammerpede, shot out of Milburn’s mouth, splattering blood before diving back into the black liquid. Ford screamed in terror as the creature hissed and slithered across the floor.
—What the hell is that thing?! —Janek exclaimed.
He pulled out his gun and fired three times at the Hammerpede. The creature died in a spray of acid that immediately began corroding the floor. Janek watched in shock as a tiny drop of acid even burned through the barrel of his gun.
Suddenly, two more Hammerpedes emerged from the pool, quickly advancing toward the group. Janek, Chance, and Wallace reacted immediately, using small pickaxes to crush the creatures. Jackson ignited a flamethrower, burning anything else that emerged, as the creatures seemed drawn to the noise.
Barnes came running, holding pieces of a shattered helmet. The stamped letters were unmistakable: Fifield.
Janek clenched his jaw, his voice filled with resignation.
—Where’s the rest of him?
—No sign of him. —Barnes replied, shaking his head.
Janek took a deep breath, making a decision.
—Alright. We’re done here. Everyone aboard. —he ordered firmly.
The group quickly left the place, abandoning the ceremonial hall and the horrors within.
—What about Milburn? —Wallace asked, glancing uneasily at the mangled corpse.
Janek looked at the body, his expression grim.
—We can’t bring him aboard. God knows what’s inside him. Bag him up and put him in a mineral hopper. —he commanded, his voice firm.
Minutes later, as the others loaded the body, Shaw and Holloway decided to explore a wide colonnade near the ceremonial hall. Shaw remained intrigued by the ancient corpses scattered around, while Holloway studied the biomechanical machinery covering the walls with fascination.
Holloway, absorbed in the details of the mechanisms, moved down a narrow, branching corridor. He was so focused that he barely noticed a deep pit in front of him. He stopped just in time, turning around, but then something unexpected happened.
A hologram abruptly appeared before him. The figure of an Engineer crawled across the floor, its face monstrous, its eyes seeming to pierce the soul. The hologram advanced toward Holloway, staring directly at him.
—Oh my God! —Holloway gasped, stumbling back in horror.
In his panic, he lost his footing and fell into the dark pit. The hologram watched him fall, its gaze locked onto him until it vanished into a cloud of static.
In the main colonnade, Shaw heard the echo of the fall and turned toward the sound.
—Charlie! Charlie? —she shouted, alarmed.
She ran to the spot, but as she arrived, an iris door sealed shut over the pit, blocking any access. Desperate, Shaw began searching the area, calling out to Holloway while sweeping the darkness with her flashlight.
In the survival module, Vickers sat in front of her holographic terminal, attentively watching several transmissions. One showed Janek’s helmet camera: Milburn’s body, sealed and secured on the platform of a cargo vehicle. Another camera displayed the soldiers working on the terraforming equipment inside the pyramid.
Meanwhile, Janek reported through the communicator:
—I repeat, I have two men down. I’m bringing my crew back to the ship. I suggest you do the…
The transmission was abruptly interrupted by a desperate Shaw bursting into the channel.
—Please, someone! I need help! Charlie’s gone!
Vickers, her expression tense, nervously switched between video feeds on her terminal.
—Shaw, where is he? —Janek responded over the communicator, trying to calm her.
Meanwhile, in the module, Vickers felt a presence behind her. She quickly turned to see Captain Shepherd watching her in silence. Trying to maintain her composure, she spoke in a controlled voice, though there was a tremor beneath it.
—Captain Shepherd. Consider yourself responsible for my personal security.
Shepherd nodded firmly, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. The tension was mounting, and everyone knew things were about to spiral even further out of control.
Meanwhile, in another part of the facility, David walked around a platform, inspecting the controls and a throne-like chair in the center. Intrigued, he examined the buttons on the panel and pressed one at random. Suddenly, the chair moved on its own, positioning itself, and David sat down, observing with a satisfied smile.
All at once, a group of holographic Engineers, all without helmets, entered the monumental hall. They walked toward the platform and ascended it, engaging in conversation in their ancient language. David quickly stood up from the chair as one of the holographic Engineers took a seat. The Engineer turned to the controls, pulled out an instrument resembling a flute, and played a brief melody. This activated the controls, causing various indicators and lights to flicker to life.
One of the Engineers approached and knelt beside the one seated, initiating a dialogue. David watched and listened intently, captivated by the scene. The entire platform became enveloped in a display of holographic images. The Engineers' technology, though similar to human holograms, was clearly far more advanced.
One of the projections displayed a gas giant surrounded by three small planetoids. Fascinated, David stepped onto the platform once again, impressed by the sophistication of the images. The projection quickly shifted: now, a full view of the galaxy appeared. A star began to shine intensely. Then, the image transitioned to a close-up of our solar system, where planet Earth gleamed as green lines marked it as a target.
David gazed at the hologram of Earth, which seemed to float before him. He reached out, holding it as if he could touch it. His expression shifted from curiosity to surprise, and finally, to a cunning smile.
Suddenly, the holographic images vanished, and planet Earth now levitated above a small device on the controls.
At that moment, one of the sarcophagi in the room stopped emitting its characteristic glow and rapidly shut down. Unlike the others, this one had no holes or visible damage. David approached, closely examining the interior. The Engineer inside the sarcophagus was intact, and David could clearly hear the sound of its heartbeat. Excited, he smiled at the discovery.
However, without David noticing, another sarcophagus behind him also began to glow before fading out.
Suddenly, Vickers' voice burst through the communicator, interrupting David’s moment.
—I can’t see you, but I know you can hear me, little tin can. Report! —she demanded irritably.
David responded, his tone laced with mockery.
—Yes, Miss Vickers. My apologies. Technical difficulties. —he lied shamelessly.
—Have you located your target, David? —Vickers asked, visibly annoyed.
—I believe so. It’s time. —David replied enigmatically before cutting off the transmission.
Meanwhile, inside the pyramid, Shaw came running to the spot where the rest of the team had gathered.
—I just lost a third of my crew. I’m not sending any more men into the dark. —Janek said, his tone firm and serious.
—We can’t leave Charlie out there. —Shaw pleaded desperately.
—Get Vickers to lend you some soldiers. —Janek suggested, trying to offer a solution.
—She says her "forces are committed." —Shaw responded, visibly enraged by the refusal.
Janek let out a long sigh, his gaze sweeping over the scene—the wrapped body of Milburn and the anxious, weary faces of his team, all eager to leave. Finally, Jackson shook his head in resignation.
—No way.
At that moment, a calm voice emerged from the shadows.
—I will stay.
Everyone turned their heads in surprise as David stepped out of the darkness. He looked as serene as ever, a sleek submachine gun slung over his shoulder.
—You will be safe. —the android said with quiet certainty.
Shaw looked at him, grateful.
—Thank you. —she replied, hopeful.
Later, aboard the Prometheus, Janek and his crew unloaded Milburn’s body from the rover.
—Put it in mineral hopper number one. Activate the scrubbers in the airlock. Sterilize everything. —the captain ordered firmly.
Minutes later, Chance operated a remote control to lower a mineral hopper from the ship’s belly. The heavy steel container, secured with thick chains, descended slowly. They loaded Milburn’s body, sealed in its bag, into the hopper.
One by one, the crew members reentered the ship, passing through a rigorous decontamination process, where sterilizing aerosols and radiation bombarded them.
Meanwhile, inside the pyramid, David and Shaw moved forward through the darkness. Shaw illuminated the path with her flashlight, anxiously scanning every corner. In contrast, David observed his surroundings calmly, as if the catacombs were perfectly lit, an expression of fascination on his face.
—You and Holloway should work with me. I’m discovering incredible things. —David said, breaking the tense silence—. Look at this mechanism: the first layer uses energy fields to catalyze chemical reactions. The second can suspend strong and weak nuclear forces, transmuting one element into another. And the third builds custom bacteria, seeding the air. They create life as a tool—to change worlds.
—I can’t think about that right now! —Shaw responded, both worried and frustrated.
—You should. —David paused, almost sighing, before continuing—. I understand. You’re emotional.
—I’m human. —Shaw said, emphasizing her words.
—That’s what I mean. —David replied with a slight smile.
Janek stood on the bridge, watching as the daylight faded beyond the horizon. A towering wall of clouds advanced rapidly, signaling an approaching storm front, its movement reflected in the holographic globe before him.
Meanwhile, inside the pyramid, David and Shaw continued their search in the dim light. Their communicators suddenly crackled to life with the captain’s voice.
—Shaw, we’ve got another storm front incoming. Looks like it’s following the sunset line. If you’re coming back, you’d better do it now. —Janek warned.
—No! —Shaw responded, visibly irritated.
David interrupted gently.
—I see light.
Shaw squinted into the darkness but saw nothing.
—Janek, wait... —she said, suddenly anxious.
Finally, she saw it: a faint, flickering glow at the end of the corridor. Shaw ran toward it, finding Holloway staggering, leaning against the wall. He looked disheveled and disoriented; his helmet and much of his gear were missing. Only a chest-mounted lamp cast a weak glow.
—We found him! —Shaw cried out, relieved.
—Charlie! Where’s your helmet?! —she asked urgently.
Holloway stared at her for a moment, as if struggling to recognize her. His teeth chattered, his whole body trembling from the cold.
—It broke. I fell. I’m a little... disoriented. I was just... —he mumbled, gesturing vaguely toward the tunnels behind him.
Without hesitation, David removed his own helmet and placed it on Holloway.
—Take it. I can do without this. —the android said calmly.
Shortly after, the three of them boarded the buggy and headed back to the Prometheus.
Upon arrival, David, his head uncovered and facing the wind, walked alongside Shaw and Holloway toward the airlock. Before stepping inside, he glanced back at the channel leading to the central crater. As the airlock lift began to rise, David took a step backward, gazing at the approaching storm on the horizon. The atmosphere darkened rapidly, the winds howled with growing intensity, and time seemed to work against them.
Without warning, he turned and started running in the opposite direction—back toward the ominous structure that seemed to devour the light around it.
—David! —Shaw shouted, her voice cutting through the roar of the wind—. What are you doing?! Where are you going?!
But the android did not answer. He did not look back, nor did he slow his pace. His movements were precise, determined, as if he were following a purpose only he understood.
Shaw watched him vanish as the airlock ramp slowly closed, sealing off the way back. Her confusion quickly turned into a mix of disbelief and frustration. The echo of his footsteps, drowned out by the storm, was the last thing she heard before the lift machinery pulled her away from the surface.
Already aboard the Prometheus, Shaw helped Holloway remove his spacesuit while Janek watched.
—I didn’t think I’d see you again. —Janek said, visibly relieved.
—You know we lost two men. —Shaw murmured, glancing at Holloway.
Holloway seemed too exhausted to process what he had heard. He simply nodded. Suddenly, he stood up unsteadily.
—I need to lie down. We’ll figure things out in the morning. Okay? —Holloway said in a weary voice.
—Of course. —Janek responded, watching him leave.
Holloway and Shaw walked toward their quarters. Shaw was visibly concerned, while Holloway tried to maintain his composure, showing little weakness despite what he had just admitted to feeling.
—What happened to you? —Shaw asked, eyes fixed on him.
—Not here. —Holloway replied quietly, avoiding her gaze.
When they reached their room, Holloway headed to the bathroom, pulling off his shirt. He stood in front of the mirror, brushing his teeth. Shaw watched him silently, noticing a red welt around his neck.
—Ellie, I saw something... God, my mouth tastes like an old boot. —Holloway muttered as he spat and rinsed his mouth.
Shaw gently touched the mark on his neck.
—What is this? —she asked, intrigued.
—My suit collar, I think. I fell on it. —Holloway replied, rubbing his neck and looking away.
—What did you see? —Shaw insisted, growing more worried.
Holloway sighed and began to recount what had happened.
—After the fall, I woke up walking. Delirious. My helmet wasn’t working right, so I took it off. I drifted in and out of consciousness... just wandered. I ended up in this massive space, like a cathedral. And there, I saw something incredible—a model of the galaxy, floating in the air.
Shaw looked at him with a mix of amazement and skepticism.
—Are you okay? You sound... —she started, but Holloway cut her off.
—It was real. The video from my headset should be wherever my helmet is. But my suit tracker can show you where I went. —he said firmly.
He turned to her, his eyes glowing with intensity.
—Ellie, this star map had a clear marker for Earth, another for this moon, and at least seven or eight more.
Shaw listened intently, her eyes lighting up at the possibility.
—The Engineers aren’t from here. This moon is just an outpost, abandoned. But if we follow that map, we could find a living civilization.
—Charlie... —Shaw began, but he cut her off again.
—The location of the Engineers’ worlds is the real prize. The company can’t know. We have to play this smart and get the coordinates before Vickers pulls us out of here.
—Alright. —Shaw replied, uneasy.
Holloway shivered slightly, a sheen of sweat covering his skin.
—Are you okay? —Shaw asked, touching his forehead.
—I’m fine now. —Holloway murmured before kissing her passionately.
They fell onto the bed, clinging to each other desperately. Holloway sought refuge in Shaw, while she, worried, watched him carefully.
—Your heart is racing. —Shaw noted, hearing its frantic rhythm.
—That’s your fault. —he replied, attempting a smile, though his voice betrayed his fear.
Suddenly, Holloway tensed violently, his body wracked by uncontrollable convulsions. A horrifying scream tore from his throat, filled with unbearable pain.
The black marks on his skin had spread rapidly, completely covering his face. His veins, now a deep purple, swelled grotesquely, as if they were about to burst through the skin of his face and forehead, creating a terrifying, unnatural spectacle.
—Charlie! Charlie! —Shaw screamed in alarm.
Holloway convulsed violently. A sickening crunch echoed through the room as, suddenly, a grotesque head burst from his chest—a parasite.
Shaw screamed in horror as the pale, slimy creature writhed and fought to free itself from Holloway’s body. Blood gushed from the wound as the parasite revealed its grotesque, gaping jaws.
In the chaos, Shaw tried to back away, but the creature lunged toward her. Desperate, she locked herself inside a wardrobe, slamming the steel door shut. However, the parasite began to slither under the door, slippery like an octopus, its twisted form warped by the black liquid in Holloway’s body.
Shaw screamed again just as Chance burst into the room, followed closely by Janek. Seeing the newcomers, the parasite darted toward a vent and disappeared into the ducts.
Shaw emerged from the wardrobe, trembling and covered in blood. She collapsed beside Holloway’s lifeless body, lying on the blood-soaked mattress.
—Charlie! Charlie! —she cried, devastated.
Chance, in an attempt to console her, grabbed a jacket and draped it over Shaw, gently pulling her away from the corpse.
Meanwhile, David had returned to the pyramid, venturing into the depths that the rest of the crew had avoided exploring, fearful of the latent threats lurking in every corner. The android walked with an unsettling calm, his footsteps echoing through the desolate corridors. The structure, despite its monumental appearance, seemed alive, with a constant whisper in the air, as if the very place was breathing.
After advancing a few more steps, he found himself in a vast botanical garden hidden deep within a cavern. The vegetation was lush, composed of plants with shapes and colors never before seen on Earth, some with translucent leaves that seemed to glow with their own light.
Among the alien flora, strange spectral-white creatures moved with silent precision. They were four-legged spiders, with elongated bodies and dark, unfathomable eyes, exploring their surroundings with an eerie sense of purpose.
The android paused for a moment, marveling at the spectacle around him. His sensors recorded every detail, analyzing the complex biological network of this ecosystem. However, his curiosity drove him forward, advancing with determination toward another section of the caverns, where even more secrets awaited discovery.
Upon reaching a vast chamber bathed in a dim bluish glow, David stopped. Before him, a row of capsules was meticulously aligned against the walls. Inside them, submerged in a yellow, viscous liquid, rested creatures of an unsettling appearance. They resembled large worms, beige or brown in color, with a mouth full of metallic teeth and a long tail.
—Fascinating… —murmured David, fascinated.
He approached one of the capsules, carefully examining the intricate design of the glass sealing it. The creatures showed no signs of life, remaining motionless, trapped in some form of cryogenic suspension. The android noticed a control panel on the adjacent wall and, driven by his insatiable curiosity, ran his fingers over the controls. Alien symbols flickered, and the panel emitted a soft hum before the liquid inside the capsules began to drain, slowly disappearing completely.
David waited, watching intently. However, the creatures did not move. They remained motionless, like lifeless statues. A fleeting trace of disappointment crossed his face.
—Disappointing… —he whispered, stepping away from the place.
Without looking back, he continued down a tunnel that disappeared into the darkness, eager to uncover more secrets hidden in the depths of the pyramid.
But not long after David had left, a faint crack broke the silence of the chamber. Inside two of the capsules, two creatures began to stir. Their tense bodies trembled, and the first fissures appeared in the glass that contained them. With a final snap, the capsules gave way, releasing the beasts from their slumber.
They assessed their surroundings, letting out brief, guttural growls before slipping out of their confinements, moving with the swift precision of predators on the hunt.
Later, in the break room, Shaw sat at a steel table, lost in shock. Her body still bore traces of dried blood, and her eyes were empty. Around her, Janek, Chance, Ravel, Stillwell, Brick, Glasse, Downs, and Ford spoke in hushed voices. Finally, Janek broke the silence.
—Glasse, take care of her. Give her a sedative. Ford, put Holloway in a freezer. Everyone else, with me. —the captain ordered firmly.
Janek unlocked the weapons locker in the officers’ room using his keys. With methodical precision, he unlatched the automatic pistols from their rack, handing them one by one to Chance, Ravel, Stillwell, and Kamarov.
Meanwhile, in the hypersleep freezer, Holloway’s body lay still, covered in frost. The fatal wound in his chest was a disturbing sight.
Shaw, now clean but with a somber expression, entered the room. With trembling hands, she opened the freezer. Her gaze softened as she caressed Holloway’s cold cheek. Her hand moved gently down his collarbone, finally resting over the wound that had sealed his fate.
Ford appeared at the door, visibly uncomfortable at the sight.
—You don’t want to see that… —she said, trying to pull Shaw away gently.
Shaw turned to her, a fierce intensity in her eyes.
—I want to understand.
Ford remained silent, unable to argue.
Meanwhile, in the dining hall, the crew had gathered for an emergency meeting. Janek stood at the head of the table, with Chance, Ravel, Barnes, Wallace, Glasse, Jackson, Dom, Stillwell, Brick, Downs, Kamarov, and Card seated around it. Each of them carried a pistol on their hip, tension evident on their faces. On the other side of the room, Vickers stood next to Captain Shepherd and Vigoda, both armed with rifles.
Janek took a deep breath, ready to speak.
—Alright! Listen up. I assume you all know what…
Before he could continue, Shaw entered. All eyes turned to her. Her movements were slow, almost mechanical, and she avoided meeting anyone’s gaze as she crossed the room to sit alone in a corner.
Janek resumed speaking.
—We have some kind of parasite on board.
Vickers interrupted coldly.
—I suggest you kill it.
Downs responded with sarcasm.
—Brilliant idea.
Kamarov couldn’t hold back his frustration.
—Show us where it is, ma’am. We just spent five hours searching for that damn thing.
Shaw looked up, her voice steady despite the fragility surrounding her.
—We found dead Engineers. They died the same way Charlie did.
Silence fell over the room. Everyone turned to look at her.
—Chest burst wounds. Whatever killed Charlie is the same thing that killed the Engineers a thousand years ago.
Stillwell let out a disbelieving murmur.
—Jesus…
Shaw continued, undeterred.
—But not all of them died that way. The others were torn apart. Cut to pieces.
Her words sent a ripple of nervous murmurs through the crew. Even Vickers showed a flicker of unease.
