The cruise ships had sailed for more than a week and now they had arrived at the peaceful planet of Quintesa. The people looked out of the window and cheered in excitement, not knowing the hidden danger under the veil.
The sailors and the security guards were also relieved. Only, Shuzib and Aldred's circle of friends knew about this matter. This was also to their advantage because they did not want to spread panic.
After the cruise ship docked on the space station, Aldred and his team quickly exited the ship. But, an officer stopped them.
"Thank you for your help during the alien infiltration. Without you, there will be so much more casualties."
"I am just doing my job." Aldred patted the man on the shoulder.
'But my job is not done yet,' Aldred thought to himself. There were a lot more things to get done, and it had to be done or else billions of lives on this planet will die.
As they went down the space elevator and reached the surface of the planet, Aldred asked. "What is our first step?"
"First, we need to find powerful xenomorph."
"For what?"
"We need to kill them and smear their blood on you. This won't work unless you give out the aura of a xenomorph. A Xenos Patriach has a powerful stench of more than a thousand Xenomorph, naturally, you have to have this stench as well."
"So I have to walk around with alien blood on my face?"
"No. You can wash off the blood, but the stench will stay on you for a week or two. That also means that you we need to find and kill a lot of xenomorph in a short amount of time."
"How the heck can we find these xenomorph? For all I know, even a family member wouldn't know that their spouse is an alien."
Salamander then revealed his device. "Actually, I havr created a purpose exactly for this purpose. I have spent the last few weeks to study the alien biology and standard human biology to determine even a slight difference in DNA. This device can do that for us."
"Oh, wow! I don't know we can use tools to do that."
Even Shuzib was surprised. "How did you create it? A device like that is extremely expensive."
Aldred was curios as well.
"Okay, I will tell you the truth. Actually, I have spend over 500k Galactic Credit for this."
"What!" Aldred was shocked. With that much money, they could have bought a stronger battleship and complete more mission effectively. "Where did you get the money?"
"The captain of the cruise ship gave the Credit as a reward for your contribution in fighting against the aliens."
Aldred was speechless. He forgot that he could've asked for a reward because he was too focused on so many things. First, was the arrogant baron who approached him, Shuzib begging him for help, and the xenos problem who could infiltrate an entire society.
"So-so how much Credit do we have left?"
"Uhh, zero."
Aldred wanted to cry but he gritted his teeth and hold it. He nodded. "Okay, that's fine. Are you sure the device is working?"
"I am not sure until I test it on real situation."
Aldred sighed.
"It's fine," Shuzib said. "Let's start in places with less people first."
All of them then moved to a housing area where there were not much crowds of people.
"I will try it now." Salamander activated his device.
As Salamander activated his device, a soft hum filled the air. The device's screen flickered to life, displaying a complex array of genetic data. Salamander carefully adjusted the settings, focusing the device on a nearby residential building.
Suddenly, the light on the device flickered and it slowly turned off.
"Fuck! 500k Galactic Credit down the drain!" Aldred wanted to gouge his own eyeballs out.
But the device flickered to life again which made him feel relieved.
Aldred, Shuzib, Cleome, Shinari, and Elralya watched in anticipation as the device scanned the building's structure. After a few moments, the screen displayed a list of occupants, their genetic profiles highlighted in different colors. Salamander pointed to a specific unit on the screen.
"There," he said, his voice low. "That apartment has abnormal genetic signatures. It's likely a xenomorph hiding among the residents."
Aldred nodded, his determination burning brightly. "Let's go. We can't waste any time."
The group stealthily approached the apartment, their senses on high alert. Aldred, in particular, focused on his magical abilities, ready to defend himself and his friends at a moment's notice. They reached the door, and Salamander activated the device again. The device showed data, confirming the presence of the xenomorph within.
Suddenly, a man appeared, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. When he saw the group, he was shocked and covered himself. "Who are you! What are you doing in my property!"
"Is this really a xenomorph?" Aldred asked.
"The readings confirmed it."
"I don't want to kill someone by mistake."
"Kill? Are you planning to kill me? Murderers? Robbers? What are you people? If money is what you want just take everything. Just don't harm me."
The man trembled in fear, anxiety plastered all over his face. Nothing abous his attitudes indicate that he was a xenomorph.
"Aldred, read this." Shuzib showed him a piece of paper. It was a transcription of the alien glyphs.
Aldred focused his attention on the intricate glyphs before him, his eyes scanning the alien symbols. As he read the foreign characters, he felt a peculiar resonance, as if the language had a strange connection with his very being. The glyphs seemed to come alive, forming meaning in his mind, and he began to speak in the ancient, melodic tones of the xenomorph language.
"Zar'keth mirunth, shan'dor xenos," Aldred intoned, his voice resonating with a mystical cadence. The man before him stared in astonishment, realizing that Aldred was speaking the language of the xenomorphs, a tongue no human had ever mastered before.
The man's trembling ceased, replaced by a mix of confusion and curiosity. "What... what did you say?" He wanted to make sure he heard it right.
Aldred continued, his voice gaining confidence as he recited the words from the paper. The alien language flowed through him, resonating with a power that seemed to come from the depths of the cosmos. His friends watched in awe, recognizing the gravity of this moment.
As Aldred spoke, the atmosphere in the room changed. The air seemed to shimmer, and a faint, ethereal glow surrounded him. The man's expression shifted from fear to awe, his eyes widening in understanding.
"You... you're the chosen one," the man whispered, his voice filled with reverence. "The one who can communicate with the ancient Xenos. I never thought I'd live to witness this day."
"I have a task for you," Aldred said. "We are ready to call the Eclipse. Bring me to where our kind gathers."
The man knelt with one knee. "Yes, master."
The man immedialye changed to a proper clothes. "Follow me."
The man, now recognizing Aldred as the master of the xenomorph language, led the group through winding alleys and hidden passageways to a secluded location on Quintesa. As they approached, they could hear chanting and the faint flickering of torchlight.
They entered a cavernous chamber adorned with alien symbols and strange artifacts. In the center, a group of hooded figures surrounded an altar, their voices resonating with eerie hymns in the xenomorph tongue. The atmosphere was thick with anticipation, and a sense of dark ritual hung in the air.
Everyone was silent, still not believing it would be so easy to find the xenomorph cult.
Aldred, his friends, and the man stood at the entrance, observing the scene before them. The hooded figures, clearly part of a xenomorph cult, were unaware of their presence.
"What's our next step?" Aldred whispered to Shuzib.
"Well, now we need to gather as much Xenomorph as possible and then kill them all," Shuzib whispered back.
The man that guide them here stopped and turned around. "Master, please wait here."
The man approached a hooded figure and talked using alien language in hushed tone. After a few minutes, the man returned back to Aldred.
"Master, there will be a grant ceremony tomorrow. For the moment, why don't you stay in one of our room."
"That is fine." Aldred nodded.
Aldred and his companions were led to a chamber within the cult's complex. The room, adorned with intricate xenomorph glyphs, emanated an otherworldly aura. Despite the eeriness of their surroundings, the group decided to stay vigilant, realizing that they were in the heart of the xenomorph cult's activities.
As they settled into the chamber, Aldred turned to his friends. "We must remain cautious. This cult's ceremonies might hold the key to understanding the xenomorphs and their plans. We need to gather as much information as possible without arousing suspicion."
Shuzib nodded in agreement. "I'll try to blend in, observe their rituals, and gather intel discreetly. We should also keep an eye out for any signs of the Eclipse, the event they mentioned."
"I agree. But for now, let's all take it slow and low," Aldred said.
