Halo: Xenomorphs Rising

Chapter 7 - Ancestry

Two weeks had passed. Relu and Quinn had decided to stay put as long as they could, as it would reduce the amount of risks taken. Plus, Quinn’s injured leg prevented him from doing much. Two week’s healing later however; he was up and walking comfortably. He had insisted on exercising, claiming that Relu had been ‘spoiling’ him while he was injured. The upside-down life pod turned out to be a more than adequate home for the two of them, and they had even gone so far as to extend it, building a sheltered area just outside the door from what materials they could find in the forest. Relu had found a stream nearby and the pair had taken a long-awaited bath. Not together, of course. Life seemed good for them, though they both knew in their hearts it was only temporary. For the moment, they could pretend the Xenomorphs had never existed, but one day they would have to face the truth and go back out again. They had yet to find a sustainable food source, and the rations were getting low. Quinn was reclining on one of the seats they had taken from the life pod and put out in their DIY shelter. He was whittling away at a rock with his combat knife, trying to sharpen the blade. Relu was out on her routine check of the forest, as she believed she would be able to find some wildlife around. Quinn had expressed his doubts, but if nothing else, Relu was persistent. Quinn gazed at the sky, picturing a UNSC vessel coming down to pick him up. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the storage area they had built and three day’s worth of food. Suddenly, a large grey shape emerged silently from the clouds. Quinn leapt up out of his seat. A ship? He excitedly shouted for Relu. He knew she would be along soon; she didn’t stray too far from the camp for fear of getting lost. Quinn frowned. There was something wrong. The ship looked Covenant, yet somehow not. It had the same sleekness common to Covenant vehicles, but it wasn’t the right shape or colour. It looked like someone had waved a magic wand at a Phantom and merged it with a Pelican, except ten times bigger. Quinn felt very uneasy about this new development. If the Xenomorphs are real, who knows how many other races are out there? He hoped it wasn’t another ship full of Xenomorphs, though if he thought about it, Xenomorphs couldn’t pilot vehicles, so the ship should be crashing, not landing gracefully a few clicks north of his position. There was a rustle of leaves behind him, and he whirled around, bringing up his Assault Rifle. Relu stepped out and he sighed, relieved.

“Don’t do that! You scared the crap out of me!” Quinn protested. Relu gave him an odd look.

“You called for me, did you not? Why are you so jumpy?” Quinn quickly explained to Relu what he had seen. Relu gazed thoughtfully at him. “It sounds like something from the legends of the Ancestors,” she replied. Quinn gave her a questioning look. “There are tales about the creatures we descended from. They were, like us, a proud race. It was said that they were related to the Forerunners themselves,” she boasted. Quinn smirked as he realised she had not entirely given up on her religion. “They used to take the heads of their enemies as trophies! Eventually, they needed a better foe to face, so they set out hunting the creatures you call ‘Xenomorphs’, leaving behind a few of their own, who eventually were changed by the gods to better suit the environment of Sangheilios.” Quinn nodded, pretending that he understood the Sangheili’s refusal to accept Darwinism.

“So you’re saying that these guys could be your ancestors. Would they consider giving us a lift?” Quinn asked hopefully. Relu shook her head.

“If the legends are true, which I am assuming they are, they will not consider me as their own kind. They will most likely kill us on sight, using the same kind of weapons as the Covenant. In fact, it is said that they are the ones who first taught us to use Forerunner artefacts,” she droned on. A little bit of history is interesting, but she seems a bit full of herself, Quinn found himself thinking. He let it slide without passing a comment though; Relu was too good a friend to be as insensitive as that. Quinn’s stomach growled. Relu smirked at him and trotted over to the food storage, grabbing two MREs. They spent another uneventful dinner together.

Quinn woke up with a start. Pitch black surrounded him. He grabbed his Assault Rifle from under his pillow and switched the torch on. Relu’s bed was empty.

“Relu?” Quinn whispered. He fumbled around beneath her pillow, finding her Carbine still there. She wouldn’t go anywhere without here weapons. Quinn started sweating. He ducked out of the life pod and searched the surrounding area. There was a set of footprints in the dirt. Xenomorph footprints. Quinn glared into the black night, unable to see anything beyond four metres in front of him. His eyes were filled with mad grief. He couldn’t lose his friend, his only friend. His best friend. He cared about her a lot more than just an ally. He felt himself tearing up, but brushed the moisture away. “No,” he growled to himself. “It’s not going to end like this.” He shined his torch on the tracks again, seeing they were heading for the Weyland Industries ship. He stalked back into the life pod, dead inside. He grabbed every single item that could be used as a weapon and headed back into the night. It was reckless, the Xenomorphs would have an advantage at night, but he didn’t give a shit to be honest. He shoved his helmet on his head. “This means war.”