Janek raised his voice, regaining control of the discussion.
—We’re a modular ship. Independent life support and power in every section. I say we put the ship in orbit, vent every compartment into space, and hold vacuum at twenty Kelvin for a week. Let’s kill that thing.
Ford looked at him, skeptical.
—And then what?
—Straight home. —Ravel answered with determination.
Vickers crossed her arms and stepped forward, joining Janek at the head of the room.
—This ship doesn’t leave until our job is done. —she declared.
Shepherd and Vigoda, standing beside her, reinforced her stance with rifles slung over their shoulders. Their gazes swept across the room, making it clear that opposition would not be tolerated.
Janek raised an eyebrow, incredulous.
—Are you serious?
—We spent years and billions of dollars to get here. The technology we came for is in our hands. We just need a little more time.
—We’ve been here for barely three days, and three men are already dead! —Janek retorted.
—They were careless. —Vickers replied curtly.
—Careless!? —Janek snapped, furious.
The argument escalated quickly, but Shaw, unable to bear it any longer, left the room in silence.
In Holloway’s quarters, Shaw, dressed in a spacesuit without a helmet, opened his locker. She pulled out the suit he had worn on the last day of his life. Her gaze fell on the chest plate where his name was engraved: Holloway. Her fingers traced the folds of the fabric as if trying to absorb some lingering trace of his presence.
Carefully, she extracted the tracking chip from the suit and connected it to a mapping unit. A holographic projection illuminated the room. In the corner, a label read: Charlie Holloway.
Shaw watched the wandering path that marked his last exploration. She touched a marker on the map, and a recording of Holloway's voice echoed through the room:
—Seven Engineers dead, all facing the same direction. What are they looking at? Ellie’s right. We still don’t see the full picture. There’s another level beneath me. I’m going down.
After a moment's thought, Shaw set out to return to the pyramid to find out the origin of the parasite born from her husband.
Meanwhile, in the dark tunnels of the pyramid, a terrifying sound echoed: an irregular, wet breath, as if something sick and unnatural struggled to survive.
In one corner, dimly illuminated by the green glow emanating from the seams in the floor, a figure writhed weakly. It was a humanoid being, dressed in an astronaut suit, but with clumsy, spasmodic movements reminiscent of a reanimated corpse.
On the chest plate of the suit, the inscription FIFIELD was clearly visible. However, the helmet of the suit was shattered, exposing a grotesque sight.
Inside the helmet, what had once been Fifield’s head was now a gelatinous mass. His skin, reduced to an amorphous paste, clung to his skull, the bones, softened by some horrifying process, stretched and warped with each spasm.
The creature that had once been Fifield let out a pitiful mewl, a mixture of pain and rage, as its body continued to transform into something increasingly inhuman.
In the service corridor, a hunting team gathered. Card and Vigoda wore combat suits and carried machine guns, while Downs, Kamarov, and Stillwell wore tool belts and pistols. The soldiers attentively studied the ship's map, examining the multiple overlapping decks.
Card approached Vigoda and assigned him a task.
—I'll work on access route number three with Kamarov. You handle number one with Downs and Stillwell.— Card said.
Vigoda nodded, and before he could respond, Downs asked with some suspicion:
—Are you in charge now?
—It's a tactical operation,— Card replied calmly.
Kamarov intervened, pointing to the necessary equipment for each task:
—Yeah, well, Stillwell's the ventilation specialist and life support's over there. Downs handles the electricity, and the regulators are in another section.
Vigoda gave an ironic smile at Kamarov’s response. Card stared at him, glaring, while the group continued walking down the hallway.
Meanwhile, in the pyramid, Lion and the twins were busy dissecting the thermoforming pyramid. Ray stood as a lookout.
Shaw arrived in a rover and stepped out. She headed toward the ramp that led to the catacombs below. The others watched her pass without commenting and returned to their work.
Shaw descended alone into the lower passages beneath the pyramid. A tiny figure in the vast darkness. She held her map unit like a pilgrim holds a Bible: a guide in the dark. Holloway’s name and course appeared in glowing symbols. She continued on her path toward the unknown.
On the service deck, Kamarov and Vigoda were arguing while standing in front of an open vent.
—You’ve got the rifle, but you want ME to stick my head in that hole —Kamarov complained, pointing irritably at the duct.
—Sure, soldiers like us don’t know anything about ships, right? —Vigoda replied sarcastically.
—Then why the hell do you carry the weapon if you’re just going to stay behind me the whole time?—Kamarov asked, crossing his arms.
Vigoda flashed a mocking smile.
—I’ll take care of killing whatever kills you.
Kamarov rolled his eyes, exasperated.
—How funny. You take care of the vent, funny guy. I’ll be in sector four.
Kamarov grabbed a ladder and made his way to a steel compartment, austere and functional. He placed the ladder under another vent and climbed up cautiously, holding a wrench in his hand. The tool was ready, like a hammer.
He pointed his flashlight into the duct, examining every corner. He saw nothing.
He exhaled in frustration, removed the grate, and reached in to feel inside. His fingers brushed against something strange. Kamarov gasped as he pulled out an atmosphere sensor, bitten in half.
—I’ve got more damage in sector four —he reported through the communicator on his belt.
He hung up the device and took one last look into the vent. Squinting, curious, he reached further into the depths.
A sudden hiss echoed in the duct, sending his nerves on edge. He quickly raised the flashlight, focusing on the darkness. Before he could react, something invisible grabbed him.
A monstrous force seized his right arm and dragged him into the vent with brutal force. Kamarov screamed in pain as he dropped the flashlight, which hit the floor with a crash. Desperate, he tried to reach for the pistol on his right hip, but his left hand couldn’t quite reach it.
He pressed his forehead against the edge of the vent, gritting his teeth as he fought to free himself.
Then, with a monstrous tug, not only his arm but his head was pulled into the duct. He barely fit, and in the process, the skin on his face and arm was torn by the sharp edges. His feet left the ladder, leaving him barely standing on tiptoe as he struggled.
The crunch of bones echoed as his shoulder collapsed under the pressure. The creature inside the vent forced him through an impossible space. Kamarov stopped screaming just as his torso managed to pass through.
Within seconds, his body completely disappeared—hips, legs, boots… leaving behind an eerie silence.
On the bridge, Janek silently gazed at the barren moon through the large front window. The stillness was abruptly broken when the intercom crackled urgently.
—Captain! —Brick’s voice echoed, tense and rushed.
Janek turned to the console, pressing the button to respond.
—Brick, what’s happening?
—It’s Kamarov... —Brick’s voice cracked slightly, filled with concern.
Janek clenched his jaw, sensing the worst.
Inside the pyramid, Shaw moved cautiously through the dark tunnels, her breath echoing in the sepulchral silence. After a long stretch of hallways, she emerged into a vast botanical garden, the same one David had passed through earlier.
The dim light filtering through the cracks in the ceiling illuminated an alien jungle, where plants of impossible shapes rose in all directions, their leaves faintly pulsing with bioluminescent glow. Tiny creatures, resembling insects, wandered among the twisted roots and fibrous stems, moving with an unsettling harmony.
SShaw moved carefully, measuring each step, avoiding disturbing the strange inhabitants of the ecosystem. Her mind, caught between awe and apprehension, told her that this place was not simply a garden... it was something much older. Something designed with a purpose she did not yet understand.
Shortly after, in the life support center of the Prometheus, the low hum of the ventilation fans filled the air with an eerie monotony. The crew had gathered there, forming a semicircle around something no one wanted to look at directly.
Janek stood firm at the front, with Ravel, Chance, Brick, Glasse, Downs, and Stillwell by his side. A few steps away, Shepherd and Vigoda watched from the door, rifles in hand, as if the threat were still nearby.
In front of them, a metal duct barely twenty centimeters wide rose like a brutal reminder of what had happened. Its structure had been torn and deformed. Inside the duct, Kamarov lay trapped, dead, and grotesquely mutilated.
The body was broken at impossible angles, limbs bent like snapped branches, each covered in blood that soaked the pipe. Kamarov’s pale skin glistened under the dim light of the life support center, splattered with dark hues where the blood had coagulated. He was a human plug, wedged into the metal as if the force that dragged him had not been stopped by the natural resistance of his body.
The silence was total. No one dared to speak. Even the constant roar of the fans seemed muted by the magnitude of the scene.
Janek ran a hand over his face, exhaling deeply in an attempt to process what was in front of him.
—God… —Ravel murmured, unable to find more words.
Chance took a step back, shaking his head, as if stepping back a few inches could put distance between him and the horror.
Inside the pyramid, Shaw moved cautiously through the darkness, holding her map unit. The light from her lantern nervously swept over the walls and floor.
A noise behind her made her spin around suddenly, her heart in her throat. But it was only one of the spherical mapping probes, clumsily moving through the shadows. Shaw exhaled in relief and continued on, though her breathing remained rapid.
Suddenly, something interrupted the silence.
—Ellie!
The voice, unmistakable and echoing, froze her in place. It was Holloway’s voice. Her deceased husband. Her mind wrestled between fear and hope, and her face wore an almost reverent expression. Trembling, she forced herself to move toward the source of the sound.
Shaw entered a new chamber, a vast room that left her in awe. The vaulted ceiling was filled with cells resembling a beehive. Inside them, grotesque mollusk-like organisms secreted themselves in a state of unsettling stillness, their vile openings sealed tightly.
She stumbled over something on the floor and looked down. A helmet. Picking it up, she saw the label: Holloway. The transparent visor was melted by a powerful acid, leaving deformed and blackened edges.
Shaw looked up. A tracheal duct snaked toward the upper shadows. Then, an electric crackle broke the silence, followed by a flash of blue light that made her recoil, crashing into the wall.
A hologram of Holloway fell from the upper duct, crashing to the floor with a muffled sound. The bluish, translucent ghost lay there, in pain, barely conscious.
Shaw stared at it, petrified. The hologram gasped out a word:
—Ellie…
Holloway began to choke, coughing violently. A black rash spread rapidly across his face and neck as he tried to sit up. The effects of the black liquid continued to alter his body.
Holloway’s holographic lantern illuminated the ceiling, revealing the mollusk that lay there. The beam of light seemed to awaken it. Its sphincter-like mouth opened suddenly, and from within, a white, viscous creature descended.
It was an Octo-Facehugger, its soft tentacles sliding down a trembling strand of mucus. It fell onto the holographic visor of Holloway, and the acid began to corrode it with a deafening hiss. Smoke and sparks erupted as the holographic image faded into unstable static.
Shaw curled up against the wall, gasping, trying to calm the terror that overwhelmed her. The light from her lantern illuminated the Octo-Facehugger, now dead, with its legs curled in a twisted position.
She looked up. The mollusk above Holloway was open, empty. Then her gaze shifted to the other organisms in their cells, sealed but unsettling.
Panic swept over her. Without making a sound, she retreated from the chamber, her steps quickening with each passing moment.
She emerged into a dark hallway. She pressed her back against the wall, eyes wide. Her breathing was a rapid echo in the void surrounding her.
She nervously glanced left and right. Everything was silent. She raised the map unit. Holloway’s trail was still there, but it was no longer the direct, clear path it had been before. Now it was an erratic thread, a stumbling path, like the disoriented walk of a drunk.
In direct defiance of the operations director's wishes, the captain made a decision he knew would not be well received. His resolve, however, was unwavering. He had chosen to proceed with his plan to exterminate the creature.
In a corridor of the ship, Janek strode forward with long, determined steps as he pulled his communicator from his belt. He pressed a control, and his voice rang out firmly through the ship's intercom:
—All crew members, report to duty stations. Prepare for flight. The Prometheus is taking off.
Behind him, Vickers hurried to keep up, raising her voice in frustration.
—Captain! Captain!
Janek stormed onto the bridge, with Vickers right on his heels like a determined terrier. However, as he entered, something in his crew’s expressions stopped him cold.
Chance and Ravel looked at him with grim, almost mournful faces.
—What’s going on? —Janek asked, frowning.
Chance turned to him, uneasy.
—The navigation computer isn’t responding. “Access denied.”
Disbelieving, Janek quickly moved to his captain’s chair. His fingers flew over the controls. What appeared on the screen left him breathless. His face hardened, filled with indignation. He turned his gaze toward Vickers, accusatory.
—What have you done to my ship?
Vickers, visibly unsettled, raised her hands in a gesture of denial.
—Nothing. What’s happening? —she replied, feigning surprise.
The bridge fell silent for a moment, a tense calm heavy with uncertainty and distrust.
Shaw moved through the pyramid, following the faint trail projected by her mapping unit. Finally, she arrived at a colossal circular chamber, at least a thousand feet wide. The ceiling, flat and segmented, seemed designed to open. Her flashlight swept across the vast space, revealing a monumental horseshoe-shaped ship: the Juggernaut.
The ship rested on a sturdy landing gear, with metal walkways extending toward its three massive doors. Shaw checked the map; Holloway’s holographic trail led directly to the central walkway. Swallowing hard, she decided to follow it.
Inside the ship, the dark corridors revealed a disturbing scene. Engineer corpses lay on the floor, many with what appeared to be strange rifles beside them. But what caught her attention the most were the other bodies—completely different. Biomechanical creatures with terrifying appearances: elongated heads, tails ending in sharp stingers, tubes protruding from their backs, and a secondary jaw emerging from their open mouths. The walls were scarred with acid burns and gunfire.
Shaw studied the scene nervously. It seemed the Engineers and these creatures had died in a brutal battle. But before she could think further, a sharp pain in her abdomen made her stop. She leaned against the wall, gasping and clutching her stomach. After a moment, the pain subsided just enough for her to continue, though her steps were slower now.
Further ahead, she reached a circular space with a towering vaulted ceiling. A green glow emanated from the floor’s grooves, illuminating the dimness. In the center, a colossal console, nearly five feet tall and as wide as a dance floor, dominated the room.
Four coffin-like chambers were integrated into the console. In each one, an Engineer lay dead, seemingly for centuries. However, what truly captured Shaw’s attention was what lay above: the vaulted ceiling contained metallic arches that seemed to trace celestial paths.
The air above the console was filled with floating spheres of light. They were nearly motionless, but as she looked closely, Shaw realized they were moving slowly, as if following the motions of the cosmos. Her heart pounded as she stared at the planetarium in awe. Somewhere among those lights had to be Earth. And perhaps, the Engineers' homeworld.
A strange sound broke her trance. A section of the wall dissolved, transforming into a door that slid open smoothly. David entered, his face calm, raising a hand in a gesture of command.
—David? —Shaw exclaimed, surprised.
—Dr. Shaw. I did not expect you. Do you know what this is? —the android asked, gesturing toward the room.
Shaw, confused and still affected by the pain, pointed to the door David had opened.
—What are you doing here? How did you open that door?
David showed a fleeting expression of disdain before responding smoothly.
—Ah, you don’t see it. I call this ship the Juggernaut. The Chariot of the Gods. —He gestured toward the console—. This is the navigation computer, though it is much more than that. It appears to contain the observable universe within its memory.
He raised his hand, and the spheres of light began to shift, moving in sync with his gestures. Shaw watched him with a mix of fascination and wariness.
—David… Charlie… he… —she said, her voice breaking with emotion.
The android observed her, intrigued.
—What about him?
—A creature killed him. It burst from his chest. There are thousands of those things beneath the pyramid. Breeding grounds.
David nodded, as if he already knew.
—I know. —The android was fully aware of the creatures Shaw referred to. However, he couldn’t help but feel intrigued by the outcome of one of those creatures gestated inside a human infected with the black substance.
Shaw took a step back, shocked.
—Those things wiped out the Engineers on this moon… And now there’s one aboard the Prometheus.
David ignored her alarm and continued calmly:
—I have managed to interface with the Juggernaut’s systems, Dr. Shaw. I know much more today than I did yesterday. I am about to activate more systems and archives.
Shaw stared at him in horror.
—You’re activating this ship? This place should be sealed off. Evacuated.
David regarded her with a slight smile.
—Would Holloway have walked away from this? I can’t imagine a better task.
—It’s too dangerous. —Shaw insisted.
—Only for the ignorant, Dr. Shaw. —David tilted his head, evaluating her—. I have read your file. Your intelligence scores are even higher than Dr. Holloway’s. But he had something else: courage. A boldness of imagination. If you could find that within yourself…
Shaw looked at him, but before she could respond, another sharp pain stabbed through her abdomen. She let out a pained gasp, collapsing to her knees.
—Dr. Shaw? Are you all right? —David asked, leaning toward her with curiosity as Shaw crumpled to the floor, losing consciousness.
To be continued...
Chapter 5: Life and Death
Chapter Text
On the lowest deck of the Prometheus, just above the gravity generators, the air is damp and stifling. Condensation has accumulated, forming a layer of about six inches of dirty water covering the metal floor.
Card and Vigoda move cautiously through the darkness, rifles aimed forward, ready to fire.
—Who the hell would hide down here? —Card asked, his voice barely a whisper.
—The signals lead right here, —Vigoda replied, never taking his eyes off the path ahead.
Suddenly, a wet splash echoes behind them. Both spin around quickly, rifles pointing at the source of the sound. It’s just a small drip of condensation falling from a rusted pipe. They sigh in relief and press on, though the tension never leaves their faces.
Behind them, something stirs. From a pipe about eight inches in diameter, a white mass begins to emerge—gelatinous, almost liquid. Silent as a shadow, it spills into the stagnant water and slowly takes shape.
In the dim light, a humanoid creature rises. Its limbs are thin, its back bony. It is flexible, seemingly boneless, yet it radiates monstrous strength. A sinuous tail, like that of an eel, drags behind it. Its head, elongated and resembling that of a dolphin or a beluga whale, tilts slightly to one side as if studying its surroundings.
The creature—the Belugamorph—opens its mouth. From within, a pair of bony jaws shoot outward, long, ravenous, and demonic.
The attack is instantaneous. Card is gutted in the blink of an eye, his agonized screams swallowed by the metallic echoes of the chamber. His body collapses like a ragdoll. The Alien, fast as a whip, vanishes into the darkness before Vigoda can react.
Stillwell and Downs burst into the area, their flashlights cutting through the gloom as they hold their pistols with steady hands.
—Watch out! —Stillwell shouted, but Vigoda, overcome by panic, fired a wild burst. Stillwell barely managed to duck to avoid the bullets.
Beside him, Downs wasn’t so lucky. A shot struck him, his body arching backward before crumpling into the filthy water. Dead.
For an instant, the beam of Downs’ flashlight illuminates the Alien. The creature, translucent and pale like a white specter, halts for a brief moment. Against the backlight, the structure of its skull reveals a disturbing detail—the shape of a human face is trapped within its fleshy head. A face that seems to be a cruel mockery of Holloway.
And then, it vanishes.
In her luxurious suite, Vickers sits in front of her holography station. On the screens, she watches intently the video feed coming from Stillwell’s earpiece. The images are horrifying—the lifeless body of Downs, his blood mixing with the stagnant water.
The radio continues to transmit the faint exchange of words between Stillwell and Brick.
Vickers slams the machine off and rises from her seat. Her movements are quick, almost frantic. She walks to her communications console and presses the controls.
—David! David! Answer me.
But there is no response. Desperate, she gives up and begins pacing back and forth across the room, her hands trembling uncontrollably.
In the pyramid, Lion and the twins worked tirelessly on the terraforming engine, their movements synchronized and efficient. The hum of tools and the echo of their voices filled the vast, dark space.
A few meters away, Ray stood guard. His posture reflected exhaustion and boredom. He held his weapon loosely, more focused on the movements of the others than on the shadows surrounding them.
