Squashing a Bug

8.3.5 SW
Evening
East Wombwood > Mobile Research Camp

“I’ll have to report this. Deadly or not, this is what we do! What we came out here for!” He raised his voice as Devereuax walked away to the truck.

Dev got into the drivers seat. Turning it on, he called out the door before shutting it. “Stay clear the body, it’s blood is dangerous!”

Dev re-positioned the transport vehicle so it was aimed at the creature’s head and then put the pedal to the metal. He floored it to run over the alien’s elongated skull.

Barden stood to the side, appearing annoyed.

“These colonies are dangerous by default! Admin would want this thing al- - !” he jumped back as Dev sped towards it and crushed it. Immediately, the front tire hissed and flattened as the acid bore its way through the rubber.

Devereaux was too focused to allow himself to be annoyed by Barden’s by the-book-rant. Perhaps if they had a proper containment crew, container, etc., but they didn’t have any of those things and this creature was a nightmare. Hell, it was even unclear when Admin would be able to send someone out to them.

Dev had planned that the tire would get ruined when he killed the xenomorph. It is easier to change a tire though, they had spares, then taking self harm from trying to dispatch it. He parked the vehicle where the tire went flat and exited.

“Fine Barden, go dob on me all you want with Admin but I still think that was the right call. They can still research the dead body, it’s not like it suddenly disappeared when I crushed its skull flat.”

He paused and looked to them both, trying to change gears and climb down from the mountain of stress they had all just involuntarily climbed. “Is everyone ok? We probably need to patch up the trailer and bunker down for the night. I hate to be a pessimist, but we have no evidence that this was the only one out here.”

Grace stood catatonic near the dead creature just staring. Finally, she snapped out of her daze in response to Devereaux, she blinked away the rain that fell down her lashes and spoke, “I don’t want stay here… not another minute. I want to go home.”

She shivered and headed into the trailer to gather her things. The pistol remained tight her grip.

Devereaux stood silently in the rain a few moments more watching Grace enter into the trailer. He took another look at the alien and then likewise proceeded into the trailer to help her, in addition to doing a better job of packing up his necessities. “You want to try and make it back to base tonight on our own instead of staying put Grace? Just say the word and we are out of here.”

Barden followed the other two into the vehicle, immediately going over to examine his acid burnt glasses. "Some fuckin' day," he complained under his breath. He then found a towel and started to brush the remaining pieces of grass off his body. But his mind couldn't stop thinking about that thing outside, it's potential. Think of the military science applications of such a beast, it's blood alone could cause significant damage, so what else could it do.

Grace talked to Devereaux as she quickly gathered small necessities into a pack, "I know you all had research you were working on out here. I do too. And I didn't want to abandon it, but it's not going anywhere... and I can't stay here... not after that... Vail and Montana... they're OUT there somewhere. Dead or dying... and we don't know how many more of those things there are... I'm sorry... but I-I-I... have to go... with or without you guys. I don't care about the money. I don't want to die." she paused for a moment before deciding. "I'm taking one of the ATVs."

“And I am coming with you.” Devereaux exclaimed resolutely as he finished organizing the things portable enough to transport back with him. He had his field pack on his back, the rifle over his shoulder, a satchel full of samples slung over the other shoulder, and a crate with some other research equipment. “Are you coming Barden?” To be honest, he wasn’t quite sure what the man was going to do.

Dev hauled and packed all his things in the ATV and then retrieved the weapons cache he had thrown out the window and also stored it onboard. He helped Grace with whatever she needed assistance with; anything to speed up their departure. He would also help Barden if the man would allow it.

“I’ll drive if you’ll help navigate Grace?” And with that, they departed the area, leaving behind the nightmare dead on the ground, but carrying the trauma of the experience with them back to the colony town.

Barden followed on an ATV of his own, too cowardly to stay behind alone and try to recover anything else. As they breached Wombwood Forest and headed down the hill toward Matron’s Coast, they all noticed the darkness of Crowning Point settlement. The power was still out.