Predator: Survivor

chapter 24

Kang couldn't believe what he was seeing. Not only was he looking at the odd girl from the processing labs he was staring at a huge fucking yautja.

The creature just stared at him with unmistakable disdain while the girl--Ilara or something--was typing on the controls on the other side of the glass dome. Kang could see her mouth moving and watched as she stopped and looked at him every few seconds, but he could hear nothing.

It went like that for a few more seconds occasionally she would turn her head and look up at the monster to her side. Was she talking to that thing?!

Kang closed his eyes and tried to remember what happened. He could remember waking up that morning and hitting the gym before eating breakfast in the canteen on level one and then reporting for duty. Kang frowned, everything had been fine. So why was he...more memories came back to him, but these weren't like the others. These memories were distorted, he could only piece them together. Images of people yelling, the sound of alarms blaring, he was so close. He could feel the memory he needed right there at the edge of his mind and-

"I swear if this doesn't work, I'm just going to start hitting it." The feminine voice broke over the intercom pulling Kang from his thoughts.

Frustrated at being interrupted, Kang opened his mouth to speak, but only a croaking sound came out. He realized his throat was dry. A fiery pain burned through his throat as he tried once again to speak. Instinctively, he reached up to rub at his throat but was reminded again that his arms and legs were clamped down inside the pod. Angrily, he began to shift.

"Okay, okay, I'm getting you out. Just give me a quick sec," the girl tried to reassure him, but Kang didn't want to listen.

He was sore as hell and more than a little confused. It alarmed him that there were huge black patches in his memories. It freaked him out to know that the last thing he could remember was the chaos on the base station and nothing else. But it had to be bad right? If he was in the processing lab looking up at the infamous strange girl and the yautja that should be in a cryo chamber. Just what the fuck happened?

Ahead of him, the room began to move and he blinked a few times before realizing it was him moving. The medical pod was coming down from the wall and down to the floor level. A few moments later the pressurized seal of the glass dome released.

"Hi Kang, it's me Izara. Here, take my hand." The girl chimed happily in front of him.

Naturally, he looked to the silent beast standing off to the side. The hideous monster just watched him with those sunken eyes glowing evilly. For some reason, Kang didn't want the giant bastard to see him in this moment of weakness. Angrily, he pushed away her helping hands and grabbed the side of the pod with both hands. He would step out on his own. He needed to set the tone with that thing staring at him. He was not weak.

The moment his weight came down on his leg, Kang knew he made a mistake. His legs felt like jelly. His knee buckled immediately and he could feel himself toppling forward.

"I got you," the bright voice called out.

One moment Izara was in front of him watching him with a worried expression and the next she had his arm over her shoulders and was propping him up like a crutch. Both he and the yautja blinked in shock.

She had moved so fast.

"Let me help you, just until you get your strength back," she explained. Her tone which should have been admonishing considering how he ignored her help was surprisingly encouraging. Kang couldn't help but do a double take to the girl practically carrying him to a stool.