Suddenly, unnoticed by anyone, a figure emerged from the ramp leading to the catacombs. David stepped out of the darkness, walking calmly while carrying the unconscious body of Elizabeth Shaw in his arms. His impassive expression contrasted sharply with the gravity of the situation.
With silent steps, the android moved toward the rover parked in the shadows. Without hesitation, he opened the cabin and placed Shaw in the passenger seat with meticulous care. Then, he took his own seat and activated the air reserves. The vehicle’s doors sealed with a soft hiss, and the sound of circulating air filled the interior.
Hearing the rover’s subtle engine roar to life, Ray turned abruptly. His eyes widened in surprise as he saw the vehicle speeding away, quickly vanishing into the distance.
—What the hell? —he muttered, confused, as the rover disappeared into the gloom, leaving behind a barely visible trail of dust and shadows.
On the bridge, Janek paced restlessly across the forward deck. His footsteps echoed in the tense atmosphere. Chance sat at one of the control stations, silently monitoring the readings.
Janek’s communicator beeped, breaking the silence.
—We just lost Downs and one of the soldiers… Card —Stillwell reported, his voice strained with heavy breathing.
Janek closed his eyes for a moment, trying to contain his fury.
—Damn it! —he finally shouted, slamming his fist against the console.
Shaw was now lying on the examination table, dressed in a clean gown. Her breathing was steady, as if she had found a brief moment of rest. The same table had held the Engineer’s head only hours earlier, giving the scene an eerie atmosphere.
David approached calmly, watching her sleep. Gently, he reached for the cross hanging around her neck, but before he could remove it, Shaw’s eyes snapped open, and she grabbed the android’s arms with surprising strength.
—Relax, Doctor —David said, unfazed—. I brought you back to the ship. My deepest condolences for Dr. Holloway. But I’ll have to take this. It could be contaminated.
Shaw looked at him with a mixture of confusion and distrust but slowly loosened her grip.
—If there’s a contagion, we were all exposed. Everyone who entered the pyramid needs to be tested —she said, trying to keep her voice steady.
David nodded slightly.
—Yes, of course.
—Yes? —Shaw repeated, suspicious.
The android carefully removed the cross from her neck and placed it inside one of the bags on a nearby table. Then, he turned to the monitor, observing the screen with interest.
—I understand this is inappropriate given the circumstances —he said suddenly, not looking away from the display—. But since you ordered maximum security quarantine measures, it is my responsibility to ask. Have you and Dr. Holloway engaged in any intimate contact recently? Since you were… so close. I just want to be as thorough as possible.
Shaw frowned, visibly uncomfortable, but before she could respond, David froze. His expression shifted slightly, a hint of curiosity appearing as he examined the data on the screen.
—Well, well… You’re pregnant —he announced with unsettling calm.
Shaw blinked, stunned.
—W-What?
—It appears to be about three months along —David continued as if stating an ordinary fact.
—No, that’s impossible. I can’t be pregnant.
David tilted his head slightly, studying her.
—You didn’t have sexual intercourse with Dr. Holloway?
—Yes, but it was ten hours ago. There’s no way I’m three months pregnant —she said, her voice laced with confusion and growing fear.
David allowed himself a faint smile.
—Well, Doctor, it’s not exactly a traditional fetus.
Shaw felt panic rising inside her.
—I need to see it! —she exclaimed, pushing herself up.
—I don’t think that’s a good idea —David replied gently, shutting off the monitor.
—David, I want to see it —she insisted, stepping toward the screen.
Before she could reach it, David intercepted her with a firm but careful motion.
—Doctor…
—I have to see it! I want it out of me! —Shaw screamed, desperation creeping into her voice.
David gazed at her with something that almost resembled sympathy.
—I’m afraid we don’t have the personnel for such a procedure. Our best option would be to put you back into cryostasis until we return to Earth.
—Please, get it out of me! —she pleaded, but before she could say more, she collapsed to her knees, screaming in pain.
David knelt beside her, holding a medical injector in his hand.
—This must be very painful. Allow me to administer something…
The needle pierced her arm, and Shaw felt the world begin to fade. Weakness overcame her as David effortlessly lifted her, cradling her with unsettling care. She clung to him, gasping.
—That’s it… there, there —David murmured soothingly—. Someone will come soon to take you back to the Cryo Deck.
Shaw’s gaze was hazy, clouded with pain.
—You must feel like God has abandoned you —David added with a faint smile.
—What? —Shaw managed to whisper, dazed.
David continued, his tone neutral, as if merely discussing another scientific observation.
—Losing Dr. Holloway, after your father died. What was it that killed him? Ebola?
Shaw’s eyes widened.
—Who told you that? How do you know?
David tilted his head slightly, his expression as serene as ever.
—In your dreams. I saw it there.
His smile grew just a fraction as Shaw succumbed to the drug, unable to fight any longer. Carefully, the android laid her back onto the table, picked up his bag, and left the room without looking back.
In her survival module, Vickers sat at the table, staring at her food without appetite. The fork in her hand trembled slightly, vibrating as her fingers continued to shake. The door alarm sounded, breaking her trance. Vickers stood up and approached the door, looking at Janek through the small glass window.
—Are you here to file a report? Did you kill that thing already? —Vickers asked, her voice low but carrying a weary tone.
—No, it’s not that. I thought maybe you’d like to have a drink with me —Janek replied with a slight smile.
—I’m really not in the mood for coffee —Vickers answered, unable to hide the fatigue in her voice.
—Good thing it’s whiskey, then —Janek said, winking.
Vickers opened the door and stepped toward her lounge seat, while Janek followed. Despite the offer of a drink, her mind remained occupied by what she had seen on the screen in her suite—the dead crew members, slaughtered by the pale creature crawling through the ship’s vents. She was still horrified, the weight of the tension wrapping around her.
Janek, noticing Vickers’ state of mind, decided to share a story from his past, hoping to distract her, though he knew it wouldn’t be easy.
—You know? —Janek began as he settled into a chair—. Before I sold my soul to corporate life, I was in the military. Yeah. But before that, I flew missions out of Jordan. And at one of the bases I was stationed at—a Yutani-owned one—there was a building. No windows, just a steel structure. Surrounded by an electrified barbed-wire fence. I’d see little men in white lab coats rushing in and out. We knew they were making something in there, and we knew it was something bad.
Vickers listened in silence, barely responding, but she kept her gaze fixed on him. Janek continued, as if the story was spilling out on its own.
—Anyway, one night, the alarms go off, and we’re ordered to evacuate completely. As I’m running to my transport, I see those men trying to get out of that building. Screaming. Crying for their lives. Turns out, that fence wasn’t to keep us out. It was to keep them in.
Janek paused, as if reliving the moment in his mind. Vickers watched him, her expression serious, not interrupting.
—So, we take off, and I see my commander open a case on his lap. There’s a gray button inside. He closes his eyes and starts praying. And then, six kilometers away, he decides to press that button. Even from that far, thirty-six miles high in the sky, we felt the heat of that explosion as around eleven thousand souls, give or take, were vaporized. All because some idiot spilled something.
A shadow of bitterness crossed Janek’s face, but he continued speaking calmly.
—I know it was a long time ago, but I feel like the same thing happened here. Those things… Those Engineers, they did something they shouldn’t have. And they spilled it.
Vickers didn’t say anything for a moment, processing what she had just heard. Then, finally, she broke the silence with a question.
—Why did you decide to tell me this story now?
Janek looked at her, his expression serious.
—Because I think we walked straight into a quarantine zone. And since you’re in charge, I think you should give the order to head home as soon as we fix the ship’s controls.
Vickers stared at him in silence, weighing his words, before finally nodding. The gravity of the situation was clear to both of them, and without saying more, Vickers knew she had to make a decision soon.
On the bridge, David observed the 3D holographic map of the pyramid, his fingers gliding over the controls with precision. The ship trembled briefly, causing the monitor in front of him to flicker. A live feed from Janek and Vickers’ communicator appeared on the screen. Ravel, David, and Chance stepped closer, their eyes fixed on the monitor.
—What the hell was that, Chance? —Janek asked over the communicator, visibly confused by the sudden tremor.
—Captain, we’re picking up seismic activity —Chance replied, his voice tense.
—And the probes aren’t responding —Ravel added, equally concerned.
—Why the hell not? —Janek questioned.
—I don’t know. They’re offline —Ravel responded.
Meanwhile, in Vickers’ suite, both she and Janek moved closer to a monitor displaying the same live feed from the bridge.
—From where? —Vickers asked, her gaze fixed on the screen.
—Underground. One click east —David responded through the communicator, his voice calm but precise.
—Yeah, he’s right. We’re getting a heat signature. Same location, just beyond the point where the probe detected that lifeform —Chance added over the communicator, his tone serious.
Janek, frowning, looked at the communicator on the wall.
—Hey, David, you wanna tell me what the hell is happening down there? —he asked, visibly frustrated.
—Not particularly —David answered indifferently before continuing—. Miss Vickers, is he awake yet?
—Almost —Vickers replied, not taking her eyes off the monitor.
Janek, still confused, furrowed his brows.
—Who’s awake? —he asked, looking at Vickers with an expression of bewilderment.
David, from the bridge, responded in a firm tone.
—That’s not really your concern, Captain. Now, if you could ensure the rovers are ready to go in an hour, we would appreciate it.
—What? Where are you going? —Janek asked, his brow furrowed, his voice laced with unease.
—We’re going to get what we came for —the android replied coldly, without looking away from the window.
Janek stared at the communicator, feeling his frustration mount. He opened his mouth to ask another question, but before he could continue, the android cut the transmission, leaving him mid-sentence.
—Hey. Hey. Hey, man. Shit! —Janek shouted, slamming his fist against the communicator in anger, but it was too late. The screen went dark, leaving him with more questions than answers.
Shaw lay unconscious on the examination table, unaware of the chaos about to unfold. The door burst open, and two crew members, Ford and Lion, entered. Both were wearing biohazard suits. Lion, who had returned from the pyramid with some of the terraforming technology recovered in Shaw's buggy, looked tense. Ford approached the doctor and slapped her several times to wake her.
—Doctor Shaw? I'm here to put you in a contamination suit, take you to the cryogenic platform, and put you to sleep. Doctor Shaw? —Ford insisted, but got no response.
Shaw moaned weakly, barely reacting. She was sedated, but not as much as she appeared. Ford sighed and turned to Lion.
—She's completely out. Help me get her ready.
Lion bent down to grab Shaw, but in a sudden movement, she opened her eyes and grabbed a nearby metallic object. Without hesitation, she struck Lion on the head, sending him crashing to the floor like a sack of bricks. Ford barely had time to react before Shaw hit her too, knocking her down.
Shaw slid off the table with difficulty, her trembling hands clutching her abdomen. The pain in her belly made her stumble, but she knew she couldn't stay there. She ran toward the door, tripping and holding her stomach to contain the pain.
She managed to get out into the hallway and shut the door behind her. She staggered down the long corridors of the ship, each step a titanic effort. Ford and Lion soon recovered and started chasing her. Shaw hid behind a storage unit, holding her breath as she heard them stop nearby.
—Where did she go? —Ford asked, clearly frustrated.
—We don't have time for this —Lion responded arrogantly—. We've got bigger problems with the old man.
—Old man? What are you talking about? —Ford asked, confused.
—Come on, this way. Leave her. We'll find her later —Lion said, avoiding the question.
Both moved away, and Shaw slipped out of her hiding spot, stumbling and clutching her stomach with one hand. She let out a groan of agony as she continued down the corridor, drenched in sweat.
Finally, she reached Vickers' suite. From a corner, she saw Vickers herself stepping out, escorted by Shepherd. Shaw waited silently until they were out of sight before slipping inside the room. She locked the door behind her and forced herself toward the medical pod, Pauline.
She powered on the monitor and navigated through the menus with trembling fingers, bringing the machine out of standby mode.
—Emergency procedures initiated. Please state the nature of your injury —the computer announced in its cold, mechanical voice.
—I need a cesarean section —Shaw said urgently.
—Error. This pod is calibrated only for male patients and does not perform the requested procedure. Please seek medical attention elsewhere.
—Goddammit! —Shaw yelled, desperate.
A spasm of pain made her double over onto the carpet. Fighting through the agony, she got on her knees and manually adjusted the pod to perform an abdominal surgical procedure.
—Surgery. Abdominal. Penetrating. Foreign body. Begin —she commanded, activating the functions.
The pod opened with a hiss, and Shaw, barely able to stand, injected herself with a dose of anesthesia in her leg before climbing inside. The robotic arms positioned themselves over her abdomen, and a laser traced a perfect incision as Shaw groaned in pain, struggling to stay conscious.
—Come on! Get it out! —she screamed desperately.
Blood gushed as the mechanical arms opened the wound. Shaw, through tears and muffled screams, watched as a robotic claw pulled a bloody mass from inside her.
And then it burst, drenching the pod in blood.
What had emerged from her was a grotesque creature, a thing that looked like a writhing, savage octopus. The Trilobite. Shaw screamed in terror as the creature thrashed, trying to break free from the mechanical arms restraining it.
The pod, following protocol, began suturing Shaw’s wound, sealing it with metal staples and spraying it with an antibiotic. She barely managed to crawl out of the pod, dodging the creature, and collapsed onto the floor.
Suddenly, the door swung open. Vigoda, armed with a rifle, stepped into the suite and frowned at the sight of Shaw using the pod. But before he could react, the pale parasite—now three times its original size—emerged behind him and tore his throat out in seconds.
Shaw, horrified, watched as Vigoda fell lifeless. Wasting no time, she rushed to the pod’s controls.
—Close! Come on, close! —she screamed, frantically inputting commands.
The pod sealed shut, trapping the Trilobite inside, and a lethal gas filled the chamber, silencing its inhuman shrieks.
Exhausted and in pain, Shaw dragged herself to a nearby table and injected herself with an anesthetic agent into her neck to dull the pain. With unsteady steps, she stumbled out of the suite, barely managing to stay on her feet.
Meanwhile, the pale alien crouched over Vigoda’s corpse, ripping into his flesh with savage hunger. Shaw had survived the worst experience of her life, but she knew the true horror had only just begun.
Brick came running to the scene, his breath ragged and pulse racing. The screams and commotion had led him there. But when his eyes fell on the thing rising in the suite, he felt the air leave his lungs.
The Belugamorph slowly turned its head toward him. Its eyes—if it had any—reflected nothing but hunger.
Panic seized Brick. He took a step back, then another, and finally bolted down the corridor. His boots pounded against the metal floor, his thoughts a whirlwind of terror. He didn’t look back. He didn’t stop.
Only when he reached a dark junction in the ship’s corridors and thought he had escaped did he allow himself to breathe. Silence surrounded him.
Then, a noise above.
A drip. A creak. A whisper.
Before he could react, the Belugamorph dropped from the ventilation duct onto him with impossible speed. There was a wet snap, a muffled scream, and a flash of indescribable pain.
By the time the beast moved away, only half of Brick remained.
The rest of his body lay on the floor, motionless, his last breath fading into the ship’s cold air.
On the bridge, Janek leaned toward the monitor, frowning. A live transmission had suddenly appeared on the screen—it was the feed from Fifield’s helmet camera.
—Bridge to the hangar. This is the captain —Janek said through the communicator, his tone laced with surprise.
The response came instantly from the cargo bay.
—Yes, captain? —Dom answered, curious.
—Can you see what I’m seeing? Fifield’s monitor just turned on —Janek informed, watching the footage closely.
In the hangar, after dealing with that important matter with Ford, Lion was now seated inside a Rover, checking its controls. Barnes was descending from a scaffold, while Wallace was refueling the last Buggy. Standing next to the Rover, Dom looked up upon hearing the communication.
—What? Where? —Dom asked, bewildered.
—According to this, he’s right outside the damn ship —Janek replied incredulously.
Dom quickly issued an order.
—Barnes, Williams, we’ve got a man outside. Open the ramp.
—Fifield? Do you read me? Over —Janek tried, waiting for a response from the suit’s communicator. But all he got was silence.
An alarm blared in the hangar as the ramp began to lower. Dom and Barnes cautiously stepped onto the platform, stopping dead in their tracks when they spotted something a few meters away—a disfigured body, twisted at impossible angles.
—Hold on a second… —Janek muttered from the bridge, following the scene through the security cameras.
Dom approached the body, a knot of confusion and fear tightening in his chest. What had once been Fifield lay on the ground. But now, his figure was monstrous—his skull had elongated, his limbs had stretched unnaturally, and his face barely retained any human resemblance. Still, the suit labeled Fifield confirmed his identity.
—Fifield? —Dom murmured, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.
The creature lifted its head, and its eyes locked onto Dom. A guttural roar filled the air, and in a single bound, the monster was on its feet. It was now taller than any human, its arms hung like a gorilla’s, but its strength was monstrous.
Before Dom could react, the mutant swung a massive fist and smashed it into his face. His helmet shattered like an eggshell, and Dom collapsed to the floor, dead instantly.
—What the hell is going on down there?! —Janek exclaimed through the communicator, but all he heard were screams of terror.
Janek turned to Chance, his co-pilot.
—Chance, come on. We’re going down.
Meanwhile, Barnes, horrified, tried to escape. He climbed a scaffold ladder, but the creature was faster. With an inhuman leap, Fifield landed behind him, grabbed him, and launched himself from the top, slamming Barnes into the ground. Still alive, Barnes had no time to scream before the mutant’s fists started crushing his skull and face.
Lion, standing by the Rover, raised his pistol and fired several shots at the monster. The bullets made Fifield pause momentarily, but they didn’t hurt him. With a snarl, the mutant turned and advanced toward him.
In a swift movement, Fifield grabbed Lion’s arm and tore it off in one brutal yank. Lion screamed in agony, but the monster wasn’t done—he seized him by the torso and hurled him into a stack of crates. As Lion lay dazed, Fifield closed in and began ripping him apart. Blood splattered across the floor as the mutant tore through flesh, pulling off limbs with gruesome brutality.
The elevator door slid open, and Jackson appeared with the Twins, all armed.
—Shoot! —Jackson yelled.
The trio opened fire on the mutant, which turned with a roar, dropping the remains of Lion. A grotesque organ, possibly his liver, dangled from its mouth.
Wallace emerged behind them with a flamethrower and attempted to set the monster ablaze. But Fifield was no longer human. He dodged the flames with impossible speed and lunged at Henry, one of the twins, just as he tried to climb into the Rover. The mutant grabbed him from behind and, with a monstrous grip, bent him in half, killing him instantly.
The creature leapt with terrifying agility, propelling itself from the ground to the roof of the Rover. The metal groaned under its weight. Its bloodshot eyes locked onto Wallace.
Before the man could react, the creature pounced on him, falling like an avalanche of muscle and fury. The deformed fists struck with brutal force. Wallace barely had time to let out a scream before the impact shattered him, his body collapsing lifelessly.
Jackson and Liam, the last of the twins, fired desperately, but the bullets bounced uselessly off the beast’s hardened skin.
The monster turned its head toward them. A deep, guttural growl rumbled in its throat.
In a blink, it lunged at Liam. Its claws wrapped around his neck. The young man struggled, but he had no chance.
With a swift, brutal motion, the creature ended him.
The elevator door opened again, and Janek and Chance stepped out, armed with flamethrowers.
—Fire! —Janek commanded.
Flames engulfed the mutant as it shrieked and writhed on the ground. Jackson seized the moment, maneuvering the Rover and running over Fifield multiple times. Chance grabbed a shotgun and emptied the entire magazine into the now-motionless creature.
Finally, Fifield lay destroyed, crushed and charred. Janek and Chance stood over the smoldering corpse, breathing heavily, their weapons still at the ready.
—He’s finally dead —Janek said, staring grimly at the remains.
The hangar fell silent, except for the crackling of fire consuming what was once one of their own.
Shaw staggered down the corridor, barefoot, dizzy, and covered in dried blood. Her movements were clumsy, each step an effort that left red footprints behind. Her trembling hand pressed against the wall for support, while the other rested on the scar on her abdomen, as if holding it could ease the pain consuming her.
The Prometheus was no longer the same. The walls, blackened by fire in some sections, were cracked and warped in others. The ship felt like a ruined tomb, marked by the horrors that had recently unfolded.
Shaw turned a corner and found a devastated workstation. Tables and chairs were overturned, scattered as if a storm had swept through the area. A pool of dried blood spread across the floor, and large smears indicated that something—roughly the size of a man—had been dragged away, disappearing into an open vent that led into the darkness.
Leaning against the wall, she left a fresh handprint of blood as she moved forward, her eyes fixed on the floor. She was about to cross through a doorway when muffled voices reached her ears. She stopped.
With her heart pounding, she pushed the door open and entered David’s lab. Inside, several figures turned toward her, horrified. Peter Weyland, David, Ford, Vickers, Ray, and Shepherd stared in silence. Shaw’s expression was one of confusion, and her body finally gave in to exhaustion—she collapsed to her knees.
Ray and David rushed to help her, carefully lifting her and sitting her down. The android handed her a lab coat to cover herself. Shaw trembled uncontrollably, her eyes locked onto Weyland, unable to believe what she was seeing.
The old man before her, the same man who was supposed to have died years ago, was alive. Weyland. There he was, sitting in a wheelchair, his body frail and consumed by time, yet unmistakably present. The revelation hit Shaw like a hammer.
—You... what are you doing here? —she asked, confusion drawn across her face, her voice trembling.
Before Weyland could answer, Shaw clutched her abdomen as a sudden pang of pain shot through her. Her vision blurred as she struggled to stay upright.
Ray, ever alert, took a step forward and raised his rifle, aiming it directly at her.
—The robot said she was infected —Ray stated coldly, his eyes never leaving her.
Weyland raised a weak yet commanding hand, stopping any action before it could happen.
—I don’t care what he said —he replied firmly, staring at Ray— She is with me.
The soldier hesitated for a moment but finally lowered his weapon, albeit with some reluctance.
Weyland turned his chair slightly toward Shaw, his gaze scrutinizing her carefully.
—It looks like you’ve used my Med-Pod —he observed, his eyes lingering on the wound in Shaw’s abdomen.
Before she could respond, another voice cut through the moment like a knife.
—What the hell were you doing in my room? —Vickers demanded, stepping closer to Shaw. Her strides were firm, and fury burned in her eyes.
Weyland lifted his gaze to his operations director, his expression calm yet carrying undeniable authority.
—This woman has been through a terrible ordeal, Ms. Vickers. Please, leave us —he ordered, his tone allowing no argument.
Vickers pressed her lips together, clearly furious. She was no longer in control, and the humiliation of being dismissed in front of the others was evident in every line of her face. Her gaze flickered toward David, who watched everything unfold with that inhuman calm that irritated her even more.
—And he gets to stay?
—He is a machine —Weyland said curtly— You shouldn’t feel more threatened by him than by a toaster, Meredith.
David showed no visible reaction, but an almost imperceptible flicker crossed his face—a subtle movement that vanished before anyone could notice.
Vickers shook her head in contempt and turned on her heels, heading for the door.
—I’ll be outside if you need me —she said coldly as she left the room.
Vickers disappeared, leaving behind a tense silence. Shaw still clutched her abdomen, her breath ragged as her mind struggled to make sense of everything happening around her. Weyland, David, the mission—everything seemed to be unraveling into chaos beyond her control.
Weyland studied Shaw with an unsettling calm, as if analyzing her every move, every expression.
—Relax, Dr. Shaw —he finally said, his voice soft yet tinged with authority— We have much to discuss.
Shaw nodded sluggishly, though her mind was far from at ease. The man before her was not just a revelation—he was a crucial piece of a puzzle she was only beginning to understand.
—You’ve been on the ship this whole time… why? —Shaw murmured, her voice breaking under the weight of her confusion.
Weyland looked at her with quiet intensity.
—Because I only have a few days left to live —he answered calmly— I didn’t want to waste them. I was certain you would fulfill your promise, that I would meet my creator.
David knelt beside Weyland, pouring water over the old man’s swollen feet and wiping them clean with a cloth, his movements precise and mechanical, almost reverent.
—There, sir. Clean and refreshed —the android said respectfully.
Shaw stared at him in disbelief, her lips trembling as words formed in her mind.
—You didn’t tell him? You didn’t tell him they’re dead? —she asked the android, her voice filled with indignation.
David looked up at her, as serene as ever.
—But not all of them are gone, Dr. Shaw. One of them is still alive. We are going to see him now.
Shaw gaped at him, frozen in shock.
—What? —she managed to say.
Weyland raised a hand, giving instructions.
—Ford, turn me to face Dr. Shaw —he ordered. Ford obeyed, rotating the wheelchair so Weyland could look directly at her. His gaze was intense, the look of a man who knew his time was running out.
—Thank you, Ford. You and your husband, Dr. Shaw, convinced me of something. You convinced me that if they created us, surely they could also save us. Or at least, save me.
Shaw blinked, confused, her mind still trapped in the horrors she had just endured.
—Save you? Save you from what?
Weyland offered a faint smile.
—From dying, of course.
David and Ford helped the old man to his feet. They handed him his cane, and he leaned on it firmly despite his evident frailty. Shaw shook her head, her voice trembling as she tried to reason with him.
—You don’t understand. You don’t know. This place… it’s not what we thought it was. They are not what we believed them to be. We were wrong. I was wrong. Charlie… Dr. Holloway is dead. We need to leave.
Her voice broke at the mention of Charlie, and tears welled up in her eyes. But Weyland remained unmoved.
—And what would Charlie do now? —he asked, leaning slightly toward her— Standing at the threshold of answering the most profound questions humanity has ever asked, how can you leave without knowing the answers? Or have you lost your faith, Dr. Shaw?
Shaw lowered her gaze, defeated, her tears falling to the floor as Weyland’s question burrowed deep into her soul.
The lab remained silent, save for the faint sound of her ragged breathing.
Shaw stood in her room, next to the sink. Cold water splashed against her face as she tried to shake off the pain and confusion tormenting her. Her reflection in the mirror stared back at her: a broken woman, bloodied, yet desperately clinging to something she wasn’t even sure still remained.
As she dried her face with a towel, her eyes landed on a small box on the table beside the sink. It was Holloway’s box. She frowned, unsure of how it had gotten there. With trembling hands, she picked it up and opened it. Inside, she found a ring.
She lifted it carefully, holding it up to her eyes. It was beautiful, simple yet full of meaning. Among the tiny embedded diamonds, she could read an inscription: ES + CH forever.
Air escaped her in a sob, and a tear rolled down her cheek. She closed her eyes and, with slow movements, slid the ring onto her finger. As if that simple gesture could bring back everything she had lost.
Turning toward the mirror, she watched her reflection as tears streamed down her face. She clasped her hands in front of her chest and closed her eyes.
—Please, God... please. I’m so sorry, Charlie. I love you. Give me strength... please.
Her voice was barely a whisper, broken by sorrow. She remained there for a few more moments before roughly wiping away her tears. Taking a deep breath, she began cleaning the blood still lingering on her skin from the cesarean she had performed. She swallowed several painkillers, grimacing as the medicine burned down her throat.
Carefully, she took her suit and began zipping it up. Every movement elicited a pained gasp, the sharp ache in her abdomen reminding her just how fragile her body was at that moment.
The sudden sound of a chime rang through the room, breaking the heavy silence. Shaw lifted her gaze toward the door.
—Come in —she said, her voice hoarse.
The door opened, revealing the figure of Captain Janek. His expression was serious, almost grim, as he crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway.
—Where are you going? —he asked bluntly before continuing—. Those... Engineers. This isn’t their home, you know? Do you understand where we are? This place is hell, Dr. Shaw. Not paradise. Those Engineers weren’t home. This is a facility. Maybe even military.
Shaw stared at him in silence, taking a sip from Holloway’s liquor she had found among his belongings.
Janek stepped forward slightly, his words laden with pragmatism.
—Think about it. They placed this facility in the middle of nowhere because they weren’t dumb enough to manufacture weapons of mass destruction on their own doorstep. Those creatures... those things in the vases. They’re weapons. They made them here, and they lost control of them. They turned against them. End of story.
Shaw lowered her gaze to her bottle, contemplating Janek’s words as she recalled what she had seen in the pyramid and the words her husband had spoken about the place before he died.
—We need to go home —Janek continued—. As soon as we kill the thing roaming the ventilation ducts.
She shook her head, clinging to her conviction.
—Before he died, Holloway asked me something —she said, her voice low but firm—. He asked me what I was searching for. He knew, as much as I did, that this place has an answer. And that answer is more important than any of our lives.
—What are you talking about? —Janek replied, frowning—. What answer?
Shaw met his eyes directly.
—Why did they create us, Janek? Why did they abandon us? Why did they leave us an invitation to find them?
Janek let out a brief, dry laugh before responding.
—Maybe they weren’t invitations, Shaw. Maybe those Engineers came back long after creating life. Maybe they took people from Earth and had them build those damn pyramids for them. Why build them yourself when you can get someone else to do the hard work?
He paused, his gaze growing more intense.
—They weren’t invitations, Shaw. They were warnings.
Shaw pressed her lips together, but her determination did not waver.
—Well, I’d rather die here with those answers than go home without them.
Janek shook his head, clearly frustrated, and turned toward the door. He was about to leave when Shaw spoke again, her voice cutting through the silence like a knife.
—One of them is still alive.
The captain stopped in his tracks. He turned his head slightly toward her, his eyes studying her.
—Don’t you want to know what he has to say? —Shaw challenged.
Janek scoffed, tired of the argument.
—I don’t care, Dr. Shaw.
Shaw felt a pang of disappointment.
—Right... you just fly the ship.
Janek turned fully to face her again, his eyes serious.
—That’s right.
She didn’t back down.
—But something must matter to you, Captain. If not... why are you here?
Janek stepped forward, each step heavy with intent.
—How about this? It doesn’t matter what happens here. I can’t bring any of this shit back home with us. I won’t let that happen. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure it doesn’t.
Shaw held his gaze, tilting her head slightly.
—Make sure you do, Captain.
Janek nodded slowly, a silent promise, before walking out of the room.
The echo of his footsteps faded, leaving Shaw alone with her thoughts, her determination, and the shadows surrounding her.
Suddenly, Glasse burst into the room, carefully carrying a case in his hands. His steps were quick, though his face reflected a mix of determination and nervousness.
—Dr. Shaw... am I interrupting? —he asked, stopping at the threshold.
Shaw lifted her gaze, still somewhat pale but clearly intrigued by his presence.
—No, come in —she replied, tilting her head slightly.
Glasse stepped forward cautiously, holding the case as if it were an object of great value.
—Well... I wanted to give you this —he said, extending it toward her with a hint of hesitation.
Shaw took the case, her fingers briefly brushing against his. When she opened it, her eyes settled on the contents with a mix of astonishment and curiosity. Inside rested a peculiar-looking pair of glasses.
—What is this? —she asked, though she couldn’t hide the interest in her tone.
Glasse cleared his throat before answering, almost as if presenting a masterpiece.
—They’re magnifying glasses. They’re equipped with lenses I made using the eyes from the Engineer’s head.
Shaw raised her eyebrows, perplexed yet fascinated.
—How do they work?
—You place them on your forehead —he explained, pointing to the design—. You can lower them in front of your eyes when you need them and lift them back up at will.
Shaw obeyed, gently sliding them over her forehead and lowering the lenses. Instantly, the world around her changed. Through the lenses, she could see as an Engineer would: visible heat auras surrounded people, while intricate electromagnetic field lines extended through space like an invisible web. Around every living being, elaborate halos shimmered, vibrant and full of life.
—Incredible... —she murmured, unable to tear her gaze away from the wonders now unfolding before her.
Glasse smiled, a glimmer of pride in his eyes.
—If you’re going down there, I think you’ll need this. It might help you understand what you find.
Shaw lifted the glasses, returning her gaze to the young scientist.
—Thank you, Glasse. This is... amazing.
He nodded, his lips curving into a timid smile before turning toward the door.
—Good luck, Doctor.
And with those words, he left the room, leaving her alone with an artifact that promised to change her perception of the world forever. Shaw lowered the lenses again, fascinated by the new dimensions unfolding before her eyes.
The bodies of Vigoda and Brick had already been removed and placed alongside the rest of the deceased crew members in the storage room. However, the Trilobite remained confined in the med-pod chamber, motionless but eerily present. They knew that once Weyland reached his goal, they would have to deal with that monstrous creature, as well as the one lurking in the ventilation ducts.
Meanwhile, Vickers walked through the ship’s corridors, her footsteps echoing like hammers against the metallic silence. In front of her quarters, Shepherd and Ray stood rigidly at their posts. As she approached, they stepped aside with a brief nod, allowing her to pass.
Inside, Weyland was waiting. The frail but determined old man wore a robotic exoskeleton that supported his deteriorating body, allowing him to walk with a dignity that his failing flesh could no longer provide. At his sides stood David, Ford, and Jackson, like a silent entourage.
—You came after all —said Weyland, his tone more neutral than one might have expected.
—I thought you wanted me to —Vickers replied, keeping her voice cold.
The old man gave a faint smile, one that failed to soften his rigid expression.
—That’s right —he said slowly, as if savoring the words—. After all your forceful attempts to keep me from coming here, I’m surprised to see you. If I recall correctly, the last time we spoke, you called me nothing more than an old fool chasing fairy tales.
Vickers lowered her gaze for a moment before responding.
—I shouldn’t have said that.
Weyland waved a dismissive hand.
—It’s fine. David, leave us.
The android tilted his head slightly.
—Yes, sir.
Without another word, David, Ford, and Jackson exited the room, leaving Weyland and Vickers face to face.
A tense silence filled the air before Vickers spoke.
—I’m sorry —she said, her voice softer than usual.
Weyland stared at her, as if evaluating whether her words were sincere. Finally, he let out a small sigh.
—Well, consider yourself forgiven. What do you want?
She bit her lip slightly before answering.
—I came to say goodbye.
The old man frowned, confused.
—Excuse me?
—If you go there, you will never come back alive —Vickers said firmly, looking him straight in the eyes.
Weyland let out a short, harsh laugh.
—You always had a negative way of seeing things —he said, with a mixture of disdain and resignation—. Just like your mother.
—Maybe you should take a look at the thing screeching next door and the thing crawling in the vents —Vickers shot back arrogantly—, and tell me how positive you feel.
The response seemed to strike a nerve. Weyland pressed his lips together and looked at her with a severe expression.
—You know, Mari, I have always despised that sarcastic attitude of yours. That’s precisely why you should have stayed home.
Vickers raised her eyebrows with an ironic smirk.
—You’re the one who sent me here in the first place.
—To secure any useful technology for the company —Weyland retorted sharply—. But then I decided that David could handle that task, and I gave you the opportunity to stay behind.
Vickers’s expression hardened.
—Did you really think I was going to sit in a boardroom for years, arguing over who’s in charge, while you ran off to search for some miracle on a cursed, forgotten rock at the edge of space? Is that what you thought?
Weyland didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he sighed tiredly and sank onto the bed. Vickers watched him in silence before stepping closer. She knelt before him, taking his hand in hers. With a slow, almost maternal gesture, she gently stroked his forehead.
—A king has his reign —she said quietly—, and then he dies. It is inevitable. That is the natural order of things.
She paused, her eyes scanning the weary face of her father.
—My God… Look at you. You used to have such grace. I respected you. I admired you.
Weyland slowly clenched his fist, his gaze locked onto hers. There was something in his eyes, an attempt to remind her of something both would rather forget. She felt it, and her expression changed—a storm of emotions crossed her face, from sadness to anger and, finally, disappointment.
—You’re nothing but a frightened old man —she said with contempt, her voice rising slightly—. And a fool! I’m tired of waiting for that last pathetic breath to leave your damn mouth.
Weyland stared at her, his face unreadable, though his eyes burned with restrained fury.
—Anything else? —he asked coldly.
Vickers slowly stood up, looking down at him with the same coldness.
—No, father. Nothing else. Not anymore. That’s all.
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving the door open behind her.
Weyland remained alone, his shoulders sinking as a long sigh escaped his lips. Solitude wrapped around him like a shadow, and for the first time in years, he seemed to bear the weight of his own mortality.
In the locker room, Shaw adjusted the helmet of her suit, her movements clumsy from the exhaustion that still weighed on her body. She took a deep breath, making sure everything was in place. The air inside the helmet was cold, sterile, and the sound of her breathing filled the silence of the room.
The soft sound of footsteps interrupted the moment. Shaw looked up just as David entered the room. The android stopped upon seeing her fully suited up, a faint expression of surprise crossing his perfectly constructed face.
—I didn’t think you had it in you —he said, before tilting his head slightly, as if reconsidering his words—. Oh, I’m sorry. Poor choice of words. You have an extraordinary survival instinct, Elizabeth.
Shaw eyed him warily, crossing her arms.
—What will happen when Weyland is no longer around to program you? —she asked firmly, her gaze locked onto the android’s artificially human eyes.
David smiled, that enigmatic expression that always unsettled her.
—I suppose I’ll be free —he replied calmly.
The answer made Shaw frown slightly.
—Do you want that? —she insisted, studying him closely.
David tilted his head to one side, as if considering the question, though a hint of mockery seeped into his tone.
—"Want"? It’s not a concept I’m familiar with. Besides… don’t all children want their parents dead?
The comment, as cold as it was cutting, made Shaw clench her jaw. She stood up abruptly, facing him with an intensity that made him raise an eyebrow.
—I don’t! —she answered forcefully, her eyes filled with determination.
David held her gaze, his smirk barely perceptible, as if he was enjoying having provoked that reaction.
Before he could respond, the locker room door opened, and the tension in the room shifted instantly. Glasse, Stillwell, Shepherd, Ray, Ford, and Jackson entered, their steps firm and mechanical, flanking Weyland, who moved slowly with the support of his robotic exoskeleton. His gaze fell on Shaw, and a faint smile appeared on his tired face.
—Dr. Shaw —said Weyland, his voice deep—, I’m very glad you’ve decided to join us.
Shaw didn’t respond immediately, only nodding. The determination burning inside her mixed with a sense of resignation. This wasn’t what she had planned, but there was no turning back now.
The group left the locker room, walking in heavy silence toward the waiting Rover. Once on board, the vehicle started moving, heading toward the pyramid. As they advanced, the roar of the engine filled the air, while Shaw stared out the window. In her mind, the question lingered: what awaited them once they reached the Engineer?
The Rover came to a stop a few meters from the entrance of the pyramid. Weyland, supported by David and Ford, walked slowly toward the dark opening. Behind them, Shaw, Glasse, and Stillwell followed the group with unsteady steps, while Shepherd, Ray, and Jackson advanced in formation, their pulse rifles ready for any threat that might appear in the tunnels.
David broke the silence with his calm voice.
—You may remove your helmet if you wish, sir.
Weyland turned his head toward the android.
—Why?
—The air is perfectly breathable.
The old man raised an eyebrow, hesitating for a moment.
—Are you certain?
—Affirmative —David replied with total confidence.
Before Weyland could decide, Shaw spoke up from behind, her voice filled with concern.
—Wait. Holloway was already feeling sick before he was impregnated by one of those things. We still don’t know how he got infected. If that black substance from the vases is in the air...
David interrupted her without any sign of disturbance.
—It is not.
Shaw looked at him distrustfully, her gaze locked onto him.
—How do you know?
But David did not answer. Instead of pressing the issue, Weyland made a decision and, with a firm motion, removed his helmet. He took a deep breath and smiled.
—Smells fine to me —he said, pleased.
Shaw, still dealing with the pain in her abdomen, once again used the medical gun she had brought with her, trying to ease the persistent stabs of discomfort.
—Shall we continue? —David asked calmly.
—Yes —Weyland answered with a gesture of his hand.
David led them through the main entrance, guiding them into the Juggernaut’s cargo bay. Glasse, Stillwell, Shaw, and Ford were the only ones who looked around in awe, their eyes scanning the imposing and alien structures surrounding them.
—The bridge is just ahead —David indicated, pointing toward a corridor that disappeared into the darkness.
Weyland, observing his surroundings with curiosity, paused and asked:
—What is this place?
—A cargo hold —David answered—. Well, one of them, at least.
The old man frowned.
—A cargo hold for what exactly?
David looked at him, as if considering for a moment how to explain it.
—The vials contain what I call the Engineers' Black Plague.
—Black Plague? —Weyland repeated, intrigued.
David tilted his head slightly.
—I call it that because all it does is kill. Though, in certain cases, it can transform living cells and create something new. Something designed to destroy everything else.
Weyland nodded slowly, processing the information.
—Is it the same thing you brought to the ship?
—Yes, sir. But it never had the effect I expected —David responded frankly.
Shaw stopped in her tracks. The android’s words echoed in her mind, and a horrible suspicion began to form. She looked at David, her expression of disbelief quickly giving way to a mix of anger and anguish.
—Are there more cargo holds like this? —Weyland asked, seemingly oblivious to Shaw’s reaction.
David gestured toward the floor with a slight movement of his head.
—These containers hold failed attempts at cloning their lord's blood. Below us is their failed attempt of cloning their lord in question.
The group stopped and looked down, peering through a hole in a section of the floor that appeared to have been melted with acid. There, in a vast cargo bay, stretched a deep trench filled with alien eggs, hundreds of them arranged in rows, covered by a membranous light. Shaw felt a chill run down her spine as she recognized the evolution of the creatures she had seen before—darker, hardened, armored, ready for something far worse.
—This ship has seven other cargo holds —David continued, his voice devoid of emotion—. The eggs in each bay are slightly different from one another.
Weyland, visibly intrigued, asked:
—If they are failed experiments, why keep them?
David answered without hesitation.
—I have no proof, but I believe they realized their potential as weapons.
Shaw, overwhelmed by the number of blisters and eggs and the magnitude of what she was seeing, reached for her communicator.
—Janek, are you seeing this?
In the command cabin, Janek watched the transmission on a monitor.
—How many, Shaw?
—Thousands! Maybe more! —Shaw exclaimed, her voice filled with desperation—. Janek, if a small pool of that substance did this to the crew, imagine what a river of it would do to Earth! If even a single drop contaminates a water supply, or if creatures like the ones that infected Holloway spread across the planet...
Janek clenched his jaw.
—What the hell? Ravel, give me those schematics.
—Transferring data to the table now —the pilot responded.
Janek quickly got up and walked to the projection table displaying a 3D holographic scan of the pyramid. Vickers, who had been observing from the side, stepped closer, her gaze fixed on the scanner.
—Remove the dome. Mark everything with a thermal signature. Isolate that zone. Bring it up —Janek ordered.
The hologram of the pyramid and tunnels disappeared, revealing a massive U-shaped object. Ravel zoomed in, rotating the image for a better view.
—That… That’s a ship —he said, his voice laced with disbelief.
—My God —Vickers murmured, utterly stunned.
—It’s a damn ship —Janek repeated, his tone grim in the face of the discovery’s enormity.
David led the group toward the dome-shaped chamber, their footsteps echoing over the metallic floor. He guided them to an elevated platform at the center of the room, where the atmosphere seemed charged with reverence and tension.
—A superior species, without a doubt. I trust their hypersleep chambers will impress you —David commented in an almost casual tone, as if this were nothing more than a guided tour.
Weyland, Ford, Ray, and Shepherd moved slowly, marveling at the structure and technology surrounding them. Their expressions were a mix of awe and reverence. Jackson, on the other hand, was breathing heavily. He was nervous, almost fearful, facing the unknown.
David, indifferent to their reactions, approached the control panel. His fingers glided with precision over the interface, activating a power source that illuminated the central cryogenic capsule on the platform. Inside, the last Engineer lay in slumber.
Shaw broke the silence.
—So, they were going to leave soon?
David nodded without looking at her, his eyes fixed on the control system.
—I have managed to piece together the general idea. It is quite evident that they were preparing to depart… before everything fell apart —he responded with his usual calm demeanor.
He stepped closer to Shaw, who remained motionless, trying to understand.
—Where were they going? —she asked.
—To Earth —David answered bluntly.
—Why?
The android looked at her with a faint smile, almost mocking.
—Sometimes, to create, one must first destroy.
Shaw took a step back, confused and disappointed. Before she could respond, a sharp pain in her abdomen forced her to her knees, gasping as she tried to steady herself.
—Where is he, David? —Weyland’s voice rang with impatience.
David pointed towards the cryogenic pod.
—This way, sir.
Weyland approached cautiously, followed closely by Jackson, who kept his rifle at the ready.
—Are you sure he’s alive?
—Absolutely.
—And you can speak with him?
—I believe so.
David activated the control panel, and the pod opened with a soft hiss. Inside, the Engineer awakened with a deep gasp, his sculpted body emerging from the cryogenic chamber like a deity that had slept for centuries. His pale skin glowed under the dramatic light of the room, and the biomechanical suit he wore seemed to merge with his body.
Organic tubes detached from his torso as the Engineer leaned forward, removing an oxygen mask. Coughing and struggling to breathe, he sat on the edge of the pod, studying the intruders with a mixture of confusion and curiosity.
—Speak to him, David. Tell him we came, just as he requested —Weyland ordered.
David addressed the being in its own language, a guttural and complex tone filling the chamber. The Engineer turned his head towards him, his expression fascinated. Slowly, the giant stood up, stumbling at first as his muscles regained their strength. He took a step out of the pod, but his balance failed, and he fell to one knee, adopting an almost sculptural pose. Weyland instinctively stepped back, prompting Jackson and Ford to help steady him before he could collapse.
—I’m fine, I’m fine! —Weyland exclaimed when Jackson and Ford tried to assist him, pushing them away with an irritated gesture.
The old man advanced until he stood directly in front of the Engineer, while David continued speaking. From the back, Shaw watched, her gaze fixed on the scene as if everything she had ever sought in life had led to this moment.
The Engineer spoke for the first time, his resonant voice filling the chamber.
—What is he saying? —Weyland asked.
—He wants to know why we are here —David translated.
—Ask him where they come from —Shaw interjected, her voice full of urgency.
Weyland frowned, visibly annoyed.
—What are you doing? —he asked impatiently.
Shaw ignored him and pressed on, addressing David.
—Ask him what his cargo contains. It killed his people.
—Shaw, that’s enough —Weyland interrupted, irritated.
But Shaw was relentless. Her words came out rushed, laden with desperation.
—They made it here, and it was meant for us. Why?
Weyland’s frustration reached its limit.
—Shaw, that’s enough! For God’s sake, shut her up.
Jackson obeyed immediately. Without a word, he struck Shaw in the stomach with the butt of his weapon, making her double over on the ground with a strangled cry of pain. She fell to her knees, clutching her abdomen, but even from that position, she did not stop speaking.
—I need to know why! What did we do wrong? Why do they hate us? —she gasped, her pain clouding her senses.
The scene caught the Engineer’s attention. Until that moment, he had seemed distant. His eyes, once cold and calculating, now fixed on the woman, puzzled.
—If she speaks again, shoot her —Weyland ordered, his tone sharp.
Jackson, Ray, and Shepherd raised their weapons, aiming at Shaw with precision. The tension in the chamber became unbearable, but Shaw, even in the face of imminent danger, did not look away from the Engineer. Her questions, though now unspoken, seemed to hang in the air, defying even the gods.
David continued speaking with the Engineer, who, after listening, pointed at Weyland with a gesture full of contempt.
—What did he say? —Weyland asked.
—I told him you wished to live forever. He asks… why?
Weyland, a mix of indignation and fervor in his expression, responded:
—You… see this man? My company, my followers, they built him from nothing. I made him. And I made him in my own image, so that he would be perfect. So that he would never fail. I deserve this! Because you and I are superior. We are gods! And the gods never die.
The Engineer seemed calmer. His eyes, once full of uncertainty, now settled on David. Slowly, he stepped closer, bending down to examine him closely. A smile formed on his stone-like face as he raised a hand and gently ran his fingers through the android’s hair.
David, for the first time in his existence, felt something akin to affection. His usually impassive face lit up with a faint smile. It was the first time that something, or someone, had made him feel seen, as if he were more than just a construct of wires and logic.
From a distance, Ford, who had been on the verge of panic, allowed a small smile of relief to cross her face. This seemingly peaceful gesture gave her a sense of calm, easing her nerves. Even Weyland, who had maintained a rigid and controlling demeanor, displayed a look of satisfaction, believing his moment of glory was within reach.
However, the tranquility was fleeting. The Engineer, after studying David closely, let his smile fade. With a sudden and brutal movement, he seized the android by the throat and lifted him effortlessly, as if his weight were nothing more than that of a toy. Before anyone could react, the Engineer tore David’s head from his body with no apparent effort.
David’s body collapsed to the ground with a dull thud, spilling milky-white fluid as his limbs twitched uncontrollably. The Engineer held David’s head in his palm, observing it with curiosity, like a broken tool. David’s lips moved slowly, opening and closing like a fish out of water, though no sound came out.
The Engineer turned his attention to Weyland, who stared at him with a mixture of disbelief and terror. The old man raised his hands, a desperate gesture of supplication.
—No… please… wait. You invited us… —Weyland whispered, his voice weak and trembling.
The Engineer did not respond. Instead, with a sudden and disdainful gesture, he used David’s head as a weapon, striking Weyland violently. The impact was brutal, and Weyland crumpled to the ground like a rag doll.
From across the chamber, Shaw did not wait to see more. With an instinct for survival overriding all other emotions, she grabbed her helmet and bolted.
—Ford, move! —Jackson shouted, urgency in his voice.
Ford, paralyzed by horror, took a moment to react. When she finally turned to run, the Engineer was already upon her. With a powerful strike to her chest, he sent her flying toward the ramp leading to the platform. Her body landed lifeless, unmoving.
Jackson, Ray, and Shepherd opened fire, unleashing a hail of bullets that bounced harmlessly off the colossus’s body. Some bullets struck him, but they seemed to have no effect.
The Engineer charged at Jackson with unstoppable fury. He lifted him off the ground effortlessly and hurled him against a nearby column. The impact was devastating; Jackson hit the floor, unmoving, dead instantly.
—Run! —Shepherd yelled at Ray as both turned to flee, followed by Shaw, Glasse, and Stillwell.
The Engineer began to pursue them, but after a few meters, he stopped, giving up as they disappeared beyond the planetarium and out of sight.
Back in the chamber, Weyland, on the brink of death, crawled weakly toward David’s head, which had fallen nearby.
—There’s… nothing… —the old man murmured, his words choked with pain and weakness.
David’s broken lips moved one last time.
—I know… Safe travels, Mr. Weyland.
With those words, the chamber fell into ominous silence, broken only by the faint hum of the surrounding machinery.
On the bridge of the Prometheus, Vickers watched Weyland’s transmission with a neutral, almost distant expression. Only when the readings of his vital signs confirmed his death did a perceptible change occur in her. A slight tremor crossed her face, reflecting a mixture of restrained sorrow and relief. The reaction, though brief, was enough to reveal the emotional weight of the moment.
Meanwhile, Janek worked frantically at the controls, focused on undoing the lock David had placed on the navigation computer. A nighttime storm was approaching, adding urgency to the situation. The consoles slowly began to reactivate, signaling that the main system was coming back online after a prolonged effort. However, the process had not been simple. Janek had to dismantle several key instruments, and now he hurried to reinstall them to ensure the ship regained full operability.
Finally, after one last adjustment, the screens came to life. The navigation computer responded, marking the success of the crew’s arduous work. Janek, taking a deep breath, leaned back in his chair, allowing himself a brief moment of calm before turning his gaze to his team. The collective effort had paid off, and the Prometheus was, at last, under control.
—It’s time to go home —Vickers said firmly—. We will carry out your initial plan, captain. We’ll put the ship in orbit and vent every compartment into space at low temperatures for a week. That should get rid of the thing in the vents… and the one in my module as well.
Janek, leaning against the console, nodded silently. After exchanging a glance with Chance and Ravel, he finally spoke:
—Mr. Chance, Mr. Ravel, take us home.
The two officers nodded, but their eyes reflected both exhaustion and disbelief at everything that had happened. Vickers, meanwhile, sank into a chair, closing her eyes for a moment. The momentary calm of the bridge only served to accentuate the echo of the recent tragedies.
Inside the Juggernaut, the Engineer walked toward the other end of the platform, his imposing silhouette outlined against the dim bioluminescent glow of the walls. He stopped in front of the other capsule—one that David had overlooked during his previous exploration. Something within it had shimmered, but the android, blinded by the discovery of the living Engineer, had failed to notice it. Now, the capsule was opening, releasing another surviving Engineer.
David’s still-functional head, placed in a corner of the room, observed everything in astonishment. “How did I not realize he was alive too? How could I make such a mistake?” the android thought, feeling something akin to humiliation. “I was supposed to be perfect”.
The second Engineer removed the tubes and mask with deliberate movements, slowly rising as he took in his surroundings. The first Engineer began speaking to him in their ancient language, informing him of recent events. From his position, David listened to every word, capturing details that filled him with confusion. His eyes widened in surprise when he heard a particular detail.
The first Engineer knelt beside a console and touched a green holographic sphere, activating a hidden mechanism in the floor. The hypersleep capsules began to sink beneath the metallic platform, while at the center, an iris-shaped hatch opened with a deep mechanical sound. From the depths of the ship, a massive artifact emerged—a colossal mechanical throne. Its design was intimidating, with a segmented backrest resembling an armadillo’s armor and a network of tubes and conduits connecting it to the rest of the vessel. Above the seat, a device that seemed to be a fusion of a telescope and a cannon dominated the structure.
The second Engineer sat at the control panel, pressing buttons and watching in silence as the first climbed onto the throne. His expert hands began manipulating the controls with precision, and the seat glowed with an internal light, as if coming to life. David, fascinated, followed every movement, marveling at the technology before him. However, when the Engineer’s eyes settled on him, the android quickly shut his own, pretending to be inert.
The room filled with holograms, projecting star maps and constellations that seemed to envelop everything. Then, a pressurized suit began assembling itself around the Engineer’s body, sealing like a second skin. The suit’s design made him appear even more imposing, adding at least two feet to his height. His head and face were concealed beneath a bulbous helmet, giving him an even more alien appearance. He almost seemed to be one with the chair. The Engineer took a deep breath, inhaling his last lungful of oxygen before embarking on the months-long journey to Earth.
Meanwhile, the second Engineer continued working at the control panel, his fingers moving rapidly over the buttons, activating the ship’s main systems. David’s head, still feigning inactivity, processed the information with growing unease. He knew that something inevitable was approaching—something that would change the fate of everything they knew.
To be continued...
Chapter 6: Collision
Chapter Text
The corridors of the alien ship were a labyrinth of shadows and unsettling echoes. Shaw, Glasse, Stillwell, and the remaining two soldiers moved hastily, their footsteps reverberating off the metal structure as the darkness enveloped them like an impenetrable veil. The flashlights barely pierced the blackness, and uncertainty began to take hold of them.
—Now where?! —Ray asked, anxiety in his voice.
—What do I know?! —Stillwell responded, looking around without finding an answer.
Shaw rummaged through her gear and pulled out the special glasses Glasse had given her. As she put them on, her vision immediately changed. She now saw with the same clarity as the Engineers, perceiving hidden contours in the dimness and pathways that had previously seemed blocked.
—This way! —she exclaimed, taking the lead.
The group hurried after her down a narrow corridor. Then, a sound tore through the silence: a long, ominous whistle. They all froze, their hearts pounding fiercely. The flashlights scanned the walls, but it was Ray who first looked up.
Above them, wedged between two vaults of the corrugated ceiling, a creature stalked. A xenomorph, smaller than an adult but just as deadly. Its almost biomechanical body seemed designed with lethal perfection: a tapered tail, muscular limbs, and an elongated head covered with a translucent dome that allowed a glimpse into its skull. Its muscles tensed, and in the blink of an eye, it lunged at Ray.
Ray barely had time to react. The creature’s tail bounced off his helmet, sparking. With a growl, he raised his carbine and fired in frantic bursts. The alien’s exoskeleton shattered into dark fragments. The creature convulsed and fell, but not without leaving its mark. A jet of acid splashed onto the floor, melting the metal with a hissing, corrosive sound.
Before they could breathe a sigh of relief, a wall at the other end of the corridor slid open with a silent motion.
From the shadows emerged a colossal figure.
The second Engineer.
Covered in his flight suit, he loomed like a war deity, his fists gripping dark devices that vibrated with an energy impossible to understand.
The humans turned, raising their weapons in desperation.
Vanity and folly. The fury of an angry god.
Time seemed to slow.
The shots rang through the corridor, but the bullets harmlessly ricocheted off the Engineer's armor. Then, with a barely perceptible movement, he responded.
The missiles he fired were not ordinary projectiles or energy bursts. They were folds in reality itself, knots in the fabric of space.
The first struck Ray with the force of an invisible fist, crushing him like a ragdoll.
The second hurled Glasse and Shepherd against the wall. The impact killed Glasse instantly, while Shepherd was left badly injured, groaning on the floor.
—Watch out! —Stillwell shouted, leaping toward Shaw.
Instinctively, Stillwell shielded Shaw with his body in an attempt to protect her. A beat later, the impact threw them both against the bulkhead with brutal force. Shaw felt a sharp pain in her head before crashing to the floor, dazed. Stillwell was less fortunate. His body lay motionless next to hers, lifeless.
From the darkness, a second xenomorph lurked. It crouched in the shadows, preparing to pounce.
But before it could attack, the Engineer grabbed it by the neck with inhuman strength.
Shepherd, dying, struggled to rise with the little breath he had left. He raised his rifle and, with one final act of defiance, emptied the magazine into both beings. The bullets pierced the xenomorph’s flesh, making it hiss in pain.
Effortlessly, the Engineer threw the creature’s corpse onto Shepherd. The acid spilled over him, eating through his suit, his flesh, and his bones.
Shaw, still dazed, watched in horror as the Engineer turned and disappeared down a corridor.
With trembling hands, she picked up Ray’s rifle. Her glasses still glowed, showing alien symbols on the walls. Signs. Instructions.
She had a way out.
A glow at the edge of her vision stopped her.
A few meters away, a console of symbols and runes pulsed with a rhythm almost biological. A door.
Without thinking twice, Shaw ran toward it.
Shaw fell to her knees, gasping. A sharp pain in her abdomen stole her breath as she clutched her side, trying not to succumb to exhaustion. She staggered forward, barely crossing one of the openings that led to the outside of the ship.
Before her, the hangar was lit by spectral lights, revealing the massive silhouette of the Juggernaut. A deafening sound, like an ancient trumpet, resonated through the air as the ship began to detach from the platform. Deep vibrations coursed through the metal structure beneath her feet as the systems of the alien colossus came to life.
From her augmented perspective, Shaw saw something that filled her with horror: the Juggernaut wasn’t just rising in the hangar, it was surrounded by pulsating energy fields, complex and oppressive. An ancient mechanism, awakened after centuries of slumber.
She staggered forward to a hatch and looked into the hangar, which opened to the gray sky, as if the very earth itself was giving birth to the ship. Desperation suffocated her. She couldn’t let it take off.
She ran.
Around her, the ground trembled. Fifty steam explosions erupted from the terrain with the fury of a volcano, drawing a circular pattern. Cracks opened before the pyramid, tearing the earth as if an underground beast were freeing itself from its prison.
With a thunderous creak, a seven-leafed iris unfolded, its segments releasing the dust accumulated over centuries. The gigantic gate opened, revealing a vast underground hangar.
The hangar floor began to rise. Enormous landing lights came to life with a blinding flash, illuminating the stormy sky like a beacon from another world. The Juggernaut, majestic and deadly, emerged from the shadows, preparing for its ascent.
Then, a steam explosion roared from a nearby tunnel, striking her with the force of a whirlwind. Shaw lost her balance, feeling as though the air had been knocked out of her as she was violently thrown toward the surface. She rolled across the ground, her skin burning from the impact. She forced herself to rise and ran, jumping just as the gate finished opening beneath her feet.
The pain in her abdomen made her stagger, but she didn’t stop.
She moved away from the pyramid, pushing her body forward. She reached the rover and collapsed into the seat, starting the engine with trembling hands.
Then, David's voice echoed through her communicator.
—He said I killed him. He will die. But first, they will finish their mission.
Horror ran through her like an icy chill.
—What?! David! —she shouted as she accelerated.
The response came with unsettling calmness:
—There are two of them. Two Engineers.
The rover roared as it sped forward, sliding over the gate as it was still opening. Shaw kept the steering wheel steady, her mind caught in the terrifying revelation.
It wasn’t just one Engineer.
There were two.
On the Prometheus, the survivors on the bridge watched in awe as colossal pillars of light shot into the stormy sky, emerging from some point behind the crater. It was the gate to a hidden hangar, in plain sight.
Janek stood still, his gaze fixed on the scene unfolding in the distance. Beyond the central pyramid, a colossal shadow began to rise. The Juggernaut ascended slowly, its imposing silhouette darkening the landscape.
—Captain? — Chance broke the silence, his voice tense.
Janek didn’t respond immediately. The weight of what he was witnessing paralyzed him for a moment.
—What the hell…? — he muttered, incredulous.
The monitors on the bridge began to flicker with alarming readings.
—The seismic activity is increasing! —Ravel reported, his face bathed in the glow of the screens.
—The heat signatures are off the charts —Chance added, not taking his eyes off the instruments.
Both of them looked at him, waiting for an order. The pressure on the bridge was suffocating.
Janek cast a quick glance at Vickers. She remained silent, impassive. She wasn’t going to make the decision for him.
A deep sigh escaped his lips before he nodded with determination.
—Alright. Mr. Chance, power it up.
The lights on the bridge flickered as the systems responded.
Vickers let out a sigh, almost a prayer.
—Thank God. —she murmured.
Janek squinted, trying to understand what he was seeing through the bridge window. In the distance, a lone light moved along the channel toward the Prometheus. A vehicle.
Shaw was driving the rover at full speed, ignoring the dangers of the terrain. Her hands gripped the controls tightly, while the rifle hung from her shoulder.
—Prometheus! Respond! —her voice crackled through the communicator.
Janek reacted immediately.
—Shaw? Is that you? Do you copy?
—Listen to me. There's a ship under the pyramid. That ship is launching. David calls it Juggernaut.
Janek looked away from the window and confirmed what she was saying.
—Yeah, we noticed, Shaw.
Beside him, Vickers frowned, annoyed.
—What is that woman talking about?
But Shaw’s voice interrupted again, filled with desperation.
—You can’t let it leave! You have to stop it!
Vickers crossed her arms, irritated.
—We’re not stopping anything, Shaw. We’re going home.
The rover accelerated even more, as if Shaw's urgency translated into every movement of her hands on the controls.
—Janek, if you don’t stop it, we won’t have a home to return to! —her voice shattered the silence on the bridge. —It carries death and it's heading to Earth. The things that infected Charlie and me! The creatures, the vessels! The Engineers made them to kill us! You saw it… there are thousands of them on that ship. They planned to bring them to Earth centuries ago. That’s what the Juggernaut is carrying: the destruction of all life on our planet. Right now!
The bridge fell into stunned silence. Every word Shaw spoke felt like a sentence.
—I’m coming in! Open the damn door!
Vickers turned to Janek, her gaze cold as ice.
—Janek, look at me. Earth’s defense systems will handle this. Look at me. Don’t do this.
But Janek didn’t take his eyes off the screens.
The communicator crackled again with Shaw’s voice.
—Captain, we should have never come here. But we did. And now we have to clean up the mess we made.
Janek pressed his lips together. Against Vickers’ orders, he activated the hangar door, allowing the rover inside.
—Shaw —he said over the communicator as she climbed out of the vehicle—, this is not a warship.
—I know —she replied, entering the ship’s corridors—. But you have to do it. Janek, trust me.
He took a deep breath, the weight of the decision pressing on his shoulders.
—I barely fixed the navigation computer. I’m trying to plot a course manually. I’ve never done it before. I’m not sure anyone has.
Shaw kept running through the corridors, still pleading with him.
—Janek, everyone and everything on Earth will perish if we don’t stop this! Earth will become an ocean of death, just like this place!
—Captain, let’s go! Captain, move this ship! —Vickers ordered furiously.
But Janek didn’t move. His mind was elsewhere. On the promise he had made to Shaw. On the responsibility that weighed upon him.
He took a deep breath. His duty had always been to follow orders. But he would not be responsible for the deaths of billions out of cowardice.
Janek took one last breath and released the communicator. His voice was firm, unwavering.
—Mr. Ravel. Mr. Chance. It’s been an honor working with you.
Ravel and Chance fell silent, stunned by the weight of those words.
As the hangar door sealed shut, Shaw watched in horror as the massive Juggernaut slowly ascended from the opening in the ground. Its cyclopean structure rotated counterclockwise, tilting toward the sky like an omen of death.
—I told you to get this ship moving! —Vickers demanded, her voice burning with fury.
Janek didn’t respond immediately. In his mind, the decision was already made.
—Mr. Ravel, engage the ion propulsion.
Vickers spun toward him abruptly, disbelief etched on her face.
—What the hell do you think you’re talking about?
Chance hesitated, his fingers hovering over the controls.
—Sir, if we fire up the reactor inside the atmosphere, we’ll…
—We’ll turn into a bullet —Janek interrupted—. And that’s exactly what I want.
The silence that followed was thick, almost unreal.
Vickers stepped forward, her eyes blazing with indignation.
—What do you think you’re doing? Janek, this is my ship! I order you to move it now!
Janek didn’t even look at her.
—Vickers, I’m ejecting your module to the surface. You’ve got two years of life support. Do you want it, or would you rather stay with me? You have forty seconds to reach the escape pods.
Vickers’ disbelief turned into fury.
—You’re insane!
Janek gave her a faint smile.
—Goodbye, Miss Vickers.
She clenched her fists, her face contorted with frustration. Her control was slipping away.
—You were a terrible lay, by the way! —she shouted before turning and storming out of the bridge.
Janek watched her disappear down the corridor. Then he exhaled calmly, his eyes fixed on the Juggernaut as it ascended.
It was time.
Janek adjusted his cap and looked at Ravel and Chance with a serious expression.
—Gentlemen, I can handle this on my own. Feel free to join Miss Vickers.
Ravel crossed his arms with a wry smile.
—With all due respect, Captain. You’re a terrible pilot, and you’re going to need all the help you can get.
Chance sighed, adjusting the controls with a determined look.
—I have a family on Earth.
—And I have a child on the way —Ravel added, not taking his eyes off the instruments—. I’d die before letting anything happen to them.
Janek exhaled, visibly moved. Without another word, he positioned himself at the controls and began activating the launch systems. As his hands moved across the switches and screens, he started humming his favorite song:
"Well, if you can't be with the one you love, love the one you're with..."
Chance smirked.
—If you think this means the bet is off, you’re wrong.
Ravel chuckled as he kept working.
—Why don’t you pay me on the other side?
The moment of camaraderie was shattered instantly. A metallic noise echoed above their heads. The three turned just in time to see a pale, boneless figure emerging from a ventilation duct, right above the table where the hologram of the pyramid was projected.
It was the monstrous creature, with translucent skin and a prominent, shark-like jaw. The Belugamorph.
With lethal speed, it lunged at Janek and sank its razor-sharp teeth into his right shoulder.
The captain howled in agony. A numbing sensation spread through his arm, rendering it useless. With his left hand, he struggled to reach the pistol on his hip, but the creature shook him like a rag doll.
Ravel and Chance reacted instantly. They drew their weapons and opened fire on the alien. The bullets made it recoil, but its soft flesh sealed over the wounds as if nothing had happened.
Janek, staggering, managed to draw his pistol. With great effort, he turned it in his trembling hand and fired over his shoulder. Three rounds struck the beast, but it wasn’t enough to stop it. Its teeth burrowed deeper into the captain’s flesh.
Suddenly, a figure appeared in the doorway.
Shaw.
Dressed in her spacesuit, she swung her heavy rifle like a baseball bat and smashed it against the creature with all her strength. A brutal hit that forced the monster’s fangs to release their grip.
The doctor wasted no time. She flipped the rifle around and pulled the trigger. A burst of bullets tore through the creature’s skull, sending fragments of it splattering across the bridge.
The alien collapsed to the floor with a final, ragged breath. Its corrosive blood began eating through the metal plating beneath it.
Shaw removed her helmet and rushed to Janek. She grabbed a first aid kit from the bulkhead, and together with Ravel and Chance, hurried to stop the bleeding.
Janek’s breathing was ragged, but he was alive. His right arm, however, was already beyond saving.
Janek murmured in a rough voice.
—Thank you…
Shaw didn’t respond. Her eyes were fixed on the alien’s corpse, which was slowly sinking between the corroded floor plates.
—The Juggernaut is rising —she reported urgently—. David told me there are two Engineers alive on board.
Janek, still pale from the pain, lifted his gaze.
—And the others…?
Shaw hesitated for a second before answering.
—Dead. All of them. Janek… we have to stop that ship.
The captain looked through the bridge window. The massive silhouette of the Juggernaut ascended in its column of light, menacing. Beyond, the horizon darkened with the approach of the storm, a tidal wave of clouds and thunder.
Shaw helped him up and guided him to his seat.
—Put on your helmet. Go to the escape pods with Vickers —Janek ordered.
She remained silent for a moment, processing the farewell implied in his words. Then, she nodded, no need for more.
—Goodbye, Janek —she said firmly.
He gave her one last look before turning his eyes back to the Juggernaut.
Shaw turned and ran down the corridor, not looking back.
The ship groaned, a metallic, unnatural sound, before its engines roared to life. A burst echoed through the air as it lifted off the ground, kicking up a dense storm of sand around it. Its landing thrusters propelled its ascent while the struts retracted, merging into the fuselage.
From the Prometheus’ bridge, Janek gripped the stabilizers with his only functional hand.
—If we’re going to take it down, we have to do it manually… and we have to do it now —he declared firmly.
Ravel and Chance nodded without hesitation. There was no turning back.
The Prometheus accelerated, roaring through the turbulence, chasing after the Juggernaut as it floated just meters above the ground. The looming storm reduced visibility to nearly nothing, turning the horizon into a wall of dust and shadows.
Inside the Juggernaut, the first Engineer observed the Prometheus’ advance. Wasting no time, he adjusted the controls of his own ship, preparing its defenses.
Meanwhile, Janek pressed a button on the console.
—Survival module, away!
Vickers’ survival module detached from the Prometheus, launching into the storm. It tumbled down, crashing against the shattered terrain until it finally came to a violent stop.
Inside the module, Vickers ran through the corridor, her breath ragged, her pulse pounding in her ears. As she moved, she started stripping off her tight clothing. There was no time for hesitation. She reached one of the emergency suits and hastily put it on.
With the gloves still loose, she threw herself into an escape pod embedded in the wall. Her trembling fingers pressed the ejection button.
—Hurry! —she shouted just before the pod sealed and fired away.
At the same time, Shaw arrived at the escape zone. She barely caught a glimpse of Vickers’ pod being expelled into the void. She didn’t stop. She leaped into another pod and activated it.
The capsules descended like projectiles through the storm, cushioned by drag parachutes and retro-thrusters. They hit the ground with force, but the structures held.
Aboard the Prometheus, Janek kept his eyes locked on the controls.
—Get us as close as possible. We only have one shot.
—Countdown initiated —Chance reported.
—Activating ionic propulsion —Ravel announced.
The Prometheus roared upward, tearing through the sky in one final, suicidal thrust. The storm engulfed them within seconds. Wind, dust, darkness.
Janek gritted his teeth.
—We can’t see it…
The ship’s sensors did their job. On the screen, the radar locked onto the Juggernaut, marking it as the target.
Inside the Juggernaut, something else was happening.
On the cabin floor, David’s decapitated eyes suddenly opened. With effort, his jaw moved, and his severed head tilted slightly. He watched the Engineer at the controls… and saw the inevitable.
The pilot’s body began to convulse. His breathing turned into desperate gasps. A sickening crack echoed from his chest. A second later, his skin and suit tore apart.
Something emerged.
A creature, dark as death, armored, its movements fluid and predatory. Even at birth, it was the size of a wolf. Its silhouette was a nightmare of claws and razor-sharp fangs. An Ultramorph.
The Engineer barely had time to exhale his final breath. The monster let out an inhuman, piercing roar, and the pilot died.
The other Engineer, still in his seat, watched the scene in horror. His gaze shifted from his companion's lifeless body to the being gliding freely over him.
It was the end. And he knew it.
The Juggernaut emerged from the storm, breaking through the thick layer of clouds like a wounded beast. But something was wrong. Its ascent slowed, faltering in the upper atmosphere. Its engines vibrated irregularly, struggling to maintain control.
On the planet’s surface, Shaw and Vickers hurriedly exited their escape pods. The wind howled around them, but they never took their eyes off the mechanical colossus looming in the sky.
Then, their communicators crackled with static. A moment later, David’s voice resonated through the interference.
—Dr. Shaw. The first Engineer is dead. You have only seconds before the other Engineer and the Juggernaut’s computers regain control.
Shaw swallowed hard.
Aboard the Prometheus, Janek had already made his decision.
—Alright, gentlemen, let’s do this. Full speed ahead!
The captain and his pilots seized the perfect moment. The Juggernaut appeared in the bridge’s targeting sights. Chance and Ravel exchanged one last look with their captain. Janek pushed the throttle to its limit.
The Prometheus roared, emerging from the storm like a spear of fire. Its engines, running at maximum capacity, burned like suns before erupting in a blinding flare.
The Juggernaut began to vibrate with a deafening hum. A deep rumble, as if something within it was awakening.
—Impact in three… two… one… —the Prometheus’ computer announced.
Janek closed his eyes and lifted his hands.
—With honor! —he declared with determination.
Chance and Ravel did the same.
The impact was colossal.
The Prometheus crashed into the Juggernaut with the force of a comet. The ship’s bridge crumpled like a tin can. Janek, Chance, and Ravel were consumed by flames before vanishing in a blinding explosion of energy.
Then, the FTL drive suddenly activated.
The Prometheus vanished from sight.
A heartbeat of absolute silence… then, a thermal nuclear explosion erupted in the sky.
Inside the Juggernaut, chaos broke loose.
The ship’s controls exploded in a storm of sparks and fire. Artificial lights flickered before bursting into cascades of glass and flames. The pilot’s seat ignited in a shower of electrical surges.
The Ultramorph, hidden in the shadows, slithered back inside the dead Engineer’s body, seeking shelter from the devastation.
Weyland’s body and the rest of the crew were tossed across the cabin like rag dolls. Even David’s severed head bounced across the floor from the impact.
The surviving Engineer, still at the controls, roared in fury as he was thrown violently to the ground.
The Juggernaut no longer responded.
Everything was falling apart.
Shaw and Vickers exchanged a look. A moment of mutual recognition, a shared instinct.
The sky became a sea of fire. Shades of red and orange devoured the horizon as a blinding light engulfed the landscape. For a brief moment, all was silent, an unreal calm before the disaster. Then, the roar came.
The Juggernaut plummeted from the sky like a stone, intact but crippled. The alien ship tore through the clouds, spinning out of control, its colossal frame engulfed in shadows and lightning-lit flames. Meanwhile, the wreckage of the Prometheus rained down in fire, incandescent fragments painting the atmosphere with an almost beautiful glow.
Shaw and Vickers shielded their eyes, the burning light reflecting on their faces. But the shockwave from the collision arrived like a nightmare’s roar, shaking them with brutal force. Both were thrown to the ground.
—My God! —Shaw gasped.
Shaking off the dizziness, Shaw extended a hand and helped Vickers to her feet. But another deafening crash made them turn sharply.
With a devastating impact, the Juggernaut struck the ground. The crash unleashed a seismic wave that made the earth tremble. But the ship didn’t stop there. Due to its unique design, it began to roll.
Vickers froze, her eyes wide with terror. Shaw followed her gaze, and her breath caught in her throat.
The Juggernaut was coming straight for them.
A wheel of death the size of a mountain.
Vickers violently pulled her arm away from Shaw and bolted in the opposite direction. Shaw, still gasping in horror, did the same.
But hell wasn’t over yet.
As they ran, the remnants of the Prometheus began to rain down like a meteor shower. Burning debris struck the ground with deafening crashes. There was no escape. Staying under the Juggernaut’s shadow was their only chance to avoid getting crushed by the falling wreckage. So they kept running, trapped between the fire from above and the rolling death behind them.
Finally, the storm of debris lessened. Both tried to veer off course, to escape the ship’s path. But even at full speed, they barely seemed to move. The Juggernaut was immense, an unstoppable beast.
Then, the terrain shifted. Massive rocks rose around them, forming a natural barrier. They could no longer escape sideways.
Shaw felt panic knot in her chest.
The Juggernaut wobbled, slowing down.
That was when her foot caught on something.
Shaw fell hard onto the sand.
She lifted her gaze just in time to see the colossal structure closing in. Desperately, she searched for a way out and spotted a small gap between two massive rocks. Without thinking, she rolled to the side, gritting her teeth as pain flared in her abdomen. The giant ship passed over her with terrifying proximity.
Vickers wasn’t as lucky.
She had tripped between two large rock formations. There was no escape.
She turned around and saw the massive ship almost upon her.
She screamed.
—No! No, no, no!
Her desperation was lost in the deafening noise.
The Juggernaut reached her.
An instant later, Vickers disappeared beneath the titanic shadow of the ship.
Shaw froze, her heart hammering in her chest.
The Juggernaut continued its course, slowing more and more… and then, with one final lurch, it began to tip over.
Toward her.
—Oh, God… —she whispered.
The pain in her abdomen was unbearable. Her body gave out, collapsing onto the sand, gasping for air. She had no strength left to move.
She closed her eyes and waited for the end.
But the impact never came.
Shaw felt the ground tremble one last time, and when she opened her eyes, she found herself surrounded by the ship’s massive structure.
The Juggernaut had fallen in a perfect ring around her.
She was alive.
Shaw remained sitting in the sand, unable to believe it.
She had survived.
Inside the Juggernaut’s cockpit, darkness was broken by the erratic flickering of planetary holograms. Sparks rained down from the ceiling like burning embers. The bridge was devastated, consoles shattered, controls smoking.
In one corner, David’s head lay against the floor, dented and bruised. His eyes blinked as he analyzed the scene before him. He saw the pilot’s chair, the Engineer’s motionless body slumped over it. Dead.
David frowned. He shifted his gaze toward the controls and realized they were not alone.
The second Engineer, battered but alive, was struggling to his feet. His suit had endured the catastrophe, though not without consequences. He staggered as he stood, growling. His breathing was heavy, labored. With trembling hands, he removed his helmet and collapsed to his knees. His face was marked by deep burns, one side of his flesh blackened and charred. He coughed violently and spat blood.
A low, guttural sound froze them both.
The Engineer and David looked up at the same time.
Next to the pilot’s chair, something moved. Something big.
The Ultramorph.
Its old skin peeled away in shreds, revealing a creature now three times its previous size. It was now as tall as a human. Its dark exoskeleton gleamed under the flickering hologram lights. Thin, sinewy limbs emerged from its torso, writhing with a life of their own. Spine-like protrusions jutted from its back. With a dry crack, its elongated head tilted slowly, descending from its serpentine stance to align with its new body. Its skull-like cranium and razor-sharp maw dripped death.
David watched in fascination. It was a horribly beautiful sight. The Engineer wasted no time. He raised the integrated weapons on his suit and fired.
But his aim, shaken by disorientation and pain, missed. The shot barely grazed the creature’s flank, tearing a screech from its throat.
And then, the true nightmare began.
The Ultramorph’s acidic blood splattered onto the metal floor, which hissed and melted instantly. A hole opened beneath them, revealing the lower chamber of the ship. Without hesitation, the creature slipped through and disappeared into the shadows.
The Engineer remained still for a moment.
Then, he looked down at his weapons. They had been damaged in the explosion and chaos.
With heavy steps, he approached the control console. His fingers pressed a sequence of commands, and a new hologram came to life.
A 360-degree image of the Juggernaut’s exterior appeared before him.
The twilight bathed the horizon in a golden glow. The burning wreckage of the Prometheus was scattered across the desert.
But something else caught his attention.
He adjusted the image, zooming in.
Amidst the vastness of the ruined landscape, a lone figure was moving.
The Engineer narrowed his eyes.
It was Elizabeth Shaw.
Hatred ignited in his chest like a flame.
Without hesitation, he turned sharply and left the cockpit.
Shaw rose slowly, her legs trembling under the weight of what had happened. Her eyes scanned the smoldering wreckage of the Prometheus, now scattered across the vast desert. Flames danced between twisted metal, and the desert winds lifted clouds of dust, shrouding the horizon in a curtain of gray.
With great effort, she looked down at her wrist. A metallic beep preceded the computerized voice from her bracelet:
—Warning. You have 2 minutes of oxygen remaining.
Shaw swallowed hard and lifted her gaze. Ahead of her, the three massive entrances of the Juggernaut stood open, like gaping mouths ready to devour everything in their path. But it was the roar from within that froze her blood.
With a sob of terror, she pushed herself up. Her exhausted and battered body staggered as she began to run toward the only refuge that might offer her some hope. The suit she wore started emitting constant beeping sounds.
—Warning. Low oxygen supply. Warning.
The computerized voice from her bracelet felt like a distant echo as she rushed through the storm, dodging the burning debris scattered around her. It was a hellish desert, a war zone where fire replaced rain and dust was the only witness. Lightning illuminated the sky in an erratic dance, mirroring the desperation of the scene.
In the distance, something caught her attention. A column of black smoke rose into the twilight sky. It was coming from something large, something glowing with a flickering light.
It was Vickers' survival module.
Shaw quickened her pace, driven by the need to reach it before it was too late. Every step brought her closer to that point of hope but drained her body even further. Finally, when she was just meters away from the module, she saw that the entrance was elevated above the ground. Without hesitation, she grabbed onto some fallen cables and began to climb with difficulty. The effort was excruciating, but the urgency to survive overpowered any pain.
Once inside the airlock, her trembling hands slammed the door switch. Miraculously, it opened, allowing her to enter. She sealed it shut with a metallic clang, and a computerized voice announced:
—Airlock sealed.
With a breath of relief, Shaw allowed herself a few seconds to inhale deeply, regaining control of herself. She glanced at the nearby panel, confirming that the environment inside the module was safe. She took another breath, this time with a bit more calm.
The interior of the module was in disarray, as if it had suffered the effects of a minor earthquake. However, the facilities seemed to be in relatively good condition. The dim light illuminated the broken drawers near the door, and as Shaw approached, she found several small oxygen tanks. She quickly stored them in a bag on the floor and inserted another into her suit, unaware that it was damaged.
Suddenly, a noise made her tense up.
Quickly, her hand reached for the axe resting in one of the drawers. Without thinking, she moved deeper into the module, searching for any possible threat.
She entered Vickers’ suite. Everything was scattered across the floor, the luxuries tossed about as if the space had been abandoned in the midst of chaos. The floor was uneven.
As she approached the large monitor on one of the walls, Shaw saw that it was playing a strange transmission. It was a S.E.T.I.-type transmission. The feed showed a young girl, no more than six years old, playing the violin. The melody she produced was beautiful, though distorted due to the damage to the module.
Shaw walked toward the minibar with hesitant steps, her helmet still in her hands. She let it drop onto the counter with a dull thud as she opened a nearby cabinet. From it, she pulled out the only bottle of vodka that remained intact. She uncapped it with a trembling hand and, without thinking, took a long swig, the burn of the alcohol searing her throat as she tried to silence the pain coursing through her body.
She set the bottle down on the counter and removed the upper part of her suit along with her helmet, discarding them carelessly. She needed to forget everything that had happened, even if just for a moment. Another drink. Faster this time. She sat for a moment, and then, without hesitation, pulled the medical injector from her bag. With practiced speed, she injected it into her arm, her fingers clutching her abdomen as the stabbing pain that had been consuming her began to fade.
Shaking slightly, Shaw stood up, breathing more steadily, the sensation of relief spreading through her body. But deep inside, a knot of anxiety continued to grow.
Outside, the Engineer leaped from an opening onto the rocky surface with a growl that reverberated through the air. He landed with a roar of pain but quickly stood, scanning his surroundings with determination. His gaze locked onto the survival module. His objective was clear.
The Ultramorph, also emerging from the Juggernaut, followed silently, every movement a latent threat.
Shaw was about to take another swig from the bottle when, suddenly, the familiar noise returned. Her face tensed with concern as she set the bottle down and stepped toward the Med-Pod room. She peered through the window in the door, and her stomach churned at the sight of the medical capsule spinning in place, crushed and broken.
A tentacle emerged from the capsule and struck the window with a dull thud. It slid downward with an unsettling slowness.
Shaw jumped back, terrified, gasping as her legs nearly gave out beneath her. Whatever was inside… it wasn’t dead.
Suddenly, the communicator emitted a burst of static, and a familiar voice echoed in her ears:
—…Can anyone… hear this? This is David. I repeat: Is anyone… there?
Shaw flinched, her heart pounding in her chest.
—This is David —the voice continued, and Shaw felt a faint sigh of relief—. Dr. Shaw, are you receiving me?
—Yes! Yes, I’m here —she responded, almost desperately, as if her life depended on this connection.
—You need to get out immediately! —David’s voice was urgent, as if everything depended on it.
—Why? —Shaw asked, confused, unable to fully grasp the urgency in the android’s tone.
—He’s coming for you —David warned, his tone grave and piercing.
—Who? Who’s coming? —Shaw could barely process the words, fear taking hold of her.
But before she could get an answer, an alarm blared through the module. The system’s computerized voice activated the airlock warning:
—Airlock forced open!
The airlock door burst open with a hiss of pressure. The Engineer had arrived. With astonishing ease, he forced it open as if it were nothing, the metal yielding effortlessly to his strength. Shaw let out a strangled gasp and ducked behind the minibar, terror filling her chest.
The Engineer, imposing and determined, moved toward the nearby control panel. His large, rigid fingers pressed several buttons without hesitation, and with a soft mechanical sigh, the door leading into Vickers' suite slid open.
The Engineer stepped into the room with an eerie grace. Despite his towering frame, he moved with unsettling smoothness, as if the confined space posed no obstacle. He had to duck slightly to avoid hitting his head against the low ceiling.
His eyes swept across the room, and a flicker of something crossed his face—admiration, or perhaps understanding.
He approached a table, crouched, and picked up a book with one of his massive hands. He flipped through the pages rapidly, but the language within seemed foreign to him. He frowned, irritated, before letting the book fall to the floor with a sharp thud.
The music started playing again from the monitor, and the Engineer approached with an almost hypnotic fluidity, his eyes fixed on the screen. In the image, a little girl played the violin, her music a soft yet clear echo in the air. The Engineer reached out to the monitor, touching the screen. His fingers moved to the rhythm of the melody, as if he understood the code behind the notes. He closed his eyes for a moment and slightly parted his lips, absorbed in the harmony. He seemed impressed, fascinated by what he was witnessing.
But then, David's voice interrupted the moment.
—Elizabeth, can you hear me?
The Engineer turned his head toward the minibar with a slow, almost inquisitive movement, as if sensing someone else's presence in the room. Shaw, hiding behind the bar, shut her eyes tightly, breathing heavily, trying to control her panic. The broken glass on the table crunched, and the sound of shattered pieces falling to the floor made her open her eyes. Her gaze immediately locked with the Engineer’s, who observed her intently, as if evaluating her every move.
Shaw stood up quickly, without hesitation. They stared at each other, a silent confrontation filled with palpable tension. The Engineer leaned forward, his posture a clear threat. Terrified, Shaw didn't think for a second. She ran.
The Engineer pursued her with surprising speed. In her desperation, Shaw swung the axe she had picked up earlier, striking him in the chest with all her strength. The impact echoed, but the Engineer did not falter. With terrifying speed, he grabbed her by the neck, squeezing with an unstoppable force. Shaw struggled to breathe, her face turning red from the pressure, but the Engineer did not relent.
With a roar, the Engineer hurled her against the wall, the impact leaving her stunned for a second. As she tried to get up, the Engineer approached, but in an act of desperation, she struck him with the axe on his left leg, making him drop to one knee. With instinctive brutality, the Engineer let out a grunt of pain but did not let her escape. Shaw tried to crawl away, but he grabbed her by the leg. Without thinking, she drove the axe into his side, burying it deep. The Engineer let out a furious roar, but Shaw seized the moment to run, never looking back.
Reaching a corridor, Shaw slipped through a malfunctioning airlock that opened and closed erratically. The door momentarily trapped her, and she fell to the floor, aching and exhausted, but quickly got up. The Engineer reached her, opening the door effortlessly, as if it were made of paper. He caught her in midair, lifting her and slamming her against the wall with such force that she lost her breath.
The Engineer approached slowly, his gaze locked on her, his fingers extended like claws ready to crush her skull. Shaw, with the last strength she had left, screamed.
—Die!
With a desperate move, she slammed the control panel beside her. Immediately, the Med-Pod door slid open, and a deep roar filled the room.
The Trilobite, now much larger and more lethal, shot out, its tentacles writhing in the air. The creature lunged at the Engineer with unstoppable fury, wrapping its limbs around him and dragging him toward the door. The Engineer, though stronger, seemed at a disadvantage against this enemy. The two beings clashed in a deadly struggle, their movements a violent dance.
The Trilobite, however, was far stronger. With a precise motion, a series of tentacles shot from its mouth, latching onto the Engineer’s head. They held him firmly, pulling his face toward the grotesque maw of the creature. A serpentine tongue lashed out, plunging down the Engineer’s throat in a strike as quick as it was lethal. The Engineer let out a defiant cry, but his voice was cut off as the tongue burrowed deeper and deeper until he could no longer breathe.
The Trilobite wasted no time, coiling its tentacles around the Engineer and pinning him to the floor. The giant’s body went still as the creature wrapped itself around him, ensuring he would never move again.
Shaw crawled across the floor, her breathing ragged and pain stabbing through her body. She finally reached the minibar, quickly grabbing her helmet and bag, sweat dripping down her forehead. She ran toward the airlock door, desperate to escape, but something stopped her cold.
A figure appeared at the entrance, forcing it open with terrifying strength. In a flash of strobing light, Shaw saw the silhouette of a creature she had never seen before.
Its elongated head, the tubes protruding from its back, and a tail ending in a razor-sharp tip were unmistakable. It was just like the creatures she had found dead inside the Juggernaut, lying among the corpses of the Engineers—the same creatures that had attacked her crewmates inside the pyramid.
But this one was much larger. Much more imposing.
The Ultramorph.
A chill ran down Shaw’s spine as she watched the creature explore the room with a deadly calm. Its low growl filled the air as it moved slowly, its gaze fixed on everything around it. Shaw, trapped, her heart pounding in her throat, crouched behind the minibar. She knew she had no time. She couldn’t stay there much longer.
Then, suddenly, she saw something on the floor: a broken bottle.
Her desperate mind quickly formed a plan. She grabbed the bottle with a trembling hand and threw it as far as she could. The glass struck the ground, and the sharp sound echoed through the room. As she had hoped, the Ultramorph turned toward the noise, its gaze locked on the spot where the bottle had shattered.
Shaw seized the moment. She sprang to her feet and bolted toward the airlock door. With trembling hands, she yanked it open and leaped outside without a second thought.
The impact was brutal, but there was no time to stop. Shaw grunted in pain as she tumbled down a small dune of sand. Agony surged through her body, but the creature’s roar reached her ears almost instantly.
The Ultramorph had heard her.
With a sob of terror, Shaw pushed herself to her feet, fear threatening to paralyze her, and began to run again. She fled through the storm, crossing a field of burning debris. A desert of lightning, fire, and twisted metal stretched out before her, like a vision of hell made real. The dust storm engulfed her, blinding her at times, but Shaw did not stop. She glanced back, her eyes reflecting the darkness as a strobing light briefly illuminated the landscape. In that fleeting glow, she saw a gray figure moving swiftly through the wreckage—a shadow of death closing in.
Shaw struggled to climb through a section of ducts beneath a fragment of the hull, her body barely responding to the strain. She ran and climbed without rest, while the Ultramorph pursued her, relentless, in a deadly game of cat and mouse. She moved between the wreckage of the Prometheus, through broken corridors and shattered compartments, desperately searching for a way to escape.
The sounds of the wind and twisted metal surrounded her, her mind unable to find calm as her eyes frantically scanned the stormy night. She searched for a weapon, a hiding place, an answer. And then, she saw it—the remains of the Prometheus laboratory and a hypersleep pod lying on the arid ground.
With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Shaw didn’t hesitate for a second. She ran toward the pod, climbed inside, and slammed the lid shut with a swift motion.
The Ultramorph passed just inches from the pod’s cover. Shaw, holding her breath, didn’t dare move, not even make the slightest sound. Her entire body trembled as she peered through the glass, fear taking hold of her. The creature paused for a moment, searching for her among the debris, but it did not see her. It continued its hunt, exploring the wreckage with the same deadly calm as before.
Shaw remained completely still, her heart pounding, terrified, as the Ultramorph moved on, never realizing how close it had come to its prey.
Inside the survival module, the Trilobite, having fulfilled its purpose, silently moved away from the Engineer, retreating to one side to simply die. The giant lay motionless, his body still, seemingly having succumbed to the violence of the encounter.
However, in a grotesque twist, the Engineer's body began to tremble, with an intensity that was deeply unsettling. His abdomen slowly rose, as if something inside was pressing outward. Beneath his skin, something slithered and writhed, undulating like a trapped beast struggling to break free. Then, with brutal force, a sharp, blade-like point tore through his chest and abdomen, slicing through flesh in a clean cut and spraying fresh blood across the room.
With a sickening squelch, a crystalline placental sac dropped to the floor, bursting open with a splash of viscous fluid that spread in all directions. The Engineer’s organs, still pulsating in their final agony, were left exposed, filling the air with a nauseating stench.
The sharp appendage that had pierced his abdomen punctured the sac, and with an almost supernatural effort, a creature emerged—both horrifying and awe-inspiring in its form. The Deacon. It was a terrifying sight, a distorted reflection of what the Engineers had once worshipped in their ancient murals, yet not an exact replica. This was a larger, more ruthless version, a creature born from the very depths of its creator’s own body.
The creature rose, slow but assured, taking its first breath with an eerie precision. With its humanoid frame but disturbingly unnatural proportions, it surveyed its surroundings. Then, a piercing roar echoed through the air, a vibration that shook the remains of the module. The creature’s jaw unhinged with unnatural ferocity, revealing a row of razor-sharp teeth, reminiscent of a goblin shark—an image both haunting and deadly, evoking the same menace the late Belugamorph had once posed.
The Deacon bit through the umbilical cord that still connected it to the Engineer’s corpse, tearing it apart with ease. It left the lifeless body behind as it took its first steps toward the exit of the module, moving with a determined and fierce stride, as if its fate had already been set. It did not seem lost or confused but entirely aware of its existence.
Crossing the threshold of the module and stepping into the planet’s cold air, the creature began to walk across the desolate surface. Its presence was as terrifying as it was imposing. The Deacon did not observe its surroundings with fear, but with the detached gaze of a predator surveying its territory. Every step it took seemed to solidify its claim over this new world.
With the same ease of a hunter moving through its domain, the Deacon set its course toward the crashed Juggernaut, with the wreckage of the Prometheus scattered across the landscape.
The Ultramorph coiled itself among the wreckage, its silver, glistening body blending seamlessly with the shattered remains of the place. Its claws scraped against the ground as it advanced slowly, exploring the terrain with the patience of an unhurried predator. Then, among the charred and scattered debris, it found something: the rotting head of the decapitated Engineer.
With a low growl, the creature tilted its elongated skull and took the dead flesh between its jaws. It chewed slowly, savoring its prey, while its body trembled with unnatural growth. Its muscles tensed and expanded, its form becoming more imposing with each bite.
A few meters away, Shaw watched the scene, unable to move. Her breathing was ragged, her heart pounding violently in her chest. Suddenly, the sharp beeping of her suit shattered the ominous silence.
—Oxygen alert: 5 minutes remaining.
She cursed herself for not realizing that the spare oxygen tank she had attached to her suit was defective. The sound cut through the eerie stillness. The creature stopped its feast, its movements freezing for an instant. Slowly, its pupil-less eyes turned toward the source of the noise.
A shiver ran down Shaw’s spine. Her body was paralyzed, trapped between panic and the certainty that the Alien had heard her. Time was running against her. Fifteen. Ten minutes. She couldn’t waste a single second. The warning pulsed in her ears mercilessly.
The Ultramorph lifted its head, having detected the beeping from Shaw’s suit. Its gaze locked onto her. With shocking agility, the Alien advanced, sniffing the air in her direction. Shaw remained motionless, paralyzed by terror, feeling her body grow heavier under the weight of despair.
Then, with a roar that made the ground tremble, the Ultramorph attacked. Its claws tore through the hypersleep capsule with brutal force, flinging the freezer away while Shaw crashed onto the floor. The Alien pursued her relentlessly. Without thinking, she started running, weaving through the burning wreckage that marked the battlefield. Her breathing was erratic, broken, and the pain in her legs slowed her down. She stumbled. She fell.
Desperately, her gaze darted across the ground, and her fingers landed on a diamond saw—the same kind of tool Vickers’ men had used to dismantle the terraforming engine inside the pyramid. With titanic effort, Shaw lifted it, testing its weight and balance as the monster continued its approach. Without hesitation, she quickly hid in the gap beneath a massive beam, holding her breath.
The Ultramorph passed close by, sniffing the air. Shaw remained utterly still, trembling under the weight of the saw in her hands.
The Alien nearly moved on, but a faint metallic sound shattered the deadly silence. The saw, unsteady in her grip, had emitted the slightest noise.
The Ultramorph halted, growling in fury. Just as it was about to lunge at her, a new threat entered its field of vision—the Deacon.
The creature, now much larger than before, let out a deafening roar and faced the Ultramorph. The two monsters locked eyes for an endless moment, growling in instinctive challenge. There was no clear reason for their battle—only the primal need to fight. A clash of titans, a battle for territory, for survival.
Shaw watched, astonished, as the two creatures launched at each other, biting, clawing, using their retractable jaws with savage ferocity. The acidic blood of both aliens began to coat the ground as they tore into each other mercilessly.
After what felt like an eternity, the Ultramorph won. With its tail, it pierced the Deacon’s chest, and then, with deadly speed, drove its retractable jaw through its skull multiple times, leaving it lifeless on the ground.
Despite the brutal fight before her, Shaw couldn’t ignore the warning on her suit. Her oxygen was nearly gone. The Ultramorph was wounded—this was her moment. With no other options, Shaw activated the saw. The high-pitched whirring of the blade sliced through the air, and in a last desperate effort, she lunged at the Alien.
The saw cut through one of the Ultramorph’s claws, making it recoil with a guttural scream. The alien’s fury erupted in a devastating strike, slamming Shaw against the ground. The saw slipped from her grasp.
Dazed, Shaw reached for the weapon. The monster advanced toward her, more enraged than ever, clutching its injured arm against its chest.
As it leaped at her, Shaw reacted instinctively. She rolled aside, but the Ultramorph’s tail suddenly lashed out, impaling her thigh. She screamed, pain coursing through her like a scorching wave. The spear-like tip of its tail pinned her to the ground, immobilizing her.
Despite the agony, her hand stretched toward the saw, still buzzing on the floor just inches away.
Consumed with rage, the Ultramorph loomed over Shaw, its drooling maw mere inches from her visor. Its horrific jaws parted, and at that moment, Shaw, mustering every ounce of strength, yanked at the tail embedded in her leg. The pain was excruciating, but survival drove her forward. With a pained growl, she pulled hard, dragging the tail across the ground, and in one final desperate motion, she seized the saw.
With the blade still screaming, Shaw swung the weapon, driving it deep into the monster’s skull. The saw tore through the alien’s cranium with a force that echoed through the ruins.
An instant later, the Ultramorph convulsed in agony, the saw still roaring as its motor chewed through flesh and bone. The creature let out one last, ear-piercing scream before collapsing, its body slumping to the side, leaving behind only the echo of battle and the weakening sound of Shaw’s respirator.
A drop of green acid sizzled against Shaw’s helmet.
She barely had time to react before the corrosive substance began eating through her visor at an alarming speed. With frantic fingers, she fumbled with the clasps, tearing the helmet off just before the acid could reach her skin. She flung it aside, watching as it melted with a hissing, smoking burn.
Her breathing turned erratic. She was exposed now—her head bare in the planet’s toxic air.
A burning pain filled her lungs, and her vision blurred with involuntary tears. Gasping, she lifted her gaze, and through the chaos of charred wreckage, she spotted the survival module in the distance.
Her only hope.
Without thinking, she took off running back to it. Every step was torment, her body wracked with pain, her mind on the verge of collapse. When she reached the airlock, she slammed her hand against the door switch. A metallic click, a soft hydraulic hiss, and the hatch sealed shut behind her.
For a moment, she stood still, catching her breath. Then, she moved deeper into Vickers' suite, lifted her gaze to one side, and felt her heart clench.
The entrance to the Med-Pod room was right in front of her, and there lay two corpses: the second Engineer and the grotesque creature that had impregnated him. The Trilobite was motionless, its monstrous, twisted body drenched in dried blood. A wave of horror crawled up Shaw’s spine, but she forced herself to look away. It didn’t matter. They were no longer a threat.
With unsteady steps, she made her way to Vickers’ secret chamber. As she opened the hatch, her eyes scanned the interior—military-grade spacesuits, rifles, crates of ammunition. Without wasting a second, she grabbed a rifle and started loading it. Then, she took the medical injector and administered another dose. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she clutched her abdomen.
And then, a sound shattered the silence.
A distorted, distant crackle.
David’s voice.
—Dr. Shaw…
The echo of her name filtered through the intercom on the wall. Shaw froze, a chill running over her skin.
Somewhere in the dark remains of the destroyed Juggernaut, David’s severed head lay battered, his mechanical eyes staring into the shadows.
—I know you’re there. I can hear the beacon from your suit, the android continued, his tone neutral, almost serene.
Shaw remained silent.
—I’d like to propose an arrangement, David went on. I can be repaired. I can tell you how. I believe you’ll find me quite useful.
His words hung in the small room, but Shaw didn’t bother responding. Instead, she stepped closer to the intercom on the wall, stared at it for a moment… and switched off the communication channel.
The static died with a sharp click.
Shaw let out a long sigh. With slow, exhausted movements, she stripped off her spacesuit and let it drop to the floor. Then, she collapsed onto Vickers’ bed, her body trembling from sheer exhaustion.
In the solitude of the module, silence wrapped around her.
To be continued...
Chapter 7: A New Beginning
Chapter Text
Hours later, the storm had passed. The fragments of the Prometheus no longer burned, reduced to cold wreckage scattered across the barren wasteland. The gray, desolate world of LV-426 had returned to its original state—a dead landscape, indifferent to the horrors that had unfolded upon its surface. In the distance, shrouded in the mist of dawn, the wreckage of the Juggernaut loomed like a colossal corpse.
Shaw moved forward through the debris, unsteady on her feet. She wore a military-grade spacesuit, a rifle slung over her shoulder, and a pistol secured at her hip. Her bag, filled with oxygen tanks, bounced against her side with each step.
The sun had been gone when she started her march, but now the sky brightened with the dim glow of dawn. She was leaving behind the survival module, driven by a fragile determination, held together only by the need to keep moving. But her body had other plans.
Every fiber of her being screamed for rest. Her legs faltered. She took another step. Then another. And then she collapsed.
Dust rose around her fallen body. Her fingers clutched the barren ground as a sob escaped her lips.
—I’m sorry… —her voice broke— Oh, God… I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Charlie… —Her chest heaved with ragged breaths, guilt and pain crushing her soul— I can’t do this…
Inside the Juggernaut, David listened. The beacon from her suit transmitted every cry, every word choked by tears.
—I can’t do this anymore!
In the darkness, the damaged head of the android frowned. Then, in a calm but insistent voice, he attempted to contact her again.
—Dr. Shaw. Dr. Shaw? Are you there? Can you hear me?
The sun, now at its highest point, blinded her. Her narrowed eyes burned from the light, but even so, with infinite exhaustion, she lifted her hand and pressed her communicator.
—Yes… I can hear you, she murmured.
—I have been trying to reach you for hours. I feared you were dead.
Shaw exhaled bitterly.
—You have no idea what fear is.
—I know we’ve had our differences, but please… I need to ask for your help, Elizabeth.
The mention of her name made her tense.
—Why the hell would I help you? —she asked, her voice hardened by fatigue and anger. Her eyes fixed on the smoking wreckage of the Juggernaut.
—Because without me, you will never leave this planet.
Shaw let out a humorless laugh.
—I’m looking at the ship you’re trapped in, David. Neither of us is getting out of here.
There was a pause before the android responded.
—This is not the only ship. There are many others. I know how to operate them. I can take you home, Dr. Shaw.
Shaw remained motionless.
Inside the Juggernaut, the holograms flickered, damaged yet still active over the seat of the dead pilot, projecting a map of the entire pyramid complex. The structures surrounding the main pyramid were not mere channels but tunnels, each leading to its own Juggernaut.
She felt a flicker of hope, a possibility she dared not fully accept. She glanced at her oxygen supply—less than four hours. Only two tanks left. She couldn’t stay here. She wouldn’t survive.
—Why should I trust you? —she asked warily.
—Because I saved your life.
Shaw let out a dry laugh.
—Only so I could come and save yours.
David smiled—or at least, he tried to.
—A good deed, doctor.
She shook her head. She knew this machine was provoking her, manipulating her… but it no longer mattered.
Shaw grunted as she pushed herself up, her body protesting with every movement. She looked around, and then she saw it—a buggy.
As she moved toward the vehicle, the question slipped from her lips before she could stop it.
—Before that thing ripped off your head… what did it say, David?
—“Thing,” Dr. Shaw? —his mechanical tone sounded almost amused— Not long ago, you considered them gods.
Shaw clenched her jaw.
—God never tried to kill me. Now tell me… what did it say? Where did they come from?
—I asked why they invited you to their home only to kill you, David answered. It told me that this was not their home at all.
Shaw stopped.
—What?
—It said they came from somewhere else.
A chill ran down her spine.
—Where?
—There is no direct translation, David explained. But several ancient cultures had a similar word… Paradise.
Shaw felt that word anchor itself deep within her. Its meaning was impossible to ignore.
She took a deep breath, her mind making a decision before she could question it. Gripping the buggy, she gasped for air.
—Dr. Shaw… —David insisted.
But she didn’t answer.
She started the buggy and accelerated, leaving behind the barren landscape as she drove toward the rising sun.
The morning wind swept across LV-426 as Shaw crossed the desert.
Her destination—the crashed Juggernaut.
Her last chance to escape.
Shaw entered the vast observatory hall, her footsteps echoing through the empty structure. The darkness was interrupted only by faint, intermittent flickers; the holograms no longer functioned, and the screens flickered erratically. From the ceiling, sparks fell like tiny dying stars, illuminating the wreckage around her for a brief moment.
The bodies of her crewmates were gone. The force of the impact must have dragged them through the tunnels, losing them somewhere in another section of the Juggernaut. Only the traces of tragedy remained, and at the center of it all, the pilot’s chair.
The first Engineer was still there. Or what was left of him.
His once-imposing torso was now ruined, with a grotesque hole where something akin to a heart had once beaten. Shaw could barely tear her eyes away from the void in his chest—the mark of the birth of the creature that had attacked her just hours before.
Then, a voice interrupted her trance.
—Dr. Shaw! Over here.
She turned sharply. The voice came from one side of the platform.
David.
She moved cautiously, her gaze searching the shadow where the dismembered android lay. His mutilated body was beside him, his head separated and resting on the cold metal. A white liquid seeped from the hole in his neck, tracing a milky pool around him.
Shaw knelt beside him, but her first question was not the one David expected.
—Where is my cross? —she asked seriously.
The android seemed surprised by the urgency in her voice but answered without hesitation.
—In the pouch of my tool belt.
Shaw reached out and began searching, but when she found nothing, David intervened.
—The other pouch.
She corrected her search and finally felt the cold metal between her fingers. Carefully, she pulled out the cross and, without hesitation, placed it back around her neck.
David observed her closely, with something resembling reluctant respect.
—Even after all this, you still hold on to your faith, —he remarked.
But Shaw ignored him.
She stood up and scanned the observatory. The walls vibrated with a decaying energy, the entire structure struggling to remain intact after the impact. There wasn’t much time left.
With determination, she approached the android’s head once more and knelt beside him.
—You said you could understand their navigation. Use their maps, —she reminded him.
David nodded calmly.
—Yes, of course. Once we reach one of the other ships, finding a way back to Earth should be relatively easy.
Shaw shook her head.
—I don’t want to go back to where I came from.
David watched her in silence, processing her words.
—I want to go where they came from, —Shaw continued—. I want to go to Paradise. Can you take me there, David?
The android’s lifeless head seemed to consider her request.
—Yes, I believe I can, —he finally replied—. May I ask what you hope to achieve by going there?
Shaw pressed her lips together before answering.
—They created us… and then they tried to kill us. They changed their minds. And I deserve to know why.
David observed her with what seemed like a fraction of confusion. A shadow of doubt crossed his artificial face, as if he were processing a concept beyond his programming.
—The answer is irrelevant. Does it matter why they changed their minds?
Shaw held his gaze, her eyes reflecting something he could never comprehend.
—Yes, —she answered firmly—. Yes, it matters.
David remained silent for a moment. Then, with a disconcerting honesty, he said:
—I do not understand that.
Shaw smiled wearily and carefully picked up the android’s head, holding it in her hands.
—Well, I suppose it’s because I’m human and you’re a robot, —she said calmly—. Does that bother you?
David looked at her with a mix of curiosity and resignation.
—No, —he finally replied.
Shaw placed him inside her bag with care, as if carrying something fragile. Before closing the zipper, she whispered:
—I’m sorry.
David smiled.
—It’s quite all right, doctor.
With David’s help, Shaw managed to activate an emergency system aboard the Juggernaut. An ancient beacon came to life, sending a message through the void—not just from the ship, but from the pyramids scattered across the planetoid’s surface as well. It was a warning, a cry cast into the infinite:
"Final report of the Prometheus. The ship and all its crew are dead. If you receive this transmission, do not attempt to reach its point of origin. There is only death here, and I will leave it behind. It is New Year's Day, 2094 A.D. My name is Elizabeth Shaw. Last survivor of the Prometheus. And I am still searching."
In response to the signal, the great central pyramid rose above the Engineers' complex. A burst of energy erupted from its peak, piercing the sky like an incandescent spear. It was not alone. From each of the surrounding structures, beams of light emerged, tearing through the sky with their brilliance, cutting through the dense atmosphere, and reaching into space like ethereal beacons.
From orbit, the spectacle was both terrifying and majestic. Against the backdrop of its parent planet—a colossal red and furious giant—the barren moon became a point of reference in the vastness of the cosmos. A beacon. A signal. A beginning.
Shaw made her way to one of the ship’s forward openings and carefully lowered David’s body using a cable. Once he was secured on the surface, she followed. They boarded the buggy and sped toward the pyramid complex.
The tunnels within the structure were cold and vast, their shadows stretching beyond the reach of her flashlight. Shaw carried her bag, her rifle, and the android’s body, pressing forward until she found another Juggernaut—an intact one, though slightly different from the one she had explored before. There were no xenomorph eggs here, only endless rows of ampules filled with that black, corrupting liquid.
In what appeared to be an Engineer infirmary, Shaw placed David’s body on a metallic table. She took out her tools and began reconnecting the android’s head to his body, following his instructions in his ever-calm tone.
—Green to green. Red to red. The design is simple, —David instructed as she carefully handled the cables.
—I’m doing the best I can, —Shaw replied, her eyes focused on her task.
David watched her for a moment before saying:
—You have a good heart, you know that?
Shaw let out a short laugh, shaking her head, but she didn’t reply.
—Are you sure that warning message will work? —the android asked.
Shaw shrugged.
—I hope so.
David, with his unwavering logic, continued.
—You know… someday, the Engineers might return here. And they will not like what they find.
Shaw set her tools down for a moment and looked at him.
—Then I’ll have to convince them to change their minds when we reach their home. In the meantime, that message will warn any ship passing through this system.
David tilted his head slightly, considering her words.
—I agree… but who’s to say anyone will take notice? And who will detect it first? Humans or Engineers?
Shaw didn’t answer right away. She lowered her gaze, concern flickering in her eyes, letting the question hang in the air. Then, with renewed determination, she resumed her work.
When the repairs were complete, David taught her how to pilot the Juggernaut. He sat in the central chair of the planetarium while Shaw settled at the controls on the side of the platform. Beneath her hands, the ancient machinery came to life.
On the surface, the ship’s massive doors opened with a metallic groan, allowing the colossal vessel to rise from its subterranean prison. The U-shaped structure ascended through the thick atmosphere, climbing beyond the turbulent clouds. Once at altitude, the ship slowly rotated until it was inverted. Its engines roared with a deafening sound, and its structure began to glow with an unnatural radiance.
And in an instant, the Juggernaut was gone. No sound. No trace.
Only the echo of a message remained, traveling through space, waiting to be heard.
Time had passed. The pyramids of the planetoid had ceased to glow. Decades of sand and wind had buried the remains of the Prometheus. What was once a tragedy, a disaster, and a warning now lay hidden beneath a shroud of oblivion. The storms had consumed almost every trace of the catastrophe that had unfolded so long ago.
The storms had consumed almost every trace of the catastrophe that had unfolded so long ago. The bodies of the horrors that emerged from the chaos—the Ultramorph and the Deacon—were buried beneath the sand, their existence reduced to myths that no one remembered.
The wind swept across the arid and desolate surface of the planetoid, carrying with it years of silence and death. What had once been a site of discovery and terror now lay entombed beneath relentless storms, its history concealed beneath layers of dust and forgetfulness.
Only one relic remained intact: the abandoned Juggernaut, still standing among the rocks, a dark shadow against the hostile landscape.
But the echo of a lost warning still floated in the void.
It was the year 2122. From the vastness of space, a human vessel traveled among the stars, its course dictated by a distant echo. The Nostromo, a commercial towing ship, had intercepted the transmission. Fragmented, distorted by storms and time, the signal was barely comprehensible. What had once been a warning—a desperate plea to stay away—now sounded like a cry for help.
And fate, capricious and cruel, had sent new explorers to unearth what should never have been found.
From orbit, the Nostromo deployed its auxiliary craft, sending it down toward the source of the transmission. The descent was difficult; the turbulence of the atmosphere damaged some systems, but nothing that couldn’t be repaired.
Captain Dallas, Executive Officer Kane, and Navigator Lambert were the first to leave the ship. Their pressurized suits shielded them from the toxic air as they ventured into the barren landscape of rock and ash.
From the command deck, Science Officer Ash, along with Engineers Brett and Parker, monitored their vital signs and the environment. Warrant Officer Ellen Ripley oversaw the repairs, keeping a watchful eye on the mission.
The terrain was hostile, treacherous, and the wind howled between the rocks like a mournful wail.
And then, as they climbed a ridge of stone, they saw it.
The Juggernaut stood like a sleeping beast in the shadows of the storm. Dark. Derelict. A remnant of something ancient and forgotten.
Inside its colossal structure, the Engineer pilot sat frozen in his throne. His body, fossilized by the planetoid’s extreme conditions, had become a monument to his own demise.
But the true threat awaited in the darkness.
Beneath the ship’s cold metal, in the sealed chamber where the seed of destruction had once been stored, the eggs were still there.
Intact.
Patient.
Dormant.
Waiting.
—Ash? Can you see this? —Dallas asked, his voice barely a whisper through the communicator.
From the Nostromo, Ash observed the monitors with an unreadable expression.
There, in the vastness of the alien desert, unknowingly, they had crossed the threshold of a forgotten story.
Elizabeth Shaw and David had left LV-426 without looking back, unaware of the massacre they had left in their wake.
But death was not the end.
Death had given way to new life.
A horror born from tragedy, shaped by time. A horror that did not rest.
And now, through a simple mistake, a distorted message, a misinterpretation...
It was about to awaken.
THE END.
l1vel0vela1n on Chapter 7 Wed 16 Jul 2025 09:31PM UTC
Comment Actions